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At least 181 records · Page 10

X-ray diffraction measurements and pressure determination in nanosecond compression of solids up to 600 GPa

X-ray diffraction measurements under laser-driven dynamic compression now allow us to investigate the atomic structure of matter at TPa pressures and thousands of degree temperatures with broad implications for condensed matter physics, planetary science and astronomy. Furthermore, pressure determination in these experiments often relies on velocimetry measurements coupled with modeling that requires accurate knowledge of the optical and thermo-mechanical properties of a window material, resulting in significant systematic uncertainty. Here we demonstrate different approach applicable to X-ray diffraction experiments under quasi-isentropic ramp-compression based on the use of in-situ pressure calibrants, similar to the methods often adopted in static-compression experiments with diamond anvil cells. Focusing on experiments using a diamond window, we discuss challenges and mitigation strategies for the novel approach. Our study, in addition to providing new structural information of 5 metals up to hundreds of GPa, provides validation to the currently used methods based on time-resolved measurement of the diamond free-surface velocity, and reveals that the use of in-situ calibrants enables a factor of four reduction in the pressure uncertainty in these experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Characterization of anisotropic mechanical properties of polymer composites from a hybrid additive manufacturing-compression molding process using x-ray computer tomography

In this study, anisotropic stiffness tensors were reconstructed based on fiber orientation distributions obtained from X-ray computer tomography (xCT). A preform was manufactured via a big area additive manufacturing (BAAM) system with carbon fiber (CF) filled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The tailored preform from additive manufacturing (AM) was used in the compression molding (CM) process to produce a low-void high-performance thermoplastic composite panel. An xCT technique was employed to detect the fiber orientations in CF/ABS composites manufactured via three different methods: AM from BAAM, extrusion compression molding (ECM), and AM-CM. The anisotropic stiffness tensor was obtained from the composite panel manufactured via the three manufacturing methods (AM, ECM, and AMCM). A micromechanics theory was used to obtain the orthotropic stiffness tensors of the composite panels and compared with the experimental values. The predicted stiffness tensors of AM and AM-CM composite panels were used to study the deformation characteristics of a steering wheel during airbag deployment by performing finite element analysis (FEA). The approach developed in this study can be utilized for evaluating high-performance composites.

Pokkalla, Deepak↗

Injection Overmolding of Continuous Carbon Fiber Preforms

This project explored and developed a process to injection overmold continuous carbon fiber preforms fabricated with tailored fiber placement. Much early work was focused on the ability to infuse dry carbon fiber tow, fully wetting out the fibers, in an injection molding process. Various approaches were explored, including using commingled fiber and pre-consolidated flexible preforms. The commingled fiber was a blend of carbon fiber and polymer fiber matching the injecting polymer. This approach showed some merit but required an extremely high quality homogeneous mixing of the polymer fibers with the carbon fibers to wet out the carbon fiber tow. Therefore, the project focused on pre-consolidated preforms. The pre-consolidated preform manufacturing method was first developed using compression molded flat plates that were cut into tensile specimen for testing. Work then progressed to an injection molded simplified corner fitting bracket. It was shown that a viable manufacturing method for overmolding continuous carbon fiber preforms could be developed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multifacets of lossy compression for scientific data in the Joint-Laboratory of Extreme Scale Computing

The Joint Laboratory on Extreme-Scale Computing (JLESC) was initiated at the same time lossy compression for scientific data became an important topic for the scientific communities. The teams involved in the JLESC played and are still playing an important role in developing the research, techniques, methods, and technologies making lossy compression for scientific data a key tool for scientists and engineers. Here, in this paper, we present the evolution of lossy compression for scientific data from 2015, describing the situation before the JLESC started, the evolution of this discipline in the past 8 years (until 2023) through the prism of the JLESC collaborations on this topic and some of the remaining open research questions.

Compression for AI↗

Shock-ramp analysis test problem

Quasi-isentropic (ramp) compression is now a well-established experimental method and so are the analysis techniques to give Lagrangian sound speed, pressure, and density along the sample material's isentrope. A shock followed by ramp compression is a natural extension to investigate, for example, shock melt and refreeze on compression, or isentropes of states off the Hugoniot or principal isentrope. In practice, graded-density impactors produce initial shocks, compression by shaped laser pulses may be unable to produce a smooth pressure increase from zero, and incidental perturbations on the drive pulse may also give rise to shocks, so robust shock-ramp analysis methods will be needed. Appropriate analysis methods are needed for shock-ramp experiments, based on those for quasi-isentropic compression, and these require validation. This paper describes three different analyses of a shock-ramp test problem, including an assessment of their estimated errors. The methods tested were based on hydrodynamic characteristics or integration backward in space. All methods gave the known Lagrangian sound speed to within ~1%, and pressure and volume to within less than 2% and 1%, demonstrating that the analysis methods of isentropic compression experiments can be confidently extended to the analysis of shock and ramp compression.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Black-box statistical prediction of lossy compression ratios for scientific data

Lossy compressors are increasingly adopted in scientific research, tackling volumes of data from experiments or parallel numerical simulations and facilitating data storage and movement. In contrast with the notion of entropy in lossless compression, no theoretical or data-based quantification of lossy compressibility exists for scientific data. Users rely on trial and error to assess lossy compression performance. As a strong data-driven effort toward quantifying lossy compressibility of scientific datasets, we provide a statistical framework to predict compression ratios of lossy compressors. Our method is a two-step framework where (i) compressor-agnostic predictors are computed and (ii) statistical prediction models relying on these predictors are trained on observed compression ratios. Proposed predictors exploit spatial correlations and notions of entropy and lossyness via the quantized entropy. We study 8+ compressors on 6 scientific datasets and achieve a median percentage prediction error less than 12%, which is substantially smaller than that of other methods while achieving at least a 8.8× speedup for searching for a specific compression ratio and 7.8× speedup for determining the best compressor out of a collection.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Optimizing Error-Bounded Lossy Compression for Scientific Data With Diverse Constraints

Vast volumes of data are produced by today's scientific simulations and advanced instruments. These data cannot be stored and transferred efficiently because of limited I/O bandwidth, network speed, and storage capacity. Error-bounded lossy compression can be an effective method for addressing these issues: not only can it significantly reduce data size, but it can also control the data distortion based on user-defined error bounds. In practice, many scientific applications have specific requirements or constraints for lossy compression, in order to guarantee that the reconstructed data are valid for post hoc analysis. For example, some datasets contain irrelevant data that should be isolated in particular and users often have intuition regarding value ranges, geospatial regions, and other data subsets that are crucial for subsequent analysis. Existing state-of-the-art error-bounded lossy compressors, however, do not consider these constraints during compression, resulting in inferior compression ratios with respect to user's post hoc analysis, due to the fact that the data itself provides little or no value for post hoc analysis. In this work we address this issue by proposing an optimized framework that can preserve diverse constraints during the error-bounded lossy compression, e.g., cleaning the irrelevant data, efficiently preserving different precision for multiple value intervals, and allowing users to set diverse precision over both regular and irregular regions. We perform our evaluation on a supercomputer with up to 2,100 cores. Experiments with six real-world applications show that our proposed diverse constraints based error-bounded lossy compressor can obtain a higher visual quality or data fidelity on reconstructed data with the same or even higher compression ratios compared with the traditional state-of-the-art compressor SZ. Furthermore, our experiments also demonstrate very good scalability in compression performance compared with the I/O throughput of the parallel file system.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Recovery of a high-pressure phase formed under laser-driven compression

The recovery of metastable structures formed at high pressure has been a long-standing goal in the field of condensed matter physics. While laser-driven compression has been used as a method to generate novel structures at high pressure, to date no high-pressure phases have been quenched to ambient conditions. Here we demonstrate, using in situ x-ray diffraction and recovery methods, the successful quench of a high-pressure phase which was formed under laser-driven shock compression. We show that tailoring the pressure release path from a shock-compressed state to eliminate sample spall, and therefore excess heating, increases the recovery yield of the high-pressure ω phase of zirconium from 0% to 48%. Our results have important implications for the quenchability of novel phases of matter demonstrated to occur at extreme pressures using nanosecond laser-driven compression.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A Life Cycle Decarbonization of Modular Building Solutions: Preprint

Off-site construction methods offer the opportunity to compress costs of net zero energy housing using the advantages of mass production. Blokable, LLC, a vertically integrated modular builder, wanted to know how the learning curves of mass production would help them decarbonize their existing modular housing prototype at a relative cost advantage. The method developed for this question looked at the life cycle assessment of an individual apartment and used learning curve efficiencies to approximate the relative advantage of construction-at-scale. Greenhouse gas emissions were quantified by a learning-affected, whole life carbon emissions model and demonstrated a path to a 60% reduction of whole life CO2-equivalent in the 2030 production year. The resultant roadmap considers a best-first approach to decarbonizing a modular building product line, and the method can be replicated for other modular builders.

decarbonization↗

ZFP Hardware Implementation

As core counts increase in new HPC systems with comparatively little increase in memory bandwidth, the trend is an effective decrease in memory bandwidth per core. Other bandwidth limitations in HPC systems exist between CPU and GPU memory, between system nodes, and between node memory and storage. Compression of floating-point data has the potential to reduce data movement and pressure across these communication channels. Furthermore, it has the potential to reduce the footprint of floating-point arrays stored in memory. ZFP, implemented in software, is gaining traction as an effective method in floating-point compression; however, performance gains are limited to the spare compute cycles available before reaching the bandwidth limitations of the communication channel. A hardware implementation of ZFP has the potential to raise the bar on performance. From the inception of ZFP, it was designed to accommodate a hardware implementation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Can classical DEM simultaneously capture compressibility and flowability of milled biomass?

Accurate prediction of the rheological behavior of biomass is essential for the design and operation of hoppers, feeders, and storage systems in biorefineries. This study examines whether the classical, coarse-grained discrete element method (DEM) formulation can simultaneously reproduce the compressibility and flowability of milled herbaceous biomass, using Miscanthus × giganteus as a representative material. The model represents particles as rigid spheres interacting through Hertz-Mindlin elastic-frictional contacts augmented with an area-dependent cohesion term. Laboratory cyclic compression and wedge-shaped hopper discharge experiments were used as calibration benchmarks. Although the model can independently reproduce each behavior by appropriately tuning particle Young's modulus E and cohesion energy density k, an extensive parametric investigation comprising more than 600 simulations reveals that the optimal parameter regions for compression and hopper flow are distinct and non-overlapping in (E, k) space. Surrogate surface analysis further shows that the corresponding objective-function valleys exhibit similar trends but are approximately parallel and spatially offset, precluding a unified calibration within the explored domain. Sensitivity analysis indicates that compressibility is governed predominantly by stiffness and cohesion, whereas the slope of the mass flow rate-opening relation in hopper discharge is primarily controlled by tangential friction. Extensions incorporating particle size distribution and clumped-sphere representations do not eliminate the incompatibility. These results systematically reveal, for the first time, the structural limitation of simplified DEM formulations in representing biomass rheological behavior, underscoring the necessity for models incorporating additional physical mechanisms, such as particle deformability or enhanced interlocking, to achieve unified predictive capability for biomass handling behavior.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Increasing Compressed Gas Energy Storage Density Using CO2–N2 Gas Mixture

This paper demonstrates a new method by which the energy storage density of compressed air systems is increased by 56.8% by changing the composition of the compressed gas to include a condensable component. A higher storage density of 7.33 MJ/m3 is possible using a mixture of 88% CO2 and 12% N2 compared to 4.67 MJ/m3 using pure N2. This ratio of gases representing an optimum mixture was determined through computer simulations that considered a variety of different proportions from pure CO2 to pure N2. The computer simulations are based on a thermodynamic equilibrium model that predicts the mixture composition as a function of volume and pressure under progressive compression to ultimately identify the optimal mixture composition (88% CO2 + 12% N2). The model and simulations predict that the optimal gas mixture attains a higher energy storage density than using either of the pure gases.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Improvement of Numerical Methods in Pronghorn

During the fiscal year of 2021, the finite-volume method (FVM) was deployed in Pronghorn to provide improved efficiency, stability, and accuracy for coarse-mesh, thermal-hydraulics problems. While the main goals of fiscal year 2021 were met, several issues emerged from the early deployment of the finite-volume method in Pronghorn. These issues were: The compressible and incompressible formulations that were implemented are inadequate for many nuclear reactor flow problems; Omission of terms accounting for the porosity and Darcy-Forchheimer body force discontinuities in the Rhie-Chow interpolation lead to oscillations in pressure and velocity at these discontinuities; The FVM lacks a correction for non-orthogonal grids for computing accurate pressure gradient leading to loss of accuracy in regions with skewed elements; The FVM currently uses a monolithic solver. Monolithic solvers have issues dealing with the saddle-point nature of the discretized fluid equations. The result are bad convergence if direct factorization is not used and large memory consumption when direct factorization is used. These four issues are addressed in this report. In particular, we report the completion of the following task: Implementation of a weakly compressible formulation in the MOOSE Navier-Stokes module; Implementation of Moukalled’s method for including body forces in the RCI. Additionally, we identified the need to smooth the porosity using Moukalled’s face-cell smoothing operator; Implementation of a non-orthogonal correction for the Green-Gauss gradient computation; Preliminary implementation of a SIMPLE segregated solver.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Comparing Cetane Number Measurement Methods

Cetane number is one of the most important fuel performance metrics for mixing controlled compression-ignition “diesel” engines, quantifying a fuel’s propensity for autoignition when injected into end-of-compression-type temperature and pressure conditions. The historical default and referee method on a Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engine configured with indirect fuel injection and variable compression ratio is cetane number (CN) rating. A subject fuel is evaluated against primary reference fuel blends, with heptamethylnonane defining a low-reactivity endpoint of CN = 15 and hexadecane defining a high-reactivity endpoint of CN = 100. While the CN scale covers the range from zero (0) to 100, typical testing is in the range of 30 to 65 CN. Alternatively, several constant-volume combustion chamber (CVCC)-based cetane rating devices have been developed to rate fuels with an equivalent derived cetane number (DCN) or indicated cetane number (ICN). These devices measure ignition delay for fuel injected into a fixed volume of high-temperature and high-pressure air to simulate end-of-compression-type conditions. In this study, a range of novel fuel compounds are evaluated across three CVCC methods: the Ignition Quality Tester (IQT), Fuel Ignition Tester (FIT), and Advanced Fuel Ignition Delay Analyzer (AFIDA). Resulting DCNs and ICNs are compared for fuels within the normal diesel fuel range of reactivity, as well as very high (~100) and very low DCNs/ICNs (~5). Distinct differences between results from various devices are discussed. This is important to consider because some new, high-efficiency advanced compression-ignition (CI) engine combustion strategies operate with more kinetically controlled distributed combustion as opposed to mixing controlled diffusion flames. These advanced combustion strategies may benefit from new fuel chemistries, but current rating methods of CN, DCN, and ICN may not fully describe their performance. In addition, recent evidence suggests ignition delay in modern on-road diesel engines with high-pressure common rail fuel injection systems may no longer directly correlate to traditional CN fuel ratings. Simulated end-of-compression conditions are compared for CN, DCN, and ICN and discussed in the context of modern diesel engines to provide additional insight. Results highlight the potential need for revised and/or multiple fuel test conditions to measure fuel performance for advanced CI strategies.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Large-scale continuous carbon/glass fiber additive-compression molded composites

Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3-D printing has advanced from small-scale desktop printers to large-scale printers. Most of the present large-scale printers utilize feedstock materials in the form of pellets to create composite structures. To create structurally robust composite parts, reinforcements in the form of short fibers (carbon or glass) are often used to impart mechanical properties to the printed parts. However, poor mechanical properties in Z-direction and high porosity of pellets-based printed composites compared to composite manufactured using traditional methods are serious concerns. The authors report a combined approach in the present work, where fiber reinforced composites are printed with a high-throughput continuous fiber deposition method followed by a secondary compression molding process. A specially designed end-effector mounted on a robotic arm is used to print composite preforms. Continuous comingled fibers (Thermofiber 12K CF-PA12, Thermofiber 12K S2-PA12, and Hybrid Thermofiber 12K CF-PA12+PEEK PA6) embedded in the thermoplastic nylon matrix are printed to create composite preform plaques. The printed preforms were further compression molded (CM) using a hydraulic hot-press to create highly consolidated composite parts. The mechanical properties of the continuous fiber composites produced by this combined approach are improved significantly due to the highly aligned continuous fibers and reduced porosity. Flexural strength, flexural modulus, and tensile modulus of AM-CM Thermofiber 12K CF-PA12 UD sample were 615.37 MPa, 75.65 GPa, and 122.23 GPa, respectively.

Kumar, Vipin↗

Physicochemical and Performance Characterization of Six Commercial Organic Solvent Nanofiltration Membranes

This work introduces a novel, gradient-free metamaterial design method based on Gaussian process regression to represent the density field of a unit cell. The dimension of the design space is determined by the covariance matrix dimension in the Gaussian process regression. We propose compressing this matrix using an autoencoder, enabling the decoder to generate the density field and effectively reduce the originally large design space to a lower-dimensional subspace. In this compressed space, we employ an active learning method, Bayesian Adaptive Direct Search (BADS), for efficient exploration of the design space. We demonstrate that for simple 2D designs aimed at maximizing unit cell stiffness, our method yields results comparable to those of standard topology optimization. Furthermore, we extend our approach to various mechanical problems, from linear elasticity to hyperelastic large deformation and elasto-plasticity under finite deformation, to 3D metamaterial design. This illustrates the method’s versatility and effectiveness across a range of applications.

Wu, Haoran↗

Decarbonization During Predevelopment of Modular Building Solutions

Off-site construction methods offer the opportunity to compress costs of net-zero energy (NZE) housing using the advantages of mass production. There has been limited investigation on trade-offs between site-built and industrialized construction from the perspective of reducing the incremental cost of NZE strategies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions during embodied and operational stages. Blokable, LLC, a vertically integrated modular builder, wanted to know how the learning curves of mass production would help them decarbonize their existing modular housing prototype at a relative cost advantage. The method developed for this question looked at the life cycle assessment of an individual apartment and used learning-curve efficiencies to approximate the relative advantage of construction-at-scale. Greenhouse gas emissions were quantified by a learning-affected, whole-life carbon emissions model and demonstrated a path to a 60% reduction of whole-life CO2-equivalent in the 2030 production year. The resultant roadmap considers a best-first approach to decarbonizing a modular building product line, and the method can be replicated for other modular builders.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗