Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “boundary layer flow”

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 289 records · Page 16

Observation of Nonaxisymmetric Standard Magnetorotational Instability Induced by a Free-Shear Layer

The standard magnetorotational instability (SMRI) with a magnetic field component parallel to the rotation axis is widely believed to be responsible for the fast accretion in astronomical disks. In conventional base flows with a Keplerian profile or an ideal Couette profile, most studies focus on axisymmetric SMRI, since excitation of nonaxisymmetric SMRI in such flows requires a magnetic Reynolds number (Rm) more than an order of magnitude larger. Here, we report that, in a magnetized Taylor-Couette flow, nonaxisymmetric SMRI with an azimuthal mode number m = 1 can be triggered by a free-shear layer in the base flow at Rm ≳1, the same threshold as for axisymmetric SMRI. Global linear analysis reveals that the free-shear layer reduces the required Rm, possibly by introducing an extremum in the vorticity of the base flow. Nonlinear simulations validate the results from linear analysis and confirm that a novel instability recently discovered experimentally [Wang et al., Nat. Commun. 13, 4679 (2022)] is the nonaxisymmetric m =1 SMRI. Further, our finding has astronomical implications as free-shear layers are ubiquitous in celestial systems, such as the disk-star boundary layer, the solar tachocline, and the edge of planet-opened gaps in protoplanetary disks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Hydrodynamical Simulations of Proton Ingestion Flashes in Type I X-Ray Bursts

We perform the first multidimensional fluid simulations of thermonuclear helium ignition underneath a hydrogen-rich shell. This situation is relevant to Type I X-ray bursts on neutron stars that accrete from a hydrogen-rich companion. Using the low-Mach number fluid code MAESTROeX, we investigate the growth of the convection zone due to nuclear burning, and the evolution of the chemical abundances in the atmosphere of the star. We also examine the convective boundary mixing processes that cause the evolution to differ significantly from previous one-dimensional simulations that rely on mixing-length theory. We find that the convection zone grows outward as penetrating fluid elements cool the overlying radiative layer, rather than directly from the increasing entropy of the convection zone itself. Simultaneously, these flows efficiently mix composition, carrying carbon out of and protons into the convection zone even before contact with the hydrogen shell. We discuss the implications of these effects for future modeling of these events and observations.

astrophysical fluid dynamics↗

Systematic analysis of melt pool dynamics in laser processing of mixed powder feedstocks

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) fabricated via additive manufacturing of blended powders offer the potential to spatially tailor properties for new technologies, such as fusion first-wall systems, turbine blades, and spacecraft. However, processing these materials is difficult due to the multiplicity of processing parameters to optimize, all of which must be changed as substrate material, powder feedstock compositions, and melt pool dynamics evolve. Here, this work systematically evaluates the qualitative and quantitative effects of these variables on the melt pool size, shape, composition, and particle distribution in an exemplar Ti-Ta system, and connects the experimental results to Marangoni flow behavior and phenomena observed in other systems. Increasing laser power linearly increases melt pool size and layer thickness, driving engineering considerations such as part/geometrical tolerances. Decreasing laser velocity changes the melt pool shape from lenticular to convex and reduces chemical homogeneity due to extreme thermal and compositional gradients between the melt pool center and boundaries. Thermophysical property differences between the powder feedstock and substrate material, as well as the directionality of the gradient, affect dilution and melt pool dynamics, which in turn affect the melt pool boundary characteristics, shape, and uniformity. Mixed powder feedstocks of intermediate compositions do not behave according to linear interpolations between single-material endpoints, instead building taller and wider melt pools. As such, it is recommended to quantify process maps for at least one intermediate composition in the FGM or multi-material system of interest to ensure optimized processing parameters, predictable melt pool sizes and shapes, and compositional and spatial precision.

Dissimilar↗

Turbulence and Control of Wind Farms

The dynamics of the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer play a fundamental role in wind farm energy production, governing the velocity field that enters the farm as well as the turbulent mixing that regenerates energy for extraction at downstream rows. Understanding the dynamic interactions among turbines, wind farms, and the atmospheric boundary layer can therefore be beneficial in improving the efficiency of wind farm control approaches. Anticipated increases in the sizes of new wind farms to meet renewable energy targets will increase the importance of exploiting this understanding to advance wind farm control capabilities. This review discusses approaches for modeling and estimation of the wind farm flow field that have exploited such knowledge in closed-loop control, to varying degrees. We focus on power tracking as an example application that will be of critical importance as wind farms transition into their anticipated role as major suppliers of electricity. The discussion highlights the benefits of including the dynamics of the flow field in control and points to critical shortcomings of the current approaches.

Automation & Control Systems↗

Numerical Simulations of Orographic Convection across Multiple Gray Zones

Idealized simulations are used to determine the sensitivity of moist orographic convection to horizontal grid spacing Δ h . In simulated mechanically (MECH) and thermally (THERM) forced convection over an isolated ridge, Δ h is varied systematically over both the deep-convection (Δ h ~ 10 –1 km) and turbulence (Δ h ~ 1 km–100 m) gray zones. To aid physical interpretation, a new parcel-based bulk entrainment/detrainment diagnosis for horizontally heterogeneous flows is developed. Within the deep-convection gray zone, the Δ h sensitivity is dominated by differences in parameterized versus explicit convection; the former initiates convection too far upstream of the ridge (MECH) and too early in the diurnal heating cycle (THERM). These errors stem in part from a large underprediction of parameterized entrainment and detrainment. Within the turbulence gray zone, sensitivities to Δh arise from the representation of both subcloud- and cloud-layer turbulence. As Δ h is decreased, MECH exhibits stronger cloud-layer entrainment to enhance the convective mass flux M co , while THERM exhibits stronger detrainment to suppress Mco and delay convection initiation. The latter is reinforced by increased subcloud turbulence at smaller Δ h , which leads to drying and diffusion of the central updraft responsible for initiating moist convection. Numerical convergence to a robust solution occurs only in THERM, which develops a fully turbulent flow with a resolved inertial subrange (for Δ h ≤ 250 m). In MECH, by contrast, turbulent transition occurs within the orographic cloud, the details of which depend on both physical location and Δ h .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Staircases of passive and active scalar concentration in cellular flow

This paper develops a unified model for staircase formation in both passive and active scalar systems, building upon prior numerical studies by offering new heuristic and physical insights. While prior studies primarily reported numerical results, they did not explore the underlying unifying physics that governs both types of scalar transport; this work addresses that gap by identifying shared mechanisms across both cases. Results of studies of passive and active scalar staircase formation in cellular flows are presented. Staircase formation in cellular flows occurs due to the interplay of fast mixing within cells and slow transport across the inter-cell boundary. The cell boundary emerges as a de facto transport barrier. Special attention is focused on the effects of cellular fluctuations and noise upon staircase structure. A forced, fluctuating vortex array model is used to drive the underlying flow structure. Cellular Peclet number and staircase profile curvature are identified as figures-of-merit to quantify the resiliency of layering. These are related to simple, multi-scatterer scalar random walk models. Results for Peclet number and curvature scaling with flow excitation are presented. We also study staircases of magnetic potential evolving in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics as examples of layering of active scalar concentration. Formation of magnetic potential staircases is indeed observed. Flux expulsion inhibits the intercellular transport of magnetic potential and strengthens staircase barriers. Magnetic staircases can be supported against resistive decay by magnetic potential noise forcing. Implications for staircase formation in magnetic confinement experiments are discussed.

Control theory↗

Curled-Skewed Wakes behind Yawed Wind Turbines Subject to Veered Inflow

This work presents a new engineering analytical model that predicts the effect of both the turbine yaw misalignment and the inflow wind veer on the wake flow distribution downwind of a wind turbine. To consider the veered inflow, two methods were examined. In the first method, the curled shape of the wake due to the yaw offset is initially modelled. The wake shape is then laterally skewed at each height due to the wind veer based on the assumption that the turbine wake is transported downstream by the incoming flow. The second method is a more realistic approach that accounts for the effect of wind veer on the wind velocity direction and the yaw angle seen by the wind turbine. This models the wake region in a local coordinate system defined based on the wind direction at each height. A coordinate transformation is then performed to represent the wake flow distribution in the global coordinate system attached to the ground. The results show that while the two methods provide similar outputs for small variations in the wind direction across the rotor, the difference becomes more evident with an increase in wind veer. High-fidelity simulations for a turbine subject to a neutral atmospheric boundary layer were employed to validate model predictions for different operating conditions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Acceleration of Oxygen Ions in Dipolarization Events: 1. CPS Distributions

Abstract Using an MHD simulation of near tail reconnection associated with a flow burst and the collapse (dipolarization) of the inner tail in combination with test particle tracing we study the acceleration and flux increases of energetic oxygen ions (O + ). The characteristic orbits, distributions, and acceleration mechanisms are governed by the dimensionless parameter σ = ω ci t n , where ω ci is the ion gyro frequency and t n a characteristic Alfvén time of the MHD simulation. For σ < 1, central plasma sheet (CPS) populations after the passage of the dipolarization front are found to resemble half‐shells in velocity space oriented toward dusk. They originate from within the CPS and are energized typically by a single encounter of the region of enhanced cross‐tail electric field associated with the flow burst. For larger σ values ( σ > 1) the O + distributions resemble more closely those of protons, consisting of two counter‐streaming field‐aligned beams and an, albeit more tenuous and irregular, ring population perpendicular to the magnetic field. The existence of the beams, however, depends on suitable earthward moving source populations in the plasma sheet boundary layer or the adjacent lobes. The acceleration to higher energies is found to indicate a charge dependence, consistent with a dominance of more highly charged ions at energies of a few hundred keV. As in earlier simulations, the simulated fluxes show large anisotropies and nongyrotropic effects, phase bunching, and spatially and temporally localized beams.

Birn, J.↗

Atomic Dynamics of Multi‐Interfacial Migration and Transformations

Redox-induced interconversions of metal oxidation states typically result in multiple phase boundaries that separate chemically and structurally distinct oxides and suboxides. Directly probing such multi-interfacial reactions is challenging because of the difficulty in simultaneously resolving the multiple reaction fronts at the atomic scale. Using the example of CuO reduction in H 2 gas, a reaction pathway of CuO → monoclinic m-Cu 4 O 3 → Cu 2 O is demonstrated and identifies interfacial reaction fronts at the atomic scale, where the Cu 2 O/m-Cu 4 O 3 interface shows a diffuse-type interfacial transformation; while the lateral flow of interfacial ledges appears to control the m-Cu 4 O 3 /CuO transformation. Together with atomistic modeling, it is shown that such a multi-interface transformation results from the surface-reaction-induced formation of oxygen vacancies that diffuse into deeper atomic layers, thereby resulting in the formation of the lower oxides of Cu 2 O and m-Cu 4 O 3 , and activate the interfacial transformations. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the lively dynamics at the reaction fronts of the multiple interfaces and have substantial implications for controlling the microstructure and interphase boundaries by coupling the interplay between the surface reaction dynamics and the resulting mass transport and phase evolution in the subsurface and bulk.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Rigidity of MHD equilibria to smooth incompressible ideal motion near resonant surfaces

In ideal MHD, the magnetic flux is advected by the plasma motion, freezing flux-surfaces into the flow. An MHD equilibrium is reached when the flow relaxes and force balance is achieved. We ask what classes of MHD equilibria can be accessed from a given initial state via smooth incompressible ideal motion. It is found that certain boundary displacements are formally not supported. This follows from yet another investigation of the Hahm–Kulsrud–Taylor (HKT) problem, which highlights the resonant behaviour near a rational layer formed by a set of degenerate critical points in the flux-function. When trying to retain the mirror symmetry of the flux-function with respect to the resonant layer, the vector field that generates the volume-preserving diffeomorphism vanishes at the identity to all order in the time-like path parameter.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Evaluation and Uncertainty of Radioxenon Transport with a Mesoscale Model after the February 2013 Underground Test in North Korea

Abstract The transport of radioxenon released from the February 2013 underground nuclear weapons test in North Korea was analyzed at two receptors—one at the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty site Rn58 in Russia (400 km downwind) and a second at Rn38 in Japan (1000 km downwind). Transport was modeled with two ensembles of mesoscale simulations, one generated with varying initial and lateral boundary conditions taken from the Global Forecasting System uncertainty ensemble, and a second created from different parameterizations and surface conditions. The wind variability was similar for the two ensembles and consistent with observations at 925 mb (1 mb = 1 hPa) but not at the surface. Biases in calculated surface winds and the radioxenon concentration in the ensembles were attributed mainly to poor simulation of the sea breeze at both locations and mountain lee affects at Rn38 in Japan. These wind regimes affected the timing of the surface radioxenon plume at Rn58 and its duration at Rn38. Surface wind variability induced by terrain and land–sea contrast (the sea breeze) also had a significant effect on the surface winds and plume dynamics, including blocking of flow approaching elevated terrain near Vladivostok and the west side of Japan. Increased plume uncertainty was seen at night because of surface wind variability. Measured surface chemical variability was larger than found in the first European Tracer Experiment in central Europe. The study found that horizontal model resolution contributes to uncertainty but not as much as vertical resolution, boundary layer parameterizations, and assimilation of surface meteorological data near the receptor.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Summertime Marine Boundary Layer Cloud, Thermodynamic, and Drizzle Morphology over the Eastern North Atlantic: A Four-Year Study

Abstract Summertime remote sensor and in situ data from 2016 to 2019 collected at the ARM Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) Observatory are combined with aircraft measurements from the Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) campaign to quantify marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud, thermodynamic, and drizzle morphology in the region. A radar reflectivity–rainfall rate relationship ( Z – R ) is developed from aircraft data and 6-h cloud morphological regimes are identified from ENA data using a k -means algorithm driven by three independent inputs quantifying cloud thickness, drizzle intensity, and cloud field geometric complexity. Four separate MBL structural regimes representing non- or weakly drizzling single-layer stratocumulus, drizzling stratocumulus and cumulus-coupled stratocumulus, deep convection, and broken clouds embedded in northerly flow are identified. Single-layer stratocumulus is indicated when weak subtropical anticyclones are significantly west of the ENA site, and the MBL is cooler and drier than when drizzling and cumulus-coupled stratocumulus and broken clouds are observed. Drizzling and cumulus-coupled stratocumulus clouds are observed on the eastern flank of strong subtropical anticyclones in deep warm moist air masses with wind speeds exceeding 7 m s −1 and strong near-surface wind shear. Broken clouds exhibit strong wind shear near the inversion, while single-layer stratocumulus clouds have lower wind speeds and minimal shear. Net latent heat fluxes in the subcloud layer resulting from a combination of the ocean surface heat flux and evaporating drizzle average near zero over long periods in drizzling and cumulus-coupled stratocumulus. The ECMWF reanalysis version 5 (ERA5) is found to accurately represent single-layer stratocumulus properties, while producing significant discrepancies when drizzling stratocumulus and cumulus-coupled stratocumulus are observed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Does the rotational direction of a wind turbine impact the wake in a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer?

Stably stratified atmospheric boundary layers are often characterized by a veering wind profile, in which the wind direction changes clockwise with height in the Northern Hemisphere. Wind-turbine wakes respond to this veer in the incoming wind by stretching from a circular shape into an ellipsoid. We investigate the relationship between this stretching and the direction of the turbine rotation by means of large-eddy simulations. Clockwise rotating, counterclockwise rotating, and non-rotating actuator disc turbines are embedded in wind fields of a precursor simulation with no wind veer and in wind fields with a Northern Hemispheric Ekman spiral, resulting in six combinations of rotor rotation and inflow wind condition. The wake strength, extension, width, and deflection depend on the interaction of the meridional component of Ekman spiral with the rotational direction of the actuator disc, whereas the direction of the disc rotation only marginally modifies the wake if no veer is present. The differences result from the amplification or weakening/reversion of the spanwise and the vertical wind components due to the effect of the superposed disc rotation. They are also present in the streamwise wind component of the wake and in the total turbulence intensity. In the case of an counterclockwise rotating actuator disc, the spanwise and vertical wind components increase directly behind the rotor, resulting in the same rotational direction in the whole wake while its strength decreases downwind. In the case of a clockwise rotating actuator disc, however, the spanwise and vertical wind components of the near wake are weakened or even reversed in comparison to the inflow. This weakening/reversion results in a downwind increase in the strength of the flow rotation in the wake or even a different rotational direction in the near wake in comparison to the far wake. The physical mechanism responsible for this difference can be explained by a simple linear superposition of a veering inflow with a Rankine vortex.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Near-Cloud Atmospheric Ingredients for Deep Convection Initiation

A lack of routine environmental observations located near deepening cumulus congestus clouds limits verification of important theorized and simulated updraft–environment interaction processes occurring during deep convection initiation (CI). We analyze radiosonde profiles collected during several hundred CI events near a mountain range in central Argentina during the CACTI field campaign. Statistical analyses illustrate environmental conditions supporting radar-observed CI outcomes that span a spectrum of convective cell depths, widths, and durations, as well as events lacking precipitating convection. Tested environmental factors include a large variety of sounding-derived measurements of CAPE, CIN, moisture, terrain-relative winds, vertical shear, and lifted parcel properties, with supplemental model reanalysis of background larger-scale vertical motion. CAPE and CIN metrics do not consistently differentiate CI success from failure. Only a few environmental factors contain consistent monotonic relationships among the spectrum of cloud depths achieved during CI: (i) the depth and strength of background ascent, and (ii) the component of low-level flow oriented parallel to the ridgeline. These metrics suggest that the ability of the surrounding flow to lift parcels to their LFC and terrain-modified flow are consistently relevant processes for CI. Low- to midlevel relative humidity strongly discriminated between CI and non-CI events, likely reflecting entrainment-driven dilution processes. However, we could not confidently conclude that relative humidity similarly discriminated robust from marginal CI events. Circumstantial evidence was found linking cell width, an important cloud property governing the probability of CI, to LCL height, boundary layer depth, depth and magnitude of the CIN layer, and ambient wind shear.

Storm environments↗

DNS Of the ignition process of n-heptane/air premixed combustion with low-temperature chemistry in turbulent boundary layer

In the present work, three-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS) of n-heptane/air premixed combustion in turbulent boundary layer was performed to explore the near-wall ignition process with low -temperature chemistry. A reduced chemical mechanism with 58 species and 387 elementary reactions for n-heptane combustion was used in the DNS. The general characteristics of the ignition process near the wall were examined. Here, it was found that low-temperature ignition (LTI) dominates the upstream region, and high -temperature ignition (HTI) appears in the downstream region. The ignition process and the low-temperature chemistry pathways of the DNS are compared with those of a corresponding laminar case. It was found that the ignition process was affected by turbulence, which results in thickened reaction zones. However, the carbon flow analysis of low-temperature chemistry showed that turbulence rarely affects the low-temperature chemistry pathway. The combustion modes of various regions were scrutinized based on the budget terms of species transport equations and the chemical explosion mode analysis (CEMA). It was shown that the reaction term of RO 2 is significant during the LTI process of the upstream region, and the reaction terms of CH 2 O and CO 2 are evident in the downstream region, indicating the occurrence of HTI. It was also shown that auto-ignition is dominant in the upstream region. With increasing streamwise distance, the contribution of flame propagation increases, which takes over that of auto-ignition in the near-wall region.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Simulations of divertor designs that spatially separate power and particle exhaust using mid-leg divertor particle pumping

Predictive design modeling of a Dissipation-Focused Divertor for future operation in DIII-D reveals that increasing the poloidal distance of the pump duct entrance from the target surface along the low-field side divertor baffle increases neutral compression and modifies the spatial distribution of power dissipation. With a divertor pump located mid-leg between the target and the X-point, SOLPS-ITER boundary plasma simulations without drifts predict the formation of a dense neutral cloud near the target with > 30x higher neutral compression in detachment, a more stable detachment front located further from the target, and ~25% lower outer midplane separatrix density required for detachment onset, compared to a pump located in the scrape-off layer at the target surface. Up to 19 MW of power flowing into the divertors is modeled using the following two numerical implementations for particle pumping: a specified fraction of particles incident on variable wall sections of the plasma grid is removed from the computational domain (so-called albedo pumping), and a pump duct is modeled which includes dynamics of kinetic neutrals in the duct. The simulations show that the detachment front is located between the divertor target and the X-point and is relatively stable near the pump entrance, without a strong dependence on gas puff rate or injected power. The mid-leg pump design spatially separates the two primary functions of a divertor (power handling and particle exhaust), with the majority of power dissipation occurring near the target plate and particle exhaust taking place further upstream. The benefit of enhanced dissipation using mid-leg pumping comes at the cost of a higher outer midplane separatrix density for a given amount of particle injection.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Turbulence Structures in the Very Stable Boundary Layer Under the Influence of Wind Profile Distortion

Abstract In very stable boundary layers (VSBL), a “cocktail” of submeso motions routinely result in elevated mean wind speed maxima above the ground, acting as a new source of turbulence generation. This new source of turbulent kinetic energy enhances turbulent mixing and causes mean wind profile distortion (WPD). As a results, this transient distortion in the wind profile adjusts the classical log‐law. Addressing how WPD‐induced turbulence regulates flow structures, turbulent fluxes, and transitions in stability regimes across layers remains a challenge. Eddy covariance data measured at four levels on a 62‐m tower are employed to address these questions. It is shown that the WPD initiates large turbulent eddies that penetrate downward, leading to enhanced vertical mixing and comparable turbulent transport efficiencies across layers. As a consequence, turbulence intensity and fluxes are increased. As the WPD is intensified, turbulent fluxes and turbulent flux transport caused by large eddies are also enhanced, leading to a transition from very stable to weakly stable regimes. Due to the influence of WPD‐induced large eddies, the large‐eddy turbulent Prandtl number does not deviate appreciably from unity and the partitioning between turbulent kinetic and potential energies is linearly related to the gradient Richardson number.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗

Improving High Resolution Offshore Wind Resource Assessments and Forecasts using Observations in the MA/RI Lease Areas

The third Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP3) sought to improve understanding of the physical phenomena in the atmosphere and ocean that dictate the structure and variability of wind and thermodynamic fields within the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL). WFIP3 conducted a comprehensive 18-month observational study over the Northeast U.S. outer continental shelf, a high use coastal zone, using a 3-D multiscale sensor array to highly resolve the temporal, vertical, and horizontal structure of the coupled atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers. Multiple land-based study sites adjacent to the coastal ocean observed surface meteorology and vertical profiles of atmospheric properties via passive infrared and microwave radiometers, active lidars and radars, and radiosondes. At sea, an array of surface flux buoys and two vertical profiling lidar buoys observed both atmospheric and oceanic properties, augmented by land-based oceanographic radar systems and routine ship-based surveys. Intensive observations of the MABL over the ocean was done from an air-sea interaction flux tower and extended deployments of a large barge platform. WFIP3 focused on mesoscale and sub-mesoscale flows -- including sea breezes, low-level jets, low-level clouds, and coastal storms -- and the ability of advanced numerical model parameterizations to represent them within fully coupled oceanic and atmospheric modeling systems and foundational weather forecast models. Numerous critical forecasting phenomena were observed, however the project was terminated prior to the completion of the field observational period and the analysis period.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗