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At least 487 records · Page 27

Gyrokinetic electrostatic turbulence close to marginality in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator

The transition from strong (fluidlike) to nearly marginal (Floquet-type) regimes of ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) driven turbulence is studied in the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X by means of numerical simulations. Close to marginality, extended (along magnetic field lines) linearly unstable modes are dominant, even in the presence of kinetic electrons, and provide a drive that results in finite turbulent transport. A total suppression of turbulence above the linear stability threshold of the ITG modes, commonly present in tokamaks and known as the “Dimits shift,” is not observed. We show that this is mostly due to the peculiar radial structure of marginal turbulence, which is more localized than in the fluid case and therefore less likely to be stabilized by shearing flows.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Sudden collapse of a pressure profile generated by off-axis heating in a linear magnetized plasma

Here, the features of an unexpected, large event that arises spontaneously during a basic heat transport experiment are presented. It consists of the sudden collapse of the radial plasma pressure profile, akin to disruption events observed in toroidal magnetic confinement devices. The experiment is performed on the Large Plasma Device at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It uses a LaB6 thermionic emitter of annular shape to induce off-axis heating of a cold, afterglow plasma, in a linear magnetic geometry. The temporal evolution consists of three regimes. During an early, quiescent period, classical heat transport along and across the magnetic field arises from Coulomb collisions. After significant pressure gradients develop, drift-Alfvén waves become unstable. Upon reaching large amplitude, they trigger avalanche events that flatten the outer part of the heated region, which, in turn, quenches the instability. Due to the sustained heating, the pressure profile rebuilds and the process repeats, leading to a relatively long, second regime that displays multiple avalanches, but suddenly, the annular pressure profile is observed to collapse. After this collapse, the system enters a third regime with large fluctuations. Before the collapse, a rapid, runaway heating environment arises whose time evolution exhibits a self-similar dependence on the applied voltage. The time evolution, morphology, and scaling of the collapse event are presented, and an examination is made of the underlying mechanisms.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Exact Coherent Structures and Phase Space Geometry of Preturbulent 2D Active Nematic Channel Flow

Confined active nematics exhibit rich dynamical behavior, including spontaneous flows, periodic defect dynamics, and chaotic “active turbulence.” Here, we study these phenomena using the framework of exact coherent structures, which has been successful in characterizing the routes to high Reynolds number turbulence of passive fluids. Exact coherent structures are stationary, periodic, quasiperiodic, or traveling wave solutions of the hydrodynamic equations that, together with their invariant manifolds, serve as an organizing template of the dynamics. We compute the dominant exact coherent structures and connecting orbits in a preturbulent active nematic channel flow, which enables a fully nonlinear but highly reduced-order description in terms of a directed graph. Using this reduced representation, we compute instantaneous perturbations that switch the system between disparate spatiotemporal states occupying distant regions of the infinite-dimensional phase space. Overall, our results lay the groundwork for a systematic means of understanding and controlling active nematic flows in the moderate- to high-activity regime.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Flow Boiling in Additive Manufactured Foam Structures With Vapor Pathways

Abstract The unique properties of metal foams make them potential candidates for a range of applications, including microsystem thermal management. Using additive manufacturing to create foam-type structures can improve upon prior thermal solutions by eliminating thermal interface materials and allowing for customization/local control of parameters. In the present investigation, flow boiling in additive-manufactured metal foams is investigated both experimentally and numerically. Two test samples, one with uniform structure and the other with pathways for vapor removal, are compared both experimentally and numerically. A conjugate computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer (CFD-HT) model utilizing a three-dimensional volume of fluid (VOF) model with accompanying evaporation/condensation model provided in-depth visualization of the boiling flow phenomena. The experiments generated the thermohydraulic performance over a range of heat fluxes, demonstrating that the sample incorporating dedicated vapor pathways performed better in both pressure and heat transfer performance metrics compared to the uniform foam. Additionally, negative system-level effects (i.e., hydraulic oscillations) were shown to be abated using the vapor removal structures. The numerical model yielded further insight into the factors contributing to the improved performance. Results indicated the pathways functioned as vapor removal channels, allowing the generated vapor to vent from the foam structure into the lanes. Further computational investigations demonstrated changes in flow regimes, where the addition of vapor channels caused the flow to change from churn to annular. Bubble behavior unique to the vapor pathway structure was studied, showing stagnant regions that eject vapor into the channel.

Engineering↗

Finite Element Method for Capturing Ultra-relativistic Shocks

While finite element methods are used extensively by researchers solving computational fluid dynamics in fields other than astrophysics, their use in astrophysical fluid simulations has been predominantly overlooked. Current simulations using other methods such as finite difference and finite volume (based on finite difference) have shown remarkable results, but these methods are limited by their fundamental properties in aspects that are important for simulations with complex geometries and widely varying spatial and temporal scale differences. We have explored the use of finite element methods for astrophysical fluids in order to establish the validity of using such methods in astrophysical environments. We present our numerical technique applied to solving ultra-relativistic (Lorentz Factor Gamma >> 1) shocks which are prevalent in astrophysical studies including relativistic jets and gamma-ray burst studies. We show our finite element formulation applied to simulations where the Lorentz factor ranges up to 2236 and demonstrate its stability in solving ultra-relativistic flows. Our numerical method is based on the Flowfield Dependent Variation (FDV) Method, unique in that numerical diffusion is derived from physical parameters rather than traditional artificial viscosity methods. Numerical instabilities account for most of the difficulties when capturing shocks in this regime. Our method results in stable solutions and accurate results as compared with other methods.

Richardson, G. A.↗

Development and Validation of Physics-Based Sub-Models of High-Pressure Supercritical Fuel Injection at Diesel Conditions Insert

The project sought to develop and validate accurate, physics-based, numerical submodels and implement them in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software codes to enable accurate predictions of diesel sprays at pressures higher than the current systems. The combined experimental-computational effort has four main objectives: (1) acquire spatially and temporally resolved scalar measurements of fuel-oxidizer mixing in the near field of the fuel jet, (2) develop software modules to calculate thermo-physical properties of diesel surrogates and their mixtures with oxidizer of interest in real-gas operating regime, (3) integrate the real-fluid model into a commercial and an open-source CFD code to simulate fuel-air mixing in high-pressure diesel sprays, and (4) assess the robustness, accuracy, and uncertainty of the integrated CFD solvers in computing diesel sprays. Project accomplishments are consistent with the original goals of the project. Although we acquired spatially and temporally resolved scalar measurements, they were limited to refractive index difference and not to thermodynamic properties such as temperature and equivalence ratio. However, we successfully developed the theoretical background needed to acquire such measurements at diesel conditions and demonstrated the capability of the RSD for scalar measurements in a canonical turbulent jet flow replicating features of the diesel jet. Additional work will be needed to implement these procedures at high-pressure, high-temperature engine-like conditions of the CPFR. Mainly, we did not anticipate the need to find the liquid boundary and its statistical features or the state relationships between refractive index and thermodynamic properties, assuming the widely known Dale-Gladstone equation would suffice. Still, efforts devoted to these tasks were essential to fulfil the goals of the project and serves as the foundation on which many of the conclusions and key contributions of this project are based. Further assessment and application of the developed CFD codes is recommended to fully realize the benefits of this research.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

THERMS Technology Commercialization Fund Final Report

The technology commercialization fund assisted with the design and development of an intermediate scale packed be thermal energy storage system. Presented in this final report is the design, testing, and modeling of a 100 kWh th radial packed-bed. Air is used as a heat transfer fluid and 3/8” pea gravel is used as the storage medium. Testing has demonstrated the formation of a thermocline within the packed-bed. An air charging temperature of 450 °C was achieved resulting in a charging power of 26.5 kWh th . The radial packed-bed was charged for 5 hours and discharged for 5 hours. Minimal temperature variation was observed at the bottom, middle, and top axial locations of the radial packed-bed which suggests that buoyancy and hydrodynamics in the injection well had a minimal effect on the uniformity of air flow through the bed during charging and discharging. This indicates that the forced convection in a radial direction is dominating the flow regime compared to the buoyancy. The findings of this study suggest an increased air duct diameter through the air heater will increase the charging temperature and increase air mass flow through the system. Increased mass flow through the packed-bed is hypothesized to shorten the thermocline length. Modeled and measured results are compared, and it is here determined that a more comprehensive CFD model will aid in the understanding of air flow and thermocline evolution within the packed-bed.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Aeolian Sediment Transport Pathways and Aerodynamics at Troughs on Mars

Interaction between wind regimes and topography can give rise to complex suites of aeolian landforms. This paper considers aeolian sediment associated wit11 troughs on Mars and identifies a wider range of deposit types than has previously been documented. These include wind streaks, falling dunes, "lateral" dunes, barchan dunes, linear dunes, transverse ridges, sand ramps, climbing dunes, sand streamers, and sand patches. The sediment incorporated into these deposits is supplied by wind streaks and ambient Planitia sources as well as originating within the trough itself, notably from the trough walls and floor. There is also transmission of sediment between d~~neTsh. e flow dynamics which account for the distribution of aeolian sediment have been modeled using two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics. The model predicts flow separation on the upwind side of the trough followed by reattachment and acceleration at the downwind margin. The inferred patterns of sediment transport compare well with the distribution of aeolian forms. Model data indicate an increase of wind velocity by approx. 30 % at the downwind trough margin. This suggests that the threshold wind speed necessary for sand mobilization on Mars will be more freq~~entmlye t in these inclined locations.

Bourke, Mary C.↗

High-speed compressible flow and other advection-dominated problems of fluid dynamics

Finite element methods are described for modeling high speed compressible flows with strong advection, problems important to aerodynamics. The situations are characterized by high pressure and temperature gradients, transients and the appearance of discontinuities, factors which require mesh refinement during computations. Techniques are developed for temporal and spatial discretization of a model problem. Several observations are made regarding the explicit and implicit features of the calculations, the use of the Lax-Wendroff scheme to produce a mass-matrix for obtaining accurate results for transients, methods of performing stability analyses, and simplification techniques. Examples are provided of solving the nonlinear shallow-water equations and describing compressible flows, particularly transonic flows. Domain splitting is defined for improving the calculations at each time step and in different parts of the flow regime while simultaneously advancing the calculations towards a solution.

Zienkiewicz, O. C.↗

Equipping Neural Network Surrogates with Uncertainty for Propagation in Physical Systems

Coarse-grained or filtered models typically rely on closure models to account for unresolved scales. For instance, large eddy simulation for modeling turbulent fluid flows explicitly resolves the largest scales, but requires modeling closure terms to account for the sub-filter scales. With the vast amount of data available from high-fidelity simulations, there are unique opportunities to leverage data-driven modeling techniques to formulate expressive and flexible closure models. Despite their flexibility, data-driven models struggle in domain shift settings, i.e. when deployed in configurations not captured in the training dataset. In particular, the efficacy of neural network surrogates is difficult to assess a priori due to the deterministic, point-estimate nature of predictions. In high-consequence applications, such models require reliable uncertainty estimates in the data-informed and out-of-distribution regimes. To quantify uncertainties in both regimes, we employ Bayesian neural networks which are able to capture both epistemic and aleatoric uncertainties. We will discuss challenges associated with the training and evaluation of these networks. Furthermore, we will discuss uncertainty embedding strategies to enable efficient sampling and propagation of uncertainty through high-fidelity simulations.

Bayesian neural networks↗

Control of internal transport barriers in magnetically confined tokamak burning plasmas

The initiation, termination, and control of internal transport barriers associated with E × B flow shear near local minima of magnetic shear are examined for burning plasmas to determine if the positive feedback loops between profiles, instability, transport, and flow shear operate in regimes with fusion self-heating. A five-field transport model for the evolution of profiles of density, ion and electron temperature, ion and electron fluctuations, and radial electric field is utilized to examine the efficacy of controls associated with external inputs of heat and particles, including neutral beam injection, RF, pellets, and gas puffing. The response of the plasma to these inputs is studied in the presence of self-heating. The latter is affected by the external inputs and their modification of profiles and is, therefore, not an external control. Provided sufficient external power is applied, internal transport barriers can be created and controlled, both in ion and electron channels. Barrier control is sensitive to the locations of power deposition and pellet ablation, as well as temporal sequencing of external inputs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A simple model of a strong shock driven by a spherical or cylindrical piston

A simple model of piston-driven spherical and cylindrical shocks is suggested. The model is based on a consistent use of two factors: (a) an almost uniform pressure across the shocked layer and, (b) continuous geometrical stretching of the surface elements of the expanding piston. It turns out that for a uniform pre-shock medium the gas between the piston and the shock behaves essentially as an incompressible fluid. An algebraic equation for the shock vs piston position is obtained. Detailed evaluation of the accuracy of the proposed solution shows that its accuracy is a few percent for the adiabatic index γ = 5/3 (as in ideal plasma). A closed-form solution describing enhancement of a weak ambient magnetic field by the shock is presented. The proposed model of piston-driven shocks goes beyond the classical self-similar solutions in that it: (1) naturally covers an early, non-asymptotic dynamics and its transition to asymptotic regime; (2) allows for smooth radial density variation of an ambient gas of the form of bumps, dimples or ramps between two constant values; and (3) allows for smooth temporal variation of piston velocity of the form of bumps, dimples, or ramps. Furthermore, this simple and versatile model provides some new insights into a classical hydrodynamical problem.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Numerical Investigation of Butterfly Valve Performance in Variable Valve Sizes, Positions and Flow Regimes

Reliability and efficiency of valves are necessary for precise control and sufficient heat-flow to heat application plants for the integrated energy systems of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Strategic Management Analysis Requirement and Technology (SMART) valves’ ability to control flow and assess environmental parameters stands out for these requirements. Their ability to sustain the downstream flow rate, prevent reverse flow, and maintain pressure in the heat transport loop is much more efficient with the integration of sensors and intelligent algorithms. For assessing valve performance and monitoring, mechanical design and operating conditions are two important parameters. In this study, the butterfly valves of three different sizes are simulated with water and steam using STAR-CCM+ in various flow regimes and positions to analyze performance parameters to strategize an automated control system for efficiently balancing the heat–transport network. Also, flow behavior is studied using velocity and pressure fields for valve–body geometry optimization. It can be observed, through performance parameters, that the valves are suitable for operation between 30° and 90° positions with significantly low loss coefficients and high flow coefficients, and the performance parameters follow a certain pattern in both water and steam flow in each scenario.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Microscopic activated dynamics theory of the shear rheology and stress overshoot in ultradense glass-forming fluids and colloidal suspensions

We formulate a particle and force level, activated dynamics-based statistical mechanical theory for the continuous startup nonlinear shear rheology of ultradense glass-forming hard sphere fluids and colloidal suspensions in the context of the elastically collective nonlinear Langevin equation approach and a generalized Maxwell model constitutive equation. Activated structural relaxation is described as a coupled local-nonlocal event involving caging and longer range collective elasticity which controls the characteristic stress relaxation time. Theoretical predictions for the deformation-induced enhancement of mobility, the onset of relaxation acceleration at remarkably low values of stress, strain, or shear rate, apparent power law thinning of the steady-state structural relaxation time and viscosity, a nonvanishing activation barrier in the shear thinning regime, an apparent Herschel–Buckley form of the shear rate dependence of the steady-state shear stress, exponential growth of different measures of a yield or flow stress with packing fraction, and reduced fragility and dynamic heterogeneity under deformation were previously shown to be in good agreement with experiments. The central new question we address here is the defining feature of the transient response—the stress overshoot. In contrast to the steady-state flow regime, understanding the transient response requires an explicit treatment of the coupled nonequilibrium evolution of structure, elastic modulus, and stress relaxation time. We formulate a new quantitative model for this aspect in a physically motivated and computationally tractable manner. Theoretical predictions for the stress overshoot are shown to be in good agreement with experimental observations in the metastable ultradense regime of hard sphere colloidal suspensions as a function of shear rate and packing fraction, and accounting for deformation-assisted activated motion appears to be crucial for both the transient and steady-state responses.

Mechanics↗

Experimental Investigation of Flow Orientation Effects on Cryogenic Flow Boiling

Cryogenic flow boiling physics is of paramount importance for future cryogenic space applications employing Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) technologies. This experimental study investigates the two-phase flow and heat transfer performance of LN 2 flow boiling across five distinct flow orientations: vertical upflow, vertical downflow, horizontal flow, 45° inclined upflow, and 45° inclined downflow. The study employed the steady- state heating method within a circular heated tube featuring an 8.5-mm inner diameter and a 680-mm heated length. High-speed video recordings were utilized to capture two-phase flow patterns and interfacial behaviors across various flow orientations. The experiments covered a wide range of operating conditions, including mass velocities ranging from 351.80 to 1572.77 kg/m 2 s and inlet pressures from 297.14 to 1032.97 kPa, primarily with near-saturated inlet subcooling. Distinct two-phase flow patterns and regime transitions were identified for each flow orientation. Symmetrical flow patterns were evident in vertical orientations, whereas non-vertical orientations exhibited asymmetric flow stratifications, primarily influenced by the buoyancy force in a terrestrial gravity environment. Bubble dynamic parameters were quantified, and bubble collision and dispersion phenomena were visualized. Analyzing heat transfer performance based on local flow boiling curves and variations in heat transfer coefficients (HTCs), it was observed that vertical upflow demonstrated the most enhanced heat transfer performance, while vertical downflow exhibited the lowest. As mass velocity exceeded 830 kg/ m 2 s, the differences in heat transfer among orientations became less distinct, emphasizing the role of flow inertia in mitigating the influence of flow orientation. A direct comparison of microgravity HTC data from a recent study by the authors against the 1-𝘨 e HTC data indicated enhanced heat transfer performance in microgravity for flow orientation configurations in terrestrial gravity. However, this enhancement progressively diminished as the heat flux increased. Distinct HTC trends were observed as mass velocity increased for different flow orientations and gravity levels.

Cryogens↗

Trajectory Engineering with Modular Patched Conics for Entry Systems and TPS (TEMPEST)

Brief Presenter Biography (35 word limit): Bohdan Wesely is an Aerospace Engineer in the Entry Systems and Technology Division at Ames. He has worked on a variety of projects for NASA including integrated TPS (thermal protection system) flight hardware deliveries and testing services for commercial partners. Introduction: TEMPEST is a new trajectory analysis framework that is designed to fill the gap between dedicated flight mechanics tools and aerothermal and TPS sizing tools. The project started as an SJSU master’s thesis and has since evolved into a general conceptual design tool capable of studying a wide variety of entry problems. Development is ongoing in the Entry Systems and Technology Division at NASA ARC. Why TEMPEST: Space missions involving entry into a planetary atmosphere involve a series of unique requirements across multiple disciplines. Whether it is traditional entry descent and landing (EDL), or aerocapture, the vehicle must navigate to its target landing location or orbit state, and the TPS must protect the payload during entry. The design process typically involves iterative handoffs between various flight mechanics, flow solver, and material response level tools. During the early conceptual phase, a wide variety of feasible trajectories are simulated in a Monte Carlo scenario which broadly satisfy the mission or landing requirements. Next, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), and other flow solver analyses are performed at various key trajectory points to generate an aero-database, heating and TPS design requirements also emerge at this stage. At this point, with updated aerodynamics from the various flow solvers, trajectories can be re-run, this in turn can change the required freestream conditions for the CFD tools, and as a project progresses, these analyses converge, and uncertainty is reduced. However, there is always a “hand-off” occurring between two inherently coupled phenomena. Analysis Description: One of the goals with TEMPEST is to use a variety of first principles estimation methods coupled with an atmosphere model to predict vehicle aerothermodynamics across the entire flight regime while propagating a 3 or 6 degree of freedom (DoF) trajectory. Aerodynamics methods include modified Newtonian, Maxwell and Cercignani- Lampis-Lord (CLL) for continuum, transitional, and free molecular flow regimes. Aerothermodynamics include boundary layer and reference enthalpy methods, and Mutation++ for non-equilibrium chemistry modeling. TEMPEST is also capable of stitching multiple trajectory segments together to study mission scenarios like multi-pass aerocapture and aero-gravity assists. Most of the program is implemented in MATLAB using modern system objects, it relies on several C++ shared libraries for supporting tools like Gmsh, the Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM), and Mutation++. The various first principles aerothermal estimation methods are discretized across either a structured axisymmetric panel mesh or an unstructured tri-mesh generated from an open-source tool such as Gmsh, this allows solutions on the same mesh to be compared across tools such as CB-Aero. CFD Coupling. A physics-aware, gaussian process CFD anchoring scheme is proposed to adjust the various first principles methods as a CFD database is populated. One goal for this anchoring module is to inform the project where CFD should be run. Full knowledge of the entire trajectory, atmosphere, and aerothermodynamics allows for easier identification of high sensitivity areas and uncertainty quantification. While the first principles effects are well known and proven accurate in existing tools such as CB- Aero and Cart3D, a physics aware CFD anchoring scheme increases tool credibility across a project lifecycle. Material Response Modeling. Correct TPS sizing is critical for optimizing mass for science payloads and ensuring mission success. The process typically involves a thermal analysis along the trajectory with surface heating environments as a boundary condition. Several design constraints are maximum bondline temperature and maximum recession with various margining techniques. The material response tool FIAT, developed out of NASA Ames, is currently being integrated into the TEMPEST environment. TPS recession, shape change, mass loss, and mass property alteration are all factors that can perturb an entry trajectory. For missions like Mars 2020, recession was minimal and was safely handled separately as a post process. For missions such as Jupiter Galileo with a high TPS mass fraction or asteroid entries, recession plays a major role. The proposed fully coupled scheme is to use an epoch-based approach where the trajectory integration is halted after a recession threshold, the energy balance and FIAT are solved at each panel, the mesh, aerodynamics, and mass properties are updated, and the trajectory continues. Several computational tradeoffs have been made during the development of TEMPEST to limit the cost of a single trajectory and preserve its utility as a conceptual, rapid iteration tool. Conclusion: Development of TEMPEST is ongoing and the project is still in its infancy. This talk aims to showcase its unique capabilities to support future NASA entry systems missions.

Bohdan O Wesely↗

On the spectrum of turbulent magnetic fields

Theoretical power spectra of magnetic fields subject to turbulent fluid motions in the kinematic regime are presented, and previous theories are reviewed, with reference to magnetic fields on the sun. Magnetic field diffusion in turbulence with persistent eddies is predicted to be described by an effective negative magnetic diffusivity. It is found that observations cannot be explained on the basis of turbulent kinematic theories unless the turbulent motions are three-dimensional, and the effective diffusivities are larger than the molecular diffusivities. Lower bounds on the turbulent viscosity are derived, suggesting that dynamical processes controlling the magnetic field spectrum occur at least 15,000 km below the surface. The results, which remain consistent with the assumption that effective diffusivity is uniform, suggest that surface magnetic field observations can be used as a diagnostic for subsurface flows.

Knobloch, E.↗

Identification of complex flows in Taylor-Couette counter-rotating cavities

The transition in confined rotating flows is a topical problem with many industrial and fundamental applications. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Taylor-Couette flow in a finite-length cavity with counter-rotating walls, for two aspect ratios L=5 or L=6. Two complex regimes of wavy vortex and spirals are emphasized for the first time via direct numerical simulation, by using a three-dimensional spectral method. The spatio-temporal behavior of the solutions is analyzed and compared to the few data actually available. c2001 Academie des sciences/Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.

Non-NASA Center↗