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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2022

Gulf of Maine Water Resources: Assessing the Use of Nasa Earth Observations for Identifying Harmful Algal Blooms of Pseudo-Nitzschia in the Gulf of Maine

The Gulf of Maine has a history of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years, raising concerns in the community. Specifically, the Pseudo-nitzschia genus possesses harmful toxins that can induce food-borne illnesses and infect humans through ambient water. We observed in-situ data from known 2016 and 2020 Pseudo-nitzschia blooms as case studies to test the feasibility of using satellite data to track bloom events. In order to map the frequency and distribution of Pseudo-nitzschia bloom events, we used satellite data from the Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI). We utilized Earth observation data to calculate normalized fluorescence line height (nFLH) and absorption by phytoplankton (aph443), which are satellite products that more accurately depict phytoplankton reflectance. We compared these products with in-situ observations in order to analyze ocean color differences and distinguish diatomic algal particles from other organic and inorganic particles.

harmful algal blooms↗
DOE OSTI2023

Considerations for Floating Wind Energy Development in the Gulf of Maine

This report summarizes the primary considerations for developing floating offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine based on the current knowledge of the staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as of June 2023. This work was performed as a supplement to information solicited by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in their Call for Information and Nominations announced in April 2023 (BOEM 2023b). The purpose of this report is to provide general information to the citizens of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, and to inform decision makers and stakeholders about the unique challenges of developing floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. This report intends to provide context to show the importance of the energy markets created by the states that floating offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine will serve.

BOEM↗
NASA NTRS2019

Nineteenth‐Century Tides in the Gulf of Maine and Implications for Secular Trends

Since the early twentieth century, the amplitudes of tidal constituents in the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy display clear secular trends that are among the largest anywhere observed for a regional body of water. The M2 amplitude at Eastport, Maine, increased at a rate of 14.1 ± 1.2 cm per century until it temporarily dropped during 1980–1990, apparently in response to changes in the wider North Atlantic. Annual tidal analyses indicate M2 reached an all‐time high amplitude last year (2018). Here we report new estimates of tides derived from nineteenth century water‐level measurements found in the U.S. National Archives. Results from Eastport, Portland, and Pulpit Harbor (tied to Bar Harbor) do not follow the twentieth century trends and indicate that the Gulf of Maine tide changes commenced sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, coincident with a transition to modern rates of sea‐level rise as observed at Boston and Portland. General agreement is that sea level rise alone is insufficient to cause the twentieth‐century tide changes. A role for ocean stratification is suggested by the long‐term warming of Gulf of Maine waters; archival water temperatures at Boston, Portland, and Eastport show increases of ∼2 °C since the 1880s. In addition, a changing seasonal dependence in M2 amplitudes is reflected in a changing seasonal dependence in water temperatures. The observations suggest that models seeking to reproduce Gulf of Maine tides must consider both sea level rise and long‐term changes in stratification.

Ray, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Biological-Physical Coupling in the Gulf of Maine: Satellite and Model Studies of Phytoplankton Variability

The goals of this project were to acquire, process, QC, archive and analyze SeaWiFS chlorophyll fields over the Gulf of Maine and Scotia Shelf region. The focus of the analysis effort was to calculate and quantify seasonality and interannual. variability of SeaWiFS-measured phytoplankton biomass in the study area and compare these to physical forcing and hydrography. An additional focus within this effort was on regional differences within the heterogeneous biophysical regions of the Gulf of Maine / Scotia Shelf. Overall goals were approached through the combined use of SeaWiFS and AVHRR data and the development of a coupled biology-physical numerical model.

Thomas, Andrew C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Validation of Surface Bio-Optical Properties in the Gulf of Maine as a Means for Improving Satellite Primary Production Estimates

One of the greatest challenges in providing sea-truth data for various ocean color sensors is climatology. This is particularly true in the Gulf of Maine since it is cloudy and foggy more than it is clear; the climatology shows on average, about one in four to five days has clear skies with clear days slightly more frequent in the late summer and early fall. Our strategy has been to use a ship of opportunity where one has choice of the sampling days. This provides much better flexibility to sample during clear periods with good satellite coverage. Our Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) contract has been to use the M/S Scotia Prince ferry as a ship of opportunity, running between Portland, Maine and Yarmouth, NS. Measurements include continuous, surface, along-track fluorescence, two independent measures of backscattering, total light scattering, absorption, beam attenuation, above-water remote sensing reflectance, calcite-dependent light scattering, temperature, and salinity. Expendable bathythermography (XBT) drops allow acquisition of vertical temperature information, useful for defining isopycnal slope, which affects primary production. These data are comparable to a previous program from early 1982, where a ship of opportunity program (SOOP) was run on the truck ferry, M/V Marine Evangeline, which ran along the same transect. These surface data were combined with satellite-derived sea surface temperature fields to examine the Maine coastal current. Unfortunately, this program stopped in 1982. The ongoing SIMBIOS results will dovetail nicely with the previous work (which also had Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) coverage) for looking at any long-term changes in the Gulf of Maine hydrography, bio-optics, and biogeochemistry.

Balch, William M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Time-Domain Vortex Induced Vibration Modeling of Reference Dynamic Power Cable for the Gulf of Maine

Vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is a phenomenon known to decrease the fatigue life of dynamic power cables used in floating offshore wind systems through increased bending loading cycles. A variety of modeling solutions have been proposed to study this, but none enable fully-coupled simulations leveraging open-source tools. To address this, a time-domain VIV model has been successfully implemented into the open-source mooring dynamics model MoorDyn. The semi-empirical VIV model describes a lift force acting on segments of a flexible cylinder, making it well suited for implementation into MoorDyn. The new capability successfully predicted the frequencies and magnitudes of strain in both steady and oscillating flows when compared to the original validation results and matched peak spectral response when compared to experimental results, verifying successful implementation. MoorDyn with VIV was then leveraged to simulate a 15 MW floating turbine with a dynamic power cable in the Gulf of Maine using OpenFAST for six return periods of combined wind, wave, and current conditions. Increased curvature and tension fluctuations in higher flow speeds were observed when simulating VIV. Maximum tensions and curvatures also increased, with the 500 year conditions violating the curvature factor of safety of 2.0. These results highlight the importance of considering VIV when designing dynamic power cables for the Gulf of Maine, and indicate that cost effective mitigation strategies should be explored for the area. They also demonstrate the utility of this new modeling capability, which provides the first open-source tool for fully coupled time-domain floating offshore wind simulations with dynamic power cable VIV.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2005

Secular changes of the M2 tide in the Gulf of Maine

Analyses of long time series of hourly tide-gauge data at four stations in the Gulf of Maine reveal that the amplitude of the M2 tide underwent a nearly linear secular increase throughout most of the twentieth century. In the early 1980s, however, the amplitude of M2 abruptly dropped. Sea level changes alone appear inadequate to explain either the long-term trend or the recent trend discontinuity. Tidal models that account for Holocene sea level rise do predict an amplification of M2, but much smaller than the currently observed trends. Nor do recent annual mean sea levels correlate with the recent trend discontinuity. Some unknown fraction of the open Atlantic may be similarly affected, since the M2 discontinuity, but not the long-term secular increase in the tide, is evident also at Halifax.

Ray, Richard D.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Focal Fisheries Requirements for Floating Offshore Wind Co-Design in the Gulf of Maine and the Mid-Atlantic Bight

Floating offshore wind is an emerging renewable energy technology in U.S. waters and globally. Floating offshore wind technology is more complex than fixed-bottom installations, requiring platforms, moorings, and power cables that take up a larger footprint, both in the water column and along the seafloor. This complexity affects opportunities for compatibility between floating offshore wind and other ocean users, particularly fishermen, whose fishing gear also takes up space in the water column and along the seafloor. This report describes the results of semi-structured interviews with key fishing informants from two focal fisheries: (1) Gulf of Maine lobster (fixed gear) and (2) Mid-Atlantic Bight pelagic longline and recreational tuna (mobile gear). A total of six fishermen were interviewed: four from the Gulf of Maine and two from the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The interviews were designed to elicit information and opinions on the co-design of marine space for particular fishing gear and floating offshore wind infrastructure. Here, we provide an overview of participant fishing experience, the spatial requirements of specific gear types, self-reported comfort levels in different fishing scenarios, and concerns about accessing and operating within floating offshore wind arrays. This summary of fishermen s concerns around floating offshore wind infrastructure can guide future co-existence conversations.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Social Acceptance of a Reduced-Footprint Synthetic Mooring System for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in the Gulf of Maine

Engineers are looking to reduce the size of floating offshore wind mooring footprints to minimize conflict with other ocean users. To this end, the University of Maine (UMaine) received funding from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to design, demonstrate, and validate a novel reduced-footprint synthetic mooring system for floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) that reduces impacts to fisheries and the levelized cost of energy. UMaine designed two mooring systems for the New England Aqua Ventus (NEAV) I demonstration project to quantify the technical, economic, and social impacts of a reduced-footprint hybrid mooring system. Specifically, a traditional catenary chain mooring system and a novel polyester rope-chain hybrid system were designed to the front-end engineering design level for this assessment. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was funded by DOE to help independently quantify the social and techno-economic impacts of the rope-chain hybrid mooring system designed by UMaine. This report focuses on NREL's assessment of the social acceptance of the reduced-footprint rope-chain hybrid mooring system and the conventional all-chain mooring system by competing users in the Gulf of Maine.

ENGINEERING,WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Met-Ocean Characterization for the Atlantic Marine Energy Center’s (AMEC’s) Gulf of Maine Wave Test Sites

Comprehensive and consistent analysis, characterization, and classification of the wave climate at open-ocean wave energy converter (WEC) test sites guided by international standards enables commensurable evaluation and comparison of met-ocean characteristics, including wave energy resources and wave load conditions. Herein, we present results from a comprehensive feasibility-level met-ocean characterization for two Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) WEC test sites in the Gulf of Maine.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗