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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Media analysis of the representations of fusion and other future energy technologies

Media representations of energy have a relevant impact on public opinion and public support for investment in new energy sources. Fusion energy is one among several emerging energy technologies that requires a strong public investment on its research and development. This paper aims to characterise and compare the media representations of fusion and other emerging energy technologies in Portugal and in Spain. The emerging energy technologies selected for analysis are wave and tidal power, hydrogen, deep sea offshore wind power, energy applications of nanotechnology, bio-fuels from microalgae and IV generation nuclear fission. This work covered the news published in a selection of newspapers in Portugal and Spain between January 2007 and June 2013. (authors)

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS2015

Briefing to University of Porto on NASA Airborne Science Program and Ames UAVs

NASA Ames is exploring a partnership with the University of Portugal to jointly develop and test new autonomous vehicle technologies. As part of the discussions I will be briefing the University of Portugal faculty on the NASA Airborne Science Program (ASP) and associated activities at NASA Ames Research Center. The presentation will communicate the requirements that drive the program, the assets available to NASA researchers, and discuss research projects that have used unmanned aircraft systems including MIZOPEX, Surprise Valley, and Florida Keys Coral Reef assessment. Other topics will include the SIERRA and Dragon Eye UAV projects operated at Ames.

Test Vehicles↗
DOE OSTI2021

Portuguese Wood Pellets Market: Organization, Production and Consumption Analysis

Wood pellets are a form of energy that can be seen as an alternative to fossil fuels, thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, wood pellets can be considered a solution contributing to the mitigation of climate change. The use of wood pellets has grown significantly in recent years, with different markets emerging, such as Portugal, both from production and consumption perspectives. The wood pellet industry in Portugal began its development about 15 years ago, with the companies installed in the country initially almost exclusively dedicated to the production of wood pellets for export to central and northern European markets. However, over the years, the domestic market, initially considered insignificant, began to develop; it recently reached a considerable consuming share of the national production. This study presents an analysis of the Portuguese wood pellet market using data collected on the sector, and specifically on producers and consumers. The information was gathered using surveys presented directly to consumers and producers and through interviews with other stakeholders in the sector. From the analysis of the information, it was possible to understand the market’s dynamics, its current evolution and its prospects for the upcoming years, since it can already be considered mature and consolidated.

Nunes, Leonel J. R. (ORCID:0000000154048163)↗
NASA NTRS2009

QuEST: Qualifying Environmentally Sustainable Technologies

In 2004, in one of their first collaborative efforts, Centro Para Prevencao da Poluicao (Portuguese Center for Pollution Prevention or C3P). teamed with Technology Evaluation for Environmental Risk Mitigation Principal Center (TEERM) and two Portuguese entities, TAP Portugal (Portuguese National Airline) and OGMA Indtistria Aeron utica de Portugal (Portuguese Aeronautics Industry), to target the reduction of hexavalent chromium, cadmium, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in aircraft maintenance operations. This project focused on two coating systems that utilize non-chrome pretreatments and low-VOC primers and topcoats.

Lewis, Pattie L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Three‐trophic level food webs support the safety of a biocontrol agent 3 years after release

Biological control (biocontrol) is a powerful tool for managing invasive alien species and assisting the restoration of native ecosystems. Rigorous post‐release monitoring of biocontrol agents is critical to evaluate the success of biocontrol programs; however, this is still rarely implemented. Here, we combined the use of species interaction networks with a Before‐After Control‐Impact design to evaluate the target and non‐target, direct and indirect effects of the Australian gall wasp Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae , released to control the invasive plant Acacia longifolia in Portugal. We compared the structure of plant‐galling insect‐parasitoid food webs before and 3 years after the release of the biocontrol agent. Exhaustive sampling did not detect any non‐target effects, either direct (on non‐target plants) or indirect (on other galling insects via shared plants). Additionally, no significant changes were detected in network structure that could be related to the establishment of the biocontrol agent. This study shows that monitoring biocontrol at the community level is possible and that, when carefully planned, biocontrol poses minimal risk of non‐target effects.

López‐Núñez, Francisco A. [Centre for Functional E↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interactions between macro‐ and micro‐climate: Effects on phenolic compound production in Nardus stricta at high elevations

Abstract Phenolic compounds are key to plant defence, offering protection as antioxidants, UV shields, and antimicrobials. Their production is largely shaped by environmental conditions. It is believed that plants at lower elevations increase phenolic content to counter herbivory, while those at higher elevations rely on phenolics to manage abiotic stresses, such as climate variability. Microhabitat warming also affects phenolic levels, but responses differ, depending on broader climatic contexts: plants in warmer, lower‐elevation environments show limited adaptability, whereas high‐elevation plants demonstrate greater plasticity. Despite the importance of these environmental interactions, many small‐scale abiotic studies lack sufficient spatial replication across broader gradients like elevation or latitude, while large‐scale studies frequently overlook microscale factors. This study investigated the effects of macroclimate factors and microhabitat warming on phenolic production in Nardus stricta across five semi‐natural grassland sites (1546–1875 m a.s.l.) in Portugal's Serra da Estrela. Warming was simulated using open‐top chambers over two growing seasons, after which leaf samples were analysed for phenolic compounds, and soil nutrients were measured. The N. stricta plants at the highest elevation site contained significantly higher leaf flavonoid concentrations. Microhabitat warming led to a significant decrease in flavonoid concentrations, but only at the highest elevation site. These effects occurred independently of soil nutrient levels, suggesting direct thermal effects or stress responses might be involved. Our findings highlight the complex interactions between macro‐ and microenvironmental factors in shaping plant chemistry, underscoring critical considerations for plant resilience in the face of climate change. This understanding is essential for developing strategies to support plant and ecosystem adaptation to changing climates.

Moreira, X. [Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG‐CSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dissolved Gaseous Mercury Production at a Marine Aquaculture Site in the Mercury-Contaminated Marano and Grado Lagoon, Italy

Dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) production was examined in relation to ultraviolet radiation within a marine aquaculture site in the contaminated Marano and Grado Lagoon (Italy). The measured rates of DGM production relative to time elapsed (17.06 and 20.68 pg h{sup −1}, respectively) were substantially (6–20 times) higher than what has been observed in other marine Hg studies. We measured similar levels of DGM relative to dissolved total mercury (THg{sub D}) (0.84%–8.91%) at these sites in comparison to uncontaminated marine sites, however relative to other moderately-contaminated marine sites in Portugal the % DGM/THg{sub D} was high. These results suggest a substantial capacity for Hg volatilization from these highly contaminated lagoons to the atmosphere due to photoreduction mechanisms.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Governance in Strategic Environmental Assessment: Lessons from the Portuguese practice

The analysis of governance in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) can help understand why, whether and how strategic decision-making happens. Understanding the governance context is strategic to improve the role and capacity of SEA to stimulate, and legitimate decisions that integrate environmental issues and are sustainability driven. The objective of this paper is to discuss why governance is important in SEA. In the SEA literature governance is mostly addressed in silos (i.e. public participation or decisions transparency or accountability) rather than in an integrated way. In addition few authors adopt a strategic view to address the governance context within which SEA is used. In this paper we address the heuristics of governance in SEA based on theoretical and empirical evidence, suggesting how SEA may incorporate the governance dimension. First a review of the SEA literature in relation to governance sets the context to the analysis on how governance is approached in practice, based on 60 Portuguese SEA cases. This is followed by the presentation of an empirical SEA case conducted in Portugal to illustrate what, in our understanding, can be an example of good practice in considering governance in SEA. Final discussion reflects on the role of governance in SEA in promoting engagement, enabling collaborative action, learning processes and dialogues, concluding on the relevance of governance in creating development contexts that can deal with change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Consumer response to health and environmental sustainability information regarding seafood consumption

Highlights: • Five segments were identified based on intentions towards healthy and sustainable seafood choice. • Attitudes towards messages combining health and sustainability are generally favourable. • Risk/benefit perception and perceived consumer effectiveness are affected by message exposure. • Communication emphasizing the link between health and sustainability related to seafood is recommended. Seafood consumption has an impact on both consumers’ health and on the marine environment, making the integration of health and sustainability aspects in information and recommendation messages for consumers highly topical. This study presents the results of a consumer study in terms of the impact of exposure to a message about health and sustainability aspects of seafood on 986 participants from Belgium and Portugal. Possible drivers for behavioural change regarding seafood consumption frequency and sustainable seafood buying frequency are studied following exposure to the message. Initial behaviour emerges as the most important factor triggering a change in the intention to consume seafood twice per week and a change in the intention to buy sustainable seafood. A higher health benefit perception resulted in an increased intention to consume seafood twice per week. Attitude towards the message and the option to optimise consumers’ choice of seafood species favouring sustainability were significant determinants of change in the intention to buy sustainable seafood. Different stakeholders may take the results of this communication strategy into account and, consequently, contribute to a seafood supply and related communication that supports public health and the marine environment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Linear regression on the characterization of elements of natural origin and possible implications in the use of ground

The observation of certain higher chemical element concentration, such as uranium and radiometric values, in the Alegrete-Assumar region of Portugal, has shown that locally occurrence of radioactive quartzites is responsible for these high values. The geostatistical treatment of exploration data and the crossing of the database with other variables, such as land use, allows one to study how these may affect the human health.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

The Fukushima nuclear disaster and its effects on media framing of fission and fusion energy technologies

This paper presents results of a comparison of media coverage of fusion and fission energy technologies in three countries (Germany, Spain and Portugal) and in the English language international print media addressing transnational elite, from 2008 to 2012. The analysis showed that the accident in Fukushima in March 2010 did not have significant impact on media framing of nuclear fusion in the major part of print media under investigation. In fact, fusion is clearly dissociated from traditional nuclear (fission) energy and from nuclear accidents. It tends to be portrayed as a safe, clean and unlimited source of energy, although less credited when confronted with research costs, technological feasibility and the possibility to be achieved in a reasonable period of time. On the contrary, fission is portrayed as a hazardous source of energy, expensive when compared to research costs of renewables, hardly a long-term energy option, susceptible to contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons or rogue military use. Fukushima accident was consistently discussed in the context of safety problems of nuclear power plants and in many cases appeared not as an isolated event but rather as a reminder of previous nuclear disasters such as Three Miles Island and Chernobyl. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A COMPARISON OF STELLAR ELEMENTAL ABUNDANCE TECHNIQUES AND MEASUREMENTS

Stellar elemental abundances are important for understanding the fundamental properties of a star or stellar group, such as age and evolutionary history, as well as the composition of an orbiting planet. However, as abundance measurement techniques have progressed, there has been little standardization between individual methods and their comparisons. As a result, different stellar abundance procedures determine measurements that vary beyond the quoted error for the same elements within the same stars. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the systematic variations between methods and offer recommendations for producing more accurate results in the future. We invited a number of participants from around the world (Australia, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States) to calculate 10 element abundances (C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Fe, Ni, Ba, and Eu) using the same stellar spectra for four stars (HD 361, HD 10700, HD 121504, and HD 202206). Each group produced measurements for each star using (1) their own autonomous techniques, (2) standardized stellar parameters, (3) a standardized line list, and (4) both standardized parameters and a line list. We present the resulting stellar parameters, absolute abundances, and a metric of data similarity that quantifies the homogeneity of the data. We conclude that standardization of some kind, particularly stellar parameters, improves the consistency between methods. However, because results did not converge as more free parameters were standardized, it is clear there are inherent issues within the techniques that need to be reconciled. Therefore, we encourage more conversation and transparency within the community such that stellar abundance determinations can be reproducible as well as accurate and precise.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Constructing Memory Through Artistic Practices - 18197

I have been investigating radioactive waste sites internationally since 1994, analyzing how this archaeological stratum of the 21. century can be read in the landscape. Over more than twenty years of work this research has led me to visit several sites around the world. My focus has become the identification of the disposal sites in the landscape, as well as finding ways to pass on memory. Reports on Disposal Sites and Exhibitions: - Dessel, Belgium - exhibition at De Markten, Brussels; - Sacavem, Portugal - participation to the World Exhibition in Lisbon; - El Cabril, Spain - workshop at the University of Bilbao; - Angra dos Reis, Brazil - exhibition at Centre cultural Puc, Rio de Janeiro; - Rokkasho Mura, Japan - exhibition at gallery Gen, Tokyo; - Soulaines D'Huys, France - exhibition at art gallery Cours Carree, Paris; - CSM, Beaumont-Hague, France - exhibition at the House of Culture in Tournai, Belgium; - Fortsmark, Sweden - exhibition at 340 Muzeum, Brussels; - Cnesten Maamora, Morocco - exhibition at Villa des Arts, Casablanca; - Bhabha Atomic Research, Trombay, India - I was allowed to visit it but it was forbidden to make photographs or drawings. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2016

Performance of a Vertical‐Slot Fish Pass for the Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus L. and Habitat Recolonization

Abstract In 2011, a vertical‐slot fish pass was built at the Coimbra Açude‐Ponte dam (Mondego River, Portugal), approximately 45 km upstream from the river mouth. The performance of this infrastructure for sea lamprey passage was evaluated between 2011 and 2015 using several complementary methodologies, namely radio telemetry [conventional and electromyogram (EMG)], passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry and electrofishing surveys. During the study period, the electrofishing revealed a 29‐fold increase in the abundance of larval sea lamprey upstream of the fish pass. Of the 20 radio‐tagged individuals released downstream from the dam, 33% managed to find and successfully surpass the obstacle in less than 2 weeks, reaching the spawning areas located in the upstream stretch of the main river and in one important tributary. Fish pass efficiency was assessed with a PIT antenna installed in the last upstream pool and revealed a 31% efficiency, with differences between and within migratory seasons. Time of day and river flow significantly influenced the attraction efficiency of the fish pass, with lampreys negotiating it mainly during the night period and when discharge was below 50 m 3 s −1 . Sea lampreys tagged with EMG transmitters took 3 h to negotiate the fish pass, during which high muscular effort was only registered during passage, or passage attempts, of the vertical slots. The use of complementary methodologies provided a comprehensive passage evaluation for sea lamprey, a species for which there is a considerable paucity of valuable data concerning behavioural, physiological and environmental influences on obstacle negotiation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pereira, E.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Variability in large-scale wind power generation: Variability in large-scale wind power generation

The paper demonstrates the characteristics of wind power variability and net load variability in multiple power systems based on real data from multiple years. Demonstrated characteristics include probability distribution for different ramp durations, seasonal and diurnal variability and low net load events. The comparison shows regions with low variability (Sweden, Spain and Germany), medium variability (Portugal, Ireland, Finland and Denmark) and regions with higher variability (Quebec, Bonneville Power Administration and Electric Reliability Council of Texas in North America; Gansu, Jilin and Liaoning in China; and Norway and offshore wind power in Denmark). For regions with low variability, the maximum 1 h wind ramps are below 10% of nominal capacity, and for regions with high variability, they may be close to 30%. Wind power variability is mainly explained by the extent of geographical spread, but also higher capacity factor causes higher variability. It was also shown how wind power ramps are autocorrelated and dependent on the operating output level. When wind power was concentrated in smaller area, there were outliers with high changes in wind output, which were not present in large areas with well-dispersed wind power.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optimal deployment of thermal energy storage under diverse economic and climate conditions

This paper presents an investigation of the economic benefit of thermal energy storage (TES) for cooling, across a range of economic and climate conditions. Chilled water TES systems are simulated for a large office building in four distinct locations, Miami in the U.S.; Lisbon, Portugal; Shanghai, China; and Mumbai, India. Optimal system size and operating schedules are determined using the optimization model DER-CAM, such that total cost, including electricity and amortized capital costs are minimized. The economic impacts of each optimized TES system is then compared to systems sized using a simple heuristic method, which bases system size as fraction (50percent and 100percent) of total on-peak summer cooling loads. Results indicate that TES systems of all sizes can be effective in reducing annual electricity costs (5percent-15percent) and peak electricity consumption (13percent-33percent). The investigation also indentifies a number of criteria which drive TES investment, including low capital costs, electricity tariffs with high power demand charges and prolonged cooling seasons. In locations where these drivers clearly exist, the heuristically sized systems capture much of the value of optimally sized systems; between 60percent and 100percent in terms of net present value. However, in instances where these drivers are less pronounced, the heuristic tends to oversize systems, and optimization becomes crucial to ensure economically beneficial deployment of TES, increasing the net present value of heuristically sized systems by as much as 10 times in some instances.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Microwave radiometer, sun-photometer and GNSS multi-comparison of integrated water vapor in Southwestern Europe

This work presents a comparison of integrated water vapor (IWV) data recorded from microwave radiometer (MWR) and sun-photometer (SP) using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) IWV as reference in five mid-latitude sites of Portugal and Spain (2003–2021). A very high correlation is obtained for both instruments (R2 between 0.94 and 0.98), although, while MWR shows a wet bias, SP exhibits a dry one. In addition, a dependence of mean bias error (MBE) and standard deviation (SD) on IWV has been observed, increasing (larger discrepancies) both indices as IWV increases. The solar zenith angle (SZA) dependence is also studied, finding slightly larger discrepancies for the MWR than for SP in comparison with GNSS for very high values of SZA. Finally, a marked seasonal dependence is observed for SP-GNSS differences, modulated by the IWV dependence explained above. In contrast, the seasonal dependence for MWR is quite weaker than it is for SP. Therefore, in spite of the excellent agreement found among the different instruments, it is recommended that: i) the dependence with IWV be studied and corrected to further increase the performance of the instruments, and ii) metadata be used to filter out situations in which the instrument cannot operate properly.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

No evidence of a threshold in traffic volume affecting road-kill mortality at a large spatio-temporal scale

Previous studies have found that the relationship between wildlife road mortality and traffic volume follows a threshold effect on low traffic volume roads. We aimed at evaluating the response of several species to increasing traffic intensity on highways over a large geographic area and temporal period. We used data of four terrestrial vertebrate species with different biological and ecological features known by their high road-kill rates: the barn owl (Tyto alba), hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Additionally, we checked whether road-kill likelihood varies when traffic patterns depart from the average. We used annual average daily traffic (AADT) and road-kill records observed along 1000 km of highways in Portugal over seven consecutive years (2003–2009). We fitted candidate models using Generalized Linear Models with a binomial distribution through a sample unit of 1 km segments to describe the effect of traffic on the probability of finding at least one victim in each segment during the study. We also assigned for each road-kill record the traffic of that day and the AADT on that year to test for differences using Paired Student's t-test. Mortality risk declined significantly with traffic volume but varied among species: the probability of finding road-killed red foxes and rabbits occurs up to moderate traffic volumes (< 20,000 AADT) whereas barn owls and hedgehogs occurred up to higher traffic volumes (40,000 AADT). Perception of risk may explain differences in responses towards high traffic highway segments. Road-kill rates did not vary significantly when traffic intensity departed from the average. In summary, we did not find evidence of traffic thresholds for the analysed species and traffic intensities. We suggest mitigation measures to reduce mortality be applied in particular on low traffic roads (< 5000 AADT) while additional measures to reduce barrier effects should take into account species-specific behavioural traits. - Highlights: • Traffic and road-kills were analysed along 1000 km of highways over seven years. • Mortality risk declined significantly with traffic volume. • Perception of risk may explain different responses towards high traffic sections. • Reducing barrier effects should take into account species behavioural traits.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗