Aeronautical education and research at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich

Progress in the scientific and practical fields of aviation has caused the Swiss Institute of Technology to organize lectures and practical training courses in all three branches of aeronautics and to found centers of scientific research, laboratories, etc., in order to supply the government and industries with scientifically and technically trained engineers

Oxygen Fugacity of the Upper Mantle of Mars. Evidence from the Partitioning Behavior of Vanadium in Y980459 (Y98) and other Olivine-Phyric Shergottites

Using partitioning behavior of V between olivine and basaltic liquid precisely calibrated for martian basalts, we determined the redox state of primitive (olivine-rich, high Mg#) martian basalts near their liquidus. The combination of oxidation state and incompatible element characteristics determined from early olivine indicates that correlations between fO2 and other geochemical characteristics observed in many martian basalts is also a fundamental characteristic of these primitive magmas. However, our data does not exhibit the range of fO2 observed in these previous studies.. We conclude that the fO2 for the martian upper mantle is approximately IW+1 and is incompatible-element depleted. It seems most likely (although clearly open to interpretation) that these mantle-derived magmas assimilated a more oxidizing (>IW+3), incompatible-element enriched, lower crustal component as they ponded at the base of the martian crust

Assessing the volcanic hazard for Rome. 40Ar/39Ar and In-SAR constraints on the most recent eruptive activity and present-day uplift at Colli Albani Volcanic District

We present new 40Ar/39Ar data which allow us to refine the recurrence time for the most recent eruptive activity occurred at Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD) and constrain its geographic area. Time elapsed since the last eruption (36 kyr) overruns the recurrence time (31 kyr) in the last 100 kyr. New interferometric synthetic aperture radar data, covering the years 1993–2010, reveal ongoing inflation with maximum uplift rates (>2 mm/yr) in the area hosting the most recent (<200 ka) vents, suggesting that the observed uplift might be caused by magma injection within the youngest plumbing system. Finally, we frame the present deformation within the structural pattern of the area of Rome, characterized by 50 m of regional uplift since 200 ka and by geologic evidence for a recent (<2000 years) switch of the local stress-field, highlighting that the precursors of a new phase of volcanic activity are likely occurring at the CAVD

A decade of energy and mass balance investigations on the glacier Kongsvegen, Svalbard

Kongsvegen is an Arctic glacier located in northwest Spitzbergen. We use meteorological observations made near the average equilibrium line of Kongsvegen during the decade 2001 to 2010 to drive a glacier energy and mass balance model. Average daily and seasonal cycles are analyzed over the course of a full decade, as well as the interannual variations of the meteorological parameters and of the mass and energy balance components. The calculated average of net radiation is close to zero and the sensible heat flux is the most important and continuous source of energy at the surface. The latent heat flux is a weak source of energy as well. The resultant flux constellation yields a surplus of energy accumulating throughout the decade (9.5 W m-2) and fosters a negative specific surface mass balance throughout the investigated decade (-1.8 m w. eq.). The most significant mass loss occurred during the middle of the decade (2004 until 2006), with positive surface mass balances observed afterward when significant amounts of superimposed ice were formed. This development is well correlated to the total surface mass balance of the glacier. Application of monthly temperature and precipitation perturbations corroborates earlier studies indicating a high sensitivity of the mass balance to energy fluxes depending on temperature conditions during summer. Key PointsEvaluation of a decadal meteorological record of an Arctic glacierUse of SOMARS, validation of results, investigations of climate sensitiviyAnnual, monthly, daily consideration ©2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved

Racing climate change: Collaboration and conflict in California's global climate change policy arena

Media accounts routinely refer to California's Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, as "landmark" climate change legislation. On its surface, this label is an accurate reflection of the state's forward-thinking stance across many environmental issues including pesticides, toxic substances, solid waste, and air quality. For all its promise, however, AB 32 can also be considered a low point in the landscape of conflict between state environmental regulators and California's environmental justice movement. While the legislation included several provisions to address the procedural and distributive dimensions of environmental justice, the implementation of AB 32 has been marked by heated conflict. The most intense conflicts over AB 32 revolve around the primacy of market mechanisms such as "cap and trade." This article examines the drivers and the manifestations of these dynamics of collaboration and conflict between environmental justice advocates and state regulators, and pays particular attention to the scalar and racialized quality of the neoliberal discourse. The contentiousness of climate change politics in California offers scholars and practitioners around the world a cautionary tale of how the best intentions for integrating environmental justice principles into climate change policy do not necessarily translate into implementation and how underlying racialized fractures can upend collaboration between state and social movement actors. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Hydrogen ICE Vehicle Testing Activities

The Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity teamed with Electric Transportation Applications and Arizona Public Service to develop and monitor the operations of the APS Alternative Fuel (Hydrogen) Pilot Plant. The Pilot Plant provides 100% hydrogen, and hydrogen and compressed natural gas (H/CNG)-blended fuels for the evaluation of hydrogen and H/CNG internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in controlled and fleet testing environments. Since June 2002, twenty hydrogen and H/CNG vehicles have accumulated 300,000 test miles and 5,700 fueling events. The AVTA is part of the Department of Energy’s FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program. These testing activities are managed by the Idaho National Laboratory. This paper discusses the Pilot Plant design and monitoring, and hydrogen ICE vehicle testing methods and results

Katech (Lithium Polymer) 4-Passenger NEV - Range and Battery Testing Report

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA) received a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) from the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH) for vehicle and battery characterization testing. The KATECH NEV (called the Invita) was equipped with a lithium polymer battery pack from Kokam Engineering. The Invita was to be baseline performance tested by AVTA’s testing partner, Electric Transportation Applications (ETA), at ETA’s contract testing facilities and test track in Phoenix, Arizona, to AVTA’s NEVAmerica testing specifications and procedures. Before and during initial constant speed range testing, the Invita battery pack experienced cell failures, and the onboard charger failed. A Kokamsupplied off-board charger was used in place of the onboard charger to successfully perform a constant speed range test on the Invita. The Invita traveled a total of 47.9 miles in 1 hour 47 minutes, consuming 91.3 amp-hours and 6.19 kilowatt-hours. The Kokam Engineering lithium polymer battery was also scheduled for battery pack characterization testing, including the C/3 energy capacity, dynamic stress, and peak power tests. Testing was stopped during the initial C/3 energy capacity test, however, because the battery pack failed to withstand cycling without cell failures. After the third discharge/charge sequence was completed, it was discovered that Cell 6 had failed, with a voltage reading of 0.5 volts. Cell 6 was replaced, and the testing sequence was restarted. After the second discharge/charge sequence was complete, it was discovered that Cell 1 had failed, with its voltage reading 0.2 volts. At this point it was decided to stop all battery pack testing. During the discharge cycles, the battery pack supplied 102.21, 94.34, and 96.05 amp-hours consecutively before Cell 6 failed. After replacing Cell 6, the battery pack supplied 98.34 and 98.11 amp-hours before Cell 1 failed. The Idaho National Laboratory managed these testing activities for the AVTA, as part of DOE’s FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program

Hybrid Electric Vehicle Fleet and Baseline Performance Testing

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA) conducts baseline performance and fleet testing of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). To date, the AVTA has completed baseline performance testing on seven HEV models and accumulated 1.4 million fleet testing miles on 26 HEVs. The HEV models tested or in testing include: Toyota Gen I and Gen II Prius, and Highlander; Honda Insight, Civic and Accord; Chevrolet Silverado; Ford Escape; and Lexus RX 400h. The baseline performance testing includes dynamometer and closed track testing to document the HEV’s fuel economy (SAE J1634) and performance in a controlled environment. During fleet testing, two of each HEV model are driven to 160,000 miles per vehicle within 36 months, during which maintenance and repair events, and fuel use is recorded and used to compile life-cycle costs. At the conclusion of the 160,000 miles of fleet testing, the SAE J1634 tests are rerun and each HEV battery pack is tested. These AVTA testing activities are conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory, Electric Transportation Applications, and Exponent Failure Analysis Associates. This paper discusses the testing methods and results

Valence State Partitioning of Cr and V Between Pyroxene - Melt: Estimates of Oxygen Fugacity for Martian Basalt QUE 94201

Several studies, using different oxybarometers, have suggested that the variation of fO2 in martian basalts spans about 3 log units from approx. IW-1 to IW+2. The relatively oxidized basalts (e.g., pyroxene-phyric Shergotty) are enriched in incompatible elements, while the relatively reduced basalts (e.g., olivine-phyric Y980459) are depleted in incompatible elements. A popular interpretation of the above observations is that the martian mantle contains two reservoirs; 1) oxidized and enriched, and 2) reduced and depleted. The basalts are thus thought to represent mixing between these two reservoirs. Recently, Shearer et al. determined the fO2 of primitive olivine-phyric basalt Y980459 to be IW+0.9 using the partitioning of V between olivine and melt. In applying this technique to other basalts, Shearer et al. concluded that the martian mantle shergottite source was depleted and varied only slightly in fO2 (IW to IW+1). Thus the more oxidized, enriched basalts had assimilated a crustal component on their path to the martian surface. In this study we attempt to address the above debate on martian mantle fO2 using the partitioning of Cr and V into pyroxene in pyroxene-phyric basalt QUE 94201