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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

Noninvasive Imaging of a Liquid Jet

Liquid jets are found in many applications, from printing to manufacturing to entertainment. Herein this study uses three different noninvasive imaging modalities to compare resulting images of a liquid jet operating at three Reynolds numbers that cover laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow. Selected measurement quantities from each image type are also compared. High-speed backlit (BL) imaging is a simple imaging technique found in many laboratories, and this is compared to two high-speed X-ray imaging techniques, white beam (WB) imaging and focused beam (FB) radiography. BL imaging can provide a wide field of view and is easy to implement, but it only shows the presence or absence of liquid. WB imaging can show detailed contours on the surface of the liquid jet, but the imaging region is much smaller. FB radiography produces a point-source measurement and can provide the quantitative, instantaneous local liquid path length, termed the equivalent path length (EPL). All three techniques provide similar measures of jet thickness, with the FB measurements having less variation. FB measurements can also provide detailed cross sections of the average liquid jet thickness at high spatial resolutions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Importance of Considering Near-Surface Attenuation in Earthquake Source Parameter Estimation: Insights from Kappa at a Dense Array in Oklahoma

ABSTRACT Separating earthquake source spectra from propagation effects is challenging. The propagation effect contains a site-dependent term related to the high attenuation of shallow sediments. Neglecting the site-dependent attenuation can cause large biases and scattering in the corner-frequency (fc) estimates, resulting in significant stress-drop deviations. In this study, we investigate shallow attenuation at the LArge-n Seismic Survey in Oklahoma (LASSO) and site-related biases and scattering in source parameter measurements due to simplified attenuation models. We measure the high-frequency spectral decay parameter kappa on the vertical acceleration spectra of regional earthquakes (125 km away). The site-dependent kappa (κ0,acc) suggests that attenuation increases rapidly at shallow depth and is highly site-dependent. 10%–75% of the attenuation is site-dependent for S waves and even larger for P waves. The quality factor for S waves (QS) ranges from 10 to 100 in the upper 400 m. QP for P waves is mostly below 10 within the same depth. The Quaternary sediments tend to be more attenuating (QS<30), but the Permian rocks also can have high attenuation. We demonstrate that using a non-site-dependent attenuation model in single-spectra fitting leads to large scattering in fc estimates among stations with apparent good fits. The apparent fc can significantly deviate when the range of site-dependent kappa is large or with a higher assumed source spectral fall-off rate n. The biases in apparent fc depend on site condition and distance; however, the correlation between fc and these factors might not be obvious, depending on model assumptions. An apparent increase of stress drop with magnitude in a previous study for local microearthquakes (1.3

Chang, Hilary↗

Transportation Energy Data Book (Edition 40)

The Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 40 is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office. Designed for use as a desk-top reference, the Data Book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize transportation activity and presents data on other factors that influence transportation energy use. The purpose of this document is to present relevant statistical data in the form of tables and graphs. The latest edition of the Data Book is available via the Internet (tedb.ornl.gov).This edition of the Data Book has 13 chapters which focus on various aspects of the transportation industry. Chapter 1 focuses on petroleum; Chapter 2 – energy; Chapter 3 – highway vehicles; Chapter 4 – light vehicles; Chapter 5 – heavy vehicles; Chapter 6 – alternative fuel vehicles; Chapter 7 – transit and other shared mobility; Chapter 8 – fleet vehicles; Chapter 9 – household vehicles; Chapter 10 – nonhighway modes; Chapter 11 – transportation and the economy; Chapter 12 – greenhouse gas emissions; and Chapter 13 – criteria pollutant emissions. The sources used represent the latest available data. There are also two appendices which include detailed source information for some tables and measures of conversion. A glossary of terms is also included for the reader’s convenience.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Burning conditions and transportation pathways determine biomass-burning aerosol properties in the Ascension Island marine boundary layer

African biomass-burning aerosol (BBA) in the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA) marine boundary layer (MBL) is an important contributor to Earth’s radiation budget yet its representation remains poorly constrained in regional and global climate models. Data from the Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) field campaign on Ascension Island (-7.95° N, -14.36° E) detail how fire source regions (burning conditions and fuel type), transport pathways, and longer-term chemical processing affect the chemical, microphysical, and optical properties of the BBA in the remote MBL between June and September of 2017. Ten individual plume events characterize the seasonal evolution of BBA characteristics. Inefficient burning conditions, determined by the mass ratio of refractory black carbon to above-background carbon monoxide (rBC:ΔCO), enhance organic- and sulfate-rich aerosol concentrations in June–July. In contrast, the heart of the burning season exhibited higher rBC:ΔCO values indicative of efficient burning conditions, correlating with more rBC-enriched BBA. Toward the end of the burning season, a mix of burning conditions results in increased variation of the BBA properties. The BBA transit to Ascension Island was predominantly through slow-moving pathways in the MBL and lower free troposphere (FT), facilitating prolonged chemical transformations through heterogeneous and aqueous phase processes. Heterogeneous oxidation can persist for up to 10 days, resulting in a considerable decrease in organic aerosol (OA) mass. OA to rBC mass ratios (OA:rBC) in the MBL between 2 and 5 contrast to higher values of 5 to 15 observed in the nearby FT. Conversely, early-season aqueous-phase processes primarily contributed to aerosol oxidation and some aerosol production, but not appreciable aerosol removal. These two chemical processes yield more light-absorbing BBA in the MBL than in the FT and explain the notably low scattering albedo at 530 nm (SSA 530 ) values (< 0.80) at Ascension Island. This study establishes a robust correlation between SSA 530 and OA:rBC across both MBL and FT, underscoring the dependency of optical properties on chemical composition. These findings highlight how the interplay between chemical composition and atmospheric processing can be improved in global and regional climate models. Questions remain on the mixing of aerosols with different pathway histories, and on what accounts for the doubling of the mass absorption coefficient in the boundary layer.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Further development of a global pollution model for CO, CH4, and CH2 O

Global tropospheric pollution models are developed that describe the transport and the physical and chemical processes occurring between the principal sources and sinks of CH4 and CO. Results are given of long term static chemical kinetic computer simulations and preliminary short term dynamic simulations.

Peters, L. K.↗

Survey of university programs in remote sensing funded under grants from the NASA University-Space Applications program

NASA's Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications (OSTA) is currently assessing approaches to transferring NASA technology to both the public and private sectors. As part of this assessment, NASA is evaluating the effectiveness of an ongoing program in remote sensing technology transfer conducted by 20 university contractors/grantees, each supported totally or partially by NASA funds. The University-Space Applications program has as its objective the demonstration of practical benefits from the use of remote sensing technology to a broad spectrum of new users, principally in state and local governments. To evaluate the University-Space Applications program, NASA has a near-term requirement for data on each university effort including total funding, funding sources, length of program, program description, and effectiveness measures.

Madigan, J. A.↗

Development of reclaimed potable water quality criteria

In order to minimize launch requirements necessary to meet the demands of long-term spaceflight, NASA will reuse water reclaimed from various on-board sources including urine, feces, wash water and humidity condensate. Development of reclamation systems requires the promulgation of water quality standards for potable reuse of the reclaimed water. Existing standards for domestic U.S. potable water consumption were developed, but do not consider the peculiar problems associated with the potable reuse of recycled water. An effort was made to: (1) define a protocol by which comprehensive reclaimed water potability/palatability criteria can be established and updated; and (2) continue the effort to characterize the organic content of reclaimed water in the Regenerative Life Support Evaluation.

Flory, D. A.↗

Near-term hybrid vehicle program, phase 1. Appendix B: Design trade-off studies report. Volume 2: Supplement to design trade-off studies

Results of studies leading to the preliminary design of a hybrid passenger vehicle which is projected to have the maximum potential for reducing petroleum consumption in the near term are presented. Heat engine/electric hybrid vehicle tradeoffs, assessment of battery power source, and weight and cost analysis of key components are among the topics covered. Performance of auxiliary equipment, such as power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, lighting and electrical accessories, heating and ventilation is discussed along with the selection of preferred passenger compartment heating procedure for the hybrid vehicle. Waste heat from the engine, thermal energy storage, and an auxiliary burner are among the approaches considered.

Source record↗

Boresighting techniques for the Antenna Control Assembly (ACA)

Comparison of four scanning schemes including CONSCAN indicates that CONSCAN with signal cleanup and protection processes has the greatest merit in terms of accuracy, dependability and automatic unattended operation. Specific problem areas, error sources, and corrective measures are discussed.

Abichandani, K. P.↗

The use of thematic mapper simulator calibration data for assessment of data quality

In flight calibration data collected from the thematic mapper simulator (TMS) were used to assess the quality of Earth scan data. The following results are indicated: (1) based on limited samples, individual TMS channels have noise which varies from channel to channel, but remains constant within a channel; (2) short term variations of more than 5% in the average values of calibration source responses indicate problems; and (3) absolute radiometric calibration is unlikely to be meaningful in a temporal sense due to single point calibration methods used.

Forman, M. L.↗

Major disruptions, inverse cascades, and the Strauss equations

Current-carrying plasmas in a strong d.c. magnetic field are subject to violent disruptions above certain thresholds. At present difficult to verify, explanations are typically sought in terms of 'tearing modes'. An alternative explanation is in terms of inverse magnetic helicity cascades, generated from a variety of possible sources of small-scale MHD turbulence. Strongly anisotropic MHD plasmas may be described by the Strauss equations. Indications of turbulent inverse cascade behavior for the Strauss equations are sought, in parallel with earlier examples from MHD and fluid mechanics.

Montgomery, D.↗

A model to determine open or closed cellular convection

The horizontal asymmetry of cellular convection is demonstrated to be detectable by consideration of the vertical asymmetry of the driving force. A two-dimensional numerical model for convection in an internally heated and cooled fluid is presented, based on equations for the conservation of temperature and vorticity. Attention is focused on the steady-state finite-amplitude solutions for fixed Rayleigh number, Prandtl number, and aspect ratio. Temperature in the model corresponds to potential temperature under dry conditions and the equivalent potential temperature under saturated conditions. Slowly varying convection driven by asymmetric boundary fluxes is expressed in terms of steady-state convection driven by an asymmetric internal heat source. It is shown that heating near the ground produces open convection patterns where most of the fluid is descending, while cooling near the top of the flow leads to closed cellular patterns with a preponderance of ascending fluid. Extension of the model to three dimensions is indicated.

Helfand, H. M.↗

An empirical method for predicting the mixing noise levels of subsonic circular and coaxial jets

An empirical method for predicting the static free field source noise levels of subsonic circular and coaxial jet flow streams is presented. The method was developed from an extensive data base of 817 jet tests obtained from five different government and industry sources in three nations. The prediction method defines the jet noise in terms of four components which are overall power level, power spectrum level, directivity index, and relative spectrum level. The values of these noise level components are defined on a grid consisting of seven frequency parameter values (Strouhal numbers) and seven directivity angles. The value of the noise level at each of these grid points is called a noise level coordinate and was defined as a function of five jet exhaust flow state parameters which are equivalent jet velocity, equivalent jet total temperature, the velocity ratio (outer stream to inner stream), temperature ratio, and area ratio. The functions were obtained by curve fitting in a least squares sense the noise level coordinates from the data base in a five dimensional flow state space using a third order Taylor series. The noise level coordinates define the component noise levels for all frequencies and directivities through a bicubic spline function.

Russell, J. W.↗

An assessment of advanced technology for industrial cogeneration

The potential of advanced fuel utilization and energy conversion technologies to enhance the outlook for the increased use of industrial cogeneration was assessed. The attributes of advanced cogeneration systems that served as the basis for the assessment included their fuel flexibility and potential for low emissions, efficiency of fuel or energy utilization, capital equipment and operating costs, and state of technological development. Over thirty advanced cogeneration systems were evaluated. These cogeneration system options were based on Rankine cycle, gas turbine engine, reciprocating engine, Stirling engine, and fuel cell energy conversion systems. The alternatives for fuel utilization included atmospheric and pressurized fluidized bed combustors, gasifiers, conventional combustion systems, alternative energy sources, and waste heat recovery. Two advanced cogeneration systems with mid-term (3 to 5 year) potential were found to offer low emissions, multi-fuel capability, and a low cost of producing electricity. Both advanced cogeneration systems are based on conventional gas turbine engine/exhaust heat recovery technology; however, they incorporate advanced fuel utilization systems.

Moore, N.↗

Observations on gas exchange and element recycle within a gas-closed algal-mouse system

Life support systems based on bioregeneration rely on the control and manipulation of organisms. Algae are potentially useful for a variety of Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) functions including the revitalization of atmospheres, production of food and for nitrogen fixation. The results of experiments conducted with a gas-closed algal-mouse system designed to investigate gas exchange phenomena under varying algal environmental conditions, and the ability of algae to utilize oxidized mouse solid waste are reported. Inherent instabilities exist between the uptake and release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) by the mouse and algae in a gas-closed system. Variations in light intensity and cell density alter the photosynthetic rate of the algae and enable short-term steady-state concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and O2. Different nitrogen sources (urea and nitrate) result in different algal assimilatory quotients (AQ). Combinations of photosynthetic rate and AQ ratio manipulations were examined for their potential in stabilizing atmospheric gas concentrations in the gas-closed algal-mouse system.

Smernoff, D. T.↗

Calculation of charge-state ratios for satellite Tor I

The diffusion of ions in a satellite plasma torus is presently modeled in terms of a one-dimensional random walk in which the particle source is at 0, the particle sink is at an N value that is an integer greater than 2, and the scale size of the diffusion cell is unity. The probability distribution function of the number of steps to exit for an ion is obtained and used in a model which incorporates ionization by electron impact to derive steady state expressions for the ratio of doubly to singly ionized ions, as well as the total number of ions in the torus. The results thus obtained are applied to the torus of the Jovian satellite Io, in order to predict mean residence times for sulfur and oxygen ions.

Summers, D.↗

Helicopter main-rotor noise: Determination of source contributions using scaled model data

Acoustic data from a test of a 40 percent model MBB BO-105 helicopter main rotor are scaled to equivalent full-scale flyover cases. The test was conducted in the anechoic open test section of the German-Dutch Windtunnel (DNW). The measured data are in the form of acoustic pressure time histories and spectra from two out-of-flow microphones underneath and foward of the model. These are scaled to correspond to measurements made at locations 150 m below the flight path of a full-scale rotor. For the scaled data, a detailed analysis is given for the identification in the data of the noise contributions from different rotor noise sources. Key results include a component breakdown of the noise contributions, in terms of noise criteria calculations of a weighted sound pressure level (dBA) and perceived noise level (PNL), as functions of rotor advance ratio and descent angle. It is shown for the scaled rotor that, during descent, impulsive blade-vortex interaction (BVI) noise is the dominant contributor to the noise. In level flight and mild climb, broadband blade-turbulent wake interaction (BWI) noise is dominant due to the absence of BVI activity. At high climb angles, BWI is reduced and self-noise from blade boundary-layer turbulence becomes the most prominent.

Brooks, Thomas F.↗

Laser magnetic resonance in supersonic plasmas - The rotational spectrum of SH(+)

The rotational spectrum of v = 0 and v = 1X3Sigma(-)SH(+) was measured by laser magnetic resonance. Rotationally cold (Tr = 30 K), vibrationally excited (Tv = 3000 K) ions were generated in a corona excited supersonic expansion. The use of this source to identify ion signals is described. Improved molecular parameters were obtained; term values are presented from which astrophysically important transitions may be calculated. Accurate hyperfine parameters for both vibrational levels were determined and the vibrational dependence of the Fermi contact interaction was resolved. The hyperfine parameters agree well with recent many-body perturbation theory calculations.

Hovde, David C.↗