Single-particle thermal diffusion of charged colloids: Double-layer theory in a temperature gradient

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dhont, J.K.G.; Briels, Willem J.

2008-01-01

The double-layer contribution to the single-particle thermal diffusion coefficient of charged, spherical colloids with arbitrary double-layer thickness is calculated and compared to experiments. The calculation is based on an extension of the Debye-Hückel theory for the double-layer structure that

A development of simulation and analytical program for through-diffusion experiments for a single layer of diffusion media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Haruo

2001-01-01

A program (TDROCK1. FOR) for simulation and analysis of through-diffusion experiments for a single layer of diffusion media was developed. This program was made by Pro-Fortran language, which was suitable for scientific and technical calculations, and relatively easy explicit difference method was adopted for an analysis. In the analysis, solute concentration in the tracer cell as a function of time that we could not treat to date can be input and the decrease in the solute concentration as a function of time by diffusion from the tracer cell to the measurement cell, the solute concentration distribution in the porewater of diffusion media and the solute concentration in the measurement cell as a function of time can be calculated. In addition, solution volume in both cells and diameter and thickness of the diffusion media are also variable as an input condition. This simulation program could well explain measured result by simulating solute concentration in the measurement cell as a function of time for case which apparent and effective diffusion coefficients were already known. Based on this, the availability and applicability of this program to actual analysis and simulation were confirmed. This report describes the theoretical treatment for the through-diffusion experiments for a single layer of diffusion media, analytical model, an example of source program and the manual. (author)

Enhancement of Endurance in HfO2-Based CBRAM Device by Introduction of a TaN Diffusion Blocking Layer

KAUST Repository

Chand, Umesh

2017-08-05

We propose a new method to improve resistive switching properties in HfO2 based CBRAM crossbar structure device by introducing a TaN thin diffusion blocking layer between the Cu top electrode and HfO2 switching layer. The Cu/TaN/HfO2/TiN device structure exhibits high resistance ratio of OFF/ON states without any degradation in switching during endurance test. The improvement in the endurance properties of the Cu/TaN/HfO2/TiN CBRAM device is thus attributed to the relatively low amount of Cu migration into HfO2 switching layer.

Characteristic time scales for diffusion processes through layers and across interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Elliot J.

2018-04-01

This paper presents a simple tool for characterizing the time scale for continuum diffusion processes through layered heterogeneous media. This mathematical problem is motivated by several practical applications such as heat transport in composite materials, flow in layered aquifers, and drug diffusion through the layers of the skin. In such processes, the physical properties of the medium vary across layers and internal boundary conditions apply at the interfaces between adjacent layers. To characterize the time scale, we use the concept of mean action time, which provides the mean time scale at each position in the medium by utilizing the fact that the transition of the transient solution of the underlying partial differential equation model, from initial state to steady state, can be represented as a cumulative distribution function of time. Using this concept, we define the characteristic time scale for a multilayer diffusion process as the maximum value of the mean action time across the layered medium. For given initial conditions and internal and external boundary conditions, this approach leads to simple algebraic expressions for characterizing the time scale that depend on the physical and geometrical properties of the medium, such as the diffusivities and lengths of the layers. Numerical examples demonstrate that these expressions provide useful insight into explaining how the parameters in the model affect the time it takes for a multilayer diffusion process to reach steady state.

Investigation of the diffusion behavior of sodium in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laemmle, Anke, E-mail: anke.laemmle@zsw-bw.de; Wuerz, Roland; Powalla, Michael [Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden Württemberg, Industriestraße 6, 70565 Stuttgart (Germany); Schwarz, Torsten; Cojocaru-Mirédin, Oana; Choi, Pyuck-Pa [Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany)

2014-04-21

Sodium diffusion in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) layers was investigated over a temperature range from 157 °C to 400 °C. The diffusion profiles were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Sodium ions diffused from a sodium fluoride (NaF) layer on the CIGS surface into the CIGS layer. From Na diffusion profiles, the diffusion along grain boundaries could be distinguished from the diffusion into the grain interior. Atom-probe tomography measurements reveal that even at a low temperature of 157 °C bulk diffusion of sodium into CIGS occurs. Based on this data, the slower diffusion coefficient in the volume can be described by the Arrhenius equation D{sub Na}{sup V} = 9.7 × 10{sup −9} exp(−0.36 eV/k{sub B}T) cm{sup 2} s{sup −1} and the fast diffusion along the grain boundaries by D{sub Na}{sup GB} = 6.5 × 10{sup −9} exp(−0.21 eV/k{sub B}T) cm{sup 2} s{sup −1}. Hence, we propose that sodium ions do not only passivate grain boundaries, but also act as dopants in the CIGS bulk.

Hybrid diffusion-P3 equation in N-layered turbid media: steady-state domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Zhenzhi; Zhao, Huijuan; Xu, Kexin

2011-10-01

This paper discusses light propagation in N-layered turbid media. The hybrid diffusion-P3 equation is solved for an N-layered finite or infinite turbid medium in the steady-state domain for one point source using the extrapolated boundary condition. The Fourier transform formalism is applied to derive the analytical solutions of the fluence rate in Fourier space. Two inverse Fourier transform methods are developed to calculate the fluence rate in real space. In addition, the solutions of the hybrid diffusion-P3 equation are compared to the solutions of the diffusion equation and the Monte Carlo simulation. For the case of small absorption coefficients, the solutions of the N-layered diffusion equation and hybrid diffusion-P3 equation are almost equivalent and are in agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation. For the case of large absorption coefficients, the model of the hybrid diffusion-P3 equation is more precise than that of the diffusion equation. In conclusion, the model of the hybrid diffusion-P3 equation can replace the diffusion equation for modeling light propagation in the N-layered turbid media for a wide range of absorption coefficients.

Diffusion barrier performance of novel Ti/TaN double layers for Cu metallization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Y.M.; He, M.Z.; Xie, Z.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Novel Ti/TaN double layers offering good stability as a barrier against Cu metallization have been made achievable by annealing in vacuum. • The Ti/TaN double layers improved the adhesion with Cu thin films and showed good diffusion barrier between Cu and SiO 2 /Si up to the annealing condition. • The failure mechanism of Ti/TaN bi-layer is similar with the Cu/TaN/Si metallization system in which Cu atoms diffuse through the grain boundary of barrier and react with silicon to form Cu 3 Si. - Abstract: Novel Ti/TaN double layers offering good stability as a barrier against Cu metallization have been made achievable by annealing in vacuum better than 1 × 10 −3 Pa. Ti/TaN double layers were formed on SiO 2 /Si substrates by DC magnetron sputtering and then the properties of Cu/Ti/TaN/SiO 2 /Si film stacks were studied. It was found that the Ti/TaN double layers provide good diffusion barrier between Cu and SiO 2 /Si up to 750 °C for 30 min. The XRD, Auger and EDS results show that the Cu–Si compounds like Cu 3 Si were formed by Cu diffusion through Ti/TaN barrier for the 800 °C annealed samples. It seems that the improved diffusion barrier property of Cu/Ti/TaN/SiO 2 /Si stack is due to the diffusion of nitrogen along the grain boundaries in Ti layer, which would decrease the defects in Ti film and block the diffusion path for Cu diffusion with increasing annealing temperature. The failure mechanism of Ti/TaN bi-layer is similar to the Cu/TaN/Si metallization system in which Cu atoms diffuse through the grain boundary of barrier and react with silicon to form Cu 3 Si

Automatic segmentation of human cortical layer-complexes and architectural areas using diffusion MRI and its validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Bastiani

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Recently, several magnetic resonance imaging contrast mechanisms have been shown to distinguish cortical substructure corresponding to selected cortical layers. Here, we investigate cortical layer and area differentiation by automatized unsupervised clustering of high resolution diffusion MRI data. Several groups of adjacent layers could be distinguished in human primary motor and premotor cortex. We then used the signature of diffusion MRI signals along cortical depth as a criterion to detect area boundaries and find borders at which the signature changes abruptly. We validate our clustering results by histological analysis of the same tissue. These results confirm earlier studies which show that diffusion MRI can probe layer-specific intracortical fiber organization and, moreover, suggests that it contains enough information to automatically classify architecturally distinct cortical areas. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the automatic clustering approach and its appeal for MR-based cortical histology.

Analytical approximate solutions of the time-domain diffusion equation in layered slabs.

Science.gov (United States)

Martelli, Fabrizio; Sassaroli, Angelo; Yamada, Yukio; Zaccanti, Giovanni

2002-01-01

Time-domain analytical solutions of the diffusion equation for photon migration through highly scattering two- and three-layered slabs have been obtained. The effect of the refractive-index mismatch with the external medium is taken into account, and approximate boundary conditions at the interface between the diffusive layers have been considered. A Monte Carlo code for photon migration through a layered slab has also been developed. Comparisons with the results of Monte Carlo simulations showed that the analytical solutions correctly describe the mean path length followed by photons inside each diffusive layer and the shape of the temporal profile of received photons, while discrepancies are observed for the continuous-wave reflectance or transmittance.

Evaluation on applicability of construction methods and construction quality of low-diffusion layer of cavern type radioactive waste disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takechi, Shin-ichi; Yokozeki, Kosuke; Terada, Kenji; Akiyama, Yoshihiro; Yada, Tsutomu; Tsuji, Yukikazu

2014-01-01

A performance verification experiment of cavern type radioactive waste disposal facility with a real scale construction is being conducted to evaluate the applicability of proposed construction methods and construction quality of the facility. In this paper, we confirmed that the low-diffusion layer, which is one of the cementitious materials based members, could be filled with mortar from end to end of the member; cracks of low-diffusion layer would not affect the long-term safety evaluation of the facility. And also we figured out the relationship between the material strength and the accumulated temperature, relationship between diffusion coefficient and porosity of low-diffusion layer. (author)

Limiting diffusion current at rotating disk electrode with dense particle layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Weroński, P; Nosek, M; Batys, P

2013-09-28

Exploiting the concept of diffusion permeability of multilayer gel membrane and porous multilayer we have derived a simple analytical equation for the limiting diffusion current at rotating disk electrode (RDE) covered by a thin layer with variable tortuosity and porosity, under the assumption of negligible convection in the porous film. The variation of limiting diffusion current with the porosity and tortuosity of the film can be described in terms of the equivalent thickness of stagnant solution layer, i.e., the average ratio of squared tortuosity to porosity. In case of monolayer of monodisperse spherical particles, the equivalent layer thickness is an algebraic function of the surface coverage. Thus, by means of cyclic voltammetry of RDE with a deposited particle monolayer we can determine the monolayer surface coverage. The effect of particle layer adsorbed on the surface of RDE increases non-linearly with surface coverage. We have tested our theoretical results experimentally by means of cyclic voltammetry measurements of limiting diffusion current at the glassy carbon RDE covered with a monolayer of 3 μm silica particles. The theoretical and experimental results are in a good agreement at the surface coverage higher than 0.7. This result suggests that convection in a monolayer of 3 μm monodisperse spherical particles is negligibly small, in the context of the coverage determination, in the range of very dense particle layers.

Multi-scale structural analysis of gas diffusion layers

Science.gov (United States)

Göbel, Martin; Godehardt, Michael; Schladitz, Katja

2017-07-01

The macroscopic properties of materials are strongly determined by their micro structure. Here, transport properties of gas diffusion layers (GDL) for fuel cells are considered. In order to simulate flow and thermal properties, detailed micro structural information is essential. 3D images obtained by high-resolution computed tomography using synchrotron radiation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with focused ion beam (FIB) serial slicing were used. A recent method for reconstruction of porous structures from FIB-SEM images and sophisticated morphological image transformations were applied to segment the solid structural components. The essential algorithmic steps for segmenting the different components in the tomographic data-sets are described and discussed. In this paper, two types of GDL, based on a non-woven substrate layer and a paper substrate layer were considered, respectively. More than three components are separated within the synchrotron radiation computed tomography data. That is, fiber system, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder/impregnation, micro porous layer (MPL), inclusions within the latter, and pore space are segmented. The usage of the thus derived 3D structure data in different simulation applications can be demonstrated. Simulations of macroscopic properties such as thermal conductivity, depending on the flooding state of the GDL are possible.

Theoretical bases on thermal stability of layered metallic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadyrzhanov, K.K.; Rusakov, V.S.; Turkebaev, T.Eh.; Zhankadamova, A.M.; Ensebaeva, M.Z.

2003-01-01

The paper is dedicated to implementation of the theoretical bases for layered metallic systems thermal stabilization. The theory is based on the stabilization mechanism expense of the intermediate two-phase field formation. As parameters of calculated model are coefficients of mutual diffusion and inclusions sizes of generated phases in two-phase fields. The stabilization time dependence for beryllium-iron (Be (1.1 μm)-Fe(5.5 μm)) layered system from iron and beryllium diffusion coefficients, and inclusions sizes is shown as an example. Conclusion about possible mechanisms change at transition from microscopic consideration to the nano-crystal physics level is given

Transmission electron microscopy study for investigating high-temperature reliability of Ti10W90-based and Ta-based diffusion barriers up to 600 C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budhiman, Nando; Schuermann, Ulrich; Kienle, Lorenz; Jensen, Bjoern; Chemnitz, Steffen; Wagner, Bernhard

2016-01-01

Abstractauthoren Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, including energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) (elemental mapping, line, and point measurements) and energy filtered TEM (EFTEM) methods, is applied to investigate the high temperature reliability, especially material diffusion, of two types of diffusion barriers: titanium-tungsten-based (Ti 10 W 90 -based) and tantalum-based (Ta-based), with nickel (Ni) layer on top. Both barriers were deposited as a form of stacked layers on sili-con (Si) wafers using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. TEM analysis is performed on both barriers before and after annealing (at 600 C for 24 h inside a vacuum chamber). No diffusion of material into the Si substrate as observed. Additionally, only diffusion between the Ni and adjoining Ti 10 W 90 layers, and between Ni and adjoining Ta layers in the Ti 10 W 90 -based and Ta-based barriers, respectively, are observed due to annealing. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Modelling Cr depletion under a growing Cr2O3 layer on austenitic stainless steel: the influence of grain boundary diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Hattel, Jesper Henri; Dahl, Kristian Vinter

2009-01-01

according to a parabolic rate law as a consequence of rate limiting diffusion of Cr cations through the oxide layer; the retraction of the oxide/alloy interface associated with the removal of Cr atoms from the substrate is included in the calculations. Numerically, the movement of the oxide/alloy interface......The oxidation behaviour of austenitic stainless steels in the temperature range 723–1173K is strongly influenced by the grain size of the oxidizing alloy. In this work the evolution of the concentration profiles of Cr, Ni and Fe in the substrate below a growing Cr2O3 layer is simulated...... with a Fisher-type numerical model, which takes both volume and grain boundary diffusion into consideration. The model is based on a two-dimensional control volume-based solution of Fick’s 2nd law for multicomponent diffusion and includes crossterm diffusion coefficients. The oxide layer is assumed to grow...

Characterization of Transition Metal Carbide Layers Synthesized by Thermo-reactive Diffusion Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Mads Brink; Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin

2015-01-01

. In this study halide-activated pack cementation techniques were used on tool steel Vanadis 6 and martensitic stainless steel AISI 420 in order to produce hard layers of titanium carbide (TiC), vanadium carbide (V8C7) and chromium carbides (Cr23C6 and Cr7C3). Surface layers were characterized by scanning......Hard wear resistant surface layers of transition metal carbides can be produced by thermo-reactive diffusion processes where interstitial elements from a steel substrate together with external sources of transition metals (Ti, V, Cr etc.) form hard carbide and/or nitride layers at the steel surface...... electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Vickers hardness testing. The study shows that porosityfree, homogenous and very hard surface layers can be produced by thermo-reactive diffusion processes. The carbon availability of the substrate influences thickness of obtained layers, as Vanadis 6 tool steel...

Efficient Exciton Diffusion and Resonance-Energy Transfer in Multi-Layered Organic Epitaxial Nanofibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tavares, Luciana; Cadelano, Michele; Quochi, Francesco

2015-01-01

Multi-layered epitaxial nanofibers are exemplary model systems for the study of exciton dynamics and lasing in organic materials due to their well-defined morphology, high luminescence efficiencies, and color tunability. We resort to temperature-dependent cw and picosecond photoluminescence (PL......) spectroscopy to quantify exciton diffusion and resonance-energy transfer (RET) processes in multi-layered nanofibers consisting of alternating layers of para-hexaphenyl (p6P) and α-sexithiophene (6T), serving as exciton donor and acceptor material, respectively. The high probability for RET processes...... is confirmed by Quantum Chemical calculations. The activation energy for exciton diffusion in p6P is determined to be as low as 19 meV, proving p6P epitaxial layers also as a very suitable donor material system. The small activation energy for exciton diffusion of the p6P donor material, the inferred high p6P...

Changes in structure and phase composition of chromium diffusion layer on stainless steels after long annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knyazev, E.V.; Voshedchenko, B.M.; Voskresenskij, Yu.A.

1985-01-01

A study was made on the effect of elevated temperatures UU and long holdings at heat on structure, phase composition and properties of chromium diffusion layer on austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steels 10Kh18N10TVD, 10Kh15N30M4B, 10Kh11N23T3MR, 10Kh21N28V6M3. The following mechanism of processes taking place in diffusion chromium layer is presented. The steady drop of chromium concentrations is observed after diffusion saturation. Chromium redistribution related with system transformation to more equilibrium state and simultaneous decarburization of steel surfaces takes place in diffusion layers of 10Kh15N30M4B and 10Kh21N28V6M3 steels after annealing at different temperatures and holdings at heat. Decarburization of steel surface layers is practically excluded in diffusion layers of 10Kh18N10T-VD and 10Kh11N23T3MR steels. Diffusion chromium-saturated layer stays effective only on 10Kh18N10T-VD and 10Kh11N23T3MR steels on heating up to 1000 deq C with holding up to 250 h

Diffusion layer characteristics for increasing the performance of activated carbon air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiaoyuan; He, Weihua; Yang, Wulin; Liu, Jia; Wang, Qiuying; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.

2016-01-01

The characteristics of several different types of diffusion layers were systematically examined to improve the performance of activated carbon air cathodes used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A diffusion layer of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (CB + PTFE) that was pressed onto a stainless steel mesh current collector achieved the highest cathode performance. This cathode also had a high oxygen mass transfer coefficient and high water pressure tolerance (>2 m), and it had the highest current densities in abiotic chronoamperometry tests compared to cathodes with other diffusion layers. In MFC tests, this cathode also produced maximum power densities (1610 ± 90 mW m−2) that were greater than those of cathodes with other diffusion layers, by 19% compared to Gore-Tex (1350 ± 20 mW m−2), 22% for a cloth wipe with PDMS (1320 ± 70 mW m−2), 45% with plain PTFE (1110 ± 20 mW m−2), and 19% higher than those of cathodes made with a Pt catalyst and a PTFE diffusion layer (1350 ± 50 mW m−2). The highly porous diffusion layer structure of the CB + PTFE had a relatively high oxygen mass transfer coefficient (1.07 × 10−3 cm s−1) which enhanced oxygen transport to the catalyst. The addition of CB enhanced cathode performance by increasing the conductivity of the diffusion layer. Oxygen mass transfer coefficient, water pressure tolerance, and the addition of conductive particles were therefore critical features for achieving higher performance AC air cathodes.

A systematic determination of diffusion coefficients of trace elements in open and restricted diffusive layers used by the diffusive gradients in a thin film technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shiva, Amir Houshang; Teasdale, Peter R.; Bennett, William W.

2015-01-01

A systematic comparison of the diffusion coefficients of cations (Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and oxyanions (Al, As, Mo, Sb, V, W) in open (ODL) and restricted (RDL) diffusive layers used by the DGT technique was undertaken. Diffusion coefficients were measured using both the diffusion cell...... concentrations required with the Dcell measurements. This is the first time that D values have been reported for several oxyanions using RDL. Except for Al at pH 8.30 with ODL, all DDGT measurements were retarded relative to diffusion coefficients in water (DW) for both diffusive hydrogels. Diffusion in RDL...

A comparison of Fick and Maxwell-Stefan diffusion formulations in PEMFC gas diffusion layers

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstrom, Michael; Wetton, Brian

2017-01-01

This paper explores the mathematical formulations of Fick and Maxwell-Stefan diffusion in the context of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell cathode gas diffusion layers. The simple Fick law with a diagonal diffusion matrix is an approximation of Maxwell-Stefan. Formulations of diffusion combined with mass-averaged Darcy flow are considered for three component gases. For this application, the formulations can be compared computationally in a simple, one dimensional setting. Despite the models' seemingly different structure, it is observed that the predictions of the formulations are very similar on the cathode when air is used as oxidant. The two formulations give quite different results when the Nitrogen in the air oxidant is replaced by helium (this is often done as a diagnostic for fuel cells designs). The two formulations also give quite different results for the anode with a dilute Hydrogen stream. These results give direction to when Maxwell-Stefan diffusion, which is more complicated to implement computationally in many codes, should be used in fuel cell simulations.

Diffusion of C and Cr During Creation of Surface Layer on Cast Steel Casting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szajnar J.

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In paper a method of improvement in utility properties of unalloyed cast steel casting in result of diffusion of C and Cr in process of creation of surface layer is presented. The aim of paper was determination of diffusion range of basic elements of alloyed surface layer. Moreover a quantitative analysis of carbides phase strengthens alloyed surface layer of casting was carried out. The results of studies shown that important factors of surface layer creation are maximal temperature Tmax on granular insert – cast steel boundary dependent of pouring temperature, granularity Zw of Fe-Cr-C alloy insert and thickness of casting wall gśo. On the basis of obtained results was affirmed that with increase of thickness of casting wall increases range of diffusion in solid state in Fe-Cr-C grains and in liquid state. Moreover the range of Tmax = 13001500oC favours creation of the proper alloyed surface layers on cast steel.

Ultrafast atomic layer-by-layer oxygen vacancy-exchange diffusion in double-perovskite LnBaCo2O5.5+δ thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Shanyong; Ma, Chunrui; Chen, Garry; Xu, Xing; Enriquez, Erik; Chen, Chonglin; Zhang, Yamei; Bettis, Jerry L; Whangbo, Myung-Hwan; Dong, Chuang; Zhang, Qingyu

2014-04-22

Surface exchange and oxygen vacancy diffusion dynamics were studied in double-perovskites LnBaCo2O5.5+δ (LnBCO) single-crystalline thin films (Ln = Er, Pr; -0.5 atoms in the LnBCO thin films is taking the layer by layer oxygen-vacancy-exchange mechanism. The first principles density functional theory calculations indicate that hydrogen atoms are present in LnBCO as bound to oxygen forming O-H bonds. This unprecedented oscillation phenomenon provides the first direct experimental evidence of the layer by layer oxygen vacancy exchange diffusion mechanism.

Thermal diffusivity of a metallic thin layer using the time-domain thermo reflectance technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battaglia, J-L; Kusiak, A; Rossignol, C; Chigarev, N

2007-01-01

The time domain thermo reflectance (TDTR) is widely used in the field of acoustic and thermal characterization of thin layers at the nano and micro scale. In this paper, we propose to derive a simple analytical expression of the thermal diffusivity of the layer. This relation is based on the analytical solution of one-dimensional heat transfer in the medium using integral transforms. For metals, the two-temperature model shows that the capacitance effect at the short times is essentially governed by the electronic contribution

NTERACTION BETWEEN SURFACE CHARGE PHENOMENA AND MULTI-SPECIES DIFFUSION IN CEMENT BASED MATERIALS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannesson, Björn

2008-01-01

Measurements strongly indicate that the ‘inner’ surface of the microscopic structure of cement based materials has a fixed negative charge. This charge contributes to the formation of so-called electrical double layers. In the case of cement based materials the ionic species located in such layers...... are typically potassium -, sodium - and calcium ions. Due to the high specific surface area of hydrated cement, a large amount of ions can be located in theses double layers even if the surface charge is relatively low. The attraction force, caused by the fixed surface charge on ions located close to surfaces......, is one possible explanation for the observed low global diffusion rates in the pore system of positively charged ions compared to the negatively charged ones. Here it is of interest to simulate the multi ionic diffusion behavior when assigning positively charged ions a comparably lower diffusion constant...

Peclet number analysis of cross-flow in porous gas diffusion layer of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).

Science.gov (United States)

Suresh, P V; Jayanti, Sreenivas

2016-10-01

Adoption of hydrogen economy by means of using hydrogen fuel cells is one possible solution for energy crisis and climate change issues. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell, which is an important type of fuel cells, suffers from the problem of water management. Cross-flow is induced in some flow field designs to enhance the water removal. The presence of cross-flow in the serpentine and interdigitated flow fields makes them more effective in proper distribution of the reactants on the reaction layer and evacuation of water from the reaction layer than diffusion-based conventional parallel flow fields. However, too much of cross-flow leads to flow maldistribution in the channels, higher pressure drop, and membrane dehydration. In this study, an attempt has been made to quantify the amount of cross-flow required for effective distribution of reactants and removal of water in the gas diffusion layer. Unit cells containing two adjacent channels with gas diffusion layer (GDL) and catalyst layer at the bottom have been considered for the parallel, interdigitated, and serpentine flow patterns. Computational fluid dynamics-based simulations are carried out to study the reactant transport in under-the-rib area with cross-flow in the GDL. A new criterion based on the Peclet number is presented as a quantitative measure of cross-flow in the GDL. The study shows that a cross-flow Peclet number of the order of 2 is required for effective removal of water from the GDL. Estimates show that this much of cross-flow is not usually produced in the U-bends of Serpentine flow fields, making these areas prone to flooding.

Deposition on disordered substrates with precursor layer diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Filipe, J. A. N.; Rodgers, G. J.; Tavassoli, Z.

1998-09-01

Recently we introduced a one-dimensional accelerated random sequential adsorption process as a model for chemisorption with precursor layer diffusion. In this paper we consider this deposition process on disordered or impure substrates. The problem is solved exactly on both the lattice and continuum and for various impurity distributions. The results are compared with those from the standard random sequential adsorption model.

Study of diffusion processes in the oxide layer of zirconium alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sialini P.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In the active zone of a nuclear reactor where zirconium alloys are used as a coating material, this material is subject to various harmful impacts. During water decomposition reactions, hydrogen and oxygen are evolved that may diffuse through the oxidic layer either through zirconium dioxide (ZrO2 crystals or along ZrO2 grains. The diffusion mechanism can be studied using the Ion Beam Analysis (IBA method where nuclear reaction 18O(p,α15N is used. A tube made of zirconium alloy E110 (with 1 wt. % of Nb was used for making samples that were pre-exposed in UJP PRAHA a.s. and subsequently exposed to isotopically cleansed environment of H2 18O medium in an autoclave. The samples were analysed with gravimetric methods and IBA methods performed at the electrostatic particle accelerator Tandetron 4130 MC in the Nucler Physics Institute of the CAS, Řež. With IBA methods, the overall thicknesses of corrosion layers on the samples, element composition of the alloy and distribution of oxygen isotope 18O in the corrosion layer and its penetration in the alloy were identified. The retrieved data shows at the oxygen diffusion along ZrO2 grains because there are two peaks of 18O isotope concentrations in the corrosion layer. These peaks occur at the environment-oxide and oxide-metal interface. The element analysis identified the presence of undesirable hafnium.

Direct and inverse neural networks modelling applied to study the influence of the gas diffusion layer properties on PBI-based PEM fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lobato, Justo; Canizares, Pablo; Rodrigo, Manuel A.; Linares, Jose J. [Chemical Engineering Department, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 13004 Ciudad Real (Spain); Piuleac, Ciprian-George; Curteanu, Silvia [Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, Department of Chemical Engineering, ' ' Gh. Asachi' ' Technical University Iasi Bd. D. Mangeron, No. 71A, 700050 IASI (Romania)

2010-08-15

This article shows the application of a very useful mathematical tool, artificial neural networks, to predict the fuel cells results (the value of the tortuosity and the cell voltage, at a given current density, and therefore, the power) on the basis of several properties that define a Gas Diffusion Layer: Teflon content, air permeability, porosity, mean pore size, hydrophobia level. Four neural networks types (multilayer perceptron, generalized feedforward network, modular neural network, and Jordan-Elman neural network) have been applied, with a good fitting between the predicted and the experimental values in the polarization curves. A simple feedforward neural network with one hidden layer proved to be an accurate model with good generalization capability (error about 1% in the validation phase). A procedure based on inverse neural network modelling was able to determine, with small errors, the initial conditions leading to imposed values for characteristics of the fuel cell. In addition, the use of this tool has been proved to be very attractive in order to predict the cell performance, and more interestingly, the influence of the properties of the gas diffusion layer on the cell performance, allowing possible enhancements of this material by changing some of its properties. (author)

Role of boundary layer diffusion in vapor deposition growth of chalcogenide nanosheets: the case of GeS.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chun; Huang, Liang; Snigdha, Gayatri Pongur; Yu, Yifei; Cao, Linyou

2012-10-23

We report a synthesis of single-crystalline two-dimensional GeS nanosheets using vapor deposition processes and show that the growth behavior of the nanosheet is substantially different from those of other nanomaterials and thin films grown by vapor depositions. The nanosheet growth is subject to strong influences of the diffusion of source materials through the boundary layer of gas flows. This boundary layer diffusion is found to be the rate-determining step of the growth under typical experimental conditions, evidenced by a substantial dependence of the nanosheet's size on diffusion fluxes. We also find that high-quality GeS nanosheets can grow only in the diffusion-limited regime, as the crystalline quality substantially deteriorates when the rate-determining step is changed away from the boundary layer diffusion. We establish a simple model to analyze the diffusion dynamics in experiments. Our analysis uncovers an intuitive correlation of diffusion flux with the partial pressure of source materials, the flow rate of carrier gas, and the total pressure in the synthetic setup. The observed significant role of boundary layer diffusions in the growth is unique for nanosheets. It may be correlated with the high growth rate of GeS nanosheets, ~3-5 μm/min, which is 1 order of magnitude higher than other nanomaterials (such as nanowires) and thin films. This fundamental understanding of the effect of boundary layer diffusions may generally apply to other chalcogenide nanosheets that can grow rapidly. It can provide useful guidance for the development of general paradigms to control the synthesis of nanosheets.

Unsteady magnetohydrodynamic thermal and diffusion boundary layer from a horizontal circular cylinder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boričić Aleksandar Z.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The unsteady 2-D dynamic, thermal, and diffusion magnetohydrodynamic laminar boundary layer flow over a horizontal cylinder of incompressible and electrical conductivity fluid, in mixed convection in the presence of heat source or sink and chemical reactions. The present magnetic field is homogenous and perpendicular to the body surface. It is assumed that induction of outer magnetic field is a function of longitudinal co-ordinate outer electric field is neglected and magnetic Reynolds number is significantly lower than one, i. e. considered the problem is in approximation without induction. Fluid electrical conductivity is constant. Free stream velocity, temperature, and concentration on the body are functions of longitudinal co-ordinate. The developed governing boundary layer equations and associated boundary conditions are made dimensionless using a suitable similarity transformation and similarity parameters. System of non-dimensionless equations is solved using the implicit finite difference three-diagonal and iteration method. Numerical results are obtained and presented for different Prandtl, Eckart, and Schmidt numbers, and values: magnetic parameter, temperature, and diffusion parameters, buoyancy temperature parameters, thermal parameter, and chemical reaction parameter. Variation of velocity profiles, temperature and diffusion distributions, and many integral and differential characteristics, boundary layer, are evaluated numerically for different values of the magnetic field. Transient effects of velocity, temperature and diffusion are analyzed. A part of obtained results is given in the form of figures and corresponding conclusions.

Development of gas diffusion layer using water based carbon slurry for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, J.F.; Liu, X.; Adame, A.; Villacorta, R. [Fuel Cell Research Laboratory, Engineering Technology Department, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212 (United States); Wertz, J. [Hollingsworth and Vose Co., A.K. Nicholson Research Lab, 219 Townsend Road, West Groton, MA 01472 (United States); Ahmad, R.; Thommes, M. [Quantachrome Instruments, 1900 Corporate Drive, Boynton Beach, FL 33426 (United States); Kannan, A.M., E-mail: amk@asu.ed [Fuel Cell Research Laboratory, Engineering Technology Department, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212 (United States)

2011-01-01

The micro-porous layer of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) was fabricated with the carbon slurry dispersed in water containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), by wire rod coating process. The aqueous carbon slurry with micelle-encapsulation was highly consistent and stable without losing any homogeneity even after adding polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder for hundreds of hours. The surface morphology, contact angle and pore size distribution of the GDLs were examined using SEM, Goniometer and Hg Porosimeter, respectively. GDLs fabricated with various SDS concentrations were assembled into MEAs and evaluated in a single cell PEMFC under diverse operating relative humidity (RH) conditions using H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/air as reactants. The peak power density of the single cell using the GDLs with optimum SDS concentration was 1400 and 500 mW cm{sup -2} with H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/air at 90% RH, respectively. GDLs were also fabricated with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) based carbon slurry for fuel cell performance comparison. It was found that the composition of the carbon slurry, specifically SDS concentration played a critical role in controlling the pore diameter as well as the corresponding pore volumes of the GDLs.

Effects of a conducting E layer on classical F region cross-field plasma diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vickrey, J.F.; Kelley, M.C.

1982-01-01

The rate of cross-field plasma diffusion in the F region ionosphere is significantly increased when the magnetic field lines thread a highly conducting E region below. This reduces the lifetime of small-scale F region electron density irregularities in the polar ionosphere where the presence of a highly conducting E region is comonplace. A simple mmodel is developed to describe the effects of a conducting E layer on classical F region plasma diffusion. In the absence of an E region, the difference in ion and electron diffusion rates leads to a charge separation and, hence, to an electrostatic field that retards ion diffusion. When the highly conducting magnetic field lines are tied to a conducting E region, however, electrons can flow along B to reduce the ambipolar diffusion electric field, and ions can proceed perpendicular to B at a rate approaching their own (higher) diffusion velocity. It is shown that the enhanced total diffusion rate that results depends strongly on the height of the F layer and on the ratio of the E to F region Pedersen conductivities

Copper diffusion in Ti-Si-N layers formed by inductively coupled plasma implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ee, Y.C.; Chen, Z.; Law, S.B.; Xu, S.; Yakovlev, N.L.; Lai, M.Y.

2006-01-01

Ternary Ti-Si-N refractory barrier films of 15 nm thick was prepared by low frequency, high density, inductively coupled plasma implantation of N into Ti x Si y substrate. This leads to the formation of Ti-N and Si-N compounds in the ternary film. Diffusion of copper in the barrier layer after annealing treatment at various temperatures was investigated using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometer (ToF-SIMS) depth profiling, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and sheet resistance measurement. The current study found that barrier failure did not occur until 650 deg. C annealing for 30 min. The failure occurs by the diffusion of copper into the Ti-Si-N film to form Cu-Ti and Cu-N compounds. FESEM surface morphology and EDX show that copper compounds were formed on the ridge areas of the Ti-Si-N film. The sheet resistance verifies the diffusion of Cu into the Ti-Si-N film; there is a sudden drop in the resistance with Cu compound formation. This finding provides a simple and effective method of monitoring Cu diffusion in TiN-based diffusion barriers

On the theory of helium diffusion in stellar outer layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponce D, S.; Verga, A.D.

1986-01-01

We discuss the approximations usually made in the different approaches to diffusion in stellar outer layers. We analyze the hypotheses of binary diffusion and diffusion over a non altered background both analytically and numerically. Numerical calculations are applied to central stars of planetary nebulae in which a depletion of helium is observed. We find that in this case helium diffusion may be considered as a binary process but cannot be decoupled from the structure computation. We present an alternative method for studying diffusion and apply it to the central stars. We thus solve a stationary hydrodynamic model for a completely ionized H-He plasma, which takes into account consistently the behavior of all the species. We find equilibrium abundance distributions very different from those obtained according to the trace element approaches while helium and electron densities increase with depth in the atmosphere, protons tend to decrease. However, preliminary studies of the stability show that these are not the actual distributions. (author)

Diffusive boundary layers at the bottom of gaps and cracks

Science.gov (United States)

Etzold, Merlin A.; Landel, Julien R.; Dalziel, Stuart B.

2017-11-01

This work is motivated by the chemical decontamination of droplets of chemical warfare agents trapped in the gaps and cracks found in most man-made objects. We consider axial laminar flow within gaps with both straight and angled walls. We study the diffusive mass transfer from a source (e.g. a droplet surface) located at the bottom of the gap. This problem is similar to boundary layers and Graetz-type problems (heat transfer in pipe flow) with the added complication of a non-uniform lateral concentration profile due to the lateral variation of the velocity profile. We present 3D solutions for the diffusive boundary layer and demonstrate that a 2D mean-field model, for which we calculate series and similarity solutions, captures the essential physics. We demonstrate the immediate practical relevance of our findings by comparing decontamination of a droplet located in a gap and on an exposed surface.

Investigation of Top/Bottom electrode and Diffusion Barrier Layer for PZT Thick Film MEMS Sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hindrichsen, Christian Carstensen; Pedersen, Thomas; Thomsen, Erik Vilain

2008-01-01

Top and bottom electrodes for screen printed piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate, Pb(ZrxTi1 - x)O3 (PZT) thick film are investigated with respect to future MEMS devices. Down to 100 nm thick E-beam evaporated Al and Pt films are patterned as top electrodes on the PZT using a lift-off process...... with a line width down to 3 μ m. A 700 nm thick ZrO2 layer as insolating diffusion barrier layer is found to be insufficient as barrier layer for PZT on a silicon substrate sintered at 850°C. EDX shows diffusion of Si into the PZT layer....

Disposable glucose test strip for whole blood with integrated sensing/diffusion-limiting layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Zhencheng [Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Info-Physics and Geomatics Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Fang Cheng, E-mail: fangpingchuan@163.co [Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Info-Physics and Geomatics Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Wang Hongyan; He Jishan [Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Info-Physics and Geomatics Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)

2009-12-30

A disposable glucose test strip with an integrated sensing/diffusion-limiting layer was developed. A formulation containing filler, glucose oxidase and electronic mediator was screen-printed over two carbon electrodes to form an integrated sensing/diffusion-limiting layer. On rehydration, the integrated layer does not break up, but swells to form a gelled and three-dimensional meshy reaction zone on the surface of the underlying conductive elements in which reactants and mediator move freely, but interfering species such as red blood cells containing oxygenated hemoglobin are excluded. On the same time, the integrated layer maintains a rate of permeation of the analyte through it with a variation of less than 10% at temperatures ranging from 15 deg. C to 42 deg. C. This biosensor is substantially insensitive to interferents and essentially independent to relevant temperature, which provides a more reliable reading of actual blood glucose value in human whole blood.

Modeling of heat transfer in a horizontal heat-generating layer by an effective diffusivity approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, F.B.; Shiah, S.W.

1994-01-01

The concept of effective diffusivity is employed to model various processes of heat transfer in a volumetrically heated fluid layer subjected to different initial and boundary conditions. The approach, which involves the solution of only heat diffusion equations, is found to give rather accurate predictions of the transient response of an initially stagnant fluid layer to a step input of power as well as the developing and decaying nature of the flow following a step change in the internal Rayleigh number from one state of steady convection to another. The approach is also found to be applicable to various flow regions of a heat-generating fluid layer, and is not limited to the case in which the entire layer is in turbulent motion. The simplicity and accuracy of the method are clearly illustrated in the analysis. Validity of the effective diffusivity approach is demonstrated by comparing the predicted results with corresponding experimental data

Adsorption and diffusion of lithium on layered silicon for Li-ion storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Tritsaris, Georgios A; Kaxiras, Efthimios; Meng, Sheng; Wang, Enge

2013-05-08

The energy density of Li-ion batteries depends critically on the specific charge capacity of the constituent electrodes. Silicene, the silicon analogue to graphene, being of atomic thickness could serve as high-capacity host of Li in Li-ion secondary batteries. In this work, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the interaction of Li with Si in model electrodes of free-standing single-layer and double-layer silicene. More specifically, we identify strong binding sites for Li, calculate the energy barriers accompanying Li diffusion, and present our findings in the context of previous theoretical work related to Li-ion storage in other structural forms of silicon: the bulk and nanowires. The binding energy of Li is ~2.2 eV per Li atom and shows small variation with respect to Li content and silicene thickness (one or two layers) while the barriers for Li diffusion are relatively low, typically less than 0.6 eV. We use our theoretical findings to assess the suitability of two-dimensional silicon in the form of silicene layers for Li-ion storage.

Ionic diffusion in the double layer at model electrode/molten salt interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tankeshwar, K.; Tosi, M.P.

1991-08-01

The anisotropic ionic diffusion coefficients in model electrochemical cells in the molten-salt regime for the electrolyte are evaluated from the ionic density profiles reported in simulation work of Grout and coworkers. A local description of the diffusion processes for counterions and coions in the electrical double layer is obtained from the data. (author). 10 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab

Effect of diffuse layer and pore shapes in mesoporous carbon supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Jingsong [ORNL; Sumpter, Bobby G [ORNL; Meunier, Vincent [ORNL; Qiao, Rui [ORNL

2010-01-01

In the spirit of the theoretical evolution from the Helmholtz model to the Gouy Chapman Stern model for electric double-layer capacitors, we explored the effect of a diffuse layer on the capacitance of mesoporous carbon supercapacitors by solving the Poisson Boltzmann (PB) equation in mesopores of diameters from 2 to 20 nm. To evaluate the effect of pore shape, both slit and cylindrical pores were considered. We found that the diffuse layer does not affect the capacitance significantly. For slit pores, the area-normalized capacitance is nearly independent of pore size, which is not experimentally observed for template carbons. In comparison, for cylindrical pores, PB simulations produce a trend of slightly increasing area-normalized capacitance with pore size, similar to that depicted by the electric double-cylinder capacitor model proposed earlier. These results indicate that it is appropriate to approximate the pore shape of mesoporous carbons as being cylindrical and the electric double-cylinder capacitor model should be used for mesoporous carbons as a replacement of the traditional Helmholtz model.

Impact of one-layer assumption on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of skin

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessy, Ricky; Markey, Mia K.; Tunnell, James W.

2015-02-01

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) can be used to noninvasively measure skin properties. To extract skin properties from DRS spectra, you need a model that relates the reflectance to the tissue properties. Most models are based on the assumption that skin is homogenous. In reality, skin is composed of multiple layers, and the homogeneity assumption can lead to errors. In this study, we analyze the errors caused by the homogeneity assumption. This is accomplished by creating realistic skin spectra using a computational model, then extracting properties from those spectra using a one-layer model. The extracted parameters are then compared to the parameters used to create the modeled spectra. We used a wavelength range of 400 to 750 nm and a source detector separation of 250 μm. Our results show that use of a one-layer skin model causes underestimation of hemoglobin concentration [Hb] and melanin concentration [mel]. Additionally, the magnitude of the error is dependent on epidermal thickness. The one-layer assumption also causes [Hb] and [mel] to be correlated. Oxygen saturation is overestimated when it is below 50% and underestimated when it is above 50%. We also found that the vessel radius factor used to account for pigment packaging is correlated with epidermal thickness.

Diffuse layer effects on the current in galvanic cells containing supporting electrolyte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soestbergen, M. van, E-mail: m.vansoestbergen@tudelft.n [Materials Innovation Institute, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands); Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, University of Technology Delft, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands)

2010-02-01

We study the effect of an inert supporting electrolyte on the steady-state ionic current through galvanic cells by solving the full Poisson-Nernst-Planck transport equation coupled to the generalized Frumkin-Butler-Volmer boundary equation for the electrochemical charge transfer at the electrodes. Consequently, the model presented here allows for non-zero space charge densities locally at the electrodes, thus extending the frequently used models based on the local electroneutrality condition by including diffuse layer (DL) effects. This extension is necessary since the DLs determine the ion concentration and electrical field at the reaction planes, which uniquely determine the charge transfer at the electrodes. In this work we present numerical results for systems which contain added inert supporting electrolyte using finite element discretization and compare those with semi-analytical results obtained using singular perturbation theory (limit of negligibly thin DLs). In case of negligibly thin DLs the presence of supporting electrolyte will introduce a limiting current below the classical diffusion-limiting current. Just as for systems without supporting electrolyte, the supporting electrolyte induced limiting current formally does not occur for systems having non-negligibly thin double DLs. For thin, however still finite, double layers this limit can still be seen as a steepening of the polarization curve for current vs. voltage.

Diffuse layer effects on the current in galvanic cells containing supporting electrolyte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soestbergen, M. van

2010-01-01

We study the effect of an inert supporting electrolyte on the steady-state ionic current through galvanic cells by solving the full Poisson-Nernst-Planck transport equation coupled to the generalized Frumkin-Butler-Volmer boundary equation for the electrochemical charge transfer at the electrodes. Consequently, the model presented here allows for non-zero space charge densities locally at the electrodes, thus extending the frequently used models based on the local electroneutrality condition by including diffuse layer (DL) effects. This extension is necessary since the DLs determine the ion concentration and electrical field at the reaction planes, which uniquely determine the charge transfer at the electrodes. In this work we present numerical results for systems which contain added inert supporting electrolyte using finite element discretization and compare those with semi-analytical results obtained using singular perturbation theory (limit of negligibly thin DLs). In case of negligibly thin DLs the presence of supporting electrolyte will introduce a limiting current below the classical diffusion-limiting current. Just as for systems without supporting electrolyte, the supporting electrolyte induced limiting current formally does not occur for systems having non-negligibly thin double DLs. For thin, however still finite, double layers this limit can still be seen as a steepening of the polarization curve for current vs. voltage.

Hydrodynamic theory of convective transport across a dynamically stabilized diffuse boundary layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerhauser, H.

1983-09-01

The diffuse boundary layer between miscible liquids is subject to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities if the heavy fluid is supported by the light one. The resulting rapid interchange of the liquids can be suppressed by enforcing vertical oscillations on the whole system. This dynamic stabilization is incomplete and produces some peculiar novel transport phenomena such as decay off the density profile into several steps, periodic peeling of density sheets of the boundary layer and the appearance of steady vortex flow. The theory presented in this paper identifies the basic mechanism as formation of convective cells leading to enhanced diffusion, and explains previous experimental results with water and ZnJ 2 -solutions. A nonlinear treatment of the stationary convective flow problem gives the saturation amplitude of the ground mode and provides an upper bound for the maximum convective transport. The hydrodynamic model can be used for visualizing similar transport processes in the plasma of toroidal confinement devices such as sawtooth oscillations in soft disruptions of tokamak discharges and anomalous diffusion by excitation of convective cells. The latter process is investigated here in some detail, leading to the result that the maximum possible transport is of the order of Bohm diffusion. (orig.)

Effect of Fe inter-diffusion on properties of InP layers grown with addition of RE elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prochazkova, O.; Zavadil, J.; Zdansky, K.

2005-01-01

This contribution reports the redistribution behaviour of Fe during the growth of InP layers from liquid phase with addition of some rare earth elements on semi-insulating InP:Fe substrates. We have studied the influence of different rare earths on the Fe diffusion into InP layer and compared it with the phenomenon of an extraction of iron from Fe doped materials into adjacent layers doped by Zn, Cd and Be, reported recently. In the case of Tm addition a conversion of electrical conductivity of InP layer to semi-insulating as a consequence of Fe diffusion has been observed while no significant Fe inter-diffusion has been confirmed in the presence of other investigated rare earth additions. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Uneven-Layered Coding Metamaterial Tile for Ultra-wideband RCS Reduction and Diffuse Scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jianxun; He, Huan; Li, Zengrui; Yang, Yaoqing Lamar; Yin, Hongcheng; Wang, Junhong

2018-05-25

In this paper, a novel uneven-layered coding metamaterial tile is proposed for ultra-wideband radar cross section (RCS) reduction and diffuse scattering. The metamaterial tile is composed of two kinds of square ring unit cells with different layer thickness. The reflection phase difference of 180° (±37°) between two unit cells covers an ultra-wide frequency range. Due to the phase cancellation between two unit cells, the metamaterial tile has the scattering pattern of four strong lobes deviating from normal direction. The metamaterial tile and its 90-degree rotation can be encoded as the '0' and '1' elements to cover an object, and diffuse scattering pattern can be realized by optimizing phase distribution, leading to reductions of the monostatic and bi-static RCSs simultaneously. The metamaterial tile can achieve -10 dB RCS reduction from 6.2 GHz to 25.7 GHz with the ratio bandwidth of 4.15:1 at normal incidence. The measured and simulated results are in good agreement and validate the proposed uneven-layered coding metamaterial tile can greatly expanding the bandwidth for RCS reduction and diffuse scattering.

Diffusive boundary layers and photosynthesis of the epilithic algal community of coral reefs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larkum, Anthony W.D.; Koch, Eva-Maria W.; Kühl, Michael

2003-01-01

The effects of mass transfer resistance due to the presence of a diffusive boundary layer on the photosynthesis of the epilithic algal community (EAC) of a coral reef were studied. Photosynthesis and respiration of the EAC of dead coral surfaces were investigated for samples from two locations......: the Gulf of Aqaba, Eilat (Israel), and One Tree Reef on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia). Microsensors were used to measure O2 and pH at the EAC surface and above. Oxygen profiles in the light and dark indicated a diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness of 180–590 µm under moderate flow (~0.08 m s-1...

Characterization and diffusion model for the titanium boride layers formed on the Ti6Al4V alloy by plasma paste boriding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keddam, Mourad, E-mail: keddam@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Technologie des Matériaux, Faculté de Génie Mécanique et Génie des Procédés, USTHB, B.P. No. 32, 16111 El-Alia, Bab-Ezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); Taktak, Sukru [Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Afyon Kocatepe University, ANS Campus, 03200, Afyonkarahisar (Turkey)

2017-03-31

Highlights: • Titanium boride layers were produced by plasma paste boriding on Ti6Al4V at 973–1073 K. • Formation rates of the Ti boride layers have parabolic character at all temperatures. • Boron diffusivities were estimated using a diffusion model including incubation times. • Activation energies of boron in TiB{sub 2} and TiB were 136 and 63 kJ/mol respectively. - Abstract: The present study is focused on the estimation of activation energy of boron in the plasma paste borided Ti6Al4V alloy, which is extensively used in technological applications, using an analytical diffusion model. Titanium boride layers were successfully produced by plasma paste boriding method on the Ti6Al4V alloy in the temperature range of 973–1073 K for a treatment time ranging from 3 to 7 h. The presence of both TiB{sub 2} top-layer and TiB whiskers sub-layer was confirmed by the XRD analysis and SEM observations. The surface hardness of the borided alloy was evaluated using Micro-Knoop indenter. The formation rates of the TiB{sub 2} and TiB layers were found to have a parabolic character at all applied process temperatures. A diffusion model was suggested to estimate the boron diffusivities in TiB{sub 2} and TiB layers under certain assumptions, by considering the effect of boride incubation times. Basing on own experimental data on boriding kinetics, the activation energies of boron in TiB{sub 2} and TiB phases were estimated as 136.24 ± 0.5 and 63.76 ± 0.5 kJ mol{sup −1}, respectively. Finally, the obtained values of boron activation energies for Ti6Al4V alloy were compared with the data available in the literature.

Anti-diffusive radiation flow in the cooling layer of a radiating shock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClarren, Ryan G.; Paul Drake, R.

2010-01-01

This paper shows that for systems with optically thin, hot layers, such as those that occur in radiating shocks, radiation will flow uphill: radiation will flow from low to high radiation energy density. These are systems in which the angular distribution of the radiation intensity changes rapidly in space, and in which the radiation in some region has a pancaked structure, whose effect on the mean intensity will be much larger than the effect on the scalar radiation pressure. The salient feature of the solution to the radiative transfer equation in these circumstances is that the gradient of the radiation energy density is in the same direction as the radiation flux, i.e. radiation energy is flowing uphill. Such an anti-diffusive flow of energy cannot be captured by a model where the spatial variation of the Eddington factor is not accounted for, as in flux-limited diffusion models or the P 1 equations. The qualitative difference between the two models leads to a monotonic mean intensity for the diffusion model whereas the transport mean intensity has a global maximum in the hot layer. Mathematical analysis shows that the discrepancy between the diffusion model and the transport solution is due to an approximation of exponential integrals using a simple exponential.

Implementation of 5-layer thermal diffusion scheme in weather research and forecasting model with Intel Many Integrated Cores

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Melin; Huang, Bormin; Huang, Allen H.

2014-10-01

For weather forecasting and research, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been developed, consisting of several components such as dynamic solvers and physical simulation modules. WRF includes several Land- Surface Models (LSMs). The LSMs use atmospheric information, the radiative and precipitation forcing from the surface layer scheme, the radiation scheme, and the microphysics/convective scheme all together with the land's state variables and land-surface properties, to provide heat and moisture fluxes over land and sea-ice points. The WRF 5-layer thermal diffusion simulation is an LSM based on the MM5 5-layer soil temperature model with an energy budget that includes radiation, sensible, and latent heat flux. The WRF LSMs are very suitable for massively parallel computation as there are no interactions among horizontal grid points. The features, efficient parallelization and vectorization essentials, of Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture allow us to optimize this WRF 5-layer thermal diffusion scheme. In this work, we present the results of the computing performance on this scheme with Intel MIC architecture. Our results show that the MIC-based optimization improved the performance of the first version of multi-threaded code on Xeon Phi 5110P by a factor of 2.1x. Accordingly, the same CPU-based optimizations improved the performance on Intel Xeon E5- 2603 by a factor of 1.6x as compared to the first version of multi-threaded code.

Low temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of thin vanadium nitride layers for copper diffusion barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rampelberg, Geert; Devloo-Casier, Kilian; Deduytsche, Davy; Detavernier, Christophe [Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Schaekers, Marc [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Blasco, Nicolas [Air Liquide Electronics US, L.P., 46401 Landing Parkway, Fremont, California 94538 (United States)

2013-03-18

Thin vanadium nitride (VN) layers were grown by atomic layer deposition using tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)vanadium and NH{sub 3} plasma at deposition temperatures between 70 Degree-Sign C and 150 Degree-Sign C on silicon substrates and polymer foil. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed a composition close to stoichiometric VN, while x-ray diffraction showed the {delta}-VN crystal structure. The resistivity was as low as 200 {mu}{Omega} cm for the as deposited films and further reduced to 143 {mu}{Omega} cm and 93 {mu}{Omega} cm by annealing in N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/He/N{sub 2}, respectively. A 5 nm VN layer proved to be effective as a diffusion barrier for copper up to a temperature of 720 Degree-Sign C.

Reaction layer in U-7WT%MO/Al diffusion couples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirandou, M.I.; Balart, S.N.; Ortiz, M.; Granovsky, M.S.

2003-01-01

New results of the reaction layer characterization between γ (U-7wt%Mo) alloy and Al, in chemical diffusion couples, are presented. The analysis was performed using optical and scanning electron microscopy with EDAX and X-ray diffraction techniques. Besides the main components (U, Mo)Al 3 and (U, Mo)Al 4 , already reported, two ternary compounds of high Al content have been identified in the reaction layer when it grew in retained or decomposed γ (U, Mo) phase, respectively. The drastic consequence on the interdiffusion behavior due to the thermal instability of the retained γ (U, Mo) phase is discussed. (author)

Pore-Network Modeling of Water and Vapor Transport in the Micro Porous Layer and Gas Diffusion Layer of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Qin, C.; Hassanizadeh, S.M.; van Oosterhout, L.M.

2016-01-01

In the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a micro porous layer (MPL) added between the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) plays an important role in water management. In this work, by using both quasi-static and dynamic pore-network models, water and vapor

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) phase inversion coating as a diffusion layer to enhance the cathode performance in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Yang, Wulin

2014-12-01

A low cost poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) phase inversion coating was developed as a cathode diffusion layer to enhance the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A maximum power density of 1430 ± 90 mW m-2 was achieved at a PVDF-HFP loading of 4.4 mg cm-2 (4:1 polymer:carbon black), with activated carbon as the oxygen reduction cathode catalyst. This power density was 31% higher than that obtained with a more conventional platinum (Pt) catalyst on carbon cloth (Pt/C) cathode with a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) diffusion layer (1090 ± 30 mW m-2). The improved performance was due in part to a larger oxygen mass transfer coefficient of 3 × 10-3 cm s-1 for the PVDF-HFP coated cathode, compared to 1.7 × 10-3 cm s -1 for the carbon cloth/PTFE-based cathode. The diffusion layer was resistant to electrolyte leakage up to water column heights of 41 ± 0.5 cm (4.4 mg cm-2 loading of 4:1 polymer:carbon black) to 70 ± 5 cm (8.8 mg cm-2 loading of 4:1 polymer:carbon black). This new type of PVDF-HFP/carbon black diffusion layer could reduce the cost of manufacturing cathodes for MFCs. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and research of high purity germanium detectors with abrupt and thin diffusion layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez Cabal, A. E.; Diaz Garcia, A.

1997-01-01

A different high purity germanium detector's fabrication method is described. A very thin diffusion film with an abrupt change of the type of conductivity is obtained. The fine diffusion layer thickness makes possibly their utilization in experimental systems in which all the data are elaborated directly on the computer. (author) [es

Electroless deposition of NiCrB diffusion barrier layer film for ULSI-Cu metallization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yuechun [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming (China); Chen, Xiuhua, E-mail: chenxh@ynu.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming (China); Ma, Wenhui [National Engineering Laboratory of Vacuum Metallurgy, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming (China); Shang, Yudong; Lei, Zhengtao; Xiang, Fuwei [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • In this paper, the electroless deposited NiCrB thin film was mainly in the form of NiB, CrB{sub 2} compounds and elementary Ni. • The sheet resistance of NiCrB thin film was 3.043 Ω/□, it is smaller than that of the widely used Ta, TaN and TiN diffusion barrier layers. • Annealing experiments showed that the failure temperature of NiCrB thin film regarding Cu diffusion was 900 °C. • NiCrB barrier layer crystallized after 900 °C annealing, Cu grains arrived at Si-substrate through grain boundaries, resulting in the formation of Cu{sub 3}Si. • Eelectroless deposited NiCrB film also had good oxidation resistance, it is expected to become an anti-oxidant layer of copper interconnection. - Abstract: NiCrB films were deposited on Si substrates using electroless deposition as a diffusion barrier layer for Cu interconnections. Samples of the prepared NiCrB/SiO{sub 2}/Si and NiCrB/Cu/NiCrB/SiO{sub 2}/Si were annealed at temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 900 °C. The reaction mechanism of the electroless deposition of the NiCrB film, the failure temperature and the failure mechanism of the NiCrB diffusion barrier layer were investigated. The prepared samples were subjected to XRD, XPS, FPP and AFM to determine the phases, composition, sheet resistance and surface morphology of samples before and after annealing. The results of these analyses indicated that the failure temperature of the NiCrB barrier film was 900 °C and the failure mechanism led to crystallization and grain growth of the NiCrB barrier layer after high temperature annealing. It was found that this process caused Cu grains to reach Si substrate through the grain boundaries, and then the reaction between Cu and Si resulted in the formation of highly resistive Cu{sub 3}Si.

Fuel Thermo-physical Characterization Project: Evaluation of Models to Calculate Thermal Diffusivity of Layered Composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burkes, Douglas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Casella, Amanda J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gardner, Levi D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Casella, Andrew M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huber, Tanja K. [Technische Universität München, Munich (Germany); Breitkreutz, Harald [Technische Universität München, Munich (Germany)

2015-02-11

The Office of Material Management and Minimization Fuel Thermo-physical Characterization Project at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is tasked with using PNNL facilities and processes to receive irradiated low enriched uranium-molybdenum fuel plate samples and perform analyses in support of the Office of Material Management and Minimization Reactor Conversion Program. This work is in support of the Fuel Development Pillar that is managed by Idaho National Laboratory. A key portion of the scope associated with this project was to measure the thermal properties of fuel segments harvested from plates that were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor. Thermal diffusivity of samples prepared from the fuel segments was measured using laser flash analysis. Two models, one developed by PNNL and the other developed by the Technische Universität München (TUM), were evaluated to extract the thermal diffusivity of the uranium-molybdenum alloy from measurements made on the irradiated, layered composites. The experimental data of the “TC” irradiated fuel segment was evaluated using both models considering a three-layer and five-layer system. Both models are in acceptable agreement with one another and indicate that the zirconium diffusion barrier has a minimal impact on the overall thermal diffusivity of the monolithic U-Mo fuel.

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy to Study Diffusion of Polymer Chains within Layered Hydrogen-Bonded Polymer Films

Science.gov (United States)

Pristinski, Denis; Kharlampieva, Evguenia; Sukhishvili, Svetlana

2002-03-01

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) has been used to probe molecular motions within polymer multilayers formed by hydrogen-bonding sequential self-assembly. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules were end-labeled with the fluorescent tags, and self-assembled with polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) using layer-by-layer deposition. We have found that molecules included in the top adsorbed layer have significant mobility at the millisecond time scale, probably due to translational diffusion. However, their dynamics deviate from classical Brownian motion with a single diffusion time. Possible reasons for the deviation are discussed. We found that motions were significantly slowed with increasing depth within the PEG/PMAA multilayer. This phenomena occured in a narrow pH range around 4.0 in which intermolecular interactions were relatively weak.

Wire rod coating process of gas diffusion layers fabrication for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kannan, A.M.; Sadananda, S.; Parker, D.; Munukutla, L. [Electronic Systems Department, Arizona State University, 7001 E Williams Field Road, Mesa, AZ 85212 (United States); Wertz, J. [Hollingsworth and Vose Co., A.K. Nicholson Research Lab, 219 Townsend Road West Groton, MA 01472 (United States); Thommes, M. [Quantachrome Instruments, 1900 Corporate Drive, Boynton Beach, FL 33426 (United States)

2008-03-15

Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) were fabricated using non-woven carbon paper as a macro-porous layer substrate developed by Hollingsworth and Vose Company. A commercially viable coating process was developed using wire rod for coating micro-porous layer by a single pass. The thickness as well as carbon loading in the micro-porous layer was controlled by selecting appropriate wire thickness of the wire rod. Slurry compositions with solid loading as high as 10 wt.% using nano-chain and nano-fiber type carbons were developed using dispersion agents to provide cohesive and homogenous micro-porous layer without any mud-cracking. The surface morphology, wetting characteristics and pore size distribution of the wire rod coated GDLs were examined using FESEM, Goniometer and Hg porosimetry, respectively. The GDLs were evaluated in single cell PEMFC under various operating conditions (temperature and RH) using hydrogen and air as reactants. It was observed that the wire rod coated micro-porous layer with 10 wt.% nano-fibrous carbon based GDLs showed the highest fuel cell performance at 85 C using H{sub 2} and air at 50% RH, compared to all other compositions. (author)

Robust TaNx diffusion barrier for Cu-interconnect technology with subnanometer thickness by metal-organic plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H.; Detavenier, C.; Straten, O. van der; Rossnagel, S.M.; Kellock, A.J.; Park, D.-G.

2005-01-01

TaN x diffusion barriers with good barrier properties at subnanometer thickness were deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) from pentakis(dimethylamino)Ta. Hydrogen and/or nitrogen plasma was used as reactants to produce TaN x thin films with a different nitrogen content. The film properties including the carbon and oxygen impurity content were affected by the nitrogen flow during the process. The deposited film has nanocrystalline grains with hydrogen-only plasma, while the amorphous structure was obtained for nitrogen plasma. The diffusion barrier properties of deposited TaN films for Cu interconnects have been studied by thermal stress test based on synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The results indicate that the PE-ALD TaN films are good diffusion barriers even at a small thickness as 0.6 nm. Better diffusion barrier properties were obtained for higher nitrogen content. Based on a diffusion kinetics analysis, the nanocrystalline microstructure of the films was responsible for the better diffusion barrier properties compared to polycrystalline PE-ALD TaN films deposited from TaCl 5

On a Five-Dimensional Chaotic System Arising from Double-Diffusive Convection in a Fluid Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Idris

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A chaotic system arising from double-diffusive convection in a fluid layer is investigated in this paper based on the theory of dynamical systems. A five-dimensional model of chaotic system is obtained using the Galerkin truncated approximation. The results showed that the transition from steady convection to chaos via a Hopf bifurcation produced a limit cycle which may be associated with a homoclinic explosion at a slightly subcritical value of the Rayleigh number.

Transient enhanced diffusion of dopants in preamorphized Si layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claverie, A.; Bonafos, C.; Omri, M.; Mauduit, B. de; Ben Assayag, G.; Martinez, A.; Alquier, D.; Mathiot, D.

1997-01-01

Transient Enhanced Diffusion (TED) of dopants in Si is the consequence of the evolution, upon annealing, of a large supersaturation of Si self-interstitial atoms left after ion bombardment. In the case of amorphizing implants, this supersaturation is located just beneath the c/a interface and evolves through the nucleation and growth of End-Of-Range (EOR) defects. For this reason, the authors discuss here the relation between TED and EOR defects. Modelling of the behavior of these defects upon annealing allows one to understand why and how they affect dopant diffusion. This is possible through the development of the Ostwald ripening theory applied to extrinsic dislocation loops. This theory is shown to be readily able to quantitatively describe the evolution of the defect population (density, size) upon annealing and gives access to the variations of the mean supersaturation of Si self-interstitial atoms between the loops and responsible for TED. This initial supersaturation is, before annealing, at least 5 decades larger than the equilibrium value and exponentially decays with time upon annealing with activation energies that are the same than the ones observed for TED. It is shown that this time decay is precisely at the origin of the transient enhancement of boron diffusivity through the interstitial component of boron diffusion. Side experiments shed light on the effect of the proximity of a free surface on the thermal behavior of EOR defects and allow us to quantitatively describe the space and time evolutions of boron diffusivity upon annealing of preamorphized Si layers

Modified gas diffusion layer for fuel cells synthesized by pulsed laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebrasu, Daniela; Stefanescu, Ioan; Dorcioman, Gabriela; Serban, Nicolae; Axente, Emil; Sima, Felix; Ristoscu, Carmen; Mihailescu, Ioan N.; Enculescu, Ionut

2010-01-01

Full text; In this paper there are presented the first results regarding the development of a modified gas diffusion layer for fuel cells consisting of a simple or teflonized carbon cloth deposited by pulsed laser with metal oxide nanostructures. These are designed to operate both as co-catalyst, and oxidic support for other electrochemically active catalysts. We selected TiO 2 , ZnO and Al 2 O 3 doped (2 wt.%) ZnO which were uniformly distributed over the surface of gas diffusion layers in order to improve the catalytic activity, stability and lifetime, and reduce the production costs of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. We evidenced by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy that our depositions consisted of TiO 2 nanoparticles while in the case of ZnO and Al 2 O 3 doped (2 wt.%) ZnO transparent quasicontinuous films were synthesized. (authors)

Determination of oxygen effective diffusivity in porous gas diffusion layer using a three-dimensional pore network model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Rui; Zhu Xun; Liao Qiang; Wang Hong; Ding Yudong; Li Jun; Ye Dingding

2010-01-01

In proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) models, oxygen effective diffusivity is the most important parameter to characterize the oxygen transport in the gas diffusion layer (GDL). However, its determination is a challenge due to its complex dependency on GDL structure. In the present study, a three-dimensional network consisting of spherical pores and cylindrical throats is developed and used to investigate the effects of GDL structural parameters on oxygen effective diffusivity under the condition with/without water invasion process. Oxygen transport in the throat is described by Fick's law and water invasion process in the network is simulated using the invasion percolation with trapping algorithm. The simulation results reveal that oxygen effective diffusivity is slightly affected by network size but increases with decreasing the network heterogeneity and with increasing the pore connectivity. Impacts of network anisotropy on oxygen transport are also investigated in this paper. The anisotropic network is constructed by constricting the throats in the through-plane direction with a constriction factor. It is found that water invasion has a more severe negative influence on oxygen transport in an anisotropic network. Finally, two new correlations are introduced to determine the oxygen effective diffusivity for the Toray carbon paper GDLs.

Quantitative characterization of water transport and flooding in the diffusion layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casalegno, A.; Colombo, L.; Galbiati, S.; Marchesi, R. [Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milano (Italy)

2010-07-01

Optimization of water management in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) is a very important factor for the achievement of high performances and long lifetime. A good hydration of the electrolyte membrane is essential for high proton conductivity; on the contrary water in excess may lead to electrode flooding and severe reduction in performances. Many studies on water transport across the gas diffusion layer (GDL) have been carried out to improve these components; anyway efforts in this field are affected by lack of effective experimental methods. The present work reports an experimental investigation with the purpose to determine the global coefficient of water transport across different diffusion layers under real operating conditions. An appropriate and accurate experimental apparatus has been designed and built to test the single GDL under a wide range of operating conditions. Data analysis has allowed quantification of both the water vapor transport across different diffusion layers, and the effects of micro-porous layers; furthermore flooding onset and its consequences on the mass transport coefficient have been characterized by means of suitably defined parameters. (author)

The Diffusive Boundary-Layer of Sediments - Oxygen Microgradients Over a Microbial Mat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

JØRGENSEN, BB; MARAIS, DJD

1990-01-01

Oxygen microelectrodes were used to analyze the distribution of the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) at the sedimen-water interface in relation to surface topography and flow velocity. The sediment, collected from saline ponds, was covered by a microbial mat that had high oxygen consumption rate...

Power generation using carbon mesh cathodes with different diffusion layers in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Luo, Yong

2011-11-01

An inexpensive carbon material, carbon mesh, was examined to replace the more expensive carbon cloth usually used to make cathodes in air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Three different diffusion layers were tested using carbon mesh: poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and Goretex cloth. Carbon mesh with a mixture of PDMS and carbon black as a diffusion layer produced a maximum power density of 1355 ± 62 mW m -2 (normalized to the projected cathode area), which was similar to that obtained with a carbon cloth cathode (1390 ± 72 mW m-2). Carbon mesh with a PTFE diffusion layer produced only a slightly lower (6.6%) maximum power density (1303 ± 48 mW m-2). The Coulombic efficiencies were a function of current density, with the highest value for the carbon mesh and PDMS (79%) larger than that for carbon cloth (63%). The cost of the carbon mesh cathode with PDMS/Carbon or PTFE (excluding catalyst and binder costs) is only 2.5% of the cost of the carbon cloth cathode. These results show that low cost carbon materials such as carbon mesh can be used as the cathode in an MFC without reducing the performance compared to more expensive carbon cloth. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J. M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J. A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R. P. H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-11-01

The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 °C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlOx, while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al2O3-rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlOx interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 °C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlOx layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high dielectric constant (280), low

Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J.M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-01-01

The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 deg. C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlO x , while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al 2 O 3 -rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlO x interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 deg. C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 deg. C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlO x layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high

Atomic diffusion induced degradation in bimetallic layer coated cemented tungsten carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, Zirong; Rohwerder, Michael; Choi, Pyuck-Pa; Gault, Baptiste; Meiners, Thorsten; Friedrichs, Marcel; Kreilkamp, Holger; Klocke, Fritz; Raabe, Dierk

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We study the temporal degradation of PtIr/Cr/WC and PtIr/Ni/WC systems. • Short cut diffusion, segregation, oxidation and interdiffusion reactions occurred. • Outward diffusion of Cr (Ni) via PtIr grain boundaries triggered the degradation. • The microstructure of the PtIr layer controlled the systems stability. • We propose an atomic diffusion induced degradation mechanism. - Abstract: We investigated the temporal degradation of glass moulding dies, made of cemented tungsten carbide coated with PtIr on an adhesive Cr or Ni interlayer, by electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. During the exposure treatments at 630 °C under an oxygen partial pressure of 1.12 × 10"−"2"3 bar, Cr (Ni) was found to diffuse outwards via grain boundaries in the PtIr, altering the surface morphology. Upon dissolution of the interlayer, the WC substrate also started degrading. Extensive interdiffusion processes involving PtIr, Cr (Ni) and WC took place, leading to the formation of intermetallic phases and voids, deteriorating the adhesion of the coating.

Materials and proportion's design of self-compacting mortar used for low diffusion layer in sub-surface radioactive waste disposal facility in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niwase, Kazuhito; Sugihashi, Naoyuki; Tsuji, Yukikazu

2010-01-01

This paper describes the design procedure for the material selection and mix proportion of the self-compacting mortar used for low diffusion layer cementitious material in the sub-surface radioactive waste disposal facility in Japan. The low diffusion layer is required for reducing transportation by controlling diffusion of a radionuclide. Therefore the low diffusion, cracks control, and low leaching are the important matters in the mix design. The process to select mortar mix design of the low diffusion layer is explained in detail. Of 33 kinds mix proportions used in laboratory comparative testing, the combinations of low heat portland cement, fly ash, lime powder and expansive addition was provisionally set to the mix proportion of the self-compacting mortar used for low diffusion layer. (author)

Study of effective transport properties of fresh and aged gas diffusion layers

Science.gov (United States)

Bosomoiu, Magdalena; Tsotridis, Georgios; Bednarek, Tomasz

2015-07-01

Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) play an important role in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) for the diffusion of reactant and the removal of product water. In the current study fresh and aged GDLs (Sigracet® GDL34BC) were investigated by X-ray computed tomography to obtain a representative 3D image of the real GDL structure. The examined GDL samples are taken from areas located under the flow channel and under the land. Additionally, a brand new Sigracet® GDL34BC was taken as a reference sample in order to find out the impact of fuel cell assembly on GDL. The produced 3D image data were used to calculate effective transport properties such as thermal and electrical conductivity, diffusivity, permeability and capillary pressure curves of the dry and partially saturated GDL. The simulation indicates flooding by product water occurs at contact angles lower than 125° depending on sample porosity. In addition, GDL anisotropy significantly affects the permeability as well as thermal and electrical conductivities. The calculated material bulk properties could be next used as input for CFD modelling of PEM fuel cells where GDL is usually assumed layer-like and homogeneous. Tensor material parameters allow to consider GDL anisotropy and lead to more realistic results.

Study of Diffusion Bonding of 45 Steel through the Compacted Nickel Powder Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Zeer, G. M.; Zelenkova, E. G.; Temnykh, V. I.; Tokmin, A. M.; Shubin, A. A.; Koroleva, Yu. P.; Mikheev, A. A.

2018-02-01

The microstructure of the transition zone and powder spacer, the concentration distribution of chemical elements over the width of the diffusion-bonded joint, and microhardness of 45 steel-compacted Ni powder spacer-45 steel layered composites formed by diffusion bonding have been investigated. It has been shown that the relative spacer thickness χ compacting pressure of 500 MPa. The solid-state diffusion bonding is accompanied by sintering the nickel powder spacer and the formation of the transition zone between the spacer and steel. The transition zone consists of solid solution of nickel in the α-Fe phase and ordered solid solution of iron in nickel (FeNi3).

The Diffusive Boundary-Layer of Sediments - Oxygen Microgradients Over a Microbial Mat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

JØRGENSEN, BB; MARAIS, DJD

1990-01-01

Oxygen microelectrodes were used to analyze the distribution of the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) at the sedimen-water interface in relation to surface topography and flow velocity. The sediment, collected from saline ponds, was covered by a microbial mat that had high oxygen consumption rate...... and well-defined surface structure. Diffusion through the DBL constituted an important rate limitation to the oxygen uptake of the sediment. The mean effective DBL thickness decreased from 0.59 to 0.16 mm as the flow velocity of the overlying water was increased from 0.3 to 7.7 cm s-1 (measured 1 cm above...

Light source distribution and scattering phase function influence light transport in diffuse multi-layered media

Science.gov (United States)

Vaudelle, Fabrice; L'Huillier, Jean-Pierre; Askoura, Mohamed Lamine

2017-06-01

Red and near-Infrared light is often used as a useful diagnostic and imaging probe for highly scattering media such as biological tissues, fruits and vegetables. Part of diffusively reflected light gives interesting information related to the tissue subsurface, whereas light recorded at further distances may probe deeper into the interrogated turbid tissues. However, modelling diffusive events occurring at short source-detector distances requires to consider both the distribution of the light sources and the scattering phase functions. In this report, a modified Monte Carlo model is used to compute light transport in curved and multi-layered tissue samples which are covered with a thin and highly diffusing tissue layer. Different light source distributions (ballistic, diffuse or Lambertian) are tested with specific scattering phase functions (modified or not modified Henyey-Greenstein, Gegenbauer and Mie) to compute the amount of backscattered and transmitted light in apple and human skin structures. Comparisons between simulation results and experiments carried out with a multispectral imaging setup confirm the soundness of the theoretical strategy and may explain the role of the skin on light transport in whole and half-cut apples. Other computational results show that a Lambertian source distribution combined with a Henyey-Greenstein phase function provides a higher photon density in the stratum corneum than in the upper dermis layer. Furthermore, it is also shown that the scattering phase function may affect the shape and the magnitude of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution (BRDF) exhibited at the skin surface.

Very high coercivities of top-layer diffusion Au/FePt thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, F.T.; Chen, S.K.; Liao, W.M.; Hsu, C.W.; Hsiao, S.N.; Chang, W.C.

2006-01-01

The Au/FePt samples were prepared by depositing a gold cap layer at room temperature onto a fully ordered FePt layer, followed by an annealing at 800 deg. C for the purpose of interlayer diffusion. After the deposition of the gold layer and the high-temperature annealing, the gold atoms do not dissolve into the FePt Ll 0 lattice. Compared with the continuous FePt film, the TEM photos of the bilayer Au(60 nm)/FePt(60 nm) show a granular structure with FePt particles embedded in Au matrix. The coercivity of Au(60 nm)/FePt(60 nm) sample is 23.5 kOe, which is 85% larger than that of the FePt film without Au top layer. The enhancement in coercivity can be attributed to the formation of isolated structure of FePt ordered phase

Photoacoustic investigation of the effective diffusivity of two-layer semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medina, J; Gurevich, Yu. G; Logvinov G, N; Rodriguez, P; Gonzalez de la Cruz, G. [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2001-08-01

In this work, the problem of the effective thermal diffusivity of two-layer systems is investigated using the photoacoustic spectroscopy. The experimental results are examined in terms of the effective thermal parameters of the composite system determined from an homogeneous material which produces the same physical response under an external perturbation in the detector device. It is shown, that the effective thermal conductivity is not symmetric under exchange of the two layers of the composite; i.e., the effective thermal parameters depend upon which layer is illuminated in the photoacoustic experiments. Particular emphasis is given to the characterization of the interface thermal conductivity between the layer-system. [Spanish] En el presente trabajo se utiliza la espectroscopia fotoacustica para medir la difusividad termica de un sistema de dos capas. Los resultados experimentales son analizados en terminos de los parametros termicos efectivos determinados a partir de un material homogeneo, el cual produce la misma respuesta fisica bajo una perturbacion externa. Se puso particular enfasis en la caracterizacion de los efectos de interfase en el flujo de calor en el sistema de dos capas. Los resultados experimentales se comparan con el modelo teorico propuesto en este trabajo.

Diffusion complex layers of TiC-Ni-Mo type produced on steel during vacuum titanizing process combined with the electrolytic deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasprzycka, E.; Krolikowski, A.

1999-01-01

Diffusion carbide layers produced on steel surface by means of vacuum titanizing process have been studied. A new technological process combining a vacuum titanizing with an electrolytic deposition of Ni-Mo alloy has been proposed to increase of corrosion resistance of carbide layers. The effect of preliminary electrolytic deposition of Ni-Mo alloy on the NC10 steel surface on the titanized layer structure and its corrosion resistance has ben investigated. As a result, diffusion complex layers of TiC-Ni-Mo type on NC10 steel surface have been obtained. An X-ray structural analysis of titanized surfaces on NC10 steel precovered with an electrolytic Ni-Mo alloy coating (70%Ni+30%Mo) revealed a presence of titanium carbide TiC, NiTi, MoTi and trace quantity of austenite. The image of the TiC-Ni-Mo complex layer on NC10 steel surface obtained by means of joined SEM+TEM method and diagrams of elements distribution in the layer diffusion zone have been shown. Concentration of depth profiles of Ti, Ni, Mo, Cr and Fe in the layer diffusion zone obtained by means of the joined EDS+TEM method are shown. Concentration depth profiles of Ti, Ni, Mo, Cr and Fe in the layer diffusion zone obtained by means of the X r ay microanalysis and microhardness of the layer are shown. An X-ray structural analysis of titanized surfaces on the NC10 steel, without Ni-Mo alloy layer, revealed only a substantial presence of titanium carbide TiC. For corrosion resistance tests the steel samples with various diffusion layers and without layers were used: (i) the TiC-Ni-Mo titanized complex layers on NC10 steel, (ii) the TiC titanized carbide layers on the NC10 steel, (iii) the NC10 steel without layers. Corrosion measurements of sample under test have been performed in 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 by means of potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance tests. It has been found that the corrosion resistance of titanized steel samples with the TiC and TiC-Ni-Mo layers is higher than for the steel

Hardness optimization of boride diffusion layer on Astm F-75 alloy using response surface methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arguelles O, J. L.; Corona R, M. A. [Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Doctorado Institucional en Ingenieria y Ciencia de Materiales, San Luis Potosi 78000, SLP (Mexico); Marquez H, A.; Saldana R, A. L.; Saldana R, A. [Universidad de Guanajuato, Ingenieria Mecanica Agricola DICIVA, Irapuato, Guanajuato 36500 (Mexico); Moreno P, J., E-mail: amarquez@ugto.mx [Universidad de Guanajuato, Departamento de Minas, Metalurgia y Geologia, Ex-Hacienda San Matias s/n, Guanajuato, Guanajuato 36020 (Mexico)

2017-11-01

In this study, the Response Surface Methodology (Rsm) and Central Composite Design (Ccd) were used to optimize the hardness of boride diffusion layer on Astm F-75 alloy (also called Haynes alloy). A boronizing thermochemical treatment was carried out at different temperatures and for different time periods. Hardness tests were conducted. The boride diffusion layer was verified by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicating the formation of Co B, Co{sub 2}B, Cr B and Mo{sub 2}B phases. An optimal hardness of 3139.7 Hv was obtained for the samples subjected to the boriding process for a duration of 6.86 h at 802.4 degrees Celsius. (Author)

Tomographic Imaging of Water Injection and Withdrawal in PEMFC Gas Diffusion Layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGill U; Gostick, J. T.; Gunterman, H. P.; Weber, A. Z.; Newman, J. S.; Kienitz, B. L.; MacDowell, A. A.

2010-06-25

X-ray computed tomography was used to visualize the water configurations inside gas diffusion layers for various applied capillary pressures, corresponding to both water invasion and withdrawal. A specialized sample holder was developed to allow capillary pressure control on the small-scale samples required. Tests were performed on GDL specimens with and without hydrophobic treatments.

Production of Transitional Diffused Layers by Electrospark Coating

Science.gov (United States)

Smolentsev, Vladislav P.; Boldyrev, Alexander I.; Smolentsev, Evgeniy V.; Boldyrev, Alexander A.; Mozgalin, Vladislav L.

2018-03-01

The article presents a new method for production of diffused transitional layers with nano- and microthickness by local removal of nanofilms on aluminum alloys. This allows procuring of high-quality coatings on fusible alloys (for example, on aluminum ones) by materials, the melting point of which is 2-3 times higher than that of the basis (for example, of cast iron). This permits imparting new useful properties to workpieces made from light alloys with decent values for electrochemical working. The authors show that application of coatings provides minimum heating of workpieces. This enables the regulation in temperature condition of operating environment and permits efficiency improving during the process of electrochemical working by means of higher density current supply.

Quantifying the effect of medium composition on the diffusive mass transfer of hydrophobic organic chemicals through unstirred boundary layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mayer, Philipp; Karlson, U.; Christensen, P.S.

2005-01-01

Unstirred boundary layers (UBLs) often act as a bottleneck for the diffusive transport of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the environment. Therefore, a microscale technique was developed for quantifying mass transfer through a 100-μm thin UBL, with the medium composition of the UBL...... as the controllable factor. The model compound fluoranthene had to (1) partition from a contaminated silicone disk (source) into the medium, (2) then diffuse through 100 μm of medium (UBL), and finally (3) partition into a clean silicone layer (sink). The diffusive mass transfer from source to sink was monitored over...... of magnitude. These results demonstrate that medium constituents, which normally are believed to bind hydrophobic organic chemicals, actually can enhance the diffusive mass transfer of HOCs in the vicinity of a diffusion source (e.g., contaminated soil particles). The technique can be used to evaluate...

Interface morphology of Mo/Si multilayer systems with varying Mo layer thickness studied by EUV diffuse scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Haase, Anton; Soltwisch, Victor; Braun, Stefan; Laubis, Christian; Scholze, Frank

2017-06-26

We investigate the influence of the Mo-layer thickness on the EUV reflectance of Mo/Si mirrors with a set of unpolished and interface-polished Mo/Si/C multilayer mirrors. The Mo-layer thickness is varied in the range from 1.7 nm to 3.05 nm. We use a novel combination of specular and diffuse intensity measurements to determine the interface roughness throughout the multilayer stack and do not rely on scanning probe measurements at the surface only. The combination of EUV and X-ray reflectivity measurements and near-normal incidence EUV diffuse scattering allows to reconstruct the Mo layer thicknesses and to determine the interface roughness power spectral density. The data analysis is conducted by applying a matrix method for the specular reflection and the distorted-wave Born approximation for diffuse scattering. We introduce the Markov-chain Monte Carlo method into the field in order to determine the respective confidence intervals for all reconstructed parameters. We unambiguously detect a threshold thickness for Mo in both sample sets where the specular reflectance goes through a local minimum correlated with a distinct increase in diffuse scatter. We attribute that to the known appearance of an amorphous-to-crystallization transition at a certain thickness threshold which is altered in our sample system by the polishing.

Diffusion Based Photon Mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schjøth, Lars; Fogh Olsen, Ole; Sporring, Jon

2007-01-01

. To address this problem we introduce a novel photon mapping algorithm based on nonlinear anisotropic diffusion. Our algorithm adapts according to the structure of the photon map such that smoothing occurs along edges and structures and not across. In this way we preserve the important illumination features......, while eliminating noise. We call our method diffusion based photon mapping....

Diffusion Based Photon Mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schjøth, Lars; Olsen, Ole Fogh; Sporring, Jon

2006-01-01

. To address this problem we introduce a novel photon mapping algorithm based on nonlinear anisotropic diffusion. Our algorithm adapts according to the structure of the photon map such that smoothing occurs along edges and structures and not across. In this way we preserve the important illumination features......, while eliminating noise. We call our method diffusion based photon mapping....

Characterization of the reaction layer in U-7wt%Mo/Al diffusion couples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirandou, M.I.; Balart, S.N.; Ortiz, M.; Granovsky, M.S. E-mail: granovsk@cnea.gov.ar

2003-11-15

The reaction layer in chemical diffusion couples U-7wt%Mo/Al was investigated using optical and scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. When the U-7wt%Mo alloy was previously homogenized and the {gamma}(U, Mo) phase was retained, the formation of (U, Mo)Al{sub 3} and (U, Mo)Al{sub 4} was observed at 580 deg. C. Also a very thin band was detected close to the Al side, the structure of the ternary compound Al{sub 20}UMo{sub 2} might be assigned to it. When the decomposition of the {gamma}(U, Mo) took place, a drastic change in the diffusion behavior was observed. In this case, XRD indicated the presence of phases with the structures of (U, Mo)Al{sub 3}, Al{sub 43}U{sub 6}Mo{sub 4}, {gamma}(U, Mo) and {alpha}(U) in the reaction layer.

Reaction layer between U-7WT%Mo and Al alloys in chemical diffusion couples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirandou, M.; Granovsky, M.; Ortiz, M.; Balart, S.; Arico, S.; Gribaudo, L.

2005-01-01

Several failures in U-Mo dispersion fuel plates like pillowing and large porosities have been reported during irradiation experiments. These failures have been assigned to the formation of a large (U-Mo)/Al interaction product under high operating conditions. The modification of the matrix by alloying Al to change the interaction layer and improve its irradiation behavior, has been proposed. This paper reports diffusion experiments performed between U-7wt%Mo and various Al alloys containing Mg and / or Si. By the use of Optical Microscopy, SEM and X-Ray diffraction, it was found that with a concentration of 5.2wt% or 7.1 wt%Si the interaction layer is constituted mainly by (U,Mo)(Si,Al) 3 and no (U,Mo)Al 4 is detected. As part of the studies of properties of the U-Mo alloys the time for isothermal transformation start at different temperatures of the γ phase is being evaluated for the present U-7wt%Mo alloy. These results are used to plan the future diffusion program that will include diffusion under irradiation at CNEA RA3 reactor. (author)

Diffusion of drag-reducing polymer solutions within a rough-walled turbulent boundary layer

Science.gov (United States)

Elbing, Brian R.; Dowling, David R.; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven L.

2010-04-01

The influence of surface roughness on diffusion of wall-injected, drag-reducing polymer solutions within a turbulent boundary layer was studied with a 0.94 m long flat-plate test model at speeds of up to 10.6 m s-1 and Reynolds numbers of up to 9×106. The surface was hydraulically smooth, transitionally rough, or fully rough. Mean concentration profiles were acquired with planar laser induced fluorescence, which was the primary flow diagnostic. Polymer concentration profiles with high injection concentrations (≥1000 wppm) had the peak concentration shifted away from the wall, which was partially attributed to a lifting phenomenon. The diffusion process was divided into three zones—initial, intermediate, and final. Studies of polymer injection into a polymer ocean at concentrations sufficient for maximum drag reduction indicated that the maximum initial zone length is of the order of 100 boundary layer thicknesses. The intermediate zone results indicate that friction velocity and roughness height are important scaling parameters in addition to flow and injection conditions. Lastly, the current results were combined with those in Petrie et al. ["Polymer drag reduction with surface roughness in flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flow," Exp. Fluids 35, 8 (2003)] to demonstrate that the influence of polymer degradation increases with increased surface roughness.

4.0-nm-thick amorphous Nb–Ni film as a conducting diffusion barrier layer for integrating ferroelectric capacitor on Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, X.H.; Guo, J.X.; Zhang, L.; Jia, D.M.; Qi, C.G.; Zhou, Y.; Li, X.H.; Shi, J.B.; Fu, Y.J.; Wang, Y.L.; Lou, J.Z.; Ma, L.X.; Zhao, H.D.; Liu, B.T.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • 4-nm-thick amorphous Nb–Ni film is first used as the conducting barrier layer. • No obvious interdiffusion/reaction can be found from the LSCO/PZT/LSCO/Nb–Ni/Si. • The LSCO/PZT/LSCO capacitor, measured at 5 V, possesses very good properties. • Ultrathin amorphous Nb–Ni film is ideal to fabricate silicon-based FRAM. - Abstract: We have successfully integrated La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3 /PbZr 0.4 Ti 0.6 O 3 /La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3 (LSCO/PZT/LSCO) capacitors on silicon substrate using a ∼4.0-nm-thick amorphous Nb–Ni film as the conducting diffusion barrier layer. Transmission electron microscopy technique confirms that the Nb–Ni film is still amorphous after fabrication of the capacitors, and the interfaces related to Nb–Ni are clean and sharp without any findable interdiffusion/reaction. The LSCO/PZT/LSCO capacitor, measured at 5 V, possesses very good properties, such as large remanent polarization of ∼22.1 μC/cm 2 , small coercive voltage of ∼1.27 V, good fatigue-resistance, and small pulse width dependence, implying that ultrathin amorphous Nb–Ni film is ideal as the conducting diffusion barrier layer to fabricate high-density silicon-based ferroelectric random access memories

4.0-nm-thick amorphous Nb–Ni film as a conducting diffusion barrier layer for integrating ferroelectric capacitor on Si

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, X.H. [Hebei Key Lab of Optic-electronic Information and Materials, College of Physics Science & Technology, Hebei University, Hebei 071002 (China); College of Electronic and Information Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401 (China); Guo, J.X.; Zhang, L.; Jia, D.M.; Qi, C.G.; Zhou, Y.; Li, X.H.; Shi, J.B.; Fu, Y.J.; Wang, Y.L.; Lou, J.Z. [Hebei Key Lab of Optic-electronic Information and Materials, College of Physics Science & Technology, Hebei University, Hebei 071002 (China); Ma, L.X. [Department of Physics, Blinn College, Bryan, TX 77805 (United States); Zhao, H.D. [College of Electronic and Information Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401 (China); Liu, B.T., E-mail: btliu@hbu.cn [Hebei Key Lab of Optic-electronic Information and Materials, College of Physics Science & Technology, Hebei University, Hebei 071002 (China)

2015-10-05

Highlights: • 4-nm-thick amorphous Nb–Ni film is first used as the conducting barrier layer. • No obvious interdiffusion/reaction can be found from the LSCO/PZT/LSCO/Nb–Ni/Si. • The LSCO/PZT/LSCO capacitor, measured at 5 V, possesses very good properties. • Ultrathin amorphous Nb–Ni film is ideal to fabricate silicon-based FRAM. - Abstract: We have successfully integrated La{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3}/PbZr{sub 0.4}Ti{sub 0.6}O{sub 3}/La{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3} (LSCO/PZT/LSCO) capacitors on silicon substrate using a ∼4.0-nm-thick amorphous Nb–Ni film as the conducting diffusion barrier layer. Transmission electron microscopy technique confirms that the Nb–Ni film is still amorphous after fabrication of the capacitors, and the interfaces related to Nb–Ni are clean and sharp without any findable interdiffusion/reaction. The LSCO/PZT/LSCO capacitor, measured at 5 V, possesses very good properties, such as large remanent polarization of ∼22.1 μC/cm{sup 2}, small coercive voltage of ∼1.27 V, good fatigue-resistance, and small pulse width dependence, implying that ultrathin amorphous Nb–Ni film is ideal as the conducting diffusion barrier layer to fabricate high-density silicon-based ferroelectric random access memories.

Three-dimensional graphene as gas diffusion layer for micro direct methanol fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yingli; Zhang, Xiaojian; Li, Jianyu; Qi, Gary

2018-05-01

The gas diffusion layer (GDL), as an important structure of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), provides a support layer for the catalyst and the fuel and the product channel. Traditionally, the material of GDL is generally carbon paper (CP). In this paper, a new material, namely three-dimensional graphene (3DG) is used as GDL for micro DMFC. The experimental results reveal that the performance of the DMFC has been improved significantly by application of 3DG. The peak powers increase from 25 mW to 31.2 mW and 32 mW by using 3DG as the anode and cathode GDL instead of CP, respectively. The reason may be the decrease of charge and mass transfer resistance of the cell. This means that the unique 3D porous architecture of the 3DG can provide lower contact resistance and sufficient fuel diffusion paths. The output performance of the cell will be further improved when porous metal current collectors is used.

Discrete multi-physics simulations of diffusive and convective mass transfer in boundary layers containing motile cilia in lungs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ariane, Mostapha; Kassinos, Stavros; Velaga, Sitaram; Alexiadis, Alessio

2018-04-01

In this paper, the mass transfer coefficient (permeability) of boundary layers containing motile cilia is investigated by means of discrete multi-physics. The idea is to understand the main mechanisms of mass transport occurring in a ciliated-layer; one specific application being inhaled drugs in the respiratory epithelium. The effect of drug diffusivity, cilia beat frequency and cilia flexibility is studied. Our results show the existence of three mass transfer regimes. A low frequency regime, which we called shielding regime, where the presence of the cilia hinders mass transport; an intermediate frequency regime, which we have called diffusive regime, where diffusion is the controlling mechanism; and a high frequency regime, which we have called convective regime, where the degree of bending of the cilia seems to be the most important factor controlling mass transfer in the ciliated-layer. Since the flexibility of the cilia and the frequency of the beat changes with age and health conditions, the knowledge of these three regimes allows prediction of how mass transfer varies with these factors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regression-based model of skin diffuse reflectance for skin color analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tsumura, Norimichi; Kawazoe, Daisuke; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Ojima, Nobutoshi; Miyake, Yoichi

2008-11-01

A simple regression-based model of skin diffuse reflectance is developed based on reflectance samples calculated by Monte Carlo simulation of light transport in a two-layered skin model. This reflectance model includes the values of spectral reflectance in the visible spectra for Japanese women. The modified Lambert Beer law holds in the proposed model with a modified mean free path length in non-linear density space. The averaged RMS and maximum errors of the proposed model were 1.1 and 3.1%, respectively, in the above range.

Development and application of a green-chemistry solution deposition technique for buffer layer coating on cube-textured metal substrates in view of further deposition of rare-earth based superconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pallewatta, Pallewatta G A P

which consist of YBCO superconducting coatings on cube-textured Ni based alloy tapes.  Before the epitaxial deposition this superconducting layer, a buffer layer is applied on the metal substrate as a diffusion barrier which is also required to transfer the strong texture of the underlying substrate......, allowing the epitaxial growth of the superconducting layer. State-of-the-art coated conductor hetero structures are mainly based on CeO2 based buffer stacks that consist of a sequence of several different buffer layers. Buffer layers deposited by continuous chemical deposition techniques, which...... is expected to be very advantageous in reel-to-reel applications. The thickness of these SrTiO3 monolayers was large enough to stop the nickel and copper diffusion from the Cu/Ni substrate. Hence, the developed high quality buffer layers are expected to be acting as efficient diffusion barriers and also...

Effect of Fluorine Diffusion on Amorphous-InGaZnO-Based Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jingxin; Furuta, Mamoru

2018-08-01

This study investigated the effect of fluorine (F) diffusion from a fluorinated siliconnitride passivation layer (SiNX:F-Pa) into amorphous-InGaZnO-based thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs). The results of thermal desorption spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed that F was introduced into the SiOX etch-stopper layer (SiOX-ES) during the deposition of a SiNX:F-Pa, and did not originate from desorption of Si-F bonds; and that long annealing times enhanced F diffusion from the SiOX-ES layer to the a-IGZO channel. Improvements to the performance and threshold-voltage (Vth) negative shift of IGZO TFTs were achieved when annealing time increased from 1 h to 3 h; and capacitance-voltage results indicated that F acted as a shallow donor near the source side in a-IGZO and induced the negative Vth shift. In addition, it was found that when IGZO TFTs with SiNX:F-Pa were annealed 4 h, a low-resistance region was formed at the backchannel of the TFT, leading to a drastic negative Vth shift.

A two-layered diffusion model traces the dynamics of information processing in the valuation-and-choice circuit of decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Piu, Pietro; Fargnoli, Francesco; Innocenti, Alessandro; Rufa, Alessandra

2014-01-01

A circuit of evaluation and selection of the alternatives is considered a reliable model in neurobiology. The prominent contributions of the literature to this topic are reported. In this study, valuation and choice of a decisional process during Two-Alternative Forced-Choice (TAFC) task are represented as a two-layered network of computational cells, where information accrual and processing progress in nonlinear diffusion dynamics. The evolution of the response-to-stimulus map is thus modeled by two linked diffusive modules (2LDM) representing the neuronal populations involved in the valuation-and-decision circuit of decision making. Diffusion models are naturally appropriate for describing accumulation of evidence over the time. This allows the computation of the response times (RTs) in valuation and choice, under the hypothesis of ex-Wald distribution. A nonlinear transfer function integrates the activities of the two layers. The input-output map based on the infomax principle makes the 2LDM consistent with the reinforcement learning approach. Results from simulated likelihood time series indicate that 2LDM may account for the activity-dependent modulatory component of effective connectivity between the neuronal populations. Rhythmic fluctuations of the estimate gain functions in the delta-beta bands also support the compatibility of 2LDM with the neurobiology of DM.

Effects of carbon on phosphorus diffusion in SiGe:C and the implications on phosphorus diffusion mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Yiheng; Xia, Guangrui; Yasuda, Hiroshi; Wise, Rick; Schiekofer, Manfred; Benna, Bernhard

2014-01-01

The use of carbon (C) in SiGe base layers is an important approach to control the base layer dopant phosphorus (P) diffusion and thus enhance PNP heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) performance. This work quantitatively investigated the carbon impacts on P diffusion in Si 0.82 Ge 0.18 :C and Si:C under rapid thermal anneal conditions. The carbon molar fraction is up to 0.32%. The results showed that the carbon retardation effect on P diffusion is less effective for Si 0.82 Ge 0.18 :C than for Si:C. In Si 0.82 Ge 0.18 :C, there is an optimum carbon content at around 0.05% to 0.1%, beyond which more carbon incorporation does not retard P diffusion any more. This behavior is different from the P diffusion behavior in Si:C and the B in Si:C and low Ge SiGe:C, which can be explained by the decreased interstitial-mediated diffusion fraction f I P, SiGe to 95% as Ge content increases to 18%. Empirical models were established to calculate the time-averaged point defect concentrations and effective diffusivities as a function of carbon and was shown to agree with previous studies on boron, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony diffusion with carbon.

Square Turing patterns in reaction-diffusion systems with coupled layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Jing [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Wang, Hongli, E-mail: hlwang@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: qi@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ouyang, Qi, E-mail: hlwang@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: qi@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); The Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871 (China)

2014-06-15

Square Turing patterns are usually unstable in reaction-diffusion systems and are rarely observed in corresponding experiments and simulations. We report here an example of spontaneous formation of square Turing patterns with the Lengyel-Epstein model of two coupled layers. The squares are found to be a result of the resonance between two supercritical Turing modes with an appropriate ratio. Besides, the spatiotemporal resonance of Turing modes resembles to the mode-locking phenomenon. Analysis of the general amplitude equations for square patterns reveals that the fixed point corresponding to square Turing patterns is stationary when the parameters adopt appropriate values.

Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, C.-J., E-mail: cjtseng@ncu.edu.t [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China); Lo, S.-K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China)

2010-04-15

Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm{sup 2} is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability.

Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung-Jen Tseng; Shih-Kun Lo [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320 (China)

2010-04-15

Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm{sup 2} is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability. (author)

Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseng, C.-J.; Lo, S.-K.

2010-01-01

Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm 2 is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability.

Simultaneous measurement of trace metal and oxyanion concentrations in water using diffusive gradients in thin films with a chelex-metsorb mixed binding layer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panther, Jared G.; Bennett, William W.; Welsh, David T.

2014-01-01

A new diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique with a mixed binding layer (Chelex-100 and the titanium dioxide based adsorbent Metsorb) is described for the simultaneous measurement of labile trace metal (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb) and oxyanion (V, As, Mo, Sb, W, and P) concentrations i...

Thermal diffusivity measurements of molten salts using a three-layered cell by the laser flash method

Science.gov (United States)

Ohta, Hiromichi; Ogura, Gaku; Waseda, Yoshio; Suzuki, Mustumi

1990-10-01

A simple cell and easy data processing are described for measuring the thermal diffusivity of a liquid sample at high temperatures using the laser flash method. A cell consists of a liquid sample sandwiched by two metallic plates. The front surface of one metallic plate is exposed to a single pulse of beam laser and the resulting temperature rise of the back surface of the other metallic plate is measured. The logarithmic analysis proposed by James using the initial time region of the temperature response curve of a two layered cell system has been extended to apply to the present three layered cell system in order to estimate the thermal diffusivity value of a liquid sample. Measurements of distilled water and methanol were made first and the results were found to be in good agreement with the reference data. Then, the thermal diffusivities of molten NaNO3 at 593-660 K and of molten KNO3 at 621-694 K were determined and the results also appear to agree reasonably well with those reported in the literature.

Investigations on the double gas diffusion backing layer for performance improvement of self-humidified proton exchange membrane fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, Im Mo; Jung, Aeri; Kim, Min Soo

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The performance of self-humidified PEMFCs can be improved with double GDBL. • The effect of double GDBL on water retention capability and membrane hydration was investigated. • In addition to HFR and EIS measurements, numerical analysis was conducted. • Optimized design of double GDBL for self-humidified PEMFC was investigated. • This study provides an inspiration on how to design the double GDBL. - Abstract: In order to simplify the system configuration and downsize the volume, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) needs to be operated in a self-humidified mode without any external humidifiers. However, in self-humidified PEMFCs, relatively low cell performance is a problem to be solved. In our previous study, a gas diffusion layer (GDL) containing double gas diffusion backing layer (GDBL) coated by single micro porous layer (MPL) was introduced and its effect on the cell performance was evaluated. In the present study, the effect of the double GDBL was investigated by measuring high frequency resistance (HFR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). In the experiments, the HFR value was remarkably reduced, while the diameter of semicircle of EIS was increased. It means that the membrane hydration was improved due to enhanced water retention capability of the GDL despite of interrupted gas diffusion. The result of numerical analysis also showed that the water retention capability of GDL can be improved with proper structure design of double GDBL. Based on the result, optimized design of double GDBL for water retention was obtained numerically. The result of this study provides useful information on the structural design of GDBL for self-humidified PEMFCs.

Power generation using carbon mesh cathodes with different diffusion layers in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Luo, Yong; Zhang, Fang; Wei, Bin; Liu, Guangli; Zhang, Renduo; Logan, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

to that obtained with a carbon cloth cathode (1390 ± 72 mW m-2). Carbon mesh with a PTFE diffusion layer produced only a slightly lower (6.6%) maximum power density (1303 ± 48 mW m-2). The Coulombic efficiencies were a function of current density, with the highest

Diffusion of Supercritical Fluids through Single-Layer Nanoporous Solids: Theory and Molecular Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Oulebsir, Fouad; Vermorel, Romain; Galliero, Guillaume

2018-01-16

With the advent of graphene material, membranes based on single-layer nanoporous solids appear as promising devices for fluid separation, be it liquid or gaseous mixtures. The design of such architectured porous materials would greatly benefit from accurate models that can predict their transport and separation properties. More specifically, there is no universal understanding of how parameters such as temperature, fluid loading conditions, or the ratio of the pore size to the fluid molecular diameter influence the permeation process. In this study, we address the problem of pure supercritical fluids diffusing through simplified models of single-layer porous materials. Basically, we investigate a toy model that consists of a single-layer lattice of Lennard-Jones interaction sites with a slit gap of controllable width. We performed extensive equilibrium and biased molecular dynamics simulations to document the physical mechanisms involved at the molecular scale. We propose a general constitutive equation for the diffusional transport coefficient derived from classical statistical mechanics and kinetic theory, which can be further simplified in the ideal gas limit. This transport coefficient relates the molecular flux to the fluid density jump across the single-layer membrane. It is found to be proportional to the accessible surface porosity of the single-layer porous solid and to a thermodynamic factor accounting for the inhomogeneity of the fluid close to the pore entrance. Both quantities directly depend on the potential of mean force that results from molecular interactions between solid and fluid atoms. Comparisons with the simulations data show that the kinetic model captures how narrowing the pore size below the fluid molecular diameter lowers dramatically the value of the transport coefficient. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our general constitutive equation allows for a consistent interpretation of the intricate effects of temperature and fluid loading

Mercury in a thin layer in HgMn stars: A test of a diffusion model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Megessier, C.; Michaud, G.; Weiler, E.J.

1980-01-01

Lines of the first three states of ionization of mercury have been observed in μ Leporis and chi Lupi using the Copernicus satellite. Lines of Hg II and Hg III have been observed in α Andromedae. There appears to be an absorption feature at every wavelength where there is expected to be a mercury line. The presence of all three states of ionization is likely in μ Lep and chi Lup. The relative equivalent widths of the lines of the various states of ionization do not depend on the effective temperature of the stars, in contradiction to what is expected if mercury were uniformly distributed in the atmosphere. It is, however, expected if mercury has been concentrated, by diffusion, in a thin layer, where the radiative forces just equal the gravitational forces on mercury. That mercury should be so concentrated is also required by the explanation of the mercury isotope anomaly proposed by Michaud, Reeves, and Charland. The diffusion model for Ap stars predicts in its simplest form the presence of very thin layers. However, any leftover turbulence may increase the depth of these layers without eliminating the element separation

A novel catalyst layer structure based surface-patterned Nafion® membrane for high-performance direct methanol fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Ming; Wang, Meng; Ding, Xianan

2018-01-01

.5% respectively, compared with the conventional catalyst layer. Performance improvement is attributed to the fact that the novel catalyst layer structure optimizes the electrolyte membrane/catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer/catalyst layer interfacial structure, which increases the electrochemical reaction......Conventional catalyst layer with a smooth surface exists the larger area of“catalytic dead zone” and reduces the utilization of catalyst. Based on this, a novel catalyst layer structure based surface-patterned Nafion® membrane was designed to achieve more efficient electrochemical reaction...... to prepare the novel catalyst layer, and the effect of pressure on the performance of MEA was investigated. The results suggested that the peak power density of DMFC with optimal novel catalyst layer structure increased by 28.84%, the charge transfer resistances of anode and cathode reduced by 28.8% and 26...

Layer-by-layer bioassembly of cellularized polylactic acid porous membranes for bone tissue engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guduric, Vera; Metz, Carole; Siadous, Robin; Bareille, Reine; Levato, Riccardo; Engel, Elisabeth; Fricain, Jean-Christophe; Devillard, Raphaël; Luzanin, Ognjan; Catros, Sylvain

2017-01-01

The conventional tissue engineering is based on seeding of macroporous scaffold on its surface ("top-down" approach). The main limitation is poor cell viability in the middle of the scaffold due to poor diffusion of oxygen and nutrients and insufficient vascularization. Layer-by-Layer (LBL)

Bulk and contact resistances of gas diffusion layers in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Donghao; Gauthier, Eric; Benziger, Jay B.; Pan, Mu

2014-06-01

A multi-electrode probe is employed to distinguish the bulk and contact resistances of the catalyst layer (CL) and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) with the bipolar plate (BPP). Resistances are compared for Vulcan carbon catalyst layers (CL), carbon paper and carbon cloth GDL materials, and GDLs with microporous layers (MPL). The Vulcan carbon catalyst layer bulk resistance is 100 times greater than the bulk resistance of carbon paper GDL (Toray TG-H-120). Carbon cloth (CCWP) has bulk and contact resistances twice those of carbon paper. Compression of the GDL decreases the GDL contact resistance, but has little effect on the bulk resistance. Treatment of the GDL with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) increases the contact resistance, but has little effect on the bulk resistance. A microporous layer (MPL) added to the GDL decreases the contact resistance, but has little effect on the bulk resistance. An equivalent circuit model shows that for channels less than 1 mm wide the contact resistance is the major source of electronic resistance and is about 10% of the total ohmic resistance associated with the membrane electrode assembly.

X-ray Tomographic Analysis of Porosity Distributions in Gas Diffusion Layers of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odaya, S.; Phillips, R.K.; Sharma, Y.; Bellerive, J.; Phillion, A.B.; Hoorfar, M.

2015-01-01

This paper describes a method to characterize the structure of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) treated gas diffusion layers (GDLs) with and without microporous layers (MPLs) using 3D X-ray micro computed tomographic (μCT) microscopy. In this work, the structure of single and dual layer GDLs is evaluated via μCT for various GDL samples (such as Toray TGP-H-060 and AvCarb EP40) loaded with different MPLs. A new method is presented for separating, or segmenting, the various phases of the GDL, i.e., void space, carbon fiber (including binder and PTFE), and MPL. Through analysis, it was found that the variation in bulk porosity and the average pore diameter of the GDLs depends highly on the GDL series manufacturing and treatment processes. Using advanced image analysis techniques, routines were developed to accurately segment the GDL fibers (including binder/PTFE) and the MPL. The percentage of the intruding MPL material into the carbon fiber paper as a function of the GDL thickness was successfully found for dual layer GDLs, with varying PTFE content and areal weight loading in the MPL. This analysis provides invaluable insight into the physical microstructure of paper-based GDLs, emphasizing the heterogeneous porosity distribution of single layer GDLs and the interaction of the MPL with the carbon fiber paper of dual layer GDLs

Liquid water transport mechanism in the gas diffusion layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, P.; Wu, C.W. [State Key Laboratory of Structure Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Faculty of Vehicle Engineering and Mechanics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

2010-03-01

We developed an equivalent capillary model of a microscale fiber-fence structure to study the microscale evolution and transport of liquid in a porous media and to reveal the basic principles of water transport in gas diffusion layer (GDL). Analytical solutions using the model show that a positive hydraulic pressure is needed to drive the liquid water to penetrate through the porous GDL even consisting of the hydrophilic fibers. Several possible contributions for the water configuration, such as capillary pressure, gravity, vapor condensation, wettability and microstructures of the GDL, are discussed using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). It is found that the distribution manners of the fibers and the spatial mixed-wettability in the GDL also play an important role in the transport of liquid water. (author)

Long-time self-diffusion of charged spherical colloidal particles in parallel planar layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Contreras-Aburto, Claudio; Báez, César A; Méndez-Alcaraz, José M; Castañeda-Priego, Ramón

2014-06-28

The long-time self-diffusion coefficient, D(L), of charged spherical colloidal particles in parallel planar layers is studied by means of Brownian dynamics computer simulations and mode-coupling theory. All particles (regardless which layer they are located on) interact with each other via the screened Coulomb potential and there is no particle transfer between layers. As a result of the geometrical constraint on particle positions, the simulation results show that D(L) is strongly controlled by the separation between layers. On the basis of the so-called contraction of the description formalism [C. Contreras-Aburto, J. M. Méndez-Alcaraz, and R. Castañeda-Priego, J. Chem. Phys. 132, 174111 (2010)], the effective potential between particles in a layer (the so-called observed layer) is obtained from integrating out the degrees of freedom of particles in the remaining layers. We have shown in a previous work that the effective potential performs well in describing the static structure of the observed layer (loc. cit.). In this work, we find that the D(L) values determined from the simulations of the observed layer, where the particles interact via the effective potential, do not agree with the exact values of D(L). Our findings confirm that even when an effective potential can perform well in describing the static properties, there is no guarantee that it will correctly describe the dynamic properties of colloidal systems.

Diffusion barrier and adhesion properties of SiO(x)N(y) and SiO(x) layers between Ag/polypyrrole composites and Si substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Horváth, Barbara; Kawakita, Jin; Chikyow, Toyohiro

2014-06-25

This paper describes the interface reactions and diffusion between silver/polypyrrole (Ag/PPy) composite and silicon substrate. This composite material can be used as a novel technique for 3D-LSI (large-scale integration) by the fast infilling of through-silicon vias (TSV). By immersion of the silicon wafer with via holes into the dispersed solution of Ag/PPy composite, the holes are filled with the composite. It is important to develop a layer between the composite and the Si substrate with good diffusion barrier and adhesion characteristics. In this paper, SiOx and two types of SiOxNy barrier layers with various thicknesses were investigated. The interface structure between the Si substrate, the barrier, and the Ag/PPy composite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The adhesion and diffusion properties of the layers were established for Ag/PPy composite. Increasing thickness of SiOx proved to permit less Ag to transport into the Si substrate. SiOxNy barrier layers showed very good diffusion barrier characteristics; however, their adhesion depended strongly on their composition. A barrier layer composition with good adhesion and Ag barrier properties has been identified in this paper. These results are useful for filling conductive metal/polymer composites into TSV.

Modeling bioluminescent photon transport in tissue based on Radiosity-diffusion model

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Li; Wang, Pu; Tian, Jie; Zhang, Bo; Han, Dong; Yang, Xin

2010-03-01

Bioluminescence tomography (BLT) is one of the most important non-invasive optical molecular imaging modalities. The model for the bioluminescent photon propagation plays a significant role in the bioluminescence tomography study. Due to the high computational efficiency, diffusion approximation (DA) is generally applied in the bioluminescence tomography. But the diffusion equation is valid only in highly scattering and weakly absorbing regions and fails in non-scattering or low-scattering tissues, such as a cyst in the breast, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer of the brain and synovial fluid layer in the joints. A hybrid Radiosity-diffusion model is proposed for dealing with the non-scattering regions within diffusing domains in this paper. This hybrid method incorporates a priori information of the geometry of non-scattering regions, which can be acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or x-ray computed tomography (CT). Then the model is implemented using a finite element method (FEM) to ensure the high computational efficiency. Finally, we demonstrate that the method is comparable with Mont Carlo (MC) method which is regarded as a 'gold standard' for photon transportation simulation.

Quasi-two-layer morphodynamic model for bedload-dominated problems: bed slope-induced morphological diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, Sergio; Borthwick, Alistair G L

2018-02-01

We derive a two-layer depth-averaged model of sediment transport and morphological evolution for application to bedload-dominated problems. The near-bed transport region is represented by the lower (bedload) layer which has an arbitrarily constant, vanishing thickness (of approx. 10 times the sediment particle diameter), and whose average sediment concentration is free to vary. Sediment is allowed to enter the upper layer, and hence the total load may also be simulated, provided that concentrations of suspended sediment remain low. The model conforms with established theories of bedload, and is validated satisfactorily against empirical expressions for sediment transport rates and the morphodynamic experiment of a migrating mining pit by Lee et al. (1993 J. Hydraul. Eng. 119 , 64-80 (doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1993)119:1(64))). Investigation into the effect of a local bed gradient on bedload leads to derivation of an analytical, physically meaningful expression for morphological diffusion induced by a non-zero local bed slope. Incorporation of the proposed morphological diffusion into a conventional morphodynamic model (defined as a coupling between the shallow water equations, Exner equation and an empirical formula for bedload) improves model predictions when applied to the evolution of a mining pit, without the need either to resort to special numerical treatment of the equations or to use additional tuning parameters.

Quasi-two-layer morphodynamic model for bedload-dominated problems: bed slope-induced morphological diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, Sergio; Borthwick, Alistair G. L.

2018-02-01

We derive a two-layer depth-averaged model of sediment transport and morphological evolution for application to bedload-dominated problems. The near-bed transport region is represented by the lower (bedload) layer which has an arbitrarily constant, vanishing thickness (of approx. 10 times the sediment particle diameter), and whose average sediment concentration is free to vary. Sediment is allowed to enter the upper layer, and hence the total load may also be simulated, provided that concentrations of suspended sediment remain low. The model conforms with established theories of bedload, and is validated satisfactorily against empirical expressions for sediment transport rates and the morphodynamic experiment of a migrating mining pit by Lee et al. (1993 J. Hydraul. Eng. 119, 64-80 (doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1993)119:1(64))). Investigation into the effect of a local bed gradient on bedload leads to derivation of an analytical, physically meaningful expression for morphological diffusion induced by a non-zero local bed slope. Incorporation of the proposed morphological diffusion into a conventional morphodynamic model (defined as a coupling between the shallow water equations, Exner equation and an empirical formula for bedload) improves model predictions when applied to the evolution of a mining pit, without the need either to resort to special numerical treatment of the equations or to use additional tuning parameters.

Effect of permeable flow on cyclic layering in solidifying magma bodies: Insights from an analog experiment of diffusion-precipitation systems

Science.gov (United States)

Toramaru, A.; Yamauchi, S.

2012-04-01

Characteristic structures such as rhythmic layering, cress cumulate, cross bedding, perpendicular feldspar rock etc, are commonly observed in layered intrusion or shallow magmatic intrusions. These structures result from complex processes including thermal and compositional diffusions, crystallization, crystal settling, convection and interaction among three phases (crystals, bubble, melt). In order to understand how the differentiation proceeds in solidifying magma bodies from each characteristic structure together with chemical signatures, it is necessary to evaluate the relative importance among these elemental processes on structures. As an attempt to evaluate the effect of advection on a diffusion-related structure, we carried out an analog experiment of Liesegang system using lead-iodide (PbI2) crystallization in agar media which have been normally used to prohibit convection. In the ordinary Liesegang band formation experiments including only diffusion and crystallization kinetics without any advection and convection, the precipitation bands develop with regular spacing following a geometric progression due to two-component diffusion and reaction with supersaturation. This type of banding structure has been advocated as the same type of cyclic layering or vesicle layering (a sort of rhythmic layering) in dykes or sills. In order to see the effect of one-directional advection on Liesegang band, we apply the electric field (5 V to 25 V for a distance 15 cm) along the concentration gradient in agar media, thereby counteracting flows of lead anion Pb2+ and iodide ion I- are driven at constant velocities. The flows of anions and ions are equivalent to the permeable flows in porous media of crystal mush. The resultant precipitation structures exhibit very curious banding structure in which band spacings do not change with distance, are nearly constant and quite narrow, depending on the voltage, unlike those in ordinary Liesegang bands in which band spacings

Modelling mass diffusion for a multi-layer sphere immersed in a semi-infinite medium: application to drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Elliot J; Pontrelli, Giuseppe

2018-04-12

We present a general mechanistic model of mass diffusion for a composite sphere placed in a large ambient medium. The multi-layer problem is described by a system of diffusion equations coupled via interlayer boundary conditions such as those imposing a finite mass resistance at the external surface of the sphere. While the work is applicable to the generic problem of heat or mass transfer in a multi-layer sphere, the analysis and results are presented in the context of drug kinetics for desorbing and absorbing spherical microcapsules. We derive an analytical solution for the concentration in the sphere and in the surrounding medium that avoids any artificial truncation at a finite distance. The closed-form solution in each concentric layer is expressed in terms of a suitably-defined inverse Laplace transform that can be evaluated numerically. Concentration profiles and drug mass curves in the spherical layers and in the external environment are presented and the dependency of the solution on the mass transfer coefficient at the surface of the sphere analyzed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of gas diffusion layer based on x-y robotic spraying technique for proton exchange membrane fuel cell application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sitanggang, Ramli; Mohamad, Abu Bakar; Daud, Wan Ramli Wan; Kadhum, Abdul Amir H.; Iyuke, S.E.

2009-01-01

The x-y robotic spraying technique developed in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia is capable of fabricating various sizes of thickness and porosity of gas diffusion layer (GDL) used in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). These parameters are obtained by varying the characteristic spray numbers of the robotic spraying machine. This investigation results were adequately represented with mathematical equations for hydrogen gas distribution in GDL. Volumetric modulus (M) parameter is used to determine the value of current density produced on the electrode of a single cell PEMFC. Thus the M parameter can be employed as indicator for a successful GDL fabrication. GDL type 4 has three variables of layer design that can be optimized to function as gas distributor, gas storage, flooding preventer on GDL surface, to evacuate water from the electrode and to control the electrical conductivity. The gas distribution in GDL was mathematically represented with average error of 15.5%. The M value of GDL type 4 according to the model was 0.22 cm 3 /s and yielded a current density of 750 A/m 2 .

Nanocellulose-based Translucent Diffuser for Optoelectronic Device Applications with Dramatic Improvement of Light Coupling.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wei; Tassi, Nancy G; Zhu, Hongli; Fang, Zhiqiang; Hu, Liangbing

2015-12-09

Nanocellulose is a biogenerated and biorenewable organic material. Using a process based on 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)/NaClO/NaBr system, a highly translucent and light-diffusive film consisting of many layers of nanocellulose fibers and wood pulp microfibers was made. The film demonstrates a combination of large optical transmittance of ∼90% and tunable diffuse transmission of up to ∼78% across the visible and near-infrared spectra. The detailed characterizations of the film indicate the combination of high optical transmittance and haze is due to the film's large packing density and microstructured surface. The superior optical properties make the film a translucent light diffuser and applicable for improving the efficiencies of optoelectronic devices such as thin-film silicon solar cells and organic light-emitting devices.

A heating and diffusion barrier based on TaSiN x for miniaturized IC devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, H.-Y.; Chen, Y.-C.; Lee, C.-M.; Wang, S.-H.; Chin, T.-S.

2006-01-01

Highly resistive TaSiN x films investigated as candidates for heating and diffusion-barrier layers for miniaturized IC devices such as a sensor or a phases-change random access memory (PCRAM). The obtained resistivity, between 0.069-1.21 Ω cm, increases with increasing nitrogen content up to 52.83%, and fulfills the requirements as a suitable heating layer. All the as-deposited films were amorphous, and the films with substantial nitrogen content showed excellent thermal stability The amorphous structure had a very smooth surface which was stable at temperatures up to 800 deg. C. In addition to its heating capability, the amorphous structure with no grain boundaries was found to also act as a good diffusion barrier effect in contact with a tungsten electrode as determined by AES an TEM analysis. The barrier effect was evaluated by an annealing at 500 and 600 deg. C in Ar atmosphere for 30 min, respectively. The highly resistive TaSiN x heating layer successfully obstructed the diffusion of tungsten atoms from the W electrodes even when the layer was only 10 nm thick. With increasing N content, the heating and diffusion-barrier layer for PCRAM was proposed as a typical example of many potential applications

Diffusion in silicon isotope heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvestri, Hughes Howland [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2004-01-01

The simultaneous diffusion of Si and the dopants B, P, and As has been studied by the use of a multilayer structure of isotopically enriched Si. This structure, consisting of 5 pairs of 120 nm thick natural Si and ²⁸Si enriched layers, enables the observation of ³⁰Si self-diffusion from the natural layers into the ²⁸Si enriched layers, as well as dopant diffusion from an implanted source in an amorphous Si cap layer, via Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The dopant diffusion created regions of the multilayer structure that were extrinsic at the diffusion temperatures. In these regions, the Fermi level shift due to the extrinsic condition altered the concentration and charge state of the native defects involved in the diffusion process, which affected the dopant and self-diffusion. The simultaneously recorded diffusion profiles enabled the modeling of the coupled dopant and self-diffusion. From the modeling of the simultaneous diffusion, the dopant diffusion mechanisms, the native defect charge states, and the self- and dopant diffusion coefficients can be determined. This information is necessary to enhance the physical modeling of dopant diffusion in Si. It is of particular interest to the modeling of future electronic Si devices, where the nanometer-scale features have created the need for precise physical models of atomic diffusion in Si. The modeling of the experimental profiles of simultaneous diffusion of B and Si under p-type extrinsic conditions revealed that both species are mediated by neutral and singly, positively charged Si self-interstitials. The diffusion of As and Si under extrinsic n-type conditions yielded a model consisting of the interstitialcy and vacancy mechanisms of diffusion via singly negatively charged self-interstitials and neutral vacancies. The simultaneous diffusion of P and Si has been modeled on the basis of neutral and singly negatively charged self-interstitials and neutral and singly

S-Layer Based Bio-Imprinting - Synthetic S-Layer Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-09

AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2015-0161 S-Layer Based Bio- Imprinting - Synthetic S-Layer Polymers Dietmar Pum ZENTRUM FUER NANOBIOTECHNOLOGIE Final Report 07/09...COVERED (From - To)      01-06-2012 to 31-05-2015 4.  TITLE AND SUBTITLE S-Layer Based Bio- Imprinting - Synthetic S-Layer Polymers 5a.  CONTRACT...technology for the fabrication of nano patterned thin film imprints by using functional S-layer protein arrays as templates. The unique feature of

Design Method for Channel Diffusers of Centrifugal Compressors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykola Kalinkevych

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The design method for channel diffusers of centrifugal compressors, which is based on the solving of the inverse problem of gas dynamics, is presented in the paper. The concept of the design is to provide high pressure recovery of the diffuser by assuming the preseparation condition of the boundary layer along one of the channel surfaces. The channel diffuser was designed with the use of developed method to replace the vaned diffuser of the centrifugal compressor model stage. The numerical simulation of the diffusers was implemented by means of CFD software. Obtained gas dynamic characteristics of the designed diffuser were compared to the base vaned diffuser of the compressor stage.

Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes With Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Diffusion Layers Constructed around Stainless Steel Mesh Current Collectors

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang; Saito, Tomonori; Cheng, Shaoan; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

A new and simplified approach for making cathodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was developed by using metal meshcurrent collectorsandinexpensive polymer/carbon diffusion layers (DLs). Rather than adding a current collector to a cathode material such as carbon cloth, we constructed the cathode around the metal mesh itself, thereby avoiding the need for the carbon cloth or other supporting material. A base layer of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and carbon black was applied to the air-side of a stainless steel mesh, and Pt on carbon black with Nafion binder was applied to the solutionside as catalyst for oxygen reduction. The PDMS prevented water leakage and functioned as a DL by limiting oxygen transfer through the cathode and improving coulombic efficiency. PDMS is hydrophobic, stable, and less expensive than other DL materials, such as PTFE, that are commonly applied to air cathodes. Multiple PDMS/carbon layers were applied in order to optimize the performance of the cathode. Two PDMS/ carbon layers achieved the highest maximum power density of 1610 ± 56 mW/m 2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 47.0 ± 1.6 W/m3 based on liquid volume). This power output was comparable to the best result of 1635 ± 62 mW/m2 obtained using carbon cloth with three PDMS/carbon layers and a Pt catalyst. The coulombic efficiency of the mesh cathodes reached more than 80%, and was much higher than the maximum of 57% obtained with carbon cloth. These findings demonstrate that cathodes can be constructed around metal mesh materials such as stainless steel, and that an inexpensive coating of PDMS can prevent water leakage and lead to improved coulombic efficiencies. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes With Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Diffusion Layers Constructed around Stainless Steel Mesh Current Collectors

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang

2010-02-15

A new and simplified approach for making cathodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was developed by using metal meshcurrent collectorsandinexpensive polymer/carbon diffusion layers (DLs). Rather than adding a current collector to a cathode material such as carbon cloth, we constructed the cathode around the metal mesh itself, thereby avoiding the need for the carbon cloth or other supporting material. A base layer of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and carbon black was applied to the air-side of a stainless steel mesh, and Pt on carbon black with Nafion binder was applied to the solutionside as catalyst for oxygen reduction. The PDMS prevented water leakage and functioned as a DL by limiting oxygen transfer through the cathode and improving coulombic efficiency. PDMS is hydrophobic, stable, and less expensive than other DL materials, such as PTFE, that are commonly applied to air cathodes. Multiple PDMS/carbon layers were applied in order to optimize the performance of the cathode. Two PDMS/ carbon layers achieved the highest maximum power density of 1610 ± 56 mW/m 2 (normalized to cathode projected surface area; 47.0 ± 1.6 W/m3 based on liquid volume). This power output was comparable to the best result of 1635 ± 62 mW/m2 obtained using carbon cloth with three PDMS/carbon layers and a Pt catalyst. The coulombic efficiency of the mesh cathodes reached more than 80%, and was much higher than the maximum of 57% obtained with carbon cloth. These findings demonstrate that cathodes can be constructed around metal mesh materials such as stainless steel, and that an inexpensive coating of PDMS can prevent water leakage and lead to improved coulombic efficiencies. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Reactive diffusion in Sc/Si multilayer X-ray mirrors with CrB2 barrier layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pershyn, Y.P.; Zubarev, E.N.; Kondratenko, V.V.; Sevryukova, V.A.; Kurbatova, S.V.

2011-01-01

Processes undergoing in Sc/Si multilayer X-ray mirrors (MXMs) with periods of ∝27 nm and barrier layers of CrB 2 0.3- and 0.7-nm thick within the temperature range of 420-780 K were studied by methods of small-angle X-ray reflectivity (λ=0.154 nm) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. All layers with the exception of Sc ones are amorphous. Barrier layers are stable at least up to a temperature of 625 K and double the activation energy of diffusional intermixing at moderate temperatures. Introduction of barriers improves the thermal stability of Sc/Si MXMs at least by 80 degrees. Diffusion of Si atoms through barrier layers into Sc layers with formation of silicides was shown to be the main degradation mechanism of MXMs. A comparison of the stability for Sc/Si MXMs with different barriers published in the literature is conducted. The ways of further improvement of barrier properties are discussed. (orig.)

An effective method to screen sodium-based layered materials for sodium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xu; Zhang, Zihe; Yao, Sai; Chen, An; Zhao, Xudong; Zhou, Zhen

2018-03-01

Due to the high cost and insufficient resource of lithium, sodium-ion batteries are widely investigated for large-scale applications. Typically, insertion-type materials possess better cyclic stability than alloy-type and conversion-type ones. Therefore, in this work, we proposed a facile and effective method to screen sodium-based layered materials based on Materials Project database as potential candidate insertion-type materials for sodium ion batteries. The obtained Na-based layered materials contains 38 kinds of space group, which reveals that the credibility of our screening approach would not be affected by the space group. Then, some important indexes of the representative materials, including the average voltage, volume change and sodium ion mobility, were further studied by means of density functional theory computations. Some materials with extremely low volume changes and Na diffusion barriers are promising candidates for sodium ion batteries. We believe that our classification algorithm could also be used to search for other alkali and multivalent ion-based layered materials, to accelerate the development of battery materials.

Modeling the oxygen diffusion of nanocomposite-based food packaging films.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhunia, Kanishka; Dhawan, Sumeet; Sablani, Shyam S

2012-07-01

Polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites have been shown to improve the gas barrier properties of food packaging polymers. This study developed a computer simulation model using the commercial software, COMSOL Multiphysics to analyze changes in oxygen barrier properties in terms of relative diffusivity, as influenced by configuration and structural parameters that include volume fraction (φ), aspect ratio (α), intercalation width (W), and orientation angle (θ) of nanoparticles. The simulation was performed at different φ (1%, 3%, 5%, and 7%), α (50, 100, 500, and 1000), and W (1, 3, 5, and 7 nm). The θ value was varied from 0° to 85°. Results show that diffusivity decreases with increasing volume fraction, but beyond φ = 5% and α = 500, diffusivity remained almost constant at W values of 1 and 3 nm. Higher relative diffusivity coincided with increasing W and decreasing α value for the same volume fraction of nanoparticles. Diffusivity increased as the rotational angle increased, gradually diminishing the influence of nanoparticles. Diffusivity increased drastically as θ changed from 15° to 30° (relative increment in relative diffusivity was almost 3.5 times). Nanoparticles with exfoliation configuration exhibited better oxygen barrier properties compared to intercalation. The finite element model developed in this study provides insight into oxygen barrier properties for nanocomposite with a wide range of structural parameters. This model can be used to design and manufacture an ideal nanocomposite-based food packaging film with improved gas barrier properties for industrial applications. The model will assist in designing nanocomposite polymeric structures of desired gas barrier properties for food packaging applications. In addition, this study will be helpful in formulating a combination of nanoparticle structural parameters for designing nanocomposite membranes with selective permeability for the industrial applications including membrane

Transport Asymmetry of Novel Bi-Layer Hybrid Perfluorinated Membranes on the Base of MF-4SC Modified by Halloysite Nanotubes with Platinum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anatoly Filippov

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Three types of bi-layer hybrid nanocomposites on the base of perfluorinated cation-exchange membrane MF-4SC (Russian analogue of Nafion®-117 were synthesized and characterized. It was found that two membranes possess the noticeable asymmetry of the current–voltage curve (CVC under changing their orientation towards the applied electric field, despite the absence of asymmetry of diffusion permeability. These phenomena were explained in the frame of the “fine-porous model” expanded for bi-layer membranes. A special procedure to calculate the real values of the diffusion layers thickness and the limiting current density was proposed. Due to asymmetry effects of the current voltage curves of bi-layer hybrid membranes on the base of MF-4SC, halloysite nanotubes and platinum nanoparticles, it is prospective to assemble membrane switches (membrane relays or diodes with predictable transport properties, founded upon the theory developed here.

Foam Based Gas Diffusion Electrodes for Reversible Alkaline Electrolysis Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allebrod, Frank; Chatzichristodoulou, Christodoulos; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2014-01-01

Alkaline electrolysis cells operated at 250 °C and 40 bar have shown to be able to convert electrical energy into chemical energy in the form of hydrogen at very high efficiencies and power densities. Foam based gas diffusion electrodes and a liquid immobilized electrolyte allow the operation...... of the newly designed electrolysis cell as a fuel cell, but condensation of steam may lead to blocked pores, thereby inhibiting gas diffusion and decreasing the performance of the cell. In the here presented work we present the application of a hydrophobic, porous, and electro-catalytically active layer...... the electrochemical characteristics of the cell. The thickness of the electrolyte matrix was reduced to 200 µm, thereby achieving a serial resistance and area specific resistance as low as 60 mΩ cm2 and 150 mΩ cm2, respectively, at a temperature of 200 °C and 20 bar pressure. A new production method was developed...

The Role of Diffusion Media in Nitriding Process on Surface Layers Characteristics of AISI 4140 with and without Hard Chrome Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.A. Widi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The surface layer characteristics of the AISI 4140 tool steel treated by nitriding gas before and after hard chrome plating utilizing pure nitrogen diffusion media (fluidized bed reactor and the without gas (muffle reactor has been studied experimentally. The result shows that nitriding substrate with hard chrome layers has nitrogen atoms concentration almost twice greater than that without hard chrome layers. After being given a hard chrome plating, nitriding on AISI 4140 steel generally has a nitrogen concentration of up to 4 times more than the substrate without hard chrome coating. Almost the entire specimen showed the highest concentration of N atoms in the area below the surface (hardening depth of 200 to 450 µm. N atoms diffusion depth profile has a correlation with hardening depth profile, especially on the specimens layered with hard chromium. The substrate without hard chrome plating tends to have higher surface hardness than the sub-surface. The results show that the effectiveness and efficiency of the gas nitriding diffusion process can be produced without the use of gas in the muffle reactor but the specimens must be hard chromium coated first. This phenomenon can be explained by the role of the passive layer formation that works as a barrier to keeps the spreading of N atoms concentrated in sub-surface areas.

Friction Stir Welding-assisted Diffusion Bond of Al/Zn/Mg Lap Joint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JIN Yu-hua

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Dissimilar materials welding between 2mm-thick AZ31B Mg alloy and 6061 Al alloy plates in overlap form was performed using the friction stir-induced diffusion bond with zinc foil as the interlayer. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the Al/Zn/Mg lap joints were analyzed by means of SEM, EPMA, XRD, tensile experiment and Vickers hardness test. The results show that diffusion layer consists of Al enrichment zone, Al5Mg11Zn4 layer and Mg-Zn eutectic zone at proper rotation speed; however, when rotation speed is low, the residual zinc interlayer remains in the diffusion layer; when rotation speed is high, the Al-Mg intermetallic compounds are present again. Due to the existence of intermetallic compounds in diffusion layer, its microhardness is significantly higher than that of base metal. The addition of zinc foil can improve the mechanical properties of Al/Mg lap joints. According to analysis on the fracture, joint failure occurs in the diffusion layer near to Al side.

Hard Surface Layers by Pack Boriding and Gaseous Thermo-Reactive Deposition and Diffusion Treatments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Bottoli, Federico; Dahl, Kristian Vinter

2017-01-01

) layers with hardnesses up to 1800 HV. Titanizing of ARNE tool steel results in a surface layer consisting of TiC with a hardness of approximately 4000 HV. Duplex treatments, where boriding is combined with subsequent (TRD) titanizing, result in formation of hard TiB2 on top of a thick layer of Fe......Thermo-reactive deposition and diffusion (TRD) and boriding are thermochemical processes that result in very high surface hardness by conversion of the surface into carbides/nitrides and borides, respectively. These treatments offer significant advantages in terms of hardness, adhesion, tribo...... subjected to TRD (chromizing and titanizing) and boriding treatments. For the steels with low carbon content, chromizing results in surface alloying with chromium, i.e., formation of a (soft) “stainless” surface zone. Steels containing higher levels of carbon form chromium carbide (viz. Cr23C6, Cr7C3...

Role of nanorods insertion layer in ZnO-based electrochemical metallization memory cell

Science.gov (United States)

Mangasa Simanjuntak, Firman; Singh, Pragya; Chandrasekaran, Sridhar; Juanda Lumbantoruan, Franky; Yang, Chih-Chieh; Huang, Chu-Jie; Lin, Chun-Chieh; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen

2017-12-01

An engineering nanorod array in a ZnO-based electrochemical metallization device for nonvolatile memory applications was investigated. A hydrothermally synthesized nanorod layer was inserted into a Cu/ZnO/ITO device structure. Another device was fabricated without nanorods for comparison, and this device demonstrated a diode-like behavior with no switching behavior at a low current compliance (CC). The switching became clear only when the CC was increased to 75 mA. The insertion of a nanorods layer induced switching characteristics at a low operation current and improve the endurance and retention performances. The morphology of the nanorods may control the switching characteristics. A forming-free electrochemical metallization memory device having long switching cycles (>104 cycles) with a sufficient memory window (103 times) for data storage application, good switching stability and sufficient retention was successfully fabricated by adjusting the morphology and defect concentration of the inserted nanorod layer. The nanorod layer not only contributed to inducing resistive switching characteristics but also acted as both a switching layer and a cation diffusion control layer.

Meyer-Neldel rule for Cu (I) diffusion in In{sub 2}S{sub 3} layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juma, Albert, E-mail: albert.juma@helmholtz-berlin.de; Dittrich, Thomas [Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin (Germany); Wafula, Henry [Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 190-50100, Kakamega (Kenya); Wendler, Elke [Institut für Festkörperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena (Germany)

2014-02-07

The nature of barriers for atomic transport in In{sub 2}S{sub 3} layers has been varied by addition of chlorine. Diffusion of Cu(I) from a removable CuSCN source was used to probe the variation of the barriers. The Meyer-Neldel (compensation) rule was observed with a Meyer-Neldel energy (E{sub MN}) and a proportionality prefactor (D{sub 00}) amounting to 40 meV and 5 × 10{sup −14} cm{sup 2}/s, respectively. D{sub 00} shows that the elementary excitation step is independent of the specific mechanism and nature of the barrier including different densities of Cl in In{sub 2}S{sub 3}. The value of E{sub MN} implies that coupling of the diffusing species to an optical-phonon bath is the source of the multiple excitations supplying the energy to overcome the diffusion barriers.

The use of cloth fabric diffusion layers for scalable microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Luo, Yong

2013-04-01

A scalable and pre-manufactured cloth material (Goretex® fabric) was used as a diffusion layer (DL) material as a replacement for a liquid-applied polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) DL. Cathodes with the Goretex fabric heat-bonded to the air-side of carbon cloth cathode (CC-Goretex) produced a maximum power density of 1330±30mW/m2, similar to that using a PTFE DL (1390±70mW/m2, CC-PTFE). This method was also successfully used to produce cathodes made of inexpensive carbon mesh, which resulted in only slightly less power (1180±10mW/m2) (CM-Goretex). Coulombic efficiencies were a function of current density, with the highest value for CC-PTFE cathodes (63%), similar to CC-Goretex cathodes (61%), and slightly larger than that obtained for the CM-Goretex cathodes (54%). These results show that a commercially available fabric can easily be used as the DL in an MFC, achieving performance similar to that obtained with a more labor-intensive process based on liquid-applied DLs using PTFE. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Effect of dual-dielectric hydrogen-diffusion barrier layers on the performance of low-temperature processed transparent InGaZnO thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Tari, Alireza; Wong, William S.

2018-02-01

Dual-dielectric SiOx/SiNx thin-film layers were used as back-channel and gate-dielectric barrier layers for bottom-gate InGaZnO (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The concentration profiles of hydrogen, indium, gallium, and zinc oxide were analyzed using secondary-ion mass spectroscopy characterization. By implementing an effective H-diffusion barrier, the hydrogen concentration and the creation of H-induced oxygen deficiency (H-Vo complex) defects during the processing of passivated flexible IGZO TFTs were minimized. A bilayer back-channel passivation layer, consisting of electron-beam deposited SiOx on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor-deposition (PECVD) SiNx films, effectively protected the TFT active region from plasma damage and minimized changes in the chemical composition of the semiconductor layer. A dual-dielectric PECVD SiOx/PECVD SiNx gate-dielectric, using SiOx as a barrier layer, also effectively prevented out-diffusion of hydrogen atoms from the PECVD SiNx-gate dielectric to the IGZO channel layer during the device fabrication.

Experimental analysis of two-layered dissimilar metals by roll bonding

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Guanghui; Li, Yugui; Li, Juan; Huang, Qingxue; Ma, Lifeng

2018-02-01

Rolling reduction and base layers thickness have important implications for rolling compounding. A two-layered 304 stainless steel/Q345R low alloyed steel was roll bonded. The roll bonding was performed at the three thickness reductions of 25%, 40% and 55% with base layers of various thicknesses (Q345R). The microstructures of the composite were investigated by the ultra-deep microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). Simultaneously, the mechanical properties of the composite were experimentally measured and the tensile fracture surfaces were observed by SEM. The interfaces were successfully bonded without any cracking or voids, which indicated a good fabrication of the 304/Q345R composite. The rolling reduction rate and thinning increase of the substrate contributed to the bonding effects appearance of the roll bonded sheet. The Cr and Ni enriched diffusion layer was formed by the interface elements diffusion. The Cr and Ni diffusion led to the formation of ˜10 μm wide Cr and Ni layers on the carbon steel side.

Liquid water breakthrough location distances on a gas diffusion layer of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Junliang; Froning, Dieter; Reimer, Uwe; Lehnert, Werner

2018-06-01

The lattice Boltzmann method is adopted to simulate the three dimensional dynamic process of liquid water breaking through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. 22 micro-structures of Toray GDL are built based on a stochastic geometry model. It is found that more than one breakthrough locations are formed randomly on the GDL surface. Breakthrough location distance (BLD) are analyzed statistically in two ways. The distribution is evaluated statistically by the Lilliefors test. It is concluded that the BLD can be described by the normal distribution with certain statistic characteristics. Information of the shortest neighbor breakthrough location distance can be the input modeling setups on the cell-scale simulations in the field of fuel cell simulation.

Significantly reduced c-axis thermal diffusivity of graphene-based papers

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Meng; Xie, Yangsu; Liu, Jing; Zhang, Jingchao; Wang, Xinwei

2018-06-01

Owing to their very high thermal conductivity as well as large surface-to-volume ratio, graphene-based films/papers have been proposed as promising candidates of lightweight thermal interface materials and lateral heat spreaders. In this work, we study the cross-plane (c-axis) thermal conductivity (k c ) and diffusivity (α c ) of two typical graphene-based papers, which are partially reduced graphene paper (PRGP) and graphene oxide paper (GOP), and compare their thermal properties with highly-reduced graphene paper and graphite. The determined α c of PRGP varies from (1.02 ± 0.09) × 10‑7 m2 s‑1 at 295 K to (2.31 ± 0.18) × 10‑7 m2 s‑1 at 12 K. This low α c is mainly attributed to the strong phonon scattering at the grain boundaries and defect centers due to the small grain sizes and high-level defects. For GOP, α c varies from (1.52 ± 0.05) × 10‑7 m2 s‑1 at 295 K to (2.28 ± 0.08) × 10‑7 m2 s‑1 at 12.5 K. The cross-plane thermal transport of GOP is attributed to the high density of functional groups between carbon layers which provide weak thermal transport tunnels across the layers in the absence of direct energy coupling among layers. This work sheds light on the understanding and optimizing of nanostructure of graphene-based paper-like materials for desired thermal performance.

Control strategy on the double-diffusive convection in a nanofluid layer with internal heat generation

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtar, N. F. M.; Khalid, I. K.; Siri, Z.; Ibrahim, Z. B.; Gani, S. S. A.

2017-10-01

The influences of feedback control and internal heat source on the onset of Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a horizontal nanofluid layer is studied analytically due to Soret and Dufour parameters. The confining boundaries of the nanofluid layer (bottom boundary-top boundary) are assumed to be free-free, rigid-free, and rigid-rigid, with a source of heat from below. Linear stability theory is applied, and the eigenvalue solution is obtained numerically using the Galerkin technique. Focusing on the stationary convection, it is shown that there is a positive thermal resistance in the presence of feedback control on the onset of double-diffusive convection, while there is a positive thermal efficiency in the existence of internal heat generation. The possibilities of suppress or augment of the Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a nanofluid layer are also discussed in detail.

Convection and reaction in a diffusive boundary layer in a porous medium: nonlinear dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Andres, Jeanne Therese H; Cardoso, Silvana S S

2012-09-01

We study numerically the nonlinear interactions between chemical reaction and convective fingering in a diffusive boundary layer in a porous medium. The reaction enhances stability by consuming a solute that is unstably distributed in a gravitational field. We show that chemical reaction profoundly changes the dynamics of the system, by introducing a steady state, shortening the evolution time, and altering the spatial patterns of velocity and concentration of solute. In the presence of weak reaction, finger growth and merger occur effectively, driving strong convective currents in a thick layer of solute. However, as the reaction becomes stronger, finger growth is inhibited, tip-splitting is enhanced and the layer of solute becomes much thinner. Convection enhances the mass flux of solute consumed by reaction in the boundary layer but has a diminishing effect as reaction strength increases. This nonlinear behavior has striking differences to the density fingering of traveling reaction fronts, for which stronger chemical kinetics result in more effective finger merger owing to an increase in the speed of the front. In a boundary layer, a strong stabilizing effect of reaction can maintain a long-term state of convection in isolated fingers of wavelength comparable to that at onset of instability.

Separation of the Stern and diffuse layer in coarse-grained models: the cases of phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidic acid, and PIP2 monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vangaveti, S; Travesset, A

2014-12-28

We present here a method to separate the Stern and diffuse layer in general systems into two regions that can be analyzed separately. The Stern layer can be described in terms of Bjerrum pairing and the diffuse layer in terms of Poisson-Boltzmann theory (monovalent) or strong coupling theory plus a slowly decaying tail (divalent). We consider three anionic phospholipids: phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylinositol(4,5)bisphosphate (PIP2), which we describe within a minimal coarse-grained model as a function of ionic concentration. The case of mixed lipid systems is also considered, which shows a high level of binding cooperativity as a function of PIP2 localization. Implications for existing experimental systems of lipid heterogeneities are also discussed.

Nanomechanical mapping of graphene layers and interfaces in suspended graphene nanostructures grown via carbon diffusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, B.J. [Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB (United Kingdom); Rabot, C. [CEA-LETI-Minatec Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 09 (France); Mazzocco, R. [Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB (United Kingdom); Delamoreanu, A. [Microelectronics Technology Laboratory (LTM), Joseph Fourier University, French National Research Center (CNRS), 17 Avenue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Zenasni, A. [CEA-LETI-Minatec Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 09 (France); Kolosov, O.V., E-mail: o.kolosov@lancaster.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB (United Kingdom)

2014-01-01

Graphene's remarkable mechanical, electronic and thermal properties are strongly determined by both the mechanism of its growth and its interaction with the underlying substrate. Evidently, in order to explore the fundamentals of these mechanisms, efficient nanoscale methods that enable observation of features hidden underneath the immediate surface are needed. In this paper we use nanomechanical mapping via ultrasonic force microscopy that employs MHz frequency range ultrasonic vibrations and allows the observation of surface composition and subsurface interfaces with nanoscale resolution, to elucidate the morphology of few layer graphene (FLG) films produced via a recently reported method of carbon diffusion growth (CDG) on platinum-metal based substrate. CDG is known to result in FLG suspended over large areas, which could be of high importance for graphene transfer and applications where a standalone graphene film is required. This study directly reveals the detailed mechanism of CDG three-dimensional growth and FLG film detachment, directly linking the level of graphene decoupling with variations of the substrate temperature during the annealing phase of growth. We also show that graphene initially and preferentially decouples at the substrate grain boundaries, likely due to its negative expansion coefficient at cooling, forming characteristic “nano-domes” at the intersections of the grain boundaries. Furthermore, quantitative nanomechanical mapping of flexural stiffness of suspended FLG “nano-domes” using kHz frequency range force modulation microscopy uncovers the progression of “nano-dome” stiffness from single to bi-modal distribution as CDG growth progresses, suggesting growth instability at advanced CDG stages. - Highlights: • Exploring growth and film-substrate decoupling in carbon diffusion grown graphene • Nanomechanical mapping of few layer graphene and graphene–substrate interfaces • Quantitative stiffness mapping of

Diffusion of Drag-Reducing Polymers within a High-Reynolds-Number, Rough-Wall Turbulent Boundary Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Elbing, Brian; Perlin, Marc; Dowling, David; Solomon, Michael; Ceccio, Steven

2008-11-01

Two experiments were conducted to investigate polymer drag reduction (PDR) within high Reynolds number (to 200 million based on downstream distance), rough-wall turbulent boundary layers. The first experiment was conducted at the U.S. Navy's Large Cavitation Channel on a 12.9 m long flat-plate at speeds to 20 m/s with the surface hydraulically smooth and fully rough. Local skin-friction measurements on the smooth and rough surfaces had maximum PDR levels of 65 and 75 percent, respectively. However, PDR decreased with increasing downstream distance and flow speed more rapidly on the rough surface, and at the top speed no measureable level of PDR was observed. The roughness-induced increased diffusion was quantified with near-wall concentration measurements and the second experiment, which measured concentration profiles on a 0.94 m long flat-plate with three surface conditions: smooth, 240-grit, and 60-grit sandpaper. The increased diffusion does not fully explain the smooth-rough PDR differences observed in the first experiment. Rheological analysis of drawn samples from the first experiment indicates that polymer degradation (chain scission) could be responsible for the remaining loss of rough-wall PDR. These results have implications for the cost effectiveness of PDR for surface ships.

Origin of the outer layer of martian low-aspect ratio layered ejecta craters

Science.gov (United States)

Boyce, Joseph M.; Wilson, Lionel; Barlow, Nadine G.

2015-01-01

Low-aspect ratio layered ejecta (LARLE) craters are one of the most enigmatic types of martian layered ejecta craters. We propose that the extensive outer layer of these craters is produced through the same base surge mechanism as that which produced the base surge deposits generated by near-surface, buried nuclear and high-explosive detonations. However, the LARLE layers have higher aspect ratios compared with base surge deposits from explosion craters, a result of differences in thicknesses of these layers. This characteristics is probably caused by the addition of large amounts of small particles of dust and ice derived from climate-related mantles of snow, ice and dust in the areas where LARLE craters form. These deposits are likely to be quickly stabilized (order of a few days to a few years) from eolian erosion by formation of duricrust produced by diffusion of water vapor out of the deposits.

Turbulent current layer equilibrium and current layer of the Earth magnetotail

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonova, E.E.; Ovchinnikov, I.L.

1996-01-01

Analysis of distribution of plasma and magnetic field concentration in the unidimensional current layer under the condition of equality of the current inflowing into the layer and the counter diffusion current by various dependences of the regular velocity and the turbulent diffusion coefficient on the magnetic field. Corresponding two-dimensional solutions are obtained in the tail approximation. Comparison of the model turbulent current layer with characteristics of the plasma layer of the Earth magnetosphere tail is carried out. 16 refs., 3 figs

Barium diffusion in metallo-organic solution deposited barrier layers and Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipeles, R.A.; Leung, M.S.; Thiede, D.A.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on barium silicate and barium aluminate films that were studied for use as chemical reaction and diffusion barrier layers for Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBC) deposited on sapphire and fused silica substrates by the sol-gel technique. Depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to characterize the abruptness of the interfaces between the barrier layer and the YBC film as well as the barrier layer and the substrate. The authors found that barium aluminate films reacted with fused silica substrates forming a coarse-grained barium silicate phase. Barium silicate, BaSiO 3 , also reacted with silica substrates forming a broad, amorphous reaction zone containing some BaSi 2 O 5 . Although barium silicate and barium aluminate deposited on sapphire formed a BaAl 12 O 19 phase, they provided a barrier to barium diffusion from sol-gel deposited YBC. Crystalline barium aluminate grown on c-cut sapphire was the most effective barrier layer for the growth of YBC films; compositionally uniform YBC films were made similar to that grown on strontium titanate substrates. These data show that chemically stable, crystalline films are more effective barrier layers than amorphous films

Layered Cu-based electrode for high-dielectric constant oxide thin film-based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, W.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-01-01

Ti-Al/Cu/Ta multilayered electrodes were fabricated on SiO 2 /Si substrates by ion beam sputtering deposition, to overcome the problems of Cu diffusion and oxidation encountered during the high dielectric constant (κ) materials integration. The Cu and Ta layers remained intact through the annealing in oxygen environment up to 600 deg. C. The thin oxide layer, formed on the Ti-Al surface, effectively prevented the oxygen penetration toward underneath layers. Complex oxide (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the layered Ti-Al/Cu/Ta electrodes using rf magnetron sputtering. The deposited BST films exhibited relatively high permittivity (150), low dielectric loss (0.007) at zero bias, and low leakage current -8 A/cm 2 at 100 kV/cm

RANS-based simulation of turbulent wave boundary layer and sheet-flow sediment transport processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuhrman, David R.; Schløer, Signe; Sterner, Johanna

2013-01-01

A numerical model coupling the horizontal component of the incompressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equationswith two-equation k−ω turbulence closure is presented and used to simulate a variety of turbulent wave boundary layer processes. The hydrodynamic model is additionally coupled...... with bed and suspended load descriptions, the latter based on an unsteady turbulent-diffusion equation, for simulation of sheet-flow sediment transport processes. In addition to standard features common within such RANS-based approaches, the present model includes: (1) hindered settling velocities at high...

Dynamic problem of generalized thermoelastic diffusive medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Rajneesh; Kansal, Tarun [Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (India)

2010-01-15

The equations of generalized thermoelastic diffusion, based on the theory of Lord and Shulman with one relaxation time, are derived for anisotropic media with rotation. The variational principle and reciprocity theorem for the governing equations are derived. The propagation of leaky Rayleigh waves in a viscous fluid layer overlying a homogeneous isotropic, generalized thermoelastic diffusive half space with rotating frame of reference is studied

Polymeric hydrogen diffusion barrier, high-pressure storage tank so equipped, method of fabricating a storage tank and method of preventing hydrogen diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Lessing, Paul A [Idaho Falls, ID

2008-07-22

An electrochemically active hydrogen diffusion barrier which comprises an anode layer, a cathode layer, and an intermediate electrolyte layer, which is conductive to protons and substantially impermeable to hydrogen. A catalytic metal present in or adjacent to the anode layer catalyzes an electrochemical reaction that converts any hydrogen that diffuses through the electrolyte layer to protons and electrons. The protons and electrons are transported to the cathode layer and reacted to form hydrogen. The hydrogen diffusion barrier is applied to a polymeric substrate used in a storage tank to store hydrogen under high pressure. A storage tank equipped with the electrochemically active hydrogen diffusion barrier, a method of fabricating the storage tank, and a method of preventing hydrogen from diffusing out of a storage tank are also disclosed.

Development of beryllium-based neutron target system with three-layer structure for accelerator-based neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumada, Hiroaki; Kurihara, Toshikazu; Yoshioka, Masakazu; Kobayashi, Hitoshi; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Sugano, Tomei; Sakurai, Hideyuki; Sakae, Takeji; Matsumura, Akira

2015-12-01

The iBNCT project team with University of Tsukuba is developing an accelerator-based neutron source. Regarding neutron target material, our project has applied beryllium. To deal with large heat load and blistering of the target system, we developed a three-layer structure for the target system that includes a blistering mitigation material between the beryllium used as the neutron generator and the copper heat sink. The three materials were bonded through diffusion bonding using a hot isostatic pressing method. Based on several verifications, our project chose palladium as the intermediate layer. A prototype of the neutron target system was produced. We will verify that sufficient neutrons for BNCT treatment are generated by the device in the near future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solution of the advection-diffusion equation for a nonhomogeneous and nonstationary Planetary Boundary Layer by GILTT (Generalized Integral Laplace Transform Technique)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mello, Kelen Berra de

2005-02-01

In this work is shown the solution of the advection-diffusion equation to simulate a pollutant dispersion in the Planetary Boundary Layer. The solution is obtained through of the GILTT (Generalized Integral Laplace Transform Technique) analytic method and of the numerical inversion Gauss Quadrature. The validity of the solution is proved using concentration obtained from the model with concentration obtained for Copenhagen experiment. In this comparison was utilized potential and logarithmic wind profile and eddy diffusivity derived by Degrazia et al (1997) [17] and (2002) [19]. The best results was using the potential wind profile and the eddy diffusivity derived by Degrazia et al (1997). The vertical velocity influence is shown in the plume behavior of the pollutant concentration. Moreover, the vertical and longitudinal velocity provided by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was stood in the model to simulate the turbulent boundary layer more realistic, the result was satisfactory when compared with contained in the literature. (author)

The effects of gas diffusion layers structure on water transportation using X-ray computed tomography based Lattice Boltzmann method

Science.gov (United States)

Jinuntuya, Fontip; Whiteley, Michael; Chen, Rui; Fly, Ashley

2018-02-01

The Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) plays a crucial role in overall cell performance. It is responsible for the dissemination of reactant gasses from the gas supply channels to the reactant sites at the Catalyst Layer (CL), and the adequate removal of product water from reactant sites back to the gas channels. Existing research into water transport in GDLs has been simplified to 2D estimations of GDL structures or use virtual stochastic models. This work uses X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to reconstruct three types of GDL in a model. These models are then analysed via Lattice Boltzmann methods to understand the water transport behaviours under differing contact angles and pressure differences. In this study, the three GDL samples were tested over the contact angles of 60°, 80°, 90°, 100°, 120° and 140° under applied pressure differences of 5 kPa, 10 kPa and 15 kPa. By varying the contact angle and pressure difference, it was found that the transition between stable displacement and capillary fingering is not a gradual process. Hydrophilic contact angles in the region of 60°<θ < 90° showed stable displacement properties, whereas contact angles in the region of 100°<θ < 140° displayed capillary fingering characteristics.

Enhanced photocurrent density in graphene/Si based solar cell (GSSC) by optimizing active layer thickness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosikhin, Ahmad; Hidayat, Aulia Fikri; Syuhada, Ibnu; Winata, Toto

2015-01-01

Thickness dependent photocurrent density in active layer of graphene/Si based solar cell has been investigated via analytical – simulation study. This report is a preliminary comparison of experimental and analytical investigation of graphene/Si based solar cell. Graphene sheet was interfaced with Si thin film forming heterojunction solar cell that was treated as a device model for photocurrent generator. Such current can be enhanced by optimizing active layer thickness and involving metal oxide as supporting layer to shift photons absorption. In this case there are two type of devices model with and without TiO 2 in which the silicon thickness varied at 20 – 100 nm. All of them have examined and also compared with each other to obtain an optimum value. From this calculation it found that generated currents almost linear with thickness but there are saturated conditions that no more enhancements will be achieved. Furthermore TiO 2 layer is effectively increases photon absorption but reducing device stability, maximum current is fluctuates enough. This may caused by the disturbance of excitons diffusion and resistivity inside each layer. Finally by controlling active layer thickness, it is quite useful to estimate optimization in order to develop the next solar cell devices

Enhanced photocurrent density in graphene/Si based solar cell (GSSC) by optimizing active layer thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosikhin, Ahmad, E-mail: a.rosikhin86@yahoo.co.id; Hidayat, Aulia Fikri; Syuhada, Ibnu; Winata, Toto, E-mail: toto@fi.itb.ac.id [Department of physics, physics of electronic materials research division Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Jawa Barat – Indonesia (Indonesia)

2015-12-29

Thickness dependent photocurrent density in active layer of graphene/Si based solar cell has been investigated via analytical – simulation study. This report is a preliminary comparison of experimental and analytical investigation of graphene/Si based solar cell. Graphene sheet was interfaced with Si thin film forming heterojunction solar cell that was treated as a device model for photocurrent generator. Such current can be enhanced by optimizing active layer thickness and involving metal oxide as supporting layer to shift photons absorption. In this case there are two type of devices model with and without TiO{sub 2} in which the silicon thickness varied at 20 – 100 nm. All of them have examined and also compared with each other to obtain an optimum value. From this calculation it found that generated currents almost linear with thickness but there are saturated conditions that no more enhancements will be achieved. Furthermore TiO{sub 2} layer is effectively increases photon absorption but reducing device stability, maximum current is fluctuates enough. This may caused by the disturbance of excitons diffusion and resistivity inside each layer. Finally by controlling active layer thickness, it is quite useful to estimate optimization in order to develop the next solar cell devices.

Theoretical analysis of turbulent transport through the diffuse boundary layer in the dynamic stabilization of superimposed miscible liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerhauser, H.

1980-02-01

Two superimposed miscible liquids are separated by a diffuse boundary layer providing a steady transition of density. If the heavy fluid is on top of the light one, Rayleigh-Taylor-instabilities develop and cause a rapid interchange and eventually an intermixing. This process can be subjected to dynamic stabilization by enforcing vertical oscillations upon the whole system. However, since only part of the unstable mode spectrum is completely stabilized, the remaining weakly unstable modes lead to turbulent transport processes through the boundary layer ('anomalous diffusion'), so that only a quasistationary equilibrium is achieved. In the present paper, previous experimental results on the dynamic stabilization of water superimposed by an aqueous ZnJ-solution are theoretically interpreted, and the observed spatial structure as well as the time development of the density profiles are explained. There exists an analogy between these phenomena and turbulent transport processes in tokamak discharges such as the sawtooth oscillations of internal disruptions. (orig.) [de

First principles calculations of point defect diffusion in CdS buffer layers: Implications for Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S){sub 2} and Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(Se,S){sub 4}-based thin-film photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varley, J. B.; Lordi, V. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); He, X.; Rockett, A. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

2016-01-14

We investigate point defects in CdS buffer layers that may arise from intermixing with Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGSe) or Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S,Se){sub 4} (CZTSSe) absorber layers in thin-film photovoltaics (PV). Using hybrid functional calculations, we characterize the migration barriers of Cu, In, Ga, Se, Sn, Zn, Na, and K impurities and assess the activation energies necessary for their diffusion into the bulk of the buffer. We find that Cu, In, and Ga are the most mobile defects in CIGS-derived impurities, with diffusion expected to proceed into the buffer via interstitial-hopping and cadmium vacancy-assisted mechanisms at temperatures ∼400 °C. Cu is predicted to strongly favor migration paths within the basal plane of the wurtzite CdS lattice, which may facilitate defect clustering and ultimately the formation of Cu-rich interfacial phases as observed by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic elemental maps in real PV devices. Se, Zn, and Sn defects are found to exhibit much larger activation energies and are not expected to diffuse within the CdS bulk at temperatures compatible with typical PV processing temperatures. Lastly, we find that Na interstitials are expected to exhibit slightly lower activation energies than K interstitials despite having a larger migration barrier. Still, we find both alkali species are expected to diffuse via an interstitially mediated mechanism at slightly higher temperatures than enable In, Ga, and Cu diffusion in the bulk. Our results indicate that processing temperatures in excess of ∼400 °C will lead to more interfacial intermixing with CdS buffer layers in CIGSe devices, and less so for CZTSSe absorbers where only Cu is expected to significantly diffuse into the buffer.

The measuring technique developed to evaluate the thermal diffusivity of the multi-layered thin film specimens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Tse-Chang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the thermal diffusivities of the Al, Si and ITO films deposited on the SUS304 steel substrate are evaluated via the present technique. Before applying this technique, the temperature for the thin film of the multi-layered specimen is developed theoretically for the one- dimensional steady heat conduction in response to amplitude and frequency of the periodically oscillating temperature imposed by a peltier placed beneath the specimen's substrate. By the thermal-electrical data processing system excluding the lock-in amplifier, the temperature frequency a3 has been proved first to be independent of the electrical voltage applied to the peltier and the contact position of the thermocouples. The experimental data of phase difference for three kinds of specimen are regressed well by a straight line with a slope. Then, the thermal diffusivity of the thin film is thus determined if the slope value and the film- thickness are available. In the present arrangements for the thermocouples, two thermal diffusivity values are quite close each other and valid for every kind of specimen. This technique can provide an efficient, low-cost method for the thermal diffusivity measurements of thin films.

Development and Characterization of Gas Diffusion Layer Using Carbon Slurry Dispersed by Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate for Proton Exchange Member Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Villacorta, Rashida

Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) are a critical and essential part of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). They carry out various important functions such as transportation of reactants to and from the reaction sites. The material properties and structural characteristics of the substrate and the microporous layer strongly influence fuel cell performance. The microporous layer of the GDLs was fabricated with the carbon slurry dispersed in water containing ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) using the wire rod coating method. GDLs were fabricated with different materials to compose the microporous layer and evaluated the effects on PEMFC power output performance. The consistency of the carbon slurry was achieved by adding 25 wt. % of PTFE, a binding agent with a 75:25 ratio of carbon (Pureblack and vapor grown carbon fiber). The GDLs were investigated in PEMFC under various relative humidity (RH) conditions using H2/O2 and H2/Air. GDLs were also fabricated with the carbon slurry dispersed in water containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) based for fuel cell performance comparison. MWCNTs and SDS exhibits the highest performance at 60% and 70% RH with a peak power density of 1100 mW.cm-2 and 850 mW.cm-2 using air and oxygen as an oxidant. This means that the gas diffusion characteristics of these two samples were optimum at 60 and 70 % RH with high limiting current density range. It was also found that the composition of the carbon slurry, specifically ALS concentration has the highest peak power density of 1300 and 500mW.cm-2 for both H2/O 2 and H2/Air at 100% RH. However, SDS and MWCNTs demonstrates the lowest power density using air and oxygen as an oxidants at 100% RH.

The onset of double diffusive convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous layer with non-equilibrium model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhixin Yang

Full Text Available The onset of double diffusive convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous layer is studied when the fluid and solid phase are not in local thermal equilibrium. The modified Darcy model is used for the momentum equation and a two-field model is used for energy equation each representing the fluid and solid phases separately. The effect of thermal non-equilibrium on the onset of double diffusive convection is discussed. The critical Rayleigh number and the corresponding wave number for the exchange of stability and over-stability are obtained, and the onset criterion for stationary and oscillatory convection is derived analytically and discussed numerically.

Protection of uranium by electrodeposition of nickel and diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauvin, G.; Coriou, H.; Hure, J.

1959-01-01

This work forms part of the overall scheme for investigating uranium canning for nuclear reactors. It is necessary to: - Protect the fuel (uranium) against corrosion by the cooling medium (heavy water, CO 2 , etc.), in the case of a rupture of the can; - Avoid dangerous U-Al diffusion (when it is question of an aluminium can) by using an intermediate layer of a metal whose rate of diffusion in uranium is very much less than that of aluminium under the same conditions. In the present work based on the use of an intermediate layer of nickel the following points are apparent: 1) After having treated the uranium surface it is possible to electroplate nickel on it in such a way that after annealing without the application of any pressure these deposits give a very good intermetallic U-Ni diffusion. Though this diffusion is inferior to that of the UAl system, it enables the protection to be reinforced and thus the corrosion resistance to be increased. 2) When no other factor varies, the experiments show that the quality of the diffusion zones obtained depends on the nature of the electrolytic nickel bath. 3) The classical nickel baths used previously for this type of work contain 20 to 40 g/l of boric acid acting as an electrolytic buffer. As a result of this, the deposits are highly contaminated by boron (400 to 500 ppm of boron). We shall show that with a bath which does not contain nuclear poisons, a very clean U-Ni diffusion zone can be obtained. 4) After annealing for 100 hours at 700 deg. C, microscopic examination of the diffusion front reveals the existence of five layers under bright field illumination and six Layers in polarised light: at least four of these layers are well crystallised. 5) Important irregularities in the interface between uranium and the first intermetallic compound U 6 Ni seem to be result of barriers to the diffusion caused by certain impurities in the uranium. 6) Of the seven definite compounds which can be formed during the diffusion, that

Formulating a problem for functions of the effect in models of atmospheric pollution with parametric consideration of diffusion in the near earth layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganev, K; Yordanov, D

1983-01-01

The formulation of a diffusion problem for numerical models, in which the near earth layer of the atmosphere (PSA) is considered parametrically relative to the zones of pollution (the protected zones) which are also located in the near earth layer of atmosphere, is examined. In modeling atmospheric pollution, the semiempirical equation of turublent diffusion is the starting point. The results are cited of numerical calculations of the functions of the effect for the city of Sofia (the case of an even relief and the disposition of the protected zone totally within the region for which the problem is being solved). The isolines of the integral function of the effect relative to the near earth layer of the atmosphere above the city of Sofia are cited for different meteorological conditions.

Dissipative processes in interchange driven scrape-off layer turbulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fundamenski, W.; Garcia, Odd Erik; Naulin, Volker

2007-01-01

First principles expressions are given for the parameters governing collisional diffusion and parallel losses of mass, momentum and energy in tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) plasmas. These dissipative, or damping, coefficients are based on neoclassical perpendicular transport (Pfirsch-Schluter dif......First principles expressions are given for the parameters governing collisional diffusion and parallel losses of mass, momentum and energy in tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) plasmas. These dissipative, or damping, coefficients are based on neoclassical perpendicular transport (Pfirsch......-Schluter diffusion) and classical parallel transport (sub-sonic advection and Spitzer-Harm diffusion). When numerical values derived from these expressions are used to compute damping coefficients for the edge-SOL electrostatic (ESEL) turbulence code, simulations correctly reproduce the radial profiles of particle...... density, n, and electron temperature, T-e, as well as statistical distributions and temporal correlations of particle density and flux density measured in Ohmic and L-mode plasmas on the TCV tokamak. Similarly, preliminary calculations agree reasonably well with radial profiles of T-e measured in Ohmic...

Diffusion Based Photon Mapping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schjøth, Lars; Sporring, Jon; Fogh Olsen, Ole

2008-01-01

. To address this problem, we introduce a photon mapping algorithm based on nonlinear anisotropic diffusion. Our algorithm adapts according to the structure of the photon map such that smoothing occurs along edges and structures and not across. In this way, we preserve important illumination features, while...

Diffusive tunneling for alleviating Knudsen-layer reactivity reduction under hydrodynamic mix

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Xianzhu; McDevitt, Chris; Guo, Zehua

2017-10-01

Hydrodynamic mix will produce small features for intermixed deuterium-tritium fuel and inert pusher materials. The geometrical characteristics of the mix feature have a large impact on Knudsen layer yield reduction. We considered two features. One is planar structure, and the other is fuel cells segmented by inert pusher material which can be represented by a spherical DT bubble enclosed by a pusher shell. The truly 3D fuel feature, the spherical bubble, has the largest degree of yield reduction, due to fast ions being lost in all directions. The planar fuel structure, which can be regarded as 1D features, has modest amount of potential for yield degradation. While the increasing yield reduction with increasing Knudsen number of the fuel region is straightforwardly anticipated, we also show, by a combination of direct simulation and simple model, that once the pusher materials is stretched sufficiently thin by hydrodynamic mix, the fast fuel ions diffusively tunnel through them with minimal energy loss, so the Knudsen layer yield reduction becomes alleviated. This yield recovery can occur in a chunk-mixed plasma, way before the far more stringent, asymptotic limit of an atomically homogenized fuel and pusher assembly. Work supported by LANL LDRD program.

Glow discharge mass spectrometry study of chemical impurities diffusion in zirconium oxide layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Actis-Dato, L.O.

2000-02-01

In the Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR) the primary cooling system is water at 350 deg C and 16 Mpa. In these extreme conditions the corrosion of the out-of-pile components of the reactor and in particular of the Zircaloy cladding containing the nuclear fuel pellets is accelerated. The formation of a growing oxide layer is observed on the elements of the nuclear reactor core. When the thickness of the oxide layer reaches a critical value, problems like structural malfunction and material failure can occur. At this stage the danger of the release of radioactivity in the coolant becomes effective. In this work a glow discharge mass spectrometer is used to study the diffusion of impurities like lithium, zinc and boron in oxide layers growing on Zircaloy samples. After a brief description of the different technique used the preparation and analysis of Zircaloy samples on which oxide layers of different thickness have been produced will be described. The analysis of these samples will allow the determination and evaluation the depth profiles of the impurities absorbed by the oxide. The analysis of the shape of the crater produced during the mass spectrometric analysis will give additional informations on the quality of the results obtained. The technique developed will finally be applied to the study of samples produced during reactor operation under real irradiation conditions. The results obtained show a lithium intake in the oxide layer and confirm the beneficial effect on the corrosion produced by boron. The influence of zinc on the corrosion behaviour of Zircaloy has not been established. The technique developed has also shown interesting capabilities concerning the analysis of irradiated samples. (author)

Diffusive boundary layers, photosynthesis, and respiration of the colony-forming plankton algae, Phaeocystis sp

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ploug, Helle; Stolte, W.; Epping, E.H.G.

1999-01-01

H increased up to 0.4 units when measured in light at saturating intensities (>90 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1)). The respiration in the dark was low, resulting in a 6% lowering in oxygen concentration and 0.04 units lowering in pH inside colonies, compared to the bulk water phase. Such colonies were net...... heterotrophic communities at light intensities up to 10 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1). A week later, colonies were net heterotrophic at light intensities up to 80 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1). The effective diffusion coefficient for oxygen in the gelatinous colonies was not significantly different from that in sea......Diffusive boundary layers, photosynthesis, and respiration in Phaeocystis colonies were studied by the use of microelectrodes for oxygen and pH during a bloom in the Barents Sea, 1993, and in the Marsdiep, Dutch North Sea, 1994. The oxygen microenvironment of a Phaeocystis colony with a mean...

Modeling the Liquid Water Transport in the Gas Diffusion Layer for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Using a Water Path Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dietmar Gerteisen

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In order to model the liquid water transport in the porous materials used in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM fuel cells, the pore network models are often applied. The presented model is a novel approach to further develop these models towards a percolation model that is based on the fiber structure rather than the pore structure. The developed algorithm determines the stable liquid water paths in the gas diffusion layer (GDL structure and the transitions from the paths to the subsequent paths. The obtained water path network represents the basis for the calculation of the percolation process with low calculation efforts. A good agreement with experimental capillary pressure-saturation curves and synchrotron liquid water visualization data from other literature sources is found. The oxygen diffusivity for the GDL with liquid water saturation at breakthrough reveals that the porosity is not a crucial factor for the limiting current density. An algorithm for condensation is included into the model, which shows that condensing water is redirecting the water path in the GDL, leading to an improved oxygen diffusion by a decreased breakthrough pressure and changed saturation distribution at breakthrough.

Integrated Temperature Sensors based on Heat Diffusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Vroonhoven, C.P.L.

2015-01-01

This thesis describes the theory, design and implementation of a new class of integrated temperature sensors, based on heat diffusion. In such sensors, temperature is sensed by measuring the time it takes for heat to diffuse through silicon. An on-chip thermal delay can be determined by geometry and

Numerical modeling of solute transport in deformable unsaturated layered soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng Wu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The effect of soil stratification was studied through numerical investigation based on the coupled model of solute transport in deformable unsaturated soil. The theoretical model implied two-way coupled excess pore pressure and soil deformation based on Biot's consolidation theory as well as a one-way coupled volatile pollutant concentration field developed from the advection-diffusion theory. Embedded in the model, the degree of saturation, fluid compressibility, self-weight of the soil matrix, porosity variance, longitudinal dispersion, and linear sorption were computed. Based on simulation results of a proposed three-layer landfill model using the finite element method, the multi-layer effects are discussed with regard to the hydraulic conductivity, shear modulus, degree of saturation, molecular diffusion coefficient, and thickness of each layer. Generally speaking, contaminants spread faster in a stratified field with a soft and highly permeable top layer; soil parameters of the top layer are more critical than the lower layers but controlling soil thicknesses will alter the results. This numerical investigation showed noticeable impacts of stratified soil properties on solute migration results, demonstrating the importance of correctly modeling layered soil instead of simply assuming the averaged properties across the soil profile.

Diffuse reflectance relations based on diffusion dipole theory for large absorption and reduced scattering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bremmer, Rolf H.; van Gemert, Martin J. C.; Faber, Dirk J.; van Leeuwen, Ton G.; Aalders, Maurice C. G.

2013-01-01

Diffuse reflectance spectra are used to determine the optical properties of biological samples. In medicine and forensic science, the turbid objects under study often possess large absorption and/or scattering properties. However, data analysis is frequently based on the diffusion approximation to

Transitional analysis of organic thin color filter layers in displays during baking process using multi-speckle diffusing wave spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Baek Sung; Hyung, Kyung Hee; Oh, Gwi Jeong; Jung, Hyun Wook

2018-02-01

The color filter (CF) is one of the key components for improving the performance of TV displays such as liquid crystal display (LCD) and white organic light emitting diodes (WOLED). The profile defects like undercut during the fine fabrication processes for CF layers are inevitably generated through the UV exposure and development processes, however, these can be controlled through the baking process. In order to resolve the profile defects of CF layers, in this study, the real-time dynamic changes of CF layers are monitored during the baking process by changing components such as polymeric binder and acrylate. The motion of pigment particles in CF layers during baking is quantitatively interpreted using multi-speckle diffusing wave spectroscopy (MSDWS), in terms of the autocorrelation function and the characteristic time of α-relaxation.

Code-Hopping Based Transmission Scheme for Wireless Physical-Layer Security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liuguo Yin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the broadcast and time-varying natures of wireless channels, traditional communication systems that provide data encryption at the application layer suffer many challenges such as error diffusion. In this paper, we propose a code-hopping based secrecy transmission scheme that uses dynamic nonsystematic low-density parity-check (LDPC codes and automatic repeat-request (ARQ mechanism to jointly encode and encrypt source messages at the physical layer. In this scheme, secret keys at the transmitter and the legitimate receiver are generated dynamically upon the source messages that have been transmitted successfully. During the transmission, each source message is jointly encoded and encrypted by a parity-check matrix, which is dynamically selected from a set of LDPC matrices based on the shared dynamic secret key. As for the eavesdropper (Eve, the uncorrectable decoding errors prevent her from generating the same secret key as the legitimate parties. Thus she cannot select the correct LDPC matrix to recover the source message. We demonstrate that our scheme can be compatible with traditional cryptosystems and enhance the security without sacrificing the error-correction performance. Numerical results show that the bit error rate (BER of Eve approaches 0.5 as the number of transmitted source messages increases and the security gap of the system is small.

Probing Exciton Diffusion and Dissociation in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-C60 Heterojunctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dowgiallo, Anne-Marie; Mistry, Kevin S.; Johnson, Justin C.; Reid, Obadiah G.; Blackburn, Jeffrey L.

2016-05-19

The efficiency of thin-film organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices relies heavily upon the transport of excitons to type-II heterojunction interfaces, where there is sufficient driving force for exciton dissociation and ultimately the formation of charge carriers. Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are strong near-infrared absorbers that form type-II heterojunctions with fullerenes such as C60. Although the efficiencies of SWCNT-fullerene OPV devices have climbed over the past few years, questions remain regarding the fundamental factors that currently limit their performance. In this study, we determine the exciton diffusion length in the C60 layer of SWCNT-C60 bilayer active layers using femtosecond transient absorption measurements. We demonstrate that hole transfer from photoexcited C60 molecules to SWCNTs can be tracked by the growth of narrow spectroscopic signatures of holes in the SWCNT 'reporter layer'. In bilayers with thick C60 layers, the SWCNT charge-related signatures display a slow rise over hundreds of picoseconds, reflecting exciton diffusion through the C60 layer to the interface. A model based on exciton diffusion with a Beer-Lambert excitation profile, as well as Monte Carlo simulations, gives the best fit to the data as a function of C60 layer thickness using an exciton diffusion length of approximately 5 nm.

Novel electrospun gas diffusion layers for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Part I. Fabrication, morphological characterization, and in situ performance

Science.gov (United States)

Chevalier, S.; Lavielle, N.; Hatton, B. D.; Bazylak, A.

2017-06-01

In this first of a series of two papers, we report an in-depth analysis of the impact of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) structure on the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell performance through the use of custom GDLs fabricated in-house. Hydrophobic electrospun nanofibrous gas diffusion layers (eGDLs) are fabricated with controlled fibre diameter and alignment. The eGDLs are rendered hydrophobic through direct surface functionalization, and this molecular grafting is achieved in the absence of structural alteration. The fibre diameter, chemical composition, and electrical conductivity of the eGDL are characterized, and the impact of eGDL structure on fuel cell performance is analysed. We observe that the eGDL facilitates higher fuel cell power densities compared to a commercial GDL (Toray TGP-H-60) at highly humidified operating conditions. The ohmic resistance of the fuel cell is found to significantly increase with increasing inter-fiber distance. It is also observed that the addition of a hydrophobic treatment enhances membrane hydration, and fibres perpendicularly aligned to the channel direction may enhance the contact area between the catalyst layer and the GDL.

Toward the existence of ultrafast diffusion paths in Cu with a gradient microstructure: Room temperature diffusion of Ni

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z. B.; Lu, K.; Wilde, G.; Divinski, S.

2008-09-01

Room temperature diffusion of Ni63 in Cu with a gradient microstructure prepared by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) was investigated by applying the radiotracer technique. The results reveal significant penetration of Ni into the nanostructured layer. The relevant diffusivity is higher than that along the conventional high-angle grain boundaries by about six orders of magnitude. This behavior is associated with a higher energy state of internal interfaces produced via plastic deformation. The diffusivity in the top surface layer is somewhat smaller than that in the subsurface layer. This fact is related to nanotwin formation in the former during SMAT.

A double-layer based model of ion confinement in electron cyclotron resonance ion source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mascali, D., E-mail: davidmascali@lns.infn.it; Neri, L.; Celona, L.; Castro, G.; Gammino, S.; Ciavola, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Torrisi, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, delle Infrastrutture e dell’Energia Sostenibile, Via Graziella, I-89100 Reggio Calabria (Italy); Sorbello, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica Elettronica ed Informatica, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy)

2014-02-15

The paper proposes a new model of ion confinement in ECRIS, which can be easily generalized to any magnetic configuration characterized by closed magnetic surfaces. Traditionally, ion confinement in B-min configurations is ascribed to a negative potential dip due to superhot electrons, adiabatically confined by the magneto-static field. However, kinetic simulations including RF heating affected by cavity modes structures indicate that high energy electrons populate just a thin slab overlapping the ECR layer, while their density drops down of more than one order of magnitude outside. Ions, instead, diffuse across the electron layer due to their high collisionality. This is the proper physical condition to establish a double-layer (DL) configuration which self-consistently originates a potential barrier; this “barrier” confines the ions inside the plasma core surrounded by the ECR surface. The paper will describe a simplified ion confinement model based on plasma density non-homogeneity and DL formation.

Electroless Ni-Mo-P diffusion barriers with Pd-activated self-assembled monolayer on SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Dianlong; Yang Zhigang; Zhang Chi

2010-01-01

Ternary Ni-based amorphous films can serve as a diffusion barrier layer for Cu interconnects in ultralarge-scale integration (ULSI) applications. In this paper, electroless Ni-Mo-P films deposited on SiO 2 layer without sputtered seed layer were prepared by using Pd-activated self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The solutions and operating conditions for pretreatment and deposition were presented, and the formation of Pd-activated SAM was demonstrated by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis and BSE (back-scattered electron) observation. The effects of the concentration of Na 2 MoO 4 added in electrolytes, pH value, and bath temperature on the surface morphology and compositions of Ni-Mo-P films were investigated. The microstructures, diffusion barrier property, electrical resistivity, and adhesion were also examined. Based on the experimental results, the Ni-Mo-P alloys produced by using Pd-activated SAM had an amorphous or amorphous-like structure, and possessed good performance as diffusion barrier layer.

Catalyst layers for PEMFC manufactured by flexography printing process: performances and structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bois, C.; Blayo, A.; Chaussy, D. [Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science and Graphic Arts (LGP2) (UMR 5518 CNRS-CTP-INPG), Grenoble Institute of Technology (INP Grenoble - PAGORA), St Martin d' Heres (France); Vincent, R.; Mercier, A.G.; Nayoze, C. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA)/DRT/LITEN, Laboratoire des Composants Piles a Combustible, Electrolyse et Modelisation (LCPEM), Grenoble (France)

2012-04-15

This article focuses on the potential of a classic printing process, flexography, for manufacturing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are produced by deposition of a water-based catalyst ink on a gas diffusion layer (GDL). The affinity between the ink and the GDL is quantified. Thus, the strong hydrophobic character of the GDL and the poor printability of the ink are demonstrated. However, the permeability of the GDL allows developing a multilayer protocol. The deposition by superimposition of ink layers allows control of the platinum amount and to obtain catalyst layers with a similar density of platinum nanoparticles to coated samples. At similar platinum loading, flexography and coating made catalyst layers offer similar performances, which confirm the relevance of flexography in catalyst layer manufacturing. Structural characterization shows that manufacturing protocol and process has an influence on catalyst layer microstructure. However, catalyst layer cracking and aggregation are increased with the catalyst layer thickness, diminishing the charge and gas diffusion into the catalyst layer resulting in performance degradation. Consequently, a catalyst layer with 0.46 mgPt cm{sup -2} reaches similar performances to catalyst layers with 1.77 and 2.01 times less platinum loading. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Reaction diffusion in chromium-zircaloy-2 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang Wenxin; Ying Shihao

2001-01-01

Reaction diffusion in the chromium-zircaloy-2 diffusion couples is investigated in the temperature range of 1023 - 1123 K. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) were used to measure the thickness of the reaction layer and to determine the Zr, Fe and Cr concentration penetrate profile in reaction layer, respectively. The growth kinetics of reaction layer has been studied and the results show that the growth of intermetallic compound is controlled by the process of volume diffusion as the layer growth approximately obeys the parabolic law. Interdiffusion coefficients were calculated using Boltzmann-Matano-Heumann model. Calculated interdiffusion coefficients were compared with those obtained on the condition that Cr dissolves in Zr and merely forms dilute solid solution. The comparison indicates that Cr diffuses in dilute solid solution is five orders of magnitude faster than in Zr(Fe, Cr) 2 intermetallic compound

Improving Breakdown Behavior by Substrate Bias in a Novel Double Epi-layer Lateral Double Diffused MOS Transistor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Qi; Wang Wei-Dong; Liu Yun; Wei Xue-Ming

2012-01-01

A new lateral double diffused MOS (LDMOS) transistor with a double epitaxial layer formed by an n-type substrate and a p-type epitaxial layer is reported (DEL LDMOS). The mechanism of the improved breakdown characteristic is that the high electric field around the drain is reduced by substrate reverse bias, which causes the redistribution of the bulk electric field in the drift region, and the vertical blocking voltage is shared by the drain side and the source side. The numerical results indicate that the trade-off between breakdown voltage and on-resistance of the proposed device is improved greatly in comparison to that of the conventional LDMOS. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Rumor Diffusion in an Interests-Based Dynamic Social Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingsheng Tang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To research rumor diffusion in social friend network, based on interests, a dynamic friend network is proposed, which has the characteristics of clustering and community, and a diffusion model is also proposed. With this friend network and rumor diffusion model, based on the zombie-city model, some simulation experiments to analyze the characteristics of rumor diffusion in social friend networks have been conducted. The results show some interesting observations: (1 positive information may evolve to become a rumor through the diffusion process that people may modify the information by word of mouth; (2 with the same average degree, a random social network has a smaller clustering coefficient and is more beneficial for rumor diffusion than the dynamic friend network; (3 a rumor is spread more widely in a social network with a smaller global clustering coefficient than in a social network with a larger global clustering coefficient; and (4 a network with a smaller clustering coefficient has a larger efficiency.

Characterization and improvement gas diffusion layer of low temperature fuel cell; Caracterizacao e aprimoramento da camada difusora de celulas a combustivel de funcionamento a baixa temperatura

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramos, C.Z.; Dantas, R.; Oliveira, I.S. de; Azevedo, C.M.N.; Pires, M. [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Faculdade de Quimica; Canalli, V. [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia

2006-07-01

In low temperature fuel cells the main part is the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The gas diffusion layer is a component of the MEA, being a composite material constituted by carbon powder and polytetrafluoroethylene, used to increases hydrofobicity, fundamental characteristic in water transport into system. In this work methods were adapted with the aim to a better characterization of the diffusion layer by the measuring the following parameter: contact angle and hysteresis; morphology, thickness and porosity. From these characterization results optimized MEAS will be produced to better fuel cell performance. (author)

Discrete ordinates solution of coupled conductive radiative heat transfer in a two-layer slab with Fresnel interfaces subject to diffuse and obliquely collimated irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muresan, Cristian; Vaillon, Rodolphe; Menezo, Christophe; Morlot, Rodolphe

2004-01-01

The coupled conductive radiative heat transfer in a two-layer slab with Fresnel interfaces subject to diffuse and obliquely collimated irradiation is solved. The collimated and diffuse components problems are treated separately. The solution for diffuse radiation is obtained by using a composite discrete ordinates method and includes the development of adaptive directional quadratures to overcome the difficulties usually encountered at the interfaces. The complete radiation numerical model is validated against the predictions obtained by using the Monte Carlo method

Chemical vapor deposition of diamond onto iron based substrates. The use of barrier layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiser, P.S.; Prawer, S.

1995-01-01

When Fe is exposed to the plasma environment suitable for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of diamond, the surface is rapidly covered with a thick layer graphitic soot and C swiftly diffuses into the Fe substrate. Once the soot reaches a critical thickness, diamond films nucleate and grow on top of it. However, adhesion of the film to the substrate is poor due to the lack of structural integrity of the soot layer, A thin coating of TiN on the Fe can act to prevent diffusion and soot formation. Diamond readily grows upon the TiN via an a-C interface layer, but the a-C/TiN interface is weak and delamination occurs at this interface. In order to try and improve the adhesion, the use of a high dose Ti implant was investigated to replace the TiN coating. 7 refs., 6 figs

Diffusion of transmutation isotope in YBaCuO ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malkovich, R.Sh.

2005-01-01

The diffusion of a transmutation isotope generated in YBaCuO ceramics irradiated by high-energy charged particles is mathematically analyzed. The model is based on the assumption that copper isotope atoms created in subsurface layers of ceramic grains segregate at the grain boundaries in the course of subsequent annealing and then rapidly diffuse via intergranular regions in depth of the material and penetrate into the bulk of grains [ru

The impact of porosity on the formation of manganese based copper diffusion barrier layers on low-κ dielectric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, A P; Bogan, J; Walsh, L; Byrne, C; O’Connor, R; Hughes, G; Woicik, J C

2015-01-01

This work investigates the impact of porosity in low-κ dielectric materials on the chemical and structural properties of deposited Mn thin films for copper diffusion barrier layer applications. X-ray photoelectron spectrscopy (XPS) results highlight the difficulty in distinguishing between the various Mn oxidation states which form at the interlayer dielectric (ILD)/Mn interface. The presence of MnSiO 3 and MnO were identified using x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements on both porous and non-porous dielectric materials with evidence of Mn 2 O 3 and Mn 3 O 4 in the deposited film on the latter surface. It is shown that a higher proportion of deposited Mn converts to Mn silicate on an ILD film which has 50% porosity compared with the same dielectric material with no porosity, which is attributed to an enhanced chemical interaction with the effective larger surface area of porous dielectric materials. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) data shows that the Mn overlayer remains predominately surface localised on both porous and non-porous materials. (paper)

Metasurface base on uneven layered fractal elements for ultra-wideband RCS reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jianxun; Cui, Yueyang; Li, Zengrui; Yang, Yaoqing Lamar; Che, Yongxing; Yin, Hongcheng

2018-03-01

A novel metasurface based on uneven layered fractal elements is designed and fabricated for ultra-wideband radar cross section (RCS) reduction in this paper. The proposed metasurface consists of two fractal subwavelength elements with different layer thickness. The reflection phase difference of 180° (±37°) between two unit cells covers an ultra-wide frequency range. Ultra-wideband RCS reduction results from the phase cancellation between two local waves produced by these two unit cells. The diffuse scattering of electromagnetic (EM) waves is caused by the randomized phase distribution, leading to a low monostatic and bistatic RCS simultaneously. This metasurface can achieve -10dB RCS reduction in an ultra-wide frequency range from 6.6 to 23.9 GHz with a ratio bandwidth (fH/fL) of 3.62:1 under normal incidences for both x- and y-polarized waves. Both the simulation and the measurement results are consistent to verify this excellent RCS reduction performance of the proposed metasurface.

Voltammetric Thin-Layer Ionophore-Based Films: Part 2. Semi-Empirical Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Dajing; Cuartero, Maria; Crespo, Gaston A; Bakker, Eric

2017-01-03

This work reports on a semiempirical treatment that allows one to rationalize and predict experimental conditions for thin-layer ionophore-based films with cation-exchange capacity read out with cyclic voltammetry. The transition between diffusional mass transport and thin-layer regime is described with a parameter (α), which depends on membrane composition, diffusion coefficient, scan rate, and electrode rotating speed. Once the thin-layer regime is fulfilled (α = 1), the membrane behaves in some analogy to a potentiometric sensor with a second discrimination variable (the applied potential) that allows one to operate such electrodes in a multianalyte detection mode owing to the variable applied ion-transfer potentials. The limit of detection of this regime is defined with a second parameter (β = 2) and is chosen in analogy to the definition of the detection limit for potentiometric sensors provided by the IUPAC. The analytical equations were validated through the simulation of the respective cyclic voltammograms under the same experimental conditions. While simulations of high complexity and better accuracy satisfactorily reproduced the experimental voltammograms during the forward and backward potential sweeps (companion paper 1), the semiempirical treatment here, while less accurate, is of low complexity and allows one to quite easily predict relevant experimental conditions for this emergent methodology.

DIFFUSION OF THE PULSED ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD INTO THE MULTI-LAYER CORE OF INDUCTOR AT PULSED DEVICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr T. Chemerys

2008-02-01

Full Text Available  The problem of the pulsed magnetic field distribution in the cross section of the inductor core at the induction accelerator of electron beam is under consideration in this paper. Owing to multi-layer structure of the core package it has the magnetic and electric anisotropy with different speed of the field diffusion along the sheets of magnetic and across the sheets. At the pulse duration less than one microsecond the essential non-uniformity of the field along both axes of the core cross section can be found. This effect reduces the efficiency of the ferromagnetic material using with corresponding loss of the accelerator efficiency. The main conclusion of the paper consists of the necessity to check the field diffusion characteristics in the process of inductor design to be sure that the pulsed field is able to fill the cross section of the core during the pulse switching. The magnetic characteristics of the anisotropic core have been investigated in the paper by one-dimensional and two-dimensional simulation in the quasi-stationary approximation using the traditional equation of the field diffusion.

A physics-based model for maintenance of the pH gradient in the gastric mucus layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Owen L; Keener, James P; Fogelson, Aaron L

2017-12-01

It is generally accepted that the gastric mucus layer provides a protective barrier between the lumen and the mucosa, shielding the mucosa from acid and digestive enzymes and preventing autodigestion of the stomach epithelium. However, the precise mechanisms that contribute to this protective function are still up for debate. In particular, it is not clear what physical processes are responsible for transporting hydrogen protons, secreted within the gastric pits, across the mucus layer to the lumen without acidifying the environment adjacent to the epithelium. One hypothesis is that hydrogen may be bound to the mucin polymers themselves as they are convected away from the mucosal surface and eventually degraded in the stomach lumen. It is also not clear what mechanisms prevent hydrogen from diffusing back toward the mucosal surface, thereby lowering the local pH. In this work we investigate a physics-based model of ion transport within the mucosal layer based on a Nernst-Planck-like equation. Analysis of this model shows that the mechanism of transporting protons bound to the mucus gel is capable of reproducing the trans-mucus pH gradients reported in the literature. Furthermore, when coupled with ion exchange at the epithelial surface, our analysis shows that bicarbonate secretion alone is capable of neutralizing the epithelial pH, even in the face of enormous diffusive gradients of hydrogen. Maintenance of the pH gradient is found to be robust to a wide array of perturbations in both physiological and phenomenological model parameters, suggesting a robust physiological control mechanism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work combines modeling techniques based on physical principles, as well as novel numerical simulations to test the plausibility of one hypothesized mechanism for proton transport across the gastric mucus layer. Results show that this mechanism is able to maintain the extreme pH gradient seen in in vivo experiments and suggests a highly robust regulation

Characterization of transport phenomena in porous transport layers using X-ray microtomography

Science.gov (United States)

Hasanpour, S.; Hoorfar, M.; Phillion, A. B.

2017-06-01

Among different methods available for estimating the transport properties of porous transport layers (PTLs) of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, X-ray micro computed tomography (X-μCT) imaging in combination with image-based numerical simulation has been recognized as a viable tool. In this study, four commercially-available single-layer and dual-layer PTLs are analyzed using this method in order to compare and contrast transport properties between different PTLs, as well as the variability within a single sheet. Complete transport property datasets are created for each PTL. The simulation predictions indicate that PTLs with high porosity show considerable variability in permeability and effective diffusivity, while PTLs with low porosity do not. Furthermore, it is seen that the Tomadakis-Sotirchos (TS) analytical expressions for porous media match the image-based simulations when porosity is relatively low but predict higher permeability and effective diffusivity for porosity values greater than 80%. Finally, the simulations show that cracks within MPL of dual-layer PTLs have a significant effect on the overall permeability and effective diffusivity of the PTLs. This must be considered when estimating the transport properties of dual-layer PTLs. These findings can be used to improve macro-scale models of product and reactant transport within fuel cells, and ultimately, fuel cell efficiency.

Protection of uranium by electrodeposition of nickel and diffusion; Protection de l'uranium par nickelage electrolytique et diffusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chauvin, G; Coriou, H; Hure, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1959-07-01

This work forms part of the overall scheme for investigating uranium canning for nuclear reactors. It is necessary to: - Protect the fuel (uranium) against corrosion by the cooling medium (heavy water, CO{sub 2}, etc.), in the case of a rupture of the can; - Avoid dangerous U-Al diffusion (when it is question of an aluminium can) by using an intermediate layer of a metal whose rate of diffusion in uranium is very much less than that of aluminium under the same conditions. In the present work based on the use of an intermediate layer of nickel the following points are apparent: 1) After having treated the uranium surface it is possible to electroplate nickel on it in such a way that after annealing without the application of any pressure these deposits give a very good intermetallic U-Ni diffusion. Though this diffusion is inferior to that of the UAl system, it enables the protection to be reinforced and thus the corrosion resistance to be increased. 2) When no other factor varies, the experiments show that the quality of the diffusion zones obtained depends on the nature of the electrolytic nickel bath. 3) The classical nickel baths used previously for this type of work contain 20 to 40 g/l of boric acid acting as an electrolytic buffer. As a result of this, the deposits are highly contaminated by boron (400 to 500 ppm of boron). We shall show that with a bath which does not contain nuclear poisons, a very clean U-Ni diffusion zone can be obtained. 4) After annealing for 100 hours at 700 deg. C, microscopic examination of the diffusion front reveals the existence of five layers under bright field illumination and six Layers in polarised light: at least four of these layers are well crystallised. 5) Important irregularities in the interface between uranium and the first intermetallic compound U{sub 6}Ni seem to be result of barriers to the diffusion caused by certain impurities in the uranium. 6) Of the seven definite compounds which can be formed during the

Surface diffusion coefficient of Au atoms on single layer graphene grown on Cu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruffino, F., E-mail: francesco.ruffino@ct.infn.it; Cacciato, G.; Grimaldi, M. G. [Dipartimento di Fisica ed Astronomia-Universitá di Catania, via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy and MATIS IMM-CNR, via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy)

2014-02-28

A 5 nm thick Au film was deposited on single layer graphene sheets grown on Cu. By thermal processes, the dewetting phenomenon of the Au film on the graphene was induced so to form Au nanoparticles. The mean radius, surface-to-surface distance, and surface density evolution of the nanoparticles on the graphene sheets as a function of the annealing temperature were quantified by scanning electron microscopy analyses. These quantitative data were analyzed within the classical mean-field nucleation theory so to obtain the temperature-dependent Au atoms surface diffusion coefficient on graphene: D{sub S}(T)=[(8.2±0.6)×10{sup −8}]exp[−(0.31±0.02(eV)/(at) )/kT] cm{sup 2}/s.

Diffusive limits for linear transport equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomraning, G.C.

1992-01-01

The authors show that the Hibert and Chapman-Enskog asymptotic treatments that reduce the nonlinear Boltzmann equation to the Euler and Navier-Stokes fluid equations have analogs in linear transport theory. In this linear setting, these fluid limits are described by diffusion equations, involving familiar and less familiar diffusion coefficients. Because of the linearity extant, one can carry out explicitly the initial and boundary layer analyses required to obtain asymptotically consistent initial and boundary conditions for the diffusion equations. In particular, the effects of boundary curvature and boundary condition variation along the surface can be included in the boundary layer analysis. A brief review of heuristic (nonasymptotic) diffusion description derivations is also included in our discussion

Investigation of Top/bottom Electrode and Diffusion Barrier Layer for PZT thick film MEMS Sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Thomas; Hindrichsen, Christian Carstensen; Lou-Møller, R.

2007-01-01

In this work screen printed piezoelectric Ferroperm PZ26 lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick film is used for two MEMS devices. A test structure is used to investigate several aspects regarding bottom and top electrodes. 450 nm ZrO2 thin film is found to be an insufficient diffusion barrier layer...... for thick film PZT sintered at 850degC. E-beam evaporated Al and Pt is patterned on PZT with a lift-off process with a line width down to 3 mum. The roughness of the PZT is found to have a strong influence on the conductance of the top electrode....

Diffuse reflectance relations based on diffusion dipole theory for large absorption and reduced scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Bremmer, Rolf H; van Gemert, Martin J C; Faber, Dirk J; van Leeuwen, Ton G; Aalders, Maurice C G

2013-08-01

Diffuse reflectance spectra are used to determine the optical properties of biological samples. In medicine and forensic science, the turbid objects under study often possess large absorption and/or scattering properties. However, data analysis is frequently based on the diffusion approximation to the radiative transfer equation, implying that it is limited to tissues where the reduced scattering coefficient dominates over the absorption coefficient. Nevertheless, up to absorption coefficients of 20  mm-1 at reduced scattering coefficients of 1 and 11.5  mm-1, we observed excellent agreement (r2=0.994) between reflectance measurements of phantoms and the diffuse reflectance equation proposed by Zonios et al. [Appl. Opt.38, 6628-6637 (1999)], derived as an approximation to one of the diffusion dipole equations of Farrell et al. [Med. Phys.19, 879-888 (1992)]. However, two parameters were fitted to all phantom experiments, including strongly absorbing samples, implying that the reflectance equation differs from diffusion theory. Yet, the exact diffusion dipole approximation at high reduced scattering and absorption also showed agreement with the phantom measurements. The mathematical structure of the diffuse reflectance relation used, derived by Zonios et al. [Appl. Opt.38, 6628-6637 (1999)], explains this observation. In conclusion, diffuse reflectance relations derived as an approximation to the diffusion dipole theory of Farrell et al. can analyze reflectance ratios accurately, even for much larger absorption than reduced scattering coefficients. This allows calibration of fiber-probe set-ups so that the object's diffuse reflectance can be related to its absorption even when large. These findings will greatly expand the application of diffuse reflection spectroscopy. In medicine, it may allow the use of blue/green wavelengths and measurements on whole blood, and in forensic science, it may allow inclusion of objects such as blood stains and cloth at crime

Complete suppression of boron transient-enhanced diffusion and oxidation-enhanced diffusion in silicon using localized substitutional carbon incorporation

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, M. S.; Chang, C.-L.; Sturm, J. C.; Büyüklimanli, T.

1998-12-01

In this letter, we show the ability, through introduction of a thin Si1-x-yGexCy layer, to eliminate the enhancement of enhanced boron diffusion in silicon due to an oxidizing surface or ion implant damage. This reduction of diffusion is accomplished through a low-temperature-grown thin epitaxial Si1-x-yGexCy layer which completely filters out excess interstitials introduced by oxidation or ion implant damage. We also quantify the oxidation-enhanced diffusion (OED) and transient-enhanced diffusion (TED) dependence on substitutional carbon level, and further report both the observation of carbon TED and OED, and its dependence on carbon levels.

Double diffusivity model under stochastic forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Chattopadhyay, Amit K.; Aifantis, Elias C.

2017-05-01

account all boundary layer fluctuations. Our stochastic-ILG diffusion calculation confirms rapprochement between theory and experiment, thereby benchmarking a new generation of gradient-based continuum models that conform closer to real-life fluctuating environments.

Voxel-based clustered imaging by multiparameter diffusion tensor images for glioma grading.

Science.gov (United States)

Inano, Rika; Oishi, Naoya; Kunieda, Takeharu; Arakawa, Yoshiki; Yamao, Yukihiro; Shibata, Sumiya; Kikuchi, Takayuki; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Miyamoto, Susumu

2014-01-01

Gliomas are the most common intra-axial primary brain tumour; therefore, predicting glioma grade would influence therapeutic strategies. Although several methods based on single or multiple parameters from diagnostic images exist, a definitive method for pre-operatively determining glioma grade remains unknown. We aimed to develop an unsupervised method using multiple parameters from pre-operative diffusion tensor images for obtaining a clustered image that could enable visual grading of gliomas. Fourteen patients with low-grade gliomas and 19 with high-grade gliomas underwent diffusion tensor imaging and three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging before tumour resection. Seven features including diffusion-weighted imaging, fractional anisotropy, first eigenvalue, second eigenvalue, third eigenvalue, mean diffusivity and raw T2 signal with no diffusion weighting, were extracted as multiple parameters from diffusion tensor imaging. We developed a two-level clustering approach for a self-organizing map followed by the K-means algorithm to enable unsupervised clustering of a large number of input vectors with the seven features for the whole brain. The vectors were grouped by the self-organizing map as protoclusters, which were classified into the smaller number of clusters by K-means to make a voxel-based diffusion tensor-based clustered image. Furthermore, we also determined if the diffusion tensor-based clustered image was really helpful for predicting pre-operative glioma grade in a supervised manner. The ratio of each class in the diffusion tensor-based clustered images was calculated from the regions of interest manually traced on the diffusion tensor imaging space, and the common logarithmic ratio scales were calculated. We then applied support vector machine as a classifier for distinguishing between low- and high-grade gliomas. Consequently, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic

Italian field survey reveals a high diffusion of avian metapneumovirus subtype B in layers and weaknesses in the vaccination strategy applied.

Science.gov (United States)

Cecchinato, Mattia; Lupini, Caterina; Ricchizzi, Enrico; Falchieri, Marco; Meini, Amelio; Jones, Richard C; Catelli, Elena

2012-12-01

The current information on the prevalence of avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) infection in layers is fragmentary and its true impact on egg production often remains unknown or unclear. In order to draw an epidemiologic picture of aMPV presence in layer flocks in Italy, a survey was performed on 19 flocks of pullets and layers based on longitudinal studies or sporadic samplings. aMPV was detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, and blood samples were collected for serology by aMPV ELISA. Occurrences of respiratory signs and a drop in egg production were recorded. Possible involvement of infectious bronchitis (IB) and egg drop syndrome (EDS) viruses that could have caused loss of egg production we ruled out for IB virus by RT-PCR, and EDS virus was ruled out by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI). Only subtype B of aMPV was found in both pullet and layer farms. Surveys of pullets showed that most groups became infected prior to the onset of lay without showing clear respiratory signs. At the point of lay, these groups were serologically positive to aMPV. In two layer flocks, egg drops were observed and could be strongly linked to the presence of aMPV infection. Results were correlated with aMPV vaccination programs applied to the birds in three flocks on the same farm. Only a vaccination program which included two live and one killed vaccines gave complete protection from aMPV infection to the birds, while a single live vaccine application was not efficacious. The current study gives an inside view of field aMPV diffusion in Italy and its control in layers.

Light-emitting diodes based on solution-processed nontoxic quantum dots: oxides as carrier-transport layers and introducing molybdenum oxide nanoparticles as a hole-inject layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaumik, Saikat; Pal, Amlan J

2014-07-23

We report fabrication and characterization of solution-processed quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QDLEDs) based on a layer of nontoxic and Earth-abundant zinc-diffused silver indium disulfide (AIZS) nanoparticles as an emitting material. In the QDLEDs fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates, we use layers of oxides, such as graphene oxide (GO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles as a hole- and electron-transport layer, respectively. In addition, we introduce a layer of MoO3 nanoparticles as a hole-inject one. We report a comparison of the characteristics of different device architectures. We show that an inverted device architecture, ITO/ZnO/AIZS/GO/MoO3/Al, yields a higher electroluminescence (EL) emission, compared to direct ones, for three reasons: (1) the GO/MoO3 layers introduce barriers for electrons to reach the Al electrode, and, similarly, the ZnO layers acts as a barrier for holes to travel to the ITO electrode; (2) the introduction of a layer of MoO3 nanoparticles as a hole-inject layer reduces the barrier height for holes and thereby balances charge injection in the inverted structure; and (3) the wide-bandgap zinc oxide next to the ITO electrode does not absorb the EL emission during its exit from the device. In the QDLEDs with oxides as carrier inject and transport layers, the EL spectrum resembles the photoluminescence emission of the emitting material (AIZS), implying that excitons are formed in the quaternary nanocrystals and decay radiatively.

Anomalous output characteristic shift for the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Siyang; Zhang, Chunwei; Sun, Weifeng; Su, Wei; Wang, Shaorong; Ma, Shulang; Huang, Yu

2014-01-01

Anomalous output characteristic shift of the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer is investigated. It shows that the linear drain current has obvious decrease when the output characteristic of fresh device is measured for two consecutive times. The charge pumping experiments demonstrate that the decrease is not from hot-carrier degradation. The reduction of cross section area for the current flowing, which results from the squeezing of the depletion region surrounding the P-top layer, is responsible for the shift. Consequently, the current capability of this special device should be evaluated by the second measured output characteristic

Anomalous output characteristic shift for the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Siyang; Zhang, Chunwei; Sun, Weifeng, E-mail: swffrog@seu.edu.cn [National ASIC System Engineering Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096 (China); Su, Wei; Wang, Shaorong; Ma, Shulang; Huang, Yu [CSMC Technologies Corporation, Wuxi 214061 (China)

2014-04-14

Anomalous output characteristic shift of the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer is investigated. It shows that the linear drain current has obvious decrease when the output characteristic of fresh device is measured for two consecutive times. The charge pumping experiments demonstrate that the decrease is not from hot-carrier degradation. The reduction of cross section area for the current flowing, which results from the squeezing of the depletion region surrounding the P-top layer, is responsible for the shift. Consequently, the current capability of this special device should be evaluated by the second measured output characteristic.

Ion diffusion in compacted bentonite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehikoinen, J. [VTT Chemical Technology, Espoo (Finland)

1999-03-01

In the study, a two-dimensional molecular-level diffusion model, based on a modified form of the Gouy-Chapman (GC) theory of the electrical double layers, for hydrated ionic species in compacted bentonite was developed. The modifications to the GC theory, which forms the very kernel of the diffusion model, stem from various non-conventional features: ionic hydration, dielectric saturation, finite ion-sizes and specific adsorption. The principal objectives of the study were met. With the aid of the consistent diffusion model, it is a relatively simple matter to explain the experimentally observed macroscopic exclusion for anions as well as the postulated, but greatly controversial, surface diffusion for cations. From purely theoretical grounds, it was possible to show that the apparent diffusivities of cations, anions and neutral molecules (i) do not exhibit order-or-magnitude differences, and (ii) are practically independent of the solution ionic strength used and, consequently, of the distribution coefficient, K{sub d}, unless they experience specific binding onto the substrate surface. It was also of interest to investigate the equilibrium anionic concentration distribution in the pore geometry of the GMM model as a function of the solution ionic strength, and to briefly speculate its consequences to diffusion. An explicit account of the filter-plate effect was taken by developing a computerised macroscopic diffusion model, which is based upon the very robust and efficient Laplace Transform Finite-Difference technique. Finally, the inherent limitations as well as the potential fields of applications of the models were addressed. (orig.) 45 refs.

Ion diffusion in compacted bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehikoinen, J.

1999-03-01

In the study, a two-dimensional molecular-level diffusion model, based on a modified form of the Gouy-Chapman (GC) theory of the electrical double layers, for hydrated ionic species in compacted bentonite was developed. The modifications to the GC theory, which forms the very kernel of the diffusion model, stem from various non-conventional features: ionic hydration, dielectric saturation, finite ion-sizes and specific adsorption. The principal objectives of the study were met. With the aid of the consistent diffusion model, it is a relatively simple matter to explain the experimentally observed macroscopic exclusion for anions as well as the postulated, but greatly controversial, surface diffusion for cations. From purely theoretical grounds, it was possible to show that the apparent diffusivities of cations, anions and neutral molecules (i) do not exhibit order-or-magnitude differences, and (ii) are practically independent of the solution ionic strength used and, consequently, of the distribution coefficient, K d , unless they experience specific binding onto the substrate surface. It was also of interest to investigate the equilibrium anionic concentration distribution in the pore geometry of the GMM model as a function of the solution ionic strength, and to briefly speculate its consequences to diffusion. An explicit account of the filter-plate effect was taken by developing a computerised macroscopic diffusion model, which is based upon the very robust and efficient Laplace Transform Finite-Difference technique. Finally, the inherent limitations as well as the potential fields of applications of the models were addressed. (orig.)

High-velocity DC-VPS for diffusion and protecting barrier layers in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)

Science.gov (United States)

Henne, R. H.; Franco, T.; Ruckdäschel, R.

2006-12-01

High-temperature fuel cells of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) type as direct converter of chemical into electrical energy show a high potential for reducing considerably the specific energy consumption in different application fields. Of particular interest are advanced lightweight planar cells for electricity supply units in cars and other mobile systems. Such cells, in one new design, consist mainly of metallic parts, for example, of ferrite steels. These cells shall operate in the temperature range of 700 to 800 °C where oxidation and diffusion processes can be of detrimental effect on cell performance for long-term operation. Problems arise in particular by diffusion of chromium species from the interconnect or the cell containment into the electrolyte/cathode interface forming insulating phases and by the mutual diffusion of substrate and anode material, for example, iron and chromium from the ferrite into the anode and nickel from the anode into the ferrite, which in both cases reduces performance and system lifetime. Additional intermediate layers of perovskite-type material, (e.g., doped LaCrO3) applied with high-velocity direct-current vacuum plasma spraying (DC-VPS) can reduce such effects considerably if they are stable and of high electronic conductivity.

Systematic homogenization and self-consistent flux and pin power reconstruction for nodal diffusion methods. 1: Diffusion equation-based theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.; Rizwan-uddin; Dorning, J.J.

1995-01-01

A diffusion equation-based systematic homogenization theory and a self-consistent dehomogenization theory for fuel assemblies have been developed for use with coarse-mesh nodal diffusion calculations of light water reactors. The theoretical development is based on a multiple-scales asymptotic expansion carried out through second order in a small parameter, the ratio of the average diffusion length to the reactor characteristic dimension. By starting from the neutron diffusion equation for a three-dimensional heterogeneous medium and introducing two spatial scales, the development systematically yields an assembly-homogenized global diffusion equation with self-consistent expressions for the assembly-homogenized diffusion tensor elements and cross sections and assembly-surface-flux discontinuity factors. The rector eigenvalue 1/k eff is shown to be obtained to the second order in the small parameter, and the heterogeneous diffusion theory flux is shown to be obtained to leading order in that parameter. The latter of these two results provides a natural procedure for the reconstruction of the local fluxes and the determination of pin powers, even though homogenized assemblies are used in the global nodal diffusion calculation

A study on effective thermal conductivity of crystalline layers in layer melt crystallization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kwang-Joo; Ulrich, Joachim

2002-01-01

An effective thermal conductivity in layer melt crystallization was explored based on a model considering inclusions inside a crystalline layer during crystal growth, molecular diffusion of inclusions migration due to temperature gradient and heat generation due to recrystallization of inclusions in the crystalline layer. The effective thermal conductivity increases with time, in general, as a result of compactness of the layer. Lower cooling temperature, i.e. greater supercooling, results in a more porous layer with lower effective thermal conductivity. A similar result is seen for the parameter of melt temperature, but less pronounced. A high concentration of the melt results in a high effective thermal conductivity while low concentration yields low effective thermal conductivity. At higher impurity levels in the melt phase, constitutional supercooling becomes more pronounced and unstable growth morphologies occur more easily. Cooling rate and Reynolds number also affect the effective thermal conductivity. The predictions of an effective thermal conductivity agree with the experimental data. The model was applied to estimate the thermal conductivities of the crystalline layer during layer melt crystallization. (author)

The Kovdor-2015 experiment: study of the parameters of a conductive layer of dilatancy-diffusion nature (DD Layer) in the Archaean crystalline basement of the Baltic Shield

Science.gov (United States)

Zhamaletdinov, A. A.; Velikhov, E. P.; Shevtsov, A. N.; Kolobov, V. V.; Kolesnikov, V. E.; Skorokhodov, A. A.; Korotkova, T. G.; Ivonin, V. V.; Ryazantsev, P. A.; Birulya, M. A.

2017-06-01

This paper addresses the Kovdor-2015 Experiment involving frequency electromagnetic soundings of the Archaean basement of the Earth's crust in the southwestern part of the Kola Peninsula. Eleven soundings were carried out using two transmitting arrangements, 85 km apart. Each arrangement consisted of two mutually orthogonal grounded electric dipoles of 1.5 km long. The distances between the source and the receiver were 25 and 50 km. Interpretation of the results took into account the influence of displacement currents and static distortions. It is found that there is an intermediate conductive layer of the dilatancy-diffusion nature (DD layer) with a longitudinal conductivity of about one siemens at depths ranging from 1.5-2 to 5-7 km. The results are interpreted in the terms of geodynamics.

Determination of the effective diffusion coefficient of water through cement-based materials when applying an electrical field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wattez, T.

2013-01-01

The safety and the reliability of a radioactive waste repository rely essentially on the confinement ability of the waste package and the storing structure. In the case of the low-level and intermediate level short-lived radioactive waste, the confinement property, relying on solid matrices made of cement-based materials, is assessed through a natural diffusion test, using a radioactive tracer, from which an effective diffusion coefficient is deduced. The evolution of the materials and more particularly the enhancement of the confinement properties of cement-based materials lead to test duration from a couple of months to a couple of years. The main objective of the present work involves the determination of the effective diffusion coefficient of reference chemical species, in our case the tritiated water, within a shorter time. The theoretical foundation is based on the description of ionic species mass transfer under the effects of an electrical field. With the definitions of a precise experimental protocol and of a formation factor, considered as an intrinsic topological feature of the porous network, it is possible to determine the effective diffusion coefficient of tritiated water for various types of concretes and mortars, and this within a few hours only. The comparison between the developed accelerated test, based on the application of a constant electrical field, and the normed natural diffusion test, using tritiated water, underlined two critical issues. First, omitting the impact of the radioactive decay of tritium during a natural diffusion test, leads to a non-negligible underestimation of the effective diffusion coefficient. Second, maintaining samples in high relative humidity conditions after casting is essential in order to avoid contrasted and unrelated results when performing the electrokinetic tests. Eventually, the validation of the electrokinetics technique, main objective of this work, rests on the assessment of the theoretical hypothesis

A modelling study of the inter-diffusion layer formation in U-Mo/Al dispersion fuel plates at high power

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, B.; Hofman, G. L.; Leenaers, A.; Bergeron, A.; Kuzminov, V.; Van den Berghe, S.; Kim, Y. S.; Wallin, H.

2018-02-01

Post irradiation examinations of full-size U-Mo/Al dispersion fuel plates fabricated with ZrN- or Si- coated U-Mo particles revealed that the reaction rate of irradiation-induced U-Mo-Al inter-diffusion, an important microstructural change impacting the performance of this type of fuel, transited at a threshold temperature/fission rate. The existing inter-diffusion layer (IL) growth correlation, which does not describe the transition behavior of IL growth, was modified by applying a temperature-dependent multiplication factor that transits around a threshold fission rate. In-pile irradiation data from four tests in the BR2 reactors, including FUTURE, E-FUTURE, SELEMIUM, and SELEMIUM-1a, were utilized to determine and validate the updated IL growth correlation. Irradiation behavior of the plates was simulated with the DART-2D computational code. The general agreement between the calculated and measured fuel meat swelling and constituent volume fractions as a function of fission density demonstrated the plausibility of the updated IL growth correlation. The simulation results also suggested the temperature dependence of the IL growth rate, similar to the temperature dependence of the inter-mixing rate in ion-irradiated bi-layer systems.

A modelling study of the inter-diffusion layer formation in U-Mo/Al dispersion fuel plates at high power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, B.; Hofman, G. L.; Leenaers, A.; Bergeron, A.; Kuzminov, V.; Van den Berghe, S.; Kim, Y. S.; Wallin, H.

2018-02-01

Post irradiation examinations of full-size U-Mo/Al dispersion fuel plates fabricated with ZrN- or Sicoated U-Mo particles revealed that the reaction rate of irradiation-induced U-Mo-Al inter-diffusion, an important microstructural change impacting the performance of this type of fuel, is temperature and fission-rate dependent. In order to simulate the U-Mo/Al inter-diffusion layer (IL) growth behavior in full-size dispersion fuel plates, the existing IL growth correlation was modified with a temperaturedependent multiplication factor that transits around a threshold fission rate. In-pile irradiation data from four tests in the BR2 reactors, including FUTURE, E-FUTURE, SELEMIUM, and SELEMIUM-1a, were utilized to determine and validate the updated IL growth correlation. Irradiation behavior of the plates was simulated with the DART-2D computational code. The general agreement between the calculated and measured fuel meat swelling and constituent volume fractions as a function of fission density demonstrated the plausibility of the updated IL growth correlation. The simulation results also suggested the temperature dependence of the IL growth rate, similar to the temperature dependence of the intermixing rate in ion-irradiated bi-layer systems.

Anomalous diffusion in geophysical and laboratory turbulence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Tsinober

1994-01-01

Full Text Available We present an overview and some new results on anomalous diffusion of passive scalar in turbulent flows (including those used by Richardson in his famous paper in 1926. The obtained results are based on the analysis of the properties of invariant quantities (energy, enstrophy, dissipation, enstrophy generation, helicity density, etc. - i.e. independent of the choice of the system of reference as the most appropriate to describe physical processes - in three different turbulent laboratory flows (grid-flow, jet and boundary layer, see Tsinober et al. (1992 and Kit et al. (1993. The emphasis is made on the relations between the asymptotic properties of the intermittency exponents of higher order moments of different turbulent fields (energy, dissipation, helicity, spontaneous breaking of isotropy and reflexional symmetry and the variability of turbulent diffusion in the atmospheric boundary layer, in the troposphere and in the stratosphere. It is argued that local spontaneous breaking of isotropy of turbulent flow results in anomalous scaling laws for turbulent diffusion (as compared to the scaling law of Richardson which are observed, as a rule, in different atmospheric layers from the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL to the stratosphere. Breaking of rotational symmetry is important in the ABL, whereas reflexional symmetry breaking is dominating in the troposphere locally and in the stratosphere globally. The results are of speculative nature and further analysis is necessary to validate or disprove the claims made, since the correspondence with the experimental results may occur for the wrong reasons as happens from time to time in the field of turbulence.

Diffusion and surface alloying of gradient nanostructured metals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenbo Wang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Gradient nanostructures (GNSs have been optimized in recent years for desired performance. The diffusion behavior in GNS metals is crucial for understanding the diffusion mechanism and relative characteristics of different interfaces that provide fundamental understanding for advancing the traditional surface alloying processes. In this paper, atomic diffusion, reactive diffusion, and surface alloying processes are reviewed for various metals with a preformed GNS surface layer. We emphasize the promoted atomic diffusion and reactive diffusion in the GNS surface layer that are related to a higher interfacial energy state with respect to those in relaxed coarse-grained samples. Accordingly, different surface alloying processes, such as nitriding and chromizing, have been modified significantly, and some diffusion-related properties have been enhanced. Finally, the perspectives on current research in this field are discussed.

Induced- and alternating-current electro-osmotic control of the diffusion layer growth in a microchannel-membrane interface device

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sinwook; Yossifon, Gilad

2014-11-01

The passage of an electric current through an ionic permselective medium under an applied electric field is characterized by the formation of ionic concentration gradients, which result in regions of depleted and enriched ionic concentration at opposite ends of the medium. Induced-current electro-osmosis (ICEO) and alternating-current-electro-osmosis (ACEO) are shown to control the growth of the diffusion layer (DL) which, in turn, controls the diffusion limited ion transport through the microchannel-membrane system. We fabricated and tested devices made of a Nafion membrane connecting two opposite PDMS microchannels. An interdigitated electrode array was embedded within the microchannel with various distances from the microchannel-membrane interface. The induced ICEO (floating electrodes) / ACEO (active electrodes) vortices formed at the electrode array stir the fluid and thereby suppress the growth of the DL. The intensity of the ACEO vortices is controlled by either varying the voltage amplitude or the frequency, each having its own unique effect. Enhancement of the limiting current by on-demand control of the diffusion length is of importance in on-chip electro-dialysis, desalination and preconcentration of analytes.

Diffusion-based recommendation with trust relations on tripartite graphs

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ximeng; Liu, Yun; Zhang, Guangquan; Xiong, Fei; Lu, Jie

2017-08-01

The diffusion-based recommendation approach is a vital branch in recommender systems, which successfully applies physical dynamics to make recommendations for users on bipartite or tripartite graphs. Trust links indicate users’ social relations and can provide the benefit of reducing data sparsity. However, traditional diffusion-based algorithms only consider rating links when making recommendations. In this paper, the complementarity of users’ implicit and explicit trust is exploited, and a novel resource-allocation strategy is proposed, which integrates these two kinds of trust relations on tripartite graphs. Through empirical studies on three benchmark datasets, our proposed method obtains better performance than most of the benchmark algorithms in terms of accuracy, diversity and novelty. According to the experimental results, our method is an effective and reasonable way to integrate additional features into the diffusion-based recommendation approach.

Growth of Vanadium Carbide by Halide-Activated Pack Diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandes, Frederico Augusto Pires; Christiansen, Thomas Lundin; Dahl, Kristian Vinter

The present work investigates growth of vanadium carbide (VC) layers by the pack diffusion method on a Vanadis 6 tool steel. The VC layers were produced by pack diffusion at 1000°C for 1, 4 and 16 hours. The VC layers were characterized with optical and electron microscopy, Vickers hardness tests...... and X-ray diffraction. Homogeneous VC mono-phase layers with Vickers hardness of more than 2400 HV were obtained. Hardening and tempering of the vanadized Vanadis 6 steel did not affect the VC layers....

Instabilities and diffusion in a hydrodynamic model of a fluid membrane coupled to a thin active fluid layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, N; Basu, A

2012-11-01

We construct a coarse-grained effective two-dimensional (2d hydrodynamic theory as a theoretical model for a coupled system of a fluid membrane and a thin layer of a polar active fluid in its ordered state that is anchored to the membrane. We show that such a system is prone to generic instabilities through the interplay of nonequilibrium drive, polar order and membrane fluctuation. We use our model equations to calculate diffusion coefficients of an inclusion in the membrane and show that their values depend strongly on the system size, in contrast to their equilibrium values. Our work extends the work of S. Sankararaman and S. Ramaswamy (Phys. Rev. Lett., 102, 118107 (2009)) to a coupled system of a fluid membrane and an ordered active fluid layer. Our model is broadly inspired by and should be useful as a starting point for theoretical descriptions of the coupled dynamics of a cell membrane and a cortical actin layer anchored to it.

Improved diffuser for augmenting a wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Foreman, K.M.; Gilbert, B.L.

A diffuser for augmenting a wind turbine having means for energizing the boundary layer at several locations along the diffuser walls is improved by the addition of a short collar extending radially outward from the outlet of the diffuser.

Thermodynamics of diffusion under pressure and stress: Relation to point defect mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, M.J.

1997-01-01

A thermodynamic formalism is developed for illuminating the predominant point defect mechanism of self- and impurity diffusion in silicon and is used to provide a rigorous basis for point defect-based interpretation of diffusion experiments in biaxially strained epitaxial layers in the Si endash Ge system. A specific combination of the hydrostatic and biaxial stress dependences of the diffusivity is ±1 times the atomic volume, depending upon whether the predominant mechanism involves vacancies or interstitials. Experimental results for Sb diffusion in biaxially strained Si endash Ge films and ab initio calculations of the activation volume for Sb diffusion by a vacancy mechanism are in quantitative agreement with no free parameters. Key parameters are identified that must be measured or calculated for a quantitative test of interstitial-based mechanisms. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Numerical modeling of turbulent jet diffusion flames in the atmospheric surface layer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hernández, J.; Crespo, A.; Duijm, N.J.

1995-01-01

The evolution of turbulent jet diffusion flames of natural gas in air is predicted using a finite-volume procedure for solving the flow equations. The model is three dimensional, elliptic and based on the conserved-scalar approach and the laminar flamelet concept. A laminar flamelet prescription for

Solution of time dependent atmospheric diffusion equation with a proposed diffusion coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayhoub, A.B.; Essa, KH.S.M.; Aly, SH.

2004-01-01

One-dimensional model for the dispersion of passive atmospheric contaminant (not included chemical reactions) in the atmospheric boundary layer is considered. On the basis of the gradient transfer theory (K-theory), the time dependent diffusion equation represents the dispersion of the pollutants is solved analytically. The solution depends on diffusion coefficient K', which is expressed in terms of the friction velocity 'u the vertical coordinate -L and the depth of the mixing layer 'h'. The solution is obtained to either the vertical coordinate 'z' is less or greater than the mixing height 'h'. The obtained solution may be applied to study the atmospheric dispersion of pollutants

Long-term performance of activated carbon air cathodes with different diffusion layer porosities in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Fang

2011-08-01

Activated carbon (AC) air-cathodes are inexpensive and useful alternatives to Pt-catalyzed electrodes in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), but information is needed on their long-term stability for oxygen reduction. AC cathodes were constructed with diffusion layers (DLs) with two different porosities (30% and 70%) to evaluate the effects of increased oxygen transfer on power. The 70% DL cathode initially produced a maximum power density of 1214±123mW/m 2 (cathode projected surface area; 35±4W/m 3 based on liquid volume), but it decreased by 40% after 1 year to 734±18mW/m 2. The 30% DL cathode initially produced less power than the 70% DL cathode, but it only decreased by 22% after 1 year (from 1014±2mW/m 2 to 789±68mW/m 2). Electrochemical tests were used to examine the reasons for the degraded performance. Diffusion resistance in the cathode was found to be the primary component of the internal resistance, and it increased over time. Replacing the cathode after 1 year completely restored the original power densities. These results suggest that the degradation in cathode performance was due to clogging of the AC micropores. These findings show that AC is a cost-effective material for oxygen reduction that can still produce ~750mW/m 2 after 1 year. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

4P-NPD ultra thin-films as efficient exciton blocking layers in DBP/C₇₀ based organic solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Patil, Bhushan Ramesh; Liu, Yiming; Qamar, Talha

2017-01-01

Exciton blocking effects from ultra thin layers of N,N'-di-1-naphthalenyl-N,N'-diphenyl [1,1':4',1'':4'',1'''-quaterphenyl]-4,4'''-diamine (4P-NPD) was investigated in small molecule based inverted Organic Solar Cells (OSCs) using Tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene (DBP) as the electron donor material...... and fullerene (C70) as the electron acceptor material. The short-circuit current density (Jsc) and PCE of the optimized OSCs with 0.7 nm thick 4P-NPD were approx. 16 % and 24 % higher, respectively, compared to reference devices without exciton blocking layers. Drift diffusion based device modeling...... was conducted to model the full Current density – Voltage (JV) characteristics and EQE spectrum of the OSCs, and photoluminescence measurements was conducted to investigate the exciton blocking effects with increasing thicknesses of the 4P-NPD layer. Importantly, coupled optical and electrical modeling studies...

Molecular Simulations of Graphene-Based Electric Double-Layer Capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kalluri, Raja K.; Konatham, Deepthi; Striolo, Alberto

2011-03-01

Towards deploying renewable energy sources it is crucial to develop efficient and cost-effective technologies to store electricity. Traditional batteries are plagued by a number of practical problems that at present limit their widespread applicability. One possible solution is represented by electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). To deploy EDLCs at the large scale it is necessary to better understand how electrolytes pack and diffuse within narrow charged pores. We present here simulation results for the concentrated aqueous solutions of NaCl, CsCl, and NaI confined within charged graphene-based porous materials. We discuss how the structure of confined water, the salt concentration, the ions size, and the surface charge density determine the accumulation of electrolytes within the porous network. Our results, compared to data available for bulk systems, are critical for relating macroscopic observations to molecular-level properties of the confined working fluids. Research supported by the Department of Energy.

Inter-diffusion of carbon into niobium coatings deposited on graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barzilai, S.; Raveh, A.; Frage, N.

2006-01-01

The inter-diffusion of carbon (originating from a graphite substrate) into a niobium coating and the fabrication of its carbides by heat treatment in the temperature range of 1073-1773 K was studied. The thickness of the Nb 2 C and Nbc phases formed after heat treatment as well as the inter-diffusion coefficients for the formation of the carbide layers were also studied. It was found that the carbide layer growth displayed parabolic behavior patterns inherent in the growth rate constants (K) of Nb 2 C and NbC layers. By assuming that the inter-diffusion coefficients are independent of concentration, it was possible to determine the inter-diffusion coefficients of carbon D c into Nb 2 C and NbC layers as a function of temperature

S-Layer Protein-Based Biosensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernhard Schuster

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The present paper highlights the application of bacterial surface (S- layer proteins as versatile components for the fabrication of biosensors. One technologically relevant feature of S-layer proteins is their ability to self-assemble on many surfaces and interfaces to form a crystalline two-dimensional (2D protein lattice. The S-layer lattice on the surface of a biosensor becomes part of the interface architecture linking the bioreceptor to the transducer interface, which may cause signal amplification. The S-layer lattice as ultrathin, highly porous structure with functional groups in a well-defined special distribution and orientation and an overall anti-fouling characteristics can significantly raise the limit in terms of variety and the ease of bioreceptor immobilization, compactness of bioreceptor molecule arrangement, sensitivity, specificity, and detection limit for many types of biosensors. The present paper discusses and summarizes examples for the successful implementation of S-layer lattices on biosensor surfaces in order to give a comprehensive overview on the application potential of these bioinspired S-layer protein-based biosensors.

S-Layer Protein-Based Biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Bernhard

2018-04-11

The present paper highlights the application of bacterial surface (S-) layer proteins as versatile components for the fabrication of biosensors. One technologically relevant feature of S-layer proteins is their ability to self-assemble on many surfaces and interfaces to form a crystalline two-dimensional (2D) protein lattice. The S-layer lattice on the surface of a biosensor becomes part of the interface architecture linking the bioreceptor to the transducer interface, which may cause signal amplification. The S-layer lattice as ultrathin, highly porous structure with functional groups in a well-defined special distribution and orientation and an overall anti-fouling characteristics can significantly raise the limit in terms of variety and the ease of bioreceptor immobilization, compactness of bioreceptor molecule arrangement, sensitivity, specificity, and detection limit for many types of biosensors. The present paper discusses and summarizes examples for the successful implementation of S-layer lattices on biosensor surfaces in order to give a comprehensive overview on the application potential of these bioinspired S-layer protein-based biosensors.

Crystallization and atomic diffusion behavior of high coercive Ta/Nd-Fe-B/Ta-based permanent magnetic thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Na; Zhang, Xiao; You, Caiyin; Fu, Huarui [Xi' an University of Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi' an (China); Shen, Qianlong [Logistics University of People' s Armed Police Force, Tianjin (China)

2017-06-15

A high coercivity of about 20.4 kOe was obtained through post-annealing the sputtered Ta/Nd-Fe-B/Ta-based permanent magnetic thin films. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were performed to investigate the crystallization and atomic diffusion behaviors during post-annealing. The results show that the buffer and capping Ta layers prefered to intermix with Fe and B atoms, and Nd tends to be combined with O atoms. The preferred atomic combination caused the appearance of the soft magnetic phase of Fe-Ta-B, resulting in a kink of the second quadratic magnetic hysteresis loop. The preferred atomic diffusion and phase formation of the thin films were well explained in terms of the formation enthalpy of the various compounds. (orig.)

Oblique-angle sputtered AlN nanocolumnar layer as a buffer layer in GaN-based LED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Lung-Chien; Tien, Ching-Ho; Liao, Wei-Chian; Luo, Yi-Min

2011-01-01

This work presents an aluminum nitride (AlN) nanocolumnar layer sputtered at various oblique angles and its application as a buffer layer for GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are fabricated on sapphire substrates. The OA-AlN nanocolumnar layer has a diameter of about 30-60 nm. The GaN-based LED structure is perpendicularly extended from the OA-AlN nanocolumnar layer. Then, the nanocolumnar structure is merged into p-GaN layer to form a mesa structure with a diameter of about 200-600 nm on the surface of the GaN-based LED. Moreover, optical characteristics of the LED were studied using photoluminescence, along with the blue-shifts observed as well. - Research highlights: → An AlN nanocolumnar buffer layer prepared by oblique-angle (OA) deposition. → GaN-based LED structures were grown on a sapphire substrate with an AlN nanocolumnar buffer layer. → The OA-AlN nanocolumnar layer has a diameter of about 30-60 nm.

Electrokinetics of diffuse soft interfaces. 2. Analysis based on the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duval, J.F.L.

2005-01-01

In a previous study (Langmuir 2004, 20, 10324), the electrokinetic properties of diffuse soft layers were theoretically investigated within the framework of the Debye-H¿ckel approximation valid in the limit of sufficiently low values for the Donnan potential. In the current paper, the

Agent-based modelling of cholera diffusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Augustijn-Beckers, Petronella; Doldersum, Tom; Useya, Juliana; Augustijn, Dionysius C.M.

2016-01-01

This paper introduces a spatially explicit agent-based simulation model for micro-scale cholera diffusion. The model simulates both an environmental reservoir of naturally occurring V.cholerae bacteria and hyperinfectious V. cholerae. Objective of the research is to test if runoff from open refuse

4P-NPD ultra-thin films as efficient exciton blocking layers in DBP/C70 based organic solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Bhushan R.; Liu, Yiming; Qamar, Talha; Rubahn, Horst-Günter; Madsen, Morten

2017-09-01

Exciton blocking effects from ultra-thin layers of N,N‧-di-1-naphthalenyl-N,N‧-diphenyl [1,1‧:4‧,1″:4″,1‴-quaterphenyl]-4,4‴-diamine (4P-NPD) were investigated in small molecule-based inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) using tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene as the electron donor material and fullerene (C70) as the electron acceptor material. The short-circuit current density (J SC) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the optimized OSCs with 0.7 nm thick 4P-NPD were approximately 16% and 24% higher, respectively, compared to reference devices without exciton blocking layers (EBLs). Drift diffusion-based device modeling was conducted to model the full current density-voltage (JV) characteristics and external quantum efficiency spectrum of the OSCs, and photoluminescence measurements were conducted to investigate the exciton blocking effects with increasing thicknesses of the 4P-NPD layer. Importantly, coupled optical and electrical modeling studies of the device behaviors and exciton generation rates and densities in the active layer for different 4P-NPD layer thicknesses were conducted, in order to gain a complete understanding of the observed increase in PCE for 4P-NPD layer thicknesses up to 1 nm, and the observed decrease in PCE for layer thicknesses beyond 1 nm. This work demonstrates a route for guiding the integration of EBLs in OSC devices.

Fast mean and variance computation of the diffuse sound transmission through finite-sized thick and layered wall and floor systems

Science.gov (United States)

Decraene, Carolina; Dijckmans, Arne; Reynders, Edwin P. B.

2018-05-01

A method is developed for computing the mean and variance of the diffuse field sound transmission loss of finite-sized layered wall and floor systems that consist of solid, fluid and/or poroelastic layers. This is achieved by coupling a transfer matrix model of the wall or floor to statistical energy analysis subsystem models of the adjacent room volumes. The modal behavior of the wall is approximately accounted for by projecting the wall displacement onto a set of sinusoidal lateral basis functions. This hybrid modal transfer matrix-statistical energy analysis method is validated on multiple wall systems: a thin steel plate, a polymethyl methacrylate panel, a thick brick wall, a sandwich panel, a double-leaf wall with poro-elastic material in the cavity, and a double glazing. The predictions are compared with experimental data and with results obtained using alternative prediction methods such as the transfer matrix method with spatial windowing, the hybrid wave based-transfer matrix method, and the hybrid finite element-statistical energy analysis method. These comparisons confirm the prediction accuracy of the proposed method and the computational efficiency against the conventional hybrid finite element-statistical energy analysis method.

Microscopic thermal characterization of HTR particle layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochais, D.; Le Meur, G.; Basini, V.; Domingues, G.

2008-01-01

This paper presents thermal diffusivity measurements of HTR fuel particle pyrolytic carbon layers at room temperature. The photoreflectance microscopy (PM) technique is used to characterize particle layers at a microscopic scale. Nevertheless, buffer layer needs a particular analysis due to its porous structure. Indeed, measurements by PM on this material only permit to obtain the thermal diffusivity of the solid skeleton, whose homogeneous zones surface does not exceed 100 μm 2 . These characteristics make, on the one hand, delicate the use of PM, and on the other hand, require the use of a numerical homogenization technique. This model takes into account the properties of gas confined in the pores, to simulate the conduction heat flux traveling through the layer in relation with its microstructure and to estimate an effective thermal conductivity of the entire layer. This approach is validated by infrared microscopy measurement of the effective thermal diffusivity of the especially elaborated thicker buffer layer. Last, the first tests to characterize the silicon carbide layer are presented

The effectiveness of Ti implants as barriers to carbon diffusion in Ti implanted steel under CVD diamond deposition conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiser, P.S.; Prawer, S. [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics; Hoffman, A. [Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa (Israel). Dept. of Chemistry; Evan, P.J. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Paterson, P.J.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia)

1993-12-31

The growth of chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond onto iron based substrates complicated by preferential soot formation and carbon diffusion into the substrate [1], leading to poor quality films and poor adhesion. In the initial stages of exposure to a microwave plasma, a layer of graphite is rapidly formed on an untreated Fe based substrate. Once this graphite layer reaches a certain thickness, reasonable quality diamond nucleates and grows upon it. However, the diamond film easily delaminates from the substrate, the weak link being the graphitic layer. Following an initial success in using a TiN barrier layer to inhibit the formation of such a graphitic layer the authors report on attempts to use an implanted Ti layer for the same purpose. This work was prompted by observation that, although the TiN proved to be an extremely effective diffusion barrier, adhesion may be further enhanced by the formation of a TiC interface layer between the diamond film and the Fe substrate. 3 refs., 6 figs.

The effectiveness of Ti implants as barriers to carbon diffusion in Ti implanted steel under CVD diamond deposition conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiser, P.S.; Prawer, S.; Paterson, P.J.K.

1993-01-01

The growth of chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond onto iron based substrates complicated by preferential soot formation and carbon diffusion into the substrate [1], leading to poor quality films and poor adhesion. In the initial stages of exposure to a microwave plasma, a layer of graphite is rapidly formed on an untreated Fe based substrate. Once this graphite layer reaches a certain thickness, reasonable quality diamond nucleates and grows upon it. However, the diamond film easily delaminates from the substrate, the weak link being the graphitic layer. Following an initial success in using a TiN barrier layer to inhibit the formation of such a graphitic layer the authors report on attempts to use an implanted Ti layer for the same purpose. This work was prompted by observation that, although the TiN proved to be an extremely effective diffusion barrier, adhesion may be further enhanced by the formation of a TiC interface layer between the diamond film and the Fe substrate. 3 refs., 6 figs

The effectiveness of Ti implants as barriers to carbon diffusion in Ti implanted steel under CVD diamond deposition conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiser, P S; Prawer, S [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics; Hoffman, A [Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa (Israel). Dept. of Chemistry; Evan, P J [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Paterson, P J.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia)

1994-12-31

The growth of chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond onto iron based substrates complicated by preferential soot formation and carbon diffusion into the substrate [1], leading to poor quality films and poor adhesion. In the initial stages of exposure to a microwave plasma, a layer of graphite is rapidly formed on an untreated Fe based substrate. Once this graphite layer reaches a certain thickness, reasonable quality diamond nucleates and grows upon it. However, the diamond film easily delaminates from the substrate, the weak link being the graphitic layer. Following an initial success in using a TiN barrier layer to inhibit the formation of such a graphitic layer the authors report on attempts to use an implanted Ti layer for the same purpose. This work was prompted by observation that, although the TiN proved to be an extremely effective diffusion barrier, adhesion may be further enhanced by the formation of a TiC interface layer between the diamond film and the Fe substrate. 3 refs., 6 figs.

Design of carbon nanotube-based gas-diffusion cathode for O{sub 2} reduction by multicopper oxidases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lau, Carolin; Adkins, Emily R.; Atanassov, Plamen [University of New Mexico, Center for Emerging Energy Technologies, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ramasamy, Ramaraja P. [Microbiology and Applied Biochemistry, Airbase Sciences, Air Force Research Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL (United States); Nano-Electrochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Luckarift, Heather R.; Johnson, Glenn R. [Microbiology and Applied Biochemistry, Airbase Sciences, Air Force Research Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL (United States)

2012-01-15

Multicopper oxidases, such as laccase or bilirubin oxidase, are known to reduce molecular oxygen at very high redox potentials, which makes them attractive biocatalysts for enzymatic cathodes in biological fuel cells. By designing an enzymatic gas-diffusion electrode, molecular oxygen can be supplied through the gaseous phase, avoiding solubility and diffusion limitations typically associated with liquid electrolytes. In doing so, the current density of enzymatic cathodes can theoretically be enhanced. This publication presents a material study of carbon/Teflon composites that aim to optimize the functionality of the gas-diffusion and catalytic layers for application in enzymatic systems. The modification of the catalytic layer with multiwalled carbon nanotubes, for example, creates the basis for stronger {pi}-{pi} stacking interactions through tethered enzymatic linkers, such as pyrenes or perylene derivates. Cyclic voltammograms show the effective direct electron contact of laccase with carbon nanotube-modified electrodes via tethered crosslinking molecules as a model system. The polarization behavior of laccase-modified gas-diffusion electrodes reveals open-circuit potentials of +550 mV (versus Ag/AgCl) and current densities approaching 0.5 mA cm{sup 2} (at zero potential) in air-breathing mode. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effect of dissolved oxygen manipulation on diffusive emissions from NAPL-impacted low permeability soil layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Clifton, Lisa M; Dahlen, Paul R; Johnson, Paul C

2014-05-06

Aquifer physical model experiments were performed to investigate if diffusive emissions from nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)-impacted low-permeability layers into groundwater moving through adjacent NAPL-free high-permeability layers can be reduced by creating an aerobic biotreatment zone at the interface between the two, and if over time that leads to reduced emissions after treatment ceases. Experiments were performed in two 1.2-m long × 1.2-m high × 5.4 cm wide stainless steel tanks; each with a high-permeability sand layer overlying a low-permeability crushed granite layer containing a NAPL mixture of indane and benzene. Each tank was water-saturated with horizontal flow primarily through the sand layer. The influent water was initially deoxygenated and the emissions and concentration distributions were allowed to reach near-steady conditions. The influent dissolved oxygen (DO) level was increased stepwise to 6.5-8.5 mg/L and 17-20 mg/L, and then decreased back to deoxygenated conditions. Each condition was maintained for at least 45 days. Relative to the near-steady benzene emission at the initial deoxygenated condition, the emission was reduced by about 70% when the DO was 6.5-8.5 mg/L, 90% when the DO was 17-20 mg/L, and ultimately 60% when returning to low DO conditions. While the reductions were substantial during treatment, longer-term reductions after 120 d of elevated DO treatment, relative to an untreated condition predicted by theory, were low: 29% and 6% in Tank 1 and Tank 2, respectively. Results show a 1-2 month lag between the end of DO delivery and rebound to the final near-steady emissions level. This observation has implications for post-treatment performance monitoring sampling at field sites.

Metallurgical study of low-temperature plasma carbon diffusion treatments for stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, D.B.; Leyland, A.; Stevenson, P.R.; Cawley, J.; Matthews, A.

1993-01-01

We recently reported a novel low-temperature carbon diffusion technique for surface hardening of stainless steels. The treatment was shown to provide benefits in terms of abrasive wear resistance. There is also evidence to suggest that by performing diffusion treatments at low temperatures (i.e. below 400 C), these benefits can be achieved without compromising corrosion resistance. Here a variety of surface analysis and depth profiling techniques have been used to determine the physical and mechanical properties of carbon-rich layers produced on a range of stainless steel substrate materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to determine the crystallographic structure, whilst wavelength dispersive X-ray analysis (WDX) and glow discharge optical spectroscopy (GDOS) gave information on the concentration and distribution of the diffused species within the treated layers. A variety of carbide-based structures was detected, including the expected M 23 C 6 and, more surprisingly, M 3 C. Optical and electron microscopy techniques were used to provide information on layer morphology. The surfaces produced by the low-temperature carbon-diffusion process generally exhibit a distinct diffusion layer of between 1 and 20 μm, depending on the material and the treatment conditions. Austenitic stainless steels appear to give the best response to treatment, however other types of stainless steel can be treated, particularly if the microstructure contains above 5% retained austenite. Here we discuss the changes in mechanical and metallurgical properties provided by this technique and its potential value for treatment of both austenitic and other stainless steel substrate materials. (orig.)

Time domain diffuse Raman spectrometer based on a TCSPC camera for the depth analysis of diffusive media.

Science.gov (United States)

Konugolu Venkata Sekar, S; Mosca, S; Tannert, S; Valentini, G; Martelli, F; Binzoni, T; Prokazov, Y; Turbin, E; Zuschratter, W; Erdmann, R; Pifferi, A

2018-05-01

We present a time domain diffuse Raman spectrometer for depth probing of highly scattering media. The system is based on, to the best of our knowledge, a novel time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) camera that simultaneously acquires both spectral and temporal information of Raman photons. A dedicated non-contact probe was built, and time domain Raman measurements were performed on a tissue mimicking bilayer phantom. The fluorescence contamination of the Raman signal was eliminated by early time gating (0-212 ps) the Raman photons. Depth sensitivity is achieved by time gating Raman photons at different delays with a gate width of 106 ps. Importantly, the time domain can provide time-dependent depth sensitivity leading to a high contrast between two layers of Raman signal. As a result, an enhancement factor of 2170 was found for our bilayer phantom which is much higher than the values obtained by spatial offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS), frequency offset Raman spectroscopy (FORS), or hybrid FORS-SORS on a similar phantom.

Optimal Design for the Diffusion Plate with Nanoparticles in a Diffusive Solar Cell Window by Mie Scattering Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruei-Tang Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A diffusive solar cell window comprises a diffusion plate with TiO2 nanoparticles sandwiched between two glass layers. It is a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-made, and highly reliable transparent solar energy module. To improve its power generation efficiency as well as maintain indoor natural lighting, we examined the scattering mechanism in the diffusion plate with TiO2 nanoparticles within a diffusive solar cell window by Mie scattering simulations. In this work, a multiwavelength ASAP ray tracing model for a diffusive solar cell window with acceptable accuracy was developed to investigate the influence of the diffusion plate design parameter, mainly concentration of a diffusion plate with determined particle size distribution, on power generation efficiency and color shift of transmitted sun light. A concept of “effective average radius” was proposed to account for the equivalent scattering effect of a size distribution of quasispherical particles. Simulation results demonstrated that both the transmitted light and its correlated color temperature decreased as the concentration increased for a large-size diffusive solar cell window. However, there existed a maximum power generation efficiency at around 160 ppm concentration. The optimal design for a large-size diffusion plate inside a diffusive solar cell window by taking indoor lighting into account was suggested based on the simulation results.

pH gradients in the diffusive boundary layer of subarctic macrophytes

KAUST Repository

Hendriks, Iris E.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Marbà , Nú ria; Krause-Jensen, Dorte

2017-01-01

Highly productive macrophytes produce diurnal and seasonal cycles in CO concentrations modulated by metabolic activity, which cause discrepancies between pH in the bulk water and near seaweed blades, especially when entering the diffusion boundary layer (DBL). Calcifying epiphytic organisms living in this environment are therefore exposed to a different pH environment than that of the water column. To evaluate the actual pH environment on blade surfaces, we measured the thickness of the DBL and pH gradients within it for six subarctic macrophytes: Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Ulva lactuca, Zostera marina, Saccharina longicruris, and Agarum clathratum. We measured pH under laboratory conditions at ambient temperatures (2–3 °C) and slow, stable flow over the blade surface at five light intensities (dark, 30, 50, 100 and 200 µmol photons m s). Boundary layer thickness ranged between 511 and 1632 µm, while the maximum difference in pH (∆pH) between the blade surface and the water column ranged between 0.4 ± 0.14 (average ± SE; Zostera) and 1.2 ± 0.13 (average ± SE; Ulva) pH units. These differences in pH are larger than predictions for pH changes in the bulk water by the end of the century. A simple quadratic model best described the relationship between light intensity and maximum ∆pH, pointing at relatively low optimum PAR of between 28 and 139 µmol photons m s to reach maximum ∆pH. Elevated pH at the blade surface may provide chemical “refugia” for calcifying epiphytic organisms, especially during summer at higher latitudes where photoperiods are long.

pH gradients in the diffusive boundary layer of subarctic macrophytes

KAUST Repository

Hendriks, Iris E.

2017-06-20

Highly productive macrophytes produce diurnal and seasonal cycles in CO concentrations modulated by metabolic activity, which cause discrepancies between pH in the bulk water and near seaweed blades, especially when entering the diffusion boundary layer (DBL). Calcifying epiphytic organisms living in this environment are therefore exposed to a different pH environment than that of the water column. To evaluate the actual pH environment on blade surfaces, we measured the thickness of the DBL and pH gradients within it for six subarctic macrophytes: Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Ulva lactuca, Zostera marina, Saccharina longicruris, and Agarum clathratum. We measured pH under laboratory conditions at ambient temperatures (2–3 °C) and slow, stable flow over the blade surface at five light intensities (dark, 30, 50, 100 and 200 µmol photons m s). Boundary layer thickness ranged between 511 and 1632 µm, while the maximum difference in pH (∆pH) between the blade surface and the water column ranged between 0.4 ± 0.14 (average ± SE; Zostera) and 1.2 ± 0.13 (average ± SE; Ulva) pH units. These differences in pH are larger than predictions for pH changes in the bulk water by the end of the century. A simple quadratic model best described the relationship between light intensity and maximum ∆pH, pointing at relatively low optimum PAR of between 28 and 139 µmol photons m s to reach maximum ∆pH. Elevated pH at the blade surface may provide chemical “refugia” for calcifying epiphytic organisms, especially during summer at higher latitudes where photoperiods are long.

The effect of the phase composition of compound layer on the growth kinetics of the nitrided layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratajski, J.; Olik, R.; Suszko, T.; Tacikowski, J.

2001-01-01

This paper presents a part of research work on the kinetics of formation and growth of nitrided layers on 40HM steel that was conducted within the research project devoted to the control of gaseous nitriding processes. The purpose of the research was to find answers to still opened questions connected with the optimization of the growth kinetics of nitrided layer. It has been demonstrated in particular how important in diffusion layer kinetics of growth on steel is the role-played by compound layer phase composition. Mainly, this refers to designing changes of parameters in processes where accurate formation of layer on precise parts with required tolerance of size changes is demanded. It comes out of the presented research that proper diffusion layer growth kinetics can be achieved when phase ε dominates in the compound layer. This domination of the phase ε influences speed of growth of the compound layer and first of all growth of diffusion layer. The obtained results are also a starting point of for working-out of good functional relations which could create good basis for design of algorithms of potential values changes in the function of the process time which provides the optimal kinetics of the growth of the layers. In this respect it has been achieved very good qualitative relation between the simulated distribution of nitrogen concentration in the layer and experimentally established distribution of hardness. (author)

Anisotropic Diffusion In Layered Argillaceous Rocks: A Case Study With Opalinus Clay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Loon, L.R.; Soler, J.; Mueller, W.; Bradbury, M.H.

2003-01-01

Anisotropic diffusion was studied in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for the disposal of spent fuel, vitrified high-level waste and intermediate-level waste. Diffusion parallel to the bedding was measured using a radial through-diffusion technique, while diffusion perpendicular to the bedding was measured using the classical (planar) through-diffusion method. The materials used were samples from Mont Terri (MT) and Benken (BE), respectively. Diffusion of Tritiated Water (HTO), parallel and perpendicular to the bedding, was studied under confining pressures of 7 MPa (MT) and 14 MPa (BE), respectively. The effective diffusion coefficient for diffusion parallel to the bedding, D e , was found to be 3.20(±0.26)x10 11 m 2 s -1 and for the Benken 5.39(±0.43)x10 -11 m 2 s-1 for the Mont Terri samples. The diffusion accessible porosity was ∼ 0.15(±0.02) in both cases. For diffusion perpendicular to the bedding, the effective diffusion coefficient was 5.44(±0.35)x10 -12 m 2 s-1 and 1.37(±0.08)x10 -11 m 2 s -1 for the Benken and Mont Terri samples, respectively. The diffusion accessible porosity was also ∼0.15(±0.02) in both cases. These first results indicate that diffusion parallel to bedding is larger than that perpendicular to the bedding by a factor of 4 to 6. This might be explained in terms of smaller path lengths (tortuosity) for species diffusing parallel to the fabric. (author)

Anisotropic Diffusion In Layered Argillaceous Rocks: A Case Study With Opalinus Clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Loon, L.R.; Soler, J.; Mueller, W.; Bradbury, M.H

2003-03-01

Anisotropic diffusion was studied in Opalinus Clay, a potential host rock for the disposal of spent fuel, vitrified high-level waste and intermediate-level waste. Diffusion parallel to the bedding was measured using a radial through-diffusion technique, while diffusion perpendicular to the bedding was measured using the classical (planar) through-diffusion method. The materials used were samples from Mont Terri (MT) and Benken (BE), respectively. Diffusion of Tritiated Water (HTO), parallel and perpendicular to the bedding, was studied under confining pressures of 7 MPa (MT) and 14 MPa (BE), respectively. The effective diffusion coefficient for diffusion parallel to the bedding, D{sub e}, was found to be 3.20({+-}0.26)x10{sup 11} m{sup 2}s{sup -1} and for the Benken 5.39({+-}0.43)x10{sup -11} m{sup 2}s-1 for the Mont Terri samples. The diffusion accessible porosity was {approx} 0.15({+-}0.02) in both cases. For diffusion perpendicular to the bedding, the effective diffusion coefficient was 5.44({+-}0.35)x10{sup -12} m{sup 2}s-1 and 1.37({+-}0.08)x10{sup -11} m{sup 2}s{sup -1} for the Benken and Mont Terri samples, respectively. The diffusion accessible porosity was also {approx}0.15({+-}0.02) in both cases. These first results indicate that diffusion parallel to bedding is larger than that perpendicular to the bedding by a factor of 4 to 6. This might be explained in terms of smaller path lengths (tortuosity) for species diffusing parallel to the fabric. (author)

Can a one-layer optical skin model including melanin and inhomogeneously distributed blood explain spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectra?

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Hanna; Pettersson, Anders; Larsson, Marcus; Strömberg, Tomas

2011-02-01

Model based analysis of calibrated diffuse reflectance spectroscopy can be used for determining oxygenation and concentration of skin chromophores. This study aimed at assessing the effect of including melanin in addition to hemoglobin (Hb) as chromophores and compensating for inhomogeneously distributed blood (vessel packaging), in a single-layer skin model. Spectra from four humans were collected during different provocations using a twochannel fiber optic probe with source-detector separations 0.4 and 1.2 mm. Absolute calibrated spectra using data from either a single distance or both distances were analyzed using inverse Monte Carlo for light transport and Levenberg-Marquardt for non-linear fitting. The model fitting was excellent using a single distance. However, the estimated model failed to explain spectra from the other distance. The two-distance model did not fit the data well at either distance. Model fitting was significantly improved including melanin and vessel packaging. The most prominent effect when fitting data from the larger separation compared to the smaller separation was a different light scattering decay with wavelength, while the tissue fraction of Hb and saturation were similar. For modeling spectra at both distances, we propose using either a multi-layer skin model or a more advanced model for the scattering phase function.

Monte Carlo based diffusion coefficients for LMFBR analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Rooijen, Willem F.G.; Takeda, Toshikazu; Hazama, Taira

2010-01-01

A method based on Monte Carlo calculations is developed to estimate the diffusion coefficient of unit cells. The method uses a geometrical model similar to that used in lattice theory, but does not use the assumption of a separable fundamental mode used in lattice theory. The method uses standard Monte Carlo flux and current tallies, and the continuous energy Monte Carlo code MVP was used without modifications. Four models are presented to derive the diffusion coefficient from tally results of flux and partial currents. In this paper the method is applied to the calculation of a plate cell of the fast-spectrum critical facility ZEBRA. Conventional calculations of the diffusion coefficient diverge in the presence of planar voids in the lattice, but our Monte Carlo method can treat this situation without any problem. The Monte Carlo method was used to investigate the influence of geometrical modeling as well as the directional dependence of the diffusion coefficient. The method can be used to estimate the diffusion coefficient of complicated unit cells, the limitation being the capabilities of the Monte Carlo code. The method will be used in the future to confirm results for the diffusion coefficient obtained of the Monte Carlo code. The method will be used in the future to confirm results for the diffusion coefficient obtained with deterministic codes. (author)

Bicarbonate diffusion through mucus.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingston, E H; Miller, J; Engel, E

1995-09-01

The mucus layer overlying duodenal epithelium maintains a pH gradient against high luminal acid concentrations. Despite these adverse conditions, epithelial surface pH remains close to neutrality. The exact nature of the gradient-forming barrier remains unknown. The barrier consists of mucus into which HCO3- is secreted. Quantification of the ability of HCO3- to establish and maintain the gradient depends on accurate measurement of this ion's diffusion coefficient through mucus. We describe new experimental and mathematical methods for diffusion measurement and report diffusion coefficients for HCO3- diffusion through saline, 5% mucin solutions, and rat duodenal mucus. The diffusion coefficients were 20.2 +/- 0.10, 3.02 +/- 0.31, and 1.81 +/- 0.12 x 10(-6) cm2/s, respectively. Modeling of the mucobicarbonate layer with this latter value suggests that for conditions of high luminal acid strength the neutralization of acid by HCO3- occurs just above the epithelial surface. Under these conditions the model predicts that fluid convection toward the lumen could be important in maintaining the pH gradient. In support of this hypothesis we were able to demonstrate a net luminal fluid flux of 5 microliters.min-1.cm-2 after perfusion of 0.15 N HCl in the rat duodenum.

Development of layered anode structures supported over Apatite-type Solid Electrolytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pandis P.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Apatite-type lanthanum silicates (ATLS materials have attracted interest in recent literature as solid electrolytes for SOFCs. The fabrication of an ATLS based fuel cell with the state-of-art electrodes (NiO/YSZ as anode and LSCF or LSM as cathode can show degradation after long operation hours due to Si diffusion mainly towards the anode. In this work, we report a “layer-by-layer anodic electrodes” fabrication by means of spin coating and physical spraying. The overall aim of this work is the successful fabrication of such a layered structure including suitable blocking layers towards the inhibition of Si interdiffusion from the apatite electrolyte to the anode. The results showed that the deposition of 3 layers of LFSO/GDC (3μm, NiO/GDC (4μm and the final NiO/YSZ anode layer provided a stable half-cell, with no solid state reaction occurring among the electrodes and no Si diffusion observed towards the anode after thermal treatment at 800°C for 120h.

Diffuse scattering in Ih ice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wehinger, Björn; Krisch, Michael; Bosak, Alexeï; Chernyshov, Dmitry; Bulat, Sergey; Ezhov, Victor

2014-01-01

Single crystals of ice Ih, extracted from the subglacial Lake Vostok accretion ice layer (3621 m depth) were investigated by means of diffuse x-ray scattering and inelastic x-ray scattering. The diffuse scattering was identified as mainly inelastic and rationalized in the frame of ab initio calculations for the ordered ice XI approximant. Together with Monte-Carlo modelling, our data allowed reconsidering previously available neutron diffuse scattering data of heavy ice as the sum of thermal diffuse scattering and static disorder contribution. (paper)

Performance of a contact textile-based light diffuser for photodynamic therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Tania; Unternährer, Merthan; Buchholz, Julia; Kaser-Hotz, Barbara; Selm, Bärbel; Rothmaier, Markus; Walt, Heinrich

2006-03-01

Medical textiles offer a unique contact opportunity that could provide value-added comfort, reliability, and safety for light or laser-based applications. We investigated a luminous textile diffuser for use in photodynamic therapy. Textile diffusers are produced by an embroidery process. Plastic optical fibers are bent and sewn into textile to release light by macrobending. A reflective backing is incorporated to improve surface homogeneity, intensity, and safety. Clonogenic assay (MCF-7 cells) and trypan blue exclusion (NuTu19 cells) tests were performed in vitro using 0.1μg/ml m-THPC with three textile diffusers and a standard front lens diffuser. Heating effects were studied in solution and on human skin. PDT application in vivo was performed with the textile diffuser on equine sarcoids (three animals, 50mW/cm(2), 10-20J) and eight research animals. Lastly, computer simulations were performed to see how the textile diffuser might work on a curved object. At low fluency rate, there is a trend for the textile diffuser to have lower survival rates than the front lens diffuser for both cell lines. The textile diffuser was observed to retain more heat over a long period (>1min). All animals tolerated the treatments well and showed similar initial reactions. The simulations showed a likely focusing effect in a curved geometry. The initial feasibility and application using a textile-based optical diffuser has been demonstrated. Possibilities that provide additional practical advantages of the textile diffuser are discussed.

Glider-based computing in reaction-diffusion hexagonal cellular automata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamatzky, Andrew; Wuensche, Andrew; De Lacy Costello, Benjamin

2006-01-01

A three-state hexagonal cellular automaton, discovered in [Wuensche A. Glider dynamics in 3-value hexagonal cellular automata: the beehive rule. Int J Unconvention Comput, in press], presents a conceptual discrete model of a reaction-diffusion system with inhibitor and activator reagents. The automaton model of reaction-diffusion exhibits mobile localized patterns (gliders) in its space-time dynamics. We show how to implement the basic computational operations with these mobile localizations, and thus demonstrate collision-based logical universality of the hexagonal reaction-diffusion cellular automaton

Emergence of a Stern Layer from the Incorporation of Hydration Interactions into the Gouy-Chapman Model of the Electrical Double Layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Matthew A; Bossa, Guilherme Volpe; May, Sylvio

2015-10-27

In one of the most commonly used phenomenological descriptions of the electrical double layer, a charged solid surface and a diffuse region of mobile ions are separated from each other by a thin charge-depleted Stern layer. The Stern layer acts as a capacitor that improves the classical Gouy-Chapman model by increasing the magnitude of the surface potential and limiting the maximal counterion concentration. We show that very similar Stern-like properties of the diffuse double layer emerge naturally from adding a nonelectrostatic hydration repulsion to the electrostatic Coulomb potential. The interplay of electrostatic attraction and hydration repulsion of the counterions and the surface leads to the formation of a diffuse counterion layer that remains well separated from the surface. In addition, hydration repulsions between the ions limit and control the maximal ion concentration and widen the width of the diffuse double layer. Our mean-field model, which we express in terms of electrostatic and hydration potentials, is physically consistent and conceptually similar to the classical Gouy-Chapman model. It allows the incorporation of ion specificity, accounts for hydration properties of charged surfaces, and predicts Stern layer properties, which we analyze in terms of the effective size of the hydrated counterions.

Electrodeposition of Polymer Nanostructures using Three Diffuse Double Layers: Polymerization beyond the Liquid/Liquid Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Divya, Velpula; Sangaranarayanan, M. V.

2018-04-01

Nanostructured conducting polymers have received immense attention during the past few decades on account of their phenomenal usefulness in diverse contexts, while the interface between two immiscible liquids is of great interest in chemical and biological applications. Here we propose a novel Electrode(solid)/Electrolyte(aqueous)/Electrolyte(organic) Interfacial assembly for the synthesis of polymeric nanostructures using a novel concept of three diffuse double layers. There exist remarkable differences between the morphologies of the polymers synthesized using the conventional electrode/electrolyte method and that of the new approach. In contrast to the commonly employed electrodeposition at liquid/liquid interfaces, these polymer modified electrodes can be directly employed in diverse applications such as sensors, supercapacitors etc.

An Efficient Diffusion Scheme for Chaos-Based Digital Image Encryption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-xin Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, amounts of permutation-diffusion architecture-based image cryptosystems have been proposed. However, the key stream elements in the diffusion procedure are merely depending on the secret key that is usually fixed during the whole encryption process. Cryptosystems of this type suffer from unsatisfactory encryption speed and are considered insecure upon known/chosen plaintext attacks. In this paper, an efficient diffusion scheme is proposed. This scheme consists of two diffusion procedures, with a supplementary diffusion procedure padded after the normal diffusion. In the supplementary diffusion module, the control parameter of the selected chaotic map is altered by the resultant image produced after the normal diffusion operation. As a result, a slight difference in the plain image can be transferred to the chaotic iteration and bring about distinct key streams, and hence totally different cipher images will be produced. Therefore, the scheme can remarkably accelerate the diffusion effect of the cryptosystem and will effectively resist known/chosen plaintext attacks. Theoretical analyses and experimental results prove the high security performance and satisfactory operation efficiency of the proposed scheme.

Diffusive-light invisibility cloak for transient illumination

Science.gov (United States)

Orazbayev, B.; Beruete, M.; Martínez, A.; García-Meca, C.

2016-12-01

Invisibility in a diffusive-light-scattering medium has been recently demonstrated by employing a scattering-cancellation core-shell cloak. Unlike nondiffusive cloaks, such a device can be simultaneously macroscopic, broadband, passive, polarization independent, and omnidirectional. Unfortunately, it has been verified that this cloak, as well as more sophisticated ones based on transformation optics, fail under pulsed illumination, invalidating their use for a variety of applications. Here, we introduce a different approach based on unimodular transformations that enables the construction of unidirectional diffusive-light cloaks exhibiting a perfect invisibility effect, even under transient conditions. Moreover, we demonstrate that a polygonal cloak can extend this functionality to multiple directions with a nearly ideal behavior, while preserving all other features. We propose and numerically verify a simple cloak realization based on a layered stack of two isotropic materials. The studied devices have several applications not addressable by any of the other cloaks proposed to date, including shielding from pulse-based detection techniques, cloaking undesired scattering elements in time-of-flight imaging or high-speed communication systems for diffusive environments, and building extreme optical security features. The discussed cloaking strategy could also be applied to simplify the implementation of thermal cloaks.

Effects of Mg pre-flow, memory, and diffusion on the growth of p-GaN with MOCVD (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Charng-Gan; Chen, Hao-Tsung; Chen, Sheng-Hung; Chao, Chen-Yao; Kiang, Yean-Woei; Yang, Chih-Chung

2017-02-01

In MOCVD growth, two key factors for growing a p-type structure, when the modulation growth or delta-doping technique is used, include Mg memory and diffusion. With high-temperature growth (>900 degree C), doped Mg can diffuse into the under-layer. Also, due to the high-pressure growth and growth chamber coating in MOCVD, plenty Mg atoms exist in the growth chamber for a duration after Mg supply is ended. In this situation, Mg doping continues in the following designated un-doped layers. In this paper, we demonstrate the study results of Mg preflow, memory, and diffusion. The results show that pre-flow of Mg into the growth chamber can lead to a significantly higher Mg doping concentration in growing a p-GaN layer. In other words, a duration for Mg buildup is required for high Mg incorporation. Based on SIMS study, we find that with the pre-flow growth, a high- and a low-doping p-GaN layer are formed. The doping concentration difference between the two layers is about 10 times. The thickness of the high- (low-) doping layer is about 40 (65) nm. The growth of the high-doping layer starts 10-15 min after Mg supply starts (Mg buildup time). The diffusion length of Mg into the AlGaN layer beneath (Mg content reduced to doping concentration is reduced to <1%.

Diffusion barrier performances of thin Mo, Mo-N and Mo/Mo-N films between Cu and Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Shuangxi; Liu Yuzhang; Mao Dali; Ling Huiqin; Li Ming

2005-01-01

In this work, we have studied the diffusion barrier performances of Mo, Mo-N and Mo/Mo-N metallization layers deposited by sputtering Mo in Ar/N 2 atmospheres, respectively. Samples were subsequently annealed at different temperatures ranging from 400 to 800 deg C in vacuum condition. The film properties and their suitability as diffusion barriers and protective coatings in silicon devices were characterized using four-point probe measurement, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Experimental results revealed that the Mo (20 nm)/Mo-N (30 nm) layer was able to prevent the diffusion reaction between Cu and Si substrate after being annealed at 600 deg C for 30 min. The adhesion between layers and the content of N atoms are the key parameters to improve the properties of Mo-based barrier materials. The Mo layer interposed between Cu and Mo-N diluted the high nitrogen concentration of the barrier and so enhanced the barrier performances

A novel steel RE-borosulphurizing and mechanical properties of the produced RE-borosulfide layer

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong; Li, Yun-dong; Zhang, Xiu-li

2013-07-01

In this study, 45# carbon steels were boronized, borosulphurized and RE-borosulphurized at 950 °C for 6 h, respectively. The samples were then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, microhardness tester and ring-on-block wear tester. It has shown that the diffusion front (the interface between the diffusion layer and the substrate) of the boride layer (BL) and the boro-sulfide layer (BSL) is saw tooth shape, while the diffusion front of the RE-boro-sulfide layer (RBSL) is flat. Compared with BSL layer, RBSL layer has a smaller and more uniform grain size, and a flatter hardness gradient from the surface to the diffusion front. The RBSL layer, consisting of an outer layer (from surface to 30 μm) mainly composed of Fe-B and an inner layer (from 30 μm to the diffusion front) mainly composed of Fe-S, has the best wear resistance and the most sufficient adhesion among those three.

Engineering Seismic Base Layer for Defining Design Earthquake Motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Nozomu

2008-01-01

Engineer's common sense that incident wave is common in a widespread area at the engineering seismic base layer is shown not to be correct. An exhibiting example is first shown, which indicates that earthquake motion at the ground surface evaluated by the analysis considering the ground from a seismic bedrock to a ground surface simultaneously (continuous analysis) is different from the one by the analysis in which the ground is separated at the engineering seismic base layer and analyzed separately (separate analysis). The reason is investigated by several approaches. Investigation based on eigen value problem indicates that the first predominant period in the continuous analysis cannot be found in the separate analysis, and predominant period at higher order does not match in the upper and lower ground in the separate analysis. The earthquake response analysis indicates that reflected wave at the engineering seismic base layer is not zero, which indicates that conventional engineering seismic base layer does not work as expected by the term ''base''. All these results indicate that wave that goes down to the deep depths after reflecting in the surface layer and again reflects at the seismic bedrock cannot be neglected in evaluating the response at the ground surface. In other words, interaction between the surface layer and/or layers between seismic bedrock and engineering seismic base layer cannot be neglected in evaluating the earthquake motion at the ground surface

Atomic-layer-deposited WNxCy thin films as diffusion barrier for copper metallization

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo-Hyun; Oh, Su Suk; Kim, Ki-Bum; Kang, Dae-Hwan; Li, Wei-Min; Haukka, Suvi; Tuominen, Marko

2003-06-01

The properties of WNxCy films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using WF6, NH3, and triethyl boron as source gases were characterized as a diffusion barrier for copper metallization. It is noted that the as-deposited film shows an extremely low resistivity of about 350 μΩ cm with a film density of 15.37 g/cm3. The film composition measured from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry shows W, C, and N of ˜48, 32, and 20 at. %, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the as-deposited film is composed of face-centered-cubic phase with a lattice parameter similar to both β-WC1-x and β-W2N with an equiaxed microstructure. The barrier property of this ALD-WNxCy film at a nominal thickness of 12 nm deposited between Cu and Si fails only after annealing at 700 °C for 30 min.

New Method for Super Hydrophobic Treatment of Gas Diffusion Layers for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Using Electrochemical Reduction of Diazonium Salts.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Yohann R J; Benayad, Anass; Schroder, Maxime; Morin, Arnaud; Pauchet, Joël

2015-07-15

The purpose of this article is to report a new method for the surface functionalization of commercially available gas diffusion layers (GDLs) by the electrochemical reduction of diazonium salt containing hydrophobic functional groups. The method results in superhydrophobic GDLs, over a large area, without pore blocking. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study based on core level spectra and chemical mapping has demonstrated the successful grafting route, resulting in a homogeneous distribution of the covalently bonded hydrophobic molecules on the surface of the GDL fibers. The result was corroborated by contact angle measurement, showing similar hydrophobicity between the grafted and PTFE-modified GDLs. The electrochemically modified GDLs were tested in proton exchange membrane fuel cells under automotive, wet, and dry conditions and demonstrated improved performance over traditional GDLs.

On an analytical evaluation of the flux and dominant eigenvalue problem for the steady state multi-group multi-layer neutron diffusion equation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ceolin, Celina; Schramm, Marcelo; Bodmann, Bardo Ernst Josef; Vilhena, Marco Tullio Mena Barreto de [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica; Bogado Leite, Sergio de Queiroz [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2014-11-15

In this work the authors solved the steady state neutron diffusion equation for a multi-layer slab assuming the multi-group energy model. The method to solve the equation system is based on an expansion in Taylor Series resulting in an analytical expression. The results obtained can be used as initial condition for neutron space kinetics problems. The neutron scalar flux was expanded in a power series, and the coefficients were found by using the ordinary differential equation and the boundary and interface conditions. The effective multiplication factor k was evaluated using the power method. We divided the domain into several slabs to guarantee the convergence with a low truncation order. We present the formalism together with some numerical simulations.

Solid solution strengthening and diffusion in nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rehman, Hamad ur

2016-07-01

Nickel and cobalt-based superalloys with a γ-γ{sup '} microstructure are known for their excellent creep resistance at high temperatures. Their microstructure is engineered using different alloying elements, that partition either to the fcc γ matrix or to the ordered γ{sup '} phase. In the present work the effect of alloying elements on their segregation behaviour in nickel-based superalloys, diffusion in cobalt-based superalloys and the temperature dependent solid solution strengthening in nickel-based alloys is investigated. The effect of dendritic segregation on the local mechanical properties of individual phases in the as-cast, heat treated and creep deformed state of a nickel-based superalloy is investigated. The local chemical composition is characterized using Electron Probe Micro Analysis and then correlated with the mechanical properties of individual phases using nanoindentation. Furthermore, the temperature dependant solid solution hardening contribution of Ta, W and Re towards fcc nickel is studied. The room temperature hardening is determined by a diffusion couple approach using nanoindentation and energy dispersive X-ray analysis for relating hardness to the chemical composition. The high temperature properties are determined using compression strain rate jump tests. The results show that at lower temperatures, the solute size is prevalent and the elements with the largest size difference with nickel, induce the greatest hardening consistent with a classical solid solution strengthening theory. At higher temperatures, the solutes interact with the dislocations such that the slowest diffusing solute poses maximal resistance to dislocation glide and climb. Lastly, the diffusion of different technically relevant solutes in fcc cobalt is investigated using diffusion couples. The results show that the large atoms diffuse faster in cobalt-based superalloys similar to their nickel-based counterparts.

Solid solution strengthening and diffusion in nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, Hamad ur

2016-01-01

Nickel and cobalt-based superalloys with a γ-γ ' microstructure are known for their excellent creep resistance at high temperatures. Their microstructure is engineered using different alloying elements, that partition either to the fcc γ matrix or to the ordered γ ' phase. In the present work the effect of alloying elements on their segregation behaviour in nickel-based superalloys, diffusion in cobalt-based superalloys and the temperature dependent solid solution strengthening in nickel-based alloys is investigated. The effect of dendritic segregation on the local mechanical properties of individual phases in the as-cast, heat treated and creep deformed state of a nickel-based superalloy is investigated. The local chemical composition is characterized using Electron Probe Micro Analysis and then correlated with the mechanical properties of individual phases using nanoindentation. Furthermore, the temperature dependant solid solution hardening contribution of Ta, W and Re towards fcc nickel is studied. The room temperature hardening is determined by a diffusion couple approach using nanoindentation and energy dispersive X-ray analysis for relating hardness to the chemical composition. The high temperature properties are determined using compression strain rate jump tests. The results show that at lower temperatures, the solute size is prevalent and the elements with the largest size difference with nickel, induce the greatest hardening consistent with a classical solid solution strengthening theory. At higher temperatures, the solutes interact with the dislocations such that the slowest diffusing solute poses maximal resistance to dislocation glide and climb. Lastly, the diffusion of different technically relevant solutes in fcc cobalt is investigated using diffusion couples. The results show that the large atoms diffuse faster in cobalt-based superalloys similar to their nickel-based counterparts.

Analytical and numerical investigation of double diffusion in thermally anisotropy multilayer porous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennacer, R. [Neuville sur Oise, LEEVAM 5 mail Gay Lussac, Cergy-Pontoise Cedex (France); Mohamad, A.A. [CEERE University of Calgary, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Calgary, Alberta (Canada); Ganaoui, M.El [Faculte des Sciences et Techniques de Limoges, Limoges (France)

2005-02-01

Double-diffusive natural convection within a multilayer anisotropic porous medium is studied numerically and analytically. The domain composed of two horizontal porous layers is subjected to a uniform horizontal heat flux and a vertical mass flux, where only the lower one is thermally anisotropic. Darcy model with classical Boussinesq approximation is used in formulating the mathematical model. The effect of thermal anisotropy and the relative width of the two layers on the flow and transfers is illustrated with characterising the transitions from the diffusive to the convective solution. Results were well compared with respect to a developed analytical approach, based on a parallel flow approximation for thermally anisotropic multilayer media. (orig.)

Advectional enhancement of eddy diffusivity under parametric disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldobin, Denis S

2010-01-01

Frozen parametric disorder can lead to the appearance of sets of localized convective currents in an otherwise stable (quiescent) fluid layer heated from below. These currents significantly influence the transport of an admixture (or any other passive scalar) along the layer. When the molecular diffusivity of the admixture is small in comparison to the thermal one, which is quite typical in nature, disorder can enhance the effective (eddy) diffusivity by several orders of magnitude in comparison to the molecular diffusivity. In this paper, we study the effect of an imposed longitudinal advection on the delocalization of convective currents, both numerically and analytically, and report a subsequent drastic boost of the effective diffusivity for weak advection.

Laser properties of Fe2+:ZnSe fabricated by solid-state diffusion bonding

Science.gov (United States)

Balabanov, S. S.; Firsov, K. N.; Gavrishchuk, E. M.; Ikonnikov, V. B.; Kazantsev, S. Yu; Kononov, I. G.; Kotereva, T. V.; Savin, D. V.; Timofeeva, N. A.

2018-04-01

The characteristics of an Fe2+:ZnSe laser at room temperature and its active elements with undoped faces were studied. Polycrystalline elements with one or two diffusion-doped internal layers were obtained by the solid-state diffusion bonding technique applied to chemical vapor deposition grown ZnSe plates preliminary doped with Fe2+ ions in the process of hot isostatic pressing. A non-chain electric-discharge HF laser was used to pump the crystals. It was demonstrated that increasing the number of doped layers allows increasing the maximum diameter of the pump radiation spot and the pump energy without the appearance of transversal parasitic oscillation. For the two-layer-doped active element with a diameter of 20 mm an output energy of 480 mJ was achieved with 37% total efficiency with respect to the absorbed energy. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the developed technology for fabrication of active elements by the solid-state diffusion bonding technique combined with the hot isostatic pressing treatment for efficient IR lasers based on chalcogenides doped with transition metal ions.

An integrated simulator of structure and anisotropic flow in gas diffusion layers with hydrophobic additives

Science.gov (United States)

Burganos, Vasilis N.; Skouras, Eugene D.; Kalarakis, Alexandros N.

2017-10-01

The lattice-Boltzmann (LB) method is used in this work to reproduce the controlled addition of binder and hydrophobicity-promoting agents, like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), into gas diffusion layers (GDLs) and to predict flow permeabilities in the through- and in-plane directions. The present simulator manages to reproduce spreading of binder and hydrophobic additives, sequentially, into the neat fibrous layer using a two-phase flow model. Gas flow simulation is achieved by the same code, sidestepping the need for a post-processing flow code and avoiding the usual input/output and data interface problems that arise in other techniques. Compression effects on flow anisotropy of the impregnated GDL are also studied. The permeability predictions for different compression levels and for different binder or PTFE loadings are found to compare well with experimental data for commercial GDL products and with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions. Alternatively, the PTFE-impregnated structure is reproduced from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images using an independent, purely geometrical approach. A comparison of the two approaches is made regarding their adequacy to reproduce correctly the main structural features of the GDL and to predict anisotropic flow permeabilities at different volume fractions of binder and hydrophobic additives.

The Importance Of Surface Topography For The Biological Properties Of Nitrided Diffusion Layers Produced On Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wierzchoń T.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Diffusion nitrided layers produced on titanium and its alloys are widely studied in terms of their application for cardiac and bone implants. The influence of the structure, the phase composition, topography and surface morphology on their biological properties is being investigated. The article presents the results of a study of the topography (nanotopography of the surface of TiN+Ti2N+αTi(N nitrided layers produced in low-temperature plasma on Ti6Al4V titanium alloy and their influence on the adhesion of blood platelets and their aggregates. The TEM microstructure of the produced layers have been examined and it was demonstrated that the interaction between platelets and the surface of the titanium implants subjected to glow-discharge nitriding can be shaped via modification of the roughness parameters of the external layer of the TiN titanium nitride nanocrystalline zone.

Underwater navigation using diffusion-based trajectory observers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jouffroy, Jerome; Opderbecke, Jan

2007-01-01

This paper addresses the issue of estimating underwater vehicle trajectories using gyro-Doppler (body-fixed velocities) and acoustic positioning signals (earth-fixed positions). The approach consists of diffusion-based observers processing a whole trajectory segment at a time, allowing the consid...

Capacitance of carbon-based electrical double-layer capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Hengxing; Zhao, Xin; Qiao, Zhenhua; Jung, Jeil; Zhu, Yanwu; Lu, Yalin; Zhang, Li Li; MacDonald, Allan H; Ruoff, Rodney S

2014-01-01

Experimental electrical double-layer capacitances of porous carbon electrodes fall below ideal values, thus limiting the practical energy densities of carbon-based electrical double-layer capacitors. Here we investigate the origin of this behaviour by measuring the electrical double-layer capacitance in one to five-layer graphene. We find that the capacitances are suppressed near neutrality, and are anomalously enhanced for thicknesses below a few layers. We attribute the first effect to quantum capacitance effects near the point of zero charge, and the second to correlations between electrons in the graphene sheet and ions in the electrolyte. The large capacitance values imply gravimetric energy storage densities in the single-layer graphene limit that are comparable to those of batteries. We anticipate that these results shed light on developing new theoretical models in understanding the electrical double-layer capacitance of carbon electrodes, and on opening up new strategies for improving the energy density of carbon-based capacitors.

Towards reaction-diffusion computing devices based on minority-carrier transport in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asai, Tetsuya; Adamatzky, Andrew; Amemiya, Yoshihito

2004-01-01

Reaction-diffusion (RD) chemical systems are known to realize sensible computation when both data and results of the computation are encoded in concentration profiles of chemical species; the computation is implemented via spreading and interaction of either diffusive or phase waves. Thin-layer chemical systems are thought of therefore as massively-parallel locally-connected computing devices, where micro-volume of the medium is analogous to an elementary processor. Practical applications of the RD chemical systems are reduced however due to very low speed of traveling waves which makes real-time computation senseless. To overcome the speed-limitations while preserving unique features of RD computers we propose a semiconductor RD computing device where minority carriers diffuse as chemical species and reaction elements are represented by p-n-p-n diodes. We offer blue-prints of the RD semiconductor devices, and study in computer simulation propagation phenomena of the density wave of minority carriers. We then demonstrate what computational problems can be solved in RD semiconductor devices and evaluate space-time complexity of computation in the devices

Fast dictionary-based reconstruction for diffusion spectrum imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilgic, Berkin; Chatnuntawech, Itthi; Setsompop, Kawin; Cauley, Stephen F; Yendiki, Anastasia; Wald, Lawrence L; Adalsteinsson, Elfar

2013-11-01

Diffusion spectrum imaging reveals detailed local diffusion properties at the expense of substantially long imaging times. It is possible to accelerate acquisition by undersampling in q-space, followed by image reconstruction that exploits prior knowledge on the diffusion probability density functions (pdfs). Previously proposed methods impose this prior in the form of sparsity under wavelet and total variation transforms, or under adaptive dictionaries that are trained on example datasets to maximize the sparsity of the representation. These compressed sensing (CS) methods require full-brain processing times on the order of hours using MATLAB running on a workstation. This work presents two dictionary-based reconstruction techniques that use analytical solutions, and are two orders of magnitude faster than the previously proposed dictionary-based CS approach. The first method generates a dictionary from the training data using principal component analysis (PCA), and performs the reconstruction in the PCA space. The second proposed method applies reconstruction using pseudoinverse with Tikhonov regularization with respect to a dictionary. This dictionary can either be obtained using the K-SVD algorithm, or it can simply be the training dataset of pdfs without any training. All of the proposed methods achieve reconstruction times on the order of seconds per imaging slice, and have reconstruction quality comparable to that of dictionary-based CS algorithm.

Combining diffusion magnetic resonance tractography with stereology highlights increased cross-cortical integration in primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Charvet, Christine J; Hof, Patrick R; Raghanti, Mary Ann; Van Der Kouwe, Andre J; Sherwood, Chet C; Takahashi, Emi

2017-04-01

The isocortex of primates is disproportionately expanded relative to many other mammals, yet little is known about what the expansion of the isocortex entails for differences in cellular composition and connectivity patterns in primates. Across the depth of the isocortex, neurons exhibit stereotypical patterns of projections. Upper-layer neurons (i.e., layers II-IV) project within and across cortical areas, whereas many lower-layer pyramidal neurons (i.e., layers V-VI) favor connections to subcortical regions. To identify evolutionary changes in connectivity patterns, we quantified upper (i.e., layers II-IV)- and lower (i.e., layers V-VI)-layer neuron numbers in primates and other mammals such as rodents and carnivores. We also used MR tractography based on high-angular resolution diffusion imaging and diffusion spectrum imaging to compare anterior-to-posterior corticocortical tracts between primates and other mammals. We found that primates possess disproportionately more upper-layer neurons as well as an expansion of anterior-to-posterior corticocortical tracts compared with other mammals. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that primates deviate from other mammals in exhibiting increased cross-cortical connectivity. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1075-1093, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Diffusion in membranes: Toward a two-dimensional diffusion map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toppozini Laura

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For decades, quasi-elastic neutron scattering has been the prime tool for studying molecular diffusion in membranes over relevant nanometer distances. These experiments are essential to our current understanding of molecular dynamics of lipids, proteins and membrane-active molecules. Recently, we presented experimental evidence from X-ray diffraction and quasi-elastic neutron scattering demonstrating that ethanol enhances the permeability of membranes. At the QENS 2014/WINS 2014 conference we presented a novel technique to measure diffusion across membranes employing 2-dimensional quasi-elastic neutron scattering. We present results from our preliminary analysis of an experiment on the cold neutron multi-chopper spectrometer LET at ISIS, where we studied the self-diffusion of water molecules along lipid membranes and have the possibility of studying the diffusion in membranes. By preparing highly oriented membrane stacks and aligning them horizontally in the spectrometer, our aim is to distinguish between lateral and transmembrane diffusion. Diffusion may also be measured at different locations in the membranes, such as the water layer and the hydrocarbon membrane core. With a complete analysis of the data, 2-dimensional mapping will enable us to determine diffusion channels of water and ethanol molecules to quantitatively determine nanoscale membrane permeability.

Creation of leak-proof silicon carbide diffusion barriers by means of pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reinecke, A.-M.; Lustfeld, M.; Lippmann, W., E-mail: wolfgang.lippmann@tu-dresden.de; Hurtado, A.

2014-05-01

TRISO (tristructural isotropic) coated fuel particles are a crucial element of the HTR safety concept. While TRISO coated particles have been proven as a very efficient barrier for a large range of fission products in HTR experimental reactors, some particular fission products could still diffuse at a considerable rate. Most importantly, radioactive silver {sup 110m}Ag was found to be released from coated particles. In future HTRs with active components like a gas turbine in the primary circuit, such silver contamination may severely limit maintainability of these parts with the result of reduced life-time performance. So far, experimental analyses on silver diffusion through silicon carbide have led to contradictory results. In this work, an alternative method was used to generate silicon carbide layers as a basis for analysis of silver diffusion. With pulsed laser deposition (PLD), it is possible to generate coatings of different materials and various kinds of compounds. In particular, this technology allows the generation of layers very well defined with respect to their composition, purity and density. The microstructure can precisely be manipulated through various parameters. Based on different silicon carbide coatings with well-defined properties, we are going to investigate the silver diffusion process. Our goal is to derive the properties of an ideal silicon carbide coating preventing silver diffusion entirely. In this paper we present the major aspects of our work creating crystalline SiC layers as well as silver and CsI layers both on plane and spherical substrates. Analyses with X-ray diffraction, X-ray spectrometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry show that complex multilayer systems comprising a graphite substrate, a crystalline SiC layer and an intermediate silver layer were successfully created. Major challenges to approach in the future are the handling of high-level intrinsic stresses forming in the layer structure as well as the high vapour

Effects of a finite melt on the thickness and composition of liquid phase epitaxial InGaAsP and InGaAs layers grown by the diffusion-limited step-cooling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, L.W.; Tashima, M.M.; Stillman, G.E.

1980-01-01

The thickness of InGaAsP (lambda/sub g/=1.15 μm) and InGaAs (lambda/sub g/=1.68 μm) liquid phase epitaxial layers grown on (100) InP substrates by the step-cooling technique has been measured as a function of growth time. (lambda/sub g/ is defined as the wavelength corresponding to the energy gap of the epitaxial layer.) For growth times much less than the shortest diffusion time tau/sub i/=l 2 /D/sub i/ of the melt constituents, where l is the melt height and D/sub i/ is the diffusivity of each component in the melt, the thickness is consistent with diffusion-limited theory, and the composition is constant. The time at which the growth rate deviates sharply from diffusion-limited theory and beyond which constant composition growth can no longer be maintained has been determined for the melt size used in our experiments and can be estimated for any melt size

Promoting information diffusion through interlayer recovery processes in multiplex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Li, Weihua; Liu, Longzhao; Pei, Sen; Tang, Shaoting; Zheng, Zhiming

2017-09-01

For information diffusion in multiplex networks, the effect of interlayer contagion on spreading dynamics has been explored in different settings. Nevertheless, the impact of interlayer recovery processes, i.e., the transition of nodes to stiflers in all layers after they become stiflers in any layer, still remains unclear. In this paper, we propose a modified ignorant-spreader-stifler model of rumor spreading equipped with an interlayer recovery mechanism. We find that the information diffusion can be effectively promoted for a range of interlayer recovery rates. By combining the mean-field approximation and the Markov chain approach, we derive the evolution equations of the diffusion process in two-layer homogeneous multiplex networks. The optimal interlayer recovery rate that achieves the maximal enhancement can be calculated by solving the equations numerically. In addition, we find that the promoting effect on a certain layer can be strengthened if information spreads more extensively within the counterpart layer. When applying the model to two-layer scale-free multiplex networks, with or without degree correlation, similar promoting effect is also observed in simulations. Our work indicates that the interlayer recovery process is beneficial to information diffusion in multiplex networks, which may have implications for designing efficient spreading strategies.

Discovery of chemical oscillatory layering in adarce from Rehai, Tengchong, Yunnan and its genetic mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jianghai; Dong Jinquan

1994-01-01

Based on characteristics of mineral assemblages and compositions of sinter in several typical region, Western Yunnan, it is recognized that rhythmic compositional layering is widespread in sinter. According to self-organization theory and fluid dynamic experiments completed by predecessors, the authors have studied dynamic features of fluids in thermo-chamber; and concluded that in which double-diffusive convection layering would imperatively take place on the basis of estimation of dynamic parameters and determination of differences between RT and R0. Finally, a two-stage genetic model has been put forward for explaining the rhythmic layering in sinter, i.e. :1) double-diffusive convection of fluid in chambers was induced by the gradients of temperature and concentration; and 2) the rising of layered fluids and the precipitation of the chemical material occurred. Obviously, rhythmic layering in sinter is a typical self-organizational phenomenon

Atomic-layer-deposited WNxCy thin films as diffusion barrier for copper metallization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soo-Hyun; Oh, Su Suk; Kim, Ki-Bum; Kang, Dae-Hwan; Li, Wei-Min; Haukka, Suvi; Tuominen, Marko

2003-01-01

The properties of WN x C y films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using WF 6 , NH 3 , and triethyl boron as source gases were characterized as a diffusion barrier for copper metallization. It is noted that the as-deposited film shows an extremely low resistivity of about 350 μΩ cm with a film density of 15.37 g/cm 3 . The film composition measured from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry shows W, C, and N of ∼48, 32, and 20 at. %, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the as-deposited film is composed of face-centered-cubic phase with a lattice parameter similar to both β-WC 1-x and β-W 2 N with an equiaxed microstructure. The barrier property of this ALD-WN x C y film at a nominal thickness of 12 nm deposited between Cu and Si fails only after annealing at 700 deg. C for 30 min

Diffusive Interaction Between Ni-Cr-Al Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Tkacz-Śmiech, Katarzyna; Danielewski, Marek; Bożek, Bogusław; Berent, Katarzyna; Zientara, Dariusz; Zajusz, Marek

2017-05-01

In high-temperature coatings, welded parts, and a range of other applications, components in the contact zone interdiffuse at elevated temperatures and may react to change the phase composition. The diffusion zone can be complex and can consist of sequential layers of intermediate phases, solid solutions, and in the case of multicomponent systems also of multiphase layers. In this work, the interdiffusion in Ni-Cr-Al alloys is studied experimentally and modeled numerically. The diffusion multiples were prepared by hot isostatic pressing and post-annealing at 1473 K (1200 °C). The concentration profiles were measured with wide-line EDS technique which allowed obtaining high-accuracy diffusion paths. The experimental profiles and diffusion paths were compared with numerical results simulated with application of very recent model of interdiffusion in muticomponent-multiphase systems. The calculated and experimental data show good agreement.

Diffusion under water-saturated conditions in PFA/OPC-based structural concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, A.W.; Nickerson, A.K.

1990-05-01

A substantial proportion of the volume of the UK radioactive waste repository is likely to be composed of materials based on hydraulic cements. This includes the structural components, which are likely to be manufactured from concrete. The mass transport characteristics of dissolved species for a typical structural concrete, based on a mixture of pulverised fuel ash and ordinary Portland cement, have been measured in a water-saturated condition. Both the water permeability and the diffusion parameters (for caesium, strontium and iodide ion and tritiated water diffusion) are low compared to values obtained for other structural concretes. The intrinsic diffusion coefficients for iodide and caesium ions are in the range 2-5x10 -14 m 2 s -1 . There is no evidence of significant sorption of any of the diffusants studied. (author)

TEMPO/viologen electrochemical heterojunction for diffusion-controlled redox mediation: a highly rectifying bilayer-sandwiched device based on cross-reaction at the interface between dissimilar redox polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokue, Hiroshi; Oyaizu, Kenichi; Sukegawa, Takashi; Nishide, Hiroyuki

2014-03-26

A couple of totally reversible redox-active molecules, which are different in redox potentials, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPO) and viologen (V(2+)), were employed to give rise to a rectified redox conduction effect. Single-layer and bilayer devices were fabricated using polymers containing these sites as pendant groups per repeating unit. The devices were obtained by sandwiching the redox polymer layer(s) with indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass and Pt foil electrodes. Electrochemical measurements of the single-layer device composed of polynorbornene-bearing TEMPO (PTNB) exhibited a diffusion-limited current-voltage response based on the TEMPO(+)/TEMPO exchange reaction, which was almost equivalent to a redox gradient through the PTNB layer depending upon the thickness. The bilayer device gave rise to the current rectification because of the thermodynamically favored cross-reaction between TEMPO(+) and V(+) at the polymer/polymer interface. A current-voltage response obtained for the bilayer device demonstrated a two-step diffusion-limited current behavior as a result of the concurrent V(2+)/V(+) and V(+)/V(0) exchange reactions according to the voltage and suggested that the charge transport process through the device was most likely to be rate-determined by a redox gradient in the polymer layer. Current collection experiments revealed a charge transport balance throughout the device, as a result of the electrochemical stability and robustness of the polymers in both redox states.

Determination of carrier diffusion length in GaN

Science.gov (United States)

Hafiz, Shopan; Zhang, Fan; Monavarian, Morteza; Avrutin, Vitaliy; Morkoç, Hadis; Özgür, Ümit; Metzner, Sebastian; Bertram, Frank; Christen, Jürgen; Gil, Bernard

2015-01-01

Diffusion lengths of photo-excited carriers along the c-direction were determined from photoluminescence (PL) and cross-sectional cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements in p- and n-type GaN epitaxial layers grown on c-plane sapphire by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The investigated samples incorporate a 6 nm thick In0.15Ga0.85N active layer capped with either 500 nm p-GaN or 1500 nm n-GaN. The top GaN layers were etched in steps and PL from the InGaN active region and the underlying layers was monitored as a function of the top GaN thickness upon photo-generation near the surface region by above bandgap excitation. Taking into consideration the absorption in the top GaN layer as well as active and underlying layers, the diffusion lengths at 295 K and at 15 K were measured to be 93 ± 7 nm and 70 ± 7 nm for Mg-doped p-type GaN and 432 ± 30 nm and 316 ± 30 nm for unintentionally doped n-type GaN, respectively, at photogenerated carrier densities of 4.2 × 1018 cm-3 using PL spectroscopy. CL measurements of the unintentionally doped n-type GaN layer at much lower carrier densities of 1017 cm-3 revealed a longer diffusion length of 525 ± 11 nm at 6 K.

An overview of the oxidation performance of silicide diffusion coatings for vanadium-based alloys for generation IV reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaia, N.; Mathieu, S.; Cozzika, T.; Rouillard, F.; Desgranges, C.; Courouau, J.L.; Petitjean, C.; David, N.; Vilasi, M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Diffusion barrier to oxygen were manufactured by pack cementation diffusion process. ► The use of CrSi 2 + Si and TiSi 2 + Si as masteralloys increased the quality of the coating. ► Thermodynamic stability (coatings/vanadium) was obtained at the operating temperature. ► MSi 2 coatings developed low growing oxide scale in air and at low oxygen pressure. ► Coatings presented high compatibility with liquid sodium ( 2 ) for 360 h. - Abstract: This study focuses on the development of new protective coatings for the vanadium-based alloy V-4Cr-4Ti. Halide-activated pack-cementation (HAPC) technique was used to develop V x Si y multilayered diffusive silicide coatings. The outer layers (coatings) were formed of VSi 2 doped with 27 at.% Cr or TiSi 2 . These compounds exhibited a very low oxidation rate at 650 °C, both in air and at a low oxygen pressure (He, 5 ppm O 2 ). The coatings formed mainly of MSi 2 were found to be insensitive to pesting and largely unreactive to liquid sodium ( 2 ) during a 360 h compatibility test at 550 °C.

Nitrogen-doped carbonaceous catalysts for gas-diffusion cathodes for alkaline aluminum-air batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Davydova, E. S.; Atamanyuk, I. N.; Ilyukhin, A. S.; Shkolnikov, E. I.; Zhuk, A. Z.

2016-02-01

Cobalt tetramethoxyphenyl porphyrin and polyacrylonitrile - based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction were synthesized and characterized by means of SEM, TEM, XPS, BET, limited evaporation method, rotating disc and rotating ring-disc electrode methods. Half-cell and Al-air cell tests were carried out to determine the characteristics of gas-diffusion cathodes. Effect of active layer thickness and its composition on the characteristics of the gas-diffusion cathodes was investigated. Power density of 300 mW cm-2 was achieved for alkaline Al-air cell with an air-breathing polyacrylonitrile-based cathode.

Direct synthesis of Pt-free catalyst on gas diffusion layer of fuel cell and usage of high boiling point fuels for efficient utilization of waste heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nandan, Ravi; Goswami, Gopal Krishna; Nanda, Karuna Kar

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: Direct-grown boron-doped carbon nanotubes on gas-diffusion layer as efficient Pt-free cathode catalyst for alcohol fuel cells, high boiling point fuels used to obtain hot fuels for the enhancement of cell performance that paves the way for the utilization of waste heat. Display Omitted -- Highlights: •One-step direct synthesis of boron-doped carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) on gas diffusion layer (GDL). •Home built fuel-cell testing using BCNTs on GDL as Pt-free cathode catalyst. •BCNTs exhibit concentration dependent oxygen reduction reaction and the cell performance. •Effective utilization of waste heat to raise the fuel temperature. •Fuel selectivity to raise the fuel temperature and the overall performance of the fuel cells. -- Abstract: Gas diffusion layers (GDL) and electrocatalysts are integral parts of fuel cells. It is, however, a challenging task to grow Pt-free robust electrocatalyst directly on GDL for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) – a key reaction in fuel cells. Here, we demonstrate that boron-doped carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) grown directly on gas-diffusion layer (which avoid the need of ionomer solution used for catalyst loading) can be used as efficient Pt-free catalyst in alcohol fuel cells. Increase in boron concentration improves the electrochemical ORR activity in terms of onset and ORR peak positions, half-wave potentials and diffusion-limited current density that ensure the optimization of the device performance. The preferential 4e − pathway, excellent cell performance, superior tolerance to fuel crossover and long-term stability makes directly grown BCNTs as an efficient Pt-free cathode catalyst for cost-effective fuel cells. The maximum power density of the fuel cell is found to increase monotonically with boron concentration. In addition to the application of BCNTs in fuel cell, we have introduced the concept of hot fuels so that waste heat can effectively be used and external power sources can be avoided. The fuel

Layer-by-Layer Alginate and Fungal Chitosan Based Edible Coatings Applied to Fruit Bars.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilbao-Sainz, Cristina; Chiou, Bor-Sen; Punotai, Kaylin; Olson, Donald; Williams, Tina; Wood, Delilah; Rodov, Victor; Poverenov, Elena; McHugh, Tara

2018-05-30

Food waste is currently being generated at an increasing rate. One proposed solution would be to convert it to biopolymers for industrial applications. We recovered chitin from mushroom waste and converted it to chitosan to produce edible coatings. We then used layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic deposition of the polycation chitosan and the polyanion alginate to coat fruit bars enriched with ascorbic acid. The performance of the LbL coatings was compared with those containing single layers of fungal chitosan, animal origin chitosan and alginate. Bars containing alginate-chitosan LbL coatings showed increased ascorbic acid content, antioxidant capacity, firmness and fungal growth prevention during storage. Also, the origin of the chitosan did not affect the properties of the coatings. Mushroom stalk bases could be an alternative source for isolating chitosan with similar properties to animal-based chitosan. Also, layer-by-layer assembly is a cheap, simple method that can improve the quality and safety of fruit bars. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Fast Dictionary-Based Reconstruction for Diffusion Spectrum Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Bilgic, Berkin; Chatnuntawech, Itthi; Setsompop, Kawin; Cauley, Stephen F.; Yendiki, Anastasia; Wald, Lawrence L.; Adalsteinsson, Elfar

2015-01-01

Diffusion Spectrum Imaging (DSI) reveals detailed local diffusion properties at the expense of substantially long imaging times. It is possible to accelerate acquisition by undersampling in q-space, followed by image reconstruction that exploits prior knowledge on the diffusion probability density functions (pdfs). Previously proposed methods impose this prior in the form of sparsity under wavelet and total variation (TV) transforms, or under adaptive dictionaries that are trained on example datasets to maximize the sparsity of the representation. These compressed sensing (CS) methods require full-brain processing times on the order of hours using Matlab running on a workstation. This work presents two dictionary-based reconstruction techniques that use analytical solutions, and are two orders of magnitude faster than the previously proposed dictionary-based CS approach. The first method generates a dictionary from the training data using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and performs the reconstruction in the PCA space. The second proposed method applies reconstruction using pseudoinverse with Tikhonov regularization with respect to a dictionary. This dictionary can either be obtained using the K-SVD algorithm, or it can simply be the training dataset of pdfs without any training. All of the proposed methods achieve reconstruction times on the order of seconds per imaging slice, and have reconstruction quality comparable to that of dictionary-based CS algorithm. PMID:23846466

Solubility and diffusivity of hydrogen in complex materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchheim, R.

2001-01-01

A general model based on Statistical Mechanics and Random Walk is presented which allows to describe the behavior of hydrogen in disordered systems, i.e. metallic glasses, amorphous silicon, nanocrystalline metals, deformed metals, disordered metallic solutions, and metallic multi layers. The various systems are specified by a lattice with an appropriate site energy disorder and a distribution of site transitions rates. Lattice sites are filled according to Fermi-Dirac Statistics because double occupancy is excluded. Thus the model is applicable to adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces or solutions of small particles in oxide glasses and polymers. With a given distribution of site energies a relationship between chemical potential (Fermi energy) of hydrogen and its concentration can be derived and compared with experimental results. It is a unique feature of hydrogen that its chemical potential and its diffusion coefficient can be determined rather easily by electrochemical techniques or by measuring partial pressures at moderate temperatures around 300 K. With increasing H-content the sites are usually filled from lower to higher energies. As a consequence Henry's Law is not fulfilled and the diffusion coefficient increases because at high concentrations low energy sites are saturated and additional H-atoms have to perform their random walk through sites of low occupancy or small time of residence, respectively. Some results for metallic glasses, nanocrystalline metals, deformed metals, and metallic multi layers are presented and compared with the model. Thus information on the interaction between defects (dislocations, grain boundaries, distorted tetrahedral sites in glasses) and hydrogen are obtained. For extended defects the diffusion is strongly anisotropic, i.e. it differs in a Pd/Nb-multi layer by a factor of 10 5 for diffusion in plane and out of plane. (orig.)

Ag diffusion in cubic silicon carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrader, David; Khalil, Sarah M.; Gerczak, Tyler; Allen, Todd R.; Heim, Andrew J.; Szlufarska, Izabela; Morgan, Dane

2011-01-01

The diffusion of Ag impurities in bulk 3C-SiC is studied using ab initio methods based on density functional theory. This work is motivated by the desire to reduce transport of radioactive Ag isotopes through the SiC boundary layer in the Tristructural-Isotropic (TRISO) fuel pellet, which is a significant concern for the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) nuclear reactor concept. The structure and stability of charged Ag and Ag-vacancy clusters in SiC are calculated. Relevant intrinsic SiC defect energies are also determined. The most stable state for the Ag impurity in SiC is found to be a Ag atom substituting on the Si sub-lattice and bound to a C vacancy. Bulk diffusion coefficients are estimated for different impurity states and values are all found to have very high activation energy. The impurity state with the lowest activation energy for diffusion is found to be the Ag interstitial, with an activation energy of approximately 7.9 eV. The high activation energies for Ag diffusion in bulk 3C-SiC cause Ag transport to be very slow in the bulk and suggests that observed Ag transport in this material is due to an alternative mechanism (e.g., grain boundary diffusion).

Transient Convection, Diffusion, and Adsorption in Surface-Based Biosensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rasmus; Bruus, Henrik; Callisen, Thomas H.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a theoretical and computational investigation of convection, diffusion, and adsorption in surface-based biosensors. In particular, we study the transport dynamics in a model geometry of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. The work, however, is equally relevant for other...... microfluidic surface-based biosensors, operating under flow conditions. A widely adopted approximate quasi-steady theory to capture convective and diffusive mass transport is reviewed, and an analytical solution is presented. An expression of the Damköhler number is derived in terms of the nondimensional...... concentration to the maximum surface capacity is critical for reliable use of the quasi-steady theory. Finally, our results provide users of surface-based biosensors with a tool for correcting experimentally obtained adsorption rate constants....

Temperature boundary layer profiles in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection

Science.gov (United States)

Ching, Emily S. C.; Emran, Mohammad S.; Horn, Susanne; Shishkina, Olga

2017-11-01

Classical boundary-layer theory for steady flows cannot adequately describe the boundary layer profiles in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection. We have developed a thermal boundary layer equation which takes into account fluctuations in terms of an eddy thermal diffusivity. Based on Prandtl's mixing length ideas, we relate the eddy thermal diffusivity to the stream function. With this proposed relation, we can solve the thermal boundary layer equation and obtain a closed-form expression for the dimensionless mean temperature profile in terms of two independent parameters: θ(ξ) =1/b∫0b ξ [ 1 +3a3/b3(η - arctan(η)) ] - c dη , where ξ is the similarity variable and the parameters a, b, and c are related by the condition θ(∞) = 1 . With a proper choice of the parameters, our predictions of the temperature profile are in excellent agreement with the results of our direct numerical simulations for a wide range of Prandtl numbers (Pr), from Pr=0.01 to Pr=2547.9. OS, ME and SH acknowledge the financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under Grants Sh405/4-2 (Heisenberg fellowship), Sh405/3-2 and Ho 5890/1-1, respectively.

Diffusion of hydrogen interstitials in Zr based AB2 and mischmetal based AB5 alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mani, N; Ravi, N; Ramaprabhu, S

2005-01-01

The Zr based AB 2 alloys ZrMnFe 0.5 Ni 0.5 , ZrMnFe 0.5 Co 0.5 and mischmetal (Mm) based AB 5 alloy MmNi 3.5 Al 0.5 Fe 0.5 Co 0.5 have been prepared and characterized by means of powder x-ray diffractograms. The hydrogen absorption kinetics of these alloys have been studied in the temperature and pressure ranges 450-650 0 C and 10-100 mbar respectively with a maximum H to host alloy formula unit ratio of 0.01, using a pressure reduction technique. The diffusion coefficient of the hydrogen interstitials has been determined from hydrogen absorption kinetics experiments. The dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the alloy content has been discussed. For Mm based MmNi 3.5 Al 0.5 Fe 0.5 Co 0.5 alloy, the diffusion coefficient is about an order of magnitude higher than that of the Zr based alloys

Conductive polymer layers to limit transfer of fuel reactants to catalysts of fuel cells to reduce reactant crossover

Science.gov (United States)

Stanis, Ronald J.; Lambert, Timothy N.

2016-12-06

An apparatus of an aspect includes a fuel cell catalyst layer. The fuel cell catalyst layer is operable to catalyze a reaction involving a fuel reactant. A fuel cell gas diffusion layer is coupled with the fuel cell catalyst layer. The fuel cell gas diffusion layer includes a porous electrically conductive material. The porous electrically conductive material is operable to allow the fuel reactant to transfer through the fuel cell gas diffusion layer to reach the fuel cell catalyst layer. The porous electrically conductive material is also operable to conduct electrons associated with the reaction through the fuel cell gas diffusion layer. An electrically conductive polymer material is coupled with the fuel cell gas diffusion layer. The electrically conductive polymer material is operable to limit transfer of the fuel reactant to the fuel cell catalyst layer.

Study of Nitrogen Effect on the Boron Diffusion during Heat Treatment in Polycrystalline Silicon/Nitrogen-Doped Silicon Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Saci, Lynda; Mahamdi, Ramdane; Mansour, Farida; Boucher, Jonathan; Collet, Maéva; Bedel Pereira, Eléna; Temple-Boyer, Pierre

2011-05-01

The present paper studies the boron (B) diffusion in nitrogen (N) doped amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer in original bi-layer B-doped polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si)/in-situ N-doped Si layers (NIDOS) thin films deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique. The B diffusion in the NIDOS layer was investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. A new extended diffusion model is proposed to fit the SIMS profile of the bi-layer films. This model introduces new terms which take into account the effect of N concentration on the complex diffusion phenomena of B atoms in bi-layer films. SIMS results show that B diffusion does not exceed one third of NIDOS layer thickness after annealing. The reduction of the B diffusion in the NIDOS layer is due to the formation of complex B-N as shown by infrared absorption measurements. Electrical measurements using four-probe and Hall effect techniques show the good conductivity of the B-doped poly-Si layer after annealing treatment.

Mixing process of a binary gas in a density stratified layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, Tetsuaki [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Research Establishment

1997-09-01

This study is to investigate the effect of natural convection on the mixing process by molecular diffusion in a vertical stratified layer of a binary fluid. There are many experimental and analytical studies on natural convection in the vertical fluid layer. However, there are few studies on natural convection with molecular diffusion in the vertical stratified layer of a binary gas. Experimental study has been performed on the combined phenomena of molecular diffusion and natural convection in a binary gas system to investigate the mixing process of the binary gas in a vertical slot consisting of one side heated and the other side cooled. The range of Rayleigh number based on the slot width was about 0 < Ra{sub d} < 7.5 x 10{sup 4}. The density change of the gas mixture and the temperature distribution in the slot was obtained and the mixing process when the heavier gas ingress into the vertical slot filled with the lighter gas from the bottom side of the slot was discussed. The experimental results showed that the mixing process due to molecular diffusion was affected significantly by the natural convection induced by the slightly temperature difference between both vertical walls even if a density difference by the binary gas is larger than that by the temperature difference. (author). 81 refs.

The inversion layer of electric fields and electron phase-space-hole structure during two-dimensional collisionless magnetic reconnection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Lijen; Lefebvre, Bertrand; Torbert, Roy B.; Daughton, William S.

2011-01-01

Based on two-dimensional fully kinetic simulations that resolve the electron diffusion layer in undriven collisionless magnetic reconnection with zero guide field, this paper reports the existence and evolution of an inversion layer of bipolar electric fields, its corresponding phase-space structure (an electron-hole layer), and the implication to collisionless dissipation. The inversion electric field layer is embedded in the layer of bipolar Hall electric field and extends throughout the entire length of the electron diffusion layer. The electron phase-space hole structure spontaneously arises during the explosive growth phase when there exist significant inflows into the reconnection layer, and electrons perform meandering orbits across the layer while being cyclotron-turned toward the outflow directions. The cyclotron turning of meandering electrons by the magnetic field normal to the reconnection layer is shown to be a primary factor limiting the current density in the region where the reconnection electric field is balanced by the gradient (along the current sheet normal) of the off-diagonal electron pressure-tensor.

On the dynamics of flame edges in diffusion-flame/vortex interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermanns, Miguel; Linan, Amable [Departamento de Motopropulsion y Termofluidodinamica, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Pza. Cardenal Cisneros 3, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Vera, Marcos [Area de Mecanica de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganes (Spain)

2007-04-15

We analyze the local flame extinction and reignition of a counterflow diffusion flame perturbed by a laminar vortex ring. Local flame extinction leads to the appearance of flame edges separating the burning and extinguished regions of the distorted mixing layer. The dynamics of these edges is modeled based on previous numerical results, with heat release effects fully taken into account, which provide the propagation velocity of triple and edge flames in terms of the upstream unperturbed value of the scalar dissipation. The temporal evolution of the mixing layer is determined using the classical mixture fraction approach, with both unsteady and curvature effects taken into account. Although variable density effects play an important role in exothermic reacting mixing layers, in this paper the description of the mixing layer is carried out using the constant density approximation, leading to a simplified analytical description of the flow field. The mathematical model reveals the relevant nondimensional parameters governing diffusion-flame/vortex interactions and provides the parameter range for the more relevant regime of local flame extinction followed by reignition via flame edges. Despite the simplicity of the model, the results show very good agreement with previously published experimental results. (author)

Active Layer Spin Coating Speed Dependence of Inverted Organic Solar Cell Based on Eosin-Y-Coated ZnO Nanorod Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Ginting, R. T.; Yap, C. C.; Yahaya, M.; Fauzia, V.; Salleh, M. M.

2013-04-01

The active layer spin coating speed dependence of the performance of inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) based on Eosin-Y-coated ZnOnanorods has been investigated. An active layer consisted of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl)-hexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) as donor and phenyl-c61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as acceptor was employed, whereas ZnO nanorods were utilized as electron transporting layer. The active layer was deposited on top of Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorods with various spin coating speeds (1000-4000 rpm). Inverted OSCs with a structure of FTO/Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorods/MEH-PPV:PCBM /Ag were characterized through the current density-voltage (J-V) measurement under illumination intensity of 100 mW/cm2. Based on the investigation, the short circuit current density (Jsc) and the power conversion efficiency (PCE) enhanced significantly, where as fill factor slightly increased with spin coating speed. The two-diode equivalent model was found to fit the experimental J-V curves very well. The optimum PCE of 1.18 ± 0.07% was achieved at the highest spin coating speed of 4000 rpm, as a result of the decrement of diffusion current density (Jdiff), recombination current density (Jrec), and ideality factor, thus further confirms the strong built-in electric field in thinner photoactive layer.

A Novel Preferential Diffusion Recommendation Algorithm Based on User’s Nearest Neighbors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuguo Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recommender system is a very efficient way to deal with the problem of information overload for online users. In recent years, network based recommendation algorithms have demonstrated much better performance than the standard collaborative filtering methods. However, most of network based algorithms do not give a high enough weight to the influence of the target user’s nearest neighbors in the resource diffusion process, while a user or an object with high degree will obtain larger influence in the standard mass diffusion algorithm. In this paper, we propose a novel preferential diffusion recommendation algorithm considering the significance of the target user’s nearest neighbors and evaluate it in the three real-world data sets: MovieLens 100k, MovieLens 1M, and Epinions. Experiments results demonstrate that the novel preferential diffusion recommendation algorithm based on user’s nearest neighbors can significantly improve the recommendation accuracy and diversity.

Derivation of the neutron diffusion equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mika, J.R.; Banasiak, J.

1994-01-01

We discuss the diffusion equation as an asymptotic limit of the neutron transport equation for large scattering cross sections. We show that the classical asymptotic expansion procedure does not lead to the diffusion equation and present two modified approaches to overcome this difficulty. The effect of the initial layer is also discussed. (authors). 9 refs

Doped LZO buffer layers for laminated conductors

Science.gov (United States)

Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [Knoxville, TN; Schoop, Urs [Westborough, MA; Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN; Thieme, Cornelis Leo Hans [Westborough, MA; Verebelyi, Darren T [Oxford, MA; Rupich, Martin W [Framingham, MA

2010-03-23

A laminated conductor includes a metallic substrate having a surface, a biaxially textured buffer layer supported by the surface of the substrate, the biaxially textured buffer layer comprising LZO and a dopant for mitigating metal diffusion through the LZO, and a biaxially textured conductor layer supported by the biaxially textured buffer layer.

Carbon-based layer-by-layer nanostructures: from films to hollow capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jinkee; Han, Jung Yeon; Yoon, Hyunsik; Joo, Piljae; Lee, Taemin; Seo, Eunyong; Char, Kookheon; Kim, Byeong-Su

2011-11-01

Over the past years, the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has been widely developed as one of the most powerful techniques to prepare multifunctional films with desired functions, structures and morphologies because of its versatility in the process steps in both material and substrate choices. Among various functional nanoscale objects, carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets, are promising candidates for emerging science and technology with their unique physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. In particular, carbon-based functional multilayer coatings based on the LbL assembly are currently being actively pursued as conducting electrodes, batteries, solar cells, supercapacitors, fuel cells and sensor applications. In this article, we give an overview on the use of carbon materials in nanostructured films and capsules prepared by the LbL assembly with the aim of unraveling the unique features and their applications of carbon multilayers prepared by the LbL assembly.

Ta thickness-dependent perpendicular magnetic anisotropy features in Ta/CoFeB/MgO/W free layer stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, SeungMo; Lee, JaBin; An, GwangGuk [Novel Functional Materials and Devices Lab, The Research Institute for Natural Science, Department of Physics, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, JaeHong [Division of Nano-Scale Semiconductor Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Chung, WooSeong [Nano Quantum Electronics Lab, Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, JinPyo, E-mail: jphong@hanyang.ac.kr [Novel Functional Materials and Devices Lab, The Research Institute for Natural Science, Department of Physics, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Division of Nano-Scale Semiconductor Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-07-31

We describe Ta underlayer thickness influence on thermal stability of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Ta/CoFeB/MgO/W stacks. It is believed that thermal stability based on Ta underlay is associated with thermally-activated Ta atom diffusion during annealing. The difference in Ta thickness-dependent diffusion behaviors was confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Along with a feasible Ta thickness model, our observations suggest that an appropriate seed layer choice is needed for high temperature annealing stability, a critical issue in the memory industry. - Highlights: • We observed changes in the diffusion behavior with regard to Ta seed layer thickness. • It was observed that a thinner Ta seed layer induced more annealing-stable features. • However, ultra-thin (0.75 nm) Ta shows unstable characteristics about the annealing process. • It was possibly due to a rugged interface of the Ta layer by the island growth process.

Model analysis of the influence of gas diffusivity in soil on CO and H2 uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yonemura, S.; Yokozawa, M.; Kawashima, S.; Tsuruta, H.

2000-01-01

CO and H 2 uptake by soil was studied as a diffusion process. A diffusion model was used to determine how the surface fluxes (net deposition velocities) were controlled by in-situ microbial uptake rates and soil gas diffusivity calculated from the 3-phase system (solid, liquid, gas) in the soil. Analytical solutions of the diffusion model assuming vertical uniformity of soil properties showed that physical properties such as air-filled porosity and soil gas diffusivity were more important in the uptake process than in the emission process. To incorporate the distribution of in-situ microbial uptake, we used a 2-layer model incorporating 'a microbiologically inactive layer and an active layer' as suggested from experimental results. By numerical simulation using the 2-layer model, we estimated the effect of several factors on deposition velocities. The variations in soil gas diffusivity due to physical properties, i.e., soil moisture and air-filled porosity, as well as to the depth of the inactive layer and in-situ microbial uptake, were found to be important in controlling deposition velocities. This result shows that the diffusion process in soil is critically important for CO and H 2 uptake by soil, at least in soils with higher in-situ uptake rates and/or with large variation in soil moisture. Similar uptake rates and the difference in deposition velocity between CO and H 2 may be attributable to differences in CO and H 2 molecular diffusivity. The inactive layer is resistant to diffusion and creates uptake limits in CO and H 2 by soil. The coupling of high temperature and a thick inactive layer, common in arid soils, markedly lowers net CO deposition velocity. The temperature for maximum uptake of CO changes with depth of the inactive layer

Origin of variation of shift field via annealing at 400°C in a perpendicular-anisotropy magnetic tunnel junction with [Co/Pt]-multilayers based synthetic ferrimagnetic reference layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Honjo

2017-05-01

Full Text Available We investigated properties of perpendicular-anisotropy magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs with [Co/Pt]-multilayer based synthetic ferrimagnetic reference (SyF layer at elevated annealing temperature Ta from 350°C to 400°C. Shift field HS defined as center field of minor resistance versus magnetic field curve of the MTJs increased with increase of Ta from 350°C to 400°C. The variation of HS is attributed to the variation of saturation magnetic moment in the SyF reference layer. Cross sectional energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that Fe element of CoFeB in the reference layer diffuses to Co/Pt multilayers in the SyF reference layer.

Interface structure of Be/DSCu diffusion bonding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makino, T.; Iwadachi, T. [NGK Insulators Ltd., Nagoya (Japan)

1998-01-01

Beryllium is used as plasma facing components of the first wall on ITER. Dispersion-Strengthened Copper (DSCu) is used as heat sink material by joining to Be because DSCu has high thermal conductivity and strength. In this study, Be/DSCu diffusion bonding tests using the interlayer of Al, Ni, Nb, Ti, Zr and Be-Cu alloy have been conducted to choose the suitable interlayer materials. As a result of the shear strength tests, Be/DSCu joints by using Be-Cu alloy interlayer showed the strength of about 200 MPa. Diffusion bonding tests using Be-Cu alloy interlayer or no interlayer (direct bonding) at the range of temperature from 600degC to 850degC have been conducted to identify the effect of bonding temperature and time on interface formation and strength. The thickness of diffusion layer was proportional to a square root of bonding time by diffusion controlled process. The shear strength is controlled by the formation of intermetallic layer at Be side. (author)

How thin barrier metal can be used to prevent Co diffusion in the modern integrated circuits?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixit, Hemant; Konar, Aniruddha; Pandey, Rajan; Ethirajan, Tamilmani

2017-01-01

In modern integrated circuits (ICs), billions of transistors are connected to each other via thin metal layers (e.g. copper, cobalt, etc) known as interconnects. At elevated process temperatures, inter-diffusion of atomic species can occur among these metal layers, causing sub-optimal performance of interconnects, which may lead to the failure of an IC. Thus, typically a thin barrier metal layer is used to prevent the inter-diffusion of atomic species within interconnects. For ICs with sub-10 nm transistors (10 nm technology node), the design rule (thickness scaling) demands the thinnest possible barrier layer. Therefore, here we investigate the critical thickness of a titanium–nitride (TiN) barrier that can prevent the cobalt diffusion using multi-scale modeling and simulations. First, we compute the Co diffusion barrier in crystalline and amorphous TiN with the nudged elastic band method within first-principles density functional theory simulations. Later, using the calculated activation energy barriers, we quantify the Co diffusion length in the TiN metal layer with the help of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Such a multi-scale modelling approach yields an exact critical thickness of the metal layer sufficient to prevent the Co diffusion in IC interconnects. We obtain a diffusion length of a maximum of 2 nm for a typical process of thermal annealing at 400 °C for 30 min. Our study thus provides useful physical insights for the Co diffusion in the TiN layer and further quantifies the critical thickness (∼2 nm) to which the metal barrier layer can be thinned down for sub-10 nm ICs. (paper)

How thin barrier metal can be used to prevent Co diffusion in the modern integrated circuits?

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Hemant; Konar, Aniruddha; Pandey, Rajan; Ethirajan, Tamilmani

2017-11-01

In modern integrated circuits (ICs), billions of transistors are connected to each other via thin metal layers (e.g. copper, cobalt, etc) known as interconnects. At elevated process temperatures, inter-diffusion of atomic species can occur among these metal layers, causing sub-optimal performance of interconnects, which may lead to the failure of an IC. Thus, typically a thin barrier metal layer is used to prevent the inter-diffusion of atomic species within interconnects. For ICs with sub-10 nm transistors (10 nm technology node), the design rule (thickness scaling) demands the thinnest possible barrier layer. Therefore, here we investigate the critical thickness of a titanium-nitride (TiN) barrier that can prevent the cobalt diffusion using multi-scale modeling and simulations. First, we compute the Co diffusion barrier in crystalline and amorphous TiN with the nudged elastic band method within first-principles density functional theory simulations. Later, using the calculated activation energy barriers, we quantify the Co diffusion length in the TiN metal layer with the help of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Such a multi-scale modelling approach yields an exact critical thickness of the metal layer sufficient to prevent the Co diffusion in IC interconnects. We obtain a diffusion length of a maximum of 2 nm for a typical process of thermal annealing at 400 °C for 30 min. Our study thus provides useful physical insights for the Co diffusion in the TiN layer and further quantifies the critical thickness (~2 nm) to which the metal barrier layer can be thinned down for sub-10 nm ICs.

Gas Diffusivity-Based Design and Characterization of Greenhouse Growth Substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deepagoda Thuduwe Kankanamge Kelum, Chamindu; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

2013-01-01

combinations thereof, are commonly used as growth media, detailed and comparable physical characterization is key to identify the best performing media. In this study, five potential growth media and two mixtures thereof were characterized based on soil gas diffusivity (Dp/Do, where Dp and Do are gas diffusion...... coefficients in soil air and free air, respectively) and an operationally defined critical window of diffusivity (CWD) representing the interval of air-filled porosity between critical air filled porosity where Dp/Do ≈ 0.02 and interaggregate porosity. The Dp measurements were conducted with 100-cm3 samples...

Recommendation based on trust diffusion model.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Jinfeng; Li, Li

2014-01-01

Recommender system is emerging as a powerful and popular tool for online information relevant to a given user. The traditional recommendation system suffers from the cold start problem and the data sparsity problem. Many methods have been proposed to solve these problems, but few can achieve satisfactory efficiency. In this paper, we present a method which combines the trust diffusion (DiffTrust) algorithm and the probabilistic matrix factorization (PMF). DiffTrust is first used to study the possible diffusions of trust between various users. It is able to make use of the implicit relationship of the trust network, thus alleviating the data sparsity problem. The probabilistic matrix factorization (PMF) is then employed to combine the users' tastes with their trusted friends' interests. We evaluate the algorithm on Flixster, Moviedata, and Epinions datasets, respectively. The experimental results show that the recommendation based on our proposed DiffTrust + PMF model achieves high performance in terms of the root mean square error (RMSE), Recall, and F Measure.

TaDb: A time-aware diffusion-based recommender algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen-Jun; Xu, Yuan-Yuan; Dong, Qiang; Zhou, Jun-Lin; Fu, Yan

2015-02-01

Traditional recommender algorithms usually employ the early and recent records indiscriminately, which overlooks the change of user interests over time. In this paper, we show that the interests of a user remain stable in a short-term interval and drift during a long-term period. Based on this observation, we propose a time-aware diffusion-based (TaDb) recommender algorithm, which assigns different temporal weights to the leading links existing before the target user's collection and the following links appearing after that in the diffusion process. Experiments on four real datasets, Netflix, MovieLens, FriendFeed and Delicious show that TaDb algorithm significantly improves the prediction accuracy compared with the algorithms not considering temporal effects.

Characterization of internal wetting in polymer electrolyte membrane gas diffusion layers

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Perry; Fairweather, Joseph D.; Schwartz, Daniel T.

Capillary pressure vs. saturation (P C(S L)) curves are fundamental to understanding liquid water transport and flooding in PEM gas diffusion layers (GDLs). P C(S L) curves convolute the influence of GDL pore geometry and internal contact angles at the three-phase liquid/solid/gas boundary. Even simple GDL materials are a spatially non-uniform mixture of carbon fiber and binder, making a Gaussian distribution of contact angles likely, based on the Cassie-Baxter equation. For a given Gaussian contact angle distribution with mean (θ Mean) and standard deviation (σ), a realistic P C(S L) curve can be computed using a bundle of capillaries model and GDL pore size distribution data. As expected, computed P C(S L) curves show that θ Mean sets the overall hydrophilic (θ Mean 90°) character of the GDL (i.e., liquid saturation level at a given capillary pressure), and σ affects the slope of the P C(S L) curve. The capillary bundle model also can be used with (θ Mean, σ) as unknown parameters that are best-fit to experimentally acquired P C(S L) and pore size distribution data to find (θ Mean, σ) values for actual GDL materials. To test this, pore size distribution data was acquired for Toray TGP-H-090 along with hysteretic liquid and gas intrusion capillary pressure curve data. High quality best-fits were found between the model and combined datasets, with GDL liquid intrusion showing fairly neutral internal surface wetting properties (θ Mean = 92° and σ = 10°) whereas gas intrusion displayed a hydrophilic character (θ Mean = 52° and σ = 8°). External liquid advancing and receding contact angles were also measured on this same material and they also showed major hysteresis. The new methods described here open the door for better understanding of the link between GDL material processing and the wetting properties that affect flooding.

Electroless Ni-B plating on SiO2 with 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane as a barrier layer against Cu diffusion for through-Si via interconnections in a 3-dimensional multi-chip package

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Akihiro; Sakamoto, Atsushi; Hattori, Reiji; Kuroki, Yukinori

2009-01-01

Electroless Ni-B was plated on SiO 2 as a barrier layer against Cu diffusion for through-Si via (TSV) interconnections in a 3-dimensional multi-chip package. The electroless Ni-B was deposited on the entire area of the SiO 2 side wall of a deep via with vapor phase pre-deposition of 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane on the SiO 2 . The carrier lifetimes in the Si substrates plated with Ni-B/Cu did not decrease with an increase in annealing temperature up to 400 deg. C . The absence of degradation of carrier lifetimes indicates that Cu atoms did not diffuse into the Si through the Ni-B. The advantages of electroless Ni-B (good conformal deposition and forming an effective diffusion barrier against Cu) make it useful as a barrier layer for TSV interconnections in a 3-dimensional multi-chip package

A simplified model exploration research of new anisotropic diffuse radiation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Wanxiang; Li, Zhengrong; Wang, Xiao; Zhao, Qun; Zhang, Zhigang; Lin, Lin

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: The specific process of measured diffuse radiation data. - Highlights: • Simplified diffuse radiation model is extremely important for solar radiation simulation and energy simulation. • A new simplified anisotropic diffuse radiation model (NSADR model) is proposed. • The accuracy of existing models and NSADR model is compared based on the measured values. • The accuracy of the NSADR model is higher than that of the existing models, and suitable for calculating diffuse radiation. - Abstract: More accurate new anisotropic diffuse radiation model (NADR model) has been proposed, but the parameters and calculation process of NADR model used in the process are complex. So it is difficult to widely used in the simulation software and engineering calculation. Based on analysis of the diffuse radiation model and measured diffuse radiation data, this paper put forward three hypotheses: (1) diffuse radiation from sky horizontal region is concentrated in a very thin layer which is close to the line source; (2) diffuse radiation from circumsolar region is concentrated in the point of the sun; (3) diffuse radiation from orthogonal region is concentrated in the point located at 90 degree angles with the Sun. Based on these hypotheses, NADR model is simplified to a new simplified anisotropic diffuse radiation model (NSADR model). Then the accuracy of NADR model and its simplified model (NSADR model) are compared with existing models based on the measured values, and the result shows that Perez model and its simplified model are relatively accurate among existing models. However, the accuracy of these two models is lower than the NADR model and NSADR model due to neglect the influence of the orthogonal diffuse radiation. The accuracy of the NSADR model is higher than that of the existing models, meanwhile, another advantage is that the NSADR model simplifies the process of solution parameters and calculation. Therefore it is more suitable for

Interfacial layers in tape cast anode-supported doped lanthanum gallate SOFC elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maffei, N.; De Silveira, G. [Materials Technology Laboratory, Natural Resources Canada, CANMET, 405 Rochester Street, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) K1A OG3

2003-04-01

Lanthanum gallate doped with strontium and magnesium (LSGM) is a promising electrolyte system for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The reported formation of interfacial layers in monolithic type SOFCs based on lanthanum gallate is of concern because of its impact on the performance of the fuel cell. Planar anode-supported SOFC elements (without the cathode) were prepared by the tape casting technique in order to determine the nature of the anode/electrolyte interface after sintering. Two anode systems were studied, one a NiO-CeO{sub 2} cermet, and the other, a modified lanthanum gallate anode containing manganese. Sintering studies were conducted at 1250, 1300, 1350, 1400 and 1450 C to determine the effect of temperature on the interfacial characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a significant diffusion of Ni from the NiO-CeO{sub 2} anode resulting in the formation of an interfacial layer regardless of sintering temperature. Significant La diffusion from the electrolyte into the anode was also observed. In the case of the modified lanthanum gallate anode containing manganese, there was no interfacial layer formation, but a significant diffusion of Mn into the electrolyte was observed.

Layer-based buffer aware rate adaptation design for SHVC video streaming

Science.gov (United States)

Gudumasu, Srinivas; Hamza, Ahmed; Asbun, Eduardo; He, Yong; Ye, Yan

2016-09-01

This paper proposes a layer based buffer aware rate adaptation design which is able to avoid abrupt video quality fluctuation, reduce re-buffering latency and improve bandwidth utilization when compared to a conventional simulcast based adaptive streaming system. The proposed adaptation design schedules DASH segment requests based on the estimated bandwidth, dependencies among video layers and layer buffer fullness. Scalable HEVC video coding is the latest state-of-art video coding technique that can alleviate various issues caused by simulcast based adaptive video streaming. With scalable coded video streams, the video is encoded once into a number of layers representing different qualities and/or resolutions: a base layer (BL) and one or more enhancement layers (EL), each incrementally enhancing the quality of the lower layers. Such layer based coding structure allows fine granularity rate adaptation for the video streaming applications. Two video streaming use cases are presented in this paper. The first use case is to stream HD SHVC video over a wireless network where available bandwidth varies, and the performance comparison between proposed layer-based streaming approach and conventional simulcast streaming approach is provided. The second use case is to stream 4K/UHD SHVC video over a hybrid access network that consists of a 5G millimeter wave high-speed wireless link and a conventional wired or WiFi network. The simulation results verify that the proposed layer based rate adaptation approach is able to utilize the bandwidth more efficiently. As a result, a more consistent viewing experience with higher quality video content and minimal video quality fluctuations can be presented to the user.

Suppression of interfacial voids formation during silane (SiH4)-based silicon oxide bonding with a thin silicon nitride capping layer

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kwang Hong; Bao, Shuyu; Wang, Yue; Fitzgerald, Eugene A.; Seng Tan, Chuan

2018-01-01

The material properties and bonding behavior of silane-based silicon oxide layers deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to determine the chemical composition of the silicon oxide films. The incorporation of hydroxyl (-OH) groups and moisture absorption demonstrates a strong correlation with the storage duration for both as-deposited and annealed silicon oxide films. It is observed that moisture absorption is prevalent in the silane-based silicon oxide film due to its porous nature. The incorporation of -OH groups and moisture absorption in the silicon oxide films increase with the storage time (even in clean-room environments) for both as-deposited and annealed silicon oxide films. Due to silanol condensation and silicon oxidation reactions that take place at the bonding interface and in the bulk silicon, hydrogen (a byproduct of these reactions) is released and diffused towards the bonding interface. The trapped hydrogen forms voids over time. Additionally, the absorbed moisture could evaporate during the post-bond annealing of the bonded wafer pair. As a consequence, defects, such as voids, form at the bonding interface. To address the problem, a thin silicon nitride capping film was deposited on the silicon oxide layer before bonding to serve as a diffusion barrier to prevent moisture absorption and incorporation of -OH groups from the ambient. This process results in defect-free bonded wafers.

Dissolution model for a glass having an adherent insoluble surface layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, K.B.; Larocque, C.A.B.

1990-01-01

Waste form glasses that contain substantial quantities of iron, manganese, and aluminum oxides, such as the Savannah River SRL TDS-131 glass, form a thick, hydrated surface layer when placed in contact with water. The dissolution of such a glass has been modeled with the Savannah River Model. The authors showed previously that the equations of the Savannah River Model could be fitted to published experimental data if a time-dependent diffusion coefficient was assumed for species of diffusing through the surface layer. The Savannah River Model assumes that all of the material dissolved from the glass enters solution, whereas it was observed that substantial quantities of material were retained in the surface layer. An alternative model, presented contains a mass balance equation that allows material either to enter solution or to be retained in the surface layer. It is shown that the equations derived using this model can be fitted to the published experimental data assuming a constant diffusion coefficient for species diffusing through the surface layer

CMOS-compatible method for doping of buried vertical polysilicon structures by solid phase diffusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turkulets, Yury [Micron Semiconductor Israel Ltd., Qiryat Gat 82109 (Israel); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501 (Israel); Silber, Amir; Ripp, Alexander; Sokolovsky, Mark [Micron Semiconductor Israel Ltd., Qiryat Gat 82109 (Israel); Shalish, Ilan, E-mail: shalish@bgu.ac.il [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501 (Israel)

2016-03-28

Polysilicon receives attention nowadays as a means to incorporate 3D-structured photonic devices into silicon processes. However, doping of buried layers of a typical 3D structure has been a challenge. We present a method for doping of buried polysilicon layers by solid phase diffusion. Using an underlying silicon oxide layer as a dopant source facilitates diffusion of dopants into the bottom side of the polysilicon layer. The polysilicon is grown on top of the oxide layer, after the latter has been doped by ion implantation. Post-growth heat treatment drives in the dopant from the oxide into the polysilicon. To model the process, we studied the diffusion of the two most common silicon dopants, boron (B) and phosphorus (P), using secondary ion mass spectroscopy profiles. Our results show that shallow concentration profiles can be achieved in a buried polysilicon layer using the proposed technique. We present a quantitative 3D model for the diffusion of B and P in polysilicon, which turns the proposed method into an engineerable technique.

Interface-induced spin Hall magnetoresistance enhancement in Pt-based tri-layer structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shun-Yu; Li, Hong-Lin; Chong, Cheong-Wei; Chang, Yu-Ying; Lee, Min-Kai; Huang, Jung-Chun-Andrew

2018-01-08

In this study, we integrated bilayer structure of covered Pt on nickel zinc ferrite (NZFO) and CoFe/Pt/NZFO tri-layer structure by pulsed laser deposition system for a spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) study. In the bilayer structure, the angular-dependent magnetoresistance (MR) results indicate that Pt/NZFO has a well-defined SMR behavior. Moreover, the spin Hall angle and the spin diffusion length, which were 0.0648 and 1.31 nm, respectively, can be fitted by changing the Pt thickness in the longitudinal SMR function. Particularly, the MR ratio of the bilayer structure (Pt/NZFO) has the highest changing ratio (about 0.135%), compared to the prototype structure Pt/Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 (YIG) because the NZFO has higher magnetization. Meanwhile, the tri-layer samples (CoFe/Pt/NZFO) indicate that the MR behavior is related with CoFe thickness as revealed in angular-dependent MR measurement. Additionally, comparison between the tri-layer structure with Pt/NZFO and CoFe/Pt bilayer systems suggests that the SMR ratio can be enhanced by more than 70%, indicating that additional spin current should be injected into Pt layer.

Passive Rocket Diffuser Testing: Reacting Flow Performance of Four Second-Throat Geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Daniel R.; Allgood, Daniel C.; Saunders, Grady P.

2016-01-01

Second-throat diffusers serve to isolate rocket engines from the effects of ambient back pressure. As one of the nation's largest rocket testing facilities, the performance and design limitations of diffusers are of great interest to NASA's Stennis Space Center. This paper describes a series of tests conducted on four diffuser configurations to better understand the effects of inlet geometry and throat area on starting behavior and boundary layer separation. The diffusers were tested for a duration of five seconds with a 1455-pound thrust, LO2/GH2 thruster to ensure they each reached aerodynamic steady state. The effects of a water spray ring at the diffuser exits and a water-cooled deflector plate were also evaluated. Static pressure and temperature measurements were taken at multiple axial locations along the diffusers, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were used as a tool to aid in the interpretation of data. The hot combustion products were confirmed to enable the diffuser start condition with tighter second throats than predicted by historical cold-flow data or the theoretical normal shock method. Both aerodynamic performance and heat transfer were found to increase with smaller diffuser throats. Spray ring and deflector cooling water had negligible impacts on diffuser boundary layer separation. CFD was found to accurately capture diffuser shock structures and full-flowing diffuser wall pressures, and the qualitative behavior of heat transfer. However, the ability to predict boundary layer separated flows was not consistent.

Low temperature Zn diffusion for GaSb solar cell structures fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Sulima, Oleg V.; Faleev, Nikolai N.; Kazantsev, Andrej B.; Mintairov, Alexander M.; Namazov, Ali

1995-01-01

Low temperature Zn diffusion in GaSb, where the minimum temperature was 450 C, was studied. The pseudo-closed box (PCB) method was used for Zn diffusion into GaAs, AlGaAs, InP, InGaAs and InGaAsP. The PCB method avoids the inconvenience of sealed ampoules and proved to be simple and reproducible. The special design of the boat for Zn diffusion ensured the uniformality of Zn vapor pressure across the wafer surface, and thus the uniformity of the p-GaSb layer depth. The p-GaSb layers were studied using Raman scattering spectroscopy and the x-ray rocking curve method. As for the postdiffusion processing, an anodic oxidation was used for a precise thinning of the diffused GaSb layers. The results show the applicability of the PCB method for the large-scale production of the GaSb structures for solar cells.

Infrared reflectometry of skin: Analysis of backscattered light from different skin layers

Science.gov (United States)

Pleitez, Miguel A.; Hertzberg, Otto; Bauer, Alexander; Lieblein, Tobias; Glasmacher, Mathias; Tholl, Hans; Mäntele, Werner

2017-09-01

We have recently reported infrared spectroscopy of human skin in vivo using quantum cascade laser excitation and photoacoustic or photothermal detection for non-invasive glucose measurement . Here, we analyze the IR light diffusely reflected from skin layers for spectral contributions of glucose. Excitation of human skin by an external cavity tunable quantum cascade laser in the spectral region from 1000 to 1245 cm- 1, where glucose exhibits a fingerprint absorption, yields reflectance spectra with some contributions from glucose molecules. A simple three-layer model of skin was used to calculate the scattering intensities from the surface and from shallow and deeper layers using the Boltzmann radiation transfer equation. Backscattering of light at wavelengths around 10 μm from the living skin occurs mostly from the Stratum corneum top layers and the shallow layers of the living epidermis. The analysis of the polarization of the backscattered light confirms this calculation. Polarization is essentially unchanged; only a very small fraction (light is due to specular reflectance and to scattering from layers close to the surface. Diffusely reflected light from deeper layers undergoing one or more scattering processes would appear with significantly altered polarization. We thus conclude that a non-invasive glucose measurement based on backscattering of IR light from skin would have the drawback that only shallow layers containing some glucose at concentrations only weakly related to blood glucose are monitored.

Diffusion of I{sup -}, Cs{sup +}, and Sr{sup 2+} in compacted bentonite - Anion exclusion and surface diffusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eriksen, T.E.; Jansson, Mats [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Nuclear Chemistry

1996-11-01

The diffusion of I, Cs and Sr ions in bentonite compacted to a dry density of 1.8 gr/cm{sup 3} and saturated with two groundwaters of different ionic strength have been studied experimentally using the through diffusion technique. The I{sup -} diffusivity and diffusion porosity were found to be concentration independent in the concentration range exp(-8) to exp(-2) mol/dm{sup 3}. The diffusion porosity, being only a fraction of the water porosity for normal groundwaters, is strongly ionic strength dependent due to anion exclusion. The dependence of the diffusion of Cs{sup +} and Sr{sup 2+} on the sorption intensity is accommodated by a model encompassing diffusion of the sorbed cations within the electrical double layer next to the mineral surface in addition to diffusion in the pore water. 18 refs, 12 figs.

Tensor Based Representation and Analysis of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images

Science.gov (United States)

Barmpoutis, Angelos

2009-01-01

Cartesian tensor bases have been widely used to model spherical functions. In medical imaging, tensors of various orders can approximate the diffusivity function at each voxel of a diffusion-weighted MRI data set. This approximation produces tensor-valued datasets that contain information about the underlying local structure of the scanned tissue.…

Investigation of turbulent boundary layer over forward-facing step via direct numerical simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, Hirofumi; Nagano, Yasutaka

2010-01-01

This paper presents observations and investigations of the detailed turbulent structure of a boundary layer over a forward-facing step. The present DNSs are conducted under conditions with three Reynolds numbers based on step height, or three Reynolds numbers based on momentum thickness so as to investigate the effects of step height and inlet boundary layer thickness. DNS results show the quantitative turbulent statistics and structures of boundary layers over a forward-facing step, where pronounced counter-gradient diffusion phenomena (CDP) are especially observed on the step near the wall. Also, a quadrant analysis is conducted in which the results indicate in detail the turbulence motion around the step.

Thermal-Diffusivity-Based Frequency References in Standard CMOS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kashmiri, S.M.

2012-01-01

In recent years, a lot of research has been devoted to the realization of accurate integrated frequency references. A thermal-diffusivity-based (TD) frequency reference provides an alternative method of on-chip frequency generation in standard CMOS technology. A frequency-locked loop locks the

A Nonlinear Diffusion Equation-Based Model for Ultrasound Speckle Noise Removal

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhenyu; Guo, Zhichang; Zhang, Dazhi; Wu, Boying

2018-04-01

Ultrasound images are contaminated by speckle noise, which brings difficulties in further image analysis and clinical diagnosis. In this paper, we address this problem in the view of nonlinear diffusion equation theories. We develop a nonlinear diffusion equation-based model by taking into account not only the gradient information of the image, but also the information of the gray levels of the image. By utilizing the region indicator as the variable exponent, we can adaptively control the diffusion type which alternates between the Perona-Malik diffusion and the Charbonnier diffusion according to the image gray levels. Furthermore, we analyze the proposed model with respect to the theoretical and numerical properties. Experiments show that the proposed method achieves much better speckle suppression and edge preservation when compared with the traditional despeckling methods, especially in the low gray level and low-contrast regions.

Effective diffusion coefficients of 3H2O in several porous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terashima, Yutaka; Kumaki, Toru.

1976-01-01

Diffusion coefficients of radionuclides in some porous structural materials and porous components of earth stratum are important as the basis for the safety evaluation of the storage and disposal of radioactive wastes. In our previous works, the method of analysis and experiment using a permeative type diffusion cell for measurement of effective diffusion coefficient was established, and experimental results were reported. In this paper, effective diffusion coefficients of 3 H 2 O in mortar, concrete, brick, clay layer, and sand layer were measured, and characteristics of these pore structure were discussed on the basis of tourtusity factor. (auth.)

Kinetics of intercalation of fluorescent probes in magnesium–aluminium layered double hydroxide within a multiscale reaction–diffusion framework

Science.gov (United States)

Saliba, Daniel

2016-01-01

We report the synthesis of magnesium–aluminium layered double hydroxide (LDH) using a reaction–diffusion framework (RDF) that exploits the multiscale coupling of molecular diffusion with chemical reactions, nucleation and growth of crystals. In an RDF, the hydroxide anions are allowed to diffuse into an organic gel matrix containing the salt mixture needed for the precipitation of the LDH. The chemical structure and composition of the synthesized magnesium–aluminium LDHs are determined using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR), Fourier transform infrared and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. This novel technique also allows the investigation of the mechanism of intercalation of some fluorescent probes, such as the neutral three-dimensional rhodamine B (RhB) and the negatively charged two-dimensional 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (HPTS), using in situ steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The incorporation of these organic dyes inside the interlayer region of the LDH is confirmed via fluorescence microscopy, solid-state lifetime, SSNMR and PXRD. The activation energies of intercalation of the corresponding molecules (RhB and HPTS) are computed and exhibit dependence on the geometry of the involved probe (two or three dimensions), the charge of the fluorescent molecule (anionic, cationic or neutral) and the cationic ratio of the corresponding LDH. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Multiscale modelling at the physics–chemistry–biology interface’. PMID:27698034

Kinetics of intercalation of fluorescent probes in magnesium-aluminium layered double hydroxide within a multiscale reaction-diffusion framework

Science.gov (United States)

Saliba, Daniel; Al-Ghoul, Mazen

2016-11-01

We report the synthesis of magnesium-aluminium layered double hydroxide (LDH) using a reaction-diffusion framework (RDF) that exploits the multiscale coupling of molecular diffusion with chemical reactions, nucleation and growth of crystals. In an RDF, the hydroxide anions are allowed to diffuse into an organic gel matrix containing the salt mixture needed for the precipitation of the LDH. The chemical structure and composition of the synthesized magnesium-aluminium LDHs are determined using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR), Fourier transform infrared and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. This novel technique also allows the investigation of the mechanism of intercalation of some fluorescent probes, such as the neutral three-dimensional rhodamine B (RhB) and the negatively charged two-dimensional 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (HPTS), using in situ steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The incorporation of these organic dyes inside the interlayer region of the LDH is confirmed via fluorescence microscopy, solid-state lifetime, SSNMR and PXRD. The activation energies of intercalation of the corresponding molecules (RhB and HPTS) are computed and exhibit dependence on the geometry of the involved probe (two or three dimensions), the charge of the fluorescent molecule (anionic, cationic or neutral) and the cationic ratio of the corresponding LDH. This article is part of the themed issue 'Multiscale modelling at the physics-chemistry-biology interface'.

Palladium diffusion into bulk copper via the (100) surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bussmann, E; Kellogg, G L [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Sun, J; Pohl, K [Department of Physics and Materials Science Program, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States)

2009-08-05

Using low-energy electron microscopy, we measure the diffusion of Pd into bulk Cu at the Cu(100) surface. Interdiffusion is tracked by measuring the dissolution of the Cu(100)-c(2 x 2)-Pd surface alloy during annealing (T>240 deg. C). The activation barrier for Pd diffusion from the surface alloy into the bulk is determined to be (1.8 +- 0.6) eV. During annealing, we observe the growth of a new layer of Cu near step edges. Under this new Cu layer, dilute Pd remaining near the surface develops a layered structure similar to the Cu{sub 3}Pd L 1{sub 2} bulk alloy phase.

Modeling of Ni Diffusion Induced Austenite Formation in Ferritic Stainless Steel Interconnects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Ming; Alimadadi, Hossein; Molin, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Ferritic stainless steel interconnect plates are widely used in planar solid oxide fuel cell and electrolysis cell stacks. During stack production and operation, nickel from the Ni/yttria stabilized zirconia fuel electrode or from the Ni contact component layer diffuses into the interconnect plate......, causing transformation of the ferritic phase into an austenitic phase in the interface region. This is accompanied with changes in volume, and in mechanical and corrosion properties of the interconnect plates. In this work, kinetic modeling of the inter-diffusion between Ni and FeCr based ferritic...

Manipulation of heat-diffusion channel in laser thermal lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jingsong; Wang, Yang; Wu, Yiqun

2014-12-29

Laser thermal lithography is a good alternative method for forming small pattern feature size by taking advantage of the structural-change threshold effect of thermal lithography materials. In this work, the heat-diffusion channels of laser thermal lithography are first analyzed, and then we propose to manipulate the heat-diffusion channels by inserting thermal conduction layers in between channels. Heat-flow direction can be changed from the in-plane to the out-of-plane of the thermal lithography layer, which causes the size of the structural-change threshold region to become much smaller than the focused laser spot itself; thus, nanoscale marks can be obtained. Samples designated as "glass substrate/thermal conduction layer/thermal lithography layer (100 nm)/thermal conduction layer" are designed and prepared. Chalcogenide phase-change materials are used as thermal lithography layer, and Si is used as thermal conduction layer to manipulate heat-diffusion channels. Laser thermal lithography experiments are conducted on a home-made high-speed rotation direct laser writing setup with 488 nm laser wavelength and 0.90 numerical aperture of converging lens. The writing marks with 50-60 nm size are successfully obtained. The mark size is only about 1/13 of the focused laser spot, which is far smaller than that of the light diffraction limit spot of the direct laser writing setup. This work is useful for nanoscale fabrication and lithography by exploiting the far-field focusing light system.

Boron-enhanced diffusion of boron from ultralow-energy boron implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, A.; Eaglesham, D.J.; Gossmann, H.J.; Pelaz, L.; Herner, S.B.; Jacobson, D.C.

1998-01-01

The authors have investigated the diffusion enhancement mechanism of BED (boron enhanced diffusion), wherein the boron diffusivity is enhanced three to four times over the equilibrium diffusivity at 1,050 C in the proximity of a silicon layer containing a high boron concentration. It is shown that BED is associated with the formation of a fine-grain polycrystalline silicon boride phase within an initially amorphous Si layer having a high B concentration. For 0.5 keV B + , the threshold implantation dose which leads to BED lies between 3 x 10 14 and of 1 x 10 15 /cm -2 . Formation of the shallowest possible junctions by 0.5 keV B + requires that the implant dose be kept lower than this threshold

Thickness engineering of atomic layer deposited Al2O3 films to suppress interfacial reaction and diffusion of Ni/Au gate metal in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs up to 600 °C in air

Science.gov (United States)

Suria, Ateeq J.; Yalamarthy, Ananth Saran; Heuser, Thomas A.; Bruefach, Alexandra; Chapin, Caitlin A.; So, Hongyun; Senesky, Debbie G.

2017-06-01

In this paper, we describe the use of 50 nm atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 to suppress the interfacial reaction and inter-diffusion between the gate metal and semiconductor interface, to extend the operation limit up to 600 °C in air. Suppression of diffusion is verified through Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and is further supported with electrical characterization. An ALD Al2O3 thin film (10 nm and 50 nm), which functions as a dielectric layer, was inserted between the gate metal (Ni/Au) and heterostructure-based semiconductor material (AlGaN/GaN) to form a metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MIS-HEMT). This extended the 50 nm ALD Al2O3 MIS-HEMT (50-MIS) current-voltage (Ids-Vds) and gate leakage (Ig,leakage) characteristics up to 600 °C. Both, the 10 nm ALD Al2O3 MIS-HEMT (10-MIS) and HEMT, failed above 350 °C, as evidenced by a sudden increase of approximately 50 times and 5.3 × 106 times in Ig,leakage, respectively. AES on the HEMT revealed the formation of a Ni-Au alloy and Ni present in the active region. Additionally, XRD showed existence of metal gallides in the HEMT. The 50-MIS enables the operation of AlGaN/GaN based electronics in oxidizing high-temperature environments, by suppressing interfacial reaction and inter-diffusion of the gate metal with the semiconductor.

Temperature dependence of copper diffusion in different thickness amorphous tungsten/tungsten nitride layer

Science.gov (United States)

Asgary, Somayeh; Hantehzadeh, Mohammad Reza; Ghoranneviss, Mahmood

2017-11-01

The amorphous W/WN films with various thickness (10, 30 and 40 nm) and excellent thermal stability were successfully prepared on SiO2/Si substrate with evaporation and reactive evaporation method. The W/WN bilayer has technological importance because of its low resistivity, high melting point, and good diffusion barrier properties between Cu and Si. The thermal stability was evaluated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). In annealing process, the amorphous W/WN barrier crystallized and this phenomenon is supposed to be the start of Cu atoms diffusion through W/WN barrier into Si. With occurrence of the high-resistive Cu3Si phase, the W/WN loses its function as a diffusion barrier. The primary mode of Cu diffusion is the diffusion through grain boundaries that form during heat treatments. The amorphous structure with optimum thickness is the key factor to achieve a superior diffusion barrier characteristic. The results show that the failure temperature increased by increasing the W/WN film thickness from 10 to 30 nm but it did not change by increasing the W/WN film thickness from 30 to 40 nm. It is found that the 10 and 40 nm W/WN films are good diffusion barriers at least up to 800°C while the 30 nm W/WN film shows superior properties as a diffusion barrier, but loses its function as a diffusion barrier at about 900°C (that is 100°C higher than for 10 and 40 nm W/WN films).

Electrokinetics of diffuse soft interfaces. 1. Limit of low Donnan potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Duval, Jérôme F L; van Leeuwen, Herman P

2004-11-09

The current theoretical approaches to electrokinetics of gels or polyelectrolyte layers are based on the assumption that the position of the very interface between the aqueous medium and the gel phase is well defined. Within this assumption, spatial profiles for the volume fraction of polymer segments (phi), the density of fixed charges in the porous layer (rho fix), and the coefficient modeling the friction to hydrodynamic flow (k) follow a step-function. In reality, the "fuzzy" nature of the charged soft layer is intrinsically incompatible with the concept of a sharp interface and therefore necessarily calls for more detailed spatial representations for phi, rho fix, and k. In this paper, the notion of diffuse interface is introduced. For the sake of illustration, linear spatial distributions for phi and rho fix are considered in the interfacial zone between the bulk of the porous charged layer and the bulk electrolyte solution. The corresponding distribution for k is inferred from the Brinkman equation, which for low phi reduces to Stokes' equation. Linear electrostatics, hydrodynamics, and electroosmosis issues are analytically solved within the context of streaming current and streaming potential of charged surface layers in a thin-layer cell. The hydrodynamic analysis clearly demonstrates the physical incorrectness of the concept of a discrete slip plane for diffuse interfaces. For moderate to low electrolyte concentrations and nanoscale spatial transition of phi from zero (bulk electrolyte) to phi o (bulk gel), the electrokinetic properties of the soft layer as predicted by the theory considerably deviate from those calculated on the basis of the discontinuous approximation by Ohshima.

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of water transport in gas diffusion layer of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Liang; Cheng, Ping [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, DongChuan Road 800, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2010-06-15

The effect of wettability on water transport dynamics in gas diffusion layer (GDL) is investigated by simulating water invasion in an initially gas-filled GDL using the multiphase free-energy lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The results show that wettability plays a significant role on water saturation distribution in two-phase flow in the uniform wetting GDL. For highly hydrophobicity, the water transport falls in the regime of capillary fingering, while for neutral wettability, water transport exhibits the characteristic of stable displacement, although both processes are capillary force dominated flow with same capillary numbers. In addition, the introduction of hydrophilic paths in the GDL leads the water to flow through the hydrophilic pores preferentially. The resulting water saturation distributions show that the saturation in the GDL has little change after water breaks through the GDL, and further confirm that the selective introduction of hydrophilic passages in the GDL would facilitate the removal of liquid water more effectively, thus alleviating the flooding in catalyst layer (CL) and GDL. The LBM approach presented in this study provides an effective tool to investigate water transport phenomenon in the GDL at pore-scale level with wettability distribution taken into consideration. (author)

Pulsed neutron determination of anisotropic diffusion constants in multi-layered slabs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sri Ram, K.

1978-01-01

Anisotropic neutron diffusion parameters for graphite and plexiglas slab assemblies were calculated using one-dimensional discrete ordinates code ANISN, and also Case's eigenfunction expansion technique as suggested by Leonard. These calculated values were checked with the pulsed neutron experimental results as well as simple diffusion theory calculations of Spinrad. Relatively little experimental work has been done with heterogeneous assemblies which do not contain voids. The present comparison shows that the experimental results agree well with transport theory calculations. It appears from the results and inter-comparison of this work in simple geometries, that the pulsed neutron method can yield accurate experimental anisotropic diffusion constants, and can therefore be applied to more complicated geometries which may be difficult to calculate. (author)

Diffuse electric double layer in planar nanostructures due to Fermi-Dirac statistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drab, Mitja; Kralj-Iglič, Veronika

2016-01-01

A double nanocapacitor modelled by two equally charged planar surfaces that confine oppositely charged quanta subjected to Fermi-Dirac statistics is considered theoretically. A global thermodynamic equilibrium was found by minimization of the Helmholtz free energy satisfying constraints that require electroneutrality and fixed total number of confined quanta. The solution obtained by using the Euler–Lagrange method yields self–consistent quantities: distribution of quanta within the pore, electric potential, equilibrium free energy and differential capacitance. Within real values, a rigorous numerical solution and an approximate analytical solution for electrons in the low temperature limit was found. The Fermi–Dirac constraints on the wave functions in the nanopore induced an effect of a diffuse electrical double layer near both charged surfaces. This effect is comparable to the corresponding effect of entropy at finite temperatures and for classical particles, as described by the acknowledged Poisson–Boltzmann theory. At small distances and small surface charges, the electrons are almost evenly distributed within the pore, while at larger distances they condense to the charged surfaces, shielding the electric field. The force between the charged surfaces is repulsive and monotonously decreases with increasing distance between surfaces. The energies stored in the nanocapacitor are up to ≃ 50 eV/nm"2.

Optimisation of the microporous layer for a polybenzimidazole-based high temperature PEMFC - effect of carbon content

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lobato, J.; Canizares, P.; Rodrigo, M.A.; Ubeda, D.; Pinar, F.J.; Linares, J.J. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Av. Camilo Jose Cela, n 12. 13071, Ciudad Real (Spain)

2010-10-15

This work aims at studying the role of the microporous layer (MPL) in electrodes prepared for high temperature PBI-based PEMFC. The two main components of this layer are carbon black and a polymeric binder (Teflon). This work addresses the effect of the MPL carbon amount on the performance of a high temperature PEMFC. Thus, gas diffusion layers (GDLs) containing MPL with different carbon contents (from 0.5 to 4 mg cm{sup -2}) were prepared. Firstly, they were physically characterised by Hg-porosimetry measuring pore size distribution, porosity, tortuosity and mean pore size. Permeability measurements were also performed. The higher the carbon content was the lower both porosity and permeability were. Afterwards, electrodes were prepared with these GDLs and were electrochemically characterised. Electrochemical surface area (ESA) was determined and fuel cell performance was evaluated under different fuel and comburent stoichiometries, supporting these results with impedance spectra. This made it possible to see the benefits of the MPL inclusion in the electrode structure, with a significant increase in the fuel cell performance and ESA. Once the goodness of the MPL was confirmed, result analysis led to an optimum MPL composition of 2 mg cm{sup -2} of carbon for both electrodes, anode and cathode. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Electro-oxidation nitrite based on copper calcined layered double hydroxide and gold nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui Lin; Meng Xiaomeng; Xu Minrong; Shang Kun [College of Chemistry and Material Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong (China); Ai Shiyun, E-mail: ashy@sdau.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Material Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong (China); Liu Yinping [College of Chemistry and Material Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong (China)

2011-11-30

Highlights: > A nitrite sensor fabricated based on copper calcined layered double hydroxides and gold nanoparticles modified electrode. > This sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxidation to nitrite. > This nitrite sensor exhibited very good analytical performance with low cost, convenient preparation and rapid detection. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel nitrite sensor was constructed based on electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a copper calcined layered double hydroxide (Cu-CLDH) modified glassy carbon electrode. Electrochemical experiments showed that AuNPs/CLDH composite film exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxidation activity with nitrite due to the synergistic effect of the Cu-CLDH with AuNPs. The fabricated sensor exhibited excellent performance for nitrite detection within a wide concentration interval of 1-191 {mu}M and with a detection limit of 0.5 {mu}M. The superior electrocatalytic response to nitrite was mainly attributed to the large surface area, minimized diffusion resistance, and enhanced electron transfer of the Cu-CLDH and AuNPs composition film. This platform offers a novel route for nitrite sensing with wide analytical applications and will supply the practical applications for a variety of simple, robust, and easy-to-manufacture analytical approaches in the future.

Electro-oxidation nitrite based on copper calcined layered double hydroxide and gold nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Lin; Meng Xiaomeng; Xu Minrong; Shang Kun; Ai Shiyun; Liu Yinping

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A nitrite sensor fabricated based on copper calcined layered double hydroxides and gold nanoparticles modified electrode. → This sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxidation to nitrite. → This nitrite sensor exhibited very good analytical performance with low cost, convenient preparation and rapid detection. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel nitrite sensor was constructed based on electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a copper calcined layered double hydroxide (Cu-CLDH) modified glassy carbon electrode. Electrochemical experiments showed that AuNPs/CLDH composite film exhibited excellent electrocatalytic oxidation activity with nitrite due to the synergistic effect of the Cu-CLDH with AuNPs. The fabricated sensor exhibited excellent performance for nitrite detection within a wide concentration interval of 1-191 μM and with a detection limit of 0.5 μM. The superior electrocatalytic response to nitrite was mainly attributed to the large surface area, minimized diffusion resistance, and enhanced electron transfer of the Cu-CLDH and AuNPs composition film. This platform offers a novel route for nitrite sensing with wide analytical applications and will supply the practical applications for a variety of simple, robust, and easy-to-manufacture analytical approaches in the future.

Characterization of the interaction layer in diffusion couples U-Mo-Zr/Al and U-Mo-Zr/Al-A356 at 550 C degrees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komar Varela, Carolina; Arico, Sergio; Mirandou, Marcela; Balart, Silvia; Gribaudo, Luis

2007-01-01

Out-of-pile diffusion experiments were performed between U-7 wt.% Mo-1 wt.% Zr and Al or Al A356 (7,1 wt.% Si) at 550 C degrees. In this work morphological characterization and phase identification on both interaction layers are presented. They were carried out by the use of different techniques: optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and WDS microanalysis. In the interaction layer U-7 wt.% Mo-1 wt.% Zr/Al, the phases UAl 3 , UAl 4 , Al 20 Mo 2 U and Al 43 Mo 4 U 6 were identified. Similar results in the interaction layer of the U-7 % Mo/Al at 580 C degrees were previously obtained. In the interaction layer U-7 wt.% Mo-1 wt.% Zr/Al A356, the phases U(Al,Si) 3 with 25 at.% Si and Si 5 U 3 were identified. This last phase, with a higher Si concentration, was identified with X-ray diffraction synchrotron radiation performed at the National Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Campinas, Brazil. (author) [es

Prediction of the moments in advection-diffusion lattice Boltzmann method. II. Attenuation of the boundary layers via double-Λ bounce-back flux scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Ginzburg, Irina

2017-01-01

Impact of the unphysical tangential advective-diffusion constraint of the bounce-back (BB) reflection on the impermeable solid surface is examined for the first four moments of concentration. Despite the number of recent improvements for the Neumann condition in the lattice Boltzmann method-advection-diffusion equation, the BB rule remains the only known local mass-conserving no-flux condition suitable for staircase porous geometry. We examine the closure relation of the BB rule in straight channel and cylindrical capillary analytically, and show that it excites the Knudsen-type boundary layers in the nonequilibrium solution for full-weight equilibrium stencil. Although the d2Q5 and d3Q7 coordinate schemes are sufficient for the modeling of isotropic diffusion, the full-weight stencils are appealing for their advanced stability, isotropy, anisotropy and anti-numerical-diffusion ability. The boundary layers are not covered by the Chapman-Enskog expansion around the expected equilibrium, but they accommodate the Chapman-Enskog expansion in the bulk with the closure relation of the bounce-back rule. We show that the induced boundary layers introduce first-order errors in two primary transport properties, namely, mean velocity (first moment) and molecular diffusion coefficient (second moment). As a side effect, the Taylor-dispersion coefficient (second moment), skewness (third moment), and kurtosis (fourth moment) deviate from their physical values and predictions of the fourth-order Chapman-Enskog analysis, even though the kurtosis error in pure diffusion does not depend on grid resolution. In two- and three-dimensional grid-aligned channels and open-tubular conduits, the errors of velocity and diffusion are proportional to the diagonal weight values of the corresponding equilibrium terms. The d2Q5 and d3Q7 schemes do not suffer from this deficiency in grid-aligned geometries but they cannot avoid it if the boundaries are not parallel to the coordinate lines. In order

Experimental Methodology for Estimation of Local Heat Fluxes and Burning Rates in Steady Laminar Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ajay V; Gollner, Michael J

2016-06-01

Modeling the realistic burning behavior of condensed-phase fuels has remained out of reach, in part because of an inability to resolve the complex interactions occurring at the interface between gas-phase flames and condensed-phase fuels. The current research provides a technique to explore the dynamic relationship between a combustible condensed fuel surface and gas-phase flames in laminar boundary layers. Experiments have previously been conducted in both forced and free convective environments over both solid and liquid fuels. A unique methodology, based on the Reynolds Analogy, was used to estimate local mass burning rates and flame heat fluxes for these laminar boundary layer diffusion flames utilizing local temperature gradients at the fuel surface. Local mass burning rates and convective and radiative heat feedback from the flames were measured in both the pyrolysis and plume regions by using temperature gradients mapped near the wall by a two-axis traverse system. These experiments are time-consuming and can be challenging to design as the condensed fuel surface burns steadily for only a limited period of time following ignition. The temperature profiles near the fuel surface need to be mapped during steady burning of a condensed fuel surface at a very high spatial resolution in order to capture reasonable estimates of local temperature gradients. Careful corrections for radiative heat losses from the thermocouples are also essential for accurate measurements. For these reasons, the whole experimental setup needs to be automated with a computer-controlled traverse mechanism, eliminating most errors due to positioning of a micro-thermocouple. An outline of steps to reproducibly capture near-wall temperature gradients and use them to assess local burning rates and heat fluxes is provided.

Quantification of Ionic Diffusion in Lead Halide Perovskite Single Crystals

KAUST Repository

Peng, Wei

2018-05-25

Lead halide perovskites are mixed electronic/ionic semiconductors that have recently revolutionized the photovoltaics field. The physical characterization of the ionic conductivity has been rather elusive due to the highly intermixing of ionic and electronic current. In this work the synthesis of low defect density monocrystalline MAPbBr3 (MA=Methyl ammonium) solar cells free of hole transport layer (HTL) suppresses the effect of electronic current. Impedance spectroscopy reveals the characteristic signature of ionic diffusion (the Warburg element and transmission line equivalent circuit) and ion accumulation at the MAPbBr3/Au interface. Diffusion coefficients are calculated based on a good correlation between thickness of MAPbBr3 and characteristic diffusion transition frequency. In addition, reactive external interfaces are studied by comparison of polycrystalline MAPbBr3 devices prepared either with or without a HTL. The low frequency response in IS measurements is correlated with the chemical reactivity of moving ions with the external interfaces and diffusion into the HTL.

Hybrid Monte Carlo-Diffusion Method For Light Propagation in Tissue With a Low-Scattering Region

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Toshiyuki; Kashio, Yoshihiko; Okada, Eiji

2003-06-01

The heterogeneity of the tissues in a head, especially the low-scattering cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer surrounding the brain has previously been shown to strongly affect light propagation in the brain. The radiosity-diffusion method, in which the light propagation in the CSF layer is assumed to obey the radiosity theory, has been employed to predict the light propagation in head models. Although the CSF layer is assumed to be a nonscattering region in the radiosity-diffusion method, fine arachnoid trabeculae cause faint scattering in the CSF layer in real heads. A novel approach, the hybrid Monte Carlo-diffusion method, is proposed to calculate the head models, including the low-scattering region in which the light propagation does not obey neither the diffusion approximation nor the radiosity theory. The light propagation in the high-scattering region is calculated by means of the diffusion approximation solved by the finite-element method and that in the low-scattering region is predicted by the Monte Carlo method. The intensity and mean time of flight of the detected light for the head model with a low-scattering CSF layer calculated by the hybrid method agreed well with those by the Monte Carlo method, whereas the results calculated by means of the diffusion approximation included considerable error caused by the effect of the CSF layer. In the hybrid method, the time-consuming Monte Carlo calculation is employed only for the thin CSF layer, and hence, the computation time of the hybrid method is dramatically shorter than that of the Monte Carlo method.

Study on characteristics of U-Mo/Al-Si interaction layers of dispersion fuel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Lijian; Yin Changgeng; Chen Jiangang; Sun Changlong; Liu Yunming

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyzed the characteristics of U-Mo/Al-Si interaction layers of dispersion fuel plates. The results show that the interaction layers (IL) are with irregular morphology and uneven thickness, and are mainly formed in the internal micro cracks of the dispersion fuel particles or at the interface between the particles and the substrates. The diffusion mechanism of U-Mo/Al-Si is the vacancy diffusion, Al and Si are migrating elements, and the diffusion reaction is that Al and Si diffuse to U-Mo alloy. Inside the interaction layers, the Al content keeps constant basically, but the Si content gradually increases with the substrate-fuel direction, and the maximum content of Si appears interaction layers near the U-Mo side. Adding about 5 wt% Si into Al matrix can restrain the diffusion reaction, and improve the performance of dispersion fuel plates finally. (authors)

Validity of two-phase polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell models with respect to the gas diffusion layer

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, C.; Gerteisen, D.

A dynamic two-phase model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with respect to the gas diffusion layer (GDL) is presented and compared with chronoamperometric experiments. Very good agreement between experiment and simulation is achieved for potential step voltammetry (PSV) and sine wave testing (SWT). Homogenized two-phase models can be categorized in unsaturated flow theory (UFT) and multiphase mixture (M 2) models. Both model approaches use the continuum hypothesis as fundamental assumption. Cyclic voltammetry experiments show that there is a deterministic and a stochastic liquid transport mode depending on the fraction of hydrophilic pores of the GDL. ESEM imaging is used to investigate the morphology of the liquid water accumulation in the pores of two different media (unteflonated Toray-TGP-H-090 and hydrophobic Freudenberg H2315 I3). The morphology of the liquid water accumulation are related with the cell behavior. The results show that UFT and M 2 two-phase models are a valid approach for diffusion media with large fraction of hydrophilic pores such as unteflonated Toray-TGP-H paper. However, the use of the homgenized UFT and M 2 models appears to be invalid for GDLs with large fraction of hydrophobic pores that corresponds to a high average contact angle of the GDL.

GPU-accelerated 3D neutron diffusion code based on finite difference method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Q.; Yu, G.; Wang, K. [Dept. of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua Univ. (China)

2012-07-01

Finite difference method, as a traditional numerical solution to neutron diffusion equation, although considered simpler and more precise than the coarse mesh nodal methods, has a bottle neck to be widely applied caused by the huge memory and unendurable computation time it requires. In recent years, the concept of General-Purpose computation on GPUs has provided us with a powerful computational engine for scientific research. In this study, a GPU-Accelerated multi-group 3D neutron diffusion code based on finite difference method was developed. First, a clean-sheet neutron diffusion code (3DFD-CPU) was written in C++ on the CPU architecture, and later ported to GPUs under NVIDIA's CUDA platform (3DFD-GPU). The IAEA 3D PWR benchmark problem was calculated in the numerical test, where three different codes, including the original CPU-based sequential code, the HYPRE (High Performance Pre-conditioners)-based diffusion code and CITATION, were used as counterpoints to test the efficiency and accuracy of the GPU-based program. The results demonstrate both high efficiency and adequate accuracy of the GPU implementation for neutron diffusion equation. A speedup factor of about 46 times was obtained, using NVIDIA's Geforce GTX470 GPU card against a 2.50 GHz Intel Quad Q9300 CPU processor. Compared with the HYPRE-based code performing in parallel on an 8-core tower server, the speedup of about 2 still could be observed. More encouragingly, without any mathematical acceleration technology, the GPU implementation ran about 5 times faster than CITATION which was speeded up by using the SOR method and Chebyshev extrapolation technique. (authors)

GPU-accelerated 3D neutron diffusion code based on finite difference method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Q.; Yu, G.; Wang, K.

2012-01-01

Finite difference method, as a traditional numerical solution to neutron diffusion equation, although considered simpler and more precise than the coarse mesh nodal methods, has a bottle neck to be widely applied caused by the huge memory and unendurable computation time it requires. In recent years, the concept of General-Purpose computation on GPUs has provided us with a powerful computational engine for scientific research. In this study, a GPU-Accelerated multi-group 3D neutron diffusion code based on finite difference method was developed. First, a clean-sheet neutron diffusion code (3DFD-CPU) was written in C++ on the CPU architecture, and later ported to GPUs under NVIDIA's CUDA platform (3DFD-GPU). The IAEA 3D PWR benchmark problem was calculated in the numerical test, where three different codes, including the original CPU-based sequential code, the HYPRE (High Performance Pre-conditioners)-based diffusion code and CITATION, were used as counterpoints to test the efficiency and accuracy of the GPU-based program. The results demonstrate both high efficiency and adequate accuracy of the GPU implementation for neutron diffusion equation. A speedup factor of about 46 times was obtained, using NVIDIA's Geforce GTX470 GPU card against a 2.50 GHz Intel Quad Q9300 CPU processor. Compared with the HYPRE-based code performing in parallel on an 8-core tower server, the speedup of about 2 still could be observed. More encouragingly, without any mathematical acceleration technology, the GPU implementation ran about 5 times faster than CITATION which was speeded up by using the SOR method and Chebyshev extrapolation technique. (authors)

TiO2 as diffusion barrier at Co/Alq3 interface studied by x-ray standing wave technique

Science.gov (United States)

Phatak Londhe, Vaishali; Gupta, A.; Ponpandian, N.; Kumar, D.; Reddy, V. R.

2018-06-01

Nano-scale diffusion at the interfaces in organic spin valve thin films plays a vital role in controlling the performance of magneto-electronic devices. In the present work, it is shown that a thin layer of titanium dioxide at the interface of Co/Alq3 can act as a good diffusion barrier. The buried interfaces of Co/Alq3/Co organic spin valve thin film has been studied using x-ray standing waves technique. A planar waveguide is formed with Alq3 layer forming the cavity and Co layers as the walls of the waveguide. Precise information about diffusion of Co into Alq3 is obtained through excitation of the waveguide modes. It is found that the top Co layer diffuses deep into the Alq3 resulting in incorporation of 3.1% Co in the Alq3 layer. Insertion of a 1.7 nm thick barrier layer of TiO2 at Co/Alq3 interface results in a drastic reduction in the diffusion of Co into Alq3 to a value of only 0.4%. This suggests a better performance of organic spin valve with diffusion barrier of TiO2.

Ethanol Dehydration by Evaporation and Diffusion in an Inert Gas Layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In-Sick, Chung; Kyu-Min, Song [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejeon (Korea, Republic of); Won-Hi, Hong; Ho-Nam, Chang [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejeon (Korea, Republic of)

1994-08-01

Ethanol dehydration of azeotropic mixture was performed by using diffusion distillation apparatus consisting of a wetted-wall column with two concentric tubes. Ethanol-water mixtures evaporated below the boiling point was separated during the diffusion through the gap filled with an inert gas. As the temperature difference between evaporation part and condensation part was increased, the total flux increased but the selectivity decreased. The effect of the annular width on the selectivity was not significant but the total flux was decreased with decreases in the annular width. Inert gas has an effect on the diffusivity of evaporated gas components. The total flux in case of helium as inert gas was larger than that in case of air but the selectivity in case of using helium was lower. (author). 14 refs. 1 tab. 12 figs.

Experimental investigation of Cu-based, double-layered, microchannel heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Bin; Meng, W J; Mei, Fanghua

2013-01-01

Cu-based, single- and double-layered, microchannel heat exchangers (MHEs) were fabricated and assembled. Comparative measurements on liquid flow characteristics and heat transfer performance were conducted on these devices. Results were compared at the individual microchannel level as well as at the device level. The present results demonstrate that double-layered MHEs exhibit similar heat transfer performance while suffering a much lower pressure drop penalty compared to single-layered MHEs. Another Cu-based, double-layered, liquid–liquid counter-flow MHE was fabricated, assembled and tested. Results show that a low-volume, multilayered, high-performance, liquid-to-liquid MHE is achievable following the manufacturing protocols of the present double-layered, liquid–liquid counter-flow MHE. (paper)

Preparation of gas diffusion layers for PEMFC fuel cells using carbon fibers; Elaboracao de uma camada de difusao de gas a partir de fibras de carbono para aplicacao em celulas combustiveis do tipo PEMFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, J.N.; Kunsti, S.R.; Malfatti, C.F. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - Departamento de Metalurgia (PPGEM) - Laboratorio de Pesquisa em Corrosao (LAPEC), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Vargas, J.V.C. [Universidade Federal do Parana - Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, PR (Brazil); Amico, S.C. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - Departamento de Materiais, RS (Brazil)

2010-07-01

The electrode/membrane system, called MEA, is the fundamental unit of a PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell). Within the MEA, the gas diffusion layer (GDL) is the bridge between the flow field and the catalyst layer. One of the important elements in a GDL is the substrate, typically a carbon cloth or paper, that has to be an excellent electrical conductor and show mechanical strength along with thermal and chemical stability. In this work, GDLs were produced from a suspension containing short carbon fibers in water-based polyurethane and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) resins with appropriate characteristics to be used in low temperature fuel cells. The obtained GDL was characterized regarding its wettability, electrical conductivity and morphological aspects, evaluated by SEM. (author)

Monitoring Cu nodule formation using Ni marker layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lafouresse, M.C., E-mail: mlafouresse@gmail.co [Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8540 (Japan); Fukunaka, Y. [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Waseda University, Shinjuku Ku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); ISS Science Project Office, JAXA, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-8505 (Japan); Matsuoka, T. [Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8540 (Japan); Schwarzacher, W. [H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL (United Kingdom)

2011-04-30

Highlights: {yields} Ni marker layers to monitor electrodeposited Cu nodule morphological evolution. {yields} The edges of the nodules trace out a straight line. {yields} Difference in growth between spheres and hemispheres. {yields} Nodule on nodule growth at high overpotential. {yields} No dramatic effect of the diffusion layer thickness on the film morphology. - Abstract: We have used Ni marker layers to study the evolution of the characteristic spheroidal nodule morphology in electrodeposited Cu films. Ultrathin Ni layers were electrodeposited in-between Cu layers, and cross sections prepared by electrochemical polishing. During growth of a typical spheroidal feature, the edge (i.e. where there is a discontinuity in the surface slope) traces out a straight line in the cross-sectional image. At high overpotential, the cross-sections show nodule-on-nodule growth, giving rise to the well known cauliflower morphology. Rotating disk electrode studies reveal that, surprisingly, the absolute diffusion layer thickness does not appear to play a major role in the development of spheres.

Monitoring Cu nodule formation using Ni marker layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lafouresse, M.C.; Fukunaka, Y.; Matsuoka, T.; Schwarzacher, W.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Ni marker layers to monitor electrodeposited Cu nodule morphological evolution. → The edges of the nodules trace out a straight line. → Difference in growth between spheres and hemispheres. → Nodule on nodule growth at high overpotential. → No dramatic effect of the diffusion layer thickness on the film morphology. - Abstract: We have used Ni marker layers to study the evolution of the characteristic spheroidal nodule morphology in electrodeposited Cu films. Ultrathin Ni layers were electrodeposited in-between Cu layers, and cross sections prepared by electrochemical polishing. During growth of a typical spheroidal feature, the edge (i.e. where there is a discontinuity in the surface slope) traces out a straight line in the cross-sectional image. At high overpotential, the cross-sections show nodule-on-nodule growth, giving rise to the well known cauliflower morphology. Rotating disk electrode studies reveal that, surprisingly, the absolute diffusion layer thickness does not appear to play a major role in the development of spheres.

Mechanisms of Mixed-Layer Salinity Seasonal Variability in the Indian Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Köhler, Julia; Serra, Nuno; Bryan, Frank O.; Johnson, Benjamin K.; Stammer, Detlef

2018-01-01

Based on a joint analysis of an ensemble mean of satellite sea surface salinity retrievals and the output of a high-resolution numerical ocean circulation simulation, physical processes are identified that control seasonal variations of mixed-layer salinity (MLS) in the Indian Ocean, a basin where salinity changes dominate changes in density. In the northern and near-equatorial Indian Ocean, annual salinity changes are mainly driven by respective changes of the horizontal advection. South of the equatorial region, between 45°E and 90°E, where evaporation minus precipitation has a strong seasonal cycle, surface freshwater fluxes control the seasonal MLS changes. The influence of entrainment on the salinity variance is enhanced in mid-ocean upwelling regions but remains small. The model and observational results reveal that vertical diffusion plays a major role in precipitation and river runoff dominated regions balancing the surface freshwater flux. Vertical diffusion is important as well in regions where the advection of low salinity leads to strong gradients across the mixed-layer base. There, vertical diffusion explains a large percentage of annual MLS variance. The simulation further reveals that (1) high-frequency small-scale eddy processes primarily determine the salinity tendency in coastal regions (in particular in the Bay of Bengal) and (2) shear horizontal advection, brought about by changes in the vertical structure of the mixed layer, acts against mean horizontal advection in the equatorial salinity frontal regions. Observing those latter features with the existing observational components remains a future challenge.

Experimental investigation of concentration and stable isotopes signals during organic contaminants back diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jin, Biao; Nika, Chrysanthi-Elisabeth; Rolle, Massimo

2017-01-01

-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) as model contaminant and we investigated its back diffusion from an impermeable source into a permeable saturated layer, in which advection-dominated flow conditions were established. We used concentration and stable chlorine isotope measurements to investigate the plumes originated by cis...... and stable isotope gradients in the flow-through setup. In particular, steep concentration and stable isotope gradients were observed at the outlet. Lateral isotope gradients corresponding to chlorine isotope fractionation up to 20‰ were induced by cis-DCE back diffusion and subsequent advection......-dominated transport in all flow-through experiments. A numerical modeling approach, tracking individually all chlorine isotopologues, based on the accurate parameterization of local dispersion, as well as on the values of aqueous diffusion coefficients and diffusion-induced isotope fractionation from a previous study...

Kinetics of Isothermal Reactive Diffusion Between Solid Cu and Liquid Sn

Science.gov (United States)

O, M.; Suzuki, T.; Kajihara, M.

2018-01-01

The Cu/Sn system is one of the most fundamental and important metallic systems for solder joints in electric devices. To realize reliable solder joints, information on reactive diffusion at the solder joint is very important. In the present study, we experimentally investigated the kinetics of the reactive diffusion between solid Cu and liquid Sn using semi-infinite Cu/Sn diffusion couples prepared by an isothermal bonding technique. Isothermal annealing of the diffusion couple was conducted in the temperature range of 533-603 K for various times up to 172.8 ks (48 h). Using annealing, an intermetallic layer composed of Cu6Sn5 with scallop morphology and Cu3Sn with rather uniform thickness is formed at the original Cu/Sn interface in the diffusion couple. The growth of the Cu6Sn5 scallop occurs much more quickly than that of the Cu3Sn layer and thus predominates in the overall growth of the intermetallic layer. This tendency becomes more remarkable at lower annealing temperatures. The total thickness of the intermetallic layer is proportional to a power function of the annealing time, and the exponent of the power function is close to unity at all the annealing temperatures. This means that volume diffusion controls the intermetallic growth and the morphology of the Cu6Sn5/Sn interface influences the rate-controlling process. Adopting a mean value of 0.99 for the exponent, we obtain a value of 26 kJ/mol for the activation enthalpy of the intermetallic growth.

Wave energy input into the Ekman layer

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2008-01-01

This paper is concerned with the wave energy input into the Ekman layer, based on 3 observational facts that surface waves could significantly affect the profile of the Ekman layer. Under the assumption of constant vertical diffusivity, the analytical form of wave energy input into the Ekman layer is derived. Analysis of the energy balance shows that the energy input to the Ekman layer through the wind stress and the interaction of the Stokes-drift with planetary vorticity can be divided into two kinds. One is the wind energy input, and the other is the wave energy input which is dependent on wind speed, wave characteristics and the wind direction relative to the wave direction. Estimates of wave energy input show that wave energy input can be up to 10% in high-latitude and high-wind speed areas and higher than 20% in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, compared with the wind energy input into the classical Ekman layer. Results of this paper are of significance to the study of wave-induced large scale effects.

Improved performance of diatomite-based dental nanocomposite ceramics using layer-by-layer assembly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu X

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Xiaoli Lu1,2, Yang Xia1, Mei Liu1, Yunzhu Qian3, Xuefeng Zhou4, Ning Gu4, Feimin Zhang1,41Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 2Nantong Stomatological Hospital, Nantong, 3Center of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, 4Suzhou Institute, Southeast University, Suzhou, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: To fabricate high-strength diatomite-based ceramics for dental applications, the layer-by-layer technique was used to coat diatomite particles with cationic [poly(allylamine hydrochloride] and anionic [poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate] polymers to improve the dispersion and adsorption of positively charged nano-ZrO2 (zirconia as a reinforcing agent. The modified diatomite particles had reduced particle size, narrower size distribution, and were well dispersed, with good adsorption of nano-ZrO2. To determine the optimum addition levels for nano-ZrO2, ceramics containing 0, 20, 25, 30, and 35 wt% nano-ZrO2 were sintered and characterized by the three-point bending test and microhardness test. In addition to scanning electron microscopy, propagation phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography was used to examine the internal structure of the ceramics. The addition of 30 wt% nano-ZrO2 resulted in the highest flexural strength and fracture toughness with reduced porosity. Shear bond strength between the core and veneer of our diatomite ceramics and the most widely used dental ceramics were compared; the shear bond strength value for the diatomite-based ceramics was found to be significantly higher than for other groups (P < 0.05. Our results show that diatomite-based nanocomposite ceramics are good potential candidates for ceramic-based dental materials.Keywords: layer-by-layer, diatomite, nanoceramics, zirconia (ZrO2, dental materials

A generalized diffusion model for growth of nanoparticles synthesized by colloidal methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Tianlong; Brush, Lucien N; Krishnan, Kannan M

2014-04-01

A nanoparticle growth model is developed to predict and guide the syntheses of monodisperse colloidal nanoparticles in the liquid phase. The model, without any a priori assumptions, is based on the Fick's law of diffusion, conservation of mass and the Gibbs-Thomson equation for crystal growth. In the limiting case, this model reduces to the same expression as the currently accepted model that requires the assumption of a diffusion layer around each nanoparticle. The present growth model bridges the two limiting cases of the previous model i.e. complete diffusion controlled and adsorption controlled growth of nanoparticles. Specifically, the results show that a monodispersion of nanoparticles can be obtained both with fast monomer diffusion and with surface reaction under conditions of small diffusivity to surface reaction constant ratio that results is growth 'focusing'. This comprehensive description of nanoparticle growth provides new insights and establishes the required conditions for fabricating monodisperse nanoparticles critical for a wide range of applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modifying glass surfaces via internal diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smedskjaer, M.M.; Yue, Y.Z.; Deubener, J.

2010-01-01

leads to outward diffusion (OD) of divalent cations (primarily Mg2+), i.e., diffusion from the interior of the glass to the surface, and thereby, to formation of an oxide surface nano-layer. in contrast, when the glasses are heat-treated in H-2/N-2 gas containing 10 vol.% H-2, reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2...... on some properties such as hardness, chemical durability, and surface wettability....

MAPLE deposition of polypyrrole-based composite layers for bone regeneration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paun, Irina Alexandra, E-mail: irina.paun@physics.pub.ro [Faculty of Applied Sciences, University Politehnica of Bucharest, RO-060042 (Romania); National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Bucharest RO-077125 (Romania); Acasandrei, Adriana Maria [Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering IFIN-HH, Magurele, Bucharest RO-077125 (Romania); Luculescu, Catalin Romeo, E-mail: catalin.luculescu@inflpr.ro [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Bucharest RO-077125 (Romania); Mustaciosu, Cosmin Catalin [Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering IFIN-HH, Magurele, Bucharest RO-077125 (Romania); Ion, Valentin [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Bucharest RO-077125 (Romania); Mihailescu, Mona; Vasile, Eugenia [Faculty of Applied Sciences, University Politehnica of Bucharest, RO-060042 (Romania); Dinescu, Maria, E-mail: dinescum@nipne.ro [National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Bucharest RO-077125 (Romania)

2015-12-01

Highlights: • PPy-based composite layers for bone regeneration were produced by MAPLE. • Conductive PPy nanograins were embedded in insulating PLGA and PU matrices. • PLGA was chosen for providing biodegradability and PU for toughness and elasticity. • The layers conductivities reached 10{sup −2} S/cm for PPy loadings of 1:10 weight ratios. • The layers promoted osteoblast viability, proliferation and mineralization. - Abstract: We report on biocompatible, electrically conductive layers of polypyrrole (PPy)-based composites obtained by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) for envisioned bone regeneration. In order to preserve the conductivity of the PPy while overcoming its lack of biodegradability and low mechanical resilience, conductive PPy nanograins were embedded in two biocompatible, insulating polymeric matrices, i.e. poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid (PLGA) and polyurethane (PU). PLGA offers the advantage of full biodegradability into non-toxic products, while PU provides toughness and elasticity. The PPy nanograins formed micro-domains and networks within the PLGA and PU matrices, in a compact spatial arrangement favorable for electrical percolation. The proposed approach allowed us to obtain PPy-based composite layers with biologically meaningful conductivities up to 10{sup −2} S/cm for PPy loadings as low as 1:10 weight ratios. Fluorescent staining and viability assays showed that the MG63 osteoblast-like cells cultured on the PPy-based layers deposited by MAPLE were viable and retained their capacity to proliferate. The performance of the proposed method was demonstrated by quantitative evaluation of the calcium phosphate deposits from the cultured cells, as indicative for cell mineralization. Electrical stimulation using 200 μA currents passing through the PPy-based layers, during a time interval of 4 h, enhanced the osteogenesis in the cultured cells. Despite their lowest conductivity, the PPy/PU layers showed the best