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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.

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At least 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Simulated tree recruitment at PA-BCI under four precipitation scenarios

Simulated recruitment rates are provided for four tropical tree plant functional types (PFTs) which vary in drought and shade tolerance, at Barro Colorado Island, Panama (PA-BCI). Recruitment rates are predicted using the Tree Recruitment Scheme (TRS; Hanbury-Brown et al., 2022) and model data output from the Ecosystem Demography model version 2 with hydrodynamics (ED2; Medvigy et al., 2009, Powell et al., 2018). Predictions of recruitment are provided under four precipitation scenarios: “BASE” = recycled 2008-2014 observed meteorology (Faybishenko & Paton, 2021), “SYN-ENSO” = two exceptionally strong El Niño events within 30 years (Powell et al., 2018), “WET” = 30% increase in precipitation compared to BASE, and DRY-DS = dry season (January–April) precipitation reduced by 75% compared to BASE. In addition to recruitment rates, this dataset provides TRS predictions of PFT-specific seed bank and seedling pool dynamics (tracked in units of carbon) and ED predictions of understory photosynthetically active radiation and soil matric potential at 6 cm soil depth.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

G-LiHT Campaign Leaf Carbon and Nitrogen Content, Mar2017: Puerto Rico

Measurements of leaf carbon and nitrogen content collected from 68 tropical tree species. Data includes leaves collected from fully sunlit and shaded canopy strata as well as leaves for young, mature, old and senescent leaf ages. Data for each sample includes the relative age estimate, leaf canopy position and sample number. This data was collected as part of the 2017 NGEE-Tropics / NASA G-LiHT airborne campaign. This data package includes processed data for leaf carbon and nitrogen content (*.csv). Metadata files include data description (_dd.csv) for tabular data, site information (*.csv), sampling protocol (*.pdf) and the NGEE-Tropics FRAMES e-field log and file submission metadata (*.xlsx). See related datasets for sample details including photographs, leaf-level reflectance and transmittance spectra, leaf mass per area (LMA) and water content.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cell-level reliability testing procedures for CIGS photovoltaics

The reliability of photovoltaics is commonly studied at the module level. Many reliability problems originate from module attributes, such as metal interconnections to cells, junction boxes. However, significant work in reliability can also be done prior to module design. Testing for reliability earlier in the research cycle increases the probability of avoiding common module reliability problems before cell changes are implemented on a large scale. Cell-level reliability studies can thus lower the rates of module failures in the field and provide confidence to investors that new technologies will perform as advertised. This report summarizes how we investigated three reliability concerns in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) photovoltaics at the cell level: metastability, shading-induced damage, and potential-induced degradation (PID). We find that examining these concerns required developing robust measurement protocols including the fabrication of novel testing structures. This information will allow readers to incorporate sound metrics for investigating reliability phenomena and aid their studies of cell and module reliability improvements.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

bifacial_radiance: a python package for modeling bifacial solar photovoltaic systems

bifacial_radiance is a national-laboratory-developed, community-supported, open-source toolkit that provides a set of functions and classes for simulating the performance of bifacial photovoltaic (PV) systems. (Bifacial PV modules collect light on the front as well as the rear side.) bifacial_radiance automates calculations of PV system layout and performance to use along with the popular ray-tracing software tool RADIANCE (Ward, 1994). Specific algorithms include design and layout of PV modules, reflective ground surfaces, shading obstructions, and irradiance calculations throughout the system, among others. bifacial_radiance is an important component of a growing ecosystem of open-source tools for solar energy (William F Holmgren et al., 2018).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2011

Final Technical Report: Results of Phase 1

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) expects that by 2027, renewable energy will account for 6,590 GWh in energy consumption by its customers. While much of this future energy will come from large centrally-located power plants, distributed renewable energy, sited at the point of end-use will also play an important role in meeting the needs of APS customers and is expected to provide 1,734 GWh. With increasing penetration of residential and commercial photovoltaic (PV) systems at the point of end-use, PV power generation not only offsets the load, but could also cause significant shifts in power flow patterns through the distribution system, and could possibly cause reversal of flow through some branches of a distribution circuit. Significant changes to power flow introduced into existing distribution systems due to the increased amount of PV systems may cause operational issues, including over-voltage on the distribution feeder (loss of voltage regulation) and incorrect operation of control equipment, which may lead to an increase in the number of operations and related equipment wear that could affect equipment reliability and customer power quality. Additionally, connecting generation resources to a distribution feeder can introduce additional sources of short-circuit current to the distribution system. This could potentially result in increased short-circuit currents, potentially reaching damaging levels, causing protection desensitization and a potential loss of protection coordination. These effects may be further compounded by variability of PV production due to shading by clouds. The effects of these phenomena in distributed PV applications are not well understood, and there is a great need to characterize this variability. This project will contribute to understanding the effects of high-penetration solar electricity on the design and operation of distribution systems by demonstrating how a high penetration of PV systems affects grid operations of a working, utility distribution feeder. To address the technical challenges related to the integration of distributed PV when PV penetration levels reach or exceed 30% of the total load, technologies and methods to ensure the stable and safe operation of the feeder will be evaluated. Lessons learned will enable APS to improve the framework for future PV integration on its system and may also aid other utilities across the United States energy sector in accelerating the adoption of distributed photovoltaic generation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Report on the AMF2 RPY stabilization platform: design and evaluation

One of the primary objectives of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2) is to obtain reliable measurements of radiation, cloud, and atmospheric properties from ocean-going vessels. To ensure that these climatic measurements are representative and accurate, many AMF2 instrument systems are designed to collect data in a zenith orientation. Consequently, a cornerstone of the AMF2 strategy is the use of a stabilization platform. The purpose of the platform is to (1) mitigate vessel motion for instruments that require a truly vertical orientation and keep them pointed in the zenith direction and (2) allow for accurate positioning for viewing or shading of the sensors from direct sunlight. Numerous ARM instruments fall into these categories, including vertically pointing radars, for which measurement of cloud vertical motion is of critical importance.

Coulter, R. L.↗
DOE OSTI2012

Measure Guideline: Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all US climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The document also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well. This document is for builders, homeowners, designers and anyone making decisions about selecting energy efficient window. It is intended to complement other Building America information and efforts.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2013

Restoring a Disappearing Ecosystem: the Longleaf Pine Savanna

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas of the southeastern United States contain some of the worlds most diverse plant communities, along with a unique complement of wildlife. Their traditionally open canopy structure and rich understory of grasses and herbs were critical to their vigor. However, a long history of land-use practices such as logging, farming, and fire exclusion have reduced this once-widespread ecosystem to only 3 percent of its original range. At six longleaf pine plantations in South Carolina, Tim Harrington with the Pacific Northwest Research Station and collaborators with the Southern Research Station used various treatments (including prescribed burns, tree thinning, and herbicide applications) to alter the forest structure and tracked how successful each one was in advancing savanna restoration over a 14-year period. They found that typical planting densities for wood production in plantations create dense understory shade that excludes many native herbaceous species important to savannas and associated wildlife. The scientists found that although tree thinning alone did not result in sustained gains, a combination of controlled burning, thinning, and herbicide treatments to reduce woody plants was an effective strategy for recovering the savanna ecosystem. The scientists also found that these efforts must be repeated periodically for enduring benefits.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Report on the AMF2 RPH Stabilization Platform: Design and Evaluation

One of the primary objectives of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2) is to obtain reliable measurements of radiation (solar, surface, and atmospheric), cloud, and atmospheric properties from ocean-going vessels. To ensure that these climatic measurements are representative and accurate, many AMF2 instrument systems are designed to collect data in a zenith orientation. A pillar of the AMF2 strategy in this effort is the use of a stable platform. The purpose of the platform is to (1) mitigate vessel motion for instruments that require a truly vertical orientation and keep them pointed in the zenith direction and (2) allow for accurate positioning for viewing or shading of the sensors from direct sunlight. Of the numerous ARM instruments that require a zenith orientation, perhaps the most important are the vertically pointing cloud radars, for which vertical motion is a critical parameter.

Coulter, R. L.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Overview of Opportunities for Co-Location of Solar Energy Technologies and Vegetation

Large-scale solar facilities have the potential to contribute significantly to national electricity production. Many solar installations are large-scale or utility-scale, with a capacity over 1 MW and connected directly to the electric grid. Large-scale solar facilities offer an opportunity to achieve economies of scale in solar deployment, yet there have been concerns about the amount of land required for solar projects and the impact of solar projects on local habitat. During the site preparation phase for utility-scale solar facilities, developers often grade land and remove all vegetation to minimize installation and operational costs, prevent plants from shading panels, and minimize potential fire or wildlife risks. However, the common site preparation practice of removing vegetation can be avoided in certain circumstances, and there have been successful examples where solar facilities have been co-located with agricultural operations or have native vegetation growing beneath the panels. In this study we outline some of the impacts that large-scale solar facilities can have on the local environment, provide examples of installations where impacts have been minimized through co-location with vegetation, characterize the types of co-location, and give an overview of the potential benefits from co-location of solar energy projects and vegetation. The varieties of co-location can be replicated or modified for site-specific use at other solar energy installations around the world. We conclude with opportunities to improve upon our understanding of ways to reduce the environmental impacts of large-scale solar installations.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evaluation of Radiometers Deployed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Solar Radiation Research Laboratory

This study analyzes the performance of various commercially available radiometers used for measuring global horizontal irradiances and direct normal irradiances. These include pyranometers, pyrheliometers, rotating shadowband radiometers, and a pyranometer with fixed internal shading and are all deployed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Solar Radiation Research Laboratory. Data from 32 global horizontal irradiance and 19 direct normal irradiance radiometers are presented. The radiometers in this study were deployed for one year (from April 1, 2011, through March 31, 2012) and compared to measurements from radiometers with the lowest values of estimated measurement uncertainties for producing reference global horizontal irradiances and direct normal irradiances.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Informal Preliminary Report on Comparisons of Prototype SPN-1 Radiometer to PARSL Measurements

The prototype SPN-1 has been taking measurements for several months collocated with our PNNL Atmospheric Remote Sensing Laboratory (PARSL) solar tracker mounted instruments at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) located in Richland, Washington, USA. The PARSL radiometers used in the following comparisons consist of an Eppley Normal Incident Pyrheliometer (NIP) and a shaded Eppley model 8-48 “Black and White” pyrgeometer (B&W) to measure the direct and diffuse shortwave irradiance (SW), respectively. These instruments were calibrated in mid-September by comparison to an absolute cavity radiometer directly traceable to the world standard group in Davos, Switzerland. The NIP calibration was determined by direct comparison, while the B&W was calibrated using the shade/unshade technique. All PARSL data prior to mid-September have been reprocessed using the new calibration factors. The PARSL data are logged as 1-minute averages from 1-second samples. Data used in this report span the time period from June 22 through December 1, 2006. All data have been processed through the QCRad code (Long and Shi, 2006), which itself is a more elaborately developed methodology along the lines of that applied by the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) Archive (Long and Dutton, 2004), for quality control. The SPN-1 data are the standard total and diffuse SW values obtained from the analog data port of the instrument. The comparisons use only times when both the PARSL and SPN-1 data passed all QC testing. The data were further processed and analyzed by application of the SW Flux Analysis methodology (Long and Ackerman, 2000; Long and Gaustad, 2004, Long et al., 2006) to detect periods of clear skies, calculate continuous estimates of clear-sky SW irradiance and the effect of clouds on the downwelling SW, and estimate fractional sky cover.

Long, Charles N.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Phytochrome from Green Plants: Properties and biological Function

Plants constantly monitor the light environment for informational light signals used to direct adaptational responses to the prevailing conditions. One major such response, the Shade-Avaoidance Response (SAR), triggered when plants sense the presence of competing neighbors, results in enhanced channeling of photosynthetically-fixed carbon into stem elongation at the expense of deposition in reproductive tissues. This response has been selected against in many modern food crops to ensure maximum edible yield (e.g. seeds). Converse enhancement of the SAR, with consequent increased carbon channeling into vegetative cellulose, could contribute to the generation of crops with improved yield of tissues suitable for cellulosic biofuel production.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low-Flow Liquid Desiccant Air-Conditioning: Demonstrated Performance and Cost Implications

Cooling loads must be dramatically reduced when designing net-zero energy buildings or other highly efficient facilities. Advances in this area have focused primarily on reducing a building's sensible cooling loads by improving the envelope, integrating properly sized daylighting systems, adding exterior solar shading devices, and reducing internal heat gains. As sensible loads decrease, however, latent loads remain relatively constant, and thus become a greater fraction of the overall cooling requirement in highly efficient building designs, particularly in humid climates. This shift toward latent cooling is a challenge for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Traditional systems typically dehumidify by first overcooling air below the dew-point temperature and then reheating it to an appropriate supply temperature, which requires an excessive amount of energy. Another dehumidification strategy incorporates solid desiccant rotors that remove water from air more efficiently; however, these systems are large and increase fan energy consumption due to the increased airside pressure drop of solid desiccant rotors. A third dehumidification strategy involves high flow liquid desiccant systems. These systems require a high maintenance separator to protect the air distribution system from corrosive desiccant droplet carryover and so are more commonly used in industrial applications and rarely in commercial buildings. Both solid desiccant systems and most high-flow liquid desiccant systems (if not internally cooled) add sensible energy which must later be removed to the air stream during dehumidification, through the release of sensible heat during the sorption process.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Search for New Phenomena Using W/Z + (b)-Jets Measurements Performed with the ATLAS Detector

The Project proposed to use data of the ATLAS experiment, obtained during the 2011 and 2012 data-taking campaigns, to pursue studies of the strong interaction (QCD) and to examine promising signatures for new physics. The Project also contains a service component dedicated to a detector development initiative. The objective of the strong interaction studies is to determine how various predictions from the main theory (QCD) compare to the data. Results of a set of measurements developed by the Tufts team indicate that the dominant factor of discrepancy between data and QCD predictions come from the mis-modeling of the low energy gluon radiation as described by algorithms called parton showers. The discrepancies introduced by parton showers on LHC predictions could even be larger than the effect due to completely new phenomena (dark matter, supersymmetry, etc.) and could thus block further discoveries at the LHC. Some of the results obtained in the course of this Project also specify how QCD predictions must be improved in order to open the possibility for the discovery of something completely new at the LHC during Run-II. This has been integrated in the Run-II ATLAS physics program. Another objective of Tufts studies of the strong interaction was to determine how the hypothesis about an intrinsic heavy-quark component of the proton (strange, charm or bottom quarks) could be tested at the LHC. This hypothesis has been proposed by theorists 30 years ago and is still controversial. The Tufts team demonstrated that intrinsic charms can be observed, or severely constrained, at the LHC, and determine how the measurement should be performed in order to maximize its sensitivity to such an intrinsic heavy-quark component of the proton. Tufts also embarked on performing the measurement that is in progress, but final results are not yet available. They should shade a light of understanding on the fundamental structure of the proton. Determining the nature of dark matter particles, composing about 25% of all the matter in the universe, is one of the most exciting research goals at the LHC. Within this Project, the Tufts team proposed a way to improve over the standard approach used to look for dark matter at the LHC in events involving jets and a large amount of unbalanced energy in the detector (jets+ETmiss). The Tufts team has developed a measurement to test these improvements on data available (ATLAS 2012 dataset), in order to be ready to apply them on the new Run-II data that will be available at the end of 2015. Preliminary results on the proposed measurement indicate that a very high precision can be obtained on results free of detector effects. That will allow for better constrains of dark matter theories and will spare the needs for huge computing resources in order to compare dark matter theories to data. Finally, the Tufts team played a leading role in the development and the organization of the 6Et trigger, the detector component needed to collect the data used in dark matter searches and in many other analyses. The team compared the performance of the various algorithms capable of reconstructing the value of the ETmiss on each LHC collision event, and developed a strategy to commission these algorithms online. Tufts also contributed in the development of the ETmiss trigger monitoring software. Finally, the PI of this Project acted as the co-coordinator of the group of researchers at CERN taking care of the development and the operation of this detector component. The ETmiss trigger is now taking data, opening the possibility for the discovery of otherwise undetectable particles at the LHC.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Measure Guideline: Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all U.S. climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The report also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electrochromic Window Demonstration at the Donna Land Port of Entry

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Public Buildings Service (PBS) has jurisdiction, custody or control over 105 land ports of entry throughout the United States, 35 of which are located along the southern border. At these facilities, one of the critical functions of windows is to provide border control personnel with direct visual contact with the surrounding environment. This also can be done through surveillance cameras, but the high value that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officers place on direct visual contact can be encapsulated in the following statement by a senior officer regarding this project: “nothing replaces line of sight.” In sunny conditions, however, outdoor visibility can be severely compromised by glare, especially when the orb of the sun is in the field of view. This often leads to the deployment of operable shading devices, such as Venetian blinds. While these devices address the glare, they obstruct the view of the surroundings, negating the visual security benefits of the windows.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Field Testing of an Unvented Roof with Fibrous Insulation, Tiles and Vapor Diffusion Venting

This research is a test implementation of an unvented tile roof assembly in a hot-humid climate (Orlando, FL; Zone 2A), insulated with air permeable insulation (netted and blown fiberglass). Given the localized moisture accumulation and failures seen in previous unvented roof field work, it was theorized that a 'diffusion vent' (water vapor open, but air barrier 'closed') at the highest points in the roof assembly might allow for the wintertime release of moisture, to safe levels. The 'diffusion vent' is an open slot at the ridge and hips, covered with a water-resistant but vapor open (500+ perm) air barrier membrane. As a control comparison, one portion of the roof was constructed as a typical unvented roof (self-adhered membrane at ridge). The data collected to date indicate that the diffusion vent roof shows greater moisture safety than the conventional, unvented roof design. The unvented roof had extended winter periods of 95-100% RH, and wafer (wood surrogate RH sensor) measurements indicating possible condensation; high moisture levels were concentrated at the roof ridge. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions, with most peak MCs (sheathing) below 20%. In the spring, as outdoor temperatures warmed, all roofs dried well into the safe range (10% MC or less). Some roof-wall interfaces showed moderately high MCs; this might be due to moisture accumulation at the highest point in the lower attic, and/or shading of the roof by the adjacent second story. Monitoring will be continued at least through spring 2016 (another winter and spring).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗