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At least 487 records · Page 27

TEAMER: Biofouling Analysis for Wave Energy Piston Design - Load Cell Data

Biofouling and corrosion are a major concern for all ocean-deployed components, especially when mechanical motion is involved. Triton has developed the concept of a biofouling mitigation seal as part of the piston sealing assembly for the Triton Wave Energy Converter (TSI-WEC). This mitigation seal has the purpose of preventing the formation of a biofilm on the inside of the piston cylinder. It is hypothesized that the prevention of a biofilm will reduce the amount of macro-biofouling that can occur in the piston assembly. The mitigation seal can also reduce the wear on the main dynamic seal, helping to maintain smooth operation and water-tightness. The cylinder is made from a thermoset composite epoxy, which is resistant to corrosion. However, no studies have researched the material's performance with biofouling. Triton placed two prototype Power Take-Off (PTO) assemblies in a PNNL biofouling tank, one with a biofouling mitigation seal and one without, allowing for an evaluation of seal effectiveness at the prevention of biofouling. In actual WEC operation, wave action would react against the piston, which would drive the linear actuator and electric generator, providing electrical power. In the test setup, this was reversed; a linear actuator was powered to drive the piston in a consistent motion within the cylinder. There are two assemblies: one has a biofouling mitigation seal, the other (control) does not. The following data encompasses a 4 month test period, with load cells being used to monitor piston friction force. Results from this testing will be used to improve seal design and material selection, mitigating risk of premature failure during open water testing and evaluation. This project is part of the TEAMER RFTS 3 (request for technical support) program.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Local Explosion Detection and Infrasound Localization by Reverse Time Migration Using 3-D Finite-Difference Wave Propagation

Infrasound data are routinely used to detect and locate volcanic and other explosions, using both arrays and single sensor networks. However, at local distances (< km) topography often complicates acoustic propagation, resulting in inaccurate acoustic travel times leading to biased source locations when assuming straight-line propagation. Here we present a new method, termed Reverse Time Migration-Finite-Difference Time Domain (RTM-FDTD), that integrates numerical modeling into the standard RTM back-projection process. Travel time information is computed across the entire potential source grid via FDTD modeling to incorporate the effects of topography. The waveforms are then back-projected and stacked at each grid point, with the stack maximum corresponding to the likely source. We apply our method to three volcanoes with different network configurations, source-receiver distances, and topography. At Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu, RTM-FDTD locates explosions within ~20 m of the source and differentiates between multiple vents. RTM-FDTD produces a more accurate location for the two Yasur subcraters than standard RTM and doubles the number of detected events. At Sakurajima Volcano, Japan, RTM-FDTD locates the source within 50 m of the active vent despite notable topographic blocking. The RTM-FDTD location is similar to that from the Time Reversal Mirror method, but is more computationally efficient. Lastly, at Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska, RTM and RTM-FDTD both produce realistic source locations (<50 m) for ground-coupled airwaves recorded on a four-station seismic network. We show that RTM is an effective method to detect and locate infrasonic sources across a variety of scenarios, and by integrating numerical modeling, RTM-FDTD produces more accurate source locations and increases the detection capability.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

An interpretation of photometric parameters of bright desert regions of Mars and their dependence on wave length

Photometric data from the bright desert areas of Mars were used to determine the dependence of the three photometric parameters of the photometric function on wavelength and to provide qualitative predictions about the physical properties of the surface. Knowledge of the parameters allowed the brightness of these areas of Mars to be determined for any scattering geometry in the wavelength range of 0.45 to 0.70 micron. The changes that occur in the photometric parameters due to changes in wavelength were shown to be consistent with their physical interpretations, and the predictions of surface properties were shown to be consistent with conditions expected to exist in these regions of Mars. The photometric function was shown to have potential as a diagnostic tool for the qualitative determination of surface properties, and the consistency of the behavior of the photometric parameters was considered to be support for the validity of the photometric function.

Weaver, W. R.↗

Cyclic Crack Growth Testing of an A.O. Smith Multilayer Pressure Vessel with Modal Acoustic Emission Monitoring and Data Assessment

Digital Wave Corp. (DWC) was retained by Jacobs ATOM at NASA Ames Research Center to perform cyclic pressure crack growth sensitivity testing on a multilayer pressure vessel instrumented with DWC's Modal Acoustic Emission (MAE) system, with captured wave analysis to be performed using DWCs WaveExplorerTM software, which has been used at Ames since 2001. The objectives were to document the ability to detect and characterize a known growing crack in such a vessel using only MAE, to establish the sensitivity of the equipment vs. crack size and / or relevance in a realistic field environment, and to obtain fracture toughness materials properties in follow up testing to enable accurate crack growth analysis. This report contains the results of the testing.

Ziola, Steven M.↗

Hypersonic crossing shock-wave/turbulent-boundary-layer interactions

Experimental data for two three-dimensional intersecting shock-wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction flows at Mach 8.3 are presented. The test bodies, composed of two sharp fins fastened to a flat plate test bed, were designed to generate flows with varying degrees of pressure gradient, boundary-layer separation, and turning angle. The data include surface pressure and heat transfer distributions as well as mean flow field surveys both in the undisturbed and interaction regimes. The data are presented in a convenient form to be used to validate existing or future computational models of these hypersonic flows.

Kussoy, M. I.↗

EGS Collab Experiment 2: 4100 Foot Level Elastic Property Data

Static and dynamic elastic properties (Young's modulus, Shear Modulus, P-wave Modulus, and Poisson's Ratio) of amphibolites and rhyolites from the TV4100 and TH4100 boreholes at the Sanford Underground Research Laboratory (SURF). Elastic properties include Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, shear modulus, and p-wave modulus. Raw data from the experiments and slides describing the experimental procedure and a summary of results are included, along with a readme file with additional definitions and information.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

The NANOGrav 11 yr data set: Evolution of Gravitational-wave Background Statistics

An ensemble of inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries should produce a stochastic background of very low frequency gravitational waves. This stochastic background is predicted to be a power law, with a gravitational-wave strain spectral index of −2/3, and it should be detectable by a network of precisely timed millisecond pulsars, widely distributed on the sky. This paper reports a new “time slicing” analysis of the 11 yr data release from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) using 34 millisecond pulsars. Methods to flag potential “false-positive” signatures are developed, including techniques to identify responsible pulsars. Mitigation strategies are then presented. We demonstrate how an incorrect noise model can lead to spurious signals, and we show how independently modeling noise across 30 Fourier components, spanning NANOGrav’s frequency range, effectively diagnoses and absorbs the excess power in gravitational-wave searches. This results in a nominal, and expected, progression of our gravitational-wave statistics. Additionally, we show that the first interstellar medium event in PSR J1713+0747 pollutes the common red-noise process with low spectral index noise, and we use a tailored noise model to remove these effects.

J S Hazboun↗

Remote sensing of hurricane waves

A program was undertaken to obtain data on wind generated ocean waves in hurricanes by remote sensing techniques. The sensor, a synthetic aperture radar, has collected the first data ever on the directional wave climate throughout a hurricane. This information was found to have inconsistencies with present hurricane wave generation models.

King, D. B.↗

Local-Regional Surface Wave Dispersion Analysis using Ambient Noise Data of the Southern Nevada National Security Site Area

This report details seismic ambient noise analysis to improve seismic velocity estimates of the southeastern Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). We compare two different methods for estimating surface wave dispersion curves from ambient noise cross-correlations: frequency time analysis (FTAN) and Aki’s cross-spectral method (XSpec). We find that XSpec performs better for our local-regional dataset and frequency content. Using phase velocity estimates from XSpec, we build a preliminary phase velocity dispersion dataset, which contains data for 1,054 station pairs and 8,905 discrete phase velocity measurements for periods between 0.5 and 13 s. This phase velocity dataset will be incorporated into an updated local-regional P and S wave velocity model of the southeastern NNSS in the future and is expected to improve upon shallow velocity estimates.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Search for Gravitational Waves from Compact Binary Coalescence in LIGO and Virgo Data from S5 and VSR1

We report the results of the first search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence using data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo detectors. Five months of data were collected during the concurrent S5 (UGO) and VSRI (Virgo) science runs. The search focused on signals from binary mergers with a total mass between 2 and 35 Solar Mass. No gravitational waves are identified. The cumulative 90%-confidence upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence are calculated for non-spinning binary neutron stars, black hole-neutron star systems, and binary black holes to be 8.7 x 10(exp -3) / yr-1/L(sub 10) 2.2 x 10-3 yr-1L101, and 4.4 x 10(exp -4)3) / yr-1/L(sub 10) respectively, where L (sub 10) is 10(exp 10) times the blue solar luminosity. These upper limits are compared with astrophysical expectations.

Abadie, J.↗

Traveling-wave maser closed-cycle refrigerator data acquisition and display system

A data acquisition and display system that automatically monitors the performance of the 4.5-K closed-cycle refrigerators used to cryogenically cool traveling-wave masers is described. The system displays and stores operating parameters for the purpose of providing status information, failure prediction, and analysis. A prototype of this system will be installed at Deep Space Network 12 in the near future. The advantages of using commercial data acquisition hardware with installed operating systems and BASIC programs for this application are discussed.

Fowler, L.↗

Guided Wave Delamination Detection and Quantification With Wavefield Data Analysis

Unexpected damage can occur in aerospace composites due to impact events or material stress during off-nominal loading events. In particular, laminated composites are susceptible to delamination damage due to weak transverse tensile and inter-laminar shear strengths. Developments of reliable and quantitative techniques to detect delamination damage in laminated composites are imperative for safe and functional optimally-designed next-generation composite structures. In this paper, we investigate guided wave interactions with delamination damage and develop quantification algorithms by using wavefield data analysis. The trapped guided waves in the delamination region are observed from the wavefield data and further quantitatively interpreted by using different wavenumber analysis methods. The frequency-wavenumber representation of the wavefield shows that new wavenumbers are present and correlate to trapped waves in the damage region. These new wavenumbers are used to detect and quantify the delamination damage through the wavenumber analysis, which can show how the wavenumber changes as a function of wave propagation distance. The location and spatial duration of the new wavenumbers can be identified, providing a useful means not only for detecting the presence of delamination damage but also allowing for estimation of the delamination size. Our method has been applied to detect and quantify real delamination damage with complex geometry (grown using a quasi-static indentation technique). The detection and quantification results show the location, size, and shape of the delamination damage.

Tian, Zhenhua↗

An assessment of lightning or in situ instabilities as a source for whistler mode waves in the night ionosphere of Venus

Low-altitude data acquired on orbits 484-526 of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter are used to assess the most probable source of whistler mode waves in the nightside ionosphere of Venus. The effect of electron temperature on whistler mode propagation is discussed, with particular emphasis on the growth rate of gyroresonant instabilities. The wave intensity as observed with the Pioneer Venus Orbiter electric field detector is compared with various plasma parameters to determine if it is likely that the waves are generated by an in situ instability. It is shown that gyroresonant whistler mode instabilities do not explain the Pioneer Venus wave data. It is demonstrated that the magnetic field strength controls the wave intensity, rather than density, and it is concluded that the electron Beta(e) is the primary factor in the occurrence of the 100-Hz waves detected in the nightside ionosphere of Venus. The present analysis supports the interpretation that these waves are due to lightning in the Venus atmosphere.

Strangeway, R. J.↗

Excitation and Evolution of the Quasi-2-Day Wave Observed UARS/MLS Temperature Measurements

The quasi-2-day wave is known as a strong and transient perturbation in the middle and upper atmosphere that often occurs shortly after solstice. The excitation mechanisms of this transient wave have been discussed for years, but no clear answer has yet been attained. In this paper, propagating characteristics of the 2-day wave are studied based on 8-mon temperature measurements from the Microwave Limb Sounder onboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. The studies are focused on the wave events that happened in January 1993 and in July-August 1993. The observations suggest that winter planetary waves could be responsible for triggering the summer 2-day wave through long penetration into the summer stratosphere. A connection is evident in the evolution of the wave amplitude between the summer 2-day wave generation and winter wave penetration. The data also suggest that the enhancement of the wave amplitude is a manifestation of both a local unstable wave and a global normal-mode Rossby wave.

Wu, D. L.↗

ROWS observations of directional wave spectra in Fasinex

Data acquired by the NASA Ku-band Radar Ocean Wave Spectrometer (ROWS) during NASA P-3 flights in Fasinex (the Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment) on February 21 and 26, 1986 are analyzed. The ROWS technique consists of measuring the directional reflectivity spectrum of the sea surface via a combination of range and azimuth scattering. The nondirectional height-frequency spectrum corresponding to the directional wave spectrum for February 26 is presented.

Jackson, F. C.↗

Continued reduction and analysis of data from the Dynamics Explorer Plasma Wave Instrument

The plasma wave instrument on the Dynamics Explorer 1 spacecraft provided measurements of the electric and magnetic components of plasma waves in the Earth's magnetosphere. Four receiver systems processed signals from five antennas. Sixty-seven theses, scientific papers and reports were prepared from the data generated. Data processing activities and techniques used to analyze the data are described and highlights of discoveries made and research undertaken are tabulated.

Gurnett, Donald A.↗

Ocean wave heights measured by a high resolution pulse-limited radar altimeter

Data on significant wave height (SWH) taken with an airborne (2-3.5 km altitude) X-band 1-ns pulse-limited radar altimeter under various wind and sea conditions are interpreted. A heuristic discussion of the return pulse shape and the method of extracting the SWH is followed by a demonstration that the mean of the resulting SWH values is in agreement with other, independent measurements. The scatter of the SWH values is large compared to the estimates based on the statistical fluctuations in the radar signal. The discrepancy is resolved by showing that the radar is actually observing small-scale variations in the sea-surface standard deviation caused by the small number of ocean wavelengths illuminated.

Walsh, E. J.↗