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At least 487 records · Page 27

Persistent ocean anomalies as a response to Northern Hemisphere heating induced by biomass burning variability

Biomass burning aerosol (BBA) emissions in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) historical forcing fields have enhanced temporal variability during the years 1997–2014 compared to earlier periods. Recent studies document that the corresponding inhomogeneous shortwave forcing over this period can cause changes in clouds, permafrost, and soil moisture, which contribute to a net terrestrial Northern Hemisphere warming relative to earlier periods. Here, we investigate the ocean response to the hemispherically asymmetric warming, using a 100-member ensemble of the Community Earth System Model version 2 Large Ensemble forced by two different BBA emissions (CMIP6 default and temporally smoothed over 1990–2020). Differences between the two subensemble means show that ocean temperature anomalies occur during periods of high BBA variability and subsequently persist over multiple decades. In the North Atlantic, surface warming is efficiently compensated for by decreased northward oceanic heat transport due to a slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. In the North Pacific, surface warming is compensated for by an anomalous cross-equatorial cell (CEC) that reduces northward oceanic heat transport. The heat that converges in the South Pacific through the anomalous CEC is shunted into the subsurface and contributes to formation of long-lasting ocean temperature anomalies. The anomalous CEC is maintained through latitude-dependent contributions from narrow western boundary currents and basin-wide near-surface Ekman transport. Furthermore, these results indicate that interannual variability in forcing fields may significantly change the background climate state over long timescales, presenting a potential uncertainty in CMIP6-class climate projections forced without interannual variability.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Numerical investigation of a fueled pre-chamber spark-ignition natural gas engine

Pre-chamber spark-ignition (PCSI) is a leading advanced ignition concept for internal combustion engines with the potential to enable diesel-like efficiency in medium-duty/heavy-duty (MD/HD) natural gas (NG) engines. By leveraging distributed ignition sources from multiple turbulent jets, the PCSI technology can deliver extremely short combustion duration in ultra-lean mixtures and significantly improve the engine thermal efficiency. However, in the automotive industry there is a lack of adequate science base and predictive simulation tools required for commercial development of PCSI engines. Here, in this study, Reynolds-Average Navier-Stokes simulations are carried out to describe the combustion process in lean-burn NG engines, focusing on the combustion modeling approach. Two combustion models, multi-zone well-stirred reactor (MZ-WSR) and G-equation, are used to simulate the combustion process in an MD NG engine equipped with a fueled-PCSI system for four operating conditions close to the lean operating limit. A skeletal chemical mechanism and a laminar flame speed tabulation are used to compute the combustion accurately. Simulation results are compared with experimental data regarding measured cylinder pressure, heat release rate, and combustion duration. By dividing the PCSI combustion process into four distinct phases, the difference between the two models’ results for each phase is analyzed in detail. The MZ-WSR model overestimates the combustion duration for early flame kernel growth in the pre-chamber due to the lack of a specific formulation to take turbulence-chemistry interaction into account. Despite the prolonged combustion duration and low pressure built-up inside the pre-chamber, the model matches the combustion rate in the main-chamber. In contrast, the G-equation model delivers good agreements for the pre-chamber combustion and turbulent jet-driven combustion processes. However, the model starts to underestimate the combustion rate in the main-chamber, especially under ultra-lean mixture conditions. Finally, improvements are needed for both models to simulate the later combustion stage that occurred in the near-wall regions.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Reference data, predictors, and probability grids for forest degradation classes in three sites in the Brazilian Amazon

Forest degradation by fires and selective logging is widespread in the Amazon region. We implemented a gradient boosted classification modeling framework to classify intact, logged, and burned forests at three Amazonian sites: Feliz Natal Municipality and Xingu Indigenous Territory in Mato Grosso State, and Saracá-Taquera National Forest in Pará State. We used forest degradation history from Landsat time-series as reference data and textural metrics derived from PlanetScope images as predictors. Textural metrics were computed using the Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) textural technique. Included in the attached zip file are ten files: - a shapefile containing the reference data (fire and selective logging polygons and year of event) for each site; - a multiband tif file containing the 8 GLCM metrics used as predictors (Mean, Variance, Homogeneity, Contrast, Dissimilarity, Entropy, Angular Second Moment, Correlation) at the original PlanetScope resolution (3.125m) for each site; - a multiband tif file containing the 72 aggregated GLCM metrics used as predictors (Mean, Variance, Homogeneity, Contrast, Dissimilarity, Entropy, Angular Second Moment, and Correlation aggregated using the mean, first quartile, third quartile, maximum, median, minimum, root mean square, standard deviation, and skewness statistics) at 562m resolution for each site; - a multiband tif file containing the 3 probability grids for either intact, logged, or burned forests at the aggregation resolution (562m) for each site.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Excitation of pulsations in the CNO ionization zone of luminous stars

Homogeneous models of luminous hydrogen-and-helium burning stars were constructed on the basis of Carson's new radiative opacities. These opacities exhibit a large 'bump' at moderate temperatures and low densities as a result of the ultimate ionization of the CNO group of elements and they induce in the envelopes of the more massive stars a strong local convection zone, a high central condensation and pulsational instability by means of the kappa-mechanism above a certain stellar mass. This critical mass for Population I hydrogen-burning stars is probably greater than 45 solar masses for the fundamental radial mode, with the overtones being more stable, while for the homogeneous helium-burning stars, the critical mass lies in the range 2-6 solar masses for all modes up to at least the third overtone. Convection is alternately treated by means of the mixing length theory and the assumption of strict adiabaticity.

Stothers, R.↗

Nucleosynthesis of neutron-rich heavy nuclei during explosive helium burning in massive stars

The production of heavy nuclei during explosive helium burning has been calculated using a hydrodynamical model of a 15-solar mass (Type II) supernova and an n-process nuclear reaction network. It is found that the resulting neutron-rich heavy nuclei are not produced in the relative abundances of solar-system r-process material, especially in the vicinity of Pt, nor are any actinides produced. These deficiencies reflect an inadequate supply of neutrons. However, some neutron-rich isotopes, normally associated with the r-process, are produced which may be significant for the production of isotopic anomalies in meteorites.

Blake, J. B.↗

Nucleosynthesis in novae - A source of Ne-E and Al-26

It is shown upon computation of the nucleosynthesis products of explosive hydrogen burning, in the framework of recent nova models, that nova condensates will probably contain isotopic anomalies in Ne-22, from Na-22 decay, and Mg-26, from Al-26 decay. It is found, for all the models considered, that while too much Ne-20 and -21 is produced relative to Ne-22 to explain the presumably almost pure Ne-22 meteoritic Ne-E component, the Na-22 abundance is high enough to explain Ne-E as its decay product if nova condensates are preserved in Ne samples. It is also determined that while Al-26 is coproduced with Na-22, its total amount strongly depends on the uncertain, Si-27(p, gamma)P-28 reaction rate. The abundances of all nuclides, up to Ar, are computed and found to be clearly nonsolar in many cases.

Hillebrandt, W.↗

Combustion of interacting droplet arrays in a microgravity environment

This research program involves the study of one and two dimensional arrays of droplets in a buoyant-free environment. The purpose of the work is to extend the database and theories that exist for single droplets into the regime where droplet interactions are important. The eventual goal being to use the results of this work as inputs to models on spray combustion where droplets seldom burn individually; instead the combustion history of a droplet is strongly influenced by the presence of the neighboring droplets. The emphasis of the present investigation is experimental, although comparison will be made to existing theoretical and numerical treatments when appropriate. Both normal gravity and low gravity testing will be employed, and the results compared. The work to date will be summarized in the next section, followed by a section detailing the future plans.

Dietrich, Daniel L.↗

Combustion of interacting droplet arrays in a microgravity environment

This research program involves the study of one and two dimensional arrays of droplets in a buoyant-free environment. The purpose of the work is to extend the database and theories that exist for single droplets into the regime where droplet interactions are important. The eventual goal being to use the results of this work as inputs to models on spray combustion where droplets seldom burn individually; instead the combustion history of a droplet is strongly influenced by the presence of the neighboring droplets. Throughout the course of the work, a number of related aspects of isolated droplet combustion have also been investigated. This paper will review our progress in microgravity droplet array combustion, advanced diagnostics (specifically L2) applied to isolated droplet combustion, and radiative extinction large droplet flames. A small-scale droplet combustion experiment being developed for the Space Shuttle will also be described.

Dietrich, Daniel L.↗

SRM Internal Flow Tests and Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis: CFD RSRM Full-Scale Analyses - Volume 2

This document presents the full-scale analyses of the CFD RSRM. The RSRM model was developed with a 20 second burn time. The following are presented as part of the full-scale analyses: (1) RSRM embedded inclusion analysis; (2) RSRM igniter nozzle design analysis; (3) Nozzle Joint 4 erosion anomaly; (4) RSRM full motor port slag accumulation analysis; (5) RSRM motor analysis of two-phase flow in the aft segment/submerged nozzle region; (6) Completion of 3-D Analysis of the hot air nozzle manifold; (7) Bates Motor distributed combustion test case; and (8) Three Dimensional Polysulfide Bump Analysis.

Source record↗

Lightning and Other Influences On Tropical Tropospheric Ozone: Empirical Studies of Covariation

Tropical and subtropical tropospheric ozone are important radiatively active species, with particularly large effects in the upper third of the troposphere. Temporal variability of O3 has proved difficult to simulate day by day in process models. Thus, individual roles of lightning, biomass burning, and other pollution in providing precursor NO(x), radicals, and chain carriers (CO, hydrocarbons) remain unquantified by simulation, and it is theoretically reasonable that individual roles are magnified by a joint synergy. We use wavelet analysis and Burg-algorithm maximum entropy spectral analyses to describe time-scales and correlation of ozone with proxies for processes controlling its concentration. Our empirical studies link time variations apparent in several datasets: the SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) network stations (Nairobi, Fiji), and auxiliary series with power to explain ozone-determining processes, with some interpretation based on the TTO (Tropical Tropospheric Ozone) product derived from TOMS (the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer). The auxiliary series are The OTD/LIS(Optical Transient Detector/Lightning Imaging Sensor) measurements of the lightning NO(x) source, the OLR (Outgoing Longwave Radiation)measurement of high-topped clouds, and standard meteorological variables from the United States NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) and Data Assimilation Office analyses. Concentrating on equatorial ozone, we compare the statistical evidence on the variability of tropospheric ozone. Important variations occur on approximately two-week, two-month (Madden-Julian Oscillation) and annual scales, and relations with OLR suggest controls associated with continental clouds. Hence we are now using the Lightning Imaging Sensor data set to indicate NO(x) sources. We report initial results defining relative roles of the process mentioned affecting O3 using their covariance properties.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗

Reactive Nitrogen, Ozone and Ozone Production in the Arctic Troposphere and the Impact of Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange

We analyze the aircraft observations obtained during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellite (ARCTAS) mission together with the GEOS-5 CO simulation to examine O3 and NOy in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region and their source attribution. Using a number of marker tracers and their probability density distributions, we distinguish various air masses from the background troposphere and examine their contribution to NOx, O3, and O3 production in the Arctic troposphere. The background Arctic troposphere has mean O3 of approximately 60 ppbv and NOx of approximately 25 pptv throughout spring and summer with CO decreases from approximately 145 ppbv in spring to approximately 100 ppbv in summer. These observed CO, NOx and O3 mixing ratios are not notably different from the values measured during the 1988 ABLE-3A and the 2002 TOPSE field campaigns despite the significant changes in the past two decades in processes that could have changed the Arctic tropospheric composition. Air masses associated with stratosphere-troposphere exchange are present throughout the mid and upper troposphere during spring and summer. These air masses with mean O3 concentration of 140-160 ppbv are the most important direct sources of O3 in the Arctic troposphere. In addition, air of stratospheric origin is the only notable driver of net O3 formation in the Arctic due to its sustainable high NOx (75 pptv in spring and 110 pptv in summer) and NOy (approximately 800 pptv in spring and approximately 1100 pptv in summer) levels. The ARCTAS measurements present observational evidence suggesting significant conversion of nitrogen from HNO3 to NOx and then to PAN (a net formation of approximately 120 pptv PAN) in summer when air of stratospheric origin is mixed with tropospheric background during stratosphere-to-troposphere transport. These findings imply that an adequate representation of stratospheric O3 and NOy input are essential in accurately simulating O3 and NOx photochemistry as well as the atmospheric budget of PAN in tropospheric chemistry transport models of the Arctic. Anthropogenic and biomass burning pollution plumes observed during ARCTAS show highly elevated hydrocarbons and NOy (mostly in the form of NOx and PAN), but do not contribute significantly to O3 in the Arctic troposphere except in some of the aged biomass burning plumes sampled during spring. Convection and/or lightning influences are negligible sources of O3 in the Arctic troposphere but can have significant impacts in the upper troposphere in the continental sub-Arctic during summer.

Liang, Q.↗

Quantifying Black Carbon Deposition Over the Greenland Ice Sheet from Forest Fires in Canada

Black carbon (BC) concentrations observed in 22 snowpits sampled in the northwest sector of the Greenland ice sheet in April 2014 have allowed us to identify a strong and widespread BC aerosol deposition event, which was dated to have accumulated in the pits from two snow storms between 27 July and 2 August 2013. This event comprises a significant portion (57 on average across all pits) of total BC deposition over 10 months (July 2013 to April 2014). Here we link this deposition event to forest fires burning in Canada during summer 2013 using modeling and remote sensing tools. Aerosols were detected by both the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (on board CALIPSO) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Aqua) instruments during transport between Canada and Greenland. We use high-resolution regional chemical transport modeling (WRF-Chem) combined with high-resolution fire emissions (FINNv1.5) to study aerosol emissions, transport, and deposition during this event. The model captures the timing of the BC deposition event and shows that fires in Canada were the main source of deposited BC. However, the model underpredicts BC deposition compared to measurements at all sites by a factor of 2100. Underprediction of modeled BC deposition originates from uncertainties in fire emissions and model treatment of wet removal of aerosols. Improvements in model descriptions of precipitation scavenging and emissions from wildfires are needed to correctly predict deposition, which is critical for determining the climate impacts of aerosols that originate from fires.

albedo↗

Global Carbon Consumption Database for Wildland Fire

Fire significantly impacts both human-altered and wild landscapes on national and global scales. Though often devastating, wildland fires naturally reduce fuels, preventing larger wildfires. However, their smoke can harm human health locally and globally. To understand its impact on air quality and health, quantifying the emissions released into the atmosphere is crucial. To accurately model fire emissions, understanding fuel characteristics and burning conditions is crucial, as they vary with the fuelbed type and fire weather. For example, savanna fires have lower carbon loading and intensity but spread quickly, while boreal forest fires burn longer and release more carbon due to higher loading. Hotter, drier conditions increase fuel consumption and smoke plume height. Fire weather and available fuel are the key drivers of emissions.

Emily Gargulinski↗

Equations for Composite-Propellant Burning

Reported study of composite-propellant burning summarizes recent advances in understanding behavior of propellant formulations based on ammonium perchlorate (AOP), binder, and aluminum in various proportions and particle size distributions. Approach presented incorporates adapted version of earlier model for monopropellant AP. Objective is to predict burning-rate characteristics of composite propellants at high pressure.

Strand, L. D.↗

Thermonuclear performance variability near ignition at the National Ignition Facility

We describe our current understanding of the variability and degradation mechanisms observed through a series of five indirectly driven inertial fusion implosions fielded at the National Ignition Facility in the fall of 2021, four of which attempted to reproduce the first experiment to achieve Lawson's criterion for ignition with a thermonuclear yield of 1.35 MJ on August 8, 2021. A large number of absolutely calibrated (imaging, time-resolved, and spectrally resolved) x-ray and neutron diagnostics are fielded on the NIF along multiple lines of sight for each experiment. This allows for a reconstruction of the DT fuel and ablator mix injected into the hotspot around peak burn. We show that nuclear yield variations are well reproduced by numerical modeling when the measured low mode asymmetries and mix mass are included. Furthermore, these observed perturbations during burn are linked to small variations in laser delivery and capsule defects. Stringent specifications are then set to achieve robust ignition with the implosion design studied in this paper.

Divol, L. (ORCID:0000000269699898)↗

Initial Observations on the Burning of an Ethanol Droplet in Microgravity

Combustion of liquid ethanol represents an important system both from fundamental and practical points of view, Ethanol is currently being used as an additive to gasoline in order to reduce carbon monoxide and particulate emissions as well as to improve the fuel octane rating. A detailed physical understanding of liquid ethanol combustion is therefore necessary to achieve an optimal performance of such fuel blends in practical conditions. Ethanol is also a relatively simple model compound suitable for investigation of important combustion characteristics typical of more complex fuels. In particular, ethanol has been proposed for studies of sooting behavior during droplet burning. The sooting nature of ethanol has pressure sensitivities similar to that of n-heptane, but shifted to a higher range of pressures (1-3 atm). Additionally, liquid ethanol is miscible with water produced during its combustion forming mixtures with azeotropic behavior, a phenomenon important for understanding multi-component, liquid fuel combustion. In this work, we present initial results obtained in a series of recent space-based experiments and develop a detailed model describing the burning of ethanol droplet in microgravity.

Kazakov, Andrei↗

Multidimensional Numerical Modeling of Combustion Dynamics in a Non-Premixed Rotating Detonation Engine With Adaptive Mesh Refinement

In the present work, a novel computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology was developed to simulate full-scale non-premixed rotating detonation engines (RDEs). A unique feature of the modeling approach was the incorporation of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) to achieve a good trade-off between model accuracy and computational expense. Here, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed for an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) non-premixed RDE configuration with hydrogen as fuel and air as the oxidizer. The finite-rate chemistry model, along with a ten-species detailed kinetic mechanism, was employed to describe the H 2 -Air combustion chemistry. Three distinct operating conditions were simulated, corresponding to the same global equivalence ratio of unity but different fuel/air mass flowrates. For all conditions, the capability of the model to capture essential detonation wave dynamics was assessed. An exhaustive verification and validation study was performed against experimental data in terms of a number of waves, wave frequency, wave height, reactant fill height, oblique shock angle, axial pressure distribution in the channel, and fuel/air plenum pressure. The CFD model was demonstrated to accurately predict the sensitivity of these wave characteristics to the operating conditions, both qualitatively and quantitatively. A comprehensive heat release analysis was also conducted to quantify detonative versus deflagrative burning for the three simulated cases. The present CFD model offers a potential capability to perform rapid design space exploration and/or performance optimization studies for realistic full-scale RDE configurations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Interannual and Seasonal Variability of Biomass Burning Emissions Constrained by Satellite Observations

We present a methodology for estimating the seasonal and interannual variation of biomass burning designed for use in global chemical transport models. The average seasonal variation is estimated from 4 years of fire-count data from the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) and 1-2 years of similar data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) World Fire Atlases. We use the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) data product as a surrogate to estimate interannual variability in biomass burning for six regions: Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia, Brazil, Central America and Mexico, Canada and Alaska, and Asiatic Russia. The AI data set is available from 1979 to the present with an interruption in satellite observations from mid-1993 to mid-1996; this data gap is filled where possible with estimates of area burned from the literature for different regions. Between August 1996 and July 2000, the ATSR fire-counts are used to provide specific locations of emissions and a record of interannual variability throughout the world. We use our methodology to estimate mean seasonal and interannual variations for emissions of carbon monoxide from biomass burning, and we find that no trend is apparent in these emissions over the last two decades, but that there is significant interannual variability.

Duncan, Bryan N.↗