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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 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Summertime Continental Shallow Cumulus Cloud Detection Using GOES-16 Satellite and Ground-Based Stereo Cameras at the DOE ARM Southern Great Plains Site

Summertime continental shallow cumulus clouds (ShCu) are detected using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16 reflectance data, with cross-validation by observations from ground-based stereo cameras at the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site. A ShCu cloudy pixel is identified when the GOES reflectance exceeds the clear-sky surface reflectance by a reflectance detection threshold of ShCu, ΔR. We firstly construct diurnally varying clear-sky surface reflectance maps and then estimate the ΔR. A GOES simulator is designed, projecting the clouds reconstructed by stereo cameras towards the surface along the satellite’s slanted viewing direction. The dynamic ShCu detection threshold ΔR is determined by making the GOES cloud fraction (CF) equal to the CF from the GOES simulator. Although there are temporal variabilities in ΔR, cloud fractions and cloud size distributions can be well reproduced using a constant ΔR value of 0.045. The method presented in this study enables daytime ShCu detection, which is usually falsely reported as clear sky in the GOES-16 cloud mask data product. Using this method, a new ShCu dataset can be generated to bridge the observational gap in detecting ShCu, which may transition into deep precipitating clouds, and to facilitate further studies on ShCu development over heterogenous land surface.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluating Alerting and Guidance Performance of a UAS Detect-And-Avoid System

A key challenge to the routine, safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is the development of detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems to aid the UAS pilot in remaining "well clear" of nearby aircraft. The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of alerting criteria and pilot response delay on the safety and performance of UAS DAA systems in the context of routine civil UAS operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). A NAS-wide fast-time simulation study was conducted to assess UAS DAA system performance with a large number of encounters and a broad set of DAA alerting and guidance system parameters. Three attributes of the DAA system were controlled as independent variables in the study to conduct trade-off analyses: UAS trajectory prediction method (dead-reckoning vs. intent-based), alerting time threshold (related to predicted time to LoWC), and alerting distance threshold (related to predicted Horizontal Miss Distance, or HMD). A set of metrics, such as the percentage of true positive, false positive, and missed alerts, based on signal detection theory and analysis methods utilizing the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were proposed to evaluate the safety and performance of DAA alerting and guidance systems and aid development of DAA system performance standards. The effect of pilot response delay on the performance of DAA systems was evaluated using a DAA alerting and guidance model and a pilot model developed to support this study. A total of 18 fast-time simulations were conducted with nine different DAA alerting threshold settings and two different trajectory prediction methods, using recorded radar traffic from current Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations, and supplemented with DAA-equipped UAS traffic based on mission profiles modeling future UAS operations. Results indicate DAA alerting distance threshold has a greater effect on DAA system performance than DAA alerting time threshold or ownship trajectory prediction method. Further analysis on the alert lead time (time in advance of predicted loss of well clear at which a DAA alert is first issued) indicated a strong positive correlation between alert lead time and DAA system performance (i.e. the ability of the UAS pilot to maneuver the unmanned aircraft to remain well clear). While bigger distance thresholds had beneficial effects on alert lead time and missed alert rate, it also generated a higher rate of false alerts. In the design and development of DAA alerting and guidance systems, therefore, the positive and negative effects of false alerts and missed alerts should be carefully considered to achieve acceptable alerting system performance by balancing false and missed alerts. The results and methodology presented in this study are expected to help stakeholders, policymakers and standards committees define the appropriate setting of DAA system parameter thresholds for UAS that ensure safety while minimizing operational impacts to the NAS and equipage requirements for its users before DAA operational performance standards can be finalized.

UAS Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) System↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exploring the impacts of conformer selection methods on ion mobility collision cross section predictions

The prediction of structure dependent molecular properties, such as collision cross sections as measured using ion mobility spectrometry, are crucially dependent on the selection of the correct population of molecular conformers. Here, we report an in-depth evaluation of multiple conformation selection techniques, including simple averaging, Boltzmann weighting, lowest energy selection, low energy threshold reductions, and similarity reduction. Generating 50,000 conformers each for 18 molecules, we used the In Silico Chemical Library Engine (ISiCLE) to calculate the collision cross sections for the entire dataset. First, we employed Monte Carlo simulations to understand the variability between conformer structures as generated using simulated annealing. Then we employed Monte Carlo simulations to the aforementioned conformer selection techniques applied on the simulated molecular property—the ion mobility collision cross section. Based on our analyses, we found Boltzmann weighting to be a good tradeoff between precision and theoretical accuracy. Combining multiple techniques revealed that energy thresholds and root-mean-squared deviation-based similarity reductions can save considerable computational expense while maintaining property prediction accuracy. Molecular dynamic conformer generation tools like AMBER can continue to generate new lowest energy conformers even after tens of thousands of generations, decreasing precision between runs. This reduced precision can be ameliorated and theoretical accuracy increased by running density functional theory geometry optimization on carefully selected conformers.

Nielson, Felicity F.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Global Scale Attribution of Anthropogenic and Natural Dust Sources and their Emission Rates Based on MODIS Deep Blue Aerosol Products

Our understanding of the global dust cycle is limited by a dearth of information about dust sources, especially small-scale features which could account for a large fraction of global emissions. Here we present a global-scale high-resolution (0.1 deg) mapping of sources based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Deep Blue estimates of dust optical depth in conjunction with other data sets including land use. We ascribe dust sources to natural and anthropogenic (primarily agricultural) origins, calculate their respective contributions to emissions, and extensively compare these products against literature. Natural dust sources globally account for 75% of emissions; anthropogenic sources account for 25%. North Africa accounts for 55% of global dust emissions with only 8% being anthropogenic, mostly from the Sahel. Elsewhere, anthropogenic dust emissions can be much higher (75% in Australia). Hydrologic dust sources (e.g., ephemeral water bodies) account for 31% worldwide; 15% of them are natural while 85% are anthropogenic. Globally, 20% of emissions are from vegetated surfaces, primarily desert shrublands and agricultural lands. Since anthropogenic dust sources are associated with land use and ephemeral water bodies, both in turn linked to the hydrological cycle, their emissions are affected by climate variability. Such changes in dust emissions can impact climate, air quality, and human health. Improved dust emission estimates will require a better mapping of threshold wind velocities, vegetation dynamics, and surface conditions (soil moisture and land use) especially in the sensitive regions identified here, as well as improved ability to address small-scale convective processes producing dust via cold pool (haboob) events frequent in monsoon regimes.

aerosols↗
NASA NTRS2002

Determinants of erythropoietin release in response to short-term hypobaric hypoxia

We measured blood erythropoietin (EPO) concentration, arterial O(2) saturation (Sa(O(2))), and urine PO(2) in 48 subjects (32 men and 16 women) at sea level and after 6 and 24 h at simulated altitudes of 1,780, 2,085, 2,454, and 2,800 m. Renal blood flow (Doppler) and Hb were determined at sea level and after 6 h at each altitude (n = 24) to calculate renal O(2) delivery. EPO increased significantly after 6 h at all altitudes and continued to increase after 24 h at 2,454 and 2,800 m, although not at 1,780 or 2,085 m. The increase in EPO varied markedly among individuals, ranging from -41 to 400% after 24 h at 2,800 m. Similar to EPO, urine PO(2) decreased after 6 h at all altitudes and returned to baseline by 24 h at the two lowest altitudes but remained decreased at the two highest altitudes. Urine PO(2) was closely related to EPO via a curvilinear relationship (r(2) = 0.99), although also with prominent individual variability. Renal blood flow remained unchanged at all altitudes. Sa(O(2)) decreased slightly after 6 h at the lowest altitudes but decreased more prominently at the highest altitudes. There were only modest, albeit statistically significant, relationships between EPO and Sa(O(2)) (r = 0.41, P < 0.05) and no significant relationship with renal O(2) delivery. These data suggest that 1) the altitude-induced increase in EPO is "dose" dependent: altitudes > or =2,100-2,500 m appear to be a threshold for stimulating sustained EPO release in most subjects; 2) short-term acclimatization may restore renal tissue oxygenation and restrain the rise in EPO at the lowest altitudes; and 3) there is marked individual variability in the erythropoietic response to altitude that is only partially explained by "upstream" physiological factors such as those reflecting O(2) delivery to EPO-producing tissues.

Non-NASA Center↗
DOE OSTI2023

Supply Chain Cybersecurity Recommendations for Solar Photovoltaics

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cybersecurity is a growing field of research. As deployments of solar PV has increased, cyber risk has also increased. However, utility solar PV installations are not required to comply with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) unless they meet a minimum generation threshold of 75 Megawatts (MW). Individual residential scale solar PV deployments will not meet that generation threshold and are therefore excluded from NERC CIP requirements. With most solar installations below 75MW, solar PV has been deployed with minimal oversight and highly variable cybersecurity maturity. The resources that make up the digital supply chain can include software, code, data, as well as other digital components. However as clean energy technology advances, cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities continue to evolve and grow in sophistication. Solar PV faces a unique challenge in which it can be deployed in residential buildings and purchased by a consumer directly. This makes the supply chain of PV a unique challenge, where responsible parties for cybersecurity vary widely depending on the type of solar PV being deployed. Supply chain cybersecurity for solar PV represents a critical area for ensuring safe operations as the U.S. moves towards a clean energy future.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1985

Addressable inverter matrix for process and device characterization

The addressable inverter matrix consists of 222 inverters each accessible with the aid of a shift register. The structure has proven useful in characterizing the variability of inverter transfer curves and in diagnosing processing faults. For good 3-micron CMOS bulk inverters investigated, the percent standard deviation of the inverter threshold voltage was less than one percent and the inverter gain (the slope of the inverter transfer curve at the inverter threshold vltage) was less than 3 percent. The average noise margin for the inverters was near 2 volts for a power supply voltage of 5 volts. The specific faults studied included undersize pull-down transistor widths and various open contacts in the matrix.

Buehler, M. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Melt infiltration of silicon carbide compacts. I - Study of infiltration dynamics

Countergravity, pressure-assisted infiltration with a 2014 Al alloy of suitably tamped porous compacts of platelet shaped single crystals of alpha (hexagonal) silicon carbide was used to measure particulate wettability and infiltration kinetics under dynamic conditions relevant to pressure casting of composites. A threshold pressure P(th) for ingression of the infiltrant was identified based on the experimental penetration length versus pressure profiles for a range of experimental variables which included infiltration pressure, infiltration time, SiC size and SiC surface chemistry. The results showed that P(th) decreased whereas the penetration length increased with increasing SiC size and infiltration time. Cu-coated SiC led to lower P(th) and larger penetration lengths compared to uncoated SiC under identical conditions. These observations have been discussed in the light of theoretical models of infiltration and the kinetics of wetting.

Asthana, Rajiv↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Using Coordinated, Multi-Agent Platforms for Dynamic Ocean Worlds Science

Planetary science missions have the opportunity to enhance science return through deployment of autonomous capabilities designed to dynamically respond to new information. Future outer solar system missions to ocean worlds in particular would benefit from this technology - intelligent science payloads (ISP) - because it would allow for a coordinated, near real-time response to ephemeral ‘events’ such as plumes, tectonism, surface implantation, volatile releases, thermal and magnetic anomalies, or radiation, as well as increasing the cadence and coverage of data collection. Prioritization and decision-making frameworks from ISP could be deployed at various scales - from analysis onboard a spacecraft with multiple instruments – to coordinated analyses among separate spacecraft in an e.g., distributed systems mission (DSM) composed of multiple SmallSats. Goddard’s Intelligent Science Payload team is developing an agile autonomous architecture for an icy ocean worlds DSM concept. Our goals are to coordinate data collection and onboard data analysis, and to make autonomous decisions for new data collection and analysis based on science priorities between multiple spacecraft with variable instrumentation and orbits. We use a range of data analysis tools to coordinate the DSM response, spanning from observations of data over a specified threshold to more computationally intensive machine learning algorithms (ML). ML algorithms here currently focus on determining the composition of an ocean world using mass spectrometry, and specifically methods for understanding ‘novelties’ and potential biosignatures. These algorithms could be used to quickly process and analyze onboard data that would be significantly delayed in downlink due to long communication delays for outer solar system missions in order to make dynamic science observations. Our ocean worlds case study ISP architecture is intended as an ‘agile’ and modular framework that could be used as a whole or as particular modules based on mission needs.

Distributed Systems↗
DOE OSTI2022

Performance Before and After Irradiation of Pixelated 3D Silicon Sensors for the HL-LHC CMS Tracker

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator at European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) will be shut down starting in 2026 to achieve the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) upgrade. The upgrade will allow for higher fluences, in order to increase the probability of detecting increasingly rare particles, and to obtain higher precision measurements of known particles. To accommodate the new accelerator conditions, many aspects of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector will be upgraded; of particular interest for this thesis are the silicon pixel detectors located in the inner tracker. These will be replaced and upgraded to accommodate the higher fluences of the HL-LHC upgrade, as well as to replace existing sensors which have sustained radiation damage. In order for the new sensors to operate under high luminosity conditions, they must be increasingly radiation hard, and in order to detect rare particles, they must be increasingly more precise. The performance of one Centro Nacional de Microelectronica (CNM) 3D silicon sensor before and after undergoing irradiation at fluences similar to those which will be observed at the HL-LHC was investigated to determine radiation hardness and precision. Data was collected at Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab), in the Fermi National Laboratory Test Beam Facility (FTBF) silicon tracker telescope, which can be used to determine the number of particles, and tracks made by high energy protons passing through. The sensor was also irradiated at Fermilab in the Irradiation Test Area (ITA). Prior to data collection a tuning procedure is carried out to determine ideal bias voltage operating conditions, mask noisy and dead pixels, adjust to the ideal threshold, and map sensor gain. Data is then collected at the FTBF, where the sensor is installed in the center of the FTBF silicon telescope. Variables, including angle and bias voltage, are varied throughout data collection. Data is then processed using an alignment software to determine the exact telescope geometry, along with the tracks which were observed passing through the sensor and telescope. Sensor performance was found to be comparable before and after irradiation, with irradiated results showing slightly lower efficiencies and cluster sizes. Position resolution is comparable both before and after irradiation, and similar distributions of cluster shape are observed. After irradiation, the sensor shows increasing collected charge with bias, an indication of increased width of the depletion region. Peak charge pre-irradiation is higher than post-irradiation peak charge, indicating the irradiated results are not taken under fully-depleted conditions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Comparison of Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Soil Dust Aerosols Over the Atlantic Ocean as Inferred by the Toms AI and AVHRR AOT Retrievals

The seasonal cycle and interannual variability of two estimates of soil (or 'mineral') dust aerosols are compared: Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) aerosol index (AI), Both data sets, comprising more than a decade of global, daily images, are commonly used to evaluate aerosol transport models. The present comparison is based upon monthly averages, constructed from daily images of each data set for the period between 1984 and 1990, a period that excludes contamination from volcanic eruptions. The comparison focuses upon the Northern Hemisphere subtropical Atlantic Ocean, where soil dust aerosols make the largest contribution to the aerosol load, and are assumed to dominate the variability of each data set. While each retrieval is sensitive to a different aerosol radiative property - absorption for the TOMS AI versus reflectance for the AVHRR AOT - the seasonal cycles of dust loading implied by each retrieval are consistent, if seasonal variations in the height of the aerosol layer are taken into account when interpreting the TOMS AI. On interannual time scales, the correlation is low at most locations. It is suggested that the poor interannual correlation is at least partly a consequence of data availability. When the monthly averages are constructed using only days common to both data sets, the correlation is substantially increased: this consistency suggests that both TOMS and AVHRR accurately measure the aerosol load in any given scene. However, the two retrievals have only a few days in common per month so that these restricted monthly averages have a large uncertainty. Calculations suggest that at least 7 to 10 daily images are needed to estimate reliably the average dust load during any particular month, a threshold that is rarely satisfied by the AVHRR AOT due to the presence of clouds in the domain. By rebinning each data set onto a coarser grid, the availability of the AVHRR AOT is increased during any particular month, along with its interannual correlation with the TOMS AI The latter easily exceeds the sampling threshold due to its greater ability to infer the aerosol load in the presence of clouds. Whether the TOMS AI should be regarded as a more reliable indicator of interannual variability depends upon the extent of contamination by sub-pixel clouds.

Cakmur, R. V.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Statistical properties of filaments in the cosmic web

ABSTRACT In the context of the cosmological and constrained Exploring the Local Universe with the reConstructed Initial Density field (ELUCID) simulation, this study explores the statistical characteristics of filaments within the cosmic web, focussing on aspects such as the distribution of filament lengths and their radial density profiles. Using the classification of the cosmic web environment through the Hessian matrix of the density field, our primary focus is on how cosmic structures react to the two variables $R_{\rm s}$ and $\lambda _{\rm th}$. The findings show that the volume fractions of knots, filaments, sheets, and voids are highly influenced by the threshold parameter $\lambda _{\rm th}$, with only a slight influence from the smoothing length $R_{\rm s}$. The central axis of the cylindrical filament is pinpointed using the medial-axis thinning algorithm of the COsmic Web Skeleton (COWS) method. It is observed that median filament lengths tend to increase as the smoothing lengths increase. Analysis of filament length functions at different values of $R_{\rm s}$ indicates a reduction in shorter filaments and an increase in longer filaments as $R_{\rm s}$ increases, peaking around $2.5R_{\rm s}$. The study also shows that the radial density profiles of filaments are markedly affected by the parameters $R_{\rm s}$ and $\lambda _{\rm th}$, showing a valley at approximately $2R_{\rm s}$, with increases in the threshold leading to higher amplitudes of the density profile. Moreover, shorter filaments tend to have denser profiles than their longer counterparts.

Zhang, Youcai (ORCID:0000000319674091)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Green edge emitting lasers with porous GaN cladding

GaN lasers with green emission wavelength at λ = 510 nm have been fabricated using novel nano-porous GaN cladding under pulsed electrical injection. The low slope efficiency of 0.13 W/A and high threshold current density of 14 kA/cm 2 are related to a combination of poor injection efficiency and high loss, analyzed by the independent characterization methods of variable stripe length and segmented contacts. Continuous wave operation showed narrowed spectra and augmented spontaneous emission.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1972

Accurate measurement of gas volumes by liquid displacement

Mariotte bottle as liquid displacement device was used to measure gas volumes at flow rates that are far below threshold of wet test gas meters. Study of factors affecting amount of liquid displaced by gas flow was completed, and equations were derived which relate different variables.

Christian, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A relation between ELF hiss amplitude and plasma density in the outer plasmasphere

Simultaneous observations of ELF hiss amplitude and plasma density on Ogo 5 have been investigated. Passes through the region of variable plasma density in the outer plasmasphere have yielded a quantitative relation between the hiss amplitude, the plasma density, and the plasma density corresponding to the threshold of wave detection. It is suggested that this dependence of wave amplitude on plasma density is a source effect and is related to the wave-particle interaction in the outer plasmasphere that gives rise to hiss.

Chan, K.-W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Coherent Doppler Lidar Data Products from Space-Based Platforms

Coherent Doppler lidar is a promising technique for the global measurements of winds using a space-based platform. Doppler lidar produces estimates of the radial component of the velocity vector averaged over the resolution volume of the measurement. Profiles of the horizontal vector winds are produced by scanning the lidar beam or stepping the lidar beam through a sequence of different angles (step-stare). The first design for space-based measurements proposed a conical scan which requires a high power laser to produce acceptable signal levels for every laser pulse. Performance is improved by fixing the laser beam and accumulating the signal from many lidar pulses for each range-gate. This also improves the spatial averaging of the wind estimates and reduces the threshold signal energy required for a good estimate. Coherent Doppler lidar performance for space-based operation is determined using computer simulations and including the wind variability over the measurement volume as well as the variations of the atmospheric aerosol backscatter.

Frehlich, Rod↗
NASA NTRS2012

Electrically-Active Convection in Tropical Easterly Waves and Implications for Tropical Cyclogenesis in the Atlantic and East Pacific

In this study, we investigate the characteristics of tropical easterly wave convection and the possible implications of convective structure on tropical cyclogenesis and intensification over the Atlantic Ocean and East Pacific using data from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Microwave Imager, Precipitation Radar (PR), and Lightning Imaging Sensor as well as infrared (IR) brightness temperature data from the NASA global-merged IR brightness temperature dataset. Easterly waves were partitioned into northerly, southerly, trough, and ridge phases based on the 700-hPa meridional wind from the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis dataset. Waves were subsequently divided according to whether they did or did not develop tropical cyclones (i.e., developing and nondeveloping, respectively), and developing waves were further subdivided according to development location. Finally, composites as a function of wave phase and category were created using the various datasets. Results suggest that the convective characteristics that best distinguish developing from nondeveloping waves vary according to where developing waves spawn tropical cyclones. For waves that developed a cyclone in the Atlantic basin, coverage by IR brightness temperatures .240 K and .210 K provide the best distinction between developing and nondeveloping waves. In contrast, several variables provide a significant distinction between nondeveloping waves and waves that develop cyclones over the East Pacific as these waves near their genesis location including IR threshold coverage, lightning flash rates, and low-level (<4.5 km) PR reflectivity. Results of this study may be used to help develop thresholds to better distinguish developing from nondeveloping waves and serve as another aid for tropical cyclogenesis forecasting.

Leppert, Kenneth D., II↗
NASA NTRS2013

Vandenberg Air Force Base Pressure Gradient Wind Study

Warning category winds can adversely impact day-to-day space lift operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. NASA's Launch Services Program and other programs at VAFB use wind forecasts issued by the 30 Operational Support Squadron Weather Flight (30 OSSWF) to determine if they need to limit activities or protect property such as a launch vehicle. The 30 OSSWF tasked the AMU to develop an automated Excel graphical user interface that includes pressure gradient thresholds between specific observing stations under different synoptic regimes to aid forecasters when issuing wind warnings. This required the AMU to determine if relationships between the variables existed.

Shafer, Jaclyn A.↗