Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “calculation method”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,099 records · Page 61

A terrain-dependent reference atmosphere determination method for available potential energy calculations

An iterative technique that determines the reference atmosphere which incorporates the effects of uneven surface topography is presented. This method has been successfully applied in several available potential energy studies. An alternative method due to Taylor is also evaluated. While Taylor presented excellent continuous formulations of the available potential energy that include topography, his method for determining the reference atmosphere distributions failed to provide the accuracy needed to produce reliable available potential energy estimates. Since topography has a significant influence on the general circulation, it is important to employ techniques that incorporate its effects in the determination of available potential energy.

Koehler, T. L.↗

Validation of the single-event method for low-energy electron transport via stopping power calculations with $\mathrm{MCNP}$

Monte Carlo simulations of low-energy ( <50 keV) electron transport in matter are essential for a broad range of application fields. Several Monte Carlo codes have developed specialized treatments for this case, but a comprehensive validation of low-energy electron transport for general-purpose simulations remains lacking in the literature. One approach to accomplish this validation is calculation of stopping power using low-energy electron transport physics, as stopping power is a fundamental radiation transport quantity which must be simulated accurately for nearly any application. Here in this work, we use the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) radiation transport code with the single-event method for electron transport to calculate stopping powers of low-energy electrons (50 eV to 30 keV) in 41 elemental solids, 14 compound solids, and five rare gas solids, comparing simulation results to published semi-empirical stopping power calculations from optical measurements. In general, the simulations give good agreement (typically within ±10%) with semi-empirical stopping power values at higher energies: 300 eV and above for most elemental solids, 1 keV and above for compound solids, and 400 eV and above for rare gas solids. Agreement between MCNP and semi-empirical values is worse below these energies. The most significant source of error is the EPRDATA14 cross section data, which does not account for changes in electronic structure due to solid-state bonding, particularly in compound materials. The simplistic model of atomic excitation used to generate the EPRDATA14 cross sections is another key source of error. Additionally, the breakdown of the continuous slowing-down approximation introduces significant uncertainty at low energies, although this is a limitation of the calculation method and not of the simulation procedure. Accounting for these and other uncertainty sources, the single event method in MCNP is robust and able to give good accuracy for a variety of low-energy electron transport problems through diverse kinds of materials.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Notes on the transonic indicial method

The indicial method for calculating flutter derivatives for two-dimensional airfoils at transonic speeds is discussed, with particular attention given to the effect of a moving shock on the flow variables in the indicial method. An expression for the pressure coefficient is developed on the basis of an explicit treatment of the shock motion; the pressure distribution may then be calculated for general oscillations through use of the indicial method. Explicit inclusion of the shock motion is not necessary if only the lift and pitching moment coefficients are desired.

Nixon, D.↗

Case Study of ISO/TS 6336-22 Micropitting Calculation

ISO/TS 6336-22 (Calculation of load capacity of spur and helical gears - Part 22: Calculation of micropitting load capacity) is the ISO technical specification containing a proposal for a method to calculate the risk of micropitting in gear sets. It assesses micropitting risk through a safety factor which is calculated as the minimum specific film thickness in the contact zone divided by a permissible specific film thickness. A sliding parameter is used to adjust the film thickness in the contact zone to the region of highest sliding, which is where micropitting has been observed. The permissible specific film thickness is best determined through experience or testing, but there is an option to estimate it based on the lubricant’s failure load stage in FZG testing. This paper is a case study of how the method behaves when applied to several gear sets and applications that have experienced micropitting in the field.

ENGINEERING,WIND ENERGY↗

An analytical study of noise generation by subsonic flows in the presence of rigid surfaces

A general analytical method is developed for determination of the radiated noise field from highly sheared, subsonic flows in the presence of rigid surfaces. The method is specifically formulated to use measurable flow field properties as the basis input data for calculations. The governing equations of a viscous, incompressible fluid are employed to determine approximately the so-called shear noise source strength distribution in the flow. Mean rates of strain and fluctuating velocity covariances are the fundamental input data for calculations. The method is applied to the wall jet region of a circular jet impinging at 45 deg to an infinite plane surface. Velocity field measurements of Foss are used to describe the required flow properties. Comparisons of calculated results with measured surface pressures and sound pressure levels are given and discussed.

Wooley, J. P.↗

Faster spectral density calculation using energy moments

Abstract Accurate predictions of inclusive scattering cross sections in the linear response regime require efficient and controllable methods to calculate the spectral density in a strongly-correlated many-body system. In this work we reformulate the recently proposed Gaussian Integral Transform technique in terms of Fourier moments of the system Hamiltonian which can be computed efficiently on a quantum computer. One of the main advantages of this framework is that it allows for an important reduction of the computational cost by exploiting previous knowledge about the energy moments of the spectral density. For a simple model of medium mass nucleus like $$^{40}$$ 40 Ca and target energy resolution of 1 MeV we find an expected speed-up of $$\approx 125$$ ≈ 125 times for the calculation of the giant dipole response and of $$\approx 50$$ ≈ 50 times for the simulation of quasi-elastic electron scattering at typical momentum transfers.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Integrated modeling methodology for ash agglomeration in poly-disperse fluidized beds using particle population framework

This article discusses a unique agglomeration modeling methodology developed based on binary collisions to combine the effects of heterogeneity in ash chemistry and granular physics. A simple population balance is defined to find changes in the particle size distribution (PSD) of a fluidized bed. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, are used to obtain hydrodynamic parameters. A method to calculate and use a distribution of collision frequencies in fluidized beds, corresponding to a poly-disperse particle size distribution, was developed in order to incorporate the particle level heterogeneities. A distribution of collision frequencies obtained for poly-dispersed particles showed a three orders of magnitude higher collision frequency amongst the smaller particles than the coarser ones, at the initiation of agglomeration. Ash agglomeration occurred when the slag amount (binder) was less than 10 wt% at temperatures <850 °C for Pittsburgh No. 8 coal.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A vortex-lattice method for general, unsteady aerodynamics

A general method of calculating unsteady, incompressible, inviscid, three-dimensional flows around arbitrary planforms has been developed. The method is an extension of the vortex-lattice technique. It is not limited by aspect ratio, camber, or angle of attack, as long as vortex breakdown does not occur above the surface of the wing and separation occurs only along sharp edges. As the wing performs arbitrary maneuvers, the position of the wake and the distribution of circulation on the wing and in the wake are obtained as functions of time. One desirable feature of the present method is its ability to treat steady lifting flows very efficiently. Several examples of steady and unsteady flows are presented. These include rectangular wings, with and without flaps, delta, and cropped delta wings.

Konstadinopoulos, P.↗

Test methods and design allowables for fibrous composites. Volume 2

Topics discussed include extreme/hostile environment testing, establishing design allowables, and property/behavior specific testing. Papers are presented on environmental effects on the high strain rate properties of graphite/epoxy composite, the low-temperature performance of short-fiber reinforced thermoplastics, the abrasive wear behavior of unidirectional and woven graphite fiber/PEEK, test methods for determining design allowables for fiber reinforced composites, and statistical methods for calculating material allowables for MIL-HDBK-17. Attention is also given to a test method to measure the response of composite materials under reversed cyclic loads, a through-the-thickness strength specimen for composites, the use of torsion tubes to measure in-plane shear properties of filament-wound composites, the influlence of test fixture design on the Iosipescu shear test for fiber composite materials, and a method for monitoring in-plane shear modulus in fatigue testing of composites.

Chamis, Christos C.↗

The steady part of the secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field

The secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field results from the effects of magnetic induction in the fluid outer core and from the effects of magnetic diffusion in the core and the mantle. Adequate observations to map the magnetic field at the core-mantle boundary extend back over three centuries, providing a model of the secular variation at the core-mantle boundary. Here we consider how best to analyze this time-dependent part of the field. To calculate steady core flow over long time periods, we introduce an adaptation of our earlier method of calculating the flow in order to achieve greater numerical stability. We perform this procedure for the periods 1840-1990 and 1690-1840 and find that well over 90 percent of the variance of the time-dependent field can be explained by simple steady core flow. The core flows obtained for the two intervals are broadly similar to each other and to flows determined over much shorter recent intervals.

Bloxham, Jeremy↗

Comparison of GEOS-5 AGCM Planetary Boundary Layer Depths Computed with Various Definitions

Accurate models of planetary boundary layer (PBL) processes are important for forecasting weather and climate. The present study compares seven methods of calculating PBL depth in the GEOS-5 atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) over land. These methods depend on the eddy diffusion coefficients, bulk and local Richardson numbers, and the turbulent kinetic energy. The computed PBL depths are aggregated to the Koppen climate classes, and some limited comparisons are made using radiosonde profiles. Most methods produce similar midday PBL depths, although in the warm, moist climate classes, the bulk Richardson number method gives midday results that are lower than those given by the eddy diffusion coefficient methods. Additional analysis revealed that methods sensitive to turbulence driven by radiative cooling produce greater PBL depths, this effect being most significant during the evening transition. Nocturnal PBLs based on Richardson number are generally shallower than eddy diffusion coefficient based estimates. The bulk Richardson number estimate is recommended as the PBL height to inform the choice of the turbulent length scale, based on the similarity to other methods during the day, and the improved nighttime behavior.

AGCM↗

Linear stability of a layered fluid with mobile surface plates

We develop a general method of calculating the linear stability of a fluid with homogeneous layers that is heated from below. The method employs a propagator technique to obtain expressions for the fluid velocity, stress, and temperature. The principal advantage of the method is the ease with which solutions are adapted to a wide variety of boundary conditions and fluid properties. We demonstrate the utility of the method using three examples which quantify the effects of (1) rheological layering, (2) mobile plates at the surface, and (3) multiple phase transitions. Each example is presented in the context of Earth's mantle. In the first example, we predict that convection becomes confined to the upper mantle once the viscosity increase between the upper and lower mantle exceeds a factor of 2000, consistent with the nonlinear calculations of Davies (1977). In the second example we find that the heat flux variations in a convecting fluid with variably sized, surface plates can be attributed, in part, to changes in the critical Rayleigh number. The linear stability of a fluid with multiple phase transitions is significantly affects by the locations of the transitions. We find that phase transitions have their largest effect when they are located at the center of the fluid layer and become much less important when they are located near the exterior boundaries.

Buffett, B. A.↗

Influence of exit impedance on finite difference solutions of transient acoustic mode propagation in ducts

The time-dependent governing acoustic-difference equations and boundary conditions are developed and solved for sound propagation in an axisymmetric (cylindrical) hard-wall duct without flow and with spinning acoustic modes. The analysis begins with a harmonic sound source radiating into a quiescent duct. This explicit iteration method then calculates stepwise in real time to obtain the steady solutions of the acoustic field. The transient method did not converge to the steady-state solution for cutoff acoustic duct modes. This has implications as to its use in a variable-area duct, where modes may become cutoff in the smal-area portion of the duct. For single cutoff mode propagation the steady-state impedance boundary condition produced acoustic reflections during the initial transient that caused finite instabilities in the numerical calculations. The stability problem is resolved by reformulating the exit boundary condition. Example calculations show good agreement with exact analytical and numerical results for forcing frequencies above, below, and nearly at the cutoff frequency.

Baumeister, K. J.↗

Ab initio calculation of carrier mobility in semiconductors including ionized-impurity scattering

The past decade has seen the emergence of ab initio computational methods for calculating phonon-limited carrier mobilities in semiconductors with predictive accuracy. More realistic calculations ought to take into account additional scattering mechanisms such as, for example, impurity and grain-boundary scattering. Here, in this paper, we investigate the effect of ionized-impurity scattering on the carrier mobility. We model the analytical impurity potential parameterized from first principles by a collection of randomly distributed Coulomb scattering centers, and we include this relaxation channel into the ab initio Boltzmann transport equation, as implemented in the EPW code. We demonstrate this methodology by considering silicon, silicon carbide, and gallium phosphide, for which detailed experimental data are available. Our calculations agree well with experiments over a broad range of temperatures and impurity concentrations. For each compound investigated here, we compare the relative importance of electron-phonon scattering and ionized-impurity scattering, and we critically assess the reliability of Matthiessen's rule. We also show that an accurate description of dielectric screening and carrier effective masses can improve quantitative agreement with experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A critical evaluation of a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes method as a tool to calculate transonic flows inside a low-aspect-ratio compressor

A numerical study to evaluate a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes method as a tool to predict the detailed flow field inside a low-aspect-ratio compressor at various operating conditions was conducted. The details of the flow structure inside a low aspect ratio compressor (three-dimensional shock structure, shock-boundary layer interaction, and tip leakage vortex) and the overall aerodynamic performance at design and off-design conditions are numerically analyzed and the results are compared with the available experimental data. The flow field inside a state-of-the-art transonic compressor is used for the purpose of the evaluation.

Hah, Chunill↗

A new solution method for lifting surfaces in subsonic flow

A simple method for calculating the unsteady aerodynamic loadings on harmonically oscillating thin wings in subsonic flow has been developed. The method is based on a concept of concentrated lift forces. The wing is divided into the element surfaces on which lift distributions are represented by single concentrated lift forces. Since the procedure does not include any quadratures, it can be applied easily to calculate the unsteady aerodynamic loadings on complex planform wings even when they have partial span control surfaces. Numerical calculations are carried out for various wing geometries and compared with other analyses and experiments.

Ueda, T.↗

Experimental Verification of Boundary-Layer Corrections in Hypersonic Nozzles

The problem of accurately predicting boundary-layer growth for supersonic nozzle design assumes increased importance as the design Mach Number of the nozzles is pushed into the hypersonic regime. Several methods of calculating this growth have been advanced which vary in ease of computation and accuracy of results. Results of the calibrations performed on two hypersonic helium nozzles recently put into operation in the 11-in. Hypersonic Tunnel Section at the NASA Langley Research Center indicate that the method employed for boundary-layer calculations in these nozzles is adequate. The flow in the test region of both nozzles has been found to be of good quality and the Mach Numbers obtained agree very satisfactorily with the desired design Mach Number.

Boundary Layer Equations↗