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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

Rectified Rotational Dynamics of Mobile Inclusions in Two-Dimensional Active Nematics

We investigate the dynamics of mobile inclusions embedded in 2D active nematics. The interplay between the inclusion shape, boundary-induced nematic order, and autonomous flows powers the inclusion motion. Disks and achiral gears exhibit unbiased rotational motion, but with distinct dynamics. In comparison, chiral gear-shaped inclusions exhibit long-term rectified rotation, which is correlated with dynamics and polarization of nearby +1/2 topological defects. Furthermore, the chirality of defect polarities and the active nematic texture around the inclusion correlate with the inclusion’s instantaneous rotation rate. Inclusions provide a promising tool for probing the rheological properties of active nematics and extracting ordered motion from their inherently chaotic motion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

How Hall electric fields intrinsically chaotize and heat ions during collisionless magnetic reconnection

The origin of extreme and anomalous ion heating during magnetic reconnection has been a longstanding mystery. It is shown in this paper that, at the core of the process, the stochastic heating mechanism is responsible for this energization. The in-plane Hall electric fields that intrinsically develop during collisionless reconnection not only accelerate ions, but also thermalize them by inducing chaotic motion. The mechanism explains various observed features of ion heating, e.g., its relation to the guide field strength and the ion mass-to-charge ratio.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Guiding center and gyrokinetic orbit theory for large electric field gradients and strong shear flows

The guiding center and gyrokinetic theory of magnetized particle motion is extended to the regime of large electric field gradients perpendicular to the magnetic field. A gradient in the electric field directly modifies the oscillation frequency and causes the Larmor orbits to deform from circular to elliptical trajectories. In order to retain a good adiabatic invariant, there can only be strong dependence on a single coordinate at lowest order, so that resonances do not generate chaotic motion that destroys the invariant. When the gradient across magnetic flux surfaces is dominant, the guiding center drift velocity becomes anisotropic in response to external forces and additional curvature drifts must be included. The electric polarization density remains gyrotropic, but both the polarization and magnetization are modified by the change in gyrofrequency. The theory can be applied to shear flows that are even stronger than those observed in the edge transport barrier of a high-performance tokamak (H-mode) pedestal, even if the toroidal field is as small as or even smaller than the poloidal field. Yet, the theory retains a mathematical form that is similar to the standard case and can readily be implemented within existing simulation tools.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Equations of Motion for the Vertical Rigid-Body Rotor: Linear and Nonlinear Cases

Centuries ago, the prolific mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) wrote down the equations of motion (EOM) for the heavy symmetrical top with one point fixed. The resulting set of equations turned out to be nonlinear and had a limited number of closed-form solutions.Today, tools such as transfer matrix and finite elements enable the calculation of the rotordynamic properties for rotor-bearing systems. Some of these tools rely on the “linearized” version of the EOM to calculate the eigenvalues, unbalance response, or transients in these systems.In fact, industry standards mandate that rotors be precisely balanced to have safe operational characteristics. However, in some cases, the nonlinear aspect of the EOM should be considered.The purpose of this chapter is to show examples of how the linear vs. nonlinear formulations differ. This chapter also shows how excessive unbalance is capable of dramatically altering the behavior of the system and can produce chaotic motions associated with the “jump” phenomenon.

Laos, Hector↗
DOE OSTI2021

Equations of Motion for the Vertical Rigid-Body Rotor: Linear and Nonlinear Cases

Centuries ago, the prolific mathematician Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) wrote down the equations of motion (EOM) for the heavy symmetrical top with one point fixed. The resulting set of equations turned out to be nonlinear and had a limited number of closed-form solutions. Today, tools such as transfer matrix and finite elements enable the calculation of the rotor dynamic properties for rotor-bearing systems. Some of these tools rely on the “linearized” version of the EOM to calculate the eigenvalues, unbalance response, or transients in these systems. In fact, industry standards mandate that rotors be precisely balanced to have safe operational characteristics. However, in some cases, the nonlinear aspect of the EOM should be considered. The purpose of this paper is to show examples of how the linear vs. nonlinear formulations differ. This paper will also show how excessive unbalance is capable of dramatically altering the behavior of the system and can produce chaotic motions associated with the “jump” phenomenon.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fast dynamic aperture optimization with forward-reversal integration

A fast dynamic aperture (DA) optimization method for storage rings has been developed through the use of reversal integration. Even if dynamical systems have an exact reversal symmetry, a numerical forward integration differs from its reversal. For a chaotic trajectory, cumulative round-off errors are scaled, which results in an exponential growth on the difference. The exponential effect is a generic chaos indicator which represents the sensitivity of the chaotic motion to its initial condition. The chaos indicator of the charged particle motion can be obtained by comparing the forward integrations of particle trajectories with corresponding reversals, a.k.a. “backward integrations.” The indicator is observable even through short-term particle tracking simulations. Therefore, adopting it as an objective function could speed up optimization. Finally, the DA of the National Synchrotron Light Source II storage ring, and another test diffraction-limited light source ring, were optimized using this method for the purpose of demonstration.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Shaker-structure interaction modeling and analysis for nonlinear force appropriation testing

Nonlinear force appropriation is an extension of its linear counterpart where sinusoidal excitation is applied to a structure with a modal shaker and phase quadrature is achieved between the excitation and response. While a standard practice in modal testing, modal shaker excitation has the potential to alter the dynamics of the structure under test. Previous studies have been conducted to address several concerns, but this work specifically focuses on a shaker-structure interaction phenomenon which arises during the force appropriation testing of a nonlinear structure. Under pure-tone sinusoidal forcing, a nonlinear structure may respond not only at the fundamental harmonic but also potentially at sub- or superharmonics, or it can even produce aperiodic and chaotic motion in certain cases. Shaker-structure interaction occurs when the response physically pushes back against the shaker attachment, producing non-fundamental harmonic content in the force measured by the load cell, even for pure tone voltage input to the shaker. This work develops a model to replicate these physics and investigates their influence on the response of a nonlinear normal mode of the structure. Experimental evidence is first provided that demonstrates the generation of harmonic content in the measured load cell force during a force appropriation test. This interaction is replicated by developing an electromechanical model of a modal shaker attached to a nonlinear, three-mass dynamical system. Several simulated experiments are conducted both with and without the shaker model in order to identify which effects are specifically due to the presence of the shaker. Finally, the results of these simulations are then compared to the undamped nonlinear normal modes of the structure under test to evaluate the influence of shaker-structure interaction on the identified system’s dynamics.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Design of nematic liquid crystals to control microscale dynamics

The dynamics of small particles, both living such as swimming bacteria and inanimate, such as colloidal spheres, has fascinated scientists for centuries. If one could learn how to control and streamline their chaotic motion, that would open technological opportunities in the transformation of stored or environmental energy into systematic motion, with applications in micro-robotics, transport of matter, guided morphogenesis. This review presents an approach to command microscale dynamics by replacing an isotropic medium with a liquid crystal. Orientational order and associated properties, such as elasticity, surface anchoring, and bulk anisotropy, enable new dynamic effects, ranging from the appearance and propagation of particle-like solitary waves to self-locomotion of an active droplet. By using photoalignment, the liquid crystal can be patterned into predesigned structures. In the presence of the electric field, these patterns enable the transport of solid and fluid particles through nonlinear electrokinetics rooted in anisotropy of conductivity and permittivity. Director patterns command the dynamics of swimming bacteria, guiding their trajectories, polarity of swimming, and distribution in space. This guidance is of a higher level of complexity than a simple following of the director by rod-like microorganisms. Namely, the director gradients mediate hydrodynamic interactions of bacteria to produce an active force and collective polar modes of swimming. The patterned director could also be engraved in a liquid crystal elastomer. When an elastomer coating is activated by heat or light, these patterns produce a deterministic surface topography. The director gradients define an activation force that shapes the elastomer in a manner similar to the active stresses triggering flows in active nematics. Finally, the patterned elastomer substrates could be used to define the orientation of cells in living tissues. The liquid-crystal guidance holds a major promise in achieving the goal of commanding microscale active flows.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamics of Magnus-dominated particle clusters, collisions, pinning, and ratchets

Motivated by the recent work in skyrmions and active chiral matter systems, we examine pairs and small clusters of repulsively interacting point particles in the limit where the dynamics is dominated by the Magnus force. We find that particles with the same Magnus force can form stable pairs, triples, and higher ordered clusters or exhibit chaotic motion. For mixtures of particles with opposite Magnus force, particle pairs can combine to form translating dipoles. Under an applied drive, particles with the same Magnus force translate; however, particles with different or opposite Magnus force exhibit a drive-dependent decoupling transition. When the particles interact with a repulsive obstacle, they can form localized orbits with depinning or unwinding transitions under an applied drive. We examine the interaction of these particles with clusters or lines of obstacles and find that the particles can become trapped in orbits that encircle multiple obstacles. Under an ac drive, we observe a series of ratchet effects, including ratchet reversals, for particles interacting with a line of obstacles due to the formation of commensurate orbits. Lastly, in assemblies of particles with mixed Magnus forces of the same sign, we find that the particles with the largest Magnus force become localized in the center of the cluster, while for mixtures with opposite Magnus forces, the motion is dominated by transient local pairs or clusters, where the translating pairs can be regarded as a form of active matter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fast Dynamic Aperture Optimization with Reversal Integration

A fast method for dynamic aperture (DA) optimization of storage rings has been developed through the use of reversal integration. Even if dynamical systems have an exact reversal symme- try, a numerical forward integration di ers from its reversal. For chaotic trajectories, cumulative round-o errors are scaled, which results in an exponential growth in the di erence. The exponential e ect, intrinsically associated with the Lyapunov exponent, is a generic indicator of chaos because it represents the sensitivity of chaotic motion to an initial condition. A chaos indicator of the charged particle motion is then obtained by comparing the forward integrations of particle trajectories with corresponding reversals, a.k.a. \backward integrations." The indicator was con rmed to be ob- servable through short-term particle tracking simulations. Therefore, adopting it as an objective function could speed up optimization. The DA of the National Synchrotron Light Source II storage ring, and another test di raction-limited light source ring, were optimized using this method for the purpose of demonstration.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Internal Reaction Mass Taxonomy and Narrow-Down Study

Internal reaction mass (IRM) wave energy converters (WEC) capture wave energy by reacting against a moving mass that is suspended within their hulls. Due to their hermetically sealed Power Take Off (PTO), compact form factor and relatively simple mooring requirements, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified IRM WECs are good candidates for applications such as ocean observation. A literature review of existing IRM mechanisms lead to the classification of IRM WECs based on their principal method of energy capture and principal axes of operation. The IRM categories include sliding mass, pendular and gyroscopic devices. A narrow down study was conducted to ascertain the most promising mechanisms for further investigation; devices were evaluated based on a decision matrix of weighted criteria that included device power output, prototypability and power to mass ratio. The narrow down study identified the issue of achieving resonance with pendulum-based designs, as well as the poor response produced by reaction to long period waves. Chaotic pendula and methods to multiply agitation were identified as a means to increase power output. Alternative methods of power generation, such as triboelectric nanogenerators, were also identified as a technology that would benefit from multiplied agitation and chaotic motion. This work was funded under the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office's Powering the Blue Economy portfolio.

ENGINEERING,TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reversible to irreversible transitions for ac driven skyrmions on periodic substrates

Abstract Using atomistic simulations, we investigate the dynamical behavior of magnetic skyrmions in dimer and trimer molecular crystal arrangements, as well as bipartite lattices at 3/2 and 5/2 fillings, under ac driving over a square array of anisotropy defects. For low ac amplitudes, at all fillings reversible motion appears in which the skyrmions return to their original positions at the end of each ac drive cycle and the diffusion is zero. We also identify two distinct irreversible regimes. The first is a translating regime in which the skyrmions form channels of flow in opposing directions and translate by one substrate lattice constant per ac drive cycle. The translating state appears in the dimer and trimer arrangements, and produces pronounced peaks in the diffusivity in the direction perpendicular to the external drive. For larger ac amplitudes, we find chaotic irreversible motion in which the skyrmions can randomly exchange places with each other over time, producing long-time diffusive behavior both parallel and perpendicular to the ac driving direction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Understanding plasma turbulence through exact coherent structures

Plasma turbulence is a key challenge in understanding transport phenomena in magnetically confined plasmas. This work presents a generalized framework to analyze plasma turbulence that utilizes periodic orbit theory. In periodic orbit theory, doubly periodic solutions (coherent structures) of the governing equation(s) serve as building blocks of the considered turbulent dynamics. To illustrate the concept and method, the particularly simple Kuramoto–Sivashinsky (referred to here as LMRT for the original authors: LaQuey, Mahajan, Rutherford, and Tang) trapped-ion mode toy model is used. By applying numerical optimization techniques to the LMRT equation, we extract coherent spacetime patterns that represent the library of allowable fundamental structures of the equation. These structures provide a framework to systematically describe turbulence as a composition of recurrent solutions, revealing an underlying order within chaotic plasma motion. Although illustrated here using the simplified LMRT model for clarity, this framework provides a general strategy that can be extended to more complex and realistic models of plasma turbulence, including gyrokinetic systems. This offers a new method for predicting and potentially controlling transport processes in fusion plasmas by providing a bridge between nonlinear dynamical systems theory and plasma physics in the form of a generalized framework with which to analyze and understand spatially extended nonlinear partial differential equations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dynamical responses of constrained pipe conveying fluids and its dependence on the modeling of the contact force

Accurately modeling the impact force used in the analysis of loosely constrained cantilevered pipes conveying fluid is imperative. If little information is known of the motion-limiting constraints used in experiments, the analysis of the system may yield inaccurate predictions. Here in this work, multiple forcing representations of the impact force are defined and analyzed for a cantilevered pipe that conveys fluid. Depending on the representation of the impact force, the dynamics of the pipe can vary greatly when only the stiffness of the constraints is known from experiments. Three gap sizes of the constraints are analyzed, and the representation of the impact force used to analyze the system is found to significantly affect the response of the pipe at each gap size. An investigation on the effects of the vibro-impact force representation is performed through using basin of attraction analysis and nonlinear characterization of the system’s response.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Vibro-impact analysis and characterization of pipeline conveying fluids with multi-segmented motion-limiting constraints

Previous studies of the cantilevered pipeline conveying fluid system have included motion-limiting constraints in the form of trilinear springs. While this is desirable in experimental scenarios, it may not be representative of real-world applications. Therefore, here, this study focuses on multi-segmented motion-limiting constraints. As this type of motion-limiting constraint has not been investigated with a cantilevered pipeline system, a wide variety of outer and inner constraint stiffness and constraint gap sizes are investigated in this study to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the multi-segmented constraints affect the dynamics of the cantilevered pipeline. In this effort, bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, Poincare maps, time histories, and power spectra are used to investigate the dynamics of the system, and the fluid flow speeds where dynamic characteristics are considered. In general, it is found that critical flow speeds like when the pipe sticks in the constraints are reduced as the constraint stiffnesses are increased. Additionally, the sticking flow speed occurred at lower flow speeds as the gap sizes of the inner and outer constraints decrease, and a larger constraint offset results in a smaller inner gap size leading to critical behaviors occurring at earlier flow speeds.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Consequences and benefits of utilizing continuous vibro-impact representations in constrained pipeline conveying fluid systems

Here, the effectiveness of continuous vibro-impact forcing representations for the cantilevered pipe that conveys fluid is explored and analyzed. The previously accepted forcing model utilizing a smoothened trilinear spring is estimated using three continuous forcing representations, namely, polynomial, rational polynomial, and hyperbolic tangent. The accuracy of the estimated forcing functions is investigated and analyzed by calculating the root mean square error, and bifurcation diagrams are generated and compared to the nominal system. Additionally, the dynamic response of the system is further characterized using Poincare maps, power spectra, and basins of attraction. Once all continuous forcing representations are analyzed and compared to the nominal system, the computational cost of each method is examined, and further limitations of the hyperbolic tangent method are discovered. It is proved that the hyperbolic tangent forcing representation most accurately captures the dynamic response of the pipeline, and the least accurate representation is the rational polynomial representation. Additionally, considerable computational cost is saved when employing the hyperbolic tangent representation compared to the discontinuous representation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Laboratory Measurements of Cloud Scavenging of Interstitial Aerosol in a Turbulent Environment (Final Technical Report)

The link between aerosol particles and clouds is well established. Every cloud droplet forms on a preexisting particle; clouds are the primary removal mechanism for aerosol particles with diameters in the range of 0.1 to 1 micrometer. Traditionally, those connections have been considered in the absence of the chaotic air motions (turbulence) that are ubiquitous in Earth’s atmosphere. Recent work at Michigan Tech indicates that turbulent fluctuations in temperature and water vapor, which couple aerosols and cloud droplets, play an important role in whether particles grow to the size of cloud droplets and scavenging by diffusion. In this project, we measured, in a turbulent environment, the rate at which aerosol particles are incorporated into cloud droplets through both these processes, which Michigan Tech's turbulent cloud chamber enables because we can sustain a mixing cloud almost indefinitely.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Data-driven chaos indicator for nonlinear dynamics and applications on storage ring lattice design

A data-driven chaos indicator concept is introduced to characterize the degree of chaos for nonlinear dynamical systems. The indicator is represented by the prediction accuracy of surrogate models established purely from data. It provides a metric for the predictability of nonlinear motions in a given system. When using the indicator to implement a tune-scan for a quadratic Hénon map, the main resonances and their asymmetric stop-band widths can be identified. When applied to particle transportation in a storage ring, as particle motion becomes more chaotic, its surrogate model prediction accuracy decreases correspondingly. So, the prediction accuracy, acting as a chaos indicator, can be used directly as the objective for nonlinear beam dynamics optimization. This method provides a different perspective on nonlinear beam dynamics and an efficient method for nonlinear lattice optimization. Applications in dynamic aperture optimization are demonstrated as real world examples.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗