Dedicated Data Acquisition System Research Articles

Optimization of a BEGe Detector Setup for Testing Quantum Foundations in the Underground LNGS Laboratory

In this work, we report on tests performed with an experimental apparatus prototype based on a broad-energy germanium detector aimed at investigating topical, foundational issues in quantum mechanics: i.e., possible violations of the spin-statistics connection and models of dynamical wave function collapse. Our recent phenomenological analyses demonstrated the importance of pushing the research of new physics signal, predicted in these fields, to an energy range below 10 keV. We describe the development of the dedicated data acquisition system and of the pulse shape discrimination algorithm, which have already allowed us to get a factor two improvement in the lower energy threshold. Future plans are discussed to further improve the lower energy threshold to the level of a few keV.

Design and evaluation of EMPIX2, a 100 kfps, high dynamic range pixel detector readout ASIC for electron microscopy

EMPIX2 is a novel hybrid pixel detector readout ASIC for electron microscopy with a maximum frame rate of 100 kfps and a very large dynamic range (5 × 105:1). It features 128 × 128 square pixels at a pitch of 150 μm. Adaptive gain switching and charge pump technology are applied to enhance the dynamic range. The pixels can operate in two modes: pulse mode and continuous mode. In pulse mode, ultra-fast gain switching enables a rapid response to pulsed electron sources, making it highly suitable for UEM applications. In continuous mode, the power consumption and dynamic range are optimized for STEM applications. The readout is frame-based, and digital image data is output by 64 pairs of LVDS drivers working in DDR mode at a clock frequency of 400 MHz. A dedicated data acquisition system was developed for the transmission and processing of the image data. Preliminary verification of the readout chip was performed using an on-chip calibration source.

2D GEM-based SXR imaging diagnostics for plasma radiation: Preliminary design and simulations

• Development of novel 2D X-ray imaging system for 3D tomography for plasma radiation. • Tokamak plasma tangential view, new data for toroidal phenomena observations. • Simulations of GEM internal structure. • Simulations of spatial and spectral radiation distributions for COMPASS Upgrade. • Dedicated data acquisition system for gaseous detectors. The purpose of this research is to design and construct a plasma radiation imaging system for fusion devices which is focused on soft X-ray region from about 2 to 15 keV photon energy. The proposed 2D diagnostic system, as opposed to conventional 1D systems, is expected to benefit from tangential field of view and to deliver new data for toroidal phenomena observations. This contribution relates to the introductory development of such 2D system laying out details on the overall design of the detecting unit (based on GEM technology) as well as on its acquisition module. The results cover also the expected photon flux and spectra foreseen for COMPASS-U device, as a first choice for testing and verification. Considerations on working medium and internal structure of the detecting sensor are presented including electrodes configurations and collecting electrode pattern. The preliminary establishments for data acquisition system are presented as well.

Two Generations of Hydrogen Powertrain—An Analysis of the Operational Indicators in Real Driving Conditions (RDC)

Hydrogen fuel cells are systems that can be successfully used to partially replace internal combustion propulsion systems. For this reason, the article presents an operational analysis of energy flow along with an analysis of individual energy transmission systems. Two generations of the Toyota Mirai vehicle were used for the tests. The operational analyses were carried out on the same route (compliant with RDE test requirements), assessing the system’s operation in three driving sections (urban, rural and motorway). Both generations of the drive system with fuel cells are quite different, which affects the obtained individual systems operation results as well as the overall energy flow. Research was carried out on the energy flow in the fuel cells, FC converter, battery and electric motor using a dedicated data acquisition system. The analyses were carried out in relation to the energy of fuel cells, battery energy and recovered braking energy. It was found that in the urban drive section of the second-generation system (due to its much larger mass), a slightly higher energy consumption value was obtained (by about 2%). However, in the remaining phases of the test, consumption was lower (the maximum difference was 18% in the rural phase). Total energy consumption in the research test was 19.64 kWh/100 km for the first-generation system compared to 18.53 kWh/100 km for the second-generation system. Taking into account the increased mass of the second-generation vehicle resulted in significantly greater benefits in the second-generation drive (up to 37% in individual drive sections and about 28% in the entire drive test).

Efficiency Comparison between Two Masonry Wall Drying Devices Using In Situ Data Measurements

In this paper, an in situ investigation and comparison of energy consumption and efficiency of two devices for implementation of the thermo-injection masonry wall drying method are presented. The following drying devices were considered: the currently used device (CUD) and the novel prototype device (NPD) with optimized control of the operating parameters. The historic building subjected to the drying and renovation was located in the city of Łowicz (Poland). The temperature and relative humidity of the air in several points in the basement and the temperature and moisture content at various locations in the considered masonry wall segments, as well as the electrical parameters for both devices, were measured in the real time and registered by applying a dedicated data acquisition system. The specific energy consumption during drying, defined as the energy consumption divided by the length of the drying wall section and by the mean volumetric moisture content change in the wall, was equal to 16.58 and 10.44 kWh/m/moisture content vol.% for the CUD and NPD, respectively. Moreover, the moisture content in the wall decreased by an average of 2.13 and 3.22 vol.% for the CUD and NPD, respectively, while the temperature of the wall surface in the drying zone was increased to approximately 35–40 °C and 40–65 °C for the CUD and NPD, respectively. The obtained results showed that the NPD was much more efficient than the CUD and that the building renovation process may be more environmentally friendly by applying more efficient drying devices and strategies.

Development of an automatic control and analysis system for the conditioning of high-power couplers at IHEP

A new radio frequency (rf) conditioning system for power couplers has been developed for the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) project. The system adopted a function-driven modular design, and the control software development was based on Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) platform to be compatible with the HEPS control system. Dedicated data acquisition system and in-house developed interlock system, as well as universal instruments and devices, constitute the main hardware infrastructure, while distributed EPICS input/output controllers, tailor-made operator interfaces, and data archiving comprise the control software pillars. Automatic control logics were developed to adjust the conditioning parameters according to vacuum pressure readings, thus largely spares human misoperations and considerably reduces the operator’s workload. Limited human supervision is required and the conditioning efficiency may be improved. Besides, data analysis and automatic report generation programs were developed and integrated into the conditioning system. Performances and behaviors of the couplers being conditioned can be easily obtained to help identify potential issues. The system has been used in the conditioning of power couplers and has also been customized to accommodate high-power tests of several other rf components thanks to its modular nature. The performance of both the hardware and the control software was excellent during the tests. The design, realization, and operation of the new rf conditioning system are presented.

The experience on a sport centre pilot plant with solar assisted heat pump and a look forward for new control strategies and technology upgrade

The pilot plant at the sport palace Palacus in Genoa is heated by a solar assisted heat pump, interfaced with a solar hybrid field and two integration gas burners. The heating system has been operating since 2012/13 and its performances have been collected almost continuously by means of a dedicated data acquisition system. The information and the experience acquired have been applied to the design of the revamping of the system, also considering the legislative changes occurred in Italy in the past decade, especially about photovoltaic production. The here presented case study allows the definition of some general design strategies to be implemented during the development of a new SAHP plant or when a revamping is required.

An online radon monitor for low-background detector assembly facilities

Backgrounds from long-lived radon decay products are often problematic for low-energy neutrino and rare-event experiments. These isotopes, specifically {}^{210}hbox {Pb}, {}^{210}hbox {Bi}, and {}^{210}hbox {Po}, easily plate out onto surfaces exposed to radon-loaded air. The alpha emitter {}^{210}hbox {Po} is particularly dangerous for detectors searching for weakly-interacting dark matter particles. Neutrons produced via (upalpha , n) reactions in detector materials are, in some cases, a residual background that can limit the sensitivity of the experiment. An effective solution is to reduce the {}^{222}hbox {Rn} activity in the air in contact with detector components during fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and operation. We present the design, construction, calibration procedures and performance of an electrostatic radon detector made to monitor two radon-suppressed clean rooms built for the DARKSIDE-50 experiment. A dedicated data acquisition system immune to harsh operating conditions of the radon monitor is also described. A record detection limit for {}^{222}hbox {Rn} specific activity in air achieved by the device is 0.05,hbox {mBqm}^{-3} (STP). The radon concentration of different air samples collected from the two DARKSIDE-50 clean rooms measured with the electrostatic detector is presented.

A novel experimental apparatus for investigating bubbly flows in a slot geometry.

Bubbly flows occur in a wide variety of industrial and environmental settings. While there is a broad literature that describes bubbly flow behavior in pipes and channels, flow in a high aspect ratio slot has received little attention. We describe the design and construction of a new experimental apparatus to investigate the processes associated with bubbly flows in a slot geometry. The apparatus is designed to perform scaled analog experiments to investigate the flow of bubbly magma through the sub-volcanic plumbing system, but it is sufficiently flexible to address many other flow scenarios. The main bubble column, which can be inclined up to 30° from the vertical, comprises a glass-walled slot 3 m wide and 2 m tall, with 3 cm gap width. A modular and flexible gas injection system allows the number, spacing, and diameter of the gas emission points to be varied, as well as gas injection flux, and a pumped recirculation system allows the concurrent liquid flow rate to be controlled and varied. A dedicated data acquisition system synchronizes high-speed videography with temperature and pressure data from different points in the apparatus. Preliminary data are presented to demonstrate the operation of the apparatus and to illustrate the types of fluid dynamic information that can be captured.

Testing of electrical parameters at direct start-up of a synchronous motor of 4650 kW/6 kV

The paper presents parameter testing in the transitory process of direct start-up of a synchronous motor of 4650kW/6kV used in actuating of natural gas compressors from storing stations. The electric drive motor is of synchronous type with rotational excitation and the actual operating conditions of it determine additional mechanical and electrical stresses, which can influence its performance. The asynchronous start-up mode assumed experimental determination of asynchronous start-up current values, asynchronous start-up time, excitation voltage and excitation current of exciter, voltage drop in stator winding. These experimental determinations were made using a dedicated data acquisition system. Graphical plotting was made and considered parameters were evaluated in continuous mode, then obtained values were compared with catalogue values, with conclusions being drawn for each case study.

Experimental activities for in-box LOCA of WCLL BB in LIFUS5/Mod3 facility

The new experimental facility LIFUS5/Mod3 has been designed, manufactured and installed to investigate the phenomena connected with the thermodynamic and chemical interaction between lithium-lead and water in case of in-box LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident) of the WCLL breeding blanket concept and to validate the chemical model implemented in SIMMER code for fusion application. In order to fulfill these objectives, the necessary step is to obtain data, suitable to code validation, by means of an experimental campaign in LIFUS5/Mod3 facility, executed with controlled initial and boundary conditions. Thus, specific instrumentation and dedicated data acquisition system are installed on the facility to provide meaningful and reliable data.The final aim of the LIFUS5/Mod3 campaign is the SIMMER code validation, applying the standard methodology to post-test analyses. Besides, the expected outcomes of the tests are the improvement of the knowledge of physical behavior and of understanding of the phenomena, the investigation of the dynamic effects of energy release towards the structures and of the chemical reaction with the consequent hydrogen production, and the enlargement of the database for code validation.

Directional probe for radio-guided surgery: A pilot study.

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy technique has highly evolved during the last 20 yr. Consequently, the intraoperative use of Gamma Probes (GPs) for SLN mapping is increased. This preliminary study evaluates a novel directional GP prototype. This proof-of-concept prototype is designed to identify the direction of radiopharmaceuticals uptakes, by combining the information from multiple detectors. The purpose of this work is to develop a tool able to effectively guide the surgeon reducing the surgery time. The proposed prototype consists of three CsI(Tl) scintillation crystals, each coupled with an S10931 silicon photomultiplier (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hamamatsu, JP). The three detectors lie on the same plane with an angle of 30° between them. The central detector is placed as in a common GP, so it can be used to pinpoint the target tissue. Meanwhile, the lateral sensors provide a broader view of the surgical field. A dedicated data acquisition system digitizes and processes the signals from the front-end electronics. Finally, an embedded system, based on ARM processor, calculates and displays the acquired count rates. In order to assess the prototype behavior, the isosensitivity curves for the three detectors were measured. Meanwhile, for the central one, the main quality criteria measurements were also performed (i.e., sensitivity, radial sensitivity, and spatial resolution). For the central detector, the measured sensitivity at the tip of the probe is better than 5 cps/kBq. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the radial sensitivity is less than 30° and the FWHM of the lateral sensitivity (spatial resolution) is about 7.2 mm. The central detector measured isosensitivity distribution shows a narrow profile in agreement with the spatial resolution measured. On the contrary, the two lateral detectors exhibit widespread isosensitivity distributions that mean a larger field of view. The system had shown satisfactory performance and reliability, meeting the minimal requirements of gamma probe systems. The prototype presented in this paper allows a rapid localization by the use of the whole system, while the sole central detector can be used to pinpoint the target source. This device, unlike common GPs, allows localizing simultaneously different areas of radiopharmaceuticals uptake, thus precisely guiding the surgeon to the region of interest. These preliminary results encourage to develop a further prototype for intraoperative validation.

An optical particle size spectrometer for aircraft-borne measurements in IAGOS-CARIBIC

Abstract. The particle number size distribution is an important parameter to characterize the atmospheric aerosol and its influence on the Earth's climate. Here we describe a new optical particle size spectrometer (OPSS) for measurements of the accumulation mode particle number size distribution in the tropopause region on board a passenger aircraft (IAGOS-CARIBIC observatory: In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System – Civil Aircraft for Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container). A modified KS93 particle sensor from RION Co., Ltd., together with a new airflow system and a dedicated data acquisition system, is the key component of the CARIBIC OPSS. The instrument records individual particle pulse signal curves in the particle size range 130–1110 nm diameter (for a particle refractive index of 1.47-i0.006) together with a time stamp and thus allows the post-flight choice of the time resolution and the size distribution bin width. The CARIBIC OPSS has a 50 % particle detection diameter of 152 nm and a maximum asymptotic counting efficiency of 98 %. The instrument's measurement performance shows no pressure dependency and no particle coincidence for free tropospheric conditions. The size response function of the CARIBIC OPSS was obtained by a polystyrene latex calibration in combination with model calculations. Particle number size distributions measured with the new OPSS in the lowermost stratosphere agreed within a factor of 2 in concentration with balloon-borne measurements over western North America. Since June 2010 the CARIBIC OPSS is deployed once per month in the IAGOS-CARIBIC observatory.

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC MEMS-BASED IMUs FOR UAVs NAVIGATION

Abstract. Accurate 3D reconstruction has become essential for non-traditional mapping applications such as urban planning, mining industry, environmental monitoring, navigation, surveillance, pipeline inspection, infrastructure monitoring, landslide hazard analysis, indoor localization, and military simulation. The needs of these applications cannot be satisfied by traditional mapping, which is based on dedicated data acquisition systems designed for mapping purposes. Recent advances in hardware and software development have made it possible to conduct accurate 3D mapping without using costly and high-end data acquisition systems. Low-cost digital cameras, laser scanners, and navigation systems can provide accurate mapping if they are properly integrated at the hardware and software levels. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as a mobile mapping platform that can provide additional economical and practical advantages. However, such economical and practical requirements need navigation systems that can provide uninterrupted navigation solution. Hence, testing the performance characteristics of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) or low cost navigation sensors for various UAV applications is important research. This work focuses on studying the performance characteristics under different manoeuvres using inertial measurements integrated with single point positioning, Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK), and additional navigational aiding sensors. Furthermore, the performance of the inertial sensors is tested during Global Positioning System (GPS) signal outage.

Depth of Fixity of Piles in Clay Under Dynamic Lateral Load

Dynamic experiments were carried out on instrumented model aluminium single piles embedded in clay of different consistencies to study its bending behaviour under lateral loads. Piles with different length to diameter ratios were used. Dynamic lateral load of different magnitudes ranging from 7 to 30 N at wide range of frequencies from 2 to 50 Hz were applied. The load transferred to the pile, pile head displacement and the strain variation along the pile length were measured using a dedicated data acquisition system. Static lateral load tests were also performed to investigate the magnification of dynamic response of piles in clay. It is found that the maximum bending moment due to dynamic load is magnified by about 1.5–4 times in comparison to the static load for short piles but about 9 times for long piles. Depth of fixity and effective pile length is also largely amplified under dynamic loads, thus indicating that a pile which behaves as a flexible pile under static load, may not exhibit flexible behaviour under dynamic load.

A Wireless Interface for Replacing the Cables in Bridge-Sensor Applications

This paper presents a solution in which a wireless interface is employed to replace the cables in bridge-sensor measurement applications. The most noticeable feature of the presented approach is the fact that the wireless interface simply replaces the cables without any additional hardware modification to the existing system. In this approach, the concept of reciprocal topology is employed, where the transmitter side acquires signals with its own transfer function and the receiver side reconstructs them with the transfer function reciprocal to the transmitter transfer function. In this paper the principle of data acquisition and reconstruction is described together with the implementation details of the signal transfer from the sensor to the signal-monitoring equipment. The wireless data communication was investigated and proprietary data-reduction methods were developed. The proposed methods and algorithms were implemented using two different wireless technologies. The performance was evaluated with a dedicated data-acquisition system and finally, the test results were analyzed. The two different sets of results indicated the high level of amplitude and the temporal accuracy of the wirelessly transferred sensor signals.

Measurement of Normal Stresses at the Soil-Tire Interface

Agricultural energy usage is an important topic among agricultural industry producers, manufacturers, and regulators. The transfer of power between axle and drawbar is identified as one of the greatest inefficiencies in agricultural field operations. Understanding the stresses at the soil-tire interface would provide insight into the current state of tire traction development and data useful in developing future tire designs. This article presents a measurement system to quantify the normal stresses at the soil-tire interface of an agricultural tractor tire, thus making it possible to evaluate these stresses along the tire footprint. A normal stress measurement system was developed in the laboratory and tested in the field. Additionally, a dedicated data acquisition system was developed, tested, and validated in the field environment. Test results show the system capabilities as well as information on the challenges of drawing general, consistent conclusions concerning the stresses developed between a tire and the soil at field working speeds in agricultural soil.

Digisonde observations of TIDs with frequency and angular sounding technique

A technique for studying ionospheric wavelike phenomena, primarily AGW/TID events, is developed based on the solution of the problem of radio wave propagation in ionospheric plasma disturbed by wavelike processes. A perfectly reflecting surface model is used for representing TIDs propagating at ionospheric heights. This technique is a generalization of the Frequency-and-Angular Sounding (FAS) method developed earlier for oblique TID diagnostics using transmitters of opportunity. Trial measurements were made in November 2003 with two DPS-4 systems at Millstone Hill Observatory, providing experimental validation of the developed method by comparing the results of disturbance diagnostics to those simultaneously obtained with the original (oblique) FAS method. The TID parameters recovered during the November 2003 campaign suggest that the observed disturbances predominately propagated equatorward which likely indicates their sources to be in the auroral region. The equatorward propagating AGW/TIDs are typical for disturbed geomagnetic conditions which were observed during the campaign. Implementation of the generalized FAS technique in the DPS sounder allowed development of a dedicated data acquisition system for ionospheric disturbance diagnostics. Routine measurements with the developed technique using the existing world-wide network of Digisondes (GIRO) will make it possible to conduct large-scale studies of the AGW/TID phenomena.

Applying Online Monitoring for Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation and Control

This paper presents a practical review of the state-of-the-art means for applying OLM data acquisition in nuclear power plant instrumentation and control, qualifying or validating the OLM data, and then analyzing it for static and dynamic performance monitoring applications. Whereas data acquisition for static or steady-state OLM applications can require sample rates of anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds to 1 minutes per sample, for dynamic data acquisition, higher sampling frequencies are required (e.g., 100 to 1000 Hz) using a dedicated data acquisition system capable of providing isolation, anti-aliasing and removal of extraneous noise, and analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. Qualifying the data for use with OLM algorithms can involve removing data `dead' spots (for static data) and calculating, examining, and trending amplitude probability density, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. For static OLM applications with redundant signals, trending and averaging qualification techniques are used, and for single or non-redundant signals physical and empirical modeling are used. Dynamic OLM analysis is performed in the frequency domain and/or time domain, and is based on the assumption that sensors' or transmitters' dynamic characteristics are linear and that the input noise signal (i.e., the process fluctuations) has proper spectral characteristics.

Prediction of calcium concentration in human blood serum using an artificial neural network

A predictive method, based on artificial neural network (ANN) has been developed to study absorbance and pH effects on the equilibrium of blood serum. This strategy has been used to analyze serum samples and to predict the calcium concentration in blood serum. A dedicated data acquisition system is designed and fabricated using a LPC2106 microcontroller with light emitting diode (LED) as source and photodiode as sensor to measure absorbance and to calculate the calcium concentration. A multilayer neural network with back propagation (BP) training algorithm is used to simulate different concentration of calcium (Ca 2+) as a function of absorbance and pH, to correlate and predict calcium concentration. The computed calcium concentration by neural network is quite satisfactory with correlations R 2 = 0.998 and 0.995, standard errors of 0.0127 and 0.0122 in validation and testing stages respectively. Statistical analysis are carried out to check the accuracy and precision of the proposed ANN model and validation of results produce a relative error of about 3%. These results suggest that ANN can be efficiently applied and is in good agreement with values obtained with the current clinical spectrophotometric methods. Hence, ANN can be used as a complementary tool for studying metal ion complexion, with special attention to the blood serum analysis.