Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “TEMPERATURE PROFILE”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

Estimating Mixing Heights Using Microwave Temperature Profiler

A paper describes the Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) for making measurements of the planetary boundary layer thermal structure data necessary for air quality forecasting as the Mixing Layer (ML) height determines the volume in which daytime pollution is primarily concentrated. This is the first time that an airborne temperature profiler has been used to measure the mixing layer height. Normally, this is done using a radar wind profiler, which is both noisy and large. The MTP was deployed during the Texas 2000 Air Quality Study (TexAQS-2000). An objective technique was developed and tested for estimating the ML height from the MTP vertical temperature profiles. In order to calibrate the technique and evaluate the usefulness of this approach, estimates from a variety of measurements during the TexAQS-2000 were compared. Estimates of ML height were used from radiosondes, radar wind profilers, an aerosol backscatter lidar, and in-situ aircraft measurements in addition to those from the MTP.

Nielson-Gammon, John↗

Observational results using the microwave temperature profiler during the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment

The Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) measures profiles of air temperature versus altitude. The altitude coverage is about 5 km at a flight altitude of 20 km (66,000 feet), and the profiles are obtained every 14 s. The MTP instrument is installed on NASA's ER-2 aircraft, which flew 13 missions over Antarctica during the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment. Altitude temperature profiles were used to derive potential temperature cross sections. These cross sections have been useful in detecting atmospheric waves. Many wave encounters have been identified as 'mountain waves'. The mountain waves are found to extend from the lowest altitudes measured to the highest (about 24 km). The southern part of the Palmer Peninsula was found to be associated with mountain waves more than half the time. Altitude temperature profiles were also used to measure the lapse rate along the flight track. Lapse rate versus latitude plots do not show significant changes at the ozone hole boundary.

Gary, Bruce L.↗

Advances in the remote sensing of atmospheric temperature profiles

Clear-column temperature profiles with a vertical resolution of 2 km in the troposphere and an accuracy of 1.5 K are obtained in the presence of multiple layers of broken clouds using narrow band-pass measurements carefully selected in the 4.18 and 15 micron regions of the CO2 bands.

Chachine, M. T.↗

A distributed temperature profiling method for assessing spatial variability in ground temperatures in a discontinuous permafrost region of Alaska

Soil temperature has been recognized as a property that strongly influences a myriad of hydro-biogeochemical processes and reflects how various properties modulate the soil thermal flux. In spite of its importance, our ability to acquire soil temperature data with high spatial and temporal resolution and coverage is limited because of the high cost of equipment, the difficulties of deployment, and the complexities of data management. Here we propose a new strategy that we call distributed temperature profiling (DTP) for improving the characterization and monitoring near-surface thermal properties through the use of an unprecedented number of laterally and vertically distributed temperature measurements. We developed a prototype DTP system, which consists of inexpensive, low-impact, low-power, and vertically resolved temperature probes that independently and autonomously record soil temperature. The DTP system concept was tested by moving sequentially the system across the landscape to identify near-surface permafrost distribution in a discontinuous permafrost environment near Nome, Alaska, during the summertime. Results show that the DTP system enabled successful acquisition of vertically resolved profiles of summer soil temperature over the top 0.8 m at numerous locations. DTP also enabled high-resolution identification and lateral delineation of near-surface permafrost locations from surrounding zones with no permafrost or deep permafrost table locations overlain by a perennially thawed layer. The DTP strategy overcomes some of the limitations associated with – and complements the strengths of – borehole-based soil temperature sensing as well as fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) approaches. Combining DTP data with co-located topographic and vegetation maps obtained using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data allowed us to identify correspondences between surface and subsurface property distribution and in particular between topography, vegetation, shallow soil properties, and near-surface permafrost. Finally, the results highlight the considerable value of the newly developed DTP strategy for investigating the significant variability in and complexity of subsurface thermal and hydrological regimes in discontinuous permafrost regions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A Distributed Temperature Profiling System for Vertically and Laterally Dense Acquisition of Soil and Snow Temperature: Supporting Data

This dataset was used to assess the potential of a Distributed Temperature Profiling System developed and presented in the article named "A Distributed Temperature Profiling System for Vertically and Laterally Dense Acquisition of Soil and Snow Temperature" and submitted to Cryosphere. There are three comma-delimited data files (.csv). Each of them contains snow or soil temperature with times (UTC) in the first column and temperature at various vertical distance from the ground surface (positive means in air/snow) or below the ground surface (negative means in soil). The measurements were acquired every 15 minutes. Data collected at the East River, Colorado site with two probes: 1) measuring air/snow temperature from 1.1 m above the ground surface to the ground surface (with 5 or 10 cm spacing between sensors) and 2) measuring soil temperature from the ground surface to 0.7 m depth (with 5 or 10 cm spacing between sensors). Data collected at the Teller road (mile 27) site near Nome, Alaska with one probe: measuring soil temperature from 5 cm above the ground surface to 1.05 m depth (with 5 or 10 cm spacing between sensors). Additional metadata included in *.csv and *.pdf files. NGEE Arctic Project Summary: The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Greenland and Canadian Arctic Ice Temperature Profiles Database

Here, we present a compilation of 95 ice temperature profiles from 85 boreholes from the Greenland ice sheet and peripheral ice caps, as well as local ice caps in the Canadian Arctic. Profiles from only 31 boreholes (36 %) were previously available in open-access data repositories. The remaining 54 borehole profiles (64 %) are being made digitally available here for the first time. These newly available profiles, which are associated with pre-2010 boreholes, have been submitted by community members or digitized from published graphics and/or data tables. All 95 profiles are now made available in both absolute (meters) and normalized (0 to 1 ice thickness) depth scales and are accompanied by extensive metadata. These metadata include a transparent description of data provenance. The ice temperature profiles span 70 years, with the earliest profile being from 1950 at Camp VI, West Greenland. To highlight the value of this database in evaluating ice flow simulations, we compare the ice temperature profiles from the Greenland ice sheet with an ice flow simulation by the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM). We find a cold bias in modeled near-surface ice temperatures within the ablation area, a warm bias in modeled basal ice temperatures at inland cold-bedded sites, and an apparent underestimation of deformational heating in high-strain settings. These biases provide process level insight on simulated ice temperatures.

Greenland↗

Raman Lidar Profiles–Temperature (RLPROFTEMP) Value-Added Product

The purpose of this document is to describe the Raman Lidar Profiles–Temperature (RLPROFTEMP) value-added product (VAP) and the procedures used to derive atmospheric temperature profiles from the raw RL measurements. Sections 2 and 4 describe the input and output variables, respectively. Section 3 discusses the theory behind the measurement and the details of the algorithm, including calibration and overlap correction.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Effects of furnace temperature profile on the interface shape during Bridgman crystal growth

The effects of asymmetry in furnace temperature profile and pulling velocity on the crystal interface shape are demonstrated while neglecting the latent heat of solidification. It is concluded that the furnace temperature profile may be varied in order to influence the interface shape of the crystal. An exact thermal analysis is performed on the Bridgman technique by including the latent heat of solidification as a source term. The exact temperature field is obtained for the case of a flat melt-crystal interface. The earlier observation regarding the influence of furnace temperature profile on the crystal interface shape is confirmed and a criterion for a flat crystal interface is obtained. Various furnace temperature profiles are selected and their corresponding results are presented.

Taghavi, K.↗

Spectral structure of tropospheric vertical temperature profiles over Cape Kennedy, Florida.

Recent Jimsphere/Jimsonde measurements of tropospheric temperature profile spectra in the wavelength band from 50 to 2000 meters above the atmospheric boundary layer, taken over Cape Kennedy, Florida, are summarized. The results suggest that the spectra can be represented in the nondimensional form (omega sub g/sigma sub w)phi(k)/sigma sub T squared = S(K), where phi(k) is the temperature profile spectrum at wave number k, omega sub g is the Brunt-Vasala frequency, sigma sub w and sigma sub T denote the standard deviations of the vertical velocity and temperature profiles, and S is a universal function of nondimensional wave number K = k sigma sub w/omega sub g.

Fichtl, G. H.↗

Velocity and temperature profiles in near-critical nitrogen flowing past a horizontal flat plate

Boundary layer velocity and temperature profiles were measured for nitrogen near its thermodynamic critical point flowing past a horizontal flat plate. The heated surface was oriented both facing upward and downward. The results were compared to earlier work in which measurements were made for vertically upward flow. The boundary layer temperatures ranged from below to above the thermodynamic critical temperature. For wall temperatures below the thermodynamic critical temperature there was little variation between the velocity and temperature profiles in the three orientations. In all three orientations the point of crossing into the critical temperature region is marked by a significant flattening of the velocity and temperature profiles and also a decrease in heat transfer coefficient. As the heat flux and, consequently, wall temperature are further increased significant changes occur in the velocity and temperature profiles. Examination of near-critical heat transfer in these three flow orientations offers insights into the relative role of buoyancy forces in this regime.

Simoneau, R. J.↗

A single field of view method for retrieving tropospheric temperature profiles from cloud-contaminated radiance data

An iterative method is presented to retrieve single field of view (FOV) tropospheric temperature profiles directly from cloud-contaminated radiance data. A well-defined temperature profile may be calculated from the radiative transfer equation (RTE) for a partly cloudy atmosphere when the average fractional cloud amount and cloud-top height for the FOV are known. A cloud model is formulated to calculate the fractional cloud amount from an estimated cloud-top height. The method is then examined through use of simulated radiance data calculated through vertical integration of the RTE for a partly cloudy atmosphere using known values of cloud-top height(s) and fractional cloud amount(s). Temperature profiles are retrieved from the simulated data assuming various errors in the cloud parameters. Temperature profiles are retrieved from NOAA-4 satellite-measured radiance data obtained over an area dominated by an active cold front and with considerable cloud cover and compared with radiosonde data. The effects of using various guessed profiles and the number of iterations are considered.

Hodges, D. B.↗

Redistribution of the inlet temperature profile through the SSME fuel turbine

A three-dimensional Euler code was used to predict radial inlet temperature profile redistribution through the two-stage fuel turbopump turbine. The calculation was made at the FPL condition using a turbine inlet radial temperature profile. This same calculation was made earlier on single-stage turbine. There was a redistribution of the temperature profile such that the hotter gas that originated at the midspan region at the turbine inlet was shifted to the hub and tip regions on the blade pressure surface at the rotor exit. For the SSME fuel turbine, however, there was no redistribution of the inlet temperature profile. No strong secondary flow patterns were identified. It is indicated that this trend is attributed to the high solidity SSME blading.

Schwab, J. R.↗

Nonequilibrium shock layer temperature profiles from arc jet radiation measurements

Shock layer temperature profiles are obtained through analysis of radiation from shock layers produced by a blunt body inserted in arc jet flow. Spectral measurements have been made in a nitrogen flow of 54.4 gm/s at an enthalpy of 8.72 MJ/kg. Vibrational temperatures for N2+ are obtained by matching spectral regions from arc jet spectra with spectra generated using the NEQAIR code. Temperature profiles obtained from the radiation layers show a vibrational temperature higher than the rotational temperature near the front of the shock and both temperatures decrease as the flow approaches the body. The spectral measurements are made and analysis completed for four distances, from the surface of the blunt body. The corresponding shock layer thickness is approximately 3.6 cm. Although the shock layer appears to be in thermal nonequilibrium, the measured rotational temperature approaches the single temperature results of viscous shock layer calculations at this test condition.

Blackwell, Harvel E.↗

Sensitivity of Temperature Profiles Retrieved from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS/TES) Observations to the GSFC Synthetic Mars Model Atmosphere

Part of the task of interpreting IR spectral features observed by MGS/TES due to surface minerals requires distinguishing those IR signatures from atmospheric signatures of gas and dust. Surface-atmosphere separation for MGS/TES depends on knowledge of the retrieved temperature profile. In turn, the temperature retrieval Erom the observed data depends on molecular parameters including 15 micron CO2 line shape or line intensities which contribute to defining the Mars synthetic radiative transfer model. Using a simple isothermal, homogeneous single layer model of Pinnock and Shine, we find the ratio of (the error in degrees Kelvin of the retrieved temperature profile) to (the percentage error in the absorption coefficient) (deg K/percent) to be 0.4 at 200K. This ratio at 150K and 250K is 0.2 and 0.6, respectively. A more refined model, incorporating observed MGS/TES retrieved temperature profiles, the TES instrumental resolution and the most recent molecular modelling, will yield an improved knowledge of this error sensitivity. We present results of such a sensitivity study to determine the dependence of temperature profiles inverted from MGS/TES on these and other molecular parameters. This work was supported in part by NASA's Mars Data Analysis Program.

Maguire, William C.↗

Extending the low-recycling, flat temperature profile regime in the lithium tokamak experiment-β (LTX-β) with ohmic and neutral beam heating

Abstract Recent experiments in the lithium tokamak experiment- β (LTX- β ) have extended the duration, performance, operating conditions, and diagnosis of the flat-temperature profile, low-recycling regime first observed in LTX. As expected, Li retains hydrogen and suppresses edge neutral cooling, allowing increased edge electron temperature, roughly equal to the core T e . Flat temperature profiles had been obtained transiently in LTX, as the plasma density decayed following the cessation of edge gas puffing. Careful control over the fueling in LTX- β has now been shown to sustain the flat T e profile and hot edge unique to the low-recycling regime for multiple confinement times in high performance discharges with decaying or steady density. With low density, the flat T e profile is also seen to extend into the scrape-off layer. Neutral beam heating is observed in target discharges with relatively flat electron temperature profiles ( T edge ∼ T core /2), though beam heating is stronger in discharges with higher fueling, higher density, and depressed edge T e . Beam heating produces additional peaking of the T e profile, without degradation of the energy confinement time. Neutral beam heating of target discharges with relatively flat electron temperature profiles similarly results in broad beam heated temperature profiles. Energy confinement in LTX- β generally compares favorably to ohmic and H-mode scalings, frequently exceeding them by factors of 2–4. New and improved diagnostics in LTX- β enable better characterization of this unique regime, including measurements of ion temperature and high field side Thomson scattering profiles. As an initial step toward characterizing turbulence with no T e gradient and roughly equal density and pressure gradient, core fluctuation spectra have been measured in peaked T e discharges using far-forward scattering and fluctuation reflectometry.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A distributed temperature profiling system for vertically and laterally dense acquisition of soil and snow temperature

Abstract. Measuring soil and snow temperature with high vertical and lateral resolution is critical for advancing the predictive understanding of thermal and hydro-biogeochemical processes that govern the behavior of environmental systems. Vertically resolved soil temperature measurements enable the estimation of soil thermal regimes, frozen-/thawed-layer thickness, thermal parameters, and heat and/or water fluxes. Similarly, they can be used to capture the snow depth and the snowpack thermal parameters and fluxes. However, these measurements are challenging to acquire using conventional approaches due to their total cost, their limited vertical resolution, and their large installation footprint. This study presents the development and validation of a novel distributed temperature profiling (DTP) system that addresses these challenges. The system leverages digital temperature sensors to provide unprecedented, finely resolved depth profiles of temperature measurements with flexibility in system geometry and vertical resolution. The integrated miniaturized logger enables automated data acquisition, management, and wireless transfer. A novel calibration approach adapted to the DTP system confirms the factory-assured sensor accuracy of ±0.1 ∘C and enables improving it to ±0.015 ∘C. Numerical experiments indicate that, under normal environmental conditions, an additional error of 0.01 % in amplitude and 70 s time delay in amplitude for a diurnal period can be expected, owing to the DTP housing. We demonstrate the DTP systems capability at two field sites, one focused on understanding how snow dynamics influence mountainous water resources and the other focused on understanding how soil properties influence carbon cycling. Results indicate that the DTP system reliably captures the dynamics in snow depth and soil freezing and thawing depth, enabling advances in understanding the intensity and timing in surface processes and their impact on subsurface thermohydrological regimes. Overall, the DTP system fulfills the needs for data accuracy, minimal power consumption, and low total cost, enabling advances in the multiscale understanding of various cryospheric and hydro-biogeochemical processes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

(abstract) Steady State Temperature Profile in a Cylinder Heated by Microwaves

We have developed a new theory to calculate the steady state temperature profile in a cylindrical sample positioned along the entire axis of a cylindrical microwave cavity. Temperature profiles were computed for alumina rods of various radii excited by one of the TM0n0 modes with n = 1, 2, or 3. Sample surface and center temperatures will be presented as a function of total sample absorbed power or electric field strength at the sample surface. An approach for attaining more uniform heating within the sample by reducing the magnitude of the inverted temperature profile using a concentric outer cylindrical tube will be discussed.

microwave↗

Assimilation of Quality Controlled AIRS Temperature Profiles using the NCEP GFS

We have previously conducted a number of data assimilation experiments using AIRS Version-5 quality controlled temperature profiles as a step toward finding an optimum balance of spatial coverage and sounding accuracy with regard to improving forecast skill. The data assimilation and forecast system we used was the Goddard Earth Observing System Model , Version-5 (GEOS-5) Data Assimilation System (DAS), which represents a combination of the NASA GEOS-5 forecast model with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational Grid Point Statistical Interpolation (GSI) global analysis scheme. All analyses and forecasts were run at a 0.5deg x 0.625deg spatial resolution. Data assimilation experiments were conducted in four different seasons, each in a different year. Three different sets of data assimilation experiments were run during each time period: Control; AIRS T(p); and AIRS Radiance. In the "Control" analysis, all the data used operationally by NCEP was assimilated, but no AIRS data was assimilated. Radiances from the Aqua AMSU-A instrument were also assimilated operationally by NCEP and are included in the "Control". The AIRS Radiance assimilation adds AIRS observed radiance observations for a select set of channels to the data set being assimilated, as done operationally by NCEP. In the AIRS T(p) assimilation, all information used in the Control was assimilated as well as Quality Controlled AIRS Version-5 temperature profiles, i.e., AIRS T(p) information was substituted for AIRS radiance information. The AIRS Version-5 temperature profiles were presented to the GSI analysis as rawinsonde profiles, assimilated down to a case-by-case appropriate pressure level p(sub best) determined using the Quality Control procedure. Version-5 also determines case-by-case, level-by-level error estimates of the temperature profiles, which were used as the uncertainty of each temperature measurement. These experiments using GEOS-5 have shown that forecasts resulting from analyses using the AIRS T(p) assimilation system were superior to those from the Radiance assimilation system, both with regard to global 7 day forecast skill and also the ability to predict storm tracks and intensity.

Susskind, Joel↗