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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Characterizing Impacts of Dry Coal Feeding in High Pressure Oxy-Coal Combustion Systems

Reaction Engineering International (REI) has managed a team of experts from the University of Utah, Southeast University (SEU) in Nanjing, China, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Corrosion Management Ltd. (C-M), Praxair, and Brigham Young University (BYU) to investigate dry pulverized coal feeding for pressurized oxy-coal combustion. Dry feed firing systems for entrained flow, pressurized, oxy-coal combustors have not been well developed, although related technologies have been used in the Shell Gasification Process and for pressurized fluid bed combustion. DOE-funded research recently completed at REI and the University of Utah focused on characterizing impacts of high temperatures and pressures in oxy-coal combustion systems. For high pressure combustion, that research used a coal slurry feed into a 17 bar pressurized combustor. As a consequence of that research, it was identified that fuel feeding and firing system flexibility are challenges that require attention. Based on that experience, the approach of using a coal slurry feed system leads to challenges in producing consistent atomization of the slurry, which causes burnout problems, especially at high pressures. In addition, slurry atomization processes may be difficult to scale to sizes appropriate for practical commercial use. Dry pressurized coal burner systems, on the other hand, have the potential to yield efficiency gains, improve flexibility and facilitate applications at larger scales. Experimental work was conducted at the University of Utah Industrial Combustion and Gasification Research Facility as well as the 100 kW pressurized oxy-coal combustor (POC) facility at Brigham Young University. Mechanism development and CFD-based combustion and dense-phase flow modeling were performed at REI. Successful completion of the project objectives has resulted in the following key deliverables: 1) Design and prototype of a pressurized pulverized coal feeding and oxy-firing system 2) Data from a 100kW, pressurized (15 bar) entrained flow reactor with a dry feeding delivery and burner system that describes flame characteristics, radiative heat flux profiles, carbon burnout, along with characteristics of ash aerosols, fouling, and slagging. 3) Validated and transportable models that describe the relevant conditions in pressurized oxy-combustion systems and that can be used for scale-up and optimization. 4) Principles to guide design of high pressure, pilot-scale and full-scale coal oxy-firing systems. 5) Assessment of pressurized oxy-combustion impacts on key parameters relevant to oxy-coal fired utility boilers such as coal devolatilization, char oxidation, mineral matter transformation, deposition, and corrosion. The experimental data, pressurized oxy-firing system principles, and process mechanisms provided by this work can be used by electric utilities, boiler OEMs, equipment suppliers, design firms, software vendors, consultants and government agencies to assess the use of high temperature and high pressure oxy-combustion in current research and to guide development of new oxy-coal boiler designs.

pressurized oxy-coal combustion, sub-micron ash ae↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterizing Impacts of Dry Coal Feeding in High Pressure Oxy-Coal Combustion Systems

Reaction Engineering International (REI) has managed a team of experts from the University of Utah, Southeast University (SEU) in Nanjing, China, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Corrosion Management Ltd. (C-M), Praxair, and Brigham Young University (BYU) to investigate dry pulverized coal feeding for pressurized oxy-coal combustion. Dry feed firing systems for entrained flow, pressurized, oxy-coal combustors have not been well developed, although related technologies have been used in the Shell Gasification Process and for pressurized fluid bed combustion. DOE-funded research recently completed at REI and the University of Utah focused on characterizing impacts of high temperatures and pressures in oxy-coal combustion systems. For high pressure combustion, that research used a coal slurry feed into a 17 bar pressurized combustor. As a consequence of that research, it was identified that fuel feeding and firing system flexibility are challenges that require attention. Based on that experience, the approach of using a coal slurry feed system leads to challenges in producing consistent atomization of the slurry, which causes burnout problems, especially at high pressures. In addition, slurry atomization processes may be difficult to scale to sizes appropriate for practical commercial use. Dry pressurized coal burner systems, on the other hand, have the potential to yield efficiency gains, improve flexibility and facilitate applications at larger scales. Experimental work was conducted at the University of Utah Industrial Combustion and Gasification Research Facility as well as the 100 kW pressurized oxy-coal combustor (POC) facility at Brigham Young University. Mechanism development and CFD-based combustion and dense-phase flow modeling were performed at REI. Successful completion of the project objectives has resulted in the following key deliverables: 1) Design and prototype of a pressurized pulverized coal feeding and oxy-firing system 2) Data from a 100kW, pressurized (15 bar) entrained flow reactor with a dry feeding delivery and burner system that describes flame characteristics, radiative heat flux profiles, carbon burnout, along with characteristics of ash aerosols, fouling, and slagging. 3) Validated and transportable models that describe the relevant conditions in pressurized oxy-combustion systems and that can be used for scale-up and optimization. 4) Principles to guide design of high pressure, pilot-scale and full-scale coal oxy-firing systems. 5) Assessment of pressurized oxy-combustion impacts on key parameters relevant to oxy-coal fired utility boilers such as coal devolatilization, char oxidation, mineral matter transformation, deposition, and corrosion. The experimental data, pressurized oxy-firing system principles, and process mechanisms provided by this work can be used by electric utilities, boiler OEMs, equipment suppliers, design firms, software vendors, consultants and government agencies to assess the use of high temperature and high pressure oxy-combustion in current research and to guide development of new oxy-coal boiler designs.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1998

Modeling Macro- and Micro-Scale Turbulent Mixing and Chemistry in Engine Exhaust Plumes

Simulation of turbulent mixing and chemical processes in the near-field plume and plume-vortex regimes has been successfully carried out recently using a reduced gas phase kinetics mechanism which substantially decreased the computational cost. A detailed mechanism including gas phase HOx, NOx, and SOx chemistry between the aircraft exhaust and the ambient air in near-field aircraft plumes is compiled. A reduced mechanism capturing the major chemical pathways is developed. Predictions by the reduced mechanism are found to be in good agreement with those by the detailed mechanism. With the reduced chemistry, the computer CPU time is saved by a factor of more than 3.5 for the near-field plume modeling. Distributions of major chemical species are obtained and analyzed. The computed sensitivities of major species with respect to reaction step are deduced for identification of the dominant gas phase kinetic reaction pathways in the jet plume. Both the near field plume and the plume-vortex regimes were investigated using advanced mixing models. In the near field, a stand-alone mixing model was used to investigate the impact of turbulent mixing on the micro- and macro-scale mixing processes using a reduced reaction kinetics model. The plume-vortex regime was simulated using a large-eddy simulation model. Vortex plume behind Boeing 737 and 747 aircraft was simulated along with relevant kinetics. Many features of the computed flow field show reasonable agreement with data. The entrainment of the engine plumes into the wing tip vortices and also the partial detrainment of the plume were numerically captured. The impact of fluid mechanics on the chemical processes was also studied. Results show that there are significant differences between spatial and temporal simulations especially in the predicted SO3 concentrations. This has important implications for the prediction of sulfuric acid aerosols in the wake and may partly explain the discrepancy between past numerical studies (that employed parabolic or temporal approximations) and the measured data. Finally to address the major uncertainty in the near-field plume modeling related to the plume processing of sulfur compounds and advanced model was developed to evaluate its impact on the chemical processes in the near wake. A comprehensive aerosol model is developed and it is coupled with chemical kinetics and the axisymmetric turbulent jet flow models. The integrated model is used to simulate microphysical processes in the near-field jet plume, including sulfuric acid and water binary homogeneous nucleation, coagulation, non-equilibrium heteromolecular condensation, and sulfur-induced soot activation. The formation and evolution of aerosols are computed and analyzed. The computed results show that a large number of ultra-fine (0.3--0.6 nm in radius) volatile HSO4 - HO embryos are generated in the near-field plume. These embryos further grow in size by self coagulation and condensation. Soot particles can be activated by both heterogeneous nucleation and scavenging of H2SO4-H2O aerosols. These activated soot particles can serve as water condensation nuclei for contrail formation. Conditions under which ice contrails can form behind aircrafts are studied. The sensitivities of the threshold temperature for contrail formation with respect to aircraft propulsion efficiency, relative humidity, and ambient pressure are evaluated. The computed aerosol properties for different extent of fuel sulfur conversion to S(VI) (SO3 and H2SO4) in engine are examined and the results are found to be sensitive to this conversion fraction.

Menon, Suresh↗
NASA NTRS1978

A computational model for the prediction of jet entrainment in the vicinity of nozzle boattails (the BOAT code)

The development of a computational model (BOAT) for calculating nearfield jet entrainment, and its incorporation in an existing methodology for the prediction of nozzle boattail pressures, is discussed. The model accounts for the detailed turbulence and thermochemical processes occurring in the mixing layer formed between a jet exhaust and surrounding external stream while interfacing with the inviscid exhaust and external flowfield regions in an overlaid, interactive manner. The ability of the BOAT model to analyze simple free shear flows is assessed by comparisons with fundamental laboratory data. The overlaid procedure for incorporating variable pressures into BOAT and the entrainment correction employed to yield an effective plume boundary for the inviscid external flow are demonstrated. This is accomplished via application of BOAT in conjunction with the codes comprising the NASA/LRC patched viscous/inviscid methodology for determining nozzle boattail drag for subsonic/transonic external flows.

Dash, S. M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Implementation of the Glycolate Destruction Process with Sodium Permanganate in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) - 20141

The Savannah River Site (SRS) seeks to replace formic acid with glycolic acid as a chemical reductant in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), where borosilicate glass is mixed with high-level radioactive waste, melted at high temperatures, then poured into stainless steel canisters for safe storage. Prior research and development have demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of the new nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet over the current nitric-formic acid flowsheet to chemically adjust the radioactive sludge slurry waste in the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) prior to vitrification. Use of glycolic acid reduces hydrogen and ammonia generation during the reduction process, thus reducing flammability hazards and purge requirements in the DWPF processing vessels. In addition, glycolic acid will support the new Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) by allowing for receipt of higher volumes of waste due to reduction of flammable gases, increased boil-up rates in the vessels, and easing the processing of future sludge batches containing high levels of mercury. However, during DWPF operations, trace amounts of glycolate are anticipated to be entrained in the recycle stream and sent to the Concentration, Storage, and Transfer Facilities (CSTF) via the Recycle Collection Tank (RCT). The RCT receives condensate from the Slurry Mix Evaporator Condensate Tank (SMECT) and Off-gas Condensate Tank (OGCT) that may contain unreacted glycolate. A literature review found the potential for hydrogen generation due to thermolysis of glycolate in caustic CSTF conditions. Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) conducted several tests on simulant and radioactive waste from various tanks at SRS and confirmed that glycolate added to waste at concentrations of approximately 1000 mg/L and higher generates hydrogen through thermolysis. There are potential operating scenarios in the future where glycolate concentration could exceed 1000 mg/L in the 2H Evaporator Drop Tank, the highest accumulation point for DWPF organics received via recycle. These findings presented a need to develop another process to mitigate the impact of glycolic acid to the CSTF. Several DWPF compatible options were evaluated for their ability to destroy glycolate in the DWPF recycle stream under various processing conditions, thereby mitigating its introduction to the CSTF. Downselection testing identified sodium permanganate as the most promising and simplest option to oxidize glycolate. It has been demonstrated to be effective in various RCT simulant compositions, operating temperatures, oxidant addition rates, solution pH, and initial glycolate concentrations. A feasibility study identified existing tanks within the facility that could be used for receiving and storing the commercially available sodium permanganate, as well as feeding it to the RCT for processing. The use of existing equipment as well as the ability to purchase the pre-mixed chemical reduces implementation and operational complexity. The downstream impacts of the sodium permanganate reaction were also evaluated and demonstrated to have minimal impact on other chemical species present in the RCT and CSTF, as well as on the materials of construction of the RCT and CSTF vessels and associated piping and instrumentation. Future work is in progress to validate the glycolate destruction process with testing in actual radioactive RCT waste before implementation in DWPF. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Origin of 182 W Anomalies in Ocean Island Basalts

Ocean island basalts (OIB) show variable 182 W deficits that have been attributed to either early differentiation of the mantle or core-mantle interaction. However, 182 W variations may also reflect nucleosynthetic isotope heterogeneity inherited from Earth's building material, which would be evident from correlated 182 W and 183 W anomalies. Some datasets for OIB indeed show hints for such correlated variations, meaning that a nucleosynthetic origin of W isotope anomalies in OIB cannot be excluded. We report high-precision W isotope data for OIB from Samoa and Hawaii, which confirm previously reported 182 W deficits for these samples, but also demonstrate that none of these samples have resolvable 183 W anomalies. These data therefore rule out a nucleosynthetic origin of the 182 W deficits in OIB, which most likely reflect the entrainment of either core material or an overabundance of late-accreted materials within OIB mantle sources. If these processes occurred over Earth's history, they may have also been responsible for shifting the 182 W composition of the bulk mantle to its modern-day value. We also report Mo isotope data for some Hawaiian OIB, which reveal no resolved nucleosynthetic Mo isotopic anomalies. This is consistent with inheritance of 182 W deficits in OIB from the addition of either core or late-accreted material, but only if these materials have a non-carbonaceous (NC) meteorite-like heritage. As such, these data rule out significant contributions of carbonaceous chondrite (CC)-like materials to either Earth's core or late accretion.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1983

Unsteady Flow Effects in Combustor Systems

A wide variety of combustion problems, including combustion instabilities and turbulent diffusion flames, appear to involve the entrainment and deformation of laminar flames by large vortex structures in the flow field. First, some details of this process of laminar flame distortion are examined by considering the interactions of time-dependent diffusion flames with two dimensional vortices. Second, Some results on the modelling of the non-steady combustion in burners for aircraft gas turbines are given. The general aim of the work is to develop a one dimensional model applicable to the NASA-Lewis Non-Steady Combustion Rig.

Subbaiah, M. V.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Near field pressure fluctuations in a circular jet

The vortical structures in shear layers govern many dynamic aspects of the jet, including entrainment of mass, transfer of momentum and noise generation. These structures develop from instability waves and undergo a merging process. Vortex merging reduces the time scale and increases the length scale of the shear layer. At the same time pressure fluctuations are induced by the unsteady motion. These pressure perturbations can exert high level dynamic loading on nearby structures, and radiate to the far field as noise. In this study, the generation mechanism of the pressure fluctuations and the radiation process are examined.

Ho, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The Global Perspective on the Evolution of Solids in a Protoplanetary Disk

It is currently thought that planets around solar-type stars form by the accumulation of solid matter entrained in a gaseous, turbulent protoplanetary disk. We have developed a model designed to simulate the part of this process that starts from small particles suspended in the gaseous disk at the end of the formation stage, and ends up with most of the solid material aggregated into 1-10-km planetesimals. The major novelty of our approach is its emphasis on the global, comprehensive treatment of the problem, as our model simultaneously keeps track of the evolution of gas and solid particles due to gas-solid coupling, coagulation, sedimentation, and evaporation/condensation. The result of our calculations is the radial distribution of solid material circumnavigating a star in the form of a planetesimal swarm. Such a distribution should well approximate the radial apportionment of condensed components of the planets spread over the radial extent of the mature planetary system. Therefore we view our calculations as an attempt to predict the large-scale architecture of planetary systems and to assess their potential diversity. In particular, we have found that some initial conditions lead to all solids being lost to the star, but we can also identify initial conditions leading to a radial distribution of solid material quite reminiscent of what is found in our solar system.

Stepinski, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Aeolian processes on Venus

This review assesses the potential aeolian regime on Venus as derived from spacecraft observations, laboratory simulations, and theoretical considerations. The two requirements for aeolian processes (a supply of small, loose particles and winds of sufficient strength to move them) appear to be met on Venus. Venera 9, 10, 13, and 14 images show particles considered to be sand and silt size on the surface. In addition, dust spurts (grains 5 to 50 microns in diameter) observed via lander images and inferred from the Pioneer-Venus nephalometer experiments suggest that the particles are loose and subject to movement. Although data on near surface winds are limited, measurements of 0.3 to 1.2 m/sec from the Venera lander and Pioneer-Venus probes appear to be well within the range required for sand and dust entrainment. Aeolian activity involves the interaction of the atmosphere, lithosphere, and loose particles. Thus, there is the potential for various physical and chemical weathering processes that can effect not only rates of erosion, but changes in the composition of all three components. The Venus Simulator is an apparatus used to simulate weathering under venusian conditions at full pressure (to 112 bars) and temperature (to 800 K). In one series of tests, the physical modifications of windblown particles and rock targets were assessed and it was shown that particles become abraded even when moved by gentle winds. However, little abrasion occurs on the target faces. Thus, compositional signatures for target rocks may be more indicative of the windblown particles than of the bedrock. From these and other considerations, aeolian modifications of the venusian surface may be expected to occur as weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition of surficial materials. Depending upon global and local wind regimes, there may be distinctive sources and sinks of windblown materials. Radar imaging, especially as potentially supplied via the Magellan mission, may enable the identification of such areas on Venus.

Greeley, Ronald↗
DOE OSTI2023

Analysis of Solids Obtained from 201O, 201P, 202A, and 202B Contactors in the Salt Waste Processing Facility

In December 2022, Savannah River Mission Completion personnel recovered solids samples from four contractors (EXT-001, EXT-007, EXT-031, and EXT-040) employed at the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). These solids were submitted to Savannah River National Laboratory for analysis and characterization. This Technical Report outlines the analytical findings and observations associated with these samples and explores the potential source of solid generation within the SWPF. The following conclusions are offered as a result of this work: the light color solids recovered from EXT-007 are consistent with crystallized, soluble salt components (such as sodium nitrate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium carbonate), all of which can be easily re-dissolved in process water and do not represent a threat to SWPF CSSX processing. While the light solids from the top of EXT-040 were not analyzed, it is believed that they share similar characteristics to those recovered from EXT-007; The dark color solids recovered from EXT-001, EXT-031, and the inside of EXT-040 appear to be complex, consisting of several different types of solids: High concentrations of mercury (Hg, 40-75% by mass) partially present as elemental Hg are consistent with the precipitation of Hg 0 /Hg 2+ from disproportionation of Hg + species in pH swing conditions; Moderate concentrations of titanium (Ti) (2-7%, by mass) are also present, often co-located with Hg. This is consistent with co-precipitation, entrainment, and/or amalgamation of Ti and Hg; Moderate concentrations of iron (Fe) (1-3%, by mass) are observed in SWPF solids and are likely attributable to erosion of stainless-steel components within the CSSX process; Small concentrations of tungsten (W) and cobalt (Co) (<1%, by mass) are observed in SWPF solids. The presence of these solids is consistent with the erosion of components coated with W and Co (e.g., Stellite); Small concentrations of aluminum (Al) (<1%, by mass) are observed in the form of gibbsite and potentially sodium aluminosilicate. The presence of these compounds is likely attributable to the pH swing observed between the scrub and extraction cycles within the CSSX process. The following recommendations are made as a result of this work: Testing should be performed to determine the chemical drivers, process, and mechanism of Hg precipitation in CSSX processing. Special care should be taken to include titanium in tests to evaluate the potential for co-precipitation, entrainment, and amalgamation; Hg-mitigation options that would minimize or eliminate risks of Hg precipitation and solids accumulation (e.g., Hg-absorption techniques, ion exchange/adsorbents, flowsheet changes, etc.) should be assessed.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Numerical Investigation of the characteristics of pressurized biomass-oxy-combustion

As a second generation of oxy-fuel combustion technologies, pressurized oxy-combustion has a potential to improve the process efficiency and economy. With the modern decarbonization needs, biomass combustion is considered to be nearly CO2 neutral, and thus co-firing biomass with coal in an oxy-combustion process can achieve a negative CO2 balance. The size of the biomass fuel particles is a key parameter in an entrained flow combustor because large biomass particles, exceeding some threshold size, may only partially be burnt due to the restrictions on the heat transport, thereby diminishing the combustion efficiency. While such a threshold particle size has been scrutinized at an atmospheric pressure, the present study extends the analysis to elevated pressures. Specifically, two scenarios were set up, for experimental-scale and full-scale pressurized oxy-combustors, with the threshold sizes of biomass particles appearing 0.5 mm and 5 mm, respectively, without temperature gradient in biomass particles. With temperature gradient, the parametric study included the particles in the range from 0.15 mm to 5 mm. It is shown that the thermal-thin model is applicable to spherical biomass particles not exceeding 0.15 mm. The impact of the heating rate on biomass particle devolatilization was also investigated and the biomass devolatilization could happen in less than 1 second; the same amount of heat energy could induce different volatile release rates.

Li, Lei↗
NASA NTRS1987

Preparative electrophoresis for space

A premise of continuous flow electrophoresis is that removal of buoyancy-induced thermal convection caused by axial and lateral temperature gradients results in ideal performance of these instruments in space. Although these gravity dependent phenomena disturb the rectilinear flow in the separation chamber when high voltage gradients or thick chambers are used, distortion of the injected sample stream due to electrohydrodynamic effects cause major broadening of the separated bands. The electrophoresis separation process is simple, however flow local to the sample filament produced by the applied electric field have not been considered. These electrohydrodynamic flows distort the sample stream and limit the separation. Also, electroosmosis and viscous flow combine to further distort the process. A moving wall concept is being proposed for space which will eliminate and control the disturbances. The moving wall entrains the fluid to move as a rigid body and produces a constant residence time for all samples distributed across the chamber thickness. The moving wall electrophoresis chamber can only be operated in space because there is no viscous flow in the chamber to stabilize against thermal convection.

Rhodes, Percy H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Preparative electrophoresis for space

A premise of continuous flow electrophoresis is that removal of buoyance-induced thermal convection caused by axial and lateral temperature gradients results in ideal performance of these instruments in space. Although these gravity dependent phenomena disturb the rectilinear flow in the separation chamber when high voltage gradients or thick chamber are used, distortion of the injected sample stream due to electrodynamic effects cause major broadening of the separated bands. The electrophoresis separation process is simple, however flow local to the sample filament produced by the applied electric field were not considered. These electrohydrodynamic flows distort the sample stream and limit the separation. Also, electroosmosis and viscous flow combine to further distort the process. A moving wall concept is being proposed for space which will eliminate and control the disturbances. The moving wall entrains the fluid to move as a rigid body and produces a constant residence time for all samples distributed across the chamber thickness. The moving wall electrophoresis chamber can only be operated in space because there is no viscous flow in the chamber to stabilize against thermal convection.

Rhodes, Percy H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Dry air entrainment into convective clouds

A systematic approach to the study of atmospheric turbulent motion is discussed in terms of weather modification. The background of cloud physics, and the mixing process are described. A zero-g study is proposed to enable the basic experimental data to be collected so that theory may be developed to generalize results for practical applications.

Telford, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Noncircular Cross Sections Could Enhance Mixing in Sprays

A computational study has shown that by injecting drops in jets of gas having square, elliptical, triangular, or other noncircular injection cross sections, it should be possible to increase (relative to comparable situations having circular cross section) the entrainment and dispersion of liquid drops. This finding has practical significance for a variety of applications in which it is desirable to increase dispersion of drops. For example, in chemical-process sprays, increased dispersion leads to increases in chemical- reaction rates; in diesel engines, increasing the dispersion of drops of sprayed fuel reduces the production of soot; and in household and paint sprays, increasing the dispersion of drops makes it possible to cover larger surfaces. It has been known for some years that single-phase fluid jets that enter flow fields through noncircular inlets entrain more fluid than do comparable jets entering through circular inlets. The computational study reported here was directed in part toward determining whether and how this superior mixing characteristic of noncircular single phase jets translates to a similar benefit in cases of two-phase jets (that is, sprays). The study involved direct numerical simulations of single- and two-phase free jets with circular, elliptical, rectangular, square, and triangular inlet cross sections. The two-phase jets consisted of gas laden with liquid drops randomly injected at the inlets. To address the more interesting case of evaporating drops, the carrier gas in the jets was specified to be initially unvitiated by the vapor of the liquid chemical species and the initial temperature of the drops was chosen to be smaller than that of the gas. The mathematical model used in the study was constructed from the conservation equations for the two-phase flow and included complete couplings of mass, momentum, and energy based on thermodynamically self-consistent specification of the enthalpy, internal energy, and latent heat of vaporization of the vapor.

Bellan, Josette↗
NASA NTRS1989

Bivariate conditional sampling of buoyancy flux during an intense cold-air outbreak

The joint frequency distribution technique was used to analyze buoyancy fluxes in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) for the cloud street regime noted during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment. It is found that for the lower half of the MABL, the buoyancy flux is mainly generated by the rising thermals and the sinking compensating ambient air, and is mainly consumed by the entrainment and detrainment of thermals, penetrative convection, and the entrainment from the MABL top. If the buoyancy flux is primarily driven by the temperature flux, these buoyancy-flux generating processes should be the same for the lower boundary layers over land and ocean. The results of the scale analysis of the buoyancy flux agree well with those obtained for mesoscale cellular convection during the Air-Mass Transformation Experiment.

Chou, Shu-Hsien↗
NASA NTRS2017

How Much, How Fast?: A Science Review and Outlook for Research on the Instability of Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier in the 21st Century

Constraining how much and how fast the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) will change in the coming decades has recently been identified as the highest priority in Antarctic research (National Academies, 2015). Here we review recent research on WAIS and outline further scientific objectives for the area now identified as the most likely to undergo near-term significant change: Thwaites Glacier and the adjacent Amundsen Sea. Multiple lines of evidence point to an ongoing rapid loss of ice in this region in response to changing atmospheric and oceanic conditions. Models of the ice sheets dynamic behavior indicate a potential for greatly accelerated ice loss as ocean-driven melting at the Thwaites Glacier grounding zone and nearby areas leads to thinning, faster flow, and retreat. A complete retreat of the Thwaites Glacier basin would raise global sea level by more than three meters by entraining ice from adjacent catchments. This scenario could occur over the next few centuries, and faster ice loss could occur through processes omitted from most ice flow models such as hydrofracture and ice cliff failure, which have been observed in recent rapid ice retreats elsewhere. Increased basal melt at the grounding zone and increased potential for hydrofracture due to enhanced surface melt could initiate a more rapid collapse of Thwaites Glacier within the next few decades.

Thwaites Glacier↗