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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 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Unsteady laminar boundary-layer calculations on oscillating configurations including backflow. Part 1: Flat plate, oscillating in its own plane

A finite difference method has been developed to calculate the unsteady boundary layer over an oscillating flat plate. Low- and high frequency approximations were used for comparison with numerical results. Special emphasis was placed on the behavior of the flow and on the numerical calculation procedure as soon as reversed flow has occurred over part of the oscillation cycle. The numerical method displayed neither problems nor singular behavior at the beginning of or within the reversed flow region. Calculations, however, came to a limit where the back-flow region reached the plate's leading edge in the case of high oscillation amplitudes. It is assumed that this limit is caused by the special behavior of the flow at the plate's leading edge where the boundary layer equations are not valid.

Geissler, W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Partial spline models for the inclusion of tropopause and frontal boundary information in otherwise smooth two- and three-dimensional objective analysis

A new method, based on partial spline models, is developed for including specified discontinuities in otherwise smooth two- and three-dimensional objective analyses. The method is appropriate for including tropopause height information in two- and three-dimensinal temperature analyses, using the O'Sullivan-Wahba physical variational method for analysis of satellite radiance data, and may in principle be used in a combined variational analysis of observed, forecast, and climate information. A numerical method for its implementation is described and a prototype two-dimensional analysis based on simulated radiosonde and tropopause height data is shown. The method may also be appropriate for other geophysical problems, such as modeling the ocean thermocline, fronts, discontinuities, etc.

Shiau, Jyh-Jen↗
NASA NTRS1992

Schroedinger's radial equation - Solution by extrapolation

A high-accuracy numerical method for the solution of a 1D Schroedinger equation that is suitable for a diatomic molecule, obtained by combining a finite-difference method with iterative extrapolation to the limit, is presently shown to have several advantages over more conventional methods. Initial guesses for the term values are obviated, and implementation of the algorithm is straightforward. The method is both less sensitive to round-off error, and faster than conventional methods for equivalent accuracy. These advantages are illustrated through the solution of Schroedinger's equation for a Morse potential function suited for HCl and a numerically derived Rydberg-Klein-Rees potential function for the X 1Sigma(+) state of CO.

Goorvitch, D.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Turbulence Simulation

A discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is formulated, implemented, and tested for simulation of compressible turbulent flows. The method is applied to turbulent channel flow at low Reynolds number, where it is found to successfully predict low-order statistics with fewer degrees of freedom than traditional numerical methods. This reduction is achieved by utilizing local hp-refinement such that the computational grid is refined simultaneously in all three spatial coordinates with decreasing distance from the wall. Another advantage of DG is that Dirichlet boundary conditions can be enforced weakly through integrals of the numerical fluxes. Both for a model advection-diffusion problem and for turbulent channel flow, weak enforcement of wall boundaries is found to improve results at low resolution. Such weak boundary conditions may play a pivotal role in wall modeling for large-eddy simulation.

Collis, S. Scott↗
NASA NTRS1977

Error behavior of multistep methods applied to unstable differential systems

The problem of modeling a dynamic system described by a system of ordinary differential equations which has unstable components for limited periods of time is discussed. It is shown that the global error in a multistep numerical method is the solution to a difference equation initial value problem, and the approximate solution is given for several popular multistep integration formulas. Inspection of the solution leads to the formulation of four criteria for integrators appropriate to unstable problems. A sample problem is solved numerically using three popular formulas and two different stepsizes to illustrate the appropriateness of the criteria.

Brown, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Error behaviour of multistep methods applied to unstable differential systems

The problem of modelling a dynamic system described by a system of ordinary differential equations which has unstable components for limited periods of time is discussed. It is shown that the global error in a multistep numerical method is the solution to a difference equation initial value problem, and the approximate solution is given for several popular multistep integration formulae. Inspection of the solution leads to the formulation of four criteria for integrators appropriate to unstable problems. A sample problem is solved numerically using three popular formulae and two different stepsizes to illustrate the appropriateness of the criteria.

Brown, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Response of joint dominated space structures

An approximate method is developed for estimating the transient response of nonlinear systems in terms of linearized modes of response. Its advantages are that it is computationally more efficient than the time integration method and that it is possible to view the design problem in the more traditional physical terms of modal response. The major drawback of the approximate method is loss of accuracy. It seems that both approximate methods and time integration have their roles in design. Approximate methods provide efficient tools for performing parametric studies and they supply physical insights into how to optimize system performance that are not easily inferred from strictly numerical methods. Time integration provides a method for assessing the accuracy of the approximate solution for key simulations and for fine tuning the final design. In the procedure presented the nonlinear system is approximated by an equivalent linear system in which the system parameters are constant over the range of transient response.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1987

Numerical simulations of unsteady airfoil-vortex interactions

Numerical methods based on the thin layer Navier-Stokes, Euler and transonic small disturbance equations, all three of which use the perturbation form of an implicit numerical algorithm, are used to formulate the unsteady interactions of a moving vortex with a stationary airfoil. Results are presented for both transonic and subsonic flows, as well as for weak and strong interactions. In general, the results exhibit an overwhelming influence of the vortex on the flow field around the airfoil, especially when the convecting vortex is within one chord of the airfoil. It is noted that even the ostensibly weak interactions produced vortex/shock-induced boundary layer separation.

Srinivasan, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Shape optimization for maximum stability and dynamic stiffness

Any optimization of structures for maximum stability or for maximum dynamic stiffness deals with an eigenvalue problem. The goal of this optimization is to raise the lowest eigenvalue (or eigenvalues) of the problem to its highest (optimal) level at a constant volume of the structure. Likely the lowest eigenvalue may be either inherently multi-modal or it can become multi-modal as a result of the optimization process. The multimodeness introduces some ambiguity to the eigenvalue problem and make the optimization difficult to handle. Thus far, only the simplest cases of multi-modal structures have been effectively optimized using rather elaborate analytical methods. Numerous publications report design of a minimum volume structure with different eigenvalues constraints, in which, however, the modality of the problem is assumed a priori. The method presented here utilizes a multi-modal optimality criteria and allows for inclusion of an arbitrary number of buckling or vibrations modes which might influence the optimization process. The real multi-modality of the problem, that is the number of modes participating in the final optimal design is determined iteratively. Because of a natural use of the FEM technique the method is easy to program and might be helpful in design of large flexible space structures.

Szyszkowski, W.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Multiresolution and Explicit Methods for Vector Field Analysis and Visualization

This is a request for a second renewal (3d year of funding) of a research project on the topic of multiresolution and explicit methods for vector field analysis and visualization. In this report, we describe the progress made on this research project during the second year and give a statement of the planned research for the third year. There are two aspects to this research project. The first is concerned with the development of techniques for computing tangent curves for use in visualizing flow fields. The second aspect of the research project is concerned with the development of multiresolution methods for curvilinear grids and their use as tools for visualization, analysis and archiving of flow data. We report on our work on the development of numerical methods for tangent curve computation first.

Nielson, Gregory M.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Why Is the Overheating Problem Difficult: the Role of Entropy

The development of computational fluid dynamics over the last few decades has yielded enormous successes and capabilities being routinely employed today; however there remain some open problems to be properly resolved-some are fundamental in nature and some resolvable by operational changes. These two categories are distinguished and broadly explored previously. One, that belongs to the former, is the so-called overheating problem, especially in rarefying flow. This problem up to date still dogs every method known to the author; a solution to it remains elusive. The study in this paper concludes that: (1) the entropy increase is quantitatively linked to the increase in the temperature increase, (2) it is argued that the overheating is inevitable in the current shock capturing or traditional finite difference framework, and (3) a simple hybrid method is proposed that removes the overheating problem in the rarefying problems, but also retains the property of accurate shock capturing. This remedy (enhancement of current numerical methods) can be included easily in the present Eulerian codes.

Liou, Meng-Sing↗
NASA NTRS2017

Improving Estimation of Ground Casualty Risk From Reentering Space Objects

A recent improvement to the long-term estimation of ground casualties from reentering space debris is the further refinement and update to the human population distribution. Previous human population distributions were based on global totals with simple scaling factors for future years, or a coarse grid of population counts in a subset of the world's countries, each cell having its own projected growth rate. The newest population model includes a 5-fold refinement in both latitude and longitude resolution. All areas along a single latitude are combined to form a global population distribution as a function of latitude, creating a more accurate population estimation based on non-uniform growth at the country and area levels. Previous risk probability calculations used simplifying assumptions that did not account for the ellipsoidal nature of the Earth. The new method uses first, a simple analytical method to estimate the amount of time spent above each latitude band for a debris object with a given orbit inclination and second, a more complex numerical method that incorporates the effects of a non-spherical Earth. These new results are compared with the prior models to assess the magnitude of the effects on reentry casualty risk.

Ostrom, Chris L.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Improving Estimation of Ground Casualty Risk from Reentering Space Objects

A recent improvement to the long-term estimation of ground casualties from reentering space debris is the further refinement and update to the human population distribution. Previous human population distributions were based on global totals with simple scaling factors for future years, or a coarse grid of population counts in a subset of the world's countries, each cell having its own projected growth rate. The newest population model includes a 5-fold refinement in both latitude and longitude resolution. All areas along a single latitude are combined to form a global population distribution as a function of latitude, creating a more accurate population estimation based on non-uniform growth at the country and area levels. Previous risk probability calculations used simplifying assumptions that did not account for the ellipsoidal nature of the earth. The new method uses first, a simple analytical method to estimate the amount of time spent above each latitude band for a debris object with a given orbit inclination, and second, a more complex numerical method that incorporates the effects of a non-spherical Earth. These new results are compared with the prior models to assess the magnitude of the effects on reentry casualty risk.

Ostrom, C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Projection methods for the numerical solution of Markov chain models

Projection methods for computing stationary probability distributions for Markov chain models are presented. A general projection method is a method which seeks an approximation from a subspace of small dimension to the original problem. Thus, the original matrix problem of size N is approximated by one of dimension m, typically much smaller than N. A particularly successful class of methods based on this principle is that of Krylov subspace methods which utilize subspaces of the form span(v,av,...,A(exp m-1)v). These methods are effective in solving linear systems and eigenvalue problems (Lanczos, Arnoldi,...) as well as nonlinear equations. They can be combined with more traditional iterative methods such as successive overrelaxation, symmetric successive overrelaxation, or with incomplete factorization methods to enhance convergence.

Saad, Youcef↗
NASA NTRS2011

Tests of the Grobner Basis Solution for Lightning Ground Flash Fraction Retrieval

Satellite lightning imagers such as the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Lightning Imaging Sensor (TRMM/LIS) and the future GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) are designed to detect total lightning (ground flashes + cloud flashes). However, there is a desire to discriminate ground flashes from cloud flashes from the vantage point of space since this would enhance the overall information content of the satellite lightning data and likely improve its operational and scientific applications (e.g., in severe weather warning, lightning nitrogen oxides studies, and global electric circuit analyses). A Bayesian inversion method was previously introduced for retrieving the fraction of ground flashes in a set of flashes observed from a satellite lightning imager. The method employed a constrained mixed exponential distribution model to describe the lightning optical measurements. To obtain the optimum model parameters (one of which is the ground flash fraction), a scalar function was minimized by a numerical method. In order to improve this optimization, a Grobner basis solution was introduced to obtain analytic representations of the model parameters that serve as a refined initialization scheme to the numerical optimization. In this study, we test the efficacy of the Grobner basis initialization using actual lightning imager measurements and ground flash truth derived from the national lightning network.

Koshak, William↗
NASA NTRS1991

Assessing damping uncertainty in space structures with fuzzy sets

NASA has been interested in the development of methods for evaluating the predictive accuracy of structural dynamic models. This interest stems from the use of mathematical models in evaluating the structural integrity of all spacecraft prior to flight. Space structures are often too large and too weak to be tested fully assembled in a ground test lab. The predictive accuracy of a model depends on the nature and extent of its experimental verification. The further the test conditions depart from in-service conditions, the less accurate the model will be. Structural damping is known to be one source of uncertainty in models. The uncertainty in damping is explored in order to evaluate the accuracy of dynamic models. A simple mass-spring-dashpot system is used to illustrate a comparison among three methods for propagating uncertainty in structural dynamics models: the First Order Method, the Numerical Simulation Method, and the Fuzzy Set Method. The Fuzzy Set Method is shown to bound the range of possible responses and thus to provide a valuable limiting check on the First Order Method near resonant conditions. Fuzzy Methods are a relative inexpensive alternative to numerical simulation.

Ross, Timothy J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A critical comparison of two-equation turbulence models

Several two-equation models were proposed and tested against benchmark flows by various researchers. For each study, different numerical methods or codes were used to obtain the results which were reported to be an improvement over other models. However, these comparisons may be overshadowed by the different numerical schemes used to obtain the results. With this in mind, several existing two-equation turbulence models, including k-epsilon, k-tau, k-omega, and q-omega models, are implemented into a common flow solver code for near wall turbulent flows. The quality of each model is based on several criteria, including robustness and accuracy of predicting the turbulent quantities.

Lang, N. J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Plasma Jet Simulations Using a Generalized Ohm's Law

Plasma jets are important physical phenomena in astrophysics and plasma propulsion devices. A currently proposed dual jet plasma propulsion device to be used for ISS experiments strongly resembles a coronal loop and further draws a parallel between these physical systems [1]. To study plasma jets we use numerical methods that solve the compressible MHD equations using the generalized Ohm s law [2]. Here, we will discuss the crucial underlying physics of these systems along with the numerical procedures we utilize to study them. Recent results from our numerical experiments will be presented and discussed.

Ebersohn, Frans↗