Hurricane Thermodynamics Alex Mac Intosh Cam Mateus Steve
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Hurricane Thermodynamics Alex Mac. Intosh Cam Mateus Steve Lazar
Costliest Hurricanes 1. 2. 3. 4. • • Katrina – 2005 – $81 Billion Andrew – 1992 – $26. 5 Billion Wilma – 2005 – $20. 6 Billion Charley – 2004 – $15 Billion Difficult to study: immense power About 48 of 80 tropical cyclones qualify in terms of intensity http: //www. nhc. noaa. gov/Deadliest_Costliest. shtml
Physical Structure • Storms form in the tropics • Three main parts – The eye – Eyewall – Rainbands • Axisymmetric Vortex • Hydrostatic and Rotational Balance http: //www. srh. noaa. gov/jetstream/tropics/tc_structure. htm
Carnot Engines • Thermodynamic disequilibrium • Four Sequences – Isothermal Expansion – Adiabatic Expansion – Isothermal Compression – Adiabatic Compression http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Atmospheric_thermodynamics
Equations • Efficiency of Carnot Engine • Carnot’s Theorem to predict maximum wind speed
Climate Change • Greenhouse gases and effects on hurricanes • Carnot’s Theorem: Temperature difference and intensity of hurricane – Adiabatic expansion increased – Greater wind velocity
How Temperature Variation Effects Wind Velocity When T 1 = 25 C, the Vmax is ~ 5. 85 m/s When T 1 = 30 C, the Vmax is ~ 8. 34 m/s This is a stunning 50% increase in the wind velocity!
How? • Apply a cryogenic coolant – Nitrogen gas – Carbon Dioxide – Air – Water • Transport and deliver coolant using – Plane – Ship – Barge Remotely Controlled?
Thermal Updrafts Strongest Thermal Updraft At the down tilt right region of Hurricane Apply Coolant There From Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration http: //celebrating 200 years. no aa. gov/historymakers/Smago rinsky/hurricane_emily 650. ht ml
What? • Coolant does: – Decreases updraft temperature – Increase wind shear w/ large solid coolant pieces • Higher the wind shear---weaker the storm From www. fema. gov
Clausius-Clapeyron Saturation Water Vapor Pressure (h. Pa) 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Temperature (°C) 120
Citations • Emanuel, K. A. , Theory of Hurricanes. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. , 23 (1991) 179 -196 • Tropical Cyclone Structure. [cited November 27, 2008]; Available from: http: //www. srh. noaa. gov/jetstream/tropics/tc_structure. htm • Kondepudi, Dilip. Introduction to Modern Thermodynamics. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2008. • Emanuel, K. A. , Tropical Cyclones. Annu. Rev. Earth. Planet. Sci. , 31 (2003) 75 -104. • Atmospheric thermodynamics. [cited November 26, 2008]; Available from: http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Atmospheric_thermodynamics. • Mooney, C. The Truth About the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season. 2007 [cited October 26, 2008]; Available from: http: //www. thedailygreen. com/environmental-news/blogs/hurricanes -storms/7889. • O’Keefe, D. R. , Hurricane Abatement Method and System, U. P. T. Office, Editor. 2007: USA