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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Field evaluation of remote wind sensing technologies: Shore-based and buoy mounted LIDAR systems

In developing a national energy strategy, the United States has a number of objectives, including increasing economic growth, improving environmental quality, and enhancing national energy security. Wind power contributes to these objectives through the deployment of clean, affordable and reliable domestic energy. To achieve U.S. wind generation objectives, the Wind and Water Power Program within the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) instituted the U.S. Offshore Wind: Removing Market Barriers Program in FY 2011. Accurate and comprehensive information on offshore wind resource characteristics across a range of spatial and temporal scales is one market barrier that needs to be addressed through advanced research in remote sensing technologies. There is a pressing need for reliable offshore wind-speed measurements to assess the availability of the potential wind energy resource in terms of power production and to identify any frequently occurring spatial variability in the offshore wind resource that may impact the operational reliability and lifetime of wind turbines and their components and to provide a verification program to validate the “bankability” of the output of these alternative technologies for use by finance institutions for the financing of offshore wind farm construction. The application of emerging remote sensing technologies is viewed as a means to cost-effectively meet the data needs of the offshore wind industry. In particular, scanning and buoy mounted LIDAR have been proposed as a means to obtain accurate offshore wind data at multiple locations without the high cost and regulatory hurdles associated with the construction of offshore meteorological towers. However; before these remote sensing technologies can be accepted the validity of the measured data must be evaluated to ensure their accuracy. The proposed research will establish a unique coastal ocean test-bed in the Mid-Atlantic for the evaluation of LIDAR-based wind measurement systems to validate the accuracy of remotely measured wind data in marine applications. Specifically, the test-bed will be utilized to systematically evaluate the capability of emerging scanning LIDAR and buoy mounted vertically profiling LIDAR by: (1) Evaluating a fixed scanning LIDAR against land-based 50 and 60 meter high meteorological masts fitted with research quality cup-vane and/or sonic anemometers; (2) Evaluating a buoy mounted vertically profiling LIDAR fixed on land and floating in a sheltered bay against a co-located 60 meter high meteorological mast fitted with a research quality cup-vane and/or sonic anemometers and the fixed scanning LIDAR; and (3) Offshore field evaluation of both LIDAR platforms through a comparison of the fixed scanning LIDAR data and data obtained by the buoy mounted LIDAR located 10 miles offshore. The proposed research will systematically validate Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) based wind measurement systems and assess the temporal and spatial variability of the offshore wind resource in the Mid-Atlantic east of New Jersey. The goal of the proposed project is to address the technical and commercial challenges of the offshore wind energy industry by validating and assessing cost-effective, over ocean wind resource characterization technologies. The objective is to systematically evaluate the capability of both scanning and vertically profiling LIDARs to accurately measure 3D wind fields through comparison with fixed met masts and intercomparison among LIDAR platforms. Once validated, data collected by both buoy mounted vertically profiling LIDARs and shore-based, pulsed horizontally scanning LIDARs can be used to accurately assess offshore wind resources and to quantify the spatial and temporal variability in the offshore wind fields. One of the fundamental research questions to be addressed in phase 1 is the assessment of various measurement and data processing schemes to retrieve accurate wind vectors in the marine environment over large sampling ranges (10 to 12 km) and varying atmospheric aerosol levels. Atmospheric conditions and aerosol content within the coastal ocean region of the Mid-Atlantic seaboard of the US can vary significantly over short time periods in response to frontal passages and extratropical and tropical low pressure system passage offshore of the coast. Since aerosols provide the scattering medium for the determination of LIDAR Doppler shifts in the atmosphere the accuracy and range of LIDAR derived velocity measurements as a function of variation in aerosol content in the marine environment is a key research question to be addressed. In phase 1, it is desired to capture as much variation in atmospheric conditions and aerosol content as possible. To this end, collocated measurements of LIDAR and standard anemometer wind fields will be captured by the project PIs over all four seasons and during specific events (e.g., coastal low pressure system passage) in year 1. Additionally, since the meteorological masts are permanent structures, additional events can be captured over the three year duration of the field research project. All research instruments are owned by Fishermen’s Energy and made available to the PIs though a lease agreement as part of the DOE grant. Energy Fishermen’s Energy will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the scanning LIDAR and met mast anemometers. On a daily basis, environmental data and systems performance indicators will be transmitted from each measurement station to the Fishermen’s project team consisting of both in-house personnel and equipment manufacturer engineers. Data sets include compiled LIDAR files as well as data sets from ancillary sensors. Diagnostic parameters to be monitored include standard deviations of measured values, battery levels and charging systems output, and the operational status. Once data have been confirmed as complete and reliable, files will be transferred to the Garrad Hassan (a subcontractor to Fishermen’s Energy) for incorporation in to the validation database, which is accessible to other scientific team members. Data collection times and durations will be determined by the PI and Co-PIs in consultation with instrument engineers to ensure the capture of data representative of the expected range of mid-Atlantic atmospheric conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture, coastal low pressure systems, tropical systems, rain, snow, fog). The collection and processing of the data is a function of site specific measurement requirements (Kelley et.al. 2007; Hannon et.al. 2008). To determine the optimal profiles of wind speed and direction from the LIDAR radial velocities as a function of azimuth angle, rigorous estimates of the bias and random error of each radial velocity estimate are required. Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies, Inc., under contract with Fishermen’s Energy, will provide analyses of raw and processed data using various scan patterns to determine optimal performance settings for the pulsed scanning LIDAR. Once optimized, appropriate processing and analyses techniques will be evaluated by Garrad Hassan for use in validating the accuracy of the LIDAR wind field measurements against the standard anemometer measurements from the meteorological masts. The most attractive capability of the scanning LIDAR is the ability to provide high spatial resolution observations in a three-dimensional volume which provides superior statistical accuracy due to the large number of samples obtained. Each radial scan provides measurements in 100 range gates over a distance of 10 to 12 km at an update rate of 5 to 10 Hz and rotation of 2.5° per second. Each rotation at a fixed azimuth requires 2.4 minutes. Depending on the number of azimuths desired a complete scan can take up to 10 minutes or longer to complete. Once collected the radial velocities are processed to produce vector wind velocity estimates based on a set of data distributed in angle and range around points of interest, typically a standard grid within the radial wind map. To calculate wind vectors over a limited spatial area of interest for the comparison of data with other measurement platforms a localized least-squares approach has been applied by Hannon et.al. (2008) and a Variation Assimilation (VAR) processing technique has been applied by Chan and al Assimilation (VAR) processing technique has been applied by Chan and Shao (2006). Additionally, Kelley et.al. (2007) applied a “stare” technique that fixed a scanning LIDAR in both azimuth and elevation angles to measure over collocated sampling volumes of the LIDAR and a 3D sonic anemometer mounted to a fixed mast. Although the stare technique is limited to wind directions aligned with the sampling radial of the LIDAR, it does provide a direct comparison of sampling volumes. Each of the processing techniques described above (and possibly others) will be evaluated to determine the validity of the LIDAR derived wind fields in the marine environment. Numerical methods such as linear regression and comparison of probability density functions of wind fields measured by each instrument platform will be used to assess the processing techniques. Linear regression has the advantage of directly evaluating corresponding pairs of wind data measured by each instrument and can lend insight into deviations and bias between instruments as a function of wind speed. Assessment of the coherency between the probability density function of the wind measured by each instrument provides insight into processes that may not be accurately resolved by each instrument at specific frequencies. Once processed and assessed the most appropriate technique will be utilized to provide valid wind measurements from the pulsed scanning LIDAR. A detailed analysis of the measurement data from the LIDAR and the three meteorological towers and comparison of the coastal wind characteristics from the different systems will be performed by the CO_PI at NREL. This analysis will evaluate how the WT LIDAR performance and measurement of the wind characteristics vary with distance from the LIDAR and by atmospheric conditions; using the tower measurements at different distances (4.8, 9.6, and 19 km) from the LIDAR as a reference. The comparative analysis will include, to the extent possible, evaluation of parameters such as wind speed and direction distributions, wind shear, turbulence intensity and their variations by atmospheric conditions, month or season, and time of day.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1989

The use of aircraft and satellite remote sensing of phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations in case 2 estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay

Two projects using remote sensing of phytoplankton chlorophyll concentrations in the Chesapeake Bay estuary were proposed. The first project used aircraft remote sensing with a compact radiometer system developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the Ocean Data Acquisition System (ODAS). ODAS includes three radiometers at 460, 490, and 520 nm, an infrared temperature sensor (PRT-5), Loran-C for navigation, and a data acquisition system using a PC and mass storage device. This instrument package can be flown in light aircraft at relatively low expense, permitting regular and frequent flights. Sixteen flights with ODAS were completed using the Virginia Institute of Marine Science's De Havilland 'Beaver'. The goal was to increase spatial and temporal resolution in assaying phytoplankton pigment concentrations in the Chesapeake. At present, analysis is underway of flight data collected between March and July 1989. The second project focused on satellite data gathered with the Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZSC) between late 1978 and mid 1986. The problem in using CZSC data for the Chesapeake Bay is that the optical characteristics of this (and many) coastal and estuarine waters are distinct from those of the open ocean for which algorithms for computing pigment concentrations were developed. The successful use of CZCS data for the estuary requires development of site-specific algorithms and analytical approaches. Of principal importance in developing site-specific procedures is the availability of in-situ data on pigment concentrations. A significant data set was acquired from EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program in Annapolis, Maryland, and clear satellite scenes are being analyzed for which same-day sea truth measurements of pigment were obtained. Both the University of Miami and GSFC Seapak systems are being used in this effort. The main finding to date is an expected one, i.e., the algorithms developed for oceanic waters are inadequate to compute pigment concentrations for the Case 2 waters of the Chesapeake Bay. One reason is the overestimation of aerosol radiances by assuming that water-leaving radiance in Band 4 of CZCS (670 nm) is zero, an assumption that is invalid for the Bay. This prompted any attempts to iterative procedures for estimating the proportion of the Band 4 radiance that is actually attributable to aerosol by estimating the water-leaving component using optical data. A cruise on the Chesapeake the week of 7 August 1989 was conducted to collect additional optical data necessary to this task.

Harding, Lawrence W., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Conference Support, 32nd Western Photosynthesis Conference 2023

This DOE-BES award provided conference support for the 32nd Western Photosynthesis Conference (WPC2023), held January 5–8, 2023 at the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay, California. The Western Photosynthesis Conference is one of three regional photosynthesis meetings held annually in the United States and serves as a primary venue for early-career scientists—graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduates—to present research and build professional networks alongside established investigators in the field. Photosynthesis research is central to the DOE Office of Science's Basic Energy Sciences mission, underpinning fundamental understanding of solar energy conversion, biofuels, and the biological transformation of light into chemical energy. DOE-BES funds were used, as proposed, to support registration and housing costs for 20 early-career participants (9 postdoctoral researchers, 9 graduate students, and 2 undergraduates) and to help defray travel costs for two junior invited speakers based outside California, for a total DOE-BES expenditure of $10,060. The meeting was executed as planned, with no significant deviations from the approved program, budget, or schedule. WPC2023 drew 76 registrants across six scientific topic areas, featured 8 of 9 invited/keynote speakers, and provided extensive opportunities for early-career scientists to present talks and posters, compete for recognition awards, and network with senior researchers in the field.

conference↗
DOE OSTI2022

Atmospheric CO 2 estimates for the Miocene to Pleistocene based on foraminiferal $δ^{11}$B at Ocean Drilling Program Sites 806 and 807 in the Western Equatorial Pacific

Constraints on the evolution of atmospheric CO 2 levels throughout Earth's history are foundational to our understanding of past variations in climate. Despite considerable effort, records vary in their temporal and spatial coverage and estimates of past CO 2 levels do not always converge, and therefore new records and proxies are valuable. Here we reconstruct atmospheric CO 2 values across major climate transitions over the past 16 million years using the boron isotopic composition (δ 11 B) of planktic foraminifera from 89 samples obtained from two sites in the West Pacific Warm Pool, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 806 and 807, measured using high-precision multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We compare our results to published data from ODP Site 872, also in the Western Equatorial Pacific, that goes back to 22 million years ago. These sites are in a region that today is near equilibrium with the atmosphere and are thought to have been in equilibrium with the atmosphere for the interval studied. We show that δ 11 B data from this region are consistent with other boron-based studies. The data show evidence for elevated pCO 2 during the Middle Miocene and Early to Middle Pliocene, and reductions in pCO 2 of ~200 ppm during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition, ~250 ppm during Pliocene Glacial Intensification and ~50 ppm during the Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition. During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition there is a minimum pCO 2 at marine isotopic stage (MIS) 30. Our results are consistent with a coupling between pCO 2 , temperature and ice sheet expansion from the Miocene to the late Quaternary.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1993

CO2 lidar backscatter experiment

The Aerosol/Lidar Science Group of the Remote Sensing Branch engages in experimental and theoretical studies of atmospheric aerosol scattering and atmospheric dynamics, emphasizing Doppler lidar as a primary tool. Activities include field and laboratory measurement and analysis efforts by in-house personnel, coordinated with similar efforts by university and government institutional researchers. The primary focus of activities related to understanding aerosol scattering is the GLObal Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) program. GLOBE was initiated by NASA in 1986 to support the engineering design, performance simulation, and science planning for the prospective NASA Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS). The most important GLOBE scientific result has been identified of a background aerosol mode with a surprisingly uniform backscatter mixing ratio (backscatter normalized by air density) throughout a deep tropospheric layer. The backscatter magnitude of the background mode evident from the MSFC CW lidar measurements is remarkably similar to that evident from ground-based backscatter profile climatologies obtained by JPL in Pasadena CA, NOAA/WPL in Boulder CO, and by the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment in the United Kingdom. Similar values for the background mode have been inferred from the conversion of in situ aerosol microphysical measurements to backscatter using Mie theory. Little seasonal or hemispheric variation is evident in the survey mission data, as opposed to large variation for clouds, aerosol plums, and the marine boundary layer. Additional features include: localized aerosol residues from dissipated clouds, occasional regions having mass concentrations of nanograms per cubic meter and very low backscatter, and aerosol plumes extending thousands of kilometers and several kilometers deep. Preliminary comparison with meteorological observations thus far indicate correlation between backscatter and water vapor under high humidity conditions. Limited intercomparisons with the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) limb extinction sounder shows differences in the troposphere, however, it should be noted that in general SAGE measurements have not yet been validated in the troposphere.

Jarzembski, Maurice A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Characterization of exopolymers of aquatic bacteria by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry

Exopolymers from a diverse collection of marine and freshwater bacteria were characterized by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS). Py-MS provides spectra of pyrolysis fragments that are characteristic of the original material. Analysis of the spectra by multivariate statistical techniques (principal component and canonical variate analysis) separated these exopolymers into distinct groups. Py-MS clearly distinguished characteristic fragments, which may be derived from components responsible for functional differences between polymers. The importance of these distinctions and the relevance of pyrolysis information to exopolysaccharide function in aquatic bacteria is discussed.

NASA Program CELSS↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Meteoritic Component in Impact Deposits

This proposal requested support for a broad-based research program designed to understand the chemical and mineralogical record of accretion of extraterrestrial matter to the Earth. The primary goal of this research is to study the accretion history of the Earth, to understand how this accretion history reflects the long-term flux of comets, asteroids, and dust in the inner solar system and how this flux is related to the geological and biological history of the Earth. This goal is approached by seeking out the most significant projects that can be attacked utilizing the expertise of the PI and potential collaborators. The greatest expertise of the PI is the analysis of meteoritic components in terrestrial sediments. This proposal identifies three primary areas of research, involving impact events in the early Archean (3.2 Ga), the late Eocene (35 Ma) and the late Pliocene (2 Ma). In the early Archean we investigate sediments that contain the oldest recorded impacts on Earth. These are thick spherule beds, three of which were deposited within 20 m.y. If these are impact deposits the flux of objects to Earth at this time was much greater than predicted by current models. Earlier work used Cr isotopes to prove that one of these contain extraterrestrial matter, from a projectile with Cr isotopes similar to CV chondrites. We planned to expand this work to other spherule beds and to search for additional evidence of other impact events. With samples from D. Lowe (Stanford Univ.) the PI proposed to screen samples for high Ir and Cr so that appropriate samples can be provided to A. Shukolyukov for Cr-isotopic analyses. This work was expected to provide evidence that at least one interval in the early Archean was a period of intense bombardment and to characterize the composition of objects accreted. The late Eocene is also a period of intense bombardment with multiple spherule deposits and two large craters. Farley et al. (1998) demonstrated an increased (3)He flux to marine sediments that was attributed to an increase in interplanetary dust due to a shower of comets invading the inner solar system. We planned to detect a change in the Cr-isotopic composition in the flux of fine-grained extraterrestrial matter to ocean sediments. This would provide evidence for the comet shower hypothesis. We planned attempt to locate late Eocene impact deposits in a new high resolution, hi-latitude site that had the potential for excellent preservation and new information of the sources and effects of these impacts. Although most impacts on Earth occur in deep-ocean basins, only one such event is known - the late Pliocene impact of the Eltanin asteroid. The ejecta from this impact includes Ir- rich impact melt, spherules, and actual meteorites from the km-sized mesosiderite asteroid. Through a study of the ejecta, we can learn about the formation, distribution, alteration and preservation of Ir-rich deposits. We can also learn about meteorite survival during hypervelocity impacts and we can study pieces of a km-sized object to learn more about the mesosiderite parent body. Analyses of sediment cores and geophysical exploration of the impact site can further our understanding of the processes involved in deep-ocean impacts and potential effects on the terrestrial climate and biosphere. We planned analyses of this ejecta, a search for ejecta 5000 km distant from the impact area, and a new oceanographic expedition to study and sample the impact site. In addition to these three specific areas of research, the PI planned to remain flexible and available to exploit new opportunities presented by new discoveries, and to engage in new collaborations if other researchers require his expertise to develop new projects that fit within the objectives of the overall research program.

Kyte, Frank T.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Conservation planning for freshwater–marine carryover effects on Chinook salmon survival

Experiences of migratory species in one habitat may affect their survival in the next habitat, in what is known as carryover effects. These effects are especially relevant for understanding how freshwater experience affects survival in anadromous fishes. Here, we study the carryover effects of juvenile salmon passage through a hydropower system (Snake and Columbia rivers, northwestern United States). To reduce the direct effect of hydrosystem passage on juveniles, some fishes are transported through the hydrosystem in barges, while the others are allowed to migrate in-river. Although hydrosystem survival of transported fishes is greater than that of their run-of-river counterparts, their relative juvenile-to-adult survival (hereafter survival) can be less. We tested for carryover effects using generalized linear mixed effects models of survival with over 1 million tagged Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum) (Salmonidae), migrating in 1999–2013. Carryover effects were identified with rear-type (wild vs. hatchery), passage-type (run-of-river vs. transported), and freshwater and marine covariates. Importantly, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index characterizing cool/warm (i.e., productive/nonproductive) ocean phases had a strong influence on the relative survival of rear- and passage-types. Specifically, transportation benefited wild Chinook salmon more in cool PDO years, while hatchery counterparts benefited more in warm PDO years. Transportation was detrimental for wild Chinook salmon migrating early in the season, but beneficial for later season migrants. Hatchery counterparts benefited from transportation throughout the season. Altogether, wild fish could benefit from transportation approximately 2 weeks earlier during cool PDO years, with still a benefit to hatchery counterparts. Furthermore, we found some support for hypotheses related to higher survival with increased river flow, high predation in the estuary and plume areas, and faster migration and development-related increased survival with temperature. Thus, pre- and within-season information on local- and broad-scale conditions across habitats can be useful for planning and implementing real-time conservation programs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diel variation in CO 2 flux is substantial in many lakes

Lakes play a significant role in the global carbon cycle, acting as sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). In situ measurements of CO 2 flux (FCO 2 ) from lakes have generally been collected during daylight, despite indications of significant diel variability. This introduces bias when scaling up to whole-lake annual aquatic carbon budgets. We conducted an international sampling program to ascertain the extent of diel variation in FCO 2 across lakes. We sampled 21 lakes over 41 campaigns and measured FCO 2 at 4-h intervals over a full diel cycle. Rates of FCO 2 ranged from −3.16 to 4.39 mmol m −2 h −1 . Integrated over a day, FCO 2 ranged from −381.68 to 878.49 mg C m −2 d −1 (mean = 76.54) across campaigns. We identified three characteristic diel patterns in FCO 2 related to trophic status and show that for half of the campaigns, daily flux estimates were biased by > 50% if based on a single (daytime) measurement.

de Eyto, Elvira [Marine Institute, Mayo (Ireland)]↗
NASA NTRS2021

Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2): Integrated Arrival/ Departure/Surface (IADS) System Demonstration - Technology Transfer Document Summary (ReadMe)Version 3 (Final Phase 3 Metroplex IADS)

Airspace Technology Demonstration – 2 (ATD-2) is part of NASA’s Airspace Technology Demonstrations (ATD) Project under its Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP). ATD-2 is a multi-year research and development effort to improve the predictability and operational efficiency of the air traffic system in metroplex environments while maintaining or improving throughput by enhancing and integrating arrival, departure, and surface prediction, scheduling, and management systems. In order to ensure that the products of this knowledge and technology transfer are relevant and useful, NASA has created strong partnerships with the FAA and industry stakeholders. This summary document and accompanying artifacts satisfy the final delivery of research transition products (RTPs) defined in the IADS research transition team (RTT) plan.

ATD-2↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development of Cross Section Library and Application Programming Interface (API)

The goal of NEAMS neutronics is to develop a high-fidelity deterministic neutron transport code termed PROTEUS for use on all reactor types of interest, but focused primarily on sodium-cooled fast reactors. While PROTEUS-SN has demonstrated good accuracy for homogeneous fast reactor problems and partially heterogeneous fast reactor problems, the simulation results were not satisfactory when applied on fully heterogeneous thermal problems like the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This is mainly attributed to the quality of cross section data for heterogeneous geometries since the conventional cross section generation approach does not work accurately for such irregular and complex geometries. Therefore, one of the NEAMS neutronics tasks since FY12 has been the development of a procedure to generate appropriate cross sections for a heterogeneous geometry core.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1973

Studies of the inner shelf and coastal sedimentation environment of the Beaufort Sea from ERTS-1

The author has identified the following significant results. Northward flowing rivers of Alaska inundate extensive areas of sea ice during spring breakup. This process has been studied under the ERTS-1 program. Drainage of large volumes of fresh water through the ice at holes and cracks (strudel) causes scour depressions, over 4 m deep, and up to 20 m across in the sea floor below. Strudel scours occur within 30 km of river mouths, generally in areas where ERTS-1 imagery shows less potential for drifting ice to scour the bottom than elsewhere. The shapes and distribution patterns of strudel scours correspond with those of strudel seen in the ice canopy. Densities of scours are highest in the inner areas of overlfow. But strudel scours also occur outside of overflow areas mapped during the last several years. These must be very old. One strudel scour investigated by diving is surrounded by a rim, has vertical walls exposing a tundra horizon, and terminates at a gravel layer 4 m below the lagoon floor. Another terminates at a semi-consolidated layer of silty clay. The gravel and silty clay are pre-Holocene deposits. Mixing of Holocene marine with older sediments by vertical strudel flow causes great variability in sediment types over small areas. These observations complicate interpretation of shallow water deposits of cold climates.

Reimnitz, E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Self Righting Life Raft

The Givens Buoy Raft was designed and manufactured for inventor Jim Givens of Givens Marine Survival Co. Inc., by RPR Industries, Inc. The Raft consists of a canopied topside and an underwater hemispheric ballast chamber. It has a heavy ballast stabilization system, adopted from NASA technology, which negates the capsizing problem. A "flapper valve" admits large amounts of water to the hemisphere chamber providing ballast to keep the center of gravity constant; stabilization system compensates for changes in wave angle and weight shifting of raft occupants. Mr. Givens has an exclusive patent license for use of the NASA technology. Produced in various sizes, capacities range from six to 20 persons. Raft is housed in a canister, available in several configurations. A pull on a line triggers the automatic inflation process, which takes 12 seconds. The raft has been credited with saving 230 lives in the last five years. It has found wide acceptance with operators of fishing boats, pleasure craft and other vessels. The Coast Guard is purchasing the rafts for use on its rescue helicopters and the Navy has a development program to adapt the system. The Coast Guard last year announced a proposed amendment of its regulations that would require large ballast chambers on inflatable life rafts.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hazard and Operability Study for the Ammonia Fuel Systems at the National Transportation Research Center

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Buildings and Transportation Science Division (BTSD) plans to operate research engines fueled by ammonia in two engine test cells at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC). A scientific need has recently emerged to evaluate the suitability of liquid anhydrous ammonia as a low-lifecycle-carbon fuel source for difficult-to-electrify transportation sectors, including the marine sector. Therefore, BTSD plans to install an ammonia storage and delivery system to 2360 HVC engine research labs L125 (Cell 3) and L111 (Cell 7) capable of delivering 35 and 75 lb/h, respectively. These laboratories are specifically designed to allow for engine and fuels research and development, and they have existing safety systems for mitigating risks associated with toxics and flammables. Anhydrous ammonia is toxic and flammable, and the system will use relatively large quantities compared with standard gas bottles. Ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world, and the hazards associated with toxicity and flammability are well understood. Ammonia storage for use in engine research at NTRC is anticipated to take the form of an ammonia tank with capacity of 1,000 water gallons; this quantity will remain below the threshold quantity of 10,000 lb (~2,000 gal) used both by the US Environmental Protection Agency for reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and for Risk Management Program requirements, and also by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Process Safety Management requirements. ORNL’s Environmental Protection Services Division was also consulted to verify that the quantities of ammonia anticipated to be used would be in compliance with environmental regulations. The Environmental Protection Services Division staff confirmed that the anticipated quantities fall below ORNL’s permit thresholds. However, because of the hazards associated with anhydrous ammonia, the quantities to be used, and the limited experience with similar quantities of ammonia at ORNL, BTSD decided to perform a hazard and operability (HazOp) study on the ammonia storage and delivery system.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Reexamination of the State of the Art Cloud Modeling Shows Real Improvements

Following up on an almost thirty year long history of International Cloud Modeling Workshops, that started out with a meeting in Irsee, Germany in 1985, the 8th International Cloud Modeling Workshop was held in July 2012 in Warsaw, Poland. The workshop, hosted by the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Warsaw, was organized by Szymon Malinowski and his local team of students and co-chaired by Wojciech Grabowski (NCAR/MMM) and Andreas Muhlbauer (University of Washington). International Cloud Modeling Workshops have been held traditionally every four years typically during the week before the International Conference on Clouds and Precipitation (ICCP) . Rooted in the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) weather modification program, the core objectives of the Cloud Modeling Workshop have been centered at the numerical modeling of clouds, cloud microphysics, and the interactions between cloud microphysics and cloud dynamics. In particular, the goal of the workshop is to provide insight into the pertinent problems of today’s state-of-the-art of cloud modeling and to identify key deficiencies in the microphysical representation of clouds in numerical models and cloud parameterizations. In recent years, the workshop has increasingly shifted the focus toward modeling the interactions between aerosols and clouds and provided case studies to investigate both the effects of aerosols on clouds and precipitation as well as the impact of cloud and precipitation processes on aerosols. This time, about 60 (?) scientists from about 10 (?) different countries participated in the workshop and contributed with discussions, oral and poster presentations to the workshop’s plenary and breakout sessions. Several case leaders contributed to the workshop by setting up five observationally-based case studies covering a wide range of cloud types, namely, marine stratocumulus, mid-latitude squall lines, mid-latitude cirrus clouds, Arctic stratus and winter-time orographic clouds and precipitation. Interested readers are encouraged to visit the workshop website at http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~andreasm/workshop2012/ and browse through the list of case studies. The web page also provides a detailed list of participants and the workshop agenda. Aside from contributed oral and poster presentations during the workshop’s plenary sessions, parallel breakout sessions focused on presentations and discussions of the individual cases. A short summary and science highlights from each of the cases is presented below.

Cloud↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evaluation of Used Fuel Disposition in Clay-Bearing Rock

Deep geological disposal of nuclear waste in clay/shale/argillaceous rock formations has received much consideration given its desirable attributes such as isolation properties (low permeability), geochemically reduced conditions, slow diffusion, sorbtive mineralogy, and geologically widespread (Jové Colón et al., 2014). There is a wealth of gained scientific expertise on the behavior of clay/shale/ argillaceous rock given its focus in international nuclear waste repository programs that includes underground research laboratories (URLs) in Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Japan. Jové Colón et al. (2014) have described some of these investigative efforts in clay rock ranging from site characterization to research on the engineered barrier system (EBS). Evaluations of disposal options that include nuclear waste disposition in clay/shale/argillaceous rock have determined that this host media can accommodate a wide range of waste types. R&D work within the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) assessing thermal effects and fluid-mineral interactions for the disposition of heat-generating waste have so far demonstrated the feasibility for the EBS and clay host rock to withstand high thermal loads. This report represents the continuation of disposal R&D efforts on the advancement and refinement of coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC), hydrothermal experiments on clay interactions, used fuel degradation (source term), and thermodynamic modeling and database development. The development and implementation of a clay/shale/argillite reference case described in Jové Colón et al. (2014) for FY15 will be documented in another report (Mariner et al. 2015) – only a brief description will be given here. This clay reference case implementation is the result of integration efforts between the GDSA PA and disposal in argillite work packages. The assessment of sacrificial zones in the EBS is being addressed through experimental work along with 1D reactive-transport and reaction path modeling. The focus of these investigations into the nature of sacrificial zones is to evaluate the chemical effects of heterogeneous chemical reactions at EBS interfaces. The difference in barrier material types and the extent of chemical reactions within these interfacial domains generates changes in mineral abundances. These mineralogical alterations also result in volume changes that, although small, could affect the interface bulk porosity. As in previous deliverables, this report is structured according to various national laboratory contributions describing R&D activities applicable to clay/shale/argillite media.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2019

Measurements of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean (MARCUS) Field Campaign Report

The Southern Ocean (SO) is the stormiest place on earth, buffeted by winds and waves that circle the ice of Antarctica, sheathed in clouds that mantle a dynamic ocean with rich ecosystems. The remote and usually pristine environment, typically removed from anthropogenic and natural continental aerosol sources, makes the SO unique for examining cloud-aerosol interactions for liquid and ice clouds, and the role of primary and secondary marine biogenic aerosols and sea salt. There is strong seasonality in aerosol sources and sinks over the SO that are poorly understood. Weather and climate models are challenged by uncertainties and biases in the simulation of SO clouds, aerosols, precipitation, and radiative transfer that trace to poor physical understanding of these processes, and by cloud feedbacks (e.g., phase changes) in response to warming. Models almost universally underestimate sunlight reflected by near-surface cloud, particularly in the cold sector of cyclonic storm systems, and this may be due to difficulties in representing pervasive supercooled and mixed-phase boundary-layer (BL) clouds. The Southern Ocean Clouds Radiation Transport Aerosol Transport Experimental Study (SOCRATES) white paper (Marchand et al. 2014) describes the motivation, scientific themes, and testable hypotheses that led to a multi-agency and international measurement campaign to study clouds, aerosols, and the air-sea interface over the SO. As a separate project within this international umbrella, the Measurement of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean (MARCUS) field program was conducted between 29 October 2017 and 25 March 2018. During MARCUS, instruments from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s second Mobile Facility (AMF2) were installed on the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis as it made resupply missions from Hobart, Tasmania to the Australian Antarctic stations of Casey, Mawson, and Davis, as well as Macquarie Island. Figure 1 shows the voyages conducted during MARCUS. The MARCUS data are unique in that they are the only set of data in the broader international effort that a) acquired comprehensive observations of clouds, aerosols, and radiation south of 60°S, and b) acquired measurements across the full SO latitudinal range in the spring and fall seasons.

atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer↗
NASA NTRS1992

Boundary layer structure over the ocean observed by LEANDRE 1 during a tramontane event

A new airborne backscatter lidar, has been developed by CNRS (Service d'Aeronomie, (SA) Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (LMD) and the Institut des Sciences de 1'Univers) in the frame of the LEANDRE research program. It has been qualified on board the ARAT in autumn 1989 and spring 1990 and was involved in its first cooperative campaign during PYREX in October and November 1990. During this campaign, lidar observations of the perturbations induced on tropospheric flow and boundary layer structure were performed, and results are presented. A large number of experiments were performed, for synoptic situation description (meteorological radiosoundings, constant level balloons) and local flow analysis (aircrafts, radars, sodars). For the first time in such an experiment, a lidar has been flown on a research aircraft to perform altitude resolved observations of these perturbations, and we will present here results obtained for deflected flow structure. In the presence of a synoptic northerly flow, part of it is deflected to the east by the Pyrenees, and accelerated over the Mediterranean by the mountain surroundings. In this case, a low level wind is generated (the Tramontane) bringing cold and dry air over the Mediterranean Sea. As the sea is still at a warm temperature in November (around 17 degrees), an Internal Marine Boundary Layer rapidly grows over the first tens of kilometers and stabilizes at about 1 km depth, corresponding to an altitude just below the Lifting Condensation Level. The whole Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL) is characterized by highly turbulent motions bringing large humid particles from the surface up to its top. The lidar signal due to scattering by these particles is then representative of the turbulent kinetic energy in this layer.

Flamant, C.↗