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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Prediction of the aerodynamic and thermal environment in turbines

A numerical study of the steady, viscous flow prediction capabilities of the three-dimensional turbine stage code ROTOR3 is presented. Computations were performed with RAI3DC, a cascade version of ROTOR3 capable of being run in a planar or annular mode. Computed results are compared with experimental data obtained for Hodson's cascade, Kopper's cascade, and United Technologies Research Center's Large Scale Rotating Rig (LSRR) first-stage stator. The code's predictive capability is assessed in terms of the accuracy of predicted airfoil loadings, performance (including secondary flows in the LSRR case), boundary layers, and heat transfer. A grid refinement study was conducted in the LSRR case in an effort to more accurately model the boundary layers on the airfoil and endwall surfaces. The effects of the inlet total pressure profile in secondary flow prediction were also assessed.

Griffin, Lisa W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Modeling of a latent fault detector in a digital system

Methods of modeling the detection time or latency period of a hardware fault in a digital system are proposed that explain how a computer detects faults in a computational mode. The objectives were to study how software reacts to a fault, to account for as many variables as possible affecting detection and to forecast a given program's detecting ability prior to computation. A series of experiments were conducted on a small emulated microprocessor with fault injection capability. Results indicate that the detecting capability of a program largely depends on the instruction subset used during computation and the frequency of its use and has little direct dependence on such variables as fault mode, number set, degree of branching and program length. A model is discussed which employs an analog with balls in an urn to explain the rate of which subsequent repetitions of an instruction or instruction set detect a given fault.

Nagel, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Initial test results on state estimation on the SCOLE mast

Modal state estimation tests are performed on the SCOLE mast for the fixed Shuttle platform case. Kalman filter state estimation results from a five mode computer model of the SCOLE mast, developed from a finite element analysis, are compared with those state estimates obtained from laboratory tests. Two comparison runs are presented, one an excitation of the first two bending modes, another, an excitation of the first torsional mode of the mast. Results from both runs show poor agreement in modal estimation between the computer model simulations and the laboratory test data. At present, the reason(s) for this poor performance is unknown. Both the laboratory hardware and software and the computer model are being checked for possible sources of errors. Further computer simulations as well as laboratory testing will be performed.

Sparks, D., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Computation of vibration mode elastic-rigid and effective weight coefficients from finite-element computer program output

Post-processing algorithms are given to compute the vibratory elastic-rigid coupling matrices and the modal contributions to the rigid-body mass matrices and to the effective modal inertias and masses. Recomputation of the elastic-rigid coupling matrices for a change in origin is also described. A computational example is included. The algorithms can all be executed by using standard finite-element program eigenvalue analysis output with no changes to existing code or source programs.

Levy, R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Computer implemented empirical mode decomposition method apparatus, and article of manufacture utilizing curvature extrema

A computer implemented physical signal analysis method is includes two essential steps and the associated presentation techniques of the results. All the steps exist only in a computer: there are no analytic expressions resulting from the method. The first step is a computer implemented Empirical Mode Decomposition to extract a collection of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF) from nonlinear, nonstationary physical signals based on local extrema and curvature extrema. The decomposition is based on the direct extraction of the energy associated with various intrinsic time scales in the physical signal. Expressed in the IMF's, they have well-behaved Hilbert Transforms from which instantaneous frequencies can be calculated. The second step is the Hilbert Transform. The final result is the Hilbert Spectrum. Thus, the invention can localize any event on the time as well as the frequency axis. The decomposition can also be viewed as an expansion of the data in terms of the IMF's. Then, these IMF's, based on and derived from the data, can serve as the basis of that expansion. The local energy and the instantaneous frequency derived from the IMF's through the Hilbert transform give a full energy-frequency-time distribution of the data which is designated as the Hilbert Spectrum.

Huang, Norden Eh↗
DOE OSTI2025

Infernal instabilities in negative-triangularity plasmas with negative central shear

Abstract A systematic numerical investigation is carried out to understand magnetohydrodynamic stability of the ideal infernal-kink instability in tokamak plasmas with both negative triangularity (neg-D) shaping and negative central shear for the equilibrium safety factor profile. The latter is motivated by the desire to form the internal transport barrier in the neg-D configuration, which is known to have difficulty in forming the edge transport barrier. The infernal-kink mode is generally found to be more unstable in neg-D plasmas as compared to their positive D-shaped (pos-D) counterpart. This is mainly due to less favorable (or even unfavorable) average magnetic curvature near the radial location of the minimum safety factor ( q min ) as compared to the pos-D configuration. The larger Shafranov shift associated with the neg-D shape helps the mode stabilization but is not sufficient to overcome the destabilizing effect due to bad curvature. Strong poloidal mode coupling due to plasma shaping (toroidicity, elongation, triangularity, etc.) helps explain the slight shift with respect to that predicted by the analytic theory of the peak location of the computed mode growth versus q min .

Zhang, X. M.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Rotorcraft Transmission Noise Path Model, Including Distributed Fluid Film Bearing Impedance Modeling

A computational approach for simulating the effects of rolling element and journal bearings on the vibration and sound transmission through gearboxes has been demonstrated. The approach, using ARL/Penn State s CHAMP methodology, uses Component Mode Synthesis of housing and shafting modes computed using Finite Element (FE) models to allow for rapid adjustment of bearing impedances in gearbox models. The approach has been demonstrated on NASA GRC s test gearbox with three different bearing configurations: in the first condition, traditional rolling element (ball and roller) bearings were installed, and in the second and third conditions, the traditional bearings were replaced with journal and wave bearings (wave bearings are journal bearings with a multi-lobed wave pattern on the bearing surface). A methodology for computing the stiffnesses and damping in journal and wave bearings has been presented, and demonstrated for the journal and wave bearings used in the NASA GRC test gearbox. The FE model of the gearbox, along with the rolling element bearing coupling impedances, was analyzed to compute dynamic transfer functions between forces applied to the meshing gears and accelerations on the gearbox housing, including several locations near the bearings. A Boundary Element (BE) acoustic model was used to compute the sound radiated by the gearbox. Measurements of the Gear Mesh Frequency (GMF) tones were made by NASA GRC at several operational speeds for the rolling element and journal bearing gearbox configurations. Both the measurements and the CHAMP numerical model indicate that the journal bearings reduce vibration and noise for the second harmonic of the gear meshing tones, but show no clear benefit to using journal bearings to reduce the amplitudes of the fundamental gear meshing tones. Also, the numerical model shows that the gearbox vibrations and radiated sound are similar for journal and wave bearing configurations.

Hambric, Stephen A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

First principles modeling of polymer encapsulant degradation in Si photovoltaic modules

An outstanding issue in the longevity of photovoltaic (PV) modules is the accelerated degradation caused by the presence of moisture. Moisture leads to interfacial instability, de-adhesion, encapsulant decomposition, and contact corrosion. However, experimental characterization of moisture in PV modules is not trivial and its impacts can take years or decades to establish in the field, presenting a major obstacle to designing high-reliability modules. First principles calculations provide an alternative way to study the ingress of water and its detrimental effect on the structure and decomposition of the polymer encapsulant and interfaces between the encapsulant and the semiconductor, the metal contacts, or the dielectric layer. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) computations to model single chain, crystalline and cross-linked structures, infrared (IR) signatures, and degradation mechanisms of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), the most common polymer encapsulant used in Si PV modules. IR-active modes computed for low energy EVA structures and possible decomposition products match well with reported experiments. The EVA decomposition energy barriers computed using the Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method show a preference for acetic acid formation as compared to acetaldehyde, are lowered in the presence of a water solvent or hydroxyl ion catalyst, and match well with reported experimental activation energies. This systematic study leads to a clear picture of the hydrolysis-driven decomposition of EVA in terms of energetically favorable mechanisms, possible intermediate structures, and IR signatures of reactants and products.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1979

Experimental measurements of the rotating frequencies and mode shapes of a full scale helicopter rotor in a vacuum and correlations with calculated results

This paper presents results of an experimental program conducted to obtain data which can be used for correlations of rotor blade dynamic analyses. Measurements were made of the rotating frequencies and mode shapes of a representative full-scale, two-bladed helicopter rotor in a vacuum. The blades were cantilevered to the hub. Mode shape data were obtained optically using a system of cameras developed specifically for this purpose. Excitation of the rotor was provided by vertical oscillatory motion of the hub. To compare experimental and analytical results, correlations of some experimental measurements with calculations from an existing blade modes computer program based on a Holzer-Myklestad procedure are presented, and the differences between the results are discussed. The experimental and analytical natural frequencies were generally in good agreement as were the principal components of the modal deflections for the flap and lag modes. The torsion mode shape indicated disagreement between the measured and calculated results in regard to the amount of flap and lag motions present in this mode, while the spanwise variations of the measured and calculated torsional components were in agreement.

Lee, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

On a 3-D singularity element for computation of combined mode stress intensities

A special three-dimensional singularity element is developed for the computation of combined modes 1, 2, and 3 stress intensity factors, which vary along an arbitrarily curved crack front in three dimensional linear elastic fracture problems. The finite element method is based on a displacement-hybrid finite element model, based on a modified variational principle of potential energy, with arbitrary element interior displacements, interelement boundary displacements, and element boundary tractions as variables. The special crack-front element used in this analysis contains the square root singularity in strains and stresses, where the stress-intensity factors K(1), K(2), and K(3) are quadratically variable along the crack front and are solved directly along with the unknown nodal displacements.

Atluri, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Computer implemented empirical mode decomposition method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for two-dimensional signals

A computer implemented method of processing two-dimensional physical signals includes five basic components and the associated presentation techniques of the results. The first component decomposes the two-dimensional signal into one-dimensional profiles. The second component is a computer implemented Empirical Mode Decomposition that extracts a collection of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF's) from each profile based on local extrema and/or curvature extrema. The decomposition is based on the direct extraction of the energy associated with various intrinsic time scales in the profiles. In the third component, the IMF's of each profile are then subjected to a Hilbert Transform. The fourth component collates the Hilbert transformed IMF's of the profiles to form a two-dimensional Hilbert Spectrum. A fifth component manipulates the IMF's by, for example, filtering the two-dimensional signal by reconstructing the two-dimensional signal from selected IMF(s).

Huang, Norden E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An integrated aerodynamic/propulsion study for generic aero-space planes based on waverider concepts

Research efforts related to the development of a unified aerospace plane analysis based on waverider technology are summarized. Viscous effects on the forebodies of cone-derived waverider configurations were studied. A simple means for determining the average skin friction coefficient of laminar boundary layers was established. This was incorporated into a computer program that provides lift and drag coefficients and lift/drag ratio for on-design waveriders when the temperature and Reynolds number based on length are specified. An effort was made to carry out parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) calculations for cone-derived waveriders. When the viscous terms were turned off (in the Euler mode) computations for elliptic cone-derived waveriders could be carried out for a wide range of on-design and off-design situations. Work related to waveriders derived from power law shocks is described in some detail.

Emanuel, G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Computation of Transverse Injection Into Supersonic Crossflow With Various Injector Orifice Geometries

Computational results are presented for the performance and flow behavior of various injector geometries employed in transverse injection into a non-reacting Mach 1.2 flow. 3-D Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) results are obtained for the various injector geometries using the Wind code with the Mentor s Shear Stress Transport turbulence model in both single and multi-species modes. Computed results for the injector mixing, penetration, and induced wall forces are presented. In the case of rectangular injectors, those longer in the direction of the freestream flow are predicted to generate the most mixing and penetration of the injector flow into the primary stream. These injectors are also predicted to provide the largest discharge coefficients and induced wall forces. Minor performance differences are indicated among diamond, circle, and square orifices. Grid sensitivity study results are presented which indicate consistent qualitative trends in the injector performance comparisons with increasing grid fineness.

Foster, Lancert↗
NASA NTRS1987

Barotropic instability of midlatitude zonal jets on Mars, earth and Venus

A linearized, nondivergent, barotropic vorticity model on a sphere is used to intercompare the fastest growing, barotropically unstable wave modes computed for zonal jets at high latitudes in the middle atmospheres of Venus, earth, and Mars. The model is briefly described, and the choice of a range of zonal jet parameters - primarily Rossby numbers and the jet width - appropriate to Venus and Mars is discussed. The results are presented and compared with those found by Elson (1982) and Hartmann (1983) for nondivergent, barotropically unstable modes in relatively broad, midlatitude zonal jets in planetary atmospheres. Some specific examples appropriate to Venus and Mars are presented.

Michelangeli, Diane V.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Numerical investigation of active control of tearing mode by magnetic coils and the role of Δ'

Magnetic feedback stabilization of the tearing mode (TM) is numerically investigated, utilizing the MARS-F code (Liu et al 2000 Phys. Plasmas 7 3681) for toroidal tokamak equilibria. With control coil configurations assumed in this study, magnetic feedback partially or fully stabilizes the TM, with either vanishing or finite equilibrium pressure. The best control is achieved by the combination of internal active coils and internal poloidal sensors. The internal and external tearing indices are evaluated for the close-loop system, based on the MARS-F computed mode eigenvalue and eigenfunction, respectively. In the absence of the favorable curvature effect, these two indices are real-valued and quantitatively agree well with each other. For the equilibrium with finite pressure gradient at the mode rational surface, the favorable average curvature effect becomes important and the close-loop tearing index also becomes complex-valued, partly due to interaction of the feedback system with the dissipative wall eddy current response. Isolating the inner layer and outer region response to magnetic feedback, with either proportional or proportional-derivative actions, allows to establish that feedback stabilization of the TM occurs mainly due to modification of the behavior of the external ideal solution, further confirming the analytic result reported in He et al 2021 Phys. Plasmas 28 012504.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2022

Project Description for Student Symposium 2022: Modeling Approach to Critical in the Upcoming CERBERUS Experiment

The Critical Experiment Reflected By copper to BettEr Understand Scattering [CERBERUS] is an integral experiment that will be executed at the end of FY23. The experiment is designed to study the intermediate energy range, in particular elastic and inelastic scattering of neutrons in copper. Approaching criticality safely is of utmost importance, and having a computer mode is a useful tool when determining changes that can safely be made to the experiment. Multiple simulations are needed to analyze the approach to critical, and manually creating MCNP input files is both tedious and error prone. To solve this problem, a python script was created to develop and run these input files.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2012

SE-FIT

The mathematical theory of capillary surfaces has developed steadily over the centuries, but it was not until the last few decades that new technologies have put a more urgent demand on a substantially more qualitative and quantitative understanding of phenomena relating to capillarity in general. So far, the new theory development successfully predicts the behavior of capillary surfaces for special cases. However, an efficient quantitative mathematical prediction of capillary phenomena related to the shape and stability of geometrically complex equilibrium capillary surfaces remains a significant challenge. As one of many numerical tools, the open-source Surface Evolver (SE) algorithm has played an important role over the last two decades. The current effort was undertaken to provide a front-end to enhance the accessibility of SE for the purposes of design and analysis. Like SE, the new code is open-source and will remain under development for the foreseeable future. The ultimate goal of the current Surface Evolver Fluid Interface Tool (SEFIT) development is to build a fully integrated front-end with a set of graphical user interface (GUI) elements. Such a front-end enables the access to functionalities that are developed along with the GUIs to deal with pre-processing, convergence computation operation, and post-processing. In other words, SE-FIT is not just a GUI front-end, but an integrated environment that can perform sophisticated computational tasks, e.g. importing industry standard file formats and employing parameter sweep functions, which are both lacking in SE, and require minimal interaction by the user. These functions are created using a mixture of Visual Basic and the SE script language. These form the foundation for a high-performance front-end that substantially simplifies use without sacrificing the proven capabilities of SE. The real power of SE-FIT lies in its automated pre-processing, pre-defined geometries, convergence computation operation, computational diagnostic tools, and crash-handling capabilities to sustain extensive computations. SE-FIT performance is enabled by its so-called file-layer mechanism. During the early stages of SE-FIT development, it became necessary to modify the original SE code to enable capabilities required for an enhanced and synchronized communication. To this end, a file-layer was created that serves as a command buffer to ensure a continuous and sequential execution of commands sent from the front-end to SE. It also establishes a proper means for handling crashes. The file layer logs input commands and SE output; it also supports user interruption requests, back and forward operation (i.e. undo and redo), and others. It especially enables the batch mode computation of a series of equilibrium surfaces and the searching of critical parameter values in studying the stability of capillary surfaces. In this way, the modified SE significantly extends the capabilities of the original SE.

Chen, Yongkang↗
NASA NTRS2004

MPT Prediction of Aircraft-Engine Fan Noise

A collection of computer programs has been developed that implements a procedure for predicting multiple-pure-tone (MPT) noise generated by fan blades of an aircraft engine (e.g., a turbofan engine). MPT noise arises when the fan is operating with supersonic relative tip Mach No. Under this flow condition, there is a strong upstream running shock. The strength and position of this shock are very sensitive to blade geometry variations. For a fan where all the blades are identical, the primary tone observed upstream of the fan will be the blade passing frequency. If there are small variations in geometry between blades, then tones below the blade passing frequency arise MPTs. Stagger angle differences as small as 0.1 can give rise to significant MPT. It is also noted that MPT noise is more pronounced when the fan is operating in an unstarted mode. Computational results using a three-dimensional flow solver to compute the complete annulus flow with non-uniform fans indicate that MPT noise can be estimated in a relatively simple way. Hence, once the effect of a typical geometry variation of one blade in an otherwise uniform blade row is known, the effect of all the blades being different can be quickly computed via superposition. Two computer programs that were developed as part of this work are used in conjunction with a user s computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code to predict MPT spectra for a fan with a specified set of geometric variations: (1) The first program ROTBLD reads the users CFD solution files for a single blade passage via an API (Application Program Interface). There are options to replicate and perturb the geometry with typical variations stagger, camber, thickness, and pitch. The multi-passage CFD solution files are then written in the user s file format using the API. (2) The second program SUPERPOSE requires two input files: the first is the circumferential upstream pressure distribution extracted from the CFD solution on the multi-passage mesh, the second file defines the geometry variations of each blade in a complete fan. Superposition is used to predict the spectra resulting from the geometric variations.

Connell, Stuart D.↗