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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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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs using Conjugate Heat Transfer

Thermal management for battery is important for electric aircraft because battery temperature is critically important to vehicle safety, and it also has direct impact on the efficiency of the battery system. Because ambient air is a readily available resource for aircraft, this paper considers an active cooling concept with forced convection of ambient air through the battery pack. Conjugate heat transfer analysis is used to solve the coupled aero-thermal problem, which consists of a finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for the fluid domain, and a conduction heat transfer solver for the solid domain. A mixed Neumann and Dirichlet boundary condition is developed for the fluid-solid interface, which allows the solid domain to completely submerge in the fluid domain. A gradient-based optimization method is adopted, and the discrete adjoint approach implemented in DAFoam is used to efficiently compute the gradients. The aero-thermal coupling for primal analysis and gradient computation is handled using the OpenMDAO-based MPhys framework. A constant heat source is prescribed for the battery cells, and the battery shape (design variable) is optimized to minimize cooling pump power and battery weight (composite objective function) while keeping the battery temperature below a threshold (constraint). The optimized design achieves a 44.6% and 1.5% reduction in the cooling pump power and battery weight, respectively, and the maximal temperature constraint is satisfied. This work has the potential to reduce battery-pack weight, improve performance, and reduce the weight of thermal management systems for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

thermal management↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerothermal Shape Optimization of Actively-Cooled Battery Packs Using Conjugate Heat Transfer

heat transfer↗

NASA NTRS2014

High-Order Implicit-Explicit Multi-Block Time-stepping Method for Hyperbolic PDEs

This work seeks to explore and improve the current time-stepping schemes used in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in order to reduce overall computational time. A high-order scheme has been developed using a combination of implicit and explicit (IMEX) time-stepping Runge-Kutta (RK) schemes which increases numerical stability with respect to the time step size, resulting in decreased computational time. The IMEX scheme alone does not yield the desired increase in numerical stability, but when used in conjunction with an overlapping partitioned (multi-block) domain significant increase in stability is observed. To show this, the Overlapping-Partition IMEX (OP IMEX) scheme is applied to both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) problems, the nonlinear viscous Burger's equation and 2D advection equation, respectively. The method uses two different summation by parts (SBP) derivative approximations, second-order and fourth-order accurate. The Dirichlet boundary conditions are imposed using the Simultaneous Approximation Term (SAT) penalty method. The 6-stage additive Runge-Kutta IMEX time integration schemes are fourth-order accurate in time. An increase in numerical stability 65 times greater than the fully explicit scheme is demonstrated to be achievable with the OP IMEX method applied to 1D Burger's equation. Results from the 2D, purely convective, advection equation show stability increases on the order of 10 times the explicit scheme using the OP IMEX method. Also, the domain partitioning method in this work shows potential for breaking the computational domain into manageable sizes such that implicit solutions for full three-dimensional CFD simulations can be computed using direct solving methods rather than the standard iterative methods currently used.

Nielsen, Tanner B.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A multi-domain method for subsonic viscous flows

We have developed a Schwarz type domain decomposition method for a pressure base, two- and three-dimensional Navier-Stokes solver. This technique allows one to partition a flow path, which can be characterized by complex geometry and/or complicated flow physics, into smaller sub-domains according to the local geometric simplicity or estimated flow scales. We can, then, sweep the sub-domains in some order and solve the Navier-Stokes equations using as boundary conditions, along the domain interfaces, the Dirichlet conditions which are taken from the most recent update of the solution in the adjacent neighboring domains. With this technique, one can minimize the adverse effects caused by grid skewness and the stiffness problem caused by disparate flow scales. Here, we report the results of a few fundamental flow cases to demonstrate that a judicious use of the multi-domain method can offer a significant convergence acceleration over the traditional one-domain method. This method can be extended to exploit the architecture of a parallel computer to further improve the speed.

Chan, Daniel C.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Analysis of the Westland Data Set

The "Westland" set of empirical accelerometer helicopter data with seeded and labeled faults is analyzed with the aim of condition monitoring. The autoregressive (AR) coefficients from a simple linear model encapsulate a great deal of information in a relatively few measurements; and it has also been found that augmentation of these by harmonic and other parameters call improve classification significantly. Several techniques have been explored, among these restricted Coulomb energy (RCE) networks, learning vector quantization (LVQ), Gaussian mixture classifiers and decision trees. A problem with these approaches, and in common with many classification paradigms, is that augmentation of the feature dimension can degrade classification ability. Thus, we also introduce the Bayesian data reduction algorithm (BDRA), which imposes a Dirichlet prior oil training data and is thus able to quantify probability of error in all exact manner, such that features may be discarded or coarsened appropriately.

Wen, Fang↗

NASA NTRS2000

Condition Monitoring for Helicopter Data

In this paper the classical "Westland" set of empirical accelerometer helicopter data is analyzed with the aim of condition monitoring for diagnostic purposes. The goal is to determine features for failure events from these data, via a proprietary signal processing toolbox, and to weigh these according to a variety of classification algorithms. As regards signal processing, it appears that the autoregressive (AR) coefficients from a simple linear model encapsulate a great deal of information in a relatively few measurements; it has also been found that augmentation of these by harmonic and other parameters can improve classification significantly. As regards classification, several techniques have been explored, among these restricted Coulomb energy (RCE) networks, learning vector quantization (LVQ), Gaussian mixture classifiers and decision trees. A problem with these approaches, and in common with many classification paradigms, is that augmentation of the feature dimension can degrade classification ability. Thus, we also introduce the Bayesian data reduction algorithm (BDRA), which imposes a Dirichlet prior on training data and is thus able to quantify probability of error in an exact manner, such that features may be discarded or coarsened appropriately.

Wen, Fang↗

DOE OSTI2021

An Eulerian Vlasov-Fokker–Planck algorithm for spherical implosion simulations of inertial confinement fusion capsules

Here, we present a numerical algorithm that enables a phase-space adaptive Eulerian Vlasov–Fokker–Planck (VFP) simulation of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule implosions. The approach relies on extending a recent mass, momentum, and energy conserving phase-space moving-mesh adaptivity strategy to spherical geometry. In configuration space, we employ a mesh motion partial differential equation (MMPDE) strategy while, in velocity space, the mesh is expanded/contracted and shifted with the plasma’s evolving temperature and drift velocity. The mesh motion is dealt with by transforming the underlying VFP equations into a computational (logical) coordinate, with the resulting inertial terms carefully discretized to ensure conservation. To deal with the spatial and temporally varying dynamics in a spherically imploding system, we have developed a novel nonlinear stabilization strategy for MMPDE in the configuration space. The strategy relies on a nonlinear optimization procedure that optimizes between mesh quality and the volumetric rate change of the mesh to ensure both accuracy and stability of the solution. Implosions of ICF capsules are driven by several boundary conditions: (1) an elastic moving wall boundary; (2) a time-dependent Maxwellian Dirichlet boundary; and (3) a pressure-driven Lagrangian boundary. Of these, the pressure-driven Lagrangian boundary driver is new to our knowledge. The implementation of our strategy is verified through a set of test problems, including the Guderley and Van-Dyke implosion problems — the first-ever reported using a Vlasov–Fokker–Planck model.

1D2V↗

NASA NTRS2021

Topic Modeling Tool for PeTaL (Periodic Table of Life)

A topic modeling tool is constructed for the purpose of providing insights from biology to the engineer within the framework of PeTaL (Periodic Table of Life). The machine learning text mining tools–latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) with Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence—are used to provide topic clusters to the user. Topic clusters are the underlying themes of a paper. For the text modeling problem, NMF-KL is the equivalent of probabilistic latent semantic analysis. Both LDA and NMF-KL are top-performing modeling tools. These tools are used to identify biological specimens relevant to the user. Various organisms solve a particular survival problem in nature differently. The topic clusters allow people without domain expertise to find these cross-topic themes in the body of documents and then branch out and examine papers whose target organisms solve the engineer’s problem. Abstracts from the Journal of Experimental Biology were used as input for the clustering tool in addition to a curated set of articles for validation. The tool is able to accept alternate input sources.

Machine learning↗

NASA NTRS2005

On the Hilbert-Huang Transform Theoretical Developments

One of the main heritage tools used in scientific and engineering data spectrum analysis is the Fourier Integral Transform and its high performance digital equivalent - the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Both carry strong a-priori assumptions about the source data, such as linearity, of being stationary, and of satisfying the Dirichlet conditions. A recent development at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), known as the Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT), proposes a novel approach to the solution for the nonlinear class of spectrum analysis problems. Using a-posteriori data processing based on the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) sifting process (algorithm), followed by the normalized Hilbert Transform of the decomposition data, the HHT allows spectrum analysis of nonlinear and nonstationary data. The EMD sifting process results in a non-constrained decomposition of a source real value data vector into a finite set of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF). These functions form a near orthogonal adaptive basis, a basis that is derived from the data. The IMFs can be further analyzed for spectrum interpretation by the classical Hilbert Transform. A new engineering spectrum analysis tool using HHT has been developed at NASA GSFC, the HHT Data Processing System (HHT-DPS). As the HHT-DPS has been successfully used and commercialized, new applications post additional questions about the theoretical basis behind the HHT and EMD algorithms. Why is the fastest changing component of a composite signal being sifted out first in the EMD sifting process? Why does the EMD sifting process seemingly converge and why does it converge rapidly? Does an IMF have a distinctive structure? Why are the IMFs near orthogonal? We address these questions and develop the initial theoretical background for the HHT. This will contribute to the developments of new HHT processing options, such as real-time and 2-D processing using Field Programmable Array (FPGA) computational resources, enhanced HHT synthesis, and broaden the scope of HHT applications for signal processing.

Kizhner, Semion↗

NASA NTRS2006

On Certain Theoretical Developments Underlying the Hilbert-Huang Transform

One of the main traditional tools used in scientific and engineering data spectral analysis is the Fourier Integral Transform and its high performance digital equivalent - the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Both carry strong a-priori assumptions about the source data, such as being linear and stationary, and of satisfying the Dirichlet conditions. A recent development at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), known as the Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT), proposes a novel approach to the solution for the nonlinear class of spectral analysis problems. Using a-posteriori data processing based on the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) sifting process (algorithm), followed by the normalized Hilbert Transform of the decomposed data, the HHT allows spectral analysis of nonlinear and nonstationary data. The EMD sifting process results in a non-constrained decomposition of a source real-value data vector into a finite set of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF). These functions form a nearly orthogonal derived from the data (adaptive) basis. The IMFs can be further analyzed for spectrum content by using the classical Hilbert Transform. A new engineering spectral analysis tool using HHT has been developed at NASA GSFC, the HHT Data Processing System (HHT-DPS). As the HHT-DPS has been successfully used and commercialized, new applications pose additional questions about the theoretical basis behind the HHT and EMD algorithms. Why is the fastest changing component of a composite signal being sifted out first in the EMD sifting process? Why does the EMD sifting process seemingly converge and why does it converge rapidly? Does an IMF have a distinctive structure? Why are the IMFs nearly orthogonal? We address these questions and develop the initial theoretical background for the HHT. This will contribute to the development of new HHT processing options, such as real-time and 2-D processing using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) computational resources,

Kizhner, Semion↗

DOE OSTI2024

Green's function methods for multiphysics simulations (Final Report)

Green's functions are important tools for analyzing mathematical properties of partial differential equations (PDEs), and for numerically solving PDEs, especially when equations for the same operator but with multiple right hand sides need to be solved simultaneously. This proposal aims at developing efficient and accurate numerical methods for computing Green's functions, which can be used to tackle a challenging question in multiphysics simulation of DOE-mission science problems: how to couple quantum physics with classical physics. The key mathematical difficulty is properly formulate a "boundary condition" for the region described by quantum physics, and conventional approaches often model such boundary conditions in an empirical way. The proposed Green's function methods use the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map to formulate a boundary condition that is non-empirical and can couple the quantum and classical regions in an in principle exact way. The key ingredient of the new methods is to construct the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map in an efficient, accurate and versatile manner. The new methods have provably low complexity and are ideally suited for massively parallel and emerging many-core computational systems.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2025

A Fundamentally New Coupled Approach to Contact Mechanics via the Dirichlet‐Neumann Schwarz Alternating Method

Contact phenomena are crucial for understanding the behavior of mechanical systems. However, existing computational approaches for simulating mechanical contact often face numerical challenges, such as inaccurate physical predictions, energy conservation errors, and unwanted oscillations. Here, we introduce an alternative technique for simulating dynamic contact based on the non‐overlapping Schwarz alternating method, originally developed for domain decomposition. In multibody contact scenarios, this method treats each body as a separate, non‐overlapping domain and prevents interpenetration using an alternating Dirichlet–Neumann iterative process. This approach has a strong theoretical foundation, eliminates the need for contact constraints, and offers flexibility, making it ideal for multiscale and multiphysics applications. We conducted a numerical comparison between the Schwarz method and traditional methods, such as the Lagrange multiplier and penalty methods, focusing on a benchmark impact problem. Our results indicate that the Schwarz alternating method outperforms traditional methods in several key areas: it provides more accurate predictions for various measurable quantities and demonstrates exceptional energy conservation capabilities. To address unwanted oscillations in contact velocities and forces, we explored various algorithms and stabilization techniques, ultimately opting for the naïve‐stabilized Newmark scheme for its simplicity and effectiveness. Additionally, we validated the efficiency of the Schwarz method in a three‐dimensional impact problem, highlighting its inherent capacity to accommodate different mesh topologies, time‐integration schemes, and time steps for each interacting body.

Schwarz alternating method↗

NASA NTRS2002

Elliptic Grid Generation of Spiral-Bevel Pinion Gear Typical of OH-58 Helicopter Transmission

This paper discusses the source term treatment in the numerical solution of elliptic partial differential equations for an interior grid generation problem in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The geometry considered is that of a planar cross-section of a generic spiral-bevel gear tooth typical of a pinion in the OH-58 helicopter transmission. The source terms used are appropriate for an interior grid domain where all the boundaries are prescribed via a combination of Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. New constraints based on the Green's Theorem are derived which uniquely determine the coefficients in the source terms. These constraints are designed for boundary clustered grids where gradients in physical quantities need to be resolved adequately. However, it is seen that the present formulation works satisfactorily for mild clustering also. Thus, a fully automated elliptic grid generation technique is made possible where there is no need for a parametric study of these parameters since the new relations fix these free parameters uniquely.

Kaul, Upender K.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Computation of consistent boundary quantities in finite element thermal-fluid solutions

The consistent boundary quantity method for computing derived quantities from finite element nodal variable solutions is investigated. The method calculates consistent, continuous boundary surface quantities such as heat fluxes, flow velocities, and surface tractions from nodal variables such as temperatures, velocity potentials, and displacements. Consistent and lumped coefficient matrix solutions for such problems are compared. The consistent approach may produce more accurate boundary quantities, but spurious oscillations may be produced in the vicinity of discontinuities. The uncoupled computations of the lumped approach provide greater flexibility in dealing with discontinuities and provide increased computational efficiency. The consistent boundary quantity approach can be applied to solution boundaries other than those with Dirichlet boundary conditions, and provides more accurate results than the customary method of differentiation of interpolation polynomials.

Thornton, E. A.↗

DOE OSTI2020

The second-generation Shifted Boundary Method and its numerical analysis

Recently, the Shifted Boundary Method (SBM) was proposed within the class of unfitted (or immersed, or embedded) finite element methods. By reformulating the original boundary value problem over a surrogate (approximate) computational domain, the SBM avoids integration over cut cells and the associated problematic issues regarding numerical stability and matrix conditioning. Accuracy is maintained by modifying the original boundary conditions using Taylor expansions. Hence the name of the method, that shifts the location and values of the boundary conditions. In this article, we present enhanced variational SBM formulations for the Poisson and Stokes problems with improved flexibility and robustness. These simplified variational forms allow to relax some of the assumptions required by the mathematical proofs of stability and convergence of earlier implementations. First, we show that these new SBM implementations can be proved asymptotically stable and convergent even without the rather restrictive assumption that the inner product between the normals to the true and surrogate boundaries is positive. Second, we show that it is not necessary to introduce a stabilization term involving the tangential derivatives of the solution at Dirichlet boundaries, therefore avoiding the calibration of an additional stabilization parameter. Finally, we prove enhanced L 2 -estimates without the cumbersome assumption – of earlier proofs – that the surrogate domain is convex. Instead we rely on a conventional assumption that the boundary of the true domain is smooth, which can also be replaced by requiring convexity of the true domain. The aforementioned improvements open the way to a more general and efficient implementation of the Shifted Boundary Method, particularly in complex three-dimensional geometries. We complement these theoretical developments with numerical experiments in two and three dimensions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1987

Program VSAERO theory document: A computer program for calculating nonlinear aerodynamic characteristics of arbitrary configurations

The VSAERO low order panel method formulation is described for the calculation of subsonic aerodynamic characteristics of general configurations. The method is based on piecewise constant doublet and source singularities. Two forms of the internal Dirichlet boundary condition are discussed and the source distribution is determined by the external Neumann boundary condition. A number of basic test cases are examined. Calculations are compared with higher order solutions for a number of cases. It is demonstrated that for comparable density of control points where the boundary conditions are satisfied, the low order method gives comparable accuracy to the higher order solutions. It is also shown that problems associated with some earlier low order panel methods, e.g., leakage in internal flows and junctions and also poor trailing edge solutions, do not appear for the present method. Further, the application of the Kutta conditions is extremely simple; no extra equation or trailing edge velocity point is required. The method has very low computing costs and this has made it practical for application to nonlinear problems requiring iterative solutions for wake shape and surface boundary layer effects.

Maskew, Brian↗

NASA NTRS1987

Approximation of discrete-time LQG compensators for distributed systems with boundary input and unbounded measurement

The approximation of optimal discrete-time linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) compensators for distributed parameter control systems with boundary input and unbounded measurement is considered. The approach applies to a wide range of problems that can be formulated in a state space on which both the discrete-time input and output operators are continuous. Approximating compensators are obtained via application of the LQG theory and associated approximation results for infinite dimensional discrete-time control systems with bounded input and output. Numerical results for spline and modal based approximation schemes used to compute optimal compensators for a one dimensional heat equation with either Neumann or Dirichlet boundary control and pointwise measurement of temperature are presented and discussed.

Gibson, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Approximation of discrete-time LQG compensators for distributed systems with boundary input and unbounded measurement

The approximation of optimal discrete-time linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) compensators for distributed parameter control systems with boundary input and unbounded measurement is considered. The approach applies to a wide range of problems that can be formulated in a state space on which both the discrete-time input and output operators are continuous. Approximating compensators are obtained via application of the LQG theory and associated approximation results for infinite dimensional discrete-time control systems with bounded input and output. Numerical results for spline and modal based approximation schemes used to compute optimal compensators for a one-dimensional heat equation with either Neumann or Dirichlet boundary control and pointwise measurement of temperature are presented and discussed.

Gibson, J. S.↗