Thermal performance of high voltage power cables

The UK high voltage electricity transmission network continues to face annual rises in demand, with ever greater volumes of power supplied to load centres throughout the country. To operate this network effectively, it is vital to accurately calculate the maximum allowable electric current which can be safely carried by each component in the power system. In high voltage power cables, this limit is defined by the maximum operating temperature of the cable insulation. Specify this current rating to be too low and the cable asset will never be used to its full potential; conversely setting the rating to be too high risks damage to the asset as the excessive heating can cause premature failure. Thus the rating calculation must be optimised to maintain security of supply by minimising the risk of cable failure, while also maximising the returns from capital investment on the power network. This project has employed a variety of mathematical techniques to improve the methods by which current ratings are calculated. Modern computational techniques such as finite element analysis (e.g Figure 1) and computational fluid dynamics are used to create more advanced circuit rating techniques. These have been compared and refined with input gained from field data. By eliminating simplifications from existing methods, it has been possible to identify ways of increasing the utilisation of the existing network. In addition the new techniques allow examination of the potential benefits of future developments in cable technology. Benefits are being derived from this work on both a day to day and strategic planning levels. For instance, by re-evaluating the current rating method for cables installed in tunnels, it has proved possible to consider the benefits from co-locating more cables in one tunnel to best use these expensive assets. The application of this method has allowed the quantification of the benefits which might be available from next generation cable technologies, enabling the prioritisation of future research effort in cable materials. Upon completion, the knowledge gained from this work is to be used to revise the international standard on calculating current ratings in cable tunnels. Techniques such as these underpin the concept of smart grids with improved operational flexibility and capability. Simultaneously the requirement to build expensive new components into the network is limited, whilst still meeting the need to supply ever increasing volumes of power across the country

The Rise and Fall of Water Net (Hydrodictyon reticulatum) in New Zealand

During the late 1980s to early 1990s a range of aquatic habitats in the central North Island of New Zealand were invaded by the filamentous green alga, water net Hydrodictyon reticulatum (Linn. Lagerheim). The alga caused significant economic and recreational impacts at major sites of infestation, but it was also associated with enhanced invertebrate numbers and was the likely cause of an improvement in the trout fishery. The causes of prolific growth of water net and the range of control options pursued are reviewed. The possible causes of its sudden decline in 1995 are considered, including physical factors, increase in grazer pressure, disease, and loss of genetic vigour

A Family of Ovals with Few Collineations

A recently discovered [1] family of ovals in PG(2, q), q = 2e, e odd, is shown to have a cyclic collineation group of order 2e

First Experimental Demonstration of Full-Duplex Optical Communications on a Single Laser Beam

We present the results of the first experimental demonstration a novel communications architecture that will be deployed on a Space Shuttle mission in 2003. This architecture can provide a very lightweight, low power consumption, low data rate communications link between the earth and LEO satellites. A unique characteristic of this system is that it provides full-duplex communications on a single beam is presented. The results of first experiments demonstrating this full duplex communications architecture are presented

Improved spectral characteristics of a single-mode semiconductor laser using a fibre grating and a reduced laser diode length

Use of a reduced laser diode length with a fibre Bragg reflector leads to decreased mode-hopping and a factor of 3 improvement in temperature stability of the lasing wavelength over Δ T=22°C. Single frequency output power of 1.7 mW in the fibre with 45 dB side mode suppression was obtained

Penetrating radiation impact on NIF final optic components

Goal of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is to achieve thermonuclear ignition in a laboratory environment in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). This will enable NIF to service the DOE stockpile stewardship management program, inertial fusion energy goals, and advance scientific frontiers. All of these applications will make use of the extreme conditions that the facility will create in the target chamber. In the case of a prospected 20 MJ yield scenario, NIF will produce 10{sup 19} neutrons with DT fusion 14 MeV energy per neutron. There will also be high-energy x rays as well as solid, liquid, and gaseous target debris produced either directly or indirectly by the inertial confinement fusion process. A critical design issue is the protection of the final optical components as well as sophisticated target diagnostics in such a harsh environment

Neutron and gamma irradiated optical property changes for the final optics of the National Ignition Facility

Based on studies the authors have performed with several radiation sources such as pulsed nuclear reactors, they have been able to construct a physical picture and measure quantitative parameters necessary to model the radiation-induced losses expected for fused silica and fused quartz National Ignition Facility (NIF) target area. It is important to note that these surrogate radiation sources do not have identical temporal and spectral characteristics to NIF, therefore caution is in order since the results obtained to date must be extrapolated somewhat to predict NIF performance

Optical Spectra of SNR Candidates in NGC 300

We present moderate-resolution (<5A) long-slit optical spectra of 51 nebular objects in the nearby Sculptor Group galaxy NGC 300 obtained with the 2.3 meter Advanced Technology Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia. Adopting the criterion of [SII]/Ha>=0.4 to confirm supernova remnants (SNRs) from optical spectra, we find that of 28 objects previously proposed as SNRs from optical observations, 22 meet this criterion with six showing [SII]/Ha of less than 0.4. Of 27 objects suggested as SNRs from radio data, four are associated with the 28 previously proposed SNRs. Of these four, three (included in the 22 above) meet the criterion. In all, 22 of the 51 nebular objects meet the [SII]/Ha criterion as SNRs while the nature of the remaining 29 objects remains undetermined by these observations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Lightweight Optical Wavelength Communications without a Laser in Space

We will present a model for an earth-to-low-earthorbit optical communications system. The system modeled herein is designed to offer a very lightweight, low power consumption, low data rate communications link from LEO satellites. A novel architecture for a free-space optical communications link is presented and analyzed. For the first time, a method that offers full-duplex communications on a single beam is presented. In addition, a novel data format for free-space optical communications is presented. In this system, both the laser and the downlink receiver are located on the ground. The optical elements located on the spacecraft are a simple uplink receiver and a retromodulator. In fact, the laser transmitter for the system is a semiconductor device. We will present a simple feasibility model for the LOWCAL experiment that provides an estimate of the performance capability and identifies major system tradeoffs. Assuming a laser transmitter power of - 7-dB and a communications data rate of 10-kbps, we expect link margins of 17 dB for the downlink. For the uplink, an SC-FSK format is proposed that is invisible to the downlink and provides a link margin of 20 dB