54 research outputs found
Knowledge and Technology Transfer in Materials Science and Engineering in Europe
Advanced Materials is one of the Key Enabling 3 Technologies identified by the European Commission1. Together with Advanced Manufacturing it underpins almost all other Key Enabling and Industrial Technologies. The basic science and engineering research that results in the development of Advanced Materials lies within the field of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). The transfer of knowledge from basic research into final products and applications in the field of MSE involves certain MSE-typical motifs and specific issues, as well as certain aspects that are special to Europe. In comparison with underlying traditional (or basic) disciplines such as physics, chemistry or biology, MSE involves a range of aspects that are more characteristic of applied science, where relevance has equal importance to curiosity in order to drive the research effort and justify expenditure â the defined goals often being a proven innovative technology or indeed a particular product. MSE and the related transfer of knowledge and technology includes consideration of factors such as materials and product life cycles, the abundance of materials, the technical, ecological and economic feasibility of materials engineering and processing, as well as the multidisciplinarity of the âbackgroundâ knowledge and the efficiency of the academic effort involved. This is even more the case for situations that involve successful validation of technologies and effective transfer of knowledge between academia and industry. The state of knowledge and technology transfer in Europe differs from that of other global players, such as the US, China or Japan. Europeâs cultural diversity gives rise to both positive and negative factors. Positive aspects include the high standard of general education and Europeâs highly skilled work force (for both technical and academic staff), and the flexibility and variety of research topics and directions. Major negative factors are the fragmentation of national research efforts, and the lack of a European mechanism to create critical mass in new technologies and to invest in pilot lines. These negative issues are manifested by the fragmentation of research programmes, the lack of venture capital and a general risk aversion on the part of investors in Europe, in particular in the light of the current economic crisis in Europe. The present situation has often been described as a malfunctioning interface between strong basic research and poor, inefficient technological development and commercial exploitation of knowledge. MSE spans this interface. âEuropeanâ knowledge is world-class, and even leads the world in certain fundamental areas of MSE, for example in the investigation and understanding of materials properties, the development and application of new concepts of materials design, computational materials sciences, and several other fields. However, Europeâs MSE knowledge and technological progress will not readily lead to the establishment of new technologies and products by European industries without dedicated intervention. This knowledge must be delicately directed in a highly impact-oriented way. To accelerate development and validation of technological applications and the introduction of technological innovation into the market, to intensify the collaboration between academic institutions and industry in Europe, and to facilitate the creation of spin-out companies and new industrialâacademic career paths, MatSEEC recommends the creation of European Technology Research and Validation Platforms (ETVPs). Such platforms would provide powerful tools for innovation and allow better protection of intellectual property rights in Europe. We recommend the creation of an âOpen-Access-Open-Innovationâ European Technology Research and Validation Infrastructure Initiative to streamline and improve technology and knowledge transfer in Europe. The initiative would be dedicated to technology research and validation. It could be based on a similar model to the current Integrated Infrastructure Initiatives (I3s) for research infrastructures of the European Commission (the I3 Programme in H2020 and the Seventh Framework Programme,FP7)
Harnessing a Vibroacoustic Mode for Enabling Smart Functions on Surface Acoustic Wave Devices -- Application to Icing Monitoring and Deicing
Microacoustic wave devices are essential components in the RF electronics and
MEMS industry with increasing impact in various sensing and actuation
applications. Reliable and smart operation of acoustic wave devices at low
costs would cause a crucial advancement. Herein, we present the enablement of
temperature and mechanical sensing capabilities in a Rayleigh-mode standing
surface acoustic wave (sSAW) chip device by harnessing an acoustic shear plate
wave mode using the same set of electrodes. Most importantly, this mode is
excited by switching the polarity of the sSAW transducer electrodes by simple
electronics, allowing for direct and inexpensive compatibility with an existing
setup. We validated the method in the emergent topic of surface de-icing by
continuously monitoring temperature and water liquid-solid phase changes using
the plate wave mode, and on-demand Rayleigh-wave deicing with a negligible
energy cost. The flexibility for adapting the system to different scenarios,
loads and scalability opens the path to impact in lab-on-a-chip, IoT
technology, and sectors requiring autonomous acoustic wave actuators.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure
In situ monitoring of the phenomenon of electrochemical promotion of catalysis
In this work we investigate by in-situ near-ambient pressure photoemission (NAPP) spectroscopy the phenomenon of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis (EPOC). We studied the reduction and diffusion kinetics of alkaline ions in a solid electrolyte cell formed by a nickel electrode supported on K+-ÎČ-alumina electrolyte. Experiments in ultra-high vacuum and in the presence of steam showed that the amount of potassium atoms supplied to the surface is probably affected by nickel electronic modifications induced by adsorbed OHâ groups. It was also deduced that part of the segregated potassium would be adsorbed at inner interfaces where it would be inaccessible to the photoelectron analyzer. A migration mechanism of the promoter is proposed consisting in: (i) the electrochemical reduction of the alkali ions (potassium) at the Ni/solid electrolyte/gas interface; (ii) the spillover of potassium atoms onto the Ni gas-exposed surface; and (iii) the diffusion of potassium atoms to Ni inner grain boundary interfaces.En este trabajo investigamos mediante espectroscopĂa de fotoemisiĂłn a presiĂłn cercana al ambiente in situ (NAPP) el fenĂłmeno de la PromociĂłn ElectroquĂmica de la CatĂĄlisis (EPOC). Estudiamos la cinĂ©tica de reducciĂłn y difusiĂłn de iones alcalinos en una celda de electrolito sĂłlido formada por un electrodo de nĂquel soportado sobre electrolito K + -ÎČ-alĂșmina. Los experimentos en vacĂo ultraalto y en presencia de vapor mostraron que la cantidad de ĂĄtomos de potasio suministrados a la superficie probablemente se ve afectada por modificaciones electrĂłnicas de nĂquel inducidas por OH adsorbido .grupos TambiĂ©n se dedujo que parte del potasio segregado serĂa adsorbido en las interfaces internas donde serĂa inaccesible para el analizador de fotoelectrones. Se propone un mecanismo de migraciĂłn del promotor que consiste en: (i) la reducciĂłn electroquĂmica de los iones alcalinos (potasio) en la interfase Ni/electrolito sĂłlido/gas; (ii) el derrame de ĂĄtomos de potasio sobre la superficie expuesta al gas Ni; y (iii) la difusiĂłn de ĂĄtomos de potasio a las interfaces de lĂmite de grano interno de Ni
Graphene Formation Mechanism by the Electrochemical Promotion of a Ni Catalyst
In this work, we show that multilayer graphene forms by methanol decomposition at 280 °C on an electrochemically promoted nickel catalyst film supported on a K-ÎČAl2O3 solid electrolyte. In operando near ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements have shown that polarizing negatively the Ni electrode induces the electrochemical reduction and migration of potassium to the nickel surface. This elemental potassium promotes the catalytic decomposition of methanol into graphene and also stabilizes the graphene formed via diffusion and direct KâC interaction. Experiments reveal that adsorbed methoxy radicals are intermediate species in this process and that, once formed, multilayer graphene remains stable after electrochemical oxidation and back migration of potassium to the solid electrolyte upon positive polarization. The reversible diffusion of ca. 100 equivalent monolayers of potassium through the carbon layers and the unprecedented low-temperature formation of graphene and other carbon forms are mechanistic pathways of high potential impact for applications where mild synthesis and operation conditions are required.En este trabajo mostramos que el grafeno multicapa se forma por descomposiciĂłn del metanol a 280 °C sobre una pelĂcula de catalizador de nĂquel promovida electroquĂmicamente soportada sobre un K-ÎČAl 2 O 3electrolito sĂłlido. Operando cerca de la espectroscopia de fotoemisiĂłn a presiĂłn ambiental y las mediciones electroquĂmicas han demostrado que la polarizaciĂłn negativa del electrodo de Ni induce la reducciĂłn electroquĂmica y la migraciĂłn del potasio a la superficie del nĂquel. Este potasio elemental promueve la descomposiciĂłn catalĂtica del metanol en grafeno y tambiĂ©n estabiliza el grafeno formado a travĂ©s de la difusiĂłn y la interacciĂłn directa K-C. Los experimentos revelan que los radicales metoxi adsorbidos son especies intermedias en este proceso y que, una vez formado, el grafeno multicapa permanece estable despuĂ©s de la oxidaciĂłn electroquĂmica y la migraciĂłn de regreso del potasio al electrolito sĂłlido tras la polarizaciĂłn positiva. La difusiĂłn reversible de ca
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A Holistic Solution to Icing by Acoustic Waves: De-Icing, Active Anti-Icing, Sensing with Piezoelectric Crystals, and Synergy with Thin Film Passive Anti-Icing Solutions
Icing has become a hot topic both in academia and in the industry given its implications in transport, wind turbines, photovoltaics, and telecommunications. Recently proposed de-icing solutions involving the propagation of acoustic waves (AWs) at suitable substrates may open the path for a sustainable alternative to standard de-icing or anti-icing procedures. Herein, the fundamental interactions are unraveled that contribute to the de-icing and/or hinder the icing on AW-activated substrates. The response toward icing of a reliable model system consisting of a piezoelectric plate activated by extended electrodes is characterized at a laboratory scale and in an icing wind tunnel under realistic conditions. Experiments show that surface modification with anti-icing functionalities provides a synergistic response when activated with AWs. A thoughtful analysis of the resonance frequency dependence on experimental variables such as temperature, ice formation, or wind velocity demonstrates the application of AW devices for real-time monitoring of icing processes
Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory
A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding
eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers
with zenith angles greater than detected with the Pierre Auger
Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum
confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above
eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law with
index followed by
a smooth suppression region. For the energy () at which the
spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence
of suppression, we find
eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO
Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger
Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers.
These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of
the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray
energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30
to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of
the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is
determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated
using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due
to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components.
The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of
the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the
AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air
shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy
-- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy
estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the
surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator
scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent
emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for
the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at
least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO
Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy
We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio
emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate
energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of
15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV
arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling
quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from
state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our
measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric
energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with
our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector
against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI.
Supplemental material in the ancillary file
Multiple Scenario Generation of Subsurface Models:Consistent Integration of Information from Geophysical and Geological Data throuh Combination of Probabilistic Inverse Problem Theory and Geostatistics
Neutrinos with energies above 1017 eV are detectable with the Surface Detector Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The identification is efficiently performed for neutrinos of all flavors interacting in the atmosphere at large zenith angles, as well as for Earth-skimming \u3c4 neutrinos with nearly tangential trajectories relative to the Earth. No neutrino candidates were found in 3c 14.7 years of data taken up to 31 August 2018. This leads to restrictive upper bounds on their flux. The 90% C.L. single-flavor limit to the diffuse flux of ultra-high-energy neutrinos with an E\u3bd-2 spectrum in the energy range 1.0
7 1017 eV -2.5
7 1019 eV is E2 dN\u3bd/dE\u3bd < 4.4
7 10-9 GeV cm-2 s-1 sr-1, placing strong constraints on several models of neutrino production at EeV energies and on the properties of the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays
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