Improved efficiency and stable digestion of biomass in nonmixed upflow solids reactors

A nonmixed upflow solids reactor (USR), which permitted longer solids than hydraulic retention times, was used to study the anaerobic digestion performance of sea kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). The performance of the USR was compared to that of the continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at different organic loading rates in terms of methane yield, methane production rate, and process stability. Results showed that, although digester performance was markedly affected by kelp compositional variability, methane yields and production rates in the USR were significantly higher than those observed with the CSTR. Results also showed that volatile acid concentrations, which are generally inversely related to digester stability, were significantly lower in the USR than in the CSTR.     

Relative efficiency calibration of Ge(Li) detector in low energy region

The relative gamma-ray intensities in the energy region between 122 and 411 keV in the decay of¹⁵²Eu were measured by using a Ge(Li) detector. Its efficiency calibration was carried out with the radioactive sources of²⁴¹Am,⁵⁷Co,²⁰³Hg,¹³⁷Cs,¹³³Ba,⁷⁵Se,¹⁶⁹Yb and¹⁹²Ir.     

A semi-empirical formula for HPGe detector efficiency calibration

The precision obtainable by instrumental neutron activation analysisdepends strongly on the quality of the calibration of the gamma-ray spectrometerused for measuring the irradiated samples. Even when relative standardizationis employed, practical experience has shown the importance of detector calibration.This is especially relevant when radionuclides of varying activities are involved.The problems often encountered are those of intolerable high dead time andthe occurrence of summed peaks in the gamma-ray spectra. A simple but accuratesemi-empirical formula is presented that could effectively predict the efficiencyof a detector at any source-to-detector distance. Experimental data obtainedat 0, 50, 100, 200 mm source-to-detector distances are used to demonstratethe usefulness of this formulation. In addition, nine elements were analyzedin the NIST Orchard Leaves using absolute standardization including four elementsSm, Ta, Au, and La for which no certified values could be obtained.     

A new low noise detector for Ft-Raman

A germanium photodiode has been used to record FT-Raman spectra excited by an NdYag laser at 1.06m. Since photon noise appears much smaller than detector noise, reduced detector noise leads directly to improved spectral signal-to-noise ratio. A new InGaAs photodiode with about seven times lower noise equivalent power indeed improves the spectrum signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of seven. When compared with a particularly sensitive Ge photodiode prepared by the North Coast Detector Corp. the InGaAs detector appears to have about the same noise level, but with a higher electrical bandwith, which is needed in FT-Raman, and the absence of so-called cosmic ray spikes.     

ANGLE: A PC-code for semiconductor detector efficiency calculations

A broadly applicable, flexible and user-friendly PC-code (ANGLE) for calculations of semiconductor detector full energy peak efficiencies ( _p ) is presented. The physical model behind is the concept of the effective solid angle . Written in Pascal, and operating in windows and menus data manipulation mode, ANGLE yields the efficiencies for: (1) HPGe true- and closed-end coaxial (bothn- andp-types), (2) Ge(Li) open- and closed-end, (3) planar LEPD and (4) well-type detectors. Supposing coaxial positioning, cylindrical or Marinelli sources can be treated, regardless of their dimensions (this includes point, disk and ring sources, bulky samples and infinite geometrics). Possible displacement between source and detector axes is treated in our another work, relative to this one. ANGLE input parameters are: (1) reference efficiency curve for the detector used (i.e., efficiency vs. -energy for calibrated point sources at a reference distance), (2) detector type and configuration (active body and inactive layers, end cap, windows, housing, shielding, (3) source data (dimension and composition of both container and active material), (4) source-detector geometry (distance, intercepting layers and their composition) and (5) some computational data (Gauss integration coefficients). Gamma-attenuation is calculated upon an extensive (per element and per energy) data file. In the output, efficiency vs. -energy is found, both in forms of tables and graphs. In routine applications accuracies of 3–4% are achieved (not worse than 7% for the most unfavourable geometries). Computation times when using recent PC models are of the order of minutes. ANGLE frame is also easily adjustable to other semiempirical or Monte Carlo models for efficiency calculations.     

Polymer design for thermally stable polyimides with low dielectric constant

We successfully prepared a series of thermally stable polyimides (PIs) with low dielectric constant (k) by introducing bulky diphenyl fluorenylidene moieties in backbone. The lowest k was found to be 2.77 among non-fluorinated PIs and 2.35 among fluorinated ones. In order to prove the lowest limit of k in PIs, we prepared soluble and thermally stable polyarylenes (PArs) without polar imide linkage with the same aromatic moieties by coupling polymerization. The lowest k was 2.7 without fluorine (F) and 2.2 with F atom, which showed also promising for low k materials. From these results, PIs we prepared were estimated to the lowest k values among PIs. On the basis of statistics on these results, we could express contour lines of k as a function of imide concentration and F content with high correlation factor (r= 0.96) in PIs and PArs.     

Thermodynamic analysis and thermodynamic efficiency of chemical reactors

In this paper, conditions of minimal dissipation for processes occurring in chemical reactors with a given duration and a given degree of transformation are obtained. It is demonstrated that the derived entropy production can be used to construct the space of realizable (thermodynamically feasible) regimes of a chemical reactor.     

Determination of characteristic neutron flux parameters of nuclear reactors for thermal neutron activation analysis

The characteristic neutron spectrum parameters for thermal neutron activation analysis have been determined for the most important irradiation positions of the reactors BR1 and BR2 at Mol (Belgium), HFR at Petten (Netherlands) and FRJ2 at Jülich (Federal Republic of Germany). The method of determination is described.     

HPGe detector full-energy peak efficiency calculation for inhomogeneously activated samples

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - We present and evaluate a program for the semi-empirical calculation of the full-energy peak efficiency of a hyper-pure germanium detector, by...     

A Compton-vetoed germanium detector with increased sensitivity at low energies

The difficulty to directly detect plutonium in spent nuclear fuel due to the high Compton background of the fission products motivates the design of a gamma detector with improved sensitivity at low energies. We have built such a detector by operating a thin high-purity Ge detector with a large scintillator Compton veto directly behind it. The Ge detector is thin to absorb just the low-energy Pu radiation of interest while minimizing Compton scattering of high-energy radiation from the fission products. The subsequent scintillator is large so that forward-scattered photons from the Ge detector interact in it at least once to provide an anti-coincidence veto for the Ge detector. For highest sensitivity, additional material in the line of sight is minimized, the radioactive sample is kept thin, and its radiation is collimated. We will discuss the instrument design, and demonstrate the feasibility of the approach with a prototype that employs two large CsI scintillator vetoes. Initial spectra of a thin Cs-137 calibration source show a background suppression of a factor of ~2.5 at ~100 keV, limited by an unexpectedly thick 4 mm dead layer in the Ge detector.     

Forward flux sampling-type schemes for simulating rare events: efficiency analysis

We analyze the efficiency of several simulation methods which we have recently proposed for calculating rate constants for rare events in stochastic dynamical systems in or out of equilibrium. We derive analytical expressions for the computational cost of using these methods and for the statistical error in the final estimate of the rate constant for a given computational cost. These expressions can be used to determine which method to use for a given problem, to optimize the choice of parameters, and to evaluate the significance of the results obtained. We apply the expressions to the two-dimensional nonequilibrium rare event problem proposed by Maier and Stein [Phys. Rev. E 48, 931 (1993)]. For this problem, our analysis gives accurate quantitative predictions for the computational efficiency of the three methods.     

Optimization of the parameters affecting the solid state detector efficiency in alpha-spectrometry

In radiochemical analysis, specially by using high resolution alpha-spectrometry, a key issue is the determination of the radiochemical yield. Radiochemical yield allows to determine the concentration of the radionuclide of interest and the quality of the chemical separation. To determine the radiochemical yield it is necessary to know the solid state detector efficiency, which can be obtained by calibration with a circular calibrated source. In this paper the optimization of the parameters affecting both the calibration and measurement of a source by alpha-spectrometry is described. The optimization is based on two sets of data: experimental and theoretical. Experimental data were obtained from the calibration of the solid state detector with four calibrated ²⁴¹Am sources. Theoretical data were calculated by geometry formulas and were verified experimentally.     

Measurement of low levels of radioactivity with a large well germanium detector

Described is the application of a state-of-the-art germanium detector containing a 25.4-mm diameter by 50-mm deep well for low-level activity gamma-spectrometry measurements. Detector calibration with examples of absolute efficiency curves at different in-well sample heights and the results of experiments to determine the effect of sample matrices to gamma-ray adsorption are presented. Radioanalytical methods described include the measurements of ^241,243Am: (1) in water samples after preconcentration and (2) in dissolved neodymium fluoride (NdF₃) microprecipitates. These procedures were achievable because of the well detector’s ability to accommodate a relatively large sample volume. A rapid method for the dissolution of NdF₃ microprecipitates for gamma counting is also described.     

Variation of the detection efficiency of a Ge detector with the height of the sample in Marinelli beaker

Several two and three parameter analytical functions were fitted to the measured detection efficiencies () of a Ge detector for a Marinelli beaker filled with samples up to different heights (H). From these, the expression =308E ^–0.82/((H–6.1)²+107), gave the best fit. The measured and calculated efficiencies were compared and for 70 determinations, a relative standard deviation of only 7.6% was obtained.     

Effect of cascade coincidences on the efficiency calibration of a gamma-X detector

The sensitivity on n-type gamma-X detectors for low-energy X- and -rays calls for coincidence corrections in the efficiency calibration that do not apply to the calibration of p-type detectors. Corrections were calculated for the effect of cascade coincidences between -rays, X-rays, annihilation radiation, and bremsstrahlung, for 15 radionuclides frequently used for efficiency calibration. Experimental results are presented for a -X detector with 37% relative efficiency at distances from 0.9 to 17.5 cm. After coincidence correction smooth efficiency curves were found for the energy range 12 to 2750 keV, even for the position closest to the detector.     

Determining the efficiency of a broad-energy HPGe detector using Monte Carlo simulations

Broad-energy HPGe detectors have a useful range of 3 keV to 3 MeV, making them ideal for the assay of environmental samples. Such measurements however, are hindered by variations in the sample matrix, summing effects, and the Compton continuum. Detectors may be characterised by proprietary software in such a situation, however Monte-Carlo modelling is a useful, inexpensive alternative that also provides greater flexibility when determining the detector response and efficiency during a measurement. In the current work, a full GEANT4 model of a broad-energy HPGe detector is presented, and simulations of various samples are compared to experimental data. These are found to be accurate within 3 % at a confidence level of 95 % for energies from 30 to 3,000 keV, with greater variations below 100 keV due to an increased sensitivity to geometrical inaccuracies.