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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Experimental and Computational Analysis of Shuttle Orbiter Hypersonic Trim Anomaly

During the high-Mach-number, high-altitude portion of the first entry of the Shuttle Orbiter, the vehicle exhibited a nose-up pitching moment relative to preflight prediction of approximately Delta Cm = 0.03. This trim anomaly has been postulated to be due to compressibility, viscous, and/or real-gas (lowered specific heat ratio gamma) effects on basic body pitching moment, body-flap effectiveness, or both. In order to assess the relative contribution of each of these effects, an experimental study was undertaken to examine the effects of Mach number, Reynolds number, and ratio of specific heats. Complementary computational solutions were obtained for wind-tunnel and flight conditions. The primary cause of the anomaly was determined to be lower pressures on the aft windward surface of the Orbiter than deduced from hypersonic wind-tunnel tests with ideal- or near-ideal-gas test flow. The lower pressure levels are a result of the lowering of the flowfield gamma due to high-temperature effects. This phenomenon was accurately simulated in a hypersonic wind tunnel using a heavy gas, which provided a lower, gamma, and was correctly predicted by Navier-Stokes computations using nonequilibrium chemistry.

Brauckmann, Gregory J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Direct Numerical Simulation of Incompressible Pipe Flow Using a B-Spline Spectral Method

A numerical method based on b-spline polynomials was developed to study incompressible flows in cylindrical geometries. A b-spline method has the advantages of possessing spectral accuracy and the flexibility of standard finite element methods. Using this method it was possible to ensure regularity of the solution near the origin, i.e. smoothness and boundedness. Because b-splines have compact support, it is also possible to remove b-splines near the center to alleviate the constraint placed on the time step by an overly fine grid. Using the natural periodicity in the azimuthal direction and approximating the streamwise direction as periodic, so-called time evolving flow, greatly reduced the cost and complexity of the computations. A direct numerical simulation of pipe flow was carried out using the method described above at a Reynolds number of 5600 based on diameter and bulk velocity. General knowledge of pipe flow and the availability of experimental measurements make pipe flow the ideal test case with which to validate the numerical method. Results indicated that high flatness levels of the radial component of velocity in the near wall region are physical; regions of high radial velocity were detected and appear to be related to high speed streaks in the boundary layer. Budgets of Reynolds stress transport equations showed close similarity with those of channel flow. However contrary to channel flow, the log layer of pipe flow is not homogeneous for the present Reynolds number. A topological method based on a classification of the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor was used. Plotting iso-surfaces of the discriminant of the invariants proved to be a good method for identifying vortical eddies in the flow field.

Loulou, Patrick↗
NASA NTRS1999

Transient Infall Events in the Disk of AB Aurigae: The Beta Pictoris Phenomenon at 2-4 Mega Years

Surveys of Herbig Ae/Be stars have indicated that infalling circumstellar gas similar to that routinely detected toward beta Pic is preferentially observed close to the disk midplane. Recent millimeter interferometry of the historically prototypical Herbig Ae star, AB Aur, indicates that this star is viewed slightly above the disk midplane (i = 76 deg). The wealth of archival spectroscopic data for this star makes it an ideal test of the geometry for infalling or accreting gas in these stars. We present a review of the extant IUE and Hubble Space Telescope GHRS spectral data for AB Aur and find, in contrast to previous studies of this star, which focused on Mg II, that infalling gas is detected at all epochs with covering factors similar to those reported for HD 100546 and that an episode of enhanced infall was serendipitously detected during the 1990 monitoring run.

Grady, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Rainfall Morphology in Semi-Tropical Convergence Zones

Central Florida is the ideal test laboratory for studying convergence zone-induced convection. The region regularly experiences sea breeze fronts and rainfall-induced outflow boundaries. The focus of this study is the common yet poorly-studied convergence zone established by the interaction of the sea breeze front and an outflow boundary. Previous studies have investigated mechanisms primarily affecting storm initiation by such convergence zones. Few have focused on rainfall morphology yet these storms contribute a significant amount precipitation to the annual rainfall budget. Low-level convergence and mid-tropospheric moisture have both been shown to correlate with rainfall amounts in Florida. Using 2D and 3D numerical simulations, the roles of low-level convergence and mid-tropospheric moisture in rainfall evolution are examined. The results indicate that time-averaged, vertical moisture flux (VMF) at the sea breeze front/outflow convergence zone is directly and linearly proportional to initial condensation rates. This proportionality establishes a similar relationship between VMF and initial rainfall. Vertical moisture flux, which encompasses depth and magnitude of convergence, is better correlated to initial rainfall production than surface moisture convergence. This extends early observational studies which linked rainfall in Florida to surface moisture convergence. The amount and distribution of mid-tropospheric moisture determines how rainfall associated with secondary cells develop. Rainfall amount and efficiency varied significantly over an observable range of relative humidities in the 850- 500 mb layer even though rainfall evolution was similar during the initial or "first-cell" period. Rainfall variability was attributed to drier mid-tropospheric environments inhibiting secondary cell development through entrainment effects. Observationally, 850-500 mb moisture structure exhibits wider variability than lower level moisture, which is virtually always present in Florida. A likely consequence of the variability in 850-500 moisture is a stronger statistical correlation to rainfall, which observational studies have noted. The study indicates that vertical moisture flux forcing at convergence zones is critical in determining rainfall in the initial stage of development but plays a decreasing role in rainfall evolution as the system matures. The mid-tropospheric moisture (e.g. environment) plays an increasing role in rainfall evolution as the system matures. This suggests the need to improve measurements of magnitude/depth of convergence and mid-tropospheric moisture distribution. It also highlights the need for better parameterization of entrainment and vertical moisture distribution in larger-scale models.

Shepherd, J. Marshall↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Simple Stratosphere-Mesosphere Extension of the Held-Suarez Forcing for Dynamical Cores

A simple extension of the Held-Suarez (H-S) forcing that is capable of producing a realistic general circulation not only in the troposphere but also the stratosphere and the mesosphere will be presented. Similar to the original H-S forcing, an annual-mean like radiative equilibrium temperature is used. This extension is an ideal test bed for gravity wave drag parameterizations. It is also an inexpensive test bed for studying the mechanism of the Quasi-Biannual oscillations (QBO) and the "age spectrum" of the dynamical core formulation. The "mean climate" as well as the natural variability of the middle atmosphere as simulated by the NASA Data Assimilation Office finite-volume dynamical core under this forcing will be shown.

Lin, S.-J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Projected Impact of Climate Change on the Water and Salt Budgets of the Arctic Ocean by a Global Climate Model

The annual flux of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean by the atmosphere and rivers is balanced by the export of sea ice and oceanic freshwater. Two 150-year simulations of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that the total inflow of water from the atmosphere and rivers increases by 10% primarily due to an increase in river discharge, the annual sea-ice export decreases by about half, the oceanic liquid water export increases, salinity decreases, sea-ice cover decreases, and the total mass and sea-surface height of the Arctic Ocean increase. The closed, compact, and multi-phased nature of the hydrologic cycle in the Arctic Ocean makes it an ideal test of water budgets that could be included in model intercomparisons.

Miller, James R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Diurnal Variability of the Hydrologic Cycle and Radiative Fluxes: Comparisons Between Observation and a GCM

The simulated diurnal cycle is in many ways an ideal test bed for new physical parameterizations. The purpose of this paper is to compare observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment, the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Experiment, and the Anglo-Brazilian Amazonian Climate Observation Study with the diurnal variability of the Amazonian hydrologic cycle and radiative energy budget as simulated by the Colorado State University general circulation model, and to evaluate improvements and deficiencies of the model physics. The model uses a prognostic cumulus kinetic energy (CKE) to relax the quasi-equilibrium closure of the Arakawa-Schubert cumulus parameterization. A parameter, alpha, is used to relate the CKE to the cumulus mass flux. This parameter is expected to vary with cloud depth, mean shear, and the level of convective activity, but up to now a single constant value for all cloud types has been used. The results of the present study show clearly that this approach cannot yield realistic simulations of both the diurnal cycle and the monthly mean climate state. Improved results are obtained using a version of the model in which alpha is permitted to vary with cloud depth.

Lin, Xin↗
NASA NTRS2004

Temporal Large-Eddy Simulation

In 1999, Stolz and Adams unveiled a subgrid-scale model for LES based upon approximately inverting (defiltering) the spatial grid-filter operator and termed .the approximate deconvolution model (ADM). Subsequently, the utility and accuracy of the ADM were demonstrated in a posteriori analyses of flows as diverse as incompressible plane-channel flow and supersonic compression-ramp flow. In a prelude to the current paper, a parameterized temporal ADM (TADM) was developed and demonstrated in both a priori and a posteriori analyses for forced, viscous Burger's flow. The development of a time-filtered variant of the ADM was motivated-primarily by the desire for a unifying theoretical and computational context to encompass direct numerical simulation (DNS), large-eddy simulation (LES), and Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes simulation (RANS). The resultant methodology was termed temporal LES (TLES). To permit exploration of the parameter space, however, previous analyses of the TADM were restricted to Burger's flow, and it has remained to demonstrate the TADM and TLES methodology for three-dimensional flow. For several reasons, plane-channel flow presents an ideal test case for the TADM. Among these reasons, channel flow is anisotropic, yet it lends itself to highly efficient and accurate spectral numerical methods. Moreover, channel-flow has been investigated extensively by DNS, and a highly accurate data base of Moser et.al. exists. In the present paper, we develop a fully anisotropic TADM model and demonstrate its utility in simulating incompressible plane-channel flow at nominal values of Re(sub tau) = 180 and Re(sub tau) = 590 by the TLES method. The TADM model is shown to perform nearly as well as the ADM at equivalent resolution, thereby establishing TLES as a viable alternative to LES. Moreover, as the current model is suboptimal is some respects, there is considerable room to improve TLES.

Pruett, C. D.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Stator Indexing in Multistage Compressors

The relative circumferential location of stator rows (stator indexing) is an aspect of multistage compressor design that has not yet been explored for its potential impact on compressor aerodynamic performance. Although the inlet stages of multistage compressors usually have differing stator blade counts, the aft stages of core compressors can often have stage blocks with equal stator blade counts in successive stages. The potential impact of stator indexing is likely greatest in these stages. To assess the performance impact of stator indexing, researchers at the NASA Lewis Research Center used the 4 ft diameter, four-stage NASA Low Speed Axial Compressor for detailed experiments. This compressor has geometrically identical stages that can circumferentially index stator rows relative to each other in a controlled manner; thus it is an ideal test rig for such investigations.

Barankiewicz, Wendy S.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Single-Vector Calibration of Wind-Tunnel Force Balances

An improved method of calibrating a wind-tunnel force balance involves the use of a unique load application system integrated with formal experimental design methodology. The Single-Vector Force Balance Calibration System (SVS) overcomes the productivity and accuracy limitations of prior calibration methods. A force balance is a complex structural spring element instrumented with strain gauges for measuring three orthogonal components of aerodynamic force (normal, axial, and side force) and three orthogonal components of aerodynamic torque (rolling, pitching, and yawing moments). Force balances remain as the state-of-the-art instrument that provide these measurements on a scale model of an aircraft during wind tunnel testing. Ideally, each electrical channel of the balance would respond only to its respective component of load, and it would have no response to other components of load. This is not entirely possible even though balance designs are optimized to minimize these undesirable interaction effects. Ultimately, a calibration experiment is performed to obtain the necessary data to generate a mathematical model and determine the force measurement accuracy. In order to set the independent variables of applied load for the calibration 24 NASA Tech Briefs, October 2003 experiment, a high-precision mechanical system is required. Manual deadweight systems have been in use at Langley Research Center (LaRC) since the 1940s. These simple methodologies produce high confidence results, but the process is mechanically complex and labor-intensive, requiring three to four weeks to complete. Over the past decade, automated balance calibration systems have been developed. In general, these systems were designed to automate the tedious manual calibration process resulting in an even more complex system which deteriorates load application quality. The current calibration approach relies on a one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) methodology, where each independent variable is incremented individually throughout its full-scale range, while all other variables are held at a constant magnitude. This OFAT approach has been widely accepted because of its inherent simplicity and intuitive appeal to the balance engineer. LaRC has been conducting research in a "modern design of experiments" (MDOE) approach to force balance calibration. Formal experimental design techniques provide an integrated view to the entire calibration process covering all three major aspects of an experiment; the design of the experiment, the execution of the experiment, and the statistical analyses of the data. In order to overcome the weaknesses in the available mechanical systems and to apply formal experimental techniques, a new mechanical system was required. The SVS enables the complete calibration of a six-component force balance with a series of single force vectors.

Parker, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Nonlinear Reduced-Order Simulation Using An Experimentally Guided Modal Basis

A procedure is developed for using nonlinear experimental response data to guide the modal basis selection in a nonlinear reduced-order simulation. The procedure entails using nonlinear acceleration response data to first identify proper orthogonal modes. Special consideration is given to cases in which some of the desired response data is unavailable. Bases consisting of linear normal modes are then selected to best represent the experimentally determined transverse proper orthogonal modes and either experimentally determined inplane proper orthogonal modes or the special case of numerically computed in-plane companions. The bases are subsequently used in nonlinear modal reduction and dynamic response simulations. The experimental data used in this work is simulated to allow some practical considerations, such as the availability of in-plane response data and non-idealized test conditions, to be explored. Comparisons of the nonlinear reduced-order simulations are made with the surrogate experimental data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

Rizzi, Stephen A.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Estimates of Power Plant NOx Emissions and Lifetimes from OMI NO2 Satellite Retrievals

Isolated power plants with well characterized emissions serve as an ideal test case of methods to estimate emissions using satellite data. In this study we evaluate the Exponentially-Modified Gaussian (EMG) method and the box model method based on mass balance for estimating known NOx emissions from satellite retrievals made by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). We consider 29 power plants in the USA which have large NOx plumes that do not overlap with other sources and which have emissions data from the Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS). This enables us to identify constraints required by the methods, such as which wind data to use and how to calculate background values. We found that the lifetimes estimated by the methods are too short to be representative of the chemical lifetime. Instead, we introduce a separate lifetime parameter to account for the discrepancy between estimates using real data and those that theory would predict. In terms of emissions, the EMG method required averages from multiple years to give accurate results, whereas the box model method gave accurate results for individual ozone seasons.

Emissions inventory↗
NASA NTRS2015

Nutrient Recovery of Plant Leachates Under Thermal, Biological, and Photocatalytic Pretreatments

Nutrient recovery has always been a problem for long distance and long-term space missions. To allow humans to man these missions, a steady source of oxygen, water, and food are necessary for survival beyond Earth's atmosphere. Plants are currently an area of interest since they are capable of providing all three resources for life sustainability. We are currently interested in nutrient recovery for future plant growth and simple aqueous leachate extractions can recover some of the nutrients. However, leaching plants also removes water-soluble organic plant wastes, which inhibits plant growth if not separated properly. To combat the issues with waste and maximize nutrient recovery, we are attempting to pre-treat the plant matter using biological, thermal, and photocatalytic methods before subjecting the solution with variable-strength acid digestion. For the biological method, the inoculums: mixed heterotrophic/nitrifying bioreactor effluent and Trichoderma vessei are used in an attempt to liberate more nutrients from the plant matter. For the thermal method, plants are subjected to varying temperatures at different retention times to determine nutrient recovery. Lastly, the photocatalytic method utilizes TiO (sub 2)'s oxidizing abilities under specific pHs and retention times to reduce organic wastes and improve nutrient gains. A final acid digestion serves to liberate nutrients even further in order to maximize recovery. So far, we have tested ideal acid digestion variables for practicality and performance in our experiments. We found that a low retention time of 10 minutes and a high acid concentration of 0.1 and 1 mole HCl were the most effective at nutrient recovery. For space travel purposes, 0.1 mole currently looks like a viable acid digestion to use since it is relatively effective and sustainable from a mass and energy balance if acid recovery can be performed on waste brines. Biological pretreatments do not look to be too effective and the thermal and photocatalytic methods may be preferred since they show a potential to recover more than 70 percent of the nutrients.

Photocatalytic↗
NASA NTRS2020

Implementation of Acceleration Source Term in FUN3D

Implementation of the acceleration source term in FUN3D is described. The method is evaluated using analytical and idealized test cases in two and three dimensions. It is also compared with results obtained from the moving mesh and six-degree-of-freedom simulations. The method shows promise in simulating the flight of accelerating vehicles as they make their ascent through varying reference conditions.

Nash’at N Ahmad↗
NASA NTRS2020

Aquatic Invertebrate Protein Sources for Long-Duration Space Travel

During the summer of 2020, NASA returned to launching astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from American soil. By 2024, NASA’s mission is to return to the Moon, and by 2028 create a sustainable presence. Long duration missions come with obstacles, especially when trying to create a sustainable environment in a location where “living off the land” is impossible. Some resources on the Moon can be recovered or resupplied; however, many resources such as those needed for sustaining life must be recycled or grown to support humans. To achieve sustainability, food and water must be grown and recycled using elements found within the habitat. NASA’s current work focuses on food resupply and growing plants as supplemental nutrient content. This paper examines the possibility for using aquaculture systems to purify water while growing nutrient-rich species as food sources, which aquatic food sources would be ideal for a habitat environment, and which species might provide an ideal test case for future studies aboard ISS. The aquatic species should be rapidly grown with high protein content and low launch mass requirements. Although there are numerous challenges and unknown technology gaps for maintaining aquaculture systems in reduced gravity environments, the benefit of employing such systems would be of great advantage towards creating a sustainable presence beyond Earth’s orbit for sustainable aquaculture.

Aquaculture↗
NASA NTRS2019

An ALMA+ACA measurement of the shock in the Bullet Cluster

Context: The thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect presents a relatively new tool for characterizing galaxy cluster merger shocks, traditionally studied through X-ray observations. Widely regarded as the “textbook example” of a cluster merger bow shock, the western, most-prominent shock front in the Bullet Cluster (1E0657-56) represents the ideal test case for such an SZ study. Aims: We aim to characterize the shock properties using deep, high-resolution interferometric SZ effect observations in combination with priors from an independent X-ray analysis. Methods: Our analysis technique relies on the reconstruction of a parametric model for the SZ signal by directly and jointly fitting data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Atacama Compact Array (ACA) in Fourier space. Results: The ALMA+ACA data are primarily sensitive to the electron pressure difference across the shock front. To estimate the shock Mach number M, this difference can be combined with the value for the upstream electron pressure derived from an independent Chandra X-ray analysis. In the case of instantaneous electron-ion temperature equilibration, we find M = 2.08 (+0.12,−0.12), in ≈ 2.4σ tension with the independent constraint from Chandra, M(X)= 2.74 ± 0.25. The assumption of purely adiabatic electron temperature change across the shock leads to M = 2.53 (+0.33,−0.25), in better agreement with the X-ray estimate M(X) = 2.57 ± 0.23 derived for the same heating scenario. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that interferometric observations of the thermal SZ effect provide constraints on the properties of the shock in the Bullet Cluster that are highly complementary to X-ray observations. The combination of X-ray and SZ data yields a powerful probe of the shock properties, capable of measuring M and addressing the question of electron-ion equilibration in cluster shocks. Our analysis is however limited by systematics related to the overall cluster geometry and the complexity of the post-shock gas distribution. To overcome these limitations, a simultaneous, joint-likelihood analysis of SZ and X-ray data is needed.

Luca Di Mascolo↗
NASA NTRS2021

Twenty Years of NASA-EOS Multi-Sensor Satellite Observations at Kīlauea Volcano (2000–2019)

Recent eruptions of Kīlauea volcano, on the Island of Hawai'i, represent an ideal test location for studying volcanic plumes, due to its remote location and minimal anthropogenic pollution. Within this work we exploit the over 20-year data record from NASA EOS satellites to investigate the degree to which space-borne observations can detect shifts in known eruption dynamics at Kīlauea. Through the combined analysis of remotely sensed plume heights, plume particle microphysical properties, lava flow thermal tracking and high resolution SO2 mapping, we provide interpretations of the satellite signals in a volcanic context and link them to ground-based eruption reports for validation. We establish common patterns of plume dispersion and particle evolution and identify when significant shifts in activity occur. We also determine where ambient conditions influence the output retrieved from the space-borne sensors. By comparing the inferences derived from remote-sensing with the extensive record of suborbital observations at Kīlauea, we assess the strengths and limitations of the satellite-based volcanic assessment techniques. The work presented here highlights the capabilities of these techniques, allowing us to more confidently interpret volcanic activity observed from space globally, particularly in cases where ground observations are limited or entirely lacking.

volcano remote sensing↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Physics-Based Digital Twin for Wave Elevation and Seabed Moment Estimation of Offshore Monopiles: Preprint

In this work, we present a proof of concept of a physics-based digital twin for a monopile structure (with overhead inertia) subjected to wave loading. The digital twin is formulated using reduced-order models derived from first principles and combined with a Kalman filter for state estimation. The proposed framework estimates the monopile top motion, the wave elevation, and the section forces and moments along the pile using primarily acceleration measurements at the monopile top. Key innovations include the use of a hydrodynamic shape function to represent distributed wave loading in a compact and computationally efficient manner, and the introduction of a shaping filter to augment the state-space with wave kinematics. Synthetic measurement data are generated using OpenFAST and used as a reference to assess the performance of the digital twin. Results demonstrate that the wave elevation can be accurately reconstructed without direct sea-state measurements as long as the wave regime is inertia-dominated. Under the ideal tested conditions, the total hydrodynamic force and sea-bed bending moment are estimated with relative errors on the order of 1% and correlation coefficients exceeding 96%. Future work will evaluate the estimator's performance under operational uncertainties and more complex loading conditions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗