Improving Precision in Aluminum Alloy Machining Due to the Application of Diamond-Like Carbon Thin Film

Cutting precision is extremely affected by a phenomenon known as built up edge (BUE) that occurs on tungsten carbide tools during low cutting speed of aluminum alloy. BUE is responsible for early tool breakage due to excessive material build up from the machined part on the cutting face, leading to problems of shape irregularity and tool-tip breakage. Thus, diamond-like carbon (DLC) was deposited and tested to verify cutting precision in aluminum alloy by using tungsten carbide tools. The characterizations of the film were morphology analysis through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), structural atomic analyze of chemical bond from Raman backscatter spectroscopy, the distribution of carbon atoms on the film surface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the evaluation of Young’s modulus and hardness using the Oliver–Pharr method. To analyze the cutting precision, drilling tests were performed on coated/uncoated drills at two cutting speeds (340 and 430 m/min). As an evaluation parameter in the aluminum alloy, the hole diameter deviation was measured after pre determined numbers of drilling operations. Statistical comparisons between the diameter deviation as a function of the number of drilling test indicated better cutting accuracy for the DLC-coated tool. The factors identified in this work, such as the reduction of the friction coefficient, and the hardness and Young’s modulus of the DLC helped in the performance of the tool, mainly in the lower cutting speed.

1064 nm rotational Raman lidar for particle extinction and lidar-ratio profiling: cirrus case study

For the first time, vertical profiles of the 1064 nm particle extinction coefficient obtained from Raman lidar observations at 1058 nm (nitrogen and oxygen rotational Raman backscatter) are presented. We applied the new technique in the framework of test measurements and performed several cirrus observations of particle backscatter and extinction coefficients, and corresponding extinction-to-backscatter ratios at the wavelengths of 355, 532, and 1064 nm. The cirrus backscatter coefficients were found to be equal for all three wavelengths keeping the retrieval uncertainties in mind. The multiple-scattering-corrected cirrus extinction coefficients at 355 nm were on average about 20–30 % lower than the ones for 532 and 1064 nm. The cirrus-mean extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio) was 31 ± 5 sr (355 nm), 36 ± 5 sr (532 nm), and 38 ± 5 sr (1064 nm) in this single study. We further discussed the requirements needed to obtain aerosol extinction profiles in the lower troposphere at 1064 nm with good accuracy (20 % relative uncertainty) and appropriate temporal and vertical resolution.

1064 nm Raman lidar for extinction and lidar ratio profiling: Cirrus case study

For the first time, vertical profiles of the 1064 nm particle extinction coefficient obtained from Raman lidar observations at 1058 nm (nitrogen rotational Raman backscatter) are presented. We applied the new technique in the framework of test measurements and performed several cirrus observations of particle backscatter and extinction coefficients, and corresponding extinction-to-backscatter ratios at the wavelengths of 355, 532m and 1064 nm.

Cloud and Aerosol Spectroscopy with Raman Lidar

A spectrometer for height-resolved measurements of the Raman backscatter-coefficient spectrum of water in its gaseous and condensed phases is presented. The spectrometer is fiber coupled to the far-range receiver of the Raman Lidar for Atmospheric Moisture Sensing (RAMSES) of the German Meteorological Service and consists of a Czerny–Turner spectrograph (500-mm focal length) and a 32-channel single-photon-counting detection system based on a multianode photomultiplier. During a typical measurement (transmitter wavelength of 355 nm), the spectrum between 385 and 410 nm is recorded with a spectral resolution of 0.79 nm; the vertical resolution is 15 m and the height range is 15 km. The techniques outlined are those that are applied to calibrate the spectrum measurement and to monitor fluorescence by atmospheric aerosols that have the potential to interfere with the water observation. For the first time, Raman spectra of liquid-water, mixed-phase, and cirrus clouds are reported, and their temperature dependence is investigated by means of band decomposition. The spectrum-integrated condensed-water Raman backscatter coefficient strongly depends on cloud particle volume, but it is not tightly correlated with the cloud optical properties (particle extinction and backscatter coefficient), which implies that retrieval of cloud water content from optical proxies is likely impossible. Aerosol measurements are also discussed. Depending on type, aerosols may show no backscattering in the spectrometer range at all, or a featureless spectrum that stems quite likely from fluorescence. Finally, the example of a cloud forming in an aerosol layer demonstrates that the new instrument not only opens up new perspectives in cloud research but also contributes to studies of cloud–aerosol interaction.