Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “PLANT”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 883 records · Page 49

Flexible resource allocation during plant defense responses

Plants are organisms composed of modules connected by xylem and phloem transport streams. Attack by both insects and pathogens elicits sometimes rapid defense responses in the attacked module. We have also known for some time that proteins are often reallocated away from pathogen-infected tissues, while the same infection sites may draw carbohydrates to them. This has been interpreted as a tug of war in which the plant withdraws critical resources to block microbial growth while the microbes attempt to acquire more resources. Sink-source regulated transport among modules of critical resources, particularly carbon and nitrogen, is also altered in response to attack. Insects and jasmonate can increase local sink strength, drawing carbohydrates that support defense production. Shortly after attack, carbohydrates may also be drawn to the root. The rate and direction of movement of photosynthate or signals in phloem in response to attack is subject to constraints that include branching, degree of connection among tissues, distance between sources and sinks, proximity, strength, and number of competing sinks, and phloem loading/unloading regulators. Movement of materials (e.g., amino acids, signals) to or from attack sites in xylem is less well understood but is partly driven by transpiration. The root is an influential sink and may regulate sink-source interactions and transport above and below ground as well as between the plant and the rhizosphere and nearby, connected plants. Research on resource translocation in response to pathogens or herbivores has focused on biochemical mechanisms; whole-plant research is needed to determine which, if any, of these plant behaviors actually influence plant fitness.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Plant growth during the Greenhouse II experiment on the Mir orbital station

We carried out three experiments with Super Dwarf wheat in the Bulgarian/Russian growth chamber Svet (0.1 m2 growing area) on the Space Station Mir. This paper mostly describes the first of these NASA-supported trials, began on Aug. 13, 1995. Plants were sampled five times and harvested on Nov. 9 after 90 days. Equipment failures led to low irradiance (3, then 4 of 6 lamp sets failed), instances of high temperatures (ca. 37 degrees C), and sometimes excessive substrate moisture. Although plants grew for the 90 d, no wheat heads were produced. Considering the low light levels, plants were surprisingly green, but of course biomass production was low. Plants were highly disoriented (low light, mirror walls?). Fixed and dried samples and the root module were returned on the U.S. Shuttle Atlantis on Nov. 20, 1995. Samples of the substrate, a nutrient-charged zeolite called Balkanine, were taken from the root module, carefully examined for roots, weighed, dried, and reweighed. The Svet control unit and the light bank were shipped to Moscow. An experiment validation test (EVT) of plant growth and experimental procedures, carried out in Moscow, was highly successful. Equipment built in Utah to measure CO2, H2O vapor, irradiance, air and leaf (IR) temperature, O2, pressure, and substrate moisture worked well in the EVT and in space. After this manuscript was first prepared, plants were grown in Mir with a new light bank and controller for 123 d in late 1996 and 39 days in 1996/1997. Plants grew exceptionally well with higher biomass production than in any previous space experiment, but the ca. 280 wheat heads that were produced in 1996 contained no seeds. Ethylene in the cabin atmosphere was responsible. c2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

Mir Project↗

Ionic signaling in plant responses to gravity and touch

Touch and gravity are two of the many stimuli that plants must integrate to generate an appropriate growth response. Due to the mechanical nature of both of these signals, shared signal transduction elements could well form the basis of the cross-talk between these two sensory systems. However, touch stimulation must elicit signaling events across the plasma membrane whereas gravity sensing is thought to represent transformation of an internal force, amyloplast sedimentation, to signal transduction events. In addition, factors such as turgor pressure and presence of the cell wall may also place unique constraints on these plant mechanosensory systems. Even so, the candidate signal transduction elements in both plant touch and gravity sensing, changes in Ca2+, pH and membrane potential, do mirror the known ionic basis of signaling in animal mechanosensory cells. Distinct spatial and temporal signatures of Ca2+ ions may encode information about the different mechanosignaling stimuli. Signals such as Ca2+ waves or action potentials may also rapidly transfer information perceived in one cell throughout a tissue or organ leading to the systemic reactions characteristic of plant touch and gravity responses. Longer-term growth responses are likely sustained via changes in gene expression and asymmetries in compounds such as inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and calmodulin. Thus, it seems likely that plant mechanoperception involves both spatial and temporal encoding of information at all levels, from the cell to the whole plant. Defining this patterning will be a critical step towards understanding how plants integrate information from multiple mechanical stimuli to an appropriate growth response.

Review↗

The components of crop productivity: measuring and modeling plant metabolism

Several investigators in the CELSS program have demonstrated that crop plants can be remarkably productive in optimal environments where plants are limited only by incident radiation. Radiation use efficiencies of 0.4 to 0.7 g biomass per mol of incident photons have been measured for crops in several laboratories. Some early published values for radiation use efficiency (1 g mol-1) were inflated due to the effect of side lighting. Sealed chambers are the basic research module for crop studies for space. Such chambers allow the measurement of radiation and CO2 fluxes, thus providing values for three determinants of plant growth: radiation absorption, photosynthetic efficiency (quantum yield), and respiration efficiency (carbon use efficiency). Continuous measurement of each of these parameters over the plant life cycle has provided a blueprint for daily growth rates, and is the basis for modeling crop productivity based on component metabolic processes. Much of what has been interpreted as low photosynthetic efficiency is really the result of reduced leaf expansion and poor radiation absorption. Measurements and models of short-term (minutes to hours) and long-term (days to weeks) plant metabolic rates have enormously improved our understanding of plant environment interactions in ground-based growth chambers and are critical to understanding plant responses to the space environment.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗

Regression analysis of technical parameters affecting nuclear power plant performances

Since the 80's many studies have been conducted in order to explicate good and bad performances of commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs), but yet no defined correlation has been found out to be totally representative of plant operational experience. In early works, data availability and the number of operating power stations were both limited; therefore, results showed that specific technical characteristics of NPPs were supposed to be the main causal factors for successful plant operation. Although these aspects keep on assuming a significant role, later studies and observations showed that other factors concerning management and organization of the plant could instead be predominant comparing utilities operational and economic results. Utility quality, in a word, can be used to summarize all the managerial and operational aspects that seem to be effective in determining plant performance. In this paper operational data of a consistent sample of commercial nuclear power stations, out of the total 433 operating NPPs, are analyzed, mainly focusing on the last decade operational experience. The sample consists of PWR and BWR technology, operated by utilities located in different countries, including U.S. (Japan)) (France)) (Germany)) and Finland. Multivariate regression is performed using Unit Capability Factor (UCF) as the dependent variable; this factor reflects indeed the effectiveness of plant programs and practices in maximizing the available electrical generation and consequently provides an overall indication of how well plants are operated and maintained. Aspects that may not be real causal factors but which can have a consistent impact on the UCF, as technology design, supplier, size and age, are included in the analysis as independent variables. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Flow Accelerated Erosion-Corrosion (FAC) considerations for secondary side piping in the AP1000{sup R} nuclear power plant design

The issue of Flow Accelerated Erosion-Corrosion (FAC) in power plant piping is a known phenomenon that has resulted in material replacements and plant accidents in operating power plants. Therefore, it is important for FAC resistance to be considered in the design of new nuclear power plants. This paper describes the design considerations related to FAC that were used to develop a safe and robust AP1000{sup R} plant secondary side piping design. The primary FAC influencing factors include: - Fluid Temperature - Pipe Geometry/layout - Fluid Chemistry - Fluid Velocity - Pipe Material Composition - Moisture Content (in steam lines) Due to the unknowns related to the relative impact of the influencing factors and the complexities of the interactions between these factors, it is difficult to accurately predict the expected wear rate in a given piping segment in a new plant. This paper provides: - a description of FAC and the factors that influence the FAC degradation rate, - an assessment of the level of FAC resistance of AP1000{sup R} secondary side system piping, - an explanation of options to increase FAC resistance and associated benefits/cost, - discussion of development of a tool for predicting FAC degradation rate in new nuclear power plants. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Shape Optimization of Header Pipes in Power Plants for Enhanced Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability

In a power plant, the header pipe plays a pivotal role in optimizing the performance of diverse systems by serving as a central conduit for the collection and distribution of steam within the plant. This paper investigates the significance of header pipes within power plant setups, highlighting their critical influence on reliability, efficiency, and the performance of the power plant as a whole. The concept of shape optimization emerges as a crucial factor in power plant design and operation, with the potential to maximize performance while minimizing the use of materials. Shape optimization not only enhances efficiency but also contributes to reducing the environmental footprint of power plant installations. In this paper, we initially developed a methodology designed for optimizing header shapes with the primary goal of reducing the usage of costly new alloy materials and lowering the overall maintenance operation expenses. Secondly, we conducted a case study based on an authentic header sourced from an operational power plant.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Cellulose Nanocrystals are a Renewable and Biocompatible Nanocarrier of Agrochemicals Directly to Plant Cells

More sustainable agricultural practices are critical to meeting humanity's food needs while minimizing adverse environmental impacts. Engineered nanomaterials used as nanocarriers promise to reduce the volume of agrochemicals required for crop production but concerns about nanocontamination of agricultural products necessitate the discovery of naturally occurring alternatives. Here, in this study, plant‐derived cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as a “green” alternative to man‐made nanomaterials for the economical delivery of agrochemicals to plants are suggested. Using confocal microscopy and fluorescently labeled CNC, it is demonstrated that CNC can successfully penetrate the plant cell wall and enter cells without causing any negative effects on the overall plant phenotype, genome, and metabolome. The efficiency of CNC to deliver chemicals is demonstrated through in vitro tests involving CNC covalently conjugated with 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D). Plant cell culture experiments confirmed that CNC can be used as a 2,4‐D nanocarrier and reduces the volume of plant growth regulators needed to cultivate plant cells. This work creates a new platform for cyclical agricultural practices where CNC extracted from agricultural waste can be used for the direct delivery of agrochemicals to crops, thereby reducing the environmental burden created by both agricultural waste and excess herbicides.

Cellulose nanocrystals↗

Dual-mycorrhizal colonization is determined by plant age and host identity in two species of Populus

Plants have evolved symbioses with mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi that are essential for their growth and survival. While most plants associate with a single guild of mycorrhizal fungi, a select group termed “dual-mycorrhizal plants” associate with both arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Although a shift from predominance of arbuscular mycorrhizal to ectomycorrhizal colonization with plant development has been demonstrated on other dual-mycorrhizal hosts, it is not known how mycorrhizal colonization shifts with plant age in Populus species. We performed a controlled growth experiment with natural field-sourced inocula to test for age-dependent shifts in fungal colonization rates and for host-specific patterns of colonization in two species of Populus (P. tremuloides and P. trichocarpa). We found that only P. trichocarpa displayed dual-mycorrhizal colonization, while P. tremuloides associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi, but not arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Both guilds of mycorrhizal fungi increased in abundance with plant age, while root endophytic fungal colonization decreased. Many of the early-colonizing endophytic fungi that we documented have strong saprotrophic capabilities, which may be an important trait for fast colonization. Dark septate endophytes were more abundant than either guild of mycorrhizal fungi, and are likely to be functionally important members of the Populus root fungal community. Our findings represent a novel pattern in the development of dual-mycorrhizal colonization and illustrate that Populus species vary in their association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In conclusion, our results also highlight the importance of dark septate endophyte colonization dynamics on dual-mycorrhizal plants.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying biomass yield and plant height in switchgrass

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass yield and feedstock quality improvement are priority research areas for bioenergy feedstock development. Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying these traits and of trait-linked markers for application in marker-assisted selection (MAS) is of paramount importance in facilitating switchgrass breeding. Detection of QTL for biomass yield and plant height was conducted on parental linkage maps constructed using a heterozygous pseudo-F-1 population derived from a cross between lowland Alamo genotype AP13 and upland Summer genotype VS16. QTL analysis was performed with composite interval mapping. Four QTL for biomass yield and five QTL for plant height were identified using best linear unbiased predictors across ten and eight environments, respectively. The phenotypic variability explained (PVE) by QTL detected in the across environments analysis ranged from 4.9 to 12.4 % for biomass yield and 5.1 to 12.0 % for plant height. A total of 34 and 38 main effect QTL were detected for biomass yield and plant height, respectively, when data from each environment were analyzed separately. The PVE by individual environment QTL ranged from 3.3 to 15.3 % for biomass yield and from 4.3 to 17.4 % for plant height. In addition, 60 and 51 epistatic QTL were detected for biomass yield and plant height, respectively. Significant QTL by environment interactions were detected for QTL mapped in eight genomic regions for each of the two traits. Seven QTL affected both traits and may represent pleiotropic loci. Overall, 11 genomic regions were identified that were important in controlling biomass yield and/or plant height in switchgrass. Furthermore, the markers linked to the main effect and epistatic QTL may be used in MAS to maximize selection gain in switchgrass breeding, leading to a faster development of better biofuel cultivars.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Transcriptional regulation of bHLH during plant response to stress

Highlights: • bHLH can regulate gene expression through interaction with specific motif in target genes. • In this review, we discuss the role of bHLH in plants in response to stresses such as drought, salt and cold stress. • This review will provide new ideas and targets for the prevention and treatment of plant stress resistance. Basic helix-loop-helix protein (bHLH) is the most extensive class of transcription factors in eukaryotes, which can regulate gene expression through interaction with specific motif in target genes. bHLH transcription factor is not only universally involved in plant growth and metabolism, including photomorphogenesis, light signal transduction and secondary metabolism, but also plays an important role in plant response to stress. In this review, we discuss the role of bHLH in plants in response to stresses such as drought, salt and cold stress. To provide a strong evidence for the important role of bHLH in plant stress response, in order to provide new ideas and targets for the prevention and treatment of plant stress resistance.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

A novel xylosylated fucoglucuronan in Penium reveals structural parallels to rhamnogalacturonan-I and its broad evolutionary footprint in lower plants

Green algae inhabit aquatic environments across the planet and play a crucial role in sustaining the global ecosystem. Ancestors of some Charophytes adapted to terrestrial conditions and eventually evolved into land plants. Extant green algae have inherited traits from their ancestors and evolved into their current morphological and chemical forms, as reflected by their cell walls with distinct shapes and compositions. To illuminate the evolution of plant cell walls and bridge the gap between green algae and land plants, we investigated the charophyte Penium margaritaceum, a close relative of terrestrial plants. We discovered a previously unknown polysaccharide in both its culture medium and cell wall. This polysaccharide, termed xylosylated fucoglucuronan (XFG), possesses a rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I)-like backbone composed of repeating [-3-α-Fucp-(1,4)-α-GlcpA-] disaccharides that are extensively xylosylated and acetylated. Surveying approximately 20 non-vascular plants revealed that XFG and RG-I (or related structures) first emerge in certain Chlorophyceae and subsequently co-occur throughout lineages along the evolutionary trajectory to bryophytes, thereby bridging aquatic green algae to early land plants. The striking structural parallels between XFG, RG-I, and ulvan suggest a shared evolutionary origin, offering new insight into how plant cell walls adapted during the transition from marine to freshwater environments and ultimately to land.

Algae↗

Data-driven modeling of power generation for a coal power plant under cycling

Increased penetration of renewables for power generation has negatively impacted the dynamics of conventional fossil fuel-based power plants. The power plants operating on the base load are forced to cycle, to adjust to the fluctuating power demands. This results in an inefficient operation of the coal power plants, which leads up to higher operating losses. To overcome such operational challenge associated with cycling and to develop an optimal process control, this work analyzes a set of models for predicting power generation. Moreover, the power generation is intrinsically affected by the state of the power plant components, and therefore our model development also incorporates additional power plant process variables while forecasting the power generation. We present and compare multiple state-of-the-art forecasting data-driven methods for power generation to determine the most adequate and accurate model. We also develop an interpretable attention-based transformer model to explain the importance of process variables during training and forecasting. The trained deep neural network (DNN) LSTM model has good accuracy in predicting gross power generation under various prediction horizons with/without cycling events and outperforms the other models for long-term forecasting. The DNN memory-based models show significant superiority over other state-of-the-art machine learning models for short, medium and long range predictions. The transformer-based model with attention enhances the selection of historical data for multi-horizon forecasting, and also allows to interpret the significance of internal power plant components on the power generation. This newly gained insights can be used by operation engineers to anticipate and monitor the health of power plant equipment during high cycling periods.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

A novel means to flexibly operate a hybrid concentrated solar power plant and improve operation during non-ideal direct normal irradiation conditions

Hybridization of concentrated solar power (CSP) with other energy sources can drastically increase how much solar energy is harnessed and potentially expand the current geographical deployment of CSP installlations. In this study, a novel operation strategy referred to as flexible heat integration (FHI), is proposed and applied to a hybrid CSP-natural gas power plant. The proposed plant, modeled in Simulink, employs a solar central receiver (SCR) and dual-source gas boiler to drive a steam Rankine power cycle. FHI involves collecting and dispatching solar energy at modified temperatures during off-design direct normal irradiance (DNI). During low-grade (<100 W/m 2 ) and medium-grade (100–500 W/m 2 ) levels of DNI, molten salt is used for steam boiling and feedwater preheating, respectively, rather than superheating usually seen in SCR steam plants. Hybrid gas-firing supplies energy to bypassed systems. FHI is applied to a hybrid plant over the course of a day from each season for a plant located in Salt Lake City, Utah, an unconventional location due to off-design DNI variability. A spring day exhibiting variable DNI is used as the main case study to demonstrate the dynamics and robust operation under the FHI framework. The operation of the plant over the winter day shows the largest improvement in solar-to-electric (STE) efficiency whereas the summer day exhibits the smallest improvement. Monthly results follow a similar trend with FHI improving STE from 15.3% and 16.3% to 17.0% and 16.7% in January and July, respectively. Yearly results show FHI improving STE efficiency from 16.1% to 17.1% relative to standard hybrid operation. Altogether, the proposed concept expands the current understanding of energy management in hybrid SCR-natural power plants under non-ideal DNI conditions and locations that have lower DNI by applying FHI.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Land-use history, fire regime, and large-mammal herbivory affect deer-preferred plant diversity in longleaf pine woodlands

Since ecological systems often experience multiple disturbances, understanding changes in important ecological interactions, such as plant-herbivore interactions, may require studies capable of disentangling the unique and interactive effects of multiple forms of disturbance. For example, understanding how mammalian herbivores affect plant communities may require understanding how widespread past disturbances, such as agricultural land use, interact with contemporary disturbances, such as prescribed fire. Here, we tested if past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regime modified the effects of mammalian herbivory on focal plant communities by measuring the richness of plant species preferred by deer at 26 longleaf pine woodlands containing paired open and large-mammal exclusion plots. Land-use history significantly affected the community composition of deer-preferred species, and focal species were 8.19 times more likely to be present in post-agricultural sites than non-agricultural sites. Large-mammal herbivory only affected plant species richness in woodlands with low fire frequencies wherein focal species were on average 2.23 times more likely to be present in exclusion plots than open plots. These results suggest that past and present disturbances can mediate contemporary plant-animal interactions and may explain spatial patterns in the intensity of large-mammal herbivory. Our findings also suggest that common management practices, such as use of prescribed burns, may indirectly promote plant species richness by reducing deer herbivory.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Nuclear physics detector technology applied to plant biology research

The ability to detect the emissions of radioactive isotopes through radioactive decay (e.g. beta particles, x-rays and gamma-rays) has been used for over 80 years as a tracer method for studying natural phenomena. More recently a positron emitting radioisotope of carbon: {sup 11}C has been utilized as a {sup 11}CO{sub 2} tracer for plant ecophysiology research. Because of its ease of incorporation into the plant via photosynthesis, the {sup 11}CO{sub 2} radiotracer is a powerful tool for use in plant biology research. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been used to study carbon transport in live plants using {sup 11}CO{sub 2}. Presently there are several groups developing and using new PET instrumentation for plant based studies. Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in collaboration with the Duke University Phytotron and the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) is involved in PET detector development for plant imaging utilizing technologies developed for nuclear physics research. The latest developments of the use of a LYSO scintillator based PET detector system for {sup 11}CO{sub 2} tracer studies in plants will be briefly outlined.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Multicriterion benefit evaluation methodology for safety enhancements in nuclear power plants and application for FLEX strategies

Here we propose a multicriterion benefit evaluation (MCBE) methodology for evaluating costs and benefits of implementing safety enhancements in nuclear power plants. The MCBE methodology establishes a comprehensive evaluation scope using multiple evaluation criteria (including public risk, occupational risk, plant revenue, and plant cost) and multiple contexts (including plant normal operations, incidents, and accidents). The MCBE methodology formulates a benefit or cost element as the product of a monetary consequence and its occurrence-likelihood change. The MCBE methodology also incorporates a decision maker’ preferences toward occurrence likelihood and monetary consequence into cost and benefit estimations through a modified usage of cumulative prospect theory. This paper applies the MCBE methodology to the implementation of diverse and flexible coping strategy (FLEX) in a generic nuclear power plant as an illustrative example. The FLEX benefits are evaluated through three types of influence paths: plant safety enhancement, risk-informed activities, and potential additional credit of FLEX in supporting plant operation and maintenance-efficiency improvement. The benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of FLEX implementation is calculated. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to examine the impacts of modeling assumptions and input parameter values on the BCR.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Integrating Arctic Plant Functional Types in a Land Surface Model Using Above‐ and Belowground Field Observations

Abstract Accurate simulations of high‐latitude ecosystems are critical for confident Earth system model (ESM) projections of carbon cycle feedbacks to global climate change. Land surface model components of ESMs, including the E3SM Land Model (ELM), simulate vegetation growth and ecosystem responses to changing climate and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations by grouping heterogeneous vegetation into like sets of plant functional types (PFTs). Many such models represent high‐latitude vegetation using only two PFTs (shrub and grass), thereby missing the diversity of vegetation growth forms and functional traits in the Arctic. Here, we use field observations of biomass and leaf traits across a gradient of plant communities on the Seward Peninsula in northwest Alaska to replace the original ELM configuration for the first time with nine Arctic‐specific PFTs. The newly developed PFTs include: (1) nonvascular mosses and lichens, (2) deciduous and evergreen shrubs of various height classes, including an alder PFT, (3) graminoids, and (4) forbs. Improvements relative to the original model configuration included greater belowground biomass allocation, persistent fine roots and rhizomes of nonwoody plants, and better representation of variability in total plant biomass across sites with varying plant communities and depth to bedrock. Simulations through 2100 using the RCP8.5 climate scenario and constant PFT fractional areas showed alder‐dominated plant communities gaining more biomass and lichen‐dominated communities gaining less biomass compared to default PFTs. Our results highlight how representing the diversity of arctic vegetation and confronting models with measurements from varied plant communities improves the representation of arctic vegetation in terrestrial ecosystem models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗