Technology in Thailand

Tywais · May 1, 2014

I did suggest a technology topic so here we go.

My high tech beverage chiller. The circuit board in the foreground is one I designed as part of an ultra high precision laser control system for the quantum optics laser lab. One of the items needed is a temperature stabilizer and this is a thermal electric cooler. Supply a voltage and you get a cold beverage.

Tywais · May 1, 2014

Our microwave power room. Rebuilding our cooling system in the foreground, new 6 Megawatt microwave Klystron tube installed in the back right corner, and the high power pulse generator directly in the back.

Fiddlesticks · May 1, 2014

My first attempt using the pano mode on my LG G2 mobile. Rather dark room and the distance to object was shifting so focus in center is a bit, uh off. Our 20MeV 6 Megawatt electron beam accelerator (LINAC).

Things like this in the hands of Thai scare me. I can't get them to give me a good internet signal and they are playing with electron beam accelerators!

Tywais · May 1, 2014

My first attempt using the pano mode on my LG G2 mobile. Rather dark room and the distance to object was shifting so focus in center is a bit, uh off. Our 20MeV 6 Megawatt electron beam accelerator (LINAC).

Things like this in the hands of Thai scare me. I can't get them to give me a good internet signal and they are playing with electron beam accelerators!

Actually I was the project manager for building this system as I was the only one with significant experience with LINACs in the US. I heavily trained them in operation, radiation safety and high voltage procedures before I turned the keys over, and i spent several months to be sure I was satisfied with their performance. Periodically I recheck safety to be sure it hasn't slipped. This machine is below ground with thick high density concrete for radiation shielding but had to add more as the radiation could be measured on the balcony at the other building.

Fiddlesticks · May 1, 2014

My first attempt using the pano mode on my LG G2 mobile. Rather dark room and the distance to object was shifting so focus in center is a bit, uh off. Our 20MeV 6 Megawatt electron beam accelerator (LINAC).

Things like this in the hands of Thai scare me. I can't get them to give me a good internet signal and they are playing with electron beam accelerators!

Actually I was the project manager for building this system as I was the only one with significant experience with LINACs in the US. I heavily trained them in operation, radiation safety and high voltage procedures before I turned the keys over, and i spent several months to be sure I was satisfied with their performance. Periodically I recheck safety to be sure it hasn't slipped. This machine is below ground with thick high density concrete for radiation shielding but had to add more as the radiation could be measured on the balcony at the other building.

I hear why you say but that does not make me any more comfortable. I hope the team manning this apparatus was educated somewhere other than Thailand. I just have visions of a group of Homer Simpsons playing with radioactive material !

Robby nz · May 5, 2014

Technology has advance tremendously in my time.

Heck now almost all toilet paper tears along the dotted line.

Tywais · May 27, 2014

Finally after over one year of our LINAC being shutdown due to a failed Klystron tube we finally got a new tube in and everything reassembled. Pressing that little red beam on button was a bit of an anxious moment but it came on line. There was a loud bang as the high voltage section arced over briefly due to room humidity too high but we tested it at 5.4 megawatt 2.856GHz RF power. I've added a video done with my LG G2 to show it in operation with sound. A static photo doesn't give you the dynamics.

sunshine51 · May 28, 2014

Tywais....outta likes. Glad to see it's up & running after so long.

Good luck in future endeavours with the LINAC.

Familyonthemove · May 28, 2014

"Klystron tube" ..... you made that up!

Flash Gordon used Klystron tubes to shoot Ming the Merciless.

sunshine51 · May 28, 2014

Let's see here...RF Frequency of 2.8 GHz @ 5.4MW emitted power....

That's one heck of a microwave oven! What?!...cook a 20 kilo

Angus roast in 35 picoseconds...medium rare of course...

Edited May 28, 2014 by sunshine51

sustento · May 31, 2014

Finally after over one year of our LINAC being shutdown due to a failed Klystron tube we finally got a new tube in and everything reassembled. Pressing that little red beam on button was a bit of an anxious moment but it came on line. There was a loud bang as the high voltage section arced over briefly due to room humidity too high but we tested it at 5.4 megawatt 2.856GHz RF power. I've added a video done with my LG G2 to show it in operation with sound. A static photo doesn't give you the dynamics.

Don't let your wife see that. She'll never stop complaining about how untidy all the wires are

Tywais · June 7, 2014

Dangerous Symmetry - Taken by LG G2

sunshine51 · June 8, 2014

I can't help but think...homemade lightning bolts Tywais!

Tywais · June 8, 2014

I can't help but think...homemade lightning bolts Tywais!

Been there, done that. Ok, they were Tesla coils with 1 meter arc lengths but my students kept calling it the lightning machine.

sunshine51 · June 15, 2014

I envy Tywais & his work with LINACS & physics in general.

However...for many Thai's this is as close to Technology

In Thailand as they will ever get...

Ace of Pop · July 8, 2014

...Parking /Light Sensor. I drive into Garage, Clothes Peg Jumps. on comes overhead Neons.

Tywais · August 19, 2014

My newest toy, a new linear accelerator I've been tasked to design and build. Based on a magnetron, same thing used in a microwave oven but on steroids at 2 Megawatts, 4MeV.

Its big brother in the background, 6 Megawatt 20MeV LINAC. Only can see about 25% of it in the picture, the extraction end.

Robby nz · August 22, 2014

Floating weed eater.

For clearing Water Hyacinth in a park in Inburi.

Picks it up and takes it and dumps it in the bank.

Crossy · August 22, 2014

My newest toy, a new linear accelerator I've been tasked to design and build. Based on a magnetron, same thing used in a microwave oven but on steroids at 2 Megawatts, 4MeV.

How fast will it heat a meat pie?

Many years ago, before Health and Safety was invented, we were testing radar magnetrons into a horn (no dummy load, just a red and white keep-out tape), Ginsters Cornwall's Pride pasty to eating temp in about 5 minutes (average power was only about 250Watts)

Tywais · August 22, 2014

My newest toy, a new linear accelerator I've been tasked to design and build. Based on a magnetron, same thing used in a microwave oven but on steroids at 2 Megawatts, 4MeV.

How fast will it heat a meat pie?

Many years ago, before Health and Safety was invented, we were testing radar magnetrons into a horn (no dummy load, just a red and white keep-out tape), Ginsters Cornwall's Pride pasty to eating temp in about 5 minutes (average power was only about 250Watts)

This one has a very low duty cycle, as do most radar type magnetron microwave systems. 4us pulse at 400 pulses per second but still average power is 3kW. Enough that we have a closed loop water cooling system for it and associated components. A nice coffee warmer.

Tywais · August 23, 2014

More boring stuff. 150 kilovolt Nitrogen/Argon ION beam implanter. Originally used for semiconductor production in a research environment. Now has been used for genetic mutation of rice and flowers. Currently mainly used in gemstone modification to improve or change color and clarity.

Target chamber on far right with the small window in it to change samples.

The control console:

And what the beam looks like on a fluorescent screen:

Tywais · August 29, 2014

I appear to be hogging this topic.

Our 20 million baht research tool XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Hard to explain so link to WiKi.

fimgirl · August 29, 2014

Well, Tywais, thank heavens for the Wiki link

Makes Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" easy reading !

Nice pic though

flight deck of a Sikorsky military helicopter

Edited August 29, 2014 by fimgirl

Tywais · September 10, 2014

I figure Videography is also photography but with motion. We had a student tour of our accelerator facility today, 5 groups of 12 students. I leave my Panasonic GH2 with its 14-140mm silent (video) lens at the office now and my Olympus at home. Best viewed at full 1080 HD and full screen to see the quality.