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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Storage Enabled Flexibility of Conventional Generation Assets (StorFlex)

The power systems have faced progressively more demanding operational requirements over the last two decades. Several factors contribute to these challenging operating conditions, including load growth, aging infrastructure, increasing penetrations of distributed energy resources (DERs), electrification of the economy, and policy initiatives such as decarbonization. The power system and its components must provide high operational flexibility to mitigate these challenges. For example, the proliferation of intermittent DERs such as wind and solar has increased the need for conventional generation assets like hydropower plants to respond to sudden load-generation imbalances. The higher flexibility requirements for hydropower plants cause more wear and tear, potentially shortening the useful lifespan of hydropower turbines. To reduce the need for hydropower plants to follow sudden changes in the dispatch signal, we investigate their combined operation with the energy storage systems (ESSs; “ESS-based hybridization”). Our analyses focuses on improving the lifespan of hydropower plants through ESS-based hybridization. Wear and tear on hydropower turbines (particularly Francis turbines) is modeled using a loss-of-life concept that is based on damage experienced by the turbine due to various cycles of operation. Then, we show that using ESSs to offset some of the high variation increases the remaining life of the hydropower plants. To demonstrate this, a few modeling tools were developed for this work: (1) a dynamic model for various components of the turbine and its governor; (2) a control strategy that assigns a slow-varying dispatch signal to a hydropower unit versus a fastmoving signal to ESS, such that the overall power request remains the same; and (3) models for the financial analysis to quantify the economic merits of such a framework. We used the models we developed to analyze the dispatch pattern of an actual hydropower plant with a power output of 50 MW and a head height of 152 m. This work showed that ESS-based hybridization could extend the life of the hydropower plant by 5% on average. This extension in life was then used to estimate the economic benefit in terms of cost deferrals associated with hydropower plant maintenance and replacement: on average, $3.6 million. Sensitivity analysis with respect to the size of ESS and cost of turbines was performed to show the variation in benefits over the range of turbine costs and ESS sizes. Crucially, stacking damage reduction and lifetime extension with other ESS value streams such as providing ancillary services could substantially increase the financial benefits of ESS-based hybridization. The higher costs associated with ESS of appropriate size would make more financial sense when multiple value streams are stacked and co-optimized to extract the maximum benefit. This dimension will be explored in future work.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Annual cycle of aerosol properties over the central Arctic during MOSAiC 2019–2020 – light-extinction, CCN, and INP levels from the boundary layer to the tropopause

Abstract. The MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition was the largest Arctic field campaign ever conducted. MOSAiC offered the unique opportunity to monitor and characterize aerosols and clouds with high vertical resolution up to 30 km height at latitudes from 80 to 90∘ N over an entire year (October 2019 to September 2020). Without a clear knowledge of the complex aerosol layering, vertical structures, and dominant aerosol types and their impact on cloud formation, a full understanding of the meteorological processes in the Arctic, and thus advanced climate change research, is impossible. Widespread ground-based in situ observations in the Arctic are insufficient to provide these required aerosol and cloud data. In this article, a summary of our MOSAiC observations of tropospheric aerosol profiles with a state-of-the-art multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar aboard the icebreaker Polarstern is presented. Particle optical properties, i.e., light-extinction profiles and aerosol optical thickness (AOT), and estimates of cloud-relevant aerosol properties such as the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are discussed, separately for the lowest part of the troposphere (atmospheric boundary layer, ABL), within the lower free troposphere (around 2000 m height), and at the cirrus level close to the tropopause. In situ observations of the particle number concentration and INPs aboard Polarstern are included in the study. A strong decrease in the aerosol amount with height in winter and moderate vertical variations in summer were observed in terms of the particle extinction coefficient. The 532 nm light-extinction values dropped from >50 Mm−1 close to the surface to <5 Mm−1 at 4–6 km height in the winter months. Lofted, aged wildfire smoke layers caused a re-increase in the aerosol concentration towards the tropopause. In summer (June to August 2020), much lower particle extinction coefficients, frequently as low as 1–5 Mm−1, were observed in the ABL. Aerosol removal, controlled by in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging processes (widely suppressed in winter and very efficient in summer) in the lowermost 1–2 km of the atmosphere, seems to be the main reason for the strong differences between winter and summer aerosol conditions. A complete annual cycle of the AOT in the central Arctic could be measured. This is a valuable addition to the summertime observations with the sun photometers of the Arctic Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). In line with the pronounced annual cycle in the aerosol optical properties, typical CCN number concentrations (0.2 % supersaturation level) ranged from 50–500 cm−3 in winter to 10–100 cm−3 in summer in the ABL. In the lower free troposphere (at 2000 m), however, the CCN level was roughly constant throughout the year, with values mostly from 30 to 100 cm−3. A strong contrast between winter and summer was also given in terms of ABL INPs which control ice production in low-level clouds. While soil dust (from surrounding continents) is probably the main INP type during the autumn, winter, and spring months, local sea spray aerosol (with a biogenic aerosol component) seems to dominate the ice nucleation in the ABL during the summer months (June–August). The strong winter vs. summer contrast in the INP number concentration by roughly 2–3 orders of magnitude in the lower troposphere is, however, mainly caused by the strong cloud temperature contrast. A unique event of the MOSAiC expedition was the occurrence of a long-lasting wildfire smoke layer in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Our observations suggest that the smoke particles frequently triggered cirrus formation close to the tropopause from October 2019 to May 2020.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Technical Potential for Hydropower Capacity at Non-powered Dams

In the last decade, retrofits of existing nonpowered dams (NPDs) have made up the largest share of capacity increases for US hydropower. Accurate estimates of potential capacity and generation at NPDs help identify sites that may be worth investing in detailed feasibility analyses and design exploration. This dataset consists of NPDs in the conterminous US with at least 100kW of theoretical potential based on earlier resource assessments. Historical daily streamflow (modeled or from USGS gauge records), hydraulic head (based on historical observations or primary purpose and dam height) are the main inputs for HydroGenerate which determines design flow and turbine efficiencies and then calculates nominal capacity, daily generation, and capacity factor. These outputs are summarized on a monthly basis (i.e., generation (MWh) and capacity factor averaged for each month from January to December) and overall (i.e., nominal capacity, average annual generation (MWh), and average annual capacity factor). A total of 4.1 GW capacity is estimated across all 2,564 NPDs included in the dataset.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurement of Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier contribution to the self-organized formation of ordered surface patterns on Ge(001)

Normal-incidence 1-keV Ar + ion bombardment leads to amorphization and ultrasmoothing of Ge at room temperature, but at elevated temperatures the Ge surface remains crystalline and is unstable to the formation of self-organized nanoscale patterns of ordered pyramid-shaped pits. The physical phenomenon distinguishing the high-temperature patterning from room-temperature ultrasmoothing is believed to be a surface instability due to the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier for diffusing vacancies and adatoms, which is not present on the amorphous material. This real-time grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering study compares smoothing of a prepatterned Ge sample at room temperature with patterning of an initially flat Ge sample at an elevated temperature. In both experiments, when the nanoscale structures are relatively small in height, the average kinetics can be explained by a linear theory. Furthermore, the linear theory coefficients, indicating surface stability or instability, were extracted for both experiments. A comparison between the two measurements allows estimation of the contribution of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier to the self-organized formation of ordered nanoscale patterns on crystalline Ge surfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

A New Approach for Simultaneous Estimation of Entrainment and Detrainment Rates in Non- Precipitating Shallow Cumulus

A new approach is developed for estimating entrainment and detrainment rates in cumulus clouds based on aircraft observations. Equations relating entrainment and detrainment rates to gross entrainment and detrainment are derived. This approach is applied to the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land-Ecosystems field campaign, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program. The results show that both entrainment and detrainment rates decrease with increasing height. Sensitivity tests with different detrained air assumptions yield similar results. The entrainment and detrainment rates can reproduce the cloud thermodynamic variables. Partial correlation analysis indicates that entrainment rate is positively correlated with environmental relative humidity (RH), and detrainment rate is negatively correlated with environmental RH and positively correlated with entrainment rate. This new approach can be applied to other cloud observations to obtain a data set of entrainment and detrainment rates in cumulus clouds.

Zhu, Lei↗
DOE OSTI2023

Areal interpolation of population projections consistent with different SSPs from 1-km resolution to block level based on USA Structures dataset

Population data are normally collected at various census administrative levels, and areal interpolation of population is often required to transform population to the desired spatial resolution. Building footprint datasets, such as Microsoft building footprints, have proven to be useful in estimating population distribution and can therefore be used for areal interpolation of population. In addition to Microsoft building footprints, the recently released USA Structures dataset provides additional information such as building type and building height for some regions, which may provide valuable information for a better depiction of population distribution and improved population areal interpolation accuracy. In this study, we have conducted areal interpolation of population projections consistent with three different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2, SSP3, and SSP5) from 1-km grid cells to block level in Washington state for every ten years from 2020 to 2040 based on USA Structures. We assessed USA Structures-based population downscaling accuracy using U.S. decennial survey data in 2020 under three different downscaling schemes, including population downscaling from census tracts to block groups, from census tracts to blocks, and from block groups to blocks. The resulting accuracies were compared with those based on Microsoft building footprints. The comparison showed that USA Structures achieved higher accuracies across different population density regions and areas with different urbanization extent within our study area.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exploring the Potential of Using Carbonyl Sulfide to Track the Urban Biosphere Signal

Abstract Cities are implementing additional urban green as a means to capture CO 2 and become more carbon neutral. However, cities are complex systems where anthropogenic and natural components of the CO 2 budget interact with each other, and the ability to measure the efficacy of such measures is still not properly addressed. There is still a high degree of uncertainty in determining the contribution of the vegetation signal, which furthermore confounds the use of CO 2 mole fraction measurements for inferring anthropogenic emissions of CO 2 . Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) is a tracer of photosynthesis which can aid in constraining the biosphere signal. This study explores the potential of using OCS to track the urban biosphere signal. We used the Sulfur Transport and dEposition Model (STEM) to simulate the OCS concentrations and the Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach ecosystem model to simulate global CO 2 fluxes over the Bay Area of San Francisco during March 2015. Two observation towers provided measurements of OCS and CO 2 : The Sutro tower in San Francisco (upwind from the area of study providing background observations), and a tower located at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore (downwind of the highly urbanized San Francisco region). Our results show that the STEM model works better under stable marine influence, and that the boundary layer height and entrainment are driving the diurnal changes in OCS and CO 2 at the downwind Sandia site. However, the STEM model needs to better represent the transport and boundary layer variability, and improved estimates of gross primary productivity for characterizing the urban biosphere signal are needed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Pool Fire Analysis Methodology for Assessing Damage to Waste Containers

This document provides guidelines, whereby the physical parameters associated with postulated flammable/combustible liquid pool fires are determined (thermal analysis) in order to estimate the number of waste containers impacted. Pool fire damage to waste containers may occur due to a container being fully engulfed (within the periphery of the pool), partially engulfed, or within the critical heat flux distance. The methodology described here for estimating the size of the pool fire is developed using spill characteristics outlined in Chapter 65 of the SFPE Handbook (Ref. 7) and testing done by Hansen (Ref. 25). For exposures, the critical flux height is determined using the detailed method of Shokri and Beyler (Ref. 8) from the flame height, calculated as described by Heskestad (Ref. 7) and the average black body emissive power, determined using the method of Shokri and Beyler (Ref. 8). Three types of liquid pool fires should be considered; unconfined crash/instantaneous spill fires, unconfined continuously flowing (also called metered leak) spill fires, and confined spill fires. All fuel sources should be considered consistent with the facility Fire Hazard Analysis (FHA). However, the most likely liquid fuel sources present in TRU waste facilities are those present on TRU waste handling vehicles (forklifts, pallet movers, transport trucks, etc.). This method can also be used for assessing damage to items other than waste containers or other methods of analysis may be used with appropriate justification.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Important role of stratospheric injection height for the distribution and radiative forcing of smoke aerosol from the 2019–2020 Australian wildfires

More than 1 Tg smoke aerosol was emitted into the atmosphere by the exceptional 2019–2020 southeastern Australian wildfires. Triggered by the extreme fire heat, several deep pyroconvective events carried the smoke directly into the stratosphere. Once there, smoke aerosol remained airborne considerably longer than in lower atmospheric layers. The thick plumes traveled eastward, thereby being distributed across the high and mid-latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, enhancing the atmospheric opacity. Due to the increased atmospheric lifetime of the smoke plume, its radiative effect increased compared to smoke that remains in lower altitudes. Global models describing aerosol-climate impacts lack adequate descriptions of the emission height of aerosols from intense wildfires. Here, we demonstrate, by a combination of aerosol-climate modeling and lidar observations, the importance of the representation of those high-altitude fire smoke layers for estimating the atmospheric energy budget. Through observation-based input into the simulations, the Australian wildfire emissions by pyroconvection are explicitly prescribed to the lower stratosphere in different scenarios. Based on our simulations, the 2019–2020 Australian fires caused a significant top-of-atmosphere (TOA) hemispheric instantaneous direct radiative forcing signal that reached a magnitude comparable to the radiative forcing induced by anthropogenic absorbing aerosol. Up to +0.50 W m -2 instantaneous direct radiative forcing was modeled at TOA, averaged for the Southern Hemisphere (+0.25 W m -2 globally) from January to March 2020 under all-sky conditions. At the surface, on the other hand, an instantaneous solar radiative forcing of up to -0.81 W m -2 was found for clear-sky conditions, with the respective estimates depending on the model configuration and subject to the model uncertainties in the smoke optical properties. Since extreme wildfires are expected to occur more frequently in the rapidly changing climate, our findings suggest that high-altitude wildfire plumes must be adequately considered in climate projections in order to obtain reasonable estimates of atmospheric energy budget changes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

The NEON Daily Isotopic Composition of Environmental Exchanges Dataset

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) provides open-access measurements of stable isotope ratios in atmospheric water vapor (δ 2 H, δ 18 O) and carbon dioxide (δ 13 C) at different tower heights, as well as aggregated biweekly precipitation samples (δ 2 H, δ 18 O) across the United States. These measurements were used to create the NEON Daily Isotopic Composition of Environmental Exchanges (NEON-DICEE) dataset estimating precipitation (P; δ 2 H, δ 18 O), evapotranspiration (ET; δ 2 H, δ 18 O), and net ecosystem exchange (NEE; δ 13 C) isotope ratios. Statistically downscaled precipitation datasets were generated to be consistent with the estimated covariance between isotope ratios and precipitation amounts at daily time scales. Isotope ratios in ET and NEE fluxes were estimated using a mixing-model approach with calibrated NEON tower measurements. NEON-DICEE is publicly available on HydroShare and can be reproduced or modified to fit user specific applications or include additional NEON data records as they become available. The NEON-DICEE dataset can facilitate understanding of terrestrial ecosystem processes through their incorporation into environmental investigations that require daily δ 2 H, δ 18 O, and δ 13 C flux data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Refining Planetary Boundary Layer Height Retrievals From Micropulse‐Lidar at Multiple ARM Sites Around the World

Abstract Knowledge of the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) is crucial for various applications in atmospheric and environmental sciences. Lidar measurements are frequently used to monitor the evolution of the PBLH, providing more frequent observations than traditional radiosonde‐based methods. However, lidar‐derived PBLH estimates have substantial uncertainties, contingent upon the retrieval algorithm used. In addressing this, we applied the Different Thermo‐Dynamic Stabilities (DTDS) algorithm to establish a PBLH data set at five separate Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement sites across the globe. Both the PBLH methodology and the products are subject to rigorous assessments in terms of their uncertainties and constraints, juxtaposing them with other products. The DTDS‐derived product consistently aligns with radiosonde PBLH estimates, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.77 across all sites. This study delves into a detailed examination of the strengths and limitations of PBLH data sets with respect to both radiosonde‐derived and other lidar‐based estimates of the PBLH by exploring their respective errors and uncertainties. It is found that varying techniques and definitions can lead to diverse PBLH retrievals due to the inherent intricacy and variability of the boundary layer. Our DTDS‐derived PBLH data set outperforms existing products derived from ceilometer data, offering a more precise representation of the PBLH. This extensive data set paves the way for advanced studies and an improved understanding of boundary‐layer dynamics, with valuable applications in weather forecasting, climate modeling, and environmental studies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Group size mediates effects of intraspecific competition and forest structure on productivity in a recovering social woodpecker population

Conservation of endangered social wildlife in disturbance-prone forests is challenging because direct and indirect effects of management strategies developed at the time of species’ listing when population density is low may change under high-density conditions in locally recovered populations. Here, we used piecewise structural equation modeling to evaluate direct and indirect drivers of productivity in the federally endangered cooperatively breeding red-cockaded woodpecker Dryobates borealis (RCW) on Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. We estimated direct and indirect relationships among group size, neighboring group sizes, fledgling production, density of cavity tree clusters occupied by RCWs, area satisfying threshold criteria of ≥22 stems ha –1 of pines ≥35.6 cm diameter at breast height (dbh), <1.4 m 2 ha –1 basal area (BA) of hardwoods 7.6–22.9 cm dbh, and <6% hardwood canopy cover, and area treated with prescribed fire, and tested whether group size mediated indirect effects of area satisfying threshold criteria on fledgling production. Increases in area with ≥22 stems ha –1 of pines ≥35.6 cm dbh and <1.4 m 2 ha –1 BA of hardwoods 7.6–22.9 cm dbh, and area treated with prescribed fire, but not area with <6% hardwood canopy cover, had direct positive effects on group size. Group size and area treated with prescribed fire, but not area satisfying threshold criteria, had direct positive effects on fledgling production. The direct effect of neighboring group sizes on fledgling production was negative and smaller relative to the direct positive effect of group size on fledgling production. Overall, our results indicate positive direct effects of group size on fledgling production outweighed negative direct effects of neighboring group sizes, and that group size mediated positive indirect effects of area satisfying structural threshold criteria on fledgling production. These findings indicate that ongoing forest management aimed to increase area with ≥22 pines ha –1 ≥35.6 cm dbh and <1.4 m 2 ha –1 BA of hardwoods 7.6–22.9 cm dbh will promote large group sizes, which in turn improve fledgling production and offset costs of heightened competition with neighboring groups under high-density conditions. Additionally, positive effects of area treated with prescribed fire on RCW group size and fledgling production indicate prescribed fire has unique contributions to woodpecker productivity, likely via direct effects on forest structure and potentially indirect effects on arthropod prey available to foraging RCWs. Furthermore, by simultaneously accounting for multiple drivers of productivity in social wildlife, our study contributes to the understanding of how increases in social wildlife population sizes can alter previously documented habitat-fitness relationships.

prescribed fire↗
DOE OSTI2022

Updated Godiva-IV Benchmark Preview

A note of errata prepended to the Godiva-IV delayed-critical benchmark (HEU-MET-FAST- 086) identifies two corrections to be made to the model: The glory hole in the spindle should be made larger, and the height of the safety block should be made smaller (and therefore its density made larger). In addition, the safety block at its full-in position is closer to the inner subassembly plate than was modeled in the benchmark. These changes have been made to HEU-MET-FAST-086 Case 4 in order to estimate the effect on $\kappa$ eff and on the neutron flux spectrum. Using smaller separation, a smaller safety block, and a larger glory hole caused keff to increase by 453 ± 1 pcm from the benchmark. The latest nuclear data, ENDF/B-VIII.0, have also been used, causing $\kappa$ eff to increase another 37 ± 1 pcm. Flux spectra were compared in a modeled fission foil (near the center of Godiva-IV in the glory hole) and at three external (point) detectors. Within the fission foil, using ENDF/B-VIII.0 induced changes in the flux spectrum similar in size to the changes due to using smaller separation, a smaller safety block, and a larger glory hole. At the detectors, using ENDF/B- VIII.0 induced changes in the flux spectrum much larger than those due to changing the model. In other words, the corrections to the benchmark model cause a large increase in $\kappa$ eff , but the changes to the neutron flux spectrum are small compared to those caused by using the latest nuclear data. This study presents a preview of results expected during the reevaluation of the Godiva IV benchmark, but it is not a substitute for the full reevaluation.A note of errata prepended to the Godiva-IV delayed-critical benchmark (HEU-MET-FAST- 086) identifies two corrections to be made to the model: The glory hole in the spindle should be made larger, and the height of the safety block should be made smaller (and therefore its density made larger). In addition, the safety block at its full-in position is closer to the inner subassembly plate than was modeled in the benchmark. These changes have been made to HEU-MET-FAST-086 Case 4 in order to estimate the effect on $\kappa$ eff and on the neutron flux spectrum. Using smaller separation, a smaller safety block, and a larger glory hole caused $\kappa$ eff to increase by 453 ± 1 pcm from the benchmark. The latest nuclear data, ENDF/B-VIII.0, have also been used, causing $\kappa$ eff to increase another 37 ± 1 pcm. Flux spectra were compared in a modeled fission foil (near the center of Godiva-IV in the glory hole) and at three external (point) detectors. Within the fission foil, using ENDF/B-VIII.0 induced changes in the flux spectrum similar in size to the changes due to using smaller separation, a smaller safety block, and a larger glory hole. At the detectors, using ENDF/B- VIII.0 induced changes in the flux spectrum much larger than those due to changing the model. In other words, the corrections to the benchmark model cause a large increase in $\kappa$ eff , but the changes to the neutron flux spectrum are small compared to those caused by using the latest nuclear data. This study presents a preview of results expected during the reevaluation of the Godiva IV benchmark, but it is not a substitute for the full reevaluation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Seamless Projections of Global Storm Surge and Ocean Waves Under a Warming Climate

For coastal adaptation purposes, it is important to estimate the climate related changes in extreme sea levels due to storm surges and ocean waves, in addition to mean sea level rise. In this study, we provide the first consistent and continuous estimation of projected changes in global storm surges and ocean waves from the past to the warmer future, based on an extremely high resolution global climate model. The spatial pattern in the trend of annual maximum sea surface heights and wave heights is predominantly driven by changes in tropical cyclone (TC) frequency. In the western North Pacific, future TC frequencies are projected to decrease, and the annual maximum sea surface heights and wave heights show decreasing trends (-20 cm/century and -200 cm/century). Although highly intense tropical cyclones are enhanced in the warmer climate, highly extreme storm surges and wave heights do not necessarily increase due to the large natural variability.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Method to derive the infrared complex refractive indices n(λ) and k(λ) for organic solids from KBr pellet absorption measurements

Obtaining the complex refractive index vectors $n($$\tilde{v})$ and $k($$\tilde{v})$ allows calculation of the (infrared) reflectance spectrum that is obtained from a solid in any of its many morphological forms. Here, we report an adaptation to the KBr pellet technique using two gravimetric dilutions to derive quantitative $n($$\tilde{v})$/$k($$\tilde{v})$ for dozens of powders with greater repeatability. The optical constants of bisphenol A and sucrose are compared to those derived by other methods, particularly for powdered materials. The variability of the $k$ values for bisphenol A was examined by 10 individual measurements, showing an average coefficient of variation for $k$ peak heights of 5.6%. Though no established standards exist, the pellet-derived $k$ peak values of bisphenol A differ by 11% and 31% from their single-angle- and ellipsometry-derived values, respectively. These values provide an initial estimate of the precision and accuracy of complex refractive indices that can be derived using this method. Limitations and advantages of the method are discussed, the salient advantage being a more rapid method to derive $n$/$k$ for those species that do not readily form crystals or specular pellets.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

5-minute Wind Power Data based on WFIP2 WRF Simulation

The second Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2) was a public-private partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and NOAA, aimed at enhancing the forecast skill of numerical weather prediction models for turbine-height winds in regions with complex terrain. An 18-month Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulation was conducted over the Pacific Northwest, with model outputs validated against observational data collected during WFIP2. Simulated wind speeds were used to estimate wind power generation using reV (the Renewable Energy Potential Model developed by NREL) at ten wind project sites. Two sets of results were produced: one using wind speeds extracted from the model grid cell at the project centroid, and another using wind speeds from the actual turbine locations. For each dataset, power output was calculated using both actual turbine-specific power curves and nine generic power curves to convert wind speed into power.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Getting allometry right at the Oak Ridge free‐air CO 2 enrichment experiment: Old problems and new opportunities for global change experiments

Societal Impact Statement Free‐air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiments provide essential data on forest responses to increasing atmospheric CO 2 for evaluations of climate change impacts on humanity. Understanding and reducing the uncertainty in the experimental results is critical to ensure scientific and public confidence in the models and policy initiatives that derive therefrom. One source of uncertainty is the estimation of tree biomass using mathematical relationships between biomass and easily obtained and non‐destructive measurements (allometry). We evaluated the robustness of the allometric relationships established at the beginning of a FACE experiment and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the new generation of FACE experiments. Summary Long‐term field experiments to elucidate forest responses to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration require allometric equations to estimate tree biomass from non‐destructive measurements of tree size. We analyzed whether the allometric equations established at the beginning of a free‐air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiment in a Liquidambar styraciflua plantation were still valid at the end of the 12 year experiment. Aboveground woody biomass was initially predicted by an equation that included bole diameter, taper, and height, assuming that including taper and height as predictors would accommodate changes in tree structure that might occur over time and in response to elevated CO 2 . At the conclusion of the FACE experiment, we harvested 23 trees, measured dimensions and dry mass of boles and branches, and extracted and measured the woody root mass of 10 trees. Although 10 of the harvested trees were larger than the trees used to establish the allometric relationship, measured aboveground woody biomass was well predicted by the original allometry. The initial linear equation between bole basal area and woody root biomass underestimated final root biomass by 28%, but root biomass was just 21% of total wood mass, and errors in aboveground and belowground estimates were offsetting. The allometry established at the beginning of the experiment provided valid predictions of tree biomass throughout the experiment. New allometric approaches using terrestrial laser scanning should reduce an important source of uncertainty in decade‐long forest experiments and in assessments of centuries‐long forest biomass accretion used in evaluating carbon offsets and climate mitigation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Insights of Boundary Layer Turbulence Over the Complex Terrain of Central Himalaya from GVAX Field Campaign

Limited observations hinder understanding of turbulent characteristics in mountainous terrain resulting from heating or cooling of slopes, wind, vertical motions, and heat or moisture advection, which disperse aerosols and other pollutants over the region. In this study, the 1290 MHz radar wind profiler data are utilized to compute the boundary layer height (BLH), the refractive index structure constant (C n 2 ), and the energy dissipation rate (ε) over the central Himalayan site for the period of November 2011 to March 2012, from the intense Ganges Valley Aerosol Experiment (GVAX) field measurements. The radar wind profiler (RWP) based estimation of BLH and ε is validated against the radiosonde, representing the effectiveness of the datasets for further investigation. The strong seasonal variation of log C n 2 and log ε, with average values of ≈ -12 m -2/3 and -2 m 2 s -3 , respectively, is associated with the mountain-induced local circulations and stability in the atmospheric boundary layer. The weak stratification during weak flow is found to be responsible for deep mixing, particularly in the nocturnal boundary layer in spring. Furthermore, the level of cloud cover significantly impacts the strength of turbulence, with the highest cloud cover resulting in a substantial increase in log C n 2 (approximately -11 m -2/3 ) due to intense updraft and downdraft motions compared to clear skies. Additionally, the distribution of aerosol loading across the site, coupled with the behavior of BLH, atmospheric stability, and orographic-induced circulations, implies distinctive seasonal mechanisms for transporting aerosols toward the mountains. This study offers valuable insights into the diurnal and seasonal patterns of turbulent mixing and the mechanisms behind the transport of pollutants through boundary layer processes over the region.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗