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At least 289 records · Page 16

Widespread transposon co-option in the Caenorhabditis germline regulatory network

The movement of selfish DNA elements can lead to widespread genomic alterations with potential to create novel functions. We show that transposon expansions in Caenorhabditis nematodes led to extensive rewiring of germline transcriptional regulation. We find that about one-third of Caenorhabditis elegans germline-specific promoters have been co-opted from two related miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (TEs), CERP2 and CELE2. These promoters are regulated by HIM-17, a THAP domain–containing transcription factor related to a transposase. Expansion of CERP2 occurred before radiation of the Caenorhabditis genus, as did fixation of mutations in HIM-17 through positive selection, whereas CELE2 expanded only in C. elegans. Through comparative analyses in Caenorhabditis briggsae, we find not only evolutionary conservation of most CERP2 co-opted promoters but also a substantial fraction that are species-specific. Our work reveals the emergence and evolutionary conservation of a novel transcriptional network driven by TE co-option with a major impact on regulatory evolution.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Feasibility Study of an All-Electric 150 Passenger Aircraft

Among the potential future technologies for low-carbon transport aircraft, all-electric concepts stand out environmentally, yet their feasibility and cost-effectiveness at scale remain uncertain. This paper examines the conceptual design of an all-electric 150-passenger aircraft with a range of 840 NM based on assumed future battery cell-level specific energy of1620Wh/kg. The tube and wing design is propelled by open rotors driven by four electric motors per nacelle and utilizes advanced structural materials for weight reduction. Powertrain technology gaps are identified. The conceptual design shows that all-electric aviation could supplant about 30% of current fossil fuel use by transport aircraft and potentially more with air-traffic-control modifications.

electric aircraft↗

Estimating Subhourly Inverter Clipping Loss From Satellite-Derived Irradiance Data: Preprint

Photovoltaic system production simulations are conventionally run using hourly weather datasets. Hourly simulations are sufficiently accurate to predict the majority of long-term system behavior but cannot resolve high-frequency effects like inverter clipping caused by short-duration irradiance variability. Direct modeling of this subhourly clipping error is only possible for the few locations with high-resolution irradiance datasets. This paper describes a method of predicting the magnitude of this error using a machine learning model and 30-minute satellite irradiance data. The method predicts a correction for each 30-minute interval with the potential to roll up into 60-minute corrections to match an hourly energy model. The model is trained and validated at locations where the error can be directly simulated from 1-minute ground data. The validation shows low bias at most ground station locations. The model is also applied to gridded satellite irradiance to produce a heatmap of the estimated clipping error across the United States. Finally, the relative importance of each predictor satellite variable is retrieved from the model and discussed.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗

Aerosol Properties Derived from Airborne Sky Radiance and Direct Beam Measurements in Recent NASA and DoE Field Campaigns

The AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) ground-based suite of sunphotometers provides measurements of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD), precipitable water and spectral sky radiance, which can be inverted to retrieve aerosol microphysical properties that are critical to assessments of aerosol-climate interactions. Because of data quality criteria and sampling constraints, there are significant limitations to the temporal and spatial coverage of AERONET data and their representativeness for global aerosol conditions.The 4STAR (Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research) instrument, jointly developed by NASA Ames and PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) with NASA Goddard collaboration, combines airborne sun tracking and AERONET-like sky scanning with spectroscopic detection. Being an airborne instrument, 4STAR has the potential to fill gaps in the AERONET data set. The 4STAR instrument operated successfully in the SEAC4RS (Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys) experiment in Aug./Sep. 2013 aboard the NASA DC-8 and in the DoE (Department of Energy)-sponsored TCAP (Two Column Aerosol Project, July 2012 & Feb. 2013) experiment aboard the DoE G-1 aircraft. 4STAR provided direct beam measurements of hyperspectral AOD, columnar trace gas retrievals (H2O, O3, NO2), and the first ever airborne hyperspectral sky radiance scans, which can be inverted to yield the same products as AERONET ground-based observations. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the new 4STAR capabilities, with an emphasis on 26 high-quality sky radiance measurements carried out by 4STAR in SEAC4RS. We compare collocated 4STAR and AERONET sky radiances, as well as their retrievals of aerosol microphysical properties for a subset of the available case studies. We summarize the particle property and air-mass characterization studies made possible by the combined 4STAR direct beam and sky radiance observations.

DoE↗

Stability and control of power systems with high penetrations of inverter-based resources: An accessible review of current knowledge and open questions

As power system renewable energy penetrations increase, the ways in which key renewable technologies such as wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) differ from thermal generators become more apparent. Many studies have examined the variability and uncertainty of such generators and described how generation and load can be balanced for a wide variety of annual energy penetrations, at timescales from seconds to years. Another important characteristic of these resources is asynchronicity, the result of using inverters to interface the prime energy source with the power system as opposed to synchronous generators. Unlike synchronous generators, whose frequency of alternating current (AC) injection is physically coupled to the rotation of the machine itself, inverter based asynchronous generators do not share the same physical coupling with the generated frequency. These subtle differences impact the operations of power systems developed around the characteristics of synchronous generators. In this paper we review current knowledge and open research questions concerning the interplay between asynchronous inverter-based resources (IBRs) and cycle- to second-scale power system dynamics, with a focus on how stability and control may be impacted or need to be achieved differently when there are high instantaneous penetrations of IBRs across an interconnection. This work does not seek to provide a comprehensive review of the latest developments, but is instead intended to be accessible to any reader with an engineering background and an interest in power systems and renewable energy. As such, the paper includes basic material on power electronics, control schemes for IBRs, and power system stability; and uses this background material to describe potential impacts of IBRs on power system stability, operational challenges associated with large amounts of distributed IBR generation, and modern power system simulation trends driven by IBR characteristics.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Bayesian analysis of a future β decay experiment's sensitivity to neutrino mass scale and ordering

Bayesian modeling techniques enable sensitivity analyses that incorporate detailed expectations regarding future experiments. A model-based approach also allows one to evaluate inferences and predicted outcomes, by calibrating (or measuring) the consequences incurred when certain results are reported. In this work, we present procedures for calibrating predictions of an experiment's sensitivity to both continuous and discrete parameters. Using these procedures and a new Bayesian model of the β-decay spectrum, we assess a high-precision β-decay experiment's sensitivity to the neutrino mass scale and ordering for one assumed design scenario. We find that such an experiment could measure the electron-weighted neutrino mass within ~40 meV after 1 year (90% credibility). Neutrino masses > 500 meV could be measured within ≈5 meV. Using only β decay and external reactor neutrino data, we find that next-generation β-decay experiments could potentially constrain the mass ordering using a two-neutrino spectral model analysis. By calibrating mass ordering results, we identify reporting criteria that can be tuned to suppress false ordering claims. In some cases, a two-neutrino analysis can reveal that the mass ordering is inverted, an unobtainable result for the traditional one-neutrino analysis approach.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Chemical Blast Standard (1 kg)

Chemical explosions create blast waves with large overpressure disturbances. It is important to develop a standard blast model based on data to accurately predict acoustic blast-wave amplitudes near detonations and invert for explosion energy from distant observations of blast-wave signals. However, open data from large, controlled chemical explosions with reliable ground truth can be challenging to find. The lack of access to such data could limit the number of contributions to related research and potentially stifle the rate of discoveries or validation of existing models. Here, to address these data scarcity problem, we have curated and compiled a standardized set of 817 blast-wave waveforms from 19 distinct high-explosive events. The blast-wave waveforms are standardized to a 1 kg trinitrotoluene explosion using scaling laws and corrections for location effects. A brief overview of the dataset is presented along with explosion feature models as well as recommendations for extracting explosion features. The resulting dataset is distributed to an open repository in both Seismic Analysis Code and pandas DataFrame formats containing the waveforms, the scaled distances, and the sample rates.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Integrable symplectic maps with a polygon tessellation

Identifying integrable dynamics remains a formidable challenge, and despite centuries of research, only a handful of examples are known to date. In this article, we explore a distinct form of area-preserving (symplectic) mappings derived from the stroboscopic Poincaré cross section of a kicked rotator—an oscillator subjected to an external force periodically switched on in short pulses. The significance of this class of problems extends to various applications in physics and mathematics, including particle accelerators, crystallography, and studies of chaos. Notably, Suris's theorem constrains the integrability within this category of mappings, outlining potential scenarios with analytic invariants of motion. In this paper, we challenge the assumption of the analyticity of the invariant by exploring piecewise linear transformations on a torus ( T 2 ) and associated systems on the plane ( R 2 ), incorporating arithmetic quasiperiodicity and discontinuities. Introducing a new automated technique, we discovered previously unknown scenarios featuring polygonal invariants that form perfect tessellations and, moreover, fibrations of the plane or torus. This work reveals a novel category of planar tilings characterized by discrete symmetries that emerge from the invertibility of transformations and are intrinsically linked to the presence of integrability. Our algorithm relies on the analysis of the Poincaré rotation number and its piecewise monotonic nature for integrable cases, contrasting with the noisy behavior in the case of chaos, thereby allowing for clear separation. Some of the newly discovered systems exhibit the peculiar behavior of “integrable diffusion,” characterized by infinite and quasirandom hopping between tiles while being confined to a set of invariant segments. Finally, through the implementation of a smoothening procedure, all mappings can be generalized to quasi-integrable scenarios with suppressed volume occupied by chaotic trajectories, thereby opening doors to potential practical applications. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

The sensitivity of various mode sets for probing differential rotation shear zones

The potential of future data sets from global oscillations network group (GONG) and solar oscillations investigation (SOI) for resolving long-lived azimuthal jets and shearing flows, is investigated. Various artificial data sets are constructed, containing noise resembling that of a one-year observation run. These are inverted using a two dimensional regularized least squares inversion. The ability of this method to form well localized averages of the rotation rate, as measured by the averaging kernels, is investigated using an extensive mode set and subsets. It is shown that it is possible to keep the noise in the solution down to a few nHz in much of the solar interior, while obtaining a reasonable resolution for a GONG-like data set. At low latitudes in the middle of the convection zone, an angular resolution of less than 10 deg and a radial resolution of about 0.04 solar radii, are obtained. The averaging kernels depend on the mode set, and a reduction in the number of modes tends to introduce small-scale near surface structures into the averaging kernels which would adversely affect the inferred rotation rate.

Christensen-Dalsgaard, Joergen↗

Adaptive Protection and Validated Models to Enable Deployment of High Penetrations of Solar PV (PV-MOD)

The availability and validation of various PV models in commercial tools differ, with some models not yet thoroughly validated for advanced inverter functionalities and reliable performance under weak system conditions. Many existing models do not fully incorporate new inverter control functions, which can affect system stability. The increasing deployment of solar PV and other inverter-based resources (IBRs), including distributed energy resources (DERs), is influencing the reliable operation of protection schemes in distribution systems and microgrids. Emerging adaptive protection schemes (APS) offer new opportunities for protecting these systems during varying configurations and DER operating conditions, though their demonstration and validation remain limited. Adaptive protection schemes face similar challenges, as they are typically designed for specific configurations. There is a growing need for tools and methodologies to streamline the deployment of adaptive protection for safe and reliable DER integration. The project main objective was to develop and validate high-fidelity generic models of solar PV facilities for stability, protection, EMT, and QSTS analyses. This objective was achieved, and these models can now be integrated into commercial software tools, enabling utilities, vendors, and developers to study high-penetration PV systems more confidently. The project also demonstrated advanced applications of these models, including the design and deployment of adaptive protection schemes in high-penetration field applications and microgrids, supporting grid safety and reliability. Several milestones were reached by the end of the project. A sophisticated inverter test plan was developed, and inverters representative of the North American marketplace were selected. EPRI and NREL tested various inverters, conforming to IEEE standards. Improvements were made to existing generic models of IBR units, IBR plants, and aggregated feeders for various analyses. The first generic electromagnetic transient (EMT) model for a solar PV plant was developed, conforming to IEEE Std 2800™-2022 and validated against laboratory measurements of a 2.2 MVA large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) inverter. That model was then used to produce reference responses illustrating examples of validated and verified IBR plant models that pass or fail tests for technical minimum capability and performance as specified in the IEEE standard. The developed, tested, and validated generic models can be used for transmission planning, stability assessments, expansion planning, and evaluating potential future IBR interconnection requirements. They can also support interconnection screens and conformity assessments of IBR plants, including solar PV. The project significantly contributed to the ongoing standardization and model-based representation and verification of IBR responses. The project further addressed challenges of common distribution protection schemes with increasing deployment of DER by developing, validating, and demonstrating adaptive protection schemes (APS) that can improve the reliable and safe integration of DER into distribution systems. New APS were designed using improved DER models for three common distribution systems: a radial feeder, a meshed network, and a microgrid. Modeling and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of the APS were conducted, successfully showing their effectiveness and selectivity. Proof-of-concept field demonstration was achieved for two APS, i.e., one on a radial feeder and another one in a microgrid. Field demonstration could not be achieved for the APS on a meshed network, primarily due apprehension of one utility partner and also due to limited access to the protective algorithms in the network protectors. Guidelines developed from the lessons learned in the project lay out the general process followed in the design, installation, and commissioning of APS for various distribution systems. Distribution utility partners’ apprehension about field demonstration of the new APS were addressed—with varying success—by taking a stepped risk-management approach of modeling of a wide range of sensitivities first, performing in-depth proof-of-concept testing in the laboratory including HIL next, and finally deliberately implementing and commissioning the actual protection equipment and algorithms into parts of—or in parallel operation to—the three real distribution systems. Future work should include pilot projects that further show the acceptable performance of the developed APS before these schemes be rolled out more widely. Inclusion of both utility and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in future projects could increase chances of successful field demonstration. Despite challenges in achieving the field demonstration goal of the project for all three APS, the research significantly contributed to the innovation of adaptive protection solutions for scalable and reliable DER integration into distribution systems. This project significantly enhances the understanding of the impact of using appropriate inverter models on distribution and transmission (T&D) systems. By addressing the limitations of existing generic models, the project introduces high-fidelity models for stability, protection, electromagnetic transient (EMT), and quasi-static time series (QSTS) analyses. These models, integrated into commercial software tools, enable utilities, vendors, and developers to confidently study high-penetration PV systems. The project also demonstrates advanced applications, including adaptive protection schemes (APS) for distribution systems and microgrids, ensuring grid safety and reliability. The technical effectiveness and economic feasibility of the methods are evident through the development and validation of sophisticated inverter test plans and the selection of representative inverters. Testing by EPRI and NREL on retail, commercial, and utility-scale inverters, conforming to IEEE standards, underscores the robustness of the models. Improvements to existing generic models for various analyses further enhance their validity and applicability. The project also identifies gaps in common distribution protection schemes and designed new APS using improved DER models, demonstrating their effectiveness through modeling and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing. The project’s benefits to the public are manifold. By advancing the standardization and model-based representation of IBR response, it supports transmission planning, stability assessments, and future IBR interconnection requirements. The generic models can facilitate better communication between transmission planners and developers, supporting expected IBR plant capability and performance. Additionally, the development of APS for radial feeders, meshed networks, and microgrids supports the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into distribution systems, enhancing grid reliability and safety. The project’s emphasis on thorough testing and simplicity in design ensures practical and scalable solutions for DER integration.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Magnetosphere of Neptune - Auroral zone field-aligned potential drops?

This paper explores some possibilities for plasma populations, field-aligned currents, and field-aligned potentials in the magnetosphere of Neptune. Observed plasma populations at Saturn and Uranus may provide reasonable upper and low limits, respectively, to those at Neptune. Field-aligned current densities comparable to those at Earth may be observed by the Voyager magnetometer above Neptune's auroral zone. Inverted-V events reaching energies of several tens of keV may also be observed by the Voyager Low Energy Charged Particle experiment.

Cheng, Andrew F.↗

Concept, Simulation, and Instrumentation for Radiometric Inflight Icing Detection

The multi-agency Flight in Icing Remote Sensing Team (FIRST), a consortium of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), has developed technologies for remotely detecting hazardous inflight icing conditions. The USACE Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) assessed the potential of onboard passive microwave radiometers for remotely detecting icing conditions ahead of aircraft. The dual wavelength system differences the brightness temperature of Space and clouds, with greater differences potentially indicating closer and higher magnitude cloud liquid water content (LWC). The Air Force RADiative TRANsfer model (RADTRAN) was enhanced to assess the flight track sensing concept, and a 'flying' RADTRAN was developed to simulate a radiometer system flying through simulated clouds. Neural network techniques were developed to invert brightness temperatures and obtain integrated cloud liquid water. In addition, a dual wavelength Direct-Detection Polarimeter Radiometer (DDPR) system was built for detecting hazardous drizzle drops. This paper reviews technology development to date and addresses initial polarimeter performance.

Ryerson, Charles↗

Hydrologic Impacts of a Strike-Slip Fault Zone: Insights from Joint 3D Body-Wave Tomography of Rock Valley

The Rock Valley fault zone (RVFZ), an intraplate strike-slip fault zone in the southern Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), hosted a series of very shallow (<3 km) earthquakes in 1993. The RVFZ may also have hydrological significance within the NNSS, potentially playing a role in regional groundwater flow, but there is a lack of local hydrological data. In the Spring of 2021, we collected active-source accelerated weight drop seismic data over part of the RVFZ to better characterize the shallow subsurface. Here, we manually picked ~17,000 P-wave travel times and over 14,000 S-wave travel times, which were inverted for P-wave velocity (V P ), S-wave velocity (V S ), and V P /V S ratio in a 3D joint tomographic inversion scheme. Seismic velocities are imaged as deep as ~700 m in areas and generally align with geologic and structural expectations. V P and V S are relatively reduced near mapped and inferred faults, with the most prominent lower V P and V S zone around the densest collection of faults. We image V P /V S ratios ranging from ~1.5 to ~2.4, the extremes of which occur at a depth of ~100 m and are juxtaposed across a fault. One possible interpretation of the imaged seismic velocities is enhanced fault damage near the densest collection of faults with relatively higher porosity and/or crack density at ~100 m depth, with patches of semiperched groundwater present in the sedimentary rock in higher V P /V S areas and drier rock in lower V P /V S areas. A relatively higher V P /V S area beneath the densest faults persists at depth, which suggests percolation of groundwater via the fault damage zone to the regionally connected lower carbonate aquifer. Potentially, the presence and movement of groundwater may have played a role in the 1993 earthquake aftershocks.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Estimating Subhourly Inverter Clipping Loss From Satellite-Derived Irradiance Data

Photovoltaic system production simulations are conventionally run using hourly weather datasets. Hourly simulations are sufficiently accurate to predict the majority of long-term system behavior but cannot resolve high-frequency effects like inverter clipping caused by short-duration irradiance variability. Direct modeling of this subhourly clipping error is only possible for the few locations with high-resolution irradiance datasets. This paper describes a method of predicting the magnitude of this error using a machine learning regressor ensemble model, comprised of a random forest and an XGBoost model, and 30-minute satellite irradiance data. The method predicts a correction for each 30-minute interval with the potential to roll up into 60-minute corrections to match an hourly energy model. The model is trained and validated at locations where the error can be directly simulated from 1-minute ground data. The validation shows low bias at most ground station locations. The model is also applied to gridded satellite irradiance to produce a heatmap of the estimated clipping error across the United States. Finally, the relative importance of each predictor satellite variable is retrieved from the model and discussed.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗

Enabling ITO-free perovskite solar cells through n-doped poly(benzodifurandione) (n-PBDF) electrodes

The burgeoning commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is propelled by their exceptional power conversion efficiency (PCE), enhanced stability, and ease of fabrication. However, the rigidity of mainstream transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) limits the adaptability of PSCs to various application scenarios. Although alternative materials such as silver nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and PEDOT:PSS have been evaluated, the p-type nature confines their device designs to inverted architecture and restricts broader applicability. Here, for the first time, a conducting polymer electrode based on n-doped poly(benzodifurandione) (n-PBDF) was used to replace TCOs in PSCs. The n-PBDF electrodes can be readily fabricated via low-temperature, solution-based processes, indicating substantial potential for reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, its integration into PSCs has negligible effect on the phase, morphology, or photophysical properties of the perovskite layer, which is comparable to the typical TCOs. After optimization, the n-PBDF-based device achieves a power conversion efficiency of 12.70 and 11.23%, for rigid and flexible devices, respectively. Our study provides a promising alternative to the widely used TCOs in PSCs, highlighting the advantages of using n-doped conducting polymers in terms of processability and flexibility.

Kumar, Prashant [Purdue University, West Lafayette↗

Predicting Thermal Performance of an Enhanced Geothermal System From Tracer Tests in a Data Assimilation Framework

Abstract Predicting the thermal performance of an enhanced geothermal system (EGS) requires a comprehensive characterization of the underlying fracture flow patterns from practically available data such as tracer data. However, due to the inherent complexities of subsurface fractures and the generally insufficient geological/geophysical data, interpreting tracer data for fracture flow characterization and thermal prediction remains a challenging task. The present study aims to tackle the challenge by leveraging a data assimilation method to maximize the utilization of information inherently contained in tracer data, and meanwhile maintain the flexibility to handle various uncertainties. A tracer data interpretation framework was proposed with the following three components integrated: (a) We use principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of model parameter space. (b) We use ES‐MDA (ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation) to invert for fracture aperture/flow fields and obtain posterior model ensembles for uncertainty quantification. Various data types are assimilated jointly to improve the predictive ability of the posterior ensemble. (c) The inverted fracture aperture fields are then incorporated into reservoir models to predict thermal performance. We developed a field‐scale EGS model to verify the ability of the framework to characterize highly heterogeneous fracture aperture/flow fields and predicting thermal performance. We also applied the framework to a mesoscale field experiment to demonstrate its potential application in real‐world geothermal reservoirs. The results indicate that the proposed framework can effectively retrieve fracture flow information from tracer data for thermal prediction and uncertainty quantification, and thus provide informative guidance for EGS optimization and risk management.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

An empirical model for inverted-velocity-profile jet noise prediction

It is known that the noise generated by inverted-velocity-profile coaxial (without center plug) and coannular (with center plug) nozzles should be modeled as the combined contributions of various source regions and noise generation mechanisms. In this paper, an empirical noise-prediction model is described which considers the noise generated by two jet-mixing regions and two potential regions of shock/turbulence interaction. Results calculated from the empirical model are compared with model-scale experimental data for static and simulated flight conditions. These comparisons are made for cases where both streams are subsonic, where the outer stream is supersonic with the inner stream subsonic, and where both streams are supersonic. The cases considered cover a range of inner-to-outer-stream area ratios and include both coaxial and coannular nozzles. It is shown that the model gives reasonable predictions of absolute noise spectra and even better predictions of incremental changes.

Stone, J. R.↗