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At least 361 records · Page 20

Factors Influencing Electric Bike Share Ridership: Analysis of Park City, Utah

In recent years, bike share programs have become more popular as they contribute to the move toward sustainable mobility in cities. Electric bike sharing, however, remains in the early stages of development. In contrast to traditional bikes, electric bicycles (e-bikes) provide an extra boost via an electric pedal-assist motor, thereby making it much easier to travel around a city with a hilly terrain, such as Park City, Utah. The Summit Bike Share system in Park City is the nation’s first fully electric bike share system (e-BSS). Based on an analysis of historical trip data of Summit Bike Share, this paper presents the system’s performance experience and evaluates user characteristics and travel behavior. A Poisson regression analysis is performed to investigate the factors that influence the e-bike share usage of this e-BSS. The regression results reveal that weather factors, including temperature and wind speed, significantly affect e-bike share usage. It was also found that weekends, summer months, high population density, proximity to public transit centers, recreational centers, and bike trails positively affect the demand for e-bikes. The findings of this paper can help the operators of Summit Bike Share to better understand their users and their e-BSS, while also providing a guide for other e-bike projects currently in the planning stages.

Engineering↗

Orthopyroxenes as recorders of diogenite petrogenesis: Major and minor element systematics

As a part of our research to better understand magmatic processes in the Eucrite Parent Body, we have initiated an ambitious program of study of major, minor and trace elements in orthopyroxene from diogenites. This paper reports preliminary results for major and minor elements in orthopyroxenes for a suite of 13 diogenites: Aioun El Atrouss, ALH 84001, ALH A 77256, EET 87530, Ellemeet, Garland, Ibbenburen, Johnstown, Manegoan, peckelsheim, Roda, Shalka, and Tatahouine. A companion paper by Shearer et al. reports new trace element data for ALH 84001, ALH A 77256, Ibbenburen, and Tatahouine. We have presently collected over 800 high quality pyroxene microprobe analyses for Si, Al, Ca, Na, Mn, Fe, Mg, Cr, and Ti. The chemical systematics observed for these orthopyroxenes reflect original magmatic mineral/melt partitioning plus later trapped liquid/mineral equilibration, subsolids, exsolution, and mineral/mineral metamorphic reactions. We have therefore avoided, at this point, any attempt to use statistical analysis to group (e.g. factor or cluster analysis) these orthopyroxenes chemically.

Papike, J. J.↗

Statistical Analysis of Instantaneous Frequency Scaling Factor as Derived From Optical Disdrometer Measurements At KQ Bands

The rain rate data and statistics of a location are often used in conjunction with models to predict rain attenuation. However, the true attenuation is a function not only of rain rate, but also of the drop size distribution (DSD). Generally, models utilize an average drop size distribution (Laws and Parsons or Marshall and Palmer. However, individual rain events may deviate from these models significantly if their DSD is not well approximated by the average. Therefore, characterizing the relationship between the DSD and attenuation is valuable in improving modeled predictions of rain attenuation statistics. The DSD may also be used to derive the instantaneous frequency scaling factor and thus validate frequency scaling models. Since June of 2014, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) have jointly conducted a propagation study in Milan, Italy utilizing the 20 and 40 GHz beacon signals of the Alphasat TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni payload. The Ka- and Q-band beacon receivers provide a direct measurement of the signal attenuation while concurrent weather instrumentation provides measurements of the atmospheric conditions at the receiver. Among these instruments is a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor (optical disdrometer) which yields droplet size distributions (DSD); this DSD information can be used to derive a scaling factor that scales the measured 20 GHz data to expected 40 GHz attenuation. Given the capability to both predict and directly observe 40 GHz attenuation, this site is uniquely situated to assess and characterize such predictions. Previous work using this data has examined the relationship between the measured drop-size distribution and the measured attenuation of the link]. The focus of this paper now turns to a deeper analysis of the scaling factor, including the prediction error as a function of attenuation level, correlation between the scaling factor and the rain rate, and the temporal variability of the drop size distribution both within a given rain event and across different varieties of rain events. Index Terms-drop size distribution, frequency scaling, propagation losses, radiowave propagation.

Statistics↗

Factorization for azimuthal asymmetries in SIDIS at next-to-leading power

Differential measurements of the semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) process with polarized beams provide important information on the three-dimensional structure of hadrons. Among the various observables are azimuthal asymmetries that start at subleading power, and which give access to novel transverse momentum dependent distributions (TMDs). Theoretical predictions for these distributions are currently based on the parton model rather than a rigorous factorization based analysis. Working under the assumption that leading power Glauber interactions do not spoil factorization at this order, we use the Soft Collinear Effective Theory to derive a complete factorization formula for power suppressed hard scattering effects in SIDIS. This yields generalized definitions of the TMDs that depend on two longitudinal momentum fractions (one of them only relevant beyond tree level), and a complete proof that only the same leading power soft function appears and can be absorbed into the TMD distributions at this order. We also show that perturbative corrections can be accounted for with only one new hard coefficient. Factorization formulae are given for all spin dependent structure functions which start at next-to-leading power. Prospects for improved subleading power predictions that include resummation are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Statistical Analysis of Instantaneous Frequency Scaling Factor as Derived From Optical Disdrometer Measurements At KQ Bands

The rain rate data and statistics of a location are often used in conjunction with models to predict rain attenuation. However, the true attenuation is a function not only of rain rate, but also of the drop size distribution (DSD). Generally, models utilize an average drop size distribution (Laws and Parsons or Marshall and Palmer [1]). However, individual rain events may deviate from these models significantly if their DSD is not well approximated by the average. Therefore, characterizing the relationship between the DSD and attenuation is valuable in improving modeled predictions of rain attenuation statistics. The DSD may also be used to derive the instantaneous frequency scaling factor and thus validate frequency scaling models. Since June of 2014, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) have jointly conducted a propagation study in Milan, Italy utilizing the 20 and 40 GHz beacon signals of the Alphasat TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni payload. The Ka- and Q-band beacon receivers provide a direct measurement of the signal attenuation while concurrent weather instrumentation provides measurements of the atmospheric conditions at the receiver. Among these instruments is a Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor (optical disdrometer) which yields droplet size distributions (DSD); this DSD information can be used to derive a scaling factor that scales the measured 20 GHz data to expected 40 GHz attenuation. Given the capability to both predict and directly observe 40 GHz attenuation, this site is uniquely situated to assess and characterize such predictions. Previous work using this data has examined the relationship between the measured drop-size distribution and the measured attenuation of the link [2]. The focus of this paper now turns to a deeper analysis of the scaling factor, including the prediction error as a function of attenuation level, correlation between the scaling factor and the rain rate, and the temporal variability of the drop size distribution both within a given rain event and across different varieties of rain events. Index Terms-drop size distribution, frequency scaling, propagation losses, radiowave propagation.

Radio Attenuation↗

A Decision-Relevant Factor-Fixing Framework: Application to Uncertainty Analysis of a High-Dimensional Water Quality Model

Factor Fixing (FF) is a common method for reducing the number of model parameters to lower computational cost. FF typically starts with distinguishing the insensitive parameters from the sensitive and pursues uncertainty quantification (UQ) on the resulting reduced-order model, fixing each insensitive parameter at a fixed value. There is a need, however, to expand such a common approach to consider the effects of decision choices in the FF-UQ procedure on metrics of interest. Therefore, to guide the use of FF and increase confidence in the resulting dimension-reduced model, we propose a new adaptive framework consisting of four principles: (a) re-parameterize the model first to reduce obvious non-identifiable parameter combinations, (b) focus on decision relevance especially with respect to errors in quantities of interest (QoI), (c) conduct adaptive evaluation and robustness assessment of errors in the QoI across FF choices as sample size increases, and (d) reconsider whether fixing is warranted. The framework is demonstrated on a spatially-distributed water quality model. The error in estimates of QoI caused by FF can be estimated using a Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) surrogate model. Built with 70 model runs, the surrogate is computationally inexpensive to evaluate and can provide global sensitivity indices for free. For the selected catchment, just two factors may provide an acceptably accurate estimate of model uncertainty in the average annual load of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), suggesting that reducing the uncertainty in these two parameters is a priority for future work before undertaking further formal uncertainty quantification.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Source Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE), located in southeastern New Mexico, experiences elevated ground-level ozone (O 3 ) exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 70 ppbv. It is situated adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil and gas (O&G) producing regions in the US. In 2019, the Carlsbad Caverns Air Quality Study (CarCavAQS) was conducted to examine impacts of different sources on ozone precursors, including nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we use positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of speciated VOCs to characterize VOC sources at CAVE during the study. Seven factors were identified. Three factors composed largely of alkanes and aromatics with different lifetimes were attributed to O&G development and production activities. VOCs in these factors were typical of those emitted by O&G operations. Associated residence time analyses (RTA) indicated their contributions increased in the park during periods of transport from the Permian Basin. These O&G factors were the largest contributor to VOC reactivity with hydroxyl radicals (62%). Two PMF factors were rich in photochemically generated secondary VOCs; one factor contained species with shorter atmospheric lifetimes and one with species with longer lifetimes. RTA of the secondary factors suggested impacts of O&G emissions from regions farther upwind, such as Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale formations. The last two factors were attributed to alkenes likely emitted from vehicles or other combustion sources in the Permian Basin and regional background VOCs, respectively.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Source characterization of volatile organic compounds at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE), located in southeastern New Mexico, experiences elevated ground-level ozone (O 3 ) exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 70 ppbv. It is situated adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil and gas (O&G) producing regions in the US. In 2019, the Carlsbad Caverns Air Quality Study (CarCavAQS) was conducted to examine impacts of different sources on ozone precursors, including nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we use positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of speciated VOCs to characterize VOC sources at CAVE during the study. Seven factors were identified. Three factors composed largely of alkanes and aromatics with different lifetimes were attributed to O&G development and production activities. VOCs in these factors were typical of those emitted by O&G operations. Associated residence time analyses (RTA) indicated their contributions increased in the park during periods of transport from the Permian Basin. These O&G factors were the largest contributor to VOC reactivity with hydroxyl radicals (62%). Two PMF factors were rich in photochemically generated secondary VOCs; one factor contained species with shorter atmospheric lifetimes and one with species with longer lifetimes. RTA of the secondary factors suggested impacts of O&G emissions from regions farther upwind, such as Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale formations. The last two factors were attributed to alkenes likely emitted from vehicles or other combustion sources in the Permian Basin and regional background VOCs, respectively. Implications: Carlsbad Caverns National Park experiences ground-level ozone exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Volatile organic compounds are critical precursors to ozone formation. Measurements in the Park identify oil and gas production and development activities as the major contributors to volatile organic compounds. Emissions from the adjacent Permian Basin contributed to increases in primary species that enhanced local ozone formation. Observations of photochemically generated compounds indicate that ozone was also transported from shale formations and basins farther upwind. Therefore, emission reductions of volatile organic compounds from oil and gas activities are important for mitigating elevated O 3 in the region.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Vestibular adaptation to space in monkeys

Otolith-induced eye movements of rhesus monkeys were studied before and after the 1989 COSMOS 2044 and the 1992 to 1993 COSMOS 2229 flights. Two animals flew in each mission for approximately 2 weeks. After flight, spatial orientation of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex was altered. In one animal the time constant of postrotatory nystagmus, which had been shortened by head tilts with regard to gravity before flight, was unaffected by the same head tilts after flight. In another animal, eye velocity, which tended to align with a gravitational axis before flight, moved toward a body axis after flight. This shift of orientation disappeared by 7 days after landing. After flight, the magnitude of compensatory ocular counter-rolling was reduced by about 70% in both dynamic and static tilts. Modulation in vergence in response to naso-occipital linear acceleration during off-vertical axis rotation was reduced by more than 50%. These changes persisted for 11 days after recovery. An up and down asymmetry of vertical nystagmus was diminished for 7 days. Gains of the semicircular canal-induced horizontal and vertical angular vestibulo-ocular reflexes were unaffected in both flights, but the gain of the roll angular vestibulo-ocular reflex was decreased. These data indicate that there are short- and long-term changes in otolith-induced eye movements after adaptation to microgravity. These experiments also demonstrate the unique value of the monkey as a model for studying effects of vestibular adaptation in space. Eye movements can be measured in three dimensions in response to controlled vestibular and visual stimulation, and the results are directly applicable to human beings. Studies in monkeys to determine how otolith afferent input and central processing is altered by adaptation to microgravity should be an essential component of future space-related research.

Cosmos 2229 Project↗

Carbon Capture, Transport, And Storage (CTS) Cost Modeling Of The Onshore Gulf Coast

The onshore Gulf of Mexico region presents significant opportunities for CO2 capture, transport, and storage due to its numerous CO2 sources, such as power plants, refineries, and its substantial CO2 storage potential. However, operators face critical decisions in designing an efficient and cost-effective CO2 pipeline network. This study examines the economic implications of two primary strategies: constructing a trunkline with excess initial capacity versus developing dedicated pipelines incrementally as new CO2 sources come online. Building a trunkline first offers the advantage of future-proofing the network, allowing for the accommodation of increased CO2 volumes from various sources over time. However, this approach incurs higher upfront costs and risks underutilizing the transport capacity in the initial stages, potentially resulting in economic inefficiencies. Conversely, constructing dedicated pipelines for each new CO2 source as it becomes operational may avoid the initial overcapacity issue but fails to capitalize on the economies of scale. This could lead to higher overall costs due to the duplication of infrastructure and increased complexity in network management. This research employs a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, integrating factors such as capital expenditure, operational costs, projected CO2 volumes, and potential economies of scale. Through this analysis, we aim to provide operators with insights into the most economically viable strategy for CO2 pipeline network design in the region. The findings underscore the importance of strategic planning and highlight the trade-offs between immediate capacity utilization and long-term cost savings, ultimately guiding stakeholders towards informed decision-making in the development of CO2 transport infrastructure. Presented at the 41st USAEE/IAEE North American Conference, 3-6 November 2024, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.

Shih, Chung Yan↗

An entrance region friction factor model applied to annular seal analysis - Theory versus experiment for smooth and honeycomb seals

A friction factor model is developed for the entrance-region of a duct. The model is used in an annular gas seal analysis similar to Nelson's (1984). Predictions of the analysis are compared to experimental results for a smooth-stator/smooth-rotor seal and three honeycomb-stator/smooth-rotor seals. The model predicts a leakage and direct damping well. The model overpredicts the dependence of cross-coupled stiffness on fluid prerotation. The model predicts direct stiffness poorly.

Elrod, D.↗

Chemical properties and single-particle mixing state of soot aerosol in Houston during the TRACER campaign

Abstract. A high-resolution soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) was used to selectively measure refractory black carbon (rBC) and its associated coating material using both the ensemble size-resolved mass spectral mode and the event trigger single particle (ETSP) mode in Houston, Texas, in summer 2022. This study was conducted as part of the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER) field campaign. The study revealed an average (±1σ) rBC concentration of 103 ± 176 ng m−3. Additionally, the coatings on the BC particles were primarily composed of organics (59 %; 219 ± 260 ng m−3) and sulfate (26 %; 94 ± 55 ng m−3). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the ensemble mass spectra of BC-containing particles resolved four distinct types of soot aerosol, including an oxidized organic aerosol (OOABC,PMF) factor associated with processed primary organic aerosol, an inorganic sulfate factor (SO4,BC,PMF), an oxidized rBC factor (O-BCPMF), and a mixed mineral dust–biomass burning aerosol factor with significant contribution from potassium (K-BBBC,PMF). Additionally, K-means clustering analysis of the single-particle mass spectra identified eight different clusters, including soot particles enriched in hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOABC,ETSP), sulfate (SO4,BC,ETSP), two types of rBC, OOA (OOABC,ETSP), chloride (ClBC,ETSP), and nitrate (NO3,BC,ETSP). The single-particle measurements demonstrate substantial variation in BC coating thickness with coating-to-rBC mass ratios ranging from 0.1 to 100. The mixing state index (χ), which denotes the degree of homogeneity of the soot aerosol, varied from 4 % to 94 % with a median of 40 %, indicating that the aerosol population lies in between internal and external mixing but has large temporal and source type variability. In addition, a significant fraction of BC-containing particles, a majority enriched with oxidized organics and sulfate, exhibit sufficiently high κ values and diameters conducive to activation as cloud nuclei under atmospherically relevant supersaturation conditions. This finding bears significance in comprehending the aging processes of rBC-containing particles and their activation into cloud droplets. Our analysis highlights the complex nature of soot aerosol and underscores the need to comprehend its variability across different environments for accurate assessment of climate change.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Human factors process failure modes and effects analysis (HF PFMEA) software tool

Methods, computer-readable media, and systems for automatically performing Human Factors Process Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for a process are provided. At least one task involved in a process is identified, where the task includes at least one human activity. The human activity is described using at least one verb. A human error potentially resulting from the human activity is automatically identified, the human error is related to the verb used in describing the task. A likelihood of occurrence, detection, and correction of the human error is identified. The severity of the effect of the human error is identified. The likelihood of occurrence, and the severity of the risk of potential harm is identified. The risk of potential harm is compared with a risk threshold to identify the appropriateness of corrective measures.

Chandler, Faith T.↗

Using NASTRAN To Analyze Vibrations Of Rotor Blades

Report gives information on use of NASTRAN computer program in finite-element analysis of rotating flexible blades like in compressors and on turboprop engines. Predicts steady-state components of deflections and stresses under centrifugal forces, generates data for plots of natural frequency versus rotational speed, and provides vibration-mode data for calculations of flutter. Describes use of NASTRAN solution sequence 64 for geometrical nonlinear analysis and solution sequence 63 for determination of frequencies and vibrational-mode shapes. Includes sample problem with NASTRAN input data. Emphasizes key factors in analysis of rotating blades, such as setting angle and centrifugal softening effects. Combined analyses of solution sequences 64 and 63 reduces computer time and number of output listings, in comparison with separate analyses. In central-processing-unit time cut in half.

Lawrence, Charles↗

Selecting an image analysis minicomputer system

Factors to be weighed when selecting a minicomputer system as the basis for an image analysis computer facility vary depending on whether the user organization procures a new computer or selects an existing facility to serve as an image analysis host. Some conditions not directly related to hardware or software should be considered such as the flexibility of the computer center staff, their encouragement of innovation, and the availability of the host processor to a broad spectrum of potential user organizations. Particular attention must be given to: image analysis software capability; the facilities of a potential host installation; the central processing unit; the operating system and languages; main memory; disk storage; tape drives; hardcopy output; and other peripherals. The operational environment, accessibility; resource limitations; and operational supports are important. Charges made for program execution and data storage must also be examined.

Danielson, R.↗