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At least 505 records · Page 28

Progress on Shape Memory Alloy Actuator Development for Active Clearance Control

Results of a numerical analysis evaluating the feasibility of high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMA) for active clearance control actuation in the high-pressure turbine section of a modern turbofan engine has been conducted. The prototype actuator concept considered here consists of parallel HTSMA wires attached to the shroud that is located on the exterior of the turbine case. A transient model of an HTSMA actuator was used to evaluate active clearance control at various operating points in a test bed aircraft engine simulation. For the engine under consideration, each actuator must be designed to counteract loads from 380 to 2000 lbf and displace at least 0.033 in. Design results show that an actuator comprised of 10 wires 2 in. in length is adequate for control at critical engine operating points and still exhibit acceptable failsafe operability and cycle life. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller with integrator windup protection was implemented to control clearance amidst engine transients during a normal mission. Simulation results show that the control system exhibits minimal variability in clearance control performance across the operating envelope. The final actuator design is sufficiently small to fit within the limited space outside the high-pressure turbine case and is shown to consume only small amounts of bleed air to adequately regulate temperature.

DeCastro, Jonathan↗

Energy-efficient sorption-based gas clothes dryer systems

Standard electric resistance and fuel-driven dehydration technologies exhibit a maximum coefficient of performance of well below 1 mainly due to enthalpy losses associated with the air leaving the dehydration system. To improve energy efficiency, condensing dryer systems condense the moisture captured from a product in a closed-loop air circulation cycle. Existing condensing dehydration systems including heat pump dryers, however, need to significantly cool the air to achieve dehumidification. The added cooling and subsequent heating to return the air to a desired drying temperature consume substantial energy and thus reduce drying performance. Here, an innovative sorption-based gas dehydration system is proposed to overcome barriers deteriorating energy efficiency in existing gas, electric, or heat pump dryer systems. Decoupling latent and sensible loads, the system employs a liquid-desiccant solution to directly capture air humidity, thereby allowing circulation of the air in a closed loop to achieve high drying energy efficiency. In other words, the system captures waste latent heat from the moisture produced during the dehydration process and reuses it to improve energy efficiency. This study focuses on a comprehensive quasi-steady-state thermodynamic modeling of the proposed sorption-based dehydration concept employed for a gas clothes dryer application to predict transient response and overall drying performance (i.e., time and energy metrics). The analysis indicates the proposed sorption-based gas clothes dryer system can deliver a specific moisture extraction rate of 1.71 kg of water per kWh (i.e., a combined energy factor of 3.167 kg (6.98 lbm) of dry cloth per kWh) with a drying time of 44 min. This is a 112% energy improvement compared with state-of-the-art gas clothes dryers exhibiting a combined energy factor of 1.50 kg (3.3 lbm) of dry cloth per kWh. The technology pursued here can potentially be employed as a platform for many fuel-driven equipment to take advantage of available waste thermal energy in the environment instead of simply burning a fuel.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Models and methods for assessing the value of HVDC and MVDC technologies in modern power grids

This report reflects the results of U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Modernization project 0074 “Models and methods for assessing the value of HVDC [high-voltage direct current] and MTDC [multi-terminal direct current] technologies in modern power grids.” The work was done by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in cooperation with Mid-Continent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Siemens. The main motivation of this study was to show the benefit of using direct current (DC) systems larger than those in existence today as they overlap with the alternating current (AC) systems. Proper use of their flexibility in terms of active/reactive power control and fast response can provide much-needed services to the grid at the same time as moving large blocks of energy to take advantage of cost diversity. Ultimately, the project’s success will enable decision-makers and investors to make well-informed decisions regarding this use of DC systems. This project showed the technical feasibility of HVDC macrogrid for frequency control and congestion relief in addition to bulk power transfers. Industry-established models for commonly used technologies were employed, along with high-fidelity models for recently developed HVDC converter technologies; like the modular multilevel converters (MMCs), a voltage source converters (VSC). Models for General Electric Positive Sequence Load Flow (GE PSLF) and Siemens Power System Simulator (PSS/E), widely used analysis programs, were for the first time adapted to include at the same time both Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) and Eastern Interconnection (EI), the two largest North American interconnections. The high-fidelity models and their control were developed in detail for MMC system and extended to HVDC systems in point-to-point and in three-node multi-terminal configurations. Using a continental-level mixed AC-DC grid model, and using a HVDC macrogrid power flow and transient stability model, the results showed that the HVDC macrogrid relieved congestion and mitigated loop flows in AC networks, and provided up to 24% improvement in frequency responses. These are realistic studies, based on the 2025 heavy summer and EI multi-regional modeling working group (MMWG) 2026 summer peak cases. This work developed high-fidelity models and simulation algorithms to understand the dynamics of MMC. The developed models and simulation algorithms are up to 25 times faster than the existing algorithms. Models and control algorithms for high-fidelity models were designed and tested for point-to-point and multi-terminal configurations. The multi-terminal configuration was tested connecting simplified models of EI, WI, and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The developed models showed up to 45% improvement in frequency response with the connection of all the three asynchronous interconnections in the United States using fast and advanced DC technologies like the multi-terminal MMC-DC system. Future work will look into developing high-fidelity models of other advanced DC technologies, combining high-fidelity models with the continental-level model, incorporating additional services. More scenarios involving large-scale HVDC and MTDC will be evaluated.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Harmonic Modeling, Data Generation and Analysis of Power Electronics-Interfaced Residential Loads

The share of electronics-based residential load is expected to rise as devices such as variable frequency drives (VFDs), electric vehicle chargers, and inverter-based distributed energy resources (DERs), e.g., photovoltaic (PV) systems become more common. These loads may introduce significant harmonics into power networks that need to be closely studied in order to perform accurate load modeling and forecasting. However, it can be difficult to obtain harmonic-rich voltage and current data - necessary for identifying accurate load models - for residential electrical loads. Recognizing this need, we identify and model a set of electronics-based end-use loads and DERs in an electromagnetic transients program (EMTP) tool for a residence with a single- phase split-phase supply. Further, a procedure is developed to model harmonic interactions between end-use loads connected to the same non-ideal supply voltage in a residential setting. Finally, a harmonic-rich dataset produced via the proposed procedure is utilized to identify frequency coupling matrix (FCM) based load model. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy of the model, and explore model identifiability with limited data points.

harmonics, power quality, load modeling↗

Nonlinear dynamic response of a uni-directional model for the tile/pad space shuttle thermal protection system

A unidirectional analysis of the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the space shuttle tile/pad thermal protection system is developed and examined for imposed sinusoidal and random motions of the shuttle skin and/or applied tile pressure. The analysis accounts for the highly nonlinear stiffening hysteresis and viscous behavior of the pad which joins the tile to the shuttle skin. Where available, experimental data are used to confirm the validity of the analysis. Both analytical and experimental studies reveal that the system resonant frequency is very high for low amplitude oscillations but decreases rapidly to a minimum value with increasing amplitude. Analytical studies indicate that with still higher amplitude the resonant frequency increases slowly. The nonlinear pad is also responsible for the analytically and experimentally observed distorted response wave shapes having high sharp peaks when the system is subject to sinusoidal loads. Furthermore, energy dissipation in the pad is studied analytically and it is found that the energy dissipated is sufficiently high to cause rapid decay of dynamic transients. Nevertheless, the sharp peaked nonlinear responses of the system lead to higher magnification factors than would be expected in such a highly damped linear system.

Housner, J. M.↗

Impact of red giant/AGB winds on active galactic nucleus jet propagation

Context. Dense stellar winds may mass-load the jets of active galactic nuclei, although it is unclear on what time and spatial scales the mixing takes place. Aims. Our aim is to study the first steps of the interaction between jets and stellar winds, and also the scales on which the stellar wind mixes with the jet and mass-loads it. Methods. We present a detailed 2D simulation – including thermal cooling – of a bubble formed by the wind of a star designed to study the initial stages of jet-star interaction. We also study the first interaction of the wind bubble with the jet using a 3D simulation in which the star enters the jet. Stability analysis is carried out for the shocked wind structure to evaluate the distances over which the jet-dragged wind, which forms a tail, can propagate without mixing with the jet flow. Results. The 2D simulations point to quick wind bubble expansion and fragmentation after about one bubble shock crossing time. Three-dimensional simulations and stability analysis point to local mixing in the case of strong perturbations and relatively low density ratios between the jet and the jet dragged-wind, and to a possibly more stable shocked wind structure at the phase of maximum tail mass flux. Analytical estimates also indicate that very early stages of the star jet-penetration time may be also relevant for massloading. The combination of these and previous results from the literature suggests highly unstable interaction structures and efficient wind-jet flow mixing on the scale of the jet interaction height. Conclusions. The winds of stars with strong mass loss can efficiently mix with jets from active galactic nuclei. In addition, the initial wind bubble shocked by the jet leads to a transient, large interaction surface. The interaction between jets and stars can produce strong inhomogeneities within the jet. As mixing is expected to be effective on large scales, even individual asymptotic giant branch stars can significantly contribute to the mass-load of the jet and thus affect its dynamics. Shear layer mass-entrainment could be important. The interaction structure can be a source of significant non-thermal emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Demonstration of the surveillance test article for an advanced reactor surveillance test program

Operational environments in generation IV reactors involve corrosive and irradiative conditions at elevated temperatures. Typical reactor operations consist of transients which impose cyclic loads on reactor components. These cyclic loads, combined with corrosive and irradiative environments, result in synergistic degradation of component materials. However, limited data exists on the coupled damage effects on materials for reactor environments. While the surrogate material surveillance concept has been used in light water reactors to assess irradiation damage, existing material surveillance technologies are not suitable for in-situ monitoring of coupled material degradation. The materials surveillance program focuses on material degradation management and the estimation of remaining life of reactor components through surveillance test articles. This paper presents the design and analysis methodology of a bi-metal surveillance test article, which uses difference in thermal expansion coefficient between two metals to induce in-situ cyclic loads. This report presents the work conducted in FY 25, to test the surveillance test article in air and salt environments. These test specimens were evaluated after thermal cycle exposure and remaining life is measured through creep test.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Transient motion of thick anisotropic plates

Analyses are developed for the response of anisotropic plate strips to a transient load. The load is taken in the form of a line load of normal stress on the surface or within the body of the strip. The characteristic free vibrational modes of the strip are derived and used to derive the secular equation for this case in closed form and to isolate the mathematical conditions for symmetric and antisymmetric wave mode propagation in completely separate terms. The applied loads are expanded in terms of these normal modes and the response of the plate is obtained by superposition of the appropriate components. Material systems of higher symmetry are contained implicitly in the analysis.

Nayfeh, Adnan H.↗

Structural load control during construction

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: examples of high transient loadings on large space structures; energy absorbing/load limiting strut research objectives; scope of research on energy absorbing struts to date; energy characteristics of cantilevered trusses with a tip load; ten bay long resilient truss example; stored energy characteristics of one meter deep truss; energy absorbing potential for 10-bay 5-meter deep truss; schematic of energy absorbing strut; linear load and motion control actuator; rigid body response of a solar array to the shuttle thruster pressure impingement; solar array piecewise linear response; solar array characteristics; solar array tip deflection and required actuator stroke; solar array response from finite element analysis; 12 bay energy absorbing test bed dynamics; and new AERO-Lab with 12-bay test beam.

Mikulas, Martin↗

TRANSIENT BEAM LOADING DUE TO THE BUNCH TRAIN GAP AND ITS COMPENSATION EXPERIMENTS AT BEPC-II AND ALS

Non-uniform bunch fill patterns in storage rings, driven by the need to provide gaps for beam aborting and ion clearing cause a large beam loading change in the RF cavities. The induced turn-periodic transient in the cavity voltage modulates longitudinal beam properties along the train, such as synchronous phase and bunch length. We have carried out beam based experiments on the BEPC-II at IHEP and on the ALS at LBNL, using bunch-by-bunch diagnostic capabilities of the coupled-bunch feedback systems to study this transient effect. A modulated bunch filling pattern with higher charge density around the gap has been demonstrated to be effective in partially compensating this transient modulation. Details of the experimental setups and the data analysis will be presented.

Wang, H.↗

Design and Analysis Progress of ITER Diagnostic Equatorial Port #09

ITER is the world's largest fusion device currently under construction in the South of France with >50 diagnostic systems to be installed inside the port plugs (PPs), the interspace (IS), or the port cell region of various diagnostic ports. The plasma facing diagnostic first wall (DFW) and its supporting diagnostic shield modules (DSM) are designed to protect front-end diagnostics from plasma neutron and plasma radiation, while providing apertures for diagnostic access to the plasma. The design of ITER port plug structures including the DFW and the DSM is largely driven by the electromagnetic loads included on the PP structural components during plasma major disruptions and the vertical displacement events (VDEs). Unlike DFW and DSM, the design of diagnostic system, however, is likely driven by the steady-state thermal loads from plasma volumetric and surface heating and the dynamic response of the in-port components attached to the port-specific DSM or closure plate under transient loads induced on the vacuum vessel and the port extension during asymmetric VDEs. Three tenant diagnostic systems are integrated into the equatorial port 09. The toroidal interferometer/polarimeter, or TIP system, is installed in the left drawer (DSM3, left looking from plasma) for measuring the plasma density so to control the fuel input. The electron cyclotron emission (ECE) system is installed in the middle drawer (DSM2) to provide the high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of electron temperature evolution and the electron thermal transport inferences. The visible/infrared wide angle viewing system is installed in the right drawer (DSM1) to provide visible and infrared viewing and temperature data of the first wall for its protection in support of machine operation. The port plug integration design and multiphysics analyses are performed following port integration requirements including the weight limit (45 tones total), shut down dose rate limits, the cooling/heating and structural integrity validation. Mass distribution for TIP and ECE DSMs has been optimized to minimize the total weight by a new design of the boron carbide shielding pocket. Furthermore, the lightened DSM maintains its front-end load distribution and the structural stiffness with minimum impact to the DFW so to better protect on-board diagnostics; while still provides sufficient front-end stiffness for its structural integrity as well as the diagnostics function requirements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Estimation of payload loads using rigid body interface accelerations

In the design/analysis process of a payload structural system, the accelerations at the payload/launch vehicle interface obtained from a system analysis using a rigid payload are often used as the input forcing function to the elastic payload to obtain structural design loads. Such an analysis is at best an approximation since the elastic coupling effects are neglected. This paper develops a method wherein the launch vehicle/rigid payload interface accelerations are modified to account for the payload elasticity. The advantage of the proposed method, which is exact to the extent that the physical system can be described by a truncated set of generalized coordinates, is that the complete design/analysis process can be performed within the organization responsible for the payload design. The method requires the updating of the system normal modes to account for payload changes, but does not require a complete transient solution using the composite system model. An application to a real complex structure, the Viking Spacecraft System, is given.

Chen, J. C.↗

Calculation of Wing Bending Moments and Tail Loads Resulting from the Jettison of Wing Tips During a Symmetrical Pull-Up

A preliminary analytical investigation was made to determine the feasibility of the basic idea of controlled failure points as safety valves for the primary airplane structure. The present analysis considers the possibilities of the breakable wing tip which, in failing as a weak link, would relieve the bending moments on the wing structure. The analysis was carried out by computing the time histories of the wing and stabilizer angle of attack in a 10g pull-up for an XF8F airplane with tips fixed and comparing the results with those for the same maneuver, that is, elevator motion but with tips jettisoned at 8g. The calculations indicate that the increased stability accompanying the loss of the wing tips reduces the bending moment an additional amount above that which would be expected from the initial loss in lift and the inboard shift in load. The vortex shed when the tips are lost may induce a transient load requiring that the tail be made stronger than otherwise.

Boshar, John↗

Simulation of a Full-Scale Crash Test of a Fokker F28 Fellowship Aircraft

In June 2019, a full-scale crash test of a Fokker F28 Fellowship aircraft was conducted as part of a joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Federal Aviation Administration (NASA/FAA) project to investigate the performance of transport aircraft under realistic crash conditions. The test objectives were to provide data for assessment of transport aircraft crash worthiness and to generate test data for model validation. The test article was loaded with transport aircraft seats in a 3+2 configuration. A total of 24 instrumented Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) were placed in the seats and restrained. The test article weighed 33,306-lb. and, during the crash test, impacted a 2-ft. high soil bed at 65.3-ft/s forward and 31.8-ft/s vertical velocity. The full-scale crash test was simulated using the commercial nonlinear explicit transient dynamic finite element code, LSDYNA®. This paper will provide a description of the test article and the crash test conditions, document the F28 full-scale model development, and present test-analysis comparisons in several categories including inertial properties, kinematic responses, structural acceleration responses, and airframe deformation and failure. In addition, test-analysis results will be quantified based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 16250 curve comparison methodology.

Jackson, Karen E.↗

Aggregate data‐driven dynamic modeling of active distribution networks with DERs for voltage stability studies

Abstract Electric distribution networks increasingly host distributed energy resources based on power electronic converter (PEC) toward active distribution networks (ADN). Despite advances in computational capabilities, electromagnetic transient models are limited in scalability because of their reliance on exact data about the distribution system and each of its components. Similarly, the use of the DER_A model, which is intended to examine the combined dynamic behavior of many DERs, is limited by the difficulty in parameterization. There is a need for improved dynamic models of DERs for use in large power system simulations for stability analysis. This paper proposes an aggregate model‐free, data‐driven approach for deriving a dynamic partitioned model (DPM) of ADNs. Detailed residential distribution feeders were first developed, including PEC‐based DERs and composite load models (CMLDs), from which the aggregated DPM was derived. The performance was evaluated through various case studies and validated against the detailed ADN model and state‐of‐the‐art DER_A model with CMLD. The data‐driven DPM achieved a of over 90%, accurately representing the aggregated dynamic behavior of ADNs. Furthermore, the DPM significantly accelerated the simulation process with a computational speedup of 68 times compared to the detailed ADN and a 3.5 times speedup compared to the DER_A CMLD model.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Microgrid Modeling for Stability Analysis

Here this document is a summary of a report prepared by the IEEE PES Task Force (TF) on Microgrid (MG) Dynamic Modeling, IEEE Power and Energy Society, Tech. Rep. PES-TR106, 2023. In this paper, the major issues and challenges in microgrid modeling for stability analysis are discussed, and a review of state-of-the-art modeling approaches and trends is presented. In the context of the IEEE 1547 standard, the document covers issues associated with component models for MG dynamic studies and simulations, including generator and grid modeling, full and average converter models, unbalanced and balanced system conditions, dynamic and static loads, protection requirements, and detailed and simplified controls considering communications delays, packet losses, and security issues. Considering the future integration of grids and MGs to form broad integrated networks, a discussion is presented of the use of phasor vis-à-vis electromagnetic transient simulation tools for MG dynamic stability studies, as well as modeling scale-up issues and MG equivalent models. Specifically white-, grey-, and black-box models, are presented. This TF paper and companion report constitute a modeling guide for R&D groups working on developments and standards of MGs with a focus on stability issues.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Observations of modal coupling due to bolted joints in an experimental benchmark structure

The goal of this paper is to present a set of measurements from a benchmark structure containing two bolted joints to support future efforts to predict the damping due to the joints and to model nonlinear coupling between the first two elastic modes. Bolted joints introduce nonlinearities in structures, typically causing a softening in the natural frequency and an increase in damping because of frictional slip between the contact interfaces within the joint. These nonlinearities pose significant challenges when characterizing the response of the structure under a large range of load amplitudes, especially when the modal responses become coupled, causing the effective damping and natural frequency to not only depend on the excitation amplitude of the targeted mode, but also the relative amplitudes of other modes. In this work, two nominally identical benchmark structures, known in some prior works as the S4 beam, are tested to characterize their nonlinear properties for the first two elastic modes. Detailed surface measurements are presented and validated through finite element analysis and reveal distinct contact interactions between the two sets of beams. The free-free test structures are excited with an impact hammer and the transient response is analyzed to extract the damping and frequency backbone curves. A range of impact amplitudes and drive points are used to isolate a single mode or to excite both modes simultaneously. Differences in the nonlinear response correlate with the relative strength of the modes that are excited, allowing one to characterize mode coupling. Each of the beams shows different nonlinear properties for each mode, which is attributed to the different contact pressure distributions between the parts, although the mode coupling relationship is found to be consistent between the two. Lastly, the test data key finding are presented in this paper and the supporting data is available on a public repository for interested researchers.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Initial Core Physics and Safety Analyses Supporting the Versatile Test Reactor

The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is a proposed integrated facility for investigations into the behavior of fuels and materials subjected to high, fast neutron fluxes prototypical of fast reactor environments. Detailed design of the reactor is currently being performed by a group of U.S. National Laboratories, including Argonne National Laboratory. The current design of the reactor is a 300 MW sodium-cooled pool-type fast reactor fueled with ternary U-20Pu-10Zr metallic fuel. This report documents reactor core physics and preliminary safety analyses that have been performed. The reference VTR core has 313 assembly positions, 66 of which contain fuel assemblies. The remaining assembly positions are loaded with reflector, shield, control rod duct, and test assemblies. Ten positions are available in the reference design for experimental or test assemblies, however the VTR will support test assemblies in any position in the core for alternate core loadings. The performance of the reference VTR core has been assessed for an assumed equilibrium cycle. The core power distribution and reactivity feedback coefficients have been calculated. Preliminary assessments of the reactivity coefficients have shown that each of them results in a negative reactivity change for increasing temperatures. Safety analysis of a VTR layout has been performed using the SAS4A/SASSYS-1 fast reactor safety analysis code. A model has been developed to represent the current core design and a reference heat transport system design. The model has been used to simulate and perform analysis of protected and unprotected loss of heat sink, station blackout, and transient overpower accident scenarios. These scenarios represent the three main ways to perturb the reactor core, through changes to the core inlet temperature, mass flow rate, or reactivity insertions and are credible bounding scenarios for the evaluated transient categories. The results of these simulations have been assessed against simplified criteria for Anticipated Operational Occurrences for the protected transients and for Beyond Design Basis Events for the unprotected transients. Because the primary heat transport system is able to transition quickly and effectively to natural circulation and because the shutdown heat removal system provides sufficient heat rejection capability, large margins for all criteria were predicted for all protected transients. Large margins were also predicted for the unprotected loss of heat sink and station blackout transients due to the strong negative reactivity feedbacks generated by the core. Because of the high power density in the reactor, smaller fuel melting margins are predicted for the unprotected transient overpower accident.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗