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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Simulated JWST Data Sets for Multispectral and Hyperspectral Image Fusion

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will provide multispectral and hyperspectral infrared images of a large number of astrophysical scenes. Multispectral images will have the highest angular resolution, while hyperspectral images (e.g., with integral field unit spectrometers) will provide the best spectral resolution. This paper aims at providing a comprehensive framework to generate an astrophysical scene and to simulate realistic hyperspectral and multispectral data acquired by two JWST instruments, namely, NIRCam Imager and NIRSpec IFU. We want to show that this simulation framework can be resorted to assess the benefits of fusing these images to recover an image of high spatial and spectral resolutions. To do so, we make a synthetic scene associated with a canonical infrared source, the Orion Bar. We develop forward models including corresponding noises for the two JWST instruments based on their physical features. JWST observations are then simulated by applying the forward models to the aforementioned synthetic scene. We test a dedicated fusion algorithm we developed on these simulated observations. We show that the fusion process reconstructs the high spatio-spectral resolution scene with a good accuracy on most areas, and we identify some limitations of the method to be tackled in future works. The synthetic scene and observations presented in the paper can be used, for instance, to evaluate instrument models, pipelines, or more sophisticated algorithms dedicated to JWST data analysis. Besides, fusion methods such as the one presented in this paper are shown to be promising tools to fully exploit the unprecedented capabilities of the JWST.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Combining regional mesh refinement with vertically enhanced physics to target marine stratocumulus biases as demonstrated in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 1

Abstract. In this paper we develop a novel framework aimed to significantly reduce biases related to marine stratocumulus clouds in general circulation models (GCMs) while circumventing excessive computational cost requirements. Our strategy is to increase the horizontal resolution using a regionally refined mesh (RRM) over our region of interest in addition to using the Framework for Improvement by Vertical Enhancement (FIVE) to increase the vertical resolution only for specific physical processes that are important for stratocumulus. We apply the RRM off the coast of Peru in the southeastern Pacific, a region that climatologically contains the most marine stratocumulus in the subtropics. We find that our new modeling framework is able to replicate the results of our high-resolution benchmark simulation with much fidelity, while reducing the computational cost by several orders of magnitude. In addition, this framework is able to greatly reduce the long-standing biases associated with marine stratocumulus in GCMs when compared to the standard-resolution control simulation.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integrated Strategies for Overcoming Resolution Limits in Electron Beam Lithography of Chemically Amplified Resists

Electron beam lithography (EBL) of chemically amplified resists (CARs) faces fundamental challenges, including stochastic electron scattering and acid diffusion, that limit resolution and reproducibility. Using SU-8 as a model CAR, this study systematically investigated complementary strategies to address these challenges, combining multipass exposure, proximity effect correction (PEC) with midrange correction factors, base quencher incorporation, and post-exposure bake (PEB) suppression. Monte Carlo simulations and calibrated PEC modeling revealed that extending the point spread function to include a midrange scattering component significantly improved critical dimension (CD) control across varying pattern densities, correcting deviations that conventional two-term PEC failed to capture. Multipass exposure, particularly 4-pass writing with a 25% offset, redistributed the dose to average stochastic beam and scattering fluctuations, reducing line-width roughness by more than 50% and yielding more uniform nanoscale features. Photoacid confinement was investigated by adding urea as a base quencher, which successfully reduced acid diffusion but introduced substantial sensitivity penalties without improving ultimate resolution or Z-factor performance, underscoring the trade-offs of chemical versus physical confinement. Suppressing PEB most directly minimized acid diffusion, resulting in improved Z-factors and reproducible 30 nm half-pitch dense line/space patterns. Overall, these results demonstrated that PEC with midrange correction, multipass strategies, quencher additives, and PEB-free processing addresses different aspects of the EBL process window and that their integration provides a comprehensive framework for managing stochastic scattering, diffusion, and chemical amplification effects. This framework advances dense nanoscale patterning in CARs and establishes guiding principles for optimizing resist design and process strategies in high-resolution EBL and potentially other advanced lithographies, such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Protocols for x-ray transient grating pump/optical probe experiments at x-ray free electron lasers

Abstract Transient grating spectroscopy is a specialized application of the four-wave-mixing methodology and constitutes a versatile technique for investigating the dynamics of vibrational, magnetic and electronic degrees of freedom of matter in a background-free fashion. Recent developments in free-electron laser sources have enabled the extension of this technique into the extreme ultraviolet range. Ongoing efforts to expand transient grating spectroscopy into the x-ray regime promise numerous advantages: (1) substantial penetration depths that allow for probing bulk material properties, (2) element specificity via specific core-excited states, and (3) short wavelengths that allow for excitation gratings with higher momentum transfer and improved spatial resolution. In this study, we comprehensively outline the procedures for conducting x-ray transient grating pump/optical probe experiment. The process encompasses the design and alignment of the experimental setup, as well as the subsequent steps involved in data acquisition and analysis. This paper is intended as a comprehensive guide for researchers interested in implementing x-ray transient grating spectroscopy, providing valuable insights into the intricacies of the experimental workflow required for this novel technique. Furthermore, we discuss the potential for extending this methodology to an x-ray pump/x-ray probe scheme, envisioning a future direction that holds promise for enhancing the capabilities and scope of x-ray transient grating spectroscopy, opening new opportunities for studying ultrafast processes with unprecedented temporal and spatial resolutions.

Optics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Revisiting adiabatic fraction estimations in cumulus clouds: high-resolution simulations with a passive tracer

The process of mixing in warm convective clouds and its effects on microphysics are crucial for an accurate description of cloud fields, weather, and climate. Still, they remain open questions in the field of cloud physics. Adiabatic regions in the cloud could be considered non-mixed areas and therefore serve as an important reference to mixing. For this reason, the adiabatic fraction (AF) is an important parameter that estimates the mixing level in the cloud in a simple way. Here, we test different methods of AF calculations using high-resolution (10 m) simulations of isolated warm cumulus clouds. The calculated AFs are compared with a normalized concentration of a passive tracer, which is a measure of dilution by mixing. This comparison enables the examination of how well the AF parameter can determine mixing effects and the estimation of the accuracy of different approaches used to calculate it. Comparison of three different methods to derive AF, with the passive tracer, shows that one method is much more robust than the others. Moreover, this method's equation structure also allows for the isolation of different assumptions that are often practiced when calculating AF such as vertical profiles, cloud-base height, and the linearity of AF with height. The use of a detailed spectral bin microphysics scheme allows an accurate description of the supersaturation field and demonstrates that the accuracy of the saturation adjustment assumption depends on aerosol concentration, leading to an underestimation of AF in pristine environments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optimizing process-based models to predict current and future soil organic carbon stocks at high-resolution

From hillslope to small catchment scales (< 50 km 2 ), soil carbon management and mitigation policies rely on estimates and projections of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Here we apply a process-based modeling approach that parameterizes the MIcrobial-MIneral Carbon Stabilization (MIMICS) model with SOC measurements and remotely sensed environmental data from the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in SW Idaho, USA. Calibrating model parameters reduced error between simulated and observed SOC stocks by 25%, relative to the initial parameter estimates and better captured local gradients in climate and productivity. The calibrated parameter ensemble was used to produce spatially continuous, high-resolution (10 m 2 ) estimates of stocks and associated uncertainties of litter, microbial biomass, particulate, and protected SOC pools across the complex landscape. Here, subsequent projections of SOC response to idealized environmental disturbances illustrate the spatial complexity of potential SOC vulnerabilities across the watershed. Parametric uncertainty generated physicochemically protected soil C stocks that varied by a mean factor of 4.4 × across individual locations in the watershed and a – 14.9 to + 20.4% range in potential SOC stock response to idealized disturbances, illustrating the need for additional measurements of soil carbon fractions and their turnover time to improve confidence in the MIMICS simulations of SOC dynamics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Embedding physics domain knowledge into a Bayesian network enables layer-by-layer process innovation for photovoltaics

Process optimization of photovoltaic devices is a time-intensive, trial-and-error endeavor, which lacks full transparency of the underlying physics and relies on user-imposed constraints that may or may not lead to a global optimum. Herein, we demonstrate that embedding physics domain knowledge into a Bayesian network enables an optimization approach for gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells that identifies the root cause(s) of underperformance with layer-by-layer resolution and reveals alternative optimal process windows beyond traditional black-box optimization. Our Bayesian network approach links a key GaAs process variable (growth temperature) to material descriptors (bulk and interface properties, e.g., bulk lifetime, doping, and surface recombination) and device performance parameters (e.g., cell efficiency). For this purpose, we combine a Bayesian inference framework with a neural network surrogate device-physics model that is 100× faster than numerical solvers. With the trained surrogate model and only a small number of experimental samples, our approach reduces significantly the time-consuming intervention and characterization required by the experimentalist. As a demonstration of our method, in only five metal organic chemical vapor depositions, we identify a superior growth temperature profile for the window, bulk, and back surface field layer of a GaAs solar cell, without any secondary measurements, and demonstrate a 6.5% relative AM1.5G efficiency improvement above traditional grid search methods.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Project Title: Adaptive Vertical Grid Enhancement for E3SM (Final Technical Report)

During the first phase of the project (2018/05-2021/05), we proved the hypothesis that, without tuning, high vertical resolution improves the representation of unresolved, parameterized low altitude clouds such as stratocumulus clouds in global climate models. We evaluated the effectiveness of the newly developed computational framework, Framework for Improvement by Vertical Enhancement (FIVE) by implementing it into E3SM. FIVE aims to improve representation of the target cloud, low level cloud for this project, with use of a locally high vertical resolution for computation of selected processes. FIVE was assessed via direct comparison among E3SM, E3SM-FIVE, and satellite data as well as a newly developed ensemble artificial neural network methodology. We demonstrated that E3SM-FIVE remarkably improves marine stratocumulus representation. To advance the FIVE methodology, we took a first step toward the adaptive vertical grid in the FIVE method by modifying the E3SM single column model. For future application of FIVE to the global storm resolving model with a few km horizontal grid resolution, we developed the vertical-meridional two-dimensional (2D) Hadley circulation model, which allows one to run simulations with much higher vertical resolution and significantly longer duration than current three-dimensional global storm resolving model. During the second phase of the project (2021/05-2023/11; period for this technical report), we sought a way to appropriately transform FIVE to a regionalized version of FIVE, which allows one to select locations with/without FIVE. In parallel, we demonstrated that E3SM-FIVE with a 25-km mesh significantly reduced the bias associated with coastal stratocumulus. Furthermore, we showed that the same improvement was able to be obtained with the use of both the Regional Refined Model (RRM) targeted to one of the stratocumulus regions with 25-km resolution and FIVE. We explored a new implementation strategy of FIVE with our 2D Hadley circulation model. In parallel we applied the 2D Hadley circulation model to study the double intertropical convergence zone bias with storm resolving model resolution and aerosol-cloud interactions within the Hadley circulation with near large eddy simulation resolution. Last, we have been investigating Arctic mixed-phase stratocumulus clouds with large eddy simulations in order to improve their representation in global models. During the course of the entire project, 6 journal articles were published, and 3 manuscripts are currently in preparation. We gave a total of 30 presentations at various domestic and international conferences. In addition we gave 6 seminar talks at universities and a national laboratory. E3SM- FIVE is available as a branch of E3SM.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Toward the fabrication of a 5- μm -resolution Wolter microscope for the National Ignition Facility (invited)

Advancements in computer-controlled polishing, metrology, and replication have led to an x-ray mirror fabrication process that is capable of producing high-resolution Wolter microscopes. Here, we present the fabrication and test of a nickel–cobalt replicated full-shell x-ray mirror that was electroformed from a finely figured and polished mandrel. This mandrel was designed for an 8-m source-to-detector-distance microscope, with 10× magnification, and was optimized to reduce shell distortions that occur within 20 mm of the shell ends. This, in combination with an improved replication tooling design and refined bath parameters informed by a detailed COMSOL Multiphysics® model, has led to reductions in replication errors in the mirrors. Mandrel surface fabrication was improved by implementing a computer-controlled polishing process that corrected the low-frequency mandrel figure error and achieved <2.0 nm RMS convergence error. X-ray tests performed on a pair of mirror shells replicated from the mandrel have demonstrated <10 μm full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) spatial resolution. Here, we discuss the development process, highlight results from metrology and x-ray testing, and define a path for achieving a program goal of 5 μm FWHM resolution.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Low-Power, Flexible Sensor Arrays with Solderless Board-to-Board Connectors for Monitoring Soil Deformation and Temperature

Landslides are a global and frequent natural hazard, affecting many communities and infrastructure networks. Technological solutions are needed for long-term, large-scale condition monitoring of infrastructure earthworks or natural slopes. However, current instruments for slope stability monitoring are often costly, require a complex installation process and/or data processing schemes, or have poor resolution. Wireless sensor networks comprising low-power, low-cost sensors have been shown to be a crucial part of landslide early warning systems. Here, we present the development of a novel sensing approach that uses linear arrays of three-axis accelerometers for monitoring changes in sensor inclination, and thus the surrounding soil’s deformation. By combining these deformation measurements with depth-resolved temperature measurements, we can link our data to subsurface thermal–hydrological regimes where relevant. In this research, we present a configuration of cascaded I2C sensors that (i) have ultra-low power consumption and (ii) enable an adjustable probe length. From an electromechanical perspective, we developed a novel board-to-board connection method that enables narrow, semi-flexible sensor arrays and a streamlined assembly process. The low-cost connection method relies on a specific FR4 printed circuit board design that allows board-to-board press fitting without using electromechanical components or solder connections. The sensor assembly is placed in a thin, semi-flexible tube (inner diameter 6.35 mm) that is filled with an epoxy compound. The resulting sensor probe is connected to an AA-battery-powered data logger with wireless connectivity. We characterize the system’s electromechanical properties and investigate the accuracy of deformation measurements. Our experiments, performed with probes up to 1.8 m long, demonstrate long-term connector stability, as well as probe mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, our accuracy analysis indicates that deformation measurements can be performed with a 0.390 mm resolution and a 95% confidence interval of ±0.73 mm per meter of probe length. This research shows the suitability of low-cost accelerometer arrays for distributed soil stability monitoring. In comparison with emerging low-cost measurements of surface displacement, our approach provides depth-resolved deformation, which can inform about shallow sliding surfaces.

deformation monitoring↗
DOE OSTI2022

Efficient Data Query for Gaussian Process Compressed Data through Value Range Estimation [Slides]

When the resolution of the data increases, data reduction methods are applied to simulation output, including Gaussian process, neural representation and compression algorithms. Lots of data analysis/visualization techniques requires data query, but data query from reduced representation is still challenging. This report will provide examples and provide possible answers to why data query from reduced representation is still challenging.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-count-rate effects in event processing for the XRISM/Resolve X-ray microcalorimeter. II. Energy scale and resolution in orbit

The Resolve instrument on the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) uses a 36 pixel microcalorimeter designed to deliver high-resolution, non-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Although it is optimized for extended sources with low count rates, Resolve observations of bright point sources are still able to provide unique insights into the physics of these objects, as long as high-count-rate effects are addressed in the analysis. These effects include the loss of exposure time for each pixel, changes in the energy scale, and changes in the energy resolution. To investigate these effects under realistic observational conditions, we observed the bright X-ray source, the Crab Nebula, with XRISM at several offset positions with respect to the Resolve field of view and with continuous illumination from 55 Fe sources on the filter wheel. For the spectral analysis, we excluded data where exposure-time loss was too significant to ensure reliable spectral statistics. The energy scale at 6 keV shows a slight negative shift in the high-count-rate regime. The energy resolution at 6 keV worsens as the count rate in electrically neighboring pixels increases, but can be restored by applying a nearest-neighbor coincidence cut (“cross-talk cut”). We examined how these effects influence the observation of bright point sources, using GX 13+1 as a test case, and identified an eV-scale energy offset at 6 keV between the inner (brighter) and outer (fainter) pixels. Users who seek to analyze velocity structures on the order of tens of km s–1 should account for such high-count-rate effects. These findings will aid in the interpretation of Resolve data from bright sources and provide valuable considerations for designing and planning for future microcalorimeter missions.

X-rays: general↗
DOE OSTI2022

Inferring the Thermal History of the Intergalactic Medium from the Properties of the Hydrogen and Helium Lyα Forest

The filamentary network of intergalactic medium (IGM) gas that gives origin to the Lyα forest in the spectra of distant quasars encodes information on the physics of structure formation and the early thermodynamics of diffuse baryonic material. Here we use a massive suite of more than 400 high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations run with the Graphics Processing Unit–accelerated code Cholla to study the IGM at high spatial resolution maintained over the entire computational volume. The simulations capture a wide range of possible IGM thermal histories by varying the photoheating and photoionizing background produced by star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei. A statistical comparison of synthetic spectra with the observed 1D flux power spectra of hydrogen at redshifts 2.2 ≤ z ≤ 5.0 and with the helium Lyα opacity at redshifts 2.4 < z < 2.9 tightly constrains the photoionization and photoheating history of the IGM. By leveraging the constraining power of the available Lyα forest data to break model degeneracies, we find that the IGM experienced two main reheating events over 1.2 Gyr of cosmic time. For our best-fit model, hydrogen reionization completes by z R ≈ 6.0 with a first IGM temperature peak of T 0 ≃ 1.3 × 10 4 K and is followed by the reionization of He ii that completes by z R ≈ 3.0 and yields a second temperature peak of T 0 ≃ 1.4 × 10 4 K. We discuss how our results can be used to obtain information on the timing and the sources of hydrogen and helium reionization.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-fidelity wave data from MarineLabs CoastScout™ buoys supporting WEC demonstration at Scripps Pier

Two MarineLabs CoastScout™ buoys were deployed off La Jolla, California in February 2020 to provide high-resolution wave elevation time series data in support of CalWave Power Technologies’ XWave WEC deployment. The buoys are positioned approximately 300m from a longterm wave monitoring station operated by the Coastal Data Information Program. Both CoastScout hull types showed excellent agreement with the reference Datawell Directional Waverider MkIII (Hs r 2 =0.94, m0 r 2 =0.88). The CoastScout buoys maintained 100% uptime throughout an initial 6- month intercomparison period. CalWave used 5-Hz wave train data from this period to drive physical hardware-in-the-loop tests of the XWave power take-off. Throughout the deployment, the CoastScout buoys will provide near-real-time bulk wave parameters to help CalWave operators safely and efficiently operate the WEC. In post-processing, high-fidelity wave resolution will be used to associate individual waves with onboard measurements from Fiber Bragg Grating strain gauges and external pressure sensors.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Identifying electrochemical processes by distribution of relaxation times in proton exchange membrane electrolyzers

Distribution of relaxation time (DRT) is used to interpret electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers, with an attempt to separate overlapped relaxation processes in Nyquist plots. By varying operating conditions and catalyst loadings, four main relaxation peaks arising from EIS can be identified and successfully separated from low to high frequencies as (P1) mass transport, (P2) oxygen evolution reaction kinetics, (P3) reaction kinetics (with faster time constant than P2), and (P4) ionic transport. Here, the shape, height, and frequency of the DRT peaks change with different membrane electrode assembly (MEA) configurations. Electron microscopy reveals distinct features from the cross-sectioned MEAs which verify critical DRT results in that increasing the iridium (Ir)-anode loading from 0.2 mgIr/cm 2 to 1.5 mgIr/cm 2 reduces kinetic losses due to higher site-access; a thick and compacted anode, however, also triggers higher ohmic resistances from membrane/catalyst layer hydration and increases transport losses due to longer ionomer pathways. DRT provides higher resolution to EIS for deconvoluting processes with different relaxation times and the quantification of DRT peaks improves the accounting of total losses from each process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Numerical Study of Hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay Using an Unstructured Grid Model: Validation and Sensitivity to Bathymetry Representation

A three-dimensional unstructured-grid hydrodynamic and water quality model (Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Intergrated System Model-Integrated Compartment Model) is applied successfully for Chesapeake Bay. The model is validated with observations of salinity, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and phytoplankton productions from the year 1991 to 1995 for the mainstem and some major tributaries, based on multiple model skill scores. Model experiments are conducted to test the importance of having (1) an accurate representation of bathymetry to correctly predict hypoxia and other processes and (2) a high-resolution model grid for tributaries to correctly simulate water quality variables. Further, comparison with the model experiment results with bathymetry smoothing indicates that bathymetry smoothing, as commonly used for many systems, changes the stratification and lateral circulation pattern, resulting in more salt intrusion into shallow water regions, and an increase in the freshwater age. Consequently, a model with bathymetry smoothing can lead to an unrealistic prediction of the distribution of hypoxia and phytoplankton production. Local grid refinement shows significant improvement of model simulations on local stratification and water quality variables. Overall, the use of high-resolution unstructured grid model leads to a faithful representation of the complex geometry, and thus a seamless cross-scale capability for simulating water quality processes in the Bay including tributaries and tidal creeks.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Image Collection Simulation Using High-Resolution Atmospheric Modeling

A new method is described for simulating the passive remote sensing image collection of ground targets that includes effects from atmospheric physics and dynamics at fine spatial and temporal scales. The innovation in this research is the process of combining a high-resolution weather model with image collection simulation to attempt to account for heterogeneous and high-resolution atmospheric effects on image products. The atmosphere was modeled on a 3D voxel grid by a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) driven by forcing data constrained by local ground-based and air-based observations. The spatial scale of the atmospheric model (10–100 m) came closer than conventional weather forecast scales (10–100 km) to approaching the scale of typical commercial multispectral imagery (2 m). This approach was demonstrated through a ground truth experiment conducted at the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site. In this experiment, calibrated targets (colored spectral tarps) were placed on the ground, and the scene was imaged with WorldView-3 multispectral imagery at a resolution enabling the tarps to be visible in at least 9–12 image pixels. The image collection was simulated with Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) software, using the 3D atmosphere from the LES model to generate a high-resolution cloud mask. The high-resolution atmospheric model-predicted cloud coverage was usually within 23% of the measured cloud cover. The simulated image products were comparable to the WorldView-3 satellite imagery in terms of the variations of cloud distributions and spectral properties of the ground targets in clear-sky regions, suggesting the potential utility of the proposed modeling framework in improving simulation capabilities, as well as testing and improving the operation of image collection processes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Morphotype-resolved characterization of microalgal communities in a nutrient recovery process with ARTiMiS flow imaging microscopy

Microalgae-driven nutrient recovery represents a promising technology for phosphorus removal from wastewater while simultaneously generating biomass that can be valorized to offset treatment costs. As full-scale processes come online, system parameters including biomass composition must be carefully monitored to optimize performance and prevent culture crashes. In this study, flow imaging microscopy (FIM) was leveraged to characterize microalgal community composition in near real-time at a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Wisconsin, USA, and population and morphotype dynamics were examined to identify relationships between water chemistry, biomass composition, and system performance. Two FIM technologies, FlowCam and ARTiMiS, were evaluated as monitoring tools. ARTiMiS provided a more accurate estimate of total system biomass, and estimates derived from particle area as a proxy for biovolume yielded better approximations than particle counts. Deep learning classification models trained on annotated image libraries demonstrated equivalent performance between FlowCam and ARTiMiS, and convolutional neural network (CNN) classifiers proved significantly more accurate when compared to feature table-based dense neural network (DNN) models. Across a two-year study period, Scenedesmus spp. appeared most important for phosphorus removal, and were negatively impacted by elevated temperatures and increase in nitrite/nitrate concentrations. Chlorella and Monoraphidium also played an important role in phosphorus removal. For both Scenedesmus and Chlorella, smaller morphological types were more often associated with better system performance, whereas larger morphotypes likely associated with stress response(s) correlated with poor phosphorus recovery rates. Furthermore, these results demonstrate the potential of FIM as a critical technology for high-resolution characterization of industrial microalgal processes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗