Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Modeling and Performance Analysis”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

Experimental Validation of FE/BEM Dynamic Strain Model Under Diffuse Acoustic Field Loading

Structural finite element (FE) models naturally output displacement or acceleration response data. However, they can also be used to compute stress, internal forces, and strain response. When coupled with a boundary element model (BEM) of the fluid surrounding the structure, a fully coupled analysis can be performed. Modeling a diffuse acoustic field in the BEM fluid provides an excitation like that found when the structure is placed in a reverberation chamber. Fully coupling the structural FE model to the acoustic BEM model provides a means to predict not only the acceleration response of the panel to diffuse field loading, but also the ability to predict the dynamic stress and strain response. This type of model has been available with current predictive tools, but experimental validation of the prediction of dynamic stress or strain is difficult to find. An aluminum panel was instrumented with accelerometers and strain gages and hung in a reverberation room and subjected to a diffuse acoustic field. This paper presents the comparison of the experimental and predicted results.

Tsoi, W. Ben↗

Near-Optimal Performance of Stochastic Model Predictive Control

Here, this article presents a regret analysis for stochastic model predictive control (SMPC) in linear systems with quadratic performance index and additive and multiplicative uncertainties. Under a finite support assumption, the problem can be cast as a finite-dimensional quadratic program, but the problem becomes quickly intractable as the problem size grows exponentially in the horizon length. SMPC aims to compute approximate solutions by solving a sequence of problems with truncated prediction horizons and committing the solution in a receding-horizon fashion. Although this approach is widely used in practice, its performance relative to the optimal solution is not well understood. This article reports for the first time a rigorous near-optimal performance guarantee of SMPC: under stabilizability and detectability conditions, the regret of SMPC is exponentially small in the prediction horizon length, allowing SMPC to achieve near-optimal performance at a substantially reduced computational expense.

93E20, 93B45↗

GADRAS Batch Inject Tool User Guide

Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) is used by the radiation detection and emergency response community to perform modeling and spectral analysis for gamma detector systems. Built into GADRAS is the ability to define a detector, geometry, background characteristics and source composition to generate synthetic spectra for drills and exercises (injects). Consequence Management is currently in development of a sample result data simulator tool in which a deposition model is probed for source conditions at moments in time and locations in space. These values are used to generate realistic sample results for use in drills and exercises. In addition to sample results, there is a need to simulate the actual spectra that would be observed in the field by downlooking HPGe instruments given a deposition activity. This way, the FRMAC Gamma Spectroscopist can practice their process of generating quantified results from spectra on realistic data as well. Recognizing the decades of work done in GADRAS to accurately generate synthetic spectra, this team decided to build a link between the new simulator and GADRAS to generate these spectra quickly and easily. The simulator tool will generate a file that specifies the name of the spectra, its location, date/time of measurement, duration of measurement, height off the ground, and the deposition activity and age for every radionuclide in the simulation. Then, a new tool within the Inject Tab of GADRAS was developed to read in this file given a detector selection and generate In-Situ spectra for each row in the file in any file format the user chooses. This way, simulation cell staff can take these files and then upload them to the appropriate data system (RAMS or RadResponder) for use during drills and exercises. An advanced feature of this tool allows for generating any spectra given an appropriate model and mapping of source to model layer in the batch inject tool. This way, spectra from field sample counts, mobile laboratories, or even fixed laboratories can be generated in bulk given an estimate of the radioactivity concentration or total radioactivity in an import file. This expands the capabilities of this tool a great deal and will make it a more useful tool for CM and others to help estimate detector response for nearly any situation. This user guide will explain the steps needed to perform a batch inject file generation.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Effect of model selection on combustor performance and stability predictions using ROCCID

The ROCket Combustor Interactive Design (ROCCID) methodology is an interactive computer program that combines previously developed combustion analysis models to calculate the combustion performance and stability of liquid rocket engines. Test data from 213 kN (48,000 lbf) Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/RP-1 combustor with an O-F-O (oxidizer-fuel-oxidizer) triplet injector were used to characterize the predictive capabilities of the ROCCID analysis models for this injector/propellant configuration. Thirteen combustion performance and stability models were incorporated into ROCCID, and ten of them, which have options for triplet injectors, were examined. Calculations using different combinations of analysis models, with little or no anchoring, were carried out on a test matrix of operating combinations matching those of the test program. Results of the computer analyses were compared to test data, and the ability of the model combinations to correctly predict combustion stability or instability was determined. For the best model combination(s), sensitivity of the calculations to fuel drop size and mixing efficiency was examined. Error in the stability calculations due to uncertainty in the pressure interaction index (N) was examined. The recommended model combinations for this O-F-O triplet LOX/RP-1 configuration are proposed.

Giuliani, James E.↗

Effect of model selection on combustor performance and stability using ROCCID

The ROCket Combustor Interactive Design (ROCCID) methodology is an interactive computer program that combines previously developed combustion analysis models to calculate the combustion performance and stability of liquid rocket engines. Test data from a 213 kN (48,000 lbf) Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/RP-1 combustor with a O-F-O (oxidizer-fuel-oxidizer) triplet injector were used to characterize the predictive capabilities of the ROCCID analysis models for this injector/propellant configuration. Thirteen combustion performance and stability models have been incorporated into ROCCID, and ten of them, which have options for triplet injectors, were examined in this study. Calculations using different combinations of analysis models, with little or no anchoring, were carried out on a test matrix of operating conditions matching those of the test program. Results of the computer analyses were compared to test data, and the ability of the model combinations to correctly predict combustion stability or instability was determined. For the best model combination(s), sensitivity of the calculations to fuel drop size and mixing efficiency was examined. Error in the stability calculations due to uncertainty in the pressure interaction index (N) was examined. The recommended model combinations for this O-F-O triplet LOX/RP-1 configuration are proposed.

Giuliani, James E.↗

A low-energy perspective on the minimal left-right symmetric model

We perform a global analysis of the low-energy phenomenology of the minimal left-right symmetric model (mLRSM) with parity symmetry. We match the mLRSM to the Standard Model Effective Field Theory Lagrangian at the left-right-symmetry breaking scale and perform a comprehensive fit to low-energy data including mesonic, neutron, and nuclear β -decay processes, Δ F = 1 and Δ F = 2 CP-even and -odd processes in the bottom and strange sectors, and electric dipole moments (EDMs) of nucleons, nuclei, and atoms. We fit the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa and mLRSM parameters simultaneously and determine a lower bound on the mass of the right-handed W R boson. In models where a Peccei-Quinn mechanism provides a solution to the strong CP problem, we obtain $ {M}_{W_R} $ ≳ 5 . 5 TeV at 95% C.L. which can be significantly improved with next-generation EDM experiments. In the P -symmetric mLRSM without a Peccei-Quinn mechanism we obtain a more stringent constraint $ {M}_{W_R} $ ≳ 17 TeV at 95% C.L., which is difficult to improve with low-energy measurements alone. In all cases, the additional scalar fields of the mLRSM are required to be a few times heavier than the right-handed gauge bosons. We consider a recent discrepancy in tests of first-row unitarity of the CKM matrix. We find that, while TeV-scale W R bosons can alleviate some of the tension found in the V ud,us determinations, a solution to the discrepancy is disfavored when taking into account other low-energy observables within the mLRSM.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Influence of soil-structure interaction on performance of a super tall building using a new eddy-current tuned mass damper

Tuned mass dampers (TMDs) can be used as vibration control devices to improve the vibration performance of high-rise buildings. The Shanghai Tower (SHT) is a 632-m high landmark building in China, featuring a new eddy-current TMD. Special protective mechanisms have been adopted to prevent excessively large amplitude of the TMD under extreme wind or earthquake loading scenarios. This paper presents a methodology for simulating behavior of the new eddy-current TMD that features displacement-dependent damping behavior. The TMD model was built into the SHT finite element model to perform frequency analysis and detailed response analyses under wind and earthquake loads. Furthermore, soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects on wind and seismic load responses of the SHT model were investigated, as SSI has a significant impact on the vibration performance of high-rise buildings. It was found that SSI has more significant effects on acceleration response for wind loads with a short return period than for wind loads with a long return period. Some of the acceleration responses with SSI effects exceed design limits of human comfort for wind loads with shorter return periods. As to the seismic analyses, it was found that SSI slightly reduces the displacement amplitude, the damping force, and the impact force of the TMD.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Autoregressive modeling for the spectral analysis of oceanographic data

Over the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in the number and volume of data sets useful for oceanographic studies. Many of these data sets consist of long temporal or spatial series derived from satellites and large-scale oceanographic experiments. These data sets are, however, often 'gappy' in space, irregular in time, and always of finite length. The conventional Fourier transform (FT) approach to the spectral analysis is thus often inapplicable, or where applicable, it provides questionable results. Here, through comparative analysis with the FT for different oceanographic data sets, the possibilities offered by autoregressive (AR) modeling to perform spectral analysis of gappy, finite-length series, are discussed. The applications demonstrate that as the length of the time series becomes shorter, the resolving power of the AR approach as compared with that of the FT improves. For the longest data sets examined here, 98 points, the AR method performed only slightly better than the FT, but for the very short ones, 17 points, the AR method showed a dramatic improvement over the FT. The application of the AR method to a gappy time series, although a secondary concern of this manuscript, further underlines the value of this approach.

Gangopadhyay, Avijit↗

Turbine blade forced response prediction using FREPS

This paper describes a software system called FREPS (Forced REsponse Prediction System) that integrates structural dynamic, steady and unsteady aerodynamic analyses to efficiently predict the forced response dynamic stresses in axial flow turbomachinery blades due to aerodynamic and mechanical excitations. A flutter analysis capability is also incorporated into the system. The FREPS system performs aeroelastic analysis by modeling the motion of the blade in terms of its normal modes. The structural dynamic analysis is performed by a finite element code such as MSC/NASTRAN. The steady aerodynamic analysis is based on nonlinear potential theory and the unsteady aerodynamic analyses is based on the linearization of the non-uniform potential flow mean. The program description and presentation of the capabilities are reported herein. The effectiveness of the FREPS package is demonstrated on the High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump turbine of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. Both flutter and forced response analyses are performed and typical results are illustrated.

Murthy, Durbha, V.↗

Calibration of a mesoscale tritium transport model for ceramic breeder materials in TMAP8 using experimental data

Due to the scarcity of the long-term external tritium supply, lithium-containing breeder materials are used in the blanket of fusion reactors to produce tritium faster than the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction consumes it. A cellular breeder is a promising material with higher lithium density and thermal conductivity than conventional ceramic pebbles and enhanced tritium extraction with interconnected pores. Although several experimental and modeling efforts have improved our understanding of tritium transport, the exact mechanisms governing tritium release from breeder materials are still unknown. As a result, current models cannot reliably assess the tritium breeding capabilities of cellular breeder materials. This work presents a tritium transport multiphysics model and calibrates it using experimental data of deuterium absorption and desorption from cellular breeder materials at different temperatures and pressures. This model accounts for ceramic and pore diffusion, trapping and detrapping, and several surface reactions at the pore surface. After calibrating the model and performing sensitivity analysis, we discuss pre-dominant mechanisms governing tritium release from cellular breeder materials. The model is part of the Tritium Migration Analysis Program [TMAP8], a multiscale, multiphysics framework for tritium transport based on the finite element multiphysics framework MOOSE. This study demonstrates some of TMAP8’s capabilities and provides insight into the mechanisms governing tritium transport in cellular ceramic breeder materials.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Hawai'i Pathways to Decarbonization: Act 238, Session Laws of Hawai'i 2022

Act 238 mandated the Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) generate a report analyzing the pathways to achieve state and economy-wide 50% emissions reductions from 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2045. NREL supported HSEO in analyzing the electric sector impacts of these decarbonization pathways by performing a capacity expansion modeling analysis for the Oahu, Hawai'i island, Kaua'i, Maui, Moloka'i, and Lana'i island electric grids. NREL used the Engage capacity expansion modeling tool and PRAS resource adequacy tool to perform these analysis.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

GPHS Module Pre-Impact test Temperature Prediction with ANSYS [PowerPoint]

The purpose of the project was to: Develop a finite element thermal model of the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) Module loaded with four fueled clads; Perform steady state analysis to validate the thermal model via energy balance; Perform transient thermal analysis to predict clad temperatures at various times; and, Transient model results will be used to inform module soak time needed to reach a desired clad temperature prior to impact.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Provably conservative approximations to complex reliability models

Complex models can be the bases for derivation of provably conservative and optimistic reliability models that incorporate a reduced state space and fewer transitions; they accordingly possess solutions that are more cost-effective than those of the original complex models. Design space can thereby be extensively explored without incurring the expense of multiple complex model solutions. A conservative-optimistic pair of derived models produces a band that includes the solution to the complex model. Sensitivity analysis can be performed on this pair of models to determine those parameters of the original model that are most sensitive to change and therefore require further expense in obtaining tighter specifications.

Smotherman, M.↗

Slosh Baffle Design and Test for Spherical Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Methane Propellant Tank for a Lander

A Vertical Test Bed (VTB) is being developed to investigate exploration technologies with earth-based landing trajectories. During this activity, a concern emerged that the VTB, with large liquid tanks, could experience unstable slosh interaction between the propellant fluid motion and the control system, leading to an investigation of slosh characteristics of the VTB. As such, slosh modeling, analysis and testing were performed, that both verified models and lead to the conclusion that baffles would be required for the full-scale vehicle. Follow-on design and testing supported development of these baffles and measurement of their performance. The majority of the tests conducted, including both subscale and full, involved the use of clear tanks containing water as a reasonable substitute for the cryogenic propellants, though a few tests involved the actual liquid oxygen and methane. Along the way, some unique test and data recording methods were employed to reduce testing complexity and cost.

Strahan, Alan↗

Performance analysis and comparison of data-driven models for predicting indoor temperature in multi-zone commercial buildings

Building thermal models, which characterize the properties of a building’s envelope and thermal mass, are essential for accurate indoor temperature and cooling/heating demand prediction. Because of their flexibility and ease of use, data-driven models are increasingly used. Here, this study compared and analyzed the performance of gray-box (resistance-capacitance) and black-box (recurrent neural network) models for predicting indoor air temperature in a real multi-zone commercial building. The developed resistance-capacitance model served as a benchmark model for which full sets of temporal data and building information were used as inputs. The recurrent neural network models were trained and tested assuming various available types and amounts of temporal data and known building physical information to investigate the effects of data and information availability. Feature importance analysis was conducted to select the key variables for different prediction targets under different scenarios. This research provides guidance in selecting an appropriate building thermal response modeling method based on the measured data availability, building physical information, and application.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

A Partitioned - Task Parallel Implementation of the NASA Multiscale Analysis Tool for High Performance Computing

The NASA Multiscale Analysis Tool (NASMAT) is a platform for multiscale modeling of composites which can perform analysis of materials with any arbitrary number of length scales. The platform supports modularity, scalability, and interoperability using recursive procedures and data structures. A Macro solver driven parallelization scheme often limits the capability of NASMAT to scale as it has access to limited memory and number of cores (often one core/thread) and often forces to implement macro solver specific changes to the platform. In this work, a partitioned task-parallel approach is adopted, where the parallelization strategy adopted for NASMAT is independent of the macro solver and the computational resources are managed independently. The programming architecture takes into account the hierarchy of multiple scales (task-dependence) and the heterogeneous nature (dynamic load balancing) of computation through implementation of a hierarchy-informed task parallel model. The partitioned nature of the framework further extends the “plug and play” capability of NASMAT. preCICE, an open-source library for coupling multiphysics solver in a partitioned manner, is adopted to integrate NASMAT with an external macro solver by implementing a NASMAT adapter for preCICE. Speedup and scalability of the framework is studied for micromechanical models of varying size.

task-parallel↗

Uncertainty quantification of material parameters in modeling coupled metal and high explosive experiments

Experiments involving the coupling of metal and high explosives (HE) are of notable defense-related interest, and we seek to refine the uncertainty quantification associated with models of such experiments. In particular, our focus is on how uncertainty related to the metal constitutive model challenges our ability to infer high explosive model parameters when analyzing focused science experiments. We consider three focused experiments involving an HE accelerating metal: small plate tests with tantalum/LX-14 and tantalum/LX-17 pairings as well as a tantalum/LX-17 cylinder test. For all three models, we perform sensitivity analysis to ascertain the influence of metal strength on the coupled experimental response. Moreover, we calibrate each model in a Bayesian setting and study the quantification of metal strength on the inference of the HE parameters. Based on our results, we offer guidance for future metal/HE experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Constellation Program Life-cycle Cost Analysis Model (LCAM)

The Constellation Program (CxP) is NASA's effort to replace the Space Shuttle, return humans to the moon, and prepare for a human mission to Mars. The major elements of the Constellation Lunar sortie design reference mission architecture are shown. Unlike the Apollo Program of the 1960's, affordability is a major concern of United States policy makers and NASA management. To measure Constellation affordability, a total ownership cost life-cycle parametric cost estimating capability is required. This capability is being developed by the Constellation Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Directorate, and is called the Lifecycle Cost Analysis Model (LCAM). The requirements for LCAM are based on the need to have a parametric estimating capability in order to do top-level program analysis, evaluate design alternatives, and explore options for future systems. By estimating the total cost of ownership within the context of the planned Constellation budget, LCAM can provide Program and NASA management with the cost data necessary to identify the most affordable alternatives. LCAM is also a key component of the Integrated Program Model (IPM), an SE&I developed capability that combines parametric sizing tools with cost, schedule, and risk models to perform program analysis. LCAM is used in the generation of cost estimates for system level trades and analyses. It draws upon the legacy of previous architecture level cost models, such as the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Architecture Cost Model (ARCOM) developed for Simulation Based Acquisition (SBA), and ATLAS. LCAM is used to support requirements and design trade studies by calculating changes in cost relative to a baseline option cost. Estimated costs are generally low fidelity to accommodate available input data and available cost estimating relationships (CERs). LCAM is capable of interfacing with the Integrated Program Model to provide the cost estimating capability for that suite of tools.

Prince, Andy↗