Average Energy Flux Research Articles

SOLAR ENERGY FLUX INCIDENT ON A HORIZONTAL PLANE OF DIFFERENT EGYPTIAN LOCATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS

Solar energy is the main parameter, which affects both photovoltaic pumps and crops evapo-transpiration. A micro computer program derived for mapping the incident solar energy over Egypt (22o to 32o and 24o to 38o latitude and longitude angles, respectively). The derived model transforms the solar altitude angle to solar radiation intensity, which integrated between sunrise and sunset to compute the incident solar energy. The model was validated with the measured solar energy with average deviation percent of -3.5 %. The daily average solar energy flux incident on a horizontal plane was 5.72 kWh/m2/day.

Generation of internal waves by barotropic tidal flow over a steep ridge

A three-dimensional nonhydrostatic numerical model is used to study the generation of internal waves by the barotropic tidal flow over a steep two-dimensional ridge in an ocean with strong upper-ocean stratification. The process is examined by varying topographic width, amplitude of the barotropic tide, and stratification at three ridge heights. The results show that a large amount of energy is converted from the barotropic tide to the baroclinic wave when the slope parameter, defined as the ratio of the maximum ridge slope to the maximum wave slope, is greater than 1. The energy flux of internal waves can be normalized by the vertical integral of the buoyancy frequency over the ridge depths and the kinetic energy of the barotropic tides in the water column. A relationship between the normalized energy flux and the slope parameter is derived. The normalized energy flux reaches a constant value independent of the slope parameter when the slope parameter is greater than 1.5. It is inferred that internal wave generation is most efficient at the presence of strong upper-ocean stratification over a steep, tall ridge. In the Luzon Strait, the strength of the shallow thermocline and the location of the Kuroshio front could affect generation of internal solitary waves in the northern South China Sea.

Heat transfer performance of an external receiver pipe under unilateral concentrated solar radiation

The heat transfer and absorption characteristics of an external receiver pipe under unilateral concentrated solar radiation are theoretically investigated. Since the heat loss ratio of the infrared radiation has maximum at moderate energy flux, the heat absorption efficiency will first increase and then decrease with the incident energy flux. The local absorption efficiency will increase with the flow velocity, while the wall temperature drops quickly. Because of the unilateral concentrated solar radiation and different incident angle, the heat transfer is uneven along the circumference. Near the perpendicularly incident region, the wall temperature and absorption efficiency slowly approaches to the maximum, while the absorption efficiency sharply drops near the parallelly incident region. The calculation results show that the heat transfer parameters calculated from the average incident energy flux have a good agreement with the average values of the circumference under different boundary conditions. For the whole pipe with coating of Pyromark, the absorption efficiency of the main region is above 85%, and only the absorption efficiency near the parallelly incident region is below 80%. In general, the absorption efficiency of the whole pipe increases with flow velocity rising and pipe length decreasing, and it approaches to the maximum at optimal concentrated solar flux.

Homogeneous Bubbles during Jet Impingement Quenching

Problem statement: Jet impingement quenching has a very effective and large cooling potential and is a very effective means of cooling for many applications. It gives rise to heterogeneous and/or homogeneous nucleation of bubbles, which is yet to be explored. Approach: Analytically investigate the phenomenon that happened during a brief contact of a water jet impinging on a hot surface. In particular, explore the possibility of homogeneous bubble formation during jet impingement quenching. A simple semi-infinite conduction heat transfer model was considered in this case and the heat transfer analysis had been carried out for two heating cases of the impinging liquid, namely with (i) Prescribed Surface Temperature (PST-case) and (ii) Time-dependent Surface Temperature (TST-case). For each of above cases, explicit equations for temperature distribution within liquid, average liquid temperature, average internal energy and surface heat flux had been derived as a function of liquid depth and contact time. These equations were solved numerically and their outcomes were discussed. Furthermore, a critical contact time, t* at which the temperature on the opposite side of the liquid depth reached saturation temperature, Tsat was determined. The heat flux (qs) at time t* was also determined and compared with the thermodynamic limit of the maximum heat flux (qmax) which decided the validity of this analytical investigation. Results: During jet impingement quenching of hot surfaces near/above the thermodynamic limiting temperature, water stored enough energy for a contact period of 5-10 µs depending on the type of boundary conditions considered for triggering homogeneous bubble nucleation. A contact time of 4µs was required to trigger homogeneous bubble nucleation for the conditions where the impinging surface had a fixed temperature throughout the cooling process. A contact time of 6.5 µs was required to initiate homogeneous bubble nucleation for the conditions where the impinging surface temperature dropped at a rate depending on time. For both cases, the average internal energy of the liquid exceeded the minimum energy necessary for bubble formation. Moreover, the average heat flux, q never exceeded the thermodynamic limit of the maximum heat flux, qmax. Conclusion: When water was heated above the thermodynamic limit of superheat during jet impingement, there is always a chance of homogeneous bubble nucleation.

An explicit finite‐difference method for the approximate solutions of a generic class of anharmonic dissipative nonlinear media

AbstractWe develop an explicit finite‐difference method to approximate solutions of modified, Fermi–Pasta–Ulam media, which consider the presence of parameters, such as external damping, relativistic mass, a coefficient for the nonlinear term, and a coefficient of coupling in the case of discrete systems. We propose discrete expressions to approximate consistently the total energy of the system and the average energy flux, and prove that the discrete rate of change of energy is a consistent estimate of its continuous counterpart. The method is thoroughly tested in the energy domain, and our results show that the method gives an approximately constant energy in the case of conservative systems, which fluctuates within a narrow margin of error that may be attributed to truncation errors. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2010

Analytical vectorial structure of controllable dark-hollow beams in the far field

Based on the vector angular spectrum representation of electromagnetic beams and the method of stationary phase, the analytical vectorial structure of the controllable dark-hollow beam in the far field is derived. Analytical expressions of the energy flux for the TE term, the TM term, and the controllable dark-hollow beam in the far field are presented. The normalized energy flux distributions of the TE term, the TM term, and the controllable dark-hollow beam in the far field are illustrated and analyzed with numerical examples, and the effects of the different parameters on the normalized energy flux distributions are discussed in detail.

Thin accretion disks in stationary axisymmetric wormhole spacetimes

In this paper, we study the physical properties and the equilibrium thermal radiation emission characteristics of matter forming thin accretion disks in stationary axially symmetric wormhole spacetimes. The thin disk models are constructed by taking different values of the wormhole’s angular velocity, and the time averaged energy flux, the disk temperature, and the emission spectra of the accretion disks are obtained. Comparing the mass accretion in a rotating wormhole geometry with the one of a Kerr black hole, we verify that the intensity of the flux emerging from the disk surface is greater for wormholes than for rotating black holes with the same geometrical mass and accretion rate. We also present the conversion efficiency of the accreting mass into radiation, and show that the rotating wormholes provide a much more efficient engine for the transformation of the accreting mass into radiation than the Kerr black holes. Therefore specific signatures appear in the electromagnetic spectrum of thin disks around rotating wormholes, thus leading to the possibility of distinguishing wormhole geometries by using astrophysical observations of the emission spectra from accretion disks.

TWO MODELING APPROACHES FOR REVERBERATION IN A SHALLOW WATER WAVEGUIDE WHERE THE SCATTERING ARISES FROM A SUB-BOTTOM INTERFACE

In shallow water environments where the uppermost sediment layer is a fine-grained fabric (e.g. clay or silty-clay), the observed reverberation may be dominated by scattering from the sub-bottom. Here, reverberation predictions from normal mode and energy flux models are compared for the case where the scattering arises from a sub-bottom half-space under a fine-grained sediment layer. It is shown that in such an environment, the position of the angle of intromission, in addition to the angular dependence of the scattering kernel, is a factor controlling the reverberation and its vertical angle distribution. It is also shown that the reverberation from a sub-bottom horizon is typically governed by higher grazing angles than the case where the scattering occurs at the water–sediment interface. There was generally very close agreement between the models as a function of frequency (200–1600 Hz), layer thickness (0–8 m), and range (1–15 km). The model comparisons, showing some differences, illuminate the result of different approximations in the two approaches.

Accelerator-Based Target Design and Optimization Driven by High-Energy Electron Beams and Proton Beams for the Analysis of Neutron Generation Characteristics

Accelerator-based target design and optimization are presented in this paper as an approach for the analysis of neutron generation and characteristics. Electron-based targets and proton-based targets driven by high-energy accelerator beams are investigated. The target plays an important role in the external neutron sources in which the target was driven by high-energy accelerator beams to generate neutrons. The optimization of target design in this work is to obtain the maximum generation of neutrons out of targets considering target material and geometry, accelerator beam energy, and beam size. A three-dimensional particle detection methodology and a surface matrix arithmetic technique were used to determine the spatial distribution of the source particles (electron and proton) and the total neutron generation from the target outer surfaces. Neutron generation and characteristics were analyzed based on the optimized targets regarding neutron spectrum, average energy, and average flux. Monte Carlo calculations were performed by using MCNPX to estimate the particle interaction inside the target and to calculate the neutrons escaping out of the target surfaces.Results in this work indicated that a high-energy (1-GeV) electron accelerator beam is capable of producing high-intensity neutron flux at the range of 1.60 × 1013 n/cm2·s of 1-mA electron. Compared to an electron accelerator beam, a proton beam (1 GeV) generates higher-intensity neutron flux at the level of 4.83 × 1013 n/cm2·s of 1-mA proton. The neutron generation ratio (neutron per incident particle escaping from the target) was computed as 0.76 neutrons per electron and 38.8 neutrons per proton for the selected targets. In the electron accelerator-based target, neutron generation was mostly through photonuclear reactions (88%), followed by prompt fission (12%). Neutron production in the target of the proton accelerator-based target was mainly due to spallation reactions (40%) and prompt fissions (48%). The optimized size of the target for the electron accelerator-based target, in terms of the volume, was about 16 times smaller than that for the proton accelerator-based target. The estimated neutron energy distribution was much narrower, with the electron accelerator target ranging from 1.0 × 10−3 to 30 MeV. In the proton accelerator target, the neutron energies ranged between 1.0 × 10−5 MeV and 1 GeV.

Wave climate off the Swedish west coast

This paper presents and discusses the wave climate off the Swedish west coast. It is based on 8 years (1997–2004) of wave data from 13 sites, nearshore and offshore, in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. The data is a product of the WAM and SWAN wave models calibrated at one site by a wave measurement buoy. It is found that the average energy flux is approximately 5.2 kW/m in the offshore Skagerrak, 2.8 kW/m in the nearshore Skagerrak, and 2.4 kW/m in the Kattegat. One of the studied sites, i.e. site 9, is the location of a wave energy research site run by the Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion at Uppsala University. This site has had a wave power plant installed since the spring of 2006, and another seven are planned to be installed during 2008. Wave energy as a renewable energy source was the driving interest that led to this study and the results are briefly discussed from this perspective.

Electromagnetic signatures of thin accretion disks in wormhole geometries

In this paper, we study the physical properties and characteristics of matter forming thin accretion disks in static and spherically symmetric wormhole spacetimes. In particular, the time averaged energy flux, the disk temperature, and the emission spectra of the accretion disks are obtained for these exotic geometries and are compared with the Schwarzschild solution. It is shown that more energy is emitted from the disk in a wormhole geometry than in the case of the Schwarzschild potential and the conversion efficiency of the accreted mass into radiation is more than a factor of 2 higher for the wormholes than for static black holes. These effects in the disk radiation are confirmed in the radial profiles of temperature corresponding to theses flux distributions, and in the emission spectrum {omega}L({omega}) of the accretion disks. We conclude that specific signatures appear in the electromagnetic spectrum, thus leading to the possibility of distinguishing wormhole geometries by using astrophysical observations of the emission spectra from accretion disks.

The extractable power from a channel linking a bay to the open ocean

Interest in the power potential of tidal streams is growing worldwide. While the latest assessment for Canadian coastlines estimates a resource of approximately 42 GW, these results are based on the average kinetic energy flux through the channel. It has been shown, however, that this method cannot be used to obtain the maximum extractable power for electricity generation. This work presents an updated theory for the extractable power from a tidal stream in a channel linking a bay to the open ocean. The maximum average extractable power from a channel linking a bay to the open ocean may be estimated, within approximately 15 per cent, as 0.22ρ gaQ0, where a is the amplitude of the dominant tidal constituent in the open ocean and Q0 is the maximum volumetric flowrate in the undisturbed state.

Internal waves, baroclinic energy fluxes and mixing at the European shelf edge

The energy flux in internal waves generated at the Celtic Sea shelf break was estimated by (i) applying perturbation theory to a week-long dataset from a mooring at 200m depth, and (ii) using a 2D non-hydrostatic circulation model over the shelf break. The dataset consisted of high resolution time-series of currents and vertical stratification together with two 25-h sets of vertical profiles of the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. The observations indicated an average energy flux of 139Wm−1, travelling along the shelf break towards the northwest. The average energy flux across the shelf break at the mooring was only 8Wm−1. However, the waves propagating onshelf transported up to 200Wm−1, but they were only present 51% of the time. A comparison between the divergence of the baroclinic energy flux and observed dissipation within the seasonal thermocline at the mooring showed that the dissipation was at least one order of magnitude larger. Results from a 2D model along a transect perpendicular to the shelf break showed a time-averaged onshelf energy flux of 153–425Wm−1, depending on the magnitude of the barotropic forcing. A divergence zone of the energy flux was found a few kilometre offshore of the location of the observations in the model results, and fluxes on the order of several kWm−1 were present in the deep waters further offshelf from the divergence zone. The modelled fluxes exhibited qualitative agreements with the phase and hourly onshelf magnitudes of the observed energy fluxes. Both the observations and the model results show an intermittent onshelf energy flux of 100–200Wm−1, but these waves could only propagate ∼20–30km onshore before dissipating. This conclusion was supported by a 25-h dataset sampled some 180km onto the shelf, where a weak wave energy flux was found going towards the shelf break. We therefore conclude that shelf break generated internal waves are unlikely to be the main source of energy for mixing on the inner part of the shelf.

A 5 year record of surface energy and mass balance from the ablation zone of Storbreen, Norway

AbstractA 5 year record of data from an automatic weather station (AWS) operating in the ablation zone of Storbreen, Norway, has been used to calculate the local surface energy and mass balance. The AWS observations cover five mass-balance years with an unusually strong mass deficit on Storbreen. The average energy flux (Q) contributing to melt for the period 2001–06 is 113 W m−2. Of this, the net shortwave radiation flux is the dominant contributor (92 W m−2), followed by the sensible heat flux (20 W m−2) and the latent heat flux (9 W m−2). The net longwave radiation (–6 W m−2) and the subsurface heat flux (–2 W m−2) contribute negatively to the budget. Net radiation thus produces 76% of the melt, while the turbulent fluxes and the subsurface heat flux produce 24% of the total melt. The seasonal mean incoming shortwave radiation is remarkably constant between the years, whereas variations in temperature and reflected shortwave radiation (albedo) explain most of the interannual variation in melt. The modelled ablation compares well with the measured ablation from stake readings. The sensitivity of the energy-balance model was examined by varying the surface roughness length of momentum and the sensitivity of the calculated melt by perturbations of temperature, wind speed and relative humidity.

Variability in river temperature, discharge, and energy flux from the Russian pan‐Arctic landmass

We introduce a new Arctic river temperature data set covering 20 gauges in 17 unique Arctic Ocean drainage basins in the Russian pan‐Arctic (ART‐Russia). Warm season 10‐day time step data (decades) were collected from Russian archival sources covering a period from 1929 to 2003 with most data falling in the range from the mid‐1930s to the early 1990s. The water temperature data were combined with river discharge data to estimate energy flux for all basins and over the Russian pan‐Arctic as a whole. Tests for trend were carried out for water temperature, river discharge, and energy flux. Spatially coherent significant increases in the maximum decadal river temperature were found in the European part of the Russian pan‐Arctic. Several other drainage basins showed significant changes, but there was no strong pattern either in the connections between variables or spatially. The trend in area averaged energy flux for the three largest drainage basins (Ob, Yenisey, Lena) combined was found to be significantly decreasing. We speculate that in the Yenisey basin, this decrease was due to large impoundments of river water. The lack of consistency between temperature and energy flux trends was due to the difference in timing between peaks in river temperature and river discharge. The mean area averaged energy flux from the Russian basins was 0.2 W m−2. Using this mean we estimated the total energy flux from the entire Russian pan‐Arctic, both gauged and ungauged, to be 82 EJ a−1.

A comparison of two modeling approaches for reverberation in a shallow-water waveguide where the scattering arises from a sub-bottom interface

In shallow water environments with a low-speed sediment layer overlying a higher-speed sub-bottom, the observed reverberation may be dominated by scattering from the sub-bottom. Here, reverberation predictions from normal mode and energy flux models are compared for the case where the scattering arises from a sub-bottom half-space under the low-speed sediment layer. It is shown that in such an environment, the position of the angle of intromission, in addition to the angular dependence of the scattering kernel, is a factor controlling the vertical angle distribution. It is also shown that the reverberation from a sub-bottom horizon is typically governed by higher grazing angles than the case where the scattering occurs at the water-sediment interface. There was generally very close agreement between the models as a function of frequency (200–1,600 Hz), layer thickness (0–8 m), and range (1–15 km). The model comparisons, showing some differences, illuminate the effect of different approximations in the two approaches. [Work supported in part by the Office of Naval Research.]

Correlation between texture and corrosion properties of magnesium coatings produced by PVD

Physical vapour deposition with energetic ions is an established technology for creating functional surfaces where changing morphologies are observed with increasing energy deposition. In this presentation, magnetron sputtering (MS) is compared with ion beam sputtering (IBS) and vacuum arc deposition (VAD) for corrosion resistant Mg coatings. With increasing average energy flux along the three methods, a transition from a columnar growth regime towards a layer-by-layer growth at increased energies was observed, while a basal texture with the c-axis normal to the surface was found in all cases. However, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the corresponding Mg(002) rocking curves showed a pronounced minimum of 3° for IBS deposited films, apparently caused by the reflected high energy primary Ar + ions. For pure Mg films, no larger differences in the corrosion potential and the corrosion rates were measured.

Analyses of internal solitary waves generated at the Columbia River plume front using SAR imagery

Internal solitons generated at the Columbia River plume front during ebb tide are displayed on a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image taken on 26 July 2004 at 14:24:22 UTC. Scale analyses suggest that these internal solitons belong to the finite‐depth category. A theoretical model, relating the radar backscatter cross section to dynamic parameters of internal solitons in the continuous stratification, is developed. Using the model and background stratification data collected by the River Influences on Shelf Ecosystem (RISE) project in July 2004, we extract the soliton dynamic parameters of the half‐width, amplitude, phase speed, and average energy flux per crest length along a typical section across the internal solitons. The observed stratification is simulated by using a theoretical model parameterized by pycnocline depth, thickness, and maximum buoyancy frequency. The half‐width, amplitude, phase speed, and energy flux of the leading soliton at the section are 119.3 m, 9.3 m, 0.69 m s−1, and 417.4 W m−1 with the uncertainty ranges of ±14.7 m, ±2.6 m, ±0.10 m s−1, and ±281.6 W m−1, respectively. Sensitivity analyses reveal that the extraction of the soliton half‐width from the SAR image is not affected by the stratification. The amplitude is less influenced by the pycnocline thickness than the depth and is independent of the maximum buoyancy frequency.

Baroclinic Energy Flux at the Hawaiian Ridge: Observations from the R/P FLIP

Abstract Estimates of baroclinic energy flux are made in the immediate “Nearfield” (September–October 2002) and 450 km offshore (“Farfield”; October–November 2001) of the Kaena Ridge, an active barotropic-to-baroclinic conversion site. The flux estimates are based on repeated profiles of velocity and density obtained from the Research Platform Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) as an aspect of the Hawaii Ocean Mixing Experiment. Energetic beams associated with both semidiurnal and diurnal internal waves are observed in the Kauai Channel. Beam depths and orientations are consistent with generation along the upper flanks of the ridge. At the far-field site, the baroclinic energy flux is borne primarily by first-mode semidiurnal waves. The energy flux associated with the entire spectrum of internal waves is computed by cross-spectral analysis. Significant energy fluxes are found in the inertial, diurnal, semidiurnal, and twice-semidiurnal frequency bands. The semidiurnal energy flux strongly dominates the spectrum at both sites. The flux magnitude follows the spring–neap cycle of the semidiurnal barotropic tide. The averaged depth-integrated mode-1 semidiurnal energy flux (over the entire water column) in the Farfield is found to be 1.7 ± 0.3 kW m−1 away from the ridge, with peak values up to 4 kW m−1. Small fluxes toward the ridge are occasionally seen at neap tide. At both sites, energy fluxes in the diurnal frequency band represent 15%–20% of the semidiurnal energy flux. In the Farfield, the magnitude of the diurnal energy flux varies in accord with the fortnightly cycle of the barotropic semidiurnal tide, rather than with the diurnal forcing, suggesting that energy for those waves is supplied by a cross-frequency transfer from the low-vertical-mode M2 internal tide to higher-mode internal waves at frequencies ½M2. In the Nearfield, the diurnal flux varies with fluctuations in both diurnal and semidiurnal forcing.

Energy flux of nonlinear internal waves in northern South China Sea

We analyze three sets of ADCP measurements taken on the Dongsha plateau, on the shallow continental shelf, and on the steep continental slope in the northern South China Sea (SCS). The data show strong divergences of energy and energy flux of nonlinear internal waves (NLIW) along and across waves' prevailing westward propagation path. The NLIW energy flux is 8.5 kW m−1 on the plateau, only 0.25 kW m−1 on the continental shelf 220 km westward along the propagation path, and only 1 kW m−1 on the continental slope 120 km northward across the propagation path. Along the wave path on the plateau, the average energy flux divergence of NLIW is ∼0.04 W m−2, which corresponds to a dissipation rate of O(10−7−10−6) W kg−1. Combining the present with previous observations and model results, a scenario of NLIW energy flux in the SCS emerges. NLIWs are generated east of the plateau, propagate predominantly westward across the plateau along a beam of ∼100 km width that is centered at ∼21°N, and dissipate nearly all their energy before reaching the continental shelf.