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Summary Report Of The FY25 Computational Fluid Dynamics Verification And Validation Exercises In The Advanced Reactor Technologies - Gas-cooled Reactor Program

Verification and Validation (V&V) of numerical tools is critical for ensuring reasonable predictions during design, safety analysis, and licensing. Recent work in the Advanced Reactor Technologies - Gas-cooled Reactor (ART-GCR) program has focused on V&V of common Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools that are used within the Untied States. This report presents an update on these CFD V&V activities. These Generation IV Forum (GIF) Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Computational Methods, Validation, and Benchmarking (CMVB) is an international organization dedicated to the verification and validation of High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) simulation tools. Participation in the CMVB provides additional value to the V&V activities, as it allows for access to a wider range of data, and provides valuable benchmarking exercises. Three HTGR phenomena are targeted: Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) performance, core bypass flow, and lower plenum mixing. Simulations of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) RCCS facilities are performed with Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) in StarCCM+. Results are compared for both forced and natural convection conditions, with both exhibiting good agreement with experimental measurements. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) matched index of refraction (MIR) and Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) bypass flow expeirments are used to validation CFD predictions of bypass flow. Simulations are performed with RANS in StarCCM+ and with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) in NekRS. Finally, preliminary simulations of the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET) lower plenum mixing facilities are presented. Initial work has developed models with LES, RANS, and porous media models. These preliminary models are presented and compared to each other to gauge differences in predictions with each of the three methods.

and Benchmarking (CMVB)↗

Development of an integrated aeroservoelastic analysis program and correlation with test data

The details and results are presented of the general-purpose finite element STructural Analysis RoutineS (STARS) to perform a complete linear aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic analysis. The earlier version of the STARS computer program enabled effective finite element modeling as well as static, vibration, buckling, and dynamic response of damped and undamped systems, including those with pre-stressed and spinning structures. Additions to the STARS program include aeroelastic modeling for flutter and divergence solutions, and hybrid control system augmentation for aeroservoelastic analysis. Numerical results of the X-29A aircraft pertaining to vibration, flutter-divergence, and open- and closed-loop aeroservoelastic controls analysis are compared to ground vibration, wind-tunnel, and flight-test results. The open- and closed-loop aeroservoelastic control analyses are based on a hybrid formulation representing the interaction of structural, aerodynamic, and flight-control dynamics.

Gupta, K. K.↗

Trajectory design strategies that incorporate invariant manifolds and swingby

Libration point orbits serve as excellent platforms for scientific investigations involving the Sun as well as planetary environments. Trajectory design in support of such missions is increasingly challenging as more complex missions are envisioned in the next few decades. Software tools for trajectory design in this regime must be further developed to incorporate better understanding of the solution space and, thus, improve the efficiency and expand the capabilities of current approaches. Only recently applied to trajectory design, dynamical systems theory now offers new insights into the natural dynamics associated with the multi-body problem. The goal of this effort is the blending of analysis from dynamical systems theory with the well established NASA Goddard software program SWINGBY to enhance and expand the capabilities for mission design. Basic knowledge concerning the solution space is improved as well.

Guzman, J. J.↗

High throughput reconfigurable data analysis system

The present invention relates to a system and method for performing rapid and programmable analysis of data. The present invention relates to a reconfigurable detector comprising at least one array of a plurality of pixels, where each of the plurality of pixels can be selected to receive and read-out an input. The pixel array is divided into at least one pixel group for conducting a common predefined analysis. Each of the pixels has a programmable circuitry programmed with a dynamically configurable user-defined function to modify the input. The present detector also comprises a summing circuit designed to sum the modified input.

Bearman, Greg↗

Validation of High-Resolution CFD Method for Slosh Damping Extraction of Baffled Cryogenic Propellant Tanks

Propellant slosh is a potential source of disturbance critical to the stability of space vehicles. The slosh dynamics are typically represented by a mechanical model of a spring-mass-damper. This mechanical model is then included in the equation of motion of the entire vehicle for Guidance, Navigation and Control analysis. A Volume-Of-Fluid (VOF) based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program developed at MSFC was applied to extract slosh damping in the baffled tank from the first principle. First the experimental data using water with sub-scale smooth wall tank were used as the baseline validation. It is demonstrated that CFD can indeed accurately predict low damping values from the smooth wall at different fill levels. The damping due to a ring baffles at different depths from the free surface was then simulated, and fairly good agreement with experimental measurement was observed. Comparison with an empirical correlation of Miles equation is also made.

Yang, H. Q.↗

Simulated Trajectory Reconstruction of the Genesis Aeroballistic Testing for Dragonfly

Dragonfly is a NASA New Frontiers Program mission, led by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), that will deliver a rotorcraft lander to Saturn’s moon, Titan, which uses a Genesis derived entry vehicle shape. During the Genesis mission, there were concerns with the dynamic stability of the configuration leading to testing at the Aeroballistic Research Facility at Eglin Air Force Base and Dragonfly shares these concerns given the similarity of the entry vehicle shapes. The focus of this paper is to compare the dynamics observed in the ballistic range shots from 1999 against the dynamics from simulation using the Program to Optimize Trajectories II (POST2). This analysis provides a confirmation that the aerodynamics developed during the Genesis mission, especially from ballistic range shots, is being used properly in the Dragonfly mission entry aerodynamics database.

Dragonfly↗

Development of the Planar Inlet Design and Analysis Process (PINDAP)

The aerodynamic development of an engine inlet requires a comprehensive program of both wind tunnel testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. To save time and resources, much "testing" is done using CFD before any design ever enters a wind tunnel. The focus of my project this summer is on CFD analysis tool development. In particular, I am working to further develop the capabilities of the Planar Inlet Design and Analysis Process (PINDAP). "PINDAP" is a collection of computational tools that allow for efficient and accurate design and analysis of the aerodynamics about and through inlets that can make use of a planar (two-dimensional or axisymmetric) geometric and flow assumption. PINDAP utilizes the WIND CFD flow solver, which is capable of simulating the turbulent, compressible flow field. My project this summer is a continuation of work that I performed for two previous summers. Two years ago, I used basic features of the PINDAP to design a Mach 5 hypersonic scramjet engine inlet and to demonstrate the feasibility of the PINDAP. The following summer, I worked to develop its geometry and grid generation capabilities to include subsonic and supersonic inlets, complete bodies and cowls, conic leading and trailing edges, as well as airfoils. These additions allowed for much more design flexibility when using the program.

Gruber, Christopher R.↗

Automated Instrumentation, Monitoring and Visualization of PVM Programs Using AIMS

We present views and analysis of the execution of several PVM codes for Computational Fluid Dynamics on a network of Sparcstations, including (a) NAS Parallel benchmarks CG and MG (White, Alund and Sunderam 1993); (b) a multi-partitioning algorithm for NAS Parallel Benchmark SP (Wijngaart 1993); and (c) an overset grid flowsolver (Smith 1993). These views and analysis were obtained using our Automated Instrumentation and Monitoring System (AIMS) version 3.0, a toolkit for debugging the performance of PVM programs. We will describe the architecture, operation and application of AIMS. The AIMS toolkit contains (a) Xinstrument, which can automatically instrument various computational and communication constructs in message-passing parallel programs; (b) Monitor, a library of run-time trace-collection routines; (c) VK (Visual Kernel), an execution-animation tool with source-code clickback; and (d) Tally, a tool for statistical analysis of execution profiles. Currently, Xinstrument can handle C and Fortran77 programs using PVM 3.2.x; Monitor has been implemented and tested on Sun 4 systems running SunOS 4.1.2; and VK uses X11R5 and Motif 1.2. Data and views obtained using AIMS clearly illustrate several characteristic features of executing parallel programs on networked workstations: (a) the impact of long message latencies; (b) the impact of multiprogramming overheads and associated load imbalance; (c) cache and virtual-memory effects; and (4significant skews between workstation clocks. Interestingly, AIMS can compensate for constant skew (zero drift) by calibrating the skew between a parent and its spawned children. In addition, AIMS' skew-compensation algorithm can adjust timestamps in a way that eliminates physically impossible communications (e.g., messages going backwards in time). Our current efforts are directed toward creating new views to explain the observed performance of PVM programs. Some of the features planned for the near future include: (a) ConfigView, showing the physical topology of the virtual machine, inferred using specially formatted IP (Internet Protocol) packets; and (b) LoadView, synchronous animation of PVM-program execution and resource-utilization patterns.

Mehra, Pankaj↗

Development of a moderately sized finite element program for nonlinear structural analysis

AGGIE 1 is a computer program for predicting the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic structural response of two- and three-dimensional continuum solids. The program is based on isoparametric finite elements and allows for 2-D plane stress, plane strain, and axisymmetric analyses and general 3-D analyses. Large strain kinematics is based on the total Lagrangian formulation. Materially nonlinear models include several elastic-plastic work-hardening models as well as an incompressible Mooney-Rivlin model. Included in this report is a brief description of the theoretical bases of the program, the material models used, the element library and the overall program organization. Instructions for data input preparation are given in detail. Several sample problems are given along with the required program input and program generated solutions.

Haisler, W. E.↗

Attitude control of a spinning Skylab.

Active attitude control of a spinning Skylab is analyzed to determine a simple control law that will provide a satisfactory response, considering the dynamics of attached flexible appendages. A simplified model of the complex Skylab vehicle is selected to make it analytically tractable. The vehicle is modeled as a single rigid-core body with two attached flexible massless booms having masses on their tips. The equations of motion describing the attitude dynamics of the model are presented as a linear matrix-differential equation. The states of the vehicle are small perturbations about its steady-state spin. An analysis is performed to determine the domain of stability. Next, attitude dynamics are analyzed; both frequency domain (parameter plane) and time domain (an optimal linear quadratic loss program) techniques are compared. An analysis of the nonlinear effect of control torque saturation of Skylab's control moment gyroscopes is discussed. The results of the analysis compare favorably with a large-scale digital simulation of the Skylab.

Seltzer, S. M.↗

Overflow Analysis of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

With the increasing presence of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, in the national airspace, the management for access and operation of these vehicles is required. NASA’s management approach is being developed under the unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) program. To determine the aerodynamic characteristics of drones, wind tunnel experiments and computation fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis have been conducted. These experiments and analyses are undertaken to understand the flight capabilities of these vehicles in variable head and cross wind conditions. The results of these investigations will provide metrics for the safe operation of these vehicles in and around civil populations and in urban settings. The focus of this paper is to model a drone installed in a wind tunnel for varying pitch attitudes and rotor rpm settings. Specifically, the IRIS drone is modeled in the NASA-Ames 7x10 ft wind tunnel. The tunnel mounting hardware and the tunnel enclosure are modeled along with the IRIS drone geometry. The rotors of the drone are modeled using two methodologies: a rotor disk model and full rotating rotors with moving grids. The results of the analysis are compared with available experimental data to validate the computational approach.

Stremel, Paul M.↗

Decision Engines for Software Analysis Using Satisfiability Modulo Theories Solvers

The area of software analysis, testing and verification is now undergoing a revolution thanks to the use of automated and scalable support for logical methods. A well-recognized premise is that at the core of software analysis engines is invariably a component using logical formulas for describing states and transformations between system states. The process of using this information for discovering and checking program properties (including such important properties as safety and security) amounts to automatic theorem proving. In particular, theorem provers that directly support common software constructs offer a compelling basis. Such provers are commonly called satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solvers. Z3 is a state-of-the-art SMT solver. It is developed at Microsoft Research. It can be used to check the satisfiability of logical formulas over one or more theories such as arithmetic, bit-vectors, lists, records and arrays. The talk describes some of the technology behind modern SMT solvers, including the solver Z3. Z3 is currently mainly targeted at solving problems that arise in software analysis and verification. It has been applied to various contexts, such as systems for dynamic symbolic simulation (Pex, SAGE, Vigilante), for program verification and extended static checking (Spec#/Boggie, VCC, HAVOC), for software model checking (Yogi, SLAM), model-based design (FORMULA), security protocol code (F7), program run-time analysis and invariant generation (VS3). We will describe how it integrates support for a variety of theories that arise naturally in the context of the applications. There are several new promising avenues and the talk will touch on some of these and the challenges related to SMT solvers. Proceedings

Bjorner, Nikolaj↗

Space Construction Experiment Definition Study (SCEDS), part 2. Volume 2: Study results

The Space Construction Experiment (SCE) was defined for integration into the Space Shuttle. This included development of flight assignment data, revision and update of preliminary mission timelines and test plans, analysis of flight safety issues, and definition of ground operations scenarios. New requirements for the flight experiment and changes for a large space antenna feed mask test article were incorporated. The program plan and cost estimates were updated. Revised SCE structural dynamics characteristics were provided for simulation and analysis of experimental tests to define and verify control limits and interactions effects between the SCE and the Orbiter digital automatic pilot.

Source record↗

Machine Learning for Well Log Analysis in Uranium Mining

This project explores the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to automate well log analysis for uranium mining. Geophysical log data—spontaneous potential, resistivity, and gamma ray—were used to classify lithology, correlate well logs and identify roll front zonation patterns, which are critical for locating uranium ore bodies. Supervised ML algorithms such as eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), and Random Forest were trained to classify lithology with high accuracy. Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), XGBoost, Random Forest, and Neural Networks were also used for role front zone identification. Moreover, a Fast Dynamic Time Warping (FastDTW) algorithm was employed for well log correlation. Additionally, sample lag was addressed using dynamic programming. Results demonstrate the potential of AI and ML to streamline well log analysis and enhance uranium exploration workflows.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Computer program for a four-cylinder-Stirling-engine controls simulation

A four cylinder Stirling engine, transient engine simulation computer program is presented. The program is intended for controls analysis. The associated engine model was simplified to shorten computer calculation time. The model includes engine mechanical drive dynamics and vehicle load effects. The computer program also includes subroutines that allow: (1) acceleration of the engine by addition of hydrogen to the system, and (2) braking of the engine by short circuiting of the working spaces. Subroutines to calculate degraded engine performance (e.g., due to piston ring and piston rod leakage) are provided. Input data required to run the program are described and flow charts are provided. The program is modular to allow easy modification of individual routines. Examples of steady state and transient results are presented.

Daniels, C. J.↗

Structural dynamics analysis

Dynamic analysis of large space antenna systems must treat the deployment as well as vibration and control of the deployed antenna. Candidate computer programs for deployment dynamics, and issues and needs for future program developments are reviewed. Some results for mast and hoop deployment are also presented. Modeling of complex antenna geometry with conventional finite element methods and with repetitive exact elements is considered. Analytical comparisons with experimental results for a 15 meter hoop/column antenna revealed the importance of accurate structural properties including nonlinear joints. Slackening of cables in this antenna is also a consideration. The technology of designing actively damped structures through analytical optimization is discussed and results are presented.

Housner, J. M.↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis Method Developed for Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine Inlet

Renewed interest in hypersonic propulsion systems has led to research programs investigating combined cycle engines that are designed to operate efficiently across the flight regime. The Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine is a propulsion system under development at the NASA Lewis Research Center. This engine integrates a high specific impulse, low thrust-to-weight, airbreathing engine with a low-impulse, high thrust-to-weight rocket. From takeoff to Mach 2.5, the engine operates as an air-augmented rocket. At Mach 2.5, the engine becomes a dual-mode ramjet; and beyond Mach 8, the rocket is turned back on. One Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine variation known as the "Strut-Jet" concept is being investigated jointly by NASA Lewis, the U.S. Air Force, Gencorp Aerojet, General Applied Science Labs (GASL), and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Work thus far has included wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigations with the NPARC code. The CFD method was initiated by modeling the geometry of the Strut-Jet with the GRIDGEN structured grid generator. Grids representing a subscale inlet model and the full-scale demonstrator geometry were constructed. These grids modeled one-half of the symmetric inlet flow path, including the precompression plate, diverter, center duct, side duct, and combustor. After the grid generation, full Navier-Stokes flow simulations were conducted with the NPARC Navier-Stokes code. The Chien low-Reynolds-number k-e turbulence model was employed to simulate the high-speed turbulent flow. Finally, the CFD solutions were postprocessed with a Fortran code. This code provided wall static pressure distributions, pitot pressure distributions, mass flow rates, and internal drag. These results were compared with experimental data from a subscale inlet test for code validation; then they were used to help evaluate the demonstrator engine net thrust.

Source record↗