750 research outputs found

    Feasibility study of aileron and spoiler control systems for large horizontal axis wind turbines

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    The feasibility of using aileron or spoiler controls as alternates to pitch control for large horizontal axis wind turbines was studied. The NASA Mod-0 100 kw machine was used as the basis for the study. Specific performance studies were conducted for 20% chord ailerons over the outboard 30% span, and for 10% chord spoilers over the same portion of the span. Both control systems utilized control deflections up to 60 deg. Results of the study show that either ailerons or spoilers can provide the control necessary to limit turbine power in high wind conditions. The aileron system, as designed, provides overspeed protection at hurricane wind speeds, low wind speed starting torque of 778 N-m (574 ft. lb) at 3.6 m/sec, and a 1.3 to 1.5% increase in annual energy compared to a fixed pitch rotor. The aileron control system preliminary design study includes aileron loads analysis and the design of a failsafe flyweight actuator for overspeed protection in the event of a hydraulic system failure

    Flux of atmospheric muons: Comparison between AIRES simulations and CAPRICE98 data

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    We report on a comparison between the flux of muons in the atmosphere measured by the CAPRICE98 experiment and simulations performed with the air shower simulation program AIRES. To reduce systematic uncertainties we have used as input the primary fluxes of protons and helium nuclei also measured by the CAPRICE98 experiment. Heavy nuclei are also taken into account in the primary flux, and their contribution to the muon flux is discussed. The results of the simulations show a very good agreement with the experimental data, at all altitudes and for all muon momenta. With the exception of a few isolated points, the relative differences between measured data and simulations are smaller than 20 %; and in all cases compatible with zero within two standard deviations. The influence of the input cosmic ray flux on the results of the simulations is also discussed. This report includes also an extensive analysis of the characteristics of the simulated fluxes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review

    Flux of Atmospheric Neutrinos

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    Atmospheric neutrinos produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the atmosphere are of interest for several reasons. As a beam for studies of neutrino oscillations they cover a range of parameter space hitherto unexplored by accelerator neutrino beams. The atmospheric neutrinos also constitute an important background and calibration beam for neutrino astronomy and for the search for proton decay and other rare processes. Here we review the literature on calculations of atmospheric neutrinos over the full range of energy, but with particular attention to the aspects important for neutrino oscillations. Our goal is to assess how well the properties of atmospheric neutrinos are known at present.Comment: 68 pages, 26 figures. With permission from the Annual Review of Nuclear & Particle Science. Final version of this material is scheduled to appear in the Annual Review of Nuclear & Particle Science Vol. 52, to be published in December 2002 by Annual Reviews (http://annualreviews.org

    Simulation of Atmospheric Muon and Neutrino Fluxes with CORSIKA

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    The fluxes of atmospheric muons and neutrinos are calculated by a three dimensional Monte Carlo simulation with the air shower code CORSIKA using the hadronic interaction models DPMJET, VENUS, GHEISHA, and UrQMD. For the simulation of low energy primary particles the original CORSIKA has been extended by a parametrization of the solar modulation and a microscopic calculation of the directional dependence of the geomagnetic cut-off functions. An accurate description for the geography of the Earth has been included by a digital elevation model, tables for the local magnetic field in the atmosphere, and various atmospheric models for different geographic latitudes and annual seasons. CORSIKA is used to calculate atmospheric muon fluxes for different locations and the neutrino fluxes for Kamioka. The results of CORSIKA for the muon fluxes are verified by an extensive comparison with recent measurements. The obtained neutrino fluxes are compared with other calculations and the influence of the hadronic interaction model, the geomagnetic cut-off and the local magnetic field on the neutrino fluxes is investigated.Comment: revtex, 19 pages, 19 Postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

    Uncertainty in Signals of Large-Scale Climate Variations in Radiosonde and Satellite Upper-Air Temperature Datasets

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    There is no single reference dataset of long-term global upper-air temperature observations, although several groups have developed datasets from radiosonde and satellite observations for climate-monitoring purposes. The existence of multiple data products allows for exploration of the uncertainty in signals of climate variations and change. This paper examines eight upper-air temperature datasets and quantifies the magnitude and uncertainty of various climate signals, including stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and tropospheric ENSO signals, stratospheric warming following three major volcanic eruptions, the abrupt tropospheric warming of 1976–77, and multidecadal temperature trends. Uncertainty estimates are based both on the spread of signal estimates from the different observational datasets and on the inherent statistical uncertainties of the signal in any individual dataset. The large spread among trend estimates suggests that using multiple datasets to characterize large-scale upperair temperature trends gives a more complete characterization of their uncertainty than reliance on a single dataset. For other climate signals, there is value in using more than one dataset, because signal strengths vary. However, the purely statistical uncertainty of the signal in individual datasets is large enough to effectively encompass the spread among datasets. This result supports the notion of an 11th climate-monitoring principle, augmenting the 10 principles that have now been generally accepted (although not generally implemented) by the climate community. This 11th principle calls for monitoring key climate variables with multiple, independent observing systems for measuring the variable, and multiple, independent groups analyzing the data

    Aquarius: The Instrument and Initial Results

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    Aquarius was launched on June 10, 2011 aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory and the instrument has been operating continuously since the initial turned-on was completed on August 25. The initial observed antenna temperatures were close to predicted and the first salinity map was released in September. In order to map the ocean salinity field, Aquarius includes several special features such as the inclusion of a scatterometer to provide a roughness correction, measurement of the third Stokes parameter to correct for Faraday rotation, and fast sampling to mitigate the effects of RFI. This paper provides an overview of the instrument and an example of initial results. Details are covered in subsequent papers in the session on Aquariu

    Childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorders in adult eating disorder patients: a pilot study

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    Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been suggested to be overrepresented in anorexia nervosa. This study aimed to explore the comorbidity of ASD and other childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorders (COND) [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and tic disorders] in a group of severe eating disorder (ED) patients. Method: Thirty female ED patients from a specialist hospital clinic were examined on measures tapping into COND and personality disorders. Results: In our group of longstanding ED, 53% had at least one COND diagnosis; 23% had ASD, 17% had AD/HD, and 27% had a tic disorder. Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that COND may be common in patients with severe ED and should be kept in mind when treating these patients
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