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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.

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At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Reactant conversion in homogeneous turbulence - Mathematical modeling, computational validations, and practical applications

The presently obtained closed-form analytical expressions, which predict the limiting rate of mean reactant conversion in homogeneous turbulent flows under the influence of a binary reaction, are derived via the single-point pdf method based on amplitude mapping closure. With this model, the maximum rate of the mean reactant's decay can be conveniently expressed in terms of definite integrals of the parabolic cylinder functions. The results obtained are shown to be in good agreement with data generated by direct numerical simulations.

Madnia, C. K.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Cross-scale intercomparison of climate change impacts simulated by regional and global hydrological models in eleven large river basins

Ideally, the results from models operating at different scales should agree in trend direction and magnitude of impacts under climate change. However, this implies that the sensitivity of impact models designed for either scale to climate variability and change is comparable. In this study, we compare hydrological changes simulated by 9 global and 9 regional hydrological models (HM) for 11 large river basins in all continents under reference and scenario conditions. The foci are on model validation runs, sensitivity of annual discharge to climate variability in the reference period, and sensitivity of the long-term average monthly seasonal dynamics to climate change. One major result is that the global models, mostly not calibrated against observations, often show a considerable bias in mean monthly discharge, whereas regional models show a much better reproduction of reference conditions. However, the sensitivity of two HM ensembles to climate variability is in general similar. The simulated climate change impacts in terms of long-term average monthly dynamics evaluated for HM ensemble medians and spreads show that the medians are to a certain extent comparable in some cases with distinct differences in others, and the spreads related to global models are mostly notably larger. Summarizing, this implies that global HMs are useful tools when looking at large-scale impacts of climate change and variability, but whenever impacts for a specific river basin or region are of interest, e.g. for complex water management applications, the regional-scale models validated against observed discharge should be used.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

PSCAD Modules Representing PV Generator

Photovoltaic power plants (PVPs) have been growing in size, and the installation time is very short. With the cost of photovoltaic (PV) panels dropping in recent years, it can be predicted that in the next 10 years the contribution of PVPs to the total number of renewable energy power plants will grow significantly. In this project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a dynamic modeling of the modules to be used as building blocks to develop simulation models of single PV arrays, expanded to include Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT), expanded to include PV inverter, or expanded to cover an entire PVP. The focus of the investigation and complexity of the simulation determines the components that must be included in the simulation. The development of the PV inverter was covered in detail, including the control diagrams. Both the current-regulated voltage source inverter and the current-regulated current source inverter were developed in PSCAD. Various operations of the PV inverters were simulated under normal and abnormal conditions. Symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults were simulated, presented, and discussed. Both the three-phase analysis and the symmetrical component analysis were included to clarify the understanding of unsymmetrical faults. The dynamic model validation was based on the testing data provided by SCE. Testing was conducted at SCE with the focus on the grid interface behavior of the PV inverter under different faults and disturbances. The dynamic model validation covers both the symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Numerical studies and metric development for validation of magnetohydrodynamic models on the HIT-SI experiment

We present application of three scalar metrics derived from the Biorthogonal Decomposition (BD) technique to evaluate the level of agreement between macroscopic plasma dynamics in different data sets. BD decomposes large data sets, as produced by distributed diagnostic arrays, into principal mode structures without assumptions on spatial or temporal structure. These metrics have been applied to validation of the Hall-MHD model using experimental data from the Helicity Injected Torus with Steady Inductive helicity injection experiment. Each metric provides a measure of correlation between mode structures extracted from experimental data and simulations for an array of 192 surface-mounted magnetic probes. Numerical validation studies have been performed using the NIMROD code, where the injectors are modeled as boundary conditions on the flux conserver, and the PSI-TET code, where the entire plasma volume is treated. Initial results from a comprehensive validation study of high performance operation with different injector frequencies are presented, illustrating application of the BD method. Using a simplified (constant, uniform density and temperature) Hall-MHD model, simulation results agree with experimental observation for two of the three defined metrics when the injectors are driven with a frequency of 14.5 kHz.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Highlighting the Impact of Yaw Control by Parsing Atmospheric Conditions Based on Total Variation: Preprint

Identification of atmospheric conditions within a multivariate atmospheric dataset is a necessary step in the validation of wind plant control strategies. Most often, operating conditions are characterized in terms of aggregated observations and assume that the atmosphere is 'quasi-steady'. Aggregation of observations without regard to covariance between time series discounts the dynamical nature of the atmosphere and is not sufficiently representative of wind plant operating conditions. Identification and characterization of continuous time periods with atmospheric conditions that have a high value for analysis or simulation sets the stage for more advanced model validation and the development of real-time control and operation strategies. Controlling observational data for statistical stationarity highlights significant enhancements to the power production of waked turbines under wake steering wind plant control. Considering the combined energy ratio of the turbine to which yaw offsets are prescribed as well as the waked turbine show only moderate improvements when filtering for total validation. The same quality control that highlights wake steering also serves to underpin the off-nominal operation of the controlled turbine.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS2011

Hydrogen Reduction of Lunar Regolith Simulants for Oxygen Production

Hydrogen reduction of the lunar regolith simulants JSC-1A and LHT-2M is investigated in this paper. Experiments conducted at NASA Johnson Space Center are described and are analyzed utilizing a previously validated model developed by the authors at NASA Glenn Research Center. The effects of regolith sintering and clumping, likely in actual production operations, on the oxygen production rate are studied. Interpretations of the obtained results on the basis of the validated model are provided and linked to increase in the effective particle size and reduction in the intra-particle species diffusion rates. Initial results on the pressure dependence of the oxygen production rate are also presented and discussed

Hegde, U.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Experimental validation and model development for thermal transmittances of porous window screens and horizontal louvred blind systems

Virtually every home in the US has some form of shades, blinds, drapes, or other window attachment, but few have been designed for energy savings. In order to provide a common basis of comparison for thermal performance it is important to have validated simulation tools. This study outlines a review and validation of the ISO 15099 centre-of-glass thermal transmittance correlations for naturally ventilated cavities through measurement and detailed simulations. The focus is on the impacts of room-side ventilated cavities, such as those found with solar screens and horizontal louvred blinds. The thermal transmittance of these systems is measured experimentally, simulated using computational fluid dynamics analysis, and simulated utilizing simplified correlations from ISO 15099. Finally, correlation coefficients are proposed for the ISO 15099 algorithm that reduces the mean error between measured and simulated heat flux for typical solar screens from 16% to 3.5% and from 13% to 1% for horizontal blinds.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1993

Session on validation of coupled models

The session on validation of coupled models is reviewed. The current use of a mesoscale model with a grid size of 20-km during STORM-FEST in 1992 has proven to be extremely valuable. The availability of forecast products at a much higher temporal and spatial resolution was very helpful for mesoscale forecasting, mission planning, and the guidance of research aircraft. Recent numerical simulation of ocean cyclones and mesoscsle convective systems using nonhydrostatic cloud/mesoscale models with a grid size as small as 2-km have demonstrated the potential of these models for predicting mesoscale convective systems, squall lines, hurricane rainbands, mesoscale gravity waves, and mesoscale frontal structures embedded within an extratropical cyclone. Although mesoscale/cloud scale models have demonstrated strong potential for use in operational forecasting, very limited quantitative evaluation (and verification) of these models were performed. As a result, the accuracy, the systematic biases, and the useful forecasts limits were not properly defined for these models. Also, no serious attempts were made to use these models for operational prediction of mesoscale convective systems.

Kuo, Bill↗
NASA NTRS2001

A forward model-based validation of cardiovascular system identification

We present a theoretical evaluation of a cardiovascular system identification method that we previously developed for the analysis of beat-to-beat fluctuations in noninvasively measured heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and instantaneous lung volume. The method provides a dynamical characterization of the important autonomic and mechanical mechanisms responsible for coupling the fluctuations (inverse modeling). To carry out the evaluation, we developed a computational model of the cardiovascular system capable of generating realistic beat-to-beat variability (forward modeling). We applied the method to data generated from the forward model and compared the resulting estimated dynamics with the actual dynamics of the forward model, which were either precisely known or easily determined. We found that the estimated dynamics corresponded to the actual dynamics and that this correspondence was robust to forward model uncertainty. We also demonstrated the sensitivity of the method in detecting small changes in parameters characterizing autonomic function in the forward model. These results provide confidence in the performance of the cardiovascular system identification method when applied to experimental data.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗
DOE OSTI2014

Modeling and Validation of the Thermal Response of TDI Encapsulating Foam as a function of Initial Density

TDI foams of nominal density from 10 to 45 pound per cubic foot were decomposed within a heated stainless steel container. The pressure in the container and temperatures measured by thermocouples were recorded with each test proceeding to an allowed maximum pressure before venting. Two replicate tests for each of four densities and two orientations in gravity produced very consistent pressure histories. Some thermal responses demonstrate random sudden temperature increases due to decomposition product movement. The pressurization of the container due to the generation of gaseous products is more rapid for denser foams. When heating in the inverted orientation, where gravity is in the opposite direction of the applied heat flux, the liquefied decomposition products move towards the heated plate and the pressure rises more rapidly than in the upright configuration. This effect is present at all the densities tested but becomes more pronounced as density of the foam is decreased. A thermochemical material model implemented in a transient conduction model solved with the finite element method was compared to the test data. The expected uncertainty of the model was estimated using the mean value method and importance factors for the uncertain parameters were estimated. The model that was assessed does not consider the effect of liquefaction or movement of gases. The result of the comparison is that the model uncertainty estimates do not account for the variation in orientation (no gravitational affects are in the model) and therefore the pressure predictions are not distinguishable due to orientation. Temperature predictions were generally in good agreement with the experimental data. Predictions for response locations on the outside of the can benefit from reliable estimates associated with conduction in the metal. For the lighter foams, temperatures measured on the embedded component fall well with the estimated uncertainty intervals indicating the energy transport rate through the decomposed region appears to be accurately estimated. The denser foam tests were terminated at maximum allowed pressure earlier resulting in only small responses at the component. For all densities the following statements are valid: The temperature response of the embedded component in the container depends on the effective conductivity of the foam which attempts to model energy transport through the decomposed foam and on the stainless steel specific heat. The pressure response depends on the activation energy of the reactions and the density of the foam and the foam specific heat and effective conductivity. The temperature responses of other container locations depend heavily on the boundary conditions and the stainless steel conductivity and specific heat.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2014

Full System Modeling and Validation of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly

The Atmosphere Revitalization Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project was initiated in September of 2011 as part of the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program. Under the ARREM project, testing of sub-scale and full-scale systems has been combined with multiphysics computer simulations for evaluation and optimization of subsystem approaches. In particular, this paper describes the testing and modeling of various subsystems of the carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA). The goal is a full system predictive model of CDRA to guide system optimization and development. The development of the CO2 removal and associated air-drying subsystem hardware under the ARREM project is discussed in a companion paper.

Coker, Robert↗
DOE OSTI2024

A framework for strategic discovery of credible neural network surrogate models under uncertainty

The widespread integration of deep neural networks in developing data-driven surrogate models for high-fidelity simulations of complex physical systems highlights the critical necessity for robust uncertainty quantification techniques and credibility assessment methodologies, ensuring the reliable deployment of surrogate models in consequential decision-making. Here, this study presents the Occam Plausibility Algorithm for surrogate models (OPAL-surrogate), providing a systematic framework to uncover predictive neural network-based surrogate models within the large space of potential models, including various neural network classes and choices of architecture and hyperparameters. The framework is grounded in hierarchical Bayesian inferences and employs model validation tests to evaluate the credibility and prediction reliability of the surrogate models under uncertainty. Leveraging these principles, OPAL-surrogate introduces a systematic and efficient strategy for balancing the trade-off between model complexity, accuracy, and prediction uncertainty. The effectiveness of OPAL-surrogate is demonstrated through two modeling problems, including the deformation of porous materials for building insulation and turbulent combustion flow for ablation of solid fuels within hybrid rocket motors.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1996

Stratospheric Heterogeneous Chemistry and Microphysics: Model Development, Validation and Applications

The objectives of this project are to: define the chemical and physical processes leading to stratospheric ozone change that involve polar stratospheric clouds (PSCS) and the reactions occurring on the surfaces of PSC particles; study the formation processes, and the physical and chemical properties of PSCS, that are relevant to atmospheric chemistry and to the interpretation of field measurements taken during polar stratosphere missions; develop quantitative models describing PSC microphysics and heterogeneous chemical processes; assimilate laboratory and field data into these models; and calculate the extent of chemical processing on PSCs and the impact of specific microphysical processes on polar composition and ozone depletion. During the course of the project, a new coupled microphysics/physical-chemistry/ photochemistry model for stratospheric sulfate aerosols and nitric acid and ice PSCs was developed and applied to analyze data collected during NASA's Arctic Airborne Stratospheric Expedition-II (AASE-II) and other missions. In this model, detailed treatments of multicomponent sulfate aerosol physical chemistry, sulfate aerosol microphysics, polar stratospheric cloud microphysics, PSC ice surface chemistry, as well as homogeneous gas-phase chemistry were included for the first time. In recent studies focusing on AASE measurements, the PSC model was used to analyze specific measurements from an aircraft deployment of an aerosol impactor, FSSP, and NO(y) detector. The calculated results are in excellent agreement with observations for particle volumes as well as NO(y) concentrations, thus confirming the importance of supercooled sulfate/nitrate droplets in PSC formation. The same model has been applied to perform a statistical study of PSC properties in the Northern Hemisphere using several hundred high-latitude air parcel trajectories obtained from Goddard. The rates of ozone depletion along trajectories with different meteorological histories are presently being systematically evaluated to identify the principal relationships between ozone loss and aerosol state. Under this project, we formulated a detailed quantitative model that predicts the multicomponent composition of sulfate aerosols under stratospheric conditions, including sulfuric, nitric, hydrochloric, hydrofluoric and hydrobromic acids. This work defined for the first time the behavior of liquid ternary-system type-1b PSCS. The model also allows the compositions and reactivities of sulfate aerosols to be calculated over the entire range of environmental conditions encountered in the stratosphere (and has been incorporated into a trajectory/microphysics model-see above). Important conclusions that derived from this work over the last few years include the following: the HNO3 content of liquid-state aerosols dominate PSCs below about 195 K; the freezing of nitric acid ice from sulfate aerosol solutions is likely to occur within a few degrees K of the water vapor frost point; the uptake and reactions of HCl in liquid aerosols is a critical component of PSC heterogeneous chemistry. In a related application of this work, the inefficiency of chlorine injection into the stratosphere during major volcanic eruptions was explained on the basis of nucleation of sulfuric acid aerosols in rising volcanic plumes leading to the formation of supercooled water droplets on these aerosols, which efficiently scavenges HCl via precipitation.

Turco, Richard P.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Wavelet Filtering to Reduce Conservatism in Aeroservoelastic Robust Stability Margins

Wavelet analysis for filtering and system identification was used to improve the estimation of aeroservoelastic stability margins. The conservatism of the robust stability margins was reduced with parametric and nonparametric time-frequency analysis of flight data in the model validation process. Nonparametric wavelet processing of data was used to reduce the effects of external desirableness and unmodeled dynamics. Parametric estimates of modal stability were also extracted using the wavelet transform. Computation of robust stability margins for stability boundary prediction depends on uncertainty descriptions derived from the data for model validation. F-18 high Alpha Research Vehicle aeroservoelastic flight test data demonstrated improved robust stability prediction by extension of the stability boundary beyond the flight regime.

Brenner, Marty↗
NASA NTRS1998

On-Line Robust Modal Stability Prediction using Wavelet Processing

Wavelet analysis for filtering and system identification has been used to improve the estimation of aeroservoelastic stability margins. The conservatism of the robust stability margins is reduced with parametric and nonparametric time- frequency analysis of flight data in the model validation process. Nonparametric wavelet processing of data is used to reduce the effects of external disturbances and unmodeled dynamics. Parametric estimates of modal stability are also extracted using the wavelet transform. Computation of robust stability margins for stability boundary prediction depends on uncertainty descriptions derived from the data for model validation. The F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle aeroservoelastic flight test data demonstrates improved robust stability prediction by extension of the stability boundary beyond the flight regime. Guidelines and computation times are presented to show the efficiency and practical aspects of these procedures for on-line implementation. Feasibility of the method is shown for processing flight data from time- varying nonstationary test points.

Brenner, Martin J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

SOFIA: Flying the Telescope

The primary focus of this paper is how the flight test team for the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) re-cast an extensive developmental test program to meet key milestones while simultaneously ensuring safe certification of the airframe and delivery of an operationally relevant platform, ultimately saving the overall program from financial demise. Following a brief introduction to the observatory and what it is designed to do, SOFIAs planned developmental test program is summarized, including analysis and design philosophy, envelope expansion, model validation and airframe certification. How NASA used lessons learned from other aircraft that employed open cavities in flight is explained as well as how and why the chosen design was selected. The approach to aerodynamic analysis, including bare airframe testing, wind tunnel testing, computational fluid dynamics and finite element modeling proved absolutely critical. Despite a solid analytical foundation, many unknowns remained. History provides several examples of disastrous effects on both systems and flight safety if cavity design is not approached properly. For these reasons, an extensive test plan was developed to ensure a safe and thorough build-up for envelope expansion, airframe certification and early science missions. Unfortunately, as is often the case, because of chronic delays in overall program execution, severe schedule and funding pressures were present. If critical milestones were not met, domestic as well as international funding was in serious jeopardy, and the demise of the entire program loomed large. Concentrating on rigorous model validation, the test team challenged certification requirements, increased test efficiency and streamlined engineering analysis. This resulted in the safe reduction of test point count by 72%, meeting all program milestones and a platform that soundly satisfied all operational science requirements. Results from early science missions are shown and a proof of concept mission for which SOFIA was opportunely positioned is showcased. Success on this time-critical mission to observe a rare astronomical event proved the usefulness of an airborne observatory and the value in waiting for the capability provided by SOFIA. Finally, lessons learned in the test program are presented with emphasis on how lessons from previous aircraft and successful test programs were applied to SOFIA. Effective application of these lessons was crucial to the success of the SOFIA flight test program. SOFIA is an international cooperative program between NASA and the German Space Agency, DLR. It is a 2.5 meter (100-inch) telescope mounted in a Boeing 747SP aircraft used for astronomical observations at altitudes above 35,000 feet. SOFIA will accommodate a host of scientific instruments from the international science community and has a planned operational lifespan of more than 20 years.

Asher, Troy A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

DEM Modeling and Validation of Pebble Bed Packing Using Chrono::GPU

Accurate prediction of pebble packing structure is important for pebble bed reactors because the spatial distribution of void fraction directly affects coolant flow, pressure drop, heat transfer, and neutronic behavior. However, experimentally validated DEM studies that directly evaluate local void-fraction structure in reactor-relevant pebble beds remain limited. In this work, the pebble bed experiment conducted at Missouri University of Science and Technology is simulated using the graphics processing unit (GPU)-based discrete element method (DEM) code Chrono::GPU. The study focuses on evaluating the ability of Chrono::GPU to reproduce the packing arrangement and void-fraction distribution of a randomly packed spherical pebble bed. The DEM results are first verified against established radial void-fraction correlations, including the Mueller and Vortmeyer-Schuster models, to assess the predicted bulk porosity, near-wall behavior, and oscillatory packing structure. The simulation is then verified against reference DEM data and validated against gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) experimental data at three axial locations. The Chrono::GPU results reproduce the main features of the experimental packing, including the high void fraction near the wall, the first near-wall trough, and the damped oscillatory radial profile caused by wall-induced ordering. Quantitative comparison with DEM data and the CT-based radial profiles shows good agreement, with mean absolute errors on the order of 0.07 and root-mean-square errors below 0.09 for the averaged profiles. These results demonstrate that Chrono::GPU can accurately capture the void-fraction structure of spherical pebble beds and provides a reliable DEM framework for future pebble bed reactor packing, recycling, and thermal-hydraulic studies.

97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Experimentally Validated Numerical Models of Non-Isothermal Turbulent Mixing in High Temperature Reactors

In the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), the non-uniform heat generation and flow maldistribution of coolant in the core generates conditions leading into the lower plenum with many jets at different temperatures and velocities. The hope is that the combined flow becomes fully mixed in a short distance so that the fluctuating temperatures in the mixing region do not cause unwanted thermal stresses in the supporting structures. These cyclic thermal stresses can cause degradation of the wall microstructure including crack initiation and growth, ultimately leading to the fatigue failure in the lower plenum, and can be accelerated by the high temperature environment in the VHTR. The focus of this project was to provide experimental data for future validation of computational efforts aimed at capturing the turbulent mixing in the lower plenum. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is also used as part of this effort to assess the requirements to model fundamental flows with application to the lower plenum as well at the applied flow conditions that mimic the experimental facilities. These efforts will lay the groundwork for future incorporation of stress analysis as well as fatigue and failure studies for multiple VHTR components. An additional emphasis is placed on reduced order models (ROM) using canonical flows, which will help to balance computational expense and accuracy and enable future work in uncertainty quantification. The flow in the lower plenum is extremely complex with hundreds of cooling jets entering and then being forced to change directions by 90° while navigating through an array of cylindrical support posts. Generating experimental data for such a complicated flow is difficult, not to mention that the computational requirements to generate an adequate temporal and spatial sampling is extremely expensive and time consuming. Therefore, the ultimate focus of this research is a “unit cell” which consists of six jets in the presence of a crossflow, and seven cylindrical support posts. It is scaled to achieve similar ranges of key dimensionless numbers. This serves to mimic flow conditions in different regions of the lower plenum by adjusting velocities, temperatures, and orientations, and represents a compromise between the complexity inside the full-scale application and the ideal conditions of a more fundamental study. In addition to the unit cell experiments and simulations, the complex flows in the VHTR lower plenum are broken down into a number of simplified (in some cases even fundamental) flows, two of which are turbulent jets and flow past cylinders. Each of these are studied, computationally and experimentally for isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Flows where trusted experimental data is available in the literature (e.g., turbulent free jet), additional experiments are not needed. The result of these efforts is a database of experimental data and multiple computational studies, which provide an outlook to the requirements, needed to capture turbulent mixing flow physics The ROM results provide assessments for appropriate resource-light models that balance accuracy with reduced computational burdens.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗