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At least 19 records

A numerical resolution study of high order essentially non-oscillatory schemes applied to incompressible flow

High order essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) schemes, originally designed for compressible flow and in general for hyperbolic conservation laws, are applied to incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations with periodic boundary conditions. The projection to divergence-free velocity fields is achieved by fourth-order central differences through fast Fourier transforms (FFT) and a mild high-order filtering. The objective of this work is to assess the resolution of ENO schemes for large scale features of the flow when a coarse grid is used and small scale features of the flow, such as shears and roll-ups, are not fully resolved. It is found that high-order ENO schemes remain stable under such situations and quantities related to large scale features, such as the total circulation around the roll-up region, are adequately resolved.

Weinan, E.↗

A numerical resolution study of high order essentially non-oscillatory schemes applied to incompressible flow

High order essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) schemes, originally designed for compressible flow and in general for hyperbolic conservation laws, are applied to incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations with periodic boundary conditions. The projection to divergence-free velocity fields is achieved by fourth order central differences through Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) and a mild high-order filtering. The objective of this work is to assess the resolution of ENO schemes for large scale features of the flow when a coarse grid is used and small scale features of the flow, such as shears and roll-ups, are not fully resolved. It is found that high-order ENO schemes remain stable under such situations and quantities related to large-scale features, such as the total circulation around the roll-up region, are adequately resolved.

Weinan, E.↗

An adaptive technique to maximize lossless image data compression of satellite images

Data compression will pay an increasingly important role in the storage and transmission of image data within NASA science programs as the Earth Observing System comes into operation. It is important that the science data be preserved at the fidelity the instrument and the satellite communication systems were designed to produce. Lossless compression must therefore be applied, at least, to archive the processed instrument data. In this paper, we present an analysis of the performance of lossless compression techniques and develop an adaptive approach which applied image remapping, feature-based image segmentation to determine regions of similar entropy and high-order arithmetic coding to obtain significant improvements over the use of conventional compression techniques alone. Image remapping is used to transform the original image into a lower entropy state. Several techniques were tested on satellite images including differential pulse code modulation, bi-linear interpolation, and block-based linear predictive coding. The results of these experiments are discussed and trade-offs between computation requirements and entropy reductions are used to identify the optimum approach for a variety of satellite images. Further entropy reduction can be achieved by segmenting the image based on local entropy properties then applying a coding technique which maximizes compression for the region. Experimental results are presented showing the effect of different coding techniques for regions of different entropy. A rule-base is developed through which the technique giving the best compression is selected. The paper concludes that maximum compression can be achieved cost effectively and at acceptable performance rates with a combination of techniques which are selected based on image contextual information.

Stewart, Robert J.↗

Two-phase ultraviolet spectrophotometry of the pulsating white dwarf ZZ Piscium

Spectra of the pulsating white dwarf ZZ Psc (= G29-38) were obtained using the International Ultraviolet Explorer. By using a multiple-exposure technique in conjunction with simultaneous ground-based exposure-metering photometry, it was possible to obtain mean on-pulse and off-pulse spectra in the 1950-1310 A wavelength range. The ratio of the time-averaged on-pulse to off-pulse spectra is best fitted by a temperature variation that is in phase with the optical light variation. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that the observed variation is due to a high-order nonradial pulsation. Conventional ultraviolet spectra of ZZ Psc showed broad absorption features at 1390 and 1600 A. These features are also found in the spectra of the cool DA-type white dwarfs G226-29 and G67-23, and appear to increase in strength with decreasing temperature. A possible explanation for the 1600 A feature is absorption by the satellite band of resonance-broadened hydrogen Ly-alpha. Such absorption would also help explain a discrepancy between the observed pulsation amplitude shortward of 1650 A and the predicted amplitudes based on model atmospheres.

Bond, H. E.↗

Lacunarity and intermittency in fluid turbulence

It is shown that oscillations in the high-order moments of turbulent velocity fields are inherent to the fractal character of intermittent turbulence and are a feature of the lacunarity of fractal sets. Oscillations in simple Cantor sets are described, and a single parameter to measure lacunarity is identified. The connection between oscillations in fractals and in the turbulent velocity correlations is discussed using the phenomenological beta model of intermittent turbulence (Frisch et al., 1978).

Smith, L. A.↗

Basalts of Mars: Constraints on Volatile Evolution

The mineralogy of relatively unweathered rocks on Mars place important constraints on models of planetary oxidation state, volcanism and associated outgassing, accretion and associated volatile inventory, and geochemical changes over time. Reflectance spectra (300 to 2500 nm) provide direct mineralogic information about the surface materials. Spectra measured using Earth-based telescopes were analyzed by a multiple high-order derivative spectroscopy technique. Nine areas, measured during the 1978 opposition, were analyzed by the technique. Each contained suites of well-defined absorption bands. These bands can be interpreted in terms of constituent mineralogy by the technique of Adams. Among the features extracted from the spectra were bands attributed to iron oxides. Other bands can be attributed to silicates within chemically unweathered rocks/fines. Absorption features suggest the presence of Mg-olivine and plagioclase feldspar.

Huguenin, R. L.↗

The NASA/GISS Mars general circulation model: Preliminary experiments

The NASA/GISS Mars General Circulation Model (GCM) is an adapted version of the GISS Global Climate/Middle Atmosphere Model, specifically developed for the diagnostic validation and objective analysis of measured atmospheric temperatures from the Mars Observer Pressure Modulator Infrared Radiometer (PMIRR) experiment. The GISS Mars GCM has 23 vertical layers extending from the surface to approximately 80 km altitude, representing a vertical resolution of about 0.3 scale heights. The primitive (vertically hydrostatic) equations are solved in finite difference form on the Krakawa B grid, with a horizontal resolution of 8 deg x 10 deg (latitude-longitude). The model includes a diurnal solar cycle, heat transport within a two-layer ground, and a high-order 'slopes-scheme' for the advection of heat in the upper atmosphere. The radiative transfer scheme is based on the correlated k distribution method for the treatment of nongray gaseous absorption thermal emission, and multiple scattering, including options for suspended dust. A special feature of the model of particular importance for Mars is a parameterization of gravity-wave-induced drag incorporating orographic forcing, wind shear, convection, and radiative damping. The implementation of the GISS Mars model includes global maps of topography, roughness, and albedo.

Allison, Michael↗

Research in computational fluid dynamics and analysis of algorithms

Recently, higher-order compact schemes have seen increasing use in the DNS (Direct Numerical Simulations) of the Navier-Stokes equations. Although they do not have the spatial resolution of spectral methods, they offer significant increases in accuracy over conventional second order methods. They can be used on any smooth grid, and do not have an overly restrictive CFL dependence as compared with the O(N(exp -2)) CFL dependence observed in Chebyshev spectral methods on finite domains. In addition, they are generally more robust and less costly than spectral methods. The issue of the relative cost of higher-order schemes (accuracy weighted against physical and numerical cost) is a far more complex issue, depending ultimately on what features of the solution are sought and how accurately they must be resolved. In any event, the further development of the underlying stability theory of these schemes is important. The approach of devising suitable boundary clusters and then testing them with various stability techniques (such as finding the norm) is entirely the wrong approach when dealing with high-order methods. Very seldom are high-order boundary closures stable, making them difficult to isolate. An alternative approach is to begin with a norm which satisfies all the stability criteria for the hyperbolic system, and look for the boundary closure forms which will match the norm exactly. This method was used recently by Strand to isolate stable boundary closure schemes for the explicit central fourth- and sixth-order schemes. The norm used was an energy norm mimicking the norm for the differential equations. Further research should be devoted to BC for high order schemes in order to make sure that the results obtained are reliable. The compact fourth order and sixth order finite difference scheme had been incorporated into a code to simulate flow past circular cylinders. This code will serve as a verification of the full spectral codes. A detailed stability analysis by Carpenter (from the fluid Mechanics Division) and Gottlieb gave analytic conditions for stability as well as asymptotic stability. This had been incorporated in the code in form of stable boundary conditions. Effects of the cylinder rotations had been studied. The results differ from the known theoretical results. We are in the middle of analyzing the results. A detailed analysis of the effects of the heating of the cylinder on the shedding frequency had been studied using the above schemes. It has been found that the shedding frequency decreases when the wire was heated. Experimental work is being carried out to affirm this result.

Gottlieb, David↗

Continued Development of the Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Computational Aeroacoustic Applications

The formulation and the implementation of boundary conditions within the context of the quadrature-free form of the discontinuous Galerkin method are presented for several types of boundary conditions for the Euler equations. An important feature of the discontinuous Galerkin method is that the interior point algorithm is well behaved in the neighborhood of the boundary and requires no modifications. This feature leads to a simple and accurate treatment for wall boundary conditions and simple inflow and outflow boundary conditions. Curved walls are accurately treated with only minor changes to the implementation described in earlier work. The 'perfectly matched layer' approach to nonreflecting boundary conditions is easily applied to the discontinuous Galerkin. The compactness of the discontinuous Galerkin method makes it better suited for buffer-zone-type methods than high-order finite-difference methods. Results are presented for wall, characteristic inflow and outflow, and nonreflecting boundary conditions.

Atkins, H. L.↗

Real-Time Multiprocessor Programming Language (RTMPL) user's manual

A real-time multiprocessor programming language (RTMPL) has been developed to provide for high-order programming of real-time simulations on systems of distributed computers. RTMPL is a structured, engineering-oriented language. The RTMPL utility supports a variety of multiprocessor configurations and types by generating assembly language programs according to user-specified targeting information. Many programming functions are assumed by the utility (e.g., data transfer and scaling) to reduce the programming chore. This manual describes RTMPL from a user's viewpoint. Source generation, applications, utility operation, and utility output are detailed. An example simulation is generated to illustrate many RTMPL features.

Arpasi, D. J.↗

State Estimation of Main Rotor Flap and Lead-Lag Using Accelerometers and Laser Transducers on the RASCAL UH-60 Helicopter

Modern rotorcraft flight control system designs which promise to yield high vehicle response bandwidth and good gust rejection can benefit from the use of rotor-state feedbacks. The measurement of main rotor blade motions is also desirable to validate and improve rotorcraft simulation models, to identify high-order linear flight dynamics models, to provide rotor system health monitoring; during flight test, and to provide for correlation with acoustic measurements from wind tunnel and flight tests. However, few attempts have been made to instrument a flight vehicle in this manner, and no previous system has had the robustness and accuracy required for these diverse applications. A rotor blade motion measurement and estimation system has been developed by NASA and the U.S. Army for use on the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) helicopter. RASCAL is a UH-60 Blackhawk which is being modified at Ames Research Center in a phased development program for use in flight dynamics and controls, navigation, airspace management, and rotorcraft human factors research. The aircraft will feature a full-authority, digital, fly-by-wire research flight control system; a coupled ring laser gyro, differential GPS based navigation system; a stereoscopic color wide field of view helmet, mounted display; programmable panel mounted displays; and advanced navigation sensors. The rotor blade motion system is currently installed for data acquisition only, but will be integrated with the research flight control system when it is installed later this year.

Fletcher, Jay W.↗

Stabilization of large-scale systems - A spinning flexible spacecraft

Stabilization of high-order constant systems by multilevel control is proposed in the framework of the decomposition-aggregation method for stability analysis of large-scale systems. An 11-order linear model of a spinning flexible spacecraft is stabilized by the method using both the passive and the active stabilization devices. The method can take advantage of the special structural features of the model to provide the best estimate of the stability region for an important parameter which couples the wobble and the spin motion of the spacecraft.

Siljak, D. D.↗

A high-order language for a system of closely coupled processing elements

The research reported in this paper was occasioned by the requirements on part of the Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) project under way at NASA Lewis Research Center. The RTDS simulation scheme employs a network of CPUs running lock-step cycles in the parallel computations of jet airplane simulations. Their need for a high order language (HOL) that would allow non-experts to write simulation applications and that could be implemented on a possibly varying network can best be fulfilled by using the programming language Ada. We describe how the simulation problems can be modeled in Ada, how to map a single, multi-processing Ada program into code for individual processors, regardless of network reconfiguration, and why some Ada language features are particulary well-suited to network simulations.

Feyock, S.↗

Counterrotating prop-fan simulations which feature a relative-motion multiblock grid decomposition enabling arbitrary time-steps

Improvements are presented of a computer algorithm developed for the time-accurate flow analysis of rotating machines. The flow model is a finite volume method utilizing a high-resolution approximate Riemann solver for interface flux definitions. The numerical scheme is a block LU implicit iterative-refinement method which possesses apparent unconditional stability. Multiblock composite gridding is used to orderly partition the field into a specified arrangement of blocks exhibiting varying degrees of similarity. Block-block relative motion is achieved using local grid distortion to reduce grid skewness and accommodate arbitrary time step selection. A general high-order numerical scheme is applied to satisfy the geometric conservation law. An even-blade-count counterrotating unducted fan configuration is chosen for a computational study comparing solutions resulting from altering parameters such as time step size and iteration count. The solutions are compared with measured data.

Janus, J. Mark↗

Understanding transition and turbulence through direct simulations

Direct simulations consist in solving the full Navier-Stokes equations, without any turbulence model, and describing all the detailed features of the flow. Usually the flows are three-dimensional and time-dependent and contain both coarse and fine structures, which makes the numerical task very challenging in terms of both the algorithm and the computational effort. Most of the work until now has involved spectral methods, which are highly accurate but not very flexible in terms of geometry or complex equations. For that reason, future work will also rely on high-order finite-difference or other methods. Direct simulations complement experimental work, and both contribute to the theory and the empirical knowledge of turbulence. Once such a simulation has been shown to be accurate, the flow field is completely known in three dimensions and time, including the pressure, the vorticity and any other quantity. On the other hand, most simulations to date solved the incompressible equations in rather simple geometries, and direct simulations will always be limited to moderate Reynolds numbers. Extensive simulations have been conducted in homogeneous turbulence, channel flows, boundary layers, and mixing layers. Much effort is devoted to addressing flows with compressibility and chemical reactions, and to new geometries such as a backward-facing step.

Spalart, P. R.↗

Direct numerical simulation of laminar breakdown in high-speed, axisymmetric boundary layers

The compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved using spectral collocation and high-order compact-difference techniques to simulate the laminar breakdown in high-speed, axisymmetric boundary-layer flow. Mach 4.5 flow along a hollow cylinder and Mach 6.8 flow along a sharp cone are considered. Data obtained replicate two previously unexplained phenomena, namely, the appearance of so-called 'rope-like waves' and 'the precursor transition effect', in which transitional flow originates near the critical layer well upstream of the transition location at the wall. The numerical data also reveal that neither of these effects can be explained, even qualitatively, by linear stability theory alone. It is shown that rope-like appearance arises from secondary instability. Certain features of the precursor transition effect also emerge from secondary instability but its nature is revealed to be fundamentally nonlinear.

Pruett, C. D.↗

Theory and implementation of high-order adaptive hp methods for analysis of incompressible viscous flows

An account is given of 'smart' algorithms for CFD which change in structure and performance with during flow calculations to accommodate changing properties of the solution. Such algorithms prominently include adaptive FEM methods, which are designed to adjust mesh parameters for the control of numerical error; attention is presently given to those which change the mesh size h and the local spectral order p in order to achieve high accuracies with minimal numbers of degrees of freedom. These 'hp methods' produce exponentially convergent approximations through which flow features are resolved by automatically distributing element sizes and spectral orders. This leads to calculation of the local (elementwise) error in the approximation.

Oden, J. T.↗

A normal stress subgrid-scale eddy viscosity model in large eddy simulation

The Smagorinsky subgrid-scale eddy viscosity model (SGS-EVM) is commonly used in large eddy simulations (LES) to represent the effects of the unresolved scales on the resolved scales. This model is known to be limited because its constant must be optimized in different flows, and it must be modified with a damping function to account for near-wall effects. The recent dynamic model is designed to overcome these limitations but is compositionally intensive as compared to the traditional SGS-EVM. In a recent study using direct numerical simulation data, Horiuti has shown that these drawbacks are due mainly to the use of an improper velocity scale in the SGS-EVM. He also proposed the use of the subgrid-scale normal stress as a new velocity scale that was inspired by a high-order anisotropic representation model. The testing of Horiuti, however, was conducted using DNS data from a low Reynolds number channel flow simulation. It was felt that further testing at higher Reynolds numbers and also using different flows (other than wall-bounded shear flows) were necessary steps needed to establish the validity of the new model. This is the primary motivation of the present study. The objective is to test the new model using DNS databases of high Reynolds number channel and fully developed turbulent mixing layer flows. The use of both channel (wall-bounded) and mixing layer flows is important for the development of accurate LES models because these two flows encompass many characteristic features of complex turbulent flows.

Horiuti, K.↗