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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Integrating Multi-Source Data for Bi-Level Traffic Simulator Calibration: A Literature Review and Highway Case Study

Traffic simulation serves as a powerful tool for pre-evaluating policies and technologies. In this context, simulation-based Dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) models are capable of capturing traffic dynamics. They are well-known as critical tools in controlling and predicting traffic situations. The reliability of simulation results heavily depends on the calibration process. Most studies in the literature formulate and calibrate simulators based on a single source of collected data or multiple data sets with the same spatiotemporal characteristics. However, in practice, traffic data is collected by various tools with usually different spatial and temporal resolutions. This study introduces a novel approach to taking into account diverse input data from a variety of sources. An iterative bi-level solution is proposed. to equally treat traffic flow and speed data. The upper level solves flow calibration with the exact solution method, and the lower level calibrates the speed with the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithm. Subsequently, the effectiveness of the proposed model is investigated using data from a six-mile section of Nashville's I-24 highway in Tennessee. The results demonstrate that our proposed model creates an effective feedback loop between the optimizer and the simulator for calibrating flow and speed to reduce the error between simulated and real data.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Efficient Annual-Performance Model of a Geothermal Network for Improved System Design, Operation, and Control: Preprint

Geothermal district energy systems (DES), and specifically geothermal networks, provide a viable solution for decarbonizing residential and commercial heating and cooling loads. District energy systems of all kinds enable a thermal resource with a relatively high capital cost (such as a geothermal borehole field) to be shared among a large number of users. While district heating and cooling has been studied for many years, geothermal networks, fifth generation DES that utilize water-source heat pumps and an ambient temperature loop to meet heating and cooling loads, have not been implemented extensively and thus require additional technical and economic optimization to obtain maximum benefits. This paper presents a newly developed reduced-order model that captures the flow of energy within the network, including the commercial and residential users' electrical usage, at an hourly rate over a year. The model includes building loads, heat pumps, borehole fields, and auxiliary heat/cool input, all connected with an ambient-temperature thermal loop model. In the model, operational control is possible for the borehole fields, circulation pump, and auxiliary system. For a given system, the model can output the complete state parameters for each component, the thermal loop, and the collective system, such as flow rate over time, average thermal loop temperature over time, and total electricity usage. The model can also be used to optimize the system control for maximizing system efficiency or minimizing system operational cost. For example, one initial assessment of the borehole controller for an example system showed that a controller with on/off operation of the borehole field reduces annual electrical usage by 33%, compared with continuous operation mode. Hence, the model can assist in optimizing a given system's operation to get the most value out of a geothermal network installation. Future work will consider the model's application to a demonstration project, including the model validation against operational data and system operation optimization.

ambient-temperature loop↗
DOE OSTI2017

Alstom’s Chemical Looping Combustion Technology for CO 2 Capture for New and Retrofit Coal-Fired Power Plants

Cold Flow Modeling (CFM) is a critical tool to understand solid transport, corresponding process stability, and the impact on the performance of the LCL-CTM technology. As such it plays a central role in the development of the LCL-CTM process and deserves a standalone report in the final reporting on Phase II of the collaboration with DOE under award DE FE0009484. The 40-Foot Cold Flow Model (CFM) was constructed before the 3 MWth Prototype. The purpose of the CFM is to: develop design and operational information to design the Prototype help resolve solids transport problems that occur with the Prototype provide Prototype operator training. This report provides a review on the use of the CFM to achieve better understanding, design, and operation of solid transport for the LCL-CTM technology. Significant progress was made by iteratively designing, operating, and testing between the CFM and the Prototype scale. Fundamental understanding of the transport of reactive solids was acquired based on the reported effort. Unfortunately, the technical gaps identified for Phase II of the LCL-CTM technology development could not all be eliminated and the transport of solids under high fuel load remained unstable at the Prototype scale. The nature of the iterative learning going back and forth between CFM and Prototype scale became cost-prohibitive and forced the project to pivot at a relatively late date in the project. The LCL-CTM process switched from a Transport reactor design to a Bubbling Fluidized Bed (BFB) design in order to successfully achieve all process criteria but at the 100-kWth scale to accommodate the residual funding. The CFM remains a very relevant tool for future LCL-CTM process development. While the LCL-CTM technology still must be demonstrated under scale up conditions (and the success of the BFB testing would push to scale up in that configuration), the CFM will remain a preferred tool for troubleshooting and reducing the technical gaps of LCL-CTM.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1981

Magnetic loop behind an interplanetary shock - Voyager, Helios, and IMP 8 observations

The flow behind an interplanetary shock was analyzed through the use of magnetic field and plasma data from five spacecraft, with emphasis on the magnetic cloud identified by a characteristic variation of the latitude angle of the magnetic field. The size of the cloud was found to be about 0.5 AU in radial extent and greater than 30 deg in azimuthal extent, with its front boundary almost normal to the radial direction. Because the field direction of the magnetic cloud as it moved past the spacecraft was observed to rotate nearly parallel to a plane, it is thought that the field configuration of the cloud was essentially two-dimensional. These results further suggest that the lines of force in the magnetic cloud formed loops, but it could not be determined whether these loops were open or closed.

Burlaga, L.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessing Stainless Steel Compatibility in Flowing FLiBe Salt

To address the considerable interest in LiF-BeF 2 (FLiBe) compatibility for fission and fusion reactor applications, static and flowing compatibility experiments were conducted to assess the compatibility with type 316H stainless steel. In static testing at 550° and 650 °C, small mass changes were measured and posttest characterization of the FLiBe showed increased levels of Fe, Cr, Ni and Mn in the salt. Adding Be in the static salt test reduced the dissolution of Fe and Ni. Further, an initial assessment of mass transfer in flowing FLiBe without a Be addition was conducted using a monometallic 316H thermal convection loop (TCL) operated for 1000 h with a peak temperature of 650 °C. Similar to prior results in flowing FLiNaK salt, the 316H specimens exhibited small mass losses in the hot leg. Posttest characterization of the 316H specimens suggested Cr surface depletion in the hot and cold legs and possibly Fe deposition in the cold leg. To further understand this behavior, Cr and Fe dissolution was measured in static FLiBe at 550–650 °C.

316H stainless steel↗
NASA NTRS1993

A zonal CFD method for three-dimensional wing simulations

The primary objective of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of a 3D potential/viscous flow coupling procedure for reducing computational effort while maintaining solution accuracy. The closed-loop, overlapped, velocity-coupling concept has been developed in a new code, ZAP3D, that couples a potential flow panel code with a Navier-Stokes method. The current ZAP3D calculation for an aspect ratio 5 wing with an outer domain radius of about 1.2 chords represents a speed-up in CPU time over the ARC3D large domain calculation by about a factor of 2.5. This improvement is achieved for less than a 0.5 percent deviation in C(L), 10 counts change in C(D), and 0.0015 variation in C(My). Additional reductions in the required computational domain for ZAP3D are expected as the method is further developed and refined.

Summa, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

On the physics of a long decay X-ray event

The paper discusses the long decay X-ray event which appeared as an expanding loop system on the solar limb on 13-14 Aug. 1973 which was also observed temporally and spectrally. A one-dimensional hydrodynamic study was undertaken to investigate increasing and decreasing phases of the event; it was shown that the inferred temperature gradients along the loops during the heating phase are consistent with unrestricted dynamic and conductive flows along the magnetic field lines. It was concluded that it cannot be definitely stated that enhanced emission at the tops of the loops is due to pressure gradients along the field lines; also, the large emission measure variations in the 10 to the 5th to 10 to the 6th K plasma during the event's decline may be due to the temperature dependence of radiative decay within a multiloop configuration.

Krall, K. R.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Wake effects on drift in two-dimensional inviscid incompressible flows

This investigation analyzes the effect of vortex wakes on the Lagrangian displacement of particles induced by the passage of an obstacle in a two-dimensional incompressible and inviscid fluid. In addition to the trajectories of individual particles, we also study their drift and the corresponding total drift areas in the Föppl and Kirchhoff potential flow models. Our findings, which are obtained numerically and in some regimes are also supported by asymptotic analysis, are compared to the wakeless potential flow which serves as a reference. We show that in the presence of the Föppl vortex wake, some of the particles follow more complicated trajectories featuring a second loop. The appearance of an additional stagnation point in the Föppl flow is identified as a source of this effect. It is also demonstrated that, while the total drift area increases with the size of the wake for large vortex strengths, it is actually decreased for small circulation values. On the other hand, the Kirchhoff flow model is shown to have an unbounded total drift area. By providing a systematic account of the wake effects on the drift, the results of this study will allow for more accurate modeling of hydrodynamic stirring.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2001

Magnetic Damping of g-Jitter Induced Double-Diffusive Convection

This paper describes a numerical study of the g-jitter driven double diffusive convective flows, thermal and concentration distributions in binary alloy melt systems subject to an external magnetic field. The study is based on the finite element solution of transient magnetohydrodynamic equations governing the momentum, thermal and solutal transport in the melt pool. Numerical simulations are conducted using the synthesized single- and multi- frequency g-jitter as well as the real g-jitter data taken during space flights with or without an applied magnetic field. It is found that for the conditions studied, the main melt flow follows approximately a lineal- superposition of velocity components induced by individual g-jitter components, regardless of whether a magnetic field exists or not. The flow field is characterized by a recirculating double diffusive convection loop oscillating in time with a defined frequency equal to that of the driving g-jitter force. An applied magnetic field has little effect on the oscillating recirculating pattern, except around the moment in time when the flow reverses its direction. The field has no effect on the oscillation period, but it changes the phase angle. It is very effective in suppressing the flow intensity and produces a notable reduction of the solutal striation and time fluctuations in the melt. For a given magnetic field strength, the magnetic damping effect is more pronounced on the velocity associated with the largest g-jitter component present and/or the g-jitter spiking peaks. A stronger magnetic field is more effective in suppressing the melt convection and also is more helpful in bringing the convection in phase with the g-jitter driving force. The applied field is particularly useful in suppressing the effect of real g-jitter spikes on both flow and solutal distributions. With appropriately selected magnetic fields, the convective flows caused by g-jitter can be reduced sufficiently and diffusion dominant. solutal transport in the melt is possible.

Shu, Y.↗
DOE OSTI2014

The magnetic flywheel flow meter: Theoretical and experimental contributions

The development of contactless flow meters is an important issue for monitoring and controlling of processes in different application fields, like metallurgy, liquid metal casting, or cooling systems for nuclear reactors and transmutation machines. Shercliff described in his book “The Theory of Electromagnetic Flow Measurement, Cambridge University Press, 1962” a simple and robust device for contact-less measurements of liquid metal flow rates which is known as magnetic flywheel. The sensor consists of several permanent magnets attached on a rotatable soft iron plate. This arrangement will be placed closely to the liquid metal flow to be measured, so that the field of the permanent magnets penetrates into the fluid volume. The flywheel will be accelerated by a Lorentz force arising from the interaction between the magnetic field and the moving liquid. Steady rotation rates of the flywheel can be taken as a measure for the mean flow rate inside the fluid channel. The present paper provides a detailed theoretical description of the sensor in order to gain a better insight into the functional principle of the magnetic flywheel. Theoretical predictions are confirmed by corresponding laboratory experiments. For that purpose, a laboratory model of such a flow meter was built and tested on a GaInSn-loop under various test conditions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2014

Hi-C Observations of an Active Region Corona, and Investigation of the Underlying Magnetic Structure

The solar corona is much hotter (>=10(exp 6) K) than its surface (approx 6000 K), puzzling astrophysicists for several decades. Active region (AR) corona is again hotter than the quiet Sun (QS) corona by a factor of 4-10. The most widely accepted mechanism that could heat the active region corona is the energy release by current dissipation via reconnection of braided magnetic field structure, first proposed by E. N. Parker three decades ago. The first observational evidence for this mechanism has only recently been presented by Cirtain et al. by using High-resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) observations of an AR corona at a spatial resolution of 0.2 arcsec, which is required to resolve the coronal loops, and was not available before the rocket flight of Hi-C in July 2012. The Hi-C project is led by NASA/MSFC. In the case of the QS, work done by convection/granulation on the inter-granular feet of the coronal field lines translates into the heat observed in the corona. In the case of the AR, as here, there could be flux emergence, cancellation/submergence, or shear flows generating large stress and tension in coronal field loops which is released as heat in the corona. We are currently investigating the changes taking place in photospheric feet of the magnetic field involved with brightenings in the Hi-C AR corona. For this purpose, we are also using SDO/AIA data of +/- 2 hours around the 5 minutes Hi-C flight. In the present talk, I will first summarize some of the results of the Hi-C observations and then present some results from our recent analysis on what photospheric processes feed the magnetic energy that dissipates into heat in coronal loops.

Tiwari, S. K.↗
DOE OSTI2019

A CFD Study Assisted with Experimental Confirmation for Liquid Shape Control of Electromagnetically Levitated Bulk Materials

Two types of optimized electromagnetic levitators were designed to achieve the free surface shape control of metallic melts as the combined results of the Lorentz force, sample gravity, and surface tension. The levitation behavior of bulk melts was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling coupled with high-frequency electromagnetic field analysis and the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method. The difference in the oscillation behavior between the solid and molten samples was explained by the damping of the electromagnetic induction and liquid viscosity. The motion of the mass center, melt shape, flow pattern, and Lorentz force in the levitated melt were determined within a wide excitation current range. With the increase in the applied current, the melt’s centroid position rose sharply in the area with low current but displayed a slow increase in the area with high current. Meanwhile, the stable shape of the bulk melt showed the typical transition from a long taper through a short taper and then into a rhombus. The internal flow pattern transformed from a simple double-loop structure to a complex configuration with three or four loops. The dependence of the deformation on the Bond number was analyzed in the two types of levitators. In addition, the stable shape and swing process of the bulk Al melt within the two types of electromagnetic levitation (EML) systems were quantitatively studied under protective inert gas conditions. The melt contour could be well described by the 10th Legendre polynomial function with a deviation of less than 0.5 pct.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Attrition of hematite particles for chemical looping combustion in a conical jet cup

The attrition of hematite particles for use in the chemical looping combustion process was investigated using a cold flow jet cup test. Jet cup attrition experiments are commonly used for bulk attrition testing of fluidized bed catalyst. The results indicate that the particle attrition in the jet cup cold flow experiments arises from surface abrasion due to particle-particle and particle-wall interactions. Experiments indicate that the measured cumulative mass loss increases with attrition time. However, the attrition rate decreases sharply at the early stage of attrition, and gradually, the rate decline slows and approaches a constant value with increasing attrition time. Furthermore, the influence of inlet gas velocity and solid inventory is discussed. As inlet gas velocities increase, the measured cumulative mass loss also increases. However, as the solid inventory increases, the cumulative mass loss decreases. The results also show that the jet cup experiments quantitatively compare with low magnitude tangential forces which is an indication of attrition through abrasion as the primary mechanism. It is determined through particle size distributions before and after which show a small shift of the main peaks with no peak broadening while producing a small number of fines. By using the mass of abraded fines and the widely-used Archard model for abrasive attrition, the specific wear rate coefficient can be predicted as a function of time. The wear coefficient calculation further identifies that the abrasion mechanism as the primary mechanism of attrition.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF MAGNETIC RECONNECTION OUTFLOW AND CME TRIGGERING IN A SMALL ERUPTING SOLAR PROMINENCE

We examine a small prominence eruption that occurred on 2014 May 1 at 01:35 UT and was observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS) and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Pre- and post-eruption images were taken by the X-ray Telescope (XRT) on Hinode. Pre-eruption, a dome-like structure exists above the prominence, as demarcated by coronal rain. As the eruption progresses, we find evidence for reconnection between the prominence magnetic field and the overlying field. Fast flows are seen in AIA and IRIS, indicating reconnection outflows. Plane-of-sky flows of 300 km s{sup −1} are observed in the AIA 171 A channel along a potentially reconnected field line. IRIS detects intermittent fast line of sight flows of 200 km s{sup −1} coincident with the AIA flows. Differential emission measure calculations show heating at the origin of the fast flows. Post-eruption XRT images show hot loops probably due to reconfiguration of magnetic fields during the eruption and subsequent heating of plasma in these loops. Although there is evidence for reconnection above the prominence during the eruption, high spatial resolution images from IRIS reveal potential reconnection sites below the prominence. A height–time analysis of the erupting prominence shows a slow initial rise with a velocity of 0.4 km s{sup −1} followed by a rapid acceleration with a final velocity of 250 km s{sup −1}. Brightenings in IRIS during the transition between these two phases indicate the eruption trigger for the fast part of the eruption is likely a tether-cutting mechanism rather than a break-out mechanism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Benchmarking the design of the cryogenics system for the underground argon in DarkSide-20k

DarkSide-20k (DS-20k) is a dark matter detection experimentunder construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS)in Italy. It utilises ∼ 100 t of low radioactivity argon from anunderground source (UAr) in its inner detector, with half serving astarget in a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The UArcryogenics system must maintain stable thermodynamic conditionsthroughout the experiment's lifetime of over10 years. Continuous removal ofimpurities and radon from the UAr is essential for maximising signalyield and mitigating background. We are developing an efficient andpowerful cryogenics system with a gas purification loop with atarget circulation rate of1000 slpm. Central to itsdesign is a condenser operated with liquid nitrogen which is pairedwith a gas heat exchanger cascade, delivering a combined coolingpower of more than 8 kW. Here wepresent the design choices in view of the DS-20k requirements, inparticular the condenser's working principle and the coolingcontrol, and we show test results obtained with a dedicatedbenchmarking platform at CERN and LNGS. We find that the thermalefficiency of the recirculation loop, defined in terms of nitrogenconsumption per argon flow rate, is95 % and the pressure in the testcryostat can be maintained within±(0.1–0.2) mbar. Wefurther detail a 5-day cool-down procedure of the test cryostat,maintaining a cooling rate typically within-2 K/h, as required for theDS-20k inner detector. Additionally, we assess the circuit's flowresistance, and the heat transfer capabilities of two heat exchangergeometries for argon phase change, used to provide gas forrecirculation. We conclude by discussing how our findings influencethe finalisation of the system design, including necessarymodifications to meet requirements and ongoing testing activities.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

NRC Multiphysics Analysis Capability Deployment FY21: Part 3

This report details the progress and activities of Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) project “Development and Modeling Support for Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors.” The deliverables completed for this report are: Deliverable 1c: the capability to model gas mixtures was added to Pronghorn. A test problem mimicking the conditions achieved in a depressurized loss of forced cooling (DLOFC) event was solved with both RELAP-5 and Pronghorn. Pronghorn employed a finite vol ume method with the Kurganov-Tadmor discretization. The comparison between the mass fraction spatial profiles computed with RELAP-5 and Pronghorn clearly shows the presence of numerical artifacts (i.e., overly diffusive behavior at low Mach numbers). We confirmed that the problem disappears at higher Mach numbers. We recommend future work on the implementation of a low Mach finite volume formulation to better treat low Mach number problems. Deliverable 2a: we demonstrated two approaches to model the radiation/conduction/natural convection heat transfer across a stagnant gas for the PBMR-400 design using Pronghorn. The first approach is based on the net radiation method, which relies on the computation of view factors with the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) ray tracing capability. The second method is a traditional thermal resistance approach. The test problems include both 2D and 3D geometries. In all cases, the results show very good agreement during a DLOFC transient. This confirms that the faster thermal resistance method produces solutions that are equivalent to the net radiation method for this geometry. Deliverable 3d: we demonstrated the use of the advection kernel for the delayed neutron precursor equation in Griffin with a 2D MSFR model. The results appear physical but further verification is recommended. We also recommend the addition of conjugate heat transfer to compute the temperatures and model the thermomechanic behavior of the reflectors and other structures. Significant memory and performance issues were encountered in the 3D axisymmetric model. Future work is recommended in this area. Task 8g: this task allows multidimensional MOOSE applications to be coupled to system codes (RELAP-7 and SAM). We implemented a faster multiphysics iteration coupling algorithm, which provides an overall 6× acceleration of the 3D-1D coupling of the core multidi- mensional fluid flow solver and the 1D primary and secondary loop model.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1981

Japanese Magsat Team. A: Crustal structure near Japan and its Antarctic Station. B: Electric currents and hydromagnetic waves in the ionosphere and the magnetosphere

Efforts continue in compiling tapes which contain vector and scalar data decimated at an interval of 0.5 sec, together with time and position data. A map of the total force field anomaly around Japan was developed which shows a negative magnetic anomaly in the Okhotsk Sea. Examination of vector residuals from the MGST model shows that the total force perturbation is almost ascribable to the perturbation parallel to the main geomagnetic field and that the contribution from the perturbation transverse to the main field to the total force perturbation is negligibly small. The influences of ionospheric current with equatorial electroject and of the magnetospheric field aligned current on the dawn-dusk asymmetry of daily geomagnetic variations are being considered. The total amount of electric current flowing through the plane of the Magsat orbit loop was calculated by direct application of Maxwell's equation. Results show that the total electric current is 1 to 5 ampheres, and the current direction is either sunward or antisunward.

Fukushima, N.↗