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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Simulating hypervelocity impact effects on structures using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code MAGI

Analysis of interaction occurring between space debris and orbiting structures is of great interest to the planning and survivability of space assets. Computer simulation of the impact events using hydrodynamic codes can provide some understanding of the processes but the problems involved with this fundamental approach are formidable. First, any realistic simulation is necessarily three-dimensional, e.g., the impact and breakup of a satellite. Second, the thickness of important components such as satellite skins or bumper shields are small with respect to the dimension of the structure as a whole, presenting severe zoning problems for codes. Thirdly, the debris cloud produced by the primary impact will yield many secondary impacts which will contribute to the damage and possible breakup of the structure. The problem was approached by choosing a relatively new computational technique that has virtues peculiar to space impacts. The method is called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics.

Libersky, Larry↗
NASA NTRS1990

Newton modified barrier method in constrained optimization

In this paper, we develop and investigate the Newton method for solving constrained (non-smooth) optimization problems. This approach is based on the modified barrier functions (MBF) theory and on the global converging step-size version of the Newton method for smooth unconstrained optimization. Due to the excellent properties of the MBF near primal-dual solution, the Newton modified barrier method (NMBM) has a better rate of convergence, better complexity bound, and is much more stable in the final stage of the computational process than the methods which are based on the classical barrier functions (CBF).

Polyak, R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Spectral solution of the viscous blunt-body problem

The viscous blunt-body problem is solved with a shock-fitted Chebyshev spectral method. No explicit artificial viscosity or filtering is needed to obtain smooth, converged solutions. The method is applied to two problems. First, results for the flow over a right circular cylinder in the Mach number range of 5.5-6.0 are compared with experimental data. Second, a solution for a Mach 25 flow over a hyperbolic cone is compared with a viscous shock-layer calculation.

Kopriva, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Combined Uncertainty and A-Posteriori Error Bound Estimates for General CFD Calculations: Theory and Software Implementation

This workshop presentation discusses the design and implementation of numerical methods for the quantification of statistical uncertainty, including a-posteriori error bounds, for output quantities computed using CFD methods. Hydrodynamic realizations often contain numerical error arising from finite-dimensional approximation (e.g. numerical methods using grids, basis functions, particles) and statistical uncertainty arising from incomplete information and/or statistical characterization of model parameters and random fields. The first task at hand is to derive formal error bounds for statistics given realizations containing finite-dimensional numerical error [1]. The error in computed output statistics contains contributions from both realization error and the error resulting from the calculation of statistics integrals using a numerical method. A second task is to devise computable a-posteriori error bounds by numerically approximating all terms arising in the error bound estimates. For the same reason that CFD calculations including error bounds but omitting uncertainty modeling are only of limited value, CFD calculations including uncertainty modeling but omitting error bounds are only of limited value. To gain maximum value from CFD calculations, a general software package for uncertainty quantification with quantified error bounds has been developed at NASA. The package provides implementations for a suite of numerical methods used in uncertainty quantification: Dense tensorization basis methods [3] and a subscale recovery variant [1] for non-smooth data, Sparse tensorization methods[2] utilizing node-nested hierarchies, Sampling methods[4] for high-dimensional random variable spaces.

CFD↗
DOE OSTI2023

Insights into the failure mode of the Chelyabinsk meteor from high-fidelity simulation

In 2013, an asteroid with a diameter of approximate 20 m broke up in the atmosphere above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk producing what is known as an airburst event. The event was recorded on video from multiple angles and a 500-kg fragment was recovered from Lake Chebarkul shortly thereafter. These aspects, coupled with the asteroid’s large size, distinguish the Chelyabinsk event as unique. In this study, we use the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method to examine the breakup mode of a Chelyabinsk-sized monolithic asteroid and probe whether a monolithic structure is consistent with observations from the Chelyabinsk event. We model the object as a homogeneous sphere with properties consistent with Chelyabinsk meteorites. We use planar-2D simulations to test the sensitivity of results to variations in the material model and to qualitatively inspect the cause of crack nucleation and fragmentation. We then compare results from a 3D simulation to observations from the event. Our 3D simulation predicts a burst height within 3 km of the observed peak luminosity suggesting the responsible asteroid may have been monolithic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Simulations of Tidal Disruption Events

Numerical simulations have historically played a major role in understanding the hydrodynamics of the tidal disruption process. Given the complexity of the geometry of the system, the challenges posed by the problem have indeed stimulated much work on the numerical side. Smoothed Particles Hydrodynamics methods, for example, have seen their very first applications in the context of tidal disruption and still play a major role to this day. Likewise, initial attempts at simulating the evolution of the disrupted star with the so-called affine method have been historically very useful. Here, we provide an overview of the numerical techniques used in the field and of their limitations, and summarize the work that has been done to simulate numerically the tidal disruption process.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Mechanism of Nonequilibrium Formation of Novel Interface Structures in Explosive Welding

Novel structures are commonly observed in explosive welding products. This paper presents the nonequilibrium mechanism of the welding interface. A theoretical model was established first to deduce the motion equation of the rapid accelerated flyer plate. Numerical simulations of the welding interface were carried out with the smooth particle hydrodynamic method. Both the theoretical and numerical results were compared with experimental phenomena and showed that under the very rapid application of an impact load usually associated with high-strength plastic deformation, a significant strain rate, and temperature rise, the material volumes of the welding interface are in the viscoelastic state and prone to rotation, detrusion, and dilatation. In addition, the extreme values from the nonequilibrium development of the interface structure are a consequence of the competition between the loading and unloading stress waves during the explosive welding process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Growth of ultra-flat ultra-thin alkali antimonide photocathode films

Ultra-flat, ultra-thin alkali antimonide photocathodes with high crystallinity can exhibit high quantum efficiency and low mean transverse energy of outgoing electrons, which are essential requirements for a variety of applications for photocathode materials. Here, we investigate the growth of Cs 3 Sb on graphene-coated 4H–SiC (Gr/4H–SiC), 3C–SiC, and Si 3 N 4 substrates. Sb is deposited using pulsed laser deposition, while Cs is deposited thermally and simultaneously. We demonstrate, employing x-ray analysis and quantum efficiency measurements, that this growth method yields atomically smooth Cs 3 Sb photocathodes with a high quantum efficiency (>10%), even in the ultra-thin limit (<30 nm). For the Si 3 N 4 substrate, film growth is shown to be polycrystalline, while films grown on Gr/4H–SiC show a high degree of ordering with signs of epitaxy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Off-Shell Persistence of Composite Pions and Kaons

In order for a Sullivan-like process to provide reliable access to a meson target as t becomes spacelike, the pole associated with that meson should remain the dominant feature of the quarkantiquark scattering matrix and the wave function describing the related correlation must evolve slowly and smoothly. Using continuum methods for the strong-interaction bound-state problem, we explore and delineate the circumstances under which these conditions are satisfied: for the pion, this requires -t ≲ 0.6 GeV 2 , whereas -t ≲ 0.9 GeV 2 will suffice for the kaon. Furthermore, these results should prove useful in evaluating the potential of numerous experiments at existing and proposed facilities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Recent Hydrodynamic Modeling Enhancements in OpenFAST

To improve the hydrodynamic modeling capabilities of the offshore wind design and modeling tool OpenFAST, a restructuring of the HydroDyn hydrodynamics module was undertaken with several new features implemented. The generation of the wave field is now separated from HydroDyn into a new module called SeaState. Unlike previous versions of HydroDyn, which precomputed the wave kinematics at the undisplaced positions of the hydrodynamic nodes, the new SeaState module computes the complete time history of the wave field at the vertices of a user-defined wave grid. During the simulation, the wave kinematics at any point within the grid can be efficiently interpolated, allowing the strip-theory wave loads to be evaluated based on the wave kinematics at the displaced structure position. A phase correction was also implemented for the potential-flow wave-exciting loads to account for large structure displacements. Several wave-stretching methods were implemented for the strip-theory solution along with a wave-load redistribution method that ensures smooth variation of the nodal loads as the nodes of a discrete hydrodynamic mesh enter and exit the water. The load smoothing is included to avoid the excitation of unphysical high-frequency structural vibration during hydroelastic simulations. The MacCamy-Fuchs diffraction correction for the strip-theory solution and the capability to insert a constrained NewWave into extreme stochastic sea states with directional spreading were also added. The present article documents the formulations of the new improvements to HydroDyn with example applications and numerical results.

constrained wave↗
DOE OSTI2018

Scaling Invariance and Characteristics of the Cloud of Spherical Projectile Fragmentation Products upon High-Velocity Impact on a Thin Mesh Shield

In this paper, we consider the problem of the fragmentation of an aluminum projectile on a thin steel mesh shield at high-velocity impact in a three-dimensional (3D) setting. The numerical simulations are carried out by the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method applied to the equations of mechanics of deformable solids. Quantitative characteristics of the projectile fragmentation are obtained by studying statistics of the cloud of fragments. Considerable attention is given to scaling laws accompanying the fragmentation of the projectile. Scaling is carried out using the parameter K, which defines the number of the mesh cells in the projectile diameter. It is found that the dependence of the critical velocity V{sub c} of fragmentation on the parameter K consists of two branches that correspond to two modes of the projectile fragmentation associated with the “small” and “large” aperture of the mesh cell. We obtain the dependences of the critical velocity V{sub c} on the projectile diameter and the mesh parameters for both modes of the fragmentation. It is shown that the average cumulative mass distributions constructed at V{sub c} exhibit the property of scale invariance, splitting into two groups of distributions corresponding exactly to the modes of the projectile fragmentation. In each group, the average cumulative distributions show good coincidence in the entire mass region; moreover, in the intermediate mass region, each group of distributions has a power-law distribution with an exponent τ different from that in the other group. Conclusions about the dependence of the exponent of the power-law distribution τ on the fragmentation mode are made.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Investigation of Gravity-Driven Infiltration Instabilities in Smooth and Rough Fractures Using a Pairwise-Force Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Model

In this work, we use a three-dimensional multiphase pairwise-force smoothed particle hydrodynamics (PF-SPH) method to simulate infiltration dynamics in smooth and rough fractures. We investigate the influence of roughness and injection rate on the fluid flow profile and flow velocity. Three types of fractures are considered with different degrees of roughness, including a smooth fracture. Both the rough and smooth fractures exhibit flow instability, fingering, and intermittent flow regimes for low infiltration rates. A stable fluid profile only is achieved for high fluxes when fractures are fully saturated. In all considered fractures, the mean flow velocity exponentially increases with increasing infiltration rate. To characterize the flow instability, we calculate standard deviations of the velocity in different sections of the fracture relative to the mean flow velocity. For the considered infiltration rates, we find that roughness decreases the flow velocity and increases the velocity standard deviations. Hence, we observe that the likelihood of discontinuities in flow regimes increases with the degree of roughness.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Anti-Icing Coatings using Ionomer Film Layer Structuring

This research effort examined the application of Nafion polymers in alcohol solvents as an anti-ice surface coating, as a mixture with hydrophilic polymers and freezing point depressant salt systems. Co-soluble systems of Nafion, polymer and salt were applied using dip coating methods to create smooth films for frost observation over a Peltier plate thermal system in ambient laboratory conditions. Cryo-DSC was applied to examine freezing events of the Nafion-surfactant mixtures, but the sensitivity of the measurement was insufficient to determine frost behavior. Collaborations with the Fog Chamber at Sandia-Albuquerque, and in environmental SAXS measurements with CINT-LANL were requested but were not able to be performed under the research duration. Since experimental characterization of these factors is difficult to achieve directly, computational modeling was used to guide the scientific basis for property improvement. Computational modeling was performed to improve understanding of the dynamic association between ionomer side groups and added molecules and deicing salts. The polyacrylic acid in water system was identified at the start of the project as a relevant system for exploring the effect of varying counterions on the properties of fully deprotonated polyacrylic acid (PAA) in the presence of water. Simulations were modeled with four different counterions, two monovalent counterions (K+ and Na+) and two divalent counterions (Ca2+ and Mg2+). The wt% of PAA in these systems was varied from ~10 to 80 wt% PAA for temperatures from 250K to 400K. In the second set of simulations, the interpenetration of water into a dry PAA film was studied for Na+ or Ca2+ counterions for temperatures between 300K and 400K. The result of this project is a sprayable Nafion film composite which resists ice nucleation at -20 °C for periods of greater than three hours. It is composed of Nafion polymer, hydrophilic polyethylene oxide polymer and CaCl2 anti-ice crosslinker. Durability and field performance properties remain to be determined.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Exchange of Mass and Angular Momentum in the Impact Event of Ice Giant Planets: Implications for the Origin of Uranus

Uranus has a tilted rotation axis, which is supposed to have been caused by a giant impact. In general, an impact event also changes the internal compositional distribution and drives mass ejection from the planet, which may provide the origin of satellites. Previous studies of the impact simulation of Uranus investigated the resultant angular momentum and the ejected mass distribution. However, the effect of changing the initial condition of the thermal and compositional structure is not studied. In this paper, we perform hydrodynamics simulations for the impact events of Uranus-size ice giants composed of a water core surrounded by a hydrogen envelope using two variant methods of the smoothed particle hydrodynamics. We find that the higher-entropy target loses its envelope more efficiently than the low-entropy target. However, the higher-entropy target gains more angular momentum than the lower-entropy target since the higher-entropy target has a more expanded envelope. We discuss the efficiency of angular momentum transport and the amount of the ejected mass and find a simple analytical model to roughly reproduce the outcomes of numerical simulations. We suggest the range of possible initial conditions for the giant impact on proto-Uranus that reproduces the present rotation tilt of Uranus and sufficiently provides the total angular momentum of the satellite system that can be created from the fragments from the giant impact.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1975

The use of local basis functions in unsteady aerodynamics

This paper reports a successful demonstration of using local basis functions to solve Kussner's integral equation for unsteady airloads. Pressure basis functions are defined over relatively small subsets of the aerodynamic surface and are zero elsewhere. This formulation combines the accuracy and smoothness of distribution methods with the simplicity and versatility of panel methods. Application is made to subsonic compressible flow about oscillating planar surfaces with controls. Numerical results are presented. Convergence with respect to panel size, extensions to more general classes of solutions, and areas needing additional investigation are discussed.

Fromme, J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Accelerated finite-volume calculation of transonic potential flows

A fully conservative finite-volume algorithm is used to calculate transonic potential flows past isolated airfoils and through two-dimensional channels. The difference equations are solved by a multigrid technique which uses an alternating direction implicit method as a smoothing algorithm. The finite-volume formulation provides a framework within which to treat flows past complicated geometries, while the multigrid/alternating direction scheme provides rapid convergence of the solution to very small residuals.

Jameson, A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The passage of a star by a massive black hole

The gridless, smoothed particle hydrodynamic method of Lucy (1977) and Gingold and Monaghan (1977, 1980, a, b, 1981) is used to solve the three-dimensional problem posed by the effects on a 1.0 solar mass star of a 10,000 solar mass black hole's passage, in an initially parabolic orbit with a variety of pericenter distances. It is found that the tidal forces induce rotation and radial and nonradial pulsations in the star, and that the loss of orbital energy to these internal motions leads to the star's capture by the black hole. While the outer layers of the star are disrupted at small pericenter distances, the entire star is destroyed at even smaller distances. These results are applicable to X-ray sources, active galactic nuclei, and quasars

Nolthenius, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Variational global analysis of satellite temperature soundings

A variational spherical harmonic analysis is developed for the production of global geopotential height and geostropic wind fields from the TIROS-N spacecraft's temperature sounding profiles. This scheme is based on Tykhonov's (1964) regularization method, and the smoothing parameter is determined by cross validation. The scheme is noted to be stable and computationally efficient, and it does not depend on a priori information. Its applications to three-dimensional temperature retrievals and to four-dimensional spectral analyses are illustrated.

Halem, M.↗