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DOE OSTI2021

Influence of tower shadow on downwind flexible rotors: Field tests and simulations

Abstract As wind turbine rotors become larger, the blades become more flexible, requiring extra stiffness and cost to avoid the risk of tower strike. Wind turbines in a downwind configuration have a reduced risk of tower strike because the rotor thrust acts away from the tower. However, downwind blades pass through the wake of the tower, and the resulting load variation may contribute to blade fatigue. To date, there have been no field tests to quantify this tower shadow effect on unsteady blade moments. The present study reports on the first field testing of a flexible, downwind, coned rotor and compares the experimental data against simulations run in OpenFAST. The tower shadow effect is simulated using the conventional Powles model and a new Eames model (developed herein), which includes the influence of upstream turbulence. Both models reasonably predict the blade root out‐of‐plane bending moment data and the tower shadow dip magnitude when compared to field test data in Region 3. Tower shadow was found to increase the short‐term Damage Equivalent Loads (DELs) by less than 10% compared to other effects (gravity, shear, and turbulence), and the predictions were consistent with experiments. These results indicate that the tower shadow effect can be reasonably modeled with the simpler Powles model and that the tower shadow effect can be small compared to the effect of turbulence. However, long‐term fatigue due to tower shadow should be included in detailed structural analysis and design of the rotor and the tower.

Simpson, Juliet G.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Blockage and speedup in the proximity of an onshore wind farm: A scanning wind LiDAR experiment

To maximize the profitability of wind power plants, wind farms are often characterized by high wind turbine density leading to operations with reduced turbine spacing. As a consequence, the overall wind farm power capture is hindered by complex flow features associated with flow modifications induced by the various wind turbine rotors. In addition to the generation of wakes, the velocity of the incoming wind field can reduce due to the increased pressure in the proximity of a single turbine rotor (named induction); a similar effect occurs at the wind-farm level (global blockage), which can have a noticeable impact on power production. On the other hand, intra-wind-farm regions featuring increased velocity compared to the freestream (speedups) have also been observed, which can be a source for a potential power boost. To quantify these rotor-induced effects on the incoming wind velocity field, three profiling LiDARs and one scanning wind LiDAR were deployed both before and after the construction of an onshore wind turbine array. The different wind conditions are classified according to the ambient turbulence intensity and streamwise/spanwise spacing among wind turbines. The analysis of the mean velocity field reveals enhanced induction and speedup under stably stratified atmospheric conditions. Additionally, a reduced horizontal area between adjacent turbines has a small impact on the induction zone but increases significantly the speedup between adjacent rotors.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Dynamics and bifurcations of laminar annular swirling and non-swirling jets

This paper presents bifurcation analyses characterising the nonlinear dynamics of fully developed laminar annular jets with respect to the centrebody diameter ${ {d}}$ , Reynolds number ${ {Re}}$ , and swirl ratio ${ {S}}$ . Similar flows appear in numerous applications and feature a vibrant range of topological and dynamical characteristics associated with phenomena including shear layer separation and vortex breakdown. Our results begin by describing the non-monotonic evolution of the axisymmetric jet's steady topology under varying ${ {S}}$ . In accord with earlier reports, the jet progresses through a sequence of wake, breakdown and wall jet regimes in a qualitatively similar manner across a wide span of ${ {d}}$ and ${ {Re}}$ values. In the wake regime, the non-swirling jet bifurcates to a plane-symmetric, but not axisymmetric, steady flow pattern beyond a ${ {d}}$ -dependent critical ${ {Re}}$ value. With further increase in ${ {Re}}$ , the steady non-swirling jet destabilises subsequently via multiple distinct Hopf bifurcations. Introducing ${ {S}}>0$ to the jet also induces unsteadiness by twisting the singly azimuthally periodic ( $|m|=1$ ) asymmetric wake structure and causing it to precess periodically in time about the central axis. Intermediate swirl stabilises this unsteady dynamics and restores the jet's axisymmetry. This stabilising effect is then reversed in the breakdown regime at higher ${ {S}}$ , where a variety of different $|m|=1$ and $|m|=2$ instabilities bifurcate from the steady flow as ${ {S}}$ is increased. Several instances of hysteresis and subcritical behaviour are reported and discussed, including one that manifests precessing vortex core oscillations.

Douglas, Christopher M. (ORCID:0000000259683315)↗

DOE OSTI2020

Hydrokinetic Turbines in Yawed Conditions: Toward Synergistic Fluvial Installations

Laboratory experiments were performed in critical mobility conditions to study the effects of an in-stream horizontal axis turbine in yawed conditions. The misalignment between the rotor axis and the incoming flow velocity is observed to alter the near and far wake of the turbine, as well as the scour and deposition patterns in the proximity of the monopile support tower. Various hydraulic conditions may lead to such misalignment, e.g., as a result of complex fluvial bathymetries distorting the flow or as a strategy to steer the wake away from downstream units and maximize energy production in a turbine array. The research first investigates the simplest case of a single turbine deployed along the channel centerline and oriented at different yaw angles to study the wake deflection and the turbine performance. A second set of experiments is performed moving the turbine relatively close to a nonerodible lateral wall to explore a potential passive yaw control strategy devoted to protect the banks from erosion by steering the wake toward the channel center and favor deposition along the bank.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Three-Dimensional Aerodynamics and Vortex-Shedding Characteristics of Wind Turbine Airfoils over 360-Degree Angles of Attack

In this work, we present the first three-dimensional (3D) computational investigation of wind turbine airfoils over 360° angles of attack to predict unsteady aerodynamic loads and vortex-shedding characteristics. To this end, static–airfoil simulations are performed for the FFA-W3 airfoil family at a Reynolds number of 107 with the Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation turbulence model. Aerodynamic forces reveal that the onset of boundary-layer instabilities and flow separation does not necessarily coincide with the onset of stall. In addition, a comparison with two-dimensional simulation data and flat plate theory extension of airfoil polars, suggest that, in the deep stall regime, 3D effects remain critical for predicting both the unsteady loads and the vortex-shedding dynamics. For all airfoils, the vortex-shedding frequencies are found to be inversely proportional to the wake width. In the case of slender airfoils, the frequencies are nearly independent of the airfoil thickness, and their corresponding Strouhal number St is approximately 0.15. Based on the calculated St, the potential for shedding frequencies to coincide with the natural frequencies of the International Energy Agency 15 MW reference wind turbine blades is investigated. The analysis shows that vortex-induced vibrations occur primarily at angles of attack of around ±90° for all airfoils.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Polarization Switching on the Open Surfaces of the Wurtzite Ferroelectric Nitrides: Ferroelectric Subsystems and Electrochemical Reactivity

Binary ferroelectric nitrides are promising materials for information technologies and power electronics. However, polarization switching in these materials is highly unusual. From the structural perspective, polarization reversal is associated with the change of the effective polarity at the surfaces and interfaces from N‐to‐M terminated, suggesting strong coupling between ferroelectric and chemical phenomena. Phenomenologically, macroscopic studies demonstrate the presence of complex time dependent phenomena including wake‐up. Here, in this study, the polarization switching using the multidimensional high‐resolution piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and spectroscopy is explored, detecting both the evolution of induced ferroelectric domain, electromechanical response, and surface deformation during first‐order reversal curve measurements. The presence of two weakly coupled ferroelectric subsystems are demonstrated and the bias‐induced electrochemical reactivity. The observed behaviors are very similar to the recent studies of other wurtzite system but additionally include electrochemical reactivity, suggesting the universality of these behaviors for the wurtzite binary ferroelectrics. These studies suggest potential of high‐resolution multimodal PFM spectroscopies to resolve complex coupled polarization dynamics in materials. Furthermore, these PFM based studies are fully consistent with the recent electron microscopy observations of the shark‐teeth like ferroelectric domains in nitrides. Hence, it is believed that these studies establish the universal phenomenological picture of polarization switching in binary wurtzite.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Experimental investigation of turbulent wake flows in a helically wrapped rod bundle in presence of localized blockages

In nuclear sodium fast reactors, bundles of rods are tightly packed into a triangular lattice, enclosed in a hexagonal duct, and each pin is spirally wrapped with a thin wire. Flow blockages can potentially impact the local flow characteristics and heat transfer mechanisms in the bundle due to its small subchannel size. The effects of the blockage on the flow structures and heat transfer mechanisms are important aspects that require an accurate investigation. In this study, the flow-field characteristics in the vicinity of a blockage located in the exterior subchannel of rod bundles with helically wrapped wires were experimentally investigated. The velocity fields in the exterior subchannel were acquired by applying matched-index-of-refraction and time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) techniques for Reynolds numbers of Re 1 = 4000 and Re 2 = 17 000, i.e., equivalent to Rew 1 = 19 600 and Rew 2 = 83 200, respectively, based on the blockage width. The results from the TR-PIV measurements revealed an arch-shaped vortex with a large flow recirculation and a pair of counter-rotating vortices in the wake region downstream of the blockage, which is commonly observed in the wake flow of bluff bodies. The relative lateral distance and angle between the two vortices decreased when the Reynolds numbers increased. Profiles of maximum turbulence intensity along the shear layers illustrated the transition process including the growth, peak, and decay along the flow direction. From the spectral analysis of the turbulent velocities extracted at points along the shear layer, the Strouhal numbers ( St ) representing the vortex shedding frequency were found to be St = 0.25 and St = 0.56 for the left and right shear layers, respectively. Characteristics of shear layers generated by the blockage in the exterior subchannel were investigated via the two-point cross correlation of fluctuating velocities. The patiotemporal cross correlations of turbulent velocities, computed at points in the region where the left shear layer exhibited rolling effects and vortex breakdowns, were considerably wider and longer. The convection velocity U c was estimated to be ~0.82 U m to 0.93 U m . Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis was applied to the instantaneous velocity fields to extract the statistically dominant flow structures. It was found that POD modes 2–3 and 4–5 formed the pair modes when the corresponding POD temporal coefficients depicted sinusoidal shapes and exhibited nearly circular orbits in the phase space. Spectral analysis of the POD temporal coefficients confirmed the vortex shedding frequencies detected in the analysis of turbulent velocities.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Disentangling jet modification in jet simulations and in Z+jet data

The selection of jets in heavy-ion collisions based on their p T after jet quenching is known to bias towards jets that lost little energy in the quark-gluon plasma. In this work, we study and quantify the impact of this selection bias on jet substructure observables so as to isolate effects caused by the modification of the substructure of jets by quenching. We do so at first in a simplified Monte Carlo study in which it is possible to identify the same jet before and after quenching. We show explicitly that jets selected based on their quenched (i.e. observable) p T have substantially smaller fractional energy loss than those selected based on the p T that they would have had in the absence of any quenching. This selection bias has a large impact on jet structure and substructure observables. As an example, we consider the angular separation ΔR of the hardest splitting in each jet, and find that the ΔR distribution of the (biased) sample of jets selected based upon their quenched p T is almost unmodified by quenching. In contrast, quenching causes dramatic modifications to the ΔR distribution of a sample of jets selected based upon their unquenched p T , with a significant enhancement at larger ΔR coming from the soft particles originating from the wake of the jet in the quark-gluon plasma. The jets which contribute to this enhancement are those which have lost the most energy and which were, therefore, left out of the sample selected after quenching. In a more realistic study, we then show that the same qualitative effects can all be observed in Z+jet events. Selecting jets in such events based on either the jet p T or the Z-boson p T provides an experimentally accessible way to quantify the effects of selection biases in jet observables and separate them from the modification of jet substructure caused by quenching. Selecting Z+jet events based upon the jet p T yields a ΔR distribution that appears almost unmodified whereas selecting Z+jet events based upon the Z-boson p T reveals a significant modification to the ΔR-distribution caused by quenching, once again arising from the wakes of those jets that lose more energy.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Sparse thermal data for cellular automata modeling of grain structure in additive manufacturing

Grain growth in the wake of the melt pool formed during alloy-based additive manufacturing (AM) is complex and multifaceted, depending on parameters governing heat transport, fluid flow, and solidification itself. Cellular automata (CA) models have proven effective in providing computationally efficient and physically sound predictions of grain structure for several AM problems, but their efficiency is tied to the performance of heat transport models. CA models use only a small portion of the problem's temperature data (near the moving melt pool boundary), and much of the CA calculations do not affect the final result due to re-melting of material. Coupling of and communication between heat transport and solidification models, and eliminating operations irrelevant towards final grain structure prediction, will be necessary for using these methods for efficient simulation of large parts. In this work, we introduce a procedure of decoupling the CA from temperature field simulation, using files of relevant temperature data written by the heat transport model. This approach is validated against the standard coupling approach using data obtained through the computational fluid dynamics software OpenFOAM. Negligible differences are seen in grain size, volume, and texture distributions for multilayer simulation of test problems, while the quantity of temperature data for these test problems was reduced by four orders of magnitude (from 100s of GB to 10s of MB) and the code performance sped up by a factor of around 50. Furthermore, variability in microstructure as a function of cell size, substrate, time step, and nucleation parameters is studied, and it is found that cell sizes less than or equal to 1.67 μm and sufficiently small time steps yield Αstatistically equivalent microstructures. Finally, a potential use case for this CA approach—the layer-wise convergence in grain structure starting from extremes in initial grain size—is examined. This approach's ability to simulate expected trends in nucleation and epitaxial grain growth for large regions of microstructure, simulated independently of heat transport models themselves, should prove useful for investigation of various microstructure uncertainties and prediction of part-scale experimental results.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Validation of Actuator Line and Actuator Disk Models with Filtered Lifting Line Corrections Implemented in Nalu-Wind Large Eddy Simulations of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Turbine generator power from simulations using Actuator Line Models and Actuator Disk Models with a Filtered Lifting Line Correction are compared to field data of a V27 turbine. Preliminary results of the wake characteristics are also presented. Turbine quantities of interest from traditional ALM and ADM with the Gaussian kernel (..epsilon..) set at the optimum value for matching power production and that resolve the kernel at all mesh sizes are also presented. The atmospheric boundary layer is simulated using Nalu-Wind, a Large Eddy Simulation code which is part of the ExaWind code suite. The effect of mesh resolution on quantities of interest is also examined.

Actuator Disk Models↗

DOE OSTI2021

Stopping-power enhancement from discrete particle-wake correlations in high-energy-density plasmas

Three-dimensional (3D) simulations of electron beams propagating in high-energy-density plasmas using the quasistatic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code QuickPIC demonstrate a significant increase in stopping power when beam electrons mutually interact via their wakes. Each beam electron excites a plasma wave wake of wavelength ~ 2 π c / ω p e , where c is the speed of light and ω p e is the background plasma frequency. Here we show that a discrete collection of electrons undergoes a beam-plasma-like instability caused by mutual particle-wake interactions that causes electrons to bunch in the beam, even for beam densities n b for which fluid theory breaks down. This bunching enhances the beam's stopping power, which we call “correlated stopping,” and the effect increases with the “correlation number” N b ≡ n b ( c / ω p e ) 3 . For example, a beam of monoenergetic 9.7 MeV electrons with N b = 1 / 8 , in a cold background plasma with n e = 10 26 cm – 3 (450 g cm – 3 DT), has a stopping power of 2.28 ± 0.04 times the single-electron value, which increases to 1220 ± 5 for N b = 64 . The beam also experiences transverse filamentation, which eventually limits the stopping enhancement.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Numerical Modeling of a Two-Stage Ocean Current Turbine

The Equinox Ocean Turbines (EQOT) current energy converter has a unique design with power generation in two small-diameter turbines attached to the tips of a large-diameter passive rotor. This configuration offers some key advantages for capturing ocean currents. With no centrally placed generator, almost no reaction torque is required at the nacelle of the main large-diameter rotor, and the small-diameter tip turbine generators operate at a higher speed and lower torque. The physics that determine the performance and loads on the turbine are also unique. The interactions of the flow field between the two stages and the general architecture of the system cannot be captured with traditional mid-fidelity modeling tools. For design iterations and large sets of load cases, it is important to have mid-fidelity models that can capture the important phenomenon with enough accuracy to identify global trends. This work uses a limited set of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to help inform the selection of and construction of a custom mid-fidelity model. Mid-fidelity modeling approaches were verified by comparing key turbine performance quantities to those found with the CFD model. Hydrodynamic interactions of the two-stage rotor were identified through high-fidelity CFD modeling. This highlighted the impact of the main rotor tip vortex and wake on the secondary rotor apparent inflow. This results in a relative flow rotation and sharp deficit, that change the optimal secondary rotor rotation speed and adds unsteadiness to the blade loading respectively. Multiple mid-fidelity approaches were evaluated for their ability to capture these effects. A simple approximation of the combined-stage performance based on single-stage BEM provides a reasonable rough prediction, especially near the peak TSR values, with some larger discrepancy at higher TSRs. Predicting the combined-stage performance based on single-stage CFD data improves this prediction across the TSR range. Although the combined-stage modeling in OLAF was not successful in this stage of the project, it showed promise as a mid-fidelity method, assuming the parameters can be tuned to account for the significant differences in time and length scales between the main and secondary rotors. This may be addressed through code changes in future work. A significant finding from the OLAF work was the agreement between the vortex core radius values found independently via a parameter space search and via CFD. The technique of using single-stage secondary rotor BEM, with a custom inflow taken from single-stage main rotor CFD or OLAF, provides an efficient method to capture one-way coupled flow interactions. This method provided generally good predictions of the impact of the flow rotation on the secondary rotor but struggled to accurately predict the peaks of the unsteady load progression. Future work could include some superposition of a tuned main rotor trailing edge viscous wake into the custom inflow to better predict this interaction.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

DOE OSTI2021

A review of tidal energy—Resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions

The ocean contains a variety of renewable energy resources, little of which has been exploited. Here, we review both tidal range and tidal stream energy, with a focus on the resource, feedbacks, and environmental interactions. The review covers a wide range of timescales of relevance to tidal energy, from fortnightly (spring-neap) and semi-diurnal variability, down to array, and device-scale turbulence. When simulating the regional tidal energy resource, and to assess environmental impacts, it is necessary to account for feedbacks between the tidal array and the resource itself. We critically review various methods for simulating energy extraction, from insights gained through theoretical studies of “tidal fences” in idealized channels, to realistic three-dimensional model studies with complex geometry and arrays of turbines represented by momentum sinks and additional turbulence due to the presence of rotors and support structures. We discuss how variability can be reduced by developing multiple (aggregated) sites with a consideration of the enhanced phase diversity offered by exploiting less energetic tidal currents. This leads to future research questions that have not yet been explored in depth at first-generation tidal sites in relatively sheltered channels (e.g., the interaction of waves with currents). Such enhanced understanding of real sea conditions, including the effects of wind and waves, leads to our other identified primary future research direction—reduced uncertainties in turbulence predictions, including the development of realistic models that simulate the interaction between ambient turbulence and the turbulence resulting from multiple wakes, and changes to system-wide hydrodynamics, water quality, and sedimentation.

Environmental impacts↗

DOE OSTI2023

Dual Tunability for Uncatalyzed N‐Alkylation of Primary Amines Enabled by Plasma‐Microdroplet Fusion

Abstract The fusion of non‐thermal plasma with charged microdroplets facilitates catalyst‐free N‐alkylation for a variety of primary amines, without halide salt biproduct generation. Significant reaction enhancement (up to >200×) is observed over microdroplet reactions generated from electrospray. This enhancement for the plasma‐microdroplet system is attributed to the combined effects of energetic collisions and the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ROS (e.g., O 2 ⋅ − ) act as a proton sink to increase abundance of free neutral amines in the charged microdroplet environment. The effect of ROS on N‐alkylation is confirmed through three unique experiments: (i) utilization of radical scavenging reagent, (ii) characterization of internal energy distribution, and (iii) controls performed without plasma, which lacked reaction acceleration. Establishing plasma discharge in the wake of charged microdroplets as a green synthetic methodology overcomes two major challenges within conventional gas‐phase plasma chemistry, including the lack of selectivity and product scale‐up. Both limitations are overcome here, where dual tunability is achieved by controlling reagent concentration and residence time in the microdroplet environment, affording single or double N‐alkylated products. Products are readily collected yielding milligram quantities in eight hours. These results showcase a novel synthetic strategy that represents a straightforward and sustainable C−N bond‐forming process.

Chemistry↗

DOE OSTI2024

Numerical studies of collinear laser-assisted injection from a foil for plasma wakefield accelerators

We present a laser-assisted electron injection scheme for beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. The laser is collinear with the driver and triggers the injection of hot electrons into the plasma wake by interaction with a thin solid target. We present a baseline case using the AWAKE Run 2 parameters and then perform variations on key parameters to explore the scheme. It is found that the trapped witness electron charge may be tuned by altering laser parameters, with a strong dependence on the phase of the wake upon injection. Normalized emittance settles at the order of micrometres and varies with witness charge. The scheme is robust to misalignment, with a 1/10th plasma skin-depth offset ( 20 μ m for the AWAKE case) having a negligible effect on the final beam. The final beam quality is better than similar existing schemes, and several avenues for further optimization are indicated. The constraints on the AWAKE experiment are very specific, but the general principles of this mechanism can be applied to future beam-driven plasma wakefield accelerator experiments. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physics↗

DOE OSTI2022

Effect of Low Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Combined with Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) on Awakening of Coma Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

Coma caused by craniocerebral injury is a common condition of neurosurgical acute injury. There is no specific method to promote awakening in a clinic. Early comprehensive treatment may be helpful to patients. The common methods are hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). However, the application effect and mechanism of rTMS combined with HBO on coma patients with traumatic brain injury need to be further studied. The brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) is examined by the Kennedy coma recovery scale (CRS-R), the recovery of brain function and the state of consciousness are evaluated, and the therapeutic effect is evaluated by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Cerebrospinal fluid NE level, MCA blood flow velocity, and left brainstem and right brainstem auditory evoked potential are used to evaluate brain rehabilitation. RTMS combined with HBO could shorten the wake-up time, improve the wake-up rate, improve the GCS score and CRS-R score, shorten the brain wave latency time of the left and right brainstem, increase the NE level of cerebrospinal fluid, and decrease the blood flow velocity of MCA. RTMS combines with HBO can improve the nerve excitability of brain cells, reduce the disturbance of consciousness, promote the functional recovery of brain injury, and has a certain role in promoting the awakening of patients with traumatic brain injury coma.

Liu, Mei↗

DOE OSTI2021

Effect of ionization waves on dust chain formation in a DC discharge

An interesting aspect of complex plasma is its ability to self-organize into a variety of structural configurations and undergo transitions between these states. A striking phenomenon is the isotropic-to-string transition observed in electrorheological complex plasma under the influence of a symmetric ion wake field. Such transitions have been investigated using the Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4) microgravity laboratory on the International Space Station. Recent experiments and numerical simulations have shown that, under PK-4-relevant discharge conditions, the seemingly homogeneous direct current discharge column is highly inhomogeneous, with large axial electric field oscillations associated with ionization waves occurring on microsecond time scales. here, a multi-scale numerical model of the dust–plasma interactions is employed to investigate the role of the electric field in the charge of individual dust grains, the ion wake field and the order of string-like structures. Results are compared with those for dust strings formed in similar conditions in the PK-4 experiment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Control of wakefield in sub-THz dielectric-lined waveguides using multiple-bunch excitation

Beam-driven wakefield accelerators offer the potential to achieve accelerating fields approaching the sub-GV/m range, paving the way for compact and cost-effective next-generation high-energy colliders. This method typically employs a two-bunch system: a drive bunch that excites an electromagnetic wakefield in a solid-state or plasma medium, and a witness bunch that extracts energy from the wake for acceleration. Our research focuses on two key challenges in wakefield acceleration using structures. First, we investigate strategies to suppress transverse instabilities by employing non-cylindrical geometries that damp dipole modes. Second, we explore methods to precisely terminate the wakefield after the interaction region, thereby improving the efficiency of energy transfer. This paper presents detailed simulation results and the corresponding experimental design developed to validate these concepts. Furthermore, the proposed experiment will be carried out at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA) facility, focusing on controlling wakefield duration through tailored drive and witness bunch configurations and evaluating dielectric-lined structures with non-cylindrical cross sections.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗