Earth rotation and solar activity <la rotation de la terre et l'activite solaire<
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One of the figures (Fig. 4) in "Solar sources and geospace consequences of interplanetary magnetic Clouds observed during solar cycle 23 -- Paper 1" by Gopalswamy et al. (2008, JASTP, Vol. 70, Issues 2-4, February 2008, pp. 245-253) is incorrect because of a software error in t he routine that was used to make the plot. The source positions of various magnetic cloud (MC) types are therefore not plotted correctly.
Light volatile elements in lunar regolith are thought to be a mixture of the solar wind and Earth’s atmosphere, the latter sourced in the absence of geomagnetic field. However, the extent to which both the current and primitive geodynamo influence the transport of terres trial ions still remains unclear, and this uncertainty is further complicated by the enigmatic composition and poorly constrained location of the Eoarchean exosphere. Here we use 3-D MHD numerical simulations with contemporary magnetized and Archean unmagnetized atmospheres to investigate how Earth’s intrinsic magnetic field affects this transfer, aiming to constrain how and when the lunar isotopic signature provides a record of Earth’s pale-oatmosphere. We find that atmospheric transfer is efficient only when the Moon is within Earth’s magnetotail. The non-solar contribution to the lunar soil is best explained by implantation during the long history of the geodynamo with present-day solar wind conditions, rather than any short, putatively unmagnetized epoch of early Archean Earth. This further suggests the history of the terrestrial atmosphere, spanning billions of years, could be preserved in buried lunar soils. Our results indicate that the elemental abundances of Apollo samples are very sensitive to Earth’s hydrodynamic exobase altitude, which, at the time of ion implantation, was never smaller than 190 km.
The computed tomography (CT) facilities and the Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, West Virginia were used to characterize Mt. Simon core from the Wabash CarbonSAFE project, Wabash No. 1 well. The primary impetus of the work in this report is a collaboration between NETL Research and Innovation Center and the Illinois State Geological Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois. The resultant datasets are presented in this report and can be accessed from NETL's Energy Data eXchange (EDX) online system using the following link: https://edx.netl.doe.gov/dataset/wabash-no-1-well. The Wabash No. 1 well was drilled as part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise field project to assess the feasibility of developing a commercial-scale geological storage complex at the Wabash Valley Resources Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle plant near Terre Haute, Indiana. All equipment and techniques used were non-destructive, enabling future examinations and analyses to be performed on these cores. None of the equipment used was suitable for direct visualization of the pore space in fine-grained structures; fractures, discontinuities, and millimeter scale features were readily detectable with the methods tested. Imaging with the NETL medical CT scanner was performed on the entire core. Qualitative analysis of the medical CT images, coupled with X-ray fluorescence (XRF), P-wave, and magnetic susceptibility measurements from the MSCL were useful in identifying zones of interest for more detailed analysis. The ability to quickly identify key areas for more detailed study with higher resolution will save time and resources in future studies. The combination of methods used provides a multi-scale analysis of the core; the resulting macro and micro descriptions are relevant to many subsurface energy-related examinations traditionally performed at NETL.
In 2016, WVR acquired the Wabash Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Plant north of Terre Haute, Indiana. Initially, WVR intended to use the plant to produce ammonia using syngas converted to hydrogen. Part of the business plan was to capture and sequester the CO 2 byproduct with the goal of a net-zero carbon emitting plant. Now, with the demand for clean hydrogen-based power and fuel cell energy, the plant intends to produce power and sell hydrogen as a fuel source, still with the intent to sequester CO 2 and achieve net-zero emissions. The Wabash CarbonSAFE project’s objectives are to establish the feasibility of developing a commercial-scale geological storage complex at the WVR plant in Vigo County, Indiana, for storage of 50 million tonnes or more of CO 2 . The plant is expected to produce up to 2 million tons (1.82 million tonnes) of CO 2 annually as a byproduct of hydrogen production. Wabash CarbonSAFE has examined the feasibility of geologic storage of the CO 2 in the Potosi Dolomite Storage Complex of the Illinois Basin via an onsite characterization well at the WVR plant site. This document explores the business requirements to undertake such a project, outlining the outside influences on a business venture such as legislation, legal, regulatory, and business climate factors. This document then discusses the CO 2 source, potential partner sources, and the business financials that allow CCS to be commercially viable for Wabash Valley Resources.
Wabash Valley Resources is incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies into its hydrogen production plant in Terre Haute, Indiana, at an expected annual capture rate that will make Wabash Valley Resources one of the largest carbon capture facilities in the world. In addition to storing its own captured CO 2 , the geographic location and subsurface geology at Wabash Valley Resources suggest it may be an advantageous site for a carbon storage hub. This report analyzes the potential of nearby sources to transport their captured CO 2 to Wabash Valley Resources through an optimal pipeline network.
The objective of the Wabash CarbonSAFE project’s static and dynamic modeling task is to assess the feasibility of storing 50 million tonnes (1.67 million metric tonnes annually; MMTA) of industrially-sourced carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in a commercial-scale geological storage complex at Wabash Valley Resources LLC (WVR) gasification facility near Terre Haute, Indiana over a period of 30 years. The targeted formations for storing CO 2 are: 1) Mt. Simon Sandstone (MSS) and the 2) Potosi Dolomite (Knox Group). All of the available data from the recently drilled Wabash #1 stratigraphic test well (now plugged and abandoned) were used in the construction of both the static and dynamic models. Geologic models were constructed to characterize both the Mt. Simon Sandstone and Potosi Dolomite storage complexes. Dynamic simulation models were constructed and used to assess the feasibility of injecting CO 2 into the Mt. Simon and Potosi formations. The geocellular models for the Potosi Dolomite and Mt. Simon Sandstone were built using Petrel™, Schlumberger’s reservoir modeling software. The dynamic simulations were run using Landmark’s Nexus ® reservoir simulation software.
Wabash CarbonSAFE established that commercial-scale CO 2 storage in the Potosi Dolomite –Maquoketa Group storage complex associated with the Wabash Valley Resources (WVR) plant site near Terre Haute, IN is highly feasible. The CarbonSAFE project team performed this evaluation through extensive data acquisition and analysis including 2D seismic reflection data, wireline logs, well testing, and core/cuttings from the Wabash #1 stratigraphic test well (now plugged and abandoned). This document summarizes work detailed in separate Wabash CarbonSAFE reports and consolidates the geologic characterization, well testing, and storage complex modeling results for the Mt. Simon Sandstone and Potosi Dolomite, two distinct reservoirs characterized at the Wabash CarbonSAFE project site. The report then presents recommendations for the next steps for site characterization, identifies data gaps for future activities, and provides an overall assessment of site potential.
TDA developed and demonstrated a highly efficient pre-combustion carbon capture system. The overall objective of this work was to develop a new sorbent-based pre-combustion carbon capture technology for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants. In this project our goal was to demonstrate the techno-economic viability of the new technology by 1) demonstrating it in large-scale slipstream tests, and 2) carrying out a high fidelity engineering and cost analysis. TDA’s process used an advanced physical adsorbent that selectively removes CO 2 from coal-derived synthesis gas above the dew point of the gas at temperatures as high as 300°C. The sorbent consists of a mesoporous carbon whose surface was grafted with functional groups that remove CO 2 via a well-known acid-base interaction. As documented in bench-scale experiments and field tests with actual coal gas, the sorbent achieved a very high capacity for CO 2 at temperatures as high as 300°C. The sorbent bound CO 2 more strongly than common physical adsorbents, providing the chemical potential needed for the high temperature operation. However, because CO 2 does not form a true covalent bond with the surface sites (as is the case with chemical absorbents), the sorbent regeneration could be carried out with only a very small energy input. The heat input to regenerate our sorbent was only 4.9 kcal per mol of CO 2 , which is much lower than that for chemical absorbents (e.g., 29.9 kcal/mol CO 2 for sodium carbonate) and was similar to the requirements of physical solvents (e.g., 4 kcal/mol CO 2 for Selexol TM ). Because the sorbent operates above the dew point of the synthesis gas (unlike the Selexol TM process), a higher power cycle efficiency can be achieved. With previous DOE/NETL funding (Contract No. DE-FE-0000469), we demonstrated the techno-economic viability of the technology in bench-scale tests and slipstream demonstrations at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), Wilsonville, Alabama and Wabash River IGCC plant in Terra Haute, Indiana. We demonstrated a stable working CO 2 capacity for over 11,650 cycles with simulated synthesis gas. We also evaluated its performance with actual synthesis gas in two test campaigns at the Wabash River IGCC Plant, Terre Haute, IN and the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC), Wilsonville, AL. The slipstream tests clearly showed that the actual coal gas constituents and potential contaminants (e.g. trace metals, halides, tars) had no effect on the sorbent’s ability to remove CO 2 (the same sorbent beds were used in both field tests with no sign of deactivation for 2,000 cycles with over 26,750 SCF of gas treated). As expected, due to the high temperature CO 2 removal capability and low energy needed to regenerate the sorbent, the power cycle efficiency with our process was greater than 34% on a higher heating value (HHV) basis; in comparison, the same IGCC plant equipped with the Selexol TM solvent for carbon capture can only achieve 31.4% HHV efficiency. The capital cost for an IGCC system with TDA’s process is estimated as $2,417/kW e , which is 12% lower than that of the IGCC/ Selexol TM process. The levelized cost for electricity including the transport, storage and monitoring (TS&M) cost for CO 2 was calculated as $\$ $92.9/MWh (lowest reported to our knowledge), which is much better than the $105.2/MWh estimated for the IGCC/ Selexol TM process. In this project (DE-FE0013105), TDA Research, in collaboration with our partners Gas Technology Institute (GTI), Illinois Clean Coal Institute (ICCI), University of California, Irvine (UCI), University of Alberta (UOA), Siemens, NCCC and Sinopec advanced the technical maturity of the technology; scaling it up by a factor of 100. We optimized the reactor design using computational fluid dynamics (CFD); using adsorption modeling we improved the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) cycle sequence. We carried out two field test campaigns with a fully-equipped 0.1 MW e prototype unit (for a total of 844 hours) using actual synthesis gas to prove the viability of the new technology. A successful 30 day (707 hrs) evaluation was completed at NCCC under air blown gasification conditions. We demonstrated 97.3% carbon capture at 1,500 SLPM, 93% carbon capture at 1,800 SLPM, and 90% carbon capture at 2,100 SLPM in the NCCC tests. We also demonstrated the system for 137 hours at a Sinopec petrochemical plant under oxygen blown gasification, demonstrating 86% carbon capture at 2,660 SLPM. In collaboration with University of California, Irvine (UCI), we completed a techno-economic analysis (TEA) for TDA’s warm gas cleanup technology integrated to IGCC power plant. The net plant efficiencies (on a coal HHV basis) for the warm gas cleanup cases were estimated to be 34.0% for E-GasTM gasifier, 34.4% for GE gasifier, 33.4 for the Shell gasifier and 34.2 for the TRIG TM gasifier (Cases 2, 4, 6 and 8 in this study) with a catalytic combustor for CO 2 purification, which are significantly higher than those for the Cold Gas Case, or an increase of as much as 12% in the heat rate for Case 2, 6% for Case 4, 9% for Case 6, and 9% for Case 8. The 1st year cost of electricity with the transport, storage and monitoring (TS&M) costs for the CO 2 included was $\$ $129.2/MWh for the E-GasTM gasifier Warm Gas Cleanup Case, $\$ $131.9/MWh for the GE gasifier Warm Gas Cleanup Case, $\$ $146.8/MWh for the Shell Gasifier Warm Gas Cleanup Case, and $\$ $129.9/MWh for the TRIG TM gasifier Warm Gas Cleanup Case. For comparison, the costs for the baseline Cold Gas CO 2 removal with Selexol for the different gasifiers were: $\$ $146.6/MWh for the E-Gas TM gasifier, $\$ $142.2/MWh for the GE gasifier, $\$ $159.0/MWh for the Shell gasifier and $\$ $144.3/MWh for the TRIG TM gasifier. In summary, the costs for our system were 7 to 12% lower than the corresponding Cold Gas Cleanup cases. The results of this techno-economic analysis suggested that TDA’s high temperature PSA-based Warm Gas Clean-up Technology can make a substantial improvement in the IGCC plant thermal performance for achieving near zero CO 2 emissions for E-Gas TM , GE, Shell and TRIG TM gasifier based IGCC power plants. The capital expenses were estimated to be lower than that of Selexol’s™. Taken together, the higher net plant efficiency and lower capital and operating costs resulted in substantial reduction in the cost of carbon capture for the IGCC plant equipped with TDA’s high temperature PSA-based carbon capture system. Finally, in collaboration with Gas Technology Institute (GTI) we completed the environmental health and safety assessment for TDA’s warm gas carbon capture technology.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) researchers in Morgantown, West Virginia, utilized computed tomography (CT) facilities and the Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL) to evaluate the integrity of three cores (Geophysical Monitor #2 (GM2), Verification Well #1 (VW #1), and Wabash #1 for the Illinois Basin Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) efforts. This work was carried out in collaboration with the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) as part of their efforts to analyze cores from two field locations, including the Illinois Basin-Decatur Project (IBDP) and second stage Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage (IL-ICCS) sites at Decatur, Illinois, and the Wabash CarbonSAFE project at the Wabash Valley Resources Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle plant in Terre Haut, Indiana. The results of this study are presented in several formats and are available online on the Energy Data eXchange (EDX). The rock characterization was conducted using non-destructive techniques, allowing for future analysis of the cores. While the equipment used did not provide direct visualization of shale pore space, it allowed for detection of fractures and discontinuities. Low resolution CT imagery with the NETL medical CT scanner was performed on the entire core. Qualitative analysis of the medical CT images, coupled with x-ray fluorescence (XRF), P-wave, and magnetic susceptibility measurements from the MSCL were utilized to identify areas of interest for further study as well as fractured zones. The ability to quickly identify key areas for more detailed study with higher resolution will save time and resources in future studies. The combination of methods used provided a multi-scale analysis of this core and provided both a macro and micro description of the core that is relevant for many subsurface energy-related examinations traditionally performed at NETL.
Ground-measured spectral reflectance data for Avondale loam and drought-stressed and unstressed wheat were converted into digital counts for spectral bands 5 and 7 of the Landsat Multispectral Scanner System (MSS). For dry loam, the differences between ratios of MSS bands 7-5 as determined from space and from ground level measurements were 2.3 percent for clear and 5.6 percent for turbid atmospheric conditions. By contrast, for wet loam the differences were 10.4 and 29.5 percent. It is found that atmospheric conditions may cause a delay of from 3 to 7 days in the discrimination between drought-stressed and unstressed wheat. For oblique angle observations the atmospheric modification of ground-measured reflectances increased with angle at a greater rate in the 0/180 deg azimuth than in the 90/270 deg azimuth. Implications of this result are discussed for oblique angle Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre (SPOT), Mapsat, future multispectral linear array system imagery, and wide-angle imagery collected from scanners in high-altitude aircraft.
The use of remote sensing for irrigated areas, especially in the region of Guaira, Brazil (state of Sao Paulo), is examined. Major principles of utilizing LANDSAT data for the detection and mapping of irrigated lands are discussed. In addition, initial results obtained by computer processing of digital data, use of MSS (Multispectral Scanner System)/LANDSAT products, and the availability of new remote sensing products are highlighted. Future activities include the launching of the TM (Thematic Mapper)/LANDSAT 4 with 30 meters of resolution and SPOT (Systeme Probatorie d'Observation de la Terre) with 10 to 20 meters of resolution, to be operational in 1984 and 1986 respectively.
In late 1985, the SPOT (Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre) satellite is to be launched by the Ariane rocket from French Guiana. This satellite will have two High Resolution Visible (HRV) line array sensor systems which are capable of providing monoscopic and stereoscopic coverage of the earth. Cartographic applications are related to the recording of stereo image data and the acquisition of 20-m data in a multispectral mode. One of the objectives of this study involves a comparison of the suitability of SPOT and TM image data for mapping urban land use/cover. Another objective is concerned with a preliminary assessment of the potential of SPOT image data for map revision when merged with conventional map sheets converted to raster formats.
The importance of accurate absolute radiometric calibration is discussed by reference to the needs of those wishing to validate or use models describing the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the atmosphere and earth surface features. The in-flight calibration methods used for the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and the Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre, Haute Resolution visible (SPOT/HRV) systems are described and their limitations discussed. The questionable stability of in-flight absolute calibration methods suggests the use of a radiative transfer program to predict the apparent radiance, at the entrance pupil of the sensor, of a ground site of measured reflectance imaged through a well characterized atmosphere. The uncertainties of such a method are discussed.
The feasibility of identifying specific habitats of the African bont tick, Amblyomma variegatum, from Landsat-TM images was investigated by comparing remotely sensed images of visible farms in Grande Terre (Guadeloupe) with field observations made in the same period of time (1986-1987). The different tick habitates could be separated using principal component analysis. The analysis clustered the sites by large and small variance of band values, and by vegetation and moisture indexes. It was found that herds in heterogeneous sites with large variances had more ticks than those in homogeneous or low variance sites. Within the heterogeneous sites, those with high vegetation and moisture indexes had more ticks than those with low values.
The rate at which a light field decays in water is characterized by the diffuse attenuation coefficient k. The Li-Strahler discrete-object canopy reflectance model was tested in two sites, a shrub grass savanna and a degraded shrub savanna on bare soil, in the proposed HAPEX (Hydrologic Atmospheric Pilot Experiment) II/Sahel study area in Niger, West Africa. Average site reflectance was predicted for each site from the reflectances and cover proportions of four components: shrub canopy, background (soil or grass and soil), shaded canopy, and shaded background. Component reflectances were sampled in the SPOT wavebands using a hand-held radiometer. Predicted reflectance was compared to average site reflectance measured using the same radiometer mounted on a backpack with measurements recorded every 5 m along two 1-km transects, also in the SPOT (Systeme Probatoire d'Observation de la Terre) bands. Measurements and predictions were made for each of the three days during the summer growing season, approximately two weeks apart. Red, near infrared reflectance, and the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) were all predicted with a high degree of accuracy for the shrub/grass site and with reasonable accuracy for the degraded shrub site.
The second U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP-2) was flown on the Space Shuttle in March 1994. It carried four major microgravity experiments plus a sophisticated accelerometer system to record the microgravity environment during USMP-2 operations. The USMP program is designed to accommodate experiments requiring extensive resources short of a full Spacelab mission, and the experiments are remotely operated and monitored. Results are reviewed from the four experiments: the Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Facility (AADSF), the Isothermal Dendrite Growth Experiment (IDGE), the Materiel por Etude des Phenomenes Interessant la Soldification sur Terre et en Orbite (MEPHISTO), and the Critical Fluid Light Scattering Experiment (Zeno). AASDF grew what is expected to be the largest steady-state sample ever of HgCdTe during 240 hours of operation. IDGE provided 60 growth cycles over a wide range of supercooling conditions studying the dendritic solidification of succinonitrile. MEPHISTO achieved 55 melt-solidify cycles and grew over 1 m of Bi/Sn alloy. Zeno located the critical point temperature for liquid Xe to 0.00001 K. IDGE and Zeno also provided the most extensive demonstrations to date of telescience.