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At least 451 records · Page 25

Effect of Melt Convection and Solid Transport on Macrosegregation and Grain Structure in Equiaxed Al-Cu Alloys

Macrosegregation in metal casting can be caused by thermal and solutal melt convection, and the transport of unattached solid crystals. These free grains can be a result of, for example, nucleation in the bulk liquid or dendrite fragmentation. In an effort to develop a comprehensive numerical model for the casting of alloys, an experimental study has been conducted to generate benchmark data with which such a solidification model could be tested. The specific goal of the experiments was to examine equiaxed solidification in situations where sinking of grains is (and is not) expected. The objectives were: 1) experimentally study the effects of solid transport and thermosolutal convection on macrosegregation and grain size distribution patterns; and 2) provide a complete set of controlled thermal boundary conditions, temperature data, segregation data, and grain size data, to validate numerical codes. The alloys used were Al-1 wt. pct. Cu, and Al-10 wt. pct. Cu with various amounts of the grain refiner TiB2 added. Cylindrical samples were either cooled from the top, or the bottom. Several trends in the data stand out. In attempting to model these experiments, concentrating on experiments that show clear trends or differences is recommended.

Rerko, Rodney S.↗

The Impact of Local Meteorological Conditions on Airframe Noise Flight Test Data

Phased microphone array measurements obtained during flight tests conducted in 2016 and 2017 are used to assess the importance of local meteorological measurements on the data. In particular, the effectiveness of atmospheric absorption corrections is evaluated under vastly different temperature and humidity conditions. The results indicate that, even under conditions with high absorption, sources can be visualized up to a frequency that is dependent on background noise levels, wind, and atmospheric turbulence. However, absolute levels were found to be problematic on days with high absorption rates, with the discrepancies most prevalent for aircraft positions further from the center of the array. Restricting the data to those days with favorable meteorological conditions generally resulted in a good collapse of the spectra, with differences less than a couple of decibels.

Lockard, David P.↗

Global Evaluation of Process Conditions and Wave Modes in a Rotating Detonation Engine

Rotating Detonation Engines (RDEs) show significant promise for enhancing the efficiency of gas turbine engines while maintaining low 𝑁𝑂𝑥 emissions. This work investigates the predictability of wave modes in a water-cooled RDE under varying operational conditions. Experimental data comprising over 6,700 samples was collected, including parameters such as flow rates, temperatures, pressures, and equivalence ratios. A machine learning approach using the XGBoost library was used to build a multi-class classifier, predicting wave modes based on these inputs. The model achieved a high accuracy of 97%, demonstrating that wave modes are not random but deterministic based on the process conditions. SHAP analysis was used to identify the most influential parameters affecting wave mode prediction. The results show that for the water-cooled NETL RDE, wave mode is determinant and predictable based on the process parameters.

Weber, Justin [NETL] (ORCID:0000000218487035)↗

Evaluation of the photochemical reflectance index in AVIRIS imagery

In this paper, we evaluate the potential for extracting the 'photochemical reflectance index' (PRI; previously called the 'physiological reflectance index') from AVIRIS data. This index, which is derived from narrow-band reflectance at 531 and 570 nm, has proven to be a useful indicator of photosynthetic function at the leaf and canopy scales. At the leaf level, PRI varies with photosynthetic capacity, radiation-use efficiency, and vegetation type (unpublished data). This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that vegetation types exhibiting chronically reduced photosynthesis during periods of stress (e.g. drought-tolerant evergreens) invest proportionally more in photoprotective processes than vegetation with high photosynthetic capacity (e.g. crops or deciduous perennials). Vertical transects in tropical and boreal forest canopies have indicated declines in PRI associated with downregulation of photosynthesis at the canopy tops under sunny, dry midday conditions (unpublished data). This reduced PRI in upper canopy levels provides a further basis for examining this signal with the 'view from above' afforded by aircraft overflights. Although many factors could confound interpretation of a subtle physiological signal at the landscape scale, we conducted a preliminary examination of PRI extracted from existing, AVIRIS imagery of Stanford University's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve obtained on the June 2nd, 1992, overflight. The goal was to use the hyperspectral capabilities of AVIRIS to evaluate the potential of this index for obtaining useful physiological data at the landscape scale. The expectation based on leaf- and canopy-level studies was that regions containing vegetation of reduced photosynthetic capacity (e.g. chaparral or evergreen woodland) would exhibit lower PRI values than regions of high capacity (e.g. deciduous woodland).

Gamon, John A.↗

Impact of Ionospheric Scintillation on Spaceborne SAR Observations Studied Using GNSS

A survey of artifacts seen in JAXA's Phase Array type L-band synthetic aperture radar (PALSAR) data over South America during a low solar activity year is reported in this paper. A significant impact on the radar data is revealed: about 14% of the surveyed PALSAR images (totally 2779) are affected by the artifacts during a month and the artifacts occur on 74.2% of the surveyed days. The characteristics of the artifacts have led to a consideration that the artifacts are the effects of ionospheric scintillation. This raises not only a concern about scintillation effects on radar but also a question about active scintillation conditions during a low solar activity year. To assess and verify the scintillation conditions, GPS data collected from the constellation of FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites and three ground-based GPS networks are processed and analyzed. The GPS data provides a global context and regional dense converge, respectively, of ionospheric irregularity and scintillation measurements. It is concluded tat even during a low solar activity year, L-band scintillation at low latitudes can occur frequently and affect L-band SAR significantly.

remote sensing↗

InClass nets: independent classifier networks for nonparametric estimation of conditional independence mixture models and unsupervised classification

Abstract Conditional independence mixture models (CIMMs) are an important class of statistical models used in many fields of science. We introduce a novel unsupervised machine learning technique called the independent classifier networks (InClass nets) technique for the nonparameteric estimation of CIMMs. InClass nets consist of multiple independent classifier neural networks (NNs), which are trained simultaneously using suitable cost functions. Leveraging the ability of NNs to handle high-dimensional data, the conditionally independent variates of the model are allowed to be individually high-dimensional, which is the main advantage of the proposed technique over existing non-machine-learning-based approaches. Two new theorems on the nonparametric identifiability of bivariate CIMMs are derived in the form of a necessary and a (different) sufficient condition for a bivariate CIMM to be identifiable. We use the InClass nets technique to perform CIMM estimation successfully for several examples. We provide a public implementation as a Python package called RainDancesVI.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Axial-Flow Turbine Rotor Discharge-Flow Overexpansion and Limit-Loading Condition, Part I: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Investigation

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) investigation is conducted over a two-dimensional axial-flow turbine rotor blade row to study the phenomena of turbine rotor discharge flow overexpansion at subcritical, critical, and supercritical conditions. Quantitative data of the mean-flow Mach numbers, mean-flow angles, the tangential blade pressure forces, the mean-flow mass flux, and the flow-path total pressure loss coefficients, averaged or integrated across the two-dimensional computational domain encompassing two blade-passages, are obtained over a series of 14 inlet-total to exit-static pressure ratios, from 1.5 (un-choked; subcritical condition) to 10.0 (supercritical with excessively high pressure ratio.) Detailed flow features over the full domain-of-computation, such as the streamline patterns, Mach contours, pressure contours, blade surface pressure distributions, etc. are collected and displayed in this paper. A formal, quantitative definition of the limit loading condition based on the channel flow theory is proposed and explained. Contrary to the comments made in the historical works performed on this subject, about the deficiency of the theoretical methods applied in analyzing this phenomena, using modern CFD method for the study of this subject appears to be quite adequate and successful. This paper describes the CFD work and its findings.

Axial Flow↗

Effects of Learning on Performance When Computerized Dynamic Posturography Assessments Are Repeated

Background: Computerized dynamic posturography is widely used to measure balance control performance. Clinically, performance is assessed by comparing individual data against standards obtained from a normative population. When performing repeated assessments to track performance changes, one must be concerned with the influence of learning effects. Subjects do not have the opportunity to practice before the first session, and often a second session is not performed prior to an experiment. Thus, the objective of this activity was to examine learning effects on balance control performance. We hypothesize that subjects will perform better on the second session when compared to the first, and that the difference will be greater for more difficult conditions. Methods: Data were collected from 204 subjects using the NeuroCom Equitest system during quiet stance with arms crossed at the chest on up to two sessions. All subjects performed standard sensory organization tests (SOTs) including 1) normal vision, fixed support; 2) absent vision, fixed support; 3) sway-referenced vision, fixed support; 4) normal vision, swayreferenced support; 5) absent vision, sway-referenced support; and 6) sway-referenced vision, sway-referenced support. 120 of these subjects performed modified sensory organization tests (mSOTs 2 and 5) which included static (20 back) and dynamic (20, 0.33Hz) head tilts. Median equilibrium scores (mEQ) were calculated from peak-to-peak anterior-posterior sway across trials. Data collected on the first session were then compared with the second to examine learning effect. Results: There were no differences in mEQ scores between the first and second sessions for SOTs 1, 2, and 4, while mEQ scores were higher for the second session when compared to the first for SOTs 3, 5, and 6 and for all mSOTs. Discussion: An additional familiarization session or practice trials prior to the first session may be necessary for more challenging SOT and mSOT conditions to minimize learning effect.

Taylor, Laura C.↗

Experimental and Computational Study of Trapped Vortex Combustor Sector Rig With Tri-Pass Diffuser

The Trapped Vortex Combustor (TVC) potentially offers numerous operational advantages over current production gas turbine engine combustors. These include lower weight, lower pollutant emissions, effective flame stabilization, high combustion efficiency, excellent high altitude relight capability, and operation in the lean burn or RQL modes of combustion. The present work describes the operational principles of the TVC, and extends diffuser velocities toward choked flow and provides system performance data. Performance data include EINOx results for various fuel-air ratios and combustor residence times, combustion efficiency as a function of combustor residence time, and combustor lean blow-out (LBO) performance. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using liquid spray droplet evaporation and combustion modeling are performed and related to flow structures observed in photographs of the combustor. The CFD results are used to understand the aerodynamics and combustion features under different fueling conditions. Performance data acquired to date are favorable compared to conventional gas turbine combustors. Further testing over a wider range of fuel-air ratios, fuel flow splits, and pressure ratios is in progress to explore the TVC performance. In addition, alternate configurations for the upstream pressure feed, including bi-pass diffusion schemes, as well as variations on the fuel injection patterns, are currently in test and evaluation phases.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Evaluating the limitations of Bayesian metabolic control analysis

AbstractBayesian Metabolic Control Analysis (BMCA) has emerged as a promising framework for inferring metabolic control coefficients in data-limited scenarios by integrating Bayesian inference with linlog rate laws. However, its predictive accuracy and limitations remain underexplored. This study systematically evaluates BMCA’s ability to infer elasticity values, flux control coefficients (FCCs), and concentration control coefficients (CCCs) under varying data availability conditions using three synthetic metabolic network models. Our findings highlight the strengths and weaknesses of BMCA, guiding its application in metabolic engineering and emphasizing the need for methodological refinements.Author summaryUnderstanding how enzymes control metabolic pathways is crucial for optimizing biomanufacturing and synthetic biology applications. Bayesian Metabolic Control Analysis (BMCA) is a promising computational method that integrates Bayesian inference with metabolic control analysis to estimate key control parameters, even in cases with limited experimental data. However, the accuracy and limitations of BMCA remain unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluate BMCA using three synthetic metabolic networks to determine how different types of physiological data impact its predictive performance. We find that BMCA requires flux and enzyme concentration data for accurate predictions, while external metabolite concentrations contribute little. Additionally, BMCA fails to predict elasticity values beyond a magnitude of 1.5 and reliably infer allosteric regulation, even when strong regulatory interactions exist. In addition, BMCA does not accurately rank metabolic control points, which may limit its utility in identifying key enzymes in engineered pathways. Our work provides practical insights into when and how BMCA can be applied, guiding future research in metabolic modeling and control analysis.

Shin, Janis (ORCID:0000000216572455)↗

Statistical framework to assess long-term spatio-temporal climate changes: East River mountainous watershed case study

Abstract Evaluation of long-term temporal and spatial climatic change in mountainous regions is a critical challenge because of the interactive effects of multiple land and climatic factors and processes. Here we present the application of the statistical framework to the assessment of changes of climatic conditions, using data from 17 meteorological stations across the East River watershed near Crested Butte, Colorado, USA, and spanning the period from 1966 to 2021. The framework is developed based on (1) a time-series analysis of daily, monthly, and yearly averaged meteorological parameters (temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, etc.), (2) evaluation and time series analysis of potential evapotranspiration (ET o ), actual evapotranspiration (ET), aridity index (AI), standard precipitation index (SPI) and standard precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI), and (3) a temporal-spatial climatic zonation of the studied area based on the hierarchical clustering and PCA analysis of the SPEI, because the SPEI can be considered an integrative characteristic of the changes of climatic conditions. The Budyko model, with the application of the Penman–Monteith equation for the estimation of ET o , was used to determine the ET. The time series analysis of the AI is used to identify the periods with energy limited and water limited conditions. Hierarchical clustering of site locations for the three temporal segments of the SPEI showed a significant temporal-spatial shifts, indicating that dynamic climatic processes drive zonation patterns. Therefore, the watershed climatic zonation requires periodic re-evaluation based on the structural time series analysis of meteorological and water balance data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

New Particle Formation Event Dataset at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Observatory from 2018 to 2023

This data set contains observations of new particle formation (NPF) events collected at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) observatory from 2018 to 2023. Measurements include particle number size distributions, radiance measurements, and associated meteorological variables from onsite instrumentation relevant for identifying and characterizing NPF events. Events were identified using standardized criteria and documented to support investigations of aerosol nucleation, growth dynamics, and their interactions with local atmospheric conditions. The data set provides a multi-year record that enables evaluation of seasonal and interannual variability in NPF occurrence and intensity at a mid-continental site. These data are intended to support studies of aerosol-cloud-climate interactions and model evaluation within both ARM and the broader atmospheric science community. More information can be found within the README_NPF_SGP_2018_2023.docx file.

event↗

Bar-Chart-Monitor System For Wind Tunnels

Real-time monitor system provides bar-chart displays of significant operating parameters developed for National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex at Ames Research Center. Designed to gather and process sensory data on operating conditions of wind tunnels and models, and displays data for test engineers and technicians concerned with safety and validation of operating conditions. Bar-chart video monitor displays data in as many as 50 channels at maximum update rate of 2 Hz in format facilitating quick interpretation.

Jung, Oscar↗

Experimental and Computational Study of Trapped Vortex Combustor Sector Rig with Tri-pass Diffuser

The Trapped Vortex Combustor (TVC) potentially offers numerous operational advantages over current production gas turbine engine combustors. These include lower weight, lower pollutant emissions, effective flame stabilization, high combustion efficiency, excellent high altitude relight capability, and operation in the lean burn or RQL (Rich burn/Quick mix/Lean burn) modes of combustion. The present work describes the operational principles of the TVC, and provides detailed performance data on a configuration featuring a tri-pass diffusion system. Performance data include EINOx (NO(sub x) emission index) results for various fuel-air ratios and combustor residence times, combustion efficiency as a function of combustor residence time, and combustor lean blow-out (LBO) performance. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using liquid spray droplet evaporation and combustion modeling are performed and related to flow structures observed in photographs of the combustor. The CFD results are used to understand the aerodynamics and combustion features under different fueling conditions. Performance data acquired to date are favorable in comparison to conventional gas turbine combustors. Further testing over a wider range of fuel-air ratios, fuel flow splits, and pressure ratios is in progress to explore the TVC performance. In addition, alternate configurations for the upstream pressure feed, including bi-pass diffusion schemes, as well as variations on the fuel injection patterns, are currently in test and evaluation phases.

Hendricks, Robert C.↗

Satellite Data Assimilation in the GEOS Atmospheric Data Assimilation System

The Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) is used for weather, climate, and air quality forecasts and producing reanalysis datasets. Its atmospheric data assimilation system (ADAS) is a hybrid–4DEnVar system. Various satellite radiance, atmospheric motion vector (winds), aircraft, and convectional data are assimilated by this system to produce global atmospheric states. The GEOS ADAS is enhanced by considering correlated observational errors among infrared radiance observations and assimilating new microwave radiance data in all-sky conditions. Historical microwave radiance data are tested within the all-sky microwave radiance assimilation framework and show beneficial effect in the preparation of the next GEOS reanalysis product. In this seminar, I will present the procedures of to assimilate microwave radiance data in all-sky conditions in the GEOS-ADAS. I will also discuss our efforts to update GEOS ADAS by assimilating more satellite data such as geostationary infrared observations and new observations made by the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) aboard NOAA 21 polar orbit satellite.

Jianjun Jin↗

S'COOL Provides Research Opportunities and Current Data for Today's Technological Classroom

NASA's Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) project, a hands-on educational project, was an innovative idea conceived by the scientists in the Radiation Sciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, in 1996. It came about after a local teacher expressed the idea that she wanted her students to be involved in real-life science. S'COOL supports NASA's Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument, which was launched on the Tropical Rainforest Measuring Mission (TRMM) in November, 1997, as part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. With the S'COOL project students observe clouds and related weather conditions, compute data and note vital information while obtaining ground truth observations for the CERES instrument. The observations can then be used to help validate the CERES measurements, particularly detection of clear sky from space. In addition to meeting math, science and geography standards, students are engaged in using the computer to obtain, report and analyze current data, thus bringing modern technology into the realm of classroom, a paradigm that demands our attention.

Green, Carolyn J.↗

The Integrated Medical Model: A Risk Assessment and Decision Support Tool for Space Flight Medical Systems

The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) is a decision support tool that is useful to mission planners and medical system designers in assessing risks and designing medical systems for space flight missions. The IMM provides an evidence based approach for optimizing medical resources and minimizing risks within space flight operational constraints. The mathematical relationships among mission and crew profiles, medical condition incidence data, in-flight medical resources, potential crew functional impairments, and clinical end-states are established to determine probable mission outcomes. Stochastic computational methods are used to forecast probability distributions of crew health and medical resource utilization, as well as estimates of medical evacuation and loss of crew life. The IMM has been used in support of the International Space Station (ISS) medical kit redesign, the medical component of the ISS Probabilistic Risk Assessment, and the development of the Constellation Medical Conditions List. The IMM also will be used to refine medical requirements for the Constellation program. The IMM outputs for ISS and Constellation design reference missions will be presented to demonstrate the potential of the IMM in assessing risks, planning missions, and designing medical systems. The implementation of the IMM verification and validation plan will be reviewed. Additional planned capabilities of the IMM, including optimization techniques and the inclusion of a mission timeline, will be discussed. Given the space flight constraints of mass, volume, and crew medical training, the IMM is a valuable risk assessment and decision support tool for medical system design and mission planning.

Kerstman, Eric↗

Data Analytics Applied to Coal Fired Boilers for Detecting Leaks

Data analytics were used to detect boiler leaks from five different coal-fired boilers including both subcritical and supercritical systems. Discriminant functions were developed that detected leaks up to two weeks prior to forced plant shutdowns for repairs. The leaks were identified to occur at different sections of the boiler for each plant, including waterwalls, economizer and superheater using conventional process measurement data. Leaking conditions were detected with a high degree of confidence (≪ 1% misclassified observations) and were able to distinguish normal operations from those time periods with steam leaks even while operating the power plants in power cycling mode.Multivariable statistical analyses, including Principal Component (PCA), cluster, and Fischer Discriminant Analysis (FDA) were used to characterize the leak occurrence. Normal and operational states with steam leaks were provided in the original process datasets. These datasets were split into two different groups for training and validation purposes. The data were sorted chronologically, and every third observation was assigned to training the Discriminant Function Model (DFM) while the rest were reserved for validation. PCA was used to reduce dimensionality of the original datasets. Canonical and FDA analyses were used to investigate the relationship between process variables. The outcome of the analyses revealed that nearly 35,000 observations were classified correctly; less than 0.05% of total observations were misclassified to be leaking, i.e. both false positives and false negatives.

Indrawan, Natarianto↗