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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

The solar spectral irradiance between 150 and 200 nm

The absorption of solar photons controls the composition of the middle atmosphere. Concern about the effects of man's industrial activities on his environment has led to a number of long-term programs related to stratospheric photochemistry. An important part of these programs represents studies of the variability of the sun's solar spectral irradiance. A program to measure the solar ultraviolet flux, both within and outside the earth's atmosphere, has been in progress for a number of years. This program has the objective to develop techniques which would provide an absolute accuracy of at least 5 percent. The amount of satellite instrument degradation is determined on the basis of a comparison of data provided by these instruments with data obtained in connection with rocket flights. It was found that a significant decrease in the solar irradiance below 190 nm occurred between 1980 and 1981.

Mentall, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Optical variability and pigment biomass in the Sargasso Sea as determined using deep-sea optical mooring data

A 9-month time series of optical data, composed of three separate deployments, from the Biowatt 1987 deep-sea mooring located in the oligotrophic waters of the Sargasso Sea at 32 deg N, 70 deg W, is presented. These data were analyzed using several biooptical models for the purpose of providing a continuous estimate of the spectral diffuse attenuation coefficient and pigment biomass. Results of the first 70-day deployment demonstrate the utility of optical observations as proxy measures of biological parameters, and facilitate a preliminary analysis of the temporal variations and a comparison of the present biooptical observations with concurrent physical observations. Biooptical properties exhibit variation in response to physical forcings, such as diel variations of incident solar irradiance, episodic wind forcing, advective mesoscale eddy layer depth, and succession of phytoplankton. The mooring data are discussed in the context of contemporaneous shipboard observations as well as in terms of future ocean satellite observations.

Smith, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) Project Status

TSIS-1 studies the Sun's energy input to Earth and how solar variability affects climate. TSIS-1 will measure both the total amount of light that falls on Earth, known as the total solar irradiance (TSI), and how that light is distributed among ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths, called solar spectral irradiance (SSI). TSIS-1 will provide the most accurate measurements of sunlight and continue the long-term climate data record. TSIS-1 includes two instruments: the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) and the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), integrated into a single payload on the International Space Station (ISS). The TSIS-1 TIM and SIM instruments are upgraded versions of the two instruments that are flying on the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) mission launched in January 2003. NASA Goddard's TSIS project responsibilities include project management, system engineering, safety and mission assurance, and engineering oversight for TSIS-1. TSIS-1 was installed on the International Space Station in December 2017. At the end of the 90-day commissioning phase, responsibility for TSIS-1 operations transitions to the Earth Science Mission Operations (ESMO) project at Goddard for its 5-year operations. NASA contracts with the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) for the design, development and testing of TSIS-1, support for ISS integration, science operations of the TSIS-1 instrument, data processing, data evaluation, calibration and delivery to the Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

TSIS↗
NASA NTRS1979

Influence of clouds on UV-B penetration to the earth's surface

Radiometric measurements of cloud influence on ultraviolet B radiation (UV-B) were obtained. Mathematical models of the influence were defined to lay the groundwork for the construction of the global UV-B climatology from satellite determined ozone data. More refined measurements comparing UV-B radiation with total solar radiation were carried out. The cloudy case is referred to the cloudless sky irradiance and convenient transmission ratios are given An approach to the inversion of scattering data is summarized. An improved characterization of the UV-B radiation from a cloudless sky is also presented.

Green, A. E. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Effects of the August 1972 solar particle events on stratospheric ozone

High-energy proton data obtained by polar-orbiting satellite and several balloon flights are used to derive the spatial extent and ionization profiles of regions irradiated by the intense solar particle events (SPE) of August 1972. Backscattered ultraviolet ozone sensors on the Nimbus 4 satellite identified and tracked the polar ozone cavity created by particle ionization during the intense, ten-hour period of August 4, which persisted and rotated as a semirigid mass in an east-to-west direction during 53 days of continuous tracking. Time-dependent chemistry calculations have been performed to show the cause, magnitude, and temporal features of the ozone reduction. Attempts to verify the predicted temperature changes have been unsuccessful due to limitations in the temperature measurement techniques used.

Reagan, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Investigation of techniques for correcting ERTS data for solar and atmospheric effects

The author has identified the following significant results. A technique is described by which an ERTS investigator can obtain absolute target reflectances by correcting spacecraft radiance measurements for variable target irradiance, atmospheric attenuation, and atmospheric backscatter. A simple measuring instrument and the necessary atmospheric measurements are discussed, and examples demonstrate the nature and magnitude of the atmospheric corrections. Preliminary results indicate that the radiant power measuring instrument will provide one technique for calibrating ERTS-1 data. The March 27, 1973 mission was significant in the NASA C-130 aircraft and ERTS-1 simultaneously passed over the test sites where RPMI's were being deployed to measure solar and atmospheric parameters and site reflectance.

Rogers, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment (GEDEX). Selected data sets

This CD-ROM contains selected data sets compiled by the participants of the Greenhouse Effect Detection Experiment (GEDEX) workshop on atmospheric temperature. The data sets include surface, upper air, and/or satellite-derived measurements of temperature, solar irradiance, clouds, greenhouse gases, fluxes, albedo, aerosols, ozone, and water vapor, along with Southern Oscillation Indices and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation statistics.

Olsen, Lola M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Space Plasma Ion Processing of Ilmenite in the Lunar Soil: Insights from In-Situ TEM Ion Irradiation Experiments

Space weathering on the moon and asteroids results largely from the alteration of the outer surfaces of regolith grains by the combined effects of solar ion irradiation and other processes that include deposition of impact or sputter-derived vapors. Although no longer considered the sole driver of space weathering, solar ion irradiation remains a key part of the space weathering puzzle, and quantitative data on its effects on regolith minerals are still in short supply. For the lunar regolith, previous transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies performed by ourselves and others have uncovered altered rims on ilmenite (FeTiO3) grains that point to this phase as a unique "witness plate" for unraveling nanoscale space weathering processes. Most notably, the radiation processed portions of these ilmenite rims consistently have a crystalline structure, in contrast to radiation damaged rims on regolith silicates that are characteristically amorphous. While this has tended to support informal designation of ilmenite as a "radiation resistant" regolith mineral, there are to date no experimental data that directly and quantitatively compare ilmenite s response to ion radiation relative to lunar silicates. Such data are needed because the radiation processed rims on ilmenite grains, although crystalline, are microstructurally and chemically complex, and exhibit changes linked to the formation of nanophase Fe metal, a key space weathering process. We report here the first ion radiation processing study of ilmenite performed by in-situ means using the Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscope- Tandem Irradiation facility (IVEM-Tandem) at Argonne National Laboratory. The capability of this facility for performing real time TEM observations of samples concurrent with ion irradiation makes it uniquely suited for studying the dose-dependence of amorphization and other changes in irradiated samples.

Christoffersen, R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Simultaneous Retrieval of Aerosol Properties and Clear-Sky Direct Radiative Effect Over the Global Ocean from MODIS

A unified satellite algorithm is presented to simultaneously retrieve aerosol properties (aerosol optical depth; AOD and aerosol type) and clear-sky shortwave direct radiative effect (hereafter, DREA) over ocean. The algorithm is applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations for a period from 2003 to 2010 to assess the DREA over the global ocean. The simultaneous retrieval utilizes lookup table (LUT) containing both spectral reflectances and solar irradiances calculated using a single radiative transfer model with the same aerosol input data. This study finds that aerosols cool the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) and bottom-of-atmosphere (BOA) by 5.2 +/- 0.5 W/sq m and 8.3 W/sq m, respectively, and correspondingly warm the atmosphere (hereafter, ATM) by 3.1 W/sq m. These quantities, solely based on the MODIS observations, are consistent with those of previous studies incorporating chemical transport model simulations and satellite observations. However, the DREAs at BOA and ATM are expected to be less accurate compared to that of TOA due to low sensitivity in retrieving aerosol type information, which is related with the atmospheric heating by aerosols, particularly in low AOD conditions; consequently, the uncertainties could not be quantified. Despite the issue in the aerosol type information, the present method allows us to confine the DREA attributed only to fine-mode dominant aerosols, which are expected to be mostly anthropogenic origin, in the range from 1.1 W/sq m to 1.3 W/sq m at TOA. Improvements in size-resolved AOD and SSA retrievals from current and upcoming satellite instruments are suggested to better assess the DREA, particularly at BOA and ATM, where aerosol absorptivity induces substantial uncertainty.

MODIS↗
NASA NTRS1977

Solar panel acceptance testing using a pulsed solar simulator

Utilizing specific parameters as area of an individual cell, number in series and parallel, and established coefficient of current and voltage temperature dependence, a solar array irradiated with one solar constant at AMO and at ambient temperature can be characterized by a current-voltage curve for different intensities, temperatures, and even different configurations. Calibration techniques include: uniformity in area, depth and time, absolute and transfer irradiance standards, dynamic and functional check out procedures. Typical data are given for individual cell (2x2 cm) to complete flat solar array (5x5 feet) with 2660 cells and on cylindrical test items with up to 10,000 cells. The time and energy saving of such testing techniques are emphasized.

Hershey, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Engineering sciences area and module performance and failure analysis area

Photovoltaic-array/power-conditioner interface studies are updated. An experiment conducted to evaluate different operating-point strategies, such as constant voltage and pilot cells, and to determine array energy losses when the array is operated off the maximum power points is described. Initial results over a test period of three and a half weeks showed a 2% energy loss when the array is operated at a fixed voltage. Degraded-array studies conducted at NE RES that used a range of simulated common types of degraded I-V curves are reviewed. The instrumentation installed at the JPL field-test site to obtain the irradiance data was described. Experiments using an optical filter to adjust the spectral irradiance of the large-area pulsed solar simulator (LAPSS) to AM1.5 are described. Residential-array research activity is reviewed. Voltage isolation test results are described. Experiments performed on one type of module to determine the relationship between leakage current and temperature are reviewed. An encapsulated-cell testing approach is explained. The test program, data reduction methods, and initial results of long-duration module testing are described.

Ross, R. G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Variability of photosynthetically available and total solar irradiance at the surface during FIFE - A satellite description

The satellite method of Gautier et al. (1980) is applied to GOES-6 radiometer data to determine the availability of quantitative data on the temporal variability of photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and insolation. Comparisons with in situ measurements indicate that the modified satellite method yields insolation and PAR data with small biases and standard errors of 9 and 6.5 percent respectively. It is shown that large-scale satellite climatologies of insolation can be converted into climatologies of PAR to study photosynthetic activity on a global scale.

Frouin, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1985

LANDSAT-4 Thematic Mapper Calibration and Atmospheric Correction

The LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper, with its wide spectral coverage and digitization to 8 bits per word, is a large step forward in the direction of quantitative radiometry from the multispectral scanner (MSS). In order to utilize the quantitative accuracy built into the thematic mapper effectively, more attention must be paid to calibration before launch, changes of calibration with time in orbit, and atmospheric interference with the measurements, especially in the 450 to 520 nanometer band. Experience with the coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) program led to procedures wherein Rayleigh correction factors can be generated utilizing simultaneous surface truth data that empirically give correct upwelled surface radiances, despite errors in sensor calibration, solar spectral irradiance measurements, and reported values of Rayleigh optical depth. These techniques offer sensitive tests for change in calibration, especially at shorter wavelengths. Instruments, such as the CZCS, have shown that calibration changes first, and to the largest degree, at the shorter wavelengths, with lesser changes as wavelength increases. These techniques are utilized to calculate a Rayleigh correction factor that, together with geometric terms, should give an accurate correction for this portion of the atmospheric contribution to the signal.

Hovis, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Guidelines for the Selection of Near-Earth Thermal Environment Parameters for Spacecraft Design

Thermal analysis and design of Earth orbiting systems requires specification of three environmental thermal parameters: the direct solar irradiance, Earth's local albedo, and outgoing longwave radiance (OLR). In the early 1990s data sets from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment were analyzed on behalf of the Space Station Program to provide an accurate description of these parameters as a function of averaging time along the orbital path. This information, documented in SSP 30425 and, in more generic form in NASA/TM-4527, enabled the specification of the proper thermal parameters for systems of various thermal response time constants. However, working with the engineering community and SSP-30425 and TM-4527 products over a number of years revealed difficulties in interpretation and application of this material. For this reason it was decided to develop this guidelines document to help resolve these issues of practical application. In the process, the data were extensively reprocessed and a new computer code, the Simple Thermal Environment Model (STEM) was developed to simplify the process of selecting the parameters for input into extreme hot and cold thermal analyses and design specifications. In the process, greatly improved values for the cold case OLR values for high inclination orbits were derived. Thermal parameters for satellites in low, medium, and high inclination low-Earth orbit and with various system thermal time constraints are recommended for analysis of extreme hot and cold conditions. Practical information as to the interpretation and application of the information and an introduction to the STEM are included. Complete documentation for STEM is found in the user's manual, in preparation.

Anderson, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Environment Partitioning and Reactivity of Polybrominated Diphenylethers

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are an important class of flame retardants. Annual global demand for these compounds was over 67,000 metric tons in 2001. PBDEs have recently been extensively investigated as environmental contaminants because they have been detected in air, sediment, and tissue samples from urban and remote areas. Important issues include quantifying PBDE partitioning in various environmental compartments, and elucidating transformation pathways. The partitioning of PBDE congeners to aerosols was estimated for 16 sites in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The aerosol particles were PM2.5, the total suspended particle (TSP) concentration varied between 3.0 - 55.4 micro g/cubic meter, and the organic fraction ranged from 11 - 41%; these data are published values for each site. It is estimated that the largest fraction of each PBDE associated with the aerosol particles occurs in Mexico City, and the smallest fraction in Colorado Plateau. Although the organic fraction in Mexico City is about 60% of that observed in the Colorado Plateau, the TSP is larger by a factor of about 18.5, and it is the difference in TSP that strongly influences the fraction of particle-bound PBDE in this case. PBDE partitioning to PM2.5 particles also varies seasonally because of temperature variations. For the less brominated congeners the percentage that is particle-bound is relatively low, regardless of air temperature. In contrast, the heavier congeners exhibit a significant temperature dependence: as the temperature decreases (fall, winter) the percentage of PBDE that is particle-bound increases. The partitioning calculations complement experimental data indicating that decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE) dissolved in hexane transforms very rapidly when irradiated with solar light. DBDE is the most highly brominated PBDE congener (10 bromine atoms) and occurs in the commercial formulation which is subject to the largest global demand.

Hua, Inez↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Hourly GHI, DHI and DNI: Intercomparison of the CERES-Based Data and the NSRDB Data through Comparison with the Ground-Based BSRN Data

The NASA Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) SYN1deg(Ed4.1) provides hourly global horizontal irradiance (GHI), diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) and direct horizontal irradiance (DirHI) at 1-degree latitude by 1-degree longitude resolution, and the time span is from March 2000 to near present. While the GHI agrees well with the ground-based Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) data, the DHI and DirHI are, respectively, positively and negatively biased against the BSRN data, and so is the direct normal irradiance (DNI) derived simply by dividing the DirHI by the cosine of the hourly solar zenith angle (SZA). We found that the biases tend to be well-defined functions of cos(SZA) and the cloud fraction (CLFR). We thus performed a bias-correction on the hourly DHI and DNI in the latitude-cos(SZA)-CLFR phase space, and therefrom, we derived the hourly global tilted irradiance (GTI) at a number of tilt angles using the isotropic diffuse irradiance model, and the results agree well with the GTI derived from the original BSRN near-instantaneous records. Meanwhile, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has produced the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) with finer spatiotemporal resolution using its Physical Solar Model (PSM) and surface-based measured data, model results and satellite-based data as inputs. Now the NSRDB data covers not only the United States and its neighboring regions, but Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The available temporal resolutions are 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes and the spatial resolutions are 2, 4 and 10 km, depending on the selected region. In this presentation, we compare both the CERES-based and NSRDB GHI, DHI and DNI with their BSRN counterparts and show how finer spatial resolution may give us an advantage in data accuracy and usability.

Taiping Zhang↗
NASA NTRS2021

The Effect of Missing Groups in the Calculation of the Solar Irradiance Deficit: Analysis of the Sunspot Areas from the SOON Network

Sunspot areas are one of the most important indices of solar activity. To obtain an extended time series covering multiple solar cycles one must combine data from different observatories after a proper comparison and calibration of the individual data sets. We compare the daily and group values of sunspot areas provided by the different stations from the Solar Optical Observing Network, SOON, which are determined using similar instruments and techniques. We investigate if there are systematic differences among the stations and whether the differences in the daily values can be attributed to missing groups in the records or errors in the measurements. We find significant differences among the stations of the SOON network in terms of sizes (average daily and group values), quality of observations and coverage (considering number of missing groups and data gaps). Our results indicate that calibration factors for daily values can be used with confidence to combine data sets from different stations. However, for some applications which require the location of the sunspot groups the same correction factors should not be used. We estimate the irradiance deficit due to sunspot through the Photometric Sunspot Index and compare the output from similar data sets to quantify the effect of missing groups. We find differences as high as 150 ppm during the maximum of solar cycle. The effect increases for sunspot groups near the center of the disk accounting for about 80% of the observed differences.

Luis Leuzzi↗
NASA NTRS1999

Development of Prototype Micro-Lidar using Narrow Linewidth Semiconductor Lasers for Mars Boundary Layer Wind and Dust Opacity Profiles

We have developed a compact Doppler lidar concept which utilizes recent developments in semiconductor diode laser technology in order to be considered suitable for wind and dust opacity profiling in the Mars lower atmosphere from a surface location. The current understanding of the Mars global climate and meteorology is very limited, with only sparse, near-surface data available from the Viking and Mars Pathfinder landers, supplemented by long-range remote sensing of the Martian atmosphere. The in situ measurements from a lander-based Doppler lidar would provide a unique dataset particularly for the boundary layer. The coupling of the radiative properties of the lower atmosphere with the dynamics involves the radiative absorption and scattering effects of the wind-driven dust. Variability in solar irradiance, on diurnal and seasonal time scales, drives vertical mixing and PBL (planetary boundary layer) thickness. The lidar data will also contribute to an understanding of the impact of wind-driven dust on lander and rover operations and lifetime through an improvement in our understanding of Mars climatology. In this paper we discuss the Mars lidar concept, and the development of a laboratory prototype for performance studies, using, local boundary layer and topographic target measurements.

Menzies, Robert T.↗