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In the quest for more efficient solar thermal systems, accurately determining the thermal emittance of low-emissive materials is crucial in determining the power losses. This paper describes the calorimetric method designed to precisely measure the thermal emittance of Selective Solar Absorbers (SSAs) to be used in High Vacuum Flat Plate Collectors (HVFPCs). The method’s capability is demonstrated through the successful correction of thermal emittance values for copper samples of varying sizes, including dimensions down to 49 cm2. Results highlight the method’s potential to significantly reduce measurement errors associated with small-size and/or low-emittance samples, providing a path forward to improve the design and efficiency of SSAs. This research marks a significant step in advancing solar thermal technology by enabling emittance measurements with a precision better than 0.003, which is essential for the development of high-performance solar thermal absorbers. The method has also been applied to correct the thermal emittance value of SSA measured in previous measurement campaigns, and it allows a better estimation of the SSA efficiency conversion curve.

In the quest for more efficient solar thermal systems, accurately determining the thermal emittance of low-emissive materials is crucial in determining the power losses. This paper describes the calorimetric method designed to precisely measure the thermal emittance of Selective Solar Absorbers (SSAs) to be used in High Vacuum Flat Plate Collectors (HVFPCs). The method’s capability is demonstrated through the successful correction of thermal emittance values for copper samples of varying sizes, including dimensions down to 49 cm2. Results highlight the method’s potential to significantly reduce measurement errors associated with small-size and/or low-emittance samples, providing a path forward to improve the design and efficiency of SSAs. This research marks a significant step in advancing solar thermal technology by enabling emittance measurements with a precision better than 0.003, which is essential for the development of high-performance solar thermal absorbers. The method has also been applied to correct the thermal emittance value of SSA measured in previous measurement campaigns, and it allows a better estimation of the SSA efficiency conversion curve.

1. Marine Heat Waves (MHWs) are episodes of anomalous warming in the ocean that can last from a few days to months. MHWs have different characteristics in terms of intensity, duration, and frequency and generate thermal stress on marine ecosystems. In reef ecosystems, they are one of the main causes of decreased presence and abundance of corals, invertebrates, and fish. The deleterious capacity of thermal stress often depends upon biotic factors such as resource availability (bottom-up control on predators) and predation (top-down control on prey). Despite the evidence of thermal stress and biotic factors affecting individual species, the combined effects of both stressors on the entire reef ecosystems are far less studied. 2. Here, using a food-web modeling approach, we estimated the rate of change in species’ biomass due to different MHW scenarios based on their physical characteristics. Specifically, we modeled the mechanistic link between species’ consumption rate and seawater temperature (thermal stressor), simulating species’ biomass dynamics for different MHW scenarios under different trophic control assumptions (biotic factor). 3. We find that total reef ecosystem biomass declined by 10% ± 5% under MHWs with severe intensity and top-down control assumption. The bottom-up control assumption moderates the total ecosystem biomass reduction by 5% ± 5%. Irrespective of the MHW scenario and the trophic control assumption, the most substantial biomass changes occur among top, meso-predators, and corals (5% to 20% ± 10%).4. Since habitat degradation may lead to reef ecosystems governed by top-down control on prey, our findings point to the critical importance of protecting reef ecosystems as a pivotal strategy to alleviate the impacts of thermal stress induced by MHWs. Overall, our results provide a unified understanding of the interplay between abiotic stressors and biotic factors in reef ecosystems under extreme thermal events, offering insights into present baselines and future ecological states for reef ecosystems.

1. Marine Heat Waves (MHWs) are episodes of anomalous warming in the ocean that can last from a few days to months. MHWs have different characteristics in terms of intensity, duration, and frequency and generate thermal stress on marine ecosystems. In reef ecosystems, they are one of the main causes of decreased presence and abundance of corals, invertebrates, and fish. The deleterious capacity of thermal stress often depends upon biotic factors such as resource availability (bottom-up control on predators) and predation (top-down control on prey). Despite the evidence of thermal stress and biotic factors affecting individual species, the combined effects of both stressors on the entire reef ecosystems are far less studied. 2. Here, using a food-web modeling approach, we estimated the rate of change in species’ biomass due to different MHW scenarios based on their physical characteristics. Specifically, we modeled the mechanistic link between species’ consumption rate and seawater temperature (thermal stressor), simulating species’ biomass dynamics for different MHW scenarios under different trophic control assumptions (biotic factor). 3. We find that total reef ecosystem biomass declined by 10% ± 5% under MHWs with severe intensity and top-down control assumption. The bottom-up control assumption moderates the total ecosystem biomass reduction by 5% ± 5%. Irrespective of the MHW scenario and the trophic control assumption, the most substantial biomass changes occur among top, meso-predators, and corals (5% to 20% ± 10%).4. Since habitat degradation may lead to reef ecosystems governed by top-down control on prey, our findings point to the critical importance of protecting reef ecosystems as a pivotal strategy to alleviate the impacts of thermal stress induced by MHWs. Overall, our results provide a unified understanding of the interplay between abiotic stressors and biotic factors in reef ecosystems under extreme thermal events, offering insights into present baselines and future ecological states for reef ecosystems.

Overtopping-type wave power conversion devices represent one of the most promising technology to combine reliability and competitively priced electricity supplies from waves. While satisfactory hydraulic and structural performance have been achieved, the selection of the hydraulic turbines and their regulation is a complex process due to the very low head and a variable flow rate in the overtopping breakwater set-ups. Based on the experience acquired on the first Overtopping BReakwater for Energy Conversion (OBREC) prototype, operating since 2016, an activity has been carried out to select the most appropriate turbine dimension and control strategy for such applications. An example of this multivariable approach is provided and illustrated through a case study in the San Antonio Port, along the central coast of Chile. In this site the deployment of a breakwater equipped with OBREC modules is specifically investigated. Axial-flow turbines of different runner diameter are compared, proposing the optimal ramp height and turbine control strategy for maximizing system energy production. The energy production ranges from 20.5 MWh/y for the smallest runner diameter to a maximum of 34.8 MWh/y for the largest runner diameter.

Overtopping-type wave power conversion devices represent one of the most promising technology to combine reliability and competitively priced electricity supplies from waves. While satisfactory hydraulic and structural performance have been achieved, the selection of the hydraulic turbines and their regulation is a complex process due to the very low head and a variable flow rate in the overtopping breakwater set-ups. Based on the experience acquired on the first Overtopping BReakwater for Energy Conversion (OBREC) prototype, operating since 2016, an activity has been carried out to select the most appropriate turbine dimension and control strategy for such applications. An example of this multivariable approach is provided and illustrated through a case study in the San Antonio Port, along the central coast of Chile. In this site the deployment of a breakwater equipped with OBREC modules is specifically investigated. Axial-flow turbines of different runner diameter are compared, proposing the optimal ramp height and turbine control strategy for maximizing system energy production. The energy production ranges from 20.5 MWh/y for the smallest runner diameter to a maximum of 34.8 MWh/y for the largest runner diameter.