Construction of the Full-Scale Tagger Microscope

=Preparations for Construction of the Full-Scale Tagger Microscope= '''

Current Work

 * Determine an ideal process to assemble components of the fiber splicing unit.


 * Optimize and document a reliable, repeatable process for fusing 2mm x 2mm square optical fibers using a fiber splicing unit.


 * Work with James McIntyre to develop polishing, gluing, painting, and quality assurance procedures for optical fibers.


 * Develop/refine a LabView program that controls a water heater and water pump based on water temperature.

A List of Specifications/Manuals for Items in Lab 405
[[media:DAQ.pdf|Data Acquisition Hardware]]

[[media:NBQuickStart.pdf|Net Booter Quick Start Pamphlet]]

[[media:NPUserMan.pdf|Net Booter User Manual]]

[[media:Water_pump_specs.pdf|Water Pump]]

[[media:Water_heater.pdf|Water Heater]]

[[media:valves.pdf|Three way sweat valve]]

[[media:Black Silicone Adhesive Sealant.pdf|Black Silicone Adhesive (RTV)]]

[[media:Ultra Black Silicone Adhesive Sealant.pdf|Ultra Black Silicone Adhesive (gasket maker)]]

Polystyrene

[[media:Thermocouple_op_amp.pdf|AD594AQ]]

Pictures
From Summer 2012:

LabView Program
During the summer of 2012, Ben Willis wrote a LabView program that would communicate with a NetBooter and ultimately control a heater and water pump. LabView also plots the temperature of water being heated, and plots the changing temperatures on a graph on the front panel. Before Ben left, he wrote a [[media:Final_Report.pdf|final report]] of his work on the program and in the lab in general. I have added a little to Ben's work, mostly housekeeping; deleting some non functioning commands, adding the equation to represent temperature based on voltage, adding an equation for a thermocouple, and connecting with the DAQ. I also plan to make a differential op-amp to allow the DAQ to read the inputs given by the thermocouple. In this way, we will be able to use a thermistor and two thermocouples to control the water temperature in both the straightening pipe and the bending tank.

I had found a lab manual from the University of Minnesota that gave step by step instructions for taking and recording temperature measurements using a thermistor, a DAQ, and LabView. After making the circuit and updating the LabView program it seems to be working within expected error.

[[media:LabViewThermistor.pdf|The Lab Manual]]

Temperature Measurements
Along with the LabView program, another component of bending fibers will be to determine the temperature of the water and to make that information available to the program.

At first, I had thought that our best bet as far as reading/recording water temperature was to make a thermistor (as seen below).

After reading the material above, I have found two (cheap) ways to read a thermocouple accurately:

1. Create something in the software that compensates for the room temperature factor at the cold junction. If we end up using the thermistor to read the temperature at the cold junction then we will be introducing the error from one temperature measurement to another. Although the thermistor will read the water temperature within acceptable error, adding more error into the calculation seems unnecessary to me.

2. Follow the diagram above and create a hardware approach to cold junction compensation. After determining the voltage output of a type J thermocouple at zero degrees Celsius, I can introduce that voltage at the cold junction site. By following the circuit above, I would probably be able to construct a circuit that would have cold junction compensation and amplification for the signal. My concerns for this approach involve time constraints and the intricacies of this setup.

Although, after having found this, I think the problem may be solved.

[[media:Thermocouple_op_amp.pdf|Op amp designed for a type J thermocouple, with cold junction compensation]]

Completed Work

 * Clean and organize room P405.
 * Hot water tank constructed - still awaiting testing
 * Splicing unit collars redesigned
 * A program was written to automatically control a heater/pump based on the temperature of the water.

Ann Marie's Lab Journal
In the past I had kept my journal in a Google Document.

December 2012

January 2013

February 2013

Jonathan Kulakofsky's Lab Journal / Research Progress
January, 2013

February, 2013

March, 2013

April, 2013

Liana Hotte's Lab Journal / Research Progress
Jan 2013

Feb 2013

Mar 2013

Apr 2013

=Miscellaneous Fiber Testing=

Alcohol Test
Poly(methyl methacrylate), or plexiglass, was found to react to ethanol when used in high concentrations. When our fiber bending tank (made of poly) was being cleaned with pure ethanol, an obvious reaction was seen as crazing developed on the surface of the walls of the tank. Because our fibers are made from a similar material (polystyrene with flour-acrylic cladding) it seemed necessary to also test their reaction to exposure to alcohol.

Two different alcohols, ethanol and propanol, were measured out and mixed with tap water to create different concentrations. In the first 5 vials were concentrations of ethanol, the next five were concentrations of propanol, and in the last vial was tap water only. The fibers destined for the vials were cut, measured cross-sectionally and lengthwise, and weighed with a milligram scale. Both scintillating fibers and lightguides were tested.

The vials were left to sit in a dark, climate controlled area for two weeks. After the two week period, the fibers were drained, left to dry, and measured/weighed again. The raw data, as well as the plotted results, can be seen by clicking on the link below.

Alcohol Test 1

Strength Test
Strength Test 1