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Sample records for thermal plume models

  1. Numerical Modeling of Water Thermal Plumes Emitted by Thermal Power Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azucena Durán-Colmenares

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This work focuses on the study of thermal dispersion of plumes emitted by power plants into the sea. Wastewater discharge from power stations causes impacts that require investigation or monitoring. A study to characterize the physical effects of thermal plumes into the sea is carried out here by numerical modeling and field measurements. The case study is the thermal discharges of the Presidente Adolfo López Mateos Power Plant, located in Veracruz, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This plant is managed by the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico. The physical effects of such plumes are related to the increase of seawater temperature caused by the hot water discharge of the plant. We focus on the implementation, calibration, and validation of the Delft3D-FLOW model, which solves the shallow-water equations. The numerical simulations consider a critical scenario where meteorological and oceanographic parameters are taken into account to reproduce the proper physical conditions of the environment. The results show a local physical effect of the thermal plumes within the study zone, given the predominant strong winds conditions of the scenario under study.

  2. Field studies of submerged-diffuser thermal plumes with comparisons to predictive model results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frigo, A.A.; Paddock, R.A.; Ditmars, J.D.

    1976-01-01

    Thermal plumes from submerged discharges of cooling water from two power plants on Lake Michigan were studied. The system for the acquisition of water temperatures and ambient conditions permitted the three-dimensional structure of the plumes to be determined. The Zion Nuclear Power Station has two submerged discharge structures separated by only 94 m. Under conditions of flow from both structures, interaction between the two plumes resulted in larger thermal fields than would be predicted by the superposition of single non-interacting plumes. Maximum temperatures in the near-field region of the plume compared favorably with mathematical model predictions. A comparison of physical-model predictions for the plume at the D. C. Cook Nuclear Plant with prototype measurements indicated good agreement in the near-field region, but differences in the far-field occurred as similitude was not preserved there

  3. Mathematical modelling of thermal-plume interaction at Waterford Nuclear Power Station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, S.Y.H.

    1981-01-01

    The Waldrop plume model was used to analyze the mixing and interaction of thermal effluents in the Mississippi River resulting from heated-water discharges from the Waterford Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 and from two nearby fossil-fueled power stations. The computer program of the model was modified and expanded to accommodate the multiple intake and discharge boundary conditions at the Waterford site. Numerical results of thermal-plume temperatures for individual and combined operation of the three power stations were obtained for typical low river flow (200,000 cfs) and maximum station operating conditions. The predicted temperature distributions indicated that the surface jet discharge from Waterford Unit 3 would interact with the thermal plumes produced by the two fossil-fueled stations. The results also showed that heat recirculation between the discharge of an upstream fossil-fueled plant and the intake of Waterford Unit 3 is to be expected. However, the resulting combined temperature distributions were found to be well within the thermal standards established by the state of Louisiana

  4. N Reactor thermal plume characterization during Pu-only mode of operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ecker, R.M.; Thompson, F.L.; Whelan, G.

    1983-04-01

    Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL) performed field and modeling studies -from March 1982 through June 1983 to characterize the thermal plume from the N Reactor heated water outfall while the N Reactor operated in the Pu-only mode. Part 1 of this report deals with the field studies conducted to characterize the N Reactor thermal plume while in the Pu-only mode of operation. It includes a description of the study area, a description of field tasks and procedures, and data collection results and discussion. Part 2 describes the computer simulation of the thermal plume under different flow conditions and the calibration of the model used. It includes a description of the computer model and the assumptions on which it is based, a presentation of the input data used in this application, and a discussion of modeling results. Because the field studies were restricted by the NPOES permit variance to the spring months when high Columbia River flows prevail the mathematical modeling of the N Reactor thermal plume while the reactor operates in the Pu-only mode is instrumental in characterizing the plume during low Columbia River flows.

  5. Argonne National Laboratory's thermal plume measurements: instruments and techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Loon, L.S.; Frigo, A.A.; Paddock, R.A.

    1977-12-01

    Instrumentation and techniques were developed at Argonne National Laboratory for measuring the three-dimensional temperature structure of thermal plumes from power plants, along with the limnological, meteorological, and plant operating conditions affecting their behavior. The equipment and procedures were designed to provide field data for use in evaluating predictive models that describe thermal plume behavior, and over 100 sets of these data have been collected. The instrument systems and techniques employed in a typical thermal discharge survey are highly integrated. Continuous monitoring of ambient and plant conditions is coupled with plume mapping from a moving survey boat. The instantaneous location of the boat together with subsurface temperature measurements from a towed thermistor chain provide a quasisynoptic view of the plume structure. Real-time, onboard display of the boat path and vertical temperatures supply feedback to investigators for determining the extent and spatial resolution of measurements required. The unique design, reliability, accuracy, calibration, and historical development of the components of these integrated systems are described. Survey system interfaces with data handling and processing techniques are also explained. Special supportive studies to investigate plume dynamics, values of eddy diffusivities, time-temperature histories of water parcels in thermal plumes, and rapid changes in plume shape are also described along with instrumentation used

  6. Turbulent structure of thermal plume. Velocity field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillou, B.; Brahimi, M.; Doan-kim-son

    1986-01-01

    An experimental investigation and a numerical study of the dynamics of a turbulent plume rising from a strongly heated source are described. This type of flow is met in thermal effluents (air, vapor) from, e.g., cooling towers of thermal power plants. The mean and fluctuating values of the vertical component of the velocity were determined using a Laser-Doppler anemometer. The measurements allow us to distinguish three regions in the plume-a developing region near the source, an intermediate region, and a self-preserving region. The characteristics of each zone have been determined. In the self-preserving zone, especially, the turbulence level on the axis and the entrainment coefficient are almost twice of the values observed in jets. The numerical model proposed takes into account an important phenomenon, the intermittency, observed in the plume. This model, established with the self-preserving hypothesis, brings out analytical laws. These laws and the predicted velocity profile are in agreement with the experimental evolutions [fr

  7. Modelling thermal plume impacts - Kalpakkam approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, T.S.; Anup Kumar, B.; Narasimhan, S.V.

    2002-01-01

    A good understanding of temperature patterns in the receiving waters is essential to know the heat dissipation from thermal plumes originating from coastal power plants. The seasonal temperature profiles of the Kalpakkam coast near Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) thermal out fall site are determined and analysed. It is observed that the seasonal current reversal in the near shore zone is one of the major mechanisms for the transport of effluents away from the point of mixing. To further refine our understanding of the mixing and dilution processes, it is necessary to numerically simulate the coastal ocean processes by parameterising the key factors concerned. In this paper, we outline the experimental approach to achieve this objective. (author)

  8. Observation of thermal plumes from submerged discharges in the Great Lakes and their implications for modeling and monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ditmars, J.D.; Paddock, R.A.; Frigo, A.A.

    1977-01-01

    Measurements of thermal plumes from submerged discharges of power plant cooling waters into the Great Lakes provide the opportunity to view the mixing processes at prototype scales and to observe the effects of the ambient environment on those processes. Examples of thermal plume behavior in Great Lakes' ambient environments are presented to demonstrate the importance of measurements of the detailed structure of the ambient environment, as well as of the plumes, for interpretation of prototype data for modeling and monitoring purposes. The examples are drawn from studies by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) at the Zion Nuclear PowerStation and the D. C. Cook Nuclear Plant on Lake Michigan and at the J. A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant on Lake Ontario. These studies included measurements of water temperatures from a moving boat which provide a quasi-synoptic view of the three-dimensional temperature structure of the thermal plume and ambient water environment. Additional measurements of water velocities, which are made with continuously recording, moored, and profiling current meters, and of wind provide data on the detailed structure of the ambient environment. The detailed structure of the ambient environment, in terms of current, current shear, variable winds, and temperature stratification, often influence greatly thermal plume behavior. Although predictive model techniques and monitoring objectives often ignore the detailed aspects of the ambient environment, useful interpretation of prototype data for model evaluation or calibration and monitoring purposes requires detailed measurement of the ambient environment. Examination of prototype thermal plume data indicates that, in several instances, attention to only the gross characteristics of the ambient environment can be misleading and could result in significant errors in model calibration and extrapolation of data bases gathered in monitoring observations

  9. Thermal Plumes in Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Peter; Nielsen, Peter V.

    The design of a displacement ventilation system involves determination of the flow rate in the thermal plumes. The flow rate in the plumes and the vertical temperature gradient influence each other, and they are influenced by many factors. This paper shows some descriptions of these effects....

  10. ALMA Thermal Observations of a Proposed Plume Source Region on Europa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trumbo, Samantha K.; Brown, Michael E. [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Butler, Bryan J. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)

    2017-10-01

    We present a daytime thermal image of Europa taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. The imaged region includes the area northwest of Pwyll Crater, which is associated with a nighttime thermal excess seen by the Galileo Photopolarimeter Radiometer and with two potential plume detections. We develop a global thermal model of Europa and simulate both the daytime and nighttime thermal emission to determine if the nighttime thermal anomaly is caused by excess endogenic heat flow, as might be expected from a plume source region. We find that the nighttime and daytime brightness temperatures near Pwyll Crater cannot be matched by including excess heat flow at that location. Rather, we can successfully model both measurements by increasing the local thermal inertia of the surface.

  11. Thermal plumes in ventilated rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Peter; Nielsen, Peter V.

    1990-01-01

    The design of a displacement ventilation system involves determination of the flow rate in the thermal plumes. The flow rate in the plumes and the vertical temperature gradient influence each other, and they are influenced by many factors. This paper shows some descriptions of these effects. Free...... above a point heat source cannot be used. This is caused either by the way of generating the plume including a long intermediate region or by the environmental conditions where vertical temperature gradients are present. The flow has a larger angle of spread and the entrainment factor is greather than...... turbulent plumes from different heated bodies are investigated. The measurements have taken place in a full-scale test room where the vertical temperature gradient have been changed. The velocity and the temperature distribution in the plume are measured. Large scale plume axis wandering is taken...

  12. A modified Gaussian model for the thermal plume from a ground-based heat source in a cross-wind

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selander, W.N.; Barry, P.J.; Robertson, E.

    1990-06-01

    An array of propane burners operating at ground level in a cross-wind was used as a heat source to establish a blown-over thermal plume. A three-dimensional array of thermocouples was used to continuously measure the plume temperature downwind from the source. The resulting data were used to correlate the parameters of a modified Gaussian model for plume rise and dispersion with source strength, wind speed, and atmospheric dispersion parameters

  13. Thermal turbulent convection: thermal plumes and fluctuations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibert, M.

    2007-10-01

    In this study we investigate the phenomenon of thermal turbulent convection in new and unprecedented ways. The first system we studied experimentally is an infinite vertical channel, where a constant vertical mean gradient of temperature exists. Inside this channel the average mass flux is null. The results obtained from our measurements reveal that the flow is mainly inertial; indeed the dissipative coefficients (here the viscosity) play a role only to define a coherence length L. This length is the distance over which the thermal plumes can be considered as 'free falling' objects. The horizontal transport, of heat and momentum, is entirely due to fluctuations. The associated 'mixing length' is small compared to the channel width. In the other hand, the vertical heat transport is due to coherent structures: the heat plumes. Those objects were also investigated in a Lagrangian study of the flow in the bulk of a Rayleigh-Benard cell. The probe, which has the same density as the fluid used in this experiment, is a sphere of 2 cm in diameter with embarked thermometers and radio-emitter. The heat plumes transport it, which allows a statistical study of such objects. (author)

  14. New method for calculation of integral characteristics of thermal plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Popiolek, Zbigniew; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

    2008-01-01

    A method for calculation of integral characteristics of thermal plumes is proposed. The method allows for determination of the integral parameters of plumes based on speed measurements performed with omnidirectional low velocity thermoanemometers. The method includes a procedure for calculation...... of the directional velocity (upward component of the mean velocity). The method is applied for determination of the characteristics of an asymmetric thermal plume generated by a sitting person. The method was validated in full-scale experiments in a climatic chamber with a thermal manikin as a simulator of a sitting...

  15. Thermal Plumes in Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Peter

    Axisymmeric circular buoyant jets are treated both theoretically and experimentally. From a literature study the author concludes that the state of experimental knowledge is less satisfactory. Further three different measuring methods have been established to investigate the thermal plumes from...

  16. Prediction of the volume flux of the thermal plume above a sitting person

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Popiolek, Zbigniew J.; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

    2009-01-01

    The paper presents a verification of a relatively simple method of volume flux calculation applied to the asymmetrical thermal plume generated by a sitting person in a condition of an upward piston flow. The method is based on a model of a thermal plume above a point heat source in an unbounded...... space. The plume volume flux, V, can be calculated based on the following equation: V = kv*Qexp(1/3)*(zt-zv)exp(5/3). In the equation zt is the distance from the measuring plane to the top of the heat source and Qc is the convective part of the heat loss. A value of the entrainment coefficient, kv...

  17. A New GPU-Enabled MODTRAN Thermal Model for the PLUME TRACKER Volcanic Emission Analysis Toolkit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acharya, P. K.; Berk, A.; Guiang, C.; Kennett, R.; Perkins, T.; Realmuto, V. J.

    2013-12-01

    Real-time quantification of volcanic gaseous and particulate releases is important for (1) recognizing rapid increases in SO2 gaseous emissions which may signal an impending eruption; (2) characterizing ash clouds to enable safe and efficient commercial aviation; and (3) quantifying the impact of volcanic aerosols on climate forcing. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has developed state-of-the-art algorithms, embedded in their analyst-driven Plume Tracker toolkit, for performing SO2, NH3, and CH4 retrievals from remotely sensed multi-spectral Thermal InfraRed spectral imagery. While Plume Tracker provides accurate results, it typically requires extensive analyst time. A major bottleneck in this processing is the relatively slow but accurate FORTRAN-based MODTRAN atmospheric and plume radiance model, developed by Spectral Sciences, Inc. (SSI). To overcome this bottleneck, SSI in collaboration with JPL, is porting these slow thermal radiance algorithms onto massively parallel, relatively inexpensive and commercially-available GPUs. This paper discusses SSI's efforts to accelerate the MODTRAN thermal emission algorithms used by Plume Tracker. Specifically, we are developing a GPU implementation of the Curtis-Godson averaging and the Voigt in-band transmittances from near line center molecular absorption, which comprise the major computational bottleneck. The transmittance calculations were decomposed into separate functions, individually implemented as GPU kernels, and tested for accuracy and performance relative to the original CPU code. Speedup factors of 14 to 30× were realized for individual processing components on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 graphics card with no loss of accuracy. Due to the separate host (CPU) and device (GPU) memory spaces, a redesign of the MODTRAN architecture was required to ensure efficient data transfer between host and device, and to facilitate high parallel throughput. Currently, we are incorporating the separate GPU kernels into a

  18. Thermal Plumes in Ventilated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, P.; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

    The main objective of ventilation is to provide good air quality for the occupants. For this purpose the necessary ventilating air change rate must be determined. Within displacement ventilation the estimation is closely related to the air flow rate in the thermal plumes when an air quality based...

  19. Modelling of coastal current and thermal plume dispersion - A case study off Nagapattinam, east coast of India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Babu, M.T.; Vethamony, P.; Suryanarayana, A.; Gouveia, A.D.

    representing the monsoons and the transition periods are selected to study the seasonal variability of simulated currents and thermal plumes. The plume showed northward spreading during March and July and southward during December. During October the spreading...

  20. Field studies of the thermal plume from the D. C. Cook submerged discharge with comparisons to hydraulic-model results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frigo, A.A.; Paddock, R.A.; McCown, D.L.

    1975-06-01

    The Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant at Bridgman, Michigan, uses submerged-diffuser discharges as a means of disposing waste heat into Lake Michigan. Preliminary results of temperature surveys of the thermal plume at the D. C. Cook Plant are presented. Indications are that the spatial extent of the plume at the surface is much smaller than previous results for surface shoreline discharges, particularly in the near and intermediate portions of the plume. Comparisons of limited prototype data with hydraulic (tank)-model predictions indicate that the model predictions for centerline temperature decay at the surface are too high for the initial 200 m from the discharge, but are generally correct beyond this point to the limits of the model. In addition, the hydraulic-model results underestimate the areal extent of the near and intermediate portions of the plume at the surface. Because this is the first report of a new field program, several inadequacies in the field-measurement techniques are noted and discussed. New techniques that have been developed to remedy these deficiencies, and which will be implemented for future field work, are also described. (auth)

  1. Thermally-Driven Mantle Plumes Reconcile Hot-spot Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, D.; Davies, J.

    2008-12-01

    Hot-spots are anomalous regions of magmatism that cannot be directly associated with plate tectonic processes (e.g. Morgan, 1972). They are widely regarded as the surface expression of upwelling mantle plumes. Hot-spots exhibit variable life-spans, magmatic productivity and fixity (e.g. Ito and van Keken, 2007). This suggests that a wide-range of upwelling structures coexist within Earth's mantle, a view supported by geochemical and seismic evidence, but, thus far, not reproduced by numerical models. Here, results from a new, global, 3-D spherical, mantle convection model are presented, which better reconcile hot-spot observations, the key modification from previous models being increased convective vigor. Model upwellings show broad-ranging dynamics; some drift slowly, while others are more mobile, displaying variable life-spans, intensities and migration velocities. Such behavior is consistent with hot-spot observations, indicating that the mantle must be simulated at the correct vigor and in the appropriate geometry to reproduce Earth-like dynamics. Thermally-driven mantle plumes can explain the principal features of hot-spot volcanism on Earth.

  2. Satellite infrared imagery for thermal plume contamination monitoring in coastal ecosystem of Cernavoda NPP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoran, M. A.; Zoran, Liviu Florin V.; Dida, Adrian I.

    2017-10-01

    Satellite remote sensing is an important tool for spatio-temporal analysis and surveillance of NPP environment, thermal heat waste of waters being a major concern in many coastal ecosystems involving nuclear power plants. As a test case the adopted methodology was applied for 700x2 MW Cernavoda nuclear power plant (NPP) located in the South-Eastern part of Romania, which discharges warm water affecting coastal ecology. The thermal plume signatures in the NPP hydrological system have been investigated based on TIR (Thermal Infrared) spectral bands of NOAA AVHRR, Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI, and MODIS Terra/Aqua time series satellite data during 1990-2016 period. If NOAA AVHRR data proved the general pattern and extension of the thermal plume signature in Danube river and Black Sea coastal areas, Landsat TM/ETM and MODIS data used for WST (Water Surface Temperature) change detection, mapping and monitoring provided enhanced information about the plume shape, dimension and direction of dispersion in these waters. Thermal discharge from two nuclear reactors cooling is dissipated as waste heat in Danube-Black -Sea Channel and Danube River. From time-series analysis of satellite data during period 1990-2016 was found that during the winter season thermal plume was localized to an area of a few km of NPP, and the mean temperature difference between the plume and non-plume areas was about 1.7 oC. During summer and fall, derived mean temperature difference between the plume and non-plume areas was of about 1.3°C and thermal plume area was extended up to 5- 10 km far along Danube Black Sea Channel.

  3. Periodic large-amplitude thermal oscillations occurring in a buoyant plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oras, J.J.; Kasza, K.E.

    1983-01-01

    Reactor events such as N-1 loop operation in conjunction with a leaky check valve in the down loop can cause flow to be convected back into the reactor outlet nozzle/piping region and to be back-flushed into the reactor outlet plenum. The preceding results in a temperature difference between pipe inflow and plenum. This temperature difference causes buoyancy forces which if large enough can cause: a pipe backflow and recirculation loop; and a thermal plume in the plenum. Both phenomena are being studied because they can produce undesirable pipe, nozzle and plenum wall thermal distributions, and hence undesirable thermal stresses. This paper discusses some features of the plume

  4. Remote sensing of thermal plumes at the Savannah River Plant in Aiken, South Carolina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jensen, J.R.; Christensen, E.J.

    1983-01-01

    The report describes a study undertaken to evaluate the utility of a remote sensing technique for measurement of thermal plumes in bodies of water such as the Savannah River. This relatively new technique, which involves aerial infrared sensing and computer analysis of the resulting data, has the potential for delineating thermal plume boundaries and determining compliance with regulatory limits for thermal discharges. Two sets of aerial infrared data were used in the evaluation. One set was taken from an elevation of 1220 meters at 5:44 a.m. on March 28, 1981; the other set of data was taken from an altitude of 3500 meters on April 3, 1981. The study shows that computer analysis of data taken at the lower altitude can yield useful information on thermal plumes in bodies of water. Data taken at the higher altitude did not have sufficient resolution for accurate analysis. This study shows clearly that thermal plumes in the Savannah River from SRP operations can be measured by remote sensing

  5. Modeling of Heat Transfer and Ablation of Refractory Material Due to Rocket Plume Impingement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Michael F.; Vu, Bruce T.

    2012-01-01

    CR Tech's Thermal Desktop-SINDA/FLUINT software was used in the thermal analysis of a flame deflector design for Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The analysis of the flame deflector takes into account heat transfer due to plume impingement from expected vehicles to be launched at KSC. The heat flux from the plume was computed using computational fluid dynamics provided by Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, California. The results from the CFD solutions were mapped onto a 3-D Thermal Desktop model of the flame deflector using the boundary condition mapping capabilities in Thermal Desktop. The ablation subroutine in SINDA/FLUINT was then used to model the ablation of the refractory material.

  6. Analyses of thermal plume of Cernavoda nuclear power plant by satellite remote sensing data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoran, M. A.; Nicolae, D. N.; Talianu, C. L.; Ciobanu, M.; Ciuciu, J. G.

    2005-10-01

    The synergistic use of multi-temporal and multi-spectral remote sensing data offers the possibility of monitoring of environment quality in the vicinity of nuclear power plants (NPP). Advanced digital processing techniques applied to several LANDSAT, MODIS and ASTER data are used to assess the extent and magnitude of radiation and non-radiation effects on the water, near field soil, vegetation and air for NPP Cernavoda , Romania . Cernavoda Unit 1 power plant, using CANDU technology, having 706.5 MW power, is successfully in operation since 1996. Cernavoda Unit 2 which is currently under construction will be operational in 2007. Thermal discharge from nuclear reactor cooling is dissipated as waste heat in Danube-Black -Sea Canal and Danube river. Water temperature distributions captured in thermal IR imagery are correlated with meteorological parameters. Additional information regarding flooding events and earthquake risks is considered . During the winter, the thermal plume is localized to an area within a few km of the power plant, and the temperature difference between the plume and non-plume areas is about 1.5 oC. During the summer and fall, there is a larger thermal plume extending 5-6 km far along Danube Black Sea Canal, and the temperature change is about 1.0 oC. Variation of surface water temperature in the thermal plume is analyzed. The strong seasonal difference in the thermal plume is related to vertical mixing of the water column in winter and to stratification in summer. Hydrodynamic simulation leads to better understanding of the mechanisms by which waste heat from NPP Cernavoda is dissipated in the environment.

  7. Formation of mantle "lone plumes" in the global downwelling zone - A multiscale modelling of subduction-controlled plume generation beneath the South China Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Nan; Li, Zheng-Xiang

    2018-01-01

    It has been established that almost all known mantle plumes since the Mesozoic formed above the two lower mantle large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). The Hainan plume is one of the rare exceptions in that instead of rising above the LLSVPs, it is located within the broad global mantle downwelling zone, therefore classified as a "lone plume". Here, we use the Hainan plume example to investigate the feasibility of such lone plumes being generated by subducting slabs in the mantle downwelling zone using 3D geodynamic modelling. Our geodynamic model has a high-resolution regional domain embedded in a relatively low resolution global domain, which is set up in an adaptive-mesh-refined, 3D mantle convection code ASPECT (Advanced Solver for Problems in Earth's ConvecTion). We use a recently published plate motion model to define the top mechanical boundary condition. Our modelling results suggest that cold slabs under the present-day Eurasia, formed from the Mesozoic subduction and closure of the Tethys oceans, have prevented deep mantle hot materials from moving to the South China Sea from regions north or west of the South China Sea. From the east side, the Western Pacific subduction systems started to promote the formation of a lower-mantle thermal-chemical pile in the vicinity of the future South China Sea region since 70 Ma ago. As the top of this lower-mantle thermal-chemical pile rises, it first moved to the west, and finally rested beneath the South China Sea. The presence of a thermochemical layer (possible the D″ layer) in the model helps stabilizing the plume root. Our modelling is the first implementation of multi-scale mesh in the regional model. It has been proved to be an effective way of modelling regional dynamics within a global plate motion and mantle dynamics background.

  8. Water Resources Research Program. Surface thermal plumes: evaluation of mathematical models for the near and complete field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunn, W.E.; Policastro, A.J.; Paddock, R.A.

    1975-05-01

    This report evaluates mathematical models that may be used to predict the flow and temperature distributions resulting from heated surface discharges from power-plant outfalls. Part One discusses the basic physics of surface-plume dispersion and provides a critical review of 11 of the most popular and promising plume models developed to predict the near- and complete-field plume. The principal conclusion of the report is that the available models, in their present stage of development, may be used to give only general estimates of plume characteristics; precise predictions are not currently possible. The Shirazi-Davis and Pritchard (No. 1) models appear superior to the others tested and are capable of correctly predicting general plume characteristics. (The predictions show roughly factor-of-two accuracy in centerline distance to a given isotherm, factor-of-two accuracy in plume width, and factor-of-five accuracy in isotherm areas.) The state of the art can best be improved by pursuing basic laboratory studies of plume dispersion along with further development of numerical-modeling techniques

  9. The Thermal Plume above a Standing Human Body Exposed to Different Air Distribution Strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Li; Nielsen, Peter V.; Li, Yuguo

    2009-01-01

    This study compares the impact of air distribution on the thermal plume above a human body in indoor environment. Three sets of measurements are conducted in a full-scale test room with different ventilation conditions. One breathing thermal manikin standing in the room is used to simulate...... the human body. Long-time average air velocity profiles at locations closely above the manikin are taken to identify the wandering thermal plume....

  10. Thermal turbulent convection: thermal plumes and fluctuations; Convection thermique turbulente: panaches et fluctuations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gibert, M

    2007-10-15

    In this study we investigate the phenomenon of thermal turbulent convection in new and unprecedented ways. The first system we studied experimentally is an infinite vertical channel, where a constant vertical mean gradient of temperature exists. Inside this channel the average mass flux is null. The results obtained from our measurements reveal that the flow is mainly inertial; indeed the dissipative coefficients (here the viscosity) play a role only to define a coherence length L. This length is the distance over which the thermal plumes can be considered as 'free falling' objects. The horizontal transport, of heat and momentum, is entirely due to fluctuations. The associated 'mixing length' is small compared to the channel width. In the other hand, the vertical heat transport is due to coherent structures: the heat plumes. Those objects were also investigated in a Lagrangian study of the flow in the bulk of a Rayleigh-Benard cell. The probe, which has the same density as the fluid used in this experiment, is a sphere of 2 cm in diameter with embarked thermometers and radio-emitter. The heat plumes transport it, which allows a statistical study of such objects. (author)

  11. Nuclear thermal rocket plume interactions with spacecraft. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mauk, B.H.; Gatsonis, N.A.; Buzby, J.; Yin, X.

    1997-01-01

    This is the first study that has treated the Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) effluent problem in its entirety, beginning with the reactor core, through the nozzle flow, to the plume backflow. The summary of major accomplishments is given below: (1) Determined the NTR effluents that include neutral, ionized and radioactive species, under typical NTR chamber conditions. Applied an NTR chamber chemistry model that includes conditions and used nozzle geometries and chamber conditions typical of NTR configurations. (2) Performed NTR nozzle flow simulations using a Navier-Stokes solver. We assumed frozen chemistry at the chamber conditions and used nozzle geometries and chamber conditions typical of NTR configurations. (3) Performed plume simulations using a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code with chemistry. In order to account for radioactive trace species that may be important for contamination purposes we developed a multi-weighted DSMC methodology. The domain in our simulations included large regions downstream and upstream of the exit. Inputs were taken from the Navier-Stokes solutions

  12. Thermal plume above a simulated sitting person with different complexity of body geometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Zbigniew J.

    2007-01-01

    Occupants are one of the main heat sources in rooms. They generate thermal plumes with characteristics, which depend on geometry, surface temperature and area of the human body in contact with the surrounding air as well as temperature, velocity and turbulence intensity distribution in the room....... The characteristics of the thermal plume generated by a sitting person were studied using four human body simulators with different complexity of geometry but equal surface area: a vertical cylinder, a rectangular box, a dummy, and a thermal manikin. The results show that the dummy and the thermal manikin generate...

  13. Water Resources Research Program. Surface thermal plumes: evaluation of mathematical models for the near and complete field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunn, W.E.; Policastro, A.J.; Paddock, R.A.

    1975-08-01

    This report evaluates mathematical models that may be used to predict the flow and temperature distributions resulting from heated surface discharges from power-plant outfalls. Part One discusses the basic physics of surface-plume dispersion and provides a critical review of 11 of the most popular and promising plume models developed to predict the near- and complete-field plume. Part Two compares predictions from the models to prototype data, laboratory data, or both. Part Two also provides a generic discussion of the issues surrounding near- and complete-field modeling. The principal conclusion of the report is that the available models, in their present stage of development, may be used to give only general estimates of plume characteristics; precise predictions are not currently possible. The Shirazi-Davis and Pritchard (No. 1) models appear superior to the others tested and are capable of correctly predicting general plume characteristics. (The predictions show roughly factor-of-two accuracy in centerline distance to a given isotherm, factor-of-two accuracy in plume width, and factor-of-five accuracy in isotherm areas.) The state of the art can best be improved by pursuing basic laboratory studies of plume dispersion along with further development of numerical-modeling techniques

  14. Application of Landsat Thematic Mapper data for coastal thermal plume analysis at Diablo Canyon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbons, D. E.; Wukelic, G. E.; Leighton, J. P.; Doyle, M. J.

    1989-01-01

    The possibility of using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) thermal data to derive absolute temperature distributions in coastal waters that receive cooling effluent from a power plant is demonstrated. Landsat TM band 6 (thermal) data acquired on June 18, 1986, for the Diablo Canyon power plant in California were compared to ground truth temperatures measured at the same time. Higher-resolution band 5 (reflectance) data were used to locate power plant discharge and intake positions and identify locations of thermal pixels containing only water, no land. Local radiosonde measurements, used in LOWTRAN 6 adjustments for atmospheric effects, produced corrected ocean surface radiances that, when converted to temperatures, gave values within approximately 0.6 C of ground truth. A contour plot was produced that compared power plant plume temperatures with those of the ocean and coastal environment. It is concluded that Landsat can provide good estimates of absolute temperatures of the coastal power plant thermal plume. Moreover, quantitative information on ambient ocean surface temperature conditions (e.g., upwelling) may enhance interpretation of numerical model prediction.

  15. Flaw evaluation of Nd:YAG laser welding based plume shape by infrared thermal camera

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jae Yeol; Yoo, Young Tae; Yang, Dong Jo; Song, Kyung Seol; Ro, Kyoung Bo

    2003-01-01

    In Nd:YAG laser welding evaluation methods of welding flaw are various. But, the method due to plume shape is difficult to classification od welding flaw. The Nd:YAG laser process is known to have high speed and deep penetration capability to become one of the most advanced welding technologies. At the present time, some methods are studied for measurement of plume shape by using high-speed camera and photo diode. This paper describes the machining characteristics of SM45C carbon steel welding by use of an Nd:YAG laser. In spite of its good mechanical characteristics, SM45C carbon steel has a high carbon contents and suffers a limitation in the industrial application due to the poor welding properties. In this study, plume shape was measured by infrared thermal camera that is non-contact/non-destructive thermal measurement equipment through change of laser generating power, speed, focus. Weld was performed on bead-on method. Measurement results are compared as two equipment. Here, two results are composed of measurement results of plume quantities due to plume shape by infrared thermal camera and inspection results of weld bead include weld flaws by ultrasonic inspector.

  16. Lithosphere erosion atop mantle plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrusta, R.; Arcay, D.; Tommasi, A.

    2012-12-01

    Mantle plumes are traditionally proposed to play an important role in lithosphere erosion. Seismic images beneath Hawaii and Cape Verde show a lithosphere-asthenosphere-boundary (LAB) up to 50 km shallower than the surroundings. However, numerical models show that unless the plate is stationary the thermo-mechanical erosion of the lithosphere does not exceed 30 km. We use 2D petrological-thermo-mechanical numerical models based on a finite-difference method on a staggered grid and marker in cell method to study the role of partial melting on the plume-lithosphere interaction. A homogeneous peridotite composition with a Newtonian temperature- and pressure-dependent viscosity is used to simulate both the plate and the convective mantle. A constant velocity, ranging from 5 to 12.5 cm/yr, is imposed at the top of the plate. Plumes are created by imposing a thermal anomaly of 150 to 350 K on a 50 km wide domain at the base of the model (700 km depth); the plate right above the thermal anomaly is 40 Myr old. Partial melting is modeled using batch-melting solidus and liquidus in anhydrous conditions. We model the progressive depletion of peridotite and its effect on partial melting by assuming that the melting degree only strictly increases through time. Melt is accumulated until a porosity threshold is reached and the melt in excess is then extracted. The rheology of the partially molten peridotite is determined using viscous constitutive relationship based on a contiguity model, which enables to take into account the effects of grain-scale melt distribution. Above a threshold of 1%, melt is instantaneously extracted. The density varies as a function of partial melting degree and extraction. Besides, we analyze the kinematics of the plume as it impacts a moving plate, the dynamics of time-dependent small-scale convection (SSC) instabilities developing in the low-viscosity layer formed by spreading of hot plume material at the lithosphere base, and the resulting thermal

  17. Are splash plumes the origin of minor hotspots?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, J. H.; Bunge, H.-P.

    2006-05-01

    It has been claimed that focused hot cylindrical upwelling plumes cause many of the surface volcanic hotspots on Earth. It has also been argued that they must originate from thermal boundary layers. In this paper, we present spherical simulations of mantle circulation at close to Earth-like vigor with significant internal heating. These show, in addition to thermal boundary layer plumes, a new class of plumes that are not rooted in thermal boundary layers. These plumes develop as instabilities from the edge of bowls of hot mantle, which are produced by cold downwelling material deforming hot sheets of mantle. The resulting bowl and plume structure can look a bit like the “splash” of a water droplet. These splash plumes might provide an explanation for some hotspots that are not underlain by thermal boundary layer sourced plumes and not initiated by large igneous provinces. We suggest that in Earth's mantle, lithospheric instabilities or small pieces of subducting slab could play the role of the model downwelling material in initiating splash plumes. Splash plumes would have implications for interpreting ocean-island basalt geochemistry, plume fixity, excess plume temperature, and estimating core heat flux. Improved seismic imaging will ultimately test this hypothesis.

  18. Thermal-Chemical Model Of Subduction: Results And Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorczyk, W.; Gerya, T. V.; Connolly, J. A.; Yuen, D. A.; Rudolph, M.

    2005-12-01

    Seismic structures with strong positive and negative velocity anomalies in the mantle wedge above subduction zones have been interpreted as thermally and/or chemically induced phenomena. We have developed a thermal-chemical model of subduction, which constrains the dynamics of seismic velocity structure beneath volcanic arcs. Our simulations have been calculated over a finite-difference grid with (201×101) to (201×401) regularly spaced Eulerian points, using 0.5 million to 10 billion markers. The model couples numerical thermo-mechanical solution with Gibbs energy minimization to investigate the dynamic behavior of partially molten upwellings from slabs (cold plumes) and structures associated with their development. The model demonstrates two chemically distinct types of plumes (mixed and unmixed), and various rigid body rotation phenomena in the wedge (subduction wheel, fore-arc spin, wedge pin-ball). These thermal-chemical features strongly perturb seismic structure. Their occurrence is dependent on the age of subducting slab and the rate of subduction.The model has been validated through a series of test cases and its results are consistent with a variety of geological and geophysical data. In contrast to models that attribute a purely thermal origin for mantle wedge seismic anomalies, the thermal-chemical model is able to simulate the strong variations of seismic velocity existing beneath volcanic arcs which are associated with development of cold plumes. In particular, molten regions that form beneath volcanic arcs as a consequence of vigorous cold wet plumes are manifest by > 20% variations in the local Poisson ratio, as compared to variations of ~ 2% expected as a consequence of temperature variation within the mantle wedge.

  19. Remote sensing analysis of thermal plumes at the Savannah River Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doak, E.L.

    1985-01-01

    The nuclear reactors of the Savannah River Plant (SRP) in Aiken, South Carolina, use cold water diverted from the Savannah River to dissipate unused thermal energy. This water is heated by heat exchangers of the reactors during the materials production process, and then returned to the natural drainage system. Thermal effluents were monitored by an airborne thermal infrared scanner during predawn overlights. Images were generated to show the surface temperature distribution of the thermal outfall plumes into the Savannah River. The thermal analysis provides information related to compliance with permit requirements of the regulatory agencies

  20. Distribution of zooplankton populations within and adjacent to a thermal plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, M.S.

    1981-01-01

    Zooplankton distributions in the 1-m stratum differed between ambient waters and the thermal plume of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant. Zooplankton were most abundant in the warmest waters of the plume with the region of high densities extending over an approximate area of 0.2 to 0.3 km 2 . Water temperature was not a reliable indicator of alterations in zooplankton populations. Alterations were primarily due to upward vertical displacment of deep-living zooplankton. Large horizontal variability in zooplankton densities and use of conventional sampling procedures (vertically hauled nets, widely spaced stations) prevent traditionally designed monitoring programs from detecting such alterations. Zooplankton may experience indirect mortality losses in the plume if transfer of deep-living zooplankton to the surface layers makes them more visible to visual-feeding fish predators, and turbulences in the plume reduce zooplankters' ability to detect and avoid such predators. (auth)

  1. PIV and LIF study of flow and thermal fields of twine plumes in water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Broučková Zuzana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Flow and thermal fields of a pair of plane plumes in water are investigated by means of PIV and LIF experiments. The plumes are generated from thermal line sources, which are made out of electrically heated cylinders with a diameter of D = 1.21 mm. A cylinder-to-cylinder distance was 17.9 D. Either continuous or pulsating heating were used with the same heating input power. Because the cylinder-to-cylinder distance is moderately small, deflections of plumes from a vertical direction occur and the plumes are inclined together. This behavior is caused by a confined entrainment from a space between the both plumes. For a continuous heating, low frequency oscillations were identified and the natural frequency was evaluated as 0.5 Hz. Based on this finding, pulsating heating was used at the subharmonic frequency of 0.25 Hz. The maximum time-mean velocity magnitude at the continuous and pulsating heating were commensurable, approximately 0.007 m/s. On the other hand, pulsating heating achieves by 36 % higher velocity peaks. A very strong velocity oscillations were generated by pulsating heating at the distance approximately 8.3 D above the cylinders, where the velocity maxima oscillate along the time-mean value of 0.0057 m/s from −30% to +70 %. Temperature fields reasonably agree with this findings, despite a relatively fast equalization of the temperature field was concluded. The results demonstrate enhancement effects of pulsations in flow/thermal fields.

  2. PIV and LIF study of flow and thermal fields of twine plumes in water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broučková, Zuzana; Trávníček, Zdeněk

    Flow and thermal fields of a pair of plane plumes in water are investigated by means of PIV and LIF experiments. The plumes are generated from thermal line sources, which are made out of electrically heated cylinders with a diameter of D = 1.21 mm. A cylinder-to-cylinder distance was 17.9 D. Either continuous or pulsating heating were used with the same heating input power. Because the cylinder-to-cylinder distance is moderately small, deflections of plumes from a vertical direction occur and the plumes are inclined together. This behavior is caused by a confined entrainment from a space between the both plumes. For a continuous heating, low frequency oscillations were identified and the natural frequency was evaluated as 0.5 Hz. Based on this finding, pulsating heating was used at the subharmonic frequency of 0.25 Hz. The maximum time-mean velocity magnitude at the continuous and pulsating heating were commensurable, approximately 0.007 m/s. On the other hand, pulsating heating achieves by 36 % higher velocity peaks. A very strong velocity oscillations were generated by pulsating heating at the distance approximately 8.3 D above the cylinders, where the velocity maxima oscillate along the time-mean value of 0.0057 m/s from -30% to +70 %. Temperature fields reasonably agree with this findings, despite a relatively fast equalization of the temperature field was concluded. The results demonstrate enhancement effects of pulsations in flow/thermal fields.

  3. Simultaneous fingering, double-diffusive convection, and thermal plumes derived from autocatalytic exothermic reaction fronts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskew, Matthew W.; Harrison, Jason; Simoyi, Reuben H.

    2016-11-01

    Oxidation reactions of thiourea by chlorite in a Hele-Shaw cell are excitable, autocatalytic, exothermic, and generate a lateral instability upon being triggered by the autocatalyst. Reagent concentrations used to develop convective instabilities delivered a temperature jump at the wave front of 2.1 K. The reaction zone was 2 mm and due to normal cooling after the wave front, this generated a spike rather than the standard well-studied front propagation. The reaction front has solutal and thermal contributions to density changes that act in opposite directions due to the existence of a positive isothermal density change in the reaction. The competition between these effects generates thermal plumes. The fascinating feature of this system is the coexistence of plumes and fingering in the same solution which alternate in frequency as the front propagates, generating hot and cold spots within the Hele-Shaw cell, and subsequently spatiotemporal inhomogeneities. The small ΔT at the wave front generated thermocapillary convection which competed effectively with thermogravitational forces at low Eötvös Numbers. A simplified reaction-diffusion-convection model was derived for the system. Plume formation is heavily dependent on boundary effects from the cell dimensions. This work was supported by Grant No. CHE-1056366 from the NSF and a Research Professor Grant from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

  4. Thermal radiation from large bolides and impact plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svetsov, V.; Shuvalov, V.

    2017-09-01

    Numerical simulations of the impacts of asteroids and comets from 20 m to 3 km in diameter have been carried out and thermal radiation fluxes on the ground and luminous efficiencies of the impacts have been calculated. It was assumed that the cosmic objects have no strength, deform, fragment, and vaporize in the atmosphere. After the impact on the ground, formation of craters and plumes was simulated taking into account internal friction of destroyed rocks and a wake formed in the atmosphere. The equations of radiative transfer, added to the equations of gas dynamics, were used in the approximation of radiative heat diffusion or, if the Rosseland optical depth of a radiating volume of gas and vapor was less than unity, in the approximation of volume emission. Radiation fluxes on the Earth's surface were calculated by integrating the equation of radiative transfer along rays passing through a luminous area. Direct thermal radiation from fireballs and impact plumes produced by asteroids and comets larger than 50 m in diameter is dangerous for people, animals, plants, economic objects. Forest fires can be ignited on the ground within a radius of roughly 1000 times the body's diameter (for diameters of the order or smaller than 1 km), 50-m-diameter bodies can ignite forest fires within a radius of up to 40 km and 3-km asteroids - within 1700 km.

  5. Integrating wildfire plume rises within atmospheric transport models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallia, D. V.; Kochanski, A.; Wu, D.; Urbanski, S. P.; Krueger, S. K.; Lin, J. C.

    2016-12-01

    Wildfires can generate significant pyro-convection that is responsible for releasing pollutants, greenhouse gases, and trace species into the free troposphere, which are then transported a significant distance downwind from the fire. Oftentimes, atmospheric transport and chemistry models have a difficult time resolving the transport of smoke from these wildfires, primarily due to deficiencies in estimating the plume injection height, which has been highlighted in previous work as the most important aspect of simulating wildfire plume transport. As a result of the uncertainties associated with modeled wildfire plume rise, researchers face difficulties modeling the impacts of wildfire smoke on air quality and constraining fire emissions using inverse modeling techniques. Currently, several plume rise parameterizations exist that are able to determine the injection height of fire emissions; however, the success of these parameterizations has been mixed. With the advent of WRF-SFIRE, the wildfire plume rise and injection height can now be explicitly calculated using a fire spread model (SFIRE) that is dynamically linked with the atmosphere simulated by WRF. However, this model has only been tested on a limited basis due to computational costs. Here, we will test the performance of WRF-SFIRE in addition to several commonly adopted plume parameterizations (Freitas, Sofiev, and Briggs) for the 2013 Patch Springs (Utah) and 2012 Baker Canyon (Washington) fires, for both of which observations of plume rise heights are available. These plume rise techniques will then be incorporated within a Lagrangian atmospheric transport model (STILT) in order to simulate CO and CO2 concentrations during NASA's CARVE Earth Science Airborne Program over Alaska during the summer of 2012. Initial model results showed that STILT model simulations were unable to reproduce enhanced CO concentrations produced by Alaskan fires observed during 2012. Near-surface concentrations were drastically

  6. Plume Particle Collection and Sizing from Static Firing of Solid Rocket Motors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sambamurthi, Jay K.

    1995-01-01

    Thermal radiation from the plume of any solid rocket motor, containing aluminum as one of the propellant ingredients, is mainly from the microscopic, hot aluminum oxide particles in the plume. The plume radiation to the base components of the flight vehicle is primarily determined by the plume flowfield properties, the size distribution of the plume particles, and their optical properties. The optimum design of a vehicle base thermal protection system is dependent on the ability to accurately predict this intense thermal radiation using validated theoretical models. This article describes a successful effort to collect reasonably clean plume particle samples from the static firing of the flight simulation motor (FSM-4) on March 10, 1994 at the T-24 test bed at the Thiokol space operations facility as well as three 18.3% scaled MNASA motors tested at NASA/MSFC. Prior attempts to collect plume particles from the full-scale motor firings have been unsuccessful due to the extremely hostile thermal and acoustic environment in the vicinity of the motor nozzle.

  7. 3D simulation of the thermal and chemical plumes using open source software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saenz Temino, J. L.; Lerones Martin, J.; Gonzalez Delgado, J.

    2013-01-01

    The interaction of thermal and chemical plumes in the region of the Irish Sea near the site has been simulated using a finite element model representative of the local hydrodynamic regime, concluding how the method of selected cooling, open cycle, is physically and environmentally feasible. Furthermore, tunnel lengths required for each scenario under discussion have been preliminarily defined, varying in a range from 1800 to 2300 meters for a unit (1 tunnel), 4400-6300 meters of two units (2 tunnels) and 8000 meters to three units (2 tunnels), depending on the chosen technology.

  8. An Overview of Plume Tracker: Mapping Volcanic Emissions with Interactive Radiative Transfer Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Realmuto, V. J.; Berk, A.; Guiang, C.

    2014-12-01

    Infrared remote sensing is a vital tool for the study of volcanic plumes, and radiative transfer (RT) modeling is required to derive quantitative estimation of the sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfate aerosol (SO4), and silicate ash (pulverized rock) content of these plumes. In the thermal infrared, we must account for the temperature, emissivity, and elevation of the surface beneath the plume, plume altitude and thickness, and local atmospheric temperature and humidity. Our knowledge of these parameters is never perfect, and interactive mapping allows us to evaluate the impact of these uncertainties on our estimates of plume composition. To enable interactive mapping, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is collaborating with Spectral Sciences, Inc., (SSI) to develop the Plume Tracker toolkit. This project is funded by a NASA AIST Program Grant (AIST-11-0053) to SSI. Plume Tracker integrates (1) retrieval procedures for surface temperature and emissivity, SO2, NH3, or CH4 column abundance, and scaling factors for H2O vapor and O3 profiles, (2) a RT modeling engine based on MODTRAN, and (3) interactive visualization and analysis utilities under a single graphics user interface. The principal obstacle to interactive mapping is the computational overhead of the RT modeling engine. Under AIST-11-0053 we have achieved a 300-fold increase in the performance of the retrieval procedures through the use of indexed caches of model spectra, optimization of the minimization procedures, and scaling of the effects of surface temperature and emissivity on model radiance spectra. In the final year of AIST-11-0053 we will implement parallel processing to exploit multi-core CPUs and cluster computing, and optimize the RT engine to eliminate redundant calculations when iterating over a range of gas concentrations. These enhancements will result in an additional 8 - 12X increase in performance. In addition to the improvements in performance, we have improved the accuracy of the Plume Tracker

  9. Impact of breathing on the thermal plume above a human body

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Zbigniew

    2011-01-01

    The characteristics of the thermal plume above a human body should be well-defined in order to properly design the indoor environment and allow correct simulation of the indoor conditions by CFD or experimentally. The objective of the presented study was to investigate the influence of breathing....... A thermal manikin with female body shape equipped with an artificial lung was used to simulate the dry heat loss and breathing process of a sitting occupant. Three cases were examined: non-breathing, exhalation through nose, and exhalation through mouth. Measurements of the air temperature and speed...

  10. Impact of personal factors and furniture arrangement on the thermal plume above a human body

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Popiolek, Zbigniew J.; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

    2007-01-01

    . The results reveal that the convective heat loss from the body changes inverse proportionally to the clothing thermal insulation and affects the enthalpy excess in the plume. Chair design changes the ratio between convection and radiation heat losses from the body and has significant impact on the thermal...

  11. A Plume Scale Model of Chlorinated Ethene Degradation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Murray, Alexandra Marie; Broholm, Mette Martina; Badin, Alice

    leaked from a dry cleaning facility, and a 2 km plume extends from the source in an unconfined aquifer of homogenous fluvio-glacial sand. The area has significant iron deposits, most notably pyrite, which can abiotically degrade chlorinated ethenes. The source zone underwent thermal (steam) remediation...

  12. Impact of boundary conditions on the development of the thermal plume above a sitting human body

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Popiolek, Zbigniew J.; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

    2010-01-01

    a sitting occupant. CFD predictions were performed to explain the reason for a skewness in the thermal plume above a sitting thermal manikin with realistic body shape, size, and surface temperature distribution, measured in a climate chamber with mean radiant temperature equal to the room air temperature...

  13. Tracing Mantle Plumes: Quantifying their Morphology and Behavior from Seismic Tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Farrell, K. A.; Eakin, C. M.; Jones, T. D.; Garcia, E.; Robson, A.; Mittal, T.; Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. R.; Jackson, M. G.; Lekic, V.; Rudolph, M. L.

    2016-12-01

    Hotspot volcanism provides a direct link between the deep mantle and the surface, but the location, depth and source of the mantle plumes that feed hotspots are highly controversial. In order to address this issue it is important to understand the journey along which plumes have travelled through the mantle. The general behavior of plumes in the mantle also has the potential to tell us about the vigor of mantle convection, net rotation of the mantle, the role of thermal versus chemical anomalies, and important bulk physical properties of the mantle such as the viscosity profile. To address these questions we developed an algorithm to trace plume-like features in shear-wave (Vs) seismic tomographic models based on picking local minima in velocity and searching for continuous features with depth. We apply this method to several of the latest tomographic models and can recover 30 or more continuous plume conduits that are >750 km long. Around half of these can be associated with a known hotspot at the surface. We study the morphology of these plume chains and find that the largest lateral deflections occur near the base of the lower mantle and in the upper mantle. We analyze the preferred orientation of the plume deflections and their gradient to infer large scale mantle flow patterns and the depth of viscosity contrasts in the mantle respectively. We also retrieve Vs profiles for our traced plumes and compare with velocity profiles predicted for different mantle adiabat temperatures. We use this to constrain the thermal anomaly associated with these plumes. This thermal anomaly is then converted to a density anomaly and an upwelling velocity is derived. We compare this to buoyancy fluxes calculated at the surface and use this in conjunction with our measured plume tilts/deflections to estimate the strength of the "mantle wind".

  14. Fire analog: a comparison between fire plumes and energy center cooling tower plumes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orgill, M.M.

    1977-10-01

    Thermal plumes or convection columns associated with large fires are compared to thermal plumes from cooling towers and proposed energy centers to evaluate the fire analog concept. Energy release rates of mass fires are generally larger than for single or small groups of cooling towers but are comparable to proposed large energy centers. However, significant physical differences exist between cooling tower plumes and fire plumes. Cooling tower plumes are generally dominated by ambient wind, stability and turbulence conditions. Fire plumes, depending on burning rates and other factors, can transform into convective columns which may cause the fire behavior to become more violent. This transformation can cause strong inflow winds and updrafts, turbulence and concentrated vortices. Intense convective columns may interact with ambient winds to create significant downwind effects such as wakes and Karman vortex streets. These characteristics have not been observed with cooling tower plumes to date. The differences in physical characteristics between cooling tower and fire plumes makes the fire analog concept very questionable even though the approximate energy requirements appear to be satisfied in case of large energy centers. Additional research is suggested in studying the upper-level plume characteristics of small experimental fires so this information can be correlated with similar data from cooling towers. Numerical simulation of fires and proposed multiple cooling tower systems could also provide comparative data.

  15. Universal treatment of plumes and stresses for pressurized thermal shock evaluations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theofanous, T.G.; Angelini, S.; Yan, H.

    1991-01-01

    Thermally-induced stresses in a reactor pressure vessel wall, as a result of high-pressure safety injection, are an essential component of integrated risk analyses of pressurized thermal shock transients. Limiting cooldowns arise when this injection occurs under stagnated loop conditions which, in turn, correspond to a rather narrow range (in size) of small-break loss-of-coolant accidents. Moreover, at these conditions, the flow is thermally stratified, and in addition to the global cooldown, one must be concerned about the additional cooling potential due to the downcomer plumes formed by the cold streams pouring out of the cold legs. In the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Integrated Pressurized Thermal Shock (IPTS) study, this stratification was calculated with the codes REMIX/NEWMIX. A comprehensive comparison with all available experimental data has currently been compiled. The stress analysis using this input was carried out at Oak Ridge National Laboratory using a one-dimensional approximation with the intent to conservatively bound the magnitude of thermal stresses

  16. Determination of the integral characteristics of an asymmetrical thermal plume from air speed/velocity and temperature measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Popiolek, Zbigniew; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

    2010-01-01

    , generated by a thermal manikin resembling the complex body shape and heat generated by a sitting person, were measured. Using the measured data, the integral characteristics of the generated asymmetrical thermal plume were calculated by the ADI-method, and the uncertainty in determination...

  17. PLUME-MoM 1.0: A new integral model of volcanic plumes based on the method of moments

    Science.gov (United States)

    de'Michieli Vitturi, M.; Neri, A.; Barsotti, S.

    2015-08-01

    In this paper a new integral mathematical model for volcanic plumes, named PLUME-MoM, is presented. The model describes the steady-state dynamics of a plume in a 3-D coordinate system, accounting for continuous variability in particle size distribution of the pyroclastic mixture ejected at the vent. Volcanic plumes are composed of pyroclastic particles of many different sizes ranging from a few microns up to several centimeters and more. A proper description of such a multi-particle nature is crucial when quantifying changes in grain-size distribution along the plume and, therefore, for better characterization of source conditions of ash dispersal models. The new model is based on the method of moments, which allows for a description of the pyroclastic mixture dynamics not only in the spatial domain but also in the space of parameters of the continuous size distribution of the particles. This is achieved by formulation of fundamental transport equations for the multi-particle mixture with respect to the different moments of the grain-size distribution. Different formulations, in terms of the distribution of the particle number, as well as of the mass distribution expressed in terms of the Krumbein log scale, are also derived. Comparison between the new moments-based formulation and the classical approach, based on the discretization of the mixture in N discrete phases, shows that the new model allows for the same results to be obtained with a significantly lower computational cost (particularly when a large number of discrete phases is adopted). Application of the new model, coupled with uncertainty quantification and global sensitivity analyses, enables the investigation of the response of four key output variables (mean and standard deviation of the grain-size distribution at the top of the plume, plume height and amount of mass lost by the plume during the ascent) to changes in the main input parameters (mean and standard deviation) characterizing the

  18. ALOFT-PC a smoke plume trajectory model for personal computers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walton, W.D.; McGrattan, K.B.; Mullin, J.V.

    1996-01-01

    A computer model, named ALOFT-PC, was developed for use during in-situ burning of oil spills to predict smoke plume trajectory. The downwind distribution of smoke particulate is a complex function of fire parameters, meteorological conditions, and topographic features. Experimental burns have shown that the downwind distribution of smoke is not Gaussian and simple smoke plume models do not capture the observed plume features. ALOFT-PC consists of the Navier-Stokes equations using an eddy viscosity over a uniform grid that spans the smoke plume and its surroundings. The model inputs are wind speed and variability, atmospheric temperature profile, and fire parameters and the output is the average of the plume. 7 refs., 3 tabs

  19. An integral model of plume rise from high explosive detonations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boughton, B.A.; De Laurentis, J.M.

    1987-01-01

    A numerical model has been developed which provides a complete description of the time evolution of both the physical and thermodynamic properties of the cloud formed when a high explosive is detonated. This simulation employs the integral technique. The model equations are derived by integrating the three-dimensional conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy over the plume cross section. Assumptions are made regarding (a) plume symmetry; (b) the shape of profiles of velocity, temperature, etc. across the plume; and (c) the methodology for simulating entrainment and the effects of the crossflow induced pressure drag force on the plume. With these assumptions, the integral equations can be reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations on the plume centerline variables. Only the macroscopic plume characteristics, e.g., plume radius, centerline height, temperature and density, are predicted; details of the plume intrastructure are ignored. The model explicitly takes into account existing meteorology and has been expanded to consider the alterations in plume behavior which occur when aqueous foam is used as a dispersal mitigating material. The simulation was tested by comparison with field measurements of cloud top height and diameter. Predictions were within 25% of field observations over a wide range of explosive yield and atmospheric stability

  20. Thermal History of CBb Chondrules and Cooling Rate Distributions of Ejecta Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hewins, R. H.; Condie, C.; Morris, M.; Richardson, M. L. A.; Ouellette, N.; Metcalf, M.

    2018-03-01

    It has been proposed that some meteorites, CB and CH chondrites, contain material formed as a result of a protoplanetary collision during accretion. Their melt droplets (chondrules) and FeNi metal are proposed to have formed by evaporation and condensation in the resulting impact plume. We observe that the skeletal olivine (SO) chondrules in CBb chondrites have a blebby texture and an enrichment in refractory elements not found in normal chondrules. Because the texture requires complete melting, their maximum liquidus temperature of 1928 K represents a minimum temperature for the putative plume. Dynamic crystallization experiments show that the SO texture can be created only by brief reheating episodes during crystallization, giving a partial dissolution of olivine. The ejecta plume formed in a smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation served as the basis for 3D modeling with the adaptive mesh refinement code FLASH4.3. Tracer particles that move with the fluid cells are used to measure the in situ cooling rates. Their cooling rates are ∼10,000 K hr‑1 briefly at peak temperature and, in the densest regions of the plume, ∼100 K hr‑1 for 1400–1600 K. A small fraction of cells is seen to be heating at any one time, with heating spikes explained by the compression of parcels of gas in a heterogeneous patchy plume. These temperature fluctuations are comparable to those required in crystallization experiments. For the first time, we find an agreement between experiments and models that supports the plume model specifically for the formation of CBb chondrules.

  1. Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT) Plume Induced Environment Modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mobley, B. L.; Smith, S. D.; Van Norman, J. W.; Muppidi, S.; Clark, I

    2016-01-01

    Provide plume induced heating (radiation & convection) predictions in support of the LDSD thermal design (pre-flight SFDT-1) Predict plume induced aerodynamics in support of flight dynamics, to achieve targeted freestream conditions to test supersonic deceleration technologies (post-flight SFDT-1, pre-flight SFDT-2)

  2. PLUME-MoM 1.0: a new 1-D model of volcanic plumes based on the method of moments

    Science.gov (United States)

    de'Michieli Vitturi, M.; Neri, A.; Barsotti, S.

    2015-05-01

    In this paper a new mathematical model for volcanic plumes, named PlumeMoM, is presented. The model describes the steady-state 1-D dynamics of the plume in a 3-D coordinate system, accounting for continuous variability in particle distribution of the pyroclastic mixture ejected at the vent. Volcanic plumes are composed of pyroclastic particles of many different sizes ranging from a few microns up to several centimeters and more. Proper description of such a multiparticle nature is crucial when quantifying changes in grain-size distribution along the plume and, therefore, for better characterization of source conditions of ash dispersal models. The new model is based on the method of moments, which allows description of the pyroclastic mixture dynamics not only in the spatial domain but also in the space of properties of the continuous size-distribution of the particles. This is achieved by formulation of fundamental transport equations for the multiparticle mixture with respect to the different moments of the grain-size distribution. Different formulations, in terms of the distribution of the particle number, as well as of the mass distribution expressed in terms of the Krumbein log scale, are also derived. Comparison between the new moments-based formulation and the classical approach, based on the discretization of the mixture in N discrete phases, shows that the new model allows the same results to be obtained with a significantly lower computational cost (particularly when a large number of discrete phases is adopted). Application of the new model, coupled with uncertainty quantification and global sensitivity analyses, enables investigation of the response of four key output variables (mean and standard deviation (SD) of the grain-size distribution at the top of the plume, plume height and amount of mass lost by the plume during the ascent) to changes in the main input parameters (mean and SD) characterizing the pyroclastic mixture at the base of the plume

  3. Impact of facially applied air movement on the development of the thermal plume above a sitting occupant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Zbigniew J.

    2011-01-01

    implemented in practice. In this study the impact of locally applied airflow on the thermal plume generated by a sitting human body was investigated. The experiment was performed in a climate chamber with upward piston flow. A thermal manikin was sitting on a computer chair behind a table. The air speed...

  4. DeepBlow - a Lagrangian plume model for deep water blowouts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johansen, Oeistein

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents a sub-sea blowout model designed with special emphasis on deep-water conditions. The model is an integral plume model based on a Lagrangian concept. This concept is applied to multiphase discharges in the formation of water, oil and gas in a stratified water column with variable currents. The gas may be converted to hydrate in combination with seawater, dissolved into the plume water, or leaking out of the plume due to the slip between rising gas bubbles and the plume trajectory. Non-ideal behaviour of the gas is accounted for by the introduction of pressure- and temperature-dependent compressibility z-factor in the equation of state. A number of case studies are presented in the paper. One of the cases (blowout from 100 m depth) is compared with observations from a field experiment conducted in Norwegian waters in June 1996. The model results are found to compare favourably with the field observations when dissolution of gas into seawater is accounted in the model. For discharges at intermediate to shallow depths (100-250 m), the two major processes limiting plume rise will be: (a) dissolution of gas into ambient water, or (b) bubbles rising out of the inclined plume. These processes tend to be self-enforcing, i.e., when a gas is lost by either of these processes, plume rise tends to slow down and more time will be available for dissolution. For discharges in deep waters (700-1500 m depth), hydrate formation is found to be a dominating process in limiting plume rise. (Author)

  5. Subsurface oil release field experiment - observations and modelling of subsurface plume behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rye, H.; Brandvik, P.J.; Reed, M.

    1996-01-01

    An experiment was conducted at sea, in which oil was released from 107 metres depth, in order to study plume behaviour. The objective of the underwater release was to simulate a pipeline leakage without gas and high pressure and to study the behaviour of the rising plume. A numerical model for the underwater plume behaviour was used for comparison with field data. The expected path of the plume, the time expected for the plume to reach the sea surface and the width of the plume was modelled. Field data and the numerical model were in good agreement. 10 refs., 2 tabs., 9 figs

  6. On the transport, segregation, and dispersion of heavy and light particles interacting with rising thermal plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lappa, Marcello

    2018-03-01

    A systematic numerical analysis is carried out on the multiplicity of patterns produced by inertial particles dispersed in a fluid and localized gravitational convection developing in the form of a rising thermal plume. In particular, specific numerical examples are presented to provide inputs for an increased understanding of the underlying flow-particle interaction mechanisms and cause-and-effect relationships. A rich spectrum of convective dynamics is obtained at the relatively high value of the considered Rayleigh number (Ra = 108), which naturally allows the investigation of several intriguing effects (including, but not limited to, particle interaction with plume jet, associated vortices, shear instabilities, and symmetry breaking phenomena). An important degree of freedom is introduced in the problem by changing the particle viscous drag through proper tuning of the related Stokes number (St). Similarly, inertia and weight of solid matter are varied parametrically by performing numerical simulations for both light and heavy particles at different values of the Froude number. This framework lets us identify the average behavior of particles by revealing the mean evolution. We connect such statistics to the behavior of the temporally evolving thermal plume, giving deeper insights into the particle transport mechanisms and associated dissipative dynamics.

  7. Numerical study of the structure of thermal plume in a vertical channel: Effect of the height of canal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jouini Belgacem

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we propose to study numerically, by means of a software Named Calculation FDS, a thermal plume evolve from a source at the entrance to of a vertical channel. In the literature, there are researchers who interested in the interaction of plume with his the confinement medium. These studies are based on the determination of the global structure of plume confined. They found that this plume consists of three distinct zones. A first zone near source (instability zone followed by a second zone, such as the development of plume, and a third zone which is the zone of turbulence, Comparing the overall structure of the plume confined to that of the free plume, we can identify the presence of a third zone (zone of instability. The aim is firstly to determine the height of the instability zone located above of source, and secondly, to make a spectral study frequencies exhaust. Thus, effects of the geometrical parameters on frequencies of these escapements and the height an instability zone. The final aim is to establish correlations between the dimensionless numbers of Strouhal and Grashof.

  8. Validity of thermally-driven small-scale ventilated filling box models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Partridge, Jamie L.; Linden, P. F.

    2013-11-01

    The majority of previous work studying building ventilation flows at laboratory scale have used saline plumes in water. The production of buoyancy forces using salinity variations in water allows dynamic similarity between the small-scale models and the full-scale flows. However, in some situations, such as including the effects of non-adiabatic boundaries, the use of a thermal plume is desirable. The efficacy of using temperature differences to produce buoyancy-driven flows representing natural ventilation of a building in a small-scale model is examined here, with comparison between previous theoretical and new, heat-based, experiments.

  9. Seismic Imaging of Mantle Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nataf, Henri-Claude

    The mantle plume hypothesis was proposed thirty years ago by Jason Morgan to explain hotspot volcanoes such as Hawaii. A thermal diapir (or plume) rises from the thermal boundary layer at the base of the mantle and produces a chain of volcanoes as a plate moves on top of it. The idea is very attractive, but direct evidence for actual plumes is weak, and many questions remain unanswered. With the great improvement of seismic imagery in the past ten years, new prospects have arisen. Mantle plumes are expected to be rather narrow, and their detection by seismic techniques requires specific developments as well as dedicated field experiments. Regional travel-time tomography has provided good evidence for plumes in the upper mantle beneath a few hotspots (Yellowstone, Massif Central, Iceland). Beneath Hawaii and Iceland, the plume can be detected in the transition zone because it deflects the seismic discontinuities at 410 and 660 km depths. In the lower mantle, plumes are very difficult to detect, so specific methods have been worked out for this purpose. There are hints of a plume beneath the weak Bowie hotspot, as well as intriguing observations for Hawaii. Beneath Iceland, high-resolution tomography has just revealed a wide and meandering plume-like structure extending from the core-mantle boundary up to the surface. Among the many phenomena that seem to take place in the lowermost mantle (or D''), there are also signs there of the presence of plumes. In this article I review the main results obtained so far from these studies and discuss their implications for plume dynamics. Seismic imaging of mantle plumes is still in its infancy but should soon become a turbulent teenager.

  10. Kinetic electron model for plasma thruster plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merino, Mario; Mauriño, Javier; Ahedo, Eduardo

    2018-03-01

    A paraxial model of an unmagnetized, collisionless plasma plume expanding into vacuum is presented. Electrons are treated kinetically, relying on the adiabatic invariance of their radial action integral for the integration of Vlasov's equation, whereas ions are treated as a cold species. The quasi-2D plasma density, self-consistent electric potential, and electron pressure, temperature, and heat fluxes are analyzed. In particular, the model yields the collisionless cooling of electrons, which differs from the Boltzmann relation and the simple polytropic laws usually employed in fluid and hybrid PIC/fluid plume codes.

  11. Heat transfer along the route to chaos of a swaying thermal plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angeli, D; Corticelli, M A; Fichera, A; Pagano, A

    2015-01-01

    Detailed analyses have been recently reported on the low order dynamics of a thermal plume arising from a horizontal cylindrical heat source concentric to an air-filled isothermally cooled square enclosure, together with those of the related flow structures, in the limit of the 2D approximation. In particular, within the range of 0 < Ra < 3Ra cr , with Ra cr corresponding to the loss of stability of the stationary buoyant plume, the entire evolution from a periodic limit cycle (P 1 ) to the birth of chaos through a period-doubling cascade has been fully explored. With this respect, special attention has been given to the window of quasiperiodic dynamics onto a T 2 -torus that is observed to separate the monoperiodic dynamics from the biperiodic dynamics onto a P 1 and a P 2 -limit cycle, respectively. The results of these analyses hint at the bimodal nature of the overall dynamics, in general, and of the subharmonic cascade, in particular, which are still under investigation. Although relevant on a dynamical perspective, a with a main reflection on the laminar-turbulent transition, the observed oscillations appear to be characterised by comparable amplitudes and to be determined by similar evolutions of the flow pattern evolutions, so that their role on the overall heat transfer rate is expected to be marginal. Within this frame, the present study aims at reporting the influence played by the observed dynamics of the thermal plume and of the flow structures on the global heat transfer rate. In particular, the aim is the assessment of the correlation between the Rayleigh number and the average Nusselt number on the cylinder surface, as well as the effect on the latter of the observed series of bifurcations. (paper)

  12. Quantifying mantle structure and dynamics using plume tracing in seismic tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Farrell, K. A.; Eakin, C. M.; Jackson, M. G.; Jones, T. D.; Lekic, V.; Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. R.

    2017-12-01

    Directly linking deep mantle processes with surface features and dynamics is a complex problem. Hotspot volcanism gives us surface observables of mantle signatures, but the depth and source of the mantle plumes feeding these hotspots are highly debated. To address these issues, it is necessary to consider the entire journey of a plume through the mantle. By analyzing the behavior of mantle plumes we can constrain the vigor of mantle convection, the net rotation of the mantle and the role of thermal versus chemical anomalies as well as the bulk physical properties such as the viscosity profile. To do this, we developed a new algorithm to trace plume-like features in shear-wave (Vs) seismic tomography models based on picking local minima in the velocity and searching for continuous features with depth. We applied this method to recent tomographic models and find 60+ continuous plume conduits that are > 750 km long. Approximately a third of these can be associated with known hotspots at the surface. We analyze the morphology of these continuous conduits and infer large scale mantle flow patterns and properties. We find the largest lateral deflections in the conduits occur near the base of the lower mantle and in the upper mantle (near the thermal boundary layers). The preferred orientation of the plume deflections show large variability at all depths and indicate no net mantle rotation. Plate by plate analysis shows little agreement in deflection below particular plates, indicating these deflected features might be long lived and not caused by plate shearing. Changes in the gradient of plume deflection are inferred to correspond with viscosity contrasts in the mantle and found below the transition zone as well as at 1000 km depth. From this inferred viscosity structure, we explore the dynamics of a plume through these viscosity jumps. We also retrieve the Vs profiles for the conduits and compare with the velocity profiles predicted for different mantle adiabat

  13. Laser-generated plasma plume expansion: Combined continuous-microscopic modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itina, Tatiana E.; Hermann, Jörg; Delaporte, Philippe; Sentis, Marc

    2002-12-01

    The physical phenomena involved in the interaction of a laser-generated plasma plume with a background gas are studied numerically. A three-dimensional combined model is developed to describe the plasma plume formation and its expansion in vacuum or into a background gas. The proposed approach takes advantages of both continuous and microscopic descriptions. The simulation technique is suitable for the simulation of high-rate laser ablation for a wide range of background pressure. The model takes into account the mass diffusion and the energy exchange between the ablated and background species, as well as the collective motion of the ablated species and the background-gas particles. The developed approach is used to investigate the influence of the background gas on the expansion dynamics of the plume obtained during the laser ablation of aluminum. At moderate pressures, both plume and gas compressions are weak and the process is mainly governed by the diffusive mixing. At higher pressures, the interaction is determined by the plume-gas pressure interplay, the plume front is strongly compressed, and its center exhibits oscillations. In this case, the snowplough effect takes place, leading to the formation of a compressed gas layer in front of the plume. The background pressure needed for the beginning of the snowplough effect is determined from the plume and gas density profiles obtained at various pressures. Simulation results are compared with experimentally measured density distributions. It is shown that the calculations suggest localized formation of molecules during reactive laser ablation.

  14. Laser-generated plasma plume expansion: Combined continuous-microscopic modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itina, Tatiana E.; Hermann, Joerg; Delaporte, Philippe; Sentis, Marc

    2002-01-01

    The physical phenomena involved in the interaction of a laser-generated plasma plume with a background gas are studied numerically. A three-dimensional combined model is developed to describe the plasma plume formation and its expansion in vacuum or into a background gas. The proposed approach takes advantages of both continuous and microscopic descriptions. The simulation technique is suitable for the simulation of high-rate laser ablation for a wide range of background pressure. The model takes into account the mass diffusion and the energy exchange between the ablated and background species, as well as the collective motion of the ablated species and the background-gas particles. The developed approach is used to investigate the influence of the background gas on the expansion dynamics of the plume obtained during the laser ablation of aluminum. At moderate pressures, both plume and gas compressions are weak and the process is mainly governed by the diffusive mixing. At higher pressures, the interaction is determined by the plume-gas pressure interplay, the plume front is strongly compressed, and its center exhibits oscillations. In this case, the snowplough effect takes place, leading to the formation of a compressed gas layer in front of the plume. The background pressure needed for the beginning of the snowplough effect is determined from the plume and gas density profiles obtained at various pressures. Simulation results are compared with experimentally measured density distributions. It is shown that the calculations suggest localized formation of molecules during reactive laser ablation

  15. Merits of a Scenario Approach in Dredge Plume Modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Claus; Chu, Amy Ling Chu; Hjelmager Jensen, Jacob

    2011-01-01

    Dredge plume modelling is a key tool for quantification of potential impacts to inform the EIA process. There are, however, significant uncertainties associated with the modelling at the EIA stage when both dredging methodology and schedule are likely to be a guess at best as the dredging...... contractor would rarely have been appointed. Simulation of a few variations of an assumed full dredge period programme will generally not provide a good representation of the overall environmental risks associated with the programme. An alternative dredge plume modelling strategy that attempts to encapsulate...... uncertainties associated with preliminary dredging programmes by using a scenario-based modelling approach is presented. The approach establishes a set of representative and conservative scenarios for key factors controlling the spill and plume dispersion and simulates all combinations of e.g. dredge, climatic...

  16. Modeling Smoke Plume-Rise and Dispersion from Southern United States Prescribed Burns with Daysmoke

    Science.gov (United States)

    G L Achtemeier; S L Goodrick; Y Liu; F Garcia-Menendez; Y Hu; M. Odman

    2011-01-01

    We present Daysmoke, an empirical-statistical plume rise and dispersion model for simulating smoke from prescribed burns. Prescribed fires are characterized by complex plume structure including multiple-core updrafts which makes modeling with simple plume models difficult. Daysmoke accounts for plume structure in a three-dimensional veering/sheering atmospheric...

  17. EM Modelling of RF Propagation Through Plasma Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandolfo, L.; Bandinelli, M.; Araque Quijano, J. L.; Vecchi, G.; Pawlak, H.; Marliani, F.

    2012-05-01

    Electric propulsion is a commercially attractive solution for attitude and position control of geostationary satellites. Hall-effect ion thrusters generate a localized plasma flow in the surrounding of the satellite, whose impact on the communication system needs to be qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. An electromagnetic modelling tool has been developed and integrated into the Antenna Design Framework- ElectroMagnetic Satellite (ADF-EMS). The system is able to guide the user from the plume definition phases through plume installation and simulation. A validation activity has been carried out and the system has been applied to the plume modulation analysis of SGEO/Hispasat mission.

  18. On Fluid and Thermal Dynamics in a Heterogeneous CO2 Plume Geothermal Reservoir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tianfu Xu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available CO2 is now considered as a novel heat transmission fluid to extract geothermal energy. It can achieve both the energy exploitation and CO2 geological sequestration. The migration pathway and the process of fluid flow within the reservoirs affect significantly a CO2 plume geothermal (CPG system. In this study, we built three-dimensional wellbore-reservoir coupled models using geological and geothermal conditions of Qingshankou Formation in Songliao Basin, China. The performance of the CPG system is evaluated in terms of the temperature, CO2 plume distribution, flow rate of production fluid, heat extraction rate, and storage of CO2. For obtaining a deeper understanding of CO2-geothermal system under realistic conditions, heterogeneity of reservoir’s hydrological properties (in terms of permeability and porosity is taken into account. Due to the fortissimo mobility of CO2, as long as a highly permeable zone exists between the two wells, it is more likely to flow through the highly permeable zone to reach the production well, even though the flow path is longer. The preferential flow shortens circulation time and reduces heat-exchange area, probably leading to early thermal breakthrough, which makes the production fluid temperature decrease rapidly. The analyses of flow dynamics of CO2-water fluid and heat may be useful for future design of a CO2-based geothermal development system.

  19. Modeling contaminant plumes in fractured limestone aquifers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mosthaf, Klaus; Brauns, Bentje; Fjordbøge, Annika Sidelmann

    Determining the fate and transport of contaminant plumes from contaminated sites in limestone aquifers is important because they are a major drinking water resource. This is challenging because they are often heavily fractured and contain chert layers and nodules, resulting in a complex transport...... model. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to identify and employ suitable models to advance the conceptual understanding and as decision support tools for risk assessment and the planning of remedial actions....... behavior. Improved conceptual models are needed for this type of site. Here conceptual models are developed by combining numerical models with field data. Several types of fracture flow and transport models are available for the modeling of contaminant transport in fractured media. These include...... the established approaches of the equivalent porous medium, discrete fracture and dual continuum models. However, these modeling concepts are not well tested for contaminant plume migration in limestone geologies. Our goal was to develop and evaluate approaches for modeling the transport of dissolved contaminant...

  20. A new conceptual model for whole mantle convection and the origin of hotspot plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Masaki

    2014-08-01

    A new conceptual model of mantle convection is constructed for consideration of the origin of hotspot plumes, using recent evidence from seismology, high-pressure experiments, geodynamic modeling, geoid inversion studies, and post-glacial rebound analyses. This conceptual model delivers several key points. Firstly, some of the small-scale mantle upwellings observed as hotspots on the Earth's surface originate at the base of the mantle transition zone (MTZ), in which the Archean granitic continental material crust (TTG; tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) with abundant radiogenic elements is accumulated. Secondly, the TTG crust and the subducted oceanic crust that have accumulated at the base of MTZ could act as thermal or mechanical insulators, leading to the formation of a hot and less viscous layer just beneath the MTZ; which may enhance the instability of plume generation at the base of the MTZ. Thirdly, the origin of some hotspot plumes is isolated from the large low shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs) under Africa and the South Pacific. I consider that the conceptual model explains why almost all the hotspots around Africa are located above the margins of the African LLSVP. Because a planetary-scale trench system surrounding a “Pangean cell” has been spatially stable throughout the Phanerozoic, a large amount of the oceanic crustal layer is likely to be trapped in the MTZ under the Pangean cell. Therefore, under Africa, almost all of the hotspot plumes originate from the base of the MTZ, where a large amount of TTG and/or oceanic crusts has accumulated. This conceptual model may explain the fact that almost all the hotspots around Africa are located on margins above the African LLSVP. It is also considered that some of the hotspot plumes under the South Pacific thread through the TTG/oceanic crusts accumulated around the bottom of the MTZ, and some have their roots in the South Pacific LLSVP while others originate from the MTZ. The numerical simulations

  1. Martian methane plume models for defining Mars rover methane source search strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicol, Christopher; Ellery, Alex; Lynch, Brian; Cloutis, Ed

    2018-07-01

    The detection of atmospheric methane on Mars implies an active methane source. This introduces the possibility of a biotic source with the implied need to determine whether the methane is indeed biotic in nature or geologically generated. There is a clear need for robotic algorithms which are capable of manoeuvring a rover through a methane plume on Mars to locate its source. We explore aspects of Mars methane plume modelling to reveal complex dynamics characterized by advection and diffusion. A statistical analysis of the plume model has been performed and compared to analyses of terrestrial plume models. Finally, we consider a robotic search strategy to find a methane plume source. We find that gradient-based techniques are ineffective, but that more sophisticated model-based search strategies are unlikely to be available in near-term rover missions.

  2. Using satellite imagery for qualitative evaluation of plume transport in modeling the effects of the Kuwait oil fire smoke plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bass, A.; Janota, P.

    1992-01-01

    To forecast the behavior of the Kuwait oil fire smoke plumes and their possible acute or chronic health effects over the Arabian Gulf region, TASC created a comprehensive health and environmental impacts modeling system. A specially-adapted Lagrangian puff transport model was used to create (a) short-term (multiday) forecasts of plume transport and ground-level concentrations of soot and SO 2 ; and (b) long-term (seasonal and longer) estimates of average surface concentrations and depositions. EPA-approved algorithms were used to transform exposures to SO 2 and soot (as PAH/BaP) into morbidity, mortality and crop damage risks. Absent any ground truth, satellite imagery from the NOAA Polar Orbiter and the ESA Geostationary Meteosat offered the only opportunity for timely qualitative evaluation of the long-range plume transport and diffusion predictions. This paper shows the use of actual satellite images (including animated loops of hourly Meteosat images) to evaluate plume forecasts in near-real-time, and to sanity-check the meso- and long-range plume transport projections for the long-term estimates. Example modeled concentrations, depositions and health effects are shown

  3. Seismic Evidence for Lower Mantle Plume Under the Yellowstone Hotspot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, P.; Grand, S.

    2017-12-01

    The mantle plume hypothesis for the origin of intraplate volcanism has been controversial since its inception in the 1970s. The hypothesis proposes hot narrow upwelling of rock rooted at the core mantle boundary (CMB) rise through the mantle and interact with the base of the lithosphere forming linear volcanic systems such as Hawaii and Yellowstone. Recently, broad lower mantle (>500 km in diameter) slow velocity conduits, most likely thermochemical in origin, have been associated with some intraplate volcanic provinces (French and Romanowicz, 2015). However, the direct detection of a classical thin thermal plume in the lower mantle using travel time tomography has remained elusive (Anderson and Natland, 2014). Here we present a new shear wave tomography model for the mantle beneath the western United States that is optimized to find short wavelength, sub-vertical structures in the lower mantle. Our approach uses carefully measured SKS and SKKS travel times recorded by dense North American seismic networks in conjunction with finite frequency kernels to build on existing tomography models. We find the presence of a narrow ( 300 km diameter) well isolated cylindrically shaped slow anomaly in the lower most mantle which we associate with the Yellowstone Hotspot. The conduit has a 2% reduction in shear velocity and is rooted at the CMB near the California/Arizona/Nevada border. A cross sectional view through the anomaly shows that it is slightly tilted toward the north until about 1300 km depth where it appears to weaken and deflect toward the surficial positon of the hotspot. Given the anomaly's strength, proximity to the Yellowstone Hotspot, and morphology we argue that a thermal plume interpretation is the most reasonable. Our results provide strong support for a lower mantle plume origin of the Yellowstone hotspot and more importantly the existence of deep thermal plumes.

  4. State of the art atmospheric dispersion modelling. Should the Gaussian plume model still be used?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richter, Cornelia [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Koeln (Germany)

    2016-11-15

    For regulatory purposes with respect to licensing and supervision of airborne releases of nuclear installations, the Gaussian plume model is still in use in Germany. However, for complex situations the Gaussian plume model is to be replaced by a Lagrangian particle model. Now the new EU basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation (EU BSS) [1] asks for a realistic assessment of doses to the members of the public from authorised practices. This call for a realistic assessment raises the question whether dispersion modelling with the Gaussian plume model is an adequate approach anymore or whether the use of more complex models is mandatory.

  5. Thermal Impact Assessment of Groundwater Heat Pumps (GWHPs: Rigorous vs. Simplified Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Piga

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Groundwater Heat Pumps (GWHPs are increasingly adopted for air conditioning in urban areas, thus reducing CO2 emissions, and this growth needs to be managed to ensure the sustainability of the thermal alteration of aquifers. However, few studies have addressed the propagation of thermal plumes from open-loop geothermal systems from a long-term perspective. We provide a comprehensive sensitivity analysis, performed with numerical finite-element simulations, to assess how the size of the thermally affected zone is driven by hydrodynamic and thermal subsurface properties, the vadose zone and aquifer thickness, and plant setup. In particular, we focus the analysis on the length and width of thermal plumes, and on their time evolution. Numerical simulations are compared with two simplified methods, namely (i replacing the time-varying thermal load with its yearly average and (ii analytical formulae for advective heat transport in the aquifer. The former proves acceptable for the assessment of plume length, while the latter can be used to estimate the width of the thermally affected zone. The results highlight the strong influence of groundwater velocity on the plume size and, especially for its long-term evolution, of ground thermal properties and of subsurface geometrical parameters.

  6. Radiative modeling and characterization of aerosol plumes hyper-spectral imagery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alakian, A.

    2008-03-01

    This thesis aims at characterizing aerosols from plumes (biomass burning, industrial discharges, etc.) with hyper-spectral imagery. We want to estimate the optical properties of emitted particles and also their micro-physical properties such as number, size distribution and composition. To reach our goal, we have built a forward semi-analytical model, named APOM (Aerosol Plume Optical Model), which allows to simulate the radiative effects of aerosol plumes in the spectral range [0,4-2,5 μm] for nadir viewing sensors. Mathematical formulation and model coefficients are obtained from simulations performed with the radiative transfer code COMANCHE. APOM is assessed on simulated data and proves to be accurate with modeling errors between 1% and 3%. Three retrieval methods using APOM have been developed: L-APOM, M-APOM and A-APOM. These methods take advantage of spectral and spatial dimensions in hyper-spectral images. L-APOM and M-APOM assume a priori knowledge on particles but can estimate their optical and micro-physical properties. Their performances on simulated data are quite promising. A-APOM method does not require any a priori knowledge on particles but only estimates their optical properties. However, it still needs improvements before being usable. On real images, inversion provides satisfactory results for plumes above water but meets some difficulties for plumes above vegetation, which underlines some possibilities of improvement for the retrieval algorithm. (author)

  7. Plume Tracker: Interactive mapping of volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions with high-performance radiative transfer modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Realmuto, Vincent J.; Berk, Alexander

    2016-11-01

    We describe the development of Plume Tracker, an interactive toolkit for the analysis of multispectral thermal infrared observations of volcanic plumes and clouds. Plume Tracker is the successor to MAP_SO2, and together these flexible and comprehensive tools have enabled investigators to map sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from a number of volcanoes with TIR data from a variety of airborne and satellite instruments. Our objective for the development of Plume Tracker was to improve the computational performance of the retrieval procedures while retaining the accuracy of the retrievals. We have achieved a 300 × improvement in the benchmark performance of the retrieval procedures through the introduction of innovative data binning and signal reconstruction strategies, and improved the accuracy of the retrievals with a new method for evaluating the misfit between model and observed radiance spectra. We evaluated the accuracy of Plume Tracker retrievals with case studies based on MODIS and AIRS data acquired over Sarychev Peak Volcano, and ASTER data acquired over Kilauea and Turrialba Volcanoes. In the Sarychev Peak study, the AIRS-based estimate of total SO2 mass was 40% lower than the MODIS-based estimate. This result was consistent with a 45% reduction in the AIRS-based estimate of plume area relative to the corresponding MODIS-based estimate. In addition, we found that our AIRS-based estimate agreed with an independent estimate, based on a competing retrieval technique, within a margin of ± 20%. In the Kilauea study, the ASTER-based concentration estimates from 21 May 2012 were within ± 50% of concurrent ground-level concentration measurements. In the Turrialba study, the ASTER-based concentration estimates on 21 January 2012 were in exact agreement with SO2 concentrations measured at plume altitude on 1 February 2012.

  8. Simulation of regimes of convection and plume dynamics by the thermal Lattice Boltzmann Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mora, Peter; Yuen, David A.

    2018-02-01

    We present 2D simulations using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) of a fluid in a rectangular box being heated from below, and cooled from above. We observe plumes, hot narrow upwellings from the base, and down-going cold chutes from the top. We have varied both the Rayleigh numbers and the Prandtl numbers respectively from Ra = 1000 to Ra =1010 , and Pr = 1 through Pr = 5 ×104 , leading to Rayleigh-Bénard convection cells at low Rayleigh numbers through to vigorous convection and unstable plumes with pronounced vortices and eddies at high Rayleigh numbers. We conduct simulations with high Prandtl numbers up to Pr = 50, 000 to simulate in the inertial regime. We find for cases when Pr ⩾ 100 that we obtain a series of narrow plumes of upwelling fluid with mushroom heads and chutes of downwelling fluid. We also present simulations at a Prandtl number of 0.7 for Rayleigh numbers varying from Ra =104 through Ra =107.5 . We demonstrate that the Nusselt number follows power law scaling of form Nu ∼Raγ where γ = 0.279 ± 0.002 , which is consistent with published results of γ = 0.281 in the literature. These results show that the LBM is capable of reproducing results obtained with classical macroscopic methods such as spectral methods, and demonstrate the great potential of the LBM for studying thermal convection and plume dynamics relevant to geodynamics.

  9. Organic contaminants in thermal plume resident brown trout

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romberg, G.P.; Bourne, S.

    1978-01-01

    A pilot study was conducted to identify possible contaminants accumulated by thermal plume-resident fish in Lake Michigan. Brown trout were maintained in tanks receiving intake and discharge (less than or equal to 21 0 C) water from a power plant and were fed a diet of frozen alewife. Fish were sampled over a period of 127 days in order to estimate uptake rates and equilibrium levels for toxic organic and inorganic materials occurring in Lake Michigan fish and water. Experimental fish and natural samples were analyzed to determine the distribution of contaminants in various tissues and the corresponding pollutant levels in similar size brown trout from Lake Michigan. The quantitative analyses for the major organic contaminants are summarized. Without exception, the pyloric caecum of brown trout contained the highest concentration of lipids, PCB's, and chlorinated pesticides. Gill and kidney samples contained lower concentrations of contaminants than the caecum, while liver and muscle values were lowest

  10. Numerical model simulation of atmospheric coolant plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaillard, P.

    1980-01-01

    The effect of humid atmospheric coolants on the atmosphere is simulated by means of a three-dimensional numerical model. The atmosphere is defined by its natural vertical profiles of horizontal velocity, temperature, pressure and relative humidity. Effluent discharge is characterised by its vertical velocity and the temperature of air satured with water vapour. The subject of investigation is the area in the vicinity of the point of discharge, with due allowance for the wake effect of the tower and buildings and, where application, wind veer with altitude. The model equations express the conservation relationships for mometum, energy, total mass and water mass, for an incompressible fluid behaving in accordance with the Boussinesq assumptions. Condensation is represented by a simple thermodynamic model, and turbulent fluxes are simulated by introduction of turbulent viscosity and diffusivity data based on in-situ and experimental water model measurements. The three-dimensional problem expressed in terms of the primitive variables (u, v, w, p) is governed by an elliptic equation system which is solved numerically by application of an explicit time-marching algorithm in order to predict the steady-flow velocity distribution, temperature, water vapour concentration and the liquid-water concentration defining the visible plume. Windstill conditions are simulated by a program processing the elliptic equations in an axisymmetrical revolution coordinate system. The calculated visible plumes are compared with plumes observed on site with a view to validate the models [fr

  11. Automated Generation of 3D Volcanic Gas Plume Models for Geobrowsers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, T. E.; Burton, M.; Pyle, D. M.

    2007-12-01

    A network of five UV spectrometers on Etna automatically gathers column amounts of SO2 during daylight hours. Near-simultaneous scans from adjacent spectrometers, comprising 210 column amounts in total, are then converted to 2D slices showing the spatial distribution of the gas by tomographic reconstruction. The trajectory of the plume is computed using an automatically-submitted query to NOAA's HYSPLIT Trajectory Model. This also provides local estimates of air temperature, which are used to determine the atmospheric stability and therefore the degree to which the plume is dispersed by turbulence. This information is sufficient to construct an animated sequence of models which show how the plume is advected and diffused over time. These models are automatically generated in the Collada Digital Asset Exchange format and combined into a single file which displays the evolution of the plume in Google Earth. These models are useful for visualising and predicting the shape and distribution of the plume for civil defence, to assist field campaigns and as a means of communicating some of the work of volcano observatories to the public. The Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique is used to create the 2D slices. This is a well-known method, based on iteratively updating a forward model (from 2D distribution to column amounts). Because it is based on a forward model, it also provides a simple way to quantify errors.

  12. Lower-mantle plume beneath the Yellowstone hotspot revealed by core waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Peter L.; Grand, Stephen P.

    2018-04-01

    The Yellowstone hotspot, located in North America, is an intraplate source of magmatism the cause of which is hotly debated. Some argue that a deep mantle plume sourced at the base of the mantle supplies the heat beneath Yellowstone, whereas others claim shallower subduction or lithospheric-related processes can explain the anomalous magmatism. Here we present a shear wave tomography model for the deep mantle beneath the western United States that was made using the travel times of core waves recorded by the dense USArray seismic network. The model reveals a single narrow, cylindrically shaped slow anomaly, approximately 350 km in diameter that we interpret as a whole-mantle plume. The anomaly is tilted to the northeast and extends from the core-mantle boundary to the surficial position of the Yellowstone hotspot. The structure gradually decreases in strength from the deepest mantle towards the surface and if it is purely a thermal anomaly this implies an initial excess temperature of 650 to 850 °C. Our results strongly support a deep origin for the Yellowstone hotspot, and also provide evidence for the existence of thin thermal mantle plumes that are currently beyond the resolution of global tomography models.

  13. The importance of vertical resolution in the free troposphere for modeling intercontinental plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Jiawei; Jacob, Daniel J.; Eastham, Sebastian D.

    2018-05-01

    Chemical plumes in the free troposphere can preserve their identity for more than a week as they are transported on intercontinental scales. Current global models cannot reproduce this transport. The plumes dilute far too rapidly due to numerical diffusion in sheared flow. We show how model accuracy can be limited by either horizontal resolution (Δx) or vertical resolution (Δz). Balancing horizontal and vertical numerical diffusion, and weighing computational cost, implies an optimal grid resolution ratio (Δx / Δz)opt ˜ 1000 for simulating the plumes. This is considerably higher than current global models (Δx / Δz ˜ 20) and explains the rapid plume dilution in the models as caused by insufficient vertical resolution. Plume simulations with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere Dynamical Core (GFDL-FV3) over a range of horizontal and vertical grid resolutions confirm this limiting behavior. Our highest-resolution simulation (Δx ≈ 25 km, Δz ≈ 80 m) preserves the maximum mixing ratio in the plume to within 35 % after 8 days in strongly sheared flow, a drastic improvement over current models. Adding free tropospheric vertical levels in global models is computationally inexpensive and would also improve the simulation of water vapor.

  14. Modeling Macro- and Micro-Scale Turbulent Mixing and Chemistry in Engine Exhaust Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Suresh

    1998-01-01

    Simulation of turbulent mixing and chemical processes in the near-field plume and plume-vortex regimes has been successfully carried out recently using a reduced gas phase kinetics mechanism which substantially decreased the computational cost. A detailed mechanism including gas phase HOx, NOx, and SOx chemistry between the aircraft exhaust and the ambient air in near-field aircraft plumes is compiled. A reduced mechanism capturing the major chemical pathways is developed. Predictions by the reduced mechanism are found to be in good agreement with those by the detailed mechanism. With the reduced chemistry, the computer CPU time is saved by a factor of more than 3.5 for the near-field plume modeling. Distributions of major chemical species are obtained and analyzed. The computed sensitivities of major species with respect to reaction step are deduced for identification of the dominant gas phase kinetic reaction pathways in the jet plume. Both the near field plume and the plume-vortex regimes were investigated using advanced mixing models. In the near field, a stand-alone mixing model was used to investigate the impact of turbulent mixing on the micro- and macro-scale mixing processes using a reduced reaction kinetics model. The plume-vortex regime was simulated using a large-eddy simulation model. Vortex plume behind Boeing 737 and 747 aircraft was simulated along with relevant kinetics. Many features of the computed flow field show reasonable agreement with data. The entrainment of the engine plumes into the wing tip vortices and also the partial detrainment of the plume were numerically captured. The impact of fluid mechanics on the chemical processes was also studied. Results show that there are significant differences between spatial and temporal simulations especially in the predicted SO3 concentrations. This has important implications for the prediction of sulfuric acid aerosols in the wake and may partly explain the discrepancy between past numerical studies

  15. The 2016 Case for Mantle Plumes and a Plume-Fed Asthenosphere (Augustus Love Medal Lecture)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Jason P.

    2016-04-01

    The process of science always returns to weighing evidence and arguments for and against a given hypothesis. As hypotheses can only be falsified, never universally proved, doubt and skepticism remain essential elements of the scientific method. In the past decade, even the hypothesis that mantle plumes exist as upwelling currents in the convecting mantle has been subject to intense scrutiny; from geochemists and geochronologists concerned that idealized plume models could not fit many details of their observations, and from seismologists concerned that mantle plumes can sometimes not be 'seen' in their increasingly high-resolution tomographic images of the mantle. In the place of mantle plumes, various locally specific and largely non-predictive hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origins of non-plate boundary volcanism at Hawaii, Samoa, etc. In my opinion, this debate has now passed from what was initially an extremely useful restorative from simply 'believing' in the idealized conventional mantle plume/hotspot scenario to becoming an active impediment to our community's ability to better understand the dynamics of the solid Earth. Having no working hypothesis at all is usually worse for making progress than having an imperfect and incomplete but partially correct one. There continues to be strong arguments and strong emerging evidence for deep mantle plumes. Furthermore, deep thermal plumes should exist in a mantle that is heated at its base, and the existence of Earth's (convective) geodynamo clearly indicates that heat flows from the core to heat the mantle's base. Here I review recent seismic evidence by French, Romanowicz, and coworkers that I feel lends strong new observational support for the existence of deep mantle plumes. I also review recent evidence consistent with the idea that secular core cooling replenishes half the mantle's heat loss through its top surface, e.g. that the present-day mantle is strongly bottom heated. Causes for

  16. Multi-scale Modeling of Power Plant Plume Emissions and Comparisons with Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costigan, K. R.; Lee, S.; Reisner, J.; Dubey, M. K.; Love, S. P.; Henderson, B. G.; Chylek, P.

    2011-12-01

    The Remote Sensing Verification Project (RSVP) test-bed located in the Four Corners region of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico offers a unique opportunity to develop new approaches for estimating emissions of CO2. Two major power plants located in this area produce very large signals of co-emitted CO2 and NO2 in this rural region. In addition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintaining Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) on each of the power plant stacks, the RSVP program has deployed an array of in-situ and remote sensing instruments, which provide both point and integrated measurements. To aid in the synthesis and interpretation of the measurements, a multi-scale atmospheric modeling approach is implemented, using two atmospheric numerical models: the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with chemistry (WRF-Chem; Grell et al., 2005) and the HIGRAD model (Reisner et al., 2003). The high fidelity HIGRAD model incorporates a multi-phase Lagrangian particle based approach to track individual chemical species of stack plumes at ultra-high resolution, using an adaptive mesh. It is particularly suited to model buoyancy effects and entrainment processes at the edges of the power plant plumes. WRF-Chem is a community model that has been applied to a number of air quality problems and offers several physical and chemical schemes that can be used to model the transport and chemical transformation of the anthropogenic plumes out of the local region. Multiple nested grids employed in this study allow the model to incorporate atmospheric variability ranging from synoptic scales to micro-scales (~200 m), while including locally developed flows influenced by the nearby complex terrain of the San Juan Mountains. The simulated local atmospheric dynamics are provided to force the HIGRAD model, which links mesoscale atmospheric variability to the small-scale simulation of the power plant plumes. We will discuss how these two models are applied and

  17. Thermography of the New River Inlet plume and nearshore currents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chickadel, C.; Jessup, A.

    2012-12-01

    As part of the DARLA and RIVET experiments, thermal imaging systems mounted on a tower and in an airplane captured water flow in the New River Inlet, NC, USA. Kilometer-scale, airborne thermal imagery of the inlet details the ebb flow of the estuarine plume water mixing with ocean water. Multiple fronts, corresponding to the preferred channels through the ebb tidal delta, are imaged in the aerial data. A series of internal fronts suggest discreet sources of the tidal plume that vary with time. Focused thermal measurements made from a tower on the south side of the inlet viewed an area within a radius of a few hundred meters. Sub-meter resolution video from the tower revealed fine-scale flow features and the interaction of tidal exchange and wave-forced surfzone currents. Using the tower and airborne thermal image data we plan to provide geophysical information to compare with numerical models and in situ measurements made by other investigators. From the overflights, we will map the spatial and temporal extent of the estuarine plume to correlate with tidal phase and local wind conditions. From the tower data, we will investigate the structure of the nearshore flow using a thermal particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique, which is based on tracking motion of the surface temperature patterns. Long term variability of the mean and turbulent two-dimensional PIV currents will be correlated to local wave, tidal, and wind forcing parameters.

  18. Infrared signature modelling of a rocket jet plume - comparison with flight measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rialland, V; Perez, P; Roblin, A; Guy, A; Gueyffier, D; Smithson, T

    2016-01-01

    The infrared signature modelling of rocket plumes is a challenging problem involving rocket geometry, propellant composition, combustion modelling, trajectory calculations, fluid mechanics, atmosphere modelling, calculation of gas and particles radiative properties and of radiative transfer through the atmosphere. This paper presents ONERA simulation tools chained together to achieve infrared signature prediction, and the comparison of the estimated and measured signatures of an in-flight rocket plume. We consider the case of a solid rocket motor with aluminized propellant, the Black Brant sounding rocket. The calculation case reproduces the conditions of an experimental rocket launch, performed at White Sands in 1997, for which we obtained high quality infrared signature data sets from DRDC Valcartier. The jet plume is calculated using an in-house CFD software called CEDRE. The plume infrared signature is then computed on the spectral interval 1900-5000 cm -1 with a step of 5 cm -1 . The models and their hypotheses are presented and discussed. Then the resulting plume properties, radiance and spectra are detailed. Finally, the estimated infrared signature is compared with the spectral imaging measurements. The discrepancies are analyzed and discussed. (paper)

  19. Liquid Booster Module (LBM) plume flowfield model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, S. D.

    1981-01-01

    A complete definition of the LBM plume is important for many Shuttle design criteria. The exhaust plume shape has a significant effect on the vehicle base pressure. The LBM definition is also important to the Shuttle base heating, aerodynamics and the influence of the exhaust plume on the launch stand and environment. For these reasons a knowledge of the LBM plume characteristics is necessary. A definition of the sea level LBM plume as well as at several points along the Shuttle trajectory to LBM, burnout is presented.

  20. The importance of vertical resolution in the free troposphere for modeling intercontinental plumes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Zhuang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Chemical plumes in the free troposphere can preserve their identity for more than a week as they are transported on intercontinental scales. Current global models cannot reproduce this transport. The plumes dilute far too rapidly due to numerical diffusion in sheared flow. We show how model accuracy can be limited by either horizontal resolution (Δx or vertical resolution (Δz. Balancing horizontal and vertical numerical diffusion, and weighing computational cost, implies an optimal grid resolution ratio (Δx ∕ Δzopt ∼ 1000 for simulating the plumes. This is considerably higher than current global models (Δx ∕ Δz ∼ 20 and explains the rapid plume dilution in the models as caused by insufficient vertical resolution. Plume simulations with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere Dynamical Core (GFDL-FV3 over a range of horizontal and vertical grid resolutions confirm this limiting behavior. Our highest-resolution simulation (Δx ≈ 25 km, Δz  ≈  80 m preserves the maximum mixing ratio in the plume to within 35 % after 8 days in strongly sheared flow, a drastic improvement over current models. Adding free tropospheric vertical levels in global models is computationally inexpensive and would also improve the simulation of water vapor.

  1. Modeling of plasma plume induced during laser welding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moscicki, T.; Hoffman, J.; Szymanski, Z.

    2005-01-01

    During laser welding, the interaction of intense laser radiation with a work-piece leads to the formation of a long, thin, cylindrical cavity in a metal, called a keyhole. Generation of a keyhole enables the laser beam to penetrate into the work-piece and is essential for deep welding. The keyhole contains ionized metal vapour and is surrounded by molten material called the weld pool. The metal vapour, which flows from the keyhole mixes with the shielding gas flowing from the opposite direction and forms a plasma plume over the keyhole mouth. The plasma plume has considerable influence on the processing conditions. Plasma strongly absorbs laser radiation and significantly changes energy transfer from the laser beam to a material. In this paper the results of theoretical modelling of plasma plume induced during welding with CO 2 laser are presented. The set of equations consists of equation of conservation of mass, energy, momentum and the diffusion equation: ∂ρ/∂t + ∇·(ρ ρ ν =0; ∂(ρE)/∂t + ∇·( ρ ν (ρE + p)) = ∇ (k eff ∇T - Σ j h j ρ J j + (τ eff · ρ ν )) + Σ i κ i I i - R; ∂/∂t(ρ ρ ν ) + ∇· (ρ ρ ν ρ ν ) = - ∇p + ∇(τ) + ρ ρ g + ρ F, where τ is viscous tensor τ = μ[(∇ ρ ν + ∇ ρT ν )-2/3∇· ρ ν I]; ∂/∂t(ρY i ) + ∇·(ρ ρ ν Y i ) = ∇·ρD i,m ∇T i ; where μ ν denotes velocity vector, E - energy, ρ mass density; k - thermal conductivity, T- temperature, κ - absorption coefficient, I i local laser intensity, R - radiation loss function, p - pressure, h j enthalpy, J j - diffusion flux of j component, ν g - gravity, μ F - external force, μ - dynamic viscosity, I - unit tensor, Y i - mass fraction of iron vapor in the gas mixture, D i,m - mass diffusion coefficient. The terms k eff and τ eff contain the turbulent component of the thermal conductivity and the viscosity, respectively. All the material functions are functions of the temperature and mass fraction only. The equations

  2. Model Intercomparison Study to Investigate a Dense Contaminant Plume in a Complex Hydrogeologic System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Mark D.; Cole, Charles R.; Foley, Michael G.; Zinina, Galina A.; Zinin, Alexander I.; Vasil'Kova, Nelly A.; Samsonova, Lilia M.

    2001-01-01

    A joint Russian and U.S. model intercomparison study was undertaken for developing more realistic contaminant transport models of the Mayak Site, Southern Urals. The test problems were developed by the Russian Team based on their experience modeling contaminant migration near Lake Karachai. The intercomparison problems were designed to address lake and contaminant plume interactions, as well as river interactions and plume density effects. Different numerical codes were used. Overall there is good agreement between the results of both models. Features shown by both models include (1) the sinking of the plume below the lake, (2) the raising of the water table in the fresh water adjacent to the lake in response to the increased pressure from the dense plume, and (3) the formation of a second sinking plume in an area where evapotranspiration exceeded infiltration, thus increasing the solute concentrations above the source (i.e., lake) values

  3. Modeling of the near field plume of a Hall thruster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyd, Iain D.; Yim, John T.

    2004-01-01

    In this study, a detailed numerical model is developed to simulate the xenon plasma near-field plume from a Hall thruster. The model uses a detailed fluid model to describe the electrons and a particle-based kinetic approach is used to model the heavy xenon ions and atoms. The detailed model is applied to compute the near field plume of a small, 200 W Hall thruster. Results from the detailed model are compared with the standard modeling approach that employs the Boltzmann model. The usefulness of the model detailed is assessed through direct comparisons with a number of different measured data sets. The comparisons illustrate that the detailed model accurately predicts a number of features of the measured data not captured by the simpler Boltzmann approach

  4. Thermal plumes and micro-contaminants release from power plants in water bodies. Development of innovative software tools to support plant management and real case applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guandalini, R.

    2007-01-01

    Environmental issues are a fundamental aspect of energy generation by thermal power plants. Numerical modeling can be used to develop innovative software tools to support plant management and to analyze critical scenarios also considering meteorology forecasts. Compliance with regulatory obligations of thermal/contaminant plumes and prediction of water body physical properties at the intake/discharge location can be performed by real time systems, in order to optimize plant operations and to evaluate the amount of energy that will be generated. A procedure coupling hydrodynamic and water quality modeling for the prediction of possible areas of accumulation of micro-contaminants in a short, medium and long period is also presented. Finally, applications of thermal/pollutant prediction systems and numerical modeling of particular environmental aspects of energy production and transport are shown (e.g. chlorine diffusion from a HVDC marine anode, impact on aquatic ecosystems in coastal regions). (author)

  5. Cooling tower plume - model and experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cizek, Jan; Gemperle, Jiri; Strob, Miroslav; Nozicka, Jiri

    The paper discusses the description of the simple model of the, so-called, steam plume, which in many cases forms during the operation of the evaporative cooling systems of the power plants, or large technological units. The model is based on semi-empirical equations that describe the behaviour of a mixture of two gases in case of the free jet stream. In the conclusion of the paper, a simple experiment is presented through which the results of the designed model shall be validated in the subsequent period.

  6. A mantle plume model for the Equatorial Highlands of Venus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiefer, Walter S.; Hager, Bradford H.

    1991-01-01

    The possibility that the Equatorial Highlands are the surface expressions of hot upwelling mantle plumes is considered via a series of mantle plume models developed using a cylindrical axisymmetric finite element code and depth-dependent Newtonian rheology. The results are scaled by assuming whole mantle convection and that Venus and the earth have similar mantle heat flows. The best model fits are for Beta and Atla. The common feature of the allowed viscosity models is that they lack a pronounced low-viscosity zone in the upper mantle. The shape of Venus's long-wavelength admittance spectrum and the slope of its geoid spectrum are also consistent with the lack of a low-viscosity zone. It is argued that the lack of an asthenosphere on Venus is due to the mantle of Venus being drier than the earth's mantle. Mantle plumes may also have contributed to the formation of some smaller highland swells, such as the Bell and Eistla regions and the Hathor/Innini/Ushas region.

  7. Monitoring and forecasting Etna volcanic plumes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Scollo

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we describe the results of a project ongoing at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV. The objective is to develop and implement a system for monitoring and forecasting volcanic plumes of Etna. Monitoring is based at present by multispectral infrared measurements from the Spin Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager on board the Meteosat Second Generation geosynchronous satellite, visual and thermal cameras, and three radar disdrometers able to detect ash dispersal and fallout. Forecasting is performed by using automatic procedures for: i downloading weather forecast data from meteorological mesoscale models; ii running models of tephra dispersal, iii plotting hazard maps of volcanic ash dispersal and deposition for certain scenarios and, iv publishing the results on a web-site dedicated to the Italian Civil Protection. Simulations are based on eruptive scenarios obtained by analysing field data collected after the end of recent Etna eruptions. Forecasting is, hence, supported by plume observations carried out by the monitoring system. The system was tested on some explosive events occurred during 2006 and 2007 successfully. The potentiality use of monitoring and forecasting Etna volcanic plumes, in a way to prevent threats to aviation from volcanic ash, is finally discussed.

  8. Towards LES Models of Jets and Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, A. T.; Mansour, N. N.

    2000-01-01

    As pointed out by Rodi standard integral solutions for jets and plumes developed for discharge into infinite, quiescent ambient are difficult to extend to complex situations, particularly in the presence of boundaries such as the sea floor or ocean surface. In such cases the assumption of similarity breaks down and it is impossible to find a suitable entrainment coefficient. The models are also incapable of describing any but the most slowly varying unsteady motions. There is therefore a need for full time-dependent modeling of the flow field for which there are three main approaches: (1) Reynolds averaged numerical simulation (RANS), (2) large eddy simulation (LES), and (3) direct numerical simulation (DNS). Rodi applied RANS modeling to both jets and plumes with considerable success, the test being a match with experimental data for time-averaged velocity and temperature profiles as well as turbulent kinetic energy and rms axial turbulent velocity fluctuations. This model still relies on empirical constants, some eleven in the case of the buoyant jet, and so would not be applicable to a partly laminar plume, may have limited use in the presence of boundaries, and would also be unsuitable if one is after details of the unsteady component of the flow (the turbulent eddies). At the other end of the scale DNS modeling includes all motions down to the viscous scales. Boersma et al. have built such a model for the non-buoyant case which also compares well with measured data for mean and turbulent velocity components. The model demonstrates its versatility by application to a laminar flow case. As its name implies, DNS directly models the Navier-Stokes equations without recourse to subgrid modeling so for flows with a broad spectrum of motions (high Re) the cost can be prohibitive - the number of required grid points scaling with Re(exp 9/4) and the number of time steps with Re(exp 3/4). The middle road is provided by LES whereby the Navier-Stokes equations are formally

  9. Modelling the fate of the Tijuana River discharge plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ormondt, M.; Terrill, E.; Hibler, L. F.; van Dongeren, A. R.

    2010-12-01

    After rainfall events, the Tijuana River discharges excess runoff into the ocean in a highly turbid plume. The runoff waters contain large suspended solids concentrations, as well as high levels of toxic contaminants, bacteria, and hepatitis and enteroviruses. Public health hazards posed by the effluent often result in beach closures for several kilometers northward along the U.S. shoreline. A Delft3D model has been set up to predict the fate of the Tijuana River plume. The model takes into account the effects of tides, wind, waves, salinity, and temperature stratification. Heat exchange with the atmosphere is also included. The model consists of a relatively coarse outer domain and a high-resolution surf zone domain that are coupled with Domain Decomposition. The offshore boundary conditions are obtained from the larger NCOM SoCal model (operated by the US Navy) that spans the entire Southern California Bight. A number of discharge events are investigated, in which model results are validated against a wide range of field measurements in the San Diego Bight. These include HF Radar surface currents, REMUS tracks, drifter deployments, satellite imagery, as well as current and temperature profile measurements at a number of locations. The model is able to reproduce the observed current and temperature patterns reasonably well. Under calm conditions, the model results suggest that the hydrodynamics in the San Diego Bight are largely governed by internal waves. During rainfall events, which are typically accompanied by strong winds and high waves, wind and wave driven currents become dominant. An analysis will be made of what conditions determine the trapping and mixing of the plume inside the surfzone and/or the propagation of the plume through the breakers and onto the coastal shelf. The model is now also running in operational mode. Three day forecasts are made every 24 hours. This study was funded by the Office of Naval Research.

  10. Modeling an Iodine Hall Thruster Plume in the Iodine Satellite (ISAT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Maria

    2016-01-01

    An iodine-operated 200-W Hall thruster plume has been simulated using a hybrid-PIC model to predict the spacecraft surface-plume interaction for spacecraft integration purposes. For validation of the model, the plasma potential, electron temperature, ion current flux, and ion number density of xenon propellant were compared with available measurement data at the nominal operating condition. To simulate iodine plasma, various collision cross sections were found and used in the model. While time-varying atomic iodine species (i.e., I, I+, I2+) information is provided by HPHall simulation at the discharge channel exit, the molecular iodine species (i.e., I2, I2+) are introduced as Maxwellian particles at the channel exit. Simulation results show that xenon and iodine plasma plumes appear to be very similar under the assumptions of the model. Assuming a sticking coefficient of unity, iodine deposition rate is estimated.

  11. Experimental investigation of bubble plume structure instability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marco Simiano; Robert Zboray; Francois de Cachard [Thermal-Hydraulics Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Djamel Lakehal; George Yadigaroglu [Institute of Energy Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH-Zentrum/CLT, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland)

    2005-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: The hydrodynamic properties of a 3D bubble plume in a large water pool are investigated experimentally. Bubble plumes are present in various industrial processes, including chemical plants, stirred reactors, and nuclear power plants, e.g. in BWR suppression pools. In these applications, the main issue is to predict the currents induced by the bubbles in the liquid phase, and to determine the consequent mixing. Bubble plumes, especially large and unconfined ones, present strong 3D effects and a superposition of different characteristic length scales. Thus, they represent relevant test cases for assessment and verification of 3D models in thermal-hydraulic codes. Bubble plumes are often unsteady, with fluctuations in size and shape of the bubble swarm, and global movements of the plume. In this case, local time-averaged data are not sufficient to characterize the flow. Additional information regarding changes in plume shape and position is required. The effect of scale on the 3D flow structure and stability being complex, there was a need to conduct studies in a fairly large facility, closer to industrial applications. Air bubble plumes, up to 30 cm in base diameter and 2 m in height were extensively studied in a 2 m diameter water pool. Homogeneously sized bubbles were obtained using a particular injector. The main hydrodynamic parameters. i.e., gas and liquid velocities, void fraction, bubble shape and size, plume shape and position, were determined experimentally. Photographic and image processing techniques were used to characterize the bubble shape, and double-tip optical probes to measure bubble size and void fraction. Electromagnetic probes measured the recirculation velocity in the pool. Simultaneous two-phase flow particle image velocimetry (STPFPIV) in a vertical plane containing the vessel axis provided instantaneous velocity fields for both phases and therefore the relative velocity field. Video recording using two CCD

  12. Cooling tower plume - model and experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cizek Jan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper discusses the description of the simple model of the, so-called, steam plume, which in many cases forms during the operation of the evaporative cooling systems of the power plants, or large technological units. The model is based on semi-empirical equations that describe the behaviour of a mixture of two gases in case of the free jet stream. In the conclusion of the paper, a simple experiment is presented through which the results of the designed model shall be validated in the subsequent period.

  13. Numerical modeling of plasma plume evolution against ambient background gas in laser blow off experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Bhavesh G.; Das, Amita; Kaw, Predhiman; Singh, Rajesh; Kumar, Ajai

    2012-01-01

    Two dimensional numerical modelling based on simplified hydrodynamic evolution for an expanding plasma plume (created by laser blow off) against an ambient background gas has been carried out. A comparison with experimental observations shows that these simulations capture most features of the plasma plume expansion. The plume location and other gross features are reproduced as per the experimental observation in quantitative detail. The plume shape evolution and its dependence on the ambient background gas are in good qualitative agreement with the experiment. This suggests that a simplified hydrodynamic expansion model is adequate for the description of plasma plume expansion.

  14. Novel plume deflection concept testing

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed effort will explore the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing an electrically driven thermal shield for use as part of rocket plume deflectors. To...

  15. Observation and modeling of the evolution of Texas power plant plumes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Zhou

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available During the second Texas Air Quality Study 2006 (TexAQS II, a full range of pollutants was measured by aircraft in eastern Texas during successive transects of power plant plumes (PPPs. A regional photochemical model is applied to simulate the physical and chemical evolution of the plumes. The observations reveal that SO2 and NOy were rapidly removed from PPPs on a cloudy day but not on the cloud-free days, indicating efficient aqueous processing of these compounds in clouds. The model reasonably represents observed NOx oxidation and PAN formation in the plumes, but fails to capture the rapid loss of SO2 (0.37 h−1 and NOy (0.24 h−1 in some plumes on the cloudy day. Adjustments to the cloud liquid water content (QC and the default metal concentrations in the cloud module could explain some of the SO2 loss. However, NOy in the model was insensitive to QC. These findings highlight cloud processing as a major challenge to atmospheric models. Model-based estimates of ozone production efficiency (OPE in PPPs are 20–50 % lower than observation-based estimates for the cloudy day.

  16. Predicted and observed cooling tower plume rise and visible plume length at the John E. Amos power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanna, S R

    1976-01-01

    A one-dimensional numerical cloud growth model and several empirical models for plume rise and cloud growth are compared with twenty-seven sets of observations of cooling tower plumes from the 2900 MW John E. Amos power plant in West Virginia. The three natural draft cooling towers are 200 m apart. In a cross wind, the plumes begin to merge at a distance of about 500 m downwind. In calm conditions, with reduced entrainment, the plumes often do not merge until heights of 1000 m. The average plume rise, 750 m, is predicted well by the models, but day-to-day variations are simulated with a correlation coefficient of about 0.5. Model predictions of visible plume length agree, on the average, with observations for visible plumes of short to moderate length (less than about 1 km). The prediction of longer plumes is hampered by our lack of knowledge of plume spreading after the plumes level off. Cloud water concentrations predicted by the numerical model agree with those measured in natural cumulus clouds (about 0.1 to 1 g kg/sup -1/).

  17. The thermal impact of aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) systems: a case study in the Netherlands, combining monitoring and modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Visser, Philip W.; Kooi, Henk; Stuyfzand, Pieter J.

    2015-05-01

    Results are presented of a comprehensive thermal impact study on an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. The study involved monitoring of the thermal impact and modeling of the three-dimensional temperature evolution of the storage aquifer and over- and underlying units. Special attention was paid to non-uniformity of the background temperature, which varies laterally and vertically in the aquifer. Two models were applied with different levels of detail regarding initial conditions and heterogeneity of hydraulic and thermal properties: a fine-scale heterogeneity model which construed the lateral and vertical temperature distribution more realistically, and a simplified model which represented the aquifer system with only a limited number of homogeneous layers. Fine-scale heterogeneity was shown to be important to accurately model the ATES-impacted vertical temperature distribution and the maximum and minimum temperatures in the storage aquifer, and the spatial extent of the thermal plumes. The fine-scale heterogeneity model resulted in larger thermally impacted areas and larger temperature anomalies than the simplified model. The models showed that scattered and scarce monitoring data of ATES-induced temperatures can be interpreted in a useful way by groundwater and heat transport modeling, resulting in a realistic assessment of the thermal impact.

  18. Avoidance of thermal effluent by juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshowytscha) and its implications in waste heat management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, R.H.

    1977-03-01

    Knowledge of behavioral responses of aquatic organisms to thermal discharges at power plants is essential to evaluate thermal exposure and subsequent effects on survival and ecological success. Instantaneous responses of juvenile salmon that encountered a simulated river-thermal plume interface were assessed in a model raceway with a thermal discharge. Fish movement and response to the discharge were recorded on videotape. Juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) tested under three discharge conditions (no plume, ambient plume and heated plume) avoided plume temperatures greater than 9 to 11 0 C above ambient. Fish occasionally oriented to the discharge current, but were not attracted to the thermal component of the plume when plume ΔT's were below the avoidance level of 11 0 C. Fish did not pass to the lower end of the raceway when plume ΔT exceeded 9 to 11 0 C. The responses noted in our experiments suggest organismic behavior may prevent juvenile salmon in nature from experiencing lethal conditions from thermal discharges and have application in waste heat management and utilization

  19. Environmental characterization to assess potential impacts of thermal discharge to the Columbia River

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neitzel, D.A.; Dauble, D.D.; Page, T.L.; Greager, E.M.

    1990-01-01

    Laboratory and field studies were conducted to assess the potential impact of the N-Reactor thermal plume on fish from the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. Discharge water temperatures were measured over a range of river flows and reactor operating conditions. Data were mathematically modeled to define spatial and thermal characteristics of the plume. Four species of Columbia River fish were exposed to thermal conditions expected in the plume. Exposed fish were subjected to predators and disease organisms to test for secondary effects from thermal stress. Spatial and temporal distribution of anadromous fish in the river near N-Reactor were also evaluated to define location relative to the plume. Potential thermal exposures were insufficient to kill or injure fish during operation of N-Reactor. These studies demonstrate that characterization of hydrological conditions and thermal tolerance can adequately assess potential impacts of a thermal discharge to fish

  20. Discontinuous Galerkin modeling of the Columbia River's coupled estuary-plume dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallaeys, Valentin; Kärnä, Tuomas; Delandmeter, Philippe; Lambrechts, Jonathan; Baptista, António M.; Deleersnijder, Eric; Hanert, Emmanuel

    2018-04-01

    The Columbia River (CR) estuary is characterized by high river discharge and strong tides that generate high velocity flows and sharp density gradients. Its dynamics strongly affects the coastal ocean circulation. Tidal straining in turn modulates the stratification in the estuary. Simulating the hydrodynamics of the CR estuary and plume therefore requires a multi-scale model as both shelf and estuarine circulations are coupled. Such a model has to keep numerical dissipation as low as possible in order to correctly represent the plume propagation and the salinity intrusion in the estuary. Here, we show that the 3D baroclinic discontinuous Galerkin finite element model SLIM 3D is able to reproduce the main features of the CR estuary-to-ocean continuum. We introduce new vertical discretization and mode splitting that allow us to model a region characterized by complex bathymetry and sharp density and velocity gradients. Our model takes into account the major forcings, i.e. tides, surface wind stress and river discharge, on a single multi-scale grid. The simulation period covers the end of spring-early summer of 2006, a period of high river flow and strong changes in the wind regime. SLIM 3D is validated with in-situ data on the shelf and at multiple locations in the estuary and compared with an operational implementation of SELFE. The model skill in the estuary and on the shelf indicate that SLIM 3D is able to reproduce the key processes driving the river plume dynamics, such as the occurrence of bidirectional plumes or reversals of the inner shelf coastal currents.

  1. Thermal Pollution Math Model. Volume 1. Thermal Pollution Model Package Verification and Transfer. [environment impact of thermal discharges from power plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, S. S.; Sengupta, S.

    1980-01-01

    Two three dimensional, time dependent models, one free surface, the other rigid lid, were verified at Anclote Anchorage and Lake Keowee respectively. The first site is a coastal site in northern Florida; the other is a man-made lake in South Carolina. These models describe the dispersion of heated discharges from power plants under the action of ambient conditions. A one dimensional, horizontally-averaged model was also developed and verified at Lake Keowee. The data base consisted of archival in situ measurements and data collected during field missions. The field missions were conducted during winter and summer conditions at each site. Each mission consisted of four infrared scanner flights with supporting ground truth and in situ measurements. At Anclote, special care was taken to characterize the complete tidal cycle. The three dimensional model results compared with IR data for thermal plumes on an average within 1 C root mean square difference. The one dimensional model performed satisfactorily in simulating the 1971-1979 period.

  2. Expansion dynamics and equilibrium conditions in a laser ablation plume of lithium: Modeling and experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stapleton, M.W.; McKiernan, A.P.; Mosnier, J.-P.

    2005-01-01

    The gas dynamics and atomic kinetics of a laser ablation plume of lithium, expanding adiabatically in vacuum, are included in a numerical model, using isothermal and isentropic self-similar analytical solutions and steady-state collisional radiative equations, respectively. Measurements of plume expansion dynamics using ultrafast imaging for various laser wavelengths (266-1064 nm), fluences (2-6.5 J cm -2 ), and spot sizes (50-1000 μm) are performed to provide input parameters for the model and, thereby, study the influence of laser spot size, wavelength, and fluence, respectively, on both the plume expansion dynamics and atomic kinetics. Target recoil pressure, which clearly affects plume dynamics, is included in the model. The effects of laser wavelength and spot size on plume dynamics are discussed in terms of plasma absorption of laser light. A transition from isothermal to isentropic behavior for spot sizes greater than 50 μm is clearly evidenced. Equilibrium conditions are found to exist only up to 300 ns after the plume creation, while complete local thermodynamic equilibrium is found to be confined to the very early parts of the expansion

  3. Wet plume atop of the flattening slab: Insight into intraplate volcanism in East Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Lijuan

    2017-08-01

    Geophysical observations imply the intraplate volcanism in East Asia is related to dehydration of slab stagnating in the transition zone. To better understand the dynamics of such process, a thermochemical mantle convection model is constructed to simulate numerically the thermal evolution of slab and the transportation of water in the process of slab downgoing, flattening and stagnation. Equation of water transfer is included, and water effects on density and viscosity are considered. Model results indicate the warming of slab by surrounding mantle is rather slow. Water could be successfully dragged into the transition zone if the reference viscosity of the hydrous layer (with initial water of 2 wt%) is higher than 1017 Pa s and that of mantle is 1021 Pa s. Wet plumes could then originate in the flat-lying part of the slab, relatively far from the trench. Generally, the viscosity of the hydrous layer governs the initiation of wet plume, whereas the viscosity of the overlying mantle wedge controls the activity of the ascending wet plumes - they are more active in the weaker wedge. The complex fluid flow superposed by corner flow and free thermal convection influences greatly the water transport pattern in the upper mantle. Modeling results together with previous modeling infer three stages of water circulation in the big mantle wedge: 1) water is brought into the mantle transition zone by downward subducting slab under some specific thermo-rheological conditions, otherwise water is released at shallow depth near wedge tip; 2) wet plume generates from surface of the flattening slab warmed by surrounding mantle, and 3) water spreads over the big mantle wedge. Wet plume from the flattening Pacific Plate arrives at the lithospheric base and induces melting, which can explain the intraplate Cenozoic volcanoes in East Asia.

  4. Plume Characterization of a Laboratory Model 22 N GPIM Thruster via High-Frequency Raman Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, George J.; Kojima, Jun J.; Arrington, Lynn A.; Deans, Matthew C.; Reed, Brian D.; Kinzbach, McKenzie I.; McLean, Christopher H.

    2015-01-01

    The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) will demonstrate the capability of a green propulsion system, specifically, one using the monopropellant, AF-M315E. One of the risks identified for GPIM is potential contamination of sensitive areas of the spacecraft from the effluents in the plumes of AF-M315E thrusters. Plume characterization of a laboratory-model 22 N thruster via optical diagnostics was conducted at NASA GRC in a space-simulated environment. A high-frequency pulsed laser was coupled with an electron-multiplied ICCD camera to perform Raman spectroscopy in the near-field, low-pressure plume. The Raman data yielded plume constituents and temperatures over a range of thruster chamber pressures and as a function of thruster (catalyst) operating time. Schlieren images of the near-field plume enabled calculation of plume velocities and revealed general plume structure of the otherwise invisible plume. The measured velocities are compared to those predicted by a two-dimensional, kinetic model. Trends in data and numerical results are presented from catalyst mid-life to end-of-life. The results of this investigation were coupled with the Raman and Schlieren data to provide an anchor for plume impingement analysis presented in a companion paper. The results of both analyses will be used to improve understanding of the nature of AF-M315E plumes and their impacts to GPIM and other future missions.

  5. Mathematical model of drift deposition from a bifurcated cooling tower plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, N.C.J.; Jung, L.

    1978-01-01

    Cooling tower drift deposition modeling has been extended by including centrifugal force induced through plume bifurcation in a crosswind as a mechanism for drift droplet removal from the plume. The model, in its current state of development, is capable of predicting the trajectory of a single droplet from the stage of strong interaction with the vortex field soon after droplet emission at the tower top through the stage of droplet evaporation in an unsaturated atmosphere after droplet breakaway from the plume. The computer program developed from the mathematical formulation has been used to explore the dependency of the droplet trajectory on droplet size, vortex strength, point of droplet emission, drag coefficient, droplet efflux speed, and ambient conditions. A specific application to drift from a mechanical-draft cooling tower (for a wind speed twice the efflux speed, a relative humidity of 70 per cent, and an initial droplet radius of 100 μm) showed the droplet to follow a helical trajectory within the plume, with breakaway occurring at 2.5 tower diameters downwind and ground impact of the droplet (reduced through evaporation to 55 μm radius) at 11 tower diameters

  6. Initialization of the Euler model MODIS with field data from the 'EPRI plume model validation project'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petersen, G.; Eppel, D.; Lautenschlager, M.; Mueller, A.

    1985-01-01

    The program deck MODIS (''MOment DIStribution'') is designed to be used as operational tool for modelling the dispersion of a point source under general atmospheric conditions. The concentration distribution is determined by calculating its cross-wind moments on a vertical grid oriented in the main wind direction. The model contains a parametrization for horizontal and vertical coefficients based on a second order closure model. The Eulerian time scales, preliminary determined by fitting measured plume cross sections, are confirmed by comparison with data from the EPRI plume model validation project. (orig.) [de

  7. Modeling and Mechanisms of Intercontinental Transport of Biomass-Burning Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, J. S.; Westphal, D. L.; Christopher, S. A.; Prins, E. M.; Justice, C. O.; Richardson, K. A.; Reid, E. A.; Eck, T. F.

    2003-12-01

    With the aid of fire products from GOES and MODIS, the NRL Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) successfully monitors and predicts the formation and transport of massive smoke plumes between the continents in near real time. The goal of this system, formed under the joint Navy, NASA, and NOAA sponsored Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) project, is to provide 5 day forecasts of large biomass burning plumes and evaluate impacts on air quality, visibility, and regional radiative balance. In this paper we discuss and compare the mechanisms of intercontinental transport from the three most important sources in the world prone to long range advection: Africa, South/Central America, and Siberia. We demonstrate how these regions impact neighboring continents. As the meteorology of these three regions are distinct, differences in transport phenomenon subsequently result, particularly with respect to vertical distribution. Specific examples will be given on prediction and the impact of Siberian and Central American smoke plumes on the United States as well as transport phenomena from Africa to Australia. We present rules of thumb for radiation and air quality impacts. We also model clear sky bias (both positive and negative) with respect to MODIS data, and show the frequency to which frontal advection of smoke plumes masks remote sensing retrievals of smoke optical depth.

  8. Growth of plume ''resident'' fishes in Lake Michigan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spigarelli, S.A.; Smith, D.W.

    1974-01-01

    Brown trout, rainbow trout, and chinook salmon were collected from the Point Beach thermal discharge area, tagged with commercial dart tags and temperature-sensitive tags, and released back into the discharge area. RNA and DNA analyses were performed on epaxial muscle samples taken from each tagged fish recaptured in the plume area and from control fish. A table is presented to show mean weights, condition factors, and RNA-DNA ratios for each group of fish. Results indicated that the fish did not experience any severe growth abnormalities as a result of their residence in the thermal plume area

  9. 3D Thermo-Mechanical Models of Plume-Lithosphere Interactions: Implications for the Kenya rift

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Koptev, A.; Sippel, J.

    2017-12-01

    We present three-dimensional (3D) thermo-mechanical models aiming to explore the interaction of an active mantle plume with heterogeneous pre-stressed lithosphere in the Kenya rift region. As shown by the recent data-driven 3D gravity and thermal modeling (Sippel et al., 2017), the integrated strength of the lithosphere for the region of Kenya and northern Tanzania appears to be strongly controlled by the complex inherited crustal structure, which may have been decisive for the onset, localization and propagation of rifting. In order to test this hypothesis, we have performed a series of ultra-high resolution 3D numerical experiments that include a coupled mantle/lithosphere system in a dynamically and rheologically consistent framework. In contrast to our previous studies assuming a simple and quasi-symmetrical initial condition (Koptev et al., 2015, 2016, 2017), the complex 3D distribution of rock physical properties inferred from geological and geophysical observations (Sippel et al., 2017) has been incorporated into the model setup that comprises a stratified three-layer continental lithosphere composed of an upper and lower crust and lithospheric mantle overlaying the upper mantle. Following the evidence of the presence of a broad low-velocity seismic anomaly under the central parts of the East African Rift system (e.g. Nyblade et al, 2000; Chang et al., 2015), a 200-km radius mantle plume has been seeded at the bottom of a 635 km-depth model box representing a thermal anomaly of 300°C temperature excess. In all model runs, results show that the spatial distribution of surface deformation is indeed strongly controlled by crustal structure: within the southern part of the model box, a localized narrow zone stretched in NS direction (i.e. perpendicularly to applied far-field extension) is aligned along a structural boundary within the lower crust, whereas in the northern part of the model domain, deformation is more diffused and its eastern limit coincides with

  10. Simulation of Mexico City plumes during the MIRAGE-Mex field campaign using the WRF-Chem model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Tie

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The quantification of tropospheric O3 production in the downwind of the Mexico City plume is a major objective of the MIRAGE-Mex field campaign. We used a regional chemistry-transport model (WRF-Chem to predict the distribution of O3 and its precursors in Mexico City and the surrounding region during March 2006, and compared the model with in-situ aircraft measurements of O3, CO, VOCs, NOx, and NOy concentrations. The comparison shows that the model is capable of capturing the timing and location of the measured city plumes, and the calculated variability along the flights is generally consistent with the measured results, showing a rapid increase in O3 and its precursors when city plumes are detected. However, there are some notable differences between the calculated and measured values, suggesting that, during transport from the surface of the city to the outflow plume, ozone mixing ratios are underestimated by about 0–25% during different flights. The calculated O3-NOx, O3-CO, and O3-NOz correlations generally agree with the measured values, and the analyses of these correlations suggest that photochemical O3 production continues in the plume downwind of the city (aged plume, adding to the O3 already produced in the city and exported with the plume. The model is also used to quantify the contributions to OH reactivity from various compounds in the aged plume. This analysis suggests that oxygenated organics (OVOCs have the highest OH reactivity and play important roles for the O3 production in the aging plume. Furthermore, O3 production per NOx molecule consumed (O3 production efficiency is more efficient in the aged plume than in the young plume near the city. The major contributor to the high O3 production efficiency in the aged plume is the

  11. Investigation of Balcony Plume Entrainment

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, F.; Nielsen, Peter V.; Heiselberg, Per; Brohus, Henrik; Li, B. Z.

    2009-01-01

    An investigation on the scenarios of the spill plume and its equation was presented in this paper. The study includes two aspects, i.e., the small-scale experiment and the numerical simulation. Two balcony spill plume models are assessed by comparing with the FDS (Fire Dynamic Simulation) and small scale model experiment results. Besides validating the spill model by experiments, the effect of different fire location on balcony plume is also discussed.The results show that the balcony equatio...

  12. Response of mantle transition zone thickness to plume buoyancy flux

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das Sharma, S.; Ramesh, D. S.; Li, X.; Yuan, X.; Sreenivas, B.; Kind, R.

    2010-01-01

    The debate concerning thermal plumes in the Earth's mantle, their geophysical detection and depth characterization remains contentious. Available geophysical, petrological and geochemical evidence is at variance regarding the very existence of mantle plumes. Utilizing P-to-S converted seismic waves (P receiver functions) from the 410 and 660 km discontinuities, we investigate disposition of these boundaries beneath a number of prominent hotspot regions. The thickness of the mantle transition zone (MTZ), measured as P660s-P410s differential times (tMTZ), is determined. Our analyses suggest that the MTZ thickness beneath some hotspots correlates with the plume strength. The relationship between tMTZ, in response to the thermal perturbation, and the strength of plumes, as buoyancy flux B, follows a power law. This B-tMTZ behavior provides unprecedented insights into the relation of buoyancy flux and excess temperature at 410-660 km depth below hotspots. We find that the strongest hotspots, which are located in the Pacific, are indeed plumes originating at the MTZ or deeper. According to the detected power law, even the strongest plumes may not shrink the transition zone by significantly more than ~40 km (corresponding to a maximum of 300-400° excess temperature).

  13. The timescales of plume generation caused by continental aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Satoru; Yoshida, Masaki; Ootorii, Sakie; Iwase, Yasuyuki

    2000-02-01

    To understand the thermal evolution of the mantle following the aggregation of non-subductable thick continental lithosphere, we study a numerical model in which a supercontinent, simulated by high viscosity raft, HVR, covers a part of the top surface of a convection layer. We model infinite Prandtl number convection either in a three-dimensional (3D) spherical shell, 3D rectangular box (aspect ratios: 8 and 4) or two-dimensional (2D) rectangular box (aspect ratio: 8) and except for the HVR, we specify a constant viscosity. The HVR, which has a viscosity higher than that of its surrounding, is instantaneously placed on the top surface of a well-developed convection layer and its position is fixed. Our results from 3D spherical shell cases with and without phase transitions show the emergence of a large plume characterized by a long wavelength thermal anomaly (a degree one pattern) for a Pangea-like geometry. We analyze the volume averaged temperature under the HVR (=) the remaining (oceanic) area (=) and total area (=) to determine the timescale of plume generation. The difference between and (=Δ TCO) and show the existence of two characteristic timescales.Δ TCO exhibits an initial rapid increase and may become constant or continue to gradually increase. Meanwhile, shows a similar behavior but with a longer timescale. We find that these timescales associated with the increase of Δ TCO and can be attributed to the formation of large scale flow (i.e. plume) and response of the whole system to the emplacement of the HVR, respectively. For 3D spherical cases, we find that the timescale of plume generation is 1-2 Gyr, if the Rayleigh number is 10 6. To determine the effects of the viscosity of the HVR, 2D versus 3D modeling and the effects of the internal heating, we have also studied 2D and 3D rectangular box cases. A factor of about two variation exists in the timescale of plume generation. It appears that the timescale becomes greater for a smaller amount of

  14. Experimental Study Abour How the Thermal Plume Affects the Air Quality a Person Breathes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olmedo, Inés; Nielsen, Peter V.; Ruiz de Adana, Manuel

    2011-01-01

    of this research is to increase the knowledge of how the thermal plume generated by a person affects the PME and therefore the concentration of contaminants in the inhalation area. An experimental study in a displacement ventilation room was carried out. Experiments were developed in a full scale test chamber 4.......10 m (length), 3.2 m (width), 2.7 m (height). The incoming air is distributed through a wall-mounted displacement diffuser. A breathing thermal manikin exhaling through the mouth and inhaling through the nose was used. A tracer gas, N2O, was used to simulate the gaseous substances, which might...... be considered as biological contaminants, exhaled by the manikin. The manikin was operated in three different heat fluxes with a value of: 0W, 94 W and 120 W. During the experiments six concentration probes were situated in the room. Three concentration tubes were fixed on the surface of the manikin at three...

  15. Modelling the possible interaction between edge-driven convection and the Canary Islands mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negredo, A. M.; Rodríguez-González, J.; Fullea, J.; Van Hunen, J.

    2017-12-01

    The close location between many hotspots and the edges of cratonic lithosphere has led to the hypothesis that these hotspots could be explained by small-scale mantle convection at the edge of cratons (Edge Driven Convection, EDC). The Canary Volcanic Province hotspot represents a paradigmatic example of this situation due to its close location to the NW edge of the African Craton. Geochemical evidence, prominent low seismic velocity anomalies in the upper and lower mantle, and the rough NE-SW age-progression of volcanic centers consistently point out to a deep-seated mantle plume as the origin of the Canary Volcanic Province. It has been hypothesized that the plume material could be affected by upper mantle convection caused by the thermal contrast between thin oceanic lithosphere and thick (cold) African craton. Deflection of upwelling blobs due to convection currents would be responsible for the broader and more irregular pattern of volcanism in the Canary Province compared to the Madeira Province. In this study we design a model setup inspired on this scenario to investigate the consequences of possible interaction between ascending mantle plumes and EDC. The Finite Element code ASPECT is used to solve convection in a 2D box. The compositional field and melt fraction distribution are also computed. Free slip along all boundaries and constant temperature at top and bottom boundaries are assumed. The initial temperature distribution assumes a small long-wavelength perturbation. The viscosity structure is based on a thick cratonic lithosphere progressively varying to a thin, or initially inexistent, oceanic lithosphere. The effects of assuming different rheologies, as well as steep or gradual changes in lithospheric thickness are tested. Modelling results show that a very thin oceanic lithosphere (models assuming temperature-dependent viscosity and large viscosity variations evolve to large-scale (upper mantle) convection cells, with upwelling of hot material being

  16. A numerical model for buoyant oil jets and smoke plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, L.; Yapa, P. D.

    1997-01-01

    Development of a 3-D numerical model to simulate the behaviour of buoyant oil jets from underwater accidents and smoke plumes from oil burning was described. These jets/plumes can be oil-in-water, oil/gas mixture in water, gas in water, or gas in air. The ambient can have a 3-D flow structure, and spatially/temporally varying flow conditions. The model is based on the Lagrangian integral technique. The model formulation of oil jet includes the diffusion and dissolution of oil from the jet to the ambient environment. It is suitable to simulate well blowout accidents that can occur in deep waters, including that of the North Sea. The model has been thoroughly tested against a variety of data, including data from both laboratory and field experiments. In all cases the simulation data compared very well with experimental data. 26 refs., 10 figs

  17. Linking lowermost mantle structure, core-mantle boundary heat flux and mantle plume formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Mingming; Zhong, Shijie; Olson, Peter

    2018-04-01

    The dynamics of Earth's lowermost mantle exert significant control on the formation of mantle plumes and the core-mantle boundary (CMB) heat flux. However, it is not clear if and how the variation of CMB heat flux and mantle plume activity are related. Here, we perform geodynamic model experiments that show how temporal variations in CMB heat flux and pulses of mantle plumes are related to morphologic changes of the thermochemical piles of large-scale compositional heterogeneities in Earth's lowermost mantle, represented by the large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). We find good correlation between the morphologic changes of the thermochemical piles and the time variation of CMB heat flux. The morphology of the thermochemical piles is significantly altered during the initiation and ascent of strong mantle plumes, and the changes in pile morphology cause variations in the local and the total CMB heat flux. Our modeling results indicate that plume-induced episodic variations of CMB heat flux link geomagnetic superchrons to pulses of surface volcanism, although the relative timing of these two phenomena remains problematic. We also find that the density distribution in thermochemical piles is heterogeneous, and that the piles are denser on average than the surrounding mantle when both thermal and chemical effects are included.

  18. Modeling Laser and e-Beam Generated Plasma-Plume Experiments Using LASNEX

    CERN Document Server

    Ho, D

    1999-01-01

    The hydrodynamics code LASNEX is used to model the laser and e-beam generated plasma-plume experiments. The laser used has a wavelength of 1 (micro)m and the FWHM spot size is 1 mm. The total laser energy is 160 mJ. The simulation shows that the plume expands at a velocity of about 6 cm/(micro)s. The e-beam generated from the Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA) has 5.5 MeV and FWHM spot size ranges from 2 to 3.3 mm. From the simulations, the plasma plume expansion velocity ranges from about 3 to 6 mm/(micro)s and the velocity increases with decreasing spot size. All the simulation results reported here are in close agreement with experimental data.

  19. Numerical Speadsheet Modeling of Natural Attenuation for Groundwater Contaminant Plumes

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Twesme, Troy

    1999-01-01

    .... The model was used to evaluate natural attenuation for removal of a trichloroethylene (TCE) plume from a surficial aquifer containing three regions with distinctly different processes for degradation of TCE...

  20. Abnormal high surface heat flow caused by the Emeishan mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Qiang; Qiu, Nansheng; Zhu, Chuanqing

    2016-04-01

    It is commonly believed that increase of heat flow caused by a mantle plume is small and transient. Seafloor heat flow data near the Hawaiian hotspot and the Iceland are comparable to that for oceanic lithosphere elsewhere. Numerical modeling of the thermal effect of the Parana large igneous province shows that the added heat flow at the surface caused by the magmatic underplating is less than 5mW/m2. However, the thermal effect of Emeishan mantle plume (EMP) may cause the surface hear-flow abnormally high. The Middle-Late Emeishan mantle plume is located in the western Yangtze Craton. The Sichuan basin, to the northeast of the EMP, is a superimposed basin composed of Paleozoic marine carbonate rocks and Mesozoic-Cenozoic terrestrial clastic rocks. The vitrinite reflectance (Ro) data as a paleogeothermal indicator records an apparent change of thermal regime of the Sichuan basin. The Ro profiles from boreholes and outcrops which are close to the center of the basalt province exhibit a 'dog-leg' style at the unconformity between the Middle and Upper Permian, and they show significantly higher gradients in the lower subsection (pre-Middle Permian) than the Upper subsection (Upper Permian to Mesozoic). Thermal history inversion based on these Ro data shows that the lower subsection experienced a heat flow peak much higher than that of the upper subsection. The abnormal heat flow in the Sichuan basin is consistent with the EMP in temporal and spatial distribution. The high-temperature magmas from deep mantle brought heat to the base of the lithosphere, and then large amount of heat was conducted upwards, resulting in the abnormal high surface heat flow.

  1. Is the 'Fast Halo' around Hawaii as imaged in the PLUME experiment direct evidence for buoyant plume-fed asthenosphere?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, J. P.; Shi, C.; Hasenclever, J.

    2010-12-01

    An intriguing spatial pattern of variations in shear-wave arrival times has been mapped in the PLUME ocean bottom experiment (Wolfe et al., 2009) around Hawaii. The pattern consists of a halo of fast travel times surrounding a disk of slow arrivals from waves traveling up though the plume. We think it is directly sensing the pattern of dynamic uplift of the base of a buoyant asthenosphere - the buoyancy of the plume conduit lifting a 'rim' of the cooler, denser mantle that the plume rises through. The PLUME analysis inverted for lateral shear velocity variations beneath the lithosphere, after removing the assumed 1-D model velocity structure IASP91. They found that a slow plume-conduit extends to at least 1200 km below the Hawaiian hotspot. In this inversion the slow plume conduit is — quite surprisingly - surrounded by a fast wavespeed halo. A fast halo is impossible to explain as a thermal halo around the plume; this should lead to a slow wavespeed halo, not a fast one. Plume-related shearwave anisotropy also cannot simply explain this pattern — simple vertical strain around the plume conduit would result in an anisotropic slow shear-wavespeed halo, not a fast one. (Note the PLUME experiment’s uniform ‘fast-halo’ structure from 50-400km is likely to have strong vertical streaking in the seismic image; Pacific Plate-driven shear across a low-viscosity asthenosphere would be expected to disrupt and distort any cold sheet of vertical downwelling structure between 50-400km depths so that it would no longer be vertical as it is in the 2009 PLUME image with its extremely poor vertical depth control.) If the asthenosphere is plume-fed, hence more buoyant than underlying mantle, then there can be a simple explanation for this pattern. The anomaly would be due to faster traveltimes resulting from dynamic relief at the asthenosphere-mesosphere interface; uplift of the denser mesosphere by the buoyancy of the rising plume increases the distance a wave travels

  2. Entrainment by turbulent plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, David; Burridge, Henry; Partridge, Jamie; Linden, Paul

    2017-11-01

    Plumes are of relevance to nature and real consequence to industry. While the Morton, Taylor & Turner (1956) plume model is able to estimate the mean physical flux parameters, the process of entrainment is only parametrised in a time-averaged sense and a deeper understanding is key to understanding how they evolve. Various flow configurations, resulting in different entrainment values, are considered; we perform simultaneous PIV and plume-edge detection on saline plumes in water resulting from a point source, a line source and a line source where a vertical wall is placed immediately adjacent. Of particular interest is the effect the large scale eddies, forming at the edge of the plume and engulfing ambient fluid, have on the entrainment process. By using velocity statistics in a coordinate system based on the instantaneous scalar edge of the plume the significance of this large scale engulfment is quantified. It is found that significant mass is transported outside the plumes, in particular in regions where large scale structures are absent creating regions of relatively high-momentum ambient fluid. This suggests that the large scale processes, whereby ambient fluid is engulfed into the plume, contribute significantly to the entrainment.

  3. Numerical analysis and modeling of plume meandering in passive scalar dispersion downstream of a wall-mounted cube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossi, R.; Iaccarino, G.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Scalar dispersion downstream of a wall-mounted cube is examined by DNS and RANS models. • Vortex-shedding and plume meandering are established in the wake of the cube. • Low-frequency modulation is observed in the vortex-shedding and plume meandering. • Counter-gradient transport takes place in the streamwise component of the scalar flux. • Concentration decay and plume spread improved by the unsteady RANS model. -- Abstract: A DNS database is employed to examine the onset of plume meandering downstream of a wall-mounted cube and to address the impact of large-scale unsteadiness in modeling dispersion using the RANS equations. The cube is immersed in a uniform stream where the thin boundary-layer developing over the flat plate is responsible for the onset of vortex-shedding in the wake of the bluff-body. Spectra of velocity and concentration fluctuations exhibit a prominent peak in the energy content at the same frequency, showing that the plume meandering is established by the action of the vortex-shedding. The vortex-shedding and plume meandering display a low-frequency modulation where coherent fluctuations are suppressed at times with a quasi-regular period. The onset of the low-frequency modulation is indicated by a secondary peak in the energy spectrum and confirmed by the autocorrelation of velocity and scalar fluctuations. Unsteady RANS simulations performed with the v 2 − f model are able to detect the onset of the plume meandering and show remarkable improvement of the predicted decay rate and rate of spread of the scalar plume when compared to steady RANS solutions. By computing explicitly the periodic component of velocity and scalar fluctuations, the unsteady v 2 − f model is able to provide a representation of scalar flux components consistent with DNS statistics, where the counter-gradient transport mechanism that takes place in the streamwise component is also captured by URANS results. Nonetheless, the agreement with DNS

  4. Modeling investigation of the nutrient and phytoplankton variability in the Chesapeake Bay outflow plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Long; Xia, Meng

    2018-03-01

    The Chesapeake Bay outflow plume (CBOP) is the mixing zone between Chesapeake Bay and less eutrophic continental shelf waters. Variations in phytoplankton distribution in the CBOP are critical to the fish nursery habitat quality and ecosystem health; thus, an existing hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model for the bay and the adjacent coastal ocean was applied to understand the nutrient and phytoplankton variability in the plume and the dominant environmental drivers. The simulated nutrient and chlorophyll a distribution agreed well with field data and real-time satellite imagery. Based on the model calculation, the net dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) flux at the bay mouth was seaward and landward during 2003-2012, respectively. The CBOP was mostly nitrogen-limited because of the relatively low estuarine DIN export. The highest simulated phytoplankton biomass generally occurred in spring in the near field of the plume. Streamflow variations could regulate the estuarine residence time, and thus modulate nutrient export and phytoplankton biomass in the plume area; in comparison, changing nutrient loading with fixed streamflow had a less extensive impact, especially in the offshore and far-field regions. Correlation analyses and numerical experiments revealed that southerly winds on the shelf were effective in promoting the offshore plume expansion and phytoplankton accumulation. Climate change including precipitation and wind pattern shifts is likely to complicate the driving mechanisms of phytoplankton variability in the plume region.

  5. Impact of Thermal Plumes Generated by Occupant Simulators with Different Complexity of Body Geometry on Airflow Pattern in Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zukowska, Daria; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Popiolek, Zbigniew

    2008-01-01

    The impact of thermal plumes generated by human body simulators with different geometry on the airflow pattern in a full scale room with displacement ventilation (supply air temperature 21.6°C, total flow rate 80 L/s) was studied when two seated occupants were simulated first by two thermal...... manikins resembling accurately human body shape and then by two heated cylinders. The manikins and the cylinders had the same surface area of 1.63 m2 and the same heat generation of 73 W. CO2 supplied from the top of the heat sources was used for simulating bio-effluents. CO2 concentration was measured...

  6. The effects of 1 kW class arcjet thruster plumes on spacecraft charging and spacecraft thermal control materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogorad, A.; Lichtin, D. A.; Bowman, C.; Armenti, J.; Pencil, E.; Sarmiento, C.

    1992-01-01

    Arcjet thrusters are soon to be used for north/south stationkeeping on commercial communications satellites. A series of tests was performed to evaluate the possible effects of these thrusters on spacecraft charging and the degradation of thermal control material. During the tests the interaction between arcjet plumes and both charged and uncharged surfaces did not cause any significant material degradation. In addition, firing an arcjet thruster benignly reduced the potential of charged surfaces to near zero.

  7. Solar Coronal Plumes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giannina Poletto

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Polar plumes are thin long ray-like structures that project beyond the limb of the Sun polar regions, maintaining their identity over distances of several solar radii. Plumes have been first observed in white-light (WL images of the Sun, but, with the advent of the space era, they have been identified also in X-ray and UV wavelengths (XUV and, possibly, even in in situ data. This review traces the history of plumes, from the time they have been first imaged, to the complex means by which nowadays we attempt to reconstruct their 3-D structure. Spectroscopic techniques allowed us also to infer the physical parameters of plumes and estimate their electron and kinetic temperatures and their densities. However, perhaps the most interesting problem we need to solve is the role they cover in the solar wind origin and acceleration: Does the solar wind emanate from plumes or from the ambient coronal hole wherein they are embedded? Do plumes have a role in solar wind acceleration and mass loading? Answers to these questions are still somewhat ambiguous and theoretical modeling does not provide definite answers either. Recent data, with an unprecedented high spatial and temporal resolution, provide new information on the fine structure of plumes, their temporal evolution and relationship with other transient phenomena that may shed further light on these elusive features.

  8. Solar Coronal Plumes and the Fast Solar Wind Bhola N. Dwivedi1 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Is there any contribution of plume plasma to the fast SW streams at all? ..... but to a slow diminution of the reconnection activity, presumably with the effect ... might think, even if the thermal energy could be dumped at the base of the plume,.

  9. Fractal analysis: A new tool in transient volcanic ash plume characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tournigand, Pierre-Yves; Peña Fernandez, Juan Jose; Taddeucci, Jacopo; Perugini, Diego; Sesterhenn, Jörn

    2017-04-01

    Transient volcanic plumes are time-dependent features generated by unstable eruptive sources. They represent a threat to human health and infrastructures, and a challenge to characterize due to their intrinsic instability. Plumes have been investigated through physical (e.g. visible, thermal, UV, radar imagery), experimental and numerical studies in order to provide new insights about their dynamics and better anticipate their behavior. It has been shown experimentally that plume dynamics is strongly dependent to source conditions and that plume shape evolution holds key to retrieve these conditions. In this study, a shape evolution analysis is performed on thermal high-speed videos of volcanic plumes from three different volcanoes Sakurajima (Japan), Stromboli (Italy) and Fuego (Guatemala), recorded with a FLIR SC655 thermal camera during several field campaigns between 2012 and 2016. To complete this dataset, three numerical gas-jet simulations at different Reynolds number (2000, 5000 and 10000) have been used in order to set reference values to the natural cases. Turbulent flow shapes are well known to feature scale-invariant structures and a high degree of complexity. For this reason we characterized the bi-dimensional shape of natural and synthetic plumes by using a fractal descriptor. Such method has been applied in other studies on experimental turbulent jets as well as on atmospheric clouds and have shown promising results. At each time-step plume contour has been manually outlined and measured using the box-counting method. This method consists in covering the image with squares of variable sizes and counting the number of squares containing the plume outline. The negative slope of the number of squares in function of their size in a log-log plot gives the fractal dimension of the plume at a given time. Preliminary results show an increase over time of the fractal dimension for natural volcanic plume as well as for the numerically simulated ones, but at

  10. Evaluation of thermal infrared hyperspectral imagery for the detection of onshore methane plumes: Significance for hydrocarbon exploration and monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scafutto, Rebecca DeĺPapa Moreira; de Souza Filho, Carlos Roberto; Riley, Dean N.; de Oliveira, Wilson Jose

    2018-02-01

    Methane (CH4) is the main constituent of natural gas. Fugitive CH4 emissions partially stem from geological reservoirs (seepages) and leaks in pipelines and petroleum production plants. Airborne hyperspectral sensors with enough spectral and spatial resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio can potentially detect these emissions. Here, a field experiment performed with controlled release CH4 sources was conducted in the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC), Casper, WY (USA). These sources were configured to deliver diverse emission types (surface and subsurface) and rates (20-1450 scf/hr), simulating natural (seepages) and anthropogenic (pipeline) CH4 leaks. The Aerospace Corporation's SEBASS (Spatially-Enhanced Broadband Array Spectrograph System) sensor acquired hyperspectral thermal infrared data over the experimental site with 128 bands spanning the 7.6 μm-13.5 μm range. The data was acquired with a spatial resolution of 0.5 m at 1500 ft and 0.84 m at 2500 ft above ground level. Radiance images were pre-processed with an adaptation of the In-Scene Atmospheric Compensation algorithm and converted to emissivity through the Emissivity Normalization algorithm. The data was processed with a Matched Filter. Results allowed the separation between endmembers related to the spectral signature of CH4 from the background. Pixels containing CH4 signatures (absorption bands at 7.69 μm and 7.88 μm) were highlighted and the gas plumes mapped with high definition in the imagery. The dispersion of the mapped plumes is consistent with the wind direction measured independently during the experiment. Variations in the dimension of mapped gas plumes were proportional to the emission rate of each CH4 source. Spectral analysis of the signatures within the plumes shows that CH4 spectral absorption features are sharper and deeper in pixels located near the emitting source, revealing regions with higher gas density and assisting in locating CH4 sources in the field

  11. Modeling Emissions and Vertical Plume Transport of Crop Residue Burning Experiments in the Pacific Northwest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, L.; Baker, K. R.; Napelenok, S. L.; Pouliot, G.; Elleman, R. A.; ONeill, S. M.; Urbanski, S. P.; Wong, D. C.

    2017-12-01

    Crop residue burning has long been a common practice in agriculture with the smoke emissions from the burning linked to negative health impacts. A field study in eastern Washington and northern Idaho in August 2013 consisted of multiple burns of well characterized fuels with nearby surface and aerial measurements including trace species concentrations, plume rise height and boundary layer structure. The chemical transport model CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality Model) was used to assess the fire emissions and subsequent vertical plume transport. The study first compared assumptions made by the 2014 National Emission Inventory approach for crop residue burning with the fuel and emissions information obtained from the field study and then investigated the sensitivity of modeled carbon monoxide (CO) and PM2.5 concentrations to these different emission estimates and plume rise treatment with CMAQ. The study suggests that improvements to the current parameterizations are needed in order for CMAQ to reliably reproduce smoke plumes from burning. In addition, there is enough variability in the smoke emissions, stemming from variable field-specific information such as field size, that attempts to model crop residue burning should use field-specific information whenever possible.

  12. Paleogeothermal record of the Emeishan mantle plume: evidences from borehole Ro data in the Sichuan basin, SW China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, S.

    2013-12-01

    The Emeishan basalt province located in the southwest of China is widely accepted to be a result of the eruption of a mantle plume at the time of middle-late Permian. If it was a mantle plume, the ambient sedimentary rocks must be heated up during the development of the mantle plume and this thermal effect must be recorded by some geothermometers in the country rocks. The vitrinite reflectance (Ro) data as a maximum paleotemperature recorder from boreholes in Sichuan basin was employed to expose the thermal regime related to the proposed Emeishan mantle plume. The Ro profiles from boreholes which drilled close to the Emeishan basalts shows a ';dog-leg' (break) style at the unconformity between the middle and the upper Permian, and the Ro profiles in the lower subsection (pre-middle Permian) shows a significantly higher slopes (gradients) than those in the upper subsection. In contrast, those Ro profiles from boreholes far away from the center of the basalt province have no break at the uncomformity. Based on the chemical kinetic model of Ro, the paleo-temperature gradients for the upper and the lower subsections in different boreholes, as well as the erosion at the unconformity between the middle and the upper Permian, were reconstructed to reveal the variations of the temperature gradients and erosion thickness with geological time and space. Both the thermal regime and the erosion thickness together with their spatial variation (structure) provide strong geothermal evidence for the existence of the Emeishan mantle plume in the middle-late Permian.

  13. A hybrid plume model for local-scale dispersion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nikmo, J.; Tuovinen, J.P.; Kukkonen, J.; Valkama, I.

    1997-12-31

    The report describes the contribution of the Finnish Meteorological Institute to the project `Dispersion from Strongly Buoyant Sources`, under the `Environment` programme of the European Union. The project addresses the atmospheric dispersion of gases and particles emitted from typical fires in warehouses and chemical stores. In the study only the `passive plume` regime, in which the influence of plume buoyancy is no longer important, is addressed. The mathematical model developed and its numerical testing is discussed. The model is based on atmospheric boundary-layer scaling theory. In the vicinity of the source, Gaussian equations are used in both the horizontal and vertical directions. After a specified transition distance, gradient transfer theory is applied in the vertical direction, while the horizontal dispersion is still assumed to be Gaussian. The dispersion parameters and eddy diffusivity are modelled in a form which facilitates the use of a meteorological pre-processor. Also a new model for the vertical eddy diffusivity (K{sub z}), which is a continuous function of height in the various atmospheric scaling regions is presented. The model includes a treatment of the dry deposition of gases and particulate matter, but wet deposition has been neglected. A numerical solver for the atmospheric diffusion equation (ADE) has been developed. The accuracy of the numerical model was analysed by comparing the model predictions with two analytical solutions of ADE. The numerical deviations of the model predictions from these analytic solutions were less than two per cent for the computational regime. The report gives numerical results for the vertical profiles of the eddy diffusivity and the dispersion parameters, and shows spatial concentration distributions in various atmospheric conditions 39 refs.

  14. Volcanic Plume Elevation Model Derived From Landsat 8: examples on Holuhraun (Iceland) and Mount Etna (Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Michele, Marcello; Raucoules, Daniel; Arason, Þórður; Spinetti, Claudia; Corradini, Stefano; Merucci, Luca

    2016-04-01

    The retrieval of both height and velocity of a volcanic plume is an important issue in volcanology. As an example, it is known that large volcanic eruptions can temporarily alter the climate, causing global cooling and shifting precipitation patterns; the ash/gas dispersion in the atmosphere, their impact and lifetime around the globe, greatly depends on the injection altitude. Plume height information is critical for ash dispersion modelling and air traffic security. Furthermore, plume height during explosive volcanism is the primary parameter for estimating mass eruption rate. Knowing the plume altitude is also important to get the correct amount of SO2 concentration from dedicated spaceborne spectrometers. Moreover, the distribution of ash deposits on ground greatly depends on the ash cloud altitude, which has an impact on risk assessment and crisis management. Furthermore, a spatially detailed plume height measure could be used as a hint for gas emission rate estimation and for ash plume volume researches, which both have an impact on climate research, air quality assessment for aviation and finally for the understanding of the volcanic system itself as ash/gas emission rates are related to the state of pressurization of the magmatic chamber. Today, the community mainly relies on ground based measurements but often they can be difficult to collect as by definition volcanic areas are dangerous areas (presence of toxic gases) and can be remotely situated and difficult to access. Satellite remote sensing offers a comprehensive and safe way to estimate plume height. Conventional photogrammetric restitution based on satellite imagery fails in precisely retrieving a plume elevation model as the plume own velocity induces an apparent parallax that adds up to the standard parallax given by the stereoscopic view. Therefore, measurements based on standard satellite photogrammeric restitution do not apply as there is an ambiguity in the measurement of the plume position

  15. The thermal interaction of a buoyant plume from a calandria tube with an oblique jet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rossouw, D.J.; Atkins, M.D.; Beharie, K. [Nuclear Science Division, School of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa); Kim, T., E-mail: tong.kim@wits.ac.za [Nuclear Science Division, School of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa); Rhee, B.W.; Kim, H.T. [Severe Accident and PHWR Safety Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejun (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • A crucial role of relative orientation between mixed convection modes is observed. • The extent of thermal interaction strongly depends on the relative orientation. • Coolant flow is substantially diffused by a buoyant plume if counter-acting. • Slightly oblique coolant flow to the gravitational axis provides the best cooling. - Abstract: Severe reactor core damage may occur from fuel channel failure as a consequence of excessive heat emitted from calandria tubes (CTs) in a pressurised heavy water (D{sub 2}O) reactor (CANDU). The heating of the CTs is caused by creep deformation of the pressure tubes (PTs), which may be ballooning or sagging depending on the internal pressure of the PTs. The deformation of the pressure tube is due to overheating as a result of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) and emergency core cooling system (ECCS) failure. To prevent the exacerbation of the LOCA, circulating D{sub 2}O in the moderator tank may be utilized by forming a secondary jet that externally cools the individual CTs. The buoyant plume develops around the CTs and interacts with the secondary jet at a certain oblique angle with respect to the gravitational axis, depending on the spatial location of the hot calandria tubes (or the hot reactor core region). This study reports on how the local and overall heat transfer characteristics on a calandria tube where the buoyant plume develops, are altered by the obliqueness of the external secondary jet (from a co-current jet to a counter-current jet) in a simplified configuration at the jet Reynolds number of Re{sub j} = 1500 for the Archimedes number of Ar{sub D} = 0.11 and Rayleigh number of Ra{sub D} = 1.6 × 10{sup 6} (modified Rayleigh number of 3.0 × 10{sup 7}).

  16. The planet beyond the plume hypothesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Alan D.; Lewis, Charles

    1999-12-01

    Acceptance of the theory of plate tectonics was accompanied by the rise of the mantle plume/hotspot concept which has come to dominate geodynamics from its use both as an explanation for the origin of intraplate volcanism and as a reference frame for plate motions. However, even with a large degree of flexibility permitted in plume composition, temperature, size, and depth of origin, adoption of any limited number of hotspots means the plume model cannot account for all occurrences of the type of volcanism it was devised to explain. While scientific protocol would normally demand that an alternative explanation be sought, there have been few challenges to "plume theory" on account of a series of intricate controls set up by the plume model which makes plumes seem to be an essential feature of the Earth. The hotspot frame acts not only as a reference but also controls plate tectonics. Accommodating plumes relegates mantle convection to a weak, sluggish effect such that basal drag appears as a minor, resisting force, with plates having to move themselves by boundary forces and continents having to be rifted by plumes. Correspondingly, the geochemical evolution of the mantle is controlled by the requirement to isolate subducted crust into plume sources which limits potential buffers on the composition of the MORB-source to plume- or lower mantle material. Crustal growth and Precambrian tectonics are controlled by interpretations of greenstone belts as oceanic plateaus generated by plumes. Challenges to any aspect of the plume model are thus liable to be dismissed unless a counter explanation is offered across the geodynamic spectrum influenced by "plume theory". Nonetheless, an alternative synthesis can be made based on longstanding petrological evidence for derivation of intraplate volcanism from volatile-bearing sources (wetspots) in conjunction with concepts dismissed for being incompatible or superfluous to "plume theory". In the alternative Earth, the sources for

  17. 3D simulation of the thermal and chemical plumes using open source software; Simulacion 3D de las plumas termica y quimica mediante software de codigo libre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saenz Temino, J. L.; Lerones Martin, J.; Gonzalez Delgado, J.

    2013-07-01

    The interaction of thermal and chemical plumes in the region of the Irish Sea near the site has been simulated using a finite element model representative of the local hydrodynamic regime, concluding how the method of selected cooling, open cycle, is physically and environmentally feasible. Furthermore, tunnel lengths required for each scenario under discussion have been preliminarily defined, varying in a range from 1800 to 2300 meters for a unit (1 tunnel), 4400-6300 meters of two units (2 tunnels) and 8000 meters to three units (2 tunnels), depending on the chosen technology.

  18. IR sensor design insight from missile-plume prediction models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapanotti, John L.; Gilbert, Bruno; Richer, Guy; Stowe, Robert

    2002-08-01

    Modern anti-tank missiles and the requirement of rapid deployment have significantly reduced the use of passive armour in protecting land vehicles. Vehicle survivability is becoming more dependent on sensors, computers and countermeasures to detect and avoid threats. An analysis of missile propellants suggests that missile detection based on plume characteristics alone may be more difficult than anticipated. Currently, the passive detection of missiles depends on signatures with a significant ultraviolet component. This approach is effective in detecting anti-aircraft missiles that rely on powerful motors to pursue high-speed aircraft. The high temperature exhaust from these missiles contains significant levels of carbon dioxide, water and, often, metal oxides such as alumina. The plumes emits strongest in the infrared, 1 to 5micrometers , regions with a significant component of the signature extending into the ultraviolet domain. Many anti-tank missiles do not need the same level of propulsion and radiate significantly less. These low velocity missiles, relying on the destructive force of shaped-charge warhead, are more difficult to detect. There is virtually no ultraviolet component and detection based on UV sensors is impractical. The transition in missile detection from UV to IR is reasonable, based on trends in imaging technology, but from the analysis presented in this paper even IR imagers may have difficulty in detecting missile plumes. This suggests that the emphasis should be placed in the detection of the missile hard body in the longer wavelengths of 8 to 12micrometers . The analysis described in this paper is based on solution of the governing equations of plume physics and chemistry. These models will be used to develop better sensors and threat detection algorithms.

  19. Simulating Fine-Scale Marine Pollution Plumes for Autonomous Robotic Environmental Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Fahad

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Marine plumes exhibit characteristics such as intermittency, sinuous structure, shape and flow field coherency, and a time varying concentration profile. Due to the lack of experimental quantification of these characteristics for marine plumes, existing work often assumes marine plumes exhibit behavior similar to aerial plumes and are commonly modeled by filament based Lagrangian models. Our previous field experiments with Rhodamine dye plumes at Makai Research Pier at Oahu, Hawaii revealed that marine plumes show similar characteristics to aerial plumes qualitatively, but quantitatively they are disparate. Based on the field data collected, this paper presents a calibrated Eulerian plume model that exhibits the qualitative and quantitative characteristics exhibited by experimentally generated marine plumes. We propose a modified model with an intermittent source, and implement it in a Robot Operating System (ROS based simulator. Concentration time series of stationary sampling points and dynamic sampling points across cross-sections and plume fronts are collected and analyzed for statistical parameters of the simulated plume. These parameters are then compared with statistical parameters from experimentally generated plumes. The comparison validates that the simulated plumes exhibit fine-scale qualitative and quantitative characteristics similar to experimental plumes. The ROS plume simulator facilitates future evaluations of environmental monitoring strategies by marine robots, and is made available for community use.

  20. Buoyant plume calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penner, J.E.; Haselman, L.C.; Edwards, L.L.

    1985-01-01

    Smoke from raging fires produced in the aftermath of a major nuclear exchange has been predicted to cause large decreases in surface temperatures. However, the extent of the decrease and even the sign of the temperature change, depend on how the smoke is distributed with altitude. We present a model capable of evaluating the initial distribution of lofted smoke above a massive fire. Calculations are shown for a two-dimensional slab version of the model and a full three-dimensional version. The model has been evaluated by simulating smoke heights for the Hamburg firestorm of 1943 and a smaller scale oil fire which occurred in Long Beach in 1958. Our plume heights for these fires are compared to those predicted by the classical Morton-Taylor-Turner theory for weakly buoyant plumes. We consider the effect of the added buoyancy caused by condensation of water-laden ground level air being carried to high altitude with the convection column as well as the effects of background wind on the calculated smoke plume heights for several fire intensities. We find that the rise height of the plume depends on the assumed background atmospheric conditions as well as the fire intensity. Little smoke is injected into the stratosphere unless the fire is unusually intense, or atmospheric conditions are more unstable than we have assumed. For intense fires significant amounts of water vapor are condensed raising the possibility of early scavenging of smoke particles by precipitation. 26 references, 11 figures

  1. Thermal plume residence and temperature exposure of salmonid fishes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spigarelli, S.A.; Romberg, G.P.; Thommes, M.M.; Prepejchal, W.

    1976-01-01

    A nondestructive echo-location technique was used to estimate the density-distribution patterns of fish and to determine the influence of discharge design and location on fish attraction. Studies were conducted between 1972 and 1975 at the Point Beach and Zion nulcear power plants and Waukegan fossil-fuel power plant on Lake Michigan. Preliminary inspection of results indicates seasonal attraction of abundant species, such as alewife, trout, and salmon. In general, fish densities in the plume area tend to be elevated relative to unheated areas during spring and early summer. Power plant location and discharge type apparently affect the magnitude and timing of attraction to discharges. Fish in plume areas generally are observed at elevated temperatures or near temperature interfaces. Data analyses include conventional approaches to detect differences in mean densities over time and space and recent developments in time-series analysis. Predictability of fish responses will depend on the identification of temporal and spatial distribution patterns

  2. Chemistry in aircraft plumes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kraabol, A.G.; Stordal, F.; Knudsen, S. [Norwegian Inst. for Air Research, Kjeller (Norway); Konopka, P. [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Wessling (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik der Atmosphaere

    1997-12-31

    An expanding plume model with chemistry has been used to study the chemical conversion of NO{sub x} to reservoir species in aircraft plumes. The heterogeneous conversion of N{sub 2}O{sub 5} to HNO{sub 3}(s) has been investigated when the emissions take place during night-time. The plume from an B747 has been simulated. During a ten-hour calculation the most important reservoir species was HNO{sub 3} for emissions at noon. The heterogeneous reactions had little impact on the chemical loss of NO{sub x} to reservoir species for emissions at night. (author) 4 refs.

  3. Chemistry in aircraft plumes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kraabol, A G; Stordal, F; Knudsen, S [Norwegian Inst. for Air Research, Kjeller (Norway); Konopka, P [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Wessling (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik der Atmosphaere

    1998-12-31

    An expanding plume model with chemistry has been used to study the chemical conversion of NO{sub x} to reservoir species in aircraft plumes. The heterogeneous conversion of N{sub 2}O{sub 5} to HNO{sub 3}(s) has been investigated when the emissions take place during night-time. The plume from an B747 has been simulated. During a ten-hour calculation the most important reservoir species was HNO{sub 3} for emissions at noon. The heterogeneous reactions had little impact on the chemical loss of NO{sub x} to reservoir species for emissions at night. (author) 4 refs.

  4. Non-equilibrium processes in ash-laden volcanic plumes: new insights from 3D multiphase flow simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esposti Ongaro, Tomaso; Cerminara, Matteo

    2016-10-01

    In the framework of the IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth Interior) initiative on volcanic plume models intercomparison, we discuss three-dimensional numerical simulations performed with the multiphase flow model PDAC (Pyroclastic Dispersal Analysis Code). The model describes the dynamics of volcanic and atmospheric gases (in absence of wind) and two pyroclastic phases by adopting a non-equilibrium Eulerian-Eulerian formulation. Accordingly, gas and particulate phases are treated as interpenetrating fluids, interacting with each other through momentum (drag) and heat exchange. Numerical results describe the time-wise and spatial evolution of weak (mass eruption rate: 1.5 × 106 kg/s) and strong (mass eruption rate: 1.5 × 109 kg/s) plumes. The two tested cases display a remarkably different phenomenology, associated with the different roles of atmospheric stratification, compressibility and mechanism of buoyancy reversal, reflecting in a different structure of the plume, of the turbulent eddies and of the atmospheric circulation. This also brings about different rates of turbulent mixing and atmospheric air entrainment. The adopted multiphase flow model allows to quantify temperature and velocity differences between the gas and particles, including settling, preferential concentration by turbulence and thermal non-equilibrium, as a function of their Stokes number, i.e., the ratio between their kinetic equilibrium time and the characteristic large-eddy turnover time of the turbulent plume. As a result, the spatial and temporal distribution of coarse ash in the atmosphere significantly differs from that of the fine ash, leading to a modification of the plume shape. Finally, three-dimensional numerical results have been averaged in time and across horizontal slices in order to obtain a one-dimensional picture of the plume in a stationary regime. For the weak plume, the results are consistent with one-dimensional models, at

  5. Background Radiance Estimation for Gas Plume Quantification for Airborne Hyperspectral Thermal Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramzi Idoughi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Hyperspectral imaging in the long-wave infrared (LWIR is a mean that is proving its worth in the characterization of gaseous effluent. Indeed the spectral and spatial resolution of acquisition instruments is steadily decreasing, making the gases characterization increasingly easy in the LWIR domain. The majority of literature algorithms exploit the plume contribution to the radiance corresponding to the difference of radiance between the plume-present and plume-absent pixels. Nevertheless, the off-plume radiance is unobservable using a single image. In this paper, we propose a new method to retrieve trace gas concentration from airborne infrared hyperspectral data. More particularly the outlined method improves the existing background radiance estimation approach to deal with heterogeneous scenes corresponding to industrial scenes. It consists in performing a classification of the scene and then applying a principal components analysis based method to estimate the background radiance on each cluster stemming from the classification. In order to determine the contribution of the classification to the background radiance estimation, we compared the two approaches on synthetic data and Telops Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS Imaging Hyper-Cam LW airborne acquisition above ethylene release. We finally show ethylene retrieved concentration map and estimate flow rate of the ethylene release.

  6. Life Cycle of Mantle Plumes: A perspective from the Galapagos Plume (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazel, E.; Herzberg, C. T.

    2009-12-01

    Hotspots are localized sources of heat and magmatism considered as modern-day evidence of mantle plumes. Some hotspots are related to massive magmatic production that generated Large Igneous Provinces (LIPS), an initial-peak phase of plume activity with a mantle source hotter and more magmatically productive than present-day hotspots. Geological mapping and geochronological studies have shown much lower eruption rates for OIB compared to lavas from Large Igneous Provinces LIPS such as oceanic plateaus and continental flood provinces. Our study is the first quantitative petrological comparison of mantle source temperatures and extent of melting for OIB and LIP sources. The wide range of primary magma compositions and inferred mantle potential temperatures for each LIP and OIB occurrence suggest that this rocks originated form a hotspot, a spatially localized source of heat and magmatism restricted in time. Extensive outcrops of basalt, picrite, and sometimes komatiite with circa 65-95 Ma ages occupy portions of the pacific shore of Central and South America included in the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP). There is general consensus of a Pacific-origin of CLIP and most studies suggest that it was produced by melting in the Galapagos mantle plume. The Galapagos connection is consistent with isotopic and geochemical similarities with lavas from the present-day Galapagos hotspot. A Galapagos link for rocks in South American oceanic complexes (eg. the island of Gorgona) is more controversial and requires future work. The MgO and FeO contents of lavas from the Galapagos related lavas and their primary magmas have decreased since the Cretaceous. From petrological modeling we infer that these changes reflect a cooling of the Galapagos mantle plume from a potential temperature of 1560-1620 C in the Cretaceous to 1500 C at the present time. These temperatures are higher than 1350 C for ambient mantle associated with oceanic ridges, and provide support for the mantle

  7. Thermal plume behaviour and dispersion in the vicinity of Madras Atomic Power Station (east coast of India)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anup Kumar, B.; Rao, T.S.; Narasimhan, S.V.

    2002-01-01

    Thermal ecology studies were carried out in the vicinity of Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS). During the course of the investigations (monthly cruises) both vertical and spatial distribution of temperature in the vicinity of the power plant out fall and mixing zone were measured using temperature probes (Accuracy ± 0.05 deg C.) The boat cruises covered an sea of 2.5 km 2 and in this region the sea surface temperature ranged from 28 to 34 deg C. At a depth of 2 m and below the temperature reaches ambient sea temperature levels (27-28 deg C). During the majority of cruises carried out, the sea current was towards north; hence most the sampling points were fixed towards north of the MAPS. The area occupied by the thermal plume was 1.3 sq. km. The sea surface temperature was found to be dependent on the seasonal current variations. (author)

  8. The mantle-plume model, its feasibility and consequences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Calsteren, van P.W.C.

    1981-01-01

    High beat-flow foci on the Earth have been named ‘hot-spots’ and are commonly correlated with ‘mantle-plumes’ in the deep. A mantle plume may be described as a portion of mantle material with a higher heat content than its surroundings. The intrusion of a mantle-plume is inferred to be similar to

  9. Propagation of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in an integral oil-gas plume model

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Shitao

    2016-05-27

    Polynomial Chaos expansions are used to analyze uncertainties in an integral oil-gas plume model simulating the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The study focuses on six uncertain input parameters—two entrainment parameters, the gas to oil ratio, two parameters associated with the droplet-size distribution, and the flow rate—that impact the model\\'s estimates of the plume\\'s trap and peel heights, and of its various gas fluxes. The ranges of the uncertain inputs were determined by experimental data. Ensemble calculations were performed to construct polynomial chaos-based surrogates that describe the variations in the outputs due to variations in the uncertain inputs. The surrogates were then used to estimate reliably the statistics of the model outputs, and to perform an analysis of variance. Two experiments were performed to study the impacts of high and low flow rate uncertainties. The analysis shows that in the former case the flow rate is the largest contributor to output uncertainties, whereas in the latter case, with the uncertainty range constrained by aposteriori analyses, the flow rate\\'s contribution becomes negligible. The trap and peel heights uncertainties are then mainly due to uncertainties in the 95% percentile of the droplet size and in the entrainment parameters.

  10. Plume-exit modeling to determine cloud condensation nuclei activity of aerosols from residential biofuel combustion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mena, Francisco; Bond, Tami C.; Riemer, Nicole

    2017-08-01

    Residential biofuel combustion is an important source of aerosols and gases in the atmosphere. The change in cloud characteristics due to biofuel burning aerosols is uncertain, in part, due to the uncertainty in the added number of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) from biofuel burning. We provide estimates of the CCN activity of biofuel burning aerosols by explicitly modeling plume dynamics (coagulation, condensation, chemical reactions, and dilution) in a young biofuel burning plume from emission until plume exit, defined here as the condition when the plume reaches ambient temperature and specific humidity through entrainment. We found that aerosol-scale dynamics affect CCN activity only during the first few seconds of evolution, after which the CCN efficiency reaches a constant value. Homogenizing factors in a plume are co-emission of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) or emission at small particle sizes; SVOC co-emission can be the main factor determining plume-exit CCN for hydrophobic or small particles. Coagulation limits emission of CCN to about 1016 per kilogram of fuel. Depending on emission factor, particle size, and composition, some of these particles may not activate at low supersaturation (ssat). Hygroscopic Aitken-mode particles can contribute to CCN through self-coagulation but have a small effect on the CCN activity of accumulation-mode particles, regardless of composition differences. Simple models (monodisperse coagulation and average hygroscopicity) can be used to estimate plume-exit CCN within about 20 % if particles are unimodal and have homogeneous composition, or when particles are emitted in the Aitken mode even if they are not homogeneous. On the other hand, if externally mixed particles are emitted in the accumulation mode without SVOCs, an average hygroscopicity overestimates emitted CCN by up to a factor of 2. This work has identified conditions under which particle populations become more homogeneous during plume processes. This

  11. Modeling the effects of the variability of temperature-related dynamic viscosity on the thermal-affected zone of groundwater heat-pump systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo Russo, Stefano; Taddia, Glenda; Cerino Abdin, Elena

    2018-01-01

    Thermal perturbation in the subsurface produced in an open-loop groundwater heat pump (GWHP) plant is a complex transport phenomenon affected by several factors, including the exploited aquifer's hydrogeological and thermal characteristics, well construction features, and the temporal dynamics of the plant's groundwater abstraction and reinjection system. Hydraulic conductivity has a major influence on heat transport because plume propagation, which occurs primarily through advection, tends to degrade following conductive heat transport and convection within moving water. Hydraulic conductivity is, in turn, influenced by water reinjection because the dynamic viscosity of groundwater varies with temperature. This paper reports on a computational analysis conducted using FEFLOW software to quantify how the thermal-affected zone (TAZ) is influenced by the variation in dynamic viscosity due to reinjected groundwater in a well-doublet scheme. The modeling results demonstrate non-negligible groundwater dynamic-viscosity variation that affects thermal plume propagation in the aquifer. This influence on TAZ calculation was enhanced for aquifers with high intrinsic permeability and/or substantial temperature differences between abstracted and post-heat-pump-reinjected groundwater.

  12. Simulation of plume dynamics by the Lattice Boltzmann Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mora, Peter; Yuen, David A.

    2017-09-01

    The Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is a semi-microscopic method to simulate fluid mechanics by modelling distributions of particles moving and colliding on a lattice. We present 2-D simulations using the LBM of a fluid in a rectangular box being heated from below, and cooled from above, with a Rayleigh of Ra = 108, similar to current estimates of the Earth's mantle, and a Prandtl number of 5000. At this Prandtl number, the flow is found to be in the non-inertial regime where the inertial terms denoted I ≪ 1. Hence, the simulations presented lie within the regime of relevance for geodynamical problems. We obtain narrow upwelling plumes with mushroom heads and chutes of downwelling fluid as expected of a flow in the non-inertial regime. The method developed demonstrates that the LBM has great potential for simulating thermal convection and plume dynamics relevant to geodynamics, albeit with some limitations.

  13. Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Northwest Plume interceptor system evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laase, A.D.; Clausen, J.L.

    1998-01-01

    The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) recently installed an interceptor system consisting of four wells, evenly divided between two well fields, to contain the Northwest Plume. As stated in the Northwest Plume Record of Decision (ROD), groundwater will be pumped at a rate to reduce further contamination and initiate control of the northwest contaminant plume. The objective of this evaluation was to determine the optimum (minimal) well field pumping rates required for plume hotspot containment. Plume hotspot, as defined in the Northwest Plume ROD and throughout this report, is that portion of the plume with trichloroethene (TCE) concentrations greater than 1,000 microg/L. An existing 3-dimensional groundwater model was modified and used to perform capture zone analyses of the north and south interceptor system well fields. Model results suggest that the plume hotspot is not contained at the system design pumping rate of 100 gallons per minute (gal/min) per well field. Rather, the modeling determined that north and south well field pumping rates of 400 and 150 gal/min, respectively, are necessary for plume hotspot containment. The difference between the design and optimal pumping rates required for containment can be attributed to the discovery of a highly transmissive zone in the vicinity of the two well fields

  14. CALIOP-based Biomass Burning Smoke Plume Injection Height

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soja, A. J.; Choi, H. D.; Fairlie, T. D.; Pouliot, G.; Baker, K. R.; Winker, D. M.; Trepte, C. R.; Szykman, J.

    2017-12-01

    Carbon and aerosols are cycled between terrestrial and atmosphere environments during fire events, and these emissions have strong feedbacks to near-field weather, air quality, and longer-term climate systems. Fire severity and burned area are under the control of weather and climate, and fire emissions have the potential to alter numerous land and atmospheric processes that, in turn, feedback to and interact with climate systems (e.g., changes in patterns of precipitation, black/brown carbon deposition on ice/snow, alteration in landscape and atmospheric/cloud albedo). If plume injection height is incorrectly estimated, then the transport and deposition of those emissions will also be incorrect. The heights to which smoke is injected governs short- or long-range transport, which influences surface pollution, cloud interaction (altered albedo), and modifies patterns of precipitation (cloud condensation nuclei). We are working with the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) science team and other stakeholder agencies, primarily the Environmental Protection Agency and regional partners, to generate a biomass burning (BB) plume injection height database using multiple platforms, sensors and models (CALIOP, MODIS, NOAA HMS, Langley Trajectory Model). These data have the capacity to provide enhanced smoke plume injection height parameterization in regional, national and international scientific and air quality models. Statistics that link fire behavior and weather to plume rise are crucial for verifying and enhancing plume rise parameterization in local-, regional- and global-scale models used for air quality, chemical transport and climate. Specifically, we will present: (1) a methodology that links BB injection height and CALIOP air parcels to specific fires; (2) the daily evolution of smoke plumes for specific fires; (3) plumes transport and deposited on the Greenland Ice Sheet; and (4) compare CALIOP-derived smoke plume injection

  15. The influence of model resolution on ozone in industrial volatile organic compound plumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Barron H; Jeffries, Harvey E; Kim, Byeong-Uk; Vizuete, William G

    2010-09-01

    Regions with concentrated petrochemical industrial activity (e.g., Houston or Baton Rouge) frequently experience large, localized releases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Aircraft measurements suggest these released VOCs create plumes with ozone (O3) production rates 2-5 times higher than typical urban conditions. Modeling studies found that simulating high O3 productions requires superfine (1-km) horizontal grid cell size. Compared with fine modeling (4-kmin), the superfine resolution increases the peak O3 concentration by as much as 46%. To understand this drastic O3 change, this study quantifies model processes for O3 and "odd oxygen" (Ox) in both resolutions. For the entire plume, the superfine resolution increases the maximum O3 concentration 3% but only decreases the maximum Ox concentration 0.2%. The two grid sizes produce approximately equal Ox mass but by different reaction pathways. Derived sensitivity to oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and VOC emissions suggests resolution-specific sensitivity to NOx and VOC emissions. Different sensitivity to emissions will result in different O3 responses to subsequently encountered emissions (within the city or downwind). Sensitivity of O3 to emission changes also results in different simulated O3 responses to the same control strategies. Sensitivity of O3 to NOx and VOC emission changes is attributed to finer resolved Eulerian grid and finer resolved NOx emissions. Urban NOx concentration gradients are often caused by roadway mobile sources that would not typically be addressed with Plume-in-Grid models. This study shows that grid cell size (an artifact of modeling) influences simulated control strategies and could bias regulatory decisions. Understanding the dynamics of VOC plume dependence on grid size is the first step toward providing more detailed guidance for resolution. These results underscore VOC and NOx resolution interdependencies best addressed by finer resolution. On the basis of these results, the

  16. Source-term development for a contaminant plume for use by multimedia risk assessment models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whelan, Gene; McDonald, John P.; Taira, Randal Y.; Gnanapragasam, Emmanuel K.; Yu, Charley; Lew, Christine S.; Mills, William B.

    1999-01-01

    Multimedia modelers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are collaborating to conduct a comprehensive and quantitative benchmarking analysis of four intermedia models: DOE's Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS), EPA's MMSOILS, EPA's PRESTO, and DOE's RESidual RADioactivity (RESRAD). These models represent typical analytically, semi-analytically, and empirically based tools that are utilized in human risk and endangerment assessments for use at installations containing radioactive and/or hazardous contaminants. Although the benchmarking exercise traditionally emphasizes the application and comparison of these models, the establishment of a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) should be viewed with equal importance. This paper reviews an approach for developing a CSM of an existing, real-world, Sr-90 plume at DOE's Hanford installation in Richland, Washington, for use in a multimedia-based benchmarking exercise bet ween MEPAS, MMSOILS, PRESTO, and RESRAD. In an unconventional move for analytically based modeling, the benchmarking exercise will begin with the plume as the source of contamination. The source and release mechanism are developed and described within the context of performing a preliminary risk assessment utilizing these analytical models. By beginning with the plume as the source term, this paper reviews a typical process and procedure an analyst would follow in developing a CSM for use in a preliminary assessment using this class of analytical tool

  17. User's manual for DWNWND: an interactive Gaussian plume atmospheric transport model with eight dispersion parameter options

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fields, D.E.; Miller, C.W.

    1980-05-01

    The most commonly used approach for estimating the atmospheric concentration and deposition of material downwind from its point of release is the Gaussian plume atmospheric dispersion model. Two of the critical parameters in this model are sigma/sub y/ and sigma/sub z/, the horizontal and vertical dispersion parameters, respectively. A number of different sets of values for sigma/sub y/ and sigma/sub z/ have been determined empirically for different release heights and meteorological and terrain conditions. The computer code DWNWND, described in this report, is an interactive implementation of the Gaussian plume model. This code allows the user to specify any one of eight different sets of the empirically determined dispersion paramters. Using the selected dispersion paramters, ground-level normalized exposure estimates are made at any specified downwind distance. Computed values may be corrected for plume depletion due to deposition and for plume settling due to gravitational fall. With this interactive code, the user chooses values for ten parameters which define the source, the dispersion and deposition process, and the sampling point. DWNWND is written in FORTRAN for execution on a PDP-10 computer, requiring less than one second of central processor unit time for each simulation

  18. The tropospheric processing of acidic gases and hydrogen sulphide in volcanic gas plumes as inferred from field and model investigations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Aiuppa

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Improving the constraints on the atmospheric fate and depletion rates of acidic compounds persistently emitted by non-erupting (quiescent volcanoes is important for quantitatively predicting the environmental impact of volcanic gas plumes. Here, we present new experimental data coupled with modelling studies to investigate the chemical processing of acidic volcanogenic species during tropospheric dispersion. Diffusive tube samplers were deployed at Mount Etna, a very active open-conduit basaltic volcano in eastern Sicily, and Vulcano Island, a closed-conduit quiescent volcano in the Aeolian Islands (northern Sicily. Sulphur dioxide (SO2, hydrogen sulphide (H2S, hydrogen chloride (HCl and hydrogen fluoride (HF concentrations in the volcanic plumes (typically several minutes to a few hours old were repeatedly determined at distances from the summit vents ranging from 0.1 to ~10 km, and under different environmental conditions. At both volcanoes, acidic gas concentrations were found to decrease exponentially with distance from the summit vents (e.g., SO2 decreases from ~10 000 μg/m3at 0.1 km from Etna's vents down to ~7 μg/m3 at ~10 km distance, reflecting the atmospheric dilution of the plume within the acid gas-free background troposphere. Conversely, SO2/HCl, SO2/HF, and SO2/H2S ratios in the plume showed no systematic changes with plume aging, and fit source compositions within analytical error. Assuming that SO2 losses by reaction are small during short-range atmospheric transport within quiescent (ash-free volcanic plumes, our observations suggest that, for these short transport distances, atmospheric reactions for H2S and halogens are also negligible. The one-dimensional model MISTRA was used to simulate quantitatively the evolution of halogen and sulphur compounds in the plume of Mt. Etna. Model predictions support the hypothesis of minor HCl chemical processing during plume transport, at least in cloud-free conditions. Larger

  19. Ablation plume dynamics in a background gas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amoruso, Salvatore; Schou, Jørgen; Lunney, James G.

    2010-01-01

    The expansion of a plume in a background gas of pressure comparable to that used in pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been analyzed in terms of the model of Predtechensky and Mayorov (PM). This approach gives a relatively clear and simple description of the essential hydrodynamics during the expa......The expansion of a plume in a background gas of pressure comparable to that used in pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been analyzed in terms of the model of Predtechensky and Mayorov (PM). This approach gives a relatively clear and simple description of the essential hydrodynamics during...... the expansion. The model also leads to an insightful treatment of the stopping behavior in dimensionless units for plumes and background gases of different atomic/molecular masses. The energetics of the plume dynamics can also be treated with this model. Experimental time-of-flight data of silver ions in a neon...... background gas show a fair agreement with predictions from the PM-model. Finally we discuss the validity of the model, if the work done by the pressure of the background gas is neglected....

  20. Measurements at cooling tower plumes. Part 3. Three-dimensional measurements at cooling tower plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fortak, H.

    An extended field experiment is described in which cooling tower plumes were studied by means of three-dimensional in situ measurements. The goal was to obtain input data for numerical models of cooling tower plumes. Of special interest were data for testing or developing assumptions for sub-grid parametrizations. Utilizing modern systems for high-resolution aerology and small aircraft, four measuring campaigns were conducted: two campaigns (1974) at the cooling towers of the RWE power station Neurath and also two (1975) at the single cooling tower of the RWE power station Meppen. Because of the broad spectrum of weather situations it can be assumed that the results are representative with regard to the interrelationship between structure of cooling tower plume and large-scale meteorological situation. A large number of flights with a powered glider crossing the plumes on orthogonal tracks was performed. All flights showed that the plume could be identified up to large downwind distances by discontinuous jumps of temperature and vapor pressure. Therefore, a definite geometry of the plume could always be defined. In all cross sections a vertical circulation could be observed. At the boundary, which could be defined by the mentioned jumps of temperature and vapor pressure, a maximum of downward vertical motion could be observed in most cases. Entrainment along the boundary of a cross section seems to be very small, except at the lower part of the plume. There, the mass entrainment is maximum and is responsible for plume rise as well as for enlargement of the cross section. The visible part of the plume (cloud) was only a small fraction of the whole plume. High-resolution aerology is necessary in order to explain the structure and behavior of such plumes. This is especially the case in investigations regarding the dynamic break-through of temperature inversions. Such cases were observed frequently under various meteorological conditions and are described

  1. Multiphase CFD modeling of nearfield fate of sediment plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saremi, Sina; Hjelmager Jensen, Jacob

    2014-01-01

    Disposal of dredged material and the overflow discharge during the dredging activities is a matter of concern due to the potential risks imposed by the plumes on surrounding marine environment. This gives rise to accurately prediction of the fate of the sediment plumes released in ambient waters...

  2. A regional scale model for ozone in the United States with subgrid representation of urban and power plant plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sillman, S.; Logan, J.A.; Wofsy, S.C.

    1990-01-01

    A new approach to modeling regional air chemistry is presented for application to industrialized regions such as the continental US. Rural chemistry and transport are simulated using a coarse grid, while chemistry and transport in urban and power plant plumes are represented by detailed subgrid models. Emissions from urban and power plant sources are processed in generalized plumes where chemistry and dilution proceed for 8-12 hours before mixing with air in a large resolution element. A realistic fraction of pollutants reacts under high-NO x conditions, and NO x is removed significantly before dispersal. Results from this model are compared with results from grid odels that do not distinguish plumes and with observational data defining regional ozone distributions. Grid models with coarse resolution are found to artificially disperse NO x over rural areas, therefore overestimating rural levels of both NO x and O 3 . Regional net ozone production is too high in coarse grid models, because production of O 3 is more efficient per molecule of NO x in the low-concentration regime of rural areas than in heavily polluted plumes from major emission sources. Ozone levels simulated by this model are shown to agree with observations in urban plumes and in rural regions. The model reproduces accurately average regional and peak ozone concentrations observed during a 4-day ozone episode. Computational costs for the model are reduced 25-to 100-fold as compared to fine-mesh models

  3. Waves generated in the plasma plume of helicon magnetic nozzle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Nagendra; Rao, Sathyanarayan; Ranganath, Praveen

    2013-01-01

    Experimental measurements have shown that the plasma plume created in a helicon plasma device contains a conical structure in the plasma density and a U-shaped double layer (US-DL) tightly confined near the throat where plasma begins to expand from the source. Recently reported two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations verified these density and US-DL features of the plasma plume. Simulations also showed that the plasma in the plume develops non-thermal feature consisting of radial ion beams with large densities near the conical surface of the density structure. The plasma waves that are generated by the radial ion beams affecting the structure of the plasma plume are studied here. We find that most intense waves persist in the high-density regions of the conical density structure, where the transversely accelerated ions in the radial electric fields in the plume are reflected setting up counter-streaming. The waves generated are primarily ion Bernstein modes. The nonlinear evolution of the waves leads to magnetic field-aligned striations in the fields and the plasma near the conical surface of the density structure.

  4. A cold plasma plume with a highly conductive liquid electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Guangliang; Chen Wenxing; Chen Shihua; Yang Size

    2008-01-01

    A cold dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma plume with one highly conductive liquid electrode has been developed to treat thermally sensitive materials, and its preliminary discharging characteristics have been studied. The averaged electron temperature and density is estimated to be 0.6eV and 10 11 /cm 3 , respectively. The length of plasma plume can reach 5 cm with helium gas (He), and the conductivity of the outer electrode affects the plume length obviously. This plasma plume could be touched by bare hand without causing any burning or painful sensation, which may provide potential application for safe aseptic skin care. Moreover, the oxidative particles (e.g., OH, O * , O 3 ) in the downstream oxygen (O2) gas of the plume have been applied to treat the landfill leachate. The results show that the activated O 2 gas can degrade the landfill leachate effectively, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD), conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and suspended solid (SS) can be decreased by 52%, 57%, 76% and 92%, respectively. (fluids, plasmas and electric discharges)

  5. Waves generated in the plasma plume of helicon magnetic nozzle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Nagendra; Rao, Sathyanarayan; Ranganath, Praveen [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama 35899 (United States)

    2013-03-15

    Experimental measurements have shown that the plasma plume created in a helicon plasma device contains a conical structure in the plasma density and a U-shaped double layer (US-DL) tightly confined near the throat where plasma begins to expand from the source. Recently reported two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations verified these density and US-DL features of the plasma plume. Simulations also showed that the plasma in the plume develops non-thermal feature consisting of radial ion beams with large densities near the conical surface of the density structure. The plasma waves that are generated by the radial ion beams affecting the structure of the plasma plume are studied here. We find that most intense waves persist in the high-density regions of the conical density structure, where the transversely accelerated ions in the radial electric fields in the plume are reflected setting up counter-streaming. The waves generated are primarily ion Bernstein modes. The nonlinear evolution of the waves leads to magnetic field-aligned striations in the fields and the plasma near the conical surface of the density structure.

  6. Small rocket exhaust plume data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chirivella, J. E.; Moynihan, P. I.; Simon, W.

    1972-01-01

    During recent cryodeposit tests with an 0.18-N thruster, the mass flux in the plume back field was measured for the first time for nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and a mixture of nitrogen, hydrogen, and ammonia at various inlet pressures. This mixture simulated gases that would be generated by a hydrazine plenum attitude propulsion system. The measurements furnish a base upon which to build a mathematical model of plume back flow that will be used in predicting the mass distribution in the boundary region of other plumes. The results are analyzed and compared with existing analytical predictions.

  7. A comparison of the Gaussian Plume models of Pasquill and Smith

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barker, C.D.

    1978-03-01

    The Gaussian Plume models of Pasquill and Smith are compared over the full range of atmospheric stability for both short and continuous releases of material. For low level releases the two models compare well (to within a factor of approximately 2) except for very unstable conditions. The agreement between the two models for high level sources is not so good. It is concluded that the two Gaussian models are cheap and simple to use, but may require experimental verification in specific applications. (author)

  8. Aquatic dispersion modelling of a tritium plume in Lake Ontario

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klukas, M.H.; Moltyaner, G.L.

    1996-05-01

    Approximately 2900 kg of tritiated water, containing 2.3E+15 Bq of tritium, were released to Lake Ontario via the cooling water discharge when a leak developed in a moderator heat exchanger in Unit 1 at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS) on 1992 August 2. The release provided the opportunity to study the dispersion of a tritium plume in the coastal zone of Lake Ontario. Current direction over the two-week period following the release was predominantly parallel to the shore, and elevated tritium concentrations were observed up to 20 km east and 85 km west of the PNGS. Predictions of the tritium plume movement were made using current velocity measurements taken at 8-m depth, 2.5 km offshore from Darlington and using a empirical relationship where alongshore current speed is assumed to be proportional to the alongshore component of the wind speed. The tritium migration was best described using current velocity measurements. The tritium plume dispersion is modelled using the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation. Transport parameters are the alongshore current speed and longitudinal dispersion coefficient. Longitudinal dispersion coefficients, estimated by fitting the solution of the advection-dispersion equation to measured concentration distance profiles ranged from 3.75 to 10.57 m 2 s -1 . Simulations using the fitted values of the dispersion coefficient were able to describe maximum tritium concentrations measured at water supply plants located within 25 km of Pickering to within a factor of 3. The dispersion coefficient is a function of spatial and temporal variability in current velocity and the fitted dispersion coefficients estimated here may not be suitable for predicting tritium plume dispersion under different current conditions. The sensitivity of the dispersion coefficient to variability in current conditions should be evaluated in further field experiments. (author). 13 refs., 7 tabs., 12 figs

  9. The Green Propellant Infusion Mission Thruster Performance Testing for Plume Diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deans, Matthew C.; Reed, Brian D.; Arrington, Lynn A.; Williams, George J.; Kojima, Jun J.; Kinzbach, McKenzie I.; McLean, Christopher H.

    2014-01-01

    The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) is sponsored by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) office. The goal of GPIM is to advance the technology readiness level of a green propulsion system, specifically, one using the monopropellant, AF-M315E, by demonstrating ground handling, spacecraft processing, and on-orbit operations. One of the risks identified for GPIM is potential contamination of sensitive spacecraft surfaces from the effluents in the plumes of AF-M315E thrusters. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is conducting activities to characterize the effects of AF-M315E plume impingement and deposition. GRC has established individual plume models of the 22-N and 1-N thrusters that will be used on the GPIM spacecraft. The model simulations will be correlated with plume measurement data from Laboratory and Engineering Model 22-N, AF-M315E thrusters. The thrusters are currently being tested in a small rocket, altitude facility at NASA GRC. A suite of diagnostics, including Raman spectroscopy, Rayleigh spectroscopy, and Schlieren imaging are being used to acquire plume measurements of AF-M315E thrusters. Plume data will include temperature, velocity, relative density, and species concentration. The plume measurement data will be compared to the corresponding simulations of the plume model. The GRC effort will establish a data set of AF-M315E plume measurements and a plume model that can be used for future AF-M315E applications.

  10. Flowfield and Radiation Analysis of Missile Exhaust Plumes Using a Turbulent-Chemistry Interaction Model

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Calhoon, W. H; Kenzakowski, D. C

    2000-01-01

    ... components and missile defense systems. Current engineering level models neglect turbulent-chemistry interactions and typically underpredict the intensity of plume afterburning and afterburning burnout...

  11. Plume rise measurements at Turbigo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anfossi, D

    1982-01-01

    This paper presents analyses of plume measurements obtained during that campaign by the ENEL ground-based Lidar. The five stacks of Turbigo Power Plant have different heights and emission parameters and their plumes usually combine, so a model for multiple sources was used to predict the plume rises. These predictions are compared with the observations. Measurements of sigma/sub v/ and sigma/sub z/ over the first 1000 m are compared with the curves derived from other observations in the Po Valley, using the no-lift balloon technique over the same range of downwind distance. Skewness and kurtosis distributions are shown, both along the vertical and the horizontal directions. In order to show the plume structure in more detail, we present two examples of Lidar-derived cross sections and the corresponding vertically and horizontally integrated concentration profiles.

  12. A novel technique to monitor thermal discharges using thermal infrared imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muthulakshmi, A L; Natesan, Usha; Ferrer, Vincent A; Deepthi, K; Venugopalan, V P; Narasimhan, S V

    2013-09-01

    Coastal temperature is an important indicator of water quality, particularly in regions where delicate ecosystems sensitive to water temperature are present. Remote sensing methods are highly reliable for assessing the thermal dispersion. The plume dispersion from the thermal outfall of the nuclear power plant at Kalpakkam, on the southeast coast of India, was investigated from March to December 2011 using thermal infrared images along with field measurements. The absolute temperature as provided by the thermal infrared (TIR) images is used in the Arc GIS environment for generating a spatial pattern of the plume movement. Good correlation of the temperature measured by the TIR camera with the field data (r(2) = 0.89) make it a reliable method for the thermal monitoring of the power plant effluents. The study portrays that the remote sensing technique provides an effective means of monitoring the thermal distribution pattern in coastal waters.

  13. Plume characteristics and dynamics of UV and IR laser-desorbed oligonucleotides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrigan, Tony L; Timson, David J; Hunniford, C Adam; Catney, Martin; McCullough, Robert W

    2012-05-01

    Laser desorption of dye-tagged oligonucleotides was studied using laser-induced fluorescence imaging. Desorption with ultra violet (UV) and infra-red (IR) lasers resulted in forward directed plumes of molecules. In the case of UV desorption, the initial shot desorbed approximately seven-fold more material than subsequent shots. In contrast, the initial shot in IR desorption resulted in the ejection of less material compared to subsequent shots and these plumes had a component directed along the path of the laser. Thermal equilibrium of the molecules in the plume was achieved after approximately 25 μs with a spread in molecular temperature which was described by a modified Maxwell-Boltzmann equation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Coupled petrological-geodynamical modeling of a compositionally heterogeneous mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rummel, Lisa; Kaus, Boris J. P.; White, Richard W.; Mertz, Dieter F.; Yang, Jianfeng; Baumann, Tobias S.

    2018-01-01

    Self-consistent geodynamic modeling that includes melting is challenging as the chemistry of the source rocks continuously changes as a result of melt extraction. Here, we describe a new method to study the interaction between physical and chemical processes in an uprising heterogeneous mantle plume by combining a geodynamic code with a thermodynamic modeling approach for magma generation and evolution. We pre-computed hundreds of phase diagrams, each of them for a different chemical system. After melt is extracted, the phase diagram with the closest bulk rock chemistry to the depleted source rock is updated locally. The petrological evolution of rocks is tracked via evolving chemical compositions of source rocks and extracted melts using twelve oxide compositional parameters. As a result, a wide variety of newly generated magmatic rocks can in principle be produced from mantle rocks with different degrees of depletion. The results show that a variable geothermal gradient, the amount of extracted melt and plume excess temperature affect the magma production and chemistry by influencing decompression melting and the depletion of rocks. Decompression melting is facilitated by a shallower lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and an increase in the amount of extracted magma is induced by a lower critical melt fraction for melt extraction and/or higher plume temperatures. Increasing critical melt fractions activates the extraction of melts triggered by decompression at a later stage and slows down the depletion process from the metasomatized mantle. Melt compositional trends are used to determine melting related processes by focusing on K2O/Na2O ratio as indicator for the rock type that has been molten. Thus, a step-like-profile in K2O/Na2O might be explained by a transition between melting metasomatized and pyrolitic mantle components reproducible through numerical modeling of a heterogeneous asthenospheric mantle source. A potential application of the developed method

  15. Column Number Density Expressions Through M = 0 and M = 1 Point Source Plumes Along Any Straight Path

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woronowicz, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Analytical expressions for column number density (CND) are developed for optical line of sight paths through a variety of steady free molecule point source models including directionally-constrained effusion (Mach number M = 0) and flow from a sonic orifice (M = 1). Sonic orifice solutions are approximate, developed using a fair simulacrum fitted to the free molecule solution. Expressions are also developed for a spherically-symmetric thermal expansion (M = 0). CND solutions are found for the most general paths relative to these sources and briefly explored. It is determined that the maximum CND from a distant location through directed effusion and sonic orifice cases occurs along the path parallel to the source plane that intersects the plume axis. For the effusive case this value is exactly twice the CND found along the ray originating from that point of intersection and extending to infinity along the plume's axis. For sonic plumes this ratio is reduced to about 4/3. For high Mach number cases the maximum CND will be found along the axial centerline path. Keywords: column number density, plume flows, outgassing, free molecule flow.

  16. Occurrence and Detectability of Thermal Anomalies on Europa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayne, Paul O.; Christensen, Philip R.; Spencer, John R.; Abramov, Oleg; Howett, Carly; Mellon, Michael; Nimmo, Francis; Piqueux, Sylvain; Rathbun, Julie A.

    2017-10-01

    Endogenic activity is likely on Europa, given its young surface age of and ongoing tidal heating by Jupiter. Temperature is a fundamental signature of activity, as witnessed on Enceladus, where plumes emanate from vents with strongly elevated temperatures. Recent observations suggest the presence of similar water plumes at Europa. Even if plumes are uncommon, resurfacing may produce elevated surface temperatures, perhaps due to near-surface liquid water. Detecting endogenic activity on Europa is one of the primary mission objectives of NASA’s planned Europa Clipper flyby mission.Here, we use a probabilistic model to assess the likelihood of detectable thermal anomalies on the surface of Europa. The Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) investigation is designed to characterize Europa’s thermal behavior and identify any thermal anomalies due to recent or ongoing activity. We define “detectability” on the basis of expected E-THEMIS measurements, which include multi-spectral infrared emission, both day and night.Thermal anomalies on Europa may take a variety of forms, depending on the resurfacing style, frequency, and duration of events: 1) subsurface melting due to hot spots, 2) shear heating on faults, and 3) eruptions of liquid water or warm ice on the surface. We use numerical and analytical models to estimate temperatures for these features. Once activity ceases, lifetimes of thermal anomalies are estimated to be 100 - 1000 yr. On average, Europa’s 10 - 100 Myr surface age implies a resurfacing rate of ~3 - 30 km2/yr. The typical size of resurfacing features determines their frequency of occurrence. For example, if ~100 km2 chaos features dominate recent resurfacing, we expect one event every few years to decades. Smaller features, such as double-ridges, may be active much more frequently. We model each feature type as a statistically independent event, with probabilities weighted by their observed coverage of Europa’s surface. Our results

  17. Modeling ozone plumes observed downwind of New York City over the North Atlantic Ocean during the ICARTT field campaign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.-H. Lee

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Transport and chemical transformation of well-defined New York City (NYC urban plumes over the North Atlantic Ocean were studied using aircraft measurements collected on 20–21 July 2004 during the ICARTT (International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation field campaign and WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry model simulations. The strong NYC urban plumes were characterized by carbon monoxide (CO mixing ratios of 350–400 parts per billion by volume (ppbv and ozone (O3 levels of about 100 ppbv near New York City on 20 July in the WP-3D in-situ and DC-3 lidar aircraft measurements. On 21 July, the two aircraft captured strong urban plumes with about 350 ppbv CO and over 150 ppbv O3 (~160 ppbv maximum about 600 km downwind of NYC over the North Atlantic Ocean. The measured urban plumes extended vertically up to about 2 km near New York City, but shrank to 1–1.5 km over the stable marine boundary layer (MBL over the North Atlantic Ocean. The WRF-Chem model reproduced ozone formation processes, chemical characteristics, and meteorology of the measured urban plumes near New York City (20 July and in the far downwind region over the North Atlantic Ocean (21 July. The quasi-Lagrangian analysis of transport and chemical transformation of the simulated NYC urban plumes using WRF-Chem results showed that the pollutants can be efficiently transported in (isentropic layers in the lower atmosphere (<2–3 km over the North Atlantic Ocean while maintaining a dynamic vertical decoupling by cessation of turbulence in the stable MBL. The O3 mixing ratio in the NYC urban plumes remained at 80–90 ppbv during nocturnal transport over the stable MBL, then grew to over 100 ppbv by daytime oxidation of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2 with mixing ratios on the order of 1 ppbv. Efficient transport of reactive nitrogen species (NOy, specifically nitric

  18. Advances in the Validation of Satellite-Based Maps of Volcanic Sulfur Dioxide Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Realmuto, V. J.; Berk, A.; Acharya, P. K.; Kennett, R.

    2013-12-01

    The monitoring of volcanic gas emissions with gas cameras, spectrometer arrays, tethersondes, and UAVs presents new opportunities for the validation of satellite-based retrievals of gas concentrations. Gas cameras and spectrometer arrays provide instantaneous observations of the gas burden, or concentration along an optical path, over broad sections of a plume, similar to the observations acquired by nadir-viewing satellites. Tethersondes and UAVs provide us with direct measurements of the vertical profiles of gas concentrations within plumes. This presentation will focus on our current efforts to validate ASTER-based maps of sulfur dioxide plumes at Turrialba and Kilauea Volcanoes (located in Costa Rica and Hawaii, respectively). These volcanoes, which are the subjects of comprehensive monitoring programs, are challenging targets for thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing due the warm and humid atmospheric conditions. The high spatial resolution of ASTER in the TIR (90 meters) allows us to map the plumes back to their source vents, but also requires us to pay close attention to the temperature and emissivity of the surfaces beneath the plumes. Our knowledge of the surface and atmospheric conditions is never perfect, and we employ interactive mapping techniques that allow us to evaluate the impact of these uncertainties on our estimates of plume composition. To accomplish this interactive mapping we have developed the Plume Tracker tool kit, which integrates retrieval procedures, visualization tools, and a customized version of the MODTRAN radiative transfer (RT) model under a single graphics user interface (GUI). We are in the process of porting the RT calculations to graphics processing units (GPUs) with the goal of achieving a 100-fold increase in the speed of computation relative to conventional CPU-based processing. We will report on our progress with this evolution of Plume Tracker. Portions of this research were conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  19. Dilution in Transition Zone between Rising Plumes and Surface Plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben

    2004-01-01

    The papers presents some physical experiments with the dilution of sea outfall plumes with emphasize on the transition zone where the relative fast flowing vertical plume turns to a horizontal surface plume following the slow sea surface currents. The experiments show that a considerable dilution...

  20. The impact from emitted NO{sub x} and VOC in an aircraft plume. Model results for the free troposphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pleijel, K.

    1998-04-01

    The chemical fate of gaseous species in a specific aircraft plume is investigated using an expanding box model. The model treats the gas phase chemical reactions in detail, while other parameters are subject to a high degree of simplification. Model simulations were carried out in a plume up to an age of three days. The role of emitted VOC, NO{sub x} and CO as well as of background concentrations of VOC, NO{sub x} and ozone on aircraft plume chemistry was investigated. Background concentrations were varied in a span of measured values in the free troposphere. High background concentrations of VOC were found to double the average plume production of ozone and organic nitrates. In a high NO{sub x} environment the plume production of ozone and organic nitrates decreased by around 50%. The production of nitric acid was found to be less sensitive to background concentrations of VOC, and increased by up to 50% in a high NO{sub x} environment. Mainly, emitted NO{sub x} caused the plume production of ozone, nitric acid and organic nitrates. The ozone production during the first hours is determined by the relative amount of NO{sub 2} in the NO{sub x} emissions. The impact from emitted VOC was in relative values up to 20% of the ozone production and 65% of the production of organic nitrates. The strongest relative influence from VOC was found in an environment characterized by low VOC and high NO{sub x} background concentrations, where the absolute peak production was lower than in the other scenarios. The effect from emitting VOC and NO{sub x} at the same time added around 5% for ozone, 15% for nitric acid and 10% for organic nitrates to the plume production caused by NO{sub x} and VOC when emitted separately 47 refs, 15 figs, 4 tabs

  1. Plume rise from stacks with scrubbers: a state-of-the-art review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatzmann, M.; Policastro, A.J.

    1984-01-01

    The state of the art of predicting plume rise from stacks with scrubbers is evaluated critically. The significant moisture content of the scrubbed plume upon exit leads to important thermodynamic effects during plume rise that are unaccounted for in the usual dry plume rise theories. For example, under conditionally unstable atmospheres, a wet scrubbed plume treated as completely dry acts as if the atmosphere were stable, whereas in reality the scrubbed plume behaves instead as if the atmosphere were unstable. Even the use of moist plume models developed for application to cooling tower plume rise is not valid since these models 1) employ the Boussinesq approximation, 2) use a number of additional simplifying approximations that require small exit temperature differences between tower exit and ambient temperatures, and 3) are not calibrated to stack data

  2. Atmospheric ice nuclei: No detectable effects from a coal-fired powerplant plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnell, R.C.; Van Valin, C.C.; Pueschel, R.F.

    1976-01-01

    Atmospheric ice nuclei were measured upwind and within the effluent plume of a coalfired powerplant during February 1976. Aerosol particles were captured on two types of membrane filters (Nuclepore and Millipore) and processed in two different thermal diffusion chambers, one calibrated to produce a 100% saturation relative to water and the other to produce a slight supersaturation relative to water. Consequently, the ice nuclei measured were active in the modes that are dominant in diffusion chambers, viz., deposition nucleation and condensation-followed-by-freezing nucleation. Results indicate that plume particles do not act as ice nuclei between the temperatures of -10 and -20degreeC, nor do combustion gases in the plume deactivate natural ice nuclei

  3. NASA's nuclear thermal propulsion technology project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peecook, K.M.; Stone, J.R.

    1992-07-01

    The nonnuclear subsystem technologies required for incorporating nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) into space-exploration missions are discussed. Of particular interest to planned missions are such technologies as materials, instrumentation and controls, turbomachinery, CFD modeling, nozzle extension designs and models, and analyses of exhaust plumes. NASA studies are described and/or proposed for refractory metals and alloys, robotic NTP controls, and turbopump materials candidates. Alternative nozzle concepts such as aerospikes and truncated plugs are proposed, and numerical simulations are set forth for studying heavy molecules and the backstreaming of highly reactive free-radical hydrogen in the exhaust plume. The critical technologies described in the paper are central to the development of NTP, and NTP has the potential to facilitate a range of space exploration activities. 3 refs

  4. CFD investigation of balcony spill plumes in atria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCartney, C.J.; Lougheed, G.D.; Weckman, E.J.

    2004-01-01

    Smoke management in buildings during fire events often uses mechanical ventilation systems to maintain smoke layer elevation above a safe evacuation path. Design of these systems requires accurate correlations for the smoke production rate of the buoyant fire plume. One design issue is the smoke production rate of fire plumes which spill out from a fire compartment, under a balcony and up through an atrium or other large volume. Current engineering correlations for these balcony spill plumes are based on a combination of one-tenth scale test data and theoretical analysis. Questions have arisen over the suitability of these correlations for real-scale designs. A combined program of full-scale experimentation and CFD modeling is being conducted to analyze the accuracy of these correlations. A full-scale experimental facility was constructed with a 5 m by 5 m by 15 m fire compartment connected to a four-story atrium. Propane fires in the compartment produce balcony spill plumes which form steady-state smoke layers in the atrium. Experimental variables include fire size, compartment opening width, balcony depth and compartment fascia depth. A variable exhaust system was used to achieve various smoke layer heights for each of 100 compartment configurations. Temperature, smoke obscuration and gas concentrations were measured in the compartment, atrium and exhaust system. The experimental data was used to determine the atrium smoke layer elevation and balcony spill plume smoke production rate for each configuration and fire size. Comparison of this data with zone model results and design correlations for atrium smoke management systems will be performed to evaluate their accuracy. A CFD model of the experimental facility was implemented using the Fire Dynamics Simulator software (Version 3). Large-eddy simulations of the flow were performed with a constant radiative fraction and an infinitely fast mixture fraction combustion model. A grid sensitivity analysis was

  5. Measurements at cooling tower plumes. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gassmann, F.; Haschke, D.; Solfrian, W.

    1976-04-01

    Referring to the present status of knowledge model conceptions, assumptions and approaches are summarized, which can lead to mathematical models for the simulation of dry or wet cooling tower plumes. By developing a one-dimensional plume model (FOG) the most important problems are considered in detail. It is shown that for the calibration of the necessary parameters as well as for the development of models full scale measurements are of decisive importance. After a discussion of different possibilities of measurement the organisation of a campaign of measurement is described. (orig.) [de

  6. Ozone production efficiency of a ship-plume: ITCT 2K2 case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyun S; Kim, Yong H; Han, Kyung M; Kim, Jhoon; Song, Chul H

    2016-01-01

    Ozone production efficiency (OPE) of ship plume was first evaluated in this study, based on ship-plume photochemical/dynamic model simulations and the ship-plume composition data measured during the ITCT 2K2 (Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation 2002) aircraft campaign. The averaged instantaneous OPEs (OPE(i)‾) estimated via the ship-plume photochemical/dynamic modeling for the ITCT 2K2 ship-plume ranged between 4.61 and 18.92, showing that the values vary with the extent of chemical evolution (or chemical stage) of the ship plume and the stability classes of the marine boundary layer (MBL). Together with OPE(i)‾, the equivalent OPEs (OPE(e)‾) for the entire ITCT 2K2 ship-plume were also estimated. The OPE(e)‾ values varied between 9.73 (for the stable MBL) and 12.73 (for the moderately stable MBL), which agreed well with the OPE(e)‾ of 12.85 estimated based on the ITCT 2K2 ship-plume observations. It was also found that both the model-simulated and observation-based OPE(e)‾ inside the ship-plume were 0.29-0.38 times smaller than the OPE(e)‾ calculated/measured outside the ITCT 2K2 ship-plume. Such low OPEs insides the ship plume were due to the high levels of NO and non-liner ship-plume photochemistry. Possible implications of this ship-plume OPE study in the global chemistry-transport modeling are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  7. DSMC Simulations of Io's Pele Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDoniel, William; Goldstein, D.; Varghese, P.; Trafton, L.

    2012-10-01

    Io’s Pele plume rises over 300km in altitude and leaves a deposition ring 1200km across on the surface of the moon. Material emerges from an irregularly-shaped vent, and this geometry gives rise to complex 3D flow features. The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method is used to model the gas flow in the rarefied plume, demonstrating how the geometry of the source region is responsible for the asymmetric structure of the deposition ring and illustrating the importance of very small-scale vent geometry in explaining large observed features of interest. Simulations of small particles in the plume and comparisons to the black “butterfly wings” seen at Pele are used to constrain particle sizes and entrainment mechanisms. Preliminary results for the effects of plasma energy and momentum transfer to the plume will also be presented.

  8. Multiscale Approach to Small River Plumes off California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basdurak, N. B.; Largier, J. L.; Nidzieko, N.

    2012-12-01

    While larger scale plumes have received significant attention, the dynamics of plumes associated with small rivers typical of California are little studied. Since small streams are not dominated by a momentum flux, their plumes are more susceptible to conditions in the coastal ocean such as wind and waves. In order to correctly model water transport at smaller scales, there is a need to capture larger scale processes. To do this, one-way nested grids with varying grid resolution (1 km and 10 m for the parent and the child grid respectively) were constructed. CENCOOS (Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System) model results were used as boundary conditions to the parent grid. Semi-idealized model results for Santa Rosa Creek, California are presented from an implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS v3.0), a three-dimensional, free-surface, terrain-following numerical model. In these preliminary results, the interaction between tides, winds, and buoyancy forcing in plume dynamics is explored for scenarios including different strengths of freshwater flow with different modes (steady and pulsed). Seasonal changes in transport dynamics and dispersion patterns are analyzed.

  9. Ocean outfall plume characterization using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogowski, Peter; Terrill, Eric; Otero, Mark; Hazard, Lisa; Middleton, William

    2013-01-01

    A monitoring mission to map and characterize the Point Loma Ocean Outfall (PLOO) wastewater plume using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was performed on 3 March 2011. The mobility of an AUV provides a significant advantage in surveying discharge plumes over traditional cast-based methods, and when combined with optical and oceanographic sensors, provides a capability for both detecting plumes and assessing their mixing in the near and far-fields. Unique to this study is the measurement of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) in the discharge plume and its application for quantitative estimates of the plume's dilution. AUV mission planning methodologies for discharge plume sampling, plume characterization using onboard optical sensors, and comparison of observational data to model results are presented. The results suggest that even under variable oceanic conditions, properly planned missions for AUVs equipped with an optical CDOM sensor in addition to traditional oceanographic sensors, can accurately characterize and track ocean outfall plumes at higher resolutions than cast-based techniques.

  10. A forward model for the helium plume effect and the interpretation of helium charge exchange measurements at ASDEX Upgrade

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kappatou, A.; McDermott, R. M.; Pütterich, T.; Dux, R.; Geiger, B.; Jaspers, R. J. E.; Donné, A. J. H.; Viezzer, E.; Cavedon, M.; the ASDEX Upgrade Team

    2018-05-01

    The analysis of the charge exchange measurements of helium is hindered by an additional emission contributing to the spectra, the helium ‘plume’ emission (Fonck et al 1984 Phys. Rev. A 29 3288), which complicates the interpretation of the measurements. The plume emission is indistinguishable from the active charge exchange signal when standard analysis of the spectra is applied and its intensity is of comparable magnitude for ASDEX Upgrade conditions, leading to a significant overestimation of the He2+ densities if not properly treated. Furthermore, the spectral line shape of the plume emission is non-Gaussian and leads to wrong ion temperature and flow measurements when not taken into account. A kinetic model for the helium plume emission has been developed for ASDEX Upgrade. The model is benchmarked against experimental measurements and is shown to capture the underlying physics mechanisms of the plume effect, as it can reproduce the experimental spectra and provides consistent values for the ion temperature, plasma rotation, and He2+ density.

  11. Wind tunnel experiments on cooling tower plumes. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andreopoulos, J.

    1986-01-01

    The basic characteristics of plumes issuing into a boundary layer type of cross flow are reported. The flow can be considered as an interaction between two vorticity fields with different length scales and turbulence intensities. The large eddies of the oncoming boundary layer are responsible for the observed sudden changes in the plume direction. The type of structures emanating the tower depends on the instantaneous velocity ratio. Mean velocities and normal velocity gradients are smaller than in the case of uniform cross-flow (Andreopoulos, 1986) and therefore the measured turbulence intensities were lower too. The cross-stream turbulence brings high momentum fluid into the wake region and the velocity defect decays very rapidly. Dilution of the plumes takes place faster in the presence of external turbulence than in the case with uniform cross-flow. The spreading rate is increased dramatically by the external turbulence which causes different effects on the hydrodynamic and thermal fields. (orig.) [de

  12. Overview of NASA GRCs Green Propellant Infusion Mission Thruster Testing and Plume Diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deans, Matthew C.; Reed, Brian D.; Yim, John T.; Arrington, Lynn A.; Williams, George J.; Kojima, Jun J.; McLean, Christopher H.

    2014-01-01

    The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) is sponsored by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) office. The goal of GPIM is to advance the technology readiness level of a green propulsion system, specifically, one using the monopropellant, AF-M315E, by demonstrating ground handling, spacecraft processing, and on-orbit operations. One of the risks identified for GPIM is potential contamination of sensitive spacecraft surfaces from the effluents in the plumes of AF-M315E thrusters. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is conducting activities to characterize the effects of AF-M315E plume impingement and deposition. GRC has established individual plume models of the 22-N and 1-N thrusters that will be used on the GPIM spacecraft. The models describe the pressure, temperature, density, Mach number, and species concentration of the AF-M315E thruster exhaust plumes. The models are being used to assess the impingement effects of the AF-M315E thrusters on the GPIM spacecraft. The model simulations will be correlated with plume measurement data from Laboratory and Engineering Model 22-N, AF-M315E thrusters. The thrusters will be tested in a small rocket, altitude facility at NASA GRC. The GRC thruster testing will be conducted at duty cycles representatives of the planned GPIM maneuvers. A suite of laser-based diagnostics, including Raman spectroscopy, Rayleigh spectroscopy, Schlieren imaging, and physical probes will be used to acquire plume measurements of AFM315E thrusters. Plume data will include temperature, velocity, relative density, and species concentration. The plume measurement data will be compared to the corresponding simulations of the plume model. The GRC effort will establish a data set of AF-M315E plume measurements and a plume model that can be used for future AF-M315E applications.

  13. Saharan dust plume charging observed over the UK

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, R. Giles; Nicoll, Keri A.; Marlton, Graeme J.; Ryder, Claire L.; Bennett, Alec J.

    2018-05-01

    A plume of Saharan dust and Iberian smoke was carried across the southern UK on 16th October 2017, entrained into an Atlantic cyclone which had originated as Hurricane Ophelia. The dust plume aloft was widely noticed as it was sufficiently dense to redden the visual appearance of the sun. Time series of backscatter from ceilometers at Reading and Chilbolton show two plumes: one carried upwards to 2.5 km, and another below 800 m into the boundary layer, with a clear slot between. Steady descent of particles at about 50 cm s‑1 continued throughout the morning, and coarse mode particles reached the surface. Plumes containing dust are frequently observed to be strongly charged, often through frictional effects. This plume passed over atmospheric electric field sensors at Bristol, Chilbolton and Reading. Consistent measurements at these three sites indicated negative plume charge. The lower edge plume charge density was (‑8.0 ± 3.3) nC m‑2, which is several times greater than that typical for stratiform water clouds, implying an active in situ charge generation mechanism such as turbulent triboelectrification. A meteorological radiosonde measuring temperature and humidity was launched into the plume at 1412 UTC, specially instrumented with charge and turbulence sensors. This detected charge in the boundary layer and in the upper plume region, and strong turbulent mixing was observed throughout the atmosphere’s lowest 4 km. The clear slot region, through which particles sedimented, was anomalously dry compared with modelled values, with water clouds forming intermittently in the air beneath. Electrical aspects of dust should be included in numerical models, particularly the charge-related effects on cloud microphysical properties, to accurately represent particle behaviour and transport.

  14. Tidally induced lateral dispersion of the Storfjorden overflow plume

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Wobus

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available We investigate the flow of brine-enriched shelf water from Storfjorden (Svalbard into Fram Strait and onto the western Svalbard Shelf using a regional set-up of NEMO-SHELF, a 3-D numerical ocean circulation model. The model is set up with realistic bathymetry, atmospheric forcing, open boundary conditions and tides. The model has 3 km horizontal resolution and 50 vertical levels in the sh-coordinate system which is specially designed to resolve bottom boundary layer processes. In a series of modelling experiments we focus on the influence of tides on the propagation of the dense water plume by comparing results from tidal and non-tidal model runs. Comparisons of non-tidal to tidal simulations reveal a hotspot of tidally induced horizontal diffusion leading to the lateral dispersion of the plume at the southernmost headland of Spitsbergen which is in close proximity to the plume path. As a result the lighter fractions in the diluted upper layer of the plume are drawn into the shallow coastal current that carries Storfjorden water onto the western Svalbard Shelf, while the dense bottom layer continues to sink down the slope. This bifurcation of the plume into a diluted shelf branch and a dense downslope branch is enhanced by tidally induced shear dispersion at the headland. Tidal effects at the headland are shown to cause a net reduction in the downslope flux of Storfjorden water into the deep Fram Strait. This finding contrasts previous results from observations of a dense plume on a different shelf without abrupt topography.

  15. 3D Numerical Model of Continental Breakup via Plume Lithosphere Interaction Near Cratonic Blocks: Implications for the Tanzanian Craton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koptev, A.; Calais, E.; Burov, E. B.; Leroy, S. D.; Gerya, T.

    2014-12-01

    Although many continental rift basins and their successfully rifted counterparts at passive continental margins are magmatic, some are not. This dichotomy prompted end-member views of the mechanism driving continental rifting, deep-seated and mantle plume-driven for some, owing to shallow lithospheric stretching for others. In that regard, the East African Rift (EAR), the 3000 km-long divergent boundary between the Nubian and Somalian plates, provides a unique setting with the juxtaposition of the eastern, magma-rich, and western, magma-poor, branches on either sides of the 250-km thick Tanzanian craton. Here we implement high-resolution rheologically realistic 3D numerical model of plume-lithosphere interactions in extensional far-field settings to explain this contrasted behaviour in a unified framework starting from simple, symmetrical initial conditions with an isolated mantle plume rising beneath a craton in an east-west tensional far field stress. The upwelling mantle plume is deflected by the cratonic keel and preferentially channelled along one of its sides. This leads to the coeval development of a magma-rich branch above the plume head and a magma-poor one along the opposite side of the craton, the formation of a rotating microplate between the two rift branches, and the feeding of melt to both branches form a single mantle source. The model bears strong similarities with the evolution of the eastern and western branches of the central EAR and the geodetically observed rotation of the Victoria microplate. This result reconciles the passive (plume-activated) versus active (far-field tectonic stresses) rift models as our experiments shows both processes in action and demonstrate the possibility of developing both magmatic and amagmatic rifts in identical geotectonic environments.

  16. Teaching the Mantle Plumes Debate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foulger, G. R.

    2010-12-01

    There is an ongoing debate regarding whether or not mantle plumes exist. This debate has highlighted a number of issues regarding how Earth science is currently practised, and how this feeds into approaches toward teaching students. The plume model is an hypothesis, not a proven fact. And yet many researchers assume a priori that plumes exist. This assumption feeds into teaching. That the plume model is unproven, and that many practising researchers are skeptical, may be at best only mentioned in passing to students, with most teachers assuming that plumes are proven to exist. There is typically little emphasis, in particular in undergraduate teaching, that the origin of melting anomalies is currently uncertain and that scientists do not know all the answers. Little encouragement is given to students to become involved in the debate and to consider the pros and cons for themselves. Typically teachers take the approach that “an answer” (or even “the answer”) must be taught to students. Such a pedagogic approach misses an excellent opportunity to allow students to participate in an important ongoing debate in Earth sciences. It also misses the opportunity to illustrate to students several critical aspects regarding correct application of the scientific method. The scientific method involves attempting to disprove hypotheses, not to prove them. A priori assumptions should be kept uppermost in mind and reconsidered at all stages. Multiple working hypotheses should be entertained. The predictions of a hypothesis should be tested, and unpredicted observations taken as weakening the original hypothesis. Hypotheses should not be endlessly adapted to fit unexpected observations. The difficulty with pedagogic treatment of the mantle plumes debate highlights a general uncertainty about how to teach issues in Earth science that are not yet resolved with certainty. It also represents a missed opportunity to let students experience how scientific theories evolve, warts

  17. Measurements on cooling tower plumes. Pt. 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fortak, H.

    1975-11-01

    In this paper an extended field experiment is described in which cooling tower plumes were investigated by means of three-dimensional in situ measurements. The goal of this program was to obtain input data for numerical models of cooling tower plumes. Data for testing or developing assumptions for sub-grid parametrizations were of special interest. Utilizing modern systems for high-resolution aerology and small aircraft, four measuring campaigns were conducted: two campaigns (1974) at the cooling towers of the RWE power station at Neurath and also two (1975) at the single cooling tower of the RWE power station at Meppen. Because of the broad spectrum of weather situations, it can be assumed that the results are representative with regard to the interrelationship between the structure of cooling tower plumes and the large-scale meteorological situation. A large number of flights with a powered glider ASK 16 (more than 100 flight hours) crossing the plumes on orthogonal tracks was performed. All flights showed that the plume could be identified up to large downwind distances by discontinuous jumps of temperature and vapour pressure. Therefore a definite geometry of the plume could always be defined. In all cross sections a vertical circulation could be observed. At the plumes boundaries, which could be defined by the mentioned jumps of temperature and vapour pressure, a maximum of downward vertical motion was observed in most cases. Entrainment along the boundary of a cross section seems to be very small, except at the lower part of the plume. There, the mass entrainment is maximum and is responsible for plume rise as well as for enlargement of the cross section. The visible part of the plume (cloud) was only a small fraction of the whole plume. The discontinuities of temperature and vapour pressure show that the plume fills the space below the visible plume down to the ground. However, all effects decrease rapidly towards the ground. It turned out that high

  18. Modelling the transport of suspended particulate matter by the Rhone River plume (France). Implications for pollutant dispersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perianez, R.

    2005-01-01

    A model to simulate the transport of suspended particulate matter by the Rhone River plume has been developed. The model solves the 3D hydrodynamic equations, including baroclinic terms and a 1-equation turbulence model, and the suspended matter equations including advection/diffusion of particles, settling and deposition. Four particle classes are considered simultaneously according to observations in the Rhone. Computed currents, salinity and particle distributions are, in general, in good agreement with observations or previous calculations. The model also provides sedimentation rates and the distribution of different particle classes over the sea bed. It has been found that high sedimentation rates close to the river mouth are due to coarse particles that sink rapidly. Computed sedimentation rates are also similar to those derived from observations. The model has been applied to simulate the transport of radionuclides by the plume, since suspended matter is the main vector for them. The radionuclide transport model, previously described and validated, includes exchanges of radionuclides between water, suspended matter and bottom sediment described in terms of kinetic rates. A new feature is the explicit inclusion of the dependence of kinetic rates upon salinity. The model has been applied to 137 Cs and 239,240 Pu. Results are, in general, in good agreement with observations. - A model has been developed to simulate transport of suspended particulate matter in the Rhone River plume

  19. Effect of grid resolution and subgrid assumptions on the model prediction of a reactive buoyant plume under convective conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chock, D.P.; Winkler, S.L.; Pu Sun

    2002-01-01

    We have introduced a new and elaborate approach to understand the impact of grid resolution and subgrid chemistry assumption on the grid-model prediction of species concentrations for a system with highly non-homogeneous chemistry - a reactive buoyant plume immediately downwind of the stack in a convective boundary layer. The Parcel-Grid approach plume was used to describe both the air parcel turbulent transport and chemistry. This approach allows an identical transport process for all simulations. It also allows a description of subgrid chemistry. The ambient and plume parcel transport follows the description of Luhar and Britter (Atmos. Environ, 23 (1989) 1911, 26A (1992) 1283). The chemistry follows that of the Carbon-Bond mechanism. Three different grid sizes were considered: fine, medium and coarse, together with three different subgrid chemistry assumptions: micro-scale or individual parcel, tagged-parcel (plume and ambient parcels treated separately), and untagged-parcel (plume and ambient parcels treated indiscriminately). Reducing the subgrid information is not necessarily similar to increasing the model grid size. In our example, increasing the grid size leads to a reduction in the suppression of ozone in the presence of a high-NO x stack plume, and a reduction in the effectiveness of the NO x -inhibition effect. On the other hand, reducing the subgrid information (by using the untagged-parcel assumption) leads to an increase in ozone reduction and an enhancement of the NO x -inhibition effect insofar as the ozone extremum is concerned. (author)

  20. HGSYSTEM/UF6 model enhancements for plume rise and dispersion around buildings, lift-off of buoyant plumes, and robustness of numerical solver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanna, S.R.; Chang, J.C.

    1997-01-01

    The HGSYSTEM/UF 6 model was developed for use in preparing Safety Analysis Reports (SARs) by estimating the consequences of possible accidental releases of UF 6 to the atmosphere at the gaseous diffusion plants (GDPs) located in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Kentucky. Although the latter report carries a 1996 date, the work that is described was completed in late 1994. When that report was written, the primary release scenarios of interest were thought to be gas pipeline and liquid tank ruptures over open terrain away from the influence of buildings. However, upon further analysis of possible release scenarios, the developers of the SARs decided it was necessary to also consider accidental releases within buildings. Consequently, during the fall and winter of 1995-96, modules were added to HGSYSTEM/UF 6 to account for flow and dispersion around buildings. The original HGSYSTEM/UF 6 model also contained a preliminary method for accounting for the possible lift-off of ground-based buoyant plumes. An improved model and a new set of wind tunnel data for buoyant plumes trapped in building recirculation cavities have become available that appear to be useful for revising the lift-off algorithm and modifying it for use in recirculation cavities. This improved lift-off model has been incorporated in the updated modules for dispersion around buildings

  1. A comparison of the Gaussian Plume Diffusion Model with experimental data from Tilbury and Northfleet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barker, C.D.

    1979-07-01

    The Gaussian Plume Diffusion Model, using Smith's scheme for σsub(z) and various models for σsub(y), is compared with measured values of the location and strength of maximum ground level concentration taken during the Tilbury and Northfleet experiments. The position of maximum ground level concentration (xsub(m)) is found to be relatively insensitive to σsub(y) and Smith's model for σsub(z) is found to predict xsub(m) on average to within 50% for plume heights less than 200 - 400m (dependent on atmosphere stability). Several models for σsub(y) are examined by comparing predicted and observed values for the normalised maximum ground level concentration (Xsub(m)) and a modified form of Moore's model for σsub(y) is found to give the best overall fit, on average to within 30%. Gifford's release duration dependent model for σsub(y) is found to consistently underestimate Xsub(m) by 35 - 45%. This comparison is only a partial validation of the models described above and suggestions are made as to where further work is required. (author)

  2. Sinking, merging and stationary plumes in a coupled chemotaxis-fluid model: a high-resolution numerical approach

    KAUST Repository

    Chertock, A.

    2012-02-02

    Aquatic bacteria like Bacillus subtilis are heavier than water yet they are able to swim up an oxygen gradient and concentrate in a layer below the water surface, which will undergo Rayleigh-Taylor-type instabilities for sufficiently high concentrations. In the literature, a simplified chemotaxis-fluid system has been proposed as a model for bio-convection in modestly diluted cell suspensions. It couples a convective chemotaxis system for the oxygen-consuming and oxytactic bacteria with the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations subject to a gravitational force proportional to the relative surplus of the cell density compared to the water density. In this paper, we derive a high-resolution vorticity-based hybrid finite-volume finite-difference scheme, which allows us to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of a two-dimensional chemotaxis-fluid system with boundary conditions matching an experiment of Hillesdon et al. (Bull. Math. Biol., vol. 57, 1995, pp. 299-344). We present selected numerical examples, which illustrate (i) the formation of sinking plumes, (ii) the possible merging of neighbouring plumes and (iii) the convergence towards numerically stable stationary plumes. The examples with stable stationary plumes show how the surface-directed oxytaxis continuously feeds cells into a high-concentration layer near the surface, from where the fluid flow (recurring upwards in the space between the plumes) transports the cells into the plumes, where then gravity makes the cells sink and constitutes the driving force in maintaining the fluid convection and, thus, in shaping the plumes into (numerically) stable stationary states. Our numerical method is fully capable of solving the coupled chemotaxis-fluid system and enabling a full exploration of its dynamics, which cannot be done in a linearised framework. © 2012 Cambridge University Press.

  3. Variations of starting conditions contribution to cooling tower plume predictions; Uticaj promene polaznih uslova na predvidjanje rasprostiranja perjanica rashladnih tornjeva nuklearne elektrane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vehauc, A; Zaric, Z [Boris Kidric Institute of nuclear sciences, Vinca, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

    1977-07-01

    The paper deals with quantitative contribution of variations of starting conditions to cooling tower plume predictions. The starting conditions are: plume velocity and temperature and concentration of water drops in the plume at the cooling tower outlet. For the same thermal discharge and meteorological conditions, starting conditions are given by characteristics of cooling towers. (author)

  4. Hydrogen production by thermal water splitting using a thermal plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boudesocque, N.; Lafon, C.; Girold, C.; Vandensteendam, C.; Baronnet, J.M.

    2006-01-01

    CEA has been working for more than 10 years in plasma technologies devoted to waste treatment: incineration, vitrification, gases and liquid treatment. Based on this experience, CEA experiments since several years an innovative route for hydrogen production by thermal water splitting, using a plasma as heat source. This new approach could be considered as an alternative to electrolysis for massive hydrogen production from water and electricity. This paper presents a brief state of the art of water thermal plasmas, showing the temperatures and quench velocity ranges technologically achievable today. Thermodynamic properties of a water plasma are presented and discussed. A kinetic computational model is presented, describing the behavior of splitted products during the quench in a plasma plume for various parameters, such as the quench rate. The model results are compared to gas analysis in the plasma plume obtained with in-situ sampling probe. The plasma composition measurements are issued from an Optical Emission Spectroscopic method (OES). The prediction of 30 % H 2 recovery with a 108 K.s -1 quench rate has been verified. A second experimentation has been performed: mass gas analysis, flowrate measurement and OES to study the 'behavior' and species in underwater electrical arc stricken between graphite electrodes. With this quench, a synthesis gas was produced with a content 55 % of hydrogen. (authors)

  5. Dispersion under low wind speed conditions using Gaussian Plume approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rakesh, P.T.; Srinivas, C.V.; Baskaran, R.; Venkatesan, R.; Venkatraman, B.

    2018-01-01

    For radioactive dose computation due to atmospheric releases, dispersion models are essential requirement. For this purpose, Gaussian plume model (GPM) is used in the short range and advanced particle dispersion models are used in all ranges. In dispersion models, other than wind speed the most influential parameter which determines the fate of the pollutant is the turbulence diffusivity. In GPM the diffusivity is represented using empirical approach. Studies show that under low wind speed conditions, the existing diffusivity relationships are not adequate in estimating the diffusion. An important phenomenon that occurs during the low wind speed is the meandering motions. It is found that under meandering motions the extent of plume dispersion is more than the estimated value using conventional GPM and particle transport models. In this work a set of new turbulence parameters for the horizontal diffusion of the plume is suggested and using them in GPM, the plume is simulated and is compared against observation available from Hanford tracer release experiment

  6. Hybrid 3D model for the interaction of plasma thruster plumes with nearby objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cichocki, Filippo; Domínguez-Vázquez, Adrián; Merino, Mario; Ahedo, Eduardo

    2017-12-01

    This paper presents a hybrid particle-in-cell (PIC) fluid approach to model the interaction of a plasma plume with a spacecraft and/or any nearby object. Ions and neutrals are modeled with a PIC approach, while electrons are treated as a fluid. After a first iteration of the code, the domain is split into quasineutral and non-neutral regions, based on non-neutrality criteria, such as the relative charge density and the Debye length-to-cell size ratio. At the material boundaries of the former quasineutral region, a dedicated algorithm ensures that the Bohm condition is met. In the latter non-neutral regions, the electron density and electric potential are obtained by solving the coupled electron momentum balance and Poisson equations. Boundary conditions for both the electric current and potential are finally obtained with a plasma sheath sub-code and an equivalent circuit model. The hybrid code is validated by applying it to a typical plasma plume-spacecraft interaction scenario, and the physics and capabilities of the model are finally discussed.

  7. A numerical study of the Magellan Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palma, Elbio D.; Matano, Ricardo P.

    2012-05-01

    In this modeling study we investigate the dynamical mechanisms controlling the spreading of the Magellan Plume, which is a low-salinity tongue that extends along the Patagonian Shelf. Our results indicate that the overall characteristics of the plume (width, depth, spreading rate, etc.) are primarily influenced by tidal forcing, which manifests through tidal mixing and tidal residual currents. Tidal forcing produces a homogenization of the plume's waters and an offshore displacement of its salinity front. The interaction between tidal and wind-forcing reinforces the downstream and upstream buoyancy transports of the plume. The influence of the Malvinas Current on the Magellan Plume is more dominant north of 50°S, where it increases the along-shelf velocities and generates intrusions of saltier waters from the outer shelf, thus causing a reduction of the downstream buoyancy transport. Our experiments also indicate that the northern limit of the Magellan Plume is set by a high salinity discharge from the San Matias Gulf. Sensitivity experiments show that increments of the wind stress cause a decrease of the downstream buoyancy transport and an increase of the upstream buoyancy transport. Variations of the magnitude of the discharge produce substantial modifications in the downstream penetration of the plume and buoyancy transport. The Magellan discharge generates a northeastward current in the middle shelf, a recirculation gyre south of the inlet and a region of weak currents father north.

  8. Airborne Detection and Dynamic Modeling of Carbon Dioxide and Methane Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Jamey; Mitchell, Taylor; Whyte, Seabrook

    2015-11-01

    To facilitate safe storage of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4, airborne monitoring is investigated. Conventional soil gas monitoring has difficulty in distinguishing gas flux signals from leakage with those associated with meteorologically driven changes. A low-cost, lightweight sensor system has been developed and implemented onboard a small unmanned aircraft that measures gas concentration and is combined with other atmospheric diagnostics, including thermodynamic data and velocity from hot-wire and multi-hole probes. To characterize the system behavior and verify its effectiveness, field tests have been conducted over controlled rangeland burns and over simulated leaks. In the former case, since fire produces carbon dioxide over a large area, this was an opportunity to test in an environment that while only vaguely similar to a carbon sequestration leak source, also exhibits interesting plume behavior. In the simulated field tests, compressed gas tanks are used to mimic leaks and generate gaseous plumes. Since the sensor response time is a function of vehicle airspeed, dynamic calibration models are required to determine accurate location of gas concentration in (x , y , z , t) . Results are compared with simulations using combined flight and atmospheric dynamic models. Supported by Department of Energy Award DE-FE0012173.

  9. Model and measurements of linear mixing in thermal IR ground leaving radiance spectra

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balick, Lee; Clodius, William; Jeffery, Christopher; Theiler, James; McCabe, Matthew; Gillespie, Alan; Mushkin, Amit; Danilina, Iryna

    2007-10-01

    Hyperspectral thermal IR remote sensing is an effective tool for the detection and identification of gas plumes and solid materials. Virtually all remotely sensed thermal IR pixels are mixtures of different materials and temperatures. As sensors improve and hyperspectral thermal IR remote sensing becomes more quantitative, the concept of homogeneous pixels becomes inadequate. The contributions of the constituents to the pixel spectral ground leaving radiance are weighted by their spectral emissivities and their temperature, or more correctly, temperature distributions, because real pixels are rarely thermally homogeneous. Planck's Law defines a relationship between temperature and radiance that is strongly wavelength dependent, even for blackbodies. Spectral ground leaving radiance (GLR) from mixed pixels is temperature and wavelength dependent and the relationship between observed radiance spectra from mixed pixels and library emissivity spectra of mixtures of 'pure' materials is indirect. A simple model of linear mixing of subpixel radiance as a function of material type, the temperature distribution of each material and the abundance of the material within a pixel is presented. The model indicates that, qualitatively and given normal environmental temperature variability, spectral features remain observable in mixtures as long as the material occupies more than roughly 10% of the pixel. Field measurements of known targets made on the ground and by an airborne sensor are presented here and serve as a reality check on the model. Target spectral GLR from mixtures as a function of temperature distribution and abundance within the pixel at day and night are presented and compare well qualitatively with model output.

  10. A thermal model for nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of aluminum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Zhang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to simulate the nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of aluminum, a novel model was presented for the target ablation and plume expansion. The simulation of the target ablation was based on one-dimensional heat conduction, taking into account temperature dependent material properties, phase transition, dielectric transition and phase explosion. While the simulation of the plume expansion was based on one-dimensional gas-dynamical equation, taking into account ionization, plume absorption and shielding. By coupling the calculations of the target ablation and plume expansion, the characteristics of the target and plume were obtained. And the calculated results were in good agreement with the experimental data, in terms of ablation threshold and depth within the fluence range of the tested laser. Subsequently, investigations were carried out to analyze the mechanisms of nanosecond pulsed laser ablation. The calculated results showed that the maximum surface temperature remained at about 90% of the critical temperature (0.9Tc due to phase explosion. Moreover, the plume shielding has significant effects on the laser ablation, and the plume shielding proportion increase as the laser fluence increasing. The ambient pressure belows 100 Pa is more suitable for laser ablation, which can obtained larger ablation depth.

  11. Field experimental observations of highly graded sediment plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjelmager Jensen, Jacob; Saremi, Sina; Jimenez, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    A field experiment in the waters off the south-eastern coast of Cyprus was carried out to study near-field formation of sediment plumes from dumping. Different loads of sediment were poured into calm and limpid waters one at the time from just above the sea surface. The associated plumes......-bed positions gives unique insight into the dynamics of the descending plume and near-field dispersion processes, and enables good understanding of flow and sediment transport processes involved from-release-to-deposition of the load in a non-scaled environment. The high resolution images and footages...... are available through the link provided herein. Observations support the development of a detailed multi-fractional sediment plume model....

  12. Impact of biomass burning emission on total peroxy nitrates: fire plume identification during the BORTAS campaign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Aruffo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Total peroxy nitrate ( ∑ PN concentrations have been measured using a thermal dissociation laser-induced fluorescence (TD-LIF instrument during the BORTAS campaign, which focused on the impact of boreal biomass burning (BB emissions on air quality in the Northern Hemisphere. The strong correlation observed between the  ∑ PN concentrations and those of carbon monoxide (CO, a well-known pyrogenic tracer, suggests the possible use of the  ∑ PN concentrations as marker of the BB plumes. Two methods for the identification of BB plumes have been applied: (1  ∑ PN concentrations higher than 6 times the standard deviation above the background and (2  ∑ PN concentrations higher than the 99th percentile of the  ∑ PNs measured during a background flight (B625; then we compared the percentage of BB plume selected using these methods with the percentage evaluated, applying the approaches usually used in literature. Moreover, adding the pressure threshold ( ∼  750 hPa as ancillary parameter to  ∑ PNs, hydrogen cyanide (HCN and CO, the BB plume identification is improved. A recurrent artificial neural network (ANN model was adapted to simulate the concentrations of  ∑ PNs and HCN, including nitrogen oxide (NO, acetonitrile (CH3CN, CO, ozone (O3 and atmospheric pressure as input parameters, to verify the specific role of these input data to better identify BB plumes.

  13. Using MOPITT data and a Chemistry and Transport Model to Investigate Injection Height of Plumes from Boreal Forest Fires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyer, E. J.; Allen, D. J.; Kasischke, E. S.; Warner, J. X.

    2003-12-01

    Trace gas emissions from boreal forest fires are a significant factor in atmospheric composition and its interannual variability. A number of recent observations of emissions plumes above individual fire events (Fromm and Servranckx, 2003; COBRA 2003; Lamarque et al., 2003; Wotawa and Trainer, 2000) suggest that vertical properties of forest fire emission plumes can be very different from fossil fuel emission plumes. Understanding and constraining the vertical properties of forest fire emission plumes and their injection into the atmosphere during fire events is critical for accurate modeling of atmospheric transport and chemistry. While excellent data have been collected in a handful of experiments on individual fire events, a systematic examination of the range of behavior observed in fire events has been hampered by the scarcity of vertical profiles of atmospheric composition. In this study, we used a high-resolution model of boreal forest fire emissions (Kasischke et al, in review) as input to the Goddard/UM CTM driven by the GEOS-3 DAS, operating at 2 by 2.5 degrees with 35 vertical levels. We modeled atmospheric injection and transport of CO emissions during the fire season of 2000 (May-September). We altered the parameters of the model to simulate a range of scenarios of plume injection, and compared the resulting output to the CO profiles from the MOPITT instrument. The results presented here pertain to the boreal forest, but our methods should be useful for atmospheric modelers hoping to more realistically model transport of emission plumes from biomass burning. References: COBRA2003: see http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~cobra/smoke_canada_030530.pdf Fromm, M. and R. Servranckx, 2003. "Stratospheric Injection of Forest Fire Emissions on August 4, 1998: A Satellite Image Analysis of the Causal Supercell Convection." Geophysical Research Abstracts 5:13118. Kasischke, E.S.; E.J. Hyer, N.H.F. French, A.I. Sukhinin, J.H. Hewson, B.J. Stocks, in review. "Carbon

  14. Gaussian model for emission rate measurement of heated plumes using hyperspectral data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grauer, Samuel J.; Conrad, Bradley M.; Miguel, Rodrigo B.; Daun, Kyle J.

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents a novel model for measuring the emission rate of a heated gas plume using hyperspectral data from an FTIR imaging spectrometer. The radiative transfer equation (RTE) is used to relate the spectral intensity of a pixel to presumed Gaussian distributions of volume fraction and temperature within the plume, along a line-of-sight that corresponds to the pixel, whereas previous techniques exclusively presume uniform distributions for these parameters. Estimates of volume fraction and temperature are converted to a column density by integrating the local molecular density along each path. Image correlation velocimetry is then employed on raw spectral intensity images to estimate the volume-weighted normal velocity at each pixel. Finally, integrating the product of velocity and column density along a control surface yields an estimate of the instantaneous emission rate. For validation, emission rate estimates were derived from synthetic hyperspectral images of a heated methane plume, generated using data from a large-eddy simulation. Calculating the RTE with Gaussian distributions of volume fraction and temperature, instead of uniform distributions, improved the accuracy of column density measurement by 14%. Moreover, the mean methane emission rate measured using our approach was within 4% of the ground truth. These results support the use of Gaussian distributions of thermodynamic properties in calculation of the RTE for optical gas diagnostics.

  15. Hydrogeological modeling constraints provided by geophysical and geochemical mapping of a chlorinated ethenes plume in northern France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razafindratsima, Stephen; Guérin, Roger; Bendjoudi, Hocine; de Marsily, Ghislain

    2014-09-01

    A methodological approach is described which combines geophysical and geochemical data to delineate the extent of a chlorinated ethenes plume in northern France; the methodology was used to calibrate a hydrogeological model of the contaminants' migration and degradation. The existence of strong reducing conditions in some parts of the aquifer is first determined by measuring in situ the redox potential and dissolved oxygen, dissolved ferrous iron and chloride concentrations. Electrical resistivity imaging and electromagnetic mapping, using the Slingram method, are then used to determine the shape of the pollutant plume. A decreasing empirical exponential relation between measured chloride concentrations in the water and aquifer electrical resistivity is observed; the resistivity formation factor calculated at a few points also shows a major contribution of chloride concentration in the resistivity of the saturated porous medium. MODFLOW software and MT3D99 first-order parent-daughter chain reaction and the RT3D aerobic-anaerobic model for tetrachloroethene (PCE)/trichloroethene (TCE) dechlorination are finally used for a first attempt at modeling the degradation of the chlorinated ethenes. After calibration, the distribution of the chlorinated ethenes and their degradation products simulated with the model approximately reflects the mean measured values in the observation wells, confirming the data-derived image of the plume.

  16. Simulation of plume rise: Study the effect of stably stratified turbulence layer on the rise of a buoyant plume from a continuous source by observing the plume centroid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhimireddy, Sudheer Reddy; Bhaganagar, Kiran

    2016-11-01

    Buoyant plumes are common in atmosphere when there exists a difference in temperature or density between the source and its ambience. In a stratified environment, plume rise happens until the buoyancy variation exists between the plume and ambience. In a calm no wind ambience, this plume rise is purely vertical and the entrainment happens because of the relative motion of the plume with ambience and also ambient turbulence. In this study, a plume centroid is defined as the plume mass center and is calculated from the kinematic equation which relates the rate of change of centroids position to the plume rise velocity. Parameters needed to describe the plume are considered as the plume radius, plumes vertical velocity and local buoyancy of the plume. The plume rise velocity is calculated by the mass, momentum and heat conservation equations in their differential form. Our study focuses on the entrainment velocity, as it depicts the extent of plume growth. This entrainment velocity is made up as sum of fractions of plume's relative velocity and ambient turbulence. From the results, we studied the effect of turbulence on the plume growth by observing the variation in the plume radius at different heights and the centroid height reached before loosing its buoyancy.

  17. Calculation of doses received while crossing a plume of radioactive material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scherpelz, R.I.; Desrosiers, A.E.

    1981-04-01

    A method has been developed for determining the dose received by a person while crossing a plume of radioactive material. The method uses a Gaussian plume model to arrive at a dose rate on the plume centerline at the position of the plume crossing. This dose rate may be due to any external or internal dose pathway. An algebraic formula can then be used to convert the plume centerline dose rate to a total dose integrated over the total time of plume crossing. Correction factors are presented for dose pathways in which the dose rate is not normally distributed about the plume centerline. The method is illustrated by a study done at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and results of this study are presented

  18. Modeling of Interactions of Ablated Plumes

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Povitsky, Alex

    2008-01-01

    Heat transfer modulation between the gas flow and the Thermal Protection Shield (TPS) that occurs because of ejection of under-expanded pyrolysis gases through the cracks in the TPS is studied by numerical modeling...

  19. Export of reactive nitrogen from coal-fired power plants in the U.S.: Estimates from a plume-in-grid modeling study - article no. D04308

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vijayaraghavan, K.; Zhang, Y.; Seigneur, C.; Karamchandani, P.; Snell, H.E.

    2009-02-15

    The export of reactive nitrogen (nitrogen oxides and their oxidation products, collectively referred to as NOy) from coal-fired power plants in the U.S. to the rest of the world could have a significant global contribution to ozone. Traditional Eulerian gridded air quality models cannot characterize accurately the chemistry and transport of plumes from elevated point sources such as power plant stacks. A state-of-the-science plume-in-grid (PinG) air quality model, a reactive plume model embedded in an Eulerian gridded model, is used to estimate the export of NOy from 25 large coal-fired power plants in the U. S. (in terms of NOx and SO{sub 2} emissions) in July 2001 to the global atmosphere. The PinG model used is the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model with Advanced Plume Treatment (CMAQ-APT). A benchmark simulation with only the gridded model, CMAQ, is also conducted for comparison purposes. The simulations with and without advanced plume treatment show differences in the calculated export of NOy from the 25 plants considered reflecting the effect of using a detailed and explicit treatment of plume transport and chemistry. The advanced plume treatment results in 31% greater simulated export of NOy compared to the purely grid-based modeling approach. The export efficiency of NOy (the fraction of NOy emitted that is exported) is predicted to be 21% without APT and 27% with APT. When considering only export through the eastern boundary across the Atlantic, CMAQ-APT predicts that the export efficiency is 24% and that 2% of NOy is exported as NOx, 49% as inorganic nitrate, and 25% as PAN. These results are in reasonably good agreement with an analysis reported in the literature of aircraft measurements over the North Atlantic.

  20. On the relative motions of long-lived Pacific mantle plumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konrad, Kevin; Koppers, Anthony A P; Steinberger, Bernhard; Finlayson, Valerie A; Konter, Jasper G; Jackson, Matthew G

    2018-02-27

    Mantle plumes upwelling beneath moving tectonic plates generate age-progressive chains of volcanos (hotspot chains) used to reconstruct plate motion. However, these hotspots appear to move relative to each other, implying that plumes are not laterally fixed. The lack of age constraints on long-lived, coeval hotspot chains hinders attempts to reconstruct plate motion and quantify relative plume motions. Here we provide 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages for a newly identified long-lived mantle plume, which formed the Rurutu hotspot chain. By comparing the inter-hotspot distances between three Pacific hotspots, we show that Hawaii is unique in its strong, rapid southward motion from 60 to 50 Myrs ago, consistent with paleomagnetic observations. Conversely, the Rurutu and Louisville chains show little motion. Current geodynamic plume motion models can reproduce the first-order motions for these plumes, but only when each plume is rooted in the lowermost mantle.

  1. The effect of sediments on turbulent plume dynamics in a stratified fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenberg, Erik; Ezhova, Ekaterina; Brandt, Luca

    2017-11-01

    We report large eddy simulation results of sediment-loaded turbulent plumes in a stratified fluid. The configuration, where the plume is discharged from a round source, provides an idealized model of subglacial discharge from a submarine tidewater glacier and is a starting point for understanding the effect of sediments on the dynamics of the rising plume. The transport of sediments is modeled by means of an advection-diffusion equation where sediment settling velocity is taken into account. We initially follow the experimental setup of Sutherland (Phys. Rev. Fluids, 2016), considering uniformly stratified ambients and further extend the work to pycnocline-type stratifications typical of Greenland fjords. Apart from examining the rise height, radial spread and intrusion of the rising plume, we gain further insights of the plume dynamics by extracting turbulent characteristics and the distribution of the sediments inside the plume.

  2. Active space of pheromone plume and its relationship to effective attraction radius in applied models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byers, John A

    2008-09-01

    The release rate of a semiochemical lure that attracts flying insects has a specific effective attraction radius (EAR) that corresponds to the lure's orientation response strength. EAR is defined as the radius of a passive sphere that intercepts the same number of insects as a semiochemical-baited trap. It is estimated by calculating the ratio of trap catches in the field in baited and unbaited traps and the interception area of the unbaited trap. EAR serves as a standardized method for comparing the attractive strengths of lures that is independent of population density. In two-dimensional encounter rate models that are used to describe insect mass trapping and mating disruption, a circular EAR (EAR(c)) describes a key parameter that affects catch or influence by pheromone in the models. However, the spherical EAR, as measured in the field, should be transformed to an EAR(c) for appropriate predictions in such models. The EAR(c) is calculated as (pi/2EAR(2))/F (L), where F (L) is the effective thickness of the flight layer where the insect searches. F (L) was estimated from catches of insects (42 species in the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Thysanoptera) on traps at various heights as reported in the literature. The EAR(c) was proposed further as a simple but equivalent alternative to simulations of highly complex active-space plumes with variable response surfaces that have proven exceedingly difficult to quantify in nature. This hypothesis was explored in simulations where flying insects, represented as coordinate points, moved about in a correlated random walk in an area that contained a pheromone plume, represented as a sector of active space composed of a capture probability surface of variable complexity. In this plume model, catch was monitored at a constant density of flying insects and then compared to simulations in which a circular EAR(c) was enlarged until an equivalent rate was caught. This demonstrated that there is a

  3. Radiative modeling and characterization of aerosol plumes hyper-spectral imagery; Modelisation radiative et caracterisation des panaches d'aerosols en imagerie hyperspectrale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alakian, A

    2008-03-15

    This thesis aims at characterizing aerosols from plumes (biomass burning, industrial discharges, etc.) with hyper-spectral imagery. We want to estimate the optical properties of emitted particles and also their micro-physical properties such as number, size distribution and composition. To reach our goal, we have built a forward semi-analytical model, named APOM (Aerosol Plume Optical Model), which allows to simulate the radiative effects of aerosol plumes in the spectral range [0,4-2,5 {mu}m] for nadir viewing sensors. Mathematical formulation and model coefficients are obtained from simulations performed with the radiative transfer code COMANCHE. APOM is assessed on simulated data and proves to be accurate with modeling errors between 1% and 3%. Three retrieval methods using APOM have been developed: L-APOM, M-APOM and A-APOM. These methods take advantage of spectral and spatial dimensions in hyper-spectral images. L-APOM and M-APOM assume a priori knowledge on particles but can estimate their optical and micro-physical properties. Their performances on simulated data are quite promising. A-APOM method does not require any a priori knowledge on particles but only estimates their optical properties. However, it still needs improvements before being usable. On real images, inversion provides satisfactory results for plumes above water but meets some difficulties for plumes above vegetation, which underlines some possibilities of improvement for the retrieval algorithm. (author)

  4. Thermal Analysis of the Fastrac Chamber/Nozzle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Darrell

    2001-01-01

    This paper will describe the thermal analysis techniques used to predict temperatures in the film-cooled ablative rocket nozzle used on the Fastrac 60K rocket engine. A model was developed that predicts char and pyrolysis depths, liner thermal gradients, and temperatures of the bondline between the overwrap and liner. Correlation of the model was accomplished by thermal analog tests performed at Southern Research, and specially instrumented hot fire tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Infrared thermography was instrumental in defining nozzle hot wall surface temperatures. In-depth and outboard thermocouple data was used to correlate the kinetic decomposition routine used to predict char and pyrolysis depths. These depths were anchored with measured char and pyrolysis depths from cross-sectioned hot-fire nozzles. For the X-34 flight analysis, the model includes the ablative Thermal Protection System (TPS) material that protects the overwrap from the recirculating plume. Results from model correlation, hot-fire testing, and flight predictions will be discussed.

  5. Nannofossils in 2011 El Hierro eruptive products reinstate plume model for Canary Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaczek, Kirsten; Troll, Valentin R.; Cachao, Mario; Ferreira, Jorge; Deegan, Frances M.; Carracedo, Juan Carlos; Soler, Vicente; Meade, Fiona C.; Burchardt, Steffi

    2015-01-01

    The origin and life cycle of ocean islands have been debated since the early days of Geology. In the case of the Canary archipelago, its proximity to the Atlas orogen led to initial fracture-controlled models for island genesis, while later workers cited a Miocene-Quaternary east-west age-progression to support an underlying mantle-plume. The recent discovery of submarine Cretaceous volcanic rocks near the westernmost island of El Hierro now questions this systematic age-progression within the archipelago. If a mantle-plume is indeed responsible for the Canaries, the onshore volcanic age-progression should be complemented by progressively younger pre-island sedimentary strata towards the west, however, direct age constraints for the westernmost pre-island sediments are lacking. Here we report on new age data obtained from calcareous nannofossils in sedimentary xenoliths erupted during the 2011 El Hierro events, which date the sub-island sedimentary rocks to between late Cretaceous and Pliocene in age. This age-range includes substantially younger pre-volcanic sedimentary rocks than the Jurassic to Miocene strata known from the older eastern islands and now reinstate the mantle-plume hypothesis as the most plausible explanation for Canary volcanism. The recently discovered Cretaceous submarine volcanic rocks in the region are, in turn, part of an older, fracture-related tectonic episode.

  6. Sinking, merging and stationary plumes in a coupled chemotaxis-fluid model: a high-resolution numerical approach

    KAUST Repository

    Chertock, A.; Fellner, K.; Kurganov, A.; Lorz, A.; Markowich, P. A.

    2012-01-01

    examples, which illustrate (i) the formation of sinking plumes, (ii) the possible merging of neighbouring plumes and (iii) the convergence towards numerically stable stationary plumes. The examples with stable stationary plumes show how the surface

  7. Broad plumes rooted at the base of the Earth's mantle beneath major hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Scott W; Romanowicz, Barbara

    2015-09-03

    Plumes of hot upwelling rock rooted in the deep mantle have been proposed as a possible origin of hotspot volcanoes, but this idea is the subject of vigorous debate. On the basis of geodynamic computations, plumes of purely thermal origin should comprise thin tails, only several hundred kilometres wide, and be difficult to detect using standard seismic tomography techniques. Here we describe the use of a whole-mantle seismic imaging technique--combining accurate wavefield computations with information contained in whole seismic waveforms--that reveals the presence of broad (not thin), quasi-vertical conduits beneath many prominent hotspots. These conduits extend from the core-mantle boundary to about 1,000 kilometres below Earth's surface, where some are deflected horizontally, as though entrained into more vigorous upper-mantle circulation. At the base of the mantle, these conduits are rooted in patches of greatly reduced shear velocity that, in the case of Hawaii, Iceland and Samoa, correspond to the locations of known large ultralow-velocity zones. This correspondence clearly establishes a continuous connection between such zones and mantle plumes. We also show that the imaged conduits are robustly broader than classical thermal plume tails, suggesting that they are long-lived, and may have a thermochemical origin. Their vertical orientation suggests very sluggish background circulation below depths of 1,000 kilometres. Our results should provide constraints on studies of viscosity layering of Earth's mantle and guide further research into thermochemical convection.

  8. Time-space distribution of laser-induced plasma parameters and its influence on emission spectra of the laser plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ershov-Pavlov, E.A.; Katsalap, K.Yu.; Stepanov, K.L.; Stankevich, Yu.A.

    2008-01-01

    A physical model is developed accounting for dynamics and radiation of plasma plumes induced by nanosecond laser pulses on surface of solid samples. The model has been applied to simulate emission spectra of the laser erosion plasma at the elemental analysis of metals using single- and double-pulse excitation modes. Dynamics of the sample heating and expansion of the erosion products are accounted for by the thermal conductivity and gas dynamic equations, respectively, supposing axial symmetry. Using the resulting time-space distributions of the plasma parameters, emission spectra of the laser plumes are evaluated by solving the radiation transfer equation. Particle concentration in consecutive ionization stages is described by the Saha equation in the Debye approximation. The population of excited levels is determined according to Boltzmann distribution. Local characteristics determining spectral emission and absorption coefficients are obtained point-by-point along an observation line. Voigt spectral line profiles are considered with main broadening mechanisms taken into account. The plasma dynamics and plume emission spectra have been studied experimentally and by the model. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm wavelength has been used to irradiate Al sample with the pulses of 15 ns and 50 mJ duration and energy, respectively. It has resulted in maximum power density of 0.8 MW/cm 2 on the sample surface. The laser plume emission spectra have been recorded at a side-on observation. Problems of the spectra contrast and of the elemental analysis efficiency are considered relying on a comparative study of the measurement and simulation results at the both excitation modes

  9. Aircraft measurements over Europe of an air pollution plume from Southeast Asia – aerosol and chemical characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Stohl

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available An air pollution plume from Southern and Eastern Asia, including regions in India and China, was predicted by the FLEXPART particle dispersion model to arrive in the upper troposphere over Europe on 24–25 March 2006. According to the model, the plume was exported from Southeast Asia six days earlier, transported into the upper troposphere by a warm conveyor belt, and travelled to Europe in a fast zonal flow. This is confirmed by the retrievals of carbon monoxide (CO from AIRS satellite measurements, which are in excellent agreement with the model results over the entire transport history. The research aircraft DLR Falcon was sent into this plume west of Spain on 24 March and over Southern Europe on 25 March. On both days, the pollution plume was found close to the predicted locations and, thus, the measurements taken allowed the first detailed characterization of the aerosol content and chemical composition of an anthropogenic pollution plume after a nearly hemispheric transport event. The mixing ratios of CO, reactive nitrogen (NOy and ozone (O3 measured in the Asian plume were all clearly elevated over a background that was itself likely elevated by Asian emissions: CO by 17–34 ppbv on average (maximum 60 ppbv and O3 by 2–9 ppbv (maximum 22 ppbv. Positive correlations existed between these species, and a ΔO3/ΔCO slope of 0.25 shows that ozone was formed in this plume, albeit with moderate efficiency. Nucleation mode and Aitken particles were suppressed in the Asian plume, whereas accumulation mode aerosols were strongly elevated and correlated with CO. The suppression of the nucleation mode was likely due to the large pre-existing aerosol surface of the transported larger particles. Super-micron particles, likely desert dust, were found in part of the Asian pollution plume and also in surrounding cleaner air. The aerosol light absorption coefficient was enhanced in the plume (average values for individual plume encounters 0.25–0

  10. FOOTPRINT: A Screening Model for Estimating the Area of a Plume Produced From Gasoline Containing Ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    FOOTPRINT is a screening model used to estimate the length and surface area of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) plumes in groundwater, produced from a gasoline spill that contains ethanol.

  11. Plume structure in high-Rayleigh-number convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puthenveettil, Baburaj A.; Arakeri, Jaywant H.

    2005-10-01

    Near-wall structures in turbulent natural convection at Rayleigh numbers of 10^{10} to 10^{11} at A Schmidt number of 602 are visualized by a new method of driving the convection across a fine membrane using concentration differences of sodium chloride. The visualizations show the near-wall flow to consist of sheet plumes. A wide variety of large-scale flow cells, scaling with the cross-section dimension, are observed. Multiple large-scale flow cells are seen at aspect ratio (AR)= 0.65, while only a single circulation cell is detected at AR= 0.435. The cells (or the mean wind) are driven by plumes coming together to form columns of rising lighter fluid. The wind in turn aligns the sheet plumes along the direction of shear. the mean wind direction is seen to change with time. The near-wall dynamics show plumes initiated at points, which elongate to form sheets and then merge. Increase in rayleigh number results in a larger number of closely and regularly spaced plumes. The plume spacings show a common log normal probability distribution function, independent of the rayleigh number and the aspect ratio. We propose that the near-wall structure is made of laminar natural-convection boundary layers, which become unstable to give rise to sheet plumes, and show that the predictions of a model constructed on this hypothesis match the experiments. Based on these findings, we conclude that in the presence of a mean wind, the local near-wall boundary layers associated with each sheet plume in high-rayleigh-number turbulent natural convection are likely to be laminar mixed convection type.

  12. The evolution of photochemical smog in a power plant plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luria, Menachem; Valente, Ralph J.; Tanner, Roger L.; Gillani, Noor V.; Imhoff, Robert E.; Mueller, Stephen F.; Olszyna, Kenneth J.; Meagher, James F. Present address: Aeronomy Laboratory, NOAA, 325 Broadway, Boulder CO 80303, USA.)

    The evolution of photochemical smog in a plant plume was investigated with the aid of an instrumented helicopter. Air samples were taken in the plume of the Cumberland Power Plant, located in central Tennessee, during the afternoon of 16 July 1995 as part of the Southern Oxidants Study - Nashville Middle Tennessee Ozone Study. Twelve cross-wind air sampling traverses were made at six distance groups from 35 to 116 km from the source. During the sampling period the winds were from the west-northwest and the plume drifted towards the city of Nashville TN. Ten of the traverses were made upwind of the city, where the power plant plume was isolated, and two traverses downwind of the city when the plumes were possibly mixed. The results revealed that even six hours after the release, excess ozone production was limited to the edges of the plume. Only when the plume was sufficiently dispersed, but still upwind of Nashville, was excess ozone (up to 109 ppbv, 50-60 ppbv above background levels) produced in the center of the plume. The concentrations image of the plume and a Lagrangian particle model suggests that portions of the power plant plume mixed with the urban plume. The mixed urban power plant plume began to regenerate O 3 that peaked at 120 ppbv at a short distance (15-25 km) downwind of Nashville. Ozone productivity (the ratio of excess O 3 to NO y and NO z) in the isolated plume was significantly lower compared with that found in the city plume. The production of nitrate, a chain termination product, was significantly higher in the power plant plume compared to the mixed plume, indicating shorter chain length of the photochemical smog chain reaction mechanism.

  13. The evolution of photochemical smog in a power plant plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luria, M.; The Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Valente, R.J.; Tanner, R.L.; Imhoff, R.E.; Mueller, S.F.; Olszyna, K.J.; Meagher, J.F.; Gillani, N.V.; University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL

    1999-01-01

    The evolution of photochemical smog in a plant plume was investigated with the aid of an instrumented helicopter. Air samples were taken in the plume of the Cumberland Power Plant, located in central Tennessee, during the afternoon of 16 July 1995 as part of the Southern Oxidants Study - Nashville Middle Tennessee Ozone Study. Twelve cross-wind air sampling traverses were made at six distance groups from 35 to 116 km from the source. During the sampling period the winds were from the west-northwest and the plume drifted towards the city of Nashville TN. Ten of the traverses were made upwind of the city, where the power plant plume was isolated, and two traverses downwind of the city when the plumes were possibly mixed. The results revealed that even six hours after the release, excess ozone production was limited to the edges of the plume. Only when the plume was sufficiently dispersed, but still upwind of Nashville, was excess ozone (up to 109 ppbv, 50-60 ppbv above background levels) produced in the center of the plume. The concentrations image of the plume and a Lagrangian particle model suggests that portions of the power plant plume mixed with the urban plume. The mixed urban power plant plume began to regenerate O 3 that peaked at 120 ppbv at a short distance (15-25 km) downwind of Nashville. Ozone productivity (the ratio of excess O 3 to NO y and NO z ) in the isolated plume was significantly lower compared with that found in the city plume. The production of nitrate, a chain termination product, was significantly higher in the power plant plume compared to the mixed plume, indicating shorter chain length of the photochemical smog chain reaction mechanism. (author)

  14. Analysis of dissolved benzene plumes and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) plumes in ground water at leaking underground fuel tank (LUFT) sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Happel, A.M.; Rice, D.; Beckenbach, E.; Savalin, L.; Temko, H.; Rempel, R.; Dooher, B.

    1996-11-01

    The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments mandate the addition of oxygenates to gasoline products to abate air pollution. Currently, many areas of the country utilize oxygenated or reformulated fuel containing 15- percent and I I-percent MTBE by volume, respectively. This increased use of MTBE in gasoline products has resulted in accidental point source releases of MTBE containing gasoline products to ground water. Recent studies have shown MTBE to be frequently detected in samples of shallow ground water from urban areas throughout the United States (Squillace et al., 1995). Knowledge of the subsurface fate and transport of MTBE in ground water at leaking underground fuel tank (LUFT) sites and the spatial extent of MTBE plumes is needed to address these releases. The goal of this research is to utilize data from a large number of LUFT sites to gain insights into the fate, transport, and spatial extent of MTBE plumes. Specific goals include defining the spatial configuration of dissolved MTBE plumes, evaluating plume stability or degradation over time, evaluating the impact of point source releases of MTBE to ground water, and attempting to identify the controlling factors influencing the magnitude and extent of the MTBE plumes. We are examining the relationships between dissolved TPH, BTEX, and MTBE plumes at LUFT sites using parallel approaches of best professional judgment and a computer-aided plume model fitting procedure to determine plume parameters. Here we present our initial results comparing dissolved benzene and MTBE plumes lengths, the statistical significance of these results, and configuration of benzene and MTBE plumes at individual LUFT sites

  15. Reactive transport modelling of biogeochemical processes and carbon isotope geochemistry inside a landfill leachate plume.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Breukelen, B.M.; Griffioen, J.; Roling, W.F.M.; van Verseveld, H.W.

    2004-01-01

    The biogeochemical processes governing leachate attenuation inside a landfill leachate plume (Banisveld, the Netherlands) were revealed and quantified using the 1D reactive transport model PHREEQC-2. Biodegradation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was simulated assuming first-order oxidation of two

  16. Using ASCEM Modeling and Visualization to Inform Stakeholders of Contaminant Plume Evolution and Remediation Efficacy at F-Basin Savannah River, SC – 15156

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flach, G. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wainwright, H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Molins, S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Davis, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Arora, B. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Faybishenko, B. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Krishnan, H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hubbard, S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Flach, G. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Denham, M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Eddy-Dilek, C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Moulton, D. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lipnikov, K. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gable, C. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Miller, T. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Freshley, M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-01-28

    Communication with stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and the public is an essential part of implementing different remediation and monitoring activities, and developing site closure strategies at contaminated sites. Modeling of contaminant plume evolution plays a critical role in estimating the benefit, cost, and risk of particular options. At the same time, effective visualization of monitoring data and modeling results are particularly important for conveying the significance of the results and observations. In this paper, we present the results of the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM) project, including the discussion of the capabilities of newly developed ASCEM software package, along with its application to the F-Area Seepage Basins located in the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site (SRS). ASCEM software includes state-of-the-art numerical methods for simulating complex flow and reactive transport, as well as various toolsets such as a graphical user interface (GUI), visualization, data management, uncertainty quantification, and parameter estimation. Using this software, we have developed an advanced visualization of tritium plume migration coupled with a data management system, and simulated a three-dimensional model of flow and plume evolution on a high-performance computing platform. We evaluated the effect of engineered flow barriers on a nonreactive tritium plume, through advanced plume visualization and modeling of tritium plume migration. In addition, we developed a geochemical reaction network to describe complex geochemical processes at the site, and evaluated the impact of coupled hydrological and geochemical heterogeneity. These results are expected to support SRS’s monitoring activities and operational decisions.

  17. Large-eddy simulation study of oil/gas plumes in stratified fluid with cross current

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Di; Xiao, Shuolin; Chen, Bicheng; Chamecki, Marcelo; Meneveau, Charles

    2017-11-01

    Dynamics of the oil/gas plume from a subsea blowout are strongly affected by the seawater stratification and cross current. The buoyant plume entrains ambient seawater and lifts it up to higher elevations. During the rising process, the continuously increasing density difference between the entrained and ambient seawater caused by the stable stratification eventually results in a detrainment of the entrained seawater and small oil droplets at a height of maximum rise (peel height), forming a downward plume outside the rising inner plume. The presence of a cross current breaks the plume's axisymmetry and causes the outer plume to fall along the downstream side of the inner plume. The detrained seawater and oil eventually fall to a neutral buoyancy level (trap height), and disperse horizontally to form an intrusion layer. In this study, the complex plume dynamics is investigated using large-eddy simulation (LES). Various laboratory and field scale cases are simulated to explore the effect of cross current and stratification on the plume dynamics. Based on the LES data, various turbulence statistics of the plume are systematically quantified, leading to some useful insights for modeling the mean plume dynamics using integral plume models. This research is made possible by a RFP-V Grant from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

  18. Performance of monitoring networks estimated from a Gaussian plume model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seebregts, A.J.; Hienen, J.F.A.

    1990-10-01

    In support of the ECN study on monitoring strategies after nuclear accidents, the present report describes the analysis of the performance of a monitoring network in a square grid. This network is used to estimate the distribution of the deposition pattern after a release of radioactivity into the atmosphere. The analysis is based upon a single release, a constant wind direction and an atmospheric dispersion according to a simplified Gaussian plume model. A technique is introduced to estimate the parameters in this Gaussian model based upon measurements at specific monitoring locations and linear regression, although this model is intrinsically non-linear. With these estimated parameters and the Gaussian model the distribution of the contamination due to deposition can be estimated. To investigate the relation between the network and the accuracy of the estimates for the deposition, deposition data have been generated by the Gaussian model, including a measurement error by a Monte Carlo simulation and this procedure has been repeated for several grid sizes, dispersion conditions, number of measurements per location, and errors per single measurement. The present technique has also been applied for the mesh sizes of two networks in the Netherlands, viz. the Landelijk Meetnet Radioaciviteit (National Measurement Network on Radioactivity, mesh size approx. 35 km) and the proposed Landelijk Meetnet Nucleaire Incidenten (National Measurement Network on Nuclear Incidents, mesh size approx. 15 km). The results show accuracies of 11 and 7 percent, respectively, if monitoring locations are used more than 10 km away from the postulated accident site. These figures are based upon 3 measurements per location and a dispersion during neutral weather with a wind velocity of 4 m/s. For stable weather conditions and low wind velocities, i.e. a small plume, the calculated accuracies are at least a factor 1.5 worse.The present type of analysis makes a cost-benefit approach to the

  19. NW Iberia Shelf Dynamics. Study of the Douro River Plume.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel Iglesias

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available River plumes are one of the most important mechanisms that transport the terrestrial materials to the coast and the ocean. Some examples of those materials are pollutants, essential nutrients, which enhance the phytoplankton productivity or sediments, which settle on the seabed producing modifications on the bathymetry affecting the navigation channels. The mixing between the riverine and the oceanic waters can induce instabilities, which might generate bulges, filaments, and buoyant currents over the continental shelf. Offshore, the buoyant riverine water could form a front with the oceanic waters often related with the occurrence of current-jets, eddies and strong mixing. The study and modelling of the river plumes is a key factor for the complete understanding of sediment transport mechanisms and patterns, and of coastal physics and dynamic processes. On this study the Douro River plume will be simulated. The Douro River is located on the north-west Iberian coast and its daily averaged freshwater discharge can range values from 0 to 13000 m3/s. This variability impacts the formation of the river plumes and its dispersion along the continental shelf. This study builds on the long-term objective of generate a Douro River plume forecasting system as part of the RAIA and RAIA.co projects. Satellite imagery was analyzed showing that the river Douro is one of the main sources of suspended particles, dissolved material and chlorophyll in the NW Iberian Shelf. The Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS model was selected to reproduce scenarios of plume generation, retention and dispersion. Whit this model, three types of simulations were performed: (i schematic winds simulations with prescribed river flow, wind speed and direction; (ii multi-year climatological simulation, with river flow and temperature change for each month; (iii extreme case simulation, based on the Entre-os-Rios accident situation. The schematic wind case-studies suggest that the

  20. Heat flow study of the Emeishan large igneous province region: Implications for the geodynamics of the Emeishan mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Qiang; Qiu, Nansheng; Zhu, Chuanqing

    2018-01-01

    The Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) is widely considered to be a consequence of a mantle plume. The supporting evidence includes rapid emplacement, voluminous flood basalt eruptions, and high mantle potential temperature estimates. Several studies have suggested that there was surface uplift prior to the eruption of the Emeishan flood basalts. Additionally, the plume's lateral extent is hard to constrain and has been variously estimated to be 800-1400 km in diameter. In this study, we analyzed present-day heat flow data and reconstructed the Permian paleo-heat flow using vitrinite reflectance and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology data in the ELIP region and discussed implications for the geodynamics of the Emeishan mantle plume. The present-day heat flow is higher in the inner and intermediate zones than in the outer zone, with a decrease of average heat flow from 76 mW/m2 to 51 mW/m2. Thermal history modeling results show that an abnormal high paleo-heat flow of 90-110 mW/m2 was caused by the Emeishan mantle plume activity. Based on the present-day heat flow data, we can calculate that there is lithospheric thinning in the central ELIP region, which may be due to the destruction of the lithosphere by mantle plume upwelling and magmatic underplating. The Permian paleo-heat flow anomaly implies that there was a temperature anomaly in the mantle. The ascending high-temperature mantle plume and the thinned lithosphere may have induced the large-scale uplift in the ELIP region. According to the range of the surface heat flow anomaly, it can be estimated that the diameter of the flattened head of the Emeishan mantle plume could have reached 1600-1800 km. Our research provides new insights into the geodynamics of the Emeishan mantle plume through study of heat flow.

  1. Propagation of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in an integral oil-gas plume model

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Shitao; Iskandarani, Mohamed; Srinivasan, Ashwanth; Thacker, W. Carlisle; Winokur, Justin; Knio, Omar

    2016-01-01

    Polynomial Chaos expansions are used to analyze uncertainties in an integral oil-gas plume model simulating the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The study focuses on six uncertain input parameters—two entrainment parameters, the gas to oil ratio, two parameters associated with the droplet-size distribution, and the flow rate—that impact the model's estimates of the plume's trap and peel heights, and of its various gas fluxes. The ranges of the uncertain inputs were determined by experimental data. Ensemble calculations were performed to construct polynomial chaos-based surrogates that describe the variations in the outputs due to variations in the uncertain inputs. The surrogates were then used to estimate reliably the statistics of the model outputs, and to perform an analysis of variance. Two experiments were performed to study the impacts of high and low flow rate uncertainties. The analysis shows that in the former case the flow rate is the largest contributor to output uncertainties, whereas in the latter case, with the uncertainty range constrained by aposteriori analyses, the flow rate's contribution becomes negligible. The trap and peel heights uncertainties are then mainly due to uncertainties in the 95% percentile of the droplet size and in the entrainment parameters.

  2. Biodegradation at Dynamic Plume Fringes: Mixing Versus Reaction Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cirpka, O. A.; Eckert, D.; Griebler, C.; Haberer, C.; Kürzinger, P.; Bauer, R.; Mellage, A.

    2014-12-01

    Biodegradation of continuously emitted plumes is known to be most pronounced at the plume fringe, where mixing of contaminated water and ambient groundwater, containing dissolved electron acceptors, stimulates microbial activity. Under steady-state conditions, physical mixing of contaminant and electron acceptor by transverse dispersion was shown to be the major bottleneck for biodegradation, with plume lengths scaling inversely with the bulk transverse dispersivity in quasi two-dimensional settings. Under these conditions, the presence of suitable microbes is essential but the biokinetic parameters do not play an important role. When the location of the plume shifts (caused, e.g., by a fluctuating groundwater table), however, the bacteria are no more situated at the plume fringe and biomass growth, decay, activation and deactivation determine the time lag until the fringe-controlled steady state is approached again. During this time lag, degradation is incomplete. The objective of the presented study was to analyze to which extent flow and transport dynamics diminish effectiveness of fringe-controlled biodegradation and which microbial processes and related biokinetic parameters determine the system response in overall degradation to hydraulic fluctuations. We performed experiments in quasi-two-dimensional flow through microcosms on aerobic toluene degradation by Pseudomonas putida F1. Plume dynamics were simulated by vertical alteration of the toluene plume position and experimental results were analyzed by reactive-transport modeling. We found that, even after disappearance of the toluene plume for two weeks, the majority of microorganisms stayed attached to the sediment and regained their full biodegradation potential within two days after reappearance of the toluene plume. Our results underline that besides microbial growth and maintenance (often subsumed as "biomass decay") microbial dormancy (that is, change into a metabolically inactive state) and

  3. Studies of the environmental impact of evaporative cooling tower plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomson, D.W.

    1978-01-01

    This ongoing research program of the environmental impact of natural-draft evaporative cooling tower plumes consists principally of a comprehensive series of airborne measurements of a variety of the physical characteristics of the plumes and, to a lesser extent, of preliminary studies of remote sodar plume probing techniques and the development of simplified dynamical numerical models suitable for use in conducting field measurement programs. The PSU Doppler sodar was used at the Keystone Power Plant in southwestern Pennsylvania for an extended series of remote measurements of the characteristics of plume turbulent temperature and velocity fluctuations and results are discussed

  4. Modelling tools for integrating geological, geophysical and contamination data for characterization of groundwater plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balbarini, Nicola

    the contaminant plume in a shallow and a deep plume. These plumes have different chemical characteristics and different migration paths to the stream. This has implications for the risk assessment of the stream and groundwater in the area. The difficulty of determining groundwater flow paths means that it is also...... receptors, including streams. Key risk assessment parameters, such as contaminant mass discharge estimates, and tools are then used to evaluate the risk. The cost of drilling often makes investigations of large and/or deep contaminant plumes unfeasible. For this reason, it is important to develop cost...... organic compounds, including pharmaceutical compounds and chlorinated ethenes. The correlation between DCIP and organic compounds is indirect and depends on the chemical composition of the contaminant plume and the transport processes. Thus, the correlations are site specific and may change between...

  5. Timing of water plume eruptions on Enceladus explained by interior viscosity structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Běhounková, Marie; Tobie, Gabriel; Čadek, Ondřej; Choblet, Gaël; Porco, Carolyn; Nimmo, Francis

    2015-08-01

    At the south pole of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, eruptions of water vapour and ice emanate from warm tectonic ridges. Observations in the infrared and visible spectra have shown an orbital modulation of the plume brightness, which suggests that the eruption activity is influenced by tidal forces. However, the observed activity seems to be delayed by several hours with respect to predictions based on simple tidal models. Here we simulate the viscoelastic tidal response of Enceladus with a full three-dimensional numerical model and show that the delay in eruption activity may be a natural consequence of the viscosity structure in the south-polar region and the size of the putative subsurface ocean. By systematically comparing simulations of variations in normal stress along faults with plume brightness data, we show that the observed activity is reproduced for two classes of interior models with contrasting thermal histories: a low-viscosity convective region above a polar sea extending about 45°-60° from the south pole at a depth below the surface as small as 30 km, or a convecting ice shell of 60-70 km in thickness above a global ocean. Our analysis further shows that the eruption activity is controlled by the average normal stress applied across the cracks, thus providing a constraint on the eruption mechanism.

  6. Pressurized-thermal-shock technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickson, T.L.

    1991-01-01

    It was recognized at the time the original Issues on Pressurized Thermal Shock (IPTS) studies were conducted that distinct vertical plumes of cooling water form beneath the cold leg inlet nozzles during those particular transients that exhibit fluid/thermal stratification. The formation of these plumes (referred to as thermal streaming) induces a time-dependent circumferential temperature variation on the inner surface of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) wall that creates an axial stress component. This axial stress component is in addition to the axial stress components induced by time-dependent radial temperature variation through the wall thickness and the time-dependent pressure transient. This additional axial stress component will result in a larger axial stress resultant that results in a larger stress-intensity factor acting on circumferential flaws, thus reducing the fracture margin for circumferential flaws. Although this was recognized at the time of the original IPTS study, the contribution appeared to be relatively small; therefore, it was neglected. The original IPTS studies were performed with OCA-P, a computer program developed at ORNL to analyze the cleavage fracture response of a nuclear RPV subjected to PTS loading. OCA-P is a one-dimensional (1-D) finite-element code that analyzes the stresses and stress-intensity factors (axial and tangential) resulting from the pressure and the radial temperature variation through the wall thickness only. The HSST Program is investigating the potential effects of thermal-streaming-induced stresses in circumferential welds on the reactor vessel PTS analyses. The initial phase of this investigation focused on an evaluation of the available thermal-hydraulic data and analyses results. The objective for the initial phase of the investigation is to evaluate thermal-streaming behavior under conditions relevant to the operation of U.S. PWRs and chracterize any predicted thermal-streaming plumes

  7. Thermal Analysis of the MC-1 Chamber/Nozzle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Darrell W.; Phelps, Lisa H. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    This paper will describe the thermal analysis techniques used to predict temperatures in the film-cooled ablative rocket nozzle used on the MC-1 60K rocket engine. A model was developed that predicts char and pyrolysis depths, liner thermal gradients, and temperatures of the bondline between the overwrap and liner. Correlation of the model was accomplished by thermal analog tests performed at Southern Research, and specially instrumented hot fire tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Infrared thermography was instrumental in defining nozzle hot wall surface temperatures. In-depth and outboard thermocouple data was used to correlate the kinetic decomposition routine used to predict char and pyrolysis depths. These depths were anchored with measured char and pyrolysis depths from cross-sectioned hot-fire nozzles. For the X-34 flight analysis, the model includes the ablative Thermal Protection System (TPS) material that protects the overwrap from the recirculating plume. Results from model correlation, hot-fire testing, and flight predictions will be discussed.

  8. Field experimental observations of highly graded sediment plumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Jacob Hjelmager; Saremi, Sina; Jimenez, Carlos; Hadjioannou, Louis

    2015-06-15

    A field experiment in the waters off the south-eastern coast of Cyprus was carried out to study near-field formation of sediment plumes from dumping. Different loads of sediment were poured into calm and limpid waters one at the time from just above the sea surface. The associated plumes, gravitating towards the seafloor, were filmed simultaneously by four divers situated at different depths in the water column, and facing the plume at different angles. The processes were captured using GoPro-Hero-series cameras. The high-quality underwater footage from near-surface, mid-depth and near-bed positions gives unique insight into the dynamics of the descending plume and near-field dispersion processes, and enables good understanding of flow and sediment transport processes involved from-release-to-deposition of the load in a non-scaled environment. The high resolution images and footages are available through the link provided herein. Observations support the development of a detailed multi-fractional sediment plume model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Numerical study of single and two interacting turbulent plumes in atmospheric cross flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtarzadeh-Dehghan, M. R.; König, C. S.; Robins, A. G.

    The paper presents a numerical study of two interacting full-scale dry plumes issued into neutral boundary layer cross flow. The study simulates plumes from a mechanical draught cooling tower. The plumes are placed in tandem or side-by-side. Results are first presented for plumes with a density ratio of 0.74 and plume-to-crosswind speed ratio of 2.33, for which data from a small-scale wind tunnel experiment were available and were used to assess the accuracy of the numerical results. Further results are then presented for the more physically realistic density ratio of 0.95, maintaining the same speed ratio. The sensitivity of the results with respect to three turbulence models, namely, the standard k- ɛ model, the RNG k- ɛ model and the Differential Flux Model (DFM) is presented. Comparisons are also made between the predicted rise height and the values obtained from existing integral models. The formation of two counter-rotating vortices is well predicted. The results show good agreement for the rise height predicted by different turbulence models, but the DFM predicts temperature profiles more accurately. The values of predicted rise height are also in general agreement. However, discrepancies between the present results for the rise height for single and multiple plumes and the values obtained from known analytical relations are apparent and possible reasons for these are discussed.

  10. Coupling of Realistic Rate Estimates with Genomics for Assessing Contaminant Attenuation and Long-Term Plume Containment - Task 4: Modeling - Final Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robert C. Starr

    2005-01-01

    seven plumes at 24 DOE facilities were screened, and 14 plumes were selected for detailed examination. In the plumes selected for further study, spatial changes in the concentration of a conservative co-contaminant were used to compensate for the effects of mixing and temporal changes in TCE release from the contaminant source. Decline in TCE concentration along a flow path in excess of the co contaminant concentration decline was attributed to cometabolic degradation. This study indicated that TCE was degraded in 9 of the 14 plumes examined, with first order degradation half-lives ranging from about 1 to 12 years. TCE degradation in about two-thirds of the plumes examined suggests that cometabolism of TCE in aerobic groundwater is a common occurrence, in contrast to the conventional wisdom that TCE is recalcitrant in aerobic groundwater. The degradation half-life values calculated in this study are short enough that natural attenuation may be a viable remedy in many aerobic plumes. Computer modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant transport and degradation is frequently used to predict the evolution of groundwater plumes, and for evaluating natural attenuation and other remedial alternatives. An important aspect of a computer model is the mathematical approach for describing degradation kinetics. A common approach is to assume that degradation occurs as a first-order process. First order kinetics are easily incorporated into transport models and require only a single value (a degradation half-life) to describe reaction kinetics. The use of first order kinetics is justified in many cases because more elaborate kinetic equations often closely approximate first order kinetics under typical field conditions. A previous modeling study successfully simulated the INL TCE plume using first order degradation kinetics. TCE cometabolism is the result of TCE reacting with microbial enzymes that were produced for other purposes, such as oxidizing a growth substrate to obtain

  11. A buoyant plume adjacent to a headland-Observations of the Elwha River plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warrick, J.A.; Stevens, A.W.

    2011-01-01

    Small rivers commonly discharge into coastal settings with topographic complexities - such as headlands and islands - but these settings are underrepresented in river plume studies compared to more simplified, straight coasts. The Elwha River provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of coastal topography on a buoyant plume, because it discharges into the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the western side of its deltaic headland. Here we show that this headland induces flow separation and transient eddies in the tidally dominated currents (O(100. cm/s)), consistent with other headlands in oscillatory flow. These flow conditions are observed to strongly influence the buoyant river plume, as predicted by the "small-scale" or "narrow" dynamical classification using Garvine's (1995) system. Because of the transient eddies and the location of the river mouth on the headland, flow immediately offshore of the river mouth is directed eastward twice as frequently as it is westward. This results in a buoyant plume that is much more frequently "bent over" toward the east than the west. During bent over plume conditions, the plume was attached to the eastern shoreline while having a distinct, cuspate front along its westernmost boundary. The location of the front was found to be related to the magnitude and direction of local flow during the preceding O(1. h), and increases in alongshore flow resulted in deeper freshwater mixing, stronger baroclinic anomalies, and stronger hugging of the coast. During bent over plume conditions, we observed significant convergence of river plume water toward the frontal boundary within 1. km of the river mouth. These results show how coastal topography can strongly influence buoyant plume behavior, and they should assist with understanding of initial coastal sediment dispersal pathways from the Elwha River during a pending dam removal project. ?? 2010.

  12. Identification of abiotic and biotic reductive dechlorination in a chlorinated ethene plume after thermal source remediation by means of isotopic and molecular biology tools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Badin, Alice; Broholm, Mette Martina; Jacobsen, Carsten S.

    2016-01-01

    Thermal tetrachloroethene (PCE) remediation by steam injection in a sandy aquifer led to the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from aquifer sediments resulting in more reduced redox conditions, accelerated PCE biodegradation, and changes in microbial populations. These changes were...... documented by comparing data collected prior to the remediation event and eight years later. Based on the premise that dual C-Cl isotope slopes reflect ongoing degradation pathways, the slopes associated with PCE and TCE suggest the predominance of biotic reductive dechlorination near the source area. PCE...... is supported by the relative lack of Dhc in the downgradient part of the plume. The results of this study show that thermal remediation can enhance the biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes, and that this effect can be traced to the mobilisation of DOC due to steam injection. This, in turn, results in more...

  13. Characteristics of bubble plumes, bubble-plume bubbles and waves from wind-steepened wave breaking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leifer, I.; Caulliez, G.; Leeuw, G. de

    2007-01-01

    Observations of breaking waves, associated bubble plumes and bubble-plume size distributions were used to explore the coupled evolution of wave-breaking, wave properties and bubble-plume characteristics. Experiments were made in a large, freshwater, wind-wave channel with mechanical wind-steepened

  14. On predicting mantle mushroom plumes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ka-Kheng Tan

    2011-04-01

    Top cooling may produce plunging plumes of diameter of 585 km and at least 195 Myr old. The number of cold plumes is estimated to be 569, which has not been observed by seismic tomography or as cold spots. The cold plunging plumes may overwhelm and entrap some of the hot rising plumes from CMB, so that together they may settle in the transition zone.

  15. 3D Density Structure of Oceanic Lithosphere Affected by A Plume: A Case Study from the Greater Jan Mayen-East Greenland Region (NE Atlantic)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, P.; Sippel, J.; Breivik, A. J.; Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Meeßen, C.

    2017-12-01

    Unraveling the density structure of the oceanic lithosphere north of Iceland is key for understanding the effects of the Iceland Plume on the mid-ocean ridges of the greater Jan Mayen-East Greenland Region. We use a data-integrative approach for 3D gravity modeling to develop new insights into the crust and upper mantle density structure of this region. First, we obtain the 3D density structure of the sediments and crust from interpretations of regional reflection and refraction seismic lines. Then, the temperature and density structure of the mantle between 50 and 250 km are derived from a published shear-wave velocity (Vs) tomography model. To assess the density configuration between the Moho and 50 km depth, we follow a combined forward and inverse 3D gravity modeling approach. The Vs tomography and derived density of the deeper mantle (>50 km depth) reveal that the low-density anomaly related to the Iceland plume gets weaker with increasing distance from the plume, i.e. from the strongly influenced Middle Kolbeinsey Ridge (MKR) to the Mohn's Ridge. The West Jan Mayen Fracture Zone is identified as a main mantle density contrast, indicative of differences in the thermal evolution of the ridge systems it separates. Beneath the MKR region, the low-density anomaly at depths of >50 km continues upwards into the uppermost mantle, where its lateral dimensions narrow considerably. This elongated density anomaly is consistent with a basement high and indicates a channelization of the Iceland plume effects. The NE-SW elongated mantle anomaly does not, however, coincide with the topographical NNE-SSW striking ridge axis. Thus, the modelled plume-affected oceanic lithosphere reveals discrepancies with the half-space cooling model. We discuss the 3D density model in terms of such spatial relations between deeper mantle anomalies and the shallow crustal structure.

  16. Evidence of a plume on Europa from Galileo magnetic and plasma wave signatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Xianzhe; Kivelson, Margaret G.; Khurana, Krishan K.; Kurth, William S.

    2018-05-01

    The icy surface of Jupiter's moon, Europa, is thought to lie on top of a global ocean1-4. Signatures in some Hubble Space Telescope images have been associated with putative water plumes rising above Europa's surface5,6, providing support for the ocean theory. However, all telescopic detections reported were made at the limit of sensitivity of the data5-7, thereby calling for a search for plume signatures in in-situ measurements. Here, we report in-situ evidence of a plume on Europa from the magnetic field and plasma wave observations acquired on Galileo's closest encounter with the moon. During this flyby, which dropped below 400 km altitude, the magnetometer8 recorded an approximately 1,000-kilometre-scale field rotation and a decrease of over 200 nT in field magnitude, and the Plasma Wave Spectrometer9 registered intense localized wave emissions indicative of a brief but substantial increase in plasma density. We show that the location, duration and variations of the magnetic field and plasma wave measurements are consistent with the interaction of Jupiter's corotating plasma with Europa if a plume with characteristics inferred from Hubble images were erupting from the region of Europa's thermal anomalies. These results provide strong independent evidence of the presence of plumes at Europa.

  17. Evidence of a plume on Europa from Galileo magnetic and plasma wave signatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Xianzhe; Kivelson, Margaret G.; Khurana, Krishan K.; Kurth, William S.

    2018-06-01

    The icy surface of Jupiter's moon, Europa, is thought to lie on top of a global ocean1-4. Signatures in some Hubble Space Telescope images have been associated with putative water plumes rising above Europa's surface5,6, providing support for the ocean theory. However, all telescopic detections reported were made at the limit of sensitivity of the data5-7, thereby calling for a search for plume signatures in in-situ measurements. Here, we report in-situ evidence of a plume on Europa from the magnetic field and plasma wave observations acquired on Galileo's closest encounter with the moon. During this flyby, which dropped below 400 km altitude, the magnetometer8 recorded an approximately 1,000-kilometre-scale field rotation and a decrease of over 200 nT in field magnitude, and the Plasma Wave Spectrometer9 registered intense localized wave emissions indicative of a brief but substantial increase in plasma density. We show that the location, duration and variations of the magnetic field and plasma wave measurements are consistent with the interaction of Jupiter's corotating plasma with Europa if a plume with characteristics inferred from Hubble images were erupting from the region of Europa's thermal anomalies. These results provide strong independent evidence of the presence of plumes at Europa.

  18. Descent and mixing of the overflow plume from Storfjord in Svalbard: an idealized numerical model study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Fer

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Storfjorden in the Svalbard Archipelago is a sill-fjord that produces significant volumes of dense, brine-enriched shelf water through ice formation. The dense water produced in the fjord overflows the sill and can reach deep into the Fram Strait. For conditions corresponding to a moderate ice production year, the pathway of the overflow, its descent and evolving water mass properties due to mixing are investigated for the first time using a high resolution 3-D numerical model. An idealized modeling approach forced by a typical annual cycle of buoyancy forcing due to ice production is chosen in a terrain-following vertical co-ordinate. Comparison with observational data, including hydrography, fine resolution current measurements and direct turbulence measurements using a microstructure profiler, gives confidence on the model performance. The model eddy diffusivity profiles contrasted to those inferred from the turbulence measurements give confidence on the skill of the Mellor Yamada scheme in representing sub-grid scale mixing for the Storfjorden overflow, and probably for gravity current modeling, in general. The Storfjorden overflow is characterized by low Froude number dynamics except at the shelf break where the plume narrows, accelerates with speed reaching 0.6 m s−1, yielding local Froude number in excess of unity. The volume flux of the plume increases by five-fold from the sill to downstream of the shelf-break. Rotational hydraulic control is not applicable for transport estimates at the sill using upstream basin information. To the leading order, geostrophy establishes the lateral slope of the plume interface at the sill. This allows for a transport estimate that is consistent with the model results by evaluating a weir relation at the sill.

  19. Marine snow, organic solute plumes, and optimal chemosensory behavior of bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kiørboe, Thomas; Jackson, G.A.

    2001-01-01

    Leaking organic solutes form an elongated plume in the wake of a sinking aggregate. These solutes may both be assimilated by suspended bacteria and guide bacteria with chemokinetic swimming behavior toward the aggregate. We used modifications of previously published models of the flow and concent......Leaking organic solutes form an elongated plume in the wake of a sinking aggregate. These solutes may both be assimilated by suspended bacteria and guide bacteria with chemokinetic swimming behavior toward the aggregate. We used modifications of previously published models of the flow...... behavior was used to examine the potential contribution of aggregate-generated solute plumes for water column bacteria] production. Despite occupying only a small volume fraction, the plumes may provide important growth habitats for free bacteria and account for a significant proportion of water column...

  20. Dynamics of Mantle Plume Controlled by both Post-spinel and Post-garnet Phase Transitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, H.; Leng, W.

    2017-12-01

    Mineralogical studies indicate that two major phase transitions occur near 660 km depth in the Earth's pyrolitic mantle: the ringwoodite (Rw) to perovskite (Pv) + magnesiowüstite (Mw) and majorite (Mj) to perovskite (Pv) phase transitions. Seismological results also show a complicated phase boundary structure for plume regions at this depth, including broad pulse, double reflections and depressed 660 km discontinuity beneath hot regions etc… These observations have been attributed to the co-existence of these two phase transformations. However, previous geodynamical modeling mainly focused on the effects of Rw-Pv+Mw phase transition on the plume dynamics and largely neglected the effects of Mj-Pv phase transition. Here we develop a 3-D regional spherical geodynamic model to study the influence of the combination of Rw - Pv+Mw and Mj - Pv phase transitions on plume dynamics, including the topography fluctuation of 660 km discontinuity, plume shape and penetration capability of plume. Our results show that (1) a double phase boundary occurs at the hot center area of plume while for other regions with relatively lower temperature the phase boundary is single and flat, which respectively corresponds to the double reflections in the seismic observations and a high velocity prism-like structure at the top of 660 km discontinuity; (2) a large amount of low temperature plume materials could be trapped to form a complex trapezoid overlying the 660 km depth; (3) Mj - Pv phase change strongly enhances the plume penetration capability at 660 km depth, which significantly increases the plume mass flux due to the increased plume radius, but significantly reduces plume heat flux due to the decreased plume temperature in the upper mantle. Our model results provide new enlightenments for better constraining seismic structure and mineral reactions at 660 km phase boundaries.

  1. Modeling Multiple-Core Updraft Plume Rise for an Aerial Ignition Prescribed Burn by Coupling Daysmoke with a Cellular Automata Fire Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    G. L Achtemeier; S. L. Goodrick; Y. Liu

    2012-01-01

    Smoke plume rise is critically dependent on plume updraft structure. Smoke plumes from landscape burns (forest and agricultural burns) are typically structured into “sub-plumes” or multiple-core updrafts with the number of updraft cores depending on characteristics of the landscape, fire, fuels, and weather. The number of updraft cores determines the efficiency of...

  2. Heat and mass transfer in the mushroom-shaped head of mantle plume

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirdyashkin Anatoly

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The results of experimental and theoretical modeling of free-convection flows in the melt of the plume conduit and in the mushroom-shaped head are presented. It was shown that the plumes with the mushroom-shaped heads can be responsible for the batholith formation. The main parameters of such plumes are estimated.

  3. The Robustness of Tomographically Imaged Broad Plumes in the Deep Mantle: Constraints on Mantle Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanowicz, B. A.; Jiménez-Pérez, H.; Adourian, S.; Karaoglu, H.; French, S.

    2016-12-01

    the Pacific ocean. We argue that the plumes can be better resolved than in models developed using classical approaches, due to the particular combination of theory and dataset. We discuss the geodynamical consequences of their attributes, which contrast with those of purely thermal plumes in a medium with simple temperature and pressure dependent rheology.

  4. Density Driven Removal of Sediment from a Buoyant Muddy Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rouhnia, M.; Strom, K.

    2014-12-01

    Experiments were conducted to study the effect of settling driven instabilities on sediment removal from hypopycnal plumes. Traditional approaches scale removal rates with particle settling velocity however, it has been suggested that the removal from buoyant suspensions happens at higher rates. The enhancement of removal is likely due to gravitational instabilities, such as fingering, at two-fluid interface. Previous studies have all sought to suppress flocculation, and no simple model exists to predict the removal rates under the effect of such instabilities. This study examines whether or not flocculation hampers instability formation and presents a simple removal rate model accounting for gravitational instabilities. A buoyant suspension of flocculated Kaolinite overlying a base of clear saltwater was investigated in a laboratory tank. Concentration was continuously measured in both layers with a pair of OBS sensors, and interface was monitored with digital cameras. Snapshots from the video were used to measure finger velocity. Samples of flocculated particles at the interface were extracted to retrieve floc size data using a floc camera. Flocculation did not stop creation of settling-driven fingers. A simple cylinder-based force balance model was capable of predicting finger velocity. Analogy of fingering process of fine grained suspensions to thermal plume formation and the concept of Grashof number enabled us to model finger spacing as a function of initial concentration. Finally, from geometry, the effective cross-sectional area was correlated to finger spacing. Reformulating the outward flux expression was done by substitution of finger velocity, rather than particle settling velocity, and finger area instead of total area. A box model along with the proposed outward flux was used to predict the SSC in buoyant layer. The model quantifies removal flux based on the initial SSC and is in good agreement with the experimental data.

  5. Environmental Impacts of a Multi-Borehole Geothermal System: Model Sensitivity Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krol, M.; Daemi, N.

    2017-12-01

    Problems associated with fossil fuel consumption has increased worldwide interest in discovering and developing sustainable energy systems. One such system is geothermal heating, which uses the constant temperature of the ground to heat or cool buildings. Since geothermal heating offers low maintenance, high heating/cooling comfort, and a low carbon footprint, compared to conventional systems, there has been an increasing trend in equipping large buildings with geothermal heating. However, little is known on the potential environmental impact geothermal heating can have on the subsurface, such as the creation of subsurface thermal plumes or changes in groundwater flow dynamics. In the present study, the environmental impacts of a closed-loop, ground source heat pump (GSHP) system was examined with respect to different system parameters. To do this a three-dimensional model, developed using FEFLOW, was used to examine the thermal plumes resulting from ten years of operation of a vertical closed-loop GSHP system with multiple boreholes. A required thermal load typical of an office building located in Canada was calculated and groundwater flow and heat transport in the geological formation was simulated. Consequently, the resulting thermal plumes were studied and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the effect of different parameters like groundwater flow and soil type on the development and movement of thermal plumes. Since thermal plumes can affect the efficiency of a GSHP system, this study provides insight into important system parameters.

  6. Can molecular diffusion explain Space Shuttle plume spreading?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, R. R.; Plane, John M. C.; Stevens, Michael H.; Paxton, L. J.; Christensen, A. B.; Crowley, G.

    2010-04-01

    The satellite-borne Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) has produced more than 20 images of NASA Space Shuttle main engine plumes in the lower thermosphere. These reveal atomic hydrogen and, by inference, water vapor transport over hemispherical-scale distances with speeds much faster than expected from models of thermospheric wind motions. Furthermore, the hydrogen plumes expand rapidly. We find rates that exceed the horizontal diffusion speed at nominal plume altitudes of 104-112 km. Kelley et al. (2009) have proposed a 2-D turbulence mechanism to explain the observed spreading rates (and rapid advection) of the plumes. But upon further investigation, we conclude that H atom diffusion can indeed account for the observed expansion rates by recognizing that vertical diffusion quickly conveys atoms to higher altitudes where horizontal diffusion is much more rapid. We also find evidence for H atom production directly during the Shuttle's main engine burn.

  7. Prediction of fluctuating pressure environments associated with plume-induced separated flow fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plotkin, K. J.

    1973-01-01

    The separated flow environment induced by underexpanded rocket plumes during boost phase of rocket vehicles has been investigated. A simple semi-empirical model for predicting the extent of separation was developed. This model offers considerable computational economy as compared to other schemes reported in the literature, and has been shown to be in good agreement with limited flight data. The unsteady pressure field in plume-induced separated regions was investigated. It was found that fluctuations differed from those for a rigid flare only at low frequencies. The major difference between plume-induced separation and flare-induced separation was shown to be an increase in shock oscillation distance for the plume case. The prediction schemes were applied to PRR shuttle launch configuration. It was found that fluctuating pressures from plume-induced separation are not as severe as for other fluctuating environments at the critical flight condition of maximum dynamic pressure.

  8. Numerical prediction of Plume Induced Flow Separation (PIFS) on launch vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeffries, D.K.; Ferguson, F.; Chandra, S.

    2002-01-01

    Lockheed Martin Astronautics designs and operates launch vehicles that deliver payloads into specific geosynchronous orbits for the government and the commercial market place. Lockheed's family Atlas Launch Vehicles are an industry leader in this very competitive business and remain in this position by continuously optimizing the Atlas design to increase its performance. However, the unknown overall effects of a phenomenon that occurs when aircraft operate at high altitudes is hindering the advancement of the vehicle. Engineers have known for years through observations and calculations that the exhaust plume from an aircraft's engine undergoes changes in shape and increases in size as the aircraft gains altitude and speed. The change in exhaust plum configuration typically leads to interaction between the exhaust gases and freestream air, which is the cause of the phenomenon know as Plume Induced Flow Separation (PIFS). PIFS separates the external flow from the surface of the vehicle allowing the hot exhaust gases to climb forward from the engines toward the aircraft's leading end. Long believed to harmlessly climb the outside surfaces of aircraft, the mostly unknown phenomenon in now feared to hamper the performance of today's launch vehicles. Lockheed Martin has contracted the research study of PIFS to better understand the flowfield and then use that information to optimize the design of their launch vehicles and mitigate ifs effects. A study of the phenomenon, its resulting flowfield and thermal environment, is greatly needed to add to the knowledge of bases of PIFS and aerospace flight. The study presented outlines the development of a numerical model, which was used to investigate the effects of PIFS on an Atlas IIIA Launch Vehicle by simulating the vehicle operating under flight conditions where PIFS is most likely to occur. The model was validated by comparing numerical results with experimental data and verified by reviewing the flow physics captured. The

  9. Modeling the Response of Primary Production and Sedimentation to Variable Nitrate Loading in the Mississippi River Plume

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Green, Rebecca E; Breed, Greg A; Dagg, Michael J; Lohrenz, Steven E

    2008-01-01

    ...% reduction in annual nitrogen discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. We developed an ecosystem model for the Mississippi River plume to investigate the response of organic matter production and sedimentation to variable nitrate loading...

  10. Wildfire simulation using a chemically-reacting plume in a crossflow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breidenthal, Robert; Alvarado, Travis; Potter, Brian

    2010-11-01

    Water tunnel experiments reveal the flame length of a chemically-reacting plume in a crossflow. Salt water containing a pH indicator and a base is slowly injected from above into the test section of a water tunnel containing an acidic solution. The flame length is measured optically as a function of the buoyancy flux, crossflow speed, and volume equivalence ratio of the chemical reaction. Based on earlier work of Broadwell with the transverse jet, a simple dilution model predicts the flame length of the transverse plume. The plume observations are in accord with the model. As with the jet, there is a minimum in the flame length of the plume at a transition between two self-similar regimes, corresponding to the formation of a pair of counter-rotating vortices at a certain crossflow speed. At the transition, there is a maximum in the entrainment and mixing rates. In an actual wildfire with variable winds, this transition may correspond to a dangerous condition for firefighters.

  11. Influences of source condition and dissolution on bubble plume in a stratified environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Shigan; Prosperetti, Andrea

    2017-11-01

    A cross-sectionally averaged model is used to study a bubble plume rising in a stratified quiescent liquid. Scaling analyses for the peel height, at which the plume momentum vanishes, and the neutral height, at which its average density equals the ambient density, are presented. Contrary to a widespread practice in the literature, it is argued that the neutral height cannot be identified with the experimentally reported intrusion height. Recognizing this difference provides an explanation of the reason why the intrusion height is found so frequently to lie so much above predictions, and brings the theoretical results in line with observations. The mathematical model depends on three dimensionless parameters, some of which are related to the inlet conditions at the plume source. Their influence on the peel and neutral heights is illustrated by means of numerical results. Aside from the source parameters, we incorporate dissolution of bubbles and the corresponding density change of plume into the model. Contrary to what's documented in literature, density change of plume due to dissolution plays an important role in keeping the total buoyancy of plume, thus alleviating the rapid decrease of peel height because of dissolution.

  12. Numerical modeling of flows and pollutant dispersion within and above urban street canyons under unstable thermal stratification by large-eddy simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Ming-Chung; Liu, Chun-Ho

    2013-04-01

    Recently, with the ever increasing urban areas in developing countries, the problem of air pollution due to vehicular exhaust arouses the concern of different groups of people. Understanding how different factors, such as urban morphology, meteorological conditions and human activities, affect the characteristics of street canyon ventilation, pollutant dispersion above urban areas and pollutant re-entrainment from the shear layer can help us improve air pollution control strategies. Among the factors mentioned above, thermal stratification is a significant one determining the pollutant transport behaviors in certain situation, e.g. when the urban surface is heated by strong solar radiation, which, however, is still not widely explored. The objective of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the effects of unstable thermal stratification on the flows and pollutant dispersion within and above urban street canyons through numerical modeling using large-eddy simulation (LES). In this study, LES equipped with one-equation subgrid-scale (SGS) model is employed to model the flows and pollutant dispersion within and above two-dimensional (2D) urban street canyons (flanked by idealized buildings, which are square solid bars in these models) under different intensities of unstable thermal stratifications. Three building-height-to-street-width (aspect) ratios, 0.5, 1 and 2, are included in this study as a representation of different building densities. The prevailing wind flow above the urban canopy is driven by background pressure gradient, which is perpendicular to the street axis, while the condition of unstable thermal stratification is induced by applying a higher uniform temperature on the no-slip urban surface. The relative importance between stratification and background wind is characterized by the Richardson number, with zero value as a neutral case and negative value as an unstable case. The buoyancy force is modeled by Boussinesq approximation and the

  13. Showmaker-Levy 9 and plume-forming collisions on Earth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boslough, M.B.E.; Crawford, D.A.

    1995-12-31

    Computational models for the July, 1994 collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter have provided a framework for interpreting the observational data. Imaging, photometry, and spectroscopy data from ground-based, Hubble Space Telescope, and Galileo spacecraft instruments are consistent with phenomena that were dominated by the generation of incandescent fireballs that were ballistically ejected to high altitudes, where they formed plumes that subsequently collapsed over large areas of Jupiter`s atmosphere. Applications of similar computational models to collisions into Earth`s atmosphere show that a very similar sequence of events should take place for NEO impacts with energies as low as 3 megatons, recurring on 100 year timescales or less. This result suggests that the 1908 Tunguska event was a plume-forming atmospheric explosion, and that some of the phenomena associated with it might be related to the ejection and collapse of a high plume. Hazards associated with plume growth and collapse should be included in the evaluation of the impact threat to Earth, and opportunities should be sought for observational validation of atmospheric impact models by exploiting data already being collected from the natural flux of multi-kiloton to megaton sized objects that constantly enter Earth`s atmosphere on annual to decadal timescales.

  14. Nonlinear Bayesian Algorithms for Gas Plume Detection and Estimation from Hyper-spectral Thermal Image Data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heasler, Patrick G.; Posse, Christian; Hylden, Jeff L.; Anderson, Kevin K.

    2007-06-13

    This paper presents a nonlinear Bayesian regression algorithm for the purpose of detecting and estimating gas plume content from hyper-spectral data. Remote sensing data, by its very nature, is collected under less controlled conditions than laboratory data. As a result, the physics-based model that is used to describe the relationship between the observed remotesensing spectra, and the terrestrial (or atmospheric) parameters that we desire to estimate, is typically littered with many unknown "nuisance" parameters (parameters that we are not interested in estimating, but also appear in the model). Bayesian methods are well-suited for this context as they automatically incorporate the uncertainties associated with all nuisance parameters into the error estimates of the parameters of interest. The nonlinear Bayesian regression methodology is illustrated on realistic simulated data from a three-layer model for longwave infrared (LWIR) measurements from a passive instrument. This shows that this approach should permit more accurate estimation as well as a more reasonable description of estimate uncertainty.

  15. Area 2: Inexpensive Monitoring and Uncertainty Assessment of CO2 Plume Migration using Injection Data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srinivasan, Sanjay [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

    2014-09-30

    In-depth understanding of the long-term fate of CO₂ in the subsurface requires study and analysis of the reservoir formation, the overlaying caprock formation, and adjacent faults. Because there is significant uncertainty in predicting the location and extent of geologic heterogeneity that can impact the future migration of CO₂ in the subsurface, there is a need to develop algorithms that can reliably quantify this uncertainty in plume migration. This project is focused on the development of a model selection algorithm that refines an initial suite of subsurface models representing the prior uncertainty to create a posterior set of subsurface models that reflect injection performance consistent with that observed. Such posterior models can be used to represent uncertainty in the future migration of the CO₂ plume. Because only injection data is required, the method provides a very inexpensive method to map the migration of the plume and the associated uncertainty in migration paths. The model selection method developed as part of this project mainly consists of assessing the connectivity/dynamic characteristics of a large prior ensemble of models, grouping the models on the basis of their expected dynamic response, selecting the subgroup of models that most closely yield dynamic response closest to the observed dynamic data, and finally quantifying the uncertainty in plume migration using the selected subset of models. The main accomplishment of the project is the development of a software module within the SGEMS earth modeling software package that implements the model selection methodology. This software module was subsequently applied to analyze CO₂ plume migration in two field projects – the In Salah CO₂ Injection project in Algeria and CO₂ injection into the Utsira formation in Norway. These applications of the software revealed that the proxies developed in this project for quickly assessing the dynamic characteristics of the reservoir were

  16. Analysis of plume backflow around a nozzle lip in a nuclear rocket

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, C.H.; Kim, S.C.; Stubbs, R.M.; De Witt, K.J.

    1993-06-01

    The structure of the flow around a nuclear thermal rocket nozzle lip has been investigated using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method. Special attention has been paid to the behavior of a small amount of harmful particles that may be present in the rocket exhaust gas. The harmful fission product particles are modeled by four inert gases whose molecular weights are in a range of 4 131. Atomic hydrogen, which exists in the flow due to the extremely high nuclear fuel temperature in the reactor, is also included. It is shown that the plume backflow is primarily determined by the thin subsonic fluid layer adjacent to the surface of the nozzle lip, and that the inflow boundary in the plume region has negligible effect on the backflow. It is also shown that a relatively large amount of the lighter species is scattered into the backflow region while the amount of the heavier species becomes negligible in this region due to extreme separation between the species. Results indicate that the backscattered molecules are very energetic and are fast-moving along the surface in the backflow region near the nozzle lip. 22 refs

  17. Scaling for turbulent viscosity of buoyant plumes in stratified fluids: PIV measurement with implications for submarine hydrothermal plume turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wei; He, Zhiguo; Jiang, Houshuo

    2017-11-01

    Time-resolved particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been used to measure instantaneous two-dimensional velocity vector fields of laboratory-generated turbulent buoyant plumes in linearly stratified saltwater over extended periods of time. From PIV-measured time-series flow data, characteristics of plume mean flow and turbulence have been quantified. To be specific, maximum plume penetration scaling and entrainment coefficient determined from the mean flow agree well with the theory based on the entrainment hypothesis for buoyant plumes in stratified fluids. Besides the well-known persistent entrainment along the plume stem (i.e., the 'plume-stem' entrainment), the mean plume velocity field shows persistent entrainment along the outer edge of the plume cap (i.e., the 'plume-cap' entrainment), thereby confirming predictions from previous numerical simulation studies. To our knowledge, the present PIV investigation provides the first measured flow field data in the plume cap region. As to measured plume turbulence, both the turbulent kinetic energy field and the turbulence dissipation rate field attain their maximum close to the source, while the turbulent viscosity field reaches its maximum within the plume cap region; the results also show that maximum turbulent viscosity scales as νt,max = 0.030(B/N)1/2, where B is source buoyancy flux and N is ambient buoyancy frequency. These PIV data combined with previously published numerical simulation results have implications for understanding the roles of hydrothermal plume turbulence, i.e. plume turbulence within the cap region causes the 'plume-cap' entrainment that plays an equally important role as the 'plume-stem' entrainment in supplying the final volume flux at the plume spreading level.

  18. Geothermal constraints on Emeishan mantle plume magmatism: paleotemperature reconstruction of the Sichuan Basin, SW China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Chuanqing; Hu, Shengbiao; Qiu, Nansheng; Jiang, Qiang; Rao, Song; Liu, Shuai

    2018-01-01

    The Middle-Late Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP) in southwestern China represents a classic example of a mantle plume origin. To constrain the thermal regime of the ELIP and contemporaneous magmatic activity in the northeastern Sichuan Basin, maximum paleotemperature profiles of deep boreholes were reconstructed using vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and apatite fission track data. Two heating patterns were identified: (1) heating of the overlying lithosphere by magma storage regions and/or magmatic activity related to the mantle plume, which resulted in a relatively strong geothermal field and (2) direct heating of country rock by stock or basalt. Borehole Ro data and reconstructed maximum paleotemperature profiles near the ELIP exhibit abrupt tectonothermal unconformities between the Middle and Late Permian. The profiles in the lower subsections (i.e., pre-Middle Permian) exhibited significantly higher gradients than those in the upper subsections. Distal to the basalt province, high paleo-geotemperatures (hereafter, paleotemperatures) were inferred, despite deformation of the paleogeothermal curve due to deep faults and igneous rocks within the boreholes. In contrast, Ro profiles from boreholes without igneous rocks (i.e., Late Permian) contained no break at the unconformity. Paleotemperature gradients of the upper and the lower subsections and erosion at the Middle/Late Permian unconformity revealed variations in the thermal regime. The inferred spatial distribution of the paleothermal regime and the erosion magnitudes record the magmatic and tectonic-thermal response to the Emeishan mantle plume.

  19. Particle Simulation of Pulsed Plasma Thruster Plumes

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Boyd, Ian

    2002-01-01

    .... Our modeling had made progress in al aspects of simulating these complex devices including Teflon ablation, plasma formation, electro-magnetic acceleration, plume expansion, and particulate transport...

  20. Understanding CO2 Plume Behavior and Basin-Scale Pressure Changes during Sequestration Projects through the use of Reservoir Fluid Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leetaru, H.E.; Frailey, S.M.; Damico, J.; Mehnert, E.; Birkholzer, J.; Zhou, Q.; Jordan, P.D.

    2009-01-01

    Large scale geologic sequestration tests are in the planning stages around the world. The liability and safety issues of the migration of CO2 away from the primary injection site and/or reservoir are of significant concerns for these sequestration tests. Reservoir models for simulating single or multi-phase fluid flow are used to understand the migration of CO2 in the subsurface. These models can also help evaluate concerns related to brine migration and basin-scale pressure increases that occur due to the injection of additional fluid volumes into the subsurface. The current paper presents different modeling examples addressing these issues, ranging from simple geometric models to more complex reservoir fluid models with single-site and basin-scale applications. Simple geometric models assuming a homogeneous geologic reservoir and piston-like displacement have been used for understanding pressure changes and fluid migration around each CO2 storage site. These geometric models are useful only as broad approximations because they do not account for the variation in porosity, permeability, asymmetry of the reservoir, and dip of the beds. In addition, these simple models are not capable of predicting the interference between different injection sites within the same reservoir. A more realistic model of CO2 plume behavior can be produced using reservoir fluid models. Reservoir simulation of natural gas storage reservoirs in the Illinois Basin Cambrian-age Mt. Simon Sandstone suggest that reservoir heterogeneity will be an important factor for evaluating storage capacity. The Mt. Simon Sandstone is a thick sandstone that underlies many significant coal fired power plants (emitting at least 1 million tonnes per year) in the midwestern United States including the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. The initial commercial sequestration sites are expected to inject 1 to 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Depending on the geologic structure and

  1. Turbulent buoyant jets and plumes

    CERN Document Server

    Rodi, Wolfgang

    The Science & Applications of Heat and Mass Transfer: Reports, Reviews, & Computer Programs, Volume 6: Turbulent Buoyant Jets and Plumes focuses on the formation, properties, characteristics, and reactions of turbulent jets and plumes. The selection first offers information on the mechanics of turbulent buoyant jets and plumes and turbulent buoyant jets in shallow fluid layers. Discussions focus on submerged buoyant jets into shallow fluid, horizontal surface or interface jets into shallow layers, fundamental considerations, and turbulent buoyant jets (forced plumes). The manuscript then exami

  2. Sediment plume model-a comparison between use of measured turbidity data and satellite images for model calibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeghian, Amir; Hudson, Jeff; Wheater, Howard; Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich

    2017-08-01

    In this study, we built a two-dimensional sediment transport model of Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was calibrated by using measured turbidity data from stations along the reservoir and satellite images based on a flood event in 2013. In June 2013, there was heavy rainfall for two consecutive days on the frozen and snow-covered ground in the higher elevations of western Alberta, Canada. The runoff from the rainfall and the melted snow caused one of the largest recorded inflows to the headwaters of the South Saskatchewan River and Lake Diefenbaker downstream. An estimated discharge peak of over 5200 m 3 /s arrived at the reservoir inlet with a thick sediment front within a few days. The sediment plume moved quickly through the entire reservoir and remained visible from satellite images for over 2 weeks along most of the reservoir, leading to concerns regarding water quality. The aims of this study are to compare, quantitatively and qualitatively, the efficacy of using turbidity data and satellite images for sediment transport model calibration and to determine how accurately a sediment transport model can simulate sediment transport based on each of them. Both turbidity data and satellite images were very useful for calibrating the sediment transport model quantitatively and qualitatively. Model predictions and turbidity measurements show that the flood water and suspended sediments entered upstream fairly well mixed and moved downstream as overflow with a sharp gradient at the plume front. The model results suggest that the settling and resuspension rates of sediment are directly proportional to flow characteristics and that the use of constant coefficients leads to model underestimation or overestimation unless more data on sediment formation become available. Hence, this study reiterates the significance of the availability of data on sediment distribution and characteristics for building a robust and reliable sediment transport model.

  3. Prominence Bubbles and Plumes: Thermo-magnetic Buoyancy in Coronal Cavity Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Thomas; Hurlburt, N.

    2009-05-01

    The Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope continues to produce high spatial and temporal resolution images of solar prominences in both the Ca II 396.8 nm H-line and the H-alpha 656.3 nm line. Time series of these images show that many quiescent prominences produce large scale (50 Mm) dark "bubbles" that "inflate" into, and sometimes burst through, the prominence material. In addition, small-scale (2--5 Mm) dark plumes are seen rising into many quiescent prominences. We show typical examples of both phenomena and argue that they originate from the same mechanism: concentrated and heated magnetic flux that rises due to thermal and magnetic buoyancy to equilibrium heights in the prominence/coronal-cavity system. More generally, these bubbles and upflows offer a source of both magnetic flux and mass to the overlying coronal cavity, supporting B.C. Low's theory of CME initiation via steadily increasing magnetic buoyancy breaking through the overlying helmut streamer tension forces. Quiescent prominences are thus seen as the lowermost parts of the larger coronal cavity system, revealing through thermal effects both the cooled downflowing "drainage" from the cavity and the heated upflowing magnetic "plasmoids" supplying the cavity. We compare SOT movies to new 3D compressible MHD simulations that reproduce the dark turbulent plume dynamics to establish the magnetic and thermal character of these buoyancy-driven flows into the corona.

  4. A Monte Carlo simulation method for assessing biotransformation effects on groundwater fuel hydrocarbon plume lengths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNab, W.W. Jr.

    2000-01-01

    Biotransformation of dissolved groundwater hydrocarbon plumes emanating from leaking underground fuel tanks should, in principle, result in plume length stabilization over relatively short distances, thus diminishing the environmental risk. However, because the behavior of hydrocarbon plumes is usually poorly constrained at most leaking underground fuel tank sites in terms of release history, groundwater velocity, dispersion, as well as the biotransformation rate, demonstrating such a limitation in plume length is problematic. Biotransformation signatures in the aquifer geochemistry, most notably elevated bicarbonate, may offer a means of constraining the relationship between plume length and the mean biotransformation rate. In this study, modeled plume lengths and spatial bicarbonate differences among a population of synthetic hydrocarbon plumes, generated through Monte Carlo simulation of an analytical solute transport model, are compared to field observations from six underground storage tank (UST) sites at military bases in California. Simulation results indicate that the relationship between plume length and the distribution of bicarbonate is best explained by biotransformation rates that are consistent with ranges commonly reported in the literature. This finding suggests that bicarbonate can indeed provide an independent means for evaluating limitations in hydrocarbon plume length resulting from biotransformation. (Author)

  5. Appearance property and mechanism of plume produced by pulsed ultraviolet laser ablating copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Qingju; Li Fuquan; Wang Honghua

    2008-01-01

    Time-resolved measurements of plume emission spectra by pulsed ultraviolet laser ablating copper in neon were analyzed, and the photographs of plume from laser ablating copper were taken. The experimental results show that plume has different colours in different ranges. At low pressure the centre layer and middle layer colours of plume are mixed colour, and the outer layer colours of plume are yellow and green. At middle pressure the centre layer and middle layer colours of plume are white, and the outer layer colour of plume is pea green. At high pressure the centre layer and middle layer colours of plume are white, and the outer layer colour of plume is faintness green. The plume range is pressed with the rising of ambient gas pressure, and the range colour gets thin with the rising of ambient gas pressure. The plume excitation radiation mechanism in pulsed ultraviolet laser ablating copper was discussed. The primary excitation radiation mechanism in plume is electron collision energy transfer and atom collision energy transfer at low pressure and middle pressure, and it is electrons Bremsstrahlung and recombination excitation radiation of electron and ion at high pressure. The model can be used to explain the experimental result qualitatively. (authors)

  6. Plume tracer experiments at Hinkley Point 'A' [Nuclear Power Station] during 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foster, P.M.

    1988-11-01

    The results of the first part of a programme of plume dispersion measurements at the Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Station are described. Using SF 6 gas and pyrotechnic smoke tracer techniques developed during an earlier study at Oldbury, measurements of ground level plume behaviour out to about 4 km and elevated plume behaviour out to about 1 km have been made in a series of twelve 1 hour trials and one 15 minute trial. Whereas the Oldbury study considered passive emissions, attention in this study has been focussed on the behaviour of the buoyant shield cooling air emission. Data on plume rise and the degree of plume entrainment by the building wake and on the effects of entrainment and wind meander on plume width and concentration, are presented and discussed in relation to current modelling recommendations. A limited number of 10 minute averaged measurements of plume concentration and 41-Ar decay gamma count were also made at 2 km range and their correlation and variability examined. (author)

  7. Thermal modelling using discrete vasculature for thermal therapy: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kok, H.P.; Gellermann, J.; van den Berg, C.A.T.; Stauffer, P.R.; Hand, J.W.; Crezee, J.

    2013-01-01

    Reliable temperature information during clinical hyperthermia and thermal ablation is essential for adequate treatment control, but conventional temperature measurements do not provide 3D temperature information. Treatment planning is a very useful tool to improve treatment quality and substantial progress has been made over the last decade. Thermal modelling is a very important and challenging aspect of hyperthermia treatment planning. Various thermal models have been developed for this purpose, with varying complexity. Since blood perfusion is such an important factor in thermal redistribution of energy in in vivo tissue, thermal simulations are most accurately performed by modelling discrete vasculature. This review describes the progress in thermal modelling with discrete vasculature for the purpose of hyperthermia treatment planning and thermal ablation. There has been significant progress in thermal modelling with discrete vasculature. Recent developments have made real-time simulations possible, which can provide feedback during treatment for improved therapy. Future clinical application of thermal modelling with discrete vasculature in hyperthermia treatment planning is expected to further improve treatment quality. PMID:23738700

  8. Footprint (A Screening Model for Estimating the Area of a Plume Produced from Gasoline Containing Ethanol

    Science.gov (United States)

    FOOTPRINT is a simple and user-friendly screening model to estimate the length and surface area of BTEX plumes in ground water produced from a spill of gasoline that contains ethanol. Ethanol has a potential negative impact on the natural biodegradation of BTEX compounds in groun...

  9. NW Iberia shelf dynamics and the behaviour of the Douro River plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iglesias, Isabel; Couvelard, Xavier; Avilez-Valente, Paulo; Caldeira, Rui M. A.

    2015-04-01

    The study and modelling of the river plumes is a key factor to complete understand the coastal physics and dynamic processes and sediment transport mechanisms. Some the terrestrial materials that they transport to the ocean are pollutants, essential nutrients, which enhance the phytoplankton productivity or sediments, which settle on the seabed producing bathymetric modifications. When the riverine water join the ocean several instabilities can be induced, generating bulges, filaments, and buoyant currents over the continental shelf. Offshore, the riverine water could form fronts that could be related with the occurrence of current-jets, eddies and strong mixing. This study focused on the Douro River plume simulation. This river is located on the north-west Iberian coast. Its daily averaged freshwater discharge can range values from 0 to 13000 m3/s, which impacts on the formation of the river plumes and its dispersion along the continental shelf. The Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) model was used to reproduce scenarios of plume generation, retention and dispersion (Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005). Three types of simulations were performed: schematic winds simulations with prescribed river flow, wind speed and direction; multi-year climatological simulation, with river flow and temperature change for each month; extreme case simulation. The schematic wind case-studies suggest that the plume is wind-driven. Important differences appear in its structure and dispersion pathways depending on the wind direction and strength. Northerly winds induce plumes with a narrow coastal current meanwhile southerly winds push the river water to the north finding water associated with the Douro River in the Galician Rías. The high surface salinity on the plume regions during strong wind events suggests that the wind enhances the vertical mixing. Extreme river discharges, associated with southerly winds, can transport debris to the Galician coast in about 60 h, helping to

  10. Characterizing the solar reflection from wildfire smoke plumes using airborne multiangle measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatebe, C. K.; Varnai, T.; Gautam, R.; Poudyal, R.; Singh, M. K.

    2016-12-01

    To help better understand forest fire smoke plumes, this study examines sunlight reflected from plumes that were observed over Canada during the ARCTAS campaign in summer 2008. In particular, the study analyzes multiangle and multispectral measurements of smoke scattering by the airborne Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). In combination with other in-situ and remote sensing information and radiation modeling, CAR data is used for characterizing the radiative properties and radiative impact of smoke particles—which inherently depend on smoke particle properties that influence air quality. In addition to estimating the amount of reflected and absorbed sunlight, the work includes using CAR data to create spectral and broadband top-of-atmosphere angular distribution models (ADMs) of solar radiation reflected by smoke plumes, and examining the sensitivity of such angular models to scene parameters. Overall, the results help better understand the radiative properties and radiative effects of smoke particles, and are anticipated to help better interpret satellite data on smoke plumes.

  11. Numerical study on similarity of plume infrared radiation between reduced-scale solid rocket motors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Xiaoying

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This study seeks to determine the similarities in plume radiation between reduced and full-scale solid rocket models in ground test conditions through investigation of flow and radiation for a series of scale ratios ranging from 0.1 to 1. The radiative transfer equation (RTE considering gas and particle radiation in a non-uniform plume has been adopted and solved by the finite volume method (FVM to compute the three dimensional, spectral and directional radiation of a plume in the infrared waveband 2–6 μm. Conditions at wavelengths 2.7 μm and 4.3 μm are discussed in detail, and ratios of plume radiation for reduced-scale through full-scale models are examined. This work shows that, with increasing scale ratio of a computed rocket motor, area of the high-temperature core increases as a 2 power function of the scale ratio, and the radiation intensity of the plume increases with 2–2.5 power of the scale ratio. The infrared radiation of plume gases shows a strong spectral dependency, while that of Al2O3 particles shows spectral continuity of gray media. Spectral radiation intensity of a computed solid rocket plume’s high temperature core increases significantly in peak radiation spectra of plume gases CO and CO2. Al2O3 particles are the major radiation component in a rocket plume. There is good similarity between contours of plume spectral radiance from different scale models of computed rockets, and there are two peak spectra of radiation intensity at wavebands 2.7–3.0 μm and 4.2–4.6 μm. Directed radiation intensity of the entire plume volume will rise with increasing elevation angle.

  12. FOOTPRINT: A New Tool to Predict the Potential Impact of Biofuels on BTEX Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahsanuzzaman et al. (2008) used the Deeb et al. (2002) conceptual model to construct a simple screening model to estimate the area of a plume of benzene produced from a release of gasoline containing ethanol. The screening model estimates the plume area, or footprint of the plum...

  13. Corrective Measures Study Modeling Results for the Southwest Plume - Burial Ground Complex/Mixed Waste Management Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, M.K.

    1999-01-01

    Groundwater modeling scenarios were performed to support the Corrective Measures Study and Interim Action Plan for the southwest plume of the Burial Ground Complex/Mixed Waste Management Facility. The modeling scenarios were designed to provide data for an economic analysis of alternatives, and subsequently evaluate the effectiveness of the selected remedial technologies for tritium reduction to Fourmile Branch. Modeling scenarios assessed include no action, vertical barriers, pump, treat, and reinject; and vertical recirculation wells

  14. Experimental study of plume induced by nanosecond repetitively pulsed spark microdischarges in air at atmospheric pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orriere, Thomas; Benard, Nicolas; Moreau, Eric; Pai, David

    2016-09-01

    Nanosecond repetitively pulsed (NRP) spark discharges have been widely studied due to their high chemical reactivity, low gas temperature, and high ionization efficiency. They are useful in many research areas: nanomaterials synthesis, combustion, and aerodynamic flow control. In all of these fields, particular attention has been devoted to chemical species transport and/or hydrodynamic and thermal effects for applications. The aim of this study is to generate an electro-thermal plume by combining an NRP spark microdischarge in a pin-to-pin configuration with a third DC-biased electrode placed a few centimeters away. First, electrical characterization and optical emission spectroscopy were performed to reveal important plasma processes. Second, particle image velocimetry was combined with schlieren photography to investigate the main characteristics of the generated flow. Heating processes are measured by using the N2(C ->B) (0,2) and (1,3) vibrational bands, and effects due to the confinement of the discharge are described. Moreover, the presence of atomic ions N+ and O+ is discussed. Finally, the electro-thermal plume structure is characterized by a flow velocity around 1.8 m.s-1, and the thermal kernel has a spheroidal shape.

  15. Thermal particle image velocity estimation of fire plume flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiangyang Zhou; Lulu Sun; Shankar Mahalingam; David R. Weise

    2003-01-01

    For the purpose of studying wildfire spread in living vegetation such as chaparral in California, a thermal particle image velocity (TPIV) algorithm for nonintrusively measuring flame gas velocities through thermal infrared (IR) imagery was developed. By tracing thermal particles in successive digital IR images, the TPIV algorithm can estimate the velocity field in a...

  16. SAMI3 Simulations of the Persistent May 1994 Plasmasphere Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krall, J.; Huba, J.; Borovsky, J.

    2017-12-01

    We use the Naval Research Laboratory SAMI3 ionosphere/plasmasphere model[1] to explore the physics of a long-lived plasmasphere plume. A plasmasphere plume is a storm feature that extends the cold plasma that is normally trapped by the geomagnetic field (the plasmasphere) outward towards the bow shock. In the case of the May 1994 storm, the storm and the plume continued for 12 days. For the model storm, we imposed a Kp-driven Volland/Stern-Maynard/Chen potential [2-4]. Results are compared to measurements of the cold ion density from the 1989-046 spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit [5]. We find that many details of the observed plume are reproduced by SAMI3, but only if a background magnetosphere density is included as a boundary condition. We also find that high-speed, field aligned plasma flows contribute significantly to the observed plume density. [1] Huba, J. and J. Krall (2013), Modeling the plasmasphere with SAMI3, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 6-10, doi:10.1029/2012GL054300 [2] Volland, H. (1973), A semiempirical model of large-scale magnetospheric electric fields, Journal of Geophysical Research, 78, 171-180, doi:10.1029/JA078i001p00171 [3] Stern, D.P. (1975), The motion of a proton in the equatorial magnetosphere, Journal of Geophysical Research, 80, 595-599, doi:10.1029/JA080i004p00595 [4] Maynard, N.C., and A.J. Chen (1975), Isolated cold plasma regions: Observations and their relation to possible production mechanisms, Journal of Geophysical Research, 80, 1009-1013, doi:10.1029/JA080i007p01009 [5] Borovsky, J.E., D.T. Welling, M.F. Thomsen, and M.H. Denton (2014), Long-lived plasmaspheric drainage plumes: Where does the plasma come from?, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 119, 6496-6520, doi:10.1002/2014JA020228 Research supported by NRL base funds.

  17. Dispersion of Chernobyl radioactive plume over Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albergel, A.

    1988-01-01

    A long-range pollutant transport and removal model, is used to analyse the Chernobyl radioactive plume dispersion over the Europe Continent. Model predictions are compared to field measurements of Cs-137 activity in the air from April 26th, to May 5th 1986 [fr

  18. Constraining Diameters of Ash Particles in Io's Pele Plume by DSMC Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDoniel, William; Goldstein, D. B.; Varghese, P. L.; Trafton, L. M.

    2013-10-01

    The black “butterfly wings” seen at Pele are produced by silicate ash which is to some extent entrained in the gas flow from very low altitudes. These particles are key to understanding the volcanism at Pele. However, the Pele plume is not nearly as dusty as Prometheus, and these are not the only particles in the plume, as the SO2 in the plume will also condense as it cools. It is therefore difficult to estimate a size distribution for the ash particles by observation, and the drag on ash particles from the plume flow is significant enough that ballistic models are also of limited use. Using Direct Simulation Monte Carlo, we can simulate a gas plume at Pele which demonstrates very good agreement with observations. By extending this model down to nearly the surface of the lava lake, ash particles can be included in the simulation by assuming that they are initially entrained in the very dense (for Io) gas immediately above the magma. Particles are seen to fall to the ground to the east and west of the vent, agreeing with the orientation of the “butterfly wings”, and particles with larger diameters fall to the ground closer to the lava lake. We present a model for mapping simulated deposition density to the coloration of the surface and we use it to estimate the size distribution of ash particles in the plume.

  19. Plume rise from multiple sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briggs, G.A.

    1975-01-01

    A simple enhancement factor for plume rise from multiple sources is proposed and tested against plume-rise observations. For bent-over buoyant plumes, this results in the recommendation that multiple-source rise be calculated as [(N + S)/(1 + S)]/sup 1/3/ times the single-source rise, Δh 1 , where N is the number of sources and S = 6 (total width of source configuration/N/sup 1/3/ Δh 1 )/sup 3/2/. For calm conditions a crude but simple method is suggested for predicting the height of plume merger and subsequent behavior which is based on the geometry and velocity variations of a single buoyant plume. Finally, it is suggested that large clusters of buoyant sources might occasionally give rise to concentrated vortices either within the source configuration or just downwind of it

  20. Integrated characterization of natural attenuation of a PCE plume after thermal remediation of the source zone - incl. dual isotope and microbial techniques

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Broholm, Mette Martina

    dechlorination 1-1.5 km downstream the source area, where the plume descends into more reduced groundwater. The objective of the new (2014) study is to evaluate how the source remediation has impacted the plume and in particular the natural attenuation within the plume. A large monitoring campaign including...... down-gradient which co-inside with the reduction in redox conditions. The findings document a significant increase in cDCE degradation without accumulation of VC. This reduces the risk posed by the contaminant plume to the drinking water resource. This project is unique in the integrated...... area, resulted in the release of dissolved organic matter and some geochemical changes. This has had an effect on redox conditions and biodegradation by reductive dechlorination particularly in the near source area. However, also in the further downstream area of the plume redox and contaminant levels...

  1. Sensitivity analysis of alkaline plume modelling: influence of mineralogy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaboreau, S.; Claret, F.; Marty, N.; Burnol, A.; Tournassat, C.; Gaucher, E.C.; Munier, I.; Michau, N.; Cochepin, B.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. In the context of a disposal facility for radioactive waste in clayey geological formation, an important modelling effort has been carried out in order to predict the time evolution of interacting cement based (concrete or cement) and clay (argillites and bentonite) materials. The high number of modelling input parameters associated with non negligible uncertainties makes often difficult the interpretation of modelling results. As a consequence, it is necessary to carry out sensitivity analysis on main modelling parameters. In a recent study, Marty et al. (2009) could demonstrate that numerical mesh refinement and consideration of dissolution/precipitation kinetics have a marked effect on (i) the time necessary to numerically clog the initial porosity and (ii) on the final mineral assemblage at the interface. On the contrary, these input parameters have little effect on the extension of the alkaline pH plume. In the present study, we propose to investigate the effects of the considered initial mineralogy on the principal simulation outputs: (1) the extension of the high pH plume, (2) the time to clog the porosity and (3) the alteration front in the clay barrier (extension and nature of mineralogy changes). This was done through sensitivity analysis on both concrete composition and clay mineralogical assemblies since in most published studies, authors considered either only one composition per materials or simplified mineralogy in order to facilitate or to reduce their calculation times. 1D Cartesian reactive transport models were run in order to point out the importance of (1) the crystallinity of concrete phases, (2) the type of clayey materials and (3) the choice of secondary phases that are allowed to precipitate during calculations. Two concrete materials with either nanocrystalline or crystalline phases were simulated in contact with two clayey materials (smectite MX80 or Callovo- Oxfordian argillites). Both

  2. Numerical modeling of the effects of fire-induced convection and fire-atmosphere interactions on wildfire spread and fire plume dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Ruiyu

    It is possible due to present day computing power to produce a fluid dynamical physically-based numerical solution to wildfire behavior, at least in the research mode. This type of wildfire modeling affords a flexibility and produces details that are not available in either current operational wildfire behavior models or field experiments. However before using these models to study wildfire, validation is necessary, and model results need to be systematically and objectively analyzed and compared to real fires. Plume theory and data from the Meteotron experiment, which was specially designed to provide results from measurements for the theoretical study of a convective plume produced by a high heat source at the ground, are used here to evaluate the fire plume properties simulated by two numerical wildfire models, the Fire Dynamics Simulator or FDS, and the Clark coupled atmosphere-fire model. The study indicates that the FDS produces good agreement with the plume theory and the Meteotron results. The study also suggests that the coupled atmosphere-fire model, a less explicit and ideally less computationally demanding model than the FDS; can produce good agreement, but that the agreement is sensitive to the method of putting the energy released from the fire into the atmosphere. The WFDS (Wildfire and wildland-urban interface FDS), an extension of the FDS to the vegetative fuel, and the Australian grass fire experiments are used to evaluate and improve the UULES-wildfire coupled model. Despite the simple fire parameterization in the UULES-wildfire coupled model, the fireline is fairly well predicted in terms of both shape and location in the simulation of Australian grass fire experiment F19. Finally, the UULES-wildfire coupled model is used to examine how the turbulent flow in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) affects the growth of the grass fires. The model fires showed significant randomness in fire growth: Fire spread is not deterministic in the ABL, and a

  3. Mantle plumes on Venus revisited

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiefer, Walter S.

    1992-01-01

    The Equatorial Highlands of Venus consist of a series of quasicircular regions of high topography, rising up to about 5 km above the mean planetary radius. These highlands are strongly correlated with positive geoid anomalies, with a peak amplitude of 120 m at Atla Regio. Shield volcanism is observed at Beta, Eistla, Bell, and Atla Regiones and in the Hathor Mons-Innini Mons-Ushas Mons region of the southern hemisphere. Volcanos have also been mapped in Phoebe Regio and flood volcanism is observed in Ovda and Thetis Regiones. Extensional tectonism is also observed in Ovda and Thetis Regiones. Extensional tectonism is also observed in many of these regions. It is now widely accepted that at least Beta, Atla, Eistla, and Bell Regiones are the surface expressions of hot, rising mantel plumes. Upwelling plumes are consistent with both the volcanism and the extensional tectonism observed in these regions. The geoid anomalies and topography of these four regions show considerable variation. Peak geoid anomalies exceed 90 m at Beta and Atla, but are only 40 m at Eistla and 24 m at Bell. Similarly, the peak topography is greater at Beta and Atla than at Eistla and Bell. Such a range of values is not surprising because terrestrial hotspot swells also have a side range of geoid anomalies and topographic uplifts. Kiefer and Hager used cylindrical axisymmetric, steady-state convection calculations to show that mantle plumes can quantitatively account for both the amplitude and the shape of the long-wavelength geoid and topography at Beta and Atla. In these models, most of the topography of these highlands is due to uplift by the vertical normal stress associated with the rising plume. Additional topography may also be present due to crustal thickening by volcanism and crustal thinning by rifting. Smrekar and Phillips have also considered the geoid and topography of plumes on Venus, but they restricted themselves to considering only the geoid-topography ratio and did not

  4. Comparing the performance of geostatistical models with additional information from covariates for sewage plume characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Monego, Maurici; Ribeiro, Paulo Justiniano; Ramos, Patrícia

    2015-04-01

    In this work, kriging with covariates is used to model and map the spatial distribution of salinity measurements gathered by an autonomous underwater vehicle in a sea outfall monitoring campaign aiming to distinguish the effluent plume from the receiving waters and characterize its spatial variability in the vicinity of the discharge. Four different geostatistical linear models for salinity were assumed, where the distance to diffuser, the west-east positioning, and the south-north positioning were used as covariates. Sample variograms were fitted by the Matèrn models using weighted least squares and maximum likelihood estimation methods as a way to detect eventual discrepancies. Typically, the maximum likelihood method estimated very low ranges which have limited the kriging process. So, at least for these data sets, weighted least squares showed to be the most appropriate estimation method for variogram fitting. The kriged maps show clearly the spatial variation of salinity, and it is possible to identify the effluent plume in the area studied. The results obtained show some guidelines for sewage monitoring if a geostatistical analysis of the data is in mind. It is important to treat properly the existence of anomalous values and to adopt a sampling strategy that includes transects parallel and perpendicular to the effluent dispersion.

  5. Sensitivity experiments with a one-dimensional coupled plume - iceflow model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckmann, Johanna; Perette, Mahé; Alexander, David; Calov, Reinhard; Ganopolski, Andrey

    2016-04-01

    Over the last few decades Greenland Ice sheet mass balance has become increasingly negative, caused by enhanced surface melting and speedup of the marine-terminating outlet glaciers at the ice sheet margins. Glaciers speedup has been related, among other factors, to enhanced submarine melting, which in turn is caused by warming of the surrounding ocean and less obviously, by increased subglacial discharge. While ice-ocean processes potentially play an important role in recent and future mass balance changes of the Greenland Ice Sheet, their physical understanding remains poorly understood. In this work we performed numerical experiments with a one-dimensional plume model coupled to a one-dimensional iceflow model. First we investigated the sensitivity of submarine melt rate to changes in ocean properties (ocean temperature and salinity), to the amount of subglacial discharge and to the glacier's tongue geometry itself. A second set of experiments investigates the response of the coupled model, i.e. the dynamical response of the outlet glacier to altered submarine melt, which results in new glacier geometry and updated melt rates.

  6. A study of space shuttle plumes in the lower thermosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, R. R.; Stevens, Michael H.; Plane, John M. C.; Emmert, J. T.; Crowley, G.; Azeem, I.; Paxton, L. J.; Christensen, A. B.

    2011-12-01

    During the space shuttle main engine burn, some 350 t of water vapor are deposited at between 100 and 115 km. Subsequent photodissociation of water produces large plumes of atomic hydrogen that can expand rapidly and extend for thousands of kilometers. From 2002 to 2007, the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on NASA's Thermosphere Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite imaged many of these hydrogen plumes at Lyman α (121.567 nm) while viewing in the nadir. The images reveal rapid plume expansion and occasional very fast transport to both north and south polar regions. Some plumes persist for up to 6 d. Near-simultaneous direct detections of water vapor were made with the Sounding of the Atmosphere with Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument, also on TIMED. We compare the spreading of the hydrogen plume with a two-dimensional model that includes photodissociation as well as both vertical and horizontal diffusion. Molecular diffusion appears to be sufficient to account for the horizontal expansion, although wind shears and turbulent mixing may also contribute. We compare the bulk motion of the observed plumes with wind climatologies derived from satellite observations. The plumes can move much faster than predictions of wind climatologies. But dynamical processes not contained in wind climatologies, such as the quasi-two-day wave, can account for at least some of the high speed observations. The plume phenomena raise a number of important questions about lower thermospheric and mesospheric processes, ranging from dynamics and chemistry to polar mesospheric cloud formation and climatology.

  7. Lithosphere erosion and continental breakup : Interaction of extension, plume upwelling and melting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lavecchia, Alessio; Thieulot, Cedric; Beekman, Fred; Cloetingh, Sierd; Clark, Stuart

    2017-01-01

    We present the results of thermo-mechanical modelling of extension and breakup of a heterogeneous continental lithosphere, subjected to plume impingement in presence of intraplate stress field. We incorporate partial melting of the extending lithosphere, underlying upper mantle and plume, caused by

  8. Evaluation of plume potential and plume abatement of evaporative cooling towers in a subtropical region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Xinhua; Wang Shengwei; Ma Zhenjun

    2008-01-01

    Hong Kong is a typical subtropical region with frequently high humidity in late spring and summer seasons. Plume from evaporative cooling towers, which service air-conditioning systems of civil buildings, has aroused public concerns since 2000 when the fresh water evaporative cooling towers were allowed to be used for high energy efficiency and environmental issues. This paper presents the evaluation of the plume potential and its effect on the sizing of the plume abatement system in a large commercial office building in Hong Kong for practical application. This evaluation was conducted based on a dynamic simulation platform using the typical meteorological year of Hong Kong since the occurrence of the plume heavily depends on the state conditions of the exhaust air from cooling towers and the ambient air, while the state condition of the exhaust air is determined by the total building cooling load and the control strategies of cooling towers employed mainly for improving energy efficiency. The results show that the control strategies have a significant effect on the plume potential and further affect the system design and sizing of the plume abatement system

  9. Simulating Irregular Source Geometries for Ionian Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDoniel, W. J.; Goldstein, D. B.; Varghese, P. L.; Trafton, L. M.; Buchta, D. A.; Freund, J.; Kieffer, S. W.

    2011-05-01

    Volcanic plumes on Io respresent a complex rarefied flow into a near-vacuum in the presence of gravity. A 3D Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is used to investigate the gas dynamics of such plumes, with a focus on the effects of source geometry on far-field deposition patterns. A rectangular slit and a semicircular half annulus are simulated to illustrate general principles, especially the effects of vent curvature on deposition ring structure. Then two possible models for the giant plume Pele are presented. One is a curved line source corresponding to an IR image of a particularly hot region in the volcano's caldera and the other is a large area source corresponding to the entire caldera. The former is seen to produce the features seen in observations of Pele's ring, but with an error in orientation. The latter corrects the error in orientation, but loses some structure. A hybrid simulation of 3D slit flow is also discussed.

  10. Simulating Irregular Source Geometries for Ionian Plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDoniel, W. J.; Goldstein, D. B.; Varghese, P. L.; Trafton, L. M.; Buchta, D. A.; Freund, J.; Kieffer, S. W.

    2011-01-01

    Volcanic plumes on Io respresent a complex rarefied flow into a near-vacuum in the presence of gravity. A 3D Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is used to investigate the gas dynamics of such plumes, with a focus on the effects of source geometry on far-field deposition patterns. A rectangular slit and a semicircular half annulus are simulated to illustrate general principles, especially the effects of vent curvature on deposition ring structure. Then two possible models for the giant plume Pele are presented. One is a curved line source corresponding to an IR image of a particularly hot region in the volcano's caldera and the other is a large area source corresponding to the entire caldera. The former is seen to produce the features seen in observations of Pele's ring, but with an error in orientation. The latter corrects the error in orientation, but loses some structure. A hybrid simulation of 3D slit flow is also discussed.

  11. Thermal imaging experiments on ANACONDA ion beam generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Weihua; Yatsui, Kiyoshi [Nagaoka University of Technology (Japan). Lab. of Beam Technology; Olson, C J; Davis, H A [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    1997-12-31

    The thermal imaging technique was used in two experimental measurements. First, the ion intensity distribution on the anode surface was observed from different angles by using a multi-pinhole camera. Second, the plume from a target intercepting the beam was visualized by observing the distribution of temperature increase on a thin plate hit by the plume. (author). 6 figs., 4 refs.

  12. Buoyant plumes from solute gradients generated by non-motile Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benoit, M R; Brown, R B; Todd, P; Klaus, D M; Nelson, E S

    2008-01-01

    The effect of hydrodynamic mixing in bacterial populations due to bacterial chemotaxis is a well-described phenomenon known as bioconvection. Here we report the observation of buoyant plumes that result in hydrodynamic mixing, but in contrast to bioconvection the plumes form in the absence of bacterial motility. We propose that the buoyant flow originates from solute gradients created by bacterial metabolism, similar to solute-induced buoyant flow around growing protein crystals. In our experiments, metabolically-active non-motile Escherichia coli were layered along the bottom of flat-bottomed containers. The E. coli consumed glucose in the medium creating a lighter fluid beneath a heavier fluid. The situation is an example of Rayleigh–Taylor instability, in which a lighter fluid pushes on a heavier one. We developed a numerical model to study the effect of E. coli nutrient consumption and by-product excretion on extracellular solute gradients. The model solutions showed reduced-density fluid along the bottom of the fluid domain leading to buoyant plumes, which were qualitatively similar to the experimental plumes. We also used scaling analyses to study the dependence of plume formation on container size and cell size, and to investigate the effect of reduced gravity, such as the microgravity conditions encountered during spaceflight

  13. Characterization and modeling of turbidity density plume induced into stratified reservoir by flood runoffs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, S W; Lee, H S

    2009-01-01

    In monsoon climate area, turbidity flows typically induced by flood runoffs cause numerous environmental impacts such as impairment of fish habitat and river attraction, and degradation of water supply efficiency. This study was aimed to characterize the physical dynamics of turbidity plume induced into a stratified reservoir using field monitoring and numerical simulations, and to assess the effect of different withdrawal scenarios on the control of downstream water quality. Three different turbidity models (RUN1, RUN2, RUN3) were developed based on a two-dimensional laterally averaged hydrodynamic and transport model, and validated against field data. RUN1 assumed constant settling velocity of suspended sediment, while RUN2 estimated the settling velocity as a function of particle size, density, and water temperature to consider vertical stratification. RUN3 included a lumped first-order turbidity attenuation rate taking into account the effects of particles aggregation and degradable organic particles. RUN3 showed best performance in replicating the observed variations of in-reservoir and release turbidity. Numerical experiments implemented to assess the effectiveness of different withdrawal depths showed that the alterations of withdrawal depth can modify the pathway and flow regimes of the turbidity plume, but its effect on the control of release water quality could be trivial.

  14. Bio-Physical Coupling of Seabirds and Prey with a Dynamic River Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, E. M.; Horne, J. K.; Zamon, J. E.; Adams, J.

    2016-02-01

    Freshwater plumes and plume density fronts are important regions of bio-physical coupling. On the west coast of North America, discharge from the Columbia River into the northern California Current creates a large, dynamic plume and multiple plume fronts. These nutrient-rich, productive waters fuel primary and secondary production, supporting a wide variety of small pelagic prey fish, large populations of Pacific salmon, seabirds, and marine mammals. To determine the influence of the Columbia River plume on marine predators, we analyzed at-sea seabird counts, in situ environmental data, surface trawl densities of prey fish, and acoustic backscatter measurements collected from research vessels in May and June 2010-2012. Concurrent distribution patterns of satellite-tagged sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) and common murres (Uria aalge) were compared with seabird counts from ship surveys. To evaluate plume use by satellite-tagged birds, daily surface salinity values from SELFE hindcast models were extracted at each tag location. Both seabird species occurred in plume waters disproportionate to the total surveyed area, concentrating in the river plume when river flow and plume volume decreased. Murres were consistently within 20 km of the geographic mean center of the river plume. In contrast, shearwaters consistently occurred 100 km to the north of the plume center, where high densities of prey fish occur. Although acoustically detected prey also occurred in greater densities within the plume when volume decreased, surface catches of prey in the plume did not vary with changing plume conditions. Geographic indices of colocation (GIC) were low between murres and prey species caught in surface trawls, whereas GICs were >0.5 between shearwaters and prey species including squid (Loligo opalescens), juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and coho (O. kisutch) salmon. We conclude that the river plume and associated fronts are identifiable, predictable, and

  15. Large-scale flows, sheet plumes and strong magnetic fields in a rapidly rotating spherical dynamo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, F.

    2011-12-01

    Mechanisms of magnetic field intensification by flows of an electrically conducting fluid in a rapidly rotating spherical shell is investigated. Bearing dynamos of the Eartn and planets in mind, the Ekman number is set at 10-5. A strong dipolar solution with magnetic energy 55 times larger than the kinetic energy of thermal convection is obtained. In a regime of small viscosity and inertia with the strong magnetic field, convection structure consists of a few large-scale retrograde flows in the azimuthal direction and sporadic thin sheet-like plumes. The magnetic field is amplified through stretching of magnetic lines, which occurs typically through three types of flow: the retrograde azimuthal flow near the outer boundary, the downwelling flow of the sheet plume, and the prograde azimuthal flow near the rim of the tangent cylinder induced by the downwelling flow. It is found that either structure of current loops or current sheets is accompanied in each flow structure. Current loops emerge as a result of stretching the magnetic lines along the magnetic field, wheres the current sheets are formed to counterbalance the Coriolis force. Convection structure and processes of magnetic field generation found in the present model are distinct from those in models at larger/smaller Ekman number.

  16. Magnetotelluric Detection Thresholds as a Function of Leakage Plume Depth, TDS and Volume

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, X. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Buscheck, T. A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Mansoor, K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Carroll, S. A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-04-21

    We conducted a synthetic magnetotelluric (MT) data analysis to establish a set of specific thresholds of plume depth, TDS concentration and volume for detection of brine and CO2 leakage from legacy wells into shallow aquifers in support of Strategic Monitoring Subtask 4.1 of the US DOE National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP Phase II), which is to develop geophysical forward modeling tools. 900 synthetic MT data sets span 9 plume depths, 10 TDS concentrations and 10 plume volumes. The monitoring protocol consisted of 10 MT stations in a 2×5 grid laid out along the flow direction. We model the MT response in the audio frequency range of 1 Hz to 10 kHz with a 50 Ωm baseline resistivity and the maximum depth up to 2000 m. Scatter plots show the MT detection thresholds for a trio of plume depth, TDS concentration and volume. Plumes with a large volume and high TDS located at a shallow depth produce a strong MT signal. We demonstrate that the MT method with surface based sensors can detect a brine and CO2 plume so long as the plume depth, TDS concentration and volume are above the thresholds. However, it is unlikely to detect a plume at a depth larger than 1000 m with the change of TDS concentration smaller than 10%. Simulated aquifer impact data based on the Kimberlina site provides a more realistic view of the leakage plume distribution than rectangular synthetic plumes in this sensitivity study, and it will be used to estimate MT responses over simulated brine and CO2 plumes and to evaluate the leakage detectability. Integration of the simulated aquifer impact data and the MT method into the NRAP DREAM tool may provide an optimized MT survey configuration for MT data collection. This study presents a viable approach for sensitivity study of geophysical monitoring methods for leakage detection. The results come in handy for rapid assessment of leakage detectability.

  17. The Alberta smoke plume observation study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Anderson

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available A field project was conducted to observe and measure smoke plumes from wildland fires in Alberta. This study used handheld inclinometer measurements and photos taken at lookout towers in the province. Observations of 222 plumes were collected from 21 lookout towers over a 6-year period from 2010 to 2015. Observers reported the equilibrium and maximum plume heights based on the plumes' final levelling heights and the maximum lofting heights, respectively. Observations were tabulated at the end of each year and matched to reported fires. Fire sizes at assessment times and forest fuel types were reported by the province. Fire weather conditions were obtained from the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS. Assessed fire sizes were adjusted to the appropriate size at plume observation time using elliptical fire-growth projections. Though a logical method to collect plume observations in principle, many unanticipated issues were uncovered as the project developed. Instrument limitations and environmental conditions presented challenges to the investigators, whereas human error and the subjectivity of observations affected data quality. Despite these problems, the data set showed that responses to fire behaviour conditions were consistent with the physical processes leading to plume rise. The Alberta smoke plume observation study data can be found on the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System datamart (Natural Resources Canada, 2018 at http://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/datamart.

  18. The Alberta smoke plume observation study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kerry; Pankratz, Al; Mooney, Curtis; Fleetham, Kelly

    2018-02-01

    A field project was conducted to observe and measure smoke plumes from wildland fires in Alberta. This study used handheld inclinometer measurements and photos taken at lookout towers in the province. Observations of 222 plumes were collected from 21 lookout towers over a 6-year period from 2010 to 2015. Observers reported the equilibrium and maximum plume heights based on the plumes' final levelling heights and the maximum lofting heights, respectively. Observations were tabulated at the end of each year and matched to reported fires. Fire sizes at assessment times and forest fuel types were reported by the province. Fire weather conditions were obtained from the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS). Assessed fire sizes were adjusted to the appropriate size at plume observation time using elliptical fire-growth projections. Though a logical method to collect plume observations in principle, many unanticipated issues were uncovered as the project developed. Instrument limitations and environmental conditions presented challenges to the investigators, whereas human error and the subjectivity of observations affected data quality. Despite these problems, the data set showed that responses to fire behaviour conditions were consistent with the physical processes leading to plume rise. The Alberta smoke plume observation study data can be found on the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System datamart (Natural Resources Canada, 2018) at http://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/datamart.

  19. Neural Network approach to assess the thermal affected zone around the injection well in a groundwater heat pump system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo Russo, Stefano; Taddia, Glenda; Verda, Vittorio

    2014-05-01

    The common use of well doublets for groundwater-sourced heating or cooling results in a thermal plume of colder or warmer re-injected groundwater known as the Thermal Affected Zone(TAZ). The plumes may be regarded either as a potential anthropogenic geothermal resource or as pollution, depending on downstream aquifer usage. A fundamental aspect in groundwater heat pump (GWHP) plant design is the correct evaluation of the thermally affected zone that develops around the injection well. Temperature anomalies are detected through numerical methods. Crucial elements in the process of thermal impact assessment are the sizes of installations, their position, the heating/cooling load of the building, and the temperature drop/increase imposed on the re-injected water flow. For multiple-well schemes, heterogeneous aquifers, or variable heating and cooling loads, numerical models that simulate groundwater and heat transport are needed. These tools should consider numerous scenarios obtained considering different heating/cooling loads, positions, and operating modes. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models are widely used in this field because they offer the opportunity to calculate the time evolution of the thermal plume produced by a heat pump, depending on the characteristics of the subsurface and the heat pump. Nevertheless, these models require large computational efforts, and therefore their use may be limited to a reasonable number of scenarios. Neural networks could represent an alternative to CFD for assessing the TAZ under different scenarios referring to a specific site. The use of neural networks is proposed to determine the time evolution of the groundwater temperature downstream of an installation as a function of the possible utilization profiles of the heat pump. The main advantage of neural network modeling is the possibility of evaluating a large number of scenarios in a very short time, which is very useful for the preliminary analysis of future multiple

  20. Evaluation of remedial alternative of a LNAPL plume utilizing groundwater modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, T.; Way, S.; Powell, G.

    1997-01-01

    The TIMES model was utilized to evaluate remedial options for a large LNAPL spill that was impacting the North Platte River in Glenrock, Wyoming. LNAPL was found discharging into the river from the adjoining alluvial aquifer. Subsequent investigations discovered an 18 hectare plume extended across the alluvium and into a sandstone bedrock outcrop to the south of the river. The TIMES model was used to estimate the LNAPL volume and to evaluate options for optimizing LNAPL recovery. Data collected from recovery and monitoring wells were used for model calibration. A LNAPL volume of 5.5 million L was estimated, over 3.0 million L of which is in the sandstone bedrock. An existing product recovery system was evaluated for its effectiveness. Three alternative recovery scenarios were also evaluated to aid in selecting the most cost-effective and efficient recovery system for the site. An active wellfield hydraulically upgradient of the existing recovery system was selected as most appropriate to augment the existing system in recovering LNAPL efficiently

  1. Generation of dense plume fingers in saturated-unsaturated homogeneous porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Clemens J. M.; Graf, Thomas

    2015-02-01

    Flow under variable-density conditions is widespread, occurring in geothermal reservoirs, at waste disposal sites or due to saltwater intrusion. The migration of dense plumes typically results in the formation of vertical plume fingers which are known to be triggered by material heterogeneity or by variations in source concentration that causes the density variation. Using a numerical groundwater model, six perturbation methods are tested under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions to mimic heterogeneity and concentration variations on the pore scale in order to realistically generate dense fingers. A laboratory-scale sand tank experiment is numerically simulated, and the perturbation methods are evaluated by comparing plume fingers obtained from the laboratory experiment with numerically simulated fingers. Dense plume fingering for saturated flow can best be reproduced with a spatially random, time-constant perturbation of the solute source. For unsaturated flow, a spatially and temporally random noise of solute concentration or a random conductivity field adequately simulate plume fingering.

  2. Smoke plume trajectory from in-situ burning of crude oil: complex terrain modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGrattan, K.

    1997-01-01

    Numerical models have been used to predict the concentration of particulate matter or other combustion products downwind from a proposed in- situ burning of an oil spill. One of the models used was the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) model, ALOFT (A Large Outdoor Fire plume Trajectory), which is based on the conservation equations that govern the introduction of hot gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere. By using a model based on fundamental equations, it becomes a relatively simple matter to simulate smoke dispersal flow patterns, and to compute the solution to the equations of motion that govern the transport of pollutants in the lower atmosphere at a resolution that is comparable to that of the underlying terrain data. 9 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

  3. Model calculations of the chemical processes occurring in the plume of a coal-fired power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meagher, J F; Luria, M

    1982-02-01

    Computer simulations of the homogeneous, gas phase chemical reactions which occur in the plume of a coal-fired power plant were conducted in an effort to understand the influence of various environmental parameters on the production of secondary pollutants. Input data for the model were selected to reproduce the dilution of a plume from a medium-sized power plant. The environmental conditions chosen were characteristic of those found during mid-August in the south-eastern United States. Under most conditions examined, it was found that hydroxyl radicals were the most important species in the homogeneous conversion of stack gases into secondary pollutants. Other free radicals, such as HO/sub 2/ and CH/sub 3/O/sub 2/, exceeded the contribution of HO radicals only when high background hydrocarbon concentrations are used. The conversion rates calculated for the oxidation of SO/sub 2/ to SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ in these plumes were consistent with those determined experimentally. The concentrations and relative proportions of NO/sub x/ (from the power plant) and reactive hydrocarbons (from the background air) determine, to a large extent, the plume reactivity. Free radical production is suppressed during the initial stages of dilution due to the high NO/sub x/ levels. Significant dilution is required before a suitable mix is attained which can sustain the free radical chain processes common to smog chemistry. In most cases, the free radical concentrations were found to pass through maxima and return to background levels. Under typical summertime conditions, the hyroxyl radical concentration was found to reach a maximum at a HC/NO/sub x/ ratio of approximately 20.

  4. Electrical Evolution of a Dust Plume from a Low Energy Lunar Impact: A Model Analog to LCROSS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, W. M.; Stubbs, T. J.; Jackson, T. L.; Colaprete, A.; Heldmann, J. L.; Schultz, P. H.; Killen, R. M.; Delory, G. T.; Halekas, J. S.; Marshall, J. R.; hide

    2011-01-01

    A Monte Carlo test particle model was developed that simulates the charge evolution of micron and sub-micron sized dust grains ejected upon low-energy impact of a moderate-size object onto a lunar polar crater floor. Our analog is the LCROSS impact into Cabeus crater. Our primary objective is to model grain discharging as the plume propagates upwards from shadowed crater into sunlight.

  5. Simulations of the Effects of Jupiter's Plasma Torus on Io's Pele Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDoniel, William; Goldstein, David B.; Varghese, Philip L.; Trafton, Laurence M.

    2014-11-01

    Io’s plumes rise hundreds of kilometers above its surface and sublimation atmosphere, presenting large targets for incoming ions from Jupiter’s plasma torus. The direct simulation Monte Carlo method is used to model the gas plume at Pele and its interaction with the Jovian plasma torus. Chemical reactions resulting from ion impacts in a plume change its composition and energy from the impacts changes the plume’s structure (asymmetrically). The presence of non-condensible daughter species in a warmer plume canopy produces a more diffuse deposition ring on Io’s surface, compared to simulations without plasma. Energized molecules also escape from the plume, forming a diffuse cloud of fast particles above the plume’s canopy, which may function to resupply the plasma torus and which suggests a mechanism for lofting other species to very high altitudes.

  6. Channelization of plumes beneath ice shelves

    KAUST Repository

    Dallaston, M.  C.; Hewitt, I. J.; Wells, A. J.

    2015-01-01

    © 2015 Cambridge University Press. We study a simplified model of ice-ocean interaction beneath a floating ice shelf, and investigate the possibility for channels to form in the ice shelf base due to spatial variations in conditions at the grounding line. The model combines an extensional thin-film description of viscous ice flow in the shelf, with melting at its base driven by a turbulent ocean plume. Small transverse perturbations to the one-dimensional steady state are considered, driven either by ice thickness or subglacial discharge variations across the grounding line. Either forcing leads to the growth of channels downstream, with melting driven by locally enhanced ocean velocities, and thus heat transfer. Narrow channels are smoothed out due to turbulent mixing in the ocean plume, leading to a preferred wavelength for channel growth. In the absence of perturbations at the grounding line, linear stability analysis suggests that the one-dimensional state is stable to initial perturbations, chiefly due to the background ice advection.

  7. Channelization of plumes beneath ice shelves

    KAUST Repository

    Dallaston, M. C.

    2015-11-11

    © 2015 Cambridge University Press. We study a simplified model of ice-ocean interaction beneath a floating ice shelf, and investigate the possibility for channels to form in the ice shelf base due to spatial variations in conditions at the grounding line. The model combines an extensional thin-film description of viscous ice flow in the shelf, with melting at its base driven by a turbulent ocean plume. Small transverse perturbations to the one-dimensional steady state are considered, driven either by ice thickness or subglacial discharge variations across the grounding line. Either forcing leads to the growth of channels downstream, with melting driven by locally enhanced ocean velocities, and thus heat transfer. Narrow channels are smoothed out due to turbulent mixing in the ocean plume, leading to a preferred wavelength for channel growth. In the absence of perturbations at the grounding line, linear stability analysis suggests that the one-dimensional state is stable to initial perturbations, chiefly due to the background ice advection.

  8. Influence of the atomic mass of the background gas on laser ablation plume propagation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amoruso, Salvatore; Schou, Jørgen; Lunney, James G.

    2008-01-01

    A combination of time-of-flight ion probe measurements and gas dynamical modeling has been used to investigate the propagation of a laser ablation plume in gases of different atomic/molecular weight. The pressure variation of the ion time-of-flight was found to be well described by the gas...... dynamical model of Predtechensky and Mayorov (Appl. Supercond. 1:2011, 1993). In particular, the model describes how the pressure required to stop the plume in a given distance depends on the atomic/molecular weight of the gas, which is a feature that cannot be explained by standard point......-blast-wave descriptions of laser ablation plume expansion in gas....

  9. Radioactive Plumes Monitoring Simulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapelushnik, I.; Sheinfeld, M.; Avida, R.; Kadmon, Y.; Ellenbogen, M.; Tirosh, D.

    1999-01-01

    The Airborne Radiation Monitoring System (ARMS) monitors air or ground radioactive contamination. The contamination source can be a radioactive plume or an area contaminated with radionuclides. The system is based on two major parts, an airborne unit carried by a helicopter and a ground station carried by a truck. The system enables real time measurement and analysis of radioactive plumes as well as post flight processing. The Radioactive Plumes Monitoring Simulator purpose is to create a virtual space where the trained operators experience full radiation field conditions, without real radiation hazard. The ARMS is based on a flying platform and hence the simulator allows a significant reduction of flight time costs

  10. Lagrangian analysis of low altitude anthropogenic plume processing across the North Atlantic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Real

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The photochemical evolution of an anthropogenic plume from the New-York/Boston region during its transport at low altitudes over the North Atlantic to the European west coast has been studied using a Lagrangian framework. This plume, originally strongly polluted, was sampled by research aircraft just off the North American east coast on 3 successive days, and then 3 days downwind off the west coast of Ireland where another aircraft re-sampled a weakly polluted plume. Changes in trace gas concentrations during transport are reproduced using a photochemical trajectory model including deposition and mixing effects. Chemical and wet deposition processing dominated the evolution of all pollutants in the plume. The mean net photochemical O3 production is estimated to be −5 ppbv/day leading to low O3 by the time the plume reached Europe. Model runs with no wet deposition of HNO3 predicted much lower average net destruction of −1 ppbv/day O3, arising from increased levels of NOx via photolysis of HNO3. This indicates that wet deposition of HNO3 is indirectly responsible for 80% of the net destruction of ozone during plume transport. If the plume had not encountered precipitation, it would have reached Europe with O3 concentrations of up to 80 to 90 ppbv and CO between 120 and 140 ppbv. Photochemical destruction also played a more important role than mixing in the evolution of plume CO due to high levels of O3 and water vapour showing that CO cannot always be used as a tracer for polluted air masses, especially in plumes transported at low altitudes. The results also show that, in this case, an increase in O3/CO slopes can be attributed to photochemical destruction of CO and not to photochemical O3 production as is often assumed.

  11. Modelling Photoelectron Production in the Enceladus Plume and Comparison with Observations by CAPS-ELS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, S. A.; Coates, A. J.; Jones, G.; Wellbrock, A.; Waite, J. H., Jr.

    2016-12-01

    The Electron Spectrometer (ELS) of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) measures electrons in the energy range 0.6-28,000 eV with an energy resolution of 16.7%. ELS has observed photoelectrons produced in the plume of Enceladus. These photoelectrons are found during Enceladus encounters in the energetic particle shadow where the spacecraft is shielded from penetrating radiation by the moon [Coates et al, 2013]. Observable is a population of photoelectrons at 20-30eV, which are seen at other bodies in the solar system and are usually associated with ionisation by the strong solar He II (30.4 nm) line. We have identified secondary peaks at 40-50eV detected by ELS which are also interpreted as a warmer population of photoelectrons created through the ionisation of neutrals in the Enceladus torus. We have constructed a model of photoelectron production in the plume and compared it with ELS Enceladus flyby data using automated fitting procedures. This has yielded estimates for electron temperature and density as well as a spacecraft potential estimate which is corrected for.

  12. Plume residence and toxic material accumulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spigarelli, S.A.; Holpuch, R.

    1975-01-01

    Increased growth rates and 137 Cs concentrations in plume resident trout are thought to be the result of increased metabolism, food consumption, and activity caused by exposure to increased water temperature and flow in thermal discharges. These exposure conditions could contribute to increased accumulation of biologically active, toxic substances by primary forage and predator fish species in the Great Lakes. Uptake and retention of various toxic substances by predators depend on concentrations in forage species (trophic transfer), ambient water, and point source effluents (direct uptake). Contaminants of immediate concern in Great Lakes systems (e.g., chlorinated hydrocarbons) accumulate in adipose tissue, and body concentrations have been correlated with total lipid content in fish. In addition to direct toxic effects on fish, many lipophilic contaminants are known to cause severe human health problems when ingested at concentrations commonly found in Lake Michigan salmonids. Although power plants may or may not be the direct source of a toxic substance, the thermal discharge environment may contribute to the accumulation of toxic substances in fish and the transfer of these materials to man

  13. The role of plumes in mantle helium fluxes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kellogg, L.H.; Wasserburg, G.J.

    1990-01-01

    We present a simple model of 3 He and 4 He transport in the mantle using the appropriate rates of mass and species transfer and 4 He production. Previous workers have shown the presence of excess 3 He in hotspots such as Hawaii and Iceland and inferred that these hotspots tap a source with a higher 3 He/ 4 He ratio than the source region of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Hotspot ocean islands probably originate over upwelling plumes which carry material from the lower mantle to the upper mantle. Melting at hotspots and at mid-ocean ridges degasses the mantle of volatiles such as helium. The upper mantle is outgassed largely of helium due to melting at mid-ocean ridges and hotspots. We postulate that the excess 3 He seen in MORB originates in material that was carried from the lower mantle in plumes but not completely outgassed at hotspots. This helium is incoporated into the depleted upper mantle. Assuming that the upper mantle is in a quasi-steady-state with respect to helium, a simple model balancing 3 He and 4 He fluxes in the upper mantle indicates that the hotspots significantly outgas the lower mantle of 3 He. The concentration of 4 He in the plume source reservoir is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the concentration in carbonaceous chondrites. The residence time of helium in the upper mantle depends on the outgassing efficiency at hotspots, since the hotspots may outgas some upper mantle material which has been entrained in the plumes. The residence time of He in the upper mantle is about 1.4x10 9 yr. We conclude that the efficiency of outgassing of He from plumes is high and that the plumes dominate the present 3 He loss to the atmosphere. The 4 He in the less depleted layer of the mantle is not trapped ''primordial'' but is predominantly from in situ decay of U and Th in the depleted layer over ≅ 1.4x10 9 yr. The 4 He in the lower mantle is dominantly from in situ decay of U and Th over 4.4x10 9 yr. (orig./WL)

  14. The Ensemble Kalman Filter for Groundwater Plume Characterization: A Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, James L; Andersen, Peter F

    2018-04-17

    The Kalman filter is an efficient data assimilation tool to refine an estimate of a state variable using measured data and the variable's correlations in space and/or time. The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) (Evensen, 2004, 2009) is a Kalman filter variant that employs Monte Carlo analysis to define the correlations that help to refine the updated state. While use of EnKF in hydrology is somewhat limited, it has been successfully applied in other fields of engineering (e.g. oil reservoir modeling, weather forecasting). Here, EnKF is used to refine a simulated groundwater TCE plume that underlies the Tooele Army Depot-North (TEAD-N) in Utah, based on observations of TCE in the aquifer. The resulting EnKF-based assimilated plume is simulated forward in time to predict future plume migration. The correlations that underpin EnKF updating implicitly contain information about how the plume developed over time under the influence of complex site hydrology and variable source history, as they are predicated on multiple realizations of a well-calibrated numerical groundwater flow and transport model. The EnKF methodology is compared to an ordinary kriging-based assimilation method with respect to the accurate representation of plume concentrations in order to determine the relative efficacy of EnKF for water quality data assimilation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  15. Human Thermal Model Evaluation Using the JSC Human Thermal Database

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bue, Grant; Makinen, Janice; Cognata, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Human thermal modeling has considerable long term utility to human space flight. Such models provide a tool to predict crew survivability in support of vehicle design and to evaluate crew response in untested space environments. It is to the benefit of any such model not only to collect relevant experimental data to correlate it against, but also to maintain an experimental standard or benchmark for future development in a readily and rapidly searchable and software accessible format. The Human thermal database project is intended to do just so; to collect relevant data from literature and experimentation and to store the data in a database structure for immediate and future use as a benchmark to judge human thermal models against, in identifying model strengths and weakness, to support model development and improve correlation, and to statistically quantify a model s predictive quality. The human thermal database developed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is intended to evaluate a set of widely used human thermal models. This set includes the Wissler human thermal model, a model that has been widely used to predict the human thermoregulatory response to a variety of cold and hot environments. These models are statistically compared to the current database, which contains experiments of human subjects primarily in air from a literature survey ranging between 1953 and 2004 and from a suited experiment recently performed by the authors, for a quantitative study of relative strength and predictive quality of the models.

  16. Data and Model-Driven Decision Support for Environmental Management of a Chromium Plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory - 13264

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vesselinov, Velimir V.; Broxton, David; Birdsell, Kay; Reneau, Steven; Harp, Dylan; Mishra, Phoolendra [Computational Earth Science - EES-16, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos NM 87545 (United States); Katzman, Danny; Goering, Tim [Environmental Programs (ADEP), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos NM 87545 (United States); Vaniman, David; Longmire, Pat; Fabryka-Martin, June; Heikoop, Jeff; Ding, Mei; Hickmott, Don; Jacobs, Elaine [Earth Systems Observations - EES-14, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos NM 87545 (United States)

    2013-07-01

    A series of site investigations and decision-support analyses have been performed related to a chromium plume in the regional aquifer beneath the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Based on the collected data and site information, alternative conceptual and numerical models representing governing subsurface processes with different complexity and resolution have been developed. The current conceptual model is supported by multiple lines of evidence based on comprehensive analyses of the available data and modeling results. The model is applied for decision-support analyses related to estimation of contaminant- arrival locations and chromium mass flux reaching the regional aquifer, and to optimization of a site monitoring-well network. Plume characterization is a challenging and non-unique problem because multiple models and contamination scenarios are consistent with the site data and conceptual knowledge. To solve this complex problem, an advanced methodology based on model calibration and uncertainty quantification has been developed within the computational framework MADS (http://mads.lanl.gov). This work implements high-performance computing and novel, efficient and robust model analysis techniques for optimization and uncertainty quantification (ABAGUS, Squads, multi-try (multi-start) techniques), which allow for solving problems with large degrees of freedom. (authors)

  17. Dispersal of suspended sediments in the turbid and highly stratified Red River plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Maren, D. S.; Hoekstra, P.

    2005-03-01

    The Red River, annually transporting 100 million tons of sediment, flows into a shallow shelf sea where it rapidly deposits most of its sediment on a prograding delta front. Oceanographic cruises were carried out in February-March and July-August 2000 to determine the vertical structure of the Ba Lat river plume and sediment transport patterns on the delta front. The surface waters in the coastal zone were strongly stratified with a low density and high sediment concentration during the larger part of the wet season, caused by low mixing rates of river plumes with ambient water. The river plume is advected to the south by a well-developed coastal current which originates from the river plumes that enter the Gulf of Tonkin North of the Ba Lat and are deflected southward by the Coriolis force. Sediment predominantly leaves the surface plume by settling from suspension and less by mixing of fresh and marine water. A one-dimensional model for plume deposition valid for fair weather conditions indicates that most sediment is deposited within 10 km and southward of the river mouth. Of prime importance for this depositional pattern is the phase relation between river outflow and tidal currents, in combination with the southward surface flow; alongshore advection is very low during outflow of the turbid river plume. The agreement of modeled plume sedimentation patterns with long-term bathymetric changes strongly suggests that fair weather depositional processes determine delta front development. This may be related to the fact that reworking of sediment mainly occurs several months after the peak deposition period; in the meantime sediment compaction and consolidation have increased the shear strength of deposited sediments.

  18. Seismic images of the transition zone: is Hawaiian volcanism produced by a secondary plume from the top of the lower mantle?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Q.; van der Hilst, R. D.; Shim, S.; De Hoop, M. V.

    2011-12-01

    The Hawaiian hotspot is often attributed to hot material rising from depth in the mantle, but efforts to detect a thermal plume seismically have been inconclusive. Most tomographic models reveal anomalously low wavespeeds beneath Hawaii, but the depth extent of this structure is not well known. S or P data used in traveltime inversions are associated with steep rays to distant sources, which degrades depth resolution, and surface wave dispersion does not have sufficient sensitivity at the depths of interest. To investigate pertinent thermal anomalies we mapped depth variations of upper mantle discontinuities using precursors of the surface-reflected SS wave. Instead of stacking the data over geographical bins, which leads to averaging of topography and hence loss of spatial resolution, we used a generalized Radon transform (GRT) to detect and map localized elasticity contrasts in the transition zone (Cao et al., PEPI, 2010). We apply the GRT to produce 3D image volumes beneath a large area of the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii and the Hawaii-Emperor seamount chain (Cao et al., Science, 2011). The 3D image volumes reveal laterally continuous interfaces near 410 and 660 km depths, that is, the traditional boundaries of the transition zone, but also suggest (perhaps intermittent) scatter horizons near 300-350, 520-550, and 800-1000 km depth. The upper mantle appears generally hot beneath Hawaii, but the most conspicuous topographic (and probably thermal) anomalies are found west of Hawaii. The GRT images reveal a 800 km wide uplift of the 660 discontinuity just west of Hawaii, but there is no evidence for a corresponding localized depression of the 410 discontinuity. This expression of the 410 and 660 km topographies is consistent with some existed geodynamical modeling results, in which a deep-rooted mantle plume impinging on the transition zone, creating a broad pond of hot material underneath endothermic phase change at 660 km depth, and with secondary plumes

  19. Processes Influencing Ozone Levels in Alaskan Forest Fires Plumes during Long-Range Transport over the North Atlantic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Real, E.; Law, K. S.; Wienzierl, B.; Fiebig, M.; Petzold, A.; Wild, O.; Methven, J.; Arnold, S.; Stohl, A.; Huntrieser, H.; hide

    2006-01-01

    A case of long-range transport of a biomass burning plume from Alaska to Europe is analyzed using a Lagrangian approach. This plume was sampled several times in the free troposphere over North America, the North Atlantic and Europe by 3 different aircraft during the IGAC Lagrangian 2K4 experiment which was part of the ICARTT/ITOP measurement intensive in summer 2004. Measurements in the plume showed enhanced values of CO, VOCs and NOy, mainly in form of PAN. Observed O3 levels increased by 17 ppbv over 5 days. A photochemical trajectory model, CiTTyCAT, is used to examine processes responsible for the chemical evolution of the plume. The model was initialized with upwind data, and compared with downwind measurements. The influence of high aerosol loading on photolysis rates in the plume is investigated using in-situ aerosol measurements in the plume and lidar retrievals of optical depth as input into a photolysis code (Fast-J), run in the model. Significant impacts on photochemistry are found with a decrease of 18 percent in O3 production and 24 percent in O3 destruction over 5 days when including aerosols. The plume is found to be chemically active with large O3 increases attributed primarily to PAN decomposition during descent of the plume towards Europe. The predicted O3 changes are very dependent on temperature changes during transport, and also, on water vapor levels in the lower troposphere which can lead to O3 destruction. Simulation of mixing/dilution was necessary to reproduce observed pollutants level in the plume. Mixing was simulated using background concentrations from measurements in air masses in close proximity to the plume, and mixing timescales (averaging 6.25 days) were derived from CO changes. Observed and simulated O3/CO correlations in the plume are also compared in order to evaluate the photochemistry in the model. Observed slopes changed from negative to positive over 5 days. This change, which can be attributed largely to photochemistry, is

  20. Model analysis of the chemical conversion of exhaust species in the expanding plumes of subsonic aircraft

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moellhoff, M.; Hendricks, J.; Lippert, E.; Petry, H. [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Geophysik und Meteorologie; Sausen, R. [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik der Atmosphaere

    1997-12-31

    A box model and two different one-dimensional models are used to investigate the chemical conversion of exhaust species in the dispersing plume of a subsonic aircraft flying at cruise altitude. The effect of varying daytime of release as well as the impact of changing dispersion time is studied with special respect to the aircraft induced O{sub 3} production. Effective emission amounts for consideration in mesoscale and global models are calculated. Simulations with modified photolysis rates are performed to show the sensitivity of the photochemistry to the occurrence of cirrus clouds. (author) 8 refs.

  1. Model analysis of the chemical conversion of exhaust species in the expanding plumes of subsonic aircraft

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moellhoff, M; Hendricks, J; Lippert, E; Petry, H [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Geophysik und Meteorologie; Sausen, R [Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik der Atmosphaere

    1998-12-31

    A box model and two different one-dimensional models are used to investigate the chemical conversion of exhaust species in the dispersing plume of a subsonic aircraft flying at cruise altitude. The effect of varying daytime of release as well as the impact of changing dispersion time is studied with special respect to the aircraft induced O{sub 3} production. Effective emission amounts for consideration in mesoscale and global models are calculated. Simulations with modified photolysis rates are performed to show the sensitivity of the photochemistry to the occurrence of cirrus clouds. (author) 8 refs.

  2. Nighttime NOx Chemistry in Coal-Fired Power Plant Plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fibiger, D. L.; McDuffie, E. E.; Dube, W. P.; Veres, P. R.; Lopez-Hilfiker, F.; Lee, B. H.; Green, J. R.; Fiddler, M. N.; Ebben, C. J.; Sparks, T.; Weinheimer, A. J.; Montzka, D.; Campos, T. L.; Cohen, R. C.; Bililign, S.; Holloway, J. S.; Thornton, J. A.; Brown, S. S.

    2015-12-01

    Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) play a key role in atmospheric chemistry. During the day, they catalyze ozone (O3) production, while at night they can react to form nitric acid (HNO3) and nitryl chloride (ClNO2) and remove O3 from the atmosphere. These processes are well studied in the summer, but winter measurements are more limited. Coal-fired power plants are a major source of NOx to the atmosphere, making up approximately 30% of emissions in the US (epa.gov). NOx emissions can vary seasonally, as well as plant-to-plant, with important impacts on the details of the plume chemistry. In particular, due to inefficient plume dispersion, nighttime NOx emissions from power plants are held in concentrated plumes, where rates of mixing with ambient O3 have a strong influence on plume evolution. We will show results from the aircraft-based WINTER campaign over the northeastern United States, where several nighttime intercepts of power plant plumes were made. Several of these intercepts show complete O3 titration, which can have a large influence on NOx lifetime, and thus O3 production, in the plume. When power plant NO emissions exceed background O3 levels, O3 is completely consumed converting NO to NO2. In the presence of O3, NO2 will be oxidized to NO3, which will then react with NO2 to form N2O5, which can then form HNO3 and/or ClNO2 and, ultimately, remove NOx from the atmosphere or provide next-day oxidant sources. If there is no O3 present, however, no further chemistry can occur and NO and NO2 will be transported until mixing with sufficient O3 for higher oxidation products. Modeling results of plume development and mixing, which can tell us more about this transport, will also be presented.

  3. Effects of a Simple Convective Organization Scheme in a Two-Plume GCM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Baohua; Mapes, Brian E.

    2018-03-01

    A set of experiments is described with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) using a two-plume convection scheme. To represent the differences of organized convection from General Circulation Model (GCM) assumptions of isolated plumes in uniform environments, a dimensionless prognostic "organization" tracer Ω is invoked to lend the second plume a buoyancy advantage relative to the first, as described in Mapes and Neale (2016). When low-entrainment plumes are unconditionally available (Ω = 1 everywhere), deep convection occurs too easily, with consequences including premature (upstream) rainfall in inflows to the deep tropics, excessive convective versus large-scale rainfall, poor relationships to the vapor field, stable bias in the mean state, weak and poor tropical variability, and midday peak in diurnal rainfall over land. Some of these are shown to also be characteristic of CAM4 with its separated deep and shallow convection schemes. When low-entrainment plumes are forbidden by setting Ω = 0 everywhere, some opposite problems can be discerned. In between those extreme cases, an interactive Ω driven by the evaporation of precipitation acts as a local positive feedback loop, concentrating deep convection: In areas of little recent rain, only highly entraining plumes can occur, unfavorable for rain production. This tunable mechanism steadily increases precipitation variance in both space and time, as illustrated here with maps, time-longitude series, and spectra, while avoiding some mean state biases as illustrated with process-oriented diagnostics such as conserved variable profiles and vapor-binned precipitation curves.

  4. Submarine Alkalic Lavas Around the Hawaiian Hotspot; Plume and Non-Plume Signatures Determined by Noble Gases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanyu, T.; Clague, D. A.; Kaneoka, I.; Dunai, T. J.; Davies, G. R.

    2004-12-01

    Noble gas isotopic ratios were determined for submarine alkalic volcanic rocks distributed around the Hawaiian islands to constrain the origin of such alkalic volcanism. Samples were collected by dredging or using submersibles from the Kauai Channel between Oahu and Kauai, north of Molokai, northwest of Niihau, Southwest Oahu, South Arch and North Arch volcanic fields. Sites located downstream from the center of the hotspot have 3He/4He ratios close to MORB at about 8 Ra, demonstrating that the magmas erupted at these sites had minimum contribution of volatiles from a mantle plume. In contrast, the South Arch, located upstream of the hotspot on the Hawaiian Arch, has 3He/4He ratios between 17 and 21 Ra, indicating a strong plume influence. Differences in noble gas isotopic characteristics between alkalic volcanism downstream and upstream of the hotspot imply that upstream volcanism contains incipient melts from an upwelling mantle plume, having primitive 3He/4He. In combination with lithophile element isotopic data, we conclude that the most likely source of the upstream magmatism is depleted asthenospheric mantle that has been metasomatised by incipient melt from a mantle plume. After major melt extraction from the mantle plume during production of magmas for the shield stage, the plume material is highly depleted in noble gases and moderately depleted in lithophile elements. Partial melting of the depleted mantle impregnated by melts derived from this volatile depleted plume source may explain the isotopic characteristics of the downstream alkalic magmatism.

  5. Influence of plume rise on the consequences of radioactive material releases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russo, A.J.; Wayland, J.R.; Ritchie, L.T.

    1977-01-01

    Estimates of health consequences resulting from a postulated nuclear reactor accident can be strongly dependent on the buoyant rise of the plume of released radioactive material. The sensitivity of the consequences of a postulated accident to two different plume rise models has been investigated. The results of these investigations are the subject of this report. One of the models includes the effects of emission angle, momentum, and radioactive heating of the released material. The difference in the consequence estimates from the two models can exceed an order of magnitude under some conditions, but in general the results are similar

  6. Thermal fatigue. Materials modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegele, D.; Fingerhuth, J.; Mrovec, M.

    2012-01-01

    In the framework of the ongoing joint research project 'Thermal Fatigue - Basics of the system-, outflow- and material-characteristics of piping under thermal fatigue' funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) fundamental numerical and experimental investigations on the material behavior under transient thermal-mechanical stress conditions (high cycle fatigue V HCF and low cycle fatigue - LCF) are carried out. The primary objective of the research is the further development of simulation methods applied in safety evaluations of nuclear power plant components. In this context the modeling of crack initiation and growth inside the material structure induced by varying thermal loads are of particular interest. Therefore, three scientific working groups organized in three sub-projects of the joint research project are dealing with numerical modeling and simulation at different levels ranging from atomistic to micromechanics and continuum mechanics, and in addition corresponding experimental data for the validation of the numerical results and identification of the parameters of the associated material models are provided. The present contribution is focused on the development and experimental validation of material models and methods to characterize the damage evolution and the life cycle assessment as a result of thermal cyclic loading. The individual purposes of the subprojects are as following: - Material characterization, Influence of temperature and surface roughness on fatigue endurances, biaxial thermo-mechanical behavior, experiments on structural behavior of cruciform specimens and scatter band analysis (IfW Darmstadt) - Life cycle assessment with micromechanical material models (MPA Stuttgart) - Life cycle assessment with atomistic and damage-mechanical material models associated with material tests under thermal fatigue (Fraunhofer IWM, Freiburg) - Simulation of fatigue crack growth, opening and closure of a short crack under

  7. Simulation of the Intercontinental Transport, Aging, and Removal of a Boreal Fire Smoke Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghan, S. J.; Chapman, E. G.; Easter, R. C.; Reid, J. S.; Justice, C.

    2003-12-01

    Back trajectories suggest that an elevated absorbing aerosol plume observed over Oklahoma in May 2003 can be traced to intense forest fires in Siberia two weeks earlier. The Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) product is used to estimate smoke emissions from those fires. The Model for Integrated Research on Atmospheric Model Exchanges (MIRAGE) is used to simulate the transport, aging, radiative properties, and removal of the aerosol. The simulated aerosol optical depth is compared with satellite retrievals, and the vertical structure of the plume is compared with in situ measurements. Sensitivity experiments are performed to determine the sensitivity of the simulated plume to uncertainty in the emissions vertical profile, mass flux, size distribution, and composition.

  8. Thermal sensation models: a systematic comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koelblen, B; Psikuta, A; Bogdan, A; Annaheim, S; Rossi, R M

    2017-05-01

    Thermal sensation models, capable of predicting human's perception of thermal surroundings, are commonly used to assess given indoor conditions. These models differ in many aspects, such as the number and type of input conditions, the range of conditions in which the models can be applied, and the complexity of equations. Moreover, the models are associated with various thermal sensation scales. In this study, a systematic comparison of seven existing thermal sensation models has been performed with regard to exposures including various air temperatures, clothing thermal insulation, and metabolic rate values after a careful investigation of the models' range of applicability. Thermo-physiological data needed as input for some of the models were obtained from a mathematical model for human physiological responses. The comparison showed differences between models' predictions for the analyzed conditions, mostly higher than typical intersubject differences in votes. Therefore, it can be concluded that the choice of model strongly influences the assessment of indoor spaces. The issue of comparing different thermal sensation scales has also been discussed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Thermal conductivity model for nanofiber networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xinpeng; Huang, Congliang; Liu, Qingkun; Smalyukh, Ivan I.; Yang, Ronggui

    2018-02-01

    Understanding thermal transport in nanofiber networks is essential for their applications in thermal management, which are used extensively as mechanically sturdy thermal insulation or high thermal conductivity materials. In this study, using the statistical theory and Fourier's law of heat conduction while accounting for both the inter-fiber contact thermal resistance and the intrinsic thermal resistance of nanofibers, an analytical model is developed to predict the thermal conductivity of nanofiber networks as a function of their geometric and thermal properties. A scaling relation between the thermal conductivity and the geometric properties including volume fraction and nanofiber length of the network is revealed. This model agrees well with both numerical simulations and experimental measurements found in the literature. This model may prove useful in analyzing the experimental results and designing nanofiber networks for both high and low thermal conductivity applications.

  10. Thermal conductivity model for nanofiber networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Xinpeng [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; Huang, Congliang [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; School of Electrical and Power Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; Liu, Qingkun [Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; Smalyukh, Ivan I. [Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; Yang, Ronggui [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA; Buildings and Thermal Systems Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA

    2018-02-28

    Understanding thermal transport in nanofiber networks is essential for their applications in thermal management, which are used extensively as mechanically sturdy thermal insulation or high thermal conductivity materials. In this study, using the statistical theory and Fourier's law of heat conduction while accounting for both the inter-fiber contact thermal resistance and the intrinsic thermal resistance of nanofibers, an analytical model is developed to predict the thermal conductivity of nanofiber networks as a function of their geometric and thermal properties. A scaling relation between the thermal conductivity and the geometric properties including volume fraction and nanofiber length of the network is revealed. This model agrees well with both numerical simulations and experimental measurements found in the literature. This model may prove useful in analyzing the experimental results and designing nanofiber networks for both high and low thermal conductivity applications.

  11. A Lumped Thermal Model Including Thermal Coupling and Thermal Boundary Conditions for High Power IGBT Modules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bahman, Amir Sajjad; Ma, Ke; Blaabjerg, Frede

    2018-01-01

    Detailed thermal dynamics of high power IGBT modules are important information for the reliability analysis and thermal design of power electronic systems. However, the existing thermal models have their limits to correctly predict these complicated thermal behavior in the IGBTs: The typically used...... thermal model based on one-dimensional RC lumps have limits to provide temperature distributions inside the device, moreover some variable factors in the real-field applications like the cooling and heating conditions of the converter cannot be adapted. On the other hand, the more advanced three......-dimensional thermal models based on Finite Element Method (FEM) need massive computations, which make the long-term thermal dynamics difficult to calculate. In this paper, a new lumped three-dimensional thermal model is proposed, which can be easily characterized from FEM simulations and can acquire the critical...

  12. Magnetic Detachment and Plume Control in Escaping Magnetized Plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmit, P.F.; Fisch, N.J.

    2008-01-01

    The model of two-fluid, axisymmetric, ambipolar magnetized plasma detachment from thruster guide fields is extended to include plasmas with non-zero injection angular velocity profiles. Certain plasma injection angular velocity profiles are shown to narrow the plasma plume, thereby increasing exhaust efficiency. As an example, we consider a magnetic guide field arising from a simple current ring and demonstrate plasma injection schemes that more than double the fraction of useful exhaust aperture area, more than halve the exhaust plume angle, and enhance magnetized plasma detachment

  13. Turbulent forces within river plumes affect spread

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharya, Atreyee

    2012-08-01

    When rivers drain into oceans through narrow mouths, hydraulic forces squeeze the river water into buoyant plumes that are clearly visible in satellite images. Worldwide, river plumes not only disperse freshwater, sediments, and nutrients but also spread pollutants and organisms from estuaries into the open ocean. In the United States, the Columbia River—the largest river by volume draining into the Pacific Ocean from North America—generates a plume at its mouth that transports juvenile salmon and other fish into the ocean. Clearly, the behavior and spread of river plumes, such as the Columbia River plume, affect the nation's fishing industry as well as the global economy.

  14. Integration of remotely sensed data and hydrodynamic modeling into a GIS to assess the impacts of thermal effluent in an estuary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mustard, J.F.; Sen, A.; Swanson, C.; Mendelsohn, D.

    1997-01-01

    A project to assess the effects of thermal effluent from a electrical generating facility on an estuary is described. The project is designed to integrate remote sensing observations with in situ field data and a computer model system to provide continuous, estuary-wide predictions of the effluent plume location and configurations. Remote sensing data was acquired over the ebb tide cycle by an aircraft-mounted multi-channel imaging spectrometer. A ground truth field program measured water temperature on a series of transects during the overflights. Moored instruments continuously acquired data on currents, salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen before, during and after the day of the overflight. A hydrodynamic model was used to predict the three-dimensional structure of the currents, temperature and salinity in the estuary. A Lagrangian particle-based trajectory model was used to predict the small scale surface features seen in the overflight images. Results indicate that such a system can provide useful data in support of analyses of thermal effects of the ecology of estuarine environments

  15. Modelling present-day basal melt rates for Antarctic ice shelves using a parametrization of buoyant meltwater plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazeroms, Werner M. J.; Jenkins, Adrian; Hilmar Gudmundsson, G.; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.

    2018-01-01

    Basal melting below ice shelves is a major factor in mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which can contribute significantly to possible future sea-level rise. Therefore, it is important to have an adequate description of the basal melt rates for use in ice-dynamical models. Most current ice models use rather simple parametrizations based on the local balance of heat between ice and ocean. In this work, however, we use a recently derived parametrization of the melt rates based on a buoyant meltwater plume travelling upward beneath an ice shelf. This plume parametrization combines a non-linear ocean temperature sensitivity with an inherent geometry dependence, which is mainly described by the grounding-line depth and the local slope of the ice-shelf base. For the first time, this type of parametrization is evaluated on a two-dimensional grid covering the entire Antarctic continent. In order to apply the essentially one-dimensional parametrization to realistic ice-shelf geometries, we present an algorithm that determines effective values for the grounding-line depth and basal slope in any point beneath an ice shelf. Furthermore, since detailed knowledge of temperatures and circulation patterns in the ice-shelf cavities is sparse or absent, we construct an effective ocean temperature field from observational data with the purpose of matching (area-averaged) melt rates from the model with observed present-day melt rates. Our results qualitatively replicate large-scale observed features in basal melt rates around Antarctica, not only in terms of average values, but also in terms of the spatial pattern, with high melt rates typically occurring near the grounding line. The plume parametrization and the effective temperature field presented here are therefore promising tools for future simulations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet requiring a more realistic oceanic forcing.

  16. Plume meander and dispersion in a stable boundary layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiscox, April L.; Miller, David R.; Nappo, Carmen J.

    2010-11-01

    Continuous lidar measurements of elevated plume dispersion and corresponding micrometeorology data are analyzed to establish the relationship between plume behavior and nocturnal boundary layer dynamics. Contrasting nights of data from the JORNADA field campaign in the New Mexico desert are analyzed. The aerosol lidar measurements were used to separate the plume diffusion (plume spread) from plume meander (displacement). Mutiresolution decomposition was used to separate the turbulence scale (90 s). Durations of turbulent kinetic energy stationarity and the wind steadiness were used to characterize the local scale and submesoscale turbulence. Plume meander, driven by submesoscale wind motions, was responsible for most of the total horizontal plume dispersion in weak and variable winds and strong stability. This proportion was reduced in high winds (i.e., >4 m s-1), weakly stable conditions but remained the dominant dispersion mechanism. The remainder of the plume dispersion in all cases was accounted for by internal spread of the plume, which is a small eddy diffusion process driven by turbulence. Turbulence stationarity and the wind steadiness are demonstrated to be closely related to plume diffusion and plume meander, respectively.

  17. Multi-scale modeling of the environmental impact and energy performance of open-loop groundwater heat pumps in urban areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sciacovelli, A.; Guelpa, E.; Verda, V.

    2014-01-01

    Groundwater heat pumps are expected to play a major role in future energy scenarios. Proliferation of such systems in urban areas may generate issues related to possible interference between installations. These issues are associated with the thermal plume produced by heat pumps during operation and are particularly evident in the case of groundwater flow, because of the advection heat transfer. In this paper, the impact of an installation is investigated through a thermo-fluid dynamic model of the subsurface which considers fluid flow in the saturated unit and heat transfer in both the saturated and unsaturated units. Due to the large extension of the affected area, a multiscale numerical model that combines a three-dimensional CFD model and a network model is proposed. The thermal request of the user and the heat pump performances are considered in the multi-scale numerical model through appropriate boundary conditions imposed at the wells. Various scenarios corresponding to different operating modes of the heat pump are considered. - Highlights: • A groundwater heat pump of a skyscraper under construction is considered. • The thermal plume induced in the groundwater is evaluated using a multi-scale model. • The multi-scale model is constituted by a full 3D model and a network model. • Multi-scale permits to study large space for long time with low computational costs. • In some cases thermal plume can reduce the COP of other heat pumps of 20%

  18. Chesapeake Bay plume dynamics from LANDSAT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munday, J. C., Jr.; Fedosh, M. S.

    1981-01-01

    LANDSAT images with enhancement and density slicing show that the Chesapeake Bay plume usually frequents the Virginia coast south of the Bay mouth. Southwestern (compared to northern) winds spread the plume easterly over a large area. Ebb tide images (compared to flood tide images) show a more dispersed plume. Flooding waters produce high turbidity levels over the shallow northern portion of the Bay mouth.

  19. Crust-Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Dynamics in Mantle Plume Provinces with Emphasis on the Galapagos =

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orellana, Felipe

    Hotspot tracks, which most geoscientists attribute to the effects of mantle plumes on the overlying lithospheric plates, are characterized by distinct bathymetry, gravity signatures, structural geology, volcanology, petrology, and geochemistry; motivating us to try to understand the dynamics behind the space-time-histories of these systems. Making use of classical geodynamic paradigms, such as highly-viscous fluids (Stokes flow, for the mantle and/or lithosphere), elastic plate behavior, and heat flow, we develop conceptual frameworks to explain a number of distinct hotspot track features, and present quantitative models aimed at elucidating their origins. There is much diversity among the population of mantle plume hotspot tracks on the Earth's oceanic crust. For example, there are marked differences in the style of their bathymetry, as well as in their gravimetric signals, and also in the isotopic signature of extruded lavas. At the same time, important underlying differences are given by the age of the lithospheric plates under which the mantle plumes are impinging, lithospheric elastic thickness, the heat (or buoyancy) flux of individual mantle plumes, their melt production, crustal thickening, the proximity of spreading centers, etc. In the first chapter of this dissertation, making use of scaling theory, we show that for most oceanic hotspot tracks, the character of bathymetric expression (primarily rough vs. smooth topography) can be explained by three independent primary underlying factors - plate thickness, or equivalently plate age; plate speed; and plume buoyancy flux - combined into a single parameter, R, the ratio of plume heat flux to the effective thermal capacity of the moving plate overlying the plume. The Galapagos archipelago (off the west coast of equatorial South America), part of a >20 Ma old hotspot track formed by the underlying Galapagos mantle plume, currently exhibits a broad geographic distribution of volcanic centers of surprisingly

  20. Fossil plume head beneath the Arabian lithosphere?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, Mordechai; Hofmann, Albrecht W.

    1992-12-01

    Phanerozoic alkali basalts from Israel, which have erupted over the past 200 Ma, have isotopic compositions similar to PREMA ("prevalent mantle") with narrow ranges of initial ɛ Nd(T) = +3.9-+5.9; 87Sr/ 86Sr(T)= 0.70292-0.70334; 206Pb/ 204Pb(T)= 18.88-19.99; 207Pb/ 204Pb(T)= 15.58-15.70; and 208Pb/ 204Pb(T)= 38.42-39.57. Their Nb/U(43 ± 9) and Ce/Pb(26 ± 6) ratios are identical to those of normal oceanic basalts, demonstrating that the basalts are essentially free of crustal contamination. Overall, the basalts are chemically and isotopically indistinguishable from many ordinary plume basalts, but no plume track can be identified. We propose that these and other, similar, magmas from the Arabian plate originated from a "fossilized" head of a mantle plume, which was unable to penetrate the continental lithosphere and was therefore trapped and stored beneath it. The plume head was emplaced some time between the late Proterozoic crust formation and the initiation of the Phanerozoic magmatic cycles. Basalts from rift environments in other continental localities show similar geochemistry to that of the Arabian basalts and their sources may also represent fossil plume heads trapped below the continents. We suggest that plume heads are, in general, characterized by the PREMA isotopic mantle signature, because the original plume sources (which may have HIMU or EM-type composition) have been diluted by overlying mantle material, which has been entrained by the plume heads during ascent. On the Arabian plate, rifting and thinning of the lithosphere caused partial melting of the stored plume, which led to periodic volcanism. In the late Cenozoic, the lithosphere broke up and the Red Sea opened. N-MORB tholeiites are now erupting in the central trough of the Red Sea, where the lithosphere has moved apart and the fossil plume has been exhausted, whereas E-MORBs are erupting in the northern and southern troughs, still tapping the plume reservoir. Fossil plumes, which are

  1. Particle-Resolved Modeling of Aerosol Mixing State in an Evolving Ship Plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riemer, N. S.; Tian, J.; Pfaffenberger, L.; Schlager, H.; Petzold, A.

    2011-12-01

    The aerosol mixing state is important since it impacts the particles' optical and CCN properties and thereby their climate impact. It evolves continuously during the particles' residence time in the atmosphere as a result of coagulation with other particles and condensation of secondary aerosol species. This evolution is challenging to represent in traditional aerosol models since they require the representation of a multi-dimensional particle distribution. While modal or sectional aerosol representations cannot practically resolve the aerosol mixing state for more than a few species, particle-resolved models store the composition of many individual aerosol particles directly. They thus sample the high-dimensional composition state space very efficiently and so can deal with tens of species, fully resolving the mixing state. Here we use the capabilities of the particle-resolved model PartMC-MOSAIC to simulate the evolution of particulate matter emitted from marine diesel engines and compare the results to aircraft measurements made in the English Channel in 2007 as part of the European campaign QUANTIFY. The model was initialized with values of gas concentrations and particle size distributions and compositions representing fresh ship emissions. These values were obtained from a test rig study in the European project HERCULES in 2006 using a serial four-stroke marine diesel engine operating on high-sulfur heavy fuel oil. The freshly emitted particles consisted of sulfate, black carbon, organic carbon and ash. We then tracked the particle population for several hours as it evolved undergoing coagulation, dilution with the background air, and chemical transformations in the aerosol and gas phase. This simulation was used to compute the evolution of CCN properties and optical properties of the plume on a per-particle basis. We compared our results to size-resolved data of aged ship plumes from the QUANTIFY Study in 2007 and showed that the model was able to reproduce

  2. An experimental study on the near-source region of lazy turbulent plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciriello, Francesco; Hunt, Gary R.

    2017-11-01

    The near-source region of a `lazy' turbulent buoyant plume issuing from a circular source is examined for source Richardson numbers in the range of 101 to 107. New data is acquired for the radial contraction and streamwise variation of volume flux through an experimental programme of dye visualisations and particle image velocimetry. This data reveals the limited applicability of traditional entrainment laws used in integral modelling approaches for the description of the near-source region for these source Richardson numbers. A revised entrainment function is proposed, based on which we introduce a classification of plume behaviour whereby the degree of `laziness' may be expressed in terms of the excess dilution that occurs compared to a `pure' constant Richardson number plume. The increased entrainment measured in lazy plumes is attributed to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities developing along the contraction of the plume which promote the additional engulfment of ambient fluid into the plume. This work was funded by an EPSRC Industial Case Award sponsored by Dyson Technology Ltd. Special thanks go to the members of the Dyson Environmental Control Group that regularly visit us in Cambridge for discussions about our work.

  3. PLUME and research sotware

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baudin, Veronique; Gomez-Diaz, Teresa

    2013-04-01

    The PLUME open platform (https://www.projet-plume.org) has as first goal to share competences and to value the knowledge of software experts within the French higher education and research communities. The project proposes in its platform the access to more than 380 index cards describing useful and economic software for this community, with open access to everybody. The second goal of PLUME focuses on to improve the visibility of software produced by research laboratories within the higher education and research communities. The "development-ESR" index cards briefly describe the main features of the software, including references to research publications associated to it. The platform counts more than 300 cards describing research software, where 89 cards have an English version. In this talk we describe the theme classification and the taxonomy of the index cards and the evolution with new themes added to the project. We will also focus on the organisation of PLUME as an open project and its interests in the promotion of free/open source software from and for research, contributing to the creation of a community of shared knowledge.

  4. Characterization of redox conditions in pollution plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup; Banwart, Steven A.

    2000-01-01

    Evalution of redox conditions in groundwater pollution plumes is often a prerequisite for understanding the behviour of the pollutants in the plume and for selecting remediation approaches. Measuring of redox conditions in pollution plumes is, however, a fairly recent issue and yet relative few...

  5. Water Plume Temperature Measurements by an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeMario, Anthony; Lopez, Pete; Plewka, Eli; Wix, Ryan; Xia, Hai; Zamora, Emily; Gessler, Dan; Yalin, Azer P

    2017-02-07

    We report on the development and testing of a proof of principle water temperature measurement system deployed on an unmanned aerial system (UAS), for field measurements of thermal discharges into water. The primary elements of the system include a quad-copter UAS to which has been integrated, for the first time, both a thermal imaging infrared (IR) camera and an immersible probe that can be dipped below the water surface to obtain vertical water temperature profiles. The IR camera is used to take images of the overall water surface to geo-locate the plume, while the immersible probe provides quantitative temperature depth profiles at specific locations. The full system has been tested including the navigation of the UAS, its ability to safely carry the sensor payload, and the performance of both the IR camera and the temperature probe. Finally, the UAS sensor system was successfully deployed in a pilot field study at a coal burning power plant, and obtained images and temperature profiles of the thermal effluent.

  6. Three-dimensional simulation of gas and dust in Io's Pele plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDoniel, William J.; Goldstein, David B.; Varghese, Philip L.; Trafton, Laurence M.

    2015-09-01

    Io's giant Pele plume rises high above the moon's surface and produces a complex deposition pattern. We use the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method to model the flow of SO2 gas and silicate ash from the surface of the lava lake, into the umbrella-shaped canopy of the plume, and eventually onto the surface where the flow leaves black "butterfly wings" surrounded by a large red ring. We show how the geometry of the lava lake, from which the gas is emitted, is responsible for significant asymmetry in the plume and for the shape of the red deposition ring by way of complicated gas-dynamic interactions between parts of the gas flow arising from different areas in the lava lake. We develop a model for gas flow in the immediate vicinity of the lava lake and use it to show that the behavior of ash particles of less than about 2 μm in diameter in the plume is insensitive to the details of how they are introduced into the flow because they are coupled to the gas at low altitudes. We simulate dust particles in the plume to show how particle size determines the distance from the lava lake at which particles deposit on the surface, and we use this dependence to find a size distribution of black dust particles in the plume that provides the best explanation for the observed black fans to the east and west of the lava lake. This best-fit particle size distribution suggests that there may be two distinct mechanisms of black dust creation at Pele, and when two log-normal distributions are fit to our results we obtain a mean particle diameter of 88 nm. We also propose a mechanism by which the condensible plume gas might overlay black dust in areas where black coloration is not observed and compare this to the observed overlaying of Pillanian dust by Pele's red ring.

  7. Io Pele plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    2000-01-01

    Voyager 1 took this narrow-angle camera image on 5 March 1979 from a distance of 450,000 kilometers. At this geometry, the camera looks straight down through a volcanic plume at one of Io's most active volcanos, Pele. The large heart-shaped feature is the region where Pele's plume falls to the surface. At the center of the 'heart' is the small dark fissure that is the source of the eruption. The Voyager Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science.

  8. Io's Active Eruption Plumes: Insights from HST

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jessup, K. L.; Spencer, J. R.

    2011-10-01

    Taking advantage of the available data, we recently [10] completed a detailed analysis of the spectral signature of Io's Pele-type Tvashtar plume as imaged by the HST Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (HST/WFPC2) via absorption during Jupiter transit and via reflected sunlight in 2007, as well as HST/WFPC2 observations of the 1997 eruption of Io's Prometheus-type Pillan plume (Fig. 1). These observations were obtained in the 0.24-0.42 μm range, where the plumes gas absorption and aerosol scattering properties are most conspicuous. By completing a detailed analysis of these observations, several key aspects of the reflectance and the absorption properties of the two plumes have been revealed. Additionally, by considering the analysis of the HST imaging data in light of previously published spectral analysis of Io's Prometheus and Pele-type plumes several trends in the plume properties have been determined, allowing us to define the relative significance of each plume on the rate of re-surfacing occurring on Io and providing the measurements needed to better assess the role the volcanoes play in the stability of Io's tenuous atmosphere.

  9. Modeling the regional impact of ship emissions on NOx and ozone levels over the Eastern Atlantic and Western Europe using ship plume parameterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Pisoft

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available In general, regional and global chemistry transport models apply instantaneous mixing of emissions into the model's finest resolved scale. In case of a concentrated source, this could result in erroneous calculation of the evolution of both primary and secondary chemical species. Several studies discussed this issue in connection with emissions from ships and aircraft. In this study, we present an approach to deal with the non-linear effects during dispersion of NOx emissions from ships. It represents an adaptation of the original approach developed for aircraft NOx emissions, which uses an exhaust tracer to trace the amount of the emitted species in the plume and applies an effective reaction rate for the ozone production/destruction during the plume's dilution into the background air. In accordance with previous studies examining the impact of international shipping on the composition of the troposphere, we found that the contribution of ship induced surface NOx to the total reaches 90% over remote ocean and makes 10–30% near coastal regions. Due to ship emissions, surface ozone increases by up to 4–6 ppbv making 10% contribution to the surface ozone budget. When applying the ship plume parameterization, we show that the large scale NOx decreases and the ship NOx contribution is reduced by up to 20–25%. A similar decrease was found in the case of O3. The plume parameterization suppressed the ship induced ozone production by 15–30% over large areas of the studied region. To evaluate the presented parameterization, nitrogen monoxide measurements over the English Channel were compared with modeled values and it was found that after activating the parameterization the model accuracy increases.

  10. Reservoir Characterization and CO2 Plume Migration Modeling Based on Bottom-hole Pressure Data: An Example from the AEP Mountaineer Geological Storage Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Srikanta; Kelley, Mark; Oruganti, YagnaDeepika; Bhattacharya, Indra; Spitznogle, Gary

    2014-05-01

    We present an integrated approach for formation permeability estimation, front tracking, reservoir model calibration, and plume migration modeling based on injection rate and down-hole pressure data from CO2 geologic sequestration projects. The data are taken from the 20 MW CO2 capture and storage project at American Electric Power's Mountaineer Plant in West Virginia, USA. The Mountaineer CO2 injection system consists of two injection wells - one in the Copper Ridge Dolomite formation and one in the Rose Run sandstone formation, and three deep observation wells that were operational between October 2009 and May 2011. Approximately 27000 MT and 10000 MT were injected into the Copper Ridge dolomite formation and Rose Run sandstone formation, respectively. A wealth of pressure and rate data from injection and observation wells is available covering a series of injection and pressure falloff events. The methodology developed and applied for interpreting and integrating the data during reservoir analysis and modeling from the Rose Run formation is the subject of this paper. For the analysis of transient pressure data at the injection and observation wells, the CO2 storage reservoir is conceptualized as a radial composite system, where the inner (invaded) zone consists of both supercritical CO2 and brine, and the outer (uninvaded) zone consists of undisturbed brine. Using established analytical solutions for analyzing fluid injection problems in the petroleum reservoir engineering literature, we show how the late-time pressure derivative response from both injection and observation wells will be identical - reflecting the permeability-thickness product of the undisturbed brine-filled formation. We also show how the expanding CO2 plume affects the "effective" compressibility that can be estimated by history matching injection-falloff data and how this can be used to develop a relationship between the plume radius and "effective" compressibility. This provides a novel non

  11. Numerical studies of pulsating buoyant plume in isothermal and non isothermal situations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Pavan K.; Singh, R.K.; Mohanty, Ananya; Das, D.

    2014-01-01

    A computational study has been carried out for predicting the behaviour of buoyant plume in isothermal and non isothermal configuration. General simulation objectives of any buoyant flow simulation are macroscopic in nature and deals with the grass data in respect of buoyancy induced scalar transport. However, the accuracy of predicting such macroscopic parameters is a strong function of several other microscopic parameters which govern the overall macroscopic behaviour. Some of the microscopic parameters for analysis could be buoyancy induced stable/unstable flows, relative plume behaviour, baroclinic velocity distribution etc. Only the CFD based flow modelling approach is capable of calculating several of these aspects. LES based modelling scores over the conventional RANS based computational modelling. The primary objective of the present study was to model buoyant plume simulation of different types in order to explore the details regarding plume and flow structure, instabilities and puffing behaviour. One of the influencing parameters on the overall plume behaviour is the buoyancy resolution index i.e. fineness of chosen grid in relation to the buoyancy intensity and other hydrodynamic parameters. The grid sensitivity studies have been carried out to find out the optimum value grid size by way of buoyant pool fire simulations. Comparative simulation has also been made for a square and round pool fire and it was found that for engineering simulations equivalent area square pool modeling is sufficient. Using the optimum value of grid size and square pool shape simulations have been carried out for different value of fire intensity. The flame puffing frequency as calculated by the reported correlation was compared against the computationally observed puffing frequency and the agreement was generally found to be excellent. Besides these results the comparisons of predicted peak flames temperatures data for various case studies with the available experimental data

  12. RADYN Simulations of Non-thermal and Thermal Models of Ellerman Bombs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Jie; Ding, M. D. [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Carlsson, Mats, E-mail: dmd@nju.edu.cn [Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1029 Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo (Norway)

    2017-08-20

    Ellerman bombs (EBs) are brightenings in the H α line wings that are believed to be caused by magnetic reconnection in the lower atmosphere. To study the response and evolution of the chromospheric line profiles, we perform radiative hydrodynamic simulations of EBs using both non-thermal and thermal models. Overall, these models can generate line profiles that are similar to observations. However, in non-thermal models we find dimming in the H α line wings and continuum when the heating begins, while for the thermal models dimming occurs only in the H α line core, and with a longer lifetime. This difference in line profiles can be used to determine whether an EB is dominated by non-thermal heating or thermal heating. In our simulations, if a higher heating rate is applied, then the H α line will be unrealistically strong and there are still no clear UV burst signatures.

  13. RADYN Simulations of Non-thermal and Thermal Models of Ellerman Bombs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Jie; Carlsson, Mats; Ding, M. D.

    2017-08-01

    Ellerman bombs (EBs) are brightenings in the Hα line wings that are believed to be caused by magnetic reconnection in the lower atmosphere. To study the response and evolution of the chromospheric line profiles, we perform radiative hydrodynamic simulations of EBs using both non-thermal and thermal models. Overall, these models can generate line profiles that are similar to observations. However, in non-thermal models we find dimming in the Hα line wings and continuum when the heating begins, while for the thermal models dimming occurs only in the Hα line core, and with a longer lifetime. This difference in line profiles can be used to determine whether an EB is dominated by non-thermal heating or thermal heating. In our simulations, if a higher heating rate is applied, then the Hα line will be unrealistically strong and there are still no clear UV burst signatures.

  14. Vapor plume oscillation mechanisms in transient keyhole during tandem dual beam fiber laser welding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xin; Zhang, Xiaosi; Pang, Shengyong; Hu, Renzhi; Xiao, Jianzhong

    2018-01-01

    Vapor plume oscillations are common physical phenomena that have an important influence on the welding process in dual beam laser welding. However, until now, the oscillation mechanisms of vapor plumes remain unclear. This is primarily because mesoscale vapor plume dynamics inside a millimeter-scale, invisible, and time-dependent keyhole are difficult to quantitatively observe. In this paper, based on a developed three-dimensional (3D) comprehensive model, the vapor plume evolutions in a dynamical keyhole are directly simulated in tandem dual beam, short-wavelength laser welding. Combined with the vapor plume behaviors outside the keyhole observed by high-speed imaging, the vapor plume oscillations in dynamical keyholes at different inter-beam distances are the first, to our knowledge, to be quantitatively analyzed. It is found that vapor plume oscillations outside the keyhole mainly result from vapor plume instabilities inside the keyhole. The ejection velocity at the keyhole opening and dynamical behaviors outside the keyhole of a vapor plume both violently oscillate with the same order of magnitude of high frequency (several kHz). Furthermore, the ejection speed at the keyhole opening and ejection area outside the keyhole both decrease as the beam distance increases, while the degree of vapor plume instability first decreases and then increases with increasing beam distance from 0.6 to 1.0 mm. Moreover, the oscillation mechanisms of a vapor plume inside the dynamical keyhole irradiated by dual laser beams are investigated by thoroughly analyzing the vapor plume occurrence and flow process. The vapor plume oscillations in the dynamical keyhole are found to mainly result from violent local evaporations and severe keyhole geometry variations. In short, the quantitative method and these findings can serve as a reference for further understanding of the physical mechanisms in dual beam laser welding and of processing optimizations in industrial applications.

  15. (HBCU) Thermal-Electric Propulsion With Magnetoplasmadynamic Acceleration

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Tabibi, Bagher

    1998-01-01

    .... An insitu technique, Pitot tube method, was used to measure the total and static pressures of the core flow of the thermal plume in steady state operation in order to characterize and benchmark...

  16. Identifying key controls on the behavior of an acidic-U(VI) plume in the Savannah River Site using reactive transport modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bea, Sergio A; Wainwright, Haruko; Spycher, Nicolas; Faybishenko, Boris; Hubbard, Susan S; Denham, Miles E

    2013-08-01

    Acidic low-level waste radioactive waste solutions were discharged to three unlined seepage basins at the F-Area of the Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, USA, from 1955 through 1989. Despite many years of active remediation, the groundwater remains acidic and contaminated with significant levels of U(VI) and other radionuclides. Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) is a desired closure strategy for the site, based on the premise that regional flow of clean background groundwater will eventually neutralize the groundwater acidity, immobilizing U(VI) through adsorption. An in situ treatment system is currently in place to accelerate this in the downgradient portion of the plume and similar measures could be taken upgradient if necessary. Understanding the long-term pH and U(VI) adsorption behavior at the site is critical to assess feasibility of MNA along with the in-situ remediation treatments. This paper presents a reactive transport (RT) model and uncertainty quantification (UQ) analyses to explore key controls on the U(VI)-plume evolution and long-term mobility at this site. Two-dimensional numerical RT simulations are run including the saturated and unsaturated (vadose) zones, U(VI) and H(+) adsorption (surface complexation) onto sediments, dissolution and precipitation of Al and Fe minerals, and key hydrodynamic processes are considered. UQ techniques are applied using a new open-source tool that is part of the developing ASCEM reactive transport modeling and analysis framework to: (1) identify the complex physical and geochemical processes that control the U(VI) plume migration in the pH range where the plume is highly mobile, (2) evaluate those physical and geochemical parameters that are most controlling, and (3) predict the future plume evolution constrained by historical, chemical and hydrological data. The RT simulation results show a good agreement with the observed historical pH and concentrations of U(VI), nitrates

  17. Coupling of Realistic Rate Estimates with Genomics for Assessing Contaminant Attenuation and Long-Term Plume Containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorenson, Kent S. Jr.

    2003-01-01

    Environmental Technology Site, and the Savannah River Site. Detailed characterization data from the promising plumes is being entered into our database as it is received. The next step is to calculate natural attenuation half-life values for all of these plumes. We will next identify the plumes in which natural attenuation via aerobic degradation of TCE is fast enough that it may be relevant as a component of a remedy. We will then select at least one of these sites and either modify an existing groundwater transport model or, if necessary, create a new model, for this plume. This model will initially include first order decay of TCE, and degradation will be parameterized using the half-live values determined from the field data. The models will be used to simulate the evolution of the TCE plume and to predict concentrations as a function of time at property lines or other artificial boundaries, and where potential receptors are located. Ultimately rate data from th e laboratory studies being performed at INEEL will be incorporated into this model, as well as the model of the TAN site to provide a realistic prediction of degradation rates and plume longevity. Although identifying suitable TCE plumes and obtaining characterization data has taken longer than expected, this process has successfully identified the plumes needed for the detailed modeling activity without adversely impacting the project budget

  18. Contrasted continental rifting via plume-craton interaction: Applications to Central East African Rift

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Koptev

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The East African Rift system (EARS provides a unique system with the juxtaposition of two contrasting yet simultaneously formed rift branches, the eastern, magma-rich, and the western, magma-poor, on either sides of the old thick Tanzanian craton embedded in a younger lithosphere. Data on the pre-rift, syn-rift and post-rift far-field volcanic and tectonic activity show that the EARS formed in the context of the interaction between a deep mantle plume and a horizontally and vertically heterogeneous lithosphere under far-field tectonic extension. We bring quantitative insights into this evolution by implementing high-resolution 3D thermo-mechanical numerical deformation models of a lithosphere of realistic rheology. The models focus on the central part of the EARS. We explore scenarios of plume-lithosphere interaction with plumes of various size and initial position rising beneath a tectonically pre-stretched lithosphere. We test the impact of the inherited rheological discontinuities (suture zones along the craton borders, of the rheological structure, of lithosphere plate thickness variations, and of physical and mechanical contrasts between the craton and the embedding lithosphere. Our experiments indicate that the ascending plume material is deflected by the cratonic keel and preferentially channeled along one of its sides, leading to the formation of a large rift zone along the eastern side of the craton, with significant magmatic activity and substantial melt amount derived from the mantle plume material. We show that the observed asymmetry of the central EARS, with coeval amagmatic (western and magmatic (eastern branches, can be explained by the splitting of warm material rising from a broad plume head whose initial position is slightly shifted to the eastern side of the craton. In that case, neither a mechanical weakness of the contact between the craton and the embedding lithosphere nor the presence of second plume are required to

  19. Thermal properties Forsmark. Modelling stage 2.3 Complementary analysis and verification of the thermal bedrock model, stage 2.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sundberg, Jan; Wrafter, John; Laendell, Maerta (Geo Innova AB (Sweden)); Back, Paer-Erik; Rosen, Lars (Sweco AB (Sweden))

    2008-11-15

    This report present the results of thermal modelling work for the Forsmark area carried out during modelling stage 2.3. The work complements the main modelling efforts carried out during modelling stage 2.2. A revised spatial statistical description of the rock mass thermal conductivity for rock domain RFM045 is the main result of this work. Thermal modelling of domain RFM045 in Forsmark model stage 2.2 gave lower tail percentiles of thermal conductivity that were considered to be conservatively low due to the way amphibolite, the rock type with the lowest thermal conductivity, was modelled. New and previously available borehole data are used as the basis for revised stochastic geological simulations of domain RFM045. By defining two distinct thermal subdomains, these simulations have succeeded in capturing more of the lithological heterogeneity present. The resulting thermal model for rock domain RFM045 is, therefore, considered to be more realistic and reliable than that presented in model stage 2.2. The main conclusions of modelling efforts in model stage 2.3 are: - Thermal modelling indicates a mean thermal conductivity for domain RFM045 at the 5 m scale of 3.56 W/(mK). This is slightly higher than the value of 3.49 W/(mK) derived in model stage 2.2. - The variance decreases and the lower tail percentiles increase as the scale of observation increases from 1 to 5 m. Best estimates of the 0.1 percentile of thermal conductivity for domain RFM045 are 2.24 W/(mK) for the 1 m scale and 2.36 W/(mK) for the 5 m scale. This can be compared with corresponding values for domain RFM029 of 2.30 W/(mK) for the 1 m scale and 2.87 W/(mK)for the 5 m scale. - The reason for the pronounced lower tail in the thermal conductivity distribution for domain RFM045 is the presence of large bodies of the low-conductive amphibolite. - The modelling results for domain RFM029 presented in model stage 2.2 are still applicable. - As temperature increases, the thermal conductivity decreases

  20. Plumes do not Exist: Plate Circulation is Confined to Upper Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, W. B.

    2002-12-01

    Plumes from deep mantle are widely conjectured to define an absolute reference frame, inaugurate rifting, drive plates, and profoundly modify oceans and continents. Mantle properties and composition are assumed to be whatever enables plumes. Nevertheless, purported critical evidence for plume speculation is false, and all data are better interpreted without plumes. Plume fantasies are made ever more complex and ad hoc to evade contradictory data, and have no predictive value because plumes do not exist. All plume conjecture derives from Hawaii and the guess that the Emperor-Hawaii inflection records a 60-degree change in Pacific plate direction at 45 Ma. Paleomagnetic latitudes and smooth Pacific spreading patterns disprove any such change. Rationales for other fixed plumes collapse when tested, and hypotheses of jumping, splitting, and gyrating plumes are specious. Thermal and physical properties of Hawaiian lithosphere falsify plume predictions. Purported tomographic support elsewhere represents artifacts and misleading presentations. Asthenosphere is everywhere near solidus temperature, so melt needs a tensional setting for egress but not local heat. Gradational and inconsistent contrasts between MORB and OIB are as required by depth-varying melt generation and behavior in contrasted settings and do not indicate systematically unlike sources. MORB melts rise, with minimal reaction, through hot asthenosphere, whereas OIB melts react with cool lithosphere, and lose mass, by crystallizing refractories and retaining and assimilating fusibles. The unfractionated lower mantle of plume conjecture is contrary to cosmologic and thermodynamic data, for mantle below 660 km is more refractory than that above. Subduction, due to density inversion by top-down cooling that forms oceanic lithosphere, drives plate tectonics and upper-mantle circulation. It organizes plate motions and lithosphere stress, which controls plate boundaries and volcanic chains. Hinge rollback is the

  1. Constraints on the coupled thermal evolution of the Earth's core and mantle, the age of the inner core, and the origin of the 186Os/188Os “core signal” in plume-derived lavas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lassiter, J. C.

    2006-10-01

    The possibility that some mantle plumes may carry a geochemical signature of core/mantle interaction has rightly generated considerable interest and attention in recent years. Correlated 186Os- 187Os enrichments in some plume-derived lavas (Hawaii, Gorgona, Kostomuksha) have been interpreted as deriving from an outer core with elevated Pt/Os and Re/Os ratios due to the solidification of the Earth's inner core (c.f., [A.D. Brandon, R.J. Walker, The debate over core-mantle interaction, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 232 (2005) 211-225.] and references therein). Conclusive identification of a "core signal" in plume-derived lavas would profoundly influence our understanding of mantle convection and evolution. This paper reevaluates the Os-isotope evidence for core/mantle interaction by examining other geochemical constraints on core/mantle interaction, geophysical constraints on the thermal evolution of the outer core, and geochemical and cosmochemical constraints on the abundance of heat-producing elements in the core. Additional study of metal/silicate and sulfide/silicate partitioning of K, Pb, and other trace elements is needed to more tightly constrain the likely starting composition of the Earth's core. However, available data suggest that the observed 186Os enrichments in Hawaiian and other plume-derived lavas are unlikely to derive from core/mantle interaction. 1) Core/mantle interaction sufficient to produce the observed 186Os enrichments would likely have significant effects on other tracers such as Pb- and W-isotopes that are not observed. 2) Significant partitioning of K or other heat-producing elements into the core would produce a "core depletion" pattern in the Silicate Earth very different from that observed. 3) In the absence of heat-producing elements in the core, core/mantle heat flow of ˜ 6-15 TW estimated from several independent geophysical constraints suggests an inner core age (< ˜ 2.5 Ga) too young for the outer core to have developed a significant

  2. Galileo observations of volcanic plumes on Io

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geissler, P.E.; McMillan, M.T.

    2008-01-01

    Io's volcanic plumes erupt in a dazzling variety of sizes, shapes, colors and opacities. In general, the plumes fall into two classes, representing distinct source gas temperatures. Most of the Galileo imaging observations were of the smaller, more numerous Prometheus-type plumes that are produced when hot flows of silicate lava impinge on volatile surface ices of SO2. Few detections were made of the giant, Pele-type plumes that vent high temperature, sulfur-rich gases from the interior of Io; this was partly because of the insensitivity of Galileo's camera to ultraviolet wavelengths. Both gas and dust spout from plumes of each class. Favorably located gas plumes were detected during eclipse, when Io was in Jupiter's shadow. Dense dust columns were imaged in daylight above several Prometheus-type eruptions, reaching heights typically less than 100 km. Comparisons between eclipse observations, sunlit images, and the record of surface changes show that these optically thick dust columns are much smaller in stature than the corresponding gas plumes but are adequate to produce the observed surface deposits. Mie scattering calculations suggest that these conspicuous dust plumes are made up of coarse grained “ash” particles with radii on the order of 100 nm, and total masses on the order of 106 kg per plume. Long exposure images of Thor in sunlight show a faint outer envelope apparently populated by particles small enough to be carried along with the gas flow, perhaps formed by condensation of sulfurous “snowflakes” as suggested by the plasma instrumentation aboard Galileo as it flew through Thor's plume [Frank, L.A., Paterson, W.R., 2002. J. Geophys. Res. (Space Phys.) 107, doi:10.1029/2002JA009240. 31-1]. If so, the total mass of these fine, nearly invisible particles may be comparable to the mass of the gas, and could account for much of Io's rapid resurfacing.

  3. Rise of a cold plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakuta, Michio

    1977-06-01

    The rise of smoke from the stacks of two research reactors in normal operation was measured by photogrametric method. The temperature of effluent gas is less than 20 0 C higher than that of the ambient air (heat emission of the order 10 4 cal s -1 ), and the efflux velocity divided by the wind speed is between 0.5 and 2.8 in all 16 smoke runs. The field data obtained within downwind distance of 150m are compared with those by plume rise formulas presently available. Considering the shape of bending-over plume, the Briggs' formula for 'jet' gives a reasonable explanation of the observed plume rise. (auth.)

  4. Modelling of N2-Thruster Plumes Based on Experiments in STG

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Plaehn, Klaus

    2000-01-01

    ... (no chemical reactions, constant ratio of specific heats). The essential parameter to be varied was the nozzle flow Reynolds number, the quantities to be measured were the Pitot pressure at the nozzle exit and the molecule number flux in the plume...

  5. Comparison study of exhaust plume impingement effects of small mono- and bipropellant thrusters using parallelized DSMC method.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyun Ho Lee

    Full Text Available A space propulsion system is important for the normal mission operations of a spacecraft by adjusting its attitude and maneuver. Generally, a mono- and a bipropellant thruster have been mainly used for low thrust liquid rocket engines. But as the plume gas expelled from these small thrusters diffuses freely in a vacuum space along all directions, unwanted effects due to the plume collision onto the spacecraft surfaces can dramatically cause a deterioration of the function and performance of a spacecraft. Thus, aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the major differences of the plume gas impingement effects quantitatively between the small mono- and bipropellant thrusters using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD. For an efficiency of the numerical calculations, the whole calculation domain is divided into two different flow regimes depending on the flow characteristics, and then Navier-Stokes equations and parallelized Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC method are adopted for each flow regime. From the present analysis, thermal and mass influences of the plume gas impingements on the spacecraft were analyzed for the mono- and the bipropellant thrusters. As a result, it is concluded that a careful understanding on the plume impingement effects depending on the chemical characteristics of different propellants are necessary for the efficient design of the spacecraft.

  6. The Columbia River plume as cross-shelf exporter and along-coast barrier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banas, N. S.; MacCready, P.; Hickey, B. M.

    2009-01-01

    An intensive Lagrangian particle-tracking analysis of the July 2004 upwelling period was conducted in a hindcast model of the US Pacific Northwest coast, in order to determine the effect of the Columbia River plume on the fate of upwelled water. The model, implemented using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), includes variable wind and atmospheric forcing, variable Columbia river flow, realistic boundary conditions from Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM), and 10 tidal constituents. Model skill has been demonstrated in detail elsewhere [MacCready, P., Banas, N.S., Hickey, B.M., Dever, E.P., Liu, Y., 2008. A model study of tide- and wind-induced mixing in the Columbia River estuary and plume. Continental Shelf Research, this issue, doi:10.1016/j.csr.2008.03.015]. Particles were released in the Columbia estuary, along the Washington coastal wall, and along the model's northern boundary at 48°N. Particles were tracked in three dimensions, using both velocities from ROMS and a vertical random displacement representing turbulent mixing. When 25 h of upwelling flow is looped and particles tracked for 12 d, their trajectories highlight a field of transient eddies and recirculations on scales from 5 to 50 km both north and south of the Columbia. Not all of these features are caused by plume dynamics, but the presence of the plume increases the entrainment of inner-shelf water into them. The cumulative effect of the plume's interaction with these transient features is to increase cross-shelf dispersion: 25% more water is transported laterally past the 100 m isobath when river and estuarine effects are included than when they are omitted. This cross-shelf dispersion also disrupts the southward transport of water along the inner shelf that occurs in the model when the Columbia River is omitted. This second effect—increased retention of upwelled water on the Washington shelf—may be partly responsible for the regional-scale alongcoast gradient in chlorophyll biomass

  7. Hot rocket plume experiment - Survey and conceptual design. [of rhenium-iridium bipropellants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millard, Jerry M.; Luan, Taylor W.; Dowdy, Mack W.

    1992-01-01

    Attention is given to a space-borne engine plume experiment study to fly an experiment which will both verify and quantify the reduced contamination from advanced rhenium-iridium earth-storable bipropellant rockets (hot rockets) and provide a correlation between high-fidelity, in-space measurements and theoretical plume and surface contamination models. The experiment conceptual design is based on survey results from plume and contamination technologists throughout the U.S. With respect to shuttle use, cursory investigations validate Hitchhiker availability and adaptability, adequate remote manipulator system (RMS) articulation and dynamic capability, acceptable RMS attachment capability, adequate power and telemetry capability, and adequate flight altitude and attitude/orbital capability.

  8. Hydrogen chloride heterogeneous chemistry on frozen water particles in subsonic aircraft plume. Laboratory studies and modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Persiantseva, N.V.; Popovitcheva, O.B.; Rakhimova, T.V. [Moscow State Univ. (Russian Federation)

    1997-12-31

    Heterogeneous chemistry of HCl, as a main reservoir of chlorine content gases, has been considered after plume cooling and ice particle formation. The HCl, HNO{sub 3}, N{sub 2}O{sub 5} uptake efficiencies by frozen water were obtained in a Knudsen-cell flow reactor at the subsonic cruise conditions. The formation of ice particles in the plume of subsonic aircraft is simulated to describe the kinetics of gaseous HCl loss due to heterogeneous processes. It is shown that the HCl uptake by frozen water particles may play an important role in the gaseous HCl depletion in the aircraft plume. (author) 14 refs.

  9. Hydrogen chloride heterogeneous chemistry on frozen water particles in subsonic aircraft plume. Laboratory studies and modelling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Persiantseva, N V; Popovitcheva, O B; Rakhimova, T V [Moscow State Univ. (Russian Federation)

    1998-12-31

    Heterogeneous chemistry of HCl, as a main reservoir of chlorine content gases, has been considered after plume cooling and ice particle formation. The HCl, HNO{sub 3}, N{sub 2}O{sub 5} uptake efficiencies by frozen water were obtained in a Knudsen-cell flow reactor at the subsonic cruise conditions. The formation of ice particles in the plume of subsonic aircraft is simulated to describe the kinetics of gaseous HCl loss due to heterogeneous processes. It is shown that the HCl uptake by frozen water particles may play an important role in the gaseous HCl depletion in the aircraft plume. (author) 14 refs.

  10. Modeling and validation of Ku-band signal attenuation through rocket plumes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veek, van der B.J.; Chintalapati, S.; Kirk, D.R.; Gutierrez, H.; Bun, R.F.

    2013-01-01

    Communications to and from a launch vehicle during ascent are of critical importance to the success of rocket-launch operations. During ascent, the rocket's exhaust plume causes significant interference in the radio communications between the vehicle and ground station. This paper presents an

  11. Geodynamics of oceanic plateau and plume head accretion and their role in Phanerozoic orogenic systems of China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter G. Betts

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We present three 3D numerical models of deep subduction where buoyant material from an oceanic plateau and a plume interact with the overriding plate to assess the influence on subduction dynamics, trench geometry, and mechanisms for plateau accretion and continental growth. Transient instabilities of the convergent margin are produced, resulting in: contorted trench geometry; trench migration parallel with the plate margin; folding of the subducting slab and orocline development at the convergent margin; and transfer of the plateau to the overriding plate. The presence of plume material beneath the oceanic plateau causes flat subduction above the plume, resulting in a “bowed” shaped subducting slab. In plateau-only models, plateau accretion at the edge of the overriding plate results in trench migration around the edge of the plateau before subduction is re-established directly behind the trailing edge of the plateau. The plateau shortens and some plateau material subducts. The presence of buoyant plume material beneath the oceanic plateau has a profound influence on the behaviour of the convergent margin. In the plateau + plume model, plateau accretion causes rapid trench advance. Plate convergence is accommodated by shearing at the base of the plateau and shortening in the overriding plate. The trench migrates around the edge of the plateau and subduction is re-established well behind the trailing edge of the plateau, effectively embedding the plateau into the overriding plate. A slab window forms beneath the accreted plateau and plume material is transferred from the subducting plate to the overriding plate through the window. In all of the models, the subduction zone maintains a relatively stable configuration away from the buoyancy anomalies within the downgoing plate. The models provide a dynamic context for plateau and plume accretion in Phanerozoic accretionary orogenic systems such as the East China Orogen and the Central Asian

  12. Wintertime Overnight NOx Removal in a Southeastern United States Coal-fired Power Plant Plume: A Model for Understanding Winter NOx Processing and its Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fibiger, Dorothy L.; McDuffie, Erin E.; Dubé, William P.; Aikin, Kenneth C.; Lopez-Hilfiker, Felipe D.; Lee, Ben H.; Green, Jaime R.; Fiddler, Marc N.; Holloway, John S.; Ebben, Carlena; Sparks, Tamara L.; Wooldridge, Paul; Weinheimer, Andrew J.; Montzka, Denise D.; Apel, Eric C.; Hornbrook, Rebecca S.; Hills, Alan J.; Blake, Nicola J.; DiGangi, Josh P.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Bililign, Solomon; Cohen, Ronald C.; Thornton, Joel A.; Brown, Steven S.

    2018-01-01

    Nitric oxide (NO) is emitted in large quantities from coal-burning power plants. During the day, the plumes from these sources are efficiently mixed into the boundary layer, while at night, they may remain concentrated due to limited vertical mixing during which they undergo horizontal fanning. At night, the degree to which NO is converted to HNO3 and therefore unable to participate in next-day ozone (O3) formation depends on the mixing rate of the plume, the composition of power plant emissions, and the composition of the background atmosphere. In this study, we use observed plume intercepts from the Wintertime INvestigation of Transport, Emissions and Reactivity campaign to test sensitivity of overnight NOx removal to the N2O5 loss rate constant, plume mixing rate, background O3, and background levels of volatile organic compounds using a 2-D box model of power plant plume transport and chemistry. The factor that exerted the greatest control over NOx removal was the loss rate constant of N2O5. At the lowest observed N2O5 loss rate constant, no other combination of conditions converts more than 10% of the initial NOx to HNO3. The other factors did not influence NOx removal to the same degree.

  13. Wintertime Overnight NOx Removal in a Southeastern United States Coal-Fired Power Plant Plume: A Model for Understanding Winter NOx Processing and Its Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fibiger, Dorothy L.; McDuffie, Erin E.; Dube, William P.; Aikin, Kenneth C.; Lopez-Hilifiker, Felipe D.; Lee, Ben H.; Green, Jaime R.; Fiddler, Marc N.; Holloway, John S.; Ebben, Carlena; hide

    2018-01-01

    Nitric oxide (NO) is emitted in large quantities from coal-�burning power plants. During the day, the plumes from these sources are efficiently mixed into the boundary layer, while at night, they may remain concentrated due to limited vertical mixing during which they undergo horizontal fanning. At night, the degree to which NO is converted to HNO3 and therefore unable to participate in next-�day ozone (O3) formation depends on the mixing rate of the plume, the composition of power plant emissions, and the composition of the background atmosphere. In this study, we use observed plume intercepts from the Wintertime INvestigation of Transport, Emissions and Reactivity (WINTER) campaign to test sensitivity of overnight NOx removal to the N2O5 loss rate constant, plume mixing rate, background O3, and background levels of volatile organic compounds using a 2-�D box model of power plant plume transport and chemistry. The factor that exerted the greatest control over NOx removal was the loss rate constant of N2O5. At the lowest observed N2O5 loss rate constant, no other combination of conditions converts more than 10 percent of the initial NOx to HNO3. The other factors did not influence NOx removal to the same degree.

  14. Study of thermal stratification and mixing using PIV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaji, B.; Szijarto, R.; Aszodi, A.

    2010-01-01

    Paks Nuclear Power Plant uses the REMIX code for the calculation of the coolant mixing in case of the use of high pressure injection system while stagnating flow is present. The use of the code for Russian type WWER-440 reactors needs strict conservative approach, and in several cases the accuracy and the reserves to safety margins cannot be determined now. In order to quantify and improve these characteristics experimental validation of the code is needed. An experimental program has been launched at Institute of Nuclear Techniques with the aim of investigating thermal stratification processes and the mixing of plumes in simple geometries. With the comparison and evaluation of measurement and computational fluid dynamics result computational models can be validated. For the experiments a simple hexahedral plexiglas tank (250 x 500 x 100 mm - H x L x D) was fabricated with five nozzles attached, which can be set up as inlets or outlets. With different inlet and outlet setups and temperature differences thermal stratification, plume mixing may be investigated using Particle Image Velocimetry. In the paper comparison of Particle Image Velocimetry measurements carried out on the plexiglas tank and the results of simulations will be presented. For the calculations the ANSYS CFX three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code was used. (Authors)

  15. Global thermal models of the lithosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cammarano, F.; Guerri, M.

    2017-12-01

    Unraveling the thermal structure of the outermost shell of our planet is key for understanding its evolution. We obtain temperatures from interpretation of global shear-velocity (VS) models. Long-wavelength thermal structure is well determined by seismic models and only slightly affected by compositional effects and uncertainties in mineral-physics properties. Absolute temperatures and gradients with depth, however, are not well constrained. Adding constraints from petrology, heat-flow observations and thermal evolution of oceanic lithosphere help to better estimate absolute temperatures in the top part of the lithosphere. We produce global thermal models of the lithosphere at different spatial resolution, up to spherical-harmonics degree 24, and provide estimated standard deviations. We provide purely seismic thermal (TS) model and hybrid models where temperatures are corrected with steady-state conductive geotherms on continents and cooling model temperatures on oceanic regions. All relevant physical properties, with the exception of thermal conductivity, are based on a self-consistent thermodynamical modelling approach. Our global thermal models also include density and compressional-wave velocities (VP) as obtained either assuming no lateral variations in composition or a simple reference 3-D compositional structure, which takes into account a chemically depleted continental lithosphere. We found that seismically-derived temperatures in continental lithosphere fit well, overall, with continental geotherms, but a large variation in radiogenic heat is required to reconcile them with heat flow (long wavelength) observations. Oceanic shallow lithosphere below mid-oceanic ridges and young oceans is colder than expected, confirming the possible presence of a dehydration boundary around 80 km depth already suggested in previous studies. The global thermal models should serve as the basis to move at a smaller spatial scale, where additional thermo-chemical variations

  16. A multidisciplinary system for monitoring and forecasting Etna volcanic plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coltelli, Mauro; Prestifilippo, Michele; Spata, Gaetano; Scollo, Simona; Andronico, Daniele

    2010-05-01

    One of the most active volcanoes in the world is Mt. Etna, in Italy, characterized by frequent explosive activity from the central craters and from fractures opened along the volcano flanks which, during the last years, caused several damages to aviation and forced the closure of the Catania International Airport. To give precise warning to the aviation authorities and air traffic controller and to assist the work of VAACs, a novel system for monitoring and forecasting Etna volcanic plumes, was developed at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, sezione di Catania, the managing institution for the surveillance of Etna volcano. Monitoring is carried out using multispectral infrared measurements from the Spin Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) on board the Meteosat Second Generation geosynchronous satellite able to track the volcanic plume with a high time resolution, visual and thermal cameras used to monitor the explosive activity, three continuous wave X-band disdrometers which detect ash dispersal and fallout, sounding balloons used to evaluate the atmospheric fields, and finally field data collected after the end of the eruptive event needed to extrapolate important features of explosive activity. Forecasting is carried out daily using automatic procedures which download weather forecast data obtained by meteorological mesoscale models from the Italian Air Force national Meteorological Office and from the hydrometeorological service of ARPA-SIM; run four different tephra dispersal models using input parameters obtained by the analysis of the deposits collected after few hours since the eruptive event similar to 22 July 1998, 21-24 July 2001 and 2002-03 Etna eruptions; plot hazard maps on ground and in air and finally publish them on a web-site dedicated to the Italian Civil Protection. The system has been already tested successfully during several explosive events occurring at Etna in 2006, 2007 and 2008. These events produced eruption

  17. DSMC simulation of two-phase plume flow with UV radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Jie; Liu, Ying; Wang, Ning; Jin, Ling [College of Aerospace Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410073 (China)

    2014-12-09

    Rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume in which the phase of particles is liquid or solid flows from a solid propellant rocket of hypersonic vehicle flying at high altitudes, the aluminum oxide particulates not only impact the rarefied gas flow properties, but also make a great difference to plume radiation signature, so the radiation prediction of the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow is very important for space target detection of hypersonic vehicles. Accordingly, this project aims to study the rarefied gas-particle two-phase flow and ultraviolet radiation (UV) characteristics. Considering a two-way interphase coupling of momentum and energy, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is developed for particle phase change and the particle flow, including particulate collision, coalescence as well as separation, and a Monte Carlo ray trace model is implemented for the particulate UV radiation. A program for the numerical simulation of the gas-particle two-phase flow and radiation in which the gas flow nonequilibrium is strong is implemented as well. Ultraviolet radiation characteristics of the particle phase is studied based on the calculation of the flow field coupled with the radiation calculation, the radiation model for different size particles is analyzed, focusing on the effects of particle emission, absorption, scattering as well as the searchlight emission of the nozzle. A new approach may be proposed to describe the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow and radiation transfer characteristics in this project.

  18. DSMC simulation of two-phase plume flow with UV radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jie; Liu, Ying; Wang, Ning; Jin, Ling

    2014-12-01

    Rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume in which the phase of particles is liquid or solid flows from a solid propellant rocket of hypersonic vehicle flying at high altitudes, the aluminum oxide particulates not only impact the rarefied gas flow properties, but also make a great difference to plume radiation signature, so the radiation prediction of the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow is very important for space target detection of hypersonic vehicles. Accordingly, this project aims to study the rarefied gas-particle two-phase flow and ultraviolet radiation (UV) characteristics. Considering a two-way interphase coupling of momentum and energy, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is developed for particle phase change and the particle flow, including particulate collision, coalescence as well as separation, and a Monte Carlo ray trace model is implemented for the particulate UV radiation. A program for the numerical simulation of the gas-particle two-phase flow and radiation in which the gas flow nonequilibrium is strong is implemented as well. Ultraviolet radiation characteristics of the particle phase is studied based on the calculation of the flow field coupled with the radiation calculation, the radiation model for different size particles is analyzed, focusing on the effects of particle emission, absorption, scattering as well as the searchlight emission of the nozzle. A new approach may be proposed to describe the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow and radiation transfer characteristics in this project.

  19. Plume-induced dynamic instabilities near cratonic blocks: Implications for P-T-t paths and metallogeny

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guillou-Frottier, L.; Burov, E.; Cloetingh, S.; Le Goff, E.; Deschamps, Y.; Huet, B.; Bouchot, V.

    2012-01-01

    Plume head - lithosphere interactions around cratonic blocks result in thermo-mechanical disturbances that lead to heating and burial phases of crustal rocks. We present results from numerical models of plume head - cratonic blocks interactions where a free upper surface condition and realistic

  20. East Asian SO2 pollution plume over Europe – Part 2: Evolution and potential impact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Stohl

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available We report on the first observation-based case study of an aged East Asian anthropogenic SO2 pollution plume over Europe. Our airborne measurements in that plume detected highly elevated SO2 mole fractions (up to 900 pmol/mol between about 5000 and 7000 m altitude. Here, we focus on investigations of the origin, dispersion, evolution, conversion, and potential impact of the observed excess SO2. In particular, we investigate SO2 conversion to gas-phase sulfuric acid and sulfuric acid aerosols. Our FLEXPART and LAGRANTO model simulations, along with additional trace gas measurements, suggest that the plume originated from East Asian fossil fuel combustion sources and, 8–7 days prior to its arrival over Europe, ascended over the coast region of central East Asia to 9000 m altitude, probably in a cyclonic system with an associated warm conveyor belt. During this initial plume ascent a substantial fraction of the initially available SO2 must have escaped from removal by cloud processes. Hereafter, while mostly descending slowly, the plume experienced advection across the North Pacific, North America and the North Atlantic. During its upper troposphere travel, clouds were absent in and above the plume and OH-induced gas-phase conversion of SO2 to gas-phase sulfuric acid (GSA was operative, followed by GSA nucleation and condensation leading to sulfuric acid aerosol formation and growth. Our AEROFOR model simulations indicate that numerous large sulfuric acid aerosol particles were formed, which at least tempora-rily, caused substantial horizontal visibility degradation, and which have the potential to act as water vapor condensation nuclei in liquid water cloud formation, already at water vapor supersaturations as low as about 0.1%. Our AEROFOR model simulations also indicate that those fossil fuel combustion generated soot particles, which have survived cloud induced removal during the initial plume ascent, have experienced extensive H2SO4/H2O

  1. East Asian SO2 pollution plume over Europe – Part 1: Airborne trace gas measurements and source identification by particle dispersion model simulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Stohl

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available A large SO2-rich pollution plume of East Asian origin was detected by aircraft based CIMS (Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry measurements at 3–7.5 km altitude over the North Atlantic. The measurements, which took place on 3 May 2006 aboard of the German research aircraft Falcon, were part of the INTEX-B (Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-B campaign. Additional trace gases (NO, NOy, CO, H2O were measured and used for comparison and source identification. The atmospheric SO2 mole fraction was markedly increased inside the plume and reached up to 900 pmol/mol. Accompanying lagrangian FLEXPART particle dispersion model simulations indicate that the probed pollution plume originated at low altitudes from densely populated and industrialized regions of East Asia, primarily China, about 8–12 days prior to the measurements.

  2. A Model for the Infrared Radiance of Optically Thin, Particulate Exhaust Plumes Generated by Pyrotechnic Flares Burning in a Vacuum

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cohen, Douglas

    2000-01-01

    .... The model is used to predict how a magnesium-Teflon exhaust plume would look when viewed as an approximate point source by a distant infrared sensor and also to analyze the data acquired from three separate magnesium-Teflon flares burned in a large vacuum chamber.

  3. Numerical modeling of continental lithospheric weak zone over plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perepechko, Y. V.; Sorokin, K. E.

    2011-12-01

    The work is devoted to the development of magmatic systems in the continental lithosphere over diffluent mantle plumes. The areas of tension originating over them are accompanied by appearance of fault zones, and the formation of permeable channels, which are distributed magmatic melts. The numerical simulation of the dynamics of deformation fields in the lithosphere due to convection currents in the upper mantle, and the formation of weakened zones that extend up to the upper crust and create the necessary conditions for the formation of intermediate magma chambers has been carried out. Thermodynamically consistent non-isothermal model simulates the processes of heat and mass transfer of a wide class of magmatic systems, as well as the process of strain localization in the lithosphere and their influence on the formation of high permeability zones in the lower crust. The substance of the lithosphere is a rheologic heterophase medium, which is described by a two-velocity hydrodynamics. This makes it possible to take into account the process of penetration of the melt from the asthenosphere into the weakened zone. The energy dissipation occurs mainly due to interfacial friction and inelastic relaxation of shear stresses. The results of calculation reveal a nonlinear process of the formation of porous channels and demonstrate the diversity of emerging dissipative structures which are determined by properties of both heterogeneous lithosphere and overlying crust. Mutual effect of a permeable channel and the corresponding filtration process of the melt on the mantle convection and the dynamics of the asthenosphere have been studied. The formation of dissipative structures in heterogeneous lithosphere above mantle plumes occurs in accordance with the following scenario: initially, the elastic behavior of heterophase lithosphere leads to the formation of the narrow weakened zone, though sufficiently extensive, with higher porosity. Further, the increase in the width of

  4. The airborne lava-seawater interaction plume at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmonds, M.; Gerlach, T.M.

    2006-01-01

    Lava flows into the sea at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, and generates an airborne gas and aerosol plume. Water (H2O), hydrogen chloride (HCl), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) gases were quantified in the plume in 2004–2005, using Open Path Fourier Transform infra-red Spectroscopy. The molar abundances of these species and thermodynamic modelling are used to discuss their generation. The range in molar HCl / H2O confirms that HCl is generated when seawater is boiled dry and magnesium salts are hydrolysed (as proposed by [T.M. Gerlach, J.L. Krumhansl, R.O. Fournier, J. Kjargaard, Acid rain from the heating and evaporation of seawater by molten lava: a new volcanic hazard, EOS (Trans. Am. Geophys. Un.) 70 (1989) 1421–1422]), in contrast to models of Na-metasomatism. Airborne droplets of boiled seawater brine form nucleii for subsequent H2O and HCl condensation, which acidifies the droplets and liberates CO2 gas from bicarbonate and carbonate. NO2 is derived from the thermal decomposition of nitrates in coastal seawater, which takes place as the lava heats droplets of boiled seawater brine to 350–400 °C. SO2 is derived from the degassing of subaerial lava flows on the coastal plain. The calculated mass flux of HCl from a moderate-sized ocean entry significantly increases the total HCl emission at Kīlauea (including magmatic sources) and is comparable to industrial HCl emitters in the United States. For larger lava ocean entries, the flux of HCl will cause intense local environmental hazards, such as high localised HCl concentrations and acid rain.

  5. Global volcanic emissions: budgets, plume chemistry and impacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mather, T. A.

    2012-12-01

    Over the past few decades our understanding of global volcanic degassing budgets, plume chemistry and the impacts of volcanic emissions on our atmosphere and environment has been revolutionized. Global volcanic emissions budgets are needed if we are to make effective use of regional and global atmospheric models in order to understand the consequences of volcanic degassing on global environmental evolution. Traditionally volcanic SO2 budgets have been the best constrained but recent efforts have seen improvements in the quantification of the budgets of other environmentally important chemical species such as CO2, the halogens (including Br and I) and trace metals (including measurements relevant to trace metal atmospheric lifetimes and bioavailability). Recent measurements of reactive trace gas species in volcanic plumes have offered intriguing hints at the chemistry occurring in the hot environment at volcanic vents and during electrical discharges in ash-rich volcanic plumes. These reactive trace species have important consequences for gas plume chemistry and impacts, for example, in terms of the global fixed nitrogen budget, volcanically induced ozone destruction and particle fluxes to the atmosphere. Volcanically initiated atmospheric chemistry was likely to have been particularly important before biological (and latterly anthropogenic) processes started to dominate many geochemical cycles, with important consequences in terms of the evolution of the nitrogen cycle and the role of particles in modulating the Earth's climate. There are still many challenges and open questions to be addressed in this fascinating area of science.

  6. Moment analysis description of wetting and redistribution plumes in wettable and water-repellent soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Yunwu; Furman, Alex; Wallach, Rony

    2012-02-01

    SummaryWater repellency has a significant impact on water flow patterns in the soil profile. Transient 2D flow in wettable and natural water-repellent soils was monitored in a transparent flow chamber. The substantial differences in plume shape and spatial water content distribution during the wetting and subsequent redistribution stages were related to the variation of contact angle while in contact with water. The observed plumes shape, internal water content distribution in general and the saturation overshoot behind the wetting front in particular in the repellent soils were associated with unstable flow. Moment analysis was applied to characterize the measured plumes during the wetting and subsequent redistribution. The center of mass and spatial variances determined for the measured evolving plumes were fitted by a model that accounts for capillary and gravitational driving forces in a medium of temporally varying wettability. Ellipses defined around the stable and unstable plumes' centers of mass and whose semi-axes represented a particular number of spatial variances were used to characterize plume shape and internal moisture distribution. A single probability curve was able to characterize the corresponding fractions of the total added water in the different ellipses for all measured plumes, which testify the competence and advantage of the moment analysis method.

  7. Total peroxy nitrates and ozone production : analysis of forest fire plumes during BORTAS campaign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busilacchio, Marcella; Di Carlo, Piero; Aruffo, Eleonora; Biancofiore, Fabio; Giammaria, Franco; Bauguitte, Stephane; Lee, James; Moller, Sarah; Lewis, Ally; Parrington, Mark; Palmer, Paul; Dari Salisburgo, Cesare

    2014-05-01

    The goal of this work is to investigate the connection between PNS and ozone within plumes emitted from boreal forest fires and the possible perturbation to oxidant chemistry in the troposphere. During the Aircraft campaign in Canada called BORTAS (summer 2011 ) were carried out several profiles from ground up to 10 km with the BAe-146 aircraft to observe the atmospheric composition inside and outside fire plumes. The BORTAS flights have been selected based on the preliminary studies of 'Plume identification', selecting those effected by Boreal forest fire emissions (CO > 200 ppbv). The FLAMBE fire counts were used concertedly with back trajectory calculations generated by the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model to locate the sources of Boreal biomass burning.Profiles measured on board the BAe-146 aircraft are used to calculate the productions of PNs and O3 within the biomass burning plume. By selecting the flights that intercept the biomass burning plume, we evaluate the ratio between the ozone production and the PNs production within the plume. Analyzing this ratio it is possible to determine whether O3 production or PNs production is the dominant process in the biomass burning boreal plume detected during BORTAS campaign.

  8. Ozone Depletion in Tropospheric Volcanic Plumes: From Halogen-Poor to Halogen-Rich Emissions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tjarda J. Roberts

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Volcanic halogen emissions to the troposphere undergo a rapid plume chemistry that destroys ozone. Quantifying the impact of volcanic halogens on tropospheric ozone is challenging, only a few observations exist. This study presents measurements of ozone in volcanic plumes from Kīlauea (HI, USA, a low halogen emitter. The results are combined with published data from high halogen emitters (Mt Etna, Italy; Mt Redoubt, AK, USA to identify controls on plume processes. Ozone was measured during periods of relatively sustained Kīlauea plume exposure, using an Aeroqual instrument deployed alongside Multi-Gas SO2 and H2S sensors. Interferences were accounted for in data post-processing. The volcanic H2S/SO2 molar ratio was quantified as 0.03. At Halema‘uma‘u crater-rim, ozone was close to ambient in the emission plume (at 10 ppmv SO2. Measurements in grounding plume (at 5 ppmv SO2 about 10 km downwind of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō showed just slight ozone depletion. These Kīlauea observations contrast with substantial ozone depletion reported at Mt Etna and Mt Redoubt. Analysis of the combined data from these three volcanoes identifies the emitted Br/S as a strong but non-linear control on the rate of ozone depletion. Model simulations of the volcanic plume chemistry highlight that the proportion of HBr converted into reactive bromine is a key control on the efficiency of ozone depletion. This underlines the importance of chemistry in the very near-source plume on the fate and atmospheric impacts of volcanic emissions to the troposphere.

  9. Integration of plume and puff diffusion models/application of CFD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Akira

    The clinical symptoms of patients and other evidences of a gas poisoning accident inside an industrial building strongly suggested an abrupt influx of engine exhaust from a construction vehicle which was operating outside in the open air. But the obviously high level of gas concentration could not be well explained by any conventional steady-state gas diffusion models. The author used an unsteady-state continuous Puff Model to simulate the time-wise changes in air stream with the pollutant gas being continuously emitted, and successfully reproduced the observed phenomena. The author demonstrates that this diffusion formula can be solved analytically by the use of error function as long as the change in wind velocity is stepwise, and clarifies the accurate differences between the unsteady- and steady-states and their convergence profiles. Also, the relationship between the Puff and Plume Models is discussed. The case study included a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to estimate the steady-state air stream and the gas concentration pattern in the affected area. It is well known that clear definition of the boundary conditions is key to successful CFD analysis. The author describes a two-step use of CFD: the first step to define the boundary conditions and the second to determine the steady-state air stream and the gas concentration pattern.

  10. Water Plume Temperature Measurements by an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony DeMario

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available We report on the development and testing of a proof of principle water temperature measurement system deployed on an unmanned aerial system (UAS, for field measurements of thermal discharges into water. The primary elements of the system include a quad-copter UAS to which has been integrated, for the first time, both a thermal imaging infrared (IR camera and an immersible probe that can be dipped below the water surface to obtain vertical water temperature profiles. The IR camera is used to take images of the overall water surface to geo-locate the plume, while the immersible probe provides quantitative temperature depth profiles at specific locations. The full system has been tested including the navigation of the UAS, its ability to safely carry the sensor payload, and the performance of both the IR camera and the temperature probe. Finally, the UAS sensor system was successfully deployed in a pilot field study at a coal burning power plant, and obtained images and temperature profiles of the thermal effluent.

  11. Influence of geologic layering on heat transport and storage in an aquifer thermal energy storage system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridger, D. W.; Allen, D. M.

    2014-01-01

    A modeling study was carried out to evaluate the influence of aquifer heterogeneity, as represented by geologic layering, on heat transport and storage in an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. Two 3D heat transport models were developed and calibrated using the flow and heat transport code FEFLOW including: a "non-layered" model domain with homogeneous hydraulic and thermal properties; and, a "layered" model domain with variable hydraulic and thermal properties assigned to discrete geological units to represent aquifer heterogeneity. The base model (non-layered) shows limited sensitivity for the ranges of all thermal and hydraulic properties expected at the site; the model is most sensitive to vertical anisotropy and hydraulic gradient. Simulated and observed temperatures within the wells reflect a combination of screen placement and layering, with inconsistencies largely explained by the lateral continuity of high permeability layers represented in the model. Simulation of heat injection, storage and recovery show preferential transport along high permeability layers, resulting in longitudinal plume distortion, and overall higher short-term storage efficiencies.

  12. Space Shuttle main engine OPAD: The search for a hardware enhanced plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, W. T.; Cooper, A. E.; Wallace, Tim L.; Buntine, W. L.; Whitaker, K. W.

    1993-01-01

    The process of applying spectroscopy to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) for plume diagnostics, as it exists today, originated at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and its implementation was assured largely through the efforts of Sverdrup AEDC, in Tullahoma, Tennessee. This team continues to lead and guide efforts in the plume diagnostics arena. The process, Optical Plume Anomaly Detection (OPAD), formed the basis for various activities in the development of ground-based systems as well as the development of in-flight plume spectroscopy. OPAD currently provides and will continue to provide valuable information relative to future systems definitions, instrumentation development, code validation, and data diagnostic processing. OPAD is based on the detection of anomalous atomic and molecular species in the SSME plume using two complete, stand-alone optical spectrometers. To-date OPAD has acquired data on 44 test firings of the SSME at the Technology Test Bed (TTB) at MSFC. The purpose of this paper will be to provide an introduction to the OPAD system by discussing the process of obtaining data as well as the methods of examining and interpreting the data. It will encompass such issues as selection of instrumentation correlation of data to nominal engine operation, investigation of SSME component erosion via OPAD spectral data, necessity and benefits of plume seeding, application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to data analysis, and the present status of efforts to quantify specie erosion utilizing standard plume and chemistry codes as well as radiative models currently under development.

  13. Space Shuttle main engine OPAD: The search for a hardware enhanced plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, W. T.; Cooper, A. E.; Wallace, Tim L.; Buntine, W. L.; Whitaker, K. W.

    1993-11-01

    The process of applying spectroscopy to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) for plume diagnostics, as it exists today, originated at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and its implementation was assured largely through the efforts of Sverdrup AEDC, in Tullahoma, Tennessee. This team continues to lead and guide efforts in the plume diagnostics arena. The process, Optical Plume Anomaly Detection (OPAD), formed the basis for various activities in the development of ground-based systems as well as the development of in-flight plume spectroscopy. OPAD currently provides and will continue to provide valuable information relative to future systems definitions, instrumentation development, code validation, and data diagnostic processing. OPAD is based on the detection of anomalous atomic and molecular species in the SSME plume using two complete, stand-alone optical spectrometers. To-date OPAD has acquired data on 44 test firings of the SSME at the Technology Test Bed (TTB) at MSFC. The purpose of this paper will be to provide an introduction to the OPAD system by discussing the process of obtaining data as well as the methods of examining and interpreting the data. It will encompass such issues as selection of instrumentation correlation of data to nominal engine operation, investigation of SSME component erosion via OPAD spectral data, necessity and benefits of plume seeding, application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to data analysis, and the present status of efforts to quantify specie erosion utilizing standard plume and chemistry codes as well as radiative models currently under development.

  14. Large-Eddy Simulation on Plume Dispersion within Regular Arrays of Cubic Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakayama, H.; Jurcakova, K.; Nagai, H.

    2010-09-01

    There is a potential problem that hazardous and flammable materials are accidentally or intentionally released into the atmosphere, either within or close to populated urban areas. For the assessment of human health hazard from toxic substances, the existence of high concentration peaks in a plume should be considered. For the safety analysis of flammable gas, certain critical threshold levels should be evaluated. Therefore, in such a situation, not only average levels but also instantaneous magnitudes of concentration should be accurately predicted. However, plume dispersion is an extremely complicated process strongly influenced by the existence of buildings. In complex turbulent flows, such as impinging, separated and circulation flows around buildings, plume behaviors can be no longer accurately predicted using empirical Gaussian-type plume model. Therefore, we perform Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) on turbulent flows and plume dispersions within and over regular arrays of cubic buildings with various roughness densities and investigate the influence of the building arrangement pattern on the characteristics of mean and fluctuation concentrations. The basic equations for the LES model are composed of the spatially filtered continuity equation, Navier-Stokes equation and transport equation of concentration. The standard Smagorinsky model (Smagorinsky, 1963) that has enough potential for environment flows is used and its constant is set to 0.12 for estimating the eddy viscosity. The turbulent Schmidt number is 0.5. In our LES model, two computational regions are set up. One is a driver region for generation of inflow turbulence and the other is a main region for LES of plume dispersion within a regular array of cubic buildings. First, inflow turbulence is generated by using Kataoka's method (2002) in the driver region and then, its data are imposed at the inlet of the main computational region at each time step. In this study, the cubic building arrays with λf=0

  15. Follow the plume: the habitability of Enceladus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Christopher P; Anbar, Ariel D; Porco, Carolyn; Tsou, Peter

    2014-04-01

    The astrobiological exploration of other worlds in our Solar System is moving from initial exploration to more focused astrobiology missions. In this context, we present the case that the plume of Enceladus currently represents the best astrobiology target in the Solar System. Analysis of the plume by the Cassini mission indicates that the steady plume derives from a subsurface liquid water reservoir that contains organic carbon, biologically available nitrogen, redox energy sources, and inorganic salts. Furthermore, samples from the plume jetting out into space are accessible to a low-cost flyby mission. No other world has such well-studied indications of habitable conditions. Thus, the science goals that would motivate an Enceladus mission are more advanced than for any other Solar System body. The goals of such a mission must go beyond further geophysical characterization, extending to the search for biomolecular evidence of life in the organic-rich plume. This will require improved in situ investigations and a sample return.

  16. Assessment of Turbulence-Chemistry Interactions in Missile Exhaust Plume Signature Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Calhoon, W

    2002-01-01

    ... components and missile defense systems. Current engineering level models neglect turbulence chemistry interactions and typically underpredict the intensity of plume afterburning and afterburning burnout...

  17. Plume Mitigation: Soil Erosion and Lunar Prospecting Sensor Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzger, Philip T.

    2014-01-01

    Demonstrate feasibility of the simplest, lowest-mass method of measuring density of a cloud of lunar soil ejected by rocket exhaust, using new math techniques with a small baseline laser/camera system. Focus is on exploring the erosion process that occurs when the exhaust plume of a lunar rocket impacts the regolith. Also, predicting the behavior of the lunar soil that would be blasted from a lunar landing/launch site shall assist in better design and protection of any future lunar settlement from scouring of structures and equipment. NASA is gathering experimental data to improve soil erosion models and understand how lunar particles enter the plume flow.

  18. Implementing the Stochastic Model of Safety Assessment for the T.D.P. Plume Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hurtado, A.; Eguilior, S.; Recreo, F.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, it is continued with the first phase of the implementation of the ABACO2G methodology (Application of Bayes to CO2 Geological Storage ) which is a new methodological approach to solving the problem related with the determination of probabilistic component of CO2 geological storage risk assessment, through the application of Bayesian networks and MonteCarlo probability. This in itself is a fundalmental but complex task, inasmuch as the risk assessment requires the identification of those system performance influence variables and the probability distribution of occurrence of defined events, which is highly difficult when there is no significant casuistry and/or fully developed events. On this, at this stage it has been studied the CO2 plume stochastic evolution implementation during the injection period. This is an essential task because the CO2 geologic storage risks will rely primarily on the convolution of the CO2 plume wavefront probability function with the probability functions of system risk elements, such as wells or faults, that define the event space to estimate the CO2 geologic storage risks.

  19. Birth, life, and death of a solar coronal plume

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pucci, Stefano; Romoli, Marco [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Firenze, Largo Enrico Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Poletto, Giannina [INAF-Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, Largo Enrico Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Sterling, Alphonse C., E-mail: stpucci@arcetri.astro.it [Space Science Office, NASA/MSFC, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)

    2014-10-01

    We analyze a solar polar-coronal-hole (CH) plume over its entire ≈40 hr lifetime, using high-resolution Solar Dynamic Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) data. We examine (1) the plume's relationship to a bright point (BP) that persists at its base, (2) plume outflows and their possible contribution to the solar wind mass supply, and (3) the physical properties of the plume. We find that the plume started ≈2 hr after the BP first appeared and became undetectable ≈1 hr after the BP disappeared. We detected radially moving radiance variations from both the plume and from interplume regions, corresponding to apparent outflow speeds ranging over ≈(30-300) km s{sup –1} with outflow velocities being higher in the 'cooler' AIA 171 Å channel than in the 'hotter' 193 Å and 211 Å channels, which is inconsistent with wave motions; therefore, we conclude that the observed radiance variations represent material outflows. If they persist into the heliosphere and plumes cover ≈10% of a typical CH area, these flows could account for ≈50% of the solar wind mass. From a differential emission measure analysis of the AIA images, we find that the average electron temperature of the plume remained approximately constant over its lifetime, at T {sub e} ≈ 8.5 × 10{sup 5} K. Its density, however, decreased with the age of the plume, being about a factor of three lower when the plume faded compared to when it was born. We conclude that the plume died due to a density reduction rather than to a temperature decrease.

  20. Natural attenuation processes in landfill leachate plumes at three Danish sites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup; Tuxen, Nina; Reitzel, Lotte

    2011-01-01

    This article provides an overview of comprehensive core and fringe field studies at three Danish landfill sites. The goal of the research activities is to provide a holistic description of core and fringe attenuation processes for xenobiotic organic compounds in landfill leachate plumes. The appr......This article provides an overview of comprehensive core and fringe field studies at three Danish landfill sites. The goal of the research activities is to provide a holistic description of core and fringe attenuation processes for xenobiotic organic compounds in landfill leachate plumes....... The approach used is cross-disciplinary, encompassing integration of field-scale observations at different scales, field injection experiments, laboratory experiments, and reactive solute transport modeling. This is illustrated in examples from the most recently investigated site-the Sjoelund Landfill...... approaches and tools used in the application of MNA. In particular, the use of in situ indicators to document mass removal in landfill leachate plumes is emphasized. In this article, we advocate the application of conceptual and numerical models as tools for the integration of data and testing of hypotheses....

  1. Experimental Investigation of Large-Scale Bubbly Plumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zboray, R.; Simiano, M.; De Cachard, F.

    2004-01-01

    Carefully planned and instrumented experiments under well-defined boundary conditions have been carried out on large-scale, isothermal, bubbly plumes. The data obtained is meant to validate newly developed, high-resolution numerical tools for 3D transient, two-phase flow modelling. Several measurement techniques have been utilised to collect data from the experiments: particle image velocimetry, optical probes, electromagnetic probes, and visualisation. Bubble and liquid velocity fields, void-fraction distributions, bubble size and interfacial-area-concentration distributions have all been measured in the plume region, as well as recirculation velocities in the surrounding pool. The results obtained from the different measurement techniques have been compared. In general, the two-phase flow data obtained from the different techniques are found to be consistent, and of high enough quality for validating numerical simulation tools for 3D bubbly flows. (author)

  2. Experimental Investigation of Large-Scale Bubbly Plumes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zboray, R.; Simiano, M.; De Cachard, F

    2004-03-01

    Carefully planned and instrumented experiments under well-defined boundary conditions have been carried out on large-scale, isothermal, bubbly plumes. The data obtained is meant to validate newly developed, high-resolution numerical tools for 3D transient, two-phase flow modelling. Several measurement techniques have been utilised to collect data from the experiments: particle image velocimetry, optical probes, electromagnetic probes, and visualisation. Bubble and liquid velocity fields, void-fraction distributions, bubble size and interfacial-area-concentration distributions have all been measured in the plume region, as well as recirculation velocities in the surrounding pool. The results obtained from the different measurement techniques have been compared. In general, the two-phase flow data obtained from the different techniques are found to be consistent, and of high enough quality for validating numerical simulation tools for 3D bubbly flows. (author)

  3. The Time Variability of Individual Geysers in the Plume of Enceladus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trumbo, S. K.; Ewald, S. P.; Ingersoll, A. P.

    2016-12-01

    Porco et al. (2014) [1] published the locations of 100 jets along the so-called "tiger stripes" that feed the massive plume of Enceladus. Hedman et al. (2013) [2] observed fluctuations in integrated plume brightness in response to periodic tidal forcing on the orbital timescale of Enceladus, in which the plume is brightest near apocenter and dimmest near pericenter. The thin crack models of Hurford et al. (2007, 2012) [3, 4] suggest that individual jets should respond to the same forces on similar timescales. However, if the jets are produced via vapor and liquid propagation through thin subterranean cracks, then they may also be controlled thermodynamically and dependent on the timescale of ice buildup on the conduit walls. Ingersoll and Ewald (2016) [5] demonstrate that the plume also varies on decadal timescales, perhaps as a result of an eleven-year tide or long-term ice accumulation within source cracks. We examine Cassini ISS Narrow Angle Camera images spanning 2005 - 2012 in order to assess the temporal variability of individual geysers and regional emission in the plume. We observe both the appearance and disappearance of individual jets, as well as visible changes in regional emission. Our observations suggest localized variations on timescales of months to years that are not easily tied to mean anomaly, but that may be indicative of subsurface processes. Theoretical models of the geyser mechanisms and subsurface plumbing predict closure timescales of individual cracks that are dependent on model parameters, such as crack width, crack tortuosity, and water table depth [6, 7, 8]. Thus, we discuss possible implications of these observations for both the mechanism and anatomy of an Enceladus geyser. [1] Porco et al. (2014), AJ, 148, 3. [2] Hedman et al. (2013), Nature, 500, 182 - 184. [3] Hurford et al. (2007), Nature, 447, 292 - 294. [4] Hurford et al. (2012), Icarus, 220, 896 - 903. [5] Ingersoll and Ewald (2016), Icarus, in review. [6] Ingersoll and

  4. Comet thermal modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weissman, P.R.; Kieffer, H.H.

    1987-01-01

    The past year was one of tremendous activity because of the appearance of Halley's Comet. Observations of the comet were collected from a number of sources and compared with the detailed predictions of the comet thermal modeling program. Spacecraft observations of key physical parameters for cometary nucleus were incorporated into the thermal model and new cases run. These results have led to a much better understanding of physical processes on the nucleus and have pointed the way for further improvements to the modeling program. A model for the large-scale structure of cometary nuclei was proposed in which comets were envisioned as loosely bound agglomerations of smaller icy planetesimals, essentially a rubble pile of primordial dirty snowballs. In addition, a study of the physical history of comets was begun, concentrating on processes during formation and in the Oort cloud which would alter the volatile and nonvolatile materials in cometary nuclei from their pristine state before formation

  5. Seismic structure of the lithosphere beneath NW Namibia: Impact of the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xiaohui; Heit, Benjamin; Brune, Sascha; Steinberger, Bernhard; Geissler, Wolfram H.; Jokat, Wilfried; Weber, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Northwestern Namibia, at the landfall of the Walvis Ridge, was affected by the Tristan da Cunha mantle plume during continental rupture between Africa and South America, as evidenced by the presence of the Etendeka continental flood basalts. Here we use data from a passive-source seismological network to investigate the upper mantle structure and to elucidate the Cretaceous mantle plume-lithosphere interaction. Receiver functions reveal an interface associated with a negative velocity contrast within the lithosphere at an average depth of 80 km. We interpret this interface as the relic of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) formed during the Mesozoic by interaction of the Tristan da Cunha plume head with the pre-existing lithosphere. The velocity contrast might be explained by stagnated and "frozen" melts beneath an intensively depleted and dehydrated peridotitic mantle. The present-day LAB is poorly visible with converted waves, indicating a gradual impedance contrast. Beneath much of the study area, converted phases of the 410 and 660 km mantle transition zone discontinuities arrive 1.5 s earlier than in the landward plume-unaffected continental interior, suggesting high velocities in the upper mantle caused by a thick lithosphere. This indicates that after lithospheric thinning during continental breakup, the lithosphere has increased in thickness during the last 132 Myr. Thermal cooling of the continental lithosphere alone cannot produce the lithospheric thickness required here. We propose that the remnant plume material, which has a higher seismic velocity than the ambient mantle due to melt depletion and dehydration, significantly contributed to the thickening of the mantle lithosphere.

  6. Smoke plumes: Emissions and effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Susan O' Neill; Shawn Urbanski; Scott Goodrick; Sim Larkin

    2017-01-01

    Smoke can manifest itself as a towering plume rising against the clear blue sky-or as a vast swath of thick haze, with fingers that settle into valleys overnight. It comes in many forms and colors, from fluffy and white to thick and black. Smoke plumes can rise high into the atmosphere and travel great distances across oceans and continents. Or smoke can remain close...

  7. Plume Splitting in a Two-layer Stratified Ambient Fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yongxing; Flynn, Morris; Sutherland, Bruce

    2017-11-01

    A line-source plume descending into a two-layer stratified ambient fluid in a finite sized tank is studied experimentally. Although the total volume of ambient fluid is fixed, lower- and upper-layer fluids are respectively removed and added at a constant rate mimicking marine outfall through diffusers and natural and hybrid ventilated buildings. The influence of the plume on the ambient depends on the value of λ, defined as the ratio of the plume buoyancy to the buoyancy loss of the plume as it crosses the ambient interface. Similar to classical filling-box experiments, the plume can always reach the bottom of the tank if λ > 1 . By contrast, if λ < 1 , an intermediate layer eventually forms as a result of plume splitting. Eventually all of the plume fluid spreads within the intermediate layer. The starting time, tv, and the ending time, tt, of the transition process measured from experiments correlate with the value of λ. A three-layer ambient fluid is observed after transition, and the mean value of the measured densities of the intermediate layer fluid is well predicted using plume theory. Acknowledgments: Funding for this study was provided by NSERC.

  8. Optimized Field Sampling and Monitoring of Airborne Hazardous Transport Plumes; A Geostatistical Simulation Approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, DI-WEN

    2001-01-01

    Airborne hazardous plumes inadvertently released during nuclear/chemical/biological incidents are mostly of unknown composition and concentration until measurements are taken of post-accident ground concentrations from plume-ground deposition of constituents. Unfortunately, measurements often are days post-incident and rely on hazardous manned air-vehicle measurements. Before this happens, computational plume migration models are the only source of information on the plume characteristics, constituents, concentrations, directions of travel, ground deposition, etc. A mobile ''lighter than air'' (LTA) system is being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that will be part of the first response in emergency conditions. These interactive and remote unmanned air vehicles will carry light-weight detectors and weather instrumentation to measure the conditions during and after plume release. This requires a cooperative computationally organized, GPS-controlled set of LTA's that self-coordinate around the objectives in an emergency situation in restricted time frames. A critical step before an optimum and cost-effective field sampling and monitoring program proceeds is the collection of data that provides statistically significant information, collected in a reliable and expeditious manner. Efficient aerial arrangements of the detectors taking the data (for active airborne release conditions) are necessary for plume identification, computational 3-dimensional reconstruction, and source distribution functions. This report describes the application of stochastic or geostatistical simulations to delineate the plume for guiding subsequent sampling and monitoring designs. A case study is presented of building digital plume images, based on existing ''hard'' experimental data and ''soft'' preliminary transport modeling results of Prairie Grass Trials Site. Markov Bayes Simulation, a coupled Bayesian/geostatistical methodology, quantitatively combines soft information

  9. Methane Emission Estimates from Landfills Obtained with Dynamic Plume Measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hensen, A.; Scharff, H.

    2001-01-01

    Methane emissions from 3 different landfills in the Netherlands were estimated using a mobile Tuneable Diode Laser system (TDL). The methane concentration in the cross section of the plume is measured downwind of the source on a transect perpendicular to the wind direction. A gaussian plume model was used to simulate the concentration levels at the transect. The emission from the source is calculated from the measured and modelled concentration levels.Calibration of the plume dispersion model is done using a tracer (N 2 O) that is released from the landfill and measured simultaneously with the TDL system. The emission estimates for the different locations ranged from 3.6 to 16 m 3 ha -1 hr -1 for the different sites. The emission levels were compared to emission estimates based on the landfill gas production models. This comparison suggests oxidation rates that are up to 50% in spring and negligible in November. At one of the three sites measurements were performed in campaigns in 3 consecutive years. Comparison of the emission levels in the first and second year showed a reduction of the methane emission of about 50% due to implementation of a gas extraction system. From the second to the third year emissions increased by a factor of 4 due to new land filling. Furthermore measurements were performed in winter when oxidation efficiency was reduced. This paper describes the measurement technique used, and discusses the results of the experimental sessions that were performed

  10. The Kenya rift revisited: insights into lithospheric strength through data-driven 3-D gravity and thermal modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sippel, Judith; Meeßen, Christian; Cacace, Mauro; Mechie, James; Fishwick, Stewart; Heine, Christian; Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena; Strecker, Manfred R.

    2017-01-01

    We present three-dimensional (3-D) models that describe the present-day thermal and rheological state of the lithosphere of the greater Kenya rift region aiming at a better understanding of the rift evolution, with a particular focus on plume-lithosphere interactions. The key methodology applied is the 3-D integration of diverse geological and geophysical observations using gravity modelling. Accordingly, the resulting lithospheric-scale 3-D density model is consistent with (i) reviewed descriptions of lithological variations in the sedimentary and volcanic cover, (ii) known trends in crust and mantle seismic velocities as revealed by seismic and seismological data and (iii) the observed gravity field. This data-based model is the first to image a 3-D density configuration of the crystalline crust for the entire region of Kenya and northern Tanzania. An upper and a basal crustal layer are differentiated, each composed of several domains of different average densities. We interpret these domains to trace back to the Precambrian terrane amalgamation associated with the East African Orogeny and to magmatic processes during Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting phases. In combination with seismic velocities, the densities of these crustal domains indicate compositional differences. The derived lithological trends have been used to parameterise steady-state thermal and rheological models. These models indicate that crustal and mantle temperatures decrease from the Kenya rift in the west to eastern Kenya, while the integrated strength of the lithosphere increases. Thereby, the detailed strength configuration appears strongly controlled by the complex inherited crustal structure, which may have been decisive for the onset, localisation and propagation of rifting.

  11. Constraints on The Coupled Thermal Evolution of the Earth's Core and Mantle, The Age of The Inner Core, And The Origin of the 186Os/188Os Core(?) Signal in Plume-Derived Lavas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lassiter, J. C.

    2005-12-01

    Thermal and chemical interaction between the core and mantle has played a critical role in the thermal and chemical evolution of the Earth's interior. Outer core convection is driven by core cooling and inner core crystallization. Core/mantle heat transfer also buffers mantle potential temperature, resulting in slower rates of mantle cooling (~50-100 K/Ga) than would be predicted from the discrepancy between current rates of surface heat loss (~44 TW) and internal radioactive heat production (~20 TW). Core/mantle heat transfer may also generate thermal mantle plumes responsible for ocean island volcanic chains such as the Hawaiian Islands. Several studies suggest that mantle plumes, in addition to transporting heat from the core/mantle boundary, also carry a chemical signature of core/mantle interaction. Elevated 186Os/188Os ratios in lavas from Hawaii, Gorgona, and in the 2.8 Ga Kostomuksha komatiites have been interpreted as reflecting incorporation of an outer core component with high time-integrated Pt/Os and Re/Os ( Brandon et al., 1999, 2003; Puchtel et al., 2005). Preferential partitioning of Os relative to Re and Pt into the inner core during inner core growth may generate elevated Re/Os and Pt/Os ratios in the residual outer core. Because of the long half-life of 190Pt (the parent of 186Os, t1/2 = 489 Ga), an elevated 186Os/188Os outer core signature in plume lavas requires that inner core crystallization began early in Earth history, most likely prior to 3.5 Ga. This in turn requires low time-averaged core/mantle heat flow (<~2.5 TW) or large quantities of heat-producing elements in the core. Core/mantle heat flow may be estimated using boundary-layer theory, by measuring the heat transported in mantle plumes, by estimating the heat transported along the outer core adiabat, or by comparing the rates of heat production, surface heat loss, and secular cooling of the mantle. All of these independent methods suggest time-averaged core/mantle heat flow of ~5

  12. Development of irradiated UO2 thermal conductivity model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chan Bock; Bang Je-Geon; Kim Dae Ho; Jung Youn Ho

    2001-01-01

    Thermal conductivity model of the irradiated UO 2 pellet was developed, based upon the thermal diffusivity data of the irradiated UO 2 pellet measured during thermal cycling. The model predicts the thermal conductivity by multiplying such separate correction factors as solid fission products, gaseous fission products, radiation damage and porosity. The developed model was validated by comparison with the variation of the measured thermal diffusivity data during thermal cycling and prediction of other UO 2 thermal conductivity models. Since the developed model considers the effect of gaseous fission products as a separate factor, it can predict variation of thermal conductivity in the rim region of high burnup UO 2 pellet where the fission gases in the matrix are precipitated into bubbles, indicating that decrease of thermal conductivity by bubble precipitation in rim region would be significantly compensated by the enhancing effect of fission gas depletion in the UO 2 matrix. (author)

  13. Laboratory Study of Dispersion of Buoyant Surface Plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Ole; Larsen, Torben

    1990-01-01

    -differences. Other methods as infra-red sensing are used for visualizing purpose. The results are used to calibrate an integral model of the dispersion. Conclusions are that the dispersion of a buoyant surface plume can be treated the superposition of a buoyancy induced stretching and turbulent diffusion, reduced...

  14. Lidar sounding of volcanic plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiorani, Luca; Aiuppa, Alessandro; Angelini, Federico; Borelli, Rodolfo; Del Franco, Mario; Murra, Daniele; Pistilli, Marco; Puiu, Adriana; Santoro, Simone

    2013-10-01

    Accurate knowledge of gas composition in volcanic plumes has high scientific and societal value. On the one hand, it gives information on the geophysical processes taking place inside volcanos; on the other hand, it provides alert on possible eruptions. For this reasons, it has been suggested to monitor volcanic plumes by lidar. In particular, one of the aims of the FP7 ERC project BRIDGE is the measurement of CO2 concentration in volcanic gases by differential absorption lidar. This is a very challenging task due to the harsh environment, the narrowness and weakness of the CO2 absorption lines and the difficulty to procure a suitable laser source. This paper, after a review on remote sensing of volcanic plumes, reports on the current progress of the lidar system.

  15. Thermal Radiation Effects on Thermal Explosion in Polydisperse Fuel Spray-Probabilistic Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ophir Navea

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available We investigate the effect of thermal radiation on the dynamics of a thermal explosion of polydisperse fuel spray with a complete description of the chemistry via a single-step two-reactant model of general order. The polydisperse spray is modeled using a Probability Density Function (PDF. The thermal radiation energy exchange between the evaporation surface of the fuel droplets and the burning gas is described using the Marshak boundary conditions. An explicit expression of the critical condition for thermal explosion limit is derived analytically and represents a generalization of the critical parameter of the classical Semenov theory. Because we investigated the model in the range where the temperature is very high, the effect of the thermal radiation is significant.

  16. Plume collimation for laser ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vertes, Akos; Stolee, Jessica A.

    2014-09-09

    In various embodiments, a device may generally comprise a capillary having a first end and a second end; a laser to emit energy at a sample in the capillary to ablate the sample and generate an ablation plume in the capillary; an electrospray apparatus to generate an electrospray plume to intercept the ablation plume to produce ions; and a mass spectrometer having an ion transfer inlet to capture the ions. The ablation plume may comprise a collimated ablation plume. The device may comprise a flow cytometer. Methods of making and using the same are also described.

  17. Hybrid photovoltaic–thermal solar collectors dynamic modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amrizal, N.; Chemisana, D.; Rosell, J.I.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A hybrid photovoltaic/thermal dynamic model is presented. ► The model, once calibrated, can predict the power output for any set of climate data. ► The physical electrical model includes explicitly thermal and irradiance dependences. ► The results agree with those obtained through steady-state characterization. ► The model approaches the junction cell temperature through the system energy balance. -- Abstract: A hybrid photovoltaic/thermal transient model has been developed and validated experimentally. The methodology extends the quasi-dynamic thermal model stated in the EN 12975 in order to involve the electrical performance and consider the dynamic behavior minimizing constraints when characterizing the collector. A backward moving average filtering procedure has been applied to improve the model response for variable working conditions. Concerning the electrical part, the model includes the thermal and radiation dependences in its variables. The results revealed that the characteristic parameters included in the model agree reasonably well with the experimental values obtained from the standard steady-state and IV characteristic curve measurements. After a calibration process, the model is a suitable tool to predict the thermal and electrical performance of a hybrid solar collector, for a specific weather data set.

  18. A numerical study of the plume in Cape Fear River Estuary and adjacent coastal ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, M.; Xia, L.; Pietrafesa, L. J.

    2006-12-01

    Cape Fear River Estuary (CFRE), located in southeast North Carolina, is the only river estuary system in the state which is directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean. It is also an important nursery for economically and ecologically important juvenile fish, crabs, shrimp, and other species because of the tidal influence and saline waters. In this study, Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC) is used to simulate the salinity plume and trajectory distribution at the mouth of the CFRE and adjacent coastal ocean. Prescribed with the climatological freshwater discharge rates in the rivers, the modeling system was used to simulate the salinity plume and trajectory distribution distribution in the mouth of the CFRE under the influence of climatological wind conditions and tidal effect. We analyzed the plume formation processes and the strong relationship between the various plume distributions with respect to the wind and river discharge in the region. The simulations also indicate that strong winds tend to reduce the surface CFRE plume size and distorting the bulge region near the estuary mouth due to enhanced wind induced surface mixing. Even moderate wind speeds could fully reverse the buoyancy-driven plume structure in CFRE under normal river discharge conditions. Tide and the river discharge also are important factors to influence the plume structure. The comparions between the distribution of salinity plume and trajectory also are discussed in the study.

  19. Calculation of cooling tower plumes for high pressure wintry situations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gassmann, F.; Tinguely, M.; Haschke, D.

    1982-12-01

    The diffusion of the plumes of the projected nuclear power plants at Kaiseraugst and Schwoerstadt, during high pressure wintry conditions, has been examined using a mathematical model to simulate the plumes. For these calculations, microaerological measurements were made in the proximity of Kaiseraugst and Schwoerstadt. These give a typical image of the weather during high pressure wintry conditions, which is normally associated with an inversion, sometimes strong, at a low height. Dry cooling towers with natural draught, which offer an alternative solution to the wet cooling towers proposed for Kasieraugst, are examined equally. (Auth./G.T.H.)

  20. Modelling of Far-Field Mixing of Industrial Effluent Plume in Ambient ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study sought to describe the dynamics of advective and dispersive transport of the effluent plume in the river and also ascertain the extent of its effect from discharge location to downstream far-field region. A homogenous differential equation was used as analytics to describe the physical process that describes the ...

  1. Vertical transport of desert particulates by dust devils and clear thermals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinclair, P.C.

    1974-01-01

    While the vertical and horizontal transport of natural surface material by dust devils is not in itself a critical environmental problem, the transport and downwind fallout of toxic or hazardous materials from dust devil activity may be a contributing factor in the development of future ecological-biological problems. Direct quantitative measurements of the dust particle size distribution near and within the visible dust devil vortex and analyses of the upper level clear thermal plume have been made to provide estimates of the vertical and horizontal transport of long half-life radioactive substances such as plutonium. Preliminary measurements and calculations of dust concentrations within dust devils indicate that over 7 x 10 3 tons of desert dust and sand may be transported downwind from an area 285 km 2 during an average dust devil season (May to August). Near the ground these dust concentrations contain particles in the size range from approximately 1 μm to 250 μm diameter. Since the vertical velocity distribution greatly exceeds the particle(s) fall velocities, the detrainment of particles within the vortex is controlled primarily by the spatial distribution of the radial (v/sub r/) and tangential (v/sub theta/) velocity fields. Above the visible dust devil vortex, a clear thermal plume may extend upward to 15,000 to 18,000 ft MSL. A new airborne sampling and air data system has been developed to provide direct measurements of the dust concentration and air motion near and within the upper thermal plume. The air sampler has been designed to operate isokinetically over a considerable portion of the low-speed flight regime of a light aircraft. A strapped down, gyro-reference platform and a boom-vane system is used to determine the vertical air motions as well as the temperature and turbulence structure within the thermal plume. (U.S.)

  2. Applying UV cameras for SO2 detection to distant or optically thick volcanic plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, Christoph; Werner, Cynthia; Elias, Tamar; Sutton, A. Jeff; Lübcke, Peter

    2013-01-01

    Ultraviolet (UV) camera systems represent an exciting new technology for measuring two dimensional sulfur dioxide (SO2) distributions in volcanic plumes. The high frame rate of the cameras allows the retrieval of SO2 emission rates at time scales of 1 Hz or higher, thus allowing the investigation of high-frequency signals and making integrated and comparative studies with other high-data-rate volcano monitoring techniques possible. One drawback of the technique, however, is the limited spectral information recorded by the imaging systems. Here, a framework for simulating the sensitivity of UV cameras to various SO2 distributions is introduced. Both the wavelength-dependent transmittance of the optical imaging system and the radiative transfer in the atmosphere are modeled. The framework is then applied to study the behavior of different optical setups and used to simulate the response of these instruments to volcanic plumes containing varying SO2 and aerosol abundances located at various distances from the sensor. Results show that UV radiative transfer in and around distant and/or optically thick plumes typically leads to a lower sensitivity to SO2 than expected when assuming a standard Beer–Lambert absorption model. Furthermore, camera response is often non-linear in SO2 and dependent on distance to the plume and plume aerosol optical thickness and single scatter albedo. The model results are compared with camera measurements made at Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii) and a method for integrating moderate resolution differential optical absorption spectroscopy data with UV imagery to retrieve improved SO2 column densities is discussed.

  3. Do buoyant plumes enhance cross-shelf transport in the Black Sea?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sedakov, Roman; Zavialov, Peter; Izhitsky, Alexander

    2017-04-01

    Like many inland seas, the Black Sea is exposed to massive continental discharges on the one hand and significant anthropogenic stresses, including pollution, on the other. It is, therefore, important to understand mechanisms of advection of continental water into the sea and factors that may influence transport of such water across shelf areas. In this study, we focus on the coastal segment of the Black Sea between the Feodosia Bay, which includes nature reserve and resort areas, and the Kerch Strait. The Sea of Azov outflow penetrates into the Black Sea through the latter, forming a plume of relatively fresh, light waters with elevated concentrations of suspended matter but also pollutants, especially hydrocarbons. This plume, which can be detected via satellite imagery of the region, extends on over 70 km from the Kerch Strait outfall along Crimea shore and reaches the Feodosia Bay, making that area the most polluted of the Crimea shoreline. In situ velocity measurements were conducted at a mooring station deployed in the area at the depth of 5 and 21.5 meters during the period 17th-23rd of May 2015. These data demonstrated high correlation of the wind stress with the cross-shore component of the velocity in the surface layer and anti-correlation with that in the bottom layer during the periods when a two-layered stratification of the water column due to the occurrence of the Azov plume was present, and lack of such correlation otherwise. In order to investigate whether the buoyant plume in the surface layer is capable of fortifying the wind-driven cross-shelf exchanges, we develop a dynamical model of current forming under the influence of wind tension, pressure gradient and Earth's rotation in a simple one- and a two- layer setups. Firstly, a 2D model was investigated that did not account Coriolis effect. Secondly, a 3D model with Coriolis effect was investigated. The main parameter of the problem is the eddy diffusivity coefficient, which we choose to be

  4. Effects of wildland fire smoke on a tree-roosting bat: integrating a plume model, field measurements, and mammalian dose-response relationships

    Science.gov (United States)

    M.B. Dickinson; J.C. Norris; A.S. Bova; R.L. Kremens; V. Young; M.J. Lacki

    2010-01-01

    Faunal injury and mortality in wildland fires is a concern for wildlife and fire management although little work has been done on the mechanisms by which exposures cause their effects. In this paper, we use an integral plume model, field measurements, and models of carbon monoxide and heat effects to explore risk to tree-roosting bats during prescribed fires in mixed-...

  5. Proceedings of plumes, plates and mineralisation symposium: an introduction

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Hatton, CJ

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available of plume-theory. Mechanisms of magma formation are identified and plume positions and distances to their surface expression considered. Mantle plumes are considered as a heat and fluid source for the Witwatersrand gold deposits....

  6. Simplified scheme or radioactive plume calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibson, T.A.; Montan, D.N.

    1976-01-01

    A simplified mathematical scheme to estimate external whole-body γ radiation exposure rates from gaseous radioactive plumes was developed for the Rio Blanco Gas Field Nuclear Stimulation Experiment. The method enables one to calculate swiftly, in the field, downwind exposure rates knowing the meteorological conditions and γ radiation exposure rates measured by detectors positioned near the plume source. The method is straightforward and easy to use under field conditions without the help of mini-computers. It is applicable to a wide range of radioactive plume situations. It should be noted that the Rio Blanco experiment was detonated on May 17, 1973, and no seep or release of radioactive material occurred

  7. Turbulent structure of concentration plumes through application of video imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dabberdt, W.F.; Martin, C. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Hoydysh, W.G.; Holynskyj, O. [Environmental Science & Services Corp., Long Island City, NY (United States)

    1994-12-31

    Turbulent flows and dispersion in the presence of building wakes and terrain-induced local circulations are particularly difficult to simulate with numerical models or measure with conventional fluid modeling and ambient measurement techniques. The problem stems from the complexity of the kinematics and the difficulty in making representative concentration measurements. New laboratory video imaging techniques are able to overcome many of these limitations and are being applied to study a range of difficult problems. Here the authors apply {open_quotes}tomographic{close_quotes} video imaging techniques to the study of the turbulent structure of an ideal elevated plume and the relationship of short-period peak concentrations to long-period average values. A companion paper extends application of the technique to characterization of turbulent plume-concentration fields in the wake of a complex building configuration.

  8. Thermal-mechanical deformation modelling of soft tissues for thermal ablation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xin; Zhong, Yongmin; Jazar, Reza; Subic, Aleksandar

    2014-01-01

    Modeling of thermal-induced mechanical behaviors of soft tissues is of great importance for thermal ablation. This paper presents a method by integrating the heating process with thermal-induced mechanical deformations of soft tissues for simulation and analysis of the thermal ablation process. This method combines bio-heat transfer theories, constitutive elastic material law under thermal loads as well as non-rigid motion dynamics to predict and analyze thermal-mechanical deformations of soft tissues. The 3D governing equations of thermal-mechanical soft tissue deformation are discretized by using the finite difference scheme and are subsequently solved by numerical algorithms. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively predict the thermal-induced mechanical behaviors of soft tissues, and can be used for the thermal ablation therapy to effectively control the delivered heat energy for cancer treatment.

  9. Volatile organic compounds composition of merged and aged forest fire plumes from Alaska and western Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Gouw, J. A.; Warneke, C.; Stohl, A.; Wollny, A. G.; Brock, C. A.; Cooper, O. R.; Holloway, J. S.; Trainer, M.; Fehsenfeld, F. C.; Atlas, E. L.; Donnelly, S. G.; Stroud, V.; Lueb, A.

    2006-05-01

    The NOAA WP-3 aircraft intercepted aged forest fire plumes from Alaska and western Canada during several flights of the NEAQS-ITCT 2k4 mission in 2004. Measurements of acetonitrile (CH3CN) indicated that the air masses had been influenced by biomass burning. The locations of the plume intercepts were well described using emissions estimates and calculations with the transport model FLEXPART. The best description of the data was generally obtained when FLEXPART injected the forest fire emissions to high altitudes in the model. The observed plumes were generally drier than the surrounding air masses at the same altitude, suggesting that the fire plumes had been processed by clouds and that moisture had been removed by precipitation. Different degrees of photochemical processing of the plumes were determined from the measurements of aromatic VOCs. The removal of aromatic VOCs was slow considering the transport times estimated from the FLEXPART model. This suggests that the average OH levels were low during the transport, which may be explained by the low humidity and high concentrations of carbon monoxide and other pollutants. In contrast with previous work, no strong secondary production of acetone, methanol and acetic acid is inferred from the measurements. A clear case of removal of submicron particle volume and acetic acid due to precipitation scavenging was observed.

  10. Dynamics of the Sediment Plume Over the Yangtze Bank in the Yellow and East China Seas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Zhifa; Zhu, Jianrong; Wu, Hui; Li, Xiangyu

    2017-12-01

    A distinct sediment plume exists over the Yangtze Bank in the Yellow and East China Seas (YECS) in winter, but it disappears in summer. Based on satellite color images, there are two controversial viewpoints about the formation mechanism for the sediment plume. One viewpoint is that the sediment plume forms because of cross-shelf sediment advection of highly turbid water along the Jiangsu coast. The other viewpoint is that the formation is caused by local bottom sediment resuspension and diffused to the surface layer through vertical turbulent mixing. The dynamic mechanism of the sediment plume formation has been unclear until now. This issue was explored by using a numerical sediment model in the present paper. Observed wave, current, and sediment data from 29 December 2016 to 16 January 2017 were collected near the Jiangsu coast and used to validate the model. The results indicated that the model can reproduce the hydrodynamic and sediment processes. Numerical experiments showed that the bottom sediment could be suspended by the bottom shear stress and diffuse to the surface layer by vertical mixing in winter; however, the upward diffusion is restricted by the strong stratification in summer. The sediment plume is generated locally due to bottom sediment resuspension primarily via tide-induced bottom shear stress rather than by cross-shelf sediment advection over the Yangtze Bank.

  11. Characterizing Io’s Pele, Tvashtar and Pillan plumes: Lessons learned from Hubble

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jessup, Kandis Lea; Spencer, John R.

    2012-03-01

    almost equivalent corresponding to ∼2-6 × 1016 cm-2 and 3-5 × 1015 cm-2, respectively, producing SO2 and S2 gas resurfacing rates ∼0.04-0.2 cm yr-1 and 0.007-0.01 cm yr-1; and SO2 and S2 gas masses ∼1-4 × 1010 g and ∼2-3 × 109 g; for a total dust to gas ratio in the plumes ∼10-1-10-2. The 2007 Tvashtar plume was detected by HST at ∼380 ± 40 km in both reflected sunlight and absorbed jovian light; in 1999, the detected Pele plume altitude was 500 km in absorbed jovian light, but in reflected sunlight the detected height was ∼2× lower. Thus, for the 1999 Pele plume, similar to the 1979 Voyager Pele plume observations, the most efficient dust reflections occurred in the region closest to the plume vent. The 0.33-0.42 μm brightness of the 1997 Pillan plume was 10-20× greater than the Pele or Tvashtar plumes, exceeding by a factor of 3 the average brightness levels observed within 200 km of 1979 Loki eruption vent. But, the 0.26 μm brightness of the 1997 Pillan plume in reflected sunlight was significantly lower than would be predicted by the dust scattering model. Presuming that the 0.26 μm brightness of the 1997 Pillan plume was attenuated by the eruption plume’s gas component, then an SO2 gas density ∼3-6 × 1018 cm-2 is inferred from the data (for S2/SO2 ratios ⩽4%), comparable to the 0.3-2 × 1018 cm-2 SO2 density detected at Loki in 1979 (Pearl, J.C. et al. [1979]. Nature 280, 755; Lellouch et al., 1992), and producing an SO2 gas mass ∼3-8 × 1011 g and an SO2 resurfacing rate ∼8-23 cm yr-1. These results confirm the connection between high (⩾1017 cm-2) SO2 gas content and plumes that scatter strongly at nearly blue wavelengths, and it validates the occurrence of high density SO2 gas eruptions on Io. Noting that the SO2 gas content inferred from a spectrum of the 2003 Pillan plume was significantly lower ∼2 × 1016 cm-2 (Jessup, K.L., Spencer, J., Yelle, R. [2007]. Icarus 192, 24-40); and that the Pillan caldera was flooded with

  12. Hubble Captures Volcanic Eruption Plume From Io

    Science.gov (United States)

    1997-01-01

    The Hubble Space Telescope has snapped a picture of a 400-km-high (250-mile-high) plume of gas and dust from a volcanic eruption on Io, Jupiter's large innermost moon.Io was passing in front of Jupiter when this image was taken by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in July 1996. The plume appears as an orange patch just off the edge of Io in the eight o'clock position, against the blue background of Jupiter's clouds. Io's volcanic eruptions blasts material hundreds of kilometers into space in giant plumes of gas and dust. In this image, material must have been blown out of the volcano at more than 2,000 mph to form a plume of this size, which is the largest yet seen on Io.Until now, these plumes have only been seen by spacecraft near Jupiter, and their detection from the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope opens up new opportunities for long-term studies of these remarkable phenomena.The plume seen here is from Pele, one of Io's most powerful volcanos. Pele's eruptions have been seen before. In March 1979, the Voyager 1 spacecraft recorded a 300-km-high eruption cloud from Pele. But the volcano was inactive when the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by Jupiter in July 1979. This Hubble observation is the first glimpse of a Pele eruption plume since the Voyager expeditions.Io's volcanic plumes are much taller than those produced by terrestrial volcanos because of a combination of factors. The moon's thin atmosphere offers no resistance to the expanding volcanic gases; its weak gravity (one-sixth that of Earth) allows material to climb higher before falling; and its biggest volcanos are more powerful than most of Earth's volcanos.This image is a contrast-enhanced composite of an ultraviolet image (2600 Angstrom wavelength), shown in blue, and a violet image (4100 Angstrom wavelength), shown in orange. The orange color probably occurs because of the absorption and/or scattering of ultraviolet light in the plume. This light from Jupiter passes through the plume and is

  13. Biogeochemistry of landfill leachate plumes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Kjeldsen, Peter; Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup

    2001-01-01

    are relatively narrow and do not in terms of width exceed the width of the landfill. The concept of redox zones being present in the plume has been confirmed by the reported composition of the leachate contaminated groundwater at several landfills and constitutes an important framework for understanding...... the behavior of the contaminants in the plume as the leachate migrates away from the landfill. Diverse microbial communities have been identified in leachate plumes and are believed to be responsible for the redox processes. Dissolved organic C in the leachate, although it appears to be only slowly degradable...... to be subject to anaerobic oxidation, but the mechanisms are not yet understood. Heavy metals do not seem to constitute a significant pollution problem at landfills, partly because the heavy metal concentrations in the leachate often are low, and partly because of strong attenuation by sorption...

  14. Radiatively-driven processes in forest fire and desert dust plumes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weinzierl, Bernadett Barbara

    2008-07-01

    plume lifetime. This study combines experimental data, modelling of optical parameters and calculated heating rates to assess the role of forest fire and desert dust plumes. The microphysical, optical and chemical properties of forest fire and desert dust aerosol, and their vertical distribution, were measured with multiple instruments on the DLR Falcon 20-E5 research aircraft during ITOP and SAMUM. Aerosol size information and absorption data were analysed with respect to the aerosol mixing state, effective diameter and parameterisation of forest fire and dust size distributions. Altogether, about 90 size distributions for particles from different sources were extracted from multiple instruments and parameterised with multimodal log-normal distributions. Subsequently, the optical properties were calculated for the different aerosol layers and compared with other independent measurements of the optical properties like the extinction coefficient determined with a High Spectral Resolution Lidar. The aerosol optical properties serve as the basis for the radiative transfer calculations with libRadtran (library for radiative transfer). Finally, the aerosol microphysical and optical properties, the meteorological data and the heating rates are examined to investigate the proposed self-stabilising and sealed ageing effects. The investigation of numerous forest fire and desert dust plumes in this study revealed characteristic aerosol properties: the aged (age: 4-13 days) forest fire aerosol is characterised by the absence of a nucleation mode, a depleted Aitken mode and an enhanced accumulation mode. In addition, more than 80% of the particles in the Aitken mode and nearly all particles in the accumulation mode of the forest fire plumes are internally mixed with a solid core. The desert dust aerosol exhibits two size regimes of different mixing states: below 0.5 {mu}m, particles have a non-volatile core and a volatile coating; larger particles above 0.5 {mu}m consist of non

  15. Modelling of transport and biogeochemical processes in pollution plumes: Vejen landfill, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brun, A.; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard; Christensen, Thomas Højlund

    2002-01-01

    A biogeochemical transport code is used to simulate leachate attenuation. biogeochemical processes. and development of redox zones in a pollution plume downstream of the Vejen landfill in Denmark. Calibration of the degradation parameters resulted in a good agreement with the observed distribution...

  16. Comparison of pulsed Nd : YAG laser welding qualitative features with plasma plume thermal characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabbaghzadeh, J; Dadras, S; Torkamany, M J

    2007-01-01

    A spectroscopic approach was used to study the effects of different operating parameters on st14 sheet metal welding with a 400 W maximum average power pulsed Nd : YAG laser. The parameters included pulse duration and peak power and type and flow rate of the assist gas and welding speed. Weld quality, including penetration depth and melt width, has been compared with the FeI electron temperature obtained from spectroscopic observations of a plasma plume. A correlation between the standard deviation of the electron temperature and the quality of welding has also been found

  17. On moistening of ash particles in smoke plumes of industrial sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geints, Yu.E.; Zemlyanov, A.A.

    1992-01-01

    Moistening of ash particles occurring in the humid atmosphere is one of the main factors decreasing the accuracy of the lidar measurements of thickness of smoke emissions. Theoretical investigation of the growth of water coating of smoke particles under different meteorological conditions within the zone of emission has been carried out based on the Gaussian model of smoke plume with slant axis and its parameters. Numerical calculations have shown that in the case of high initial moisture content of the emissions near the source in the smoke plume the zone appears in which water vapor is supersaturated and the effect of particle moistening is significant. Seasonal trends and diurnal variations in temperature and humidity in the surface layer of the atmosphere also substantially affect moistening. Length of the zone of moistening of ash particles is maximum at night in winter under conditions of light breeze. The possibility of retrieving the initial mass concentration of the dry aerosol in the smoke plume has been shown based on lidar measurements of the scattering coefficient within the zone of maximum degree of moistening of smoke plume. 10 refs., 5 figs

  18. Deployable Plume and Aerosol Release Prediction and Tracking System. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Task 1. Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kleppe, John; Norris, William; Etezadi, Mehdi

    2006-07-19

    This contract was awarded in response to a proposal in which a deployable plume and aerosol release prediction and tracking system would be designed, fabricated, and tested. The system would gather real time atmospheric data and input it into a real time atmospheric model that could be used for plume predition and tracking. The system would be able to be quickly deployed by aircraft to points of interest or positioned for deployment by vehicles. The system would provide three dimensional (u, v, and w) wind vector data, inversion height measurements, surface wind information, classical weather station data, and solar radiation. The on-board real time computer model would provide the prediction of the behavior of plumes and released aerosols.

  19. History of the incipient Icelandic plume: Observations from ancient buried landscapes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stucky de Quay, Gaia; Roberts, Gareth G.; Watson, Jonathan S.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.

    2017-04-01

    Ancient buried terrestrial landscapes contain records of vertical motions which can be used to probe histories of geodynamical processes. In the North Atlantic Ocean, sedimentary basins contain excellent evidence that the continental shelf experienced staged subaerial exposure. For example, now buried landscapes were uplifted, rapidly eroded, and drowned close to the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. We use commercial wells and three-dimensional seismic data to reconstruct a 57-55 Ma landscape now buried 1.5 km beneath the seabed in the Bressay area of the northern North Sea. Geochemical analyses of organic matter from core samples intersecting the erosional landscape indicate the presence of angiosperm (flowering plant) debris. Combined with the presence of coarse clastic material, mapped beach ridges, and dendritic drainage patterns, these observations indicate that this landscape was of terrestrial origin. Longitudinal profiles of ancient rivers were extracted and inverted for an uplift rate history. The best-fitting uplift rate history has three phases and total cumulative uplift of 350 m. Biostratigraphic data from surrounding marine stratigraphy indicate that this landscape formed within 1-1.5 Ma. This uplift history is similar to that of a slightly older buried landscape in the Faeroe-Shetland basin 400 km to the west. These records of vertical motion can explained by pulses of anomalously hot asthenosphere spreading out from the incipient Icelandic plume. Using simple isostatic calculations we estimate that the maximum thermal anomaly beneath Bressay was 50˚. Our observations suggest that a thermal anomaly departed the Icelandic plume as early as 58.5 Ma and had highest average temperatures at 55.6 Ma.

  20. Modeling of Thermal Barrier Coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, B. L.; Petrus, G. J.; Krauss, T. M.

    1992-01-01

    The project examined the effectiveness of studying the creep behavior of thermal barrier coating system through the use of a general purpose, large strain finite element program, NIKE2D. Constitutive models implemented in this code were applied to simulate thermal-elastic and creep behavior. Four separate ceramic-bond coat interface geometries were examined in combination with a variety of constitutive models and material properties. The reason for focusing attention on the ceramic-bond coat interface is that prior studies have shown that cracking occurs in the ceramic near interface features which act as stress concentration points. The model conditions examined include: (1) two bond coat coefficient of thermal expansion curves; (2) the creep coefficient and creep exponent of the bond coat for steady state creep; (3) the interface geometry; and (4) the material model employed to represent the bond coat, ceramic, and superalloy base.

  1. Rectenna thermal model development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadiramangalam, Murall; Alden, Adrian; Speyer, Daniel

    1992-01-01

    Deploying rectennas in space requires adapting existing designs developed for terrestrial applications to the space environment. One of the major issues in doing so is to understand the thermal performance of existing designs in the space environment. Toward that end, a 3D rectenna thermal model has been developed, which involves analyzing shorted rectenna elements and finite size rectenna element arrays. A shorted rectenna element is a single element whose ends are connected together by a material of negligible thermal resistance. A shorted element is a good approximation to a central element of a large array. This model has been applied to Brown's 2.45 GHz rectenna design. Results indicate that Brown's rectenna requires redesign or some means of enhancing the heat dissipation in order for the diode temperature to be maintained below 200 C above an output power density of 620 W/sq.m. The model developed in this paper is very general and can be used for the analysis and design of any type of rectenna design of any frequency.

  2. Dynamics of the plume produced by nanosecond ultraviolet laser ablation of metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Bo Toftmann; Schou, Jørgen; Lunney, J.G.

    2003-01-01

    The dynamics of the ablation plume of a partially ionized plasma produced by a nanosecond UV laser with different irradiation spot geometries has been explored. We have used an ensemble of quartz crystal microbalances to make the first systematic and quantitative study of how the shape of the plume...... varies as the aspect ratio (b/a) of the elliptical laser spot is varied by about a factor of ten. The flip-over effect can be described by the adiabatic expansion model of Anisimov using a value of the adiabatic constant of about gamma = 1.4. We have also studied the forward peaking of the ablation plume...... for a large number of metals at the same laser fluence. Contrary to earlier reports, we find that the more refractory metals have the broader angular distributions....

  3. Thermal explosion models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ping, Tso Chin [Malaya Univ., Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    1984-12-01

    The phenomenon of thermal explosion arises in several important safety problems, yet scientists are still baffled by its origin. This article reviews some of the models that have been proposed to explain the phenomenon.

  4. The controversy over plumes: Who is actually right?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puchkov, V. N.

    2009-01-01

    The current state of the theory of mantle plumes and its relation to classic plate tectonics show that the “plume” line of geodynamic research is in a period of serious crisis. The number of publications criticizing this concept is steadily increasing. The initial suggestions of plumes’ advocates are disputed, and not without grounds. Questions have been raised as to whether all plumes are derived from the mantle-core interface; whether they all have a wide head and a narrow tail; whether they are always accompanied by uplifting of the Earth’s surface; and whether they can be reliably identified by geochemical signatures, e.g., by the helium-isotope ratio. Rather convincing evidence indicates that plumes cannot be regarded as a strictly fixed reference frame for moving lithospheric plates. More generally, the very existence of plumes has become the subject of debate. Alternative ideas contend that all plumes, or hot spots, are directly related to plate-tectonic mechanisms and appear as a result of shallow tectonic stress, subsequent decompression, and melting of the mantle enriched in basaltic material. Attempts have been made to explain the regular variation in age of volcanoes in ocean ridges by the crack propagation mechanism or by drift of melted segregations of enriched mantle in a nearly horizontal asthenospheric flow. In the author’s opinion, the crisis may be overcome by returning to the beginnings of the plume concept and by providing an adequate specification of plume attributes. Only mantle flows with sources situated below the asthenosphere should be referred to as plumes. These flows are not directly related to such plate-tectonic mechanisms as passive rifting and decompression melting in the upper asthenosphere and are marked by time-progressive volcanic chains; their subasthenospheric roots are detected in seismic tomographic images. Such plumes are mostly located at the margins of superswells, regions of attenuation of seismic waves at the

  5. Nonlinear thermal reduced model for Microwave Circuit Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Christophe; Sommet, Raphael; Quéré, Raymond; Dueme, Ph.

    2004-01-01

    With the constant increase of transistor power density, electro thermal modeling is becoming a necessity for accurate prediction of device electrical performances. For this reason, this paper deals with a methodology to obtain a precise nonlinear thermal model based on Model Order Reduction of a three dimensional thermal Finite Element (FE) description. This reduced thermal model is based on the Ritz vector approach which ensure the steady state solution in every case. An equi...

  6. Levy-taxis: a novel search strategy for finding odor plumes in turbulent flow-dominated environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pasternak, Zohar; Grasso, Frank W; Bartumeus, Frederic

    2009-01-01

    Locating chemical plumes in aquatic or terrestrial environments is important for many economic, conservation, security and health related human activities. The localization process is composed mainly of two phases: finding the chemical plume and then tracking it to its source. Plume tracking has been the subject of considerable study whereas plume finding has received little attention. We address here the latter issue, where the searching agent must find the plume in a region often many times larger than the plume and devoid of the relevant chemical cues. The probability of detecting the plume not only depends on the movements of the searching agent but also on the fluid mechanical regime, shaping plume intermittency in space and time; this is a basic, general problem when exploring for ephemeral resources (e.g. moving and/or concealing targets). Here we present a bio-inspired search strategy named Levy-taxis that, under certain conditions, located odor plumes significantly faster and with a better success rate than other search strategies such as Levy walks (LW), correlated random walks (CRW) and systematic zig-zag. These results are based on computer simulations which contain, for the first time ever, digitalized real-world water flow and chemical plume instead of their theoretical model approximations. Combining elements of LW and CRW, Levy-taxis is particularly efficient for searching in flow-dominated environments: it adaptively controls the stochastic search pattern using environmental information (i.e. flow) that is available throughout the course of the search and shows correlation with the source providing the cues. This strategy finds natural application in real-world search missions, both by humans and autonomous robots, since it accommodates the stochastic nature of chemical mixing in turbulent flows. In addition, it may prove useful in the field of behavioral ecology, explaining and predicting the movement patterns of various animals searching for food

  7. Levy-taxis: a novel search strategy for finding odor plumes in turbulent flow-dominated environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pasternak, Zohar; Grasso, Frank W [BioMimetic and Cognitive Robotics Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn 11210, NY (United States); Bartumeus, Frederic [Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Princeton Environmental Institute, 106 Guyot Hall, Princeton University, Princeton 08544, NJ (United States)], E-mail: zpast@yahoo.com

    2009-10-30

    Locating chemical plumes in aquatic or terrestrial environments is important for many economic, conservation, security and health related human activities. The localization process is composed mainly of two phases: finding the chemical plume and then tracking it to its source. Plume tracking has been the subject of considerable study whereas plume finding has received little attention. We address here the latter issue, where the searching agent must find the plume in a region often many times larger than the plume and devoid of the relevant chemical cues. The probability of detecting the plume not only depends on the movements of the searching agent but also on the fluid mechanical regime, shaping plume intermittency in space and time; this is a basic, general problem when exploring for ephemeral resources (e.g. moving and/or concealing targets). Here we present a bio-inspired search strategy named Levy-taxis that, under certain conditions, located odor plumes significantly faster and with a better success rate than other search strategies such as Levy walks (LW), correlated random walks (CRW) and systematic zig-zag. These results are based on computer simulations which contain, for the first time ever, digitalized real-world water flow and chemical plume instead of their theoretical model approximations. Combining elements of LW and CRW, Levy-taxis is particularly efficient for searching in flow-dominated environments: it adaptively controls the stochastic search pattern using environmental information (i.e. flow) that is available throughout the course of the search and shows correlation with the source providing the cues. This strategy finds natural application in real-world search missions, both by humans and autonomous robots, since it accommodates the stochastic nature of chemical mixing in turbulent flows. In addition, it may prove useful in the field of behavioral ecology, explaining and predicting the movement patterns of various animals searching for food

  8. Experimental Melting Study of Basalt-Peridotite Hybrid Source: Melting model of Hawaiian plume

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, E.; Gao, S.

    2015-12-01

    Eclogite component entrained in ascending plume is considered to be essentially important in producing flood basalts (e.g., Columbia River basalt, Takahashi et al., 1998 EPSL), alkalic OIBs (e.g., Kogiso et al.,2003), ferro-picrites (Tuff et al.,2005) and Hawaiian shield lavas (e.g., Hauri, 1996; Takahashi & Nakajima, 2002, Sobolev et al.,2005). Size of the entrained eclogite, which controls the reaction rates with ambient peridotite, however, is very difficult to constrain using geophysical observation. Among Hawaiian shield volcanoes, Koolau is the most enriched end-member in eclogite component (Frey et al, 1994). Reconstruction of Koolau volcano based on submarine study on Nuuanu landslide (AGU Monograph vol.128, 2002, Takahashi Garcia Lipman eds.) revealed that silica-rich tholeiite appeared only at the last stage (Makapuu stage) of Koolau volcano. Chemical compositions of lavas as well as isotopes change abruptly and coherently across a horizon (Shinozaki et al. and Tanaka et al. ibid.). Based on these observation, Takahashi & Nakajima (2002 ibid) proposed that the Makapuu stage lava in Koolau volcano was supplied from a single large eclogite block. In order to study melting process in Hawaiian plume, high-pressure melting experiments were carried out under dry and hydrous conditions with layered eclogite/peridotite starting materials. Detail of our experiments will be given by Gao et al (2015 AGU). Combined previous field observation with new set of experiments, we propose that variation in SiO2 among Hawaiian tholeiites represent varying degree of wall-rock interaction between eclogite and ambient peridotite. Makapuu stage lavas in Koolau volcano represents eclogite partial melts formed at ~3 GPa with various amount of xenocrystic olivines derived from Pacific plate. In other words, we propose that "primary magma" in the melting column of Hawaiian plume ranges from basaltic andesite to ferro-picrite depending on the lithology of the source. Solidus of

  9. Volcanic eruption plumes on Io

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strom, R.G.; Terrile, R.J.; Masursky, H.; Hansen, C.

    1979-01-01

    The detection of an umbrella-shaped plume extending about 280 km above the bright limb of Io was one of the most important discoveries made during the Voyager 1 encounter with the jovian system. This discovery proves that Io is volcanically active at present, and the number and magnitude of these eruptions indicate that Io is the most volcanically active body so far discovered in the Solar System. Preliminary analyses of these eruptive plumes are presented. (U.K.)

  10. Analysis of plasmaspheric plumes: CLUSTER and IMAGE observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Darrouzet

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Plasmaspheric plumes have been routinely observed by CLUSTER and IMAGE. The CLUSTER mission provides high time resolution four-point measurements of the plasmasphere near perigee. Total electron density profiles have been derived from the electron plasma frequency identified by the WHISPER sounder supplemented, in-between soundings, by relative variations of the spacecraft potential measured by the electric field instrument EFW; ion velocity is also measured onboard these satellites. The EUV imager onboard the IMAGE spacecraft provides global images of the plasmasphere with a spatial resolution of 0.1 RE every 10 min; such images acquired near apogee from high above the pole show the geometry of plasmaspheric plumes, their evolution and motion. We present coordinated observations of three plume events and compare CLUSTER in-situ data with global images of the plasmasphere obtained by IMAGE. In particular, we study the geometry and the orientation of plasmaspheric plumes by using four-point analysis methods. We compare several aspects of plume motion as determined by different methods: (i inner and outer plume boundary velocity calculated from time delays of this boundary as observed by the wave experiment WHISPER on the four spacecraft, (ii drift velocity measured by the electron drift instrument EDI onboard CLUSTER and (iii global velocity determined from successive EUV images. These different techniques consistently indicate that plasmaspheric plumes rotate around the Earth, with their foot fully co-rotating, but with their tip rotating slower and moving farther out.

  11. Thermal explosion models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tso Chin Ping

    1984-01-01

    The phenomenon of thermal explosion arises in several important safety problems, yet scientists are still baffled by its origin. This article reviews some of the models that have been proposed to explain the phenomenon. (author)

  12. Plume and Dose Modeling Performed to Assess Waste Management Enhancements Associated with Envirocare's Decision to Purchase of an Engineered Rail Rollover Facility Enclosure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, T.; Clayman, B.

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes the modeling performed on a proposed enclosure for the existing railcar rollover facility located in Clive, Utah at a radioactive waste disposal site owned and operated by Envirocare of Utah, Inc. (Envirocare). The dose and plume modeling information was used as a tool to justify the decision to make the capital purchase and realize the modeled performance enhancements

  13. River plume patterns and dynamics within the Southern California Bight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warrick, J.A.; DiGiacomo, P.M.; Weisberg, S.B.; Nezlin, N.P.; Mengel, M.; Jones, B.H.; Ohlmann, J.C.; Washburn, L.; Terrill, E.J.; Farnsworth, K.L.

    2007-01-01

    Stormwater river plumes are important vectors of marine contaminants and pathogens in the Southern California Bight. Here we report the results of a multi-institution investigation of the river plumes across eight major river systems of southern California. We use in situ water samples from multi-day cruises in combination with MODIS satellite remote sensing, buoy meteorological observations, drifters, and HF radar current measurements to evaluate the dispersal patterns and dynamics of the freshwater plumes. River discharge was exceptionally episodic, and the majority of storm discharge occurred in a few hours. The combined plume observing techniques revealed that plumes commonly detach from the coast and turn to the left, which is the opposite direction of Coriolis influence. Although initial offshore velocity of the buoyant plumes was ∼50 cm/s and was influenced by river discharge inertia (i.e., the direct momentum of the river flux) and buoyancy, subsequent advection of the plumes was largely observed in an alongshore direction and dominated by local winds. Due to the multiple day upwelling wind conditions that commonly follow discharge events, plumes were observed to flow from their respective river mouths to down-coast waters at rates of 20–40 km/d. Lastly, we note that suspended-sediment concentration and beam-attenuation were poorly correlated with plume salinity across and within the sampled plumes (mean r2=0.12 and 0.25, respectively), while colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence was well correlated (mean r2=0.56), suggesting that CDOM may serve as a good tracer of the discharged freshwater in subsequent remote sensing and monitoring efforts of plumes.

  14. Keweenaw hot spot: Geophysical evidence for a 1.1 Ga mantle plume beneath the Midcontinent Rift System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, D.R.; White, R.S.; Cannon, W.F.; Schulz, K.J.

    1990-01-01

    The Proterozoic Midcontinent Rift System of North America is remarkably similar to Phanerozoic rifted continental margins and flood basalt provinces. Like the younger analogues, the volcanism within this older rift can be explained by decompression melting and rapid extrusion of igneous material during lithospheric extension above a broad, asthenospheric, thermal anomaly which we call the Keweenaw hot spot. Great Lakes International Multidisciplinary Program on Crustal Evolution seismic reflection profiles constrain end-member models of melt thickness and stretching factors, which yield an inferred mantle potential temperature of 1500°–1570°C during rifting. Combined gravity modeling and subsidence calculations are consistent with stretching factors that reached 3 or 4 before rifting ceased, and much of the lower crust beneath the rift consists of relatively high density intruded or underplated synrift igneous material. The isotopic signature of Keweenawan volcanic rocks, presented in a companion paper by Nicholson and Shirey (this issue), is consistent with our model of passive rifting above an asthenospheric mantle plume.

  15. Elucidation of Metallic Plume and Spatter Characteristics Based on SVM During High-Power Disk Laser Welding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Xiangdong; Liu Guiqian

    2015-01-01

    During deep penetration laser welding, there exist plume (weak plasma) and spatters, which are the results of weld material ejection due to strong laser heating. The characteristics of plume and spatters are related to welding stability and quality. Characteristics of metallic plume and spatters were investigated during high-power disk laser bead-on-plate welding of Type 304 austenitic stainless steel plates at a continuous wave laser power of 10 kW. An ultraviolet and visible sensitive high-speed camera was used to capture the metallic plume and spatter images. Plume area, laser beam path through the plume, swing angle, distance between laser beam focus and plume image centroid, abscissa of plume centroid and spatter numbers are defined as eigenvalues, and the weld bead width was used as a characteristic parameter that reflected welding stability. Welding status was distinguished by SVM (support vector machine) after data normalization and characteristic analysis. Also, PCA (principal components analysis) feature extraction was used to reduce the dimensions of feature space, and PSO (particle swarm optimization) was used to optimize the parameters of SVM. Finally a classification model based on SVM was established to estimate the weld bead width and welding stability. Experimental results show that the established algorithm based on SVM could effectively distinguish the variation of weld bead width, thus providing an experimental example of monitoring high-power disk laser welding quality. (plasma technology)

  16. Characterization of redox conditions in groundwater contaminant plumes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Thomas H.; Bjerg, Poul L.; Banwart, Steven A.; Jakobsen, Rasmus; Heron, Gorm; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

    2000-10-01

    Evaluation of redox conditions in groundwater pollution plumes is often a prerequisite for understanding the behaviour of the pollutants in the plume and for selecting remediation approaches. Measuring of redox conditions in pollution plumes is, however, a fairly recent issue and yet relative few cases have been reported. No standardised or generally accepted approach exists. Slow electrode kinetics and the common lack of internal equilibrium of redox processes in pollution plumes make, with a few exceptions, direct electrochemical measurement and rigorous interpretation of redox potentials dubious, if not erroneous. Several other approaches have been used in addressing redox conditions in pollution plumes: redox-sensitive compounds in groundwater samples, hydrogen concentrations in groundwater, concentrations of volatile fatty acids in groundwater, sediment characteristics and microbial tools, such as MPN counts, PLFA biomarkers and redox bioassays. This paper reviews the principles behind the different approaches, summarizes methods used and evaluates the approaches based on the experience from the reported applications.

  17. Cesium-137 activities in fish residing in thermal discharges to Lake Michigan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spigarelli, S.A.

    1976-01-01

    The results of a study of 137 Cs activity in brown and rainbow trout and chinook salmon found in the thermal discharges from power plant sites on Lake Michigan, are reported. The objectives of the investigation were: (1) to compare 137 Cs activities in plume 'resident' fish with those in fish collected from reference (unheated) areas; (2) to compare the residence effect on the three sport fishes; and (3) to evaluate the radioecological significance of thermal discharge residence on temporal trends in 137 Cs accumulation by these fishes. Plume resident fish were identified and the residence time of these individuals estimated by the use of temperature-sensitive fish tags. Results are shown tabulated. (U.K.)

  18. Cesium-137 activities in fish residing in thermal discharges to Lake Michigan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spigarelli, S A [Argonne National Lab., Ill. (USA)

    1976-05-01

    The results of a study of /sup 137/Cs activity in brown and rainbow trout and chinook salmon found in the thermal discharges from power plant sites on Lake Michigan, are reported. The objectives of the investigation were: (1) to compare /sup 137/Cs activities in plume 'resident' fish with those in fish collected from reference (unheated) areas; (2) to compare the residence effect on the three sport fishes; and (3) to evaluate the radioecological significance of thermal discharge residence on temporal trends in /sup 137/Cs accumulation by these fishes. Plume resident fish were identified and the residence time of these individuals estimated by the use of temperature-sensitive fish tags. Results are shown tabulated.

  19. Simple approximation for estimating centerline gamma absorbed dose rates due to a continuous Gaussian plume

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Overcamp, T.J.; Fjeld, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    A simple approximation for estimating the centerline gamma absorbed dose rates due to a continuous Gaussian plume was developed. To simplify the integration of the dose integral, this approach makes use of the Gaussian cloud concentration distribution. The solution is expressed in terms of the I1 and I2 integrals which were developed for estimating long-term dose due to a sector-averaged Gaussian plume. Estimates of tissue absorbed dose rates for the new approach and for the uniform cloud model were compared to numerical integration of the dose integral over a Gaussian plume distribution

  20. Assessment of potential impact of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant thermal effluent on the Watts Bar Reservoir striped bass population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heuer, J.H.; McIntosh, D.; Ostrowski, P.; Tomljanovich, D.A.

    1983-11-01

    This report is an assessment of potential adverse impact to striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in Watts Bar Reservoir caused by thermal effluent from operation of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). The Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir is occupied by adult striped bass during the warmest months of the year. Concern was raised that operation of the CRBRP, specifically thermal discharges, could conflict with management of striped bass. In all cases examined the thermal plume becomes nearly imperceptible within a short distance from the discharge pipe (about 30 ft [10 m]) compared to river width (about 630 ft [190 m]). Under worst case conditions any presence of the plume in the main channel (opposite side of the river from the discharge) will be confined to the surface layer of the water. An ample portion of river cross sections containing ambient temperature water for passage or residence of adult striped bass will always be available in the vicinity of this thermal effluent. Although a small portion of river cross section would exceed the thermal tolerance of striped bass, the fish would naturally avoid this area and seek out adjacent cooler water. Therefore, it is concluded the CRBRP thermal effluent will not significantly affect the integrity of the striped bass thermal refuge in the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir. At this time there is no need to consider alternative diffuser designs and thermal modeling. 8 references, 3 figures, 2 tables