Publications

This work considers the problem of planning optimal paths for a mobile robot traversing complex terrain. In addition to the existing obstacles, locations in the terrain where the slope is too steep for the mobile robot to navigate safely without tipping over become mathematically equivalent to extra obstacles. To solve the optimal path problem, the authors use a dynamic programming approach. The dynamic programming approach utilized herein does not suffer the difficulties associated with spurious local minima that the artificial potential field approaches do. In fact, a globally optimal solution is guaranteed to be found if a feasible solution exists. The method is demonstrated on several complex examples including very complex terrains.

One of our primary goals was to determine how well a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) could measure the structural dynamic response of a wind turbine that was parked in the field. We performed a series of preliminary tests in the lab to determine the basic limitations of the LDV for this application. We then instrumented an installed parked horizontal axis wind turbine with accelerometers to determine the natural frequencies, damping, and mode shapes of the wind turbine and rotor as a baseline for the LDV and our other tests. We also wanted to determine if LDV modal information could be obtained from a naturally (wind) excited wind turbine. We compared concurrently obtained accelerometer and LDV data in an attempt to assess the quality of the LDV data. Our test results indicate the LDV can be successfully used in the field environment of an installed wind turbine, but with a few restrictions. We were successful in obtaining modal information from a naturally (wind) excited wind turbine in the field, but the data analysis requires a large number of averaged data sets to obtain reasonable results. An ultimate goal of this continuing project is to develop a technique that will monitor the health of a structure, detect damage, and hopefully predict an impending component failure.

As the technology for horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) development matures, more novel techniques are required for the capture of additional amounts of energy, alleviation of loads and control of the rotor. One such technique employs the use of an adaptive blade that could sense the wind velocity or rotational speed in some fashion and accordingly modify its aerodynamic configuration to meet a desired objective. This could be achieved in either an active or passive manner, although the passive approach is much more attractive due to its simplicity and economy. As an example, a blade design might employ coupling between bending and/or extension, and twisting so that, as it bends and extends due to the action of the aerodynamic and inertial loads, it also twists modifying the aerodynamic performance in some way. These performance modifications also have associated aeroelastic effects, including effects on aeroelastic instability. To address the scope and magnitude of these effects a tool has been developed for investigating classical flutter and divergence of HAWT blades. As a starting point, an adaptive version of the uniform Combined Experiment Blade will be investigated. Flutter and divergence airspeeds will be reported as a function of the strength of the coupling and also be compared to those of generic blade counterparts.

The NWTC (National Wind Technology Center) Variable-Speed Test Bed turbine is a three-bladed, 10-meter, downwind machine that can be run in either fixed-speed or variable-speed mode. In the variable-speed mode, the generator torque is regulated, using a discrete-stepped load bank to maximize the turbine`s power coefficient. At rated power, a second control loop that uses blade pitch to maintain rotor speed essentially as before, i.e., using the load bank to maintain either generator power or (optionally) generator torque. In this paper, the authors will use this turbine to study the effect of variable-speed operation on blade damage. Using time-series data obtained from blade flap and edge strain gauges, the load spectrum for the turbine is developed using rainflow counting techniques. Miner`s rule is then used to determine the damage rates for variable-speed and fixed-speed operation. The results illustrate that the controller algorithm used with this turbine introduces relatively large load cycles into the blade that significantly reduce its service lifetime, while power production is only marginally increased.

We demonstrate that tilted planar ferroelectric domain boundaries create tilted second harmonic beams in nonphase-matched second harmonic generation, and that the tilt of the boundary can be deduced from the harmonic direction.

A resolution study, employing a 3D nonlinear optimization technique, has been undertaken to study the viability of magnetotelluric (MT) measurements to detect and characterize buried facilities that make weapons of mass destruction. A significant advantage of the MT method is that no active source is required because the method employs passive field emissions. Thus measurements can be carried out covertly. Findings indicate it is possible to image WMD facilities, including depth of burial and lateral extent if a sufficient number of measurements are taken on the perimeter of the facility. Moreover if a station measurement can be made directly over the facility then the resolution is improved accordingly. In all cases it was not possible to image the base of the facility with any confidence as well as provide any precise inferences on the facility electrical conductivity. This later finding, however, is really not that critical since knowledge of facility geometry is far more important than knowledge of its conductivity. For the WMD problem it is recommended that MT measurements be made solely with the magnetic field ratios. In this context it would then be possible to deploy with far greater ease small coils about a suspected facility and would allow for the measurements to be conducted in a more covert manner. Before testing such a measurement system in the field, however, it would be necessary to carry out a similar resolution analysis as was done with MT measurements based on electric and magnetic fields. This is necessary to determine sensitivity of the proposed measurement to underground facilities along with needed data coverage and quality. Such a study is indispensable in producing useful reconstructions of underground facilities.

Proton implantation in GaN is found to reduce the free carrier density through two mechanisms - first, by creating electron and hole traps at around Ec-0.8eV and Ev+0.9eV that lead to compensation in both n- and p-type material, and second, by leading to formation of (AH)O complexes, where A is any acceptor (Mg, Ca, Zn, Be, Cd). The former mechanism is usefid in creating high resistivity regions for device isolation, whereas the latter produces unintentional acceptor passivation that is detrimental to device performance. The strong affinity of hydrogen for acceptors leads to markedly different redistribution behavior for implanted in n- and p-GaN due to the chemical reaction to form neutral complexes in the latter. The acceptors may be reactivated by simple annealing at 2600{degrees}C, or by electron injection at 25-150{degrees}C that produces debonding of the (AH) centers. Implanted hydrogen is also strongly attracted to regions of strain in heterostructure samples during annealing, leading to pile-up at epi-epi and epi-substrate interfaces. II? spectroscopy shows that implanted hydrogen also decorates VG, defects in undoped and n-GaN.

Since their invention in the mid-1960's, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices have become popular for a wide variety of applications. SAW devices represent a low-cost and compact method of achieving a variety of electronic signal processing functions at high frequencies, such as RF filters for TV or mobile wireless communications [1]. SAW devices also provide a convenient platform in chemical sensing applications, achieving extremely high sensitivity to vapor phase analytes in part-per-billion concentrations [2]. Although the SAW acoustic mode can be created on virtually any crystalline substrate, the development of SAW technology has historically focused on the use of piezoelectric materials, such as various orientations of either quartz or lithium niobate, allowing the devices to be fabricated simply and inexpensively. However, the III-V compound semiconductors, and GaAs in particular, are also piezoelectric as a result of their partially covalent bonding and support the SAW acoustic mode, allowing for the convenient fabrication of SAW devices. In addition, GaAs microelectronics has, in the past decade, matured commercially in numerous RF wireless technologies. In fact, GaAs was recognized long ago as a potential candidate for the monolithic integration of SAW devices with microelectronics, to achieve compact RF signal processing functions [3]. The details of design and fabrication of SAW devices can be found in a variety of references [1].

A large-scale field demonstration comparing and contrasting final landfill cover designs has been constructed and is currently being monitored. Four alternative cover designs and two conventional designs (a RCRA Subtitle `D' Soil Cover and a RCRA Subtitle `C' Compacted Clay Cover) were constructed side-by-side for direct comparison. The demonstration is intended to evaluate the various cover designs based on their respective water balance performance, ease and reliability of construction, and cost. This paper provides an overview of the construction costs of each cover design.

The role of the inert gas additive (He, Ar, Xe) to C12 Inductively Coupled Plasmas for dry etching of GaAs and GaSb was examined through the effect on etch rate, surface roughness and near-surface stoichiometry. The etch rates for both materials go through a maximum with Clz 0/0 in each type of discharge (C12/'He, C12/Ar, C12/Xc), reflecting the need to have efficient ion-assisted resorption of the etch products. Etch yields initially increase strongly with source power as the chlorine neutral density increases, but decrease again at high powers as the etching becomes reactant-limited. The etched surfaces are generally smoother with Ax or Xe addition, and maintain their stoichiometry.

Dual control volume grand canonical molecular dynamics (DCV-GCMD) is a boundary-driven non-equilibrium molecular dynamics technique for simulating gradient driven diffusion in multi-component systems. Two control volumes are established at opposite ends of the simulation box. Constant temperature and chemical potential of diffusing species are imposed in the control volumes. This results in stable chemical potential gradients and steady-state diffusion fluxes in the region between the control volumes. We present results and detailed analysis for a new constant-pressure variant of the DCV-GCMD method in which one of the diffusing species for which a steady-state diffusion flux exists does not have to be inserted or deIeted. Constant temperature, pressure and chemical potential of all diffusing species except one are imposed in the control volumes. The constant-pressure method can be applied to situations in which insertion and deletion of large molecules would be prohibitively difficult. As an exampIe, we used the method to shnulate diffusion in a biruuy mixture of spherical particles with a 2:1 size ratio. Steady-state diffusion fluxes of both diffbsi.ng species were established. The constant-pressure diffision coefficients agreed closely with the results of the standard constant-volume calculations. In addition, we show how the concentration, chemical potential and flux profiles can be used to calculate kwd binary and Maxwell-Stefim diffusion coefficients. In the case of the 2:1 size ratio mixture, we found that the binary dlffision coefficients were asymmetric and composition dependent, whereas the Maxwell-Stefan diffision coefficients changed very little with composition and were symmetric. This last result verified that the Gibbs-Duhem relation was satisfied locally, thus validating the assumption of local equilibrium.

The fundamental difficulties incorporating experimentally obtained-boundary disorientation distributions (BMD) into 3D microstructural models are discussed. An algorithm is described which overcomes these difficulties. The boundary misorientations are treated as a statistical ensemble which is evolved toward the desired BMD using a Monte Carlo method. The application of this algorithm to a number complex arbitrary BMDs shows that the approach is effective for both conserved and non-conserved textures. The algorithm is successfully used to create the BMDs observed in deformation microstructure containing both incidental dislocation boundaries (IDBs) and geometrically necessary boundaries (GNBs).

The effects of solute dragon grain growth kinetics were studied in two dimensional (2-D) computer simulations by using a diffuse-interface field model. It is shown that, in the low velocity / low driving force regime, the velocity of a grain boundary motion departs from a linear relation with driving force (curvature) with solute drag. The nonlinear relation of migration velocity and driving force comes from the dependence of grain boundary energy and width on the curvature. The growth exponent m of power growth law for a polycrystalline system is affected by the segregation of solutes to grain boundaries. With the solute drag, the growth exponent m can take any value between 2 and 3 depending on the ratio of lattice diffusion to grain boundary mobility. The grain size and topological distributions are unaffected by solute drag, which are the same as those in a pure system.

The nucleation and growth of cracks at critical interfaces can degrade electrical and mechanical performance of electronic assemblies. Sandia National Laboratories is working to develop a fracture mechanics-based approach for assessing the reliability of components containing interfaces and subjected to thermal/mechanical fatigue. Models are being developed to predict the nucleation of a crack-like flaw in the vicinity of an interface, the path of crack propagation (along interface or into substrate), and the conditions for crack propagation. In addition, interfacial fracture toughness data are being generated to support model development. This paper summarizes an experimental study aimed at measuring the fracture toughness of epoxy-to-substrate interfaces that are representative of those found in bonded and encapsulated electronic components.

A phase-field model for grain growth is briefly described. In this model, a poly-crystalline microstructure is represented by multiple structural order parameter fields whose temporal and spatial evolutions follow the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations. Results from phase-field simulations of two-dimensional (2D) grain growth will be summarized and preliminary results on three-dimensional (3D) grain growth will be presented. The physical interpretation of the structural order parameter fields and the efficient and accurate semi-implicit Fourier spectral method for solving the TDGL equations will be briefly discussed.

The research summarized in this paper is part of a multiyear effort focused on evaluating the viability of wavelet bases for the solution of partial differential equations. The primary objective for this work has been to establish a foundation for hierarchical/wavelet simulation methods based upon numerical performance, computational efficiency, and the ability to exploit the hierarchical adaptive nature of wavelets. This work has demonstrated that hierarchical bases can be effective for problems with a dominant elliptic character. However, the strict enforcement of orthogonality in the usual L 2 sense is less desirable than orthogonality in the energy norm. This conclusion has led to the development of a multi-scale lineax finite element based on a hierarchical change-of-basis. This work considers the numerical and computational performance of the hierarchical Schauder basis in a Galerkin context. A unique row-column lumping procedure is developed with multi-scale solution strategies for 1-D and 2-D elliptic partial differential equations.

An attempt is made to identify preferred values for the work functions of the rare earth elements by correlating the atomic chemical potential with the work function of the bulk elements. Trends in the alkali and alkali earth metal are evaluated in the same context. Strong linear correlation between the two quantities is observed within the IA, 11A, and IIIB (Se, Y, La) groups. Within the lanthanide series the nature of the correlation between the metallic radius and the work function suggests a dependence on the total angular momentum.

Advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are presently being developed and commercialized worldwide for use in consumer electronics, military and space applications. At Sandia National Laboratories we have used different electrochemical techniques such as impedance and charge/discharge at ambient and subambient temperatures to probe the various electrochemical processes that are occurring in Li-ion cell. The purpose of this study is to identify the component that reduces the cell performance at subambient temperatures. Our impedance data suggest that while the variation in the electrolyte resistance between room temperature and {minus}20 C is negligible the anode electrolyte interfacial resistance increases by an order of magnitude in the same temperature regime. We believe that the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on the carbon anode may be responsible for the increase in cell impedance. We have also evaluated the cells in hybrid mode with capacitors. High-current operation in the hybrid mode allowed fill usage of the Li-ion cell capacity at 25 C and showed a factor of 5 improvement in delivered capacity at {minus}20 C.

Silver/glass mirrors have excellent optical properties but need a method of support in order to be used in concentrating solar thermal systems. In collaboration with the Cummins dish/Stirling development program, they started investigating sandwich construction as a way to integrate silver/glass mirrors into solar optical elements. In sandwich construction, membranes such as sheet metal or plastic are bonded to the front and back of a core (like a sandwich). For solar optical elements, a glass mirror is bonded to one of the membranes. This type of construction has the advantages of a high strength-to-weight ratio, and reasonable material and manufacturing cost. The inherent stiffness of sandwich construction mirror panels also facilitates large panels. This can have cost advantages for both the amount of hardware required as well as reduced installation and alignment costs. In addition, by incorporating the panels into the support structure reductions in the amount of structural support required are potentially possible.

A 30-kVA Trace Technologies hybrid power processor was specified and tested at the Sandia inverter test facility. Trace Technologies involving the control system, in response to suggestions made modifications, primarily by Sandia and Arizona Public Service (APS) personnel. The modifications should make the inverter more universally applicable and less site-specific so that it can be applied in various sites with minimal field interaction required from the design engineer. The project emphasized the importance of battery management, generator selection, and site load management to the performance and reliability of hybrid power systems.

We describe Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) processes by which Strontium Bismuth Tantalate (SBT) thin films can be prepared at temperatures as low as 550 C. In this paper, we will present strategies used to optimize the properties of the films including solution chemistry, film composition, the nature of the substrate (or bottom electrode) used, and the thermal processing cycle. Under suitable conditions, {approximately} 1700 {angstrom} films can be prepared which have a large switchable polarization (2P{sub r} > 10{micro}C/cm{sup 2}), and an operating voltage, defined as the voltage at which 0.80 x 2P{sub r} max is switched, 2.0V. We also describe an all-alkoxide route to SBT films from which SBT can be crystallized at 550 C.

Stirling-cycle engines have been identified as a promising technology for the conversion of concentrated solar energy into usable electrical power. In previous experimented work, we have demonstrated that a heat pipe receiver can significantly improve system performance-over a directly-illuminated heater head. The design and operating conditions of a heat pipe receiver differ significantly from typical laboratory heat pipes. New wick structures have been developed to exploit the characteristics of the solar generation system. Typically, these wick structures allow vapor generation within the wick. Conventional heat pipe models do not handle this enhancement yet it can more than double the performance of the wick. In this study, I develop a steady-state model of a boiling-enhanced wick for a solar heat pipe receiver. The model is used for design-point calculations and is written in FORTRAN90. Some limited comparisons have been made with actual test data.

Commercial microchips work well in their intended environments. However, generic microchips will not fimction correctly if exposed to sufficient amounts of ionizing radiation, the kind that satellites encounter in outer space. Modern CMOS circuits must overcome three specific concerns from ionizing radiation: total-dose, single-event, and dose-rate effects. Minority-carrier devices such as bipolar transistors, optical receivers, and solar cells must also deal with recombination-generation centers caused by displacement damage, which are not major concerns for majority-carrier CMOS devices. There are ways to make the chips themselves more resistant to radiation. This extra protection, called radiation hardening, has been called both a science and an art. Radiation hardening requires both changing the designs of the chips and altering the ways that the chips are manufactured.

We investigated the interaction of dissolved actinides Th, U, Np Zgpu, and Am, with a pure and a mixed culture of halophilic bactezia isolated from the Waste Isolation H.Iot Plant repository under anaerobic conditions to evaluate their potentiaI transport as biocolloids from the waste site. The sizes of the bacterial cells studied ranged from ().54 x 0.48 pm to 7.7 x 0.67pm Using sequential mimofiltration, we determined the ~~ation of actinides with fi-ee-living (mobile) bacterial cells suspended in a fluid medium containing. NaCl or M=W12 brine, at various phaes of their growth cycIes. The number of suspended kcteria rangy-d born 106 to 109 cells ml-*. Tine amount of actinide associatd with the wspend~ cell fraction (cakzdated & mol cell-*) was very Iow: Th, 10-*2; U, 10-1s - 10-lS; - ~ Np, 1o-15- 10-19; Pu, 10-ls -10-21 ; and h, 10-1* - 10-*9 ; and it varied with the bacteihl - CUIture studied. l%e differe&es in the asswiation are amibuted to the extent of bioamxmdation and biosorption by the bacteria pH, the compo&on of the brine, and the speziation and bioavaiIability of the actinides.

The search for a photonic crystal to confine optical waves in all three dimensions (3D) has proven to be a formidable task. It evolves from an early theoretical suggestion [1,2], a brief skepticism [3-5] and triumph in developing the mm-wave [6-8] and infrared 3D photonic crystals [9]. Yet, the challenge remains, as the ultimate goal for optoelectronic applications is to realize a 3D crystal at X=1.5 pm communication wavelengths. Operating at visible and near infrared wavelengths, X=1-2 pm, a photonic crystal may enhance the spontaneous emission rate [1, 10] and give rise to a semiconductor lasers with a zero lasing threshold[11, 12]. Another important application is optically switching, routing and interconnecting light [13,14] with an ultrafast transmission speed of terabits per second. A photonic crystal may also serve as a platform for integrating an all-optical circuitry with multiple photonic components, such as waveguides and switches, built on one chip [15]. In this Letter, we report on the successful fabrication of a working 3D crystal operating at optical L The minimum feature size of the 3D structure is 180 nanometers. The 3D crystal is free from defects over the entire 6-inch silicon wafer and has an absolute photonic band gap centered at A.-1.6 pm. Our data provides the first conclusive evidence for the existence of a full 3D photonic band gap in optical A. This development will pave the way to tinier, cheaper, more effective waveguides, optical switches and lasers.