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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 397 records · Page 22

End Use Load Profile (EULP) of US Building Sector resulting from mass GHP retrofits

This collection of datasets describes the change (difference) in hourly energy consumption of the U.S. residential and commercial building stock while replacing existing HVAC systems with ground source heat pumps for all the balancing areas in the US, for all buildings eligible for ground source heat pump replacement. Additional county-level data may be requested from the DOE Project Lead.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Analysis of the inter-species power balance in JET plasmas

Most auxiliary heating methods provide heating to more than one particle species (electrons, ions, impurities) in a fusion plasma. This can lead to substantial temperature differences between species, depending on conditions such as heating power to the different species and collisionality, with temperature differences between species limited by inter-species thermal equipartition and transport. The analysis of the steady-state electron-ion and impurity-ion power balances presented in this paper are used for consistency-checking experimental ion and electron temperature measurements and for inferring the main ion temperature from measured impurity temperatures. As ion temperature measurements by charge exchange spectroscopy (CXS) based on impurity ions have become more difficult and time-consuming since the installation of the ITER-like wall (ILW) with Be and W PFC's, knowing the maximum sustainable temperature difference between ions and electrons, |T i -T e | allows rejecting erroneous measurements. It also obviates the need for an ion temperature measurement, if an electron temperature measurement is available and |T i - T e | cannot be larger than the combined errors of the underlying measurements. A power balance analysis is also required for estimating the errors of the ion and electron heat fluxes prior to any species-resolved transport analysis. The ion-impurity temperature differences are usually found to be small due to strong thermal equipartition between ion species. However, they can approach 10% in JET-ILW low density, high power discharges, such the ones under development for a future JET deuterium–tritium campaign (Joffrin et al 2019 Nucl. Fusion). This has a generally small, but not always negligible effect on the calculation of fusion reaction rates, which depend on main ion temperatures. An important outcome of this analysis is that temperature differences between impurity species are always much smaller than between the impurities and hydrogenic species and can usually be neglected. The article presents two methods for calculating the impurity-to-main ion temperature ratio. Finally, this analysis leads to a method for the reconstruction ion temperature profiles from ion temperature data available at only one or a small number of spatial locations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Contributions to regional precipitation change and its polar-amplified pattern under warming

Abstract The polar regions are predicted to experience the largest relative change in precipitation in response to increased greenhouse-gas concentrations, where a substantial absolute increase in precipitation coincides with small precipitation rates in the present-day climate. The reasons for this amplification, however, are still debated. Here, we use an atmospheric energy budget to decompose regional precipitation change from climate models under greenhouse-gas forcing into contributions from atmospheric radiative feedbacks, dry-static energy flux divergence changes, and surface sensible heat flux changes. The polar-amplified relative precipitation change is shown to be a consequence of the Planck feedback, which, when combined with larger polar warming, favors substantial atmospheric radiative cooling that balances increases in latent heat release from precipitation. Changes in the dry-static energy flux divergence contribute modestly to the polar-amplified pattern. Additional contributions to the polar-amplified response come, in the Arctic, from the cloud feedback and, in the Antarctic, from both the cloud and water vapor feedbacks. The primary contributor to the intermodel spread in the relative precipitation change in the polar region is also the Planck feedback, with the lapse rate feedback and dry-static energy flux divergence changes playing secondary roles. For all regions, there are strong covariances between radiative feedbacks and changes in the dry-static energy flux divergence that impact the intermodel spread. These results imply that constraining regional precipitation change, particularly in the polar regions, will require constraining not only individual feedbacks but also the covariances between radiative feedbacks and atmospheric energy transport.

Bonan, David B. (ORCID:0000000338676009)↗

Model calculations of the dayside ionosphere of Venus - Energetics

A model of the energy balance of the dayside ionosphere of Venus is presented. Calculations of the dayside electron and ion temperature profiles are carried out and compared with data from experiments on the Pioneer Venus orbiter. The coupled heat conduction equations for electrons and ions are solved for several values of the solar zenith angle. It is shown that thermal conductivities are inhibited by the presence of a horizontal magnetic field. A realistic model of the magnetic field that includes fluctuations is employed in deriving an appropriate expression for the thermal conductivity. The contributions of photoelectrons, ion chemistry, Joule heating, and solar wind heating to the energy balance of the ionosphere are considered.

Cravens, T. E.↗

Non-linear dependence of ion heat flux on plasma density at the L–H transition of JET NBI-heated deuterium–tritium plasmas

Abstract Recent JET D–T campaigns opened the possibility of unique isotope studies to investigate the L–H transition physics in view of reactor plasmas and to study the origin of the observed power threshold minimum. In the present paper, we characterise L–H transitions in the low and high-density branches of JET NBI-heated D–T plasmas. As discussed in the paper, L–H transition has been hypothesised to be determined by the transport power losses of plasma ions, i.e. the so-called ion heat flux ( Q i ). We present the first power balance analysis of JET NBI-heated D–T plasmas to evaluate the ion heat flux at the transition. Due to the experimental setting being similar to previous JET D experiments, we also directly compare the results, discussing the isotope effect and similarities between datasets. First, we find an isotope effect between D and D–T Q i , with a lower Q i in D–T plasmas. We confirm that the ion heat flux deviates from density linearity compared to the linear trend observed in wave-heated D plasmas of other tokamaks. The deviation we observe in NBI-heated L–H transitions happens at an isotope-dependent density. Plasma edge rotation correlates with Q i deviation from density linearity in the low-density branch. However, further investigations would be required to assess the role of rotation on Q i and the power threshold minimum at JET. At low plasma density, NBI power dominates Q i , while increasing the density makes the equipartition power dominant. We finally compare our results with hypotheses proposed from evidence in other tokamaks to present a complete overview of ion heat flux analyses in D and D–T NBI-heated plasmas at JET.

Vincenzi, P. (ORCID:0000000251564354)↗

Net radiation, sensible and latent heat flux densities on slopes computed by the energy balance method

Energy balance components obtained over five grass-covered sloping surfaces near Manhattan, KS, using the Bowen ratio energy balance technique with the instruments mounted horizontally were compared with calculated values when the instruments were mounted parallel to the surfaces. Hourly values of the components changed when the instruments were parallel to the surfaces. The changes were larger at low solar angles (spring and fall) and on steeper slopes. An area average of daylight totals, assuming that all aspects were equally represented, changed only 0.1 percent on June 6 and 2.3 percent on October 11. The calculations, extended to steeper slopes, indicated small changes in the daylight totals for slopes of less than 10 deg.

Fritschen, Leo↗

Cloud Ozone Dust Imager (CODI): Investigation and Technical Plan - Volume 1

The Cloud Ozone Dust Imager (CODI) is proposed to investigate the current climatic balance of the Mars atmosphere, with particular emphasis on the important but poorly understood roles which dust and water ice aerosols play in this balance. The large atmospheric heating (20-50 K) resulting from global dust storms around Mars perihelion is well recognized. However, groundbased observations of Mars atmospheric temperatures, water vapor, and clouds since the Viking missions have identified a much colder, cloudier atmosphere around Mars aphelion that may prove as important as global dust storms in determining the interannual and long-term behavior of the Mars climate. The key climate issues CODI is designed to investigate are: 1) the degree to which non-linear interactions between atmospheric dust heating, water vapor saturation, and cloud nucleation influence the seasonal and interannual variability of the Mars atmosphere, and 2) whether the strong orbital forcing of atmospheric dust loading, temperatures and water vapor saturation determines the long-term balance of Mars water, as reflected in the north-south hemispheric asymmetries of atmospheric water vapor and polar water ice abundances. The CODI experiment will measure the daily, seasonal and (potentially) interannual variability of atmospheric dust and cloud opacities, and the key physical properties of these aerosols which determine their role in the climate cycles of Mars. CODI is a small (1.2 kg), fixed pointing camera, in which four wide-angle (+/- 70 deg) lenses illuminate fixed filters and CCD arrays. Simultaneous sky/surface imaging of Mars is obtained at an angular resolution of 0.28 deg/pixel for wavelengths of 255, 336, 502, and 673 nm (similar to Hubble Space Telescope filters). These wavelengths serve to measure atmospheric ozone (255 and 336 nm), discriminate ice and dust aerosols (336 and 673 nm), and construct color images (336, 502, and 673 nm). The CODI images are detected on four 512 x 512 pixel arrays, as partitioned on two 1024 x 1024 CCD's operated in frame transfer mode. The center of the CODI field-of-view is canted 40 deg from the zenith direction to obtain sky brightness measurements and a 20 deg surface field-of-view. Daily image observations will be conducted when the Sun is greater than or equal to 5 deg outside the edge of the CODI field-of-view, and twilight and nighttime imaging will obtained on a weekly basis. The 673 nm channel includes a polarizer wheel to obtain sky/surface polarimetry. A dust cover protects the entire lens assemblies of all four CODI channels. This opaque dust cover, which is normally opened for CODI imaging, includes a small fixed mirror and transparent window positioned above the 673 nm lens, to redirect the 673 nm field-of-view to the surface for descent imaging. Fixed pointing, internal data buffering, low operating power (2-4 W for less than or equal to 30 seconds), selective data transmission, and simple operational characteristics of the CODI experiment place minimum resource and operational demands on the Mars Surveyor 1998 lander. The CODI science goals are optimized for, but not restricted to, a low-latitude landing site (20 deg S-30 deg N). The primary CODI measurement objectives are the opacities, wave forms, particle properties (size, shape, and alignment), and heights of clouds; the opacities, particle properties, and vertical distribution of dust; and the opacity and vertical distribution of ozone. The variability of cloud, ozone, and dust opacities will be determined on diurnal, daily, and seasonal timescales. Wind velocities will be determined from cloud motions and wave characteristics; and the temporal variability of atmospheric water vapor, with limited altitude information, will be inferred from the CODI ozone observations. Secondary measurement objectives include limited descent imaging capability, surface uv-visible photometry and polarimetry, photochemistry, and meteorite infall rates.

Clancy, R. Todd↗

Fuel Cell Thermal Management Through Conductive Cooling Plates

An analysis was performed to evaluate the concept of utilizing conductive cooling plates to remove heat from a fuel cell stack, as opposed to a conventional internal cooling loop. The potential advantages of this type of cooling system are reduced stack complexity and weight and increased reliability through the reduction of the number of internal fluid seals. The conductive cooling plates would extract heat from the stack transferring it to an external coolant loop. The analysis was performed to determine the required thickness of these plates. The analysis was based on an energy balance between the thermal energy produced within the stack and the heat removal from the cooling plates. To accomplish the energy balance, the heat flow into and along the plates to the cooling fluid was modeled. Results were generated for various numbers of cells being cooled by a single cooling plate. The results provided cooling plate thickness, mass, and operating temperature of the plates. It was determined that utilizing high-conductivity pyrolitic graphite cooling plates can provide a specific cooling capacity (W/kg) equivalent to or potentially greater than a conventional internal cooling loop system.

Colozza, Anthony J.↗

The constraint of plasma power balance on runaway avoidance

Abstract In a post-thermal-quench plasma, mitigated or unmitigated, the plasma power balance is mostly between collisional or Ohmic heating and plasma radiative cooling. In a plasma of atomic mixture { n α } with α labeling the atomic species, the power balance sets the plasma temperature, ion charge state distribution { n α i } with i the charge number, and through the electron temperature T e and ion charge state distribution { n α i } , the parallel electric field E ∥ . Since the threshold electric field for runaway avalanche growth E a v is also set by the atomic mixture, ion charge state distribution and its derived quantity, the electron density n e , the plasma power balance between Ohmic heating and radiative cooling imposes a stringent constraint on the plasma regime for avoiding and minimizing runaways when a fusion-grade tokamak plasma is rapidly terminated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Bering Strait Ocean Heat Transport Drives Decadal Arctic Variability in a High‐Resolution Climate Model

Abstract We investigate the role of ocean heat transport (OHT) in driving the decadal variability of the Arctic climate by analyzing the pre‐industrial control simulation of a high‐resolution climate model. While the OHT variability at 65°N is greater in the Atlantic, we find that the decadal variability of Arctic‐wide surface temperature and sea ice area is much better correlated with Bering Strait OHT than Atlantic OHT. In particular, decadal Bering Strait OHT variability causes significant changes in local sea ice cover and air‐sea heat fluxes, which are amplified by shortwave feedbacks. These heat flux anomalies are regionally balanced by longwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere, without compensation by atmospheric heat transport (Bjerknes compensation). The sensitivity of the Arctic to changes in OHT may thus rely on an accurate representation of the heat transport through the Bering Strait, which is difficult to resolve in coarse‐resolution ocean models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

The influence of advanced processing on PWA 1480

High thermal gradient casting of PWA 1480 was evaluated as an avenue for reducing the size of casting porosity. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was also employed for the elimination of casting pores. An alternate to the standard PWA 1480 coating plus diffusion bonding aging heat treatment cycle was also evaluated for potential improvements in the properties of interest to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) application. Microstructural changes associated with the high thermal gradient casting process were quantified by measurement of the size and density of the casting porosity, the amount of retained casting eutectic, and dendrite arm spacings. The results of the advanced processing have shown an improvement in material microstructure due to high thermal gradient casting. Improved homogeneity of PWA 1480 is advantageous in providing an improved solution heat treatment window and, potentially, easier HIP. High thermal gradient casting improves fatigue life by reducing casting pore size. The alternate heat treatment improves the balance of strength and ductility which appears to improve low cycle fatigue life, but with a reduction in short time stress rupture life. Based upon these tests, hot isostatic pressing appears to afford further improvements in cyclic life, though additional evaluation is suggested. Development of the alternate heat treatment is not recommended due to the reduced stress rupture capability and the need to develop a new properties data base. High thermal gradient casting and HIP are recommended for application to single crystal castings.

Fritzemeier, L. G.↗

Heat transfer optimization of uo 2 -mo fuel using genetic algorithms

Two genetic algorithm (GA) methods were applied to thermal finite element models to optimize the heat transfer efficacy of a UO 2 -Mo composite fuel pellet with typical pressurized water reactor fuel geometry. Mo additions to UO 2 have been shown to increase the thermal conductivity, thus reducing centerline temperatures and temperature gradients. Previous studies evaluated uniformly dispersed Mo or continuous Mo internal geometries (e.g., fins, plates, discs) that were selected using engineering intuition. The current study uses two different implementations of the same GA to optimize Mo placement and minimize the fuel temperature with the only constraint being a maximum 10% Mo volume fraction. One approach superimposed Mo line elements onto the monolithic UO 2 pellet model, and the other converted entire UO 2 volume elements to Mo. The former method generated 1D heat transfer connections between nodes, whereas the latter method allowed for the formation of 3D structures. Features of the optimal fuel design produced by the GAs included dispersed Mo near the centerline that shifted the peak fuel temperature outward by 0.6 mm, Mo chains in the high-heat-flux region in the mid-to-outer radial zone, and a large continuous structure that spanned the full radius and height of the pellet and accounted for 87.7 % of the total Mo in the pellet. Analysis of this design indicates that the optimal Mo configuration is a balance between creating continuous heat transfer pathways and optimally dispersing Mo to minimize the heat transfer distance through UO 2 . This architecture ultimately produced an effective thermal conductivity of 11.3 W/m·K under the assumed boundary conditions. This result is higher than any previous values from the literature. In conclusion, potential fabrication methods and challenges are discussed in addition to the implications on fuel performance.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Where Are White Roofs More Effective in Cooling the Surface?

Solar reflective roofs (also called white or cool roofs) are a common heat mitigation strategy. By reflecting more sunlight than regular roofs, cool roofs experience lower surface temperatures and produce less heating of the surrounding air. The effectiveness of cool roofs, quantified by the surface temperature difference between cool roofs and regular roofs ??????, is known to vary spatially. A common perception is that ?????? is controlled by solar radiation that reaches the roof surface. Here we use an Earth System Model and a surface energy balance model to show that the spatial variability of ??????, when normalized by the albedo difference between cool roofs and regular roofs (????), is in fact more controlled by an energy distribution factor that encodes the efficiencies of surface energy balance components in dissipating heat. Our results suggest that painting the roof white is more effective in reducing the roof surface temperature when the roof has less water holding capacity and smaller thermal admittance and is located in places with more solar radiation, less precipitation, and lower wind speed.

Wang, Linying↗

Effects of anisotropic heat conduction on solidification

Two-dimensional solidification influenced by anisotropic heat conduction has been considered. The interfacial energy balance was derived to account for the heat transfer in one direction (x or y) depending on the temperature gradient in both the x and y directions. A parametric study was made to determine the effects of the Stefan number, aspect ratio, initial superheat, and thermal conductivity ratios on the solidification rate. Because of the imposed boundary conditions, the interface became skewed and sometimes was not a straight line between the interface position at the upper and lower adiabatic walls (spatially nonlinear along the height). This skewness depends on the thermal conductivity ratio k(yy)/k(yx). The nonlinearity of the interface is influenced by the solidification rate, aspect ratio, and k(yy/k(yx).

Weaver, J. A.↗

A rigorous physics-based enhanced parameter estimation (EPE) methodology for calibration of building energy simulations

Buildings rarely perform as designed/simulated and there are numerous tangible benefits if this gap is reconciled. A new scientifically rigorous yet pragmatic methodology for calibrating building energy simulations - called Enhanced Parameter Estimation (EPE) - is proposed that allows physically relevant parameter estimation rather than a blind force-fit to energy use data. Starting with a rapidly created simulation model, calibration is performed in two stages: (a) building shell calibration with the HVAC system replaced by an ideal system that meets the loads (b) HVAC system calibration with the building shell and all internal loads replaced by a box with only process loads. In the first stage, EPE identifies a small number of high-level heat flows in the energy balance, calculates them with specifically tailored individual driving functions, introduces physically significant parameters to best accomplish energy balance, and, estimates the parameters and their uncertainty bounds. Calibration is thus done with corrective heat flows without any arbitrary tuning of input parameters. Calibration accuracy is enhanced by machine learning of the residual errors. The EPE methodology is demonstrated by means of: a synthetic building and an actual 75,000 sq. ft. building in Pennsylvania. Future work needed for widespread application is discussed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Convective heating and precipitation estimates for the tropical South Pacific during FGGE, 10-18 January 1979

Heat and moisture budgets are computed during part of the FGGE Special Observing Period-1 for an area containing the South Pacific convergence zone, deriving 12-hour precipitation rate estimates as residuals and comparing them with those derived from a GOES IR technique. Heat budget estimates are generally in good agreement with the IR estimates; the axis of maximum precipitation derived from tne heat budget is well aligned with the lowest values of outgoing long wave excitation, which represent high, cold cloud tops resulting from deep cumulus convection. The vertical advection term is found to be the dominant term in the heat budget; this, together with radiative cooling, yields the approximate balance between adiabatic cooling and diabatic heating.

Miller, Bernard L.↗

Development of a Solar Heat and Power Co-Generation System. Final Report, CRADA No. TC02152.0

Final Report, CRADA No. TC02152.0. Date Technical Work Ended: October 28, 2013. This was a collaborative effort between Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Tassajara Technologies, Inc. (TTI), to develop, fabricate and demonstrate a Solar Heat and Power Co-generation System. The technical objectives of this CRADA were to engineer, design and build a prototype Solar Thermal Process Heat and Power Demonstration System that would be suitable for use at the Arc of Hilo food processing facility. This would be accomplished in two phases. The first phase would entail the building of a prototype at Tassajara facilities. Base design parameters, including the subsystem interactions that would produce reliable performance at the lowest cost per watt of energy generated with the desired balance of power and heat to meet the requirements of the designated food processing applications from Arc of Hilo, would be provided by LLNL. The data and design development would be integrated into the second phase engine prototype and solar thermal system that would be built and delivered, with interface requirements to the Miko Building. This project was originally designated as an eight (8) month project. However, it was ultimately extended by an additional thirty-five (35) months, for total project duration of forty-three (43) months.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗