Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Kinetic Modelling”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Benchmarking and validation of global model code for negative hydrogen ion sources

Benchmarking and validation are prerequisites for using simulation codes as predictive tools. In this work, we have developed a Global Model for Negative Hydrogen Ion Source (GMNHIS) and performed benchmarking of the GMNHIS against another independently developed code, Global Enhanced Vibrational Kinetic Model (GEVKM). This is the first study to propose a quite comprehensive benchmarking test of this kind for models of negative hydrogen ion sources (NHIS), and excellent agreements have been achieved for collisional energy loss per electron-ion pair created, electron number density, electron temperature, densities of H$^{+}_{3}$ and H$^{+}_{2}$ ions, and densities of H(n = 1–3) atoms. Very small discrepancies in number densities of H - ions and H + ions, as well as the vibrational distribution function of hydrogen molecules, can be attributed to the differences in the chemical reactions datasets. The GEVKM includes additional chemical reactions that are more important at high pressures. Moreover, we validated the GMNHIS against experimental data obtained in an electron cyclotron resonance discharge used for H - production. The model qualitatively (and even quantitatively for certain conditions) reproduces the experimental H - number density. The H - number density as a function of pressure first increases at pressures below 1.6 Pa and then saturates for higher pressures. This dependence was analyzed by evaluating contributions from different reaction pathways to the creation and loss of the H - ions. The developed codes can be used for predicting the H - production, improving the performance of NHIS, and ultimately optimizing the parameters of negative ion beams for fusion reactors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1973

Experimental and theoretical studies of NO/x/ formation in a jet-stirred combustor.

As an approach to testing kinetic models which couple NO formation to combustion reactions, a jet-stirred combustor was used to study NO(x) formation under kinetically controlled combustion conditions. The experimental data were compared with kinetic calculations for a well-stirred reactor. The agreement between theory and experiment was quite good for the combustion of hydrogen/air and carbon monoxide/air, for which detailed mechanisms were used. A quasi-global mechanism for the combustion of propane/air resulted in substantial underprediction of NO(x) formation.

Engleman, V. S.↗
NASA NTRS1999

On The Development of Biophysical Models for Space Radiation Risk Assessment

Experimental techniques in molecular biology are being applied to study biological risks from space radiation. The use of molecular assays presents a challenge to biophysical models which in the past have relied on descriptions of energy deposition and phenomenological treatments of repair. We describe a biochemical kinetics model of cell cycle control and DNA damage response proteins in order to model cellular responses to radiation exposures. Using models of cyclin-cdk, pRB, E2F's, p53, and GI inhibitors we show that simulations of cell cycle populations and GI arrest can be described by our biochemical approach. We consider radiation damaged DNA as a substrate for signal transduction processes and consider a dose and dose-rate reduction effectiveness factor (DDREF) for protein expression.

Cucinotta, F. A.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Kinetic Simulations of Cu Doping in Chlorinated CdSeTe PV Absorbers

This paper reports on 1D kinetic modeling of p-type doping formation in Cu-doped chlorinated CdSeTe photovoltaic (PV) absorbers with graded Se profiles. Following the recent progress in kinetic simulations of the defect chemistry in stoichiometric CdTe films, this work extends simulation capabilities to a domain of semiconductor alloy films with graded stoichiometries. The defect formation energies and ionization levels, as well as the diffusion and reaction barriers used in the reaction-diffusion equations are calculated from the first principles. A new formalism is employed to account for the uncertainty of the defect formation energies in semiconductor alloys caused by unknown local surrounding. Finally, the developed methodology is used to model a practical fabrication process of p-type doping formation in graded CdSeTe absorbers and to study the effect of alloy stoichiometry on the doping activation.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Insights on keto-hydroperoxide formation from O 2 addition to the beta-tetrahydrofuran radical

Cyclic ethers provide an interesting case study of low-temperature oxidation chemistry, especially in relevance to biofuels. A recent experimental study revealed new questions regarding the low-temperature oxidation mechanism of tetrahydrofuran (THF) concerning the formation of keto-hydroperoxides. In particular, keto-hydroperoxides originating from the THF-β radical were not captured accurately by current literature models, motivating this work to calculate the energetics of the first and second O 2 -addition pathways for THF radicals. Electronic structure calculations at the CCSD(T)/cc-pV∞Z//M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level of theory were used to generate potential energy surfaces for the α-C and β-C THF radicals and subsequent pathways to the formation of the keto-hydroperoxide isomers. These are the first theoretical calculations of the second O 2 -addition radical pathways for the THF-β radical. Results from the theorical work provided further insight into the low-temperature oxidation of THF. This included identifying the pathways most likely to form the keto-hydroperoxide isomers observed in prior experimental work; and detecting that the shortcomings in prior models are likely due to uncertainties in R + THF abstraction reaction rates. Here, these conclusions will motivate future work for accurate THF kinetic model development.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance characterization of nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange technologies for acetic acid separation

A major obstacle to widespread implementation of bio-based fuels and chemicals is the lack of efficient and costeffective separation methods. To purify acetic acid produced by biochemical conversion of biomass via anaerobic digestion, this work employs two commonly used separation technologies: (1) ion-exchange (IX) resin and (2) pressure-driven membranes. This study tested five commercially available strong- and weak-base anion-exchange resins and five commercially available nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. The pH of the feed solution significantly affected adsorption capacity. At pH 6.3, a strong-base IX resin (IRN-78) performed best (95.1% acetate removal). With strong-base IX resins, the Langmuir isotherm model fit well, whereas for weak-base IX resins, the Freundlich isotherm provided a better fit. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model fit well for both IRN-78 and IRA-67. Regarding membrane separation, RO (BW30XFR membrane) achieved the highest rejection (98.6% acetate rejection), whereas an NF membrane (NF*) achieved the best combination of permeate flux (105 L/(h∙m 2 )) and rejection (83.1% acetate rejection). For membrane performance, the experimental data were fit using the solution diffusion model. Increased pH in the feed solution lowered permeate flux but increased acetic acid rejection. Finally, then the acetic acid concentration in the feed solution increased, both permeate flux and acetic acid rejection decreased for membrane NF*.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Refined Outgassing Model for the LiH/LiOH System

Previous models for H 2 and H 2 O outgassing from moisture exposed LiH specimens were based on temperature programmed desorption/decomposition (TPD) experiments and analyses that yielded kinetic descriptions which were specific to defined sets of initial conditions. Subsequently the inputs to the kinetic models were refined to correlate with infrared spectra of the adsorbed species. In this current enhancement, better agreement between prediction and experiment was obtained through: 1) refining the reaction mechanisms for some of the decomposition reactions; 2) developing the potential range of kinetic parameters by simultaneous fitting of all the TPD outgassing curves obtained at different heating rates; and, 3) limiting the scope of possible kinetic parameters to an optimized subset by matching the outgassing prediction curves at 3 different temperatures to the outcomes from the accurate but cumbersome, non-intuitive, and effort demanding isoconversional analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2003

Interactions of Hydrazine and Blowby Gases

The interactions between hydrazine and blowby gases from pyrovalves was explored in this research project. Investigating the decomposition chemistry of hydrazine through detailed chemical kinetic modeling is a project started last summer while participating in the Summer Faculty Fellowship program. During the 1999-2000 academic year, the chemical kinetic mechanism for hydrazine decomposition developed while a SFF at NASA's White Sands Test Facility was further revised and validated against the limited experimental data in the literature. This mechanism was then used in assessing the effects of blowby gas species on hydrazine decomposition. The combustion products introduced into the fuel line by pyrovalve actuation consist primarily of hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is also a product of the decomposition of hydrazine. Additional gaseous chemical species are introduced into the fuel, as well as metals and metal salts that deposit onto the walls of the fuel line. The deposition process is undoubtedly very rapid, and exothermic. Therefore, the major focus of this summer's work was examining the effects of hydrogen presence on hydrazine decomposition, with some representative calculations including the remaining gaseous species found to exist in blowby gases. Since hydrogen is a product of hydrazine decomposition, all reactions necessary to evaluate its effect on hydrazine decomposition chemistry were in the original mechanism developed. However, the mechanism needed to be considerably expanded to include the reactions of the other gaseous blowby species with hydrazine, all the intermediate species formed in its decomposition, and each other. The expanded mechanism consists of 70 species interacting via a network of 452 reactions. Calculations with molecular hydrogen introduced into hydrazine gas in an inert bath gas indicate that H2 presence as an initial reactant in substantial amounts can dramatically impact the decomposition process for hydrazine. The other gaseous blowby species (CO, CO2, H2O, CH4, O2, and N2) were found to have little effect compared to the inclusion of hydrogen itself as an initial reagent. This result is undoubtedly due, in part, to the fact that the blowby gas used in these calculations consisted of 94.6% H2. A more rigorous examination of the behavior of the full detailed mechanism under a variety of conditions was not performed.

Meagher, Nancy E.↗
DOE OSTI2018

In-Cylinder Diagnostics to Overcome Efficiency Barriers in Natural Gas Engines (LDRD 200166)

The high-level objective of this project is to solve national-security problems associated with petroleum use, cost, and environmental impacts by enabling more efficient use of natural-gas-fueled internal combustion engines. An improved science-base on end-gas autoignition, or “knock,” is required to support engineering of more efficient engine designs through predictive modeling. An existing optical diesel engine facility is retrofitted for natural gas fueling with laser-spark-ignition combustion to provide in-cylinder imaging and pressure data under knocking combustion. Zero-dimensional chemical-kinetic modeling of autoignition, adiabatically constrained by the measured cylinder pressure, isolates the role of autoignition chemistry. OH* chemiluminescence imaging reveals six different categories of knock onset that depend on proximity to engine surfaces and the in-cylinder deflagration. Modeling results show excellent prediction regardless of the knock category, thereby validating state-of-the-art kinetic mechanisms. The results also provide guidance for future work to build a science base on the factors that affect the deflagration rate.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Elucidating the photodissociation fingerprint and quantifying the determination of organic hydroperoxides in gas-phase autoxidation

Hydroperoxides are formed in the atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds, in the combustion autoxidation of fuel, in the cold environment of the interstellar medium, and also in some catalytic reactions. They play crucial roles in the formation and aging of secondary organic aerosols and in fuel autoignition. However, the concentration of organic hydroperoxides is seldom measured, and typical estimates have large uncertainties. In this work, we developed a mild and environmental-friendly method for the synthesis of alkyl hydroperoxides (ROOH) with various structures, and we systematically measured the absolute photoionization cross-sections (PICSs) of the ROOHs using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet-photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS). A chemical titration method was combined with an SVUV-PIMS measurement to obtain the PICS of 4-hydroperoxy-2-pentanone, a typical molecule for combustion and atmospheric autoxidation ketohydroperoxides (KHPs). We found that organic hydroperoxide cations are largely dissociated by loss of OOH. This fingerprint was used for the identification and accurate quantification of the organic peroxides, and it can therefore be used to improve models for autoxidation chemistry. The synthesis method and photoionization dataset for organic hydroperoxides are useful for studying the chemistry of hydroperoxides and the reaction kinetics of the hydroperoxy radicals and for developing and evaluating kinetic models for the atmospheric autoxidation and combustion autoxidation of the organic compounds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Probabilistic effects of porosity and chemical kinetics on the shock initiation of an octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) based explosive

In this work, we investigate the effects of porosity and chemical reactivity on the shock initiation of an HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine)-based polymer bonded explosive due to thin flyer impact using two-dimensional mesoscale simulations. Microstructural samples are computationally generated, and the calculated shock response is compared to experiments. The sample dimensions are 0.1×1.05 mm 2 , and each sample accounts for grain scale heterogeneities, including randomized grain morphology and pore spacing. Simulations are performed using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian multi-physics code ALE3D. Chemistry and equation of states are handled with LLNL's thermochemical code Cheetah. We employ a modified Arrhenius-based chemical kinetics model that scales the temperature exponent fitting parameter with flyer shock conditions. This new model is calibrated to the mean response of experimental shock initiation thresholds for three separate Kapton flyer thicknesses. A simplified shock initiation criterion is proposed, which classifies the macroscale initiation response based on cross-sectional temperature profiles of the shocked sample. This criterion is used to further investigate the probabilistic response of the sample to variations in the mean porosity and chemical kinetics rate, and we find an inverse correlation between the shock pressure and the confidence interval of the experimental threshold velocity. Furthermore, the methodology presented in this work for quantifying the probabilistic nature of shock initiation is material agnostic. These mesoscale studies may be used to inform continuum scale models and expedite the development of future, tailored energetic formulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Implementation of new mixture rules has a substantial impact on combustion predictions for H 2 and NH 3

Complex-forming reactions comprise a substantial fraction of all important combustion reactions and are central to combustion behavior. Despite being often called “pressure-dependent” reactions, their rate constants depend on not only the pressure but also the composition. While modern combustion codes allow arbitrarily high accuracy in treating pressure dependence, recent work has consistently demonstrated dramatic failures of essentially all available treatments of mixture dependence. In situations where mixture dependence is treated at all, it is inevitably treated through specification of pressure-dependent rate constants for a set of pure bath gases, which are then combined to estimate the rate constant in a mixture via a “mixture rule.” While there had been a generally unquestioning confidence in these mixture rules, they had, in reality, been scarcely tested until the last decade, when comparisons against master equation calculations revealed order-of-magnitude errors for important pressure-dependent reactions. New mixture rules, based on the reduced pressure, have recently been proposed and shown to reproduce master equation calculations for broad classes of complex-forming reactions very accurately. Here, in this work, we present an implementation of one such new mixture rule (“LMR-R”) in Cantera and then use it to enable simulations that use new high-accuracy ab initio data for individual bath gases (for the first time, since codes previously could not accommodate the complex bath gas dependence). Demonstrations focus on combustion of H 2 and NH 3 , where (1) high-accuracy ab initio data are available and (2) the impact is expected to be large due to the high fractions of efficient colliders (e.g., H 2 O and NH 3 ) in the burned and unburned gases. Indeed, we find the impact of this treatment to be substantial and may explain previous modeling difficulties for these important carbon-free fuels, particularly for NH 3 , whose extraordinarily high third-body efficiency (~20) is often omitted from kinetic models.

Ammonia↗
DOE OSTI2026

Pore-Scale Study on the Positive Feedback Between Stress and Porosity Caused by Pressure Solution in Porous Media

Pressure solution is an important process in the evolution of sedimentary rocks, which provide storage space for most of our petroleum resources. It directly influences the generation, migration, and storage of petroleum fluids in subsurface sedimentary rocks. Here, in this paper, we develop a pore-scale, mechanochemical model to demonstrate a possible positive feedback between the local porosity and pore surface stress, in which a higher local porosity causes a higher local pore surface stress, thus enhancing pressure solution and consequently further increasing the local porosity. Pore surface stress represents stress on a solid grain adjacent to a pore. Specifically, the pore-scale, mechanochemical model directly simulates the stress distribution over solid and pore surfaces using a finite element model. The dissolution of solids at the solid-pore interfaces under a far-from-equilibrium condition is simulated using a first-order kinetics model that accounts for the local stress distribution. The updated pore geometry, caused by pore surface dissolution, is then used in the stress simulation in the next numerical iteration. Two types of porous media, the Oriskany sandstone and an artificial porous medium with spherical pores, were tested in the mechanochemical simulation. The positive stress-porosity feedback during pressure solution was observed in both samples. In addition, the model quantitatively illustrated the distribution of local mineral dissolution rates on all pore surfaces, as well as its relation to the effective mineral dissolution rate of the entire sample. Based on the comparison between the two porous media, the local mineral dissolution was regulated by pore space distribution, geometry, and coalescence during pressure solution. This work is the first that uses direct, pore-scale numerical simulation to demonstrate the positive stress-porosity feedback during pressure solution, which has the potential to advance the understanding of the mechanical-chemical (MC) coupling in many geological processes that are relevant to subsurface energy systems, such as the recovery of petroleum hydrocarbons and geothermal energy.

CT scanning↗
DOE OSTI2023

Concepts Relevant for the Kinetic Analysis of Reversible Reaction Systems

The net rate of a reversible chemical reaction is the difference between unidirectional rates of traversal along forward and reverse reaction paths. In a multistep reaction sequence, the forward and reverse trajectories, in general, are not the microscopic reverse of one another; rather, each unidirectional route is comprised of distinct rate-controlling steps, intermediates, and transition states. Consequently, traditional descriptors of rate (e.g., reaction orders) do not reflect intrinsic kinetic information but instead conflate unidirectional contributions determined by (i) the microscopic occurrence of forward/reverse reactions (i.e., unidirectional kinetics) and (ii) the reversibility of reaction (i.e., nonequilibrium thermodynamics). This review aims to provide a comprehensive resource of analytical and conceptual tools which deconvolute the contributions of reaction kinetics and thermodynamics to disambiguate unidirectional reaction trajectories and precisely identify rate- and reversibility-controlling molecular species and steps in reversible reaction systems. The extrication of mechanistic and kinetic information from bidirectional reactions is accomplished through equation-based formalisms (e.g., De Donder relations) grounded in principles of thermodynamics and interpreted in the context of theories of chemical kinetics developed in the past 25 years. Here, the aggregate of mathematical formalisms detailed herein is general to thermochemical and electrochemical reactions and encapsulates a diverse body of scientific literature encompassing chemical physics, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, catalysis, and kinetic modeling.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1984

A comprehensive model to determine the effects of temperature and species fluctuations on reaction rates in turbulent reaction flows

The use of silane (SiH4) as an effective ignitor and flame stabilizing pilot fuel is well documented. A reliable chemical kinetic mechanism for prediction of its behavior at the conditions encountered in the combustor of a SCRAMJET engine was calculated. The effects of hydrogen addition on hydrocarbon ignition and flame stabilization as a means for reduction of lengthy ignition delays and reaction times were studied. The ranges of applicability of chemical kinetic models of hydrogen-air combustors were also investigated. The CHARNAL computer code was applied to the turbulent reaction rate modeling.

Magnotti, F.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantitative kinetic rules for plastic strain-induced α - ω phase transformation in Zr under high pressure

Plastic strain-induced phase transformations (PTs) and chemical reactions under high pressure are broadly spread in modern technologies, friction and wear, geophysics, and astrogeology. However, because of very heterogeneous fields of plastic strain $E$ p and stress σ tensors and volume fraction c of phases in a sample compressed in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) and impossibility of measurements of σ and $E$ p , there are no strict kinetic equations for them. Here, we develop a kinetic model, finite element method (FEM) approach, and combined FEM-experimental approaches to determine all fields in strongly plastically predeformed Zr compressed in DAC, and specific kinetic equation for α-ω PT consistent with experimental data for the entire sample. Since all fields in the sample are very heterogeneous, data are obtained for numerous complex 7D paths in the space of 3 components of the plastic strain tensor and 4 components of the stress tensor. Kinetic equation depends on accumulated plastic strain (instead of time) and pressure and is independent of plastic strain and deviatoric stress tensors, i.e., it can be applied for various above processes. Our results initiate kinetic studies of strain-induced PTs and provide efforts toward more comprehensive understanding of material behavior in extreme conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

CO 2 methanation reaction pathways over unpromoted and NaNO 3 -promoted Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalysts

Catalytic CO 2 sorbents, materials that adsorb and pre-concentrate CO 2 on the catalyst surface prior to subsequent conversion, are becoming important materials in CO 2 capture and utilization. In this work, a prototypical CO 2 methanation catalyst – Ru/Al 2 O 3 – and a related catalytic sorbent – NaNO 3 /Ru/Al 2 O 3 – are used for CO 2 methanation in flowing hydrogen in a fixed bed reactor at temperatures ranging from 220 to 280 °C. Activation energies for the NaNO 3 /Ru/Al 2 O 3 material are slightly higher than unpromoted Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalysts, and the reaction orders vary more significantly. In situ IR spectroscopy and steady-state isotopic kinetic analysis (SSITKA) using in situ IR/MS spectroscopy show that bicarbonate and linear carbonyl species are the likely reaction intermediates over unpromoted Ru/Al 2 O 3 , while bidentate carbonate, formate and linear carbonyl species are among likely reaction intermediates over NaNO 3 /Ru/Al 2 O 3 . Rate laws consistent with the obtained experimental data are proposed after kinetic modeling of multiple plausible reaction pathways. In conclusion, results suggest that the pathway over the NaNO 3 /Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalyst likely has an additional kinetically relevant irreversible step in the CO 2 methanation reaction pathway.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗