Acoustic thermometric reconstruction of a time-varying temperature profile

The time-varying temperature profiles were reconstructed in an experiment using a thermal acoustic radiation receiving array containing 14 sensors. The temperature was recovered by performing similar experiments using plasticine, as well as in vivo with a human hand. Plasticine preliminarily heated up to 36.5°C and a human hand were placed into water for 50 s at a temperature of 20°C. The core temperature of the plasticine was independently measured using thermocouples. The spatial resolution of the reconstruction in the lateral direction was determined by the distance between neighboring sensors and was equal to10 mm; the averaging time was 10 s. The error in reconstructing the core temperature determined in the experiment with plasticine was 0.5 K. The core temperature of the hand changed with time (in 50 s it decreased from 35 to 34°C) and space (the mean square deviation was 1.5 K). The experiment with the hand revealed that multichannel detection of thermal acoustic radiation using a compact 45 × 36 mm array to reconstruct the temperature profile could be performed during medical procedures.     

Investigation of thermal and deformation properties of quartzite in a temperature range of polymorphous α-β transition by neutron diffraction and acoustic emission methods

The results of combined application of the neutron diffraction and acoustic emission methods for investigation of the physical properties of synthetic quartz and natural quartzite in a temperature range of α-β transition are given. In experiments, the quartzite sample was exposed to heating and uniaxial compression. Changes of the lattice spacings in quartzite were measured in a temperature range 540–620°C. On the basis of these measurements, the inner inner stresses are evaluated and found to exceed the applied stresses by several times. It is found that after the phase transition is finished, short bursts of acoustic emission (AE) occur which are two orders of magnitude more intense than the acoustic emissions produced by thermal cracking of the sample while the sample is heating up to the transition temperatures. An assumption is made that the anomalous behavior of the physical properties of quartz-containing rocks under relatively low pressures near the transition temperature can cause the formation of strong concentrators of local stresses comparable with the breaking point of the material, thereby initiating microcracking.     

Using a High-Quality Thermostated Acoustic Interferometer to Study Changes in the Structure of Human Serum Proteins

An acoustic interferometric technique for determining the protein in blood serum is presented. This acoustic approach is based on high-precision measurements of the temperature dependences of the velocity, frequency, and absorption of ultrasound. The acoustic characteristics of blood serum are measured by a constant-length interferometer in acoustic wells with volumes of around 80 μL in the temperature range of 28–40°C and the frequency range of 1.4–14 MHz.     

Acoustic analysis of the composition of human blood serum

New acoustic methods of determining total protein, protein fractions, and lipid components of the human blood serum are presented. Acoustic methods are based on high-precision measurements of velocity and temperature dependences and frequency and temperature dependences of ultrasound absorption. Acoustic characteristics of the blood serum were measured using the method of a fixed length interferometer in acoustic cells ～80 mcl in volume in the temperature range from 15 to 40°C and the 4–9 MHz frequency range with the acoustic analyzer developed by BIOM company. An error in measuring ultrasound velocity in the blood serum was 3 × 10^?5; that of absorption, 2 × 10^?2. The developed acoustic methods were clinically tested and recommended for application at clinical diagnostic laboratories with RF treatment-and-prophylactics establishments.     

Acoustic anomalies and relaxation dynamics of relaxor ferroelectric Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 single crystals studied by using Brillouin spectroscopy

Acoustic anomalies of relaxor ferroelectric Na_1/2Bi_1/2TiO₃ single crystals were investigated over a wide temperature range from −196 °C to 900 °C by using Brillouin spectroscopy. The longitudinal sound velocity, the acoustic absorption coefficient and the elastic constant C₁₁ were determined for the acoustic phonon mode propagating in the [100] direction. Two acoustic anomalies, weaker ones at the cubic-tetragonal phase transition temperature of ~540 °C and more pronounced ones at temperatures near 315 °C near the dielectric maximum temperature, were investigated and discussed in relation with the relevant order parameters coupled to the acoustic waves. The relaxation dynamics in the cubic phase were studied based on the flattening of the mode frequency and the half width, which was observed for the first time, and a modified Arrhenius law.     

Acoustothermometric study of the human hand under hyperthrmia and hypothermia

The results of an acoustothermometric study of the human hand under local hyperthermia and hypothermia are presented. Individuals under testing plunged their hands in hot or cold water for several minutes. Thermal acoustic radiation was detected by two sensors placed near the palm and near the backside of the tested hand. The internal temperature profiles of the hand were reconstructed. The indirect estimate of the reconstruction error was 0.6°C, which is acceptable for medical applications. Hyperthermia was achieved by placing the hand in water with a maximal temperature of 44°C for 2 min. In this case, the internal temperature was 35.4 ± 0.6°C. Hypothermia was achieved by placing the hand in water with a temperature of 17.8°C for 15 min. In this case, the internal temperature decreased from 26 to 24°C. The use of a four-sensor planar receiving array allowed dynamic mapping of the acoustic brightness temperature of the hand.     

Cw laser generation on Tl II in a hollow-cathode Ne-Tl discharge

Intense cw laser generation in a Ne-Tl hollow-cathode discharge on Tl II 594.9 nm line is obtained for the first time. line is obtained for the first time. Maximum laser power is obtained at 14 Torr neon pressure and Tl vapor temperature from 610°C to 700°C. The dependence of the output laser power on buffer gas pressure, discharge current and temperature is investigated.     

Structural transition in liquid cobalt

The temperature dependence of kinematic viscosity of liquid cobalt in the range 1490–1700°C and the influence of the degree of cobalt overheating on its overcooling were studied by viscometry and differential thermal analysis. It was found that liquid cobalt undergoes a structural transition near 1595°C, which manifests itself as a sharp change in the viscosity and the activation energy for viscous flow at this temperature and is accompanied by a considerable increase in crystallization ability.     

Cyclostrophic adjustment in swirling gas flows and the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube effect

A theoretical analysis of cyclostrophic adjustment is presented; i.e., adjustment to balance between pressure gradient and centrifugal force in axisymmetric flow of an inviscid gas is examined. The solution to the problem is represented as the sum of a time-independent (balanced) and time-dependent (wave) components. It is shown that the wave component of the flow in an unbounded domain decays with time, and the corresponding solution reduces to the balanced component. In a bounded domain, the balanced flow component exists against the background of undamped acoustic waves. It is found that the balanced flow is thermally stratified at Mach numbers close to unity, with a substantial decrease in gas temperature (to between ?50 and ?100°C) in the axial region. This finding, combined with the results of special experiments, is used to explain the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube effect.     

Optical fiber sensor for temperature measurement based on Silicon thermo-optics effect

A temperature sensor based on the thermo-optics effect of single crystal silicon diaphragm was proposed and studied. The temperature measurement mechanism by using single crystal silicon diaphragm was theoretically analyzed and found the relation between temperature measurement range and the thickness of single crystal diaphragm. It was found that when the temperature changed from 20 °C to 48 °C, the reflected resonant peak wavelength was shifted which was detected by using the dual-wavelength signal demodulation method. Experimental results for temperature measurement demonstrated reasonable linearity and repeatability, related linear regression coefficient of the experimental result is 99.94%. The study would be of utility value for the design and fabrication of silicon-based sensors which were used to measure pressure or the other physical quantities.     

Equation of state of sodium chloride up to 32 kbar and 500°C2

The length change of a 25mm long single crystal of NaCl has been determined as a function of hydrostatic pressure up to 32 kbar and temperatures up to 500°C using an electrical contact piezometer with tungsten carbide as a standard. The measurements were carried out in an end loaded piston cylinder apparatus. The length change of the tungsten carbide standard is small compared to that of NaCl and therefore reliable data are obtained. Compression data by Bridgman[1] and thermal expansion data by Kennametal Inc. were used for the equation of state of tungsten carbide. We estimated an absolute uncertainty in the length change measurement of NaCl of ±0.7%. The temperature was accurate within 0.3°C. The uncertainty in pressure is ±0.4%. The results are compared with Decker's [2] equation of state which is frequently used when NaCl is taken as a standard in high pressure work. At room temperature we find a smaller compression of NaCl than Decker and find excellent agreement with Bridgman's[3] data. At higher temperatures we find very good agreement between our data and Decker's equation of state.     

Effect of coherency strain on the deformation of In x Ga1− x As superlattices under nanoindentation and bending

It has been shown elsewhere that the room temperature yield pressure of In _x Ga_{1? x} As superlattices measured by nanoindentation, decreases from a high value as the volume averaged strain modulation is increased, while at 500°C under uniaxial compression or tension the yield stress increases from a low value with increasing strain modulation. We have used cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy to examine the deformation mechanisms in these two loading regimes. At room temperature both twinning and dislocation flow was found with the proportion of twinning decreasing with increasing strain modulation. The coherency strain of the superlattice is retained in a twin but partially relaxed by dislocation flow. The strain energy released by the loss of coherency assists dislocation flow and weakens the superlattice. Twins are only nucleated when a critical elastic shear of about 7° is achieved at the surface. The plastic zone dimensions under the indent are finite at the yield point, with a width and depth of approximately 1.3?µm and 1.1?µm respectively. Under uniaxial compression and tension at 500°C the superlattices deform by dislocation flow along {111} planes. The most highly strained samples also partially relax through the formation of misfit dislocations.     

Thermal stabilization of the discharge in a nitrogen laser

The effect of cathode temperature upon power output from a transversely excited N₂ laser has been studied. An increase of 60% in output power has been observed for 75° C increase in cathode temperature. This degree of thermal enhancement did not depend significantly upon pulse repetition rate so it was possible to increase the maximum average power by the same factor of 60%. As commutation of the Blumlein was accomplished without the use of spark gaps, relatively higher pulse repetition rates were accessible. By externally heating the cathode to 100°C an average output power of 150 mW was obtained at 100 Hz for a charging voltage of 15 kV.     

Experimental Investigations on Latent Heat Storage Unit using Paraffin Wax as Phase Change Material

Thermal performance of a latent heat storage unit is evaluated experimentally. The latent heat thermal energy storage system analyzed in this work is a shell-and-tube type of heat exchanger using paraffin wax (melting point between 58°C and 60°C) as the phase change material. The temperature distribution in the phase change material is measured with time. The influence of mass flow rate and inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid on heat fraction is examined for both the melting and solidification processes. The mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid (water) is varied in the range of 0.0167 kg/s to 0.0833 kg/s (1 kg/min to 5 kg/min), and the fluid inlet temperature is varied between 75°C and 85°C. The experimental results indicate that the total melting time of the phase change material increases as the mass flow rate and inlet temperature of heat transfer fluid decrease. The fluid inlet temperature influences the heat fraction considerably as compared to the mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid during the melting process of the phase change material.     

A copper vapour laser operating at room temperature

Laser action on the 5106 and 5782 Å lines of neutral copper has been achieved at temperatures from 20 to 140°C in the vapour of copper acetylacetonate, and at temperatures between 150 and 215°C in the vapour of copper nitrate. The peak output powers are compared with those obtained in the vapours of the copper halides CuCl, CuBr and CuI using the same longitudinal discharge operated in a double-pulse mode in low pressure argon. The highest peak power from copper acetylacetonate obtained to date is 5 kW at a temperature of 40°C. The optimum temperature for the nitrate is 180°C at which the peak output power is 20 kW. The halides can give pulses of 50 kW although the temperatures required are much higher. For the acetylacetonate and the nitrate it is necessary to purge the gas mixture of dissociation products by flowing the argon through the discharge tube. It is probable that the resulting reduction in copper density is partly responsible for the poorer performance observed to date with these vapours. Optimum argon pressures and delay times between the two pulses of discharge current were approximately the same for all the copper compounds tested.     

The Effect of Post Hot Compaction on Crystallinity and Thermal Behavior of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber Laminates

Thermal compacting of previously prepared ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber laminates can raise its melting temperature and crystallinity. In this article, thermal shrinkage and the effect of post hot compaction on a commercial UHMWPE fiber laminate at various temperatures was investigated. The temperature range of post hot compaction was between 115 and 145°C, while other processing parameters like pressure, time, and cooling rate were kept constant during compaction. The shrinkage of the fiber laminates increased slowly up to 138°C; as soon as the temperature passed 140°C, the shrinkage increased rapidly and reached its maximum value very quickly. The crystallinity of the fiber laminates increased with rising temperature up to 135°C, then decreased at 145°C.     

Quasi-adiabatic compression heating of selected foods

The quasi-adiabatic temperature increase due to compression heating, during high-pressure (HP) processing (HPP), was studied using specially designed equipment. The temperature increase was evaluated as the difference in temperature, during compression, between atmospheric pressure and nominal pressure. The temperature was measured using a thermocouple in the center of a polyoxymethylene cup, which contained the sample. Fresh meat balls, pork meat pate, and tomato purée temperature increases were measured at three initial temperature levels between 40 and 80 °C. Nominal pressure was either 400 or 500 MPa. Results showed that the fat content had a positive effect on temperature increases. Empirical equations were developed to calculate the temperature increase during HPP at different initial temperatures for pressures of 400 and 500 MPa. This thermal effect data can be used for numerical modeling of temperature histories of foods during HP-assisted pasteurization or sterilization processes.     

High pressure and high temperature generation using small-sized cubic-type multi-anvil apparatus

High pressure and high temperature conditions of 4 GPa and 500°C were generated using a small-sized cubic-type multi-anvil apparatus, which was originally developed for high pressure and low temperature experiments. The drop in pressure was negligible as the temperature was increased from room temperature to 300°C at 4.5 GPa under conditions where the press was clamped. Two-dimensional X-ray diffraction images were successfully obtained from a pure aluminum specimen at 4 GPa and 500°C in the angle-dispersive mode.     

Passive broadband acoustic thermometry

The 1D internal (core) temperature profiles for the model object (plasticine) and the human hand are reconstructed using the passive acoustothermometric broadband probing data. Thermal acoustic radiation is detected by a broadband (0.8–3.5 MHz) acoustic radiometer. The temperature distribution is reconstructed using a priori information corresponding to the experimental conditions. The temperature distribution for the heated model object is assumed to be monotonic. For the hand, we assume that the temperature distribution satisfies the heat-conduction equation taking into account the blood flow. The average error of reconstruction determined for plasticine from the results of independent temperature measurements is 0.6 K for a measuring time of 25 s. The reconstructed value of the core temperature of the hand (36°C) generally corresponds to physiological data. The obtained results make it possible to use passive broadband acoustic probing for measuring the core temperatures in medical procedures associated with heating of human organism tissues.     

Luminescence lifetimes in quartz: dependence on annealing temperature prior to beta irradiation

It is well known that the thermal history of a quartz sample influences the optically stimulated luminescence sensitivity of the quartz. It is found that the optically stimulated luminescence lifetime, determined from time resolved spectra obtained with pulsed stimulation, also depends on past thermal treatment. For samples at 20°C during stimulation, the lifetime depends on beta dose and on duration of preheating at 220°C prior to stimulation for quartz annealed at 600°C and above, but is independent of these factors for quartz annealed at 500°C and below. For stimulation at higher temperatures, the lifetime becomes shorter if the sample is held at temperatures above 125°C during stimulation, in a manner consistent with thermal quenching. A single exponential decay is all that is required to fit the time resolved spectra for un-annealed quartz regardless of the temperature during stimulation (20–175°C), or to fit the time resolved spectra from all samples held at 20°C during stimulation, regardless of annealing temperature (20–1000°C). An additional shorter lifetime is found for some combinations of annealing temperature and temperature during stimulation. The results are discussed in terms of a model previously used to explain thermal sensitisation. The luminescence lifetime data are best explained by the presence of two principal luminescence centres, their relative importance depending on the annealing temperature, with a third centre involved for limited combinations of annealing temperature and temperature during stimulation.