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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Thermoelectric Air/Soil Energy-Harvesting Device

A proposed thermoelectric device would exploit natural temperature differences between air and soil to harvest small amounts of electric energy. Because the air/soil temperature difference fluctuates between nighttime and daytime, it is almost never zero, and so there is almost always some energy available for harvesting. Unlike photovoltaic cells, the proposed device could operate in the absence of sunlight. Unlike a Stirling engine, which could be designed to extract energy from the air/soil temperature difference, the proposed device would contain no moving parts. The main attractive feature of the proposed device would be high reliability. In a typical application, this device would be used for low-power charging of a battery that would, in turn, supply high power at brief, infrequent intervals for operating an instrumentation package containing sensors and communication circuits. The device (see figure) would include a heat exchanger buried in soil and connected to a heat pipe extending up to a short distance above the ground surface. A thermoelectric microgenerator (TEMG) would be mounted on top of the heat pipe. The TEMG could be of an advanced type, now under development, that could maintain high (relative to prior thermoelectric generators) power densities at small temperature differentials. A heat exchanger exposed to the air would be mounted on top of the TEMG. It would not matter whether the air was warmer than the soil or the soil warmer than the air: as long as there was a nonzero temperature difference, heat would flow through the device and electricity would be generated. A study of factors that could affect the design and operation of the device has been performed. These factors include the thermal conductances of the soil, the components of the device, the contacts between the components of the device, and the interfaces between the heat exchangers and their environments. The study included experiments that were performed on a model of the device to demonstrate feasibility. Because a TEMG suitable for this device was not available, a brass dummy component having a known thermal conductance of 1.68 W/K was substituted for the TEMG in the models to enable measurement of heat flows. The model included a water-based heat pipe 30 in. (76.2 cm) long and 1 in. (2.54 cm) in diameter, wrapped with polyethylene insulation to reduce radial heat flow. Several different side heat exchangers were tested. On the basis of the measurements, it was predicted that if a prototype of the device were equipped with a TEMG, daily temperature fluctuations would cause its output power to fluctuate between 0 and about 0.1 mW, peaking to 0.35 mW during early afternoon.

Snyder, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS1979

Chemical and physical microenvironments at the Viking landing sites

Physical and chemical considerations permit the division of the near-surface regolith on Mars into at least six zones of distinct microenvironments. The zones are euphotic, duricrust/peds, tempofrost, permafrost, endolithic, and interfacial/transitional. Microenvironments vary significantly in temperature extremes, mean temperature, salt content, relative pressure of water vapor, UV and visible light irradiance, and exposure to ionizing radiation events (100 Mrad) and oxidative molecular species. From what is known of the chemistry of the atmosphere and regolith fines (soil), limits upon the aqueous chemistry of soil pastes may be estimated. Heat of wetting could reach 45 cal/g dry soil; initial pH is indeterminate between 1 and 10; ionic strength and salinity are predicted to be extremely high; freezing point depression is inadequate to provide quantities of liquid water except in special cases. The prospects for biotic survival are grim by terrestrial standards, but the extremes of biological resiliency are inaccessible to evaluation. Second-generation in situ experiments which will better define Martian microenvironments are clearly possible. Antarctic dry valleys are approximations to Martian conditions, but deviate significantly by at least half-a-dozen criteria.

Clark, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A two-dimensional numerical investigation of the interaction between sea breezes and deep convection over the Florida peninsula

The Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System is used to investigate the interaction between sea breezes and deep convection over the Florida peninsula, and it is shown that this model can simulate the broad features of the three characteristic types of convection systems classified by Blanchard and Lopez (1985). In sensitivity tests performed for a variety of wind and thermodynamic profiles and for different soil-moisture contents, it was found that increases in the low-level temperature and in moisture content speeded up the development of convection. It was found that the dry-soil simulation produced rapidly developing sea breezes that moved inland quickly, while the moist soil case produced a much more slowly developing sea breeze. The total rainfall over the peninsula for the dry-soil case was greater than for the moist soil; it is suggested that the enhanced surface heat fluxes for the dry soil case create stronger low-level convergence over the peninsula (than in the moist-soil case) to force the convection.

Nicholls, Melville E.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Analysis of Multiple Precipitation Products and Preliminary Assessment of Their Impact on Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) Land Surface States

Land surface models (LSMs) are computer programs, similar to weather and climate prediction models, which simulate the stocks and fluxes of water (including soil moisture, snow, evaporation, and runoff) and energy (including the temperature of and sensible heat released from the soil) after they arrive on the land surface as precipitation and sunlight. It is not currently possible to measure all of the variables of interest everywhere on Earth with sufficient accuracy and space-time resolution. Hence LSMs have been developed to integrate the available observations with our understanding of the physical processes involved, using powerful computers, in order to map these stocks and fluxes as they change in time. The maps are used to improve weather forecasts, support water resources and agricultural applications, and study the Earth's water cycle and climate variability. NASA's Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) project facilitates testing of several different LSMs with a variety of input datasets (e.g., precipitation, plant type). Precipitation is arguably the most important input to LSMs. Many precipitation datasets have been produced using satellite and rain gauge observations and weather forecast models. In this study, seven different global precipitation datasets were evaluated over the United States, where dense rain gauge networks contribute to reliable precipitation maps. We then used the seven datasets as inputs to GLDAS simulations, so that we could diagnose their impacts on output stocks and fluxes of water. In terms of totals, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) had the closest agreement with the US rain gauge dataset for all seasons except winter. The CMAP precipitation was also the most closely correlated in time with the rain gauge data during spring, fall, and winter, while the satellitebased estimates performed best in summer. The GLDAS simulations revealed that modeled soil moisture is highly sensitive to precipitation, with differences in spring and summer as large as 45% depending on the choice of precipitation input.

Gottschalck, Jon↗
NASA NTRS2005

Evaluation of Ten Methods for Initializing a Land Surface Model

Land surface models (LSMs) are computer programs, similar to weather and climate prediction models, which simulate the stocks and fluxes of water (including soil moisture, snow, evaporation, and runoff) and energy (including the temperature of and sensible heat released from the soil) after they arrive on the land surface as precipitation and sunlight. It is not currently possible to measure all of the variables of interest everywhere on Earth with sufficient accuracy and space-time resolution. Hence LSMs have been developed to integrate the available observations with our understanding of the physical processes involved, using powerful computers, in order to map these stocks and fluxes as they change in time. The maps are used to improve weather forecasts, support water resources and agricultural applications, and study the Earth"s water cycle and climate variability. NASA"s Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) project facilitates testing of several different LSMs with a variety of input datasets (e.g., precipitation, plant type).

Rodell, M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

One-dimensional simulation of temperature and moisture in atmospheric and soil boundary layers

Meteorologists are interested in modeling the vertical flow of heat and moisture through the soil in order to better simulate the vertical and temporal variations of the atmospheric boundary layer. The one dimensional planetary boundary layer model of is modified by the addition of transport equations to be solved by a finite difference technique to predict soil moisture.

Bornstein, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Project environmental microbiology as related to planetary quarantine

The viability and dry heat resistance of indigenous microflora associated with small soil particles were investigated. An aluminum boat TDT CUP-TSA solid media system was developed for the analyses; a complete description of the technique is included. Data cited here were obtained using analyses of individual soil particles. Detailed particle viability profiles for dry heat effects were determined for Kennedy Space Center soil. At 110 C at least some particles retained viability through a heating period of between 8 and 16 hours. Single particles heated at 125 C for 80 minutes or longer did not show evidence of viability under test conditions. Preliminary aerobic, mesophilic plate counts of the 74-88 micron m soil fraction yielded mean values of 16.2 organisms per dark particle and 2.6 organisms per light particle. Heat treatment of particles in a dry atmosphere did not appear to increase the rate of inactivation for in situ soil particle microflora.

Pflug, I. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Urban heat island

The phenomenon of urban heat island was investigated by the use of LANDSAT Thematic Mapper data sets collected over the metropolitan area of Washington DC (U.S.). By combining the retrieved spectral albedos and temperatures, urban modification on radiation budgets of five surface categories were analyzed. The surface radiation budget imagery of the area show that urban heating is attributable to a large heat flux from the rapidly heating surfaces of asphalt, bare soil and short grass. In summer, symptoms of diurnal heating begin to appear by mid morning and can be about 10 degrees warmer than nearby woodlands in summer.

Hongsuk H. Kim↗
NASA NTRS2022

Responses of Compound Daytime and Nighttime Warm-Dry and Warm-H Events to Individual Anthropogenic Forcings

Daytime heat is often associated with reduced soil moisture and cloud cover, while nighttime heat is connected to high humidity and increased cloud cover. Due to these differing mechanisms, compound daytime and nighttime heat events may respond differently to major anthropogenic forcings (greenhouse gases, anthropogenic aerosols, land-use and land-cover change). Here, we use GISS ModelE2.1-G historical single-forcing runs from 1955 to 2014 to examine how individual anthropogenic forcings affect compound heat events—specifically warm daytime and nighttime temperatures compounded with dry precipitation or high humidity conditions. We show that greenhouse gases alone amplify the natural frequency of warm-dry events by 1.5–5 times and warm-humid events by 2–9 times in tropical and extratropical latitudes. Conversely, aerosols and land-use/land-cover change reduce the frequency of these events, resulting in more modest increases and in some regions, declines, in the historical 'all-forcings' scenario. Individually, aerosol effects are stronger and more widespread compared to land-use, oftentimes reducing the natural frequency of these events by 60%–100%. The responses of these compound events are primarily driven by changes in daytime and nighttime temperatures through large-scale warming via greenhouse gases and cooling from aerosols and land-use/land-cover change. However, changes in warm-dry events are amplified in regions with concurrent precipitation declines (e.g. Central America, Mediterranean regions) and warm-humid events are amplified by global concurrent humidity increases. Additionally, we find differences between daytime and nighttime compound responses in the historical experiment that can be traced back to the individual forcings. In particular, aerosols produce a greater cooling effect on daytime relative to nighttime temperatures, which notably results in a historical reduction of Northern Hemisphere daytime warm-dry events relative to natural conditions. Our analysis provides a more comprehensive understanding of the significant impacts of different anthropogenic climate forcings on daytime and nighttime warm-dry and warm-humid events, informing future risk and impact assessments.

Anthropogenic forcings↗
NASA NTRS1976

On the remote measurement of evaporation rates from bare wet soil under variable cloud cover

Evaporation rates from a natural wet soil surface are calculated from an energy balance equation at 0.1-hour intervals. A procedure is developed for calculating the heat flux through the soil surface from a harmonic analysis of the surface temperature curve. The evaporation integrated over an entire 24-hour period is compared with daily evaporation rates obtained from published models.

Auer, S.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Mechanisms Associated with Daytime and Nighttime Heat Waves over the United States

Heat waves are extreme climate events that have the potential to cause immense stress on human health, agriculture and energy systems, so understanding the processes leading to their onset is crucial. There is no single accepted definition for heat waves, but they are generally described as a sustained amount of time where temperature exceeds a local threshold. Multiple different temperature variables are potentially relevant, as high values of daily maximum (T(max)) and minimum (T(min)) temperatures can both be detrimental to human health. Previous studies have concluded that the frequency of global heat waves has increased over recent decades, with greater increases in T(min)- than T(max)-heat waves in several regions. In this study, we focus explicitly on the different mechanisms associated with heatwaves manifest during daytime versus nighttime hours over the United States. Heat waves are examined using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2). A daytime (nighttime) heat wave is defined as average daytime (nighttime) temperature exceeding its calendar day 90th percentile for at least 3 days. Over 1980-2018, the number of heat wave days per summer has increased over much of the United States. Trends are stronger for nighttime versus daytime heat wave frequency over the Northeast, Midwest and Southwest United States. Local and remote processes linked with daytime and nighttime heat waves are identified through composite analysis of clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, and fluxes of heat and moisture. Finally, we characterize the large-scale atmospheric circulation associated with daytime and nighttime heat waves over different regions of the United States.

Thomas, N.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Estimation of soil moisture from diurnal surface temperature observations

A coupled heat and moisture balance model was used to determine the thermal inertia of a grass covered top soil under different meteorological conditions. Relations between thermal inertia and soil moisture were established using the De Vries models for thermal conductivity and heat capacity to relate soil moisture and thermal inertia as a function of soil type. A sensitivity study of the surface roughness length and thermal inertia on diurnal surface temperature shows the necessity of focusing on the night time surface temperature rather than on the day time surface temperature, in order to estimate the soil moisture content of the top soil.

Vandegriend, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Thermal conductivity of heterogeneous mixtures and lunar soils

The theoretical evaluation of the effective thermal conductivity of granular materials is discussed with emphasis upon the heat transport properties of lunar soil. The following types of models are compared: probabilistic, parallel isotherm, stochastic, lunar, and a model based on nonlinear heat flow system synthesis.

Vachon, R. I.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Development of Compact, Modular Lunar Heat Flow Probes

Geothermal heat flow measurements are a high priority for the future lunar geophysical network missions recommended by the latest Decadal Survey and previously the International Lunar Network. Because the lander for such a mission will be relatively small, the heat flow instrumentation must be a low-mass and low-power system. The instrument needs to measure both thermal gradient and thermal conductivity of the regolith penetrated. It also needs to be capable of excavating a deep enough hole (approx. 3 m) to avoid the effect of potential long-term changes of the surface thermal environment. The recently developed pneumatic excavation system can largely meet the low-power, low-mass, and the depth requirements. The system utilizes a stem which winds out of a pneumatically driven reel and pushes its conical tip into the regolith. Simultaneously, gas jets, emitted from the cone tip, loosen and blow away the soil. The thermal sensors consist of resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) embedded on the stem and an insitu thermal conductivity probe attached to the cone tip. The thermal conductivity probe consists of a short 'needle' (2.4-mm diam. and 15- to 20-mm length) that contains a platinum RTD wrapped in a coil of heater wire. During a deployment, when the penetrating cone reaches a desired depth, it stops blowing gas, and the stem pushes the needle into the yet-to-be excavated, undisturbed bottom soil. Then, it begins heating and monitors the temperature. Thermal conductivity of the soil can determined from the rate of temperature increase with time. When the measurement is complete, the system resumes excavation until it reaches the next targeted depth.

Lunar↗
NASA NTRS1991

Measuring Wildfires From Aircraft And Satellites

Aircraft and satellite systems yield wide-area views, providing total coverage of affected areas. System developed for use aboard aircraft includes digital scanner that records data in 12 channels. Transmits data to ground station for immediate use in fighting fires. Enables researchers to estimate gaseous and particulate emissions from fires. Provides information on temperatures of flame fronts and soils, intensities and rate of spread of fires, characteristics of fuels and smoke plumes, energy-release rates, and concentrations and movements of trace gases. Data relates to heating and cooling of soils, loss of nutrients, and effects on atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic systems.

Brass, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Multispectral satellite data in the context of land surface heat balance

Multispectral satellite data are demonstrated to be an important potential contributor to the understanding and completeness of heat balance analysis. Satellite observations are presented, including visible, near-IR, IR, and microwave bands, which estimate surface characteristics and surface fluctuations. The relationship of the interannual variations of the satellite data and the land surface changes is discussed. It is shown that spatially representative values of global fluxes and parameters from multispectral data can consistently enhance the results of heat balance analysis. Daily net radiation can be estimated with a 10 percent error, while the error for albedo would be higher. Computations for all heat fluxes except the latent heat flux are shown. Soil moisture and surface temperature estimates can be derived from microwave and IR observations, respectively. Spectral reflectances in the visible and near-IR bands are suggested as important heat-balance indices for future consideration.

Choudhury, Bhaskar J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Annual Cycle of Planetary Boundary Layer Heights estimated from NOAA Profiler Network Data

The Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) height over the Unites States Great and Central Plains during 1992-2012 is examined here using a combination of Wind Profiler-derived (WP) PBL height estimates and reanalysis fields from the Modern Era Retrospective Reanalysis Version 2 (MERRA-2). The combined analysis allows process study of the reasons behind the monthly mean behavior of the observed PBL heights under clear-sky conditions as well as the PBL height variability. WP PBL height monthly mean annual cycles were grouped into general categories of behavior, each analyzed using MERRA-2 fields of sensible and latent heat flux, surface temperature, net radiation and soil moisture. In the ’canonical’ category the latent heat plays little role in the determination of the monthly mean PBL height, and it follows the annual cycle of the net radiation. In the other categories, precipitation and latent heat flux had more influence in setting the annual cycle. An analysis of variance revealed that the role of latent heat in determining the PBL height variations is large (explaining up to 40% of PBL height variability) even in the ’canonical’ category for which latent heat played no role in setting the monthly mean. In other categories the latent heat explained up to 80% of the PBL height variations. The amount of that influence is shown to be related to the variability of column soil moisture.

MERRA-2↗