Elevated forest mortality has been attributed to climate change-induced droughts, but prediction of spatial mortality patterns remains challenging. We evaluated whether introducing plant hydraulics and topographic convergence-induced soil moisture variation to land surface models (LSM) can help explain spatial patterns of mortality. A scheme predicting plant hydraulic safety loss from soil mois...

The xylem hydraulic efficiency and safety is usually measured on mechanically unstressed samples, although trees may be exposed to combined hydraulic and mechanical stress in the field. We analysed changes in hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to drought-induced embolism during static bending of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris branches as well as the effect of dynamic bending on the vuln...

Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is an essential step in computational model validation because assessment of the accuracy requires a concrete, quantifiable measure uncertainty predictions. The concept UQ nuclear community generally means forward (FUQ), which information flow from inputs to outputs. Inverse (IUQ), outputs and experimental data inputs, equally important component but has been sig...

This report presents UCB progress in developing a comprehensive thermal and fluid dynamics model for the NGNP intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) and other compact heat exchangers. For nuclear hydrogen applications, an IHX is required to transfer heat from high temperature and high-pressure primary helium coolant to a hydrogen production process. An intermediate heat transfer loop is used for the...