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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.

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NASA NTRS1996

Impact of Load Balancing on Unstructured Adaptive Grid Computations for Distributed-Memory Multiprocessors

The computational requirements for an adaptive solution of unsteady problems change as the simulation progresses. This causes workload imbalance among processors on a parallel machine which, in turn, requires significant data movement at runtime. We present a new dynamic load-balancing framework, called JOVE, that balances the workload across all processors with a global view. Whenever the computational mesh is adapted, JOVE is activated to eliminate the load imbalance. JOVE has been implemented on an IBM SP2 distributed-memory machine in MPI for portability. Experimental results for two model meshes demonstrate that mesh adaption with load balancing gives more than a sixfold improvement over one without load balancing. We also show that JOVE gives a 24-fold speedup on 64 processors compared to sequential execution.

Biswas, Rupak↗

NASA NTRS1996

Impact of Load Balancing on Unstructured Adaptive Grid Computations for Distributed-Memory Multiprocessors

Sohn, Andrew↗

NASA NTRS1991

Three dimensional unstructured multigrid for the Euler equations

The three-dimensional Euler equations are solved on unstructured tetrahedral meshes using a multigrid strategy. The driving algorithm consists of an explicit vertex-based finite-element scheme, which employs an edge-based data-structure to assemble the residuals. The multigrid approach employs a sequence of independently generated coarse and fine meshes to accelerate the convergence to steady-state of the fine grid solution. Variables, residuals and corrections are passed back and forth between the various grids of the sequence using linear interpolation. The addresses and weights for interpolation are determined in a preprocessing stage using an efficient graph traversal algorithm. The preprocessing operation is shown to require a negligible fraction of the CPU time required by the overall solution procedure, while gains in overall solution efficiencies greater than an order of magnitude are demonstrated on meshes containing up to 350,000 vertices. Solutions using globally regenerated fine meshes as well as adaptively refined meshes are given.

Mavriplis, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Solving unstructured grid problems on massively parallel computers

A highly parallel graph mapping technique that enables one to efficiently solve unstructured grid problems on massively parallel computers is presented. Many implicit and explicit methods for solving discretized partial differential equations require each point in the discretization to exchange data with its neighboring points every time step or iteration. The cost of this communication can negate the high performance promised by massively parallel computing. To eliminate this bottleneck, the graph of the irregular problem is mapped into the graph representing the interconnection topology of the computer such that the sum of the distances that the messages travel is minimized. It is shown that using the heuristic mapping algorithm significantly reduces the communication time compared to a naive assignment of processes to processors.

Hammond, Steven W.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Spectral (Finite) Volume Method for Conservation Laws on Unstructured Grids II: Extension to Two Dimensional Scalar Equation

The framework for constructing a high-order, conservative Spectral (Finite) Volume (SV) method is presented for two-dimensional scalar hyperbolic conservation laws on unstructured triangular grids. Each triangular grid cell forms a spectral volume (SV), and the SV is further subdivided into polygonal control volumes (CVs) to supported high-order data reconstructions. Cell-averaged solutions from these CVs are used to reconstruct a high order polynomial approximation in the SV. Each CV is then updated independently with a Godunov-type finite volume method and a high-order Runge-Kutta time integration scheme. A universal reconstruction is obtained by partitioning all SVs in a geometrically similar manner. The convergence of the SV method is shown to depend on how a SV is partitioned. A criterion based on the Lebesgue constant has been developed and used successfully to determine the quality of various partitions. Symmetric, stable, and convergent linear, quadratic, and cubic SVs have been obtained, and many different types of partitions have been evaluated. The SV method is tested for both linear and non-linear model problems with and without discontinuities.

Wang, Z. J.↗

NASA NTRS2020

Wind Tunnel Investigation of the Supersonic Stage Separation Aerodynamics of a Generic 0.0175-Scale Bimese Two-Stage-to-Orbit Reusable Launch Vehicle Configuration

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted of the supersonic stage separation aerodynamics of a generic two-stage-to-orbit bimese wingbody configuration in the NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. Proximity and isolated model testing was conducted at Mach numbers of 2.3, 3.0, and 4.5 and a unit Reynolds number of 2.0 million per foot using 0.0175-scale models of the Langley Glide-Back Booster concept designated as the orbiter and booster in belly-to-belly and back-to-belly configurations. Longitudinal forces and moments were obtained on both models and surface static pressure measurements were obtained on the orbiter model at 328 relative proximity locations and at relative angles of attack of 0 degrees and 5 degrees. The test results supported a larger effort to develop and validate experimental and computational tools applicable to the design and simulation of stage separation and abort procedures for reusable launch vehicles composed of multiple bodies, including winged bodies. An initial proof-of-concept experiment featuring low-cost uninstrumented models was conducted to verify an emerging automated model control system and new support system hardware, and to identify potential model and support system blockage and unsteady aerodynamics/model dynamics prior to committing to higher-fidelity instrumented models. This investigation led to upgrades in the facility stage separation hardware, calibration and testing techniques and capabilities, and data analysis and documentation methodologies that have been extended to the more recent NASA Constellation and Space Launch System crew and cargo launch vehicle programs. A virtual diagnostics interface methodology was used to facilitate the design of the stage separation support hardware, to position the models in the test section, and to define the experimental test space. Advances in the facility automated model positioning system established a foundation for the development of a continuous-sweep data acquisition technique that is responsible for significant productivity improvements to the current NASA Space Launch System test program. The automated model positioning capability was leveraged to conduct a companion statistically-designed stage separation experiment requiring randomization of the relative proximity positions of the orbiter and booster models. The respective zones of influence and interference effects of the orbiter and booster were identified from three-dimensional scatter plots, contour and influence maps, and two-dimensional plotting methods. The highly-nonlinear, shock-dominated aerodynamic characteristics of the orbiter and booster in the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel exhibited good agreement with independent test data obtained in a NASA Marshall Space Flight Center wind tunnel and with computational fluid dynamics predictions using a compressible, three-dimensional flow solver and an inviscid, unstructured Cartesian method.

Erickson, Gary E.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulations of the Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig Under Reacting Flow Conditions

Simulations of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig (MASTeR) are presented. MASTeR is a parametric test article capable of investigating various scramjet cavity flameholder designs and fueling strategies with the goal to characterize and optimize flameholding capability. In the current work, three cavity aspect ratios, three depths, and two fueling strategies (upstream and in-cavity) with ethylene at a nominal facility pressure and temperature conditions are evaluated. The simulations are performed for mixing-only and reacting flows, and the resulting flow characteristics are compared. For each configuration and fueling strategy, cavity residence time, entrainment rate, and fuel-air equivalence ratio are computed. The MASTeR geometry is defined in the Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP) and the simulations use a sketch-to-solution (S2S) automated unstructured grid adaptation tool in VULCAN-CFD. This tool automatically generates a simulation grid from the ESP geometry and systematically adapts it to the numerical solution based on the Hessian error estimate of a specified flow field parameter. Reynolds averaged simulations (RAS) are used with typical two-equation linear eddy viscosity and diffusivity model. The resulting database can be compared with the experimental data as those becomes available and explored to develop models for cavity performance for scramjet propulsion design applications.

hypersonics↗

NASA NTRS1993

The response of the high-latitude dayside ionosphere to an abrupt northward transition in the IMF

We examine the response of the high-latitude ionosphere in the prenoon sector to a northward turning of the IMF. The event was observed in the 11-13 UT interval on June 1, 1987, in the course of a multiday SUNDIAL campaign. The transition in the IMF was observed by the IMP-8 satellite which was located upstream of the earth at a distance of 36 Re. The ionospheric response in the 70-80 deg invariant latitude interval was monitored by two radars. The preexisting plasma convection observed by the radars exhibited large velocities (500-1000 m/s) and stable longterm trends, consistent with the inertial rotation of the convection pattern expected of the conditions then prevailing, B(z) less than 0, B(y) greater than 0. The plasma flow rapidly abated in response to the IMF transition. The electron density measurements made by radar in the meridional plane showed that the ionosphere had been rich in structure with the active deposition of ionization by particle precipitation. Subsequently it resembled an inactive, unstructured mid-latitude configuration. There was a dramatic decrease in the amount of backscatter observed by the HF radar. We analyze the times of transition in the various data sets and show that the ionosphere began to show the effects of the IMF transition about 2 min after its probable arrival at the magnetopause boundary.

Ruohoniemi, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Parallel Processing of Adaptive Meshes with Load Balancing

Many scientific applications involve grids that lack a uniform underlying structure. These applications are often also dynamic in nature in that the grid structure significantly changes between successive phases of execution. In parallel computing environments, mesh adaptation of unstructured grids through selective refinement/coarsening has proven to be an effective approach. However, achieving load balance while minimizing interprocessor communication and redistribution costs is a difficult problem. Traditional dynamic load balancers are mostly inadequate because they lack a global view of system loads across processors. In this paper, we propose a novel and general-purpose load balancer that utilizes symmetric broadcast networks (SBN) as the underlying communication topology, and compare its performance with a successful global load balancing environment, called PLUM, specifically created to handle adaptive unstructured applications. Our experimental results on an IBM SP2 demonstrate that the SBN-based load balancer achieves lower redistribution costs than that under PLUM by overlapping processing and data migration.

Das, Sajal K.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Three Dimensional Aerodynamic Analysis of a High-Lift Transport Configuration

Two computational methods, a surface panel method and an Euler method employing unstructured grid methodology, were used to analyze a subsonic transport aircraft in cruise and high-lift conditions. The computational results were compared with two separate sets of flight data obtained for the cruise and high-lift configurations. For the cruise configuration, the surface pressures obtained by the panel method and the Euler method agreed fairly well with results from flight test. However, for the high-lift configuration considerable differences were observed when the computational surface pressures were compared with the results from high-lift flight test. On the lower surface of all the elements with the exception of the slat, both the panel and Euler methods predicted pressures which were in good agreement with flight data. On the upper surface of all the elements the panel method predicted slightly higher suction compared to the Euler method. On the upper surface of the slat, pressure coefficients obtained by both the Euler and panel methods did not agree with the results of the flight tests. A sensitivity study of the upward deflection of the slat from the 40 deg. flap setting suggested that the differences in the slat deflection between the computational model and the flight configuration could be one of the sources of this discrepancy. The computation time for the implicit version of the Euler code was about 1/3 the time taken by the explicit version though the implicit code required 3 times the memory taken by the explicit version.

Dodbele, Simha S.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Establishing Best Practices for X-57 Maxwell CFD Database Generation

The X-57 Maxwell is NASA’s latest electric airplane concept that has been simulated for aerodynamic performance using the structured overset and unstructured grid solvers within the Launch Ascent and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) solver framework as well as the unstructured polyhedral grid solver in Star-CCM+ for code-to-code comparison. In order to validate the predictions, comparisons were made between the CFD solutions and experimental data collected in the 12-foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center. The simulations are in preparation for the development of a comprehensive aerodynamic database which will assess aircraft performance at a variety of conditions. The findings from these simulations will establish the best practices for mesh resolution, numerical discretization, and turbulence modeling to be used for this database. Preliminary database results have shown that best-practices learned from the initial validation simulations will potentially reduce error in X-57 aerodynamic loads and moments relative to experiment by up to 14%.

Duensing, Jared C.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Baseline Validation of Unstructured Grid Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Toward Flow Control

The value of the use of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes methodology for active flow control applications is assessed. An experimental flow control database exists for a NACA0015 airfoil modified at the leading edge to implement a fluidic actuator; hence, this configuration is used. Computational results are documented for the baseline wing configuration (no control) with the experimental results and assumes two-dimensional flow. The baseline wing configuration has discontinuities at the leading edge, trailing edge, and aft of midchord on the upper surface. A limited number of active flow control applications have been tested in the laboratory and in flight. These applications include dynamic stall control using a deformable leading edge, separation control for takeoff and landing flight conditions using piezoelectric devices, pulsed vortex generators, zero-net-mass oscillations, and thrust vectoring with zero-net-mass piezoelectric-driven oscillatory actuation. As yet, there is no definitive comparison with experimental data that indicates current computational capabilities can quantitatively predict the large aerodynamic performance gains achieved with active flow control in the laboratory. However, one study using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) methodology has shown good quantitative agreement with experimental results for an isolated zero-net-mass actuator. In addition, some recent studies have used RANS to demonstrate qualitative performance gains compared with the experimental data for separation control on an airfoil. Those quantitative comparisons for both baseline and flow control cases indicated that computational results were in poor quantitative agreement with the experiments. The current research thrust will investigate the potential use of an unstructured grid RANS approach to predict aerodynamic performance for active flow control applications building on the early studies. First the computational results must quantitatively match experiments for the no-control case before proceeding to the time-dependent flow control case. This paper documents the baseline (no-control) case using an unswept airfoil configuration. The next section describes the configurations used for the computations and the experimentals. The computational approach is then described followed by results and concluding remarks.

Joslin, Ronald D.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulations of the Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig Under Reacting Flow Conditions

Simulations of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig (MASTeR) are presented. MASTeR is a parametric test article capable of investigating various scramjet cavity flameholder designs and fueling strategies with the goal to characterize and optimize flameholding capability. In the current work, three cavity aspect ratios, and two fueling strategies (upstream and in-cavity) with ethylene at a nominal facility pressure and temperature condition are evaluated. The reacting simulations are performed, and the resulting flow characteristics are discussed. For each configuration and fueling strategy, cavity residence time, entrainment rate, and fuel-air equivalence ratio are computed. The MASTeR geometry is defined in Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP) and the simulations use a sketch-to-solution (S2S) automated unstructured grid adaptation tool in VULCAN-CFD. This tool automatically generates a simulation grid from the ESP geometry and systematically adapts it to the numerical solution based on the Hessian error estimate of a specified flow field parameter. Reynolds averaged simulations (RAS) are used with a two-equation linear eddy viscosity and diffusivity model. The resulting database can be compared with the experimental data as those become available, and explored to develop models for cavity performance for scramjet propulsion design applications.

hypersonics↗

NASA NTRS2002

Aerodynamic Database Development for Mars Smart Lander Vehicle Configurations

An aerodynamic database has been generated for the Mars Smart Lander Shelf-All configuration using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Three different CFD codes, USM3D and FELISA, based on unstructured grid technology and LAURA, an established and validated structured CFD code, were used. As part of this database development, the results for the Mars continuum were validated with experimental data and comparisons made where applicable. The validation of USM3D and LAURA with the Unitary experimental data, the use of intermediate LAURA check analyses, as well as the validation of FELISA with the Mach 6 CF(sub 4) experimental data provided a higher confidence in the ability for CFD to provide aerodynamic data in order to determine the static trim characteristics for longitudinal stability. The analyses of the noncontinuum regime showed the existence of multiple trim angles of attack that can be unstable or stable trim points. This information is needed to design guidance controller throughout the trajectory.

Bobskill, Glenn J.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Efficient and Robust Weighted Least-Squares Cell-Average Gradient Construction Methods for the Simulation of Scramjet Flows

The ability to solve the equations governing the hypersonic turbulent flow of a real gas on unstructured grids using a spatially-elliptic, 2nd-order accurate, cell-centered, finite-volume method has been recently implemented in the VULCAN-CFD code. The construction of cell-average gradients using a weighted linear least-squares method and the use of these gradients in the construction of the inviscid fluxes is the focus of this paper. A comparison of least-squares stencil construction methodologies is presented and approaches designed to minimize the number of cells used to augment/stabilize the least-squares stencil while preserving accuracy are explored. Due to our interest in hypersonic flow, a robust multidimensional cell-average gradient limiter procedure that is consistent with the stencil used to construct the cellaverage gradients is described. Canonical problems are computed to illustrate the challenges and investigate the accuracy, robustness and convergence behavior of the cell-average gradient methods on unstructured cell-centered finite-volume grids. Finally, thermally perfect, chemically frozen, Mach 7.8 turbulent flow of air through a scramjet engine flowpath is computed and compared with experimental data to demonstrate the robustness, accuracy and convergence behavior of the preferred gradient method for a realistic 3-D geometry on a non-hex-dominant grid.

White, Jeffery A.↗

NASA NTRS2022

VULCAN-CFD User Manual: Ver. 7.2.0

VULCAN-CFD offers a comprehensive set of capabilities to enable the simulation of continuum flowfields from subsonic to hypersonic conditions. The governing equations that are employed include allowances for both chemical and thermal nonequilibrium processes, coupled with a wide variety of turbulence models for both Reynolds-averaged and large eddy simulations. The software package can simulate two-dimensional, axisymmetric, or three-dimensional problems on structured multiblock meshes or fully unstructured meshes. A parabolic (i.e., space-marching) treatment can also be used for any subset of a structured mesh that can accommodate this solution strategy. The flow solver provides a significant level of geometric flexibility for structured grid simulations by allowing for arbitrary face-to-face C(0) continuous and non-C(0) continuous block interface connectivities. The unstructured grid paradigm allows for mixed element unstructured meshes that contain any combination of tetrahedral, prismatic, pyramidal, and hexahedral cell elements. The flow solver is also fully parallelized using MPI (Message Passing Interface) libraries in a data-parallel fashion, allowing for efficient simulations on modern High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. This document provides information related to the installation and execution of the VULCAN-CFD software package. A detailed description of the physical and numerical models available in the software are provided in the VULCAN-CFD Theory Manual.

VULCAN-CFD User Manual↗

NASA NTRS2016

Validation of High-Fidelity CFD/CAA Framework for Launch Vehicle Acoustic Environment Simulation against Scale Model Test Data

A hybrid Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Aero-Acoustics (CFD/CAA) modeling framework has been developed for launch vehicle liftoff acoustic environment predictions. The framework couples the existing highly-scalable NASA production CFD code, Loci/CHEM, with a high-order accurate discontinuous Galerkin solver developed in the same production framework, Loci/THRUST, to accurately resolve and propagate acoustic physics across the entire launch environment. Time-accurate, Hybrid RANS/LES CFD modeling is applied for predicting the acoustic generation physics at the plume source, and a high-order accurate unstructured discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is employed to propagate acoustic waves away from the source across large distances using high-order accurate schemes. The DG solver is capable of solving 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order Euler solutions for non-linear, conservative acoustic field propagation. Initial application testing and validation has been carried out against high resolution acoustic data from the Ares Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) series to evaluate the capabilities and production readiness of the CFD/CAA system to resolve the observed spectrum of acoustic frequency content. This paper presents results from this validation and outlines efforts to mature and improve the computational simulation framework.

Liever, Peter A.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Validation of High-Fidelity CFD/CAA Framework for Launch Vehicle Acoustic Environment Simulation against Scale Model Test Data

A hybrid Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Aero-Acoustics (CFD/CAA) modeling framework has been developed for launch vehicle liftoff acoustic environment predictions. The framework couples the existing highly-scalable NASA production CFD code, Loci/CHEM, with a high-order accurate Discontinuous Galerkin solver developed in the same production framework, Loci/THRUST, to accurately resolve and propagate acoustic physics across the entire launch environment. Time-accurate, Hybrid RANS/LES CFD modeling is applied for predicting the acoustic generation physics at the plume source, and a high-order accurate unstructured mesh Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is employed to propagate acoustic waves away from the source across large distances using high-order accurate schemes. The DG solver is capable of solving 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order Euler solutions for non-linear, conservative acoustic field propagation. Initial application testing and validation has been carried out against high resolution acoustic data from the Ares Scale Model Acoustic Test (ASMAT) series to evaluate the capabilities and production readiness of the CFD/CAA system to resolve the observed spectrum of acoustic frequency content. This paper presents results from this validation and outlines efforts to mature and improve the computational simulation framework.

Liever, Peter A.↗