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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 811 records · Page 45

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2013

Experimental Database with Baseline CFD Solutions: 2-D and Axisymmetric Hypersonic Shock-Wave/Turbulent-Boundary-Layer Interactions

A database compilation of hypersonic shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer experiments is provided. The experiments selected for the database are either 2D or axisymmetric, and include both compression corner and impinging type SWTBL interactions. The strength of the interactions range from attached to incipient separation to fully separated flows. The experiments were chosen based on criterion to ensure quality of the datasets, to be relevant to NASA's missions and to be useful for validation and uncertainty assessment of CFD Navier-Stokes predictive methods, both now and in the future. An emphasis on datasets selected was on surface pressures and surface heating throughout the interaction, but include some wall shear stress distributions and flowfield profiles. Included, for selected cases, are example CFD grids and setup information, along with surface pressure and wall heating results from simulations using current NASA real-gas Navier-Stokes codes by which future CFD investigators can compare and evaluate physics modeling improvements and validation and uncertainty assessments of future CFD code developments. The experimental database is presented tabulated in the Appendices describing each experiment. The database is also provided in computer-readable ASCII files located on a companion DVD.

Database↗

DOE OSTI2016

APPROD: An App to Prod Values in Deterministic Models

The software takes any deterministic simulation code (non-specific) and modifies identified variables in the input-deck for the simulation code before launching a "run" of the code. This process is repeated N times and is useful for Probabilistic Risk Assessment studies as well as any other study requiring many parametric changes to variables in a deterministic code.

Grabaskas, Dave↗

NASA NTRS2014

Injury Surveillance Among NASA Astronauts Using the Barell Injury Diagnosis Matrix

Astronauts perform physically demanding tasks and risk incurring musculoskeletal injuries during both groundbased training and missions. Increased injury rates throughout the history of the U.S. space program have been attributed to numerous factors, including an aging astronaut corps, increased Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) and Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) training to construct the International Space Station, and improved clinical operations that promote injury prevention and reporting. With NASA program changes through the years (including retirement of the Shuttle program) and an improved training environment (including a new astronaut gym), there is no surveillance program to systematically track injury rates. A limited number of research projects have been conducted over the past 20 years to evaluate musculoskeletal injuries: (1) to evaluate orthopedic injuries from 1987 to 1995, (2) to describe upper extremity injuries, (3) to evaluate EVA spacesuit training related injuries, and (4) to evaluate in-flight musculoskeletal injuries. Nevertheless, there has been no consistently performed comprehensive assessment of musculoskeletal injuries among astronauts. The Barell Injury Diagnosis Matrix was introduced at the 2001 meeting of the International Collaborative Effort (ICE) on Injury Statistics. The Matrix proposes a standardized method of classifying body region by nature of injury. Diagnoses are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) coding system. The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness and complexity of the Barell Injury Diagnosis Matrix to classify and track musculoskeletal injuries among NASA astronauts.

Murray, J. D.↗

DOE OSTI2014

The RAJA Portability Layer: Overview and Status

As computer architectures become increasingly complex and diverse, application developers face difficult challenges to achieve high performance while maintaining code portability. The problem is especially acute for large ASC multiphysics codes. Efficient parallel execution often requires tuning algorithms and data access to match processor and memory system constraints. Changing compiler directives and parallel programming model constructs on thousands of individual loops in a large code is disruptive and unwieldy. RAJA is a programming approach that we have been developing at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to encapsulate platform-specific concerns, related to both hardware and parallel programming models. The RAJA abstraction layer simplifies porting C/C++ codes to various programming models and architectures by reducing effort and developer disruption. In this report, we motivate and describe key aspects of RAJA. We also present a preliminary assessment of RAJA based on exploration in three ASC hydrodynamics codes at LLNL, which was one part of a three-part ASC Level 2 milestone, completed in September 2014.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

NASA NTRS2014

A Multiscale Progressive Failure Modeling Methodology for Composites that Includes Fiber Strength Stochastics

A multiscale modeling methodology was developed for continuous fiber composites that incorporates a statistical distribution of fiber strengths into coupled multiscale micromechanics/finite element (FE) analyses. A modified two-parameter Weibull cumulative distribution function, which accounts for the effect of fiber length on the probability of failure, was used to characterize the statistical distribution of fiber strengths. A parametric study using the NASA Micromechanics Analysis Code with the Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) was performed to assess the effect of variable fiber strengths on local composite failure within a repeating unit cell (RUC) and subsequent global failure. The NASA code FEAMAC and the ABAQUS finite element solver were used to analyze the progressive failure of a unidirectional SCS-6/TIMETAL 21S metal matrix composite tensile dogbone specimen at 650 degC. Multiscale progressive failure analyses were performed to quantify the effect of spatially varying fiber strengths on the RUC-averaged and global stress-strain responses and failure. The ultimate composite strengths and distribution of failure locations (predominately within the gage section) reasonably matched the experimentally observed failure behavior. The predicted composite failure behavior suggests that use of macroscale models that exploit global geometric symmetries are inappropriate for cases where the actual distribution of local fiber strengths displays no such symmetries. This issue has not received much attention in the literature. Moreover, the model discretization at a specific length scale can have a profound effect on the computational costs associated with multiscale simulations.models that yield accurate yet tractable results.

Generalized Method of Cells↗

DOE OSTI2015

Pathway Aggregation in the Risk Assessment of Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR&PP) of Nuclear Energy Systems

The framework for Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR & PP) evaluation is to define a set of challenges, to obtain the system responses, and to assess the outcomes. The assessment of outcomes heavily relies on pathways, defined as sequences of events or actions that could potentially be followed by a State or a group of individuals in order to achieve a proliferation objective, with the defined threats as initiating events. There may be large number of segments connecting pathway stages (e.g. acquisition, processing, and fabrication for PR) which can lead to even larger number of pathways or scenarios through possible different combinations of segment connections, each with associated probabilities contributing to the overall risk. Clustering of these scenarios in specified stage attribute intervals is important for their tractable analysis and outcome assessment. A software tool for scenario generation and clustering (OSUPR) is developed that utilizes the PRCALC code developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory for scenario generation and the K- means, mean shift and adaptive mean shift algorithms as possible clustering schemes. The results of the study using the Example Sodium Fast Breeder as an example system show that clustering facilitates the probabilistic or deterministic analysis of scenarios to identify system vulnerabilities and communication of the major risk contributors to stakeholders. The results of the study also show that the mean shift algorithm has the most potential for assisting the analysis of the scenarios generated by PRCALC.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

DOE OSTI2014

Activities in Support of Continuing the Service of Nuclear Power Plant Safety-Related Concrete Structures

Nuclear power plant (NPP) concrete structures are described. In-service inspection and testing requirements in the U.S. are summarized. The license renewal process in the U.S. is outlined and its current status provided. Operating experience related to performance of the concrete structures is presented. Basic components of a program to manage aging of the concrete structures are identified and described: (1) Degradation mechanisms, damage models, and material performance; (2) Assessment and remediation: i.e., component selection, in- service inspection, non-destructive examinations, and remedial actions; and (3) Estimation of performance at present or some future point in time: i.e., application of structural reliability theory to the design and optimization of in-service inspection/maintenance strategies, and determination of the effects of degradation on plant risk. Finally, areas are noted where additional research would be of benefit to aging management of nuclear power plant concrete structures.

codes and standards↗

NASA NTRS1990

Information theoretical assessment of digital imaging systems

The end-to-end performance of image gathering, coding, and restoration as a whole is considered. This approach is based on the pivotal relationship that exists between the spectral information density of the transmitted signal and the restorability of images from this signal. The information-theoretical assessment accounts for (1) the information density and efficiency of the acquired signal as a function of the image-gathering system design and the radiance-field statistics, and (2) the improvement in information efficiency and data compression that can be gained by combining image gathering with coding to reduce the signal redundancy and irrelevancy. It is concluded that images can be restored with better quality and from fewer data as the information efficiency of the data is increased. The restoration correctly explains the image gathering and coding processes and effectively suppresses the image-display degradations.

John, Sarah↗

DOE OSTI2018

An Empirical Roofline Methodology for Quantitatively Assessing Performance Portability

System and node architectures continue to diversify to better balance on-node computation, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, interconnect bandwidth, power, and cost for specific computational workloads. For many application developers, achieving performance portability (effectively exploiting the capabilities of multiple architectures) is a desired goal. Unfortunately, dramatically different per-node performance coupled with differences in machine balance can lead to developers being unable to determine whether they have attained performance portability or simply written portable code. The Roofline model provides a means of quantitatively assessing how well a given application makes use of a target platform’s computational capabilities. In this paper, we extend the Roofline model so that it 1) empirically captures a more realistic set of performance bounds for CPUs and GPUs, 2) factors in the true cost of different floating-point instructions when counting FLOPs, 3) incorporates the effects of different memory access patterns, and 4) with appropriate pairing of code performance and Roofline ceiling, facilitates the performance portability analysis.

Computer Science↗

NASA NTRS2010

Predictions of Supersonic Jet Mixing and Shock-Associated Noise Compared With Measured Far-Field Data

Codes for predicting supersonic jet mixing and broadband shock-associated noise were assessed using a database containing noise measurements of a jet issuing from a convergent nozzle. Two types of codes were used to make predictions. Fast running codes containing empirical models were used to compute both the mixing noise component and the shock-associated noise component of the jet noise spectrum. One Reynolds-averaged, Navier-Stokes-based code was used to compute only the shock-associated noise. To enable the comparisons of the predicted component spectra with data, the measured total jet noise spectra were separated into mixing noise and shock-associated noise components. Comparisons were made for 1/3-octave spectra and some power spectral densities using data from jets operating at 24 conditions covering essentially 6 fully expanded Mach numbers with 4 total temperature ratios.

Dahl, Milo D.↗

DOE OSTI2026

First Solar Thermal Energy Planner (STEP 1) and Nationwide Industrial Heat and Power Analysis

The First Solar Thermal Energy Planner (STEP 1) and Nationwide Industrial Heat and Power Analysis (aka the STEP 1 Project or the Project) aimed to (1) developed a brand-new web tool that could provide decision support through free, rapid techno-economic analysis of behind-the-meter solar+storage systems for industrial process heat and (2) conduct high-level analyses of the cost-competitiveness of the same systems across the US in key sectors. The STEP 1 web tool collects key location, land availability, thermal load profile, proccess heat temperature and media, and other key parameters through an easy-to-use user interface (UI). The UI was designed to meet the user at their level of understanding by minimizing the number of required inputs as much as possible while including options for more nuanced inputs if the user desires. STEP 1 advises users on which solar thermal tehcnologies that could fit their needs based on the inputs provided (namely process media and temperature). The tool can model a wide range of solar thermal technologies including flat plate collectors, evacuated tubes, parabolic troughs, linear Fresnel, and molten salt towers all with corresponding thermal energy storage (TES) - solar PV with resistive heating and TES is also included. Once the parameters are collected, a nominal thermal energy production profile for the facility's location is generated using NREL's System Advisory Model (SAM) and then passed to a modified version of NREL's REopt platform to optimize the size (capacity) and dispatch of the solar+storage system to minimize lifecycle costs subject to energy balance, fuel and electricity rates, emission reductions goals, and other constraints. This entire process takes less than 20 minutes, is completely free, requires zero coding skills, and provides the user with a high-level assessment on the techno-economic feasability of deploying solar+storage systems for their energy needs. In addition to the development of the STEP 1 web tool, the project completed two complementary analyses focused on leveraging the backend code of STEP 1, public industrial facility locations and fuel consumption data, and key sector information to assess the economic opportunity of reducing fuel costs at various levels of capacity factor around the US. Both analyses found that there are key markets, locations, industrial sectors (namely food and beverage), and degrees of offset where solar thermal technologies could be cost-effectively deployed, highlighting a key market entry point for these technologies, and assessing deployment potential. In summary, the STEP 1 project improved the opportunities for solar+storage systems to expand into the industrial process heat market through breaking down barriers to assessing these technologies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Performance assessment modeling of a generic SNF/HLW repository in salt with coupled thermal-hydrologic effects - 15423

This paper describes advances in performance assessment modeling of deep geologic repositories facilitated by a massively parallel, high-performance computing (HPC) environment. Our new Generic Disposal System Analysis (GDSA) Framework utilizes the massively parallel PFLOTRAN multi-physics code to simulate repository performance in the presence of coupled thermal-hydrologic-chemical processes, linked to DAKOTA, an HPC uncertainty sampling and propagation code that provides nested parallelism for multi-realization performance assessment and sensitivity analysis. This enhanced performance assessment (PA) modeling capability is demonstrated with deterministic and probabilistic simulations of a generic repository for SNF and HLW in bedded salt host rock, by comparing repository performance between a case with heat-generating waste ('thermal' case) and a case without heat generation ('isothermal' case). The simulation results provide preliminary insights into the effect of multi-physics processes and thermal-hydrologic coupling on the long-term behavior of a reference-case salt repository. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2022

Studsvik R2 materials test reactor Ad Hoc depletion strategy for the derivation of the fuel isotopic composition of the MPCMIV benchmark

The Ad Hoc Depletion Strategy elaborated by the NINE company, developed in support of the organization of the MPCMIV (Multi-physics Pellet Cladding Mechanical Interaction Validation) benchmark input and output specifications, is presented. This work aims at illustrating the strategy itself and then showing the results obtained with its application over the Studsvik R2 Testing Reactor, which is analyzed in the benchmark. The objective of the application of the strategy is to compute the fuel elements isotopic compositions at the beginning of some core loadings of interest for the benchmark. To this objective, it is necessary to implement first the simulation model of the three single assembly types and perform the infinite lattice depletions, then, to build the full core model and to perform the simulation of the core cycle. All the models and simulations were carried out with the use of the Monte Carlo particle transport code Serpent 2. Finally, the simulations results are assessed against Studsvik isotopic compositions of the fuel elements discharged from the R2 Reactor at the end of the core loading. Several assumptions were necessary during all the steps of the strategy, to overcome the lack of information regarding the core management. For this reason, the solution found at the end of the current analysis may not be completely optimized and further improvements regarding the model assumptions will be tested in a future work. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Large-Scale Hydrogen Storage Cyber Risk Assessment

Hydrogen storage systems may become more widely deployed throughout the country, and so it is possible that individual and interconnected systems will be exposed to cyber-attacks. These events can cause physical and financial harm to employees, people in the vicinity of the facility, and the company that owns the facility. The two main ways bad actors may access information or control from a hydrogen storage facility are through information technology and operations technology devices, the former of which refers to data and information from networked devices and the latter of which refers to onsite controls for the physical system. Both types of entryways into the system should be considered when companies conduct cyber risk assessments and when regulators develop or revise relevant codes and standards. This report analyzes cybersecurity risks associated with a generic hydrogen storage system by outlining the system's purpose and the importance of its cybersecurity. The hydrogen storage system architecture and communication protocols are provided to understand potential cyber vulnerabilities. Later, an event tree analysis is performed on hydrogen operation to identify system weaknesses by outlining potential attack scenarios. This report also identifies critical cyber assets related to different hydrogen operations followed by an examination of potential threats, and the impact of cyber assets on those operational assets.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS2012

Reacting Multi-Species Gas Capability for USM3D Flow Solver

The USM3D Navier-Stokes flow solver contributed heavily to the NASA Constellation Project (CxP) as a highly productive computational tool for generating the aerodynamic databases for the Ares I and V launch vehicles and Orion launch abort vehicle (LAV). USM3D is currently limited to ideal-gas flows, which are not adequate for modeling the chemistry or temperature effects of hot-gas jet flows. This task was initiated to create an efficient implementation of multi-species gas and equilibrium chemistry into the USM3D code to improve its predictive capabilities for hot jet impingement effects. The goal of this NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) assessment was to implement and validate a simulation capability to handle real-gas effects in the USM3D code. This document contains the outcome of the NESC assessment.

Frink, Neal T.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Development of a Benchmark Example for Delamination Fatigue Growth Prediction

The development of a benchmark example for cyclic delamination growth prediction is presented and demonstrated for a commercial code. The example is based on a finite element model of a Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimen, which is independent of the analysis software used and allows the assessment of the delamination growth prediction capabilities in commercial finite element codes. First, the benchmark result was created for the specimen. Second, starting from an initially straight front, the delamination was allowed to grow under cyclic loading in a finite element model of a commercial code. The number of cycles to delamination onset and the number of cycles during stable delamination growth for each growth increment were obtained from the analysis. In general, good agreement between the results obtained from the growth analysis and the benchmark results could be achieved by selecting the appropriate input parameters. Overall, the results are encouraging but further assessment for mixed-mode delamination is required

Krueger, Ronald↗

NASA NTRS2010

Development of a Benchmark Example for Delamination Fatigue Growth Prediction

Krueger, Ronald↗

NASA NTRS1988

Overview of CFD methods and comparison with flight aerothermal data

An overview of previously published aerothermal investigations which demonstrate the capabilities of detailed computational fluid dynamics and engineering codes to predict the aerothermal environment about an entry vehicle is presented. The overview consists of a brief discussion of the computational methods and experimental data and includes comparisons between the computed results and data. The overview focuses primarily on analyses of flight data since these data provide the unique capability to assess the real-gas chemistry options in the codes. The computed results are based on a series of codes which are employed by the Aerothermodynamics Branch of the Space System Division at the Langley Research Center. The flight data, which were measured on the Reentry F, the Space Shuttle, and the Fire II vehicles, represent a wide range of vehicle configurations and freestream conditions. Also, results of one recent set of ground tests are included since the tests provide data on a model of a pending flight project. The comparisons of the predicted results and data demonstrate the adequacy of the present computational fluid dynamics capabilities and indicate the potential to predict the aerothermal environment about future flight vehicles.

Sutton, Kenneth↗