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Results for “numerical stabilization”

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 451 records · Page 25

Steric stabilization of nanoparticles with grafted low molecular weight ligands in highly concentrated brines including divalent ions

Whereas numerous studies of stabilization of nanoparticles (NPs) in electrolytes have examined biological fluids, the interest has grown recently in media with much higher ionic strengths including seawater and brines relevant to environmental science and subsurface oil and gas reservoirs. Given that electrostatic repulsion is limited at extremely high ionic strengths due to charge screening, we have identified ligands that are well solvated in concentrated brine containing divalent cations and thus provide steric stabilization of silica nanoparticles. Specifically, the hydrodynamic diameter of silica nanoparticles with grafted low molecular weight ligands, a diol ether, [3-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)propyl]-trimethoxysilane, and a zwitterionic sulfobetaine, 3-([dimethyl(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonio)propane-1-sulfonate, is shown with dynamic light scattering to remain essentially constant, indicating lack of aggregation, at room temperature and up to 80 °C for over 30 days. An extended DLVO model signifies that steric stabilization is strongly dominant against van der Waals attraction for ~10 nm particles given that these ligands are well solvated even in highly concentrated brine. In contrast, polyethylene glycol oligomers do not provide steric stabilization at elevated temperatures, even at conditions where the ligands are soluble, indicating complicating factors including bridging of the ether oxygens by divalent cations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Catalytic applications of enzymes encapsulated in metal–organic frameworks

Here, the global catalyst industry is valued at nearly 20 billion USD and demand continues to rise. Enzymes, biological macromolecules, are highly selective and efficient catalysts; however, their commercial implementation has been hindered due to their poor chemical and thermal stability and low reusability. Numerous strategies have been investigated to stabilize enzymes and improve their processability. Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been investigated as enzyme immobilization supports. Herein, we highlight the immobilization of enzymes in MOF cages and pores for catalysis applications and discuss the future of this enzyme encapsulation strategy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Numerical methods for hypersonic boundary layer stability

Four different schemes for solving compressible boundary layer stability equations are developed and compared, considering both the temporal and spatial stability for a global eigenvalue spectrum and a local eigenvalue search. The discretizations considered encompass: (1) a second-order-staggered finite-difference scheme; (2) a fourth-order accurate, two-point compact scheme; (3) a single-domain Chebychev spectral collocation scheme; and (4) a multidomain spectral collocation scheme. As Mach number increases, the performance of the single-domain collocation scheme deteriorates due to the outward movement of the critical layer; a multidomain spectral method is accordingly designed to furnish superior resolution of the critical layer.

Malik, M. R.↗

Operational Stability Limits in Rotating Detonation Engine Numerical Simulations

An instability is described which arises in computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of semi-idealized rotating detonation engines (RDE) configured with a throat at the exit. Its existence is verified by examining output from two independently developed CFD codes simulating the same configuration and producing solutions that agree well. The instability is shown to be thermo-acoustic in that a spatial integral of the product of pressure and heat release fluctuations develops a regular oscillation which grows in time. The instability can become severe enough to cause detonation failure. Its onset is shown to be closely linked to the size of the exit throat and the size of the inlet restriction; both parameters that strongly influence RDE performance. It is shown that the instability places a cap on ideal RDEperformance, but that an optimized exhaust throat and inlet restriction combination still yields substantial pressure gain. Other parametric sensitivities are also examined in terms ofinstability growth. These include axial length, inlet manifold pressure, and air-fuel ratio.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

Stability analysis for laminar flow control, part 2

Topics covered include: (1) optimization of the numerics of the SALLY stability analysis code; (2) relation between temporal and spatial stability theory; (3) compressible flow stability calculations; (4) spectral methods for the boundary layer equations; and (5) numerical study of nonlinear, nonparallel stability of incompressible flows.

Orszag, S. A.↗

Direct Numerical Simulation of hydrogen combustion at auto-ignitive conditions: Ignition, stability and turbulent reaction-front velocity

Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) are performed to investigate the process of spontaneous ignition of hydrogen flames at laminar, turbulent, adiabatic and non-adiabatic conditions. Mixtures of hydrogen and vitiated air at temperatures representing gas-turbine reheat combustion are considered. Adiabatic spontaneous ignition processes are investigated first, providing a quantitative characterization of stable and unstable flames. Results indicate that, in hydrogen reheat combustion, compressibility effects play a key role in flame stability and that unstable ignition and combustion are consistently encountered for reactant temperatures close to the mixture’s characteristic crossover temperature. Furthermore, it is also found that the characterization of the adiabatic processes is also valid in the presence of non-adiabaticity due to wall heat-loss. Finally, a quantitative characterization of the instantaneous fuel consumption rate within the reaction front is obtained and of its ability, at auto-ignitive conditions, to advance against the approaching turbulent flow of the reactants, for a range of different turbulence intensities, temperatures and pressure levels.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Inverse scattering theory: Inverse scattering series method for one dimensional non-compact support potential

The reversion of the Born-Neumann series of the Lippmann-Schwinger equation is one of the standard ways to solve the inverse acoustic scattering problem. One limitation of the current inversion methods based on the reversion of the Born-Neumann series is that the velocity potential should have compact support. However, this assumption cannot be satisfied in certain cases, especially in seismic inversion. Based on the idea of distorted wave scattering, we explore an inverse scattering method for velocity potentials without compact support. The strategy is to decompose the actual medium as a known single interface reference medium, which has the same asymptotic form as the actual medium and a perturbative scattering potential with compact support. After introducing the method to calculate the Green’s function for the known reference potential, the inverse scattering series and Volterra inverse scattering series are derived for the perturbative potential. Analytical and numerical examples demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this method. Besides, to ensure stability of the numerical computation, the Lanczos averaging method is employed as a filter to reduce the Gibbs oscillations for the truncated discrete inverse Fourier transform of each order. Our method provides a rigorous mathematical framework for inverse acoustic scattering with a non-compact support velocity potential.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Research study on stabilization and control: Modern sampled data control theory

A numerical analysis of spacecraft stability parameters was conducted. The analysis is based on a digital approximation by point by point state comparison. The technique used is that of approximating a continuous data system by a sampled data model by comparison of the states of the two systems. Application of the method to the digital redesign of the simplified one axis dynamics of the Skylab is presented.

Kuo, B. C.↗

Stability of polar rings around Neptune

An analytical and numerical study of the stability of polar rings around Neptune is presented. The stability proofs are based on various methods used to study gas disks in galaxies. It is shown that stable polar rings can exist despite energy dissipation by collisions between particles. Also, four equilibrium orientations which pass nearly over the pole of Neptune are found, two of which are stable in the presence of dissipation.

Dobrovolskis, Anthony R.↗

Efficient Multi-Scale, Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Numerical Model for Simulation of Long-Term Stability of Rooms for Nuclear Waste Disposal

This project demonstrated the feasibility of developing a numerical modeling tool that provides an efficient and unique approach to analyze the geomechanical performance of a deep geological repository (DGR) for high-level nuclear waste. The numerical modeling tool is physics-based and models the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes during the required time (up to one million years) for a DGR. The unique capability of the developed code is explicit representation of fracturing and a discrete fracture network (DFN) in the model that includes the entire repository layout for simulated time of one million years. Therefore, it can potentially address one of the challenges of analysis of a DGR, which is efficient numerical simulation of a multi-scale, physics-based models.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

The stabilized mixed finite element scheme of elasticity problem

In this paper, we consider a new mixed finite element scheme of the elasticity problem in two and three dimensions, and the new scheme can impose Neumann boundary condition directly. A new stabilized method is proposed for this scheme, in which the equal order linear element pair is employed to approximate the stress and displacement, and an abstract operator is used to characterize the lack of the inf-sup condition. The new stabilized method is locking free. Numerical results show the excellent stability and accuracy of the new method.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

On the numerical computation of nonlinear force-free magnetic fields

An algorithm has been developed to extrapolate nonlinear force-free magnetic fields from a source surface, given the proper boundary conditions. The results of this work; describing the mathematical formalism that was developed, the numerical techniques employed, and the stability criteria developed for these numerical schemes are presented. An analytical solution is used for a test case; the results show that the computational accuracy for the case of a nonlinear force-free magnetic field was on the order of a few percent ( 5%).

Wu, S. T.↗

Numerical Boundary Condition Procedures

Topics include numerical procedures for treating inflow and outflow boundaries, steady and unsteady discontinuous surfaces, far field boundaries, and multiblock grids. In addition, the effects of numerical boundary approximations on stability, accuracy, and convergence rate of the numerical solution are discussed.

Source record↗

Error propagation in the numerical solutions of the differential equations of orbital mechanics

The relationship between the eigenvalues of the linearized differential equations of orbital mechanics and the stability characteristics of numerical methods is presented. It is shown that the Cowell, Encke, and Encke formulation with an independent variable related to the eccentric anomaly all have a real positive eigenvalue when linearized about the initial conditions. The real positive eigenvalue causes an amplification of the error of the solution when used in conjunction with a numerical integration method. In contrast an element formulation has zero eigenvalues and is numerically stable.

Bond, V. R.↗