Wind tunnel flux comparisons using a phase Doppler interferometer

It is essential to know the movement of droplets in time and space (i.e. flux) when measuring and/or predicting spray drift in agricultural application. A study was performed to assess the flux measurements of a phase Doppler system against a standard monofilament system in a wind tunnel. The primary objectives of the study were to compare flux from a new phase Doppler system against 1.7 mm cotton and 2.0 mm nylon strings at varying wind speeds (1.4, 4.2, 8.3, 12.5, and 16.7 m · s−1) and spray exposures times (5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 s) with an overarching hypothesis that the active, phase Doppler is able to accurately measure the flux regardless of exposure and spray mass whereas the static string samplers are limited to a maximum retention. The phase Doppler did measure linearly as expected, however strings did not reach a point in which they loss mass; conversely, they appeared to overload with saturation. These findings are believed to be among many variables which influence the variability of previous mass balance studies.

Torsional Piezoelectric Strain in Monocrystalline Paratellurite

Crystals of the 422 symmetry class exhibit interesting piezoelectric behavior, as their piezoelectric tensor has only a single non-zero coefficient, d123 = d14: such unique behavior has the potential to enable novel gyroscopic sensors and high-precision torsional MEMS actuators. Although alpha-phase tellurium dioxide (paratellurite, alpha-TeO2) is one of the few materials belonging to this symmetry class, this material has been primarily studied for its interesting optical properties. Indeed, a large uncertainty in the piezoelectric coefficient of paratellurite exists, with d123 measurements on single crystals ranging from 8.13 pC/N to 14.58 pC/N; this large uncertainty results from the difficulty in using conventional piezoelectric characterization techniques on paratellurite, and impedes adoption of this extraordinary material. The present study characterizes the piezoelectric behavior of this interesting material using two independent techniques, (1) a three dimensional laser Doppler interferometer system, and (2) electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The experimental results are analyzed using numerical simulations for dynamic excitation conditions over a frequency range of 20 Hz to 200 kHz.

LEAD-FREE BNT PIEZOELECTRIC THIN FILMS BY SOL-GEL METHOD.

The objective of this work is to synthesize lead-free piezoelectric thin films by the Sol-Gel method:bismuth sodium titanate (Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 or BNT).BNT films were annealed with the rapid thermal process (RTP).The film treated at 700°C is dense and well crystallized in the perovskite phase. The first results of electricalcharacterizations showed promising dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric performance. At 12 kHz, thedielectric constant and losses are 430 and 0.07, respectively. Ferroelectric hysteresis measurements indicated aremanent polarization of 10μC/cm2, associated with a coercive field of 70 kV/cm. The piezoelectric properties ofBNT films were studied with a laser Doppler interferometer: a piezoelectric coefficient (d33effmax) of 42 pm/V was measured.

The variations of solar magnetic networks over the solar cycle 23

This work analyzed the morphologic properties of magnetic networks during Carrington Rotations (CRs) 1955 to 2091 by applying the watershed algorithm to magnetograms observed by the Michelson Doppler Interferometer on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft. We found that the magnetic networks are of fractal and the average fractal dimension is Df=1.253±0.011. We also find that both the fractal dimension and the size of magnetic networks are anti-correlated with the solar magnetic activity.

Film Conductivity Controlled Variation of the Amplitude Distribution of High-temperature Resonators

ABSTRACTHigh-temperature measurements of the spatial distribution of the displacement characteristics of a thickness shear mode langasite (La3Ga5SiO14) resonator are obtained using a laser Doppler interferometer. Thereby, the resonator is excited in the fundamental mode and the third overtone. Further, the resonator is coated with a gas sensitive CeO2-x film which exceeds the metal electrode. In reducing atmospheres the conductivity of the film increases and induces an increase of the effective electrode area. This effect leads to a broadening of the mechanical displacement distribution. The latter depends strongly on the size of the excited part of the resonator which is determined by the effective size of the electrodes. The direct determination of the mechanical displacement at different oxygen partial pressures confirms a model as derived from the electrical impedance of resonator devices [1]. Further, information about the mass sensitivity distribution of resonators is obtained since the property is directly proportional to the amplitude.