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At least 973 records · Page 54

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: Merging Science and Exploration

NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) represents a close collaboration between science, technology and exploration, and was created to enable a deeper understanding of the Moon and other airless bodies. SSERVI is supported jointly by NASA's Science Mission Directorate and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The institute currently focuses on the scientific aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars, but the institute goals may expand, depending on NASA's needs, in the future. The 9 initial teams, selected in late 2013 and funded from 2014-2019, have expertise across the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, and Martian moon sciences. Their research includes various aspects of the surface, interior, exosphere, near-space environments, and dynamics of these bodies. NASA anticipates a small number of additional teams to be selected within the next two years, with a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) likely to be released in 2016. Calls for proposals are issued every 2-3 years to allow overlap between generations of institute teams, but the intent for each team is to provide a stable base of funding for a five year period. SSERVI's mission includes acting as a bridge between several groups, joining together researchers from: 1) scientific and exploration communities, 2) multiple disciplines across a wide range of planetary sciences, and 3) domestic and international communities and partnerships. The SSERVI central office is located at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. The administrative staff at the central office forms the organizational hub for the domestic and international teams and enables the virtual collaborative environment. Interactions with geographically dispersed teams across the U.S., and global partners, occur easily and frequently in a collaborative virtual environment. This poster will provide an overview of the 9 current US teams and international partners, as well as information about outreach efforts and future opportunities to participate in SSERVI.

technology↗

Preserving NASA Historic and Current Mission Data and Adding Value to These for Future Researchers

The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) has been actively involved in many aspects of ensuring the long-term preservation of NASA earth science data and knowledge. This involves both the recovery and preservation of early NASA meteorological and other earth observation data, as well as preserving the more recent Earth Observation System (EOS) mission data sets which continue or have reached their end of lifetime. The GES DISC adds value to these preserved data by adding metadata and making the data available online to future researchers. The early NASA meteorological and earth observation data sets from the 1960s and 70s were originally archived on magnetic tapes, and visualizations of these data were preserved on 70-mm film. As these media have aged, their contents have been at risk of permanent loss. NASA has given the task of preserving these early data sets to the GES DISC and making these data sets easily available to the public. The data from these early missions are potentially useful to climate researchers as these are some of the only global measurements made at their time. These old data on magnetic tapes and film strips do not contain easily readable metadata, and so to add value the GES DISC has added digital metadata to them so that the data are searchable and findable. The GES DISC is also involved in preserving the data and knowledge from the EOS era missions. The GES DISC follows the guidelines developed for the preservation of data as specified in the NASA EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Earth Science Data Preservation Content Specification (423-SPEC-001) document. To date, the GES DISC has consulted with the data science teams from the following missions: UARS, Earth Probe TOMS, Aura HIRDLS, and SORCE, in order to properly preserve their data and accompanying documentation. The GES DISC is also currently working with the EOS science teams from TRMM, AIRS, MLS, OMI and additional missions to ensure that the relevant documents and data sets are properly archived for future researchers. A standardized procedure for mission data preservation following 423-SPEC-001 makes preservation among the many NASA EOSDIS data centers uniform, so that these could be transitioned easily to a common EOSDIS preservation repository. This presentation will give an overview of the preservation and recovery of the old NASA historical data sets archived at the GES DISC, as well as the data and documentation preservation efforts of the EOS era missions.

James Johnson↗

Microtopographic and Depth Controls on Active Layer Chemistry in Arctic Polygonal Ground: Supporting Data

Polygonal ground is a signature characteristic of the Arctic, and permafrost thaw can potentially generate substantial feedbacks to Arctic ecosystems and climate. This study describes the first comprehensive spatial examination of active layer biogeochemistry that extends across high- and low-centered polygons and their features, including depth. Water chemistry measurements were made on active layer water samples collected near Barrow, Alaska during summer, 2012. Several significant differences in chemistry were observed between high- and low-centered polygons suggesting polygon types may be useful for landscape-scale geochemical classification. However, differences were found for polygon features (centers and troughs) for analytes that were not significant for type, suggesting that finer scale features control biogeochemistry in a different way than polygon type. Depth variations were also significant, demonstrating important multi-dimensional aspects of polygonal ground biogeochemistry. These results have major implications for understanding how polygonal ground ecosystems function, and how they may respond to future change. This data package includes one *.csv data file and one *.pdf user guide. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Solar Corona

The coronal magnetic field defines the structure of the solar corona, the position of the heliospheric current sheet, the regions of fast and slow solar wind, and the most likely sites of coronal mass ejections. There are few measurements of the magnetic fields in the corona, but the line-of-sight component of the global magnetic fields in the photosphere have been routinely measured for many years (for example, at Stanford's Wilcox Solar Observatory, and at the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak). The SOI/MDI instrument is now providing high-resolution full-disk magnetograms several times a day. Understanding the large-scale structure of the solar corona and inner heliosphere requires accurately mapping the measured photospheric magnetic field into the corona and outward. Ideally, a model should not only extrapolate the magnetic field, but should self-consistently reconstruct both the plasma and magnetic fields in the corona and solar wind. Support from our NASA SR&T contract has allowed us to develop three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) computations of the solar corona that incorporate observed photospheric magnetic fields into the boundary conditions. These calculations not only describe the magnetic field in the corona and interplanetary spice, but also predict the plasma properties as well. Our computations thus far have been successful in reproducing many aspects of both coronal and interplanetary data, including the structure of the streamer belt, the location of coronal hole boundaries, and the position and shape of the heliospheric current sheet. The most widely used technique for extrapolating the photospheric magnetic field into the corona and heliosphere are potential field models, such as the potential field source-surface model (PFSS),and the potential field current-sheet (PFCS) model

Linker, Jon A.↗

The Turbulent Life of Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton is a generic name for photosynthesizing microscopic organisms that inhabit the upper sunlit layer (euphotic zone) of almost all oceans and bodies of freshwater. They are agents for "primary production," the incorporation of carbon from the environment into living organisms, a process that, sustains the aquatic food web. It is estimated that phytoplankton contribute about half of the global primary production, the other half being due to terrestrial plants. By sustaining the aquatic food web and controlling the biogeochemical cycles through primary production, phytoplankton exert a dominant influence on life on earth. Turbulence influences this process in three very important ways. First, essential mineral nutrients are transported from the deeper layers to the euphotic zone through turbulence. Second, turbulence helps to suspend phytoplankton in the euphotic zone since in still water, the phytoplankton, especially the larger species, tend to settle out of the sunlit layers. Third, turbulence transports phytoplankton from the surface to the dark sterile waters, and this is an important mechanism of loss. Thus, stable phytoplankton populations are maintained through a delicate dynamic balance between the processes of turbulence, reproduction, and sinking. The first quantitative model for this was introduced by Riley, Stommel and Bumpus in 1949. This is an attempt to extend their efforts through a combination of analysis and computer simulation in order to better understand the principal qualitative aspects of the physical/biological coupling of this natural system.

S Ghosal↗

Numerical Simulations of Precipitation Processes, Microphysics, and Microwave Radiative Properties of flood Producing Storms in Mediterranean & Adriatic Basins

A comprehensive understanding of the meteorological and microphysical nature of Mediterranean storms requires a combination of in situ data analysis, radar data analysis, and satellite data analysis, effectively integrated with numerical modeling studies at various scales. An important aspect of understanding microphysical controls of severe storms, is first understanding the meteorological controls under which a storm has evolved, and then using that information to help characterize the dominant microphysical processes. For hazardous Mediterranean storms, highlighted by the October 5-6, 1998 Friuli flood event in northern Italy, a comprehensive microphysical interpretation requires an understanding of the multiple phases of storm evolution. This involves intense convective development, Sratiform decay, orographic lifting, and sloped frontal lifting processes, as well as the associated vertical motions and thermodynamical instabilities governing physical processes that effect details of the size distributions and fall rates of the various types of hydrometeors found within the storm environment. This talk overviews the microphysical elements of a severe Mediterranean storm in such a context, investigated with the aid of TRMM satellite and other remote sensing measurements, but guided by a nonhydrostatic mesoscale model simulation of the Friuli flood event. The data analysis for this paper was conducted by my research groups at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center in Huntsville, AL and Florida State University in Tallahassee, and in collaboration with Dr. Alberto Mugnai's research group at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Rome. The numerical modeling was conducted by Professor Oreg Tripoli and Ms. Giulia Panegrossi at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, using Professor Tripoli's nonhydrostatic modeling system (NMS). This is a scalable, fully nested mesoscale model capable of resolving nonhydrostatic circulations from regional scale down to cloud scale and below.

Smith, Eric A.↗

Evaluation of Dual Pressurized Rover Operations During Simulated Planetary Surface Exploration

Introduction: A pair of small pressurized rovers (Space Exploration Vehicles, or SEVs) is at the center of the Global Point-of-Departure architecture for future human planetary exploration. Simultaneous operation of multiple crewed surface assets should maximize productive crew time, minimize overhead, and preserve contingency return paths. Methods: A 14-day mission simulation was conducted in the Arizona desert as part of NASA?s 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS). The simulation involved two SEV concept vehicles performing geological exploration under varied operational modes affecting both the extent to which the SEVs must maintain real-time communications with mission control ("Continuous" vs. "Twice-a-Day") and their proximity to each other ("Lead-and-Follow" vs. "Divide-and-Conquer"). As part of a minimalist lunar architecture, no communications relay satellites were assumed. Two-person crews consisting of an astronaut and a field geologist operated each SEV, day and night, throughout the entire 14-day mission, only leaving via the suit ports to perform simulated extravehicular activities. Standard metrics enabled quantification of the habitability and usability of all aspects of the SEV concept vehicles throughout the mission, as well as comparison of the extent to which the operating modes affected crew productivity and performance. Practically significant differences in the relevant metrics were prospectively defined for the testing of all hypotheses. Results and Discussion: Data showed a significant 14% increase in available science time (AST) during Lead-and-Follow mode compared with Divide-and-Conquer, primarily because of the minimal overhead required to maintain communications during Lead-and-Follow. In Lead-and-Follow mode, there was a non-significant 2% increase in AST during Twice-a-Day vs. Continuous communications. Situational awareness of the other vehicle?s location, activities, and contingency return constraints were enhanced during Lead-and-Follow and Twice-a-Day communications modes due to line-of-sight and direct SEV-to-SEV communication. Preliminary analysis of Scientific Data Quality and Observation Quality metrics showed no significant differences between modes.

Abercromby, Andrew F. J.↗

The Finer Details: Climate Modeling

If you want to know whether you will need sunscreen or an umbrella for tomorrow's picnic, you can simply read the local weather report. However, if you are calculating the impact of gas combustion on global temperatures, or anticipating next year's rainfall levels to set water conservation policy, you must conduct a more comprehensive investigation. Such complex matters require long-range modeling techniques that predict broad trends in climate development rather than day-to-day details. Climate models are built from equations that calculate the progression of weather-related conditions over time. Based on the laws of physics, climate model equations have been developed to predict a number of environmental factors, for example: 1. Amount of solar radiation that hits the Earth. 2. Varying proportions of gases that make up the air. 3. Temperature at the Earth's surface. 4. Circulation of ocean and wind currents. 5. Development of cloud cover. Numerical modeling of the climate can improve our understanding of both the past and, the future. A model can confirm the accuracy of environmental measurements taken. in, the past and can even fill in gaps in those records. In addition, by quantifying the relationship between different aspects of climate, scientists can estimate how a future change in one aspect may alter the rest of the world. For example, could an increase in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean somehow set off a drought on the other side of the world? A computer simulation could lead to an answer for this and other questions. Quantifying the chaotic, nonlinear activities that shape our climate is no easy matter. You cannot run these simulations on your desktop computer and expect results by the time you have finished checking your morning e-mail. Efficient and accurate climate modeling requires powerful computers that can process billions of mathematical calculations in a single second. The NCCS exists to provide this degree of vast computing capability.

Source record↗

Application of Aura OMI L2G Products Compared with NASA MERRA-2 Assimilation

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) is one of the instruments aboard NASA's Aura satellite. It measures ozone total column and vertical profile, aerosols, clouds, and trace gases including NO2, SO2, HCHO, BrO, and OClO using absorption in the ultraviolet electromagnetic spectrum (280 - 400 nm). OMI Level-2G (L2G) products are based on the pixel-level OMI granule satellite measurements stored within global 0.25 deg. X 0.25 deg. grids, therefore they conserve all the Level 2 (L2) spatial and temporal details for 24 hours of scientific data in one file. The second Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) is NASA's atmospheric reanalysis, using an upgraded version of Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5) data assimilation system. MERRA-2 includes aerosol data reanalysis and improved representations of stratospheric ozone, compared with its predecessor MERRA, in both instantaneous and time-averaged collections. It is found that simply comparing satellite Level-3 products might cause biases, due to lack of detailed temporal and original retrieval information. It is therefore preferable to inter-compare or implement satellite derived physical quantities directly with/to model assimilation with as high temporal and spatial resolutions as possible. This study will demonstrate utilization of OMI L2G daily aerosol and ozone products by comparing them with MERRA-2 hourly aerosol/ozone simulations, matched in both space and time aspects. Both OMI and MERRA-2 products are accessible online through NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC, https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

OMI L2G products↗

Microbe to Microbiome: A Paradigm Shift in the Application of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture

Light, water and healthy soil are three essential natural resources required for agricultural productivity. Industrialization of agriculture has resulted in intensification of cropping practices using enormous amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that damage these natural resources. Therefore, there is a need to embrace agriculture practices that do not depend on greater use of fertilizers and water to meet the growing demand of global food requirements. Plants and soil harbor millions of microorganisms, which collectively form a microbial community known as the microbiome. An effective microbiome can offer benefits to its host, including plant growth promotion, nutrient use efficiency, and control of pests and phytopathogens. Therefore, there is an immediate need to bring functional potential of plant-associated microbiome and its innovation into crop production. In addition to that, new scientific methodologies that can track the nutrient flux through the plant, its resident microbiome and surrounding soil, will offer new opportunities for the design of more efficient microbial consortia design. It is now increasingly acknowledged that the diversity of a microbial inoculum is as important as its plant growth promoting ability. Not surprisingly, outcomes from such plant and soil microbiome studies have resulted in a paradigm shift away from single, specific soil microbes to a more holistic microbiome approach for enhancing crop productivity and the restoration of soil health. Herein, we have reviewed this paradigm shift and discussed various aspects of benign microbiome-based approaches for sustainable agriculture.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Question of measuring spatial curvature in an inhomogeneous universe

The curvature of a spacetime, either in a topological sense, or averaged over superhorizon-sized patches, is often equated with the global curvature term that appears in Friedmann’s equation. In general, however, the Universe is inhomogeneous, and gravity is a nonlinear theory, thus any curvature perturbations violate the assumptions of the Friedmann-Lemaïtre-Robertson-Walker model; it is not necessarily true that local curvature, averaged over patches of constant-time surfaces, will reproduce the observational effects of global symmetry. Further, the curvature of a constant-time hypersurface is not an observable quantity, and can only be inferred indirectly. Here, we examine the behavior of curvature modes on hypersurfaces of an inhomogeneous spacetime nonperturbatively in a numerical relativistic setting, and how this curvature corresponds with that inferred by observers. We also note the point at which observations become sensitive to the impact of curvature sourced by inhomogeneities on inferred average properties, finding general agreement with past literature.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Disentangling error structures of precipitation datasets using decision trees

Characterizing error structures in precipitation products not only facilitates their proper applications for scientific and practical purposes but also helps improve their retrieval algorithms and processing methods. Despite the fact that multiple precipitation products have been assessed in the literature, factors that affect their error structures remain inadequately addressed. By interpreting 60 binary decision trees, this study disentangles the error characteristics of precipitation products in terms of their spatiotemporal patterns and geographical factors. Three independent precipitation products - two satellite-based and one reanalysis datasets: the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) late run (IMERG-L), Soil Moisture to Rain-Advanced SCATterometer (SM2RAIN-ASCAT), and the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 uncorrected precipitation output (MERRA2-UC), are evaluated across the contiguous United States from 2010 to 2019. Here, the ground-based Stage IV precipitation dataset is used as the ground truth. Results indicate that the MERRA2-UC outperforms the IMERG-L and SM2RAIN-ASCAT with higher accuracy and more stable interannual patterns for the analysis period. Decision trees cross-assess three spatiotemporal factors and find that the underestimation of MERRA2-UC occurs in the east of the Rocky Mountains, and SM2RAIN-ASCAT underestimates precipitation over high latitudes, especially in winter. Additionally, the decision tree method ascribes system errors to nine different geographical characteristics, of which the distance to the coast, soil type, and DEM are the three dominant features. On the other hand, the land cover type, topography position index, and aspect are three relatively weak factors.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Space Physics Course: Understanding the Process of Science Through One Field's Colorful History

Science education in this country is in its greatest period of ferment since the post-Sputnik frenzy a generation ago. In that earlier time, however, educators' emphasis was on producing more scientists and engineers. Today we recognize that all Americans need a good science background. The ability to observe, measure, think quantitatively, and reach logical conclusions based on available evidence is a set of skills that everyone entering the workforce needs to acquire if our country is to be competitive in a global economy. Moreover, as public policy increasingly crystallizes around scientific issues, it is critical that citizens be educated in science so that they may provide informed debate and on these issues. In order to develop this idea more fully, I proposed to teach a historically based course about space physics as an honors course at the University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP). The honors program at UMCP was established to foster broad-based undergraduate courses that utilize innovative teaching techniques to provide exemplary education to a select group of students. I designed an introductory course that would have four basic goals: to acquaint students with geomagnetic and auroral phenomena and their relationship to the space environment; to examine issues related to the history of science using the evolution of the field as an example; to develop familiarity with basic skills such as describing and interpreting observations, analyzing scientific papers, and communicating the results of their own research; and to provide some understanding of basic physics, especially those aspect that play a role in the near-earth space environment.

Lopez, Ramon E.↗

GPS/MEMS IMU/Microprocessor Board for Navigation

A miniaturized instrumentation package comprising a (1) Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, (2) an inertial measurement unit (IMU) consisting largely of surface-micromachined sensors of the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) type, and (3) a microprocessor, all residing on a single circuit board, is part of the navigation system of a compact robotic spacecraft intended to be released from a larger spacecraft [e.g., the International Space Station (ISS)] for exterior visual inspection of the larger spacecraft. Variants of the package may also be useful in terrestrial collision-detection and -avoidance applications. The navigation solution obtained by integrating the IMU outputs is fed back to a correlator in the GPS receiver to aid in tracking GPS signals. The raw GPS and IMU data are blended in a Kalman filter to obtain an optimal navigation solution, which can be supplemented by range and velocity data obtained by use of (l) a stereoscopic pair of electronic cameras aboard the robotic spacecraft and/or (2) a laser dynamic range imager aboard the ISS. The novelty of the package lies mostly in those aspects of the design of the MEMS IMU that pertain to controlling mechanical resonances and stabilizing scale factors and biases.

Gender, Thomas K.↗

Alignment Jig for the Precise Measurement of THz Radiation

A miniaturized instrumentation package comprising a (1) Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, (2) an inertial measurement unit (IMU) consisting largely of surface-micromachined sensors of the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) type, and (3) a microprocessor, all residing on a single circuit board, is part of the navigation system of a compact robotic spacecraft intended to be released from a larger spacecraft [e.g., the International Space Station (ISS)] for exterior visual inspection of the larger spacecraft. Variants of the package may also be useful in terrestrial collision-detection and -avoidance applications. The navigation solution obtained by integrating the IMU outputs is fed back to a correlator in the GPS receiver to aid in tracking GPS signals. The raw GPS and IMU data are blended in a Kalman filter to obtain an optimal navigation solution, which can be supplemented by range and velocity data obtained by use of (l) a stereoscopic pair of electronic cameras aboard the robotic spacecraft and/or (2) a laser dynamic range imager aboard the ISS. The novelty of the package lies mostly in those aspects of the design of the MEMS IMU that pertain to controlling mechanical resonances and stabilizing scale factors and biases.

Javadi, Hamid H.↗

Reductions in Productivity Due to Land Degradation in the Drylands of the Southwestern United States

Dryland degradation has long been recognized at regional, national, and global scales, yet there are no objective assessments of its location and severity. An assessment of reductions in net primary production (NPP) due to dryland degradation in the southwestern United States is reported. The local NPP scaling (LNS) approach was applied to map the extent and magnitude of degradation. LNS seeks to identify reference sites in which there is no degradation that can be used as a standard for comparison with other sites that share the same environment, except for degradation. Twelve years were analyzed (2000–2011), using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data (250 m) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite‐borne multispectral sensor. The results indicated that the total NPP reductions in the study area were about 35.9 ± 4.7 Tg C/yr, which equates to 0.31 ± 0.04 Mg C/ha·y. The NPP reductions in grassland‐savanna and livestock grazing areas were large and mostly consistent between years in spite of large variations in overall NPP caused by differences in land‐use, interannual variations in rainfall, and other aspects of weather. In comparison with other cover types, forested land generally had higher NPP reduction per unit area. The maps also enable attribution of degradation from the finest management units to entire agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management, which had 50% less production per unit area than the U.S. Forest Service. The degradation within Native American land was low with total NPP reduction of about 2.41 ± 0.24 Tg C/yr and unit area reduction of productivity of just 0.21 ± 0.02 Mg C/ha·yr, yet the percent reduction from potential was in equivalence with other land management agencies.

Noojipady, Praveen↗

High-temperature seals for supercritical carbon-dioxide (sCO 2 ) turbines (Final Report)

This is the final report for project DE-FE0031924 titled “High-temperature seals for supercritical carbon-dioxide (sCO 2 ) turbines.” The report provides a summary of the entire project efforts from October 2020 through December 2024 including the high-temperature commercial dry gas seal (DGS) tests and thermal modeling of Task 2, as well as the high-temperature, large-diameter seal design and high-temperature tests of large-diameter seals in Task 3. A key outcome of Task 2 was the testing completion of specially instrumented commercial DGS in the GE-SwRI Apollo sCO 2 compressor (27,000 rpm). Test data from the DGS showed elevated temperatures upwards of 350 o F, which are close to the higher operating temperature limit of the DGS. The temperature measurements provide insight into the expected thermal loads on DGS operating in high-speed sCO 2 compressor and provided test data for validation of an in-house thermal model of the compressor/seal. Under Task 2.0, this report also presents the development of a steady-state conjugate heat-transfer model of the DGS operating in the sCO 2 compressor – a first of its kind model for modeling heat transfer of sCO 2 in an actual operating compressor. The findings of the thermal model show a reasonable match between temperature predictions of the model and the measured temperature data, also pointing out the validity of the approach and assumptions made in modeling the flows, heat transfer coefficients and windage modeling in the rig. Under Task 3.0, this report presents the preliminary design of a large-diameter hybrid face seal (14 inch and 26-inch diameter) for field testing in a land-based GE turbine. The preliminary seal design effort presented in this report under project DE-FE0031924 builds on the development and successful laboratory testing for such large diameter hybrid face seal under the prior DE-FE0024007 project. Key aspects of seal fluid analyses with CFD, mechanical design considerations and assembly considerations in a land-based turbine are presented. Finally, under Task 3.0, this report also presents the continued high-temperature testing of the 14-inch diameter hybrid face seal developed previously under the DE-FE0024007 program. Specifically, test data demonstrating successful non-contact seal operation and seal effective leakage of 0.001-inch with seal inlet temperatures above 700 o F are presented in this report. Successful hybrid seal operation in a laboratory environment for a large diameter (14-inch) seal at temperatures above 700 o F is a major technological milestone for this technology.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Progressive Damage Failure Analysis of Post-Buckled Composite Single-Stringer Panel with Teflon Inserts

The high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratio materials, such as laminated composites, are advantageous for modern aircraft. Laminated composites with initial flaws are susceptible to delamination under buckling loads. PDA tools help enhance the industry’s understanding of the mechanisms for damage initiation and growth in composite structures while assisting in the design, analysis, and sustainment methods of these composite structures. The global-local modeling approach for the single-stringer post-buckled panel was evaluated through this effort, using Teflon inserts to simulate the defect of damage during manufacturing. This understanding is essential for designing the post-buckled structure, reducing weight while predicting damage initiation location, and addressing a potential design review for future aircraft repairs. In this work, the initial damage was captured with Teflon inserts as the starting configuration; and any reference to the damage initiation refers to any damage beyond the “initial unbonded region.” The effort aims to develop, evaluate, and enhance methods to predict damage initiation and progression and the failure of post-buckled hat-stiffened panels using multiple Abaqus FEA Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) definitions. Validation of the PDA using the VCCT material model was performed on a large single-stringer panel subjected to compressive loading. The compressive loading of the panel caused the skin to buckle before any damage began to occur locally. In addition, comparisons are made for critical aspects of the damage morphology, such as a growth pattern that included delamination from the skin-stiffener interface to the skin and ply interfaces. When compared against the experimental data produced through the NASA Advanced Composites Project (ACP), the present model captured damage migration from one surface to another, and model validations were within 4% of the experimental data.

PDA↗