Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Conditional diffusion models”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 649 records · Page 36

Non-Invasive Electrode Impedance Estimation for Optimized Charge Profile Parameterization of Lithium-Ion Batteries

This work presents a non-invasive method for parameterizing a physically motivated equivalent circuit model of lithium-ion batteries using operando electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and time-domain data. The proposed model consists exclusively of linear circuit elements, enabling computationally efficient simulation and real-time implementation on battery management system chips. By integrating frequency- and time-domain measurements, the model accurately estimates internal states such as the negative electrode potential, achieving a root mean square error of 12.3 mV during fast charging validation. Parameterization requires only rate tests with sinusoidal perturbations at three different ambient temperatures, making the approach experimentally accessible. The model reveals key insights into battery behavior, including rate-dependent overpotentials primarily governed by charge transfer kinetics at the positive electrode, and temperature-dependent impedance contributions from both charge transfer and solid-state diffusion processes. Validation using reference electrodes confirms the model’s ability to detect lithium plating onset and reproduce impedance behavior across a wide range of operating conditions. The approach enables in situ optimization of fast charging profiles and lays the foundation for future extensions incorporating aging effects and plating dynamics.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Emergence of a nocturnal low-level jet from a broad baroclinic zone

An analytical model is presented for the generation of a Blackadar-like nocturnal low-level jet in a broad baroclinic zone. The flow is forced from below (flat ground) by a surface buoyancy gradient and from above (free atmosphere) by a constant pressure gradient force. Diurnally-varying mixing coefficients are specified to increase abruptly at sunrise and decrease abruptly at sunset. With attention restricted to a surface buoyancy that varies linearly with a horizontal coordinate, the Boussinesq-approximated equations of motion, thermal energy, and mass conservation reduce to a system of one-dimensional equations that can be solved analytically. Sensitivity tests with southerly jets suggest that (i) stronger jets are associated with larger decreases of the eddy viscosity at sunset (as in Blackadar theory), (ii) the nighttime surface buoyancy gradient has little impact on jet strength, and (iii) for pure baroclinic forcing (no free-atmosphere geostrophic wind), the nighttime eddy diffusivity has little impact on jet strength, but the daytime eddy diffusivity is very important and has a larger impact than the daytime eddy viscosity. The model was applied to a jet that developed in fair weather conditions over the Great Plains from southern Texas to northern South Dakota on 1 May 2020. The ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) for the afternoon prior to jet formation showed that a broad north-south-oriented baroclinic zone covered much of the region. The peak model-predicted winds were in good agreement with ERA5 winds and lidar data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) central facility in north-central Oklahoma.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data-Driven Method for Groundwater-Level Mapping and Monitoring-Well Network Optimization at Hanford

This report summarizes the initial results and outcomes of a physics-informed, data-driven groundwater level (GWL) mapping capability for the Hanford Site. GWL mapping at Hanford is typically conducted annually and requires a significant amount of computational and expert resources, and it does not allow assessment of the informational value of specific monitoring wells. The proposed method produces spatially and temporally resolved fields consistent with sparse, irregularly sampled, and nonuniformly distributed well measurements. Implemented successfully, this capability will allow rapid mapping of groundwater levels and provide an opportunity to optimize monitoring activities (both location and sampling frequency) based on data information value evaluation. The approach integrates a diffusion-based generative model – trained on MODFLOW simulation data from the Plateau-to-River (P2R) model – with score-based data assimilation (SDA), allowing observation-conditioned mapping without retraining for each monitoring-network layout.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Experimental measurements of the ground cloud effluents and cloud growth for the May 20, 1975, Titan 3C launch at Air Force Eastern Test Range, Florida

The experiment included surface level and airborne in situ cloud measurements of the exhaust effluents from the Titan IIIC solid rocket boosters. Simultaneous visible spectrum photographic pictures of the ground cloud as well as infrared imaging of the cloud were obtained to study the cloud rise, growth, and direction of travel within the earth's surface mixing layer. The NASA multilayer diffusion model predictions of cloud growth, direction of travel, and expected surface level effluent concentrations were made prior to launch and after launch using measured meteorological conditions. Prelaunch predictions were used to position the effluent monitoring instruments, and the postlaunch predictions were compared with the measured data. Measurement results showed that surface level effluent values were low, often below the detection limits of the instrumentation. The maximum surface level hydrogen chloride concentration measured 50 parts per billion at about 8 km from the launch pad. The maximum observed in-cloud (airborne measurement) hydrogen chloride concentration was 7 per million.

Gregory, G. L.↗

Ground based experiments on the growth and characterization of L-Arginine Phosphate (LAP) crystals

L-Arginine Phosphate (LAP) is a new nonlinear optical material with higher efficiency for harmonic generation compared to KDP. Crystals of LAP were grown in the laboratory from supersaturated solutions by temperature lowering technique. Investigations revealed the presence of large dislocation densities inside the crystals which are observed to produce refractive index changes causing damage at high laser powers. This is a result of the convection during crystal growth from supersaturated solutions. It is proposed to grow these crystals in a diffusion controlled growth condition under microgravity environment and compare the crystals grown in space with those grown on ground. Physical properties of the solutions needed for modelling of crystal growth are also presented.

Rao, S. M.↗

Irradiance on the upper and lower modules of a two-high bifacial tracking system

We examine the illumination incident to each of the modules in a two-high bifacial tracking photovoltaic system. Experiments and simulations indicate that the upper module receives more diffuse sunlight, whereas either the upper or lower module can receive more direct sunlight depending on the configuration and conditions. We use a view-factor model to illustrate how the fraction of illumination received by the upper and lower modules depends on albedo, the sun’s position in the sky, module tilt, and the fraction of direct sunlight. We also use ray tracing to illustrate how edge effects can significantly change the amount of sunlight reaching the upper and lower modules; these results underscore the complications of using measurements from small test facilities to predict the behavior of large PV fields.

McIntosh, Keith↗

A Two-Fluid Study of Oblique Tearing Modes and 3-D Magnetic Reconnection

The goals and highlights of this research are to: 1) Undertake two-fluid simulations of oblique tearing modes with $m_{i}/m_{e}$ = 100 and 1836, and $b_g$ ≤ 10 with further bridging the fluid and kinetic models and linear growth rates agree with kinetic theory for $b_g$ ≤ 1; 2) 3-D simulations of a doubly-periodic Harris Sheet with $m_{i}/m_{e}$ = 100 and $b_g$ = 2:5 that features current layer splits into multiple ~ de-scale diffusion regions, an amplification of current by 2x, and similar features to kinetic simulations; 3) Influence of boundary conditions: periodic vs. line-tied; and 4) Address how much of the kinetic nature of MR can be captured by a two-fluid model. (A fluid model requires dissipation.)

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Alignment of morphology during high spatial frequency periodic structure formation in GaAs

The interaction among multiple intense ultrashort laser pulses and solids is known to provide a regular nanoscale surface corrugation. A coupled mechanism has been identified that operates in a specific range of fluences in GaAs that exhibits transient loss of the imaginary part of the dielectric function and Χ 2 , which produces a unique corrugation known as high spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures (HSFL). The final structures have 180 nm periods, and their alignment perpendicular to the laser polarization is first observed in an intermediate morphology with correlation distances of 150±40 nm. Quantum molecular dynamics simulations suggest that HSFL self-assembly is initiated when the intense laser field softens the interatomic binding potential, which leads to an ultrafast generation of point defects. The morphological evolution begins as self-interstitial diffusion, driven by stress relaxation, to the surface producing 1–2 nm tall islands. An ab initio calculation of excited electron concentration combined with a Drude-Lorentz model of the excited GaAs dielectric function is used to determine that the conditions for SPP coupling at HSFL formation fluences are both satisfied and occur at wavelengths that are imprinted into the observed surface morphologies. The evolution of these morphologies is reported on as the interplay between surface plasmon polaritons that localize defect generation within the structures present on the previous laser exposure and stress relaxation driven defect diffusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Self-induced spin-orbit torques in metallic ferromagnets

Herein we present a phenomenological theory of spin-orbit torques in a metallic ferromagnet with spin-relaxing boundaries. The model is rooted in the coupled diffusion of charge and spin in the bulk of the ferromagnet, where we account for the anomalous Hall effects as well as the anisotropic magnetoresistance in the corresponding constitutive relations for both charge and spin sectors. The diffusion equations are supplemented with suitable boundary conditions reflecting the spin-sink capacity of the environment. In inversion-asymmetric heterostructures, the uncompensated spin accumulation exerts a dissipative torque on the order parameter, giving rise to a current-dependent linewidth in the ferromagnetic resonance with a characteristic angular dependence. We compare our model to recent spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance measurements, illustrating how rich self-induced spin-torque phenomenology can arise even in simple magnetic structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

PARFUME Theory and Model Basis Report

The success of gas reactors depends upon the safety and quality of the coated particle fuel. The fuel performance modeling code PARFUME simulates the mechanical, thermal and physico-chemical behavior of fuel particles during irradiation. This report documents the theory and material properties behind vari¬ous capabilities of the code, which include: 1) various options for calculating CO production and fission product gas release, 2) an analytical solution for stresses in the coating layers that accounts for irradiation-induced creep and swelling of the pyrocarbon layers, 3) a thermal model that calculates a time-dependent temperature profile through a pebble bed sphere or a prismatic block core, as well as through the layers of each analyzed particle, 4) simulation of multi-dimensional particle behavior associated with cracking in the IPyC layer, partial debonding of the IPyC from the SiC, particle asphericity, and kernel migration (or amoeba effect), 5) two independent methods for determining particle failure probabilities, 6) a model for calculating release-to-birth (R/B) ratios of gaseous fission products that accounts for particle failures and uranium contamination in the fuel matrix, and 7) the evaluation of an accident condition, where a particle experiences a sudden change in temperature following a period of normal irradiation. The accident condi¬tion entails diffusion of fission products through the particle coating layers and through the fuel matrix to the coolant boundary. This document represents the initial version of the PARFUME Theory and Model Basis Report. More detailed descriptions will be provided in future revisions.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Compression induced phase transition of nematic brush: A mean-field theory study

Responsive behavior of polymer brush to the external compression is one of the most important characters for its application. For the flexible polymer brush, in the case of low grafting density, which is widely studied by the Gaussian chain model based theory, the compression leads to a uniform deformation of the chain. However, in the case of high grafting density, the brush becomes anisotropic and the nematic phase will be formed. The normal compression tends to destroy the nematic order, which leads to a complex responsive behaviors. Under weak compression, chains in the nematic brush are buckled, and the bending energy and Onsager interaction give rise to the elasticity. Under deep compression, the responsive behaviors of the nematic polymer brush depend on the chain rigidity. For the compressed rigid polymer brush, the chains incline to re-orientate randomly to maximize the orientational entropy and its nematic order is destroyed. For the compressed flexible polymer brush, the chains incline to fold back to keep the nematic order. A buckling-folding transition takes place during the compressing process. For the compressed semiflexible brush, the chains are collectively tilted to a certain direction, which leads to the breaking of the rotational symmetry in the lateral plane. These responsive behaviors of nematic brush relate to the properties of highly frustrated worm-like chain, which is hard to be studied by the traditional self-consistent field theory due to the difficulty to solve the modified diffusion equation. To overcome this difficulty, a single chain in mean-field theory incorporating Monte Carlo simulation and mean-field theory for the worm-like chain model is developed in present work. This method shows high performance for entire region of chain rigidity in the confined condition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Turbulent Jet Flames Into a Vitiated Coflow

Examined is the vitiated coflow flame, an experimental condition that decouples the combustion processes of flows found in practical combustors from the associated recirculating fluid mechanics. The configuration consists of a 4.57 mm diameter fuel jet into a coaxial flow of hot combustion products from a lean premixed flame. The 210 mm diameter coflow isolates the jet flame from the cool ambient, providing a hot environment similar to the operating conditions of advanced combustors; this important high temperature element is lacking in the traditional laboratory experiments of jet flames into cool (room) air. A family of flows of increasing complexity is presented: 1) nonreacting flow, 2) all hydrogen flame (fuel jet and premixed coflow), and 3) set of methane flames. This sequence of experiments provides a convenient ordering of validation data for combustion models. Laser Raman-Rayleigh-LIF diagnostics at the Turbulent Diffusion Flame laboratory of Sandia National Laboratories produced instantaneous multiscalar point measurements. These results attest to the attractive features of the vitiated coflow burner and the well-defined boundary conditions provided by the coflow. The coflow is uniform and steady, isolating the jet flame from the laboratory air for a downstream distance ranging from z/d = 50-70. The statistical results show that differential diffusion effects in this highly turbulent flow are negligible. Complementing the comprehensive set of multiscalar measurements is a parametric study of lifted methane flames that was conducted to analyze flame sensitivity to jet and coflow velocity, as well as coflow temperature. The linear relationship found between the lift-off height and the jet velocity is consistent with previous experiments. New linear sensitivities were found correlating the lift-off height to coflow velocity and temperature. A blow-off study revealed that the methane flame blows off at a common coflow temperature (1260 K), regardless of coflow or jet velocity. An explanation for this phenomenon is that entrainment of ambient air at the high lift-off heights prevents autoignition. Analysis of the results suggests that flame stabilization occurs through a combination of flame propagation, autoignition, and localized extinction processes. Proposed is an expanded view of distributed reaction combustion based on analysis of the distributions of probe volume conditions at the stabilization region of the lifted hydrogen and methane flames. Turbulent eddies the size of the flame thickness mix fuel and hot coflow across the flame front, thereby enhancing the reaction zone with autoignition of reactants at elevated temperatures; this is the reverse effect of turbulent flames in ambient air, where intense turbulence in cool mixtures result in localized extinction. Each of the three processes (i.e., flame propagation, autoignition and localized extinction) contributes to flame stabilization in varying degrees, depending on flow conditions.

Holdeman, James D.↗

The role of eddy turbulence in the development of self-consistent models of the lower and upper thermosphere

Numerical solutions of mutually coupled time dependent equations of continuity, momentum and energy balance are presented to illustrate the effect of eddy turbulence on the neutral composition and temperature of the lower and upper atmosphere. The procedure adopted eliminates the necessity of making ad-hoc assumptions about the conditions at the turbopause level and allows the study of the two regions in a self-consistent manner. From the illustrative examples comprising parametric changes in the eddy diffusion coefficient, the specific roles of eddy turbulence in the development of theoretical models of the thermosphere are discussed.

Chandra, S.↗

Verification of Bison fission product species conservation under TRISO reactor conditions

When assessing the reliability and predictive capabilities of a simulation tool, code verification is used to ensure that the implemented numerical algorithm is a faithful representation of its underlying mathematical model, including partial differential or integral equations, initial and boundary conditions, and auxiliary relationships. During this process, numerical results in a discrete solution are compared to the analytical solution of the mathematical model. Here, in this paper, the code verification process is applied to one-dimensional spatiotemporal problems that exercise partial differential equation governing the conservation of fission product species (or mass diffusion). Numerical experiments were performed in the Bison fuel performance code to evaluate its predictive capability under various TRISO reactor conditions such as base irradiation and safety heating test conditions for either short- or long-lived fission product species, as well as a case concerning evaporation from the outer surface of a particle. The code predictions were compared with the expected exact results obtained from the analytical expressions, and the fact that they demonstrate the correct analytical behavior provides strong evidence of proper numerical algorithm implementation.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

An Integrative Model for Soil Biogeochemistry and Methane Processes: I. Model Structure and Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract Environmental changes are anticipated to generate substantial impacts on carbon cycling in peatlands, affecting terrestrial‐climate feedbacks. Understanding how peatland methane (CH 4 ) fluxes respond to these changing environments is critical for predicting the magnitude of feedbacks from peatlands to global climate change. To improve predictions of CH 4 fluxes in response to changes such as elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and warming, it is essential for Earth system models to include increased realism to simulate CH 4 processes in a more mechanistic way. To address this need, we incorporated a new microbial‐functional group‐based CH 4 module into the Energy Exascale Earth System land model (ELM) and tested it with multiple observational data sets at an ombrotrophic peatland bog in northern Minnesota. The model is able to simulate observed land surface CH 4 fluxes and fundamental mechanisms contributing to these throughout the soil profile. The model reproduced the observed vertical distributions of dissolved organic carbon and acetate concentrations. The seasonality of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis—two key processes for CH 4 production—and CH 4 concentration along the soil profile were accurately simulated. Meanwhile, the model estimated that plant‐mediated transport, diffusion, and ebullition contributed to ∼23.5%, 15.0%, and 61.5% of CH 4 transport, respectively. A parameter sensitivity analysis showed that CH 4 substrate and CH 4 production were the most critical mechanisms regulating temporal patterns of surface CH 4 fluxes both under ambient conditions and warming treatments. This knowledge will be used to improve Earth system model predictions of these high‐carbon ecosystems from plot to regional scales.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

A simulation-based model studying monoethanolamine and aprotic heterocyclic anion ionic liquid (AHA-IL) mixtures for carbon capture

Capturing of waste CO 2 , particularly from large industrial point sources, is necessary for either permanent storage or CO 2 utilization. Amine solvents used for carbon capture have certain drawbacks, particularly the high energy required by the reboiler for solvent regeneration and degradation of the amine with absorption/regeneration cycling. These challenges may be overcome using ionic liquids (ILs) that can be tailored for operating under typical flue gas stream conditions (8–10% CO 2 , 18–20% H 2 O, 2–3% O 2 , and 67–72% N 2 ). ILs, however, oftentimes suffer from high viscosities, leading to diffusion limitations when compared to amine solvents. This work models the combinations of aprotic heterocyclic anion ILs (AHA-IL) with monoethanolamine (MEA) and studies the carbon capture effectiveness of these mixtures. Furthermore, this study found that all AHA-IL/MEA mixtures exhibited 32 % lower enthalpy of reaction (compared to MEA) and 64 % lower viscosity (compared to AHA-IL), which are desirable characteristics for CO 2 capture solvents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The gradient of galactic cosmic rays at the solar-wind termination shock

We report on a study of the expected spatial variation of the galactic cosmic-ray intensity in the outer heliosphere, in the vicinity of the solar-wind termination shock. Model simulations which contain all of the transport effects, including drifts, predict that the radial gradients change abruptly at the shock, and that the nature of the effect varies significantly with particle energy. At low energies, the radial gradient changes abruptly from a lower value inside the shock to a higher value outside, whereas at high energies, the higher value of the gradient is inside the shock. This effect, which is a consequence of the matching conditions at the shock and is closely related to diffusive shock acceleration, is qualitatively the same for both helisopheric magnetic polarity states and remains much the same in one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional models. Hence drifts do not change the nature of this phenomenon, although they change it quantitatively. The effect is, of course, not present in the absence of a terminal shock and may prove to be an important diagnostic tool for the study of the termination of the solar wind.

Jokipii, J. R.↗

Layers Can Be Deceiving: A Hopping Model for Small Molecule Diffusion in TATB Crystal

Sorption of small molecule gases in materials can play a significant role in their long‐term stability and compatibility within multi‐material assemblies. While many material properties of the insensitive high explosive TATB (1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene) are well understood, very little is known regarding its permeability to gases. TATB crystal exhibits a graphitic‐like layered packing structure that evokes a mental schema in which the layers form nanoscopic channels, but it is unclear whether this structure promotes gas transport. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to predict transport of small molecules through TATB single crystal. An approach to fit classical force fields is developed to model TATB interactions with H 2 O, He, Ne, and Ar, which is then combined with steered MD to probe gas transport along selected directions in the crystal. We find that small molecule transport occurs via a hopping mechanism that exhibits distinct jumps between interstitial sites and is substantially faster normal to the layers as compared to through them. This result stems from the finding that intralayer junctions between adjacent TATB molecules are the most stable interstitial sites and that energetic barriers are lower for hopping between adjacent layers. An empirical model for diffusion rate based on the MD data shows that the rate decays exponentially with increasing molecular radius and is negligibly small for all molecules larger than He, including common atmospheric gases. These findings have implications for the interpretation of experiments that measure surface area, material response to extreme conditions, and are expected to help constrain models for material aging.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗