Relaxation Design of Separable Tube Connectors

Design procedure to predict relaxation or time to leakage for separable tube connector

Determination of urban volatile organic compound emission ratios and comparison with an emissions database

During the NEAQS-ITCT2k4 campaign in New England, anthropogenic VOCs and CO were measured downwind from New York City and Boston. The emission ratios of VOCs relative to CO and acetylene were calculated using a method in which the ratio of a VOC with acetylene is plotted versus the photochemical age. The intercept at the photochemical age of zero gives the emission ratio. The so determined emission ratios were compared to other measurement sets, including data from the same location in 2002, canister samples collected inside New York City and Boston, aircraft measurements from Los Angeles in 2002, and the average urban composition of 39 U.S. cities. All the measurements generally agree within a factor of two. The measured emission ratios also agree for most compounds within a factor of two with vehicle exhaust data indicating that a major source of VOCs in urban areas is automobiles. A comparison with an anthropogenic emission database shows less agreement. Especially large discrepancies were found for the C2-C4 alkanes and most oxygenated species. As an example, the database overestimated toluene by almost a factor of three, which caused an air quality forecast model (WRF-CHEM) using this database to overpredict the toluene mixing ratio by a factor of 2.5 as well. On the other hand, the overall reactivity of the measured species and the reactivity of the same compounds in the emission database were found to agree within 30%. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union

Faint young Sun paradox remains

The Sun was fainter when the Earth was young, but the climate was generally at least as warm as today; this is known as the `faint young Sun paradox'. Rosing et al. [1] claim that the paradox can be resolved by making the early Earth's clouds and surface less reflective. We show that, even with the strongest plausible assumptions, reducing cloud and surface albedos falls short by a factor of two of resolving the paradox. A temperate Archean climate cannot be reconciled with the low level of CO2 suggested by Rosing et al. [1]; a stronger greenhouse effect is needed.Comment: 3 pages, no figures. In press in Nature. v2 corrects typo in author list in original submissio

Thyristor-Bypassed Sub-Module Power-Groups for Achieving High-Efficiency, DC Fault Tolerant Multilevel VSCs

Achieving DC fault tolerance in modular multilevel converters requires the use of a significant number of Sub-Modules (SMs) which are capable of generating a negative voltage. This results in an increase in the number of semiconductor devices in the current path, increasing converter conduction losses. This paper introduces a thyristor augmented multilevel structure called a Power-Group (PG), which replaces the stacks of SMs in modular converters. Each PG is formed out of a series stack of SMs with a parallel force-commutated thyristor branch, which is used during normal operation as a low loss bypass path in order to achieve significant reduction in overall losses. The PG also offers negative voltage capability and so can be used to construct high efficiency DC fault tolerant converters. Methods of achieving the turn-on and turn-off of the thyristors by using voltages generated by the parallel stack of SMs within each PG are presented, while keeping both the required size of the commutation inductor, and the thyristor turn-off losses low. Efficiency estimates indicate that this concept could result in converter topologies with power-losses as low as 0.3% rated power, whilst retaining high quality current waveforms and achieving tolerance to both AC and DC faults

ESBC: an enhanced modular multilevel converter with H-bridge front end

This paper presents the Enhanced Series Bridge Converter (ESBC), a hybrid modular multilevel converter with H-bridge front end suitable for high power grid applications. It retains the advantages of other modular multilevel topologies while offering compact structure, making it attractive for offshore stations, back-back HVDC stations, and city centre infeeds. The structure, operating principles and energy management of the converter are discussed. Simulation results from a scaled down medium voltage demonstrator are presented to validate the concept

The star-switched MMC (SSMMC): a hybrid VSC for HVDC applications

This paper presents a new hybrid VSC topology (the Star-Switched MMC) – suitable for HVDC applications. The basic structure and operating principles of the topology are described. Control strategies that regulate the power exchanged between the VSC, the AC network and the DC network are presented. A modulation strategy ensuring appropriate switching of the individual chain-link sub-modules and a capacitor voltage balancing algorithm that ensures the capacitor voltages are maintained within the required tolerance are discussed. Results from a simulation model are presented to validate the expected performance of the converter and the proposed control schemes

Aromatic Structure in Simulates Titan Aerosol

Observations of Titan by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) between 560 and 20 per centimeter (approximately 18 to 500 micrometers) have been used to infer the vertical variations of Titan's ice abundances, as well as those of the aerosol from the surface to an altitude of 300 km [1]. The aerosol has a broad emission feature centered approximately at 140 per centimeter (71 micrometers). As seen in Figure 1, this feature cannot be reproduced using currently available optical constants from laboratory-generated Titan aerosol analogs [2]. The far-IR is uniquely qualified for investigating low-energy vibrational motions within the lattice structures of COITIDlex aerosol. The feature observed by CIRS is broad, and does not likely arise from individual molecules, but rather is representative of the skeletal movements of macromolecules. Since Cassini's arrival at Titan, benzene (C6H6) has been detected in the atmosphere at ppm levels as well as ions that may be polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [3]. We speculate that the feature may be a blended composite that can be identified with low-energy vibrations of two-dimensional lattice structures of large molecules, such as PAHs or nitrogenated aromatics. Such structures do not dominate the composition of analog materials generated from CH4 and N2 irradiation. We are performing studies forming aerosol analog via UV irradiation of aromatic precursors - specifically C6H6 - to understand how the unique chemical architecture of the products will influence the observable aerosol characteristics. The optical and chemical properties of the aromatic analog will be compared to those formed from CH4/N2 mixtures, with a focus on the as-yet unidentified far-IR absorbance feature. Preliminary results indicate that the photochemically-formed aromatic aerosol has distinct chemical composition, and may incorporate nitrogen either into the ring structure or adjoined chemical groups. These compositional differences are demonstrated in the aerosol mass spectra shown in Figure 2. The aromatic aerosol also demonstrates strong chemical reactivity when exposed to laboratory air, indicating substantial stored chemical potential. Oxidatoin and solubility studies wil be presented and implicatoins for prebiotic chemistry o nTitan will be discussed

Stable Isotope Fractionation in Titan Aerosol Formation

Stable isotope ratio measurements are a powerful tool used to understand both ancient and modern planetary processes. Instruments on the Cassini- Huygens spacecraft along with ground-based observations have measured several isotope pairs, including C-13/C-12 and N-15/N-14, in Titan's atmosphere. This includes isotopic measurements of the major atmospheric species, CH4 and N2, along with HCN, HC3N, C2H2. C2H6 and C4H2. However, the isotopic fractionation of Titan's organic aerosol has not conclusively been measured and therefore the effect of aerosol formation as an isotopic fractionation pathway in Titan's atmosphere has not been considered. Laboratory studies have measured the carbon and/or nitrogen isotopic fractionation of Titan aerosol analogs. [18] found that the carbon fractionation of photochemical organic aerosol analogs are more enriched in C-13. This enrichment in the aerosol analogs is opposite of what is predicted for photochemical products by the kinetic isotope effect. Additionally, both [16] and [18] found that the nitrogen fractionation in the organic aerosol analogs are opposite of what is observed in Titan's atmospheric N2 and HCN, with the aerosol analogs being a light nitrogen sink. Here we monitor the gas phase during photochemical aerosol analog production as a function of reaction time. In a recirculation experiment, the isotopic fractionation of carbon within the gas-phase products is measured as the CH4 reservoir is depleted. This allows us to monitor the isotopic fractionation pathway during photochemical aerosol analog formation

Laboratory Simulations of the Titan Surface to Elucidate the Huygens Probe GCMS Observations

The Cassini/Huygens mission has vastly increased the information we have available to stndy Satnro's moon Titan. The complete mission has included an array of observational methods including remote sensing techniques, upper atmosphere in-situ saropling, and the descent of the Huygens probe directly through the atmosphere to the surface [1,2]. The instruments on the Huygens probe remain the ouly source of in-situ measurements at the surface of Titan, and work evaluating these measurements to create a pict.rre of the surface environment is ongoing. In particular, the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) experiment on Huygens found that although there were no heavy hydrocarbons detected in the lower atmosphere, a rich spectrum of mass peaks arose once the probe landed on the surface [3,4], However, to date it has not been possible to extract the identity and abundances of the many minor components of the spectra due to a lack of temperatnre- and instrumentappropriate data for the relevant species. We are performing laboratory stndies designed to elucidate the spectrum collected on Titan's surface, utilizing a cryogenic charober maintained at appropriate temperature and pressure conditions. The experiments will simulate the temperatnre rise experienced by the surface, which led to an enhanced signal of volatiles detected by the Huygens GCMS. The objective of this study is to exaroine the characteristics of various surface analogs as measured by the Huygens GCMS flight spare instrument, which is currently housed in our laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This identification cannot be adequately accomplished through theoretical work alone since the thermodynamic properties of many species at these temperatnres (94 K, HASI measurement [5]) are not known