The reliability and survivability of a wave energy converter (WEC) is highly dependent on the variability and non-linearity of the ocean itself. Ocean variability occurs on many time scales. Climate variability occurs decade-to-decade, and year-to-year in the number and intensity of winter storms. Seasonal variation of wave height and period...
Nanomaterials are expected to enable significant advances in several technological fields in coming years. Among them, electronics has emerged as one of the most likely benefactors from the ability to control matter on the nanometer-scale. For many electronic devices synthesized nanomaterials must be integrated into thin film structures. Vapor-based deposition...
Through application of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope analyses, we investigated the benthic trophic structure of
the upper-slope off southern Chile (~45°S) including a recent methane seep area discovered as part of this study. The observed
fauna comprised 53 invertebrates and seven fish taxa, including remains of chemosymbiotic...
The microwave backscatter properties of surf zone waves are analyzed using field observations.
By utilizing a preexisting, independent, water surface discrimination technique, the microwave returns were
extracted along individual waveforms and the data from shoaling (steepening) waves, surf zone breaking
waves, and remnant foam were separated and quantified. In addition,...
The Confucius Institutes program is a Chinese organization established in 2004 to provide the world with language instruction and increase cultural awareness. The program forms joint venture business models with universities and schools around the world to establish language and culture centers on their school’s campus (“Constitution and By-Laws”). Over...
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent among surgeons due to a variety of risk factors. Various subjective tools have been used to investigate the associations between these risk factors and their contributions to the development of WMSDs. This study aimed to provide a summary of a collection of popular subjective...
The performance of a combined Stirling-ORC power cycle is evaluated, and an integrated microchannel heat exchanger is designed as an annular cold-side heat rejector for a free piston Stirling engine. Reasonable designs for a combined cycle can increased power output efficiency by 3 - 9% compared to that of a...
In addition to well established properties that control the presence or absence of the hydrate stability zone, such as pressure, temperature, and salinity, additional parameters appear to influence the concentration of gas hydrate in host sediments. The stratigraphic record at Site 17A in the Andaman Sea, eastern Indian Ocean, illustrates...
Total organic carbon (TOC) content of marine sediments represents residual carbon, originally derived from terrestrial and marine sources, which has survived seafloor and shallow subseafloor diagenesis. Ultimately, its preservation below the sulfate reduction zone in marine sediments drives methanogenesis. Within the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ), methane production along continental...
Disaster response robots need to be simultaneously able to survive extreme environment and complete the mission efficiently and robustly. One of the determinants is the performance of the actuators in each joint, which drive the robot to the desired motion accurately. In robotics society, people usually build their robots directly...