Structural and chemical evolution in neutron irradiated and helium-injected ferritic ODS PM2000 alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Hee Joon [Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Edwards, Dan J., E-mail: dan.edwards@pnnl.gov [Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Kurtz, Richard J. [Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354 (United States); Yamamoto, Takuya; Wu, Yuan [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Odette, G. Robert [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

2017-02-15

An investigation of the influence of helium on damage evolution under neutron irradiation of an 11 at% Al, 19 at% Cr ODS ferritic PM2000 alloy was carried out in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) using a novel in situ helium injection (ISHI) technique. Helium was injected into adjacent TEM discs from thermal neutron {sup 58}Ni(n{sub th},γ) {sup 59}Ni(n{sub th},α) reactions in a thin NiAl layer. The PM2000 undergoes concurrent displacement damage from the high-energy neutrons. The ISHI technique allows direct comparisons of regions with and without high concentrations of helium since only the side coated with the NiAl experiences helium injection. The corresponding microstructural and microchemical evolutions were characterized using both conventional and scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. The evolutions observed include formation of dislocation loops and associated helium bubbles, precipitation of a variety of phases, amorphization of the Al{sub 2}YO{sub 3} oxides (which also variously contained internal voids), and several manifestations of solute segregation. Notably, high concentrations of helium had a significant effect on many of these diverse phenomena. These results on PM2000 are compared and contrasted to the evolution of so-called nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFA).

Exploding and Imaging of Electron Bubbles in Liquid Helium

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Neha; Vadakkumbatt, Vaisakh; Maris, Humphrey J.; Ghosh, Ambarish

2017-06-01

An electron bubble in liquid helium-4 under the saturated vapor pressure becomes unstable and explodes if the pressure becomes more negative than -1.9 bars. In this paper, we use focused ultrasound to explode electron bubbles. We then image at 30,000 frames per second the growth and subsequent collapse of the bubbles. We find that bubbles can grow to as large as 1 mm in diameter within 2 ms after the cavitation event. We examine the relation between the maximum size of the bubble and the lifetime and find good agreement with the experimental results.

Effects of sequential helium and hydrogen ion irradiation on the nucleation and evolution of bubbles in tungsten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Zhenyu; Zheng, Zhongcheng [Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China); Luo, Fengfeng [Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China); Institute of Applied Physics, Jiangxi Academy of Science, Nanchang, 330029 (China); Hu, Wenhui [Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China); Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031 (China); Zhang, Weiping [Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China); Guo, Liping, E-mail: guolp@whu.edu.cn [Hubei Nuclear Solid Physics Key Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China); Ren, Yaoyao [Center for Electron Microscopy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072 (China)

2017-02-15

Highlights: • The effect of H{sup +} irradiation on formation and evolution of helium bubbles is explored. • The growth of hydrogen bubbles under He{sup +} irradiation is observed. • Mechanism of synergistic effect between He and H is discussed. - Abstract: Irradiations of He{sup +} and H{sup +} have been performed to investigate the effect of H{sup +} irradiation on existing helium bubbles and the effect of pre-irradiation of H{sup +} on the formation of helium bubbles in tungsten. The specimens were irradiated at 800 °C with either 10kev-H{sup +}, 20kev-He{sup +}, or sequentially irradiated with both H{sup +} and He{sup +}. After H{sup +} irradiation, the growth of existing helium bubbles was observed. It was also found that pre- or post- irradiation of H{sup +} enhanced the nucleation of helium bubbles. The growth of hydrogen bubbles was also observed after post irradiation of He{sup +}. The possible mechanism is discussed.

Modeling of helium bubble nucleation and growth in neutron irradiated boron doped RAFM steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dethloff, Christian; Gaganidze, Ermile; Svetukhin, Vyacheslav V.; Aktaa, Jarir

2012-01-01

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels are promising candidates for structural materials in future fusion technology. In addition to other irradiation defects, the transmuted helium is believed to strongly influence material hardening and embrittlement behavior. A phenomenological model based on kinetic rate equations is developed to describe homogeneous nucleation and growth of helium bubbles in neutron irradiated RAFM steels. The model is adapted to different 10 B doped EUROFER97 based heats, which already had been studied in past irradiation experiments. Simulations yield bubble size distributions, whereby effects of helium generation rate, surface energy, helium sinks and helium density are investigated. Peak bubble diameters under different conditions are compared to preliminary microstructural results on irradiated specimens. Helium induced hardening was calculated by applying the Dispersed Barrier Hardening model to simulated cluster size distributions. Quantitative microstructural investigations of unirradiated and irradiated specimens will be used to support and verify the model.

Modeling of helium bubble nucleation and growth in neutron irradiated boron doped RAFM steels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dethloff, Christian, E-mail: christian.dethloff@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Gaganidze, Ermile [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Svetukhin, Vyacheslav V. [Ulyanovsk State University, Leo Tolstoy Str. 42, 432970 Ulyanovsk (Russian Federation); Aktaa, Jarir [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Applied Materials, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2012-07-15

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels are promising candidates for structural materials in future fusion technology. In addition to other irradiation defects, the transmuted helium is believed to strongly influence material hardening and embrittlement behavior. A phenomenological model based on kinetic rate equations is developed to describe homogeneous nucleation and growth of helium bubbles in neutron irradiated RAFM steels. The model is adapted to different {sup 10}B doped EUROFER97 based heats, which already had been studied in past irradiation experiments. Simulations yield bubble size distributions, whereby effects of helium generation rate, surface energy, helium sinks and helium density are investigated. Peak bubble diameters under different conditions are compared to preliminary microstructural results on irradiated specimens. Helium induced hardening was calculated by applying the Dispersed Barrier Hardening model to simulated cluster size distributions. Quantitative microstructural investigations of unirradiated and irradiated specimens will be used to support and verify the model.

The observation of helium gas bubble lattices in copper, nickel and stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, P.B.; Mazey, D.J.

1978-10-01

Transmission electron microscopy is used to investigate the spatial arrangement of the small gas bubbles produced in several fcc metals by 30 keV helium ion irradiation to high dose at 300K. In what is a new result for this important class of metals it is found that the helium gas bubbles lie on a superlattice having an fcc structure with principal axes aligned with those of the metal matrix. The bubble lattice constant, asub(l), is measured for a helium fluence just below the critical dose for radiation blistering of the metal surface. Implantation rates are typically approximately 10 14 He ions cm -2 sec -1 . The values of asub(l) obtained for copper, nickel and stainless steel are given. Above the critical dose the bubble lattice is seen to survive in some blister caps as well as in the region between blisters. Bubble alignment is also observed in the case of hydrogen bubbles produced in copper by low energy proton irradiation to high fluence at 300K. (author)

Helium accumulation and bubble formation in FeCoNiCr alloy under high fluence He+ implantation

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Da; Tong, Y.; Li, H.; Wang, J.; Zhao, Y. L.; Hu, Alice; Kai, J. J.

2018-04-01

Face-centered cubic (FCC) high-entropy alloys (HEA), as emerging alloys with equal-molar or near equal-molar constituents, show a promising radiation damage resistance under heavy ion bombardment, making them potential for structural material application in next-generation nuclear reactors, but the accumulation of light helium ions, a product of nuclear fission reaction, has not been studied. The present work experimentally studied the helium accumulation and bubble formation at implantation temperatures of 523 K, 573 K and 673 K in a homogenized FCC FeCoNiCr HEA, a HEA showing excellent radiation damage resistance under heavy ion irradiation. The size and population density of helium bubbles in FeCoNiCr samples were quantitatively analyzed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the helium content existing in bubbles were estimated from a high-pressure Equation of State (EOS). We found that the helium diffusion in such condition was dominated by the self-interstitial/He replacement mechanism, and the corresponding activation energy in FeCoNiCr is comparable with the vacancy migration energy in Ni and austenitic stainless steel but only 14.3%, 31.4% and 51.4% of the accumulated helium precipitated into helium bubbles at 523 K, 573 K and 673 K, respectively, smaller than the pure Ni case. Importantly, the small bubble size suggested that FeCoNiCr HEA has a high resistance of helium bubble formation compared with Ni and steels.

Growth rate effects on the formation of dislocation loops around deep helium bubbles in Tungsten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandoval, Luis; Perez, Danny; Uberuaga, Blas P.; Voter, Arthur Ford

2016-01-01

Here, the growth process of spherical helium bubbles located 6 nm below a (100) surface is studied using molecular dynamics and parallel replica dynamics simulations, over growth rates from 10"6 to 10"1"2 helium atoms per second. Slower growth rates lead to a release of pressure and lower helium content as compared with fast growth cases. In addition, at slower growth rates, helium bubbles are not decorated by multiple dislocation loops, as these tend to merge or emit given sufficient time. At faster rates, dislocation loops nucleate faster than they can emit, leading to a more complicated dislocation structure around the bubble.

Fission of Multielectron Bubbles in Liquid Helium Under Electric Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Vadakkumbatt, V.; Ghosh, A.

2017-06-01

Multielectron bubbles (MEBs) are cavities in liquid helium which contain a layer of electrons trapped within few nanometres from their inner surfaces. These bubbles are promising candidates to probe a system of interacting electrons in curved geometries, but have been subjected to limited experimental investigation. Here, we report on the observation of fission of MEBs under strong electric fields, which arises due to fast rearrangement of electrons inside the bubbles, leading to their deformation and eventually instability. We measured the electrons to be distributed unequally between the daughter bubbles which could be used to control the charge density inside MEBs.

A mechanical analysis of metallic tritide aging by helium bubble growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montheillet, F. [Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines (SMS), CNRS UMR 5146 (PECM), 158 cours Fauriel, 42023 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2 (France)], E-mail: montheil@emse.fr; Delaplanche, D.; Fabre, A.; Munier, E.; Thiebaut, S. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique de Valduc, 21120 Is-sur-Tille (France)

2008-10-25

A simple mechanical model is proposed for the aging of a metallic tritide. The material is assumed to be elastic-power law viscoplastic. Part of the helium atoms generated by tritium decay form spherical bubbles that weaken the elastic moduli of the overall material. By contrast, others can be stored in solid solution in the matrix and are likely to increase the moduli. Two variants of the model are compared, assuming either instantaneous or finite rate diffusion of helium. They predict globally similar evolutions of the gas pressure inside the bubbles, the geometrical parameters (bubble radius, overall swelling), as well as the matrix and overall elastic moduli. The results are in good agreement with atomistic calculations of the pressure evolution. Furthermore, recent experimental measurements of the Young modulus changes during aging are better reproduced when He diffusion rate is finite, thus supporting the second variant of the model.

A mechanical analysis of metallic tritide aging by helium bubble growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montheillet, F.; Delaplanche, D.; Fabre, A.; Munier, E.; Thiebaut, S.

2008-01-01

A simple mechanical model is proposed for the aging of a metallic tritide. The material is assumed to be elastic-power law viscoplastic. Part of the helium atoms generated by tritium decay form spherical bubbles that weaken the elastic moduli of the overall material. By contrast, others can be stored in solid solution in the matrix and are likely to increase the moduli. Two variants of the model are compared, assuming either instantaneous or finite rate diffusion of helium. They predict globally similar evolutions of the gas pressure inside the bubbles, the geometrical parameters (bubble radius, overall swelling), as well as the matrix and overall elastic moduli. The results are in good agreement with atomistic calculations of the pressure evolution. Furthermore, recent experimental measurements of the Young modulus changes during aging are better reproduced when He diffusion rate is finite, thus supporting the second variant of the model

A three-dimensional meso-scale modeling for helium bubble growth in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzudo, T.; Kaburaki, H.; Wakai, E.

2007-01-01

A three-dimensional meso-scale computer model using a Monte-Carlo simulation method has been proposed to simulate the helium bubble growth in metals. The primary merit of this model is that it enables the visual comparison between the microstructure observed by the TEM imaging and those by calculations. The modeling is so simple that one can control easily the calculation by tuning parameters. The simulation results are confirmed by the ideal gas law and the capillary relation. helium bubble growth, meso-scale modeling, Monte-Carlo simulation, the ideal gas law and the capillary relation. (authors)

Effect of helium bubbles at grain boundaries on the fracture characteristics of high-density 238PuO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisson, R.D.; McDonell, W.R.

1976-01-01

Helium bubbles that formed at grain boundaries in high density (greater than 92 percent of theoretical) 238 PuO 2 shards did not affect the room temperature fracture behavior as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Fracture was predominantly by brittle transgranular cleavage with only infrequent intergranular failure observed. Pores (approximately 5 μm dia) that formed within the grains during the sintering process, rather than helium bubbles, initiated fractures. Helium bubbles were observed occasionally on the fracture surfaces of 20-month-old shards that had been heated to 1600 0 C for 8 h and subsequently crushed at room temperature. The average radius of these bubbles was approximately 1 μm. These bubbles were not interconnected, but were sometimes aligned in stringers

Observations of a fcc helium gas-bubble superlattice in copper, nickel, and stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, P.B.; Mazey, D.J.

1980-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy is used to investigate the spatial arrangement of the small gas bubbles produced in several fcc metals by 30 keV helium ion irradiation to high dose at 300 K. In what is a new result for this important class of metals it is found that the helium gas bubbles lie on a superlattice having an fcc structure with principal axes aligned with those of the metal matrix. The bubble lattice constant asub(i), is measured for a helium fluence just below the critical dose for radiation blistering of the metal surface (approximately 4 x 10 17 He/cm 2 ). Implantation rates are typically approximately 10 14 He ions cm -2 sec -1 . The values of asub(i) obtained for copper, nickel and stainless steel are (7.6 +- 0.3)nm, (6.6 +- 0.5)nm and (6.4 +- 0.5)nm respectively. Above the critical dose the bubble lattice is seen to survive in some blister caps as well as in the region between blisters. Bubble alignment is also observed in the case of hydrogen bubbles produced in copper by low energy proton irradiation to high fluence at 300 K. The presentation of this data was accompanied by a cine film illustrating the behaviour of the gas bubble lattice in copper during post-irradiation annealing in the electron microscope. A summary of the film is given in the appendix. (author)

Measuring helium bubble diameter distributions in tungsten with grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS)

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, M.; Kluth, P.; Doerner, R. P.; Kirby, N.; Riley, D.; Corr, C. S.

2016-02-01

Grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering was performed on tungsten samples exposed to helium plasma in the MAGPIE and Pisces-A linear plasma devices to measure the size distributions of resulting helium nano-bubbles. Nano-bubbles were fitted assuming spheroidal particles and an exponential diameter distribution. These particles had mean diameters between 0.36 and 0.62 nm. Pisces-A exposed samples showed more complex patterns, which may suggest the formation of faceted nano-bubbles or nano-scale surface structures.

Effects of displacement damage and helium production rates on the nucleation and growth of helium bubbles - Positron annihilation spectroscopy aspects

Science.gov (United States)

Krsjak, Vladimir; Degmova, Jarmila; Sojak, Stanislav; Slugen, Vladimir

2018-02-01

Fe-12 wt% Cr model alloy samples were implanted by 250 keV He2+ ions to three different fluencies (3 × 1017, 9 × 1017 and 1.5 × 1018 cm-2) at T steel samples [1] irradiated in the frame of a two-years irradiation program of the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source. Bi-modal defect distribution represented by two defect components in positron lifetime spectrum reveals two distinct helium bubbles growth mechanisms. While at the lower helium production rate of the spallation environment, the bubbles grow primarily by migration and coalescence, at the high production rates of helium in the implanted samples, the results indicate this growth is driven by Ostwald ripening mechanism. A competitive growth process via emission of interstitial atoms (clusters) is discussed in terms of low-temperature He implantations.

Microstructural observation on helium injected and creep ruptured JPCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, N.; Shiraishi, H.; Hishinuma, A.

1986-01-01

Detailed and quantitative TEM observation was performed on high temperature helium injected and creep ruptured JPCA to seek the prominent TiC distribution developed for suppression of helium embrittlement. Three different preinjection treatments were adopted for changing the TiC distribution. Considerable degradation in creep rupture strength by helium occurred in solution-annealed specimens, although there was much less effect of other treatments which included aging prior to injection. The concentration of helium at grain boundaries and the promotion of precipitation by helium during injection were responsible for the degradation. Therefore, the presence of TiC precipitates before helium introduction will help prevent degradation. On the other hand, the rupture elongation was reduced by helium after all treatments, although helium trapping by TiC precipitates in the matrix was successfully achieved. Consequently, the combined use of several methods may be necessary for further suppression of helium embrittlement. (orig.)

Effect of microstructure on helium bubble growth in irradiated nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sattler, M.L.

1986-01-01

Thin nickel films were irradiated with 80 keV helium ions at varying doses and varying temperatures in order to obtain a variety of final microstructures. The growth of bubbles was examined during in-situ irradiations at 950 0 C where migration and coalescence events were observed for bubbles as large as 60 nm. Further direct observations of bubble growth were made during annealing of the irradiated specimens. For sample with no visible bubbles before annealing, the heating to 0.51 T/sub M/ produced bubbles that increased in diameter with annealing time to the power n. For bubbles in the grain interior, n ∼ 1, and on the grain boundaries, n ∼ 0.6. Since no migration and coalescence or ripening theories predict this behavior, a theory described by transient diffusion to spherical sinks was developed to discuss the behavior. This theory predicts that n = 1 for bubbles growing in the grain interior and n = 0.5 for bubbles on the grain boundary. In other annealing of irradiated samples containing large bubble populations, the growth of large bubbles and shrinking of small bubbles was observed at a temperature equal to 0.54 T/sub M/. The theory of Ostwald ripening properly described this type of bubble growth. Mass spectrometer measurements of He content in the irradiated specimens showed a greater He retention in the Ni films that contained a significant bubble population than those with no visible bubbles

Electron self-injection in the donut bubble wakefield

Science.gov (United States)

Firouzjaei, Ali Shekari; Shokri, Babak

2018-05-01

We investigate electron self-injection in a donut bubble wakefield driven by a Laguerre-Gauss laser pulse. The present work discusses the electron capture by modeling the analytical donut bubble field. We discuss the self-injection of the electrons from plasma for various initial conditions and then compare the results. We show that the donut bubble can trap plasma electrons forming a hollow beam. We present the phase spaces and longitudinal momentum evolution for the trapped electrons in the bubble and discuss their characteristic behaviors and stability. It will be shown that the electrons self-injected in the front are ideal for applications in which a good stability and low energy spread are essential.

Turbulent shear control with oscillatory bubble injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyun Jin; Oishi, Yoshihiko; Tasaka, Yuji; Murai, Yuichi; Takeda, Yasushi

2009-01-01

It is known that injecting bubbles into shear flow can reduce the frictional drag. This method has advantages in comparison to others in simplicity of installation and also in environment. The amount of drag reduction by bubbles depends on the void fraction provided in the boundary layer. It means, however, that certain power must be consumed to generate bubbles in water, worsening the total power-saving performance. We propose oscillatory bubble injection technique to improve the performance in this study. In order to prove this idea of new type of drag reduction, velocity vector field and shear stress profile in a horizontal channel flow are measured by ultrasonic velocity profiler (UVP) and shear stress transducer, respectively. We measure the gas-liquid interface from the UVP signal, as well. This compound measurement with different principles leads to deeper understanding of bubble-originated drag reduction phenomena, in particular for unsteady process of boundary layer alternation. At these experiments, the results have demonstrated that the intermittency promotes the drag reduction more than normal continuous injection for the same void fraction supplied.

A Molecular dynamics study of helium bubble stability during high-energy displacement cascades in alpha-iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pu, Jin; Yang, Li; Zu, Xiaotao; Gao, Fei

2007-01-01

The interactions of high-energy displacement cascades with helium bubbles in a-Fe are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Initial bubbles with the volumes of 212 and 636 (angstrom)3 are considered, and the helium-to-vacancy (He/V) ratio in the bubbles varies from 0.5 to 3. Primary knock-on atom (PKA) energy, Ep, is up to 40 keV. The results show that the change of nm-sized He bubbles due to displacement cascade does not depend much on the bubble size, but rather on the He/V ratio and the recoil energy. For the initial He/V ratio less than 1, the size of the bubbles decreases with increasing PKA energy, but the He/V ratio increases. However, for the initial He/V ratio of 3, the size of the bubbles increases, and the He/V ratio decreases with PKA energy. For the initial He/V ratio of 1, the ratio of the small bubble decreases slightly, but the ratio of the large bubble remains unchanged for lower PKA energy, and increases slightly for higher PKA energy. The reasons for these observed phenomena have been explained

On the empirical determination of positron trapping coefficient at nano-scale helium bubbles in steels irradiated in spallation target

Science.gov (United States)

Krsjak, Vladimir; Kuriplach, Jan; Vieh, Christiane; Peng, Lei; Dai, Yong

2018-06-01

In the present work, the specific positron trapping rate of small helium bubbles was empirically derived from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of Fe9Cr martensitic steels. Both techniques are well known to be sensitive to nanometer-sized helium-filled cavities induced during irradiation in a mixed proton-neutron spectrum of spallation target. Complementary TEM and PALS studies show that positrons are being trapped to these defects at a rate of 1.2 ± 0.8 × 10-14 m3s-1. This suggests that helium bubbles in ferritic/martensitic steels are attractive traps for positrons comparable to mono-vacancies and quantitative analysis of the bubbles by PALS technique is plausible.

The influence of low-energy helium plasma on bubble formation in micro-engineered tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Edward; Nadvornick, Warren; Doerner, Russ; Ghoniem, Nasr M.

2018-04-01

Four different types of micro-engineered tungsten surfaces were exposed to low energy helium plasma, with a planar surface as control. These samples include two surfaces covered with uniform W-coated rhenium micro-pillars; one with cylindrical pillars 1 μm in diameter and 25 μm in height, and one with dendritic conical pillars 4-10 μm in diameter and 20 μm in height. Additionally, two samples with reticulated open-cell foam geometry, one at 45 pores per inch (PPI), and the other at 80 PPI were fabricated with Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). The samples were exposed to helium plasma at 30-100 eV ion energy, 823-1123 K temperature, and 5 × 1025 - 2 × 1026 m-2 ion fluence. It is shown that the formation of nanometer-scale tendrils (fuzz) on micro-engineered W surfaces is greatly reduced as compared to planar surfaces. This is attributed to more significant ion backscattering and the increased effective surface area that intercept incident ions in micro-engineered W. A 20% decrease in the average ion incident angle on pillar type surfaces leads to ∼30% decrease in bubble size, down to 30 nm in diameter. W fuzz was found to be absent from pillar sides due to high ion backscattering rates from pillar sides. In foam samples, 28% higher PPI is observed to have 24.7%-36.7% taller fuzz, and 17.0%-25.0% larger subsurface bubbles. These are found to be an order of magnitude smaller than those found in planar surfaces of similar environment. The helium bubble density was found to increase with ion energy in pillars, roughly from 8.2% to 48.4%, and to increase with increasing PPI, from 36.4% to 116.2%, and with bubble concentrations up to 9.1 × 1021 m-3. Geometric shadowing effects in or near surface ligaments are observed in all foam samples, with near absence of helium bubbles or fuzz in deeper layers of the foam.

Positronium formation in helium bubbles in 600 MeV proton-irradiated aluminium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, K. O.; Eldrup, Morten Mostgaard; Singh, Bachu Narain

1985-01-01

Aluminium samples containing helium bubbles produced by 600 MeV proton irradiation at 430°C were investigated by positron annihilation; both lifetime and angular correlation measurements were made. The angular correlation curves contain an unusually narrow component. This component is associated...

GISAXS modelling of helium-induced nano-bubble formation in tungsten and comparison with TEM

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Matt; Sakamoto, Ryuichi; Bernard, Elodie; Kirby, Nigel; Kluth, Patrick; Riley, Daniel; Corr, Cormac

2016-05-01

Grazing-incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) is a powerful non-destructive technique for the measurement of nano-bubble formation in tungsten under helium plasma exposure. Here, we present a comparative study between transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and GISAXS measurements of nano-bubble formation in tungsten exposed to helium plasma in the Large Helical Device (LHD) fusion experiment. Both techniques are in excellent agreement, suggesting that nano-bubbles range from spheroidal to ellipsoidal, displaying exponential diameter distributions with mean diameters μ=0.68 ± 0.04 nm and μ=0.6 ± 0.1 nm measured by TEM and GISAXS respectively. Depth distributions were also computed, with calculated exponential depth distributions with mean depths of 8.4 ± 0.5 nm and 9.1 ± 0.4 nm for TEM and GISAXS. In GISAXS modelling, spheroidal particles were fitted with an aspect ratio ε=0.7 ± 0.1. The GISAXS model used is described in detail.

Irradiation damage in boron carbide: point defects, clusters and helium bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoto, T.; Zuppiroli, L.

1986-06-01

Boron carbide is a refractory hard and light material of interest in nuclear technology (fission and also fusion). Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the properties of radiation induced damage. Firstly, the production of point defects and their clustering was studied in samples irradiated by 1 MeV electron in a high voltage electron microscope at selected temperatures from 12 K to 1000 K. Secondly, conventional transmission electron microscopy was used to understand the production of helium bubbles in neutron irradiated boron carbide and their role in the generation of microcracks. Finally, the interaction between point defects and bubbles was also examined

Thermal desorption of deuterium from Be, and Be with helium bubbles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fedorov, A.V.; Van Veen, A.; Busker, G.J. [Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands). Interfaculty Reactor Inst.

1998-01-01

Deuterium desorption measurements carried out on a single-crystalline beryllium sample are presented. Deuterium ions were implanted at room temperature at the energy of 0.7 and 1.2 keV up to doses ranging from 10{sup 19} to 3.6 x 10{sup 21} m{sup -2}. In order to eliminate the influence of the beryllium-oxide surface layer, before the implantation the surface of the sample was cleaned by argon sputtering. After the implantation the sample was annealed up to 1200 K at a constant rate of 10 K/s. Deuterium released from the sample was monitored by a calibrated quadrupole mass-spectrometer. The desorption spectra revealed two different contributions. One is a well defined and very narrow peak centered around 450 K. This peak is observed only at high implantation doses > 7.8 x 10{sup 20} m{sup -2}, which is close to the deuterium saturation limit of 0.3 D/Be and is related to deuterium release from blisters or interconnected bubbles. The activation energy of 1.1 eV and the threshold implantation dose are consistent with the values reported in literature. The second contribution in the release spectra is found in the temperature range from 600 to 900 K and is present throughout the whole range of the implantation doses. The activation energies corresponding to this release lie in the range between 1.8 and 2.5 eV and are ascribed to the release from deuterium-vacancy type of defects. In a number of experiments the deuterium implantation was preceded by helium implantation followed by partial annealing to create helium bubbles. The resulting deuterium desorption spectra indicate that deuterium detrapping from helium bubbles is characterized by an activation energy of 2.7 eV. (author)

Effect of titanium impurities on helium bubble growth in nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amarendra, G.; Viswanathan, B.; Rajaraman, R.; Srinivasan, S.; Gopinathan, K.P.

1992-01-01

Positron lifetime measurements in He-implanted Ni and Ni-Ti alloys containing dilute concentrations of Ti, during isochronal annealing, are reported. In the initial annealing stage of Ni-Ti alloys, only a single lifetime ranging from 160 to 180 ps is observed, in contrast with the two lifetimes seen in pure Ni. This indicates saturation positron trapping at helium-bound Ti-vacancy complexes, formed in high concentrations. Lattice statics calculations of the He binding energy at various defect complexes in Ni-containing Ti give credence to the above interpretation. Above 800K, two lifetimes are resolved in Ni-Ti alloys, where the longer lifetime τ 2 increases with a sharp reduction in its intensity. This is indicative of He bubble growth. The bubble radius r B and bubble concentration C B are obtained from an analysis of positron lifetime parameters. These results indicate that, for a given annealing temperature, r B is smaller by a factor of two and C B higher by nearly an order of magnitude in Ni-Ti than the corresponding values in pure Ni. This is explained as due to significant retardation of bubble growth on the addition of Ti to Ni, where the Ti impurities cause an impediment to bubble migration and coalescence. (author)

Five second helium neutral beam injection using argon-frost cryopumping techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, J.C.; Kellman, D.H.; Hong, R.; Kim, J.; Laughon, G.M.

1995-10-01

High power helium neutral beams for the heating of tokamak discharges can now be provided for 5 s by using argon cryopumping (of the helium gas) in the beamlines. A system has now been installed to deposit a layer of argon frost on the DIII-D neutral beam cryopanels, between tokamak injection pulses. The layer serves to trap helium on the cryopanels providing sufficient pumping speed for 5 s helium beam extraction. The argon frosting hardware is now present on two of four DIII-D neutral beamlines, allowing injection of up to 6 MW of helium neutral beams per discharge, with pulse lengths of up to 5 s. The argon frosting system is described, along with experimental results demonstrating its effectiveness as a method of economically extending the capabilities of cryogenic pumping panels to allow multi-second helium neutral beam injection

GISAXS modelling of helium-induced nano-bubble formation in tungsten and comparison with TEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, Matt; Sakamoto, Ryuichi; Bernard, Elodie; Kirby, Nigel; Kluth, Patrick; Riley, Daniel; Corr, Cormac

2016-01-01

Grazing-incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) is a powerful non-destructive technique for the measurement of nano-bubble formation in tungsten under helium plasma exposure. Here, we present a comparative study between transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and GISAXS measurements of nano-bubble formation in tungsten exposed to helium plasma in the Large Helical Device (LHD) fusion experiment. Both techniques are in excellent agreement, suggesting that nano-bubbles range from spheroidal to ellipsoidal, displaying exponential diameter distributions with mean diameters μ=0.68 ± 0.04 nm and μ=0.6 ± 0.1 nm measured by TEM and GISAXS respectively. Depth distributions were also computed, with calculated exponential depth distributions with mean depths of 8.4 ± 0.5 nm and 9.1 ± 0.4 nm for TEM and GISAXS. In GISAXS modelling, spheroidal particles were fitted with an aspect ratio ε=0.7 ± 0.1. The GISAXS model used is described in detail. - Highlights: • GISAXS and TEM were used to measure nano-bubble formation in W exposed to He plasma in the large helical device. • Nano-bubbles had an exponential diameter distributions with averages 0.6 ± 0.1 nm and 0.68 ± 0.04 nm measured by GISAXS and TEM. • Nano-bubbles had an exponential depth distributions with average depths of 9.1 ± 0.4 nm and 8.4 ± 0.5 nm for GISAXS and TEM. • The GISAXS model used to analyse diffraction patterns is explained in detail.

GISAXS modelling of helium-induced nano-bubble formation in tungsten and comparison with TEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, Matt, E-mail: matt.a.thompson@anu.edu.au [Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Mills Road, Acton, ACT 2601 (Australia); Sakamoto, Ryuichi [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan); Bernard, Elodie [Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13288 (France); Kirby, Nigel [SAXS/WAXS Beamline, Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168 (Australia); Kluth, Patrick [Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Mills Road, Acton, ACT 2601 (Australia); Riley, Daniel [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW, 2232 (Australia); Corr, Cormac [Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Mills Road, Acton, ACT 2601 (Australia)

2016-05-15

Grazing-incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) is a powerful non-destructive technique for the measurement of nano-bubble formation in tungsten under helium plasma exposure. Here, we present a comparative study between transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and GISAXS measurements of nano-bubble formation in tungsten exposed to helium plasma in the Large Helical Device (LHD) fusion experiment. Both techniques are in excellent agreement, suggesting that nano-bubbles range from spheroidal to ellipsoidal, displaying exponential diameter distributions with mean diameters μ=0.68 ± 0.04 nm and μ=0.6 ± 0.1 nm measured by TEM and GISAXS respectively. Depth distributions were also computed, with calculated exponential depth distributions with mean depths of 8.4 ± 0.5 nm and 9.1 ± 0.4 nm for TEM and GISAXS. In GISAXS modelling, spheroidal particles were fitted with an aspect ratio ε=0.7 ± 0.1. The GISAXS model used is described in detail. - Highlights: • GISAXS and TEM were used to measure nano-bubble formation in W exposed to He plasma in the large helical device. • Nano-bubbles had an exponential diameter distributions with averages 0.6 ± 0.1 nm and 0.68 ± 0.04 nm measured by GISAXS and TEM. • Nano-bubbles had an exponential depth distributions with average depths of 9.1 ± 0.4 nm and 8.4 ± 0.5 nm for GISAXS and TEM. • The GISAXS model used to analyse diffraction patterns is explained in detail.

Accident tolerant high-pressure helium injection system concept for light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massey, Caleb; Miller, James; Vasudevamurthy, Gokul

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Potential helium injection strategy is proposed for LWR accident scenarios. • Multiple injection sites are proposed for current LWR designs. • Proof-of-concept experimentation illustrates potential helium injection benefits. • Computational studies show an increase in pressure vessel blowdown time. • Current LOCA codes have the capability to include helium for feasibility calculations. - Abstract: While the design of advanced accident-tolerant fuels and structural materials continues to remain the primary focus of much research and development pertaining to the integrity of nuclear systems, there is a need for a more immediate, simple, and practical improvement in the severe accident response of current emergency core cooling systems. Current blowdown and reflood methodologies under accident conditions still allow peak cladding temperatures to approach design limits and detrimentally affect the integrity of core components. A high-pressure helium injection concept is presented to enhance accident tolerance by increasing operator response time while maintaining lower peak cladding temperatures under design basis and beyond design basis scenarios. Multiple injection sites are proposed that can be adapted to current light water reactor designs to minimize the need for new infrastructure, and concept feasibility has been investigated through a combination of proof-of-concept experimentation and computational modeling. Proof-of-concept experiments show promising cooling potential using a high-pressure helium injection concept, while the developed choked-flow model shows core depressurization changes with added helium injection. Though the high-pressure helium injection concept shows promise, future research into the evaluation of system feasibility and economics are needed.Classification: L. Safety and risk analysis

Helium bubbles in bcc Fe and their interactions with irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gai, Xiao, E-mail: X.Gai@lboro.ac.uk; Lazauskas, Tomas; Smith, Roger; Kenny, Steven D.

2015-07-15

The properties of helium bubbles in a body-centred cubic (bcc) Fe lattice have been examined. The atomic configurations and formation energies of different He–vacancy complexes were determined. The 0 K results show that the most energetically favourable He to Fe vacancy ratio increases from about 1:1 for approximately 5 vacancies up to about 4:1 for 36 vacancies. The formation mechanisms for small He clusters have also been considered. Isolated interstitials and small clusters can diffuse quickly through the lattice. MD simulations of randomly placed interstitial He atoms at 500 K showed clustering over the time scale of nanoseconds with He clusters containing up to 4 atoms being mobile over this time scale. He clusters containing 4 or 5 atoms were shown to eject an Fe dumbbell interstitial which could then detach from the He cluster and diffuse with the remaining He–vacancy complex being effectively immobile. Collision cascades initiated near larger bubbles showed that Fe vacancies produced by the cascades readily become part of the He–vacancy complexes. Energy barriers for He to join an existing bubble as a function of the He–vacancy ratio are also calculated. These can be larger than the diffusion barrier in the pristine lattice, but are lower when the bubbles contain excess vacancies, thus indicating that bubble growth may be kinetically constrained.

Five second helium neutral beam injection using argon-frost cryopumping techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, J.C.; Kellman, D.H.; Hong, R.; Kim, J.; Laughon, G.M.

1995-01-01

High power helium neutral beams for the heating of tokamak discharges can now be provided for 5 s by using argon cryopumping (of the helium gas) in the beamlines. The DIII-D neutral beam system has routinely provided up to 20 MW of deuterium neutral beam heating in support of experiments on the DIII-D tokamak. Operation of neutral beams with helium has historically presented a problem in that pulse lengths have been limited to 500 ms due to reliance solely on volume pumping of the helium gas. Helium is not condensed on the cryopanels. A system has now been installed to deposit a layer of argon frost on the DIII-D neutral beam cryopanels, between tokamak injection pulses. The layer serves to trap helium on the cryopanels providing sufficient pumping speed for 5 s helium beam extraction. The argon frosting hardware is now present on two of four DIII-D neutral beamlines, allowing injection of up to 6 MW of helium neutral beams per discharge, with pulse lengths of up to 5 s. The argon frosting system is described, along with experimental results demonstrating its effectiveness as a method of economically extending the capabilities of cryogenic pumping panels to allow multi-second helium neutral beam injection

A stochastic differential equations approach for the description of helium bubble size distributions in irradiated metals

Science.gov (United States)

Seif, Dariush; Ghoniem, Nasr M.

2014-12-01

A rate theory model based on the theory of nonlinear stochastic differential equations (SDEs) is developed to estimate the time-dependent size distribution of helium bubbles in metals under irradiation. Using approaches derived from Itô's calculus, rate equations for the first five moments of the size distribution in helium-vacancy space are derived, accounting for the stochastic nature of the atomic processes involved. In the first iteration of the model, the distribution is represented as a bivariate Gaussian distribution. The spread of the distribution about the mean is obtained by white-noise terms in the second-order moments, driven by fluctuations in the general absorption and emission of point defects by bubbles, and fluctuations stemming from collision cascades. This statistical model for the reconstruction of the distribution by its moments is coupled to a previously developed reduced-set, mean-field, rate theory model. As an illustrative case study, the model is applied to a tungsten plasma facing component under irradiation. Our findings highlight the important role of stochastic atomic fluctuations on the evolution of helium-vacancy cluster size distributions. It is found that when the average bubble size is small (at low dpa levels), the relative spread of the distribution is large and average bubble pressures may be very large. As bubbles begin to grow in size, average bubble pressures decrease, and stochastic fluctuations have a lessened effect. The distribution becomes tighter as it evolves in time, corresponding to a more uniform bubble population. The model is formulated in a general way, capable of including point defect drift due to internal temperature and/or stress gradients. These arise during pulsed irradiation, and also during steady irradiation as a result of externally applied or internally generated non-homogeneous stress fields. Discussion is given into how the model can be extended to include full spatial resolution and how the

Large scale particle image velocimetry with helium filled soap bubbles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bosbach, Johannes; Kuehn, Matthias; Wagner, Claus [German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology, Goettingen (Germany)

2009-03-15

The application of particle image velocimetry (PIV) to measurement of flows on large scales is a challenging necessity especially for the investigation of convective air flows. Combining helium filled soap bubbles as tracer particles with high power quality switched solid state lasers as light sources allows conducting PIV on scales of the order of several square meters. The technique was applied to mixed convection in a full scale double aisle aircraft cabin mock-up for validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations. (orig.)

Large scale particle image velocimetry with helium filled soap bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Bosbach, Johannes; Kühn, Matthias; Wagner, Claus

2009-03-01

The application of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to measurement of flows on large scales is a challenging necessity especially for the investigation of convective air flows. Combining helium filled soap bubbles as tracer particles with high power quality switched solid state lasers as light sources allows conducting PIV on scales of the order of several square meters. The technique was applied to mixed convection in a full scale double aisle aircraft cabin mock-up for validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations.

Stable Trapping of Multielectron Helium Bubbles in a Paul Trap

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, E. M.; Vadakkumbatt, V.; Pal, A.; Ghosh, A.

2017-06-01

In a recent experiment, we have used a linear Paul trap to store and study multielectron bubbles (MEBs) in liquid helium. MEBs have a charge-to-mass ratio (between 10^{-4} and 10^{-2} C/kg) which is several orders of magnitude smaller than ions (between 10^6 and 10^8 C/kg) studied in traditional ion traps. In addition, MEBs experience significant drag force while moving through the liquid. As a result, the experimental parameters for stable trapping of MEBs, such as magnitude and frequency of the applied electric fields, are very different from those used in typical ion trap experiments. The purpose of this paper is to model the motion of MEBs inside a linear Paul trap in liquid helium, determine the range of working parameters of the trap, and compare the results with experiments.

Microstructure of HIPed and SPSed 9Cr-ODS steel and its effect on helium bubble formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Chenyang; Lu, Zheng; Xie, Rui; Liu, Chunming; Wang, Lumin

2016-01-01

Two 9Cr-ODS steels with the same nominal composition were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP, named COS-1) and spark plasma sintering (SPS, named COS-2). Helium ions were implanted into COS-1, COS-2 and non-ODS Eurofer 97 steels up at 673 K. Microstructures before and after helium ion implantations were carefully characterized. The results show a bimodal grain size distribution in COS-2 and a more uniform grain size distribution in COS-1. Nanoscale clusters of GP-zone type Y–Ti–O and Y_2Ti_2O_7 pyrochlore as well as large spinel Mn(Ti)Cr_2O_4 particles are all observed in the two ODS steels. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in COS-1 exhibit higher number density and smaller size than in COS-2. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in fine grains of COS-2 show higher number density and smaller size than that in coarse grains of COS-2. Nano-oxides effectively trap helium atoms and lead to the formation of high density and ultra-fine helium bubbles. - Highlights: • The microstructure changes of two ODS steels before and after helium ion implantation have been elucidated. • The mechanism of the microstructures of ODS steels under varied thermal mechanical processing paths have been explored. • The dependence of the size, density and distribution of helium bubbles on the specific microstructure features are explored.

Microstructure of HIPed and SPSed 9Cr-ODS steel and its effect on helium bubble formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Chenyang [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning (China); Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 (United States); Lu, Zheng, E-mail: luz@atm.neu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning (China); Xie, Rui; Liu, Chunming [Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning (China); Wang, Lumin, E-mail: lmwang@umich.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109 (United States)

2016-06-15

Two 9Cr-ODS steels with the same nominal composition were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP, named COS-1) and spark plasma sintering (SPS, named COS-2). Helium ions were implanted into COS-1, COS-2 and non-ODS Eurofer 97 steels up at 673 K. Microstructures before and after helium ion implantations were carefully characterized. The results show a bimodal grain size distribution in COS-2 and a more uniform grain size distribution in COS-1. Nanoscale clusters of GP-zone type Y–Ti–O and Y{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} pyrochlore as well as large spinel Mn(Ti)Cr{sub 2}O{sub 4} particles are all observed in the two ODS steels. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in COS-1 exhibit higher number density and smaller size than in COS-2. The Y–Ti-enriched nano-oxides in fine grains of COS-2 show higher number density and smaller size than that in coarse grains of COS-2. Nano-oxides effectively trap helium atoms and lead to the formation of high density and ultra-fine helium bubbles. - Highlights: • The microstructure changes of two ODS steels before and after helium ion implantation have been elucidated. • The mechanism of the microstructures of ODS steels under varied thermal mechanical processing paths have been explored. • The dependence of the size, density and distribution of helium bubbles on the specific microstructure features are explored.

Tensile properties and microstructure of helium-injected and reactor-irradiated V-20 Ti

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, M.P.; Bloom, E.E.; Horak, J.A.

1981-01-01

Mechanical properties and microstructure of vanadium-20% titanium were examined following helium-injection and reactor irradiation. Helium was injected at ambient temperature to concentrations of 90 and 200 at. ppM; neutron irradiation was at 400, 575, 625, and 700 0 C to fluence of 3 x 10 26 n/m 2 , E > 0.1 MeV. Cavities representing negligible volume swelling were observed in all helium-injected specimens. Degradation of mechanical properties, especially loss of ductility due to helium, occurred at temperatures of 625 and 700 0 C. The levels of helium produced in the fusion spectrum can be expected to alter the response of vanadium alloys from that observed in fast reactor irradiations

Tensile properties and microstructure of helium-injected and reactor-irradiated V-20 Ti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, M.P.; Bloom, E.E.; Horak, J.A.

1981-01-01

Mechanical properties and microstructure of vanadium-20% titanium were examined following helium-injection and reactor irradiation. Helium was injected at ambient temperature to concentrations of 90 and 200 at. ppM; neutron irradiation was at 400, 575, 625, and 700/sup 0/C to fluence of 3 x 10/sup 26/ n/m/sup 2/, E > 0.1 MeV. Cavities representing negligible volume swelling were observed in all helium-injected specimens. Degradation of mechanical properties, especially loss of ductility due to helium, occurred at temperatures of 625 and 700/sup 0/C. The levels of helium produced in the fusion spectrum can be expected to alter the response of vanadium alloys from that observed in fast reactor irradiations.

Helium-filled soap bubbles tracing fidelity in wall-bounded turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Faleiros, David Engler; Tuinstra, Marthijn; Sciacchitano, Andrea; Scarano, Fulvio

2018-03-01

The use of helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) as flow tracers for particle image velocimetry (PIV) and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) to measure the properties of turbulent boundary layers is investigated in the velocity range from 30 to 50 m/s. The experiments correspond to momentum thickness-based Reynolds numbers of 3300 and 5100. A single bubble generator delivers nearly neutrally buoyant HFSB to seed the air flow developing over the flat plate. The HFSB motion analysis is performed by PTV using single-frame multi-exposure recordings. The measurements yield the local velocity and turbulence statistics. Planar two-component-PIV measurements with micron-sized droplets (DEHS) conducted under the same conditions provide reference data for the quantities of interest. In addition, the behavior of air-filled soap bubbles is studied where the effect of non-neutral buoyancy is more pronounced. The mean velocity profiles as well as the turbulent stresses obtained with HFSB are in good agreement with the flow statistics obtained with DEHS particles. The study illustrates that HFSB tracers can be used to determine the mean velocity and the turbulent fluctuations of turbulent boundary layers above a distance of approximately two bubble diameters from the wall. This work broadens the current range of application of HFSB from external aerodynamics of large-scale-PIV experiments towards wall-bounded turbulence.

Compressive flow behavior of Cu thin films and Cu/Nb multilayers containing nanometer-scale helium bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, N.; Mara, N.A.; Wang, Y.Q.; Nastasi, M.; Misra, A.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Firstly micro-pillar compression technique has been used to measure the implanted metal films. → The magnitude of radiation hardening decreased with decreasing layer thickness. → When thickness decreases to 2.5 nm, no hardening and no loss in deformability after implantation. -- Focused-ion-beam machined compression specimens were used to investigate the effect of nanometer-scale helium bubbles on the strength and deformability of sputter-deposited Cu and Cu/Nb multilayers with different layer thickness. The flow strength of Cu films increased by more than a factor of 2 due to helium bubbles but in multilayers, the magnitude of radiation hardening decreased with decreasing layer thickness. When the layer thickness decreases to 2.5 nm, insignificant hardening and no measurable loss in deformability is observed after implantation.

Helium-induced hardening effect in polycrystalline tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Fanhang; Qu, Miao; Yan, Sha; Zhang, Ailin; Peng, Shixiang; Xue, Jianming; Wang, Yugang

2017-09-01

In this paper, helium induced hardening effect of tungsten was investigated. 50 keV He2+ ions at fluences vary from 5 × 1015 cm-2 to 5 × 1017 cm-2 were implanted into polycrystalline tungsten at RT to create helium bubble-rich layers near the surface. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the irradiated specimens were studied by TEM and nano-indentor. Helium bubble rich layers are formed in near surface region, and the layers become thicker with the rise of fluences. Helium bubbles in the area of helium concentration peak are found to grow up, while the bubble density is almost unchanged. Obvious hardening effect is induced by helium implantation in tungsten. Micro hardness increases rapidly with the fluence firstly, and more slowly when the fluence is above 5 × 1016 cm-2. The hardening effect of tungsten can be attributed to helium bubbles, which is found to be in agreement with the Bacon-Orowan stress formula. The growing diameter is the major factor rather than helium bubbles density (voids distance) in the process of helium implantation at fluences below 5 × 1017 cm-2.

Detail analysis of tritium permeation in the metal liquid channels of the regenerating sheaths of a fusion reactor in presence of helium bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banet, L.; Mas de les Valls, E.; Sedano, L. A.

2012-01-01

Inside the channels of liquid metal of the fusion reactor regenerative wrappers, the possible existence of nucleated helium bubbles is not remote. Helium is formed joined the tritium in the escaped neutrons of plasma with lithium. The accumulation of helium in the contact surfaces, between the structure and ML, lead a reduction of heat transfer, at the same time a reduction in the permeation of tritium. The coexistence of three phases in touch: metal liquid, helium and structural material, makes the transport of heat and tritium in a complex phenomenon. To enrich tritium transport studies conducted in the past, there is now a detail analysis of the helium bubble environment adhered to the channel ML wall of a regenerative wrap. For the study we used a CFD tool development on free code OpenFOAM.

Electron self-injection and trapping into an evolving plasma bubble.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalmykov, S; Yi, S A; Khudik, V; Shvets, G

2009-09-25

The blowout (or bubble) regime of laser wakefield acceleration is promising for generating monochromatic high-energy electron beams out of low-density plasmas. It is shown analytically and by particle-in-cell simulations that self-injection of the background plasma electrons into the quasistatic plasma bubble can be caused by slow temporal expansion of the bubble. Sufficient criteria for the electron trapping and bubble's expansion rate are derived using a semianalytic nonstationary Hamiltonian theory. It is further shown that the combination of bubble's expansion and contraction results in monoenergetic electron beams.

Helium behaviour in aluminium under hydrostatic pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokurskij, Yu.N.; Tebus, V.N.; Zudilin, V.A.; Tumanova, G.M.

1989-01-01

Effect of hydrostatic compression on equilibrium helium bubbles in low aluminium-lithium alloy irradiated in reactor at 570 K is investigated. Measurements of hydrostatic density and electron-microscopic investigations have shown, that application of up to 2 GPa pressure reduces equilibrium size of helium bubbles and reduces helium swelling. Kinetics and thermodynamics of the process are considered with application of 'rigid sphere' equation which describes helium state in bubbles

Regimes of Micro-bubble Formation Using Gas Injection into Ladle Shroud

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sheng; Cao, Xiangkun; Zou, Zongshu

2018-06-01

Gas injection into a ladle shroud is a practical approach to produce micro-bubbles in tundishes, to promote inclusion removal from liquid steel. A semi-empirical model was established to characterize the bubble formation considering the effect of shearing action combined with the non-fully bubble break-up by turbulence. The model shows a good accuracy in predicting the size of bubbles formed in complex flow within the ladle shroud.

Development and implementation of a model of permeation of tritium in the presence of bubbles of helium to tritigenic wraps of liquid metal wraps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batet, L.; Mas de les Valls, E.; Sedano, L. A.

2013-01-01

In the channels of liquid metal (ML) regenerating sheaths of a fusion reactor, the possibility of bubbles of helium is not remote. Bubbles adhering to the wall of the ML channels would affect heat transfer and the permeation of tritium. Detailed analysis has been conducted (fine mesh), using OpenFOAM, from the environment of a bubble attached to the wall and has developed a model for permeation of tritium through a partially covered with bubbles of helium surface of contact Ml-solid. The model developed has implemented as wall function in OpenFOAM, has validated and has been applied to a case study, using a relatively thick mesh. The developed model substantially reduces the need for computing on the detailed calculation power.

Disruption mitigation with high-pressure helium gas injection on EAST tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, D. L.; Shen, B.; Granetz, R. S.; Qian, J. P.; Zhuang, H. D.; Zeng, L.; Duan, Y.; Shi, T.; Wang, H.; Sun, Y.; Xiao, B. J.

2018-03-01

High pressure noble gas injection is a promising technique to mitigate the effect of disruptions in tokamaks. In this paper, results of mitigation experiments with low-Z massive gas injection (helium) on the EAST tokamak are reported. A fast valve has been developed and successfully implemented on EAST, with valve response time  ⩽150 μs, capable of injecting up to 7 × 1022 particles, corresponding to 300 times the plasma inventory. Different amounts of helium gas were injected into stable plasmas in the preliminary experiments. It is seen that a small amount of helium gas (N_He≃ N_plasma ) can not terminate a discharge, but can trigger MHD activity. Injection of 40 times the plasma inventory impurity (N_He≃ 40× N_plasma ) can effectively radiate away part of the thermal energy and make the electron density increase rapidly. The mitigation result is that the current quench time and vertical displacement can both be reduced significantly, without resulting in significantly higher loop voltage. This also reduces the risk of runaway electron generation. As the amount of injected impurity gas increases, the gas penetration time decreases slowly and asymptotes to (˜7 ms). In addition, the impurity gas jet has also been injected into VDEs, which are more challenging to mitigate that stable plasmas.

Helium Bubbles Cavitation Phenomena in Pb-15.7Li and Potential Impact on Tritium Transport Behaviour in HCLL Breeding Channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedano, L. A.

2007-01-01

COMPU task is devoted to develop a Process Flow Diagram (PFD) modelling tool for DEMO tritium cycle for HCLL and HCPB blanket lines for DEMO. At the actual stage of definition of HCLL blanket design line this global objective requires to progress specifically on the physical reliability of tritium transport assessments at blanket design level. A rough reliability assessment with the identify cation of physical phenomena determining permeation rates into the coolant was tentatively advanced in COMPU Task Deliverable 1. In HCLL design, the tritium diffusion in the alloy under the flow conditions and radiation effects in Pb15.7Li can be theoretically justifies ed as the rate limiting processes for tritium transfer into the coolant. This Deliverable 2 focuses on the analysis of a specific radiation effect: the potential role of helium bubbles in Pb15.7Li, the discussion of its implications on tritium assessment for HCLL design and consequently the analysis of its quantitative impact (as cycle input) on HCLL PFD tritium cycle design. Thus, the contents of this report investigate: (1) the rationality of the consideration on HCLL design of helium bubble cavitation phenomena in irradiated Pb15.7Li channels on the base of fundamental analysis (He solution states in Pb15.7Li) from empirical clues provided by Pb15.7Li irradiation tests, (2) a preliminary rough He-bubble cavitation design assessment and bases for a more precise FEM calculation for helium bubble cavitation phenomena in HCLL blanket channels, (3) the analysis of direct experimental data and numerical developments needed for a precise cavitation assessment and (4) a proposal of the lay-out and general specifications of an integral proof-of-principle Cavitation Experiment (Cevitex) of Helium in Pb15.7Li. (Author) 40 refs

Helium Bubbles Cavitation Phenomena in Pb-15.7Li and Potential Impact on Tritium Transport Behaviour in HCLL Breeding Channels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedano, L. A.

2007-09-27

COMPU task is devoted to develop a Process Flow Diagram (PFD) modelling tool for DEMO tritium cycle for HCLL and HCPB blanket lines for DEMO. At the actual stage of definition of HCLL blanket design line this global objective requires to progress specifically on the physical reliability of tritium transport assessments at blanket design level. A rough reliability assessment with the identify cation of physical phenomena determining permeation rates into the coolant was tentatively advanced in COMPU Task Deliverable 1. In HCLL design, the tritium diffusion in the alloy under the flow conditions and radiation effects in Pb15.7Li can be theoretically justifies ed as the rate limiting processes for tritium transfer into the coolant. This Deliverable 2 focuses on the analysis of a specific radiation effect: the potential role of helium bubbles in Pb15.7Li, the discussion of its implications on tritium assessment for HCLL design and consequently the analysis of its quantitative impact (as cycle input) on HCLL PFD tritium cycle design. Thus, the contents of this report investigate: (1) the rationality of the consideration on HCLL design of helium bubble cavitation phenomena in irradiated Pb15.7Li channels on the base of fundamental analysis (He solution states in Pb15.7Li) from empirical clues provided by Pb15.7Li irradiation tests, (2) a preliminary rough He-bubble cavitation design assessment and bases for a more precise FEM calculation for helium bubble cavitation phenomena in HCLL blanket channels, (3) the analysis of direct experimental data and numerical developments needed for a precise cavitation assessment and (4) a proposal of the lay-out and general specifications of an integral proof-of-principle Cavitation Experiment (Cevitex) of Helium in Pb15.7Li. (Author) 40 refs.

Bubbles formation in helium ion irradiated Cu/W multilayer nanocomposites: Effects on structure and mechanical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callisti, M., E-mail: M.Callisti@soton.ac.uk [National Centre for Advanced Tribology at Southampton, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Karlik, M. [Department of Materials, Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Trojanova 13, 120 00 Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Polcar, T. [National Centre for Advanced Tribology at Southampton, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Technická 2, 16627 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2016-05-15

This study investigates the effects of He bubbles on structural and mechanical properties of sputter-deposited Cu/W multilayers. A multilayer with a periodicity of 10 nm was deposited and subjected to helium ion irradiation with two different fluences. He bubbles formed mostly in Cu layers and their distribution was affected by He concentration and radiation damage. According to SRIM calculations, in low He concentration regions bubbles formed mostly along interfaces, while more homogeneously distributed bubbles were found in Cu layers and along columnar grain boundaries in higher He concentration regions. We suggest that the capability of interfaces to annihilate point defects is weakened by the He bubbles shielding effect. Nanoindentation tests revealed a hardness decrease amounting to ∼0.5 and ∼1 GPa for low and high fluences, respectively. The observed softening effect is attributed to He storage-induced changes in residual stresses and columnar grain boundary/interfacial sliding facilitated by He bubbles. - Highlights: • Cu/W nanocomposites were subjected to He{sup +} irradiation with different fluences. • He bubbles formed more homogeneously in higher He concentration regions. • Decrease in mechanical properties was observed for higher He concentrations. • He bubbles formation facilitated interfacial and grain boundary sliding.

On the use of helium-filled soap bubbles for large-scale tomographic PIV in wind tunnel experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scarano, F.; Ghaemi, S.; Alp Caridi, G.C.; Bosbach, J.; Dierksheide, U.; Sciacchitano, A.

2015-01-01

The flow-tracing fidelity of sub-millimetre diameter helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) for low-speed aerodynamics is studied. The main interest of using HFSB in relation to micron-size droplets is the large amount of scattered light, enabling larger-scale three-dimensional experiments by tomographic

Helium in inert matrix dispersion fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veen, A. van; Konings, R.J.M.; Fedorov, A.V.

2003-01-01

The behaviour of helium, an important decay product in the transmutation chains of actinides, in dispersion-type inert matrix fuels is discussed. A phenomenological description of its accumulation and release in CERCER and CERMET fuel is given. A summary of recent He-implantation studies with inert matrix metal oxides (ZrO 2 , MgAl 2 O 4 , MgO and Al 2 O 3 ) is presented. A general picture is that for high helium concentrations helium and vacancy defects form helium clusters which convert into over-pressurized bubbles. At elevated temperature helium is released from the bubbles. On some occasions thermal stable nano-cavities or nano-pores remain. On the basis of these results the consequences for helium induced swelling and helium storage in oxide matrices kept at 800-1000 deg. C will be discussed. In addition, results of He-implantation studies for metal matrices (W, Mo, Nb and V alloys) will be presented. Introduction of helium in metals at elevated temperatures leads to clustering of helium to bubbles. When operational temperatures are higher than 0.5 melting temperature, swelling and helium embrittlement might occur

Bubble-size distributions produced by wall injection of air into flowing freshwater, saltwater and surfactant solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Winkel, Eric S.; Ceccio, Steven L.; Dowling, David R.; Perlin, Marc

2004-12-01

As air is injected into a flowing liquid, the resultant bubble characteristics depend on the properties of the injector, near-wall flow, and flowing liquid. Previous research has shown that near-wall bubbles can significantly reduce skin-friction drag. Air was injected into the turbulent boundary layer on a test section wall of a water tunnel containing various concentrations of salt and surfactant (Triton-X-100, Union Carbide). Photographic records show that the mean bubble diameter decreased monotonically with increasing salt and surfactant concentrations. Here, 33 ppt saltwater bubbles had one quarter, and 20 ppm Triton-X-100 bubbles had one half of the mean diameter of freshwater bubbles.

Effects of surface orientation on lifetime of near-surface nanoscale He bubble in tungsten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cui, Jiechao; Fu, Baoqin; Wu, Zhangwen; Hou, Qing, E-mail: qhou@scu.edu.cn

2017-02-15

In multiscale modeling of the morphological evolution of plasma facing materials in nuclear fusion reactors, the knowledge of the timescales of the involved physical processes is important. In the present study, a new method based on molecular dynamics simulations was developed to extract the lifetime of helium bubbles near tungsten surfaces. It was found that the lifetime of a helium bubble can be described by the Arrhenius equation. However, the lifetime of a helium bubble depends on the thickness of tungsten film above the helium bubble in the substrate and the bubble size. The influence of surface orientations on the lifetime of helium bubbles was also observed, and the performance of helium bubbles on the (1 1 1) surface is very different from on the (0 0 1) and (0 1 1) surfaces. The role of the helium bubble lifetime in other simulation techniques, such as in kinetic Monte Carlo methods and rate theory, is discussed.

Tensile properties of helium-injected V-15Cr-5Ti after irradiation in EBR-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossbeck, M.L.; Horak, J.A.

1985-01-01

Miniature specimens of V-15Cr-5Ti were prepared in the annealed condition and with 10, 20, and 30% cold work. The annealed specimens were cyclotron injected with helium and irradiated in sodium in EBR-II. The cold-worked specimens were irradiated in EBR-II but not helium injected. The specimens were irradiated at 400, 525, 625, and 700 0 C and received a fluence of 4.1 to 5.5 x 10 26 neutrons/m 2 (E > 0.1 meV). Tensile testing revealed very significant embrittlement as a result of the neutron irradiation but a much smaller change, mostly at 400 0 C, resulting from helium injection. 5 references, 9 figures, 2 tables

Electron self-injection and acceleration in the bubble regime of laser-plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostyukov, I.; Nerush, E.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The intense laser-plasma and beam-plasma interactions are highly nonlinear-phenomena, which besides being of fundamental interest, attract a great attention due to a number of important applications. One of the key applications is particle acceleration based on excitation of the strong plasma wakefield by laser pulse. In the linear regime of interaction when the laser intensity is low the plasma wake is the linear plasma wave. Moreover, the ponderomotive force of the laser pulse pushes out the plasma electrons from high intensity region leaving behind the laser pulse the plasma cavity - bubble, which is almost free from the plasma electrons. This is the bubble the laser-plasma interaction. Although the bubble propagates with velocity, which is close to speed of light, the huge charge of unshielded ions inside the plasma cavity can trap the cold plasma electrons. Moreover, the electrons are trapped in the accelerated phase of the bubble plasma field thereby leading to efficient electron acceleration. The electron self-injection is an important advantage of the plasma-based acceleration, which allows to exclude the beam loading system requiring accurate synchronization and additional space. The recent experiments have demonstrated high efficiency of the electron self-injection. The beam quality is often of crucial importance in many applications ranging from inertial confinement fusion to the x-ray free electron lasers. Despite a great interest there is still a little theory for relativistic electron dynamics in the plasma wake in multidimensional geometry including electron self-injection. The dynamics of the self-injected electrons can be roughly divided into three stage: (i) electron scattering by the laser pulse, (ii) electron trapping by the bubble, (iii) electron acceleration in the bubble. We developed two analytical models for electron dynamics in the bubble field and verify them by direct measurements of model parameters

Molecular dynamics and density functional simulations of tungsten nanostructure formation by helium plasma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, A.M.; Takayama, A.; Oda, Y.

2014-10-01

For the purposes of long-term use of tungsten diverter walls, it is necessary to suppress the surface deterioration due to the helium ash which induces the formations of helium bubbles and tungsten fuzzy nanostructures. In the present paper, the formation mechanisms of helium bubbles and tungsten fuzzy nanostructures were explained by the four-step process which is composed of the penetration process, the diffusion and agglomeration process, the helium bubble growth process and the tungsten fuzzy nanostructure formation process. The first to third step processes of the four-step process were investigated by using binary collision approximation, density functional theory and molecular dynamics, respectively. Furthermore, newly developed molecular dynamics and Monte-Carlo hybrid simulation has successfully reproduced the early formation process of tungsten fuzzy nanostructure. From these simulations, we here suggest the following key mechanisms of the formations of helium bubbles and tungsten fuzzy nanostructures: (1) By comparison between helium, neon, argon and hydrogen, the noble gas atoms can agglomerate limitlessly not only at a vacancy but also at an interstitial site. In particular, at the low incident energy, only helium atoms bring about the nucleation for helium bubble. (2) In the helium bubble growth process, the strain of the tungsten material around a helium atom is released as a dislocation loop, which is regarded as the loop punching phenomenon. (3) In the tungsten nanostructure formation process, the bursting of a helium bubble forms cavity and convexity in the surface. The helium bubbles tend to be grown and to burst at the cavity region, and then the difference of height between the cavity and convexity on the surface are enhanced. Consequently, the tungsten fuzzy nanostructure is formed. (author)

Microstructural evolution in dual-ion irradiated 316SS under various helium injection schedules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohyama, A.; Igata, N.; Ayrault, G.; Tokyo Univ.

1984-01-01

Dual-ion irradiated 316 SS samples with various helium injection schedules were studied. The intent of using different schedules was to either approximate the MFR condition, mimic the mixed spectrum reactor condition or mimic the fast reactor condition. The objective of this investigation is to study the influence of these different helium injection schedules on the microstructural development under irradiation. The materials for this study was 316 SS (MFE heat) with three thermomechanical pre-irradiation treatments: solution annealed, solution annealed and aged and 20% cold worked. The cavity nucleation and growth stages were investigated using high resolution TEM. (orig.)

Behaviour of helium after implantation in molybdenum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viaud, C.; Maillard, S.; Carlot, G.; Valot, C.; Gilabert, E.; Sauvage, T.; Peaucelle, C.; Moncoffre, N.

2009-01-01

This study deals with the behaviour of helium in a molybdenum liner dedicated to the retention of fission products. More precisely this work contributes to evaluate the release of implanted helium when the gas has precipitated into nanometric bubbles close to the free surface. A simple model dedicated to calculate the helium release in such a condition is presented. The specificity of this model lays on the assumption that the gas is in equilibrium with a simple distribution of growing bubbles. This effort is encouraging since the calculated helium release fits an experimental dataset with a set of parameters in good agreement with the literature

Interaction of the Helium, Hydrogen, Air, Argon, and Nitrogen Bubbles with Graphite Surface in Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartali, Ruben; Otyepka, Michal; Pykal, Martin; Lazar, Petr; Micheli, Victor; Gottardi, Gloria; Laidani, Nadhira

2017-05-24

The interaction of the confined gas with solid surface immersed in water is a common theme of many important fields such as self-cleaning surface, gas storage, and sensing. For that reason, we investigated the gas-graphite interaction in the water medium. The graphite surface was prepared by mechanical exfoliation of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The surface chemistry and morphology were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, profilometry, and atomic force microscopy. The surface energy of HOPG was estimated by contact angle measurements using the Owens-Wendt method. The interaction of gases (Ar, He, H 2 , N 2 , and air) with graphite was studied by a captive bubble method, in which the gas bubble was in contact with the exfoliated graphite surface in water media. The experimental data were corroborated by molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations. The surface energy of HOPG equaled to 52.8 mJ/m 2 and more of 95% of the surface energy was attributed to dispersion interactions. The results on gas-surface interaction indicated that HOPG surface had gasphilic behavior for helium and hydrogen, while gasphobic behavior for argon and nitrogen. The results showed that the variation of the gas contact angle was related to the balance between the gas-surface and gas-gas interaction potentials. For helium and hydrogen the gas-surface interaction was particularly high compared to gas-gas interaction and this promoted the favorable interaction with graphite surface.

Characterization of Bubble Size Distributions within a Bubble Column

OpenAIRE

Shahrouz Mohagheghian; Brian R. Elbing

2018-01-01

The current study experimentally examines bubble size distribution (BSD) within a bubble column and the associated characteristic length scales. Air was injected into a column of water via a single injection tube. The column diameter (63–102 mm), injection tube diameter (0.8–1.6 mm) and superficial gas velocity (1.4–55 mm/s) were varied. Large samples (up to 54,000 bubbles) of bubble sizes measured via 2D imaging were used to produce probability density functions (PDFs). The PDFs were used to...

An interbubble fracture mechanism of blister formation on helium-irradiated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.H.

1977-01-01

This paper describes a new model of surface blister formation in which a blister is nucleated by the interbubble fracture of highly overpressurized helium bubbles. As in other gas-driven models, the internal release of helium then provides the driving force for blister lid deformation. The high pressures required for the suggested mode of fracture are a result of the difficulty, experienced by the bubbles in acquiring vacancies. By considering the bubble growth mechanisms, the critical conditions for interbubble fracture are shown to depend on the helium dose and energy, the bubble size, and their depth in the irradiated material. These parameters and other aspects of blister formation are discussed on the basis of the proposed model. One important result concerns the position of the fracture plane; because of the usual displacement of damage and helium peaks relative to depth, this plane can lie well beyond the helium peak. Thus, the disagreement inherent in previous gas models between helium range and measured blister lid thickness values can be resolved without recourse to lateral stress arguments. (Auth.)

Helium mobility in advanced nuclear ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, Shradha

2014-01-01

1100 and 1600 C. The values of the corresponding thermal activation energy are in the range 1 - 2.5 eV; - surface blistering only occurs for ZrC 0.92 ; - whatever the helium implantation dose, helium bubbles are formed near the ion end of range. Nevertheless, for as implanted samples, the bubble size remains less than the lateral resolution of TEM (≤ 1 nm); - when the annealing temperature increases, the average bubble size increases due to vacancy absorption while the density does not seem to vary. The activation energy corresponding to this mechanism has been evaluated around 0.40 eV; - after a high temperature thermal annealing (T ≥ 1500 C), the internal pressure of helium bubbles tends to reach the equilibrium value given by the classical law P = 2 γ/r with γ the surface energy and r the bubble radius; - near grain boundaries, the average helium bubble size tends to be larger and their density lower than within the grains; - when the helium implantation fluence decreases from 5 * 10 16 to 2.3 * 10 15 ions/cm 2 , helium release is quasi negligible for TiN 0.96 even after a 1600 C annealing treatment. Moreover, helium was shown to diffuse on a larger range. (author) [fr

Helium behaviour in implanted boron carbide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motte Vianney

2015-01-01

Full Text Available When boron carbide is used as a neutron absorber in nuclear power plants, large quantities of helium are produced. To simulate the gas behaviour, helium implantations were carried out in boron carbide. The samples were then annealed up to 1500 °C in order to observe the influence of temperature and duration of annealing. The determination of the helium diffusion coefficient was carried out using the 3He(d,p4He nuclear reaction (NRA method. From the evolution of the width of implanted 3He helium profiles (fluence 1 × 1015/cm2, 3 MeV corresponding to a maximum helium concentration of about 1020/cm3 as a function of annealing temperatures, an Arrhenius diagram was plotted and an apparent diffusion coefficient was deduced (Ea = 0.52 ± 0.11 eV/atom. The dynamic of helium clusters was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM of samples implanted with 1.5 × 1016/cm2, 2.8 to 3 MeV 4He ions, leading to an implanted slab about 1 μm wide with a maximum helium concentration of about 1021/cm3. After annealing at 900 °C and 1100 °C, small (5–20 nm flat oriented bubbles appeared in the grain, then at the grain boundaries. At 1500 °C, due to long-range diffusion, intra-granular bubbles were no longer observed; helium segregates at the grain boundaries, either as bubbles or inducing grain boundaries opening.

Effect of Gas- and Liquid-injection Methods on Formation of Bubble and Liquid Slug at Merging Micro T-junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jun Kyoung [Kyungnam Univ., Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Chi Young [Pukyong Nat’l Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

In the present experimental study, the effect of gas- and liquid-injected methods on the formation of bubble and liquid slug at the merging micro T-junction of a square microchannel with dimensions 600 μm × 600 μm was investigated. Nitrogen and water were used as test fluids. The superficial velocities of the liquid and gas were in the range of 0.05 - 1 m/s, and 0.1 - 1 m/s, respectively, where the Taylor flow was observed. The bubble length, liquid slug length, bubble velocity, and bubble generation frequency were measured by analyzing the images captured using a high-speed camera. Under similar inlet superficial velocity conditions, in the case of gas injection to the main channel at the merging T-junction (T{sub g}as-liquid), the lengths of the bubble and liquid slug were longer, and the bubble generation frequency was lower than in the case of liquid injection to the main channel at the merging T-junction (T{sub l}iquid-gas). On the other hand, in both cases, the bubble velocity was almost the same. The previous correlation proposed using experimental data for T{sub l}iquid-gas had predicted the present experimental data of bubble length, bubble velocity, liquid slug length, and bubble generation frequency for T{sub g}as-liquid to be ~24%, ~9%, ~39%, ~55%, respectively.

Diffusion and agglomeration of helium in stainless steel in the temperature range from RT to 600 deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, C.H.; Chen, K.Q.; Zhu, Z.Y.

2000-01-01

Diffusion of helium and formation of helium bubbles in stainless steel in conditions of atomic displacement in the temperature range from RT to 600 deg. C are studied theoretically using standard rate equations. The dissociative mechanism via self-interstitial/He replacement is assumed to control helium diffusion and bubble formation. The numerical analysis shows that the temperature dependence of the effective diffusion coefficient of helium, the number density and the mean radius of bubbles has two distinctly different regimes with the transition occurring around 300 deg. C. The effective diffusion coefficient of helium, the number density and the mean radius of bubbles show weak temperature dependence in the low temperature regime, while they change abruptly with temperature in the high temperature regime. The results are qualitatively in agreement with the results of our experimental study on helium diffusion and bubble formation in helium-implanted 316L stainless steel. However, the discrepancy in the absolute values of number density and mean radius of bubbles between theoretical and experimental studies indicates that helium diffusion and bubble formation may be controlled by some athermal mechanisms in the low temperature regime

Characterization of Bubble Size Distributions within a Bubble Column

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahrouz Mohagheghian

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The current study experimentally examines bubble size distribution (BSD within a bubble column and the associated characteristic length scales. Air was injected into a column of water via a single injection tube. The column diameter (63–102 mm, injection tube diameter (0.8–1.6 mm and superficial gas velocity (1.4–55 mm/s were varied. Large samples (up to 54,000 bubbles of bubble sizes measured via 2D imaging were used to produce probability density functions (PDFs. The PDFs were used to identify an alternative length scale termed the most frequent bubble size (dmf and defined as the peak in the PDF. This length scale as well as the traditional Sauter mean diameter were used to assess the sensitivity of the BSD to gas injection rate, injector tube diameter, injection tube angle and column diameter. The dmf was relatively insensitive to most variation, which indicates these bubbles are produced by the turbulent wakes. In addition, the current work examines higher order statistics (standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis and notes that there is evidence in support of using these statistics to quantify the influence of specific parameters on the flow-field as well as a potential indicator of regime transitions.

Electrical insulation characteristics of liquid helium under high speed rotating field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishii, I.; Fuchino, S.; Okano, M.; Tamada, N.

1996-01-01

Electrical breakdown behavior of liquid helium was investigated under high speed rotating field. In the development of superconducting turbine generator it is essential to get the knowledge of electrical insulation characteristics of liquid helium under high speed rotating field. When the current of the field magnet of a superconducting generator is changed, changing magnetic field generates heat in the conductor and it causes bubbles in the liquid helium around the conductor. The behavior of the bubbles is affected largely by the buoyancy which is generated by the centrifugal force. Electrical breakdown behavior of the liquid helium is strongly dependent on the gas bubbles in the liquid. Electrical breakdown voltage between electrodes was measured in a rotating cryostat with and without heater input for bubble formation. Decrease of the breakdown voltage by the heater power was smaller in the rotating field than that in the non rotating field

A stochastic differential equations approach for the description of helium bubble size distributions in irradiated metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seif, Dariush, E-mail: dariush.seif@iwm-extern.fraunhofer.de [Fraunhofer Institut für Werkstoffmechanik, Freiburg 79108 (Germany); Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States); Ghoniem, Nasr M. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597 (United States)

2014-12-15

A rate theory model based on the theory of nonlinear stochastic differential equations (SDEs) is developed to estimate the time-dependent size distribution of helium bubbles in metals under irradiation. Using approaches derived from Itô’s calculus, rate equations for the first five moments of the size distribution in helium–vacancy space are derived, accounting for the stochastic nature of the atomic processes involved. In the first iteration of the model, the distribution is represented as a bivariate Gaussian distribution. The spread of the distribution about the mean is obtained by white-noise terms in the second-order moments, driven by fluctuations in the general absorption and emission of point defects by bubbles, and fluctuations stemming from collision cascades. This statistical model for the reconstruction of the distribution by its moments is coupled to a previously developed reduced-set, mean-field, rate theory model. As an illustrative case study, the model is applied to a tungsten plasma facing component under irradiation. Our findings highlight the important role of stochastic atomic fluctuations on the evolution of helium–vacancy cluster size distributions. It is found that when the average bubble size is small (at low dpa levels), the relative spread of the distribution is large and average bubble pressures may be very large. As bubbles begin to grow in size, average bubble pressures decrease, and stochastic fluctuations have a lessened effect. The distribution becomes tighter as it evolves in time, corresponding to a more uniform bubble population. The model is formulated in a general way, capable of including point defect drift due to internal temperature and/or stress gradients. These arise during pulsed irradiation, and also during steady irradiation as a result of externally applied or internally generated non-homogeneous stress fields. Discussion is given into how the model can be extended to include full spatial resolution and how the

A stochastic differential equations approach for the description of helium bubble size distributions in irradiated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seif, Dariush; Ghoniem, Nasr M.

2014-01-01

A rate theory model based on the theory of nonlinear stochastic differential equations (SDEs) is developed to estimate the time-dependent size distribution of helium bubbles in metals under irradiation. Using approaches derived from Itô’s calculus, rate equations for the first five moments of the size distribution in helium–vacancy space are derived, accounting for the stochastic nature of the atomic processes involved. In the first iteration of the model, the distribution is represented as a bivariate Gaussian distribution. The spread of the distribution about the mean is obtained by white-noise terms in the second-order moments, driven by fluctuations in the general absorption and emission of point defects by bubbles, and fluctuations stemming from collision cascades. This statistical model for the reconstruction of the distribution by its moments is coupled to a previously developed reduced-set, mean-field, rate theory model. As an illustrative case study, the model is applied to a tungsten plasma facing component under irradiation. Our findings highlight the important role of stochastic atomic fluctuations on the evolution of helium–vacancy cluster size distributions. It is found that when the average bubble size is small (at low dpa levels), the relative spread of the distribution is large and average bubble pressures may be very large. As bubbles begin to grow in size, average bubble pressures decrease, and stochastic fluctuations have a lessened effect. The distribution becomes tighter as it evolves in time, corresponding to a more uniform bubble population. The model is formulated in a general way, capable of including point defect drift due to internal temperature and/or stress gradients. These arise during pulsed irradiation, and also during steady irradiation as a result of externally applied or internally generated non-homogeneous stress fields. Discussion is given into how the model can be extended to include full spatial resolution and how the

Using a dynamic point-source percolation model to simulate bubble growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, Jonathan A.; Zeigler, David A.; Cowgill, Donald F.

2004-01-01

Accurate modeling of nucleation, growth and clustering of helium bubbles within metal tritide alloys is of high scientific and technological importance. Of interest is the ability to predict both the distribution of these bubbles and the manner in which these bubbles interact at a critical concentration of helium-to-metal atoms to produce an accelerated release of helium gas. One technique that has been used in the past to model these materials, and again revisited in this research, is percolation theory. Previous efforts have used classical percolation theory to qualitatively and quantitatively model the behavior of interstitial helium atoms in a metal tritide lattice; however, higher fidelity models are needed to predict the distribution of helium bubbles and include features that capture the underlying physical mechanisms present in these materials. In this work, we enhance classical percolation theory by developing the dynamic point-source percolation model. This model alters the traditionally binary character of site occupation probabilities by enabling them to vary depending on proximity to existing occupied sites, i.e. nucleated bubbles. This revised model produces characteristics for one and two dimensional systems that are extremely comparable with measurements from three dimensional physical samples. Future directions for continued development of the dynamic model are also outlined

Modeling of helium bubble nucleation and growth in austenitic stainless steels using an Object Kinetic Monte Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Backer, A.; Adjanor, G.; Domain, C.; Lescoat, M.L.; Jublot-Leclerc, S.; Fortuna, F.; Gentils, A.; Ortiz, C.J.; Souidi, A.; Becquart, C.S.

2015-01-01

Implantation of 10 keV helium in 316L steel thin foils was performed in JANNuS-Orsay facility and modeled using a multiscale approach. Density Functional Theory (DFT) atomistic calculations [1] were used to obtain the properties of He and He-vacancy clusters, and the Binary Collision Approximation based code MARLOWE was applied to determine the damage and He-ion depth profiles as in [2,3]. The processes involved in the homogeneous He bubble nucleation and growth were defined and implemented in the Object Kinetic Monte Carlo code LAKIMOCA [4]. In particular as the He to dpa ratio was high, self-trapping of He clusters and the trap mutation of He-vacancy clusters had to be taken into account. With this multiscale approach, the formation of bubbles was modeled up to nanometer-scale size, where bubbles can be observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Their densities and sizes were studied as functions of fluence (up to 5 × 10 19 He/m 2 ) at two temperatures (473 and 723 K) and for different sample thicknesses (25–250 nm). It appears that the damage is not only due to the collision cascades but is also strongly controlled by the He accumulation in pressurized bubbles. Comparison with experimental data is discussed and sensible agreement is achieved

On the shear strength of tungsten nano-structures with embedded helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, R.D.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.

2013-01-01

Modification of plastic properties of tungsten nano-structures under shear stress load due to embedded helium atoms is studied using molecular dynamics modelling. The modelling demonstrates that the yield strength of tungsten nano-structures reduces significantly with increasing embedded helium concentration. At high helium concentrations (>10 at%), the yield strength decreases to values characteristic to the pressure in helium nano-bubbles, which are formed in tungsten under such conditions and thought to be responsible for the formation of nano-fuzz on tungsten surfaces irradiated with helium plasma. It is also shown that tungsten plastic flow strongly facilitates coagulation of helium clusters to larger bubbles. The temperature dependencies of the yield strength are obtained. (letter)

Test ventilation with smoke, bubbles, and balloons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickering, P.L.; Cucchiara, A.L.; McAtee, J.L.; Gonzales, M.

1987-01-01

The behavior of smoke, bubbles, and helium-filled balloons was videotaped to demonstrate the mixing of air in the plutonium chemistry laboratories, a plutonium facility. The air-distribution patterns, as indicated by each method, were compared. Helium-filled balloons proved more useful than bubbles or smoke in the visualization of airflow patterns. The replay of various segments of the videotape proved useful in evaluating the different techniques and in identifying airflow trends responsible for air mixing. 6 refs

Nonequilibrium statistical theory of bubble nucleation and growth under neutron and proton irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, J.; Sommer, W.F.; Bradbury, J.N.

1986-01-01

Microstructural evolution in metals under particle irradiation is described by a non-equilibrium statistics method. This method gives a set of equations for the evolution of bubbles and an approximate solution for a distribution function of bubble size as a function of fluence and temperature. The distribution function gives the number of bubbles of radius r at time t, N(r,t)dr, as a function of size, r/r 0 (r 0 is the radius of a bubble nucleus). It is found that N(r,t)dr increases with fluence. Also, the peak value of N(r,t)dt shifts to higher r/r 0 with increasing fluence. Nucleation depends mainly on helium concentration and defect cluster concentration while bubble growth is controlled mainly by the vacancy concentration and a fluctuation coefficient. If suitable material parameters are chosen, a reasonable distribution function for bubble size is obtained. The helium diffusion coefficient is found to be less than that for vacancies by five orders of magnitude. The fraction of helium remaining in matrix is less than 10 -2 ; the majority of the helium is associated with the bubbles

Thermodynamic study of the injection of steam bubbles in a subcooled liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besset, Jacqueline.

1980-10-01

The behaviour of steam bubbles injected in a subcooled liquid has been studied. Water was the fluid chosen for this experiment for the steam and the liquid. The experiment was carried out at atmospheric pressure and the variable parameters were the ΔT subcooling (difference between the saturation temperature at the pressure under consideration and that of the liquid around the bubbles) and the steam output. We first studied the formation of the bubbles in a wide subcooling range (7 0 C 0 C). In this study a straight correlation was obtained giving the volume of the bubbles formed at the injector outlet, which is valid for a wide range of variables. The implosion of free bubbles in the liquid after they separated from the injector was then studied. In these experiments the significant implosion parameters are the Jakob Ja number, that measures the possibility of the liquid to absorb the heat given off by the condensation, and the Peclet Pe(RO) number, that defines the relative participation of conduction and convection in the heat exchanges. These numbers vary in the areas: 35 [fr

Modeling of helium effects in metals: High temperature embrittlement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trinkaus, H.

1985-01-01

The effects of helium on swelling, creep rupture and fatigue properties of fusion reactor materials subjected to (n,α)-reactions and/or direct α-injection, are controlled by bubble formation. The understanding of such effects requires therefore the modeling of (1) diffusional reactions of He atoms with other defects; (2) nucleation and growth of He bubbles; (3) transformation of such bubbles into cavities under continuous He generation and irradiation or creep stress. The present paper is focussed on the modeling of the (coupled) high temperature bubble nucleation and growth processes within and on grain boundaries. Two limiting cases are considered: di-atomic nucleation described by the simplest possible sets of rate equations, and multi-atomic nucleation described by classical nucleation theory. Scaling laws are derived which characterize the dependence of the bubble densities upon time (He-dose), He generation rate and temperature. Comparison with experimental data of AISI 316 SS α-implanted at temperatures around 1000 K indicates bubble nucleation of the multi-atomic type. The nucleation and growth models are applied to creep tests performed during α-implantation suggesting that in these cases gas driven bubble growth is the life time controlling mechanism. The narrow (creep stress/He generation rate) range of this mechanism in a mechanism map constructed from these tests indicates that in many reactor situations the time to rupture is probably controlled by stress driven cavity growth rather than by gas driven bubble growth. (orig.)

Helium release from radioisotope heat sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, D.E.; Early, J.W.; Starzynski, J.S.; Land, C.C.

1984-05-01

Diffusion of helium in /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fuel was characterized as a function of the heating rate and the fuel microstructure. The samples were thermally ramped in an induction furnace and the helium release rates measured with an automated mass spectrometer. The diffusion constants and activation energies were obtained from the data using a simple diffusion model. The release rates of helium were correlated with the fuel microstructure by metallographic examination of fuel samples. The release mechanism consists of four regimes, which are dependent upon the temperature. Initially, the release is controlled by movement of point defects combined with trapping along grain boundaries. This regime is followed by a process dominated by formation and growth of helium bubbles along grain boundaries. The third regime involves volume diffusion controlled by movement of oxygen vacancies. Finally, the release at the highest temperatures follows the diffusion rate of intragranular bubbles. The tendency for helium to be trapped within the grain boundaries diminishes with small grain sizes, slow thermal pulses, and older fuel.

Helium release from radioisotope heat sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, D.E.; Early, J.W.; Starzynski, J.S.; Land, C.C.

1984-05-01

Diffusion of helium in 238 PuO 2 fuel was characterized as a function of the heating rate and the fuel microstructure. The samples were thermally ramped in an induction furnace and the helium release rates measured with an automated mass spectrometer. The diffusion constants and activation energies were obtained from the data using a simple diffusion model. The release rates of helium were correlated with the fuel microstructure by metallographic examination of fuel samples. The release mechanism consists of four regimes, which are dependent upon the temperature. Initially, the release is controlled by movement of point defects combined with trapping along grain boundaries. This regime is followed by a process dominated by formation and growth of helium bubbles along grain boundaries. The third regime involves volume diffusion controlled by movement of oxygen vacancies. Finally, the release at the highest temperatures follows the diffusion rate of intragranular bubbles. The tendency for helium to be trapped within the grain boundaries diminishes with small grain sizes, slow thermal pulses, and older fuel

High-temperature helium embrittlement (T>=0,45Tsub(M)) of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batfalsky, P.

1984-06-01

High temperature helium embrittlement, swelling and irradiation creep are the main technical problem of fusion reactor materials. The expected helium production will be very high. The helium produced by (n,α)-processes precipitates into helium bubbles because its solubility in solid metals is very low. Under continuous helium production at high temperature and stress the helium bubbles grow and lead to intergranular early failure. Solution annealed foil specimens of austenitic stainless steel AISI 316 were implanted with α-particles: 1. during creep tests at 1023 K (''in-beam'' test) 2. before the creep tests at high temperature (1023 K). The creep tests have been performed within large ranges of test parameter, e.g. applied stress, temperature, helium implantation rate and helium concentration. After the creep tests the microstructure was investigated using scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. All the helium implanted specimens showed high temperature helium embrittlement, i.e. reduction of rupture time tsub(R) and ductility epsilonsub(R) and evidence of intergranular brittle fracture. The ''in-beam'' creep tests showed greater reduction of rupture time tsub(R) and ductility than the preimplanted creep tests. The comparison of this experimentally obtained data with various theoretical models of high temperature helium embrittlement showed that within the investigated parameter ranges the mechanism controlling the life time of the samples is probably the gas driven stable growth of the helium bubbles within the grain boundaries. (orig.)

Technique to eliminate helium induced weld cracking in stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin-An Wang; Chin, B.A.

1992-01-01

Experiments have shown that Type 316 stainless steel is susceptible to heat-affected-zone (HAZ) cracking upon cooling when welded using the gas tungsten arc (GTA) process under lateral constraint. The cracking has been hypothesized to be caused by stress-assisted helium bubble growth and rupture at grain boundaries. This study utilized an experimental welding setup which enabled different compressive stresses to be applied to the plates during welding. Autogenous GTA welds were produced in Type 316 stainless steel doped with 256 appm helium. The application of a compressive stress, 55 Mpa, during welding suppressed the previously observed catastrophic cracking. Detailed examinations conducted after welding showed a dramatic change in helium bubble morphology. Grain boundary bubble growth along directions parallel to the weld was suppressed. Results suggest that stress-modified welding techniques may be used to suppress or eliminate helium-induced cracking during joining of irradiated materials

Calculations of Helium Bubble Evolution in the PISCES Experiments with Cluster Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Blondel, Sophie; Younkin, Timothy; Wirth, Brian; Lasa, Ane; Green, David; Canik, John; Drobny, Jon; Curreli, Davide

2017-10-01

Plasma surface interactions in fusion tokamak reactors involve an inherently multiscale, highly non-equilibrium set of phenomena, for which current models are inadequate to predict the divertor response to and feedback on the plasma. In this presentation, we describe the latest code developments of Xolotl, a spatially-dependent reaction diffusion cluster dynamics code to simulate the divertor surface response to fusion-relevant plasma exposure. Xolotl is part of a code-coupling effort to model both plasma and material simultaneously; the first benchmark for this effort is the series of PISCES linear device experiments. We will discuss the processes leading to surface morphology changes, which further affect erosion, as well as how Xolotl has been updated in order to communicate with other codes. Furthermore, we will show results of the sub-surface evolution of helium bubbles in tungsten as well as the material surface displacement under these conditions.

Wavelet Spatial Energy Spectrums Studies on Drag Reduction by Micro-bubble Injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling Zhen; Yassin Hassan

2006-01-01

In this study, continuous wavelet transforms and spatial correlation techniques are employed to determine the space-localized wavenumber energy spectrum of the velocity signals in turbulent channel flow. The flow conditions correspond to single phase flow and micro-bubbles injected two phase flow. The wavelet energy spectrums demonstrate that the wavenumber (eddy size) content of the velocity signals is not only space-dependent but also micro-bubbles can impact the eddy size content. Visual observations of the wavelet energy spectrum spatial distribution was realized by using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement technique. The two phase flow condition corresponds to a drag reduction of 38.4% with void fraction of 4.9%. The present results provide evidence that micro-bubbles in the boundary layer of a turbulent channel flow can help adjust the eddy size distributions near the wall. This can assist in explaining that micro-bubbles are performing as buffers to keep the energy of fluid particles going in stream-wise direction and reducing the energy of fluid particles going in normal direction. (authors)

Particle balance studies in TEXTOR during experiments of pellet injection, helium injection, and ICR-heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banno, T.; Finken, K.H.; Gray, D.S.; Winter, J.

1995-01-01

Analysis based on the particle conservation law has been carried out to observe the global fuelling process in tokamak discharges. The response of the net recycling flux from the first wall is investigated in the tokamak TEXTOR, using calibrated signals of the gas feed rate, the neutral gas pressure in the vessel, the total amount of electrons, and the particle removal rates by the ALT-II belt-pump limiter and by a main pump unit. Net absorption (pumping) of hydrogen by the wall is observed for almost all tokamak discharges since a new wall conditioning technique called siliconisation is employed. The net absorption or fuelling depending on the discharge condition influenced by injection of pellets, by helium gas injection combined with neutral beam injection, and by rf heating can be interpreted in terms of the particle-induced desorption effect with depth profile taken into consideration. ((orig.))

Modeling of helium bubble nucleation and growth in austenitic stainless steels using an Object Kinetic Monte Carlo method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Backer, A., E-mail: andree.debacker@ccfe.ac.uk [UMET, UMR 8207, Université Lille 1, Villeneuve d’Ascq (France); CCFE, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom); Adjanor, G.; Domain, C.; Lescoat, M.L. [EDF R& D, MMC Centre des Renardières, Moret-sur-Loing (France); Jublot-Leclerc, S.; Fortuna, F.; Gentils, A. [CSNSM, Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Orsay (France); Ortiz, C.J. [CIEMAT, Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión por Confinamiento Magnético, Madrid (Spain); Souidi, A. [Université Dr. Tahar Moulay de Saida, Saida (Algeria); Becquart, C.S. [UMET, UMR 8207, Université Lille 1, Villeneuve d’Ascq (France)

2015-06-01

Implantation of 10 keV helium in 316L steel thin foils was performed in JANNuS-Orsay facility and modeled using a multiscale approach. Density Functional Theory (DFT) atomistic calculations [1] were used to obtain the properties of He and He-vacancy clusters, and the Binary Collision Approximation based code MARLOWE was applied to determine the damage and He-ion depth profiles as in [2,3]. The processes involved in the homogeneous He bubble nucleation and growth were defined and implemented in the Object Kinetic Monte Carlo code LAKIMOCA [4]. In particular as the He to dpa ratio was high, self-trapping of He clusters and the trap mutation of He-vacancy clusters had to be taken into account. With this multiscale approach, the formation of bubbles was modeled up to nanometer-scale size, where bubbles can be observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Their densities and sizes were studied as functions of fluence (up to 5 × 10{sup 19} He/m{sup 2}) at two temperatures (473 and 723 K) and for different sample thicknesses (25–250 nm). It appears that the damage is not only due to the collision cascades but is also strongly controlled by the He accumulation in pressurized bubbles. Comparison with experimental data is discussed and sensible agreement is achieved.

Helium-induced weld cracking in austenitic and martensitic steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, H.T.; Chin, B.A.

1991-01-01

Helium was uniformly implanted into type 316 stainless steel and Sandvik HT-9 (12Cr-1MoVW) to levels of 0.18 to 256 and 0.3 to 1 a.p.p.m., respectively, using the ''tritium trick'' technique. Autogenous bead-on-plate, full penetration, welds were then produced under fully constrained conditions using the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The control and hydrogen-charged plates of both alloys were sound and free of any weld defects. For the 316 stainless steel, catastrophic intergranular fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of welds with helium levels ≥ 2.5 a.p.p.m. In addition to the HAZ cracking, brittle fracture along the centreline of the fusion zone was also observed for the welds containing greater than 100 a.p.p.m. He. For HT-9, intergranular cracking occurred in the HAZ along prior-austenite grain boundaries of welds containing 1 a.p.p.m. He. Electron microscopy observations showed that the cracking in the HAZ originated from the growth and coalescence of grain-boundary helium bubbles and that the fusion-zone cracking resulted from the growth of helium bubbles at dendrite boundaries. The bubble growth kinetics in the HAZ is dominated by stress-induced diffusion of vacancies into bubbles. Results of this study indicate that the use of conventional GTAW techniques to repair irradiation-degraded materials containing even small amounts of helium may be difficult. (author)

Engineering self-organising helium bubble lattices in tungsten.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, R W; Greaves, G; Hinks, J A; Donnelly, S E

2017-08-10

The self-organisation of void and gas bubbles in solids into superlattices is an intriguing nanoscale phenomenon. Despite the discovery of these lattices 45 years ago, the atomistics behind the ordering mechanisms responsible for the formation of these nanostructures are yet to be fully elucidated. Here we report on the direct observation via transmission electron microscopy of the formation of bubble lattices under He ion bombardment. By careful control of the irradiation conditions, it has been possible to engineer the bubble size and spacing of the superlattice leading to important conclusions about the significance of vacancy supply in determining the physical characteristics of the system. Furthermore, no bubble lattice alignment was observed in the directions pointing to a key driving mechanism for the formation of these ordered nanostructures being the two-dimensional diffusion of self-interstitial atoms.

Characterization of nano-bubbles as an oxygen carrier for in-situ bioremediation of organic pollutants in the subsurface

Science.gov (United States)

KIM, E.; Jung, J.; Kang, S.; Choi, Y.

2016-12-01

In-situ bioremediation using bubbles as an oxygen carrier has shown its applicability for aerobic biodegradation of organic pollutants in the subsurface. By recent progresses, generation of nano-sized bubbles is possible, which have enhanced oxygen transfer efficiencies due to their high interfacial area and stability. We are developing an in-situ bioremediation technique using nano-bubbles as an oxygen carrier. In this study, nano-bubbles were characterized for their size and oxygen supply capacity. Nano-bubbles were generated with pure oxygen and pure helium gas. The stable nano-bubbles suspended in water were sonicated to induce the bubbles to coalesce, making them to rise and be released out of the water. By removing the bubbles, the water volume was decreased by 0.006%. The gas released from the bubble suspension was collected to measure the amount of gas in the nano-bubbles. For sparingly soluble helium gas 17.9 mL/L was released from the bubble suspension, while for oxygen 46.2 mL/L was collected. For the oxygen nano-bubble suspension, it is likely that the release of dissolved oxygen (DO) contributed to the collected gas volume. After removing the oxygen nano-bubbles, 36.0 mg/L of DO was still present in water. Altogether, the oxygen nano-bubble suspension was estimated to have 66.2 mg/L of oxygen in a dissolved form and 25.6 mg/L as nano-bubbles. A high DO level in the water was possible because of their large Laplace pressure difference across the fluid interface. Applying Young-Laplace equation and ideal gas law, the bubble diameter was estimated to be approximately 10 nm, having an internal pressure of 323 atm. Considering the saturation DO of 8.26 mg/L for water in equilibrium with the atmosphere, the total oxygen content of 91.8 mg/L in the nano-bubble suspension suggests its great potential as an oxygen carrier. Studies are underway to verify the enhanced aerobic biodegradation of organic pollutants in soils by injecting nano-bubble suspensions.

Generalized Rate Theory for Void and Bubble Swelling and its Application to Delta-Plutonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, P. G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Wall, M. A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Wolfer, W. G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-10-04

A rate theory for void and bubble swelling is derived that allows both vacancies and self-interstitial atoms to be generated by thermal activation at all sinks. In addition, they can also be produced by displacement damage from external and internal radiation. This generalized rate theory (GRT) is applied to swelling of gallium-stabilized δ-plutonium in which α-decay causes the displacement damage. Since the helium atoms produced also become trapped in vacancies, a distinction is made between empty and occupied vacancies. The growth of helium bubbles observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in weapons-grade and in material enriched with Pu238 is analyzed, using different values for the formation energy of self-interstitial atoms (SIA) and two different sets of relaxation volumes for the vacancy and for the SIA. One set allows preferential capture of SIA at dislocations, while the other set gives equal preference to both vacancy and SIA. It is found that the helium bubble diameters observed are in better agreement with GRT predictions if no preferential capture occurs at dislocations. Therefore, helium bubbles in δ-plutonium will not evolve into voids. The helium density within the bubbles remains sufficiently high to cause thermal emission of SIA. Based on a helium density between two to three helium atoms per vacant site, the sum of formation and migration energies must be around 2.0 eV for SIA in δ-plutonium.

The Injection of Air/Oxygen Bubble into the Anterior Chamber of Rabbits as a Treatment for Hyphema in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emre Ayintap

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To investigate the changes of partial oxygen pressure (PaO2 in aqueous humour after injecting air or oxygen bubble into the anterior chamber in sickle cell hyphema. Methods. Blood samples were taken from the same patient with sickle cell disease. Thirty-two rabbits were divided into 4 groups. In group 1 (n=8, there was no injection. Only blood injection constituted group 2 (n=8, both blood and air bubble injection constituted group 3 (n=8, and both blood and oxygen bubble injection constituted group 4 (n=8. Results. The PaO2 in the aqueous humour after 10 hours from the injections was 78.45 ± 9.9 mmHg (Mean ± SD for group 1, 73.97 ± 8.86 mmHg for group 2, 123.35 ± 13.6 mmHg for group 3, and 306.47 ± 16.5 mmHg for group 4. There was statistically significant difference between group 1 and group 2, when compared with group 3 and group 4. Conclusions. PaO2 in aqueous humour was increased after injecting air or oxygen bubble into the anterior chamber. We offer to leave an air bubble in the anterior chamber of patients with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies and hyphema undergoing an anterior chamber washout.

Laser-induced microjet: wavelength and pulse duration effects on bubble and jet generation for drug injection

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hun-jae; Park, Mi-ae; Sirotkin, Fedir V.; Yoh, Jack J.

2013-12-01

The expansion of the laser-induced bubble is the main mechanism in the developed microjet injector. In this study, Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers are used as triggers of the bubble formation. The impact of the laser parameters on the bubble dynamics is studied and the performance of the injector is evaluated. We found that the main cause of the differences in the bubble behavior comes from the pulse duration and wavelength. For Nd:YAG laser, the pulse duration is very short relative to the bubble lifetime making the behavior of the bubble close to that of the cavitation bubble, while in Er:YAG case, the high absorption in the water and long pulse duration change the initial behavior of the bubble making it close to a vapor bubble. The contraction and subsequent rebound are typical for cavitation bubbles in both cases. The results show that the laser-induced microjet injector generates velocity which is sufficient for the drug delivery for both laser beams of different pulse duration. We estimate the typical velocity within 30-80 m/s range and the breakup length to be larger than 1 mm suitable for trans-dermal drug injection.

Cross correlation coefficients of turbulent boundary layer with micro-bubble injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claudia del Carmen Gutierrez-Torres [LABINTHAP-SEPI-ESIME, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, U.P. Adolfo Lopez Mateos Edif. 5 3er. Piso, Col Lindavista, C.P. 07738, Mexico, D. F. (Mexico); Yassin A Hassan; Jose Alfredo Jimenez-Bernal [Texas A and M University, College Station, Tx. 77843-3133 (United States)

2005-07-01

Full text of publication follows: Injection of micro-bubbles within the turbulent boundary layer has been investigated for a several years as a method to achieve drag reduction. However, the physical mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood yet. Experiments in a channel flow for single phase (water) and two phase (water and micro-bubbles) flows under different void fraction conditions are reported for a Reynolds number of 5128. Particle Image Velocimetry technique is used to measure instantaneous velocity fields. Consequently the cross-correlation coefficient Ruv can be calculated along the stream-wise direction for various different y{sup +} positions and along the normal direction for the fluctuating components of the velocity obtained from the instantaneous velocity fields. The experiments were carried out in a rectangular acrylic channel, whose dimensions are 4.8 m length, 20.6 cm wide and 5.6 cm height. Water was driven trough the channel by gravity from a tank, which was located 3 m above the channel. Then, water was conducted to a lower tank; from which water was pumped to the upper thank forming a closed loop. Upper tank's water level was kept constant through the tests to ensure constant flow rate trough the channel. The velocity field in the x-y plane was obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) at 3.15 m downstream from the channel inlet. A Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 532 nm (green light) and power of 350 mJ per pulse is utilized. The particles used for seeding have a diameter that goes from 6-9 {mu}m with a specific gravity almost identical to water s specific gravity. The laser light scattered from the seeding particles was recorded using a CCD Kodak Megaplus camera, Model ES 1.0, 1008 x 1018 pixels. The viewing area was 1.28 cm{sup 2} and was located close to the channel wall. The system recorded 30 velocity fields per second. Each velocity field was obtained from a pair of consecutive images capturing the second image of

Cross correlation coefficients of turbulent boundary layer with micro-bubble injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claudia del Carmen Gutierrez-Torres; Yassin A Hassan; Jose Alfredo Jimenez-Bernal

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Injection of micro-bubbles within the turbulent boundary layer has been investigated for a several years as a method to achieve drag reduction. However, the physical mechanism of this phenomenon is not fully understood yet. Experiments in a channel flow for single phase (water) and two phase (water and micro-bubbles) flows under different void fraction conditions are reported for a Reynolds number of 5128. Particle Image Velocimetry technique is used to measure instantaneous velocity fields. Consequently the cross-correlation coefficient Ruv can be calculated along the stream-wise direction for various different y + positions and along the normal direction for the fluctuating components of the velocity obtained from the instantaneous velocity fields. The experiments were carried out in a rectangular acrylic channel, whose dimensions are 4.8 m length, 20.6 cm wide and 5.6 cm height. Water was driven trough the channel by gravity from a tank, which was located 3 m above the channel. Then, water was conducted to a lower tank; from which water was pumped to the upper thank forming a closed loop. Upper tank's water level was kept constant through the tests to ensure constant flow rate trough the channel. The velocity field in the x-y plane was obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) at 3.15 m downstream from the channel inlet. A Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 532 nm (green light) and power of 350 mJ per pulse is utilized. The particles used for seeding have a diameter that goes from 6-9 μm with a specific gravity almost identical to water s specific gravity. The laser light scattered from the seeding particles was recorded using a CCD Kodak Megaplus camera, Model ES 1.0, 1008 x 1018 pixels. The viewing area was 1.28 cm 2 and was located close to the channel wall. The system recorded 30 velocity fields per second. Each velocity field was obtained from a pair of consecutive images capturing the second image of the pair 1 ms after

Mechanical properties and microstructure of austenitic steels loaded with helium using tritium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sacovy, Paulette; Brun, Gilbert; Delaplace, Jean; Devaux, Joel; Fidelle, J.P.

1982-06-01

Following a review of the principle of the method using the radioactive decay of tritium to helium 3 to introduce helium into thick metallic test specimens, the results of preliminary tests performed on austenitic steels are presented. 304L and 316 steel specimens were loaded with helium, treated at 760 0 C to precipitate the helium in bubbles, and then strained by tensile stress at 800 0 C. In the material most loaded with helium (304 steel containing 230 ppm at. helium), a significant increase in distributed and total elongation at 800 0 C was observed. In the least loaded material (steel 316 containing 13 ppm at. helium), only total elongation decreased. Neither the yield stress nor the breaking load was altered by the presence of helium. Observations made by electron microscopy in the most loaded material revealed the presence, after heat treatment at 760 0 C, of very small bubbles of helium and also imperfect dislocation loops. The cause of these fault loops is discussed [fr

Effect of helium on void swelling in vanadium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brimhall, J.L.; Simonen, E.P.

1975-01-01

Little difference in void microstructural swelling of vanadium is observed when helium is injected simultaneously with a 46- or 5-MeV nickel beam as compared to no helium injection, at least at high dose rates. At lower dose rates, a strong helium effect is seen when the helium is injected prior to heavy ion bombardment. The effect of the helium is shown to be a strong function of the overall displacement damage rate

Bubble dynamics and bubble-induced turbulence of a single-bubble chain

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joohyoung; Park, Hyungmin

2016-11-01

In the present study, the bubble dynamics and liquid-phase turbulence induced by a chain of bubbles injected from a single nozzle have been experimentally investigated. Using a high-speed two-phase particle image velociemtry, measurements on the bubbles and liquid-phase velocity field are conducted in a transparent tank filled with water, while varying the bubble release frequency from 0.1 to 35 Hz. The tested bubble size ranges between 2.0-3.2 mm, and the corresponding bubble Reynolds number is 590-1100, indicating that it belongs to the regime of path instability. As the release frequency increases, it is found that the global shape of bubble dispersion can be classified into two regimes: from asymmetric (regular) to axisymmetric (irregular). In particular, at higher frequency, the wake vortices of leading bubbles cause an irregular behaviour of the following bubble. For the liquid phase, it is found that a specific trend on the bubble-induced turbulence appears in a strong relation to the above bubble dynamics. Considering this, we try to provide a theoretical model to estimate the liquid-phase turbulence induced by a chain of bubbles. Supported by a Grant funded by Samsung Electronics, Korea.

Self-trapping of helium in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, W.D.; Bisson, C.L.; Baskes, M.I.

1981-01-01

Atomistic calculations are presented which demonstrate that helium atoms in a metal lattice are able to cluster with each other, producing vacancies and nearby self-interstitial defects. Even a small number of helium atoms is found to be sufficient to create these large distortions. As few as five interstitial helium can spontaneously produce a lattice vacancy and nearby self-interstitial. An eight-helium-atom cluster gives rise to two such defects, and 16 helium atoms to more than five self-interstitial vacancy pairs. It was noted that the self-interstitials prefer to agglomerate on the same ''side'' of the helium cluster rather than to spread themselves out uniformly. The binding energy of each additional helium atom to these clusters increases with helium concentration and the trap is apparently unsaturable. A rate theory using these atomistic binding energies has been used to calculate the kinetics of helium-bubble nucleation and growth. The results are consistent with measurements of the properties of helium resulting from tritium decay

Bubble Size Distribution in a Vibrating Bubble Column

Science.gov (United States)

Mohagheghian, Shahrouz; Wilson, Trevor; Valenzuela, Bret; Hinds, Tyler; Moseni, Kevin; Elbing, Brian

2016-11-01

While vibrating bubble columns have increased the mass transfer between phases, a universal scaling law remains elusive. Attempts to predict mass transfer rates in large industrial scale applications by extrapolating laboratory scale models have failed. In a stationary bubble column, mass transfer is a function of phase interfacial area (PIA), while PIA is determined based on the bubble size distribution (BSD). On the other hand, BSD is influenced by the injection characteristics and liquid phase dynamics and properties. Vibration modifies the BSD by impacting the gas and gas-liquid dynamics. This work uses a vibrating cylindrical bubble column to investigate the effect of gas injection and vibration characteristics on the BSD. The bubble column has a 10 cm diameter and was filled with water to a depth of 90 cm above the tip of the orifice tube injector. BSD was measured using high-speed imaging to determine the projected area of individual bubbles, which the nominal bubble diameter was then calculated assuming spherical bubbles. The BSD dependence on the distance from the injector, injector design (1.6 and 0.8 mm ID), air flow rates (0.5 to 5 lit/min), and vibration conditions (stationary and vibration conditions varying amplitude and frequency) will be presented. In addition to mean data, higher order statistics will also be provided.

Helium diffusion in nickel at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philipps, V.

1980-09-01

Helium has been implanted at certain temperatures between 800 and 1250 0 C into single and polycrystalline Ni-samples with implantation depths between 15 and 90 μm. Simultaneously the helium reemission from the sample is measured by a mass-spectrometer. It has been shown that the time dependence of the observed reemission rate is governed by volume diffusion of the helium. Measuring this time dependence as a function of temperature the helium diffusion constant has been determined. The He-diffusion is interpreted as a interstitial diffusion hindered by thermal vacancies. Depending on the implantation depth more or less of the implanted helium remains in the sample and forms large helium bubbles. (orig./GSCH)

Hybrid simulation research on formation mechanism of tungsten nanostructure induced by helium plasma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, Atsushi M., E-mail: ito.atsushi@nifs.ac.jp [National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki 509-5292 (Japan); Takayama, Arimichi; Oda, Yasuhiro [National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki 509-5292 (Japan); Tamura, Tomoyuki; Kobayashi, Ryo; Hattori, Tatsunori; Ogata, Shuji [Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Ohno, Noriyasu; Kajita, Shin [Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Yajima, Miyuki [National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki 509-5292 (Japan); Noiri, Yasuyuki [Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Yoshimoto, Yoshihide [University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Saito, Seiki [Kushiro National College of Technology, Kushiro, Hokkaido 084-0916 (Japan); Takamura, Shuichi [Aichi Institute of Technology, 1247 Yachigusa, Yakusa-cho, Toyota 470-0392 (Japan); Murashima, Takahiro [Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-Ward, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Miyamoto, Mitsutaka [Shimane University, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504 (Japan); Nakamura, Hiroaki [National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki 509-5292 (Japan); Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan)

2015-08-15

The generation of tungsten fuzzy nanostructure by exposure to helium plasma is one of the important problems for the use of tungsten material as divertor plates in nuclear fusion reactors. In the present paper, the formation mechanisms of the helium bubble and the tungsten fuzzy nanostructure were investigated by using several simulation methods. We proposed the four-step process which is composed of penetration step, diffusion and agglomeration step, helium bubble growth step, and fuzzy nanostructure formation step. As the fourth step, the formation of the tungsten fuzzy nanostructure was successfully reproduced by newly developed hybrid simulation combining between molecular dynamics and Monte-Carlo method. The formation mechanism of tungsten fuzzy nanostructure observed by the hybrid simulation is that concavity and convexity of the surface are enhanced by the bursting of helium bubbles in the region around the concavity.

Effect of isobaric breathing gas shifts from air to heliox mixtures on resolution of air bubbles in lipid and aqueous tissues of recompressed rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldegaard, Ole; Kerem, Dikla; Melamed, Y

2011-01-01

Deep tissue isobaric counterdiffusion that may cause unwanted bubble formation or transient bubble growth has been referred to in theoretical models and demonstrated by intravascular gas formation in animals, when changing inert breathing gas from nitrogen to helium after hyperbaric air breathing....... We visually followed the in vivo resolution of extravascular air bubbles injected at 101 kPa into nitrogen supersaturated rat tissues: adipose, spinal white matter, skeletal muscle or tail tendon. Bubbles were observed during isobaric breathing-gas shifts from air to normoxic (80:20) heliox mixture...... breathing. No such bubble growth was observed in spinal white matter, skeletal muscle or tendon. In spinal white matter, an immediate breathing gas shift after the hyperbaric air exposure from air to both (80:20) and (50:50) heliox, coincident with recompression to either 285 or 405 kPa, caused consistent...

Helium sequestration at nanoparticle-matrix interfaces in helium + heavy ion irradiated nanostructured ferritic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parish, C.M., E-mail: parishcm@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Unocic, K.A.; Tan, L. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Zinkle, S.J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Kondo, S. [Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011 (Japan); Snead, L.L. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Hoelzer, D.T.; Katoh, Y. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

2017-01-15

We irradiated four ferritic alloys with energetic Fe and He ions: one castable nanostructured alloy (CNA) containing Ti-W-Ta-carbides, and three nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs). The NFAs were: 9Cr containing Y-Ti-O nanoclusters, and two Fe-12Cr-5Al NFAs containing Y-Zr-O or Y-Hf-O clusters. All four were subjected to simultaneous dual-beam Fe + He ion implantation (650 °C, ∼50 dpa, ∼15 appm He/dpa), simulating fusion-reactor conditions. Examination using scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM) revealed high-number-density helium bubbles of ∼8 nm, ∼10{sup 21} m{sup −3} (CNA), and of ∼3 nm, 10{sup 23} m{sup −3} (NFAs). STEM combined with multivariate statistical analysis data mining suggests that the precipitate-matrix interfaces in all alloys survived ∼50 dpa at 650 °C and serve as effective helium trapping sites. All alloys appear viable structural material candidates for fusion or advanced fission energy systems. Among these developmental alloys the NFAs appear to sequester the helium into smaller bubbles and away from the grain boundaries more effectively than the early-generation CNA.

Ageing of palladium tritide: mechanical characterization, helium state and modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segard, M.

2010-01-01

Palladium is commonly used for the storage of tritium (the hydrogen radioactive isotope), since it forms a low-equilibrium-pressure and reversible tritide. Tritium decay into helium-3 is responsible for the ageing of the tritide, leading to the apparition of helium-3 bubbles for instance. Both experimental and theoretical aspects of this phenomenon are studied here.Previous works on ageing modelling led to two main models, dealing with:- Helium-3 bubbles nucleation (using a cellular automaton), - Bubbles growth (using continuum mechanics).These models were quite efficient, but their use was limited by the lack of input data and fitting experimental parameters.To get through these limitations, this work has consisted in studying the most relevant experimental data to improve the modelling of the palladium tritide ageing.The first part of this work was focused on the assessment of the mechanical properties of the palladium tritide (yield strength, ultimate strength, mechanical behaviour). They were deduced from the in situ tensile tests performed on palladium hydride and deuteride. In the second part, ageing characterization was undertaken, mainly focusing on: - Bubbles observations in palladium tritide using transmission electron microscopy, - Internal bubble pressure measurements using nuclear magnetic resonance, - Macroscopic swelling measurements using pycno-metry.The present work has led to significant progress in ageing understanding and has brought very valuable improvements to the modelling of such a phenomenon. (author) [fr

Resistivity studies of interstitial helium mobility in niobium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.G.; Birnbaum, H.K.; Johnson, A.B. Jr.

1979-01-01

The mobility of interstitial helium in Nb and Nb-O alloys was studied in the temperature range of 10-383 K using resistivity measurements. The helium was introduced by radioactive decay of solute tritium (approximately 1 at%). At T < 100 K the resistivity increased due to conversion of tritium trapped at oxygen interstititals to helium. The formation of helium caused a very significant resistance increase at room temperature and above. The results suggest that helium is mobile at temperatures above 295 K and that the precipitation of large helium bubbles occurs along grain boundaries. The mobile helium species may either be single interstitials or small helium clusters. The activation enthalpy for the diffusion of the mobile helium species was estimated to be about 55 kJ/mol (0.66 eV). (Auth.)

Bubble behavior and breakdown characteristics in LHe under simulating quench condition of S.C. magnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Z.; Yoshizuka, H.; Takano, K.; Hara, M. [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan)

1996-09-20

In large superconducting magneto, liquid helium is usually used both as coolant and electrical insulator. An abnormal high voltage and thermal bubbles often appear simultaneously during the quenching period. Such an incident is thought serious from a point of view of electrical insulation. In this work, thermal bubble behavior affected by the electrostatic forces in liquid helium and electrical breakdown mechanism of liquid helium are studied under the simulating quench condition of S.C magnet. The results show that (1) the electrostatic forces produced by nonuniform electric field are useful for reducing the effect of thermal bubbles on electrical breakdown in almost all cases, although the bubble aggregation occurs in the region where the gradient force is counterbalancing with the buoyancy and (2) the fins on the surface of superconducting wires are helpful to prevent the bubbles from being released into strong field region if the groove between fins is formed along the field decreasing direction on the wire surface. 11 refs., 14 figs., 1 tab.

Numeric implementation of a nucleation, growth and transport model for helium bubbles in lead-lithium HCLL breeding blanket channels: Theory and code development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batet, L., E-mail: lluis.batet@upc.edu [Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Energy and Radiation Studies Research Group (GREENER), Technology for Fusion T4F, Barcelona (Spain); UPC, Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (DFEN), ETSEIB, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Fradera, J. [Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Energy and Radiation Studies Research Group (GREENER), Technology for Fusion T4F, Barcelona (Spain); UPC, Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (DFEN), ETSEIB, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Valls, E. Mas de les [Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Energy and Radiation Studies Research Group (GREENER), Technology for Fusion T4F, Barcelona (Spain); UPC, Department of Heat Engines (DMMT), ETSEIB, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Sedano, L.A. [EURATOM-CIEMAT Association, Fusion Technology Division, Av. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2011-06-15

Large helium (He) production rates in liquid metal breeding blankets of a DT fusion reactor might have a significant influence in the system design. Low He solubility together with high local concentrations may create the conditions for He cavitation, which would have an impact in the components performance. The paper states that such a possibility is not remote in a helium cooled lithium-lead breeding blanket design. A model based on the Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT) has been developed and implemented in order to have a specific tool able to simulate HCLL systems and identify the key parameters and sensitivities. The nucleation and growth model has been implemented in the open source CFD code OpenFOAM so that transport of dissolved atomic He and nucleated He bubbles can be simulated. At the current level of development it is assumed that void fraction is small enough not to affect either the hydrodynamics or the properties of the liquid metal; thus, bubbles can be represented by means of a passive scalar. He growth and transport has been implemented using the mean radius approach in order to save computational time. Limitations and capabilities of the model are shown by means of zero-dimensional simulation and sensitivity analysis under HCLL breeding unit conditions.

Effect of helium on void formation in nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brimhall, J.L.; Simonen, E.P.

1977-01-01

This study examines the influence of helium on void formation in self-ion irradiated nickel. Helium was injected either simultaneously with, or prior to, the self-ion bombardment. The void microstructure was characterized as a function of helium deposition rate and the total heavy-ion dose. In particular, at 575 0 C and 5 X 10 -3 displacements per atom per second the void density is found to be proportional to the helium deposition rate. The dose dependence of swelling is initially dominated by helium driven nucleation. The void density rapidly saturates after which swelling continues with increasing dose only from void growth. It is concluded that helium promotes void nucleation in nickel with either helium implantation technique, pre-injection or simultaneous injection. Qualitative differences, however, are recognized. (Auth.)

Development and implementation of a model of permeation of tritium in the presence of bubbles of helium to tritigenic wraps of liquid metal wraps; Desarrollo e implementacion de un modelo de permeacion de tritio en presencia de burbujas de helio para envolturas tritigenicas de metal liquido

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batet, L.; Mas de les Valls, E.; Sedano, L. A.

2013-07-01

In the channels of liquid metal (ML) regenerating sheaths of a fusion reactor, the possibility of bubbles of helium is not remote. Bubbles adhering to the wall of the ML channels would affect heat transfer and the permeation of tritium. Detailed analysis has been conducted (fine mesh), using OpenFOAM, from the environment of a bubble attached to the wall and has developed a model for permeation of tritium through a partially covered with bubbles of helium surface of contact Ml-solid. The model developed has implemented as wall function in OpenFOAM, has validated and has been applied to a case study, using a relatively thick mesh. The developed model substantially reduces the need for computing on the detailed calculation power.

Film boiling heat transfer in liquid helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inai, Nobuhiko

1979-01-01

The experimental data on the film boiling heat transfer in liquid helium are required for investigating the stability of superconducting wires. On the other hand, liquid helium has the extremely different physical properties as compared with the liquids at normal temperature such as water. In this study, the experiments on pool boiling were carried out, using the horizontal top surface of a 20 mm diameter copper cylinder in liquid helium. For observing individual bubbles, the experiments on film boiling from a horizontal platinum wire were performed separately in liquid nitrogen and liquid helium, and photographs of floating-away bubbles were taken. The author pointed out the considerable upward shift of the boiling curve near the least heat flux point in film boiling from the one given by the Berenson's equation which has been said to agree comparatively well with the data on the film boiling of the liquids at normal temperature, and the reason was investigated. Consequently, a model for film boiling heat transfer was presented. Also one equation expressing the film boiling at low heat flux for low temperature liquids was proposed. It represents well the tendency to shift from Berenson's equation of the experimental data on film boiling at the least heat flux point for liquid helium, liquid nitrogen and water having extremely different physical properties. Some discussions are added at the end of the paper. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

The consequences of helium production on microstructural development in isotopically tailored ferritic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelles, D.S.

1996-01-01

A series of alloys have been made adding various isotopes of nickel in order to vary the production of helium during irradiation by a two step nuclear reaction in a mixed spectrum reactor. The alloys use a base composition of Fe-12Cr with an addition of 1.5% nickel, either in the form of 60 Ni which produces no helium, 59 Ni which produces helium at a rate of about 10 appm He/dpa, or natural nickel ( Nat Ni) which provides an intermediate level of helium due to delayed development of 59 Ni. Specimens were irradiated in the HFIR at Oak Ridge, TN to ∼7 dpa at 300 and 400 degrees C. Microstructural examinations indicated that nickel additions promote precipitation in all alloys, but the effect appears to be much stronger at 400 degrees C than at 300 degrees C. There is sufficient dose by 7 dpa (and with 2 appm He) to initiate void swelling in ferritic/martensitic alloys. Little difference was found between response from 59 Ni and Nat Ni. Also, helium bubble development for high helium generation conditions appeared to be very different at 300 and 400 degrees C. At 300 degrees C, it appeared that high densities of bubbles formed whereas at 400 degrees C, bubbles could not be identified, possibly because of the complexity of the microstructure, but more likely because helium accumulated at precipitate interfaces

The consequences of helium production on microstructural development in isotopically tailored ferritic alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gelles, D.S. [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

1996-10-01

A series of alloys have been made adding various isotopes of nickel in order to vary the production of helium during irradiation by a two step nuclear reaction in a mixed spectrum reactor. The alloys use a base composition of Fe-12Cr with an addition of 1.5% nickel, either in the form of {sup 60}Ni which produces no helium, {sup 59}Ni which produces helium at a rate of about 10 appm He/dpa, or natural nickel ({sup Nat}Ni) which provides an intermediate level of helium due to delayed development of {sup 59}Ni. Specimens were irradiated in the HFIR at Oak Ridge, TN to {approx}7 dpa at 300 and 400{degrees}C. Microstructural examinations indicated that nickel additions promote precipitation in all alloys, but the effect appears to be much stronger at 400{degrees}C than at 300{degrees}C. There is sufficient dose by 7 dpa (and with 2 appm He) to initiate void swelling in ferritic/martensitic alloys. Little difference was found between response from {sup 59}Ni and {sup Nat}Ni. Also, helium bubble development for high helium generation conditions appeared to be very different at 300 and 400{degrees}C. At 300{degrees}C, it appeared that high densities of bubbles formed whereas at 400{degrees}C, bubbles could not be identified, possibly because of the complexity of the microstructure, but more likely because helium accumulated at precipitate interfaces.

Hydrogen and helium in metals: positron lifetime experiments. Quarterly report 3. quarter 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajainmaeki, Hannu.

1987-09-01

This thesis reviews a new approach to studying the role of hydrogen and helium in defect recovery of metals by the positron lifetime technique. A cryostat has been built at the University of Jyvaeskylae for irradiating and/or implaning solids by high-energy proton or helium beams from the MC-20 cyclotron. The samples can be kept continuously below 20 K and the isochronal annealings and the subsequent positron lifetime measurements are carried ou in the same cryostat after the irradiations. During the implantations below 20 K both impuities (H or He) and Frenkel pairs are produced simultaneously. By measuring positron lifetimes during the annealing detailed information is obtained about radiation damage, impurity-defect interactions, lattice defect annealing, void nucleation and formation of helium bubbles. In this work positron lifetime spectroscopy has been utilized for the first time to study defect recovery below the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The annealing stages are investigated in aluminium, nickel and molybdenum in the temperature range 20-700 K. Hydrogen is found to get trapped at vacancies in all the studied metals with binding energies 0.53+-0.04 and 1.6+-0.1 eV, respectively. Trapped hydrogen retards the vacancy migration in Al and Mo, while H-vancancy pairs dissociate in Ni below the free vacancy migration stage. helium gets deeply trapped at vacancies in Al and migrates substitutionally with the activation energy of 1.3+-0.1 eV. Helium-vacancy pairs are observed to nucleate into clusters and form helium bubbles which are stable up to the Al melting temperature. The growth mechanisms for the bubbles are established as thermal vacancy absorption and bubble migration/coalescence

Development of helium porosity near-by grain boundaries in nickel-carbon alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reutov, I.V.; Reutov, V.F.

1995-01-01

The peculiarities of development of helium porosity near grain boundaries in nickel with 0.002-0.065 at.% carbon uniformly doped with helium up to 2·10 -2 at.% in the process of post-irradiation isothermal annealing at 800 deg C for 1-50 hours are studied. It is stated that at this annealing temperature intensive nucleation and growth of bubbles are observed in near-boundary region whose width grows both with increase of annealing time and carbon content. The TEM studies have shown that in near-boundary zone itself the process of bubble growth is non-uniform: bubble size increases and their density decreases as the distance from grain boundary is increased. The effect observed is discussed from the point of view of formation of two zones with different level of swelling in a grain (near-by boundary and matrix) and consequently, hydrostatic stress as well conditioning the flux of vacancies and helium-vacancy complexes from matrix to grain boundary. 8 refs., 5 figs

Gas diffusion and temperature dependence of bubble nucleation during irradiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foreman, A. J. E.; Singh, Bachu Narain

1986-01-01

The continuous production of gases at relatively high rates under fusion irradiation conditions may enhance the nucleation of cavities. This can cause dimensional changes and could induce embrittlement arising from gas accumulation on grain boundaries. Computer calculations have been made...... of the diatomic nucleation of helium bubbles, assuming helium to diffuse substitutionally, with radiation-enhanced diffusion at lower temperatures. The calculated temperature dependence of the bubble density shows excellent agreement with that observed in 600 MeV proton irradiations, including a reduction...... in activation energy below Tm/2. The coalescence of diatomic nuclei due to Brownian motion markedly improves the agreement and also provides a well-defined terminal density. Bubble nucleation by this mechanism is sufficiently fast to inhibit any appreciable initial loss of gas to grain boundaries during...

Recent progress in the modelling of helium and tritium behaviour in irradiated beryllium pebbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabaglino, E.; Ronchi, C.; Cardella, A.

2003-01-01

One of the key issues of the European Helium Cooled Pebble Bed blanket is the behaviour under irradiation of beryllium pebbles, which have the function of neutron multiplier. An intense production of helium occurs in-pile, as well as a non negligible generation of tritium. Helium bubbles induce swelling and a high tritium inventory is a safety issue. Extensive studies for a better understanding, characterisation and modelling of the behaviour of helium and tritium in irradiated beryllium pebbles are being carried out, with the final aim to enable a reliable prediction of gas release and swelling in the full range of operating and accidental conditions of a Fusion Power Reactor. The general strategy consists in integrating studies on macroscopic phenomena (gas release) with the characterisation of corresponding microscopic diffusion phenomena (bubble kinetics) and the assessment of some fundamental diffusion parameter for the models (gas atomic diffusion coefficients). The present work gives a summary of the latest achievements in this context. By an inverse analysis of experimental out-of-pile gas release from weakly irradiated pebbles, coupled to the study of the characteristics of bubble population, it has been possible to assess the thermal diffusion coefficients of helium and tritium in and to improve and validate the classical model of gas precipitation into bubbles inside the grain. The improvement of the description of gas atomic diffusion and precipitation is the first step to enable a more reliable prediction of gas release

Dynamics of vortex assisted metal condensation in superfluid helium.

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, Evgeny; Mammetkuliyev, Muhammet; Eloranta, Jussi

2013-05-28

Laser ablation of copper and silver targets immersed in bulk normal and superfluid (4)He was studied through time-resolved shadowgraph photography. In normal fluid, only a sub-millimeter cavitation bubble is created and immediate formation of metal clusters is observed within a few hundred microseconds. The metal clusters remain spatially tightly focused up to 15 ms, and it is proposed that this observation may find applications in particle image velocimetry. In superfluid helium, the cavitation bubble formation process is distinctly different from the normal fluid. Due to the high thermal conductivity and an apparent lag in the breakdown of superfluidity, about 20% of the laser pulse energy was transferred directly into the liquid and a large gas bubble, up to several millimeters depending on laser pulse energy, is created. The internal temperature of the gas bubble is estimated to exceed 9 K and the following bubble cool down period therefore includes two separate phase transitions: gas-normal liquid and normal liquid-superfluid. The last stage of the cool down process was assigned to the superfluid lambda transition where a sudden formation of large metal clusters is observed. This is attributed to high vorticity created in the volume where the gas bubble previously resided. As shown by theoretical bosonic density functional theory calculations, quantized vortices can trap atoms and dimers efficiently, exhibiting static binding energies up to 22 K. This, combined with hydrodynamic Bernoulli attraction, yields total binding energies as high as 35 K. For larger clusters, the static binding energy increases as a function of the volume occupied in the liquid to minimize the surface tension energy. For heliophobic species an energy barrier develops as a function of the cluster size, whereas heliophilics show barrierless entry into vortices. The present theoretical and experimental observations are used to rationalize the previously reported metal nanowire assembly in

Fractality and growth of He bubbles in metals

Science.gov (United States)

Kajita, Shin; Ito, Atsushi M.; Ohno, Noriyasu

2017-08-01

Pinholes are formed on surfaces of metals by the exposure to helium plasmas, and they are regarded as the initial process of the growth of fuzzy nanostructures. In this study, number density of the pinholes is investigated in detail from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs of tungsten and tantalum exposed to the helium plasmas. A power law relation was identified between the number density and the size of pinholes. From the slope and the region where the power law was satisfied, the fractal dimension D and smin, which characterize the SEM images, are deduced. Parametric dependences and material dependence of D and smin are revealed. To explain the fractality, simple Monte-Carlo simulations including random walks of He atoms and absorption on bubble was introduced. It is shown that the initial position of the random walk is one of the key factors to deduce the fractality. The results indicated that new nucleations of bubbles are necessary to reproduce the number-density distribution of bubbles.

Thermal release behavior of helium from copper irradiated by He+ ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamauchi, T.; Tokura, S.; Yamanaka, S.; Miyake, M.

1988-01-01

Thermal release behavior of helium from copper irradiated by 20 keV He + ions with a dose of 2x10 15 to 3x10 17 ions/cm 2 has been studied. The shape of the thermal release curves and thew number of helium release peaks strongly depend on the irradiation dose. Results from SEM surface observastion after post-irradiation heating suggested that helium release caused various surface damages such as blistering, flaking, and hole formation. Helium release resulting in small holes was analyzed and helium bubble growth mechanisms are discussed. (orig.)

Experimental Results for Direct Electron Irradiation of a Uranyl Sulfate Solution: Bubble Formation and Thermal Hydraulics Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chemerisov, Sergey [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Gromov, R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Makarashvili, Vakhtang [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Heltemes, Thad [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sun, Zaijing [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Wardle, Kent E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Bailey, James [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Stepinski, Dominique [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Jerden, James [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Vandegrift, George F. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-01-30

In support of the development of accelerator-driven production of fission product Mo-99 as proposed by SHINE Medical Technologies, a 35 MeV electron linac was used to irradiate depleted-uranium (DU) uranyl sulfate dissolved in pH 1 sulfuric acid at average power densities of 6 kW, 12 kW, and 15 kW. During these irradiations, gas bubbles were generated in the solution due to the radiolytic decomposition of water molecules in the solution. Multiple video cameras were used to record the behavior of bubble generation and transport in the solution. Seven six-channel thermocouples were used to record temperature gradients in the solution from self-heating. Measurements of hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in a helium sweep gas were recorded by a gas chromatograph to estimate production rates during irradiation. These data are being used to validate a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the experiment that includes multiphase flow and a custom bubble injection model for the solution region.

Experimental Results for Direct Electron Irradiation of a Uranyl Sulfate Solution: Bubble Formation and Thermal Hydraulics Studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chemerisov, Sergey; Gromov, R.; Makarashvili, Vakhtang; Heltemes, Thad; Sun, Zaijing; Wardle, Kent E.; Bailey, James; Stepinski, Dominique; Jerden, James; Vandegrift, George F.

2015-01-01

In support of the development of accelerator-driven production of fission product Mo-99 as proposed by SHINE Medical Technologies, a 35 MeV electron linac was used to irradiate depleted-uranium (DU) uranyl sulfate dissolved in pH 1 sulfuric acid at average power densities of 6 kW, 12 kW, and 15 kW. During these irradiations, gas bubbles were generated in the solution due to the radiolytic decomposition of water molecules in the solution. Multiple video cameras were used to record the behavior of bubble generation and transport in the solution. Seven six-channel thermocouples were used to record temperature gradients in the solution from self-heating. Measurements of hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in a helium sweep gas were recorded by a gas chromatograph to estimate production rates during irradiation. These data are being used to validate a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the experiment that includes multiphase flow and a custom bubble injection model for the solution region.

Dechanneling of particles by gas bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ronikier-Polonsky, Danuta.

1976-01-01

The dechanneling probability P of a particle hitting a gas bubble in a solid is evaluated theoretically. This probability is found to depend neither on the energy of the particle, nor on the radius of the bubble. A simple expression of P is given in the case of a harmonic channeling potential. Then an experiment is described concerning α particles channeled along (111) planes in aluminium containing helium bubbles. In this particular case, the measured probabilitity (P=0.27+-0.09) is in good agreement with the corresponding theoretical values (0.34 for a harmonic potential and 0.24 for a more realistic potential) [fr

Experimental observation of exploding electron bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Classen, J.; Su, C.K.; Hall, S.C.; Pettersen, M.S.; Maris, H.J.

1996-01-01

Since free electrons form small voids in liquid helium they are expected to be preferred sites for nucleating macroscopic bubbles when the liquid is exposed to sufficiently large negative pressures. We have performed a series of cavitation experiments using focussed ultrasound where free electrons were introduced into the liquid by a radioactive source. The electron bubbles are found to explode at negative pressures significantly lower than those required for homogeneous nucleation. We present measurements of the thresholds for cavitation at electrons in the temperature range 1 - 4.5 K. Reasonable agreement with a simple model for the stability limit of the electron bubble is obtained. (author)

Detail analysis of tritium permeation in the metal liquid channels of the regenerating sheaths of a fusion reactor in presence of helium bubbles; Analisis de detalle de la permeacion de tritio en los caneles de metal liquido de las envolturas regeneradoras de un reactor de fusion en presencia de burbujas de helio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banet, L.; Mas de les Valls, E.; Sedano, L. A.

2012-07-01

Inside the channels of liquid metal of the fusion reactor regenerative wrappers, the possible existence of nucleated helium bubbles is not remote. Helium is formed joined the tritium in the escaped neutrons of plasma with lithium. The accumulation of helium in the contact surfaces, between the structure and ML, lead a reduction of heat transfer, at the same time a reduction in the permeation of tritium. The coexistence of three phases in touch: metal liquid, helium and structural material, makes the transport of heat and tritium in a complex phenomenon. To enrich tritium transport studies conducted in the past, there is now a detail analysis of the helium bubble environment adhered to the channel ML wall of a regenerative wrap. For the study we used a CFD tool development on free code OpenFOAM.

An equation of motion for bubble growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lesage, F.J.; Cotton, J.S.; Robinson, A.J.

2009-01-01

A mathematical model is developed which describes asymmetric bubble growth, either during boiling or bubble injection from submerged orifices. The model is developed using the integral form of the continuity and momentum equations, resulting in a general expression for the acceleration of the bubble's centre of gravity. The proposed model highlights the need to include acceleration due to an asymmetric gain or loss of mass in order to accurately predict bubble motion. Some scenarios are posed by which the growth of bubbles, particularly idealized bubbles that remain a section of a sphere, must include the fact that bubble growth can be asymmetric. In particular, for approximately hemispherical bubble growth the sum of the forces acting on the bubble is negligible compared with the asymmetric term. Further, for bubble injection from a submerged needle this component in the equation of motion is very significant during the initial rapid growth phase as the bubble issues from the nozzle changing from a near hemisphere to truncated sphere geometry. (author)

The gas-bubble superlattice and the development of surface structure in He+ and H+ irradiated metals at 300 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, P.B.; Mazey, D.J.

1980-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is used to investigate the spatial arrangement of the small gas bubbles produced at 300 K in several fcc metals including copper and in the hcp metal titanium by 30 keV helium ion irradiation, and in copper by 16 keV proton irradiation. For the fcc metals it is found that the helium gas bubbles lie on a superlattice having a fcc structure with principal axes aligned with those of the metal matrix. The bubble lattice constant, α 1 , measured for a helium fluence just below the critical dose for radiation blistering of the metal surface (approx. equal to 4 x 10 21 He + /m 2 ) is typically approx. equal to 7 nm with bubble diameters typically approx. equal to 2 nm. For titanium, similar bubble ordering is seen is samples irradiated to a level of approx. equal to 1.5 x 10 22 He + /m 2 , with bubble sizes and spacings approximately 50% greater than those for the fcc metals. Pipe-like passages formed by the interconnection of strings of helium gas bubbles are evident in all metals studied. Superlattice formation is also a freature of the hydrogen bubble structure in copper following irradiation to a level of approx. equal to 1.3 x 10 23 H + /m 2 . At an early stage of bubble development small bubbles (approx. equal to 2 nm diameter) arranged on a lattice of spacing α 1 approx. equal to 12 nm are found. The bubble structure evolves further through several well-defined stages before radiation blistering of the surface occurs. Some implications for gas release and for synergistic effects in irradiated surfaces are suggested by these results and by those obtained in other recent experiments. (orig.)

Computational Studies of Positive and Negative Streamers in Bubbles Suspended in Distilled Water

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Ashish; Levko, Dmitry; Raja, Laxminarayan L.

2017-01-01

We perform computational studies of nanosecond streamers generated in helium bubbles immersed in distilled water under high pressure conditions. The model takes into account the presence of water vapor in the gas bubble for an accurate description

Contribution to the study of helium two-phase vertical flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augyrond, L.

1998-04-01

This work aims at a better understanding of the dynamics of helium two-phase flow in a vertical duct. The case of bubble flow is particularly investigated. The most descriptive parameter of two-phase flow is the void fraction. A sensor to measure this parameter was specially designed and calibrated, it is made of a radioactive source and a semiconductor detector. Sensors based on light attenuation were used to study the behaviour of this two-phase flow. The experimental set-up is described. The different flow types were photographed and video filmed. This visualization has allowed to measure the diameter of bubbles and to study their movements in the fluid. Bubble flow then churn and annular flows were observed but slug flow seems not to exist with helium. A modelling based on a Zuber model matches better the experimental results than a Levy type model. The detailed analysis of the signals given by the optical sensors has allowed to highlight a bubble appearance frequency directly linked to the flowrate. (A.C.)

Blistering effects in neutral injection systems operated with helium and hydrogen gases: a preliminary assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, G.W.

1977-01-01

The practical effects of blistering and flaking in neutral injection systems are studied. These effects will soon be more important because of energy increases in systems now under development and because of their operation with fast helium ions as well as hydrogen and deuterium ions. Two main effects were studied: enhanced erosion rate and possible voltage breakdown from sharp flakes and gas emission

ERDA, RBS, TEM and SEM characterization of microstructural evolution in helium-implanted Hastelloy N alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Jie [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Bao, Liangman [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Huang, Hefei, E-mail: huanghefei@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Li, Yan, E-mail: liyan@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Lei, Qiantao [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Deng, Qi [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Liu, Zhe; Yang, Guo [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Shi, Liqun [Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2017-05-15

Hastelloy N alloy was implanted with 30 keV, 5 × 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2} helium ions at room temperature, and subsequent annealed at 600 °C for 1 h and further annealed at 850 °C for 5 h in vacuum. Using elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the depth profiles of helium concentration and helium bubbles in helium-implanted Hastelloy N alloy were investigated, respectively. The diffusion of helium and molybdenum elements to surface occurred during the vacuum annealing at 850 °C (5 h). It was also observed that bubbles in molybdenum-enriched region were much larger in size than those in deeper region. In addition, it is worth noting that plenty of nano-holes can be observed on the surface of helium-implanted sample after high temperature annealing by scanning electron microscope (SEM). This observation provides the evidence for the occurrence of helium release, which can be also inferred from the results of ERDA and TEM analysis.

{sup 3}He bubble evolution in ErT{sub 2}: A survey of experimental results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snow, C.S., E-mail: cssnow@sandia.gov [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Browning, J.F. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Bond, G.M. [New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Rodriguez, M.A.; Knapp, J.A. [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States)

2014-10-15

For the past several years we have been carrying out a long term experimental study of {sup 3}He in ErT{sub 2} (erbium di-tritide). This study has attempted to answer questions regarding the evolution of helium bubbles in ErT{sub 2-x}He{sub x}. ErT{sub 2} samples have been studied periodically over four years using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Nano-Indentation (NI). In ErT{sub 2-x}He{sub x}, helium bubbles are plate-like and grow along {1 1 1} planes. The bubbles grow in three distinct phases. First, they nucleate and grow as “Griffith-cracks” until an age of ∼0.15 He:M. Second, around 0.15 He:M the diameter stops increasing and instead the bubbles grow in thickness by punching dislocation dipoles. Third, the bubbles grow in size until ∼0.3 He:M at which point the bubbles begin to link.

Effects of low energy helium plasma irradiation on potassium doped tungsten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shu, Xiaoyan [Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu (China); Key Subject Laboratory of National Defense for Radioactive Waste and Environmental Security, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang (China); Huang, Bo [Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu (China); Liu, Dongping; Fan, Hongyu [School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Dalian Nationalities University, Dalian (China); Liu, Ning [Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu (China); Tang, Jun, E-mail: tangjun@scu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu (China)

2017-04-15

Effects of helium plasma irradiation on spark plasma sintering (SPS) W-K, pure W and traditionally sintered commercial W-K have been studied, concerning the density, grain size and potassium content as the influence factors. Pinholes are formed under 120 eV He ions at 600 °C and 1 × 10{sup 23} m{sup −2} fluence on the surface of all samples. It is found that SPS-sintered W-K shows the best irradiation resistance among the present samples, and SPS-sintered pure W exhibits higher irradiation tolerance than commercial W-K. Different He-plasma tolerance was observed among the SPS-sintered W-K samples due to varied potassium content and grain size. In addition, the microstructure evolution under helium irradiation, the growth-migration of helium bubbles and their interactions of potassium bubbles have also been discussed.

An equation of motion for bubble growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lesage, F.J. [College d' Enseignement General et Professionnel de L' Outaouais, Gatineau, Quebec (Canada). Dept. of Mathematics; Cotton, J.S. [McMaster University, Hamilton, ON (Canada). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Robinson, A.J. [Trinity College Dublin (Ireland). Dept. of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

2009-07-01

A mathematical model is developed which describes asymmetric bubble growth, either during boiling or bubble injection from submerged orifices. The model is developed using the integral form of the continuity and momentum equations, resulting in a general expression for the acceleration of the bubble's centre of gravity. The proposed model highlights the need to include acceleration due to an asymmetric gain or loss of mass in order to accurately predict bubble motion. Some scenarios are posed by which the growth of bubbles, particularly idealized bubbles that remain a section of a sphere, must include the fact that bubble growth can be asymmetric. In particular, for approximately hemispherical bubble growth the sum of the forces acting on the bubble is negligible compared with the asymmetric term. Further, for bubble injection from a submerged needle this component in the equation of motion is very significant during the initial rapid growth phase as the bubble issues from the nozzle changing from a near hemisphere to truncated sphere geometry. (author)

Gas bubble and damage microstructure in helium implanted nickel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaminsky, M.; Das, S.K.; Fenske, G.

1978-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the depth distribution of bubbles (or voids) and dislocation damage in nickel irradiated at 500 0 C with 20- and 500-keV 4 He + ions to total doses ranging from 2.9 x 10 15 to 5 x 10 17 ions/cm 2 . The size, number density, and volume fraction of bubbles (or voids) were measured from micrographs taken from samples sectioned parallel to the surface normal. The results for 500-keV irradiation show that the peaks in the depth distribution of number density and of volume fraction (i.e., swelling) of bubbles (or voids) are approx. 20% deeper than the calculated projected range distribution. However, for 20-keV irradiation the peak in the swellig occurs at a depth which is about a factor of two larger than the peak in the distributions of projected range and the energy deposited into damage as calculated according to Brice. The peak positions are nearly independent of the total doses used in these studies. The implications of these results for the blistering mechanisms are discussed

Helium ion damage in an amorphous Fe-Ni-Mo-B alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swijgenhoven, H. van; Stals, L.M.; Knuyt, G.

1983-01-01

Data are presented on helium gas bubble and helium blister formation for Metglas 2826MB during 5 keV He + -implantation in the temperature range 200K-600K and dose range 5.10 20 -10 22 He + /m 2 . It is concluded that amorphous alloys are less radiation resistant as has been thought earlier. (author)

Effects of mixing methods on phase distribution in vertical bubble flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monji, Hideaki; Matsui, Goichi; Sugiyama, Takayuki.

1992-01-01

The mechanism of the phase distribution formation in a bubble flow is one of the most important problems in the control of two-phase flow systems. The effect of mixing methods on the phase distribution was experimentally investigated by using upward nitrogen gas-water bubble flow under the condition of fixed flow rates. The experimental results show that the diameter of the gas injection hole influences the phase distribution through the bubble size. The location of the injection hole and the direction of injection do not influence the phase distribution of fully developed bubble flow. The transitive equivalent bubble size from the coring bubble flow to the sliding bubble flow corresponds to the bubble shape transition. The analytical results show that the phase distribution may be predictable if the phase profile is judged from the bubble size. (author)

The thermodynamic and kinetic interactions of He interstitial clusters with bubbles in W

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, Danny, E-mail: danny-perez@lanl.gov; Sandoval, Luis; Voter, Arthur F. [Theoretical Division T-1, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Uberuaga, Blas P. [Materials Science and Technology MST-8, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2016-05-28

Due to its enviable properties, tungsten is a leading candidate plasma facing material in nuclear fusion reactors. However, like many other metals, tungsten is known to be affected by the high doses of helium atoms incoming from the plasma. Indeed, the implanted interstitial helium atoms cluster together and, upon reaching a critical cluster size, convert into substitutional nanoscale He bubbles. These bubbles then grow by absorbing further interstitial clusters from the matrix. This process can lead to deleterious changes in microstructure, degradation of mechanical properties, and contamination of the plasma. In order to better understand the growth process, we use traditional and accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interactions between interstitial He clusters and pre-existing bubbles. These interactions are characterized in terms of thermodynamics and kinetics. We show that the proximity of the bubble leads to an enhancement of the trap mutation rate and, consequently, to the nucleation of satellite bubbles in the neighborhood of existing ones. We also uncover a number of mechanisms that can lead to the subsequent annihilation of such satellite nanobubbles.

Guinier-Preston zones and gas bubbles clustering studied by dechanneling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desarmot, Georges.

1976-11-01

Dechanneling due to precipitation of heteroatoms in aluminium is studied theoretically and experimentally. Precipitation of copper atoms leads to Guinier-Preston zones (G.P.Z.) clustering. Helium, which is insoluble in aluminium, forms gas bubbles. An isotropic source of particles is used and channeling events only are considered. Transmission of channeled particles (channelons) through a sample is defined as the ratio between the channelon flux emerging from a sample containing defects (G.P.Z. or gaz bubbles in this survey) and the channelon flux emerging from the same sample without defects. Dechanneling by G.P.Z. clustering during isothermal ageing of Al-Cu alloys at room temperature is studied. The results are interpreted exclusively in terms of spinodal decomposition of the Al-Cu solid solution. A simple theory of dechanneling by bubbles containing a real gas is proposed. Applied to helium in aluminium, this theory explains the experimental results. Dechanneling proves to be a new and efficient technique for studying alloys [fr

Damage studies on tungsten due to helium ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutta, N.J.; Buzarbaruah, N.; Mohanty, S.R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Used plasma focus helium ion source to study radiation induced damage on tungsten. • Surface analyses confirm formation of micro-crack, bubbles, blisters, pinholes, etc. • XRD patterns confirm development of compressive stress due to thermal load. • Reduction in hardness value is observed in the case of exposed sample. - Abstract: Energetic and high fluence helium ions emitted in a plasma focus device have been used successfully to study the radiation induced damage on tungsten. The reference and irradiated samples were characterized by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and by hardness testers. The micrographs of the irradiated samples at lower magnification show uniform mesh of cracks of micrometer width. However at higher magnification, various types of crystalline defects such as voids, pinholes, bubbles, blisters and microcracks are distinctly noticed. The prominent peaks in X-ray diffraction spectrum of irradiated samples are seen shifted toward higher Bragg angles, thus indicating accumulation of compressive stress due to the heat load delivered by helium ions. A marginal reduction in hardness of the irradiated sample is also noticed

Helium generation and diffusion in graphite and some carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holt, J.B.; Guinan, M.W.; Hosmer, D.W.; Condit, R.H.; Borg, R.J.

1976-01-01

The cross section for the generation of helium in neutron irradiated carbon was found to be 654 mb at 14.4 MeV and 744 mb at 14.9 MeV. Extrapolating to 14.1 MeV (the fusion reactor spectrum) gives 615 mb. The diffusion of helium in dense polycrystalline graphite and in pyrographite was measured and found to be D = 7.2 x 10 -7 m 2 s -1 exp (-80 kJ/RT). It is assumed that diffusion is primarily in the basal plane direction in crystals of the graphite. In polycrystalline graphite the path length is a factor of √2 longer than the measured distance due to the random orientation mismatch between successive grains. Isochronal anneals (measured helium release as the specimen is steadily heated) were run and maximum release rates were found at 200 0 C in polycrystalline graphite, 1000 0 C in pyrographite, 1350 0 C in boron carbide, and 1350 0 and 2400 0 C (two peaks) in silicon carbide. It is concluded that in these candidates for curtain materials in fusion reactors the helium releases can probably occur without bubble formation in graphites, may occur in boron carbide, but will probably cause bubble formation in silicon carbide. 7 figures

TEM investigation of the microstructural evolution in nickel during MeV helium implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gadalla, A.A.; Jaeger, W.; Ehrhart, P.

1986-01-01

In a recent TEM investigation of high energy He-implanted copper the low average helium density could be understood by the observation of the coexistence of two types of vacancy agglomerates i.e. relaxed vacancy agglomerates in the form of stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) and small bubbles. In order to arrive at a more systematic understanding of the evolution of the microstructure during high energy helium implantation we extended these TEM investigations to nickel. Of particular interest was also the minimum implantation dose necessary to precipitate bubbles that are large enough to be visible in the TEM. (orig./RK)

Helium-induced weld degradation of HT-9 steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chin-An; Chin, B.A.; Lin, Hua T.; Grossbeck, M.L.

1992-01-01

Helium-bearing Sandvik HT-9 ferritic steel was tested for weldability to simulate the welding of structural components of a fusion reactor after irradiation. Helium was introduced into HT-9 steel to 0.3 and 1 atomic parts per million (appm) by tritium doping and decay. Autogenous single pass full penetration welds were produced using the gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding process under laterally constrained conditions. Macroscopic examination showed no sign of any weld defect in HT-9 steel containing 0.3 appm helium. However, intergranular micro cracks were observed in the HAZ of HT-9 steel containing 1 appm helium. The microcracking was attributed to helium bubble growth at grain boundaries under the influence of high stresses and temperatures that were present during welding. Mechanical test results showed that both yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) decreased with increasing temperature, while the total elongation increased with increasing temperature for all control and helium-bearing HT-9 steels

Influence of drag closures and inlet conditions on bubble dynamics and flow behavior inside a bubble column

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amjad Asad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the hydrodynamics of a bubble column is investigated numerically using the discrete bubble model, which tracks the dispersed bubbles individually in a liquid column. The discrete bubble model is combined with the volume of fluid approach to account for a proper free surface boundary condition at the liquid–gas interface. This improves describing the backflow region, which takes place close to the wall region. The numerical simulation is conducted by means of the open source computational fluid dynamics library OpenFOAM®. In order to validate the numerical model, experimental results of a bubble column are used. The numerical prediction shows an overall good agreement compared to the experimental data. The effect of injection conditions and the influence of the drag closures on bubble dynamics are investigated in the current paper. Here, the significant effect of injection boundary conditions on bubble dynamics and flow velocity in the studied cavity is revealed. Moreover, the impact of the choice of the drag closure on the liquid velocity field and on bubble behavior is indicated by comparing three drag closures derived from former studies.

Tritium and helium-3 in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasser, R.

1989-01-01

The book surveys recent results on the behaviour of tritium and its decay product helium-3 metals. In contrast to many earlier books which discuss the properties of the stable hydrogen isotopes without mentioning tritium, this book reviews mainly the results on tritium in metals. Due to the difficulties in preparing metal tritide samples, very important quantities such as diffusivity, superconductivity, solubility, etc. have only been determined very recently. The book not only presents the measured tritium data, but also the isotopic dependency of the different physical properties by comparing H, D and T results. A chapter is devoted to helium-3 in metals. Aspects such as helium release, generation of helium bubbles, swelling, and change of the lattice parameter upon aging are discussed. The book provides the reader with up-to-date information and deep insight into the behaviour of H, D, T and He-3 in metals. Further important topics such a tritium production, its risks, handling and discharge to the environment are also addressed

Helium-Charged La-Ni-Al Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Liqun; Chen Deming; Xu Shilin; Liu Chaozhu; Hao Wanli; Zhou Zhuyin

2005-01-01

An advanced implantation of low energy helium-4 atoms during the La-Ni-Al film growth by adopting magnetron sputtering with Ar/He mixture gases is discussed. Both proton backscattering spectroscopy (PBS) and elastic recoil detection (ERD) analyses were adopted to measure helium concentration of the films and distribution in the near-surface region. Helium atoms with a high concentration incorporate evenly in deposited film. The introduction of the helium with no extra irradiation damage is expected by choosing suitable deposition conditions. It was found that amorphous and crystalline LaNi 5 -type structures can be achieved when sputtered with pure Ar and Ar/He mixture gases at room temperature, respectively. Thermal desorption experiments proposes that a part of hydrogen atoms are bound to trapped helium at crystal and releases together with helium. Only a small fraction of helium is released from the helium-vacancy clusters in lower temperature range and most of helium is released from small size helium bubbles in the high temperature range

Nucleation, growth and transport modelling of helium bubbles under nuclear irradiation in lead–lithium with the self-consistent nucleation theory and surface tension corrections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fradera, J.; Cuesta-López, S.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The work presented in this manuscript provides a reliable computational tool to quantify the He complex phenomena in a HCLL. • A model based on the self-consistent nucleation theory (SCT) is exposed. It includes radiation induced nucleation modelling and surface tension corrections. • Results informed reinforce the necessity of conducting experiments to determine nucleation conditions and bubble transport parameters in LM breeders. • Our findings and model provide a good qualitative insight into the helium nucleation phenomenon in LM systems for fusion technology and can be used to identify key system parameters. -- Abstract: Helium (He) nucleation in liquid metal breeding blankets of a DT fusion reactor may have a significant impact regarding system design, safety and operation. Large He production rates are expected due to tritium (T) fuel self-sufficiency requirement, as both, He and T, are produced at the same rate. Low He solubility, local high concentrations, radiation damage and fluid discontinuities, among other phenomena, may yield the necessary conditions for He nucleation. Hence, He nucleation may have a significant impact on T inventory and may lower the T breeding ratio. A model based on the self-consistent nucleation theory (SCT) with a surface tension curvature correction model has been implemented in OpenFOAM ® CFD code. A modification through a single parameter of the necessary nucleation condition is proposed in order to take into account all the nucleation triggering phenomena, specially radiation induced nucleation. Moreover, the kinetic growth model has been adapted so as to allow for the transition from a critical cluster to a macroscopic bubble with a diffusion growth process. Limitations and capabilities of the models are shown by means of zero-dimensional simulations and sensitivity analyses to key parameters under HCLL breeding unit conditions. Results provide a good qualitative insight into the helium nucleation

Nucleation, growth and transport modelling of helium bubbles under nuclear irradiation in lead–lithium with the self-consistent nucleation theory and surface tension corrections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fradera, J., E-mail: jfradera@ubu.es; Cuesta-López, S., E-mail: scuesta@ubu.es

2013-12-15

Highlights: • The work presented in this manuscript provides a reliable computational tool to quantify the He complex phenomena in a HCLL. • A model based on the self-consistent nucleation theory (SCT) is exposed. It includes radiation induced nucleation modelling and surface tension corrections. • Results informed reinforce the necessity of conducting experiments to determine nucleation conditions and bubble transport parameters in LM breeders. • Our findings and model provide a good qualitative insight into the helium nucleation phenomenon in LM systems for fusion technology and can be used to identify key system parameters. -- Abstract: Helium (He) nucleation in liquid metal breeding blankets of a DT fusion reactor may have a significant impact regarding system design, safety and operation. Large He production rates are expected due to tritium (T) fuel self-sufficiency requirement, as both, He and T, are produced at the same rate. Low He solubility, local high concentrations, radiation damage and fluid discontinuities, among other phenomena, may yield the necessary conditions for He nucleation. Hence, He nucleation may have a significant impact on T inventory and may lower the T breeding ratio. A model based on the self-consistent nucleation theory (SCT) with a surface tension curvature correction model has been implemented in OpenFOAM{sup ®} CFD code. A modification through a single parameter of the necessary nucleation condition is proposed in order to take into account all the nucleation triggering phenomena, specially radiation induced nucleation. Moreover, the kinetic growth model has been adapted so as to allow for the transition from a critical cluster to a macroscopic bubble with a diffusion growth process. Limitations and capabilities of the models are shown by means of zero-dimensional simulations and sensitivity analyses to key parameters under HCLL breeding unit conditions. Results provide a good qualitative insight into the helium

Behavior of helium gas atoms and bubbles in low activation 9Cr martensitic steels

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Akira; Shiraishi, Haruki; Matsui, Hideki; Abe, Katsunori

1994-09-01

The behavior of helium-gas release from helium-implanted 9Cr martensitic steels (500 appm implanted at 873 K) during tensile testing at 873 K was studied. Modified 9Cr-1Mo, low-activation 9Cr-2W and 9Cr-0.5V were investigated. Cold-worked AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel was also investigated as a reference which was susceptible helium embrittlement at high temperature. A helium release peak was observed at the moment of rupture in all the specimens. The total quantity of helium released from these 9Cr steels was in the same range but smaller than that of 316CW steel. Helium gas in the 9Cr steels should be considered to remain in the matrix at their lath-packets even if deformed at 873 K. This is the reason why the martensitic steels have high resistance to helium embrittlement.

Behavior of helium gas atoms and bubbles in low activation 9Cr martensitic steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Akira; Shiraishi, Haruki; Matsui, Hideki; Abe, Katsunori

1994-01-01

The behavior of helium-gas release from helium-implanted 9Cr martensitic steels (500 appm implanted at 873 K) during tensile testing at 873 K was studied. Modified 9Cr-1Mo, low-activation 9Cr-2W and 9Cr-0.5V were investigated. Cold-worked AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel was also investigated as a reference which was susceptible helium embrittlement at high temperature. A helium release peak was observed at the moment of rupture in all the specimens. The total quantity of helium released from these 9Cr steels was in the same range but smaller than that of 316CW steel. Helium gas in the 9Cr steels should be considered to remain in the matrix at their lath-packets even if deformed at 873 K. This is the reason why the martensitic steels have high resistance to helium embrittlement. ((orig.))

Hydrogen extraction from liquid lithium-lead alloy by bubbling with rotational jet nozzle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Bo; Yang Tongzai; Guan Rui; Weng Kuiping

2010-01-01

The technology of tritium extraction from lithium-lead alloy has been simulated, hydrogen extraction from lithium-lead alloy by bubbling with rotational jet nozzle being used to simulate tritium in the study based on the introduction of fluid dynamics to establish algebraic model. The results show that the higher than lithium-lead melting temperature, the higher cumulative hydrogen extraction efficiency, and gas holdup of bubble column is little affected by the impeller diameter. Gas holdup when using small aperture is slightly higher when using large aperture only at a high helium flow rate, but the smaller the aperture, the greater the bubble surface area, and a marked increase in intensity of flow circulation for liquid lithium-lead with the increase of helium flow rate, hydrogen extraction rate increases too. Moreover, influence of the jet rotational velocity on hydrogen extraction is limited. (authors)

A liquid helium saver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avenel, O.; Der Nigohossian, G.; Roubeau, P.

1976-01-01

A cryostat equipped with a 'liquid helium saver' is described. A mass flow rate M of helium gas at high pressure is injected in a counter-flow heat exchanger extending from room to liquid helium temperature. After isenthalpic expansion through a calibrated flow impedance this helium gas returns via the low pressure side of the heat exchanger. The helium boil-off of the cryostat represents a mass flow rate m, which provides additional precooling of the incoming helium gas. Two operating regimes appear possible giving nearly the same efficiency: (1) high pressure (20 to 25 atm) and minimum flow (M . L/W approximately = 1.5) which would be used in an open circuit with helium taken from a high pressure cylinder; and (2) low pressure (approximately = 3 atm), high flow (M . L/W > 10) which would be used in a closed circuit with a rubber diaphragm pumping-compressing unit; both provide a minimum theoretical boil-off factor of about 8%. Experimental results are reported. (U.K.)

Generation of nanobubbles by ceramic membrane filters: The dependence of bubble size and zeta potential on surface coating, pore size and injected gas pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Ahmed Khaled Abdella; Sun, Cuizhen; Hua, Likun; Zhang, Zhibin; Zhang, Yanhao; Zhang, Wen; Marhaba, Taha

2018-07-01

Generation of gaseous nanobubbles (NBs) by simple, efficient, and scalable methods is critical for industrialization and applications of nanobubbles. Traditional generation methods mainly rely on hydrodynamic, acoustic, particle, and optical cavitation. These generation processes render issues such as high energy consumption, non-flexibility, and complexity. This research investigated the use of tubular ceramic nanofiltration membranes to generate NBs in water with air, nitrogen and oxygen gases. This system injects pressurized gases through a tubular ceramic membrane with nanopores to create NBs. The effects of membrane pores size, surface energy, and the injected gas pressures on the bubble size and zeta potential were examined. The results show that the gas injection pressure had considerable effects on the bubble size, zeta potential, pH, and dissolved oxygen of the produced NBs. For example, increasing the injection air pressure from 69 kPa to 414 kPa, the air bubble size was reduced from 600 to 340 nm respectively. Membrane pores size and surface energy also had significant effects on sizes and zeta potentials of NBs. The results presented here aim to fill out the gaps of fundamental knowledge about NBs and development of efficient generation methods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Around the laboratories: Dubna: Physics results and progress on bubble chamber techniques; Stanford (SLAC): Operation of a very rapid cycling bubble chamber; Daresbury: Photographs of visitors to the Laboratory; Argonne: Charge exchange injection tests into the ZGS in preparation for a proposed Booster

CERN Multimedia

1969-01-01

Around the laboratories: Dubna: Physics results and progress on bubble chamber techniques; Stanford (SLAC): Operation of a very rapid cycling bubble chamber; Daresbury: Photographs of visitors to the Laboratory; Argonne: Charge exchange injection tests into the ZGS in preparation for a proposed Booster

On helium cluster dynamics in tungsten plasma facing components of fusion devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasheninnikov, S.I.; Faney, T.; Wirth, B.D.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the dynamics of helium clustering behaviour within either a nanometer-sized tendril of fuzz, or a half-space domain, as predicted by a reaction–diffusion model. This analysis has identified a dimensionless parameter, P Δ , which is a balance of the reaction and diffusion actions of insoluble He in a metal matrix and which governs the self-trapping effects of He into growing bubbles within a tendril. The impact of He self-trapping, as well as trapping caused by pre-existing traps in the form of lattice defects or clusters of impurities, within a half-space domain results in the formation of a densely packed layer of nanometer-sized bubbles with high number density. This prediction is consistent with available experimental observations in which a dense zone of helium bubbles is observed in tungsten, which are compared to estimates of the layer characteristics. Direct numerical simulation of the reaction–diffusion cluster dynamics supports the analysis presented here. (paper)

Multiphysics model of thermomechanical and helium-induced damage of tungsten during plasma heat transients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crosby, Tamer, E-mail: tcrosby@ucla.edu; Ghoniem, Nasr M., E-mail: ghoniem@ucla.edu

2013-11-15

A combination of transient heating and bombardment by helium and hydrogen atoms has been experimentally proven to lead to severe surface and sub-surface damage. We developed a computational model to determine the relationship between the thermomechanical loading conditions and the onset of damage and failure of tungsten surfaces. The model is based on a thermoelasticity fracture damage approach that was developed using the phase field method. The model simulates the distribution of helium bubbles inside the grains and on grain boundaries using space-dependent rate theory. In addition, the model is coupled with a transient heat conduction analysis for temperature distributions inside the material. The results show the effects of helium bubbles on reducing tungsten surface energy. Further, a temperature gradient in the material equals to 10 K/μm, resulted in deep cracks propagating from the tungsten surface.

Electron injection and acceleration in the plasma bubble regime driven by an ultraintense laser pulse combined with using dense-plasma wall and block

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xue-Yan; Xie, Bai-Song; Wu, Hai-Cheng; Zhang, Shan; Hong, Xue-Ren; Aimidula, Aimierding

2012-03-01

An optimizing and alternative scheme for electron injection and acceleration in the wake bubble driven by an ultraintense laser pulse is presented. In this scheme, the dense-plasma wall with an inner diameter matching the expected bubble size is placed along laser propagation direction. Meanwhile, a dense-plasma block dense-plasma is adhered inward transversely at some certain position of the wall. Particle-in-cell simulations are performed, which demonstrate that the block plays an important role in the first electron injection and acceleration. The result shows that a collimated electron bunch with a total number of about 4.04×108μm-1 can be generated and accelerated stably to 1.61 GeV peak energy with 2.6% energy spread. The block contributes about 50% to the accelerated electron injection bunch by tracing and sorting statistically the source.

Interaction of displacement cascade with helium bubbles in α-iron: Computer simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pu, J.; Yang, L.; Gao, F.; Heinisch, H.L.; Kurtz, R.J.; Zu, X.T.

2008-01-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) method has been performed to study the interaction of displacement cascade with He bubbles with two sets of potentials. The results show that the stability of He bubbles depends much on the initial He-vacancy (He/V) ratio and the recoil energy. For an initial He/V ratio of 3, the cascade leads to the increase in the number of vacancies in the He bubble and the decrease in the He/V ratio. For an initial He/V ratio of 0.5, the interaction of a cascade with the He/V bubble results in the decrease in the number of vacancies and the increase in the He/V ratio. For an initial He/V ratio of 1, the stability of the bubbles slightly depends on the primary knock-on atom (PKA) energy. Furthermore, a large number of self-interstitial atom clusters are formed after cascade collision for the He/V ratio of 3, while large vacancy clusters are observed for the He/V ratio of 0.5. However, some differences of defect production and clustering between the two sets of potentials are observed, which may be associated the formation energies of He-V clusters, the binding energies of vacancies and He atoms to the clusters and the probability of subcascade formation

Gas bubble network formation in irradiated beryllium pebbles monitored by X-Ray micro-tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolier, E; Ferrero, C. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Zimer 203, Gebaeude 451, Abteilung HVT-TL (Germany); Moslang, A. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, FZK, Karlsruhe (Germany); Pieritz, R.A. [CNRS, Lab. de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement, 38 - Saint Martin d' Heres (France)

2007-07-01

Full text of publication follows: The efficient and safe operation of helium cooled ceramic breeder blankets requires among others an efficient tritium release during operation at blanket relevant temperatures. In the past out-of-pile thermal desorption studies on low temperature neutron irradiated beryllium have shown that tritium and helium release peaks occur together. This phenomenon can be interpreted in terms of growth and coalescence of helium bubbles and tritium that either is trapped inside the helium bubbles in form of T{sub 2} molecules or in their strain field. With increasing temperature the bubble density and size at grain interfaces increase together with the probability of interconnected porosities and channel formation to the outer surface, leading to simultaneous helium and tritium release peaks in TDS. For a reliable prediction of gas release up to end-of-life conditions at blanket relevant temperatures, knowledge of the dynamics of bubble growth and coalescence as well as the 3D distribution of bubble network formation is indispensable. Such data could also be used to experimentally validate any future model predictions of tritium and helium release rates. A high resolution computer aided micro-tomography (CMT) setup has been developed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility which allowed reconstructing 3-D images of beryllium pebbles without damaging them. By postprocessing the data a 3D rendering of inner surfaces and of interconnected channel networks can be obtained, thus allowing the identification of open porosities in neutron irradiated and tempered beryllium pebbles. In our case Beryllium pebbles of 2 mm diameter had been neutron irradiated in the 'Beryllium' experiment at 770 K with 1.24 x 10{sup 25} nxm{sup -2} resulting in 480 appm He and 12 appm Tritium. After annealing at 1500 K CMT was performed on the pebbles with 4.9 and 1.4 {mu}m voxel resolution, respectively, followed by morphological and topological post

Influence of helium-injection schedule and prior thermomechanical treatment on the microstructure of Type 316 SS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohyama, A.; Ayrault, G.; Turner, A.P.L.

1982-10-01

The influence of different helium-injection schedules on microstructure development Ni + ion irradiated 316 SS at 625 0 C is discussed. Injection schedules were chosen to (1) approximate the magnetic fusion reactor condition and (2) mimic the mixed-spectrum reactor condition. Dual-ion irradiation to 25 dpa produced strongly bimodal cavity size distributions in solution-annealed and solution-annealed and aged samples, whereas single-ion irradiation followed by dual-ion irradiation to the same dose produced a cavity size distribution with a substantial component of intermediate-size cavities. Dual-ion irradiation produced only very small cavities in 20% CW material, while single-ion followed by dual-ion irradiation produced some intermediate size cavities and greater swelling. 10 figures

Study on helium-charged titanium films deposited by DC-magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Liqun; Jin Qinhua; Liu Chaozhuo; Xu Shilin; Zhou Zhuying

2005-01-01

Helium trapping in the Ti films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering with a He/Ar mixture was studied. He atoms with a surprisingly high concentration (He/Ti atomic ratio is as high as 56%) incorporate evenly in deposited film. The trapped amount of He can be controlled by the helium partial amount. The introduction of the helium with no extra damage (or very low damage) can be realized by choosing suitable deposition conditions. It was also found that because of the formation of nanophase Ti film a relative high He flux for bubble formation is needed and the amount of the retaining He in sputtering Ti films is much higher than that in the coarse-grain Ti films. The nanophase Ti film can accommodate larger concentration of trapped sites to He, which results in a high density and small size of the He bubbles. With increasing He irradiation flux, the grain size of Ti film decreases and the lattice spacing and width of the X-ray diffraction peak increase due to the He introduction, and the film tends to amorphous phase. (authors)

Ultraviolet spectra of Mg in liquid helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriwaki, Y.; Morita, N.

1999-01-01

Emission and absorption spectra of Mg atoms implanted in liquid helium have been observed in the ultraviolet region. We have presented a model of exciplex formation of Mg-He 10 and found that this model is more suitable for understanding the dynamics in the 3s3p 1 P→3s 21 S transition than the bubble model. (orig.)

Kinetics and dynamics of nanosecond streamer discharge in atmospheric-pressure gas bubble suspended in distilled water under saturated vapor pressure conditions

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Ashish; Levko, Dmitry; Raja, Laxminarayan L; Cha, Min

2016-01-01

We perform computational studies of nanosecond streamer discharges generated in helium bubbles immersed in distilled water under atmospheric pressure conditions. The model takes into account the presence of water vapor in the gas bubble

Effects of additional inertia force on bubble breakup

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Liangming; Zhang Wenzhi; Chen Deqi; Xu Jianhui; Xu Jianjun; Huang Yanping

2011-01-01

Through VOF two-phase flow model, the single bubble deformation and breakup in a vertical narrow channel is numerically investigated in the study based on the force balance at the process of bubble breakup. The effect of surface tension force, the additional inertia force and bubble initial shape on bubble breakup are analyzed according to the velocity variation at the break-up point and the minimum necking size when the bubble is breaking up. It is found that the surface tension force, the additional inertia force and the bubble initial shape have significant effects on the bubble breakup through the fluid injection toward to the bubble, which finally induces the onset of bubble breakup. (authors)

Helium effect on mechanical property of fusion reactor structural materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Norikazu; Chuto, Toshinori; Murase, Yoshiharu; Nakagawa, Johsei

2004-01-01

High-energy neutrons produced in fusion reactor core caused helium in the structural materials of fusion reactors, such as blankets. We injected alpha particles accelerated by the cyclotron to the samples of martensite steel (9Cr3WVTaB). Equivalent helium doses injected to the sample is estimated to be up to 300 ppm, which were estimated to be equivalent to helium accumulation after the 1-year reactor operation. Creep tests of the samples were made to investigate helium embrittlement. There were no appreciable changes in the relation between the stresses and the rupture time, the minimum creep rate and the applied stress. Grain boundary effect by helium was not observed in ruptured surfaces. Fatigue tests were made for SUS304 samples, which contain helium up to 150 ppm. After 0.05 Hz cyclic stress tests, it was shown that the fatigue lifetime (cycles to rupture and extension to failure) are 1/5 in 150 ppm helium samples compared with no helium samples. The experimental results suggest martensite steel is promising for structural materials of fusion reactors. (Y. Tanaka)

Helium bubble nucleation and growth in α-Fe: insights from first–principles simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, W; Zhang, X; Lu, G; Geng, W T

2014-01-01

We have carried out a first-principles study on the nucleation and early-stage growth of He bubbles in Fe. The energetics, atomic and electronic structure of He-vacancy complexes, involving both a monovacancy and a nine-vacancy cluster, are examined. Based on the energetics, we then perform thermodynamics analysis to gain deeper insights into He bubble nucleation and growth. We have determined the energy cost for the nucleation of He bubbles and found that up to eight He atoms can be trapped at a single vacancy. In order to capture more He atoms, the vacancy has to emit Frenkel pairs to release the substantial stress building on the surrounding Fe lattice. Compared to the monovacancy, the nine-vacancy cluster has a lower energy cost for He bubble nucleation and growth. He atoms at the vacancy repel the surrounding electronic charge and redistribute it on the neighboring Fe atoms. The thermodynamic analysis reveals that He chemical potential provides a driving force for He bubble nucleation and growth. There are two critical He chemical potentials that are of particular importance: one of them marks the transition from single He occupation to multiple He occupation at a monovacancy while the other sets off He-induced superabundant vacancy formation. (paper)

Helium induced degradation in the weldability of an austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, H.T.; Goods, S.H.; Grossbeck, M.L.; Chinl, B.A.

1988-01-01

Autogenous gas tungsten arc welding was performed on He-doped type 316 stainless steel. Helium was uniformly implanted in the material using the ''tritium trick'' to levels of 27 and 105 appm. Severe intergranular cracking occurred in both fusion and heat-affected zones. Microstructural observations of fusion zone indicated that the pore size, degree of porosity, and tendency to form cracks increased with increasing helium concentration. Scanning electron microscopy showed that cracking in He-doped materials was due to the precipitation of helium bubbles on grain boundaries and dentrite interfaces. Results of the present study demonstrate that the use of conventional welding techniques to repair materials degraded by exposure to radiation may be difficult if the irradiation results in the generation of even rather small amounts of helium. 23 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs

Impurity bubbles in a BEC

Science.gov (United States)

Timmermans, Eddy; Blinova, Alina; Boshier, Malcolm

2013-05-01

Polarons (particles that interact with the self-consistent deformation of the host medium that contains them) self-localize when strongly coupled. Dilute Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) doped with neutral distinguishable atoms (impurities) and armed with a Feshbach-tuned impurity-boson interaction provide a unique laboratory to study self-localized polarons. In nature, self-localized polarons come in two flavors that exhibit qualitatively different behavior: In lattice systems, the deformation is slight and the particle is accompanied by a cloud of collective excitations as in the case of the Landau-Pekar polarons of electrons in a dielectric lattice. In natural fluids and gases, the strongly coupled particle radically alters the medium, e.g. by expelling the host medium as in the case of the electron bubbles in superfluid helium. We show that BEC-impurities can self-localize in a bubble, as well as in a Landau-Pekar polaron state. The BEC-impurity system is fully characterized by only two dimensionless coupling constants. In the corresponding phase diagram the bubble and Landau-Pekar polaron limits correspond to large islands separated by a cross-over region. The same BEC-impurity species can be adiabatically Feshbach steered from the Landau-Pekar to the bubble regime. This work was funded by the Los Alamos LDRD program.

Fermi Bubble: Giant Gamma-Ray Bubbles in the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Meng

Data from the Fermi-LAT reveal two gigantic gamma-ray emitting bubble structures (known as the Fermibubbles), extending˜50° above and below the Galactic center symmetric about the Galactic plane, with a width of˜40∘ in longitude. The gamma-ray emission associated with these bubbles has a significantly harder spectrum ({dN}/{dE} ˜ {E}^{-2}) than the inverse Compton emission from known cosmic ray electrons in the Galactic disk, or the gamma-rays produced by decay of pions from proton-ISM collisions. The bubbles are spatially correlated with the hard-spectrum microwave excess known as the WMAPhaze; the edges of the bubbles also line up with features in the ROSATsoft X-ray maps at 1.5-2keV. The Fermibubble is most likely created by some large episode of energy injection in the Galactic center, such as past accretion events onto the central massive black hole, or a nuclear starburst in the last˜10Myr. Study of the origin and evolution of the bubbles also has the potential to improve our understanding of recent energetic events in the inner Galaxy and the high-latitude cosmic ray population.

Bubbles as a means for the deaeration of water bodies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Yuhang; Zhou, Gedi; Prosperetti, Andrea

2017-01-01

Occasional dissolved-air supersaturation - such as may occur, for instance, downstream of dams - is harmful to fish because it causes gas bubble disease. A counterintuitive but effective means of reducing dissolved air content is the injection of bubbles in the supersaturated water. The bubbles

Studies of helium distribution in metal tritides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowman, R.C. Jr.; Attalla, A.

1976-01-01

The distribution of helium ( 3 He) in LiT, TiT 2 , and UT 3 , which are regarded as representative metal tritides, was investigated using pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. Analyses of the NMR lineshapes and nuclear relaxation times indicate the 3 He atoms are trapped in microscopic gas bubbles for each tritide. The effects of concentration and temperature on the 3 He distributions were investigated as well

Helium release from neutron-irradiated Li{sub 2}O single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaki, Daiju; Tanifuji, Takaaki; Noda, Kenji [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-03-01

Helium release behavior in post-irradiation heating tests was investigated for Li{sub 2}O single crystals which had been irradiated with thermal neutrons in JRR-4 and JRR-2, and fast neutrons in FFTF. It is clarified that the helium release curves from JRR-4 and JRR-2 specimens consists of only one broad peak. From the dependence of the peak temperatures on the neutron fluence and the crystal diameter, and the comparison with the results obtained for sintered pellets, it is considered that the helium generated in the specimen is released through the process of bulk diffusion with trapping by irradiation defects such as some defect clusters. For the helium release from FFTF specimens, two broad peaks were observed in the release curves. It is considered to suggest that two different diffusion paths exist for helium migration in the specimen, that is, bulk diffusion and diffusion through the micro-crack due to the heavy irradiation. In addition, helium bubble formation after irradiation due to the high temperature over 800K is suggested. (J.P.N.)

Light induced cooling of a heated solid immersed in liquid helium I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lezak, D.; Brodie, L.C.; Semura, J.S.

1984-01-01

This chapter investigates the marked enhancement in the transient heat transfer from the heater-thermometer to the liquid helium immediately following the application of a flash of visible light. This ''light effect'' is associated with increased bubble activity, and it is possible that the light induces a rapid nucleation of bubbles in the superheated liquid at or near the heater surface. A summary of the light effect is presented and some potential uses to which this effect could be applied are suggested. Quantification of the light effect and properties of the light effect are discussed. It is determined that the light effect is an additional cooling due to a light induced enhancement of boiling in superheated liquid helium I. The effect could be applied in practical cryogenic engineering and for the acquisition of fundamental knowledge of boiling heat transfer and nucleation in cryogenic liquids

Helium behaviour in nuclear glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fares, T.

2011-01-01

with helium at high concentrations, doped with curium and irradiated in nuclear reactor showed a homogeneous microstructure free of helium bubbles, pores or cracking. The results of the present work were used to develop a long-term diffusion model of helium in an industrial R7T7 nuclear waste glass. The model considers the thermal history, the fracturing and the alpha activity of the glass. (author) [fr

SIMS as a new methodology to depth profile helium in as-implanted and annealed pure bcc metals?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorondy-Novak, S. [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Jomard, F. [Groupe d' Etude de la Matière Condensée, CNRS, UVSQ, 45 avenue des Etats-Unis, 78035 Versailles cedex (France); Prima, F. [PSL Research University, Chimie ParisTech – CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, 75005 Paris (France); Lefaix-Jeuland, H., E-mail: helene.lefaix@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Métallurgie Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

2017-05-01

Reliable He profiles are highly desirable for better understanding helium behavior in materials for future nuclear applications. Recently, Secondary Ions Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) allowed the characterization of helium distribution in as-implanted metallic systems. The Cs{sup +} primary ion beam coupled with CsHe{sup +} molecular detector appeared to be a promising technique which overcomes the very high He ionization potential. In this study, {sup 4}He depth profiles in pure body centered cubic (bcc) metals (V, Fe, Ta, Nb and Mo) as-implanted and annealed, were obtained by SIMS. All as-implanted samples exhibited a projected range of around 200 nm, in agreement with SRIM theoretical calculations. After annealing treatment, SIMS measurements evidenced the evolution of helium depth profile with temperature. The latter SIMS results were compared to the helium bubble distribution obtained by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). This study confirmed the great potential of this experimental procedure as a He-depth profiling technique in bcc metals. Indeed, the methodology described in this work could be extended to other materials including metallic and non-metallic compounds. Nevertheless, the quantification of helium concentration after annealing treatment by SIMS remains uncertain probably due to the non-uniform ionization efficiency in samples containing large bubbles.

PIV measurement of turbulent bubbly mixing layer flow with polymer additives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ning, T; Guo, F; Chen, B; Zhang, X

2009-01-01

Based on experimental investigation of single-phase turbulent mixing layer flow with polymer additives, bubbly mixing layer was experimentally investigated by PIV. The velocity ratio between high and low speed is 4:1 and the Reynolds number based on the velocity difference of two steams and hydraulic diameter of the channel ranges is 73333. Gas bubbles with about 0.5% gas fraction were injected into pure water mixing layer with/without polymer additives from three different parts at the end of the splitter plate. The comparison between single phase and bubbly mixing layer shows clearly that the dynamic development of mixing layer is great influenced by the bubble injection. Similar with single phase, the Reynolds stress and vorticity still concentrate in a coniform area of central mixing flow field part and the width will increase with increasing the Reynolds number. Mean Reynolds stress will decrease with bubble injection in high Reynolds numbers and the decreasing of Reynolds stress with polymer additives is much more than pure water case.

Helium influence on the microstructure and swelling of 9%Cr ferritic steel after neutron irradiation to 16.3 dpa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimenkov, M.; Möslang, A.; Materna-Morris, E.

2014-01-01

Specially fabricated samples of the European reference 9Cr-WTaV steel EUROFER 97 alloyed with 0.081 mass% natural B and 0.081 and 0.114 mass% pure isotope 10 B were neutron-irradiated with about 16.3 dpa at temperatures in the range from 523 K to 723 K to study the influence of helium produced by 10 B(n,α) 7 Li transmutation reaction on microstructure, swelling and hardness. The spatial and size distributions of helium bubbles or cavities after irradiation at different temperatures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Vickers microhardness HV0.1 tests were performed on the as received specimens and specimens after irradiation. The influence of irradiation temperature and helium concentration on the size and density of the bubbles or cavities was analyzed and correlations with the hardness, tensile properties, and the fracture surface were discussed

Armoring confined bubbles in concentrated colloidal suspensions

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yingxian; Khodaparast, Sepideh; Stone, Howard

2016-11-01

Encapsulation of a bubble with microparticles is known to significantly improve the stability of the bubble. This phenomenon has recently gained increasing attention due to its application in a variety of technologies such as foam stabilization, drug encapsulation and colloidosomes. Nevertheless, the production of such colloidal armored bubble with controlled size and particle coverage ratio is still a great challenge industrially. We study the coating process of a long air bubble by microparticles in a circular tube filled with a concentrated microparticles colloidal suspension. As the bubble proceeds in the suspension of particles, a monolayer of micro-particles forms on the interface of the bubble, which eventually results in a fully armored bubble. We investigate the phenomenon that triggers and controls the evolution of the particle accumulation on the bubble interface. Moreover, we examine the effects of the mean flow velocity, the size of the colloids and concentration of the suspension on the dynamics of the armored bubble. The results of this study can potentially be applied to production of particle-encapsulated bubbles, surface-cleaning techniques, and gas-assisted injection molding.

Study of helium diffusion, implanted at a cyclotron, in face-centered cubic metals: Au, Ag and Al

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sciani, V.

1985-01-01

Helium in metals is produced by nuclear reactions of energetic particles. In nuclear technology the interest on helium in metals is import, due to its production by (n, α) reaction. Because helium has extremely low solubility in metals, the precipitation in the form of filled bubbles at elevated temperatures occurs, which have detrimental effects on mechanical properties and may limit the lifetime of structural components. One typical example is the high temperature embrittlement. The nucleation and growth of the bubbles strongly depends on the mobility of the helium. This work presents the study of helium diffusion in Au, Ag and Al at temperatures above room temperature. The helium created by (n, α) reactions has been simulated by homogeneous alpha particles implantation in cyclotron, at room temperature, in specimens of thicknesses between 5 and 50 μm and helium concentration between 10 -3 to 10 ppm. After implantation, the specimens were dropped in a furnace in a UHV-chamber and the diffusion was measured by observing the He-release during linear and isothermal annealings. The occurence of free diffusion was comparing the dependence of release kinetics on helium concentration, sample thickness, time and heating rate to diffusion theory and is clearly separeted from agglomeration process. The diffusion constants of helium in Au, Ag and Al follow an Arrhenius behavior, with: Au:D o =10 -1.0 cm 2 /s ΔH=1.70eV Ag:D 0 =10 -1.2 cm 2 /s ΔH=1.51eV Al:D o =10 +0.5 cm 2 /s ΔH=1.40eV. The results are compared to self-diffusion and to the diffusion of other gases in these metals. Comparison with theoretical estimates favours the vacancy mechanism for helium diffusion in Au, Ag and Al. (author) [pt

Lower Length Scale Characterization and Validation of Formation and Stability of Helium Bubbles in Nano-structured Ferritic Alloys under Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Huijuan [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Yun, Di [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hoelzer, David [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)

2018-01-30

In order to extend the operating license of current light water reactors (LWRs) in the United States and other countries to as many as 80 years or longer, it is demanding to identify potential materials for many of the internal structural components and fasteners. We proposed that 14YWT iron alloy can be adopted in such applications with its excellent material properties, such as high-temperature strength, low creep rate, and high irradiation resistance. Application with 14YWT would improve the void/helium swelling characteristics of the LWR fuels, extend the burn-up limits with the tolerant temperature up to 800oC and reduce the hydrogen production. One key feature of 14YWT material property enhancement is the ultrafine high density of 2-4nm Y-Ti-O enriched nanoclusters (NCs) within the 14YWT iron matrix. The NCs can effectively pin the ultra-fine grain boundaries and dislocations, which significantly enhance mechanical properties of the alloy. Moreover, these nanoclusters remain stable with no coarsening after a large dose of ion irradiation. After ion irradiation, the helium bubbles are observed extremely uniform in size (1nm) and quite homogeneously distributed within the 14YWT matrix, which indicates that the microstructure of 14YWT remains remarkably tolerance to radiation damage. However, there is a lack of understanding of 14YWT both theoretically and experimentally in order to understand the mechanism behind the material property enhancement and to further develop and design a new generation of advanced structural material for current LWR applications and future fusion applications.

Depth-dependence recovery of helium-implanted 18 carats gold-silver alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thome, T.; Grynszpan, R.I. [DCE-CTA-LOT, Arcueil (France); Lab. de Chimie Metallurgique des Terres Rares, Thiais (France); Fradin, J. [DCE-CTA-LOT, Arcueil (France); SINUMEF, Ecole Nationale Superieure d' Arts et Metiers, Paris (France); Anwand, W.; Brauer, G. [Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V. (FZR), Dresden (Germany)

2001-07-01

Helium diffusion in Au{sub 60}Ag{sub 40} is investigated using a variable energy positron beam. The positron diffusion length of the annealed material (66 {+-} 1 nm) is reduced after implantation of 2.2 x 10{sup 14} He ions/cm{sup 2} at 300 keV. During isochronal annealing up to 600 K, the recovery rate of the Doppler broadening lineshape parameter S strongly depends on the distance to the helium implantation peak, indicating an increase of the defect stabilization by He atoms. In contrast, for subsequent annealing, and irrespective of the depth, a maximum in S occurs at 670 K (around 0.5 T{sub m}) resulting from competing processes of growth and breaking up of helium bubbles. (orig.)

Martensitic transformations in 304 stainless steel after implantation with helium, hydrogen and deuterium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, E.; Grabaek, L.; Johansen, A.; Sarholt-Kristensen, L.; Hayashi, N.; Sakamoto, I.

1988-01-01

Using conversion electron Moessbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and glancing angle X-ray diffraction, martensitic transformations have been studied in type 304 austenitic stainless steels implanted with 8 keV helium, hydrogen and deuterium. Furthermore, using CEMS in the energy selective mode (DCEMS), the distribution of martensite in the implantation zone has been analysed as a function of depth. Transformation of the implanted layer occurs after implantation with 10 21 m -2 He + ions while 100 times higher fluence is required for the implanted layer to transform after hydrogen or deuterium implantations. This difference is due to the ability of helium to form high pressure gas bubbles, while implanted hydrogen is continuously lost by back diffusion to the surface. The helium bubbles, which are confined under pressures as high as 60 GPa, will induce extremely high stress levels in the implanted layer, by which the martensitic transformation is directly induced. The fact that a much higher fluence of hydrogen or deuterium is required to induce the transformation, shows that radiation damage plays only a minor role. In this case, the martensitic transformation first occurs when the implanted layer resembles the state of a cathodically charged surface. (orig.)

Structure and dynamics of molecular complex He2*(a3Σu+) in condensed phases of helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kafanov, S.G.; Parshin, A.Ya.; Tadoshchenko, I.A.

2000-01-01

The absorption spectra of the helium triplet metastable molecules in the a 3 Σ u + states in the liquid 4 He and 3 He by various pressures and in the 3 He dense gas are studied. The analysis of the spectrum, corresponding to the a 3 Σ u + → c 3 Σ g + transition, proves the conclusion on the availability of a microscopic bubble, surrounding the molecule in the liquid helium. Simple approximation of the wave function of the molecule valent electron is proposed and the bubble parameters under various experimental conditions are determined. The coefficient conditions are determined. The coefficient of the molecular recombination in the liquid 3 He and 4 He by different pressures and in the 3 He cold gas is experimentally determined. The obtained results agree well with the mutual recombination theory. It is shown, that molecular polarization in the helium condensed phases under the magnetic field effect does not lead to their mutual recombination [ru

Experimental mechanistic investigation of the nanostructuring of tungsten with low energy helium plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiflis, P., E-mail: fiflis1@illinois.edu; Connolly, N.; Ruzic, D.N.

2016-12-15

Helium ion bombardment of tungsten at temperatures between approximately one third and one half of its melting point has shown growth of nanostructures colloquially referred to as “fuzz”. The nanostructures take the form of thin tendrils of diameter about 30 nm and grow out of the bulk material. Tungsten will and does compose one of the key materials for plasma facing components (PFCs) in fusion reactors. The formation of nanostructured fuzz layers on PFCs would be detrimental to the performance of the reactor, and must therefore be avoided. Previous experiments have shown evidence that tungsten fuzz is initially grown by loop punching of helium bubbles created in the bulk. However, once the tendrils grow to sufficient length, the tendrils should intercept the entire helium flux, halting the production of fuzz. Fuzz continues to grow though. To increase the understanding of the mechanisms of tungsten fuzz formation, and thereby aid the avoidance of its production, a series of tests were performed to examine the validity of several theories regarding later stage tungsten fuzz growth. Tests showed that the fuzz formation was dependent solely on the bombardment of helium ions, and not on electric fields, or adatom diffusion. Experiments employing a tungsten coated molybdenum sample indicate the presence of a strong mixing layer and strongly suggest that tungsten fuzz growth continues to occur from the bottom up even as the tendrils grow in size. Tests also show a similarity between different metals exposed to helium ion fluxes where the ratio of bubble diameter to tendril diameter is constant.

Experimental mechanistic investigation of the nanostructuring of tungsten with low energy helium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiflis, P.; Connolly, N.; Ruzic, D.N.

2016-01-01

Helium ion bombardment of tungsten at temperatures between approximately one third and one half of its melting point has shown growth of nanostructures colloquially referred to as “fuzz”. The nanostructures take the form of thin tendrils of diameter about 30 nm and grow out of the bulk material. Tungsten will and does compose one of the key materials for plasma facing components (PFCs) in fusion reactors. The formation of nanostructured fuzz layers on PFCs would be detrimental to the performance of the reactor, and must therefore be avoided. Previous experiments have shown evidence that tungsten fuzz is initially grown by loop punching of helium bubbles created in the bulk. However, once the tendrils grow to sufficient length, the tendrils should intercept the entire helium flux, halting the production of fuzz. Fuzz continues to grow though. To increase the understanding of the mechanisms of tungsten fuzz formation, and thereby aid the avoidance of its production, a series of tests were performed to examine the validity of several theories regarding later stage tungsten fuzz growth. Tests showed that the fuzz formation was dependent solely on the bombardment of helium ions, and not on electric fields, or adatom diffusion. Experiments employing a tungsten coated molybdenum sample indicate the presence of a strong mixing layer and strongly suggest that tungsten fuzz growth continues to occur from the bottom up even as the tendrils grow in size. Tests also show a similarity between different metals exposed to helium ion fluxes where the ratio of bubble diameter to tendril diameter is constant.

Electron acceleration in the bubble regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jansen, Oliver

2014-02-03

The bubble regime of laser-wakefield acceleration has been studied over the recent years as an important alternative to classical accelerators. Several models and theories have been published, in particular a theory which provides scaling laws for acceleration parameters such as energy gain and acceleration length. This thesis deals with numerical simulations within the bubble regime, their comparison to these scaling laws and data obtained from experiments, as well as some specific phenomenona. With a comparison of the scaling laws with numerical results a parameter scan was able to show a large parameter space in which simulation and theory agree. An investigation of the limits of this parameter space revealed boundaries to other regimes, especially at very high (a{sub 0} > 100) and very low laser amplitudes (a{sub 0} < 4). Comparing simulation data with data from experiments concerning laser pulse development and electron energies, it was found that experimental results can be adequately reproduced using the Virtual-Laser-Plasma-Laboratory code. In collaboration with the Institut fuer Optik und Quantenelektronik at the Friedrich-Schiller University Jena synchrotron radiation emitted from the inside of the bubble was investigated. A simulation of the movement of the electrons inside the bubble together with time dependent histograms of the emitted radiation helped to prove that the majority of radiation created during a bubble acceleration originates from the inside of the bubble. This radiation can be used to diagnose the amplitude of oscillation of the trapped electrons. During a further study it was proven that the polarisation of synchrotron radiation from a bubble contains information about the exact oscillation direction. This oscillation was successfully controlled by using either a laser pulse with a tilted pulse front or an asymmetric laser pulse. First results of ongoing studies concerning injecting electrons into an existing bubble and a scheme called

Impact of helium implantation and ion-induced damage on reflectivity of molybdenum mirrors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia-Carrasco, A., E-mail: alvarogc@kth.se [Department of Fusion Plasma Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Teknikringen 31, 100 44 Stockholm (Sweden); Petersson, P.; Hallén, A. [Department of Fusion Plasma Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Teknikringen 31, 100 44 Stockholm (Sweden); Grzonka, J. [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland); Institute of Electronic Materials Technology, 133 Wolczynska Str., 01-919 Warsaw (Poland); Gilbert, M.R. [Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Fortuna-Zalesna, E. [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 02-507 Warsaw (Poland); Rubel, M. [Department of Fusion Plasma Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Teknikringen 31, 100 44 Stockholm (Sweden)

2016-09-01

Molybdenum mirrors were irradiated with Mo and He ions to simulate the effect of neutron irradiation on diagnostic first mirrors in next-generation fusion devices. Up to 30 dpa were produced under molybdenum irradiation leading to a slight decrease of reflectivity in the near infrared range. After 3 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −2} of helium irradiation, reflectivity decreased by up to 20%. Combined irradiation by helium and molybdenum led to similar effects on reflectivity as irradiation with helium alone. Ion beam analysis showed that only 7% of the implanted helium was retained in the first 40 nm layer of the mirror. The structure of the near-surface layer after irradiation was studied with scanning transmission electron microscopy and the extent and size distribution of helium bubbles was documented. The consequences of ion-induced damage on the performance of diagnostic components are discussed.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the diffusion and coalescence of helium in tungsten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Y.L.; Wang, J.; Hou, Q.; Deng, A.H.

2014-01-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed on the diffusion and coalescence of helium in tungsten. A new method for determining the effective capture radii (ECRs) and the dissociation energies of helium-related defects is proposed in this work. It is observed that the ECR of an interstitial helium atom trapping helium interstitials (denoted as He–He n , n = 1–3) decreases with increasing temperature, except for He–He 2 at T n for helium clusters are also investigated. He 2 migrates more quickly than a single He atom does at T 2 changes at higher temperatures. Another counterintuitive observation is that D 5 > D 3 > D 4 at T 5 . The Arrhenius relation describes the diffusion of He n well in the temperature range from 300 K to 550 K, whereas the diffusion is not a standard thermally activated process at higher temperatures. Taken together, these results help elucidate the initial stage of helium bubble formation in tungsten as well as the requirements of long-term evolution methods such as KMC or RT models

In-situ observation of damage evolution in TiC crystals during helium ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hojou, K.; Otsu, H.; Furuno, S.; Izui, K.; Tsukamoto, T.

1994-01-01

In-situ observations were performed on bubble formation and growth in TiC during 20 keV helium ion irradiation over the wide range of irradiation temperatures from 12 to 1523 K. No amorphization occurred over this temperature range. The bubble densities and sizes were almost independent of irradiation temperatures from 12 to 1273 K. Remarkable growth and coalescence occurred during irradiation at high temperature above 1423 K and during annealing above 1373 K after irradiation. ((orig.))

Time-scales for quenching single-bubble sonoluminescence in the presence of alcohols

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Jingfeng; Matula, Thomas

2002-11-01

A small amount of alcohol added to water dramatically decreases the light intensity from single-bubble sonoluminescence [Weninger et al., J. Phys. Chem. 99, 14195-14197 (1995)]. From an excess accumulation at the bubble surface [Ashokkumar et al., J. Phys. Chem. 104, 8462-8465 (2000)], the molecules evaporate into the bubble interior, reducing the effective adiabatic exponent of the gas, and decreasing the bubble temperature and light output [Toegel et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2509-2512 (2000)]. There is a debate as to the rate at which alcohol is injected into the bubble interior. One camp favors the notion that molecules must be repetitively injected over many acoustic cycles. Another camp favors the notion that most quenching occurs during a single collapse. An experiment has been conducted in order to resolve the debate. Quenching rates were measured by recording the instantaneous bubble response and corresponding light emission during a sudden increase in pressure. It was found that complete quenching in the presence of methanol requires over 8000 acoustic cycles, while quenching with butanol occurs in about 20 acoustic cycles. These observations are consistent with the view that quenching requires the repetitive injection of alcohol molecules over repetitive acoustic cycles.

Condensation of vapor bubble in subcooled pool

Science.gov (United States)

Horiuchi, K.; Koiwa, Y.; Kaneko, T.; Ueno, I.

2017-02-01

We focus on condensation process of vapor bubble exposed to a pooled liquid of subcooled conditions. Two different geometries are employed in the present research; one is the evaporation on the heated surface, that is, subcooled pool boiling, and the other the injection of vapor into the subcooled pool. The test fluid is water, and all series of the experiments are conducted under the atmospheric pressure condition. The degree of subcooling is ranged from 10 to 40 K. Through the boiling experiment, unique phenomenon known as microbubble emission boiling (MEB) is introduced; this phenomenon realizes heat flux about 10 times higher than the critical heat flux. Condensation of the vapor bubble is the key phenomenon to supply ambient cold liquid to the heated surface. In order to understand the condensing process in the MEB, we prepare vapor in the vapor generator instead of the evaporation on the heated surface, and inject the vapor to expose the vapor bubble to the subcooled liquid. Special attention is paid to the dynamics of the vapor bubble detected by the high-speed video camera, and on the enhancement of the heat transfer due to the variation of interface area driven by the condensation.

Interaction of equal-size bubbles in shear flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Jai; Lavrenteva, Olga M; Byk, Leonid; Nir, Avinoam

2013-04-01

The inertia-induced forces on two identical spherical bubbles in a simple shear flow at small but finite Reynolds number, for the case when the bubbles are within each other's inner viscous region, are calculated making use of the reciprocal theorem. This interaction force is further employed to model the dynamics of air bubbles injected to a viscous fluid sheared in a Couette device at the first shear flow instability where the bubbles are trapped inside the stable Taylor vortex. It was shown that, during a long time scale, the inertial interaction between the bubbles in the primary shear flow drives them away from each other and, as a result, equal-size bubbles eventually assume an ordered string with equal separation distances between all neighbors. We report on experiments showing the dynamic evolution of various numbers of bubbles. The results of the theory are in good agreement with the experimental observations.

A possible origin of gamma rays from the Fermi Bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Thoudam, Satyendra

2014-11-01

One of the most exciting discoveries of recent years is a pair of gigantic gamma-ray emission regions, the so-called Fermi bubbles, above and below the Galactic center. The bubbles, discovered by the Fermi space telescope, extend up to ∼50° in Galactic latitude and are ∼40° wide in Galactic longitude. The gamma-ray emission is also found to correlate with radio, microwave and X-rays emission. The origin of the bubbles and the associated non-thermal emissions are still not clearly understood. Possible explanations for the non-thermal emission include cosmic-ray injection from the Galactic center by high speed Galactic winds/jets, acceleration by multiple shocks or plasma turbulence present inside the bubbles, and acceleration by strong shock waves associated with the expansion of the bubbles. In this paper, I will discuss the possibility that the gamma-ray emission is produced by the injection of Galactic cosmic-rays mainly protons during their diffusive propagation through the Galaxy. The protons interact with the bubble plasma producing π°-decay gamma rays, while at the same time, radio and microwave synchrotron emissions are produced by the secondary electrons/positrons resulting from the π± decays.

A possible origin of gamma rays from the Fermi Bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoudam, Satyendra

2014-01-01

One of the most exciting discoveries of recent years is a pair of gigantic gamma-ray emission regions, the so-called Fermi bubbles, above and below the Galactic center. The bubbles, discovered by the Fermi space telescope, extend up to ∼50 ° in Galactic latitude and are ∼40 ° wide in Galactic longitude. The gamma-ray emission is also found to correlate with radio, microwave and X-rays emission. The origin of the bubbles and the associated non-thermal emissions are still not clearly understood. Possible explanations for the non-thermal emission include cosmic-ray injection from the Galactic center by high speed Galactic winds/jets, acceleration by multiple shocks or plasma turbulence present inside the bubbles, and acceleration by strong shock waves associated with the expansion of the bubbles. In this paper, I will discuss the possibility that the gamma-ray emission is produced by the injection of Galactic cosmic-rays mainly protons during their diffusive propagation through the Galaxy. The protons interact with the bubble plasma producing π ° -decay gamma rays, while at the same time, radio and microwave synchrotron emissions are produced by the secondary electrons/positrons resulting from the π ± decays

Gas Bubble Dynamics under Mechanical Vibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Mohagheghian, Shahrouz; Elbing, Brian

2017-11-01

The scientific community has a limited understanding of the bubble dynamics under mechanical oscillations due to over simplification of Navier-Stockes equation by neglecting the shear stress tensor and not accounting for body forces when calculating the acoustic radiation force. The current work experimental investigates bubble dynamics under mechanical vibration and resulting acoustic field by measuring the bubble size and velocity using high-speed imaging. The experimental setup consists of a custom-designed shaker table, cast acrylic bubble column, compressed air injection manifold and an optical imaging system. The mechanical vibrations resulted in accelerations between 0.25 to 10 times gravitational acceleration corresponding to frequency and amplitude range of 8 - 22Hz and 1 - 10mm respectively. Throughout testing the void fraction was limited to <5%. The bubble size is larger than resonance size and smaller than acoustic wavelength. The amplitude of acoustic pressure wave was estimated using the definition of Bjerknes force in combination with Rayleigh-Plesset equation. Physical behavior of the system was capture and classified. Bubble size, velocity as well as size and spatial distribution will be presented.

First-principles calculations of helium and neon desorption from cavities in silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eddin, A Charaf; Pizzagalli, L

2012-01-01

Combining density functional theory, the nudged elastic band technique, and the ultradense fluid model, we investigated the desorption process of He and Ne in silicon. Our results show that the internal surfaces of gas-filled bubbles are not a limiting factor during desorption experiments, since the surface reconstruction opens diffusion paths easier than in the bulk. We show that the vibrational contribution to the energy of helium in the bulk has to be considered in order to determine realistic pressures in the bubbles, when comparing experiments and simulations. At the maximum of desorption, an average pressure of 1-2 GPa is computed. (paper)

'In-beam' simulation of high temperature helium embrittlement of DIN 1.4970 austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, H.; Batfalsky, P.

1982-01-01

This work describes a facility for high temperature creep rupture tests during homogeneous helium implantation. This 'in-beam' creep testing facility is used to simulate helium embrittlement effects which will be very important for first wall materials of future fusion reactors operated at high temperatures. First results for DIN 1.4970 austenitic stainless steel clearly demonstrate differences between samples 'in-beam' tested at 1073 K and those creep tested at the same temperature after room temperature helium implantation. The specimens ruptured 'in-beam' have much shorter lifetimes and lower ductility than the specimens tested after room temperature implantation. There are also differences in the microstructures, concerning helium bubble sizes and densities in matrix and grain boundaries. These microstructural differences may be a key for the understanding of the more severe helium embrittlement effects 'in-beam' as compared to creep tests performed after room temperature implantation. (orig.)

Investigation of impurity-helium solid phase decomposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boltnev, R.E.; Gordon, E.B.; Krushinskaya, I.N.; Martynenko, M.V.; Pel'menev, A.A.; Popov, E.A.; Khmelenko, V.V.; Shestakov, A.F.

1997-01-01

The element composition of the impurity-helium solid phase (IHSP), grown by injecting helium gas jet, involving Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe atoms and N 2 molecules, into superfluid helium, has been studied. The measured stoichiometric ratios, S = N H e / N I m, are well over the values expected from the model of frozen together monolayer helium clusters. The theoretical possibility for the freezing of two layers helium clusters is justified in the context of the model of IHSP helium subsystem, filled the space between rigid impurity centers. The process of decomposition of impurity-helium (IH)-samples taken out of liquid helium in the temperature range 1,5 - 12 K and the pressure range 10-500 Torr has been studied. It is found that there are two stages of samples decomposition: a slow stage characterized by sample self cooling and a fast one accompanied by heat release. These results suggest, that the IHSP consists of two types of helium - weakly bound and strongly bound helium - that can be assigned to the second and the first coordination helium spheres, respectively, formed around heavy impurity particles. A tendency for enhancement of IHSP thermo stability with increasing the impurity mass is observed. Increase of helium vapor pressure above the sample causes the improvement of IH sample stability. Upon destruction of IH samples, containing nitrogen atoms, a thermoluminescence induced by atom recombination has been detected in the temperature region 3-4,5 K. This suggests that numerous chemical reactions may be realized in solidified helium

Helium embrittlement model and program plan for weldability of ITER materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louthan, M.R. Jr.; Kanne, W.R. Jr.; Tosten, M.H.; Rankin, D.T.; Cross, B.J.

1997-02-01

This report presents a refined model of how helium embrittles irradiated stainless steel during welding. The model was developed based on experimental observations drawn from experience at the Savannah River Site and from an extensive literature search. The model shows how helium content, stress, and temperature interact to produce embrittlement. The model takes into account defect structure, time, and gradients in stress, temperature and composition. The report also proposes an experimental program based on the refined helium embrittlement model. A parametric study of the effect of initial defect density on the resulting helium bubble distribution and weldability of tritium aged material is proposed to demonstrate the roll that defects play in embrittlement. This study should include samples charged using vastly different aging times to obtain equivalent helium contents. Additionally, studies to establish the minimal sample thickness and size are needed for extrapolation to real structural materials. The results of these studies should provide a technical basis for the use of tritium aged materials to predict the weldability of irradiated structures. Use of tritium charged and aged material would provide a cost effective approach to developing weld repair techniques for ITER components

High temperature tensile properties of 316 stainless steel implanted with helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Akira; Yamamoto, Norikazu; Shiraishi, Haruki

1993-01-01

Helium embrittlement is one of the problems in structural materials for fusion reactors. Recently, martensitic steels have been developed which have a good resistance to high-temperature helium embrittlement, but the mechanism has not yet been clarified. In this paper, tensile behaviors of helium implanted austenitic stainless steels, which are sensitive to the helium embrittlement, were studied and compared with those of martensitic steels under the same experimental conditions, and the effect of microstructure on helium embrittlement was discussed. Helium was implanted by 300 appm at 573-623 K to miniature tensile speciments of 316 austenitic steels using a cyclotron accelerator. Solution annealed (316SA) and 20% cold worked (316CW) specimens were used. Post-implantation tensile tests were carried out at 573, 873 and 973 K. Yield stress at 573 K increased with the helium implantation in 316SA and 316CW, but the yield stress changes of 316SA at 873 and 973 K were different from that of 316CW. Black-dots were observed in the as-implanted specimen and bubbles were observed in the speciments tensile-tested at 873 and 973 K. Intergranular fracture was observed at only 973 K in both of the 316SA and 316CW specimens. Therefore, cold work did not suppress the high-temperature helium embrittlement under this experimental condition. The difference in the influence of helium on type 316 steel and 9Cr martensitic steels were discussed. Test temperature change of reduction in are showed clearly that helium embrittlement did not occur in 9Cr martensitic steels but occurred in 316 austenitic steels. Fine microstructures of 9Cr martensitic steels should suppress helium embrittlement at high temperatures. (author)

Microstructural evolution adjacent to grain boundaries under cascade damage conditions and helium production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trinkaus, H.; Singh, B.N.; Victoria, M.

1996-01-01

the cascade damage is accompanied by a high helium production rate. It is shown that, in this case, the width of the peak zone is controlled by the (mostly invisible) bubble structure rather than by the (visible) void structure. The reduced swelling relative to that under neutron irradiation is attributed...

Theoretical study on bubble formation and flow condensation in downflow channel with horizontal gas injection

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Kang; Li, Yanzhong; Wang, Jiaojiao; Ma, Yuan; Wang, Lei; Xie, Fushou

2018-05-01

Bubble formation and condensation in liquid pipes occur widely in industrial systems such as cryogenic propellant feeding system. In this paper, an integrated theoretical model is established to give a comprehensive description of the bubble formation, motion and condensation process. The model is validated by numerical simulations and bubble condensation experiments from references, and good agreements are achieved. The bubble departure diameter at the orifice and the flow condensation length in the liquid channel are predicted by the model, and effects of various influencing parameters on bubble behaviors are analyzed. Prediction results indicate that the orifice diameter, the gas feeding rate, and the liquid velocity are the primary influence factors on the bubble departure diameter. The interfacial heat transfer as well as the bubble departure diameter has a direct impact on the bubble flow condensation length, which increases by 2.5 times over a system pressure range of 0.1 0.4 MPa, and decreases by 85% over a liquid subcooling range of 5 30 K. This work could be beneficial to the prediction of bubble formation and flow condensation processes and the design of cryogenic transfer pipes.

Theoretical research of helium pulsating heat pipe under steady state conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, D; Liu, H M; Li, L F; Huang, R J; Wang, W

2015-01-01

As a new-type heat pipe, pulsating heat pipe (PHP) has several outstanding features, such as great heat transport ability, strong adjustability, small size and simple construction. PHP is a complex two-phase flow system associated with many physical subjects and parameters, which utilizes the pressure and temperature changes in volume expansion and contraction during phase changes to excite the pulsation motion of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles in the capillary tube between the evaporator and the condenser. At present time, some experimental investigation of helium PHP have been done. However, theoretical research of helium PHP is rare. In this paper, the physical and mathematical models of operating mechanism for helium PHP under steady state are established based on the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Several important parameters are correlated and solved, including the liquid filling ratio, flow velocity, heat power, temperature, etc. Based on the results, the operational driving force and flow resistances of helium PHP are analysed, and the flow and heat transfer is further studied. (paper)

Theoretical research of helium pulsating heat pipe under steady state conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, D.; Liu, H. M.; Li, L. F.; Huang, R. J.; Wang, W.

2015-12-01

As a new-type heat pipe, pulsating heat pipe (PHP) has several outstanding features, such as great heat transport ability, strong adjustability, small size and simple construction. PHP is a complex two-phase flow system associated with many physical subjects and parameters, which utilizes the pressure and temperature changes in volume expansion and contraction during phase changes to excite the pulsation motion of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles in the capillary tube between the evaporator and the condenser. At present time, some experimental investigation of helium PHP have been done. However, theoretical research of helium PHP is rare. In this paper, the physical and mathematical models of operating mechanism for helium PHP under steady state are established based on the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Several important parameters are correlated and solved, including the liquid filling ratio, flow velocity, heat power, temperature, etc. Based on the results, the operational driving force and flow resistances of helium PHP are analysed, and the flow and heat transfer is further studied.

A multidimensional theory for electron trapping by a plasma wake generated in the bubble regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostyukov, I; Nerush, E; Pukhov, A; Seredov, V

2010-01-01

We present a theory for electron self-injection in nonlinear, multidimensional plasma waves excited by a short laser pulse in the bubble regime or by a short electron beam in the blowout regime. In these regimes, which are typical for electron acceleration in the last impressive experiments, the laser radiation pressure or the electron beam charge pushes out plasma electrons from some region, forming a plasma cavity or a bubble with a huge ion charge. The plasma electrons can be trapped in the bubble and accelerated by the plasma wakefields up to a very high energy. We derive the condition of the electron trapping in the bubble. The developed theory predicts the trapping cross section in terms of the bubble radius and the bubble velocity. It is found that the dynamic bubble deformations observed in the three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations influence the trapping process significantly. The bubble elongation reduces the gamma-factor of the bubble, thereby strongly enhancing self-injection. The obtained analytical results are in good agreement with the 3D PIC simulations.

Bubble formation in irradiated Li2O

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verrall, R.A.; Rose, D.H.; Miller, J.M.; Hastings, I.J.; MacDonald, D.S.

1991-01-01

Lithium oxide, irradiated to a burnup of 1 at% (total lithium) at temperatures between 400 and 850deg C with on-line tritium recovery and measurement, has been examined out-reactor. Residual tritium content ranged from 2.4 to 16 mCi/g, but, conservatively, averaged less than 10 mCi/g or 1 wppm. Scanning electron microscopy showed bubble formation in the ceramic which is thought to be due to helium formed from the in-reactor 6 Li(n, α) 3 H reaction. (orig.)

Bubble behavior in a vertical Taylor-Couette flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murai, Y; Oiwa, H; Takeda, Y

2005-01-01

Bubble distributions organized in a vertical Taylor-Couette flow are experimentally investigated. Modification of shear stress due to bubbles is measured with a torque sensor installed on the rotating inner cylinder. The wall shear stress decreases as bubbles are injected in all the tested range of Re from 600 to 4500. The drag reduction ratio per void fraction measured in the present experiment, which indicates net gain of the drag reduction, has been evaluated. The gain was more than unity for Re 4000. The maximum gain achieved was around 10 at Re = 600, at which point the bubbles dispersed widely on the inner cylinder surface and effectively restrict momentum exchange of fluid between the two walls. The expansion of Taylor vortices in the vertical direction by the presence of bubbles was confirmed by flow visualization including particle tracking velocimetry. Such bubble behaviours interacting with Taylor vortices are discussed in detail in this paper

Mass spectrometric analysis of helium in stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isagawa, Hiroto; Wada, Yukio; Asakura, Yoshiro; Tsuji, Nobuo; Sato, Hitoshi; Tsutsumi, Kenichi

1974-01-01

Vacuum fusion mass-spectrometry was adopted for the analysis of helium in stainless steel. Samples were heated in a vacuum crucible, and helium in the samples was extracted and collected into a reservoir tank. The gas was then introduced through an orifice into a mass spectrometer, where the amount of helium was determined. The maspeq 070 quadrupole type mass spectrometer made by Shimazu Seisakusho, Ltd. was used. The resolving power was 150, and the mass range of the apparatus was 0-150. The determination limit of helium was about 2 x 10 -3 μg when standard helium gas was analyzed, and was about 10 -2 μg when the helium in stainless steel was analyzed. The relative standard deviation of helium intensity in repetitive measurement was about 2% in the amount of helium of 0.05 μg. Helium was injected into stainless steel by means of alpha particle irradiation with a cyclotron. The amount of helium in stainless steel was then determined. The energy of alpha particles was 34 MeV, and the beam area was 10 mm x 10 mm. The experimental data were higher than the expected value in one case, and were lower in the other case. This difference was attributable to the fluctuation of alpha particle beam, misplacement of sample plates, and unevenness of the alpha beam. (Fukutomi, T.)

Desorption of tritium and helium from high dose neutron irradiated beryllium

Science.gov (United States)

Kupriyanov, I. B.; Nikolaev, G. N.; Vlasov, V. V.; Kovalev, A. M.; Chakin, V. P.

2007-08-01

The effect of high dose neutron irradiation on tritium and helium desorption in beryllium is described. Beryllium samples were irradiated in the SM and BOR-60 reactors to a neutron fluences ( E > 0.1 MeV) of (5-16) × 10 22 cm -2 at 70-100 °C and 380-420 °C. A mass-spectrometry technique was used in out of pile tritium release experiments during stepped annealing in the 250-1300 °C temperature range. The total amount of helium accumulated in irradiated beryllium samples varied from 6000 to 7200 appm. The first signs of tritium and helium release were detected at temperature of 312-445 °C and 500-740 °C, respectively. It is shown that most tritium (˜82%) from sample irradiated at 70-100 °C releases in temperature range of 312-700 °C before the beginning of helium release (740 °C). In the case of beryllium sample irradiated at 380-420 °C, tritium release starts at a higher temperature ( Ts > Tann = 445 °C) and most of the tritium (˜99.8%) is released concurrently with helium which could be considered as evidence of co-existence of partial amounts of tritium and helium in common bubbles. Both the Be samples differ little in the upper temperatures of gas release: 745 and 775 °C for tritium; 1140 and 1160 °C for helium. Swelling of beryllium starts to play a key role in accelerating tritium release at Tann > 600 °C and in helium release - at Tann > 750 °C.

The role of grain size in He bubble formation: Implications for swelling resistance

Science.gov (United States)

El-Atwani, O.; Nathaniel, J. E.; Leff, A. C.; Muntifering, B. R.; Baldwin, J. K.; Hattar, K.; Taheri, M. L.

2017-02-01

Nanocrystalline metals are postulated as radiation resistant materials due to their high defect and particle (e.g. Helium) sink density. Here, the performance of nanocrystalline iron films is investigated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) using He irradiation at 700 K. Automated crystal orientation mapping is used in concert with in-situ TEM to explore the role of grain orientation and grain boundary character on bubble density trends. Bubble density as a function of three key grain size regimes is demonstrated. While the overall trend revealed an increase in bubble density up to a saturation value, grains with areas ranging from 3000 to 7500 nm2 show a scattered distribution. An extrapolated swelling resistance based on bubble size and areal density indicated that grains with sizes less than 2000 nm2 possess the greatest apparent resistance. Moreover, denuded zones are found to be independent of grain size, grain orientation, and grain boundary misorientation angle.

The role of grain size in He bubble formation: Implications for swelling resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Atwani, O., E-mail: oelatwan25@gmail.com [Drexel University, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Nathaniel, J.E.; Leff, A.C. [Drexel University, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Muntifering, B.R. [Department of Radiation Solid Interactions, Sandia National Laboratories, NM (United States); Baldwin, J.K. [Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hattar, K. [Department of Radiation Solid Interactions, Sandia National Laboratories, NM (United States); Taheri, M.L. [Drexel University, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-02-15

Nanocrystalline metals are postulated as radiation resistant materials due to their high defect and particle (e.g. Helium) sink density. Here, the performance of nanocrystalline iron films is investigated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) using He irradiation at 700 K. Automated crystal orientation mapping is used in concert with in-situ TEM to explore the role of grain orientation and grain boundary character on bubble density trends. Bubble density as a function of three key grain size regimes is demonstrated. While the overall trend revealed an increase in bubble density up to a saturation value, grains with areas ranging from 3000 to 7500 nm{sup 2} show a scattered distribution. An extrapolated swelling resistance based on bubble size and areal density indicated that grains with sizes less than 2000 nm{sup 2} possess the greatest apparent resistance. Moreover, denuded zones are found to be independent of grain size, grain orientation, and grain boundary misorientation angle.

Structure of positive streamers inside gaseous bubbles immersed in liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babaeva, Natalia Yu; Kushner, Mark J

2009-01-01

Electric discharges and streamers in liquids typically proceed through vapour phase channels produced by the streamer or in gaseous bubbles. The bubbles can originate by enthalpy changes produced by the discharge or can be artificially injected into the liquid. Experiments on streamers in bubbles immersed in liquids have shown that the discharge propagates either along the surface of the bubble or through the volume of the bubble as in conventional streamer propagation in air. In this paper we report on results of a computational investigation of streamer propagation through bubbles immersed in liquids. We found that the dielectric constant of the liquid in large part determines the path the streamer takes. Streamers in bubbles immersed in a liquid with a high permittivity preferentially propagate along the surface of the bubble. Liquids with low permittivity can result in the streamer propagating along the axis of the bubble. The permittivity at which this transition occurs is a function of the applied voltage, size of the bubble and the conductivity of the liquid. (fast track communication)

Bubble Generation in a Flowing Liquid Medium and Resulting Two-Phase Flow in Microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Pais, S. C.; Kamotani, Y.; Bhunia, A.; Ostrach, S.

1999-01-01

The present investigation reports a study of bubble generation under reduced gravity conditions, using both a co-flow and a cross-flow configuration. This study may be used in the conceptual design of a space-based thermal management system. Ensuing two-phase flow void fraction can be accurately monitored using a single nozzle gas injection system within a continuous liquid flow conduit, as utilized in the present investigation. Accurate monitoring of void fraction leads to precise control of heat and mass transfer coefficients related to a thermal management system; hence providing an efficient and highly effective means of removing heat aboard spacecraft or space stations. Our experiments are performed in parabolic flight aboard the modified DC-9 Reduced Gravity Research Aircraft at NASA Lewis Research Center, using an air-water system. For the purpose of bubble dispersion in a flowing liquid, we use both a co-flow and a cross-flow configuration. In the co-flow geometry, air is introduced through a nozzle in the same direction with the liquid flow. On the other hand, in the cross-flow configuration, air is injected perpendicular to the direction of water flow, via a nozzle protruding inside the two-phase flow conduit. Three different flow conduit (pipe) diameters are used, namely, 1.27 cm, 1.9 cm and 2.54 cm. Two different ratios of nozzle to pipe diameter (D(sub N))sup * are considered, namely (D(sub N))sup * = 0.1 and 0.2, while superficial liquid velocities are varied from 8 to 70 cm/s depending on flow conduit diameter. It is experimentally observed that by holding all other flow conditions and geometry constant, generated bubbles decrease in size with increase in superficial liquid velocity. Detached bubble diameter is shown to increase with air injection nozzle diameter. Likewise, generated bubbles grow in size with increasing pipe diameter. Along the same lines, it is shown that bubble frequency of formation increases and hence the time to detachment of a

Bubble-induced mixing of two horizontal liquid layers with non-uniform gas injection at the bottom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, F.B.; Pedersen, D.R.; Leinweber, G.

1986-01-01

During a postulated severe core meltdown accident in an LMFBR, a large amount of sodium coolant may spill into the reactor concrete cavity. A layer of liquid products may form as a result of the sodium-concrete reactions. The liquid product layer, which is highly viscous and much heavier than sodium, separates the concrete from the sodium pool. In general, the downward transport of sodium through the liquid product layer to the unreacted concrete surface, which controls the rate of chemical erosion of the concrete, depends strongly on the agitation induced by gas evolution from the heated concrete. In this study, experiments were conducted to explore the effect of non-uniform gas injection on mixing of two horizontal mutually soluble liquid layers. The liquid in the lower layer was chosen to be more viscous and heavier than the liquid in the upper layer. To simulate the reactor accident situation, gas was injected at the bottom of the liquid-liquid system through a circular hole that covered only the center portion of the bottom surface of the lower liquid layer. The bubble-induced mixing motions were observed and the rate of mixing was measured for different hole sizes and various gas flow rates. The results of this study clearly show that the rate of gas injection is not the only parameter controlling the mixing of the liquid-liquid system. The effect of non-uniform gas injection is important at high gas flow rates. Within the present experimental conditions, the reduction in the overall mixing rate can be as large as a factor of three

Helium storage and control system for the PBMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verkerk, E.C.

1997-01-01

The power conversion unit will convert the heat energy in the reactor core to electrical power. The direct-closed cycle recuperated Brayton Cycle employed for this concept consists of a primary helium cycle with helium powered turbo compressors and a power turbine. The helium is actively cooled with water before the compression stages. A recuperator is used to preheat the helium before entering the core. The start of the direct cycle is initiated by a mass flow from the helium inventory and control system via a jet pump. When the PBMR is connected to the grid, changes in power demand can be followed by changing the helium flow and pressure inside the primary loop. Small rapid adjustments can be performed without changing the helium inventory of the primary loop. The stator blade settings on the turbines and compressors are adjustable and it is possible to bypass reactor and turbine. This temporarily reduces the efficiency at which the power conversion unit is operating. Larger or long term adjustments require storage or addition of helium in order to maintain a sufficient level of efficiency in the power conversion unit. The helium will be temporarily stored in high pressure tanks. After a rise in power demand it will be injected back into the system. Some possibilities how to store the helium are presented in this paper. The change of helium inventory will cause transients in the primary helium loop in order to acquire the desired power level. At this stage, it seems that the change of helium inventory does not strongly effect the stability of the power conversion unit. (author)

Synergistic effect of displacement damage, helium and hydrogen on microstructural change of SiC/SiC composites fabricated by reaction bonding process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taguchi, T.; Igawa, N.; Wakai, E.; Jitsukawa, S. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naga-gun, Ibaraki-ken (Japan); Hasegawa, A. [Tohoku Univ., Dept. of Quantum Science and Energy Engr., Sendai (Japan)

2007-07-01

Full text of publication follows: Continuous silicon carbide (SiC) fiber reinforced SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites are known to be attractive candidate materials for first wall and blanket components in fusion reactors. In the fusion environment, helium and hydrogen are produced and helium bubbles can be formed in the SiC by irradiation of 14-MeV neutrons. Authors reported the synergistic effect of helium and hydrogen as transmutation products on swelling behavior and microstructural change of the SiC/SiC composites fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process. Authors also reported about the fabrication of high thermal conductive SiC/SiC composites by reaction bonding (RB) process. The matrix fabricated by RB process has different microstructures such as bigger grain size of SiC and including Si phase as second phase from that by CVI process. It is, therefore, investigated the synergistic effect of displacement damage, helium and hydrogen as transmutation products on the microstructure of SiC/SiC composite by RB process in this study. The SiC/SiC composites by RB process were irradiated by the simultaneous triple ion irradiation (Si{sup 2+}, He{sup +} and H{sup +}) at 800 and 1000 deg. C. The displacement damage was induced by 6.0 MeV Si{sup 2+} ion irradiation up to 10 dpa. The microstructures of irradiated SiC/SiC composites by RB process were observed by TEM. The double layer of carbon and SiC as interphase between fiber and matrix by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was coated on SiC fibers in the SiC/SiC composites by RB process. The TEM observation revealed that He bubbles were formed both in the matrix by RB and SiC interphase by CVD process. Almost all He bubbles were formed at the grain boundary in SiC interphase by CVD process. On the other hand, He bubbles were formed both at the grain boundary and in Si grain of the matrix by RB process. The average size of He bubbles in the matrix by RB was smaller than that in SiC interphase by CVD

Interaction of a vortex ring and a bubble

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Narsing K.; Govardhan, Raghuraman N.

2014-11-01

Micro-bubble injection in to boundary layers is one possible method for reducing frictional drag of ships. Although this has been studied for some time, the physical mechanisms responsible for drag reduction using microbubbles in turbulent boundary layers is not yet fully understood. Previous studies suggest that bubble-vortical structure interaction seems to be one of the important physical mechanisms for frictional drag reduction using microbubbles. In the present work, we study a simplification of this problem, namely, the interaction of a single vortical structure, in particular a vortex ring, with a single bubble for better understanding of the physics. The vortex ring is generated using a piston-cylinder arrangement and the bubble is generated by connecting a capillary to an air pump. The bubble dynamics is directly visualized using a high speed camera, while the vorticity modification is measured using time resolved PIV. The results show that significant deformations can occur of both the bubble and the vortex ring. Effect of different non-dimensional parameters on the interaction will be presented in the meeting.

Performance Tests for Bubble Blockage Device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Kwang Soon; Wi, Kyung Jin; Park, Rae Joon; Wan, Han Seong

2014-01-01

Postulated severe core damage accidents have a high threat risk for the safety of human health and jeopardize the environment. Versatile measures have been suggested and applied to mitigate severe accidents in nuclear power plants. To improve the thermal margin for the severe accident measures in high-power reactors, engineered corium cooling systems involving boiling-induced two-phase natural circulation have been proposed for decay heat removal. A boiling-induced natural circulation flow is generated in a coolant path between a hot vessel wall and cold coolant reservoir. In general, it is possible for some bubbles to be entrained in the natural circulation loop. If some bubbles entrain in the liquid phase flow passage, flow instability may occur, that is, the natural circulation mass flow rate may be oscillated. A new device to block the entraining bubbles is proposed and verified using air-water test loop. To avoid bubbles entrained in the natural circulation flow loop, a new device was proposed and verified using an air-water test loop. The air injection and liquid circulation loop was prepared, and the tests for the bubble blockage devices were performed by varying the geometry and shape of the devices. The performance of the bubble blockage device was more effective as the area ratio of the inlet to the down-comer increased, and the device height decreased. If the device has a rim to generate a vortex zone, the bubbles will be most effectively blocked

Helium behaviour in UO{sub 2} through low fluence ion implantation studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, P., E-mail: philippe.garcia@cea.fr [CEA – DEN/DEC, Bât. 352, 13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex (France); Gilabert, E. [Centre d’Et' udes Nucleáires de Bordeaux-Gradignan, Le Haut Vigneau, 33175 Gradignan (France); Martin, G.; Carlot, G.; Sabathier, C. [CEA – DEN/DEC, Bât. 352, 13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance Cedex (France); Sauvage, T.; Desgardin, P.; Barthe, M.-F. [CNRS-CEMHTI, UPR3079, 45071 Orleáns (France)

2014-05-01

In this work we focus on experiments involving implantation of 500 keV {sup 3}He ions in sintered polycrystalline material. Samples are implanted at low fluences (∼2 ×10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2}) and subsequently isothermally annealed in a highly sensitive thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) device PIAGARA (Plateforme Interdisciplinaire pour l’Analyse des GAz Rares en Aquitaine). The helium fluencies studied are two to three orders of magnitude lower than previous Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) experiments carried out on identical samples implanted at identical energies. The fractional release of helium obtained in the TDS experiments is interpreted using a three-dimensional axisymmetric diffusion model which enables results to be quantitatively compared to previous NRA data. The analysis shows that helium behaviour is qualitatively independent of ion fluency over three orders of magnitude: helium diffusion appears to be strongly inhibited below 1273 K within the centre of the grains presumably as a result of helium bubble precipitation. The scenario involving diffusion at grain boundaries and in regions adjacent to them observed at higher fluencies is quantitatively confirmed at much lower doses. The main difference lies in the average width of the region in which uninhibited diffusion occurs.

Electric field effects on the dynamics of bubble detachment from an inclined surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Marco, P; Morganti, N; Saccone, G

2015-01-01

An experimental apparatus to study bubble detachment from an inclined surface under the action of electric forces is described. It consists of a container filled with FC72 at room temperature and pressure where a train of gas bubbles is injected from an orifice. An electrostatic field can be imposed around the bubble, while the cell can be tilted from 0 to 90°. It is possible to study interface growth with the aid of high-speed cinematography. Since the interface is asymmetrical, a mirror system allowed to acquire, in the same frame, two images at 90° of the bubble. Different inclinations, injection rates and voltages were tested in order to couple the effects of shear gravity and electric field. Curvature and contact angles have been derived with appropriate interpolation methods of the profile. Force balances on the bubble were checked, finding an electric force, which, at first pulls the bubbles from the orifice, then pushes it against the surface. The motion of the center of gravity confirms this behaviour. A power balance has been developed to determine the energy contributions, revealing that surface growth incorporates both the effects of inlet power and electric field. (paper)

Mode transition in bubbly Taylor-Couette flow measured by PTV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, K; Tasaka, Y; Murai, Y; Takeda, T

2009-01-01

The drag acting to the inner cylinder in Taylor-Couette flow system can be reduced by bubble injection. In this research, relationship between drag reduction and change of vortical structure in a Taylor-Couette flow is investigated by Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV). The velocity vector field in the r-z cross section and the bubble concentration in the front view (z-θ plane) are measured. This paper describes the change of vortical structures with bubbles, and the mode transition that is sensitively affected by the bubbles is discussed. The bubbles accumulate in the three parts relative to vortex position by the interaction between bubbles and vortices. The status of bubble's distribution is different depending on position. This difference affects mode transition as its trigger significantly. The presence of bubbles affects the transition from toroidal mode to spiral mode but does not induce the transition from spiral mode to toroidal mode. Further we found that Taylor vortex bifurcates and a pair of vortices coalesces when the flow switches between spiral mode and toroidal mode.

Modelling studies for influence factors of gas bubble in compressed air energy storage in aquifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Chaobin; Zhang, Keni; Li, Cai; Wang, Xiaoyu

2016-01-01

CAES (Compressed air energy storage) is credited with its potential ability for large-scale energy storage. Generally, it is more convenient using deep aquifers than employing underground caverns for energy storage, because of extensive presence of aquifers. During the first stage in a typical process of CAESA (compressed air energy storage in aquifers), a large amount of compressed air is injected into the target aquifer to develop an initial space (a gas bubble) for energy storage. In this study, numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the influence of aquifer's permeability, geological structure and operation parameters on the formation of gas bubble and the sustainability for the later cycling operation. The SCT (system cycle times) was designed as a parameter to evaluate the reservoir performance and the effect of operation parameters. Simulation results for pressure and gas saturation results of basic model confirm the feasibility of compressed air energy storage in aquifers. The results of different permeability cases show that, for a certain scale of CAESA system, there is an optimum permeability range for a candidate aquifer. An aquifer within this permeability range will not only satisfy the injectivity requirement but also have the best energy efficiency. Structural impact analysis indicates that the anticline structure has the best performance to hold the bubble under the same daily cycling schedule with the same initial injected air mass. In addition, our results indicate that the SCT shows a logarithmic growth as the injected air mass increase. During the formation of gas bubble, compressed air should be injected into aquifers with moderate rate and the injection can be done in several stages with different injection rate to avoid onset pressure. - Highlights: • Impact of permeability, geological structure, operation parameters was investigated. • With certain air production rate, an optimum permeability exists for performance. �

Active acoustic leak detection for LMFBR steam generator. Sound attenuation due to bubbles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumagai, Hiromichi; Sakuma, Toshio

1995-01-01

In the steam generators (SG) of LMFBR, it is necessary to detect the leakage of water from tubes of heat exchangers as soon as it occurs. The active acoustic detection method has drawn general interest owing to its short response time and reduction of the influence of background noise. In this paper, the application of the active acoustic detection method for SG is proposed, and sound attenuation by bubbles is investigated experimentally. Furthermore, using the SG sector model, sound field characteristics and sound attenuation characteristics due to injection of bubbles are studied. It is clarified that the sound attenuation depends upon bubble size as well as void fraction, that the distance attenuation of sound in the SG model containing heat transfer tubes is 6dB for each two-fold increase of distance, and that emitted sound attenuates immediately upon injection of bubbles. (author)

Warm Pressurant Gas Effects on the Liquid Hydrogen Bubble Point

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, Jason W.; McQuillen, John B.; Chato, David J.

2013-01-01

This paper presents experimental results for the liquid hydrogen bubble point tests using warm pressurant gases conducted at the Cryogenic Components Cell 7 facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The purpose of the test series was to determine the effect of elevating the temperature of the pressurant gas on the performance of a liquid acquisition device. Three fine mesh screen samples (325 x 2300, 450 x 2750, 510 x 3600) were tested in liquid hydrogen using cold and warm noncondensible (gaseous helium) and condensable (gaseous hydrogen) pressurization schemes. Gases were conditioned from 0 to 90 K above the liquid temperature. Results clearly indicate a degradation in bubble point pressure using warm gas, with a greater reduction in performance using condensable over noncondensible pressurization. Degradation in the bubble point pressure is inversely proportional to screen porosity, as the coarsest mesh demonstrated the highest degradation. Results here have implication on both pressurization and LAD system design for all future cryogenic propulsion systems. A detailed review of historical heated gas tests is also presented for comparison to current results.

Acoustic trapping in bubble-bounded micro-cavities

Science.gov (United States)

O'Mahoney, P.; McDougall, C.; Glynne-Jones, P.; MacDonald, M. P.

2016-12-01

We present a method for controllably producing longitudinal acoustic trapping sites inside microfluidic channels. Air bubbles are injected into a micro-capillary to create bubble-bounded `micro-cavities'. A cavity mode is formed that shows controlled longitudinal acoustic trapping between the two air/water interfaces along with the levitation to the centre of the channel that one would expect from a lower order lateral mode. 7 μm and 10 μm microspheres are trapped at the discrete acoustic trapping sites in these micro-cavities.We show this for several lengths of micro-cavity.

Modeling high-energy gamma-rays from the Fermi Bubbles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Splettstoesser, Megan

2015-09-17

In 2010, the Fermi Bubbles were discovered at the galactic center of the Milky Way. These giant gamma-ray structures, extending 55° in galactic latitude and 20°-30° in galactic longitude, were not predicted. We wish to develop a model for the gamma-ray emission of the Fermi Bubbles. To do so, we assume that second order Fermi acceleration requires charged particles and irregular magnetic fields- both of which are present in the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. By solving the steady-state case of the transport equation, I compute the proton spectrum due to second order Fermi acceleration. I compare the analytical solutions of the proton spectrum to a numerical solution. I find that the numerical solution to the transport equation converges to the analytical solution in all cases. The gamma-ray spectrum due to proton-proton interaction is compared to Fermi Bubble data (from Ackermann et al. 2014), and I find that second order Fermi acceleration is a good fit for the gamma-ray spectrum of the Fermi Bubbles at low energies with an injection source term of S = 1.5 x 10⁻¹⁰ GeV⁻¹cm⁻³yr⁻¹. I find that a non-steady-state solution to the gamma-ray spectrum with an injection source term of S = 2 x 10⁻¹⁰ GeV⁻¹cm⁻³yr⁻¹ matches the bubble data at high energies.

Radiation pressure injection in laser-wakefield acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y. L.; Kuramitsu, Y.; Isayama, S.; Chen, S. H.

2018-01-01

We investigated the injection of electrons in laser-wakefield acceleration induced by a self-modulated laser pulse by a two dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. The localized electric fields and magnetic fields are excited by the counter-streaming flows on the surface of the ion bubble, owing to the Weibel or two stream like instability. The electrons are injected into the ion bubble from the sides of it and then accelerated by the wakefield. Contrary to the conventional wave breaking model, the injection of monoenergetic electrons are mainly caused by the electromagnetic process. A simple model was proposed to address the instability, and the growth rate was verified numerically and theoretically.

Molecular dynamics study of the role of symmetric tilt grain boundaries on the helium distribution in nickel

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, E.; Pencer, J.

2018-04-01

Helium impurities, from either direct implantation or transmutation reactions, have been associated with embrittlement in nickel-based alloys. Helium has very low solubility in nickel, and has been found to aggregate at lattice defects such as vacancies, dislocations, and grain boundaries. The retention and precipitation of helium in nickel-based alloys have deleterious effects on the material mechanical properties. However, the underlying mechanisms that lead to helium effects in the host metal are not fully understood. In the present work, we investigate the role of symmetric tilt grain boundary (STGB) structures on the distribution of helium in nickel using molecular dynamics simulations. We investigate the family of STGBs specific to the 〈 110 〉 tilt axis. The present results indicate that accumulation of helium at the grain boundary may be modulated by details of grain boundary geometry. A plausible correlation between the grain boundary energy and misorientation with the accumulation and mobility of helium is proposed. Small clusters with up to 6 helium atoms show significant interstitial mobility in the nickel bulk, but also become sites for nucleation and grow of more stable helium clusters. High-energy GBs are found mainly populated with small helium clusters. The high mobility of small clusters along the GBs indicates the role of these GBs as fast two-dimensional channels for diffusion. In contrast, the accumulation of helium in large helium clusters at low-energy STGB creates a favorable environment for the formation of large helium bubbles, indicating a potential role for low-energy STGB in promoting helium-induced GB embrittlement.

In-situ observation of weld joint of austenitic stainless steel due to helium irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, S.; Hojou, K.; Hishinuma, A.

1992-01-01

Microstructural evolution during helium ions irradiation in a weld metal containing 10% delta-ferrite of a weld joint of Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel were in-situ observed through a transmission electron microcopy. Very fine helium bubbles were observed in high number density in both a delta ferrite phase and a matrix to a dose of 3 x 10 19 ions·m -2 . Entirely different behavior appeared in both phases with increasing dose. Bubbles in a delta-ferrite phase were readily converted into voids during slight increment of dose, and these rapidly grew with additional increasing of dose. On the other hand, finer bubbles in a matrix were very stable during irradiation and did not grow any more up to 2 x 10 20 ions·m -2 . Swelling became much larger in a delta-ferrite phase than in a fcc matrix phase, resultantly ; This means an inverse phenomenon for conventional results that swelling is smaller in a ferrite phase than in a fcc phase. Sigma phase radiation-enhanced precipitated at the grain boundary between a delta-ferrite phase and a matrix at a dose 9 x 10 19 ions·m -2 . This phase grew in two dimensions with increasing dose. The chemical composition of the sigma phase observed during irradiation showed Cr and Mo enrichment, and Fe and Ni depletion compared with those of a sigma phase thermally produced. (author)

Molecular dynamics simulations of the diffusion and coalescence of helium in tungsten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Y.L. [Key Lab for Radiation Physics and Technology, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Department of Physics, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004 (China); Wang, J. [Key Lab for Radiation Physics and Technology, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Hou, Q., E-mail: qhou@scu.edu.cn [Key Lab for Radiation Physics and Technology, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China); Deng, A.H. [Department of Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064 (China)

2014-03-15

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed on the diffusion and coalescence of helium in tungsten. A new method for determining the effective capture radii (ECRs) and the dissociation energies of helium-related defects is proposed in this work. It is observed that the ECR of an interstitial helium atom trapping helium interstitials (denoted as He–He{sub n}, n = 1–3) decreases with increasing temperature, except for He–He{sub 2} at T < 400 K. The traditional view that the ECR is approximately equal to the lattice constant, which has been widely used in kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) and rate theory (RT) models, is only valid in some cases. However, the ECR between an interstitial helium atom and a substitutional helium atom (denoted as He–HeV) always approximates the third nearest-neighbor tetrahedral positions of the HeV. The diffusion coefficients D{sub n} for helium clusters are also investigated. He{sub 2} migrates more quickly than a single He atom does at T < 400 K, whereas the diffusion path of He{sub 2} changes at higher temperatures. Another counterintuitive observation is that D{sub 5} > D{sub 3} > D{sub 4} at T < 500 K, which can be attributed to the disordered structure of He{sub 5}. The Arrhenius relation describes the diffusion of He{sub n} well in the temperature range from 300 K to 550 K, whereas the diffusion is not a standard thermally activated process at higher temperatures. Taken together, these results help elucidate the initial stage of helium bubble formation in tungsten as well as the requirements of long-term evolution methods such as KMC or RT models.

Air bubble migration is a random event post embryo transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Confino, E; Zhang, J; Risquez, F

2007-06-01

Air bubble location following embryo transfer (ET) is the presumable placement spot of embryos. The purpose of this study was to document endometrial air bubble position and migration following embryo transfer. Multicenter prospective case study. Eighty-eight embryo transfers were performed under abdominal ultrasound guidance in two countries by two authors. A single or double air bubble was loaded with the embryos using a soft, coaxial, end opened catheters. The embryos were slowly injected 10-20 mm from the fundus. Air bubble position was recorded immediately, 30 minutes later and when the patient stood up. Bubble marker location analysis revealed a random distribution without visible gravity effect when the patients stood up. The bubble markers demonstrated splitting, moving in all directions and dispersion. Air bubbles move and split frequently post ET with the patient in the horizontal position, suggestive of active uterine contractions. Bubble migration analysis supports a rather random movement of the bubbles and possibly the embryos. Standing up changed somewhat bubble configuration and distribution in the uterine cavity. Gravity related bubble motion was uncommon, suggesting that horizontal rest post ET may not be necessary. This report challenges the common belief that a very accurate ultrasound guided embryo placement is mandatory. The very random bubble movement observed in this two-center study suggests that a large "window" of embryo placement maybe present.

Effect of Annealing on Microstructures and Hardening of Helium-Hydrogen-Implanted Sequentially Vanadium Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shaoning; Wang, Zhiming

2018-03-01

The effect of post-irradiation annealing on the microstructures and mechanical properties of V-4Cr-4Ti alloys was studied. Helium-hydrogen-irradiated sequentially V-4Cr-4Ti alloys at room temperature (RT) were undergone post-irradiation annealing at 450 °C over periods of up to 30 h. These samples were carried out by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observation and nanoindentation test. With the holding time, large amounts of point defects produced during irradiation at RT accumulated into large dislocation loops and then dislocation nets which promoted the irradiation hardening. Meanwhile, bubbles appeared. As annealing time extended, these bubbles grew up and merged, and finally broke up. In the process, the size of bubbles increased and the number density decreased. Microstructural changes due to post-irradiation annealing corresponded to the change of hardening. Dislocations and bubbles are co-contributed to irradiation hardening. With the holding time up to 30 h, the recovery of hardening is not obvious. The phenomenon was discussed by dispersed barrier hardening model and Friedel-Kroupa-Hirsch relationship.

A study of the effect of helium concentration and displacement damage on the microstructure of helium ion irradiated tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, R. W.; Greaves, G.; Hinks, J. A.; Donnelly, S. E.

2017-11-01

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with in-situ He ion irradiation has been used to examine the damage microstructure of W when varying the helium concentration to displacement damage ratio, irradiation temperature and total dose. Irradiations employed 15, 60 or 85 keV He ions, at temperatures between 500 and 1000 °C up to doses of ∼3.0 DPA. Once nucleated and grown to an observable size in the TEM, bubble diameter as a function of irradiation dose did not measurably increase at irradiation temperatures of 500 °C between 1.0 and 3.0 DPA; this is attributed to the low mobility of vacancies and He/vacancy complexes at these temperatures. Bubble diameter increased slightly for irradiation temperatures of 750 °C and rapidly increased when irradiated at 1000 °C. Dislocation loops were observed at irradiation temperatures of 500 and 750 °C and no loops were observed at 1000 °C. Burgers vectors of the dislocations were determined to be b = ±½ type only and both vacancy and interstitial loops were observed. The proportion of interstitial loops increased with He-appm/DPA ratio and this is attributed to the concomitant increase in bubble areal density, which reduces the vacancy flux for both the growth of vacancy-type loops and the annihilation of interstitial clusters.

A study of gas bubbles in liquid mercury in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klaasen, B.; Blanpain, B. [KU Leuven, Research Group for High Temperature Processes and Industrial Ecology, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Leuven (Belgium); Verhaeghe, F. [KU Leuven, Research Group for High Temperature Processes and Industrial Ecology, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Leuven (Belgium); Umicore Group Research and Development, Olen (Belgium); Fransaer, J. [KU Leuven, Research Group for Materials with Novel Functionality, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Leuven (Belgium)

2014-01-15

High-quality observations of mesoscopic gas bubbles in liquid metal are vital for a further development of pyrometallurgical gas injection reactors. However, the opacity of metals enforces the use of indirect imaging techniques with limited temporal or spatial resolution. In addition, accurate interface tracking requires tomography which further complicates the design of a high-temperature experimental setup. In this paper, an alternative approach is suggested that circumvents these two main restrictions. By injecting gas in a thin layer of liquid metal entrapped between two flat and closely spaced plates, bubbles in a Hele-Shaw flow regime are generated. The resulting quasi-2D multiphase flow phenomena can be fully captured from a single point of view and, when using a non-wetted transparent plate material, the bubbles can be observed directly. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by observations on buoyancy-driven nitrogen bubbles in liquid mercury in a vertical Hele-Shaw cell. By using a moving high-speed camera to make continuous close up recordings of individual bubbles, the position and geometry of these bubbles are quantified with a high resolution along their entire path. After a thorough evaluation of the experimental accuracy, this information is used for a detailed analysis of the bubble expansion along the path. While the observed bubble growth is mainly caused by the hydrostatic pressure gradient, a careful assessment of the volume variations for smaller bubbles shows that an accurate bubble description should account for significant dynamic pressure variations that seem to be largely regime dependent. (orig.)

Bubble-induced mixing of two horizontal liquid layers with non-uniform gas injection at the bottom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, F.B.; Leinweber, G.; Pedersen, D.R.

1984-01-01

During a postulated severe core meltdown accident in an LMFBR, a large amount of sodium coolant may spill into the reactor concrete cavity. A layer of liquid products may form as a result of the sodium-concrete reactions. The liquid product layer, which is highly viscous and much heavier than sodium, separates the concrete from the sodium pool. In general, the downward transport of sodium through the liquid product layer to the unreacted concrete surface, which controls the rate of chemical erosion of the concrete, depends strongly on the agitation induced by gas evolution from the heated concrete. In this study, experiments were conducted to explore the effect of non-uniform gas injection on mixing of two horizontal mutually soluble liquid layers. The liquid in the lower layer was chosen to be more viscous and heavier than the liquid in the upper layer. To simulate the reactor accident situation, gas was injected at the bottom of the liquid-liquid system through a circular hole that covered only the center portion of the bottom surface of the lower liquid layer. The bubble-induced mixing motions were observed and the rate of mixing was measured for different hole sizes and for various gas flow rates

Effect of phosphorus and boron additions on helium bubble microstructure in titanium-modified austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jitsukawa, Shiro; Hojou, Kiichi; Hishinuma, Akimichi

1992-01-01

Ti-modified austenitic stainless steels (0.06C-0.5Si-15Cr-15Ni-2Mo-0.2Ti) plus P and/or B additions up to 0.06 wt% and 60 wtppm respectively, were irradiated with 10keV He + ions at a dose rate of 1.8 x 10 18 He + /m 2 s at 923K. Irradiation was performed on foil specimens in a transmission electron microscope equipped with an ion-accelerator up to a fluence of 1 x 10 21 He + /m 2 . Small (5 nm >) bubbles were formed in the depth region ranging between 5 and 15 nm from the foil surface of the specimen irradiated up to a fluence of 9 x 10 18 He + /m 2 . These bubbles grew continuously during the following irradiation. They were often observed to grow by coalescence. Bubble growth by coalescence was suppressed by Ti-modification. Both P and B additions enhanced the suppression effect of Ti-modification. (author)

Crystal orientation effects on helium ion depth distributions and adatom formation processes in plasma-facing tungsten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammond, Karl D.; Wirth, Brian D.

2014-01-01

We present atomistic simulations that show the effect of surface orientation on helium depth distributions and surface feature formation as a result of low-energy helium plasma exposure. We find a pronounced effect of surface orientation on the initial depth of implanted helium ions, as well as a difference in reflection and helium retention across different surface orientations. Our results indicate that single helium interstitials are sufficient to induce the formation of adatom/substitutional helium pairs under certain highly corrugated tungsten surfaces, such as (1 1 1)-orientations, leading to the formation of a relatively concentrated layer of immobile helium immediately below the surface. The energies involved for helium-induced adatom formation on (1 1 1) and (2 1 1) surfaces are exoergic for even a single adatom very close to the surface, while (0 0 1) and (0 1 1) surfaces require two or even three helium atoms in a cluster before a substitutional helium cluster and adatom will form with reasonable probability. This phenomenon results in much higher initial helium retention during helium plasma exposure to (1 1 1) and (2 1 1) tungsten surfaces than is observed for (0 0 1) or (0 1 1) surfaces and is much higher than can be attributed to differences in the initial depth distributions alone. The layer thus formed may serve as nucleation sites for further bubble formation and growth or as a source of material embrittlement or fatigue, which may have implications for the formation of tungsten “fuzz” in plasma-facing divertors for magnetic-confinement nuclear fusion reactors and/or the lifetime of such divertors.

Computational Studies of Positive and Negative Streamers in Bubbles Suspended in Distilled Water

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Ashish

2017-01-05

We perform computational studies of nanosecond streamers generated in helium bubbles immersed in distilled water under high pressure conditions. The model takes into account the presence of water vapor in the gas bubble for an accurate description of the chemical kinetics of the discharge. We apply positive and negative trigger voltages much higher than the breakdown voltage and study the dynamic characteristics of the resulting discharge. We observe that, for high positive trigger voltages, the streamer moves along the surface of the gas bubble during the initial stages of the discharge. We also find a considerable difference in the evolution of the streamer discharge for positive and negative trigger voltages with more uniform volumetric distribution of species in the streamer channel for negative trigger voltages due to formation of multiple streamers. We also observe that the presence of water vapor does not influence the breakdown voltage of the discharge but greatly affects the composition of dominant species in the trail of the streamer channel.

Bubble-free on-chip continuous-flow polymerase chain reaction: concept and application.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wenming; Kang, Kyung-Tae; Lee, Nae Yoon

2011-06-07

Bubble formation inside a microscale channel is a significant problem in general microfluidic experiments. The problem becomes especially crucial when performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a chip which is subject to repetitive temperature changes. In this paper, we propose a bubble-free sample injection scheme applicable for continuous-flow PCR inside a glass/PDMS hybrid microfluidic chip, and attempt to provide a theoretical basis concerning bubble formation and elimination. Highly viscous paraffin oil plugs are employed in both the anterior and posterior ends of a sample plug, completely encapsulating the sample and eliminating possible nucleation sites for bubbles. In this way, internal channel pressure is increased, and vaporization of the sample is prevented, suppressing bubble formation. Use of an oil plug in the posterior end of the sample plug aids in maintaining a stable flow of a sample at a constant rate inside a heated microchannel throughout the entire reaction, as compared to using an air plug. By adopting the proposed sample injection scheme, we demonstrate various practical applications. On-chip continuous-flow PCR is performed employing genomic DNA extracted from a clinical single hair root sample, and its D1S80 locus is successfully amplified. Also, chip reusability is assessed using a plasmid vector. A single chip is used up to 10 times repeatedly without being destroyed, maintaining almost equal intensities of the resulting amplicons after each run, ensuring the reliability and reproducibility of the proposed sample injection scheme. In addition, the use of a commercially-available and highly cost-effective hot plate as a potential candidate for the heating source is investigated.

Tritium Decay Helium-3 Effects in Tungsten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, M. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Merrill, B. J. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2016-06-01

retention in helium-3 bubble. This paper reports the initial experimental observation of tritium-decay helium-3 in tungsten exposed to deuterium/tritium plasma along with electron microscope analysis and also discusses a Tritium Migration Analysis Program (TMAP) analysis of tritium-decay helium-3 effects on tritium retention in tungsten for DEMO and future fusion reactor. [1] Y. Hatano, et.al., Nucl. Fusion 53 (2013) 073006 [2] M. Shimada, et.al., Nucl. Fusion 55 (2015) 013008 [3] M. Sawan, Fus. Sci. Technol. 66 (2014) 272 [4] T. Otsuka, Fus. Sci. Technol. 60 (2011) 1539 This work was prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, under the DOE Idaho Field Office contract number DE-AC07-05ID14517.

Investigation on the effect of temperature excursion on the helium defects of tungsten surface by using compact plasma device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamura, S.; Miyamoto, T.; Tomida, Y.; Minagawa, T.; Ohno, N.

2011-01-01

The effects of temperature excursion on the helium defects of tungsten surface have been investigated by using compact plasma device AIT-PID (Aichi Institute of Technology - Plasma Irradiation Device). An initial stage of bubble formation has been identified with an order of smaller (sub-micron) bubbles and holes than those in the past in which the micron size is the standard magnitude. The radiation cooling has been detected when a blacking of tungsten surface coming from nanostructure formation is proceeding due to an increase in the emissivity. The temperature increase to the domain (∼1600 K) in bubble/hole formation from that in nanostructure formation has been found to bring a constriction in diameter and a reduction in length of fiber-form nanostructure.

Theory calculation of combination of 'embryo' bubble growing-up visible bubble in bubble chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Zipiao; Sheng Xiangdong; Dai Changjiang

2004-01-01

By aid of island combination theory of 'embryo' bubble, it is resolved well the question which 'embryo' bubble grows up a visible bubble in the bubble chamber. Through theory calculation it is shown that radius of the big' embryo' bubble combinated not only relates with work matter such as surface tension coefficient, saturation vapour pressure and boiling point of liquid, but also does absorbing quantity of heat and the numbers of 'embryo' bubbles combination. It is explained reasonably that the radius of bubbles in bubble chamber is different for the same energies of neutrons and proton. The track of neutron in bubble chamber is long and thin, and the track of proton in bubble chamber is wide and short. It is also explained reasonably that the bubble radius of the incident particles with more charges which there are the same energies will be wider than that of the incident particles with less charges in the track. (author)

Helium refrigeration system for BNL colliding beam accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, D.P.; Farah, Y.; Gibbs, R.J.; Schlafke, A.P.; Schneider, W.J.; Sondericker, J.H.; Wu, K.C.

1983-01-01

A Helium Refrigeration System which will supply the cooling required for the Colliding Beam Accelerator at Brookhaven National Laboratory is under construction. Testing of the compressor system is scheduled for late 1983 and will be followed by refrigerator acceptance tests in 1984. The refrigerator has a design capacity of 24.8 kW at a temperature level near 4K while simultaneously producing 55 kW for heat shield loads at 55K. When completed, the helium refrigerator will be the world's largest. Twenty-five oil-injected screw compressors with an installed total of 23,250 horsepower will supply the gas required. One of the unique features of the cycle is the application of three centrifugal compressors used at liquid helium temperature to produce the low temperatures (2.5K) and high flow rates (4154 g/s) required for this service

Leak detection on the DIII-D tokamak using helium entrainment techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, N.H.; Baxi, C.; Anderson, P.

1988-01-01

The entrainment of helium in a viscous gas flow was utilized to compartmentalize, and then to pinpoint, a leak across the inner skin of the double-walled DIII-D vacuum vessel. Inaccessible from the outside, the leak connected the cooling channels in the wall interspace with the primary vacuum chamber. By entraining helium in the pressurized flow from the single-pass gas circulation system, well-defined portions of the wall were exposed to helium without disassembly of the poorly accessible cooling manifolds. Varying the helium injection point permitted the localization of the leak to a single 30 0 toroidal sector of the vessel. The exact location of the leak was found from inside the vessel by spraying helium on suspect regions, while sweeping the contents of the cooling channels to the foreline of a Varian Contraflow leak detector with a 0.1 Pa m 3 /s flow of nitrogen. Flow speed calculations were used to predict the response time to entrained helium of the actual leak detection setup

Nanostructure formation on refractory metal surfaces irradiated by helium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamura, Shuichi; Kajita, Shin; Ohno, Noriyasu

2013-01-01

Helium defects on plasma-facing refractory metals like tungsten have been studied in fusion sciences from the view point of the effects on metal surface properties, concentrating on the bubble formation. However, the surface morphology over the lower surface temperature range was found recently to be changed drastically, something like cotton down or arborescence, sometimes called as “fuzz”. The formation process, although still open problem, would be discussed in terms of viscoelastic model with the effect of surface tension, taking account of its thermal properties and nano-bubbles inside the thin fibers. Some physical surface characteristics like electron emission, radiation emissivity and sputtering are quite influenced by its forest-like structure. Unipolar arcing has been newly studied by using such a surface structure which makes its initiation controllable. In the present report, other examples of nanostructure formation in a variety of particle incident conditions have been introduced as well as the possibility of its industrial applications to enhance interdisciplinary interests. (author)

Bubbles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dholakia, Nikhilesh; Turcan, Romeo V.

2013-01-01

A goal of our ongoing research stream is to develop a multidisciplinary metatheory of bubbles. In this viewpoint paper we put forward a typology of bubbles by comparing four types of assets – entertainment, commodities, financial securities (stocks), and housing properties – where bubbles could...... and do form occasionally. Cutting across and comparing such varied asset types provides some rich insights into the nature of bubbles – and offers an inductive way to arrive at the typology of bubbles....

EXPERIMENTAL BUBBLE FORMATION IN A LARGE SCALE SYSTEM FOR NEWTONIAN AND NONNEWTONIAN FLUIDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leishear, R; Michael Restivo, M

2008-06-26

The complexities of bubble formation in liquids increase as the system size increases, and a photographic study is presented here to provide some insight into the dynamics of bubble formation for large systems. Air was injected at the bottom of a 28 feet tall by 30 inch diameter column. Different fluids were subjected to different air flow rates at different fluid depths. The fluids were water and non-Newtonian, Bingham plastic fluids, which have yield stresses requiring an applied force to initiate movement, or shearing, of the fluid. Tests showed that bubble formation was significantly different in the two types of fluids. In water, a field of bubbles was formed, which consisted of numerous, distributed, 1/4 to 3/8 inch diameter bubbles. In the Bingham fluid, large bubbles of 6 to 12 inches in diameter were formed, which depended on the air flow rate. This paper provides comprehensive photographic results related to bubble formation in these fluids.

Experimental studies of direct contact heat transfer in a slurry bubble column at high gas temperature of a helium–water–alumina system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdulrahman, M.W.

2015-01-01

In this paper, the direct contact heat transfer is investigated experimentally for a helium gas at 90 °C injected through a slurry of water at 22 °C and alumina solid particles in a slurry bubble column reactor. This work examines the effects of superficial gas velocity, static liquid height, solid particles concentration and solid particle size, on the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and slurry temperature of the slurry bubble column reactor. These effects are formulated in forms of empirical equations. From the experimental work, it is found that the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and the slurry temperature increase by increasing the superficial gas velocity with a higher rate of increase at lower superficial gas velocity. In addition, the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and the slurry temperature decrease by increasing the static liquid height and/or the solid concentration at any given superficial gas velocity. Furthermore, it is found that the rate of decrease of the volumetric heat transfer coefficient with the solid concentration is approximately the same for different superficial gas velocities, and the decrease of the slurry temperature with the solid concentration is negligible. - Highlights: • Direct contact heat transfer is investigated experimentally in a slurry bubble column. • Empirical equation of direct contact heat transfer Nusselt number is formulated. • The volumetric heat transfer coefficient increases with superficial gas velocity. • The volumetric heat transfer coefficient decreases with the static liquid height. • The volumetric heat transfer coefficient decreases with the solid concentration.

Bubbles generated from wind-steepened breaking waves: 1. Bubble plume bubbles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leifer, I.; Leeuw, G. de

2006-01-01

Measurements of bubble plumes from paddle-amplified, wind stress breaking waves were made in a large wind-wave channel during the LUMINY experiment in fresh (but not clean) water. Bubble plumes exhibited considerable variability with respect to dynamics, bubble size distribution, and physical

Optimal conditions for particle-bubble attachment in flotation: an experimental study

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez Yanez, Aaron; Hernandez Sanchez, Jose Federico; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T.

2017-11-01

Mineral flotation is a process used in the mining industry for separating solid particles of different sizes and densities. The separation is done by injecting bubbles into a slurry where the particles attach to them, forming floating aggregates. The attachment depends mainly on the bubbles and particles sizes as well as the hydrophobicity and roughness of the particles. We simplified the collective behavior in the industrial process to a single free particle-bubble collision, in contrast with previous studies where one of the two was kept fixed. We experimentally investigated the collision of spherical solid particles of a fixed diameter with bubbles of different sizes. By controlling the initial relative offset of the bubble and the particle, we conducted experiments observing their interaction. Recording with two synchronized high-speed cameras, perpendicular to each other, we can reconstruct the tridimensional trajectories of the bubble, the solid particle, and the aggregate. We describe the conditions for which the attachment happens in terms of dimensionless parameters such as the Ohnesorge number, the relative particle-bubble offset and the hydrophobicity of the particle surface. We furthermore investigate the role of the surface roughness in the attachment.

Anti-Bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Tufaile, Alberto; Sartorelli, José Carlos

2003-08-01

An anti-bubble is a striking kind of bubble in liquid that seemingly does not comply the buoyancy, and after few minutes it disappears suddenly inside the liquid. Different from a simple air bubble that rises directly to the liquid surface, an anti-bubble wanders around in the fluid due to its slightly lesser density than the surrounding liquid. In spite of this odd behavior, an anti-bubble can be understood as the opposite of a conventional soap bubble in air, which is a shell of liquid surrounding air, and an anti-bubble is a shell of air surrounding a drop of the liquid inside the liquid. Two-phase flow has been a subject of interest due to its relevance to process equipment for contacting gases and liquids applied in industry. A chain of bubbles rising in a liquid formed from a nozzle is a two-phase flow, and there are certain conditions in which spherical air shells, called anti-bubbles, are produced. The purpose of this work is mainly to note the existence of anti-bubbling regime as a sequel of a bubbling system. We initially have presented the experimental apparatus. After this we have described the evolution of the bubbling regimes, and emulated the effect of bubbling coalescence with simple maps. Then is shown the inverted dripping as a consequence of the bubble coalescence, and finally the conditions for anti-bubble formation.

Cluster Dynamics Modeling with Bubble Nucleation, Growth and Coalescence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

de Almeida, Valmor F. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Blondel, Sophie [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Bernholdt, David E. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wirth, Brian D. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

2017-06-01

The topic of this communication pertains to defect formation in irradiated solids such as plasma-facing tungsten submitted to helium implantation in fusion reactor com- ponents, and nuclear fuel (metal and oxides) submitted to volatile ssion product generation in nuclear reactors. The purpose of this progress report is to describe ef- forts towards addressing the prediction of long-time evolution of defects via continuum cluster dynamics simulation. The di culties are twofold. First, realistic, long-time dynamics in reactor conditions leads to a non-dilute di usion regime which is not accommodated by the prevailing dilute, stressless cluster dynamics theory. Second, long-time dynamics calls for a large set of species (ideally an in nite set) to capture all possible emerging defects, and this represents a computational bottleneck. Extensions beyond the dilute limit is a signi cant undertaking since no model has been advanced to extend cluster dynamics to non-dilute, deformable conditions. Here our proposed approach to model the non-dilute limit is to monitor the appearance of a spatially localized void volume fraction in the solid matrix with a bell shape pro le and insert an explicit geometrical bubble onto the support of the bell function. The newly cre- ated internal moving boundary provides the means to account for the interfacial ux of mobile species into the bubble, and the growth of bubbles allows for coalescence phenomena which captures highly non-dilute interactions. We present a preliminary interfacial kinematic model with associated interfacial di usion transport to follow the evolution of the bubble in any number of spatial dimensions and any number of bubbles, which can be further extended to include a deformation theory. Finally we comment on a computational front-tracking method to be used in conjunction with conventional cluster dynamics simulations in the non-dilute model proposed.

Effect of oxygen breathing on micro oxygen bubbles in nitrogen-depleted rat adipose tissue at sea level and 25 kPa altitude exposures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Randsoe, Thomas; Hyldegaard, Ole

2012-01-01

The standard treatment of altitude decompression sickness (aDCS) caused by nitrogen bubble formation is oxygen breathing and recompression. However, micro air bubbles (containing 79% nitrogen), injected into adipose tissue, grow and stabilize at 25 kPa regardless of continued oxygen breathing...... at 101.3 kPa (sea level) or at 25 kPa altitude exposures during continued oxygen breathing. In keeping with previous observations and bubble kinetic models, we hypothesize that oxygen breathing may contribute to oxygen bubble growth at altitude. Anesthetized rats were exposed to 3 h of oxygen...... prebreathing at 101.3 kPa (sea level). Micro oxygen bubbles of 500-800 nl were then injected into the exposed abdominal adipose tissue. The oxygen bubbles were studied for up to 3.5 h during continued oxygen breathing at either 101.3 or 25 kPa ambient pressures. At 101.3 kPa, all bubbles shrank consistently...

Design and calculation of tritium extraction from liquid LiPb by bubble columns for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Bo

2009-04-01

A mathematical model describing the complex fluid-dynamics of a bubble extractor from liquid LiPb loop for ITER is presented. A parametric analysis of the extraction efficiency of a bubble column as a function of the process parameters is carried out and the design of a bubble extractor system is proposed. On this base, a mathematical model is built by taking into consideration the kinetics of deuterium desorption from liquid LiPb alloy. The calculation data of deuterium release-behavior from liquid LiPb under different operating conditions of temperature and deuterium partial pressures and helium gas flow-rates in the liquid LiPb alloy are obtained. These results have shown that the overall re- lease process is governed by the diffusion of deuterium atoms in the LiPb and by the heterogeneous reaction at the gas-eutectic interface of the deuterium atoms recombination under the probable working temperature range. (authors)

Warm Pressurant Gas Effects on the Static Bubble Point Pressure for Cryogenic LADs

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, Jason W.; McQuillen, John; Chato, Daniel J.

2014-01-01

This paper presents experimental results for the liquid hydrogen and nitrogen bubble point tests using warm pressurant gases conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The purpose of the test series was to determine the effect of elevating the temperature of the pressurant gas on the performance of a liquid acquisition device (LAD). Three fine mesh screen samples (325x2300, 450x2750, 510x3600) were tested in liquid hydrogen and liquid nitrogen using cold and warm non-condensable (gaseous helium) and condensable (gaseous hydrogen or nitrogen) pressurization schemes. Gases were conditioned from 0K - 90K above the liquid temperature. Results clearly indicate degradation in bubble point pressure using warm gas, with a greater reduction in performance using condensable over non-condensable pressurization. Degradation in the bubble point pressure is inversely proportional to screen porosity, as the coarsest mesh demonstrated the highest degradation. Results here have implication on both pressurization and LAD system design for all future cryogenic propulsion systems. A detailed review of historical heated gas tests is also presented for comparison to current results.

Bubble properties of heterogeneous bubbly flow in a square bubble column

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bai, Wei; Deen, Niels G.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2010-01-01

The present work focuses on the measurements of bubble properties in heterogeneous bubbly flows in a square bubble column. A four-point optical fibre probe was used for this purpose. The accuracy and intrusive effect of the optical probe was investigated first. The results show that the optical

Active acoustic leak detection for LMFBR steam generator. Pt. 5. Experiment for detection of bubbles using the SG full sector model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumagai, Hiromichi

1997-01-01

In order to prevent the expansion of tube damages and to maintain structural safety in steam generators (SG) of fast breeder reactors (FBR), it is necessary to detect precisely and immediately the leakage of water from tubes of heat exchangers. Therefore, an active acoustic method, which detects the sound attenuation due to bubbles generated in the sodium-water reactions, it being developed. In this paper, the attenuation characteristics of sound attenuated by bubbles and influence of background noise are investigated experimentally by using an SG full sector model (diameter ratio about 1/1, height ratio about 1/7) simulating the actual SG. As an experimental result, the received sound attenuation for ten seconds was more than 10 dB from air bubble injection when injected bubble of 10 l/s (equivalence water leak rate about 10 g/s). The attenuation of sound are least affected by bubble injection position of heat exchanger tube bunch department. And the time was about 25 seconds till the sound attenuation became 10 dB in case of quantity of air bubble 1 l/s (equivalent water leak rate about 1 g/s). It is clarified that the background noise hardly influenced water leak detection performance as a result of having examined influence of background noise. (author)

Hydrogen permeation preventive structural materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, Kimichika; Nakahigashi, Shigeo; Imura, Masashi; Terasawa, Michitaka; Ebisawa, Katsuyuki.

1986-01-01

Purpose: To provide highly practical wall materials for use in thermonuclear reactors capable of effectively preventing the permeation of hydrogen isotopes such as tritium thereby preventing the contamination of coolants. Constitution: Helium gas is injected into or at the surface of base materials comprising stainless steel plates to form a helium gas region. Alternatively, boron, nitrogen or the compound thereof having a greater helium forming nuclear reaction cross section than that of the base materials is mixed or injected into the base material to form the helium gas region through (n,α) reaction under neutron irradiation. Since the helium gas region constitutes a diffusion barrier for the tritium as the hydrogen isotope, the permeation amount of tritium is significantly suppressed. Helium gas bubbles or lattice defects are formed in the helium gas region under the neutron irradiation, by which the hydrogen isotope capturing effect can also be effected. In this way, permeation of the hydrogen isotope, contamination of the coolants, etc. can be prevented to provide great practical effectives. (Kawakami, Y.)

TEM Characterization of Helium Bubbles in T91 and MNHS Steels Implanted with 200 keV He Ions at Different Temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ji; Gao Xing; Wang Zhi-Guang; Wei Kong-Fang; Yao Cun-Feng; Cui Ming-Huan; Sun Jian-Rong; Li Bing-Sheng; Pang Li-Long; Zhu Ya-Bin; Luo Peng; Chang Hai-Long; Zhang Hong-Peng; Zhu Hui-Ping; Wang Dong; Du Yang-Yang; Xie Er-Qing

2015-01-01

Modified novel high silicon steel (MNHS, a newly developed reduced-activation martensitic alloy) and commercial alloy T91 are implanted with 200 keV He"2"+ ions to a dose of 5 × 10"2"0 ions/m"2 at 300, 450 and 550°C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is used to characterize the size and morphology of He bubbles. With the increase of the implantation temperature, TEM observations indicate that bubbles increase in size and the proportion of ‘brick shaped’ cuboid bubbles increases while the proportion of polyhedral bubbles decreases in both the steel samples. For the samples implanted at the same temperature, the average size of He bubbles in MNHS is smaller than that in T91. This might be due to the abundance of boundaries and precipitates in MNHS, which provide additional sites for the trapping of He atoms, thus reduce the susceptibility of MNHS to He embrittlement. (paper)

A preliminary investigation of the diffusion of helium in zirconium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, D.J.; Faulkner, D.

1976-10-01

The out-diffusion of helium, introduced into polycrystalline zirconium at room temperature by ion-implantation at 100 keV to a peak concentration of 1ppm, was found to occur in two principal regions. Two evolution rate maxima, obtained during post-implantation target annealing at 2.6 0 K s -1 , were observed in close proximity at 330 0 C (0.28 Tsub(m)) and 450 0 C (0.34 Tsub(m)) comprising the principal stage, with a subordinate stage occurring at 600 0 C (0.4 Tsub(m)). These data were compared with similar maxima observed in nickel at 600 0 C (0.5 Tsub(m)) and 850 0 C (0.65 Tsub(m)). The results imply a high helium diffusivity over the 0.5 mm experimental range in comparison with nickel, and an exceptionally high diffusivity taking into account the melting temperature of zirconium. On the basis of a diffusion model proposed earlier for nickel, activation energies of 1.37 and 1.66 eV have been assigned to the principal maxima at 330 0 C and 450 0 C, and a value of 2.41 eV to the maximum at 600 0 C. The long range diffusivity of helium manifested by its thermal evolution from uniformly filled 120 mm thick foils was found to be much lower than that measured for short range migration. An empirical activation energy of approximately 3 eV was estimated for this process, thought to be a result of bubble migration. The release of helium from zirconium has been explained by comparison with nickel data. The proposed substitutional de-trapping mechanism has been invoked to account for the principal evolution rate maxima at 330 0 C. Helium release observed at 600 0 C has been explained by the annealing of radiation damage, so allowing gas trapped therein to be evolved. (author)

Cryosorption of helium on argon frost in Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor neutral beamlines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamperschroer, J.H.; Cropper, M.B.; Dylla, H.F.; Garzotto, V.; Dudek, L.E.; Grisham, L.R.; Martin, G.D.; O'Connor, T.E.; Stevenson, T.N.; von Halle, A.; Williams, M.D.; Kim, J.

1990-01-01

Helium pumping on argon frost has been investigated on Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) neutral beam injectors and shown to be viable for limited helium beam operation. Maximum pumping speeds are ∼25% less than those measured for pumping of deuterium. Helium pumping efficiency is low, >20 argon atoms are required to pump each helium atom. Adsorption isotherms are exponential and exhibit a twofold increase in adsorption capacity as the cryopanel temperature is reduced from 4.3 K to 3.7 K. Pumping speed was found to be independent of cryopanel temperature over the temperature range studied. After pumping a total of 2000 Torr l of helium, the beamline base pressure rose to 2x10 -5 Torr from an initial value of 10 -8 Torr. Accompanying this three order of magnitude increase in pressure was a modest 40% decrease in pumping speed. The introduction of 168 Torr l of deuterium prior to helium injection reduced the pumping speed by a factor of two with no decrease in adsorption capacity

Cryosorption of helium on argon frost TFTR [Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor] neutral beamlines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamperschroer, J.H.; Cropper, M.B.; Dylla, H.F.

1989-11-01

Helium pumping on argon frost has been investigated on TFTR neutral beam injectors and shown to be viable for limited helium beam operation. Maximum pumping speeds are ∼ 25% less than those measured for pumping of deuterium. Helium pumping efficiency is low, > 20 argon atoms are required to pump each helium atom. Adsorption isotherms are exponential and exhibit a two-fold increase in adsorption capacity as the cryopanel temperature is reduced from 4.3 K to 3.7 K. Pumping speed was found to be independent of cryopanel temperature over the temperature range studied. After pumping a total of 2000 torr-l of helium, the beamline base pressure rose to 2x10 -5 torr from an initial value of 10 -8 torr. Accompanying this three order of magnitude increase in pressure was a modest 40% decrease in pumping speed. The introduction of 168 torr-l of deuterium prior to helium injection reduced the pumping speed by a factor of two with no decrease in adsorption capacity. 29 refs., 7 figs

Microstructure and hardness evolution of nanochannel W films irradiated by helium at high temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Wenjing; Wang, Yongqiang; Tang, Ming; Ren, Feng; Fu, Qiang; Cai, Guangxu; Dong, Lan; Hu, Lulu; Wei, Guo; Jiang, Changzhong

2018-04-01

Plasma facing materials (PFMs) face one of the most serious challenges in fusion reactors, including unprecedented harsh environment such as 14.1 MeV neutron and transmutation gas irradiation at high temperature. Tungsten (W) is considered to be one of the most promising PFM, however, virtually insolubility of helium (He) in W causes new material issues such as He bubbles and W "fuzz" microstructure. In our previous studies, we presented a new strategy using nanochannel structure designed in the W film to increase the releasing of He atoms and thus to minimize the He nucleation and "fuzz" formation behavior. In this work, we report the further study on the diffusion of He atoms in the nanochannel W films irradiated at a high temperature of 600 °C. More specifically, the temperature influences on the formation and growth of He bubbles, the lattice swelling, and the mechanical properties of the nanochannel W films were investigated. Compared with the bulk W, the nanochannel W films possessed smaller bubble size and lower bubble areal density, indicating that noticeable amounts of He atoms have been released out along the nanochannels during the high temperature irradiations. Thus, with lower He concentration in the nanochannel W films, the formation of the bubble superlattice is delayed, which suppresses the lattice swelling and reduces hardening. These aspects indicate the nanochannel W films have better radiation resistance even at high temperature irradiations.

The effects of gaseous bubble composition and gap distance on the characteristics of nanosecond discharges in distilled water

KAUST Repository

Hamdan, Ahmad

2016-05-17

Electric discharge in liquids with bubbles can reduce the energy consumption, which increases treatment efficiency. We present an experimental study of nanosecond discharges in distilled water bubbled with the monoatomic gas argon and with the polyatomic gases methane, carbon dioxide, and propane. We monitor the time evolution of the voltage and current waveforms, and calculate the injected charges to characterize the discharge. We establish a relationship between the injected charges and the shape of the plasma by time-resolved imaging to find that increasing the size of the gap reduces the injected charges. Moreover, we determine the plasma characteristics, including electron density, excitation temperatures (for atoms and ions), and rotational temperature of the OH and C2 radicals found in the plasma. Our space- and time-averaged measurements allow us to propose a spatial distribution of the plasma that is helpful for understanding the plasma dynamics necessary to develop and optimize applications based on nanosecond discharges in bubbled liquids. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Hydrodynamics of ultra-relativistic bubble walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leitao, Leonardo, E-mail: lleitao@mdp.edu.ar; Mégevand, Ariel, E-mail: megevand@mdp.edu.ar

2016-04-15

In cosmological first-order phase transitions, gravitational waves are generated by the collisions of bubble walls and by the bulk motions caused in the fluid. A sizeable signal may result from fast-moving walls. In this work we study the hydrodynamics associated to the fastest propagation modes, namely, ultra-relativistic detonations and runaway solutions. We compute the energy injected by the phase transition into the fluid and the energy which accumulates in the bubble walls. We provide analytic approximations and fits as functions of the net force acting on the wall, which can be readily evaluated for specific models. We also study the back-reaction of hydrodynamics on the wall motion, and we discuss the extrapolation of the friction force away from the ultra-relativistic limit. We use these results to estimate the gravitational wave signal from detonations and runaway walls.

Influence of Bubble-Bubble interactions on the macroscale circulation patterns in a bubbling gas-solid fluidized bed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laverman, J.A.; van Sint Annaland, M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2007-01-01

The macro-scale circulation patterns in the emulsion phase of a gas-solid fluidized bed in the bubbling regime have been studied with a 3D Discrete Bubble Model. It has been shown that bubble-bubble interactions strongly influence the extent of the solids circulation and the bubble size

A molecular dynamics study of helium bombardments on tungsten nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Min; Hou, Qing; Cui, Jiechao; Wang, Jun

2018-06-01

Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to study the bombardment process of a single helium atom on a tungsten nanoparticle. Helium atoms ranging from 50 eV to 50 keV were injected into tungsten nanoparticles with a diameter in the range of 2-12 nm. The retention and reflection of projectiles and sputtering of nanoparticles were calculated at various times. The results were found to be relative to the nanoparticle size and projectile energy. The projectile energy of 100 eV contributes to the largest retention of helium atoms in tungsten nanoparticles. The most obvious difference in reflection exists in the range of 3-10 keV. Around 66% of sputtering atoms is in forward direction for projectiles with incident energy higher than 10 keV. Moreover, the axial direction of the nanoparticles was demonstrated to influence the bombardment to some degree.

Freezing Bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Kingett, Christian; Ahmadi, Farzad; Nath, Saurabh; Boreyko, Jonathan

2017-11-01

The two-stage freezing process of a liquid droplet on a substrate is well known; however, how bubbles freeze has not yet been studied. We first deposited bubbles on a silicon substrate that was chilled at temperatures ranging from -10 °C to -40 °C, while the air was at room temperature. We observed that the freeze front moved very slowly up the bubble, and in some cases, even came to a complete halt at a critical height. This slow freezing front propagation can be explained by the low thermal conductivity of the thin soap film, and can be observed more clearly when the bubble size or the surface temperature is increased. This delayed freezing allows the frozen portion of the bubble to cool the air within the bubble while the top part is still liquid, which induces a vapor pressure mismatch that either collapses the top or causes the top to pop. In cases where the freeze front reaches the top of the bubble, a portion of the top may melt and slowly refreeze; this can happen more than just once for a single bubble. We also investigated freezing bubbles inside of a freezer where the air was held at -20 °C. In this case, the bubbles freeze quickly and the ice grows radially from nucleation sites instead of perpendicular to the surface, which provides a clear contrast with the conduction limited room temperature bubbles.

Positron annihilation investigation and nuclear reaction analysis of helium and oxygen-implanted zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grynszpan, R.I.; Saude, S.; Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.

2005-01-01

Since irradiation affects in-service properties of zirconia, we investigated the fluence dependence on production and thermal stability of defects induced by helium and oxygen-ion implantation in single crystals of yttria-fully-stabilized zirconia. In either case, depth profiling by slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS) detects a distribution of vacancy-type defects peaking at 60% of the projected ion range R p . Owing to the saturation of positron-trapping occurring for low fluences, which depends on the ion mass, we could estimate a critical size of clusters ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 nm. The lack of SPIS-evidence of an open-volume excess at R p is explained by the presence of over-pressurized gas bubbles. This assumption is confirmed by Nuclear Reaction Analysis of 3 He concentration profiles, which shows that helium remains partly trapped at R p , even after annealing above 400 o C

CANDU 6 liquid injection shutdown system waterhammer analysis using PTRAN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Deuk Yoon; Kim, Eun Ki; Ko, Yong Sang; Park, Byung Ho; Kim, Seok Bum

1996-06-01

An in-core LOCA could result in flooding of the helium header in the liquid injection shutdown system. Flooding of the helium header will result in severe pressure transients (waterhammer) in the liquid injection shutdown system when the shutdown signal is initiated. To evaluate the impact of the dynamic effects of this event, a pressure transient analysis has been performed. This analysis is performed using PTRAN, which is a computer program based on the method of characteristics. The results of this analysis are used in the stress analysis of the piping and pipe supports to ensure that the liquid injection shutdown system can withstand the pressure transient loadings. This analysis report documents the results of waterhammer analysis performed for the liquid injection shutdown system for the Wolsung nuclear power plant unit 2, 3 and 4. 4 tabs., 11 figs., 15 refs. (Author)

CANDU 6 liquid injection shutdown system waterhammer analysis using PTRAN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Deuk Yoon; Kim, Eun Ki; Ko, Yong Sang; Park, Byung Ho; Kim, Seok Bum [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1996-06-01

An in-core LOCA could result in flooding of the helium header in the liquid injection shutdown system. Flooding of the helium header will result in severe pressure transients (waterhammer) in the liquid injection shutdown system when the shutdown signal is initiated. To evaluate the impact of the dynamic effects of this event, a pressure transient analysis has been performed. This analysis is performed using PTRAN, which is a computer program based on the method of characteristics. The results of this analysis are used in the stress analysis of the piping and pipe supports to ensure that the liquid injection shutdown system can withstand the pressure transient loadings. This analysis report documents the results of waterhammer analysis performed for the liquid injection shutdown system for the Wolsung nuclear power plant unit 2, 3 and 4. 4 tabs., 11 figs., 15 refs. (Author).

Discovery of Giant Gamma-ray Bubbles in the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Meng

Based on data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, we have discovered two gigantic gamma-ray emitting bubble structures in our Milky Way (known as the Fermi bubbles), extending ˜50 degrees above and below the Galactic center with a width of ˜40 degrees in longitude. The gamma-ray emission associated with these bubbles has a significantly harder spectrum (dN/dE ˜ E-2) than the inverse Compton emission from known cosmic ray electrons in the Galactic disk, or the gamma-rays produced by decay of pions from proton-ISM collisions. There is no significant difference in the spectrum or gamma-ray luminosity between the north and south bubbles. The bubbles are spatially correlated with the hard-spectrum microwave excess known as the WMAP haze; we also found features in the ROSAT soft X-ray maps at 1.5 -- 2 keV which line up with the edges of the bubbles. The Fermi bubbles are most likely created by some large episode of energy injection in the Galactic center, such as past accretion events onto the central massive black hole, or a nuclear starburst in the last ˜ 10 Myr. Study of the origin and evolution of the bubbles also has the potential to improve our understanding of recent energetic events in the inner Galaxy and the high-latitude cosmic ray population. Furthermore, we have recently identified a gamma-ray cocoon feature within the southern bubble, with a jet-like feature along the cocoon's axis of symmetry, and another directly opposite the Galactic center in the north. If confirmed, these jets are the first resolved gamma-ray jets ever seen.

A review of recent theoretical developments in the understanding of the migration of helium in metals and its interaction with lattice defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, D.J.

1977-01-01

Recent theoretical calculations of the properties of rare gases, and in particular helium, in the common f.c.c. and b.c.c. metals, are reviewed from the viewpoint of the investigator concerned with the behaviour of rare gas in such radiation damage processes as surface blistering and void swelling. Particular attention is paid to mechanisms by which helium may migrate in a damaged metal lattice during irradiation and to the properties of small gas and vacancy clusters which may represent bubble or void nuclei. Initially the proposed rapid migration of interstitial helium is discussed together with the substitutional de-trapping mechanism, whereby thermally activated helium jumps from a substitutional to an interstitial position. This enables a mechanism of substitutional helium diffusion to be proposed which may proceed at temperatures below those of self-diffusion. The formation, binding, migration and dissociation energies of gas-vacancy clusters have been reviewed. The relevance of the predicted trend towards the optimum stability of clusters composed of equal numbers of gas atoms and vacancies is discussed. The limited data available concerned with the binding of a helium atom to a pure dislocation line is presented together with comments on the possible nature of the interaction of helium with the dislocation jog. (author)

Science Bubbles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hendricks, Vincent Fella; Pedersen, David Budtz

2013-01-01

Much like the trade and trait sof bubbles in financial markets,similar bubbles appear on the science market. When economic bubbles burst, the drop in prices causes the crash of unsustainable investments leading to an investor confidence crisis possibly followed by a financial panic. But when...... bubbles appear in science, truth and reliability are the first victims. This paper explores how fashions in research funding and research management may turn science into something like a bubble economy....

Structure and micro-mechanical properties of helium-implanted layer on Ti by plasma-based ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xinxin; Li Jinlong; Sun Mingren

2008-01-01

The present paper concentrates on structure and micro-mechanical properties of the helium-implanted layer on titanium treated by plasma-based ion implantation with a pulsed voltage of -30 kV and doses of 3, 6, 9 and 12 x 10 17 ions/cm 2 , respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy are employed to characterize the structure of the implanted layer. The hardnesses at different depths of the layer were measured by nano-indentation. We found that helium ion implantation into titanium leads to the formation of bubbles with a diameter from a few to more than 10 nm and the bubble size increases with the increase of dose. The primary existing form of Ti is amorphous in the implanted layer. Helium implantation also enhances the ingress of O, C and N and stimulates the formations of TiO 2 , Ti 2 O 3 , TiO, TiC and TiN in the near surface layer. And the amount of the ingressed oxygen is obviously higher than those of nitrogen and carbon due to its higher activity. At the near surface layer, the hardnesses of all implanted samples increases remarkably comparing with untreated one and the maximum hardness has an increase by a factor of up to 3.7. For the samples implanted with higher doses of 6, 9 and 12 x 10 17 He/cm 2 , the local displacement bursts are clearly found in the load-displacement curves. For the samples implanted with a lower dose of 3 x 10 17 He/cm 2 , there is no obvious displacement burst found. Furthermore, the burst width increases with the increase of the dose

THE FERMI BUBBLES AS A SCALED-UP VERSION OF SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Yutaka; Ohira, Yutaka; Yamazaki, Ryo

2013-01-01

In this study, we treat Fermi bubbles as a scaled-up version of supernova remnants (SNRs). The bubbles are created through activities of the super-massive black hole (SMBH) or starbursts at the Galactic center (GC). Cosmic-rays (CRs) are accelerated at the forward shocks of the bubbles like SNRs, which means that we cannot decide whether the bubbles were created by the SMBH or starbursts from the radiation from the CRs. We follow the evolution of CR distribution by solving a diffusion-advection equation, considering the reduction of the diffusion coefficient by CR streaming. In this model, gamma rays are created through hadronic interaction between CR protons and the gas in the Galactic halo. In the GeV band, we can well reproduce the observed flat distribution of gamma-ray surface brightness because some amount of gas is left behind the shock. The edge of the bubbles is fairly sharp owing to the high gas density behind the shock and the reduction of the diffusion coefficient there. The latter also contributes the hard gamma-ray spectrum of the bubbles. We find that the CR acceleration at the shock began when the bubbles were small, and the time scale of the energy injection at the GC was much smaller than the age of the bubbles. We predict that if CRs are accelerated to the TeV regime, the apparent bubble size should be larger in the TeV band, which could be used to discriminate our hadronic model from other leptonic models. We also present neutrino fluxes

Steady-state exhaust of helium ash in the W-shaped divertor of JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakasai, A.; Takenaga, H.; Hosogane, N.

2001-01-01

By injecting a neutral beam of 60 keV helium (He) atoms as central fueling of helium into the ELMy H-mode plasmas, helium exhaust has been studied in the W-shaped pumped divertor on JT-60U. Efficient He exhaust was realized by He pumping using argon frosted cryopumps in the JT-60U new divertor. In steady state, good He exhaust capability (τ He */τ E =4 and high enrichment factor, where τ He * is a global particle confinement time of helium and τ E is the energy confinement time) was successfully demonstrated in attached ELMy H-mode plasmas. Good He exhaust capability was also obtained in detached ELMy H-mode plasmas, which was comparable to one in attached plasmas. This result of the helium exhaust is sufficient to support a detached divertor operation on ITER. After the divertor modification, helium exhaust in reversed shear plasmas has been investigated using He gas puff. Helium removal inside the internal transport barrier (ITB) is about two times as difficult as that outside the ITB in reversed shear discharges. (author)

Characteristics of bubble plumes, bubble-plume bubbles and waves from wind-steepened wave breaking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leifer, I.; Caulliez, G.; Leeuw, G. de

2007-01-01

Observations of breaking waves, associated bubble plumes and bubble-plume size distributions were used to explore the coupled evolution of wave-breaking, wave properties and bubble-plume characteristics. Experiments were made in a large, freshwater, wind-wave channel with mechanical wind-steepened

Nanofluidic bubble pump using surface tension directed gas injection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tas, Niels Roelof; Berenschot, Johan W.; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt; van den Berg, Albert

2002-01-01

A new concept for liquid manipulation has been developed and implemented in surface-micromachined fluid channels. It is based on the surface tension directed injection of a gas into the liquid flow through micrometer-sized holes in the microchannel wall. The injected gas is directed to an exhaust by

Helium implanted Eurofer97 characterized by positron beam Doppler broadening and Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carvalho, I., E-mail: i.carvalho@m2i.nl [Materials Innovation Institute (M2i), Delft (Netherlands); Schut, H. [Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft (Netherlands); Fedorov, A.; Luzginova, N. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), Petten (Netherlands); Desgardin, P. [CEMHTI-CNRS, 3A Rue de la Férolerie, 45071 Orléans Cedex (France); Sietsma, J. [Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft (Netherlands)

2013-11-15

Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic steels are being extensively studied because of their foreseen application in fusion and Generation IV fission reactors. To produce irradiation induced defects, Eurofer97 samples were implanted with helium at energies of 500 keV and 2 MeV and doses of 1 × 10{sup 15}–10{sup 16} He/cm{sup 2}, creating atomic displacements in the range 0.07–0.08 dpa. The implantation induced defects were characterized by positron beam Doppler Broadening (DB) and Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS). Results show that up to ∼600 K peaks that can be attributed to He desorption from overpressured He{sub n}V{sub m} (n > m) clusters and vacancy assisted mechanism in the case of helium in the substitutional position. The temperature range 600–1200 K is related to the formation of larger clusters He{sub n}V{sub m} (n < m). The dissociation of the HeV and the phase transition attributed to a sharp peak in the TDS spectra at 1200 K. Above this temperature, the release of helium from bubbles is observed.

Hydrodynamics of ultra-relativistic bubble walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Leitao

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In cosmological first-order phase transitions, gravitational waves are generated by the collisions of bubble walls and by the bulk motions caused in the fluid. A sizeable signal may result from fast-moving walls. In this work we study the hydrodynamics associated to the fastest propagation modes, namely, ultra-relativistic detonations and runaway solutions. We compute the energy injected by the phase transition into the fluid and the energy which accumulates in the bubble walls. We provide analytic approximations and fits as functions of the net force acting on the wall, which can be readily evaluated for specific models. We also study the back-reaction of hydrodynamics on the wall motion, and we discuss the extrapolation of the friction force away from the ultra-relativistic limit. We use these results to estimate the gravitational wave signal from detonations and runaway walls.

Helium release rates and ODH calculations from RHIC magnet cooling line failure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liaw, C.J.; Than, Y.; Tuozzolo, J.

2011-03-28

A catastrophic failure of the magnet cooling lines, similar to the LHC superconducting bus failure incident, could discharge cold helium into the RHIC tunnel and cause an Oxygen Deficiency Hazard (ODH) problem. A SINDA/FLUINT{reg_sign} model, which simulated the 4.5K/4 atm helium flowing through the magnet cooling system distribution lines, then through a line break into the insulating vacuum volumes and discharging via the reliefs into the RHIC tunnel, had been developed. Arc flash energy deposition and heat load from the ambient temperature cryostat surfaces are included in the simulations. Three typical areas: the sextant arc, the Triplet/DX/D0 magnets, and the injection area, had been analyzed. Results, including helium discharge rates, helium inventory loss, and the resulting oxygen concentration in the RHIC tunnel area, are reported. Good agreement had been achieved when comparing the simulation results, a RHIC sector depressurization test measurement, and some simple analytical calculations.

Reduction of hydrocarbon impurities in 200 l/h helium liquefier-refrigerator system

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Shuichi; Mito, Toshiyuki; Nishimura, Arata; Takahata, Kazuya; Satoh, Sadao; Yamamoto, Junya; Yamamura, Hidemasa; Masuda, Kaoru; Kashihara, Shinichirou; Fukusada, Katsuaki

1993-11-01

A cryogenic system with the capacity of 200 l/h or 500 W at 4.4 K was developed in order to supply the superconducting conductors and coils of the LHD. As a by-product of operating the cryogenic system, the impurity densities of hydrocarbon gases in the circulating helium gas became much larger than the expected values for this cryogenic system. So much larger in fact, that it became necessary to carefully monitor the operational conditions of the circulating compressor by means of gas chromatography. Impurity gas densities of oxygen, nitrogen, and ethane increased significantly when the output capacity of the compressor was reduced. In a two-stage oil injected compression system, with a variable stroke mechanism for a first stage, a reduction in the capacity of the first stage leads to a larger compression ratio for the second stage, and the temperature of the injected oil becomes higher. The production of the impurities in the helium might be caused by decomposition of the injected oil in the compressor. The compressor, therefore, was reconstructed such that the injection oil is supplied sufficiently, and the compression ratio division becomes even for each stage. It was confirmed that the impurities were not produced after the modification.

A model established of a 'Embryo' bubble growing-up some visible bubble in bubble chamber and its primary theory calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Zipiao; Sheng Xiangdong

2006-01-01

A model of a 'embryo' bubble growing up a visible bubble in the bubble chamber is established. Through primary theory calculation it is shown that the 'embryo' bubble is not only absorbing quantity of heat, but also some molecules get into the 'embryo' bubble from its environment. It is explained reasonably that the radius of bubbles in bubble camber is different for the same energies of neutrons and proton. The track of neutron in bubble camber is long and thin, and the track of proton in bubble camber is wide and short. It is explained reasonably that the bubble radius of the incident particles with more charges which there are the same energies will be wider than that of the incident particles with less charges in the track. It is also explained reasonably that there are a little different radius of the bubbles of a track at the some region. It can be predicted theoretically that there should be big bubbles to burst when incident particles enter the bubble chamber at first. The sensitivity and the detective efficiency of bubble camber can be enhanced by choosing appropriate work matter. (authors)

Performance Testing of Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Helium Screw Compressors

Science.gov (United States)

Knudsen, P.; Ganni, V.; Dixon, K.; Norton, R.; Creel, J.

2015-08-01

Oil injected screw compressors have essentially superseded all other types of compressors in modern helium refrigeration systems due to their large displacement capacity, reliability, minimal vibration, and capability of handling helium's high heat of compression. At the present state of compressor system designs for helium refrigeration systems, typically two-thirds of the lost input power is due to the compression system. It is important to understand the isothermal and volumetric efficiencies of these machines to help properly design the compression system to match the refrigeration process. It is also important to identify those primary compressor skid exergetic loss mechanisms which may be reduced, thereby offering the possibility of significantly reducing the input power to helium refrigeration processes which are extremely energy intensive. This paper summarizes the results collected during the commissioning of the new compressor system for Jefferson Lab's (JLab's) 12 GeV upgrade. The compressor skid packages were designed by JLab and built to print by industry. They incorporate a number of modifications not typical of helium screw compressor packages and most importantly allow a very wide range of operation so that JLab's patented Floating Pressure Process can be fully utilized. This paper also summarizes key features of the skid design that allow this process and facilitate the maintenance and reliability of these helium compressor systems.

Biomass fueled closed cycle gas turbine with water injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardi, Silvia [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Technology

2001-01-01

Direct water injection has been studied for a small scale ({approx} 8 MW fuel input) closed cycle gas turbine coupled to a biomass fueled CFB furnace. Two different working fluids have been considered (helium-water mixture and nitrogen-water mixture). The water injection could take place between the compressor stages, as an intercooler, or after the high pressure compressor, as an aftercooler. Both this options have been studied, varying the relative humidity levels after the injection and the temperatures of the injected water. The effect of water injection on thermodynamic properties of the working fluids has been studied, together with its effect on turbomachinery isentropic efficiency. A sensitivity analysis on turbomachinery efficiency and cycle base pressure has been included. The results from this study have been compared to the performance of a dry closed cycle without water injection. The wet cycle shows an electric efficiency in the range 29-32% with helium-water mixture as working fluid and 30-32% with nitrogen-water mixture as working fluid, while the total efficiency (referring to the fuel LHV) is always higher than 100%. In the non-injected cycle the electric efficiency is 30-35% with helium and 32-36 with nitrogen. The total efficiency in the dry case with two level intercooling and postcooling is 87-89%, while is higher than 100% when only one stage inter- and postcooling is present. Aside from this, the study also includes a sizing of the heat exchangers for the different cycle variations. The heat transfer area is very sensible to the working fluid and to the amount of injected water and it's always higher when a nitrogen-water mixture is used. Compared to the cycle without water injection, by the way, the number of heat exchangers is reduced. This will lead to a lower pressure drop and a simpler plant layout. The total heat transfer area, however, is higher in the wet cycle than in the dry cycle.

The Behavior of Micro Bubbles and Bubble Cluster in Ultrasound Field

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshizawa, Shin; Matsumoto, Yoichiro

2001-11-01

Ultrasound is widely applied in the clinical field today, such as ultrasound imaging, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) and so on. It is essential to take a real understanding of the dynamics of micro bubbles and bubble cluster in these applications. Thus we numerically simulate them in ultrasound field in this paper. In the numerical simulation, we consider the thermal behavior inside the bubble and the pressure wave phenomena in the bubble cluster in detail, namely, the evaporation and condensation of liquid at the bubble wall, heat transfer through the bubble wall, diffusion of non-condensable gas inside the bubble and the compressibility of liquid. Initial cluster radius is to 0.5[mm], bubble radius is 1.7[mm], void fraction is 0.1[ambient pressure is 101.3[kPa], temperature is 293[K] and the amplitude of ultrasound is 50[kPa]. We simulate bubble cluster in ultrasound field at various frequencies and we obtain the following conclusions. 1) The maximum pressure inside bubble cluster reaches 5[MPa] and this is much higher than that of a bubble. 2) Bubble cluster behaves like a rigid body acoustically when the frequency of ultrasound is much higher than its natural frequency.

Real-Time Measurements and Modelling on Dynamic Behaviour of SonoVue Bubbles Based on Light Scattering Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juan, Tu; Rongjue, Wei; Guan, J. F.; Matula, T. J.; Crum, L. A.

2008-01-01

The dynamic behaviour of SonoVue microbubbles, a new generation ultrasound contrast agent, is investigated in real time with light scattering method. Highly diluted SonoVue microbubbles are injected into a diluted gel made of xanthan gum and water. The responses of individual SonoVue bubbles to driven ultrasound pulses are measured. Both linear and nonlinear bubble oscillations are observed and the results suggest that SonoVue microbubbles can generate strong nonlinear responses. By fitting the experimental data of individual bubble responses with Sarkar's model, the shell coating parameter of the bubbles and dilatational viscosity is estimated to be 7.0 nm·s·Pa

Fracture detection and groundwater flow characterization in poorly exposed ground using helium and radon in soil gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gascoyne, M.; Wuschke, D.M.

1991-05-01

Radon and helium in soil gases have been used to identify locations of groundwater discharge and the presence of fractures outcropping beneath overburden in two areas near the Underground Research Laboratory (URL), Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, Canada. In particular, groundwater discharge from a known, inclined fracture zone at the URL was clearly identified by a helium excess in overlying soil gases. A model was developed to describe gas phase flow in bedrock and overburden at this location, from gas injection in an adjacent borehole. Predictions were made of gas transport pathway and breakthrough time at the surface, in preparation for a gas injection test

Fama on Bubbles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engsted, Tom

2016-01-01

While Eugene Fama has repeatedly expressed his discontent with the notion of an “irrational bubble,” he has never publicly expressed his opinion on “rational bubbles.” On empirical grounds Fama rejects bubbles by referring to the lack of reliable evidence that price declines are predictable....... However, this argument cannot be used to rule out rational bubbles because such bubbles do not necessarily imply return predictability, and return predictability of the kind documented by Fama does not rule out rational bubbles. On data samples that include the 1990s, there is evidence of an explosive...... component in stock market valuation ratios, consistent with a rational bubble....

Study of helium behaviour in body-centered cubic structures for new nuclear reactor generations: experimental approach in well characterized materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorondy-Novak, Sofia Maria

2017-01-01

The presence of helium produced during the operation of future fast reactors and fusion reactors in core structural materials induces a deterioration of their mechanical properties (hardening, swelling, embrittlement). In order to pursue the development of the metallic structural alloys, it is necessary to comprehend the He interaction with the metal lattice thus the point in common is the study of the metallic components with body-centered cubic structure (bcc) of future alloys, such as iron and/or vanadium. Ion implantation of ions "4He was employed with the aim of simulating the damaging effects associated with the helium accumulation, the point defects' creation (vacancies, self-interstitials) and the He cluster formation in future reactors. Helium evolution in pure iron and pure vanadium has been revealed from the point of view of the trapping sites' nature and well as the helium migration mechanisms and the nucleation/growth of bubbles. These phenomena were studied by coupling different complementary techniques. Despite of the fact that some mechanisms involved seem to be similar for both bcc metals, the comparison between the helium behavior in iron and vanadium shows certain differences. Microstructural defects, including grain boundaries and implanted helium concentration (dose) in both bcc metals will play significant roles on the helium behavior at high temperature. The acquired experimental data coupled with simulation methods contribute to the future development in terms of kinetic and thermodynamic data management of helium behavior in the metal components of the alloys of nuclear interest. (author) [fr

Interaction of a bubble and a bubble cluster in an ultrasonic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Cheng-Hui; Cheng Jian-Chun

2013-01-01

Using an appropriate approximation, we have formulated the interacting equation of multi-bubble motion for a system of a single bubble and a spherical bubble cluster. The behavior of the bubbles is observed in coupled and uncoupled states. The oscillation of bubbles inside the cluster is in a coupled state. The numerical simulation demonstrates that the secondary Bjerknes force can be influenced by the number density, initial radius, distance, driving frequency, and amplitude of ultrasound. However, if a bubble approaches a bubble cluster of the same initial radii, coupled oscillation would be induced and a repulsive force is evoked, which may be the reason why the bubble cluster can exist steadily. With the increment of the number density of the bubble cluster, a secondary Bjerknes force acting on the bubbles inside the cluster decreases due to the strong suppression of the coupled bubbles. It is shown that there may be an optimal number density for a bubble cluster which can generate an optimal cavitation effect in liquid for a stable driving ultrasound. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

TEM study of the nucleation of bubbles induced by He implantation in 316L industrial austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jublot-Leclerc, S.; Lescoat, M.-L.; Fortuna, F.; Legras, L.; Li, X.; Gentils, A.

2015-01-01

10 keV He ions were implanted in-situ in a TEM into thin foils of 316L industrial austenitic stainless steel at temperatures ranging from 200 to 550 °C. As a result, overpressurized nanometric bubbles are created with density and size depending strongly on both the temperature and fluence of implantation. An investigation on their nucleation and growth is reported through a rigorous statistical analysis whose procedure, including the consideration of free surface effects, is detailed. In the parameter range considered, the results show that an increase of fluence promotes both the nucleation and growth of the bubbles whilst an increase of temperature enhances the growth of the bubbles at the expense of their nucleation. The confrontation of resulting activation energies with existing models for bubble nucleation enables the identification of the underlying mechanisms. In spite of slight differences resulting from different conditions of implantation among which the He concentration, He production rate and He/dpa ratio, it appears that the dominating mechanisms are the same as those obtained in metals in previous studies, which, in addition to corroborating literature results, shows the suitability of in-situ TEM experiments to simulate the production of helium in nuclear materials. - Highlights: • A rigorous TEM statistical analysis, including free surface effects, is reported. • Increasing He fluence promotes both the nucleation and growth of bubbles. • Increasing implantation temperature enhances the growth of bubbles. • Activation energies describing the evolution of the bubble population are obtained. • A He diffusion controlled nucleation through a replacement mechanism is suggested.

Experimental investigations and modelling on the transition from bubble to slug flow in vertical pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, D.; Krepper, E.; Prasser, H.M.

2003-01-01

To qualify CFD codes for two-phase flows, they have to be equipped with constitutive laws describing the interaction between the gaseous and the liquid phases. In the case of bubble flow this particularly concerns the forces acting on the bubbles and bubble coalescence and break-up. To obtain detailed experimental data, an electrode wire-mesh sensor was used, which enables the measurement of the phase distribution with a very high resolution in space and in time. Air-water flow at ambient conditions in a vertical pipe (51.2 mm inner diameter) is investigated to have well defined boundary conditions. Local bubble size distributions are calculated from the data. The measurements were done in different distances from the gas injection device. As a result the development of bubble size distributions as well as the development of the radial gas fraction profiles can be studied. It was found, that the bubble size distribution as well as local effects determine the transition from bubble flow to slug flow. The data are used for the development of a model, which predicts the development of the bubble size distribution and the transition from bubble flow to slug flow in case of stationary flow in a vertical pipe. (orig.)

Two-Dimensional Physical and CFD Modelling of Large Gas Bubble Behaviour in Bath Smelting Furnaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuhua Pan

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The behaviour of large gas bubbles in a liquid bath and the mechanisms of splash generation due to gas bubble rupture in high-intensity bath smelting furnaces were investigated by means of physical and mathematical (CFD modelling techniques. In the physical modelling work, a two-dimensional Perspex model of the pilot plant furnace at CSIRO Process Science and Engineering was established in the laboratory. An aqueous glycerol solution was used to simulate liquid slag. Air was injected via a submerged lance into the liquid bath and the bubble behaviour and the resultant splashing phenomena were observed and recorded with a high-speed video camera. In the mathematical modelling work, a two-dimensional CFD model was developed to simulate the free surface flows due to motion and deformation of large gas bubbles in the liquid bath and rupture of the bubbles at the bath free surface. It was concluded from these modelling investigations that the splashes generated in high-intensity bath smelting furnaces are mainly caused by the rupture of fast rising large gas bubbles. The acceleration of the bubbles into the preceding bubbles and the rupture of the coalescent bubbles at the bath surface contribute significantly to splash generation.

Tensile properties and microstructure of helium injected and reactor irradiated V-20 Ti

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, M.P.; Bloom, E.E.; Horak, J.A.

1980-01-01

The objective of this work was to determine the effect of preinjected helium followed by neutron irradiation on the mechanical properties and microstructure of V-20% Ti. These results will be used for the evaluation of the potential use of V-20% Ti in fusion reactor service

Observations of energetic helium ions in the Earth's radiation belts during a sequence of geomagnetic storms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spjeldvik, W.N.; Fritz, T.A.

1981-01-01

Every year a significant number of magnetic storms disturb the earth's magnetosphere and the trapped particle populations. In this paper, we present observations of energetic (MeV) helium ions made with Explorer 45 during a sequence of magnetic storms during June through December of 1972. The first of these storms started on June 17 and had a Dst index excursion to approx.190 gamma, and the MeV helium ions were perturbed primarily beyond 3 earth radii in the equatorial radiation belts with a typical flux increase of an order of magnitude at L = 4. The second storm period took place during August and was associated with very major solar flare activity. Although the Dst extremum was at best 35 gamma less than the June storm, this period can be characterized as irregular (or multi-storm) with strong compression of the magnetosphere and very large (order of magnitude) MeV helium ion flux enhancements down to Lapprox.2. Following this injection the trapped helium ion fluxes showed positive spectral slope with the peak beyond 3.15 MeV at L = 2.5; and at the lowest observable L shells (Lapprox.2--3) little flux decay (tau>100 days) was seen during the rest of the year. Any effects of two subsequent major magnetic storms in September and November were essentially undetectable in the prolonged after-effect of the August solar flare associated MeV helium ion injection. The helium ion radial profile of the phase space density showed a significant negative slope during this period, and we infer that radial diffusion constitutes a significant loss of helium ions on L shells above Lapprox. =4 during the aftermath of the August 1972 magnetic storm

Mixing and mass transfer in bubble extractor: its application to tritium extraction from 17Li83Pb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baratti, R.; Polcaro, A.M.; Ricci, P.F.; Viola, A.; Pierini, G.

1986-01-01

The tritium extraction from the liquid alloy 17Li83Pb has been examined taking into consideration the equations related to the design of bubble extractors in order to verify which are the highest tritium recovery efficiencies which can be realized so as to minimize the tritium permeation into the water of the cooling system. For the tritium desorption from alloy, flowing countercurrent to a helium stream in a bubble extractor, the axial dispersion in liquid and gaseous phase and the effect of gas phase expansion caused by reduced hydrostatic head in the extractor are taken into account. Taking into consideration some NET technical specifications, such as the alloy volume in the blanket of 65 m 3 and the tritium generation rate of 78 g.d -1 , the results are presented and discussed

Pneumatic hydrogen pellet injection system for the ISX tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milora, S.L.; Foster, C.A.

1979-01-01

We describe the design and operation of the solid hydrogen pellet injection system used in plasma refueling experiments on the ISX tokamak. The gun-type injector operates on the principle of gas dynamic acceleration of cold pellets confined laterally in a tube. The device is cooled by flowing liquid helium refrigerant, and pellets are formed in situ. Room temperature helium gas at moderate pressure is used as the propellant. The prototype device injected single hydrogen pellets into the tokamak discharge at a nominal 330 m/s. The tokamak plasma fuel content was observed to increase by (0.5--1.2) x 10 19 particles subsequent to pellet injection. A simple modification to the existing design has extended the performance to 1000 m/s. At higher propellant operating pressures (28 bars), the muzzle velocity is 20% less than predicted by an idealized constant area expansion process

Oscillating plasma bubbles. IV. Grids, geometry, and gradients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stenzel, R. L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1547 (United States); Urrutia, J. M. [Urrutia Scientific, Van Nuys, California 91406 (United States)

2012-08-15

Plasma bubbles are created in an ambient plasma. The bubble is formed inside a cavity bounded by a negatively biased grid. Ions are injected through the grid and neutralized by electrons from either the background plasma or an internal electron emitter. The external electron supply is controlled by the grid bias relative to the external plasma potential. When the electron flux is restricted to the ion flux, the sheath of the bubble becomes unstable and causes the plasma potential to oscillate near the ion plasma frequency. The exact frequency depends on the net space charge density in the bubble sheath. The frequency increases with density and grid voltage, provided the grid forms a parallel equipotential surface. The present investigation shows that when the Debye length becomes smaller than the grid openings the electron flux cannot be controlled by the grid voltage. The frequency dependence on grid voltage and density is modified creating frequency and amplitude jumps. Low frequency sheath oscillations modulate the high frequency normal oscillations. Harmonics and subharmonics are excited by electrons in an ion-rich sheath. When the plasma parameters vary over the bubble surface, the sheath may oscillate at different frequencies. A cavity with two isolated grids has been used to investigate anisotropies of the energetic electron flux in a discharge plasma. The frequency dependence on grid voltage is entirely different when the grid controls the energetic electrons or the bulk electrons. These observations are important to several fields of basic plasma physics, such as sheaths, sheath instabilities, diagnostic probes, current, and space charge neutralization of ion beams.

Bubble systems

CERN Document Server

Avdeev, Alexander A

2016-01-01

This monograph presents a systematic analysis of bubble system mathematics, using the mechanics of two-phase systems in non-equilibrium as the scope of analysis. The author introduces the thermodynamic foundations of bubble systems, ranging from the fundamental starting points to current research challenges. This book addresses a range of topics, including description methods of multi-phase systems, boundary and initial conditions as well as coupling requirements at the phase boundary. Moreover, it presents a detailed study of the basic problems of bubble dynamics in a liquid mass: growth (dynamically and thermally controlled), collapse, bubble pulsations, bubble rise and breakup. Special emphasis is placed on bubble dynamics in turbulent flows. The analysis results are used to write integral equations governing the rate of vapor generation (condensation) in non-equilibrium flows, thus creating a basis for solving a number of practical problems. This book is the first to present a comprehensive theory of boil...

Cryogenic filter method produces super-pure helium and helium isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Hildebrandt, A. F.

1964-01-01

Helium is purified when cooled in a low pressure environment until it becomes superfluid. The liquid helium is then filtered through iron oxide particles. Heating, cooling and filtering processes continue until the purified liquid helium is heated to a gas.

Influence of displacement damage on deuterium and helium retention in austenitic and ferritic-martensitic alloys considered for ADS service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voyevodin, V.N.; Karpov, S.A.; Kopanets, I.E.; Ruzhytskyi, V.V. [National Science Center “Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology” Kharkov, 1, Akademicheskaya St., Kharkov, 61108 (Ukraine); Tolstolutskaya, G.D., E-mail: g.d.t@kipt.kharkov.ua [National Science Center “Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology” Kharkov, 1, Akademicheskaya St., Kharkov, 61108 (Ukraine); Garner, F.A. [Radiation Effects Consulting, Richland, WA (United States)

2016-01-15

The behavior of ion-implanted hydrogen (deuterium) and helium in austenitic 18Cr10NiTi stainless steel, EI-852 ferritic steel and ferritic/martensitic steel EP-450 and their interaction with displacement damage were investigated. Energetic argon irradiation was used to produce displacement damage and bubble formation to simulate nuclear power environments. The influence of damage morphology and the features of radiation-induced defects on deuterium and helium trapping in structural alloys was studied using ion implantation, the nuclear reaction D({sup 3}He,p){sup 4}He, thermal desorption spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. It was found in the case of helium irradiation that various kinds of helium-radiation defect complexes are formed in the implanted layer that lead to a more complicated spectra of thermal desorption. Additional small changes in the helium spectra after irradiation with argon ions to a dose of ≤25 dpa show that the binding energy of helium with these traps is weakly dependent on the displacement damage. It was established that retention of deuterium in ferritic and ferritic-martensitic alloys is three times less than in austenitic steel at damage of ∼1 dpa. The retention of deuterium in steels is strongly enhanced by presence of radiation damages created by argon ion irradiation, with a shift in the hydrogen release temperature interval of 200 K to higher temperature. At elevated temperatures of irradiation the efficiency of deuterium trapping is reduced by two orders of magnitude.

How are soap bubbles blown? Fluid dynamics of soap bubble blowing

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, John; Lambert, Lori; Sherman, Erica; Wei, Timothy; Ryu, Sangjin

2013-11-01

Soap bubbles are a common interfacial fluid dynamics phenomenon having a long history of delighting not only children and artists but also scientists. In contrast to the dynamics of liquid droplets in gas and gas bubbles in liquid, the dynamics of soap bubbles has not been well documented. This is possibly because studying soap bubbles is more challenging due to there existing two gas-liquid interfaces. Having the thin-film interface seems to alter the characteristics of the bubble/drop creation process since the interface has limiting factors such as thickness. Thus, the main objective of this study is to determine how the thin-film interface differentiates soap bubbles from gas bubbles and liquid drops. To investigate the creation process of soap bubbles, we constructed an experimental model consisting of air jet flow and a soap film, which consistently replicates the conditions that a human produces when blowing soap bubbles, and examined the interaction between the jet and the soap film using the high-speed videography and the particle image velocimetry.

Investigation of Gas Holdup in a Vibrating Bubble Column

Science.gov (United States)

Mohagheghian, Shahrouz; Elbing, Brian

2015-11-01

Synthetic fuels are part of the solution to the world's energy crisis and climate change. Liquefaction of coal during the Fischer-Tropsch process in a bubble column reactor (BCR) is a key step in production of synthetic fuel. It is known from the 1960's that vibration improves mass transfer in bubble column. The current study experimentally investigates the effect that vibration frequency and amplitude has on gas holdup and bubble size distribution within a bubble column. Air (disperse phase) was injected into water (continuous phase) through a needle shape injector near the bottom of the column, which was open to atmospheric pressure. The air volumetric flow rate was measured with a variable area flow meter. Vibrations were generated with a custom-made shaker table, which oscillated the entire column with independently specified amplitude and frequency (0-30 Hz). Geometric dependencies can be investigated with four cast acrylic columns with aspect ratios ranging from 4.36 to 24, and injector needle internal diameters between 0.32 and 1.59 mm. The gas holdup within the column was measured with a flow visualization system, and a PIV system was used to measure phase velocities. Preliminary results for the non-vibrating and vibrating cases will be presented.

Metal enrichment in the Fermi bubbles as a probe of their origin

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Yoshiyuki; Nakashima, Shinya; Tahara, Masaya; Kataoka, Jun; Totani, Tomonori; Fujita, Yutaka; Sofue, Yoshiaki

2015-06-01

The Fermi bubbles are gigantic gamma-ray structures in our Galaxy. The physical origin of the bubbles is still under debate. The leading scenarios can be divided into two categories. One is nuclear star-forming activity similar to extragalactic starburst galaxies and the other is past active galactic nucleus (AGN)-like activity of the Galactic center supermassive black hole. In this letter, we propose that metal abundance measurements will provide an important clue to probe their origin. Based on a simple spherically symmetric bubble model, we find that the generated metallicity and abundance patterns of the bubbles' gas strongly depend on assumed star formation or AGN activities. Star formation scenarios predict higher metallicities and abundance ratios of [O/Fe] and [Ne/Fe] than AGN scenarios do because of supernovae ejecta. Furthermore, the resultant abundance depends on the gamma-ray emission process because different mass injection histories are required for the different gamma-ray emission processes due to the acceleration and cooling time scales of non-thermal particles. Future X-ray missions such as ASTRO-H and Athena will give a clue to probe the origin of the bubbles through abundance measurements with their high energy resolution instruments.

Time evolution of the exponential wavenumber spectra of turbulence upon helium injection into a hydrogen discharge at the FT-2 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurchenko, A. D.; Gusakov, E. Z.; Lashkul, S. I.; Altukhov, A. B.; Selyunin, E. P.; Esipov, L. A.; Kantor, M. Yu.; Kouprienko, D. V.; Stepanov, A. Yu.

2013-01-01

The effect of variations in the key parameter of short-wavelength turbulence—the ion-acoustic Larmor radius ρ s , which determines the position of the maximum of the drift instability growth rate over poloidal wavenumbers—was studied experimentally at the FT-2 tokamak. For this purpose, helium was injected to hydrogen plasma, which resulted in a change in the electron temperature at the plasma edge. The universality of the exponential shape of the turbulence spectra over radial wavenumbers q and a substantial excess of the characteristic turbulence scale L over the ion-acoustic Larmor radius was confirmed with the help of correlative diagnostics of enhanced scattering. This excess at the discharge periphery reaches a value of 3–5 at a low electron temperature, apparently, due to an increase in the dissipation of drift waves upon their cascade transfer toward short scale-lengths.

Experimental identification for physical mechanism of fiber-form nanostructure growth on metal surfaces with helium plasma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takamura, S., E-mail: takamura@aitech.ac.jp [Faculty of Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, Yakusa-cho, Toyota 470-0392 (Japan); Uesugi, Y. [Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan)

2015-11-30

Highlights: • Initial growth process of fiber-form nanostructure on metal surfaces under helium ion irradiation is given based on experimental knowledge, where the pitting of original surface and forming nano-walls and/or loop-like nanostructure works as precursors. • The physical mechanism of fiber growth is discussed in terms of shear modulus of metals influenced by helium content as well as surface temperature. • The physical model explains the reason why tantalum does not make sufficiently grown nano-fibers, and the temperature dependence of surface morphology of titanium. - Abstract: The initial stage of fiber-form nanostructure growth on metal surface with helium plasma irradiation is illustrated, taking recent research knowledge using a flux gradient technique, and including loop-like nano-scale structure as precursors. The growth mechanism of fibers is discussed in terms of the shear modulus of various materials that is influenced by the helium content as well as the surface temperature, and the mobility of helium atoms, clusters and/or nano-bubbles in the bulk, loops and fibers. This model may explain the reason why tantalum does not provide fiber-form nanostructure although the loop-like structure was identified. The model also suggests the mechanism of an existence of two kinds of nanostructure of titanium depending on surface temperature. Industrial applications of such nanostructures are suggested in the properties and the possibilities of its growth on other basic materials.

Effect of helium preinjection and prior thermomechanical treatment on the microstructure of Type 316 SS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohyama, A.; Ayrault, G.; Turner, A.P.L.; Igata, N.

1982-10-01

Samples of 316 SS were preinjected with 15 appM helium either hot (650 0 C) or cold (room temperature) and irradiated with 3 MeV Ni + ions to a dose level of 25 dpa at 625 0 C in order to test the validity of helium preinjection as a means of simulation of transmutant helium production. Results for preinjected and single-ion irradiated samples were compared to samples irradiated with 3 MeV Ni + and simultaneously injected with helium at a rate of 15 appM He/dpa (dual-ion irradiated samples). Preinjected samples exhibited bimodal cavity size distributions. Preinjected samples of solution annealed or solution annealed and aged material showed lower swelling than dual-ion irradiated samples. However, He preinjection in 20% cold worked samples showed greater swelling than dual-ion irradiated samples 9 figures, 1 table

Sticky bubbles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Antoniuk, O.; Bos, van der A.; Driessen, T.W.; Es, van B.; Jeurissen, R.J.M.; Michler, D.; Reinten, H.; Schenker, M.; Snoeijer, J.H.; Srivastava, S.; Toschi, F.; Wijshoff, H.M.A.

2011-01-01

We discuss the physical forces that are required to remove an air bubble immersed in a liquid from a corner. This is relevant for inkjet printing technology, as the presence of air bubbles in the channels of a printhead perturbs the jetting of droplets. A simple strategy to remove the bubble is to

Formation and evolution of bubbly screens in confined oscillating bubbly liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Shklyaev, Sergey; Straube, Arthur V.

2010-01-01

We consider the dynamics of dilute monodisperse bubbly liquid confined by two plane solid walls and subject to small-amplitude high-frequency oscillations normal to the walls. The initial state corresponds to the uniform distribution of bubbles and motionless liquid. The period of external driving is assumed much smaller than typical relaxation times for a single bubble but larger than the period of volume eigenoscillations. The time-averaged description accounting for the two-way coupling between the liquid and the bubbles is applied. We show that the model predicts accumulation of bubbles in thin sheets parallel to the walls. These singular structures, which are formally characterized by infinitely thin width and infinitely high concentration, are referred to as bubbly screens. The formation of a bubbly screen is described analytically in terms of a self-similar solution, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. We study the evolution of bubbly screens and detect a one-dimensional stationary state, which is shown to be unconditionally unstable.

Experimental method to determine the role of helium in neutron-induced microstructural evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelles, D.S.; Garner, F.A.

1978-12-01

A method is presented which allows the determination of the role of helium on microstructural evolution in complex alloys and which avoids many of the problems associated with other simulation experiments. It involves a direct comparison of the materials' response to a primary difference in fission and fusion environments, namely the rate of helium generation. This is accomplished by irradiating specimens in a fission reactor and conducting microstructural analyses which concentrate on alloy matrix regions adjacent to precipitates rich in boron or nitrogen. Procedures are outlined for calculation of background and injected helium levels as well as displacement doses generated by neutrons and alpha particles. An example of the analysis method is shown for an experimental austenitic stainless steel containing boride particles and irradiated to 3 and 7 x 10 22 n/cm 2

The energy and stability of helium-related cluster in nickel: A study of molecular dynamics simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong, Hengfeng, E-mail: gonghengfeng@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Division of Nuclear Materials and Engineering, Shanghai 201800 (China); Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Wang, Chengbin; Zhang, Wei; Xu, Jian [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Division of Nuclear Materials and Engineering, Shanghai 201800 (China); Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Huai, Ping, E-mail: huaiping@sinap.ac.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Division of Nuclear Materials and Engineering, Shanghai 201800 (China); Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China); Deng, Huiqiu; Hu, Wangyu [Hunan University, Department of Applied Physics, Changsha 410082 (China)

2016-02-01

Highlights: • The He-related clusters exhibit the very high symmetry. • The trapping capability of vacancy to defects becomes weak due to the pre-existed SIA. • The average length of He{sub N}V{sub 1} clusters is longer than one of He{sub N} and He{sub N}V{sub 1}SIA{sub 1} cluster. - Abstract: Using molecular dynamics simulation, we investigated the energy and stability of helium-related cluster in nickel. All the binding energies of the He-related clusters are demonstrated to be positive and increase with the cluster sizes. Due to the pre-existed self-interstitial nickel atom, the trapping capability of vacancy to defects becomes weak. Besides, the minimum energy configurations of He-related clusters exhibit the very high symmetry in the local atomistic environment. And for the He{sub N} and He{sub N}V{sub 1}SIA{sub 1} clusters, the average length of He–He bonds shortens, but it elongates for the He{sub N}V{sub 1} clusters with helium cluster sizes. The helium-to-vacancy ratio plays a decisive role on the binding energies of He{sub N}V{sub M} cluster. These results can provide some excellent clues to insight the initial stage of helium bubbles nucleation and growth in the Ni-based alloys for the Generation-IV Molten Salt Reactor.

Helium cryogenics

CERN Document Server

Van Sciver, Steven W

2012-01-01

Twenty five years have elapsed since the original publication of Helium Cryogenics. During this time, a considerable amount of research and development involving helium fluids has been carried out culminating in several large-scale projects. Furthermore, the field has matured through these efforts so that there is now a broad engineering base to assist the development of future projects. Helium Cryogenics, 2nd edition brings these advances in helium cryogenics together in an updated form. As in the original edition, the author's approach is to survey the field of cryogenics with emphasis on helium fluids. This approach is more specialized and fundamental than that contained in other cryogenics books, which treat the associated range of cryogenic fluids. As a result, the level of treatment is more advanced and assumes a certain knowledge of fundamental engineering and physics principles, including some quantum mechanics. The goal throughout the work is to bridge the gap between the physics and engineering aspe...

Laboratory investigation of the factors impact on bubble size, pore blocking and enhanced oil recovery with aqueous Colloidal Gas Aphron.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Shenglong; Wang, Yefei; Li, Zhongpeng; Chen, Qingguo; Zhao, Zenghao

Colloidal Gas Aphron as a mobility control in enhanced oil recovery is becoming attractive; it is also designed to block porous media with micro-bubbles. In this paper, the effects of surfactant concentration, polymer concentration, temperature and salinity on the bubble size of the Colloidal Gas Aphron were studied. Effects of injection rates, Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid composition, heterogeneity of reservoir on the resistance to the flow of Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid through porous media were investigated. Effects of Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid composition and temperature on residual oil recovery were also studied. The results showed that bubble growth rate decreased with increasing surfactant concentration, polymer concentration, and decreasing temperature, while it decreased and then increased slightly with increasing salinity. The obvious increase of injection pressure was observed as more Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid was injected, indicating that Colloidal Gas Aphron could block the pore media effectively. The effectiveness of the best blend obtained through homogeneous sandpack flood tests was modestly improved in the heterogeneous sandpack. The tertiary oil recovery increased 26.8 % by Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid as compared to 20.3 % by XG solution when chemical solution of 1 PV was injected into the sandpack. The maximum injected pressure of Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid was about three times that of the XG solution. As the temperature increased, the Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid became less stable; the maximum injection pressure and tertiary oil recovery of Colloidal Gas Aphron fluid decreased.

Rational equity bubbles

OpenAIRE

Zhou, Ge

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the existence of a bubble in the pricing of an asset that pays positive dividends. I show that rational bubbles can exist in a growing economy. The existence of bubbles depends on the relative magnitudes of risk aversion to consumption and to wealth. Furthermore, I examine how an exogenous shock in technology might trigger bubbles.

Modeling and Measurements of Multiphase Flow and Bubble Entrapment in Steel Continuous Casting

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Kai; Thomas, Brian G.; Ruan, Xiaoming

2016-02-01

In steel continuous casting, argon gas is usually injected to prevent clogging, but the bubbles also affect the flow pattern, and may become entrapped to form defects in the final product. To investigate this behavior, plant measurements were conducted, and a computational model was applied to simulate turbulent flow of the molten steel and the transport and capture of argon gas bubbles into the solidifying shell in a continuous slab caster. First, the flow field was solved with an Eulerian k- ɛ model of the steel, which was two-way coupled with a Lagrangian model of the large bubbles using a discrete random walk method to simulate their turbulent dispersion. The flow predicted on the top surface agreed well with nailboard measurements and indicated strong cross flow caused by biased flow of Ar gas due to the slide-gate orientation. Then, the trajectories and capture of over two million bubbles (25 μm to 5 mm diameter range) were simulated using two different capture criteria (simple and advanced). Results with the advanced capture criterion agreed well with measurements of the number, locations, and sizes of captured bubbles, especially for larger bubbles. The relative capture fraction of 0.3 pct was close to the measured 0.4 pct for 1 mm bubbles and occurred mainly near the top surface. About 85 pct of smaller bubbles were captured, mostly deeper down in the caster. Due to the biased flow, more bubbles were captured on the inner radius, especially near the nozzle. On the outer radius, more bubbles were captured near to narrow face. The model presented here is an efficient tool to study the capture of bubbles and inclusion particles in solidification processes.

Liquid helium

CERN Document Server

Atkins, K R

1959-01-01

Originally published in 1959 as part of the Cambridge Monographs on Physics series, this book addresses liquid helium from the dual perspectives of statistical mechanics and hydrodynamics. Atkins looks at both Helium Three and Helium Four, as well as the properties of a combination of the two isotopes. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of science and the study of one of the universe's most fundamental elements.

Depth distribution of bubbles in 4He+-ion irradiated nickel and the mechanism of blister formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenske, G.; Das, S.K.; Kaminsky, M.; Miley, G.H.

1978-01-01

While the radiation blistering phenomenon has been widely studied, the mechanism of blister formation is still not well understood. The present studies on depth distribution of helium bubbles in nickel were carried out in order to obtain a better understanding of the radiation blistering process. Particularly, the aim was to understand the experimental observation that the blister skin thickness for many metals irradiated with He + ions of energies lower than 20-keV is a factor of two or more larger than the calculated projected range. (Auth.)

Temperature dependent mobility measurements of alkali earth ions in superfluid helium

Science.gov (United States)

Putlitz, Gisbert Zu; Baumann, I.; Foerste, M.; Jungmann, K.; Riediger, O.; Tabbert, B.; Wiebe, J.; Zühlke, C.

1998-05-01

Mobility measurements of impurity ions in superfluid helium are reported. Alkali earth ions were produced with a laser sputtering technique and were drawn inside the liquid by an electric field. The experiments were carried out in the temperature region from 1.27 up to 1.66 K. The temperature dependence of the mobility of Be^+-ions (measured here for the first time) differs from that of the other alkali earth ions Mg^+, Ca^+, Sr^+ and Ba^+, but behaves similar to that of He^+ (M. Foerste, H. Günther, O. Riediger, J. Wiebe, G. zu Putlitz, Z. Phys. B) 104, 317 (1997). Theories of Atkins (A. Atkins, Phys. Rev.) 116, 1339 (1959) and Cole (M.W. Cole, R.A. Bachmann Phys. Rev. B) 15, 1388 (1977) predict a different defect structure for He^+ and the alkali earth ions: the helium ion is assumed to form a snowball like structure whereas for the alkali earth ions a bubble structure is assumed. If the temperature dependence is a characteristic feature for the different structures, then it seems likely that the Be^+ ion builds a snowball like structure.

Chaotic bubbling and nonstagnant foams.

Science.gov (United States)

Tufaile, Alberto; Sartorelli, José Carlos; Jeandet, Philippe; Liger-Belair, Gerard

2007-06-01

We present an experimental investigation of the agglomeration of bubbles obtained from a nozzle working in different bubbling regimes. This experiment consists of a continuous production of bubbles from a nozzle at the bottom of a liquid column, and these bubbles create a two-dimensional (2D) foam (or a bubble raft) at the top of this column. The bubbles can assemble in various dynamically stable arrangement, forming different kinds of foams in a liquid mixture of water and glycerol, with the effect that the bubble formation regimes influence the foam obtained from this agglomeration of bubbles. The average number of bubbles in the foam is related to the bubble formation frequency and the bubble mean lifetime. The periodic bubbling can generate regular or irregular foam, while a chaotic bubbling only generates irregular foam.

Characterisation of plasmas produced by the "Torche a Injection Axiale"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonkers, J.; Selen, L.J.M.; Mullen, van der J.J.A.M.; Regt, de J.M.; Timmermans, E.A.H.; Schram, D.C.

1996-01-01

Summary form only given. The Torche a Injection Axiale (TIA), i.e. torch with axial gas injection, was developed by the group of Moisan in 1993. We report on the investigations on two different kind of plasmas created by the TIA: one with helium and the other with argon as main gas. Using absolute

Characterisation of plasmas produced by the "Torche a Injection Axciale"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonkers, J.; Selen, L.J.M.; Mullen, van der J.J.A.M.; Regt, de J.M.; Timmermans, E.A.H.; Schram, D.C.

1996-01-01

Summary form only given. The Torche a Injection Axiale (TIA), i.e. torch with axial gas injection, was developed by the group of Moisan in 1993. We report on the investigations on two different kind of plasmas created by the TIA: one with helium and the other with argon as main gas. Using absolute

CALCULATED REGENERATOR PERFORMANCE AT 4 K WITH HELIUM-4 AND HELIUM-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radebaugh, Ray; Huang Yonghua; O'Gallagher, Agnes; Gary, John

2008-01-01

The helium-4 working fluid in regenerative cryocoolers operating with the cold end near 4 K deviates considerably from an ideal gas. As a result, losses in the regenerator, given by the time-averaged enthalpy flux, are increased and are strong functions of the operating pressure and temperature. Helium-3, with its lower boiling point, behaves somewhat closer to an ideal gas in this low temperature range and can reduce the losses in 4 K regenerators. An analytical model is used to find the fluid properties that strongly influence the regenerator losses as well as the gross refrigeration power. The thermodynamic and transport properties of helium-3 were incorporated into the latest NIST regenerator numerical model, known as REGEN3.3, which was used to model regenerator performance with either helium-4 or helium-3. With this model we show how the use of helium-3 in place of helium-4 can improve the performance of 4 K regenerative cryocoolers. The effects of operating pressure, warm-end temperature, and frequency on regenerators with helium-4 and helium-3 are investigated and compared. The results are used to find optimum operating conditions. The frequency range investigated varies from 1 Hz to 30 Hz, with particular emphasis on higher frequencies

Gas fluxing of aluminum: a bubble probe for optimization of bubbles/bubble distribution and minimization of splashing/droplet formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James W. Evans; Auitumn Fjeld

2006-01-01

totaling 1.549 million lbs. for only thirteen of the twenty three primary smelters then in operation in the US. The research work described in the body of this report (the doctoral dissertation of Dr. Autumn M. Fjeld) had as its objective the improvement of gas fluxing technology to reduce emissions while still maintaining fluxing unit metal throughput. A second objective was a better understanding of the splashing and droplet emission that occurs during fluxing at high gas throughput rates. In the extreme such droplets can form undesired accretions on the walls and gas exit lines of the fluxing unit. Consequently, the productivity of a fluxing unit is sometimes limited by the need to avoid such spraying of droplets produced as gas bubbles break at the metal surface. The approach used was a combination of experimental work in laboratories at UC Berkeley and at the Alcoa Technical Center. The experimental work was mostly on a bubble probe that could be used to determine the extent of dispersion of gas bubbles in the fluxing unit (a parameter affecting the utilization of the injected chlorine). Additionally a high speed digital movie camera was used to study droplet formation due to gas bubbles bursting at the surface of a low melting point alloy. The experimental work was supported by mathematical modeling. In particular, two FLUENT? base mathematical models were developed to compute the metal flow and distribution of the gas within a fluxing unit. Results from these models were then used in a third model to compute emissions and the progress of impurity removal as a function of parameters such as rotor speed. The project was successful in demonstrating that the bubble probe could detect bubbles in a gas fluxing unit at the Alcoa technical Center outside Pittsburgh, PA. This unit is a commercial sized one and the probe, with its associated electronics, was subjected to the hostile molten aluminum, electrical noise etc. Despite this the probes were, on several occasions

Search for Very High-energy Gamma Rays from the Northern Fermi Bubble Region with HAWC

OpenAIRE

Abeysekara, AU; Albert, A; Alfaro, R; Alvarez, C; Alvarez, JD; Arceo, R; Arteaga-Velázquez, JC; Ayala Solares, HA; Barber, AS; Bautista-Elivar, N; Becerril, A; Belmont-Moreno, E; BenZvi, SY; Berley, D; Braun, J

2017-01-01

© 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. We present a search for very high-energy gamma-ray emission from the Northern Fermi Bubble region using data collected with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov gamma-ray observatory. The size of the data set is 290 days. No significant excess is observed in the Northern Fermi Bubble region, so upper limits above 1 TeV are calculated. The upper limits are between and . The upper limits disfavor a proton injection spectrum that exten...

Bubble levitation and translation under single-bubble sonoluminescence conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Matula, Thomas J

2003-08-01

Bubble levitation in an acoustic standing wave is re-examined for conditions relevant to single-bubble sonoluminescence. Unlike a previous examination [Matula et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 102, 1522-1527 (1997)], the stable parameter space [Pa,R0] is accounted for in this realization. Forces such as the added mass force and drag are included, and the results are compared with a simple force balance that equates the Bjerknes force to the buoyancy force. Under normal sonoluminescence conditions, the comparison is quite favorable. A more complete accounting of the forces shows that a stably levitated bubble does undergo periodic translational motion. The asymmetries associated with translational motion are hypothesized to generate instabilities in the spherical shape of the bubble. A reduction in gravity results in reduced translational motion. It is hypothesized that such conditions may lead to increased light output from sonoluminescing bubbles.

New helium spectrum variable and a new helium-rich star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walborn, N.R.

1974-01-01

HD 184927, known previously as a helium-rich star, has been found to have a variable helium spectrum; the equivalent widths of five He I lines are larger by an average of 46 percent on a 1974 spectrogram than on one obtained with the same equipment in 1970. HD 186205 has been found to be a new, pronounced helium-rich star. (auth)

Cavitation bubble nucleation induced by shock-bubble interaction in a gelatin gel

Science.gov (United States)

Oguri, Ryota; Ando, Keita

2018-05-01

An optical visualization technique is developed to study cavitation bubble nucleation that results from interaction between a laser-induced shock and a preexisting gas bubble in a 10 wt. % gelatin gel; images of the nucleated cavitation bubbles are captured and the cavitation inception pressure is determined based on Euler flow simulation. A spherical gas cavity is generated by focusing an infrared laser pulse into a gas-supersaturated gel and the size of the laser-generated bubble in mechanical equilibrium is tuned via mass transfer of the dissolved gas into the bubble. A spherical shock is then generated, through rapid expansion of plasma induced by the laser focusing, in the vicinity of the gas bubble. The shock-bubble interaction is recorded by a CCD camera with flash illumination of a nanosecond green laser pulse. The observation captures cavitation inception in the gel under tension that results from acoustic impedance mismatching at the bubble interface interacting with the shock. We measure the probability of cavitation inception from a series of the repeated experiments, by varying the bubble radius and the standoff distance. The threshold pressure is defined at the cavitation inception probability equal to one half and is calculated, through comparisons to Euler flow simulation, at -24.4 MPa. This threshold value is similar to that from shock-bubble interaction experiments using water, meaning that viscoelasticity of the 10 wt. % gelatin gel has a limited impact on bubble nucleation dynamics.

Reduction of hydrocarbon impurities in 200 L/H helium liquefier-refrigerator system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Shuichi; Mito, Toshiyuki; Nishimura, Arata

1993-11-01

A cryogenic system with the capacity of 200 1/h or 500 W at 4.4 K has been operated to develop the superconducting conductors and coils for the LHD. The system has contributed in various superconducting technologies along with the dc 75kA power supply and 10 MN mechanical testing machine, and completed the basic R and D works of the LHD. On the way of operating the cryogenic system, impurity densities of hydrocarbon gases in circulating helium gas became much larger than the expected values for this cryogenic system, so that the densities of some impurity gases were carefully monitored in reference to the operational conditions of circulating compressor by using a gas chromatography. Impurity gas densities of oxygen, nitrogen and ethane increased obviously, when the output capacity of the compressor was reduced. In a two-stage oil injected compression system with a variable stroke mechanism for a first stage, a reduction in the capacity of the first stage leads to a larger compression ratio for the second stage, and the temperature of the injected oil becomes higher. The production of the impurities in the helium might be caused by cracking a part of injected oil in the compressor. The compressor, therefore, was reconstructed such that the injection oil is supplied sufficiently and the compression ratio division becomes even for each stage. It was confirmed that the impurities are not produced now after modification. (author)

Tritium and helium behavior in irradiated beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billone, M.C.; Lin, C.C.; Baldwin, D.L.

1990-11-01

Large quantities of Be (> 100 metric tons) are planned for use in the ITER blanket design to enhance tritium breeding and to act as a thermal barrier between coolant and breeder. Tritium retention/release and He-induced swelling are important issues in blanket design. The data base on tritium and helium behavior in Be is reviewed. New data on tritium retention/release and He bubble growth are presented for Be irradiated to 5 x 10 22 n(E > 1 MeV)/cm 2 at ∼75 degree C and postirradiation-annealed for 700 hours at 500 degree C. A model (diffusion/desorption) is proposed and tested against the data base to determine tritium diffusivity and the desorption rate constant. Similarly a model for He-induced swelling is developed and tested against the data base. The dependence of tritium retention and release on He content and impurities (e.g. BeO) is also explored. 11 refs., 6 figs

Bubbling away

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1993-10-15

Bubble chambers may have almost vanished from the front line of physics research, but the vivid memory of their intricate and sometimes beautiful patterns of particle tracks lives on, and has greatly influenced the computer graphics of track reconstruction in today's big experiments. 'Seeing' an interaction makes it more understandable. Bubble chambers, with their big collaborations of physicists from many widely scattered research institutes, started another ball rolling. The groups formed are even now only surpassed in size by the big collaborations working on today's major detectors at colliding beam machines. From 14-16 July, about 130 physicists gathered at CERN to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the invention of the bubble chamber by Donald Glaser. The meeting, organized by Derek C. Colley from Birmingham, gave a comprehensive overview of bubble chamber contributions to physics, their challenging technology, and the usefulness of bubble chamber photographs in education, both for physics and the public at large. After opening remarks by CERN Director Carlo Rubbia, Donald Glaser began with a brief review of the work which led to his invention - there was much more to it than idly watching beer bubbles rise up the wall of the glass - before turning to his present line of research, biophysics, also very visually oriented.

Effect of bubble interface parameters on predicted of bubble departure diameter in a narrow channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Jianjun; Xie Tianzhou; Zhou Wenbin; Chen Bingde; Huang Yanping

2014-01-01

The predicted model on the bubble departure diameter in a narrow channel is built by analysis of forces acting on the bubble, and effects of bubble interface parameters such as the bubble inclination angle, upstream contact angle, downstream contact angle and bubble contact diameter on predicted bubble departure diameters in a narrow channel are analysed by comparing with the visual experimental data. Based on the above results, the bubble interface parameters as the input parameters used to obtain the bubble departure diameter in a narrow channel are assured, and the bubble departure diameters in a narrow channel are predicted by solving the force equation. The predicted bubble departure diameters are verified by the 58 bubble departure diameters obtained from the vertical and inclined visual experiment, and the predicted results agree with the experimental results. The different forces acting on the bubble are obtained and the effect of thermal parameters in this experiment on bubble departure diameters is analysed. (authors)

Helium the disappearing element

CERN Document Server

Sears, Wheeler M

2015-01-01

The subject of the book is helium, the element, and its use in myriad applications including MRI machines, particle accelerators, space telescopes, and of course balloons and blimps. It was at the birth of our Universe, or the Big Bang, where the majority of cosmic helium was created; and stellar helium production continues. Although helium is the second most abundant element in the Universe, it is actually quite rare here on Earth and only exists because of radioactive elements deep within the Earth. This book includes a detailed history of the discovery of helium, of the commercial industry built around it, how the helium we actually encounter is produced within the Earth, and the state of the helium industry today. The gas that most people associate with birthday party balloons is running out. “Who cares?” you might ask. Well, without helium, MRI machines could not function, rockets could not go into space, particle accelerators such as those used by CERN could not operate, fiber optic cables would not...

Resistance to He{sup 2+} induced irradiation damage in metallic glass Zr{sub 64}Cu{sub 17.8}Ni{sub 10.7}Al{sub 7.5}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Bin [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Dalian University of Technology, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024 (China); Mei, Xianxiu, E-mail: xxmei@dlut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Dalian University of Technology, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024 (China); Zhang, Hongran; Hou, Wenjing; Wang, Younian [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Dalian University of Technology, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024 (China); Wang, Zhiguang [Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Dong, Chuang [Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Dalian University of Technology, Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024 (China)

2014-01-15

Graphical abstract: This paper used TEM for the analysis of the microstructure, helium bubble distribution and helium bubble growth process of Zr-based metallic glass after the irradiation at maximum fluence. Fig. a shows the cross-sectional TEM sample morphology image of Zr-based metallic glass. It could be observed that a large number of helium bubbles were distributed on the topmost surface of Zr-based metallic glass (Zone A in Fig.a). The helium bubbles on the surface were mostly round, except for a small number of irregular-shape bubbles, with the sizes ranging from several nanometers to several tens of nanometers. The helium bubble diameter became gradually smaller downwardly from Zone A. As shown in Fig.a, the helium bubble size was small within the range of 0.3–1.2 μm below the surface (Zone B), and a large number of helium bubbles with a diameter of several nanometers were uniformly distributed in the area close to Zone A and Zone C; as shown in Fig.b, a helium bubble layer appeared within the range of 1.2–1.5 μm (Zone C) away from the surface, and it was found that the helium bubble size was larger in the vicinity of 1.3 μm away from the surface. Fig.b shows the atom vacancy distribution curves in Zr-based metallic glass before and after the helium ion irradiation obtained through SRIM program simulation. It could be observed that vacancy concentration peaks appeared at the ion range of 1.2 μm, and a large number of vacancies were concentrated at the end of the range. The vacancies of the sample were very easy to capture helium atoms and were conducive to the formation and growth of helium bubbles. -- Highlights: • Metallic glass could maintain amorphous state at different irradiation fluences. • A damage layer appeared in Zr{sub 64}Cu{sub 17.8}Ni{sub 10.7}Al{sub 7.5} at a fluence of 2 × 10{sup 18} ions/cm{sup 2}. • Peeling and delamination appeared numerously in W at a fluence of 1 × 10{sup 18} ions/cm{sup 2}. • Lots of helium bubbles

Bubble Collision in Curved Spacetime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Dong-il; Lee, Bum-Hoon; Lee, Wonwoo; Yeom, Dong-han

2014-01-01

We study vacuum bubble collisions in curved spacetime, in which vacuum bubbles were nucleated in the initial metastable vacuum state by quantum tunneling. The bubbles materialize randomly at different times and then start to grow. It is known that the percolation by true vacuum bubbles is not possible due to the exponential expansion of the space among the bubbles. In this paper, we consider two bubbles of the same size with a preferred axis and assume that two bubbles form very near each other to collide. The two bubbles have the same field value. When the bubbles collide, the collided region oscillates back-and-forth and then the collided region eventually decays and disappears. We discuss radiation and gravitational wave resulting from the collision of two bubbles

Liquid oxygen liquid acquisition device bubble point tests with high pressure lox at elevated temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Jurns, J. M.; Hartwig, J. W.

2012-04-01

When transferring propellant in space, it is most efficient to transfer single phase liquid from a propellant tank to an engine. In earth's gravity field or under acceleration, propellant transfer is fairly simple. However, in low gravity, withdrawing single-phase fluid becomes a challenge. A variety of propellant management devices (PMDs) are used to ensure single-phase flow. One type of PMD, a liquid acquisition device (LAD) takes advantage of capillary flow and surface tension to acquire liquid. The present work reports on testing with liquid oxygen (LOX) at elevated pressures (and thus temperatures) (maximum pressure 1724 kPa and maximum temperature 122 K) as part of NASA's continuing cryogenic LAD development program. These tests evaluate LAD performance for LOX stored in higher pressure vessels that may be used in propellant systems using pressure fed engines. Test data shows a significant drop in LAD bubble point values at higher liquid temperatures, consistent with lower liquid surface tension at those temperatures. Test data also indicates that there are no first order effects of helium solubility in LOX on LAD bubble point prediction. Test results here extend the range of data for LOX fluid conditions, and provide insight into factors affecting predicting LAD bubble point pressures.

Interfacial Bubble Deformations

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Brian; Shabane, Parvis; Cypull, Olivia; Cheng, Shengfeng; Feitosa, Klebert

Soap bubbles floating at an air-water experience deformations as a result of surface tension and hydrostatic forces. In this experiment, we investigate the nature of such deformations by taking cross-sectional images of bubbles of different volumes. The results show that as their volume increases, bubbles transition from spherical to hemispherical shape. The deformation of the interface also changes with bubble volume with the capillary rise converging to the capillary length as volume increases. The profile of the top and bottom of the bubble and the capillary rise are completely determined by the volume and pressure differences. James Madison University Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4VA Consortium, Research Corporation for Advancement of Science.

Liquid helium target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Y.; Kitami, T.; Torikoshi, M.

1984-12-01

A liquid helium target system has been built and used for the experiment on the reaction 4 He(γ, p). The target system has worked satisfactorily; the consumption rate of liquid helium is 360 ml/h and the cryogenic system retains liquid helium for about ten hours. The structure, operation and performance of the target system are reported. (author)

Fama on bubbles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engsted, Tom

Eugene Fama has repeatedly expressed his discontent with the notion of an irrational bubble. However, he has never publicly expressed his opinion on rational bubbles. This is peculiar since such bubbles build naturally from the rational efficient markets paradigm that Fama strongly adheres to...

Effects of Helium Implantation on the Mechanical Behavior of 100nm-diameter Iron Nano-pillars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landau, Peri; Guo, Qiang; Hosemann, Peter; Wang, Yongqiang; Greer, Julia R.

2014-01-01

Ferritic and ferritic-martensitic steels are being considered for cladding in the next generation nuclear reactors as well as fusion applications and spallation source materials. For these applications, helium (He) accumulation due to the high appmHe/dpa ratio, represent a matter of concern rooted in the detrimental effects of irradiation on the mechanical performance. The investigations of the effects of ion beam irradiation on mechanical properties of iron represent a useful way to simplify the complexity of irradiation process. This study is focused on the effects of mostly He bubbles on the mechanical behavior and deformation mechanisms

Laser-generated Micro-bubbles for Molecular Delivery to Adherent Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Genc, Suzanne Lee

is relatively low (˜30%) and (b) conditions where cell viability is compromised (˜80%) but where the optoinjection of viable cells is higher (˜50%). For multiple exposures in a grid pattern, we generally found reduced optoinjection efficacy but do identify conditions where we achieve injection of viable cells approaching 50%. We correlate these results to the cavitation bubble dynamics.

Mechanical properties of tungsten following rhenium ion and helium plasma exposure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.S. Corr

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Mechanical properties of Tungsten (W samples irradiated with 2 MeV Rhenium (Re ions and helium (He plasma were investigated using nanoindentation. It was found that there was an increase in hardness for all samples following separate irradiation with both Re ion and He plasma. A slight increase in hardness was obtained for combined exposures. A comparable increase in hardness was observed for a pure He plasma with a sample temperature of 473 K and 1273 K. Optical interferometry was employed to compare surface modification of the samples. Grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering confirmed He nano-bubble formation of approximately 1 nm diameter in the higher temperature sample, which was not observed with samples at the lower temperatures.

Experimental studies on helium release and stratification within the AIHMS facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabhakar, Aneesh; Agrawal, Nilesh; Raghavan, V.; Das, Sarit K.

2015-01-01

Hydrogen is generated during core meltdown accidents in nuclear power plants. The study of hydrogen release and mixing within the containment is an important area of safety research. An experimental setup called the AERB-IIT Madras Hydrogen Mixing Studies (AIHMS) facility is setup at IIT Madras to study the distribution of helium (an inert surrogate to hydrogen) subsequent to release as a jet. The present paper gives details of the design, fabrication and instrumentation of the AIHMS facility. It then compares the features of the facility with respect to other facilities existing for hydrogen mitigation studies. Then it gives details of the experiments on concentration build-up studies as a result of injection of gases (air and helium) performed in this experimental facility. (author)

Bubbling away

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

Bubble chambers may have almost vanished from the front line of physics research, but the vivid memory of their intricate and sometimes beautiful patterns of particle tracks lives on, and has greatly influenced the computer graphics of track reconstruction in today's big experiments. 'Seeing' an interaction makes it more understandable. Bubble chambers, with their big collaborations of physicists from many widely scattered research institutes, started another ball rolling. The groups formed are even now only surpassed in size by the big collaborations working on today's major detectors at colliding beam machines. From 14-16 July, about 130 physicists gathered at CERN to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the invention of the bubble chamber by Donald Glaser. The meeting, organized by Derek C. Colley from Birmingham, gave a comprehensive overview of bubble chamber contributions to physics, their challenging technology, and the usefulness of bubble chamber photographs in education, both for physics and the public at large. After opening remarks by CERN Director Carlo Rubbia, Donald Glaser began with a brief review of the work which led to his invention - there was much more to it than idly watching beer bubbles rise up the wall of the glass - before turning to his present line of research, biophysics, also very visually oriented

Large Eddy Simulations of Electromagnetic Braking Effects on Argon Bubble Transport and Capture in a Steel Continuous Casting Mold

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Kai; Vanka, Surya P.; Thomas, Brian G.

2018-06-01

In continuous casting of steel, argon gas is often injected to prevent clogging of the nozzle, but the bubbles affect the flow pattern, and may become entrapped to form defects in the final product. Further, an electromagnetic field is frequently applied to induce a braking effect on the flow field and modify the inclusion transport. In this study, a previously validated GPU-based in-house code CUFLOW is used to investigate the effect of electromagnetic braking on turbulent flow, bubble transport, and capture. Well-resolved large eddy simulations are combined with two-way coupled Lagrangian computations of the bubbles. The drag coefficient on the bubbles is modified to account for the effects of the magnetic field. The distribution of the argon bubbles, capture, and escape rates, are presented and compared with and without the magnetic field. The bubble capture patterns are also compared with results of a previous RANS model as well as with plant measurements.

Impact of Sommerfeld enhancement on helium reionization via WIMP dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Bandyopadhyay, Bidisha; Schleicher, Dominik R. G.

2018-03-01

Dark matter annihilation can have a strong impact on many astrophysical processes in the Universe. In the case of Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation cross sections, the annihilation rates are enhanced at late times, thus enhancing the potential annihilation signatures. We here calculate the Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation signatures during the epoch of helium reionization, the epoch where helium becomes fully ionized due to energetic photons. When considering the upper limits on the energy injection from the CMB, we find that the resulting abundance of He++ becomes independent of the dark matter particle mass. The resulting enhancement compared to a standard scenario is thus 1-2 orders of magnitude higher. For realistic scenarios compatible with CMB constraints, there is no significant shift in the epoch of helium reionization, which is completed between redshifts 3 and 4. While it is thus difficult to disentangle dark matter annihilation from astrophysical contributions (active galactic nuclei), a potential detection of dark matter particles and its interactions using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) would allow one to quantify the dark matter contribution.

Canada's helium output rising fast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1966-12-01

About 12 months from now, International Helium Limited will be almost ready to start up Canada's second helium extraction plant at Mankota, in Saskatchewan's Wood Mountain area about 100 miles southwest of Moose Jaw. Another 80 miles north is Saskatchewan's (and Canada's) first helium plant, operated by Canadian Helium and sitting on a gas deposit at Wilhelm, 9 miles north of Swift Current. It contains almost 2% helium, some COD2U, and the rest nitrogen. One year in production was apparently enough to convince Canadian Helium that the export market (it sells most of its helium in W. Europe) can take a lot more than it's getting. Construction began this summer on an addition to the Swift Current plant that will raise its capacity from 12 to 36MMcf per yr when it goes on stream next spring. Six months later, International Helium's 40 MMcf per yr plant to be located about 4 miles from its 2 Wood Mountain wells will double Canada's helium output again.

Dynamics of Magnetized Plasma Jets and Bubbles Launched into a Background Magnetized Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, B.; Zhang, Y.; Fisher, D. M.; Gilmore, M.

2016-10-01

The propagation of dense magnetized plasma, either collimated with mainly azimuthal B-field (jet) or toroidal with closed B-field (bubble), in a background plasma occurs in a number of solar and astrophysical cases. Such cases include coronal mass ejections moving in the background solar wind and extragalactic radio lobes expanding into the extragalactic medium. Understanding the detailed MHD behavior is crucial for correctly modeling these events. In order to further the understanding of such systems, we are investigating the injection of dense magnetized jets and bubbles into a lower density background magnetized plasma using a coaxial plasma gun and a background helicon or cathode plasma. In both jet and bubble cases, the MHD dynamics are found to be very different when launched into background plasma or magnetic field, as compared to vacuum. In the jet case, it is found that the inherent kink instability is stabilized by velocity shear developed due to added magnetic tension from the background field. In the bubble case, rather than directly relaxing to a minimum energy Taylor state (spheromak) as in vacuum, there is an expansion asymmetry and the bubble becomes Rayleigh-Taylor unstable on one side. Recent results will be presented. Work supported by the Army Research Office Award No. W911NF1510480.

Magnetic-bubble devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fairholme, R.J.

1978-01-01

Magnetic bubbles were first described only ten years ago when research workers were discussing orthoferrites containing μm diameter bubbles. However, problems of material fabrication limit crystals to a few mm across which severely curtailed device development. Since then materials have changed and rare-earth-iron garnet films can be grown up 3 inches in diameter with bubble diameters down to sizes below 1 μm. The first commercial products have device capacities in the range 64 000 to 100 000 bits with bubble diameters between 4 and 6 μm. Chip capacities of 1 Mbit are presently under development in the laboratory, as are new techniques to use submicrometre bubbles. The operation and fabrication of a bubble device is described using the serial loop devices currently being manufactured at Plessey as models. Chip organization is one important variable which directly affects the access time. A range of access times and capacities is available which offers a wide range of market opportunities, ranging from consumer products to fixed head disc replacements. some of the application areas are described. (author)

Nonlinear Bubble Dynamics And The Effects On Propagation Through Near-Surface Bubble Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Leighton, Timothy G.

2004-11-01

Nonlinear bubble dynamics are often viewed as the unfortunate consequence of having to use high acoustic pressure amplitudes when the void fraction in the near-surface oceanic bubble layer is great enough to cause severe attenuation (e.g. >50 dB/m). This is seen as unfortunate since existing models for acoustic propagation in bubbly liquids are based on linear bubble dynamics. However, the development of nonlinear models does more than just allow quantification of the errors associated with the use of linear models. It also offers the possibility of propagation modeling and acoustic inversions which appropriately incorporate the bubble nonlinearity. Furthermore, it allows exploration and quantification of possible nonlinear effects which may be exploited. As a result, high acoustic pressure amplitudes may be desirable even in low void fractions, because they offer opportunities to gain information about the bubble cloud from the nonlinearities, and options to exploit the nonlinearities to enhance communication and sonar in bubbly waters. This paper presents a method for calculating the nonlinear acoustic cross-sections, scatter, attenuations and sound speeds from bubble clouds which may be inhomogeneous. The method allows prediction of the time dependency of these quantities, both because the cloud may vary and because the incident acoustic pulse may have finite and arbitrary time history. The method can be readily adapted for bubbles in other environments (e.g. clouds of interacting bubbles, sediments, structures, in vivo, reverberant conditions etc.). The possible exploitation of bubble acoustics by marine mammals, and for sonar enhancement, is explored.

Prospects for bubble fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nigmatulin, R.I. [Tyumen Institute of Mechanics of Multiphase Systems (TIMMS), Marx (Russian Federation); Lahey, R.T. Jr. [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (United States)

1995-09-01

In this paper a new method for the realization of fusion energy is presented. This method is based on the superhigh compression of a gas bubble (deuterium or deuterium/thritium) in heavy water or another liquid. The superhigh compression of a gas bubble in a liquid is achieved through forced non-linear, non-periodic resonance oscillations using moderate amplitudes of forcing pressure. The key feature of this new method is a coordination of the forced liquid pressure change with the change of bubble volume. The corresponding regime of the bubble oscillation has been called {open_quotes}basketball dribbling (BD) regime{close_quotes}. The analytical solution describing this process for spherically symmetric bubble oscillations, neglecting dissipation and compressibility of the liquid, has been obtained. This solution shown no limitation on the supercompression of the bubble and the corresponding maximum temperature. The various dissipation mechanisms, including viscous, conductive and radiation heat losses have been considered. It is shown that in spite of these losses it is possible to achieve very high gas bubble temperatures. This because the time duration of the gas bubble supercompression becomes very short when increasing the intensity of compression, thus limiting the energy losses. Significantly, the calculated maximum gas temperatures have shown that nuclear fusion may be possible. First estimations of the affect of liquid compressibility have been made to determine possible limitations on gas bubble compression. The next step will be to investigate the role of interfacial instability and breaking down of the bubble, shock wave phenomena around and in the bubble and mutual diffusion of the gas and the liquid.

Dynamics of electron bunches at the laser–plasma interaction in the bubble regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maslov, V.I., E-mail: vmaslov@kipt.kharkov.ua; Svystun, O.M., E-mail: svistun_elena@mail.ru; Onishchenko, I.N.; Tkachenko, V.I.

2016-09-01

The multi-bunches self-injection, observed in laser–plasma accelerators in the bubble regime, affects the energy gain of electrons accelerated by laser wakefield. However, understanding of dynamics of the electron bunches formed at laser–plasma interaction may be challenging. We present here the results of fully relativistic electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of laser wakefield acceleration driven by a short laser pulse in an underdense plasma. The trapping and acceleration of three witness electron bunches by the bubble-like structures were observed. It has been shown that with time the first two witness bunches turn into drivers and contribute to acceleration of the last witness bunch.

Neutron scattering study of dynamical properties of liquid helium confined into porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albergamo, Francesco

2001-01-01

The study of liquid helium confined into porous materials should allow for a better understanding of the relation between superfluidity and Bose-Einstein condensation, lacking, at present, o f a satisfactory theoretical description. Experiments on confined liquid helium are quite difficult and samples should be prepared very carefully. One should know at best the confining material characteristics and should control the actual filling status of the porous sample. To achieve this condition, we added an experimental stage to the procedure commonly used in the studies conducted insofar. We conducted helium adsorption isotherms on each porous sample supposed to be used a s a confining sample. In this way we were able to know, with an high degree of precision, the amount of helium necessary to fill the porous sample. We also get information on macroscopic phenomena occurring during the filling procedure. Some experimental tricks have been used in order to avoid condensation of liquid helium into the injection capillary. Two inelastic neutron scattering techniques have been used in order to get information respectively on the mean kinetic energy per particle and on the elementary excitations spectrum. The kinetic energy measurements showed that confinement is responsible for a rise in this quantity. The elementary excitations measurements showed a correspondence between the capillary condensation process (detected by helium adsorption isotherms measurements) and the presence of elementary excitations typical of the liquid helium. Moreover, the long-wavelength elementary excitations are found to be perturbed in a way compatible with the system geometry. An intrinsic (at T=0.4 K) width of the roton peak is also found. (author) [fr

A possible mechanism for electron-bombardment-induced loop punching in helium-implanted materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donnelly, S.E.

1983-01-01

The recently proposed mechanism for the punching of dislocation loops by overpressurized helium bubbles in molybdenum is studied quantitatively. According to this mechanism, under the electron beam of the transmission microscope, He atoms are excited or ionized and the resulting excited species (excited He atoms and free electrons) are responsible for the pressure rise in the gas beyond the threshold for loop punching. In the model, the pressure increase is attributed to a reduction of the effective volume accessible to the gas due to the formation of a cavity around each excited species. The radius of this cavity is evaluated and, also, the excited fraction required to reach the threshold is discussed in terms of excitation life times. (author)

Bubble parameters analysis of gas-liquid two-phase sparse bubbly flow based on image method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Yunlong; Zhou Hongjuan; Song Lianzhuang; Liu Qian

2012-01-01

The sparse rising bubbles of gas-liquid two-phase flow in vertical pipe were measured and studied based on image method. The bubble images were acquired by high-speed video camera systems, the characteristic parameters of bubbles were extracted by using image processing techniques. Then velocity variation of rising bubbles were drawn. Area and centroid variation of single bubble were also drawn. And then parameters and movement law of bubbles were analyzed and studied. The test results showed that parameters of bubbles had been analyzed well by using image method. (authors)

Letter: Entrapment and interaction of an air bubble with an oscillating cavitation bubble

Science.gov (United States)

Kannan, Y. S.; Karri, Badarinath; Sahu, Kirti Chandra

2018-04-01

The mechanism of the formation of an air bubble due to an oscillating cavitation bubble in its vicinity is reported from an experimental study using high-speed imaging. The cavitation bubble is created close to the free surface of water using a low-voltage spark circuit comprising two copper electrodes in contact with each other. Before the bubble is created, a third copper wire is positioned in contact with the free surface of water close to the two crossing electrodes. Due to the surface tension at the triple point (wire-water-air) interface, a small dip is observed in the free surface at the point where the wire is immersed. When the cavitation bubble is created, the bubble pushes at the dip while expanding and pulls at it while collapsing. The collapse phase leads to the entrapment of an air bubble at the wire immersion point. During this phase, the air bubble undergoes a "catapult" effect, i.e., it expands to a maximum size and then collapses with a microjet at the free surface. To the best of our knowledge, this mechanism has not been reported so far. A parametric study is also conducted to understand the effects of wire orientation and bubble distance from the free surface.

Impact of bubble wakes on a developing bubble flow in a vertical pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomiyama, A.; Makino, Y.; Miyoshi, K.; Tamai, H.; Serizawa, A.; Zun, I.

1998-01-01

Three-dimensional two-way bubble tracking simulation of single large air bubbles rising through a stagnant water filled in a vertical pipe was conducted to investigate the structures of bubble wakes. Spatial distributions of time-averaged liquid velocity field, turbulent intensity and Reynolds stress caused by bubble wakes were deduced from the calculated local instantaneous liquid velocities. It was confirmed that wake structures are completely different from the ones estimated by a conventional wake model. Then, we developed a simple wake model based on the predicted time-averaged wake velocity fields, and implemented it into a 3D one-way bubble tracking method to examine the impact of bubble wake structures on time-spatial evolution of a developing air-water bubble flow in a vertical pipe. As a results, we confirmed that the developed wake model can give better prediction for flow pattern evolution than a conventional wake model

Kinetics and dynamics of nanosecond streamer discharge in atmospheric-pressure gas bubble suspended in distilled water under saturated vapor pressure conditions

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Ashish

2016-09-08

We perform computational studies of nanosecond streamer discharges generated in helium bubbles immersed in distilled water under atmospheric pressure conditions. The model takes into account the presence of water vapor in the gas bubble for an accurate description of the discharge kinetics. We find that the dynamic characteristics of the streamer discharge are different at low and high positive trigger voltages with the axial streamer evolution dominant for low voltages and a surface hugging mode favored for high voltages. We also find a substantial difference in initiation, transition and evolution stages of discharge for positive and negative trigger voltages with the volumetric distribution of species in the streamer channel much more uniform for negative trigger voltages on account of the presence of multiple streamers. We observe that the presence of water vapor does not affect the breakdown voltage even for oversaturated conditions but significantly influences the composition of dominant species in the trail of the streamer as well as the flux of the dominant species on the bubble surface. © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd.

A three field two fluid CFD model for the bubbly-cap bubble regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin Lopez de Bertodano; Xiaodong Sun; Mamoru Ishii; Asim Ulke

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The lateral phase distribution of a two phase duct flow in the cap bubble regime is analyzed with a three dimensional three field two-fluid CFD model based on the turbulent k-ε model for bubbly flows developed by Lopez de Bertodano et. al. [2]. The turbulent diffusion of the bubbles is the dominant phase distribution mechanism. A new analytic result is presented to support the development of the model for the bubble induced turbulent diffusion force. New experimental data obtained with a state-of-the-art four sensor miniature conductivity probe are used to validate the two-fluid model. The focus of this work is modeling the transport of the dispersed phase. Previous work (e.g., Lopez de Bertodano et. al.) was focused on the interfacial forces of drag, lift and virtual mass. However, the dispersion of the bubbles by the turbulent eddies of the continuous phase must be considered too. The rigorous formulation of a model for the turbulent dispersion of the bubbles results in a turbulent diffusion force which is obtained from a probability distribution function average (i.e., Boltzmann averaging) of the dispersed phase momentum equation. This force was recently applied to a turbulent bubbly jet with small bubbles (i.e., 1 mm diameter) without adjusting any coefficient. However, the application of this force to industrial conditions (i.e., larger bubbles) requires specific two-phase flow experimental data to calibrate the model due to the uncertainties of the flow around large bubbles. In particular the void distribution and the interfacial area concentration are measured in a mixture of big and small bubbles. The state-of-the-art miniaturized four-sensor conductivity probe developed by Kim et al. [3] is used to obtain the interfacial area concentration in complex two-phase flow situations. This probe can discriminate between small and large bubbles so it offers an opportunity to perform further developments of the multidimensional two

The repetitive flaking of Inconel 625 by 100 keV helium bombardment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitton, J.L.; Chen, H.M.; Littmark, U.

1981-01-01

Repetitive flaking of Inconel 625 occurs with ion bombardment doses of > than 10 18 100 keV helium ions cm -2 , with up to 39 exfoliations being observed after bombardment with 3 x 10 19 ions cm -2 . The thickness of the flakes, measured by scanning electron microscopy, is some 30% greater than when measured by Rutherford backscattering (RBS) of 1.8 MeV helium ions. These RBS measurements compare well with the thickness of the remaining layers in the resultant craters and to the most probable range of the 100 keV helium. The area of the flakes is dictated by the grain boundaries, and when one flake is ejected, the adjacent grains are prevented from doing so since there now exists an escape route for the injected helium. A strong dose rate dependence is observed; decreasing the beam current from 640 μA cm -2 to 64 μA cm -2 results in a factor 20 fewer flakes being exfoliated (for the same total dose of 3 x 10 19 ions cm -2 ). Successive flakes decrease in area, suggesting that eventually a cratered, but stable, surface will result with the only erosion being by the much less effective mechanism of sputtering. (orig.)

Bubble bath soap poisoning

Science.gov (United States)

... medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002762.htm Bubble bath soap poisoning To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Bubble bath soap poisoning occurs when someone swallows bubble bath soap. ...

Screw compressor system for industrial-scale helium refrigerators or industrial ammonia screw compressors for helium refrigeration systems; Schraubenkompressor-System fuer Helium-Grosskaelteanlage oder Ammoniak-Schraubenverdichter aus Industrieanwendungen fuer Helium-Kaelteanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fredrich, O.; Mosemann, D.; Zaytsev, D. [GEA Grasso GmbH Refrigeration Technology, Berlin (Germany)

2007-07-01

Material characteristics, requirements and measured data of ammonia and helium compression are compared. The compressor lines for industrial ammonia and helium refrigerators are presented, and important characteristics of the compressors are explained. The test stand for performance measurements with helium and ammonia is described, and results are presented. In spite of the different characteristics of the fluids, the compressor-specific efficiencies (supply characteristic, quality characteristic) were found to be largely identical. The values calculated for helium on the basis of NH3 test runs were found to be realistic, which means that the decades of experience with ammonia in industrial applications can be applied to helium compression as well. The design of screw compressor aggregates (skids) in industrial refrigeration is discussed and illustrated by examples. (orig.)

Helium exhaust and forced flow effects with both-leg pumping in W-shaped divertor of JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakasai, A.; Takenaga, H.; Higashijima, S.; Kubo, H.; Nakano, T.; Tamai, H.; Sakurai, S.; Akino, N.; Fujita, T.; Asakura, N.; Itami, K.; Shimizu, K.

2001-01-01

The W-shaped divertor of JT-60U was modified from inner-leg pumping to both-leg pumping. After the modification, the pumping rate was improved from 3% with inner-leg pumping to 5% with both-leg pumping in a divertor-closure configuration, which means both separatrixes close to the divertor slots. Efficient helium exhaust was realized in the divertor-closure configuration with both-leg pumping. A global particle confinement time of τ* He =0.4s and τ* He /τ E =3 was achieved in attached ELMy H-mode plasmas. The helium exhaust efficiency with both-leg pumping was extended by 45% as compared with inner-leg pumping. By using central helium fueling with He-beam injection, the helium removal from the core plasma inside the internal transport barrier (ITB) in reversed shear plasmas in the divertor-closure configuration was investigated for the first time. The helium density profiles inside the ITB were peaked as compared with those in ELMy H-mode plasmas. In the case of low recycling divertor, it was difficult to achieve good helium exhaust capability in reversed shear plasmas with ITB. However, the helium exhaust efficiency was improved with high recycling divertor. Carbon impurity reduction was observed by the forced flow with gas puff and effective divertor pumping. (author)

Visualization of airflow growing soap bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Al Rahbi, Hamood; Bock, Matthew; Ryu, Sangjin

2016-11-01

Visualizing airflow inside growing soap bubbles can answer questions regarding the fluid dynamics of soap bubble blowing, which is a model system for flows with a gas-liquid-gas interface. Also, understanding the soap bubble blowing process is practical because it can contribute to controlling industrial processes similar to soap bubble blowing. In this study, we visualized airflow which grows soap bubbles using the smoke wire technique to understand how airflow blows soap bubbles. The soap bubble blower setup was built to mimic the human blowing process of soap bubbles, which consists of a blower, a nozzle and a bubble ring. The smoke wire was placed between the nozzle and the bubble ring, and smoke-visualized airflow was captured using a high speed camera. Our visualization shows how air jet flows into the growing soap bubble on the ring and how the airflow interacts with the soap film of growing bubble.

A Study of Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Rising Taylor Bubbles

Science.gov (United States)

Scammell, Alexander David

2016-01-01

Practical application of flow boiling to ground- and space-based thermal management systems hinges on the ability to predict the systems heat removal capabilities under expected operating conditions. Research in this field has shown that the heat transfer coefficient within two-phase heat exchangers can be largely dependent on the experienced flow regime. This finding has inspired an effort to develop mechanistic heat transfer models for each flow pattern which are likely to outperform traditional empirical correlations. As a contribution to the effort, this work aimed to identify the heat transfer mechanisms for the slug flow regime through analysis of individual Taylor bubbles.An experimental apparatus was developed to inject single vapor Taylor bubbles into co-currently flowing liquid HFE 7100. The heat transfer was measured as the bubble rose through a 6 mm inner diameter heated tube using an infrared thermography technique. High-speed flow visualization was obtained and the bubble film thickness measured in an adiabatic section. Experiments were conducted at various liquid mass fluxes (43-200 kgm2s) and gravity levels (0.01g-1.8g) to characterize the effect of bubble drift velocityon the heat transfer mechanisms. Variable gravity testing was conducted during a NASA parabolic flight campaign.Results from the experiments showed that the drift velocity strongly affects the hydrodynamics and heat transfer of single elongated bubbles. At low gravity levels, bubbles exhibited shapes characteristic of capillary flows and the heat transfer enhancement due to the bubble was dominated by conduction through the thin film. At moderate to high gravity, traditional Taylor bubbles provided small values of enhancement within the film, but large peaks in the wake heat transfer occurred due to turbulent vortices induced by the film plunging into the trailing liquid slug. Characteristics of the wake heat transfer profiles were analyzed and related to the predicted velocity field

A derivation of the stable cavitation threshold accounting for bubble-bubble interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Guédra, Matthieu; Cornu, Corentin; Inserra, Claude

2017-09-01

The subharmonic emission of sound coming from the nonlinear response of a bubble population is the most used indicator for stable cavitation. When driven at twice their resonance frequency, bubbles can exhibit subharmonic spherical oscillations if the acoustic pressure amplitude exceeds a threshold value. Although various theoretical derivations exist for the subharmonic emission by free or coated bubbles, they all rest on the single bubble model. In this paper, we propose an analytical expression of the subharmonic threshold for interacting bubbles in a homogeneous, monodisperse cloud. This theory predicts a shift of the subharmonic resonance frequency and a decrease of the corresponding pressure threshold due to the interactions. For a given sonication frequency, these results show that an optimal value of the interaction strength (i.e. the number density of bubbles) can be found for which the subharmonic threshold is minimum, which is consistent with recently published experiments conducted on ultrasound contrast agents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of CO2 bubble dynamics in seawater from QICS field Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, B.; Dewar, M.; Sellami, N.; Stahl, H.; Blackford, J.

2013-12-01

One of the concerns of employing CCS at engineering scale is the risk of leakage of storage CO2 on the environment and especially on the marine life. QICS, a scientific research project was launched with an aim to study the effects of a potential leak from a CCS system on the UK marine environment [1]. The project involves the injection of CO2 from a shore-based lab into shallow marine sediments. One of the main objectives of the project is to generate experimental data to be compared with the developed physical models. The results of the models are vital for the biogeochemical and ecological models in order to predict the impact of a CO2 leak in a variety of situations. For the evaluation of the fate of the CO2 bubbles into the surrounding seawater, the physical model requires two key parameters to be used as input which are: (i) a correlation of the drag coefficient as function of the CO2 bubble Reynolds number and (ii) the CO2 bubble size distribution. By precisely measuring the CO2 bubble size and rising speed, these two parameters can be established. For this purpose, the dynamical characteristics of the rising CO2 bubbles in Scottish seawater were investigated experimentally within the QICS project. Observations of the CO2 bubbles plume rising freely in the in seawater column were captured by video survey using a ruler positioned at the leakage pockmark as dimension reference. This observation made it possible, for the first time, to discuss the dynamics of the CO2 bubbles released in seawater. [1] QICS, QICS: Quantifying and Monitoring Potential Ecosystem Impacts of Geological Carbon Storage. (Accessed 15.07.13), http://www.bgs.ac.uk/qics/home.html

Bubble nucleation in an explosive micro-bubble actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van den Broek, D M; Elwenspoek, M

2008-01-01

Explosive evaporation occurs when a thin layer of liquid reaches a temperature close to the critical temperature in a very short time. At these temperatures spontaneous nucleation takes place. The nucleated bubbles instantly coalesce forming a vapour film followed by rapid growth due to the pressure impulse. In this paper we take a closer look at the bubble nucleation. The moment of bubble nucleation was determined by both stroboscopic imaging and resistance thermometry. Two nucleation regimes could be distinguished. Several different heater designs were investigated under heat fluxes of hundreds of W mm −2 . A close correspondence between current density in the heater and point of nucleation was found. This results in design rules for effective heaters

Aspherical bubble dynamics and oscillation times

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godwin, R.P.; Chapyak, E.J. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Noack, J.; Vogel, A. [Medizinisches Laserzentrum Luebeck (Germany)

1999-03-01

The cavitation bubbles common in laser medicine are rarely perfectly spherical and are often located near tissue boundaries, in vessels, etc., which introduce aspherical dynamics. Here, novel features of aspherical bubble dynamics are explored. Time-resolved experimental photographs and simulations of large aspect ratio (length:diameter {approximately}20) cylindrical bubble dynamics are presented. The experiments and calculations exhibit similar dynamics. A small high-pressure cylindrical bubble initially expands radially with hardly any axial motion. Then, after reaching its maximum volume, a cylindrical bubble collapses along its long axis with relatively little radial motion. The growth-collapse period of these very aspherical bubbles differs only sightly from twice the Rayleigh collapse time for a spherical bubble with an equivalent maximum volume. This fact justifies using the temporal interval between the acoustic signals emitted upon bubble creation and collapse to estimate the maximum bubble volume. As a result, hydrophone measurements can provide an estimate of the bubble energy even for aspherical bubbles. The prolongation of the oscillation period of bubbles near solid boundaries relative to that of isolated spherical bubbles is also discussed.

Numerical simulation of bubbles motion in lifting pipe of bubble pump for lithium bromide absorption chillers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Hongtao; Liu, Bingbing; Yan, Yuying

2017-01-01

A bubble pump is proposed to replace the traditional mechanical solution pump in lithium bromide absorption chillers, for its advantageous feature that can be driven by industrial waste heat or solar energy or other low-grade energy. In two-stage bubble pump driven lithium bromide absorption refrigeration system, flow patterns in lifting pipe have significant effects on the performance of bubble pump. In this paper, the single bubble motion and the double bubbles coalescence in vertical ascending pipe are simulated by an improved free energy model of lattice Boltzmann method, in which the two-phase liquid to gas density ratio is 2778. The details of bubbles coalescence process are studied. Density and velocity of bubbles have been obtained. The computational results show that the initial radius of each bubble has a great influence on the coalescence time. The larger the initial bubble radius, the shorter the coalescence time. The pipe diameter has a little effect on the two bubbles coalescence time while it has a significant effect on the bubble velocity. As the pipe diameter increases, the bubble velocity increases. The obtained results are helpful for studying the transition mechanisms of two-phase flow patterns and useful for improving the bubble pump performance by controlling the flow patterns in lifting pipe.

Experimental investigation of axial plasma injection into a magnetic dipole field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Vagn Orla

1968-01-01

A high-density helium plasma, accelerated from a conical pinch, is injected axially into a magnetic dipole field. Magnetic probe measurements show that, near the axis, a compression of the field is super-imposed on the standard diamagnetic depression. The compression starts downstream and moves t...... towards the injector. Simultaneously with the compression, an increase in the electron temperature and reflection of a small amount of plasma are seen. The amount of plasma transmitted through the dipole field is found to be nearly independent of the field strength.......A high-density helium plasma, accelerated from a conical pinch, is injected axially into a magnetic dipole field. Magnetic probe measurements show that, near the axis, a compression of the field is super-imposed on the standard diamagnetic depression. The compression starts downstream and moves...

HCDA bubble experiment, (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakata, Kaoru; Mashiko, Hiroyuki; Oka, Yoshiaki; An, Shigehiro; Isozaki, Tadashi.

1981-06-01

An experiment simulating the behavior of the very large steam bubbles generated at the time of an accident of core collapse was carried out with a warm water tank, and the applicability of the theory of very small bubble disappearance known at present was examined. The bubbles generated in HCDA (hypothetical core disruptive accident) are expected to be very large, containing sodium, fuel, FP gas and so on, and play important role in the mechanism of emitting radioactive substances in the safety analysis of LMFBRs. In this experiment, the degree of subcool of the warm water pool, the initial radii of steam bubbles and the blowoff pressure of steam were taken as the parameters. The radius of the steam bubbles generated in the experiment was about 6.5 cm, and the state of disappearance was different above and below the degree of unsaturation of 10 deg C. Comparing the disappearance curve obtained by the experiment with the theory of disappearance of small bubbles, the experimental values were between inertia-controlled disappearance and heat transfer-controlled disappearance, and this result was able to be explained generally with the model taking the pressure change within steam bubbles into account. The rise of bubbles was also observed. (Kako, I.)

Study of droplet entrainment from bubbling surface in a bubble column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez de Santiago, M.

1991-05-01

In a bubble column droplets are ejected from the free surface by bubble bursting or splashing. Depending on their size, the droplets are partly carried away by the streaming gas or fall back to the bubbling surface by gravity force. Experiments have been carried out to determine the void fraction in the column by means of an optical probe. In the interfacial zone the bubble bursting process was captured with a high-speed video camera. Simultaneous measurements were made of size and velocity of droplets at several distances from the bubbling surface with a Phase-Doppler Anemometry. The bubble column can be divided into three regions: A lower zone with a flat profile of the local void fraction, a central zone where the flow regime is steady and an upper zone where the local void fraction grows rapidly. A two-parameter log-normal distribution function was proposed in order to describe the polydisperse distribution of droplet-size. Results were obtained concerning the entrainment, concentration, volume fraction and interfacial area of droplets. Finally, it was found that the turbulence intensity affects the droplet terminal velocity for droplets smaller than the Kolmogorov microscale [fr

Optimization of the bubble radius in a moving single bubble sonoluminescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirheydari, Mona; Sadighi-Bonabi, Rasoul; Rezaee, Nastaran; Ebrahimi, Homa

2011-01-01

A complete study of the hydrodynamic force on a moving single bubble sonoluminescence in N-methylformamide is presented in this work. All forces exerted, trajectory, interior temperature and gas pressure are discussed. The maximum values of the calculated components of the hydrodynamic force for three different radii at the same driving pressure were compared, while the optimum bubble radius was determined. The maximum value of the buoyancy force appears at the start of bubble collapse, earlier than the other forces whose maximum values appear at the moment of bubble collapse. We verified that for radii larger than the optimum radius, the temperature peak value decreases.

Dynamics of Plasma Jets and Bubbles Launched into a Transverse Background Magnetic Field

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yue

2017-10-01

A coaxial magnetized plasma gun has been utilized to launch both plasma jets (open B-field) and plasma bubbles (closed B-field) into a transverse background magnetic field in the HelCat (Helicon-Cathode) linear device at the University of New Mexico. These situations may have bearing on fusion plasmas (e.g. plasma injection for tokamak fueling, ELM pacing, or disruption mitigation) and astrophysical settings (e.g. astrophysical jet stability, coronal mass ejections, etc.). The magnetic Reynolds number of the gun plasma is 100 , so that magnetic advection dominates over magnetic diffusion. The gun plasma ram pressure, ρjetVjet2 >B02 / 2μ0 , the background magnetic pressure, so that the jet or bubble can easily penetrate the background B-field, B0. When the gun axial B-field is weak compared to the gun azimuthal field, a current-driven jet is formed with a global helical magnetic configuration. Applying the transverse background magnetic field, it is observed that the n = 1 kink mode is stabilized, while magnetic probe measurements show contrarily that the safety factor q(a) drops below unity. At the same time, a sheared axial jet velocity is measured. We conclude that the tension force arising from increasing curvature of the background magnetic field induces the measured sheared flow gradient above the theoretical kink-stabilization threshold, resulting in the emergent kink stabilization of the injected plasma jet. In the case of injected bubbles, spheromak-like plasma formation is verified. However, when the spheromak plasma propagates into the transverse background magnetic field, the typical self-closed global symmetry magnetic configuration does not hold any more. In the region where the bubble toroidal field opposed the background B-field, the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability has been observed. Details of the experiment setup, diagnostics, experimental results and theoretical analysis will be presented. Supported by the National Science Foundation

Development of three-dimensional individual bubble-velocity measurement method by bubble tracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanai, Taizo; Furuya, Masahiro; Arai, Takahiro; Shirakawa, Kenetsu; Nishi, Yoshihisa

2012-01-01

A gas-liquid two-phase flow in a large diameter pipe exhibits a three-dimensional flow structure. Wire-Mesh Sensor (WMS) consists of a pair of parallel wire layers located at the cross section of a pipe. Both the parallel wires cross at 90o with a small gap and each intersection acts as an electrode. The WMS allows the measurement of the instantaneous two-dimensional void-fraction distribution over the cross-section of a pipe, based on the difference between the local instantaneous conductivity of the two-phase flow. Furthermore, the WMS can acquire a phasic-velocity on the basis of the time lag of void signals between two sets of WMS. Previously, the acquired phasic velocity was one-dimensional with time-averaged distributions. The authors propose a method to estimate the three-dimensional bubble-velocity individually WMS data. The bubble velocity is determined by the tracing method. In this tracing method, each bubble is separated from WMS signal, volume and center coordinates of the bubble is acquired. Two bubbles with near volume at two WMS are considered as the same bubble and bubble velocity is estimated from the displacement of the center coordinates of the two bubbles. The validity of this method is verified by a swirl flow. The proposed method can successfully visualize a swirl flow structure and the results of this method agree with the results of cross-correlation analysis. (author)

Two-phase gas bubble-liquid boundary layer flow along vertical and inclined surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, F.B.; Epstein, M.

1985-01-01

The behavior of a two-phase gas bubble liquid boundary layer along vertical and inclined porous surfaces with uniform gas injection is investigated experimentally and analytically. Using argon gas and water as the working fluids, a photographical study of the two-phase boundary layer flow has been performed for various angles of inclination ranging from 45 0 to 135 0 and gas injection rates ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 m/s. An integral method has been employed to solve the system of equations governing the two-phase motion. The effects of the gas injection rate and the angle of inclination on the growth of the boundary layer have been determined

A method to calculate equilibrium concentrations of gas and defects in the vicinity of an over-pressured bubble in UO{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noirot, L., E-mail: laurence.noirot@cea.fr

2014-04-01

We present a method devised to calculate the equilibrium concentration of point defects and gas atoms in the vicinity of a bubble in UO{sub 2}. First, we neglect the mechanical energy stored in the solid around an over-pressured bubble and then we explain how to take it into account. We apply the method to helium in interstitial positions in UO{sub 2}, and compare our theoretical value of Henry’s constant with experiments and a molecular dynamics computation. Then, we apply the method to xenon in a Schottky defect and use it to assess the realism of two scenarios elaborated to explain the “paradox of annealing experiments”, i.e. “why a large proportion of gas is released from grains in annealing experiments on irradiated fuel, even though there are thousands of intragranular bubbles to trap the gas?” These two scenarios (thermal resolution or blockage of trapping due to the stress field around the bubbles) were both found to be unrealistic, at least with the formation energies available from ab initio calculations, and with the assumption made to calculate the Z3 term of the partition function. This term is related to the vibration frequencies of xenon atoms in Schottky defects and lattice atoms close to defects.

Convective mixing in helium white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vauclair, G.; Fontaine, G.

1979-01-01

The conditions under which convective mixing episodes take place between the helium envelopes and the underlying carbon layers in helium-rich white dwarfs are investigated. It is found that, for essentially any value of the initial helium content less than the maximum mass a helium convection zone can have, mixing does occur, and leads, in the vast majority of cases, to an almost pure carbon superficial composition. Mixing products that show only traces of carbon while retaining helium-dominated envelopes are possible only if the initial helium content is quite close to the maximum possible mass of the helium convection zone. In the presence of turbulence, this restriction could be relaxed, however, and the helium-rich lambda4670 stars may possibly be explained in this fashion

Friendly fermions of helium-three

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leggatt, T.

1976-01-01

The importance of helium in showing up the effects of atomic indistinguishability and as a material by which to test some of the most fundamental principles of quantum mechanics is discussed. Helium not only remains liquid down to zero temperature but of the two isotopes helium-three has intrinsic spin 1/2 and should therefore obey the Pauli principle, while helium-four has spin zero and is expected to undergo Bose condensation. Helium-three becomes superfluid at temperatures of a few thousandths of a degree above absolute zero by the bulk liquid collecting its atoms into spinning pairs. There are three different superfluid phases, now conveniently called A, B and A 1 and each is characterised by a different behaviour of the spin and/or relative angular motion of the atoms composing the Cooper pairs. Problems surrounding the complicated physical system of helium-three are discussed. It is suggested that the combined coherence and directionality of superfluid helium-three should create some fascinating physics. (U.K.)

Combined effects of radiation damage and He accumulation on bubble nucleation in Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, Caitlin A., E-mail: ctayl105@vols.utk.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Patel, Maulik K. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Aguiar, Jeffery A. [Fuel Performance and Design Department, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-6188 (United States); Material Science Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80220 (United States); Zhang, Yanwen [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Crespillo, Miguel L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Wen, Juan [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000 (China); Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Xue, Haizhou [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Wang, Yongqiang [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Weber, William J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

2016-10-15

Pyrochlores have long been considered as host phases for long-term immobilization of radioactive waste nuclides that would undergo α-decay for hundreds of thousands of years. This work utilizes ion-beam irradiations to examine the combined effects of radiation damage and He accumulation on bubble formation in Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} over relevant waste-form timescales. Helium bubbles are not observed in pre-damaged Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} implanted with 2 × 10{sup 16} He/cm{sup 2}, even after post-implantation irradiations with 7 MeV Au{sup 3+} at 300, 500, and 700 K. However, He bubbles with average diameters of 1.5 nm and 2.1 nm are observed in pre-damaged (amorphous) Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} and pristine Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}, respectively, after implantation of 2 × 10{sup 17} He/cm{sup 2}. The critical He concentration for bubble nucleation in Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} is estimated to be 6 at.% He. - Highlights: • He bubbles not formed in amorphous Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} implanted with 2 × 10{sup 16} He/cm{sup 2}, even after additional irradiation at 300 to 700 K. • He bubbles, 1.5 and 2.1 nm diameter, respectively, observed in amorphous and pristine Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} implanted to 2 × 10{sup 17} He/cm{sup 2}. • The critical He dose for bubble nucleation is estimated to be 6 at.% He.

Dynamics of bubble-bubble interaction in sheared low-viscosity magma imaged by X-ray computed micro-tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Helo, C.; Flaws, A.; Hess, K.-U.; Franz, A.; Clague, D. A.; Dingwell, D. B.

2012-04-01

X-ray computed tomography of vesicles in basaltic pyroclastic glass fragments has been used to investigate the syn-eruptive shear environment and resulting bubble-bubble interaction during mild pyroclastic eruptions in a mid-ocean ridge environment. We have imaged vesicles present in two different types of pyroclastic fragments produced by mildly explosive activity on Axial Seamount, limu o Pele, that is, thin glass films often described as bubble walls, and tube scoria fragments. Rapid quenching of the glass has prevented extensive bubble relaxation preserving the syn-eruptive geometry of the bubbles in these fragments. Isolated, ellipsoid-shaped vesicles in low-vesicular limu o Pele indicate deformation in a simple shear environment. Under these shear conditions higher vesiculated parts of the erupting magma show strong bubble-bubble interactions partially leading to coalscence and formation of tubular vesicles. These tubular vesicles can reach significant lengths, exceeding the dimensions of the small glass fragments (2 mm). Their unreformed radius can be more then one order of magnitude larger than that of the isolated vesicles in the limu o Pele fragments. We can distinguish two principle modes of interaction based on the relative orientation of the bubbles. Interaction along the sidewalls of two bubbles, and tip-to-tip interaction. At interdistances of less than a few tens of micrometre, interaction of the sidewalls results in deformation of the bubbles to more irregular shapes, with depressions caused by close, small bubbles or in some cases bubbles being partially mantled around tubular bubbles. This often leads to a more close packing of bubbles. At distances of less than a few microns, the melt films between the bubbles destabilize leading to coalescence. This mechanism appears to involve a bulging of the larger bubble into the smaller, followed by melt film rapture and coalescence. The complete digestion of one bubble by the other is the slow rate

Hydrogen retention in ion irradiated steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunn, J.D.; Lewis, M.B.; Lee, E.H.