Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Numerical”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12

Reliability of Complex Nonlinear Numerical Simulations

This work describes some of the procedure to ensure a higher level of confidence in the predictability and reliability (PAR) of numerical simulation of multiscale complex nonlinear problems. The focus is on relating PAR of numerical simulations with complex nonlinear phenomena of numerics. To isolate sources of numerical uncertainties, the possible discrepancy between the chosen partial differential equation (PDE) model and the real physics and/or experimental data is set aside. The discussion is restricted to how well numerical schemes can mimic the solution behavior of the underlying PDE model for finite time steps and grid spacings. The situation is complicated by the fact that the available theory for the understanding of nonlinear behavior of numerics is not at a stage to fully analyze the nonlinear Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. The discussion is based on the knowledge gained for nonlinear model problems with known analytical solutions to identify and explain the possible sources and remedies of numerical uncertainties in practical computations. Examples relevant to turbulent flow computations are included.

Yee, H. C.↗

Numerical Investigation of Dual-Mode Scramjet Combustor with Large Upstream Interaction

Dual-mode scramjet combustor configuration with significant upstream interaction is investigated numerically, The possibility of scaling the domain to accelerate the convergence and reduce the computational time is explored. The supersonic combustor configuration was selected to provide an understanding of key features of upstream interaction and to identify physical and numerical issues relating to modeling of dual-mode configurations. The numerical analysis was performed with vitiated air at freestream Math number of 2.5 using hydrogen as the sonic injectant. Results are presented for two-dimensional models and a three-dimensional jet-to-jet symmetric geometry. Comparisons are made with experimental results. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional results show substantial oblique shock train reaching upstream of the fuel injectors. Flow characteristics slow numerical convergence, while the upstream interaction slowly increases with further iterations. As the flow field develops, the symmetric assumption breaks down. A large separation zone develops and extends further upstream of the step. This asymmetric flow structure is not seen in the experimental data. Results obtained using a sub-scale domain (both two-dimensional and three-dimensional) qualitatively recover the flow physics obtained from full-scale simulations. All results show that numerical modeling using a scaled geometry provides good agreement with full-scale numerical results and experimental results for this configuration. This study supports the argument that numerical scaling is useful in simulating dual-mode scramjet combustor flowfields and could provide an excellent convergence acceleration technique for dual-mode simulations.

Mohieldin, T. O.↗

Building Blocks for Reliable Complex Nonlinear Numerical Simulations

This chapter describes some of the building blocks to ensure a higher level of confidence in the predictability and reliability (PAR) of numerical simulation of multiscale complex nonlinear problems. The focus is on relating PAR of numerical simulations with complex nonlinear phenomena of numerics. To isolate sources of numerical uncertainties, the possible discrepancy between the chosen partial differential equation (PDE) model and the real physics and/or experimental data is set aside. The discussion is restricted to how well numerical schemes can mimic the solution behavior of the underlying PDE model for finite time steps and grid spacings. The situation is complicated by the fact that the available theory for the understanding of nonlinear behavior of numerics is not at a stage to fully analyze the nonlinear Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. The discussion is based on the knowledge gained for nonlinear model problems with known analytical solutions to identify and explain the possible sources and remedies of numerical uncertainties in practical computations.

Yee, H. C.↗

Numerical Modeling of Flow Control in a Boundary-Layer-Ingesting Offset Inlet Diffuser at Transonic Mach Numbers

This paper will investigate the validation of the NASA developed, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) flow solver, OVERFLOW, for a boundary-layer-ingesting (BLI) offset (S-shaped) inlet in transonic flow with passive and active flow control devices as well as a baseline case. Numerical simulations are compared to wind tunnel results of a BLI inlet experiment conducted at the NASA Langley 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. Comparisons of inlet flow distortion, pressure recovery, and inlet wall pressures are performed. The numerical simulations are compared to the BLI inlet data at a free-stream Mach number of 0.85 and a Reynolds number of approximately 2 million based on the fanface diameter. The numerical simulations with and without tunnel walls are performed, quantifying tunnel wall effects on the BLI inlet flow. A comparison is made between the numerical simulations and the BLI inlet experiment for the baseline and VG vane cases at various inlet mass flow rates. A comparison is also made to a BLI inlet jet configuration for varying actuator mass flow rates at a fixed inlet mass flow rate. Overall, the numerical simulations were able to predict the baseline circumferential flow distortion, DPCP avg, very well within the designed operating range of the BLI inlet. A comparison of the average total pressure recovery showed that the simulations were able to predict the trends but had a negative 0.01 offset when compared to the experimental levels. Numerical simulations of the baseline inlet flow also showed good agreement with the experimental inlet centerline surface pressures. The vane case showed that the CFD predicted the correct trends in the circumferential distortion levels for varying inlet mass flow but had a distortion level that was nearly twice as large as the experiment. Comparison to circumferential distortion measurements for a 15 deg clocked 40 probe rake indicated that the circumferential distortion levels are very sensitive to the symmetry of the flow and that a misalignment of the vanes in the experiment could have resulted in this difference. The numerical simulations of the BLI inlet with jets showed good agreement with the circumferential inlet distortion levels for a range of jet actuator mass flow ratios at a fixed inlet mass flow rate. The CFD simulations for the jet case also predicted an average total pressure recovery offset that was 0.01 lower than the experiment as was seen in the baseline. Comparisons of the flow features for the jet cases revealed that the CFD predicted a much larger vortex at the engine fan-face when compare to the experiment.

Allan, Brian G.↗

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the NASA High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor Vaned Stage Geometry and Aerodynamic Performance

Since its inception in the early 2010s, the NASA High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor (HECC) has been enigmatic for the propulsion research community: experimental data and numerical simulations of the stage have generally not aligned in their quantifications of performance metrics. Typically, the fault for these disagreements is assigned to the numerical simulations as the simulations are models, and models are inherently incomplete representations of the experiment. This “incompleteness” may manifest in assumptions regarding roughness or heat transfer, simplifications of the flow path (i.e., neglecting bleed flows), or the oft-scapegoated turbulence model. In the case of HECC, recent work showed unexpected discrepancies between the intended impeller geometry defined in the design report (termed Design-Intent) and the manufactured impeller used in the experimental campaigns (termed As-Manufactured). That work used numerical simulations to establish that the geometric differences between the Design-Intent and As-Manufactured impellers were significant enough to result in drastically different performance predictions for the HECC vaneless diffuser configuration. The Design-Intent impeller simulations over predicted the performance relative to the experiment, whereas the As-Manufactured simulations better represented the experimental data, both in terms of one-dimensional performance metrics and spanwise flow profiles. This effort expands on that work by examining in detail the geometry and aerodynamic performance of the HECC vaned diffuser configuration. Further differences between the Design-Intent and As-Manufactured geometries have been discovered in the vaned diffuser and exit guide vanes, and these differences are documented herein. The summations of the geometric differences for all of the components were used to create two numerical models of HECC vaned diffuser configuration: the Design-Intent simulations which are generated from the original geometry definitions given in the design report and the As-Manufactured simulations which are the best available representation of the manufactured compressor hardware used in the experimental test campaigns. In congruence with the earlier vaneless diffuser work, the numerical predictions of the Design-Intent choked mass flow rate, total pressure ratio, and efficiency were notably greater than that of the As-Manufactured simulations. To increase confidence in the experimental dataset, measurements from a recent test campaign conducted in 2024 are used to validate the original experimental data acquired from 2012 to 2014 with good repeatability overall, especially considering the passage of time and differences in the data acquisition systems between the test campaigns. Both numerical simulations were then extensively evaluated against the experimental data. The As-Manufactured simulations provided better estimates of the stage performance than the Design-Intent cases in terms of most performance metrics. Nonetheless, more detailed results still show opportunities for improvement. Despite a more accurate representation of the physical hardware, characterization of the impeller work input remains a challenge even for rigorously developed numerical models.

vaned diffuser↗

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the NASA High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor Vaned Stage Geometry and Aerodynamic Performance

Since its inception in the early 2010s, the NASA High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor (HECC) has been enigmatic for the propulsion research community: experimental data and numerical simulations of the stage have generally not aligned in their quantifications of performance metrics. Typically, the fault for these disagreements is assigned to the numerical simulations as the simulations are models, and models are inherently incomplete representations of the experiment. This “incompleteness” may manifest in assumptions regarding roughness or heat transfer, simplifications of the flow path (i.e., neglecting bleed flows), or the oft-scapegoated turbulence model. In the case of HECC, recent work showed unexpected discrepancies between the intended impeller geometry defined in the design report (termed Design-Intent) and the manufactured impeller used in the experimental campaigns (termed As-Manufactured). That work used numerical simulations to establish that the geometric differences between the Design-Intent and As-Manufactured impellers were significant enough to result in drastically different performance predictions for the HECC vaneless diffuser configuration. The Design-Intent impeller simulations over predicted the performance relative to the experiment, whereas the As-Manufactured simulations better represented the experimental data, both in terms of one-dimensional performance metrics and spanwise flow profiles. This effort expands on that work by examining in detail the geometry and aerodynamic performance of the HECC vaned diffuser configuration. Further differences between the Design-Intent and As-Manufactured geometries have been discovered in the vaned diffuser and exit guide vanes, and these differences are documented herein. The summations of the geometric differences for all of the components were used to create two numerical models of HECC vaned diffuser configuration: the Design-Intent simulations which are generated from the original geometry definitions given in the design report and the As-Manufactured simulations which are the best available representation of the manufactured compressor hardware used in the experimental test campaigns. In congruence with the earlier vaneless diffuser work, the numerical predictions of the Design-Intent choked mass flow rate, total pressure ratio, and efficiency were notably greater than that of the As-Manufactured simulations. To increase confidence in the experimental dataset, measurements from a recent test campaign conducted in 2024 are used to validate the original experimental data acquired from 2012 to 2014 with good repeatability overall, especially considering the passage of time and differences in the data acquisition systems between the test campaigns. Both numerical simulations were then extensively evaluated against the experimental data. The As-Manufactured simulations provided better estimates of the stage performance than the Design-Intent cases in terms of most performance metrics. Nonetheless, more detailed results still show opportunities for improvement. Despite a more accurate representation of the physical hardware, characterization of the impeller work input remains a challenge even for rigorously developed numerical models.

centrifugal compressor↗

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION WITH ADIABATIC FOCUSING: ISOTROPIC PITCH-ANGLE SCATTERING

We present numerical solutions to both the standard and modified two-dimensional Fokker-Planck equations with adiabatic focusing and isotropic pitch-angle scattering. With the numerical solution of the particle distribution function, we then discuss the related numerical issues, calculate the parallel diffusion coefficient using several different methods, and compare our numerical solutions for the parallel diffusion coefficient to the analytical forms derived earlier. We find the numerical solution to the diffusion coefficient for both the standard and modified Fokker-Planck equations agrees with that of Shalchi for the mean squared displacement method of computing the diffusion coefficient. However, we also show the numerical solution agrees with that of Litvinenko and Shalchi and Danos when calculating the diffusion coefficient via the velocity correlation function.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Verification of numerical models for seismic fluid-structure interaction analysis of internal components in liquid-filled advanced reactors

Earthquake shaking of a liquid-filled advanced reactor induces fluid-structure interaction (FSI) between the reactor vessel (tank), its internal components, and the contained liquid. Seismic design, qualification, and risk assessment of such reactors must consider fluid-structure responses, their geometries and support conditions, and three-directional seismic inputs, all of which require numerical simulations. Numerical models used for analysis of safety-related nuclear equipment must be verified and validated. Here, this paper verifies numerical models of submerged components using analytical solutions. Seismic FSI analysis of the numerical models is performed using the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) and Incompressible Computational Fluid Dynamics (ICFD) solvers in LS-DYNA. Prior analytical solutions are reworked in this paper, and calculation errors are identified and corrected. The solutions address frequencies of two concentric cylindrical pipes filled with liquid: the inner pipe is a submerged component, and the outer pipe contains the liquid. A unitless frequency coefficient is defined and presented for pipes of different materials, filled with different liquids, and with a range of dimensions for application to advanced reactors. The numerical models are verified here by comparing the lateral frequencies of submerged components with those calculated using the corrected analytical solutions. Recommendations for verification of numerical models of internal components in advanced reactors for seismic FSI analysis are provided. Although the unitless frequency coefficients and verification procedures are developed for application to advanced nuclear reactors, they are broadly applicable to FSI analysis of submerged components in liquid-filled vessels such as storage tanks, boilers, and steam generators.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Validation of numerical models for seismic fluid-structure-interaction analysis of nuclear, safety-related equipment

Seismic design, qualification, and risk assessment of nuclear safety-related vessels filled with liquid will have to consider the interaction between the vessel (tank), the contained liquid, and submerged components, if any. Seismic fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) analysis of nuclear vessels will rely on numerical models, which are required to be verified and validated. This study validates previously-verified numerical models using test data generated from earthquake-simulator experiments involving a cylindrical tank. Two solvers in LS-DYNA for FSI simulations are used for the numerical analysis: Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) and Incompressible Computational Fluid Dynamics (ICFD). Numerical and test results are compared for responses critical to seismic design of advanced reactor vessels: hydrodynamic pressures on the tank wall, reactions at the support, and wave heights of the contained liquid. Analysis is performed for one-, two-, and three-directional seismic inputs with a range of intensity, and rocking motions. The accuracy of the numerical results and different methods for outputting wave heights are discussed. Recommendations for validation of seismic FSI numerical models of advanced reactors are provided. As a result, the validation exercise presented in this study is broadly applicable to cylindrical tanks, regardless of industry sector.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

The shallow water equations as a hybrid flow model for the numerical and experimental analysis of hydro power stations

The numerical analysis of hydro power stations is an important method of the hydraulic design and is used for the development and optimisation of hydro power stations in addition to the experiments with the physical submodel of a full model in the hydraulic laboratory. For the numerical analysis, 2D and 3D models are appropriate and commonly used.The 2D models refer mainly to the shallow water equations (SWE), since for this flow model a large experience on a wide field of applications for the flow analysis of numerous problems in hydraulic engineering already exists. Often, the flow model is verified by in situ measurements. In order to consider 3D flow phenomena close to singularities like weirs, hydro power stations etc. the development of a hybrid fluid model is advantageous to improve the quality and significance of the global model. Here, an extended hybrid flow model based on the principle of the SWE is presented. The hybrid flow model directly links the numerical model with the experimental data, which may originate from physical full models, physical submodels and in-situ measurements. Hence a wide field of application of the hybrid model emerges including the improvement of numerical models and the strong coupling of numerical and experimental analysis.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Comparing Numerical Models of the TALOS Wave Energy Converter

In this study, we present the development of a numerical model of the TALOS Wave Energy Converter (WEC) in WEC-Sim and compare it with existing numerical in-house models from Lancaster and results from DNV's Sesam code. The objective of this work is to validate the performance of the TALOS WEC using WEC-Sim and compare the results with those obtained from other numerical models. The TALOS WEC is a promising technology for the generation of clean, renewable energy from ocean waves. The development of a reliable numerical model for the TALOS WEC is crucial for its design and optimization. To achieve this, we have implemented the TALOS WEC in WEC-Sim and compared the results to in-house models from Lancaster and to results from DNV's Sesam code. Our results show good agreement with the results from Lancaster and DNV, demonstrating the accuracy and reliability of the numerical model developed in WEC-Sim. This work advances the field of wave energy conversion by providing a verified numerical model of the TALOS WEC, which can be used for further optimization and design studies.

CFD↗

Code Comparison Study Fosters Confidence in the Numerical Simulation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Numerical simulation has become a standard analytical tool for scientists and engineers to evaluate the potential and performance of enhanced geothermal systems. A variety of numerical simulators developed by industry, universities, and national laboratories are currently available and being applied to better understand enhanced geothermal systems at the field scale. To yield credible predictions and be of value to site operators, numerical simulators must be able to accurately represent the complex coupled processes induced by producing geothermal systems, such as fracture aperture changes due to thermal stimulation, fracture shear displacement with fluid injection, rate of thermal depletion of reservoir rocks, and permeability alteration with mineral precipitation or dissolution. A suite of numerical simulators was exercised on a series of test problems that considered coupled thermal, hydraulic, geomechanical, and geochemical (THMC) processes. Problems were selected and designed to isolate selected coupled processes, to be executed on workstation class computers, and have simple but illustrative metrics for result comparisons. This paper summarizes the initial suite of seven benchmark problems, describes the code comparison activities, provides example results for problems and documents the capabilities of currently available numerical simulation codes to represent coupled processes that occur during the production of geothermal resources. Code comparisons described in this paper use the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standard ISO-13538 for proficiency testing of numerical simulators. This approach was adopted for a recent code comparison study within the radiation transfer-modeling field of atmospheric sciences, which was focused on canopy reflectance models. This standard specifies statistical methods for analyzing laboratory data from proficiency testing schemes to demonstrate that the measurement results do not exhibit evidence of an unacceptable level of bias.

benchmark problems↗

Numerical analysis of experimental studies of methane hydrate dissociation induced by depressurization in a sandy porous medium

Methane Hydrates (MHs) are a promising energy source abundantly available in nature. Understanding the complex processes of MH formation and dissociation is critical for the development of safe and efficient technologies for energy recovery. Many laboratory and numerical studies have investigated these processes using synthesized MH-bearing sediments. A near-universal issue encountered in these studies is the spatial heterogeneous hydrate distribution in the testing apparatus. In the absence of direct observations (e.g. using X-ray computed tomography) coupled with real time production data, the common assumption made in almost all numerical studies is a homogeneous distribution of the various phases. In an earlier study (Yin et al., 2018) that involved the numerical description of a set of experiments on MH-formation in sandy medium using the excess water method, we showed that spatially heterogeneous phase distribution is inevitable and significant. In the present study, we use as a starting point the results and observations at the end of the MH formation and seek to numerically reproduce the laboratory experiments of depressurization-induced dissociation of the spatially-heterogeneous MH distribution. This numerical study faithfully reproduces the geometry of the laboratory apparatus, the initial and boundary conditions of the system, and the parameters of the dissociation stimulus, capturing accurately all stages of the experimental process. Using inverse modelling (history-matching) that minimized deviations between the experimental observations and numerical predictions, we determined the values of all the important flow, thermal, and kinetic parameters that control the system behaviour, which yielded simulation results that were in excellent agreement with the measurements of key monitored variables, i.e. pressure, temperature, cumulative production of gas and water over time. We determined that at the onset of depressurization (when the pressure drop – the driving force of dissociation – is at its maximum), the rate of MH dissociation approaches that of an equilibrium reaction and is limited by the heat transfer from the system surroundings. Furthermore, as the effect of depressurization declines over time, the dissociation reaction becomes kinetically limited despite significant heat inflows from the boundaries, which lead to localized temperature increases in the reactor.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Efficient numerical methods for computing ground states of spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates based on their characterizations

In this paper, we propose efficient numerical methods for computing ground states of spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) with/without the Ioffe–Pritchard magnetic field B(x). When B(x)≠0, a numerical method is introduced to compute the ground states and it is also applied to study properties of ground states. Numerical results suggest that the densities of m{sub F}=±1 components in ground states are identical for any nonzero B(x). In particular, if B(x)≡B≠0 is a constant, the ground states satisfy the single-mode approximation. When B(x)≡0, efficient and simpler numerical methods are presented to solve the ground states of spin-1 BECs based on their ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic characterizations. Numerical simulations show that our methods are more efficient than those in the literature. In addition, some conjectures are made from our numerical observations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A numerical solver for investigating the space charge effect on the electric field in liquid argon time projection chambers

This paper reports the development of a numerical solver aimed to simulate the interaction between the space charge (i.e. ions) distribution and the electric field in liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) detectors. The ion transport equation is solved by a time-accurate, cell-centered finite volume method and the electric potential equation by a continuous finite element method. The electric potential equation updates the electric field which provides the drift velocity to the ion transport equation. The ion transport equation updates the space charge density distribution which appears as the source term in the electric potential equation. The interaction between the space charge distribution and the electric field is numerically simulated within each physical time step. The convective velocity in the ion transport equation can include the background flow velocity in addition to the electric drift velocity. The numerical solver has been parallelized using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) library. Numerical tests show and verify the capability and accuracy of the current numerical solver. It is planned that the developed numerical solver, together with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package which provides the flow velocity field, can be used to investigate the space charge effect on the electric field in large-scale particle detectors.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Numerical methods and hypoexponential approximations for gamma distributed delay differential equations

Abstract Gamma distributed delay differential equations (DDEs) arise naturally in many modelling applications. However, appropriate numerical methods for generic gamma distributed DDEs have not previously been implemented. Modellers have therefore resorted to approximating the gamma distribution with an Erlang distribution and using the linear chain technique to derive an equivalent system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). In this work, we address the lack of appropriate numerical tools for gamma distributed DDEs in two ways. First, we develop a functional continuous Runge–Kutta (FCRK) method to numerically integrate the gamma distributed DDE without resorting to Erlang approximation. We prove the fourth-order convergence of the FCRK method and perform numerical tests to demonstrate the accuracy of the new numerical method. Nevertheless, FCRK methods for infinite delay DDEs are not widely available in existing scientific software packages. As an alternative approach to solving gamma distributed DDEs, we also derive a hypoexponential approximation of the gamma distributed DDE. This hypoexponential approach is a more accurate approximation of the true gamma distributed DDE than the common Erlang approximation but, like the Erlang approximation, can be formulated as a system of ODEs and solved numerically using standard ODE software. Using our FCRK method to provide reference solutions, we show that the common Erlang approximation may produce solutions that are qualitatively different from the underlying gamma distributed DDE. However, the proposed hypoexponential approximations do not have this limitation. Finally, we apply our hypoexponential approximations to perform statistical inference on synthetic epidemiological data to illustrate the utility of the hypoexponential approximation.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

On the physical and chemical details of alumina atomic layer deposition: A combined experimental and numerical approach

Alumina thin film is typically studied as a model atomic layer deposition (ALD) process due to its high dielectric constant, high thermal stability, and good adhesion on various wafer surfaces. Despite extensive applications of alumina ALD in microelectronics industries, details on the physical and chemical processes are not yet well understood. ALD experiments are not able to shed adequate light on the detailed information regarding the transient ALD process. Most of current numerical approaches lack detailed surface reaction mechanisms, and their results are not well correlated with experimental observations. In this paper, the authors present a combined experimental and numerical study on the details of flow and surface reactions in alumina ALD using trimethylaluminum and water as precursors. Results obtained from experiments and simulations are compared and correlated. By experiments, growth rate on five samples under different deposition conditions is characterized. The deposition rate from numerical simulation agrees well with the experimental results. Details of precursor distributions in a full cycle of ALD are studied numerically to bridge between experimental observations and simulations. The 3D transient numerical model adopts surface reaction kinetics and mechanisms based on atomic-level studies to investigate the surface deposition process. Surface deposition is shown as a strictly self-limited process in our numerical studies. ALD is a complex strong-coupled fluid, thermal and chemical process, which is not only heavily dependent on the chemical kinetics and surface conditions but also on the flow and material distributions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

TH-CD-202-07: A Methodology for Generating Numerical Phantoms for Radiation Therapy Using Geometric Attribute Distribution Models

Purpose: A persistent challenge for the quality assessment of radiation therapy treatments (e.g. contouring accuracy) is the absence of the known, ground truth for patient data. Moreover, assessment results are often patient-dependent. Computer simulation studies utilizing numerical phantoms can be performed for quality assessment with a known ground truth. However, previously reported numerical phantoms do not include the statistical properties of inter-patient variations, as their models are based on only one patient. In addition, these models do not incorporate tumor data. In this study, a methodology was developed for generating numerical phantoms which encapsulate the statistical variations of patients within radiation therapy, including tumors. Methods: Based on previous work in contouring assessment, geometric attribute distribution (GAD) models were employed to model both the deterministic and stochastic properties of individual organs via principle component analysis. Using pre-existing radiation therapy contour data, the GAD models are trained to model the shape and centroid distributions of each organ. Then, organs with different shapes and positions can be generated by assigning statistically sound weights to the GAD model parameters. Organ contour data from 20 retrospective prostate patient cases were manually extracted and utilized to train the GAD models. As a demonstration, computer-simulated CT images of generated numerical phantoms were calculated and assessed subjectively and objectively for realism. Results: A cohort of numerical phantoms of the male human pelvis was generated. CT images were deemed realistic both subjectively and objectively in terms of image noise power spectrum. Conclusion: A methodology has been developed to generate realistic numerical anthropomorphic phantoms using pre-existing radiation therapy data. The GAD models guarantee that generated organs span the statistical distribution of observed radiation therapy patients, according to the training dataset. The methodology enables radiation therapy treatment assessment with multi-modality imaging and a known ground truth, and without patient-dependent bias.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗