The Extinct Radionuclide Timescale of the Early Solar System

The tendency of iodine to be mobilised during secondary processing is reflected both in the presence of ¹²⁹Xe_XS in secondary minerals and in the bulk ¹²⁹Xe_XS/I ratios in meteorites. Comparison of absolute ages derived through calibration of chronometers based on ¹²⁹Xe, ⁵³Mn and ²⁶Al against the Pb-Pb system yields a plausible timescale for the early solar system. In this system, the earliest chondrule ages are most readily interpreted as representing formation after the beginning of parent body processing. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Power Conditioning Systems for High-Power, Airborne, Pulsed Applications

The power conditioning portion of the high-power study that was performed for the Air Force Aeropropulsion Laboratory by the State University of New York at Buffalo is summarized. This effort defines the power conditioning system and critical component developments which will be required to interface the airborne 10-MW to 50-MW sources defined under separate study efforts with certain loads. Power conditioning systems are considered for use with magnetohydrodynamic generators and turbine driven alternators, both conventional and superconducting. The critical components required for each of the power conditioning systems are identified and then analyzed. The component analyses include estimations of development efforts necessary and of specific weights and volumes for components. The primary components considered are transformers (for alternator as well as for inverter use), switches, capacitors, and inductors. Weight algorithms are developed for each of the components. Following the component analyses, subsystems such as inverters and rectifier and filter packages are considered. The data for the various components and subsystems are then utilized for a comparison of the power conditioning techniques to be used with the various power sources. The weights and volumes of power conditioning systems for 8-point designs (8 variations of power, voltage, duty cycle, and total run time) are derived.     

High-power, light-weight power conditioning

After a review of light-weight transformer efforts in the US, a weight analysis is carried out. From basic transformer relations and geometrical considerations it is shown how transformer specific power should scale with power and frequency. The result compares well with design results for frequency scaling but not for power scaling. After refinements for variations of voltage, cooling technique, power (while voltage is held constant) and current density, an algorithm is presented that agrees well with the results of adiabatic transformer designs and with vapor cooled transformer designs. Transformer specific powers as low as 0.01 kg/kW are predicted at an operating frequency of 20 kHz. Caution is advised in the use of the algorithm because few of the transformers with which the algorithm is compared have actually been considered. The SDI/AF/NASA megawatt converter program is discussed, and results of Phase I are summarized