Influence of electron-beam heating modes on the structure of composite ZrO2-Al2O3 ceramics

The article presents the results of electron beam sintering of composite ceramics based on Al2O3 and ZrO2 powders. Samples were made with different contents of Al2O3 and ZrO2 components and different pressing pressures. Sintering was carried out in vacuum at a helium pressure of 30 Pa. An electron beam generated by a forevacuum plasma electron source was used for sintering. It is shown that the sintering result depends on the pressing pressure and the percentage of components. The influence of the geometry of the samples and their composition on the temperature drop over their volume during sintering has been determined.

Параметры контура линий водяного пара при уширении гелием

The averaged energy difference method has been applied to calculate the broadening coefficients of rotation vibration water vapor lines induced by helium pressure. The calculations have been performed for a wide range of rotational quantum numbers (the averaged energy difference method have been applied for J from 0 to 20, interpolation of the J-dependence have been used for J from 20 to 50) in the spectral range from 500 to 10000 cm-1. We compared the calculated H2O-He line broadening coefficients with the literature data, and a good agreement have been obtained. The temperature dependence for linewidths are calculated.

Some Considerations on the Energy Deposition During a RIA Transient Based On Monte Carlo Simulations

Specific research reactors are capable of reproducing reactivity injection accidents in order to study the behavior of the nuclear fuel pins in accidental situations. In the CABRI research reactor, the fuel pin to be examined (test pin) is placed in the center of the core in a dedicated test loop. It is then subjected to a power transient, obtained by the fast depressurization of the 3He neutron absorber gas from the transient rods located in the core. One of the central parameters of the experiment is the energy deposition in the test pin, which is currently not measured during a transient. Instead, it is assumed that the relative energy distribution between the core and the test pin is constant regardless the operational state of the reactor. Currently, this correlation is measured in steady state. As such, the impact of the variations in the neutron flux, fuel and moderator temperatures during the transient is assumed equivalent on the energy deposition in the core and in the test pin. The goal of this work is to improve our knowledge on the mechanisms involved in the transient energy deposition. The aim of this paper is to present a methodological approach for the energy deposition estimation during a CABRI transient, based on static Monte Carlo calculations. The results suggest that the transient energy deposition rate is mainly dependent on the helium pressure and the Doppler feedback, and the relative energy distribution between the core and test pin changes during the transient.

A Synchrotron Mössbauer Spectroscopy Study of a Hydrated Iron-Sulfate at High Pressures

Szomolnokite is a monohydrated ferrous iron sulfate mineral, FeSO4·H2O, where the ferrous iron atoms are in octahedral coordination with four corners shared with SO4 and two with H2O groups. While somewhat rare on Earth, szomolnokite has been detected on the surface of Mars along with several other hydrated sulfates and is suggested to occur near the surface of Venus. Previous measurements have characterized the local environment of the iron atoms in szomolnokite using Mössbauer spectroscopy at a range of temperatures and 1 bar. Our study represents a step towards understanding the electronic environment of iron in szomolnokite under compression at 300 K. Using a hydrostatic helium pressure-transmitting medium, we explored the pressure dependence of iron’s site-specific behavior in a synthetic szomolnokite powdered sample up to 95 GPa with time-domain synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy. At 1 bar, the Mössbauer spectrum is well described by two Fe2+-like sites and no ferric iron, consistent with select conventional Mössbauer spectra evaluations. At pressures below 19 GPa, steep gradients in the hyperfine parameters are most likely due to a structural phase transition. At 19 GPa, a fourth site is required to explain the time spectrum with increasing fractions of a low quadrupole splitting site, which could indicate the onset of another transition. Above 19 GPa we present three different models, including those with a high- to low-spin transition, that provide reasonable scenarios of electronic environment changes of the iron in szomolnokite with pressure. We summarize the complex range of Fe2+ spin transition characteristics at high-pressures by comparing szomolnokite with previous studies on ferrous-iron bearing phases.

Search for Optimal Parameters for Gas Chromatographic Complex When Determining Sarin in Water Samples by Flame Photometric Detection Method

Sarin is considered to be an instrument for chemical terror by the extremist organizations due to the availability of technologies and components for its production. This fact became evident after the use of sarin by several members of the extremist organization «Aum Shinrikyo» for air infection of the capital`s subway in 1995 in Japan and by ISIL bands in Syria in 2013. Because of its physical and chemical properties, as well as its ability to be dissolved in water in any ratios, sarin can infect water sources for the long period of time. But the sensitivity of flame photometric detectors (FPD) is not always sufficient for the analysis of water samples for the presence of sarin, its precursors and products of destruction, especially in cases of necessity to detect the concentrations less than 0,03 ppm (3×10 -5 mg/ml). We have found out that higher sensitivity of the detector can be achieved in case of the increase of the gas carrier (helium) pressure in the injector up to 25 psi, and the temperature – to 250 °C, single-segment temperature rise in the thermostat with a speed of 10 °C/min from 40 °C (1 min) to 280 °C (5 min) at a hydrogen stream in PFD – 75 ml/min, air – 100 ml/min, helium – 60 ml/min. In comparison with the initial method, the offered one is more sensitive in case of sarin concentration in water in the range from 6×10 -6 to 1×10 -4 mg/ml to 1,7 times. The approbation of the offered optimal parameters was carried out during the gas chromatographic detection of sarin in water samples during the OPCW Proficiency Tests, during the analysis of arbitration samples, during the scientific research and the obtaining of national accreditation of the Laboratory of Chemical Analytical Control of the 27 Scientific Centre of the Minstry of Defence of the Russian Federation. These parameters can be used successfully during the studies of any organophosphorous chemicals by GC analysis with flame photometric detection

ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ КОЕФІЦІЄНТУ КОРИСНОЇ ДІЇ ДВОКОМПОНЕНТНОГО ПНЕВМОНАСОСНОГО АГРЕГАТУ ДЛЯ КОСМІЧНОГО АПАРАТА

Research has been carried out to determine the efficiency of the piston pneumatic pump unit (PPU) of two-way action for the fuel supply system of a spacecraft operating on propellants of AT and MMH (UDMH). The PPU relates to volumetric pumps, therefore, the efficiency is defined as the ratio of effective work performed by the PPU to the expended gas work. The range of total propellants flow rates from 100 to 240 g/s through the PPU is determined by the operating modes of main engine and steering thrusters. As a result of performed researches, the PPU efficiency and main factors influencing on its value were theoretically determined, namely: gas losses for filling "parasitic" volumes including the volumes that do not participate in the process of fluid displacement from hydraulic pumps (volumes associated with incomplete fit of the pneumatic pistons to the bottoms of the pneumatic cylinders, the volume of control and supply channels), but are ejected into the environment at each operation of the PPU pneumatic distributor together with the volume of gas that performed effective work; gas ejections through the drainage seats into the environment at pneumatic distributors switchings, since at pneumatic distributors switchings some cavities are connected with the power supply source by control pressure, and other ones - with environment by poppet moving from the feed seat to the drainage seat; inlet air (helium) pressure losses due to the resistance of gas channels of the pneumatic distributors; friction of seals with fluoroplastic collars of the piston blocks; resistance of the hydraulic channels which components are: pressure losses of non-return valves and hydraulic channels; displaced fluid volume decreasing by hydraulic pumps due to leakage of non-return valves, piston collars and hydraulic pumps rods. The bipropellant PPU efficiency was theoretically and experimentally determined at different operating modes. The calculated value of the efficiency is well confirmed by experiments at that the divergence does not exceed 4%. The results of this research will allow us to determine the necessary gas reserves on board of spacecraft at the stage of designing.

Development of a Device for Detecting Helium Leaks From Canisters: Part 2 — Numerical Analysis of Temperature Behavior During Gas Leaks From a Canister of a 1/4.5 Scale Cask Model

In the concrete cask, the canister is sealed with lids by welding, and has high sealing performance. But considering long-term storage, there is a concern about loss of the sealing performance due to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). In the concrete cask, unlike the metal cask, it is not mandatory to constantly monitor helium pressure between the lids. However, it is useful from the viewpoint of improving safety during the long-term storage to install a helium leak detector in the canister inside the concrete cask. Currently, we are developing the leak detector utilizing the phenomenon that the surface temperature of the canister changes when helium leaks out of the canister. As part of developing the leak detector of the canister, leak tests were performed using a small canister model as a pressurized vessel and a 1/4.5 scale cask model of the actual cask including the canister. This leak detector utilized the phenomenon that canister bottom temperature (TB) increases and canister lid temperature (TT) decreases when the internal pressure of the canister decreases. In computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation, focused on this phenomenon, the influence of the internal pressure and physical properties of internal gas in the canister were examined by calculating conditions of three kinds of pressure and two types of gas (air and helium). The main purpose of the CFD calculation was to confirm the results of the experiment, and we grasped the phenomenon occurring in the canister and elucidated its mechanism. For the CFD calculation, a commercial CFD software, STAR-CCM+® (ver.12.06.010) by Siemens PLM Software Company, was used. A CAD file used for the calculation simulated also the shape inside the canister (e.g. basket, fuel rods). A polyhedral mesh was used for a calculation mesh. In the small canister model, a mesh of its ambient air was not generated, and heat transfer between the canister surface and the ambient air was calculated from a heat transfer correlation equation. On the other hand, in the 1 / 4.5 scale cask model, the mesh of its ambient air was generated, so that the heat transfer on the surface of the canister was calculated according to the actual heat transfer phenomenon. The internal gas and the ambient air of the canister were ideal gas, and buoyancy due to density change was taken into consideration. A realizable k-epsilon model was used for a turbulence model, and a DO model was used for a radiation model.

Development of Device for Detecting Helium Leak From Canister: Part 1 — Experiment on Temperature Behavior During Gas Leak From Canister of 1/4.5 Scale Cask Model

A concrete cask has an advantage in cost and period of manufacturing compared with a metal cask. In the metal cask, monitoring of helium pressure between a primary lid and a secondary lid of the cask is required by regulation. On the other hand, in the concrete cask, the lids of a canister are welded and have high sealing performance, so that the monitoring of helium leak from the canister is not required. However, a loss of the sealing performance of the secondary lid, which is caused by stress corrosion cracking (SCC), is concerned in the case of long-term storage by the concrete cask. In the view of this situation, it would be useful to install a helium leak detector in the concrete cask in order to improve the safety of the long-term storage. Thus, we have been developing the detector. The phenomenon that the temperature at the bottom of the canister (TB) increases and the temperature at the top of the canister (TT) decreases during the helium leak from the canister has been confirmed by the experiments in the previous study. We have proposed the performance monitoring by monitoring the temperature difference ΔTBT (= TB-TT) instead of pressure monitoring. This time, to make the installation and maintenance of the helium leak detector easier in consideration of practical use, we proposed a new detection technique using only the temperature of either the lid or the bottom of the canister. We performed leak tests by using a 1/4.5 scale cask model based on a similarity law of thermal hydraulics. In the experiments, air was used for an inner gas of a canister of the model, and a heat flux of a canister surface had the same value as that of the actual canister surface. In this model, Ra* number can be made to coincide with that of the actual canister. Besides, Gr* number and Bo* number are almost equal to those of the actual canister. Temperature data at respective canister parts were obtained under condition of canister internal pressure from 6 atm to 1 atm (atmosphere pressure). Also, the new and old leak detection methods were evaluated by using the obtained temperature data.