Measurement and application of purine derivatives: Creatinine ratio in spot urine samples of ruminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, X.B.; Jayasuriya, M.C.N.; Makkar, H.P.S.

2004-01-01

The daily excretion of purine derivatives in urine has been used to estimate the supply of microbial protein to ruminant animals. The method provides a simple and non-invasive tool to indicate the nutritional status of farm animals. However due to the need for complete collection of urine the potential application at farm level is restricted. Research conducted under the FAO/IAEA Co-ordinated Research Project has indicated that it is possible to use the purine derivatives:creatinine ratio measured in several spot urine samples collected within a day, as an index of microbial protein supply in a banding system for farm application. Some theoretical and experimental aspects in the measurement of purine derivatives:creatinine ratio in spot urine samples and the possible application of the banding system at the farm level are discussed. (author)

Derivation of governing equation for predicting thermal conductivity of composites with spherical inclusions and its applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae-Kon; Kim, Jin-Gon

2011-01-01

A governing differential equation for predicting the effective thermal conductivity of composites with spherical inclusions is shown to be simply derived by using the result of the generalized self-consistent model. By applying the equation to composites including spherical inclusions such as graded spherical inclusions, microballoons, mutiply-coated spheres, and spherical inclusions with an interphase, their effective thermal conductivities are easily predicted. The results are compared with those in the literatures to be consistent. It can be stated from the investigations that the effective thermal conductivity of composites with spherical inclusions can be estimated as long as their conductivities are expressed as a function of their radius. -- Highlights: → We derive equation for predicting the effective thermal conductivity of composites. → The equation is derived using the results of the generalized self-consistent model. → The inclusions are graded sphere, microballoons, and mutiply-coated spheres.

Scanning nanoscale multiprobes for conductivity measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøggild, Peter; Hansen, Torben Mikael; Kuhn, Oliver

2000-01-01

We report fabrication and measurements with two- and four-point probes with nanoscale dimensions, for high spatial resolution conductivity measurements on surfaces and thin films. By combination of conventional microfabrication and additive three-dimensional nanolithography, we have obtained...... electrode spacings down to 200 nm. At the tips of four silicon oxide microcantilevers, narrow carbon tips are grown in converging directions and subsequently coated with a conducting layer. The probe is placed in contact with a conducting surface, whereby the electrode resistance can be determined....... The nanoelectrodes withstand considerable contact force before breaking. The probe offers a unique possibility to position the voltage sensors, as well as the source and drain electrodes in areas of nanoscale dimensions. ©2000 American Institute of Physics....

Thermal conductivity measurements of Pacific illite sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hickox, C.E.; McVey, D.F.; Miller, J.B.; Olson, L.O.; Silva, A.J.

1986-01-01

Results are reported for effective thermal conductivity measurements performed in situ and in core samples of illite marine sediment. The measurements were obtained during a recent oceanographic expedition to a study site in the north central region of the Pacific Ocean. This study was undertaken in support of the US Subseabed Disposal Project, the purpose of which is to investigate the scientific feasibility of using the fine grained sediments of the sea floor as a repository for high level nuclear waste. In situ measurements were made and 1.5-meter long hydrostatic piston cores were taken, under remote control, from a platform that was lowered to the sea floor, 5844 m below sea level. The in situ measurement of thermal conductivity was made at a nominal depth of 80 cm below the sediment surface using a specially developed, line source, needle probe. Thermal conductivity measurements in three piston cores and one box core (obtained several kilometers from the study site) were made on shipboard using a miniature needle probe. The in situ thermal conductivity was approximately 0.91 W/m.K. Values determined from the cores were within the range 0.81 to 0.89 W/m.K

Innovation of fission gas release and thermal conductivity measurement methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Meer, K.; Soboler, V.

1998-01-01

This presentation described two innovative measurement methods being currently developed at SCK-CEN in order to support the modeling of fuel performance. The first one is an acoustic method to measure the fission gas release in a fuel rod in a non destructive way. The total rod pressure is determined by generating a heat pulse causing a pressure wave that propagates through the gas to an ultrasound transducer. The final pulse width being proportional to the pressure, the latter can thus be determined. The measurement of the acoustic resonance frequency at fixed temperatures enables the distinction between different gas components. The second method is a non-stationary technique to investigate the thermal properties of the fuel rod, like thermal conductivity, diffusivity and heat capacity. These properties are derived from the amplitude and the phase shift of the fuel centre temperature response induced by a periodic temperature variation. These methods did not reveal any physical limitations for the practical applicability. Furthermore, they are rather simple. Preliminary investigations have proven both methods to be more accurate than techniques usually utilized. (author)

Insulator-protected mechanically controlled break junctions for measuring single-molecule conductance in aqueous environments

Science.gov (United States)

Muthusubramanian, N.; Galan, E.; Maity, C.; Eelkema, R.; Grozema, F. C.; van der Zant, H. S. J.

2016-07-01

We present a method to fabricate insulated gold mechanically controlled break junctions (MCBJ) by coating the metal with a thin layer of aluminum oxide using plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition. The Al2O3 thickness deposited on the MCBJ devices was varied from 2 to 15 nm to test the suppression of leakage currents in deionized water and phosphate buffered saline. Junctions coated with a 15 nm thick oxide layer yielded atomically sharp electrodes and negligible conductance counts in the range of 1 to 10-4 G0 (1 G0 = 77 μS), where single-molecule conductances are commonly observed. The insulated devices were used to measure the conductance of an amphiphilic oligophenylene ethynylene derivative in deionized water.

Thermal conductivity measurements of pacific illite sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Hickox, C. E.; McVey, D. F.; Miller, J. B.; Olson, L. O.; Silva, A. J.

1986-07-01

Results are reported for effective thermal conductivity measurements performed in situ and in core samples of illite marine sediment. The measurements were obtained during a recent oceanographic expedition to a study site in the north central region of the Pacific Ocean. This study was undertaken in support of the U.S. Subseabed Disposal Project, the purpose of which is to investigate the scientific feasibility of using the fine-grained sediments of the sea floor as a repository for high-level nuclear waste. In situ measurements were made and 1.5-m-long hydrostatic piston cores were taken, under remote control, from a platform that was lowered to the sea floor, 5844 m below sea level. The in situ measurement of thermal conductivity was made at a nominal depth of 80 cm below the sediment surface using a specially developed, line-source, needle probe. Thermal conductivity measurements in three piston cores and one box core (obtained several kilometers from the study site) were made on shipboard using a miniature needle probe. The in situ thermal conductivity was approximately 0.91 W · m-1 · K-1. Values determined from the cores were within the range 0.81 to 0.89 W · m-1 · K-1.

A small-plane heat source method for measuring the thermal conductivities of anisotropic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Liang; Yue, Kai; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Xinxin

2017-07-01

A new small-plane heat source method was proposed in this study to simultaneously measure the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of anisotropic insulating materials. In this method the size of the heat source element is smaller than the sample size and the boundary condition is thermal insulation due to no heat flux at the edge of the sample during the experiment. A three-dimensional model in a rectangular coordinate system was established to exactly describe the heat transfer process of the measurement system. Using the Laplace transform, variable separation, and Laplace inverse transform methods, the analytical solution of the temperature rise of the sample was derived. The temperature rises calculated by the analytical solution agree well with the results of numerical calculation. The result of the sensitivity analysis shows that the sensitivity coefficients of the estimated thermal conductivities are high and uncorrelated to each other. At room temperature and in a high-temperature environment, experimental measurements of anisotropic silica aerogel were carried out using the traditional one-dimensional plane heat source method and the proposed method, respectively. The results demonstrate that the measurement method developed in this study is effective and feasible for simultaneously obtaining the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of the anisotropic materials.

The measurement of the vertical component of hydraulic conductivity in single-cased and uncased boreholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, J.H.; Noy, D.J.; Brightman, M.A.

1987-01-01

The project aimed to assess the different existing methods of measuring vertical hydraulic conductivity in single boreholes by carrying out some actual field testing. A review of existing techniques for both field practice and analysis of the results is reported. After consideration of the various techniques a combination method of testing is proposed. A set of equipment to carry out this combination of tests was designed and built. The uncased testing revealed that it was possible to derive a value for vertical hydraulic conductivity. The doublet method, however, was not particularly successful and numerical simulation was cumbersome. The type-curve approach of appraising whether or not analysis concepts were appropriate proved the most robust method. It is clear that reconnaissance measurements of environmental pressure are very useful in defining where detailed testing should take place. The second phase of testing through perforations proved very difficult. There were many problems associated with location both of the wireline testing system within the borehole and especially of the previous measurements. However, analysis of the results in terms of skin indicated that the perforations produced a negative skin. The measurement of vertical hydraulic conductivity cannot at the moment be regarded as routine

Method for Measuring Thermal Conductivity of Small Samples Having Very Low Thermal Conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Robert A.; Kuczmarski, Maria a.

2009-01-01

This paper describes the development of a hot plate method capable of using air as a standard reference material for the steady-state measurement of the thermal conductivity of very small test samples having thermal conductivity on the order of air. As with other approaches, care is taken to ensure that the heat flow through the test sample is essentially one-dimensional. However, unlike other approaches, no attempt is made to use heated guards to block the flow of heat from the hot plate to the surroundings. It is argued that since large correction factors must be applied to account for guard imperfections when sample dimensions are small, it may be preferable to simply measure and correct for the heat that flows from the heater disc to directions other than into the sample. Experimental measurements taken in a prototype apparatus, combined with extensive computational modeling of the heat transfer in the apparatus, show that sufficiently accurate measurements can be obtained to allow determination of the thermal conductivity of low thermal conductivity materials. Suggestions are made for further improvements in the method based on results from regression analyses of the generated data.

Measuring Conductance of Phenylenediamine as a Molecular Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taekyeong Kim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We report experimental measurements of molecular conductance as a single molecular sensor by using scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction (STM-BJ technique. The gap was created after Au atomic point contact was ruptured, and the target molecule was inserted and bonded to the top and bottom electrodes. We successfully measured the conductance for a series of amine-terminated oligophenyl molecules by forming the molecular junctions with Au electrodes. The measured conductance decays exponentially with molecular backbone length, enabling us to detect the type of molecules as a molecular sensor. Furthermore, we demonstrated reversible binary switching in a molecular junction by mechanical control of the gap between the electrodes. Since our method allows us to measure the conductance of a single molecule in ambient conditions, it should open up various practical molecular sensing applications.

Insulator-protected mechanically controlled break junctions for measuring single-molecule conductance in aqueous environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muthusubramanian, N.; Zant, H. S. J. van der [Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft (Netherlands); Galan, E.; Maity, C.; Eelkema, R.; Grozema, F. C. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft (Netherlands)

2016-07-04

We present a method to fabricate insulated gold mechanically controlled break junctions (MCBJ) by coating the metal with a thin layer of aluminum oxide using plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thickness deposited on the MCBJ devices was varied from 2 to 15 nm to test the suppression of leakage currents in deionized water and phosphate buffered saline. Junctions coated with a 15 nm thick oxide layer yielded atomically sharp electrodes and negligible conductance counts in the range of 1 to 10{sup −4} G{sub 0} (1 G{sub 0} = 77 μS), where single-molecule conductances are commonly observed. The insulated devices were used to measure the conductance of an amphiphilic oligophenylene ethynylene derivative in deionized water.

Designing of an apparatus to measure ionic conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vignolo Rubio, J.

1978-01-01

The main technical features of a rig to measure ionic conductivity in alkali halides are shown. The conductivity also can be measured while the temperature of the sample is rised at a constant rate between room temperature and 350 deg C. This is intended to search for correlations between variations in the ionic conductivity and the thermal annealing of radiation induce defects in these materials. The proportional temperature controller and programmer also allows to stabilize the sample temperature within +-0.1 degC during several hours. Some measurements in KCl (Harshaw) were made in order to check the reliability of the apparatus. (author)

Quantum conductance in electrodeposited nanocontacts and magnetoresistance measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elhoussine, F.; Encinas, A.; Mátéfi-Tempfli, Stefan

2003-01-01

The conductance and magnetoresistance measurements in magnetic Ni-Ni and Co-Ni nanocontacts prepared by electrodeposition within the pores of a track of track-etched polymer membrane were discussed. At room temperature, Ni-Ni constrictions were found to show broad quantization plateaus of conduct...... of conductance during their dissolution in units of e/h, as expected for ferromagnetic ballistic nanocontacts. The measurement of the positive and negative magnetoresistance in Co-Ni nanocontacts was also elaborated....

In-situ measurements of soil-water conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, C.E.

1978-01-01

Radionuclides and other environmentally important materials often move in association with water. In terrestrial ecosystems, the storage and movement of water in the soil is of prime importance to the hydrologic cycle of the ecosystem. The soil-water conductivity (the rate at which water moves through the soil) is a necessary input to models of soil-water movement. In situ techniques for measurement of soil-water conductivity have the advantage of averaging soil-water properties over larger areas than most laboratory methods. The in situ techniques also cause minimum disturbance of the soil under investigation. Results of measurements using a period of soil-water drainage after initial wetting indicate that soil-water conductivity and its variation with soil-water content can be determined with reasonable accuracy for the plot where the measurements were made. Further investigations are being carried out to look at variability between plots within a soil type

Simultaneous measurements of thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of micro-machined Silicon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagino, H; Kawahara, Y; Goto, A; Miyazaki, K

2012-01-01

The in-plane effective thermal conductivity of free-standing Si thin films with periodic micropores was measured at -100 to 0 °C. The Si thin films with micropores were prepared from silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers by standard microfabrication processes. The dimensions of the free-standing Si thin films were 200μm×150μm×2 μm, with staggered 4 μm pores having an average pitch of 4 mm. The Si thin film serves both as a heater and thermometer. The average temperature rise of the thin film is a function of its in-plane thermal conductivity. The effective thermal conductivity was calculated using a simple one-dimensional heat conduction model. The measured thermal conductivity was much lower than that expected based on classical model evaluations. A significant phonon size effect was observed even in the microsized structures, and the mean free path for phonons is very long even at the room temperature.

Measurement of conductive hearing loss in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Zhaobing; Wood, Melissa; Rosowski, John J

2010-05-01

In order to discriminate conductive hearing loss from sensorineural impairment, quantitative measurements were used to evaluate the effect of artificial conductive pathology on distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and laser-Doppler vibrometry (LDV) in mice. The conductive manipulations were created by perforating the pars flaccida of the tympanic membrane, filling or partially filling the middle-ear cavity with saline, fixing the ossicular chain, and interrupting the incudo-stapedial joint. In the saline-filled and ossicular-fixation groups, averaged DPOAE thresholds increased relative to the control state by 20-36 and 25-39 dB, respectively with the largest threshold shifts occurring at frequencies less than 20kHz, while averaged ABR thresholds increased 12-19 and 12-25 dB, respectively without the predominant low-frequency effect. Both DPOAE and ABR thresholds were elevated by less than 10 dB in the half-filled saline condition; no significant change was observed after pars flaccida perforation. Conductive pathology generally produced a change in DPOAE threshold in dB that was 1.5-2.5 times larger than the ABR threshold change at frequencies less than 30 kHz; the changes in the two thresholds were nearly equal at the highest frequencies. While mild conductive pathology (ABR threshold shifts of conductive hearing losses (ABR threshold shifts >10 dB) were associated with significant deceases in DPOAE growth rate. Our LDV measurements are consistent with others and suggest that measurements of umbo velocity are not an accurate indicator of conductive hearing loss produced by ossicular lesions in mice. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Slow conduction in mixed cultured strands of primary ventricular cells and stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Pavel Kucera

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Modern concepts for the treatment of myocardial diseases focus on novel cell therapeutic strategies involving stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (SCMs. However, functional integration of SCMs requires similar electrophysiological properties as primary cardiomyocytes (PCMs and the ability to establish intercellular connections with host myocytes in order to contribute to the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart. The aim of this project was to investigate the properties of cardiac conduction in a co-culture approach using SCMs and PCMs in cultured cell strands. Murine embryonic SCMs were pooled with fetal ventricular cells and seeded in predefined proportions on microelectrode arrays to form patterned strands of mixed cells. Conduction velocity (CV was measured during steady state pacing. SCM excitability was estimated from action potentials measured in single cells using the patch clamp technique. Experiments were complemented with computer simulations of conduction using a detailed model of cellular architecture in mixed cell strands.CV was significantly lower in strands composed purely of SCMs (5.5±1.5 cm/s, n=11 as compared to PCMs (34.9±2.9 cm/s, n=21 at similar refractoriness (100% SCMs: 122±25 ms, n=9; 100% PCMs: 139±67 ms, n=14. In mixed strands combining both cell types, CV was higher than in pure SCMs strands, but always lower than in 100% PCM strands. Computer simulations demonstrated that both intercellular coupling and electrical excitability limit CV.These data provide evidence that in cultures of murine ventricular cardiomyocytes, SCMs cannot restore CV to control levels resulting in slow conduction, which may lead to reentry circuits and arrhythmias.

Actuarial risk measures for financial derivative pricing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goovaerts, M.J.; Laeven, R.J.A.

2008-01-01

We present an axiomatic characterization of price measures that are superadditive and comonotonic additive for normally distributed random variables. The price representation derived involves a probability measure transform that is closely related to the Esscher transform, and we call it the

A study of frequency effects on conductivity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurul Ain Ahmad Latif; Mahmood Dollah; Mohd Khidir Kamaron; Suaib Ibrahim

2010-01-01

In eddy current testing (ET), different measurement can be carry out through the selection of the test frequency. In conductivity measurement, the selection of eddy current test frequencies permits to select the specific material properties to be measured. The test frequency selected should be sufficient high that eddy current penetration is limited only to fraction of the test material thickness. This paper describes the effects of test frequency on the conductivity measurement. This experiment done by applying different values of test frequency which is 20 kHz, 100 kHz and 1 MHz. (author)

Simultaneous Rheoelectric Measurements of Strongly Conductive Complex Fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Helal, Ahmed; Divoux, Thibaut; McKinley, Gareth H.

2016-12-01

We introduce an modular fixture designed for stress-controlled rheometers to perform simultaneous rheological and electrical measurements on strongly conductive complex fluids under shear. By means of a nontoxic liquid metal at room temperature, the electrical connection to the rotating shaft is completed with minimal additional mechanical friction, allowing for simultaneous stress measurements at values as low as 1 Pa. Motivated by applications such as flow batteries, we use the capabilities of this design to perform an extensive set of rheoelectric experiments on gels formulated from attractive carbon-black particles, at concentrations ranging from 4 to 15 wt %. First, experiments on gels at rest prepared with different shear histories show a robust power-law scaling between the elastic modulus G0' and the conductivity σ0 of the gels—i.e., G0'˜σ0α, with α =1.65 ±0.04 , regardless of the gel concentration. Second, we report conductivity measurements performed simultaneously with creep experiments. Changes in conductivity in the early stage of the experiments, also known as the Andrade-creep regime, reveal for the first time that plastic events take place in the bulk, while the shear rate γ ˙ decreases as a weak power law of time. The subsequent evolution of the conductivity and the shear rate allows us to propose a local yielding scenario that is in agreement with previous velocimetry measurements. Finally, to establish a set of benchmark data, we determine the constitutive rheological and electrical behavior of carbon-black gels. Corrections first introduced for mechanical measurements regarding shear inhomogeneity and wall slip are carefully extended to electrical measurements to accurately distinguish between bulk and surface contributions to the conductivity. As an illustrative example, we examine the constitutive rheoelectric properties of five different grades of carbon-black gels and we demonstrate the relevance of this rheoelectric apparatus as a

Thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pillai, C.G.S.; George, A.M.

1993-01-01

The thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide of composition UO 2.015 was measured from 300 to 1400 K. The phonon component of the conductivity is found to be quantitatively accounted for by the theoretical expression of Slack derived by modifying the Leibfried-Schlomann equation. (orig.)

Electrolytic conductivity and molar heat capacity of two aqueous solutions of ionic liquids at room-temperature: Measurements and correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Peiyin; Soriano, Allan N.; Leron, Rhoda B.; Li Menghui

2010-01-01

As part of our systematic study on physicochemical characterization of ionic liquids, in this work, we report new measurements of electrolytic conductivity and molar heat capacity for aqueous solutions of two 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids, namely: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethylsulfate, at normal atmospheric condition and for temperatures up to 353.2 K. The electrolytic conductivity and molar heat capacity were measured by a commercial conductivity meter and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), respectively. The estimated experimental uncertainties for the electrolytic conductivity and molar heat capacity measurements were ±1% and ±2%, respectively. The property data are reported as functions of temperature and composition. A modified empirical equation from another researcher was used to correlate the temperature and composition dependence of the our electrolytic conductivity results. An excess molar heat capacity expression derived using a Redlich-Kister type equation was used to represent the temperature and composition dependence of the measured molar heat capacity and calculated excess molar heat capacity of the solvent systems considered. The correlations applied represent the our measurements satisfactorily as shown by an acceptable overall average deviation of 6.4% and 0.1%, respectively, for electrolytic conductivity and molar heat capacity.

Detection of irradiated potatoes by conductivity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scherz, H.

1991-01-01

In this paper, the author shows that the conductivity of irradiated potatoes measured by a sticking electrode depend on the irradiation dose and is independent on the potato variety. The measured values remain constant over a six month storage period

AC-Conductivity measurements on γ-aluminium oxynitride

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willems, H.X.; Hal, van P.F.; Metselaar, R.; With, de G.

1995-01-01

AC-conductivity measurements were performed on aluminium oxynitrides (Alons) because of their interesting defect structure. Although it became apparent that these Alons are not stable in the temperature range used, the electrical properties of the materials could be measured with impedance

Radiometric Measurements of the Thermal Conductivity of Complex Planetary-like Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Piqueux, S.; Christensen, P. R.

2012-12-01

Planetary surface temperatures and thermal inertias are controlled by the physical and compositional characteristics of the surface layer material, which result from current and past geological activity. For this reason, temperature measurements are often acquired because they provide fundamental constraints on the geological history and habitability. Examples of regolith properties affecting surface temperatures and inertias are: grain sizes and mixture ratios, solid composition in the case of ices, presence of cement between grains, regolith porosity, grain roughness, material layering etc.. Other important factors include volatile phase changes, and endogenic or exogenic heat sources (i.e. geothermal heat flow, impact-related heat, biological activity etc.). In the case of Mars, the multitude of instruments observing the surface temperature at different spatial and temporal resolutions (i.e. IRTM, Thermoskan, TES, MiniTES, THEMIS, MCS, REMS, etc.) in conjunction with other instruments allows us to probe and characterize the thermal properties of the surface layer with an unprecedented resolution. While the derivation of thermal inertia values from temperature measurements is routinely performed by well-established planetary regolith numerical models, constraining the physical properties of the surface layer from thermal inertia values requires the additional step of laboratory measurements. The density and specific heat are usually constant and sufficiently well known for common geological materials, but the bulk thermal conductivity is highly variable as a function of the physical characteristics of the regolith. Most laboratory designs do not allow an investigation of the thermal conductivity of complex regolith configurations similar to those observed on planetary surfaces (i.e. cemented material, large grains, layered material, and temperature effects) because the samples are too small and need to be soft to insert heating or measuring devices. For this

In situ measurement of conductivity during nanocomposite film deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blattmann, Christoph O.; Pratsinis, Sotiris E.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Flame-made nanosilver dynamics are elucidated in the gas-phase & on substrates. • The resistance of freshly depositing nanosilver layers is monitored. • Low T g polymers facilitate rapid synthesis of conductive films. • Conductive nanosilver films form on top of or within the polymer depending on MW. - Abstract: Flexible and electrically conductive nanocomposite films are essential for small, portable and even implantable electronic devices. Typically, such film synthesis and conductivity measurement are carried out sequentially. As a result, optimization of filler loading and size/morphology characteristics with respect to film conductivity is rather tedious and costly. Here, freshly-made Ag nanoparticles (nanosilver) are made by scalable flame aerosol technology and directly deposited onto polymeric (polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate)) films during which the resistance of the resulting nanocomposite is measured in situ. The formation and gas-phase growth of such flame-made nanosilver, just before incorporation onto the polymer film, is measured by thermophoretic sampling and microscopy. Monitoring the nanocomposite resistance in situ reveals the onset of conductive network formation by the deposited nanosilver growth and sinternecking. The in situ measurement is much faster and more accurate than conventional ex situ four-point resistance measurements since an electrically percolating network is detected upon its formation by the in situ technique. Nevertheless, general resistance trends with respect to filler loading and host polymer composition are consistent for both in situ and ex situ measurements. The time lag for the onset of a conductive network (i.e., percolation) depends linearly on the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the host polymer. This is attributed to the increased nanoparticle-polymer interaction with decreasing T g . Proper selection of the host polymer in combination with in situ resistance monitoring

Single-shot optical conductivity measurement of dense aluminum plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churina, I. V.; Cho, B.-I.; Bernstein, A.; Stoker, D. S.; Dalton, A.; Symes, D. R.; Ditmire, T.

2009-01-01

The optical conductivity of a dense femtosecond laser-heated aluminum plasma heated to 0.1-1.5 eV was measured using frequency-domain interferometry with chirped pulses, permitting simultaneous observation of optical probe reflectivity and probe pulse phase shift. Coupled with published models of bound-electron contributions to the conductivity, these two independent experimental data yielded a direct measurement of both real and imaginary components of the plasma conductivity.

Additive derivations on algebras of measurable operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayupov, Sh.A.; Kudaybergenov, K.K.

2009-08-01

Given a von Neumann algebra M we introduce the so-called central extension mix(M) of M. We show that mix(M) is a *-subalgebra in the algebra LS(M) of all locally measurable operators with respect to M, and this algebra coincides with LS(M) if and only if M does not admit type II direct summands. We prove that if M is a properly infinite von Neumann algebra then every additive derivation on the algebra mix(M) is inner. This implies that on the algebra LS(M), where M is a type I ∞ or a type III von Neumann algebra, all additive derivations are inner derivations. (author)

Conductivity at Low Humidity of Materials Derived from Ferroxane Particles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lapina, Alberto; Holtappels, Peter; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2012-01-01

. Conductivity of both sintered and unsintered materials decreases strongly with a decrease in water partial pressure in the atmosphere during the test. The highest conductivity (7·10−3 S cm−1) is measured in air (pH2O = 0.037 atm) at room temperature on sintered material. The conductivity values are compared......Carboxylic-acid-stabilised γ-FeOOH particles (ferroxanes) are synthesized using a precipitation from aqueous solution, and a following reaction with acetic acid. The materials produced with these powders are investigated by XRD, SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and impedance spectroscopy...

Pulse Oximeter Derived Blood Pressure Measurement in Patients With a Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellman, Yaron; Malik, Adnan S; Lane, Kathleen A; Shen, Changyu; Wang, I-Wen; Wozniak, Thomas C; Hashmi, Zubair A; Munson, Sarah D; Pickrell, Jeanette; Caccamo, Marco A; Gradus-Pizlo, Irmina; Hadi, Azam

2017-05-01

Currently, blood pressure (BP) measurement is obtained noninvasively in patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) by placing a Doppler probe over the brachial or radial artery with inflation and deflation of a manual BP cuff. We hypothesized that replacing the Doppler probe with a finger-based pulse oximeter can yield BP measurements similar to the Doppler derived mean arterial pressure (MAP). We conducted a prospective study consisting of patients with contemporary continuous flow LVADs. In a small pilot phase I inpatient study, we compared direct arterial line measurements with an automated blood pressure (ABP) cuff, Doppler and pulse oximeter derived MAP. Our main phase II study included LVAD outpatients with a comparison between Doppler, ABP, and pulse oximeter derived MAP. A total of five phase I and 36 phase II patients were recruited during February-June 2014. In phase I, the average MAP measured by pulse oximeter was closer to arterial line MAP rather than Doppler (P = 0.06) or ABP (P < 0.01). In phase II, pulse oximeter MAP (96.6 mm Hg) was significantly closer to Doppler MAP (96.5 mm Hg) when compared to ABP (82.1 mm Hg) (P = 0.0001). Pulse oximeter derived blood pressure measurement may be as reliable as Doppler in patients with continuous flow LVADs. © 2016 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thermal conductivity measurements in unsaturated hydrate-bearing sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Sheng; Cha, Jong-Ho; Rosenbaum, Eilis J.; Zhang, Wu; Seol, Yongkoo

2015-08-01

Current database on the thermal properties of hydrate-bearing sediments remains limited and has not been able to capture their consequential changes during gas production where vigorous phase changes occur in this unsaturated system. This study uses the transient plane source (TPS) technique to measure the thermal conductivity of methane hydrate-bearing sediments with various hydrate/water/gas saturations. We propose a simplified method to obtain thermal properties from single-sided TPS signatures. Results reveal that both volume fraction and distribution of the pore constituents govern the thermal conductivity of unsaturated specimens. Thermal conductivity hysteresis is observed due to water redistribution and fabric change caused by hydrate formation and dissociation. Measured thermal conductivity increases evidently when hydrate saturation Sh > 30-40%, shifting upward from the geometric mean model prediction to a Pythagorean mixing model. These observations envisage a significant drop in sediment thermal conductivity when residual hydrate/water saturation falls below ~40%, hindering further gas production.

Interplay of activation kinetics and the derivative conductance determines resonance properties of neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Pena, Rodrigo F. O.; Ceballos, Cesar C.; Lima, Vinicius; Roque, Antonio C.

2018-04-01

In a neuron with hyperpolarization activated current (Ih), the correct input frequency leads to an enhancement of the output response. This behavior is known as resonance and is well described by the neuronal impedance. In a simple neuron model we derive equations for the neuron's resonance and we link its frequency and existence with the biophysical properties of Ih. For a small voltage change, the component of the ratio of current change to voltage change (d I /d V ) due to the voltage-dependent conductance change (d g /d V ) is known as derivative conductance (GhDer). We show that both GhDer and the current activation kinetics (characterized by the activation time constant τh) are mainly responsible for controlling the frequency and existence of resonance. The increment of both factors (GhDer and τh) greatly contributes to the appearance of resonance. We also demonstrate that resonance is voltage dependent due to the voltage dependence of GhDer. Our results have important implications and can be used to predict and explain resonance properties of neurons with the Ih current.

Review on mathematical basis for thermal conduction equation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, D. G.; Kim, H. M

2007-10-15

In the view point of thermal conductivity measurement technology, It is very useful to understand mathematical theory of thermal conduction equation in order to evaluation of measurement data and to solve diverse technical problem in measurement. To approach this mathematical theory, thermal conduction equation is derived by Fourier thermal conduction law. Since thermal conduction equation depends on the Lapacian operator basically, mathematical meaning of Lapalacian and various diffusion equation including Laplacian have been studied. Stum-Liouville problem and Bessel function were studied in this report to understand analytical solution of various diffusion equation.

Review on mathematical basis for thermal conduction equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, D. G.; Kim, H. M.

2007-10-01

In the view point of thermal conductivity measurement technology, It is very useful to understand mathematical theory of thermal conduction equation in order to evaluation of measurement data and to solve diverse technical problem in measurement. To approach this mathematical theory, thermal conduction equation is derived by Fourier thermal conduction law. Since thermal conduction equation depends on the Lapacian operator basically, mathematical meaning of Lapalacian and various diffusion equation including Laplacian have been studied. Stum-Liouville problem and Bessel function were studied in this report to understand analytical solution of various diffusion equation

Ultrahigh-power supercapacitors based on highly conductive graphene nanosheet/nanometer-sized carbide-derived carbon frameworks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Pengtao; Zhang, Xuesha; Hou, Meiling; Liu, Yanyan; Liu, Ting; Liu, Kang; Zhang, Ruijun

2018-06-22

In order to develop energy storage devices with high power performance, electrodes should hold well-defined pathways for efficient ionic and electronic transport. Herein, we demonstrate a highly conductive graphene nanosheet/nanometer-sized carbide-derived carbon framework (hcGNS/nCDC). In this architecture, nCDC possesses short transport paths for electrolyte ions, thus ensuring the rapid ions transportation. The excellent electrical conductivity of hcGNS can reduce the electrode internal resistance for the supercapacitor and thus endows the hcGNS/nCDC composite electrodes with excellent electronic transportation performance. Electrochemical measurements show that the cyclic voltammogram of hcGNS/nCDC can maintain a rectangular-like shape with the increase of the scan rate from 5 mV s -1 to 20 V s -1 , and the specific capacitance retention is up to 51% even at a high scan rate of 20 V s -1 , suggesting ultrahigh power performance, which, to the best of our knowledge, is among the best power performances reported so far for the carbon materials. Furthermore, the hcGNS/nCDC composite also shows an excellent cycling stability (no drop in its capacitance occurs even after 10000 cycles). This work demonstrates the advantage in the ultrahigh power performance for the framework having both short transport pathways for electrolyte ions and high electrical conductivity.

Ultrahigh-power supercapacitors based on highly conductive graphene nanosheet/nanometer-sized carbide-derived carbon frameworks

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Pengtao; Zhang, Xuesha; Hou, Meiling; Liu, Yanyan; Liu, Ting; Liu, Kang; Zhang, Ruijun

2018-06-01

In order to develop energy storage devices with high power performance, electrodes should hold well-defined pathways for efficient ionic and electronic transport. Herein, we demonstrate a highly conductive graphene nanosheet/nanometer-sized carbide-derived carbon framework (hcGNS/nCDC). In this architecture, nCDC possesses short transport paths for electrolyte ions, thus ensuring the rapid ions transportation. The excellent electrical conductivity of hcGNS can reduce the electrode internal resistance for the supercapacitor and thus endows the hcGNS/nCDC composite electrodes with excellent electronic transportation performance. Electrochemical measurements show that the cyclic voltammogram of hcGNS/nCDC can maintain a rectangular-like shape with the increase of the scan rate from 5 mV s‑1 to 20 V s‑1, and the specific capacitance retention is up to 51% even at a high scan rate of 20 V s‑1, suggesting ultrahigh power performance, which, to the best of our knowledge, is among the best power performances reported so far for the carbon materials. Furthermore, the hcGNS/nCDC composite also shows an excellent cycling stability (no drop in its capacitance occurs even after 10000 cycles). This work demonstrates the advantage in the ultrahigh power performance for the framework having both short transport pathways for electrolyte ions and high electrical conductivity.

Conductivity at Low Humidity of Materials Derived from Ferroxane Particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Lapina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Carboxylic-acid-stabilised γ-FeOOH particles (ferroxanes are synthesized using a precipitation from aqueous solution, and a following reaction with acetic acid. The materials produced with these powders are investigated by XRD, SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and impedance spectroscopy. Conductivity of both sintered and unsintered materials decreases strongly with a decrease in water partial pressure in the atmosphere during the test. The highest conductivity (7·10−3 S cm−1 is measured in air (pH2O = 0.037 atm at room temperature on sintered material. The conductivity values are compared with other works in the literature and the dependence of conductivity on surface area and pore size is discussed. It is suggested that both unsintered and sintered materials act as proton conductors at room temperature under moderate humidity conditions.

Electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability measurement of case hardened steels

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yong

2015-03-01

For case carburized steels, electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability profiles are needed to develop model-based case depth characterization techniques for the purpose of nondestructive quality control. To obtain fast and accurate measurement of these material properties, four-point potential drop approaches are applied on circular-shaped discs cut from steel rings with different case depths. First, a direct current potential drop (DCPD) approach is applied to measure electrical conductivity. Subsequently, an alternating current potential drop (ACPD) approach is used to measure magnetic permeability. Practical issues in measurement design and implementation are discussed. Depth profiles of electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability are reported.

Non-Contact Conductivity Measurement for Automated Sample Processing Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Beegle, Luther W.; Kirby, James P.

2012-01-01

A new method has been developed for monitoring and control of automated sample processing and preparation especially focusing on desalting of samples before analytical analysis (described in more detail in Automated Desalting Apparatus, (NPO-45428), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 34, No. 8 (August 2010), page 44). The use of non-contact conductivity probes, one at the inlet and one at the outlet of the solid phase sample preparation media, allows monitoring of the process, and acts as a trigger for the start of the next step in the sequence (see figure). At each step of the muti-step process, the system is flushed with low-conductivity water, which sets the system back to an overall low-conductivity state. This measurement then triggers the next stage of sample processing protocols, and greatly minimizes use of consumables. In the case of amino acid sample preparation for desalting, the conductivity measurement will define three key conditions for the sample preparation process. First, when the system is neutralized (low conductivity, by washing with excess de-ionized water); second, when the system is acidified, by washing with a strong acid (high conductivity); and third, when the system is at a basic condition of high pH (high conductivity). Taken together, this non-contact conductivity measurement for monitoring sample preparation will not only facilitate automation of the sample preparation and processing, but will also act as a way to optimize the operational time and use of consumables

Ionic conductivity measurements of zirconia under pressure using impedance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takebe, H; Sakamoto, D; Ohtaka, O; Fukui, H; Yoshiasa, A; Yamanaka, T; Ota, K; Kikegawa, T

2002-01-01

We have set up an electrical conductivity measurement system under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions with a multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus using an AC complex impedance method. With this system, we have successfully measured the electrical conductivity of stabilized ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 solid solution) under pressures up to 5 GPa in the temperature range from 300 to 1200 K. The electrical conductivities obtained under pressure are compatible with those of previous results measured at ambient pressure

Density measurements of microsecond-conduction-time POS plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinshelwood, D.; Goodrich, P.J.; Weber, B.V.; Commisso, R.J.; Grossmann, J.M.; Kellogg, J.C.

1993-01-01

Measurements of the electron density in a coaxial microsecond conduction time plasma opening switch during switch operation are described. Current conduction is observed to cause a radial redistribution of the switch plasma. A local reduction in axial line density of more than an order of magnitude occurs by the time opening begins. This reduction, and the scaling of conduction current with plasma density, indicate that current conduction in this experiment is limited by hydrodynamic effects. It is hypothesized that the density reduction allows the switch to open by an erosion mechanism. Initial numerical modeling efforts have reproduced the principal observed results. A model that predicts accurately the conduction current is presented

Thermal conductivity and emissivity measurements of uranium carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corradetti, S.; Manzolaro, M.; Andrighetto, A.; Zanonato, P.; Tusseau-Nenez, S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal conductivity and emissivity measurements of uranium carbides were performed. • The tested materials are candidates as targets for radioactive ion beam production. • The results are correlated with the materials composition and microstructure. - Abstract: Thermal conductivity and emissivity measurements on different types of uranium carbide are presented, in the context of the ActiLab Work Package in ENSAR, a project within the 7th Framework Program of the European Commission. Two specific techniques were used to carry out the measurements, both taking place in a laboratory dedicated to the research and development of materials for the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) target. In the case of thermal conductivity, estimation of the dependence of this property on temperature was obtained using the inverse parameter estimation method, taking as a reference temperature and emissivity measurements. Emissivity at different temperatures was obtained for several types of uranium carbide using a dual frequency infrared pyrometer. Differences between the analyzed materials are discussed according to their compositional and microstructural properties. The obtainment of this type of information can help to carefully design materials to be capable of working under extreme conditions in next-generation ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) facilities for the generation of radioactive ion beams.

Intraocular pressure measurements after conductive keratoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Kymionis, George D; Naoumidi, Tatiana L; Aslanides, Ioannis M; Kumar, Vinod; Astyrakakis, Nikolaos I; Tsilimbaris, Miltiadis; Pallikaris, Ioannis G

2005-01-01

To determine the possible impact of conductive keratoplasty (CK) on intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements. A prospective, single-center, noncomparative interventional case series was performed. Baseline and postoperative IOPs were measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry in 32 eyes of 18 patients who underwent CK for hyperopia correction. Mean follow-up was 11.9 months (range: 8 to 18 months). After CK, a statistically significant decrease in the measured IOP was observed (before CK: 14.22+/-1.64 vs after CK: 12.66+/-2.21, P<.001). The change in IOP readings postoperatively was not correlated with age, sex, keratometric readings, or attempted correction. Despite the limitations due to the small number of patients enrolled in this study, the applanation tonometer appears to underestimate the true IOP after CK.

Quantifying rainfall-derived inflow and infiltration in sanitary sewer systems based on conductivity monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingkai; Liu, Yanchen; Cheng, Xun; Zhu, David Z.; Shi, Hanchang; Yuan, Zhiguo

2018-03-01

Quantifying rainfall-derived inflow and infiltration (RDII) in a sanitary sewer is difficult when RDII and overflow occur simultaneously. This study proposes a novel conductivity-based method for estimating RDII. The method separately decomposes rainfall-derived inflow (RDI) and rainfall-induced infiltration (RII) on the basis of conductivity data. Fast Fourier transform was adopted to analyze variations in the flow and water quality during dry weather. Nonlinear curve fitting based on the least squares algorithm was used to optimize parameters in the proposed RDII model. The method was successfully applied to real-life case studies, in which inflow and infiltration were successfully estimated for three typical rainfall events with total rainfall volumes of 6.25 mm (light), 28.15 mm (medium), and 178 mm (heavy). Uncertainties of model parameters were estimated using the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) method and were found to be acceptable. Compared with traditional flow-based methods, the proposed approach exhibits distinct advantages in estimating RDII and overflow, particularly when the two processes happen simultaneously.

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography for measuring electrical conductivity during electroporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kranjc, M; Miklavčič, D; Bajd, F; Serša, I

2014-01-01

The electroporation effect on tissue can be assessed by measurement of electrical properties of the tissue undergoing electroporation. The most prominent techniques for measuring electrical properties of electroporated tissues have been voltage–current measurement of applied pulses and electrical impedance tomography (EIT). However, the electrical conductivity of tissue assessed by means of voltage–current measurement was lacking in information on tissue heterogeneity, while EIT requires numerous additional electrodes and produces results with low spatial resolution and high noise. Magnetic resonance EIT (MREIT) is similar to EIT, as it is also used for reconstruction of conductivity images, though voltage and current measurements are not limited to the boundaries in MREIT, hence it yields conductivity images with better spatial resolution. The aim of this study was to investigate and demonstrate the feasibility of the MREIT technique for assessment of conductivity images of tissues undergoing electroporation. Two objects were investigated: agar phantoms and ex vivo liver tissue. As expected, no significant change of electrical conductivity was detected in agar phantoms exposed to pulses of all used amplitudes, while a considerable increase of conductivity was measured in liver tissue exposed to pulses of different amplitudes. (paper)

Electrical conductivity of the Earth's mantle after one year of SWARM magnetic field measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Civet, François; Thebault, Erwan; Verhoeven, Olivier; Langlais, Benoit; Saturnino, Diana

2015-04-01

We present a global EM induction study using L1b Swarm satellite magnetic field measurements data down to a depth of 2000 km. Starting from raw measurements, we first derive a model for the main magnetic field, correct the data for a lithospheric field model, and further select the data to reduce the contributions of the ionospheric field. These computations allowed us to keep a full control on the data processes. We correct residual field from outliers and estimate the spherical harmonic coefficients of the transient field for periods between 2 and 256 days. We used full latitude range and all local times to keep a maximum amount of data. We perform a Bayesian inversion and construct a Markov chain during which model parameters are randomly updated at each iteration. We first consider regular layers of equal thickness and extra layers are added where conductivity contrast between successive layers exceed a threshold value. The mean and maximum likelihood of the electrical conductivity profile is then estimated from the probability density function. The obtained profile particularly shows a conductivity jump in the 600-700 km depth range, consistent with the olivine phase transition at 660 km depth. Our study is the first one to show such a conductivity increase in this depth range without any a priori informations on the internal strucutres. Assuming a pyrolitic mantle composition, this profile is interpreted in terms of temperature variations in the depth range where the probability density function is the narrowest. We finally obtained a temperature gradient in the lower mantle close to adiabatic.

In-pile measurement of the thermal conductivity of irradiated metallic fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, T.H.; Holland, J.W.

1995-01-01

Transient test data and posttest measurements from recent in-pile overpower transient experiments are used for an in situ determination of metallic fuel thermal conductivity. For test pins that undergo melting but remain intact, a technique is described that relates fuel thermal conductivity to peak pin power during the transient and a posttest measured melt radius. Conductivity estimates and their uncertainty are made for a database of four irradiated Integral Fast Reactor-type metal fuel pins of relatively low burnup (<3 at.%). In the assessment of results, averages and trends of measured fuel thermal conductivity are correlated to local burnup. Emphasis is placed on the changes of conductivity that take place with burnup-induced swelling and sodium logging. Measurements are used to validate simple empirically based analytical models that describe thermal conductivity of porous media and that are recommended for general thermal analyses of irradiated metallic fuel

Apparatus for simultaneously measuring electrical conductivity and oxygen fugacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Netherton, R.; Duba, A.

1978-01-31

Electrical conductivity studies of silicates are useful in determining temperature vs depth in the earth. Realistic laboratory measurements of conduction mechanisms require that exact determinations of oxygen fugacity (fo{sub 2}) be made in the experimental environment. An apparatus is described that monitors system fo{sub 2} with a calcia-doped zirconia-oxygen cell while measuring electrical conductivity of iron-bearing silicates at high temperature (greater than 1000 K). The fo{sub 2} calculated thermodynamically from CO/CO{sub 2} mixing ratios agreed well with measurements made with the zirconia cell at 1473 K, except for fo{sub 2} greater than 10{sup -4} Pa, where, on a log{sub 10} scale, mixing-ratio errors were as large as +- 0.2. These errors are attributed to oxygen contamination in the CO{sub 2} and to mobile carbon deposits that formed in the apparatus.

Caliper variable sonde for thermal conductivity measurements in situ

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oelsner, C; Leischner, H; Pischel, S

1968-01-01

For the measurement of the thermal conductivity of the formations surrounding a borehole, a sonde having variable diameter (consisting of an inflatable rubber cylinder with heating wires embedded in its wall) is described. The conditions for the usual sonde made of metal are no longer fulfilled, but the solution to the problem of determining the thermal conductivity from the temperature rise is given, based on an approach by Carslaw and Jaeger, which contains the Bessel functions of the second kind. It is shown that a simpler solution for large values of time can be obtained through the Laplace transformation, and the necessary series developments for computer application are also given. The sonde and the necessary measuring circuitry are described. Tests measurements have indicated that the thermal conductivity can be determined with this sonde with a precision of + 10%.

Optical sensor for heat conduction measurement in biological tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez-Arroyo, A; Sanchez-Perez, C; Aleman-Garcia, N

2013-01-01

This paper presents the design of a heat flux sensor using an optical fiber system to measure heat conduction in biological tissues. This optoelectronic device is based on the photothermal beam deflection of a laser beam travelling in an acrylic slab this deflection is measured with a fiber optic angle sensor. We measure heat conduction in biological samples with high repeatability and sensitivity enough to detect differences in tissues from three chicken organs. This technique could provide important information of vital organ function as well as the detect modifications due to degenerative diseases or physical damage caused by medications or therapies.

Evaluating measurement of dynamic constructs: defining a measurement model of derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Estabrook, Ryne

2015-03-01

While measurement evaluation has been embraced as an important step in psychological research, evaluating measurement structures with longitudinal data is fraught with limitations. This article defines and tests a measurement model of derivatives (MMOD), which is designed to assess the measurement structure of latent constructs both for analyses of between-person differences and for the analysis of change. Simulation results indicate that MMOD outperforms existing models for multivariate analysis and provides equivalent fit to data generation models. Additional simulations show MMOD capable of detecting differences in between-person and within-person factor structures. Model features, applications, and future directions are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Mapping liquid hazardous waste migration in ground water with electromagnetic terrain conductivity measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketelle, R.H.; Pin, F.G.

1984-01-01

Electromagnetic conductivity measurements were used to map apparent ground conductivity in the vicinity of a liquid hazardous waste disposal site. Approximately 600 conductivity measurements were obtained to prepare a conductivity map of the site which includes an area of 12 ha (30 acres). Conductivity measurements in the area correlate with specific conductance measurements of surface and ground water samples. Contouring of the conductivity data located contaminant migration pathways in the subsurface. A complex contaminant plume was defined by the conductivity survey. Conductivity values obtained reflected anisotropic characteristics related to local bedrock structure. Anisotropic characteristics of measurements and the use of different instrument configurations indicated semiquantitatively the depth of the high conductivity zone and the direction of flow. 4 references, 2 figures

Physical Model for Rapid and Accurate Determination of Nanopore Size via Conductance Measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Chenyu; Zhang, Zhen; Zhang, Shi-Li

2017-10-27

Nanopores have been explored for various biochemical and nanoparticle analyses, primarily via characterizing the ionic current through the pores. At present, however, size determination for solid-state nanopores is experimentally tedious and theoretically unaccountable. Here, we establish a physical model by introducing an effective transport length, L eff , that measures, for a symmetric nanopore, twice the distance from the center of the nanopore where the electric field is the highest to the point along the nanopore axis where the electric field falls to e -1 of this maximum. By [Formula: see text], a simple expression S 0 = f (G, σ, h, β) is derived to algebraically correlate minimum nanopore cross-section area S 0 to nanopore conductance G, electrolyte conductivity σ, and membrane thickness h with β to denote pore shape that is determined by the pore fabrication technique. The model agrees excellently with experimental results for nanopores in graphene, single-layer MoS 2 , and ultrathin SiN x films. The generality of the model is verified by applying it to micrometer-size pores.

Measurement of thermal conductivity and diffusivity in situ: Literature survey and theoretical modelling of measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kukkonen, I.; Suppala, I. [Geological Survey of Finland, Espoo (Finland)

1999-01-01

In situ measurements of thermal conductivity and diffusivity of bedrock were investigated with the aid of a literature survey and theoretical simulations of a measurement system. According to the surveyed literature, in situ methods can be divided into `active` drill hole methods, and `passive` indirect methods utilizing other drill hole measurements together with cutting samples and petrophysical relationships. The most common active drill hole method is a cylindrical heat producing probe whose temperature is registered as a function of time. The temperature response can be calculated and interpreted with the aid of analytical solutions of the cylindrical heat conduction equation, particularly the solution for an infinite perfectly conducting cylindrical probe in a homogeneous medium, and the solution for a line source of heat in a medium. Using both forward and inverse modellings, a theoretical measurement system was analysed with an aim at finding the basic parameters for construction of a practical measurement system. The results indicate that thermal conductivity can be relatively well estimated with borehole measurements, whereas thermal diffusivity is much more sensitive to various disturbing factors, such as thermal contact resistance and variations in probe parameters. In addition, the three-dimensional conduction effects were investigated to find out the magnitude of axial `leak` of heat in long-duration experiments. The radius of influence of a drill hole measurement is mainly dependent on the duration of the experiment. Assuming typical conductivity and diffusivity values of crystalline rocks, the measurement yields information within less than a metre from the drill hole, when the experiment lasts about 24 hours. We propose the following factors to be taken as basic parameters in the construction of a practical measurement system: the probe length 1.5-2 m, heating power 5-20 Wm{sup -1}, temperature recording with 5-7 sensors placed along the probe, and

Measurement of thermal conductivity and diffusivity in situ: Literature survey and theoretical modelling of measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukkonen, I.; Suppala, I.

1999-01-01

In situ measurements of thermal conductivity and diffusivity of bedrock were investigated with the aid of a literature survey and theoretical simulations of a measurement system. According to the surveyed literature, in situ methods can be divided into 'active' drill hole methods, and 'passive' indirect methods utilizing other drill hole measurements together with cutting samples and petrophysical relationships. The most common active drill hole method is a cylindrical heat producing probe whose temperature is registered as a function of time. The temperature response can be calculated and interpreted with the aid of analytical solutions of the cylindrical heat conduction equation, particularly the solution for an infinite perfectly conducting cylindrical probe in a homogeneous medium, and the solution for a line source of heat in a medium. Using both forward and inverse modellings, a theoretical measurement system was analysed with an aim at finding the basic parameters for construction of a practical measurement system. The results indicate that thermal conductivity can be relatively well estimated with borehole measurements, whereas thermal diffusivity is much more sensitive to various disturbing factors, such as thermal contact resistance and variations in probe parameters. In addition, the three-dimensional conduction effects were investigated to find out the magnitude of axial 'leak' of heat in long-duration experiments. The radius of influence of a drill hole measurement is mainly dependent on the duration of the experiment. Assuming typical conductivity and diffusivity values of crystalline rocks, the measurement yields information within less than a metre from the drill hole, when the experiment lasts about 24 hours. We propose the following factors to be taken as basic parameters in the construction of a practical measurement system: the probe length 1.5-2 m, heating power 5-20 Wm -1 , temperature recording with 5-7 sensors placed along the probe, and

Measurement of temperature, electric conductivity and density of plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilevova, I.; Nefedov, A.; Oberman, F.; Urinson, A.

1982-01-01

Three instruments are briefly described developed by the High Temperatures Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences for the measurement of plasma temperature, electric conductivity and density. The temperature measuring instrument uses as a standard a light source whose temperature may significantly differ from plasma temperature because three light fluxes are compared, namely the flux emitted by the plasma, the flux emitted directly by the standard source, and the flux emitted by the standard source after passage through the plasma. The results of measurement are computer processed. Electric conductivity is measured using a coil placed in a probe which is automatically extended for a time of maximally 0.3 seconds into the plasma stream. The equipment for measuring plasma density consists of a special single-channel monochromator, a temperature gauge, a plasma pressure gauge, and of a computer for processing the results of measurement. (Ha)

The Measurement of Thermal Conductivities of Silica and Carbon Black Powders at Different pressures by Thermal COnductivity Probe

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

X.G.Liang; X.S.Ge; 等

1992-01-01

This investigation was done to study the gas filled powder insulation and thermal conductivity probe for the measurent of thermal conductivity of powders.The mathematical analysis showed that the heat capacity of the probe itself and the thermal rsistance between the probe and powder must be considered .The authors developed a slender probe and measured the effective thermal conductivity of sillca and carbon black powders under a variety of conditions.

Cryogenic Thermal Conductivity Measurements on Candidate Materials for Space Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Tuttle, JIm; Canavan, Ed; Jahromi, Amir

2017-01-01

Spacecraft and instruments on space missions are built using a wide variety of carefully-chosen materials. In addition to having mechanical properties appropriate for surviving the launch environment, these materials generally must have thermal conductivity values which meet specific requirements in their operating temperature ranges. Space missions commonly propose to include materials for which the thermal conductivity is not well known at cryogenic temperatures. We developed a test facility in 2004 at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center to measure material thermal conductivity at temperatures between 4 and 300 Kelvin, and we have characterized many candidate materials since then. The measurement technique is not extremely complex, but proper care to details of the setup, data acquisition and data reduction is necessary for high precision and accuracy. We describe the thermal conductivity measurement process and present results for several materials.

Application of Hot-wire Method for Measuring Thermal Conductivity of Fine Ceramics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shangxi WANG

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Ceramic substrate is preferred in high density packaging due to its high electrical resistivity and moderate expansion coefficient. The thermal conductivity is a key parameter for packaging substrates. There are two common methods to measure the thermal conductivity, which are the hot-wire method and the laser-flash method. Usually, the thermal conductivities of porcelain is low and meet the measurement range of hot-wire method, and the measured value by hot-wire method has little difference with that by laser-flash method. In recent years, with the requirement of high-powered LED lighting, some kinds of ceramic substrates with good thermal conductivity have been developed and their thermal conductivity always measured by the means of laser flash method, which needs expensive instrument. In this paper, in order to detect the thermal conductivity of fine ceramic with convenience and low cost, the feasibility of replacing the laser flash method with hot wire method to measure thermal conductivity of ceramic composites was studied. The experiment results showed that the thermal conductivity value of fine ceramics measured by the hot-wire method is severely lower than that by the laser-flash method. However, there is a positive relationship between them. It is possible to measure the thermal conductivity of fine ceramic workpiece instantly by hot-wire method via a correction formula.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.4.12543

The electrical conductivity of sodium polysulfide melts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meihui Wang.

1992-06-01

The sodium polysulfide melt has been described by a macroscopic model. This model considers the melt to be composed of sodium cations, monosulfide anions, and neutral sulfur solvent. The transport equations of concentrated-solution theory are used to derived the governing equations for this binaryelectrolyte melt model. These equations relate measurable transport properties to fundamental transport parameters. The focus of this research is to measure the electrical conductivity of sodium polysulfide melts and calculate one of fundamental transport parameters from the experimental data. The conductance cells used in the conductivity measurements are axisymmetric cylindrical cells with a microelectrode. The electrode effects, including double-layer capacity, charge transfer resistance, and concentration overpotential, were minimized by the use of the alternating current at an adequately high frequency. The high cell constants of the conductance cells not only enhanced the experimental accuracy but also made the electrode effects negligible. The electrical conductivities of sodium polysulfide Na{sub 2}S{sub 4} and Na{sub 2}S{sub 5} were measured as a function of temperature (range: 300 to 360{degree}C). Variations between experiments were only up to 2%. The values of the Arrhenius activation energy derived from the experimental data are about 33 kJ/mol. The fundamental transport parameter which quantifies the interaction within sodium cations and monosulfide anions are of interest and expected to be positive. Values of it were calculated from the experimental conductivity data and most of them are positive. Some negative values were obtained probably due to the experimental errors of transference number, diffusion coefficient, density or conductivity data.

Electrical conductivity measurements in shock compressed liquid nitrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, D.C.; Mitchell, A.C.; Nellis, W.J.

1985-06-01

The electrical conductivity of shock compressed liquid nitrogen was measured in the pressure range 20 to 50 GPa using a two-stage light-gas gun. The conductivities covered a range 4 x 10 -2 to 1 x 10 2 ohm -1 cm -1 . The data are discussed in terms of a liquid semiconductor model below the onset of the dissociative phase transition at 30 GPa. 15 refs., 1 fig

Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement by MRI: a test of its validity and the electrical conductivity characteristics of glioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Tha, Khin Khin; Katscher, Ulrich; Yamaguchi, Shigeru; Stehning, Christian; Terasaka, Shunsuke; Fujima, Noriyuki; Kudo, Kohsuke; Kazumata, Ken; Yamamoto, Toru; Van Cauteren, Marc; Shirato, Hiroki

2018-01-01

This study noninvasively examined the electrical conductivity (σ) characteristics of diffuse gliomas using MRI and tested its validity. MRI including a 3D steady-state free precession (3D SSFP) sequence was performed on 30 glioma patients. The σ maps were reconstructed from the phase images of the 3D SSFP sequence. The σ histogram metrics were extracted and compared among the contrast-enhanced (CET) and noncontrast-enhanced tumour components (NCET) and normal brain parenchyma (NP). Difference in tumour σ histogram metrics among tumour grades and correlation of σ metrics with tumour grades were tested. Validity of σ measurement using this technique was tested by correlating the mean tumour σ values measured using MRI with those measured ex vivo using a dielectric probe. Several σ histogram metrics of CET and NCET of diffuse gliomas were significantly higher than NP (Bonferroni-corrected p ≤ .045). The maximum σ of NCET showed a moderate positive correlation with tumour grade (r = .571, Bonferroni-corrected p = .018). The mean tumour σ measured using MRI showed a moderate positive correlation with the σ measured ex vivo (r = .518, p = .040). Tissue σ can be evaluated using MRI, incorporation of which may better characterise diffuse gliomas. • This study tested the validity of noninvasive electrical conductivity measurements by MRI. • This study also evaluated the electrical conductivity characteristics of diffuse glioma. • Gliomas have higher electrical conductivity values than the normal brain parenchyma. • Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement can be helpful for better characterisation of glioma.

Electrical conductivity measurement on DKDP Crystals with different deuterated degrees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Baoan; Yin, Xin; Xu, Mingxia; Ji, Shaohua; Zhu, Lili; Zhang, Lisong; Sun, Xun; Xu, Xinguang; Zhao, Minglei; Zhang, Qinghua

2012-01-01

Ten DKDP single crystals with deuterated degrees ranging from 0 to 90 % were grown by a rapid growth method. The electrical conductivities of these crystals were measured along a and c directions at room temperature. The electrical conductivity increases with the increase for deuterium content. Also, the electrical conductivities of certain crystals were measured at various temperatures ranging from 20 to 130 C. The values of activation energy decrease as the increase of deuterium content. The present study indicates that the deuterium tunneling frequency is smaller than that of hydrogen, which may be the reason why the variation of electrical conductivity happens after the substitution of hydrogen for deuterium in KDP crystal. (orig.)

In situ measurement of ceramic vacuum chamber conductive coating quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doose, C.; Harkay, K.; Kim, S.; Milton, S.

1997-01-01

A method for measuring the relative surface resistivity and quality of conductive coatings on ceramic vacuum chambers was developed. This method is unique in that it allows one to test the coating even after the ceramic chamber is installed in the accelerator and under vacuum; furthermore, the measurement provides a localized surface reading of the coating conductance. The method uses a magnetic probe is calibrated using the measured DC end-to-end resistance of the tube under test and by comparison to a high quality test surface. The measurement method has also been verified by comparison to high frequency impedance measurements. A detailed description, results, and sensitivity of the technique are given here

Measurement of condensation heat transfer coefficients in a steam chamber using a variable conductance heat pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, J.A.; Windebank, S.R.

1988-01-01

Condensation heat transfer coefficients have been measured in a pressurised chamber containing a mixture of saturated steam and air. They were determined as a function of the air-steam ratio in nominally stagnant conditions. The effect of pressure is assessed and preliminary measurements with a forced convective component of velocity are presented. A novel measurement technique was adopted, namely to use a vertical heat pipe whose conductance could easily be varied. It transported heat from an evaporator located inside the chamber to a condenser section outside, at which the heat flow was measured. Heat flux at the evaporator could then be determined and a condensation heat transfer coefficient derived. The range of coefficients covered was from 150 W/m 2 0 K at high air-steam ratios to 20,000 W/m 2 0 K in pure steam. Results show that increasing either total pressure or velocity enhances condensation heat transfer over the range of air/steam ratios considered. (author)

Measuring electric conductivity in liquid metals by eddy current method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuravlev, S.P.; Ostrovskij, O.I.; Grigoryan, V.A.

1982-01-01

Technique permitting to apply the method of vertiginous currents for investigation of electric conductivity of metal melts in the high temperature range is presented. Interferences affecting accuracy of measurements are specified and ways of their removing are pointed out. Scheme of measuring and design of the facility are described. Results of measuring electric resistance of liquid Fe, Co, Ni obtained for the first time by this method are presented. The data obtained agree with the results of measurements conducted by the method of the rotating magnetic field. Difference in absolute values of electric resistance in parallel experiments for each metal does not exceed 4%

Gas diffusion-derived tortuosity governs saturated hydraulic conductivity in sandy soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Masis Melendez, Federico; Deepagoda Thuduwe Kankanamge Kelum, Chamindu; de Jonge, Lis Wollesen

2014-01-01

Accurate prediction of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is essential for the development of better distributed hydrological models and area-differentiated risk assessment of chemical leaching. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is often estimated from basic soil properties such as particle......, potential relationships between Ksat and Dp/Do were investigated. A total of 84 undisturbed soil cores were extracted from the topsoil of a field site, and Dp/Do and Ksat were measured in the laboratory. Water-induced and solids-induced tortuosity factors were obtained by applying a two-parameter Dp...

Electrical conductivity measurements of aqueous and immobilized potassium hydroxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allebrod, Frank; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Mollerup, Pia Lolk

2012-01-01

concentrations was investigated using the van der Pauw method in combination with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Conductivity values as high as 2.7 S cm−1 for 35 wt%, 2.9 S cm−1 for 45 wt%, and 2.8 S cm−1 for 55 wt% concentrated aqueous solutions were measured at 200 °C. Micro- and nano-porous...... solid pellets were produced and used to immobilize aqueous KOH solutions. These are intended to operate as ion-conductive diaphragms (electrolytes) in alkaline electrolysis cells, offering high conductivity and corrosion resistance. The conductivity of immobilized KOH has been determined by the same...

The electrical conductivity of sodium polysulfide melts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Meihui [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1992-06-01

The sodium polysulfide melt has been described by a macroscopic model. This model considers the melt to be composed of sodium cations, monosulfide anions, and neutral sulfur solvent. The transport equations of concentrated-solution theory are used to derived the governing equations for this binaryelectrolyte melt model. These equations relate measurable transport properties to fundamental transport parameters. The focus of this research is to measure the electrical conductivity of sodium polysulfide melts and calculate one of fundamental transport parameters from the experimental data. The conductance cells used in the conductivity measurements are axisymmetric cylindrical cells with a microelectrode. The electrode effects, including double-layer capacity, charge transfer resistance, and concentration overpotential, were minimized by the use of the alternating current at an adequately high frequency. The high cell constants of the conductance cells not only enhanced the experimental accuracy but also made the electrode effects negligible. The electrical conductivities of sodium polysulfide Na₂S₄ and Na₂S₅ were measured as a function of temperature (range: 300 to 360°C). Variations between experiments were only up to 2%. The values of the Arrhenius activation energy derived from the experimental data are about 33 kJ/mol. The fundamental transport parameter which quantifies the interaction within sodium cations and monosulfide anions are of interest and expected to be positive. Values of it were calculated from the experimental conductivity data and most of them are positive. Some negative values were obtained probably due to the experimental errors of transference number, diffusion coefficient, density or conductivity data.

Design of instantaneous liquid film thickness measurement system for conductive or non-conductive fluid with high viscosity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongxin Yu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the paper, a new capacitive sensor with a dielectric film coating was designed to measure the thickness of the liquid film on a flat surface. The measured medium can be conductive or non-conductive fluid with high viscosity such as silicone oil, syrup, CMC solution and melt. With the dielectric film coating, the defects caused by the humidity in a capacitor can be avoided completely. With a excitation frequency 0-20kHz, the static permittivity of capacitive sensor is obtained and stable when small thicknesses are monitored within the frequency of 0-3kHz. Based on the measurement principle, an experimental system was designed and verified including calibration and actual measurement for different liquid film thickness. Experimental results showed that the sensitivity, the resolution, repeatability and linear range of the capacitive sensor are satisfied to the liquid film thickness measurement. Finally, the capacitive measuring system was successfully applied to the water, silicone oil and syrup film thickness measurement.

Thermal-Conductivity Studies of Macro-porous Polymer-Derived SiOC Ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, L.; Li, Y. M.; Zheng, X. H.; Zhu, J.; Tang, D. W.; Wu, J. Q.; Xu, C. H.

2014-01-01

A three-dimensional reticular macro-porous SiOC ceramics structure, made of spherical agglomerates, has been thermally characterized using a freestanding sensor-based method. The effective thermal conductivity of the macro-porous SiOC ceramics, including the effects of voids, is found to be to at room temperature, comparable with that of alumina aerogel or carbon aerogel. These results suggest that SiOC ceramics hold great promise as a thermal insulation material for use at high temperatures. The measured results further reveal that the effective thermal conductivity is limited by the low solid-phase volume fraction for the SiOC series processed at the same conditions. For SiOC ceramics processed under different pyrolysis temperatures, the contact condition between neighboring particles in the SiOC networks is another key factor influencing the effective thermal conductivity.

Electric conduction mechanism of some heterocyclic compounds, 4,4′-bipyridine and indolizine derivatives in thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danac, Ramona, E-mail: rdanac@uaic.ro [Faculty of Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Leontie, Liviu, E-mail: lleontie@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Carlescu, Aurelian, E-mail: carlescu_aurelian@yahoo.com [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Shova, Sergiu, E-mail: shova@icmpp.ro [Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica Voda, Nr. 41A, 700487 Iasi (Romania); Tiron, Vasile, E-mail: vasile.tiron@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Rusu, George G., E-mail: rusugxg@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Iacomi, Felicia, E-mail: iacomi@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Gurlui, Silviu, E-mail: sgurlui@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Șușu, Oana, E-mail: oasusu@gmail.com [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania); Rusu, Gheorghe I., E-mail: girusu@uaic.ro [Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bulevardul Carol I, Nr. 11, 700506 Iasi (Romania)

2016-08-01

Temperature dependence of d. c. electric conductivity of some recently synthesized heterocyclic compounds, 4,4′-bipyridine and indolizine derivatives, in thin films (d = 0.27–0.51 μm) spin-coated from chloroform solutions onto glass, is studied. The investigated compounds are polycrystalline (as shown by X-ray Diffraction analysis) and show typical n-type semiconductor behavior. The activation energy of d. c. electric conduction ranges between 1.55 and 2.33 eV. Some correlations between semiconducting characteristics and essential features of molecular structure of organic compounds have been established. In the higher temperature range (400–520 K), the electronic transport properties in present compounds can be explained in the frame of band gap representation model, while in the lower temperature range (300–350 K), the Mott's variable-range hopping conduction model can be conveniently used. - Highlights: • 4,4′-bipyridine and indolizine derivatives in thin films behave as n-type semiconductors. • The electron transfer is favored by extended conjugation and packing capacity. • The band gap representation is suitable in the higher temperature range. • The Mott's VRH conduction model may be used in the lower temperature range.

Measuring thermal conductivity of polystyrene nanowires using the dual-cantilever technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Canetta, Carlo; Guo, Samuel; Narayanaswamy, Arvind

2014-10-01

Thermal conductance measurements are performed on individual polystyrene nanowires using a novel measurement technique in which the wires are suspended between two bi-material microcantilever sensors. The nanowires are fabricated via electrospinning process. Thermal conductivity of the nanowire samples is found to be between 6.6 and 14.4 W m(-1) K(-1) depending on sample, a significant increase above typical bulk conductivity values for polystyrene. The high strain rates characteristic of electrospinning are believed to lead to alignment of molecular polymer chains, and hence the increase in thermal conductivity, along the axis of the nanowire.

Thermal conductivity of a wide range of alternative refrigerants measured with an improved guarded hot-plate apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammerschmidt, U.

1995-01-01

The thermal conductivity of the refrigerants R22, R123, R134a, R142b, R143a, and R152a has been determined as a function of temperature in the range from 300 to 460 K. Measurements were carried out at atmospheric pressure with an improved guarded hot-plate apparatus. The width of the instrument's gas layer and the temperature difference across the metering section were varied to detect any stray heat transfer. Radiation correction factors were derived from IR absorption spectra. The uncertainty of the measurements is estimated to be 2% at a standard deviation of less than 0.1%. Our data sets are compared with corresponding hot wire results. In contrast to the generally preferred hot wire technique, with its possible electrical and chemical interactions between the wire and the polar refrigerant, there are no such difficulties using a guarded hot-plate apparatus. Our data sets may thus contribute to the discussions on discrepancies in thermal conductivity values from various authors using hot wire as one particular method

A new gaseous gap conductance relationship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wesley, D.A.; Yovanovich, M.M.

1986-01-01

A new relationship for predicting the gaseous gap conductance between the fuel and clad of a nuclear fuel rod is derived. This relationship is derived from purely analytical considerations and represents a departure from approaches taken in the past. A comparison between the predictions from this new relationship and experimental measurements is presented and the agreement is very good. Predictions can be generated relatively quickly with this relationship making it attractive for fuel pin analysis codes

A Field-Based Aquatic Life Benchmark for Conductivity in ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report adapts the standard U.S. EPA methodology for deriving ambient water quality criteria. Rather than use toxicity test results, the adaptation uses field data to determine the loss of 5% of genera from streams. The method is applied to derive effect benchmarks for dissolved salts as measured by conductivity in Central Appalachian streams using data from West Virginia and Kentucky. This report provides scientific evidence for a conductivity benchmark in a specific region rather than for the entire United States.

Use of electromagnetic terrain conductivity measurements to map liquid hazardous waste migration in groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketelle, R.H.; Pin, F.G.

1983-11-01

Electromagnetic conductivity measurements have been used to map apparent ground conductivity in the vicinity of a liquid hazardous waste disposal site. An area of approximately 12 ha (30 acres) was surveyed. Approximately 600 conductivity measurements were obtained to prepare a conductivity map of the site. Conductivity measurments in the area correlate with specific conductance measurements of surface and groundwater samples. Contouring of the conductivity data showed the precise location of contaminant migration pathways in the subsurface. A complex contaminant plume was defined by the conductivity survey. Conductivity values obtained reflected anisotropic characteristics related to local bedrock structure. Anisotropy characteristics and the use of different instrument configurations indicated semiquantitatively the depth of the high conductivity zone and the direction of flow

Calibration of non-ideal thermal conductivity sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. I. Kömle

2013-04-01

Full Text Available A popular method for measuring the thermal conductivity of solid materials is the transient hot needle method. It allows the thermal conductivity of a solid or granular material to be evaluated simply by combining a temperature measurement with a well-defined electrical current flowing through a resistance wire enclosed in a long and thin needle. Standard laboratory sensors that are typically used in laboratory work consist of very thin steel needles with a large length-to-diameter ratio. This type of needle is convenient since it is mathematically easy to derive the thermal conductivity of a soft granular material from a simple temperature measurement. However, such a geometry often results in a mechanically weak sensor, which can bend or fail when inserted into a material that is harder than expected. For deploying such a sensor on a planetary surface, with often unknown soil properties, it is necessary to construct more rugged sensors. These requirements can lead to a design which differs substantially from the ideal geometry, and additional care must be taken in the calibration and data analysis. In this paper we present the performance of a prototype thermal conductivity sensor designed for planetary missions. The thermal conductivity of a suite of solid and granular materials was measured both by a standard needle sensor and by several customized sensors with non-ideal geometry. We thus obtained a calibration curve for the non-ideal sensors. The theory describing the temperature response of a sensor with such unfavorable length-to-diameter ratio is complicated and highly nonlinear. However, our measurements reveal that over a wide range of thermal conductivities there is an almost linear relationship between the result obtained by the standard sensor and the result derived from the customized, non-ideal sensors. This allows for the measurement of thermal conductivity values for harder soils, which are not easily accessible when using

Measurements of brain-derived neurotrophic factor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trajkovska, Viktorija; Klein, Anders Bue; Vinberg, Maj

2007-01-01

Although numerous studies have dealt with changes in blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), methodological issues about BDNF measurements have only been incompletely resolved. We validated BDNF ELISA with respect to accuracy, reproducibility and the effect of storage and repeated freezing...... (18.6+/-1.3 ng/ml versus 16.5+/-1.4 ng/ml), and showed a right-skewed BDNF concentration distribution. No association between whole blood BDNF concentrations and thrombocyte count, age, or BDNF genotype was found. In conclusion, the BDNF ELISA assay determines whole blood BDNF accurately and with high...

Thermal conductivity of mesoporous films measured by Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Stoib, B.; Filser, S.; Petermann, N.; Wiggers, H.; Stutzmann, M.; Brandt, M. S.

2014-04-01

We measure the in-plane thermal conductance of mesoporous Ge and SiGe thin films using the Raman-shift method and, based on a finite differences simulation accounting for the geometry of the sample, extract the in-plane thermal conductivity. For a suspended thin film of laser-sintered SiGe nanoparticles doped with phosphorus, we find an effective in-plane thermal conductivity of 0.05 W/m K in vacuum for a temperature difference of 400 K and a mean temperature of 500 K. Under similar conditions, the effective in-plane thermal conductivity of a laser-sintered undoped Ge nanoparticle film is 0.5 W/m K. Accounting for a porosity of approximately 50%, the normalized thermal conductivities are 0.1 W/m K and 1 W/m K, respectively. The thermoelectric performance is discussed, considering that the electrical in-plane conductivity is also affected by the mesoporosity.

Measurements of Regolith Simulant Thermal Conductivity Under Asteroid and Mars Surface Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, A. J.; Christensen, P. R.

2017-12-01

Laboratory measurements have been necessary to interpret thermal data of planetary surfaces for decades. We present a novel radiometric laboratory method to determine temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of complex regolith simulants under rough to high vacuum and across a wide range of temperatures. This method relies on radiometric temperature measurements instead of contact measurements, eliminating the need to disturb the sample with thermal probes. We intend to determine the conductivity of grains that are up to 2 cm in diameter and to parameterize the effects of angularity, sorting, layering, composition, and eventually cementation. We present the experimental data and model results for a suite of samples that were selected to isolate and address regolith physical parameters that affect bulk conductivity. Spherical glass beads of various sizes were used to measure the effect of size frequency distribution. Spherical beads of polypropylene and well-rounded quartz sand have respectively lower and higher solid phase thermal conductivities than the glass beads and thus provide the opportunity to test the sensitivity of bulk conductivity to differences in solid phase conductivity. Gas pressure in our asteroid experimental chambers is held at 10^-6 torr, which is sufficient to negate gas thermal conduction in even our coarsest of samples. On Mars, the atmospheric pressure is such that the mean free path of the gas molecules is comparable to the pore size for many regolith particulates. Thus, subtle variations in pore size and/or atmospheric pressure can produce large changes in bulk regolith conductivity. For each sample measured in our martian environmental chamber, we repeat thermal measurement runs at multiple pressures to observe this behavior. Finally, we present conductivity measurements of angular basaltic simulant that is physically analogous to sand and gravel that may be present on Bennu. This simulant was used for OSIRIS-REx TAGSAM Sample Return

Measurement of DC electrical conductivity of alumina during spallation-neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farnum, E.H.; Clinard, F.W. Jr.; Kennedy, J.C. III; Sommer, W.F.; Dammeyer, M.D.

1993-01-01

An irradiation experiment was carried out during the summer of 1992 at the Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility (LASREF). In situ measurements of electrical conductivity in alumina, sapphire and mineral-insulated electrical cables were made at 640 degrees C, 590 degrees C and 400 degrees C. Both DC and AC (100 Hz to 1 MHz) measurements were made to fluence of approximately 3 x 10 23 n/m 2 . Optical absorption from 200 nm to 800 nm was measured in pure silica - and OH-doped silica-core optical fibers during the irradiation. A large number of passive samples were included in the irradiation, some at the furnace temperatures and some at ambient temperature. This report describes preliminary analysis of the DC conductivity measurements. The AC measurements are analyzed in the companion report. All samples are being recovered for post-irradiation examination as this report is being written in May, 1993. Final analysis of the conductivity data awaits the results of measured fluence from activation foils and will be published at ICFRM-6

An Electromagnetic Gauge Technique for Measuring Shocked Particle Velocity in Electrically Conductive Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, David; Yoshinaka, Akio

2014-11-01

Electromagnetic velocity (EMV) gauges are a class of film gauges which permit the direct in-situ measurement of shocked material flow velocity. The active sensing element, typically a metallic foil, requires exposure to a known external magnetic field in order to produce motional electromotive force (emf). Due to signal distortion caused by mutual inductance between sample and EMV gauge, this technique is typically limited to shock waves in non-conductive materials. In conductive samples, motional emf generated in the EMV gauge has to be extracted from the measured signal which results from the combined effects of both motional emf and voltage changes from induced currents. An electromagnetic technique is presented which analytically models the dynamics of induced current between a copper disk moving as a rigid body with constant 1D translational velocity toward an EMV gauge, where both disk and gauge are exposed to a uniform external static magnetic field. The disk is modelled as a magnetic dipole loop where its Foucault current is evaluated from the characteristics of the fields, whereas the EMV gauge is modelled as a circuit loop immersed in the field of the magnetic dipole loop, the intensity of which is calculated as a function of space and, implicitly, time. Equations of mutual induction are derived and the current induced in the EMV gauge loop is solved, allowing discrimination of the motional emf. Numerical analysis is provided for the step response of the induced EMV gauge current with respect to the Foucault current in the moving copper sample.

Thermal conductivity measurements in porous mixtures of methane hydrate and quartz sand

Science.gov (United States)

Waite, W.F.; deMartin, B.J.; Kirby, S.H.; Pinkston, J.; Ruppel, C.D.

2002-01-01

Using von Herzen and Maxwell's needle probe method, we measured thermal conductivity in four porous mixtures of quartz sand and methane gas hydrate, with hydrate composing 0, 33, 67 and 100% of the solid volume. Thermal conductivities were measured at a constant methane pore pressure of 24.8 MPa between -20 and +15??C, and at a constant temperature of -10??C between 3.5 and 27.6 MPa methane pore pressure. Thermal conductivity decreased with increasing temperature and increased with increasing methane pore pressure. Both dependencies weakened with increasing hydrate content. Despite the high thermal conductivity of quartz relative to methane hydrate, the largest thermal conductivity was measured in the mixture containing 33% hydrate rather than in hydrate-free sand. This suggests gas hydrate enhanced grain-to-grain heat transfer, perhaps due to intergranular contact growth during hydrate synthesis. These results for gas-filled porous mixtures can help constrain thermal conductivity estimates in porous, gas hydrate-bearing systems.

Detecting Electron Transport of Amino Acids by Using Conductance Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Qiong Li

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The single molecular conductance of amino acids was measured by a scanning tunneling microscope (STM break junction. Conductance measurement of alanine gives out two conductance values at 10−1.85 G0 (1095 nS and 10−3.7 G0 (15.5 nS, while similar conductance values are also observed for aspartic acid and glutamic acid, which have one more carboxylic acid group compared with alanine. This may show that the backbone of NH2–C–COOH is the primary means of electron transport in the molecular junction of aspartic acid and glutamic acid. However, NH2–C–COOH is not the primary means of electron transport in the methionine junction, which may be caused by the strong interaction of the Au–SMe (methyl sulfide bond for the methionine junction. The current work reveals the important role of the anchoring group in the electron transport in different amino acids junctions.

Revisited the mathematical derivation wall thickness measurement of pipe for radiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamzah, A.R.; Amir, S.M.M. [Non Destructive Testing(NDT) Group, Industrial Technology Div., Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Selangor (Malaysia)

2007-07-01

Wall thickness measurement of pipe is very important of the structural integrity of the industrial plant. However, the radiography method has an advantage because the ability of penetrating the insulated pipe. This will have economic benefit for industry. Moreover, the era of digital radiography has more advantages because the speed of radiographic work, less exposure time and no chemical used for film development. Either the conventional radiography or digital radiology, the wall thickness measurement is using the tangential radiography technique (TRT). In case, of a large diameter, pipe (more than inches) the determination maximum penetration wall thickness must be taken into the consideration. This paper is revisited the mathematical derivation of the determination of wall thickness measurement based on tangential radiography technique (TRT). The mathematical approach used in this derivation is the Pythagoras theorem and geometrical principles. In order to derive the maximum penetration wall thickness a similar approach is used. (authors)

Assessing the Effects of Water Deficit on Photosynthesis Using Parameters Derived from Measurements of Leaf Gas Exchange and of Chlorophyll a Fluorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Laurent; Aarrouf, Jawad; Bidel, Luc P R

2017-01-01

Water deficit (WD) is expected to increase in intensity, frequency and duration in many parts of the world as a consequence of global change, with potential negative effects on plant gas exchange and growth. We review here the parameters that can be derived from measurements made on leaves, in the field, and that can be used to assess the effects of WD on the components of plant photosynthetic rate, including stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance, photosynthetic capacity, light absorbance, and efficiency of absorbed light conversion into photosynthetic electron transport. We also review some of the parameters related to dissipation of excess energy and to rerouting of electron fluxes. Our focus is mainly on the techniques of gas exchange measurements and of measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF), either alone or combined. But we put also emphasis on some of the parameters derived from analysis of the induction phase of maximal ChlF, notably because they could be used to assess damage to photosystem II. Eventually we briefly present the non-destructive methods based on the ChlF excitation ratio method which can be used to evaluate non-destructively leaf contents in anthocyanins and flavonols.

Assessing the Effects of Water Deficit on Photosynthesis Using Parameters Derived from Measurements of Leaf Gas Exchange and of Chlorophyll a Fluorescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurent Urban

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Water deficit (WD is expected to increase in intensity, frequency and duration in many parts of the world as a consequence of global change, with potential negative effects on plant gas exchange and growth. We review here the parameters that can be derived from measurements made on leaves, in the field, and that can be used to assess the effects of WD on the components of plant photosynthetic rate, including stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance, photosynthetic capacity, light absorbance, and efficiency of absorbed light conversion into photosynthetic electron transport. We also review some of the parameters related to dissipation of excess energy and to rerouting of electron fluxes. Our focus is mainly on the techniques of gas exchange measurements and of measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF, either alone or combined. But we put also emphasis on some of the parameters derived from analysis of the induction phase of maximal ChlF, notably because they could be used to assess damage to photosystem II. Eventually we briefly present the non-destructive methods based on the ChlF excitation ratio method which can be used to evaluate non-destructively leaf contents in anthocyanins and flavonols.

Microscopic understanding of the anisotropic conductivity of PEDOT:PSS thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nardes, A.M.; Kemerink, M.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Bastiaansen, J.J.A.M.; Kiggen, N.M.M.; Langeveld, B.M.W.; Breemen, A.J.J.M. van; Kok, M.M. de

2007-01-01

The anisotropic conductivity of spin-coated poly(3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thin films by temperature-dependent conductivity measurements, has been analyzed. A detailed 3D morphological model was derived from topographic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and

D.C. electrical conductivity measurements on ADP single crystals ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Impurity added ADP crystals; density; electrical conductivity measurements. 1. Introduction ... determined by the intrinsic defects caused by thermal fluctuations in the ... beaker (corning glass vessel) and allowed to equilibrate at the desired ...

Computing derivative-based global sensitivity measures using polynomial chaos expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudret, B.; Mai, C.V.

2015-01-01

In the field of computer experiments sensitivity analysis aims at quantifying the relative importance of each input parameter (or combinations thereof) of a computational model with respect to the model output uncertainty. Variance decomposition methods leading to the well-known Sobol' indices are recognized as accurate techniques, at a rather high computational cost though. The use of polynomial chaos expansions (PCE) to compute Sobol' indices has allowed to alleviate the computational burden though. However, when dealing with large dimensional input vectors, it is good practice to first use screening methods in order to discard unimportant variables. The derivative-based global sensitivity measures (DGSMs) have been developed recently in this respect. In this paper we show how polynomial chaos expansions may be used to compute analytically DGSMs as a mere post-processing. This requires the analytical derivation of derivatives of the orthonormal polynomials which enter PC expansions. Closed-form expressions for Hermite, Legendre and Laguerre polynomial expansions are given. The efficiency of the approach is illustrated on two well-known benchmark problems in sensitivity analysis. - Highlights: • Derivative-based global sensitivity measures (DGSM) have been developed for screening purpose. • Polynomial chaos expansions (PC) are used as a surrogate model of the original computational model. • From a PC expansion the DGSM can be computed analytically. • The paper provides the derivatives of Hermite, Legendre and Laguerre polynomials for this purpose

Conformational Smear Characterization and Binning of Single-Molecule Conductance Measurements for Enhanced Molecular Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Korshoj, Lee E; Afsari, Sepideh; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2017-11-01

Electronic conduction or charge transport through single molecules depends primarily on molecular structure and anchoring groups and forms the basis for a wide range of studies from molecular electronics to DNA sequencing. Several high-throughput nanoelectronic methods such as mechanical break junctions, nanopores, conductive atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling break junctions, and static nanoscale electrodes are often used for measuring single-molecule conductance. In these measurements, "smearing" due to conformational changes and other entropic factors leads to large variances in the observed molecular conductance, especially in individual measurements. Here, we show a method for characterizing smear in single-molecule conductance measurements and demonstrate how binning measurements according to smear can significantly enhance the use of individual conductance measurements for molecular recognition. Using quantum point contact measurements on single nucleotides within DNA macromolecules, we demonstrate that the distance over which molecular junctions are maintained is a measure of smear, and the resulting variance in unbiased single measurements depends on this smear parameter. Our ability to identify individual DNA nucleotides at 20× coverage increases from 81.3% accuracy without smear analysis to 93.9% with smear characterization and binning (SCRIB). Furthermore, merely 7 conductance measurements (7× coverage) are needed to achieve 97.8% accuracy for DNA nucleotide recognition when only low molecular smear measurements are used, which represents a significant improvement over contemporary sequencing methods. These results have important implications in a broad range of molecular electronics applications from designing robust molecular switches to nanoelectronic DNA sequencing.

Calibrating electromagnetic induction conductivities with time-domain reflectometry measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Dragonetti, Giovanna; Comegna, Alessandro; Ajeel, Ali; Piero Deidda, Gian; Lamaddalena, Nicola; Rodriguez, Giuseppe; Vignoli, Giulio; Coppola, Antonio

2018-02-01

This paper deals with the issue of monitoring the spatial distribution of bulk electrical conductivity, σb, in the soil root zone by using electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors under different water and salinity conditions. To deduce the actual distribution of depth-specific σb from EMI apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) measurements, we inverted the data by using a regularized 1-D inversion procedure designed to manage nonlinear multiple EMI-depth responses. The inversion technique is based on the coupling of the damped Gauss-Newton method with truncated generalized singular value decomposition (TGSVD). The ill-posedness of the EMI data inversion is addressed by using a sharp stabilizer term in the objective function. This specific stabilizer promotes the reconstruction of blocky targets, thereby contributing to enhance the spatial resolution of the EMI results in the presence of sharp boundaries (otherwise smeared out after the application of more standard Occam-like regularization strategies searching for smooth solutions). Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) data are used as ground-truth data for calibration of the inversion results. An experimental field was divided into four transects 30 m long and 2.8 m wide, cultivated with green bean, and irrigated with water at two different salinity levels and using two different irrigation volumes. Clearly, this induces different salinity and water contents within the soil profiles. For each transect, 26 regularly spaced monitoring soundings (1 m apart) were selected for the collection of (i) Geonics EM-38 and (ii) Tektronix reflectometer data. Despite the original discrepancies in the EMI and TDR data, we found a significant correlation of the means and standard deviations of the two data series; in particular, after a low-pass spatial filtering of the TDR data. Based on these findings, this paper introduces a novel methodology to calibrate EMI-based electrical conductivities via TDR direct measurements. This

Direct measurement of thermal conductivity in solid iron at planetary core conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Konôpková, Zuzana; McWilliams, R Stewart; Gómez-Pérez, Natalia; Goncharov, Alexander F

2016-06-02

The conduction of heat through minerals and melts at extreme pressures and temperatures is of central importance to the evolution and dynamics of planets. In the cooling Earth's core, the thermal conductivity of iron alloys defines the adiabatic heat flux and therefore the thermal and compositional energy available to support the production of Earth's magnetic field via dynamo action. Attempts to describe thermal transport in Earth's core have been problematic, with predictions of high thermal conductivity at odds with traditional geophysical models and direct evidence for a primordial magnetic field in the rock record. Measurements of core heat transport are needed to resolve this difference. Here we present direct measurements of the thermal conductivity of solid iron at pressure and temperature conditions relevant to the cores of Mercury-sized to Earth-sized planets, using a dynamically laser-heated diamond-anvil cell. Our measurements place the thermal conductivity of Earth's core near the low end of previous estimates, at 18-44 watts per metre per kelvin. The result is in agreement with palaeomagnetic measurements indicating that Earth's geodynamo has persisted since the beginning of Earth's history, and allows for a solid inner core as old as the dynamo.

Radiation damages on superionic conducting glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awano, T.; Handa, K.; Matsuyama, T.

2000-01-01

We measured ESR spectra of color centers on AgI-AgPO 3 , AgI-Ag 2 O-B 2 O 3 , AgI-Ag 2 MoO 4 , AgI-Ag 2 WO 4 , (CH 3 ) 4 NI-(C 2 H 5 ) 4 NI-AgI (TMAI-TEAI-AgI) and its derivatives of superionic conducting glasses. In organic-inorganic mixed glasses, organic ion radicals were observed. They were not affected by ionic conductivity. On the contrary, Ag 2+ , Ag 0 and aggregated Ag 0 were observed in inorganic glasses. These color centers in inorganic glasses were affected by ionic conductivity. (author)

Two-phase flow measurements with advanced instrumented spool pieces and local conductivity probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turnage, K.G.; Davis, C.E.

1979-01-01

A series of two-phase, air-water and steam-water tests performed with instrumented spool pieces and with conductivity probes obtained from Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. is described. The behavior of the three-beam densitometer, turbine meter, and drag flowmeter is discussed in terms of two-phase models. Application of some two-phase mass flow models to the recorded spool piece data is made and preliminary results are shown. Velocity and void fraction information derived from the conductivity probes is presented and compared to velocities and void fractions obtained using the spool piece instrumentation

Ultrasonic Derivative Measurements of Bone Strain During Exercise, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Luna Innovations, Inc., in collaboration with the SUNY Stony Brook, proposes to extend ultrasonic pulsed phase locked loop (PPLL) derivative measurements to the...

Shear-induced changes of electrical conductivity in suspensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crawshaw, John; Meeten, Gerald [Schlumberger Cambridge Research, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2006-12-15

The effect of shear on electrical conductivity (rheo-conduction) is studied to give information about particle behaviour in suspensions. Past work is reviewed, and expressions are derived for the rheo-conduction of a suspension of nonconducting spheroids in a conducting matrix for current flow, parallel and normal to the suspension flow direction. A simple apparatus to study rheo-conduction in pipe flow is described, and measurements of steady and time-dependent effects are reported for various suspensions of colloidal particles. Suspensions of anisometric rod- and platelike particles at low concentrations showed rheo-conductive changes of sign, magnitude and relaxation that were consistent with the particle shape, concentration and interactions. The rheo-conductive response decreased with increasing volume fraction for platelike kaolinite particles, attributed to orientational jamming. Spherical latex particles gave unexpected rheo-conductive changes consistent with shear disruption of a conductive network of particles. It is concluded that rheo-conduction measurements are a useful adjunct to conventional rheometry. (orig.)

Capacitance measurements and AC conductivity of Nickel Phthalocyanine films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darwish, S.

2005-01-01

A C dark Current measurements of nickel phthalocyanine thin films using ohmic gold electrodes are investigated in the frequency range 30-10 Hz and within the temperature range 295-385 K. The A C conductivity as D Ac is found to vary as within the index s < 1, indicating a dominant hopping process at low temperatures. From the temperature dependence of A C conductivity, free carrier conduction with mean activation energy of 0.31 eV is observed at higher temperatures. Capacitance and loss tangent are found to be decreased with increasing frequency and increase with increasing temperature. Such characteristics are found to be in good qualitative agreement with existing equivalent circuit model assuming ohmic contacts

Thermal Conductivity Measurement and Analysis of Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, H. G.; Kim, D. J.; Park, J. Y.; Kim, W. J.; Lee, S. J.

2015-01-01

FCM nuclear fuel is composed of tristructural isotropic(TRISO) fuel particle and SiC ceramic matrix. SiC ceramic matrix play an essential part in protecting fission product. In the FCM fuel concept, fission product is doubly protected by TRISO coating layer and SiC ceramic matrix in comparison with the current commercial UO2 fuel system of LWR. In addition to a safety enhancement of FCM fuel, thermal conductivity of SiC ceramic matrix is better than that of UO2 fuel. Because the centerline temperature of FCM fuel is lower than that of the current UO2 fuel due to the difference of thermal conductivity of fuel, an operational release of fission products from the fuel can be reduced. SiC ceramic has attracted for nuclear fuel application due to its high thermal conductivity properties with good radiation tolerant properties, a low neutron absorption cross-section and a high corrosion resistance. Thermal conductivity of ceramic matrix composite depends on the thermal conductivity of each component and the morphology of reinforcement materials such as fibers and particles. There are many results about thermal conductivity of fiber-reinforced composite like as SiCf/SiC composite. Thermal conductivity of SiC ceramics and FCM pellets with the volume fraction of TRISO particles were measured and analyzed by analytical models. Polycrystalline SiC ceramics and FCM pellets with TRISO particles were fabricated by hot press sintering with sintering additives. Thermal conductivity of the FCM pellets with TRISO particles of 0 vol.%, 10 vol.%, 20 vol.%, 30 vol.% and 40 vol.% show 68.4, 52.3, 46.8, 43.0 and 34.5 W/mK, respectively. As the volume fraction of TRISO particles increased, the measured thermal conductivity values closely followed the prediction of Maxwell's equation

Direct measurement of surface-state conductance by microscopic four-point probe method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasegawa, S.; Shiraki, I.; Tanikawa, T.

2002-01-01

For in situ measurements of local electrical conductivity of well defined crystal surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum, we have developed microscopic four-point probes with a probe spacing of several micrometres, installed in a scanning-electron - microscope/electron-diffraction chamber. The probe...... is precisely positioned on targeted areas of the sample surface by using piezoactuators. This apparatus enables conductivity measurement with extremely high surface sensitivity, resulting in direct access to surface-state conductivity of the surface superstructures, and clarifying the influence of atomic steps...

Silicate bonding properties: Investigation through thermal conductivity measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenzini, M; Cesarini, E; Cagnoli, G; Campagna, E; Losurdo, G; Martelli, F; Piergiovanni, F; Vetrano, F [INFN, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sez. di Firenze, via G. Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Haughian, K; Hough, J; Martin, I; Reid, S; Rowan, S; Veggel, A A van, E-mail: lorenzini@fi.infn.i [SUPA, University of Glasgow, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Kelvin Building G12 8QQ Glasgow, Scotland (United Kingdom)

2010-05-01

A direct approach to reduce the thermal noise contribution to the sensitivity limit of a GW interferometric detector is the cryogenic cooling of the mirrors and mirrors suspensions. Future generations of detectors are foreseen to implement this solution. Silicon has been proposed as a candidate material, thanks to its very low intrinsic loss angle at low temperatures and due to its very high thermal conductivity, allowing the heat deposited in the mirrors by high power lasers to be efficiently extracted. To accomplish such a scheme, both mirror masses and suspension elements must be made of silicon, then bonded together forming a quasi-monolithic stage. Elements can be assembled using hydroxide-catalysis silicate bonding, as for silica monolithic joints. The effect of Si to Si bonding on suspension thermal conductance has therefore to be experimentally studied. A measurement of the effect of silicate bonding on thermal conductance carried out on 1 inch thick silicon bonded samples, from room temperature down to 77 K, is reported. In the explored temperature range, the silicate bonding does not seem to affect in a relevant way the sample conductance.

Leaching of Conductive Species: Implications to Measurements of Electrical Resistivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Spragg, R; Jones, S; Bu, Y; Lu, Y; Bentz, D; Snyder, K; Weiss, J

2017-05-01

Electrical tests have been used to characterize the microstructure of porous materials, the measured electrical response being determined by the contribution of the microstructure (porosity and tortuosity) and the electrical properties of the solution (conductivity of the pore solution) inside the pores of the material. This study has shown how differences in concentration between the pore solution (i.e., the solution in the pores) and the storage solution surrounding the test specimen leads to significant transport (leaching) of the conductive ionic species between the pore solution and the storage solution. Leaching influences the resistivity of the pore solution, thereby influencing electrical measurements on the bulk material from either a surface or uniaxial bulk resistance test. This paper has three main conclusions: 1.) Leaching of conductive species does occur with concentration gradients and that a diffusion based approach can be used to estimate the time scale associated with this change. 2.) Leaching of ions in the pore solution can influence resistivity measurements, and the ratio of surface to uniaxial resistivity can be used as a method to assess the presence of leaching and 3.) An estimation of the magnitude of leaching for standardized tests of cementitious materials.

Thermal conductivity and diffusivity of biomaterials measured with self-heated thermistors

Science.gov (United States)

Valvano, J. W.; Cochran, J. R.; Diller, K. R.

1985-05-01

This paper presents an experimental method to measure the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of biomaterials. Self-heated thermistor probes, inserted into the tissue of interest, are used to deliver heat as well as to monitor the rate of heat removal. An empirical calibration procedure allows accurate thermal-property measurements over a wide range of tissue temperatures. Operation of the instrument in three media with known thermal properties shows the uncertainty of measurements to be about 2%. The reproducibility is 0.5% for the thermal-conductivity measurements and 2% for the thermal-diffusivity measurements. Thermal properties were measured in dog, pig, rabbit, and human tissues. The tissues included kidney, spleen, liver, brain, heart, lung, pancreas, colon cancer, and breast cancer. Thermal properties were measured for 65 separate tissue samples at 3, 10, 17, 23, 30, 37, and 45°C. The results show that the temperature coefficient of biomaterials approximates that of water.

Further elucidation of nanofluid thermal conductivity measurement using a transient hot-wire method apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Donghoon; Lee, Joohyun; Lee, Byeongchan; Kwon, Suyong; Koo, Junemo

2018-02-01

The Transient Hot-Wire Method (THWM) was developed to measure the absolute thermal conductivity of gases, liquids, melts, and solids with low uncertainty. The majority of nanofluid researchers used THWM to measure the thermal conductivity of test fluids. Several reasons have been suggested for the discrepancies in these types of measurements, including nanofluid generation, nanofluid stability, and measurement challenges. The details of the transient hot-wire method such as the test cell size, the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and the sampling number are further investigated to improve the accuracy and consistency of the measurements of different researchers. It was observed that smaller test apparatuses were better because they can delay the onset of natural convection. TCR values of a coated platinum wire were measured and statistically analyzed to reduce the uncertainty in thermal conductivity measurements. For validation, ethylene glycol (EG) and water thermal conductivity were measured and analyzed in the temperature range between 280 and 310 K. Furthermore, a detailed statistical analysis was conducted for such measurements, and the results confirmed the minimum number of samples required to achieve the desired resolution and precision of the measurements. It is further proposed that researchers fully report the information related to their measurements to validate the measurements and to avoid future inconsistent nanofluid data.

Determination of proton conductivity of ionic liquids for fuel cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallnofer, E.; Baumgartner, W.R.; Hacker, V. [Graz Univ. of Technology, Graz (Austria). Inst. for Chemistry and Technology of Inorganic Material

2006-07-01

Hydrogen fuel cells operating at temperatures of between 100 and 200 degrees C allow the catalyst to tolerate higher levels of carbon monoxide (CO) impurities. However, the number of possible materials for high temperature fuel cell electrolytes or membranes is limited. This study examined the relevant electrochemical properties of different ion liquids with specific reference to neutralized imidazole derivates with a dominant Grotthuss mechanism of proton conduction. The electrochemical stability of the ionic liquids was measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) under nitrogen. Proton conductivity was measured under hydrogen by CV within the electrochemical limits. Hydrogen was dissolved at the anode, transported through the ionic liquid, and recombined at the cathode, so that the detected current could indicate the amount of transported hydrogen. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to measure the frequency dependent behaviour of the ionic liquids. All measurements were conducted at 50, 100, and 150 degrees C. Results of the study showed that proton conductivity increased with higher temperatures. It was concluded that neutralized imidazole derivates with optimized side chains of the cation may prove to be a viable alternative to conventional fuel cell electrolytes. 4 refs., 2 figs.

Tris-diamine-derived transition metal complexes of flurbiprofen as ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

admin

butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities. Method: Tris-diamine-derived transition metal complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), and Mn(II) were synthesized and characterized ... Conductance measurements indicated that diamine-derived metal complexes of ..... contributes to enhanced biological activity, and provides novel ...

Measurement of thermal conductivity of the oxide coating on autoclaved monel-400

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dua, A.K.; George, V.C.; Agarwala, R.P.

1982-01-01

Thermal conductivity of the oxide coating on monel-400 has been measured by a direct method. The oxide coating is applied on an electrically conducting wire having stable characteristics. The wire is placed in a constant temperature bath and a constant direct current is passed through it. The wire gets heated and loses heat to the surrounding. Temperature is measured by considering it as a resistance thermometer. A convection heat transfer coefficient, which is difficult to measure experimentally but is involved in the analytical expression for thermal conductivity, is eliminated by connecting a second uncoated wire of a noble metal having similar surface finish as that of the coated wire in series with it. The accuracy of the method is nearly six percent. However, the method is not easily applicable for very thin (thickness <= 1μ), highly porous coatings and materials having relatively large thermal conductivity. (M.G.B.)

Bulk conductivity of soft surface layers : experimental measurement and electrokinetic implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yezek, L.P.

2005-01-01

Conductivity measurements were carried out on a family of polyacrylamide-co-sodium acrylate gels cross-linked with N,N¿ -methylenebisacrylamide in a homemade electrokinetic cell. The conductivity data allowed the equilibrium Donnan potential difference between the bulk gel and the bulk electrolyte

Effects of adsorbed pyridine derivatives and ultrathin atomic-layer-deposited alumina coatings on the conduction band-edge energy of TiO2 and on redox-shuttle-derived dark currents.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Michael J; Vermeer, Michael J D; Farha, Omar K; Pellin, Michael J; Hupp, Joseph T

2013-01-15

Both the adsorption of t-butylpyridine and the atomic-layer deposition of ultrathin conformal coatings of insulators (such as alumina) are known to boost open-circuit photovoltages substantially for dye-sensitized solar cells. One attractive interpretation is that these modifiers significantly shift the conduction-edge energy of the electrode, thereby shifting the onset potential for dark current arising from the interception of injected electrons by solution-phase redox shuttle components such as Co(phenanthroline)(3)(3+) and triiodide. For standard, high-area, nanoporous photoelectrodes, band-edge energies are difficult to measure directly. In contrast, for flat electrodes they are readily accessible from Mott-Schottky analyses of impedance data. Using such electrodes (specifically TiO(2)), we find that neither organic nor inorganic electrode-surface modifiers shift the conduction-band-edge energy sufficiently to account fully for the beneficial effects on electrode behavior (i.e., the suppression of dark current). Additional experiments reveal that the efficacy of ultrathin coatings of Al(2)O(3) arises chiefly from the passivation of redox-catalytic surface states. In contrast, adsorbed t-butylpyridine appears to suppress dark currents mainly by physically blocking access of shuttle molecules to the electrode surface. Studies with other derivatives of pyridine, including sterically and/or electronically diverse derivatives, show that heterocycle adsorption and the concomitant suppression of dark current does not require the coordination of surface Ti(IV) or Al(III) atoms. Notably, the favorable (i.e., negative) shifts in onset potential for the flow of dark current engendered by organic and inorganic surface modifiers are additive. Furthermore, they appear to be largely insensitive to the identity of shuttle molecules.

Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Measurements of CDA 510 Phosphor Bronze

Science.gov (United States)

Tuttle, James E.; Canavan, Edgar; DiPirro, Michael

2009-01-01

Many cryogenic systems use electrical cables containing phosphor bronze wire. While phosphor bronze's electrical and thermal conductivity values have been published, there is significant variation among different phosphor bronze formulations. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will use several phosphor bronze wire harnesses containing a specific formulation (CDA 510, annealed temper). The heat conducted into the JWST instrument stage is dominated by these harnesses, and approximately half of the harness conductance is due to the phosphor bronze wires. Since the JWST radiators are expected to just keep the instruments at their operating temperature with limited cooling margin, it is important to know the thermal conductivity of the actual alloy being used. We describe an experiment which measured the electrical and thermal conductivity of this material between 4 and 295 Kelvin.

Phase transition traced by conductivity measurements: quantitative analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keding, Ralf; Ruessel, Christian; Tauch, Diana

2008-01-01

starting from the electrodes. The change in the conductivity as a function of the temperature was fitted with VFT-equation for both the melt and the crystalline phase. An extrapolation of the resistance of the melt as well as of the crystalline material allows to separate the temperature dependent changes...... of conductivity and the resistance changes caused by phase transformation. This enables to determine the crystal growth velocity in the temperature range between 750 and 860 degrees C in a single experiment.......The measurement of the crystal growth velocity is carried out by analysing the change in the resistivity of the sample. The calculation of the crystal growth velocity is developed for crystal formation in the volume, crystal growth initiated at the electrodes as well as perpendicular...

Design and Construction of a Thermal Contact Resistance and Thermal Conductivity Measurement System

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

thank my Mom, Dad , Allison, Jessica, and father-in-law, Tom, for always being there to listen and encourage me. xxiv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY...thermal conductivity is temperature measurement inaccuracies. A probe constructed of a poor thermally conductive material when inserted into a hot...interface- resistance-measurement-using-a-transient-method/ [26] H. Fukushima, L. T. Drzal, B. P. Rook and M. J. Rich , “Thermal conductivity of exfoliated

Measurements of void fraction by an improved multi-channel conductance void meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Chul-Hwa; Chung, Moon Ki; No, Hee Cheon

1998-01-01

An improved multi-channel Conductance Void Meter (CVM) was developed to measure a void fraction. Its measuring principle is basically based upon the differences of electrical conductance of a two-phase mixture due to the variation of void fraction around a sensor. The sensor is designed to be flush-mounted to the inner wall of the test section to avoid the flow disturbances. The signal processor with three channels is specially designed so as to minimize the inherent error due to the phase difference between channels. It is emphasized that the guard electrodes are electrically shielded in order not to affect the measurements of two-phase mixture conductance, but to make the electric fields evenly distributed in a measuring volume. Void fraction is measured for bubbly and slug flow regimes in a vertical air-water loop, and statistical signal processing techniques are applied to show that CVM has a good dynamic resolution which is required to investigate the structural developments of bubbly flow and the propagation of void waves in a flow channel. (author)

Thermal conductivity and PVT measurements of pentafluoroethane (refrigerant HFC-125)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsvetkov, O.B.; Kletski, A.V.; Laptev, Yu.A.

1995-01-01

By means of the transient and steady-state coaxial cylinder methods, the thermal conductivity of pentfluoroethane was investigated at temperatures from 187 to 419 K and pressures from atmospheric to 6.0 MPa. The estimated uncertainty of the measured results is ± (2-3)%. The operation of the experimental apparatus was validated by measuring the thermal conductivity of R22 and R12. Determinations of the vapor pressure and PVT properties were carried out by a constant-volume apparatus for the temperature range 263 to 443 K, pressures up to 6 MPa, and densities from 36 to 516 kg m -3 . The uncertainties in temperature, pressure, and density are less than ±10 mK, ±0.08%, and ±0.1%, respectively

Sun and aureole spectrometer for airborne measurements to derive aerosol optical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Asseng, Hagen; Ruhtz, Thomas; Fischer, Jürgen

2004-04-01

We have designed an airborne spectrometer system for the simultaneous measurement of the direct Sun irradiance and aureole radiance. The instrument is based on diffraction grating spectrometers with linear image sensors. It is robust, lightweight, compact, and reliable, characteristics that are important for airborne applications. The multispectral radiation measurements are used to derive optical properties of tropospheric aerosols. We extract the altitude dependence of the aerosol volume scattering function and of the aerosol optical depth by using flight patterns with descents and ascents ranging from the surface level to the top of the boundary layer. The extinction coefficient and the product of single scattering albedo and phase function of separate layers can be derived from the airborne measurements.

A numerical model of ionospheric convection derived from field-aligned current and the corresponding conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomberg, L.G.; Marklund, G.T.

1988-03-01

A numerical model for the calculation of ionospheric convection patterns from given distributions of field-aligned current and ionospheric conductivity is described. The model includes a coupling between the conductivity and the field-aligned current, so that the conductivity peaks in regions of upward current, as usually observed by measurements. The model is very flexible in that the input distributions, the field-aligned current and the conductivity, have been parameterized in a convenient way. From the primary model output, namely the ionospheric electrostatic potential (or convection) in the corotating frame, a number of other quantities can be computed. These include: the potential in a Sun-fixed frame, the distribution of ionospheric (horizontal) current, and the Joule heating in the ionosphere. This model has been used together with input data inferred from satellite measurements to calculate the high-latitude potential distribution prevailing during a particular event. The model potential variation along the satellite orbit was found to be in excellent agreement with the measured electric field. The model has also been used to study some fundamental properties of the electrodynamics of the high-latitude ionosphere. The results of these different applications of the model have been published separately. (With 23 refs.) (authors)

Correction of temperature and bulk electrical conductivity effects on soil water content measurements using ECH2O EC-5, TE and 5TE sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, Ulrike; Huisman, Sander; Vrba, Jan; Vereecken, Harry; Bogena, Heye

2010-05-01

For a monitoring of dynamic spatiotemporal soil moisture patterns at the catchment scale, automated and continuously measuring systems that provide spatial coverage and high temporal resolution are needed. Promising techniques like wireless sensor networks (e.g. SoilNet) have to integrate low-cost electromagnetic soil water content sensors [1], [2]. However, the measurement accuracy of such sensors is often deteriorated by effects of temperature and soil bulk electrical conductivity. The objective of this study is to derive and validate correction functions for such temperature and electrical conductivity effects for the ECH2O EC-5, TE and 5TE sensors. We used dielectric liquids with known dielectric properties for two different laboratory experiments. In the first experiment, the temperature of eight reference liquids with permittivity ranging from 7 to 42 was varied from 5 to 40°C. All sensor types showed an underestimation of permittivity for low temperatures and an overestimation for high temperatures. In the second experiment, the conductivity of the reference liquids was increased by adding NaCl. The highest deviations occurred for high permittivity and electrical conductivity between ~0.8 and 1.5 dS/m (underestimation from 8 to 16 permittivity units depending on sensor type). For higher electrical conductivity (2.5 dS/m), the permittivity was overestimated (10 permittivity units for the EC-5 and 7 for the 5TE sensor). Based on these measurements on reference liquids, we derived empirical correction functions that are able to correct thermal and conductivity effects on measured sensor response. These correction functions were validated using three soil samples (coarse sand, silty clay loam and bentonite). For the temperature correction function, the results corresponded better with theoretical predictions after correction for temperature effects on the sensor circuitry. It was also shown that the application of the conductivity correction functions improved

Flexible probe for measuring local conductivity variations in Li-ion electrode films

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Emilee; Clement, Derek; Vogel, John; Wheeler, Dean; Mazzeo, Brian

2018-04-01

Li-ion battery performance is governed by electronic and ionic properties of the battery. A key metric that characterizes Li-ion battery cell performance is the electronic conductivity of the electrodes, which are metal foils with thin coatings of electrochemically active materials. To accurately measure the spatial variation of electronic conductivity of these electrodes, a micro-four-line probe (μ4LP) was designed and used to non-destructively measure the properties of commercial-quality Li-ion battery films. This previous research established that the electronic conductivity of film electrodes is not homogeneous throughout the entirety of the deposited film area. In this work, a micro-N-line probe (μNLP) and a flexible micro-flex-line probe (μFLP) were developed to improve the non-destructive micro-scale conductivity measurements that we can take. These devices were validated by comparing test results to that of the predecessor, the micro-four-line probe (μ4LP), on various commercial-quality Li-ion battery electrodes. Results show that there is significant variation in conductivity on a millimeter and even micrometer length scale through the electrode film. Compared to the μ4LP, the μNLP and μFLP also introduce additional measurement configuration possibilities, while providing a more robust design. Researchers and manufacturers can use these probes to identify heterogeneity in their electrodes during the fabrication process, which will lead to the development of better batteries.

Shareholder‘s derivate action: "ex lege" measures to prevent shareholder’s abuse

OpenAIRE

Mikalonienė, Lina

2015-01-01

This article is the second article on the topic related to the shareholder‘s derivate action. After evaluating the key general aspects of the shareholder’s derivate action (e.g. concept, rationale and goals) with respect to the Lithuanian Corporate Law, this article analyzes some ex lege protective measures to prevent shareholder’s abuse in bringing shareholder‘s derivate action as well as evaluates need to revise the related Lithuanian legislation. The focus of the article is, first, on spec...

Remote sensing reflectance and inherent optical properties of oceanic waters derived from above-water measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Zhongping; Carder, Kendall L.; Steward, Robert G.; Peacock, Thomas G.; Davis, Curtiss O.; Mueller, James L.

1997-02-01

Remote-sensing reflectance and inherent optical properties of oceanic properties of oceanic waters are important parameters for ocean optics. Due to surface reflectance, Rrs or water-leaving radiance is difficult to measure from above the surface. It usually is derived by correcting for the reflected skylight in the measured above-water upwelling radiance using a theoretical Fresnel reflectance value. As it is difficult to determine the reflected skylight, there are errors in the Q and E derived Rrs, and the errors may get bigger for high chl_a coastal waters. For better correction of the reflected skylight,w e propose the following derivation procedure: partition the skylight into Rayleigh and aerosol contributions, remove the Rayleigh contribution using the Fresnel reflectance, and correct the aerosol contribution using an optimization algorithm. During the process, Rrs and in-water inherent optical properties are derived at the same time. For measurements of 45 sites made in the Gulf of Mexico and Arabian Sea with chl_a concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 49 mg/m3, the derived Rrs and inherent optical property values were compared with those from in-water measurements. These results indicate that for the waters studied, the proposed algorithm performs quite well in deriving Rrs and in- water inherent optical properties from above-surface measurements for clear and turbid waters.

Development of a direct push based in-situ thermal conductivity measurement system

Science.gov (United States)

Chirla, Marian Andrei; Vienken, Thomas; Dietrich, Peter; Bumberger, Jan

2016-04-01

Heat pump systems are commonly utilized in Europe, for the exploitation of the shallow geothermal potential. To guarantee a sustainable use of the geothermal heat pump systems by saving resources and minimizing potential negative impacts induced by temperature changes within soil and groundwater, new geothermal exploration methods and tools are required. The knowledge of the underground thermal properties is a necessity for a correct and optimum design of borehole heat exchangers. The most important parameter that indicates the performance of the systems is thermal conductivity of the ground. Mapping the spatial variability of thermal conductivity, with high resolution in the shallow subsurface for geothermal purposes, requires a high degree of technical effort to procure adequate samples for thermal analysis. A collection of such samples from the soil can disturb sample structure, so great care must be taken during collection to avoid this. Factors such as transportation and sample storage can also influence measurement results. The use of technologies like Thermal Response Test (TRT) require complex mechanical and electrical systems for convective heat transport in the subsurface and longer monitoring times, often three days. Finally, by using thermal response tests, often only one integral value is obtained for the entire coupled subsurface with the borehole heat exchanger. The common thermal conductivity measurement systems (thermal analyzers) can perform vertical thermal conductivity logs only with the aid of sample procurement, or by integration into a drilling system. However, thermal conductivity measurements using direct push with this type of probes are not possible, due to physical and mechanical limitations. Applying vertical forces using direct push technology, in order to penetrate the shallow subsurface, can damage the probe and the sensors systems. The aim of this study is to develop a new, robust thermal conductivity measurement probe, for direct

Measuring Thermal Conductivity at LH2 Temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Selvidge, Shawn; Watwood, Michael C.

2004-01-01

For many years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) produced reference materials for materials testing. One such reference material was intended for use with a guarded hot plate apparatus designed to meet the requirements of ASTM C177-97, "Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus." This apparatus can be used to test materials in various gaseous environments from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum. It allows the thermal transmission properties of insulating materials to be measured from just above ambient temperature down to temperatures below liquid hydrogen. However, NIST did not generate data below 77 K temperature for the reference material in question. This paper describes a test method used at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to optimize thermal conductivity measurements during the development of thermal protection systems. The test method extends the usability range of this reference material by generating data at temperatures lower than 77 K. Information provided by this test is discussed, as are the capabilities of the MSFC Hydrogen Test Facility, where advanced methods for materials testing are routinely developed and optimized in support of aerospace applications.

Aspirated capacitor measurements of air conductivity and ion mobility spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aplin, K.L.

2005-01-01

Measurements of ions in atmospheric air are used to investigate atmospheric electricity and particulate pollution. Commonly studied ion parameters are (1) air conductivity, related to the total ion number concentration, and (2) the ion mobility spectrum, which varies with atmospheric composition. The physical principles of air ion instrumentation are long established. A recent development is the computerized aspirated capacitor, which measures ions from (a) the current of charged particles at a sensing electrode, and (b) the rate of charge exchange with an electrode at a known initial potential, relaxing to a lower potential. As the voltage decays, only ions of higher and higher mobility are collected by the central electrode and contribute to the further decay of the voltage. This enables extension of the classical theory to calculate ion mobility spectra by inverting voltage decay time series. In indoor air, ion mobility spectra determined from both the voltage decay inversion, and an established voltage switching technique, were compared and shown to be of similar shape. Air conductivities calculated by integration were: 5.3±2.5 and 2.7±1.1 fSm -1 , respectively, with conductivity determined to be 3 fSm -1 by direct measurement at a constant voltage. Applications of the relaxation potential inversion method include air ion mobility spectrum retrieval from historical data, and computation of ion mobility spectra in planetary atmospheres

Measurement of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity on fractured rock outcrops near Altamura (Southern Italy) with an adjustable large ring infiltrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Caputo, Maria C.; de Carlo, L.; Masciopinto, C.; Nimmo, J.R.

2010-01-01

Up to now, field studies set up to measure field-saturated hydraulic conductivity to evaluate contamination risks, have employed small cylinders that may not be representative of the scale of measurements in heterogeneous media. In this study, a large adjustable ring infiltrometer was designed to be installed on-site directly on rock to measure its field-saturated hydraulic conductivity. The proposed device is inexpensive and simple to implement, yet also very versatile, due to its large adjustable diameter that can be fixed on-site. It thus allows an improved representation of the natural system's heterogeneity, while also taking into consideration irregularities in the soil/rock surface. The new apparatus was tested on an outcrop of karstic fractured limestone overlying the deep Murge aquifer in the South of Italy, which has recently been affected by untreated sludge disposal, derived from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants. The quasi-steady vertical flow into the unsaturated fractures was investigated by measuring water levels during infiltrometer tests. Simultaneously, subsurface electrical resistivity measurements were used to visualize the infiltration of water in the subsoil, due to unsaturated water flow in the fractures. The proposed experimental apparatus works well on rock outcrops, and allows the repetition of infiltration tests at many locations in order to reduce model uncertainties in heterogeneous media. ?? 2009 Springer-Verlag.

Device for measuring high temperature heat conductivity of solids and melts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magomedov, Ya.B.; Gadzhiev, G.G.

1990-01-01

A modification of a device for measuring heat conductivity by a compensation method when a thermocouple with gadolinium sulfide being used is suggested. Such a device has less error of measurement (8%), wider interval of working temperatures (300-1600K) and it permits to investigate the material in the wide range of heat conductivity values (0.5-30 W/(mxK)). The stainless steel 12Kh18N10T, lanthanum sulfide and melted quartz were used for the device calibration. The results obtained and the literature data on these materials agree well between each other

Electrical conduction through surface superstructures measured by microscopic four-point probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasegawa, S.; Shiraki, I.; Tanabe, F.

2003-01-01

For in-situ measurements of the local electrical conductivity of well-defined crystal surfaces in ultra-high vacuum, we have developed two kinds of microscopic four-point probe methods. One involves a "four-tip STM prober," in which four independently driven tips of a scanning tunneling microscope...... (STM) are used for measurements of four-point probe conductivity. The probe spacing can be changed from 500 nm to 1 mm. The other method involves monolithic micro-four-point probes, fabricated on silicon chips, whose probe spacing is fixed around several mum. These probes are installed in scanning...

Studies on the under ground heating in greenhouse. Measuring of thermal conductivity of soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwao, Toshio; Takeyama, Koichi

1987-12-21

The underground heating system is an effective method of heating a greenhouse, because the system controls directly the temperature of soil near the roots. The thermal conductivity of soil was measured by the steady-state method, and the heat transfer characteristics in soil were examined in this study. In measuring the thermal conductivity through experiments, firstly the thermal conductivity of a reference plate was measured by the steady-state method, then on the basis of the above mentioned result, the thermal conuctivity of soil was obtained by the comparative method. Toyoura standard sands with particle size of 0.21-0.25mm were used as the sample. As the experiment result, the relations between the thermal conductivity of the reference plate (glass) and temperature was made clear, furthermore through the measurements using these relations, it was clarified that the apparent thermal conductivity is influenced by soil water content. It seems that the difference between the apparent thermal conductivity and the real one is caused mainly by a migration of latent heat with a migration of steam. (10 figs, 7 refs)

Matrix diffusion studies by electrical conductivity methods. Comparison between laboratory and in-situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, Y.; Neretnieks, I.

1998-01-01

Traditional laboratory diffusion experiments in rock material are time consuming, and quite small samples are generally used. Electrical conductivity measurements, on the other hand, provide a fast means for examining transport properties in rock and allow measurements on larger samples as well. Laboratory measurements using electrical conductivity give results that compare well to those from traditional diffusion experiments. The measurement of the electrical resistivity in the rock surrounding a borehole is a standard method for the detection of water conducting fractures. If these data could be correlated to matrix diffusion properties, in-situ diffusion data from large areas could be obtained. This would be valuable because it would make it possible to obtain data very early in future investigations of potentially suitable sites for a repository. This study compares laboratory electrical conductivity measurements with in-situ resistivity measurements from a borehole at Aespoe. The laboratory samples consist mainly of Aespoe diorite and fine-grained granite and the rock surrounding the borehole of Aespoe diorite, Smaaland granite and fine-grained granite. The comparison shows good agreement between laboratory measurements and in-situ data

Research of Electrical Conductivity Measurement System for Mine Bursting Water Based on Dual Frequency Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhou Mengran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a double frequency conductivity measurement method for measuring mine bursting water, to solve the capacitance effect of the conductivity sensor itself has the help. The core controller of the system is the single chip microcomputer ATMEGA128. This paper introduces the basic principle of the measurement of the existing problems and the dual frequency measurement method, and then introduces and analyzes the hardware. To test and analyze the collected data, the double frequency method is found to have good stability and accuracy in the measurement of the electrical conductivity of mine inrush water. It is proved that the method and the system design of the hardware circuit can accurately measure the electric conductivity of the mine inrush water source.

Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and prediction of effective thermal conductivity of porous consolidated igneous rocks at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurangzeb; Ali, Zulqurnain; Gurmani, Samia Faiz; Maqsood, Asghari

2006-01-01

Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and heat capacity per unit volume of porous consolidated igneous rocks have been measured, simultaneously by Gustafsson's probe at room temperature and normal pressure using air as saturant. Data are presented for eleven samples of dunite, ranging in porosity from 0.130 to 0.665% by volume, taken from Chillas near Gilgit, Pakistan. The porosity and density parameters have been measured using American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards at ambient conditions. The mineral composition of samples has been analysed from their thin sections (petrography). An empirical model to predict the thermal conductivity of porous consolidated igneous rocks is also proposed. The thermal conductivities are predicted by some of the existing models along with the proposed one. It is observed that the values of effective thermal conductivity predicted by the proposed model are in agreement with the experimental thermal conductivity data within 6%

A heat source probe for measuring thermal conductivity in waste rock dumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackford, M.G.; Harries, J.R.

1985-10-01

The development and use of a heat source probe to measure the thermal conductivity of the material in a waste rock dump is described. The probe releases heat at a constant rate into the surrounding material and the resulting temperature rise is inversely related to the thermal conductivity. The probe was designed for use in holes in the dump which are lined with 50 mm i.d. polyethylene liners. The poor thermal contact between the probe and the liner and the unknown conductivity of the backfill material around the liner necessitated long heating and cooling times (>10 hours) to ensure that the thermal conductivity of the dump material was being measured. Temperature data acquired in the field were analysed by comparing them with temperatures calculated using a two-dimensional cylindrical model of the probe and surrounding material, and the heat transfer code HEATRAN

Wet method for measuring starch gelatinization temperature using electrical conductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Sanchez, E; Figueroa, J D C; Gaytan-Martínez, M

2009-09-01

The objective of the present study was to develop a method for obtaining the gelatinization temperature of starches by using electrical conductivity. Native starches from corn, rice, potato, and wheat were prepared with different proportions of water and heated from room temperature to 90 degrees C, in a device especially designed for monitoring the electrical conductivity as a function of temperature. The results showed a linear trend of the electrical conductivity with the temperature until it reaches the onset gelatinization temperature. After that point, the electrical conductivity presented an increment or decrement depending on the water content in the sample and it was related to starch swelling and gelatinization phenomena. At the end gelatinization temperature, the conductivity becomes stable and linear, indicating that there are no more changes of phase. The starch gelatinization parameter, which was evaluated in the 4 types of starches using the electrical conductivity, was compared with those obtained by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The onset temperature at which the electrical conductivity increased or decreased was found to be similar to that obtained by DSC. Also, the final temperature at which the electrical conductivity returned to linearity matched the end gelatinization temperature of the DSC. Further, a wet method for measuring the onset, peak, and end gelatinization temperatures as a function of temperature using the electrical conductivity curves is presented for a starch-water suspension.

Directional rf probe for measurement of conductivity of flowing plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, R.; Chakravarthy, D.P.; Rohatgi, V.K.

1977-01-01

An electrodeless immersible rf probe for measurement of plasma conductivity in the range 0.01 to 100 mho/m has been designed and fabricated. The probe, with an overall diameter of 11 mm, employs unidirectional electromagnetic field lines which reduce the inaccuracies caused by insertion of the probe in a flowing plasma. In the range studied the probe output shows a linear relationship with the conductivity of the medium. Such probes are of interest in the study of MHD and reentry plasmas

Detecting Kondo Entanglement by Electron Conductance

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Gwangsu; Lee, S.-S. B.; Sim, H.-S.

2018-04-01

Quantum entanglement between an impurity spin and electrons nearby is a key property of the single-channel Kondo effects. We show that the entanglement can be detected by measuring electron conductance through a double quantum dot in an orbital Kondo regime. We derive a relation between the entanglement and the conductance, when the SU(2) spin symmetry of the regime is weakly broken. The relation reflects the universal form of many-body states near the Kondo fixed point. Using it, the spatial distribution of the entanglement—hence, the Kondo cloud—can be detected, with breaking of the symmetry spatially nonuniformly by electrical means.

Improved theory of time domain reflectometry with variable coaxial cable length for electrical conductivity measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Although empirical models have been developed previously, a mechanistic model is needed for estimating electrical conductivity (EC) using time domain reflectometry (TDR) with variable lengths of coaxial cable. The goals of this study are to: (1) derive a mechanistic model based on multisection tra...

Method and Apparatus for Measuring Thermal Conductivity of Small, Highly Insulating Specimens

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Robert A (Inventor); Kuczmarski, Maria A (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A method and apparatus for the measurement of thermal conductivity combines the following capabilities: 1) measurements of very small specimens; 2) measurements of specimens with thermal conductivity on the same order of that as air; and, 3) the ability to use air as a reference material. Care is taken to ensure that the heat flow through the test specimen is essentially one-dimensional. No attempt is made to use heated guards to minimize the flow of heat from the hot plate to the surroundings. Results indicate that since large correction factors must be applied to account for guard imperfections when specimen dimensions are small, simply measuring and correcting for heat from the heater disc that does not flow into the specimen is preferable.

A double Gerdien instrument for simultaneous bipolar air conductivity measurements on balloon platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicoll, K A; Harrison, R G

2008-08-01

A bipolar air conductivity instrument is described for use with a standard disposable meteorological radiosonde package. It is intended to provide electrical measurements at cloud boundaries, where the ratio of the bipolar air conductivities is affected by the presence of charged particles. The sensors are two identical Gerdien-type electrodes, which, through a voltage decay method, measure positive and negative air conductivities simultaneously. Voltage decay provides a thermally stable approach and a novel low current leakage electrometer switch is described which initiates the decay sequence. The radiosonde supplies power and telemetry, as well as measuring simultaneous meteorological data. A test flight using a tethered balloon determined positive (sigma(+)) and negative (sigma(-)) conductivities of sigma(+)=2.77+/-0.2 fS m(-1) and sigma(-)=2.82+/-0.2 fS m(-1), respectively, at 400 m aloft, with sigma(+)sigma(-)=0.98+/-0.04.

Thermal conductivity of glass copper-composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Makoto; Terai, Ryohei; Haidai, Haruki

1980-01-01

Glass-metal composites are to be one of the answers for promoting thermal conduction in the glassy solids containing high-level radioactive wastes. In order to investigate the effect of metal addition on thermal conductivity of glasses, glass-copper composites were selected, and the conductivities of the composites were measured and discussed in regards to copper content and microstructure. Fully densified composites were successfully prepared by pressure sintering of the powder mixtures of glass and copper at temperatures above the yield points of the constituent glasses if the copper content was not so much. The conductivity was measured by means of a comparative method, in which the thermal gradient of the specimen was compared with that of quartz glass as standard under thermally steady state. Measurements were carried out at around 50 0 C. The thermal conductivity increased with increasing content of copper depending on the kind of copper powder used. The conductivities of the composites of the same copper content differed considerably each another. Fine copper powder was effective on increasing conductivity, and the conductivity became about threefold of that of glass by mixing the fine copper powder about 10 vol%. For the composites containing the fine copper powder less than 5 vol%, the conductivity obeyed so-called logarithmic rule, one of the mixture rules of conductivity, whereas for composites containing more than 5 vol%, the conductivity remarkably increased apart from the rule. This fact suggests that copper becomes continuous in the composite when the copper content increased beyond 5 vol%. For the composites containing coarse copper powder, the conductivity was increased not significantly, and obeyed an equation derived from the model in which conductive material dispersed in less conductive one. (author)

Development of the interfacial area concentration measurement method using a five sensor conductivity probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Euh, Dong Jin; Yun, Byong Jo; Song, Chul Hwa; Kwon, Tae Soon; Chung, Moon Ki; Lee, Un Chul

2000-01-01

The interfacial area concentration(IAC) is one of the most important parameters in the two-fluid model for two-phase flow analysis. The IAE can be measured by a local conductivity probe method that uses the difference of conductivity between water and air/steam. The number of sensors in the conductivity probe may be differently chosen by considering the flow regime of two-phase flow. The four sensor conductivity probe method predicts the IAC without any assumptions of the bubble shape. The local IAC can be obtained by measuring the three dimensional velocity vector elements at the measuring point, and the directional cosines of the sensors. The five sensor conductivity probe method proposed in this study is based on the four sensor probe method. With the five sensor probe, the local IAC for a given referred measuring area of the probe can be predicted more exactly than the four sensor prober. In this paper, the mathematical approach of the five sensor probe method for measuring the IAC is described, and a numerical simulation is carried out for ideal cap bubbles of which the sizes and locations are determined by a random number generator

Physical outcome measures for conductive and mixed hearing loss treatment: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, M L; Tysome, J R; Hill-Feltham, P; Hodgetts, W E; Ostevik, A; McKinnon, B J; Monksfield, P; Sockalingam, R; Wright, T

2018-05-07

The number of potential options for rehabilitation of patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss is continually expanding. To be able to inform patients and other stakeholders there is a need to identify and develop patient-centred outcomes for treatment of hearing loss. To identify outcome measures in the physical core area used when reporting the outcome after treatment of conductive and mixed hearing loss in adult patients. Systematic review. Systematic review of literature related to reported physical outcome measures after treatment of mixed or conductive hearing loss without restrictions regarding type of intervention, treatment or device. Any measure reporting the physical outcome after treatment or intervention of mixed or conductive hearing loss was sought and categorised. The physical outcomes measures that had been extracted were then grouped into domains. The literature search resulted in the identification of 1,434 studies, of which 153 were selected for inclusion in the review. The majority (57%) of papers reported results from middle ear surgery, with the remainder reporting results from either bone conduction hearing devices or middle ear implants. Outcomes related to complications were categorised into 17 domains, whereas outcomes related to treatment success was categorised in 22 domains. The importance of these domains to patients and other stakeholders needs to be further explored in order to establish which of these domains are most relevant to interventions for conductive or mixed hearing loss. This will allow us to then assess which outcomes measures are most suitable for inclusion in the core set This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In-situ ionic conductivity measurement of lithium ceramics under high energy heavy ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakazawa, Tetsuya; Noda, Kenji; Ishii, Yoshinobu; Ohno, Hideo; Watanabe, Hitoshi; Matsui, Hisayuki.

1992-01-01

To obtain fundamental information regarding the radiation damage in some lithium ceramics, e.g. Li 2 O, Li 4 SiO 4 etc., candidate of breeder materials exposed to severe irradiation environment, an in-situ experiment technique for the ionic conductivity measurement, which allows the specimen temperature control and the beam current monitoring, have been developed. This paper describes the features of an apparatus to measure in situ the ionic conductivity under the irradiation environment and presents some results of ionic conductivity measured for typical ceramic breeders using this apparatus. (J.P.N.)

Concept for a MEMS-type vacuum sensor based on electrical conductivity measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. J. Giebel

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The concept of the micro-structured vacuum sensor presented in this article is the measurement of the electrical conductivity of thinned gases in order to develop a small, economical and quite a simple type of vacuum sensor. There are already some approaches for small vacuum sensors. Most of them are based on conservative measurement principles similar to those used in macroscopic vacuum gauges. Ionization gauges use additional sources of energy, like hot cathodes, ultraviolet radiation or high voltage for example, for ionizing gas molecules and thereby increasing the number of charge carriers for measuring low pressures. In contrast, the concept discussed here cannot be found in macroscopic sensor systems because it depends on the microscopic dimension of a gas volume defined by two electrodes. Here we present the concept and the production of a micro-structured vacuum sensor chip, followed by the electrical characterization. Reference measurements with electrodes at a distance of about 1 mm showed currents in the size of picoampere and a conductivity depending on ambient pressure. In comparison with these preliminary measurements, fundamental differences regarding pressure dependence of the conductivity are monitored in the electrical characterization of the micro-structured sensor chip. Finally the future perspectives of this sensor concept are discussed.

In situ recording of particle network formation in liquids by ion conductivity measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfaffenhuber, Christian; Sörgel, Seniz; Weichert, Katja; Bele, Marjan; Mundinger, Tabea; Göbel, Marcus; Maier, Joachim

2011-09-21

The formation of fractal silica networks from a colloidal initial state was followed in situ by ion conductivity measurements. The underlying effect is a high interfacial lithium ion conductivity arising when silica particles are brought into contact with Li salt-containing liquid electrolytes. The experimental results were modeled using Monte Carlo simulations and tested using confocal fluorescence laser microscopy and ζ-potential measurements.

Model calculation of thermal conductivity in antiferromagnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikhail, I.F.I., E-mail: ifi_mikhail@hotmail.com; Ismail, I.M.M.; Ameen, M.

2015-11-01

A theoretical study is given of thermal conductivity in antiferromagnetic materials. The study has the advantage that the three-phonon interactions as well as the magnon phonon interactions have been represented by model operators that preserve the important properties of the exact collision operators. A new expression for thermal conductivity has been derived that involves the same terms obtained in our previous work in addition to two new terms. These two terms represent the conservation and quasi-conservation of wavevector that occur in the three-phonon Normal and Umklapp processes respectively. They gave appreciable contributions to the thermal conductivity and have led to an excellent quantitative agreement with the experimental measurements of the antiferromagnet FeCl{sub 2}. - Highlights: • The Boltzmann equations of phonons and magnons in antiferromagnets have been studied. • Model operators have been used to represent the magnon–phonon and three-phonon interactions. • The models possess the same important properties as the exact operators. • A new expression for the thermal conductivity has been derived. • The results showed a good quantitative agreement with the experimental data of FeCl{sub 2}.

A hot-wire method based thermal conductivity measurement apparatus for teaching purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarado, S; Marín, E; Juárez, A G; Calderón, A; Ivanov, R

2012-01-01

The implementation of an automated system based on the hot-wire technique is described for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of liquids using equipment easily available in modern physics laboratories at high schools and universities (basically a precision current source and a voltage meter, a data acquisition card, a personal computer and a high purity platinum wire). The wire, which is immersed in the investigated sample, is heated by passing a constant electrical current through it, and its temperature evolution, ΔT, is measured as a function of time, t, for several values of the current. A straightforward methodology is then used for data processing in order to obtain the liquid thermal conductivity. The start point is the well known linear relationship between ΔT and ln(t) predicted for long heating times by a model based on a solution of the heat conduction equation for an infinite lineal heat source embedded in an infinite medium into which heat is conducted without convective and radiative heat losses. A criterion is used to verify that the selected linear region is the one that matches the conditions imposed by the theoretical model. As a consequence the method involves least-squares fits in linear, semi-logarithmic (semi-log) and log-log graphs, so that it becomes attractive not only to teach about heat transfer and thermal properties measurement techniques, but also as a good exercise for students of undergraduate courses of physics and engineering learning about these kinds of mathematical functional relationships between variables. The functionality of the experiment was demonstrated by measuring the thermal conductivity in samples of liquids with well known thermal properties. (paper)

The modelling and measurement of super-conducting rock joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, N.; Makurat, A.; Vik, G.; Loset, F.

1985-01-01

Rock joints exhibiting exceptionally high conductivity have been responsible for severe inflows (10-50 m 3 /min.) and flooding in recent Norwegian tunneling projects. These events may be explained by channeling of flow in partially outwashed mineral fillings, associated with deep weathering in ancient basement rocks. There is also evidence to suggest extensional strain with consistent relationships to regional faulting patterns (Selmer-Olsen 1981). Hydraulic fractures making connection with joint systems that are sheared as a result of increased fluid pressure, has been deduced as the mechanism explaining unusually large fluid losses in the geothermal project in Cornwall, England (Pine and Batchelor, 1984). Such mechanisms also introduce uncertainty into water flood and MHF stimulation treatment of fractured oil and gas reservoirs, particularly when principal stress and joint orientations are poorly understood due to coring and stress measurement problems in weak, overstressed reservoir rocks. The possibility of permanent disposal of nuclear waste in crystalline rock, has also focussed attention on highly conductive (''super-conducting'') joints in nuclear waste programmes in Canada, the USA and in Europe. The bi-modal distributions of joint spacing, continuity, apertures and conductivities resulting from the discovery of super-conducting joints has important implications for the location of planned repositories, due to their dramatic impact on potential transport times. In the laboratory a class of super-conducting joints can be created by shear displacement that causes dilation when shearing non-planar features. Recent biaxial shear testing of rock joints recovered in jointed core has identified a strong coupling of conductivity and shear displacement. The theoretical predictions of constitutive relationships for coupled flow in rock joints (Barton et al. 1985) have been broadly verified

The functional dependence of canopy conductance on water vapor pressure deficit revisited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fuchs, Marcel; Stanghellini, Cecilia

2018-01-01

Current research seeking to relate between ambient water vapor deficit (D) and foliage conductance (gF) derives a canopy conductance (gW) from measured transpiration by inverting the coupled transpiration model to yield gW = m − n ln(D) where m and n are fitting parameters. In contrast, this paper

Thermal, dielectric characteristics and conduction mechanism of azodyes derived from quinoline and their copper complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Ghamaz, N A; Diab, M A; El-Bindary, A A; El-Sonbati, A Z; Nozha, S G

2015-05-15

A novel series of (5-(4'-derivatives phenyl azo)-8-hydroxy-7-quinolinecarboxaldehyde) (AQLn) (n=1, p-OCH3; n=2, R=H; and n=3; p-NO2) and their complexes [Cu(AQLn)2]·5H2O are synthesized and investigated. The optimized bond lengths, bond angles and the calculated quantum chemical parameters for AQLn are investigated. HOMO-LUMO energy gap, absolute electronegativities, chemical potentials, and absolute hardness are also calculated. The thermal properties, dielectric properties, alternating current conductivity (σac) and conduction mechanism are investigated in the frequency range 0.1-100kHz and temperature range 293-568K for AQL1-3 and 318-693K for [Cu(AQL1-3)2]·5H2O complexes. The thermal properties are of ligands (AQLn) and their Cu(II) complexes investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The temperature and frequency dependence of the real and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant are studied. The values of the thermal activation energy of conduction mechanism for AQLn and their complexes [Cu(AQLn)2]·5H2O under investigation are calculated at different test frequencies. The values of thermal activation energies ΔE1 and ΔE2 for AQLn and [Cu(AQLn)2]·5H2O decrease with increasing the values of frequency. The ac conductivity is found to be depending on the chemical structure of the compounds. Different conduction mechanisms have been proposed to explain the obtained experimental data. The small polaron tunneling (SPT) is the dominant conduction mechanism for AQL1 and its complex [Cu(AQL1)2]·5H2O. The quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT) is the dominant conduction mechanism for AQL2 and its complex [Cu(AQL2)2]·5H2O. The correlated barrier hopping (CBH) is the dominant conduction mechanism for AQL3 and its complex [Cu(AQL3)2]·5H2O, and the values of the maximum barrier height (Wm) are calculated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of strain and strain rate by two-dimensional speckle tracking in mice: comparison with tissue Doppler echocardiography and conductance catheter measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferferieva, V; Van den Bergh, A; Claus, P; Jasaityte, R; La Gerche, A; Rademakers, F; Herijgers, P; D'hooge, J

2013-08-01

This study was designed in order to compare the strain and strain rate deformation parameters assessed by speckle tracking imaging (STI) with those of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and conductance catheter measurements in chronic murine models of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to wild-type (n = 8), myocardial infarction (n = 8) and transaortic constriction (n = 8) groups. Echocardiographic and conductance measurements were simultaneously performed at rest and during dobutamine infusion (5 µg/kg/min) in all animals 10 weeks post-surgery. The LV circumferential strain (Scirc) and the strain rate (SRcirc) were derived from grey scale and tissue Doppler data at frame rates of 224 and 375 Hz, respectively. Scirc and SRcirc by TDI/STI correlated well with the preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW) (r = -0.64 and -0.71 for TDI; r = -0.46 and -0.50 for STI, P < 0.05). Both modalities showed a good agreement with respect to Scirc and SRcirc (r = 0.60 and r = 0.63, P < 0.05). During stress, however, TDI-estimated Scirc and SRcirc values were predominantly higher than those measured by STI (P < 0.05). The similarity of Scirc and SRcirc measurements with respect to the STI/TDI data was examined by the Bland-Altman analysis. In mice, the STI- and TDI-derived strain and strain rate deformation parameters relate closely to intrinsic myocardial function. At low heart rate-to-frame rate ratios (HR/FR), both STI and TDI are equally acceptable for assessing the LV function non-invasively in these animals. At HR/FR (e.g. dobutamine challenge), however, these methods cannot be used interchangeably as STI underestimates S and SR at high values.

Neighborhood walkability: field validation of geographic information system measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajna, Samantha; Dasgupta, Kaberi; Halparin, Max; Ross, Nancy A

2013-06-01

Given the health benefits of walking, there is interest in understanding how physical environments favor walking. Although GIS-derived measures of land-use mix, street connectivity, and residential density are commonly combined into indices to assess how conducive neighborhoods are to walking, field validation of these measures is limited. To assess the relationship between audit- and GIS-derived measures of overall neighborhood walkability and between objective (audit- and GIS-derived) and participant-reported measures of walkability. Walkability assessments were conducted in 2009. Street-level audits were conducted using a modified version of the Pedestrian Environmental Data Scan. GIS analyses were used to derive land-use mix, street connectivity, and residential density. Participant perceptions were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Audit, GIS, and participant-reported indices of walkability were calculated. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationships between measures. All analyses were conducted in 2012. The correlation between audit- and GIS-derived measures of overall walkability was high (R=0.7 [95% CI=0.6, 0.8]); the correlations between objective (audit and GIS-derived) and participant-reported measures were low (R=0.2 [95% CI=0.06, 0.3]; R=0.2 [95% CI=0.04, 0.3], respectively). For comparable audit and participant-reported items, correlations were higher for items that appeared more objective (e.g., sidewalk presence, R=0.4 [95% CI=0.3, 0.5], versus safety, R=0.1 [95% CI=0.003, 0.3]). The GIS-derived measure of walkability correlated well with the in-field audit, suggesting that it is reasonable to use GIS-derived measures in place of more labor-intensive audits. Interestingly, neither audit- nor GIS-derived measures correlated well with participants' perceptions of walkability. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A low cost apparatus for measuring the xylem hydraulic conductance in plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano Pereira

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Plant yield and resistance to drought are directly related to the efficiency of the xylem hydraulic conductance and the ability of this system to avoid interrupting the flow of water. In this paper we described in detail the assembling of an apparatus proposed by TYREE et al. (2002, and its calibration, as well as low cost adaptations that make the equipment accessible for everyone working in this research area. The apparatus allows measuring the conductance in parts of roots or shoots (root ramifications or branches, or in the whole system, in the case of small plants or seedlings. The apparatus can also be used to measure the reduction of conductance by embolism of the xylem vessels. Data on the hydraulic conductance of eucalyptus seedlings obtained here and other reports in the literature confirm the applicability of the apparatus in physiological studies on the relationship between productivity and water stress.

Time- and Space-Domain Measurements of the Thermal Conductivity in Diamond Anvil Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Goncharov, A. F.

2011-12-01

I will give an overview of recent developments of experimental techniques to measure the thermal conductivity in diamond anvil cell (DAC) under conditions of high pressure and high temperature (P-T) which are relevant for the planetary interiors. To measure the lattice contributions to the thermal conductivity, we developed a transient heating technique (THT) in the diamond anvil cell (DAC) [1]. This technique utilizes a periodic front surface temperature variation (measured by the spectroradiometry) of a metallic absorber surrounded by the material of interest and exposed to a pulsed laser radiation (10 nanoseconds pulses). We extract the thermal diffusivity of minerals by fitting the experimental results to the model finite element (FE) calculations. We have recently modified this technique for microseconds laser pulses as this allows avoiding nonequilibrium heat transfer processes. We have measured the thermal conductivity of Ar up to 50 GPa and 2500 K; the results are in agreement with the theoretical calculations [2] in the limit of high temperatures. In collaboration with a group from the University of Illinois we have utilized a time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR)- ultrafast (femtosecond) laser pump-probe technique for measurement of the lattice thermal conductivity at high P-T conditions. We have measured the thermal conductivity of MgO up to 60 GPa and 300 K and up to 45 GPa at 600 K. The detailed results of this study will be presented in a separate paper at this Meeting. Finally, we have combined static and pulsed laser techniques to determine the thermal conductivity of Fe and its temperature dependence at high pressures up to 70 GPa and 2000 K [3]. A thin plate of Fe was positioned in an Ar medium, laser heated from one side and the temperature is being measured from both sides of the sample radiometrically. The thermal conductivity has been determined by fitting the results of FE calculations to the experimental results. These examples demonstrate

Phase transition traced by conductivity measurements: quantitative analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keding, Ralf; Ruessel, Christian; Tauch, Diana

2008-01-01

to the electrodes, all in a cylindrical geometry. The electrical resistivity of a sample in the system BaAl2B2O7 was measured during cooling between liquidus temperature (T-l) and transformation temperature (T-g) using a fixed frequency of 3.7 Hz. The melt crystallised in this temperature range during cooling...... of conductivity and the resistance changes caused by phase transformation. This enables to determine the crystal growth velocity in the temperature range between 750 and 860 degrees C in a single experiment....

Paratingent Derivative Applied to the Measure of the Sensitivity in Multiobjective Differential Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. García

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We analyse the sensitivity of differential programs of the form subject to where and are maps whose respective images lie in ordered Banach spaces. Following previous works on multiobjective programming, the notion of -optimal solution is used. The behaviour of some nonsingleton sets of -optimal solutions according to changes of the parameter in the problem is analysed. The main result of the work states that the sensitivity of the program is measured by a Lagrange multiplier plus a projection of its derivative. This sensitivity is measured by means of the paratingent derivative.

Electrical conductivity measurement of excised human metastatic liver tumours before and after thermal ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Haemmerich, Dieter; Schutt, David J; Wright, Andrew W; Webster, John G; Mahvi, David M

2009-05-01

We measured the ex vivo electrical conductivity of eight human metastatic liver tumours and six normal liver tissue samples from six patients using the four electrode method over the frequency range 10 Hz to 1 MHz. In addition, in a single patient we measured the electrical conductivity before and after the thermal ablation of normal and tumour tissue. The average conductivity of tumour tissue was significantly higher than normal tissue over the entire frequency range (from 4.11 versus 0.75 mS cm(-1) at 10 Hz, to 5.33 versus 2.88 mS cm(-1) at 1 MHz). We found no significant correlation between tumour size and measured electrical conductivity. While before ablation tumour tissue had considerably higher conductivity than normal tissue, the two had similar conductivity throughout the frequency range after ablation. Tumour tissue conductivity changed by +25% and -7% at 10 Hz and 1 MHz after ablation (0.23-0.29 at 10 Hz, and 0.43-0.40 at 1 MHz), while normal tissue conductivity increased by +270% and +10% at 10 Hz and 1 MHz (0.09-0.32 at 10 Hz and 0.37-0.41 at 1 MHz). These data can potentially be used to differentiate tumour from normal tissue diagnostically.

Experimental Measurement and Numerical Modeling of the Effective Thermal Conductivity of TRISO Fuel Compacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folsom, Charles

2015-01-01

Accurate modeling capability of thermal conductivity of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel compacts is important to fuel performance modeling and safety of Generation IV reactors. To date, the effective thermal conductivity (ETC) of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel compacts has not been measured directly. The composite fuel is a complicated structure comprised of layered particles in a graphite matrix. In this work, finite element modeling is used to validate an analytic ETC model for application to the composite fuel material for particle-volume fractions up to 40%. The effect of each individual layer of a TRISO particle is analyzed showing that the overall ETC of the compact is most sensitive to the outer layer constituent. In conjunction with the modeling results, the thermal conductivity of matrix-graphite compacts and the ETC of surrogate TRISO fuel compacts have been successfully measured using a previously developed measurement system. The ETC of the surrogate fuel compacts varies between 50-30 W m -1 K -1 over a temperature range of 50-600°C. As a result of the numerical modeling and experimental measurements of the fuel compacts, a new model and approach for analyzing the effect of compact constituent materials on ETC is proposed that can estimate the fuel compact ETC with approximately 15-20% more accuracy than the old method. Using the ETC model with measured thermal conductivity of the graphite matrix-only material indicate that, in the composite form, the matrix material has a much greater thermal conductivity, which is attributed to the high anisotropy of graphite thermal conductivity. Therefore, simpler measurements of individual TRISO compact constituents combined with an analytic ETC model, will not provide accurate predictions of overall ETC of the compacts emphasizing the need for measurements of composite, surrogate compacts.

Elf measurements in Greece conducted by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karabetsos, E.; Filippopoulos, G.; Koutounidis, D.; Govari, Ch.; Skamnakis, N.

2006-01-01

The Greek Atomic Energy Commission (E.E.A.E.) is the competent national authority for the protection of the general public and the environment from artificially produced non-ionizing radiation. To this end, E.E.A.E. carries out measurements in the vicinity of all kinds of facilities emitting E.L.F. electric and magnetic fields (e.g. power lines, high voltage substations) and RF electromagnetic fields (e.g. audio, radio and television antennas, mobile phone base stations, radar and satellite earth stations and other microwave communication systems), in order to monitor whether the general public exposure limits are being adhered to. Regarding the electromagnetic fields emitted by antenna stations, the safety limits in Greek legislation were recently set to 70% of the I.C.N.I.R.P. values and to 60% of them if the antenna station is closer than 300 m from the perimeter of day nurseries, schools, hospitals or elder-care facilities, while in the case of extremely low frequency fields, the limit values are set exactly the same as the reference levels in I.C.N.I.R.P. guidelines. Regarding the levels of E.L.F. electric and magnetic fields in Greece E.E.A.E. has conducted many measurements around the elements of the electric grid where the main interest of the public is focused. Theoretical estimations and typical values based on actual measurements of the fields in the vicinity of the power lines used in Greece are presented. Measurement results in the vicinity of substations are also presented. In general, the levels of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the power grid elements are well below the established safety limits; whereas the levels of the electric field may reach values comparable to the safety limits very close to extremely high voltage lines. However, there is no case where the measured values of elf electric or magnetic fields were higher than the safety limits. There are a few exceptional cases where measurements of RF fields conducted by E.E.A.E. in the

Elf measurements in Greece conducted by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karabetsos, E.; Filippopoulos, G.; Koutounidis, D.; Govari, Ch.; Skamnakis, N. [Greek Atomic Energy Commission, Non Ionizing Radiation Office, (Greece)

2006-07-01

The Greek Atomic Energy Commission (E.E.A.E.) is the competent national authority for the protection of the general public and the environment from artificially produced non-ionizing radiation. To this end, E.E.A.E. carries out measurements in the vicinity of all kinds of facilities emitting E.L.F. electric and magnetic fields (e.g. power lines, high voltage substations) and RF electromagnetic fields (e.g. audio, radio and television antennas, mobile phone base stations, radar and satellite earth stations and other microwave communication systems), in order to monitor whether the general public exposure limits are being adhered to. Regarding the electromagnetic fields emitted by antenna stations, the safety limits in Greek legislation were recently set to 70% of the I.C.N.I.R.P. values and to 60% of them if the antenna station is closer than 300 m from the perimeter of day nurseries, schools, hospitals or elder-care facilities, while in the case of extremely low frequency fields, the limit values are set exactly the same as the reference levels in I.C.N.I.R.P. guidelines. Regarding the levels of E.L.F. electric and magnetic fields in Greece E.E.A.E. has conducted many measurements around the elements of the electric grid where the main interest of the public is focused. Theoretical estimations and typical values based on actual measurements of the fields in the vicinity of the power lines used in Greece are presented. Measurement results in the vicinity of substations are also presented. In general, the levels of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the power grid elements are well below the established safety limits; whereas the levels of the electric field may reach values comparable to the safety limits very close to extremely high voltage lines. However, there is no case where the measured values of elf electric or magnetic fields were higher than the safety limits. There are a few exceptional cases where measurements of RF fields conducted by E.E.A.E. in the

Graphene oxide as a dual-function conductive binder for PEEK-derived microporous carbons in high performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Christine H. J.; Zhang, Hongbo; Liu, Jie

2015-06-01

Microporous carbons (MPCs) are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors because of their high surface area and accessible pores. However, their low electrical conductivity and mechanical instability result in limited power density and poor cycle life. This work proposes a unique two-layered film made of polyetheretherketone-derived MPCs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as an electrode for supercapacitors. Electrochemical characterizations of films show that such a layered structure is more effective in increasing the accessibility of ions to the hydrophilic MPCs and establishing conductive paths through the rGO network than a simple mixed composite film. The two-layered structure increases the capacitance by ˜124% (237 F g-1) with excellent cycling stability (˜93% after 6000 cycles). More importantly, we demonstrate that such performance improvements result from an optimal balance between electrical conductivity and ion accessibility, which maximizes the synergistic effects of MPC and rGO. The MPCs, which are exposed to the surface, provide a highly accessible surface area for ion adsorption. The rGO serves a dual function as a conductive filler to increase the electrical conductivity and as a binder to interconnect individual MPC particles into a robust and flexible film. These findings provide a rational basis for the design of MPC-based electrodes in high performance supercapacitors.

Sensitivity to Change of Objectively-Derived Measures of Sedentary Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Chastin, Sebastien F. M.; Winkler, Elisabeth A. H.; Eakin, Elizabeth G.; Gardiner, Paul A.; Dunstan, David W.; Owen, Neville; Healy, Genevieve N.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the sensitivity to change of measures of sedentary behavior derived from body worn sensors in different intervention designs. Results from two intervention studies: "Stand up for Your Health" (pre-post home-based study with older adults not in paid employment) and "Stand Up Comcare"…

Estimation of hydraulic conductivities of Yucca Mountain tuffs from sorptivity and water retention measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, R.W.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

1995-06-01

The hydraulic conductivity functions of the matrix rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, are among the most important data needed as input for the site-scale hydrological model of the unsaturated zone. The difficult and time-consuming nature of hydraulic conductivity measurements renders it infeasible to directly measure this property on large numbers of cores. Water retention and sorptivity measurements, however, can be made relatively rapidly. The sorptivity is, in principle, a unique functional of the conductivity and water retention functions. It therefore should be possible to invert sorptivity and water retention measurements in order to estimate the conductivity; the porosity is the only other parameter that is required for this inversion. In this report two methods of carrying out this inversion are presented, and are tested against a limited data set that has been collected by Flint et al. at the USGS on a set of Yucca Mountain tuffs. The absolute permeability is usually predicted by both methods to within an average error of about 0.5 - 1.0 orders of magnitude. The discrepancy appears to be due to the fact that the water retention curves have only been measured during drainage, whereas the imbibition water retention curve is the one that is relevant to sorptivity measurements. Although the inversion methods also yield predictions of the relative permeability function, there are yet no unsaturated hydraulic conductivity data against which to test these predictions

Equilibrium and transient conductivity for gadolium-doped ceria under large perturbations: II. Modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Huayang; Ricote, Sandrine; Coors, W. Grover

2014-01-01

the computational implementation of a Nernst–Planck–Poisson (NPP) model to represent and interpret conductivity-relaxation measurements. Defect surface chemistry is represented with both equilibrium and finite-rate kinetic models. The experiments and the models are capable of representing relaxations from strongly......A model-based approach is used to interpret equilibrium and transient conductivity measurements for 10% gadolinium-doped ceria: Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 − δ (GDC10). The measurements were carried out by AC impedance spectroscopy on slender extruded GDC10 rods. Although equilibrium conductivity measurements...... provide sufficient information from which to derive material properties, it is found that uniquely establishing properties is difficult. Augmenting equilibrium measurements with conductivity relaxation significantly improves the evaluation of needed physical properties. This paper develops and applies...

Polymer-Derived Silicon Oxycarbide Ceramics as Promising Next-Generation Sustainable Thermoelectrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kousaalya, Adhimoolam Bakthavachalam; Zeng, Xiaoyu; Karakaya, Mehmet; Tritt, Terry; Pilla, Srikanth; Rao, Apparao M

2018-01-24

We demonstrate the potential of polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) as next-generation sustainable thermoelectrics. Thermoelectric behavior of polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramics (containing hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as filler) was studied as a function of measurement temperature. SiOC, sintered at 1300 °C exhibited invariant low thermal conductivity (∼1.5 W/(m·K)) over 30-600 °C, coupled with a small increase in both Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, with increase in measurement temperature (30-150 °C). SiOC ceramics containing 1 wt % h-BN showed the highest Seebeck coefficient (-33 μV/K) for any PDC thus far.

Measurements of purine derivatives and creatinine in spot urine samples of Chinese yellow cattle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Z.; Xi, W.B.; Mo, F.; Liu, J.W.; Yang, Y.F.; Chen, X.B.

2004-01-01

An experiment was conducted using 18 Chinese Yellow Cattle located in 5 farms to study how supplementation of fermentable energy to low quality straw-based rations would improve rumen microbial protein synthesis. Within each farm, the animals were fed on five diets. Diets 1-2 were typical rice straw + by-products used by farmers and were low in fermentable energy content; Diets 3- 5 were more balanced, containing a higher content of fermentable energy. Purine derivatives (PD) and creatinine in spot urine samples were measured. The results showed that the PD to creatinine ratio was significantly higher with Diets 3-5 than with Diets 1-2. Organic matter digestibility and thus organic matter intake was also higher with Diets 3-5 compared to Diets 1-2. The results indicted that the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis could be improved by balancing the diet. (author)

High voltage-derived enhancement of electric conduction in nanogap devices for detection of prostate-specific antigen

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyung Ju; Chi, Young Shik; Choi, Insung S.; Yun, Wan Soo

2010-07-01

We report a simple method of enhancing electric conductance in nanogap devices without any additional treatments, such as silver-enhancing process. The low electric conductance after selective immobilization of biofunctionalized gold nanoparticles in the gap region was greatly enhanced by repeated I-V scans at relatively high voltage ranges of -5 to 5 V, which was attributed to the formation of a new conduction pathway across the gap. The higher conduction state of the nanogap device showed a very stable I-V curve, which was used as an excellent measure of the existence of prostate-specific antigen.

Hysteresis in conducting ferromagnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, Carl S.; Winchell, Stephen D.

2006-01-01

Maxwell's magnetic diffusion equation is solved for conducting ferromagnetic cylinders to predict a magnetic wave velocity, a time delay for flux penetration and an eddy current field, one of five fields in the linear unified field model of hysteresis. Measured Faraday voltages for a thin steel toroid are shown to be proportional to magnetic field step amplitude and decrease exponentially in time due to maximum rather than average permeability. Dynamic permeabilities are a field convolution of quasistatic permeability and the delay function from which we derive and observe square root dependence of coercivity on rate of field change

Electrical conductivity of metal powders under pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Montes, J. M.; Cuevas, F. G.; Cintas, J.; Urban, P.

2011-12-01

A model for calculating the electrical conductivity of a compressed powder mass consisting of oxide-coated metal particles has been derived. A theoretical tool previously developed by the authors, the so-called `equivalent simple cubic system', was used in the model deduction. This tool is based on relating the actual powder system to an equivalent one consisting of deforming spheres packed in a simple cubic lattice, which is much easier to examine. The proposed model relates the effective electrical conductivity of the powder mass under compression to its level of porosity. Other physically measurable parameters in the model are the conductivities of the metal and oxide constituting the powder particles, their radii, the mean thickness of the oxide layer and the tap porosity of the powder. Two additional parameters controlling the effect of the descaling of the particle oxide layer were empirically introduced. The proposed model was experimentally verified by measurements of the electrical conductivity of aluminium, bronze, iron, nickel and titanium powders under pressure. The consistency between theoretical predictions and experimental results was reasonably good in all cases.

Measurement of the conductance properties of single organic molecules using gold nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Gordin, Yoav

In this work we describe the development and application of a new method for the electrical conductance measurement of single molecules. The issue of reliable theoretical modeling of molecular electronic transport is still very much in debate. The experimental methods used in the field are difficult to realize and interpret; most have very low yield, preventing proper statistical analysis and many have problems in the researchers' ability to characterize the system properly. We address this issue by using self assembly of gold nanoparticle-molecule-gold nanoparticle objects called dimers. This method allows fabrication of molecular junctions with greater ease; moreover it allows individual characterization of the various elements of the junction, removing much of the uncertainties that exist in this kind of measurements. We make use of home grown gold nanoparticles with a few tens of nanometer diameter to form the hybrid dimers. The dimers are large enough to connect between electrodes fabricated using electron beam lithography and to measure the electric properties of the molecule. We have invested significant effort in the characterization of the system, ensuring that the dimers are indeed bridged by the molecules, and that the chances that more than a single molecule exists in a dimer are negligibly small. We have made measurements on single gold nanoparticles, to characterize their properties separately from those of the molecule. These measurements have allowed us to observe single electron transistor (SET) behavior, resulting from the requirement that electrons charge the nanoparticle during transport. We have shown that the energy associated with this charging scales with nanoparticle size as expected. We have performed measurements on single organic molecules, showing that there is a very strong influence of molecular conjugation (the way electronic orbitals are spread along the molecular backbone) on its conductance. The molecules with broken conjugation

System to Measure Thermal Conductivity and Seebeck Coefficient for Thermoelectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Jung; Skuza, Jonathan R.; Park, Yeonjoon; King, Glen C.; Choi, Sang H.; Nagavalli, Anita

2012-01-01

The Seebeck coefficient, when combined with thermal and electrical conductivity, is an essential property measurement for evaluating the potential performance of novel thermoelectric materials. However, there is some question as to which measurement technique(s) provides the most accurate determination of the Seebeck coefficient at elevated temperatures. This has led to the implementation of nonstandardized practices that have further complicated the confirmation of reported high ZT materials. The major objective of the procedure described is for the simultaneous measurement of the Seebeck coefficient and thermal diffusivity within a given temperature range. These thermoelectric measurements must be precise, accurate, and reproducible to ensure meaningful interlaboratory comparison of data. The custom-built thermal characterization system described in this NASA-TM is specifically designed to measure the inplane thermal diffusivity, and the Seebeck coefficient for materials in the ranging from 73 K through 373 K.

Flexible and conductive waste tire-derived carbon/polymer composite paper as pseudocapacitive electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Naskar, Amit K.; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; Boota, Muhammad; Gogotsi, Yury

2018-04-10

A method of making a supercapacitor from waste tires, includes the steps of providing rubber pieces and contacting the rubber pieces with a sulfonation bath to produce sulfonated rubber; pyrolyzing the sulfonated rubber to produce a tire-derived carbon composite comprising carbon black embedded in rubber-derived carbon matrix comprising graphitized interface portions; activating the tire-derived carbon composite by contacting the tire-derived carbon composite with a specific surface area-increasing composition to increase the specific surface area of the carbon composite to provide an activated tire-derived carbon composite; and, mixing the activated tire-derived carbon composite with a monomer and polymerizing the monomer to produce a redox-active polymer coated, activated tire-derived carbon composite. The redox-active polymer coated, activated tire-derived carbon composite can be formed into a film. An electrode and a supercapacitor are also disclosed.

A numerical model of ionospheric convection derived from field-aligned currents and the corresponding conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomberg, L.G.; Marklund, G.T.

1991-08-01

A numerical model for the calculation of ionospheric convection patterns from given distributions of field-aligned current and ionospheric conductivity is described. The model includes a coupling between the conductivity and the field-aligned current, so that the conductivity peaks in regions of upward current, as is usually observed by measurements. The model is very flexible in that the input distributions, the field-aligned current and the conductivity, have been parametrized in a convenient way. From the primary model output, namely the ionospheric electrostatic potential (or convection) in the corotating frame, a number of other quantities can be computed. These include; the potential in the inertial frame (the transformation takes into account the non-alignment of the Earths magnetic and geographic axes), the potential in the magnetospheric equatorial plane (projected using either a dipole magnetic field model or the Tsyganenko-Usmanov model, and the assumption of either vanishing parallel electric field or a proportionality between parallel potential and upward field-aligned current), the distribution of ionospheric (horizontal) current, and the Joule heating in the ionosphere. This model has been used together with a new snapshot technique to calculate the high-latitude potential distribution prevailing during a particular event by combining information from global auroral images and local measurements of fields and particles. The model potential variation along the satellite orbit was found to be in excellent agreement with that calculated from the measured electric field. The model has also been used to study some fundamental properties of the electrodynamics of the high-latitude ionosphere. The results of these different applications of the model have been published separately. (au) (39 refs.)

Assembly for electrical conductivity measurements in the piston cylinder device

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Heather Christine [Dublin, CA; Roberts, Jeffrey James [Livermore, CA

2012-06-05

An assembly apparatus for measurement of electrical conductivity or other properties of a sample in a piston cylinder device wherein pressure and heat are applied to the sample by the piston cylinder device. The assembly apparatus includes a body, a first electrode in the body, the first electrode operatively connected to the sample, a first electrical conductor connected to the first electrode, a washer constructed of a hard conducting material, the washer surrounding the first electrical conductor in the body, a second electrode in the body, the second electrode operatively connected to the sample, and a second electrical conductor connected to the second electrode.

Graphene oxide as a dual-function conductive binder for PEEK-derived microporous carbons in high performance supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Christine H J; Zhang, Hongbo; Liu, Jie

2015-01-01

Microporous carbons (MPCs) are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors because of their high surface area and accessible pores. However, their low electrical conductivity and mechanical instability result in limited power density and poor cycle life. This work proposes a unique two-layered film made of polyetheretherketone-derived MPCs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as an electrode for supercapacitors. Electrochemical characterizations of films show that such a layered structure is more effective in increasing the accessibility of ions to the hydrophilic MPCs and establishing conductive paths through the rGO network than a simple mixed composite film. The two-layered structure increases the capacitance by ∼124% (237 F g −1 ) with excellent cycling stability (∼93% after 6000 cycles). More importantly, we demonstrate that such performance improvements result from an optimal balance between electrical conductivity and ion accessibility, which maximizes the synergistic effects of MPC and rGO. The MPCs, which are exposed to the surface, provide a highly accessible surface area for ion adsorption. The rGO serves a dual function as a conductive filler to increase the electrical conductivity and as a binder to interconnect individual MPC particles into a robust and flexible film. These findings provide a rational basis for the design of MPC-based electrodes in high performance supercapacitors. (paper)

Thermal conductivity measurement of HTS tapes and stacks for current lead applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarz, Michael; Weiss, Klaus-Peter; Heller, Reinhard; Fietz, Walter H.

2009-01-01

The use of high-temperature-superconductors (HTS) within current leads offers a high potential to save cooling-power. The principle of HTS current leads is well established, e.g. for particle accelerators (LHC-CERN) but also on the commercial sector, which offer HTS current leads ready for use in small scale magnets and magnets systems. Future fusion machines currently under construction like ITER, W7-X or JT-60SA also will use HTS current leads. At the moment the standard material for HTS current leads is a Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x (BSCCO)-AgAu composite tape. The common way to receive high current capacity current leads is to form stacks by sintering or soldering these tapes together. The solder changes the thermal conductivity of the stacks compared to the single tape in the temperature range from 4 K to 60 K. To estimate the heat flux from the warm environment to the cold application the measurement of the thermal conductivity of the soldered stack is mandatory. Therefore the thermal conductivity of stacks with different number of tapes is investigated. To measure the thermal conduction in the current flow direction, the axial heat flow method is used. Combining these results with FEM simulations gives the possibility to estimate the thermal conductivity normal to the flat tape plane. The resulting anisotropic thermal conductivity can be used to model the behaviour of the HTS tape under thermal disturbances more accurately.

Note: Development of a microfabricated sensor to measure thermal conductivity of picoliter scale liquid samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Byoung Kyoo; Yi, Namwoo; Park, Jaesung; Kim, Dongsik

2012-10-01

This paper presents a thermal analysis device, which can measure thermal conductivity of picoliter scale liquid sample. We employ the three omega method with a microfabricated AC thermal sensor with nanometer width heater. The liquid sample is confined by a micro-well structure fabricated on the sensor surface. The performance of the instrument was verified by measuring the thermal conductivity of 27-picoliter samples of de-ionized (DI) water, ethanol, methanol, and DI water-ethanol mixtures with accuracies better than 3%. Furthermore, another analytical scheme allows real-time thermal conductivity measurement with 5% accuracy. To the best of our knowledge, this technique requires the smallest volume of sample to measure thermal property ever.

Inverse anisotropic conductivity from internal current densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bal, Guillaume; Guo, Chenxi; Monard, François

2014-01-01

This paper concerns the reconstruction of a fully anisotropic conductivity tensor γ from internal current densities of the form J = γ∇u, where u solves a second-order elliptic equation ∇ · (γ∇u) = 0 on a bounded domain X with prescribed boundary conditions. A minimum number of n + 2 such functionals known on Y⊂X, where n is the spatial dimension, is sufficient to guarantee a unique and explicit reconstruction of γ locally on Y. Moreover, we show that γ is reconstructed with a loss of one derivative compared to errors in the measurement of J in the general case and no loss of derivatives in the special case where γ is scalar. We also describe linear combinations of mixed partial derivatives of γ that exhibit better stability properties and hence can be reconstructed with better resolution in practice. (paper)

Improved SAR Amplitude Image Offset Measurements for Deriving Three-Dimensional Coseismic Displacements

KAUST Repository

Wang, Teng; Jonsson, Sigurjon

2015-01-01

Offsets of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images have played an important role in deriving complete three-dimensional (3-D) surface displacement fields in geoscientific applications. However, offset maps often suffer from multiple outliers and patch-like artifacts, because the standard offset-measurement method is a regular moving-window operation that does not consider the scattering characteristics of the ground. Here, we show that by focusing the offset measurements on predetected strong reflectors, the reliability and accuracy of SAR offsets can be significantly improved. Application to the 2011 Van (Turkey) earthquake reveals a clear deformation signal from an otherwise decorrelated interferogram, making derivation of the 3-D coseismic displacement field possible. Our proposed method can improve mapping of coseismic deformation and other ground displacements, such as glacier flow and landslide movement when strong reflectors exist.

Improved SAR Amplitude Image Offset Measurements for Deriving Three-Dimensional Coseismic Displacements

KAUST Repository

Wang, Teng

2015-02-03

Offsets of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images have played an important role in deriving complete three-dimensional (3-D) surface displacement fields in geoscientific applications. However, offset maps often suffer from multiple outliers and patch-like artifacts, because the standard offset-measurement method is a regular moving-window operation that does not consider the scattering characteristics of the ground. Here, we show that by focusing the offset measurements on predetected strong reflectors, the reliability and accuracy of SAR offsets can be significantly improved. Application to the 2011 Van (Turkey) earthquake reveals a clear deformation signal from an otherwise decorrelated interferogram, making derivation of the 3-D coseismic displacement field possible. Our proposed method can improve mapping of coseismic deformation and other ground displacements, such as glacier flow and landslide movement when strong reflectors exist.

An improved electrical-conductance sensor for void-fraction measurement in a horizontal pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Min Seok; Jemg, Dong Wook; Kim, Sin; Lee, Bo An; Won, Woo Youn; Lee, Yeon Gun

2015-01-01

The electrical-impedance method has been widely used for void-fraction measurement in two-phase flow due to its many favorable features. In the impedance method, the response characteristics of the electrical signal heavily depend upon flow pattern, as well as phasic volume. Thus, information on the flow pattern should be given for reliable void-fraction measurement. This study proposes an improved electrical-conductance sensor composed of a three-electrode set of adjacent and opposite electrodes. In the proposed sensor, conductance readings are directly converted into the flow pattern through a specified criterion and are consecutively used to estimate the corresponding void fraction. Since the flow pattern and the void fraction are evaluated by reading conductance measurements, complexity of data processing can be significantly reduced and real-time information provided. Before actual applications, several numerical calculations are performed to optimize electrode and insulator sizes, and optimal design is verified by static experiments. Finally, the proposed sensor is applied for air-water two-phase flow in a horizontal loop with a 40-mm inner diameter and a 5-m length, and its measurement results are compared with those of a wire-mesh sensor

Thermal conductivity measurements in relation to the geothermal exploration of the Gorleben salt dome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopietz, J.

1985-01-01

The results of thermal conductivity measurements on rock salt and associated structures are presented in this paper. Thermal conductivity data obtained from laboratory measurements on the core material are compared with high-precision temperature gradient logs from the exploration boreholes. This work is part of an extensive investigation into the suitability of the Gorleben salt done in northern Germany as a radioactive waste disposal site

Measurement of in-situ hydraulic conductivity in the Cretaceous Pierre Shale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuzil, C.E.; Bredehoeft, J.D.

1981-01-01

A recent study of the hydrology of the Cretaceous Pierre Shale utilized three techniques for measuring the hydraulic conductivity of tight materials. Regional hydraulic conductivity was obtained from a hydrodynamic model analysis of the aquifer-aquitard system which includes the Pierre Shale. Laboratory values were obtained from consolidation tests on core samples. In-situ values of hydraulic conductivity were obtained by using a borehole slug test designed specifically for tight formations. The test is conducted by isolating a portion of the borehole with one or two packers, abruptly pressurizing the shut-in portion, and recording the pressure decay with time. The test utilizes the analytical solution for pressure decay as water flows into the surrounding formation. Consistent results were obtained using the test on three successively smaller portions of a borehole in the Pierre Shale. The in-situ tests and laboratory tests yielded comparable values; the regional hydraulic conductivity was two to three orders of magnitude larger. This suggests that the lower values represent intergranular hydraulic conductivity of the intact shale and the regional values represent secondary permeability due to fractures. Calculations based on fracture flow theory demonstrate that small fractures could account for the observed differences

Measurement of thermal conductivity of uranium metal using transient plane source technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, G.G.S.; Bapuji, T.; Panneerselvam, G.; Antony, M.P.; Nagarajan, K.

2012-01-01

Thermo physical properties of fuel, cladding and structural materials play a significant role in the reactor operation. Thermal conductivity is one of the most important physical properties of the fuel which determines the maximum linear heat rating of the fuel in a reactor. As part of this study, the thermal conductivity of uranium metal was measured using a transient plane source (TPS) by Hot-disc method

Ionic conductivity of perovskite LaCoO3 measured by oxygen permeation technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, C.H.; Kruidhof, H.; Bouwmeester, Henricus J.M.; Burggraaf, Anthonie; Burggraaf, A.J.

1997-01-01

Oxygen permeation measurement is demonstrated, not only for a mixed oxide ionic and electronic conductor, but also as a new alternative to determine ambipolar conductivities, which can be usually reduced to be partial conductivities (either ionic or electronic). As a model system and an end member

Excited-state dynamics of pentacene derivatives with stable radical substituents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Akitaka; Shimizu, Akihiro; Kishida, Noriaki; Kawanaka, Yusuke; Kosumi, Daisuke; Hashimoto, Hideki; Teki, Yoshio

2014-06-23

The excited-state dynamics of pentacene derivatives with stable radical substituents were evaluated in detail through transient absorption measurements. The derivatives showed ultrafast formation of triplet excited state(s) in the pentacene moiety from a photoexcited singlet state through the contributions of enhanced intersystem crossing and singlet fission. Detailed kinetic analyses for the transient absorption data were conducted to quantify the excited-state characteristics of the derivatives. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Statistical Analysis of Instantaneous Frequency Scaling Factor as Derived From Optical Disdrometer Measurements At KQ Bands

Science.gov (United States)

Zemba, Michael; Nessel, James; Houts, Jacquelynne; Luini, Lorenzo; Riva, Carlo

2016-01-01

The rain rate data and statistics of a location are often used in conjunction with models to predict rain attenuation. However, the true attenuation is a function not only of rain rate, but also of the drop size distribution (DSD). Generally, models utilize an average drop size distribution (Laws and Parsons or Marshall and Palmer. However, individual rain events may deviate from these models significantly if their DSD is not well approximated by the average. Therefore, characterizing the relationship between the DSD and attenuation is valuable in improving modeled predictions of rain attenuation statistics. The DSD may also be used to derive the instantaneous frequency scaling factor and thus validate frequency scaling models. Since June of 2014, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) have jointly conducted a propagation study in Milan, Italy utilizing the 20 and 40 GHz beacon signals of the Alphasat TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni payload. The Ka- and Q-band beacon receivers provide a direct measurement of the signal attenuation while concurrent weather instrumentation provides measurements of the atmospheric conditions at the receiver. Among these instruments is a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor (optical disdrometer) which yields droplet size distributions (DSD); this DSD information can be used to derive a scaling factor that scales the measured 20 GHz data to expected 40 GHz attenuation. Given the capability to both predict and directly observe 40 GHz attenuation, this site is uniquely situated to assess and characterize such predictions. Previous work using this data has examined the relationship between the measured drop-size distribution and the measured attenuation of the link]. The focus of this paper now turns to a deeper analysis of the scaling factor, including the prediction error as a function of attenuation level, correlation between the scaling factor and the rain rate, and the temporal variability of the drop size

Measurement and Correlation of the Ionic Conductivity of Ionic Liquid-Molecular Solvent Solutions

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI,Wen-Jing; HAN,Bu-Xing; TAO,Ran-Ting; ZHANG,Zhao-Fu; ZHANG,Jian-Ling

2007-01-01

The ionic conductivity of the solutions formed from 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim][BF4]) or 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim][PF6]) and different molecular solvents (MSs) were measured at 298.15 K. The molar conductivity of the ionic liquids (ILs) increased dramatically with increasing concentration of the MSs. It was found that the molar conductivity of the IL in the solutions studied in this work could be well correlated by the molar conductivity of the neat ILs and the dielectric constant and molar volume of the MSs.

Measurement of Critical Heat Flux Using the Transient Inverse Heat Conduction Method in Spray cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yeung Chan [Andong Nat’l Univ., Andong (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

A study on the measurement of critical heat flux using the transient inverse heat conduction method in spray cooling was performed. The inverse heat conduction method estimates the surface heat flux or temperature using a measured interior temperature history. The effects of the measuring time interval and location of temperature measurement on the measurement of critical heat flux were primarily investigated. The following results were obtained. The estimated critical heat flux decreased as the time interval of temperature measurement increased. Meanwhile, the effect of measurement location on critical heat flux was not significant. It was also found, from the experimental results, that the critical superheat increased as the measurement location of thermocouple neared the heat transfer surface.

Measurement of Critical Heat Flux Using the Transient Inverse Heat Conduction Method in Spray cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yeung Chan

2016-01-01

A study on the measurement of critical heat flux using the transient inverse heat conduction method in spray cooling was performed. The inverse heat conduction method estimates the surface heat flux or temperature using a measured interior temperature history. The effects of the measuring time interval and location of temperature measurement on the measurement of critical heat flux were primarily investigated. The following results were obtained. The estimated critical heat flux decreased as the time interval of temperature measurement increased. Meanwhile, the effect of measurement location on critical heat flux was not significant. It was also found, from the experimental results, that the critical superheat increased as the measurement location of thermocouple neared the heat transfer surface.

Conductive Polymer Microelectrodes for on-chip measurement of transmitter release from living cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Simon Tylsgaard; Matteucci, Marco; Taboryski, Rafael J.

2012-01-01

driven cell trapping inside closed chip devices. Conductive polymer microelectrodes were used to measure transmitter release using electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry and constant potential amperometry. By measuring the oxidation current at a cyclic voltammogram, the concentration...

Measurements of Prompt Radiation-Induced Conductivity of Pyralux®

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartman, E. Frederick [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Radiation Effects Experimentation Dept.; Zarick, Thomas Andrew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Radiation Effects Experimentation Dept.; McLain, Michael Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Radiation Effects Experimentation Dept.; Sheridan, Timothy J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Radiation Effects Experimentation Dept.; Preston, Eric F. [ITT Exelis, Colorado Springs, CO (United States); Stringer, Thomas Arthur [ITT Exelis, Colorado Springs, CO (United States)

2014-01-01

In this report, measurements of the prompt radiation-induced conductivity (RIC) in 3 mil samples of Pyralux® are presented as a function of dose rate, pulse width, and applied bias. The experiments were conducted with the Medusa linear accelerator (LINAC) located at the Little Mountain Test Facility (LMTF) near Ogden, UT. The nominal electron energy for the LINAC is 20 MeV. Prompt conduction current data were obtained for dose rates ranging from ~2 x 10⁹ rad(Si)/s to ~1.1 x 10¹¹ rad(Si)/s and for nominal pulse widths of 50 ns and 500 ns. At a given dose rate, the applied bias across the samples was stepped between -1500 V and 1500 V. Calculated values of the prompt RIC varied between 1.39x10^-8 Ω^-1 · m^-1 and 2.67x10^-7 Ω^-1 · m^-1 and the prompt RIC coefficient varied between 1.25x10^-18 Ω^-1 · m^-1/(rad/s) and 1.93x10^-17 Ω^-1 · m^-1/(rad/s).

Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity of Nano-fluid for the advanced heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Shin; Lee, Jae Young

2006-01-01

The enhancement of heat transfer has been widely investigated to provide an effective way to cool down the modern electronic devices. Among the methods, Choi discovered a large amount of increase of thermal conductivity when nano sized particles were suspended in the fluid. It was first introduced by Masuda as a potential heat transfer enhancement media and since then, many researchers have investigated the nanofluids phenomena. Many researchers reported in substantially increasing the thermal conductivity of fluids by adding small amounts of suspended metallic oxide nanoparticles of Cu, CuO, Al 2 O 3 and carbon nano-tube. Masuda reported that the use Al 2 O 3 particles of 13 nm at 4.3% volume fraction increased the thermal conductivity of water by 30%. For carbon nano-tube nanofluids shows even greater enhancement. Xie et al. measured the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube suspended in organic liquid and water with the enhancement of 10-20%. Recent studies have shown that inserting just 1% concentration of nano-particles sometimes increases about maximum 40% of thermal conductivity. However, there is still few experiments done for TiO 2 nanoparticles. Murshed found that the enhancement of thermal conductivity shows about 30% with 15nm in diameter with maximum 5% volume fraction and about 40% enhancement is observed using 15nmD x 40nm rod-shape nanoparticles of TiO 2 . The present experimental shows that a 20% maximum of enhancement in thermal conductivity using TiO 2 of 10nm for 3% volume fraction. Theses results are compared with previous research with theoretical models. As the first step of the heat transfer of nano fluid, the theories related to the nanofluids investigations have been discussed to understand not only the mechanism of thermal conductivity measurement, but also to understand the nanofluid behavior. Colloidal stability is the key to the nanofluid considered to prevent the agglomeration. Through the results, we will discuss the importance of

A New ENSO Index Derived from Satellite Measurements of Column Ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Ziemke, J. R.; Chandra, S.; Oman, L. D.; Bhartia, P. K.

2010-01-01

Column Ozone measured in tropical latitudes from Nimbus 7 total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS), Earth Probe TOMS, solar backscatter ultraviolet (SBUV), and Aura ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) are used to derive an El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index. This index, which covers a time period from 1979 to the present, is defined as the Ozone ENSO Index (OEI) and is the first developed from atmospheric trace gas measurements. The OEI is constructed by first averaging monthly mean column ozone over two broad regions in the western and eastern Pacific and then taking their difference. This differencing yields a self-calibrating ENSO index which is independent of individual instrument calibration offsets and drifts in measurements over the long record. The combined Aura OMI and MLS ozone data confirm that zonal variability in total column ozone in the tropics caused by ENSO events lies almost entirely in the troposphere. As a result, the OEI can be derived directly from total column ozone instead of tropospheric column ozone. For clear-sky ozone measurements a +1K change in Nino 3.4 index corresponds to +2.9 Dobson Unit (DU) change in the OEI, while a +1 hPa change in SOI coincides with a -1.7DU change in the OEI. For ozone measurements under all cloud conditions these numbers are +2.4DU and -1.4 DU, respectively. As an ENSO index based upon ozone, it is potentially useful in evaluating climate models predicting long term changes in ozone and other trace gases.

Optical approach to thermopower and conductivity measurements in thin-film semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dersch, H.; Amer, N.M.

1984-01-01

An optical beam deflection technique is applied to measure the Joule and Peltier heat generated by electric currents through thin-film semiconductors. The method yields a spatially resolved conductivity profile and allows the determination of Peltier coefficients. Results obtained on doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon films are presented

Measurement of the thermal conductivity of thin insulating anisotropic material with a stationary hot strip method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jannot, Yves; Degiovanni, Alain; Félix, Vincent; Bal, Harouna

2011-01-01

This paper presents a method dedicated to the thermal conductivity measurement of thin insulating anisotropic materials. The method is based on three hot-strip-type experiments in which the stationary temperature is measured at the center of the hot strip. A 3D model of the heat transfer in the system is established and simulated to determine the validity of a 2D transfer hypothesis at the center of the hot strip. A simplified 2D model is then developed leading to the definition of a geometrical factor calculable from a polynomial expression. A very simple calculation method enabling the estimation of the directional thermal conductivities from the three stationary temperature measurements and from the geometrical factor is presented. The uncertainties on each conductivity are estimated. The method is then validated by measurements on polyethylene foam and Ayous (anistropic low-density tropical wood); the estimated values of the thermal conductivities are in good agreement with the values estimated using the hot plate and the flash method. The method is finally applied on a thin super-insulating fibrous material for which no other method is able to measure the in-plane conductivity

Measurements and Modeling of Conducted EMI in a Buck Chopper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fakhfakh, L.; Abid, S.; Ammous, A.

2011-01-01

The high increase of power electronic devices use (speed control, lighting, heating, automotive, etc...) requires the electrical, thermal and electromagnetic behavior studies. In this paper we developed a model to predict the conducted EMI level in a DC/DC converter. Measurement methodology was done using a network analyzer in order to evaluate the equivalent impedance model of each converter element. The full circuit model is then implemented in the Saber-trademark simulation tool using time domain simulation followed by fast Fourier transformation (FFT) in the frequency range 150 KHz -100 MHz. A comparison between simulation results and those obtained by measurements is used to validate the developed model. (author)

Left ventricular volume measurement in mice by conductance catheter: evaluation and optimization of calibration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jan Møller; Kristiansen, Steen B; Ringgaard, Steffen

2007-01-01

in mice (n = 52) with a Millar CC (SPR-839) and compared with MRI-derived volumes (V(MRI)). Significant correlations between V(CC) and V(MRI) [end-diastolic volume (EDV): R(2) = 0.85, P 2) = 0.88, P ... in the pulmonary artery was used to calibrate for parallel conductance and volume conversion was done by individual cylinder calibration. However, a significant underestimation was observed [EDV = -17.3 microl (-22.7 to -11.9 microl); ESV = -8.8 microl (-12.5 to -5.1 microl)]. Intravenous injection....... The dual-frequency method for estimation of parallel conductance failed to produce V(CC) that correlated with V(MRI). We conclude that selection of the calibration procedure for the CC has significant implications for the accuracy and precision of volume estimation and pressure-volume loop...

Electrical conductivity of pyroxene which contains trivalent cations: Laboratory measurements and the lunar temperature profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huebner, J.S.; Duba, A.; Wiggins, L.B.

1979-01-01

Three natural orthopyroxene single crystals, measured in the laboratory over the temperature range 850 0 --1200 0 C, are more than 1/2 order of magnitude more electrically conducting than previously measured crystals. Small concentrations (1--2%) of Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 present in these crystals may be responsible for their relatively high conductivity. Such pyroxenes, which contain trivalent elements, are more representative of pyroxenes expected to be present in the lunar mantle than those which have been measured by other investigators. The new conductivity values for pyroxene are responsible for a relatively large bulk conductivity calculated for (polymineralic) lunar mantle assemblages. The results permit a somewhat cooler lunar temperature profile than previously proposed. Such lower profiles, several hundred degrees Celsius below the solidus, are quite consistent with low seismic attenuation and deep moonquakes observed in the lunar mantle

THE EFFECT OF SUBMAXIMAL INHALATION ON MEASURES DERIVED FROM FORCED EXPIRATORY SPIROMETRY

Science.gov (United States)

THE EFFECT OF SUBMAXIMAL INHALATION ON MEASURES DERIVED FROM FORCED EXPIRATORY SPIROMETRY. William F. McDonnell Human Studies Division, NHEERL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC 27711. Short-term exposure to ozone results in a neurally-mediated decrease in the ab...

Generation IV nuclear energy systems: road map and concepts. 3. Measurement and Analysis of Conducted Noise at Main Control Room in Uljin NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goo, Cheol-Soo; Kim, Bok-Ryul; Cho, Won-Seo

2001-01-01

range of 10 kHz to 30 MHz in accordance with the conducted emission measurement frequency based upon EPRI TR-102323-R1 and Reg. Guide 1.180. The transient due to lightning surge, relay contact, operation of inductive load, and abnormal open-close operation made discontinuous and intermittent conducted noise that was measured in the time domain using an oscilloscope during reactor power increase. The measured values and profiles for the conducted noise were similar to those gathered from NPPs in the United States, and transients including surge were not found during measuring. The review of the measurement results indicated that the maximum noise of the continuous conducted noise at the low frequency range of from 30 Hz to 50 kHz at the PCS was higher than that at the CPC. It was found that the low-frequency conducted noise consists of a 60-Hz power source frequency and its even and odd harmonic frequencies. The odd harmonic was more predominant than the even. The conducted limits, which are applicable to the Korean standard using the recursive least-squares analysis technique, were derived from measured data. The comparisons between the limit obtained and those of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Electric Power Research Institute are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. (authors)

Alkalisation agent measurement with differential conductivity method in secondary water system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wuhrmann, Peter; Lendi, Marco

2012-09-01

Besides ammonia hydroxide, also morpholine and ethanol-amine (ETA) are mainly used as a pH regulating agent on the secondary water side [1]. The concentration of the alkalisation agent can only be calculated if the chemical composition in the sample is known [2]. Therefore, for a reliable alkalisation agent measurement, there are three major steps to take: A reliable specific and (degassed) acid conductivity measurement, pH calculation and the selection of the chemical model for concentration calculation of the alkalisation agent (authors)

Simulation of the transient eddy current measurement for the characterization of depth and conductivity of a plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Weiying; Komura, Ichiro

2008-01-01

A transient eddy current measurement method is presented to determine the thickness and conductivity of a conductive plate. The conductive plate is induced by an air-cored coil, the magnetic flux density along the axial is measured and the various signals corresponding to plates with different thickness and conductivity are calculated using a 3D transient eddy current simulator. Characteristic features are obtained from the transient response. A similarity-based modeling method is utilized in this study to estimate the thickness and conductivity of the conductive plate. (author)

Electrical conductivity measurement and thermogravimetric study of chromium-doped uranium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Tsuneo; Naito, Keiji

1986-01-01

The electrical conductivity and nonstoichiometric composition of (Usub(1-y)Crsub(y))Osub(2+x) (y=0.001 and 0.05) were measured in the range 1173 -17 2 ) -2 Pa by the four inserted wires method and thermogravimetry, respectively. The electrical conductivities of (Usub(1-y)Crsub(y))Osub(2+x) (y=0.01 and 0.05) were about one-order lower than that of UOsub(2+x), probably due to the presence of the chromium ion as an electron donor. The activation energies of (Usub(0.99)Crsub(0.01))Osub(2+x) and (Usub(0.95)Crsub(0.05))Osub(2+x) for the extrinsic conduction in the low oxygen partial pressure region were calculated to be 24.7+-1.3 and 25.9+-1.0 kJ.mol -1 , respectively from the Arrhenius plots of the electrical conductivities. These small values of the activation energy of (Usub(1-y)Crsub(y))Osub(2+x) may suggest the presence of the hopping mechanism for hole conduction, similarly to the case of UOsub(2+x). From the oxygen partial pressure dependences of both the electrical conductivity and the deviation x in (Usub(1-y)Crsub(y))Osub(2+x), the defect structure was discussed with the complex defect model consisting of oxygen vacancies and two kinds of interstitial oxygens. (orig.)

Measurement of thermal conductivity of Bi2Te3 nanowire using high-vacuum scanning thermal wave microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Kyungbae; Hwang, Gwangseok; Kim, Hayeong; Kim, Jungwon; Kim, Woochul; Kim, Sungjin; Kwon, Ohmyoung

2016-02-01

With the increasing application of nanomaterials in the development of high-efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion materials and electronic devices, the measurement of the intrinsic thermal conductivity of nanomaterials in the form of nanowires and nanofilms has become very important. However, the current widely used methods for measuring thermal conductivity have difficulties in eliminating the influence of interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) during the measurement. In this study, by using high-vacuum scanning thermal wave microscopy (HV-STWM), we propose a quantitative method for measuring the thermal conductivity of nanomaterials. By measuring the local phase lag of high-frequency (>10 kHz) thermal waves passing through a nanomaterial in a high-vacuum environment, HV-STWM eliminates the measurement errors due to ITR and the distortion due to heat transfer through air. By using HV-STWM, we measure the thermal conductivity of a Bi2Te3 nanowire. Because HV-STWM is quantitatively accurate and its specimen preparation is easier than in the thermal bridge method, we believe that HV-STWM will be widely used for measuring the thermal properties of various types of nanomaterials.

Canonical path integral measures for Holst and Plebanski gravity: I. Reduced phase space derivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engle, Jonathan; Han Muxin; Thiemann, Thomas

2010-01-01

An important aspect in defining a path integral quantum theory is the determination of the correct measure. For interacting theories and theories with constraints, this is non-trivial, and is normally not the heuristic 'Lebesgue measure' usually used. There have been many determinations of a measure for gravity in the literature, but none for the Palatini or Holst formulations of gravity. Furthermore, the relations between different resulting measures for different formulations of gravity are usually not discussed. In this paper we use the reduced phase technique in order to derive the path-integral measure for the Palatini and Holst formulation of gravity, which is different from the Lebesgue measure up to local measure factors which depend on the spacetime volume element and spatial volume element. From this path integral for the Holst formulation of general relativity we can also give a new derivation of the Plebanski path integral and discover a discrepancy with the result due to Buffenoir, Henneaux, Noui and Roche whose origin we resolve. This paper is the first in a series that aims at better understanding the relation between canonical loop quantum gravity and the spin-foam approach.

An electrical method for the measurement of the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwamb, Timo; Burg, Brian R; Schirmer, Niklas C; Poulikakos, Dimos

2009-10-07

This paper introduces an electrical four-point measurement method enabling thermal and electrical conductivity measurements of nanoscale materials. The method was applied to determine the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide flakes. The dielectrophoretically deposited samples exhibited thermal conductivities in the range of 0.14-2.87 W m(-1) K(-1) and electrical conductivities in the range of 6.2 x 10(2)-6.2 x 10(3) Omega(-1) m(-1). The measured properties of each flake were found to be dependent on the duration of the thermal reduction and are in this sense controllable.

Absolute measurement of the thermal conductivity of insulating materials at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liermann, J.

1975-01-01

A device was developed at the CEA for the absolute measurement of the thermal conductivity of insulators. It can operate in controlled atmospheres (air, CO 2 , Ar, He) and between 100 and 1050 deg C [fr

Surface-sensitive conductivity measurement using a micro multi-point probe approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perkins, Edward; Barreto, Lucas; Wells, Justin

2013-01-01

An instrument for microscale electrical transport measurements in ultra-high vacuum is presented. The setup is constructed around collinear lithographically-created multi-point probes with a contact spacing down to 500 nm. Most commonly, twelve-point probes are used. These probes are approached...... measurements with an equidistant four-point probe for a wide range of contact spacings. In this way, it is possible to distinguish between bulk-like and surface-like conduction. The paper describes the design of the instrument and the approach to data and error analysis. Application examples are given...

Development of a Handmade Conductivity Measurement Apparatus and Application to Vegetables and Fruits

Science.gov (United States)

Set, Seng; Kita, Masakazu

2014-01-01

This paper describes the development of a simple handmade conductivity measurement apparatus based on a Kohlrausch bridge with inexpensive materials. We have examined the reliability of this apparatus with standard solutions and then measured juices of vegetables and fruits as well as a sports drink. Comparisons to total alkali content as…

Measurement Of Multiphase Flow Water Fraction And Water-cut

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Cheng-gang

2007-06-01

This paper describes a microwave transmission multiphase flow water-cut meter that measures the amplitude attenuation and phase shift across a pipe diameter at multiple frequencies using cavity-backed antennas. The multiphase flow mixture permittivity and conductivity are derived from a unified microwave transmission model for both water- and oil-continuous flows over a wide water-conductivity range; this is far beyond the capability of microwave-resonance-based sensors currently on the market. The water fraction and water cut are derived from a three-component gas-oil-water mixing model using the mixture permittivity or the mixture conductivity and an independently measured mixture density. Water salinity variations caused, for example, by changing formation water or formation/injection water breakthrough can be detected and corrected using an online water-conductivity tracking technique based on the interpretation of the mixture permittivity and conductivity, simultaneously measured by a single-modality microwave sensor.

Advances in estimation technology of thermal conductivity of irradiated fuels (1). Application of a thermal microscope to measure the thermal conductivity of the second phases in irradiated pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uno, Masayoshi; Murakami, Yukihiro

2011-01-01

CeO 2 sample as a surrogate for fuel and BaCeO 3 and BaMoO 4 samples as surrogates for the second phases, which have a lower thermal conductivity than the fuel matrix, were made. The thermal conductivity of these samples was measured by a thermal microscope. In this method, the thermal conductivity of a small region (e.g. 20 μm x 20 μm) of the sample can be measured. The valid thermal conductivity values for all the samples were obtained and the conditions of sample surface preparation and the thermal microscope measurement were found out. The thermal conductivity of a CeO 2 composite pellet which had the BaCeO 3 or BaMoO 4 second phase layer was also estimated. (author)

The design of high-temperature thermal conductivity measurements apparatus for thin sample size

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadi Syamsul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study presents the designing, constructing and validating processes of thermal conductivity apparatus using steady-state heat-transfer techniques with the capability of testing a material at high temperatures. This design is an improvement from ASTM D5470 standard where meter-bars with the equal cross-sectional area were used to extrapolate surface temperature and measure heat transfer across a sample. There were two meter-bars in apparatus where each was placed three thermocouples. This Apparatus using a heater with a power of 1,000 watts, and cooling water to stable condition. The pressure applied was 3.4 MPa at the cross-sectional area of 113.09 mm2 meter-bar and thermal grease to minimized interfacial thermal contact resistance. To determine the performance, the validating process proceeded by comparing the results with thermal conductivity obtained by THB 500 made by LINSEIS. The tests showed the thermal conductivity of the stainless steel and bronze are 15.28 Wm-1K-1 and 38.01 Wm-1K-1 with a difference of test apparatus THB 500 are −2.55% and 2.49%. Furthermore, this apparatus has the capability to measure the thermal conductivity of the material to a temperature of 400°C where the results for the thermal conductivity of stainless steel is 19.21 Wm-1K-1 and the difference was 7.93%.

Conductance measurement by two-line probe method of polypyrrole nano-films formed on mica by admicellar polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mou, C.-Y. [Graduate Institute of Textile Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 40724, Taiwan (China); Yuan, W.-L. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 40724, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: wyuan@fcu.edu.tw; Tsai, I-S. [Graduate Institute of Textile Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 40724, Taiwan (China); O' Rear, Edgar A. [School of Chemical, Biological and Material Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Barraza, Harry [Unilever R and D HPC, Quarry Road East, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 3JW (United Kingdom)

2008-10-01

Measuring the electrical conductance is of importance in fabricating electronic devices based on semiconducting thin films. In this report, electrically conducting polypyrrole (PPy) nano-films were deposited on insulating mica plates by admicellar polymerization. It becomes difficult to measure such film conductance in the lateral direction due the nanometric thickness which only allows for very low electrical current. In order to understand the effects of surfactant on the film conductivity, morphological studies using atomic force microscopy and conductance measurements with a sub-fA multimeter were performed. Higher conductances were found for PPy thin films made using surfactant templates, than that of a bare mica surface. Using the two-line probe method by drawing two lines of silver glue 8 mm apart on the sample surface, the current-voltage curves of bare mica surface yielded a lateral conductance of 6.0 x 10{sup -13} S. In comparison, PPy thin films made using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant templates showed conductances of 1.2 x 10{sup -11} S and 7.7 x 10{sup -12} S, respectively. The higher conductances indicate tunneling, hopping, and percolation of charge carriers throughout the films. The lower-bound conductivities were calculated as 4.0 x 10{sup -3} S/cm and 2.6 x 10{sup -3} S/cm, measured based on the average thickness 2.3 nm for the SDS-PPy films and 2.4 nm for the CTAB-PPy films. Conductivities for both SDS and CTAB template PPy films are found to be of the same order.

Conductance measurement by two-line probe method of polypyrrole nano-films formed on mica by admicellar polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mou, C.-Y.; Yuan, W.-L.; Tsai, I-S.; O'Rear, Edgar A.; Barraza, Harry

2008-01-01

Measuring the electrical conductance is of importance in fabricating electronic devices based on semiconducting thin films. In this report, electrically conducting polypyrrole (PPy) nano-films were deposited on insulating mica plates by admicellar polymerization. It becomes difficult to measure such film conductance in the lateral direction due the nanometric thickness which only allows for very low electrical current. In order to understand the effects of surfactant on the film conductivity, morphological studies using atomic force microscopy and conductance measurements with a sub-fA multimeter were performed. Higher conductances were found for PPy thin films made using surfactant templates, than that of a bare mica surface. Using the two-line probe method by drawing two lines of silver glue 8 mm apart on the sample surface, the current-voltage curves of bare mica surface yielded a lateral conductance of 6.0 x 10 -13 S. In comparison, PPy thin films made using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant templates showed conductances of 1.2 x 10 -11 S and 7.7 x 10 -12 S, respectively. The higher conductances indicate tunneling, hopping, and percolation of charge carriers throughout the films. The lower-bound conductivities were calculated as 4.0 x 10 -3 S/cm and 2.6 x 10 -3 S/cm, measured based on the average thickness 2.3 nm for the SDS-PPy films and 2.4 nm for the CTAB-PPy films. Conductivities for both SDS and CTAB template PPy films are found to be of the same order

Measurement of Apparent Thermal Conductivity of JSC-1A Under Ambient Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Zeng-Guang; Kleinhenz, Julie E.

2011-01-01

The apparent thermal conductivity of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant was measured experimentally using a cylindrical apparatus. Eleven thermocouples were embedded in the simulant bed to obtain the steady state temperature distribution at various radial, axial, and azimuthal locations. The high aspect ratio of a cylindrical geometry was proven to provide a one-dimensional, axisymmetric temperature field. A test series was performed at atmospheric pressure with varying heat fluxes. The radial temperature distribution in each test fit a logarithmic function, indicating a constant thermal conductivity throughout the soil bed. However, thermal conductivity was not constant between tests at different heat fluxes. This variation is attributed to stresses created by thermal expansion of the simulant particles against the rigid chamber wall. Under stress-free conditions (20 deg C), the data suggest a temperature independent apparent conductivity of 0.1961 +/- 0.0070 W/m/ deg C

Characterization of tillage effects on soil permeability using different measures of macroporosity derived from tension infiltrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Bodner, G.; Schwen, A.; Scholl, P.; Kammerer, G.; Buchan, G.; Kaul, H.-P.; Loiskandl, W.

2010-05-01

approaches (direct vs. inverse evaluation, capillary vs. flow weighted pore radius). We will show the influence of the distinct evaluation procedures on the resulting effective macroporosity, as well as on the relationships between macropore radius and hydraulic conductivity (Moret and Arrúe, 2007) and pore fraction respectively (Carey et al., 2007). The infiltration measurements used in this study were obtained in a long-term tillage trial located in the semi-arid region of Eastern Austria. Measurements were taken five times over the vegetation period, starting immediately after tillage until harvest of the winter wheat crop. Three tillage systems were evaluated, being conventional tillage with plough, minimum tillage with chisel and no-tillage. Additional to infiltration measurements, also soil water content was monitored continuously by a capacitance probe in all three replicates of each tillage treatment in 10, 20 and 40 cm soil depth. Water content time series are used to derive flow velocity in the wet range by cross-correlation analysis (Wu et al., 1997). This effective parameter of water transmission will then be compared to the flow behaviour expected from the characterization of soil macroporosity. We will show that mainly in no-tillage systems large macropores contribute essentially to flow and therefore the decision on pore measure and evaluation procedure to be used leads to substantial differences. For a detailed comparison of tillage effects on soil hydraulic properties it is therefore essential to analyse the contribution of different tension infiltrometry based evaluation methods to explain effective water transmission through the complex porous network of the soil. References Carey, S.K., Quinton, W.L., Goeller, N.T. 2007. Field and laboratory estimates of pore size properties and hydraulic characteristics for subarctic organic soils. Hydrol. Process. 21, 2560-2571. Moret, D., Arrúe, J.L. 2007. Characterizing soil water conducting macro- and mesoporosity

In situ measurement of the thermal conductivity in propylite rock mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimooka, Kenji; Araki, Kunio; Suda, Shintaro.

1982-11-01

The safety evaluation for the geological disposal of the high level waste becomes an urgent problem to establish the backend of nuclear fuel cycle. The stability of the original host rock and the flow of groundwater will be perturbed by the thermal disturbances from the waste. So the heater experiment at a depth of 90 m below the surface was carried out to study the conduction of decay heat. For measuring the thermal conductivity of propylite rock mass, a cylindrical heater and 13 thermocouples were inserted in 6 boreholes. The power output of the heater was kept at 880 W constant during the experimental periods of 61 days. From the observed temperature rise around the heater, the thermal conductivity 2.1 W/m 0 C was calculated by steady-state calculation. The value of the rock mass was found to be slightly bigger compared with 1.5 - 1.6 W/m 0 C of core samples. (author)

The measurement of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity from one-step outflow method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S. H.; Hwang, J. H.; Lee, J. M.; Kim, C. R.

2003-01-01

One of the most important parts in constructing radioactive waste repository may be its safety aspect. The fundamental function of the repository is to isolate completely and forever the radioactive wastes disposed of in it. However, since either normally or abnormally nuclides are to be released from the repository with a certain causes. The hydraulic conductivity is related to transportation of nuclide in soil. However, hydraulic characteristics research in unsaturated soil is not enough at present time. A fast and easy procedure for estimating unsaturated flow parameters is presented. The estimation is based on direct measurement of the retention characteristics combined with inverse estimation of the hydraulic conductivity characteristics from one-step outflow experiment

Measurement and Estimation of Effective Thermal Conductivity for Sodium based Nanofluid using 3-Omega Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Sun Ryung; Park, Hyun Sun [POSTECH, Pohang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Moo Hwan [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) is one of generation IV type reactors and has been extensively researched since 1950s. A strong advantage of the SFR is its liquid sodium coolant which is well-known for its superior thermal properties. However, in terms of possible pipe leakage or rupture, a liquid sodium coolant possesses a critical issue due to its high chemical reactivity which leads to fire or explosion. Due to its safety concerns, dispersion of nanoparticles in liquid sodium has been proposed to reduce the chemical reactivity of sodium. In case of sodium based titanium nanofluid (NaTiNF), the chemical reactivity suppression effect when interacting with water has been proved both experimentally and theoretically [1,2]. Suppression of chemical reactivity is critical without much loss of high heat transfer characteristic of sodium. As there is no research conducted for applying 3-omega sensor in liquid metal as well as high temperature liquid, the sensor development is performed for using in NaTiNF as well as effective thermal conductivity model validation. Based on the acquired effective thermal conductivity of NaTiNF, existing effective thermal conductivity models are evaluated. Thermal conductivity measurement is performed for liquid sodium based titanium nanofluid (NaTiNF) through 3-Omega method. The experiment is conducted at three temperature points of 120, 150, and 180 .deg. C for both pure liquid sodium and NaTiNF. By using 3- omega sensor, thermal conductivity measurement of liquid metal can be more conveniently conducted in labscale. Also, its possibility to measure the thermal conductivity of high temperature liquid metal with metallic nanoparticles being dispersed is shown. Unlike other water or oil-based nanofluids, NaTiNF exhibits reduction of thermal conductivity compare with liquid sodium. Various nanofluid models are plotted, and it is concluded that the MSBM which considers interfacial resistance and Brownian motion can be used in predicting

Measurement and Estimation of Effective Thermal Conductivity for Sodium based Nanofluid using 3-Omega Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Sun Ryung; Park, Hyun Sun; Kim, Moo Hwan

2016-01-01

The sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) is one of generation IV type reactors and has been extensively researched since 1950s. A strong advantage of the SFR is its liquid sodium coolant which is well-known for its superior thermal properties. However, in terms of possible pipe leakage or rupture, a liquid sodium coolant possesses a critical issue due to its high chemical reactivity which leads to fire or explosion. Due to its safety concerns, dispersion of nanoparticles in liquid sodium has been proposed to reduce the chemical reactivity of sodium. In case of sodium based titanium nanofluid (NaTiNF), the chemical reactivity suppression effect when interacting with water has been proved both experimentally and theoretically [1,2]. Suppression of chemical reactivity is critical without much loss of high heat transfer characteristic of sodium. As there is no research conducted for applying 3-omega sensor in liquid metal as well as high temperature liquid, the sensor development is performed for using in NaTiNF as well as effective thermal conductivity model validation. Based on the acquired effective thermal conductivity of NaTiNF, existing effective thermal conductivity models are evaluated. Thermal conductivity measurement is performed for liquid sodium based titanium nanofluid (NaTiNF) through 3-Omega method. The experiment is conducted at three temperature points of 120, 150, and 180 .deg. C for both pure liquid sodium and NaTiNF. By using 3- omega sensor, thermal conductivity measurement of liquid metal can be more conveniently conducted in labscale. Also, its possibility to measure the thermal conductivity of high temperature liquid metal with metallic nanoparticles being dispersed is shown. Unlike other water or oil-based nanofluids, NaTiNF exhibits reduction of thermal conductivity compare with liquid sodium. Various nanofluid models are plotted, and it is concluded that the MSBM which considers interfacial resistance and Brownian motion can be used in predicting

Carbon Isotope Measurements of Experimentally-Derived Hydrothermal Mineral-Catalyzed Organic Products by Pyrolysis-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Socki, Richard A.; Fu, Qi; Niles, Paul B.

2011-01-01

We report results of experiments to measure the C isotope composition of mineral catalyzed organic compounds derived from high temperature and high pressure synthesis. These experiments make use of an innovative pyrolysis technique designed to extract and measure C isotopes. To date, our experiments have focused on the pyrolysis and C isotope ratio measurements of low-molecular weight intermediary hydrocarbons (organic acids and alcohols) and serve as a proof of concept for making C and H isotope measurements on more complicated mixtures of solid-phase hydrocarbons and intermediary products produced during high temperature and high pressure synthesis on mineral-catalyzed surfaces. The impetus for this work stems from recently reported observations of methane detected within the Martian atmosphere [1-4], coupled with evidence showing extensive water-rock interaction during Martian history [5-7]. Methane production on Mars could be the result of synthesis by mineral surface-catalyzed reduction of CO2 and/or CO by Fischer-Tropsch Type (FTT) reactions during serpentization reactions [8,9]. Others have conducted experimental studies to show that FTT reactions are plausible mechanisms for low-molecular weight hydrocarbon formation in hydrothermal systems at mid-ocean ridges [10-12]. Further, recent experiments by Fu et al. [13] focus on examining detailed C isotope measurements of hydrocarbons produced by surface-catalyzed mineral reactions. Work described in this paper details the experimental techniques used to measure intermediary organic reaction products (alcohols and organic acids).

Applicability of cable theory to vascular conducted responses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hald, Bjørn Olav; Jensen, Lars Jørn; Sørensen, Preben Graae

2012-01-01

Conduction processes in the vasculature have traditionally been described using cable theory, i.e., locally induced signals decaying passively along the arteriolar wall. The decay is typically quantified using the steady-state length-constant, ¿, derived from cable theory. However......, the applicability of cable theory to blood vessels depends on assumptions that are not necessarily fulfilled in small arteries and arterioles. We have employed a morphologically and electrophysiologically detailed mathematical model of a rat mesenteric arteriole to investigate if the assumptions hold and whether...... ¿ adequately describes simulated conduction profiles. We find that several important cable theory assumptions are violated when applied to small blood vessels. However, the phenomenological use of a length-constant from a single exponential function is a good measure of conduction length. Hence, ¿ should...

Fractional Heat Conduction Models and Thermal Diffusivity Determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Žecová

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The contribution deals with the fractional heat conduction models and their use for determining thermal diffusivity. A brief historical overview of the authors who have dealt with the heat conduction equation is described in the introduction of the paper. The one-dimensional heat conduction models with using integer- and fractional-order derivatives are listed. Analytical and numerical methods of solution of the heat conduction models with using integer- and fractional-order derivatives are described. Individual methods have been implemented in MATLAB and the examples of simulations are listed. The proposal and experimental verification of the methods for determining thermal diffusivity using half-order derivative of temperature by time are listed at the conclusion of the paper.

A New system for Measuring Electrical Conductivity of Water as a Function of Admittance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haval Yacoob

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new system for measuring water conductivity as a function of electrophysical property (admittance. The system is cheap and its manufacturing is easy. In addition, it dose not require any sort of electrolysis and calibration. The system consists of four electrodes made of silver (Ag 92.5 g to Cu 7.5 g fixed in a plastic tube filled by water which allows the use of two and four electrode setups. The admittance (reciprocal of impedance is measured for different water sources (distilled, rainfall, mineral, river and tap water using different frequencies between 50 Hz and 100 kHz. These measurements were taken twice, once with four electrodes and another with two electrodes of two modes (inner and outer electrodes. The results have shown good correlation between the measured admittance and the conductivity of all the water sources and the best correlation was found at low frequencies between 50 Hz and 20 kHz. The highest efficiency can be achieved by performing the four electrodes system which allows circumventing the effect of the electrode impedance. This result makes the system efficient compared to traditional conductivity meters which usually require high frequencies for good operation. doi:10.5617/jeb.203 J Electr Bioimp, vol. 2, pp. 86-92, 2011

Measuring and assessing the effective in-plane thermal conductivity of lithium iron phosphate pouch cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazinski, S.J.; Wang, X.; Sangeorzan, B.P.; Guessous, L.

2016-01-01

The objective of this research is to experimentally determine the effective in-plane thermal conductivity of a lithium iron phosphate pouch cell. An experimental setup is designed to treat the battery cell as a straight rectangular fin in natural convection. Thermography and heat sensors were used to collect data that yields the temperature distribution and heat transfer rate of the fin, respectively. One-dimensional fin equations were combined with the experimental data to yield the in-plane thermal conductivity through an iterative process that best-fits the data to the model. The experiment was first calibrated using reference plates of different metals. The fin model predicts the thermal conductivity value well with a correction factor of approximately 7%–9%. Using this experimental method, the in-plane thermal conductivity of the pouch cells is measured at different state of charge (SOC) levels. The in-plane thermal conductivity decreases approximately 0.13 Wm"−"1 °C"−"1 per 10% increase in SOC for the LFP cells. This translates to a 4.2% overall decrease in the thermal conductivity as the cell becomes fully charged. - Highlights: • A method is proposed to measure the in-plane thermal conductivity of a pouch cell. • The thermal conductivity decreases slightly with increase in SOC for the LFP cells. • The fin model predicts the thermal conductivity well with a correction factor.

Measurement of the thermal conductivity of liquid D2O by the transient hot-wire method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasaka, Y.; Hiraiwa, H.; Nagashima, A.

1990-01-01

The measurement of the thermal conductivity of liquid D 2 O (heavy water) started in 1951. Since then, many researchers have measured the thermal conductivity of heavy water mainly with the aid of steady-state methods such as the parallel plate method and the concentric cylinder method. It should be noted here that even in the case of pure H 2 O or D 2 O enclosed in metallic vessel for a couple of days, the electrical conductivity seems to be not low enough for precise transient hot-wire measurements. The purpose of this paper is to obtain precise thermal conductivity data of liquid D 2 O which can be the reference standard values by the transient hot-wire method. The temperature range covered was 4 degrees C to 80 degrees C with pressure up to 40 MPa and the experimental data have an estimated accuracy of ±0.5%

Electrically Conductive Epoxy Adhesives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lan Bai

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Conductive adhesives are widely used in electronic packaging applications such as die attachment and solderless interconnections, component repair, display interconnections, and heat dissipation. The effects of film thickness as functions of filler volume fraction, conductive filler size, shape, as well as uncured adhesive matrix viscosity on the electrical conduction behavior of epoxy-based adhesives are presented in this work. For this purpose, epoxy-based adhesives were prepared using conductive fillers of different size, shape, and types, including Ni powder, flakes, and filaments, Ag powder, and Cu powder. The filaments were 20 μm in diameter, and 160 or 260 μm in length. HCl and H3PO4 acid solutions were used to etch and remove the surface oxide layers from the fillers. The plane resistance of filled adhesive films was measured using the four-point method. In all cases of conductive filler addition, the planar resistivity levels for the composite adhesive films increased when the film thickness was reduced. The shape of resistivity-thickness curves was negative exponential decaying type and was modeled using a mathematical relation. The relationships between the conductive film resistivities and the filler volume fractions were also derived mathematically based on the experimental data. Thus, the effects of surface treatment of filler particles, the type, size, shape of fillers, and the uncured epoxy viscosity could be included empirically by using these mathematical relations based on the experimental data. By utilizing the relations we proposed to model thickness-dependent and volume fraction-dependent conduction behaviors separately, we were able to describe the combined and coupled volume fraction-film thickness relationship mathematically based on our experimental data.

Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy for conducting gas tracer tests and measuring water saturations in landfills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yoojin; Han, Byunghyun; Mostafid, M. Erfan; Chiu, Pei; Yazdani, Ramin; Imhoff, Paul T.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy tested for measuring tracer gas in landfills. ► Measurement errors for tracer gases were 1–3% in landfill gas. ► Background signals from landfill gas result in elevated limits of detection. ► Technique is much less expensive and easier to use than GC. - Abstract: Gas tracer tests can be used to determine gas flow patterns within landfills, quantify volatile contaminant residence time, and measure water within refuse. While gas chromatography (GC) has been traditionally used to analyze gas tracers in refuse, photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) might allow real-time measurements with reduced personnel costs and greater mobility and ease of use. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PAS for conducting gas tracer tests in landfills. Two tracer gases, difluoromethane (DFM) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), were measured with a commercial PAS instrument. Relative measurement errors were invariant with tracer concentration but influenced by background gas: errors were 1–3% in landfill gas but 4–5% in air. Two partitioning gas tracer tests were conducted in an aerobic landfill, and limits of detection (LODs) were 3–4 times larger for DFM with PAS versus GC due to temporal changes in background signals. While higher LODs can be compensated by injecting larger tracer mass, changes in background signals increased the uncertainty in measured water saturations by up to 25% over comparable GC methods. PAS has distinct advantages over GC with respect to personnel costs and ease of use, although for field applications GC analyses of select samples are recommended to quantify instrument interferences.

Dual-beam, second-derivative tunable diode-laser infrared spectroscopy applied to trace-gas measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallant, D.R.; Jungst, R.G.

1981-04-01

A dual beam diode laser spectrometer has been constructed using off-axis reflective optics. The spectrometer can be amplitude modulated for direct absorption measurements or frequency modulated to obtain derivative spectra. The spectrometer has high throughput, is easy to operate and align, provides good dual beam compensation, and has no evidence of the interference effects that have been observed in diode laser spectrometers using refractive optics. Unpurged, using second derivative techniques, the instrument has measured 108 parts-per-million CO (10 cm absorption cell, atmospheric pressure-broadened) with good signal/noise. With the replacement of marginal instrumental components, the signal/noise should be substantially increased. This instrument was developed to monitor the evolution of decomposition gases in sealed containers of small volume at atmospheric pressure

Estimating Concentrations of Road-Salt Constituents in Highway-Runoff from Measurements of Specific Conductance

Science.gov (United States)

Granato, Gregory E.; Smith, Kirk P.

1999-01-01

Discrete or composite samples of highway runoff may not adequately represent in-storm water-quality fluctuations because continuous records of water stage, specific conductance, pH, and temperature of the runoff indicate that these properties fluctuate substantially during a storm. Continuous records of water-quality properties can be used to maximize the information obtained about the stormwater runoff system being studied and can provide the context needed to interpret analyses of water samples. Concentrations of the road-salt constituents calcium, sodium, and chloride in highway runoff were estimated from theoretical and empirical relations between specific conductance and the concentrations of these ions. These relations were examined using the analysis of 233 highwayrunoff samples collected from August 1988 through March 1995 at four highway-drainage monitoring stations along State Route 25 in southeastern Massachusetts. Theoretically, the specific conductance of a water sample is the sum of the individual conductances attributed to each ionic species in solution-the product of the concentrations of each ion in milliequivalents per liter (meq/L) multiplied by the equivalent ionic conductance at infinite dilution-thereby establishing the principle of superposition. Superposition provides an estimate of actual specific conductance that is within measurement error throughout the conductance range of many natural waters, with errors of less than ?5 percent below 1,000 microsiemens per centimeter (?S/cm) and ?10 percent between 1,000 and 4,000 ?S/cm if all major ionic constituents are accounted for. A semi-empirical method (adjusted superposition) was used to adjust for concentration effects-superposition-method prediction errors at high and low concentrations-and to relate measured specific conductance to that calculated using superposition. The adjusted superposition method, which was developed to interpret the State Route 25 highway-runoff records, accounts for

Electrical-conductivity measurements of leachates for the rapid assessment of wasteform corrosion resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sales, B.C.; Petek, M.; Boatner, L.A.

1982-01-01

Measurements of the electrical conductivity of leachate solutions as a function of time can be used as an efficient, informative means of evaluation and comparison in the development of nuclear waste forms and in the preliminary analysis of their corrosion resistance in distilled water. Three separate applications of this technique are described in this work. These are: (1) its use in the optimization of the corrosion resistance of a crystalline wasteform (monazite); (2) a study of the protective ability of the surface layer (gel layer) which forms on the nuclear waste glass Frit 21 + 20 wt % SRW in distilled water; and (3) making comparisons of the overall corrosion resistance of three different nuclear wasteforms (i.e., monazite, SYNROC, and borosilicate glass). A complete solution analysis of the borosilicate glass leachate and a straightforward analysis of the conductivity results agree to within +-20%. In the absence of a complete, time consuming solution analysis, conductivity measurements can be used to estimate reliably the total ionic concentration in the leachate to within a factor of 2

A simple differential steady-state method to measure the thermal conductivity of solid bulk materials with high accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraemer, D; Chen, G

2014-02-01

Accurate measurements of thermal conductivity are of great importance for materials research and development. Steady-state methods determine thermal conductivity directly from the proportionality between heat flow and an applied temperature difference (Fourier Law). Although theoretically simple, in practice, achieving high accuracies with steady-state methods is challenging and requires rather complex experimental setups due to temperature sensor uncertainties and parasitic heat loss. We developed a simple differential steady-state method in which the sample is mounted between an electric heater and a temperature-controlled heat sink. Our method calibrates for parasitic heat losses from the electric heater during the measurement by maintaining a constant heater temperature close to the environmental temperature while varying the heat sink temperature. This enables a large signal-to-noise ratio which permits accurate measurements of samples with small thermal conductance values without an additional heater calibration measurement or sophisticated heater guards to eliminate parasitic heater losses. Additionally, the differential nature of the method largely eliminates the uncertainties of the temperature sensors, permitting measurements with small temperature differences, which is advantageous for samples with high thermal conductance values and/or with strongly temperature-dependent thermal conductivities. In order to accelerate measurements of more than one sample, the proposed method allows for measuring several samples consecutively at each temperature measurement point without adding significant error. We demonstrate the method by performing thermal conductivity measurements on commercial bulk thermoelectric Bi2Te3 samples in the temperature range of 30-150 °C with an error below 3%.

What we can learn from measurements of air electric conductivity in 222Rn-rich atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Seran, E.; Godefroy, M.; Pili, E.; Michielsen, N.; Bondiguel, S.

2017-02-01

Electric conductivity of air is an important characteristic of the electric properties of an atmosphere. Testing instruments to measure electric conductivity ranging from 10-13 to 10-9 S m-1 in natural conditions found in the Earth atmosphere is not an easy task. One possibility is to use stratospheric balloon flights; another (and a simpler one) is to look for terrestrial environments with significant radioactive decay. In this paper we present measurements carried out with different types of conductivity sensors in two 222Rn-rich environments, i.e., in the Roselend underground tunnel (French Alps) and in the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety BACCARA (BAnC de CAllibrage du RAdon) chamber. The concept of the conductivity sensor is based on the classical time relaxation method. New elements in our design include isolation of the sensor sensitive part (electrode) from the external electric field and sensor miniaturization. This greatly extends the application domain of the sensor and permits to measure air electric conductivity when the external electric field is high and varies from few tens of V m-1 to up to few tens of kV m-1. This is suitable to propose the instrument for a planetary mission. Two-fold objectives were attained as the outcome of these tests and their analysis. First was directly related to the performances of the conductivity sensors and the efficiency of the conductivity sensor design to shield the external electric field. Second objective aimed at understanding the decay mechanisms of 222Rn and its progeny in atmosphere and the impact of the enclosed space on the efficiency of gas ionization.

Simplified Transient Hot-Wire Method for Effective Thermal Conductivity Measurement in Geo Materials: Microstructure and Saturation Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Merckx

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The thermal conductivity measurement by a simplified transient hot-wire technique is applied to geomaterials in order to show the relationships which can exist between effective thermal conductivity, texture, and moisture of the materials. After a validation of the used “one hot-wire” technique in water, toluene, and glass-bead assemblages, the investigations were performed (1 in glass-bead assemblages of different diameters in dried, water, and acetone-saturated states in order to observe the role of grain sizes and saturation on the effective thermal conductivity, (2 in a compacted earth brick at different moisture states, and (3 in a lime-hemp concrete during 110 days following its manufacture. The lime-hemp concrete allows the measurements during the setting, desiccation and carbonation steps. The recorded Δ/ln( diagrams allow the calculation of one effective thermal conductivity in the continuous and homogeneous fluids and two effective thermal conductivities in the heterogeneous solids. The first one measured in the short time acquisitions (<1 s mainly depends on the contact between the wire and grains and thus microtexture and hydrated state of the material. The second one, measured for longer time acquisitions, characterizes the mean effective thermal conductivity of the material.

Determining Effective Thermal Conductivity of Fabrics by Using Fractal Method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Fanglong; Li, Kejing

2010-03-01

In this article, a fractal effective thermal conductivity model for woven fabrics with multiple layers is developed. Structural models of yarn and plain woven fabric are derived based on the fractal characteristics of macro-pores (gap or channel) between the yarns and micro-pores inside the yarns. The fractal effective thermal conductivity model can be expressed as a function of the pore structure (fractal dimension) and architectural parameters of the woven fabric. Good agreement is found between the fractal model and the thermal conductivity measurements in the general porosity ranges. It is expected that the model will be helpful in the evaluation of thermal comfort for woven fabric in the whole range of porosity.

Measured Temperature Dependence of the cos-phi Conductance in Josephson Tunnel Junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, O. H.; Mygind, Jesper; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1977-01-01

The temperature dependence of the cosϕ conductance in Sn-O-Sn Josephson tunnel junctions has been measured just below the critical temperature, Tc. From the resonant microwave response at the junction plasma frequency as the temperature is decreased from Tc it is deduced that the amplitude of the...

Deriving Global Convection Maps From SuperDARN Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Gjerloev, J. W.; Waters, C. L.; Barnes, R. J.

2018-04-01

A new statistical modeling technique for determining the global ionospheric convection is described. The principal component regression (PCR)-based technique is based on Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) observations and is an advanced version of the PCR technique that Waters et al. (https//:doi.org.10.1002/2015JA021596) used for the SuperMAG data. While SuperMAG ground magnetic field perturbations are vector measurements, SuperDARN provides line-of-sight measurements of the ionospheric convection flow. Each line-of-sight flow has a known azimuth (or direction), which must be converted into the actual vector flow. However, the component perpendicular to the azimuth direction is unknown. Our method uses historical data from the SuperDARN database and PCR to determine a fill-in model convection distribution for any given universal time. The fill-in data process is driven by a list of state descriptors (magnetic indices and the solar zenith angle). The final solution is then derived from a spherical cap harmonic fit to the SuperDARN measurements and the fill-in model. When compared with the standard SuperDARN fill-in model, we find that our fill-in model provides improved solutions, and the final solutions are in better agreement with the SuperDARN measurements. Our solutions are far less dynamic than the standard SuperDARN solutions, which we interpret as being due to a lack of magnetosphere-ionosphere inertia and communication delays in the standard SuperDARN technique while it is inherently included in our approach. Rather, we argue that the magnetosphere-ionosphere system has inertia that prevents the global convection from changing abruptly in response to an interplanetary magnetic field change.

Spectroscopic XPEEM of highly conductive SI-doped GaN wires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renault, O., E-mail: olivier.renault@cea.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Morin, J. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Tchoulfian, P. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); CNRS, Inst. NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble (France); Chevalier, N. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Feyer, V. [Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-6) and JARA-FIT, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Pernot, J. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, Inst. NEEL, F-38042 Grenoble (France); Institut Universitaire de France, F-75005 Paris (France); Schneider, C.M. [Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-6) and JARA-FIT, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2015-12-15

Using soft X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (XPEEM), complemented by scanning Auger microscopy (SAM) and scanning capacitance microscopy, we have quantitatively studied the incorporation of silicon and band bending at the surface (m-facet) of an individual, highly conductive Si-doped GaN micro-wires (Tchoulfian et al., Applied Physics Letters 102 (12), 2013). Electrically active n-dopants Si atoms in Ga interstitial sites are detected as nitride bonding states in the high-resolution Si2p core level spectra, and represent only a small fraction (<10%) of the overall Si surface concentration measured by SAM. The derived carrier concentration of 2×10{sup 21} at cm{sup −3} is in reasonable agreement with electrical measurements. A consistent surface band bending of ~1 eV is directly evidenced by surface photo-voltage measurements. Such an approach combining different surface-sensitive microscopies is of interest for studying other heavily doped semiconducting wires. - Highlights: • XPEEM analysis of state-of-the-art, heavily doped GaN wires with insights on the issue of the origin of the increased conductivity. • Combined microscopic approach with Scanning Auger microscopy and X-ray Photoeletron Emission Microscopy, to quantity the electrically active Si-dopants in GaN. • The determined concentration is found in reasonable agreement with the one derived from bulk electrical measurements. • The proposed method is of interest for studying the electronics and chemistry of doping in other heavily doped semiconducting wires.

Sensitivity studies on the multi-sensor conductivity probe measurement technique for two-phase flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Worosz, Ted [Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 230 Reber Building, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Bernard, Matt [The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States); Kong, Ran; Toptan, Aysenur [Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 230 Reber Building, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kim, Seungjin, E-mail: skim@psu.edu [Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 230 Reber Building, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Hoxie, Chris [The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Revised conductivity probe circuit to eliminate signal “ghosting” among sensors. • Higher sampling frequencies suggested for bubble number frequency and a{sub i} measurements. • Two-phase parameter sensitivity to measurement duration and bubble number investigated. • Sensors parallel to pipe wall recommended for symmetric bubble velocity measurements. • Sensor separation distance ratio (s/d) greater than four minimizes bubble velocity error. - Abstract: The objective of this study is to advance the local multi-sensor conductivity probe measurement technique through systematic investigation into several practical aspects of a conductivity probe measurement system. Firstly, signal “ghosting” among probe sensors is found to cause artificially high bubble velocity measurements and low interfacial area concentration (a{sub i}) measurements that depend on sampling frequency and sensor impedance. A revised electrical circuit is suggested to eliminate this artificial variability. Secondly, the sensitivity of the probe measurements to sampling frequency is investigated in 13 two-phase flow conditions with superficial liquid and gas velocities ranging from 1.00–5.00 m/s and 0.17–2.0 m/s, respectively. With increasing gas flow rate, higher sampling frequencies, greater than 100 kHz in some cases, are required to adequately capture the bubble number frequency and a{sub i} measurements. This trend is due to the increase in gas velocity and the transition to the slug flow regime. Thirdly, the sensitivity of the probe measurements to the measurement duration as well as the sample number is investigated for the same flow conditions. Measurements of both group-I (spherical/distorted) and group-II (cap/slug/churn-turbulent) bubbles are found to be relatively insensitive to both the measurement duration and the number of bubbles, as long as the measurements are made for a duration long enough to capture a collection of samples characteristic to a

Development of an apparatus for measuring the thermal conductivity of irradiated or non-irradiated graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bocquet, M.; Micaud, G.

1962-01-01

An apparatus was developed for measuring the thermal conductivity coefficient K of irradiated or non-irradiated graphite. The measurement of K at around room temperature with an accuracy of about 6% is possible. The study specimen is placed in a vacuum between a hot and a cold source which create a temperature gradient ΔΘ/ Δx in the steady state. The amount of heat transferred, Q, is deduced from the electrical power dissipated at the hot source, after allowing for heat losses. The thermal conductivity coefficient is defined as: K = Q/S. Δx/ΔΘ, S being the cross section of the sample. Systematic studies have made it possible to determine the mean values of the thermal conductivity. (authors) [fr

Identification of Scattering Mechanisms from Measured Impulse Response Signatures of Several Conducting Objects.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-02-01

conducting sphere 35 compared to inverse transform of exact solution. 4-5. Measured impulse response of a conducting 2:1 right 37 circular cylinder with...frequency domain. This is equivalent to multiplication in the time domain by the inverse transform of w(n), which is shown in Figure 3-1 for N=15. The...equivalent pulse width from 0.066 T for the rectangular window to 0.10 T for the Hanning window. The inverse transform of the Hanning window is shown

Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement by MRI. A test of its validity and the electrical conductivity characteristics of glioma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tha, Khin Khin; Kudo, Kohsuke [Hokkaido University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, N-14, W-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo (Japan); Hokkaido University, Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Sapporo (Japan); Katscher, Ulrich; Stehning, Christian [Philips Research Laboratories, Hamburg (Germany); Yamaguchi, Shigeru; Terasaka, Shunsuke; Kazumata, Ken [Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Department of Neurosurgery, Sapporo (Japan); Fujima, Noriyuki [Hokkaido University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, N-14, W-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo (Japan); Yamamoto, Toru [Hokkaido University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sapporo (Japan); Van Cauteren, Marc [Clinical Science Philips Healthtech Asia Pacific, Tokyo (Japan); Shirato, Hiroki [Hokkaido University, Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Sapporo (Japan); Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Department of Radiation Medicine, Sapporo (Japan)

2018-01-15

This study noninvasively examined the electrical conductivity (σ) characteristics of diffuse gliomas using MRI and tested its validity. MRI including a 3D steady-state free precession (3D SSFP) sequence was performed on 30 glioma patients. The σ maps were reconstructed from the phase images of the 3D SSFP sequence. The σ histogram metrics were extracted and compared among the contrast-enhanced (CET) and noncontrast-enhanced tumour components (NCET) and normal brain parenchyma (NP). Difference in tumour σ histogram metrics among tumour grades and correlation of σ metrics with tumour grades were tested. Validity of σ measurement using this technique was tested by correlating the mean tumour σ values measured using MRI with those measured ex vivo using a dielectric probe. Several σ histogram metrics of CET and NCET of diffuse gliomas were significantly higher than NP (Bonferroni-corrected p ≤.045). The maximum σ of NCET showed a moderate positive correlation with tumour grade (r =.571, Bonferroni-corrected p =.018). The mean tumour σ measured using MRI showed a moderate positive correlation with the σ measured ex vivo (r =.518, p =.040). Tissue σ can be evaluated using MRI, incorporation of which may better characterise diffuse gliomas. (orig.)

Development of a Handmade Conductivity Measurement Device for a Thin-Film Semiconductor and Its Application to Polypyrrole

Science.gov (United States)

Seng, Set; Shinpei, Tomita; Yoshihiko, Inada; Masakazu, Kita

2014-01-01

The precise measurement of conductivity of a semiconductor film such as polypyrrole (Ppy) should be carried out by the four-point probe method; however, this is difficult for classroom application. This article describes the development of a new, convenient, handmade conductivity device from inexpensive materials that can measure the conductivity…

Quantitative Method to Measure Thermal Conductivity of One-Dimensional Nanostructures Based on Scanning Thermal Wave Microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Kyung Bae; Chung, Jae Hun; Hwang, Gwang Seok; Jung, Eui Han; Kwon, Oh Myoung [Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

We present a method to quantitatively measure the thermal conductivity of one-dimensional nanostructures by utilizing scanning thermal wave microscopy (STWM) at a nanoscale spatial resolution. In this paper, we explain the principle for measuring the thermal diffusivity of one-dimensional nanostructures using STWM and the theoretical analysis procedure for quantifying the thermal diffusivity. The SWTM measurement method obtains the thermal conductivity by measuring the thermal diffusivity, which has only a phase lag relative to the distance corresponding to the transferred thermal wave. It is not affected by the thermal contact resistances between the heat source and nanostructure and between the nanostructure and probe. Thus, the heat flux applied to the nanostructure is accurately obtained. The proposed method provides a very simple and quantitative measurement relative to conventional measurement techniques.

Dielectric elastomers with novel highly-conducting electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Böse, Holger; Uhl, Detlev

2013-04-01

Beside the characteristics of the elastomer material itself, the performance of dielectric elastomers in actuator, sensor as well as generator applications depends also on the properties of the electrode material. Various electrode materials based on metallic particles dispersed in a silicone matrix were manufactured and investigated. Anisotropic particles such as silver-coated copper flakes and silver-coated glass flakes were used for the preparation of the electrodes. The concentration of the metallic particles and the thickness of the electrode layers were varied. Specific conductivities derived from resistance measurements reached about 100 S/cm and surmount those of the reference materials based on graphite and carbon black by up to three orders of magnitude. The high conductivities of the new electrode materials can be maintained even at very large stretch deformations up to 200 %.

A Hot-Wire Method Based Thermal Conductivity Measurement Apparatus for Teaching Purposes

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarado, S.; Marin, E.; Juarez, A. G.; Calderon, A.; Ivanov, R.

2012-01-01

The implementation of an automated system based on the hot-wire technique is described for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of liquids using equipment easily available in modern physics laboratories at high schools and universities (basically a precision current source and a voltage meter, a data acquisition card, a personal computer…

The Accuracy and Reproducibility of Linear Measurements Made on CBCT-derived Digital Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Maroua, Ahmad L; Ajaj, Mowaffak; Hajeer, Mohammad Y

2016-04-01

To evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of linear measurements made on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-derived digital models. A total of 25 patients (44% female, 18.7 ± 4 years) who had CBCT images for diagnostic purposes were included. Plaster models were obtained and digital models were extracted from CBCT scans. Seven linear measurements from predetermined landmarks were measured and analyzed on plaster models and the corresponding digital models. The measurements included arch length and width at different sites. Paired t test and Bland-Altman analysis were used to evaluate the accuracy of measurements on digital models compared to the plaster models. Also, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to evaluate the reproducibility of the measurements in order to assess the intraobserver reliability. The statistical analysis showed significant differences on 5 out of 14 variables, and the mean differences ranged from -0.48 to 0.51 mm. The Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the mean difference between variables was (0.14 ± 0.56) and (0.05 ± 0.96) mm and limits of agreement between the two methods ranged from -1.2 to 0.96 and from -1.8 to 1.9 mm in the maxilla and the mandible, respectively. The intraobserver reliability values were determined for all 14 variables of two types of models separately. The mean ICC value for the plaster models was 0.984 (0.924-0.999), while it was 0.946 for the CBCT models (range from 0.850 to 0.985). Linear measurements obtained from the CBCT-derived models appeared to have a high level of accuracy and reproducibility.

Discretionary Actions in Measuring Derivatives as a Mechanism for Earnings Management in Banks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Alves Dantas

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The paper has the purpose of identifying whether Brazilian banks use discretionary accounting choices when recognizing and measuring derivatives for practicing earnings management and which are the determinants of this practice. Using a two-stage model to segregate the discretionary part in the estimated fair value of derivatives and based on information from the third quarter of 2002 to the fourth quarter of 2010, the empirical results confirm the reversing nature of these discretionary actions, show that banks utilize this type of action as a mechanism for earnings smoothing, and disclose that this practice is more common in private institutions, smaller in asset size and with lower capitalization. The evidence advances with respect to the previous literature, which have identified the use of derivatives in practicing earnings management by banks, but have not associated this practice to discretionary actions by the management.

Combined Aircraft and Satellite-Derived Storm Electric Current and Lightning Rates Measurements and Implications for the Global Electric Circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Mach, Douglas M.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Bateman, Monte G.

2010-01-01

Using rotating vane electric field mills and Gerdien capacitors, we measured the electric field profile and conductivity during 850 overflights of electrified shower clouds and thunderstorms spanning regions including the Southeastern United States, the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Central America and adjacent oceans, Central Brazil, and the South Pacific. The overflights include storms over land and ocean, with and without lightning, and with positive and negative fields above the storms. The measurements were made with the NASA ER-2 and the Altus-II high altitude aircrafts. Peak electric fields, with lightning transients removed, ranged from -1.0 kV/m to 16 kV/m, with a mean value of 0.9 kV/m. The median peak field was 0.29 kV/m. Integrating our electric field and conductivity data, we determined total conduction currents and flash rates for each overpass. With knowledge of the storm location (land or ocean) and type (with or without lightning), we determine the mean currents by location and type. The mean current for ocean storms with lightning is 1.6 A while the mean current for land storms with lightning is 1.0 A. The mean current for oceanic storms without lightning (i.e., electrified shower clouds) is 0.39 A and the mean current for land storms without lightning is 0.13 A. Thus, on average, land storms with or without lightning have about half the mean current as their corresponding oceanic storm counterparts. Over three-quarters (78%) of the land storms had detectable lightning, while less than half (43%) of the oceanic storms had lightning. We did not find any significant regional or latitudinal based patterns in our total conduction currents. By combining the aircraft derived storm currents and flash rates with diurnal lightning statistics derived from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and Optical Transient Detector (OTD) low Earth orbiting satellites, we reproduce the diurnal variation in the global electric circuit (i.e., the Carnegie

Internal contamination measurements conducted in Europe after the Chernobyl accident, bibliographical revue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Despres, A.

1990-01-01

When the radioactivity levels actually ingested by the populations of various European countries were being assessed, it was decided to conduct many in vivo measurements and measurements on excreta. The data acquired in this way for a wide range of different populations are reviewed in this report. Caesium ( 137 Cs and 134 Cs) and iodine-131, were the only radionuclides to be studied systematically. It is shown in this report that the levels of radioactivity ingested, calculated on the basis of measurements in the food chain, were constantly overestimated by up to one order of magnitude. It is also shown that there is a good correlation between the geographical distribution of the quantities ingested and the charted radionuclide deposits

Auroral zone E-region conductivities during solar minimum derived from EISCAT data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlegel, K.

1988-01-01

From two years of EISCAT data (1985-1986, a period of low solar activity) 8337 E-region conductivity profiles have been calculated as 5-min averages. From these profiles the height of the conductivity maxima for the Hall and Pedersen conductivities (H max ), the height-integrated Hall and Pedersen conductivities and the ratio of both have been computed. Histograms as well as average values of these quantities are displayed as a function of K p and of magnetic local time. The former results showed quantitatively the increase of the conductivities and the decrease of H max with increasing magnetic activity. The latter results revealed that on the average the conductivities are maximal in the early morning hours due to hard particle precipitation, H max being affected both by the solar zenith angle and by particle precipitation. The solar zenith angle dependence of the conductivities is only significant for low K p -values. Latitudinal profiles of the height-integrated conductivities show quantitatively the southward shift of the average conductivity maximum with increasing magnetic activity

Applicability of cable theory to vascular conducted responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hald, Bjørn Olav; Jensen, Lars Jørn; Sørensen, Preben Graae; Holstein-Rathlou, Niels-Henrik; Jacobsen, Jens Christian Brings

2012-03-21

Conduction processes in the vasculature have traditionally been described using cable theory, i.e., locally induced signals decaying passively along the arteriolar wall. The decay is typically quantified using the steady-state length-constant, λ, derived from cable theory. However, the applicability of cable theory to blood vessels depends on assumptions that are not necessarily fulfilled in small arteries and arterioles. We have employed a morphologically and electrophysiologically detailed mathematical model of a rat mesenteric arteriole to investigate if the assumptions hold and whether λ adequately describes simulated conduction profiles. We find that several important cable theory assumptions are violated when applied to small blood vessels. However, the phenomenological use of a length-constant from a single exponential function is a good measure of conduction length. Hence, λ should be interpreted as a descriptive measure and not in light of cable theory. Determination of λ using cable theory assumes steady-state conditions. In contrast, using the model it is possible to probe how conduction behaves before steady state is achieved. As ion channels have time-dependent activation and inactivation, the conduction profile changes considerably during this dynamic period with an initially longer spread of current. This may have implications in relation to explaining why different agonists have different conduction properties. Also, it illustrates the necessity of using and developing models that handle the nonlinearity of ion channels. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The difference in the thermal conductivity of nanofluids measured by different methods and its rationalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zagabathuni, Aparna; Ghosh, Sudipto; Pabi, Shyamal Kumar

2016-01-01

A suspension of particles below 100 nm in size, usually termed as nanofluid, often shows a notable enhancement in thermal conductivity, when measured by the transient hot-wire method. In contrast, when the conductivity of the same nanofluid is measured by the laser flash method, the enhancement reported is about one order of magnitude lower. This difference has been quantitatively resolved for the first time on the basis of the collision-mediated heat transfer model for nanofluids proposed earlier by our research group. Based on the continuum simulation coupled with stochastic analysis, the present theoretical prediction agrees well with the experimental observations from different measuring methods reported in the literature, and fully accounts for the different results from the two measuring methods mentioned above. This analysis also gives an indication that the nanofluids are unlikely to be effective for heat transfer in microchannels.

Evaluating soil moisture and hydraulic conductivity in semi-arid rangeland soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitaker, M.P.L.

1993-01-01

The US DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (DOE-OCRWM) Fellowship Program supports various disciplines of academic research related to the isolation of radionuclides from the biosphere. The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of a university research application in the specific discipline of hydrology and water resources (a multi-disciplinary field encompassing engineering and the earth sciences), and to discuss how this research pertains to the objectives of the DOE-OCRWM Fellowship Program. The university research application is twofold: One portion focuses on the spatial variability of soil moisture (θ) and the other section compares point measurements with small watershed estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K) in a semi-arid rangeland soil in Arizona. For soil moisture measurements collected over a range of horizontal sampling intervals, no spatial correlation was evident. This outcome is reassuring to computer modelers who have assumed no spatial correlation for soil moisture over smaller scales. In regard to hydraulic conductivity, point measurements differed significantly from small watershed estimates of hydraulic conductivity which were derived from a calibrated and verified rainfall-runoff computer model. The estimates of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were obtained from previous computer simulations in which measured data was collected in the same research location as the present study

A correction scheme for thermal conductivity measurement using the comparative cut-bar technique based on 3D numerical simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Changhu; Folsom, Charles; Jensen, Colby; Ban, Heng; Marshall, Douglas W

2014-01-01

As an important factor affecting the accuracy of thermal conductivity measurement, systematic (bias) error in the guarded comparative axial heat flow (cut-bar) method was mostly neglected by previous researches. This bias is primarily due to the thermal conductivity mismatch between sample and meter bars (reference), which is common for a sample of unknown thermal conductivity. A correction scheme, based on finite element simulation of the measurement system, was proposed to reduce the magnitude of the overall measurement uncertainty. This scheme was experimentally validated by applying corrections on four types of sample measurements in which the specimen thermal conductivity is much smaller, slightly smaller, equal and much larger than that of the meter bar. As an alternative to the optimum guarding technique proposed before, the correction scheme can be used to minimize the uncertainty contribution from the measurement system with non-optimal guarding conditions. It is especially necessary for large thermal conductivity mismatches between sample and meter bars. (paper)

Deriving Structural Information from Experimentally Measured Data on Biomolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

van Gunsteren, Wilfred F; Allison, Jane R; Daura, Xavier; Dolenc, Jožica; Hansen, Niels; Mark, Alan E; Oostenbrink, Chris; Rusu, Victor H; Smith, Lorna J

2016-12-23

During the past half century, the number and accuracy of experimental techniques that can deliver values of observables for biomolecular systems have been steadily increasing. The conversion of a measured value Q exp of an observable quantity Q into structural information is, however, a task beset with theoretical and practical problems: 1) insufficient or inaccurate values of Q exp , 2) inaccuracies in the function Q(r→) used to relate the quantity Q to structure r→ , 3) how to account for the averaging inherent in the measurement of Q exp , 4) how to handle the possible multiple-valuedness of the inverse r→(Q) of the function Q(r→) , to mention a few. These apply to a variety of observable quantities Q and measurement techniques such as X-ray and neutron diffraction, small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering, free-electron laser imaging, cryo-electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, circular dichroism, Förster resonance energy transfer, atomic force microscopy and ion-mobility mass spectrometry. The process of deriving structural information from measured data is reviewed with an eye to non-experts and newcomers in the field using examples from the literature of the effect of the various choices and approximations involved in the process. A list of choices to be avoided is provided. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Neural assembly models derived through nano-scale measurements.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Hongyou; Branda, Catherine; Schiek, Richard Louis; Warrender, Christina E.; Forsythe, James Chris

2009-09-01

This report summarizes accomplishments of a three-year project focused on developing technical capabilities for measuring and modeling neuronal processes at the nanoscale. It was successfully demonstrated that nanoprobes could be engineered that were biocompatible, and could be biofunctionalized, that responded within the range of voltages typically associated with a neuronal action potential. Furthermore, the Xyce parallel circuit simulator was employed and models incorporated for simulating the ion channel and cable properties of neuronal membranes. The ultimate objective of the project had been to employ nanoprobes in vivo, with the nematode C elegans, and derive a simulation based on the resulting data. Techniques were developed allowing the nanoprobes to be injected into the nematode and the neuronal response recorded. To the authors's knowledge, this is the first occasion in which nanoparticles have been successfully employed as probes for recording neuronal response in an in vivo animal experimental protocol.

Efficiency of the Needle Probe Test for Evaluation of Thermal Conductivity of Composite Materials: Two-Scale Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Łydżba Dariusz

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The needle probe test, as a thermal conductivity measurement method, has become very popular in recent years. In the present study, the efficiency of this methodology, for the case of composite materials, is investigated based on the numerical simulations. The material under study is a two-phase composite with periodic microstructure of “matrix-inclusion” type. Two-scale analysis, incorporating micromechanics approach, is performed. First, the effective thermal conductivity of the composite considered is found by the solution of the appropriate boundary value problem stated for the single unit cell. Next, numerical simulations of the needle probe test are carried out. In this case, two different locations of the measuring sensor are considered. It is shown that the “equivalent” conductivity, derived from the probe test, is strongly affected by the location of the sensor. Moreover, comparing the results obtained for different scales, one can notice that the “equivalent” conductivity cannot be interpreted as the effective one for the composites considered. Hence, a crude approximation of the effective property is proposed based on the volume fractions of constituents and the equivalent conductivities derived from different sensor locations.

Analytical and numerical treatment of the heat conduction equation obtained via time-fractional distributed-order heat conduction law

Science.gov (United States)

Želi, Velibor; Zorica, Dušan

2018-02-01

Generalization of the heat conduction equation is obtained by considering the system of equations consisting of the energy balance equation and fractional-order constitutive heat conduction law, assumed in the form of the distributed-order Cattaneo type. The Cauchy problem for system of energy balance equation and constitutive heat conduction law is treated analytically through Fourier and Laplace integral transform methods, as well as numerically by the method of finite differences through Adams-Bashforth and Grünwald-Letnikov schemes for approximation derivatives in temporal domain and leap frog scheme for spatial derivatives. Numerical examples, showing time evolution of temperature and heat flux spatial profiles, demonstrate applicability and good agreement of both methods in cases of multi-term and power-type distributed-order heat conduction laws.

Thermal conductivity of Al–Cu–Mg–Si alloys: Experimental measurement and CALPHAD modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Cong [State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Sino-German cooperation group “Microstructure in Al alloys”, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Du, Yong, E-mail: yong-du@csu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Sino-German cooperation group “Microstructure in Al alloys”, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Liu, Shuhong; Liu, Yuling [State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Sino-German cooperation group “Microstructure in Al alloys”, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Sundman, Bo. [INSTN, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

2016-07-10

Highlights: • The thermal conductivities of Al–x wt% Cu (x = 1, 3, 5, 15 and 30) and Al–y wt% Si (y = 2, 12.5 and 20) alloys were determined. • The reported thermal conductivities of Al–Cu–Mg–Si system were critically reviewed. • The CALPHAD approach was applied for the modeling of thermal conductivity. • The applicability of CALPHAD technique in the modeling of thermal conductivity was discussed. - Abstract: In the present work, the thermal conductivities and microstructure of Al–x wt% Cu (x = 1, 3, 5, 15 and 30) and Al–y wt% Si (y = 2, 12.5 and 20) alloys were investigated by using laser-flash method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Besides, a CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) approach to evaluate the thermal conductivity of Al–Cu–Mg–Si system was performed. The numerical models for the thermal conductivity of pure elements and stoichiometric phases were described as polynomials, and the coefficients were optimized via PARROT module of Thermal-Calc software applied to the experimental data. The thermal conductivity of (Al)-based solid solutions was described by using Redlich–Kister interaction parameters. For alloys in two-phase region, the interface scattering parameter was proposed in the modeling to describe the impediment of interfaces on the heat transfer. Finally, a set of self-consistent parameters for the description of thermal conductivity in Al–Cu–Mg–Si system was obtained, and comprehensive comparisons between the calculated and measured thermal conductivities show that the experimental information is satisfactorily accounted for by the present modeling.

Monte Carlo evaluation of derivative-based global sensitivity measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucherenko, S.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, M.; Pantelides, C.; Shah, N.

2009-01-01

A novel approach for evaluation of derivative-based global sensitivity measures (DGSM) is presented. It is compared with the Morris and the Sobol' sensitivity indices methods. It is shown that there is a link between DGSM and Sobol' sensitivity indices. DGSM are very easy to implement and evaluate numerically. The computational time required for numerical evaluation of DGSM is many orders of magnitude lower than that for estimation of the Sobol' sensitivity indices. It is also lower than that for the Morris method. Efficiencies of Monte Carlo (MC) and quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) sampling methods for calculation of DGSM are compared. It is shown that the superiority of QMC over MC depends on the problem's effective dimension, which can also be estimated using DGSM.

Measuring oxygen surface exchange kinetics on mixed-conducting composites by electrical conductivity relaxation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, Bobing; Wang, Yunlong; Zhu, Zhuoying; Xia, Changrong; Bouwmeester, Henricus J.M.

2015-01-01

The oxygen release kinetics of mixed-conducting Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5O6 d–Sm0.2Ce0.8O2 d (SFM–SDC) dualphase composites has been investigated, at 750 C, as a function of the SDC phase volume fraction using electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) under reducing atmospheres, extending our previous work on

Reexamination of basal plane thermal conductivity of suspended graphene samples measured by electro-thermal micro-bridge methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Insun Jo

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Thermal transport in suspended graphene samples has been measured in prior works and this work with the use of a suspended electro-thermal micro-bridge method. These measurement results are analyzed here to evaluate and eliminate the errors caused by the extrinsic thermal contact resistance. It is noted that the room-temperature thermal resistance measured in a recent work increases linearly with the suspended length of the single-layer graphene samples synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD, and that such a feature does not reveal the failure of Fourier’s law despite the increase in the reported apparent thermal conductivity with length. The re-analyzed apparent thermal conductivity of a single-layer CVD graphene sample reaches about 1680 ± 180 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature, which is close to the highest value reported for highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. In comparison, the apparent thermal conductivity values measured for two suspended exfoliated bi-layer graphene samples are about 880 ± 60 and 730 ± 60 Wm−1K−1 at room temperature, and approach that of the natural graphite source above room temperature. However, the low-temperature thermal conductivities of these suspended graphene samples are still considerably lower than the graphite values, with the peak thermal conductivities shifted to much higher temperatures. Analysis of the thermal conductivity data reveals that the low temperature behavior is dominated by phonon scattering by polymer residue instead of by the lateral boundary.

Thermal conductivity measurement of the He-ion implanted layer of W using transient thermoreflectance technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qu, Shilian; Li, Yuanfei [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wang, Zhigang [Department of Electronic Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Jia, Yuzhen [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Science and Technology on Reactor Fuel and Materials Laboratory, Nuclear Power Institute of China, Chengdu 610213 (China); Li, Chun [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144 (China); Xu, Ben; Chen, Wanqi [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Bai, Suyuan [School of Physics and Electronic Technology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029 (China); Huang, Zhengxing; Tang, Zhenan [Department of Electronic Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Liu, Wei, E-mail: liuw@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2017-02-15

Transient thermoreflectance method was applied on the thermal conductivity measurement of the surface damaged layer of He-implanted tungsten. Uniform damages tungsten surface layer was produced by multi-energy He-ion implantation with thickness of 450 nm. Result shows that the thermal conductivity is reduced by 90%. This technique was further applied on sample with holes on the surface, which was produced by the He-implanted at 2953 K. The thermal conductivity decreases to 3% from the bulk value.

Comparison of measured and satellite-derived spectral diffuse attenuation coefficients for the Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Suresh, T.; Talaulikar, M.; Desa, E.; Matondkar, S.G.P.; Mascarenhas, A.

The results of study comparing the spectral diffuse attenuation coefficients Kd(Lambda) measured in the Arabian Sea with those derived from the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) using three algorithms, of which two are empirical...

Heat conduction using Green’s functions

CERN Document Server

Cole, Kevin D; Haji-Sheikh, A; Litkouhi, Bahman

2010-01-01

Introduction to Green's FunctionsHeat Flux and TemperatureDifferential Energy EquationBoundary and Initial ConditionsIntegral Energy EquationDirac Delta FunctionSteady Heat Conduction in One DimensionGF in the Infinite One-Dimensional BodyTemperature in an Infinite One-Dimensional BodyTwo Interpretations of Green's FunctionsTemperature in Semi-Infinite BodiesFlat PlatesProperties Common to Transient Green's FunctionsHeterogeneous BodiesAnisotropic BodiesTransformationsNon-Fourier Heat ConductionNumbering System in Heat ConductionGeometry and Boundary Condition Numbering SystemBoundary Condition ModifiersInitial Temperature DistributionInterface DescriptorsNumbering System for g(x, t)Examples of Numbering SystemAdvantages of Numbering SystemDerivation of the Green's Function Solution EquationDerivation of the One-Dimensional Green's Function Solution EquationGeneral Form of the Green's Function Solution EquationAlternative Green's Function Solution EquationFin Term m2TSteady Heat ConductionMoving SolidsMethods...

The difference in the thermal conductivity of nanofluids measured by different methods and its rationalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aparna Zagabathuni

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A suspension of particles below 100 nm in size, usually termed as nanofluid, often shows a notable enhancement in thermal conductivity, when measured by the transient hot-wire method. In contrast, when the conductivity of the same nanofluid is measured by the laser flash method, the enhancement reported is about one order of magnitude lower. This difference has been quantitatively resolved for the first time on the basis of the collision-mediated heat transfer model for nanofluids proposed earlier by our research group. Based on the continuum simulation coupled with stochastic analysis, the present theoretical prediction agrees well with the experimental observations from different measuring methods reported in the literature, and fully accounts for the different results from the two measuring methods mentioned above. This analysis also gives an indication that the nanofluids are unlikely to be effective for heat transfer in microchannels.

New constraints on Earth’s radial conductivity structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Püthe, C.; Kuvshinov, A.; Olsen, Nils

2014-01-01

We present a new model of Earth’s radial (1-D) conductivity structure at depths between 10 km and the core-mantle boundary. It is based on CM5, the latest version in the Comprehensive Model series that has been derived using 13 years (September 2000 to September 2013) of magnetic data collected...... method. The Hessian matrix of the misfit function, which is derived analytically, is used to estimate confidence limits for the conductivity of each layer. The resulting conductivity-depth profile is compared to 1-D conductivity models of Earth’s mantle recovered in previous studies....

Evaluation of point-of-care analyzers' ability to reduce bias in conductivity-based hematocrit measurement during cardiopulmonary bypass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teerenstra, S.; Steinfelder-Visscher, J.; Gunnewiek, J.K.; Weerwind, P.W.

2014-01-01

Most point-of-care testing analyzers use the conductivity method to measure hematocrit (hct). During open-heart surgery, blood-conductivity is influenced by shifts in electrolyte and colloid concentrations caused by infusion media used, and this may lead to considerable bias in the hct measurement.

Ionic conductivity of polymer gels deriving from alkali metal ionic liquids and negatively charged polyelectrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogihara, Wataru; Sun Jiazeng; Forsyth, Maria; MacFarlane, Douglas R.; Yoshizawa, Masahiro; Ohno, Hiroyuki

2004-01-01

We have prepared polymer gel electrolytes with alkali metal ionic liquids (AMILs) that inherently contain alkali metal ions. The AMIL consisted of sulfate anion, imidazolium cation, and alkali metal cation. AMILs were mixed directly with poly(3-sulfopropyl acrylate) lithium salt or poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) lithium salt to form polymer gels. The ionic conductivity of these gels decreased with increasing polymer fraction, as in general ionic liquid/polymer mixed systems. At low polymer concentrations, these gels displayed excellent ionic conductivity of 10 -4 to 10 -3 S cm -1 at room temperature. Gelation was found to cause little change in the 7 Li diffusion coefficient of the ionic liquid, as measured by pulse-field-gradient NMR. These data strongly suggest that the lithium cation migrates in successive pathways provided by the ionic liquids

USING HOT WIRE TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF INFUSIONS OF ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL COFFEE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Gordillo-Delgado

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The technique of hot wire, a versatile method of low cost and high accuracy for measuring the thermal conductivity of fluids through the increasing temperature of a wire that is immersed into the liquid and between its ends a potential difference is abruptly applied. Using well-known conductivity liquids: water, ethylene glycol and glycerine, the system was tested and calibrated. In this work, this procedure was used to measure the thermal conductivity of the infusion samples of organic and conventional coffee. The same roast degree of the beans was verified with a colorimeter and the preparation was made by pressing 22g of coffee powder in 110mL of water. The obtained data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA and this confirmed that the differences in the thermophysical parameter in the two samples are significant with a confidence level of 95\\%. On this way, it was proved that the thermal conductivity value of the coffee infusion allows differentiate between organic and conventional coffee.

Fertilization effects on the electrical conductivity measured by EMI, ERT, and GPR

Science.gov (United States)

Weihermueller, L.; Kaufmann, M.; Steinberger, P.; Pätzold, S.; Vereecken, H.; Van Der Kruk, J.

2017-12-01

Near surface geophysics such as electromagnetic induction (EMI), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and ground penetrating radar (GPR) are widely used for field characterization, to delineate soil units, and to estimate soil texture, bulk densities and/or soil water contents. Hereby, the measured soil apparent conductivity (ECa) is often used. Soil ECa is governed by horizontal and vertical changes in soil texture, mineralogy, soil water content, and temperature, and the single contributions are not easy to disentangle. Within single fields and between fields fertilization management may vary spatially, which holds especially for field trials. As a result, ECa might vary due to differences in electrolyte concentration and subsequent pore fluid conductivity, but secondary fertilization effects might also play a major role in ECa differences such as differences in soil water uptake by growing plants. To study the direct effect of mineral fertilization on ECa, a field experiment was performed on 21 bare soil plots each of a size of 9 m2, where 7 different fertilization treatments were established in triplicates. As mineral fertilizers, commercial calcium ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride were chosen and applied in dosages of 200, 400, and 2000 kg ha-1 N equivalent. Additionally, soil water, soil temperature, and EC were recorded in a pit at different depths using commercial sensors. Changes in ECa were measured every 10 days using EMI and monthly using GPR and ERT. Additionally, soil samples were monthly taken at all plots and nitrate, chloride, and potassium contents were measured in the lab. The poster will show the effect of ECa changes due to fertilization and corresponding leaching of the fertilized elements over time. The experimental results provide information of how fertilization is influencing ECa readings and how long the fertilizers are influencing ECa measurements with geophysical instruments. This study helps to overcome restricted

In situ electrical conductivity measurements of H{sub 2}O under static pressure up to 28 GPa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Bao, E-mail: liubao@nedu.edu.cn [Institute of Materials Physics, College of Science, Northeast Dianli University, Jilin 132012 (China); State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Gao, Yang [State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 (United States); Han, Yonghao [State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Ma, Yanzhang [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 (United States); Gao, Chunxiao, E-mail: cc060109@qq.com [State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China)

2016-08-26

Highlights: • We conduct in situ electrical conductivity measurements on water in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) under high pressure up to 28 GPa and study the electrical transport properties of water and ices. • In liquid state, the increasing rate of electrical conductivity with pressure is slower than that obtained in shock-waves measurements. • In solid phase, the relationship between electrical conductivity and pressure is discontinuous, which is corresponding to phase transformation from ice VIII to ice VII. • The difference in electrical conductivity of VI, VII, and VIII may associate with different orientational ordering in these ices. • The electrical conduction in these ices is dominated by already existing ions and Bjerrum defects, which play an important role in electrical transport properties of ices. - Abstract: The in situ electrical conductivity measurements on water in both solid state and liquid state were performed under pressure up to 28 GPa and temperature from 77 K to 300 K using a microcircuit fabricated on a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Water chemically ionization mainly contributes to electrical conduction in liquid state, which is in accord with the results obtained under dynamic pressure. Energy band theory of liquid water was used to understand effect of static pressure on electrical conduction of water. The electric conductivity of H{sub 2}O decreased discontinuously by four orders of magnitude at 0.7–0.96 GPa, indicating water frozen at this P–T condition. Correspondingly, the conduction of H{sub 2}O in solid state is determined by arrangement and bending of H-bond in ice VI and ice VII. Based on Jaccard theory, we have concluded that the charge carriers of ice are already existing ions and Bjerrum defects.

Measuring lateral saturated soil hydraulic conductivity at different spatial scales

Science.gov (United States)

Di Prima, Simone; Marrosu, Roberto; Pirastru, Mario; Niedda, Marcello

2017-04-01

Among the soil hydraulic properties, saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks, is particularly important since it controls many hydrological processes. Knowledge of this soil property allows estimation of dynamic indicators of the soil's ability to transmit water down to the root zone. Such dynamic indicators are valuable tools to quantify land degradation and developing 'best management' land use practice (Castellini et al., 2016; Iovino et al., 2016). In hillslopes, lateral saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks,l, is a key factor since it controls subsurface flow. However, Ks,l data collected by point-scale measurements, including infiltrations tests, could be unusable for interpreting field hydrological processes and particularly subsurface flow in hillslopes. Therefore, they are generally not representative of subsurface processes at hillslope-scale due mainly to soil heterogeneities and the unknown total extent and connectivity of macropore network in the porous medium. On the other hand, large scale Ks,l measurements, which allow to average soil heterogeneities, are difficult and costly, thus remain rare. Reliable Ks,l values should be measured on a soil volume similar to the representative elementary volume (REV) in order to incorporate the natural heterogeneity of the soil. However, the REV may be considered site-specific since it is expected to increase for soils with macropores (Brooks et al., 2004). In this study, laboratory and in-situ Ks,l values are compared in order to detect the dependency Ks,l from the spatial scale of investigation. The research was carried out at a hillslope located in the Baratz Lake watershed, in northwest Sardinia, Italy, characterized by degraded vegetation (grassland established after fire or clearing of the maquis). The experimental area is about 60 m long, with an extent of approximately 2000 m2, and a mean slope of 30%. The soil depth is about 35 to 45 cm. The parent material is a very dense grayish, altered

Experimental measurements of the thermal conductivity of ash deposits: Part 2. Effects of sintering and deposit microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A. L. Robinson; S. G. Buckley; N. Yang; L. L. Baxter

2000-04-01

The authors report results from an experimental study that examines the influence of sintering and microstructure on ash deposit thermal conductivity. The measurements are made using a technique developed to make in situ, time-resolved measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of ash deposits formed under conditions that closely replicate those found in the convective pass of a commercial boiler. The technique is designed to minimize the disturbance of the natural deposit microstructure. The initial stages of sintering and densification are accompanied by an increase in deposit thermal conductivity. Subsequent sintering continues to densify the deposit, but has little effect on deposit thermal conductivity. SEM analyses indicates that sintering creates a layered deposit structure with a relatively unsintered innermost layer. They hypothesize that this unsintered layer largely determines the overall deposit thermal conductivity. A theoretical model that treats a deposit as a two-layered material predicts the observed trends in thermal conductivity.

Role of P{sub 2}O{sub 5} on protonic conduction in sol-gel-derived binary phosphosilicate glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, C.; Abe, Y.; Kasuga, T.; Nogami, M. [Nagoya Institute of Technology, Aichi (Japan). Dept. of Materials Sceince and Engineering

1999-11-01

Sol-gel derived P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-SiO{sub 2} glasses were studied and a remarkable improvement in protonic conduction was observed by increasing the P{sub 2}O{sub 5} content. This was attributed to (1) the variation in glass structure including the reduction of the degree of cross-linking skeleton and the increase of specific surface area of glass due to the non-bridging oxygen (P=O) in P-O tetrahedron, (2) the formation of stronger hydrogen bond between hydroxyl group and P=O group as well as hydroxyl group and, (3) the p-{pi} resonance effect in O{sub (3-t)}PO(OH){sub t} unit. (author)

Measurements of the apparent thermal conductivity of multi-layer insulation between 20 K and 90 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurd, Joseph A.; Van Sciver, Steven W.

2014-01-01

NASA has the need to efficiently store cryogenic propellants in space for long periods of time. One method to improve storage efficiency is to use multi-layer insulation (MLI), a technique that minimizes the boiling rate due to radiation heat transfer. Typically, the thermal performance of MLI is determined by measuring the rate of evaporation of liquid nitrogen from a calibrated cryostat. The main limitation with this method is that testing conditions are restricted by the boiling temperature of the LN 2 , which may not match the requirements of the application. The Multi-Layer Insulation Thermal Conductivity Experiment (MIKE) at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is capable of measuring the effective thermal conductivity of MLI at variable boundary temperatures. MIKE uses cryo-refrigerators to control boundary temperatures in the calorimeter and a calibrated thermal link to measure the heat load. To make the measurements requested by NASA, MIKE needed to be recalibrated for the 20 K to 90 K range. Also, due to the expectation of a lower heat transfer rate, the heat load support rod material was changed to one with a lower thermal conductivity to ensure the temperature difference seen on the cold rod could be measurable at the estimated heat load. Presented are the alterations to MIKE including calibration data and heat load measurements on new load-bearing MLI supplied by NASA

Importance of conduction electron correlation in a Kondo lattice, Ce₂CoSi₃.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Swapnil; Pandey, Sudhir K; Medicherla, V R R; Singh, R S; Bindu, R; Sampathkumaran, E V; Maiti, Kalobaran

2010-06-30

Kondo systems are usually described by the interaction of the correlation induced local moments with the highly itinerant conduction electrons. Here, we study the role of electron correlations among conduction electrons in the electronic structure of a Kondo lattice compound, Ce₂CoSi₃, using high resolution photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio band structure calculations, where Co 3d electrons contribute in the conduction band. High energy resolution employed in the measurements helped to reveal the signatures of Ce 4f states derived Kondo resonance features at the Fermi level and the dominance of Co 3d contributions at higher binding energies in the conduction band. The lineshape of the experimental Co 3d band is found to be significantly different from that obtained from the band structure calculations within the local density approximations, LDA. Consideration of electron-electron Coulomb repulsion, U, among Co 3d electrons within the LDA + U method leads to a better representation of experimental results. The signature of an electron correlation induced satellite feature is also observed in the Co 2p core level spectrum. These results clearly demonstrate the importance of the electron correlation among conduction electrons in deriving the microscopic description of such Kondo systems.

Effects of contact resistance on electrical conductivity measurements of SiC-based materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Youngblood, G.E.; Thomsen, E.C.; Henager, C.H., E-mail: chuck.henager@pnnl.gov

2013-11-15

A combination 2/4-probe method was used to measure electrical resistances across a pure, monolithic CVD-SiC disc sample with contact resistance at the SiC/metallic electrode interfaces. By comparison of the almost simultaneous 2/4-probe measurements, the specific contact resistance (R{sub c}) and its temperature dependence were determined for two types (sputtered gold and porous nickel) electrodes from room temperature (RT) to ∼973 K. The R{sub c}-values behaved similarly for each type of metallic electrode: R{sub c} > ∼1000 Ω cm{sup 2} at RT, decreasing continuously to ∼1–10 Ω cm{sup 2} at 973 K. The temperature dependence of the inverse R{sub c} indicated thermally activated electrical conduction across the SiC/metallic interface with an apparent activation energy of ∼0.3 eV. For the flow channel insert application in a fusion reactor blanket, contact resistance potentially could reduce the transverse electrical conductivity by about 50%.

Thermal separation of soil particles from thermal conductivity measurement under various air pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Sen; Ren, Tusheng; Lu, Yili; Meng, Ping; Zhang, Jinsong

2017-01-05

The thermal conductivity of dry soils is related closely to air pressure and the contact areas between solid particles. In this study, the thermal conductivity of two-phase soil systems was determined under reduced and increased air pressures. The thermal separation of soil particles, i.e., the characteristic dimension of the pore space (d), was then estimated based on the relationship between soil thermal conductivity and air pressure. Results showed that under both reduced and increased air pressures, d estimations were significantly larger than the geometrical mean separation of solid particles (D), which suggested that conductive heat transfer through solid particles dominated heat transfer in dry soils. The increased air pressure approach gave d values lower than that of the reduced air pressure method. With increasing air pressure, more collisions between gas molecules and solid surface occurred in micro-pores and intra-aggregate pores due to the reduction of mean free path of air molecules. Compared to the reduced air pressure approach, the increased air pressure approach expressed more micro-pore structure attributes in heat transfer. We concluded that measuring thermal conductivity under increased air pressure procedures gave better-quality d values, and improved soil micro-pore structure estimation.

Sympathetic nervous system activity measured by skin conductance quantifies the challenge of walking adaptability tasks after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, David J; Chatterjee, Sudeshna A; McGuirk, Theresa E; Porges, Eric C; Fox, Emily J; Balasubramanian, Chitralakshmi K

2018-02-01

Walking adaptability tasks are challenging for people with motor impairments. The construct of perceived challenge is typically measured by self-report assessments, which are susceptible to subjective measurement error. The development of an objective physiologically-based measure of challenge may help to improve the ability to assess this important aspect of mobility function. The objective of this study to investigate the use of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity measured by skin conductance to gauge the physiological stress response to challenging walking adaptability tasks in people post-stroke. Thirty adults with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis performed a battery of seventeen walking adaptability tasks. SNS activity was measured by skin conductance from the palmar surface of each hand. The primary outcome variable was the percent change in skin conductance level (ΔSCL) between the baseline resting and walking phases of each task. Task difficulty was measured by performance speed and by physical therapist scoring of performance. Walking function and balance confidence were measured by preferred walking speed and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, respectively. There was a statistically significant negative association between ΔSCL and task performance speed and between ΔSCL and clinical score, indicating that tasks with greater SNS activity had slower performance speed and poorer clinical scores. ΔSCL was significantly greater for low functioning participants versus high functioning participants, particularly during the most challenging walking adaptability tasks. This study supports the use of SNS activity measured by skin conductance as a valuable approach for objectively quantifying the perceived challenge of walking adaptability tasks in people post-stroke. Published by Elsevier B.V.

AC-Specific Heat and Heat Conductivity Derived from Thermal Effusivity Measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Tage Emil

It is shown how the 3-omega technique of AC-calorimetry applied to a plane heater with finite dimensions can be improved by including boundary effects.......It is shown how the 3-omega technique of AC-calorimetry applied to a plane heater with finite dimensions can be improved by including boundary effects....

Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and heat capacity of bulk and thin film materials using frequency-dependent transient thermoreflectance method.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jun; Zhu, Jie; Tian, Miao; Gu, Xiaokun; Schmidt, Aaron; Yang, Ronggui

2013-03-01

The increasing interest in the extraordinary thermal properties of nanostructures has led to the development of various measurement techniques. Transient thermoreflectance method has emerged as a reliable measurement technique for thermal conductivity of thin films. In this method, the determination of thermal conductivity usually relies much on the accuracy of heat capacity input. For new nanoscale materials with unknown or less-understood thermal properties, it is either questionable to assume bulk heat capacity for nanostructures or difficult to obtain the bulk form of those materials for a conventional heat capacity measurement. In this paper, we describe a technique for simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity κ and volumetric heat capacity C of both bulk and thin film materials using frequency-dependent time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) signals. The heat transfer model is analyzed first to find how different combinations of κ and C determine the frequency-dependent TDTR signals. Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity is then demonstrated with bulk Si and thin film SiO2 samples using frequency-dependent TDTR measurement. This method is further testified by measuring both thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity of novel hybrid organic-inorganic thin films fabricated using the atomic∕molecular layer deposition. Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and heat capacity can significantly shorten the development∕discovery cycle of novel materials.

Monte Carlo evaluation of derivative-based global sensitivity measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kucherenko, S. [Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: s.kucherenko@ic.ac.uk; Rodriguez-Fernandez, M. [Process Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (C.S.I.C.), C/ Eduardo Cabello, 6, 36208 Vigo (Spain); Pantelides, C.; Shah, N. [Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2009-07-15

A novel approach for evaluation of derivative-based global sensitivity measures (DGSM) is presented. It is compared with the Morris and the Sobol' sensitivity indices methods. It is shown that there is a link between DGSM and Sobol' sensitivity indices. DGSM are very easy to implement and evaluate numerically. The computational time required for numerical evaluation of DGSM is many orders of magnitude lower than that for estimation of the Sobol' sensitivity indices. It is also lower than that for the Morris method. Efficiencies of Monte Carlo (MC) and quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) sampling methods for calculation of DGSM are compared. It is shown that the superiority of QMC over MC depends on the problem's effective dimension, which can also be estimated using DGSM.

Application possibility of the direct current conduction method for nondestructive crack measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedl, R.

1982-01-01

An important value to determine the danger of cracks is the determination of crack depths. The crack depth can be determined quite accurate by means of the direct current conduction method, if one holds onto certain rules. Often complicated experimental set-ups are applied. However, portable commercial devices can be obtained that can be used for partial fluxation, that yield good results. By means of two examples: crack conduction samples in which the built-up of a constant-cracking is persued up to a certain depth, as well as the persuasion of an continuing crack in a bearing cylinder, shall be demonstrated that is very well possible to record accurate profiles with commercial devices and to avoid expensive measurement devices. (orig.) [de

Electric field variations measured continuously in free air over a conductive thin zone in the tilted Lias-epsilon black shales near Osnabrück, Northwest Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Gurk, M.; Bosch, F. P.; Tougiannidis, N.

2013-04-01

Common studies on the static electric field distribution over a conductivity anomaly use the self-potential method. However, this method is time consuming and requires nonpolarizable electrodes to be placed in the ground. Moreover, the information gained by this method is restricted to the horizontal variations of the electric field. To overcome the limitation in the self-potential technique, we conducted a field experiment using a non conventional technique to assess the static electric field over a conductivity anomaly. We use two metallic potential probes arranged on an insulated boom with a separation of 126 cm. When placed into the electric field of the free air, a surface charge will be induced on each probe trying to equalize with the potential of the surrounding atmosphere. The use of a plasma source at both probes facilitated continuous and quicker measurement of the electric field in the air. The present study shows first experimental measurements with a modified potential probe technique (MPP) along a 600-meter-long transect to demonstrate the general feasibility of this method for studying the static electric field distribution over shallow conductivity anomalies. Field measurements were carried out on a test site on top of the Bramsche Massif near Osnabrück (Northwest Germany) to benefit from a variety of available near surface data over an almost vertical conductivity anomaly. High resolution self-potential data served in a numerical analysis to estimate the expected individual components of the electric field vector. During the experiment we found more anomalies in the vertical and horizontal components of the electric field than self-potential anomalies. These contrasting findings are successfully cross-validated with conventional near surface geophysical methods. Among these methods, we used self-potential, radiomagnetotelluric, electric resistivity tomography and induced polarization data to derive 2D conductivity models of the subsurface in

The measurement of the vertical component of hydraulic conductivity in single cased and uncased boreholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, J.H.; Noy, D.J.; Brightman, M.A.

1986-11-01

The project summarised in the paper aimed to assess the different existing methods of measuring vertical hydraulic conductivity in single boreholes by carrying out some actual field testing. The measurements are relevant to the disposal of radioactive waste into argillaceous rocks, where the primary geological barrier to potential leachate migration is the mudrock. Also the prime parameter of interest in the assessment of mudrocks is the vertical component of hydraulic conductivity. A description of the methods of test analysis and interpretation is given. The experimental programme for open borehole testing and cased borehole testing is described, along with the practical and theoretical considerations. (U.K.)

Local photoconductivity of microcrystalline silicon thin films measured by conductive atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ledinsky, Martin; Fejfar, Antonin; Vetushka, Aliaksei; Stuchlik, Jiri; Rezek, Bohuslav; Kocka, Jan [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. Cukrovarnicka 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic)

2011-11-15

Local currents measured under standard conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) conditions on microcrystalline silicon ({mu}c-Si:H) thin films were studied. It was shown that the AFM detection diode illuminating the AFM cantilever (see the figure on the right side) 100 x enhanced the current flows through the photosensitive {mu}c-Si:H layer. The local current map and current-voltage characteristics were measured under dark conditions. This study enables mapping of both the dark current and photocurrent. C-AFM cantilever illuminated by the detection diode during measurement on {mu}c-Si:H thin film. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Measuring memory with the order of fractional derivative

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Maolin; Wang, Zaihua; Hu, Haiyan

2013-12-01

Fractional derivative has a history as long as that of classical calculus, but it is much less popular than it should be. What is the physical meaning of fractional derivative? This is still an open problem. In modeling various memory phenomena, we observe that a memory process usually consists of two stages. One is short with permanent retention, and the other is governed by a simple model of fractional derivative. With the numerical least square method, we show that the fractional model perfectly fits the test data of memory phenomena in different disciplines, not only in mechanics, but also in biology and psychology. Based on this model, we find that a physical meaning of the fractional order is an index of memory.

Thermal infrared imaging of the temporal variability in stomatal conductance for fruit trees

Science.gov (United States)

Struthers, Raymond; Ivanova, Anna; Tits, Laurent; Swennen, Rony; Coppin, Pol

2015-07-01

Repeated measurements using thermal infrared remote sensing were used to characterize the change in canopy temperature over time and factors that influenced this change on 'Conference' pear trees (Pyrus communis L.). Three different types of sensors were used, a leaf porometer to measure leaf stomatal conductance, a thermal infrared camera to measure the canopy temperature and a meteorological sensor to measure weather variables. Stomatal conductance of water stressed pear was significantly lower than in the control group 9 days after stress began. This decrease in stomatal conductance reduced transpiration, reducing evaporative cooling that increased canopy temperature. Using thermal infrared imaging with wavelengths between 7.5 and13 μm, the first significant difference was measured 18 days after stress began. A second order derivative described the average rate of change of the difference between the stress treatment and control group. The average rate of change for stomatal conductance was 0.06 (mmol m-2 s-1) and for canopy temperature was -0.04 (°C) with respect to days. Thermal infrared remote sensing and data analysis presented in this study demonstrated that the differences in canopy temperatures between the water stress and control treatment due to stomata regulation can be validated.

Numerical differentiation methods for the logarithmic derivative technique used in dielectric spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrik Haspel

2010-06-01

Full Text Available In dielectric relaxation spectroscopy the conduction contribution often hampers the evaluation of dielectric spectra, especially in the low-frequency regime. In order to overcome this the logarithmic derivative technique could be used, where the calculation of the logarithmic derivative of the real part of the complex permittivity function is needed. Since broadband dielectric measurement provides discrete permittivity function, numerical differentiation has to be used. Applicability of the Savitzky-Golay convolution method in the derivative analysis is examined, and a detailed investigation of the influential parameters (frequency, spectrum resolution, peak shape is presented on synthetic dielectric data.

Novel Quantification of Sediment Concentration in Turbidity Currents Through in-situ Measurements of Conductivity and Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, J.; Wang, Z.; Gwiazda, R.; Paull, C. K.; Talling, P.; Parsons, D. R.; Maier, K. L.; Simmons, S.; Cartigny, M.

2017-12-01

During a large turbidity current event observed by seven moorings placed along Monterey Canyon, offshore central California, in the axial channel between 300 and 1900 meters water depth, a conductivity/temperature sensor placed 11 meters above canyon floor on the mooring at 1500 meters water depth recorded a rapid decrease of conductivity and increase of temperature during the passage of a large turbidity current. The conductivity decline is unlikely caused by fresh water input owing to lack of precipitation in the region prior to the event. We investigated the mechanisms of turbidity currents' high sediment concentration reducing the measured conductivity. By conducting a series of laboratory experiments with a range of different concentrations, grain size, and water temperature combinations, we quantified a relationship between reduced conductivity and the elevated sediment concentration. This relationship can be used for estimating the very high sediment concentrations in a turbidity current with a condition of assuming constant salinity of the ambient seawater. The empirical relationship was then applied to the in-situ time-series of temperature and conductivity measured during this turbidity current. The highest sediment concentration, in the head of the flow, reached nearly 400 g/L (volume concentration 17%). Such a high value, which has yet been reported in literature for an oceanic turbidity current, will have significant implications for the dynamics and deposits of such flows.

A study of tritium behavior in lithium oxide by ion conductivity measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, Kenji; Ishii, Yoshinobu; Ohno, Hideo; Watanabe, Hitoshi

1989-01-01

Ion conductivity of lithium oxide (Li 2 O) irradiated with oxygen ions was measured to obtain information about the effects of irradiation on the behavior of lithium ions and tritium. The conductivity around 490 K decreased with the ion fluence, while around 440 K it increased. The decrease around 490 K and the increase around 440 K were assumed to be attributed to the F + centers and the unspecified radiation defects, respectively. From the point of view that the rate determinant in the mechanism of diffusion of lithium ions in Li 2 O leading to the ion conductivity is the same as that of tritium, the diffusivity of tritium is assumed to be as follows: the diffusivity of tritium is decreased by the F + centers in the range from 490 K to the temperature at which almost all of F + centers are recovered, while it is increased around 440 K by the unspecified radiation defects. In addition, effects of the irradiation on valence states of tritium (i.e., T + , T - ) were discussed in terms of the radiation defects. (orig.)

In-plane thermal conductivity measurements of ZnO-, ZnS-, and YSZ thin-films on glass substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartung, David; Gather, Florian; Kronenberger, Achim; Kuhl, Florian; Meyer, Bruno K.; Klar, Peter J. [I. Physikalisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16, 35392 Giessen (Germany)

2012-07-01

In this work we present in-plane thermal conductivity measurements of ZnO-, ZnS-, and YSZ thin-films. Borosilicate glass with a thickness of 50 microns and low thermal conductivity for improving the signal to noise ratio was used as substrate material. The above different films are deposited by rf-sputtering and have a thickness of about 1 micron. Our approach is a steady-state measurement. A wide metal wire on the film is used as a heater and two parallel lying narrow wires at distances of 100 microns and 200 microns from the heater wire, respectively, serve as the temperature sensors. The wire structure design is transfered on to the thin films by photolithography and metal evaporation. Measurements of the in-plane thermal conductivities of the above mentioned materials are presented and compared with corresponding results in the literature.

Measurement of local two-phase flow parameters of nanofluids using conductivity double-sensor probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Yu Sun; Chang, Soon Heung

2011-04-04

A two-phase flow experiment using air and water-based γ-Al2O3 nanofluid was conducted to observe the basic hydraulic phenomenon of nanofluids. The local two-phase flow parameters were measured with a conductivity double-sensor two-phase void meter. The void fraction, interfacial velocity, interfacial area concentration, and mean bubble diameter were evaluated, and all of those results using the nanofluid were compared with the corresponding results for pure water. The void fraction distribution was flattened in the nanofluid case more than it was in the pure water case. The higher interfacial area concentration resulted in a smaller mean bubble diameter in the case of the nanofluid. This was the first attempt to measure the local two-phase flow parameters of nanofluids using a conductivity double-sensor two-phase void meter. Throughout this experimental study, the differences in the internal two-phase flow structure of the nanofluid were identified. In addition, the heat transfer enhancement of the nanofluid can be resulted from the increase of the interfacial area concentration which means the available area of the heat and mass transfer.

Enthalpy measurement of lithium meta-titanate by drop calorimetry and its derived heat capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishioka, Rika; Mukai, Keisuke; Terai, Takayuki; Suzuki, Akihiro

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Li 2 TiO 3 was synthesized by a neutralizing method. • Enthalpy of Li 2 TiO 3 was measured by a drop calorimeter. • Heat capacity of Li 2 TiO 3 was derived as a function of temperature. -- Abstract: Enthalpy of Li 2 TiO 3 , which was synthesized by a neutralizing method and its Li/Ti ratio was determined to be Li/Ti ratio (mol/mol) = 1.97, was measured by a drop calorimeter, and its heat capacity was derived as a function of temperature. XRD (X-ray diffraction) analysis of the sample before and after the enthalpy measurement indicated no phase change during the measurement and a single phase of Li 2 TiO 3 was observed. The enthalpy data were expressed as H(T) − H(323.17) (J/g) = 2.2 × 10 −5 ·T 2 + 1.4·T + 2.7 × 10 4 /T − 5.6 × 10 2 (373–1273 K), where T is temperature in K. The heat capacity was calculated as C p (J/g K) = 2.2 × 2 × 10 −5 ·T + 1.4–2.7 × 10 4 /T 2 by differentiating the equation by temperature. These equations have accuracy of 3%

A Model of Thermal Conductivity for Planetary Soils: 1. Theory for Unconsolidated Soils

Science.gov (United States)

Piqueux, S.; Christensen, P. R.

2009-01-01

We present a model of heat conduction for mono-sized spherical particulate media under stagnant gases based on the kinetic theory of gases, numerical modeling of Fourier s law of heat conduction, theoretical constraints on the gas thermal conductivity at various Knudsen regimes, and laboratory measurements. Incorporating the effect of the temperature allows for the derivation of the pore-filling gas conductivity and bulk thermal conductivity of samples using additional parameters (pressure, gas composition, grain size, and porosity). The radiative and solid-to-solid conductivities are also accounted for. Our thermal model reproduces the well-established bulk thermal conductivity dependency of a sample with the grain size and pressure and also confirms laboratory measurements finding that higher porosities generally lead to lower conductivities. It predicts the existence of the plateau conductivity at high pressure, where the bulk conductivity does not depend on the grain size. The good agreement between the model predictions and published laboratory measurements under a variety of pressures, temperatures, gas compositions, and grain sizes provides additional confidence in our results. On Venus, Earth, and Titan, the pressure and temperature combinations are too high to observe a soil thermal conductivity dependency on the grain size, but each planet has a unique thermal inertia due to their different surface temperatures. On Mars, the temperature and pressure combination is ideal to observe the soil thermal conductivity dependency on the average grain size. Thermal conductivity models that do not take the temperature and the pore-filling gas composition into account may yield significant errors.

Mobile TDR for geo-referenced measurement of soil water content and electrical conductivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Anton; Schelde, Kirsten; Drøscher, Per

2007-01-01

The development of site-specific crop management is constrained by the availability of sensors for monitoring important soil and crop related conditions. A mobile time-domain reflectometry (TDR) unit for geo-referenced soil measurements has been developed and used for detailed mapping of soil wat...... analysis of the soil water measurements, recommendations are made with respect to sampling strategies. Depending on the variability of a given area, between 15 and 30 ha can be mapped with respect to soil moisture and electrical conductivity with sufficient detail within 8 h...

American National Standard: for safety in conducting subcritical neutron-multiplication measurements in-situ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

This standard provides safety guidance for conducting subcritical neutron-multiplication measurements where physical protection of personnel against the consequences of a criticality accident is not provided. The objectives of in-situ measurements are either to confirm an adequate safety margin or to improve an estimate of such a margin. The first objective may constitute a test of the criticality safety of a design that is based on calculations. The second may effect improved operating conditions by reducing the uncertainty of safety margins and providing guidance to new designs

Simultaneous reconstruction of permittivity and conductivity using multi-frequency admittance measurement in electrical capacitance tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Maomao; Soleimani, Manuchehr

2016-01-01

Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is an imaging method mainly capable of reconstructing dielectric permittivity. Generally, the reactance part of complex admittance is measured in a selected frequency. This paper presents for the first time an in depth and systematic analysis of complex admittance data for simultaneous reconstruction of both electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. A complex-valued forward model, Jacobian matrix and inverse solution are developed in the time harmonic excitation mode to allow for multi-frequency measurements. Realistic noise models are used to evaluate the performance of complex admittance ECT in a range of excitation frequencies. This paper demonstrates far greater potential for ECT as a versatile imaging tool through novel analysis of complex admittance imaging using a dual conductivity permittivity inversion method. The paper demonstrates that various classes of contactless capacitance based measurement devices can be analysed through complex multi-frequency ECT. (paper)

Contactless graphene conductance measurements: the effect of device fabrication on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mackenzie, David; Buron, Jonas Christian Due; Bøggild, Peter

2016-01-01

We perform contactless full-wafer maps of the electrical conductance of a 4-inch wafer of single-layer CVD graphene using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy both before and after deposition of metal contacts and fabrication of devices via laser ablation. We find that there is no significant change...... in the measured conductance of graphene before and after device fabrication. We also show that precise terahertz time-domain spectroscopy can be performed when the beam spot is at sufficient distance (>1.2 mm) from metal contacts....

Analytical Investigation of the Limits for the In-Plane Thermal Conductivity Measurement Using a Suspended Membrane Setup

Science.gov (United States)

Linseis, V.; Völklein, F.; Reith, H.; Woias, P.; Nielsch, K.

2018-06-01

An analytical study has been performed on the measurement capabilities of a 100-nm thin suspended membrane setup for the in-plane thermal conductivity measurements of thin film samples using the 3 ω measurement technique, utilizing a COSMOL Multiphysics simulation. The maximum measurement range under observance of given boundary conditions has been studied. Three different exemplary sample materials, with a thickness from the nanometer to the micrometer range and a thermal conductivity from 0.4 W/mK up to 100 W/mK have been investigated as showcase studies. The results of the simulations have been compared to a previously published evaluation model, in order to determine the deviation between both and thereby the measurement limit. As thermal transport properties are temperature dependent, all calculations refer to constant room temperature conditions.

Electrical conductivity of highly ionized dense hydrogen plasma. II. Comparison of experiment and theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guenther, K [Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Berlin. Zentralinstitut fuer Elektronenphysik; Popovic, M M; Popovic, S S; Radtke, R

1976-05-11

The electrical conductivity of a non-ideal hydrogen plasma at p = 10 atm and T = 14,000-21,500 K is derived from electrical measurements and the radial temperature distribution of a pulsed wall-stabilized hydrogen arc using the theoretical temperature dependence of conductivity in an ideal binary collision plasma. From the comparison of theory and experiment, a suggestion to modify the cut-off parameter for charged particle potential from rsub(D) is derived, where rsub(D) is the Debye length. An estimate of Kaklyugin and Norman (Kaklyugin, A.S. and Norman, G.E., 1973 Teplofiz. vysok. temp., vol.11, 238-244) which takes into account both particle correlation and electron localisation in the environment of ions agrees very well with the experimental results over the whole temperature range.

Conducting Polymers

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

would exhibit electronic conductivity, their conductivities (of compressed pellets) were indeed measured by others, and were found to be .... Polyaniline. Polyphenylene. Polypheny lene- vinylene. Table 1. G!NeRAl I ARTICl! structure. Maximum conductivity Stem Stability. Processability. ~. 1.5 x 105. Reacts with Film not n air.

Equivalent complex conductivities representing the effects of T-tubules and folded surface membranes on the electrical admittance and impedance of skeletal muscles measured by external-electrode method

Science.gov (United States)

Sekine, Katsuhisa

2017-12-01

In order to represent the effects of T-tubules and folded surface membranes on the electrical admittance and impedance of skeletal muscles measured by the external-electrode method, analytical relations for the equivalent complex conductivities of hypothetical smooth surface membranes were derived. In the relations, the effects of each tubule were represented by the admittance of a straight cable. The effects of the folding of a surface membrane were represented by the increased area of surface membranes. The equivalent complex conductivities were represented as summation of these effects, and the effects of the T-tubules were different between the transversal and longitudinal directions. The validity of the equivalent complex conductivities was supported by the results of finite-difference method (FDM) calculations made using three-dimensional models in which T-tubules and folded surface membranes were represented explicitly. FDM calculations using the equivalent complex conductivities suggested that the electrically inhomogeneous structure due to the existence of muscle cells with T-tubules was sufficient for explaining the experimental results previously obtained using the external-electrode method. Results of FDM calculations in which the structural changes caused by muscle contractions were taken into account were consistent with the reported experimental results.

Tritium conductivity and isotope effect in proton-conducting perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukundan, R.; Brosha, E.L.; Birdsell, S.A.; Costello, A.L.; Garzon, F.H.; Willms, R.S.

1999-01-01

The tritium ion conductivities of SrZr 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 2.95 and BaCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 2.95 have been measured by ac impedance analysis. The high tritium conductivity of these perovskites could potentially lead to their application as an electrochemical membrane for the recovery of tritium from tritiated gas streams. The conductivities of these perovskites, along with SrCe 0.95 Yb 0.05 O 2.975 , were also measured in hydrogen- and deuterium-containing atmospheres to illustrate the isotope effect. For the strontium zirconate and barium cerate samples, the impedance plot consists of two clearly resolved arcs, a bulk and a grain boundary arc, in the temperature range 50--350 C. However, for the strontium cerate sample, the clear resolution of the bulk conductivity was not possible and only the total conductivity was measurable. Thus, the isotope effect was clearly established only for the strontium zirconate and barium cerate samples. The decrease in bulk conductivity with increasing isotope mass was found to be a result of an increase in the activation energy for conduction accompanied by a decrease in the pre-exponential factor. Since the concentration of the mobile species (H+, D+, or T+) should remain relatively constant at T < 350 C, this increase in activation energy is directly attributable to the increased activation energy for the isotope mobility

Low cost power lead extended pre-compliance conducted EMI measurement setup and diagnostics with compact LISN

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Grobler, Inus

2013-06-01

Full Text Available An extended pre-compliance measurement setup has been created in the development laboratory to measure and diagnose conducted EMI up to tOO MHz without the use of a spectrum analyser. A dual compact Line Impedance Stabilisation Network (LISN) had...

DERIVATIVE OF SET MEASURE FUNCTIONS AND ITS APPLICATION (THEORETICAL BASES OF INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Bosov

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. It is necessary to develop the theoretical fundamentals for solving the investment objectives presented in the form of set function as vector optimization tasks or tasks of constrained extremum. Methodology. Set functions and their derivatives of measure are used as research of investment objectives. Necessary condition of set function minimum is proved. In the tasks for constrained extremum the method of Lagrange is used. It is shown that this method can also be used for the set function. It is used the measure for proof, which generalizes the Lebesgue measure, and the concept of set sequence limit is introduced. It is noted that the introduced limit over a measure coincides with the classical Borel limit and can be used in order to prove the existence of derivative from set function over a measure on convergent of sets sequence. Findings. An algorithm of solving the investment objective for constrained extremum in relation to investment objectives was offered. Originality. Scientific novelty lies in the fact that in multivariate objects for constrained extremum one can refuse from immediate enumeration. One can use the proposed algorithm of constructing (selection of options that allow building a convex linear envelope of Pareto solutions. This envelope will let the person who makes a decision (DM, select those options that are "better" from a position of DM, and consider some of the criteria, the formalization of which are difficult or can not be described in mathematical terms. Practical value. Results of the study provide the necessary theoretical substantiation of decision-making in investment objectives, when there is a significant number of an investment objects and immediate enumeration of options is very difficult on time costs even for modern computing techniques.

Validation of Atmospheric Water Vapor Derived from Ship-Borne GPS Measurements in the Chinese Bohai Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi-Jie Fan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric water vapor (AWV was investigated for the first time in the Chinese Bohai Sea using a Global Positioning System (GPS receiver aboard a lightweight (300-ton ship. An experiment was conducted to retrieve the AWV using the state-of-the-art GPS precise point positioning (PPP technique. The effects of atmospheric weighted mean temperature model and zenith wet delay constraint on GPS AWV estimates were discussed in the PPP estimation system. The GPS-derived precipitable water vapor (PWV and slant-path water vapor (SWV were assessed by comparing with those derived from the Fifth Generation NCAR/Penn State Mesoscale Model (MM5. The results showed the PWV and SWV differences between those derived from both GPS and MM5 are 1.5 mm root mean square (RMS with a bias of 0.2 and 3.9 mm RMS with a bias of -0.7 mm respectively. These good agreements indicate that the GPS-derived AWV in dynamic environments has a comparable accuracy with that of the MM5 model. This suggests that high accuracy and high spatio-temporal resolution humidity fields can be obtained using GPS in the Chinese Bohai Sea, which offers significant potential for meteorological applications and climate studies in this region.

Improved 3-omega measurement of thermal conductivity in liquid, gases, and powders using a metal-coated optical fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffres, Scott N; Malen, Jonathan A

2011-06-01

A novel 3ω thermal conductivity measurement technique called metal-coated 3ω is introduced for use with liquids, gases, powders, and aerogels. This technique employs a micron-scale metal-coated glass fiber as a heater/thermometer that is suspended within the sample. Metal-coated 3ω exceeds alternate 3ω based fluid sensing techniques in a number of key metrics enabling rapid measurements of small samples of materials with very low thermal effusivity (gases), using smaller temperature oscillations with lower parasitic conduction losses. Its advantages relative to existing fluid measurement techniques, including transient hot-wire, steady-state methods, and solid-wire 3ω are discussed. A generalized n-layer concentric cylindrical periodic heating solution that accounts for thermal boundary resistance is presented. Improved sensitivity to boundary conductance is recognized through this model. Metal-coated 3ω was successfully validated through a benchmark study of gases and liquids spanning two-orders of magnitude in thermal conductivity. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Subsurface imaging of water electrical conductivity, hydraulic permeability and lithology at contaminated sites by induced polarization

Science.gov (United States)

Maurya, P. K.; Balbarini, N.; Møller, I.; Rønde, V.; Christiansen, A. V.; Bjerg, P. L.; Auken, E.; Fiandaca, G.

2018-05-01

At contaminated sites, knowledge about geology and hydraulic properties of the subsurface and extent of the contamination is needed for assessing the risk and for designing potential site remediation. In this study, we have developed a new approach for characterizing contaminated sites through time-domain spectral induced polarization. The new approach is based on: (1) spectral inversion of the induced polarization data through a reparametrization of the Cole-Cole model, which disentangles the electrolytic bulk conductivity from the surface conductivity for delineating the contamination plume; (2) estimation of hydraulic permeability directly from the inverted parameters using a laboratory-derived empirical equation without any calibration; (3) the use of the geophysical imaging results for supporting the geological modelling and planning of drilling campaigns. The new approach was tested on a data set from the Grindsted stream (Denmark), where contaminated groundwater from a factory site discharges to the stream. Two overlapping areas were covered with seven parallel 2-D profiles each, one large area of 410 m × 90 m (5 m electrode spacing) and one detailed area of 126 m × 42 m (2 m electrode spacing). The geophysical results were complemented and validated by an extensive set of hydrologic and geologic information, including 94 estimates of hydraulic permeability obtained from slug tests and grain size analyses, 89 measurements of water electrical conductivity in groundwater, and four geological logs. On average the IP-derived and measured permeability values agreed within one order of magnitude, except for those close to boundaries between lithological layers (e.g. between sand and clay), where mismatches occurred due to the lack of vertical resolution in the geophysical imaging. An average formation factor was estimated from the correlation between the imaged bulk conductivity values and the water conductivity values measured in groundwater, in order to

Model of thermal conductivity of anisotropic nanodiamond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudnik, S.F.; Kalinichenko, A.I.; Strel'nitskij, V.E.

2014-01-01

Dependence of thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline diamond on grain size and shape is theoretically investigated. Nanodiamond is considered as two-phase material composed of diamond grains characterizing by three main dimensions and segregated by thin graphite layers with electron, phonon or hybrid thermal conductivity. Influence of type of thermal conductance and thickness of boundary layer on thermal conductivity of nanodiamond is analyzed. Derived dependences of thermal conductivity on grain dimensions are compared with experimental data

Measurement and analysis of thermal conductivity of isotopically controlled silicon layers by time-resolved X-ray scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eon, S.; Frieling, R.; Bracht, H. [Institute for Materials Physics, University of Muenster, 48149 Muenster (Germany); Plech, A. [Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS), 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2016-11-15

Nanostructuring is considered to be an efficient way to tailor phonon scattering and to reduce the thermal conductivity while keeping good electronic properties. This can be ideally realized by mass modulation of chemical identical elements. In this work, we report measurements of the crossplane thermal conductivity of isotopically modulated {sup 28}Si/{sup 30}Si multilayer structures and of isotopically pure {sup 28}Si layers by means of time-resolved X-ray scattering. Compared to earlier investigations, an improved measurement technique has been applied to determine the cooling behavior of a top gold metal layer after laser excitation with picosecond time resolution until thermal equilibration is established. Detailed analysis of the cooling behavior not only confirms a reduced thermal conductivity of {sup 28}Si/{sup 30}Si multilayer structures compared to natural and isotopically enriched {sup 28}Si layers but also provides evidence of direct laser heating of the Si layer. This and extrinsic effects affecting the cooling behavior of the gold layer are taken into account to determine the thermal conductivity by means of the pump-and-probe measurement technique. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Conductivity of rf-heated plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisch, N.J.

1984-05-01

The electron velocity distribution of rf-heated plasma may be so far from Maxwellian that Spitzer conductivity no longer holds. A new conductivity for such plasmas is derived and the result can be put in a remarkably general form. The new expression should be of great practical value in examining schemes for current ramp-up in tokamaks by means of lower-hybrid or other waves

A practical dimensionless equation for the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes and CNT arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Chen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Experimental results reported in the last decade on the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs have shown a fairly divergent behavior. An underlying intrinsic consistency was believed to exist in spite of the divergence in the thermal conductivity data of various CNTs. A dimenisonless equation that describes the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity was derived by introducing reduced forms relative to a chosen reference point. This equation can serve as a practical approximation to characterize the conductivity of individual CNT with different structural parameters as well as bulk CNT arrays with different bundle configurations. Comparison of predictions by the equation and historical measurements showed good agreements within their uncertainties.

Measurement of the Electrical Conductivity of He3 Plasma Induced by Neutron Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, J.; Nygaard, K.

1966-03-01

The conductivity of a He plasma created by the inelastic reaction with thermal neutrons: 3 He + n th -> 3 H + p + 0.76 MeV is studied as a function of neutron flux, gas temperature and gas density. Using reported values of the electron mobility the electron density is calculated from experimental conductivity values. Further, by accepting a reasonable value for the mean energy lost in creating one ion-pair, the recombination coefficient is estimated. The measurements performed so far cover temperatures between 300 - 1600 K and densities between 0.25 - 1 times the density at atmospheric pressure and 300 K. The neutron flux is varied between 10 10 - 10 11 n/cm 2 /s. As a sample of results achieved at 1600 K and the lowest density (corresponding to about atmospheric pressure) and the highest neutron flux the following values are obtained for the conductivity, the electron density and the recombination coefficient respectively: σ 0.2 S/m, n e 6x10 11 /cm 3 , α = 2xl0 -10 cm 3 /s. An extrapolation of data obtained shows that the concept of neutron induced conductivity should be attractive for MHD power generation

A new technique for precise measurement of thermal conductivity of metals at normal and high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binkele, L.

1990-09-01

Theoretical and experimental investigations on a new measuring technique are described; a technique similar to the well known Kohlrausch measuring technique, which is characterized by direct electrical sample heating. Subject of the investigations is a cylindrical metallic sample, 5 mm thick and 200 mm in length, which is positioned vertically between water-cooled clamps in a vacuum container. The sample can be heated using two simultaneously operating current sources, a 50 Hz-source for axial flow (main heating) as well as a 200 kHz-induction source for generating eddy currents in two short regions above and below the sample centre (additional heating). By using two heating sources different symmetrical temperature profiles in a central eddy-current-free area of about ± 10mm can be produced for any given central sample temperature. The last chapter contains thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity measuring curves for Pt, W, Fe, Ni, Ag, Al, Mg, Ir, Ru, Re, Ho and Y in the temperature range 273 to 1500 K representative of all the metals and alloys investigated. In cases where comparisons with published precise conductivity data, established by other measuring techniques in restricted temperature ranges, were posible, the new measuring method is greatly supported (in the case of Pt, W, Ni, Ag, Al). For the Metals Ir, Ru, Re, Ho and Y high temperature thermal conductivity data are given for the first time. (orig./MM) [de

An optimal guarding scheme for thermal conductivity measurement using a guarded cut-bar technique, part 1 experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Changhu

2014-01-01

In the guarded cut-bar technique, a guard surrounding the measured sample and reference (meter) bars is temperature controlled to carefully regulate heat losses from the sample and reference bars. Guarding is typically carried out by matching the temperature profiles between the guard and the test stack of sample and meter bars. Problems arise in matching the profiles, especially when the thermal conductivities of the meter bars and of the sample differ, as is usually the case. In a previous numerical study, the applied guarding condition (guard temperature profile) was found to be an important factor in measurement accuracy. Different from the linear-matched or isothermal schemes recommended in literature, the optimal guarding condition is dependent on the system geometry and thermal conductivity ratio of sample to meter bar. To validate the numerical results, an experimental study was performed to investigate the resulting error under different guarding conditions using stainless steel 304 as both the sample and meter bars. The optimal guarding condition was further verified on a certified reference material, pyroceram 9606, and 99.95% pure iron whose thermal conductivities are much smaller and much larger, respectively, than that of the stainless steel meter bars. Additionally, measurements are performed using three different inert gases to show the effect of the insulation effective thermal conductivity on measurement error, revealing low conductivity, argon gas, gives the lowest error sensitivity when deviating from the optimal condition. The result of this study provides a general guideline for the specific measurement method and for methods requiring optimal guarding or insulation

Low-Cost Timer to Measure the Terminal Velocity of a Magnet Falling through a Conducting Pipe

Science.gov (United States)

Pathare, Shirish R.; Huli, Saurabhee; Lahane, Rohan; Sawant, Sumedh

2014-01-01

Dropping a magnet into a conductive pipe (made up of copper or brass or aluminum) is a very popular demonstration in many physics classrooms and laboratories. In this paper we present an inexpensive timer that can be used to measure the terminal velocity of the magnet falling through a conducting pipe. The timer assembly consists of Hall effect…

Derivation of ozone flux-yield relationships for lettuce: A key horticultural crop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goumenaki, Eleni; Fernandez, Ignacio Gonzalez; Papanikolaou, Antigoni; Papadopoulou, Despoina; Askianakis, Christos; Kouvarakis, George; Barnes, Jeremy

2007-01-01

Ozone flux-response relationships were derived for lettuce, employing a multiplicative approach to model the manner in which stomatal conductance is influenced by key environmental variables, using a dataset collected during field experimentation in Crete and yield-response relationships derived from parallel open-top chamber experiments. Regional agronomic practices were adopted throughout. Computed versus measured data revealed that the derived model explained 51% (P -2 s -1 . Regressions employing very low or zero flux thresholds resulted in the strongest yield-flux relationships (explaining ∼80% (P < 0.05) of the variation in the dataset). - Establishment of ozone flux-yield relationships for a commercially-important horticultural crop grown widely in the Mediterranean

Derivation of ozone flux-yield relationships for lettuce: A key horticultural crop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goumenaki, Eleni [Environmental and Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology and Psychology, Division of Biology, Devonshire Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); School of Agricultural Technology, Technological Education Institute of Crete, P.O. Box 1939, 71004 Heraklion (Greece); Fernandez, Ignacio Gonzalez [Environmental and Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology and Psychology, Division of Biology, Devonshire Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); CIEMAT, Ecotoxicology of Air Pollution, Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Papanikolaou, Antigoni [School of Agricultural Technology, Technological Education Institute of Crete, P.O. Box 1939, 71004 Heraklion (Greece); Papadopoulou, Despoina [School of Agricultural Technology, Technological Education Institute of Crete, P.O. Box 1939, 71004 Heraklion (Greece); Askianakis, Christos [School of Agricultural Technology, Technological Education Institute of Crete, P.O. Box 1939, 71004 Heraklion (Greece); Kouvarakis, George [Environmental and Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, P.O. Box 1470, 71409 Heraklion (Greece); Barnes, Jeremy [Environmental and Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability, School of Biology and Psychology, Division of Biology, Devonshire Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: j.d.barnes@ncl.ac.uk

2007-04-15

Ozone flux-response relationships were derived for lettuce, employing a multiplicative approach to model the manner in which stomatal conductance is influenced by key environmental variables, using a dataset collected during field experimentation in Crete and yield-response relationships derived from parallel open-top chamber experiments. Regional agronomic practices were adopted throughout. Computed versus measured data revealed that the derived model explained 51% (P < 0.001) of the observed variation in stomatal conductance. Concentration-based indices were compared with flux-based indices. Analyses revealed a significant relationship between accumulated stomatal ozone flux and yield employing flux threshold cut-offs up to 4 nmol m{sup -2} s{sup -1}. Regressions employing very low or zero flux thresholds resulted in the strongest yield-flux relationships (explaining {approx}80% (P < 0.05) of the variation in the dataset). - Establishment of ozone flux-yield relationships for a commercially-important horticultural crop grown widely in the Mediterranean.

Association of OCT-Derived Drusen Measurements with AMD-Associated Genotypic SNPs in the Amish Population

OpenAIRE

Chavali, Venkata Ramana Murthy; Diniz, Bruno; Huang, Jiayan; Ying, Gui-Shuang; Sadda, SriniVas R.; Stambolian, Dwight

2015-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the association of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived drusen measures in Amish age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients with known loci for macular degeneration. Methods: Members of the Old Order Amish community in Pennsylvania ages 50 and older were assessed for drusen area, volume and regions of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy using a Cirrus High-Definition OCT. Measurements were obtained in the macula region within a central circle (CC) of 3...

A highly conducting organic metal derived from an organic-transistor material: benzothienobenzothiophene.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadoya, Tomofumi; Ashizawa, Minoru; Higashino, Toshiki; Kawamoto, Tadashi; Kumeta, Shohei; Matsumoto, Hidetoshi; Mori, Takehiko

2013-11-07

BTBT ([1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene) is an organic semiconductor that realizes high mobility in organic transistors. Here we report that the charge-transfer (CT) salt, (BTBT)2PF6, shows a high room-temperature conductivity of 1500 S cm(-1). This compound exhibits a resistivity jump around 150 K, but when it is covered with Apiezon N grease the resistivity jump is suppressed, and the metallic conductivity is maintained down to 60 K. Owing to the very high conductivity, the ESR signal shows a significantly asymmetric Dysonian lineshape (A/B ≅ 3) even at room temperature. Since most organic conductors are based on strong electron donors, it is remarkable that such a weak electron donor as BTBT realizes a stable and highly conducting organic metal.

Electrical Impedance Measurements of PZT Nanofiber Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Galos

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Electrical impedance measurements of PZT nanofiber sensors were performed using a variety of methods over a frequency spectrum ranging from DC to 1.8 GHz. The nanofibers formed by electrospinning with diameters ranging from 10 to 150 nm were collected and integrated into sensors using microfabrication techniques. Special matching circuits with ultrahigh input impedance were fabricated to produce low noise, measurable sensor outputs. Material properties including resistivity and dielectric constant are derived from the impedance measurements. The resulting material properties are also compared with those of individual nanofibers being tested using conductive AFM and Scanning Conductive Microscopy.

Hall conductance and topological invariant for open systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, H Z; Wang, W; Yi, X X

2014-09-24

The Hall conductivity given by the Kubo formula is a linear response of quantum transverse transport to a weak electric field. It has been intensively studied for quantum systems without decoherence, but it is barely explored for systems subject to decoherence. In this paper, we develop a formulism to deal with this issue for topological insulators. The Hall conductance of a topological insulator coupled to an environment is derived, the derivation is based on a linear response theory developed for open systems in this paper. As an application, the Hall conductance of a two-band topological insulator and a two-dimensional lattice is presented and discussed.

Acoustic inverse scattering using topological derivative of far-field measurements-based L2 cost functionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellis, Cédric; Bonnet, Marc; Cakoni, Fioralba

2013-01-01

Originally formulated in the context of topology optimization, the concept of topological derivative has also proved effective as a qualitative inversion tool for a wave-based identification of finite-sized objects. This approach remains, however, largely based on a heuristic interpretation of the topological derivative, whereas most other qualitative approaches to inverse scattering are backed by a mathematical justification. As an effort toward bridging this gap, this study focuses on a topological derivative approach applied to the L 2 -norm of the misfit between far-field measurements. Either an inhomogeneous medium or a finite number of point-like scatterers are considered, using either the Born approximation or a full-scattering model. Topological derivative-based imaging functionals are analyzed using a suitable factorization of the far-field operator, for each of the considered cases, in order to characterize their behavior and assess their ability to reconstruct the unknown scatterer(s). Results include the justification of the usual sign heuristic underpinning the method for (i) the Born approximation and (ii) full-scattering models limited to moderately strong scatterers. Semi-analytical and numerical examples are presented. Within the chosen framework, the topological derivative approach is finally discussed and compared to other well-known qualitative methods. (paper)

Thermal conductance of heat transfer interfaces for conductively cooled superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, T.L.; Walters, J.D.; Fikse, T.H.

1996-01-01

Minimizing thermal resistances across interfaces is critical for efficient thermal performance of conductively cooled superconducting magnet systems. Thermal conductance measurements have been made for a flexible thermal coupling, designed to accommodate magnet-to-cryocooler and cryocooler-to-shield relative motion, and an interface incorporating Multilam designed as a sliding thermal connector for cryocoolers. Temperature changes were measured across each interface as a function of heat input. Thermal conductances have been calculated for each interface, and the impact of each interface on conductively cooled magnet systems will be discussed

Nanoduct Sweat Conductivity Measurements in 2664 Patients: Relationship to Age, Arterial Blood Gas, Serum Electrolyte Profiles and Clinical Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Sezer, Rabia Gonul; Aydemir, Gokhan; Akcan, Abdullah Baris; Paketci, Cem; Karaoglu, Abdulbaki; Aydinoz, Secil; Bozaykut, Abdulkadir

2013-01-01

Background The Nanoduct® device has acceptable diagnostic accuracy, but there is not enough systematic data supporting its usage in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods A retrospective review of patients with an indication for the sweat test was conducted. The conductivity test was repeated in patients who had values higher than 60 mmol/L, and they were referred for sweat chloride measurements. Associations between sweat conductivity measurements and age, gender, (pH, HCO3, pCO2, Na, K, Cl), family history, consanguinity, indications for the test and number of hospitalization were studied. Results Among 2,664 patients, 16 children had sweat conductivity values higher than 80. The median age of patients diagnosed with CF was 4 months old. Age, pH, HCO3, Na, Cl, K and the sweat conductivity test were statistically related (P conductivity test and the sweat test. Conclusions Patients suspected to have CF can be screened using the Nanoduct® conductivity device in non-qualified centers. PMID:23390474

Air-conduction estimated from tympanometry (ACET) 1: relationship to measured hearing in OME.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

In otitis media with effusion (OME), the accuracy of predicting air-conduction hearing-level (HLs) from tympanometry has generally been seen as too poor for use in clinical practice. Previous studies of the relationship have mostly concerned single ears, many using samples with predominantly mild cases of OM and weak statistical approaches. A better understanding of the interrelations between these tests might improve efficiency in testing and decision-making for individuals. Binaural average HL was adopted as the measure to be predicted most relevant to auditory disability. Multiple regression from modified Jerger tympanogram categories B, C2, C1 and A tympanogram types on 3085 children aged 3(1/4)-6(3/4) years gave formulae which we tested for replication, stability and generalization across distributions differing in severity. Age-adjusted formulae explained up to 49% of the variance in binaural HL (i.e. a multiple correlation of 0.70), and were robust across phase of disease. Best predictions were seen in a severe sample permitting exploitation of the strong conditioning effect by a B tympanogram in one ear upon the tympanometry/HL relationship in the other. This permits a trichotomous approximation (0, 1, or 2 B-tympanograms) to also perform well. We name the HL prediction formula "ACET" - Air Conduction Estimated from Tympanometry. We do not recommend replacing audiometry with tympanometry, particularly not at first assessment. However, where the diagnosis is, or likely from history to be, OME (even if fluid is absent on test day), the informativeness of further air-conduction audiometry on the same or later occasion may not always be worth the further effort or cost. It is therefore clinically useful to have a dB measure, from an evidence-based formula justifying a principled estimate. Non-clinical uses include imputation when research data are missing, and non-intensive applications where audiometry is impracticable, e.g. field clinics and large scale or

Past climate changes derived from isotope measurements in polar ice cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beer, J.; Muscheler, R.; Wagner, G.; Kubik, P.K.

2002-01-01

Measurements of stable and radioactive isotopes in polar ice cores provide a wealth of information on the climate conditions of the past. Stable isotopes (δ 18 O, δD) reflect mainly the temperature, whereas δ 18 O of oxygen in air bubbles reveals predominantly the global ice volume and the biospheric activity. Cosmic ray produced radioisotopes (cosmogenic nuclides) such as 10 Be and 36 Cl record information on the solar variability and possibly also on the solar irradiance. If the flux of a cosmogenic nuclide into the ice is known the accumulation rate can be derived from the measured concentration. The comparison of 10 Be from ice with 14 C from tree rings allows deciding whether observed 14 C variations are caused by production or system effects. Finally, isotope measurements are very useful for establishing and improving time scales. The 10 Be/ 36 Cl ratio changes with an apparent half-life of 376,000 years and is therefore well suited to date old ice. Significant abrupt changes in the records of 10 Be, 36 Cl from ice and of δ 18 O from atmospheric oxygen representing global signals can be used to synchronize ice and sediment cores. (author)

Electrical conductivity measurements of bacterial nanowires from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruthupandy, Muthusamy; Anand, Muthusamy; Beevi, Akbar Sait Hameedha; Priya, Radhakrishnan Jeeva; Maduraiveeran, Govindhan

2015-01-01

The extracellular appendages of bacteria (flagella) that transfer electrons to electrodes are called bacterial nanowires. This study focuses on the isolation and separation of nanowires that are attached via Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial culture. The size and roughness of separated nanowires were measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The obtained bacterial nanowires indicated a clear image of bacterial nanowires measuring 16 nm in diameter. The formation of bacterial nanowires was confirmed by microscopic studies (AFM and TEM) and the conductivity nature of bacterial nanowire was investigated by electrochemical techniques. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which are nondestructive voltammetry techniques, suggest that bacterial nanowires could be the source of electrons—which may be used in various applications, for example, microbial fuel cells, biosensors, organic solar cells, and bioelectronic devices. Routine analysis of electron transfer between bacterial nanowires and the electrode was performed, providing insight into the extracellular electron transfer (EET) to the electrode. CV revealed the catalytic electron transferability of bacterial nanowires and electrodes and showed excellent redox activities. CV and EIS studies showed that bacterial nanowires can charge the surface by producing and storing sufficient electrons, behave as a capacitor, and have features consistent with EET. Finally, electrochemical studies confirmed the development of bacterial nanowires with EET. This study suggests that bacterial nanowires can be used to fabricate biomolecular sensors and nanoelectronic devices. (paper)

Mean free path dependent phonon contributions to interfacial thermal conductance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tao, Yi; Liu, Chenhan; Chen, Weiyu; Cai, Shuang; Chen, Chen; Wei, Zhiyong; Bi, Kedong; Yang, Juekuan; Chen, Yunfei, E-mail: yunfeichen@seu.edu.cn

2017-06-15

Interfacial thermal conductance as an accumulation function of the phonon mean free path is rigorously derived from the thermal conductivity accumulation function. Based on our theoretical model, the interfacial thermal conductance accumulation function between Si/Ge is calculated. The results show that the range of mean free paths (MFPs) for phonons contributing to the interfacial thermal conductance is far narrower than that for phonons contributing to the thermal conductivity. The interfacial thermal conductance is mainly contributed by phonons with shorter MFPs, and the size effects can be observed only for an interface constructed by nanostructures with film thicknesses smaller than the MFPs of those phonons mainly contributing to the interfacial thermal conductance. This is why most experimental measurements cannot detect size effects on interfacial thermal conductance. A molecular dynamics simulation is employed to verify our proposed model. - Highlights: • A model to account for the interfacial thermal conductance as an accumulation function of phonon mean free path is proposed; • The model predicts that the range of mean free paths (MFPs) for phonons contributing to the interfacial thermal conductance is far narrower than that contributing to the thermal conductivity; • This model can be conveniently implemented to estimate the size effects on the interfacial thermal conductance for the interfaces formed by a nanostructure contacting a substrate.

A novel thick-film electrical conductivity sensor suitable for liquid and soil conductivity measurements

OpenAIRE

Atkinson, John; Sophocleous, Marios

2015-01-01

Results are reported from an initial evaluation of a novel conductivity sensor that could be incorporated onto a multi-element thick film (screen printed) sensor array designed for soil and water analysis. The new sensor exhibits a repeatable cell constant over a wide range of conductivities and is currently performing very well in an investigation of soil structural properties where its output is being correlated with soil water content in a study of different soil porosities.

The Thermal Conductivity of Earth's Core: A Key Geophysical Parameter's Constraints and Uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Q.

2018-05-01

The thermal conductivity of iron alloys at high pressures and temperatures is a critical parameter in governing ( a) the present-day heat flow out of Earth's core, ( b) the inferred age of Earth's inner core, and ( c) the thermal evolution of Earth's core and lowermost mantle. It is, however, one of the least well-constrained important geophysical parameters, with current estimates for end-member iron under core-mantle boundary conditions varying by about a factor of 6. Here, the current state of calculations, measurements, and inferences that constrain thermal conductivity at core conditions are reviewed. The applicability of the Wiedemann-Franz law, commonly used to convert electrical resistivity data to thermal conductivity data, is probed: Here, whether the constant of proportionality, the Lorenz number, is constant at extreme conditions is of vital importance. Electron-electron inelastic scattering and increases in Fermi-liquid-like behavior may cause uncertainties in thermal conductivities derived from both first-principles-associated calculations and electrical conductivity measurements. Additional uncertainties include the role of alloying constituents and local magnetic moments of iron in modulating the thermal conductivity. Thus, uncertainties in thermal conductivity remain pervasive, and hence a broad range of core heat flows and inner core ages appear to remain plausible.

The derivation of the general form of kinematics with the universal reference system

Science.gov (United States)

Szostek, Karol; Szostek, Roman

2018-03-01

In the article, the whole class of time and position transformations was derived. These transformations were derived based on the analysis of the Michelson-Morley experiment and its improved version, that is the Kennedy-Thorndike experiment. It is possible to derive a different kinematics of bodies based on each of these transformations. In this way, we demonstrated that the Special Theory of Relativity is not the only theory explaining the results of experiments with light. There is the whole continuum of the theories of kinematics of bodies which correctly explain the Michelson-Morley experiment and other experiments in which the velocity of light is measured. Based on the derived transformations, we derive the general formula for the velocity of light in vacuum measured in any inertial reference system. We explain why the Michelson-Morley and Kennedy-Thorndike experiments could not detect the ether. We present and discuss three examples of specific transformations. Finally, we explain the phenomenon of anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation by means of the presented theory. The theory derived in this work is called the Special Theory of Ether - with any transverse contraction. The entire article contains only original research conducted by its authors.

Electrical Conductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hershey, David R.; Sand, Susan

1993-01-01

Explains how electrical conductivity (EC) can be used to measure ion concentration in solutions. Describes instrumentation for the measurement, temperature dependence and EC, and the EC of common substances. (PR)

Large deviations in stochastic heat-conduction processes provide a gradient-flow structure for heat conduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peletier, Mark A.; Redig, Frank; Vafayi, Kiamars

2014-01-01

We consider three one-dimensional continuous-time Markov processes on a lattice, each of which models the conduction of heat: the family of Brownian Energy Processes with parameter m (BEP(m)), a Generalized Brownian Energy Process, and the Kipnis-Marchioro-Presutti (KMP) process. The hydrodynamic limit of each of these three processes is a parabolic equation, the linear heat equation in the case of the BEP(m) and the KMP, and a nonlinear heat equation for the Generalized Brownian Energy Process with parameter a (GBEP(a)). We prove the hydrodynamic limit rigorously for the BEP(m), and give a formal derivation for the GBEP(a). We then formally derive the pathwise large-deviation rate functional for the empirical measure of the three processes. These rate functionals imply gradient-flow structures for the limiting linear and nonlinear heat equations. We contrast these gradient-flow structures with those for processes describing the diffusion of mass, most importantly the class of Wasserstein gradient-flow systems. The linear and nonlinear heat-equation gradient-flow structures are each driven by entropy terms of the form −log ρ; they involve dissipation or mobility terms of order ρ 2 for the linear heat equation, and a nonlinear function of ρ for the nonlinear heat equation

The electrical conductivity of the Earth's upper mantle as estimated from satellite measured magnetic field variations. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Didwall, E. M.

1981-01-01

Low latitude magnetic field variations (magnetic storms) caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current were derived from magnetic field magnitude data obtained by OGO 2, 4, and 6 satellites over an almost 5 year period. Analysis procedures consisted of (1) separating the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the Earth; (2) estimating the response function which related to the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current; and (3) interpreting the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for known conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible ocean effects. A temperature profile is proposed using conductivity temperature data for single crystal olivine. The resulting temperature profile is reasonable for depths below 150-200 km, but is too high for shallower depths. Apparently, conductivity is not controlled solely by olivine at shallow depths.

Measures of skin conductance and heart rate in alcoholic men and women during memory performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kayle S. Sawyer

2015-05-01

Full Text Available We examined abnormalities in physiological responses to emotional stimuli associated with long-term chronic alcoholism. Skin conductance responses (SCR and heart rate (HR responses were measured in 32 abstinent alcoholic (ALC and 30 healthy nonalcoholic (NC men and women undergoing an emotional memory task in an MRI scanner. The task required participants to remember the identity of two emotionally-valenced faces presented at the onset of each trial during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI scanning. After viewing the faces, participants saw a distractor image (an alcoholic beverage, nonalcoholic beverage, or scrambled image followed by a single probe face. The task was to decide whether the probe face matched one of the two encoded faces. Skin conductance measurements (before and after the encoded faces, distractor, and probe were obtained from electrodes on the index and middle fingers on the left hand. HR measurements (beats per minute before and after the encoded faces, distractor, and probe were obtained by a pulse oximeter placed on the little finger on the left hand. We expected that, relative to NC participants, the ALC participants would show reduced SCR and HR responses to the face stimuli, and that we would identify greater reactivity to the alcoholic beverage stimuli than to the distractor stimuli unrelated to alcohol. While the beverage type did not differentiate the groups, the ALC group did have reduced skin conductance and HR responses to elements of the task, as compared to the NC group.

Conductivity bound from dirty black holes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bitaghsir Fadafan, Kazem, E-mail: bitaghsir@shahroodut.ac.ir

2016-11-10

We propose a lower bound of the dc electrical conductivity in strongly disordered, strongly interacting quantum field theories using holography. We study linear response of black holes with broken translational symmetry in Einstein–Maxwell-dilaton theories of gravity. Using the generalized Stokes equations at the horizon, we derive the lower bound of the electrical conductivity for the dual two dimensional disordered field theory.

Thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline SiGe alloys using molecular dynamics simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Abs da Cruz, Carolina; Katcho, Nebil A.; Mingo, Natalio; Veiga, Roberto G. A.

2013-10-01

We have studied the effect of nanocrystalline microstructure on the thermal conductivity of SiGe alloys using molecular dynamics simulations. Nanograins are modeled using both the coincidence site lattice and the Voronoi tessellation methods, and the thermal conductivity is computed using the Green-Kubo formalism. We analyze the dependence of the thermal conductivity with temperature, grain size L, and misorientation angle. We find a power dependence of L1/4 of the thermal conductivity with the grain size, instead of the linear dependence shown by non-alloyed nanograined systems. This dependence can be derived analytically underlines the important role that disorder scattering plays even when the grains are of the order of a few nm. This is in contrast to non-alloyed systems, where phonon transport is governed mainly by the boundary scattering. The temperature dependence is weak, in agreement with experimental measurements. The effect of angle misorientation is also small, which stresses the main role played by the disorder scattering.

Influence of carbon conductive additives on electrochemical double-layer supercapacitor parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Kiseleva, E. A.; Zhurilova, M. A.; Kochanova, S. A.; Shkolnikov, E. J.; Tarasenko, A. B.; Zaitseva, O. V.; Uryupina, O. V.; Valyano, G. V.

2018-01-01

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLC) offer energy storage technology, highly demanded for rapid transition processes in transport and stationary applications, concerned with fast power fluctuations. Rough structure of activated carbon, widely used as electrode material because of its high specific area, leads to poor electrode conductivity. Therefore there is the need for conductive additive to decrease internal resistance and to achieve high specific power and high specific energy. Usually carbon blacks are widely used as conductive additive. In this paper electrodes with different conductive additives—two types of carbon blacks and single-walled carbon nanotubes—were prepared and characterized in organic electrolyte-based EDLC cells. Electrodes are based on original wood derived activated carbon produced by potassium hydroxide high-temperature activation at Joint Institute for High Temperatures RAS. Electrodes were prepared from slurry by cold-rolling. For electrode characterization cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectra analysis, equivalent series resistance measurements and galvanostatic charge-discharge were used.

Thermal conductivity measurement below 40 K of the CFRP tubes for the Mid-Intrared Instrument mounting struts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaughnessy, B. M.; Eccleston, P.; Fereday, K. J.

2007-01-01

The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is one of four instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope observatory, scheduled for launch in 2013. It must be cooled to about 7 K and is supported within the telescope’s 40 K instrument module by a hexapod of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) tubing. T....... This article describes the measurement of cryogenic thermal conductivity of the candidate CFRP. Measured thermal conductivities were about 0.05 W/m K at a mean temperature of 10 K increasing to about 0.20 W/m K at a mean temperature of 40 K....

Simultaneous head tissue conductivity and EEG source location estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Akalin Acar, Zeynep; Acar, Can E; Makeig, Scott

2016-01-01

Accurate electroencephalographic (EEG) source localization requires an electrical head model incorporating accurate geometries and conductivity values for the major head tissues. While consistent conductivity values have been reported for scalp, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid, measured brain-to-skull conductivity ratio (BSCR) estimates have varied between 8 and 80, likely reflecting both inter-subject and measurement method differences. In simulations, mis-estimation of skull conductivity can produce source localization errors as large as 3cm. Here, we describe an iterative gradient-based approach to Simultaneous tissue Conductivity And source Location Estimation (SCALE). The scalp projection maps used by SCALE are obtained from near-dipolar effective EEG sources found by adequate independent component analysis (ICA) decomposition of sufficient high-density EEG data. We applied SCALE to simulated scalp projections of 15cm(2)-scale cortical patch sources in an MR image-based electrical head model with simulated BSCR of 30. Initialized either with a BSCR of 80 or 20, SCALE estimated BSCR as 32.6. In Adaptive Mixture ICA (AMICA) decompositions of (45-min, 128-channel) EEG data from two young adults we identified sets of 13 independent components having near-dipolar scalp maps compatible with a single cortical source patch. Again initialized with either BSCR 80 or 25, SCALE gave BSCR estimates of 34 and 54 for the two subjects respectively. The ability to accurately estimate skull conductivity non-invasively from any well-recorded EEG data in combination with a stable and non-invasively acquired MR imaging-derived electrical head model could remove a critical barrier to using EEG as a sub-cm(2)-scale accurate 3-D functional cortical imaging modality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cracked pellet gap conductance model: comparison of FRAP-S calculations with measured fuel centerline temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, P.E.; Broughton, J.M.

1975-03-01

Fuel pellets crack extensively upon irradiation due both to thermal stresses induced by power changes and at high burnup, to accumulation of gaseous fission products at grain boundaries. Therefore, the distance between the fuel and cladding will be circumferentially nonuniform; varying between that calculated for intact operating fuel pellets and essentially zero (fuel segments in contact with the cladding wall). A model for calculation of temperatures in cracked pellets is proposed wherein the effective fuel to cladding gap conductance is calculated by taking a zero pressure contact conductance in series with an annular gap conductance. Comparisons of predicted and measured fuel centerline temperatures at beginning of life and at extended burnup are presented in support of the model. 13 references

Calibration of GOES-derived solar radiation data using a distributed network of surface measurements in Florida, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Sumner, David M.; Pathak, Chandra S.; Mecikalski, John R.; Paech, Simon J.; Wu, Qinglong; Sangoyomi, Taiye; Babcock, Roger W.; Walton, Raymond

2008-01-01

Solar radiation data are critically important for the estimation of evapotranspiration. Analysis of visible-channel data derived from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) using radiative transfer modeling has been used to produce spatially- and temporally-distributed datasets of solar radiation. An extensive network of (pyranometer) surface measurements of solar radiation in the State of Florida has allowed refined calibration of a GOES-derived daily integrated radiation data product. This refinement of radiation data allowed for corrections of satellite sensor drift, satellite generational change, and consideration of the highly-variable cloudy conditions that are typical of Florida. To aid in calibration of a GOES-derived radiation product, solar radiation data for the period 1995–2004 from 58 field stations that are located throughout the State were compiled. The GOES radiation product was calibrated by way of a three-step process: 1) comparison with ground-based pyranometer measurements on clear reference days, 2) correcting for a bias related to cloud cover, and 3) deriving month-by-month bias correction factors. Pre-calibration results indicated good model performance, with a station-averaged model error of 2.2 MJ m–2 day–1 (13 percent). Calibration reduced errors to 1.7 MJ m–2 day–1 (10 percent) and also removed time- and cloudiness-related biases. The final dataset has been used to produce Statewide evapotranspiration estimates.

Measured spatial variability of beach erosion due to aeolian processes.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, S.; Verheijen, A.H.; Hoonhout, B.M.; Vos, S.E.; Cohn, Nicholas; Ruggiero, P; Aagaard, T.; Deigaard, R.; Fuhrman, D.

2017-01-01

This paper shows the first results of measured spatial variability of beach erosion due to aeolian processes during the recently conducted SEDEX2 field experiment at Long Beach, Washington, U.S.A.. Beach erosion and sedimentation were derived using series of detailed terrestrial LIDAR measurements

Experimental determination of thermal conductivity and gap conductance of fuel rod for HTGR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Teruo; Iwamoto, Kazumi; Ikawa, Katsuichi; Ishimoto, Kiyoshi

1985-01-01

The thermal conductivity of fuel compacts and the gap conductance between the fuel compact and the graphite sleeve in fuel rods for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) were measured by the center heating method. These measurements were made as functions of volume percent particle loading and temperature for thermal conductivity and as functions of gap distance and gas composition for gap conductance. The thermal conductivity of fuel compacts decreases with increasing temperature and with increasing particle loading. The gap conductance increases with increasing temperature and decrease with increasing gap distance. A good gap conductance was observed with helium fill gas. It was seen that the gap conductance was dependent on the thermal conductivity of fill gas and conductance by radiation and could be neglected the conductance through solid-solid contact points of fuel compact and graphite sleeve. (author)

Developing and validating the Youth Conduct Problems Scale-Rwanda: a mixed methods approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren C Ng

Full Text Available This study developed and validated the Youth Conduct Problems Scale-Rwanda (YCPS-R. Qualitative free listing (n = 74 and key informant interviews (n = 47 identified local conduct problems, which were compared to existing standardized conduct problem scales and used to develop the YCPS-R. The YCPS-R was cognitive tested by 12 youth and caregiver participants, and assessed for test-retest and inter-rater reliability in a sample of 64 youth. Finally, a purposive sample of 389 youth and their caregivers were enrolled in a validity study. Validity was assessed by comparing YCPS-R scores to conduct disorder, which was diagnosed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children, and functional impairment scores on the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule Child Version. ROC analyses assessed the YCPS-R's ability to discriminate between youth with and without conduct disorder. Qualitative data identified a local presentation of youth conduct problems that did not match previously standardized measures. Therefore, the YCPS-R was developed solely from local conduct problems. Cognitive testing indicated that the YCPS-R was understandable and required little modification. The YCPS-R demonstrated good reliability, construct, criterion, and discriminant validity, and fair classification accuracy. The YCPS-R is a locally-derived measure of Rwandan youth conduct problems that demonstrated good psychometric properties and could be used for further research.

Structure-charge mobility relation for hexabenzocoronene derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirkpatrick, James [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz 55128 (Germany); Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom); Marcon, Valentina; Kremer, Kurt [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz 55128 (Germany); Nelson, Jenny [Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom); Andrienko, Denis

2008-05-15

Charge mobilities of several derivatives of discotic liquid crystals have been determined by combining three methods into one scheme: (i) quantum chemical methods for the calculation of molecular electronic structures and reorganization energies (ii) molecular dynamics for simulation of the relative positions and orientations of molecules in a columnar mesophase, and (iii) kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and Master Equation approach to simulate charge transport. Applying this scheme to differently substituted hexabenzocoronene derivatives we reproduce the trends and magnitudes of mobilities as measured by pulse-radiolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity (PR-TRMC) and connect mobility directly to the microscopic morphology of the columns. Our study also shows that it is possible to understand and reproduce experimental charge transport parameters, and, in some cases, accurately predict them. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

The porosity effect on properties of sintered materials as their conductivity and Youngs modulus of elasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ondracek, G.; Thuemmler, F.

1979-01-01

A set of equations derived demonstrates quantitatively the influence of closed pores on the conductivity as well as on Youngsmodulus of elasticity of sintered materials. There are three microstructural parameters following from the theoretical derivation controlling the porosity effect on the properties, which are the total porosity, the form factor and the orientation factor of the pores. By quantitative microstructure analysis these factors become available providing together with the equations the tool - to calculate the conductivity and Youngs modulus of elasticity from microstructural quantities of sintered materials thus substituting direct property measurements by quantitative microstructure analysis if desired - to endeaver technologically optimum microstructures to obtain theoretically predicted special property values and to precalculate property alterations by microstructure variations ('taylor-made-materials') - to supplement the conventional microstructural quality control by calculated property data. (orig.) [de

A new approach to the derivation of dynamic information from ionosonde measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Liu

2003-11-01

Full Text Available A new approach is developed to derive dynamic information near the peak of the ionospheric F-layer from ionosonde measurements. This approach avoids deducing equivalent winds from the displacement of the observed peak height from a no-wind equilibrium height, so it need not determine the no-wind equilibrium height which may limit the accuracy of the deduced winds, as did the traditional servo theory. This approach is preliminarily validated with comparisons of deduced equivalent winds with the measurements from the Fabry-Perot interferometer, the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and with previous works. Examples of vertical components of equivalent winds (VEWs, over Wuhan (114.4° E, 30.6° N, 45.2° dip, China in December 2000 are derived from Wuhan DGS-256 Digisonde data. The deduced VEWs show large day-to-day variations during the winter, even in low magnetic activity conditions. The diurnal pattern of average VEWs is more complicated than that predicted by the empirical Horizontal Wind Model (HWM. Using an empirical electric field model based on the observations from Jicamarca radar and satellites, we investigate the contributions to VEWs from neutral winds and from electric fields at the F-layer peak. If the electric field model is reasonable for Wuhan during this period, the neutral winds contribute mostly to the VEWs, and the contribution from the E × B drifts is insignificant.Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (thermospheric dynamics – Ionosphere (ionosphere-atmosphere interaction; instrument and techniques

A new approach to the derivation of dynamic information from ionosonde measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Liu

Full Text Available A new approach is developed to derive dynamic information near the peak of the ionospheric F-layer from ionosonde measurements. This approach avoids deducing equivalent winds from the displacement of the observed peak height from a no-wind equilibrium height, so it need not determine the no-wind equilibrium height which may limit the accuracy of the deduced winds, as did the traditional servo theory. This approach is preliminarily validated with comparisons of deduced equivalent winds with the measurements from the Fabry-Perot interferometer, the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar and with previous works. Examples of vertical components of equivalent winds (VEWs, over Wuhan (114.4° E, 30.6° N, 45.2° dip, China in December 2000 are derived from Wuhan DGS-256 Digisonde data. The deduced VEWs show large day-to-day variations during the winter, even in low magnetic activity conditions. The diurnal pattern of average VEWs is more complicated than that predicted by the empirical Horizontal Wind Model (HWM. Using an empirical electric field model based on the observations from Jicamarca radar and satellites, we investigate the contributions to VEWs from neutral winds and from electric fields at the F-layer peak. If the electric field model is reasonable for Wuhan during this period, the neutral winds contribute mostly to the VEWs, and the contribution from the E × B drifts is insignificant.

Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (thermospheric dynamics – Ionosphere (ionosphere-atmosphere interaction; instrument and techniques

Simultaneous determination of nitric acid and uranium concentrations in aqueous solution from measurements of electrical conductivity, density, and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spencer, B.B.

1991-01-01

Nuclear fuel reprocessing plants handle aqueous solutions of nitric acid and uranium in large quantities. Automatic control of process operations requires reliable measurements of these solutes concentration, but this is difficult to directly measure. Physical properties such as solution density and electrical conductivity vary with solute concentration and temperature. Conductivity, density and temperature can be measured accurately with relatively simple and inexpensive devices. These properties can be used to determine solute concentrations will good correlations. This paper provides the appropriate correlations for solutions containing 2 to 6 Molar (M) nitric acid and 0 to 300 g/L uranium metal at temperatures from 25--90 degrees C. The equations are most accurate below 5 M nitric acid, due to a broad maximum in the conductivity curve at 6 M. 12 refs., 9 figs., 6 tabs

75 FR 5589 - Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Request for Public Nominations of Experts To Conduct a Peer...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-03

... Ecology, National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), who may be contacted via telephone at (703... derive an aquatic life advisory value for conductivity (a measure of salinity) that may be applied to... statistics with emphasis in management of empirical data sets associated with aquatic ecology or water...

High-frequency conductivity of optically excited charge carriers in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon investigated by spectroscopic femtosecond pump–probe reflectivity measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Wei [University of Birmingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Yurkevich, Igor V. [Aston University, Nonlinearity and Complexity Research Group, Birmingham B4 7ET (United Kingdom); Zakar, Ammar [University of Birmingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Kaplan, Andrey, E-mail: a.kaplan.1@bham.ac.uk [University of Birmingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2015-10-01

We report an investigation into the high-frequency conductivity of optically excited charge carriers far from equilibrium with the lattice. The investigated samples consist of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films grown on a thin film of silicon oxide on top of a silicon substrate. For the investigation, we used an optical femtosecond pump–probe setup to measure the reflectance change of a probe beam. The pump beam ranged between 580 and 820 nm, whereas the probe wavelength spanned 770 to 810 nm. The pump fluence was fixed at 0.6 mJ/cm{sup 2}. We show that at a fixed delay time of 300 fs, the conductivity of the excited electron–hole plasma is described well by a classical conductivity model of a hot charge carrier gas found at Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, while Fermi–Dirac statics is not suitable. This is corroborated by values retrieved from pump–probe reflectance measurements of the conductivity and its dependence on the excitation wavelength and carrier temperature. The conductivity decreases monotonically as a function of the excitation wavelength, as expected for a nondegenerate charge carrier gas. - Highlights: • We study high‐frequency conductivity of excited hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon. • Reflectance change was measured as a function of pump and probe wavelength. • Maxwell–Boltzmann transport theory was used to retrieve the conductivity. • The conductivity decreases monotonically as a function of the pump wavelength.

Streaming potential revisited: the influence of convection on the surface conductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Rakesh; Garg, Abhinandan; Barz, Dominik P J

2014-09-16

Electrokinetic phenomena play an important role in the electrical characterization of surfaces. In terms of planar or porous substrates, streaming potential and/or streaming current measurements can be used to determine the zeta potential of the substrates in contact with aqueous electrolytes. In this work, we perform electrical impedance spectroscopy measurements to infer the electrical resistance in a microchannel with the same conditions as for a streaming potential experiment. Novel correlations are derived to relate the streaming current and streaming potential to the Reynolds number of the channel flow. Our results not only quantify the influence of surface conductivity, and here especially the contribution of the stagnant layer, but also reveal that channel resistance and therefore zeta potential are influenced by the flow in the case of low ionic strengths. We conclude that convection can have a significant impact on the electrical double layer configuration which is reflected by changes in the surfaces conductivity.

Thermal conductivity measurements of PTFE and Al2O3 ceramic at sub-Kelvin temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Drobizhev, Alexey; Reiten, Jared; Singh, Vivek; Kolomensky, Yury G.

2017-07-01

The design of low temperature bolometric detectors for rare event searches necessitates careful selection and characterization of structural materials based on their thermal properties. We measure the thermal conductivities of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Al2O3 ceramic (alumina) in the temperature ranges of 0.17-0.43 K and 0.1-1.3 K, respectively. For the former, we observe a quadratic temperature dependence across the entire measured range. For the latter, we see a cubic dependence on temperature above 0.3 K, with a linear contribution below that temperature. This paper presents our measurement techniques, results, and theoretical discussions.

High accuracy thermal conductivity measurement of aqueous cryoprotective agents and semi-rigid biological tissues using a microfabricated thermal sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xin M.; Sekar, Praveen K.; Zhao, Gang; Zhou, Xiaoming; Shu, Zhiquan; Huang, Zhongping; Ding, Weiping; Zhang, Qingchuan; Gao, Dayong

2015-01-01

An improved thermal-needle approach for accurate and fast measurement of thermal conductivity of aqueous and soft biomaterials was developed using microfabricated thermal conductivity sensors. This microscopic measuring device was comprehensively characterized at temperatures from 0 °C to 40 °C. Despite the previous belief, system calibration constant was observed to be highly temperature-dependent. Dynamic thermal conductivity response during cooling (40 °C to –40 °C) was observed using the miniaturized single tip sensor for various concentrations of CPAs, i.e., glycerol, ethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide. Chicken breast, chicken skin, porcine limb, and bovine liver were assayed to investigate the effect of anatomical heterogeneity on thermal conductivity using the arrayed multi-tip sensor at 20 °C. Experimental results revealed distinctive differences in localized thermal conductivity, which suggests the use of approximated or constant property values is expected to bring about results with largely inflated uncertainties when investigating bio-heat transfer mechanisms and/or performing sophisticated thermal modeling with complex biological tissues. Overall, the presented micro thermal sensor with automated data analysis algorithm is a promising approach for direct thermal conductivity measurement of aqueous solutions and soft biomaterials and is of great value to cryopreservation of tissues, hyperthermia or cryogenic, and other thermal-based clinical diagnostics and treatments. PMID:25993037

The measurement of conductivity of copper indium disulphide thin films against temperature and thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yussof Wahab; Roslinda Zainal; Samsudi Sakrani

1996-01-01

Ternary semiconductor copper indium disulphide (CuInS sub 2) thin films have been prepared by thermal evaporation. Three stacked layers of film starting with copper, indium and finally sulphur was deposited on glass substrate in the thickness ratio of 1: 1: I0. The films were then annealed in carbon block by method known as encapsulated sulphurization at 350 degree C for 4 hours. The XRD analysis for four samples of thickness of 449.5, 586, 612 and 654 nm showed that stoichiometric CuInS sub 2, were formed at this annealing condition. The electrical conductivity of CuInS sub 2 thin films were measured against temperature from 150K to 300K. The conductivity values were between 76.6 Sm sup -1 to 631.26 Sm sup -1 and the result showed that it increase exponentially with temperature for the above temperature range. The resulting activation energies were found to be in the range 0.05 to 0.08 eV. This suggested that hopping mechanism predominant to the conducting process. It also found that the conductivity decreased with increasing film thickness

Conductivity-limiting bipolar thermal conductivity in semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shanyu; Yang, Jiong; Toll, Trevor; Yang, Jihui; Zhang, Wenqing; Tang, Xinfeng

2015-01-01

Intriguing experimental results raised the question about the fundamental mechanisms governing the electron-hole coupling induced bipolar thermal conduction in semiconductors. Our combined theoretical analysis and experimental measurements show that in semiconductors bipolar thermal transport is in general a “conductivity-limiting” phenomenon, and it is thus controlled by the carrier mobility ratio and by the minority carrier partial electrical conductivity for the intrinsic and extrinsic cases, respectively. Our numerical method quantifies the role of electronic band structure and carrier scattering mechanisms. We have successfully demonstrated bipolar thermal conductivity reduction in doped semiconductors via electronic band structure modulation and/or preferential minority carrier scatterings. We expect this study to be beneficial to the current interests in optimizing thermoelectric properties of narrow gap semiconductors. PMID:25970560

Positive phase error from parallel conductance in tetrapolar bio-impedance measurements and its compensation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan M Roitt

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Bioimpedance measurements are of great use and can provide considerable insight into biological processes.  However, there are a number of possible sources of measurement error that must be considered.  The most dominant source of error is found in bipolar measurements where electrode polarisation effects are superimposed on the true impedance of the sample.  Even with the tetrapolar approach that is commonly used to circumvent this issue, other errors can persist. Here we characterise the positive phase and rise in impedance magnitude with frequency that can result from the presence of any parallel conductive pathways in the measurement set-up.  It is shown that fitting experimental data to an equivalent electrical circuit model allows for accurate determination of the true sample impedance as validated through finite element modelling (FEM of the measurement chamber.  Finally, the model is used to extract dispersion information from cell cultures to characterise their growth.

A passive guard for low thermal conductivity measurement of small samples by the hot plate method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jannot, Yves; Godefroy, Justine; Degiovanni, Alain; Grigorova-Moutiers, Veneta

2017-01-01

Hot plate methods under steady state conditions are based on a 1D model to estimate the thermal conductivity, using measurements of the temperatures T 0 and T 1 of the two sides of the sample and of the heat flux crossing it. To be consistent with the hypothesis of the 1D heat flux, either a hot plate guarded apparatus is used, or the temperature is measured at the centre of the sample. On one hand the latter method can be used only if the ratio thickness/width of the sample is sufficiently low and on the other hand the guarded hot plate method requires large width samples (typical cross section of 0.6  ×  0.6 m 2 ). That is why both methods cannot be used for low width samples. The method presented in this paper is based on an optimal choice of the temperatures T 0 and T 1 compared to the ambient temperature T a , enabling the estimation of the thermal conductivity with a centered hot plate method, by applying the 1D heat flux model. It will be shown that these optimal values do not depend on the size or on the thermal conductivity of samples (in the range 0.015–0.2 W m −1 K −1 ), but only on T a . The experimental results obtained validate the method for several reference samples for values of the ratio thickness/width up to 0.3, thus enabling the measurement of the thermal conductivity of samples having a small cross-section, down to 0.045  ×  0.045 m 2 . (paper)

Ion conducting behavior in secondary battery materials detected by quasi-elastic neutron scattering measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Ionic conducting behaviors in secondary battery materials, i.e. cathode and solid electrolyte, were studied with quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements. Although the incoherent scattering length for Li and Na is lower by two orders of magnitude than that for H, the QENS spectra were clearly detected using the combination of an intense neutron source and a low background spectrometer. The fundamental parameters, such as, the activation energy, the jump distance, and the diffusion coefficient were obtained by analyzing QENS spectra. These parameters are consistent with the previous results estimated by muon-spin relaxation (μSR) measurements and first principles calculations. (author)

Measure of Development for Student Conduct Administration

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Adam Ross

2017-01-01

Student Conduct Administration (SCA) is one of many names for the processes and procedures through which colleges and universities manage student behavior. Despite the accessibility of quasi-experimental design (QED) in the study of education (Schlotter, Schwerdt, & Woessman, 2011), the existing scholarship has yet to generate strong empirical…

Smoke reduction from pool fires using ferrocene and derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, J.B.A.; Moir, M.E.

1992-01-01

A series of acyl and alkyl substituted ferrocene derivatives were tested as smoke control agents in laboratory-scale burn tests. In the tests, the soot produced by a given volume was collected on a filter and its weight measured to determine the relative smoke reducing effectiveness of the various derivatives. As the molecular weight of the derivative increases, the effectiveness decreases when added at a fixed weight concentration. The heavier derivatives were much less effective on a per-weight basis than ferrocene, while the multiply substituted compounds appeared to be more effective. In field tests conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ferrocene in reducing smoke during combustion of other hydrocarbon fuels, it was found that there was a very large soot yield from gasoline fuel, higher than for crude oil even when ferrocene was used. In meso-scale tests, a drastic reduction in smoke yield was obtained when using a new liquid smoke-control additive during combustion of dilbit (bitumen diluted by gas condensate) floating on water. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

A Novel Portable Absolute Transient Hot-Wire Instrument for the Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity of Solids

Science.gov (United States)

Assael, Marc J.; Antoniadis, Konstantinos D.; Metaxa, Ifigeneia N.; Mylona, Sofia K.; Assael, John-Alexander M.; Wu, Jiangtao; Hu, Miaomiao

2015-11-01

A new portable absolute Transient Hot-Wire instrument for measuring the thermal conductivity of solids over a range of 0.2 { W}{\\cdot }m^{-1}{\\cdot }{K}^{-1} to 4 { W}{\\cdot }m^{-1}{\\cdot }{K}^{-1} is presented. The new instrument is characterized by three novelties: (a) an innovative two-wires sensor which provides robustness and portability, while at the same time employs a soft silicone layer to eliminate the effect of the contact resistance between the wires and the sample, (b) a newly designed compact portable printed electronic board employing an FPGA architecture CPU to the control output voltage and data processing—the new board replaces the traditional, large in size Wheatstone-type bridge system required to perform the experimental measurements, and (c) a cutting-edge software suite, developed for the mesh describing the structure of the sensor, and utilizing the Finite Elements Method to model the heat flow. The estimation of thermal conductivity is modeled as a minimization problem and is solved using Bayesian Optimization. Our revolutionizing proposed methodology exhibits radical speedups of up to × 120, compared to previous approaches, and considerably reduces the number of simulations performed, achieving convergence only in a few minutes. The new instrument was successfully employed to measure, at room temperature, the thermal conductivity of two thermal conductivity reference materials, Pyroceram 9606 and Pyrex 7740, and two possible candidate glassy solids, PMMA and BK7, with an absolute low uncertainty of 2 %.

Characterizing the performance of an affordable, multichannel conductivity probe for density measurements in stratified flows

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, Balaji; Carminati, Marco; Luzzatto-Fegiz, Paolo

2017-11-01

In stratified flows, conductivity (combined with temperature) is often used to measure density. The conductivity probes typically used can resolve very fine spatial scales, but on the downside they are fragile, expensive, sensitive to environmental noise and have only single channel capability. Recently a low-cost, robust, arduino-based probe called Conduino was developed, which can be valuable in a wide range of applications where resolving extremely small spatial scales is not needed. This probe uses micro-USB connectors as actual conductivity sensors with a custom designed electronic board for simultaneous acquisition from multiple probes, with conductivity resolution comparable to commercially available PME conductivity probe. A detailed assessment of performance of this Conduino probe is described here. To establish time response and sensitivity as a function of electrode geometry, we build a variety of shapes for different kinds of applications, with tip spacing ranging from 0.5-2.5 mm, and with electrode length ranging from 2.3-6 mm. We set up a two-layer density profile and traverse it rapidly, yielding a time response comparable to PME. The Conduino's multi-channel capability is used to operate probe arrays, which helps to construct density fields in stratified flows.

Measuring the Thermal Conductivity of Sediments for the Estimation of Groundwater Discharge to Surface Waters with Temperature Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Duque, C.; Müller, S.; Sebok, E.; Engesgaard, P. K.

2015-12-01

Using temperature probes is a common exploratory method for studying groundwater-surface water interaction due to the ease for collecting measurements and the simplicity of the different analytical solutions. This approach requires to define the surface water temperature, the groundwater temperature and a set of parameters (density and specific capacity of water, and thermal conductivity of sediments) that can be easily extracted from tabulated values under the assumption that they are homogeneous in the study area. In the case of the thermal conductivity, it is common to apply a standard value of 1.84 Wm-1 C-1 corresponding to sand. Nevertheless the environments where this method is applied, like streambeds or lake/lagoons shores, are sedimentary depositional systems with high energy and biological activity that often lead to sediments dominated by organic matter or sharp changes in grain size modifying greatly the thermal conductivity values. In this study, the thermal conductivity was measured in situ along transects where vertical temperature profiles were collected in a coastal lagoon bed receiving groundwater discharge (Ringkøbing Fjord, Denmark). A set of 4 transects with 10-20 temperature profiles during 3 different seasons was analyzed together with more than 150 thermal conductivity measurements along the working transects and in experimental parcels of 1 m2 where the cm scale spatial variability of the thermal conductivity was assessed. The application of a literature-based bulk thermal conductivity of 1.84 Wm-1 C-1 instead of field data that ranged from 0.62 to 2.19 Wm-1 C-1, produced a mean flux overestimation of 2.33 cm d-1 that, considering the low fluxes of the study area, represents an increase of 89 % and up to a factor of 3 in the most extreme cases. The changes in thermal conductivity can alter the estimated fluxes hindering the detection of patterns in groundwater discharge and modifying the interpretation of the results.

Conduction quantization in monolayer MoS2

Science.gov (United States)

Li, T. S.

2016-10-01

We study the ballistic conduction of a monolayer MoS2 subject to a spatially modulated magnetic field by using the Landauer-Buttiker formalism. The band structure depends sensitively on the field strength, and its change has profound influence on the electron conduction. The conductance is found to demonstrate multi-step behavior due to the discrete number of conduction channels. The sharp peak and rectangular structures of the conductance are stretched out as temperature increases, due to the thermal broadening of the derivative of the Fermi-Dirac distribution function. Finally, quantum behavior in the conductance of MoS2 can be observed at temperatures below 10 K.

Psychometric Characteristics of a Measure of Emotional Dispositions Developed to Test a Developmental Propensity Model of Conduct Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Lahey, Benjamin B.; Applegate, Brooks; Chronis, Andrea M.; Jones, Heather A.; Williams, Stephanie Hall; Loney, Jan; Waldman, Irwin D.

2008-01-01

Lahey and Waldman proposed a developmental propensity model in which three dimensions of children's emotional dispositions are hypothesized to transact with the environment to influence risk for conduct disorder, heterogeneity in conduct disorder, and comorbidity with other disorders. To prepare for future tests of this model, a new measure of…

Deriving proper measurement uncertainty from Internal Quality Control data: An impossible mission?

Science.gov (United States)

Ceriotti, Ferruccio

2018-03-30

Measurement uncertainty (MU) is a "non-negative parameter characterizing the dispersion of the quantity values being attributed to a measurand, based on the information used". In the clinical laboratory the most convenient way to calculate MU is the "top down" approach based on the use of Internal Quality Control data. As indicated in the definition, MU depends on the information used for its calculation and so different estimates of MU can be obtained. The most problematic aspect is how to deal with bias. In fact bias is difficult to detect and quantify and it should be corrected including only the uncertainty derived from this correction. Several approaches to calculate MU starting from Internal Quality Control data are presented. The minimum requirement is to use only the intermediate precision data, provided to include 6 months of results obtained with a commutable quality control material at a concentration close to the clinical decision limit. This approach is the minimal requirement and it is convenient for all those measurands that are especially used for monitoring or where a reference measurement system does not exist and so a reference for calculating the bias is lacking. Other formulas including the uncertainty of the value of the calibrator, including the bias from a commutable certified reference material or from a material specifically prepared for trueness verification, including the bias derived from External Quality Assessment schemes or from historical mean of the laboratory are presented and commented. MU is an important parameter, but a single, agreed upon way to calculate it in a clinical laboratory is not yet available. Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High temperature thermal conductivity measurements of UO2 by Direct Electrical Heating. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassett, B.

1980-10-01

High temperature properties of reactor type UO 2 pellets were measured using a Direct Electrical Heating (DEH) Facility. Modifications to the experimental apparatus have been made so that successful and reproducible DEH runs may be carried out while protecting the pellets from oxidation at high temperature. X-ray diffraction measurements on the UO 2 pellets have been made before and after runs to assure that sample oxidation has not occurred. A computer code has been developed that will model the experiment using equations that describe physical properties of the material. This code allows these equations to be checked by comparing the model results to collected data. The thermal conductivity equation for UO 2 proposed by Weilbacher has been used for this analysis. By adjusting the empirical parameters in Weilbacher's equation, experimental data can be matched by the code. From the several runs analyzed, the resulting thermal conductivity equation is lambda = 1/4.79 + 0.0247T/ + 1.06 x 10 -3 exp[-1.62/kT/] - 4410. exp[-3.71/kT/] where lambda is in w/cm K, k is the Boltzman constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin

Auroral ionospheric quiet summer time conductances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brekke, A.; Hall, C.

1988-01-01

The auroral zone E-region conductivities and conductances have been studied for 7 quiet time summer days. The Hall- and Pedersen conductances are found to follow the solar zenith variations in a rather regular fashion, and empirical formulas for these conductances are obtained. The choice of proper collision frequency models is found to be of great importance when deriving the conductances, and it is argued that some of the different results presented by other authors may be due to different models of the collision frequencies. The Hall- to Pedersen conductance ratios can only be used as an indicator of the energy of the precipitating auroral particles when the contribution from the background solar ionization is subtracted. When this is done this ratio takes much higher values than previously reported

Anistropically varying conductivity in irreversible electroporation simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Labarbera, Nicholas; Drapaca, Corina

2017-11-01

One recent area of cancer research is irreversible electroporation (IRE). Irreversible electroporation is a minimally invasive procedure where needle electrodes are inserted into the body to ablate tumor cells with electricity. The aim of this paper is to propose a mathematical model that incorporates a tissue's conductivity increasing more in the direction of the electrical field as this has been shown to occur in experiments. It was necessary to mathematically derive a valid form of the conductivity tensor such that it is dependent on the electrical field direction and can be easily implemented into numerical software. The derivation of a conductivity tensor that can take arbitrary functions for the conductivity in the directions tangent and normal to the electrical field is the main contribution of this paper. Numerical simulations were performed for isotropic-varying and anisotropic-varying conductivities to evaluate the importance of including the electrical field's direction in the formulation for conductivity. By starting from previously published experimental results, this paper derived a general formulation for an anistropic-varying tensor for implementation into irreversible electroporation modeling software. The anistropic-varying tensor formulation allows the conductivity to take into consideration both electrical field direction and magnitude, as opposed to previous published works that only took into account electrical field magnitude. The anisotropic formulation predicts roughly a five percent decrease in ablation size for the monopolar simulation and approximately a ten percent decrease in ablation size for the bipolar simulations. This is a positive result as previously reported results found the isotropic formulation to overpredict ablation size for both monopolar and bipolar simulations. Furthermore, it was also reported that the isotropic formulation overpredicts the ablation size more for the bipolar case than the monopolar case. Thus, our

Measurement of total dissolved solids using electrical conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, Vinod K.; Jat, J.R.; Reddy, G.B.; Balaji Rao, Y.; Phani Babu, C.; Kalyanakrishnan, G.

2017-01-01

Total dissolved solids (TDS) is an important parameter for the disposal of effluents generated during processing of different raw materials like Magnesium Di-uranate (MDU), Heat Treated Uranium Peroxide (HTUP), Sodium Di-uranate (SDU) in Uranium Extraction plant and Washed and Dried Frit (WDF) in Zirconium Extraction Plant. The present paper describes the use of electrical conductivity for determination of TDS. As electrical conductivity is matrix dependent property, matrix matched standards were prepared for determination of TDS in ammonium nitrate solution (AN) and mixture of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate (AN/AS) and results were found to be in good agreement when compared with evaporation method. (author)

Measurement of the Electrical Conductivity of He{sup 3} Plasma Induced by Neutron Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun, J; Nygaard, K

1966-03-15

The conductivity of a He plasma created by the inelastic reaction with thermal neutrons: {sup 3}He + n{sub th} -> {sup 3}H + p + 0.76 MeV is studied as a function of neutron flux, gas temperature and gas density. Using reported values of the electron mobility the electron density is calculated from experimental conductivity values. Further, by accepting a reasonable value for the mean energy lost in creating one ion-pair, the recombination coefficient is estimated. The measurements performed so far cover temperatures between 300 - 1600 K and densities between 0.25 - 1 times the density at atmospheric pressure and 300 K. The neutron flux is varied between 10{sup 10} - 10{sup 11} n/cm{sup 2}/s. As a sample of results achieved at 1600 K and the lowest density (corresponding to about atmospheric pressure) and the highest neutron flux the following values are obtained for the conductivity, the electron density and the recombination coefficient respectively: {sigma} 0.2 S/m, n{sub e} 6x10{sup 11}/cm{sup 3}, {alpha} = 2xl0{sup -10} cm{sup 3}/s. An extrapolation of data obtained shows that the concept of neutron induced conductivity should be attractive for MHD power generation.

Summary of round robin measurements of radiation induced conductivity in Wesgo AL995 alumina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zinkle, S.J. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1996-10-01

This existing data on radiation induced conductivity (RIC) measurements performed on the same heat of the IEA reference ceramic insulator are summarized. Six different sets of RIC measurements have been performed on Wesgo AL995 at dose rates between 10 Gy/s and 1 MGy/s. In general, good agreement was obtained between the different groups of researchers. The data indicate that the RIC at a test temperature of 400-500{degrees}C is approximately linear with ionizing dose rate up to {approximately}1000 Gy/s, and exhibits an approximately square root dependence on dose rate between 1 kGy/s and 1 MGy/s.

Repeatability and Reproducibility of Compression Strength Measurements Conducted According to ASTM E9

Science.gov (United States)

Luecke, William E.; Ma, Li; Graham, Stephen M.; Adler, Matthew A.

2010-01-01

Ten commercial laboratories participated in an interlaboratory study to establish the repeatability and reproducibility of compression strength tests conducted according to ASTM International Standard Test Method E9. The test employed a cylindrical aluminum AA2024-T351 test specimen. Participants measured elastic modulus and 0.2 % offset yield strength, YS(0.2 % offset), using an extensometer attached to the specimen. The repeatability and reproducibility of the yield strength measurement, expressed as coefficient of variations were cv(sub r)= 0.011 and cv(sub R)= 0.020 The reproducibility of the test across the laboratories was among the best that has been reported for uniaxial tests. The reported data indicated that using diametrically opposed extensometers, instead of a single extensometer doubled the precision of the test method. Laboratories that did not lubricate the ends of the specimen measured yield stresses and elastic moduli that were smaller than those measured in laboratories that lubricated the specimen ends. A finite element analysis of the test specimen deformation for frictionless and perfect friction could not explain the discrepancy, however. The modulus measured from stress-strain data were reanalyzed using a technique that finds the optimal fit range, and applies several quality checks to the data. The error in modulus measurements from stress-strain curves generally increased as the fit range decreased to less than 40 % of the stress range.

Conduct Disorder and Neighborhood Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Wesley G; Perez, Nicholas M; Reingle Gonzalez, Jennifer M

2018-05-07

There has been a considerable amount of scholarly attention to the relationship between neighborhood effects and conduct disorder, particularly in recent years. Having said this, it has been nearly two decades since a comprehensive synthesis of this literature has been conducted. Relying on a detailed and comprehensive search strategy and inclusion criteria, this article offers a systematic and interdisciplinary review of 47 empirical studies that have examined neighborhood effects and conduct disorder. Described results suggest that there are generally robust linkages between adverse neighborhood factors and conduct disorder and externalizing behavior problems, as 67 of the 93 (72.04%) effect sizes derived from these studies yielded statistically significant neighborhood effects. The review also identifies salient mediating and moderating influences. It discusses study limitations and directions for future research as well.

Generalization of the van der Pauw relationship derived from electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Jonathan D.

2011-08-01

In an earlier paper, this author, along with two others Weiss et al. (2008) [1], demonstrated that the original van der Pauw relationship could be derived from three-dimensional electrostatics, as opposed to van der Pauw's use of conformal mapping. The earlier derivation was done for a conducting material of rectangular cross section with contacts placed at the corners. Presented here is a generalization of the previous work involving a square sample and a square array of electrodes that are not confined to the corners, since this measurement configuration could be a more convenient one. As in the previous work, the effects of non-zero sample thickness and contact size have been investigated. Buehler and Thurber derived a similar relationship using an infinite series of current images on a large and thin conducting sheet to satisfy the conditions at the boundary of the sample. The results presented here agree with theirs numerically, but analytic agreement could not be shown using any of the perused mathematical literature. By simply equating the two solutions, it appears that, as a byproduct of this work, a new mathematical relationship has been uncovered. Finally, the application of this methodology to the Hall Effect is discussed.

On higher derivative gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accioly, A.J.

1987-01-01

A possible classical route conducting towards a general relativity theory with higher-derivatives starting, in a sense, from first principles, is analysed. A completely causal vacuum solution with the symmetries of the Goedel universe is obtained in the framework of this higher-derivative gravity. This very peculiar and rare result is the first known vcuum solution of the fourth-order gravity theory that is not a solution of the corresponding Einstein's equations.(Author) [pt

Measurement of AC electrical conductivity of single crystal Al2O3 during spallation-neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, J.C. III; Farnum, E.H.; Sommer, W.F.; Clinard, F.W. Jr.

1993-01-01

Samples of single crystal Al 2 O 3 , commonly known as sapphire, and polycrystalline Al 2 O 3 were irradiated with spallation neutrons at the Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility (LASREF) under various temperature conditions and with a continuously applied alternating electric field. This paper describes the results of measurements on the sapphire samples. Neutron fluence and flux values are estimated values pending recovery and analysis of dosimetry packages. The conductivity increased approximately with the square root of the neutron flux at fluences less than 3 x 10 21 n/m 2 . The increase in conductivity reached saturated levels as high as 2 x 10 -2 (ohm-m) -1 at fluences as low as 2 x 10 22 n/m 2 . Frequency swept impedance measurements indicated a change in the electrical properties from capacitive to resistive behavior with increasing fluence

Compact Electro-Permeabilization System for Controlled Treatment of Biological Cells and Cell Medium Conductivity Change Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novickij Vitalij

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Subjection of biological cells to high intensity pulsed electric field results in the permeabilization of the cell membrane. Measurement of the electrical conductivity change allows an analysis of the dynamics of the process, determination of the permeabilization thresholds, and ion efflux influence. In this work a compact electro-permeabilization system for controlled treatment of biological cells is presented. The system is capable of delivering 5 μs - 5 ms repetitive square wave electric field pulses with amplitude up to 1 kV. Evaluation of the cell medium conductivity change is implemented in the setup, allowing indirect measurement of the ion concentration changes occurring due to the cell membrane permeabilization. The simulation model using SPICE and the experimental data of the proposed system are presented in this work. Experimental data with biological cells is also overviewed

Thermal conductivity of technetium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minato, K.; Serizawa, H.; Fukuda, K.

1998-01-01

The thermal diffusivity of technetium was measured on a disk sample of 5 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness by the laser flash method from room temperature to 1173 K, and the thermal conductivity was determined by the measured thermal diffusivity and density, and the reported specific heat capacity. The thermal diffusivity of technetium decreases with increasing temperature though it is almost constant above 600 K. The thermal conductivity of technetium shows a minimum around 400 K, above which the thermal conductivity increases with temperature. The electronic and phonon components of the thermal conductivity were evaluated approximately. The increase in the thermal conductivity of technetium with temperature is due to the increase in the electronic component. (orig.)

Investigating bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons through landfarming using apparent electrical conductivity measurements

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