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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 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Improved image of intrusive bodies at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, based on 3D gravity modelling

Beneath Newberry Volcano is one of the largest geothermal heat reservoirs in the western United States and it has been extensively studied for the last 40 years. Several magmatic intrusions have been recognized at depths between 2.5 and 8 km and some of them identified as suitable targets for enhanced geothermal energy and tested during two previous EGS campaigns. These subsurface structures have been intersected by three deep wells and imaged by various geophysical methods including seismic tomography and magnetotellurics. Although three high quality gravity surveys were completed between 2006 and 2010 as part of various projects, a complete synthesis and interpretation of the gravity data has not yet been performed. Regional gravity data also exist in the vicinity of the Newberry volcano and have been added to these surveys to constitute a dataset with a total of 1418 gravity measurements. When coupled with existing geologic and geophysical data and models, this new gravity dataset provides important constraints on the depth and contours of the magmatic bodies previously identified by other methods and thus greatly contributing to facilitate any future drilling and stimulation works. Using the initial structures discovered by seismic tomography, inversion of gravity data has been performed. Shape, density values and depths of various bodies were allowed to vary and three main bodies have been identified. Densities of the middle and lower intrusive bodies (~2.6-2.7 g/cm3) are consistent with rhyolite, basalt or granites. Modeled density of the near-surface caldera body match that of a low density tephra material and the density of the shallow ring structures contained in the upper kilometer correspond to that of welded tuff or low-density rhyolites. Modeled bodies are in reality a composite of thin layers; however, average densities of the modeled gravity bodies are in good agreement with the density log obtained in one well located on the western flank (well 55-29). Final gravity data residuals show that most of the observed gravity anomalies at the surface can be explained by the modeled gravity bodies and are consistent with other site characterization information.

Cascade Range↗
DOE OSTI2016

A fully integrated 3D CFD model of the flow and heat transfer in a packed bed reactor - 18578

The physical phenomena associated with the modes of heat transfer within a packed pebble bed can be modelled by explicitly solving the associated partial differential equations using a finite volume method approach. Convection from the spheres to coolant, conduction inside and between spheres as well as radiation between various components of a packed bed reactor are the main modes of heat transfer, with several lesser, albeit contributing, phenomena also present. Advances both in software and computing power allow for a larger portion of a packed bed to be modeled with greater accuracy by integrating all applicable physics models in one simulation. A representative unstructured packed bed of uniform spheres was generated with a discrete element method (DEM) and the flow domain modelled using the CFD software package Star-CCM+, taking into account all primary modes of heat transfer as well as a user-specified approach to take secondary effects into account. Effects in the bulk, near-wall and wall-contact regions were investigated. By using such a fully integrated explicit model, a deeper understanding can be can be gained into the role of the underlying phenomena and their respective contributions to the overall heat transfer process. Fuel spheres were modeled explicitly with the conduction between spheres, bed and reflectors being prescribed by contact heat transfer theory as a function of temperature and compressive forces within the bed. The effective thermal conductivity (k{sub eff}), flow pressure drop, as well as temperature distributions in the spheres and coolant were calculated and compared with experimental results from published literature. Good agreement was found with experimental results and the significant contribution of radiation as well as inter-pebble conduction to the effective thermal conductivity could be observed from the results. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ground Motion Models (GMMs) Improvements Using Earthquake Simulations on High Performance Computers

A computationally efficient simulation platform was developed that can provide representative synthetic ground motions from crustal earthquakes in the Stable Continental Regions of Central and Eastern US (CEUS), using 3D modeling and high-performance computing. The main objective was to use synthetic ground motion to provide constrains to refinements of exiting ergodic Ground Motion Models (GMMs), for large magnitude earthquakes and near-fault distances, for which these models are less reliable. Physics-based broadband (0-5Hz) ground motion simulations were used to estimate the near-fault ground motion amplitudes and within event and between-event variabilities associated with fault rupture characteristics. As part of a strategy for selecting a reginal velocity model and validation of developed rupture modeling technique, ground motions from the moment magnitude Mw5.0 November 7, 2016, Cushing Oklahoma, and Mw5.8 September 3, 2016, Pawnee Oklahoma earthquakes were simulated. In our simulations we used a 3D regional velocity model that was based on Saikia’s 1D velocity model. Saikia’s model demonstrated better performance in modelling high frequency regional wave propagation for CEUS region. The proposed 3D model includes lateral variations added to the 1D background model using the stochastic scheme of Pitarka and Mellors. Comparisons of the simulations with recordings of both earthquakes demonstrated the reliability of our deterministic simulation approach while emphasizing the importance of including small-scale variability in the regional velocity model needed to reproduce the observed high-frequency wave scattering effects. As part of validation analysis, comparisons with different GMMs for a Mw6.5 earthquake in the CESUS region resulted in a very good match between the simulated and empirical ground motion models. Initial investigations of within-event and between-event ground motion variabilities for Mw6.5 scenario earthquakes on a strike-slip fault, suggest that they are strongly related to spatial slip and slip rate variations, average rupture velocity, rupture area and rupture initiation location. For certain scenarios we found that the ground motion variability observed at near-fault distances (< 5 km) also persists at longer distances. Regardless of the rupture scenario, the simulated ground motion tends to fully saturate at short distances and for all periods. The near-fault saturation has to do with the attenuation of waves propagating along the fault and local rupture radiation pattern that also contribute to stronger ground motion variation at such distances. Analysis of effects of rupture initiation location suggest that the peak ground motion (PGV) and spectral acceleration (SA) can be quite variable due to rupture directivity effects. Such effects are stronger at periods longer than 1s. The effect of the 1D velocity models and surface topography on simulated ground motion were investigated by comparing three component synthetic seismograms computed at selected sites. Effect of surface topography was considered using the ratio between spectral accelerations simulated for two 1D models with flat surface topography and realistic model with surface topography. Overall, the topography slightly amplifies (by ~30%) the ground motion amplitude in the frequency range 1-3Hz. The effect of topography is more visible in the surface and coda waves portion of the seismograms.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗