A method and apparatus for implementing dynamic compensation of magnetic forces for undulators are provided. An undulator includes a respective set of magnet arrays, each attached to a strongback, and placed on horizontal slides and positioned parallel relative to each other with a predetermined gap. Magnetic forces are compensated by a set of compensation springs placed along the strongback. The compensation springs are conical springs having exponential-force characteristics that substantially match undulator magnetic forces independently of the predetermined gap. The conical springs are positioned along the length of the magnets.

A heterojunction photovoltaic cell. The cell includes a nanoporous substrate, a transparent conducting oxide disposed on the nanoporous substrate, a nanolaminate film deposited on the nanoporous substrate surface, a sensitizer dye disposed on a wide band gap semiconducting oxide and a redox shuttle positioned within the layer structure.

A polymer-hybrid electro-optic device is fabricated by providing a semiconductor substrate, depositing a metal electrode layer on the semiconductor substrate, depositing a dielectric barrier core layer within a gap of the metal electrode layer, patterning a polymer layer to cover the dielectric barrier core layer and partially covering the metal electrode layer, infiltrating the polymer layer with an inorganic component to form a hybrid oxide-polymer layer, and removing excess inorganic component from the semiconductor substrate and metal electrode layer.

A method for retrieving phase information in a coherent diffraction imaging process includes acquiring a plurality of 3D data sets, each 3D data set corresponding to one of a plurality of time states, and reconstructing a 3D image of the object at a given time state using the 3D data set from all of the time states. Each 3D data set is acquired by: illuminating an object positioned in a first position with a coherent beam; measuring a first 2D diffraction pattern using an area detector; rotating the object around a tilt axis thereof to a second position that is different from the first position; re-illuminating the object positioned in the second position with the coherent beam; re-measuring a second 2D diffraction pattern using the area detector; and repeating the rotating, re-illuminating and re-measuring steps such that each 3D data set includes a predetermined number of diffraction patterns.

The novel lubricants made of carbon-based particles suspended in a liquid hydrocarbon carrier, significantly lower friction and wear resulting in improved fuel economics and durability.

The energy efficiency, durability, and environmental compatibility of all kinds of moving mechanical systems (including engines) are closely related to the effectiveness of the lubricants being used on their rolling, rotating, and sliding surfaces. Therefore, lubricants play a vital role in machine life, efficiency, and overall performance. Poor or inefficient lubrication always result in higher friction and severe wear losses, which can in turn adversely impact the performance and durability of mechanical systems. In particular, progressive wear due to inadequate lubrication is one of the most serious causes of component failure. Inadequate lubrication can also cause significant energy losses in the above-mentioned industrial systems mainly because of high friction. There is an ongoing need for new lubricant compositions that are environmentally friendly or benign, and which provide reduced friction and wear. The present invention addresses this need.

The present invention relates to the design and development of novel carbon-based materials as anti-friction and anti-wear additives for advanced lubrication purposes. The carbon-based materials have various shapes, sizes, and structures and are synthesized by autogenic reactions under extreme conditions of high temperature and pressure. The materials of the invention are created typically by the dissociation of organic, organo-metallic or polymeric compounds, such as plastic waste in absence or presence of a catalyst in a closed, ventable reactor in which the pressure in the reactor is provided solely by vaporization of carbon-based precursors (i.e., autogenic pressure generation). The resulting carbon products are typically in the form of carbon nanotubes, fibers, spheres or clusters that can optionally contain elements such as B, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, W, Ag, Au, Sn, Bi or their oxides, carbides, borides, nitrides and sulfides. Under severe tribological conditions, these carbon-based additives can improve lubrication properties without having a negative environmental impact. Specifically, the novel lubricants have the ability to significantly lower friction and wear, which can translate, for example, into improved fuel economies and longer durability of engines and mechanical devices.

US Patent 9,441,178 Materials as additives for advanced lubrication
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US Patent 8,648,019 Materials as additives for advanced lubrication
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Publication

Pol, V.G. et al., Carbon Spherules: Synthesis, Properties and Mechanistic Elucidation, Carbon (2004) 42, 111-116.

The optical system includes a first prism mounted on a moving target, and a plurality of prisms, a retroreflector, a laser source, and a detector mounted on a fixed base.

An optical system is provided for laser encoder resolution extension with three-dimensional motion decoupling capability. The optical system includes a first prism mounted on a moving target, and a plurality of prisms, a retroreflector, a laser source, and a detector mounted on a fixed base. The moving target has three-dimensional linear motion freedom. The first prism on the moving target and the plurality of prisms and the retroreflector on the fixed base reflect a laser beam from the laser source to the detector define a three-dimensional optical path. The three-dimensional optical path provides multiple times optical resolution extension power for linear displacement measurement and encoding. This optic system is only sensible to the target motion on X direction and is substantially unaffected by movement in the Y and Z directions.

The improved coating material includes the use of a noble metal or soft metal homogeneously distributed within a hard nitride material. The addition of small amounts of such metals into nitrides such as molybdenum nitride, titanium nitride, and chromium nitride results in as much as increasing of the hardness of the material as well as decreasing the friction coefficient and increasing the oxidation resistance.

From a tribological standpoint, a combination of high mechanical hardness with low friction is always desired but seldom achieved in most sliding surfaces. With many conventional coatings, base steel sliding against itself gives friction coefficients of 0.12 to 0.16 even under the best lubrication conditions.

An improved coating material is based on the use of a noble and soft metals such as Au, or a soft metal such as Cu, In, Sn, Sb, Ga and Bi, with hard nitrides, carbonitrides, and borides such as MoN, CrN, TiN, TiCN, TiB2 and ZrN. The addition of small amounts of these metals into MoN, CrN and TiN results in an increase of the hardness of the nitride coatings, in addition to improving the lubricity of these coatings. In particular, it has been found that concentrations of about 1–3 at % of the materials described herein provide for substantial increases in lubricity of the nitride coatings.

Invention

In the event of a chemical and/or biological release, it is critical to be able to rapidly detect the components that have been released, determine the concentration of the components, decontaminate the released components, and verify that the decontamination efforts have been successful. Argonne inventors have developed a ​“smart” surface that can be incorporated into fabrics, painted surfaces, or other systems for rapid detection and decontamination.

Opportunity & Solution

The Argonne solution is a coupled, semiconductor-based detection and decontamination system that detects contaminant absorption by changes in surface resistance. These changes induce a photocatalytic oxidation or reduction of the contaminant while continuously monitoring resistance and temperature during the process to determine the decontamination status.

Benefits

The Argonne invention is a rapid, integrated detection and response system for chemical decontamination in near real-time.  

Applications, Industries

The invention has potential application in decontaminating large surface areas.