Space advanced technology demonstration satellite

The Space Advanced Technology demonstration satellite (SATech-01), a mission for low-cost space science and new technology experiments, organized by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was successfully launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of similar to 500 km on July 27, 2022, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. Serving as an experimental platform for space science exploration and the demonstration of advanced common technologies in orbit, SATech-01 is equipped with 16 experimental payloads, including the solar upper transition region imager (SUTRI), the lobster eye imager for astronomy (LEIA), the high energy burst searcher (HEBS), and a High Precision Magnetic Field Measurement System based on a CPT Magnetometer (CPT). It also incorporates an imager with freeform optics, an integrated thermal imaging sensor, and a multi-functional integrated imager, etc. This paper provides an overview of SATech-01, including a technical description of the satellite and its scientific payloads, along with their on-orbit performance

Flow Characteristics of the Entrance Region with Roughness Effect within Rectangular Microchannels

We conducted systematic numerical investigations of the flow characteristics within the entrance region of rectangular microchannels. The effects of the geometrical aspect ratio and roughness on entrance lengths were analyzed. The incompressible laminar Navier–Stokes equations were solved using finite volume method (FVM). In the simulation, hydraulic diameters ( D h ) ranging from 50 to 200 µm were studied, and aspect ratios of 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, and 2 were considered as well. The working fluid was set as water, and the Reynolds number ranged from 0.5 to 100. The results showed a good agreement with the conducted experiment. Correlations are proposed to predict the entrance lengths of microchannels with respect to different aspect ratios. Compared with other correlations, these new correlations are more reliable because a more practical inlet condition was considered in our investigations. Instead of considering the influence of the width and height of the microchannels, in our investigation we proved that the critical role is played by the aspect ratio, representing the combination of the aforementioned parameters. Furthermore, the existence of rough elements obviously shortens the entrance region, and this effect became more pronounced with increasing relative roughness and Reynolds number. A similar effect could be seen by shortening the roughness spacing. An asymmetric distribution of rough elements decreased the entrance length compared with a symmetric distribution, which can be extrapolated to other irregularly distributed forms

Numerical Investigation on the Optimum Thermal Design of the Shape and Geometric Parameters of Microchannel Heat Exchangers with Cavities

Due to the large surface-area-to-volume ratio, microchannel heat exchangers have a higher heat transfer rate compared with traditional scale heat exchangers. In this study, the optimum microchannel cavity with high heat transfer and low flow resistance is designed to further improve microchannel exchangers’ thermal performance. A three-dimensional laminar flow model, consisting of Navier–Stokes equations and an energy conservation equation is solved and the conjugate heat transfer between the silicon basement and deionized water is taken into consideration. The impact of the shape, aspect ratio, size and spacing of the cavity on the thermal performance of microchannel exchangers are numerically investigated, respectively. The results indicated that the cavity on the sidewall can enhance heat transfer and reduce flow resistance simultaneously, and cavities with a relatively small expansion angle and streamlined edge could enhance thermal performance the most. Based on the conclusions, a new cavity shape is proposed, and the simulation results verify its excellent thermal performance as expected. Furthermore, investigation is performed to figure out the optimum design of the new cavity and the optimal geometric parameters of the cavity under different flow conditions have been obtained in principle for microchannel exchangers’ design

Experimental Investigation of the Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics in Microchannel Heat Exchangers with Reentrant Cavities

The application of microchannel heat exchangers is of great significance in industrial fields due to their advantages of miniaturized scale, large surface-area-to-volume ratio, and high heat transfer rate. In this study, microchannel heat exchangers with and without fan-shaped reentrant cavities were designed and manufactured, and experiments were conducted to investigate the flow and heat-transfer characteristics. The impact rising from the radius of reentrant cavities, as well as the Reynolds number on the heat transfer and the pressure drop, is also analyzed. The results indicate that, compared with straight microchannels, microchannels with reentrant cavities could enhance the heat transfer and, more importantly, reduce the pressure drop at the same time. For the ranges of parameters studied, increasing the radius of reentrant cavities could augment the effect of pressure-drop reduction, while the corresponding variation of heat transfer is complicated. It is considered that adding reentrant cavities in microchannel heat exchangers is an ideal approach to improve performance

Scenarios for Pollinator Habitat at Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the 6th busiest airport in the United States, serving 58 million passengers in 2016. This rapid growth has made the airport an economic engine of the region. In order to capitalize on this economic resource, Michael Hancock, the mayor of Denver, envisions creating an Airport City of mixed use, retail, office, and industrial development on the airport’s property along Peña Boulevard, which connects the airport to downtown Denver. However, this corridor is also strategically located to provide a habitat connection between the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and the prairie on the airport’s property. In order to understand the tradeoffs between these two landuses, we created four scenarios of future development on the property. Two of the scenarios prioritize the Airport City (AC), while the other two prioritize the Habitat Corridor (HC). For each of these priorities, we created one scenario that maintains the airport property’s current boundaries and one that imagines an expanded boundary. Based on these four scenarios, we developed four alternative landscape futures, and modeled the pollinator abundance in each. Our results suggest that pollinator abundance is higher in landscapes that have more restored prairie. Expanding the property boundary increased pollinator abundances as well, particularly when the expansion region was prairie. Based on these findings, we recommend that any future development plans include the restoration of shortgrass prairie with native plant species to enhance pollinator habitat.Master of Landscape Architecture & Master of ScienceSchool for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of Michiganhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143173/1/Scenarios for Pollinator Habitat at Denver International Airport_328.pd

Powder filling and sintering of 3D in-chip solenoid coils with high aspect ratio structure

In this study, a 3D coil embedded in a silicon substrate including densely distributed through-silicon vias (TSVs) was fabricated via a rapid metal powder sintering process. The filling and sintering methods for microdevices were evaluated, and the effects of powder types were compared. The parameters influencing the properties and processing speed were analyzed. The results showed that the pre-alloyed powder exhibited the best uniformity and stability when the experiment used two or more types of powders to avoid the segregation effect. The smaller the particle diameter, the better the inductive performance will be. The entire structure can be sintered near the melting point of the alloy, and increasing the temperature increases strength, while resulting in low resistivity. Finally, an 800-µm-high coil was fabricated. This process does not need surface metallization and seed layer formation. The forming process involves only sintering instead of slowly growing copper with a tiny current. Therefore, this process has advantages, such as a process time of 7 h, corresponding to an 84% reduction compared to current electroplating processes (45 h), and a 543% efficiency improvement. Thus, this process is more efficient, controllable, stable, and suitable for mass production of devices with flexible dimensions. ©2020 Keywords: through-silicon-vias (TSVs); three-dimensional (3D) solenoid coils; microelectromechanical system (MEMS); powder filling; metal powder sinteringNational Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 51906008)National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 51822602

Design and Manufacture of Millimeter-Scale 3D Transformers for RF-IC

The development of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RF-IC) necessitates higher requirements for the size of microtransformers. This paper describes millimeter-scale 3D transformers in millimeter-scale, solenoidal, and toroidal transformers manufactured using Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS). Two through-silicon via (TSV) copper coils with a high aspect ratio are precisely interleaved on a reserved air core (magnet core cavity) with a vertical height of over 1 mm because of the thickness of the substrate, which increases the performance while reducing the footprint. The effects of the wire width, coil turns, magnetic core, and substrate on the performance of the two transformers are discussed through numerical simulations. When an air core is present, solenoidal transformers are better than toroidal transformers in terms of performance and footprint; however, the gap decreases when the size is reduced. Additionally, the magnetic core significantly improves the performance of the toroidal transformer compared to that of the solenoid. Thus, the toroidal transformer has a higher potential for further size reduction. The two types of transformers were then manufactured completely using MEMS and electroplating. This paper discusses the influence of various parameters on millimeter-scale 3D transformers and realizes processing in silicon, which provides the foundation for integrating transformers in a chip

Manufacturing of a Compact Micro Air Bearing Device for Power Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) Applications Using Silica Film Assisted Processing

The focus of this study is on the manufacturing of micro air bearings (MABs) using silica film assisted processing. Structure of the three-layer micro air bearing is described in detail and the salient process flow of etching and bonding is illustrated. The main manufacturing challenges and the methods adopted to overcome them are also presented. The uniformity of wet etching for nozzles with 20 μm in diameter to silica film is improved by adopting an ultrasound assisted method. Particular attention is given to the novel fabrication procedures for the second layer of MAB (with three depths on aft side). This paper develops new applications of silica film in Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) processing for MABs to realize the etching of multi-depth on the same side and efficient three-layer bonding with increased bonding areas. A silica etch mask is proven to achieve a higher accuracy in surface topography when compared to a photoresist mask for multi-depth etching, resulting in precise depth and vertical control. The bonding rate of three-layer direct bonding for MAB is increased by 50% from 0.05 to 0.1 with the novel silica film protection method

Investigation of Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics in Microchannels with Fins

A highly efficient thermal management is imperative to overcome the main challenges associated with heat extraction requirements in electronics. In this study, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of microchannels with various types of fins were numerically analyzed for Re = 0–500 (Re: Reynolds number). Investigation of the aspect ratio, incident angle, and smoothness as well as the flow and heat transfer behaviors revealed the exceptional performance of the optimized fin structure, up to a performance evaluation criterion of 1.53. At large Re values, the fin with a high aspect ratio, small incidence angle, and high smoothness showed the best performance, as it avoids stagnation zones because of flares and sharp corners and simultaneously leads to boundary layer destruction and redevelopment. Interestingly, the microchannel without internal microstructures performed well at small Re values. Among all the designed variables, the influence of the incident angle was superior owing to its ability to generate significant vortices by periodically changing the channel cross-sectional area and flow direction. The conclusions can be innovatively generalized to other microchannels with fins