MRI: Development of Plasma Shielding Instrumentation Enabling Electron Beam Materials Processing in Air

MRI：开发等离子屏蔽仪器，实现空气中电子束材料处理

• 批准号: 0619776
• 负责人: Radovan Kovacevic
• 金额: $ 48.5万
• 依托单位: Southern Methodist University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-01 至 2011-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0619776&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Development; Plasma; Shielding; Instrumentation

The main objective of this Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award is to develop novel metal joining and deposition equipment based on an electron beam (e-beam) shielded by a plasma arc, or so-called "Plasma Arc Window", enabling electron beam processing to be performed in air. We are planning to develop novel metal joining and deposition equipment based on an electron beam shielded by a plasma arc. Upon demonstrating lengthy, stable operation of the plasma arc window and electron beam instrument, the project will focus on demonstrating the capability to extend the window to produce a plasma column or "skirt" of sufficient length to enable the breadth of utilization envisioned for general use and commercialization of the instrument. The final portion of instrument development will focus on demonstrating practical/user friendly means for X-ray shielding and mechanisms for inert gas management.Development of this equipment will enable the introduction of new directions in research, training and education related to the physics of plasma, materials science, sensing, control, and system integration that will be encountered in e-beam materials processing in air. If the project is successful, it will provide an unparalleled deposition technology for the program entitled "Development of the Direct Digital Manufacturing" launched in September of 2005 under the Next Generation Manufacturing Technology Initiative as well as for the Additive and Direct Manufacturing by Metal Deposition Program sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Both programs are focused on developing a technology, which can revolutionize the manufacturing/casting industry especially in the case of manufacturing components with high service reliability. The PI will work with the Director of the Minority and Women Engineering program, as well as with Paul Quinn College, Dallas, TX in order to attract more female and minority students into SMU's graduate engineering program. They are also going to participate very aggressively in achieving the goals of the recently founded Institute for Engineering Program at SMU. The federal government has been helping SMU to launch a national institute that will promote engineering from kindergarten through high school. Dissemination of the project's R&D results will be done through journal publications, conference presentations, seminars, website, as well as through graduate and undergraduate courses.

该重大研究仪器 (MRI) 奖项的主要目标是开发基于等离子弧屏蔽的电子束（电子束）的新型金属连接和沉积设备，或所谓的“等离子弧窗口”，使电子束能够处理在空气中进行。我们计划开发基于等离子弧屏蔽电子束的新型金属连接和沉积设备。 在演示等离子弧窗口和电子束仪器的长时间、稳定运行后，该项目将重点展示扩展窗口以产生足够长度的等离子柱或“裙边”的能力，以实现一般用途设想的利用广度以及该仪器的商业化。仪器开发的最后部分将重点展示实用/用户友好的 X 射线屏蔽方法和惰性气体管理机制。该设备的开发将为等离子体物理相关的研究、培训和教育引入新方向、材料科学、传感、控制和系统集成，这些内容将在空气中电子束材料加工中遇到。如果该项目成功，将为2005年9月在下一代制造技术计划下启动的题为“直接数字制造的发展”的计划以及金属沉积增材和直接制造计划提供无与伦比的沉积技术由莱特-帕特森空军基地空军研究实验室赞助。这两个项目都专注于开发一项技术，该技术可以彻底改变制造/铸造行业，特别是在制造具有高服务可靠性的组件的情况下。 PI 将与少数族裔和女性工程项目主任以及德克萨斯州达拉斯市的保罗·奎因学院合作，以吸引更多女性和少数族裔学生进入 SMU 的研究生工程项目。他们还将非常积极地参与实现最近在 SMU 成立的工程学院项目的目标。联邦政府一直在帮助 SMU 建立一个国家研究所，该研究所将促进从幼儿园到高中的工程教育。该项目的研发成果将通过期刊出版物、会议演讲、研讨会、网站以及研究生和本科生课程进行传播。