The ВД-12НФП Eddy-Current Flaw Detector and Methods for Processing a Measured Signal Produced by a Flaw

The field of application, the features of operation, and the main performance characteristics of a -12 eddy-current flaw detector are considered. Methods of digital data processing for improving the recognition of flaw-produced signals against the background noise are presented.     

Capacitive Discharge Excilamps

UV radiating sources on KrCl ( 222 nm), XeCl ( 308 nm), and XeBr ( 282 nm) molecules excited by a capacitive discharge are described. The sources have a simple design of the radiator and are characterized by a high radiation efficiency (up to 25%), a lifetime of up to 2500 h, and a radiation band half-width of 4–8 nm.     

Selection of High-Frequency Relays

The impedance of contacts of relays used as automatic switches in high-frequency (1–10 MHz) dielcometer analyzers was measured. The results of experimental investigations for six types of commercially produced relays are described. The use of a 12 high-frequency relay with an active resistance of closed contacts of one-fifth of that for 55 relay makes it possible to decrease an error component in the dielcometer control over substance compositions with a large and variable conductivity.     

Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Thin GaAs Films

A thermal method for the synthesis of nanocrystalline GaAs films is developed on the basis of a modernized -71-3 vacuum setup with three types of evaporators.     

Portable Electromagnetic-Acoustic Thickness Meters (EMAT)

Two varieties of contactless electromagnetic-acoustic portable thickness meters with autonomous power supply, created on the basis of up-to-date digital technologies, are described. The instruments implement a new highly efficient design of magnetic field concentrator developed on the basis of new magnetic materials. The -- thickness meter is equipped with a powerful microprocessor-based data processing system, which expands the capabilities of the instrument. The -100 thickness meter is a small-size and small-weight instrument. The main advantage of both instruments is that they can be operated on corroded untreated surfaces without the use of a contact fluid. Both instruments are suitable for testing through coatings of considerable thickness (up to 2 mm) and can be operated under workshop and field conditions.     

Single-Electron Characteristics of a ФЭУ-184U Photomultiplier Tube

Single-electron and time characteristics of a -184U photomultiplier tube with a uviol window are presented. The -184U single-electron resolution can reach a value of 63–64%, and, in case of single-electron light-striking of the photocathode, the photoelectron transit time distribution (full width at half maximum) is 6 ns.     

Express Method for Control of Space–Energy Characteristics of Laser Radiation Using Al-VO2-D (Dielectric) Thermochromic Materials

-1 and -2 visualizers of optical radiation are described, whose screen is based on film-type reversible Al-VO₂–D thermochromic materials (D is a dielectric). By using a -2 visualizer, it is possible to perform the semiquantitative express analysis of the space–energy characteristics of pulse and continuous laser radiation at wavelengths of 0.3–10.6 m.     

The СПРУТ-VI Instrument Complex for the Mir Orbital Station

The basic elements of the instrument package program for orbital stations are presented. The characteristics of the -VI equipment developed for the Mir orbital station within the framework of this program are described. This equipment allows the simultaneous recording of the characteristics of near-earth space (electron, proton, and nucleus fluxes, magnetic fields, and low-frequency electromagnetic waves) and their effect on the elements of spaceborne equipment and systems. The mass of the equipment is 16 kg; the power consumption is no more than 20 W.     

A Modern Solution to Problems of Eddy-Current Structuroscopy

The problems arising during nondestructive quality tests of articles of nonmagnetic alloys and during sorting in the electrical conductivity are considered. The function and performance characteristics of a -26 eddy-current structruroscope are described. The structural diagram of this device and the algorithm of its operation are described. The capabilities of the -26 eddy-current structruroscope for performing nondestructive quality tests of thermal treatment of articles made of nonmagnetic materials are analyzed.     

The ТЛ-1МП Thickness Meter for Galvanic Coatings

The specifics for monitoring the thickness of electrically- conductive coatings on a conductive substrate are described. Difficulties involved in designing thickness meters that assist in this task are noted. The technical characteristics and design of a -1 versatile eddy-current sensor are presented.     

Multichannel Strain-Gauging System Equipped with Microprocessor for Strength Measurements of Structures

The structure of a 64-channel microprocessor strain-measuring system designed for operation with strain gauges and thermal transducers is discussed. The system measures strain and temperature during strength and thermal-strength tests of structures of machines and buildings. The computer codes have been designed in the Borland C++ Builder medium for operations with isolated transducers (1/4-bridge mode), and in the modes 1/2-bridge, bridge, and thermal transducer. The system has been certified. The paper describes examples of its practical utilization in strength tests of struts of the Tupolev-154B airliner and of the undercarriage foreleg of an aerobatic airplane.     

The Radiation-Monitoring Complex of the СПРУТ-VI System

The radiation-monitoring complex of the -VI system was installed on board the Mir orbital station and used to study the fine structure of the Earth's inner radiation belt in low and near-equatorial latitudes. The complex comprised a system of gas-discharge counters, as well as electron and proton spectrometers. The range of measured energies was 0.1–2.0 MeV for electrons and 0.1–10.0 MeV for protons. The possibility of changing the work program of the complex under spaceflight conditions was provided for.     

Automated Devices for the Testing of Mill Rolls

Multichannel -type devices developed at TsNIITMASh for the automated ultrasonic inspection of cylindrical objects, such as mill rolls, shafts of turbines and compressor units, circular welded joints of thick-walled shell rings, etc., are described. These devices feature from two to eight acoustoelectronic channels. Acoustic contact occurs through industrial water. The testing is performed under workshop conditions; the object being inspected is rotated by a turning lathe or any other handling mechanism. Sonication is simultaneously performed by piezoelectric transducers (PETs) with input angles of 0, 40, 50, 60, and 70° and also by surface and head waves in order to reveal surface and subsurface flaws. A wide-span eddy-current transducer of special design is also used for this purpose. All data are stored in flash memory and retrieved on a PC located in an office. The inspection results are displayed as C- and B-type scanning defectograms. Moreover, it is possible to obtain an isometric image of flaw zones. -type devices have been used for over one and a half years in two workshops at OAO Severstal'.     

A Shipborne Laser Fluorimeter for Studying Sea-Water Fluorescence Spectra

A shipborne laser fluorimeter making it possible to determine promptly the concentration of chlorophyll A in sea water is described. The measurement error is 35% at chlorophyll concentrations of 0.1–3 g/l, and the single-measurement duration is 1 min.     

A novel representation of tandem systems with inter-stage storage applied to on-line system monitoring

One of the goals of operating a tandem manufacturing system with finite inter-stage storage and asynchronous operations is to meet the demand without over-producing, under-producing or carrying large quantities of material in storage. We believe that analysing the operation of such a system on a real-time basis helps achieve this goal. The first step in this real-time analysis would be to quantitatively associate the causes and effects of over-production or under-production as they occur. This requires determining the cumulative effect that the performance that any stage has on the system, based on its history, the current system state and the interrelationships between the stages. This paper proposes a method which first represents uniquely and completely each stage and surrounding storage as an element. While this system, which consists only of this simple type of element functions in exactly the same way as the original one, each element is put into an ideal world for decoupled measurement. Though an element behaves in exactly the same way whether it is in the ideal world or in the real world, the elapsed times in the two worlds since the beginning of production can be different, since the responses (occurrences and durations of the blockings and starvations) of the two worlds can be different. A phase parameter is introduced for each element to represent this difference. Once the formation of the phase parameter of the output element is formulated, quantitative relationships between causes and effects of over-producing or under-producing can be explained as they occur.     

A Combination β–γ-Radiometer and Dose-Rate Meter with an Extended Dynamic Range

A MKC-07 –-radiometer and dose-rate meter based on Geiger–Muller tubes is described. By using an unconventional signal-processing method, it is possible to extend the dynamic range of the instrument by a factor of 10–50, depending on the type and number of detectors in use, and to significantly reduce the error in measuring time-dependent ionizing-radiation intensities. The combination radiometer and dose-rate meter is used to determine the characteristics of constant and nonstationary ionizing-radiation fields.     

Studying the Stability of Nanosecond Light-Pulse Sources Based on Blue GaN and InGaN Light-Emitting Diodes

The results of studying the stability of the parameters of nanosecond light-pulse sources based on bright blue light-emitting diodes are presented. These diodes were developed by the Nichia and Kingbright companies for calibration measurements in the HT-200 deep-water neutrino telescope, the MAGIC atmospheric Cherenkov telescope of high-energy quanta, and the wide-aperture Cherenkov detector of extensive air showers. The time stability of light sources is no worse than 1%. The changes in their light yields within a temperature range of –3 to +45°C are +7 and –9%, respectively.     

A Unit for Microwave Investigations of High-Temperature Superconductivity in a Magnetic Field

A simple updating of an P 1306 spectrometer for microwave absorption measurements in a low-induction magnetic field at temperatures of down to 15 K is described.     

32-Channel All-in-One CAMAC Module as a Basic Element of Anode Wire Read-out Systems for Proportional Chambers

A special feature of the system is the integration of the amplifying section, signal delay unit, and digital section for the data outputting to computer into a common -32 module (CAMAC). The 1-M-size -32 module contains the electronics for 32 wires, which makes it possible to place up to 672 data channels in the CAMAC crate with a standard bus. To amplify signals, Ampl 8.3 eight-channel microcircuits are used. The output logic signals are delayed by 9-channel IDT72421 FIFO microcircuits enabling us to obtain a total signal delay of up to hundreds of microseconds and longer. The digital section of the system is based on ALTERA programmable logic arrays. At present, this system with a total of 576-channels is used in the PIBETA experiment to study rare pion decays on the PSI accelerator (Switzerland).     

The Control and Data-Acquisition System of the СПРУТ-VI Instrument Package

The control and data-acquisition system of the -VI instrument package mounted on board the Mir space station in 1999 is described. The system was based on two onboard microcomputers installed both inside and outside a pressurized compartment. The system unified the operation of various sets of equipment (radiation monitoring, radiometric, wave, materials science, and magnetic) and allowed the transfer of large data arrays from detectors located on the outer surface of the station. It was possible to reprogram the entire system under space flight conditions. An off-line data-recording unit, which was later brought back to Earth, was used.