Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “numerical analysis”

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 667 records · Page 37

Analysis and design of three dimensional supersonic nozzles. Volume 2: Numerical program for analysis of nozzle-exhaust flow fields

The FORTRAN IV Program developed to analyze the flow field associated with scramjet exhaust systems is presented. The instructions for preparing input and interpreting output are described. The program analyzes steady three dimensional supersonic flow by the reference plane characteristic technique. The governing equations and numerical techniques employed are presented in Volume 1 of this report.

Kalben, P.↗

Analysis of direct numerical simulation data of a Mach 4.5 transitional boundary-layer flow

This paper describes the creation, by temporal direct numerical simulation and the analysis based on the Reynolds stress transport equations, of a high-quality data set that represents the laminar-turbulent transition of a high-speed boundary-layer flow. Following Pruett and Zang (1992), and with the help of algorithmic refinements, the evolution of an axial, Mach 4.5 boundary-layer flow along a hollow cylinder is simulated numerically. Favre-averaged Reynolds stress transport equations are derived in generalized curvilinear coordinates and are then specialized to the cylindrical geometry at hand. Reynolds stresses and various turbulence quantities, such as turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent Mach number, are calculated from the numerical data at various stages of the transition process. The kinetic energy 'budgets' are constructed from the transport equations. Various contributing terms for the evolution of kinetic energy, like the rates of production and dissipation, transport, and diffusion, are presented. The compressible dissipation rate is small in comparison with the solenoidal dissipation rate for all times. The pressure-dilatation term is of the same order of magnitude as the compressible dissipation rate.

Dinavahi, Surya P. G.↗

Analysis of turbulent free-jet hydrogen-air diffusion flames with finite chemical reaction rates

A numerical analysis is presented of the nonequilibrium flow field resulting from the turbulent mixing and combustion of an axisymmetric hydrogen jet in a supersonic parallel ambient air stream. The effective turbulent transport properties are determined by means of a two-equation model of turbulence. The finite-rate chemistry model considers eight elementary reactions among six chemical species: H, O, H2O, OH, O2 and H2. The governing set of nonlinear partial differential equations was solved by using an implicit finite-difference procedure. Radial distributions were obtained at two downstream locations for some important variables affecting the flow development, such as the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. The results show that these variables attain their peak values on the axis of symmetry. The computed distribution of velocity, temperature, and mass fractions of the chemical species gives a complete description of the flow field. The numerical predictions were compared with two sets of experimental data. Good qualitative agreement was obtained.

Sislian, J. P.↗

Slow Crack Growth Analysis of Brittle Materials with Finite Thickness Subjected to Constant Stress-Rate Flexural Loading

A two-dimensional, numerical analysis of slow crack growth (SCG) was performed for brittle materials with finite thickness subjected to constant stress-rate ("dynamic fatigue") loading in flexure. The numerical solution showed that the conventional, simple, one-dimensional analytical solution can be used with a maximum error of about 5% in determining the SCG parameters of a brittle material with the conditions of a normalized thickness (a ratio of specimen thickness to initial crack size) T > 3.3 and of a SCG parameter n > 10. The change in crack shape from semicircular to elliptical configurations was significant particularly at both low stress rate and low T, attributed to predominant difference in stress intensity factor along the crack front. The numerical solution of SCG parameters was supported within the experimental range by the data obtained from constant stress-rate flexural testing for soda-lime glass microslides at ambient temperature.

Chio, S. R.↗

A two-dimensional finite difference solution for the transient thermal behavior of tubular solar collector

A numerical procedure was established using the finite-difference technique in the determination of the time-varying temperature distribution of a tubular solar collector under changing solar radiancy and ambient temperature. Three types of spatial discretization processes were considered and compared for their accuracy of computations and for selection of the shortest computer time and cost. The stability criteria of this technique was analyzed in detail to give the critical time increment to ensure stable computations. The results of the numerical analysis were in good agreement with the analytical solution previously reported. The numerical method proved to be a powerful tool in the investigation of the collector sensitivity to two different flow patterns and several flow control mechanisms.

Lansing, F. L.↗

A two-dimensional finite-difference solution for the transient thermal behavior of a tubular solar collector

A numerical procedure was established using the finite-difference technique in the determination of the time-varying temperature distribution of a tubular solar collector under changing solar radiancy and ambient temperature. Three types of spatial discretization processes were considered and compared for their accuracy of computations and for selection of the shortest computer time and cost. The stability criteria of this technique were analyzed in detail to give the critical time increment to ensure stable computations. The results of the numerical analysis were in good agreement with the analytical solution previously reported. The numerical method proved to be a powerful tool in the investigation of the collector sensitivity to two different flow patterns and several flow control mechanisms.

Lansing, F. L.↗

Experimental boundary integral equation applications in speckle interferometry

A complete data analysis system utilizing laser speckle interferometry and Experimental Integral Equation Method (EBIE) is described. A host computer provides the optical data analysis and serves as an input device to a PDP11/VAX computer for numerical analysis. The basic theory of pointwise filtering and digital correlation is described as experimental data input to the BIE method.

Fraley, J. E.↗

Acquisition of partial grain orientation information using optical microscopy

Optical microscopy (OM) is often the first technique used to characterize surfaces of materials because of its simplicity and low cost. However, the information obtained by OM is usually limited to the geometry and spatial distribution of microstructural features. We present an advanced OM technique to perform quantitative microstructure analysis of polycrystalline metals and to assess partial grain orientation information from measurements of reflectance over a range of incident light directions. Our technique relies on the collection of a series of optical micrographs under controlled illumination conditions. We find a marked direction-dependence of reflectance and ascribe it to sub-micron facets on the surfaces of individual grains. These surface facets are, in turn, correlated to grain orientation. We automate our technique via digital processing and numerical analysis of micrographs, enabling it to generate a wealth of microstructure data while remaining simple to use and inexpensive to implement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An improved numerical model for wave rotor design and analysis

A numerical model has been developed which can predict both the unsteady flows within a wave rotor and the steady averaged flows in the ports. The model is based on the assumptions of one-dimensional, unsteady, and perfect gas flow. Besides the dominant wave behavior, it is also capable of predicting the effects of finite tube opening time, leakage from the tube ends, and viscosity. The relative simplicity of the model makes it useful for design, optimization, and analysis of wave rotor cycles for any application. This paper discusses some details of the model and presents comparisons between the model and two laboratory wave rotor experiments.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

An improved numerical model for wave rotor design and analysis

A numerical model has been developed which can predict both the unsteady flows within a wave rotor and the steady averaged flows in the ports. The model is based on the assumptions of one-dimensional, unsteady, and perfect gas flow. Besides the dominant wave behavior, it is also capable of predicting the effects of finite tube opening time, leakage from the tube ends, and viscosity. The relative simplicity of the model makes it useful for design, optimization, and analysis of wave rotor cycles for any application. This paper discusses some details of the model and presents comparisons between the model and two laboratory wave rotor experiments.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

Intermolecular polarizabilities in H{sub 2}-rare-gas mixtures (H{sub 2}–He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe): Insight from collisional isotropic spectral properties

The report presents results of theoretical and numerical analysis of the electrical properties related to the isotropic part of the polarizability induced by interactions within compounds built up of a hydrogen H{sub 2} molecule and a set of noble gas atoms, Rg, ranging from the least massive helium up to the heaviest xenon perturber. The Cartesian components of the collisional polarizabilities of the H{sub 2}–Rg systems are found by means of the quantum chemistry methods and their dependence on the intermolecular distance is determined. On the basis of these data, the spherical, symmetry adapted components of the trace polarizability are derived in order to provide data sets that are convenient for evaluating collisional spectral profiles of the isotropic polarized part of light scattered by the H{sub 2}–Rg mixtures. Three independent methods of numerical computing of the spectral intensities are applied at room temperature (295 K). The properties of the roto-translational profiles obtained are discussed in order to determine the role played by contributions corresponding to each of the symmetry adapted parts of the trace polarizability. By spreading the analysis over the collection of the H{sub 2}–Rg systems, evolution of the spectral properties with the growing masses of the supermolecular compounds can be observed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A Comparative Study of Layer Heating and Continuous Heating Methods on Prediction Accuracy of Residual Stresses in Selective Laser Melted Tube Samples

Thermal distortion and residual stresses are two important factors that affect the quality and reliability of steel parts manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. A cost-effective model for evaluation of those heat effects is needed to refine the manufacturing process and provides insights into the product design and heat treatment. In this study, the layer heating method and sophisticated track-layer scanning method were applied to simulate the thermo-mechanical response of IN625 tube parts built by LPBF. Based on the similarity of temperature field in each layer deposit, a swept mesh was constructed to perform the thermal analysis for top layer, with the rest of layers referring to the temperature by node number offsetting. A novel explicit finite element analysis code accelerated by graphics processing unit was used for the massive-element numerical analysis. The computational accuracy and efficiency of the layer heating and track-layer scanning methods were compared in detail. It is shown that layer heating method can efficiently capture the pattern of stress distribution with reasonable accuracy in stress magnitude. The grouped track-layer scanning method can predict the residual stress and strain more accurately at a higher cost (5 ~ 10×). The elastic strain distribution was compared with the measurement by X-ray diffraction, confirming the accuracy of residual stress prediction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Vibration Analysis With Finite Dynamic Elements

To enhance usefulness of computers in solving engineering problems, new techniques are being developed for numerical analysis of structural dynamics. Two aspects of this analysis--structural discretization with finite dynamic elements and solution of resulting equations--have been applied in detail to membrane and plane stress/strain continua.

Gupta, K. K.↗

Computational structures technology and UVA Center for CST

Rapid advances in computer hardware have had a profound effect on various engineering and mechanics disciplines, including the materials, structures, and dynamics disciplines. A new technology, computational structures technology (CST), has recently emerged as an insightful blend between material modeling, structural and dynamic analysis and synthesis on the one hand, and other disciplines such as computer science, numerical analysis, and approximation theory, on the other hand. CST is an outgrowth of finite element methods developed over the last three decades. The focus of this presentation is on some aspects of CST which can impact future airframes and propulsion systems, as well as on the newly established University of Virginia (UVA) Center for CST. The background and goals for CST are described along with the motivations for developing CST, and a brief discussion is made on computational material modeling. We look at the future in terms of technical needs, computing environment, and research directions. The newly established UVA Center for CST is described. One of the research projects of the Center is described, and a brief summary of the presentation is given.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗

Fluctuation spectroscopy: From Rayleigh-Jeans waves to Abrikosov vortex clusters

Superconducting (SC) fluctuations, discovered in the late 1960s, have constituted an important research area in superconductivity as they are manifest in a variety of phenomena. Indeed, the underlying physics of SC fluctuations makes it possible to elucidate the fundamental properties of the superconducting state. The interest in SC fluctuation phenomena was further enhanced with the discovery of cuprate high-temperature superconductors (HTSs). In these materials, superconducting fluctuations appear over a wide range of temperatures due to the superconductors extremely short coherence lengths and low effective dimensionality of the electron systems. These strong fluctuations lead to anomalous properties of the normal state in some HTS materials. Within the framework of the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau theory, and more extensively in the diagrammatic microscopic approach based on BCS theory, SC fluctuations as well as other quantum contributions (weak localization, etc.) enabled a new way to investigate and characterize disordered electron systems, granular metals, Josephson structures, artificial superlattices, and others. The characteristic feature of SC fluctuations is its strong dependence on temperature and magnetic field in the vicinity of the superconducting phase transition. This dependence allows the separation of fluctuation effects from other contributions and provides information about the microscopic parameters of a material, in particular, the critical temperature and the zero-temperature critical magnetic field. As such, SC fluctuations are very sensitive to the relaxation processes that break phase coherence and can be used as a versatile characterization instrument for SCs: Fluctuation spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful tool for studying the properties of superconducting systems on a quantitative level. Here the physics of SC fluctuations is reviewed, commencing from a qualitative description of thermodynamic fluctuations close to the critical temperature and quantum fluctuations at zero temperature in the vicinity of the second critical field. The analysis of the latter allows us to present fluctuation formation as a fragmentation of the Abrikosov lattice. Finally, this review highlights a series of experimental findings followed by microscopic description and numerical analysis of the effects of fluctuations on numerous properties of superconductors in the entire phase diagram and beyond the superconducting phase.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Annual Research Briefs, 2004: Center for Turbulence Research

This report contains the 2004 annual progress reports of the Research Fellows and students of the Center for Turbulence Research in its eighteenth year of operation. Since its inception in 1987, the objective of the CTR has been to advance the physical understanding of turbulent flows and development of physics based predictive tools for engineering analysis and turbulence control. Turbulence is ubiquitous in nature and in engineering devices. The studies at CTR have been motivated by applications where turbulence effects are significant; these include a broad range of technical areas such as planetary boundary layers, formation of planets, solar convection, magnetohydrodynamics, environmental and eco systems, aerodynamic noise, propulsion systems and high speed transportation. Numerical simulation has been the predominant research tool at CTR which has required a critical mass of researchers in numerical analysis and computer science in addition to core disciplines such as applied mathematics, chemical kinetics and fluid mechanics. Maintaining and promoting this interdisciplinary culture has been a hallmark of CTR and has been responsible for the realization of the results of its basic research in applications. The first group of reports in this volume are directed towards development, analysis and application of novel numerical methods for ow simulations. Development of methods for large eddy simulation of complex flows has been a central theme in this group. The second group is concerned with turbulent combustion, scalar transport and multi-phase ows. The nal group is devoted to geophysical turbulence where the problem of solar convection has been a new focus of considerable attention recently at CTR.

Moin, Parviz↗