FEM Analysis of Piezoelectric Resonator Polarization Process

The polarization of the piezoelectric resonator depends on the direction of the applied electric field. The direction of the applied electric field is determined by the shape of the resonator and the position of the electrodes. In case of resonators with electrodes incompletely covering their bases, an inhomogeneous electric field is generated, which results in an inhomogeneous polarization of the resonator. The resonator will be polarized in some places either in a direction other than the desired one or not polarized at all. The aim of this work is to analyze the polarization process on resonators with electrodes incompletely covering their bases. The physical description is given by the linear piezoelectric equations, the Gaussian equation for the description of the electric field and by Newton’s law of force. On this basis, a FEM model is developed and used to analyze the polarization process. The results of the calculation of the electric field vector distribution are presented. Finally, the areas are identified in which polarization in the desired direction is achieved in the resonator as well as the ones where no polarization occurs.

Experiments on intense ion beam formation with inhomogeneous electric field

The high efficiency of a new ion beam extraction system with a strongly inhomogeneous electric field has been experimentally demonstrated. Previously, this approach was proposed and analysed numerically by the authors. The experiment was carried out using a pulsed high-current electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source SMIS 37 with high frequency (37.5 GHz) and high power (100 kW) microwave plasma heating. The accelerating field strength is increased (when compared to a flat or a quasi-pierced geometry) in the plasma meniscus region due to its inhomogeneity. It allows for the increase of the ion acceleration rate and for expansion of the available range of current densities with effective ion beam formation. The experiment demonstrated the main advantages of this approach, such as: a significant decrease in the optimal accelerating voltage for certain values of current density; a possibility of ion beam formation with previously inaccessible current densities; a significant decrease in the ion flux to the puller in non-optimal modes of ion beam formation. Proton beams with a current density of up to 1.1 A cm-2 were obtained for the first time with an ECR ion source.

Measurement of the duration of runaway current pulses using measuring equipment with bandwidths up to 50 GHz

The duration of current pulses of runaway electrons generated during the formation of a nanosecond discharge in air in a sharply inhomogeneous electric field was measured using measuring equipment with a bandwidth of 50 GHz. The influence of the gas pressure and the shape of a cathode on the duration of the RE current pulses is investigated. Current pulses with full width at half maximum of 16–28 ps were recorded, depending on the conditions.

Tracks on films and multi-charged clusters

When conducting experiments on the electric explosion of titanium foil in water, a “strange” radiation was detected, leaving dotted traces on the film. The velocity of the carriers of this radiation was estimated as 20–40 m/s, and their energy, estimated by the Coulomb drag mechanism, turned out to be equal to 700 MeV. Subsequently, it was found that similar traces are formed at various types of high-current arc discharges, both of artificial and natural origin. Many solutions have been proposed to explain the nature of “strange” radiation, but none of them describes the details of the process of formation of dotted traces. We believe that these traces on the film could appear due to the action of charged micron-sized clusters. The possibility of the existence of clusters in the form of a nucleus from a certain number of similarly charged ions enclosed in a spherical shell of water molecules is shown. The force of the Coulomb repulsion of ions is compensated by the compression force of the shell polarized by the inhomogeneous electric field created by the nuclear charge. As the cluster approaches the surface of the film, a cluster with a small charge separates from it. It is accelerated in the electric field of a “large” cluster to energy of about 1 GeV. Having received a recoil momentum, a large cluster moves away from the film, braking in an inhomogeneous electric field, and then “falls” onto it again, and the process is repeated.

New Express Method of Non-Destructive Controlling of the Porous Structure of Asymmetric Membranes

An important practical and fundamental problem in the production of porous polymer membranes is the study of the porous structure and the detection of "defects" or large pores in the area of ​​the membrane. Known porosimetry methods cannot solve this problem. This work proposes a new non-destructive express method for studying the porous structure of asymmetric polymer membranes in high-intensity electric fields. This method can be successfully implemented on both flat sheet and hollow fiber membranes with a known porous structure. On the example of hollow fiber membranes made of polyacrylonitrile and polysulfone an assessment of the chemical structure effect of the membrane material on the high-voltage discharge currents in a highly inhomogeneous electric field through hollow fiber membranes with a given pore size was made. Under normal conditions and an average intensity of an inhomogeneous electric field E = 5 kV/cm, the results obtained allow us to conclude about a certain practical potential of the developed express method.

Effect of electrical discharge on the properties of natural esters insulating fluids

<p>Vegetable oils have been an alternative to mineral oil for oil-immersed transformers due to concern on less flammable, environmental-friendly, biodegradable, and sustainable resources of petroleum-based insulating oil. This paper presents the effect of electrical discharges (200 up to 1000 discharges) under 50 Hz inhomogeneous electric field on the properties (acidity, water content, and breakdown voltage) of two varieties of vegetable based insulating oils; i) natural ester (NE) and ii) low viscosity insulating fluids derived from a natural ester (NE_LV). Results show the water content, acidity and breakdown voltage of NE fluctuate due to applied discharges, while NE_LV display insignificant changes. Hence, results indicate that the low viscosity insulating fluids derived from natural ester tend to maintain their properties compared to natural ester.</p>