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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Effects of time-dependent deformation of shale on the integrity of a geological nuclear waste repository

Safety assessment of geological nuclear waste repositories is essential for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuels and high-level radioactive waste. The long-term integrity of the host rock as well as the engineered barrier system (e.g., bentonite buffer) surrounding nuclear waste canisters is of particular importance as decay heat from nuclear waste canisters, which will last over thousands of years, significantly disturbs the thermo-hydromechanical (THM) state of the repository. In this study, THM coupled simulations were carried out to investigate the effect of time-dependent deformation (i.e., creep) of shale on the long-term integrity of a generic subsurface nuclear waste repository. The Norton-Bailey creep model, which is also known as the Lemaitre-Menzel-Schreiner model, was employed to simulate the power-law type creep that is observed in shales. The TOUGH-FLAC simulator was employed for the THM coupled modeling of the repository. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of creep in different shales (i.e., high creep shale vs. low creep shale) on long-term stress and permeability changes in the repository. Results show potential advantages of constructing repositories in the high creep shale, as deviatoric stress levels in the formation decreased to zero in 100 years since the emplacement of nuclear waste canisters and the permeability also decreased to the undamaged, intrinsic levels in 10,000 years. Also, mean effective stress levels in the bentonite buffer increased by 100% in the high creep shale case relative to the low creep shale case at 10,000 years due to creep-induced contraction of the nuclear waste disposal tunnel. However, in earlier periods (e.g., 1000 years), the stress levels in the bentonite buffer were twice smaller in the high creep shale case than in the low creep shale case, which shows a tradeoff between the intermediate- (~1000 years) and long-term (>10,000 years) compaction levels in the bentonite buffer depending on the creep characteristics of the host shale.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Observations and Simulations of Dropout Events and Flux Decays in October 2013: Comparing MEO Equatorial With LEO Polar Orbit

We compare ESA PROBA-V observations of electron flux at LEO with those from the NASA Van Allen Probes mostly at MEO for October 2013. Dropouts are visible at all energy during four storms from both satellites. Equatorially trapped electron fluxes are higher than at LEO by 10 2 (<1 MeV) to 10 5 (>2.5 MeV). We observe a quite isotropic structure of the outer belt during quiet times, contrary to the inner belt, and pitch angle dependence of high energy injection. We find a very good overlap of the outer belt at MEO and LEO at ~0.5 MeV. We use test-particle simulations of the energetic electrons trapped in the terrestrial magnetic field to study the outer radiation belt electron flux changes during geomagnetic storms. We show that the Dst (Disturbance storm time) effect during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm results in a betatron mechanism causing outward radial drift and a deceleration of the electrons. This outward drift motion is energy independent, pitch angle-dependent, and represents a significant distance (~1 L-shell at L = 5 for moderate storms). At fixed L-shell, this causes a decay of the LEO precipitating flux (adiabatic outward motion), followed by a return to the normal state (adiabatic inward motion) during main and recovery phases. Dst effect, associated with magnetopause shadowing and radial diffusion can explain the main characteristics of outer radiation belt electron dropouts in October 2013. We also use Fokker-Planck simulations with event-driven diffusion coefficients at high temporal resolution, to distinguish instantaneous loss from the gradual scattering that depopulates the slot region and the outer belt after storms. Simulations reproduce the slot formation and the gradual loss in the outer belt. The typical energy dependence of these losses leads to the absence of scattering for relativistic and ultra-relativistic electrons in the outer belt, oppositely to dropouts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigating Vegetation Responses to Underground Nuclear Explosions Through Integrated Analyses

Vegetation has the potential to respond to underground nuclear explosions, yet these links have not been fully explored. Given the lack of previously described signatures, the changes in vegetation are possibly subtle. The integration of multiple different data streams is potentially a useful approach to improve signal detection. Here, we investigate whether semi-arid vegetation growth patterns responded to eight legacy underground nuclear tests at the Nevada National Security Site in southern Nevada, USA. We tested for spatial and temporal changes in vegetation cover, tree growth patterns, and tree leaf spectral properties using ground-based measurements, including those from tree-rings and hyperspectral surface vegetation reflectance, as well as space-based measurements of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Landsat. Multiple data streams suggest a localized (<1.2 km) spatial pattern whereby tree growth is enhanced closer to the source of the underground test relative to sites further away. We also observed a more regional (>1.2–9 km) pattern whereby tree growth is suppressed coincident with a drought beginning 1 year before the 1989 tests, but continuing in the 5 years following the tests, which is anomalous relative to what is expected based on the response of tree growth to previous droughts. furthermore, quantification of the relative effects of the tests on vegetation remains a challenge due to the coincident drought and the potential for other disturbances to have impacted tree growth at this time, but the integration of these data reveals a more nuanced growth response than any other one data set indicates alone.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗
DOE OSTI2026

NGEE Arctic Authorship Guidelines

Authorship Guidelines were developed to help facilitate trust among team members as we span multiple institutions, scientific disciplines, and career stages. NGEE Arctic was built on a foundation of open science, data sharing, and collaboration. In Phase 4 of the project, it was particularly important to keep this foundation in mind as we develop new collaborations across the Arctic. Included in this package is one *.pdf. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments in the Arctic (NGEE Arctic) project is a research effort to reduce uncertainty in the Department of Energy’s Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) by developing a predictive understanding of Arctic tundra ecosystems underlain by permafrost and to quantify feedbacks from the Arctic tundra to the Earth system. NGEE Arctic is supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Over Phases 1–3, observations made by the NGEE Arctic team across a gradient of permafrost landscapes in Arctic Alaska improved the representation of tundra processes in the land surface component of E3SM (the E3SM Land Model, ELM). Model improvements emphasized unique aspects of permafrost environments and explored reductions in model complexity while retaining predictive power. The Arctic-informed ELM developed by NGEE Arctic has been used to make novel predictions on processes ranging from permafrost thaw to soil biogeochemical cycling to Earth system feedbacks associated with the unique characteristics of tundra plants. In Phase 4, the NGEE Arctic team is evaluating our new predictive understanding under novel conditions across the Arctic domain. In collaboration with partners at long-term pan-Arctic research sites we are examining whether an Arctic-informed ELM can faithfully simulate interactions among surface and subsurface processes at site, regional, and pan-Arctic scales. In turn, we are using variety of tools to dynamically extend and evaluate ELM inference, with an emphasis on data synthesis and pan-Arctic model evaluation, reintegration of code with an evolving E3SM, scaling across heterogeneous Arctic landscapes, and the appropriate representation of the impacts of increasingly frequent Arctic disturbances.

Iversen, Colleen [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000182933450)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coordination of rooting, xylem, and stomatal strategies explains the response of conifer forest stands to multi-year drought in the southern Sierra Nevada of California

Abstract. Extreme droughts are a major determinant of ecosystem disturbance that impacts plant communities and feeds back into climate change through changes in plant functioning. However, the complex relationships between aboveground and belowground plant hydraulic traits and their role in governing plant responses to drought are not fully understood. In this study, we use a model, the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator in a configuration that includes plant hydraulics (FATES-Hydro), to investigate ecosystem responses to the 2012–2015 California drought in comparison with observations at a site in the southern Sierra Nevada that experienced widespread tree mortality during this drought. We conduct a sensitivity analysis to explore how different plant water sourcing and hydraulic strategies lead to differential responses during normal and drought conditions. The analysis shows the following. Deep roots that sustain productivity through the dry season are needed for the model to capture observed seasonal cycles of evapotranspiration (ET) and gross primary productivity (GPP) in normal years, and deep-rooted strategies are nonetheless subject to large reductions in ET and GPP when the deep soil reservoir is depleted during extreme droughts, in agreement with observations. Risky stomatal strategies lead to greater productivity during normal years as compared to safer stomatal control, but they also lead to a high risk of xylem embolism during the 2012–2015 drought. For a given stand density, stomatal and xylem traits have a stronger impact on plant water status than on ecosystem-level fluxes. Our study highlights the significance of resolving plant water sourcing strategies to represent drought impacts on plants and consequent feedbacks in models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Examination of Radiation Belt Dynamics During Substorm Clusters: Activity Drivers and Dependencies of Trapped Flux Enhancements

Here, dynamical variations of radiation belt trapped electron fluxes are examined to better understand the variability of enhancements linked to substorm clusters. Analysis is undertaken using the Substorm Onsets and Phases from Indices of the Electrojet substorm cluster algorithm for event detection. Observations from low earth orbit are complemented by additional measurements from medium earth orbit to allow a major expansion in the energy range considered, from medium energy energetic electrons up to ultra-relativistic electrons. The number of substorms identified inside a cluster does not depend strongly on solar wind drivers or geomagnetic indices either before, during, or after the cluster start time. Clusters of substorms linked to moderate (100 nT < AE ≤ 300 nT) or strong AE (AE ≥ 300 nT) disturbances are associated with radiation belt flux enhancements, including up to ultra-relativistic energies by the strongest substorms (as measured by strong southward Bz and high AE). These clusters reliably occur during times of high speed solar winds streams with associated increased magnetospheric convection. However, substorm clusters associated with quiet AE disturbances (AE ≤ 100 nT) lead to no significant chorus whistler mode intensity enhancements, or increases in energetic, relativistic, or ultra-relativistic electron flux in the outer radiation belts. In these cases the solar wind speed is low, and the geomagnetic Kp index indicates a lack of magnetospheric convection. Our study clearly indicates that clusters of substorms occurring outside of high speed wind streams are not by themselves sufficient to drive acceleration, which may be due to the lack of pre-cluster convection.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring Localized Geomagnetic Disturbances in Global MHD: Physics and Numerics

One of the prominent effects of space weather is the formation of rapid geomagnetic field variations on Earth's surface driven by the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. These geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) cause geomagnetically induced currents to run through ground conducting systems. In particular, localized GMDs (LGMDs) can be high amplitude and can have an effect on scale sizes less than 100 km, making them hazardous to power grids and difficult to predict. In this study, we examine the ability of the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) to reproduce LGMDs in the 7 September 2017 event using both existing and new metrics to quantify the success of the model against observation. We show that the high-resolution SWMF can reproduce LGMDs driven by ionospheric sources, but struggles to reproduce LGMDs driven by substorm effects. We calculate the global maxima of the magnetic fluctuations to show instances when the SWMF captures LGMDs at the correct times but not the correct locations. To remedy these shortcomings we suggest model developments that will directly impact the ability of the SWMF to reproduce LGMDs, most importantly updating the ionospheric conductance calculation from empirical to physics-based.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coherent fluctuations in a partially magnetized small magnetron discharge operating on molecular nitrogen

We report experimental data on rotating plasma disturbances in a quasi-steady direct-current magnetron discharge operating with molecular nitrogen at pressures of 27, 40, 67, and 133 Pa. Experiments with a segmented anode measuring the local current flow reveal up to 12 coherent structures (“spokes”) propagating in the +E×B and −E×B azimuthal directions. The current–voltage characteristics are studied and found to follow a negative resistance profile at the lower discharge currents. The existence of coherent structures and the number of spokes observed depend on the discharge current and operating pressure. Lower pressures are more favorable to the retrograde −E×B spoke rotation, which is observed in the 27, 40, and 67 Pa discharges. The results are interpreted with a gradient-driven drift wave model, and using the dispersion relation, we show that the propagation direction depends on the orientation of the local electric field within the plasma. Using an electron fluid model, we show how experimental conditions can lead to field reversals that generate −E×B spoke rotation in the lower pressure discharges.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigating permafrost carbon dynamics in Alaska with artificial intelligence

Abstract Positive feedbacks between permafrost degradation and the release of soil carbon into the atmosphere impact land–atmosphere interactions, disrupt the global carbon cycle, and accelerate climate change. The widespread distribution of thawing permafrost is causing a cascade of geophysical and biochemical disturbances with global impacts. Currently, few earth system models account for permafrost carbon feedback (PCF) mechanisms. This research study integrates artificial intelligence (AI) tools and information derived from field-scale surveys across the tundra and boreal landscapes in Alaska. We identify and interpret the permafrost carbon cycling links and feedback sensitivities with GeoCryoAI, a hybridized multimodal deep learning (DL) architecture of stacked convolutionally layered, memory-encoded recurrent neural networks (NN). This framework integratesin-situmeasurements and flux tower observations for teacher forcing and model training. Preliminary experiments to quantify, validate, and forecast permafrost degradation and carbon efflux across Alaska demonstrate the fidelity of this data-driven architecture. More specifically, GeoCryoAI logs the ecological memory and effectively learns covariate dynamics while demonstrating an aptitude to simulate and forecast PCF dynamics—active layer thickness (ALT), carbon dioxide flux (CO 2 ), and methane flux (CH 4 )—with high precision and minimal loss (i.e. ALT RMSE : 1.327 cm [1969–2022]; CO 2 RMSE : 0.697µmolCO 2 m −2 s −1 [2003–2021]; CH 4 RMSE : 0.715 nmolCH 4 m −2 s −1 [2011–2022]). ALT variability is a sensitive harbinger of change, a unique signal characterizing the PCF, and our model is the first characterization of these dynamics across space and time.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
DOE OSTI2020

Development of Methods for In-line Monitoring of Yield Stress During the Transfer of Radioactive Waste - 20435

Radioactive waste slurries at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and Hanford often behave as non-Newtonian fluids with a yield stress. The yield stress increases the size of equipment needed to transport or mix these slurries and can increase the risk of process upsets. This property is often measured by collection of samples and transportation to a laboratory, which can increase the risk of personnel exposure and even change the rheology. In addition, slurry rheology has been observed to change with time. Real-time in-line monitoring (RTIM) of rheological properties of slurries can have substantial benefits to critical processes which are currently in operation or will be part of future plans in Department of Energy (DOE) complex processes. The need for an appropriate RTIM technology that can potentially minimize or eliminate numerous sampling operations was recently identified. This research at Florida International University focuses on addressing the need for a reliable RTIM technology at US Department of Energy sites. The objective of this work is to investigate and develop appropriate and reliable technologies that can perform accurate and easy measurements of yield stress with minimal changes to the flow conditions at US Department of Energy sites. Use of ultrasound in longitudinal and shear modes was considered as a method for monitoring of yield stress variations with no disturbance to the flow. Measurement of shear wave velocity (in shear mode) and monitoring of sound velocity variations with start of flow from rest (longitudinal mode) are the underlying principles. Measurement of pressure loss and liquid rise (due to static differential pressure) during flow of slurries were two other methods that were considered and investigated. In addition, analysis of stability depth of a penetrometer in slurry medium (penetrometer method) revealed a potential suitability. This paper presents efforts associated with investigation of different methods mentioned earlier for kaolin-water mixtures at different concentrations. Theoretical analysis showed that all methods under investigation were capable of monitoring yield stress in a desirable range of 0 to 70 pascal. A bench scale test setup was constructed for investigation of pressure loss and liquid rise methods. Simulants at different concentrations were created for initial testing campaigns. For ultrasonic testing, effects of yield stress on sound propagation speed in longitudinal and shear modes were investigated for simulants placed inside PVC pipes. Parameters such as simulant concentration and pipe diameter were varied to find optimal values. It was found that spacing (or medium thickness) of 1/8 inch or less was necessary to observe echoes with sufficient strength. In addition, a significant effect of yield stress on sound propagation velocity was observed. For the liquid rise method, kaolin-water simulant at 1.17 specific gravity was pumped through a 1/4 inch pipe and liquid height was measured in a vertical riser branching off a three-way connection. Static gauge pressure was varied within [0.3 to 1.1] psi range by increase of pumping pressure and flow. Results showed consistent yield stress data within 10% deviation from values reported by a rheometer. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inoculated biocrust cover and functions diverged over a gradient of soil textures and water availability

Restoring biological crust (biocrust) in disturbed drylands is challenging due to the difficult environmental conditions, such as limited soil moisture, low soil nutrients, and extreme temperatures, that impede growth. Understanding how the key components of biocrust—mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria—react to different environmental factors informs the optimal timing, locations, and species composition for biocrust reintroduction, thereby increasing the likelihood of establishment. Here, we inoculated soils with a diverse range of biocrust organisms, analogous to seeding an area with diverse vascular plant seeds, and varied environmental conditions to observe how these changes influenced the development and functions of reintroduced biocrust. We found that by manipulating soil texture and time spent wet, we can change the proportional cover of biocrust within a restoration‐like setting. Specifically, we found that 4 months after inoculation, finer textured soils that received more water become dominated by moss cover, while coarser textured soils with less water remained dominated by cyanobacteria cover, and the interactions between texture and time spent wet strongly influenced cover. We found biocrust morphological group cover had a small, but detectable, effect on ecosystem functions (soil stability and nitrogenase activity, a proxy for nitrogen fixation), but that environmental conditions had a stronger impact on the functions we measured. Manipulative experiments in controlled environments, like this one, can help elucidate the mechanisms underlying the establishment rate and patterns of biocrusts post‐inoculation, and inform implementation of inoculations in the field.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗
DOE OSTI2025

LDRD conclusion poster - Synthesizing Heterometallic Uranium Single Crystals to Understand the Influence of the Secondary Metals on Uranyl Axial Bond Strength

Understanding how transition metals influenced the chemistry of lanthanide and actinide (f-element) materials is critical for advancing separation technologies, materials design, and coordination chemistry. This project examined how incorporating first-row transition metals affected the structural and spectroscopic properties of f-element coordination polymers. In uranium(VI)-based systems synthesized with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDC) ligands, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the presence of transition metals shortened the uranyl axial bond and induced a blue shift in its symmetric stretching vibration—evidence of increased bond strength. Electronic structure analysis, including Density of States (DOS) calculations using density functional theory (DFT), revealed altered orbital overlaps and highlighted the role of transition metal d-orbitals in modulating bonding. Raman modes were modeled using truncated structural fragments in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, and although the predicted frequencies were lower than experimental values, they remained within expected ranges. In parallel, similar experiments with cerium (Ce) in the presence of cobalt (Co) and PDC demonstrated multi-step single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations—behavior not observed in the uranium systems. Initial products included light yellow, orange, and polycrystalline materials. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, conducted in collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines, identified the yellow phase as monometallic Ce(PDC)2(H2O)2·4H2O and the orange phase as heterometallic Ce2Co(PDC)4(H2O)6. After standing in solution for one week, both phases fully transformed into a dark yellow crystalline phase, [Ce3(PDC)5(H2O)8].6(H2O). Remarkably, this transformation was reversible—disturbing the equilibrium by removing some crystals caused reversion to the initial Ce(PDC)2(H2O)2·4H2O phase, highlighting dynamic behavior. All three structures were previously unreported. Solid-state UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy further distinguished these phases, revealing ligand-to-metal charge transfer involving Ce and characteristic d–d transitions from Co(II). The precise mechanism driving these transformations remained unclear; however, pH-dependent experiments confirmed that the transformation did not occur when the pH decreased. Overall, the project demonstrated that transition metals could be employed to tune bonding interactions, structural dimensionality, and optical properties in f-element materials, establishing new pathways for designing functional heterometallic systems. The work resulted in several novel structural discoveries and fostered productive collaborations with the University of Notre Dame and the Colorado School of Mines.

37 - INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL C↗
DOE OSTI2025

Analysis of a Disturbance Event with Inverter-Based Resources Using EMT Simulations

Increasing penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) necessitates newer methods of planning and analysis of disturbances. The existing phasor-domain transient stability (TS) analysis may not capture the dynamics of IBRs during fault events. Here, in this paper, electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations using high-fidelity detailed model of power grid and one of the affected photovoltaic (PV) plants during the Angeles Forest disturbance in 2018 are performed. In these simulations, the processes to develop EMT models of power grid from traditional phasor-domain TS data and PV plant from collected data are described. Thereafter, using these simulations, the response of the PV plant during the fault event in 2018 is replicated and a sensitivity analysis is performed. The sensitivity analysis consists of making changes to the components within the PV plant and in the power grid to evaluate the impact they have on the response observed by the PV plant during the fault event. This analysis provides an understanding of the components that impact the operation of a PV plant during fault events and provide guidance to system planners on the studies that need to be performed to maintain a reliable power grid as new IBR plants are integrated.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Step Towards Machine Learning-based Coherent Generator Grouping for Emergency Control Applications in Modern Power Grid

A dynamic neural network (NN) based multi-class classifier is proposed for improving online prediction of coherent generator groups (CGGs), following the occurrences of various contingencies in the power grid. This is motivated by the increasing availability of the measurements from phasor measurement units (PMUs) and the number of grouping schemes is limited. The proposed method consists of three steps. First, by performing offline simulations, a library of system dynamic responses characterized by post-contingency rotor angles and speeds of individual generators is obtained. To generate sufficient data, up to N-2 contingencies and the uncertain parameters associated with the power grid including type and location of disturbance and fault clearing times are modeled. Secondly, the training data-set is produced by generating labels for individual contingencies using a hierarchical clustering method based on rotor angle and speed data. Lastly, the dynamic NN models are trained for online applications such as emergency controls and controlled islanding. The proposed method is tested on the standard 16-generator 68-bus system to demonstrate its performance. Furthermore, the impact of the sample data lengths on the CGG numbers is evaluated. It is interesting to observe that the time domain stability behaviors can be determined by examining the changes in the CGG numbers.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Momentary Cessation: Improving Dynamic Performance and Modeling of Utility-Scale Inverter Based Resources During Grid Disturbances

Sandia National Laboratories worked with NERC staff to provide stakeholder guidance in responding to a May 2018 NERC alert regarding dynamic performance and modeling issues for utility-scale inverter-based resources. The NERC alert resulted from event analyses for grid disturbances that occurred in southern California in August 2016 and October 2017. Those disturbances revealed the use of momentary cessation of transmission connected inverter-based generation- a short time period when they ceased to inject current into the grid, counter to desired transmission operation. The event analyses concluded that, in many cases, the Western Interconnection system models used to determine planning and operating criteria do not reflect the actual behavior of solar plants, resulting in overly optimistic planning assessments and substandard operational responses. This technical report summarizes the gaps between the models and actual performance that were observed at those times, and the guidance that Sandia and NERC provided to owners of solar PV power plants, transmission planners, transmission operators and planning/reliability coordinators to modify existing models to reflect that actual performance

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Editorial: Hydrology, ecology, and nutrient biogeochemistry at the terrestrial-aquatic interface

Terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAI) play important roles in mediating the exchange of water and chemicals between land, surface and subsurface water systems, which is tightly coupled with biogeochemical transformations that influence water quality and ecosystem health (Harvey and Gooseff, 2015; Harvey et al., 2019). Understanding and predicting the interactions between the hydrologic, ecologic, and biogeochemical processes at those interfaces is crucial for the sustainable management of water resources and promotion of healthy ecosystems under different environmental stresses and disturbances, including climate change, human activities, and more frequent occurrence of extreme events. Both process-based and data-driven approaches have emerged to address critical challenges at TAIs as integral parts of the Earth system (e.g., Ward and Packman, 2019; Chen et al., 2021; Dwivedi et al., 2022). In this Research Topic, we sought research that advances the understanding of coupled hydrologic, ecologic, and biogeochemical processes along various TAIs from the summit to sea, e.g., river corridors and coastal TAI systems. We invited observational, experimental, theoretical, analytical, numerical, and data-driven research that aims to understand hydro-biogeochemical processes such as the redox dynamics and biogeochemical transformations of carbon, nutrients, and metals occurring at the TAIs and address their heterogeneity and scaling challenges.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

A Comprehensive Strategy for Grid Forming Control in DC Coupled Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage Inverters

This paper presents an integrated DC-DC and DCAC grid-forming control strategy for DC-coupled photovoltaic (PV) plus battery energy storage systems, considering the effect of DC link voltage variations caused by direct PV connections. A power reference algorithm determines power distribution between the PV and battery to the grid while observing device power ratings to prevent the over-rating of components and keep the battery's state of charge within an acceptable range. The simulated utility-scale model in MATLAB/Simulink illustrates its ability against extreme phase angle variation contingencies in the grid while controlled through grid-forming control with a fast dynamic on DC link voltage. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control in integrating PV plus battery configurations with grid forming control and maintaining reliable grid operation under severe grid disturbances.

battery, boost, control, energy storage, grid form↗
DOE OSTI2021

Seasonal and long-term variations in leaf area of Congolese rainforest

It is important to understand temporal and spatial variations in the structure and photosynthetic capacity of tropical rainforests in a world of changing climate, increased disturbances and human appropriation. The equatorial rainforests of Central Africa are the second largest and least disturbed of the biodiversly-rich and highly productive rainforests on Earth. Currently, there is a dearth of knowledge about the phenological behavior and long-term changes that these forests are experiencing. Here, this study reports on leaf area seasonality and its time trend over the past two decades as assessed from multiple remotely sensed datasets. Seasonal variations of leaf area in Congolese forests derived from MODIS data co-vary with the bimodal precipitation pattern in this region, with higher values during the wet season. Independent observational evidence derived from MISR and EPIC sensors in the form of angular reflectance signatures further corroborate this seasonal behavior of leaf area. The bimodal patterns vary latitudinally within this large region. Two sub-seasonal cycles, each consisting of a dry and wet season, could be discerned clearly. These exhibit different sensitivities to changes in precipitation. Contrary to a previous published report, no widespread decline in leaf area was detected across the entire extent of the Congolese rainforests over the past two decades with the latest MODIS Collection 6 dataset. Long-term precipitation decline did occur in some localized areas, but these had minimal impacts on leaf area, as inferred from MODIS and MISR multi-angle observations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗