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At least 1,171 records · Page 65

Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae from an Extensive Survey of Radiative Transfer Models

There exists two classes of viable progenitors for normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia): systems in which a white dwarf explodes at the Chandrasekhar mass (${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$), and systems in which a white dwarf explodes below the Chandrasekhar mass (sub-${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$). It is not clear which of these channels is dominant; observations and light-curve modeling have provided evidence for both. In this work we use an extensive grid of 4500 time-dependent, multiwavelength radiation transport simulations to show that the sub-${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ model can reproduce the entirety of the width–luminosity relation, while the ${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ model can only produce the brighter events $(0.8\lt {\rm{\Delta }}{M}_{15}(B)\lt 1.55)$, implying that fast-declining SNe Ia come from sub-${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ explosions. We do not assume a particular theoretical paradigm for the progenitor or explosion mechanism, but instead construct parameterized models that vary the mass, kinetic energy, and compositional structure of the ejecta, thereby realizing a broad range of possible outcomes of white dwarf explosions. We provide fitting functions based on our large grid of detailed simulations that map observable properties of SNe Ia, such as peak brightness and light-curve width, to physical parameters such as ${}^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ and total ejected mass. These can be used to estimate the physical properties of observed SNe Ia.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

KINETIC ENERGY FROM SUPERNOVA FEEDBACK IN HIGH-RESOLUTION GALAXY SIMULATIONS

We describe a new method for adding a prescribed amount of kinetic energy to simulated gas modeled on a cartesian grid by directly altering grid cells’ mass and velocity in a distributed fashion. The method is explored in the context of supernova (SN) feedback in high-resolution (∼10 pc) hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation. Resolution dependence is a primary consideration in our application of the method, and simulations of isolated explosions (performed at different resolutions) motivate a resolution-dependent scaling for the injected fraction of kinetic energy that we apply in cosmological simulations of a 10{sup 9} M{sub ⊙} dwarf halo. We find that in high-density media (≳50 cm{sup −3}) with coarse resolution (≳4 pc per cell), results are sensitive to the initial kinetic energy fraction due to early and rapid cooling. In our galaxy simulations, the deposition of small amounts of SN energy in kinetic form (as little as 1%) has a dramatic impact on the evolution of the system, resulting in an order-of-magnitude suppression of stellar mass. The overall behavior of the galaxy in the two highest resolution simulations we perform appears to converge. We discuss the resulting distribution of stellar metallicities, an observable sensitive to galactic wind properties, and find that while the new method demonstrates increased agreement with observed systems, significant discrepancies remain, likely due to simplistic assumptions that neglect contributions from SNe Ia and stellar winds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Distribution of blackouts in the power grid and the Motter and Lai model

Carreras, Dobson, and colleagues have studied empirical data on the sizes of the blackouts in real grids and modeled them with computer simulations using the direct current approximation. They have found that the resulting blackout sizes are distributed as a power law and suggested that this is because the grids are driven to the self-organized critical state. In contrast, more recent studies found that the distribution of cascades is bimodal resulting in either a very small blackout or a very large blackout, engulfing a finite fraction of the system. Here we reconcile the two approaches and investigate how the distribution of the blackouts changes with model parameters, including the tolerance criteria and the dynamic rules of failure of the overloaded lines during the cascade. Finally, we study the same problem for the Motter and Lai model and find similar results, suggesting that the physical laws of flow on the network are not as important as network topology, overload conditions, and dynamic rules of failure.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

SU-F-T-362: Quantification and Modelling of the Ionization Chamber Simulation Effective Points On Monaco Treatment Planning System

Purpose: Because of statistical noise in Monte Carlo dose calculations, effective point doses may not be accurate. Volume spheres are useful for evaluating dose in Monte Carlo plans, which have an inherent statistical uncertainty.We use a user-defined sphere volume instead of a point, take sphere sampling around effective point make the dose statistics to decrease the stochastic errors. Methods: Direct dose measurements were made using a 0.125cc Semiflex ion chamber (IC) 31010 isocentrically placed in the center of a homogeneous Cylindric sliced RW3 phantom (PTW, Germany).In the scanned CT phantom series the sensitive volume length of the IC (6.5mm) were delineated and defined the isocenter as the simulation effective points. All beams were simulated in Monaco in accordance to the measured model. In our simulation using 2mm voxels calculation grid spacing and choose calculate dose to medium and request the relative standard deviation ≤0.5%. Taking three different assigned IC over densities (air electron density(ED) as 0.01g/cm3 default CT scanned ED and Esophageal lumen ED 0.21g/cm3) were tested at different sampling sphere radius (2.5, 2, 1.5 and 1 mm) statistics dose were compared with the measured does. Results: The results show that in the Monaco TPS for the IC using Esophageal lumen ED 0.21g/cm3 and sampling sphere radius 1.5mm the statistical value is the best accordance with the measured value, the absolute average percentage deviation is 0.49%. And when the IC using air electron density(ED) as 0.01g/cm3 and default CT scanned EDthe recommented statistical sampling sphere radius is 2.5mm, the percentage deviation are 0.61% and 0.70%, respectivly. Conclusion: In Monaco treatment planning system for the ionization chamber 31010 recommend air cavity using ED 0.21g/cm3 and sampling 1.5mm sphere volume instead of a point dose to decrease the stochastic errors. Funding Support No.C201505006.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

OVERFLOW Simulations of Space Shuttle Orbiter Reentry Based on As-Built Geometry

The Space Shuttle Orbiters Discovery and Endeavor have been digitally scanned to obtain outer mold line surfaces. Using these scans, the existing overset computational fluid dynamics (CFD) grid system will be modified by projecting the grid points to the scanned geometry. Simulations will be performed using the OVERFLOW solver and the results compared to previous OVERFLOW results on the theoretical geometry and the aerodynamic databook. The "bent airframe" term will be compared between the aerodynamic databook and the computations over a range of reentry conditions.

Ma, Edward C.↗

Self-assembly of a drop pattern from a two-dimensional grid of nanometric metallic filaments

We report experiments, modeling, and numerical simulations of the self–assembly of particle patterns obtained from a nanometric metallic square grid. Initially, nickel filaments of rectangular cross section are patterned on a SiO 2 flat surface, and then they are melted by laser irradiation with ~18-ns pulses. During this time, the liquefied metal dewets the substrate, leading to a linear array of drops along each side of the squares. The experimental data provide a series of SEM images of the resultant morphology as a function of the number of laser pulses or cumulative liquid lifetime. These data are analyzed in terms of fluid mechanical models that account for mass conservation and consider flow evolution with the aim to predict the final number of drops resulting from each side of the square. The aspect ratio, δ, between the square sides' lengths and their widths is an essential parameter of the problem. Our models allow us to predict the δ intervals within which a certain final number of drops are expected. The comparison with experimental data shows a good agreement with the model that explicitly considers the Stokes flow developed in the filaments neck region that lead to breakup points. Furthermore, numerical simulations that solve the Navier-Stokes equations along with slip boundary condition at the contact lines are implemented to describe the dynamics of the problem.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Toward prediction of turbulent atmospheric flows over propagating oceanic waves via machine-learning augmented large-eddy simulation

Wind-wave interactions have important effects on the energy harvesting of offshore wind farms. High-fidelity large-eddy simulation (LES) is a powerful approach for investigating wind-wave interactions in turbulent oceanic environments. Due to the large scale of the flow domain and the high grid resolution required to resolve multi-scale flow motions, however, brute-force LES of wind-wave interactions is computationally very expensive. We propose augmenting brute-force LES via machine-learning data-driven modeling (ML-LES) to dramatically reduce the computational time required to obtain converged turbulence statistics when the brute-force approach is employed. Namely, we employ a convolutional neural network (CNN) autoencoder trained and validated with LES data sets to develop a highly efficient ML-LES approach for computing turbulence statistics from just a few snapshots of instantaneous LES flow fields. Further, our results demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of ML-LES in predicting the mean velocity, velocity fluctuations, and turbulence kinetic energy in highly stretched computational grid systems required to carry out simulations in real-life oceanic environments.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A gridding approach to detect patterns of change in coastal wetlands from digital data

The conversion of land to water or water to land in the Grand Bayou wetlands area from 1972 to 1981 is evaluated on the basis of Landsat MSS band 2 and 4 images. A postclassification (land vs water) procedure is employed, and grids 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 pixels square are superimposed on the classified data in an effort to reduce the effects of poor georegistration of the images (simulated by shifting one set of grids two pixels vertically and horizontally). The results are presented in tables, maps, and sample images and characterized in detail. Grids 5 or 10 pixels square are found to give percentage land/water change values and locations similar to those obtained in pixel-by-pixel analysis of nearly perfectly matched images.

Pelletier, R. E.↗

A Petri Net model for distributed energy system

Electrical networks need to evolve to become more intelligent, more flexible and less costly. The smart grid is the next generation power energy, uses two-way flows of electricity and information to create a distributed automated energy delivery network. Building a comprehensive smart grid is a challenge for system protection, optimization and energy efficient. Proper modeling and analysis is needed to build an extensive distributed energy system and intelligent electricity infrastructure. In this paper, the whole model of smart grid have been proposed using Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets (GSPN). The simulation of created model is also explored. The simulation of the model has allowed the analysis of how close the behavior of the model is to the usage of the real smart grid.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Numerical simulation of three-dimensional transonic flows

The three-dimensional flow over a projectile has been computed using an implicit, approximately factored, partially flux-split algorithm. A simple composite grid scheme has been developed in which a single grid is partitioned into a series of smaller grids for applications which require an external large memory device such as the SSD of the CRAY X-MP/48 or multi-tasking. The accuracy and stability of the composite grid scheme have been tested by numerically simulating the flow over an ellipsoid at an angle of attack and comparing the solution with a single-grid solution. The flow field over a projectile at M = 0.96 and 1.1, and 4-deg angle of attack has been computed using a fine grid and compared with experiment.

Sahu, Jubaraj↗

SEAS Communication Engine: An Extensible, Flexible Wrapper for Co-Simulation Agents

When modeling and analyzing the power grid and other large scale systems, researchers often express scenarios as optimization problems and feed them into advanced software solvers. In order to allow multiple solvers to communicate with each other and share data from different domains, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and associated Department of Energy (DOE) labs have developed a software framework called the Hierarchical Engine for Large-scale Infrastructure Co-Simulation (HELICS). HELICS allows cosimulation via a collection of client libraries for different languages that can be called from the appropriate optimization software. However, these client libraries do not provide a higher level of abstraction beyond reading and writing data off of the shared HELICS bus. In this paper, we describe a new software library called the SEAS Communication Engine that exposes a higher-level API for running cosimulation problems. The SEAS Engine provides a class-based abstraction on top of the Python HELICS client, in order to allow users to implement their domain-specific cosimulations without needing to interact with core HELICS primitives. This will make adoption of HELICS and cosimulation in general easier, by exposing a simpler API. In the second part of the paper, we validate our library on a collection of different simulation examples, including the canonical IEEE 13 Bus Feeder. Lastly, we demonstrate using the SEAS Engine to directly call domain-specific code written in the Julia programming language. Our hope is that this will serve as a template for easily calling software in different programming languages via the SEAS Engine, thereby avoiding code duplication and complexity.

co-simulation↗

Trans-oceanic Remote Power Hardware-in-the-Loop: Multi-site Hardware, Integrated Controller, and Electric Network Co-simulation

Electric system operators are increasingly concerned with the potential system-wide impacts of the large-scale integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) including voltage control, protection coordination, and equipment wear. This prompts a need for new simulation techniques that can simultaneously capture all the components of these large integrated smart grid systems. This paper describes a novel platform that combines three emerging research areas: power systems co-simulation, power hardware in the loop (PHIL) simulation, and lab-lab links. The platform is distributed, real-time capable, allows for easy internet-based connection from geographically-dispersed participants, and is software platform agnostic. We demonstrate its utility by studying real-time PHIL co-simulation of coordinated solar PV firming control of two inverters connected in multiple electric distribution network models, prototypical of U.S. and Australian systems. Here, the novel trans-pacific closed-loop system simulation was conducted in real-time using a power network simulator and physical PV/battery inverter at power at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO, USA and a physical PV inverter at power at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's Energy Centre in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. This capability enables smart grid researchers throughout the world to leverage their unique simulation capabilities for multi-site collaborations that can effectively simulate and validate emerging smart grid technology solutions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

BSEC ecohydrological and water quality fluxes from RHESSys Simulations in USGS gauged watersheds

Baltimore Environmental Social Collaborative (BSEC) Water and Water Quality Simulations from RHESSys Model The repository contains RHESSys (Tague & Band, 2004; source code) simulated ecohydrological and nutrient (nitrogen only) fluxes at daily, basin-average (RHESSys_basin_output) and monthly, grid (RHESSys_patch_output) levels. We currently simulated the following 8 watersheds in Baltimore: Dead Run Baisman Run Scotts Level Branch Moores Run Powder Mill Run Maidens Choice Run Stony Run The watershed boundaries of all studied watersheds are stored in Watershed_Boundary folder. Variables and their units are listed in the metadata. Spatial projection, NAD83 / UTM zone 18N (EPSG:26918) is used for patch-level, netCDF-format files. For more information, please contact Ruoyu Zhang (rz3jr@virginia.edu).

Baltimore MD↗

High-fidelity simulation-driven model development for coarse-grained computational fluid dynamics

Nuclear reactor safety analysis requires analysis of a broad range of accident scenarios and determining their consequences. For a nuclear power plant behavior, it is impossible to obtain experimental data at sufficiently large scales to support calibration and validation of various system models. In single-phase flow convective problems, high-resolution methods of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) such as Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) can provide high fidelity results under conditions where physical measurements are unavailable. However, such high-resolution simulations are computationally expensive and not suitable for simulation of long transient scenarios in nuclear reactor accidents. In this work, we investigate the use of a high fidelity simulation-driven approach to model sub-grid scale (SGS) effect in Coarse Grained Computational Fluid Dynamics CG-CFD. Notably, fine-mesh simulations are used to construct physics-informed statistical surrogate of coarse-mesh SGS model. For an initial analysis, we consider a case of turbulent natural convection in a volumetrically heated fluid layer with a thermally insulated lower boundary and isothermal upper boundary. This scenario of unstable stratification is relevant to turbulent natural convection in a severe nuclear reactor accident, as well as in containment mixing and passive cooling. For this type of flow, the SGS effect is modeled by an added turbulent diffusivity in the energy equation. It is shown that a global correction for the energy equation is sufficient to achieve a significant improvement to the CG-CFD prediction of thermal mixing in the fluid layer. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Wall-Modeled Large-Eddy Simulations of Jet Noise in Flight Conditions

A campaign of wall-modeled large-eddy simulations (WMLES) using structured curvilinear overlapping grids has been performed with the Launch Ascent and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to predict jet noise for single-stream axisymmetric round jets. The simulations address the new Prediction Uncertainty Reduction (PUR) technical challenge within the context of NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology (CST) project. The focus of this effort is to generate a simulation database for single-stream axisymmetric round nozzles at several operating points both for static (no ambient co-flow), and in-flight (M ͚ =0.3 co-flow) conditions. The operating conditions range in jet exit Mach number from 0.38 to 1.1 with nozzle temperature ratios (NTR) from 0.84 to 2.7. The effect of the flight-stream on far-field noise sound spectra is assessed. Comparison of LES predictions to microphone array measurements demonstrate good agreement within the resolved frequency range. A dip in the predicted low frequency noise spectra for observers between 120° and 145° is observed. This dip is smaller for lower Mach numbers and seems to be correlated to the Mach wave radiation angle. The Mach 1.1 jet shows broadband-shock associated noise. While the onset of BBSN appears to be captured correctly in WMLES, some differences in its magnitude and the prominent frequency at which it occurs persist between the experiment and the simulations. The effect of the outer nozzle boundary layer state created by the co-flow is assessed and shows to be important for accurate comparisons with experiments. A change of 2.5dB between a slip-wall condition and a artificially thickened turbulent boundary layer was observed. In addition, simulations were performed with an alternative nozzle geometry that includes a internal plug and has twice the nozzle exit diameter. These two configurations resulted in very comparable spectra which is consistent with experimental observations. A generally stronger deviation from experimental results is observed for in-flight cases compared to static conditions. The applicability and correct usage of acoustic analogies used for far-field propagation with strong turbulent co-flows needs to be investigated more systematically using canonical problems to improve comparisons between experiments and WMLES. This is especially true for coherent noise sources seen in BBSN.

CST↗

Mesoscale Convective Systems During SCSMEX: Simulations with a Regional Climate Model and a Cloud-Resolving Model

The South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) was conducted in May-June 1998. One of its major objectives is to better understand the key physical processes for the onset and evolution of the summer monsoon over Southeast Asia and southern China. Multiple observation platforms (e.g., upper-air soundings, Doppler radar, ships, wind profilers, radiometers, etc.) during SCSMEX provided a first attempt at investigating the detailed characteristics of convection and circulation changes associated with monsoons over the South China Sea region. SCSMEX also provided precipitation derived from atmospheric budgets and comparison to those obtained from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). In this paper, a regional scale model (with grid size of 20 km) and Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model (with 1 km grid size) are used to perform multi-day integration to understand the precipitation processes associated with the summer monsoon over Southeast Asia and southern China. The regional climate model is used to understand the soil-precipitation interaction and feedback associated with a flood event that occurred in and around China's Yantz River during SCSMEX Sensitivity tests on various land surface models, sea surface temperature (SST) variations, and cloud processes are performed to understand the precipitation processes associated with the onset of the monsoon over the S. China Sea during SCSMEX. These tests have indicated that the land surface model has a major impact on the circulation over the S. China Sea. Cloud processes can effect the precipitation pattern while SST variation can effect the precipitation amounts over both land and ocean. The exact location (region) of the flooding can be effected by the soil-rainfall feedback. The GCE-model results captured many observed precipitation characteristics because it used a fine grid size. For example, the model simulated rainfall temporal variation compared quite well to the sounding-estimated rainfall. The results show there are more latent heat fluxes prior to the onset of the monsoon. However, more rainfall was simulated after the onset of the monsoon. This modeling study indicates the latent heat fluxes (or evaporation) have more of an impact on precipitation processes and rainfall in the regional climate model simulations than in the cloud-resolving model simulations. Research is underway to determine if the difference in the grid sizes or the moist processes used in these two models is responsible for the differing influence of surface fluxes an precipitation processes.

Tao, W.-K.↗

High-Lift Common Research Model: RANS, HRLES and WMLES Perspectives for CLmax Prediction Using LAVA

A unified assessment of three turbulence treatments: Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS), Hybrid RANS/LES (HRLES) and Equilibrium Wall-Modelled Large Eddy Simulation(WMLES) is presented for the High-Lift Common Research Model (CRM-HL). For the free-air configuration, steady-state RANS simulations show very accurate drag polar predictions in the low-𝛼linear regime. However, strong grid sensitivity is reported near the maximum lift-state(𝐶𝐿max), with finer-grids showing larger errors and predicting erroneous flow topologies on the wing. Our RANS simulations show that several corrections for the Spalart-Allmaras (SA)turbulence model widely used in the community lead to more erroneous results compared to the baseline closure, without exception. Both scale-resolving methods (HRLES and WMLES)address these drawbacks and predict an outboard separation pattern on the main element that is in good agreement with the oil flow photographs taken from the QinetiQ wind tunnel experiments, when LES-appropriate grids and numerical discretizations are used. While RANS simulations with the baseline SA closure do not show any wing-root separation post𝐶𝐿max, both HRLES and WMLES show onset of corner flow separation with varying degrees of progression, along with a weak pitch break in the wing-contribution of the overall pitching moment. This post-𝐶𝐿max pitch break seen in the free-air simulations is weaker than the break observed in experiments, with a weaker break reported in WMLES for each iteration of grid-refinement. In-tunnel simulations using both SA-baseline RANS and WMLES show a much stronger post-𝐶𝐿max break with the WMLES predictions showing excellent agreement with the experiment in terms of both the flow-topology observed and the pressure-coefficients at various spanwise stations. Sensitivity to the tunnel wall boundary layer is characterized via comparisons between viscous and inviscid treatments for the tunnel walls. WMLES predictions show moderate sensitivity at the predicted inboard flow-state at 𝐶𝐿max along with the progression towards a post-𝐶𝐿max stall; however, this stalled state at 𝛼≈20◦(inside the tunnel) obtained with both tunnel wall treatments appears to be largely identical.

TTT↗