A data acquisition system was set up to measure gas temperatures and pressures at various points on a liquid-nitrogen-powered vehicle. The experiment was attempted to develop a data acquisition method for applications on engines that use liquid air as the fuel. Two thermocouples and a pressure transducer were connected using data acquisition instruments interfaced to a laptop computer to acquire data.

Solid-fluid thermal interactions during unsteady flow in porous media play an important role in the regenerators of pulse tube cryocoolers. Pore-level thermal processes in porous media under unsteady flow conditions are poorly understood. The objective of this investigation is to study the pore-level thermal phenomena during pulsating flow through a generic, two-dimensional porous medium by numerical analysis. Furthermore, an examination of the effects of flow pulsations on the thermal dispersion and heat transfer coefficient that are encountered in the standard, volume-average energy equations for porous media are carried out. The investigated porous media are periodic arrays of square cylinders. Detailed numerical data for the porosity range of 0.64 to 0.84, with flow Reynold's numbers from 0-1000 are obtained. Based on these numerical data, the instantaneous as well as cycle-average thermal dispersion and heat transfer coefficients, to be used in the standard unsteady volume-average energy conservation equations for flow in porous media, are derived. Also, the adequacy of current applied cycle-average correlations for heat transfer coefficients and the inclusion of the thermal dispersion in the definition of an effective fluid thermal conductivity are investigated.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Physics and Astronomy. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

This work presents a summary of experimental data and theoretical models that characterize the temperature-dependent behavior of key carrier-transport parameters in silicon down to cryogenic temperatures. In extreme environment applications such as space-based electronics, accurate models of carrier recombination, carrier mobility, and incomplete ionization of dopants form a necessary foundation for the development of reliable high-performance devices and circuits. Not only do these models have a wide impact on the simulated DC and AC performance of devices, but they also play a critical role in predicting the behavior of important phenomena such as single event upset in digital logic circuits. With this motivation, an overview is given of SRH recombination theory, addressing in particular the dependence of recombination lifetime on temperature and injection level. Carrier lifetime measurement methods are reviewed, and experiments to study carrier lifetimes in the substrate of a commercial SiGe BiCMOS process are presented. The experimental data is analyzed and leveraged in order to develop calibrated TCAD-relevant models. Similarly, an overview of low-temperature resistivity in silicon is presented. Modeling of resistivity over temperature is discussed, addressing the prevailing theoretical models for both carrier mobility and incomplete ionization of dopants. Experimental measurements of the temperature dependence of resistivity in both p-type and n-type silicon are presented, and calibrated TCAD-relevant models for carrier mobility and incomplete ionization are developed. Finally, the ability to integrate these calibrated models within commercial TCAD software is demonstrated. In addition, applications for these accurate temperature-dependent models are discussed, and future directions are outlined for research into cryogenic modeling of fundamental physical parameters.

This thesis addresses the experimental investigation of the cavitation phenomenon and its main consequences on the normal operation of a safety relief valve (SRV). More particularly, limitation of the mass flux discharged and alteration of the hydraulic fluid forces behavior is of main interest for the proper design and sizing of such devices. In nuclear or thermal engineering systems, the use of SRVs is mandatory since it represents the ultimate protection device before an accident occurs, caused by a sudden pressurization of the system. A careful design and sizing of the SRV is therefore essential. The complete understanding of the physics taking place in the flow through the valve is required to guaranty and optimize the security of the protected process.<p><p>In order to investigate the above effects of cavitation in a SRV, two different orifice sized valves (API 2J3 type and a transparent model based on an API 1 1/2G3 type) are tested in two different experimental facilities expressly built for this purpose. Instead of using a spring, the design of both valves allows the adjustment of the disc at any desired lift. Hence the static behavior of the valves is investigated. Both facilities, operating at different magnitude scales, allow the study of single phase and cavitating flow conditions required to properly determine the most important hydraulic characteristics, and access on any potential scaling effect between both sized SRVs. Experimental techniques used for the determination of the hydraulic characteristics include temperature, flow rate, fluid forces and pressure measurements both upstream and downstream the test sections. <p><p>Results show a similar influence of cavitation on the flow characteristics of both valves, minimizing any potential scaling effect. The liquid pressure recovery factor FL, which is normally used to identify a choked flow condition in a control valve, is experimentally determined for the first time in a SRV. The existence of a local minimum located at small openings of the lift indicates a change on the flow characteristics of both valves, which is related to the location of the minimum cross section of the flow that does not remain constant for every lift position. An extended experimental campaign is performed to analyse the effect of the blowdown ring adjustment located around the nozzle of the API 2J3 valve. Results confirm that the position of the ring has an important contribution for the hydraulic forces acting on the valve disc. <p><p>In the second part of the research, precise optical diagnostic techniques are successfully applied in the transparent valve to locally characterize the flow topology in a SRV experiencing cavitation. These results are innovative and enrich the experimental database available in the literature for the characterization and understanding of the flow physics in such devices. In a first configuration, high speed visualization is applied to observe qualitatively the flow pattern and the inception of liquid vaporization. Particle tracking results suggest that vapor bubbles are formed in the core of vortices detached from the shear layers attached to the valve. These rotational structures promote lower pressure regions allowing the liquid to vaporize. In the second configuration, particle image velocimetry is applied to extract the velocity field in both single phase and cavitating flow conditions. Results of PIV confirm the existence of a submerged jet just downstream the minimum section. This jet is characterized by two non-symmetric shear layers at its sides. Under cavitation conditions, PIV results confirm that vapor bubbles are formed preferentially inside the jet shear layers. The phenomenon of mass flux limitation caused by cavitation is reproduced at small openings of the valve and interaction with the flow topology is highlighted. It is observed that limitation of the flow occurs when the vena contracta is shifted towards the minimum geometrical section of the flow. Finally, instabilities of the flow downstream the critical section are investigated in the frequency domain by means of time resolved data. Results suggest that vortex shedding mechanism is dominated by a constant Strouhal number which is slightly affected by the valve opening. <p><p>In the last part of the research, the methodology used in water is extended and applied to cryogenic liquids. Two different geometries are investigated experimentally and numerically using water and liquid nitrogen as working fluids. Results suggest that both the flow coefficient (determined at single flow conditions), and the liquid recovery factor (used to identify choked flows), are independent on the fluid properties and therefore, an hydraulic similarity relation can be proposed.<p><p>This research project was carried out at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI), in Belgium, in close collaboration and with the funding of Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques (CETIM) in France. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is possibly the best available technique in designing and predicting the performance of Stirling and pulse tube refrigerators (PTR). One of the limitations of CFD modeling of these systems, however, is that it requires closure relations for the micro porous materials housed within their regenerators and heat exchangers. Comprehensive prediction of fluid-solid interaction through this media can be obtained only by direct pore level simulation, a process which is time consuming and impractical for system level examination. Through the application of empirical correlations including the Darcy permeability and Forchheimer's inertial coefficient, the microscopic momentum equations governing fluid behavior within the porous structure can be recast as viable macroscopic governing equations. With these constitutive relationships, CFD can be an efficient and powerful tool for system modeling and optimization. The purpose of this study is to determine the hydrodynamic parameters of two mesh fillers relevant to miniature PTRs; stacked screens of 635 mesh stainless steel and 325 mesh phosphor-bronze wire cloth. Experimental setups were designed and fabricated to measure steady and oscillatory pressures and mass flow rates of the working fluid, research-grade helium. Hydrodynamic parameters for the two mesh fillers were determined for steady-state and steady periodic flow in both the axial and radial directions for a range of flow rates, operating frequencies and charge pressures. The effect of average pressure on the steady axial flow hydrodynamic parameters of other common PTR filler materials was also investigated. The determination of sample hydrodynamic parameters and their subsequent computational and experimental methodologies utilized are explained.

This thesis investigates the effects of low temperatures on Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Hterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBT) BiCMOS technology. A comprehensive set of dc measurements were taken on first, second, third and fourth generation IBM SiGe technology over a range of temperatures (room temperature to 43K for first generation, and room temperature to 15K for the rest). This work is unique in the sense that this sort of comprehensive study of dc characteristics on four SiGe HBT technology generations over a wide range of temperatures has never been done before to the best of the authors knowledge.

Pulse tube cryocoolers (PTC) are a class of rugged and high-endurance refrigeration systems that operate without moving parts at their low temperature ends, and are capable of reaching temperatures down to and below 123 K. PTCs are particularly suitable for applications in space, guiding systems, cryosurgery, medicine preservation, superconducting electronics, magnetic resonance imaging, weather observation, and liquefaction of gases. Applications of these cryocoolers span across many industries including defense, aerospace, biomedical, energy, and high tech. Among the challenges facing the PTC research community is the improvement of system efficiency, which is a direct function of the regenerator component performance. A PTC implements the theory of oscillatory compression and expansion of the gas within a closed volume to achieve desired refrigeration. An important deficiency with respect to the state of art models dealing with PTCs is the limited understanding of the hydrodynamic and thermal transport parameters associated with periodic flow of a cryogenic fluid in micro-porous structures. In view of the above, the goals of this investigation include: 1) experimentally measuring and correlating the steady and periodic flow Darcy permeability and Forchheimer’s inertial hydrodynamic parameters for available rare-Earth ErPr regenerator filler; 2) employing a CFD-assisted methodology for the unambiguous quantification of the Darcy permeability and Forchheimer’s inertial hydrodynamic parameters, based on experimentally measured steady and periodic flow pressure drops in porous structures representing recently developed regenerator fillers; and 3) performing a direct numerical pore-level investigation for steady and periodic flows in a generic porous medium in order to elucidate the flow and transport processes, and quantify the solid-fluid hydrodynamic and heat transfer parameters. These hydrodynamic resistances parameters were found to be significantly different for steady and oscillatory flows.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Since 1990s, rechargeable Li-ion batteries have been widely used in consumer electronics such as cell phones, global positioning systems (GPS), personnel digital assistants (PDA), digital cameras, and laptop computers. Recently Li-ion batteries received considerable attention as a major power source for electric vehicles. However, significant technical challenges still exist for widely deploying Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. For instance, the energy density of Li-ion batteries is not high enough to support a long-distance commute. The Li-ion batteries used for the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt only can support 50 – 100 miles per charge. The cost of Li-ion battery packs in electric vehicles is still high. The battery pack for the Chevy Volt costs about $8,000, and the larger one in the Nissan Leaf costs about $12,000. To address these problems, new Li-ion battery electrode materials with high energy density and low cost should be developed. Among Li-ion battery cathode materials, vanadium pentoxide, V2O5, is one of the earliest oxides studied as a cathode for Li-ion batteries because of its low cost, abundance, easy synthesis, and high energy density. However, its practical reversible capacity has been limited due to its irreversible structural change when Li insertion is more than x = 1. Tremendous efforts have been made over the last twenty years to improve the phase reversibility of LixV2O5 (e.g., 0 ≤ x ≤ 2) because of vanadium pentoxides’ potential use as high capacity cathodes in Li-ion batteries. In this thesis, a new strategy was studied to develop vanadium pentoxide cathode materials with improved phase reversibility. The first study is to synthesize vanadium oxide cathodes via a new chemical route – creating a phase transformation from the vanadium sulfide to oxide. The β-Na0.33V2O5 was prepared via a new method of chemical synthesis, involving the chemical transformation of NaVS2 via heat-treatment at 600 °C in atmospheric air. The β-Na0.33V2O5 particles were well crystalized and rod-shaped, measuring 7–15 μm long and 1–3 μm wide with the formation of the crystal defects on the surface of the particles. In contrast to previous reports contained in the literature, Na ions were extracted, without any structural collapse, from the β -Na0.33V2O5 structure and replaced with Li ions during cycling of the cell in the voltage range, 1.5 V to 4.5 V. This eventually resulted in a fully reversible Li intercalation into the LixV2O5 structure when 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 2.0. The second study is to apply the synthesis method to LiVS2 for the synthesis of β׳-LixV2O5 for use as a high performance cathode. The synthesis method is based on the heat treatment of the pure LiVS2 in atmospheric air. By employing this method of synthesis, well-crystalized, rod-shaped β׳-LixV2O5 particles 20 – 30 μm in length and 3 – 6 μm in width were obtained. Moreover, the surface of β׳-LixV2O5 particles was found to be coated by an amorphous vanadium oxysulfide film (~20 nm in thickness). In contrast to a low temperature vanadium pentoxide phase (LixV2O5), the electrochemical intercalation of lithium into the β׳-LixV2O5 was fully reversible where 0.0 < x < 2.0, and it delivered a capacity of 310 mAh/g at a current rate of 0.07 C between 1.5 V and 4 V. Good capacity retention of more than 88% was also observed after 50 cycles even at a higher current rate of 2 C. The third study is the investigation of NaVS2 as a cathode intercalation material for sodium ion batteries. We have shown that reversible electrochemical deintercalation of x ~ 1.0 Na per formula unit of NaxVS2, corresponding to a capacity of ~200 mAh/g, is possible. And a stable capacity of ~120 mAh/g after 30 cycles was observed. These studies show that the new chemical synthesis route for creating a phase transformation from the vanadium sulfide to oxide by heat treatment in air is a promising method for preparing vanadium oxide cathode material with high reversibility. Although this sample shows a relatively low voltage range compared with other cathodes such as LiCoO2 (3.8 V) and LiFePO4 (3.4 V), the large capacity of this sample is quite attractive in terms of increasing energy density in Li-ion batteries. Also, NaVS2 could be a promising cathode material for sodium ion batteries.