A new electromagnetic probe array diagnostic for analyzing electrostatic and magnetic fluctuations in EAST plasmas

A novel electromagnetic probe array(EMPA) diagnostic, which consists of a magnetic probe array and an electrostatic probe array, has recently been developed on EAST. The EMPA is fixed near the first wall at horizontal port P. The magnetic probe array of the EMPA consists of 24 identical magnetic probes, each of them capable of measuring toroidal, poloidal and radial magnetic fluctuations simultaneously, providing additional toroidal magnetic fluctuation measurements compared with the regular magnetic probes on EAST. With a higher sampling rate and self-resonant frequency, the EMPA magnetic probes can provide higher frequency magnetic fluctuation measurements. The magnetic probe array of the EMPA is composed of two parallel layers of magnetic probes with a radial distance of 63 mm, and each layer of magnetic probes is arranged in four poloidal rows and three toroidal columns. The compact arrangement of the EMPA magnetic probe array largely improves the toroidal mode number measurement ability from-8≤ n≤ 8 to-112≤ n≤ 112, and also improves the high poloidal wave number measurement ability of magnetic fluctuations compared with the regular high frequency magnetic probes on EAST. The electrostatic probe array of the EMPA consists of two sets of four-tip probes and a single-tip probe array with three poloidal rows and four toroidal columns. It complements the electrostatic parameter measurements behind the main limiter and near the first wall in EAST. The engineering details of the EMPA diagnostic, including the mechanical system, the electrical system, the acquisition and control system, and the effective area calibration, are presented. The preliminary applications of the EMPA in L-mode and H-mode discharges on EAST have demonstrated that the EMPA works well for providing information on the magnetic and electrostatic fluctuations and can contribute to deeper physical analysis in future EAST experiments.

Study of beam divergence and thrust vector eccentricity characteristics of the Hall thruster based on dual Faraday probe array planes and its applications

The accurate knowledge of the thrust vector eccentricity and beam divergence characteristics of Hall thrusters are of significant engineering value for the beneficial integration and successful application of Hall thrusters on spacecraft.For the characteristics of the plume bipolar diffusion due to the annular discharge channel of the Hall thruster,a Gaussian-fitted method for thrust vector deviation angle and beam divergence of Hall thrusters based on dual Faraday probe array planes was proposed in respect of the Hall thruster beam characteristics.The results show that the ratios of the deviation between the maximum and minimum values of the beam divergence angle and the thrust vector eccentricity angle using a Gaussian fit to the optimized Faraday probe dual plane to the mean value are 1.4%and 11.5%,respectively.The optimized thrust vector eccentricity angle obtained has been substantially improved,by approximately 20%.The beam divergence angle calculated using a Gaussian fitting to the optimized Faraday probe dual plane is approximately identical to the non-optimized one.The beam divergence and thrust vector eccentricity angles for different anode mass flow rates were obtained by averaging the beam divergence and thrust vector eccentricity angles calculated by the dual-plane,Gaussian-fitted ion current density method for different cross-sections.The study not only allows for an immediate and effective tool for determining the design of thrust vector adjustment mechanisms of spacecraft with different power Hall thrusters but also for characterizing the 3D spatial distribution of the Hall thruster plume.

A 57-Pin Langmuir Probe Array for Two-Dimensional Diagnosis in the Toroidal KT-5D Steady-State Plasma

In this article, the design idea of a 57-pin Langmuir probe array is presented, together with some experimental results. The manufacture technique of the probe array is discussed. Two-dimensional distributions of the plasma density, the floating potential and their fluctuations in the poloidal cross section are obtained. The blobs, which move radially and poloidally, cause great particle and energy transport. The charge neutralization by the poloidal movement of particles greatly decreases the vertical electric field in the helimak plasma. This leads to a confinement time which is two orders of magnitude larger than the theoretical prediction.

ARRAY PULSED EDDY CURRENT IMAGING SYSTEM USED TO DETECT CORROSION

A theory model is established to describe the voltage-current responsefunction. The peak amplitude and the zero-crossing time of the transient signal is extracted as theimaging features, array pulsed eddy current (PEC) imaging is proposed to detect corrosion. The testresults show that this system has the advantage of fast scanning speed, different imaging mode andquantitative detection, it has a broad application in the aviation nondestructive testing.

Bi-based Nanowire and Nanojunction Arrays:Fabrication and Physical Properties

This article reviews the recent developments in the fabrication and properties of one-dimensional （1D） Bi-based nanostructures, including Bi, Sb, BixSb1-x and Bi2Te3 nanowire arrays, and Bi-Bi and Bi-Sb nanojunction arrays. In this article, we present an efiective method to fabricate Bi nanowire arrays with difierent diameters in anodic alumina membrane （AAM） with a single pore size by the pulsed electrodeposition. The fabrication of the high-filling and ordered Bi1-xSbx and Bi2Te3 single crystalline nanowire arrays, the Bi nanowire metalsemiconductor homojunction and Bi-Sb nanowire metal-semiconductor heterojunction arrays by the pulsed electrodeposition are reported. The factors controlling the composition, diameter, growth rate and orientation of the nanowires are analyzed, and the growth mechanism of the nanowire and nanojunction arrays are discussed together with the study of the electrical and thermal properties of Bi-based nanowires and nanojunctions.Finally, this review is concluded with some perspectives on the research directions and focuses in the Bi-based nanomaterials fields.

Experimental Studies of Low-Pressure Plasma Jet by Means of Langmuir Probes and Emission Spectra

An investigation was made into the argon plasma jet that expanded in a low-pressure vacuum chamber. The spatial distributions of the parameters of the plasma jet with different supplied powers were measured using a ten-channel Langmuir probe array. The chemical species in the plasma jet were identified by emission spectroscopy. The electron excitation temperatures at two positions, 10 cm and 50 cm downstream from the nozzle exit were calculated, respectively, by the Boltzmann plot method.

Inspection system for welded tubular joint based on ultrasonic phased array

A manual inspection of large-diameter tubular joints is difficult. As a result a scanner with three degrees of freedom （ DOFs） was developed based on the scanning principle of ultrasonic phased array. The weld tracing is realized by a 2DOF motion of scanner. The pose of ultrasonic probe is controlled by the third one. The control strategy is put forward based on a programmable multi-axis controller. Four kinds of scanning modes can be implemented simultaneously employing this ultrasonic inspection system. Experiments on reference blocks of tubular joints reveal that the automatic ultrasonic phased array inspection system has the same inspection accuracy as a manual ultrasonic inspection. This system is superior to the manual ultrasonic system in terms of reliability and repeatability. The artificial dejects of weld at tubular joint can be detected accurately with the presented inspection system.

A Simple Method of Detecting Chlamydia Trachomatis UsingEnzymatically Amplified DNA and Immobilized Probes onMicrotiter Plate

We have develoPed a simPle and economical method f0r Chlamydia trachomatisdetecting, called microtiter plate hybridization (PCR-MPH), which may replace stan-dard PCR. This method is similar to that of an ELISA. Brithe, the PCR productslabeled at the 5'termini with biotin were hybridized with probes immobilized on a mi-crotiter well, and the bound PCR products were detected by streptavidin-c0njugatedenzymes followed by color development. Two inprovements have been made in immobi-lizing the probe to the microtiter wells, in terms of increasing both immobility and hy-bridization deciency. One is that singleustranded (ss )DNA, without the complemen-tary strand, is used. The other is that instead of a single copy, a tandem array of theprobe is used for immobilization and hybridization. Using of ssDNA containing abouta 5O-rePeat array of a relevant sequence as an immobilized probe, the sensitivity in-creased 1O-fold over that of a single oligonucleotide unit. We also found that the hy-brldizatlon condltions such as time, temPerature, and solution composition could be simplthed. The advantages of this microtiter plate-hybridization method for routinepathogens detecting are a short time assay, easy processing of large numbers of sansples, and the potential for automation.

Analyses of Genotypes and Phenotypes of Ten Chinese Patients with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome by Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification and Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization

Background： Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome （WHS） is a contiguous gene syndrome that is typically caused by a deletion of the distal portion of the short arm of chromosome 4. However, there are few reports about the features of Chinese WHS patients. This study aimed to characterize the clinical and molecular cytogenetic features of Chinese WHS patients using the combination of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification （MLPA） and array comparative genomic hybridization （array CGH）. Methods： Clinical information was collected from ten patients with WHS. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of the patients. The deletions were analyzed by MLPA and array CGH. Results： All patients exhibited the core clinical symptoms of WHS, including severe growth delay, a Greek warrior helmet facial appearance, differing degrees of intellectual disability, and epilepsy or electroencephalogram anomalies. The 4p deletions ranged from 2.62 Mb to 17.25 Mb in size and included LETM1, WHSC1, and FGFR3. Conclusions： The combined use of MLPA and array CGH is an effective and specific means to diagnose WHS and allows for the precise identification of the breakpoints and sizes of deletions. The deletion of genes in the WHS candidate region is closely correlated with the core WHS phenotype.

Analyses of edge plasma characteristics in HL-2A

The edge plasma characteristics are studied by both a movable array of Much/Reynolds stress/Langmuir 10-probes in the boundary region and the fixed flush probe arrays on the 4 divertor neutralization plates at the same toroidal crosssection in the HL-2A tokamak. The dependence of the Reynolds stress on poloidal flow in the edge plasma is analysed. The result indicates that the sheared poloidal flow in tokamak plasma can be induced by the radial gradient of Reynolds stress. In the divertor experiments of HL-2A, the profiles of the electron temperature, density and floating potential on divertor plates are measured by the flush probe arrays. The edge electron temperature in divertor configuration is higher than that in limiter configuration. The temperature asymmetry between outer and inner target plates is observed. The result of magnetic surface reconstructed from 18 Mirnov coils signals is presented. Both the particle recycling and the impurity flux in the bulk plasma during divertor discharges are discussed. Neutral gas pressure in divertor chamber, measured by fast ionization gauge during divertor discharge, is given.

Multi-aiming Strategy Design for Quadruple Prism Shaped Central Receiver in Solar Power Tower System

For solar power tower technology, the improvement of interception efficiency of heliostat field and the extension of central receiver's life time are two technical difficulties. To the receiver, higher interception efficiency means more thermal shocks and stronger stresses of high temperatures mainly contribute to the reduction of receiver's life time. To address these problems,a semi-random distribution strategy is proposed to select the best aiming point of the heliostat, and the distribution of onedimensional array arranged on the centerline of the receiver is carried out for further optimization. It is shown by simulation that through our optimization the temperature distribution on the receiver surface becomes much more uniform while maintaining acceptable interception efficiency.

Prediction of curved oil–water interface in horizontal pipes using modified model with dynamic contact angle

In this study,interface shapes of horizontal oil–water two-phase flow are predicted by using Young-Laplace equation model and minimum energy model.Meanwhile,the interface shapes of horizontal oil–water twophase flow in a 20 mm inner diameter pipe are measured by a novel conductance parallel-wire array probe(CPAP).It is found that,for flow conditions with low water holdup,there is a large deviation between the model-predicted interface shape and the experimentally measured one.Since the variation of pipe wetting characteristics in the process of fluid flow can lead to the changes of the contact angle between the fluid and the pipe wall,the models mentioned above are modified by considering dynamic contact angle.The results indicate that the interface shapes predicted by the modified models present a good consistence with the ones measured by CPAP.

Flexible Ultrasonic Phased-Array Probe

In ultrasonic phased-array testing, most probes are rigid with fixed elements. However, when testing a cambered piece, a rigid probe cannot be used directly, but an ultrasonic chock or coupling media must be used, which adds cost and reduces the accuracy. The objective of this research was to improve the tests of cambered pieces. A flexible ultrasonic phased-array probe was developed to do the flexible phased- array testing. The key technologies in the flexible phased-array probe include the probe design and the phased-array control. A new method was developed to design the flexible probe according to the curvature of the piece and the test depth. The method includes the calculation of the element’s height (he), the relative rotation angle (ωe), the distance between the adjoining elements (de), and the element’s effective testing range. A flexible ultrasonic phased-array probe has been developed using this method.

Effect of One/Two-dimensional Bonding Phases on Strength and Toughness of Carbon-containing Refractories

Gaseous phases of carbon-containing and metastable oxides will be resulted from the carbonization of phenolic resin binders and the reduced reactions between C and oxides at high temperatures in carbon-containing refractories. With the in-situ catalysis technique, these gaseous phases can be transformed to one-or two-dimensional bonding phases by deposition,which is favorable for the improvement on strength and toughness of carboncontaining refractories,especially low carbon refractories. The research results reveal that：（ 1） the amorphous carbon resulted from phenolic resin can be transformed to carbon nanotubes,thus,the oxidation peak temperature is raised from 506 to 664. 6 ℃;（ 2） onedimensional whiskers of MgO or Mg Al2 O4 can be in-situ formed in MgO-C refractories, and their CMOR,CCS,rupture displacement and residual CCS（ two water quenching cycles,1 100 ℃） are increased by 66%,47%,13% and 26%,respectively;（ 3） two-dimensional array structure of flake β-SiAlON can be in-situ formed in Al2 O3-C refractories,which improves the material strength by 60% and decreases the residual strength after thermal shock by only 4. 5 MPa. It is believed that the in-situ formation of one-or two-dimensional bonding phases at high temperatures can improvethe comprehensive thermal physical properties of carboncontaining refractories,and will be the developing trend of the strengthening and toughening of low carbon-containing refractories.

The study of complex focussing acoustic field of a convex phased array probe used in ultrasonic diagnostic B-scanner

This paper reports a study of complex focussing acoustic fields of a convex phased array probe widely used in ultrasonic diagnostic B-scanner. The time delay necessary for electronic focussing and for geometric focussing of complex focussing is given. By means of Helmholtz's integral formula, the expressions of acoustic fields were obtained for the electronic focussing and complex focussing.With Simpson's numerical integral, a great deal of computations was carried out with an 86 / 330 computer. By means of using different parameters, an optimum focal range and beam width of a 4 sequences electronic and complex focussing acoustic system was selected. With an EUB-40 ultrasound diagnostic B-scanner produced by the Hitachi company, the lateral focussing acoustic field and lateral resolution in an echoic tank were photographed by latticing method and the experimental result is consistent with the theory.