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At least 883 records · Page 49

Scaling of Liquefaction Systems and the Effects of Gravity

Recent exploration initiatives both by NASA and others have produced interest in the liquefaction of fluids produced through in-situ processes on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. Liquefaction of fluids in cryogenic temperatures is routinely done at large scale for terrestrial uses, but these processes do not necessarily scale down in an economical or technologically feasible manner for the anticipated rates of initial Lunar or Martian production plants. To understand appropriate processes and scaling parameters, various options should be considered. A multi-center team at NASA considered multiple different refrigeration cycles and refrigeration integration methodologies as well as how these might fit into early liquefaction plants. These studies resulted in the conclusion that integrating the tubing on the storage tank wall (for both structural and heat spreading reasons), preferably the tank which will actually use the fluid, is the nearest path forward. Given that assumption on the general framework of the liquefaction system, there are several different heat transfer mechanisms to consider from a scaling perspective. These include forced convection heat removal to the refrigeration system (or cryocooler), conduction through the tank wall heat exchanger, and condensation (with some natural convection) on the inner tank wall. Analysis of these mechanisms shows that while there is some sensitivity to gravitational level, that within the bounds of current interest (Lunar and Martian applications), this sensitivity does not dominate the liquefaction application. While there will be some effect, perhaps in a limiting manner as the tanks approach some high fill level, system level testing on the Earth should suffice for the performance prediction and demonstration of liquefaction operations as applicable to Lunar and Martian applications. However, as one approaches orbital conditions, this general approach to liquefaction will not be appropriate as the scaling of the heat transfer mechanisms is not appropriate. At this point, other approaches will need to be developed and demonstrated in the micro-gravity environment.

Cryogenics↗

Characteristics of acoustic-gravity waves in a diffusively separated atmosphere

The effects of wave-induced diffusion on the characteristics of plane acoustic gravity waves in the earth's thermosphere are investigated by means of a two fluid model atmosphere in diffusive equilibrium. At wave periods greater than the shortest characteristic diffusion time for the minor gas, diffusion induced by the wave is considered to act to eliminate amplitude and phase differences between the wave-induced density fluctuations of individual gases and restore the perturbed fluid to diffusive equilibrium. Vertical diffusion is most important at large scale sizes, but horizontal diffusion dominates for horizontal wavelengths of less than several hundred kilometers. As a result of wave-induced diffusion, AE-C satellite measurements of neutral density fluctuations of thermospheric constituents are only compatible with relatively small scale internal gravity waves. Velocity and temperature differences for acoustic-gravity waves are greatest at periods near the mean collision time and diffusion time and lead to the dissipation of wave energy. The predictions of the theory are consistent with a high latitude, low altitude source for the medium scale waves and a more localized random source for the waves observed by AE-C.

Del Genio, A. D.↗

Natural Hazard Risk Assessments at the Global Scale

Since 1990, natural hazards have led to over 1.6 million fatalities globally, and economic losses are estimated at an average of around USD 260–310 billion per year. The scientific and policy communities recognise the need to reduce these risks. As a result, the last decade has seen a rapid development of global models for assessing risk from natural hazards at the global scale. In this paper, we review the scientific literature on natural hazard risk assessments at the global scale, and we specifically examine whether and how they have examined future projections of hazard, exposure, and/or vulnerability. In doing so, we examine similarities and differences between the approaches taken across the different hazards, and we identify potential ways in which different hazard communities can learn from each other. For example, there are a number of global risk studies focusing on hydrological, climatological, and meteorological hazards that have included future projections and disaster risk reduction measures (in the case of floods), whereas fewer exist in the peer-reviewed literature for global studies related to geological hazards. On the other hand, studies of earthquake and tsunami risk are now using stochastic modelling approaches to allow for a fully probabilistic assessment of risk, which could benefit the modelling of risk from other hazards. Finally, we discuss opportunities for learning from methods and approaches being developed and applied to assess natural hazard risks at more continental or regional scales. Through this paper, we hope to encourage further dialogue on knowledge sharing between disciplines and communities working on different hazards and risk and at different spatial scales.

Philip J. Ward↗

Predicting Regional Drought on Sub-Seasonal to Decadal Time Scales

Drought occurs on a wide range of time scales, and within a variety of different types of regional climates. It is driven foremost by an extended period of reduced precipitation, but it is the impacts on such quantities as soil moisture, streamflow and crop yields that are often most important from a users perspective. While recognizing that different users have different needs for drought information, it is nevertheless important to understand that progress in predicting drought and satisfying such user needs, largely hinges on our ability to improve predictions of precipitation. This talk reviews our current understanding of the physical mechanisms that drive precipitation variations on subseasonal to decadal time scales, and the implications for predictability and prediction skill. Examples are given highlighting the phenomena and mechanisms controlling precipitation on monthly (e.g., stationary Rossby waves, soil moisture), seasonal (ENSO) and decadal time scales (PD~ and AMO).

Schubert, Siegfried↗

Some interhemispheric comparisons of medium-scale waves in the lower stratosphere

Remarkable domination of the summer Southern Hemisphere (SH) circulation by medium-scale features (zonal waves 4-7) has been reported. More recently, it has been shown that these features derive their energy from baroclinic instabilities of the mean state. As one aspect of attempting to further explain the unusual spectral peak and phase-time continuity of the SH waves, the same microwave satellite instrument is used to compare characteristics of medium-scale lower stratospheric temperature waves in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and SH summertimes. Data from the Tiros-N Microwave Sounding Unit from August 1979 are analyzed here and compared with previous analyses for January 1979 reported by Yu et al. (1983) and others. The interhemispheric comparison reveals that summertime medium-scale waves in the NH do not exhibit the striking phase-time continuity of their SH summer counterparts. In addition, winter NH medium-scale waves are also found to have less phase-time continuity than those in the SH winter. The reason for the interhemispheric difference in maintenance of the medium-scale waves, especially in summertime, remains to be explained.

Yu, W.-B.↗

Influence of central set on anticipatory and triggered grip-force adjustments

The effects of predictability of load magnitude on anticipatory and triggered grip-force adjustments were studied as nine normal subjects used a precision grip to lift, hold, and replace an instrumented test object. Experience with a predictable stimulus has been shown to enhance magnitude scaling of triggered postural responses to different amplitudes of perturbations. However, this phenomenon, known as a central-set effect, has not been tested systematically for grip-force responses in the hand. In our study, predictability was manipulated by applying load perturbations of different magnitudes to the test object under conditions in which the upcoming load magnitude was presented repeatedly or under conditions in which the load magnitudes were presented randomly, each with two different pre-load grip conditions (unconstrained and constrained). In constrained conditions, initial grip forces were maintained near the minimum level necessary to prevent pre-loaded object slippage, while in unconstrained conditions, no initial grip force restrictions were imposed. The effect of predictable (blocked) and unpredictable (random) load presentations on scaling of anticipatory and triggered grip responses was tested by comparing the slopes of linear regressions between the imposed load and grip response magnitude. Anticipatory and triggered grip force responses were scaled to load magnitude in all conditions. However, regardless of pre-load grip force constraint, the gains (slopes) of grip responses relative to load magnitudes were greater when the magnitude of the upcoming load was predictable than when the load increase was unpredictable. In addition, a central-set effect was evidenced by the fewer number of drop trials in the predictable relative to unpredictable load conditions. Pre-load grip forces showed the greatest set effects. However, grip responses showed larger set effects, based on prediction, when pre-load grip force was constrained to lower levels. These results suggest that anticipatory processes pertaining to load magnitude permit the response gain of both voluntary and triggered rapid grip force adjustments to be set, at least partially, prior to perturbation onset. Comparison of anticipatory set effects for reactive torque and lower extremity EMG postural responses triggered by surface translation perturbations suggests a more general rule governing anticipatory processes.

Non-NASA Center↗

Simulation of Etch Pit Formation in DSMC Through Active Sites in Carbon Fiber Micro-Structures

Erosion of carbon due to oxidation does not occur uniformly but through localized etch pit formation because of active surface sites. In this work we demonstrate a newly developed capability to capture pitting of carbon fiber microstructures such as FiberForm, which is commonly used as the base material for NASA’s spacecraft ablative thermal protection systems (TPS). The simulations are performed at the meso-scale in order to capture the pit formation and growth using direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), specifically using the Stochastic PArallel Rarefied-gas Time-accurate Analyzer (SPARTA) code. Legacy and latest models both assume uniform reactivity of carbon surface sites with oxygen even at the meso-scale level. However, in reality the carbon surface has locally different reaction rates due to the presence of defects at the atomic scale. The defective nature of these sites enhances their reactivity with atmospheric gases compared to the non-defective sites (2-3 orders of magnitude) and are termed as “active sites”. Thus, these sites tend to be the first to react and eventually get removed through the formation of gases such as CO, CO2, and CN. Their removal results in all the neighboring atoms becoming defective, thus leading to chain reaction of localized carbon removal and formation of etch pits. Capturing the formation of pits during the ablation simulation of carbon micro-structures is critical to predicting their structural failure. Recently a detailed surface chemistry framework was developed in SPARTA, capable of incorporating various detailed surface reaction mechanisms. We have implemented the capability of a single surface having multiple site sets with different reactivities within this framework. We have used this feature to model the presence of active sites on carbon surfaces, whose reactivity is orders of magnitude higher than that of the passive sites due to the presence of defects. The active site fraction is a property of surface elements within SPARTA and is directly proportional to the local reactivity of each surface element. By introducing an initial distribution of the active site fraction across the carbon surface and propagating it in a manner that mimics the evolution of real reacting carbon surfaces, we can capture the formation and growth of etch pits as a result of surface consumption reactions such as oxidation.

DSMC↗

DSMC Simulation of Etch Pit Formation Through Active Sites in Carbon Fiber Micro-Structures

Erosion of carbon due to oxidation does not occur uniformly but through localized etch pit formation because of active surface sites. In this work we demonstrate a newly developed capability to capture pitting of carbon fiber microstructures such as FiberForm, which is commonly used as the base material for NASA’s spacecraft ablative thermal protection systems (TPS). The simulations are performed at the meso-scale in order to capture the pit formation and growth using direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), specifically using the Stochastic PArallel Rarefied-gas Time-accurate Analyzer (SPARTA) code. Legacy and latest models both assume uniform reactivity of carbon surface sites with oxygen even at the meso-scale level. However, in reality the carbon surface has locally different reaction rates due to the presence of defects at the atomic scale. The defective nature of these sites enhances their reactivity with atmospheric gases compared to the non-defective sites (2-3 orders of magnitude) and are termed as “active sites”. Thus, these sites tend to be the first to react and eventually get removed through the formation of gases such as CO, CO2, and CN. Their removal results in all the neighboring atoms becoming defective, thus leading to chain reaction of localized carbon removal and formation of etch pits. Capturing the formation of pits during the ablation simulation of carbon micro-structures is critical to predicting their structural failure. Recently a detailed surface chemistry framework was developed in SPARTA, capable of incorporating various detailed surface reaction mechanisms. We have implemented the capability of a single surface having multiple site sets with different reactivities within this framework. We have used this feature to model the presence of active sites on carbon surfaces, whose reactivity is orders of magnitude higher than that of the passive sites due to the presence of defects. The active site fraction is a property of surface elements within SPARTA and is directly proportional to the local reactivity of each surface element. By introducing an initial distribution of the active site fraction across the carbon surface and propagating it in a manner that mimics the evolution of real reacting carbon surfaces, we can capture the formation and growth of etch pits as a result of surface consumption reactions such as oxidation.

DSMC↗

Simulation of etch pit formation through active sites in carbon fiber micro-structures

Erosion of carbon due to oxidation does not occur uniformly but through localized etch pit formation as a result of active surface sites. In this work we demonstrate a newly developed capability to capture pitting of carbon fiber microstructures such as FiberForm, which is commonly used as the base material for NASA’s spacecraft ablative thermal protection systems (TPS). The simulations are performed at the meso-scale in order to capture the pit formation and growth using direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), specifically using the Stochastic PArallel Rarefied-gas Time-accurate Analyzer (SPARTA) code. Legacy and latest models both assume uniform reactivity of carbon surface sites with oxygen even at the meso-scale level. However, in reality the carbon surface has locally different reaction rates due to the presence of defects at the atomic scale. The defective nature of these sites enhances their reactivity with atmospheric gases compared to the non-defective sites (2-3 orders of magnitude) and are termed as “active sites”. Thus, these sites tend to be the first to react and eventually get removed through the formation of gasses such as CO, CO2, and CN. Their removal results in all the neighboring atoms becoming defective, thus leading to chain reaction of localized carbon removal and formation of etch pits. Capturing the formation of pits during the ablation simulation of carbon micro-structures is critical to predicting their structural failure. Recently a detailed surface chemistry framework was developed in SPARTA, capable of incorporating various reaction mechanisms such as adsorption, desorption, Eley-Rideal (ER) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanisms. We have implemented the capability of a single surface having multiple site sets with different reactivities within this framework. We have used this feature to model the presence of active sites on carbon surfaces, whose reactivity is orders of magnitude higher than that of the passive sites due to the presence of defects. The active site fraction is a property of surface elements within SPARTA and is directly proportional to the local reactivity of each surface element. By introducing an initial distribution of the active site fraction across the carbon surface and propagating it in a manner that mimics the evolution of real reacting carbon surfaces, we can capture the formation and growth of etch pits as a result of surface consumption reactions such as oxidation.

DSMC↗

Microburst modelling and scaling

A microburst can be modeled by releasing a volume of fluid that is slightly heavier than the ambient fluid, allowing it to fall onto a horizontal surface. Vorticity develops on the sides of this parcel as it descends and causes it to roll up into a turbulent vortex ring which impinges on the ground. Such a model exhibits many of the features of naturally occurring microbursts which are a hazard to aviation. In this paper this model is achieved experimentally by releasing a volume of salt water into fresh water from a cylindrical dispenser. When care is taken with the release the spreading rate of the surface outflow is measurable and quite repeatable despite the fact that the flow is turbulent. An elementary numerical approximation to this model, based on inviscid vortex dynamics, has also been developed. A scaling law is proposed which allows experiments with different fluid densities to be compared with each other and with the numerical results. More importantly the scaling law makes it possible to compare the model results with real microbursts.

Lundgren, T. S.↗

Magnetotails at unmagnetized bodies - Comparison of Comet Giacobini-Zinner and Venus

It is found that the near ionopause environs play a crucial role in the tail formation process at both Venus and G-Z and that draping at the two very different sized bodies occurs on ionopause scale sizes. On the other hand, ion densities, downtail mass fluxes, tailward J x B forces, and lobe betas are factors of about 10,000, 50, 100, and 20 times greater in the G-Z tail than in Venus', while bulk flow speeds and ion temperatures are factors of about 15 and 240 times lower. These large quantitative differences in the properties within the two magnetotails are attributable to the significantly greater upstream mass loading of the solar wind by the extended neutral atmosphere at G-Z (comets in general) compared to the gravitationally bound atmosphere of Venus.

Mccomas, D. J.↗

Mapping Global Forest Age from Forest Inventories, Biomass and Climate Data

Forest age can determine the capacity of a forest to uptake carbon from the atmosphere. However, a lack of global diagnostics that reflect the forest stage and associated disturbance regimes hampers the quantification of age-related differences in forest carbon dynamics. This study provides a new global distribution of forest age circa 2010, estimated using a machine learning approach trained with more than 40 000 plots using forest inventory, biomass and climate data. First, an evaluation against the plot-level measurements of forest age reveals that the data-driven method has a relatively good predictive capacity of classifying old-growth vs. non-old-growth (precision = 0.81 and 0.99 for old-growth and non-old-growth, respectively) forests and estimating corresponding forest age estimates (NSE = 0.6 – Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency – and RMSE = 50 years – root-mean-square error). However, there are systematic biases of overestimation in young- and underestimation in old-forest stands, respectively. Globally, we find a large variability in forest age with the old-growth forests in the tropical regions of Amazon and Congo, young forests in China, and intermediate stands in Europe. Furthermore, we find that the regions with high rates of deforestation or forest degradation (e.g. the arc of deforestation in the Amazon) are composed mainly of younger stands. Assessment of forest age in the climate space shows that the old forests are either in cold and dry regions or warm and wet regions, while young–intermediate forests span a large climatic gradient. Finally, comparing the presented forest age estimates with a series of regional products reveals differences rooted in different approaches and different in situ observations and global-scale products. Despite showing robustness in cross-validation results, additional methodological insights on further developments should as much as possible harmonize data across the different approaches. The forest age dataset presented here provides additional insights into the global distribution of forest age to better understand the global dynamics in the forest water and carbon cycles. The forest age datasets are openly available at https://doi.org/10.17871/ForestAgeBGI.2021 (Besnard et al., 2021).

Simon Besnard↗

Bridging the Gap Between the iLEAPS and GEWEX Land-Surface Modeling Communities

Models of Earth's weather and climate require fluxes of momentum, energy, and moisture across the land-atmosphere interface to solve the equations of atmospheric physics and dynamics. Just as atmospheric models can, and do, differ between weather and climate applications, mostly related to issues of scale, resolved or parameterised physics,and computational requirements, so too can the land models that provide the required surface fluxes differ between weather and climate models. Here, however, the issue is less one of scale-dependent parameterisations.Computational demands can influence other minor land model differences, especially with respect to initialisation, data assimilation, and forecast skill. However, the distinction among land models (and their development and application) is largely driven by the different science and research needs of the weather and climate communities.

GEWEX↗

SOFIA 2 model telescope wind tunnel test report

This document outlines the tests performed to make aerodynamic force and torque measurements on the SOFIA wind tunnel model telescope. These tests were performed during the SOFIA 2 wind tunnel test in the 14 ft wind tunnel during the months of June through August 1994. The test was designed to measure the dynamic cross elevation moment acting on the SOFIA model telescope due to aerodynamic loading. The measurements were taken with the telescope mounted in an open cavity in the tail section of the SOFIA model 747. The purpose of the test was to obtain an estimate of the full scale aerodynamic disturbance spectrum, by scaling up the wind tunnel results (taking into account differences in sail area, air density, cavity dimension, etc.). An estimate of the full scale cross elevation moment spectrum was needed to help determine the impact this disturbance would have on the telescope positioning system requirements. A model of the telescope structure, made of a light weight composite material, was mounted in the open cavity of the SOFIA wind tunnel model. This model was mounted via a force balance to the cavity bulkhead. Despite efforts to use a 'stiff' balance, and a lightweight model, the balance/telescope system had a very low resonant frequency (37 Hz) compared to the desired measurement bandwidth (1000 Hz). Due to this mechanical resonance of the balance/telescope system, the balance alone could not provide an accurate measure of applied aerodynamic force at the high frequencies desired. A method of measurement was developed that incorporated accelerometers in addition to the balance signal, to calculate the aerodynamic force.

Keas, Paul↗

Observations and Modeling of the Transient General Circulation of the North Pacific Basin

Because of recent progress in satellite altimetry and numerical modeling and the accumulation and archiving of long records of hydrographic and meteorological variables, it is becoming feasible to describe and understand the transient general circulation of the ocean (i.e., variations with spatial scales larger than a few hundred kilometers and time scales of seasonal and longer-beyond the mesoscale). We have carried out various studies in investigation of the transient general circulation of the Pacific Ocean from a coordinated analysis of satellite altimeter data, historical hydrographic gauge data, scatterometer wind observations, reanalyzed operational wind fields, and a variety of ocean circulation models. Broadly stated, our goal was to achieve a phenomenological catalogue of different possible types of large-scale, low-frequency variability, as a context for understanding the observational record. The approach is to identify the simplest possible model from which particular observed phenomena can be isolated and understood dynamically and then to determine how well these dynamical processes are represented in more complex Oceanic General Circulation Models (OGCMs). Research results have been obtained on Rossby wave propagation and transformation, oceanic intrinsic low-frequency variability, effects of surface gravity waves, pacific data analyses, OGCM formulation and developments, and OGCM simulations of forced variability.

McWilliams, James C.↗

Detailed Analysis of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall Processes with Modern/High-Quality Satellite Observations

We examine, in detail, Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall processes using modernhigh quality satellite precipitation measurements. The focus here is on measurements derived from three NASA cloud and precipitation satellite missionslinstruments (TRMM/PR&TMI, AQUNAMSRE, and CLOUDSATICPR), and a fourth TRMM Project-generated multi-satellite precipitation measurement dataset (viz., TRMM standard algorithm 3b42) -- all from a period beginning in 1998 up to the present. It is emphasized that the 3b42 algorithm blends passive microwave (PMW) radiometer-based precipitation estimates from LEO satellites with infi-ared (IR) precipitation estimates from a world network of CEO satellites (representing -15% of the complete space-time coverage) All of these observations are first cross-calibrated to precipitation estimates taken from standard TRMM combined PR-TMI algorithm 2b31, and second adjusted at the large scale based on monthly-averaged rain-gage measurements. The blended approach takes advantage of direct estimates of precipitation from the PMW radiometerequipped LEO satellites -- but which suffer fi-om sampling limitations -- in combination with less accurate IR estimates from the optical-infrared imaging cameras on GEO satellites -- but which provide continuous diurnal sampling. The advantages of the current technologies are evident in the continuity and coverage properties inherent to the resultant precipitation datasets that have been an outgrowth of these stable measuring and retrieval technologies. There is a wealth of information contained in the current satellite measurements of precipitation regarding the salient precipitation properties of the Indian Summer Monsoon. Using different datasets obtained from the measuring systems noted above, we have analyzed the observations cast in the form of: (1) spatially distributed means and variances over the hierarchy of relevant time scales (hourly I diurnally, daily, monthly, seasonally I intra-seasonally, and inter-annually), (2) time series at these different time scales taken as area-averages over the hierarchy of relevant space scales (Indian sub-Division, Indian sub-continent, and Circumambient Indian Ocean), (3) principal autocorrelation and cross-correlation structures over various monsoon space-time domains, (4) diurnally modulated amplitude-phase properties of rain rates over different monsoon space-time domains, (5) foremost rain rate probability distributions intrinsic to monsoon precipitation, and (6) behavior of extreme events including occurrences of flood and drought episodes throughout the course of inter-annual monsoon processes.

Smith, Eric A.↗

A random distribution reacting mixing layer model

A methodology for simulation of molecular mixing and the resulting velocity and temperature fields has been developed. The ideas are applied to the flow conditions present in the NASA Lewis Planar Reacting Shear Layer (PRSL) facility, and results compared to experimental data. A gaussian transverse turbulent velocity distribution is used in conjunction with a linearly increasing time scale to describe the mixing of different regions of the flow. Equilibrium reaction calculations are then performed on the mix to arrive at a new species composition and temperature. Velocities are determined through summation of momentum contributions. The analysis indicates a combustion efficiency of the order of 80 percent for the reacting mixing layer, and a turbulent Schmidt number of 2/3. The success of the model is attributed to the simulation of large-scale transport of fluid. The favorable comparison shows that a relatively quick and simple PC calculation is capable of simulating the basic flow structure in the reacting and non-reacting shear layer present in the facility given basic assumptions about turbulence properties.

Jones, Richard A.↗

A random distribution reacting mixing layer model

A methodology for simulation of molecular mixing, and the resulting velocity and temperature fields has been developed. The ideas are applied to the flow conditions present in the NASA Lewis Research Center Planar Reacting Shear Layer (PRSL) facility, and results compared to experimental data. A gaussian transverse turbulent velocity distribution is used in conjunction with a linearly increasing time scale to describe the mixing of different regions of the flow. Equilibrium reaction calculations are then performed on the mix to arrive at a new species composition and temperature. Velocities are determined through summation of momentum contributions. The analysis indicates a combustion efficiency of the order of 80 percent for the reacting mixing layer, and a turbulent Schmidt number of 2/3. The success of the model is attributed to the simulation of large-scale transport of fluid. The favorable comparison shows that a relatively quick and simple PC calculation is capable of simulating the basic flow structure in the reacting and nonreacting shear layer present in the facility given basic assumptions about turbulence properties.

Jones, Richard A.↗