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At least 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Analysis of Satellite and Airborne Imagery for Detection of Water Hyacinth and Other Invasive Floating Macrophytes and Tracking of Aquatic Weed Control Efficacy

Waterways of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta have recently become infested with invasive aquatic weeds such as floating water hyacinth (Eichhoria crassipes) and water primrose (Ludwigia peploides). These invasive plants cause many negative impacts, including, but not limited to: the blocking of waterways for commercial shipping and boating; clogging of irrigation screens, pumps and canals; and degradation of biological habitat through shading. Zhang et al. (1997, Ecological Applications, 7(3), 1039-1053) used NASA Landsat satellite imagery together with field calibration measurements to map physical and biological processes within marshlands of the San Francisco Bay. Live green biomass (LGB) and related variables were correlated with a simple vegetation index ratio of red and near infra-red bands from Landsat images. More recently, the percent (water area) cover of water hyacinth plotted against estimated LGB of emergent aquatic vegetation in the Delta from September 2014 Landsat imagery showed an 80 percent overall accuracy. For the past two years, we have partnered with the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis to conduct new validation surveys of water hyacinth and water primrose coverage and LGB in Delta waterways. A plan is underway to transfer decision support tools developed at NASA's Ames Research Center based on Landsat satellite images to improve Delta-wide integrated management of floating aquatic weeds, while reducing chemical control costs. The main end-user for this application project will be the Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, who has the responsibility for chemical control of water hyacinth in the Delta.

Agriculture↗
NASA NTRS2017

Effects of Martian Surface Materials on the Thermal Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide

While hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been detected in the martian atmosphere, it has not been detected in surface materials. Since the Viking lander mission, we have sent instruments to Mars with the capability to detect H2O2. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity Rover and Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument on the Phoenix lander both detected water and oxygen releases from analyzed sediments but whether or not peroxide could be the source of these gases has not been investigated. We are investigating the possible presence of H2O2 in martian materials by analyzing Mars-relevant minerals that have been mixed with hydrogen peroxide using lab instruments configured as analogs to Mars mission instruments. The object of this research is to use lab instruments to find the effects of Mars analog minerals on hydrogen peroxide gas release temperatures, specifically gas releases of water and oxygen and also determine the effect of the peroxide on the minerals. Data that we get from the lab can then be compared to the data collected from Mars. The minerals hematite, siderite, San Carlos olivine, magnetite and nontronite were chosen as our Mars analog minerals. ~20 mg of analog Mars minerals with 5μl of 50% H2O2, and were either run immediately or placed in a sealed tube for 2, 4, or 9 days to look for changes over time with two reps being done at each time step to determine repeatability. Each sample was heated from -60 degC to 500 degC at 20 degC/min and the evolved gases were monitored with a mass spectrometer. Each sample was also analyzed with an X-ray diffraction instrument to look for changes in mineralogy. Preliminary results show three potential outcomes: 1) peroxide has no effect on the sample (e.g., hematite), 2) the mineral is unaffected but catalyzes peroxide decomposition (magnetite, siderite), or 3) peroxide alters the mineral (pyrrhotite, San Carlos olivine).

Archer, P. D., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Predicting Ground Delay Program at an Airport Based on Meteorological Conditions

In this paper, we present two supervised-learning models, logistic regression and decision tree, to predict occurrence of ground delay program at an airport based on meteorological conditions and scheduled traffic demand. Such predictive capabilities can help the Federal Aviation Administration traffic managers and airline dispatchers to prepare mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of adverse weather. The models are applied to predict ground delay program occurrence at two major U.S. airports: Newark Liberty Intl. and San Francisco Intl. airports. The logistic regression model estimates the probability that a ground delay program will occur during a given hour. Decision tree, on the other hand, classifies an hour as a ground delay program or not based on the input variables. Results indicate that both models perform significantly better than a purely random prediction of ground delay program occurrence at the two airports. The logistic regression model performs better than the decision tree model. The degree to which various input variables impact the probability of ground delay program vary between the two airports. While the enroute convective weather is a dominant factor causing ground delay programs at New York airports, poor visibility and low cloud ceiling caused by marine stratus are major drivers of ground delay programs at San Francisco Intl. airport.

traffic flow management↗
NASA NTRS2018

Quantitative Daily Maps of PM 2.5 Episodes for California and Other Regions: Satellite Column Water and Optical Depth as Allied Tracers of Dilution

The Western US and many regions globally present daunting difficulties in understanding PM 2.5 episodes. We evaluate extensions of a method independent of modeled source-description and transport/transformation and using several satellite remote sensing products from imaging spectrometers. The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) especially suffers few-day episodes due to shallow mixing; PM 2.5 retrieval suffers low satellite AOT (Aerosol Optical Thickness) and bright surfaces.Nevertheless, we find residual errors in our maps of of typically 5-8 micrograms per cubic meter. Episodes in the Valley reaching 60-100 micrograms per cubic meter. These maps detail pollution from Interstate 5 at the scale of a few kilometers. The maps are based on NASA's MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data at circa 1 kilometer as processed with the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has requested that we test our methods in their challenging environment characterized by multiple sub-basins defined by complex topography. Our tests suggest that nearly similar precision may be expected for wintertime conditions with high PM 2.5 . We note difficulties when measured PM 2.5 is less than 8-10 micrograms per cubic meter, but good relative precision when PM 2.5 rises above 20; i.e. in episodes of concern for morbidity and mortality. Our method stresses physically meaningful functions of MODIS-MAIAC (Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction)-derived AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) and total water vapor column. A mixed-effects statistical model exploiting existing station data works powerfully to allow us daily AOT-to-PM 2.5 relationships that allow a calibration of the map. In those cases where water vapor and particles have generally similar surface sources, using the ratio of AOT / Column_water can improve the daily calibrations so as to reach our quoted precision. We briefly present some cartoon idealizations that explain this success and also the likely reasons that our mixed effects model (or "daily calibration") works; also when it should not work. The combined satellite/mixed-effects model works best for wintertime San Joaquin Valley episodes, where the meteorology of particle and H2O(v) dilution is quite appropriate. We extended and tested the methodology (a) for the Bay Area wintertime situations and (b) for smoke plume events (e.g. the October 2017 fire events of the Sonoma area). Our SJV work was evaluated using NASA's DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) airborne measurements, and by season- long measurements in Fresno. If the composition and size distribution of the aerosols can be assessed for the regions we describe, retrievals should have improved accuracy.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Airborne Measurements of Ozone and Other Trace Gases Captured by the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) During the 2016 California Baseline Ozone Transport Study (CABOTS)

In October 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency lowered the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone (O3) from 75 ppbv to 70 ppbv. However, meeting the stricter air standards is a challenge for certain areas of California, like the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), where O3 levels are typically high due to topography, meteorology, and local emissions. Another factor potentially contributing to increased surface O3 is the trans-Pacific transport of O3 from Asia. The extent of which O3stems from local emissions or is transported across the Pacific, however, is unclear. The California Ozone Transport Study (CABOTS), a joint effort between the California Air Resource Board, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and San Jose State University, was conducted during the spring and summer of 2016 in an attempt to answer this question.Nearly 10 science flights were carried out by the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) between June and August 2016, based out of the NASA Ames Research Center. A summary of airborne O3, CO2, CH4, H2O, formaldehyde (HCHO), and 3D wind measurements will be presented. AJAX flights connect the fixed-location measurements at Visalia (TOPAZ ozone lidar) and Bodega Bay (ozonesondes), while exploring the spatial heterogeneity of O3 concentrations across California and at various offshore locations. Preliminary analyses of these flights will investigate connections between offshore O3 and Central Valley O3. Vertical profiles, time series, and tracer-tracer correlations will be employed to identify the sources of O3 during these flights.

Iraci, Laura T.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Analyzing Carbon Dioxide and Methane Emissions in California Using Airborne Measurements and Model Simulations

Greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations have increased over the past decades and are linked to global temperature increases and climate change. These changes in climate have been suggested to have varying effects, and uncertain consequences, on agriculture, water supply, weather, sea-level rise, the economy, and energy. To counteract the trend of increasing atmospheric concentrations of GHGs, the state of California has passed the California Global Warming Act of 2006 (AB-32). This requires that by the year 2020, GHG (e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)) emissions will be reduced to 1990 levels. To quantify GHG fluxes, emission inventories are routinely compiled for the State of California (e.g., CH4 emissions from the California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement (CALGEM) Project). The major sources of CO2 and CH4 in the state of California are: transportation, electricity production, oil and gas extraction, cement plants, agriculture, landfills/waste, livestock, and wetlands. However, uncertainties remain in these emission inventories because many factors contributing to these processes are poorly quantified. To alleviate these uncertainties, a synergistic approach of applying air-borne measurements and chemical transport modeling (CTM) efforts to provide a method of quantifying local and regional GHG emissions will be performed during this study. Additionally, in order to further understand the temporal and spatial distributions of GHG fluxes in California and the impact these species have on regional climate, CTM simulations of daily variations and seasonality of total column CO2 and CH4 will be analyzed. To assess the magnitude and spatial variation of GHG emissions and to identify local “hot spots”, airborne measurements of CH4 and CO2 were made by the Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) over the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) and San Joaquin Valley (SJV) in January and February 2013 during the Discover-AQ-CA study. High mixing ratios of GHGs were observed in-flight with a high degree of spatial variability. To provide an additional method to quantify GHG emissions, and analyze AJAX measurement data, the GEOS-Chem CTM is used to simulate SFBA/SJV GHG measurements. A nested-grid version of GEOS-Chem will be applied and utilizes varying emission inventories and model parameterizations to simulate GHG fluxes/emissions. The model considers CO2 fluxes from fossil fuel use, biomass/biofuel burning, terrestrial and oceanic biosphere exchanges, shipping and aviation, and production from the oxidation of carbon monoxide, CH4, and non-methane volatile organic carbons. The major sources of CH4 simulated in GEOS-Chem are domesticated animals, rice fields, natural gas leakage, natural gas venting/flaring (oil production), coal mining, wetlands, and biomass burning. Preliminary results from the comparison between available observations (e.g., AJAX and CALGEM CH4 emission maps) and GEOS-Chem results will be presented, along with a discussion of CO2 and CH4 source apportionment and the use of the GEOS-Chem-adjoint to perform inverse GHG modeling.

Johnson, Matthew S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Assessment of the 2013-2014 Drought on Ecosystems of the California Central Coast

Calendar year 2013 was the driest on record in California, with a total of just 30 percent of average statewide precipitation. The objective of this present study was to assess the impacts of the historic 2013-2014 drought on ecosystems of the Central Coast region using a combination of satellite image analysis and in situ measurements of soil moisture. According to differences in Landsat NDWI and NDVI between May of 2010 and 2013, the geographic areas within the study region that were most severely impacted by the 2013 drought were the inland Carmel Valley in northern Monterey County, and the coast zones around San Simeon Point and Cambria in northern San Luis Obispo County. For more detailed examination of drought impacts, the entire study region was separated into the three predominate vegetation types (grasslands, shrublands, and forests) to examine changes in Landsat NDWI and NDVI in the context of differing plant community response to severe drought.

Normalized Differences Vegetation Index (NDVI)↗
NASA NTRS2019

Response Timing: Low Airspeed (Energy) Alerting

In response to NTSB Safety Recommendation A-14-043, the FAA was asked to task a panel of human factors, aviation operations, and aircraft design specialists, such as the Avionics Systems Harmonization Working Group (ASHWG), to develop design requirements for context-dependent low energy alerting systems for airplanes engaged in commercial operations. This recommendation is in association to the July 6, 2013, accident involving a Boeing 777-200ER, Korean registration HL7742, operating as Asiana Airlines flight 214, which was on approach to runway 28L when it struck a seawall at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California. The FAA asked for human factor support from NASA in developing design requirements for context-dependent low energy alerting systems for airplanes engaged in commercial operations. Recently the ASHWG chair asked for continued support in examining flightcrew alert response timing and requested that NASA update the previous working paper on this subject. This product/paper will be provided to the ASHWG as part of the ongoing assignments from each of the ASHWG members in support of developing requirements and guidance for context-dependent low energy alerting systems for airplanes. The ASHWG is made up of interested parties from government and industry.

response timing↗
NASA NTRS2020

Thoracic Pressure Does Not Impact CSF Pressure via Compartment Compliance

Space acquired neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) remains a difficult risk to characterize due to the complex multi-factorial etiology related to physiological responses to the spaceflight environment. Fluid shift and the resultant change on the Cardiovascular (CV) and cerebral spinal fluid systems (CSF) in the absence of gravity continue to be considered a contributing factor to the progression of SANS. In this study, we utilize a computational model of the CSF and CV interface to establish the sensitivity that intracranial pressure, and subsequently the optic nerve sheath pressure, exhibits due to variations in thoracic pressure, assuming the cranial perfusion pressure, i.e. mean arterial pressure (MAP) to central venous pressure (CVP), is known. Methods: The GRC Cross cutting computational modeling project created as model of the CSF and CV interaction within the cranial vault by extending the work of Stevens et al. [1] by modifying the representative anatomy to include a separate venous sinus, jugular veins, secondary veins and extra jugular pathways [2-3] to more adequately represent the vascular drainage pathways from the cranial vault (Figure 1). Assuming the MAP, CVP and thoracic pressure are known, we initiated this enhanced computational model assuming a supine positon and utilized a linear ramp to vary the thoracic pressure from the assumed supine state to the target pressure corresponding to set MAP and CVP values. The model generates the time based CSF pressure values (Figure2). Results and Conclusions: Following this analysis, CSF pressure shows significant independence from thoracic pressure changes (16 mmHg in thoracic pressure produces < 1mmHg change in CSF pressure), being mostly dependent on perfusion pressure. Similarly fluid redistribution is not predicted to be impacted over a level of 1mL. We note that this simulation represents an acute changes (order of 10's of minutes) and does not represent the long term effects.

Munster, Drayton W.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Urban Air Mobility System Testbed Using CAVE Virtual Reality Environment

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) refers to a system of air passenger and small cargo transportation within an urban area. The UAM framework also includes other urban Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) services that will be supported by a mix of onboard, ground, piloted, and autonomous operations. Over the past few years UAM research has gained wide interest from companies and federal agencies as an on-demand innovative transportation option that can help reduce traffic congestion and pollution as well as increase mobility in metropolitan areas. The concepts of UAM/UAS operation in the National Airspace System (NAS) remains an active area of research to ensure safe and efficient operations. With new developments in smart vehicle design and infrastructure for air traffic management, there is a need for methods to integrate and test various components of the UAM framework. In this work, we report on the development of a virtual reality (VR) testbed using the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) technology for human-automation teaming and airspace operation research of UAM. Using a four-wall projection system with motion capture, the CAVE provides an immersive virtual environment with real-time full body tracking capability. We created a virtual environment consisting of San Francisco city and a vertical take-off-and-landing passenger aircraft that can fly between a downtown location and the San Francisco International Airport. The aircraft can be operated autonomously or manually by a single pilot who maneuvers the aircraft using a flight control joystick. The interior of the aircraft includes a virtual cockpit display with vehicle heading, location, and speed information. The system can record simulation events and flight data for post-processing. The system parameters are customizable for different flight scenarios; hence, the CAVE VR testbed provides a flexible method for development and evaluation of UAM framework.

Marayong, Panadda↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Intracranial Effects of Artificial Gravity: A 3T MRI Study

INTRODUCTION Spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is characterized by the development of optic disc edema, posterior globe flattening, choroidal/retinal folds and hyperopic refractive errors1. SANS is hypothesized to be a result of headward fluid shifts that invariably occurs in the microgravity environment. As a countermeasure, artificial gravity (AG) through centrifugation has been proposed to reduce this headward fluid shift, however there is no current proof of benefit. The goal of this study was to determine if the application of AG can prevent or reduce known changes in brain volumetry, internal carotid artery (ICA) stroke volume and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) flow velocity that occurs during simulated chronic headward fluid shift using head down tilt bed rest (HDTBR) methodology2 as an indicator of countermeasure efficacy. METHODS Healthy volunteers were recruited for an IRB approved HDTBR study performed at the German Aerospace Center in Cologne, Germany. Strict six-degree HDTBR was used as a spaceflight analog to induce a continuous headward fluid shift. HDTBR was carried out for 60 days for all subjects. Short-arm centrifugation was utilized to generate AG equating to ~0.3g of acceleration at the level of the eye. The subjects were divided equally into three groups: NoAG (control; n=8), daily intermittent AG (6 x 5 min iAG; n=8), and daily continuous 30 min (cAG; n=8). All studies were performed on a single dedicated 3T MRI Scanner. Pulse-gated MRI phase-contrast flow imaging was used to quantify ICA stroke volume and peak-to-peak CSF flow velocity in the mid cerebral aqueduct. 3D-SPGR was acquired for volumetric segmentation of the brain and CSF spaces. MRI acquisitions were obtained at baseline (BDC), 14 days into HDTBR (HDTBR14), 52 days into HDTBR (HDTBR52) and 3-5 days after HDTBR (recovery, R+3/5).The data were analyzed by the mixed model, which included intervention and time (BDC, HDTBR 14, HDTBR 52, R+3/5) as the fixed effects and included subject as the random effect.RESULTS24 healthy subject volunteers (16 men, 8 women, mean age = 33 years ± 9 [standard deviation] and mean BMI = 24.3 kg/m2 ± 2.0) successfully completed all phases of the study. Strict six-degree HDTBR was characterized by progressive and statistically significant (p<.01) increases in mean combined brain and CSF volumes and mean aqueductal CSF peak-to-peak flow velocity, as well as statistically significant (p<.01) progressive decrease in mean ICA stroke volume from baseline to 52 days post intervention (Figs. 1-3). Compared to baseline, only combined brain and CSF volumes did not return to baseline values in the recovery period (p=NS). Neither iAG nor cAG exerted any significant effects on the measured MRI brain parameters as compared to HDTBR alone (p=NS). CONCLUSION Our results indicate that HDTBR at 6-degrees was effective in producing alterations in ICA stroke volume, aqueductal CSF flow velocity, and combined brain and CSF volumetric change that is associated with chronic headward fluid shift. Short duration, 30-min daily exposure to either iAG or cAG appears to be insufficient in preventing or reducing the effects of chronic HDTBR and thus may not be a suitable countermeasure as currently deployed. AG protocol modifications, including increased duration and magnitude of exposure, should be considered for future research.

L A Kramer↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mitigating Headward Fluid Shifts With Veno-Constrictive Thigh Cuffs During Spaceflight

Astronauts experience a chronic headward fluid shift in weightlessness as evidenced by increased cardiac output, decreased leg volume, a redistribution of venous fluid, and venous congestion in the upper body. Alterations in cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics and changes in cerebral venous pressure secondary to the headward fluid shift may contribute to ocular changes associated with spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). Veno-constrictive thigh cuffs (VTC; Braslets) provided to Soyuz crewmembers alleviate symptoms of the headward fluid shift during the first week of spaceflight and have been documented to reduce internal jugular vein (IJV) distension during weightlessness. Application of VTCs designed collaboratively by NASA Johnson Space Center Cardiovascular and Vision Laboratory (CVL) and Clemson Textile Laboratory at Clemson University to improve fit and comfort was documented to mitigate changes in choroid thickness, intraocular pressure, and IJV area during posture-induced headward fluid shifts. VTC are demonstrated to reduce headward fluid shifts in both ground-based and spaceflight studies, and thus, may be a countermeasure against development of SANS. In addition, VTC are a simple mechanical countermeasure currently at a high technical readiness level (TRL) and are compact and lightweight, making them compatible with the spaceflight operations environment

Connor R. Ferguson↗
NASA NTRS2005

UH-60A Airloads Catalog

As a part of the NASA-Army UH-60A Airloads Program, instrumented rotor blades were designed and built for the UH-60A helicopter that included 241 pressure transducers on one blade and a suite of strain gauges and accelerometers on a second blade. These blades were then installed on a UH-60A at NASA Ames Research Center and a special purpose data acquisition system was designed and built to acquire the rotating system measurements. The aircraft was also instrumented with conventional aircraft state measurements as well as a suite of fuselage accelerometers. Test flights of the highly-instrumented UH-60A were flown from August 1993 to February 1994 and an extensive data base was acquired. A total of 31 research flights were made with the majority of the flights flown out of Moffett Field, California. The test data, in general, were acquired in isolated airspace over the San Joaquin Valley. An exception to this procedure is that nine flights were made in cooperation with NASA Langley Research Center, and for these tests the aircraft was flown out of the Modesto airport and the data were acquired at the Crows Landing Naval Auxiliary Air Field, also within the San Joaquin Valley. Over 900 different test conditions, or counters, were recorded, processed, and stored in an electronic data base as a part of this test program. The electronic data base, currently at NASA Ames Research Center, includes approximately 30 GBytes of data obtained from the test program. This Technical Memorandum summarizes the kinds of data that are in the data base to assist interested users. Each set of test conditions is presented in a table which contains a unique identifying number that is termed the counter number, the written description of the counter that is within the database, and the duration of the counter in seconds. Within each table the counters are listed in chronological order, and in some cases counters may be included within two or more tables if they meet different criteria.

UH-60A↗
DOE OSTI2020

Community-Scale Energy Efficiency Assessment for Zero Net Energy Using the URBANopt Simulation Platform: Preprint

This project explored an innovative modeling approach for assessing the energy efficiency potential of the existing low-income Oceano neighborhood, in unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, and its effects on renewable generation requirements for achieving zero net energy (ZNE). One particular challenge faced was ascertaining the technical energy savings potential across a large neighborhood in a timely manner. The project overcame this challenge through the use of the URBANopt simulation platform, developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. URBANopt manages the automated model creation, simulation, and result aggregation for different design scenarios of existing or candidate buildings in a large neighborhood. Customized energy efficiency packages considered for the residential and commercial sector in the neighborhood included lighting, HVAC, plug load, water heating, envelope, and energy education measures. As a result of the analysis for the Oceano community, energy efficiency measures that are available through incentive programs may provide a 7.4% reduction in the required distributed energy resource (DER) size, corresponding to a 25,000 ft2 decrease in PV array area, to achieve ZNE. Through this work, a computational tool was developed and is being leveraged by the County of San Luis Obispo (CoSLO). The tool has enabled the CoSLO staff to perform similar analysis of the technical potential for energy efficiency, and an understanding of the DER asset requirements and potential savings in other communities within the county.

building energy modeling↗
DOE OSTI2020

Expanding the Field of Climate Finance

Over the past twenty-one years, the Financial Innovations Roundtable (FIR), located at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, has worked to address problems related to access to capital for low- and moderate-income consumers and communities. Since 2014, the event has been co-hosted by the Federal Reserve Board. The FIR works with a range of financial institutions, government agencies, foundations, and trade associations to access their expertise for problem-solving discussions. The 2020 FIR focused on the expanding field of climate finance and was co-hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and The Climate Safe Lending Network. The event was originally slated to be in-person in San Francisco in May 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic and shifted to an online event hosted November 16‒17, 2020. A significant amount has happened in 2020 on climate finance, racial justice, the economy, and COVID-19. The shocks and stresses of climate change are creating risks in low- and moderate-income communities as well as in the financial sector broadly. The 2020 FIR offered an opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities banks and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) face as they address these risks and how these institutions can help increase individual, institutional, and community-wide resilience. The program explored new and modified products that address climate risk in communities and how those products can be scaled. Conversations focused around: • The progress that has been made in the climate finance field and the challenges that lie ahead for financial institutions’ climate impact and climate-related risk. • Promising opportunities to decarbonize investments and finance low-carbon technology and infrastructure. • How lenders, insurers, housing organizations, and the public sector can work together to reduce housing instability due to climate-related factors and increase the climate-resilience of homes and neighborhoods. • Solutions to help communities address a wide range of related issues, including home weatherization and disaster preparation, home insurance loss, and climate gentrification and displacement. • Discussing lessons learned from other sectors such as renewable energy in order to design both people-based and place-based finance solutions that promote racial and economic inclusion. 1 • The need for all financial institutions to acknowledge that climate risks and racial inequity are systemic risks affecting their bottom line. • The role that bank regulators can play in promoting collaboration across the financial sector and in leading by example with regard to climate finance. • Mapping out concrete action-item initiatives including policy and industry pathways to climate safe lending as well as building a financing platform to provide clean energy to low-income communities. • More broadly, in order to systemically address climate risks, we will need to work together as a range of stakeholders across sectors and collaborate on shared goals and projects.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 JISEA Annual Meeting: Session 1

This is the presentation for the 2024 JISEA Annual Meeting Session 1: Hard-to-Decarbonize Industries, which took place on February 26, 2024. The presentation includes slides from Chad Reese, Environmental Affairs Manager at the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, on sustainability efforts at the San Diego International Airport; Jordan Lambert, Director of Ag Innovation at Colorado State University, on agricultural decarbonization; Ana Aday, Materials Science Researcher at NREL, on decarbonizing the cement and concrete industry; and Rolf Weberg, Director of the Natural Resource Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth, on integrated industrial decarbonization.

agriculture decarbonization↗
DOE OSTI2026

Species-specific acoustic responses by bats to ultrasonic stimuli used for reducing bat-wind turbine interactions

An unintended consequence of wind energy generation is bat fatalities caused by wind turbine blade strikes. One potential approach to reduce collision risk is to use ultrasound to create an uncomfortable or disorienting airspace around wind turbine blades. Ultrasonic deterrents (UDs) have produced mixed results in experimental field studies at commercial wind energy facilities, with effectiveness varying by species and location. It is possible that some species can alter their normal echolocation characteristics to counter the signal of UDs. Our broad objective was to maximize the effectiveness of a UD by comparing changes in echolocation characteristics during three UD frequency emissions among species, between seasons, and between sex. We hypothesized that UD emissions with frequencies most similar to each species’ echolocation characteristics would be more likely to alter the bats’ echolocation, and bat responses would vary between seasons and sex for each species. We released wild-captured bats into a 60 m × 10 m × 4.4 m (length × width × height) flight cage located in San Marcos, Texas, USA, from July to October 2020 and March to May 2021 and monitored echolocation frequencies with ultrasonic microphones. We conducted trials on Brazilian free-tailed bats ( Tadarida brasiliensis ; n = 54), cave myotis ( Myotis velifer ; n = 44), red bats ( Lasiurus blossevilli , Lasiurus borealis ; n = 41), evening bats ( Nycticeius humeralis ; n = 32), and tricolored bats ( Perimyotis subflavus ; n = 8). We found that species with high-frequency echolocation calls altered their echolocation signatures more commonly during high-frequency UD emissions, whereas low-frequency bats altered their echolocation signatures more commonly during low-frequency UD emissions. Additionally, echolocation responses varied between seasons and sexes for several species. Variations in responses may be dependent on species migratory status, differences in mating behavior and mating season, hormonal differences between sexes and seasons, and/or constraints on echolocation adaptability. Our results offer insights into the variable effectiveness of UDs at reducing bat fatalities at wind turbines and provide information for potential adjustments to UDs for improved success.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Implementation of high-speed data acquisition at DIII-D

Research at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego focuses on short pulse plasma discharges that specialize on various shaping profiles. High-speed data collection is a critical component for the operation of many of DIII-D’s diagnostics and is fundamental for capturing high-resolution data used in experimental data analysis. Differing techniques enable the plasma control system (PCS) to perform complex real-time feedback control on microsecond time scales. This work presents a comprehensive overview of data acquisition, focusing on the hardware and software used in reliable data acquisition at DIII-D. The robust nature of the data acquisition system allows for various techniques to coexist seamlessly. However, as modern systems capable of nanosecond resolution become more common, existing architectures will need to be modified. Here, by addressing the key challenges of high-speed data acquisition, DIII-D is able to provide real-time data used in plasma operation and has the ability to acquire high fidelity data needed for future experimental fusion reactors, such as ITER.

Control↗