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DOE OSTI2013

AUTOMATIC MESH ADAPTIVITY FOR CADIS AND FW-CADIS NEUTRONICS MODELING OF DIFFICULT SHIELDING PROBLEMS

The hybrid Monte Carlo/deterministic techniques CADIS and FW-CADIS dramatically increase the efficiency of neutronics modeling, but their use in the accurate design analysis of very large and geometrically complex nuclear systems has been restricted by the availability of computing resources for their preliminary deterministic calculations and the large computer memory requirements of their final Monte Carlo calculations. Three automatic mesh adaptivity algorithms were developed to reduce the memory requirements of CADIS and FW-CADIS without sacrificing their efficiency improvement. First, a macromaterial approach enhances the fidelity of the deterministic models without changing the mesh. Second, a deterministic mesh refinement algorithm generates meshes that capture as much geometric detail as possible without exceeding some maximum number of mesh elements. Finally, a weight window coarsening algorithm decouples the weight window mesh from the mesh of the deterministic calculations to remove the memory constraint of the weight window map from the deterministic mesh resolution. The three algorithms were used to calculate the prompt dose rate throughout the entire ITER experimental facility. Compared to a FW-CADIS calculation with the same weight window map memory requirement, using the three algorithms resulted in a 23.3% increase in the regions where the dose rates were calculated in a 10-day Monte Carlo calculation and, additionally, increased the efficiency of the Monte Carlo simulation by a factor of at least 3.4. The three algorithms enabled the accurate performance of this difficult global Monte Carlo calculation, which traditionally needed high performance computing, using a FW-CADIS simulation on a regular computer cluster.

CADIS and FW-CADIS↗

NASA NTRS2012

Detached Eddy Simulation of the UH-60 Rotor Wake Using Adaptive Mesh Refinement

Time-dependent Navier-Stokes flow simulations have been carried out for a UH-60 rotor with simplified hub in forward flight and hover flight conditions. Flexible rotor blades and flight trim conditions are modeled and established by loosely coupling the OVERFLOW Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code with the CAMRAD II helicopter comprehensive code. High order spatial differences, Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR), and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) are used to obtain highly resolved vortex wakes, where the largest turbulent structures are captured. Special attention is directed towards ensuring the dual time accuracy is within the asymptotic range, and verifying the loose coupling convergence process using AMR. The AMR/DES simulation produced vortical worms for forward flight and hover conditions, similar to previous results obtained for the TRAM rotor in hover. AMR proved to be an efficient means to capture a rotor wake without a priori knowledge of the wake shape.

Chaderjian, Neal M.↗

DOE OSTI2011

Numerical simulation of current sheet formation in a quasiseparatrix layer using adaptive mesh refinement

The formation of a thin current sheet in a magnetic quasiseparatrix layer (QSL) is investigated by means of numerical simulation using a simplified ideal, low-{beta}, MHD model. The initial configuration and driving boundary conditions are relevant to phenomena observed in the solar corona and were studied earlier by Aulanier et al. [Astron. Astrophys. 444, 961 (2005)]. In extension to that work, we use the technique of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) to significantly enhance the local spatial resolution of the current sheet during its formation, which enables us to follow the evolution into a later stage. Our simulations are in good agreement with the results of Aulanier et al. up to the calculated time in that work. In a later phase, we observe a basically unarrested collapse of the sheet to length scales that are more than one order of magnitude smaller than those reported earlier. The current density attains correspondingly larger maximum values within the sheet. During this thinning process, which is finally limited by lack of resolution even in the AMR studies, the current sheet moves upward, following a global expansion of the magnetic structure during the quasistatic evolution. The sheet is locally one-dimensional and the plasma flow in its vicinity, when transformed into a comoving frame, qualitatively resembles a stagnation point flow. In conclusion, our simulations support the idea that extremely high current densities are generated in the vicinities of QSLs as a response to external perturbations, with no sign of saturation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Adaptive mesh based combustion simulations of direct fuel injection effects in a supersonic cavity flame-holder

Here, we present high-fidelity reacting simulations of a supersonic cavity flame-holder configuration. The focus of this work is on flame stabilization brought about by varying the location of fuel injection in a cavity stabilized supersonic flow of air. Central to our approach is a compressible multi-species reacting flow solver that uses adaptive-mesh-refinement (AMR), enabling the resolution of flame, shock-waves, boundary-layers, and small-scale structures in the computational domain. Our analysis indicates that fuel injection closer to the ramp at the aft end of the cavity allows for greater mixing and lower peak temperatures compared to fuel injection upstream that is closer to the backward facing step of the cavity. This difference is mainly due to greater turbulent fluctuations generated from the shear-layer towards the cavity ramp, thereby enhancing the mixing of fuel and air. A low frequency oscillatory behaviour in heat-release and pressure was also observed for the upstream injection case while a much higher-frequency phenomena was observed in the near-ramp injection case. By identifying the important physical determinants of the combustion processes, this study illustrates a promising pathway to design and optimize direct fuel injection strategies in supersonic cavity flame-holders that can improve flame stability, combustion efficiency, and reduce emissions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2016

Mesh Adaptive Search Optimization in SERPENT2 Stereolithography Geometry

SERPENT2 Monte Carlo program has the capability to model reactor cores by stereolithography (STL) geometry. In this geometry, volumes are defined by the union of triangulated surfaces. Using the STL geometry offers unique benefits, including: 1) the model can be printed on 3D printers; 2) the possibility to use directly geometrical models from Computer-Aided Design (CAD); 3) the capability to perform multi-physics simulations coupling neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and material science computations. In this work the STL geometry has been created by the CUBIT software, which is designed for finite elements mesh generation. The materials in the STL geometry have been assigned by a simple C program using the colors of the volumes in the CUBIT model. The goal of this work is to minimize the SERPENT2 computing time using mesh adaptive search algorithms. The basic idea is to split the geometry of the core into two zones: one zone containing the fuel elements (including the moderator and the coolant) and the other containing the reflector (and the target zone of the core, if it is driven by an external neutron source). By performing this splitting, two separate meshes are used, which results in a considerable computing time saving. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Identification of Unknown Interface Locations in a Source/Shield System Using the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search Method

The Levenberg-Marquardt (or simply Marquardt) and differential evolution (DE) optimization methods were recently applied to solve inverse transport problems. The Marquardt method is fast but convergence of the method is dependent on the initial guess. While it has been shown to work extremely well at finding an optimum independent of the initial guess, the DE method does not provide a global optimal solution in some problems. In this paper, we apply the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (MADS) algorithm to solve the inverse problem of material interface location identification in one-dimensional spherical radiation source/shield systems, and we compare the results obtained by MADS to those obtained by Levenberg-Marquardt and DE.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2014

Temperature structure of the intracluster medium from smoothed-particle hydrodynamics and adaptive-mesh refinement simulations

Analyses of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy clusters suggest that X-ray masses can be underestimated by 10%-30%. The largest bias originates from both violation of hydrostatic equilibrium (HE) and an additional temperature bias caused by inhomogeneities in the X-ray-emitting intracluster medium (ICM). To elucidate this large dispersion among theoretical predictions, we evaluate the degree of temperature structures in cluster sets simulated either with smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) or adaptive-mesh refinement (AMR) codes. We find that the SPH simulations produce larger temperature variations connected to the persistence of both substructures and their stripped cold gas. This difference is more evident in nonradiative simulations, whereas it is reduced in the presence of radiative cooling. We also find that the temperature variation in radiative cluster simulations is generally in agreement with that observed in the central regions of clusters. Around R {sub 500} the temperature inhomogeneities of the SPH simulations can generate twice the typical HE mass bias of the AMR sample. We emphasize that a detailed understanding of the physical processes responsible for the complex thermal structure in ICM requires improved resolution and high-sensitivity observations in order to extend the analysis to higher temperature systems and larger cluster-centric radii.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2011

GALAXY CLUSTER RADIO RELICS IN ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT COSMOLOGICAL SIMULATIONS: RELIC PROPERTIES AND SCALING RELATIONSHIPS

Cosmological shocks are a critical part of large-scale structure formation, and are responsible for heating the intracluster medium in galaxy clusters. In addition, they are capable of accelerating non-thermal electrons and protons. In this work, we focus on the acceleration of electrons at shock fronts, which is thought to be responsible for radio relics-extended radio features in the vicinity of merging galaxy clusters. By combining high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement/N-body cosmological simulations with an accurate shock-finding algorithm and a model for electron acceleration, we calculate the expected synchrotron emission resulting from cosmological structure formation. We produce synthetic radio maps of a large sample of galaxy clusters and present luminosity functions and scaling relationships. With upcoming long-wavelength radio telescopes, we expect to see an abundance of radio emission associated with merger shocks in the intracluster medium. By producing observationally motivated statistics, we provide predictions that can be compared with observations to further improve our understanding of magnetic fields and electron shock acceleration.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

SUHMO: an adaptive mesh refinement SUbglacial Hydrology MOdel v1.0

Abstract. Water flowing under ice sheets and glaciers can have a strong influence on ice dynamics, particularly through pressure changes, suggesting that a comprehensive ice sheet model should include the effect of basal hydrology. Modeling subglacial hydrology remains a challenge, however, mainly due to the range of spatial and temporal scales involved – from subglacial channels to vast subglacial lakes. Additionally, networks of subglacial drainage channels dynamically evolve over time. To address some of these challenges, we have developed an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) model based on the Chombo software framework. We extend the model proposed by Sommers et al. (2018) with a small but significant change to accommodate the transition from unresolved to resolved flow features. We handle the strong nonlinearities present in the equations by resorting to an efficient nonlinear full approximation scheme multigrid (FAS-MG) algorithm. We outline the details of the algorithm and present convergence analysis results demonstrating its good performance. Additionally, we present results validating our approach, using test cases from the Subglacial Hydrology Model Intercomparison Project (SHMIP) (de Fleurian et al., 2018). We finish by presenting a more complex, 100 km-by-100 km synthetic test case with peaks and valleys that we use to investigate the effective pressure distribution as the number of AMR levels increases. These preliminary results suggest that a minimum spatial resolution is needed to properly capture channel features, but additional work is required to precisely quantify this and its impact on accurately modeling the coupled ice sheet–hydrology system. The efficiency of our approach, relying on localized refinement, is also demonstrated. Future work will include coupling the SUbglacial Hydrology MOdel (SUHMO) with the BISICLES AMR ice sheet model (Cornford et al., 2013), both built on the same numerical framework.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2012

Advances in Rotor Performance and Turbulent Wake Simulation Using DES and Adaptive Mesh Refinement

Time-dependent Navier-Stokes simulations have been carried out for a rigid V22 rotor in hover, and a flexible UH-60A rotor in forward flight. Emphasis is placed on understanding and characterizing the effects of high-order spatial differencing, grid resolution, and Spalart-Allmaras (SA) detached eddy simulation (DES) in predicting the rotor figure of merit (FM) and resolving the turbulent rotor wake. The FM was accurately predicted within experimental error using SA-DES. Moreover, a new adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) procedure revealed a complex and more realistic turbulent rotor wake, including the formation of turbulent structures resembling vortical worms. Time-dependent flow visualization played a crucial role in understanding the physical mechanisms involved in these complex viscous flows. The predicted vortex core growth with wake age was in good agreement with experiment. High-resolution wakes for the UH-60A in forward flight exhibited complex turbulent interactions and turbulent worms, similar to the V22. The normal force and pitching moment coefficients were in good agreement with flight-test data.

Chaderjian, Neal M.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Io's Plasma Environment During the Galileo Flyby: Global Three-Dimensional MHD Modeling with Adaptive Mesh Refinement

The first results for applying a three-dimensional multimedia ideal MHD model for the mass-loaded flow of Jupiter's corotating magnetospheric plasma past Io are presented. The model is able to consider simultaneously physically realistic conditions for ion mass loading, ion-neutral drag, and intrinsic magnetic field in a full global calculation without imposing artificial dissipation. Io is modeled with an extended neutral atmosphere which loads the corotating plasma torus flow with mass, momentum, and energy. The governing equations are solved using adaptive mesh refinement on an unstructured Cartesian grid using an upwind scheme for AHMED. For the work described in this paper we explored a range of models without an intrinsic magnetic field for Io. We compare our results with particle and field measurements made during the December 7, 1995, flyby of to, as published by the Galileo Orbiter experiment teams. For two extreme cases of lower boundary conditions at Io, our model can quantitatively explain the variation of density along the spacecraft trajectory and can reproduce the general appearance of the variations of magnetic field and ion pressure and temperature. The net fresh ion mass-loading rates are in the range of approximately 300-650 kg/s, and equivalent charge exchange mass-loading rates are in the range approximately 540-1150 kg/s in the vicinity of Io.

Combi, M. R.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Adaptive Mesh Refinement Simulations for Turbulent Reacting Flow

With the increased availability of exascale computing hardware, detailed simulations of realistic devices can be performed at practically relevant time and length scales. Insights into the multiscale driving mechanisms in compressible reacting flow systems with complex geometry, such as combustors, can be used for design optimization and technology improvements. However, to effectively perform these simulations, advanced numerical algorithms must be used to maintain solution accuracy without incurring undue computational costs. PeleC, part of the Pele suite of codes, leverages block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) through the AMReX library to capture fine-scale flow features in compressible reacting flows. In this talk, we discuss recent improvements to the numerical algorithms, particularly in regard to describing flows at complex boundary structures, and PeleC's performance on exascale computing hardware. We will demonstrate that PeleC is well-suited for modern, extreme-scale, heterogenous compute platforms.

combustion↗

DOE OSTI2015

3D ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT SIMULATIONS OF THE GAS CLOUD G2 BORN WITHIN THE DISKS OF YOUNG STARS IN THE GALACTIC CENTER

The dusty, ionized gas cloud G2 is currently passing the massive black hole in the Galactic Center at a distance of roughly 2400 Schwarzschild radii. We explore the possibility of a starting point of the cloud within the disks of young stars. We make use of the large amount of new observations in order to put constraints on G2's origin. Interpreting the observations as a diffuse cloud of gas, we employ three-dimensional hydrodynamical adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations with the PLUTO code and do a detailed comparison with observational data. The simulations presented in this work update our previously obtained results in multiple ways: (1) high resolution three-dimensional hydrodynamical AMR simulations are used, (2) the cloud follows the updated orbit based on the Brackett-γ data, (3) a detailed comparison to the observed high-quality position–velocity (PV) diagrams and the evolution of the total Brackett-γ luminosity is done. We concentrate on two unsolved problems of the diffuse cloud scenario: the unphysical formation epoch only shortly before the first detection and the too steep Brackett-γ light curve obtained in simulations, whereas the observations indicate a constant Brackett-γ luminosity between 2004 and 2013. For a given atmosphere and cloud mass, we find a consistent model that can explain both, the observed Brackett-γ light curve and the PV diagrams of all epochs. Assuming initial pressure equilibrium with the atmosphere, this can be reached for a starting date earlier than roughly 1900, which is close to apo-center and well within the disks of young stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1988

Adaptive mesh generation for viscous flows using Delaunay triangulation

A method for generating an unstructured triangular mesh in two dimensions, suitable for computing high Reynolds number flows over arbitrary configurations is presented. The method is based on a Delaunay triangulation, which is performed in a locally stretched space, in order to obtain very high aspect ratio triangles in the boundary layer and the wake regions. It is shown how the method can be coupled with an unstructured Navier-Stokes solver to produce a solution adaptive mesh generation procedure for viscous flows.

Mavriplis, Dimitri J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Adaptive mesh generation for viscous flows using Delaunay triangulation

Mavriplis, Dimitri J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Adaptive mesh generation for viscous flows using Delaunay triangulation

Mavriplis, Dimitri J.↗

DOE OSTI2016

Adaptive mesh refinement versus subgrid friction interpolation in simulations of Antarctic ice dynamics

At least in conventional hydrostatic ice-sheet models, the numerical error associated with grounding line dynamics can be reduced by modifications to the discretization scheme. These involve altering the integration formulae for the basal traction and/or driving stress close to the grounding line and exhibit lower – if still first-order – error in the MISMIP3d experiments. MISMIP3d may not represent the variety of real ice streams, in that it lacks strong lateral stresses, and imposes a large basal traction at the grounding line. We study resolution sensitivity in the context of extreme forcing simulations of the entire Antarctic ice sheet, using the BISICLES adaptive mesh ice-sheet model with two schemes: the original treatment, and a scheme, which modifies the discretization of the basal traction. The second scheme does indeed improve accuracy – by around a factor of two – for a given mesh spacing, but $\lesssim 1$ km resolution is still necessary. For example, in coarser resolution simulations Thwaites Glacier retreats so slowly that other ice streams divert its trunk. In contrast, with $\lesssim 1$ km meshes, the same glacier retreats far more quickly and triggers the final phase of West Antarctic collapse a century before any such diversion can take place.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Axion Mass Prediction from Adaptive Mesh Refinement Cosmological Lattice Simulations

The quantum chromodynamics (QCD) axion arises as the pseudo-Goldstone mode of a spontaneously broken Abelian Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry. If the scale of PQ symmetry breaking occurs below the inflationary reheat temperature and the domain wall number is unity, then there is a unique axion mass that gives the observed dark matter (DM) abundance. Computing this mass has been the subject of intensive numerical simulations for decades since the mass prediction informs laboratory experiments. Axion strings develop below the PQ symmetry-breaking temperature, and as the string network evolves, it emits axions that go on to become the DM. A key ingredient in the axion mass prediction is the spectral index of axion radiation emitted by the axion strings. We compute this index in this Letter using the most precise and accurate large-scale simulations to date of the axion-string network leveraging adaptive mesh refinement to achieve the precision that would, otherwise, require a static lattice with 262,144 3 lattice sites. We find a scale-invariant axion radiation spectrum to within 1% precision and find no evidence that the spectral index of radiation evolves with time. Accounting for axion production from strings prior to the QCD phase transition leads us to predict that the axion mass should be approximately 𝑚 𝑎 ∈ (45, 65) μ ⁢eV. However, we provide preliminary evidence that axions are produced in greater quantities from the string-domain-wall network collapse during the QCD phase transition, potentially increasing the mass prediction to as much as 300 μ ⁢eV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗