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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

Vacuum Plasma Spray (VPS) Material Applications for Thruster Components

A variety of vacuum plasma spray (VPS) material systems have been successfully applied to injector and thrust chamber components. VPS offers a versatile fabrication process with relatively low costs to produce near net shape parts. The materials available with VPS increase operating margins and improve component life by providing superior thermal and oxidation protection in specific engine environments. Functional gradient materials (FGM) formed with VPS allow thrust chamber liners to be fabricated with GRCop-84 (an alloy of copper, chrome, and niobium) and a protective layer of NiCrAlY on the hot wall. A variety of thrust chamber liner designs have been fabricated to demonstrate the versatility of the process. Hot-fire test results have confined the improved durability and high temperature performance of the material systems for thrust chamber liners. Similar FGM s have been applied to provide superior thermal protection on injector faceplates with NiCrAlY and zirconia coatings. The durability of the applied materials has been demonstrated with hot-fire cycle testing on injector faceplates in high temperature environments. The material systems can benefit the components used in booster and main engine propulsion systems. More recent VPS efforts are focused on producing rhenium based material systems for high temperature applications to benefit in-space engines like reaction control system (RCS) thrusters.

Elam, Sandra↗
NASA NTRS2014

Sources, Sinks, and Transatlantic Transport of North African Dust Aerosol: A Multimodel Analysis and Comparison With Remote Sensing Data

This study evaluates model-simulated dust aerosols over North Africa and the North Atlantic from five global models that participated in the Aerosol Comparison between Observations and Models phase II model experiments. The model results are compared with satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), and Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor, dust optical depth (DOD) derived from MODIS and MISR, AOD and coarse-mode AOD (as a proxy of DOD) from ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network Sun photometer measurements, and dust vertical distributions/centroid height from Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder satellite AOD retrievals. We examine the following quantities of AOD and DOD: (1) the magnitudes over land and over ocean in our study domain, (2) the longitudinal gradient from the dust source region over North Africa to the western North Atlantic, (3) seasonal variations at different locations, and (4) the dust vertical profile shape and the AOD centroid height (altitude above or below which half of the AOD is located). The different satellite data show consistent features in most of these aspects; however, the models display large diversity in all of them, with significant differences among the models and between models and observations. By examining dust emission, removal, and mass extinction efficiency in the five models, we also find remarkable differences among the models that all contribute to the discrepancies of model-simulated dust amount and distribution. This study highlights the challenges in simulating the dust physical and optical processes, even in the best known dust environment, and stresses the need for observable quantities to constrain the model processes.

Africa↗
NASA NTRS1950

Approximate Turbulent Boundary-Layer Development in Plane Compressible Flow Along Thermally Insulated Surfaces with Application to Supersonic-Tunnel Contour Correction

Numerical solutions of the differential equation obtained from the momentum theorem for the development of a turbulent boundary layer along a thermally insulated surface in two-dimensional and in radial shock-free flow are presented in tabular form for a range of Mach numbers from 0.100 to 10. The solution can be used in a step-wise procedure with any given distribution of favorable pressure gradients and for zero pressure gradients. Solutions are also given for use with moderate adverse pressure gradients. The mean velocity in the boundary layer is approximated by a power-law profile. In view of the stepwise integration methods to be used, the exponent designated the profile shape can be varied along the surface between the integral fraction limits 1/5 and 1/11 through interpolation. Agreement obtained between theoretical and experimental boundary-layer development in a supersonic nozzle at a nominal Mach number of 2 indicates the general validity of the approximations used in the analysis - in particular, the method of extrapolating low-speed skin-friction relations to high Mach number flows. The extrapolation method used assumes that the skin-friction coefficient depend primarily on Reynolds number, provided that the density and the kinematic viscosity are evaluated at surface conditions.

BOUNDARY LAYER - WIND TUNNEL WALLS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A shift from inorganic to organic nitrogen-dominance shapes soil microbiome composition and co-occurrence networks

Soil microbiomes are characterized by their composition and networks, which are linked to soil nitrogen (N) availability. In nature, inorganic N dominates at one end and organic N dominates at the other end along soil N gradients; however, little is known about how this shift influences soil microbiome composition and co-occurrence networks, as well as their controls. To this end, we conducted an experiment with the host plant Solidago canadensis , which was subject to three N regimes: inorganic N-dominated, co-dominated by inorganic and organic N (CIO), and organic N-dominated. Organic N dominance exhibited stronger effects on the composition and co-occurrence networks of soil microbiomes than inorganic N dominance. The predominant control was plant traits for bacterial and fungal richness, and soil pH for keystone species. Relative to the CIO regime, inorganic N dominance did not affect fungal richness and increased keystone species; organic N dominance decreased fungal richness and keystone species. Pathogenic fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were suppressed by organic N dominance but not by inorganic N dominance. These findings suggest that the shift from soil inorganic N-dominance to soil organic N-dominance could strongly shape soil microbiome composition and co-occurrence networks by altering species diversity and topological properties.

Xin, Yue↗
NASA NTRS1987

A theory for turbulent curved wall jets

An attempt is made to formulate the simplest possible model for the flow of a wall jet emanating from a two dimensional source into quiescent surroundings in the presence of a wall of arbitrary shape. The method used self similar profiles for the mean velocity together with a simple eddy viscosity model. The streamwise and radial momentum equations are integrated across the wall jet flow to give an expression for the momentum balance including the effect of the pressure gradient induced by the rate of change of surface curvature. The streamwise momentum equation is also evaluated at the point of maximum velocity to provide a second equation and thereby permit a solution for the two unknown quantities, the jet half width and the maximum velocity. This approach provides approximate closed form solutions for the flow of the wall jet over surfaces of various shapes, and in particular permits a direct comparison with the available experimental results for plane, cylindrical or logarithmic spiral surfaces.

Roberts, Leonard↗
NASA NTRS1995

Implementation of a multiblock sensitivity analysis method in numerical aerodynamic shape optimization

A multiblock sensitivity analysis method is applied in a numerical aerodynamic shape optimization technique. The Sensitivity Analysis Domain Decomposition (SADD) scheme which is implemented in this study was developed to reduce the computer memory requirements resulting from the aerodynamic sensitivity analysis equations. Discrete sensitivity analysis offers the ability to compute quasi-analytical derivatives in a more efficient manner than traditional finite-difference methods, which tend to be computationally expensive and prone to inaccuracies. The direct optimization procedure couples CFD analysis based on the two-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations with a gradient-based numerical optimization technique. The linking mechanism is the sensitivity equation derived from the CFD discretized flow equations, recast in adjoint form, and solved using direct matrix inversion techniques. This investigation is performed to demonstrate an aerodynamic shape optimization technique on a multiblock domain and its applicability to complex geometries. The objectives are accomplished by shape optimizing two aerodynamic configurations. First, the shape optimization of a transonic airfoil is performed to investigate the behavior of the method in highly nonlinear flows and the effect of different grid blocking strategies on the procedure. Secondly, shape optimization of a two-element configuration in subsonic flow is completed. Cases are presented for this configuration to demonstrate the effect of simultaneously reshaping interfering elements. The aerodynamic shape optimization is shown to produce supercritical type airfoils in the transonic flow from an initially symmetric airfoil. Multiblocking effects the path of optimization while providing similar results at the conclusion. Simultaneous reshaping of elements is shown to be more effective than individual element reshaping due to the inclusion of mutual interference effects.

Lacasse, James M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Aerodynamic shape optimization using control theory

Aerodynamic shape design has long persisted as a difficult scientific challenge due its highly nonlinear flow physics and daunting geometric complexity. However, with the emergence of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) it has become possible to make accurate predictions of flows which are not dominated by viscous effects. It is thus worthwhile to explore the extension of CFD methods for flow analysis to the treatment of aerodynamic shape design. Two new aerodynamic shape design methods are developed which combine existing CFD technology, optimal control theory, and numerical optimization techniques. Flow analysis methods for the potential flow equation and the Euler equations form the basis of the two respective design methods. In each case, optimal control theory is used to derive the adjoint differential equations, the solution of which provides the necessary gradient information to a numerical optimization method much more efficiently then by conventional finite differencing. Each technique uses a quasi-Newton numerical optimization algorithm to drive an aerodynamic objective function toward a minimum. An analytic grid perturbation method is developed to modify body fitted meshes to accommodate shape changes during the design process. Both Hicks-Henne perturbation functions and B-spline control points are explored as suitable design variables. The new methods prove to be computationally efficient and robust, and can be used for practical airfoil design including geometric and aerodynamic constraints. Objective functions are chosen to allow both inverse design to a target pressure distribution and wave drag minimization. Several design cases are presented for each method illustrating its practicality and efficiency. These include non-lifting and lifting airfoils operating at both subsonic and transonic conditions.

Reuther, James↗
NASA NTRS1991

Aerodynamic shape optimization of arbitrary hypersonic vehicles

A new method was developed to optimize, in terms of aerodynamic wave drag minimization, arbitrary (nonaxisymmetric) hypersonic vehicles in modified Newtonian flow, while maintaining the initial volume and length of the vehicle. This new method uses either a surface fitted Fourier series to represent the vehicle's geometry or an independent point motion algorithm. In either case, the coefficients of the Fourier series or the spatial locations of the points defining each cross section were varied and a numerical optimization algorithm based on a quasi-Newton gradient search concept was used to determine the new optimal configuration. Results indicate a significant decrease in aerodynamic wave drag for simple and complex geometries at relatively low CPU costs. In the case of a cone, the results agreed well with known analytical optimum ogive shapes. The procedure is capable of accepting more complex flow field analysis codes.

Dulikravich, George S.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Response of soil nutrient pools and microbiomes to recurrent wildfire disturbance and varying burn severities in a mixed conifer forest

Wildfire is a pervasive disturbance in mixed-conifer forests, yet the relative influence of fire recurrence versus burn severity on soil biogeochemistry and microbial communities remains poorly quantified. We examined a natural gradient of fire history (0–3 prior fires) and burn severity (low–high) spanning 50 yr in a mixed-conifer ecosystem to assess how repeated fire shapes soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, their isotopic signatures, mineral and particulate fractions, microbial community composition, carbon-use, CO₂ fluxes, and vegetation cover. Successive fires produced progressively higher bare-ground percentages and lower tree cover, which were tightly linked to declines in microbial diversity and reductions bulk %C, and %N. δ 13 C increased with fire frequency, indicating preferential loss of labile C through combustion or enhanced microbial oxidation, thereby explaining the observed net soil-C decline. Conversely, δ 15 N decreased and pH increased as tree density declined, reflecting altered N cycling and reduced acidification in post-fire soils. Fire recurrence, more than severity, corresponded with a marked shift in the bacterial community: for example, Xanthobacteraceae—key N-fixers and C-cyclers—diminished, while N-fixing Bacillaceae increased, underscoring the tightly coupled nature of soil nutrient dynamics and microbiome composition after repeated burns. Our results demonstrate that fire recurrence appears to be a stronger driver of post-fire soil ecosystem responses in this mixed-conifer forest, influencing both abiotic nutrient pools and the functional potential of the soil microbiome. These findings provide a more enhanced assessment and understanding to date of the biogeochemical consequences of repeated wildfire disturbance that can be used to inform management strategies aimed at preserving soil health in fire-prone landscapes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Optimal design of chemoepitaxial guideposts for the directed self-assembly of block copolymer systems using an inexact Newton algorithm

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) is one of the most promising developments in the cost-effective production of nanoscale devices. The process makes use of the natural tendency for BCP melts to form nanoscale structures upon phase separation. The phase separation can be directed through the use of chemically patterned substrates to promote the formation of morphologies that are essential to the production of semiconductor devices. Moreover, the design of substrate pattern can be formulated as an optimization problem for which we seek optimal substrate designs that effectively produce given target morphologies. In this paper, we adopt a phase field model given by a nonlocal Cahn–Hilliard partial differential equation (PDE) based on the minimization of the Ohta–Kawasaki free energy, and present an efficient PDE-constrained optimization framework for the optimal design problem. The design variables are the locations of circular- or strip-shaped guiding posts that are used to model the substrate chemical pattern. To solve the ensuing optimization problem, we propose a variant of an inexact Newton conjugate gradient algorithm tailored to this problem. Additionally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our computational strategy on numerical examples that span a range of target morphologies. Owing to our second-order optimizer and fast state solver, the numerical results demonstrate five orders of magnitude reduction in computational cost over previous work. The efficiency of our framework and the fast convergence of our optimization algorithm enable us to rapidly solve the optimal design problem in not only two, but also three spatial dimensions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses

The identity of the dominant microbial symbionts in a forest determines the ability of trees to access limiting nutrients from atmospheric or soil pools, sequester carbon and withstand the impacts of climate change. Characterizing the global distribution of symbioses, and identifying the factors that control it, are thus integral to understanding present and future forest ecosystem functioning. In this work we generate the first spatially explicit global map of forest symbiotic status using a database of over 1.1 million forest inventory plots with over 28,000 tree species. Our analyses indicate that climatic variables, and in particular climatically-controlled variation in decomposition rate, are the primary drivers of the global distribution of major symbioses. We estimate that ectomycorrhizal (EM) trees, which represent only 2% of all plant species, constitute approximately 60% of tree stems on Earth. EM symbiosis dominates forests where seasonally cold and dry climates inhibit decomposition, and are the predominant symbiosis at high latitudes and elevation. On the other hand, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees dominate aseasonally warm tropical forests and occur with EM trees in temperate biomes where seasonally warm-and-wet climates enhance decomposition. Continental transitions between AM and EM dominated forests occur relatively abruptly along climate driven decomposition gradients, which is likely caused by positive plant-microbe feedbacks. Symbiotic N-fixers, which are insensitive to climatic controls on decomposition compared with mycorrhizal fungi, are most abundant in arid biomes with alkaline soils and high maximum temperatures. The climatically driven global symbiosis gradient we document represents the first spatially-explicit, quantitative understanding of microbial symbioses at the global scale and demonstrates the critical role of microbial mutualisms in shaping the distribution of plant species.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Influence of Blood Rheology and Turbulence Models in the Numerical Simulation of Aneurysms

An aneurysm is a vascular malformation that can be classified according to its location (cerebral, aortic) or shape (saccular, fusiform, and mycotic). Recently, the study of blood flow interaction with aneurysms has gained attention from physicians and engineers. Shear stresses, oscillatory shear index (OSI), gradient oscillatory number (GON), and residence time have been used as variables to describe the hemodynamics as well as the origin and evolution of aneurysms. However, the causes and hemodynamic conditions that promote their growth are still under debate. The present work presents numerical simulations of three types of aneurysms: two aortic and one cerebral. Simulation results showed that the blood rheology is not relevant for aortic aneurysms. However, for the cerebral aneurysm case, blood rheology could play a relevant role in the hemodynamics. The evaluated turbulence models showed equivalent results in both cases. Lastly, a simulation considering the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) showed that this phenomenon is the dominant factor for aneurysm simulation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1975

Wind modeling and lateral control for automatic landing

For the purposes of aircraft control system design and analysis, the wind can be characterized by a mean component which varies with height and by turbulent components which are described by the von Karman correlation model. The aircraft aero-dynamic forces and moments depend linearly on uniform and gradient gust components obtained by averaging over the aircraft's length and span. The correlations of the averaged components are then approximated by the outputs of linear shaping filters forced by white noise. The resulting model of the crosswind shear and turbulence effects is used in the design of a lateral control system for the automatic landing of a DC-8 aircraft.

Holley, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Radio jet refraction in galactic atmospheres with static pressure gradients

A theory based on the refraction of radio jets in the extended atmosphere of an elliptical galaxy, is proposed for double radio sources with a Z or S morphology. The model describes a collimated jet of supersonic material that bends self-consistently under the influence of external static pressure gradients, and may alternatively be seen as a continuous-jet version of the buoyancy model proposed by Gull (1973). Emphasis is placed on (1) S-shaped radio sources identified with isolated galaxies, such as 3C 293, whose radio structures should be free of distortions resulting from motion relative to a cluster medium, and (2) small-scale, galaxy-dominated rather than environment-dominated S-shaped sources such as the inner jet structure of Fornax A.

Henriksen, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Effect of solar radiation disturbance on a flexible beam in orbit

The uncontrolled dynamics of an orbiting flexible beam in the presence of solar radiation pressure forces is considered. The effect of solar radiation forces and moments on the rigid and flexible modes of a free-free flexible beam is evaluated. It is found that moments result only from the flexible symmetric modal deformations. For small pitch amplitudes, and at near geosynchronous altitudes the solar radiation moments due to the deformations of the beam are seen to be greater than those due to the gravity-gradient. Within the linear range, simulated steady state dynamic responses show that the induced pitch amplitudes can be more significant than the induced amplitudes of the modal shape functions.

Krishna, R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Numerical study of three-dimensional turbulent flow interactions between blockage models and wind tunnels including longitudinally slotted test sections

A spatial forward-marching approach is applied to compute three-dimensional turbulent flows for several blockage models in free flight, in a solid wall wind tunnel, and in a wind tunnel with longitudinal slots in the test section. The effects of area blockage in the tunnel, model growth and tunnel wall boundary layers, and of the slots are included. The large blockage models are found to have significant wall interference effects which can be reduced by the slots. The effects of the latter are confined to the region near the tunnel wall. Model/wall interference effects are not limited to the effects of area blockage; in particular, boundary layer profile shapes for a wind tunnel model in a tunnel are different from shapes for a model in free flight even when slots are used. This indicates that the flow responds differently in these two cases with the same pressure gradient.

Lin, S.-J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Modeling of a Non-Dilute Alloy Solidification Under Terrestrial and Microgravity Conditions

A general finite element model of non-dilute alloy solidification was used to simulate growth of HgCdTe from the melt. 2-D and 3-D models with and without Oberbeck-Boussinesq (O-B) approximation were used. Verification of the 3-D model was based on experimental data. The location and the shape of the interface were determined using melting temperatures obtained from the HgCdTe liquidus curve. Double-diffusive convection in the melt is caused by radial temperature gradients and by rejection at the solid-melt interface of the heavier HgTe-rich solute. Because of these complicating factors, dimensional rather than non-dimensional modeling was performed. Models based on complete set of Navier-Stokes equations for compressible media are superior to the O-B approximation in microgravity, because they provide more accurate estimation of convection.

Bune, Andris V.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Buoyancy of the ''Y2K'' Persistent Train and the Trajectory of the 04:00:29 UT Leonid Fireball

The atmospheric trajectory is calculated of a particularly well studied fireball and train during the 1999 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign. Less than a minute after the meteor's first appearance, the train curves into a '2'-shape, which persisted until at least 13 minutes after the fireball. We conclude that the shape results because of horizontal winds from gravity waves with a scale height of 8.3 km at 79-91 km altitude, as well as a westerly wind gradient with altitude. In addition, there is downward drift that affects the formation of loops in the train early on.

Jenniskens, Peter↗