DEVELOPMENT OF MODULAR, HIGH PERFORMANCE FLUIDIC COMPONENTS FOR VENTILATION CONTROL IN NUCLEAR FACILITIES

VENTILATION SYSTEMS FOR NUCLEAR FACILITIES MUST HAVE VERY HIGH RELIABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS. FLUIDIC VORTEX AMPLIFIERS, EJECTOR PUMPS AND OTHER TYPE OF COMPONENTS OFFERTHE HIGHEST DEGREE OF RELIABILITY IN THESE VENTILATION SYSTEM APPLICATIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO-MOVING-PARTS TO WEAR OUT, RELATIVELY FAST RESPONSE, REQUIRE LITTLE OR NO MAINTENANCE AND SOME CASES ARE CHEAPER THAN EQUIVALENT CONVENTIONAL SYSTEMS. HOWEVER THE FLUID COMPONENTS USED IN THESE SYSTEMS REPRESENT TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE IN THE 70'S AND DO NOT REPRESENT RECENT ADVANCES IN SECOND GENERATION FLUIDIC COMPONENT DESIGNS. THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE SECOND GENERATION FLUIDIC COMPONENTS FOR USE IN VENTILATION SYSTEMS. SPECIFIC EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON UP GRADING THE STABILITY, PERFORMANCE, AND LOAD SENSITIVITY OF HIGH PERFORMANCE VORTEXAMPLIFIER COMPONENTS. RECENT ADVANCEMENTS RESULTING FROM ONGOING WORK ON HIGH EFFICIENCY, MINIATURE DIVERTER AND A ATTITUDE CONTROL VORTEX THRUSTER VALVES FOR THE SDI/INNOVATIVE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICE WILL BE EXPLOITED. MODULAR DESIGNS WILL BE PURSUED WHICH WILL DECOUPLE HIGH GAIN VORTEX AMPLIFIERS FROM THEIR ENVIRONMENT. TESTS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE PERFORMANCE OF A VENTILATION SIZE FLOW MODEL. OTHER USES OFFLUIDIC DEVICES, INCLUDING LAMINAR AMPLIFIERS AND GAIN BLOCKS, OPTO-FLUIDIC SIGNAL SENSORS, SIGNAL PROCESSORS, HIGHPRESSURE AMPLIFIERS, OSCILLATORS AND OTHER COMPONENTS WILL ALSO BE ASSESSED FOR POTENTIAL USE IN NUCLEAR VENTILATION SYSTEM APPLICATIONS.