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At least 775 records · Page 43

High Pressure Low NOx Emissions Research: Recent Progress at NASA Glenn Research Center

In collaboration with U.S. aircraft engine companies, NASA Glenn Research Center has contributed to the advancement of low emissions combustion systems. For the High Speed Research Program (HSR), a 90% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions (relative to the then-current state of the art) has been demonstrated in sector rig testing at General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE). For the Advanced Subsonic Technology Program (AST), a 50% reduction in NOx emissions relative to the 1996 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards has been at demonstrated in sector rigs at both GEAE and Pratt & Whitney (P&W). During the Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Program (UEET), a 70% reduction in NOx emissions, relative to the 1996 ICAO standards, was achieved in sector rig testing at Glenn in the world class Advanced Subsonic Combustion Rig (ASCR) and at contractor facilities. Low NOx combustor development continues under the Fundamental Aeronautics Program. To achieve these reductions, experimental and analytical research has been conducted to advance the understanding of emissions formation in combustion processes. Lean direct injection (LDI) concept development uses advanced laser-based non-intrusive diagnostics and analytical work to complement the emissions measurements and to provide guidance for concept improvement. This paper describes emissions results from flametube tests of a 9- injection-point LDI fuel/air mixer tested at inlet pressures up to 5500 kPa. Sample results from CFD and laser diagnostics are also discussed.

Chi-Ming, Lee↗

NASA Glenn High Pressure Low NOx Emissions Research

In collaboration with U.S. aircraft engine companies, NASA Glenn Research Center has contributed to the advancement of low emissions combustion systems. For the High Speed Research Program (HSR), a 90% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions (relative to the then-current state of the art) has been demonstrated in sector rig testing at General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE). For the Advanced Subsonic Technology Program (AST), a 50% reduction in NOx emissions relative to the 1996 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards has been demonstrated in sector rigs at both GEAE and Pratt & Whitney (P&W). During the Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Program (UEET), a 70% reduction in NOx emissions, relative to the 1996 ICAO standards, was achieved in sector rig testing at Glenn in the world class Advanced Subsonic Combustion Rig (ASCR) and at contractor facilities. Low NOx combustor development continues under the Fundamental Aeronautics Program. To achieve these reductions, experimental and analytical research has been conducted to advance the understanding of emissions formation in combustion processes. Lean direct injection (LDI) concept development uses advanced laser-based non-intrusive diagnostics and analytical work to complement the emissions measurements and to provide guidance for concept improvement. This paper describes emissions results from flametube tests of a 9-injection-point LDI fuel/air mixer tested at inlet pressures up to 5500 kPa. Sample results from CFD and laser diagnostics are also discussed.

Tacina, Kathleen M.↗

Custom Accessors: Enabling Scalable Data Ingestion, (Re-)Organization, and Analysis on Distributed Systems

The emerging class of high velocity and high volume data analytic workflows comprise interwoven data ingestion, organization, and processing stages, with ingestion and organization steps often contributing comparable or even higher computational costs than actual processing steps. Since complex workflows consist of a variety of phases that view and use data differently, being able to construct efficient, scalable, distributed data structures (arrays, vectors, sets, maps, and multi-maps) is essential and requires custom methods to extend and shrink containers, analyze and position data, and, maintain globallyconsistent meta-data. In this paper, we propose a novel datastructure access paradigm based on the concept of Accessors. At a high level, accessors are customizable callable objects that can modify the behavior of insert, read, update, and delete operations for distributed containers while preserving atomicity guarantees. Accessors provide a very clean and natural way to implement a variety of programming patterns, e.g., conditional insertion/deletion and cascading computations, which would be otherwise hard (or even impossible) to express in parallel and distributed settings without using locks. We demonstrate the practicality and usefulness of our approach with two representative use cases and study the performance of these applications on a distributed High-Performance Computing system. Our analysis highlights that our proposed abstraction allows for an effective overlapping and concurrent execution of different workflow steps (e.g., data ingestion and analysis), which in a conventional analytics pipeline would execute sequentially, contributing cumulatively to the overall latency.

Castellana, Vito G. [BATTELLE (PACIFIC NW LAB)] (O↗

A Theory of Control for a Class of Electronic Power Processing Systems: Energy-Storage DC-To-DC Converters

An analytically derived approach to the control of energy-storage dc-to-dc converters, which enables improved system performance and an extensive understanding of the manner in which this improved performance is accomplished, is presented. The control approach is derived from a state-plane analysis of dc-to-dc converter power stages which enables a graphical visualization of the movement of the system state during both steady state and transient operation. This graphical representation of the behavior of dc-to-dc converter systems yields considerable qualitative insight into the cause and effect relationships which exist between various commonly used converter control functions and the system performance which results from them.

Burns, W. W., III↗

Determination of Important Nuclear Fragmentation Processes for Human Space Radiation Protection

We present a semi-analytical method to determine which partial cross sections of nuclear fragmentations most affect the shielded dose equivalent due to exposure to galactic cosmic rays. The cross sections thus determined will require more theoretical and/or experimental studies in order for us to better predict, reduce and mitigate the radiation exposure in human space explorations.

Lin, Zi-Wei↗

A Generalized Transformer-Based Pulse Detection Algorithm

Pulse-like signals are ubiquitous in the field of single molecule analysis, e.g., electrical or optical pulses caused by analyte translocations in nanopores. The primary challenge in processing pulse-like signals is to capture the pulses in noisy backgrounds, but current methods are subjectively based on a user-defined threshold for pulse recognition. Here, we propose a generalized machine-learning based method, named pulse detection transformer (PETR), for pulse detection. PETR determines the start and end time points of individual pulses, thereby singling out pulse segments in a time-sequential trace. It is objective without needing to specify any threshold. It provides a generalized interface for downstream algorithms for specific application scenarios. PETR is validated using both simulated and experimental nanopore translocation data. It returns a competitive performance in detecting pulses through assessing them with several standard metrics. Finally, the generalization nature of the PETR output is demonstrated using two representative algorithms for feature extraction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Effect of Propellant Variables on Slag in Subscale Spin Motors: Design and Qualification of a Slag Discrimination Motor - Part 1

The formation, collection, and expulsion of aluminum oxide slag is known to affect the performance of many solid rocket motor systems. Slag expulsion, in particular, is believed to be capable of causing pressure and thrust perturbations. Propellant combustion studies, performed and documented by many investigators, have shown that variations in propellant raw materials and processing affect the nature of alumina droplets at the burning propellant surface, and hence, may affect the quantity of slag retained in the motor chamber, available for expulsion. Thiokol has completed an experimental and analytical evaluation to determine the effects of several material and process variables on Space SHuttle propellant and its propensity to 'slag'. This paper describes the test article, a small scale spin motor with special nozzle, designed and qualified as a slag discriminating tool for use in the evaluation.

Perkins, F. M.↗

Validation of the SINDA/FLUINT code using several analytical solutions

The Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer and Fluid Integrator (SINDA/FLUINT) code has often been used to determine the transient and steady-state response of various thermal and fluid flow networks. While this code is an often used design and analysis tool, the validation of this program has been limited to a few simple studies. For the current study, the SINDA/FLUINT code was compared to four different analytical solutions. The thermal analyzer portion of the code (conduction and radiative heat transfer, SINDA portion) was first compared to two separate solutions. The first comparison examined a semi-infinite slab with a periodic surface temperature boundary condition. Next, a small, uniform temperature object (lumped capacitance) was allowed to radiate to a fixed temperature sink. The fluid portion of the code (FLUINT) was also compared to two different analytical solutions. The first study examined a tank filling process by an ideal gas in which there is both control volume work and heat transfer. The final comparison considered the flow in a pipe joining two infinite reservoirs of pressure. The results of all these studies showed that for the situations examined here, the SINDA/FLUINT code was able to match the results of the analytical solutions.

Keller, John R.↗

BETO 2021 Peer Review - Catalytic Upgrading of Pyrolysis Vapors 2.3.1.314

Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) is a versatile pathway for the direct liquefaction of biomass and waste carbon sources to generate a stabilized bio-oil intermediate that can be further processed into renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials. The objective of this project is advance the CFP state-of-technology through integrated catalyst and process development, expand market responsiveness by creating routes to novel co-products, and provide experimental data to inform process modelling and scale-up activities. Research advancements over the past two years include reducing analytical uncertainty by achieving 100 ± 1% carbon balances during reaction testing with woody biomass, improving process efficiency by achieving a 4x increase in catalyst cycle length, demonstrating compatibility with waste feedstocks, and confirming process durability for 100+ reaction cycles. Additionally, this project supported a comprehensive pathway review to evaluate scale-up needs. This review resulted in the early identification of technical risks and informed proactive planning for the BETO 2022 Verification. Other impacts from this project include generation of broadly enabling scientific knowledge (14 publications/18 presentations since 2019), engagement with industry partners (e.g., Johnson Matthey and ExxonMobil), and identification of a promising pathway to market that addresses emerging demands for biogenic refinery feedstocks.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Recent activities within the Aeroservoelasticity Branch at the NASA Langley Research Center

The objective of research in aeroservoelasticity at the NASA Langley Research Center is to enhance the modeling, analysis, and multidisciplinary design methodologies for obtaining multifunction digital control systems for application to flexible flight vehicles. Recent accomplishments are discussed, and a status report on current activities within the Aeroservoelasticity Branch is presented. In the area of modeling, improvements to the Minimum-State Method of approximating unsteady aerodynamics are shown to provide precise, low-order aeroservoelastic models for design and simulation activities. Analytical methods based on Matched Filter Theory and Random Process Theory to provide efficient and direct predictions of the critical gust profile and the time-correlated gust loads for linear structural design considerations are also discussed. Two research projects leading towards improved design methodology are summarized. The first program is developing an integrated structure/control design capability based on hierarchical problem decomposition, multilevel optimization and analytical sensitivities. The second program provides procedures for obtaining low-order, robust digital control laws for aeroelastic applications. In terms of methodology validation and application the current activities associated with the Active Flexible Wing project are reviewed.

Noll, Thomas E.↗

Recent activities within the aeroservoelasticity branch at the NASA Langley Research Center

The objective of research in aeroservoelasticity at the NASA Langley Research Center is to enhance the modeling, analysis, and multidisciplinary design methodologies for obtaining multifunction digital control systems for application to flexible flight vehicles. Recent accomplishments are discussed, and a status report on current activities within the Aeroservoelasticity Branch is presented. In the area of modeling, improvements to the Minimum-State Method of approximating unsteady aerodynamics are shown to provide precise, low-order aeroservoelastic models for design and simulation activities. Analytical methods based on Matched Filter Theory and Random Process Theory to provide efficient and direct predictions of the critical gust profile and the time-correlated gust loads for linear structural design considerations are also discussed. Two research projects leading towards improved design methodology are summarized. The first program is developing an integrated structure/control design capability based on hierarchical problem decomposition, multilevel optimization and analytical sensitivities. The second program provides procedures for obtaining low-order, robust digital control laws for aeroelastic applications. In terms of methodology validation and application the current activities associated with the Active Flexible Wing project are reviewed.

Noll, Thomas↗

Analytical expressions of the surface shape of ‘diaboloid’ mirrors

Modern deterministic polishing processes allow fabrication of x-ray optics with almost any arbitrary aspherical surface shape. Among these optics, the so called "diaboloid"mirror is of special interest. The diaboloid mirror that converts a cylindrical wave to a spherical wave would improve focusing in x-ray beamlines implementing a diffraction element between a parabolic cylinder and a toroidal mirror. The replacement of the toroidal mirror in existing beamlines by the diaboloid mirror would mitigate aberrations. The shape of the diaboloid mirror is usually calculated numerically based on a truncated polynomial solution of the optical path problem. Here, we present an exact analytical solution for the shape of a diaboloid mirror as a function of the conjugate parameters of the mirror placed in a beamline. The derived analytical expressions for the diaboloid mirror in both the canonical and mirror-based coordinate systems are implemented in ray-tracing simulations to verify the beamline performances.

Yashchuk, Valeriy V.↗

Magnetic pumping of particles in the outer Jovian magnetosphere

The mechanism of magnetic pumping consists of two processes, the adiabatic motion of charged particles in a time-varying magnetic field and their pitch angle diffusion. The result is a systematic increase in the energy of charged particles trapped in mirror (and particularly, magnetospheric) magnetic fields. A numerical model of the mechanism is constructed, compared with analytic theory where possible, and, is used to predict the consequences of the process for cases that are not tractable by analytical means. The model is applied to the outer Jovian magnetosphere for two purposes; to find magnetospheric regions in which the mechanism may energize trapped particles, and to generate distribution functions involving pitch angle diffusion caused by wave-particle interactions. Beyond 20 Jupiter radii in the outer magnetosphere particles may be magnetically pumped to energies of the order of 1-2 MeV and two-temperature distribution functions with 'break points' at 1-4 keV for electrons and 8-35 keV for ions are predicted.

Borovsky, J. E.↗

Efficient co-solution of time step size and independent state in simulations of fluid-driven fracture propagation with embedded meshes

Here we present an efficient time-continuation scheme for fluid-driven fracture propagation problems in the extended finite element method framework. The approach applies a monolithic solution strategy to a fully coupled and implicit approximation of hydro-mechanical systems in conjunction with simultaneous linear elastic propagation of multiple fractures. At the end of each time step, the process ensures that the weakest fracture tip is in an equilibrium propagation regime. Furthermore, the solution process provides an initialization procedure for the newly created fracture spaces and an a priori estimate of the stress intensity factor growth rate, improving simulation robustness, and efficiency. The solution process is validated using the Kristianovich-Geertsma-de Klerk analytical solution under the toughness- and viscosity-dominated regimes. It is also extended to and demonstrated on problems with multiple fractures undergoing simultaneous propagation with stress shadow interactions. Numerical examples demonstrate that the solution process can reduce the required computational cost by one order of magnitude compared to other existing methods.

42 ENGINEERING↗

PARIS: Predicting application resilience using machine learning

The traditional method to study application resilience to errors in HPC applications uses fault injection (FI), a time-consuming approach. Furthermore, while analytical models have been built to overcome the inefficiencies of FI, they lack accuracy. In this paper, we present PARIS, a machine-learning method to predict application resilience that avoids the time-consuming process of random FI and provides higher prediction accuracy than analytical models. PARIS captures the implicit relationship between application characteristics and application resilience, which is difficult to capture using most analytical models. We overcome many technical challenges for feature construction, extraction, and selection to use machine learning in our prediction approach. Our evaluation on 16 HPC benchmarks shows that PARIS achieves high prediction accuracy. PARIS is up to 450x faster than random FI (49x on average). Compared to the state-of-the-art analytical model, PARIS is at least 63% better in terms of accuracy and has comparable execution time on average.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Design and operational considerations of catalytic membrane reactors for ammonia synthesis

Production of ammonia using hydrogen derived from renewable electricity instead of hydrocarbon reforming would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of this commodity chemical. Novel technologies such as catalytic membrane reactors may potentially be more compatible with distributed ammonia production than the conventional Haber-Bosch process. Here, a reactor model is developed based on integrating a standard industrial iron catalyst into a catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) equipped with an inorganic membrane that is selective to NH 3 over N 2 /H 2 . CMR performance is studied as functions of wide ranges of membrane properties and operating conditions. Conversion and ammonia recovery are dictated principally by the ammonia permeance, and the benefits by using membranes become significant above 100 GPU = 3.4 × 10 –8 mol m –2 s –1 Pa –1 . To be effective, the CMR requires a minimum selectivity for ammonia of 10 over both nitrogen and hydrogen, and purity scales with the effective selectivity. Increasing the pressure of operation significantly improves all metrics, and at P = 30 bar with a quality membrane ammonia is almost completely recovered, enabling direct recycle of un-reacted hydrogen and nitrogen without need for recompression. Temperature drives conversion and scales monotonically without thermodynamic limitations in a CMR. Alternatively, the temperature may be reduced as low as 300°C while achieving conversion levels surpassing equilibrium limits at T = 400°C in a conventional reactor.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Radical Treatment of Haloacetonitriles in Aqueous Systems: A Kinetic Study

Haloacetonitriles (HANs) are important drinking water disinfection byproducts formed through the chlorination and chloramination of amino acids. Although HAN concentrations in treated water are usually lower than trihalomethanes, they are still of major concern due to their higher cyto- and genotoxicity. HANs undergo chemical transformations by hydrolysis on the hour to week time scales; however, for possible direct water reuse situations, their active removal using advanced oxidation/reduction processes (AO/RPs) may be required. We report here our systematic kinetic study of the four major AO/RP radiolysis species, oxidizing hydroxyl (·OH) and sulfate (SO 4 −· ) radicals and reducing hydrated electron (e aq − ) and hydrogen atoms (H · ) with five HANs (mono-, di-, and trichloroacetonitriles and mono- and dibromoacetonitriles) in water measured using electron pulse radiolysis techniques. At ambient temperatures and pH 1−7, significant reactivity was found for e aq − ( k = (1−5) × 10 10 M −1 s −1 ) and H · atoms ( k = (1 − 40 × 10 7 M −1 s −1 ), but only minimal oxidation by ·OH ( k = (0.6−10) × 10 7 M −1 s −1 ) and SO 4 −· ( k = (0.2−4) × 10 6 M −1 s −1 ) occurred. These data suggest that the large-scale AO/RP treatment of these contaminants will be effective for deaerated reducing systems, where the reductive electron-induced degradation of HANs will occur.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision for Cost-Effective Benthic Habitat Characterizations

Machine learning applied to computer vision and pattern recognition is a type of artificial intelligence that has advanced rapidly in the last 10 to 15 years, spurred forward by breakthroughs in deep convolutional neural networks. These state-of-the-art methods are poised to become widely used in environmental monitoring applications as a result of the increasing abundance of data available from different imaging platforms (e.g., fixed-point cameras, drone surveys, high-resolution satellite data) that can be analyzed to observe, model, and understand environmental conditions. Computer vision and pattern recognition (CVPR) tools advance our ability to use imagery and camera-based tools in cost-effective ways for environmental monitoring. Although these techniques offer great potential, some challenges remain, such as the need for large sets of labeled images for model training and validation and optimized hardware and software to ensure that the models can be trained effectively and in a reasonable amount of time. Here, we have overcome many of these rate-limiting challenges by using a diverse image library built across multiple projects coupled with staff expertise and onsite computing resources. We are working toward a fully automated SPI processing system and also are moving to develop CVPR analytical tools for other imaging platforms and data sets.

02 PETROLEUM↗