The beam quality and the system efficiency of a diode-pumped solid-state laser source are directly related to the thermal profile inside the laser crystal. The thermal profile in a laser crystal should be made uniform in order to reduce the negative effects of the thermal lens. However, the absorbed pump profile that forms a uniform thermal profile inside the gain medium may adversely affect the system efficiency. In this thesis, a computational and empirical method was developed for designing pumping chambers that results in a suitable thermal profile inside the gain medium, and thus desired laser beam quality was achieved while keeping the system efficiency at an acceptable level. Accomplishment of this thesis work will lead to the design of pumping chambers and resonators in high power laser systems operating at even higher thermal loads.

Heating of the transmission foil separating the vacuum diodes from the laser cell in electron-beam-pumped gas lasers due to electron beam attenuation necessitates an active cooling scheme to prevent its failure under repetitively pulsed operating conditions. Attenuation of the electron beam (typically 500kV, 100kA and 100ns) produces a strong and pulsed volumetric heat source in the relatively thin (~25μm thick) stainless-steel foil causing it to fail. An experimental and numerical investigation has been conducted to study the cooling effectiveness of high-speed near-wall jets for a single stainless-steel foil strip simulating the geometry between two hibachi ribs in the Electra KrF gas laser developed by the Naval Research Laboratory. The foil is placed inside a channel with continuous gas flow simulating the circulating laser gas. Detailed studies include two jet types (planar and circular) and two injection methods (parallel and impinging) for two designs of hibachi (flat and scalloped). The planar jet flows parallel to the circulating laser gas along the entire foil span. The other configuration uses small diameter (0.8, 1.2 and 1.6 mm) circular jets positioned in two staggered rows located on the foil's two edges along the height of the foil (~30 cm). The jets are issued obliquely towards the foil. For both jet configurations, experiments are conducted at different jet velocities, impingement angles and jet-foil spacing to identify the optimal parameters to be used in the actual hibachi foil cooling. Experimental results are also compared to the predictions from CFD simulations using FLUENT®. The results of this research show that near-wall impinging circular jets can effectively cool the foil separating the vacuum diodes from the laser cell in an electron beam pumped KrF laser under prototypical pulsed (5Hz) operating conditions, thereby assuring the foil's survival, while minimizing the impact on electron beam quality and laser efficiency.

Capillary pumped loop (CPL) and loop heat pipe (LHP), are two-phase heat transport devices which rely on surface tension induced by a fine pore wick to drive a working fluid in a loop. These are based on a working principle similar to that of heat pipes -closed evaporation and condensation cycle being maintained by capillary pumping. CPLs and LHPs are gaining importance as a part of the thermal control system of modern high power spacecraft, electronic thermal management, cryogenics, etc. A mathematical model to simulate the thermo-hydraulic performance of CPLs and LHPs is developed to aid in the design of such a spacecraft thermal control system. In this study a unified mathematical model to estimate thermal and hydraulic performance of a CPL and an LHP -with a two-phase or a hard-filled reservoir is presented. The steady state model is based on conservation of energy and mass in the system. Heat exchanges between the loop and the surroundings and pressure drops in the loop are calculated. The constant conductance regime in a CPL or an LHP occurs when the reservoir is hard-filled. It also occurs in an LHP if the condenser is fully utilised. The heat leak across the wick becomes significant in a hard-filled LHP since the core is no longer saturated and hence the mass flow rate must be calculated using an energy balance on the outer surface of the wick. Theoretical studies indicate that the core of a hard-filled CPL and LHP is always sub-cooled. Hard-filled LHPs (with a bayonet) cannot be operated under all conditions. If the heat exchange between the compensation chamber (of an LHP with bayonet) and the ambient is small then such an LHP will not deprime if the hard-filling occurs before the condenser opens. Deprime due to hard-filling is not expected if it occurs after the condenser opens. A laboratory model is built to demonstrate the operation of these two devices and to correlate the theoretical predictions with the experimental observations. The CPL/LHP laboratory model is fabricated and designed so that different evaporator and reservoir designs can be integrated into the test-rig and tested with different working fluids. Experiments are conducted on a three-port CPL with a tubular axially grooved (TAG) evaporator. This CPL is operated with three different fluids -namely -Ammonia, Acetone and R134a. The CPL is operated for heat loads in the range of 75W to 400W with sink temperatures of -10◦C and 0◦C. The influence of reservoir temperature (35◦C and 43◦C) is also studied. The TAG evaporator is modified to operate in an LHP mode with R134a as the working fluid with heat loads in the range of 75W to 150W. This LHP does not exhibit typical “√” shaped operating characteristic due to large liquid inventory in the compensation chamber (CC). The R134a based LHP results suggest that large liquid inventory (in the CC) and absence of secondary wick significantly influence the thermal coupling between the core and the compensation chamber. Experiments are also conducted with a flat plate (FP) evaporator, in LHP operating mode, with Ammonia as the working fluid. This LHP can transport heat loads from 25W to 300W with a sink temperature at -15◦C. The experimental results indicate that ammonia is the best working fluid (moderate temperature regime) among all the working fluids tested, and that evaporation heat transfer coefficients in sintered Ni-wick are better. The correlation of the predicted temperatures on the transport lines and the saturation temperature (in LHPs) with the observations is good. Some of the salient conclusions from these experiments are that mass of charge can significantly influence the operating characteristics of a TAG LHP, even though the fluid in the CC is in two-phase condition. Theoretical predictions can be significantly affected when thermal and hydraulic development lengths in the condenser are comparable with the length of the sub-cooling section.

Darbe nagrinėjami nenusistovėjusio vandens tekėjimo reiškiniai, kurie atsiranda Kruonio HAE reversiniame kanale dėl netolygaus hidroagregatų veikimo juos paleidžiant ir stabdant. Tyrimų tikslas - nustatyti nenusistovėjusio tekėjimo dėsningumus Kruonio HAE reversiniame kanale ir jam artimiausioje Kauno marių dalyje. Tyrimų metodas – hidrodinamikos skaitmeninis modeliavimas MIKE21 aplinkoje. Hidrodinamikos modelyje panaudotas reversinio kanalo dugno skaitmeninis reljefo modelis, sudarytas stačiakampių gardelių tinklo (grido) pavidalu pagal naujausius batimetrinių matavimų rezultatus. Elementarių gardelių matmenys 5x5 m. Modelio pakraštinėms sąlygoms aprašyti pasirenkamos laiko funkcijos, kurios išreiškia kiekvieno HAE hidroagregato vandens debito kitimą laiko atžvilgiu įvairių modeliuojamų HAE darbo režimų scenarijuose. Kitoje modelio atviroje riboje nustatomas fiksuotas Kauno marių vandens lygis. Hidrodinamikos modeliavimo rezultatai išvedami ir užrašomi kiekvienu skaičiuojamojo laiko žingsniu, o jų analizė atliekama naudojant MIKE21 programų paketo įrankius. Hidrodinamikos modeliavimo rezultatų tikslumui ir patikimumui įvertinti buvo atlikta modelio patikra (t.y. verifikavimas), kurioje panaudoti realiai išmatuotų vandens lygių dinamikos ir tėkmės vektorių lauko krypčių vizualinių stebėjimų rezultatai. Analizuojant gautus modeliavimo rezultatus buvo nustatyti nenusistovėjusio vandens tekėjimo Kruonio HAE reversiniame kanale dėsningumai, kurie pasireiškia staigaus... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This work deals with fluctuations in the water flow regime that occur in the outlet channel of the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant and are produced by uneven running of hydrounits while starting and stopping them. Research purpose: to determine the patterns of fluctuations in the water flow regime that occur in the outlet channel of the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant and the nearest part of Kaunas Lagoon. Research method: numerical modeling of hydrodynamics in the MIKE21 environment. A digital terrain model of the reverse channel bottom consisting of a rectangular grid network (grid), made following the latest bathymetric measurements, was used for the hydrodynamic model. The elementary grid cell dimentions in the model were 5x5 m. To describe the boundary conditions of the model, time functions which express the water flow rate changes over time of each hydrounit in different operating modes of the KPSP were chosen. The fixed Kaunas Reservoir water level was set in the model as the other open boundary. The results of the hydrodynamic modeling were output and recorded at each computational time step and their analysis was performed using MIKE21 software package tools. To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the hydrodynamic simulation results, a verification of the model was performed, which used the results of visual monitoring of actually measured water level dynamics and flow vector field directions . Analyzing the findings of simulation, consistent patterns of the... [to full text]

The rapid integration of intermittent renewable energy sources (IRES) has caused a growing demand for power system flexibility on energy markets all over Europe. Being the only commercially proven large scale energy storage technology, pumped storage hydro power (PSHP) has by several studies been suggested as an efficient solution to miti­gate the impact of IRES. However, despite the perceived technical demand profit­ability remains as a major obstacle for PSHP development. In this study, a market requirement for PSHP profitability, defined in terms of price volatility, is pre­sented. Considering capital and operational expenditures as well as modelled potential price arbitrage revenues for a greenfield PSHP plant, it may be used as a tool for initial assessments of PSHP profitability in relation to market outlooks or modelled future prices. The results have further been used in a case study, where the price volatility required to motivate a restora­tion of the now decommissioned Swedish PSHP plant Juktan has been determined. The results show that the high capital expenditures characterising PSHP development do comprise in a high risk for developers; while feasibility depends on the sustainment of a highly volatile price climate during several decades, energy markets are often extremely uncertain.

I det här examensarbetet dimensioneras en solcellsanläggning med batteribank till fyra kolonistugor som kommer att vara bebodda under sommarhalvåret på Wij Trädgårdar i Ockelbo. Den förväntade elanvändningen beräknas för två olika brukarbeteenden. Ett brukarbeteende där hushållsapparater med höga effekter (exempelvis mikrovågsugn) förväntas ha kortare drifttider vilket resulterar i lägre krav på installerad solcellseffekt samt en mindre batteribank.För den kemiska energilagringen i en batteribank undersöks flera olika typer av uppladdningsbara batterier. AGM blyackumulatorn är det batteri som anses vara lämpligt för kemisk energilagring i solcellssystemet och som har använts vid dimensioneringen av batteribanken. Vidare undersöks möjligheterna att lagra elektricitet småskaligt genom pumpat vatten till ett vattenmagasin, som ett komplement till energilagringen i batteribanken. Genom ett vattenlagringssystem kan överskottselen från solcellerna användas för att pumpa upp vatten till ett vattenmagasin på en högre höjd och därmed lagras genom lägesenergi. När det finns ett behov av elektricitet och den lagrade energin i batteribanken inte är tillräcklig kan vattnet flöda genom en vattenturbin som genererar el till batteribanken och lasterna. Ett vattenlagringssystem kan skydda batteribanken från djupare urladdningar, vilket kan öka batteriernas livslängd i form av antalet laddningscykler, samt ta tillvara överskottselen från solcellerna i större utsträckning. Batteribanken står för en stor del av inköpskostnaden och det finns både miljömässiga och ekonomiskt starka incitament att hitta sätt att förlänga batteribankens livslängd. / In this bachelor thesis is the size of a battery bank and the demand of photovoltaic power to supply electricity to four off-grid cottages calculated, which are occupied during the summer months at Wij Trädgårdar in Ockelbo. The expected electricity demand of the households is calculated for two different user patterns. In one of the user patterns the household appliances with a high power demand (for example microwave) are expected to have a shorter daily usage time, which results in a considerable lower purchase cost as a result from lower power demand of installed photovoltaic and a smaller battery bank. For the battery bank have different rechargeable batteries been investigated. The AGM Lead-Acid battery is found to be the most suitable rechargeable battery for chemical energy storage in this photovoltaic system. Furthermore the possibilities of pumping water to a water reservoir and store as potential energy as a complement to the energy storage in the battery bank have been investigated and discussed. Through a small-scale pumped hydro storage the surplus electricity from the photovoltaic can be used to pump up water to a reservoir at a higher altitude and be stored as potential energy. When there is a demand of electricity and the energy stored in the battery bank is not enough the water can be used in a small-scale water turbine, which generates electricity t the battery bank and the loads. A pumped hydro storage can protect the battery bank from deeper discharge, which otherwise can reduce the lifetime of the batteries, and extend the number of charge and discharge cycles the batteries can manage. The battery bank represents a large part of the purchase costs and there are strong environmental and economical incentives to prolong the lifetime of the battery bank.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:45:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:08:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 07309.pdf: 6512485 bytes, checksum: da19e05a16a320b11188314140f1865c (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2015-07-23T11:12:14Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-23T11:12:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:45:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:08:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 07309.pdf: 6512485 bytes, checksum: da19e05a16a320b11188314140f1865c (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2015-07-23T11:12:14Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-23T11:12:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Neste trabalho estudou-se as propriedades obtidas em juntas soldadas pelo processo de soldagem a laser do tipo estado sólido de onda contínua guiado por fibra, e os resultados foram comparados com juntas soldadas pelo processo feixe de elétrons. O material utilizado foi o aço maraging 350 - ASTM A 538 Grade C. As soldas realizadas com o processo feixe de elétrons possuem um procedimento de soldagem aprovado. A junta selecionada para a elaboração do trabalho foi do tipo sobreposta com material de base de espessuras diferentes, respectivamente iguais a 1,00 e 0,78 mm. As juntas soldadas foram avaliadas por: ensaio de cisalhamento, dureza Vickers e caracterização microestrutural das diversas regiões das juntas soldadas. Foram realizadas análises por microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura usando espectrometria de energia dispersiva (MEV/EDS). Foi realizado o teste de hipótese como técnica para a análise dos dados provenientes dos ensaios experimentais. Nas juntas soldadas com ambos processos não foi verificada a presença de descontinuidades, poros e depressões na superfície do cordão. Os resultados indicam que as condições usadas em ambos os processos de soldagem foram satisfatórias e possibilitaram a soldagem do aço maraging 350 atendendo aos requisitos necessários. / Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP