Impact of Mid-and Upper-Level Dry Air on Tropical Cyclone Genesis and Intensification:A Modeling Study of Durian(2001)

The impact of mid-and upper-level dry air,represented by low relative humidity(RH)values,on the genesis of tropical cyclone(TC)Durian(2001)in the South China Sea was investigated by a series of numerical experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model.The mid-level RH was lowered in different regions relative to TC Durian(2001)’s genesis location.Results suggest that the location of dry air was important to Durian(2001)’s genesis and intensification.The rapid development of the TC was accompanied by sustained near-saturated mid-and upper-level air,whereas low humidity decelerated its development.Water vapor budget analysis showed that moisture at mid and upper levels was mainly supplied by the vertical convergence of moisture flux and the divergence terms,and consumed by the condensation process.The horizontal convergence of moisture flux term supplied moisture in the air moistening process but consumed moisture in the air drying process.With a dryer mid-and upper-level environment,convective and stratiform precipitation were both inhibited.The upward mass fluxes and the diabatic heating rates associated with these two precipitation types were also suppressed.Generally,convection played the dominant role,since the impact of the stratiform process on vertical mass transportation and diabatic heating was much weaker.The vorticity budget showed that the negative vorticity convergence term,which was closely related to the inhibited convection,caused the vorticity to decrease above the lower troposphere in a dryer environment.The negative vorticity tendency is suggested to slow down the vertical coherence and the development rate of TCs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES ACTIVITIES VARYING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL FIELDS OF MID-AND LOWER-LATITUDES

Using historical data from 1951 to 1996, this paper makes statistical study and elaborate comparisons of tropical cyclone (TC) activity in middle and low latitudes. Some useful results have been achieved. For example, about 65% (90% in May) of the low-latitude tropical cyclones can move north into middle latitudes; TCs in middle latitudes move by about 60 more to the east and 10 km/h faster than in low latitudes; about 60% of the TCs dissipate in middle latitudes; the mean intensity is the maximum near the line dividing the middle and low latitude systems. The work paves the way for more work on revealing characteristics of interactions between middle and low latitude circulation systems.

COMPARISONS OF CIRCULATION ANOMALIES BETWEEN THE DAILY PRECIPITATION EXTREME AND NON-EXTREME EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE AND LOWER REACHES OF YANGTZE RIVER IN BOREAL SUMMER

Based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and in situ meteorological observations of daily precipitation in boreal summer from 1979 to 2008, the features of circulation anomalies have been investigated using the composite analysis for the extreme events and non-extreme events of regional mean daily rainfall(RMDR) occurring over the midand lower- Yangtze valley(MLYV). The extreme RMDR(ERMDR) events are the events at and above the percentile99 in the rearranged time-series of the RMDR with ascending order of rainfall amount. The non-extreme RMDR events are those at the percentiles 90-85 and 80-75 separately. Our results suggest that the threshold value is 25 mm/day for the ERMDR at percentile 99. Precipitation at all the percentiles is found to occur more frequently in the Meiyu rainfall season in MLYV, and the ERMDR events have occurred with higher frequency since the 1990 s. For the percentiles-associated events, the MLYV is under the control of an anomalous cyclonic circulation in the mid- and lower- troposphere with vastly different anomalous circulation at higher levels. However, at both low and high levels, the ERMDR events-related anomalous circulation is stronger compared to that linked to the non-ERMDR events. The dominant sources of water vapor differ between the ERMDR and non-ERMDR events. During the ERMDR events plentiful water vapor is transported from the Bay of Bengal into the MLYV directly by divergence while there is distinctly increased water vapor from the South China Sea(SCS) in non-RMERMDR episodes. The diabatic heating rates < Q1>, < Q2> and< Q1>- < Q2> have their anomalous patterns and are consistent with each other for these percentiles but their strength decreases markedly with the drop of rainfall intensity. For the precipitation at percentiles 99 and 90-85, the sea surface temperature anomalies(SSTA) in the Pacific distribute positively(negatively) in the south(north), and are stronger when the ERMDR emerges, with little or no SSTA as the events at percentile 80-75 occur. Besides, these results suggest that the genesis of the ERMDR event is directly related to intense local circulation anomalies and the circulation anomalies over the Pacific and SCS in tropical to mid-latitudes, and probably linked with the Pacific SSTA closely while the non-ERMDR events are mainly associated with the anomalous circulation on a local basis. The findings here help understand and predict the happening of ERMDR events over the MLYV.

Comparison of Diurnal,Seasonal and Solar Cycle Variations of High-latitude,Mid-latitude and Low-latitude Ionosphere

Comparison of regular(diurnal,seasonal and solar cycle)variations of high-latitude,mid-latitude and low-latitude ionospheric characteristics has been provided on basis of local empirical models of the peak electron density and the peak height.The local empirical models were derived from the hand-scaled ionogram data recorded by DPS-4 digisondes located at Norilsk(69°N,88°E),Irkutsk(52°N,104°E)and Hainan(19°N,109°E)for a 6-year period from December,2002 to December,2008.The technique used to build the local empirical model is described.The primary focus is diurnal-seasonal behavior under low solar activity and its change with increasing solar activity.Both common and specific features of the high-latitude(Norilsk),mid-latitude(Irkutsk)and low-latitude(Hainan)regular variations were revealed using their local empirical models.

Fundamental study of novel mid-and low-temperature solar thermochemical energy conversion

A new approach to application of mid-and low-temperature solar thermochemical technology was in-troduced and investigated.Concentrated solar thermal energy in the range of 150―300℃ can be effi-ciently converted into high-grade solar fuel by integrating this technique with the endothermic reaction of hydrocarbons.The conversion mechanism of upgrading the low-grade solar thermal energy to high-grade chemical energy was examined based on the energy level.The new mechanism was used to integrate two novel solar thermal power systems:A solar/methanol fuel hybrid thermal power plant and a solar-hybrid combined cycle with inherent CO2 separation using chemical-looping combustion,for developing highly efficient solar energy use to generate electricity.An innovative prototype of a 5-kW solar receiver/reactor,as the key process for realizing the proposed system,was designed and manu-factured.Furthermore,experimental validation of energy conversion of the mid-and low-temperature solar thermochemical processes were conducted.In addition,a second practical and viable approach to the production of hydrogen,in combination with the novel mid-and low-temperature solar thermo-chemical process,was proposed and demonstrated experimentally in the manufactured solar re-ceiver/reactor prototype through methanol steam reforming.The results obtained here indicate that the development of mid-and low-temperature solar thermochemical technology may provide a promising and new direction to efficient utilization of low-grade solar thermal energy,and may enable step-wise approaches to cost-effective,globally scalable solar energy systems.

A review on the developments and space applications of mid- and long-wavelength infrared detection technologies

Mid-wavelength infrared(MWIR)detection and long-wavelength infrared(LWIR)detection constitute the key technologies for space-based Earth observation and astronomical detection.The advanced ability of infrared(IR)detection technology to penetrate the atmosphere and identify the camouflaged targets makes it excellent for space-based remote sensing.Thus,such detectors play an essential role in detecting and tracking low-temperature and far-distance moving targets.However,due to the diverse scenarios in which space-based IR detection systems are built,the key parameters of IR technologies are subject to unique demands.We review the developments and features of MWIR and LWIR detectors with a particular focus on their applications in space-based detection.We conduct a comprehensive analysis of key performance indicators for IR detection systems,including the ground sampling distance(GSD),operation range,and noise equivalent temperature difference(NETD)among others,and their interconnections with IR detector parameters.Additionally,the influences of pixel distance,focal plane array size,and operation temperature of space-based IR remote sensing are evaluated.The development requirements and technical challenges of MWIR and LWIR detection systems are also identified to achieve high-quality space-based observation platforms.

Optimization of Urban Multi-energy Flow Systems Considering Seasonal Peak Shaving of Natural Gas

In order to alleviate the shortage of natural gas supply in winter,relevant policies have been issued to promote the construction of gas peak-shaving and storage facilities.Largescale gas storage can transfer the supply-demand relationship of natural gas in time sequence,which has great potential in improving the economy and reliabillity of urban multi-energy flow systems.Addressing this issue,this paper proposes a mid-and long-term energy optimization method for urban multi-energy flow system that considers seasonal peak shaving of natural gas.First,the energy supply and demand features of different energy subsystems are analyzed.Then,a network model of the electricity-gas-heat multi-energy flow system is established.Considering the time-of-use electricity price mechanism and the seasonal fluctuations of the natural gas price,a mid-and long-term energy optimization model maximizing the annual economic revenue is established.The alternative direction multiplier method with Gaussian back substitution(ADMM-GBS)algorithm is used to solve the optimal dispatch model.Finally,the proposed method is verified by employing the actual data of the demonstration zone in Yangzhong City,China.The simulation results show that the proposed method is effective.

State-of-the-art development about cryogenic technologies to support space-based infrared detection

As a key technology for space-based Earth observation and astronomical exploration,cooled mid-wavelength and long-wavelength Infrared(IR)detection is widely used in national defense,astronomy exploration,medical imaging,environmental monitoring,agricultural and other areas.The performances of IR detectors,including cut-off wavelength,detectivity,sensitivity and temperature resolution,plays a significant role in efficiently observing and tracking the low-temperature far-distance moving targets.Achieving optimal detection performance requires the IR detectors to operate at cryogenic temperatures.The future development of space-based applications relies heavily on the mid-wavelength and long-wavelength IR detection technologies,which should be enabled by the long-life cryogenic refrigeration and high-efficiency energy transportation system operating below 40 K,to support the Earth observation and astronomical detection.However,the efficiency degradation caused by the super low temperature brings tremendous challenges to the life time of cryogenic refrigeration and energy transportation systems.This paper evaluates the influence of cryogenic temperature on the infrared detector performances,reviews the features,development and space applications of cryogenic cooling technologies,as well as the cryogenic energy transportation approaches.Additionally,it analyzes the future development trends and challenges in supporting the space-based IR detection.

Vibration reduction for a new-type maglev vehicle with mid-mounted suspension under levitation failure

Levitation failure occasionally occurs when a maglev vehicle runs on a track. At the moment of levitation failure, the levitation module falls and hits the track, and there is a violent impact on the maglev vehicle-bridge coupled system. In this paper, the response of the maglev vehicle-bridge coupled system at the moment of and after levitation failure is analyzed, and three methods of reducing the vibration are proposed. First, a dynamics model of the maglev vehicle-bridge coupled system, which considers the control system, five flexible bridges, and track irregularity, is established, and the correctness of the model is verified using test data. The system response for different failure cases is then analyzed. Finally, the three methods of reducing vibration under levitation failure are proposed, and their effectiveness is evaluated. The results show that the failure position and speed barely affect the response, whereas the maximum impact forces due to levitation failure reduced by 13%, 63%, and 50% by adopting the three methods, namely connecting the first and third coils in series, coupling the ends of the levitation module vertically, and adopting two sets of anti-roll devices, respectively. When the latter two schemes are combined, the maximum impact force reduced from 133 kN(without vibration-reduction measures) to 9 kN, and the vibration-reduction measure is also effective for failures of the levitation units at the ends of the vehicle.