Ni-silicide growth kinetics in Si and Si/SiO2 core/shell nanowires.

A systematic study of the kinetics of axial Ni silicidation of as-grown and oxidized Si nanowires (SiNWs) with different crystallographic orientations and core diameters ranging from ∼ 10 to 100 nm is presented. For temperatures between 300 and 440 °C the length of the total axial silicide intrusion varies with the square root of time, which provides clear evidence that the rate limiting step is diffusion of Ni through the growing silicide phase(s). A retardation of Ni-silicide formation for oxidized SiNWs is found, indicative of a stress induced lowering of the diffusion coefficients. Extrapolated growth constants indicate that the Ni flux through the silicided NW is dominated by surface diffusion, which is consistent with an inverse square root dependence of the silicide length on the NW diameter as observed for (111) orientated SiNWs. In situ TEM silicidation experiments show that NiSi(2) is the first forming phase for as-grown and oxidized SiNWs. The silicide-SiNW interface is thereby atomically abrupt and typically planar. Ni-rich silicide phases subsequently nucleate close to the Ni reservoir, which for as-grown SiNWs can lead to a complete channel break-off for prolonged silicidation due to significant volume expansion and morphological changes.

Carrier lifetime and mobility enhancement in nearly defect-free core-shell nanowires measured using time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy.

We have used transient terahertz photoconductivity measurements to assess the efficacy of two-temperature growth and core-shell encapsulation techniques on the electronic properties of GaAs nanowires. We demonstrate that two-temperature growth of the GaAs core leads to an almost doubling in charge-carrier mobility and a tripling of carrier lifetime. In addition, overcoating the GaAs core with a larger-bandgap material is shown to reduce the density of surface traps by 82%, thereby enhancing the charge conductivity.

Plastic collapse of sandwich beams with a metallic foam core

Plastic collapse modes of sandwich beams have been investigated experimentally and theoretically for the case of an aluminum alloy foam with cold-worked aluminum face sheets. Plastic collapse is by three competing mechanisms: face yield, indentation and core shear, with the active mechanism depending upon the choice of geometry and material properties. The collapse loads, as predicted by simple upper bound solutions for a rigid, ideally plastic beam, and by more refined finite element calculations are generally in good agreement with the measured strengths. However, a thickness effect of the foam core on the collapse strength is observed for collapse by core shear: the shear strength of the core increases with diminishing core thickness in relation to the cell size. Limit load solutions are used to construct collapse maps, with the beam geometrical parameters as axes. Upon displaying the collapse load for each collapse mechanism, the regimes of dominance of each mechanism and the associate mass of the beam are determined. The map is then used in optimal design by minimizing the beam weight for a given structural load index.

Self-assembled multilayer graphene oxide membrane and carbon nanotubes synthesized using a rare form of natural graphite

The fabrication of flexible multilayer graphene oxide (GO) membrane and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a rare form of high-purity natural graphite, vein graphite, is reported for the first time. Graphite oxide is synthesized using vein graphite following Hummer's method. By facilitating functionalized graphene sheets in graphite oxide to self-assemble, a multilayer GO membrane is fabricated. Electric arc discharge is used to synthesis CNTs from vein graphite. Both multilayer GO membrane and CNTs are investigated using microscopy and spectroscopy experiments, i.e., scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), core level photoelectron spectroscopy, and C K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS), to characterize their structural and topographical properties. Characterization of vein graphite using different techniques reveals that it has a large number of crystallites, hence the large number of graphene sheets per crystallite, preferentially oriented along the (002) plane. NEXAFS and core level spectra confirm that vein graphite is highly crystalline and pure. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and C 1s core level spectra show that oxygen functionalities (-C-OH, -CO,-C-O-C-) are introduced into the basal plane of graphite following chemical oxidation. Carbon nanotubes are produced from vein graphite through arc discharge without the use of any catalyst. HRTEM confirm that multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNTs) are produced with the presence of some structure in the central pipe. A small percentage of single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) are also produced simultaneously with MWNTs. Spectroscopic and microscopic data are further discussed here with a view to using vein graphite as the source material for the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Growth, structural and optical properties of III-V nanowires for optoelectronic applications

We investigate the growth of III-V nanowires by MOCVD and the structural and optical properties of these nanowires. Binary and ternary nanowires of GaAs, InAs, InP, AlGaAs and InGaAs are achieved. We discuss the nucleation and growth issues involved in fabricating high quality nanowires suitable for device applications. We have fabricated and characterised a variety of axial and radial heterostructures including GaAs/InGaAs superlattices, and GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell and core-multishell nanowires. © 2007 IEEE.

Growth of III-V nanowires and nanowire heterostructures by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We have investigated the structural and optical properties of III-V nanowires, and axial and radial nanowire heterostructures, fabricated by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. In addition to binary nanowires, such as GaAs, InAs, and InP, we have demonstrated ternary InGaAs and AlGaAs nanowires. Core-shell nanowires consisting of GaAs cores with AlGaAs shells, and core-multishell nanowires with alternating shells of AlGaAs and GaAs, exhibit strong photoluminescence. Axial segments of InGaAs have been incorporated within GaAs nanowires to form GaAs/InGaAs nanowire superlattices. We have developed a two-temperature growth procedure to optimize nanowire morphology. An initial high temperature step promotes nucleation and epitaxial growth of straight (111)B-oriented nanowires. Lower temperatures are employed subsequently, to minimise radial growth. © 2007 IEEE.

Quantum dots and nanowires for photonics applications

We review our results on integrated photonic devices fabricated using InGaAs quantum-dots. Selective-area metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is used to grow the active region with quantum dots emitting at different wavelengths for fabrication of the integrated devices. We will also review the structural and optical properties of III-V nanowires, and axial and radial nanowire heterostructures grown by MOCVD. In addition to binary nanowires, such as GaAs, InAs, and InP, we have demonstrated ternary InGaAs and AlGaAs nanowires. Core-shell nanowires consisting of GaAs cores with AlGaAs shells, and core-multishell nanowires with several alternating shells of AlGaAs and GaAs, exhibit strong photoluminescence. Axial segments of InGaAs have been incorporated within GaAs nanowires to form GaAs/InGaAs nanowire superlattices.

Effects of rotating inlet distortion on multistage compressor stability

In multi-spool engines, rotating stall in an upstream compressor will impose a rotating distortion on the downstream compressor, thereby affecting its stability margin. In this paper experiments are described in which this effect was simulated by a rotating screen upstream of several multistage low-speed compressors. The measurements are complemented by, and compared with, a theoretical model of multistage compressor response to speed and direction of rotation of an inlet distortion. For co-rotating distortions (i.e., distortions rotating in the same direction as rotor rotation), experiments show that the compressors exhibited significant loss in stability margin and that they could be divided into two groups according to their response. The first group exhibited a single peak in stall margin degradation when the distortion speed corresponded to roughly 50% of rotor speed. The second group showed two peaks in stall margin degradation corresponding to distortion speeds of approximately 25-35% and 70-75% of rotor speed. These new results demonstrate that multistage compressors can have more than a single resonant response. Detailed measurements suggest that the two types of behavior are linked to differences between the stall inception processes observed for the two groups of compressors and that a direct connection thus exists between the observed forced response and the unsteady flow phenomena at stall onset. For counter-rotational distortions, all the compressors tested showed minimal loss of stability margin. The results imply that counter-rotation of the fan and core compressor, or LP and HP compressors, could be a worthwhile design choice. Calculations based on the two-dimensional theoretical model show excellent agreement for the compressors which had a single peak for stall margin degradation. We take this first-of-a-kind comparison as showing that the model, though simplified, captures the essential fluid dynamic features of the phenomena. Agreement is not good for compressors which had two peaks in the curve of stall margin shift versus distortion rotation speed. The discrepancy is attributed to the three-dimensional and short length scale nature of the stall inception process in these machines; this includes phenomena that have not yet been addressed in any model.

Neutronic optimization in high conversion Th-233U fuel assembly with simulated annealing

This paper reports on fuel design optimization of a PWR operating in a self sustainable Th-233U fuel cycle. Monte Carlo simulated annealing method was used in order to identify the fuel assembly configuration with the most attractive breeding performance. In previous studies, it was shown that breeding may be achieved by employing heterogeneous Seed-Blanket fuel geometry. The arrangement of seed and blanket pins within the assemblies may be determined by varying the designed parameters based on basic reactor physics phenomena which affect breeding. However, the amount of free parameters may still prove to be prohibitively large in order to systematically explore the design space for optimal solution. Therefore, the Monte Carlo annealing algorithm for neutronic optimization is applied in order to identify the most favorable design. The objective of simulated annealing optimization is to find a set of design parameters, which maximizes some given performance function (such as relative period of net breeding) under specified constraints (such as fuel cycle length). The first objective of the study was to demonstrate that the simulated annealing optimization algorithm will lead to the same fuel pins arrangement as was obtained in the previous studies which used only basic physics phenomena as guidance for optimization. In the second part of this work, the simulated annealing method was used to optimize fuel pins arrangement in much larger fuel assembly, where the basic physics intuition does not yield clearly optimal configuration. The simulated annealing method was found to be very efficient in selecting the optimal design in both cases. In the future, this method will be used for optimization of fuel assembly design with larger number of free parameters in order to determine the most favorable trade-off between the breeding performance and core average power density.

Cross-comparison of fast reactor concepts with various coolants

Four fast reactor concepts using lead (LFR), liquid salt, NaCl-KCl-MgCl2 (LSFR), sodium (SFR), and supercritical CO2 (GFR) coolants are compared. Since economy of scale and power conversion system compactness are the same by virtue of the consistent 2400 MWt rating and use of the S-CO2 power conversion system, the achievable plant thermal efficiency, core power density and core specific powers become the dominant factors. The potential to achieve the highest efficiency among the four reactor concepts can be ranked from highest to lowest as follows: (1) GFR, (2) LFR and LSFR, and (3) SFR. Both the lead- and salt-cooled designs achieve about 30% higher power density than the gas-cooled reactor, but attain power density 3 times smaller than that of the sodium-cooled reactor. Fuel cycle costs are favored for the sodium reactor by virtue of its high specific power of 65 kW/kgHM compared to the lead, salt and gas reactor values of 45, 35, and 21 kW/kgHM, respectively. In terms of safety, all concepts can be designed to accommodate the unprotected limiting accidents through passive means in a self-controllable manner. However, it does not seem to be a preferable option for the GFR where the active or semi-passive approach will likely result in a more economic and reliable plant. Lead coolant with its superior neutronic characteristics and the smallest coolant temperature reactivity coefficient is easiest to design for self-controllability, while the LSFR requires special reactivity devices to overcome its large positive coolant temperature coefficient. The GFR required a special core design using BeO diluent and a supercritical CO2 reflector to achieve negative coolant void worth-one of the conditions necessary for inherent shutdown following large LOCA. Protected accidents need to be given special attention in the LSFR and LFR due to the small margin to freezing of their coolants, and to a lesser extent in the SFR. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficient generation of one-group cross sections for coupled Monte Carlo depletion calculations

Coupled Monte Carlo depletion systems provide a versatile and an accurate tool for analyzing advanced thermal and fast reactor designs for a variety of fuel compositions and geometries. The main drawback of Monte Carlo-based systems is a long calculation time imposing significant restrictions on the complexity and amount of design-oriented calculations. This paper presents an alternative approach to interfacing the Monte Carlo and depletion modules aimed at addressing this problem. The main idea is to calculate the one-group cross sections for all relevant isotopes required by the depletion module in a separate module external to Monte Carlo calculations. Thus, the Monte Carlo module will produce the criticality and neutron spectrum only, without tallying of the individual isotope reaction rates. The onegroup cross section for all isotopes will be generated in a separate module by collapsing a universal multigroup (MG) cross-section library using the Monte Carlo calculated flux. Here, the term "universal" means that a single MG cross-section set will be applicable for all reactor systems and is independent of reactor characteristics such as a neutron spectrum; fuel composition; and fuel cell, assembly, and core geometries. This approach was originally proposed by Haeck et al. and implemented in the ALEPH code. Implementation of the proposed approach to Monte Carlo burnup interfacing was carried out through the BGCORE system. One-group cross sections generated by the BGCORE system were compared with those tallied directly by the MCNP code. Analysis of this comparison was carried out and led to the conclusion that in order to achieve the accuracy required for a reliable core and fuel cycle analysis, accounting for the background cross section (σ0) in the unresolved resonance energy region is essential. An extension of the one-group cross-section generation model was implemented and tested by tabulating and interpolating by a simplified σ0 model. A significant improvement of the one-group cross-section accuracy was demonstrated.

Consideration of reactivity initiated accidents for TRU recycling in LWRs

Response of a PWR core loaded with Combined Non-Fertile and UO2 (CONFU) fuel assemblies to control rod ejection accident was evaluated. A number of core arrangements and TRU fuel compositions were considered and the results were compared with the performance of a reference all-UO2 core. The comparison was based on the results of a simple point kinetics model with thermal reactivity feedbacks and temperature dependant materials properties. The reactivity coefficients and core average kinetics parameters were obtained from the full core 3D neutronic simulations. The results show that application of the CONFU assembly concept causes only minor deviation of fuel performance characteristics in reactivity initiated accidents. This is a consequence of relatively small loadings of TRU in the CONFU assembly and therefore dominating role of conventional UO2 fuel in the neutronic performance of the core.

Comparison of Micro-Vortex generators in supersonic flows

An experimental comparison of several vortex generator geometries was conducted at Mach 1.5, 1.8, and 2.5 to better understand downstream vortex development as a function of device shape and Mach number. The devices had heights less than that of the boundary-layer ("micro"-vortex generators) and were either vane-shaped or of the alternative microramp geometry. LDV was used to measure two components of velocity at several stations downstream of the devices. The velocity data were then fitted to a vortex model so that vortex parameters such as circulation, core radius, and trajectory were estimated. Mach number dependence was seen for all parameters. Vortex height and core radius both tended to decrease slightly with increasing Mach number. A critical vane angle for maximum circulation was observed and also decreased with increasing Mach number. Circulation was seen to scale with wall-friction velocity for Mach 1.5 and 1.8 but not 2.5. © 2012 by W.R. Nolan and H. Babinsky.