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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.

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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Design of a Doppler reflectometer for KSTAR

A Doppler reflectometer has been designed to measure the poloidal propagation velocity on the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) tokamak. It has the operating frequency range of V-band (50-75 GHz) and the monostatic antenna configuration with extraordinary mode (X-mode). The single sideband modulation with an intermediate frequency of 50 MHz is used for the heterodyne measurement with the 200 MHz in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) phase detector. The corrugated conical horn antenna is used to approximate the Gaussian beam propagation and it is installed together with the oversized rectangular waveguides in the vacuum vessel. The first commissioning test of the Doppler reflectometer system on the KSTAR tokamak is planned in the 2014 KSTAR experimental campaign.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Friction forces on phase transition fronts

In cosmological first-order phase transitions, the microscopic interaction of the phase transition fronts with non-equilibrium plasma particles manifests itself macroscopically as friction forces. In general, it is a nontrivial problem to compute these forces, and only two limits have been studied, namely, that of very slow walls and, more recently, ultra-relativistic walls which run away. In this paper we consider ultra-relativistic velocities and show that stationary solutions still exist when the parameters allow the existence of runaway walls. Hence, we discuss the necessary and sufficient conditions for the fronts to actually run away. We also propose a phenomenological model for the friction, which interpolates between the non-relativistic and ultra-relativistic values. Thus, the friction depends on two friction coefficients which can be calculated for specific models. We then study the velocity of phase transition fronts as a function of the friction parameters, the thermodynamic parameters, and the amount of supercooling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Scale matters

The applicability of Navier–Stokes equations is limited to near-equilibrium flows in which the gradients of density, velocity and energy are small. Here I propose an extension of the Chapman–Enskog approximation in which the velocity probability distribution function (PDF) is averaged in the coordinate phase space as well as the velocity phase space. I derive a PDF that depends on the gradients and represents a first-order generalization of local thermodynamic equilibrium. I then integrate this PDF to derive a hydrodynamic model. Finally, I discuss the properties of that model and its relation to the discrete equations of computational fluid dynamics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

A comparison of the velocity parameters of SiO V = 1, J = 1 − 0, and J = 2 − 1 maser emission in semiregular variables

We have determined and compared the SiO maser velocity parameters of semiregular variables in the v = 1, J = 1 − 0 (J10{sup 1}) and the v = 1, J = 2 − 1 (J21) transitions. Fourteen sources in the Mopra SiO Maser Catalogue are classified as semiregular variables of types SR, SRa, SRb, or SRc. (L2 Puppis, an SRa star with an unusual SiO maser spectrum, has been analyzed individually.) We have previously presented the overall and phase dependent velocity parameters of SiO masers associated with long period variables (LPVs) of well-established periods and maxima. A comparison of the velocity centroid (VC) difference, VC21–VC10, shows mixed results for the variable types. Some differences are negative and some positive. The SRc difference is negative, large, and relatively stable. The SRb difference has the widest distribution. The velocity ranges (VRs) of the maser emission have been compared using arithmetic averages, Gaussian fits to the distributions, and Weibull fits to the distributions. For LPVs, SRs, SRas, and SRcs the VR10 is one to a few km s{sup −1} greater than the VR21. SRcs have the largest VRs by a factor of two or three indicating the greater range over which the conditions necessary for masers to originate exist in these supergiant stars. SRbs are the only classification of semiregular variable in which the VR21 exceeds the VR10. The larger VR21 compared to VR10 for SRbs appears in all comparisons. The difference in the SRb SiO maser velocity parameters may be due to a difference in the oscillation mechanism of the star. The suggested overtone oscillations of SRbs may affect the circumstellar cloud dynamics. Little theoretical work has specifically addressed the masers in semiregular variables. Qualitative comparisons of the data with the existing models of the SiO masers in LPVs are made.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Phase-field model of alloy solidification far from chemical equilibrium at the solid-liquid interface

We further develop a recently introduced phase-field model of far-from-equilibrium alloy solidification under additive manufacturing conditions [K. Ji et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 026203 (2023)]. This model utilizes enhanced solute diffusivity within the spatially diffuse interface region to quantitatively capture solute trapping with a larger interface width, thereby making simulations on experimentally relevant length and timescales computationally feasible. The main developments presented here include testing the robustness of different variational formulations, extending the model to concentrated alloys by incorporating solid and liquid free energies from thermodynamic databases, as illustrated for hypoeutectic Al-Ag alloys with CALPHAD, extending convergence tests as a function of interface width to 3D, and carrying out simulations in both 2D and 3D to examine existing theories of microstructure development. Our results indicate that the simplest variational formulation that interpolates the bulk free-energy density between its solid and liquid forms is the most robust. Remarkably, for hypoeutectic Al-Ag alloys, this formulation yields a high-velocity nonequilibrium phase diagram that is independent of interface width, thereby demonstrating that the framework of enhanced solute diffusivity can be nontrivially extended to concentrated alloys. Other variational formulations have restricted ranges of materials or processing parameters that can be reliably modeled. We use 2D simulations to construct high-velocity microstructure selection maps for dilute Al-Cu alloys. The results validate the important role of latent heat rejection at the interface and extend the limited predictions of linear stability analysis [A. Karma and A. Sarkissian, Phys. Rev. E 47, 513 (1993)] and sharp-interface 1D simulations to fully nonlinear regimes. Furthermore, 3D simulations, carried out using a computationally tractable axisymmetric cellular/dendritic interface shape, demonstrate a good convergence similar to that observed in 2D as a function of interface width. Full 3D simulations, in turn, reveal that the standard theory of absolute stability is a good predictor of the upper critical velocity beyond which steady-state growth becomes unstable, despite the different morphological manifestations of this instability in 2D and 3D.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Multi-phase nature of a radiation-driven fountain with nuclear starburst in a low-mass active galactic nucleus

The structures and dynamics of molecular, atomic, and ionized gases are studied around a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN) with a small (2×10{sup 6}M{sub ⊙}) black hole using three-dimensional (3D) radiation–hydrodynamic simulations. We studied, for the first time, the non-equilibrium chemistry for the X-ray-dominated region in the “radiation-driven fountain” with supernova feedback. A double hollow cone structure is naturally formed without postulating a thick “torus” around a central source. The cone is occupied with an inhomogeneous, diffuse ionized gas and surrounded by a geometrically thick (h/r≳1) atomic gas. Dense molecular gases are distributed near the equatorial plane, and energy feedback from supernovae enhances their scale height. Molecular hydrogen exists in a hot phase (>1000 K) as well as in a cold (<100 K), dense (>10{sup 3} cm{sup −3}) phase. The velocity dispersion of H{sub 2} in the vertical direction is comparable to the rotational velocity, which is consistent with near-infrared observations of nearby Seyfert galaxies. Using 3D radiation transfer calculations for the dust emission, we find polar emission in the mid-infrared band (12 μm), which is associated with bipolar outflows, as suggested in recent interferometric observations of nearby AGNs. If the viewing angle for the nucleus is larger than 75°, the spectral energy distribution is consistent with that of the Circinus galaxy. The multi-phase interstellar medium observed in optical/infrared and X-ray observations is also discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modeling of Two-Phase Flow around Spacers with Mixing Vanes in Reactor Rod-Bundles

Reactor fuel rod bundles experience complex two-phase flow patterns that are governed by multiple interacting phenomena. Proper understand of the underlying flow hydrodynamics can point to potential hotspots within nuclear reactors. The structural supports, called spacer grids, have mixing vanes fixed to the trailing edges to enhance mixing and swirl within the flow. This is an added phenomenon that makes the flows even more complicated to model. As reactors can experience boiling conditions, it is important to understand how the spacer geometry affects local velocity and phase distributions in these geometries. This work represents a continuation of a study that has been focused on developing, testing, and validation of a consistent multidimensional model of dispersed bubbly flow along PWR coolant channels,. The proposed model has been implemented in the NPHASE-CMFD code the results of computer simulations have been compared to experimental results of Yloenen. One of the objectives of the current study has been to examine the effects of selected recent modeling improvements at RPI in NPHASE-CMFD as a part of the continuing model development and validation efforts. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Precision and Accuracy in PDV and VISAR

This is a technical report discussing our current level of understanding of a wide and varying distribution of uncertainties in velocity results from Photonic Doppler Velocimetry in its application to gas gun experiments. Using propagation of errors methods with statistical averaging of photon number fluctuation in the detected photocurrent and subsequent addition of electronic recording noise, we learn that the velocity uncertainty in VISAR can be written in closed form. For PDV, the non-linear frequency transform and peak fitting methods employed make propagation of errors estimates notoriously more difficult to write down in closed form expect in the limit of constant velocity and low time resolution (large analysis-window width). An alternative method of error propagation in PDV is to use Monte Carlo methods with a simulation of the time domain signal based on results from the spectral domain. A key problem for Monte Carlo estimation for an experiment is a correct estimate of that portion of the time-domain noise associated with the peak-fitting region-of-interesting in the spectral domain. Using short-time Fourier transformation spectral analysis and working with the phase dependent real and imaginary parts allows removal of amplitude-noise cross terms that invariably show up when working with correlation-based methods or FFT power spectra. Estimation of the noise associated with a given spectral region of interest is then possible. At this level of progress, we learn that Monte Carlo trials with random recording noise and initial (uncontrolled) phase yields velocity uncertainties that are not as large as those observed. In a search for additional noise sources, a speckleinterference modulation contribution with off axis rays was investigated, and was found to add a velocity variation beyond that from the recording noise (due to random interference between off axis rays), but in our experiments the speckle modulation precision was not as important as the recording noise precision. But from these investigations we do appreciate that the velocity-uncertainty itself has a wide distribution of values that varies with signal-amplitude modulation (is not a single value). To provide a rough rule of thumb for the velocity uncertainty, we computed the average of the relative standard deviation distributions from 60 recorded traces (with distributions of uncertainties roughly between 0.1 % to 1 % in each trace) and found a mean of the distribution of uncertainties for our experiments is not better than 0.4 % at an analysis window width of 5 ns (although for brief intervals it can be as good as 0.1 %). Further imagination and testing may be needed to reveal other possible hydrodynamics-related sources of velocity error in PDV.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Impact of toroidal rotation on the resistive ballooning modes in ASDEX Upgrade tokamak

Abstract In this work, we investigate the behavior of instabilities appearing between type-I edge localized modes (ELMs), with increasing neutral beam injection (NBI) power concomitant increase in toroidal rotation, and compare it to the modeling result of the linear magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) code CASTOR3D. An injection of one NBI beam, increasing toroidal rotation, results in the mode slowing down from 12 kHz to 7 kHz, and its associated radial displacement decreases from 5 mm to 3.5 mm. In addition, modes shift radially outwards towards higher q , decreasing their poloidal mode numbers. The mode velocity is measured to be close to the E × B velocity with significant uncertainties. Through a set of CASTOR3D simulations with varying profiles, resistivity has been identified as the primary contributor to the growth rates. Only a small stabilizing effect due to toroidal rotation has been observed. While experimental results show a decrease of mode frequency with rotation, the opposite trend is observed in modeling. Reasons for discrepancies between modeling and experiment are discussed. Nevertheless, a main contributor to the mode frequency has been identified to be rotation velocity. CASTOR3D classifies modes as resistive ballooning modes as they do not appear unstable in ideal MHD.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spectroscopic Comparison of Metal-rich RRab Stars of the Galactic Field with their Metal-poor Counterparts

We investigate atmospheric properties of 35 stable RRab stars that possess the full ranges of period, light amplitude, and metal abundance found in Galactic RR Lyrae stars. Our results are derived from several thousand echelle spectra obtained over several years with the du Pont telescope of Las Campanas Observatory. Radial velocities of metal lines and the H α line were used to construct curves of radial velocity versus pulsation phase. From these we estimated radial velocity amplitudes for metal lines (formed near the photosphere) and H α Doppler cores (formed at small optical depths). We also measured H α emission fluxes when they appear during primary light rises. Spectra shifted to rest wavelengths, binned into small phase intervals, and co-added were used to perform model atmospheric and abundance analyses. The derived metallicities and those of some previous spectroscopic surveys were combined to produce a new calibration of the Layden abundance scale. We then divided our RRab sample into metal-rich (disk) and metal-poor (halo) groups at [Fe/H] = −1.0; the atmospheres of RRab families, so defined, differ with respect to (a) peak strength of H α emission flux, (b) H α radial velocity amplitude, (c) dynamical gravity, (d) stellar radius variation, (e) secondary acceleration during the photometric bump that precedes minimum light, and (f) duration of H α line-doubling. We also detected H α line-doubling during the “bump” in the metal-poor family, but not in the metal-rich one. Although all RRab probably are core helium-burning horizontal branch stars, the metal-rich group appears to be a species sui generis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development and Validation of a Conjugate Heat Transfer Model for the Two-Phase CFD Code NEK-2P

A project is underway to develop, verify and validate an advanced two-phase flow modeling capability for the highly-scalable, high-performance CFD code NEK5000. The goal of the project is to develop a new two-phase version of the NEK5000 code, named NEK-2P, to simulate the two-phase flow and heat transfer phenomena that occur in a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) fuel bundle under various operating conditions. The NEK-2P two-phase flow models follow the approach used for the Extended Boiling Framework (EBF) [2-3] previously developed at Argonne, but include more fundamental physical models of boiling phenomena and advanced numerical algorithms for improved computational accuracy, robustness, and computational speed. The development of the NEK-2P two-phase solver and the implementation of the Extended Boiling Framework two-phase models were initially supported by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) through a Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project during FY2014-2016. The development and validation of the two-phase models through analyses of selected two-phase boiling flow experiments was supported by the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program in FY2017-2019. This report focuses on the FY2019 development and validation of the Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) model for the NEK-2P Two-Phase, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code. The NEK-2P CHT model calculates the coupled behavior of the fluid and solid domains. In the fluid domain NEK-2P calculates the vapor and liquid phase temperatures, velocities and mass fractions. In the solid domain only the temperatures are calculated. The fluid and solid domains are coupled with a heat flux boundary condition at the fluid-solid interface. The heat flux and the wall temperatures at the fluid-solid interface are updated using the NEK-2P wall heat-flux partitioning model. A wall heat flux boundary condition is also applied to the exterior surface of the solid domain. The CHT model validation was illustrated through the analysis of three of the Becker Critical Heat Flux (CHF) tests. Reasonably good agreement with measured data was obtained in predicting the CHF location and post CHF wall temperature behavior illustrating the ability of the NEK-2P CHT model to simulate the CHF phenomena for a wide range of thermal-hydraulic conditions. Apart from the CHT model development and validation, initial simulations were performed for the Virginia Tech. (VT) 3x3 bare rod bundle experiments including both cold and boiling flow simulations.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Elastic and magnetic properties of Fe 3 P up to core pressures: Phosphorus in the Earth's core

Phosphorus (P) is considered a possible light element alloying with iron (Fe) in the Earth's core due to its siderophile nature and the ubiquity of P-bearing iron alloys in iron meteorites. The sequestration of P by liquid metals during the core formation possibly results in the relatively low concentration of P in the bulk silicate Earth. Here, we performed single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy and nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering measurements in diamond anvil cells to investigate the elastic and magnetic properties of Fe 3 P under high pressures. Our X-ray diffraction results suggest that there is no structural phase transition up to 111 GPa. However, a volume collapse was observed at 21.5 GPa in Fe 3 P, ascribed to a magnetic transition as evidenced by synchrotron Mhssbauer spectroscopy results. Fitting the volume-pressure data by the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state gives bulk modulus $K_{T0}$ = 162.4(7) GPa, its first pressure derivative $K'_{T0}$ = 4.0 (fixed) and zeropressure volume $V_0$ = 370.38(6) Å 3 for the magnetic phase and $K_{T0}$ = 220(7) GPa, $K'_{T0}$ = 4.0 (fixed) and $V_0$ = 357(1) Å 3 for the non-magnetic phase. Sound velocities of Fe 3 P were determined up to 152 GPa by nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, demonstrating that Fe 3 P bears a low shear velocity and high Poisson's ratio at core pressures compared to Fe and Fe 3 S. When forming a solid solution Fe 3 (S,P) with Fe 3 S at core pressures, Fe 3 P may favorably influence the elastic properties of Fe 3 (S,P) to match the seismic observations of the inner core.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Strongly Anisotropic Magnesiowüstite in Earth's Lower Mantle

Here, the juxtaposition of a liquid iron-dominant alloy against a mixture of silicate and oxide minerals at Earth’s core–mantle boundary is associated with a wide range of complex seismological features. One category of observed structures is ultralow-velocity zones, which are thought to correspond to either aggregates of partially molten material or solid, iron-enriched assemblages. We measured the phonon dispersion relations of (Mg,Fe)O magnesiowüstite containing 76 mol% FeO, a candidate ultralow-velocity zone phase, at high pressures using high energy-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering. From these measurements, we find that magnesiowüstite becomes strongly elastically anisotropic with increasing pressure, potentially contributing to a significant proportion of seismic anisotropy detected near the base of the mantle.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

High-velocity projectile impact induced 9R phase in ultrafine-grained aluminium

Aluminium typically deforms via full dislocations due to its high stacking fault energy. Twinning in aluminium, although difficult, may occur at low temperature and high strain rate. However, the 9R phase rarely occurs in aluminium simply because of its giant stacking fault energy. Here, by using a laser-induced projectile impact testing technique, we discover a deformation-induced 9R phase with tens of nm in width in ultrafine-grained aluminium with an average grain size of 140 nm, as confirmed by extensive post-impact microscopy analyses. The stability of the 9R phase is related to the existence of sessile Frank loops. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the formation mechanisms of the 9R phase in aluminium. This study sheds lights on a deformation mechanism in metals with high stacking fault energies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Drift and ion acoustic wave driven vortices with superthermal electrons

Linear and nonlinear analysis of coupled drift and acoustic mode is presented in an inhomogeneous electron-ion plasma with {kappa}-distributed electrons. A linear dispersion relation is found which shows that the phase speed of both the drift wave and the ion acoustic wave decreases in the presence of superthermal electrons. Several limiting cases are also discussed. In the nonlinear regime, stationary solutions in the form of dipolar and monopolar vortices are obtained. It is shown that the condition for the boundedness of the solution implies that the speed of drift wave driven vortices reduces with increase in superthermality effect. Ignoring density inhomogeniety, it is investigated that the lower and upper limits on the speed of the ion acoustic driven vortices spread with the inclusion of high energy electrons. The importance of results with reference to space plasmas is also pointed out.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Roles of polarization force and nonthermal electron on dust-acoustic waves in an inhomogeneous dusty plasma with positively charged dust

The influence of polarization force (PF) (arises due to dust density inhomogeneity), nonthermal electrons, and dust density inhomogeneity associated with positively charged dust on linear dust-acoustic (DA) waves in an inhomogeneous unmagnetized dusty plasma are investigated. By taking the normal mode analysis, the dispersion relation in such a non-Maxwellian inhomogeneous plasma is obtained, and that the dispersion properties of the DA waves are significantly modified by the presence of PF and nonthermal electrons. The PF is increased with the increase of nonthermal electrons. It is found that the phase speed of the DA waves is significantly decreased with the presence of PF and nonthermal electrons. The potential associated with the DA waves is de-enhanced with the increase of equilibrium dust number density. The role of positive dust number density on dispersion properties is also shown. The present findings relevant to different scenarios in laboratory and space dusty plasma, such as Martian ionosphere, solar flares, TEXTOR-94 tokamak plasmas, rf excited argon magnetoplasma, etc., can be useful to understand the properties of localized electrostatic disturbances in those dusty plasma system, are also briefly addressed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

The incomplete plasma dispersion function: Properties and application to waves in bounded plasmas

The incomplete plasma dispersion function is a generalization of the plasma dispersion function in which the defining integral spans a semi-infinite, rather than infinite, domain. It is useful for describing the linear dielectric response and wave dispersion in non-Maxwellian plasmas when the distribution functions can be approximated as Maxwellian over finite, or semi-infinite, intervals in velocity phase-space. A ubiquitous example is the depleted Maxwellian electron distribution found near boundary sheaths or double layers, where the passing interval can be modeled as Maxwellian with a lower temperature than the trapped interval. The depleted Maxwellian is used as an example to demonstrate the utility of using the incomplete plasma dispersion function for calculating modifications to wave dispersion relations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗