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At least 217 records · Page 12

Effect of mean velocity shear on the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy

The dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy in incompressible turbulence is investigated using a two-scale DIA. The dissipation rate is shown to consist of two parts; one corresponds to the dissipation rate used in the current turbulence models of eddy-viscosity type, and another comes from the viscous effect that is closely connected with mean velocity shear. This result can elucidate the physical meaning of the dissipation rate used in the current turbulence models and explain part of the discrepancy in the near-wall dissipation rates between the current turbulence models and direct numerical simulation of the Navier-Stokes equation.

Yoshizawa, Akira↗

A CFD Approach to Modeling Spacecraft Fuel Slosh

Energy dissipation and resonant coupling from sloshing fuel in spacecraft fuel tanks is a problem that occurs in the design of many spacecraft. In the case of a spin stabilized spacecraft, this energy dissipation can cause a growth in the spacecrafts' nutation (wobble) that may lead to disastrous consequences for the mission. Even in non-spinning spacecraft, coupling between the spacecraft or upper stage flight control system and an unanticipated slosh resonance can result in catastrophe. By using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver such as Fluent, a model for this fuel slosh can be created. The accuracy of the model must be tested by comparing its results to an experimental test case. Such a model will allow for the variation of many different parameters such as fluid viscosity and gravitational field, yielding a deeper understanding of spacecraft slosh dynamics. In order to gain a better understanding of the dynamics behind sloshing fluids, the Launch Services Program (LSP) at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is interested in finding ways to better model this behavior. Thanks to past research, a state-of-the-art fuel slosh research facility was designed and fabricated at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). This test facility has produced interesting results and a fairly reliable parameter estimation process to predict the necessary values that accurately characterize a mechanical pendulum analog model. The current study at ERAU uses a different approach to model the free surface sloshing of liquid in a spherical tank using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods. Using a software package called Fluent, a model was created to simulate the sloshing motion of the propellant. This finite volume program uses a technique called the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method to model the interaction between two fluids [4]. For the case of free surface slosh, the two fluids are the propellant and air. As the fuel sloshes around in the tank, it naturally displaces the air. Using the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy equations, as well as the VOF equations, one can predict the behavior of the sloshing fluid and calculate the forces, pressure gradients, and velocity field for the entire liquid as a function of time.

Marsell, Brandon↗

Effect of inertia properties on attitude stability of nonrigid spin-stabilized spacecraft

The phenomenon of energy dissipation in spinning spacecraft is discussed with particular reference to its dependence on spacecraft inertia properties. Specific dissipation mechanisms are identified. The effect of external environmental factors on spin stability is also discussed. Generalized curves are presented relating system stability to the principal inertia ratio for various forms of energy dissipation. Dual-spin systems and the effect of lateral inertia asymmetry are also reviewed.

Lang, W. E.↗

Selection of active member locations in adaptive structures

The effective use of multiple passive and active members in adaptive structures necessitates that these members be optimally distributed throughout the structure. In truss structures, the problem falls into the class of combinatorial optimization for which the solution becomes exceedingly intractable as the problem size increases. This is overcome by using the simulated annealing algorithm to obtain near optimal locations for passive and/or active members. The maximization of the rate of energy dissipation over a finite time period as the measure of optimality is adopted. The selection of optimal locations for both passive and active members is consistently treated through the use of the energy dissipation rate criterion within the simulated annealing algorithm. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the methodology for large truss structures.

Chen, G.-S.↗

Single-pass rub testing of abradable seal materials

A pendulum-type test device has been built for use in studying rubs between a turbine or compressor blade tip or labyrinth seal knife edge and specimens of abradable gas path seal materials. The device allows measurement of the rub energy dissipated in a single wear event, along with friction and normal forces and wear. Subsequent rubs over the same surface can also be monitored, with microscopic observation of the rub surface being possible after any of the passes. The device was used in tests of several potential abradable materials, ranging from porous to fully dense. It was shown that the rub energy dissipated in initial and subsequent passes is a fundamental parameter in the evaluation of material abradability. Rub energy was found to be influenced by such factors as: density and tensile (or yield) strength of the abradable material, prior densification or work hardening of the rub surface, and the sharpness of the leading edge of the blade tip.

Kennedy, F. E.↗

Mesopheric turbulence intensities measured with a HF radar at 35 deg S. Part 2

A theory was developed for extracting turbulence energy dissipation rates from spectra measured with a radar. It is shown that factors apart from turbulence contribute to the observed spectral widths, and that these factors must be considered if accurate estimates of energy dissipation rates are to be obtained. In particular, beam-width broadening and shear broadening are important. The first results obtained with this theory are presented. The rules were obtained using the large HF array at Adelaide, Australia, primarily during the Southern Hemisphere winter of 1981. Results are consistent with rocket measurements of turbulence, with typical values varying between 0.01 and 1/0.2 W kg at 80-90 km altitude.

Hocking, W. K.↗

Relaxation behavior of ultrasonic attenuation in YBa2Cu3O7

It is shown that temperature-dependent ultrasonic attenuation data of YBa2Cu3O7 at various frequencies exhibit anomalies at temperatures close to Tc. These attenuation maxima are found to be the result of a relaxation mechanism added on top of an unusual attenuation background. It is proposed that the grain boundary motions induced by the structural distortion and the propagation of sound waves enhances the energy dissipation around Tc. Whether this structural distortion is the consequence of the onset of a superconducting state remains undetermined. It is also possible that either a tunneling effect or the acoustoelectric effect contributes to sound energy dissipation. The temperature dependence of ultrasonic velocity shows a softening around Tc which may be an intrinsic property of high-temperature superconductors.

Sun, K. J.↗

Dissipation of energy in model experiments

Interaction studies of a plasma stream with a magnetic dipole have shown that the thickness of the plasma/field interlayer is considerably greater than the characteristic plasma dimension c/omega sub 0. Broadening of the layer is due to the formation of a collisionless shock wave. To demonstrate collisionless dissipation, the Joulean losses were calculated using the conductivity value obtained from the skin layer thickness. Analysis of the various physical processes showed that the hypothesis of collisionless dissipation of the directional plasma flow is justified.

Podgornyy, I. M.↗

Characterizing and Modeling the Influence of Geometry on the Performance of Superconducting Nanowire Cryotrons

The scaling of superconducting nanowire detectors to larger arrays is often limited by room-temperature-readout cabling. Cryogenic integrated circuits constructed from nanowire cryotrons, or nanocryotrons, can address this limitation by performing signal processing on chip. In this study, we characterize key performance metrics of the nanocryotron to elucidate its potential as a logical element in cryogenic integrated circuits and develop an electro-thermal model to connect material parameters with device performance. We find that the performance of the nanocryotron depends on the device geometry, and trade-offs are associated with optimizing the gain, jitter, and energy dissipation. Here, we demonstrate that nanocryotrons fabricated on niobium nitride can achieve a grey zone less than 210 nA wide for a 5 ns long input pulse corresponding to a maximum achievable gain of 48 dB, an energy dissipation of less than 20 aJ per operation, and a jitter of less than 60 ps.

Superconductor↗

Estimations of ABL fluxes and other turbulence parameters from Doppler lidar data

Techniques for extracting boundary layer parameters from measurements of a short pulse CO2 Doppler Lidar are described. The radial velocity measurements have a range resolution of 150 m. With a pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz, it is possible to perform scannings in two perpendicular vertical planes in approx. 72 s. By continuously operating the Lidar for about an hour, one can extract stable statistics of the radial velocities. Assuming that the turbulence is horizontally homogeneous, the mean wind, its standard deviations, and the momentum fluxes were estimated. From the vertically pointing beam, the first, second, and third moments of the vertical velocity were also estimated. Spectral analysis of the radial velocities is also performed from which, by examining the amplitude of the power spectrum at the inertial range, the kinetic energy dissipation was deduced. Finally, using the statistical form of the Navier-Stokes equations, the surface heat flux is derived as the residual balance between the vertical gradient of the third moment of the vertical velocity and the kinetic energy dissipation.

Tzvi, Gal-Chen↗

Estimations of ABL fluxes and other turbulence parameters from Doppler lidar data

Techniques for extraction boundary layer parameters from measurements of a short-pulse CO2 Doppler lidar are described. The measurements are those collected during the First International Satellites Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE). By continuously operating the lidar for about an hour, stable statistics of the radial velocities can be extracted. Assuming that the turbulence is horizontally homogeneous, the mean wind, its standard deviations, and the momentum fluxes were estimated. Spectral analysis of the radial velocities is also performed from which, by examining the amplitude of the power spectrum at the inertial range, the kinetic energy dissipation was deduced. Finally, using the statistical form of the Navier-Stokes equations, the surface heat flux is derived as the residual balance between the vertical gradient of the third moment of the vertical velocity and the kinetic energy dissipation. Combining many measurements would normally reduce the error provided that, it is unbiased and uncorrelated. The nature of some of the algorithms however, is such that, biased and correlated errors may be generated even though the raw measurements are not. Data processing procedures were developed that eliminate bias and minimize error correlation. Once bias and error correlations are accounted for, the large sample size is shown to reduce the errors substantially. The principal features of the derived turbulence statistics for two case studied are presented.

Gal-Chen, Tzvi↗

Momentum and heat flux estimation in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) with a 10.6-micron Doppler lidar

The mean wind, its standard deviation, and the momentum fluxes in the PBL are estimated with a 10.6-micron Doppler lidar. Spectral analysis of the radial velocities was performed, from which, by examining the amplitude of the power spectrum at the inertial range, the kinetic energy dissipation was deduced. The statistical form of the Navier-Stokes equations was used to derive the surface heat flux as the residual balance between the vertical gradient of the third moment of the vertical velocity and the kinetic energy dissipation.

Gal-Chen, Tzvi↗

Helical magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and the coronal heating problem

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the relaxation of an unconfined, helically turbulent, fully three-dimensional magnetofluid, with conditions similar to those which are thought to result in the heating of the solar corona. In these simulations, the system evolves through a succession of force free states. After a relatively quiescent period of Ohmic decay, a phase of accelerated magnetic energy dissipation occurs. Some magnetic energy is transformed into kinetic energy, and the magnitude of entrophy created is a nontrival fraction of the mean square electric current. Concentrated vorticity structures are seen to play almost as important a role as electric current sheets in the heating process. Coincident with this accelerated dissipation process, a reorganization of the magnetic fields occurs, with transfer of magnetic energy to both shorter and longer wavelength modes than are initially present. The ratio of the magnetic field to the electric current density, alpha does not in general tend to assume a constant value in the force free regions during the evolution of the magnetofluid.

Dahlburg, R. B.↗

On the Yakhot-Orszag renormalization group method for deriving turbulence statistics and models

An independent, comprehensive, critical review of the 'renormalization group' (RNG) theory of turbulence developed by Yakhot and Orszag (1986) is provided. Their basic theory for the Navier-Stokes equations is confirmed, and approximations in the scale removal procedure are discussed. The YO derivations of the velocity-derivative skewness and the transport equation for the energy dissipation rate are examined. An algebraic error in the derivation of the skewness is corrected. The corrected RNG skewness value of -0.59 is in agreement with experiments at moderate Reynolds numbers. Several problems are identified in the derivation of the energy dissipation rate equations which suggest that the derivation should be reformulated.

Smith, L. M.↗

Experimental and numerical study of the intermittency exponent mu

After publication of the Kolmogorov refined similarity hypotheses, the small-scale intermittency of the energy dissipation field became a central problem in fully developed turbulence (FDT). This phenomenon has been studied in many different ways, e.g. by searching for corrections to scaling exponents in the inertial range velocity structure functions. A direct measure of this intermittency is, however, available by studying the local rate of energy dissipation, and it may be quantitatively characterized by the intermittency exponent mu. As far as we know, nobody has posed an obvious question: Is the intermittency exponent mu a unique constant, i.e., are the values mu(sub kappa), mu(sub epsilon), mu(sub r), mu(sub b), and mu(sub e) the same at high Reynolds numbers, or do they create a set of different (and perhaps independent) exponents? This paper addresses the above question using the high Reynolds number experiments.

Praskovsky, Alexander↗

Probabilistic and maximum entropy modeling of chemical reaction systems: Characteristics and comparisons to mass action kinetic models

We demonstrate and characterize a first-principles approach to modeling the mass action dynamics of metabolism. Starting from a basic definition of entropy expressed as a multinomial probability density using Boltzmann probabilities with standard chemical potentials, we derive and compare the free energy dissipation and the entropy production rates. We express the relation between entropy production and the chemical master equation for modeling metabolism, which unifies chemical kinetics and chemical thermodynamics. Because prediction uncertainty with respect to parameter variability is frequently a concern with mass action models utilizing rate constants, we compare and contrast the maximum entropy model, which has its own set of rate parameters, to a population of standard mass action models in which the rate constants are randomly chosen. We show that a maximum entropy model is characterized by a high probability of free energy dissipation rate and likewise entropy production rate, relative to other models. We then characterize the variability of the maximum entropy model predictions with respect to uncertainties in parameters (standard free energies of formation) and with respect to ionic strengths typically found in a cell.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Nonlinear Reconnection in Magnetized Turbulence

Recent analytical works on strong magnetized plasma turbulence have hypothesized the existence of a range of scales where the tearing instability may govern the energy cascade. In this paper, we estimate the conditions under which such tearing may give rise to full nonlinear magnetic reconnection in the turbulent eddies. When those conditions are met, a new turbulence regime is accessed where reconnection-driven energy dissipation becomes common, rather than the rare feature that it must be when they are not. We conclude that while such conditions are very stringent for fluid-scale eddies, they are easily met for kinetic-scale eddies; in particular, we suggest that our arguments may help explain recent Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of (so-called) electron-only reconnection and of energy dissipation via electron Landau damping in the Earthʼs magnetosheath.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗