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Huang, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Huang, L..

12 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

A Novel Emergent Constraint Approach for Refining Regional Climate Model Projections of Peak Flow Timing

Abstract Global climate models (GCMs) are unable to produce detailed runoff conditions at the basin scale. Assumptions are commonly made that dynamical downscaling can resolve this issue. However, given the large magnitude of the biases in downscaled GCMs, it is unclear whether such projections are credible. Here, we use an ensemble of dynamically downscaled GCMs to evaluate this question in the Sierra‐Cascade mountain range of the western US. Future projections across this region are characterized by earlier seasonal shifts in peak flow, but with substantial inter‐model uncertainty (−25 ± 34.75 days, 95% confidence interval (CI)). We apply the emergent constraint (EC) method for the first time to dynamically downscaled projections, leading to a 39% (−28.25 ± 20.75 days, 95% CI) uncertainty reduction in future peak flow timing. While the constrained results can differ from bias corrected projections, the EC is based on GCM biases in historical peak flow timing and has a strong physical underpinning.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Magnetic structure and magnetoelectric coupling in the antiferromagnet Co 5⁢ (Te⁢O 3 ) 4 ⁢Cl 2

The van der Waals (vdW) layered multiferroics, which host simultaneous ferroelectric and magnetic orders, have attracted attention not only for their potentials to be utilized in nanoelectric devices and spintronics, but also offer alternative opportunities for emergent physical phenomena. To date, the vdW layered multiferroic materials are still very rare. In this work, we have investigated the magnetic structure and magnetoelectric (ME) effects in Co 5 ⁢(Te⁢O 3 ) 4 ⁢Cl 2 , a promising multiferroic compound with antiferromagnetic (AFM) Néel point T N ~18 K. The neutron-powder diffraction reveals the noncoplanar AFM state with preferred Néel vector along the c axis, while a spin reorientation occurring between 8 and 15 K is identified, which results from the distinct temperature dependence of the nonequivalent Co site's moment in Co 5 ⁢(Te⁢O 3 ) 4 ⁢Cl 2 . Moreover, it is found that Co 5 ⁢(Te⁢O 3 ) 4 ⁢Cl 2 is one of the best vdW multiferroics studied so far in terms of the multiferroic performance. The measured linear ME coefficient exhibits the emergent oscillation dependence of the angle between magnetic field and electric field, and the maximal value is as big as 45 ps/m. Finally, it is suggested that Co 5 ⁢(Te⁢O 3 ) 4 ⁢Cl 2 is an appreciated platform for exploring the emergent multiferroicity in vdW layered compounds.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Using in-situ strain measurements to evaluate the accuracy of stress estimation procedures from fracture injection/shut-in tests

Fracture injection/shut-in tests are commonly used to measure the state of stress. Injection creates a hydraulic fracture (or in some cases, opens a preexisting fracture), and then the pressure after shut-in is monitored to identify fracture closure. Different interpretation procedures have been proposed for estimating closure, and the procedures sometimes yield significantly different results. In this study, direct, in-situ strain measurements are used to observe fracture reopening and closure. The tests were performed as part of the EGS Collab project, a mesoscale project performed at 1.25 and 1.5 km depth at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. The tests were instrumented with the SIMFIP tool, a double-packer probe with a high-resolution three-dimensional borehole displacement sensor. The measurements provide a direct observation of the fracture closure signature, enabling a high-fidelity estimate of the fracture closure stress (ie, the normal stress on the fracture). In two of the four tests, injection created an opening mode fracture, and so the closure stress can be interpreted as the minimum principal stress. In the other two tests, injection probably opened preexisting natural fractures, and so the closure stress can be interpreted as the normal stress on the fractures. The strain measurements are compared against different proposed methods for estimating closure stress from pressure transients. The shut-in transients are analyzed with two techniques that are widely used in the field of petroleum engineering – the ‘tangent’ method and the ‘compliance’ method. In three of the four tests, the tangent method significantly underestimates the closure stress. The compliance method is reasonably accurate in all four tests. Closure stress is also interpreted using two other commonly-used methods – ‘first deviation from linearity’ and the method of Hayashi and Haimson. In comparison with the SIMFIP data, these methods tend to overestimate the closure stress, evidently because they identify closure from early-time transient effects, such as near-wellbore tortuosity. In two of the tests, microseismic imaging provides an independent estimate of the size of the fracture created by injection. When combined with a simple mass balance calculation, the SIMFIP stress measurements yield predictions of fracture size that are reasonably consistent with the estimates from microseismic. In conclusion, the calculations imply an apparent fracture toughness 2-3x higher than typical laboratory-derived values.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

A new Kirkpatrick–Baez-based scanning microscope for the Submicron Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy (SRX) beamline at NSLS-II

The development, construction, and first commissioning results of a new scanning microscope installed at the 5-ID Submicron Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy (SRX) beamline at NSLS-II are reported. The developed system utilizes Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors for X-ray focusing. The instrument is designed to enable spectromicroscopy measurements in 2D and 3D with sub-200 nm spatial resolution. The present paper focuses on the design aspects, optical considerations, and specifics of the sample scanning stage, summarizing some of the initial commissioning results.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

The EGS Collab Project – Stimulations at Two Depths

The EGS Collab project, supported by the US Department of Energy, is performing intensively monitored rock stimulation and flow tests at the 10-m scale in an underground research laboratory to address challenges in implementing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Data and observations from the field tests are compared to simulations to understand processes and build confidence in numerical modeling of the processes. We have completed Experiment 1 (of 3), which examined hydraulic fracturing in a well-characterized underground fractured phyllite test bed at a depth of approximately 1.5 km at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota. Testbed characterization included fracture mapping, borehole acoustic and optical televiewers, full waveform sonic, conductivity, resistivity, temperature, campaign p- and s-wave investigations and electrical resistance tomography. Borehole geophysical techniques including passive seismic, continuous active source seismic monitoring, electrical resistance tomography, fiber-based distributed strain, distributed temperature, and distributed acoustic monitoring, were used to carefully monitor stimulation events and flow tests. More than a dozen stimulations and nearly one year of flow tests were performed. Quality data and detailed observations were collected and analyzed during stimulation and water flow tests using ambient temperature and chilled water. We achieved adaptive control of the tests using real-time monitoring and rapid dissemination of data and near-real-time simulation. More detailed numerical simulation was performed to answer key experimental design questions, forecast fracture propagation trajectories and extents, and analyze and evaluate results. Data are freely available from the Geothermal Data Repository. Experiment 2 examines the potential for hydraulic shearing in amphibolite at a depth of about 1.25 km at SURF. This site has a different set of stress and fracture conditions than Experiment 1. The Experiment 2 testbed consists of nine subhorizontal boreholes configured in two fans of two boreholes which surround the testbed and contain grouted-in electrical resistance tomography, seismic sensors, active seismic sources and distributed fiber sensors. A “five-spot” set of test wells that extends from a custom mined alcove includes an injection well and four production/monitoring wells. The testbed was characterized geophysically and hydrologically, and three stimulations have been performed using the Step-Rate Injection Method for Fracture In-Situ Properties (SIMFIP) tool to measure strains, and a new strain quantifying tool (downhole robotic strain analysis tool -DORSA) was deployed in a monitoring hole during stimulation. Real-time data were broadcast during stimulations to allow real-time response to arising issues.

EGS Collab, Enhanced Geothermal Systems, EGS, fiel↗
DOE OSTI2021

The EGS Collab Project: Status and Accomplishments

The EGS Collab project, supported by the US Department of Energy, is addressing challenges in implementing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). This includes improving understanding of the stimulation of crystalline rock to create appropriate flow pathways, and the ability to effectively simulate both the stimulation and the flow and transport processes in the resulting fracture network. The project is performing intensively monitored rock stimulation and flow tests at the 10-m scale in an underground research laboratory. Data and observations from the field test are compared to simulations to understand processes and to build confidence in numerical modeling of the processes. In Experiment 1, we examined hydraulic fracturing an underground test bed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, at a depth of approximately 1.5 km. We drilled eight sub-horizontal boreholes in a well-characterized phyllite. Six of the boreholes were instrumented with many sensor types to allow careful monitoring of stimulation events and flow tests, and the other two boreholes were used for water injection and production. We performed a number of stimulations and flow tests in the testbed. Our monitoring systems allowed detailed observations and collection of numerous data sets of processes occurring during stimulation and during dynamic flow tests. Long-term ambient temperature and chilled water flow tests were performed in addition to many tracer tests to examine system behavior. Data were rapidly analyzed, allowing adaptive control of the tests. Numerical simulation was used to answer key experimental design questions, to forecast fracture propagation trajectories and extents, and to analyze and evaluate results. Many simulations were performed in near-real-time in conjunction with the field experiments, with more detailed process study simulations performed on a longer timeframe. Experiment 2 will examine hydraulic shearing in a test bed being built at the SURF at a depth of about 1.25 km in amphibolite under a different set of stress and fracture conditions than Experiment 1. Five sets of fracture orientations were considered in design, and three orientations seem to be consistently observed.

EGS Collab↗
DOE OSTI2021

The DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey: Overview and First Data Release

The DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE) is a 126-night survey program on the 4 m Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. DELVE seeks to understand the characteristics of faint satellite galaxies and other resolved stellar substructures over a range of environments in the Local Volume. DELVE will combine new DECam observations with archival DECam data to cover ~15,000 deg 2 of high Galactic latitude (|b| > 10°) southern sky to a 5σ depth of g, r, i, z ~ 23.5 mag. In addition, DELVE will cover a region of ~2200 deg 2 around the Magellanic Clouds to a depth of g, r, i ~ 24.5 mag and an area of ~135 deg 2 around four Magellanic analogs to a depth of g, i ~ 25.5 mag. Here, we present an overview of the DELVE program and progress to date. Furthermore, we also summarize the first DELVE public data release (DELVE DR1), which provides point-source and automatic aperture photometry for ~520 million astronomical sources covering ~5000 deg 2 of the southern sky to a 5σ point-source depth of g = 24.3 mag, r = 23.9 mag, i = 23.3 mag, and z = 22.8 mag. DELVE DR1 is publicly available via the NOIRLab Astro Data Lab science platform.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Field Experiments and Model Validation: The EGS Collab Project

Implementing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) will require improvements in understanding stimulation of crystalline rock to create appropriate flow pathways, and the ability to effectively simulate both the stimulation and the flow and transport processes in the resulting fracture network. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is addressing these and other challenges at multiple scales. The EGS Collab project, addressed here, is performing tests and modeling at the 10 m scale. The FORGE project is performing tests at the full reservoir scale. The EGS Collab team created an underground testbed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, at a depth of approximately 1.5 km to examine hydraulic fracturing (Experiment 1). We are currently building a second testbed at SURF at a depth of about 1.25 km aimed at investigating shear stimulation (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, we drilled eight boreholes in a well-characterized phyllite and installed geophysical sensors in six of them to create a well-instrumented testbed to allow careful monitoring of stimulation events and flow tests. Numerical simulation was used to answer key experimental design questions, to forecast fracture propagation trajectories and extents, and to analyze and evaluate results both in near-real-time and in detailed process studies. Stimulations performed in this testbed allowed quantification of processes occurring during stimulation and the examination of dynamic flow occurrences. Long-term ambient temperature and chilled water flow tests were performed in addition to many tracer tests to examine system behavior. Our second testbed, targeted at shear stimulation, is currently being built at the SURF Facility at a depth of about 1.25 km in amphibolite under a different set of stress and fracture conditions than Experiment 1.

artificial intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2021

Constraining maximum event magnitude during injection-triggered seismicity

Abstract Understanding mechanisms controlling fluid injection-triggered seismicity is key in defining strategies to ameliorate it. Recent triggered events (e.g. Pohang, Mw 5.5) have exceeded predictions of average energy release by a factor of >1000x, necessitating robust methodologies to both define critical antecedent conditions and to thereby constrain anticipated event size. We define maximum event magnitudes resulting from triggering as a function of pre-existing critical stresses and fluid injection volume. Fluid injection experiments on prestressed laboratory faults confirm these estimates of triggered moment magnitudes for varied boundary conditions and injection rates. In addition, observed ratios of shear slip to dilation rates on individual faults signal triggering and may serve as a measurable proxy for impending rupture. This new framework provides a robust method of constraining maximum event size for preloaded faults and unifies prior laboratory and field observations that span sixteen decades in injection volume and four decades in length scale.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evaluating Solar Collectors

Survey discusses several methods for assessing performance of solar-concentrator designs to determine whether given design suitable for given high-temperature solar powered generator system.

Wen, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Comparative study of solar optics for paraboloidal concentrators

Different analytical methods for computing the flux distribution on the focal plane of a paraboloidal solar concentrator are reviewed. An analytical solution in algebraic form is also derived for an idealized model. The effects resulting from using different assumptions in the definition of optical parameters used in these methodologies are compared and discussed in detail. These parameters include solar irradiance distribution (limb darkening and circumsolar), reflector surface specular spreading, surface slope error, and concentrator pointing inaccuracy. The type of computational method selected for use depends on the maturity of the design and the data available at the time the analysis is made.

Wen, L.↗