Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “shape file”

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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of soil property uncertainties on permafrost thaw projections: a calibration-constrained analysis: Modeling Archive

This dataset contains an ensemble of thermal-hydro soil parameters including porosity, thermal conductivity, thermal conductivity shape parameters, and residual saturation of peat and mineral soil. The ensemble was generated using a Null-Space Monte Carlo analysis of parameter uncertainty based on a calibration to soil temperatures collected at the Barrow Environmental Observatory site by the NGEE team. The micro-topography of ice wedge polygons present at the site is included in the analysis using three 1D column models to represent polygon center, rim and trough features. The Arctic Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) was used in the calibration to model multiphase thermal and hydrological processes in the subsurface. This dataset includes one zipped file, one pdf file, and one csv file.This Modeling Archive is in support of an NGEE Arctic publication. The citation for that publication can be found within the references section.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-585: A Novel Phantom for Dosimetric Validation of SBRT for Spinal Lesions

Purpose: SBRT is proving to be a very efficacious treatment modality for an increasing number of indications, including spine lesions. We have developed a novel phantom to serve as an end-to-end QA tool for either patient specific QA or commissioning QA of SBRT for spine lesions. Methods: In this feasibility study, we have selected a patient with a single metastatic lesion in the L5 vertebral body. The patient’s CT simulation scan was used to develop a VMAT treatment plan delivering 18Gy to at least 90% of the target volume, following the guidelines of RTOG 0631. The treatment plan was developed with the Pinnacle planning system using the adaptive convolution superposition calculation mode. The approved plan was re-calculated using the Monaco planning system. We performed a pseudo-in-vivo study whereby we manufactured two copies of a phantom to the exact shape and anatomy of the patient. The phantom was made from the CT images of the patient using a 3D printer with sub-millimeter accuracy. One phantom was filled with a gel dosimeter and the other was made with two ion chamber inserts to allow us to obtain point dose measurements in the target’s center and the spinal cord. Results: The prescribed dose of 18Gy was planned for the target while keeping the maximum spinal cord dose to less than 14Gy in 0.03cc of the cord. The VMAT plan was delivered to both the gel dosimeter filed phantom and the phantom with the ion chambers. The 3D gel dosimetry revealed a very good agreement between the monte carlo and measured point and volumetric dose. Conclusion: A patient like phantom was developed and validated for use as an end-to-end tool of dose verification for SBRT of spine lesions. We found that gel dosimetry is ideally suited to assess positional and dosimetric accuracy in 3D. RTsafe provided the phantoms and the gel dosimeter used for this study.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

MCNP6 Elevation Scaling of Cosmic Ray Backgrounds - Paper 29

The galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) source option was implemented in the all-energy, all-particle transport code MCNP62 in 2010. This source option along with other newly added features to MCNP6 have been used to produce increasingly accurate global cosmic and terrestrial background flux data files (background.dat).3 This data file is produced on a grid and is read and sampled by MCNP6 whenever a user invokes the background source option. The most recent adaptation of this data file, Version 4, will be completed in 2014. This paper reports on current progress toward enhancements that have been made to the modeling and simulation of these background spectra, in particular the elevation scaling used to produce more accurate spectra at off-grid locations. Cosmic radiation continuously bombards Earth with various particles, such as protons, alpha particles, and heavier nuclei, some of which are deflected by the Earth's shielding magnetic field. Particles that carry sufficient momentum can overcome the deflection and penetrate into the atmosphere. The sufficient momentum is dependent on the terrestrial coordinates due to the shape of the Earth's magnetic field and the Lorentz force's proportionality to the sine of the angle between the velocity vector of the incoming particle and the magnetic field direction. As the particles propagate through the atmosphere, collisions with atmospheric molecules generate secondary particles such as neutrons, protons, photons, muons, pions, and other exotic particles. These secondary particles often have sufficient energy to undergo additional nuclear interactions, and so on, forming what is known as a cascade shower. The particles in the cascade shower are constantly undergoing energy losses due to interactions, especially charged particles whose paths are bent into helical trajectories around magnetic field lines. These energy losses make the integral flux of the cosmic background at the ground level highly dependent on the atmospheric depth traveled by the incident particle and its progeny, and therefore dependent on the elevation of the ground where the cascade deposits its energy. For relatively small depth changes of approximately 100 g/cm{sup 2} or less, the ground-level cosmic flux follows an exponential model. The tabulation of background particle fluxes on the surface of the earth is important for a variety of reasons, one of which is the design of nuclear material detection systems. This method is also useful in producing user-specified effective attenuation lengths for particles. Attenuation lengths are an essential parameter used to compare particle spectra from different locations, elevations, and energy ranges. Traditionally these attenuation lengths are inferred from measured data. Now with the ability to simulate an accurate galactic cosmic ray source and transport it and its shower through a modeled atmosphere, these attenuation lengths can be calculated for any set of conditions. (authors)

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
NASA NTRS1973

Free-Flight Test Results of Scale Models Simulating Viking Parachute/Lander Staging

This report presents the results of Viking Aerothermodynamics Test D4-34.0. Motion picture coverage of a number of Scale model drop tests provides the data from which time-position characteristics as well as canopy shape and model system attitudes are measured. These data are processed to obtain the instantaneous drag during staging of a model simulating the Viking decelerator system during parachute staging at Mars. Through scaling laws derived prior to test (Appendix A and B) these results are used to predict such performance of the Viking decelerator parachute during staging at Mars. The tests were performed at the NASA/Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Vertical Assembly Building (VAB). Model assemblies were dropped 300 feet to a platform in High Bay No. 3. The data consist of an edited master film (negative) which is on permanent file in the NASA/LRC Library. Principal results of this investigation indicate that for Viking parachute staging at Mars: 1. Parachute staging separation distance is always positive and continuously increasing generally along the descent path. 2. At staging, the parachute drag coefficient is at least 55% of its prestage equilibrium value. One quarter minute later, it has recovered to its pre-stage value.

Polutchko, Robert J.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Role of the potential landscape on the single-file diffusion through channels

Transport of colloid particles through narrow channels is ubiquitous in cell biology as well as becoming increasingly important for microfluidic applications or targeted drug delivery. Membrane channels in cells are useful models for artificial designs because of their high efficiency, selectivity, and robustness to external fluctuations. Here, we model the passive channels that let cargo simply diffuse through them, affected by a potential profile along the way. Passive transporters achieve high levels of efficiency and specificity from binding interactions with the cargo inside the channel. This however leads to a paradox: why should channels which are so narrow that they are blocked by their cargo evolve to have binding regions for their cargo if that will effectively block them? Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we show that different potentials, notably symmetric, increase the flux through narrow passive channels – and investigate how shape and depth of potentials influence the flux. We find that there exist optimal depths for certain potential shapes and that it is most efficient to apply a small force over an extended region of the channel. On the other hand, having several spatially discrete binding pockets will not alter the flux significantly. We also explore the role of many-particle effects arising from pairwise particle interactions with their neighbours and demonstrate that the relative changes in flux can be accounted for by the kinetics of the absorption reaction at the end of the channel.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Towards a Neutronic and Thermal-Hydraulic Safety Analysis of PWR Fuel Bow with SIMULATE5 and COBRA-TF

In the 1990's, collective fuel assembly bow was observed in the Ringhals PWRs in Sweden. Back then fuel vendors reinforced the fuel assemblies' dashpot, decreased hold-down spring forces, increased guide tube wall thickness, and introduced guide tube materials with higher creep resistance in order to improve dimensional stability. Nevertheless, twenty years later in 2010, the same kind of collective bow with S and C shape patterns started to appear in most of Germany's PWRs. At this time the SIMULATE5 (S5) core simulator with its delta-gap bow model (DGA) which was originally developed for safety analysis at Ringhals, could be used as an off-the-shelf solution to assess the impact of bow on Fq and FH. However, these two quantities are of secondary importance in German PWRs in normal operation because the most restricting licensing criteria set limits on DNBRmin values. For this purpose, a method was developed to extract S5 pin powers from DGA calculations and automatically generate COBRA-TF input files (CTF) to analyze DNBR values in the cores. In the following two sections, it is shown how the S5 model for DGA calculations has been verified with independent MCNP6 calculations in order to check its predictions on pin power changes for delta gaps up to 1 cm in size and how the existing licensed DNBR calculation methodology has been updated to bowed fuel assembly situations with the help of CTF. Finally, the applicability of the Doroschuk CHF correlation, which is the licensing standard in most German PWRs, is discussed. For the fuel bow patterns considered, it is assumed that only the gap between fuel assemblies change and that the pitch between fuel rods inside the assemblies remains largely unchanged. This approximation can be justified by the visual inspections conducted at the plants during the outages. Every calculation of the pin-power impact of delta-gaps in the core under operating conditions is only as good as the knowledge of the bow pattern. Measurements of fuel assembly bow at cold conditions have been made for some German PWRs for all the fuel assemblies in the core during plant outages. Together with methods developed by the fuel assembly vendors, a best-estimate bow pattern during operation could be reconstructed. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Technical Note: Spot characteristic stability for proton pencil beam scanning

Purpose: The spot characteristics for proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) were measured and analyzed over a 16 month period, which included one major site configuration update and six cyclotron interventions. The results provide a reference to establish the quality assurance (QA) frequency and tolerance for proton pencil beam scanning. Methods: A simple treatment plan was generated to produce an asymmetric 9-spot pattern distributed throughout a field of 16 × 18 cm for each of 18 proton energies (100.0–226.0 MeV). The delivered fluence distribution in air was measured using a phosphor screen based CCD camera at three planes perpendicular to the beam line axis (x-ray imaging isocenter and up/down stream 15.0 cm). The measured fluence distributions for each energy were analyzed using in-house programs which calculated the spot sizes and positional deviations of the Gaussian shaped spots. Results: Compared to the spot characteristic data installed into the treatment planning system, the 16-month averaged deviations of the measured spot sizes at the isocenter plane were 2.30% and 1.38% in the IEC gantry x and y directions, respectively. The maximum deviation was 12.87% while the minimum deviation was 0.003%, both at the upstream plane. After the collinearity of the proton and x-ray imaging system isocenters was optimized, the positional deviations of the spots were all within 1.5 mm for all three planes. During the site configuration update, spot positions were found to deviate by 6 mm until the tuning parameters file was properly restored. Conclusions: For this beam delivery system, it is recommended to perform a spot size and position check at least monthly and any time after a database update or cyclotron intervention occurs. A spot size deviation tolerance of <15% can be easily met with this delivery system. Deviations of spot positions were <2 mm at any plane up/down stream 15 cm from the isocenter.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1992

User's manual for the Gaussian windows program

'Gaussian Windows' is a method for exploring a set of multivariate data, in order to estimate the shape of the underlying density function. The method can be used to find and describe structural features in the data. The method is described in two earlier papers. I assume that the reader has access to both of these papers, so I will not repeat material from them. The program described herein is written in BASIC and it runs on an IBM PC or PS/2 with the DOS 3.3 operating system. Although the program is slow and has limited memory space, it is adequate for experimenting with the method. Since it is written in BASIC, it is relatively easy to modify. The program and some related files are available on a 3-inch diskette. A listing of the program is also available. This user's manual explains the use of the program. First, it gives a brief tutorial, illustrating some of the program's features with a set of artificial data. Then, it describes the results displayed after the program does a Gaussian window, and it explains each of the items on the various menus.

Jaeckel, Louis A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Multi-Modulator for Bandwidth-Efficient Communication

A modulator circuit board has recently been developed to be used in conjunction with a vector modulator to generate any of a large number of modulations for bandwidth-efficient radio transmission of digital data signals at rates than can exceed 100 Mb/s. The modulations include quadrature phaseshift keying (QPSK), offset quadrature phase-shift keying (OQPSK), Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK), and octonary phase-shift keying (8PSK) with square-root raised-cosine pulse shaping. The figure is a greatly simplified block diagram showing the relationship between the modulator board and the rest of the transmitter. The role of the modulator board is to encode the incoming data stream and to shape the resulting pulses, which are fed as inputs to the vector modulator. The combination of encoding and pulse shaping in a given application is chosen to maximize the bandwidth efficiency. The modulator board includes gallium arsenide serial-to-parallel converters at its input end. A complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) field-programmable gate array (FPGA) performs the coding and modulation computations and utilizes parallel processing in doing so. The results of the parallel computation are combined and converted to pulse waveforms by use of gallium arsenide parallel-to-serial converters integrated with digital-to-analog converters. Without changing the hardware, one can configure the modulator to produce any of the designed combinations of coding and modulation by loading the appropriate bit configuration file into the FPGA.

Gray, Andrew↗
DOE OSTI2023

Simulation of gallium nitride vertical fin-shaped field effect transistor for use as thermal neutron detector

Through the use of a radiation detection system simulation framework, a gallium nitride vertical fin-shaped field effect transistor (FinFET) was studied for output response when utilized as a thermal neutron detector. The FinFET was assumed to had been backfilled with boron carbide, reactive to thermal neutrons. The GaN FinFET was modeled with radiation transport from MCNP, and the electronic transport from COMSOL Multiphysics. Fabricated FinFET devices (not neutron reactive) were tested to aid in the tuning of the COMSOL FinFET model. Through time-depenent studies, the drain current response pulse to simulated ionization due to single events lead to building of a database of device responses to radiation. By integrating the current pulses over time, the induced charge was calculated. Using the results of the radiation transport PTRAC file in combination with the induced charge database, an integrated charge spectrum was calculated.

Davidson, Bryce L.↗
DOE OSTI2014

MCTP system model based on linear programming optimization of apertures obtained from sequencing patient image data maps

Purpose: The authors present a hybrid direct multileaf collimator (MLC) aperture optimization model exclusively based on sequencing of patient imaging data to be implemented on a Monte Carlo treatment planning system (MC-TPS) to allow the explicit radiation transport simulation of advanced radiotherapy treatments with optimal results in efficient times for clinical practice. Methods: The planning system (called CARMEN) is a full MC-TPS, controlled through aMATLAB interface, which is based on the sequencing of a novel map, called “biophysical” map, which is generated from enhanced image data of patients to achieve a set of segments actually deliverable. In order to reduce the required computation time, the conventional fluence map has been replaced by the biophysical map which is sequenced to provide direct apertures that will later be weighted by means of an optimization algorithm based on linear programming. A ray-casting algorithm throughout the patient CT assembles information about the found structures, the mass thickness crossed, as well as PET values. Data are recorded to generate a biophysical map for each gantry angle. These maps are the input files for a home-made sequencer developed to take into account the interactions of photons and electrons with the MLC. For each linac (Axesse of Elekta and Primus of Siemens) and energy beam studied (6, 9, 12, 15 MeV and 6 MV), phase space files were simulated with the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code. The dose calculation in patient was carried out with the BEAMDOSE code. This code is a modified version of EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc able to calculate the beamlet dose in order to combine them with different weights during the optimization process. Results: Three complex radiotherapy treatments were selected to check the reliability of CARMEN in situations where the MC calculation can offer an added value: A head-and-neck case (Case I) with three targets delineated on PET/CT images and a demanding dose-escalation; a partial breast irradiation case (Case II) solved with photon and electron modulated beams (IMRT + MERT); and a prostatic bed case (Case III) with a pronounced concave-shaped PTV by using volumetric modulated arc therapy. In the three cases, the required target prescription doses and constraints on organs at risk were fulfilled in a short enough time to allow routine clinical implementation. The quality assurance protocol followed to check CARMEN system showed a high agreement with the experimental measurements. Conclusions: A Monte Carlo treatment planning model exclusively based on maps performed from patient imaging data has been presented. The sequencing of these maps allows obtaining deliverable apertures which are weighted for modulation under a linear programming formulation. The model is able to solve complex radiotherapy treatments with high accuracy in an efficient computation time.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Control algorithms for dynamic attenuators

Purpose: The authors describe algorithms to control dynamic attenuators in CT and compare their performance using simulated scans. Dynamic attenuators are prepatient beam shaping filters that modulate the distribution of x-ray fluence incident on the patient on a view-by-view basis. These attenuators can reduce dose while improving key image quality metrics such as peak or mean variance. In each view, the attenuator presents several degrees of freedom which may be individually adjusted. The total number of degrees of freedom across all views is very large, making many optimization techniques impractical. The authors develop a theory for optimally controlling these attenuators. Special attention is paid to a theoretically perfect attenuator which controls the fluence for each ray individually, but the authors also investigate and compare three other, practical attenuator designs which have been previously proposed: the piecewise-linear attenuator, the translating attenuator, and the double wedge attenuator. Methods: The authors pose and solve the optimization problems of minimizing the mean and peak variance subject to a fixed dose limit. For a perfect attenuator and mean variance minimization, this problem can be solved in simple, closed form. For other attenuator designs, the problem can be decomposed into separate problems for each view to greatly reduce the computational complexity. Peak variance minimization can be approximately solved using iterated, weighted mean variance (WMV) minimization. Also, the authors develop heuristics for the perfect and piecewise-linear attenuators which do not requirea priori knowledge of the patient anatomy. The authors compare these control algorithms on different types of dynamic attenuators using simulated raw data from forward projected DICOM files of a thorax and an abdomen. Results: The translating and double wedge attenuators reduce dose by an average of 30% relative to current techniques (bowtie filter with tube current modulation) without increasing peak variance. The 15-element piecewise-linear dynamic attenuator reduces dose by an average of 42%, and the perfect attenuator reduces dose by an average of 50%. Improvements in peak variance are several times larger than improvements in mean variance. Heuristic control eliminates the need for a prescan. For the piecewise-linear attenuator, the cost of heuristic control is an increase in dose of 9%. The proposed iterated WMV minimization produces results that are within a few percent of the true solution. Conclusions: Dynamic attenuators show potential for significant dose reduction. A wide class of dynamic attenuators can be accurately controlled using the described methods.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
NASA NTRS1993

Improvements to a method for the geometrically nonlinear analysis of compressively loaded stiffened composite panels

The NLPAN computer code uses a finite-strip approach to the analysis of thin-walled prismatic composite structures such as stiffened panels. The code can model in-plane axial loading, transverse pressure loading, and constant through-the-thickness thermal loading, and can account for shape imperfections. The NLPAN code represents an attempt to extend the buckling analysis of the VIPASA computer code into the geometrically nonlinear regime. Buckling mode shapes generated using VIPASA are used in NLPAN as global functions for representing displacements in the nonlinear regime. While the NLPAN analysis is approximate in nature, it is computationally economical in comparison with finite-element analysis, and is thus suitable for use in preliminary design and design optimization. A comprehensive description of the theoretical approach of NLPAN is provided. A discussion of some operational considerations for the NLPAN code is included. NLPAN is applied to several test problems in order to demonstrate new program capabilities, and to assess the accuracy of the code in modeling various types of loading and response. User instructions for the NLPAN computer program are provided, including a detailed description of the input requirements and example input files for two stiffened-panel configurations.

Stoll, Frederick↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fusion Neutron Generator

The proposed code, named FROG (Fusion neutron Generator) is built upon the open-source particle transport Monte Carlo toolkit Geant4. Geant4 provides C++ classes that can be leveraged to build application-specific codes dealing with the transport of particles through matter. Geant4-based codes are applied in high-energy particle physics experiments, medical applications, shielding, and space applications for example. The FROG code allows the user to define the geometry of a neutron converter device shaped as a hollow cylinder, where a neutron breeding material such as lithium deuteride (LiD) is cladded by two concentric cylinders. Such neutron converter is then placed inside a regular nuclear fission reactor, where thermal neutrons will react with the neutron breeder material (typically, Lithium 6), and through a series of reactions, will generate high-energy neutrons – neutrons whose kinetic energy are around 14 MeV. The hollowed central portion can hold a specimen that will be bombarded by high-energy neutrons created inside the neutron breeding material. Figuratively speaking, this type of device transforms neutrons from thermal (~0.625 eV) to fusion (~14 MeV) energies and is sometimes termed “fusion-to-thermal neutron converters” in the literature. The code consists of C++ source file compiled and linked to generate an executable. The user can select the dimensions of the converter (radius, length, and thickness of the breeder material), the breeder material type, the cladding material, and the specimen material that will be activated or irradiated. As input, the neutron flux for a specific location inside a reactor, for instance, positions in ATR, is required. As output, the code predicts the number of high-energy neutrons produced, the total neutron flux and fluence as well as its detailed spectrum. The physics involved in such device is very complex, as it requires modeling neutron transport, light-ion (tritons) transport, as well as fusion reactions. The Geant4 toolkit provides the required physical models.

Martin, NicholasP. [Idaho National Laboratory (INL↗
DOE OSTI2015

Predictive Engineering Tools for Injection-Molded Long-Carbon-Fiber Thermoplastic Composites (FY 2015 Third Quarterly Report)

During the third quarter of FY 2015, the following technical progress has been made toward project milestones: 1) Magna oversaw the tool build and prepared the molding plan for the complex part of Phase II. 2) PlastiComp hosted a visit by Magna and Toyota on April 23rd to finalize the molding scope and schedule. The plan for molding trials including selection of molding parameters for both LFT and D-LFT for the U-shape complex part was established. 3) Toyota shipped the U-shape complex part tool to Magna on May 28th, 2015. 4) Plasticomp provided 30wt% LCF/PP and 30wt% LCF/PA66 compounded pellets to Magna for molding the complex part. 5) Magna performed preliminary molding trials on June 2nd, 2015 to validate wall thickness, fill profile, tool temperature and shot size requirements for the complex part. 6) Magna performed the first complex part run on June 16th and 17th, 2015 at Magna’s Composite Centre of Excellence in Concord, ON, Canada. Dale Roland of Plasticomp, and Umesh Gandhi of Toyota also attended the molding. 7) Magna discussed and finalized the plan with PNNL and the team for cutting samples from molded parts at selected locations for fiber orientation and length measurements. 8) Magna provided the computer-aided design (CAD) files of the complex parts with and without ribs to PNNL and Autodesk to build the corresponding ASMI models for injection molding simulations. Magna also provided the actual parameters used. 9) Plasticomp’s provided knowledge and experience of molding LCF materials essential to the successful molding of the parts including optimization of fill speed, tool temperatures, and plasticizing conditions for the 30wt% LCF/PP and 30wt% LCF/PA66 materials in both rib and non-rib versions. 10) Magna molded additional parts for evaluation of mechanical property testing including torsional stiffness on June 29th and 30th, 2015 at Magna’s Composite Center of Excellence. 11) Toyota began preparation for the torsion test of the specimens. Preparation of a computer-aided engineering (CAE) model to predict the performance is in progress. 12) Autodesk fixed an error in the implementation of the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) calculation of fiber length that had caused the ASMI solution to crash and provided an updated build of ASMI containing the fix. 13)Autodesk reviewed and provided feedback for the complex part molding and measurement locations. 14) Autodesk provided support to set up the workflow for ASMI-ABAQUS® analysis, and provided a fix and workaround for a bug in the ASMI-ABAQUS® output command. 15) Autodesk helped build ASMI analysis models for the complex parts with and without ribs. 16) Autodesk worked on improving the orientation prediction accuracy in the shearing layer for 3D meshes based on comparison to measured data of the plaque moldings. 17) PNNL installed a new ASMI version received from Autodesk and performed comparative analyses to assess mid-plane versus 3D fiber length predictions using the full fiber length model and the reduced-order model (ROM) using POD. 18) PNNL presented the project scope, accomplishments, significant results and future plans to DOE and the USCAR Materials Tech Team on June 3rd, 2015. 19) PNNL discussed the cutting of samples from molded parts and finalized a plan with Magna and the team suggesting the sample size, locations and number of samples per location. 20) PNNL and Autodesk built ASMI models for the complex parts with and without ribs, and preliminary analyses of the part with ribs were conducted using the actual molding parameters received from Magna. 21) PNNL worked on a procedure to extract fiber orientation and length results from a 3D ASMI analysis to a 3D ABAQUS model. This procedure is essential to import ASMI fiber orientation and length to a 3D ABAQUS model of the part allowing future part structural analysis for weight reduction study.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Stochastic parametric skeletal dosimetry model for humans: Anatomical-morphological basis and parameter evaluation

Radiation exposure of the hematopoietic system that results in a radiation dose to bone marrow of more than 100 mGy leads to an increase in the risk of leukemia in humans. Excess relative risk of leukemia was observed in cohorts whose members lived in the territories of the Southern Urals that were radioactively contaminated in the 1950s. As part of the dosimetric support of epidemiological studies of these cohorts, an original methodology for stochastic bone dosimetric modeling was developed, termed the Stochastic Parametric Skeletal Dosimetry (SPSD) model. The purpose of this work was to present the anatomical and morphological bases of the SPSD model, which includes an assessment of the parameters of the microstructure of the trabecular bone in the hematopoietic areas of the human skeleton, as well as a description of the macrostructural division (segmentation) of hematopoietic areas into simple bone segments. As a result, an anatomical-morphological basis of the SPSD model was created based on published data. Data collection work included the analysis of original articles, atlases, manuals, monographs and the formation of primary data files. Data on the duration of hematopoiesis in various parts of the skeleton; and data on age-related changes in the microstructure and linear dimensions of human bones and their segments were analyzed. The paper describes the full set of parameters to be used for the dosimetric model for newborns, children aged 1, 5 and 10 years, as well as for adolescents aged 15 years and adults; for the latter, sex differences in bone size were considered. In total, the SPSD model includes 289 unique basic (bone) phantom segments, each of which is described by 7 or more parameters describing the microstructure, thickness of the cortical layer and linear dimensions. Population variability was estimated for each parameter. The approach to SPSD modeling, i.e., the use of simple geometric shapes, was successfully verified using independent datasets on bone masses and volumes.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
NASA NTRS2005

Computing Gravitational Fields of Finite-Sized Bodies

A computer program utilizes the classical theory of gravitation, implemented by means of the finite-element method, to calculate the near gravitational fields of bodies of arbitrary size, shape, and mass distribution. The program was developed for application to a spacecraft and to floating proof masses and associated equipment carried by the spacecraft for detecting gravitational waves. The program can calculate steady or time-dependent gravitational forces, moments, and gradients thereof. Bodies external to a proof mass can be moving around the proof mass and/or deformed under thermoelastic loads. An arbitrarily shaped proof mass is represented by a collection of parallelepiped elements. The gravitational force and moment acting on each parallelepiped element of a proof mass, including those attributable to the self-gravitational field of the proof mass, are computed exactly from the closed-form equation for the gravitational potential of a parallelepiped. The gravitational field of an arbitrary distribution of mass external to a proof mass can be calculated either by summing the fields of suitably many point masses or by higher-order Gauss-Legendre integration over all elements surrounding the proof mass that are part of a finite-element mesh. This computer program is compatible with more general finite-element codes, such as NASTRAN, because it is configured to read a generic input data file, containing the detailed description of the finiteelement mesh.

Quadrelli, Marco↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Understanding PIP Measurements of Particle Shape via Image Analysis

A number of instruments exist to measure the size, shape and orientation angle of precipitation particles near the surface; this study will specifically focus on three of them: the precipitation imaging package (PIP), the multi-angle snowflake camera (MASC), and the two-dimensional video distrometer (2DVD). The measurements of particular interest for developing precipitation microphysical retrievals from polarimetric radar and satellite-based microwave data are of the particle size, aspect ratio, and orientation angle. Due to differences in instrument design and processing software, however, the measurements made by PIP, MASC, and 2DVD are not in agreement on these key measurements. The aim of the present study is to understand how the differences between these three instruments impact their measurements of the size, aspect ratio, and orientation angle of winter precipitation particles. To this end, we have reprocessed the video files produced by PIP in a manner that replicates how the MASC and 2DVD instruments operate and process their respective data. Our findings suggest that the MASC processing software results in superior particle characteristic measurements in comparison to the other instruments, although a cursory comparison of measurements from the actual instruments suggests the PIP captures the largest number of particles of the three instruments, making PIP potentially better for computing distributions.

Charles N. Helms↗