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At least 1,117 records · Page 62
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Ocean Energy Systems Wave Energy Modeling Task 10.4: Numerical Modeling of a Fixed Oscillating Water Column

This paper reports on an ongoing international effort to establish guidelines for numerical modeling of wave energy converters, initiated by the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Program for Ocean Energy Systems. Initial results for point absorbers were presented in previous work, and here we present results for a breakwater-mounted Oscillating Water Column (OWC) device. The experimental model is at scale 1:4 relative to a full-scale installation in a water depth of 12.8 m. The power-extracting air turbine is modeled by an orifice plate of 1–2% of the internal chamber surface area. Measurements of chamber surface elevation, air flow through the orifice, and pressure difference across the orifice are compared with numerical calculations using both weakly-nonlinear potential flow theory and computational fluid dynamics. Both compressible- and incompressible-flow models are considered, and the effects of air compressibility are found to have a significant influence on the motion of the internal chamber surface. Recommendations are made for reducing uncertainties in future experimental campaigns, which are critical to enable firm conclusions to be drawn about the relative accuracy of the numerical models. It is well-known that boundary element method solutions of the linear potential flow problem (e.g., WAMIT) are singular at infinite frequency when panels are placed directly on the free surface. This is problematic for time-domain solutions where the value of the added mass matrix at infinite frequency is critical, especially for OWC chambers, which are modeled by zero-mass elements on the free surface. A straightforward rational procedure is described to replace ad-hoc solutions to this problem that have been proposed in the literature.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
NASA NTRS1997

Evolution of Nonlinear Internal Waves in China Seas

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from ERS-I have been used to study the characteristics of internal waves of Taiwan in the East China Sea, and east of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. Rank-ordered packets of internal solitons propagating shoreward from the edge of the continental shelf were observed in the SAR images. Based on the assumption of a semidiurnal tidal origin, the wave speed can be estimated and is consistent with the internal wave theory. By using the SAR images and hydrographic data, internal waves of elevation have been identified in shallow water due to a thicker mixed layer as compared with the bottom layer on the continental shelf. The generation mechanism includes the influences of the tide and the Kuroshio intrusion across the continental shelf for the formations of elevation internal waves. The effects of water depth on the evolution of solitons and wave packets are modeled by nonlinear Kortweg-deVries (KdV) type equation and linked to satellite image observations. The numerical calculations of internal wave evolution on the continental shelf have been performed and compared with the SAR observations. For a case of depression waves in deep water, the solitons first disintegrate into dispersive wave trains and then evolve to a packet of elevation waves in the shallow water area after they pass through a turning point of approximately equal layer depths has been observed in the SAR image and simulated by numerical model.

Liu, Antony K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Elucidating the Effects of Temperature on Nonaqueous Redox Flow Cell Cycling Performance

The impact of cell temperature is a relatively underexplored area within the burgeoning field of nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NAqRFBs). Here, we investigate the effect of elevated temperature on the performance of nonaqueous redox electrolytes and associated flow cells. Using a model compound, N-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-ethyl)phenothiazine (MEEPT), in a propylene-carbonate-based electrolyte, we experimentally measure the temperature dependence of relevant physicochemical properties (i.e., electrolyte conductivity, viscosity, diffusivity) and electrochemical characteristics (i.e., chemical and electrochemical reversibility) across a temperature range of 30 °C to 70 °C. We then perform flow cell studies, finding that while ohmic and mass transport resistances decrease significantly with increases in temperature for the MEEPT/MEEPT +· redox couple, accessible electrolyte capacity gradually reduces at temperatures > 50 °C. Ex-situ, post-test characterization using microelectrode voltammetry suggests that this capacity fade is due to instability of the MEEPT radical cation. Finally, using MEEPT as a posolyte and a model viologen negolyte (bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)viologen), we assemble a full cell and perform polarization analyses, observing a 2× increase in the peak power density when the operating temperature is increased from 30 °C to 70 °C. Broadly, this work highlights opportunities for systematic engineering of nonaqueous electrolytes and flow cells for higher power operation at elevated temperatures.

Electrochemistry↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling low cycle fatigue (LCF) of additively manufactured Hastelloy X using An accelerated crystal plasticity fatigue damage model

This paper presents a microstructure-based model for low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior and life of Nickel-based alloy Hastelloy X manufactured using laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM). AM Hastelloy X, a solution-strengthened alloy, is tested at elevated temperature under fully reversed LCF conditions at different strain levels. A generalized plane strain finite element model is generated from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) characterization. The constitutive behavior of the material under fatigue is modeled using crystal plasticity and calibrated with both monotonic tensile and cyclic stress–strain data. The fatigue micro-crack initiation and propagation in the microstructure is modeled using a modified Chaboche fatigue damage model. An embedded boundary condition with a homogenous medium is used to apply the cyclic deformation and prevent numerically introduced over-constraints during fatigue simulation. A ‘cycle-jump’ method is used to accelerate the fatigue simulation and reduce the computational cost. The simulation results are compared to LCF experiments, showing satisfactory matches in cyclic stress behavior and number of cycles to macro-crack initiation for all applied strain ranges. In addition, the model illustrates the potential for quantifying microscale fatigue life impacting factors such as microstructure and surface roughness, which is needed to accurately quantify the reliability of AM components in service.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Theoretical kinetics predictions for NH 2 + HO 2

Recent modeling studies of NH 3 oxidation, which are motivated by the prospective role of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel, have indicated significant discrepancies between existing literature mechanisms. In this study high level theoretical kinetics predictions have been obtained for the reaction of NH 2 with HO 2 , which has previously been highlighted as an important reaction with high sensitivity and high uncertainty. The potential energy surface is explored with coupled cluster calculations including large basis sets and high-level corrections to yield high accuracy (~0.2 kcal/mol) estimates of the stationary point energies. Variational transition state theory is used to predict the microcanonical rate constants, which are then incorporated in master equation treatments of the temperature and pressure dependent kinetics. For the radical-radical channels, the microcanonical rates are obtained from variable reaction coordinate transition state theory implementing directly evaluated multireference electronic energies. The analysis yields predictions for the total rate constant as well as the branching to the NH 3 + O 2 , H 2 NO + OH, and HNO + H 2 O channels. Rate constants are also reported for the H 2 NO + OH reaction as they arise naturally from the analysis. The rate constant and branching fraction determined in this work for the NH 2 + HO 2 reaction deviate significantly from values used in most previous modeling studies. The fact that the main product channel is chain terminating, rather than propagating, has strong implications for modeling NH 3 ignition and oxidation, in particular at intermediate temperatures and elevated pressure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

How Flood Hazards in a Warming Climate Could Be Amplified by Changes in Spatiotemporal Patterns and Mechanisms of Water Available for Runoff

Prior research on climate change impacts on flooding has primarily focused on changes in extreme rainfall magnitudes, often neglecting snow processes and spatiotemporal storm patterns, such as hyetograph shapes and areal reduction factors (ARFs). This study examines projected changes in extreme water available for runoff (W) events in two snow-dominated basins in the western United States: the Yakima River Basin (YRB) in Washington State and the Walker River Basin (WRB) spanning the California-Nevada border. We analyze changes in W magnitudes, mechanisms, hyetograph shapes, and ARFs, and study their compounded impacts on flood hazard. Our findings suggest increased extreme W magnitudes across a large portion of the basins, with steeper or flatter hyetographs, and higher ARF values under the future climate. These changes are driven by a shift from seasonal snowmelt to more rain-on-snow events at higher elevations and by increased rainfall at lower elevations. We then use a single event-based rainfall-runoff model to estimate flood hazard changes based on extreme W magnitudes, hyetograph shapes, ARFs, and their compounded impacts. Our analysis reveals that focusing solely on the magnitude of changes in extreme W can significantly underestimate future flood hazards and uncertainties. Ignoring future changes in spatiotemporal patterns can underestimate future flood hazards by 63% and underestimate the uncertainty in future flood events by 18% in the WRB. These results underscore the necessity of incorporating spatiotemporal dynamics into future flood hazard assessments to provide a more accurate evaluation of potential impacts.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

The role of zinc in the adaptive evolution of polar phytoplankton

Zinc is an essential trace metal for oceanic primary producers with the highest concentrations in polar oceans. However, its role in the biological functioning and adaptive evolution of polar phytoplankton remains enigmatic. Here, we have applied a combination of evolutionary genomics, quantitative proteomics, co-expression analyses and cellular physiology to suggest that model polar phytoplankton species have a higher demand for zinc because of elevated cellular levels of zinc-binding proteins. We propose that adaptive expansion of regulatory zinc-finger protein families, co-expanded and co-expressed zinc-binding proteins families involved in photosynthesis and growth in these microalgal species and their natural communities were identified to be responsible for the higher zinc demand. The expression of their encoding genes in eukaryotic phytoplankton metatranscriptomes from pole-to-pole was identified to correlate not only with dissolved zinc concentrations in the upper ocean but also with temperature, suggesting that environmental conditions of polar oceans are responsible for an increased demand of zinc. Furthermore, these results suggest that zinc plays an important role in supporting photosynthetic growth in eukaryotic polar phytoplankton and that this has been critical for algal colonization of low-temperature polar oceans.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impacts of urbanization, antecedent rainfall event, and cyclone tracks on extreme floods at Houston reservoirs during Hurricane Harvey

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of urbanization, antecedent rainfall event (ARE), and varying cyclone tracks on the streamflow—and thus the subsequent reservoir status—during the floods caused by Hurricane Harvey in August-September 2017. Through a hydrological modeling approach, we examined how these factors influenced the inflows, peak pool elevations and outflows of the two most important detention reservoirs in the Houston region, the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs. A high-resolution rainfall reanalysis dataset for extreme storm events, along with a suite of synthetic rainfall values from a variety of storm tracks, were adopted to represent both the truth and the maximum possible rainfall during the Hurricane Harvey period. Results showed the following: Urbanization only led to slight increases in peak inflows, not necessarily leading to an increase in peak pool elevations. ARE contributed to the peak inflow and pool elevation slightly. In contrast, if the cyclone had followed the most adverse track consistent with earlier forecasts (all else being equal), the total volumetric flow into the two reservoirs could have been significantly larger (37.00% and 48.70% respectively), thus increasing the peak pool elevations by 1.06 and 1.37 meters respectively. These results suggest that large uncertainties exist for flood management at a watershed scale during hurricanes, because of the uncertainties with regard to the cyclone track. This is true even if storm-relative precipitation rates could be predicted perfectly.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Transient creep‐fatigue crack growth in creep‐brittle materials: Application to Alloy 718

Abstract This study presents incremental finite element computations of creep‐fatigue crack growth in Alloy 718 at in air. Alloy 718 is representative of creep‐brittle materials, in which viscoplastic deformation is restricted near the tip of a growing crack. The computations predict crack growth using a unique combination of an irreversible cohesive zone formulation and a strain gradient viscoplastic material model based on the Kocks–Mecking formulation. Cohesive zone damage parameters are estimated using sustained loading and constant‐amplitude cyclic loading experiments. Computations of crack extension under three different waveforms containing overloads all predict post‐overload retardation. The amount of retardation depends strongly on the overload ratio, consistent with experiments in the literature using similar waveforms. Analysis of the crack‐tip fields demonstrates retardation is associated with unloading in the highly deformed material near the advancing crack tip. Dynamic recovery and geometrically necessary dislocations are shown to significantly influence post‐overload crack extension.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Deformation and strength of mantle relevant garnets: Implications for the subduction of basaltic-rich crust

Garnet is an important mineral phase in the upper mantle as it is both a key component in bulk mantle rocks, and a primary phase at high pressure within subducted basalt. In this work, we focus on the strength of garnet and the texture that develops within garnet during accommodation of differential deformational strain. We use X-ray diffraction in a radial geometry to analyze texture development in situ in three garnet compositions under pressure at 300 K: a natural garnet (Prp 60 Alm 37 ) to 30 GPa, and two synthetic majorite-bearing compositions (Prp 59 Maj 41 and Prp 42 Maj 58 ) to 44 GPa. All three garnets develop a modest (100) texture at elevated pressure under axial compression. Elasto-viscoplastic self-consistent (EVPSC) modeling suggests that two slip systems are active in the three garnet compositions at all pressures studied: {110}<$1\bar{1}1$> and {001}<110>. We determine a flow strength of ~5 GPa at pressures between 10 to 15 GPa for all three garnets; these values are higher than previously reported yield strengths measured on natural and majoritic garnets. Strengths calculated using the experimental lattice strain differ from the strength generated from those calculated using EVPSC. Prp 67 Alm 33 , Prp 59 Maj 41 , and Prp 42 Maj 58 are of comparable strength to each other at room temperature, which indicates that majorite substitution does not greatly affect the strength of garnets. Additionally, all three garnets are of similar strength as lower mantle phases such as bridgmanite and ferropericlase, suggesting that garnet may not be notably stronger than the surrounding lower mantle/deep upper mantle phases at the base of the upper mantle.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1979

Machine processing of Landsat MSS data and DMA topographic data for forest cover type mapping

A study with the objective of developing and testing techniques which utilize both digital topographic data and Landsat MSS spectral data to map forest cover types is examined. Emphasis is given to the topographic distribution model (TDM), which combines point-by-point information about forest species, elevation, slope, and aspect to quantitatively describe topographic positions. Results show the stratified random sample approach to be very effective for developing the TDM, while the use of topographic data significantly improved the overall classification accuracy of forest cover types as compared to using spectral data alone.

Fleming, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Microwave noise temperature and attenuation of clouds at frequencies below 50 GHz

The microwave attenuation and noise temperature effects of clouds can result in serious degradation of telecommunications link performance, especially for low-noise systems presently used in deep-space communications. Although cloud effects are generally less than rain effects, the frequent presence of clouds will cause some amount of link degradation a large portion of the time. Cloud types, water particle densities, radiative transfer, attenuation and noise temperature calculations are reviewed and examples of basic link signal to noise ratio calculations are given. Calculations for twelve different cloud models are presented for frequencies of from 1 to 50 GHz and elevation angles of 30 degrees and 90 degrees. These case results may be used as a handbook to predict noise temperature and attenuation values for known or forecast cloud conditions.

Slobin, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Damage Accumulation in SiC/SiC Composites with 3D Architectures

The formation and propagation of multiple matrix cracks in relatively dense ceramic matrix composites when subjected to increasing tensile stress is necessary for high strength and tough composites. However, the occurrence of matrix cracks at low stresses may limit the usefulness of some non-oxide composite systems when subjected to oxidizing environments for long times at stresses sufficient to cause matrix cracking. For SiC fiber-reinforced composites with two-dimensional woven architectures and chemically vapor infiltrated (CVI) SiC matrix and melt-infiltrated (MI) Si/SiC matrix composites, the matrix cracking behavior has been fairly well characterized for different fiber-types and woven architectures. It was found that the occurrence, degree, and growth of matrix cracks depends on the material properties of the composite constituents as well as other physical properties of the composite or architecture, e.g., matrix porosity and size of the fiber bundle. In this study, matrix cracking in SiC fiber reinforced, melt-infiltrated SiC composites with a 3D orthogonal architecture was determined for specimens tested in tension at room temperature. Acoustic emission (AE) was used to monitor the matrix cracking activity, which was later confirmed by microscopic examination of specimens that had failed. The determination of the exact location of AE demonstrated that initial cracking occurred in the matrix rich regions when a large z-direction fiber bundle was used. For specimens with large z-direction fiber tows, the earliest matrix cracking could occur at half the stress for standard 2D woven composites with similar constituents. Damage accumulation in 3D architecture composites will be compared to damage accumulation in 2D architecture composites and discussed with respect to modeling composite stress-strain behavior and use of these composites at elevated temperatures.

Morscher, Gregory N.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Antarctic Ice-Sheet Mass Balance from Satellite Altimetry 1992 to 2001

A major uncertainty in understanding the causes of the current rate of sea level rise is the potential contributions from mass imbalances of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Estimates of the current mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet are derived from surface- elevation changes obtained from 9 years of ERS - 1 & 2 radar altimeter data. Elevation time-series are created from altimeter crossovers among 90-day data periods on a 50 km grid to 81.5 S. The time series are fit with a multivariate linear/sinusoidal function to give the average rate of elevation change (dH/dt). On the major Rome-Filchner, Ross, and Amery ice shelves, the W d t are small or near zero. In contrast, the ice shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula and along the West Antarctic coast appear to be thinning significantly, with a 23 +/- 3 cm per year surface elevation decrease on the Larsen ice shelf and a 65 +/- 4 cm per year decrease on the Dotson ice shelf. On the grounded ice, significant elevation decreases are obtained over most of the drainage basins of the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in West Antarctica and inland of Law Dome in East Antarctica. Significant elevation increases are observed within about 200 km of the coast around much of the rest of the ice sheet. Farther inland, the changes are a mixed pattern of increases and decreases with increases of a few centimeters per year at the highest elevations of the East Antarctic plateau. The derived elevation changes are combined with estimates of the bedrock uplift from several models to provide maps of ice thickness change. The ice thickness changes enable estimates of the ice mass balances for the major drainage basins, the overall mass balance, and the current contribution of the ice sheet to global sea level change.

Zwally, H. Jay↗
NASA NTRS2003

Phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 serine 307 correlates with JNK activity in atrophic skeletal muscle

c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) has been shown to negatively regulate insulin signaling through serine phosphorylation of residue 307 within the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) in adipose and liver tissue. Using a rat hindlimb suspension model for muscle disuse atrophy, we found that JNK activity was significantly elevated in atrophic soleus muscle and that IRS-1 was phosphorylated on Ser(307) prior to the degradation of the IRS-1 protein. Moreover, we observed a corresponding reduction in Akt activity, providing biochemical evidence for the development of insulin resistance in atrophic skeletal muscle.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2020

Cloud Detection over Snow and Ice with Oxygen A- and B-band Observations from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC)

Satellite cloud detection over snow and ice has been difficult for passive remote sensing instruments due to the lack of contrast between clouds and cold/bright surfaces; cloud mask algorithms often heavily rely on shortwave infrared (IR) channels over such surfaces. The Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) on board the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) does not have infrared channels, which makes cloud detection over snow and ice surfaces even more challenging. This study investigates the methodology of applying EPIC's two oxygen absorption band pair ratios in the A band (764, 780 nm) and B band (688, 680 nm) for cloud detection over the snow and ice surfaces. We develop a novel elevation and zenith-angle-dependent threshold scheme based on radiative transfer model simulations that achieves significant improvements over the existing algorithm. When compared against a composite cloud mask based on geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) sensors, the positive detection rate over snow and ice surfaces increased from around 36 % to 65 % while the false detection rate dropped from 50 % to 10 % for observations of January 2016 and 2017. The improvement in July is less substantial due to relatively better performance in the current algorithm. The new algorithm is applicable for all snow and ice surfaces including Antarctic, sea ice, high-latitude snow, and high-altitude glacier regions. This method is less reliable when clouds are optically thin or below 3 km because the sensitivity is low in oxygen band ratios for these cases.

EPIC↗
NASA NTRS2026

South Asian Monsoon Response to Regional Aerosol Emission Reductions: Insights From RAMIP

Anthropogenic aerosol and associated precursor gas emissions are already declining in many regions and are likely to decline significantly by 2050, with major implications for regional climate. Unlike greenhouse gases, aerosol impacts are spatially heterogeneous and can influence climate both near emission sources and through remote teleconnections. This is particularly important for the South Asian monsoon system, where both local and remote aerosol changes can significantly affect precipitation patterns. Using simulations from the Regional Aerosol Model Intercomparison Project, we examine how local and remote aerosol emission reductions influence South Asian climate across both pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, including weakening of the elevated heat pump (EHP) mechanism during pre-monsoon months. Our analysis employs 10-member ensembles from 10 CMIP6-era models to compare three experiments with global, South Asian, and East Asian aerosol reductions relative to a high-emission baseline (SSP3-7.0). This experimental design allows us to isolate and quantify the distinct impacts of regional emission changes. Results reveal that global aerosol reductions produce a larger all-India precipitation increase (+0.28 mm day −1 ) than South Asian reductions alone (+0.19 mm day −1 ), with the strongest regional responses over the northern Bay of Bengal, the Western Ghats and Indo-Gangetic Plains. East Asian reductions show uncertain but modest precipitation reductions of 0.2-0.6 mm day −1 over parts of west-central and eastern Indian regions. Pre-monsoon carbonaceous aerosol reductions systematically weaken the EHP, cooling the mid-troposphere over the Himalayan foothills by up to 0.4 K and producing localised anomalous descent that opposes the climatological pre-monsoon ascent. Substantial inter-model diversity exists in the spatial patterns and magnitudes of these responses, highlighting key uncertainties in aerosol–monsoon interactions. The South Asian precipitation response is driven by enhanced land–sea thermal contrast, while the pre-monsoon EHP weakening is attributable exclusively to local South Asian carbonaceous aerosol forcing rather than remote teleconnections. These findings have direct implications for air quality and climate adaptation planning across South Asia as regional aerosol emissions diverge under different development pathways.

cmip6↗
NASA NTRS2001

Estimates of M2 Tidal Energy Dissipation from TOPEX/Poseidon Altimeter Data

Most of the tidal energy dissipation in the ocean occurs in shallow seas, as has long been recognized. However, recent work has suggested that a significant fraction of the dissipation, perhaps 1 TW or more, occurs in the deep ocean. This paper builds further evidence for that conclusion. More than 6 years of data from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter are used to map the tidal dissipation rate throughout the world ocean. The dissipation rate is estimated as a balance between the rate of working by tidal forces and the energy flux divergence, computed using currents derived by least squares fitting of the altimeter data and the shallow water equations. Such calculations require dynamical assumptions, in particular about the nature of dissipation. To assess sensitivity of dissipation estimates to input assumptions, a large suite of tidal inversions based on a wide range of drag parameterizations and employing both real and synthetic altimeter data are compared. These experiments and Monte Carlo error fields from a generalized inverse model are used to establish error uncertainties for the dissipation estimates. Owing to the tight constraints on tidal elevation fields provided by the altimeter, area integrals of the energy balance are remarkably insensitive to required dynamical assumptions. Tidal energy dissipation is estimated for all major shallow seas (excluding individual polar seas) and compared with previous model and data-based estimates. Dissipation in the open ocean is significantly tnhanced around major bathymetric features, in a manner consistent with simple theories the generation of baroclinic tides.

Egbert, Gary D.↗