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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

Three-Phase AC Optimal Power Flow Based Distribution Locational Marginal Price

Designing market mechanisms for electricity distribution systems has been a hot topic due to the increased presence of smart loads and distributed energy resources (DERs) in distribution systems. The distribution locational marginal pricing (DLMP) methodology is one of the real-time pricing methods to enable such market mechanisms and provide economic incentives to active market participants. Determining the DLMP is challenging due to high power losses, the voltage volatility, and the phase imbalance in distribution systems. Existing DC Optimal Power Flow (OPF) approaches are unable to model power losses and the reactive power, while single-phase AC OPF methods cannot capture the phase imbalance. To address these challenges, in this paper, a three-phase AC OPF based approach is developed to define and calculate DLMP accurately. The DLMP is modeled as the marginal cost to serve an incremental unit of demand at a specific phase at a certain bus, and is calculated using the Lagrange multipliers in the three-phase AC OPF formulation. Extensive case studies have been conducted to understand the impact of system losses and the phase imbalance on DLMPs as well as the potential benefits of flexible resources.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Base Flow Model Validation

A method was developed of obtaining propulsive base flow data in both hot and cold jet environments, at Mach numbers and altitude of relevance to NASA launcher designs. The base flow data was used to perform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) turbulence model assessments of base flow predictive capabilities in order to provide increased confidence in base thermal and pressure load predictions obtained from computational modeling efforts. Predictive CFD analyses were used in the design of the experiments, available propulsive models were used to reduce program costs and increase success, and a wind tunnel facility was used. The data obtained allowed assessment of CFD/turbulence models in a complex flow environment, working within a building-block procedure to validation, where cold, non-reacting test data was first used for validation, followed by more complex reacting base flow validation.

Sinha, Neeraj↗

Design and Flight Evaluation of a New Force-Based Flow Angle Probe

A novel force-based flow angle probe was designed and flight tested on the NASA F-15B Research Testbed aircraft at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The prototype flow angle probe is a small, aerodynamic fin that has no moving parts. Forces on the prototype flow angle probe are measured with strain gages and correlated with the local flow angle. The flow angle probe may provide greater simplicity, greater robustness, and better access to flow measurements in confined areas relative to conventional moving vane-type flow angle probes. Flight test data were obtained at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic Mach numbers to a maximum of Mach 1.70. Flight conditions included takeoff, landing, straight and level flight, flight at higher aircraft angles of attack, and flight at elevated g-loadings. Flight test maneuvers included angle-of-attack and angle-of-sideslip sweeps. The flow angle probe-derived flow angles are compared with those obtained with a conventional moving vane probe. The flight tests validated the feasibility of a force-based flow angle measurement system.

Corda, Stephen↗

Optical Diagnostic Imaging of Multi-Rocket Plume-Induced Base Flow Environments

Non-intrusive optical diagnostic imaging was used for the first time to visualize multi-rocket plume-induced reacting base flows to simulate launch vehicle ascent from sea-level to 250,000 ft. In particular, planar laser induced florescence (PLIF) and infrared (IR) imaging were implemented for the first time to visualize and quantify base flow and rocket plume environments from sub-scale, short-duration propulsion models within a shock tunnel facility. This report discusses the successful imaging diagnostic methods for capturing base flow features and dynamics as a function of altitude. Important base flow and plume features were captured with PLIF and IR diagnostics to develop a conceptual base flow physics model. This imaging data specifically provides insight into the Space Launch System vehicle core-stage and Exploration Upper Stage base environments and further validates short-duration ground test techniques and computational modeling.

Mehta, Manish↗

Code Validation Study for Base Flows

New and old rocket launch concepts recommend the clustering of motors for improved lift capability. The flowfield of the base region of the rocket is very complex and can contain high temperature plume gases. These hot gases can cause catastrophic problems if not adequately designed for. To assess the base region characteristics, advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is being used. As a precursor to these calculations the CFD code requires validation on base flows. The primary objective of this code validation study was to establish a high level of confidence in predicting base flows with the USA CFD code. USA has been extensively validated for fundamental flows and other applications. However, base heating flows have a number of unique characteristics so it was necessary to extend the existing validation for this class of problems. In preparation for the planned NLS 1.5 Stage base heating analysis, six case sets were studied to extend the USA code validation data base. This presentation gives a cursive review of three of these cases. The cases presented include a 2D axi-symmetric study, a 3D real nozzle study, and a 3D multi-species study. The results of all the studies show good general agreement with data with no adjustments to the base numerical algorithms or physical models in the code. The study proved the capability of the USA code for modeling base flows within the accuracy of available data.

Ascoli, Edward P.↗

Aspects of scaling and scalability for flow-based sampling of lattice QCD

Recent applications of machine-learned normalizing flows to sampling in lattice field theory suggest that such methods may be able to mitigate critical slowing down and topological freezing. However, these demonstrations have been at the scale of toy models, and it remains to be determined whether they can be applied to state-of-the-art lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations. Assessing the viability of sampling algorithms for lattice field theory at scale has traditionally been accomplished using simple cost scaling laws, but as we discuss in this work, their utility is limited for flow-based approaches. We conclude that flow-based approaches to sampling are better thought of as a broad family of algorithms with different scaling properties, and that scalability must be assessed experimentally.

Abbott, Ryan↗

An adaptive grid/Navier-Stokes methodology for the calculation of nozzle afterbody base flows with a supersonic freestream

This paper describes an adaptive grid method for base flows in a supersonic freestream. The method is based on the direct finite-difference statement of the equidistribution principle. The weighting factor is a combination of the Mach number, density, and velocity first-derivative gradients in the radial direction. Two key ideas of the method are to smooth the weighting factor by using a type of implicit smoothing and to allow boundary points to move in the grid adaptation process. An AGARD nozzle afterbody base flow configuration is used to demonstrate the performance of the adaptive grid methodology. Computed base pressures are compared to experimental data. The adapted grid solutions offer a dramatic improvement in base pressure prediction compared to solutions computed on a nonadapted grid. A total-variation-diminishing (TVD) Navier-Stokes scheme is used to solve the governing flow equations.

Williams, Morgan↗

Stability Analysis of the Flow Over a Swept Forward-Facing Step Using PIV Base Flows

Step excrescences are a type of surface imperfection encountered on swept wings of commercial aircraft, commonly because accessibility requirements prevent creating the wing’s surface from a single panel. If the step height is too large, super-critical, the flow can undergo an early transition to turbulence, which can be highly detrimental for the performance of the wing. In the case of a forward-facing step on a swept wing in a low-disturbance environment, stationary crossflow vortices can develop a significant amplitude upstream of the step and hence dominate the structure of the boundary-layer flow over the step. The main goal of the present investigation is to illuminate the path to transition supported by the fascinatingly complex flow field in the direct downstream vicinity of a step with a super critical height. The high-resolution, stereographic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement dataset presently available for this flow field provides a complete description of the laminar flow for the execution of BiGlobal stability analysis in a plane parallel to the step. Although the notorious sensitivity of stability results to the description of the base flow demands a very careful uncertainty analysis of those results, it is argued that this very fact can be leveraged to produce new insight into the supported perturbation dynamics. In performing the analysis, several unsteady mode families are discovered that display the explosive perturbation expected for early transition to be induced. In considering domain widths equal to an integer-multiple of the incident crossflow-vortex wavelength and analyzing an extent of 5 crossflow-vortex wavelengths parallel to the step, it is found that the stability results converge while increasing the domain width. It is demonstrated, moreover, that the results for the wider domains can be approximated by appropriately averaging the results on neighboring single-crossflow-vortex-wavelength domains covering the same region. Besides being useful for computational purposes, this observed property suggests interpreting the instability mechanism as a distorted primary mechanism rather than a “proper” secondary mechanism. This follows in the context of the secondary in-stability analysis of three-dimensional boundary layers, because the secondary mechanism is usually characterized by being localized in a pocket of strong shear, while the distorted primary mechanism typically has an infinite support in the direction parallel to the step. Even though the growth rates are found to be sensitive to the interrogation-window size inherent to the PIV post-processing procedure, the spatial structure of the eigenfunctions is found to be relatively insensitive. Lastly, the spatial structure of the eigenfunctions corresponding to all velocity components are matched with the shape functions determined by computing the Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (SPOD) of a time-resolved measurement of the perturbation content.

forward-facing step↗

Four-Nozzle Benchmark Wind Tunnel Model USA Code Solutions for Simulation of Multiple Rocket Base Flow Recirculation at 145,000 Feet Altitude

Multiple rocket exhaust plume interactions at high altitudes can produce base flow recirculation with attendant alteration of the base pressure coefficient and increased base heating. A search for a good wind tunnel benchmark problem to check grid clustering technique and turbulence modeling turned up the experiment done at AEDC in 1961 by Goethert and Matz on a 4.25-in. diameter domed missile base model with four rocket nozzles. This wind tunnel model with varied external bleed air flow for the base flow wake produced measured p/p(sub ref) at the center of the base as high as 3.3 due to plume flow recirculation back onto the base. At that time in 1961, relatively inexpensive experimentation with air at gamma = 1.4 and nozzle A(sub e)/A of 10.6 and theta(sub n) = 7.55 deg with P(sub c) = 155 psia simulated a LO2/LH2 rocket exhaust plume with gamma = 1.20, A(sub e)/A of 78 and P(sub c) about 1,000 psia. An array of base pressure taps on the aft dome gave a clear measurement of the plume recirculation effects at p(infinity) = 4.76 psfa corresponding to 145,000 ft altitude. Our CFD computations of the flow field with direct comparison of computed-versus-measured base pressure distribution (across the dome) provide detailed information on velocities and particle traces as well eddy viscosity in the base and nozzle region. The solution was obtained using a six-zone mesh with 284,000 grid points for one quadrant taking advantage of symmetry. Results are compared using a zero-equation algebraic and a one-equation pointwise R(sub t) turbulence model (work in progress). Good agreement with the experimental pressure data was obtained with both; and this benchmark showed the importance of: (1) proper grid clustering and (2) proper choice of turbulence modeling for rocket plume problems/recirculation at high altitude.

Dougherty, N. S.↗