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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

On differential singular perturbation problems: a simple variational approach

An alternative approach for the analysis and the numerical approximation of singular perturbation problems, using a variational framework, is presented. It is based on the natural idea of minimizing the residual of the differential equation measured in the L{sup 2} norm. By this strategy, the approximation is based in the solution of a set of linear problems giving the descent step directions of the problem. This is the main advantage of our approach, since we can use stable and convergent methods for linear problems (without assuming the knowledge of good initial guesses used in the approximation of the associated non-linear systems necessary in Newton-type methods). Remember that for this type of problems, we should use implicit methods. We prove that our procedure can never get stuck in local minima, and the error decreases until getting to the original solution independent of the perturbation parameter. Finally, we include some numerical examples.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Coupling CTF to MPACT for Improved Thermal-Hydraulic Feedback for Transients

As computational power and techniques continue to advance, reactor analysis codes are afforded the opportunity to employ a more detailed physics model. One area where this has manifested is with coupled neutron kinetics and thermal-hydraulics codes for transient analysis, in which the feedback is critical for accurate modeling. The Michigan Parallel Characteristics Transport (MPACT) code is a 3-D method of characteristics neutron transport code capable of generating sub-pin level power distributions being developed by the University of Michigan through the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL) program. Currently, MPACT handles thermal-hydraulic feedback with an internal 1-D radial heat transfer model assuming constant moderator temperature. While this relatively simple treatment of thermal-hydraulic feedback has been shown to accurately model transients where Doppler feedback is the dominant feedback mechanism, coupling MPACT to a detailed thermal-hydraulic code will greatly expand the range of transient problems that can be accurately modeled. COBRA-TF (CTF) is a 3-D two-phase flow, subchannel thermal-hydraulics code maintained by Penn State University through CASL. CTF is based upon the Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations, and it is especially well suited to model heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena associated with a nuclear reactor through a wide range of conditions. We present an initial effort coupling MPACT to CTF for transients, which provides a wider range of transient problems that can be modeled with increased accuracy. We have successfully coupled the thermal-hydraulics code CTF to the neutronics code MPACT for transient calculations by implicit and Crank-Nicolson methods, which have been demonstrated with single pin and 3x3 configurations. This capability extends the ability of MPACT to accurately model transients through a wider range of conditions than the existing thermal-hydraulic feedback, which is severely limited by the assumption of constant moderator temperature and density. By employing CTF for the thermal- hydraulic feedback, the transient physics can be described more completely at minimal computational expense. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

Additive Polynomial Time Integrators, Part I: Framework and Fully Implicit-Explicit Collocation Methods

In this paper we generalize the polynomial time integration framework to additively partitioned initial value problems. The framework we present is general and enables the construction of many new families of additive integrators with arbitrary order-of-accuracy and varying degree of implicitness. In this first work, we focus on a new class of implicit-explicit polynomial block methods that are based on fully implicit Runge–Kutta methods with Radau nodes and that possess high stage order. Here, we show that the new fully implicit-explicit (FIMEX) integrators have improved stability compared to existing IMEX Runge–Kutta methods, while also being more computationally efficient due to recent developments in preconditioning techniques for solving the associated systems of nonlinear equations. For PDEs on periodic domains where the implicit component is trivial to invert, we will show how parallelization of the right-hand side evaluations can be exploited to obtain significant speedup compared to existing serial IMEX Runge–Kutta methods. For parallel (in space) finite element discretizations, the new methods can achieve orders of magnitude better accuracy than existing IMEX Runge–Kutta methods and/or achieve a given accuracy several times times faster in terms of computational runtime.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

On the performance of exponential integrators for problems in magnetohydrodynamics

Exponential integrators have been introduced as an efficient alternative to explicit and implicit methods for integrating large stiff systems of differential equations. Over the past decades these methods have been studied theoretically and their performance was evaluated using a range of test problems. While the results of these investigations showed that exponential integrators can provide significant computational savings, the research on validating this hypothesis for large scale systems and understanding what classes of problems can particularly benefit from the use of the new techniques is in its initial stages. Resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling is widely used in studying large scale behavior of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. In many problems numerical solution of MHD equations is a challenging task due to the temporal stiffness of this system in the parameter regimes of interest. In this paper we evaluate the performance of exponential integrators on large MHD problems and compare them to a state-of-the-art implicit time integrator. Both the variable and constant time step exponential methods of EPIRK-type are used to simulate magnetic reconnection and the Kevin–Helmholtz instability in plasma. Performance of these methods, which are part of the EPIC software package, is compared to the variable time step variable order BDF scheme included in the CVODE (part of SUNDIALS) library. We study performance of the methods on parallel architectures and with respect to magnitudes of important parameters such as Reynolds, Lundquist, and Prandtl numbers. We find that the exponential integrators provide superior or equal performance in most circumstances and conclude that further development of exponential methods for MHD problems is warranted and can lead to significant computational advantages for large scale stiff systems of differential equations such as MHD.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A robust and efficient finite volume method for compressible inviscid and viscous two-phase flows [A robust and efficient finite volume method for compressible viscous two-phase flows]

A robust and efficient density-based finite volume method is developed for solving the six-equation single pressure system of two-phase flows at all speeds on hybrid unstructured grids. Unlike conventional approaches where an expensive exact Riemann solver is normally required for computing numerical fluxes at the two-phase interfaces in addition to AUSM-type fluxes for single-phase interfaces in order to maintain stability and robustness in cases involving interactions of strong pressure and void-fraction discontinuities, a volume-fraction coupling term for the AUSM + -up fluxes is introduced in this work to impart the required robustness without the need of the exact Riemann solver. The resulting method is significantly less expensive in regions where otherwise the Riemann solver would be invoked. A transformation from conservative variables to primitive variables is presented and the primitive variables are then solved in the implicit method in order for the current finite volume method to be able to solve, effectively and efficiently, low Mach number flows in traditional multiphase applications, which otherwise is a great challenge for the standard density-based algorithms. Here, a number of benchmark test cases are presented to assess the performance and robustness of the developed finite volume method for both inviscid and viscous two-phase flow problems. The numerical results indicate that the current density-based method provides an attractive and viable alternative to its pressure-based counterpart for compressible two-phase flows at all speeds.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Downwinding for preserving strong stability in explicit integrating factor Runge-Kutta methods

Here strong stability preserving (SSP) Runge-Kutta methods are desirable when evolving in time problems that have discontinuities or sharp gradients and require nonlinear non-inner-product stability properties to be satisfied. Unlike the case for L 2 linear stability, implicit methods do not significantly alleviate the time-step restriction when the SSP property is needed. For this reason, when handling problems with a linear component that is stiff and a nonlinear component that is not, SSP integrating factor Runge-Kutta methods may offer an attractive alternative to traditional time-stepping methods. The strong stability properties of integrating factor Runge-Kutta methods where the transformed problem is evolved with an explicit SSP Runge-Kutta method with non-decreasing abscissas was recently established. However, these methods typically have smaller SSP coefficients (and therefore a smaller allowable time-step) than the optimal SSP Runge-Kutta methods, which often have some decreasing abscissas. In this work, we consider the use of downwinded spatial operators to preserve the strong stability properties of integrating factor Runge-Kutta methods where the Runge-Kutta method has some decreasing abscissas. We present the SSP theory for this approach and present numerical evidence to show that such an approach is feasible and performs as expected. However, we also show that in some cases the integrating factor approach with explicit SSP Runge-Kutta methods with non-decreasing abscissas performs nearly as well, if not better, than with explicit SSP Runge-Kutta methods with downwinding. In conclusion, while the downwinding approach can be rigorously shown to guarantee the SSP property for a larger timestep, in practice using the integrating factor approach by including downwinding as needed with optimal explicit SSP Runge-Kutta methods does not necessarily provide significant benefit over using explicit SSP Runge-Kutta methods with non-decreasing abscissas.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Numerical Method for Fractional Advection-Diffusion Equation with Heredity

We propose a method of construction of difference schemes for fractional partial differential equations with delay in time. For the fractional equation with two-sided diffusion, fractional transfer in time, and a functional aftereffect, we construct an implicit difference scheme. We use the shifted Grünwald–Letnikov formulas for the approximation of fractional derivatives with respect to spatial variables and the L1-algorithm for the approximation of fractional derivatives in time. Also we use piecewise constant interpolation and extrapolation by extending the discrete prehistory of the model in time. The algorithm is a fractional analog of a purely implicit method; on each time step, it is reduced to the solution of linear algebraic systems. We prove the stability of the method and find its order of convergence.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Fast explicit solutions for neutrino-electron scattering: Explicit asymptotic methods

Here, we present results of explicit asymptotic approximations applied to neutrino-electron scattering in a representative model of neutrino population evolution under conditions characteristic of core-collapse supernova explosions or binary neutron star mergers. It is shown that this approach provides stable solutions of these stiff systems of equations, with accuracy and time stepping comparable to that for standard implicit treatments such as backward Euler, fixed point iteration, and Anderson-accelerated fixed point iteration. Because each time step can be computed more rapidly with the explicit asymptotic approximation than with implicit methods, this suggests that algebraically stabilized explicit integration methods could be used to compute neutrino evolution coupled to hydrodynamics more efficiently in stellar explosions and mergers than the methods currently in use.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov method for the simulation of non-thermal plasma discharges with high-order time integration and physics-based preconditioning

A preconditioning framework for the numerical simulation of non-thermal streamer discharges is developed using the Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov (JFNK) method. A reduced plasma fluid model is considered, consisting of electrons, one positive ion, one negative ion, and the electrostatic potential. Here, the plasma kinetics model includes ionization, electron-ion recombination, electron attachment, electron detachment, and ion-ion recombination. The governing equations are made dimensionless, discretized in space with finite differences, and integrated in time with a fully implicit method based on high-order backward differentiation formulas. The preconditioning framework is based on a linearized form of the governing equations and physics-based operator splitting. The efficiency of the preconditioning strategy is assessed through two test cases: streamer propagation between parallel plates and an axisymmetric pin-to-pin discharge. The fully implicit approach overcomes traditional restrictions in the time step size due to processes such as electron drift, electron diffusion, and dielectric relaxation. Excellent performance is observed through relevant statistics of the JFNK solver, although the number of linear iterations increases for the pin-to-pin discharge when nonlinear numerical boundary conditions are imposed at the electrodes. Performance studies show scalability with O(100-1000) processors for O(10M) unknowns with ample room for optimization.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Exponential time differencing for the tracer equations appearing in primitive equation ocean models

The tracer equations are part of the primitive equations used in ocean modeling and describe the transport of tracers, such as temperature, salinity or chemicals, in the ocean. Depending on the number of tracers considered, several equations may be added to and coupled to the dynamics system. In many relevant situations, the time-step requirements of explicit methods imposed by the transport and mixing in the vertical direction are more restrictive than those for the horizontal, and this may cause the need to use very small time steps if a fully explicit method is employed. To overcome this issue, we propose an exponential time differencing (ETD) solver where the vertical terms (transport and diffusion) are treated with a matrix exponential, whereas the horizontal terms are dealt with in an explicit way. In this work, we investigate numerically the computational speed-ups that can be obtained over other semi-implicit methods, and we analyze the advantages of the method in the case of multiple tracers.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Flow behavior of hydraulic fractured tight formations considering Pre-Darcy flow using EDFM

For tight reservoirs/formations, flow in fracture and matrix obey different flow patterns. Pre-Darcy flow always exists in low permeability subsurface porous media while Darcy flow can be applied in fracture. It is an outstanding challenge to understand the flow behavior coupling different flow mechanisms. As numerical simulation can predict field-scale performance so the development of efficient simulation method becomes a key issue to evaluate the flow behavior. In this paper, we develop an improved discrete fracture model based on the widely used embedded discrete facture model (EDFM) to simulate the transport both in homogenous and heterogeneous porous media in the presence of Pre-Darcy flow. The conservation equations are derived for fracture and matrix firstly and then discretized by fully implicit method. The transmissibility of different connection types is defined and the detailed calculation workflow is presented as well. The proposed model is verified through the comparison with the model using local grid refined (LGR) method. It is discovered that our simulation method exhibits good accuracy when analyzing the effect of Pre-Darcy flow. Some examples are shown including 1D scalar transport, 2D heterogeneous, 3D flow, complex fracture system and multiple well system problems with fully-coupled flow in fracture and matrix. The pressure distribution and well flux are demonstrated to analyze the Pre-Darcy flow characteristics. Results indicate that the new model works robustly for different flow problems which provide further insight into the Pre-Darcy flow in low permeability media.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Bayesian Optimization Framework for Imperfect Data or Models

Conventional Bayesian optimization methods implicitly assume that the data and model being optimized are “perfect.” This assumption leads to inaccurate posterior probability distribution functions (PDFs) when applied to “imperfect” data or models. The new Bayesian optimization framework presented in this report provides a way to parameterize the effect of imperfections usually encountered in a prior PDF of generalized data or a model on the posterior PDF. The effects of imperfections are parameterized by a set of constraints imposed on the posterior expectation values of deviations between the data and the model and on their covariance matrix elements. A particular set of values for these constraints conveys an evaluator’s best estimate of the effect of imperfections on the corresponding posterior expectation values. When a prior PDF of generalized data is assumed to be normal, an expression for a posterior PDF satisfying an arbitrary set of constraints is derived analytically for linear models. An analogous iterative algorithm is given for nonlinear models. The corresponding posterior PDF should be used to estimate any posterior expectation values in the presence of imperfections parameterized by that set of constraints. A posterior PDF of a conventional Bayesian optimization method is recovered analytically when all evaluator-specified constraints are set to zero (i.e., in the absence of any imperfections). The analytical expressions derived in this report for normal PDFs and linear models were verified numerically by a Metropolis–Hastings Monte Carlo method. The methods presented herein could be applied to any kind of data or models, including differential cross-section data or integral benchmark experiments.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

ECsim-CYL: Energy Conserving Semi-Implicit particle in cell simulation in axially symmetric cylindrical coordinates

Based on the previously developed Energy Conserving Semi Implicit Method (ECsim) code, we present its cylindrical implementation, called ECsim-CYL, to be used for axially symmetric problems. The main motivation for the development of the cylindrical version is to greatly improve the computational speed by utilizing cylindrical symmetry. The ECsim-CYL discretizes the field equations in two-dimensional cylindrical coordinates using the finite volume method. For the particle mover, it uses a modification of ECsim’s mover for cylindrical coordinates by keeping track of all three components of velocity vectors, while only keeping radial and axial coordinates of particle positions. In this paper, we describe the details of the algorithm used in the ECsim-CYL and present a series of tests to validate the accuracy of the code including a wave spectrum in a homogeneous plasma inside a cylindrical waveguide and free expansion of a spherical plasma ball in vacuum. Finally, the ECsim-CYL retains the stability properties of ECsim and conserves the energy within machine precision, while accurately describing the plasma behavior in the test cases.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Dynamic modelling of slip in a wind turbine spherical roller main bearing

This paper considers the problem of the dynamic modelling of macro slip in spherical roller bearings. By revisiting the fundamental physics which drive these systems, potential issues in existing models have been identified. Furthermore, in pure rolling conditions it was found that governing differential equations become "stiff", requiring the use of implicit methods of time integration. The problem of individual roller macro slip in a wind turbine main bearing is then investigated using a simplified representation of system dynamics. Model results indicate clear links between slip/friction and the operational strategy of the wind turbine, as well as significantly higher frictional effects in the downwind main bearing row. Due to modelling simplifications, these results should not yet be considered conclusive, with further work required.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

A new numerically stable sequential algorithm for coupled finite-strain elastoplastic geomechanics and flow

In this work, we propose a new numerically stable sequential implicit method for coupled flow and finite-strain multiplicative elastoplastic geomechanics. We find from stability analysis that the sequential method that solves the flow problem first by fixing the first Piola-Kirchhoff total stress, solving the geomechanics (solid deformation) problem at the next step, is unconditionally stable (contractive and B-stable). In this sense, this method named the fixed first Piola-Kirchhoff stress method is an extension of the fixed stress method in coupled flow and infinitesimal geomechanics. We also study the fixed second Piola-Kirchhoff stress method, comparing it with the fixed first Piola-Kirchhoff stress method, because the constitutive relations are formulated by the second Piola-Kirchhoff total stress, although fixing the second Piola-Kirchhoff total stress field does not provide theoretical unconditional stability. In space discretization, we use the finite element method for the geomechanics problem with the total Lagrangian approach, while employing the finite volume method for the flow problem. Geometrical nonlinearity from the total Lagrangian approach results in full-tensor permeability even if the initial permeability is isotropic. To consider the full-tensor permeability accurately, we employ the multipoint flux approximation in solving the flow problem. In time discretization, the backward Euler method is used. Then, we perform numerical experiments of the two fixed-stress sequential methods with various scenarios, and find superiority of their numerical stability. Specifically, the two fixed-stress sequential methods provide almost identical results for elasticity. For J2 plasticity, the two sequential methods yield slightly different numerical results although the trends of the results are similar. For the Drucker-Prager plasticity, we find that the results from the two methods are almost identical. For all the test cases, the two sequential methods are numerically stable.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Symbolic construction of the chemical Jacobian of quasi-steady state (QSS) chemistries for Exascale computing platforms

The Quasi-Steady State Approximation (QSSA) can be an effective tool for reducing the size and stiffness of chemical mechanisms for implementation in computational reacting flow solvers. However, for many applications, the resulting model still requires implicit methods for efficient time integration. Here, in this paper, we outline an approach to formulating the QSSA reduction that is coupled with a strategy to generate C++ source code to evaluate the net species production rates, and the chemical Jacobian. The code-generation component employs a symbolic approach enabling a simple and effective strategy to analytically compute the chemical Jacobian. For computational tractability, the symbolic approach needs to be paired with common subexpression elimination which can negatively affect memory usage. Several solutions are outlined and successfully tested on a 3D multipulse ignition problem, thus allowing portable application across chemical model sizes and GPU capabilities. The implementation of the proposed method is available at https://github.com/AMReX-Combustion/PelePhysics under an open-source license.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Explicit integration with GPU acceleration for large kinetic networks

We demonstrate the first implementation of recently-developed fast explicit kinetic integration algorithms on modern graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerators. Taking as a generic test case a Type Ia supernova explosion with an extremely stiff thermonuclear network having 150 isotopic species and 1604 reactions coupled to hydrodynamics using operator splitting, we demonstrate the capability to solve of order 100 realistic kinetic networks in parallel in the same time that standard implicit methods can solve a single such network on a CPU. This orders-of-magnitude decrease in computation time for solving systems of realistic kinetic networks implies that important coupled, multiphysics problems in various scientific and technical fields that were intractable, or could be simulated only with highly schematic kinetic networks, are now computationally feasible.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Volumetric recombination in EMC3-EIRENE: Implementation and first application to the pre-fusion power operation phase in ITER

An upgrade to the 3D plasma boundary model EMC3-EIRENE for detached divertor plasmas is introduced and evaluated. Stabilization of the iterative approximation of a self-consistent plasma–neutral gas solution is required at low divertor plasma temperatures, and this has been achieved by linearization of the energy loss term associated with the electron–neutral gas interaction. An implicit method for volumetric recombination has been implemented, which improves agreement with SOLPS-ITER results for the pre-fusion power operation phase in ITER. Resonant magnetic perturbations for control of edge localized modes are found to result in a partially detached divertor plasma with a significantly broader reduction of particle loads in the traditional strike zone, which is attributed to volumetric recombination. The additional non-axisymmetric far scrape-off layer strike points, on the other hand, remain attached at relatively high temperature so that volumetric recombination is not effective there.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗