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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Statistical Homogenization of Elastic and Fracture Properties of a Sample Selective Laser Melting Material

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing technique commonly used in the rapid prototyping of components. The complexity of the SLM microstructure poses a unique challenge to deriving effective mechanical properties at different length scales. Representative volume elements (RVEs) are often used to homogenize the material properties of composites. Instead of RVEs, we use statistical volume elements (SVEs) to homogenize the elastic and fracture properties of the material. This relates the inherent variation of a material’s microstructure to the variation in its mechanical properties at different observation scales. The convergence to the RVE limit is examined from two perspectives: the stability of the mean value as the SVE size increases for the mean-based approach, and the tendency of the normalized variation in homogenized properties to zero as the SVE size increases for the variation-based approach. Fracture properties tend to make the RVE limit slower than do elastic properties from both perspectives. There are also differences between vertical (normal to printing plane) and horizontal (in-plane) properties. While the elastic properties tend to make the RVE limit faster for the horizontal direction, i.e., having a smaller variation and more stable mean value, the fracture properties exhibit the opposite effect. We attributed these differences to the geometry of the melt pools.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1974

Nonstationary atmospheric boundary layer turbulence simulation

Report on a new and general technique for simulating atmospheric turbulence-like random processes which are statistically homogeneous along the horizontal and nonhomogeneous along the vertical. This technique is general in the sense that it can be used for a broad class of similar problems. Like the other presently available schemes, the techniques presented are based on the Dryden hypothesis and Taylor's frozen eddy hypothesis; however, they go a step further by utilizing certain self-similarity properties of the Dryden spectral density function which permits the development of height invariant filters. These filters are in turn used to generate vertically homogeneous (statistically) random processes from which turbulence at any specified level in the boundary layer can be simulated, thus facilitating the simulation of a nonstationary turbulence process along the flight path of an aircraft during take-off or landing.

Fichtl, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Root mean square fluctuation of a weak magnetic field in an infinite medium of homogeneous stationary turbulence.

The generation of a magnetic field by statistically homogeneous, stationary velocity turbulence is considered. The generation of rms magnetic fluctuation is explicitly demonstrated in the limit of short turbulence correlation time. It is shown that the fluctuation associated with a growing or stationary mean field grows with time such that the ratio of the fluctuation and the square of the mean field tends to a steady value, which is a monotonically decreasing function of the growth rate of the mean field.

Low, B.-C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Discrete dislocation dynamics for crystal RVEs. Part 1: Periodic network kinematics

A novel implementation of the dislocation flux boundary condition in discrete dislocation dynamics is presented. The continuity of the individual dislocation loops in a periodic representative crystal volume (RVE) is enforced across the boundary of the RVE with the help of a dual topological description for representing dislocation line kinematics in two equivalent spaces representing the deforming crystal, the RVE and the unbounded crystal spaces. The former describes the motion of the dislocations in the simulated crystal RVE whereas the latter represents the motion of dislocations in an infinite space containing all replicas of the RVE. A mapping between the two spaces forms the basis of the implementation of flux boundary condition. The implementation details are discussed in the context of statistical homogeneity of bulk crystals undergoing macroscopically homogeneous plastic deformation. In this case, the boundary nodes associated with dislocation segments bear no relevance in the motion of the dislocations. Finally, some test cases are presented and discussed to establish the proposed approach.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1985

Turbulent solutions of equations of fluid motion

Some turbulent solutions of the unaveraged Navier-Stokes equations (equations of fluid motion) are reviewed. Those equations are solved numerically in order to study the nonlinear physics of incompressible turbulent flow. The three components of the mean-square velocity fluctuations are initially equal for the conditions chosen. The resulting solutions show characteristics of turbulence, such as the linear and nonlinear excitation of small-scale fluctuations. For the stronger fluctuations the initially nonrandom flow develops into an apparently random turbulence. The cases considered include turbulence that is statistically homogeneous or inhomogeneous and isotropic or anisotropic. A statistically steady-state turbulence is obtained by using a spatially periodic body force. Various turbulence processes, including the transfer of energy between eddy sizes and between directional components and the production, dissipation, and spatial diffusion of turbulence, are considered. It is concluded that the physical processes occurring in turbulence can be profitably studied numerically.

Deissler, R. G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Insights into Long-Term Global Precipitation from IMERG and GPCP

Multiple satellite-based datasets provide estimates of the long-term record of global precipitation. Each necessarily includes both the real atmospheric behavior and a collection of artifacts driven by the input data sources and design choices in the retrievals and dataset construction. For this presentation, the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) products from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission’s U.S. Science Team are designed as a modern High-Resolution Precipitation Product (HRPP), while the Global Precipitation Climatology Project’s (GPCP) products are designed as a modern Climate Data Record (CDR). Although they share some common input data sources, the computational process for each is rather different. Comparing the precipitation estimates from each algorithm gives us insights into likely artifacts and the natural variations that are common to both. The goal of an HRPP is to give the best estimate of precipitation at each time step in the dataset, generally meaning that “all possible available” data are used. In contrast, the CDR is intended to provide a precipitation record that has relatively homogeneous statistics, necessary for climate analysis. Each analysis strives for both goals, of course, but this means that the HRPP uses the disparate collection of satellites whose statistics don’t quite match the ideal record, while the CDR is computed from fewer satellites that provide a relatively homogeneous set of precipitation statistics. This presentation employs the current versions of the IMERG and GPCP products, V07B and V3.2, respectively. A variety of analyses have demonstrated that IMERG has more artifacts, as expected, which tend to result from changes in the source of intercalibration for the various input satellites, namely the Combined Radar-Radiometer Algorithm using TMI and PR during the TRMM era and using GMI and DPR-Ku during the GPM era. As well, a shift occurs when the altitudes of the TRMM and GPM satellites change as a result of orbit boosts. For the most part the mean precipitation shows good continuity across these boundaries, but there are noticeable changes in the respective histograms. The latter has taken on more importance in recent years due to increased scrutiny on extremes which implicitly focus on the upper end of the precipitation histograms. The GPCP product is more homogeneous, with only one major change in calibrator, transitioning from the SSMI series of satellites to the SSMIS series of satellites in 2009. The GPCP analysis does a good job of minimizing artifacts in the means at this boundary, while the histograms show a smaller, but still noticeable shift in the histograms, a result that is similar to data boundaries in IMERG. The GPCP Daily, which is a month-by-month rescaling of the daily accumulated IMERG Final product, shows more consistency than the equivalent daily IMERG, but inherits the histogram shifts from IMERG. Given this overlay of artifacts, there is enough consistency between the products to illustrate some important long-term variations, including interannual variations, not all of which are easily attributable to ENSO events, and trends that are large regionally, but comparatively small when averaged across the globe.

precipitation↗
NASA NTRS2007

New Observations of the Heliospheric Magnetic Field from the Voyager Spacecraft

We review recent observations of variations of the heliospheric magnetic field B(t) made by Voyager 1 and 2 (V1 and V2), and we discuss the boundary conditions needed for models to explain the observations. Usually, observations from a spacecraft close to the Sun, such as ACE, WIND or Ulysses are used as input to a time-dependent model. Generally, the predicted profile B(t) can be compared directly with the observed profile only when either V1 or V2 is approximately radially aligned with a near-Sun spacecraft; this happens rarely and only for a brief time interval. The Bastille Day events illustrate this situation. In the absence of radial alignment of the spacecraft it is possible to predict the development of a global structure (a GMIR) with data from ACE or WIND, if they obtain a representative sample the flows that merge to form a GMIR. When latitudinal gradients are small and when there is statistical homogeneity in the azimuthal direction, it is possible to predict the statistical properties of the large-scale fluctuations of B(t) observed by V1 or V2 during a year or so. We illustrate this situation with observations from the recent solar maximum and the declining phase of the solar cycle. Predictions of detailed observations made by V1 and V2 under general conditions (e.g., when there is a large latitudinal gradient) require boundary conditions as a function of time on a surface, such as a Sun-centered sphere with a radius of 1 AU. These conditions can only be provided by global solar observations. We suggest the feasibility of such an approach, using V2 observations for 2005 and 2006. The prediction of observations in the heliosheath requires the solution of the 3-D boundary problem for the supersonic solar wind and propagation of solar wind through the termination shock into the heliosphere. The properties of B(t) observed in the heliosheath have not yet been predicted.

Burlaga, Leonard F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Homogeneous buoyancy-generated turbulence

Using a theoretical analysis of fundamental equations and a numerical simulation of the flow field, the statistically homogeneous motion that is generated by buoyancy forces after the creation of homogeneous random fluctuations in the density of infinite fluid at an initial instant is examined. It is shown that analytical results together with numerical results provide a comprehensive description of the 'birth, life, and death' of buoyancy-generated turbulence. Results of numerical simulations yielded the mean-square density mean-square velocity fluctuations and the associated spectra as functions of time for various initial conditions, and the time required for the mean-square density fluctuation to fall to a specified small value was estimated.

Batchelor, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Turbulent solutions of the equations of fluid motion

Some turbulent solutions of the unaveraged Navier-Stokes equations (equations of fluid motion) are reviewed. Those equations are solved numerically in order to study the nonlinear physics of incompressible turbulent flow. Initial three-dimensional cosine velocity fluctuations and periodic boundary conditions are used in most of the work considered. The three components of the mean-square velocity fluctuations are initially equal for the conditions chosen. The resulting solutions show characteristics of turbulence such as the linear and nonlinear excitation of small-scale fluctuations. For the stronger fluctuations, the initially nonrandom flow develops into an apparently random turbulence. Thus randomness or turbulence can arise as a consequence of the structure of the Navier-Stokes equations. The cases considered include turbulence which is statistically homogeneous or inhomogeneous and isotropic or anisotropic. A mean shear is present in some cases. A statistically steady-state turbulence is obtained by using a spatially periodic body force. Various turbulence processes, including the transfer of energy between eddy sizes and between directional components, and the production, dissipation, and spatial diffusion of turbulence, are considered. It is concluded that the physical processes occurring in turbulence can be profitably studied numerically.

Deissler, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Large Eddy Simulation of Homogeneous Rotating Turbulence

Study of turbulent flows in rotating reference frames has proven to be one of the more challenging areas of turbulence research. The large number of theoretical, experimental, and computational studies performed over the years have demonstrated that the effect of solid-body rotation on turbulent flows is subtle and remains exceedingly difficult to predict. Because of the complexities associated with non-homogeneous turbulence, it is worthwhile to examine the effect of steady system rotation on the evolution of an initially isotropic turbulent flow. The assumption of statistical homogeneity considerably simplifies analysis and computation; calculation of homogeneous turbulence is further motivated since it possesses the essential physics found in more complex rotating flows. The principal objectives of the present study have therefore been to increase our fundamental understanding of turbulent flows in rotating reference frames through an examination of the asymptotic state of homogeneous rotating turbulence; particularly as to the existence of an asymptotic state which is self similar. Knowledge of an asymptotic similarity state permits prediction of the ultimate statistical evolution of the flow without requiring detailed knowledge of the complex, and not well understood, non-linear transfer processes. Aside from examination of possible similarity states in rotating turbulence, of further interest in this study has been an examination of the degree to which solid-body rotation induces a two-dimensional state in an initially isotropic flow.

Squires, Kyle D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The helical decomposition and the instability assumption

Direct numerical simulations show that the triadic transfer function T(k,p,q) peaks sharply when q (or p) is much smaller than k. The triadic transfer function T(k,p,q) gives the rate of energy input into wave number k from all interactions with modes of wave number p and q, where k, p, q form a triangle. This observation was thought to suggest that energy is cascaded downscale through non-local interactions with local transfer and that there was a strong connection between large and small scales. Both suggestions were in contradiction with the classical Kolmogorov picture of the energy cascade. The helical decomposition was found useful in distinguishing between kinematically independent interactions. That analysis has gone beyond the question of non-local interaction with local transfer. In particular, an assumption about the statistical direction of triadic energy transfer in any kinematically independent interaction was introduced (the instability assumption). That assumption is not necessary for the conclusions about non-local interactions with local transfer recalled above. In the case of turbulence under rapid rotation, the instability assumption leads to the prediction that energy is transferred in spectral space from the poles of the rotation axis toward the equator. The instability assumption is thought to be of general validity for any type of triad interactions (e.g. internal waves). The helical decomposition and the instability assumption offer detailed information about the homogeneous statistical dynamics of the Navier-Stokes equations. The objective was to explore the validity of the instability assumption and to study the contributions of the various types of helical interactions to the energy cascade and the subgrid-scale eddy-viscosity. This was done in the context of spectral closures of the Direct Interaction or Quasi-Normal type.

Waleffe, Fabian A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multiscale analysis in solids with unseparated scales: fine-scale recovery, error estimation, and coarse-scale adaptivity

There are several engineering applications in which the assumptions of homogenization and scale separation may be violated, in particular, for metallic structures constructed through additive manufacturing. Instead of resorting to direct numerical simulation of the macroscale system with an embedded fine scale, an alternative approach is to use an approximate macroscale constitutive model, but then estimate the model-form error using a posteriori error estimation techniques and subsequently adapt the macroscale model to reduce the error for a given boundary value problem and quantity of interest. Here, we investigate this approach to multiscale analysis in solids with unseparated scales using the example of an additively manufactured metallic structure consisting of a polycrystalline microstructure that is neither periodic nor statistically homogeneous. As a first step to the general nonlinear case, we focus here on linear elasticity in which each grain within the polycrystal is linear elastic but anisotropic.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2001

Development of a Novel Method for Determination of Residual Stresses in a Friction Stir Weld

Material constitutive properties, which describe the mechanical behavior of a material under loading, are vital to the design and implementation of engineering materials. For homogeneous materials, the standard process for determining these properties is the tensile test, which is used to measure the material stress-strain response. However, a majority of the applications for engineering materials involve the use of heterogeneous materials and structures (i.e. alloys, welded components) that exhibit heterogeneity on a global or local level. Regardless of the scale of heterogeneity, the overall response of the material or structure is dependent on the response of each of the constituents. Therefore, in order to produce materials and structures that perform in the best possible manner, the properties of the constituents that make up the heterogeneous material must be thoroughly examined. When materials exhibit heterogeneity on a local level, such as in alloys or particle/matrix composites, they are often treated as statistically homogenous and the resulting 'effective' properties may be determined through homogenization techniques. In the case of globally heterogeneous materials, such as weldments, the standard tensile test provides the global response but no information on what is Occurring locally within the different constituents. This information is necessary to improve the material processing as well as the end product.

Reynolds, Anthony P.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Approximating the linear response of physical chaos

Abstract Parametric derivatives of statistics are highly desired quantities in prediction, design optimization and uncertainty quantification. In the presence of chaos, the rigorous computation of these quantities is certainly possible, but mathematically complicated and computationally expensive. Based on Ruelle’s formalism, this paper shows that the sophisticated linear response algorithm can be dramatically simplified in higher-dimensional systems featuring statistical homogeneity in the physical space. We argue that the contribution of the SRB (Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen) measure gradient, which is an integral yet the most cumbersome part of the full algorithm, is negligible if the objective function is appropriately aligned with unstable manifolds. This abstract condition could potentially be satisfied by a vast family of real-world chaotic systems, regardless of the physical meaning and mathematical form of the objective function and perturbed parameter. We demonstrate several numerical examples that support these conclusions and that present the use and performance of a simplified linear response algorithm. In the numerical experiments, we consider physical models described by differential equations, including Lorenz 96 and Kuramoto–Sivashinsky.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mapping strain and structural heterogeneities around bubbles in amorphous ionically conductive Bi 2 O 3

While amorphous materials are often approximated to have a statistically homogeneous atomic structure, they frequently exhibit localized structural heterogeneity that challenges simplified models. This study uses 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy to investigate the strain and structural modifications around gas bubbles in amorphous Bi 2 O 3 induced by argon irradiation. We present a method for determining strain fields surrounding bubbles that can be used to measure the internal pressure of the gas. Compressive strain is observed around the cavities, with higher-order crystalline symmetries emerging near the cavity interfaces, suggesting paracrystalline ordering as a result of bubble coarsening. This ordering, along with a compressive strain gradient, indicates that gas bubbles induce significant localized changes in atomic packing. By analyzing strain fields with maximum compressive strains of 3%, we estimate a lower bound on the internal pressure of the bubbles at 2.5 GPa. These findings provide insight into the complex structural behavior of amorphous materials under stress, particularly in systems with gas inclusions, and offer new methods for probing the local atomic structure in disordered materials. Although considering structural heterogeneity in amorphous systems is non-trivial, these features have crucial impacts on material functionalities, such as mechanical strength, ionic conductivity, and electronic mobility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

On the three-dimensional spatial correlations of curved dislocation systems

Abstract Coarse-grained descriptions of dislocation motion in crystalline metals inherently represent a loss of information regarding dislocation-dislocation interactions. In the present work, we consider a coarse-graining framework capable of re-capturing these interactions by means of the dislocation-dislocation correlation functions. The framework depends on a convolution length to define slip-system-specific dislocation densities. Following a statistical definition of this coarse-graining process, we define a spatial correlation function which will allow the arrangement of the discrete line system at two points—and thus the strength of their interactions at short range—to be recaptured into a mean field description of dislocation dynamics. Through a statistical homogeneity argument, we present a method of evaluating this correlation function from discrete dislocation dynamics simulations. Finally, results of this evaluation are shown in the form of the correlation of dislocation densities on the same slip-system. These correlation functions are seen to depend weakly on plastic strain, and in turn, the dislocation density, but are seen to depend strongly on the convolution length. Implications of these correlation functions in regard to continuum dislocation dynamics as well as future directions of investigation are also discussed.

Anderson, Joseph Pierre (ORCID:0000000329760903)↗
NASA NTRS1975

Propagation of transients in a random medium

The propagation of transient scalar waves in a three-dimensional random medium is considered. The analysis is based on the smoothing method. An integro-differential equation for the coherent (or average) wave is derived and solved for the case of a statistically homogeneous and isotropic medium and a delta-function source. This yields the coherent Green's function of the medium. It is found that the waveform of the coherent wave depends generally on the distance from the source measured in terms of a certain dimensionless parameter. Based on the magnitude of this parameter, three propagation zones, called the near zone, the far zone, and the intermediate zone, are defined.

Wenzel, A. R.↗