Duct Attachment on Improving Breaking Wave Zone Energy Extractor Device Performance

A challenging wave energy converter design that utilized the denser energy part of the nearshore breaking wave zone to generate electricity was introduced in 2016 by Shintake. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University’s project aims to take advantage of breaking wave energy to harness electricity. The 2016 version of the device consisted only of a bare turbine and power generator. Early exploration of the design recorded short periods and high impact wave pressures were experienced by the structure, with the turbine unable to harvest energy effectively. Additional structure to not only reduce incoming impact pressure but also increase the duration of water flow through the turbine was needed. These are the main reasons behind incorporating the duct attachment into the design. This paper show that the duct is capable of halving the impact pressure experienced by the turbine and can increase the energy exposure by up to 1.6 times the bare turbine configuration. Furthermore, it is also said that wave angle (β) = 40° is the critical angle, although the duct still increases wave energy exposure to the power take-off up to β = 60°.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, electrochemical and photophysical properties of high band gap polymers for potential applications in semi-transparent solar cells

Background The design of new polymers able to filter the electromagnetic spectrum and absorb distinctly in the UV and high-energy part of visible spectrum is crucial for the development of semi-transparent solar cells. Herein, we report on the synthesis and spectroscopic, electrochemical, and photophysical characteristics of three new polymers, namely (i) Poly(triamterene-co-terephthalate), (ii) Poly[triamterene-co- 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine-p,p′-disulfonamide], and (iii) Poly(5-hydroxyindole-2-carboxylate) that might show promise as materials for semi-transparent solar cells. Results The energy band gap, refractive index, dielectric constant, and optical conductivity of the electron donor polymer, poly(triamterene-co-terephthalate), were determined to be 2.92 eV, 1.56, 2.44 and 2.43 × 104 S cm−1, respectively. The synthesized electron acceptor polymers showed a relatively high refractive index, dielectric constant, and optical conductivity. The presence of a direct allowed transition was confirmed between intermolecular energy bands of the polymers. Conclusions The polymers showed relatively high energy gap and deep HOMO levels, making them strong absorbers of photons in the UV region and high energy part of the visible region. The synthesized donor and acceptors performed well relative to P3HT and fullerenes due to the close match of the HOMO and LUMO levels. With further development, the polymers could be viable for use as the active layers of semi-transparent solar cells.

Tunable Sub Threshold Logic Design Through Adaptive Feedback Equalization

An Efficient tunable subthreshold logic circuit planned by utilizing adaptive feedback equalization circuit. This circuit utilized in the Ladner Fischer adder. This circuit utilized in a successive advanced logic circuit to moderate the cycle variety impacts and lessen the prevailing spillage energy part in the subthreshold area. Feedback equalizer circuit changes the switching edge of its inverter. It depends on the output of the flip-flop in the past cycle to lessen the charging and releasing season of the flip-flop's information capacitance. Besides, the more modest info capacitance of the feedback equalizer lessens the switching season of the last door in the combinational logic block. Likewise present point by point energy-performance models of the adaptive feedback equalizer circuit.

Entanglement gap, corners, and symmetry breaking

We investigate the finite-size scaling of the lowest entanglement gap \delta\xiδξ in the ordered phase of the two-dimensional quantum spherical model (QSM). The entanglement gap decays as \delta\xi=\Omega/\sqrt{L\ln(L)}δξ=Ω/Lln(L). This is in contrast with the purely logarithmic behaviour as \delta\xi=\pi^2/\ln(L)δξ=π2/ln(L) at the critical point. The faster decay in the ordered phase reflects the presence of magnetic order. We analytically determine the constant \OmegaΩ, which depends on the low-energy part of the model dispersion and on the geometry of the bipartition. In particular, we are able to compute the corner contribution to \OmegaΩ, at least for the case of a square corner.

Theoretical study of the $$D^0 \rightarrow K^- \pi ^+ \eta $$ reaction

We develop a model to study the $$D^0 \rightarrow K^- \pi ^+ \eta $$ D 0 → K - π + η weak decay, starting with the color favored external emission and Cabibbo favored mode at the quark level. A less favored internal emission decay mode is also studied as a source of small corrections. Some pairs of quarks are allowed to hadronize producing two pseudoscalar mesons, which posteriorly are allowed to interact to finally provide the $$K^- \pi ^+ \eta $$ K - π + η state. The chiral unitary approach is used to take into account the final state interaction of pairs of mesons, which has as a consequence the production of the $$\kappa $$ κ ($$K^*_0(700)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 700 ) ) and the $$a_0(980)$$ a 0 ( 980 ) resonances, well visible in the invariant mass distributions. We also introduce the $$\bar{K}^{*0} \eta $$ K ¯ ∗ 0 η production in a phenomenological way and show that the s-wave pseudoscalar interaction together with this vector excitation mode are sufficient to provide a fair reproduction of the experimental data. The model provides the relative weight of the $$a_0(980)$$ a 0 ( 980 ) to the $$\kappa $$ κ excitation, and their strength is clearly visible in the low energy part of the $$K \pi $$ K π spectrum.

Preparations for a European R&D roadmap for an inertial fusion demo reactor

A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition, etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. A brief overview of these activities, presented here, along with new calculations relates the concept of auxiliary heating of inertial fusion targets, and provides possible future directions of research and development for the updated European Roadmap that is due at the end of 2020. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

An overview of shared technical challenges for magnetic and inertial fusion power plant development

Fusion energy is an area of active development and innovation worldwide, with many design concepts studied, each exhibiting a range of technical challenges. A significant portion of technical challenges will be unique for a given design concept; however, there are several overarching challenges that any design must address to some degree. These include tritium handling and the tritium cycle; materials and their survivability in the high-energy neutron environment of D-T fusion; neutronics and the validation of nuclear data; remote handling and maintenance activities; and integrated holistic approaches to fusion plant design. This paper provides an overview of these aspects for magnetic and inertial fusion approaches with a view to highlighting commonality and the benefits of shared knowledge that this may bring. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

Recent progress in quantifying hydrodynamics instabilities and turbulence in inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density experiments

Since the seminal paper of Nuckolls triggering the quest of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) with lasers, hydrodynamic instabilities have been recognized as one of the principal hurdles towards ignition. This remains true nowadays for both main approaches (indirect drive and direct drive), despite the advent of MJ scale lasers with tremendous technological capabilities. From a fundamental science perspective, these gigantic laser facilities enable also the possibility to create dense plasma flows evolving towards turbulence, being magnetized or not. We review the state of the art of nonlinear hydrodynamics and turbulent experiments, simulations and theory in ICF and high-energy-density plasmas and draw perspectives towards in-depth understanding and control of these fascinating phenomena. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the first special edition

A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. The Hooke discussion meeting in March 2020 provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in inertial confinement fusion research world-wide to date. This first edition of two special issues seeks to identify paths forward to achieve high fusion energy gain. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

Modelling burning thermonuclear plasma

Considerable progress towards the achievement of thermonuclear burn using inertial confinement fusion has been achieved at the National Ignition Facility in the USA in the last few years. Other drivers, such as the Z-machine at Sandia, are also making progress towards this goal. A burning thermonuclear plasma would provide a unique and extreme plasma environment; in this paper we discuss (a) different theoretical challenges involved in modelling burning plasmas not currently considered, (b) the use of novel machine learning-based methods that might help large facilities reach ignition, and (c) the connections that a burning plasma might have to fundamental physics, including quantum electrodynamics studies, and the replication and exploration of conditions that last occurred in the first few minutes after the Big Bang. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.