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At least 757 records · Page 42

On th meridional surface profile of the Gulf Stream at 55 deg W

Nine-month records from nine inverted echo sounders (IESs) are analyzed to describe the mean baroclinic Gulf Stream at 55 deg W. IES acoustic travel times are converted to thermocline depth which is optimally interpolated. Kinematic and dynamic parameters (Gulf Stream meridional position, velocity, and vorticity) are calculated. Primary Gulf Stream variabiltiy is attributed to meandering and and changes in direction. A mean, stream-coordinate (relative to Gulf Stream instantaneous position and direction) meridional profile is derived and compared with results presented by other investigators. The mean velocity is estimated at 0.84 m/s directed 14 deg to the right eastward, and the thermocline (12 c) drops 657 m (north to south), corresponding to a baroclinic rise of the surface of 0.87 m. The effect of Gulf Stream curvature on temporal mean profiles is found to be unimportant and of minimal importance overall. The derived, downstream current profile is well represented by a Gaussian function and is about 190 km wide where it crosses zero. Surface baroclinic transport is estimated to be 8.5 x 10(exp 4) sq m/s, and maximum shear (flanking the maximum) is 1.2 x 10(exp -5). Results compare well with other in situ observational results from the same time period. On the other hand, analyses (by others) of concurrent satellite altimetry (Geosat) suggest a considerable narrower, more intense mean Gulf Stream.

Hallock, Zachariah R.↗

Analysis of the Effects of Vitiates on Surface Heat Flux in Ground Tests of Hypersonic Vehicles

To achieve the high enthalpy conditions associated with hypersonic flight, many ground test facilities burn fuel in the air upstream of the test chamber. Unfortunately, the products of combustion contaminate the test gas and alter gas properties and the heat fluxes associated with aerodynamic heating. The difference in the heating rates between clean air and a vitiated test medium needs to be understood so that the thermal management system for hypersonic vehicles can be properly designed. This is particularly important for advanced hypersonic vehicle concepts powered by air-breathing propulsion systems that couple cooling requirements, fuel flow rates, and combustor performance by flowing fuel through sub-surface cooling passages to cool engine components and preheat the fuel prior to combustion. An analytical investigation was performed comparing clean air to a gas vitiated with methane/oxygen combustion products to determine if variations in gas properties contributed to changes in predicted heat flux. This investigation started with simple relationships, evolved into writing an engineering-level code, and ended with running a series of CFD cases. It was noted that it is not possible to simultaneously match all of the gas properties between clean and vitiated test gases. A study was then conducted selecting various combinations of freestream properties for a vitiated test gas that matched clean air values to determine which combination of parameters affected the computed heat transfer the least. The best combination of properties to match was the free-stream total sensible enthalpy, dynamic pressure, and either the velocity or Mach number. This combination yielded only a 2% difference in heating. Other combinations showed departures of up to 10% in the heat flux estimate.

Cuda, Vincent↗

Adaptive pruning-based optimization of parameterized quantum circuits

Abstract Variational hybrid quantum–classical algorithms are powerful tools to maximize the use of noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices. While past studies have developed powerful and expressive ansatze, their near-term applications have been limited by the difficulty of optimizing in the vast parameter space. In this work, we propose a heuristic optimization strategy for such ansatze used in variational quantum algorithms, which we call ‘parameter-efficient circuit training (PECT)’. Instead of optimizing all of the ansatz parameters at once, PECT launches a sequence of variational algorithms, in which each iteration of the algorithm activates and optimizes a subset of the total parameter set. To update the parameter subset between iterations, we adapt the Dynamic Sparse Reparameterization scheme which was originally proposed for training deep convolutional neural networks. We demonstrate PECT for the Variational Quantum Eigensolver, in which we benchmark unitary coupled-cluster ansatze including UCCSD and k -UpCCGSD, as well as the Low-Depth Circuit Ansatz (LDCA), to estimate ground state energies of molecular systems. We additionally use a layerwise variant of PECT to optimize a hardware-efficient circuit for the Sycamore processor to estimate the ground state energy densities of the one-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model. From our numerical data, we find that PECT can enable optimizations of certain ansatze that were previously difficult to converge and more generally can improve the performance of variational algorithms by reducing the optimization runtime and/or the depth of circuits that encode the solution candidate(s).

Physics↗

Evaluation of a methodology for model identification in the time domain

A model identification methodology for structural dynamics has been applied to simulated vibrational data as a first step in evaluating its accuracy. The evaluation has taken into account a wide variety of factors which affect the accuracy of the procedure. The effects of each of these factors were observed in both the response time histories and the estimates of the parameters of the model by comparing them with the exact values of the system. Each factor was varied independently but combinations of these have also been considered in an effort to simulate real situations. The results of the tests have shown that for the chain model, the procedure yields robust estimates of the stiffness parameters under the conditions studied whenever uniqueness is ensured. When inaccuracies occur in the results, they are intimately related to non-uniqueness conditions inherent in the inverse problem and not to shortcomings in the methodology.

Beck, R. T.↗

The Interplay Between Transpiration and Runoff Formulations in Land Surface Schemes Used with Atmospheric Models

The Project for Intercomparison of Land-surface Parameterization Schemes (PILPS) has shown that different land surface models (LSMS) driven by the same meteorological forcing can produce markedly different surface energy and water budgets, even when certain critical aspects of the LSMs (vegetation cover, albedo, turbulent drag coefficient, and snow cover) are carefully controlled. To help explain these differences, the authors devised a monthly water balance model that successfully reproduces the annual and seasonal water balances of the different PILPS schemes. Analysis of this model leads to the identification of two quantities that characterize an LSM's formulation of soil water balance dynamics: (1) the efficiency of the soil's evaporation sink integrated over the active soil moisture range, and (2) the fraction of this range over which runoff is generated. Regardless of the LSM's complexity, the combination of these two derived parameters with rates of interception loss, potential evaporation, and precipitation provides a reasonable estimate for the LSM's simulated annual water balance. The two derived parameters shed light on how evaporation and runoff formulations interact in an LSM, and the analysis as a whole underscores the need for compatibility in these formulations.

Koster, Rindal D.↗

Unsteady Aerodynamic Force Sensing from Measured Strain

A simple approach for computing unsteady aerodynamic forces from simulated measured strain data is proposed in this study. First, the deflection and slope of the structure are computed from the unsteady strain using the two-step approach. Velocities and accelerations of the structure are computed using the autoregressive moving average model, on-line parameter estimator, low-pass filter, and a least-squares curve fitting method together with analytical derivatives with respect to time. Finally, aerodynamic forces over the wing are computed using modal aerodynamic influence coefficient matrices, a rational function approximation, and a time-marching algorithm. A cantilevered rectangular wing built and tested at the NASA Langley Research Center (Hampton, Virginia, USA) in 1959 is used to validate the simple approach. Unsteady aerodynamic forces as well as wing deflections, velocities, accelerations, and strains are computed using the CFL3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code and an MSC/NASTRAN code (MSC Software Corporation, Newport Beach, California, USA), and these CFL3D-based results are assumed as measured quantities. Based on the measured strains, wing deflections, velocities, accelerations, and aerodynamic forces are computed using the proposed approach. These computed deflections, velocities, accelerations, and unsteady aerodynamic forces are compared with the CFL3D/NASTRAN-based results. In general, computed aerodynamic forces based on the lifting surface theory in subsonic speeds are in good agreement with the target aerodynamic forces generated using CFL3D code with the Euler equation. Excellent aeroelastic responses are obtained even with unsteady strain data under the signal to noise ratio of -9.8dB. The deflections, velocities, and accelerations at each sensor location are independent of structural and aerodynamic models. Therefore, the distributed strain data together with the current proposed approaches can be used as distributed deflection, velocity, and acceleration sensors. This research demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining induced drag and lift forces through the use of distributed sensor technology with measured strain data. An active induced drag control system thus can be designed using the two computed aerodynamic forces, induced drag and lift, to improve the fuel efficiency of an aircraft. Interpolation elements between structural finite element grids and the CFD grids and centroids are successfully incorporated with the unsteady aeroelastic computation scheme. The most critical technology for the success of the proposed approach is the robust on-line parameter estimator, since the least-squares curve fitting method depends heavily on aeroelastic system frequencies and damping factors.

shape sensing↗

Computational methods for the identification of spatially varying stiffness and damping in beams

A numerical approximation scheme for the estimation of functional parameters in Euler-Bernoulli models for the transverse vibration of flexible beams with tip bodies is developed. The method permits the identification of spatially varying flexural stiffness and Voigt-Kelvin viscoelastic damping coefficients which appear in the hybrid system of ordinary and partial differential equations and boundary conditions describing the dynamics of such structures. An inverse problem is formulated as a least squares fit to data subject to constraints in the form of a vector system of abstract first order evolution equations. Spline-based finite element approximations are used to finite dimensionalize the problem. Theoretical convergence results are given and numerical studies carried out on both conventional (serial) and vector computers are discussed.

Banks, H. T.↗

Optimal output fast feedback in two-time scale control of flexible arms

Control of lightweight flexible arms moving along predefined paths can be successfully synthesized on the basis of a two-time scale approach. A model following control can be designed for the reduced order slow subsystem. The fast subsystem is a linear system in which the slow variables act as parameters. The flexible fast variables which model the deflections of the arm along the trajectory can be sensed through strain gage measurements. For full state feedback design the derivatives of the deflections need to be estimated. The main contribution of this work is the design of an output feedback controller which includes a fixed order dynamic compensator, based on a recent convergent numerical algorithm for calculating LQ optimal gains. The design procedure is tested by means of simulation results for the one link flexible arm prototype in the laboratory.

Siciliano, B.↗

Experimental Studies of Flutter of Buckled Rectangular Panels at Mach Numbers from 1.2 to 3.0 Including Effects of Pressure Differential and of Panel Width-Length Ratio

Experimental panel flutter data have been obtained at Mach numbers from 1.2 to 3.0 for buckled rectangular panels and the effect of a pressure differential has been determined. Increasing the pressure differential was effective in eliminating flutter on most of the panels tested. The effects of the variables in the panel flutter parameter ((square root of m(exp 2) -1) * (E/q))(exp 1/3) t/l (where M is the Mach number, q is the dynamic pressure, E is Young's modulus, and t and l are the panel thickness and length, respectively) were investigated for buckled panels clamped on the front and rear edges and a critical value of this parameter of 0.44 is indicated at zero pressure differential when the panel width-length ratio is 0.69. An estimated flutter boundary is presented for buckled panels clamped on four edges, with width-length ratios of 0.21 to 4.0. This boundary shows that the panel width is more significant than the panel length when the ratio of width to length is less than approximately 0.5. Panels clamped on four edges and buckled in two half waves in the direction of flow were found to be particularly susceptible to flutter. The results of limited tests on panels with applied damping, curvature, and lengthwise stiffeners are also presented and discussed.

Sylvester, Maurice A.↗

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MODELING OF THE CFR ENGINE FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF SI NATURAL GAS COMBUSTION AND CONTROLLED END-GAS AUTOIGNITION

Engine knock and misfire are barriers to pathways leading to high-efficiency Spark-Ignited (SI) Natural Gas engines. The general tendency to knock is highly dependent on engine operating conditions and the fuel reactivity. The problem is further complicated by low emission limits and the wide range of chemical reactivity in pipeline quality natural gas. Depending on the region and the source of the natural gas, its reactivity, described by its methane number (analogous to the octane number for liquid SI fuels) can span from 65 - 95. In order to realize diesel-like efficiencies, SI natural gas engines must be designed to operate at high BMEP near knock limits over a wide range of fuel reactivity. This requires a deep understanding regarding the combustion-engine interactions pertaining to flame propagation and end-gas autoignition (EGAI). However, EGAI, if controlled, provides an opportunity to increase SI natural gas engine efficiency by increasing combustion rate and the total burned fuel, mitigating the effects of the slow flame speeds of natural gas fuels which generally reduce BMEP and increase unburned hydrocarbon emissions. For this reason, in order to study EGAI phenomenon, the present work highlights multi-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of the Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engine. The CFR engine models are used to investigate fuel-engine interactions that lead to EGAI with natural gas, including effects of fuel reactivity, engine operating parameters, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). A Three-Pressure Analysis, performed with GT-Power, was used to estimate initial and boundary conditions for the three-dimensional CFD model. CONVERGE CFD v2.4 was used for the three-dimensional CFD modeling where the level set G-Equation model and SAGE detailed chemical kinetics solver were used. An assessment of the different modeling approaches is also provided to evaluate their limitations, advantages and disadvantages, and for which situations they are most applicable. Model validation was performed with experimental data taken with a CFR engine over varying compression ratio, CA50, EGR fraction, and IMEP and shows good agreement in Peak Cylinder Pressure (PCP), PCP crank angle, and the location of the 10%, 50%, and 90% mass fraction burned (CA10, CA50, and CA90, respectively). The models can predict the onset crank angle and pressure rise rate for light, medium, and heavy EGAI under a variety of fuel reactivities and engine operating conditions.

Bestel, Diego↗

Modelling dislocation-graphene interactions in a BCC Fe matrix by molecular dynamics simulations and gradient plasticity theory

We report graphene nanosheets (GNS) can enhance the strength and ductility of metal-based composites as they can obstruct the propagation of dislocations. The present article employs Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate dislocation-GNS interaction mechanisms and possible influencing factors, including the number of GNS layers, the thickness of the metallic amorphous layer and the C - C bond strength. The results indicated that the shear strength of the metal/GNS interface and the bending stiffness of GNS determined the ability of GNS to block dislocation transmission. A physically based phenomenological parameter that can capture such dislocation-GNS interactions is the mechanical interface energy that has been put forth within gradient plasticity. By fitting the theoretical expressions to the simulation data, it was possible to obtain estimates for the mechanical interface energy for the GNS. It was found that increasing the GNS layers and adding an amorphous layer resulted in a strengthening in the stress–strain response and increased the value of this interfacial parameter. This indicates that the mechanical interfacial energy can be a unified measure for capturing and tuning the strength of various interfaces such as grain boundaries, GNS, amorphous-crystalline interface and bimetal interfaces.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impact of crowding on the diversity of expanding populations

Crowding effects critically impact the self-organization of densely packed cellular assemblies, such as biofilms, solid tumors, and developing tissues. When cells grow and divide, they push each other apart, remodeling the structure and extent of the population’s range. Recent work has shown that crowding has a strong impact on the strength of natural selection. However, the impact of crowding on neutral processes, which controls the fate of new variants as long as they are rare, remains unclear. Here, we quantify the genetic diversity of expanding microbial colonies and uncover signatures of crowding in the site frequency spectrum. By combining Luria–Delbrück fluctuation tests, lineage tracing in a novel microfluidic incubator, cell-based simulations, and theoretical modeling, we find that the majority of mutations arise behind the expanding frontier, giving rise to clones that are mechanically “pushed out” of the growing region by the proliferating cells in front. These excluded-volume interactions result in a clone-size distribution that solely depends on where the mutation first arose relative to the front and is characterized by a simple power law for low-frequency clones. Our model predicts that the distribution depends on a single parameter—the characteristic growth layer thickness—and hence allows estimation of the mutation rate in a variety of crowded cellular populations. Combined with previous studies on high-frequency mutations, our finding provides a unified picture of the genetic diversity in expanding populations over the whole frequency range and suggests a practical method to assess growth dynamics by sequencing populations across spatial scales.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DFT + DMFT calculations of the complex band and tunneling behavior for the transition metal monoxides MnO, FeO, CoO, and NiO

Here, we report complex band structure (CBS) calculations for the four late transition metal monoxides MnO, FeO, CoO, and NiO in their paramagnetic phase. The CBS is obtained from density functional theory plus dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) calculations to take into account correlation effects. The so-called β parameters, governing the exponential decay of the transmission probability in the nonresonant tunneling regime of these oxides, are extracted from the CBS. Different model constructions are examined in the DMFT part of the calculation. The calculated β parameters provide theoretical estimation for the decay length in the evanescent channel, which would be useful for tunnel junction applications of these materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Time-Resolved X-ray Operando Observations of Lithiation Gradients across the Cathode Matrix and Individual Oxide Particles during Fast Cycling of a Li-Ion Cell

Lithiated transition metal oxides serve as active materials in the positive electrode (cathode) of lithium-ion cells. During electrochemical cycling, lithium ions intercalate and deintercalate into these oxide particles. This behavior causes two types of lithiation gradients to emerge: (i) a bulk gradient across the depth of the cathode matrix (averaged over individual oxide particles) and (ii) a microscopic gradient across the particles themselves, which also depends on their location in the electrode. Here we show how both gradients can be studied using operando X-ray diffraction during 4C charge and 4C discharge. The oxide (de)lithiation is estimated from the unit cell parameters by indexing the X-ray diffraction spectra. By fitting the lithiation profiles with orthogonal polynomials, the bulk gradients across the electrode thickness are quantified. These gradients develop as the current flows through the cell and dissipate during open-circuit and potentiostatic-hold periods. Further details of lithiation dynamics can be obtained through shape analysis of the Bragg peaks. In particular, from electrochemical model simulations, we show that the width and skewness of the (003) peak track (de)lithiation fronts moving across the individual oxide particles.

(003) peak↗

PRIME - A Software Toolkit for the Characterization of Partially Observed Epidemics in a Bayesian Framework

PRIME is a modeling framework designed for the “real-time’” characterization and forecasting of partially observed epidemics. Characterization is the estimation of infection spread parameters using daily counts of symptomatic patients. The method is designed to help guide medical resource allocation in the early epoch of the outbreak. The estimation problem is posed as one of Bayesian inference and solved using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique. The framework can accommodate multiple epidemic waves and can help identify different disease dynamics at the regional, state, and country levels. We include examples using publicly available COVID-19 data.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Nonstationary ascent wind analysis.

A statistical approach for computing launch vehicle response to inflight winds is presented. In the response analysis the zonal component of the ascent wind velocity is modeled as a nonstationary random process. Model parameters are computed by processing available measured wind data. Pertinent pitch plane response statistics are computed and their value in constructing fatigue load spectra for a reusable launch vehicle is demonstrated. A method for using the response statistics to estimate structural reliability is also discussed. The accuracy and the cost saving potential of the probabilistic structural dynamics approach are assessed by performing comparisons with digital simulation results.

Howell, L. J.↗

Annual Health Monitoring Conference for Space Propulsion Systems, 2nd, Cincinnati, OH, Nov. 14, 15, 1990, Proceedings

This conference discusses health management systems for liquid rocket engines, signal processing of spectroscopic data for engine diagnostic applications, real-time diagnostics of the reusable rocket engine using on-line system identification, and nonlinear parameter estimation for rocket engine health monitoring. Plume diagnostics are considered including discussion on preliminary plume diagnostics on the SSME using video digitization techniques and baseline plume emmissions. The development of a Fabry-Perot Interferometer for rocket engine plumes is also considered. The topic of computational modeling is also discussed, addressing such topics as probabalistic dynamics of material loss in the SSME turbomachinery, state-variable modelling of fluid-dynamics processes, and a model for the SSME high pressure oxidizer turbopump shaft seal system. A discussion of sensor development includes the topics of sensor development for the rocket engine condition monitoring system and the heat flux measurements in SSME turbine blade tester.

Source record↗

Input Constrained M-MRAC for Multirotors Operating in an Urban Environment

The paper presents a modified model reference adaptive control (M-MRAC) for multi-input multi-output nonlinear dynamical systems with time varying parametric uncertainties and bounded external disturbances. It uses a prediction model to rapidly generate adaptive estimates of the system's uncertainties with adjustable errors that converge to a small neighborhood of the origin. A sufficient condition is derived to specify the region of attraction in the space of initialization errors, design parameters and external commends. The approach is applied to thrust controlled multi-rotor air vehicles operating in an urban environment. It is shown that the designed controller can provide a good tracking of a given trajectory in the unknown urban wind field, assuming that the maximum thrust generated by the rotors is known. The performance of the algorithms are demonstrated in simulations.

Stepanyan, Vahram↗