DC-driven plasma gun: self-oscillatory operation mode of atmospheric-pressure helium plasma jet comprised of repetitive streamer breakdowns

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xingxing; Shashurin, Alexey

2017-02-01

This paper presents and studies helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet comprised of a series of repetitive streamer breakdowns, which is driven by pure DC high voltage (self-oscillatory behavior). The repetition frequency of the breakdowns is governed by the geometry of discharge electrodes/surroundings and gas flow rate. Each next streamer is initiated when the electric field on the anode tip recovers after the previous breakdown and reaches the breakdown threshold value of about 2.5 kV cm-1. One type of the helium plasma gun designed using this operational principle is demonstrated. The gun operates on about 3 kV DC high voltage and is comprised of the series of the repetitive streamer breakdowns at a frequency of about 13 kHz.

Penetration Characteristics of Air, Carbon Dioxide and Helium Transverse Sonic Jets in Mach 5 Cross Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erinc Erdem

2014-12-01

Full Text Available An experimental investigation of sonic air, CO2 and Helium transverse jets in Mach 5 cross flow was carried out over a flat plate. The jet to freestream momentum flux ratio, J, was kept the same for all gases. The unsteady flow topology was examined using high speed schlieren visualisation and PIV. Schlieren visualisation provided information regarding oscillating jet shear layer structures and bow shock, Mach disc and barrel shocks. Two-component PIV measurements at the centreline, provided information regarding jet penetration trajectories. Barrel shocks and Mach disc forming the jet boundary were visualised/quantified also jet penetration boundaries were determined. Even though J is kept the same for all gases, the penetration patterns were found to be remarkably different both at the nearfield and the farfield. Air and CO2 jet resulted similar nearfield and farfield penetration pattern whereas Helium jet spread minimal in the nearfield.

Determination of Ionization Coefficient of Atmospheric Helium in Dielectric Barrier Discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuo, Liang; Hai-Yun, Luo; Xin-Xin, Wang; Bo, Lv; Zhi-Cheng, Guan; Li-Ming, Wang

2008-01-01

A weakly luminous layer close to the anode is observed at time far ahead of the current pulse in dielectric barrier discharge of helium at atmospheric pressure and it is considered as the result of a very weak Townsend discharge. Based on the assumption that the space charge produced by this Townsend discharge is too small to distort the uniform electric field in the gas gap, the electrons have more or less the same energy over the entire gap and the spatial distribution of the discharge light is proportional to the distribution of electron density. This light distribution is obtained by processing side-view photograph of discharge gap using an intensified charge coupled device camera with an exposure time of 20 ns. By fitting a theoretically derived formula with the measured curve of light distribution, the Townsend electron ionization coefficient a is determined to be 31 cm −1 at E/p = 3.6 V·cm −1 ·Torr −1 , which is much higher than that obtained by solving the Boltzmann equation of pure helium. It is believed that penning ionization of helium metastables with impurity of nitrogen molecules makes great contribution to the experimentally determined α value. The contribution of this penning ionization to α is roughly estimated. (physics of gases, plasmas, and electric discharges)

Ion source based on Penning discharge for production of doubly charged helium ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. I. Voznyi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of operation of ion source with Penning discharge developed in the IAP of NAS of Ukraine to produce doubly charged helium ions He2+ beam and to increase the energy of accelerated ions up to 3.2 MeV. This energy is necessary for ERDA channel when measuring hydrogen concentration in the structural materials used in nuclear engineering. The ion source parameters are the following: discharge voltage is 6 kV, discharge current is 0.8 - 1.2 mA, the current of singly charged helium ions He+ 24 μA, the current of doubly charged helium ions He2+ 0.5 μA.

Parametric study of radiofrequency helium discharge under ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The excitation temperatures in the α and γ modes were 3266 and 4500 K respectively, evaluated by Boltzmann's plot method. The estimated gas temperature increased from 335 K in the α mode to 485 K in the γ mode, suggesting that the radio frequency atmospheric pressure helium discharge can be used for surface ...

Measurement of electric field distribution along the plasma column in Microwave jet discharges at atmospheric pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razzak, M. Abdur; Takamura, Shuichi; Tsujikawa, Takayuki; Shibata, Hideto; Hatakeyama, Yuto

2009-01-01

A new technique for the direct measurement of electric field distribution along the plasma column in microwave jet discharges is developed and employed. The technique is based on a servomotor-controlled reciprocating antenna moving along the nozzle axis and plasma column. The measurement technique is applied to a rectangular waveguide-based 2.45 GHz argon and helium plasma jets generated by using the modified TIAGO nozzle at atmospheric pressure with a microwave power of less than 500 W. The measurement has been done with and without igniting the plasma jet in order to investigate the standing wave propagation along the nozzle axis and plasma column. It is observed that the electric field decay occurs slowly in space with plasma ignition than that of without plasma, which indicates the surface electromagnetic wave propagation along the plasma column in order to sustain the plasma jet. This study enables one to design, determine and optimize the size and structure of launcher nozzle, which plays an important role for the stable and efficient microwave plasma generators. (author)

Ion temperature anisotropy in high power helium neutral beam fuelling experiments in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maas, A C; Core, W G.F.; Gerstel, U C; Von Hellermann, M G; Koenig, R W.T.; Marcus, F B [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking

1994-07-01

During helium beam fuelling experiments in JET, distinctive anisotropic features have been observed in the velocity distribution function describing both fast and thermal alpha particle populations. During the initial fuelling phase the central helium ion temperature observed perpendicular to the magnetic field is higher than the central electron temperature, while the central helium ion temperature observed parallel to the magnetic field is lower than or equal to the central electron temperature. In order to verify temperature measurements of both perpendicular and parallel lines of sight, other independent methods of deducing the ion temperature are investigated: deuterium ion temperature, deuterium density, comparison with neutron rates and profiles (influence of a possible metastable population of helium). 6 refs., 7 figs.

Applicability of the dielectric barrier discharge for helium ash measurements in the divertor region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Książek Ireneusz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Controlled fusion based on the magnetic confinement of the plasma is one of the main aims of the Euro-fusion programme. In the fusion device, the hydrogen isotopes, in nuclear reactions, will produce helium nuclei. The products, as the ash, will be removed from the plasma in the region of the so-called divertor. Controlling the helium to hydrogen ratio in this ‘exhaust gas’ will provide information about the efficiency of the fusion process as well as of the efficiency of the helium removal system. One of the methods to perform this task is to study the properties of the discharge conducted in such exhaust gas. In this paper, the applicability of the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD is studied. This preliminary experiment shows a great potential in applicability of this kind of discharge. The optical as well as pulse-height spectra were studied, both revealing very promising properties. In the optical spectrum, one can observe well separated hydrogen and helium spectral lines, with intensities of the same order of magnitude. Moreover, in the registered spectral region, the molecular spectra are negligible. The pulse-height spectra reveal very distinct shape in helium and hydrogen. Checking of this spectrum could provide parallel (redundant information about the partial pressure of helium in the magnetic confinement fusion (MCF device exhaust gas.

Analysis on discharge process of a plasma-jet triggered gas spark switch

Science.gov (United States)

Weihao, TIE; Cui, MENG; Yuting, ZHANG; Zirang, YAN; Qiaogen, ZHANG

2018-01-01

The plasma-jet triggered gas switch (PJTGS) could operate at a low working coefficient with a low jitter. We observed and analyzed the discharge process of the PJTGS at the lowest working coefficient of 47% with the trigger voltage of 40 kV and the pulse energy of 2 J to evaluate the effect of the plasma jet. The temporal and spatial evolution and the optical emission spectrum of the plasma jet were captured. And the spraying delay time and outlet velocity under different gas pressures were investigated. In addition, the particle in cell with Monte Carlo collision was employed to obtain the particle distribution of the plasma jet varying with time. The results show that, the plasma jet generated by spark discharge is sprayed into a spark gap within tens of nanoseconds, and its outlet velocity could reach 104 m s-1. The plasma jet plays a non-penetrating inducing role in the triggered discharge process of the PJTGS. On the one hand, the plasma jet provides the initial electrons needed by the discharge; on the other hand, a large number of electrons focusing on the head of the plasma jet distort the electric field between the head of the plasma jet and the opposite electrode. Therefore, a fast discharge originated from the plasma jet is induced and quickly bridges two electrodes.

The production and extraction of polarized electrons from an optically pumped helium discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandiver, R.J.; Schearer, L.D.; Gay, T.J.

1992-01-01

Polarized electrons are produced from interactions involving nearly 100% polarized helium 2 3 S 1 metastable atoms in a weak electrical discharge. The high metastable polarizations are obtained through the use of recently developed, high-power lasers tunable to the relevant helium transitions near 1083 nm and the development of a crossed beam pumping technique. The dominant interactions involving the 2 3 S 1 atoms and electrons are spin preserving; hence the electrons of the discharge attain a high polarization. The authors have extracted a well collimated electron beam with over 20 μA of current from the discharge. An optical polarimeter will be used to determine the polarization of the extracted electrons

Columnar discharge mode between parallel dielectric barrier electrodes in atmospheric pressure helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Yanpeng; Zheng, Bin; Liu, Yaoge [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China)

2014-01-15

Using a fast-gated intensified charge-coupled device, end- and side-view photographs were taken of columnar discharge between parallel dielectric barrier electrodes in atmospheric pressure helium. Based on three-dimensional images generated from end-view photographs, the number of discharge columns increased, whereas the diameter of each column decreased as the applied voltage was increased. Side-view photographs indicate that columnar discharges exhibited a mode transition ranging from Townsend to glow discharges generated by the same discharge physics as atmospheric pressure glow discharge.

Cathode fall measurement in a dielectric barrier discharge in helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Yanpeng; Zheng, Bin; Liu, Yaoge [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China)

2013-11-15

A method based on the “zero-length voltage” extrapolation is proposed to measure cathode fall in a dielectric barrier discharge. Starting, stable, and discharge-maintaining voltages were measured to obtain the extrapolation zero-length voltage. Under our experimental conditions, the “zero-length voltage” gave a cathode fall of about 185 V. Based on the known thickness of the cathode fall region, the spatial distribution of the electric field strength in dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric helium is determined. The strong cathode fall with a maximum field value of approximately 9.25 kV/cm was typical for the glow mode of the discharge.

Comparing scrape-off layer and divertor physics in JET pure He and D discharges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pitts, R.A.; Andrew, P.; Andrew, Y.; Becoulet, M.; Coffey, I.; Coster, D.; McDonald, D. C.; Eich, T.; Erents, S.K.; Fenstermacher, M.E.; Fundamenski, W.; Haas, G.; Hermann, A.; Hidalgo, C.; Hillis, D.; Huber, A.; Ingesson, L. C.; Jachmich, S.; Kallenbach, A.; Korotkov, A.; Lawson, K.; Lomas, P.; Loarer, T.; Loarte, A.; Matthews, G. F.; McCracken, G.; Meigs, A.; Mertens, P.; O' Mullane, M.; Phillipps, V.; Porter, G.; Pospieszczyk, A.; Rapp, J.; Reiter, D.; Riccardo, V.; Saibene, G.; Sartori, R.; Stamp, M. F.; Tsitrone, E.; Wischmeier, W.; Gafert, J.

2003-01-01

Though helium plasmas are one option for the low activation phase of ITER, little effort has thus far been devoted to studying them in a large, diverted tokamak. A recent campaign on JET has therefore sought to address some of the important questions related to helium operation (He concentrations

Mass spectrometric diagnosis of an atmospheric pressure helium microplasma jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKay, K; Oh, J-S; Walsh, J L; Bradley, J W

2013-01-01

Ambient molecular beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) has been used to study how different capillary widths (530 µm and 2.4 mm) and excitation waveforms (continuous wave kHz and pulsed dc) affect the ionic composition of atmospheric pressure plasma jets. It is shown from time-averaged ion intensities that reducing the width of the jet capillary results in a significant increase in the variety of both positive and negative ions detected within the discharge. We discuss this in terms of changes in flow velocity and the onset of turbulence within the plasma plume. Changing the mode of excitation had little effect on the ionic species detected from the microplasma jet; however, there was a notable shift in dominance towards higher mass ions when operated in a continuous wave kHz mode. The temporal evolution of the ions within the microplasma jet was observed for both excitation sources, operated at 5 and 15 kHz. Positive ions were created during periods correlated with the positive and negative peaks in discharge current, while negative ions were predominantly created at times when the discharge current peak was negative. This phenomenon was independent of the driving waveform. For pulsed dc excitation, considerably fewer positive ions were created in periods related to the negative current peaks, especially at higher frequencies. We propose a simple explanation for these processes based on ideas of streamer propagation and the influence of self-induced electric fields in the plasma plume. (paper)

A comparison of hydrogen vs. helium glow discharge effects on fusion device first-wall conditioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dylla, H.F.

1989-09-01

Hydrogen- and deuterium-fueled glow discharges are used for the initial conditioning of magnetic fusion device vacuum vessels following evacuation from atmospheric pressure. Hydrogenic glow discharge conditioning (GDC) significantly reduces the near-surface concentration of simple adsorbates, such as H 2 O, CO, and CH 4 , and lowers ion-induced desorption coefficients by typically three orders of magnitude. The time evolution of the residual gas production observed during hydrogen-glow discharge conditioning of the carbon first-wall structure of the TFTR device is similar to the time evolution observed during hydrogen GDC of the initial first-wall configuration in TFTR, which was primarily stainless steel. Recently, helium GDC has been investigated for several wall-conditioning tasks on a number of tokamaks including TFTR. Helium GDC shows negligible impurity removal with stainless steel walls. For impurity conditioning with carbon walls, helium GDC shows significant desorption of H 2 O, CO, and CO 2 ; however, the total desorption yield is limited to the monolayer range. In addition, helium GDC can be used to displace hydrogen isotopes from the near-surface region of carbon first-walls in order to lower hydrogenic retention and recycling. 38 refs., 6 figs

Electric field measurement in the dielectric tube of helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sretenović, G.B.; Guaitella, O.; Sobota, A.; Krstić, I.B.; Kovačević, V.V.; Obradović, B.M.; Kuraica, M.M.

2017-01-01

The results of the electric field measurements in the capillary of the helium plasma jet are presented in this article. Distributions of the electric field for the streamers are determined for different gas flow rates. It is found that electric field strength in front of the ionization wave

Comparison between the water activation effects by pulsed and sinusoidal helium plasma jets

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Han; Liu, Dingxin; Xia, Wenjie; Chen, Chen; Wang, Weitao; Liu, Zhijie; Wang, Xiaohua; Kong, Michael G.

2018-01-01

Comparisons between pulsed and sinusoidal plasma jets have been extensively reported for the discharge characteristics and gaseous reactive species, but rarely for the aqueous reactive species in water solutions treated by the two types of plasma jets. This motivates us to compare the concentrations of aqueous reactive species induced by a pulsed and a sinusoidal plasma jet, since it is widely reported that these aqueous reactive species play a crucial role in various plasma biomedical applications. Experimental results show that the aqueous H2O2, OH/O2-, and O2-/ONOO- induced by the pulsed plasma jet have higher concentrations, and the proportional difference increases with the discharge power. However, the emission intensities of OH(A) and O(3p5P) are higher for the sinusoidal plasma jet, which may be attributed to its higher gas temperature since more water vapor could participate in the plasma. In addition, the efficiency of bacterial inactivation induced by the pulsed plasma jet is higher than that for the sinusoidal plasma jet, in accordance with the concentration relation of aqueous reactive species for the two types of plasma jets.

Stationary Population Inversion in an Expanding Argon Plasma Jet by Helium Puffing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akatsuka, H.; Kano, K.

2005-01-01

An experiment of He gas-contact for generating population inversion in a recombining Ar plasma jet is carried out. Population inversion between Ar I excited states 5s' → 4p'[1/2]1 and 5s' → 4p[3/2]1,2, [5/2]2,3 is created by helium gas-contact cooling of electrons, whereas it is not created without gas-contact. Ar I lines 1.14 μm, 1.34 μm, and 1.09 μm are strongly enhanced due to the He gas cooling. It is experimentally found that helium gas contact effectively lowers electron temperature of the Ar plasma jet. The mechanisms giving rise to population inversion are discussed in terms of atomic collisional processes of the recombining plasma. The experimental results of electron temperature and population densities are discussed by simple numerical analysis which we previously developed. It is shown that the experimental results are well explained by our modeling quantitatively for the case without gas contact, except that the agreement of number densities of lower lying non-LTE levels is qualitative for the case with the gas contact

Numerical modeling and validation of helium jet impingement cooling of high heat flux divertor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koncar, Bostjan; Simonovski, Igor; Norajitra, Prachai

2009-01-01

Numerical analyses of jet impingement cooling presented in this paper were performed as a part of helium-cooled divertor studies for post-ITER generation of fusion reactors. The cooling ability of divertor cooled by multiple helium jets was analysed. Thermal-hydraulic characteristics and temperature distributions in the solid structures were predicted for the reference geometry of one cooling finger. To assess numerical errors, different meshes (hexagonal, tetra, tetra-prism) and discretisation schemes were used. The temperatures in the solid structures decrease with finer mesh and higher order discretisation and converge towards finite values. Numerical simulations were validated against high heat flux experiments, performed at Efremov Institute, St. Petersburg. The predicted design parameters show reasonable agreement with measured data. The calculated maximum thimble temperature was below the tile-thimble brazing temperature, indicating good heat removal capability of reference divertor design. (author)

Ballooning stability of JET discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huysmans, G.T.A.; Goedbloed, J.P.; Galvao, R.M.O.; Lazzaro, E.; Smeulders, P.

1989-01-01

Conditions under which ballooning modes are expected to be excited have recently been obtained in two different types of discharges in JET. In the first type, extremely large pressure gradients have been produced in the plasma core through pellet injections in the current rise phase followed by strong additional heating. In the second type, the total pressure of the discharge is approaching the Troyon limit. The stability of these discharges with respect to the ideal MHD ballooning modes has been studied with the stability code HBT. The equilibria are reconstructed with the IDENTC code using the external magnetic measurements and the experimental pressure profile. The results show that the evaluated high beta discharge is unstable in the central region of the plasma. This instability is related to the low shear and not to a large pressure gradient, as expected at the Troyon limit. In the pellet discharges the regions with the large pressure gradients are unstable to ballooning modes at the time of the beta decay, which ends the period of enhanced performance. The maximum pressure gradient in these discharges is limited by the boundary of the first region of stability. The observed phenomena at the beta decay are similar to those observed at the beta limit in DIII-D and TFTR. (author)

Three electrode atmospheric pressure plasma jet in helium flow

Science.gov (United States)

Maletic, Dejan; Puac, Nevena; Malovic, Gordana; Petrovic, Zoran Lj.

2015-09-01

Plasma jets are widely used in various types of applications and lately more and more in the field of plasma medicine. However, it is not only their applicability that distinguishes them from other atmospheric plasma sources, but also the behavior of the plasma. It was shown that plasma plume is not continuous, but discrete set of plasma packages. Here we present iCCD images and current voltage characteristics of a three electrode plasma jet. Our plasma jet has a simple design with body made of glass tube and two transparent electrodes wrapped around it. The additional third metal tip electrode was positioned at 10 and 25 mm in front of the jet nozzle and connected to the same potential as the powered electrode. Power transmitted to the plasma was from 0.5 W to 4.0 W and the helium flow rate was kept constant at 4 slm. For the 10 mm configuration plasma is ignited on the metal tip in the whole period of the excitation signal and in the positive half cycle plasma ``bullet'' is propagating beyond the metal tip. In contrast to that, for the 25 mm configuration at the tip electrode plasma can be seen only in the minimum and maximum of the excitation signal, and there is no plasma ``bullet'' formation. This research has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia, under projects ON171037 and III41011.

Ignition and extinction phenomena in helium micro hollow cathode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulsreshath, M. K.; Schwaederle, L.; Dufour, T.; Lefaucheux, P.; Dussart, R.; Sadeghi, N.; Overzet, L. J.

2013-01-01

Micro hollow cathode discharges (MHCD) were produced using 250 μm thick dielectric layer of alumina sandwiched between two nickel electrodes of 8 μm thickness. A through cavity at the center of the chip was formed by laser drilling technique. MHCD with a diameter of few hundreds of micrometers allowed us to generate direct current discharges in helium at up to atmospheric pressure. A slowly varying ramped voltage generator was used to study the ignition and the extinction periods of the microdischarges. The analysis was performed by using electrical characterisation of the V-I behaviour and the measurement of He*( 3 S 1 ) metastable atoms density by tunable diode laser spectroscopy. At the ignition of the microdischarges, 2 μs long current peak as high as 24 mA was observed, sometimes followed by low amplitude damped oscillations. At helium pressure above 400 Torr, an oscillatory behaviour of the discharge current was observed just before the extinction of the microdischarges. The same type of instability in the extinction period at high pressure also appeared on the density of He*( 3 S 1 ) metastable atoms, but delayed by a few μs relative to the current oscillations. Metastable atoms thus cannot be at the origin of the generation of the observed instabilities

Ignition and extinction phenomena in helium micro hollow cathode discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kulsreshath, M. K.; Schwaederle, L.; Dufour, T.; Lefaucheux, P.; Dussart, R. [GREMI, CNRS/Université d' Orléans (UMR7344), Orléans (France); Sadeghi, N. [LIPhy, CNRS and Universite Joseph Fourier (UMR5588), Grenoble (France); Overzet, L. J. [GREMI, CNRS/Université d' Orléans (UMR7344), Orléans (France); PSAL, UTDallas, Richardson, Texas 75080-3021 (United States)

2013-12-28

Micro hollow cathode discharges (MHCD) were produced using 250 μm thick dielectric layer of alumina sandwiched between two nickel electrodes of 8 μm thickness. A through cavity at the center of the chip was formed by laser drilling technique. MHCD with a diameter of few hundreds of micrometers allowed us to generate direct current discharges in helium at up to atmospheric pressure. A slowly varying ramped voltage generator was used to study the ignition and the extinction periods of the microdischarges. The analysis was performed by using electrical characterisation of the V-I behaviour and the measurement of He*({sup 3}S{sub 1}) metastable atoms density by tunable diode laser spectroscopy. At the ignition of the microdischarges, 2 μs long current peak as high as 24 mA was observed, sometimes followed by low amplitude damped oscillations. At helium pressure above 400 Torr, an oscillatory behaviour of the discharge current was observed just before the extinction of the microdischarges. The same type of instability in the extinction period at high pressure also appeared on the density of He*({sup 3}S{sub 1}) metastable atoms, but delayed by a few μs relative to the current oscillations. Metastable atoms thus cannot be at the origin of the generation of the observed instabilities.

Extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy of low pressure helium microwave driven discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Espinho, Susana; Felizardo, Edgar; Tatarova, Elena; Alves, Luis Lemos

2016-09-01

Surface wave driven discharges are reliable plasma sources that can produce high levels of vacuum and extreme ultraviolet radiation (VUV and EUV). The richness of the emission spectrum makes this type of discharge a possible alternative source in EUV/VUV radiation assisted applications. However, due to challenging experimental requirements, publications concerning EUV radiation emitted by microwave plasmas are scarce and a deeper understanding of the main mechanisms governing the emission of radiation in this spectral range is required. To this end, the EUV radiation emitted by helium microwave driven plasmas operating at 2.45 GHz has been studied for low pressure conditions. Spectral lines from excited helium atoms and ions were detected via emission spectroscopy in the EUV/VUV regions. Novel data concerning the spectral lines observed in the 23 - 33 nm wavelength range and their intensity behaviour with variation of the discharge operational conditions are presented. The intensity of all the spectral emissions strongly increases with the microwave power delivered to the plasma up to 400 W. Furthermore, the intensity of all the ion spectral emissions in the EUV range decreases by nearly one order of magnitude as the pressure was raised from 0.2 to 0.5 mbar. Work funded by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, under Project UID/FIS/50010/2013 and grant SFRH/BD/52412/2013 (PD-F APPLAuSE).

Scrape-off layer based modelling of the density limit in beryllated JET limiter discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borrass, K.; Campbell, D.J.; Clement, S.; Vlases, G.C.

1993-01-01

The paper gives a scrape-off layer based interpretation of the density limit in beryllated JET limiter discharges. In these discharges, JET edge parameters show a complicated time evolution as the density limit is approached and the limit is manifested as a non-disruptive density maximum which cannot be exceeded by enhanced gas puffing. The occurrence of Marfes, the manner of density control and details of recycling are essential elements of the interpretation. Scalings for the maximum density are given and compared with JET data. The relation to disruptive density limits, previously observed in JET carbon limiter discharges, and to density limits in divertor discharges is discussed. (author). 18 refs, 10 figs, 1 tab

Fluid jet electric discharge source

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Howard A [Ripon, CA

2006-04-25

A fluid jet or filament source and a pair of coaxial high voltage electrodes, in combination, comprise an electrical discharge system to produce radiation and, in particular, EUV radiation. The fluid jet source is composed of at least two serially connected reservoirs, a first reservoir into which a fluid, that can be either a liquid or a gas, can be fed at some pressure higher than atmospheric and a second reservoir maintained at a lower pressure than the first. The fluid is allowed to expand through an aperture into a high vacuum region between a pair of coaxial electrodes. This second expansion produces a narrow well-directed fluid jet whose size is dependent on the size and configuration of the apertures and the pressure used in the reservoir. At some time during the flow of the fluid filament, a high voltage pulse is applied to the electrodes to excite the fluid to form a plasma which provides the desired radiation; the wavelength of the radiation being determined by the composition of the fluid.

Particle retention during long discharges in Tore Supra and JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loarer, T.; Tsitrone, E.; Brosset, C.; Bucalossi, J.; Gunn, J.; Joffrin, E.; Monier-Garbet, P.; Pegourie, B.; Thomas, P.; Lomas, P.; Ongena, J.

2003-01-01

The particle balances and the associated particle retentions for the long discharge experiments performed in Tore-Supra and for the L and H mode discharges carried out in JET are reported in this paper. From the reported experiments, the same particle retention behaviors are observed in Tore-Supra and JET in spite of the differences between the plasma geometry and the confinement mode (respectively limiter L-mode and divertor H-mode). A particle retention up to 70-80% of Γ(puff) for the larger gas injection has been obtained in JET. The particle retention behavior observed with the gas puff appears to be strongly dominant in the particle retention process. Indeed, no influence has been noticed from the active pumping, the saturation of the recycling area (0.4 D/C), the precedent discharges history (in terms of total 'particles retained' in the vessel) and even from the disruptions (conditioning). Also, the outgassing between discharges becomes negligible in terms of particle recovering when Γ(puff) and/or the discharge duration are increased. Finally, neither the edge localized modes (ELMs type-I or III) nor the disruptions modify the reported behaviour. For ITER, the particle retention is strictly limited and from the presented results it seems that strong gas injection should be avoided. (A.C.)

Comparison of discharges with core transport barriers on DIII-D and JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luce, T.C.; Alper, B.; Challis, C.D.

1997-07-01

The basic phenomenology of discharges with core transport barriers is the same for DIII-D and JET. The limitations on performance in both cases are well described by MHD stability calculations. Since the discharge behavior of the two machines is so similar, it seems reasonable to apply a simple parameterization of fusion performance which describes well the best performance discharges on DIII-D. The highest fusion performance shot on JET has Q DD = 3.1 10 -3 at 3.2 MA. Scaling from the highest Q DD DIII-D single-null discharge would predict Q DD = 4.2 10 -3 for JET. Raising the plasma current to 4.0 MA would increase the projection to 6.6 10 -3 . Realization of such performance would require significant effort to develop lower q plasmas with an H-mode edge. Because the performance is so closely tied to the current profile, this class of discharges also shows significant potential for steady state if current profile control can be demonstrated

New type of discharge-produced plasma source for extreme ultraviolet based on liquid tin jet electrodes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koshelev, K.N.; Krivtsun, V.M.; Ivanov, V.; Yakushev, O.; Chekmarev, A.; Koloshnikov, V.; Snegirev, E.; Medvedev, Viacheslav

2012-01-01

A new approach for discharge-produced plasma (DPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources based on the usage of two liquid metallic alloy jets as discharge electrodes has been proposed and tested. Discharge was ignited using laser ablation of one of the cathode jets. A system with two jet electrodes was

A note on high Schmidt number laminar buoyant jets discharged horizontally

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewan, A.; Arakeri, J.H.; Srinivasan, J.

1992-01-01

This paper reports on a new model, developed for the integral analysis of high Schmidt number (or equivalently high Prandtl number) laminar buoyant jets discharged horizontally. This model assumes top-hat density profile across the inner core of jet and Gaussian velocity profile. Entrainment coefficient corresponding to pure laminar jet has been taken in the analysis. The prediction of the jet trajectory agree well with experimental data in the regions where the jet remains laminar

Internal barrier discharges in JET and their sensitivity to edge conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sips, A.C.C.

2001-01-01

Experiments in JET have concentrated on steady state discharges with internal transport barriers. The internal transport barriers are formed during the current rise phase of the discharge with low magnetic shear in the centre and with high additional heating power. In order to achieve stability against disruptions at high pressure peaking, typical for ITB discharges, the pressure profile can be broadened with a H-mode transport barrier at the edge of the plasma. However, the strong increase in edge pressure during an ELM free H-mode weakens the internal transport barrier due to a reduction of the rotational shear and pressure gradient at the ITB location. In addition, type I ELM activity, associated with a high edge pedestal pressure, leads to a collapse of the ITB with the input powers available in JET. The best ITB discharges are obtained with input power control to reduce to core pressure, and with the edge of the plasma controlled by argon gas dosing. These discharges achieve steady conditions for several energy confinement times with H97 confinement enhancement factors of 1.2-1.6 at line average densities around 30%-40% of the Greenwald density. This is at much lower density (typically factor 2 to 3) compared to standard H-mode discharges in JET. Increasing the density, using additional deuterium gas dosing or shallow pellet fueling has not been successful so far. A possible route to higher densities should maintain the type III ELM's towards high edge density, giving scope for future experiments in JET. (author)

Automation of the helium jet transport system for nuclear recoil products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellido, Luis F.; Pedrosa, Paulo S.

1996-09-01

A computer code and an interface hardware to automate the acquisition data and the sample changer in a helium jet transport system of recoil nucleus was developed for an IBM or compatible personal microcomputer. The software works with a Spectrum-ACE/ADCAM ORTEC's multichannel analysers and the interface card uses the 03EFh port to command the sample changer. This system allows to measure, by gamma spectrometry, radionuclides with half-lives of order of seconds produced from nuclear reactions. (author)

Diagnosis of a short-pulse dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure in helium with hydrogen-methane admixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Nastuta, A. V.; Pohoata, V.; Mihaila, I.; Topala, I.

2018-04-01

In this study, we present results from electrical, optical, and spectroscopic diagnosis of a short-pulse (250 ns) high-power impulse (up to 11 kW) dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure running in a helium/helium-hydrogen/helium-hydrogen-methane gas mixture. This plasma source is able to generate up to 20 cm3 of plasma volume, pulsed in kilohertz range. The plasma spatio-temporal dynamics are found to be developed in three distinct phases. All the experimental observations reveal a similar dynamic to medium power microsecond barrier discharges, although the power per pulse and current density are up to two orders of magnitude higher than the case of microsecond barrier discharges. This might open the possibility for new applications in the field of gas or surface processing, and even life science. These devices can be used in laboratory experiments relevant for molecular astrophysics.

Edge dynamics in pellet-fuelled inner-wall jet discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, S.A.; Ehrenberg, J.; Bartlett, D.V.

1987-01-01

This paper reports on the density behavior in JET during pellet-fuelled inner-wall discharges without auxiliary heating. Certain discharges, characterized by minor disruptions at the q = 2 surface, show a ten times more rapid decay of the plasma density than previously observed. It is shown that this is related to the combined effects of plasma and wall properties

Atmospheric pressure He-air plasma jet: Breakdown process and propagation phenomenon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, Asma; Laroussi, Mounir; Pervez, Mohammad Rasel

2013-01-01

In this paper He-discharge (plasma jet/bullet) in atmospheric pressure air and its progression phenomenon has been studied experimentally using ICCD camera, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and calibrated dielectric probe measurements. The repetitive nanosecond pulse has applied to a plasma pencil to generate discharge in the helium gas channel. The discharge propagation speed was measured from the ICCD images. The axial electric field distribution in the plasma jet is inferred from the optical emission spectroscopic data and from the probe measurement. The correlation between the jet velocities, jet length with the pulse duration is established. It shows that the plasma jet is not isolated from the input voltage along its propagation path. The discharge propagation speed, the electron density and the local and average electric field distribution along the plasma jet axis predicted from the experimental results are in good agreement with the data predicted by numerical simulation of the streamer propagation presented in different literatures. The ionization phenomenon of the discharge predicts the key ionization parameters, such as speed, peak electric field in the front, and electron density. The maximum local electric field measured by OES is 95 kV/cm at 1.3 cm of the jet axis, and average EF measured by probe is 24 kV/cm at the same place of the jet. The average and local electron density estimated are in the order of 10 11 cm -3 and it reaches to the maximum of 10 12 cm -3 .

Experimental study for thermal striping phenomena of parallel triple-jet. Effects of the difference between hot jets and cold jet in discharged temperature and velocity on convective mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Nobuyuki; Tokuhiro, A.; Miyakoshi, Hiroyuki

1996-10-01

Elucidation on thermal hydraulic behavior of Thermal Striping is of importance for a reactor safety, which is arisen form exit temperature difference of fuel subassemblies. Since its temperature fluctuation may cause thermal cycle fatigue on upper internal structure (UIS). A series of experiments was performed using the Thermal Striping water test facility in order to investigate the mixing phenomena on three vertical jets with exit velocity and temperature differences. The parameters were the velocity and temperature of the jets at discharge nozzles. The local velocities were measured by Ultrasound Velocity Profile (UVP) monitor and Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA), and temperature distributions were measured by thermocouples. This report mainly examined the experimental results of temperature measurements. There is a typical region where the gradient of the temperature variation in the triple-jet: that is the Convective Mixing region. This region is independent of the discharged temperature difference, and spreads with larger velocity difference among the jets. For isovelocity discharge conditions, non-dimensional temperature fields are almost independent of discharged temperature differences within Convective Mixing region. Consequently, the effect of temperature difference is negligible compared to that of velocity difference on the flow field. There are remarkable frequencies of 2-5Hz in temperature fluctuation due to a oscillation of the central jet (cold jet) for this condition. While, for non-isovelocity discharge condition, there are no remarkable frequencies. Hence, it is clear that there is the region where a large thermal fatigue is imposed by Thermal Striping against structures of Fast Reactor. It is suggested that the structures have to be placed outside of Convective Mixing region. Also, it is considered that typical frequencies in temperature fluctuation are controlled by giving a discharge velocity difference between cold and hot jets. (J.P.N.)

Enhanced oxygen dissociation in a propagating constricted discharge formed in a self-pulsing atmospheric pressure microplasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Schröder, Daniel; Burhenn, Sebastian; Kirchheim, Dennis; Schulz-von der Gathen, Volker

2013-11-01

We report on the propagation of a constricted discharge feature in a repetitively self-pulsing microplasma jet operated in helium with a 0.075 vol% molecular oxygen admixture in ambient air environment. The constricted discharge is about 1 mm in width and repetitively ignites at the point of smallest electrode distance in a wedge-shaped electrode configuration, propagates through the discharge channel towards the nozzle, extinguishes, and re-ignites at the inlet at frequencies in the kHz range. It co-exists with a homogeneous, volume-dominated low temperature (T ⋍ 300 K) α-mode glow. Time-resolved measurements of nitrogen molecule C-state and nitrogen molecule ion B-state emission bands reveal an increase of the rotational temperature within the constricted discharge to about 600 K within 50 µs. Its propagation velocity was determined by phase-resolved diagnostics to be similar to the gas velocity, in the order of 40 m s-1. Two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy synchronized to the self-pulsing reveals spatial regions of increased oxygen atom densities co-propagating with the constricted discharge feature. The generated oxygen pulse density is about ten times higher than in the co-existing homogeneous α-mode. Densities reach about 1.5 × 1016 cm-3 at average temperatures of 450 K at the nozzle. This enhanced dissociation of about 80% is attributed to the continuous interaction of the constricted discharge to the co-propagating gas volume.

Two discharge modes of a repetitive nanosecond pulsed helium glow discharge under sub-atmospheric pressure in the repetition frequency range of 20 to 600 kHz

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuchi, Yusuke; Maegawa, Takuya; Otsubo, Akira; Nishimura, Yoshimi; Nagata, Masayoshi; Yatsuzuka, Mitsuyasu

2018-05-01

Two discharge modes, α and γ, of a repetitive nanosecond pulsed helium glow discharge at a gas pressure of 10 kPa in the repetition frequency range from 20 to 600 kHz are reported for the first time. The pulsed glow discharge is produced in a pair of parallel plate metal electrodes without insertion of dielectrics. The α mode discharge is volumetrically produced in the electrode gap at a low-repetition frequency, whereas the γ mode discharge is localized at the cathode surface at a high-repetition frequency. At high-repetition frequency, the time interval between voltage pulses is shorter than the lifetime of the afterglow produced by the preceding discharge. Then, the γ mode discharge is maintained by a large number of secondary electrons emitted from the cathode exposed to high-density ions and metastable helium atoms in the afterglow. In the α mode discharge with a low-repetition frequency operation, primary electrons due to gas ionization dominate the ionization process. Thus, a large discharge voltage is needed for the excitation of the α mode discharge. It is established that the bifurcation of α-γ discharge mode, accompanied by a decrease in the discharge voltage, occurs at the high-repetition frequency of ∼120 kHz.

Contrasting characteristics of sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air and atmospheric pressure helium-oxygen glow discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, J L; Liu, D X; Iza, F; Kong, M G; Rong, M Z

2010-01-01

Glow discharges in air are often considered to be the ultimate low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for numerous chamber-free applications. This is due to the ubiquitous presence of air and the perceived abundance of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in air plasmas. In this paper, sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air plasmas are shown to produce a low concentration of excited oxygen atoms but an abundance of excited nitrogen species, UV photons and ozone molecules. This contrasts sharply with the efficient production of excited oxygen atoms in comparable helium-oxygen discharges. Relevant reaction chemistry analysed with a global model suggests that collisional excitation of O 2 by helium metastables is significantly more efficient than electron dissociative excitation of O 2 , electron excitation of O and ion-ion recombination. These results suggest different practical uses of the two oxygen-containing atmospheric discharges, with air plasmas being well suited for nitrogen and UV based chemistry and He-O 2 plasmas for excited atomic oxygen based chemistry. (fast track communication)

Atmospheric pressure He-air plasma jet: Breakdown process and propagation phenomenon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Begum, Asma [Independent University, Bangladesh, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Bashundhara, Dhaka (Bangladesh); Laroussi, Mounir [Old Dominion University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Norfolk, Virginia (United States); Pervez, Mohammad Rasel [Master Mind College, Department of Physics, Dhanmondi, Dhaka (Bangladesh)

2013-06-15

In this paper He-discharge (plasma jet/bullet) in atmospheric pressure air and its progression phenomenon has been studied experimentally using ICCD camera, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and calibrated dielectric probe measurements. The repetitive nanosecond pulse has applied to a plasma pencil to generate discharge in the helium gas channel. The discharge propagation speed was measured from the ICCD images. The axial electric field distribution in the plasma jet is inferred from the optical emission spectroscopic data and from the probe measurement. The correlation between the jet velocities, jet length with the pulse duration is established. It shows that the plasma jet is not isolated from the input voltage along its propagation path. The discharge propagation speed, the electron density and the local and average electric field distribution along the plasma jet axis predicted from the experimental results are in good agreement with the data predicted by numerical simulation of the streamer propagation presented in different literatures. The ionization phenomenon of the discharge predicts the key ionization parameters, such as speed, peak electric field in the front, and electron density. The maximum local electric field measured by OES is 95 kV/cm at 1.3 cm of the jet axis, and average EF measured by probe is 24 kV/cm at the same place of the jet. The average and local electron density estimated are in the order of 10{sup 11} cm{sup -3} and it reaches to the maximum of 10{sup 12} cm{sup -3}.

Plasmid DNA damage induced by helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xu; Cantrell, William A.; Escobar, Erika E.; Ptasinska, Sylwia

2014-03-01

A helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is applied to induce damage to aqueous plasmid DNA. The resulting fractions of the DNA conformers, which indicate intact molecules or DNA with single- or double-strand breaks, are determined using agarose gel electrophoresis. The DNA strand breaks increase with a decrease in the distance between the APPJ and DNA samples under two working conditions of the plasma source with different parameters of applied electric pulses. The damage level induced in the plasmid DNA is also enhanced with increased plasma irradiation time. The reactive species generated in the APPJ are characterized by optical emission spectra, and their roles in possible DNA damage processes occurring in an aqueous environment are also discussed.

Numerical modelling of the effect of dry air traces in a helium parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarou, C.; Belmonte, T.; Chiper, A. S.; Georghiou, G. E.

2016-10-01

A validated numerical model developed for the study of helium barrier discharges in the presence of dry air impurities is presented in this paper. The model was used to numerically investigate the influence of air traces on the evolution of the helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The level of dry air used as impurity was in the range from 0 to 1500 ppm, which corresponds to the most commonly encountered range in atmospheric pressure discharge experiments. The results presented in this study clearly show that the plasma chemistry and consequently the discharge evolution is highly affected by the concentration level of impurities in the mixture. In particular, it was observed that air traces assist the discharge ignition at low concentration levels (~55 ppm), while on the other hand, they increase the burning voltage at higher concentration levels (~1000 ppm). Furthermore, it was found that the discharge symmetry during the voltage cycle highly depends on the concentration of air. For the interpretation of the results, a detailed analysis of the processes that occur in the discharge gap is performed and the main reaction pathways of ion production are described. Thanks to this approach, useful insight into the physics behind the evolution of the discharge is obtained.

Numerical and experimental study on a pulsed-dc plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, X. Y.; Pei, X. K.; Lu, X. P.; Liu, D. W.

2014-06-01

A numerical and experimental study of plasma jet propagation in a low-temperature, atmospheric-pressure, helium jet in ambient air is presented. A self-consistent, multi-species, two-dimensional axially symmetric plasma model with detailed finite-rate chemistry of helium-air mixture composition is used to provide insights into the propagation of the plasma jet. The obtained simulation results suggest that the sheath forms near the dielectric tube inner surface and shields the plasma channel from the tube surface. The strong electric field at the edge of the dielectric field enhances the ionization in the air mixing layer; therefore, the streamer head becomes ring-shaped when the streamer runs out of the tube. The avalanche-to-streamer transition is the main mechanism of streamer advancement. Penning ionization dominates the ionization reactions and increases the electrical conductivity of the plasma channel. The simulation results are supported by experimental observations under similar discharge conditions.

DC negative corona discharge in atmospheric pressure helium: transition from the corona to the ‘normal’ glow regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, Nusair; Farouk, Bakhtier; Antao, Dion S

2014-01-01

Direct current (dc) negative corona discharges in atmospheric pressure helium are simulated via detailed numerical modeling. Simulations are conducted to characterize the discharges in atmospheric helium for a pin plate electrode configuration. A self-consistent two-dimensional hybrid model is developed to simulate the discharges and the model predictions are validated with experimental measurements. The discharge model considered consists of momentum and energy conservation equations for a multi-component (electrons, ions, excited species and neutrals) gas mixture, conservation equations for each component of the mixture and state relations. A drift–diffusion approximation for the electron and the ion fluxes is used. A model for the external circuit driving the discharge is also considered and solved along with the discharge model. Many of the key features of a negative corona discharge, namely non-linear current–voltage characteristics, spatially flat cathode current density and glow-like discharge in the high current regime are displayed in the predictions. A transition to the ‘normal’ glow discharge from the corona discharge regime is also observed. The transition is identified from the calculated current–voltage characteristic curve and is characterized by the radial growth of the negative glow and the engulfment of the cathode wire. (paper)

Gas Breakdown of Radio Frequency Glow Discharges in Helium at near Atmospheric Pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xinkun; Xu Jinzhou; Cui Tongfei; Guo Ying; Zhang Jing; Shi Jianjun

2013-01-01

A one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model was developed for radio frequency glow discharge in helium at near atmospheric pressure, and was employed to study the gas breakdown characteristics in terms of breakdown voltage. The effective secondary electron emission coefficient and the effective electric field for ions were demonstrated to be important for determining the breakdown voltage of radio frequency glow discharge at near atmospheric pressure. The constant of A was estimated to be 64±4 cm −1 Torr −1 , which was proportional to the first Townsend coefficient and could be employed to evaluate the gas breakdown voltage. The reduction in the breakdown voltage of radio frequency glow discharge with excitation frequency was studied and attributed to the electron trapping effect in the discharge gap

Enhanced ozone production in a pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet with addition of argon to a He-O2 flow gas

Science.gov (United States)

Sands, Brian; Ganguly, Biswa; Scofield, James

2013-09-01

Ozone production in a plasma jet DBD driven with a 20-ns risetime unipolar pulsed voltage can be significantly enhanced using helium as the primary flow gas with an O2 coflow. The overvolted discharge can be sustained with up to a 5% O2 coflow at pulse repetition frequency at 13 kV applied voltage. Ozone production scales with the pulse repetition frequency up to a ``turnover frequency'' that depends on the O2 concentration, total gas flow rate, and applied voltage. For example, peak ozone densities >1016 cm-3 were measured with 3% O2 admixture and discharge current and 777 nm O(5 P) emission, but decreased ozone production and is followed by a transition to a filamentary discharge mode. The addition of argon at concentrations >=5% reduces the channel conductivity and shifts the turnover frequency to higher frequencies. This results in increased ozone production for a given applied voltage and gas flow rate. Time-resolved Ar(1s5) and He(23S1) metastable densities were acquired along with discharge current and ozone density measurements to gain insight into the mechanisms of optimum ozone production.

Stability of Global Alfven Waves (Tae, Eae) in Jet Tritium Discharges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerner, W.; Borba, D.; Huysmans, G. T. A.; Porcelli, F.; Poedts, S.; Goedbloed, J. P.; Betti, R.

1994-01-01

The interaction of alpha-particles in JET tritium discharges with global Alfven waves via inverse Landau damping is analysed. It is found that alpha-particle driven eigenmodes were stable in the PTE1 and should also be stable in a future 50:50 deuterium-tritium mix discharge aiming at Q(DT) = 1,

The experience with JET's combined dc/Rf glow discharge cleaning (GDC) system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearce, R.J.H.; Andrew, P.; Bryan, S.

1996-01-01

The JET Tokamak was fitted with four new electrodes of novel design, each powered from individual computer controlled dc and RF supplies. Details of enhancements and problems from 15 months experience with the system are outlined. Experiments were performed to assess the effect of RF on the glow discharge characteristics, and to establish stable glow at low pressure and high voltage. JET combined RF/dc glow discharge cleaning (GDC) had no significant advantages over pure dc GDC, provided highly stable dc current control was obtained. In fact, the mechanically weak electrode inductor spiral required to allow RF posed a distinct disadvantage. The electrodes were converted to simple plates, following damage caused by halo currents during Tokamak plasma disruptions. The performance of these electrodes was assessed. Future developments in the JET GDC system are outlined. (Author)

Impurity production and transport at the JET belt limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitcher, C.S.; McCracken, G.M.; Strangeby, P.C.; Toronto Univ., ON; Summers, D.D.R.

1989-01-01

Under certain operating conditions in JET the impurity content of the discharge can be high, thus reducing the fusion reaction rate through the dilution of the hydrogenic fuel. The dilution in most discharges is predominantly due to carbon impurities. In order to understand how carbon impurities are produced and transported into the plasma, detailed measurements with interference filters centered on intense spectral lines of the low ionization states of carbon (C I, C II, C III) as well as the fuel species (Dα) and helium (He I). (author) 6 refs., 4 figs

Diagnostics of pre-breakdown light emission in a helium coplanar barrier discharge: the presence of neutral bremsstrahlung

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Navrátil, Z.; Morávek, T.; Ráhel’, J.; Čech, J.; Lalinský, Ondřej; Trunec, D.

2017-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 5 (2017), s. 1-10, č. článku 055025. ISSN 0963-0252 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : dielectric barrier discharge * helium * single photon counting * bremsstrahlung * electric field * backward discharge * surface charge Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 3.302, year: 2016

PIV measurements of turbulent jet and pool mixing produced by a steam jet discharge in a subcooled water pool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, Yeon Jun; Song, Chul-Hwa

2010-01-01

This experimental research is on the fluid-dynamic features produced by a steam injection into a subcooled water pool. The relevant phenomena could often be encountered in water cooled nuclear power plants. Two major topics, a turbulent jet and the internal circulation produced by a steam injection, were investigated separately using a particle image velocimetry (PIV) as a non-intrusive optical measurement technique. Physical domains of both experiments have a two-dimensional axi-symmetric geometry of which the boundary and initial conditions can be readily and well defined. The turbulent jet experiments with the upward discharging configuration provide the parametric values for quantitatively describing a turbulent jet such as the self-similar velocity profile, central velocity decay, spreading rate, etc. And in the internal circulation experiments with the downward discharging configuration, typical flow patterns in a whole pool region are measured in detail, which reveals both the local and macroscopic characteristics of the mixing behavior in a pool. This quantitative data on the condensing jet-induced mixing behavior in a pool could be utilized as benchmarking for a CFD simulation of relevant phenomena.

Internal transport barrier discharges in JET and their sensitivity to edge conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sips, A.C.C.

2001-01-01

Experiments in JET have concentrated on steady state discharges with internal transport barriers (ITBs). The ITBs are formed during the current rise phase of the discharge with low magnetic shear (=r/q(dq/dr)) in the centre and with high additional heating power. In order to achieve stability against disruptions at high pressure peaking, which is typical for ITB discharges, the pressure profile can be broadened with an H mode transport barrier at the edge of the plasma. However, the strong increase in edge pressure during an ELM free H mode weakens the ITB owing to a reduction of the rotational shear and pressure gradient at the ITB location. In addition, type I ELM activity during the H mode phase leads to a collapse of the ITB with the input powers available in JET (up to 28 MW). The best ITB discharges are obtained with input power control to reduce the core pressure, and with the edge pressure of the plasma controlled by argon gas dosing. These discharges achieve steady conditions for several energy confinement times (τ E ) with H97 confinement enhancement factors (τ E /τ E,ITER97scaling ) of 1.2-1.6 at line averaged densities of around 30-40% of the Greenwald density. Increasing the density by using additional deuterium gas dosing or shallow pellet fuelling leads to a weakening of the ITB. In order to sustain ITBs at higher densities, type III ELMs should be maintained at the plasma edge, giving scope for future experiments in JET. (author)

Ideal ballooning stability of JET discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvao, R.M.O.; Lazzaro, E.; O'Rourke, J.; Smeulders, P.; Schmidt, G.

1989-01-01

Conditions under which ballooning modes are expected to be excited have recently been obtained in two different types of discharges in JET. In the first type, discharges with β approaching the Troyon-Sykes-Wesson critical value β c for optimised pressure profiles have been produced at low toroidal fields (B T =1.5T). In the second type, extremely high pressure gradients have been produced in the plasma core through pellet injection in the current rise phase of the discharge followed by strong additional heating. The stability of these discharges has been studied with the stability code HBT coupled to the equilibrium identification code IDENTC. The equilibrium pressure and diamagnetic function profiles are determined in IDENTC by an optimisation procedure to fit the external magnetic measurements. The resulting pressure profile in the equatorial plane is then compared with the profile derived from 'direct' measurements, i.e. electron density and temperature profiles measured by the LIDAR diagnostic system, ion-temperature profile measured by the charge-exchange diagnostic system, and ion density profile calculated from the Z eff and electron density profiles. Furthermore, the value of the safety factor q on axis is compared with that determined from polarimetry. When good agreement is found, the output data from IDENTC is passed directly to HBT to carry out the stability analysis. When there is not a good agreement, as in the case of pellet discharges with highly peaked pressure profiles, the equilibrium is reevaluated using the 'experimental' profile and the data from polarimetry. (author) 6 refs., 4 figs

Dependence of helium transport on plasma current and ELM frequency in H-mode discharges in DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, M.R.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Finkenthal, D.F.; West, W.P.; Burrell, K.H.; Seraydarian, R.P.

1993-05-01

The removal of helium (He) ash from the plasma core with high efficiency to prevent dilution of the D-T fuel mixture is of utmost importance for future fusion devices, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). A variety of measurements in L-mode conditions have shown that the intrinsic level of helium transport from the core to the edge may be sufficient to prevent sufficient dilution (i.e., τ He /τ E < 5). Preliminary measurements in biased-induced, limited H-mode discharges in TEXTOR suggest that the intrinsic helium transport properties may not be as favorable. If this trend is shown also in diverted H-mode plasmas, then scenarios based on ELMing H-modes would be less desirable. To further establish the database on helium transport in H-mode conditions, recent studies on the DIII-D tokamak have focused on determining helium transport properties in H-mode conditions and the dependence of these properties on plasma current and ELM frequency

Noble gas enrichment studies at JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groth, M.; Andrew, P.; Fundamenski, W.; Guo, H.Y.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Horton, L.D.; Matthews, G.F.; Meigs, A.G.; Morgan, P.M.; Stamp, M.F.; Hellermann, M. von

2001-01-01

Adequate helium exhaust has been achieved in reactor-relevant ELMy H-mode plasmas in JET performed in the MKII AP and MKII GB divertor geometry. The divertor-characteristic quantities of noble gas compression and enrichment have been experimentally inferred from Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy measurements in the core plasma, and from spectroscopic analysis of a Penning gauge discharge in the exhaust gas. The retention of helium was found to be satisfactory for a next-step device, with enrichment factors exceeding 0.1. The helium enrichment decreases with increasing core plasma density, while the neon enrichment has the opposite behaviour. Analytic and numerical analyses of these plasmas using the divertor impurity code package DIVIMP/NIMBUS support the explanation that the enrichment of noble gases depends significantly on the penetration depth of the impurity neutrals with respect to the fuel atoms. Changes of the divertor plasma configuration and divertor geometry have no effect on the enrichment

Measurement of ozone production scaling in a helium plasma jet with oxygen admixture

Science.gov (United States)

Sands, Brian; Ganguly, Biswa

2012-10-01

Capillary dielectric barrier plasma jet devices that generate confined streamer-like discharges along a rare gas flow can produce significant quantities of reactive oxygen species with average input powers ranging from 100 mW to >1 W. We have measured spatially-resolved ozone production in a He plasma jet with O2 admixture concentrations up to 5% using absorption spectroscopy of the O3 Hartley band system. A 20-ns risetime, 10-13 kV positive unipolar voltage pulse train was used to power the discharge, with pulse repetition rates varied from 1-20 kHz. The discharge was operated in a transient glow mode to scale the input power by adjusting the gap width between the anode and downstream cathodic plane. Peak ozone number densities in the range of 10^16 - 10^17 cm-3 were measured. At a given voltage, the density of ozone increased monotonically up to 3% O2 admixture (6 mm gap) as the peak discharge current decreased by an order of magnitude. Ozone production increased with distance from the capillary, consistent with observations by other groups. Atomic oxygen production inferred from O-atom 777 nm emission intensity did not scale with ozone as the input power was increased. The spatial distribution of ozone and scaling with input power will be presented.

Observation of visible emission from the molecular helium ion in the afterglow of a dense helium Z-pinch plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tucker, J.E.; Brake, M.L.; Gilgenbach, R.M.

1986-01-01

The authors present the results of axial and radial time resolved visible emission spectroscopy from the afterglow of a dense helium Z-pinch. These results show that the visible emissions in the pinch afterglow are dominated by line emissions from molecular helium and He II. Axial spectroscopy measurements show the occurrence of several absorption bands which cannot be identified as molecular or atomic helium nor impurities from the discharge chamber materials. The authors believe that these absorption bands are attributable to the molecular helium ion which is present in the discharge. The molecular ion has been observed by others in low pressure and temperature helium discharges directly by means of mass spectrometry and indirectly by the presence of helium atoms in the 2/sup 3/S state, (the He 2/sup 3/S state is believed to result from molecular helium ion recombination). However, the molecular helium ion has not previously been observed spectroscopically

Non-self-sustained microwave discharge and the concept of a microwave air jet engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batanov, G M; Gritsinin, S I; Kossyi, I A

2002-01-01

A new type of microwave discharge - near-surface non-self-sustained discharge (NSND) - has been realized and investigated. A physical model of this discharge is presented. For the first time NSND application for microwave air jet engines has been proposed. Measurements under laboratory conditions modelling the microwave air jet engine operation shows the qualitative agreement between the model of NSND and actual processes near the target irradiated by a powerful microwave beam. Characteristic dependences of recoil momentum of target on the background pressure and microwave pulse duration obtained in experiments are presented. Measured cost of thrust produced by the NSND is no more than 3.0 kW N -1 , which is close to the predicted values

A Brief Study on the Ignition of the Non-Thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet from a Double Dielectric Barrier Configured Plasma Pencil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, Asma; Laroussi, Mounir; Pervez, M. R.

2013-01-01

To understand the self sustained propagation of the plasma jet/bullet in air under atmospheric pressure, the ignition of the plasma jet/bullet, the plasma jet/bullet ignition point in the plasma pencil, the formation time and the formation criteria from a dielectric barrier configured plasma pencil were investigated in this study. The results were confirmed by comparing these results with the plasma jet ignition process in the plasma pencil without a dielectric barrier. Electrical, optical, and imaging techniques were used to study the formation of the plasma jet from the ignition of discharge in a double dielectric barrier configured plasma pencil. The investigation results show that the plasma jet forms at the outlet of the plasma pencil as a donut shaped discharge front because of the electric field line along the outlet's surface. It is shown that the required time for the formation of the plasma jet changes with the input voltage of the discharge. The input power calculation for the gap discharge and for the whole system shows that 56% of the average input power is used by the first gap discharge. The estimated electron density inside the gap discharge is in the order of 10 11 cm −3 . If helium is used as a feeding gas, a minimum 1.48×10 −8 C charge is required per pulse in the gap discharge to generate a plasma jet

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Contrasting characteristics of sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air and atmospheric pressure helium-oxygen glow discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, J. L.; Liu, D. X.; Iza, F.; Rong, M. Z.; Kong, M. G.

2010-01-01

Glow discharges in air are often considered to be the ultimate low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas for numerous chamber-free applications. This is due to the ubiquitous presence of air and the perceived abundance of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in air plasmas. In this paper, sub-microsecond pulsed atmospheric air plasmas are shown to produce a low concentration of excited oxygen atoms but an abundance of excited nitrogen species, UV photons and ozone molecules. This contrasts sharply with the efficient production of excited oxygen atoms in comparable helium-oxygen discharges. Relevant reaction chemistry analysed with a global model suggests that collisional excitation of O2 by helium metastables is significantly more efficient than electron dissociative excitation of O2, electron excitation of O and ion-ion recombination. These results suggest different practical uses of the two oxygen-containing atmospheric discharges, with air plasmas being well suited for nitrogen and UV based chemistry and He-O2 plasmas for excited atomic oxygen based chemistry.

Diagnostics of pre-breakdown light emission in a helium coplanar barrier discharge: the presence of neutral bremsstrahlung

Science.gov (United States)

Navrátil, Zdeněk; Morávek, Tomáš; Ráheľ, Jozef; Čech, Jan; Lalinský, Ondřej; Trunec, David

2017-05-01

Weak light emission (˜10-3 of active discharge signal; average count rate ˜ 1 photon s-1 nm-1) associated with surface charge relaxation during the dark phase of a helium diffuse coplanar barrier discharge was studied by optical emission spectroscopy, using a technique of phase-resolved single photon counting. The optical emission spectra of the dark phase contained luminescent bands of the dielectrics used (Al2O3, AlN) and spectral lines from the gas constituents (OH*, {{{N}}}2* , {{{N}}}2+* , He*, He{}2* , O*). During the charge relaxation event, a broad continuum appeared in the optical emission spectra, consisting of bremsstrahlung radiation and amplified luminescence of the dielectric barrier. The analysis presented suggests that the bremsstrahlung radiation originated from slow electrons colliding with neutral helium atoms. The fitting procedure we developed reproduced well the observed shape of the continuum. Moreover, it provided a method for the determination of electric field strength in the discharge during this particular phase. The electric field reached 1 kV cm-1 during the charge relaxation event.

The Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics (JENSA) gas jet target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chipps, K.A.; Greife, U.; Bardayan, D.W.; Blackmon, J.C.; Kontos, A.; Linhardt, L.E.; Matos, M.; Pain, S.D.; Pittman, S.T.; Sachs, A.; Schatz, H.; Schmitt, K.T.; Smith, M.S.; Thompson, P.

2014-01-01

New radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities will push further away from stability and enable the next generation of nuclear physics experiments. Of great importance to the future of RIB physics are scattering, transfer, and capture reaction measurements of rare, exotic, and unstable nuclei on light targets such as hydrogen and helium. These measurements require targets that are dense, highly localized, and pure. Targets must also accommodate the use of large area silicon detector arrays, high-efficiency gamma arrays, and heavy ion detector systems to efficiently measure the reaction products. To address these issues, the Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics (JENSA) Collaboration has designed, built, and characterized a supersonic gas jet target, capable of providing gas areal densities on par with commonly used solid targets within a region of a few millimeters diameter. Densities of over 5×10 18 atoms/cm 2 of helium have been achieved, making the JENSA gas jet target the most dense helium jet achieved so far

Use of Helium Production to Screen Glow Discharges for Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR)

Science.gov (United States)

Passell, Thomas O.

2011-03-01

My working hypothesis of the conditions required to observe low energy nuclear reactions (LENR) follows: 1) High fluxes of deuterium atoms through interfaces of grains of metals that readily accommodate movement of hydrogen atoms interstitially is the driving variable that produces the widely observed episodes of excess heat above the total of all input energy. 2) This deuterium atom flux has been most often achieved at high electrochemical current densities on highly deuterium-loaded palladium cathodes but is clearly possible in other experimental arrangements in which the metal is interfacing gaseous deuterium, as in an electrical glow discharge. 3) Since the excess heat episodes must be producing the product(s) of some nuclear fusion reaction(s) screening of options may be easier with measurement of those ``ashes'' than the observance of the excess heat. 4) All but a few of the exothermic fusion reactions known among the first 5 elements produce He-4. Hence helium-4 appearance in an experiment may be the most efficient indicator of some fusion reaction without commitment on which reaction is occurring. This set of hypotheses led me to produce a series of sealed tubes of wire electrodes of metals known to absorb hydrogen and operate them for 100 days at the 1 watt power level using deuterium gas pressures of ~ 100 torr powered by 40 Khz AC power supplies. Observation of helium will be by measurement of helium optical emission lines through the glass envelope surrounding the discharge. The results of the first 18 months of this effort will be described.

Simulation of the Plasma Afterglow in the Discharge Gap of a Subnanosecond Switch Based on an Open Discharge in Helium

Science.gov (United States)

Alexandrov, A. L.; Schweigert, I. V.

2018-05-01

The phenomenon of subnanosecond electrical breakdown in a strong electric field observed in an open discharge in helium at pressures of 6-20 Torr can be used to create ultrafast plasma switches triggering into a conducting state for a time shorter than 1 ns. To evaluate the possible repetition rate of such a subnanosecond switch, it is interesting to study the decay dynamics of the plasma remaining in the discharge gap after ultrafast breakdown. In this paper, a kinetic model based on the particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision method is used to study the dynamics of the plasma afterglow in the discharge gap of a subnanosecond switch operating with helium at a pressure of 6 Torr. The simulation results show that the radiative, collisional-radiative, and three-body collision recombination mechanisms significantly contribute to the afterglow decay only while the plasma density remains higher than 1012 cm-3; the main mechanism of the further plasma decay is diffusion of plasma particles onto the wall. Therefore, the effect of recombination in the plasma bulk is observed only during the first 10-20 μs of the afterglow. Over nearly the same time, plasma electrons become thermalized. The afterglow time can be substantially reduced by applying a positive voltage U c to the cathode. Since diffusive losses are limited by the ion mobility, the additional ion drift toward the wall significantly accelerates plasma decay. As U c increases from 0 to +500 V, the characteristic time of plasma decay is reduced from 35 to 10 μs.

Cathode fall parameters of a self-sustained normal glow discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhipenko, V.I.; Zgirovskii, S.M.; Kirillov, A.A.; Simonchik, L.V.

2002-01-01

Results from comprehensive studies of a high-current self-sustained glow discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium are presented. The main parameters of the cathode fall, namely, the electric field profile, cathode fall thickness, current density, gas temperature, and heat flux to the cathode are determined. The results obtained are discussed using one-dimensional models of the cathode fall with allowance for volumetric heat release

Glow plasma jet - experimental study of a transferred atmospheric pressure glow discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerra-Mutis, Marlon H; U, Carlos V Pelaez; H, Rafael Cabanzo

2003-01-01

In this paper we present the experimental study of a glow plasma jet (GPJ) obtained from a transferred atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) operating at 60 Hz. The characterization of the emission spectra for both electrical discharges is presented and the electrical circuit features for APGD generation are discussed. The potentiality of GPJ as a source of active species for depletion of contaminants in liquid hydrocarbon fractions is also established

Gas and plasma dynamics of RF discharge jet of low pressure in a vacuum chamber with flat electrodes and inside tube, influence of RF discharge on the steel surface parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Khristoliubova, V. I.; Kashapov, N. F.; Shaekhov, M. F.

2016-06-01

Researches results of the characteristics of the RF discharge jet of low pressure and the discharge influence on the surface modification of high speed and structural steels are introduced in the article. Gas dynamics, power and energy parameters of the RF low pressure discharge flow in the discharge chamber and the electrode gap are studied in the presence of the materials. Plasma flow rate, discharge power, the concentration of electrons, the density of RF power, the ion current density, and the energy of the ions bombarding the surface materials are considered for the definition of basic properties crucial for the process of surface modification of materials as they were put in the plasma jet. The influence of the workpiece and effect of products complex configuration on the RF discharge jet of low pressure is defined. The correlation of the input parameters of the plasma unit on the characteristics of the discharge is established.

Advances in the helium-jet coupled on-line mass seperator RAMA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moltz, D.M.; Aeystoe, J.; Cable, M.D.; Parry, R.F.; Haustein, P.E.; Wouters, J.M.; Cerny, J.; California Univ., Berkeley

1981-01-01

General improvements to the on-line mass separator RAMA have yielded a greater reliability and efficiency for some elements. A new utilitarian helium-jet chamber has been installed to facilitate quick target and degrader foil changes in addition to a new ion source holder. A higher efficiency hollow-cathode, cathode-extraction ion source for lower melting point elements ( 0 C) has also been designed. Tests with the beta-delayed proton emitter 37 Ca showed a factor of five increase in yield over the old hollow-cathode, anode-extraction source. A differentially-pumped tape drive system compatible with both γ-γ and β-γ experiments has been incorporated into the general detection system. All major operating parameters will soon be monitored by a complete stand-alone microprocessor system which will eventually be upgraded to a closed-loop control system. (orig.)

Advances in the helium-jet coupled on-line mass separator RAMA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moltz, D.M.; Aysto, J.; Cable, M.D.; Parry, R.F.; Haustein, P.E.; Wouters, J.M.; Cerny, J.

1980-01-01

General improvements to the on-line mass separator RAMA (Recoil Atom Mass Analyzer) have yielded a greater reliability and efficiency for some elements. A new utilitarian helium-jet chamber has been installed to facilitate quick target and degrader foil changes in addition to a new ion source holder. A higher efficiency hollow-cathode, cathode-extraction ion source, for lower melting point elements ( 0 C) has also been designed. Tests with the beta-delayed proton emitter 37 Ca showed a factor of five increase in yield over the old hollow-cathode, anode-extraction source. A differentially-pumped-tape drive system compatible with both γ-γ and β-γ experiments has been incorporated into the general detection system. All major operating parameters will soon be monitored by a complete stand-alone microprocessor system which will eventually be upgraded to a closed-loop control system

Characterization of polarized electrons coming from helium post-discharge source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zerhouni, R.O.

1996-02-01

The objective of this thesis is the characterization of the polarized electron source developed at Orsay and foreseen to be coupled to a cw accelerator for nuclear physics experiments. The principle of operation of this source relies on the chemo-ionization reaction between optically aligned helium triplet metastable atoms and CO 2 molecules. The helium metastable atoms are generated by injection of purified helium into a 2,45 GHz micro-wave discharge. They are optically pumped using two beams of 1,083 micro-meter resonant radiation, one circularly and the other linearly polarized. Both beams are delivered by a high power LNA laser. The metastable atomic beam interacts with a dense (10 13 cm -3 ) spin singlet CO 2 target. A fraction of the produced polarized electrons is extracted and collimated by electrostatic optics. Either to the Mott polarimeter or to the Faraday cup in order to measure the electron polarization and extracted current. For current intensities of 100 micro-Amperes, the electronic polarization reaches 62 % and shows that this type of source has reached the same high competitive level as the most performing GaAs ones. Additionally, the optical properties of the extracted beam are found to be excellent. These properties (energy spread and emittance) reflect the electron energy distribution at the chemo-ionization region. The upper limit of the beam's energy spread is 0.24 eV since this value characterizes our instrumental resolution. The average normalized emittance is found to be 0.6 pi mm-mrad. These values satisfy the requirements of most cw accelerators. All the measurements were performed at low electron beam transport energies (1 to 2 KeV). (author). 105 refs., 54 figs., 4 tabs

Study of the /sup 233/Th(. gamma. ,xn)226,222/supTh/ reaction at. gamma. -energies <= 60 MeV using a helium jet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jungclas, H

1974-01-01

A helium jet system is set up for the transport and investigation of daughter products of the nuclear reaction /sup 232/Th (..gamma..,xn) at E/sub..gamma../<=60 MeV. The theoretical fundamentals for the target kinematics such as photoexcitation, evaporation cascade and range of heavy ions are presented. Activation experiments with thick thorium tetrafluoride targets and catcher foils for the reaction products emitted showed a nuclide-dependent forwards-backwards ratio which agrees with the calculated values within 1-2 standard deviations of the statistic error. A target system with thorium nitrate coated glass wool is tested with the helium in 'on-line' operation and after irradiation is used for the investigation of the long-lived activities with the excess pressure jet. The radioactive decay series of the transported reaction products are identified by alpha spectroscopy.

Helium atmospheric pressure plasma jets touching dielectric and metal surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Norberg, Seth A.; Johnsen, Eric; Kushner, Mark J.

2015-07-01

Atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are being investigated in the context plasma medicine and biotechnology applications, and surface functionalization. The composition of the surface being treated ranges from plastics, liquids, and biological tissue, to metals. The dielectric constant of these materials ranges from as low as 1.5 for plastics to near 80 for liquids, and essentially infinite for metals. The electrical properties of the surface are not independent variables as the permittivity of the material being treated has an effect on the dynamics of the incident APPJ. In this paper, results are discussed from a computational investigation of the interaction of an APPJ incident onto materials of varying permittivity, and their impact on the discharge dynamics of the plasma jet. The computer model used in this investigation solves Poisson's equation, transport equations for charged and neutral species, the electron energy equation, and the Navier-Stokes equations for the neutral gas flow. The APPJ is sustained in He/O2 = 99.8/0.2 flowing into humid air, and is directed onto dielectric surfaces in contact with ground with dielectric constants ranging from 2 to 80, and a grounded metal surface. Low values of relative permittivity encourage propagation of the electric field into the treated material and formation and propagation of a surface ionization wave. High values of relative permittivity promote the restrike of the ionization wave and the formation of a conduction channel between the plasma discharge and the treated surface. The distribution of space charge surrounding the APPJ is discussed.

Discharge characteristics and hydrodynamics behaviors of atmospheric plasma jets produced in various gas flow patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Setsuhara, Yuichi; Uchida, Giichiro; Nakajima, Atsushi; Takenaka, Kosuke; Koga, Kazunori; Shiratani, Masaharu

2015-09-01

Atmospheric nonequilibrium plasma jets have been widely employed in biomedical applications. For biomedical applications, it is an important issue to understand the complicated mechanism of interaction of the plasma jet with liquid. In this study, we present analysis of the discharge characteristics of a plasma jet impinging onto the liquid surface under various gas flow patterns such as laminar and turbulence flows. For this purpose, we analyzed gas flow patters by using a Schlieren gas-flow imaging system in detail The plasma jet impinging into the liquid surface expands along the liquid surface. The diameter of the expanded plasma increases with gas flow rate, which is well explained by an increase in the diameter of the laminar gas-flow channel. When the gas flow rate is further increased, the gas flow mode transits from laminar to turbulence in the gas flow channel, which leads to the shortening of the plasm-jet length. Our experiment demonstrated that the gas flow patterns strongly affect the discharge characteristics in the plasma-jet system. This study was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas ``Plasma Medical Innovation'' (24108003) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT).

Anode spot patterns and fluctuations in an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge in helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhipenko, V I; Safronau, Y A; Simonchik, L V; Tsuprik, I M; Callegari, Th

2013-01-01

Oscillations of the main parameters (voltage on electrodes, potential, light intensity and discharge current) in a dc atmospheric-pressure glow discharge in helium are investigated in a range of currents from milliamperes to several amperes. It is established that these oscillations are connected with the existence of anode spots. In the case of a single spot, fluctuations of discharge light intensity are observed when the supply voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage for the interelectrode gap. At the same time, voltage fluctuations have the form of relaxation oscillations with a frequency that depends on the electrical parameters of the external circuit. With an increase in discharge gap and current, the number of spots increases. They form a stable structure, and the fluctuations of current and voltage stay harmonic. The brightness of the spots seems to be determined by the frequency of their blinking. The amplitude of current fluctuation increases with the increase in discharge current and can be up to 15% of its average value. The frequency of current oscillations, which is about 0.75 MHz at a current of 0.5 A, depends weakly on the discharge gap (it varies within ±10% for the gap interval from 1 to 10 mm). The oscillation frequency is maximal (about 0.85 MHz) at a current of about 0.4 A. At higher currents (2–4 A, depending on the discharge gap), the fluctuations disappear when a contraction of the anode region into one anode spot occurs. (paper)

Battery-Powered RF Pre-Ionization System for the Caltech Magnetohydrodynamically-Driven Jet Experiment: RF Discharge Properties and MHD-Driven Jet Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Chaplin, Vernon H.

This thesis describes investigations of two classes of laboratory plasmas with rather different properties: partially ionized low pressure radiofrequency (RF) discharges, and fully ionized high density magnetohydrodynamically (MHD)-driven jets. An RF pre-ionization system was developed to enable neutral gas breakdown at lower pressures and create hotter, faster jets in the Caltech MHD-Driven Jet Experiment. The RF plasma source used a custom pulsed 3 kW 13.56 MHz RF power amplifier that was powered by AA batteries, allowing it to safely float at 4-6 kV with the cathode of the jet experiment. The argon RF discharge equilibrium and transport properties were analyzed, and novel jet dynamics were observed. Although the RF plasma source was conceived as a wave-heated helicon source, scaling measurements and numerical modeling showed that inductive coupling was the dominant energy input mechanism. A one-dimensional time-dependent fluid model was developed to quantitatively explain the expansion of the pre-ionized plasma into the jet experiment chamber. The plasma transitioned from an ionizing phase with depressed neutral emission to a recombining phase with enhanced emission during the course of the experiment, causing fast camera images to be a poor indicator of the density distribution. Under certain conditions, the total visible and infrared brightness and the downstream ion density both increased after the RF power was turned off. The time-dependent emission patterns were used for an indirect measurement of the neutral gas pressure. The low-mass jets formed with the aid of the pre-ionization system were extremely narrow and collimated near the electrodes, with peak density exceeding that of jets created without pre-ionization. The initial neutral gas distribution prior to plasma breakdown was found to be critical in determining the ultimate jet structure. The visible radius of the dense central jet column was several times narrower than the axial current channel

Large-volume excitation of air, argon, nitrogen and combustible mixtures by thermal jets produced by nanosecond spark discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanyan, Sergey; Hayashi, Jun; Salmon, Arthur; Stancu, Gabi D.; Laux, Christophe O.

2017-04-01

This work presents experimental observations of strong expanding thermal jets following the application of nanosecond spark discharges. These jets propagate in a toroidal shape perpendicular to the interelectrode axis, with high velocities of up to 30 m s-1 and over distances of the order of a cm. Their propagation length is much larger than the thermal expansion region produced by the conventional millisecond sparks used in car engine ignition, thus greatly improving the volumetric excitation of gas mixtures. The shape and velocity of the jets is found to be fairly insensitive to the shape of the electrodes. In addition, their spatial extent is found to increase with the number of nanosecond sparks and with the discharge voltage, and to decrease slightly with the pressure between 1 and 7 atm at constant applied voltage. Finally, this thermal jet phenomenon is observed in experiments conducted with many types of gas mixtures, including air, nitrogen, argon, and combustible CH4/air mixtures. This makes nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges particularly attractive for aerodynamic flow control or plasma-assisted combustion because of their ability to excite large volumes of gas, typically about 100 times the volume of the discharge.

Impurity transport in internal transport barrier discharges on JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dux, R.

2002-01-01

In JET plasmas with internal transport barrier (ITB) the behaviour of metallic and low-Z impurities (C, Ne) was investigated. In ITB discharges with reversed shear, the metallic impurities accumulate in cases with too strong peaking of the density profile, while the concentration of low-Z elements C and Ne is only mildly peaked. The accumulation might be so strong, that the central radiation approximately equals the central heating power followed by a radiative collapse of the transport barrier. The radial location with strong impurity gradients (convective barrier) was identified to be situated inside (not at!) the heat flux barrier. Calculations of neo-classical transport were performed for these discharges, including impurity-impurity collisions. It was found, that the observed Z-dependence of the impurity peaking and the location of the impurity 'barrier' can be explained with neo-classical transport. ITB discharges with monotonic shear show less inward convection and seem to be advantageous with respect to plasma purity. (author)

Development of methods of transport of nuclear reaction products by helium jet, in connection with the ALICE accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deprun, C.; Gauvin, H.; Le Beyec, Y.

1976-01-01

The He-jet transport systems for use with the heavy-ion accelerator ALICE at Orsay are described in detail. The dependence of the gas flow rate on various parameters (pressure, length and diameter of the capillary) was investigated. Off-line measurements were carried out with a 252 Cf source. Effect on collection yield of UV radiation and additives to the helium was checked. The influence of the distance between the target and the capillary on the collection efficiency for short-lived isotopes of Yb was investigated. Some other useful details are also discussed (collector, volume of the reaction chamber, etc.). Various applications of the He-jet method are described: particle identification, angular distribution of reaction products, mass identification of radioactive nuclei. (Auth.)

Elimination of inter-discharge helium glow discharge cleaning with lithium evaporation in NSTX

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Maingi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Operation in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX typically used either periodic boronization and inter-shot helium glow discharge cleaning (HeGDC, or inter-shot lithium evaporation without boronization, and initially with inter-shot HeGDC. To assess the viability of operation without HeGDC, dedicated experiments were conducted in which Li evaporation was used while systematically shrinking the HeGDC between shots from the standard 10min to zero (10→6.5→4→0. Good shot reproducibility without HeGDC was achieved with lithium evaporations of 100mg or higher; evaporations of 200–300mg typically resulted in very low ELM frequency or ELM-free operation, reduced wall fueling, and improved energy confinement. The use of HeGDC before lithium evaporation modestly reduced Dα in the outer scrape-off layer, but not at the strike point. Pedestal electron and ion temperature also improved modestly, suggesting that HeGDC prior to lithium evaporation is a useful tool for experiments that seek to maximize plasma performance.

Systematic investigation of the barrier discharge operation in helium, nitrogen, and mixtures: discharge development, formation and decay of surface charges

Science.gov (United States)

Tschiersch, R.; Bogaczyk, M.; Wagner, H.-E.

2014-09-01

As a logical extension to previous investigations of the barrier discharge (BD) in helium and nitrogen, the present work reports on the operation in any mixtures of both pure gases. Using a well-established plane-parallel discharge cell configuration allows to study the influence of the He/N2 mixing ratio on the formation of different discharge modes. Their characterization was made by measuring the discharge emission development together with the formation and decay of surface charges on a bismuth silicon oxide (Bi12SiO20, BSO) crystal. This was realized by the simultaneous application of the spatio-temporally resolved optical emission spectroscopy, and the electro-optic Pockels effect in combination with a CCD high speed camera. The existence diagram for diffuse and filamentary BDs was determined by varying the amplitude and shape of the applied voltage. Over the entire range of the He/N2 ratio, the diffuse mode can be operated at moderate voltage amplitudes whereas filamentation occurs at significant overvoltage and is favoured by a high voltage slew rate. Irrespective of the discharge mode, the overall charge transfer during a discharge breakdown is found to be in excellent agreement with the amount of accumulated surface charges. An exponential decay of the surface charge deposited on the BSO crystal is induced by LED illumination beyond a typical discharge cycle. During the decay process, a broadening of the radial profiles of positive as well as negative surface charge spots originating from previous microdischarges is observed. The investigations contribute to a better understanding of the charge accumulation at a dielectric.

Behavior of water jet horizontally discharged from a small circular hole set on a circular pipe-surface into air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuyuki, Koji; Igarashi, Saburo; Sudo, Seiichi; Yamabe, Masahiro; Kikuchi, Akira; Oba, Risaburo

2001-01-01

In order to clarify the behavior of the water jet horizontally discharged from a small circular hole set on a circular pipe surface into air, in this paper, for the first step, we systematically observed the jet aspects, the efflux angle, the discharge coefficient and so on, when the hole diameter d is much smaller than the pipe diameter D. Since the upstream kinetic energy from the hole is somewhat higher than the downstream counterpart, the upstream partial jet with higher efflux angle crashes into the downstream partial jet and drives out the latter into up- and down-side, resulting in a marked pair of vortices, so that resulting in a three-dimensional spiral flow accompanying with marked surface waves. (author)

Connection experiments with a hollow cathode ion source and a helium gas jet system for on-line isotope separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazumdar, A.K.; Wagner, H.; Walcher, W.; Lund, T.

1976-01-01

A helium jet system was connected to a hollow cathode ion source. Using fission products the efficiencies of the different steps were measured by β-, X-ray and γ-counting while the mass spectrum and the focussing of the extracted ion beam were observed with a small deflecting magnet. Mean transport efficiencies of 50% through the 12 m capillary were obtained and ion source efficiencies in the percent range for several elements. (Auth.)

Discharge processes, electric field, and electron energy in ISUAL-recorded gigantic jets

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Cheng-Ling; Chou, J. K.; Tsai, L. Y.; Chen, A. B.; Su, H. T.; Hsu, R. R.; Cummer, S. A.; Frey, H. U.; Mende, S. B.; Takahashi, Y.; Lee, L. C.

2009-04-01

This article reports the first high time resolution measurements of gigantic jets from the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) experiment. The velocity of the upward propagating fully developed jet stage of the gigantic jets was ˜107 m s-1, which is similar to that observed for downward sprite streamers. Analysis of spectral ratios for the fully developed jet emissions gives a reduced E field of 400-655 Td and average electron energy of 8.5-12.3 eV. These values are higher than those in the sprites but are similar to those predicted by streamer models, which implies the existence of streamer tips in fully developed jets. The gigantic jets studied here all contained two distinct photometric peaks. The first peak is from the fully developed jet, which steadily propagates from the cloud top (˜20 km) to the lower ionosphere at ˜90 km. We suggest that the second photometric peak, which occurs ˜1 ms after the first peak, is from a current wave or potential wave-enhanced emissions that originate at an altitude of ˜50 km and extend toward the cloud top. We propose that the fully developed jet serves as an extension of the local ionosphere and produces a lowered ionosphere boundary. As the attachment processes remove the charges, the boundary of the local ionosphere moves up. The current in the channel persists and its contact point with the ionosphere moves upward, which produces the upward surging trailing jets. Imager and photometer data indicate that the lightning activity associated with the gigantic jets likely is in-cloud, and thus the initiation of the gigantic jets is not directly associated with cloud-to-ground discharges.

Impurity transport in internal transport barrier discharges on JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dux, R.; Giroud, C.; Zastrow, K.-D.

2004-01-01

Impurity behaviour in JET internal transport barrier (ITB) discharges with reversed shear has been investigated. Metallic impurities accumulate in cases with too strong peaking of the main ion density profile. The accumulation is due to inwardly directed drift velocities inside the ITB radius. The strength of the impurity peaking increases with the impurity charge and is low for the low-Z elements C and Ne. Transport calculations show that the observed behaviour is consistent with dominant neoclassical impurity transport inside the ITB. In some cases, MHD events in the core flatten the radial profile of the metallic impurity. (author)

Current-Voltage Characteristics of DC Discharge in Micro Gas Jet Injected into Vacuum Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matra, K; Furuta, H; Hatta, A

2013-01-01

A current-voltage characteristic of direct current (DC) gas discharge operated in a micro gas jet injected into a secondary electron microscope (SEM) chamber is presented. Ar gas was injected through a 30 μm orifice gas nozzle (OGN) and was evacuated by an additional pump to keep the high vacuum environment. Gas discharges were ignited between the OGN as anode and a counter electrode of Si wafer. The discharge was self-pulsating in most of the cases while it was stable at lower pressure, larger gap length, and larger time averaged current. The self-pulsating discharge was oscillated by the RC circuit consisting of a stray capacitor and a large ballast resistor. The real time plots of voltage and current during the pulsating was investigated using a discharge model.

Helium sources to groundwater in active volcanic terrain, and implications for tritium-helium dating at Mount St. Helens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gates, John B. [Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 217 Bessey Hall, Lincoln NE 68588 (United States)

2013-07-01

Groundwater helium sources and residence times were investigated using groundwater discharging from springs surrounding Mount St. Helens in the Cascades region of the United States. Significant contributions of mantle helium were found in all samples and are attributable to interaction between groundwater and magmatic gases. Bounding calculations for residence times were made on the basis of helium isotope mixing plots and historical tritium data. (authors)

Influence of Plasma Jet Temperature Profiles in Arc Discharge Methods of Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Raniszewski, Grzegorz; Wiak, Slawomir; Pietrzak, Lukasz; Szymanski, Lukasz; Kolacinski, Zbigniew

2017-02-23

One of the most common methods of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesis is application of an electric-arc plasma. However, the final product in the form of cathode deposit is composed of carbon nanotubes and a variety of carbon impurities. An assay of carbon nanotubes produced in arc discharge systems available on the market shows that commercial cathode deposits contain about 10% CNTs. Given that the quality of the final product depends on carbon-plasma jet parameters, it is possible to increase the yield of the synthesis by plasma jet control. Most of the carbon nanotubes are multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). It was observed that the addition of catalysts significantly changes the plasma composition, effective ionization potential, the arc channel conductance, and in effect temperature of the arc and carbon elements flux. This paper focuses on the influence of metal components on plasma-jet forming containing carbon nanotubes cathode deposit. The plasma jet temperature control system is presented.

Influence of Plasma Jet Temperature Profiles in Arc Discharge Methods of Carbon Nanotubes Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzegorz Raniszewski

2017-02-01

Full Text Available One of the most common methods of carbon nanotubes (CNTs synthesis is application of an electric-arc plasma. However, the final product in the form of cathode deposit is composed of carbon nanotubes and a variety of carbon impurities. An assay of carbon nanotubes produced in arc discharge systems available on the market shows that commercial cathode deposits contain about 10% CNTs. Given that the quality of the final product depends on carbon–plasma jet parameters, it is possible to increase the yield of the synthesis by plasma jet control. Most of the carbon nanotubes are multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs. It was observed that the addition of catalysts significantly changes the plasma composition, effective ionization potential, the arc channel conductance, and in effect temperature of the arc and carbon elements flux. This paper focuses on the influence of metal components on plasma-jet forming containing carbon nanotubes cathode deposit. The plasma jet temperature control system is presented.

Travelling-wave-sustained discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlueter, Hans; Shivarova, Antonia

2007-01-01

This review is on discharges maintained by travelling waves: new plasma sources, discovered in 1974 and considered as a prototype of the gas discharges according to their definition as nonlinear systems which unify in a self-consistent manner plasmas and fields. In the presentation here of the fluid-plasma models of the diffusion-controlled regime of the travelling-wave-sustained discharges (TWSDs), the basic features of the discharge maintenance-the discharge self-consistency and the electron heating in the high-frequency field-are stressed. Operation of stationary and pulsed discharges, discharge maintenance without and in external magnetic fields as well as discharge production in different gases (argon, helium, helium-argon gas mixtures and hydrogen) are covered. Modulation instability of diffusion-controlled discharges and discharge filamentation at higher gas pressures are also included in the review. Experimental findings which motivate aspects of the reported modelling are pointed out

Stimulation of wound healing by helium atmospheric pressure plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nastuta, Andrei Vasile; Topala, Ionut; Pohoata, Valentin; Popa, Gheorghe; Grigoras, Constantin

2011-01-01

New experiments using atmospheric pressure plasma have found large application in treatment of living cells or tissues, wound healing, cancerous cell apoptosis, blood coagulation on wounds, bone tissue modification, sterilization and decontamination. In this study an atmospheric pressure plasma jet generated using a cylindrical dielectric-barrier discharge was applied for treatment of burned wounds on Wistar rats' skin. The low temperature plasma jet works in helium and is driven by high voltage pulses. Oxygen and nitrogen based impurities are identified in the jet by emission spectroscopy. This paper analyses the natural epithelization of the rats' skin wounds and two methods of assisted epithelization, a classical one using polyurethane wound dressing and a new one using daily atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of wounds. Systemic and local medical data, such as haematological, biochemical and histological parameters, were monitored during entire period of study. Increased oxidative stress was observed for plasma treated wound. This result can be related to the presence in the plasma volume of active species, such as O and OH radicals. Both methods, wound dressing and plasma-assisted epithelization, provided positive medical results related to the recovery process of burned wounds. The dynamics of the skin regeneration process was modified: the epidermis re-epitelization was accelerated, while the recovery of superficial dermis was slowed down.

Deflection of jets discharged into a reservoir with a free surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Akihiro; Ishikawa, Keizo; Mizushima, Jiro; Akinaga, Takeshi

2011-01-01

Deflections of jets discharged into a reservoir with a free surface are investigated numerically. The jets are known to deflect towards either side of the free surface or the bottom, whose direction is not determined uniquely in some experimental conditions, i.e. there are multiple stable states realizable in the same condition. The origin of the multiple stable states is explored by utilizing homotopy transformations in which the top boundary of the reservoir is transformed from a rigid to a free boundary and also the location of the outlet throat is continuously moved from mid-height to the top. We depicted bifurcation diagrams of the flow compiling the data of numerical simulations, from which we identified the origin as an imperfect pitchfork bifurcation, and obtained an insight into the mechanism for the direction to be determined. The parameter region where such multiple stable states are possible is also delimited.

High density regimes and beta limits in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smeulders, P.

1990-01-01

Results are first presented on the density limit in JET discharges with graphite (C), Be gettered graphite and Be limiters. There is a clear improvement in the case of Be limiters. The Be gettered phase showed no increase in the gas fueled density limit, except with Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH), but, the limit changed character. During MARFE-formation, any further increase in density was prevented, leading to a soft density limit. The soft density limit was a function of input power and impurity content with a week dependence on q. Helium and pellet fuelled discharges exceeded the gas-fuelled global density limits, but essentially had the same edge limit. In the second part, results are presented of high β operation in low-B Double-Null (DN) X-point configurations with Be-gettered carbon target plates. The Troyon limit was reached during H-mode discharges and toroidal β values of 5.5% were obtained. At high beta, the sawteeth were modified and characterised by very rapid heat-waves and fishbone-like pre- and post-cursors with strongly ballooning character. 17 refs., 5 figs

A quantitative experiment on the fountain effect in superfluid helium

Science.gov (United States)

Amigó, M. L.; Herrera, T.; Neñer, L.; Peralta Gavensky, L.; Turco, F.; Luzuriaga, J.

2017-09-01

Superfluid helium, a state of matter existing at low temperatures, shows many remarkable properties. One example is the so called fountain effect, where a heater can produce a jet of helium. This converts heat into mechanical motion; a machine with no moving parts, but working only below 2 K. Allen and Jones first demonstrated the effect in 1938, but their work was basically qualitative. We now present data of a quantitative version of the experiment. We have measured the heat supplied, the temperature and the height of the jet produced. We also develop equations, based on the two-fluid model of superfluid helium, that give a satisfactory fit to the data. The experiment has been performed by advanced undergraduate students in our home institution, and illustrates in a vivid way some of the striking properties of the superfluid state.

RF atmospheric plasma jet surface treatment of paper

Science.gov (United States)

Pawlat, Joanna; Terebun, Piotr; Kwiatkowski, Michał; Diatczyk, Jaroslaw

2016-09-01

A radio frequency RF atmospheric pressure plasma jet was used to enhance the wettability of cellulose-based paper of 90 g m-2 and 160 g m-2 grammage as a perspective platform for antibiotic sensitivity tests. Helium and argon were the carrier gases for oxygen and nitrogen; pure water and rapeseed oil were used for goniometric tests. The influence of the flow rate and gas type, the power of the discharge, and distance from the nozzle was examined. The surface structure was observed using an optical microscope. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra were investigated in order to determine whether cellulose degradation processes occurred. The RF plasma jet allowed us to decrease the surface contact angle without drastic changes in other features of the tested material. Experiments confirmed the significant influence of the distance between the treated sample and reactor nozzle, especially for treatment times longer than 15 s due to the greater concentration of reactive species at the surface of the sample, which decreases with distance—and their accumulation effect with time. The increase of discharge power plays an important role in decreasing the surface contact angle for times longer than 10 s. Higher power had a positive effect on the amount of generated active particles and facilitated the ignition of discharge. However, a too high value can cause a rise in temperature of the material and heat-caused damage.

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.

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

Measurement of air entrainment in plasma jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fincke, J.R.; Rodriquez, R.; Pentecost, C.G.

1990-01-01

The concentration and temperature of air entrained into argon and helium plasma jets has been measured using coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS). The argon plasma flow field is characterized by a short region of well behaved laminar flow near the nozzle exit followed by an abrupt transition to turbulence. Once the transition of turbulence occurs, air is rapidly mixed into the jet core. The location of the transition region is determined by the rapid cooling of the jet and the resulting increase in Reynolds number. In contrast, the helium plasma flow field never exceeds a Reynolds number of 200 and remains laminar. The entrainment process in this case is controlled by molecular diffusion rather than turbulent mixing. 9 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

ICRF power-deposition profiles and heating in monster sawtooth and peaked-density profile discharges in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatnagar, V.P.; Taroni, A.; Ellis, J.J.; Jacquinot, J.; Stuart, D.F.

1989-01-01

In this paper, we compare experimental results of electron and ion-heating in discharges that feature monster sawtooth with those in pellet-produced peaked-density profile discharges which were heated with ICRF. Also we carry out a comprehensive analysis of ICRF-heated peaked-density profile discharges by a transport code to simulate the evolution of JET discharges and to provide an insight into the improved heating and confinement found in these discharges. In this analysis, the ICRF power-deposition profile in the minority-heating scenario is computed by the ray-tracing code BRAYCO that self-consistently takes the finite antenna geometry, its radiation spectrum and the hot-plasma damping into account. The power delivered to ions and electrons is calculated based on Stix model. (author) 10 refs., 5 figs

Discharge physics and chemistry of a novel atmospheric pressure plasma source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, J.; Henins, I.; Hermann, J.W.; Selwyn, G.S.; Jeong, J.Y.; Hickis, R.

1999-07-01

The atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is a unique plasma source operating at atmospheric pressure. The APPJ operates with RF power and produces a stable non-thermal discharge in capacitively-coupled configuration. The discharge is spatially and temporally homogeneous and provides a unique gas phase chemistry that is well suited for various applications including etching, film deposition, surface treatment and decontamination of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents. A theoretical model shows electron densities of 0.2--2 x 10{sup 11} cm{sup {minus}3} for a helium discharge at a power level of 3--30 W cm{sup {minus}3}. The APPJ also produces a large flux, equivalent of up to 10,000 monolayer s{sup {minus}1}, of chemically-active, atomic and metastable molecular species which can impinge surfaces several cm downstream of the confined source. In addition, the efforts are in progress to measure the electron density using microwave diagnostics and to benchmark the gas phase chemical model by using LIF and titration.

Stabilization of sawteeth with third harmonic deuterium ICRF-accelerated beam in JET plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Girardo, Jean-Baptiste [EUROfusion Consortium, JET, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Sharapov, Sergei; Fitzgerald, Michael; Hawkes, Nick; Kiptily, Vasily; Lupelli, Ivan [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Boom, Jurrian [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 85748 Garching (Germany); Dumont, Rémi; Garbet, Xavier; Sarazin, Yanick; Schneider, Mireille [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Eriksson, Jacob [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, 751 20 Uppsala (Sweden); Mantsinen, Mervi [Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, 08010 Barcelona (Spain); Barcelona Supercomputing Center, 08034 Barcelona (Spain)

2016-01-15

Sawtooth stabilisation by fast ions is investigated in deuterium (D) and D-helium 3 (He3) plasmas of JET heated by deuterium Neutral Beam Injection combined in synergy with Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH) applied on-axis at 3rd beam cyclotron harmonic. A very significant increase in the sawtooth period is observed, caused by the ICRH-acceleration of the beam ions born at 100 keV to the MeV energy range. Four representative sawteeth from four different discharges are compared with Porcelli's model. In two discharges, the sawtooth crash appears to be triggered by core-localized Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmodes inside the q = 1 surface (also called “tornado” modes) which expel the fast ions from within the q = 1 surface, over time scales comparable with the sawtooth period. Two other discharges did not exhibit fast ion-driven instabilities in the plasma core, and no degradation of fast ion confinement was found in both modelling and direct measurements of fast ion profile with the neutron camera. The developed sawtooth scenario without fast ion-driven instabilities in the plasma core is of high interest for the burning plasmas. Possible causes of the sawtooth crashes on JET are discussed.

Protein destruction by a helium atmospheric pressure glow discharge: Capability and mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, X. T.; Shi, J. J.; Kong, M. G.

2007-01-01

Biological sterilization represents one of the most exciting applications of atmospheric pressure glow discharges (APGD). Despite the fact that surgical instruments are contaminated by both microorganisms and proteinaceous matters, sterilization effects of APGD have so far been studied almost exclusively for microbial inactivation. This work presents the results of a detailed investigation of the capability of a helium-oxygen APGD to inactivate proteins deposited on stainless-steel surfaces. Using a laser-induced fluorescence technique for surface protein measurement, a maximum protein reduction of 4.5 logs is achieved by varying the amount of the oxygen admixture into the background helium gas. This corresponds to a minimum surface protein of 0.36 femtomole/mm 2 . It is found that plasma reduction of surface-borne protein is through protein destruction and degradation, and that its typically biphasic reduction kinetics is influenced largely by the thickness profile of the surface protein. Also presented is a complementary study of possible APGD protein inactivation mechanisms. By interplaying the protein inactivation kinetics with optical emission spectroscopy, it is shown that the main protein-destructing agents are excited atomic oxygen (via the 777 and 844 nm emission channels) and excited nitride oxide (via the 226, 236, and 246 nm emission channels). It is also demonstrated that the most effective protein reduction is achieved possibly through a synergistic effect between atomic oxygen and nitride oxide. This study is a useful step toward a full confirmation of the efficacy of APGD as a sterilization technology for surgical instruments contaminated by prion proteins

Influence of increased velocity on the statistical discharge characteristics of He and air barrier discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichen, P; Sonnenfeld, A; Rohr, Rudolf Ph von

2010-01-01

A detailed study of a description method for microdischarges based on the statistical analysis of single discharge bursts is presented and applied for small electrode arrays. As such, the electrical properties derived from the collective behaviour of the current bursts for microdischarges in helium and synthetic air for different pressure levels and variable voltage gradients are elaborately discussed. Motivated by the possible prolongation of the displacement distance of active species and thus the improved development of an atmospheric afterglow in a low frequency discharge, the interaction between high-speed gas flows and microdischarges in small ducts has been approached presenting first results. Intentionally, gases with different discharge mechanisms known as streamer (synthetic air) and Townsend (helium) have been considered. Similar velocity dependences of the discharge behaviour could be observed in both gases. For helium, subsonic channel velocity is sufficient to distinctively alter the discharge characteristics whereas transonic flow is needed to alter those of synthetic air. Subsequently, a simple model is proposed to explain these findings for elevated velocities in a dielectric setup.

Particle exhaust of helium plasmas with actively cooled outboard pump limiter on Tore Supra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uckan, T.; Mioduszewski, P.K.; Loarer, T.; Chatelier, M.; Guilhem, D.; Lutz, T.; Nygren, R.E.; Mahdavi, M.A.

1995-08-01

The superconducting tokamak Tore Supra was designed for long-pulse (30-s) high input power operation. Here observations on the particle-handling characteristics of the actively cooled modular outboard pump limiter (OPL) are presented for helium discharges. The important experimental result was that a modest pumping speed (1 m 3 /s) of the OPL turbomolecular pump (TMP) provided background helium exhaust. This result came about due to a well-conditioned vessel wall with helium discharges that caused no wall outgasing. The particle accountability in these helium discharges was excellent, and the well-conditioned wall did not play a significant role in the particle balance. The helium density control, 25% density drop with OPL exhaust efficiency of ∼1%, was possible with TMP although this may not be the case with reactive gases such as deuterium. The observed quadratic increase of the OPL neutral pressure with helium density was consistent with an improvement of the particle control with increasing plasma density

Ozone generation in a kHz-pulsed He-O2 capillary dielectric barrier discharge operated in ambient air

Science.gov (United States)

Sands, Brian L.; Ganguly, Biswa N.

2013-12-01

The generation of reactive oxygen species using nonequilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jet devices has been a subject of recent interest due to their ability to generate localized concentrations from a compact source. To date, such studies with plasma jet devices have primarily utilized radio-frequency excitation. In this work, we characterize ozone generation in a kHz-pulsed capillary dielectric barrier discharge configuration comprised of an active discharge plasma jet operating in ambient air that is externally grounded. The plasma jet flow gas was composed of helium with an admixture of up to 5% oxygen. A unipolar voltage pulse train with a 20 ns pulse risetime was used to drive the discharge at repetition rates between 2-25 kHz. Using UVLED absorption spectroscopy centered at 255 nm near the Hartley-band absorption peak, ozone was detected over 1 cm from the capillary axis. We observed roughly linear scaling of ozone production with increasing pulse repetition rate up to a "turnover frequency," beyond which ozone production steadily dropped and discharge current and 777 nm O(5P→5S°) emission sharply increased. The turnover in ozone production occurred at higher pulse frequencies with increasing flow rate and decreasing applied voltage with a common energy density of 55 mJ/cm3 supplied to the discharge. The limiting energy density and peak ozone production both increased with increasing O2 admixture. The power dissipated in the discharge was obtained from circuit current and voltage measurements using a modified parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge circuit model and the volume-averaged ozone concentration was derived from a 2D ozone absorption measurement. From these measurements, the volume-averaged efficiency of ozone production was calculated to be 23 g/kWh at conditions for peak ozone production of 41 mg/h at 11 kV applied voltage, 3% O2, 2 l/min flow rate, and 13 kHz pulse repetition rate, with 1.79 W dissipated in the discharge.

Blue jets and gigantic jets: transient luminous events between thunderstorm tops and the lower ionosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasko, V P

2008-01-01

An overview of general phenomenology and proposed physical mechanisms of large scale electrical discharges termed 'blue jets' and 'gigantic jets' observed at high altitude in the Earth's atmosphere above thunderstorms is presented. The primary emphasis is placed on summarizing available experimental data on the observed morphological features of upward jet discharges and on the discussion of recently advanced theories describing electrodynamic conditions, which facilitate escape of conventional lightning leaders from thundercloud tops and their upward propagation toward the ionosphere. It is argued that the filamentary plasma structures observed in blue jet and gigantic jet discharges are directly linked to the processes in streamer zones of lightning leaders, scaled by a significant reduction of air pressure at high altitudes.

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

Investigation of Jet Noise Using Optical Holography

Science.gov (United States)

1973-04-01

Holographic interferograms have been made of cold, laboratory scale, supersonic air and nitrogen jet in the mach number range of 2.1 ot 3.4, and of helium jets in the mach number range of 1.5 to 2.95. These holograms demonstrate that the acoustic fie...

Supersonic jets of hydrogen and helium for laser wakefield acceleration

CERN Document Server

Svensson, K.; Wojda, F.; Senje, L.; Burza, M.; Aurand, B.; Genoud, G.; Persson, A.; Wahlström, C.-G.; Lundh, O.

2016-01-01

The properties of laser wakefield accelerated electrons in supersonic gas flows of hydrogen and helium are investigated. At identical backing pressure, we find that electron beams emerging from helium show large variations in their spectral and spatial distributions, whereas electron beams accelerated in hydrogen plasmas show a higher degree of reproducibility. In an experimental investigation of the relation between neutral gas density and backing pressure, it is found that the resulting number density for helium is ∼30% higher than for hydrogen at the same backing pressure. The observed differences in electron beam properties between the two gases can thus be explained by differences in plasma electron density. This interpretation is verified by repeating the laser wakefield acceleration experiment using similar plasma electron densities for the two gases, which then yielded electron beams with similar properties.

Supersonic jets of hydrogen and helium for laser wakefield acceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Svensson

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The properties of laser wakefield accelerated electrons in supersonic gas flows of hydrogen and helium are investigated. At identical backing pressure, we find that electron beams emerging from helium show large variations in their spectral and spatial distributions, whereas electron beams accelerated in hydrogen plasmas show a higher degree of reproducibility. In an experimental investigation of the relation between neutral gas density and backing pressure, it is found that the resulting number density for helium is ∼30% higher than for hydrogen at the same backing pressure. The observed differences in electron beam properties between the two gases can thus be explained by differences in plasma electron density. This interpretation is verified by repeating the laser wakefield acceleration experiment using similar plasma electron densities for the two gases, which then yielded electron beams with similar properties.

Structure of pulsed plasma jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavolowsky, J.A.

1987-01-01

A pulsed plasma jet is a turbulent, inhomogeneous fluid mechanical discharge capable of initiating and enhancing combustion. Having shown the ability to ignite lean fuel mixtures, it now offers the potential for real-time control of combustion processes. This study explored the fluid-mechanical and chemical properties of such jets. The fluid-mechanical structure of the jet was examined using two optical diagnostic techniques. Self-light streak photography provided information on the motion of luminous gas particles in its core. It revealed that plasma jets behave either totally subsonic or embody a supersonic core. The turbulent, thermal evolution of the jet was explored using high-speed-laser schlieren cinematography. By examining plasma jet generators with both opaque and transparent plasma cavities, detailed information on plasma formation and jet structure, beginning with the electric arc discharge in the cavity, was obtained. These records revealed the production of thermal stratifications in the cavity that could account for the plasma particles in the jet core. After the electrical discharges ceased, the turbulent jet behaved as a self-similar plume. Molecular-beam mass spectrometry was used to determine temperature and species concentration in the jet. Both non-combustible and combustible jets were studied

Velocity slip of gas mixtures in free jet expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cattolica, R.J.; Talbot, L.; Coe, D.

1976-11-01

Velocity slip in gas mixtures of argon and helium in axisymmetric free jet expansions has been measured using a grating monochromator together with a computer-controlled Fabry-Perot interferometer to observe the fluorescence excited by an electron beam. The Doppler shift between the fluorescence observed parallel and perpendicular to the centerline of the free jet was used to measure the mean velocity of a particular species along the jet centerline, employing the 4880 A line for argon and the 5016 A line for helium. By alternately tracking the parallel and perpendicular fluorescence, the Doppler shift due to the mean velocity was measured directly with an accuracy of 1 percent. Flow field surveys have been made in the initial acceleration region where the flow becomes hypersonic and in the far field region. The differences between argon and helium mean velocities (velocity slip) are in good agreement with molecular beam data and show a correlation with an inverse Knudsen number

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

Gas Mixtures for Welding with Micro-Jet Cooling

OpenAIRE

Węgrzyn T.

2015-01-01

Welding with micro-jet cooling after was tested only for MIG and MAG processes. For micro-jet gases was tested only argon, helium and nitrogen. A paper presents a piece of information about gas mixtures for micro-jet cooling after in welding. There are put down information about gas mixtures that could be chosen both for MAG welding and for micro-jet process. There were given main information about influence of various micro-jet gas mixtures on metallographic structure of steel welds. Mechani...

Ballooning stability analysis of JET H-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, D.P.; Galvao, R.; Keilhacker, M.; Lazzaro, E.; Watkins, M.L.

1989-01-01

Previous studies of the stability of a large aspect ratio model equilibrium to ideal MHD ballooning modes have shown that across the bulk of the plasma there exist two marginally stable values of the pressure gradient parameter α. These define an unstable zone which separates the first (small α) stable region from the second (large α) stable region. Close to the separatrix, however, the first and second regions can coalesce when the surface averaged current density, Λ, exceeds a critical value. The plasma in this region is then stable to ballooning modes at all values of the pressure gradient. In this paper we extend these results to JET H-mode equilibria using a finite aspect ratio ballooning formalism, and assess the relevance of ideal ballooning stability in these discharges. In particular we analyse shot 15894 at time 56 sec. which is 1.3 s into the H-phase. (author) 4 refs., 4 figs

Ti(r) profiles from the JET neutron profile monitor for ohmic discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esposito, B. (ENEA, Frascati (Italy). Centro Ricerche Energia); Marcus, F.B.; Conroy, S.; Jarvis, O.N.; Loughlin, M.J.; Sadler, G.; Belle, P. van (Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking); Adams, J.M.; Watkins, N. (AEA Industrial Technology, Harwell (United Kingdom))

1991-01-01

A study has been made of the neutron emissivity, using the JET neutron profile monitor, obtained for ohmically heated deuterium discharges. Both one-dimensional (1-D) best-fit inversion procedures and 2-D tomography have been used to deduce the radial profile of the neutron emission from the line-integral data. The profiles of ion temperature and ion thermal conductivity are then derived. The scaling of the ion thermal conductivity with plasma current is found to be opposite to that of neoclassical theory. (author) 4 refs., 5 figs.

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.

Gas and heat dynamics of a micro-scaled atmospheric pressure plasma reference jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Seán; Golda, Judith; Schulz-von der Gathen, Volker; Turner, Miles M

2015-01-01

Gas and heat dynamics of the ‘Cooperation on Science and Technology (COST) Reference Microplasma Jet’ (COST-jet), a European lead reference device for low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma application, are investigated. Of particular interest to many biomedical application scenarios, the temperature characteristics of a surface impacted by the jet are revealed. Schlieren imaging, thermocouple measurements, infrared thermal imaging and numerical modelling are employed. Temperature spatial profiles in the gas domain reveal heating primarily of the helium fraction of the gas mixture. Thermocouple and model temporal data show a bounded exponential temperature growth described by a single characteristic time parameter to reach  ∼63% or (1-1/e) fraction of the temperature increase. Peak temperatures occurred in the gas domain where the carrier jet exits the COST-jet, with values ranging from ambient temperatures to in excess of 100 °C in ‘α-mode’ operation. In a horizontal orientation of the COST-jet a curved trajectory of the helium effluent at low gas flows results from buoyant forces. Gas mixture profiles reveal significant containment of the helium concentrations for a surface placed in close proximity to the COST-jet. Surface heating of a quartz plate follows a similar bounded exponential temporal temperature growth as device heating. Spatial profiles of surface heating are found to correlate strongly to the impacting effluent where peak temperatures occur in regions of maximum surface helium concentration. (paper)

Gas and heat dynamics of a micro-scaled atmospheric pressure plasma reference jet

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Seán; Golda, Judith; Turner, Miles M.; Schulz-von der Gathen, Volker

2015-11-01

Gas and heat dynamics of the ‘Cooperation on Science and Technology (COST) Reference Microplasma Jet’ (COST-jet), a European lead reference device for low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma application, are investigated. Of particular interest to many biomedical application scenarios, the temperature characteristics of a surface impacted by the jet are revealed. Schlieren imaging, thermocouple measurements, infrared thermal imaging and numerical modelling are employed. Temperature spatial profiles in the gas domain reveal heating primarily of the helium fraction of the gas mixture. Thermocouple and model temporal data show a bounded exponential temperature growth described by a single characteristic time parameter to reach  ∼63% or (1-1/e) fraction of the temperature increase. Peak temperatures occurred in the gas domain where the carrier jet exits the COST-jet, with values ranging from ambient temperatures to in excess of 100 °C in ‘α-mode’ operation. In a horizontal orientation of the COST-jet a curved trajectory of the helium effluent at low gas flows results from buoyant forces. Gas mixture profiles reveal significant containment of the helium concentrations for a surface placed in close proximity to the COST-jet. Surface heating of a quartz plate follows a similar bounded exponential temporal temperature growth as device heating. Spatial profiles of surface heating are found to correlate strongly to the impacting effluent where peak temperatures occur in regions of maximum surface helium concentration.

Direct current microhollow cathode discharges on silicon devices operating in argon and helium

Science.gov (United States)

Michaud, R.; Felix, V.; Stolz, A.; Aubry, O.; Lefaucheux, P.; Dzikowski, S.; Schulz-von der Gathen, V.; Overzet, L. J.; Dussart, R.

2018-02-01

Microhollow cathode discharges have been produced on silicon platforms using processes usually used for MEMS fabrication. Microreactors consist of 100 or 150 μm-diameter cavities made from Ni and SiO2 film layers deposited on a silicon substrate. They were studied in the direct current operating mode in two different geometries: planar and cavity configuration. Currents in the order of 1 mA could be injected in microdischarges operating in different gases such as argon and helium at a working pressure between 130 and 1000 mbar. When silicon was used as a cathode, the microdischarge operation was very unstable in both geometry configurations. Strong current spikes were produced and the microreactor lifetime was quite short. We evidenced the fast formation of blisters at the silicon surface which are responsible for the production of these high current pulses. EDX analysis showed that these blisters are filled with argon and indicate that an implantation mechanism is at the origin of this surface modification. Reversing the polarity of the microdischarge makes the discharge operate stably without current spikes, but the discharge appearance is quite different from the one obtained in direct polarity with the silicon cathode. By coating the silicon cathode with a 500 nm-thick nickel layer, the microdischarge becomes very stable with a much longer lifetime. No current spikes are observed and the cathode surface remains quite smooth compared to the one obtained without coating. Finally, arrays of 76 and 576 microdischarges were successfully ignited and studied in argon. At a working pressure of 130 mbar, all microdischarges are simultaneously ignited whereas they ignite one by one at higher pressure.

Laser cutting technology using water jet waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiba, Miyuki; Shiihara, Katsunori; Chida, Itaru

2013-01-01

Laser with water jet is examined to cut in-vessel structure. However, it is necessary to increase the break-up length of water jet to cut a thick plate. Therefore, the effects of the water jet parameter (water pressure, assist gas, laser power) on break-up length were investigated. It was found from observation results of water jet that the longest break-up length is about 135mm under condition of water pressure 40 MPa, laser power 30W and helium assist gas 1L/min. (author)

Atomic oxygen production scaling in a nanosecond-pulsed externally grounded dielectric barrier plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Sands, Brian; Schmidt, Jacob; Ganguly, Biswa; Scofield, James

2014-10-01

Atomic oxygen production is studied in a capillary dielectric barrier plasma jet that is externally grounded and driven with a 20-ns risetime positive unipolar pulsed voltage at pulse repetition rates up to 25 kHz. The power coupled to the discharge can be easily increased by increasing the pulse repetition rate. At a critical turnover frequency, determined by the net energy density coupled to the discharge, the plasma chemistry abruptly changes. This is indicated by increased plasma conductance and a transition in reactive oxygen species production from an ozone-dominated production regime below the turnover frequency to atomic-oxygen-dominated production at higher pulse rates. Here, we characterize atomic oxygen production scaling using spatially- and temporally-resolved two-photon absorption laser-induced-fluorescence (TALIF). Quantitative results are obtained via calibration with xenon using a similar laser excitation and collection system. These results are compared with quantitative ozone and discharge power measurements using a helium gas flow with oxygen admixtures up to 3%.

The Role of Axisymmetric Reconnection Events in JET Discharges with Extreme Shear Reversal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

B.C. Stratton; J.A. Breslau; R.V. Budny; S.C. Jardin; W. Park; H.R. Strauss; L.E. Zakharov; B. Alper; V. Drozdov; N.C. Hawkes; S. Reyes-Cortes; and Contributors to the EFDA-JET Work Programme

2001-12-03

Injection of Lower Hybrid Heating and Current Drive into the current ramp-up phase of Joint European Torus (JET) discharges can produce extremely reversed q-profiles characterized by a core region of very small or zero current density (within Motional Stark Effect diagnostic measurement errors) and q(subscript min) > 1. T(subscript e)-profiles show sawtooth-like collapses and the presence of an internal transport barrier. Accurate equilibrium reconstructions of these discharges are obtained using the ESC code, which was recently extended to allow equilibrium reconstructions in which a free boundary solver determines the plasma boundary and a fixed boundary solver provides the magnetic geometry and current density profile. The core current density does not appear to go negative, although current diffusion calculations indicate that sufficient non-inductive current drive to cause this is present. This is explained by nonlinear resistive MHD simulations in toroidal geometry which predict that these discharges undergo n=0 reconnection events (axisymmetric sawteeth) that redistribute the current to hold the core current density near zero.

Gas Mixtures for Welding with Micro-Jet Cooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Węgrzyn T.

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Welding with micro-jet cooling after was tested only for MIG and MAG processes. For micro-jet gases was tested only argon, helium and nitrogen. A paper presents a piece of information about gas mixtures for micro-jet cooling after in welding. There are put down information about gas mixtures that could be chosen both for MAG welding and for micro-jet process. There were given main information about influence of various micro-jet gas mixtures on metallographic structure of steel welds. Mechanical properties of weld was presented in terms of various gas mixtures selection for micro-jet cooling.

Automation of the helium jet transport system for nuclear recoil products; Automacao do sistema de transporte de nucleos de recuo por jato de helio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellido, Luis F.; Pedrosa, Paulo S

1996-09-01

A computer code and an interface hardware to automate the acquisition data and the sample changer in a helium jet transport system of recoil nucleus was developed for an IBM or compatible personal microcomputer. The software works with a Spectrum-ACE/ADCAM ORTEC`s multichannel analysers and the interface card uses the 03EFh port to command the sample changer. This system allows to measure, by gamma spectrometry, radionuclides with half-lives of order of seconds produced from nuclear reactions. (author) 3 refs.

Studying the non-thermal plasma jet characteristics and application on bacterial decontamination

Science.gov (United States)

Al-rawaf, Ali F.; Fuliful, Fadhil Khaddam; Khalaf, Mohammed K.; Oudah, Husham. K.

2018-04-01

Non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma jet represents an excellent approach for the decontamination of bacteria. In this paper, we want to improve and characterize a non-thermal plasma jet to employ it in processes of sterilization. The electrical characteristics was studied to describe the discharge of the plasma jet and the development of plasma plume has been characterized as a function of helium flow rate. Optical emission spectroscopy was employed to detect the active species inside the plasma plume. The inactivation efficiency of non-thermal plasma jet was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria by measuring the diameter of inhibition zone and the number of surviving cells. The results presented that the plasma plume temperature was lower than 34° C at a flow rate of 4 slm, which will not cause damage to living tissues. The diameter of inhibition zone is directly extended with increased exposure time. We confirmed that the inactivation mechanism was unaffected by UV irradiation. In addition, we concluded that the major reasons for the inactivation process of bacteria is because of the action of the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species which formed from ambient air, while the charged particles played a minor role in the inactivation process.

Expansion of the cathode spot and generation of shock waves in the plasma of a volume discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omarov, O. A.; Kurbanismailov, V. S.; Arslanbekov, M. A.; Gadzhiev, M. Kh.; Ragimkhanov, G. B.; Al-Shatravi, Ali J. G.

2012-01-01

The expansion of the cathode spot and the generation of shock waves during the formation and development of a pulsed volume discharge in atmospheric-pressure helium were studied by analyzing the emission spectra of the cathode plasma and the spatiotemporal behavior of the plasma glow. The transition of a diffuse volume discharge in a centimeter-long gap into a high-current diffuse mode when the gas pressure increased from 1 to 5 atm and the applied voltage rose from the statistical breakdown voltage to a 100% overvoltage was investigated. Analytical expressions for the radius of the cathode spot and its expansion velocity obtained in the framework of a spherically symmetric model agree satisfactorily with the experimental data.

Improvement of helium characteristics using argon in cylindrical ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel salam, F.W.; El-Khabeary, H.; Abdel reheem, A.M.; Kassem, N.E.; Ahmed, M.M.

2004-01-01

the discharge characteristics of pure helium gas were measured at different pressures in the range of 10 -4 torr. in order o improve its characteristics, argon gas was added . different percentages of argon gas ,1%,2%,3%,4%,5%,10% and 20% were used at constant values of pressures . Measurements of the efficiency of the cylindrical ion source in case of adding different percentages of argon gas to pure helium gas were made . an optimum value of the output ion beam current was obtained when 2% argon gas was added to pure helium gas . an output ion beam current of 105 μA was obtained at a pressure of 7X10 -4 torr inside the vacuum chamber and discharge current of 0.6 m A

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)

Characterization of polarized electrons coming from helium post-discharge source; Caracterisation du faisceau d`electrons polarises issus d`une source a post-decharge d`helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zerhouni, R.O.

1996-02-01

The objective of this thesis is the characterization of the polarized electron source developed at Orsay and foreseen to be coupled to a cw accelerator for nuclear physics experiments. The principle of operation of this source relies on the chemo-ionization reaction between optically aligned helium triplet metastable atoms and CO{sub 2} molecules. The helium metastable atoms are generated by injection of purified helium into a 2,45 GHz micro-wave discharge. They are optically pumped using two beams of 1,083 micro-meter resonant radiation, one circularly and the other linearly polarized. Both beams are delivered by a high power LNA laser. The metastable atomic beam interacts with a dense (10{sup 13} cm {sup -3}) spin singlet CO{sub 2} target. A fraction of the produced polarized electrons is extracted and collimated by electrostatic optics. Either to the Mott polarimeter or to the Faraday cup in order to measure the electron polarization and extracted current. For current intensities of 100 micro-Amperes, the electronic polarization reaches 62 % and shows that this type of source has reached the same high competitive level as the most performing GaAs ones. Additionally, the optical properties of the extracted beam are found to be excellent. These properties (energy spread and emittance) reflect the electron energy distribution at the chemo-ionization region. The upper limit of the beam`s energy spread is 0.24 eV since this value characterizes our instrumental resolution. The average normalized emittance is found to be 0.6 pi mm-mrad. These values satisfy the requirements of most cw accelerators. All the measurements were performed at low electron beam transport energies (1 to 2 KeV). (author). 105 refs., 54 figs., 4 tabs.

Study of a contracted glow in low-frequency plasma-jet discharges operating with argon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minotti, F.; Giuliani, L.; Xaubet, M.; Grondona, D. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Instituto de Física del Plasma (INFIP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires - UBA, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2015-11-15

In this work, we present an experimental and theoretical study of a low frequency, atmospheric plasma-jet discharge in argon. The discharge has the characteristics of a contracted glow with a current channel of submillimeter diameter and a relatively high voltage cathode layer. In order to interpret the measurements, we consider the separate modeling of each region of the discharge: main channel and cathode layer, which must then be properly matched together. The main current channel was modeled, extending a previous work, as similar to an arc in which joule heating is balanced by lateral heat conduction, without thermal equilibrium between electrons and heavy species. The cathode layer model, on the other hand, includes the emission of secondary electrons by ion impact and by additional mechanisms, of which we considered emission due to collision of atoms excited at metastable levels, and field-enhanced thermionic emission (Schottky effect). The comparison of model and experiment indicates that the discharge can be effectively sustained in its contracted form by the secondary electrons emitted by collision of excited argon atoms, whereas thermionic emission is by far insufficient to provide the necessary electrons.

Characteristics and generation of secondary jets and secondary gigantic jets

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Li-Jou; Huang, Sung-Ming; Chou, Jung-Kung; Kuo, Cheng-Ling; Chen, Alfred B.; Su, Han-Tzong; Hsu, Rue-Rou; Frey, Harald U.; Takahashi, Yukihiro; Lee, Lou-Chuang

2012-06-01

Secondary transient luminous events (TLEs) recorded by the ISUAL-FORMOSAT2 mission can either be secondary jets or secondary gigantic jets (GJs), depending on their terminal altitudes. The secondary jets emerge from the cloud top beneath the preceding sprites and extend upward to the base of the sprites at ˜50 km. The secondary jets likely are negative electric discharges with vertically straight luminous columns, morphologically resembling the trailing jet of the type-I GJs. The number of luminous columns in a secondary jet seems to be affected by the size of the effective capacitor plate formed near the base of the preceding sprites and the charge distribution left behind by the sprite-inducing positive cloud-to-ground discharges. The secondary GJs originate from the cloud top under the shielding area of the preceding sprites, and develop upward to reach the lower ionosphere at ˜90 km. The observed morphology of the secondary GJs can either be the curvy shifted secondary GJs extending outside the region occupied by the preceding sprites or the straight pop-through secondary GJs developing through the center of the preceding circular sprites. A key factor in determining the terminal height of the secondary TLEs appears to be the local ionosphere boundary height that established by the preceding sprites. The abundance and the distribution of the negative charge in the thundercloud following the sprite-inducing positive cloud-to-ground discharges may play important role in the generation of the secondary TLEs.

Study of edge plasma properties comparing operation in hydrogen and helium in RFX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spolaore, M.; Antoni, V.; Bagatin, M.; Desideri, D.; Fattorini, L.; Martines, E.; Serianni, G.; Tramontin, L.; Vianello, N.

2001-01-01

The properties of the edge plasma in the reversed field pinch RFX have been investigated by comparing the operation in helium with those normally performed in hydrogen. It has been found that a spontaneous velocity shear layer takes place in the edge region also in helium discharges. The edge structure of hydrogen and helium discharges have been interpreted using a momentum balance equation, which takes into account anomalous viscosity and friction with neutrals. The electrostatic turbulence properties are also compared: it is found that electrostatic turbulence drives most of the particle losses and a small fraction of the energy losses also for the He discharges. The modifications of the mean profiles, including the ExB velocity, during PPCD are briefly discussed and compared with the results obtained in hydrogen

Dusty plasma in a glow discharge in helium in temperature range of 5–300 K

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samoilov, I. S.; Baev, V. P.; Timofeev, A. V., E-mail: timofeevalvl@gmail.com; Amirov, R. Kh.; Kirillin, A. V.; Nikolaev, V. S.; Bedran, Z. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

Dusty plasma structures in glow discharge in helium in the temperature range of 5–300 K are investigated experimentally. We have described the experimental setup that makes it possible to continuously vary the temperature regime. The method for experimental data processing has been described. We have measured interparticle distances in the temperature range of 9–295 K and compared them with the Debye radius. We indicate the ranges of variations in experimental parameters in which plasma–dust structures are formed and various types of their behavior are manifested (rotation, vibrations of structures, formation of vertical linear chains, etc.). The applicability of the Yukawa potential to the description of the structural properties of a dusty plasma in the experimental conditions is discussed.

The mechanism of liquid metal jet formation in the cathode spot of vacuum arc discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Gashkov, M. A.; Zubarev, N. M.; Mesyats, G. A.; Uimanov, I. V.

2016-08-01

We have theoretically studied the dynamics of molten metal during crater formation in the cathode spot of vacuum arc discharge. At the initial stage, a liquid-metal ridge is formed around the crater. This process has been numerically simulated in the framework of the two-dimensional axisymmetric heat and mass transfer problem in the approximation of viscous incompressible liquid. At a more developed stage, the motion of liquid metal loses axial symmetry, which corresponds to a tendency toward jet formation. The development of azimuthal instabilities of the ridge is analyzed in terms of dispersion relations for surface waves. It is shown that maximum increments correspond to instability of the Rayleigh-Plateau type. Estimations of the time of formation of liquid metal jets and their probable number are obtained.

Spectroscopic Study of Recombination in the Early Afterglow of a Helium Plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevefelt, J

1968-02-15

Some properties of a decaying helium plasma have been studied using time resolved spectroscopy and probe diagnostics. The plasma was produced in a pulsed, repetitive, hot cathode discharge in helium at a pressure 11 torr , and the light emitted in the afterglow of the discharge was measured by means of a spectrometer-photomultiplier combination. Single photoelectrons were counted on a scaler during a preset gate time of each discharge cycle, and after a preset number of cycles recorded on punched tape. The spectrometer was calibrated for absolute intensity measurements of the spectral lines of atomic helium. The overall conductance of the positive column was determined by measuring the voltage difference between two probes inserted into the plasma, passing a very small current pulse between the anode and cathode in the afterglow. Heavier current pulses were used to heat the free electrons selectively, thus providing so-called 'afterglow quenching'. From the measured absolute intensities of the helium lines, the number densities of the excited states of helium were calculated. All levels with principal quantum number n {>=} 8 were found to be in near Saha equilibrium with the free electrons at a temperature 1,275 deg K in the early afterglow (15-35 {mu}s after end of the discharge). By measuring the absolute intensities of some of the molecular helium bands, an estimate of the rate of conversion of atomic helium ions into molecular helium ions was obtained. The atomic line radiation, as well as the molecular band radiation, was assumed to result from collisional-radiative recombination of atomic and molecular helium ions, respectively. The rate of recombination down to the metastable level n = 2 was obtained from the measured line intensities. By adding the rate of ambipolar diffusion, calculated from known literature data, quite good agreement with the measured decay rate for the electron density was found. The measured line intensities were also used to calculate

Waste Field Characteristics, Ultimate Mixing and Dilution in Surface Discharge of Dense Jets into Stagnant Water Bodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Direct discharges of municipal and industrial waste waters into water bodies through marine outfalls are considered as a common way to dispose the generated waste in coastal zones. Marine discharge, intensifying flow mixing and entrainment, decrease the concentration of polutant up to accepted concentration and meet the guideline values and to make possible continues discharge of flow into matine environment. During last years due to quick development of coastal desalination plants, surface discharge of preduced salty water into seas and oceans has increased significantly. In this study, releases of dense jets from surface rectangular channel into stagnant bodies are experimentally studied. The location of flow plunge point, impact point and discharge ultimate dilution were drown out by a digital video technology. In addition, using some conductivity probes located in ambient floor, waste filed dilution in flow impact point and discharge ultimate dilution were identified. Finally the obtained results were plotted and explained along with some diagrams to show flow non-dimensional behavior. The results showed that the properties of flow are changing directly with ambient water depth and discharge initial fluxes.

Baking and helium glow discharge cleaning of SST-1 tokamak with graphite plasma facing components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semwal, Pratibha; Khan, Ziauddin; Raval, Dilip

2015-01-01

Graphite plasma facing components (PFCs) were installed inside SST-1 vacuum vessel. Prior to installation, all the graphite tiles were baked at 1000 °C in a vacuum furnace operated below 1.0 X 10 -5 mbar. However due to the porous structure of graphite, they absorb a significant amount of water vapour from air during the installation process. Rapid desorption of water vapour requires high temperature bake-out of the PFCs at ≥ 250 °C. In SST-1 the PFCs were baked at 250 °C using hot nitrogen gas facility to remove the absorbed water vapour. Also device with large graphite surface area has the disadvantage that a large quantity of hydrogen gets trapped inside it during plasma discharges which makes density control difficult. Helium (He) glow discharge cleaning (GDC) effectively removes this stored hydrogen as well as other impurities like oxygen and hydrocarbon within few nanometers from the surface by particle induced desorption. Before plasma operation in SST-1 tokamak, both baking of PFCs and He-GDC were carried out so that these impurities were removed effectively. The mean desorption yield of hydrogen was found to be 0.48. In this paper, the results of effect of baking and He-GDC experiments of SST-1 will be presented in detail. (author)

Baking and helium glow discharge cleaning of SST-1 Tokamak with graphite plasma facing components

Science.gov (United States)

Semwal, P.; Khan, Z.; Raval, D. C.; Dhanani, K. R.; George, S.; Paravastu, Y.; Prakash, A.; Thankey, P.; Ramesh, G.; Khan, M. S.; Saikia, P.; Pradhan, S.

2017-04-01

Graphite plasma facing components (PFCs) were installed inside the SST-1 vacuum vessel. Prior to installation, all the graphite tiles were baked at 1000 °C in a vacuum furnace operated below 1.0 × 10-5 mbar. However due to the porous structure of graphite, they absorb a significant amount of water vapour from air during the installation process. Rapid desorption of this water vapour requires high temperature bake-out of the PFCs at ≥ 250 °C. In SST-1 the PFCs were baked at 250 °C using hot nitrogen gas facility to remove the absorbed water vapour. Also device with large graphite surface area has the disadvantage that a large quantity of hydrogen gets trapped inside it during plasma discharges which makes density control difficult. Helium glow discharge cleaning (He-GDC) effectively removes this stored hydrogen as well as other impurities like oxygen and hydrocarbon within few nano-meters from the surface by particle induced desorption. Before plasma operation in SST-1 tokamak, both baking of PFCs and He-GDC were carried out so that these impurities were removed effectively. The mean desorption yield of hydrogen was found to be 0.24. In this paper the results of baking and He-GDC experiments of SST-1 will be presented in detail.

Transient thermal analysis of cryocondensation pump for JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baxi, C.B.; Obert, W.

1993-08-01

A cryopump with pumping speed of 50,000 1/sec is planned to be installed in the Joint European Torus (JET) as part of the pumped divertor. The purpose of this pump is to control the plasma impurities. The pump consists of a helium panel cooled by supercritical helium and a nitrogen shield cooled by liquid nitrogen. This paper presents the following transient thermal flow analysis for this cryopump: 1. Consequences of loss of torus vacuum on helium panel. 2. Cool down of the nitrogen shield form 300 K to 80 K

Simulations with COREDIV Code of DEMO Discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zagorski, R.; Stankiewicz, R.; Ivanova-Stanik, I., E-mail: roman.zagorski@ipplm.pl [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw (Poland)

2012-09-15

Full text: The reduction of divertor target power load due to radiation of sputtered and externally seeded impurities in fusion reactor is investigated in this paper. The approach is based on integrated numerical modelling of DEMO discharges using the COREDIV code, which self-consistently solves 1D radial transport equations of plasma and impurities in the core region and 2D multifluid transport in the SOL. The model is fully self-consistent with respect to both the effects of impurities on the alpha-power level and the interaction between seeded and intrinsic impurities. The code has been already successfully benchmarked with the data from present day experiments (JET, ADEX). Calculations have been performed for inductive DEMO scenario and DEMO Steady-State configuration with tungsten walls and Ar seeding. In case of DEMO Steady-State scenario strong increase of Z{sub eff} and significant reduction of the alpha power are observed with the increase of Ar influx which is caused by the decrease of fuel ions density due to the dilution effect. It leads to the reduction of the target plate heat loads but surprisingly the radiation level remains almost constant with the increased seeding which is the result of the interplay between the energy losses and tungsten source due to sputtering processes. It has been found that the W radiation is the dominant energy loss mechanism and it accounts for 90% of all radiation losses. In case of pulsed DEMO scenario, it appears that the helium accumulation might be a serious problem. Even without seeding the resulting Z{sub eff} is very large (> 2.6) and consequently only relatively weak seeding can be applied for pulsed scenario. It is found that helium accumulation depends strongly on the transport model used for helium, if the helium diffusion is increased than the accumulation effect is mitigated. (author)

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

Experimental Validation of the LHC Helium Relief System Flow Modeling

CERN Document Server

Fydrych, J; Riddone, G

2006-01-01

In case of simultaneous resistive transitions in a whole sector of magnets in the Large Hadron Collider, the helium would be vented from the cold masses to a dedicated recovery system. During the discharge the cold helium will eventually enter a pipe at room temperature. During the first period of the flow the helium will be heated intensely due to the pipe heat capacity. To study the changes of the helium thermodynamic and flow parameters we have simulated numerically the most critical flow cases. To verify and validate numerical results, a dedicated laboratory test rig representing the helium relief system has been designed and commissioned. Both numerical and experimental results allow us to determine the distributions of the helium parameters along the pipes as well as mechanical strains and stresses.

A numerical study of shock-acceleration of a diffuse helium cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenough, J.A.; Bell, J.; Colella, P.

1995-08-01

The development of a shock-accelerated diffuse Helium cylindrical inhomogeneity is investigated using a new numerical method. The new algorithm is a higher-order Godunov implementation of the so-called multi-fluid equations. This system correctly models multiple component mixtures by accounting for differential compressibility effects. This base integrator is embedded in an implementation of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) that allows efficient increase in resolution where the computational effort is concentrated where high accuracy, or increased resolution, are required. Qualitative and quantitative comparison with previous experimental data is excellent. The simulations show that counter-sign vortex blobs are deposited in the jet core by baroclinic generation of the curved shock wave as it traverses the jet. This vorticity deposition occurs over timescales that scale with the shock passage time (∼ 10μsec). Three phases of development are identified and characterized. The first is the weak deformation (WD) phase, where there is weak distortion of the Helium jet due to weak vorticity induced velocity effects. The second phase is the strong deformation (SD) phase where there is large distortion for the jet and the vortex blobs due to large induced velocity effects. The last is a relaxation/reorganization (RR) phase where the vorticity field reorganizes into point-like vortex pair

The deduction of low-Z ion temperature and densities in the JET tokamak using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boileau, A.; Hellermann, M. von; Horton, L.D.; Spence, J.; Summers, H.P.

1989-01-01

A charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) diagnostic has been established on JET to study fully stripped low-Z species. Ion temperature in the plasma centre is measured from visible lines of helium, carbon and oxygen excited by charge exchange with heating neutral beam particles. Coincident cold components produced at the plasma edge are apparent on helium and carbon spectra and most spectra are subject to accidental blending from other species' edge plasma emission. The charge exchange feature can be isolated from the various composite lines and all three impurities agree on the same temperature within experimental error. Observed column emissivities are converted into absolute impurity densities using a neutral beam attenuation code and charge exchange effective rate coefficients. Comprehensive new calculations have been performed to obtain the effective rate coefficients. The models take detailed account of cascading and the influence of the plasma environment in causing l-mixing, and allow the n-dependence of the rate coefficients to be addressed experimentally. The effective ion charge reconstructed from simultaneous measurements of the densities of dominant impurities shows good agreement with the value inferred from visible Bremsstrahlung. Some illustrative results are shown for helium (helium discharge or minority r.f.. heating), carbon and oxygen concentrations monitored during characteristic operating regimes. (author)

Identification of new proton-rich rare earth nuclei by means of the coupled system helium jet-isotope separator of SARA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ollivier, T.

1986-01-01

In order to study new exotic nuclei far from stability we built a fast separation system by coupling a helium jet with the medium-current source of the mass separator. First the tests were made in Lyon and then the system used on line with the heavy ion accelerator SARA, in Grenoble. We obtained efficiency greater than 1% for each element and a better chemical independence. This allowed us to perform experiments on rare-earth region near N=82, with fusion-evaporation reactions after an investigation of various ranges of beam energies. The first results allow to identify two new isotopes, 143 Tb (12s) and 138 Eu (12s). The decay schemes obtained are analysed in the frame of existing models [fr

Contribution to the study of radioactive and heavy jets discharged in the presence of a cross-stream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badre, A.

1981-01-01

A mathematical model is presented for the prediction of spreading and rising of radioactive and heavy jets discharged into a flowing ambient fluid. The model is based on the differential equations for the conversion of mass, momentum, concentration and thermal energy. The model has been tested by comparing the results with experimental data concerning atmospheric dispersion of gaseous effluents [fr

Study of aerosol jet printing with dry nanoparticles synthesized by spark discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Efimov, A. A.; Arsenov, P. V.; Volkov, I. A.; Urazov, M. N.; Ivanov, V. V.

2017-11-01

A new method of aerosol jet printing utilizing dry (solvent-free) airborne nanoparticles generated by spark discharge is proposed. This method was applied to fabricate thin conducting lines (60-160 μm) composed of silver nanoparticles on the surface of glass substrates. It has been demonstrated that the line width is determined by a sheath flow rate, while its thickness and cross-sectional area can be scaled up by a number of printing runs. The resistivity of printed lines after the annealing was found to be five times higher than that of bulk silver that is attributed to the porosity and the interparticle contact resistance. The proposed method holds promise for the application in technologies of printed electronics.

Micro-jet Cooling by Compressed Air after MAG Welding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Węgrzyn T.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The material selected for this investigation was low alloy steel weld metal deposit (WMD after MAG welding with micro-jet cooling. The present investigation was aimed as the following tasks: analyze impact toughness of WMD in terms of micro-jet cooling parameters. Weld metal deposit (WMD was first time carried out for MAG welding with micro-jet cooling of compressed air and gas mixture of argon and air. Until that moment only argon, helium and nitrogen and its gas mixture were tested for micro-jet cooling.

Effect of corona discharge plasma jet on surface-borne microorganisms and sprouting of broccoli seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Je-Wook; Puligundla, Pradeep; Mok, Chulkyoon

2017-01-01

Different pathogenic microorganisms have been reported to cause sprouts-associated outbreaks. In order to sterilise and enhance the germination of seeds, non-thermal plasma has been increasingly investigated in the field of agricultural science as an alternative to the traditional pre-sowing seed treatments. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) on disinfection of the natural bio-contaminants of broccoli seed and also studied the plasma effect on sprout seed germination rate and physico-chemical properties of sprouts. Aerobic bacteria, moulds and yeasts, B. cereus, E. coli, Salmonella spp. were detected on the broccoli seed surface. After 0-3 min treatment using CDPJ, the detected microorganisms were reduced in the range of 1.2-2.3 log units. Inactivation patterns were better explained using pseudo-first-order kinetics. The plasma treatment of seeds up to 2 min exhibited a positive effect on germination rate, seedling growth. The physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of sprouts were unaffected due to the CDPJ treatment of their respective seeds. Corona discharge plasma jet can potentially be used for microbial decontamination of broccoli seeds. In addition, the plasma treatment of broccoli sprout seeds has enabled a significant enhancement in their germination rate and seedling growth without compromising physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of their corresponding sprouts. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Electrostatic charging and levitation of helium II drops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemela, J.J.

1997-01-01

Liquid Helium II drops, of diameter 1 mm or less, are charged with positive helium ions and subsequently levitated by static electric fields. Stable levitation was achieved for drops of order 100-150 micrometers in diameter. The suspended drops could be translated to arbitrary positions within the levitator using additional superimposed DC electric fields, and also could be made to oscillate stably about their average positions by means of an applied time-varying electric field. A weak corona discharge was used to produce the necessary ions for levitation. A novel superfluid film flow device, developed for the controlled deployment of large charged drops, is described. Also discussed is an adjustable electric fountain that requires only a field emission tip operating at modest potentials, and works in both Helium I and Helium II

Sonic Helium Detectors in the Fermilab Tevatron

Science.gov (United States)

Bossert, R. J.

2006-04-01

In the Fermilab Tevatron cryogenic system there are many remotely located low-pressure plate relief valves that must vent large volumes of cold helium gas when magnet quenches occur. These valves can occasionally stick open or not reseat completely, resulting in a large helium loss. As such, the need exists for a detector to monitor the relief valve's discharge area for the presence of helium. Due to the quantity needed, cost is an important factor. A unit has been developed and built for this purpose that is quite inexpensive. Its operating principle is based on the speed of sound, where two closely matched tubes operate at their acoustic resonant frequency. When helium is introduced into one of these tubes, the resulting difference in acoustic time of flight is used to trigger an alarm. At present, there are 39 of these units installed and operating in the Tevatron. They have detected many minor and major helium leaks, and have also been found useful in detecting a rise in the helium background in the enclosed refrigerator buildings. This paper covers the construction, usage and operational experience gained with these units over the last several years.

Sonic helium detectors in the Fermilab Tevatron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossert, R.J.; Fermilab

2006-01-01

In the Fermilab Tevatron cryogenic system there are many remotely located low-pressure plate relief valves that must vent large volumes of cold helium gas when magnet quenches occur. These valves can occasionally stick open or not reseat completely, resulting in a large helium loss. As such, the need exists for a detector to monitor the relief valve's discharge area for the presence of helium. Due to the quantity needed, cost is an important factor. A unit has been developed and built for this purpose that is quite inexpensive. Its operating principle is based on the speed of sound, where two closely matched tubes operate at their acoustic resonant frequency. When helium is introduced into one of these tubes, the resulting difference in acoustic time of flight is used to trigger an alarm. At present, there are 39 of these units installed and operating in the Tevatron. They have detected many minor and major helium leaks, and have also been found useful in detecting a rise in the helium background in the enclosed refrigerator buildings. This paper covers the construction, usage and operational experience gained with these units over the last several years

W transport and accumulation control in the termination phase of JET H-mode discharges and implications for ITER

Science.gov (United States)

Köchl, F.; Loarte, A.; de la Luna, E.; Parail, V.; Corrigan, G.; Harting, D.; Nunes, I.; Reux, C.; Rimini, F. G.; Polevoi, A.; Romanelli, M.; Contributors, JET

2018-07-01

Tokamak operation with W PFCs is associated with specific challenges for impurity control, which may be particularly demanding in the transition from stationary H-mode to L-mode. To address W control issues in this phase, dedicated experiments have been performed at JET including the variation of the decrease of the power and current, gas fuelling and central ion cyclotron heating (ICRH), and applying active ELM control by vertical kicks. The experimental results obtained demonstrate the key role of maintaining ELM control to control the W concentration in the exit phase of H-modes with slow (ITER-like) ramp-down of the neutral beam injection power in JET. For these experiments, integrated fully predictive core+edge+SOL transport modelling studies applying discrete models for the description of transients such as sawteeth and ELMs have been performed for the first time with the JINTRAC suite of codes for the entire transition from stationary H-mode until the time when the plasma would return to L-mode focusing on the W transport behaviour. Simulations have shown that the existing models can appropriately reproduce the plasma profile evolution in the core, edge and SOL as well as W accumulation trends in the termination phase of JET H-mode discharges as function of the applied ICRH and ELM control schemes, substantiating the ambivalent effect of ELMs on W sputtering on one side and on edge transport affecting core W accumulation on the other side. The sensitivity with respect to NB particle and momentum sources has also been analysed and their impact on neoclassical W transport has been found to be crucial to reproduce the observed W accumulation characteristics in JET discharges. In this paper the results of the JET experiments, the comparison with JINTRAC modelling and the adequacy of the models to reproduce the experimental results are described and conclusions are drawn regarding the applicability of these models for the extrapolation of the applied W

Baking and helium glow discharge cleaning of SST-1 Tokamak with graphite plasma facing components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semwal, P; Khan, Z; Raval, D C; Dhanani, K R; George, S; Paravastu, Y; Prakash, A; Thankey, P; Ramesh, G; Khan, M S; Saikia, P; Pradhan, S

2017-01-01

Graphite plasma facing components (PFCs) were installed inside the SST-1 vacuum vessel. Prior to installation, all the graphite tiles were baked at 1000 °C in a vacuum furnace operated below 1.0 × 10 -5 mbar. However due to the porous structure of graphite, they absorb a significant amount of water vapour from air during the installation process. Rapid desorption of this water vapour requires high temperature bake-out of the PFCs at ≥ 250 °C. In SST-1 the PFCs were baked at 250 °C using hot nitrogen gas facility to remove the absorbed water vapour. Also device with large graphite surface area has the disadvantage that a large quantity of hydrogen gets trapped inside it during plasma discharges which makes density control difficult. Helium glow discharge cleaning (He-GDC) effectively removes this stored hydrogen as well as other impurities like oxygen and hydrocarbon within few nano-meters from the surface by particle induced desorption. Before plasma operation in SST-1 tokamak, both baking of PFCs and He-GDC were carried out so that these impurities were removed effectively. The mean desorption yield of hydrogen was found to be 0.24. In this paper the results of baking and He-GDC experiments of SST-1 will be presented in detail. (paper)

Thunderstorm Charge Structures Producing Negative Gigantic Jets

Science.gov (United States)

Boggs, L.; Liu, N.; Riousset, J. A.; Shi, F.; Rassoul, H.

2016-12-01

Here we present observational and modeling results that provide insight into thunderstorm charge structures that produce gigantic jet discharges. The observational results include data from four different thunderstorms producing 9 negative gigantic jets from 2010 to 2014. We used radar, very high frequency (VHF) and low frequency (LF) lightning data to analyze the storm characteristics, charge structures, and lightning activity when the gigantic jets emerged from the parent thunderstorms. A detailed investigation of the evolution of one of the charge structures by analyzing the VHF data is also presented. The newly found charge structure obtained from the observations was analyzed with fractal modeling and compared with previous fractal modeling studies [Krehbiel et al., Nat. Geosci., 1, 233-237, 2008; Riousset et al., JGR, 115, A00E10, 2010] of gigantic jet discharges. Our work finds that for normal polarity thunderstorms, gigantic jet charge structures feature a narrow upper positive charge region over a wide middle negative charge region. There also likely exists a `ring' of negative screening charge located around the perimeter of the upper positive charge. This is different from previously thought charge structures of the storms producing gigantic jets, which had a very wide upper positive charge region over a wide middle negative charge region, with a very small negative screening layer covering the cloud top. The newly found charge structure results in leader discharge trees in the fractal simulations that closely match the parent flashes of gigantic jets inside and outside the thundercloud. The previously used charge structures, while vital to the understanding of gigantic jet initiation and the role of charge imbalances inside the cloud, do not produce leader discharge trees that agree with observed gigantic jet discharges.Finally, the newly discovered gigantic jet charge structures are formed near the end of a convective pulse [Meyer et al., JGR, 118

The hydrogen laminar jet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez-Sanz, M. [Departamento de Motopropulsion y Termofluidomecanica, ETSI Aeronauticos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Rosales, M. [Department Ingenieria Termica y de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911, Leganes (Spain); Instituto de Innovacion en Mineria y Metalurgia, Avenida del Valle 738, Santiago (Chile); Sanchez, A.L. [Department Ingenieria Termica y de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911, Leganes (Spain)

2010-04-15

Numerical and asymptotic methods are used to investigate the structure of the hydrogen jet discharging into a quiescent air atmosphere. The analysis accounts in particular for the variation of the density and transport properties with composition. The Reynolds number of the flow R{sub j}, based on the initial jet radius a, the density {rho}{sub j} and viscosity {mu}{sub j} of the jet and the characteristic jet velocity u{sub j}, is assumed to take moderately large values, so that the jet remains slender and stable, and can be correspondingly described by numerical integration of the continuity, momentum and species conservation equations written in the boundary-layer approximation. The solution for the velocity and composition in the jet development region of planar and round jets, corresponding to streamwise distances of order R{sub j}a, is computed numerically, along with the solutions that emerge both in the near field and in the far field. The small value of the hydrogen-to-air molecular weight ratio is used to simplify the solution by considering the asymptotic limit of vanishing jet density. The development provides at leading-order explicit analytical expressions for the far-field velocity and hydrogen mass fraction that describe accurately the hydrogen jet near the axis. The information provided can be useful in particular to characterize hydrogen discharge processes from holes and cracks. (author)

ICRF power-deposition profiles, heating and confinement of monster sawtooth and peaked-density profile discharges in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatnagar, V.P.; Taroni, A.; Ellis, J.J.; Jacquinot, J.; Start, D.F.H.

1989-01-01

The ion cyclotron resonance heating of monster sawtooth (period greater than the energy confinement time) and pellet-fueled peaked-density profiles in limiter discharges of JET Tokamak are studied. The monster sawtooth is a characteristic JET regime which is related to fast ions generated during the minority ion heating. In the ICRF heating of peaked-density profile discharges, we find typically the T i0 is higher roughly by a factor of 2 and T e0 roughly by 35% at a fixed P TOT /n e0 when compared to non-peaked profile cases. Here, T e0 and T i0 are central electron and ion temperatures, respectively, n e0 is the central electron density and P TOT is the total input power. The ion heating is improved in the pellet case, in part, due to a higher collisionality between the background ions and the energetic minority, but more significantly by a reduction of local ion energy transport in the central region. The transport-code simulation of these discharges reveals that there is a reduction of both χ e and χ i in the central region of the plasma in the ICRF heated peaked-profile discharges where χ e and χ i are the electron and ion heat conductivities, respectively. The improvement of confinement is not explained quantitatively by any of the existing η i -driven turbulence theories as the n i parameter (η i = d ln T i /d ln n i where T i is the ion temperature and n i is the ion density), instead of dropping below the critical value, remains above it for most of the duration of the improved confinement phase. The physical mechanism(s) that plays a role in this improvement is not yet clear. (author)

A model for the operation of helium-filled proportional counter at low temperatures near 4.2 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masaoka, Sei; Katano, Rintaro; Kishimoto, Shunji; Isozumi, Yasuhito

2000-01-01

In order to understand the operation of helium-filled proportional counter (HFPC) from the standpoint of fundamental atomic and molecular processes, we have surveyed previous works on collision processes in discharged helium gas. By analyzing gas gain curve, after-pulses and discharge current experimentally observed at 4.2 K, the electron avalanche and the secondary electron emission from cathode have been related to the collision processes in helium. A simplified model for the HFPC operation at low temperatures near 4.2 K has been constructed with the related processes

On the structure of pulsed plasma jets

Science.gov (United States)

Cavolowsky, John Arthur

A pulsed plasma jet is a turbulent, inhomogeneous fluid mechanical discharge capable of initiating and inhancing combustion. Having shown the ability to ignite lean fuel mixtures, is now offers the potential for real-time control of combustion processes. The fluid mechanical and chemical properties of such jets are explored. The fluid mechanical structure of the jet was examined using two optical diagnostic techniques. Self-light streak photography provided information on the motion of luminous gas particles in its core. The turbulent, thermal evolution of the jet was explored using high speed laser schlieren cinematography. By examine plasma jet generators with both opaque and transparent plasma cavities, detailed information on plasma formation and jet structure, beginning with the electric arc discharge in the cavity, was obtained. Molecular beam mass spectroscopy was used to determine temperature and species concentration in the jet. Both noncombustible and combustible jets were studied. Species measurements in combustible jets revealed significant concentrations of radicals and products of complete as well as incomplete combustion.

Characterizations of atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma jets and their applications

Science.gov (United States)

Karakas, Erdinc

2011-12-01

Atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma jets (APLTPJs) driven by short pulses have recently received great attention because of their potential in biomedical and environmental applications. This potential is due to their user-friendly features, such as low temperature, low risk of arcing, operation at atmospheric pressure, easy handheld operation, and low concentration of ozone generation. Recent experimental observations indicate that an ionization wave exists and propagates along the plasma jet. The plasma jet created by this ionization wave is not a continuous medium but rather consists of a bullet-like-structure known as "Plasma Bullet". More interestingly, these plasma bullets actually have a donut-shaped makeup. The nature of the plasma bullet is especially interesting because it propagates in the ambient air at supersonic velocities without any externally applied electric field. In this dissertation, experimental insights are reported regarding the physical and chemical characteristics of the APLTPJs. The dynamics of the plasma bullet are investigated by means of a high-speed ICCD camera. A plasma bullet propagation model based on the streamer theory is confirmed with adequate explanations. It is also found that a secondary discharge, ignited by the charge accumulation on the dielectric electrode surfaces at the end of the applied voltage, interrupts the plasma bullet propagation due to an opposing current along the ionization channel. The reason for this interesting phenomenon is explained in detail. The plasma bullet comes to an end when the helium mole fraction along the ionization channel, or applied voltage, or both, are less than some critical values. The presence of an inert gas channel in the surrounding air, such as helium or argon, has a critical role in plasma bullet formation and propagation. For this reason, a fluid dynamics study is employed by a commercially available simulation software, COMSOL, based on finite element method. Spatio

Self-stabilized discharge filament in plane-parallel barrier discharge configuration: formation, breakdown mechanism, and memory effects

Science.gov (United States)

Tschiersch, R.; Nemschokmichal, S.; Bogaczyk, M.; Meichsner, J.

2017-10-01

Single self-stabilized discharge filaments were investigated in the plane-parallel electrode configuration. The barrier discharge was operated inside a gap of 3 mm shielded by glass plates to both electrodes, using helium-nitrogen mixtures and a square-wave feeding voltage at a frequency of 2 kHz. The combined application of electrical measurements, ICCD camera imaging, optical emission spectroscopy and surface charge diagnostics via the electro-optic Pockels effect allowed the correlation of the discharge development in the volume and on the dielectric surfaces. The formation criteria and existence regimes were found by systematic variation of the nitrogen admixture to helium, the total pressure and the feeding voltage amplitude. Single self-stabilized discharge filaments can be operated over a wide parameter range, foremost, by significant reduction of the voltage amplitude after the operation in the microdischarge regime. Here, the outstanding importance of the surface charge memory effect on the long-term stability was pointed out by the recalculated spatio-temporally resolved gap voltage. The optical emission revealed discharge characteristics that are partially reminiscent of both the glow-like barrier discharge and the microdischarge regime, such as a Townsend pre-phase, a fast cathode-directed ionization front during the breakdown and radially propagating surface discharges during the afterglow.

Micro-jet Cooling by Compressed Air after MAG Welding

OpenAIRE

Węgrzyn T.; Piwnik J.; Tarasiuk W.; Stanik Z.; Gabrylewski M.

2016-01-01

The material selected for this investigation was low alloy steel weld metal deposit (WMD) after MAG welding with micro-jet cooling. The present investigation was aimed as the following tasks: analyze impact toughness of WMD in terms of micro-jet cooling parameters. Weld metal deposit (WMD) was first time carried out for MAG welding with micro-jet cooling of compressed air and gas mixture of argon and air. Until that moment only argon, helium and nitrogen and its gas mixture were tested for mi...

Observation of vibronic emission spectrum of jet-cooled 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung Woon; Yoon, Young Wook; Lee, Sang Kuk

2010-09-02

We applied the technique of corona-excited supersonic expansion using a pinhole-type glass nozzle to observe the vibronic emission spectrum of jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals from the corona discharge of precursor 3,5-difluorotoluene seeded in a large amount of inert helium carrier gas. The vibronically well-resolved emission spectrum was recorded with a long-path monochromator in the visible region. After subtracting the vibronic bands originating from isomeric difluorobenzyl radicals from the observed spectrum, we identified for the first time the bands belonging to the 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical, from which the electronic energy and vibrational mode frequencies of the 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical were accurately determined in the ground electronic state by comparison with those of the precursor and with those from an ab initio calculation.

Summary of energy and particle confinement in pellet-fuelled auxiliary-heated discharges on JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milora, S.L.; Baylor, L.R.; Bartlett, D.V.

1989-01-01

A transient improvement in plasma performance and central confinement has been observed in auxiliary heated JET limiter plasmas associated with a peaking of the plasma density profile and strong centralized heating. Suitable target plasmas for ICRF and NBI heating experiments are created by deuterium pellet injection with a multi pellet injector system developed jointly by ORNL and JETZ . Two types of discharge conditions have been observed. In the first (type A), the density profiles decay gradually during the first 1.3s of the heating pulse while maintaining an elevated density core plasma inside r/a < 0.6 superimposed on a flat density pedestal. During this phase the central electron and ion temperatures increase rapidly (up to 12 keV and 10 keV respectively in the best discharges). This results in an increase in the central plasma pressure by approximately a factor of three (β(0) 5%) above gas fuelled discharges and gives rise to sharply increased pressure gradients in the plasma. An abrupt collapse of the central electron and ion temperatures terminates the enhanced phase at 1.3 s and leads eventually to a 20% decrease in plasma stored energy. While these discharges are predicted to be stable to kink modes, they approach the first stability boundary for ballooning modes in the region of steepest pressure gradient. The pressure and q profiles inferred from transport analysis are also close to those for which intermediate-n mode instability is predicted. (author) 11 refs., 4 figs

Nitrogen And Oxygen Amount In Weld After Welding With Micro-Jet Cooling

OpenAIRE

Węgrzyn T.; Piwnik J.

2015-01-01

Micro-jet cooling after welding was tested only for MIG welding process with argon, helium and nitrogen as a shielded gases. A paper presents a piece of information about nitrogen and oxygen in weld after micro-jet cooling. There are put down information about gases that could be chosen both for MIG/MAG welding and for micro-jet process. There were given main information about influence of various micro-jet gases on metallographic structure of steel welds. Mechanical properties of weld was pr...

Efficiency of an on-line isotope separator system employing cooled and NaCl-loaded He-jet methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aeystoe, J.; Rantala, V.; Valli, K.; Hillebrand, S.; Kortelahti, M.; Eskola, K.; Raunemaa, T.

1976-01-01

A pure helium-jet at liquid nitrogen temperature coupled to a Nielsen type ion source, and a NaCl-loaded helium-jet coupled to a hollow-cathode ion source have been investigated as means to connect a cyclotron target chamber on-line to a mass separator. Technical details and performances of some critical parts of the system are described. Total separation efficiencies measured under various experimental conditions for several nuclides vary between 0.01 and 1.0%. (Auth.)

Niobium films produced by magnetron sputtering using an Ar-He mixture as discharge gas

CERN Document Server

Schucan, G M; Calatroni, Sergio

1995-01-01

Superconducting RF accelerating cavities have been produced at CERN by sputter-coating, with a thin niobium layer, cavities made of copper. In the present work, the discharge behaviour and niobium film properties have been investigated when part of the argon sputtering gas is replaced with helium. Helium is chosen because of its low mass, which reduces the energy lost by the niobium atoms colliding with the sputter gas atoms. The higher niobium atom energy should lead to higher adatom mobility on the substrate and, hence, to a larger grain size, a feature which is highly desirable to reduce the cavity surface resistance. It has been found that helium addition effectively helps to maintain the discharge at considerably lower argon pressures, via metastable-neutral ionisation and high secondary electron yield. However, a large amount of helium is trapped in the film, amount which is proportional to the helium partial pressure during the discharge, resulting in a reduction of both Residual Resistivity Ratio and ...

A self-focusing mercury jet target

CERN Document Server

Johnson, C

2002-01-01

Mercury jet production targets have been studied in relation to antiproton production and, more recently, pion production for a neutrino factory. There has always been a temptation to include some self-focusing of the secondaries by passing a current through the mercury jet analogous to the already proven lithium lens. However, skin heating of the mercury causes fast vaporization leading to the development of a gliding discharge along the surface of the jet. This external discharge can, nevertheless, provide some useful focusing of the secondaries in the case of the neutrino factory. The technical complications must not be underestimated.

Electric jets following the occurrence of sprites

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, L.; Chou, J.; Huang, S.; Chang, S.; Wu, Y.; Lee, Y.; Kuo, C.; Chen, A. B.; Su, H.; Hsu, R.; Frey, H. U.; Mende, S. B.; Takahashi, Y.; Lee, L.

2010-12-01

Sprites are discharges occurring at the altitudes ~40 to 90 km, which are usually associated with positive cloud-to-ground lightning (+CGs). Electric jets, which include blue jets (BJs) with the terminal altitude of ~40km and gigantic jets (GJs) emanating to the lower ionosphere, are upward discharges from the cloud tops toward the upper atmosphere. From previous ground observations, it has been reported that the secondary discharges (“palm-tree” [Heavner, 2000] or “sprite-initiated secondary TLEs” [Marshall and Inan, 2007]) following sprites occurred in altitudes between the cloud top and the bottom of the sprite. From July 2004 to June 2010, ISUAL has recorded dozens of events which resemble the secondary TLEs. From image and photometric data recorded by ISUAL, all these secondary TLEs have the characteristics of jets, so we call these events “secondary jets”. These secondary jets are categorized into two groups according to their emanating horizontal positions in relative to the sprites. Group-I secondary jets occurred in the cloud top region which is directly below the sprites. The terminal altitude is ~ 40-50km for most of group-I secondary jets. Several group-I secondary jets appear to originate from the cloud top region below the symmetric center of the clustering sprites and then propagate toward the lower ionosphere. While the group-II secondary jets originate from region outside the shielding area of the clustering sprites. In this paper, the image and the photometric characteristics of the secondary jets will be presented and the possible generating mechanisms will be discussed.

EDITORIAL: Plasma jets and plasma bullets Plasma jets and plasma bullets

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, M. G.; Ganguly, B. N.; Hicks, R. F.

2012-06-01

Plasma plumes, or plasma jets, belong to a large family of gas discharges whereby the discharge plasma is extended beyond the plasma generation region into the surrounding ambience, either by a field (e.g. electromagnetic, convective gas flow, or shock wave) or a gradient of a directionless physical quantity (e.g. particle density, pressure, or temperature). This physical extension of a plasma plume gives rise to a strong interaction with its surrounding environment, and the interaction alters the properties of both the plasma and the environment, often in a nonlinear and dynamic fashion. The plasma is therefore not confined by defined physical walls, thus extending opportunities for material treatment applications as well as bringing in new challenges in science and technology associated with complex open-boundary problems. Some of the most common examples may be found in dense plasmas with very high dissipation of externally supplied energy (e.g. in electrical, optical or thermal forms) and often in or close to thermal equilibrium. For these dense plasmas, their characteristics are determined predominantly by strong physical forces of different fields, such as electrical, magnetic, thermal, shock wave, and their nonlinear interactions [1]. Common to these dense plasma plumes are significant macroscopic plasma movement and considerable decomposition of solid materials (e.g. vaporization). Their applications are numerous and include detection of elemental traces, synthesis of high-temperature materials and welding, laser--plasma interactions, and relativistic jets in particle accelerators and in space [2]-[4]. Scientific challenges in the understanding of plasma jets are exciting and multidisciplinary, involving interweaving transitions of all four states of matter, and their technological applications are wide-ranging and growing rapidly. Using the Web of Science database, a search for journal papers on non-fusion plasma jets reveals that a long initial phase up

Effects of trace of nitrogen on the helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet interacting with a dielectric substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Wenjun; Dai, Dong; Zhang, Yuhui; Han, Yongxia; Li, Licheng

2018-03-01

Experimental observations and simulation results regarding a pure He atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and He  +  N2 APPJs interacting with a downstream dielectric substrate are presented in this paper. Experiments utilizing spatial-temporal imaging show that, in the case of the pure He APPJ, an annular plasma-substrate interaction pattern is formed. With the introduction of N2, the plasma is more uniformly distributed on the substrate surface, appearing a solid interaction pattern. The experimental measurements indicate 0.5% N2 mixture is the optimal condition to achieve the most intense discharge, while the plasma-substrate contact area is slightly reduced by 6.1% in comparison to that of the pure He APPJ. A 2D self-consistent fluid model is constructed to provide insights into the role of the addition of trace of N2 on the discharge dynamics. The discharge morphologies predicated by the model is in principle consistent with the experimental observations. The simulation reveals that the conversion from the annular plasma-substrate interaction pattern to the solid one is attributed to the synthetic effect of the addition of N2 and the presentence of the substrate acting as the cathode to enhance the local electric field. In the solid interaction pattern, the Penning ionization makes a significant contribution to the surface discharge, especially in the afterglow region. The dominant positive ions (N2+ and N4+ ) and the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species including O and N gain remarkable increment in the flux intensity to the central surface, which merits great application potential.

The influence of the geometry and electrical characteristics on the formation of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sobota, A; Guaitella, O; Rousseau, A

2014-01-01

An extensive electrical study was performed on a coaxial geometry atmospheric pressure plasma jet source in helium, driven by 30 kHz sine voltage. Two modes of operation were observed, a highly reproducible low-power mode that features the emission of one plasma bullet per voltage period and an erratic high-power mode in which micro-discharges appear around the grounded electrode. The minimum of power transfer efficiency corresponds to the transition between the two modes. Effective capacitance was identified as a varying property influenced by the discharge and the dissipated power. The charge carried by plasma bullets was found to be a small fraction of charge produced in the source irrespective of input power and configuration of the grounded electrode. The biggest part of the produced charge stays localized in the plasma source and below the grounded electrode, in the range 1.2–3.3 nC for ground length of 3–8 mm. (paper)

A numerical study of shock-acceleration of a diffuse helium cylinder. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenough, J.A.; Jacobs, J.W.

1995-08-01

The development of a shock-accelerated diffuse Helium cylindrical inhomogeneity is investigated using a new numerical method. The new algorithm is a higher-order Godunov implementation of the so-called multi-fluid equations. This system correctly models multiple component mixtures by accounting for differential compressibility effects. This base integrator is embedded in an implementation of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) that allows efficient increase in resolution by concentrating the computational effort where high accuracy, or increased resolution, are required. Qualitative and quantitative comparison with previous experimental data is excellent. The simulations show that counter-sign vortex blobs are deposited in the jet core by baroclinic generation of the curved shock wave as it traverses the jet. This vorticity deposition occurs over timescales that scale with the shock passage time (∼ 10microsec). Three phases of development are identified and characterized. The first is the weak deformation (WD) phase, where there is weak distortion of the Helium jet due to weak vorticity induced velocity effects. The second phase is the strong deformation (SD) phase where there is large distortion for the jet and the vortex blobs due to large induced velocity effects. The last is a relaxation/reorganization (RR) phase where the vorticity field is reorganized into point-like vortex pair. This class of problem has applications in such disparate fields as inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high-speed combustion

The transition mechanism from a symmetric single period discharge to a period-doubling discharge in atmospheric helium dielectric-barrier discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Dingzong; Wang, Yanhui; Wang, Dezhen

2013-01-01

Period-doubling and chaos phenomenon have been frequently observed in atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier discharges. However, how a normal single period discharge bifurcates into period-doubling state is still unclear. In this paper, by changing the driving frequency, we study numerically the transition mechanisms from a normal single period discharge to a period-doubling state using a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. The results show that before a discharge bifurcates into a period-doubling state, it first deviates from its normal operation and transforms into an asymmetric single period discharge mode. Then the weaker discharge in this asymmetric discharge will be enhanced gradually with increasing of the frequency until it makes the subsequent discharge weaken and results in the discharge entering a period-doubling state. In the whole transition process, the spatial distribution of the charged particle density and the electric field plays a definitive role. The conclusions are further confirmed by changing the gap width and the amplitude of the applied voltage

The transition mechanism from a symmetric single period discharge to a period-doubling discharge in atmospheric helium dielectric-barrier discharge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Dingzong; Wang, Yanhui; Wang, Dezhen [School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

2013-06-15

Period-doubling and chaos phenomenon have been frequently observed in atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier discharges. However, how a normal single period discharge bifurcates into period-doubling state is still unclear. In this paper, by changing the driving frequency, we study numerically the transition mechanisms from a normal single period discharge to a period-doubling state using a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. The results show that before a discharge bifurcates into a period-doubling state, it first deviates from its normal operation and transforms into an asymmetric single period discharge mode. Then the weaker discharge in this asymmetric discharge will be enhanced gradually with increasing of the frequency until it makes the subsequent discharge weaken and results in the discharge entering a period-doubling state. In the whole transition process, the spatial distribution of the charged particle density and the electric field plays a definitive role. The conclusions are further confirmed by changing the gap width and the amplitude of the applied voltage.

Hydrogen and helium trapping in tungsten deposition layers formed by RF plasma sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazunari Katayama; Kazumi Imaoka; Takayuki Okamura; Masabumi Nishikawa

2006-01-01

Understanding of tritium behavior in plasma facing materials is an important issue for fusion reactor from viewpoints of fuel control and radiation safety. Tungsten is used as a plasma facing material in the divertor region of ITER. However, investigation of hydrogen isotope behavior in tungsten deposition layer is not sufficient so far. It is also necessary to evaluate an effect of helium on a formation of deposition layer and an accumulation of hydrogen isotopes because helium generated by fusion reaction exists in fusion plasma. In this study, tungsten deposition layers were formed by sputtering method using hydrogen and helium RF plasma. An erosion rate and a deposition rate of tungsten were estimated by weight measurement. Hydrogen and helium retention were investigated by thermal desorption method. Tungsten deposition was performed using a capacitively-coupled RF plasma device equipped with parallel-plate electrodes. A tungsten target was mounted on one electrode which is supplied with RF power at 200 W. Tungsten substrates were mounted on the other electrode which is at ground potential. The plasma discharge was continued for 120 hours where pressure of hydrogen or helium was controlled to be 10 Pa. The amounts of hydrogen and helium released from deposition layers was quantified by a gas chromatograph. The erosion rate of target tungsten under helium plasma was estimated to be 1.8 times larger than that under hydrogen plasma. The deposition rate on tungsten substrate under helium plasma was estimated to be 4.1 times larger than that under hydrogen plasma. Atomic ratio of hydrogen to tungsten in a deposition layer formed by hydrogen plasma was estimated to be 0.17 by heating to 600 o C. From a deposition layer formed by helium plasma, not only helium but also hydrogen was released by heating to 500 o C. Atomic ratios of helium and hydrogen to tungsten were estimated to be 0.080 and 0.075, respectively. The trapped hydrogen is probably impurity hydrogen

Diffusion-controlled regime of surface-wave-produced plasmas in helium gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berndt, J; Makasheva, K; Schlueter, H; Shivarova, A

2002-01-01

The study presents a numerical fluid-plasma model of diffusion-controlled surface-wave-sustained discharges in helium gas. The self-consistent behaviour of the discharge based on the interrelation between plasma density and Θ, the power absorbed on average by one electron, is described. The nonlinear process of step ionization in the charged particle balance equation is the main factor, which ensures the self-consistency. However, it is shown that in helium discharges, the ionization frequencies enter the dependence of Θ on the plasma density also through the ambipolar-diffusion coefficient. Results at two different values of the gas pressure and of the wave frequency are discussed. The lower value of the gas pressure is chosen according to the condition to have a pure diffusion-controlled regime without interference with a transition to the free-fall regime. The boundary condition for the ion flux at the wall sheath is used for determination of the value of μ, the quantity denoting the degree of the radial plasma-density inhomogeneity which, together with the electron-neutral elastic collision frequency, influences the wave propagation characteristics. The two values of the wave frequency chosen provide descriptions of high-frequency and microwave discharges. The model results in the self-consistent structure of the discharge: interrelated variations along the discharge length of wavenumber, space damping rate, Θ, plasma density and electron temperature. The power necessary for sustaining discharges of a given length is also calculated. Comparisons with argon discharges are shown

Optical Emission Spectroscopy of an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet During Tooth Bleaching Gel Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Šantak, Vedran; Zaplotnik, Rok; Tarle, Zrinka; Milošević, Slobodan

2015-11-01

Optical emission spectroscopy was performed during atmospheric pressure plasma needle helium jet treatment of various tooth-bleaching gels. When the gel sample was inserted under the plasma plume, the intensity of all the spectral features increased approximately two times near the plasma needle tip and up to two orders of magnitude near the sample surface. The color change of the hydroxylapatite pastille treated with bleaching gels in conjunction with the atmospheric pressure plasma jet was found to be in correlation with the intensity of OH emission band (309 nm). Using argon as an additive to helium flow (2 L/min), a linear increase (up to four times) of OH intensity and, consequently, whitening (up to 10%) of the pastilles was achieved. An atmospheric pressure plasma jet activates bleaching gel, accelerates OH production, and accelerates tooth bleaching (up to six times faster).

Hybrid Reynolds-Averaged/Large-Eddy Simulations of a Coaxial Supersonic Free-Jet Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Baurle, Robert A.; Edwards, Jack R.

2010-01-01

Reynolds-averaged and hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large-eddy simulations have been applied to a supersonic coaxial jet flow experiment. The experiment was designed to study compressible mixing flow phenomenon under conditions that are representative of those encountered in scramjet combustors. The experiment utilized either helium or argon as the inner jet nozzle fluid, and the outer jet nozzle fluid consisted of laboratory air. The inner and outer nozzles were designed and operated to produce nearly pressure-matched Mach 1.8 flow conditions at the jet exit. The purpose of the computational effort was to assess the state-of-the-art for each modeling approach, and to use the hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large-eddy simulations to gather insight into the deficiencies of the Reynolds-averaged closure models. The Reynolds-averaged simulations displayed a strong sensitivity to choice of turbulent Schmidt number. The initial value chosen for this parameter resulted in an over-prediction of the mixing layer spreading rate for the helium case, but the opposite trend was observed when argon was used as the injectant. A larger turbulent Schmidt number greatly improved the comparison of the results with measurements for the helium simulations, but variations in the Schmidt number did not improve the argon comparisons. The hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large-eddy simulations also over-predicted the mixing layer spreading rate for the helium case, while under-predicting the rate of mixing when argon was used as the injectant. The primary reason conjectured for the discrepancy between the hybrid simulation results and the measurements centered around issues related to the transition from a Reynolds-averaged state to one with resolved turbulent content. Improvements to the inflow conditions were suggested as a remedy to this dilemma. Second-order turbulence statistics were also compared to their modeled Reynolds-averaged counterparts to evaluate the effectiveness of common turbulence closure

Gas stratification break-up by a vertical jet: Simulations using the GOTHIC code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreani, Michele; Kapulla, Ralf; Zboray, Robert

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Simulations of experiments addressing helium stratification break-up with GOTHIC are presented. ► In the tests, the initial helium-rich layer in a large vessel is eroded by a vertical jet. ► A 3-D coarse mesh and various finer 2-D meshes have been used for the simulations. ► In general, the 3-D calculations predict too slow mixing in the vessel. ► A reasonable agreement between calculated and measured gas concentrations requires a fine mesh. - Abstract: The capability assessment of three-dimensional computational tools to predict the erosion and the break-up of stratified conditions that can build-up in a containment through the release of hydrogen during an early phase of a hypothetical severe accident is the focus of intense research worldwide. In conjunction with the OECD SETH-2 project, the GOTHIC code is assessed against experiments in which mass and/or heat sources or sinks cause mixing. This paper reports on simulation results of selected experiments where the initial helium stratification in a vessel is eroded by a vertical jet originating from an injection below the initial density interface. A 3-D coarse mesh, as well as various finer 2-D meshes, is used to simulate the evolution of the helium distribution generated by jets having different initial momentum. In general, the 3-D calculations predict too slow mixing in the vessel and a reasonable agreement between calculated and measured gas concentrations can only be achieved with a sufficiently fine mesh. These results can be explained by comparing the calculated velocity field with that measured using the PIV technique, which also provides valuable insight into the mechanisms of the interaction between the jet and the density interface.

Nitrogen And Oxygen Amount In Weld After Welding With Micro-Jet Cooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Węgrzyn T.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Micro-jet cooling after welding was tested only for MIG welding process with argon, helium and nitrogen as a shielded gases. A paper presents a piece of information about nitrogen and oxygen in weld after micro-jet cooling. There are put down information about gases that could be chosen both for MIG/MAG welding and for micro-jet process. There were given main information about influence of various micro-jet gases on metallographic structure of steel welds. Mechanical properties of weld was presented in terms of nitrogen and oxygen amount in WMD (weld metal deposit.

Some characteristics of the digitization pulses from high pressure neon-helium flash tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, D.S.K.; Leung, S.K.; Ng, L.K.

1979-01-01

Characteristics of the digitization output pulses from high pressure neon-helium flash tubes were studied under various operation conditions using square ultra-high voltage pulses. Properties reported by previous workers were compared. Two discharge mechanisms, the Townsend avalanche discharge and the streamer discharge, were observed to occur in sequence in some events. The output waveforms for both discharge mechanisms were studied in detail. The charge induced on a detecting probe was also estimated from the measured data. (Auth.)

Statistical analysis of JET disruptions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanga, A.; Johnson, M.F.

1991-07-01

In the operation of JET and of any tokamak many discharges are terminated by a major disruption. The disruptive termination of a discharge is usually an unwanted event which may cause damage to the structure of the vessel. In a reactor disruptions are potentially a very serious problem, hence the importance of studying them and devising methods to avoid disruptions. Statistical information has been collected about the disruptions which have occurred at JET over a long span of operations. The analysis is focused on the operational aspects of the disruptions rather than on the underlining physics. (Author)

Low flux and low energy helium ion implantation into tungsten using a dedicated plasma source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pentecoste, Lucile [GREMI, CNRS/Université d’Orléans, 14 rue d’Issoudun, B.P. 6744, 45067 Orléans Cedex2 (France); Thomann, Anne-Lise, E-mail: anne-lise.thomann@univ-orleans.fr [GREMI, CNRS/Université d’Orléans, 14 rue d’Issoudun, B.P. 6744, 45067 Orléans Cedex2 (France); Melhem, Amer; Caillard, Amael; Cuynet, Stéphane; Lecas, Thomas; Brault, Pascal [GREMI, CNRS/Université d’Orléans, 14 rue d’Issoudun, B.P. 6744, 45067 Orléans Cedex2 (France); Desgardin, Pierre; Barthe, Marie-France [CNRS, UPR3079 CEMHTI, 1D avenue de la Recherche Scientifique, 45071 Orléans Cedex2 (France)

2016-09-15

The aim of this work is to investigate the first stages of defect formation in tungsten (W) due to the accumulation of helium (He) atoms inside the crystal lattice. To reach the required implantation conditions, i.e. low He ion fluxes (10{sup 11}–10{sup 14} ions.cm{sup 2}.s{sup −1}) and kinetic energies below the W atom displacement threshold (about 500 eV for He{sup +}), an ICP source has been designed and connected to a diffusion chamber. Implantation conditions have been characterized by means of complementary diagnostics modified for measurements in this very low density helium plasma. It was shown that lowest ion fluxes could only be reached for the discharge working in capacitive mode either in α or γ regime. Special attention was paid to control the energy gained by the ions by acceleration through the sheath at the direct current biased substrate. At very low helium pressure, in α regime, a broad ion energy distribution function was evidenced, whereas a peak centered on the potential difference between the plasma and the biased substrate was found at higher pressures in the γ mode. Polycrystalline tungsten samples were exposed to the helium plasma in both regimes of the discharge and characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopy in order to detect the formed vacancy defects. It was found that W vacancies are able to be formed just by helium accumulation and that the same final implanted state is reached, whatever the operating mode of the capacitive discharge.

Jet flow and premixed jet flame control by plasma swirler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Gang, E-mail: ligang@iet.cn [Key laboratory of light duty gas turbine, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Jiang, Xi [School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Zhao, Yujun [School of Mechanism, Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Liu, Cunxi [Key laboratory of light duty gas turbine, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Chen, Qi [School of Mechanism, Electronic and Control Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Xu, Gang; Liu, Fuqiang [Key laboratory of light duty gas turbine, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2017-04-04

A swirler based on dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators is designed and its effectiveness in both jet flow and premixed jet flame control is demonstrated. In contrast to traditional spanwise-oriented actuators, plasma actuators are placed along the axial direction of the injector to induce a circumferential velocity to the main flow and create a swirl flow without any insertion or moving part. In the DBD plasma swirl injector, the discharge does not ignite the mixture nor does it induce flashback. Flame visualization is obtained by cameras while velocity profiles are obtained by Laser Doppler Anemometry measurements. The results obtained indicate the effectiveness of the new design. - Highlights: • The discharge does not ignite the mixture nor does it induce flashback. • The prominent advantage of this novel plasma swirler is its swirl number adjustable without any mechanical movement. • The frequency of the plasma swirler is adjustable. • The plasma swirler can be used as an oscillator to the reactants. • The plasma swirler can be used alone or combine with other traditional swirlers.

Low Alloy Steel Structures After Welding with Micro-Jet Cooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Węgrzyn T.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on low alloy steel after innovate welding method with micro-jet cooling. Weld metal deposit (WMD was carried out for welding and for MIG and MAG welding with micro-jet cooling. This method is very promising mainly due to the high amount of AF (acicular ferrite and low amount of MAC (self-tempered martensite, retained austenite, carbide phases in WMD. That structure corresponds with very good mechanical properties, ie. high impact toughness of welds at low temperature. Micro-jet cooling after welding can find serious application in automotive industry very soon. Until that moment only argon, helium and nitrogen were tested as micro-jet gases. In that paper first time various gas mixtures (gas mixtures Ar-CO2 were tested for micro-jet cooling after welding.

Fuel retention in impurity seeded discharges in JET after Be evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brezinsek, S.; Esser, H.G.; Huber, A.; Kruezi, U.; Philipps, V.; Sergienko, G.; Loarer, T.; Krieger, K.; Eich, T.; McCormick, K.; Jachmich, S.; Tsalas, M.; Coffey, I.; Fundamenski, W.; Giroud, C.; Gruenhagen, S.; Knipe, S.; Maddison, G.P.; Meigs, A.G.; Morgan, Ph.

2011-01-01

Preparatory experiments for the ITER-Like Wall in JET were carried out to simulate the massive Be first wall by a thin Be layer, induced by evaporation of about 2.0 g Be, and to study its impact on fuel retention and divertor radiation with reduced C content and N seeding. Residual gas analysis reveals a reduction of hydrocarbons by one order of magnitude and of O by a factor of 5 in the partial pressure owing to the evaporation. The evolution of wall conditions, impurity fluxes and divertor radiation have been studied in ELMy H-mode plasmas (B t = 2.7 T, I p = 2.5 MA, P aux = 16 MW) whereas a non-seeded reference discharge was executed prior to the evaporation. The in situ measured Be flux at the midplane increased by about a factor of 40 whereas the C flux decreased by ∼50% in the limiter phase of the first discharge with respect to the reference, but erosion of the Be layer and partial coverage with C takes place quickly. To make best use of the protective Be layer, only the first four discharges were employed for a gas balance analysis providing a D retention rate of 1.94 x 10 21 D s -1 which is comparable to rates with C walls. But the Be evaporation provides a non-saturated surface with respect to D and short term retention is not negligible in the balance; the measured retention is overestimated with respect to steady-state conditions like that of the ILW. Moreover, C was only moderately reduced and co-deposition of fuel with eroded Be and C occurs. The lower C content leads to a minor reduction in divertor radiation as the reference phase prior to seeding indicates. N adds to the radiation of D and the remaining C, and the N content rises due to the legacy effect which has been quantified by gas balance to be 30% of the injected N. C radiation increases with exposure time, and both contributors cause an increase in the radiated fraction in the divertor from 50% to 70%. The radiation pattern suggests that N dominates the increase in the first discharges

Atmospheric pressure helium afterglow discharge detector for gas chromatography

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Gary; D'Silva, Arthur P.; Fassel, Velmer A.

1986-05-06

An apparatus for providing a simple, low-frequency electrodeless discharge system for atmospheric pressure afterglow generation. A single quartz tube through which a gas mixture is passed is extended beyond a concentric electrode positioned thereabout. A grounding rod is placed directly above the tube outlet to permit optical viewing of the discharge between the electrodes.

Mitigation of pressure fluctuations in the discharge cone of hydraulic turbines using flow-feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanasa, C; Susan-Resiga, R; Bosioc, A; Muntean, S

2010-01-01

Our previous experimental and numerical investigations of decelerated swirling flows in conical diffusers have demonstrated that water jet injection along the symmetry axis mitigates the pressure fluctuations associated with the precessing vortex rope. However, for swirling flows similar to Francis turbines operated at partial discharge, the jet becomes effective when the jet discharge is larger than 10% from the turbine discharge, leading to large volumetric losses when the jet is supplied from upstream the runner. As a result, we introduce in this paper a new approach for supplying the jet by using a fraction of the discharge collected downstream the conical diffuser. We present the technical implementation of this flow-feedback approach, and we investigated experimentally its capability in mitigating the pressure fluctuations generated by the precessing vortex rope. The main advantage of this flow-feedback approach is that is does not require additional energy to supply the jet and it does not decrease the turbine efficiency.

Atmospheric nonequilibrium mini-plasma jet created by a 3D printer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takamatsu, Toshihiro, E-mail: toshihiro@plasma.es.titech.ac.jp [Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017 (Japan); Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Energy Sciences, J2-32, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8502 (Japan); Kawano, Hiroaki; Miyahara, Hidekazu; Okino, Akitoshi [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Energy Sciences, J2-32, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8502 (Japan); Azuma, Takeshi [Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017 (Japan)

2015-07-15

In this study, a small-sized plasma jet source with a 3.7 mm head diameter was created via a 3D printer. The jet’s emission properties and OH radical concentrations (generated by argon, helium, and nitrogen plasmas) were investigated using optical emission spectrometry (OES) and electron spin resonance (ESR). As such, for OES, each individual gas plasma propagates emission lines that derive from gases and ambient air inserted into the measurement system. For the case of ESR, a spin adduct of the OH radical is typically observed for all gas plasma treatment scenarios with a 10 s treatment by helium plasma generating the largest amount of OH radicals at 110 μM. Therefore, it was confirmed that a plasma jet source made by a 3D printer can generate stable plasmas using each of the aforementioned three gases.

Influence of MHD effects and edge conditions on ITER helium ash accumulation and sustained ignition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redi, M.H.; Cohen, S.A.

1990-06-01

Dilution of reacting species by build-up of helium ash and its effect on ignition in the ITER tokamak have been studies in a series of simulations with the one-dimensional BALDUR transport code. Thermal diffusivities, obtained from ITER scaling laws and with radial variations observed in JET, gave τ E ∼ 2--4 sec. Refueling of deuterium and tritium maintained constant electron density, while carbon recycling was 100% and the helium ash recycling was varied from 1.0 to 0.5. Including MHD effects, specifically sawteeth and beta limits, we find that ignition can be sustained for 200 seconds with R helium = 0.95. These simulations, the only non-zero-dimensional, time-dependent simulations thus far made for ITER plasmas, emphasize that edge plasma conditions, MHD behavior, and helium particle transport are critical synergistic issues for sustained ignition. 27 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Helium Exhaust Studies in H-Mode Discharges in the DIII-D Tokamak Using an Argon-Frosted Divertor Cryopump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, M.R.; Hillis, D.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Maingi, R.; West, W.P.; Brooks, N.H.; Burrell, K.H.; Groebner, R.J.; Jackson, G.L.; Klepper, C.C.; Laughon, G.; Menon, M.M.; Mioduszewski, P.K.

1995-01-01

The first experiments demonstrating exhaust of thermal helium in a diverted, H-mode deuterium plasma have been performed on the DIII-D tokamak. The helium, introduced via gas puffing, is observed to reach the plasma core, and then is readily removed from the plasma with a time constant of ∼10--20 energy-confinement times by an in-vessel cryopump conditioned with argon frosting. Detailed analysis of the helium profile evolution suggests that the exhaust rate is limited by the exhaust efficiency of the pump (∼5%) and not by the intrinsic helium-transport properties of the plasma

Modeling of electrical confined-capillary-discharge where the discharge zone is extended by an additional pipe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiss, E. [Propulsion Physics Laboratory, Soreq NRC, Yavne 81800 (Israel)], E-mail: eyal_we@soreq.gov.il; Zoler, D.; Wald, S. [Propulsion Physics Laboratory, Soreq NRC, Yavne 81800 (Israel); Elias, E. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000 (Israel)

2009-03-02

Plasma injectors are a source of pulsed, high momentum and temperature fluid. This fluid can serve as a very efficient reactive mixing and accelerating agent in several applications including chemical waste decomposition and hard materials coating. It can also serve as an efficient medium for synthesis of nano-particles and their deposition on various substrates. In those applications tuning the momentum and the thermodynamic properties of the plasma jet is of paramount importance as the quality of the interaction strongly depends on them. This Letter proposes a method and a model that will allow additional tuning to the thermodynamic properties of the plasma jet by adding an extension to the discharge zone. A steady state model of processes taking place in a realistic confined capillary discharge system is presented. A comparison between this system and the parameters characterizing a discharge in a 'conventional' ablative system is presented. The results obtained indicate that the non-discharge zone may provide an additional degree of freedom to optimize the system's performance. It enhances the control of the plasma parameters that allows optimal and predictable momentum control over the plasma jet. The theoretical predictions for the plasma parameters agree well with experimentally obtained data.

Synthesis of superior fast charging-discharging nano-LiFePO4/C from nano-FePO4 generated using a confined area impinging jet reactor approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiao-min; Yan, Pen; Xie, Yin-Yin; Yang, Hui; Shen, Xiao-dong; Ma, Zi-Feng

2013-06-14

LiFePO4/C nanocomposites with excellent electrochemical performance is synthesized from nano-FePO4, generated by a novel method using a confined area impinging jet reactor (CIJR). When discharged at 80 C (13.6 Ag(-1)), the LiFePO4/C delivers a discharge capacity of 95 mA h g(-1), an energy density of 227 W h kg(-1) and a power density of 34 kW kg(-1).

Binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in glow discharge closing switches

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, S.R.; Christophorou, L.G.

1988-04-27

Highly efficient binary and ternary gas mixtures for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches are disclosed. The binary mixtures are combinations of helium or neon and selected perfluorides. The ternary mixtures are combinations of helium, neon, or argon, a selected perfluoride, and a small amount of gas that exhibits enhanced ionization characteristics. These mixtures are shown to be the optimum choices for use in diffuse glow discharge closing switches by virtue if the combines physio-electric properties of the mixture components. 9 figs.

Diagnostics of an AC driven atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma jet and its use for radially directed jet array

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, W.; Wang, R.

2017-08-01

An alternating current atmospheric pressure plasma jet is generated with noble gas or noble gas/oxygen admixture as working gas. A "core plasma filament" is observed at the center of the dielectric tube and extends to the plasma jet at higher peak-to-peak voltages. This type of plasma jet is believed to be of the same nature with the reported plasma bullet driven by pulsed DC power sources. Double current probes are used to assess the speed of the plasma bullet and show that the speed is around 104-105 m/s. The time dependence of the downstream bullet speed is attributed to the gas heating and in turn the increase of the reduced electric field E/N. Optical emission spectra show the dependence of helium and oxygen emission intensities on the concentration of oxygen additive in the carrier gas, with peak values found at 0.5% O2. Multiple radial jets are realized on dielectric tubes of different sizes. As a case study, one of these multi-jet devices is used to treat B. aureus on the inner surface of a plastic beaker and is shown to be more effective than a single jet.

Hybrid Reynolds-Averaged/Large-Eddy Simulations of a Co-Axial Supersonic Free-Jet Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Baurle, R. A.; Edwards, J. R.

2009-01-01

Reynolds-averaged and hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large-eddy simulations have been applied to a supersonic coaxial jet flow experiment. The experiment utilized either helium or argon as the inner jet nozzle fluid, and the outer jet nozzle fluid consisted of laboratory air. The inner and outer nozzles were designed and operated to produce nearly pressure-matched Mach 1.8 flow conditions at the jet exit. The purpose of the computational effort was to assess the state-of-the-art for each modeling approach, and to use the hybrid Reynolds-averaged/large-eddy simulations to gather insight into the deficiencies of the Reynolds-averaged closure models. The Reynolds-averaged simulations displayed a strong sensitivity to choice of turbulent Schmidt number. The baseline value chosen for this parameter resulted in an over-prediction of the mixing layer spreading rate for the helium case, but the opposite trend was noted when argon was used as the injectant. A larger turbulent Schmidt number greatly improved the comparison of the results with measurements for the helium simulations, but variations in the Schmidt number did not improve the argon comparisons. The hybrid simulation results showed the same trends as the baseline Reynolds-averaged predictions. The primary reason conjectured for the discrepancy between the hybrid simulation results and the measurements centered around issues related to the transition from a Reynolds-averaged state to one with resolved turbulent content. Improvements to the inflow conditions are suggested as a remedy to this dilemma. Comparisons between resolved second-order turbulence statistics and their modeled Reynolds-averaged counterparts were also performed.

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)

Silicon etching of difluoromethane atmospheric pressure plasma jet combined with its spectroscopic analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Yu-Ching; Wei, Ta-Chin; Liu, You-Chia; Huang, Chun

2018-06-01

A capacitivly coupled radio-frequency double-pipe atmospheric-pressure plasma jet is used for etching. An argon carrier gas is supplied to the plasma discharge jet; and CH2F2 etch gas is inserted into the plasma discharge jet, near the silicon substrate. Silicon etchings rate can be efficiently-controlled by adjusting the feeding etching gas composition and plasma jet operating parameters. The features of silicon etched by the plasma discharge jet are discussed in order to spatially spreading plasma species. Electronic excitation temperature and electron density are detected by increasing plasma power. The etched silicon profile exhibited an anisotropic shape and the etching rate was maximum at the total gas flow rate of 4500 sccm and CH2F2 concentration of 11.1%. An etching rate of 17 µm/min was obtained at a plasma power of 100 W.

Global confinement characteristics of Jet limiter plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D.J.; Christiansen, J.P.; Cordey, J.G.; Thomas, P.R.; Thomsen, K.

1989-01-01

Data from a wide variety of plasma pulses on JET (aux. heating, current, field, minority species, plasma shape, etc) are analysed in order to assess the characteristics of global confinement. The scaling of confinement in ohmically and auxiliary heated discharges is examined. The ohmic confinement in the present new JET configuration (Belt Limiter) is essentially the same as previously. Confinement in auxiliary heated discharges shows presently a slight improvement since 1986. Both ohmic and non-ohmic data is used in a set of confinement time regression analyses and certain constraints derived from theory are imposed

Study of the switching rate of gas-discharge devices based on the open discharge with counter-propagating electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bokhan, P. A.; Gugin, P. P.; Lavrukhin, M. A.; Zakrevsky, Dm. E.

2015-01-01

The switching rate of gas-discharge devices “kivotrons” based on the open discharge with counter-propagating electron beams has been experimentally studied. Structures with 2-cm 2 overall cathode area were examined. The switching time was found to show a monotonic decrease with increasing the working-gas helium pressure and with increasing the voltage across the discharge gap at breakdown. The minimum switching time was found to be ∼240 ps at 17 kV voltage, and the maximum rate of electric-current rise limited by the discharge-circuit inductance was 3 × 10 12  A/s

Surface Treatment of PEOT/PBT (55/45 with a Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Air, Helium, Argon and Nitrogen at Medium Pressure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter Cools

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This work describes the surface modification of 300PEO-PEOT/PBT 55/45 thin films using a medium pressure dielectric barrier discharge system operated in argon, helium, nitrogen or dry air to improve cell-surface interactions of this established biomaterial. The first part of the paper describes the optimization of the plasma processing parameters using water contact angle goniometry. The optimized samples are then characterized for changes in surface topography and surface chemical composition using atomic force microscopy (AFM and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XPS respectively. For all plasma treatments, a pronounced increase in surface wettability was observed, of which the extent is dependent on the used plasma discharge gas. Except for dry air, only minor changes in surface topography were noted, while XPS confirmed that the changes in wettability were mainly chemical in nature with the incorporation of 5–10% of extra oxygen as a variety of polar groups. Similarly, for the nitrogen plasma, 3.8% of nitrogen polar groups were additionally incorporated. Human foreskin fibroblast (HFF in vitro analysis showed that within the first 24 h after cell seeding, the effects on cell-surface interactivity were highly dependent on the used discharge gas, nitrogen plasma treatment being the most efficient. Differences between untreated and plasma-treated samples were less pronounced compared to other biodegradable materials, but a positive influence on cell adhesion and proliferation was still observed.

Control of radial propagation and polarity in a plasma jet in surrounding Ar

KAUST Repository

Gong, W.

2018-01-08

In recent years, the use of shielding gas to prevent the diffusion of the ambient air, particularly oxygen and nitrogen species, into the effluent of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet, and thus control the nature of chemical species used in the plasma treatment has increased. In this paper, the radial propagation of a plasma jet in ambient Ar is examined to find the key determinants of the polarity of plasma jets. The dynamics of the discharge reveal that the radial diffusion discharge is a special phenomenon observed only at the falling edge of the pulses. The radial transport of electrons, which is driven by the radial component of the applied electric field at the falling edge of the pulse, is shown to play an important role in increasing the seed electron density in the surrounding Ar. This result suggests a method to provide seed electrons at atmospheric pressure with a negative discharge. The polarity of the plasma jet is found to be determined by the pulse width rather than the polarity of the applied voltage, as it dictates the relative difference in the intensity of the two discharges in a single pulse, where the stronger discharge in a pulse dominates the behavior of the plasma jet. Accordingly, a method to control the polarity of a plasma jet through varying the pulse width is developed. Since plasma jets of different polarities differ remarkably in terms of their characteristics, the method to control the polarity reported in this paper will be of use for such applications as plasma-enhanced processing of materials and plasma biomedicine.

Control of radial propagation and polarity in a plasma jet in surrounding Ar

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, W.; Yue, Y.; Ma, F.; Yu, F.; Wan, J.; Nie, L.; Bazaka, K.; Xian, Y.; Lu, X.; Ostrikov, K.

2018-01-01

In recent years, the use of shielding gas to prevent the diffusion of the ambient air, particularly oxygen and nitrogen species, into the effluent of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet, and thus control the nature of chemical species used in the plasma treatment has increased. In this paper, the radial propagation of a plasma jet in ambient Ar is examined to find the key determinants of the polarity of plasma jets. The dynamics of the discharge reveal that the radial diffusion discharge is a special phenomenon observed only at the falling edge of the pulses. The radial transport of electrons, which is driven by the radial component of the applied electric field at the falling edge of the pulse, is shown to play an important role in increasing the seed electron density in the surrounding Ar. This result suggests a method to provide seed electrons at atmospheric pressure with a negative discharge. The polarity of the plasma jet is found to be determined by the pulse width rather than the polarity of the applied voltage, as it dictates the relative difference in the intensity of the two discharges in a single pulse, where the stronger discharge in a pulse dominates the behavior of the plasma jet. Accordingly, a method to control the polarity of a plasma jet through varying the pulse width is developed. Since plasma jets of different polarities differ remarkably in terms of their characteristics, the method to control the polarity reported in this paper will be of use for such applications as plasma-enhanced processing of materials and plasma biomedicine.

Stationary Population Inversion in an Expanding Argon Plasma Jet by Helium Puffing

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Akatsuka, H; Kano, K

2005-01-01

... out. Population inversion between Ar I excited states 5s'->4p'[1/2]1 and 5s'->4p[3/2]1,2, [5/2]2,3 is created by helium gas-contact cooling of electrons, whereas it is not created without gas-contact. Ar I lines 1.14 m, 1.34 m...

Convective descent simulations of drilling discharges on Georges and Sable Island banks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, Y.; Loder, J.W.

1997-01-01

Factors affecting the fate of drilling mud discharges on Georges and Sable Island Banks were examined. The Koh and Chang jet discharge model was used to simulate the convective descent of a jet discharge of relatively dense materials at sites representing different hydrographic and depth regimes with a range of mud densities, and different discharge configurations, ocean currents and seasonal stratifications. The study revealed the dependence of the depth of descent and properties of the discharge plume on the discharge configuration and oceanographic conditions. The factors that affected the depth of descent were mud density, depth of release, initial downward volume flux of the discharge, current strength and ocean stratification. 22 refs., 3 tabs., 59 figs

Ignition Features of Plasma-Beam Discharge in Gas-Discharge Electron Gun Operation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valery A. Tutyk

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The current paper presents the results of experimental researches to determine the mode features of plasma-beam discharge (PBD generation by an electron beam injected by a low-vacuum gasdischarge electron gun (LGEG with the cold cathode and hollow anode on the basis of the high-voltage glow discharge and in the range of helium pressure of P ? 10 ÷ 130 Pa. The PBD boundaries and their dependences on parameters of an electron beam are found. The influence of PBD on parameters of low-vacuum gas-discharge electron gun is revealed. It causes an avalanche increase of electron beam current and burning of plasma-beam discharge in the whole space of the vacuum chamber volume and generation of electromagnetic radiation is revealed. Achieved results will be used for implementation of various vacuum technologies in the medium of reaction gas and generated electromagnetic radiation.

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)

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 numerical model for diffusion of helium in a hydrogen plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potters, J.H.H.M.

1983-07-01

A quasi-cylindrical steady-state numerical model for the diffusion of helium in a hydrogen plasma is presented, adopting collisional plus either ALCATOR-INTOR- or ASDEX-like anomalous transport for the charged species. The coupled momentum and conservation equations for H + , He + and He ++ are solved to obtain radial profiles of their densities, consistent with those of the neutral species. For the neutrals, a diffusion equation is used for the transport of H, whereas He is assumed to enter the plasma with an energy equal to the temperature of the plasma immediately in front of the wall. A stable numerical scheme for the solution of the coupled ion and electron energy balances is discussed. Results are presented for the JET-tokamak, using prescribed temperature profiles. Collisional effects are shown to produce an enhancement of the alpha particle density about 10 centimetres in front of the wall, especially in combination with ALCATOR-INTOR-like scaling. The neutral helium density that accumulates in the outer plasma is too low to allow for pumping helium from a cool plasma/gas blanket

Effects of atmospheric pressure plasma jet with floating electrode on murine melanoma and fibroblast cells

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, G.; Liu, J.; Yao, C.; Chen, S.; Lin, F.; Li, P.; Shi, X.; Zhang, Guan-Jun

2017-08-01

Atmospheric pressure cold plasma jets have been recently shown as a highly promising tool in certain cancer therapies. In this paper, an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with a one inner floating and two outer electrode configuration using helium gas for medical applications is developed. Subjected to a range of applied voltages with a frequency of 19.8 kHz at a fixed rate of gas flow (i.e., 3 l/min), electrical and optical characteristics of the APPJ are investigated. Compared with the device only with two outer electrodes, higher discharge current, longer jet, and more active species in the plasma plume at the same applied voltage together with the lower gas breakdown voltage can be achieved through embedding a floating inner electrode. Employing the APPJ with a floating electrode, the effects of identical plasma treatment time durations on murine melanoma cancer and normal fibroblast cells cultured in vitro are evaluated. The results of cell viability, cell apoptosis, and DNA damage detection show that the plasma can inactivate melanoma cells in a time-dependent manner from 10 s to 60 s compared with the control group (p cells compared with their control group, the plasma with treatment time from 30 s to 60 s can induce significant changes (p cells at the same treatment time. The different basal reactive oxygen species level and antioxidant superoxide dismutase level of two kinds of cells may account for their different responses towards the identical plasma exposure.

A gas discharge lamp for the extreme ultraviolet.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, A J

1970-05-01

A gas discharge lamp is described suitable for producing the many-lined spectrum of hydrogen (85-160 nm) and the Hopfield continuum in helium (60-100 nm). It was designed for use with a window-less monochromator to study photoionization and operates at pressures below 50 Torr. The hydrogen lamp has a mode of operation which concentrates the discharge into the monochromator entrance slit.

Cold atmospheric plasma jet in an axial DC electric field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Li, E-mail: lilin@gwu.edu, E-mail: keidar@gwu.edu; Keidar, Michael, E-mail: lilin@gwu.edu, E-mail: keidar@gwu.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States)

2016-08-15

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) jet is currently intensively investigated as a tool for new and potentially transformative cancer treatment modality. However, there are still many unknowns about the jet behavior that requires attention. In this paper, a helium CAP jet is tested in an electrostatic field generated by a copper ring. Using Rayleigh microwave scattering method, some delays of the electron density peaks for different ring potentials are observed. Meanwhile, a similar phenomenon associated with the bullet velocity is found. Chemical species distribution along the jet is analyzed based on the jet optical emission spectra. The spectra indicate that a lower ring potential, i.e., lower DC background electric field, can increase the amount of excited N{sub 2}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, He, and O in the region before the ring, but can decrease the amount of excited NO and HO almost along the entire jet. Combining all the results above, we discovered that an extra DC potential mainly affects the temporal plasma jet properties. Also, it is possible to manipulate the chemical compositions of the jet using a ring with certain electric potentials.

Plasma jet source parameter optimisation and experiments on injection into Globus-M spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusev, V.K.; Petrov, Yu.V.; Sakharov, N.V.; Semenov, A.A.; Voronin, A.V.

2005-01-01

Results of theoretical and experimental research on the plasma sources and injection of plasma and gas jet produced by the modified source into tokamak Globus-M are presented. An experimental test stand was developed for investigation of intense plasma jet generation. Optimisation of pulsed coaxial accelerator parameters by means of analytical calculations is performed with the aim of achieving the highest flow velocity at limited coaxial electrode length and discharge current. The optimal parameters of power supply to generate a plasma jet with minimal impurity contamination and maximum flow velocity were determined. A comparison of experimental and calculation results is made. Plasma jet parameters are measured, such as: impurity species content, pressure distribution across the jet, flow velocity, plasma density, etc. Experiments on the interaction of a higher kinetic energy plasma jet with the magnetic field and plasma of the Globus-M tokamak were performed. Experimental results on plasma and gas jet injection into different Globus-M discharge phases are presented and discussed. Results are presented on the investigation of plasma jet injection as the source for discharge breakdown, plasma current startup and initial density rise. (author)

Study of the physical discharge properties of a Ar/O2 DC plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Barkhordari, A.; Ganjovi, A.; Mirzaei, I.; Falahat, A.

2018-03-01

In this paper, the physical properties of plasma discharge in a manufactured DC plasma jet operating with the Ar/O2 gaseous mixture are studied. Moreover, the optical emission spectroscopy technique is used to perform the experimental measurements. The obtained emission spectra are analyzed and, the plasma density, rotational, vibrational and electronic temperature are calculated. The NO emission lines from {NO }γ( A2 Σ^{+} \\to {X}2 Πr ) electronic transition are observed. It is seen that, at the higher argon contributions in Ar/O2 gaseous mixture, the emission intensities from argon ions will increase. Moreover, while the vibrational and excitation temperatures are increased at the higher input DC currents, they will decrease at the higher Ar percentages in the Ar/O2 gaseous mixture. Furthermore, at the higher DC currents and Ar contributions, both the plasma electron density and dissociation fraction of oxygen atoms are increased.

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

Gas jet studies towards an optimization of the IGISOL LIST method

CERN Document Server

Reponen, M; Kurpeta, J; Sonnenschein, V; Pohjalainen, I; Aysto, J; Kessler, T; Piszczek, S; Karvonen, P; Marsh, B

2011-01-01

Gas jets emitted from an ion guide have been studied as a function of nozzle type and gas cell-to-background pressure ratio in order to obtain a low divergent, uniform jet over a distance of several cm. The jet has been probed by imaging the light emitted from excited argon or helium gas atoms. For a simple exit hole or converging-diverging nozzle, the jet diameter was found to be insensitive to the nozzle shape and inlet pressure. Sonic jets with a FWHM below 6 mm were achieved with a background pressure larger than 1 mbar in the expansion chamber. The measurements are supported by the detection of radioactive (219)Rn recoils from an alpha recoil source mounted within the gas cell. A Laval nozzle produced a well-collimated supersonic jet at low background pressures with a FWHM of similar to 6 mm over a distance of 14 cm. Direct Pitot probe measurements, on-axis, revealed a non-uniform pressure distribution in the gas jet of the Laval nozzle, supporting the visual observations. All measurements are motivated ...

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.

Cold plasma decontamination using flexible jet arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Konesky, Gregory

2010-04-01

Arrays of atmospheric discharge cold plasma jets have been used to decontaminate surfaces of a wide range of microorganisms quickly, yet not damage that surface. Its effectiveness in decomposing simulated chemical warfare agents has also been demonstrated, and may also find use in assisting in the cleanup of radiological weapons. Large area jet arrays, with short dwell times, are necessary for practical applications. Realistic situations will also require jet arrays that are flexible to adapt to contoured or irregular surfaces. Various large area jet array prototypes, both planar and flexible, are described, as is the application to atmospheric decontamination.

A metastable helium trap for atomic collision physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colla, M.; Gulley, R.; Uhlmann, L.; Hoogerland, M.D.; Baldwin, K.G.H.; Buckman, S.J.

1999-01-01

Full text: Metastable helium in the 2 3 S state is an important species for atom optics and atomic collision physics. Because of its large internal energy (20eV), long lifetime (∼8000s) and large collision cross section for a range of processes, metastable helium plays an important role in atmospheric physics, plasma discharges and gas laser physics. We have embarked on a program of studies on atom-atom and electron-atom collision processes involving cold metastable helium. We confine metastable helium atoms in a magneto-optic trap (MOT), which is loaded by a transversely collimated, slowed and 2-D focussed atomic beam. We employ diode laser tuned to the 1083 nm (2 3 S 1 - 2 3 P2 1 ) transition to generate laser cooling forces in both the loading beam and the trap. Approximately 10 million helium atoms are trapped at temperatures of ∼ 1mK. We use phase modulation spectroscopy to measure the trapped atomic density. The cold, trapped atoms can collide to produce either atomic He + or molecular He 2 + ions by Penning Ionisation (PI) or Associative Ionisation (AI). The rate of formation of these ions is dependant upon the detuning of the trapping laser from resonance. A further laser can be used to connect the 2 3 S 1 state to another higher lying excited state, and variation of the probe laser detuning used to measure interatomic collision potential. Electron-atom collision processes are studied using a monochromatic electron beam with a well defined spatial current distribution. The total trap loss due to electron collisions is measured as a function of electron energy. Results will be presented for these atomic collision physics measurements involving cold, trapped metastable helium atoms. Copyright (1999) Australian Optical Society

MHD stability of JET high performance discharges. Comparison of MHD calculations with experimental observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huysmans, G.

1998-03-01

One of the aims of the JET, the Joint European Torus, project is to optimise the maximum fusion performance as measured by the neutron rate. At present, two different scenarios are developed at JET to achieve the high performance the so-called Hot-Ion H-mode scenario and the more recent development of the Optimised Shear scenario. Both scenarios have reached similar values of the neutron rate in Deuterium plasmas, up to 5 10 17 neutrons/second. Both scenarios are characterised by a transport barrier, i.e., a region in the plasma where the confinement is improved. The Hot-Ion H-mode has a transport barrier at the plasma boundary just inside the separatrix, an Optimised Shear plasma exhibits a transport barrier at about mid radius. Associated with the improved confinement of the transport barriers are locally large pressure gradients. It is these pressure gradients which, either directly or indirectly, can drive MHD instabilities. The instabilities limit the maximum performance. In the optimised shear scenario a global MHD instability leads to a disruptive end of the discharge. In the Hot-Ion H-mode plasmas, so-called Outer Modes can occur which are localised at the plasma boundary and lead to a saturation of the plasma performance. In this paper, two examples of the MHD instabilities are discussed and identified by comparing the experimentally observed modes with theoretical calculations from the ideal MHD code MISHKA-1. Also, the MHD stability boundaries of the two scenarios are presented. Section 3 contains a discussion of the mode observed just before the disruption

PIV Validation of 3D Multicomponent Model for Cold Spray Within Nitrogen and Helium Supersonic Flow Field

Science.gov (United States)

Faizan-Ur-Rab, M.; Zahiri, S. H.; Masood, S. H.; Jahedi, M.; Nagarajah, R.

2017-06-01

This study presents the validation of a developed three-dimensional multicomponent model for cold spray process using two particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments. The k- ɛ type 3D model developed for spherical titanium particles was validated with the measured titanium particle velocity within a nitrogen and helium supersonic jet. The 3D model predicted lower values of particle velocity than the PIV experimental study that used irregularly shaped titanium particles. The results of the 3D model were consistent with the PIV experiment that used spherical titanium powder. The 3D model simulation of particle velocity within the helium and nitrogen jet was coupled with an estimation of titanium particle temperature. This was achieved with the consideration of the fact that cold spray particle temperature is difficult and expensive to measure due to considerably lower temperature of particles than thermal spray. The model predicted an interesting pattern of particle size distribution with respect to the location of impact with a concentration of finer particles close to the jet center. It is believed that the 3D model outcomes for particle velocity, temperature and location could be a useful tool to optimize system design, deposition process and mechanical properties of the additively manufactured cold spray structures.

Note: Design and investigation of a multichannel plasma-jet triggered gas switch.

Science.gov (United States)

Tie, Weihao; Liu, Xuandong; Zhang, Qiaogen; Liu, Shanhong

2014-07-01

We described the fabrication and testing of a multichannel plasma-jet triggered gas switch (MPJTGS). A novel six-channel annular micro-plasma-gun was embedded in the trigger electrode to generate multichannel plasma jets as a nanosecond trigger pulse arrived. The gas breakdown in multiple sites of the spark gap was induced and fixed around jet orifices by the plasma jets. We tested the multichannel discharge characteristics of the MPJTGS in two working modes with charge voltage of 50 kV, trigger voltage of +40 kV (25 ns rise time), and trigger energy of 240 J, 32 J, and 2 J, respectively, at different working coefficients. Results show that the average number of discharge channels increased as the trigger energy increased, and decreased as the working coefficient decreased. At a working coefficient of 87.1% and trigger energy of 240 J, the average number of discharge channels in Mode II could reach 4.1.

Atmospheric-pressure plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Selwyn, Gary S.

1999-01-01

Atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. A .gamma.-mode, resonant-cavity plasma discharge that can be operated at atmospheric pressure and near room temperature using 13.56 MHz rf power is described. Unlike plasma torches, the discharge produces a gas-phase effluent no hotter than 250.degree. C. at an applied power of about 300 W, and shows distinct non-thermal characteristics. In the simplest design, two concentric cylindrical electrodes are employed to generate a plasma in the annular region therebetween. A "jet" of long-lived metastable and reactive species that are capable of rapidly cleaning or etching metals and other materials is generated which extends up to 8 in. beyond the open end of the electrodes. Films and coatings may also be removed by these species. Arcing is prevented in the apparatus by using gas mixtures containing He, which limits ionization, by using high flow velocities, and by properly shaping the rf-powered electrode. Because of the atmospheric pressure operation, no ions survive for a sufficiently long distance beyond the active plasma discharge to bombard a workpiece, unlike low-pressure plasma sources and conventional plasma processing methods.

Laboratory experiments on the interaction between inclined negatively buoyant jets and regular waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferrari Simone

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the results from a series of laboratory experiments on inclined negatively buoyant jets released in a receiving environment with waves. This simulates the case, typical of many practical applications, of the sea discharge of fluids denser than the receiving environment, as in the case of the brine from a desalination plant. The experiments were performed employing a Light Induced Fluorescence (LIF technique, in order to measure the concentration fields. Both the jet and the wave motion features were varied, in order to simulate a typical discharge into the Mediterranean Sea. Reference discharges in a stagnant environment were performed as well. The jet behaviour was analyzed from a statistical point of view, both considering the global phenomenon and its single phases. The influence of the wave motion on the inclined negatively buoyant jet geometry and dilution turns out to be a combined action of a split into two branches of the jet and a rotation. Their combined action decreases the jet maximum height and the impact distance, and is the main cause for the higher dilution reached in a wavy environment.

The recombination of a helium plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollenstein, C.; Sayasov, Y.; Schneider, H.

1975-01-01

A helium plasma (Tsub(e) 15 cm -3 ) in the afterglow without magnetic field was investigated. The measurements of the electron density and temperature are presented. Laser interferometry and radiowave diagnostics were used. The measured exponential decay of the electron density and temperature was explained with the collisional-radiative recombination and the thermal conduction of the electrons towards the wall of the discharge vessel. The measured recombination coefficients were compared with measurements and calculations of other authors. The best agreement was found with the calculations by Drawin. (Auth.)

Prediction/modelling of the neutron emission from JET discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarvis, O.N. [EURATOM-UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom); Conroy, S. [INF, Uppsala University, EURATOM-VR, Uppsala (Sweden)

2002-08-01

The neutron emission from the JET tokamak is investigated using an extensive set of diagnostics, permitting the instantaneous neutron yield, the radial profile of the neutron emission and neutron energy spectra to be studied. Apart from their importance as an immediate indication of plasma fusion performance, the customary use for neutron measurements is as a test of the internal consistency of the non-neutron diagnostic data, from which the expected neutron production can be predicted. However, because contours of equal neutron emissivity are not necessarily coincident with magnetic flux surfaces, a fully satisfactory numerical analysis requires the application of highly complex transport codes such as TRANSP. In this paper, a far simpler approach is adopted wherein the neutron emission spatial profiles are used to define the plasma geometry. A two-volume model is used, with a core volume that encompasses about (2/3) of the neutron emission and the peripheral volume the remainder. The overall approach provides an interpretation of the measured neutron data, for both deuterium and deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasma discharges, that are as accurate as the basic non-nuclear plasma data warrant. The model includes the empirical assumption that particles, along with their energies and momenta, are transported macroscopically in accordance with classical conservation laws. This first-order estimate of cross-field transport (which, for D-T plasmas, determines the D : T fuel concentration ratio in the plasma core) is fine-tuned to reproduce the experimental ion and electron temperature data. The success of this model demonstrates that the observed plasma rotation rates, temperatures and the resulting neutron emission can be broadly explained in terms of macroscopic transport. (author)

Heated water jet in coflowing turbulent stream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirazi, M.A.; McQuivey, R.S.; Keefer, T.N.

1974-01-01

Effects of ambient turbulence on temperature and salinity distributions of heated water and neutrally buoyant saltwater jets were studied for a wide range of densimetric jet Froude numbers, jet discharge velocities, and ambient turbulence levels in a 4-ft-wide channel. Estimates of vertical and lateral diffusivity coefficients for heat and for salt were obtained from salinity and temperature distributions taken at several stations downstream of the injection point. Readily usable correlations are presented for plume center-line temperature, plume width, and trajectory. The ambient turbulence affects the gross behavior characteristics of the plume. The effects vary with the initial jet Froude number and the jet to ambient velocity ratio. Heat and salinity are transported similarly and the finite source dimensions and the initial jet characteristics alter the numerical value of the diffusivity

The Use of Compressed Air for Micro-Jet Cooling After MIG Welding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadryś D.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The material selected for this investigation was low alloy steel weld metal deposit (WMD after MIG welding with micro-jet cooling. The present investigation was aimed as the following tasks: obtained WMD with various amount of acicular ferrite and further analyze impact toughness of WMD in terms of acicular ferrite amount in it. Weld metal deposit (WMD was first time carried out for MIG welding with micro-jet cooling of compressed air and gas mixture of argon and air. Until that moment only argon, helium and nitrogen were tested as micro-jet gases for MIG/MAG processes. An important role in the interpretation of the results can give methods of artificial intelligence.

Observations of Seven Blue/Gigantic Jets above One Storm over the Atlantic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, N.; Spiva, N.; Dwyer, J. R.; Rassoul, H.; Free, D. L.; Cummer, S. A.

2013-12-01

Blue/gigantic jets are electrical discharges developing from thundercloud tops and propagating to the upper atmosphere [e.g., Pasko et al., Nature, 416, 152, 2002; Su et al., Nature, 423, 973, 2003]. Not just producing an impressive display, gigantic jets establish a direct path of electrical contact between the upper troposphere and the lower ionosphere, capable of transferring a large amount of charge between them [Cummer et al., Nat. Geosci., 2, 617, 2009]. It has been suggested that they may play an important role in the earth's electrical environment [e. g., Pasko, Nature, 423, 927, 2003]. Upward discharges from thunderstorms like blue/gigantic jets are believed to originate from lightning leaders escaping from thunderclouds when the cloud's charges of different polarities are not balanced [Krehbiel et al., Nat. Geosci., 1, 233, 2008; Riousset et al., JGR, 115, A00E10, 2010]. On the evening of August 2, 2013, 4 gigantic jets, 2 blue jets and 1 blue starter were recorded within 26 min above a storm over the Atlantic Ocean by a low light level camera from the campus of Florida Institute of Technology. The events were also captured by two all-sky cameras: one again from the Florida Tech campus and the other from a nearby location. According to the NLDN data, positive intra-cloud flashes preceded all events except one gigantic jet. The distance between the observation site to the locations of the NLDN lightning discharges varies from 77 to 82 km. Optical signatures of intra-cloud discharge activities accompanied the events are clearly visible in the videos. The duration of each jet varies from about 300 ms to 1.2 s, and the 1.2 s duration is probably the longest that has been reported to date for jets. Rebrightening of gigantic jet structures occurs for at least two of the events. The upper terminal altitude of the 4 gigantic jets is greater than 76-81 km, the 2 blue jets reach about 48 and 51 km altitude, respectively, and the blue starter reaches 24 km altitude

A prototype of an electric-discharge gas flow oxygen−iodine laser: I. Modeling of the processes of singlet oxygen generation in a transverse cryogenic slab RF discharge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vagin, N. P.; Ionin, A. A., E-mail: aion@sci.lebedev.ru; Kochetov, I. V.; Napartovich, A. P.; Sinitsyn, D. V., E-mail: dsinit@sci.lebedev.ru; Yuryshev, N. N. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation)

2017-03-15

The existing kinetic model describing self-sustained and electroionization discharges in mixtures enriched with singlet oxygen has been modified to calculate the characteristics of a flow RF discharge in molecular oxygen and its mixtures with helium. The simulations were performed in the gas plug-flow approximation, i.e., the evolution of the plasma components during their motion along the channel was represented as their evolution in time. The calculations were carried out for the O{sub 2}: He = 1: 0, 1: 1, 1: 2, and 1: 3 mixtures at an oxygen partial pressure of 7.5 Torr. It is shown that, under these conditions, volumetric gas heating in a discharge in pure molecular oxygen prevails over gas cooling via heat conduction even at an electrode temperature as low as ~100 K. When molecular oxygen is diluted with helium, the behavior of the gas temperature changes substantially: heat removal begins to prevail over volumetric gas heating, and the gas temperature at the outlet of the discharge zone drops to ~220–230 K at room gas temperature at the inlet, which is very important in the context of achieving the generation threshold in an electric-discharge oxygen−iodine laser based on a slab cryogenic RF discharge.

A prototype of an electric-discharge gas flow oxygen−iodine laser: I. Modeling of the processes of singlet oxygen generation in a transverse cryogenic slab RF discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vagin, N. P.; Ionin, A. A.; Kochetov, I. V.; Napartovich, A. P.; Sinitsyn, D. V.; Yuryshev, N. N.

2017-01-01

The existing kinetic model describing self-sustained and electroionization discharges in mixtures enriched with singlet oxygen has been modified to calculate the characteristics of a flow RF discharge in molecular oxygen and its mixtures with helium. The simulations were performed in the gas plug-flow approximation, i.e., the evolution of the plasma components during their motion along the channel was represented as their evolution in time. The calculations were carried out for the O 2 : He = 1: 0, 1: 1, 1: 2, and 1: 3 mixtures at an oxygen partial pressure of 7.5 Torr. It is shown that, under these conditions, volumetric gas heating in a discharge in pure molecular oxygen prevails over gas cooling via heat conduction even at an electrode temperature as low as ~100 K. When molecular oxygen is diluted with helium, the behavior of the gas temperature changes substantially: heat removal begins to prevail over volumetric gas heating, and the gas temperature at the outlet of the discharge zone drops to ~220–230 K at room gas temperature at the inlet, which is very important in the context of achieving the generation threshold in an electric-discharge oxygen−iodine laser based on a slab cryogenic RF discharge.

Photoionization of helium dimers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Havermeier, Tilo

2010-01-01

The helium dimer is one of the most weakly bound systems in the universe. This makes it an interesting quantum mechanical object for investigation. These Van der Waals Clusters can be produced in an expansion of a cryogenic gas jet through a small nozzle into vacuum. In the present experiment we examine the interaction of He dimers with synchrotron radiation at an energy range from 64 to 78 eV. We observed different pathways leading to single ionization of both He atoms of the dimer compound. This two close standing ions begin now to dissociate in cause of their coulomb potential. All charged fragments were detected in coincidence with a COLTRIMS system. Especially Interatomic Coulombic Decay (ICD) and the two step process (TS1) were clearly identified. Furthermore a distribution of the internuclear distance was obtained from the measured Kinetic Energy Release (KER). (orig.)

Formation and evolution of the glow-like dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Starostin, S.A.; ElSabbagh, M.A.M.; Premkumar, P.A.; Vries, de H.W.; Paffen, R.M.J.; Creatore, M.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.

2008-01-01

Time resolved process of formation and evolution of the atmospheric pressure glow discharge was studied in the roll-to- roll plasma- enhanced chemical vapor deposition dielectric barrier discharge reactor operating in helium-free gas mixtures by means of fast ICCD imaging. It was observed that the

Hydrogen isotopic spectral determination in inert gases with the use of light source with contracted discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemets, V.M.; Solov'ev, A.A.

1981-01-01

Isotopic-spectral technique for hydrogen determination in helium, neon and argon is developed. It employs a contracted high-frequency discharge as a light source to decrease the distorting effect. of a dummy signal and the ''memory'' effect of the discharge tube. The discharge is realized in a quartz tube approximately 7 mm dia. and gas pressure in it approximately 6x10 4 Pa. The analysis technique comprises sampling of gas, dosed introduction of deuterium into the sample, selection of a mixture portion into the discharge tube, spectroscopic determination of hydrogen isotope ratio and calculation of the sought for hydrogen concentration. The lower boundary of the determined concentrations of hydrogen constitutes 7x10 - 5 , 2x10 - 4 and 4x10 - 4 volumetric per cent in helium, neon, and argon, respectively

Plasma bullet current measurements in a free-stream helium capillary jet

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jun-Seok; Walsh, James L.; Bradley, James W.

2012-06-01

A commercial current monitor has been used to measure the current associated with plasma bullets created in both the positive and negative half cycles of the sinusoidal driving voltage sustaining a plasma jet. The maximum values of the positive bullet current are typically ˜750 µA and persist for 10 µs, while the peaks in the negative current of several hundred μA are broad, persisting for about 40 µs. From the time delay of the current peaks with increasing distance from the jet nozzle, an average bullet propagation speed has been measured; the positive and negative bullets travel at 17.5 km s-1 and 3.9 km s-1 respectively. The net space charge associated with the bullet(s) has also been calculated; the positive and negative bullets contain a similar net charge of the order of 10-9 C measured at all monitor positions, with estimated charged particle densities nb of ˜1010-1011 cm-3 in the bullet.

Features of the spectroscopic determination of the isotope composition of trace amounts of hydrogen in helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemets, V.M.; Petrov, A.A.; Solov'ev, A.A.

1986-01-01

The investigation of the magnitude of the isotope effect in the intensiti of the beta lines of the Balmer series was carried out with the excitation of a high-frequency discharge in a quartz tube having a diameter of ca.6.5 at pressures of the gaseous mixture ranging from 1 to 70 kPa. From the experimental results here it follows that as the isotopes of hydrogen are diluted with helium, the value of K decreases from 1.2-1.1 to 0.84-0.86, and the maximum of the plots of K= f(P) broaden and move toward higher pressures. In order to account for the laws obtained, the authors examined a set of elementary processes and reactions for which the isotope-related differences in the rate constants (alpha) can influence the relative concentrations of the excited atoms of the isotopes of hydrogen in a discharge. The physical model presented in this paper of the shaping of the isotope effects in the atomic spectrum of hydrogen makes it possible to account for the observed laws governing the excitation of a discharge in a mixture of the isotopes of hydrogen with helium and thus greatly facilitates the selection of the optimal conditions for the excitation of the analytical spectrum in devising procedures for the spectroscopic isotope determination of trace impurities of hydrogen in helium

Development of gas-jet transport systems for fission products and coupling these with methods for continuous separation of short-lived product nuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stender, E.

1979-01-01

The development of gas-jet transport systems for fission products as well as the coupling of these with continuous separation methods from aqueous solutions (SISAK) and with a mass separator for on-line separation of neutron-rich nuclides are described in this work. Nuclides from the fission of 235 U or other fission materials can be transported using gas-jet systems with thermal neutrons over larger distances (100 m and over). Aerosols (clusters) of either organic (e.g. ethylene) or inorganic nature (e.g. potassium chloride) serve as carrier for the nuclides. The clusters are passed through 1 mm capillaries with a transport gas (nitrogen, helium etc.) under laminar flow conditions. The diameter of the cluster fluctuates between 10 -7 and 10 -6 m. The time required from the production of a nuclide to its detection at the end of a 8 m long capillary tube is 0.8 s for the ethylene/nitrogen and potassium chloride/helium gas-jet systems. By coupling various gas-jet systems with the continuous extraction technique SISAK working with H centrifuges, the elements lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, zirconium, niobium and technetium can be separated out of the complex fission product mixtures. The on-line technetium chemistry was used with neutron-rich 106 Tc (36 s), 107 Tc (21 s) and 108 Tc (5 s) for γγ(t) measurements. The coupling of a potassium chloride/helium gas jet with a mass separator equiped with a plasma ion source is described. The dependence of the transmission rate of various test parameters is investigated to optimize the system. (orig.) [de

Bifurcation in a buoyant horizontal laminar jet

Science.gov (United States)

Arakeri, Jaywant H.; Das, Debopam; Srinivasan, J.

2000-06-01

The trajectory of a laminar buoyant jet discharged horizontally has been studied. The experimental observations were based on the injection of pure water into a brine solution. Under certain conditions the jet has been found to undergo bifurcation. The bifurcation of the jet occurs in a limited domain of Grashof number and Reynolds number. The regions in which the bifurcation occurs has been mapped in the Reynolds number Grashof number plane. There are three regions where bifurcation does not occur. The various mechanisms that prevent bifurcation have been proposed.

Dynamics of cold helium flow inside a cryoline used for large cryogenic distribution system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Uday; Jadon, Mohit; Choukekar, Ketan; Shukla, Vinit; Patel, Pratik; Kapoor, Himanshu; Shah, Nitin; Muralidhara, Srinivasa; Sarkar, Biswanath

2015-01-01

The Cryolines, which by definition transfers cryogens from the source, normally a cryogenic plant, to several systems requiring cooling at cryogenic temperature to the level of 4 K and 80 K. The operations of cryolines are normally assumed to be steady state following a cool down from room temperature to the cryogenic temperature. It is to be noted that in a distributed cryogenic system, especially in a nuclear facility such as ITER having confinement definition due to the regulatory requirements, do also attract the attention in the system design that the release from safety valves cannot be allowed inside a building. Therefore, all safety valves need to be discharged inside a confined space, which is a specific space requiring fulfillment of definition for a cryogenic line. The specificity in such cases is that such cryogenic lines will realize dynamic conditions for each release of safety valves or a combination of safety valves in terms of pressure, temperature and flow, leading to unexpected failures. Such operating scenarios also lead to serious impact on fatigue with a question mark on the reliability. Therefore, one can define such cryolines as Relief Collection Header (RCH) which collects discharged helium and transport it to the appropriate place as defined in the system design. The discharges of cold helium from safety relief discharge ports of equipment can result into significantly unsteady and compressible flow in RCH. The proper design of the RCH has to be supported by detailed dynamic of expected flow phenomena for specific cases. The paper presents the dynamics of cold helium flow inside the typical RCH that has been performed to investigate the variation in flow parameters (pressure, temperature, velocity and density) along the axis of RCH and predictions on its reliability. (author)

Spectroscopic characterisation of an atmospheric pressure glow discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez, S.; Steen, P.G.; Morrow, T.; Graham, W.G.

2001-01-01

Recently there has been considerable interest in atmospheric discharges operating in a glow discharge mode i.e. with a spatial and sheath structure similar to that of low pressure glow discharges. Here spectroscopy has been used to characterise an atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD), operating with either dry air, argon or helium gas flowing through the inter-electrode space and with the inter-electrode gap either free or with woven polypropylene or polyester samples present. Emission spectroscopy is used to determine the rotational and vibrational temperature of the nitrogen gas, while electron temperatures are determined from the relative intensities of Ar emission lines. Ozone production is monitored by a simple absorption technique to evaluate its potential in process control

First nitrogen-seeding experiments in JET with the ITER-like Wall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oberkofler, M., E-mail: martin.oberkofler@ipp.mpg.de [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Douai, D. [CEA Centre de Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France); Brezinsek, S.; Coenen, J.W. [Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-4, TEC, Association EURATOM-FZJ, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Dittmar, T. [Center for Energy Research, University of California–San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., San Diego, CA 92093-0417 (United States); Drenik, A. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Romanelli, S.G. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Joffrin, E. [CEA Centre de Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, Cedex (France); McCormick, K. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Brix, M. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Calabro, G. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Via E. Fermi 45 FRASCATI-Roma (Italy); Clever, M. [Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-4, TEC, Association EURATOM-FZJ, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Giroud, C. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Kruezi, U. [Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-4, TEC, Association EURATOM-FZJ, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Lawson, K. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Linsmeier, Ch. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); and others

2013-07-15

In this contribution we present results from the first N{sub 2} seeding experiments in JET performed after installation of the ITER-like Wall. Gas balance measurements for seeded L-mode discharges indicate very strong N{sub 2} retention as well as a potential increase in D{sub 2} retention. The possible influence of ammonia production on this apparent retention is discussed. Plasma parameters and impurity content were monitored throughout the seeded discharges as well as during subsequent clean-up discharges. These experiments give first insight into phenomena related to the use of nitrogen as seeding gas in JET with the ITER-like Wall, such as ammonia production and nitrogen legacy.

Analysis of ionization wave dynamics in low-temperature plasma jets from fluid modeling supported by experimental investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Yousfi, M.; Eichwald, O.; Merbahi, N.; Jomaa, N.

2012-08-01

This work is devoted to fluid modeling based on experimental investigations of a classical setup of a low-temperature plasma jet. The latter is generated at atmospheric pressure using a quartz tube of small diameter crossed by helium gas flow and surrounded by an electrode system powered by a mono-polar high-voltage pulse. The streamer-like behavior of the fast plasma bullets or ionization waves launched in ambient air for every high-voltage pulse, already emphasized in the literature from experimental or analytical considerations or recent preliminary fluid models, is confirmed by a numerical one-moment fluid model for the simulation of the ionization wave dynamics. The dominant interactions between electron and the main ions present in He-air mixtures with their associated basic data are taken into account. The gradual dilution of helium in air outside the tube along the axis is also considered using a gas hydrodynamics model based on the Navier-Stokes equation assuming a laminar flow. Due to the low magnitude of the reduced electric field E/N (not exceeding 15 Td), it is first shown that consideration of the stepwise ionization of helium metastables is required to reach the critical size of the electron avalanches in order to initiate the formation of ionization waves. It is also shown that a gas pre-ionization ahead of the wave front of about 109 cm-3 (coming from Penning ionization without considering the gas photo-ionization) is required for the propagation. Furthermore, the second ionization wave experimentally observed during the falling time of the voltage pulse, between the powered electrode and the tube exit, is correlated with the electric field increase inside the ionized channel in the whole region between the electrode and the tube exit. The propagation velocity and the distance traveled by the front of the ionization wave outside the tube in the downstream side are consistent with the present experimental measurements. In comparison with the

Turbulent viscosity and scale laws in turbulent jets with variable density; Viscosite turbulente et lois d`echelles dans les jets turbulents a masse volumique variable

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pietri, L.; Amielh, M.; Anselmet, F.; Fulachier, L. [Institut de Recherche sur les Phinomenes Hors Equilibre Equipe Turbulence, 13 - Marseille (France)

1997-12-31

Turbulent flows with strong density variations, like helium jets in the ambient air, have specific properties linked with the difference of gas densities. This paper presents some experimental results of turbulence properties inside such flows: the Reynolds tensions and the associated turbulent viscosity, and some characteristics linked with the statistical properties of the different turbulence scales. These last results allows to show the complexity of such flows characterized by the influence of external parameters (Reynolds number, initial density ratio, initial momentum flux) that govern the evolution of these parameters inside the jet from the nozzle up to regions where similarity properties are reached. (J.S.) 12 refs.

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.

Production and correlation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in gas- and liquid-phase generated by helium plasma jets under different pulse widths

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhijie; Zhou, Chunxi; Liu, Dingxin; Xu, Dehui; Xia, Wenjie; Cui, Qingjie; Wang, Bingchuan; Kong, Michael G.

2018-01-01

In this paper, we present the effects of the pulse width (PW) on the plasma jet's discharge characteristics, particularly focusing on the production and correlation of the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in gas- and liquid-phase. It is found that the length of plasma jet plume first increases before the PW of 10 μs, then gradually decreases and finally almost remains unchanged beyond 150 μs. The plasma bullet disappears after the falling edge of the voltage pulse at low PW, while it terminates far ahead of the falling edge of voltage pulse at high PW. This is mainly attributed to accumulation of space charges that lead to weakening of the reduced electric field with an increase of PW from low to high. More important, it is found that the excited reactive species, the positive and negative ions from plasma jet, and the concentrations of NO2- and NO3- in deionized water exposed to plasma jet also display the first increasing and then decreasing change trend with increase of PW, while the concentration of H2O2 in water almost displays the linearly increasing trend. This mainly results from the formation of the H3O+ and HO2-, as well as their ion water clusters that can produce more OH radicals to be converted into H2O2, while the NO2- and NO3- in gas phase can transport into water and exist most stably in water. The water cluster formation at gas-liquid interface is an important key process that can affect the chemical nature and dose of aqueous RONS in water; this is beneficial for understanding how the RONS are formed in liquid-phase.

Electric-discharge-pumped nitrogen ion laser

Science.gov (United States)

Laudenslager, J. B.; Pacala, T. J.; Wittig, C.

1976-01-01

The routine operation is described of an N2(+) laser oscillating on the first negative band system of N2(+) which is produced in a preionized transverse discharge device. The discharge design incorporates features which favor the efficient production of the excitation transfer reaction of He2(+) with N2. A capacitive discharge switched by means of a high-current grounded grid thyratron is used to meet the design requirement of a volumetric discharge in high-pressure gas mixtures where the electric discharge need not have an ultrafast rise time (greater than 10 nsec) but should be capable of transferring large quantities of stored electric energy to the gas. A peak power of 180 kW in an 8-nsec laser pulse was obtained with a 0.1% mixture of N2 in helium at a total pressure of 3 atm. The most intense laser oscillations were observed on the (0,1) vibrational transition at 427.8 microns.

Numerical and experimental study on laminar round free jet of Ar discharging into stagnant air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fumizawa, Motoo; Hishida, Makoto; Kunugi, Tomoaki

1990-01-01

The objective of the present study is to investigate numerically and experimentally the behavior of the fluid flow and the mass transfer of argon gas (Ar) laminar round jet discharging into stagnant air along the gravity force. The SIMPLE method and two differential numerical schemes of PLDS and QUICK are used in the TEAM code modified by adding the binary diffusion equation. The solution domain is comprised of 80X40 grids of uniform size. As the result, the following were obtained: The half radius of Ar mass fraction obtained by QUICK was in good agreement with experimental result. The half radii of axial velocity and Ar mass fraction obtained by PLDS were larger than those by QUICK due to numerical viscosity. Numerical analyses by PLDS and QUICK schemes agreed well with experimental results on centerline Ar mass fraction. Computational times of PLDS and QUICK are about 40 min. and 120 min. respectively by FACOM VP100 computer in JAERI. (author)

Femtosecond, two-photon laser-induced-fluorescence imaging of atomic oxygen in an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Jacob B.; Sands, Brian L.; Kulatilaka, Waruna D.; Roy, Sukesh; Scofield, James; Gord, James R.

2015-06-01

Femtosecond, two-photon-absorption laser-induced-fluorescence (fs-TALIF) spectroscopy is employed to measure space- and time-resolved atomic-oxygen distributions in a nanosecond, repetitively pulsed, externally grounded, atmospheric-pressure plasma jet flowing helium with a variable oxygen admixture. The high-peak-intensity, low-average-energy femtosecond pulses result in increased TALIF signal with reduced photolytic inferences. This allows 2D imaging of absolute atomic-oxygen number densities ranging from 5.8   ×   1015 to 2.0   ×   1012cm-3 using a cooled CCD with an external intensifier. Xenon is used for signal and imaging-system calibrations to quantify the atomic-oxygen fluorescence signal. Initial results highlight a transition in discharge morphology from annular to filamentary, corresponding with a change in plasma chemistry from ozone to atomic oxygen production, as the concentration of oxygen in the feed gas is changed at a fixed voltage-pulse-repetition rate. In this configuration, significant concentrations of reactive oxygen species may be remotely generated by sustaining an active discharge beyond the confines of the dielectric capillary, which may benefit applications that require large concentrations of reactive oxygen species such as material processing or biomedical devices.

Transport analysis of pellet-enhanced ICRH plasma in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammett, G.W.; Colestock, P.L.; Granetz, R.S.; McCune, D.C.; Phillips, C.K.; Schmidt, G.L.; Smithe, D.N.; Kupschus, P.

1989-01-01

Performance of JET ICRH heated discharges has been significantly enhanced by using pellet fueling to produce a peaked density target for ICRH. The central T i is observed to increase by up to 80%, central T e by up to 40%, and the neutron rate by up to 400%, over their no-pellet values (which are already in the enhanced 'monster-sawtooth' regime). In this paper we describe the transport analysis of these discharges using the TRANSP code. These results indicate that the thermal diffusivities χ i and χ e are reduced by a factor of ∼2 near the plasma center where the pellets have increased the density gradient. The paper focuses on JET discharge 16211 which is documented more fully in a companion paper. (author) 6 refs., 8 figs

Unexpected O and O3 production in the effluent of He/O2 microplasma jets emanating into ambient air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellerweg, D; Von Keudell, A; Benedikt, J

2012-01-01

Microplasma jets are commonly used to treat samples in ambient air. The effect of admixing air into the effluent may severely affect the composition of the emerging species. Here, the effluent of a He/O 2 microplasma jet has been analyzed in a helium and in an air atmosphere by molecular beam mass spectrometry. First, the composition of the effluent in air was recorded as a function of the distance to determine how fast air admixes into the effluent. Then, the spatial distribution of atomic oxygen and ozone in the effluent was recorded in ambient air and compared with measurements in a helium atmosphere. Additionally, a fluid model of the gas flow with reaction kinetics of reactive oxygen species in the effluent was constructed. In ambient air, the O density declines only slightly faster with distance compared with a helium atmosphere. In contrast, the O 3 density in ambient air increases significantly faster with distance compared with a helium atmosphere. This unexpected behavior cannot be explained by simple recombination reactions of O atoms with O 2 molecules. A reaction scheme involving the reaction of plasma-produced excited O 2 * species of unknown identity with ground state O 2 molecules is proposed as a possible explanation for these observations. (paper)

Plasma bullet current measurements in a free-stream helium capillary jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Jun-Seok; Walsh, James L; Bradley, James W

2012-01-01

A commercial current monitor has been used to measure the current associated with plasma bullets created in both the positive and negative half cycles of the sinusoidal driving voltage sustaining a plasma jet. The maximum values of the positive bullet current are typically ∼750 µA and persist for 10 µs, while the peaks in the negative current of several hundred μA are broad, persisting for about 40 µs. From the time delay of the current peaks with increasing distance from the jet nozzle, an average bullet propagation speed has been measured; the positive and negative bullets travel at 17.5 km s −1 and 3.9 km s −1 respectively. The net space charge associated with the bullet(s) has also been calculated; the positive and negative bullets contain a similar net charge of the order of 10 −9 C measured at all monitor positions, with estimated charged particle densities n b of ∼10 10 –10 11 cm −3 in the bullet. (special)

COREDIV modelling of JET ILW discharges with different impurity seeding: nitrogen, neon, argon and krypton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanova-Stanik Irena

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Numerical simulations with the COREDIV code of JET H-mode discharges with 25 MW of auxiliary heating in the ITER-like wall (ILW configuration with different impurity seedings – nitrogen (N, neon (Ne, argon (Ar and krypton (Kr – are presented. All simulations have been performed with the same transport model and input discharge parameters like auxiliary heating, volume average plasma density, confinement factor. Only the seeded impurity puff rate was changed in the calculations. It appears that for the considered heating power of 25 MW and relatively low volume electron average density = 6.2 × 1019 m−3, impurity seeding is necessary. It has been found that for every gas at the maximum level of the seeding rate, allowed by the code convergence, the power to the plate is reduced up to 2–4 MW, with electron temperature at the plate of about 2 eV, indicating semi-detached conditions in the divertor region. It should be noted, however, that in cases with low and medium Z impurity (N, Ne and Ar, tungsten radiation is a significant part of radiation losses and stays above 22–32% of the total energy losses, but for high Z impurity (Kr it is reduced up to 10% of the total losses. The maximum of the Kr radiation is between the pedestal region and separatrix, showing that radiative mantle can be created, which might have a strong influence on the plasma parameters in the pedestal region.

Line Shape Modeling for the Diagnostic of the Electron Density in a Corona Discharge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joël Rosato

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We present an analysis of spectra observed in a corona discharge designed for the study of dielectrics in electrical engineering. The medium is a gas of helium and the discharge was performed at the vicinity of a tip electrode under high voltage. The shape of helium lines is dominated by the Stark broadening due to the plasma microfield. Using a computer simulation method, we examine the sensitivity of the He 492 nm line shape to the electron density. Our results indicate the possibility of a density diagnostic based on passive spectroscopy. The influence of collisional broadening due to interactions between the emitters and neutrals is discussed.

JET and COMPASS asymmetrical disruptions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gerasimov, S.N.; Abreu, P.; Baruzzo, M.; Drozdov, V.; Dvornova, A.; Havlíček, Josef; Hender, T.C.; Hronová-Bilyková, Olena; Kruezi, U.; Li, X.; Markovič, Tomáš; Pánek, Radomír; Rubinacci, G.; Tsalas, M.; Ventre, S.; Villone, F.; Zakharov, L.E.

2015-01-01

Roč. 55, č. 11 (2015), s. 113006-113006 ISSN 0029-5515 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011021 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : tokamak * asymmetrical disruption * JET * COMPASS Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 4.040, year: 2015

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...

Laser induced fluorescence in atmospheric pressure discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dilecce, G; De Benedictis, S; Martini, L M; Tosi, P; Scotoni, M

2015-01-01

This paper offers an outline of laser induced fluorescence (LIF) diagnostics and practical recommendations for its use in atmospheric pressure discharges. LIF principles, technical requirements and rationalization of experimental outcomes by modelling are addressed. Important issues that are particularly relevant to small scale, spatially inhomogeneous discharges, like plasma-jets, are emphasized. For the first time, all collision processes and the spatial non-homogeneity of the laser beam are together accounted for in the LIF model. Saturation characteristics are discussed and used for the assessment of model parameters. A calibration procedure is discussed and implemented. Gas temperature measurements by LIF are also addressed. The whole description of the technique is given, without loss of generality, through the example of its application to the OH radical. Notes on other diatomic radicals, CH, NO and CN, are given along the paper. Some results in a RF plasma-jet are presented as an example of application in a discharge system where all the concepts developed in the paper are applied. (paper)

The JET project: introduction and background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pease, R.S.

1987-01-01

The Joint European Torus, JET, is an experiment, undertaken by 15 partners from 12 nations of Western Europe, to get information on the magnetic confinement of high-temperature plasma in conditions close to those needed for energy-producing controlled thermonuclear fusion reactors. Physically, JET is a very powerful toroidal-pinch electric discharge in a strong stabilizing magnetic field, a system known as a tokamak. The paper summarizes the main features of a tokamak and relates them to the papers in this symposium. (author)

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.

Experimental approaches for studying non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma jets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shashurin, A., E-mail: ashashur@purdue.edu [School of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Keidar, M. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia 20052 (United States)

2015-12-15

This work reviews recent research efforts undertaken in the area non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma jets with special focus on experimental approaches. Physics of small non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma jets operating in kHz frequency range at powers around few Watts will be analyzed, including mechanism of breakdown, process of ionization front propagation, electrical coupling of the ionization front with the discharge electrodes, distributions of excited and ionized species, discharge current spreading, transient dynamics of various plasma parameters, etc. Experimental diagnostic approaches utilized in the field will be considered, including Rayleigh microwave scattering, Thomson laser scattering, electrostatic streamer scatterers, optical emission spectroscopy, fast photographing, etc.

Dynamics of Superfluid Helium in Low-Gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, David J.

1997-01-01

This report summarizes the work performed under a contract entitled 'Dynamics of Superfluid Helium in Low Gravity'. This project performed verification tests, over a wide range of accelerations of two Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes of which one incorporates the two-fluid model of superfluid helium (SFHe). Helium was first liquefied in 1908 and not until the 1930s were the properties of helium below 2.2 K observed sufficiently to realize that it did not obey the ordinary physical laws of physics as applied to ordinary liquids. The term superfluidity became associated with these unique observations. The low temperature of SFHe and it's temperature unifonrmity have made it a significant cryogenic coolant for use in space applications in astronomical observations with infrared sensors and in low temperature physics. Superfluid helium has been used in instruments such as the Shuttle Infrared Astronomy Telescope (IRT), the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), the Cosmic Background Observatory (COBE), and the Infrared Satellite Observatory (ISO). It is also used in the Space Infrared Telescope (SIRTF), Relativity Mission Satellite formally called Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), and the Test of the Equivalence Principle (STEP) presently under development. For GP-B and STEP, the use of SFHE is used to cool Superconducting Quantum Interference Detectors (SQUIDS) among other parts of the instruments. The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) experiment flown in the Shuttle studied the behavior of SFHE. This experiment attempted to get low-gravity slosh data, however, the main emphasis was to study the low-gravity transfer of SFHE from tank to tank. These instruments carried tanks of SFHE of a few hundred liters to 2500 liters. The capability of modeling the behavior of SFHE is important to spacecraft control engineers who must design systems that can overcome disturbances created by the movement of the fluid. In addition instruments such as GP-B and STEP are very

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

Gaussian basis sets for highly excited and resonance states of helium

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kaprálová-Žďánská, Petra Ruth; Šmydke, Jan

2013-01-01

Roč. 138, č. 2 (2013), 024105 ISSN 0021-9606 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAAX00100903; GA MŠk(CZ) ME10046; GA ČR GAP205/11/0571 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : approximation theory * Gaussian processes * ground states * helium neutral atoms * optimisation * resonant states * Rydberg states Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 3.122, year: 2013

Simulation of helium release in the Battelle Model Containment facility using OpenFOAM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilkening, Heinz; Ammirabile, Luca, E-mail: luca.ammirabile@ec.europa.eu

2013-12-15

Highlights: • The HYJET Jx7 hydrogen release experiment at BMC facility is studied using OpenFOAM. • The SST model and 2nd order numerics for momentum and species concentration are used. • The behaviour is captured well but helium concentration is generally over-predicted. • OpenFOAM needs smaller time steps, higher resolution, more CPU time compared to CFX. • The study shows the potential of open source CFD codes in some nuclear application. - Abstract: The open source CFD code OpenFOAM has been validated against an experiment of jet release phenomena in the Battelle Model Containment facility (BMC), and benchmarked with the Ansys CFX5.7 results. In the selected test, HYJET Jx7, helium was released into the containment at a speed of 42 m/s over a time of 200 s. The SST turbulence model was applied to model helium release and dispersion with both codes. The overall behaviour is captured adequately. However, there are still some noticeable differences between the CFX and OpenFOAM solutions. The study confirms the potential of using open source codes like OpenFOAM in some nuclear applications. Nevertheless further investigations and improvements are needed.

Simulation of helium release in the Battelle Model Containment facility using OpenFOAM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkening, Heinz; Ammirabile, Luca

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The HYJET Jx7 hydrogen release experiment at BMC facility is studied using OpenFOAM. • The SST model and 2nd order numerics for momentum and species concentration are used. • The behaviour is captured well but helium concentration is generally over-predicted. • OpenFOAM needs smaller time steps, higher resolution, more CPU time compared to CFX. • The study shows the potential of open source CFD codes in some nuclear application. - Abstract: The open source CFD code OpenFOAM has been validated against an experiment of jet release phenomena in the Battelle Model Containment facility (BMC), and benchmarked with the Ansys CFX5.7 results. In the selected test, HYJET Jx7, helium was released into the containment at a speed of 42 m/s over a time of 200 s. The SST turbulence model was applied to model helium release and dispersion with both codes. The overall behaviour is captured adequately. However, there are still some noticeable differences between the CFX and OpenFOAM solutions. The study confirms the potential of using open source codes like OpenFOAM in some nuclear applications. Nevertheless further investigations and improvements are needed

Method of collecting helium cover gas for heavy water moderated reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyamoto, Keiji; Ueda, Hiroshi.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To reduce the systematic facility cost in a heavy water moderated reactor by contriving the simplification of a helium cover gas collecting intake system. Method: A detachable low pressure metal tank and a neoprene balloon are prepared for a vacuum pump in a permanent vacuum drying facility. When all of the helium cover gas is collected from a heavy water moderated reactor, a large capacity of neoprene balloon capable of temporarily storing it under low pressure is connected to the exhaust of the vacuum pump. On the other hand, while the reactor is operating, a suitable amount of the low pressure tank or neoprene balloon is connected to the exhaust side of the pump, thereby regulating the pressure of the helium cover gas. When refeeding the cover gas, the balloon, with a large capacity for collecting and storing the cover gas is connected to the intake side of the pump. Thus, the pressure regulation, collection of all of the cover gas and refeeding of the cover gas can be conducted without using a high discharge pump and high pressure tank. (Kamimura, M.)

Impurity transport of high performance discharges in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lauro-Taroni, L; Alper, B; Giannella, R; Marcus, F; Smeulders, P; Von Hellermann, M [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Lawson, K [UKAEA Culham Lab., Abingdon (United Kingdom); Mattioli, M [Association Euratom-CEA, Centre d` Etudes Nucleaires de Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France). Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee

1994-07-01

Experimental data show that in the Pellet Enhanced Performance (PEP) H-mode discharges, the light impurities are dominant and accumulate. Furthermore, strong fuel depletion may occur in the plasma centre with n{sub D}/n{sub e} falling to about 0.3 in some cases. On the other hand, in Hot-Ion discharges hollow profiles are measured for C: it is present in lower concentrations and has little effect on fuel dilution. The different behaviour of carbon in the two cases is in agreement with neoclassical predictions for the convection in the plasma core. 6 refs., 6 figs.

Impurity transport of high performance discharges in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lauro-Taroni, L.; Alper, B.; Giannella, R.; Marcus, F.; Smeulders, P.; Von Hellermann, M.; Mattioli, M.

1994-01-01

Experimental data show that in the Pellet Enhanced Performance (PEP) H-mode discharges, the light impurities are dominant and accumulate. Furthermore, strong fuel depletion may occur in the plasma centre with n D /n e falling to about 0.3 in some cases. On the other hand, in Hot-Ion discharges hollow profiles are measured for C: it is present in lower concentrations and has little effect on fuel dilution. The different behaviour of carbon in the two cases is in agreement with neoclassical predictions for the convection in the plasma core. 6 refs., 6 figs

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)

Upgrade of the JET gamma-ray cameras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soare, S.; Curuia, M.; Anghel, M.; Constantin, M.; David, E.; Craciunescu, T.; Falie, D.; Pantea, A.; Tiseanu, I.; Kiptily, V.; Prior, P.; Edlington, T.; Griph, S.; Krivchenkov, Y.; Loughlin, M.; Popovichev, S.; Riccardo, V; Syme, B.; Thompson, V.; Lengar, I.; Murari, A.; Bonheure, G.; Le Guern, F.

2007-01-01

Full text: The JET gamma-ray camera diagnostics have already provided valuable information on the gamma-ray imaging of fast ion in JET plasmas. The applicability of gamma-ray imaging to high performance deuterium and deuterium-tritium JET discharges is strongly dependent on the fulfilment of rather strict requirements for the characterisation of the neutron and gamma-ray radiation fields. These requirements have to be satisfied within very stringent boundary conditions for the design, such as the requirement of minimum impact on the co-existing neutron camera diagnostics. The JET Gamma-Ray Cameras (GRC) upgrade project deals with these issues with particular emphasis on the design of appropriate neutron/gamma-ray filters ('neutron attenuators'). Several design versions have been developed and evaluated for the JET GRC neutron attenuators at the conceptual design level. The main design parameter was the neutron attenuation factor. The two design solutions, that have been finally chosen and developed at the level of scheme design, consist of: a) one quasi-crescent shaped neutron attenuator (for the horizontal camera) and b) two quasi-trapezoid shaped neutron attenuators (for the vertical one). The second design solution has different attenuation lengths: a short version, to be used together with the horizontal attenuator for deuterium discharges, and a long version to be used for high performance deuterium and DT discharges. Various neutron-attenuating materials have been considered (lithium hydride with natural isotopic composition and 6 Li enriched, light and heavy water, polyethylene). Pure light water was finally chosen as the attenuating material for the JET gamma-ray cameras. The neutron attenuators will be steered in and out of the detector line-of-sight by means of an electro-pneumatic steering and control system. The MCNP code was used for neutron and gamma ray transport in order to evaluate the effect of the neutron attenuators on the neutron field of the

Gas jet disruption mitigation studies on Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granetz, R.; Whyte, D.G.; Izzo, V.A.; Biewer, T.; Reinke, M.L.; Terry, J.; Bader, A.; Bakhtiari, M.; Jernigan, T.; Wurden, G.

2006-01-01

Damaging effects of disruptions are a major concern for Alcator C-Mod, ITER and future tokamak reactors. High-pressure noble gas jet injection is a mitigation technique which potentially satisfies the operational requirements of fast response time and reliability, while still being benign to subsequent discharges. Disruption mitigation experiments using an optimized gas jet injection system are being carried out on Alcator C-Mod to study the physics of gas jet penetration into high pressure plasmas, as well as the ability of the gas jet impurities to convert plasma energy into radiation on timescales consistent with C-Mod's fast quench times, and to reduce halo currents given C-Mod's high-current density. The dependence of impurity penetration and effectiveness on noble gas species (He, Ne, Ar, Kr) is also being studied. It is found that the high-pressure neutral gas jet does not penetrate deeply into the C-Mod plasma, and yet prompt core thermal quenches are observed on all gas jet shots. 3D MHD modelling of the disruption physics with NIMROD shows that edge cooling of the plasma triggers fast growing tearing modes which rapidly produce a stochastic region in the core of the plasma and loss of thermal energy. This may explain the apparent effectiveness of the gas jet in C-Mod despite its limited penetration. The higher-Z gases (Ne, Ar, Kr) also proved effective at reducing halo currents and decreasing thermal deposition to the divertor surfaces. In addition, noble gas jet injection proved to be benign for plasma operation with C-Mod's metal (Mo) wall, actually improving the reliability of the startup in the following discharge

Results of the JET real-time disruption predictor in the ITER-like wall campaigns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vega, Jesús; Dormido-Canto, Sebastián; López, Juan M.; Murari, Andrea; Ramírez, Jesús M.; Moreno, Raúl; Ruiz, Mariano; Alves, Diogo; Felton, Robert

2013-01-01

Highlights: •JET real-time disruption predictor with metallic wall 991 discharges analyzed. •Predictor training has been carried out with JET C wall data. •Success, false alarm and missed alarm rates are 98.4%, 0.9% and 1.6%, respectively. •Alarms are triggered in average 426 ms before the disruption. -- Abstract: The impact of disruptions in JET became even more important with the replacement of the previous Carbon Fiber Composite (CFC) wall with a more fragile full metal ITER-like wall (ILW). The development of robust disruption mitigation systems is crucial for JET (and also for ITER). Moreover, a reliable real-time (RT) disruption predictor is a pre-requisite to any mitigation method. The Advance Predictor Of DISruptions (APODIS) has been installed in the JET Real-Time Data Network (RTDN) for the RT recognition of disruptions. The predictor operates with the new ILW but it has been trained only with discharges belonging to campaigns with the CFC wall. 7 real-time signals are used to characterize the plasma status (disruptive or non-disruptive) at regular intervals of 32 ms. After the first 3 JET ILW campaigns (991 discharges), the success rate of the predictor is 98.36% (alarms are triggered in average 426 ms before the disruptions). The false alarm and missed alarm rates are 0.92% and 1.64%

Results of the JET real-time disruption predictor in the ITER-like wall campaigns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vega, Jesús, E-mail: jesus.vega@ciemat.es [Asociación EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusión, Madrid (Spain); Dormido-Canto, Sebastián [Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid (Spain); López, Juan M. [Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, CAEND UPM-CSIC, Madrid (Spain); Murari, Andrea [Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM/ENEA per la Fusione, Padua (Italy); Ramírez, Jesús M. [Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid (Spain); Moreno, Raúl [Asociación EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusión, Madrid (Spain); Ruiz, Mariano [Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, CAEND UPM-CSIC, Madrid (Spain); Alves, Diogo [Associação EURATOM/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear – Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, P-1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Felton, Robert [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Center, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)

2013-10-15

Highlights: •JET real-time disruption predictor with metallic wall 991 discharges analyzed. •Predictor training has been carried out with JET C wall data. •Success, false alarm and missed alarm rates are 98.4%, 0.9% and 1.6%, respectively. •Alarms are triggered in average 426 ms before the disruption. -- Abstract: The impact of disruptions in JET became even more important with the replacement of the previous Carbon Fiber Composite (CFC) wall with a more fragile full metal ITER-like wall (ILW). The development of robust disruption mitigation systems is crucial for JET (and also for ITER). Moreover, a reliable real-time (RT) disruption predictor is a pre-requisite to any mitigation method. The Advance Predictor Of DISruptions (APODIS) has been installed in the JET Real-Time Data Network (RTDN) for the RT recognition of disruptions. The predictor operates with the new ILW but it has been trained only with discharges belonging to campaigns with the CFC wall. 7 real-time signals are used to characterize the plasma status (disruptive or non-disruptive) at regular intervals of 32 ms. After the first 3 JET ILW campaigns (991 discharges), the success rate of the predictor is 98.36% (alarms are triggered in average 426 ms before the disruptions). The false alarm and missed alarm rates are 0.92% and 1.64%.

Improvement of stability of sinusoidally driven atmospheric pressure plasma jet using auxiliary bias voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-Jin Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, we have proposed the auxiliary bias pulse scheme to improve the stability of atmospheric pressure plasma jets driven by an AC sinusoidal waveform excitation source. The stability of discharges can be significantly improved by the compensation of irregular variation in memory voltage due to the effect of auxiliary bias pulse. From the parametric study, such as the width, voltage, and onset time of auxiliary bias pulse, it has been demonstrated that the auxiliary bias pulse plays a significant role in suppressing the irregular discharges caused by the irregular variation in memory voltage and stable discharge can be initiated with the termination of the auxiliary bias pulse. As a result of further investigating the effects of the auxiliary pulse scheme on the jet stability under various process conditions such as the distance between the jet head and the counter electrode, and carrier gas flow, the jet stability can be improved by adjusting the amplitude and number of the bias pulse depending on the variations in the process conditions.

Study and optimization of magnetized ICRF discharges for tokamak wall conditioning and assessment of the applicability to ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wauters, T.

2011-11-01

This work is devoted to the study and optimization of the Ion Cyclotron Wall Conditioning (ICWC) technique. ICWC, operated in presence of the toroidal magnetic field, makes use of four main tokamak systems: the ICRF antennas to initiate and sustain the conditioning discharge, the gas injection valves to provide the discharge gas, the machine pumps to remove the wall desorbed particles, and the poloidal magnetic field system to optimize the discharge homogeneity. Additionally neutral gas and plasma diagnostics are required to monitor the discharge and the conditioning efficiency. In chapter 2 a general overview on ICWC is given. Chapter 3 treats the ICRF discharge homogeneity and the confinement properties of the employed magnetic field. In the first part we will discuss experimental facts on plasma homogeneity, and how experimental optimization led to its improvement. In the second part of the chapter the confinement properties of a partially ionized plasma in a toroidal magnetic field configuration with additional small vertical component are discussed. Chapter 4 gives an overview of experimental results on the efficiency of ICWC, obtained on TORE SUPRA, TEXTOR, JET and ASDEX Upgrade. In chapter 5 a 0D kinetic description of hydrogen-helium RF plasmas is outlined. The model, describing the evolution of ICRF plasmas from discharge initiation to the (quasi) steady state plasma stage, is developed to obtain insight on ICRF plasma parameters, particle fluxes to the walls and the main collisional processes. Chapter 6 presents a minimum structure for a 0D reservoir model of the wall to investigate in deeper detail the ICWC plasma wall interaction during isotopic exchange experiments. The hypothesis used to build up the wall model is that the same model structure should be able to describe the wall behavior during normal plasmas and conditioning procedures. Chapter 7 extrapolates the results to the envisaged application of ICWC on ITER

Large area atmospheric-pressure plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Selwyn, Gary S.; Henins, Ivars; Babayan, Steve E.; Hicks, Robert F.

2001-01-01

Large area atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. A plasma discharge that can be operated at atmospheric pressure and near room temperature using 13.56 MHz rf power is described. Unlike plasma torches, the discharge produces a gas-phase effluent no hotter than 250.degree. C. at an applied power of about 300 W, and shows distinct non-thermal characteristics. In the simplest design, two planar, parallel electrodes are employed to generate a plasma in the volume therebetween. A "jet" of long-lived metastable and reactive species that are capable of rapidly cleaning or etching metals and other materials is generated which extends up to 8 in. beyond the open end of the electrodes. Films and coatings may also be removed by these species. Arcing is prevented in the apparatus by using gas mixtures containing He, which limits ionization, by using high flow velocities, and by properly spacing the rf-powered electrode. Because of the atmospheric pressure operation, there is a negligible density of ions surviving for a sufficiently long distance beyond the active plasma discharge to bombard a workpiece, unlike the situation for low-pressure plasma sources and conventional plasma processing methods.

The Properties of a Giant Jet Reflected in a Simultaneous Sprite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neubert, Torsten; Chanrion, Olivier Arnaud; Arnone, E.

2011-01-01

Thunderstorm clouds may discharge directly to the ionosphere in spectacular luminous jets - the largest electric discharges of our planet. The properties of these "giants," such as their polarity, conductivity, and currents, have been predicted by models, but are poorly characterized by measureme...

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...

Experimental confirmation of photon-induced spin-flip transitions in helium via triplet metastable yield spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubensson, Jan-Erik; Moise, Angelica; Richter, Robert; Mihelic, Andrej; Bucar, Klemen; Zitnik, Matjaz

2010-01-01

Doubly excited states below the N=2 ionization threshold are populated by exciting helium atoms in a supersonic beam with monochromatized synchrotron radiation. The fluorescence decay of these states triggers a radiative cascade back to the ground state with large probability to populate long lived singlet and triplet helium metastable states. The yield of metastables is measured using a multichannel plate detector after the beam has passed a singlet-quenching discharge lamp. The variation of the yield observed with the lamp switched on or off is related to the triplet-singlet mixing of the doubly excited states.

Crygenic performance of a superfluid helium relief valve for the LHC superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danielsson, H.; Ferlin, G.; Luguet, C.

1996-01-01

The high-field superconducting magnets of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN will operate below 1.9 K in static baths of pressurized helium II. In case of resistive transition (open-quotes quenchclose quotes), the resulting pressure rise in the cryostats must be limited to below their 2 MPa design pressure. This is achieved by discharging helium at high flow-rates into a cold recovery header, normally maintained at 20 K. For this purpose, the authors have designed, built and tested a cryogenic quench relief valve with a nominal diameter of 50 mm and an opening time of below 0.1 s. The valve, which can be opened on an external trigger, also acts as a relief device actuated by the upstream pressure when it exceeds 0.4 MPa. In normal operation, the closed poppet must be helium-tight, for hydraulic and thermal separation of the magnet baths from the recovery header. Following mechanical qualification tests under vacuum, the authors have mounted the relief valve in a dedicated cryogenic measuring bench, in order to perform precision thermal measurements with pressurized helium II

Observation of pre- and postcursor modes of type-I ELMs on JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koslowski, H.R.; Perez, C.; Alper, B.; Hender, T.C.; Sharapov, S.E.; Eich, T.; Huysmans, G.T.A.; Smeulders, P.; Westerhof, E.

2003-01-01

Recent observations of MHD activity in type-I ELMy H-mode discharges on JET have revealed two phenomena: (i) the so-called palm tree mode, a new, snake-like MHD mode at the q = 3 surface which is excited by type-I ELMs, and (ii) coherent MHD mode activity as a precursor to the ELM collapse. Both modes are detected by magnetic pick up coils and can also be seen on the edge ECE and SXR measurements. They are located a few cm inside the separatrix. Palm tree modes have been identified in a wide range of plasma conditions, which comprise standard ELMy H-modes, ITER-like plasma shapes, pellet fuelling, and even pure helium plasmas. The mode frequency increases in time and starts to saturate until the mode finally decays. A possible explanation of the palm tree mode is, that it is the remnant of a (3,1)-island created due to edge ergodisation by the ELM perturbation. The type-I ELM precursor modes have toroidal mode numbers n in the range 1 to 14, a kink-like structure, and appear commonly 0.5 - 1 ms before the ELM, but can appear much earlier in some cases. (author)

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)

Parametric dependencies of JET electron temperature profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schunke, B [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Imre, K; Riedel, K [New York Univ., NY (United States)

1994-07-01

The JET Ohmic, L-Mode and H-Mode electron temperature profiles obtained from the LIDAR Thomson Scattering Diagnostic are parameterized in terms of the normalized flux parameter and a set of the engineering parameters like plasma current, toroidal field, line averages electron density... It is shown that the electron temperature profiles fit a log-additive model well. It is intended to use the same model to predict the profile shape for D-T discharges in JET and in ITER. 2 refs., 5 figs.

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.)

The Role of the JET Project in Global Fusion Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Vagn Orla

1983-01-01

The aim of nuclear fusion research is to make fusion energy available as a new energy source. Fusion processes occur naturally in the sun, where hydrogen nuclei release energy by combining to form helium. A fusion reactor on earth will require even higher temperatures than in the interior...... of the sun, and it will be based on deuterium and tritium reactions. JET (Joint European Torus) is a major fusion experiment now under construction near Abingdon in the UK It is aimed at producing conditions approximating those necessary in a fusion reactor. The results expected from JET should permit...... a realistic evaluation of the prospects for fusion power and serve as a basis for the design of the next major fusion experiment....

A regime showing anomalous triton burnup in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conroy, S.; Jarvis, O.N.; Sadler, G.; Pillon, M.

1990-01-01

Measurements of triton burnup made at JET in 1989 are in good agreement with a simple classical model of the triton slowing down, for the majority of discharges. For discharges with a long slowing down time (greater than 2 seconds), a much reduced burnup has been observed, suggesting that the tritons undergo diffusion with a diffusion constant of 0.10 m 2 s -1 . Also, the experimental 14 MeV neutron yield is 30% lower than expected for Beryllium limiter discharges. (author) 4 refs., 3 figs

Generation of elves by sprites and jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taranenko, Y.; Roussel-Dupre, R.; Yukhimuk, V.; Symbalisty, E.

1997-01-01

Recent years of observations of the upper atmosphere and the lower ionosphere brought a fascinating collection of new phenomena including optical, radio, and gamma-ray emissions originating in the 20 to 90 km altitude range. Up to now, the most diverse phenomenology has emerged from the optical observations which have led to the identification of red sprites, blue jets, blue starts, and elves. Most of the studies have concentrated on relating such phenomena in the upper atmosphere to regular lightning discharges in the troposphere. The sprite/jet discharge itself can be caused by the runaway air breakdown, or regular air breakdown. The standard theory for optical airglow transients in the lower ionosphere above the thunderstorms also known as elves suggests that they are produced during interaction of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) from lightning with the lower ionosphere. Heating of the ambient electrons by the EMP in the D region can result in excitation of optical emissions once the optical excitation thresholds are reached. In this paper the authors suggest that in addition to this mechanism elves can be caused by an EMP generated by sprites and jets

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.

Diffusion of helium and nucleation-growth of helium-bubbles in metallic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Chonghong; Chen Keqin; Wang Yinshu

2001-01-01

Studies of diffusion and aggregation behaviour of helium in metallic materials are very important to solve the problem of helium embrittlement in structural materials used in the environment of nuclear power. Experimental studies on helium diffusion and aggregation in austenitic stainless steels in a wide temperature range have been performed in authors' research group and the main results obtained are briefly summarized. The mechanism of nucleation-growth of helium-bubbles has been discussed and some problems to be solved are also given

Electrical and optical characteristics of dielectric-barrier discharge driven by high voltage nanosecond generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmadeev, V.V.; Kost'yuchenko, S.V.; Kudryavtsev, N.N.; Kurkin, G.A.; Vasilyak, L.M.

1998-01-01

Electrical and optical characteristics of the dielectric-barrier discharge in the pressure range of 10-400 Torr were investigated experimentally, particular attention being paid to the discharge homogeneity and to the energy dissipation in the discharge volume. The discharge was driven by a high-voltage pulse generator producing nanosecond high-voltage pulses with an amplitude of 20-30 kV. Air, nitrogen, and helium were used as working gases. The discharge was found to be homogeneous within a wide range of gas pressure. A power density of up to 250 mW/cm 3 has been achieved. (J.U.)

Test results of a jet impingement from a 4 inch pipe under BWR LOCA conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isozaki, Toshikuni; Yano, Toshikazu; Miyazaki, Noriyuki; Kato, Rokuro; Kurihara, Ryoichi; Ueda, Shuzo; Miyazono, Shohachiro

1982-09-01

Hypothetical instantaneous pipe rupture is now considered to be one of the design basis accidents during the operation of the light water reactor. If a pipe rupture accidnet occurs, the pipe will start moving with the sudden discharge of internal fluid. So, the various apparatus such as pipe whip restraints and jet deflectors are being installed near the postulated break location to protect the nuclear power plants against the effect of postulated pipe rupture. Pipe whipping test and jet discharge test are now being conducted at the Division of Reactor Safety of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This report describes the test results of the jet discharge from a 4 inch pipe under BWR LOCA condition. In front of the pipe exit the target disk of 1000 mm in diameter was installed. The distance between the pipe exit and the target was 500 mm. 13 pressure transducers and 13 thermocouples were mounted on the target disk to measure the pressure and temperature increase due to jet impingement on the target. (author)

Effective regimes of runaway electron beam generation in helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasenko, V. F.; Baksht, E. Kh.; Burachenko, A. G.; Lomaev, M. I.; Sorokin, D. A.; Shut'ko, Yu. V.

2010-04-01

Runaway electron beam parameters and current-voltage characteristics of discharge in helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen at pressures in the range of several Torr to several hundred Torr have been studied. It is found that the maximum amplitudes of supershort avalanche electron beams (SAEBs) with a pulse full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ˜100 ps are achieved in helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen at a pressure of ˜60, ˜30, and ˜10 Torr, respectively. It is shown that, as the gas pressure is increased in the indicated range, the breakdown voltage of the gas-filled gap decreases, which leads to a decrease in the SAEB current amplitude. At pressures of helium within 20-60 Torr, hydrogen within 10-30 Torr, and nitrogen within 3-10 Torr, the regime of the runaway electron beam generation changes and, by varying the pressure in the gas-filled diode in the indicated intervals, it is possible to smoothly control the current pulse duration (FWHM) from ˜100 to ˜500 ps, while the beam current amplitude increases by a factor of 1.5-3.

Interaction of two plasma jets produced successively from Cu target

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kasperczuk, A.; Pisarczyk, T.; Badziak, J.; Borodziuk, S.; Chodukowski, T.; Parys, P.; Ullschmied, Jiří; Krouský, Eduard; Mašek, Karel; Pfeifer, Miroslav; Rohlena, Karel; Skála, Jiří; Pisarczyk, P.

2010-01-01

Roč. 28, č. 3 (2010), s. 497-504 ISSN 0263-0346 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC528 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508; CEZ:AV0Z10100523 Keywords : Laser targets * laser produced-plasma jets * interaction of plasma jets * PALS laser Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 3.656, year: 2010

The scientific success of JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keilhacker, M.; Gibson, A.; Gormezano, C.; Rebut, P.H.

2001-01-01

The paper highlights the JET work in physics and technology during the period of the JET Joint Undertaking (1978-1999), with special emphasis on what has been learned for extrapolation to a NEXT STEP device. - Global confinement scaling has been extended to high currents and heating powers. Dimensionless scaling experiments of ELMy H mode plasmas suggest that bulk plasma transport is gyro-Bohm and predict ignition for a device with ITER-FDR parameters. Experiments in which the plasma elongation and triangularity were varied independently show a strong increase of confinement time with elongation (τ E ∼κ α 0.8±0.3 ), thus supporting a basic design principle of ITER-FEAT. With the Pellet Enhanced Performance (PEP) mode, JET has discovered the beneficial effect of reversed magnetic shear on confinement, opening the possibility of advanced tokamak scenarios. - With a three stage programme of progressively more closed divertors, JET has demonstrated the benefits of divertor closure, in particular, of high divertor neutral pressure which facilitates helium removal. It has also shown that in detached (or semidetached) radiative divertor plasmas the average power load on the target plates of a NEXT STEP device should be tolerable but, in addition, that the transient power loads during ELMs could cause problems. - In 1991 JET has demonstrated the first ever controlled production of a megawatt of fusion power. More extensive D-T experiments in 1997 (DTE1) have established new records in fusion performance: 16 MW transient fusion power with Q in =0.62 (i.e. close to breakeven, Q in =1) and 4 MW steady state fusion power with Q in =0.18 for 4 s. DTE1 has also allowed a successful test of various reactor ICRF heating schemes and a clear demonstration of alpha particle heating, consistent with classical expectations. - JET has developed and tested some of the most important technologies for a NEXT STEP and a reactor, in particular the safe handling of tritium and the

Direct current plasma jet at atmospheric pressure operating in nitrogen and air

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, X. L.; Nikiforov, A. Yu.; Vanraes, P.; Leys, Ch.

2013-01-01

An atmospheric pressure direct current (DC) plasma jet is investigated in N2 and dry air in terms of plasma properties and generation of active species in the active zone and the afterglow. The influence of working gases and the discharge current on plasma parameters and afterglow properties are studied. The electrical diagnostics show that discharge can be sustained in two different operating modes, depending on the current range: a self-pulsing regime at low current and a glow regime at high current. The gas temperature and the N2 vibrational temperature in the active zone of the jet and in the afterglow are determined by means of emission spectroscopy, based on fitting spectra of N2 second positive system (C3Π-B3Π) and the Boltzmann plot method, respectively. The spectra and temperature differences between the N2 and the air plasma jet are presented and analyzed. Space-resolved ozone and nitric oxide density measurements are carried out in the afterglow of the jet. The density of ozone, which is formed in the afterglow of nitrogen plasma jet, is quantitatively detected by an ozone monitor. The density of nitric oxide, which is generated only in the air plasma jet, is determined by means of mass-spectroscopy techniques.

Diagnostics of plasma jet instabilities using fast shutter imaging

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Chumak, Oleksiy; Hrabovský, Milan

2006-01-01

Roč. 56, suppl.B (2006), B767-B773 ISSN 0011-4626. [Symposium on Plasma Physics and Technology /22nd./. Praha, 26.6.2006-29.6.2006] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/05/0669 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : plasma jet * jet instabilities * plasma fluctuation * visualization Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.568, year: 2006

A dc non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, WeiDong; Lopez, Jose L.

2012-06-01

A direct current (dc), non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet is generated with helium/oxygen gas mixture as working gas. The electrical property is characterized as a function of the oxygen concentration and show distinctive regions of operation. Side-on images of the jet were taken to analyze the mode of operation as well as the jet length. A self-pulsed mode is observed before the transition of the discharge to normal glow mode. Optical emission spectroscopy is employed from both end-on and side-on along the jet to analyze the reactive species generated in the plasma. Line emissions from atomic oxygen (at 777.4 nm) and helium (at 706.5 nm) were studied with respect to the oxygen volume percentage in the working gas, flow rate and discharge current. Optical emission intensities of Cu and OH are found to depend heavily on the oxygen concentration in the working gas. Ozone concentration measured in a semi-confined zone in front of the plasma jet is found to be from tens to ˜120 ppm. The results presented here demonstrate potential pathways for the adjustment and tuning of various plasma parameters such as reactive species selectivity and quantities or even ultraviolet emission intensities manipulation in an atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma source. The possibilities of fine tuning these plasma species allows for enhanced applications in health and medical related areas.

A dc non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Weidong; Lopez, Jose L

2012-01-01

A direct current (dc), non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet is generated with helium/oxygen gas mixture as working gas. The electrical property is characterized as a function of the oxygen concentration and show distinctive regions of operation. Side-on images of the jet were taken to analyze the mode of operation as well as the jet length. A self-pulsed mode is observed before the transition of the discharge to normal glow mode. Optical emission spectroscopy is employed from both end-on and side-on along the jet to analyze the reactive species generated in the plasma. Line emissions from atomic oxygen (at 777.4 nm) and helium (at 706.5 nm) were studied with respect to the oxygen volume percentage in the working gas, flow rate and discharge current. Optical emission intensities of Cu and OH are found to depend heavily on the oxygen concentration in the working gas. Ozone concentration measured in a semi-confined zone in front of the plasma jet is found to be from tens to ∼120 ppm. The results presented here demonstrate potential pathways for the adjustment and tuning of various plasma parameters such as reactive species selectivity and quantities or even ultraviolet emission intensities manipulation in an atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma source. The possibilities of fine tuning these plasma species allows for enhanced applications in health and medical related areas. (paper)

Plasma surface interactions at the JET X-point tiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinelli, A.P.; Behrisch, R.; Coad, J.P.; Kock, L. de

1989-01-01

Operation with a magnetic divertor, which leads to a zero poloidal field inside the volume of the discharge vessel (the X-point) has led to substantial improvements in confinement time in JET. In this mode the diverted plasma is conducted to a large number of graphite tiles (X-point tiles) near the top of the vessel. The power handling capability of these tiles limits the maximum additional heating power to the discharge. The study of the surface modifications of the X-point tiles of JET is therefore of interest both to correlate the magnetic configuration and plasma particle and energy fluxes with the surface modifications, and also to get information about the erosion and deposition at these wall areas. (author) 5 refs., 4 figs

Enhanced ablation of small anodes in a carbon nanotube arc discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Raitses, Yevgeny; Fetterman, Abraham; Keidar, Michael

2008-11-01

An atmospheric pressure helium arc discharge is used for carbon nanotube synthesis. The arc discharge operates in an anodic mode with the ablating anode made from a graphite material. For such conditions, models predict the electron-repelling (negative) anode sheath. In the present experiments, the anode ablation rate is investigated as a function of the anode diameter. It is found that anomalously high ablation occurs for small anode diameters (Fetterman, Y. Raitses and M. Keidar, Carbon (2008).

submitter Superconducting instrumentation for high Reynolds turbulence experiments with low temperature gaseous helium

CERN Document Server

Pietropinto, S; Baudet, C; Castaing, B; Chabaud, B; Gagne, Y; Hébral, B; Ladam, Y; Lebrun, P; Pirotte, O; Roche, P

2003-01-01

Turbulence is of common experience and of high interest for industrial applications, despite its physical grounds is still not understood. Cryogenic gaseous helium gives access to extremely high Reynolds numbers (Re). We describe an instrumentation hosted in CERN, which provides a 6 kW @ 4.5 K helium refrigerator directly connected to the experiment. The flow is a round jet; the flow rates range from 20 g/s up to 260 g/s at 4.8 K and about 1.2 bar, giving access to the highest controlled Re flow ever developed. The experimental challenge lies in the range of scales which have to be investigated: from the smallest viscous scale η, typically 1 μm at Re=107 to the largest L∼10 cm. The corresponding frequencies: f=v/η can be as large as 1 MHz. The development of an original micrometric superconducting anemometer using a hot spot and its characteristics will be discussed together with its operation and the perspectives associated with superconducting anemometry.

Towards Precision Measurement of the 21S0-31D2 Two-Photon Transition in Atomic Helium

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yi-Jan; Guan, Yu-Chan; Suen, Te-Hwei; Wang, Li-Bang; Shy, Jow-Tsong

2017-04-01

We intend to accurately measure the frequency for 2S-3D two-photon transition and to deduce the 2S ionization energy to an accuracy below 100 kHz from the theoretical calculation of the 3D state. In this talk, we present a precision measurement of the 21S0 -31D2 two-photon transition in atomic helium at 1009 nm. A master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) is seeded by an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) is constructed to generate more than 700 mW laser power with TEM00 beam profile at 1009 nm. To observe the two-photon transition, a helium cell is placed inside a power enhancement optical cavity and the helium atoms at 21S metastable level are prepared by a pulsed RF discharge and monitor the 668 nm 31D2 to 21P1 fluorescence after RF discharge is turned off . The absolute frequency metrology of the ECDL is carried out by an Er-fiber optical frequency comb (OFC). The two-photon spectrum is obtained by tuning the repetition frequency of the OFC. The 21S0-31D2 frequency is determined to be 594414291.967 (80) MHz in He-4. More results will be presented at the annual meeting.

Pedestal evolution physics in low triangularity JET tokamak discharges with ITER-like wall

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, C.; Dickinson, D.; Horvath, L.; Lunniss, A. E.; Wilson, H. R.; Cziegler, I.; Frassinetti, L.; Gibson, K.; Kirk, A.; Lipschultz, B.; Maggi, C. F.; Roach, C. M.; Saarelma, S.; Snyder, P. B.; Thornton, A.; Wynn, A.; Contributors, JET

2018-01-01

The pressure gradient of the high confinement pedestal region at the edge of tokamak plasmas rapidly collapses during plasma eruptions called edge localised modes (ELMs), and then re-builds over a longer time scale before the next ELM. The physics that controls the evolution of the JET pedestal between ELMs is analysed for 1.4 MA, 1.7 T, low triangularity, δ  =  0.2, discharges with the ITER-like wall, finding that the pressure gradient typically tracks the ideal magneto-hydrodynamic ballooning limit, consistent with a role for the kinetic ballooning mode. Furthermore, the pedestal width is often influenced by the region of plasma that has second stability access to the ballooning mode, which can explain its sometimes complex evolution between ELMs. A local gyrokinetic analysis of a second stable flux surface reveals stability to kinetic ballooning modes; global effects are expected to provide a destabilising mechanism and need to be retained in such second stable situations. As well as an electron-scale electron temperature gradient mode, ion scale instabilities associated with this flux surface include an electro-magnetic trapped electron branch and two electrostatic branches propagating in the ion direction, one with high radial wavenumber. In these second stability situations, the ELM is triggered by a peeling-ballooning mode; otherwise the pedestal is somewhat below the peeling-ballooning mode marginal stability boundary at ELM onset. In this latter situation, there is evidence that higher frequency ELMs are paced by an oscillation in the plasma, causing a crash in the pedestal before the peeling-ballooning boundary is reached. A model is proposed in which the oscillation is associated with hot plasma filaments that are pushed out towards the plasma edge by a ballooning mode, draining their free energy into the cooler plasma there, and then relaxing back to repeat the process. The results suggest that avoiding the oscillation and maximising the region

Gas mixing under the influence of thermal-dynamic parameters such as buoyancy, jet momentum and fan-induced convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, C.K.; Jones, S.C.A.

1994-01-01

Various scaling parameters for simulating mixing under the influence of buoyancy, jet momentum, and fan-induced convection were examined. Their significance was assessed by comparing the mixing of helium (a simulant for hydrogen) with air in a large-scale enclosure (1.8 m x 1.8 m x 1.8 m) to the mixing of salt-water with fresh-water in a small-scale enclosure (1/6 the size). The advantage of using the salt-water/freshwater technique is that it allows the characteristic flow regime (either turbulent or laminar flow) in the full-scale containment to be maintained in the reduced scale containment. A smoke technique for flow visualization was used to examine the mixing of the helium with air. For the small-scale salt-water/fresh-water experiment, fluorescent dye was used to provide a means to visualize the mixing process. The mixing behaviour in both sets of experiments were analyzed based on video records and concentration measurements in ten locations. Measurements showed that depending on the recirculation and jet flow rates, the injected salt-water (in small-scale experiments) and helium (in large-scale experiments) can disperse sufficiently quickly to produce an essentially 'well mixed' condition rendering the concentration measurements insensitive to the variation in the Froude or the Grashof Numbers. (author)

Investigation of Characteristics of Impinging Jet for 1/5-Scale ECC injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Byung Soo; Ko, Yung Joo; Bae, Hwang; Kwon, Tae Soon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-05-15

In ECCS of SMART reactor, safety injection pump discharges cooling water into the core to maintain the water level by filling the amount of loss of coolant under emergency situation such as SBLOCA. Once the ECCS starts to operate, the injected water will be impinged to the upper wall of core support barrel (CBS). And the water will fall along the wall forming liquid film or droplets as shown in Fig. 1(b) due to high Reynolds number. The breakup and film flow will be bypassed by high temperature and pressure steam-water mixture cross flow from RCP discharge into the atmosphere through broken injection nozzle. Then, the flow phenomena in the downcomer is very complex situation with including jet impingement, jet breakup, liquid entrainment, steam condensation, counter-current flow and etc. In this study, the hydraulic features of impinging jet were investigated through visualization for full scale test for simulation of SMART ECC jet and SWAT test of 1/5 simulated test for ECCS of SMART reactor and measurement of the film width. And the scaling method for SWAT test was discussed considering jet break up and other phenomena

Modelling third harmonic ion cyclotron acceleration of deuterium beams for JET fusion product studies experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schneider, M.; Johnson, T.; Dumont, R.

2016-01-01

Recent JET experiments have been dedicated to the studies of fusion reactions between deuterium (D) and Helium-3 (3He) ions using neutral beam injection (NBI) in synergy with third harmonic ion cyclotron radio-frequency heating (ICRH) of the beam. This scenario generates a fast ion deuterium tail...... enhancing DD and D3He fusion reactions. Modelling and measuring the fast deuterium tail accurately is essential for quantifying the fusion products. This paper presents the modelling of the D distribution function resulting from the NBI+ICRF heating scheme, reinforced by a comparison with dedicated JET fast...

Enhancement of the SPARC90 code to pool scrubbing events under jet injection regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berna, C., E-mail: ceberes@iie.upv.es [Instituto de Ingeniería Energética, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Camino de Vera 14, 46022 Valencia (Spain); Escrivá, A.; Muñoz-Cobo, J.L. [Instituto de Ingeniería Energética, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Camino de Vera 14, 46022 Valencia (Spain); Herranz, L.E., E-mail: luisen.herranz@ciemat.es [Unit of Nuclear Safety Research Division of Nuclear Fission, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2016-04-15

has been forcefully limited since very few pool scrubbing tests are available in the jet injection regime (i.e., ACE, LACE, POSEIDON II and RCA). But nevertheless, a considerable improvement in the estimation of the Decontamination Factor (DF) has been reached, as well as it has been proven that sizes of aerosol particles and submergencies are factors of major influence, however there is still a long road ahead. We have extended the SPARC90 capabilities to study jet discharge processes, then the new SPARC90-Jet version is able to study globular and jet discharge processes, i.e. pool discharges under low and high velocity conditions. Therefore, the work here presented should be understood as a promising first step toward an effective code extension to the jet regime.

Enhancement of the SPARC90 code to pool scrubbing events under jet injection regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berna, C.; Escrivá, A.; Muñoz-Cobo, J.L.; Herranz, L.E.

2016-01-01

has been forcefully limited since very few pool scrubbing tests are available in the jet injection regime (i.e., ACE, LACE, POSEIDON II and RCA). But nevertheless, a considerable improvement in the estimation of the Decontamination Factor (DF) has been reached, as well as it has been proven that sizes of aerosol particles and submergencies are factors of major influence, however there is still a long road ahead. We have extended the SPARC90 capabilities to study jet discharge processes, then the new SPARC90-Jet version is able to study globular and jet discharge processes, i.e. pool discharges under low and high velocity conditions. Therefore, the work here presented should be understood as a promising first step toward an effective code extension to the jet regime.

Impact of volume and surface processes on the pre-ionization of dielectric barrier discharges: advanced diagnostics and fluid modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Nemschokmichal, Sebastian; Tschiersch, Robert; Höft, Hans; Wild, Robert; Bogaczyk, Marc; Becker, Markus M.; Loffhagen, Detlef; Stollenwerk, Lars; Kettlitz, Manfred; Brandenburg, Ronny; Meichsner, Jürgen

2018-05-01

The phenomenology and breakdown mechanism of dielectric barrier discharges are strongly determined by volume and surface memory effects. In particular, the pre-ionization provided by residual species in the volume or surface charges on the dielectrics influences the breakdown behavior of filamentary and diffuse discharges. This was investigated by advanced diagnostics such as streak camera imaging, laser photodetachment of negative ions and laser photodesorption of electrons from dielectric surfaces in correlation with 1D fluid modeling. The streak camera images show that an increasing number of residual charges in the volume changes the microdischarge breakdown in air-like gas mixtures from a cathode-directed streamer to a simultaneous propagation of cathode- and anode-directed streamers. In contrast, seed electrons are important for the pre-ionization if the density of residual charges in the volume is low. One source of seed electrons are negative ions, whose density exceeds the electron density during the pre-phase of diffuse helium-oxygen barrier discharges as indicated by the laser photodetachment experiments. Electrons desorbed from the cathodic dielectric have an even larger influence. They induce a transition from the glow-like to the Townsend-like discharge mode in nominally pure helium. Apart from analyzing the importance of the pre-ionization for the breakdown mechanism, the opportunities for manipulating the lateral structure and discharge modes are discussed. For this purpose, the intensity and diameter of a diffuse discharge in helium are controlled by an illuminated semiconducting barrier. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Fundamentals of Complex Plasmas", edited by Jürgen Meichsner, Michael Bonitz, Holger Fehske, Alexander Piel.

Target and ion source developments for a helium-jet type ISOL at the Kyoto university reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawase, Yoichi; Okano, Kotoyuki; Funakoshi, Yoshihiro

1985-01-01

A target system and ion sources for a He-jet type ISOL have been successfully constructed and the characteristics have been studied. The beam intensities of short-lived fission products have been much improved by increasing the He gas pressure owing to a range effect of fission products in the He gas and a short transport time effect of aerosols in a target chamber and a capillary. An oscillating electron ion source has been coupled with the He-jet system and ten kinds of elements have been ionized with efficiencies of 0.4-2.4%. A high temperature thermal ion source has been studied to ionize the alkali, alkaline-earth and rare-earth elements. The effects of the He-jet on the ion source have been discussed. (orig.)

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.)

The back-diffusion effect of air on the discharge characteristics of atmospheric-pressure radio-frequency glow discharges using bare metal electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Wenting; Liang Tianran; Wang Huabo; Li Heping; Bao Chengyu

2007-01-01

Radio-frequency (RF), atmospheric-pressure glow discharge (APGD) plasmas using bare metal electrodes have promising prospects in the fields of plasma-aided etching, deposition, surface treatment, disinfection, sterilization, etc. In this paper, the discharge characteristics, including the breakdown voltage and the discharge voltage for sustaining a stable and uniform α mode discharge of the RF APGD plasmas are presented. The experiments are conducted by placing the home-made planar-type plasma generator in ambient and in a vacuum chamber, respectively, with helium as the primary plasma-forming gas. When the discharge processes occur in ambient, particularly for the lower plasma-working gas flow rates, the experimental measurements show that it is the back-diffusion effect of air in atmosphere, instead of the flow rate of the gas, that results in the obvious decrease in the breakdown voltage with increasing plasma-working gas flow rate. Further studies on the discharge characteristics, e.g. the luminous structures, the concentrations and distributions of chemically active species in plasmas, with different plasma-working gases or gas mixtures need to be conducted in future work

Turbulent jet erosion of a stably stratified gas layer in a nuclear reactor test containment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishay, Liel [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel); Bieder, Ulrich [Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Centre de SACLAY DEN/SAC/DANS/DM2S/STMF/LMSF, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Ziskind, Gennady [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel); Rashkovan, Alex, E-mail: rashbgu@gmail.com [Physics Department, Nuclear Research Center Negev (NRCN), PO Box 9001, Beer-Sheva 84190 (Israel)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • We model stably stratified layer erosion by vertical turbulent round jet. • Separate effect studies are performed as a platform for choosing modeling approach. • A test performed in MISTRA facility, CEA, Saclay is modeled using Fluent and Trio-U codes. • The proposed modeling approach showed good agreement with the MISTRA facility LOWMA-3 test. - Abstract: A number of integral and separate effect experiments were performed in the last two decades for validation of containment computational tools. The main goal of these benchmark experiments was to assess the ability of turbulence models and computational fluid dynamics codes to predict hydrogen concentration distribution and steam condensation rate in a nuclear reactor containment in the course of severe accidents. It appears from the published literature that the predictive capability of the existing computational tools still needs to be improved. This work examines numerically the temporal evolution of helium concentration in the experiment called LOWMA-3, performed in the MISTRA facility of CEA-Saclay, France. In the experiment, helium is used to mimic hydrogen of a real-case accident. The aim of this separate effect experiment, where steam condensation was not involved, is to predict helium concentration field. The conditions of the experiment are such that both the momentum transport and molecular diffusion contributions to the mixing process are of the same order of magnitude (Fr ∼ 1). A commercial CFD code, Fluent, and a CEA in-house code, Trio-U, are used for flow and helium concentration fields temporal evolution prediction in the present study. The preliminary separate effect studies provide guidance to an optimal modeling approach for the LOWMA-3 experiment. Temporal evolution of helium concentration in the stratification layer is shown, and a comparison to the experiment is discussed. It is shown that correct modeling of the round jet flowfield is essential for a reliable

Turbulent jet erosion of a stably stratified gas layer in a nuclear reactor test containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishay, Liel; Bieder, Ulrich; Ziskind, Gennady; Rashkovan, Alex

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We model stably stratified layer erosion by vertical turbulent round jet. • Separate effect studies are performed as a platform for choosing modeling approach. • A test performed in MISTRA facility, CEA, Saclay is modeled using Fluent and Trio-U codes. • The proposed modeling approach showed good agreement with the MISTRA facility LOWMA-3 test. - Abstract: A number of integral and separate effect experiments were performed in the last two decades for validation of containment computational tools. The main goal of these benchmark experiments was to assess the ability of turbulence models and computational fluid dynamics codes to predict hydrogen concentration distribution and steam condensation rate in a nuclear reactor containment in the course of severe accidents. It appears from the published literature that the predictive capability of the existing computational tools still needs to be improved. This work examines numerically the temporal evolution of helium concentration in the experiment called LOWMA-3, performed in the MISTRA facility of CEA-Saclay, France. In the experiment, helium is used to mimic hydrogen of a real-case accident. The aim of this separate effect experiment, where steam condensation was not involved, is to predict helium concentration field. The conditions of the experiment are such that both the momentum transport and molecular diffusion contributions to the mixing process are of the same order of magnitude (Fr ∼ 1). A commercial CFD code, Fluent, and a CEA in-house code, Trio-U, are used for flow and helium concentration fields temporal evolution prediction in the present study. The preliminary separate effect studies provide guidance to an optimal modeling approach for the LOWMA-3 experiment. Temporal evolution of helium concentration in the stratification layer is shown, and a comparison to the experiment is discussed. It is shown that correct modeling of the round jet flowfield is essential for a reliable

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

Analytical–numerical global model of atmospheric-pressure radio-frequency capacitive discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazzaroni, C; Chabert, P; Lieberman, M A; Lichtenberg, A J; Leblanc, A

2012-01-01

A one-dimensional hybrid analytical–numerical global model of atmospheric-pressure, radio-frequency (rf) driven capacitive discharges is developed. The feed gas is assumed to be helium with small admixtures of oxygen or nitrogen. The electrical characteristics are modeled analytically as a current-driven homogeneous discharge. The electron power balance is solved analytically to determine a time-varying Maxwellian electron temperature, which oscillates on the rf timescale. Averaging over the rf period yields effective rate coefficients for gas phase activated processes. The particle balance relations for all species are then integrated numerically to determine the equilibrium discharge parameters. The coupling of analytical solutions of the time-varying discharge and electron temperature dynamics, and numerical solutions of the discharge chemistry, allows for a fast solution of the discharge equilibrium. Variations of discharge parameters with discharge composition and rf power are determined. Comparisons are made to more accurate but numerically costly fluid models, with space and time variations, but with the range of parameters limited by computational time. (paper)

Effect of shear in the radial electric field on confinement in JET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O` Brien, D P; Balet, B; Deliyanakis, N; Cordey, J G; Stubberfield, P M [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking

1994-07-01

The role of the radial electric field during enhanced confinement of JET discharges is studied. Results from two series of experiments are presented: beam dominated with the addition of a small amount of ICRH, and ICRH dominated discharges, showing that for high performance ICRH heated discharges which obtain the high confinement regime, there is evidence against the E x B flow stabilisation. 4 refs., 4 figs.

Determination of electron temperature and density at plasma edge in the Large Helical Device with opacity-incorporated helium collisional-radiative model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, M.; Sawada, K.

2014-01-01

Spectra of neutral helium in the visible wavelength range are measured for a discharge in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The electron temperature (T e ) and density (n e ) are derived from the intensity distribution of helium emission lines. For that purpose, a collisional-radiative model developed by Sawada et al. [Plasma and Fusion Res. 2010;5:001] which takes the reabsorption effect into account is used. It is found that incorporation of the reabsorption effect is necessary to obtain a set of T e and n e giving consistent line intensity distribution with the measurement, and that those parameters obtained vary as the line-averaged n e changes in the course of time. The position where the helium line emission dominantly takes place is located with the help of T e and n e profiles measured by the Thomson scattering system. The result indicates that the emission position is almost fixed at the place where the connection length of the magnetic field lines to the divertor plate leaps beyond 10 m. Because intense neutral atom line emission suggests the vigorous ionization of neutral atoms, the helium line emission location determined here can be regarded as the effective boundary of the plasma. - Highlights: • The reabsorption effect is included in the helium collisional-radiative model. • Electron temperature and density are derived for the Large Helical Device (LHD). • Line emission location is found to be little changed during the discharge. • This measurement method can be used to determine the position of effective plasma boundary

Transfer of a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet through a long flexible plastic tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostov, Konstantin G; Prysiazhnyi, Vadym; Honda, Roberto Y; Machida, Munemasa

2015-01-01

This work proposes an experimental configuration for the generation of a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet at the downstream end of a long flexible plastic tube. The device consists of a cylindrical dielectric chamber where an insulated metal rod that serves as high-voltage electrode is inserted. The chamber is connected to a long (up to 4 m) commercial flexible plastic tube, equipped with a thin floating Cu wire. The wire penetrates a few mm inside the discharge chamber, passes freely (with no special support) along the plastic tube and terminates a few millimeters before the tube end. The system is flushed with Ar and the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is ignited inside the dielectric chamber by a low frequency ac power supply. The gas flow is guided by the plastic tube while the metal wire, when in contact with the plasma inside the DBD reactor, acquires plasma potential. There is no discharge inside the plastic tube, however an Ar plasma jet can be extracted from the downstream tube end. The jet obtained by this method is cold enough to be put in direct contact with human skin without an electric shock. Therefore, by using this approach an Ar plasma jet can be generated at the tip of a long plastic tube far from the high-voltage discharge region, which provides the safe operation conditions and device flexibility required for medical treatment. (paper)

TiN coating on steel by pulsed capillary discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avaria, G; Favre, M; Bhuyan, H; Wyndham, E; Kelly, H; Grondona, D; Marquez, A

2006-01-01

The characteristic geometry of a pulsed capillary discharge (PCD)[1] establishes natural conditions for the formation of plasma jets, which expand in the chamber's neutral gas. A locally stored capacitor, coaxial with the capillary, is pulse charged to a maximum of -10kV, giving a current pulse of ∼10ns, ∼2kA. The discharge is operated in nitrogen, in a continuous pulsing mode, at a frequency of 50 Hz and pressures of 0.3 to 1 Torr. The coating produced by these plasma jets on substrates of AISI 304 stainless steel have been studied. The chamber's anode is made of titanium, which interacts with the nitrogen plasma producing TiN coatings on the substrates. The results are presented for the plasma characterization at different discharge pressures and times, as well as SEM, EDS and AFM analysis of deposits made. This characterization was carried out using Langmuir double probes, which provide data on the electronic temperature and density in the plasma jet. At the same time spectrographic studies of the plasma were carried out, and the presence of ionized atoms of titanium and nitrogen were observed. An inverse relation between the pressure of nitrogen present in the chamber and the thickness of the coating over steel was found, as well as a direct relationship between the temperature and plasma densities with the thickness of the deposit (CW)

Studies of energy transport in Jet H-modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keilhacker, M.; Balet, B.; Cordey, J.; Gottardi, N.; Muir, D.; Thomsen, K.; Watkins, M.

1989-01-01

The local heat transport properties in the interior of ohmic, L- and H-phases of 2MA discharges, are determined. Time dependent energy balance code, TRANSP, and timeslice code, QFLUX are used. The global confinement properties of higher current discharges (≤ 3.8MA) are analyzed. The results indicate that during the L-phase of JET single null X-point discharges, the total heat transport coefficient in the plasma decreases to a level close to the ohmic value. Moreover, confinement during the H-phase continues to improve with current (up to 3.8MA), but degrades with increasing neutral beam power

Jet operated heat pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collard, T.H.

1982-01-01

A jet pump system is shown that utilizes waste heat to provide heating and/or cooling. Waste heat diverted through a boiler causes a refrigerant to evaporate and expand for supersonic discharge through a nozzle thereby creating a vacuum in an evaporator coil. The vacuum draws the refrigerant in a gaseous state into a condensing section of a jet pump along with refrigerant from a reservoir in a subcooled liquid form. This causes condensation of the gas in a condensation section of the jet pump, while moving at constant velocity. The change in momentum of the fluid overcomes the system high side pressure. Some of the condensate is cooled by a subcooler. Refrigerant in a subcooled liquid state from the subcooler is fed back into the evaporator and the condensing section with an adequate supply being insured by the reservoir. The motive portion of the condensate is returned to the boiler sans subcooling. By proper valving start-up is insured, as well as the ability to switch from heating to cooling

Effect of secondary electron emission on subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Schweigert, I. V.; Alexandrov, A. L.; Gugin, P.; Lavrukhin, M.; Bokhan, P. A.; Zakrevsky, Dm E.

2017-11-01

The subnanosecond breakdown in open discharge may be applied for producing superfast high power switches. Such fast breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge in helium was explored both in experiment and in kinetic simulations. The kinetic model of electron avalanche development was developed using PIC-MCC technique. The model simulates motion of electrons, ions and fast helium atoms, appearing due to ions scattering. It was shown that the mechanism responsible for ultra-fast breakdown development is the electron emission from cathode. The photoemission and emission by ions or fast atoms impact is the main reason of current growth at the early stage of breakdown, but at the final stage, when the voltage on discharge gap drops, the secondary electron emission (SEE) is responsible for subnanosecond time scale of current growth. It was also found that the characteristic time of the current growth τS depends on the SEE yield of the cathode material. Three types of cathode material (titanium, SiC, and CuAlMg-alloy) were tested. It is shown that in discharge with SiC and CuAlMg-alloy cathodes (which have enhanced SEE) the current can increase with a subnanosecond characteristic time as small as τS = 0.4 ns, for the pulse voltage amplitude of 5- 12 kV..

Observations of nonlinear behaviour in a low-pressure discharge column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartier, S.L.; Merlino, R.L.

1984-01-01

Sudden and abrupt jumps in the plasma density and discharge current of low-pressure magnetized argon and helium plasmas are observed. These jumps are found to depend on the discharge bias voltage, the neutral gas pressure, and the magnetic field strength and occur with a substantial hysteresis in those parameters. These jumps are accompanied by the onset of intense and coherent low-frequency plasma oscillations. In addition, under certain conditions, the radial density profile of the plasma is found to be significantly different following a jump. Some possibly related plasma instabilities are discussed

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

Parametric study on density stratification erosion caused by a horizontal steam jet interacting with a vertical plate obstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paranjape, S., E-mail: Sidharth.paranjape@psi.ch; Kapulla, R., E-mail: ralf.kapulla@psi.ch; Mignot, G., E-mail: guillaume.mignot@psi.ch; Paladino, D., E-mail: domenico.paladino@psi.ch

2017-02-15

Highlights: • Helium layer breakup by horizontal steam jet impinging on vertical plate. • A small change in geometric configuration lead to a large change in flow pattern. • The functional dependence of erosion front motion on time. • Creation of a concentration stratification in adjacent vessel. - Abstract: During postulated severe accident scenarios in nuclear power plants, a hydrogen-rich layer might form at the top of the reactor containment. Various flow patterns resulting from the release of steam from the primary circuit might break the layer and redistribute hydrogen in the containment. The prediction of the gas transport during the accident requires detailed modeling of the processes involved. Advanced lumped parameter codes or computational fluid dynamics codes are used for this purpose. These codes need to be validated against experimental data obtained in large scale experimental facilities, where scale distortions are reduced. In order to obtain the required data with high spatial and temporal resolution, experiments were carried out in the PANDA facility in Switzerland as a part of OECD/HYMERES (HYdrogen Mitigation Experiments for Reactor Safety) project. The present experiments address the breakup of a layer rich in helium (used as simulant for hydrogen), under steam environment and its redistribution in two interconnected vessels (total volume of 183.3 m{sup 3}) under the action of a diffused flow resulting from the interaction of a horizontal steam jet with a vertical plate obstruction. The influence of the distance between the jet exit and the obstruction on the flow pattern was investigated. Spatial and temporal distribution of the gas concentration, the temperature and local gas velocity field were measured. It was found that a small change in the geometric configuration lead to a large change in the flow pattern. Reducing the jet-obstruction distance slowed down the helium-layer erosion process by a factor of two. Additionally, the

Single capture and transfer ionization in collisions of Clq+ projectile ions incident on helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, K.L.; Ben-Itzhak, I.; Cocke, C.L.; Giese, J.P.; Richard, P.

1995-01-01

The Kansas State University linac has been used to measure the ratio of the cross sections for the processes of transfer ionization (TI) and single capture (SC) for 2 MeV/amu Cl q+ where q=7, 9, 13, 14, and 15 projectile ions incident on a helium target. The ratio was determined using a helium gas jet target by measuring coincidences between projectile-ion and recoil-ion final charge states. The σ TI /σ SC for Cl q+ were compared to measurements of bare F 9+ and hydrogenlike F 8+ and O 7+ taken at the same velocity. The ratios deviate from a q 2 scaling which is predicted in the perturbative regime. This deviation is attributed to screening by the projectile electrons for low q=7 and 9, and to the collision being non-perturbative for high q. A possible saturation effect in the ratio was observed for q similar 14. (orig.)

Water jet behavior in center water jet type supersonic steam injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamoto, Y.; Abe, Y.

2005-01-01

Next-generation reactor systems have been under development aiming at simplified system and improvement of safety and credibility. A steam injector has a function of a passive pump without large motor or turbo-machinery, and has been investigated as one of the most important component of the next-generation reactor. Its performance as a pump depends on direct contact condensation phenomena between a supersonic steam and a sub-cooled water jet. As previous studies of the steam injector, there are studies about formulation of operating characteristic of steam injector and analysis of jet structure in steam injector by Narabayashi etc. And as previous studies of the direct contact condensation, there is the study about the direct contact condensation in steam atmosphere. However the study about the turbulent heat transfer under the great shear stress is not enough investigated. Therefore it is necessary to examine in detail about the operating characteristic of the steam injector. The present paper reports the observation results of the water jet behavior in the super sonic steam injector by using the video camera and the high-speed video camera. And the measuring results of the temperature and the pressure distribution in the steam injector are reported. From observation results by video camera, it is cleared that the water jet is established at the center of the steam injector right after steam supplied and the operation of the steam injector depends on the throat diameter. And from observation results by high-speed video camera, it is supposed that the columned water jet surface is established in the mixing nozzle and the water jet surface movement exists. Furthermore and effect of the non-condensable gas on the steam injector is investigated by measuring the radial temperature distributions in the water jet. From measuring results, it is supposed the more the air included in the steam, the more the temperature fluctuation of both steam and discharge water

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.)

Interpretation of ion flux and electron temperature profiles at the JET divertor target during high recycling and detached discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monk, R.D.

1997-01-01

Detailed experiments have been carried out with the JET Mark I pumped divertor to characterise high recycling and detached plasma regimes. This paper presents new measurements of high resolution divertor ion flux profiles that identify the growth of additional peaks during high recycling discharges. These ion flux profiles are used in conjunction with Dα and neutral flux measurements to examine the physics of divertor detachment and compare against simple analytic models. Finally, problems are highlighted with conventional methods of single and triple probe interpretation under high recycling conditions. By assuming that the single probe behaves as an asymmetric double probe the whole characteristic may be fitted and significantly lower electron temperatures may be derived when the electron to ion saturation current ratio is reduced. The results from the asymmetric double probe fit are shown to be consistent with independent diagnostic measurements. (orig.)

Transmission characteristics of microwave in a glow-discharge dusty plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Jieshu; Yuan, Chengxun; Gao, Ruilin; Liu, Sha; Yue, Feng; Wang, Ying; Zhou, Zhong-Xiang; Wu, Jian; Li, Hui

2016-07-01

In this study, the propagation characteristics of electromagnetic wave in a glow discharge plasma with dust particles are experimentally investigated. A helium alternating current glow discharge plasmas have been successfully generated. Measurements of the plasma parameters using Langmuir probes, in the absence of dust particles, provide plasma densities (ne) of 1017 m-3 and electron temperatures (Te) ranging from 2 to 4 eV. Dusty plasmas are made by adding 30 nm radius aluminum oxide (Al2O3) particles into the helium plasma. The density of the dust particle (nd) in the device is about 1011-1012 m-3. The propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves are determined by a vector network analyzer with 4-6 GHz antennas. An apparent attenuation by the dust is observed, and the measured attenuation data are approximately in accordance with the theoretical calculations. The effects of gas pressure and input power on the propagation are also investigated. Results show that the transmission attenuation increases with the gas pressure and input power, the charged dust particles play a significant role in the microwave attenuation.

Helium turbo-expander with an alternator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Yoshitane

1980-01-01

Study was made on a helium turbo-expander, the heart of helium refrigerator systems, in order to develop a system which satisfies the required conditions. A helium turbo-expander with externally pressurized helium gas bearings at the temperature of liquid nitrogen and an alternator as a brake have been employed. The essential difference between a helium turbo-expander and a nitrogen turbo-expander was clarified. The gas bearing lubricated with nitrogen at room temperature and the gas bearing lubricated with helium at low temperature were tested. The flow rate of helium in a helium refrigerator for a large superconducting magnet is comparatively small, therefore a helium turbine must be small, but the standard for large turbine design can be applied to such small turbine. Using the alternator as a brake, the turbo-expander was easily controllable electrically. The prototype turbo-expander was made, and the liquefaction test with it and MHD power generation test were carried out. (Kako, I.)

Nonlinear behaviors in a pulsed dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Jiao; Wang Yanhui, E-mail: wangyh@dlut.edu.cn; Wang Dezhen

2011-08-01

In this paper, the temporal nonlinear behaviors of pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric helium are studied numerically by a one-dimensional fluid model. The results show that the common single-period pulsed discharge with two current pulses per single voltage pulse can take place over a broad parameter range. The rising and falling times of the voltage pulse can affect the discharge characteristics greatly. When the discharge is ignited by a pulse voltage with long rising and falling times, a single-period pulsed discharge with multiple current peaks can be observed. Under appropriate rising and falling times of the voltage pulse, a stable period-two discharge can occur over wide frequency and voltage ranges. Also this period-two discharge can exhibit different current and voltage characteristics with changing the duty cycle. With other parameters fixed, the pulsed DBD could be driven to chaos through period-doubling route by increasing either the falling time or the frequency of voltage pulse.

[Gas chromatography with a Pulsed discharge helium ionization detector for measurement of molecular hydrogen(H2) in the atmosphere].

Science.gov (United States)

Luan, Tian; Fang, Shuang-xi; Zhou, Ling-xi; Wang, Hong-yang; Zhang, Gen

2015-01-01

A high precision GC system with a pulsed discharge helium ionization detector was set up based on the commercial Agilent 7890A gas chromatography. The gas is identified by retention time and the concentration is calculated through the peak height. Detection limit of the system is about 1 x 10(-9) (mole fraction, the same as below). The standard deviation of 140 continuous injections with a standard cylinder( concentration is roughly 600 x 10(-9)) is better than 0.3 x 10(-9). Between 409.30 x 10(-9) and 867.74 x 10(-9) molecular hydrogen mole fractions and peak height have good linear response. By using two standards to quantify the air sample, the precision meets the background molecular hydrogen compatibility goal within the World Meteorological Organization/Global Atmosphere Watch (WMO/GAW) program. Atmospheric molecular hydrogen concentration at Guangzhou urban area was preliminarily measured by this method from January to November 2013. The results show that the atmospheric molecular hydrogen mole fraction varies from 450 x 10(-9) to 700 x 10(-9) during the observation period, with the lowest value at 14:00 (Beijing time, the same as below) and the peak value at 20:00. The seasonal variation of atmospheric hydrogen at Guangzhou area was similar with that of the same latitude stations in northern hemisphere.

Ultrafast quenching of metals to liquid-helium temperatures - investigation of the low-temperature mobility of hydrogen in niobium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanz, M.; Blocher, R.; Carstanjen, H.D.; Messer, R.; Plachke, D.; Seeger, A.

1989-01-01

A novel technique for ultrafast quenching from 300 K to 4.2 K has been developed. It employs a fast jet of liquid helium with a speed of about 10 2 m/s and allows us to quench metal samples in about 6 ms. This corresponds to a quenching rate of about 4.5x10 4 K/s, which exceeds that achievable by conventional quenching in liquid helium by more than one order of magnitude. The technique has been used for a resistometric study of the behaviour of hydrogen in niobium quenched-in from the α-phase by means of isochronal and isothermal annealing. Even in the low-temperature region below 20 K a considerable recovery of the resistivity has been found, which cannot be seen in conventional quenching experiments. (orig.)

A Planar Source of Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhdanova, O. S.; Kuznetsov, V. S.; Panarin, V. A.; Skakun, V. S.; Sosnin, E. A.; Tarasenko, V. F.

2018-01-01

In a single-barrier discharge with voltage sharpening and low gas consumption (up to 1 L/min), plane atmospheric pressure plasma jets with a width of up to 3 cm and length of up to 4 cm in air are formed in the slit geometry of the discharge zone. The energy, temperature, and spectral characteristics of the obtained jets have been measured. The radiation spectrum contains intense maxima corresponding to vibrational transitions of the second positive system of molecular nitrogen N2 ( C 3Π u → B 3Π g ) and comparatively weak transition lines of the first positive system of the N 2 + ion ( B 2Σ u + → X 2Σ g ). By an example of inactivation of the Staphylococcus aureus culture (strain ATCC 209), it is shown that plasma is a source of chemically active particles providing the inactivation of microorganisms.

Experimental and modeling analysis of fast ionization wave discharge propagation in a rectangular geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takashima, Keisuke; Adamovich, Igor V.; Xiong Zhongmin; Kushner, Mark J.; Starikovskaia, Svetlana; Czarnetzki, Uwe; Luggenhoelscher, Dirk

2011-01-01

Fast ionization wave (FIW), nanosecond pulse discharge propagation in nitrogen and helium in a rectangular geometry channel/waveguide is studied experimentally using calibrated capacitive probe measurements. The repetitive nanosecond pulse discharge in the channel was generated using a custom designed pulsed plasma generator (peak voltage 10-40 kV, pulse duration 30-100 ns, and voltage rise time ∼1 kV/ns), generating a sequence of alternating polarity high-voltage pulses at a pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz. Both negative polarity and positive polarity ionization waves have been studied. Ionization wave speed, as well as time-resolved potential distributions and axial electric field distributions in the propagating discharge are inferred from the capacitive probe data. ICCD images show that at the present conditions the FIW discharge in helium is diffuse and volume-filling, while in nitrogen the discharge propagates along the walls of the channel. FIW discharge propagation has been analyzed numerically using quasi-one-dimensional and two-dimensional kinetic models in a hydrodynamic (drift-diffusion), local ionization approximation. The wave speed and the electric field distribution in the wave front predicted by the model are in good agreement with the experimental results. A self-similar analytic solution of the fast ionization wave propagation equations has also been obtained. The analytic model of the FIW discharge predicts key ionization wave parameters, such as wave speed, peak electric field in the front, potential difference across the wave, and electron density as functions of the waveform on the high voltage electrode, in good agreement with the numerical calculations and the experimental results.

One-dimensional numerical modeling of Blue Jet and its impact on stratospheric chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Duruisseau, F.; Thiéblemont, R.; Huret, N.

2011-12-01

In the stratosphere the ozone layer is very sensitive to the NOx abundance. The ionisation of N2 and O2 molecules by TLE's (Transient Luminous Events) is a source of NOx which is currently not well quantified and could act as a loss of ozone. In this study a one dimensional explicit parameterization of a Blue-Jet propagation based on that proposed by Raizer et al. (2006 and 2007) has been developed. This parameterization considers Blue-Jet as a streamer initiated by a bidirectional leader discharge, emerging from the anvil and sustained by moderate cloud charge. The streamer growth varies with the electrical field induced by initial cloud charge and the initial altitude. This electrical parameterization and the chemical mechanisms associated with the discharge have been implemented into a detailed chemical model of stratospheric ozone including evolution of nitrogen, chlorine and bromine species. We will present several tests performed to validate the electrical code and evaluate the propagation velocity and the maximum altitude attains by the blue jet as a function of electrical parameters. The results obtained giving the spatiotemporal evolution of the electron density are then used to initiate the specific chemistry associated with the Blue Jet. Preliminary results on the impact of such discharge on the ozone content and the whole stratospheric system will be presented.

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

Photoionization of helium dimers; Photoionisation von Heliumdimeren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Havermeier, Tilo

2010-06-09

The helium dimer is one of the most weakly bound systems in the universe. This makes it an interesting quantum mechanical object for investigation. These Van der Waals Clusters can be produced in an expansion of a cryogenic gas jet through a small nozzle into vacuum. In the present experiment we examine the interaction of He dimers with synchrotron radiation at an energy range from 64 to 78 eV. We observed different pathways leading to single ionization of both He atoms of the dimer compound. This two close standing ions begin now to dissociate in cause of their coulomb potential. All charged fragments were detected in coincidence with a COLTRIMS system. Especially Interatomic Coulombic Decay (ICD) and the two step process (TS1) were clearly identified. Furthermore a distribution of the internuclear distance was obtained from the measured Kinetic Energy Release (KER). (orig.)

Operating Manual of Helium Refrigerator (Rev. 2)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, K.M.; Son, S.H.; Kim, K.S.; Lee, S.K.; Kim, M.S. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

2002-07-01

A helium refrigerator was installed as a supplier of 20K cold helium to the cryogenic distillation system of WTRF pilot plant. The operating procedures of the helium refrigerator, helium compressor and auxiliary apparatus are described for the safety and efficient operation in this manual. The function of the helium refrigerator is to remove the impurities from the compressed helium of about 250psig, to cool down the helium from ambient temperature to 20K through the heat exchanger and expansion engine and to transfer the cold helium to the cryogenic distillation system. For the smoothly operation of helium refrigerator, the preparation, the start-up, the cool-down and the shut-down of the helium refrigerator are described in this operating manual. (author). 3 refs., 14 tabs.

Progress in Neutron Diagnostics at JET

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mlynář, Jan; Bonheure, G.; Murari, A.; Bertalot, L.; Angelone, M.; Pillon, M.; Conroy, S.; Ericsson, G.; Kaellne, J.; Popovichev, S.

2006-01-01

Roč. 56, suppl.B (2006), B118-B124 ISSN 0011-4626. [Symposium on Plasma Physics and Technology /22nd./. Praha, 26.6.2006-29.6.2006] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : tokamak * JET * fusion * neutrons diagnostics Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.568, year: 2006

Study on oxygen transfer by solid jet aerator with multiple openings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B.K. Shukla

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In the current study, two different sets of solid jet aerators having area of openings equal to 594.96 mm2 and 246.30 mm2 with rectangular nozzles having rounded ends were studied. Each set consisted of aerators having one, two, four and eight openings. The oxygenation performance of every model was studied for five different discharges of 1.11 l/s, 2.10 l/s, 2.96 l/s, 3.83 l/s and 4.69 l/s were studied. At low discharges, the aerator having lesser number of openings demonstrated more oxygen-transfer efficiency whereas at higher discharges, the aerator having more number of openings yielded more oxygenation-efficiency. Maximum value of oxygen-transfer efficiency of 21.53 kg-O2/kW-hr was obtained for the discharge of 1.11 l/s for single nozzle aerator; however the maximum oxygen-transfer factor of 2.0 × 10−2 s−1 was obtained at discharge of 4.69 l/s for aerator having eight numbers of openings having area of 594.96 mm2. On the other hand, maximum oxygen transfer efficiency of 10.93 kg-O2/kW-hr was demonstrated by aerator with single opening at a discharge of 1.11 l/s and maximum oxygen transfer factor of 7.83 × 10−3 s−1 was obtained from aerator with eight openings at a discharge of 4.69 l/s corresponding to set of aerators with area of openings equal to 246.30 mm2. Multiple non-linear regression modelling was applied to predict oxygen transfer of the aerators for different combinations of input parameters. At the end, the models were compared with conventional methods of aeration and were found to be competitive with traditional devices. Keywords: Plunging jet, Jet aerator, Oxygen transfer, Aeration, Dissolved oxygen

Discharge cleaning on TFTR after boronization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, D.; Dylla, H.F.; LaMarche, P.H.; Bell, M.G.; Blanchard, W.; Bush, C.E.; Gentile, C.; Hawryluk, R.J.; HIll, K.W.; Janos, A.C.; Jobes, F.C; Owens, D.K.; Pearson, G.; Schivell, J.; Ulrickson, M.A.; Vannoy, C.; Wong, K.L.

1991-05-01

At the beginning of the 1990 TFTR experimental run, after replacement of POCO-AXF-5Q graphite tiles on the midplane of the bumper limiter by carbon fiber composite (CFC) tiles and prior to any Pulse Discharge Cleaning (PDC), boronization was performed. Boronization is the deposition of a layer of boron and carbon on the vacuum vessel inner surface by a glow discharge in a diborane, methane and helium mixture. The amount of discharge cleaning required after boronization was substantially reduced compared to that which was needed after previous openings when boronization was not done. Previously, after a major shutdown, about 10 5 low current (∼20 kA) Taylor Discharge Cleaning (TDC) pulses were required before high current (∼400 kA) aggressive Pulse Discharge Cleaning (PDC) pulses could be performed successfully. Aggressive PDC is used to heat the limiters from the vessel bakeout temperature of 150 degrees C to 250 degrees C for a period of several hours. Heating the limiters is important to increase the rate at which water is removed from the carbon limiter tiles. After boronization, the number of required TDC pulses was reduced to <5000. The number of aggressive PDC pulses required was approximately unchanged. 14 refs., 1 tab

Relation between the conditions of helium ion implantation and helium void equilibrium parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neklyudov, I.M.; Rybalko, V.F.; Ruzhitskij, V.V.; Tolstolutskaya, G.D.

1981-01-01

The conditions of helium thermodynamic equilibrium in a system of voids produced by helium ion bombardment of a metal sample are studied. As an initial equation for description of the equilibrium the Clapeyron equation was used. The equation is obtained relating basic parameters of helium voids (average diameter and density) to irradiation parameters (dose, ion energy (straggling)) and properties of the metal (surface tension coefficient, yield strength). Comparison of the calculations with experimental data on helium in nickel found in literature shows that the equation yields satisfactory resutls for the dose range 1.10 16 -1x10 17 cm -2 and temperatures T [ru

Helium behaviour in nuclear glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fares, T.

2011-01-01

The present thesis focuses on the study of helium behavior in R7T7 nuclear waste glass. Helium is generated by the minor actinides alpha decays incorporated in the glass matrix. Therefore, four types of materials were used in this work. These are non radioactive R7T7 glasses saturated with helium under pressure, glasses implanted with 3 He + ions, glasses doped with curium and glasses irradiated in nuclear reactor. The study of helium solubility in saturated R7T7 glass has shown that helium atoms are inserted in the glass free volume. The results yielded a solubility of about 10 16 at. cm -3 atm. -1 . The incorporation limit of helium in this type of glass has been determined; its value amounted to about 2*10 21 at. cm -3 , corresponding to 2.5 at.%. Diffusion studies have shown that the helium migration is controlled by the single population dissolved in the glass free volume. An ideal diffusion model was used to simulate the helium release data which allowed to determine diffusion coefficients obeying to the following Arrhenius law: D = D 0 exp(-E a /kBT), where D 0 = 2.2*10 -2 and 5.4*10 -3 cm 2 s -1 and E a = 0.61 eV for the helium saturated and the curium doped glass respectively. These results reflect a thermally activated diffusion mechanism which seems to be not influenced by the glass radiation damage and helium concentrations studied in the present work (up to 8*10 19 at. g -1 , corresponding to 0.1 at.%). Characterizations of the macroscopic, structural and microstructural properties of glasses irradiated in nuclear reactor did not reveal any impact associated with the presence of helium at high concentrations. The observed modifications i.e. a swelling of 0.7 %, a decrease in hardness by 38 %, an increase between 8 and 34 % of the fracture toughness and a stabilization of the glass structure under irradiation, were attributed to the glass nuclear damage induced by the irradiation in reactor. Characterizations by SEM and TEM of R7T7 glasses implanted

Deactivation of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms on a Tooth Surface Using He Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molnar Imola; Papp Judit; Simon Alpar; Anghel Sorin Dan

2013-01-01

This paper presents a study of the effect of the low temperature atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on the Streptococcus mutans biofilms formed on tooth surface. Pig jaws were also treated by plasma to detect if there is any harmful effect on the gingiva. The plasma was characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy. Experimental data indicated that the discharge is very effective in deactivating Streptococcus mutans biofilms. It can destroy them with an average decimal reduction time (D-time) of 19 s and about 98% of them were killed after a treatment time of 30 s. According to the survival curve kinetic an overall 32 s treatment time would be necessary to perform a complete sterilization. The experimental results presented in this study indicated that the helium dielectric barrier discharge, in plan-parallel electrode configuration, could be a very effective tool for deactivation of oral bacteria and might be a promising technique in various dental clinical applications.

Deactivation of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms on a Tooth Surface Using He Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Imola, Molnar; Judit, Papp; Alpar, Simon; Sorin, Dan Anghel

2013-06-01

This paper presents a study of the effect of the low temperature atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on the Streptococcus mutans biofilms formed on tooth surface. Pig jaws were also treated by plasma to detect if there is any harmful effect on the gingiva. The plasma was characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy. Experimental data indicated that the discharge is very effective in deactivating Streptococcus mutans biofilms. It can destroy them with an average decimal reduction time (D-time) of 19 s and about 98% of them were killed after a treatment time of 30 s. According to the survival curve kinetic an overall 32 s treatment time would be necessary to perform a complete sterilization. The experimental results presented in this study indicated that the helium dielectric barrier discharge, in plan-parallel electrode configuration, could be a very effective tool for deactivation of oral bacteria and might be a promising technique in various dental clinical applications.

Cleanup of a jet fuel spill

Science.gov (United States)

Fesko, Steve

1996-11-01

Eaton operates a corporate aircraft hanger facility in Battle Creek, Michigan. Tests showed that two underground storage tanks leaked. Investigation confirmed this release discharged several hundred gallons of Jet A kerosene into the soil and groundwater. The oil moved downward approximately 30 feet and spread laterally onto the water table. Test results showed kerosene in the adsorbed, free and dissolved states. Eaton researched and investigated three clean-up options. They included pump and treat, dig and haul and bioremediation. Jet fuel is composed of readily biodegradable hydrocarbon chains. This fact coupled with the depth to groundwater and geologic setting made bioremediation the low cost and most effective alternative. A recovery well was installed at the leading edge of the dissolved contamination. A pump moved water from this well into a nutrient addition system. Nutrients added included nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Additionally, air was sparged into the water. The water was discharged into an infiltration gallery installed when the underground storage tanks were removed. Water circulated between the pump and the infiltration basin in a closed loop fashion. This oxygenated, nutrient rich water actively and aggressively treated the soils between the bottom of the gallery and the top of the groundwater and the groundwater. The system began operating in August of 1993 and reduced jet fuel to below detection levels. In August of 1995 The State of Michigan issued a clean closure declaration to the site.

Cooling with Superfluid Helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lebrun, P; Tavian, L [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

2014-07-01

The technical properties of helium II (‘superfluid’ helium) are presented in view of its applications to the cooling of superconducting devices, particularly in particle accelerators. Cooling schemes are discussed in terms of heat transfer performance and limitations. Large-capacity refrigeration techniques below 2 K are reviewed, with regard to thermodynamic cycles as well as process machinery. Examples drawn from existing or planned projects illustrate the presentation. Keywords: superfluid helium, cryogenics.

Bed system performance in helium circulation mode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yean Jin; Jung, Kwang Jin; Ahn, Do Hee; Chung, Hong Suk [UST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Hee Suk [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Sei Hun [NFRI, Deajeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

As a part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Project, We have conducted an experiment for storing hydrogen to depleted uranium and zirconium cobalt. The helium blanket effect has been observed in experiments using metal hydrides. The collapse of the hydrogen isotopes are accompanied by the decay heat and helium-3. Helium-3 dramatically reduces the hydrogen isotope storage capacity by surrounding the metal. This phenomenon is called a helium blanket effect. In addition the authors are working on the recovery and removal techniques of helium-3. In this paper, we discuss the equipment used to test the helium blanket effect and the results of a helium circulation experiment. The helium-3 produced surrounds the storage material surface and thus disturbs the reaction of the storage material and the hydrogen isotope. Even if the amount of helium-3 is small, the storage capacity of the SDS bed significantly drops. This phenomenon is the helium blanket effect. To resolve this phenomenon, a circulating loop was introduced. Using a circulating system, helium can be separated from the storage material. We made a helium loop that includes a ZrCo bed. Then using a metal bellows pump, we tested the helium circulation.

Confluence or independence of microwave plasma bullets in atmospheric argon plasma jet plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ping; Chen, Zhaoquan; Mu, Haibao; Xu, Guimin; Yao, Congwei; Sun, Anbang; Zhou, Yuming; Zhang, Guanjun

2018-03-01

Plasma bullet is the formation and propagation of a guided ionization wave (streamer), normally generated in atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). In most cases, only an ionization front produces in a dielectric tube. The present study shows that two or three ionization fronts can be generated in a single quartz tube by using a microwave coaxial resonator. The argon APPJ plumes with a maximum length of 170 mm can be driven by continuous microwaves or microwave pulses. When the input power is higher than 90 W, two or three ionization fronts propagate independently at first; thereafter, they confluence to form a central plasma jet plume. On the other hand, the plasma bullets move independently as the lower input power is applied. For pulsed microwave discharges, the discharge images captured by a fast camera show the ionization process in detail. Another interesting finding is that the strongest lightening plasma jet plumes always appear at the shrinking phase. Both the discharge images and electromagnetic simulations suggest that the confluence or independent propagation of plasma bullets is resonantly excited by the local enhanced electric fields, in terms of wave modes of traveling surface plasmon polaritons.

Applying Fibre Optics to Plasma Jet Diagnostics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šonský, Jiří

2007-01-01

Roč. 52, č. 1 (2007), s. 15-31 ISSN 0001-7043 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/04/1341; GA ČR GA202/05/0728 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20570509 Keywords : plasma jet * plasma torch * photodiode array Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics

Helium supply demand in future years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laverick, C.

1975-01-01

Adequate helium will be available to the year 2000 AD to meet anticipated helium demands for present day applications and the development of new superconducting technologies of potential importance to the nation. It is almost certain that there will not be enough helium at acceptable financial and energy cost after the turn of the century to meet the needs of the many promising helium based technologies now under development. Serious consideration should be given to establishing priorities in development and application based upon their relative value to the country. In the first half of the next century, three ways of estimating helium demand lead to cumulative ranges of from 75 to 125 Gcf (economic study), 89 to 470 Gcf (projected national energy growth rates) and 154 to 328 Gcf (needs for new technologies). These needs contrast with estimated helium resources in natural gas after 2000 AD which may be as low as 10 or 126 Gcf depending upon how the federal helium program is managed and the nation's natural gas resources are utilized. The technological and financial return on a modest national investment in further helium storage and a rational long term helium program promises to be considerable

Runaway beam studies during disruptions at JET-ILW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reux, C.; Plyusnin, V.; Alper, B.; Alves, D.; Bazylev, B.; Belonohy, E.; Brezinsek, S.; Decker, J.; Devaux, S.; Vries, P. de; Fil, A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Runaway electrons (RE) have been obtained at JET-ILW using massive argon injection. • The runaway electron domain entry points are similar between JET-C and JET-ILW. • Inside the runaway electron domain, higher RE currents are observed with JET-ILW. • RE impact has been observed without material melting up to 100 kA RE current. • Heat deposition of 2 ± 1 mm is confirmed by measurements and simulations. - Abstract: Runaway electrons (RE) during disruptions are a concern for future tokamaks including ITER with its metallic wall. Although RE are rare in spontaneous disruptions with the JET ITER-like Wall (JET-ILW), RE beams up to 380 kA were obtained using massive injection (MGI) of argon in JET-ILW divertor discharges. Entry points into the RE domain defined by operational parameters (toroidal field, argon fraction in MGI) are unchanged but higher RE currents have been obtained inside the JET-ILW MGI-generated RE domain when compared to JET-C. This might be due to the influence of the metallic wall on the current quench plasma. Temperatures of 900 °C have been observed following RE impacts on beryllium tiles. Heat deposition depth of ∼2 mm has to be assumed to match the tile cooling time. 3D simulations of the RE energy deposition using the ENDEP/MEMOS codes show that material melting is unlikely with 100 kA RE beams

Runaway beam studies during disruptions at JET-ILW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reux, C., E-mail: cedric.reux@cea.fr [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Plyusnin, V. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Instituto de Plasmas e Fuso Nuclear, Instituto Superior Tcnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa (Portugal); Alper, B. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Alves, D. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Instituto de Plasmas e Fuso Nuclear, Instituto Superior Tcnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa (Portugal); Bazylev, B. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Institut für Hochleistungsimpuls und Mikrowellentechnik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus Nord, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Belonohy, E. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); EFDA-CSU, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Brezinsek, S. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie-und Klimaforschung-Plasmaphysik, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Decker, J. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Devaux, S. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Vries, P. de [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon, 13115 St Paul Lez Durance (France); Fil, A. [JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); and others

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Runaway electrons (RE) have been obtained at JET-ILW using massive argon injection. • The runaway electron domain entry points are similar between JET-C and JET-ILW. • Inside the runaway electron domain, higher RE currents are observed with JET-ILW. • RE impact has been observed without material melting up to 100 kA RE current. • Heat deposition of 2 ± 1 mm is confirmed by measurements and simulations. - Abstract: Runaway electrons (RE) during disruptions are a concern for future tokamaks including ITER with its metallic wall. Although RE are rare in spontaneous disruptions with the JET ITER-like Wall (JET-ILW), RE beams up to 380 kA were obtained using massive injection (MGI) of argon in JET-ILW divertor discharges. Entry points into the RE domain defined by operational parameters (toroidal field, argon fraction in MGI) are unchanged but higher RE currents have been obtained inside the JET-ILW MGI-generated RE domain when compared to JET-C. This might be due to the influence of the metallic wall on the current quench plasma. Temperatures of 900 °C have been observed following RE impacts on beryllium tiles. Heat deposition depth of ∼2 mm has to be assumed to match the tile cooling time. 3D simulations of the RE energy deposition using the ENDEP/MEMOS codes show that material melting is unlikely with 100 kA RE beams.

Simple method for identifying doubly ionized uranium (U III) produced in a hollow-cathode discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piyakis, K.N.; Gagne, J.M.

1988-01-01

We have studied by emission spectroscopy the spectral properties of doubly ionized uranium, produced in a vapor generator of hollow-cathode design, as a function of the nature of a pure fill gas (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon) and its pressure. The spectral intensity is found to increase with increasing ionization potential of the discharge buffer gas, except in the case of helium. Based on our preliminary results, a simple and practical method for the positive identification of the complex U III spectrum is suggested

Effect of cold atmospheric pressure He-plasma jet on DNA change and mutation

Science.gov (United States)

Yaopromsiri, C.; Yu, L. D.; Sarapirom, S.; Thopan, P.; Boonyawan, D.

2015-12-01

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (CAPPJ) effect on DNA change was studied for assessment of its safety. The experiment utilized a home-developed CAPPJ using 100% helium to directly treat naked DNA plasmid pGFP (plasmid green fluorescent protein). A traversal electric field was applied to separate the plasma components and both dry and wet sample conditions were adopted to investigate various factor roles in changing DNA. Plasma species were measured by using optical emission spectroscopy. DNA topological form change was analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The plasma jet treated DNA was transferred into bacterial Escherichia coli cells for observing mutation. The results show that the He-CAPPJ could break DNA strands due to actions from charge, radicals and neutrals and potentially cause genetic modification of living cells.

Effect of cold atmospheric pressure He-plasma jet on DNA change and mutation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yaopromsiri, C. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Yu, L.D., E-mail: yuld@thep-center.org [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Sarapirom, S. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Faculty of Science, Maejo University, Bang Khen, Chiang Mai 50290 (Thailand); Thopan, P.; Boonyawan, D. [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

2015-12-15

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (CAPPJ) effect on DNA change was studied for assessment of its safety. The experiment utilized a home-developed CAPPJ using 100% helium to directly treat naked DNA plasmid pGFP (plasmid green fluorescent protein). A traversal electric field was applied to separate the plasma components and both dry and wet sample conditions were adopted to investigate various factor roles in changing DNA. Plasma species were measured by using optical emission spectroscopy. DNA topological form change was analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The plasma jet treated DNA was transferred into bacterial Escherichia coli cells for observing mutation. The results show that the He-CAPPJ could break DNA strands due to actions from charge, radicals and neutrals and potentially cause genetic modification of living cells.

Searching for order in atmospheric pressure plasma jets

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Jan; Sigeneger, Florian; Šperka, Jiří; Rodenburg, Cornelia; Foest, Rüdiger

2018-01-01

The self-organized discharge behaviour occurring in a non-thermal radio-frequency plasma jet in rare gases at atmospheric pressure was investigated. The frequency of the azimuthal rotation of filaments in the active plasma volume and their inclination were measured along with the gas temperature under varying discharge conditions. The gas flow and heating were described theoretically by a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The rotation frequencies obtained by both methods qualitatively agree. The results demonstrate that the plasma filaments forming an inclination angle α with the axial gas velocity u z are forced to a transversal movement with the velocity {u}φ =\\tan (α )\\cdot {u}z, which is oriented in the inclination direction. Variations of {u}φ in the model reveal that the observed dynamics minimizes the energy loss due to convective heat transfer by the gas flow. The control of the self-organization regime motivates the application of the plasma jet for precise and reproducible material processing.

Surface electrons of helium films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Studart, N.; Hipolito, O.

1986-01-01

Theoretical calculations of some properties of two-dimensional electrons on a liquid helium film adsorbed on a solid substrate are reviewed. We describe the spectrum of electron bound states on bulk helium as well on helium films. The correlational properties, such as the structure factor and correlation energy, are determined as functions of the film thickness for different types of substrates in the framework of a Generalized Random-Phase Approximation. The collective excitations of this system are also described. The results for electrons on the surface of thin films and bulk helium are easily obtained. we examine the electron interaction with the excitations of the liquid helium surface resulting in a new polaron state, which was observed very recently. The ground state energy and the effective mass of this polaron are determined by using the path-integral formalism and unitary-transformation method. Recent speculations about the phase diagram of electrons on the helium film are also discussed. (Author) [pt

Helium dilution refrigerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1973-01-01

A new system of continuous heat exchange for a helium dilution refrigerator is proposed. The 3 He effluent tube is concurrent with the affluent mixed helium tube in a vertical downward direction. Heat exchange efficiency is enhanced by placing in series a number of elements with an enlarged surface area

Kinetic processes in a laser-heated helium--nitrogen plasma for use as a uv laser medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, R.T.

1975-01-01

Experimental and theoretical studies of an optically pumped electric discharge laser in helium-nitrogen mixtures are described. While the inherent efficiency of this system is rather low, these studies illustrate the basic parameters controlling the dynamics and efficiency of such a laser. In the experiments, intense diffuse discharges were obtained at pressures up to 12 atm and amplified spontaneous emission along the axis of the discharge was observed. The numerical modeling studies showed qualitative agreement with the experimental data and gave an optimized value of the kinetic coupling efficiency (absorbed 10.6-μ power to uv laser power) of 1.6% and of the total efficiency (energy stored in the TEA laser supply to uv output energy) of 0.1 to 0.2%

Oxygen discharge and post-discharge kinetics experiments and modeling for the electric oxygen-iodine laser system.

Science.gov (United States)

Palla, A D; Zimmerman, J W; Woodard, B S; Carroll, D L; Verdeyen, J T; Lim, T C; Solomon, W C

2007-07-26

Laser oscillation at 1315 nm on the I(2P1/2)-->I(2P3/2) transition of atomic iodine has been obtained by a near resonant energy transfer from O2(a1Delta) produced using a low-pressure oxygen/helium/nitric oxide discharge. In the electric discharge oxygen-iodine laser (ElectricOIL) the discharge production of atomic oxygen, ozone, and other excited species adds levels of complexity to the singlet oxygen generator (SOG) kinetics which are not encountered in a classic purely chemical O2(a1Delta) generation system. The advanced model BLAZE-IV has been introduced to study the energy-transfer laser system dynamics and kinetics. Levels of singlet oxygen, oxygen atoms, and ozone are measured experimentally and compared with calculations. The new BLAZE-IV model is in reasonable agreement with O3, O atom, and gas temperature measurements but is under-predicting the increase in O2(a1Delta) concentration resulting from the presence of NO in the discharge and under-predicting the O2(b1Sigma) concentrations. A key conclusion is that the removal of oxygen atoms by NOX species leads to a significant increase in O2(a1Delta) concentrations downstream of the discharge in part via a recycling process; however, there are still some important processes related to the NOX discharge kinetics that are missing from the present modeling. Further, the removal of oxygen atoms dramatically inhibits the production of ozone in the downstream kinetics.

Recent progress in plasma tomography at JET

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mlynář, Jan; Bielecki, J.; Craciunescu, T.; Ficker, Ondřej; Imríšek, Martin; Löffelmann, Viktor; Tomeš, Matěj; Alper, B.; Giacomelli, L.; Milocco, A.; Popovichev, S.; Schlummer, T.

2016-01-01

Roč. 3, č. 3 (2016), s. 26 ISSN 2336-2626. [SPPT 2016 - 27th Symposium on Plasma Physics and Technology/27./. Prague, 20.06.2016-23.06.2016] R&D Projects: GA MŠk LG14002 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : tomography * JET * SXR * neutron * RE Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics

Backscattered Helium Spectroscopy in the Helium Ion Microscope: Principles, Resolution and Applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Gastel, Raoul; Hlawacek, G.; Dutta, S.; Poelsema, Bene

2015-01-01

We demonstrate the possibilities and limitations for microstructure characterization using backscattered particles from a sharply focused helium ion beam. The interaction of helium ions with matter enables the imaging, spectroscopic characterization, as well as the nanometer scale modification of

First observations of Gigantic Jets from Monsoon Thunderstorms over India

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rajesh; Maurya, Ajeet; Chanrion, Olivier; Neubert, Torsten; Cummer, Steven; Mlynarczyk, Janusz; Bór, József; Siingh, Devendraa; Cohen, Morris; Kumar, Sushil

2016-04-01

Gigantic Jets are electric discharges from thunderstorm cloud tops to the bottom of the ionosphere at ~80 km altitude. After their first discovery in 2001, relatively few observations have been reported. Most of these are from satellites at large distances and a few tens from the ground at higher spatial resolution. Here we report the first Gigantic Jets observed in India from two thunderstorm systems that developed over the land surface from monsoon activity, each storm producing two Gigantic Jets. The jets were recorded by a video camera system at standard video rate (20 ms exposure) at a few hundred km distance. ELF measurements suggest that the jets are of the usual negative polarity and that they develop in less than 40 ms, which is faster than most jets reported in the past. The jets originate from the leading edge of a slowly drifting convective cloud complex close to the highest regions of the clouds and carry ~25 Coulomb of charge to the ionosphere. One jet has a markedly horizontal displacement that we suggest is caused by a combination of close-range cloud electric fields at inception, and longer-range cloud fields at larger distances during full development. The Gigantic Jets are amongst the few that have been observed over land.

Effect of helium gas pressure on dc conduction mechanism and EMI shielding properties of nanocrystalline carbon thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rawal, Ishpal, E-mail: rawalishpal@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Panwar, O.S., E-mail: ospanwar@mail.nplindia.ernet.in [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Tripathi, R.K. [Polymorphic Carbon Thin Films Group, Physics of Energy Harvesting Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Singh, Avanish Pratap; Dhawan, S.K. [Polymeric and Soft Materials Group, Physics Engineering of Carbon, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Srivastava, A.K. [Electron and Ion Microscopy, Sophisticated and Analytical Instruments, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2015-05-05

This paper reports the effect of helium partial pressures ∼1.2 × 10{sup −5} (base pressure), 1.4 × 10{sup −4}, 8.6 × 10{sup −3} and 0.1 mbar on the variable range hopping conduction in nanocrystalline carbon thin films deposited by filtered cathodic jet carbon arc technique. High resolution transmission electron microscopy studies suggest the random distribution of nanocrystallites (∼3–7 nm) in the amorphous matrix. The DC conduction behavior of the deposited nanocrystalline films has been studied in the light of Mott's variable range hopping (VRH) model and found to obey three dimensional VRH conduction. The randomly distributed nanocrystallites in amorphous matrix may lead to change in the distribution of density of states near Fermi level and hence, the conduction behavior. The enhanced electrical conductivity of the deposited films due to the helium environment makes them suitable for electromagnetic interference shielding applications. The sample deposited at a helium partial pressure of 0.1 mbar has a value of shielding effectiveness ∼7.84 dB at 18 GHz frequency. - Highlights: • Nanocrystalline carbon thin films (NCTF) has been deposited by FCJCA technique. • Effect of helium gas pressure has been studied on the properties of NCTF. • Investigation of EMI shielding properties of NCTF has been carried out.

HeREF-2003: Helium Refrigeration Techniques

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

CERN Technical Training 2003: Learning for the LHC ! Theory, Technology, Maintenance and Control of Helium Refrigerators HeREF-2003 is a course in the framework of the 2002 Technical Training Programme, that will provide a complete introduction to Helium refrigeration, with a practical approach to theory, technology, maintenance and control of Helium refrigeration installations. Theoretical aspects and equations will be limited to a minimum. HeREF-2003 targets an audience of technicians and operators of Helium refrigeration plants at CERN, as well as physicists and engineers needing an overview of current Helium refrigeration techniques. HeREF-2003 will address, among other, issues related to component technology, installation maintenance, process control and Helium purity. A commented visit to a couple of CERN Helium refrigeration or liquefaction plants will also take place. Duration: 7 half days (4 mornings and 3 afternoons), 6-10 October, 2003 Cost per participant: 500.- CHF Language: Bilingual English...

HeREF-2003 : Helium Refrigeration Techniques

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

CERN Technical Training 2003: Learning for the LHC ! Theory, Technology, Maintenance and Control of Helium Refrigerators HeREF-2003 is a course in the framework of the 2002 Technical Training Programme, that will provide a complete introduction to Helium refrigeration, with a practical approach to theory, technology, maintenance and control of Helium refrigeration installations. Theoretical aspects and equations will be limited to a minimum. HeREF-2003 targets an audience of technicians and operators of Helium refrigeration plants at CERN, as well as physicists and engineers needing an overview of current Helium refrigeration techniques. HeREF-2003 will address, among other, issues related to component technology, installation maintenance, process control and Helium purity. A commented visit to a couple of CERN Helium refrigeration or liquefaction plants will also take place. • Duration: 7 half days (4 mornings and 3 afternoons), 6-10 October, 2003 • Cost per participant: 500.- CHF
...

On non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jets and plasma bullet

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Xinpei

2012-10-01

Because of the enhanced plasma chemistry, atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasmas (APNPs) have been widely studied for several emerging applications such as biomedical applications. For the biomedical applications, plasma jet devices, which generate plasma in open space (surrounding air) rather than in confined discharge gaps only, have lots of advantages over the traditional dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) devices. For example, it can be used for root canal disinfection, which can't be realized by the traditional plasma device. On the other hand, currently, the working gases of most of the plasma jet devices are noble gases or the mixtures of the noble gases with small amount of O2, or air. If ambient air is used as the working gas, several serious difficulties are encountered in the plasma generation process. Amongst these are high gas temperatures and disrupting instabilities. In this presentation, firstly, a brief review of the different cold plasma jets developed to date is presented. Secondly, several different plasma jet devices developed in our lab are reported. The effects of various parameters on the plasma jets are discussed. Finally, one of the most interesting phenomena of APNP-Js, the plasma bullet is discussed and its behavior is described. References: [1] X. Lu, M. Laroussi, V. Puech, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 21, 034005 (2012); [2] Y. Xian, X. Lu, S. Wu, P. Chu, and Y. Pan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 123702 (2012); [3] X. Pei, X. Lu, J. Liu, D. Liu, Y. Yang, K. Ostrikov, P. Chu, and Y. Pan, J. Phys. D 45, 165205 (2012).

JET pump limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonnenberg, K.; Deksnis, E.; Shaw, R.; Reiter, D.

1988-01-01

JET plans to install two pump limiter modules which can be used for belt-limiter, inner-wall and X-point discharges and, also, for 1-2s as the main limiter. A design is presented which is compatible with two diagnostic systems, and which allows partial removal of the pump limiter to provide access for remote-handling operations. The high heat-flux components are initially cooled during a pulse. Heat is removed between discharges by radiation and pressure contacts to a water-cooled support structure. The pumping edge will be made of annealed pyrolytic graphite. Exhaust efficiency has been estimated, for a 1-d edge model, using a Monte-Carlo calculation of neutral gas transport. When the pump limiter is operated together with other wall components we expect an efficiency of ≅ 5% (2.5 x 10 21 part/s). As a main limiter the efficiency increases to about 10%. (author)

Behavior of a corium jet in high pressure melt ejection from a reactor pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frid, W.E.

1986-01-01

A model has been developed to calculate the expansion and fragmentation of a corium jet, due to the evolution of dissolved gas, during a postulated core meltdown accident. Parametric calculations have been performed for a PWR high pressure accident scenario. Jet breakup occurs within a few jet diameters from the RPV. The diameter of the fragmented jet at the level of the reactor cavity floor is predicted to be 40-130 times the discharge diameter. Particles generated by fragmentation of corium melt are predicted to be in the 30-150 μm size range

Jet observables without jet algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertolini, Daniele; Chan, Tucker; Thaler, Jesse [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2014-04-02

We introduce a new class of event shapes to characterize the jet-like structure of an event. Like traditional event shapes, our observables are infrared/collinear safe and involve a sum over all hadrons in an event, but like a jet clustering algorithm, they incorporate a jet radius parameter and a transverse momentum cut. Three of the ubiquitous jet-based observables — jet multiplicity, summed scalar transverse momentum, and missing transverse momentum — have event shape counterparts that are closely correlated with their jet-based cousins. Due to their “local” computational structure, these jet-like event shapes could potentially be used for trigger-level event selection at the LHC. Intriguingly, the jet multiplicity event shape typically takes on non-integer values, highlighting the inherent ambiguity in defining jets. By inverting jet multiplicity, we show how to characterize the transverse momentum of the n-th hardest jet without actually finding the constituents of that jet. Since many physics applications do require knowledge about the jet constituents, we also build a hybrid event shape that incorporates (local) jet clustering information. As a straightforward application of our general technique, we derive an event-shape version of jet trimming, allowing event-wide jet grooming without explicit jet identification. Finally, we briefly mention possible applications of our method for jet substructure studies.

Propagation of fast ionization waves in long discharge tubes filled with a preionized gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boutine, O.V.; Vasilyak, L.M.

1999-01-01

The propagation of fast ionization waves in discharge tubes is modeled with allowance for radial variations in the electric potential, nonlocal dependence of the plasma parameters on the electric field, and nonsteady nature of the electron energy distribution. The wave propagation dynamics and the wave attenuation in helium are described. The plasma parameters at the wave front and behind the front and the energy deposition in the discharge are found. The results obtained are compared with experimental data

Helium localization around the microscopic impurities embedded to liquid helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, E.B.; Shestakov, A.F.

2000-01-01

The structure and properties of the environment round the impurity atoms (Im) embedded in liquid helium are considered. It is shown that there are two qualitatively different types of structure of the He atom layer next to Im - attraction and repulsion structures. For the center attraction structure (strong Im-He interaction) the Im-He separation is longer than the equilibrium one for the pair Im-He potential, and the density and localization of He atoms are higher than in the bulk. It this case the He atom content in the layer, n, is almost independent of applied pressure. In the repulsion structure realized for alkaline metal atoms the Im-He separation is shorter than the equilibrium one and the density is lower than in the helium bulk. At T approx 1 K occupied are several states with different n and their energies differ only by approx 0.1 K, an increase in pressure resulting in a considerable reduction of n. The optical and EPR spectra of the atoms embedded to liquid and solid helium are interpreted on the basis of the analysis carried out. A simple model is proposed to evaluate the helium surroundings characteristics from the experimental pressure dependences of atomic line shifts in the absorption and emission spectra. The attraction structures in 3 He - 4 He mixtures are suggested to be highly enriched by 4 He atoms which the repulsion structures - by 3 He atoms. a possibility for existence of phase transitions in helium shells surrounding impurity atoms is considered

Experimental study of elliptical jet from supercritical to subcritical conditions using planar laser induced fluorescence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muthukumaran, C. K.; Vaidyanathan, Aravind, E-mail: aravind7@iist.ac.in [Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala 695547 (India)

2015-03-15

The study of fluid jet dynamics at supercritical conditions involves strong coupling between fluid dynamic and thermodynamic phenomena. Beyond the critical point, the liquid-vapor coexistence ceases to exist, and the fluid exists as a single phase known as supercritical fluid with its properties that are entirely different from liquids and gases. At the critical point, the liquids do not possess surface tension and latent heat of evaporation. Around the critical point, the fluid undergoes large changes in density and possesses thermodynamic anomaly like enhancement in thermal conductivity and specific heat. In the present work, the transition of the supercritical and near-critical elliptical jet into subcritical as well as supercritical environment is investigated experimentally with nitrogen and helium as the surrounding environment. Under atmospheric condition, a liquid jet injected from the elliptical orifice exhibits axis switching phenomena. As the injection temperature increases, the axis switching length also increases. Beyond the critical temperature, the axis switching is not observed. The investigation also revealed that pressure plays a major role in determining the thermodynamic transition of the elliptical jet only for the case of supercritical jet injected into subcritical chamber conditions. At larger pressures, the supercritical jet undergoes disintegration and formation of droplets in the subcritical environment is observed. However, for supercritical jet injection into supercritical environment, the gas-gas like mixing behavior is observed.

Experimental study of elliptical jet from supercritical to subcritical conditions using planar laser induced fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muthukumaran, C. K.; Vaidyanathan, Aravind

2015-01-01

The study of fluid jet dynamics at supercritical conditions involves strong coupling between fluid dynamic and thermodynamic phenomena. Beyond the critical point, the liquid-vapor coexistence ceases to exist, and the fluid exists as a single phase known as supercritical fluid with its properties that are entirely different from liquids and gases. At the critical point, the liquids do not possess surface tension and latent heat of evaporation. Around the critical point, the fluid undergoes large changes in density and possesses thermodynamic anomaly like enhancement in thermal conductivity and specific heat. In the present work, the transition of the supercritical and near-critical elliptical jet into subcritical as well as supercritical environment is investigated experimentally with nitrogen and helium as the surrounding environment. Under atmospheric condition, a liquid jet injected from the elliptical orifice exhibits axis switching phenomena. As the injection temperature increases, the axis switching length also increases. Beyond the critical temperature, the axis switching is not observed. The investigation also revealed that pressure plays a major role in determining the thermodynamic transition of the elliptical jet only for the case of supercritical jet injected into subcritical chamber conditions. At larger pressures, the supercritical jet undergoes disintegration and formation of droplets in the subcritical environment is observed. However, for supercritical jet injection into supercritical environment, the gas-gas like mixing behavior is observed

Diagnostics of helium plasma by collisional-radiative modeling and optical emission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Wonwook; Kwon, Duck-Hee [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Optical diagnostics for the electron temperature (T{sub e}) and the electron density (n{sub e}) of fusion plasma is important for understanding and controlling the edge and the divertor plasmas in tokamak. Since the line intensity ratio method using the collisional-radiative modeling and OES (optical emission spectroscopy) is simple and does not disturb the plasma, many fusion devices with TEXTOR, JET, JT-60U, LHD, and so on, have employed the line intensity ratio method as a basic diagnostic tool for neutral helium (He I). The accuracy of the line intensity ratio method depends on the reliability of the cross sections and rate coefficients. We performed state-of-the-art R-matrix calculations including couplings up to n=7 states and the distorted wave (DW) calculations for the electron-impact excitation (EIE) cross sections of He I using the flexible atomic code (FAC). The collisional-radiative model for He I was constructed using the calculated the cross sections. The helium collisional-radiative model for He I was constructed to diagnose the electron temperature and the electron density of the plasma. The electron temperature and density were determined by using the line intensity ratio method.

Test of a cryogenic helium pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lue, J.W.; Miller, J.R.; Walstrom, P.L.; Herz, W.

1981-01-01

The design of a cryogenic helium pump for circulating liquid helium in a magnet and the design of a test loop for measuring the pump performance in terms of mass flow vs pump head at various pump speeds are described. A commercial cryogenic helium pump was tested successfully. Despite flaws in the demountable connections, the piston pump itself has performed satisfactorily. A helium pump of this type is suitable for the use of flowing supercritical helium through Internally Cooled Superconductor (ICS) magnets. It has pumped supercritical helium up to 7.5 atm with a pump head up to 2.8 atm. The maximum mass flow rate obtained was about 16 g/s. Performance of the pump was degraded at lower pumping speeds

Liquid gallium jet-plasma interaction studies in ISTTOK tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, R.B.; Fernandes, H.; Silva, C.; Sarakovskis, A.; Pereira, T.; Figueiredo, J.; Carvalho, B.; Soares, A.; Duarte, P.; Varandas, C.; Lielausis, O.; Klyukin, A.; Platacis, E.; Tale, I.; Alekseyv, A.

2009-01-01

Liquid metals have been pointed out as a suitable solution to solve problems related to the use of solid walls submitted to high power loads allowing, simultaneously, an efficient heat exhaustion process from fusion devices. The most promising candidate materials are lithium and gallium. However, lithium has a short liquid state temperature range when compared with gallium. To explore further this property, ISTTOK tokamak is being used to test the interaction of a free flying liquid gallium jet with the plasma. ISTTOK has been successfully operated with this jet without noticeable discharge degradation and no severe effect on the main plasma parameters or a significant plasma contamination by liquid metal. Additionally the response of an infrared sensor, intended to measure the jet surface temperature increase during its interaction with the plasma, has been studied. The jet power extraction capability is extrapolated from the heat flux profiles measured in ISTTOK plasmas.

Post-giant evolution of helium stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenberner, D.

1977-01-01

Extremely hydrogen deficient stars (helium stars and R Coronae Borealis variables) are considered to be remnants of double shell source stars (of the asymptotic giant branch). The evolution of stars with a condensed C/O-core and a helium envelope is followed numerically from the red giant stage to the white dwarf domain, crossing the regions of R CrB- and helium stars (so far analyzed). They have typically masses M/M(sun) = 0.7 and luminosities log L/L(sun) = 4.1. The time for crossing the helium star domain is some 10 3 years. The corresponding times in the R CrB-region amounts up to several 10 4 years. The lower limit of the death rate of helium stars is estimated to be 4 x 10 -14 pc -3 yr -1 . This value is only a factor of ten lower than the birth rate of all non-DA white dwarfs. It is therefore possible that the helium stars are the precursors of helium rich white dwarfs. As a consequence, a significant fraction of all stars which end their lives as white dwarfs should pass through the helium star phase. (orig.) [de

The hydraulic jump and ripples in liquid helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolley, E.; Guthmann, C.; Pettersen, M.S.

2007-01-01

We have studied the characteristics of the circular hydraulic jump using liquid helium. Surprisingly, the radius of the jump does not change at the superfluid transition. We think that the flow is still dissipative below the lambda point because the velocity exceeds the critical one. The jump radius R j is compared with various models. In our parameter range, we find that the jump can be treated as a shock, and that capillary effects are important. Below the superfluid transition, we observed a standing capillary wave between the impact of the jet and the jump. Assuming that the superfluid flow can be described with an effective viscosity, we calculate the wave vector and thus obtain the value of the liquid thickness, which is in reasonable agreement with predictions. However, the spatial variation of the wave amplitude depends much more strongly on temperature than we calculate

Helium experiments on Alcator C-Mod in support of ITER early operations

Science.gov (United States)

Kessel, C. E.; Wolfe, S. M.; Reinke, M. L.; Hughes, J. W.; Lin, Y.; Wukitch, S. J.; Baek, S. G.; Bonoli, P. T.; Chilenski, M.; Diallo, A.; the Alcator C-Mod Team

2018-05-01

Helium majority experiments on Alcator C-Mod were performed to compare with deuterium discharges, and inform ITER early operations. ELMy H-modes were produced with a special plasma shape at B T  =  5.3 T, I P  =  0.9 MA, at q 95 ~ 3.8. The He fraction ranged over, n He,L/n L  =  0.2-0.4, with n D,L/n L  =  0.15-0.26, compared to D plasmas with n D,L/n L  =  0.85-0.97. The power to enter the H-mode in He was found to be greater than ~2 times that for D discharges, in the low density region  operation in ITER.

JET:Preparing the future in fusion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mlynář, Jan; Ongena, J.; Ďuran, Ivan; Hron, Martin; Pánek, Radomír; Petržílka, Václav; Žáček, František

2004-01-01

Roč. 54, suppl.C (2004), C28-C38 ISSN 0011-4626. [Symposium on Plasma Physics and Technology /21st/. Praha, 14.06.2004-17.06.2004] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/04/0360 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2043910 Keywords : fusion, tokamak, JET EFDA, ITER Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.292, year: 2004

Mixed helium-3 - helium-4 calorimeter. Very low temperature calorimetry; Calorimetre mixte a helium-3 et helium-4. Calorimetrie a tres basse temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Testard, O [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1966-06-01

A description is given of a double-racket calorimeter using helium-4 and helium-3 as the cryogenic fluids and making it possible to vary the temperature continuously from 0.35 K to 4.2 K. By using an electric thermal regulator together with liquid hydrogen it is possible to extend this range up to about 30 K. In the second part, a review is made of the various, methods available for measuring specific heats. The method actually used in the apparatus previously described is described in detail. The difficulties arising from the use of an exchange gas for the thermal contact have been solved by the use of adsorption pumps. (author) [French] On decrit un calorimetre a double enceinte utilisant comme fluide cryogenique l'helium-4 et l'helium-3 et permettant de varier continuement la temperature de 0,35 K a 4,2 K. L'utilisation d'un regulateur thermique electrique ainsi que celle d'hydrogene, liquide permettent d'etendre cette gamme jusqu'a 30 K environ. Dans une deuxieme partie, on passe en revue les diverses methodes de mesure des chaleurs specifiques. La methode concrete utilisee dans l'appareil precedemment decrit est exposee en detail. Les difficultes inherentes a l'utilisation de gaz d'echange comme agent de contact thermique ont ete levees par la mise en oeuvre de pompes a adsorbant. (auteur)

Dynamic voltage-current characteristics for a water jet plasma arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jiaxiang; Lan Sheng; Xu Zuoming

2008-01-01

A virtual instrument technology is used to measure arc current, arc voltage, dynamic V-I characteristics, and nonlinear conductance for a cone-shaped water jet plasma arc under ac voltage. Experimental results show that ac arc discharge mainly happens in water vapor evaporated from water when heated. However, due to water's cooling effect and its conductance, arc conductance, reignition voltage, extinguish voltage, and current zero time are very different from those for ac arc discharge in gas work fluid. These can be valuable to further studies on mechanism and characteristics of plasma ac discharge in water, and even in gas work fluid

Study of a new direct current atmospheric pressure glow discharge in helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gielniak, B. [University of Hamburg, Institute for Inorganic and Applied Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, 20146 Hamburg (Germany); Fiedler, T. [Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Broekaert, J.A.C., E-mail: jose.broekaert@chemie.uni-hamburg.de [University of Hamburg, Institute for Inorganic and Applied Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, 20146 Hamburg (Germany)

2011-01-15

In this study a new DC-APGD operated in He was developed and characterized. The discharge is operated at 0.9 kV and about 25-35 mA and at a gas flow of 100 ml/min. The source was spectroscopically studied and parameters such as the rotational temperature (T{sub rot}), the excitation temperature (T{sub exc}), the ionization temperature (T{sub ion}) and the electron number density (n{sub e}) were determined. The current-voltage characteristic of the source was studied as well. At optimized conditions the discharge operates in the normal region of the current-voltage characteristic. Rotational and excitation temperatures determined with the use of OH band and Fe I lines as thermometric species were of the order of about 900-1200 and 4500-5500 K, respectively. This indicates that despite of the atmospheric pressure, the discharge is not in LTE. Spatially resolved temperature measurements were performed with axial as well as radial resolution and showed relatively flat profiles. Axially resolved emission intensity profiles for several species such as H, N{sub 2}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, OH, He and Hg were determined. It also was found that H{sub 2} introduced into the He by electrolysis of acid solutions such as in ECHG considerably increases the spectroscopically measured gas temperatures but decreases the analyte line intensities, as shown for Hg.

Study of a new direct current atmospheric pressure glow discharge in helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gielniak, B.; Fiedler, T.; Broekaert, J.A.C.

2011-01-01

In this study a new DC-APGD operated in He was developed and characterized. The discharge is operated at 0.9 kV and about 25-35 mA and at a gas flow of 100 ml/min. The source was spectroscopically studied and parameters such as the rotational temperature (T rot ), the excitation temperature (T exc ), the ionization temperature (T ion ) and the electron number density (n e ) were determined. The current-voltage characteristic of the source was studied as well. At optimized conditions the discharge operates in the normal region of the current-voltage characteristic. Rotational and excitation temperatures determined with the use of OH band and Fe I lines as thermometric species were of the order of about 900-1200 and 4500-5500 K, respectively. This indicates that despite of the atmospheric pressure, the discharge is not in LTE. Spatially resolved temperature measurements were performed with axial as well as radial resolution and showed relatively flat profiles. Axially resolved emission intensity profiles for several species such as H, N 2 , N 2 + , OH, He and Hg were determined. It also was found that H 2 introduced into the He by electrolysis of acid solutions such as in ECHG considerably increases the spectroscopically measured gas temperatures but decreases the analyte line intensities, as shown for Hg.

The Effects of Added Hydrogen on Noble Gas Discharges Used as Ambient Desorption/Ionization Sources for Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Wade C.; Lewis, Charlotte R.; Openshaw, Anna P.; Farnsworth, Paul B.

2016-09-01

We demonstrate the effectiveness of using hydrogen-doped argon as the support gas for the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) ambient desorption/ionization (ADI) source in mass spectrometry. Also, we explore the chemistry responsible for the signal enhancement observed when using both hydrogen-doped argon and hydrogen-doped helium. The hydrogen-doped argon was tested for five analytes representing different classes of molecules. Addition of hydrogen to the argon plasma gas enhanced signals for gas-phase analytes and for analytes coated onto glass slides in positive and negative ion mode. The enhancements ranged from factors of 4 to 5 for gas-phase analytes and factors of 2 to 40 for coated slides. There was no significant increase in the background. The limit of detection for caffeine was lowered by a factor of 79 using H2/Ar and 2 using H2/He. Results are shown that help explain the fundamental differences between the pure-gas discharges and those that are hydrogen-doped for both argon and helium. Experiments with different discharge geometries and grounding schemes indicate that observed signal enhancements are strongly dependent on discharge configuration.

Determination of helium in beryl minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza Barcellos, E. de.

1985-08-01

In order to obtain the diffusion coefficients of helium in beryl and phenacite samples at various temperatures, helium leak rates were measured in these minerals at these temperatures. Mass spectrometry (MS) was used to obtain helium leak rates and the gas flow was plotted against time. The gas quantity determined by MS was first obtained at various temperatures until no helium leak rate was detected. After that, these samples were irradiated with fast neutrons to produce helium which was measured again. This procedure was used to estimate the experimental error. The quantity of helium produced by interaction of gamma radiation with beryl minerals was theoretically calculated from the amount of thorium-232 at the neighbourhood of the samples. The quantity of helium produced in the minerals due to uranium and thorium decay was calculated using the amount of these heavy elements, and the results were compared with the amounts determined by MS. The amount of potassium-40 was determined in order to derive the quantity of argonium-40, since some workers found argonium in excess in these minerals. The quantity of helium in the beryl samples (s) was determined in the center and in the surface of the samples in order to obtain informations about the effectiveness of the Be(α, η) He reaction. Beryl and phenacite minerals were choosen in this research since they are opposite each other with respect to the helium contents. Both have beryllium in their compositon but beryl hold a large amount of helium while phenacite, in spite of having about three times more beryllium than beryl, do not hold the gas. (author) [pt

Helium localisation in tritides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flament, J.L.; Lozes, G.

1982-06-01

Study of titanium and LaNi 5 type alloys tritides lattice parameters evolution revealed that helium created by tritium decay remains in interstitial sites up to a limit material dependant concentration. Beyond this one exceeding helium precipites in voids [fr

Molecular beams with extremely narrow velocity spreads from free jet expansions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buck, U.; Dueker, M.; Pauly, H.; Pust, D.

1974-01-01

Velocity distributions in molecular beams from free jets of light gases (He, H 2 and mixtures of 1% Xe in H 2 ) were studied as a function of the source Knudsen number. They were found to be narrower than what would be expected from previous studies. Mach numbers of 50 were observed for helium at a source temperature of T=85 deg K. The speed ratio for sources at room temperature was found to be S=29 for pure H 2 and 35 for a 1% Xe-99% H 2 mixture

Multi-Directional Optical Diagnostics of Thermal Plasma Jets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hlína, Jan; Chvála, František; Šonský, Jiří; Gruber, Jan

2008-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 1 (2008), s. 1-6 ISSN 0957-0233 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA202/05/0728 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20570509 Keywords : thermal plasma jet * optical diagnostics * Radon transform Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 1.493, year: 2008

Enhanced performance discharges in the DIII-D tokamak with lithium wall conditioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, G.L. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Lazarus, E.A. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Navratil, G.A. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[Columbia University, New York, NY (United States); Bastasz, R. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States); Brooks, N.H. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Garnier, D.T. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States); Holtrop, K.L. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Phillips, J.C. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Marmar, E.S. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States); Taylor, T.S. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Thomas, D.M. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Wampler, W.R. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Whyte, D.G. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)]|[INRS - Energie et Materiaux, Varennes, Que. (Canada); West, W.P. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

1997-02-01

Lithium wall conditioning has been used in a recent campaign evaluating high performance negative central shear (NCS) discharges. During this campaign, the highest values of stored energy (4.4 MJ), neutron rate (2.4 x 10{sup 16}/s), and nT{sub i}{tau} (7 x 10{sup 20} m{sup -3} keV s) achieved to date in DIII-D were obtained. High performance NCS discharges were achieved prior to beginning lithium conditioning, but it is clear that shot reproducibility and performance were improved by lithium conditioning. Central and edge oxygen concentrations were reduced after lithium conditioning. Lithium conditioning, consisting of up to four pellets injected at the end of the preceding discharge, allowed the duration of the usual inter-shot helium glow discharge to be reduced and reproducible high auxiliary power discharges, P{sub NBI}{<=}22 MW, were obtained with plasma currents up to 2.4 MA. (orig.).

Very forward jet, Mueller Navelet jets and jet gap jet measurements in CMS

CERN Document Server

Cerci, Salim

2018-01-01

The measurements of very forward jet, Mueller-Navelet jets and jet-gap-jet events are presented for different collision energies. The analyses are based on data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. Jets are defined through the anti-$k_\\mathrm{t}$ clustering algorithm for different cone sizes. Jet production studies provide stringent tests of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and contribute to tune Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and phenomenological models. The measurements are compared to predictions from various Monte Carlo event generators.

Experimental Studies for the characterization of the mixing processes in negative buoyant jets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Querzoli G.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available A negatively buoyant jet (NBJ corresponds to the physical phenomenon that develops when a fluid is discharged upwards into a lighter environment or downwards into a heavier receptor fluid. In a NBJ the flow is initially driven mostly by the momentum, so it basically behaves as a simple jet released withthe same angle, while far from the outlet the buoyancy prevails, bending the jet axis down and making it similar to a plume. The coexistence in the same phenomenon of both the characteristics of simple jets and plumes makes the NBJs a phenomenon still not entirely explained but, considering also the numerous practical applications, very interesting to study. Here some of the experimental results are presented. The laboratory experiment were obtained on a model simulating a typical sea discharge of brine from desalination plants: a pipe laid down on the sea bottom, with orifices on its lateral wall, releasing brine (heavier than the sea water with a certain angle to the horizontal, in order to increase the jet path before sinking to the seafloor. A non-intrusive image analysis technique, namely Feature Tracking Velocimetry, is applied to measure velocity fields, with the aim at understanding the influence of some non-dimensional parameters driving the phenomenon (e.g. Reynolds number, release angle on the structure of the NBJ and of the turbulence.

Intra-ELM phase modelling of a JET ITER-like wall H-mode discharge with EDGE2D-EIRENE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harting, D.M., E-mail: Derek.Harting@ccfe.ac.uk [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Wiesen, S. [Institute of Energy and Climate Research – IEK4, Association EURATOM-FZJ, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Groth, M. [Aalto University, Association EURATOM-Tekes, Espoo (Finland); Brezinsek, S. [Institute of Energy and Climate Research – IEK4, Association EURATOM-FZJ, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Corrigan, G.; Arnoux, G. [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Boerner, P. [Institute of Energy and Climate Research – IEK4, Association EURATOM-FZJ, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Devaux, S.; Flanagan, J. [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Järvinen, A. [Aalto University, Association EURATOM-Tekes, Espoo (Finland); Marsen, S. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Association, D-17491 Greifswald (Germany); Reiter, D. [Institute of Energy and Climate Research – IEK4, Association EURATOM-FZJ, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2015-08-15

We present the application of an improved EDGE2D-EIRENE SOL transport model for the ELM phase utilizing kinetic correction of the sheath-heat-transmission coefficients and heat-flux-limiting factors used in fluid SOL modelling. With a statistical analysis over a range of similar type-I ELMy H-mode discharges performed at the end of the first JET ITER-like wall campaign, we achieved a fast (Δt = 200 μs) temporal evolution of the outer midplane n{sub e} and T{sub e} profiles and the target-heat and particle-flux profiles, which provides a good experimental data set to understand the characteristics of an ELM cycle. We will demonstrate that these kinetic corrections increase the simulated heat-flux-rise time at the target to experimentally observed times but the power-decay time at the target is still underestimated by the simulations. This longer decay times are potentially related to a change of the local recycling coefficient at the tungsten target plate directly after the heat pulse.

Investigation of atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge and its application to surface modification of textile material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiaoliang Tang; Gao Qiu; Hankun Xie; Xianping Feng

2005-01-01

The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is characterized by the presence of at least one insulating layer in contact with the discharge between two planar or cylindrical electrodes connected to an ac power supply. In this paper, the spectral lines of plasma emission at atmospheric pressure were recorded by using a grating spectrograph, and all signals will be directly and immediately sent to the computer for data processing and analysis during the experiments. The spectrum lines of nitrogen, helium and argon plasma emission at atmospheric pressure were separately recorded and qualitatively analyzed using spectral diagnosis equipment of atmospheric pressure DBD plasma. The spectrum lines of the second positive system of nitrogen (c 3 π μ → B 3 Π g ), two characteristic spectrum lines of helium (3 1 P 1 → 2 1 S 0 , 3 3 D → 3 3 P), and all of neutral argon atom spectrum lines in the range 680 to 780 nm are recognized. For controlling the process of material surface modification promptly, the electron temperature of DBD plasma is quantitatively analyzed using relative intensity of argon spectrum lines. The relationships among the plasma parameters, such as discharge current and discharge power measured by Lissajous figure of the oscilloscope, were analyzed by using improved DBD equipment. The variation of plasma discharge current following the change of discharge gaps indicates an existence of critical gap distance. When the gap between electrodes is less than that the critical gap, a quasi-stable atmospheric pressure DBD plasma source can be achieved after carefully controlled discharge voltage and current. The experimental results indicate that a critical discharge gap is an important parameter to improve the quality of materials processing. The result is of great importance to DBD at atmospheric pressure and its application to materials processing. (author)

Resonant Excitation of Boundary Layer Instability of DC Arc Plasma Jet by Current Modulation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kopecký, Vladimír; Hrabovský, Milan

2011-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 6 (2011), s. 827-838 ISSN 0272-4324 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/11/2070 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : dc arc jet * plasma jet oscillations * boundary layer instability * frequency spectra Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 1.602, year: 2011 http://www.springerlink.com/content/v160841757161758/

A numerical study on transient high speed free jet into a confined enclosure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chae, K.M.; Yoo, S.Y.; Rhee, W.; Hangbok, Choi

2001-01-01

In a CANDU type reactor, one of the 2 independent shutdown systems is a liquid poison injection system (SDS2). The longest poison injector is 21 pitches long. There are 4 nozzle positions per lattice pitch (287.75 mm) and 4 holes per nozzle position. A numerical model is developed in this study to systematically and consistently estimate the concentration and diffusion of the poison injected from SDS2. In order to assess the source-jet model, a comparison was made against the real-jet calculation using actual boundary conditions. The simulation was performed in two-dimensional geometry with 4 nozzle holes aligned in 1 lattice pitch and an injection velocity of 20 m/s. The study has shown that the source-jet model agrees with the experimental results and real-jet simulation. It was also found that the source-jet model can be effectively used for the simulation of liquid poison injection through small holes, of which the simulation is restricted due to the limitation of number of grid points in the real-jet simulation. The source-term model of the liquid poison injection developed in this study is consistent with the actual poison injection system in a CANDU 6 reactor and, therefore, can generate poison concentration data for the safety analysis of the reactor. In the future, it is strongly recommended to perform further study to analyze the transient of the poison injection from helium tank to injection nozzle hole by applying Bernoulli equation

Study of runaway electron generation during major disruptions in JET

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Plyusnin, V.V.; Riccardo, V.; Jaspers, R.; Alper, B.; Kiptily, V.G.; Mlynář, Jan; Popovichev, S.; de La Luna, E.; Andersson, F.

2006-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 2 (2006), s. 277-284 ISSN 0029-5515 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2043910 Keywords : JET * tokamak * fusion * dicsruption * runaway electrons * tomography Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 2.839, year: 2006

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.)

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.

Low helium flux from the mantle inferred from simulations of oceanic helium isotope data

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Daniele; Sarmiento, Jorge L.; Gnanadesikan, Anand; Key, Robert M.; Schlosser, Peter; Newton, Robert

2010-09-01

The high 3He/ 4He isotopic ratio of oceanic helium relative to the atmosphere has long been recognized as the signature of mantle 3He outgassing from the Earth's interior. The outgassing flux of helium is frequently used to normalize estimates of chemical fluxes of elements from the solid Earth, and provides a strong constraint to models of mantle degassing. Here we use a suite of ocean general circulation models and helium isotope data obtained by the World Ocean Circulation Experiment to constrain the flux of helium from the mantle to the oceans. Our results suggest that the currently accepted flux is overestimated by a factor of 2. We show that a flux of 527 ± 102 mol year - 1 is required for ocean general circulation models that produce distributions of ocean ventilation tracers such as radiocarbon and chlorofluorocarbons that match observations. This new estimate calls for a reevaluation of the degassing fluxes of elements that are currently tied to the helium fluxes, including noble gases and carbon dioxide.

Measurements and Simulations of Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharges Used as Plasma Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Hoskinson, Alan R.

2012-01-01

This report is a Ph.D. dissertation performed under NRA cooperative agreement and submitted as part of the final report. Asymmetric surface dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) have shown promise for use as aerodynamic actuators for active flow control. In this project we studied DBD actuators experimentally and numerically. Our DBDs used a symmetric triangular high voltage waveform to generate plasma in atmospheric pressure air. Time-averaged measurements indicated that the induced force of a single barrier actuator design (one electrode insulated from the plasma) can be increased exponentially above the results of previous studies by decreasing both the length and thickness of the electrode exposed to the plasma. This increased force may allow these devices to control flow separation in a wider range of flow environments. Experiments using an intensified digital camera to examine the plasma on time scales of a few nanoseconds showed that, in addition to the previously-observed filamentary and jet-like plasma structures, discharges with very thin exposed electrodes exhibited a weak but constant plasma immediately adjacent to those electrodes. In double-barrier actuators (both electrodes insulated), decreasing the diameter of the narrower electrode lead to increasing forces, and recorded images showed the simultaneous existence of both filamentary and jet-like plasma structures. The development and application of a time-dependent, two-dimensional computational fluid plasma model has aided in understanding the detailed physics of surface DBDs at all-time scales. For simulated single-barrier discharges, the model qualitatively reproduced the filamentary and jet-like micro-discharge structures. The model was somewhat successful in reproducing the observed characteristics of double-barrier actuators. For both actuator geometries, the model indicated that the majority of the forces induced on the neutral gas occur in between micro-discharges as the plasmas decay.

Time-resolved Thomson scattering on high-intensity laser-produced hot dense helium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sperling, P; Liseykina, T; Bauer, D; Redmer, R

2013-01-01

The introduction of brilliant free-electron lasers enables new pump–probe experiments to characterize warm and hot dense matter states, i.e. systems at solid-like densities and temperatures of one to several hundred eV. Such extreme conditions are relevant for high-energy density studies such as, e.g., in planetary physics and inertial confinement fusion. We consider here a liquid helium jet pumped with a high-intensity optical short-pulse laser that is subsequently probed with brilliant soft x-ray radiation. The optical short-pulse laser generates a strongly inhomogeneous helium plasma which is characterized with particle-in-cell simulations. We derive the respective Thomson scattering spectrum based on the Born–Mermin approximation for the dynamic structure factor considering the full density and temperature-dependent Thomson scattering cross section throughout the target. We observe plasmon modes that are generated in the interior of the target and study their temporal evolution. Such pump–probe experiments are promising tools to measure the important plasma parameters density and temperature. The method described here can be applied to various pump–probe scenarios by combining optical lasers, soft x-rays and hard x-ray sources. (paper)

Liquid jets for fast plasma termination in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenbluth, M.N.; Putvinskij, S.V.; Parks, P.B.

1997-01-01

Recent simulations by Putvisnkij et al. (PSI Conference, 1996) have shown that introducing impurities into the plasma in order to mitigate adverse disruption effects in ITER may actually be deleterious because of a potentially unwelcome phenomenon: generation of multi-MeV runaway electrons by the collisional avalanche mechanism (Rosenbluth, M.N., et al., in Fusion Energy 1996 (Proc. 16th Int. Conf. Montreal, 1996) Vol. 2, IAEA, Vienna (in press) Paper FP-26). The injection of a liquid hydrogen jet to deliver a massive density increase is proposed as a means of avoiding runaways, while providing the same beneficial effects as impurities. A discussion of many jet related topics, such as ablation/penetration, jet breakup time and stability, is presented. Owing to an ablation pressure instability, it is predicted that the jet will quickly break up into a regular chain of droplets with dimensions of approximately the size of the jet radius. It is found that while deep penetration in the plasma can easily be achieved, bubble growth and disruptive boiling (flashing) during the propagation in the vacuum gap between the nozzle exit and the plasma are the main processes limiting the jet survival time. Calculations indicate that for ITER reference parameters, the jet can remain coherent in vacuum for a distance ∼ 1 m before disintegrating. On the basis of this present understanding, the prospect for the safe termination of ITER discharges by high density liquid jet injection appears promising. (author). 20 refs, 6 figs, 3 tabs

Helium Extraction from LNG End Flash

OpenAIRE

Kim, Donghoi

2014-01-01

Helium is an invaluable element as it is widely used in industry such as cryo-genics and welding due to its unique properties. However, helium shortage is expected in near future because of increasing demand and the anxiety of sup-ply. Consequently, helium production has attracted the attention of industry. The main source of He is natural gas and extracting it from LNG end-flash is considered as the most promising way of producing crude helium. Thus, many process suppliers have proposed proc...

Use of separating nozzles or ultra-centrifuges for obtaining helium from gas mixtures containing helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimann, T.

1987-01-01

To obtain helium from gas mixtures containing helium, particularly from natural gas, it is proposed to match the dimensions of the separation devices for a ratio of the molecular weights to be separated of 4:1 of more, which ensures a higher separation factor and therefore a smaller number of separation stages to be connected in series. The process should make reasonably priced separation of helium possible. (orig./HP) [de

On atmospheric-pressure non-equilibrium plasma jets and plasma bullets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, X; Laroussi, M; Puech, V

2012-01-01

Atmospheric-pressure non-equilibrium plasma jets (APNP-Js), which generate plasma in open space rather than in a confined discharge gap, have recently been a topic of great interest. In this paper, the development of APNP-Js will be reviewed. Firstly, the APNP-Js are grouped based on the type of gas used to ignite them and their characteristics are discussed in detail. Secondly, one of the most interesting phenomena of APNP-Js, the ‘plasma bullet’, is discussed and its behavior described. Thirdly, the very recent developments on the behavior of plasma jets when launched in a controlled environment and pressure are also introduced. This is followed by a discussion on the interaction between plasma jets. Finally, perspectives on APNP-J research are presented. (paper)

The subcontinental mantle beneath southern New Zealand, characterised by helium isotopes in intraplate basalts and gas-rich springs

Science.gov (United States)

Hoke, L.; Poreda, R.; Reay, A.; Weaver, S. D.

2000-07-01

New helium isotope data measured in Cenozoic intraplate basalts and their mantle xenoliths are compared with present-day mantle helium emission on a regional scale from thermal and nonthermal gas discharges on the South Island of New Zealand and the offshore Chatham Islands. Cenozoic intraplate basaltic volcanism in southern New Zealand has ocean island basalt affinities but is restricted to continental areas and absent from adjacent Pacific oceanic crust. Its distribution is diffuse and widespread, it is of intermittent timing and characterised by low magma volumes. Most of the 3He/ 4He ratios measured in fluid inclusions in mantle xenocrysts and basalt phenocrysts such as olivine, garnet, and amphibole fall within the narrow range of 8.5 ± 1.5 Ra (Ra is the atmospheric 3He/ 4He ratio) with a maximum value of 11.5 Ra. This range is characteristic of the relatively homogeneous and degassed upper MORB-mantle helium reservoir. No helium isotope ratios typical of the lower less degassed mantle (>12 Ra), such as exemplified by the modern hot-spot region of Hawaii (with up to 32 Ra) were measured. Helium isotope ratios of less than 8 Ra are interpreted in terms of dilution of upper mantle helium with a radiogenic component, due to either age of crystallisation or small-scale mantle heterogeneities caused by mixing of crustal material into the upper mantle. The crude correlation between age of samples and helium isotopes with generally lower R/Ra values in mantle xenoliths compared with host rock phenocrysts and the in general depleted Nd and Sr isotope ratios and the light rare earth element enrichment of the basalts supports derivation of melts as small melt fractions from a depleted upper mantle, with posteruptive ingrowth of radiogenic helium as a function of lithospheric age. In comparison, the regional helium isotope survey of thermal and nonthermal gas discharges of the South Island of New Zealand shows that mantle 3He anomalies in general do not show an obvious

Sterilization and decontamination of surfaces using atmospheric pressure plasma discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garate, E.; Gornostaeva, O.; Alexeff, I.; Kang, W.L.

1999-07-01

The goal of the program is to demonstrate that an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge can rapidly and effectively sterilize or decontaminate surfaces that are contaminated with model biological and chemical warfare agents. The plasma is produced by corona discharge from an array of pins and a ground plane. The array is constructed so that various gases, like argon or helium, can be flowed past the pins where the discharge is initiated. The pin array can be biased using either DC. AC or pulsed discharges. the work done to date has focused on the sterilization of aluminum, polished steel and tantalum foil metal coupons, about 2 cm on a side and 2 mm thick, which have been inoculated with up to 10{sup 6} spores per coupon of Bacillus subtilis var niger or Bascillus stearothermorphilus. Results indicate that 5 minute exposures to the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge can reduce the viable spore count by 4 orders of magnitude. The atmospheric pressure discharge is also effective in decomposing organic phosphate compounds that are stimulants for chemical warfare agents. Details of the decomposition chemistry, by-product formation, and electrical energy consumption of the system will be discussed.

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)

Neutron-induced helium implantation in GCFR cladding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, H.; Poeppel, R.B.; Sevy, R.H.

1980-10-01

The neutron-induced implantation of helium atoms on the exterior surfaces of the cladding of a prototypic gas-cooled fast reactor (GCFR) has been investigated analytically. A flux of recoil helium particles as high as 4.2 x 10 10 He/cm 2 .s at the cladding surface has been calculated at the peak power location in the core of a 300-MWe GCFR. The calculated profile of the helium implantation rates indicates that although some helium is implanted as deep as 20 μm, more than 99% of helium particles are implanted in the first 2-μm-deep layer below the cladding surface. Therefore, the implanted helium particles should mainly affect surface properties of the GCFR cladding

Gamma-ray emission profile measurements during JET ICRH discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarvis, O N; Marcus, F B; Sadler, G; Van Belle, P [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Howarth, P J.A. [Birmingham Univ. (United Kingdom); Adams, J M; Bond, D S [UKAEA Harwell Lab. (United Kingdom). Energy Technology Div.

1994-07-01

Gamma-ray emission from plasma-impurity reactions caused by minority ICRH accelerating fuel ions to MeV energies has been measured using the JET neutron profile monitor. A successful data analysis technique has been used to isolate the RF-induced gamma-ray emission that was detected, enabling profiles of gamma-ray emission to be obtained. The 2-d gamma-ray emission profiles show that virtually all the radiation originates from the low field side of the RF resonance layer, as expected from RF-induced pitch angle diffusion. The emission profiles indicate the presence of a small population of resonant {sup 3}He ions that possess orbits lying near the passing-trapped boundary. 6 refs., 4 figs.

Scour process caused by multiple subvertical non-crossing jets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Pagliara

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The scour process induced by plunging jets is an important topic for hydraulic engineers. In recent decades, several researchers have developed new strategies and methodologies to control the scour morphology, including different jet arrangements and structures located in the stilling basin. It has been found that multiple jets can cause less scouring than single plunging jets. Based on this evidence, this study aimed to investigate the equilibrium morphology caused by multiple non-crossing jets. A dedicated laboratory model was built and experimental tests were carried out under different combinations of jet inclination angles, by varying the tailwater level and the virtual crossing point location, which was set below the original channel bed level. It was experimentally shown that the equilibrium scour morphology depends on the jet discharge, the differences in non-crossing jet inclination angles, the downstream water level, and the distance of the virtual crossing point from the original channel bed level. In particular, the last parameter was found to be one of the most influential parameters, because of the resulting flow patterns inside the water body. Furthermore, the analysis of experimental evidence allowed for a complete and detailed classification of the scour hole typologies. Three different scour typologies were distinguished and classified. Finally, based on previous studies, two novel relationships have been proposed to predict both the maximum scour depth and length within a large range of hydraulic and geometric parameters.

Single-jet gas cooling of in-beam foils or specimens: Prediction of the convective heat-transfer coefficient

Science.gov (United States)

Steyn, Gideon; Vermeulen, Christiaan

2018-05-01

An experiment was designed to study the effect of the jet direction on convective heat-transfer coefficients in single-jet gas cooling of a small heated surface, such as typically induced by an accelerated ion beam on a thin foil or specimen. The hot spot was provided using a small electrically heated plate. Heat-transfer calculations were performed using simple empirical methods based on dimensional analysis as well as by means of an advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The results provide an explanation for the observed turbulent cooling of a double-foil, Havar beam window with fast-flowing helium, located on a target station for radionuclide production with a 66 MeV proton beam at a cyclotron facility.

Quantum statistics and liquid helium 3 - helum 4 mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, E.G.D.

1979-01-01

The behaviour of liquid helium 3-helium 4 mixtures is considered from the point of view of manifestation of quantum statistics effects in macrophysics. The Boze=Einstein statistics is shown to be of great importance for understanding superfluid helium-4 properties whereas the Fermi-Dirac statistics is of importance for understanding helium-3 properties. Without taking into consideration the interaction between the helium atoms it is impossible to understand the basic properties of liquid helium 33 - helium 4 mixtures at constant pressure. Proposed is a simple model of the liquid helium 3-helium 4 mixture, namely the binary mixture consisting of solid spheres of two types subjecting to the Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics relatively. This model predicts correctly the most surprising peculiarities of phase diagrams of concentration dependence on temperature for helium solutions. In particular, the helium 4 Bose-Einstein statistics is responsible for the phase lamination of helium solutions at low temperatures. It starts in the peculiar critical point. The helium 4 Fermi-Dirac statistics results in incomplete phase lamination close to the absolute zero temperatures, that permits operation of a powerful cooling facility, namely refrigerating machine on helium solution