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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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At least 217 records · Page 12

Ordinary chondrites - Multivariate statistical analysis of trace element contents

The contents of mobile trace elements (Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Se, Rb, Cs, Te, Bi, Ag, In, Tl, Zn, and Cd) in Antarctic and non-Antarctic populations of H4-6 and L4-6 chondrites, were compared using standard multivariate discriminant functions borrowed from linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression. A nonstandard randomization-simulation method was developed, making it possible to carry out probability assignments on a distribution-free basis. Compositional differences were found both between the Antarctic and non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrite populations and between two L4-6 chondrite populations. It is shown that, for various types of meteorites (in particular, for the H4-6 chondrites), the Antarctic/non-Antarctic compositional difference is due to preterrestrial differences in the genesis of their parent materials.

Lipschutz, Michael E.↗

Numerical modeling for dilute and dense sprays

We have successfully implemented a numerical model for spray-combustion calculations. In this model, the governing gas-phase equations in Eulerian coordinate are solved by a time-marching multiple pressure correction procedure based on the operator-splitting technique. The droplet-phase equations in Lagrangian coordinate are solved by a stochastic discrete particle technique. In order to simplify the calculation procedure for the circulating droplets, the effective conductivity model is utilized. The k-epsilon models are utilized to characterize the time and length scales of the gas phase in conjunction with turbulent modulation by droplets and droplet dispersion by turbulence. This method entails random sampling of instantaneous gas flow properties and the stochastic process requires a large number of computational parcels to produce the satisfactory dispersion distributions even for rather dilute sprays. Two major improvements in spray combustion modelings were made. Firstly, we have developed a probability density function approach in multidimensional space to represent a specific computational particle. Secondly, we incorporate the Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) model for handling the dense spray effects. This breakup model is based on the reasonable assumption that atomization and drop breakup are indistinguishable processes within a dense spray near the nozzle exit. Accordingly, atomization is prescribed by injecting drops which have a characteristic size equal to the nozzle exit diameter. Example problems include the nearly homogeneous and inhomogeneous turbulent particle dispersion, and the non-evaporating, evaporating, and burning dense sprays. Comparison with experimental data will be discussed in detail.

Chen, C. P.↗

Improvement of Automated POST Case Success Rate Using Support Vector Machines

During early conceptual design of complex systems, concept down selection can have a large impact upon program life-cycle cost. Therefore, any concepts selected during early design will inherently commit program costs and affect the overall probability of program success. For this reason it is important to consider as large a design space as possible in order to better inform the down selection process. For conceptual design of launch vehicles, trajectory analysis and optimization often presents the largest obstacle to evaluating large trade spaces. This is due to the sensitivity of the trajectory discipline to changes in all other aspects of the vehicle design. Small deltas in the performance of other subsystems can result in relatively large fluctuations in the ascent trajectory because the solution space is non-linear and multi-modal [1]. In order to help capture large design spaces for new launch vehicles, the authors have performed previous work seeking to automate the execution of the industry standard tool, Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST). This work initially focused on implementation of analyst heuristics to enable closure of cases in an automated fashion, with the goal of applying the concepts of design of experiments (DOE) and surrogate modeling to enable near instantaneous throughput of vehicle cases [2]. Additional work was then completed to improve the DOE process by utilizing a graph theory based approach to connect similar design points [3]. The conclusion of the previous work illustrated the utility of the graph theory approach for completing a DOE through POST. However, this approach was still dependent upon the use of random repetitions to generate seed points for the graph. As noted in [3], only 8% of these random repetitions resulted in converged trajectories. This ultimately affects the ability of the random reps method to confidently approach the global optima for a given vehicle case in a reasonable amount of time. With only an 8% pass rate, tens or hundreds of thousands of reps may be needed to be confident that the best repetition is at least close to the global optima. However, typical design study time constraints require that fewer repetitions be attempted, sometimes resulting in seed points that have only a handful of successful completions. If a small number of successful repetitions are used to generate a seed point, the graph method may inherit some inaccuracies as it chains DOE cases from the non-global-optimal seed points. This creates inherent noise in the graph data, which can limit the accuracy of the resulting surrogate models. For this reason, the goal of this work is to improve the seed point generation method and ultimately the accuracy of the resulting POST surrogate model. The work focuses on increasing the case pass rate for seed point generation.

Zwack, Matthew R.↗

Modal Test and Analysis of the NASA Tiltrotor Test Rig

The Tiltrotor Test Rig (TTR) is being developed at the NASA Ames Research Center for testing full-scaleproprotors in the National Full-scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) wind tunnel. The TTR is currentlyundergoing checkout testing to ensure its proper functionality. Part of the checkout process is a groundvibration test, or shake test, to characterize the modal characteristics of the test rig once it is installed in the wind tunnel. This paper presents a summary of the shake test procedure and an overview of the test results. The results include frequency response functions for a number of different test configurations as well as visualizations of the major mode shapes. Excitation methods included random and swept sine shaking as well as hammer impacts. At the conclusion of this paper, some recommendations are given for future shake tests.

Tiltrotor Test Rig↗

Modelling Sonic Boom Propagation through Planetary Boundary Layer Turbulence near the Lateral Extent of the Carpet

Nonlinear acoustic propagation of sonic booms in the atmospheric boundary layer is considered in the context of a one-way solution to a third order wave equation. A split-step approach is utilized to compute different physical effects efficiently. Unlike previous approaches, the diffraction effects are computed exactly in the forward direction with no restriction on the angle of propagation. This results in more accurate modelling of sonic boom near the carpet edge. Heterogenous flow effects are incorporated with a wide-angle parabolic approximation. Nonlinear propagation is computed with a Burgers-Hayes method. Turbulence in the medium is constructed by the method of random Fourier modes. The turbulence spectra are constructed using an altitude dependent 3-dimensional von Karman spectrum. The turbulence field is considered frozen, as the eddy turnover time in the atmospheric boundary layer is generally much larger than the propagation time of the acoustic wave. Comparisons with benchmark predictions from the PCBoom software are conducted. The benchmark cases provide insight into the accuracy of the current prediction code for non-turbulent atmospheres. Future work is discussed regarding the prediction of shaped booms, boundary conditions, and predictions near the lateral extent of the boom carpet where previous approaches fail to capture the diffraction effects.

sonic boom↗

Hydrologic Model Analyses for Decision Support at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Site - 18363

Modeling hydrologic flow and transport in the subsurface presents a number of challenges including large datasets that contain limited information about the properties of the subsurface and models with a large number of parameters characterizing the properties of the subsurface and the ambient hydrologic conditions (e.g., groundwater recharge). This, in turn, leads to substantial uncertainty in predictions about quantities of interest (e.g., the concentration of a contaminant at points of compliance). We present a number of methods and tools that have recently been developed to address these problems. The model calibration tools are capable of assimilating large datasets (for example, on the order of 1,000,000 model calibration targets) into numerical models, calibrating models with a large number of model parameters (on the order of 1,000,000), or both. These tools leverage recently developed methods in numerical linear algebra such as matrix-free methods and randomized matrix sketching. The uncertainty quantification tools are highly-parallel and enable us to robustly quantify the uncertainties in model parameters (and therefore uncertainty in quantities of interest). Having these capabilities in model analysis tools enables more informed decision making related to remediation of groundwater contaminants. The model analyses that we present are related to the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) chromium site. The analyses are performed by MADS (Model Analysis and Decision Support; http://mads.lanl.gov). (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

The correlation structure of several popular pseudorandom number generators

One of the desirable properties of a pseudorandom number generator is that the sequence of numbers it generates should have very low autocorrelation for all shifts except for zero shift and those that are multiples of its cycle length. Due to the simple methods of constructing random numbers, the ideal is often not quite fulfilled. A simple method of examining any random generator for previously unsuspected regularities is discussed. Once they are discovered it is often easy to derive the mathematical relationships, which describe the mathematical relationships, which describe the regular behavior. As examples, it is shown that high correlation exists in mixed and multiplicative congruential random number generators and prime moduli Lehmer generators for shifts a fraction of their cycle lengths.

Neuman, F.↗

Wireless Communications Based on the Spectral Interference of Ultrawideband Noise Random Signals

A method of transmitting information with the expansion of the spectrum based on spectral interference between the reference noise and the information noise signal with a delay of different time according to the stream of binary bits is proposed. The occurrence of intrasystem noises with a shift in evaluation of the autocorrelation effect at the output of a two-channel correlation receiver is found. The possibility of noise-resistant transmission of information during spectral modulation as a result of the superposition of completely incoherent ultrawideband noise chaotic signals is shown.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Digital random-number generator

For binary digit array of N bits, use N noise sources to feed N nonlinear operators; each flip-flop in digit array is set by nonlinear operator to reflect whether amplitude of generator which feeds it is above or below mean value of generated noise. Fixed-point uniform distribution random number generation method can also be used to generate random numbers with other than uniform distribution.

Brocker, D. H.↗

Method of Green’s Potentials for Elliptic PDEs in Domains with Random Apertures

Problems with topological uncertainties appear in many fields ranging from nano-device engineering to the design of bridges. In many of such problems, a part of the domains boundaries is subjected to random perturbations making inefficient conventional schemes that rely on discretization of the whole domain. Here, we study elliptic PDEs in domains with boundaries comprised of a deterministic part and random apertures, and apply the method of modified potentials with Green’s kernels defined on the deterministic part of the domain. This approach allows to reduce the dimension of the original differential problem by reformulating it as a boundary integral equation posed on the random apertures only. The multilevel Monte Carlo method is then applied to this modified integral equation and its optimal ϵ -2 asymptotical complexity is shown. Finally, we provide the qualitative analysis of the proposed technique and support it with numerical results.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Computing Response Of A Structure To Random Transient Pressures

Improved method of computing vibrational response of structure to transient random acoustic excitation at predominantly low frequencies devised, called "deterministic". Motivated by need to analyze more accurately vibro/acoustic responses of structures at spacecraft-launching facilities and determine whether need for reinforcement or redesign to withstand launch environment. Also used to study such phenomena as earthquake motions, ocean waves, aircraft pressure gusts, responses of bridges to winds, and effects to jet-engine noise on aircraft structures.

Sepcenko, Valentin↗

A bi-fidelity method for the multiscale Boltzmann equation with random parameters

In this paper, we study the multiscale Boltzmann equation with multi-dimensional random parameters by a bi-fidelity stochastic collocation (SC) method developed in [52], [70], [71]. By choosing the compressible Euler system as the low-fidelity model, we adapt the bi-fidelity SC method to combine computational efficiency of the low-fidelity model with high accuracy of the high-fidelity (Boltzmann) model. With only a small number of high-fidelity asymptotic-preserving solver runs for the Boltzmann equation, the bi-fidelity approximation can capture well the macroscopic quantities of the solution to the Boltzmann equation in the random space. Additionally, a priori estimate on the accuracy between the high- and bi-fidelity solutions together with a convergence analysis is established. Finally, we present extensive numerical experiments to verify the efficiency and accuracy of our proposed method.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Treating random sequential addition via the replica method

While many physical processes are non-equilibrium in nature, the theory and modeling of such phenomena lag behind theoretical treatments of equilibrium systems. The diversity of powerful theoretical tools available to describe equilibrium systems has inspired strategies that map non-equilibrium systems onto equivalent equilibrium analogs so that interrogation with standard statistical mechanical approaches is possible. In this work, we revisit the mapping from the non-equilibrium random sequential addition process onto an equilibrium multi-component mixture via the replica method, allowing for theoretical predictions of non-equilibrium structural quantities. We validate the above approach by comparing the theoretical predictions to numerical simulations of random sequential addition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Application of the extended boundary condition method to Monte Carlo simulations of scattering of waves by two-dimensional random rough surfaces

The extended boundary condition method is applied to Monte Carlo simulations of two-dimensional random rough surface scattering. The numerical results are compared with one-dimensional random rough surfaces obtained from the finite-element method. It is found that the mean scattered intensity from two-dimensional rough surfaces differs from that of one dimension for rough surfaces with large slopes.

Tsang, L.↗

A numerical study of rays in random media

Statistics of electromagnetic rays in a random medium are studied numerically by the Monte Carlo method. Two dimensional random surfaces with prescribed correlation functions are used to simulate the random media. Rays are then traced in these sample media. Statistics of the ray properties such as the ray positions and directions are computed. Histograms showing the distributions of the ray positions and directions at different points along the ray path as well as at given points in space are given. The numerical experiment is repeated for different cases corresponding to weakly and strongly random media with isotropic and anisotropic irregularities. Results are compared with those derived from theoretical investigations whenever possible.

Youakim, M. Y.↗

A Multivariate Randomization Text of Association Applied to Cognitive Test Results

Randomization tests provide a conceptually simple, distribution-free way to implement significance testing. We have applied this method to the problem of evaluating the significance of the association among a number (k) of variables. The randomization method was the random re-ordering of k-1 of the variables. The criterion variable was the value of the largest eigenvalue of the correlation matrix.

Ahumada, Albert↗