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At least 163 records · Page 9

Numerical Simulations of Homogeneous Turbulence Using Lagrangian-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations

The Lagrangian-averaged Navier-Stokes (LANS) equations are numerically evaluated as a turbulence closure. They are derived from a novel Lagrangian averaging procedure on the space of all volume-preserving maps and can be viewed as a numerical algorithm which removes the energy content from the small scales (smaller than some a priori fixed spatial scale alpha) using a dispersive rather than dissipative mechanism, thus maintaining the crucial features of the large scale flow. We examine the modeling capabilities of the LANS equations for decaying homogeneous turbulence, ascertain their ability to track the energy spectrum of fully resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS), compare the relative energy decay rates, and compare LANS with well-accepted large eddy simulation (LES) models.

Mohseni, Kamran↗

A Finite-Volume "Shaving" Method for Interfacing NASA/DAO''s Physical Space Statistical Analysis System to the Finite-Volume GCM with a Lagrangian Control-Volume Vertical Coordinate

Toward the development of a finite-volume Data Assimilation System (fvDAS), a consistent finite-volume methodology is developed for interfacing the NASA/DAO's Physical Space Statistical Analysis System (PSAS) to the joint NASA/NCAR finite volume CCM3 (fvCCM3). To take advantage of the Lagrangian control-volume vertical coordinate of the fvCCM3, a novel "shaving" method is applied to the lowest few model layers to reflect the surface pressure changes as implied by the final analysis. Analysis increments (from PSAS) to the upper air variables are then consistently put onto the Lagrangian layers as adjustments to the volume-mean quantities during the analysis cycle. This approach is demonstrated to be superior to the conventional method of using independently computed "tendency terms" for surface pressure and upper air prognostic variables.

Lin, Shian-Jiann↗

3 Lectures: "Lagrangian Models", "Numerical Transport Schemes", and "Chemical and Transport Models"

The topics for the three lectures for the Canadian Summer School are Lagrangian Models, numerical transport schemes, and chemical and transport models. In the first lecture I will explain the basic components of the Lagrangian model (a trajectory code and a photochemical code), the difficulties in using such a model (initialization) and show some applications in interpretation of aircraft and satellite data. If time permits I will show some results concerning inverse modeling which is being used to evaluate sources of tropospheric pollutants. In the second lecture I will discuss one of the core components of any grid point model, the numerical transport scheme. I will explain the basics of shock capturing schemes, and performance criteria. I will include an example of the importance of horizontal resolution to polar processes. We have learned from NASA's global modeling initiative that horizontal resolution matters for predictions of the future evolution of the ozone hole. The numerical scheme will be evaluated using performance metrics based on satellite observations of long-lived tracers. The final lecture will discuss the evolution of chemical transport models over the last decade. Some of the problems with assimilated winds will be demonstrated, using satellite data to evaluate the simulations.

Anne Douglass↗

The Monotonic Lagrangian Grid for Rapid Air-Traffic Evaluation

The Air Traffic Monotonic Lagrangian Grid (ATMLG) is presented as a tool to evaluate new air traffic system concepts. The model, based on an algorithm called the Monotonic Lagrangian Grid (MLG), can quickly sort, track, and update positions of many aircraft, both on the ground (at airports) and in the air. The underlying data structure is based on the MLG, which is used for sorting and ordering positions and other data needed to describe N moving bodies and their interactions. Aircraft that are close to each other in physical space are always near neighbors in the MLG data arrays, resulting in a fast nearest-neighbor interaction algorithm that scales as N. Recent upgrades to ATMLG include adding blank place-holders within the MLG data structure, which makes it possible to dynamically change the MLG size and also improves the quality of the MLG grid. Additional upgrades include adding FAA flight plan data, such as way-points and arrival and departure times from the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), and combining the MLG with the state-of-the-art strategic and tactical conflict detection and resolution algorithms from the NASA-developed Stratway software. In this paper, we present results from our early efforts to couple ATMLG with the Stratway software, and we demonstrate that it can be used to quickly simulate air traffic flow for a very large ETMS dataset.

Kaplan, Carolyn↗

Aerosol Observability and Predictability: From Research to Operations for Chemical Weather Forecasting. Lagrangian Displacement Ensembles for Aerosol Data Assimilation

A challenge common to many constituent data assimilation applications is the fact that one observes a much smaller fraction of the phase space that one wishes to estimate. For example, remotely sensed estimates of the column average concentrations are available, while one is faced with the problem of estimating 3D concentrations for initializing a prognostic model. This problem is exacerbated in the case of aerosols because the observable Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is not only a column integrated quantity, but it also sums over a large number of species (dust, sea-salt, carbonaceous and sulfate aerosols. An aerosol transport model when driven by high-resolution, state-of-the-art analysis of meteorological fields and realistic emissions can produce skillful forecasts even when no aerosol data is assimilated. The main task of aerosol data assimilation is to address the bias arising from inaccurate emissions, and Lagrangian misplacement of plumes induced by errors in the driving meteorological fields. As long as one decouples the meteorological and aerosol assimilation as we do here, the classic baroclinic growth of error is no longer the main order of business. We will describe an aerosol data assimilation scheme in which the analysis update step is conducted in observation space, using an adaptive maximum-likelihood scheme for estimating background errors in AOD space. This scheme includes e explicit sequential bias estimation as in Dee and da Silva. Unlikely existing aerosol data assimilation schemes we do not obtain analysis increments of the 3D concentrations by scaling the background profiles. Instead we explore the Lagrangian characteristics of the problem for generating local displacement ensembles. These high-resolution state-dependent ensembles are then used to parameterize the background errors and generate 3D aerosol increments. The algorithm has computational complexity running at a resolution of 1/4 degree, globally. We will present the result of assimilating AOD retrievals from MODIS (on both Aqua and TERRA satellites) from AERONET for validation. The impact on the GEOS-5 Aerosol Forecasting will be fully documented.

da Silva, Arlindo↗

Spatial and Temporal Extrapolation of Disdrometer Size Distributions Based on a Lagrangian Trajectory Model of Falling Rain

Methodologies to improve disdrometer processing, loosely based on mathematical techniques common to the field of particle flow and fluid mechanics, are examined and tested. The inclusion of advection and vertical wind field estimates appear to produce significantly improved results in a Lagrangian hydrometeor trajectory model, in spite of very strict assumptions of noninteracting hydrometeors, constant vertical air velocity, and time independent advection during the scan time interval. Wind field data can be extracted from each radar elevation scan by plotting and analyzing reflectivity contours over the disdrometer site and by collecting the radar radial velocity data to obtain estimates of advection. Specific regions of disdrometer spectra (drop size versus time) often exhibit strong gravitational sorting signatures, from which estimates of vertical velocity can be extracted. These independent wind field estimates become inputs and initial conditions to the Lagrangian trajectory simulation of falling hydrometeors.

Lane, John E.↗

Evaluation of the Monotonic Lagrangian Grid and Lat-Long Grid for Air Traffic Management

The Air Traffic Monotonic Lagrangian Grid (ATMLG) is used to simulate a 24 hour period of air traffic flow in the National Airspace System (NAS). During this time period, there are 41,594 flights over the United States, and the flight plan information (departure and arrival airports and times, and waypoints along the way) are obtained from an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) dataset. Two simulation procedures are tested and compared: one based on the Monotonic Lagrangian Grid (MLG), and the other based on the stationary Latitude-Longitude (Lat- Long) grid. Simulating one full day of air traffic over the United States required the following amounts of CPU time on a single processor of an SGI Altix: 88 s for the MLG method, and 163 s for the Lat-Long grid method. We present a discussion of the amount of CPU time required for each of the simulation processes (updating aircraft trajectories, sorting, conflict detection and resolution, etc.), and show that the main advantage of the MLG method is that it is a general sorting algorithm that can sort on multiple properties. We discuss how many MLG neighbors must be considered in the separation assurance procedure in order to ensure a five-mile separation buffer between aircraft, and we investigate the effect of removing waypoints from aircraft trajectories. When aircraft choose their own trajectory, there are more flights with shorter duration times and fewer CD&R maneuvers, resulting in significant fuel savings.

Kaplan, Carolyn↗

Lagrangian Modeling and Simulation of the Free Surface-Affected Dynamics of Underwater Vehicles

The paper deals with the development of a novelsimulator for underwater vehicles that takes into account theinteraction between the submerged body and the free watersurface. By using a Lagrangian approach, the potential flowtheory is combined with the 6-DoF equations of motions, inorder to derive a mathematical model of the system dynamics tobe solved in time-domain. A numerical model is then specificallydeveloped and an extensive simulation campaign was carried out,leading to the Submerged Bodies Simulator (SubBoS). The resultshighlight an extension of the prediction validity with respect tothe state-of-art modeling, typically based on stringent hypotheseson body motion (e.g. small displacements, pure surge motion).Index Terms—Lagrangian dynamics, modeling, simulation,potential theory, naval architecture.

Quadrelli, Marco B.↗

Modeling of Particle Transport and Impact in Transient, Multiphase Oxidizer-Rich Environments Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Lagrangian Particle Tracking

Particle impacts from foreign object debris (FOD) in an oxidizer-rich environment have been shown to be a credible and significant risk for ignition and failure of components and vehicles. The risk of particle ignition is dependent on many factors, including particle impact velocity/energy and fluid composition (i.e. fluid phase, species presence, and state). Prediction of particle transport and particle impacts in relevant environments, including transient, multiphase flows, is important for assessing the risk and avoiding repeated expensive system level tests. The capability to model both the fluid dynamics and particle transport in complex three-dimensional geometries and multiphase environments has been developed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the propulsion fluid dynamic branch (ER42) by utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and Lagrangian particle tracking. Using CFD tools, including density-based Loci/CHEM with a cavitation model and pressure-based Loci/STREAM with a volume of fluids model, MSFC/ER42 has provided particle impact predictions to multiple projects for oxidizer compatibility assessments. Simulations of transient, multiphase environments such as liquid slugs flowing through tubing and cavitating flow in valves have been completed alongside one-way coupled Lagrangian particle tracking to predict particle impacts.

M.V. Fischels↗

Modeling of Cavity Residence Time via Modeled Lagrangian Particle Tracking

One of the critical components in a scramjet is the cavity flame holder. In evaluating the sizing of this component, the residence time of the fuel in the cavity is a common parameter used. However, to obtain the residence time via CFD is an expensive undertaking. One method is to perform an LES simulation of the cavity and use Lagrangian particle tracking to obtain both the mean and probability density function of the time that the particles remain in the cavity. While this method affords a significant amount of information, it is very costly in CPU run time. A simpler method involves performing a time accurate RANS simulation of the cavity, and when converged, overlay a traceable scalar in the cavity region, and then record the decay of this scalar’s flux at a downstream location. The time scale of the decay rate can then be estimated and a residence time inferred. This method is less computationally expensive than the LES approach, but still requires a time-accurate solution while only providing a mean cavity residence time evaluation. In this paper a method of determining the mean cavity residence time as well as the Probability Density Function (PDF) of the residence time is proposed and demonstrated. This method is based on Lagrangian particle tracking modeled by the Generalized Langevin Equation and is implemented as a post-processing step for a steady RANS solution. Computational cost is on the order of minutes and the results are in agreement with values obtained by the LES and scalar decay methods.

Langevin↗

An adaptive stochastic sequential quadratic programming with differentiable exact augmented lagrangians

In this study, we consider solving nonlinear optimization problems with a stochastic objective and deterministic equality constraints. We assume for the objective that its evaluation, gradient, and Hessian are inaccessible, while one can compute their stochastic estimates by, for example, subsampling. We propose a stochastic algorithm based on sequential quadratic programming (SQP) that uses a differentiable exact augmented Lagrangian as the merit function. To motivate our algorithm design, we first revisit and simplify an old SQP method Lucidi developed for solving deterministic problems, which serves as the skeleton of our stochastic algorithm. Based on the simplified deterministic algorithm, we then propose a non-adaptive SQP for dealing with stochastic objective, where the gradient and Hessian are replaced by stochastic estimates but the stepsizes are deterministic and prespecified. Finally, we incorporate a recent stochastic line search procedure Paquette and Scheinberg into the non-adaptive stochastic SQP to adaptively select the random stepsizes, which leads to an adaptive stochastic SQP. The global "almost sure" convergence for both non-adaptive and adaptive SQP methods is established. Numerical experiments on nonlinear problems in CUTEst test set demonstrate the superiority of the adaptive algorithm.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A Lagrangian dual method for two-stage robust optimization with binary uncertainties

This report presents a new exact method to calculate worst-case parameter realizations in two-stage robust optimization problems with categorical or binary-valued uncertain data. Traditional exact algorithms for these problems, notably Benders decomposition and column-and-constraint generation, compute worst-case parameter realizations by solving mixed-integer bilinear optimization subproblems. However, their numerical solution can be computationally expensive not only due to their resulting large size after reformulating the bilinear terms, but also because decision-independent bounds on their variables are typically unknown. We propose an alternative Lagrangian dual method that circumvents these difficulties and is readily integrated in either algorithm. We specialize the method to problems where the binary parameters switch on or off constraints as these are commonly encountered in applications, and discuss extensions to problems that lack relatively complete recourse and to those with integer recourse. Numerical experiments provide evidence of significant computational improvements over existing methods.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Simulation of dynamic crystal plasticity with a Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin hydrodynamic method

Here we present a new Lagrangian modal discontinuous Galerkin (DG) hydrodynamic method that supports a dynamic dislocation based crystal plasticity model for simulating the mechanical behavior of crystallographic materials, both single crystal and polycrystalline, under dynamic conditions. A modal DG approach is used to evolve fields relevant to conservation laws. These fields are approximated by Taylor series polynomials of varying degree. These polynomials describe macro-scale hydrodynamic behavior while their evolution is determined by evaluating the dynamic crystal plasticity model at material points within the element. The dynamic crystal plasticity model is sensitive to the time increment size, with too large of time increments leading to instability in the model. To mitigate this, the temporal evolution of the dynamic crystal plasticity model is achieved with the combination of a sub-incrementing scheme with Heun’s third-order time integration scheme, which is also used to temporally evolve the governing equations. The implementation of the dynamic crystal plasticity model within the DG framework is tested using a 2D approximation of the Taylor impact test with a single crystal material, using quadratic elements that have faces that can bend. In addition to the standard continuous material modeling, we propose a new simulation method that would represent the heterogeneous behavior of polycrystalline microstructures within an element by varying the position and material properties of the material points within the element. This method is demonstrated using random orientation distributions on materials points that are arranged in both structured and random configurations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The Corrected Distortion model for Lagrangian spray simulation of transcritical fuel injection

In this work, we present a detailed implementation and validation of the droplet modeling framework proposed by Dahms and Oefelein (2016) into the engine commercial CFD software CONVERGE using the User Defined Function (UDF) interface. The model accounts for the nonlinear deformation and oscillation experienced by liquid spray droplet injected into high pressure and temperature. Lagrangian spray simulations of Engine Combustion Network (ECN) Spray A are performed. Model validation against standard experimental measurements of liquid velocity, vapor mixture fraction is conducted. To perform more rigorous model validation, new experimental measurements based on Diffused Back Illumination (DBI) are introduced. The new measurements are processed for Projected Liquid Volume (PLV), which offers as close as possible one-to-one model validation for liquid penetration while offering new insights into the spray physics. Comparison with a One-D model based on adiabatic mixing theory by Siebers (1999) and Desantes et al. (2007) are also conducted. Through these model validation exercises, it is shown that the new framework improves liquid-phase penetration predictions, following a tendency for enhanced evaporation, compared to the standard approach for both Reynolds Average Navier Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Additionally, at the liquid length, maximum mixture fraction values predicted by the new approach are in good agreement those of an adiabatic mixing model. Qualitative analysis of the spray behaviors during the early stage of the injection process reveals that the proposed framework predicts significant increase in droplet evaporation rate with lower drop drag compared to the current standard approach.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A sharp interface Lagrangian-Eulerian method for rigid-body fluid-structure interaction

Herein this paper introduces a sharp interface method to simulate fluid-structure interaction (FSI) involving rigid bodies immersed in viscous incompressible fluids. The capabilities of this methodology are benchmarked using a range of test cases and demonstrated using large-scale models of biomedical FSI. The numerical approach developed herein, which we refer to as an immersed Lagrangian-Eulerian (ILE) method, integrates aspects of partitioned and immersed FSI formulations by solving separate momentum equations for the fluid and solid subdomains, as in a partitioned formulation, while also using non-conforming discretizations of the dynamic fluid and structure regions, as in an immersed formulation. A simple Dirichlet-Neumann coupling scheme is used, in which the motion of the immersed solid is driven by fluid traction forces evaluated along the fluid-structure interface, and the motion of the fluid along that interface is constrained to match the solid velocity and thereby satisfy the no-slip condition. To develop a practical numerical method, we adopt a penalty approach that approximately imposes the no-slip condition along the fluid-structure interface. In the coupling strategy, a separate discretization of the fluid-structure interface is tethered to the volumetric solid mesh via stiff spring-like penalty forces. Our fluid-structure coupling scheme relies on an immersed interface method (IIM) for discrete geometries, which enables the accurate determination of both velocities and stresses along complex internal interfaces. Numerical methods for FSI can suffer from instabilities related to the added mass effect, but computational tests indicate that the methodology introduced here remains stable for selected test cases across a broad range of solid-fluid mass density ratios, including extremely small, nearly equal, equal, and large density ratios. Biomedical FSI demonstration cases include results obtained using this method to simulate the dynamics of a bileaflet mechanical heart valve in a pulse duplicator, and to model transport of blood clots in a patient-averaged anatomical model of the inferior vena cava.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Towards sharp error analysis of extended Lagrangian molecular dynamics

The extended Lagrangian molecular dynamics (XLMD) method provides a useful framework for reducing the computational cost of a class of molecular dynamics simulations with constrained latent variables. The XLMD method relaxes the constraints by introducing a fictitious mass ε for the latent variables and solving a set of singularly perturbed ordinary differential equations. While favorable numerical performance of XLMD has been demonstrated in several different contexts in the past decade, mathematical analysis of the method remains scarce. Here, we propose the first error analysis of the XLMD method in the context of a classical polarizable force field model. While the dynamics with respect to the atomic degrees of freedom are general and nonlinear, the key mathematical simplification of the polarizable force field model is that the constraints on the latent variables are given by a linear system of equations. We prove that when the initial value of the latent variables is compatible in a sense that we define, XLMD converges as the fictitious mass ε is made small with $\mathscr{O}$(ε) error for the atomic degrees of freedom and with $\mathscr{O}$($\sqrt{ε}$) error for the latent variables, when the dimension of the latent variable d' is 1. Furthermore, when the initial value of the latent variables is improved to be optimally compatible in a certain sense, we prove that the convergence rate can be improved to $\mathscr{O}$(ε) for the latent variables as well. Numerical results verify that both estimates are sharp not only for d'=1, but also for arbitrary d'. In the setting of general d', we do obtain convergence, but with the non-sharp rate of $\mathscr{O}$($\sqrt{ε}$) for both the atomic and latent variables.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

A sharp interface Lagrangian-Eulerian method for flexible-body fluid-structure interaction

This paper introduces a sharp-interface approach to simulating fluid-structure interaction (FSI) involving flexible bodies described by general nonlinear material models and across a broad range of mass density ratios. This new flexible-body immersed Lagrangian-Eulerian (ILE) scheme extends our prior work on integrating partitioned and immersed approaches to rigid-body FSI. Our numerical approach incorporates the geometrical and domain solution flexibility of the immersed boundary (IB) method with an accuracy comparable to body-fitted approaches that sharply resolve flows and stresses up to the fluid-structure interface. Unlike many IB methods, our ILE formulation uses distinct momentum equations for the fluid and solid subregions with a Dirichlet-Neumann coupling strategy that connects fluid and solid subproblems through simple interface conditions. As in earlier work, we use approximate Lagrange multiplier forces to treat the kinematic interface conditions along the fluid-structure interface. This penalty approach simplifies the linear solvers needed by our formulation by introducing two representations of the fluid-structure interface, one that moves with the fluid and another that moves with the structure, that are connected by stiff springs. This approach also enables the use of multi-rate time stepping, which allows us to use different time step sizes for the fluid and structure subproblems. Our fluid solver relies on an immersed interface method (IIM) for discrete surfaces to impose stress jump conditions along complex interfaces while enabling the use of fast structured-grid solvers for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The dynamics of the volumetric structural mesh are determined using a standard finite element approach to large-deformation nonlinear elasticity via a nearly incompressible solid mechanics formulation. This formulation also readily accommodates compressible structures with a constant total volume, and it can handle fully compressible solid structures for cases in which at least part of the solid boundary does not contact the incompressible fluid. Selected grid convergence studies demonstrate second-order convergence in volume conservation and in the pointwise discrepancies between corresponding positions of the two interface representations as well as between first and second-order convergence in the structural displacements. The time stepping scheme is also demonstrated to yield second-order convergence. To assess and validate the robustness and accuracy of the new algorithm, comparisons are made with computational and experimental FSI benchmarks. Test cases include both smooth and sharp geometries in various flow conditions. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the capabilities of this methodology by applying it to model the transport and capture of a geometrically realistic, deformable blood clot in an inferior vena cava filter.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Weak boundary conditions for Lagrangian shock hydrodynamics: A high-order finite element implementation on curved boundaries

Here, we propose a new Nitsche-type approach for weak enforcement of normal velocity boundary conditions for a Lagrangian discretization of the compressible shock-hydrodynamics equations using high-order finite elements on curved boundaries. Specifically, the variational formulation is appropriately modified to enforce free-slip wall boundary conditions, without perturbing the structure of the function spaces used to represent the solution, with a considerable simplification with respect to traditional approaches. Total energy is conserved and the resulting mass matrices are constant in time. The robustness and accuracy of the proposed method are validated with an extensive set of tests involving nontrivial curved boundaries.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗