Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Simulation techniques”

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 1,513 records · Page 84
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of Novel Spacecraft Materials aboard the Materials International Space Station Experiment-Flight Facility (Preliminary Results)

This work will encompass the preflight characterization of 15 novel and heritage materials currently under observation on the Materials International Space Station Experiment-Flight Facility (MISSE-FF). MISSE-FF has been upgraded to perform active reflectance measurements of the materials. Images taken in RGB/IR colors are compared to results from an extensive ground testing campaign to obtain quantitative on-orbit material evolution data. Identical materials samples are to be flown on the ram, wake, and zenith faces of MISSE-FF, enabling deconvolution of the energetic electron, proton, atomic oxygen, and ultraviolet damage pathways. Energy deposition from the space environment leads to chemical changes in the material that in turn alter the optical properties. The same chemical damage that manifests as changes in optical reflectance and absorptance also leads to changes in myriad physical properties such as mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and chemical reactivity. Therefore, flight materials are able to be characterized based on their unique reflectance spectra by comparing on-orbit measurements of optical reflectance with extensive terrestrial experiments, which help to correlate changes in reflectance with respect to changes in other material properties. The MISSE program has been a part of the International Space Station National Laboratory for many years and has been instrumental in understanding space weather modification of material properties. However, MISSE-FF has been limited to passive experiments with only pre/post flight material studies possible. In advance of the MISSE-16 experiment, the flight facility has received a major upgrade to provide daily spectral observations by way of a RGB/IR camera and a tunable light source. The MISSE-16 mission launched in February 2022 and carries 15 material samples for 6 months of the low Earth orbital exposure. Identical materials samples are to be flown on the ram, wake, and zenith faces of MISSE-FF, enabling deconvolution of the energetic electron, proton, atomic oxygen, and ultraviolet damage pathways. This paper discusses the MISSE-16 experiment, highlights the first use of the facility upgrades, and presents results from the extensive preflight material characterization that includes directional hemispherical reflectance, bidirectional reflectance, AFM, SEM, and electrical conductivity. Additionally, data showing the modification of these properties by ground-based exposure to space-like electron and atomic oxygen flux will be discussed. Finally, updates on deployment and initial check-out of the experiment on MISSE-FF will be presented. It is the ultimate goal of this program to provide validation for the development of ground based space weather simulation facilities and techniques.

Ryan Hoffman↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nanoflare heating in coronal X-ray Bright Points

Understanding the heating of the non-flaring solar corona is an active topic of research in heliophysics. It is well accepted that magnetic fields are mainly responsible for coronal heating. The photospheric driver randomly moves the foot-points of the magnetic field lines, and either generates waves or the quasi-static buildup of magnetic energy, depending on the timescale of motion. Heating by the dissipation of the magnetic energy is termed as DC heating while the dissipation of wave is known as AC heating mechanism. Both the AC and DC heating mechanisms can lead to impulsive heating events, termed nanoflares. The magnitude and frequency of these nanoflares determine whether they can adequately satisfy the coronal heating budget. Thus it is of great importance to study the nanoflares properties to validate their role in coronal heating. Individual nanoflares are difficult to detect with the present generation instruments, however their presence can be inferred through indirect observational techniques combined with simulated nanoflare-heated plasma emissions. We combined the observed emission properties of coronal X-ray bright points (XBP) in EUV and X-ray wavelengths with the simulated nanoflare heated plasma to understand nanoflare properties and their contribution in coronal heating. Our results indicate that the heating of coronal XBPs could be explained by frequent nanoflares. Further we demonstrate that the sensitive spectroscopic observations in X-ray wavelength are crucial to diagnose the nanoflare properties.

Biswajit Mondal↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Summary of the 6th AIAA Propulsion Aerodynamics Workshop Nozzle Test Case: Heated Supersonic Axisymmetric Jets

This paper summarizes findings from the sixth AIAA Propulsion Aerodynamics Workshop (PAW) nozzle test case. The focus of the workshop participants was turbulent supersonic round jets with variation in jet Mach number and jet heating. Three nozzles were utilized with on-design jet Mach numbers of 1.36, 1.63, and 2.00. A heated jet for each of these three nozzles at on-design conditions, a temperature matched on-design condition at Mach 1.63, and an off-design heated condition for the Mach 1.63 nozzle were the five cases examined. Workshop participants utilized Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) based techniques. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions were compared with non-intrusive measurements of velocities and temperatures, including both mean values and turbulence statistics. In general, the RANS approaches were unable to capture the trend of reduced mixing as the jet Mach number increased. Incorporation of compressibility corrections improved the agreement with experimental measurements in terms of trends with varying jet Mach number, but also increased the jet potential core lengths to be in worse agreement with data. RANS methods were able to reasonably capture trends of jet heating. The LES-based approaches as a whole were able to capture the effects of compressibility more accurately. Effects of jet heating were captured well by LES. None of the LES approaches introduced disturbances from the wall boundary layers of the nozzle into the jet mixing layer, which would affect the jet flow physics modeling in the initial part of the jet shear layer, but would be very computationally demanding.

supersonic jet↗
NASA NTRS2023

A Data-driven, Physics-based Transport Model of Solar Energetic Particles Accelerated by Coronal Mass Ejection Shocks Propagating through the Solar Coronal and Heliospheric Magnetic Fields

In an effort to develop computational tools for predicting radiation hazards from solar energetic particles (SEPs), we have created a data-driven physics-based particle transport model to calculate the injection, acceleration, and propagation of SEPs from coronal mass ejection (CME) shocks traversing through the solar corona and interplanetary magnetic fields. The model runs on an input of corona and heliospheric plasma and magnetic field configuration from a magnetohydrodynamic model driven by solar photospheric magnetic field measurements superposed with observed CME shocks determined from coronagraph images. SEP source particles are injected at the shock using the result of diffusive shock acceleration formulation from a characteristic obliquity-dependent injection from a heated solar wind thermal tail population. With several advanced computation techniques involving stochastic simulation and integration, the model obtains the particle intensity at any location in interplanetary space through the rigorous solution to the time-dependent 5D focus transport equation in the phase space that includes perpendicular diffusion. We apply the model to the 2011 November 3 CME event. The calculation results reproduce multispacecraft SEP observations at Earth and STEREO-B reasonably well without normalization of particle flux. The observations at STEREO-A can be reproduced by rescaling particle energy or modified energy dependence of particle diffusion coefficients. This circumsolar SEP event seen by spacecraft at Earth, STEREO-A, and STEREO-B at widely separated longitudes can be explained by diffusive shock acceleration by a single CME shock with a moderate speed.

Solar energetic particles↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Energetic Particles in Geospace: Origin, Dynamics, and Modeling

This presentation explores the origins and dynamics of energetic particles—specifically solar energetic particles (SEPs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) - within the heliosphere and Earth's magnetosphere. We will discuss the fundamental physical processes governing their transport and acceleration in the heliosphere, including interactions with the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field. The penetration of these particles into Earth's magnetosphere is examined, emphasizing how the geomagnetic field influences their propagation across the magnetosphere. Key phenomena such as the temporal trapping of SEPs in geospace, reductions in rigidity cutoff during geomagnetic storms, and the enhancement of atmospheric NOx and HOx concentrations - which affect the ozone balance through catalytic reactions—are discussed. The presentation also outlines contemporary numerical modeling techniques used to simulate SEPs and GCRs, providing insights into their complex behaviors under varying geomagnetic conditions.

solar energetic particles↗
DOE OSTI2018

Coherent Transition Radiation Generated from Transverse Electron Density Modulation

Coherent Transition radiation (CTR) of a given frequency is commonly generated with longitudinal electron bunch trains. In this paper, we present a study of CTR properties produced from simultaneous electron transverse and longitudinal density modulation. We demonstrate via numerical simulations a simple technique to generate THz-scale frequencies from mm-scale transversely separated electron beamlets formed into a ps-scale bunch train. The results and a potential experimental setup are discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A phase transition model and temporal logic specifications for smart energy systems - revisited

In this paper, we revisit the method of a phase transition model for representing hybrid systems and temporal logic specifications (TLSs) for specifying desired behaviors of systems, and discuss their usefulness for smart energy systems. On the one hand, the phase transition model incorporates the continuous model of the relay device action with a particular structural form that allows for the construction of a single, global differential-algebraic equation for hybrid systems (thus smoothed hybrid systems). On the other hand, the TLS allows sophisticated descriptions of control specifications addressing both magnitude and time simultaneously, which has recently been applied to the control strategy of several types of continuous and hybrid systems. We provide high-level descriptions of each of the two techniques and present simulation results in the context of smart energy systems.

Park, Byungkwon↗
DOE OSTI2025

Automating Sensor Characterization with Bayesian Optimization

The development of novel instrumentation requires an iterative cycle with three stages: design, prototyping, and testing. Recent advancements in simulation and nanofabrication techniques have significantly accelerated the design and prototyping phases. Nonetheless, detector characterization continues to be a major bottleneck in device development. During the testing phase, a significant time investment is required to characterize the device in different operating conditions and find optimal operating parameters. The total effort spent on characterization and parameter optimization can occupy a year or more of an expert's time. In this work, we present a novel technique for automated sensor calibration that aims to accelerate the testing stage of the development cycle. This technique leverages closed-loop Bayesian optimization (BO), using real-time measurements to guide parameter selection and identify optimal operating states. We demonstrate the method with a novel low-noise CCD, showing that the machine learning-driven tool can efficiently characterize and optimize operation of the sensor in a couple of days without supervision of a device expert.

Cuevas-Zepeda, Julian [Chicago U., KICP; Chicago U↗
DOE OSTI2020

Numerical simulation of mold filling water blown polyurethane foams: Effects of sequential pour

Batch molding of polyurethane foams is a widely used processing technique to produce crosslinked cellular structures which form to the shape of the mold. For water-blown polyurethane foams, water is reacted to form gaseous carbon dioxide resulting in a foam which expands to fill the mold completely. Batch molding typically requires an operator to coat the surface of a mold, introducing a significant lag time during the filling stage where significant asymmetric volume change can occur. The purpose of this work is to show, through simulations, that this lag time is significant when predicting flow profiles and part quality. When the mold geometry is complex enough to force bifurcation of the flow, simulations incorporating various filling lag times predicted significantly different locations of knit or weld lines where the flow fronts meet. Current simulation techniques, which assume the filling stage occurs instantaneously, are unable to predict variations in weld line locations. The introduction of a lag time, referred to herein as sequential pour, was achieved through user-defined modules incorporated into Ansys Fluent software.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1994

Simultaneous retrieval of the solar EUV flux and neutral thermospheric O, O2, N2, and temperature from twilight airglow

We present a method to retrieve neutral thermospheric composition and the solar EUV flux from ground-based twilight optical measurements of the O(+) ((exp 2)P) 7320 A and O((exp 1)D) 6300 A airglow emissions. The parameters retrieved are the neutral temperature, the O, O2, N2 density profiles, and a scaling factor for the solar EUV flux spectrum. The temperature, solar EUV flux scaling factor, and atomic oxygen density are first retrieved from the 7320-A emission, which are then used with the 6300-A emission to retrieve the O2 and N2 densities. The retrieval techniques have been verified by computer simulations. We have shown that the retrieval technique is able to statistically retrieve values, between 200 and 400 km, within an average error of 3.1 + or - 0.6% for thermospheric temperature, 3.3 + or - 2.0% for atomic oxygen, 2.3 + or - 1.3% for molecular oxygen, and 2.4 + or - 1.3% for molecular nitrogen. The solar EUV flux scaling factor was found to have a retrieval error of 5.1 + or - 2.3%. All the above errors have a confidence level of 95%. The purpose of this paper is to prove the viability and usefulness of the retrieval technique by demonstrating the ability to retrieve known quantities under a realistic simulation of the measurement process, excluding systematic effects.

Fennelly, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Kinetic Simulation and Energetic Neutral Atom Imaging of the Magnetosphere

Advanced simulation tools and measurement techniques have been developed to study the dynamic magnetosphere and its response to drivers in the solar wind. The Comprehensive Ring Current Model (CRCM) is a kinetic code that solves the 3D distribution in space, energy and pitch-angle information of energetic ions and electrons. Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) imagers have been carried in past and current satellite missions. Global morphology of energetic ions were revealed by the observed ENA images. We have combined simulation and ENA analysis techniques to study the development of ring current ions during magnetic storms and substorms. We identify the timing and location of particle injection and loss. We examine the evolution of ion energy and pitch-angle distribution during different phases of a storm. In this talk we will discuss the findings from our ring current studies and how our simulation and ENA analysis tools can be applied to the upcoming TRIO-CINAMA mission.

Fok, Mei-Ching H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Computer simulations of postural change, water immersion and bedrest - An integrative approach for understanding the spaceflight response

Mathematical modeling techniques were used to simulate the fluid electrolyte (F-E) responses during gravity unloading. It is shown that the response to weightlessness can best be understood by separately examining the acute (hours to days) and chronic (days to weeks) phases, and assuming the presence of normal, although complex, feedback regulatory processes. Headward shifts of fluid are shown to be primarily responsible for acute body losses of extracellular F-E. Losses of body water are closely related to the volume of fluid shifts from the legs. A diuresis is predicted within the first several hours of hypogravity, and this may be obscured by a reduced F-E intake; on Skylab, early F-E losses occurred primarily by deficit intake.

Leonard, J. I.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ferrimagnetic spin waves in honeycomb and triangular layers of Mn{sub 3}Si{sub 2}Te{sub 6}.

A detailed analysis of the ferrimagnetic ground state of Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 has been performed using inelastic neutron scattering. Although the proposed valence of the nominal Mn 2+ ions would have quenched orbital angular momentum, a significant exchange anisotropy exists in Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 . This apparent exchange anisotropy is a manifestation of a weak spin-orbit coupling in the layered material. We employ a detailed simulation of the spin-wave spectrum coupling traditional refinement of dispersion parameters to image analysis techniques, while including Monte Carlo simulations of the instrumental resolution to accurately identify the exchange couplings to the third nearest neighbor. An independent validation of our results is made by comparing our final Hamiltonian to heat capacity measurements.

Sala, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Laboratory simulation of graphite formation in stellar envelopes

A technique has been developed which permits laboratory simulation of graphite condensation in the envelopes of cool, late sequence stars. Processes in the stellar envelope were simulated by allowing hydrogen-carbon mixtures of typical circumstellar composition and temperature to expand freely into vacuum, cooling and supersaturating the vapor. Expansion products were determined mass spectrometrically through the use of molecular beam techniques. The results of laboratory expansions were scaled to those occurring near M and N stars by comparing the number of collisional events in each case. Kinetic considerations indicate that the important rate process in rarefied envelopes will be C2 formation; consequently scaling by termolecular collisions was employed. Results of this study imply that envelope expansions near M giants contribute at most .01 of the observed interstellar grain density. In the case of pulsating N stars, on the other hand, the results are not inconsistent with previous predictions of essentially complete carbon condensation.

Dorfeld, W. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A system identification technique based on the random decrement signatures. Part 1: Theory and simulation

Identification of the system parameters of a randomly excited structure may be treated using a variety of statistical techniques. Of all these techniques, the Random Decrement is unique in that it provides the homogeneous component of the system response. Using this quality, a system identification technique was developed based on a least-squares fit of the signatures to estimate the mass, damping, and stiffness matrices of a linear randomly excited system. The mathematics of the technique is presented in addition to the results of computer simulations conducted to demonstrate the prediction of the response of the system and the random forcing function initially introduced to excite the system.

Bedewi, Nabih E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A pointing system design concept for Space Station attached payloads

A study has been conducted to recommend a pointing system design and architecture that can accommodate the articulated pointing requirements levied on the Space Station Freedom Attached Payload Pointing System. A conceptual design of a control system is developed using classical rate and position control techniques. A high fidelity simulation testbed has been developed as the principal tool for the pointing performance evaluation. Techniques of model reduction are applied to reduce the model order to a manageable size for incorporation into the testbed. The disturbance rich space station environment has been modeled, and nonlinearities such as bearing friction, motor and sensor noise are also considered. Simulations were performed with representatie payloads at nominal pointing orientations. The results show that the tight instrument pointing requirements and the severe Space Station disturbance environment render a marginal performance for a conventional (direct drive and hardmount) gimbal pointing system, particularly for lightweight payloads. A gimbal system that incorporates a passive base isolator and reactionless actuation appears to provide a significant imporvement in pointing performance over the conventional pointing systems.

Wong, Edward↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multi-Entity Simulation with CoSim Toolbox

Co-simulation is an analysis technique for linking multiple software models during runtime by facilitating data exchange and simulation time synchronization. There are numerous challenges when constructing an effective co-simulation including simulation tool installation, data management, and writing new models in a manner compatible with the co-simulation framework of choice. CoSim Toolbox is an integration of multiple pieces of software designed to make assembling such a co-simulation in HELICS easier. This report summarizes the existing capabilities of CoSim Toolbox and outlines future development plans.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1980

Model development for automatic guidance of a VTOL aircraft to a small aviation ship

This paper describes a detailed mathematical model which has been assembled to study automatic approach and landing guidance concepts to bring a VTOL aircraft onto a small aviation ship. The model is used to formulate system simulations which in turn are used to evaluate different guidance concepts. Ship motion (Sea State 5), wind-over-deck turbulence, MLS-based navigation, implicit model following flight control, lift fan V/STOL aircraft, ship and aircraft instrumentation errors, various steering laws, and appropriate environmental and human factor constraints are included in the model. Results are given to demonstrate use of the model and simulation to evaluate performance of the flight system and to choose appropriate guidance techniques for further cockpit simulator study.

Goka, T.↗