Additive pulse mode-locked Nd: YAG laser

Additive pulse mode locking applied to lamppumped Nd: YAG lasers results in an attractive source of picosecond pulses at 1.06 m or 1.32 m with average powers at the Watt level. We provide detailed information on construction and operation and give data on performance. A modified active stabilization scheme allows not only improved stability of operation but also insight into the dynamics of pulse formation.     

Active mode locking of a phase-conjugating SBS-laser oscillator

We present a flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser simultaneously emitting pulse structures on microsecond, nanosecond and picosecond time scales. Within a microsecond flashlamp pump pulse a nonlinear reflector based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) generates several Q-switch pulses. The phase-conjugating effect of the SBS reflector provides a compensation of phase distortions generated inside the laser rod, resulting in transverse fundamental mode operation. Additional acousto-optic loss modulation inside the resonator leads to mode locking. As a result, each Q-switch pulse is subdivided into several picosecond pulses. Energies of up to 2 mJ for the mode-locked pulses with durations between 220 and 800 ps are demonstrated. The wide variability of the lasers temporal output parameters as well as its high beam quality make it a splendid tool for fundamental research in laser materials processing. PACS 42.60.Fc; 42.60.Gd; 42.65.Es     

Cellular Automata (CA) for Simulations of Complex Geothermal Reservoirs

The exploitation of geothermal power is a renewable energy source with great potential in future. But the exploration and development of deep geothermal energy is connected with high cost and risk. These require a reliable functionality of geological heat exchanger. However the geothermal reservoirs are really complicated as phenomena and concrete downhole data are not completely discovered at present. In order to simulate them, complex modelings combined with different time scale are necessary. Recently, the cellular automata (CA) method is being developed and widely used for solving many complex problems in different fields. Here we introduced CA method combined with Navier-Stoke equation and heat transfer; the domains of reservoirs are initially discretized into many lattice cells. The different cell type and their physical properties (e.g. water cell, porous cell, etc.) are introduced. Thermodynamically correct computation and computing fluid flow in different formations are performed. The paper will give some computational results, showing the efficiency and accuracy of this method, in order to complete the phenomena of complex geothermal problem. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Non-steady interaction of fluids with free surfaces and rigid bodies

Interaction between fluids and rigid bodies is a phenomenon, which occurs for example in floating bearings or turbines. Mostly the focus is on domains with rigid boundaries on every side or defined influx or effusion of fluid over the boundaries. The interaction between fluids with free surfaces and a rigid body were mostly studied under the aspect of stability for steady-state conditions, e. g. for fluid-filled centrifuges. A characteristic property is the instability over non-empty intervalls of angular velocities, so the analysis of non-steady behaviour is essential to investigate the stability of the drive through these instable domains. A first approach to this topic is the qualitative investigation of a fluid domain with the shallow water theory. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Hot Spots on Brake Disks – Model Reduction and Stability Discussion

Sliding friction results in heat generation. One design aim of brake systems is for the temperature field to rise homogeneously, but experiments have repeatedly shown a characteristic inhomogeneous temperature pattern on the disk, known as Hot Spots. This phenomenon is undesired, as it leads to noise, vibration, and material disruption. The uneven temperature distribution arises from what are known as “Thermoelastic Instabilities”. The solutions for temperature and displacements must be obtained in four dimensions: three spatial dimensions and one time dimension. The industrial design process requires massive parameter studies and a fast solution of the model. To develop such models, strategies which avoid discretization come into the focus. The presented model is based on the application of global Ansatz functions for the fields, which are scaled to fulfil boundary conditions. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Label-free biosensor by protein grating coupler on planar optical waveguides

We report a diffraction-based, label-free biosensor on the surface of a planar optical waveguide. By selectively immobilizing proteins on an optical waveguide, the proteins can form the ridge/valley of a latent image optical grating. Binding events with patterned surface proteins dynamically increase grating height and cause an increase in light coupling out of the waveguide. We demonstrate the efficacy of this strategy for protein detection and present the design and fabrication of a device.     

The interaction of surface topography and friction dynamics in brake systems described by a Cellular Automaton

The friction coefficient μ , which is the quotient of the friction force R and the normal force N is in principal not a stationary material parameter, but also dependent on for instance the relative velocity, the normal load, the temperature, the climate conditions, the location and the event itself. The dynamics in the boundary layer between a brake disc and a brake pad is closely linked with the surface topography dynamics. Growing and destroying processes of hard, thin patches, carrying the friction power, determine the time-dependence of the friction coefficient. This interaction between friction and wear has already been simulated with a set of differential equations [2-4], which give an idea about the equilibrium of flow in the contact zone and which are able to describe the fading effect, for example. Based on this assumption we discretised the boundary layer with a Cellular Automaton [5], which makes it possible to have a more detailed look at the processes in the contact area. This paper will show new conclusions concerning the interdependencies of the friction behaviour and the surface topography. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Spiral Tribometer for Dynamic Friction Measurements

Basically there exists a significant interest in dynamic friction models [1]. These dynamic models describe μ as a time dependent process parameter. The indentification of the belonging parameters needs a special kind of measurements. This is due to the fact that the measurements with the classical pin on disk arrangement give stationary values of μ only, the measurements of dynamic properties are even infeasible. A new advanced tribometer has been developed. This tribometer allows measurements of complex unsteady friction processes. The experimental characteristics and the realization of this novel tribometer are presented by concrete measurements. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Contribution to Jerk Detection

In technical applications the jerk information will be used for i.a. motion control, comfort evaluation or prediction of acceleration. In the majority of cases the jerk will be determined indirectly by differentiation of measured acceleration signals and depends consequently on the acceleration signals' quality and the differentiation's algorithms. An accurate jerk determination can only be realized by using an appropriate filter with respect to the relevant frequency range. In order to avoid such limitation a method of direct jerk detection will be required. Based on a 2 DOF mass system with viscous coupling a possible method was presented in [1] to detect directly the jerk. Thereby, in certain conditions the jerk is proportional to the displacement of one mass. Another method of direct jerk detection is given implicitly in [2]. With this method the jerk information will be generated by an additional inner variable of a damped single mass system based on the fundamental idea of the Mesoscopic Particle Method [3]. Both presented methods will be investigated and evaluated regarding its limits of applicability as a result of arbitrary periodical and impact-like excitations. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A contribution to efficient calculation of complex drill string dynamics for deep hole drilling

This paper presents a hybrid model to describe drill string dynamics for deep hole drilling. Generally, a typical rotary drill string has a length of several kilometers, but the diameter is less than half a meter. Due to the large ratio of length to diameter, a drill string is a very flexible system. Consequently, an operating drill string is always affected by axial, torsional and lateral vibrations, which potentially induce serious failures. In order to avoid fatal defects, simulations to forecast vibrations are necessary. The simulation should be capable to exhibit the complex dynamical phenomena, e.g. sick-slip, forward whirl and backward whirl, and interactions between drill string and borehole. Usually, these simulations are very time-consuming. In this work, a hybrid model consisting of lumped masses connected with weightless beam elements representing the drill string is developed. The interaction between the drill string and the borehole is implemented by unilateral constraints to describe the nonlinear contact behavior. It was shown that accuracy and simulating time were improved by this model with respect to classical finite-element models. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)