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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 NTRS1990

Ecosystem approach to a global nitrous oxide budget

An approach using relationships among soil fertility, nitrogen cycling, and nitrous oxide production is presented in order to estimate nitrous oxide flux from humid tropical forests. The effects of human disturbance are also investigated. It is noted that recent estimates suggest that 6-10 million ha. of tropical forest are cleared permanently each year. The results of measurements of nitrous oxide flux from cleared and burned sites in Costa Rica and Brazil, in conjunction with satellite-based classifications of ecosystem types, are used to calculate average hourly fluxes for a given region. In the NASA intensive site near Manaus, Brazil, it was found that although pasture areas cover only 11 percent of the region they account for 40 percent of the nitrous oxide flux. This analysis of the fluxes of trace gases through consideration of the gradients of factors that control both fluxes and ecosystem properties and processes will prove useful for extrapolating fluxes and for calculating budgets of nitrous oxide, methane, nonmethane hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide.

Matson, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Soil nitrogen cycling and nitrous oxide flux in a Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir forest - Effects of fertilization, irrigation and carbon addition

Nitrous oxide fluxes and soil nitrogen transformations were measured in experimentally-treated high elevation Douglas-fir forests in northwestern New Mexico, USA. On an annual basis, forests that were fertilized with 200 kg N/ha emitted an average of 0.66 kg/ha of N2O-N, with highest fluxes occurring in July and August when soils were both warm and wet. Control, irrigated, and woodchip treated plots did not differ, and annual average fluxes ranged from 0.03 to 0.23 kg/ha. Annual net nitrogen mineralization and nitrate production were estimated in soil and forest floor using in situ incubations; fertilized soil mineralized 277 kg/ha/y in contrast to 18 kg/ha/y in control plots. Relative recovery of 15NH4-N applied to soil in laboratory incubations was principally in the form of NO3-N in the fertilized soils, while recovery was mostly in microbial biomass-N in the other treatments. Fertilization apparently added nitrogen that exceeded the heterotrophic microbial demand, resulting in higher rates of nitrate production and higher nitrous oxide fluxes. Despite the elevated nitrous oxide emission resulting from fertilization, we estimate that global inputs of nitrogen into forests are not currently contributing significantly to the increasing concentrations of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.

Matson, Pamela A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Decomposition of nitrous oxide and chloromethanes absorbed on particulate matter

The effect of pressure on the heterogeneous thermal and pyrolytic decomposition of nitrous oxides adsorbed on sand was studied. Results indicate that N20 adsorbed on certain sand surfaces can be decomposed by photons which nitrous oxide cannot absorb in the gas phase. There is also a thermal heterogeneous decomposition of nitrous oxide which also produces nitrogen. The photolysis of CC14, CFC13, CF2C12 adsorbed on fused quartz and on different types of sand was also investigated. There was no thermal heterogeneous reaction with any of these chloromethanes. Apparently the larger bond energy of approximately 74 kcal for the C-C1 bond compared to approximately 40 kcal for the N-O bond in N2O makes the thermal reaction inoperative for the chloromethanes.

Rebbert, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Nitrous oxide flux and nitrogen transformations across a landscape gradient in Amazonia

Nitrous oxide flux and nitrogen turnover were measured in three types of Amazonian forest ecosystems within Reserva Florestal Ducke near Manaus, Brazil. Nitrogen mineralization and nitrate production measured during 10-day laboratory incubations were 3-4 times higher in clay soils associated with 'terra firme' forests on ridge-top and slope positions than in 'campinarana' forests on bottomland sand soils. In contrast, nitrous oxide fluxes did not differ significantly among sites, but were highly variable in space and time. The observed frequency distribution of flux was positively skewed, with a mean overall sites and all sampling times of 1.3 ng N2O-N/sq cm per hr. Overall, the flux estimates were comparable to or greater than those of temperature forests, but less than others reported for Amazoonia. Results from a field fertilization experiment suggest that most nitrous oxide flux was associated with denitrification of soil nitrate.

Livingston, Gerald P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Soil nitrogen cycling and nitrous oxide flux in a Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir forest - Effects of fertilization, irrigation and carbon addition

Nitrous oxide fluxes and soil nitrogen transformations were measured in experimentally-treated high elevation Douglas-fir forests in northwestern New Mexico. On an annual basis, forests that were fertilized with 200 kg N/ha emitted an average of 0.66 kg/ha of N2O-N, with highest fluxes occurring in July and August when soils were both warm and wet. Control, irrigated, and woodchip treated plots were not different from each other, and annual average fluxes ranged from 0.03 to 0.23 kg/ha. Fertilized soil mineralized 277 kg/ha per year in contrast to 18 kg/ha per year in control plots. Relative recovery of (N-15)H4-N applied to soil in laboratory incubations was principally in the form of NO3-N in the fertilized soils, while recovery was mostly in microbial biomass-N in the other treatments. Fertilization apparently added nitrogen that exceeded the heterotrophic microbial demand, resulting in higher rates of nitrate production and higher nitrous oxide fluxes. Global inputs of nitrogen into forests are not currently contributing significantly to the increasing concentrations of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.

Matson, Pamela A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Protonated Nitrous Oxide, NNOH(+): Fundamental Vibrational Frequencies and Spectroscopic Constants from Quartic Force Fields

The interstellar presence of protonated nitrous oxide has been suspected for some time. Using established high-accuracy quantum chemical techniques, spectroscopic constants and fundamental vibrational frequencies are provided for the lower energy O-protonated isomer of this cation and its deuterated isotopologue. The vibrationally-averaged B0 and C0 rotational constants are within 6 MHz of their experimental values and the D(subJ) quartic distortion constants agree with experiment to within 3%. The known gas phase O−H stretch of NNOH(+) is 3330.91 cm(exp−1), and the vibrational configuration interaction computed result is 3330.9 cm(exp−1). Other spectroscopic constants are also provided, as are the rest of the fundamental vibrational frequencies for NNOH(+) and its deuterated isotopologue. This high-accuracy data should serve to better inform future observational or experimental studies of the rovibrational bands of protonated nitrous oxide in the ISM and the laboratory.

fundamental vibrational frequencies↗
NASA NTRS1978

Interlaboratory calibration of atmospheric nitrous oxide measurements

Samples representative of Northern Hemispheric conditions in mid-1976 were analyzed by 11 laboratories to resolve the question of the absolute tropospheric concentration of nitrous oxide. The laboratories all employed electron capture-gas chromatography for the analysis. After exclusion of one anomalously low determination, the calibration results showed a mean concentration of 323.5 + or - 8.7 ppb v/v nitrous oxide.

Rasmussen, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cross-system comparisons of soil nitrogen transformations and nitrous oxide flux in tropical forest ecosystems

Soil nitrogen transformations and nitrous oxide flux across the soil-air interface have been measured in a variety of tropical forest sites and correlated with patterns of nitrogen circulation. Nitrogen mineralizaton and nitrification potentials were found to be high in the relatively fertile Costa Rica sites and the Amazonian oxisol/ultisols, intermediate in Amazonian white sand soils, and low in the Hawaiian montane sites. Nitrous oxide fluxes ranged from 0 to 6.2 ng/sq cm per h, and the mean flux per site was shown to be highly correlated with mean nitrogen mineralization.

Matson, Pamela A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Sources of variation in nitrous oxide flux from Amazonian ecosystems

Nitrous oxide flux and soil nutrient characteristics were measured in three undisturbed tropical ecosystem types, in cleared and burned areas, and in areas of forest converted to pasture near Manaus, Brazil. Nitrogen mineralization, nitrification, and soil nitrogen pools were high in upland forests on clay soils (terra firme) and low in the sand-type and floodplain (varzea) soils. Nitrous oxide flux followed the same pattern, with an average flux of 1.9 ng/sq cm per hr in terra firme, 0.3 in sand types, and 0.1 in varzea. Flux from recently cleared and burned areas did not differ from terra firme forest, but pastures had significantly elevated fluxes (10.3 ng/sq cm per hr). These data were combined with satellite data-based areal estimates of land cover classes to estimate total N2O-N flux from the intensive study area used by the Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment. Total N2O-N flux from the area was 22.9 kg/h; pastures covered 11 percent of the area but accounted for over 40 percent of the flux.

Matson, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Seasonal nitrous oxide flux from an intensively managed pasture in a humid subtropical ecosystem

Nitrous oxide (N2O) flux from vented chambers was measured over intensively and minimally managed bermuda grass hay meadows in a humid, subtropical ecosystem for several years during scheduled sampling protocol following harvest, fertilization and rainfall events while measuring diel N2O emissions once during each of 5 seasonal day growth cycles which divided each calendar year. Soil pools of nitrite NO2(-), nitrate NO3(-), and ammonia (NH3) were measured in soil samples taken at 2 and 10 cm depths during each emission collection to determine transformations of the nitrogen pools coupled with N2O emissions. The highest diel N2O emission occur midday in the Spring cycle, measuring 9.0 g N/ha/d only for several weeks, while emissions dropped to less than 1.0 g N/ha/day during hot, dry, and colder months. Intensively managed meadows (4 fertilizations and harvests per year plus pest management) induced higher seasonal N2O emissions than minimal treatment (1 fertilization and harvest) averaging 2.75 and 5.97 g N/ha/day. Nitrous oxide emission data as responses to soil parameters and environmental parameters were also measured where air temperature, soil moisture, and fertilization were the most powerful factors.

Brams, Eugene A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Exchange of nitrous oxide within the Hudson Bay lowland

The source strength of atmospheric trace gases from natural ecosystems must be quantified in order to assess the effect of such inputs on the background tropospheric chemistry. A static chamber technique and a gas exchange technique were used to determine the emissions of nitrous oxide from five sites within the Hudson Bay Lowland, as part of the Northern Wetland Study. Two mechanisms, one diffusive and the other episodic, were found likely to be responsible for the emissions of nitrous oxide. The annual diffusive flux ranged from -3.8 mg(N2O)/sq m in a treed bog to 7.9 mg(N2O)/sq m in an open fen. The addition of the episodic flux, increased this range to -2.1 mg(N2O)/sq m and 18.5 mg(N2O)/sq m respectively. These episodic emissions occurred in from 2.5% to 16.7% of the samples during the late summer peak emission period. Since the gas exchange rate could not detect the episodic emissions, it was found to be a poor method for water emission rate determination within the wetland. LANDSAT-Thermatic Mapper (TM) imagery was used to scale the emissions, from the chamber level to an integrated average over the entire Hudson Bay Lowland. The total emission rate of N2O from the Hudson Bay Lowland, was determined to be 1.2 Gg(N2O)/year, of which 80% was attributed to episodic emissions.

Schiller, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Nitrous Oxide/Paraffin Hybrid Rocket Engines

Nitrous oxide/paraffin (N2OP) hybrid rocket engines have been invented as alternatives to other rocket engines especially those that burn granular, rubbery solid fuels consisting largely of hydroxyl- terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). Originally intended for use in launching spacecraft, these engines would also be suitable for terrestrial use in rocket-assisted takeoff of small airplanes. The main novel features of these engines are (1) the use of reinforced paraffin as the fuel and (2) the use of nitrous oxide as the oxidizer. Hybrid (solid-fuel/fluid-oxidizer) rocket engines offer advantages of safety and simplicity over fluid-bipropellant (fluid-fuel/fluid-oxidizer) rocket en - gines, but the thrusts of HTPB-based hybrid rocket engines are limited by the low regression rates of the fuel grains. Paraffin used as a solid fuel has a regression rate about 4 times that of HTPB, but pure paraffin fuel grains soften when heated; hence, paraffin fuel grains can, potentially, slump during firing. In a hybrid engine of the present type, the paraffin is molded into a 3-volume-percent graphite sponge or similar carbon matrix, which supports the paraffin against slumping during firing. In addition, because the carbon matrix material burns along with the paraffin, engine performance is not appreciably degraded by use of the matrix.

Zubrin, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2016

Nitrous Oxides Ozone Destructiveness Under Different Climate Scenarios

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance as well as a key component of the nitrogen cascade. While emissions scenarios indicating the range of N2O's potential future contributions to radiative forcing are widely available, the impact of these emissions scenarios on future stratospheric ozone depletion is less clear. This is because N2O's ozone destructiveness is partially dependent on tropospheric warming, which affects ozone depletion rates in the stratosphere. Consequently, in order to understand the possible range of stratospheric ozone depletion that N2O could cause over the 21st century, it is important to decouple the greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and compare different emissions trajectories for individual substances (e.g. business-as-usual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions versus low emissions of N2O). This study is the first to follow such an approach, running a series of experiments using the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Sciences ModelE2 atmospheric sub-model. We anticipate our results to show that stratospheric ozone depletion will be highest in a scenario where CO2 emissions reductions are prioritized over N2O reductions, as this would constrain ozone recovery while doing little to limit stratospheric NOx levels (the breakdown product of N2O that destroys stratospheric ozone). This could not only delay the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer, but might also prevent a return to pre-1980 global average ozone concentrations, a key goal of the international ozone regime. Accordingly, we think this will highlight the importance of reducing emissions of all major greenhouse gas emissions, including N2O, and not just a singular policy focus on CO2.

stratospheric ozone depletion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nitrous Oxide in the Asian Summer Monsoon

Nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured during the ACCLIP campaign with the Carbon mOnoxide Measurement from Ames (COMA) instrument. N2O is a long-lived (123 years) anthropogenic greenhouse gas, with 300 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. In the stratosphere, N2O is one of the main ozone depleting substances.

Nitrous↗
NASA NTRS1965

Nitrogen dioxide produced by self-sustained pyrolysis of nitrous oxide

Apparatus is developed for achieving continuous self-sustaining pyrolysis reaction in the production of nitrogen dioxide from nitrous oxide. The process becomes self-sustaining because of the exothermic reaction and the regenerative heating of the gases in the pyrolysis chamber.

Sabol, A. P.↗