Isidor Sauers
Encyclopedia
Isidor Sauers is an Austria
n-born American
who is a physicist
at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
in Tennessee
. He is a specialist on the properties of Sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6), with an important patent and over 60 peer-reviewed academic papers.
78 (12) 7200-7216 has been cited 88 times since its publication in 1983.
In the early 1980s, Sauers developed a novel
method by which to measure the degradation
of Sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6) in high-voltage systems. SF6
, a hypervalent molecule
, is used as a gaseous insulator
in conjunction with solid insulating material in high voltage systems such as transmission lines, substations
and switchgear
. When the dielectric strength
of SF6 is exceeded, regions of high electrical stress can cause nearby gas to partially ionize and begin conducting, forming toxic products like SOF2 or S2F10
. This method allows scientists to detect the toxic by-products of SF6 breakdown at very low concentrations (ppb
) using an ion-molecule reaction cell and a negative ion mass spectrometer, as opposed to conventional methods such as electron impact mass spectrometry
(MS), gas chromatography (GC) with thermal conductivity detection, gas chromatography with electron capture
detection, or a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who is a physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He is a specialist on the properties of Sulfur hexafluoride
Sulfur hexafluoride
Sulfur hexafluoride is an inorganic, colorless, odorless, and non-flammable greenhouse gas. has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. It is a hypervalent molecule. Typical for a nonpolar gas, it is poorly soluble in water but soluble in...
(SF6), with an important patent and over 60 peer-reviewed academic papers.
Papers
His most notable paper, "Electron Attachment to the perfluoroalkanes" in Journal of Chemical PhysicsJournal of Chemical Physics
The Journal of Chemical Physics is a scientific journal that publishes research papers on all areas of chemical physics. Two volumes, each of 24 issues, are published per year. It is published by the American Institute of Physics. The editors have been:...
78 (12) 7200-7216 has been cited 88 times since its publication in 1983.
Patent
Novelty (patent)
Novelty is a patentability requirement. An invention is not patentable if the claimed subject matter was disclosed before the date of filing, or before the date of priority if a priority is claimed, of the patent application....
method by which to measure the degradation
Chemical decomposition
Chemical decomposition, analysis or breakdown is the separation of a chemical compound into elements or simpler compounds. It is sometimes defined as the exact opposite of a chemical synthesis. Chemical decomposition is often an undesired chemical reaction...
of Sulfur hexafluoride
Sulfur hexafluoride
Sulfur hexafluoride is an inorganic, colorless, odorless, and non-flammable greenhouse gas. has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. It is a hypervalent molecule. Typical for a nonpolar gas, it is poorly soluble in water but soluble in...
(SF6) in high-voltage systems. SF6
Sulfur hexafluoride
Sulfur hexafluoride is an inorganic, colorless, odorless, and non-flammable greenhouse gas. has an octahedral geometry, consisting of six fluorine atoms attached to a central sulfur atom. It is a hypervalent molecule. Typical for a nonpolar gas, it is poorly soluble in water but soluble in...
, a hypervalent molecule
Hypervalent molecule
A hypervalent molecule is a molecule that contains one or more main group elements formally bearing more than eight electrons in their valence shells...
, is used as a gaseous insulator
Electrical insulation
thumb|250px|[[Coaxial Cable]] with dielectric insulator supporting a central coreThis article refers to electrical insulation. For insulation of heat, see Thermal insulation...
in conjunction with solid insulating material in high voltage systems such as transmission lines, substations
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
and switchgear
Switchgear
The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...
. When the dielectric strength
Dielectric strength
In physics, the term dielectric strength has the following meanings:*Of an insulating material, the maximum electric field strength that it can withstand intrinsically without breaking down, i.e., without experiencing failure of its insulating properties....
of SF6 is exceeded, regions of high electrical stress can cause nearby gas to partially ionize and begin conducting, forming toxic products like SOF2 or S2F10
Disulfur decafluoride
Disulfur decafluoride is a gas discovered in 1934 by Denbigh and Whytlaw-Gray. Each S of the S2F10 molecule is octahedral, and surrounded by 5 fluorines. S2F10 is highly toxic, with toxicity similar to phosgene...
. This method allows scientists to detect the toxic by-products of SF6 breakdown at very low concentrations (ppb
PPB
PPB can stand for:* Party political broadcast, a type of political programming in the United Kingdom* parts-per-billion, a unit of concentration* Portland Police Bureau, a police agency for the city of Portland...
) using an ion-molecule reaction cell and a negative ion mass spectrometer, as opposed to conventional methods such as electron impact mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
(MS), gas chromatography (GC) with thermal conductivity detection, gas chromatography with electron capture
Electron capture
Electron capture is a process in which a proton-rich nuclide absorbs an inner atomic electron and simultaneously emits a neutrino...
detection, or a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
See also
- Circuit breakerCircuit breakerA circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow...
- International Electrotechnical CommissionInternational Electrotechnical CommissionThe International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
(IEC) - Dielectric strengthDielectric strengthIn physics, the term dielectric strength has the following meanings:*Of an insulating material, the maximum electric field strength that it can withstand intrinsically without breaking down, i.e., without experiencing failure of its insulating properties....
- Dielectric constantDielectric constantThe relative permittivity of a material under given conditions reflects the extent to which it concentrates electrostatic lines of flux. In technical terms, it is the ratio of the amount of electrical energy stored in a material by an applied voltage, relative to that stored in a vacuum...