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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 163 records · Page 9

Julia Programming Language Benchmark Using a Flight Simulation

Julia’s goal to provide scripting language ease-of-coding with compiled language speed is explored. The runtime speed of the relatively new Julia programming language is assessed against other commonly used languages including Python, Java, and C++. An industry-standard missile and rocket simulation, coded in multiple languages, was used as a test bench for runtime speed. All language versions of the simulation, including Julia, were coded to a highly-developed object-oriented simulation architecture tailored specifically for time-domain flight simulation. A “speed-of-coding” second-dimension is plotted against runtime for each language to portray a space that characterizes Julia’s scripting language efficiencies in the context of the other languages. With caveats, Julia runtime speed was found to be in the class of compiled or semi-compiled languages. However, some factors that affect runtime speed at the cost of ease-of-coding are shown. Julia’s built-in functionality for multi-core processing is briefly examined as a means for obtaining even faster runtime speed. The major contribution of this research to the extensive language benchmarking body-of-work is comparing Julia to other mainstream languages using a complex flight simulation as opposed to benchmarking with single algorithms.

Sells, Ray↗

Improved Benchmarking of Cohesive Elements in Abaqus Standard for Predicting Disbond and Delamination in Composite Structures

Traditional approaches for aircraft certification require the assumption of an initial flaw condition, either represented as barely visible impact damage (BVID) or through inclusion of a Teflon insert to serve as surrogate damage. Based on the initial composite damage state, the structure must be shown to demonstrate structural durability and damage tolerance (DaDT) according to the following criteria: a. Damage displays no detrimental growth under cyclic loading b. The structure is able to sustain design limit load (DLL) Currently, the only available manner for validating structural performance is through test. Since damage can occur over a wide variety of areas within a structure, this approach has proven to be increasingly expensive and time consuming for composite airframes and acreage structure within the design-test-certification building block. A further complicating factor is the requirement to accurately capture the most critical damage morphologies as a starting condition. To understand the severity of the damage, it is either required to experimentally determine the most critical areas at tremendous expense or rely on legacy data of similar structural testing, which limits design space expansion. A preferred solution is to use advanced analysis to provide improved understanding of load margins for critical locations based on a wide variety of potential starting damage conditions. The standard industry approach for DaDT certification adheres to the use of the traditional virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) method. VCCT is generally a preferred method because it conforms to the current certification principles of damage from a known flaw, and when used correctly, can be effective at predicting delamination propagation under static and cyclic loading. The VCCT method requires the inclusion of an initial flaw in the finite element (FE) model requiring a-priori knowledge of the flaw location. This in turn requires a plethora of analysis cases to be examined to cover a reasonable span of potential damage states. Additionally, the VCCT approach requires node-to-node connectivity rendering it incompatible with the best practices and approaches for using continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based progressive damage and failure analysis (PDFA) tools within a typical FE solver. Alternatives to VCCT have emerged in the form of cohesive elements which utilize the cohesive zone model (CZM). Unlike VCCT which models linear elastic fracture mechanics, cohesive elements couples continuum and fracture based responses through the use of bilinear traction separation laws. These laws are defined based on a penalty stiffness, a cohesive strength, and a strain energy release rate. The approach can be mesh regularized with native cohesive elements within many FE solvers such as Abaqus and LS-DYNA. In Phase I of the NASA Advanced Composites Consortium (ACC) post-buckled stiffened panel with BVID, Strength and Life [1], the performance of cohesive elements were benchmarked in comparison to VCCT and LEFM solutions and showed good agreement using Abaqus explicit [2]. To realize savings on current and future programs, it is still necessary to close technical gaps related to the use of cohesive elements with Abaqus Standard. Within a program environment, standard finite element analysis is the preferred analytical capability for quasi-static loading as it eliminates uncertainty due to oscillatory behavior commonly seen with explicit analysis. This oscillatory behavior creates difficulties in writing margins of safety based on the analysis. The use of negative tangent stiffness material models complicates convergence which typically requires the use of numerical controls such as viscous damping to overcome. To date, there has not been a comprehensive study on how to establish best practices for cohesive element convergence for predictive capability within the Abaqus implicit solver. In pursuit of these goals, under the NASA ACC program, several numerical benchmark problems were proposed including pure mode I (double cantilevered beam – DCB), pure mode II (end notch flexure – ENF), and symmetric/unsymmetric evolving mixed mode (single leg bend – SLB). This paper focuses on the use of cohesive elements to model the delamination through the use of CZM. Specifically, finite element models for the DCB, ENF, symmetric SLB, and unsymmetric SLB, are developed and various solution controls for convergence are studied to develop a best practice. Once the best practice has been developed, the predictive capability of the objective CZM model is used to analyze the hat pull-off strength of a standard hat stiffened configuration under various loading conditions.

Abaqus↗

The DejaVu Runtime Verification Benchmark

In this paper we present a benchmark for evaluating runtime verification tools. It was originally created in order to compare the DEJAVU runtime verification tool1 with another similar tool. DEJAVU’s logic is first-order past time temporal logic. In order to monitor such properties efficiently, Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) [1] are used for representing the data observed in a trace. The details on the logic and its algorithm are described in e.g. [2, 3, 4]. The benchmark consists of six properties, formulated in English, and formalized in DEJAVU’s logic. For each property is provided (normally) three traces, of sizes varying from 10,000 events to one million events. Traces are represented in CSV format.

Ulus, Dogan↗

Benchmarking Surface Tension Measurement Method using two Oscillation Modes in Levitated Liquid Metals

The Faraday forcing method in levitated liquid droplets has recently been introduced as a method for measuring surface tension using resonance. By subjecting an electrostatically-levitated liquid metal droplet to a continuous, oscillatory, electric field, at a frequency nearing that of the droplet’s first principal mode of oscillation (known as mode 2), the method was previously shown to determine surface tension of materials that would be particularly difficult to process by other means, e.g. liquid metals and alloys. It also offers distinct advantages in future work involving high viscosity samples because of the continuous forcing approach. This work presents 1) a benchmarking experimental method to measure surface tension by excitation of the second principal mode of oscillation (known as mode 3) in a levitated liquid droplet and 2) a more rigorous quantification of droplet excitation using a projection method. Surface tension measurements compare favorably to literature values for Zirconium, Inconel 625, and Rhodium, using both modes 2 and 3. Thus, this new method serves as a credible, self-consistent benchmarking technique for the measurement of surface tension

Levitation↗

Updated Numerical Analysis Benchmarks for Meteoroid Relevant Materials

Proposal for update of numerical analysis benchmark for meteoroid relevant materials. - Two recently performed shots are proposed to be numerical analysis benchmarks for numerical simulations of impacts of high-density meteoroids (Al 2 O 3 surrogate) and low-density meteoroids (Nylon surrogate). - A pair of general Whipple shields have been studied: - Bumper and rear walls are the same material and thickness between shields - Separation is 4.5 cm for Al 2 O 3 and 1.5 cm for Nylon - Information gathered includes high speed (1 MHz) shadowgraphs of debris cloud, bumper hole size and rear wall hole area.

Orbital Debris↗

Can We Model Forest Demography Globally? Benchmarking of State-of-the-Art Demographic DGVMs

Forests in Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) have historically been simulated as area-averaged plant functional types in each gridcell instead of representing communities of trees of different sizes and ages (demography). Just as the behaviour of a tree differs according to its ontogeny, so the behaviour of forests is known to differ depending on their demography. Accurately simulating demography is therefore key in order to address questions on afforestation and management strategies, as well as assessments of resilience of forests to disturbances such as drought and fire or diversity changes after a disturbance. Ultimately, demography determines the overall forest biomass in natural forests and is a key arbiter of growth and mortality rates. DGVMs are now able to simulate size and age structure of the trees in forests. However, these models have so far not been benchmarked alongside each other. We evaluate 6 DGVMs (BiomeE, CABLE-POP, FATES, LPJ-GUESS, JULES-RED, ORCHIDEE) against observations on regrowth dynamics as well as natural forests at boreal, temperate and tropical sites. We examine whether the models capture observed regrowth dynamics after disturbance, well-known stand size structure and well-established processes such as self-thinning. We outline the planned route forward towards a standardised international benchmarking framework for demographic DGVMs.

Dynamic Global Vegetation Models↗

Benchmarking GOCART-2G in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)

The Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model, which controls the sources sinks and chemistry within the Goddard Earth Observing System, recently underwent a major refactoring and update to the representation of physical processes. This paper serves to document code changes that were included in GOCART 2nd Generation (GOCART-2G) and establishes a benchmark simulation that is to be used for future development of the system. The code refactoring increases flexibility such multiple instances of an aerosol species can be run and interact with radiation and cloud microphysics, in addition to the output of multiple wavelength aerosol optical properties in support of data assimilation. From a science perspective, a new radiatively active tracer, brown carbon, was added to distinguish smoke from other sources of organic aerosol thereby improving optical properties entering the radiative calculations. A four-year benchmark simulation was evaluated using in situ and space borne measurements to develop a baseline and prioritize future development. A comparison of simulated aerosol optical depth between GOCART-2G and MODIS retrievals indicates the model captures the overall spatial pattern and seasonal cycle of aerosol optical depth but overestimates aerosol extinction over dusty regions and underestimates aerosol extinction over northern hemisphere boreal forests, requiring further tuning of emissions. This MODIS-based analysis is corroborated by comparisons to MISR and selected AERONET stations. Despite the underestimate of aerosol optical depth in biomass burning regions in GEOS, there is an overestimate in the surface mass of organic carbon in the United States, especially during the summer months.

Allison B Collow↗

NASA Space Observatory Precision Pointing Benchmark Problem Development

An interagency workshop in May 2021 on guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) verification and validation (V&V) methods and techniques identified needs for the formulation and public release of relevant V&V benchmark problems as a practical way forward for the discipline. A decision was made by the NASA Technical Fellow for GNC and the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) GNC Technical Discipline Team (TDT) to produce a benchmark problem focusing on the problem of space observatory precision pointing. This report contains the results of the NESC assessment.

NASA Engineering and Safety Center↗

NASA/Navy Benchmarking Exchange (NNBE). Volume 1. Interim Report. Navy Submarine Program Safety Assurance

The NASA/Navy Benchmarking Exchange (NNBE) was undertaken to identify practices and procedures and to share lessons learned in the Navy's submarine and NASA's human space flight programs. The NNBE focus is on safety and mission assurance policies, processes, accountability, and control measures. This report is an interim summary of activity conducted through October 2002, and it coincides with completion of the first phase of a two-phase fact-finding effort.In August 2002, a team was formed, co-chaired by senior representatives from the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance and the NAVSEA 92Q Submarine Safety and Quality Assurance Division. The team closely examined the two elements of submarine safety (SUBSAFE) certification: (1) new design/construction (initial certification) and (2) maintenance and modernization (sustaining certification), with a focus on: (1) Management and Organization, (2) Safety Requirements (technical and administrative), (3) Implementation Processes, (4) Compliance Verification Processes, and (5) Certification Processes.

SUBSAFE PROGRAM↗

A Segmentation Algorithm for Characterizing Rise and Fall Segments in Seasonal Cycles: an Application to Xco2 to Estimate Benchmarks and Assess Model Bias

There is more useful information in the time series of satellite-derived column-averaged carbon dioxide (XCO2) than is typically characterized. Often, the entire time series is treated at once without considering detailed features at shorter timescales, such as nonstationary changes in signal characteristics – amplitude, period and phase. In many instances, signals are visually and analytically differentiable from other portions in a time series. Each rise (increasing) and fall (decreasing) segment in the seasonal cycle is visually discernable in a graph of the time series. The rise and fall segments largely result from seasonal differences in terrestrial ecosystem production, which means that the segment's signal characteristics can be used to establish observational benchmarks because the signal characteristics are driven by similar underlying processes. We developed an analytical segmentation algorithm to characterize the rise and fall segments in XCO2 seasonal cycles. We present the algorithm for general application of the segmentation analysis and emphasize here that the segmentation analysis is more generally applicable to cyclic time series. We demonstrate the utility of the algorithm with specific results related to the comparison between satellite- and model-derived XCO2 seasonal cycles (2009–2012) for large bioregions across the globe. We found a seasonal amplitude gradient of 0.74–0.77 ppm for every 10∘ of latitude in the satellite data, with similar gradients for rise and fall segments. This translates to a south–north seasonal amplitude gradient of 8 ppm for XCO2, about half the gradient in seasonal amplitude based on surface site in situ CO2 data (∼19 ppm). The latitudinal gradients in the period of the satellite-derived seasonal cycles were of opposing sign and magnitude (−9 d per 10∘ latitude for fall segments and 10 d per 10∘ latitude for rise segments) and suggest that a specific latitude (∼2∘ N) exists that defines an inversion point for the period asymmetry. Before (after) the point of asymmetry inversion, the periods of rise segments are lesser (greater) than the periods of fall segments; only a single model could reproduce this emergent pattern. The asymmetry in amplitude and the period between rise and fall segments introduces a novel pattern in seasonal cycle analyses, but, while we show these emergent patterns exist in the data, we are still breaking ground in applying the information for science applications. Maybe the most useful application is that the segmentation analysis allowed us to decompose the model biases into their correlated parts of biases in amplitude, period and phase independently for rise and fall segments. We offer an extended discussion on how such information about model biases and the emergent patterns in satellite-derived seasonal cycles can be used to guide future inquiry and model development.

segmentation algorithm↗

Galileo probe forebody thermal protection - Benchmark heating environment calculations

Solutions are presented for the aerothermal heating environment for the forebody heatshield of candidate Galileo probe. Entry into both the nominal and cool-heavy model atmospheres were considered. Solutions were obtained for the candidate heavy probe with a weight of 310 kg and a lighter probe with a weight of 290 kg. In the flowfield analysis, a finite difference procedure was employed to obtain benchmark predictions of pressure, radiative and convective heating rates, and the steady-state wall blowing rates. Calculated heating rates for entry into the cool-heavy model atmosphere were about 60 percent higher than those predicted for the entry into the nominal atmosphere. The total mass lost for entry into the cool-heavy model atmosphere was about 146 kg and the mass lost for entry into the nominal model atmosphere was about 101 kg.

Balakrishnan, A.↗

Turbofan forced mixer-nozzle internal flowfield. Volume 1: A benchmark experimental study

An experimental investigation of the flow field within a model turbofan forced mixer nozzle is described. Velocity and thermodynamic state variable data for use in assessing the accuracy and assisting the further development of computational procedures for predicting the flow field within mixer nozzles are provided. Velocity and temperature data suggested that the nozzle mixing process was dominated by circulations (secondary flows) of a length scale on the order the lobe dimensions which were associated with strong radial velocities observed near the lobe exit plane. The 'benchmark' model mixer experiment conducted for code assessment purposes is discussed.

Paterson, R. W.↗

Benchmark aerodynamic heat-transfer data from the first flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Benchmark entry aerodynamic heat-transfer data were determined from the first flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The convective heating-rate data result from a rigorous mathematical analysis of one-dimensional, transient heat conduction within the orbiter thermal protection system (TPS) and reradiation from its surface during entry. Temperatures measured at the TPS surface during orbiter entry provide a constraint to the analysis. On the vehicle leeside, where heating rate levels are low, corrections are made to the computed convective heating rates to account for solar radiation and cross-radiation between fuselage and wing surfaces. The source of the entry thermal data, the mathematical analysis technique, and the TPS thermal models are discussed. Typical convective heating rate data from the STS-1 mission are presented.

Throckmorton, D. A.↗

Engine dynamic analysis with general nonlinear finite element codes. II - Bearing element implementation, overall numerical characteristics and benchmarking

Second-year efforts within a three-year study to develop and extend finite element (FE) methodology to efficiently handle the transient/steady state response of rotor-bearing-stator structure associated with gas turbine engines are outlined. The two main areas aim at (1) implanting the squeeze film damper element into a general purpose FE code for testing and evaluation; and (2) determining the numerical characteristics of the FE-generated rotor-bearing-stator simulation scheme. The governing FE field equations are set out and the solution methodology is presented. The choice of ADINA as the general-purpose FE code is explained, and the numerical operational characteristics of the direct integration approach of FE-generated rotor-bearing-stator simulations is determined, including benchmarking, comparison of explicit vs. implicit methodologies of direct integration, and demonstration problems.

Padovan, J.↗

Benchmark notch test for life prediction

The laser Interferometric Strain Displacement Gage (ISDG) was used to measure local strains in notched Inconel 718 test bars subjected to six different load histories at 649 C (1200 F) and including effects of tensile and compressive hold periods. The measurements were compared to simplified Neuber notch analysis predictions of notch root stress and strain. The actual strains incurred at the root of a discontinuity in cyclically loaded test samples subjected to inelastic deformation at high temperature where creep deformations readily occur were determined. The steady state cyclic, stress-strain response at the root of the discontinuity was analyzed. Flat, double notched uniaxially loaded fatigue specimens manufactured from the nickel base, superalloy Inconel 718 were used. The ISDG was used to obtain cycle by cycle recordings of notch root strain during continuous and hold time cycling at 649 C. Comparisons to Neuber and finite element model analyses were made. The results obtained provide a benchmark data set in high technology design where notch fatigue life is the predominant component service life limitation.

Domas, P. A.↗

Benchmark cyclic plastic notch strain measurements

Plastic strains at the roots of notched specimens of Inconel 718 subjected to tension-compression cycling at 650 C are reported. These strains were measured with a laser-based technique over a gage length of 0.1 mm and are intended to serve as 'benchmark' data for further development of experimental, analytical, and computational approaches. The specimens were 250 mm by 2.5 mm in the test section with double notches of 4.9 mm radius subjected to axial loading sufficient to cause yielding at the notch root on the tensile portion of the first cycle. The tests were run for 1000 cycles at 10 cpm or until cracks initiated at the notch root. The experimental techniques are described, and then representative data for the various load spectra are presented. All the data for each cycle of every test are available on floppy disks from NASA.

Sharpe, W. N., Jr.↗

A full CI treatment of Ne atom - A benchmark calculation performed on the NAS CRAY 2

Full CI calculations are performed for Ne atom using Gaussian basis sets of up to triple-zeta plus double polarization quality. The total valence correlation energy through double, triple, quadruple and octuple excitations is compared for eight different basis sets. These results are expected to be an important benchmark for calibrating methods for estimating the importance of higher excitations.

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.↗