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At least 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Sensitivity analysis of the effect of wind and wake characteristics on wind turbine loads in a small wind farm

Abstract. Wind turbines are designed using a set of simulations to determine the fatigue and ultimate loads, which are typically focused solely on unwaked wind turbine operation. These structural loads can be significantly influenced by the wind inflow conditions. Turbines experience altered inflow conditions when placed in the wake of upstream turbines, which can additionally influence the fatigue and ultimate loads. It is important to understand the impact of uncertainty on the resulting loads of both unwaked and waked turbines. The goal of this work is to assess which wind-inflow-related and wake-related parameters have the greatest influence on fatigue and ultimate loads during normal operation for turbines in a three-turbine wind farm. Twenty-eight wind inflow and wake parameters are screened using an elementary effects sensitivity analysis approach to identify the parameters that lead to the largest variation in the fatigue and ultimate loads of each turbine. This study uses the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW baseline wind turbine, simulated with OpenFAST and synthetically generated inflow based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Kaimal turbulence spectrum with the IEC exponential coherence model using the NREL tool TurbSim. The focus is on sensitivity to individual parameters, though interactions between parameters are considered, and how sensitivity differs between waked and unwaked turbines. The results of this work show that for both waked and unwaked turbines, ambient turbulence in the primary wind direction and shear are the most sensitive parameters for turbine fatigue and ultimate loads. Secondary parameters of importance for all turbines are identified as yaw misalignment, streamwise integral length, and the exponent and streamwise components of the IEC coherence model. The tertiary parameters of importance differ between waked and unwaked turbines. Tertiary effects account for up to 9.0 % of the significant events for waked turbine ultimate loads and include veer, non-streamwise components of the IEC coherence model, Reynolds stresses, wind direction, air density, and several wake calibration parameters. For fatigue loads, tertiary effects account for up to 5.4 % of the significant events and include vertical turbulence standard deviation, lateral and vertical wind integral lengths, non-streamwise components of the IEC coherence model, Reynolds stresses, wind direction, and all wake calibration parameters. This information shows the increased importance of non-streamwise wind components and wake parameters in the fatigue and ultimate load sensitivity of downstream turbines.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Evaluation of Monin‐Obukhov Similarity Theory Wind Profiles in Convective Storm Environments and Cold Pools at the ARM Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Observatory

Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) is widely used in numerical weather prediction to model surface fluxes of momentum, heat, and water vapor. However, MOST is based on assumptions of steady state and horizontally homogeneous turbulence that can lead to prediction errors in and around convective storms. To understand the nature of these errors, we used wind and eddy covariance flux measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Observatory to evaluate MOST wind profiles in fair-weather and convective storm environments, specifically those of mesoscale convective systems and ordinary thunderstorms. MOST wind profiles agreed well with observations in fair-weather cases, while in convective storm cases the theory systematically overestimated shear in cold pools after gust front passage. Surface layer stability was found to be important in assessing MOST within convective storm environments. The overestimation of wind shear in cold pools suggests the role of non-local fluxes in transferring momentum downward. We discuss reasons for differences and agreement with past studies, and conclude with recommendations to improve prediction of surface winds and fluxes in convective storm simulations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1980

Observations of neutral wind profiles between 115- and 175-km altitude in the dayside auroral oval

Lithium trail neutral wind measurements have been made in the morning dayside auroral oval as a function of altitude. During all four experiments the winds displayed a large altitude shear. In the most extreme case the wind at 135-km altitude was toward the south at 210 m/s, and at 185-km altitude toward the northwest at 170 m/s. A one-dimensional numerical solution to the Navier Stokes equation including an initial steady-state wind profile, viscosity, pressure gradient, Lorenz force and the Coriolis force was made in order to study the effect of auroral processes on the neutral atmosphere. Since electric fields and plasma density were measured, the Lorenz force could be modeled with reasonable accuracy. The pressure gradient was determined in an iterative way as a best fit to the observations. Within the limitations of a one-dimensional model the numerical solution is in reasonable agreement with one of the observations, which is applicable to such a modeling, and indicates that both Lorenz forces and pressure gradients due to auroral processes are required to explain the observation.

Pereira, E.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Formulation, Implementation and Validation of a 1D Boundary Layer Inflow Scheme for the QUIC Modeling System

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of accurate meteorological conditions for urban transport and dispersion calculations. In this work, we present a novel scheme to compute the meteorological input in the Quick Urban & Industrial Complex () diagnostic urban wind solver to improve the characterization of upstream wind veer and shear in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL). The new formulation is based on a coupled set of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) derived from the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations, and is fast to compute. Building upon recent progress in modeling the idealized ABL, we include effects from surface roughness, turbulent stress, Coriolis force, buoyancy and baroclinicity. We verify the performance of the new scheme with canonical Large Eddy Simulation (LES) tests with the GPU-accelerated FastEddy"Equation missing" solver in neutral, stable, unstable and baroclinic conditions with different surface roughness. Furthermore, we evaluate QUIC calculations with and without the new inflow scheme with real data from the Urban Threat Dispersion (UTD) field experiment, which includes Lidar-based wind measurements as well as concentration observations from multiple outdoor releases of a non-reactive tracer in downtown New York City. Compared to previous inflow capabilities that were limited to a constant wind direction with height, we show that the new scheme can model wind veer in the ABL and enhance the prediction of the surface cross-isobaric angle, improving evaluation statistics of simulated concentrations paired in time and space with UTD measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2004

Jupiter's Atmospheric Temperatures: From Voyager IRIS to Cassini CIRS

Retrievals run on Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer data obtained during the distant Jupiter flyby have been used to generate global temperature maps of the planet in the troposphere and stratosphere. Similar retrievals were performed on Voyager 1 IRIS data and have provided the first detailed IRIS map of the stratosphere. In both data sets, high latitude troposphere temperatures are presented for the first time, and the meridional gradients indicate the presence of circumpolar jets. Thermal winds were calculated for each data set and show strong vertical shears in the zonal winds at low latitudes. The temperatures retrieved from the two spacecraft were also compared with yearly ground-based data obtained over the intervening two decades. Tropospheric temperatures reveal gradual changes at low latitudes, with little obvious seasonal or short-term variation (Orton et al. 1994). Stratospheric temperatures show much more complicated behavior over short timescales, consistent with quasi-quadrennial oscillations at low latitudes, as suggested in prior analyses of shorter intervals of ground- based data (Orton et al. 1991, Friedson 1999). A scaling analysis indicates that meridional motions, mechanically forced by wave or eddy convergence, play an important role in modulating the temperatures and winds in the upper troposphere and stratosphere on seasonal and shorter time scales. At latitudes away from the equator, the mechanical forcing can be derived simply from a temporal record of temperature and its vertical derivative. Ground-based observations with improved vertical resolution and/or long-term monitoring from spacecraft are required for this purpose.

Simon-Miller, Amy A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evolving Interior Mixing Regimes in a Tidal River Plume

Microstructure profiling was utilized to estimate vertical mixing (via vertical turbulent buoyancy flux) during a tidal pulse in the interior Merrimack River plume in calm winds. Multiple stratified shear mixing regimes appear and evolve with time. Initially the plume acts as a nearfield jet, with mixing in the plume (plume layer mixing) and over the plume-ambient interface (nearfield interfacial mixing). As the plume grows, interfacial mixing is suppressed offshore of the nearfield as currents slow, diminishing turbulent exchange between plume and shelf. At the end of ebb, ambient tidal currents reverse direction below plume, initiating another mode of internal, interfacial mixing (coined here as tidal interfacial mixing), allowing exchange between plume and ambient waters offshore. This work highlights previously unreported tidally modulated mixing within the near and midfield of a river plume.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1976

Measurements in the near-wall region of a relaxing three-dimensional low speed turbulent air boundary layer

An experimental investigation was conducted at selected locations of the near-wall region of a three dimensional turbulent air boundary layer relaxing in a nominally zero external pressure gradient behind a transverse hump (in the form of a 30 deg swept, 5-foot chord wing-type model) faired into the side wall of a low speed wind tunnel. Wall shear stresses measured with a flush-mounted hot-film gage and a sublayer fence were in very good agreement with experimental data obtained with two Preston probes. With the upstream unit Reynolds number held constant at 325,000/ft. approximately one-fourth of the boundary layer thickness adjacent to the wall was surveyed with a single rotated hot-wire probe mounted on a specially designed minimum interference traverse mechanism. The boundary layer (approximately 3.5 in thick near the first survey station where the length Reynolds number was 5.5 million) had a maximum crossflow velocity ratio of 0.145 and a maximum crossflow angle of 21.875 deg close to the wall.

Hebbar, K. S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Intercomparison of planetary-scale diagnostics derived from separate satellite and radiosonde time-mean temperature fields

The planetary-scale components of the extratropical Northern Hemisphere troposphere-stratosphere 1973-74 winter circulation are diagnosed using separate time-mean temperature fields based on radiosonde and satellite observations. Meridional cross-sections of zonal wind together with, for zonal wavenumbers 1, 2 and 3, the streamfunction amplitude, phase and Eliassen-Palm flux are displayed, with the relative accuracy of the satellite-derived diagnostics assessed through comparison with the 'ground-truth' radiosonde information. The satellite and radiosonde diagnostics compare most favourably in terms of zonal wind speed and shear, direction of wave propagation and meridional wave structure - all of which are closely related to the differential properties of the atmospheric temperature field. The intensity of the satellite-derived patterns of tropospheric wave propagation is underestimated due to the effects of spatial smoothing and residual cloud contamination present in the satellite radiance measurements.

Miles, T.↗
NASA NTRS2005

A Multi-Instrument Measurement of a Mesospheric Bore at the Equator

We have made a comprehensive measurement of mesospheric bore phenomenon at the equator at Kototabang, Indonesia (0.2 deg S, 100.3 deg E), using an airglow imager, an airglow temperature photometer, a meteor radar, and the SABER instrument on board the TIMED satellite. The bore was detected in airglow images of both OH-band (peak emission altitude: 87 km) and 557.7-nm (96 km) emissions, as east-west front-like structure propagating northward with a velocity of 52-58 m/s. Wave trains with a horizontal wavelength of 30-70 km are observed behind the bore front. The airglow intensity decreases for all the mesospheric emissions of OI (557.7 nm), OH-band, O2-band (altitude: 94 km), and Na (589.3 nm) (90 km) after the bore passage. The rotational temperatures of both OH-band and O2-band also decrease approximately 10 K after the bore passage. An intense shear in northward wind velocity of 80m/s was observed at altitudes of 84-90 km by the meteor radar. Kinetic temperature profile at altitudes of 20-120 km was observed near Kototabang by TIMED/SABER. On the basis of these observations, we discuss generation and ducting of the observed mesospheric bore.

Shiokawa, K.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Simulation and Scaling of the Turbulent Vertical Heat Transport and Deep-Cycle Turbulence Across the Equatorial Pacific Cold Tongue

Microstructure observations in the Pacific cold tongue reveal that strong turbulence often penetrates into the thermocline producing hundreds of W/m2 of downward heat transport during nighttime and early morning. However, virtually all observations of this deep-cycle turbulence (DCT) are from 0◦N,140◦W. Here, a hierarchy of ocean process simulations including submesoscale-permitting regional models and turbulence-permitting large eddy simulations (LES) embedded in a regional model provide insight into DCT at and beyond 0◦N,140◦W. A regional hindcast quantifies the spatio-temporal variability of subsurface turbulent heat fluxes throughout the cold tongue from 1999-2016. Climatologically, the mean heat flux is strongest (∼100W/m2) within2◦ of the equator. The heat flux is slightly (∼10 W/m2) stronger in the northern than southern hemisphere throughout the cold tongue. The seasonal cycle of the heat flux, which is not everywhere aligned with the surface flux, ranges from 150 W/m2 near the equator to 30 W/m2 and 10 W/m2 at 4◦N and S respectively. Aseasonal variability of turbulent heat fluxes is logarithmically distributed and temporally uncorrelated with surface heat fluxes. The aseasonal variability of turbulence is highlighted in 34-day LES of Boreal autumn at 0◦N and 3◦N,140◦W. Intense DCT occurs frequently above the undercurrent at 0◦N and intermittently at 3◦N. Daily-mean heat fluxes scale with the bulk vertical shear and the wind stress, which together explain ∼90% of the daily variance across both LES. Observational validation of the scaling at 0◦N,140◦W is encouraging, but observations beyond 0◦N,140◦W can facilitate needed refinement of mixing parameterization in ocean models.

Simulation↗
NASA NTRS1994

Higher harmonic control analysis for vibration reduction of helicopter rotor systems

An advanced higher harmonic control (HHC) analysis has been developed and applied to investigate its effect on vibration reduction levels, blade and control system fatigue loads, rotor performance, and power requirements of servo-actuators. The analysis is based on a finite element method in space and time. A nonlinear time domain unsteady aerodynamic model, based on the indicial response formulation, is used to calculate the airloads. The rotor induced inflow is computed using a free wake model. The vehicle trim controls and blade steady responses are solved as one coupled solution using a modified Newton method. A linear frequency-domain quasi-steady transfer matrix is used to relate the harmonics of the vibratory hub loads to the harmonics of the HHC inputs. Optimal HHC is calculated from the minimization of the vibratory hub loads expressed in term of a quadratic performance index. Predicted vibratory hub shears are correlated with wind tunnel data. The fixed-gain HHC controller suppresses completely the vibratory hub shears for most of steady or quasi-steady flight conditions. HHC actuator amplitudes and power increase significantly at high forward speeds (above 100 knots). Due to the applied HHC, the blade torsional stresses and control loads are increased substantially. For flight conditions where the blades are stalled considerably, the HHC input-output model is quite nonlinear. For such cases, the adaptive-gain controller is effective in suppressing vibratory hub loads, even though HHC may actually increase stall areas on the rotor disk. The fixed-gain controller performs poorly for such flight conditions. Comparison study of different rotor systems indicates that a soft-inplane hingeless rotor requires less actuator power at high speeds (above 130 knots) than an articulated rotor, and a stiff-inplane hingeless rotor generally requires more actuator power than an articulated or a soft-inplane hingeless rotor. Parametric studies for a hingeless rotor operating in a transition flight regime and for an articulated rotor operating at the level-flight boundary (high speed and high thrust conditions) indicate that blade parameters including flap, lag, torsion stiffness distributions, linear pretwist, chordwise offset of center-of-mass from elastic axis and chordwise offset of elastic axis from aerodynamic center can be selected to minimize the actuator power requirements for HHC.

Nguyen, Khanh Q.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Environmental Characteristics of Convective Systems During TRMM-LBA

In this paper, data collected from 51 days of continual upper atmospheric soundings and TOGA radar at ABRACOS Hill during the TRMM-LBA experiment are used to describe the mean thermodynamic and kinematic airmass properties of wet season convection over Rondonia, Brazil. Distinct multi-day easterly and westerly lower tropospheric wind regimes occurred during the campaign with contrasting airmass characteristics. Westerly wind periods featured modest CAPE (1000 J/kg), moist conditions (>90% RH) extending through 700 mb and shallow (900 mb) speed shear on the order of 10(exp -4)/s. This combination of characteristics promoted convective systems that featured a relatively large fraction of stratiform rainfall and weak convection nearly devoid of lightning. The environment is very similar to the general airmass conditions experienced during the Darwin, Australia monsoon convective regime. In contrast, easterly regime convective systems were more strongly electrified and featured larger convective rain rates and reduced stratiform rainfall fraction. These systems formed in an environment with significantly larger CAPE (1500 J/kg), drier lower and middle level humidities (< 80% RH) and a wind shear layer that was both stronger (10(exp -3)/s) and deeper (700 mb). The larger CAPE resulted from strong insolation under relatively cloud-free skies (owing to reduced column humidity) and was also weakly capped in the lowest 1-2 km, thus contributing to a more explosive growth of convection. The time series of low- and mid-level averaged humidity exhibited marked variability between westerly and easterly regimes and was characterized by low frequency (i.e., multi-day to weekly) oscillations. The synoptic scale origins of these moisture fluctuations are examined, which include the effects of variable low-level airmass trajectories and upper-level, westward migrating cyclonic vortices. The results reported herein provide an environmental context for ongoing dual Doppler analyses and numerical modeling case studies of individual TRMM-LBA convective systems.

Halverson, Jeffrey B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Combining New Satellite Tools and Models to Examine Role of Mesoscale Interactions in Formation and Intensification of Tropical Cyclones

The objective of this research is to start filling the mesoscale gap to improve understanding and probability forecasts of formation and intensity variations of tropical cyclones. Sampling by aircraft equipped to measure mesoscale processes is expensive, thus confined in place and time. Hence we turn to satellite products. This paper reports preliminary results of a tropical cyclone genesis and early intensification study. We explore the role of mesoscale processes using a combination of products from TRMM, QuikSCAT, AMSU, also SSM/I, geosynchronous and model output. Major emphasis is on the role of merging mesoscale vortices. These initially form in midlevel stratiform cloud. When they form in regions of lowered Rossby radius of deformation (strong background vorticity) the mesoscale vortices can last long enough to interact and merge, with the weaker vortex losing vorticity to the stronger, which can then extend down to the surface. In an earlier cyclongenesis case (Oliver 1993) off Australia, intense deep convection occurred when the stronger vortex reached the surface; this vortex became the storm center while the weaker vortex was sheared out as the major rainband. In our study of Atlantic tropical cyclones originating from African waves, we use QuikSCAT to examine surface winds in the African monsoon trough and in the vortices which move westward off the coast, which may or may not undergo genesis (defined by NHC as reaching TD, or tropical depression, with a west wind to the south of the surface low). We use AMSU mainly to examine development of warm cores. TRMM passive microwave TMI is used with SSM/I to look at the rain structure, which often indicates eye formation, and to look at the ice scattering signatures of deep convection. The TRMM precipitation radar, PR, when available, gives precipitation cross sections. So far we have detailed studies of two African-origin cyclones, one which became severe hurricane Floyd 1999, and the other reached TD2 in June 2000 and then died out. The atmosphere off West African is dry and stable. It becomes less so between June and September, as the SST and convection heat up. QuikSCAT shows the African monsoon trough and shear zone extend westward over the ocean to nearly 30 degrees West. The evidence is strong that the two cyclones had in common multiple midlevel mergers, which extended to the surface keeping the surface vortex strong. These continued until both systems were designated TD's by NHC. In the June 2000 case, the main reason for failure was the lower SST and dry, stable atmosphere. This is shown by the comparison of the equivalent potential temperature maps and profiles with those from pre-Floyd. In the vortex which became Floyd, QuikSCAT shows continuous importation of high theta e (warm, moist) air from the south. From September 2-8, this air flowed around the vortex center, building up a high theta-e pool to the north. Then late on September 9, a 100-km wide jet of high theta-e air penetrated the vortex core, a major convective burst' was observed, and an intensifying, more elevated warm core was seen on AMSU. Rapid pressure fall and wind intensification were underway by 0000 UTC on September 10. Floyd became a Hurricane at 1200 UTC on Sept 10, 1999, with successive convective bursts running the hurricane thermodynamic engine by intensifying the warm core. TD2 was a strong African vortex, sustained by moderate convection (up to about 12.5 km) offshore of Africa. It peaked on June 23, showing an apparent "eye" on passive microwave composites. However, it could not assemble the ingredients for a convective burst. Thus it failed to get the thermodynamic hurricane engine going before it moved too far west of the region of lowered Rossby radius. By June 26, cloud systems were dying out. On June 25, a surface vortex was no longer seen on QuikSCAT, although one continued above the surface on model profiles until June 27. One of our main findings so far is showing the role of the mesoscale vortex interactions in sustaining some African vortices far out in to the mid Atlantic, where under adequate thermal/moisture conditions the hurricane heat engine can sometimes be started. We are working on similar studies of Cindy and Irene 1999. Cindy illustrates a case of wind shear working against an early-stage hurricane heat engine, while Irene formed from a Caribbean wave. An enormous value of combinations of satellite tools is that tropical cyclones can be studied in all parts of the global oceans where they occur. Detailed studies like ours are labor intensive but many statistical studies can be based on physical postulates developed. There are other new tools such as MODIS on TERRA of the Earth Observing System (EOS) which can be used to study the microphysics of tropical cyclones world wide, in particular to investigate the presence of mixed phase and the impact of atmospheric aerosols on the hydrometeor structure and rainfall from tropical cyclones.

Simpson, Joanne↗
NASA NTRS1989

Combined VHF Dopplar radar and airborne (CV-990) measurements of atmospheric winds on the mesoscale

Hourly measurements of wind speed and direction obtained using two wind profiling Doppler radars during two prolonged jet stream occurrences over western Pennsylvania were analyzed. In particular, the time-variant characteristics of derived shear profiles were examined. To prevent a potential loss of structural detail and retain statistical significance, data from both radars were stratified into categories based on the location data from the Penn State radar were also compared to data from Pittsburgh radiosondes. Profiler data dropouts were studied in an attempt to determine possible reasons for the apparently reduced performance of profiling radars operating beneath a jet stream. Temperature profiles for the radar site were obtained using an interpolated temperature and dewpoint temperature sounding procedure developed at Penn State. The combination of measured wind and interpolated temperature profiles allowed Richardson number profiles to be generated for the profiler sounding volume. Both Richardson number and wind shear statistics were then examined along with pilot reports of turbulence in the vicinity of the profiler.

Fairall, Christopher W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Propagation of planetary waves between the troposphere and stratosphere

The propagation of planetary waves between the troposphere and stratosphere is investigated using a linear, time-dependent, primitive equation model. It is found that the tropopause acts like a valve for the propagation of planetary waves. The key parameters controlling the valve are the vertical gradient of buoyancy frequency and the vertical shear of the zonal winds at the tropopause. For a given wind profile smaller gradient of buoyancy frequency enhances the propagation of planetary waves. For a given profile of buoyancy frequency the larger the shear, the more the wave activity is trapped in the troposphere, and therefore, there is less left to propagate into the stratosphere. The transmission across the tropopause is, however, not sensitive to zonal winds in the upper stratosphere. The propagation of planetary waves is very sensitive to transience. More transient waves propagate more vertically within the troposphere, and for more transient waves, more wave activity is transferred into the stratosphere from the troposphere.

Chen, Ping↗
NASA NTRS1986

Viscous pumping and the spin-down of thermospheric gyres and jets

Strong gyres and jets can be generated at auroral latitudes in the thermosphere by enhanced electric fields during geomagnetic substorms. Typical height profiles of ion density suggest that the ion drag force should generate large curvature in the vertical profile of the winds in the highly viscous region of the thermosphere above about 200 km. It is proposed that the poststorm spin-down of these gyres and jets proceeds via Ekman circulations driven by the curvatures in the height profiles of the winds. Analytic and numerical calculations of the ageostrophic winds forced by curvature in model geostrophic wind profiles show that the ageostrophic wind speeds and directions depend mainly on the kinematic viscosity in the region of curvature and the total change in shear in the geostrophic wind. Ageostrophic wind speeds for typical thermospheric jets can exceed 200 m/s (about 50 percent of the jet winds). Spin-down times of thermospheric jets and cyclonic gyres by the Ekman pumping mechanism are estimated at less than about 6 hours.

Walterscheid, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Jovian winds from Voyager 2. Part II - Analysis of eddy transports

Previous Voyager 1 and 2 Jovian circulation measurements exhibit a large positive correlation between eddy momentum transports and the meridional shear of the zonal wind component, implying a very large rate of conversion of eddy kinetic energy of the zonal jets. Examination of the vectors mainly responsible for the correlation in our recent Voyager 2 global measurements indicates that it is probably caused by a biased sampling of prominent cloud features associated with circulating eddies. Intensive diagnostic measurements with more nearly uniform spatial sampling show no significant correlation in regions where our original measurements showed strong correlations. If the sampling bias mechanism is fully accounted for in all Jovian circulation measurements, the estimated eddy-to-mean-flow kinetic energy conversion rate may be reduced significantly.

Sromovsky, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Assessment of Atmospheric Winds Aloft during NASA Space Shuttle Program Day-of-Launch Operations

The Natural Environments Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Marshall Space Flight Center monitors the winds aloft at Kennedy Space Center in support of the Space Shuttle Program day of launch operations. High resolution wind profiles are derived from radar tracked Jimsphere balloons, which are launched at predetermined times preceding the launch, for evaluation. The spatial (shear) and temporal (persistence) wind characteristics are assessed against a design wind database to ensure wind change does not violate wind change criteria. Evaluations of wind profies are reported to personnel at Johnson Space Center.

Decker, Ryan K.↗