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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Numerical Simulations of Carbon Dioxide Storage Efficiency in Heterogeneous Reservoir Models

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) has been developing methods and tools (the online Carbon Dioxide Storage prospeCtive Resource Estimation Excel aNalysis (CO2-SCREEN) tool) to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) storage potential in subsurface reservoirs. The CO2 storage efficiency terms are input in the tool to calculate storage potential in targeted reservoirs. In this effort, two CO2 storage efficiency terms were evaluated: volumetric displacement ( E V ) and microscopic displacement ( E d ). The first term deals with efficiency of CO2 propagation into an accessible reservoir volume, while the second term evaluates effectiveness of native fluid displacement with CO2. The interpreted well logs and core sample measurements were applied to create the heterogeneous reservoir models including geostatistical realizations of porosity and intrinsic permeability fields. Supercritical CO2 was injected over the course of 30 years into brine-saturated reservoir models for clastics, limestone, and dolomite lithologies and deltaic fluvial, aeolian, shallow marine, and reef depositional environments by means of varying reservoir parameters and injection scenarios. The reservoir models providing vertically heterogeneous petrophysical properties and designated as “layered reservoir models” (with homogeneous parameters along each layer of the model) were not determined to be a transition between the homogeneous and heterogeneous models in respect to storage efficiency. Another finding shows that high-efficiency factors do not necessarily mean increased CO2 storage; they rather indicate that the available volume and pore space are more fully utilized. The CO2 storage efficiency factors were evaluated dynamically at the select time points using P 10 ‐ P 50 ‐ P 90 percentiles. The results of this study show that the P 10 ‐ P 90 distribution for volumetric efficiency is wider when compared to the microscopic efficiency. It was found that where dominant buoyancy forces drive the plume to the top of a target formation, the volumetric efficiency is low. Tighter sandstone and carbonate formations show prevalence of capillary forces and better utilization of reservoir volume.

Myshakin, Evgeniy M.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Modeling Phenological Controls on Carbon Dynamics in Dryland Sagebrush Ecosystems

Dryland ecosystems play an important role in determining how precipitation anomalies affect terrestrial carbon fluxes at regional to global scales. Thus, to understand how climate change may affect the global carbon cycle, we must also be able to understand and model its effects on dryland vegetation. Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) are an important tool for modeling ecosystem dynamics, but they often struggle to reproduce seasonal patterns of plant productivity. Because the phenological niche of many plant species is linked to both total productivity and competitive interactions with other plants, errors in how process-based models represent phenology hinder our ability to predict climate change impacts. This may be particularly problematic in dryland ecosystems where many species have developed a complex phenology in response to seasonal variability in both moisture and temperature. Here, we examine how uncertainty in key parameters as well as the structure of existing phenology routines affect the ability of a DGVM to match seasonal patterns of leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) across a temperature and precipitation gradient. First, we optimized model parameters using a combination of site-level eddy covariance data and remotely-sensed LAI data. Second, we modified the model to include a semi-deciduous phenology type and added flexibility to the representation of grass phenology. While optimizing parameters reduced model bias, the largest gains in model performance were associated with the development of our new representation of phenology. This modified model was able to better capture seasonal patterns of both leaf area index (R(exp 2) = 0.75) and gross primary productivity (R(exp 2) = 0.84), though its ability to estimate total annual GPP depended on using eddy covariance data for optimization. The new model also resulted in a more realistic outcome of modeled competition between grass and shrubs. These findings demonstrate the importance of improving how DGVMs represent phenology in order to accurately forecast climate change impacts in dryland ecosystems.

Ecosystem model↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Coupled Analysis of Atmospheric Mass Loss and Tidal Evolution in XUV Irradiated Exoplanets: The TRAPPIST-1 Case Study

Exoplanets residing close to their stars can experience evolution of both their physical structures and their orbits due to the influence of their host stars. In this work, we present a coupled analysis of dynamical tidal dissipation and atmospheric mass loss for exoplanets in X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) irradiated environments. As our primary application, we use this model to study the TRAPPIST-1 system and place constraints on the interior structure and orbital evolution of the planets. We start by reporting on an ultraviolet continuum flux measurement (centered around ∼1900 Å) for the star TRAPPIST-1, based on 300 ks of Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory data, and which enables an estimate of the XUV-driven thermal escape arising from XUV photodissociation for each planet. We find that the X-ray flaring luminosity, measured from our X-ray detections, of TRAPPIST-1 is 5.6 × 10{sup −4} L {sub *}, while the full flux including non-flaring periods is 6.1 × 10{sup −5} L {sub *}, when L {sub *} is TRAPPIST-1's bolometric luminosity. We then construct a model that includes both atmospheric mass loss and tidal evolution and requires the planets to attain their present-day orbital elements during this coupled evolution. We use this model to constrain the ratio Q{sup ′}=3Q/2k{sub 2} for each planet. Finally, we use additional numerical models implemented with the Virtual Planet Simulator VPLanet to study ocean retention for these planets using our derived system parameters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1986

The effect of the dynamic wet troposphere on VLBI measurements

Calculations using a statistical model of water vapor fluctuations yield the effect of the dynamic wet troposphere on Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) measurements. The statistical model arises from two primary assumptions: (1) the spatial structure of refractivity fluctuations can be closely approximated by elementary (Kolmogorov) turbulence theory, and (2) temporal fluctuations are caused by spatial patterns which are moved over a site by the wind. The consequences of these assumptions are outlined for the VLBI delay and delay rate observables. For example, wet troposphere induced rms delays for Deep Space Network (DSN) VLBI at 20-deg elevation are about 3 cm of delay per observation, which is smaller, on the average, than other known error sources in the current DSN VLBI data set. At 20-deg elevation for 200-s time intervals, water vapor induces approximately 1.5 x 10 to the minus 13th power s/s in the Allan standard deviation of interferometric delay, which is a measure of the delay rate observable error. In contrast to the delay error, the delay rate measurement error is dominated by water vapor fluctuations. Water vapor induced VLBI parameter errors and correlations are calculated. For the DSN, baseline length parameter errors due to water vapor fluctuations are in the range of 3 to 5 cm. The above physical assumptions also lead to a method for including the water vapor fluctuations in the parameter estimation procedure, which is used to extract baseline and source information from the VLBI observables.

Treuhaft, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Design of a variable area diffuser for a 15-inch Mach 6 open-jet tunnel

The Langley 15-inch Mach 6 High Temperature Tunnel was recently converted from a Mach 10 Hypersonic Flow Apparatus. This conversion was effected to improve the capability of testing in Mach 6 air at relatively high reservoir temperatures not previously possible at Langley. Elevated temperatures allow the matching of the Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers, and ratio of wall-to-adiabatic-wall temperatures (TW/Taw) between this and the Langley 20-inch Mach 6 CF4 Tunnel. This ratio is also matched for Langley's 31-inch Mach 10 Tunnel and is an important parameter useful in the simulation of slender bodies such as National Aerospace Plane (NASP) configurations currently being studied. Having established the nozzle's operating characteristics, the decision was made to install another test section to provide model injection capability. This test section is an open-jet type, with an injection system capable of injecting a model from retracted position to nozzle centerline between 0.5 and 2 seconds. Preliminary calibrations with the new test section resulted in Tunnel blockage. This blockage phenomenon was eliminated when the conical center body in the diffuser was replaced. The issue then, is to provide a new and more efficient variable area diffuser configuration with the capability to withstand testing of larger models without sending the Tunnel into an unstart condition. Use of the 1-dimensional steady flow equation with due regard to friction and heat transfer was employed to estimate the required area ratios (exit area / throat area) in a variable area diffuser. Correlations between diffuser exit Mach number and area ratios, relative to the stagnation pressure ratios and diffuser inlet Mach number were derived. From these correlations, one can set upper and lower operating pressures and temperatures for a given diffuser throat area. In addition, they will provide appropriate input conditions for the full 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code for further simulation studies.

Loney, Norman W.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Energy balance and Alfvén Mach numbers in compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence with a large-scale magnetic field

Energy equipartition is a powerful theoretical tool for understanding astrophysical plasmas. It is invoked, for example, to measure magnetic fields in the interstellar medium (ISM), as evidence for small-scale turbulent dynamo action, and, in general, to estimate the energy budget of star-forming molecular clouds. Here, in this study, we motivate and explore the role of the volume-averaged root-mean-squared (rms) magnetic coupling term between the turbulent, δB , and large-scale, B 0 , fields, $\langle$(δB·B 0 ) 2 $\rangle$$_{V}^{1/2}$. By considering the second moments of the energy balance equations we show that the rms coupling term is in energy equipartition with the volume-averaged turbulent kinetic energy for turbulence with a sub-Alfvénic large-scale field. Under the assumption of exact energy equipartition between these terms, we derive relations for the magnetic and coupling term fluctuations, which provide excellent, parameter-free agreement with time-averaged data from 280 numerical simulations of compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. Furthermore, we explore the relation between the turbulent mean field and total Alfvén Mach numbers, and demonstrate that sub-Alfvénic turbulence can only be developed through a strong, large-scale magnetic field, which supports an extremely super-Alfvénic turbulent magnetic field. This means that the magnetic field fluctuations are significantly subdominant to the velocity fluctuations in the sub-Alfvénic large-scale field regime. Throughout our study, we broadly discuss the implications for observations of magnetic fields and understanding the dynamics in the magnetized ISM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deep-Learning-derived Boundary Layer Height from Meteorological Data over the SGP, GOAMAZON, CACTI

The planetary boundary-layer (PBL) height (PBLH) is an important parameter for various meteorological and climate studies. This study presents a multi-structure deep neural network (DNN) model, designed to estimate PBLH by integrating morning temperature profiles with surface meteorological observations. The DNN model is developed by leveraging a rich data set of PBLH derived from long-standing radiosonde records and augmented with high-resolution micropulse lidar and Doppler lidar observations. We access the performance of the DNN with an ensemble of 10 members, each featuring distinct hidden layer structures, which collectively yield a robust 27-year PBLH data set over the Southern Great Plains from 1994 to 2020. The influence of various meteorological factors on PBLH is rigorously analyzed through the importance test. Moreover, the DNN model's accuracy is evaluated against radiosonde observations and juxtaposed with conventional remote-sensing methodologies, including Doppler lidar, ceilometer, Raman lidar, and micropulse lidar. The DNN model exhibits reliable performance across diverse conditions and demonstrates lower biases relative to remote-sensing methods. In addition, the DNN model, originally trained over a plain region, demonstrates remarkable adaptability when applied to the heterogeneous terrains and climates encountered during the GoAmazon (tropical rainforest) and CACTI (middle-latitude mountain) campaigns. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of deep learning models in estimating PBLH, enhancing our understanding of boundary-layer dynamics with implications for enhancing the representation of PBL in weather forecasting and climate modeling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Large-Time Behavior of Solutions to Vlasov-Poisson-Fokker-Planck Equations: From Evanescent Collisions to Diffusive Limit

The present contribution investigates the dynamics generated by the two-dimensional Vlasov-Poisson-Fokker-Planck equation for charged particles in a steady inhomogeneous background of opposite charges. We provide global in time estimates that are uniform with respect to initial data taken in a bounded set of a weighted L{sup 2} space, and where dependencies on the mean-free path τ and the Debye length δ are made explicit. In our analysis the mean free path covers the full range of possible values: from the regime of evanescent collisions τ→∞ to the strongly collisional regime τ→0. As a counterpart, the largeness of the Debye length, that enforces a weakly nonlinear regime, is used to close our nonlinear estimates. Accordingly we pay a special attention to relax as much as possible the τ-dependent constraint on δ ensuring exponential decay with explicit τ-dependent rates towards the stationary solution. In the strongly collisional limit τ→0, we also examine all possible asymptotic regimes selected by a choice of observation time scale. Here also, our emphasis is on strong convergence, uniformity with respect to time and to initial data in bounded sets of a L{sup 2} space. Our proofs rely on a detailed study of the nonlinear elliptic equation defining stationary solutions and a careful tracking and optimization of parameter dependencies of hypocoercive/hypoelliptic estimates.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Description of the multinucleon transfer mechanism for Ca 48 + Pu 244 and Kr 86 + Pt 198 reactions in a quantal transport approach

Multinucleon transfer (MNT) reactions involving heavy projectile and target combinations stand as a promising method for synthesizing new neutron-rich exotic nuclei, which may not be possible using hot or cold fusion reactions or fragmentation. Exploring the mechanisms behind MNT reactions is essential and it requires a comprehensive theoretical framework that can explain the physical observables in these reactions. This work aims to show that the quantal diffusion approach based on the stochastic mean-field (SMF) theory is capable of explaining the reaction dynamics observed in MNT reactions. Primary product mass distributions in 48 Ca + 244 Pu reaction at E c.m. = 203.2 MeV and 86 Kr + 198 Pt reaction at E c.m. = 324.2 MeV are calculated and compared with the available experimental data. In this work, we utilize the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) calculations to analyze the mean-field reaction dynamics computationally in the reactions 48 Ca + 244 Pu and 86 Kr + 198 Pt for a broad range of initial angular momenta. Quantal transport description based on the SMF approach is used to calculate quantal diffusion coefficients and mass variances in 48 Ca + 244 Pu and 86 Kr + 198 Pt systems. The primary products arising from quasifission reactions are described by joint probability distribution in the SMF approach and those arising from fusion-fission are estimated by using the statistical deexcitation code gemini + +. Mean values of charge and mass numbers, scattering angles of the primary reaction products, and the total kinetic energies after the collision are calculated within the TDHF framework for a broad range of initial angular momenta. Throughout all the collisions, drift toward the mass symmetry and large mass dispersion associated with this drift are observed. Here, the calculated primary fragment and mass distributions using the SMF approach successfully explain experimental observations for the 48 Ca + 244 Pu and 86 Kr + 198 Pt systems. The primary mass distributions, mean values of binary products, and mass dispersions are determined and results are compared with the available experimental data. The observed agreement between the experimental data and SMF results highlights the effectiveness of the quantal diffusion mechanism based on the SMF approach, which does not include any adjustable parameters other than standard parameters of Skyrme energy density functional.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Shock–Cloud Interaction in the Solar Corona

Flare-associated coronal shock waves sometimes interact with solar prominences, leading to large-amplitude prominence oscillations (LAPOs). Such prominence activation gives us a unique opportunity to track the time evolution of shock–cloud interaction in cosmic plasmas. Although the dynamics of interstellar shock–cloud interaction has been extensively studied, coronal shock–solar prominence interaction is rarely studied in the context of shock–cloud interaction. Associated with the X5.4 class solar flare that occurred on 2012 March 7, a globally propagated coronal shock wave interacted with a polar prominence, leading to LAPO. In this paper, we studied bulk acceleration and excitation of the internal flow of the shocked prominence using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. We studied eight MHD simulation runs, each with different mass density structure of the prominence, and one hydrodynamic simulation run, and we compared the result. In order to compare the observed motion of activated prominence with the corresponding simulation, we also studied prominence activation by injection of a triangular-shaped coronal shock. We found that the prominence is first accelerated mainly by magnetic tension force as well as direct transmission of the shock, and later decelerated mainly by magnetic tension force. The internal flow, on the other hand, is excited during the shock front sweeps through the prominence and damps almost exponentially. We construct a phenomenological model of bulk momentum transfer from the shock to the prominence, which agreed quantitatively with all the simulation results. Based on the phenomenological prominence activation model, we diagnosed physical parameters of the coronal shock wave. The estimated energy of the coronal shock is several percent of the total energy released during the X5.4 flare.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Plate motions and deformations from geologic and geodetic data

Research effort on behalf of the Crustal Dynamics Project focused on the development of methodologies suitable for the analysis of space-geodetic data sets for the estimation of crustal motions, in conjunction with results derived from land-based geodetic data, neo-tectonic studies, and other geophysical data. These methodologies were used to provide estimates of both global plate motions and intraplate deformation in the western U.S. Results from the satellite ranging experiment for the rate of change of the baseline length between San Diego and Quincy, California indicated that relative motion between the North American and Pacific plates over the course of the observing period during 1972 to 1982 were consistent with estimates calculated from geologic data averaged over the past few million years. This result, when combined with other kinematic constraints on western U.S. deformation derived from land-based geodesy, neo-tectonic studies, and other geophysical data, places limits on the possible extension of the Basin and Range province, and implies significant deformation is occurring west of the San Andreas fault. A new methodology was developed to analyze vector-position space-geodetic data to provide estimates of relative vector motions of the observing sites. The algorithm is suitable for the reduction of large, inhomogeneous data sets, and takes into account the full position covariances, errors due to poorly resolved Earth orientation parameters and vertical positions, and reduces baises due to inhomogeneous sampling of the data. This methodology was applied to the problem of estimating the rate-scaling parameter of a global plate tectonic model using satellite laser ranging observations over a five-year interval. The results indicate that the mean rate of global plate motions for that interval are consistent with those averaged over several million years, and are not consistent with quiescent or greatly accelerated plate motions. This methodology was also used to provide constraints on deformation in the western U.S. using very long baseline interferometry observations over a two-year period.

Jordan, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS2007

NASA Langley's Approach to the Sandia's Structural Dynamics Challenge Problem

The objective of this challenge is to develop a data-based probabilistic model of uncertainty to predict the behavior of subsystems (payloads) by themselves and while coupled to a primary (target) system. Although this type of analysis is routinely performed and representative of issues faced in real-world system design and integration, there are still several key technical challenges that must be addressed when analyzing uncertain interconnected systems. For example, one key technical challenge is related to the fact that there is limited data on target configurations. Moreover, it is typical to have multiple data sets from experiments conducted at the subsystem level, but often samples sizes are not sufficient to compute high confidence statistics. In this challenge problem additional constraints are placed as ground rules for the participants. One such rule is that mathematical models of the subsystem are limited to linear approximations of the nonlinear physics of the problem at hand. Also, participants are constrained to use these models and the multiple data sets to make predictions about the target system response under completely different input conditions. Our approach involved initially the screening of several different methods. Three of the ones considered are presented herein. The first one is based on the transformation of the modal data to an orthogonal space where the mean and covariance of the data are matched by the model. The other two approaches worked solutions in physical space where the uncertain parameter set is made of masses, stiffnesses and damping coefficients; one matches confidence intervals of low order moments of the statistics via optimization while the second one uses a Kernel density estimation approach. The paper will touch on all the approaches, lessons learned, validation 1 metrics and their comparison, data quantity restriction, and assumptions/limitations of each approach. Keywords: Probabilistic modeling, model validation, uncertainty quantification, kernel density

Horta, Lucas G.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Near-Surface Meteorology During the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS): Evaluation of Reanalyses and Global Climate Models.

Atmospheric measurements from the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) are used to evaluate the performance of three atmospheric reanalyses (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)- Interim reanalysis, National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis, and NCEP-DOE (Department of Energy) reanalysis) and two global climate models (CAM5 (Community Atmosphere Model 5) and NASA GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) ModelE2) in simulation of the high Arctic environment. Quantities analyzed include near surface meteorological variables such as temperature, pressure, humidity and winds, surface-based estimates of cloud and precipitation properties, the surface energy budget, and lower atmospheric temperature structure. In general, the models perform well in simulating large-scale dynamical quantities such as pressure and winds. Near-surface temperature and lower atmospheric stability, along with surface energy budget terms, are not as well represented due largely to errors in simulation of cloud occurrence, phase and altitude. Additionally, a development version of CAM5, which features improved handling of cloud macro physics, has demonstrated to improve simulation of cloud properties and liquid water amount. The ASCOS period additionally provides an excellent example of the benefits gained by evaluating individual budget terms, rather than simply evaluating the net end product, with large compensating errors between individual surface energy budget terms that result in the best net energy budget.

surface energy↗
NASA NTRS2023

Modelling the Greenland Ice Sheet's Committed Contribution to Sea Level During the 21st Century

Mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet can be partitioned between surface mass balance and discharge due to ice dynamics through its marine-terminating outlet glaciers. A perturbation to a glacier terminus (e.g., a calving event) results in both an instantaneous response in velocity and mass loss and a diffusive response due to the evolution of ice thickness over time. This diffusive response means the total impact of a retreat event can take decades to be fully realized. Here we model the committed response of the Greenland Ice Sheet by applying perturbations to the marine-terminating glacier termini that represent recent observed changes, and simulating the response over the 21st century, while holding the climate forcing constant. The sensitivity of the ice sheet response to model parameter uncertainty is explored within an ensemble framework, and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment data is used to constrain the results using a Bayesian calibration approach. We find that the Greenland Ice Sheet's committed contribution to 21st century sea level rise is at least 33.5 [17.5 52.4] mm (25th and 75th percentiles in brackets), with at least 6 mm being attributable directly to terminus retreat that occurred between 2007 and 2015. The spread in our projections is driven by uncertainty in the basal friction coefficient. Our results complement the ISMIP6 Greenland projections, which report the ice sheet response to future forcing, excluding the background response. In this way, we can obtain estimates of Greenland's total contribution to sea level rise in 2100.

Isabel J. Nias↗
NASA NTRS1995

A new criterion for bar-forming instability in rapidly rotating gaseous and stellar systems. 1: Axisymmetric form

We analyze previous results on the stability of uniformly and differentialy rotating, self-gravitating, gaseous and stellar, axisymmetric systems to derive a new stability criterion for the appearance of torodial, m = 2 intermediate or I-modes and bar modes. In the process, we demonstrate that the bar modes in stellar systems and the m = 2 I-modes in gaseous systems have many common physical characteristics and only one substantial difference: because of the anisotropy of the stress tensor, dynamical instability sets in at lower rotation in stellar systems. This difference is reflected also in the new stability criterion. The new stability parameter alpha equals (T(sub J))/(absolute value of W) is formulated first for uniformly rotating systems and is based on the angular momentum content rather than on the energy content of a system. (T(sub J) is defined as ((L)(Omega(sub J)))/2; L is the total angular momentum; Omega(sub J) is the Jeans frequency introduced by self-gravity; and W is the total gravitational potential energy.) For stability of stellar systems alpha less than or equal to 0.254-0.258 while alpha less than or equal to 0.341-0.354 for stability of gaseous systems. For uniform rotation, one can write alpha = ((ft)/2)(exp 1/2), where t is defined as T/(absolute value of W), T is the total kinetic energy due to rotation, and f is a function characteristic of the topology/connectedness and the geometric shape of a system. Equivalently, alpha equals t/(chi), where chi is defined as Omega/Omega(sub J) and Omega is the rotation frequency. Using these forms, alpha can be extended to and calculated for a variety of differentially rotating, gaseous and stellar, axisymmetric disk and spheroidal models whose equilibrium structures and stability characteristics are known. In this paper, we also estimate alpha for gaseous torodial models and for stellar disk systems embedded in an inert or responsive 'halo.' We find that the new stability criterion holds equally well for all these previously published axisymmetric models.

Christodoulou, Dimitris M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Characterizing Oscillatory Bursts in Single-Trial EEG Data

Oscillatory bursts in numerous bands ranging from low (theta) to high frequencies (e.g., gamma) undoubtedly play an important role in cortical dynamics. Largely because of the inadequacy of existing analytic techniques. however, oscillatory bursts and their role in cortical processing remains poorly understood. To study oscillatory bursts effectively one must be able to isolate them and characterize them in the single trial. We describe a series of straightforward analysis techniques that produce useful indices of burst characteristics. First, stimulus-evoked responses are estimated using Differentially Variable Component Analysis (dVCA), and are subtracted from the single-trial. The single-trial characteristics of the evoked responses are stored to identify possible correlations with burst activity. Time-frequency (T-F), or wavelet, analyses are then applied to the single trial residuals. While T-F plots have been used in recent studies to identify and isolate bursts, we go further by fitting each burst in the T-F plot with a two-dimensional Gaussian. This provides a set of burst characteristics, such as, center time. burst duration, center frequency. frequency dispersion. and amplitude, all of which contribute to the accurate characterization of the individual burst. The burst phase can also be estimated. Burst characteristics can be quantified with several standard techniques (e.g.. histogramming and clustering), as well as Bayesian techniques (e.g., blocking) to allow a more parametric description analysis of the characteristics of oscillatory bursts, and the relationships of specific parameters to cortical excitability and stimulus integration.

Knuth, K. H.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermomechanical Stress and Creep-Fatigue Analysis of a High-Temperature Prototype Receiver for Heating Particles

This work presents a three-dimensional (3D) thermomechanical model of a prototype-scale enclosed light trapping solar receiver for heating particles. Results of the thermoelastic model are used to estimate receiver lifetime under maximum flux conditions. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is first developed to predict the temperature fields in a multi-panel assembly under steady operating conditions. Solar flux distributions on the receiver are obtained from the software package SolTrace and applied to the 3D thermal model. The subsequent particle heating is captured through a simplified 1D energy balance. Panel reradiation is considered through a surface-to-surface radiation model and natural convection loss to the surrounding air is captured in a representative fluid domain surrounding the receiver. The resulting temperature fields from the CFD analysis are used as inputs for a thermoelastic mechanical model with representative boundary conditions. With the resultant temperature and stress fields, a creep-fatigue damage and lifetime analysis is performed using the linear damage accumulation (LDA) theory. The Manson-Coffin formula and Larson Miller correlation are used to calculate the fatigue and creep, respectively. A maximum damage (corresponding to a 30-year service life) is defined for design assessment. The model was first developed and verified in detail by comparing with published results in the literature (temperature and stress profiles and distributions, and creep/fatigue damage fractions) for tubular solar receivers with supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid. It was then implemented to model a planar-cavity receiver with various design parameters. Specifically, three different design geometries are considered, and the results show that a maximum temperature of approximately 1200 K could be reached for each design with the given incident solar flux, with the main difference being the distribution of these temperatures. Preliminary resulting stresses for the small-scale prototype without design optimization vary from 20 MPa to 250 MPa for each design, with the maximum stresses occurring on the front face and concave geometry on the side of the panel. In future work, the developed methodology shown here will be applied to analyze a full-scale (50-150 MWth) receiver.

concentrated solar power↗
DOE OSTI2025

Operation at Reduced Atmospheric Pressure and Concept of Reliability Redundancy for Optimized Design of Insulation Systems

Electrified transportation is calling for insulation design criteria that is adequate to provide elevated levels of power density, power dynamics and reliability. Increasing voltage levels are expected to cause accelerated intrinsic and extrinsic aging effects which will not be easily predictable at the design stage due to a lack of suitable modeling. Designing reliable insulation systems would require finding solutions able to control accelerated aging due to an unpredictable increase of intrinsic stresses and the onset of extrinsic stresses as partial discharges. This paper proposes the concept of reliability redundancy for the insulation design of aerospace electrical asset components, which is also validated at lower-than-standard atmospheric pressure. The principle is that extrinsic-aging-free design might be achieved upon determining the aging stress or abnormal service stresses distribution and being sure that aging will not generate conditions that can incept extrinsic aging (partial discharges) during operation life. However, such information is never, in practice, fully available to insulation system designers. Hence, especially in critical applications such as electrified aircraft, aerospace, and combat ships a further level of reliability should be added to a partial-discharge-free design, which can consist of the use of corona-resistant materials and/or of life models able to consider the accelerated aging effect of partial discharges (or any other type of extrinsic-accelerated aging factor). Innovative life modeling considering both extrinsic and intrinsic aging stresses, insulating material testing to estimate model parameters, and a metric for quantifying the extent of corona (or partial discharge) resistance can lead to establishing feasibility and limit conditions for optimized or fully reliability-redundant design. It is shown in the paper that if an extrinsic-aging-free design is not feasible, and it is therefore replaced by a redundant design, a further level of reliability redundancy can be provided by effective condition monitoring plans.

Montanari, Gian Carlo↗