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At least 613 records · Page 34

Fast calculation of the tokamak vertical instability

There has been recent interest in fast calculations of the tokamak axisymmetric vertical instability for real time feedback control purposes. It is shown that the maximum eigenvalue for the basic rigid version of this stability problem can be obtained by finding the positive root to a simple scalar function. This function can be generalized to include plasma mass and has complexity linear in the number of conductive elements. The formulation is based on standard matrix decompositions of the fixed-geometry part of the eigenproblem. The calculation bottleneck is the summary of mutual inductances from the reconstructed equilibrium current density. The with-mass spectrum can be made fully real-valued by the addition of a critical amount of damping with negligible effect on the vertical growth rate. Furthermore, the calculation has been implemented in the plasma control system at the DIII-D tokamak and used in experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A NASTRAN DMAP procedure for calculation of base excitation modal participation factors

This paper presents a technique for calculating the modal participation factors for base excitation problems using a DMAP alter to the NASTRAN real eigenvalue analysis Rigid Format. The DMAP program automates the generation of the seismic mass to add to the degrees of freedom representing the shaker input directions and calculates the modal participation factors. These are shown in the paper to be a good measure of the maximum acceleration expected at any point on the structure when the subsequent frequency response analysis is run.

Case, W. R.↗

Nonlinear stability of Halley comethosheath with transverse plasma motion

Weakly nonlinear Magneto Hydrodynamic (MHD) stability of the Halley cometosheath determined by the balance between the outward ion-neutral drag force and the inward Lorentz force is investigated including the transverse plasma motion as observed in the flanks with the help of the method of multiple scales. The eigenvalues and the eigenfunctions are obtained for the linear problem and the time evolution of the amplitude is obtained using the solvability condition for the solution of the second order problem. The diamagnetic cavity boundary and the adjacent layer of about 100 km thickness is found unstable for the travelling waves of certain wave numbers. Halley ionopause has been observed to have strong ripples with a wavelength of several hundred kilometers. It is found that nonlinear effects have stabilizing effect.

Srivastava, Krishna M.↗

(U) Radiation Transport Sensitivity Capabilities Applicable to INRAD

Intrinsic radiation (INRAD) calculations involve calculating the neutron and gamma-ray source rate densities from given compositions and densities of materials and the subsequent transport of the neutrons and gamma rays to detectors that may be stood off or internal. Related problems deal with measures of subcritical multiplication, such as the k eff eigenvalue. Realistic estimates of the uncertainties in calculated INRAD results are desired. One approach to uncertainty quantification begins with sensitivity analysis. This report describes the present capabilities that XCP-7 can apply to compute sensitivities in INRAD problems and areas where work is needed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Polynomial Preconditioned Arnoldi with Stability Control

Polynomial preconditioning can improve the convergence of the Arnoldi method for computing eigenvalues. Such preconditioning significantly reduces the cost of orthogonalization; for difficult problems, it can also reduce the number of matrix-vector products. Parallel computations can particularly benefit from the reduction of communication-intensive operations. Additoinally, the GMRES algorithm provides a simple and effective way of generating the preconditioning polynomial. For some problems high degree polynomials are especially effective, but they can lead to stability problems that must be mitigated. A two-level “double polynomial preconditioning” strategy provides an effective way to generate high-degree preconditioners.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Green’s Function of the Schrödinger Equation in the Potential Quantization Method

The problem for determining Green’s function G(r, r') for the time-independent Schrödinger equation is considered using the potential quantization method. The expression for G(r, r') is obtained in terms of the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of this method. The equivalence of the used and traditional methods for solving the given problem has been proven.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Preconditioning matrices for Chebyshev derivative operators

The problem of preconditioning the matrices arising from pseudo-spectral Chebyshev approximations of first order operators is considered in both one and two dimensions. In one dimension a preconditioner represented by a full matrix which leads to preconditioned eigenvalues that are real, positive, and lie between 1 and pi/2, is already available. Since there are cases in which it is not computationally convenient to work with such a preconditioner, a large number of preconditioners were studied which were more sparse (in particular three and four diagonal matrices). The eigenvalues of such preconditioned matrices are compared. The results were applied to the problem of finding the steady state solution to an equation of the type u sub t = u sub x + f, where the Chebyshev collocation is used for the spatial variable and time discretization is performed by the Richardson method. In two dimensions different preconditioners are proposed for the matrix which arises from the pseudo-spectral discretization of the steady state problem. Results are given for the CPU time and the number of iterations using a Richardson iteration method for the unpreconditioned and preconditioned cases.

Rothman, Ernest E.↗

Analysis of the Hessian for Aerodynamic Optimization: Inviscid Flow

In this paper we analyze inviscid aerodynamic shape optimization problems governed by the full potential and the Euler equations in two and three dimensions. The analysis indicates that minimization of pressure dependent cost functions results in Hessians whose eigenvalue distributions are identical for the full potential and the Euler equations. However the optimization problems in two and three dimensions are inherently different. While the two dimensional optimization problems are well-posed the three dimensional ones are ill-posed. Oscillations in the shape up to the smallest scale allowed by the design space can develop in the direction perpendicular to the flow, implying that a regularization is required. A natural choice of such a regularization is derived. The analysis also gives an estimate of the Hessian's condition number which implies that the problems at hand are ill-conditioned. Infinite dimensional approximations for the Hessians are constructed and preconditioners for gradient based methods are derived from these approximate Hessians.

Arian, Eyal↗

Eigenmode Analysis of Pulsed Neutron Transport Simulations

We discuss the time dependent behavior of some simple pulsed neutron simulations of subcritical problems in slab geometry. Our intent is to investigate the eigenvalue structure of the discretized neutron transport equation and to show under some reasonable assumptions that a dominant time eigenvalue exists that has a nonnegative eigenvector that determines the long time dependent behavior of the solution.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

On a class of unsteady three-dimensional Navier Stokes solutions relevant to rotating disc flows: Threshold amplitudes and finite time singularities

A class of exact steady and unsteady solutions of the Navier Stokes equations in cylindrical polar coordinates is given. The flows correspond to the motion induced by an infinite disc rotating with constant angular velocity about the z-axis in a fluid occupying a semi-infinite region which, at large distances from the disc, has velocity field proportional to (x,-y,O) with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system. It is shown that when the rate of rotation is large, Karman's exact solution for a disc rotating in an otherwise motionless fluid is recovered. In the limit of zero rotation rate a particular form of Howarth's exact solution for three-dimensional stagnation point flow is obtained. The unsteady form of the partial differential system describing this class of flow may be generalized to time-periodic equilibrium flows. In addition the unsteady equations are shown to describe a strongly nonlinear instability of Karman's rotating disc flow. It is shown that sufficiently large perturbations lead to a finite time breakdown of that flow whilst smaller disturbances decay to zero. If the stagnation point flow at infinity is sufficiently strong, the steady basic states become linearly unstable. In fact there is then a continuous spectrum of unstable eigenvalues of the stability equations but, if the initial value problem is considered, it is found that, at large values of time, the continuous spectrum leads to a velocity field growing exponentially in time with an amplitude decaying algebraically in time.

Hall, Philip↗

Optimization of structure-control systems with efficiency constraint

The structure-control system optimization problem is formulated with constraints on the closed-loop eigenvalues and the efficiency of the reduced order system. The feasibility of the approach is illustrated by designing the ACOSS-FOUR structure with a reduced order system and improving the efficiency characteristics of the structures-control system.

Oz, H.↗

Algorithmic Enhancements to the VULCAN Navier-Stokes Solver

VULCAN (Viscous Upwind aLgorithm for Complex flow ANalysis) is a cell centered, finite volume code used to solve high speed flows related to hypersonic vehicles. Two algorithms are presented for expanding the range of applications of the current Navier-Stokes solver implemented in VULCAN. The first addition is a highly implicit approach that uses subiterations to enhance block to block connectivity between adjacent subdomains. The addition of this scheme allows more efficient solution of viscous flows on highly-stretched meshes. The second algorithm addresses the shortcomings associated with density-based schemes by the addition of a time-derivative preconditioning strategy. High speed, compressible flows are typically solved with density based schemes, which show a high level of degradation in accuracy and convergence at low Mach numbers (M less than or equal to 0.1). With the addition of preconditioning and associated modifications to the numerical discretization scheme, the eigenvalues will scale with the local velocity, and the above problems will be eliminated. With these additions, VULCAN now has improved convergence behavior for multi-block, highly-stretched meshes and also can solve the Navier-Stokes equations for very low Mach numbers.

Litton, D. K.↗

Design of Constant Gain Dissipative Controllers for Eigensystem Assignment in Passive Systems

Partial eigensystem assignment with output feedback can lead to an unstable closed-loop system. However, output feedback with passive linear time-invariant systems, such as flexible space structures, is guaranteed to be stable if the controller is dissipative. This paper presents a novel approach for synthesis of dissipative output feedback gain matrices for assigning a selected number of closed-loop poles. Dissipativity of a gain matrix is known to be equivalent to positive semidefiniteness of the symmetric part of the matrix. A sequential procedure is presented to assign one self-conjugate pair of closed-loop eigenvalues at each step using dissipative output feedback gain matrices, while ensuring that the eigenvalues assigned in the previous steps are not disturbed. The problem of assigning one closed-loop pair is reduced to a constrained solution of a system of quadratic equations, and necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution are presented. A minimax approach is presented for determining parameters which satisfy these conditions. This method can assign as many closed-loop system poles as the number of control inputs. A numerical example of damping enhancement for a flexible structure is presented to demonstrate the approach.

Maghami, Peiman G.↗

Relaxation methods in fluid mechanics

The present work considers the iterative solution of a coupled set of difference equations and examines methods that carry successive approximates to a state that is invariant with further iteration and independent of the initial guess. Methods are studied with regard to their efficiency and economy of computer resources. The basic principles of classical relaxation are set forth, with attention confined to linear elliptic equations. This discussion involves the evaluation of the spectral radius that is the magnitude of the eigenvalue with largest modulus. The subject of relaxation is then related to the study of ordinary differential equations and hyperbolic partial differential equations. Problems that occur when linearly dependent eigenvectors appear in the relaxation matrix are discussed, leading to multiply connected eigenvalues in the Jordan canonical form. Finally, a brief survey of relaxation methods used in aerodynamics is given.

Lomax, H.↗

Pressure distribution under flexible polishing tools. II - Cylindrical (conical) optics

A previously developed eigenvalue model is extended to determine polishing pressure distribution by rectangular tools with unequal stiffness in two directions on cylindrical optics. Tool misfit is divided into two simplified one-dimensional problems and one simplified two-dimensional problem. Tools with nonuniform cross-sections are treated with a new one-dimensional eigenvalue algorithm, permitting evaluation of tool designs where the edge is more flexible than the interior. This maintains edge pressure variations within acceptable parameters. Finite element modeling is employed to resolve upper bounds, which handle pressure changes in the two-dimensional misfit element. Paraboloids and hyperboloids from the NASA AXAF system are treated with the AXAFPOD software for this method, and are verified with NASTRAN finite element analyses. The maximum deviation from the one-dimensional azimuthal pressure variation is predicted to be 10 percent and 20 percent for paraboloids and hyperboloids, respectively.

Mehta, Pravin K.↗