Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “analysis codes”

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 703 records · Page 39

Analysis of genomic signatures associated with Variovorax endosphere colonization

This repository contains the analysis code and supporting datasets associated with the study “Genomic signatures in Variovorax enabling colonization of the Populus endosphere.” Beals DG, Carper DL, Hochanadel LH, Jawdy SS, Klingeman DM, Piatkowski BT, Weston DJ, Doktycz MJ, Pelletier DA. 2026. Genomic signatures in Variovorax enabling colonization of the Populus endosphere. mSystems 11:e01605-25. https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.01605-25 The scripts are organized sequentially (01–07) and document the workflows used for: Sequence-read alignment and feature counting Orthogroup and KEGG Ortholog annotation Count normalization Statistical analysis and aggregation Generation of manuscript figures and tables Repository contents The uncompressed files are the finalized, formatted datasets used to generate the figures and tables reported in the study, including the supplemental CSV files referenced in the manuscript. The accompanying ZIP archive contains the complete codebase and example data_input/ and data_output/ directories illustrating the organization and execution of the analytical workflow. Individual scripts identify the corresponding manuscript analyses and figure panels. Raw sequencing data Raw sequencing reads are available through the NCBI Sequence Read Archive under BioProject accession PRJNA1322484.

Beals, Delaney [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000306274574)↗

Conceptual Design Method Developed for Advanced Propulsion Nozzles

As part of a contract with the NASA Lewis Research Center, a simple, accurate method of predicting the performance characteristics of a nozzle design has been developed for use in conceptual design studies. The Nozzle Performance Analysis Code (NPAC) can predict the on- and off-design performance of axisymmetric or two-dimensional convergent and convergent-divergent nozzle geometries. NPAC accounts for the effects of overexpansion or underexpansion, flow divergence, wall friction, heat transfer, and small mass addition or loss across surfaces when the nozzle gross thrust and gross thrust coefficient are being computed. NPAC can be used to predict the performance of a given nozzle design or to develop a preliminary nozzle system design for subsequent analysis. The input required by NPAC consists of a simple geometry definition of the nozzle surfaces, the location of key nozzle stations (entrance, throat, exit), and the nozzle entrance flow properties. NPAC performs three analysis "passes" on the nozzle geometry. First, an isentropic control volume analysis is performed to determine the gross thrust and gross thrust coefficient of the nozzle. During the second analysis pass, the skin friction and heat transfer losses are computed. The third analysis pass couples the effects of wall shear and heat transfer with the initial internal nozzle flow solutions to produce a system of equations that is solved at steps along the nozzle geometry. Small mass additions or losses, such as those resulting from leakage or bleed flow, can be included in the model at specified geometric sections. A final correction is made to account for divergence losses that are incurred if the nozzle exit flow is not purely axial.

Nadell, Shari-Beth↗

Application of the kappa-omega Turbulence Model to Quasi-Three-Dimensional Turbomachinery Flows

Many computational fluid dynamics codes for turbomachinery use the Baldwin-Lomax (B-L) turbulence model. It is easy to implement in two dimensions and works well for predicting overall turbomachinery performance. However, it is awkward to implement in three dimensions, often has difficulty finding the length scale, has a crude transition model, and neglects freestream turbulence, surface roughness, and mass injection. The kappa-omega model developed by Wilcox is an appealing alternative for several reasons. First, it is the only two-equation model that can be integrated to the wall without requiring damping functions or the distance to the wall, and hence, should behave well numerically. Second, the effects of freestream turbulence, surface roughness, and mass injection are easily included in the model. Finally, transition can be simulated using the low Reynolds number version of the model. Menter applied the kappa-model to external flows and showed very good results for flows with adverse pressure gradients. Liu and Zheng described their implementation of the kappa-model in a cascade code that included an area change term to account for endwall convergence. They validated the model for a flat plate, and compared the B-L and kappa-models to measured surface pressures for a low-pressure turbine cascade. Since they did not use the low Reynolds number version of the model, their results showed problems resulting from early transition. In this Note the low Reynolds number kappa-model was incorporated in the author's quasi-three-dimensional turbomachinery analysis code. The code includes the effects of rotation, radius change, and stream-surface thickness variation, and also includes the B-L turbulence model. The kappa-omega model was implemented using many of Menter's recommendations and an implicit approximate-factorization scheme described by Baldwin and Barth. The model was tested for a transonic compressor with rotation and variable stream-surface radius and height, and for a transonic turbine vane with transition and heat transfer. Results were compared to the B-L model and to experimental data.

Chima, Rodrick V.↗

The NATA code; theory and analysis. Volume 2: User's manual

The NATA code is a computer program for calculating quasi-one-dimensional gas flow in axisymmetric nozzles and rectangular channels, primarily to describe conditions in electric archeated wind tunnels. The program provides solutions based on frozen chemistry, chemical equilibrium, and nonequilibrium flow with finite reaction rates. The shear and heat flux on the nozzle wall are calculated and boundary layer displacement effects on the inviscid flow are taken into account. The program contains compiled-in thermochemical, chemical kinetic and transport cross section data for high-temperature air, CO2-N2-Ar mixtures, helium, and argon. It calculates stagnation conditions on axisymmetric or two-dimensional models and conditions on the flat surface of a blunt wedge. Included in the report are: definitions of the inputs and outputs; precoded data on gas models, reactions, thermodynamic and transport properties of species, and nozzle geometries; explanations of diagnostic outputs and code abort conditions; test problems; and a user's manual for an auxiliary program (NOZFIT) used to set up analytical curvefits to nozzle profiles.

Bade, W. L.↗

Plume-Free Stream Interaction Heating Effects During Orion Crew Module Reentry

During reentry of the Orion Crew Module (CM), vehicle attitude control will be performed by firing reaction control system (RCS) thrusters. Simulation of RCS plumes and their interaction with the oncoming flow has been difficult for the analysis community due to the large scarf angles of the RCS thrusters and the unsteady nature of the Orion capsule backshell environments. The model for the aerothermal database has thus relied on wind tunnel test data to capture the heating effects of thruster plume interactions with the freestream. These data are only valid for the continuum flow regime of the reentry trajectory. A Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) analysis was performed to study the vehicle heating effects that result from the RCS thruster plume interaction with the oncoming freestream flow at high altitudes during Orion CM reentry. The study was performed with the DSMC Analysis Code (DAC). The inflow boundary conditions for the jets were obtained from Data Parallel Line Relaxation (DPLR) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions. Simulations were performed for the roll, yaw, pitch-up and pitch-down jets at altitudes of 105 km, 125 km and 160 km as well as vacuum conditions. For comparison purposes (see Figure 1), the freestream conditions were based on previous DAC simulations performed without active RCS to populate the aerodynamic database for the Orion CM. Other inputs to the analysis included a constant Orbital reentry velocity of 7.5 km/s and angle of attack of 160 degrees. The results of the study showed that the interaction effects decrease quickly with increasing altitude. Also, jets with highly scarfed nozzles cause more severe heating compared to the nozzles with lower scarf angles. The difficulty of performing these simulations was based on the maximum number density and the ratio of number densities between the freestream and the plume for each simulation. The lowest altitude solutions required a substantial amount of computational resources (up to 1800 processors) to simulate approximately 2 billion molecules for the refined (adapted) solutions.

Marichalar, J.↗

Data-Driven Optimization of Pixelated CdZnTe Spectrometers for Uranium Enrichment Assay

Here, in recent work [Vavrek et al. (2025)], we developed the performance optimization framework spectre-ml for gamma spectrometers with variable performance across many readout channels. The framework uses non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) and clustering to learn groups of similarly-performing channels and sweep through various learned channel combinations to optimize the performance tradeoff of including worse-performing channels for better total efficiency. In this work, we integrate the pyGEM uranium enrichment assay code with our spectre-ml framework, and show that the U-235 enrichment relative uncertainty can be directly used as an optimization target. We find that this optimization reduces relative uncertainties after a 30 -minute measurement by an average of 20%, as tested on six different H3D M400 CdZnTe spectrometers, which can significantly improve uranium non-destructive assay measurement times in nuclear safeguards contexts. Additionally, this work demonstrates that the spect re-ml optimization framework can accommodate arbitrary end-user spectroscopic analysis code and performance metrics, enabling future optimizations for complex Pu spectra.

Gamma-ray detection↗

A comparison of shuttle vernier engine plume contamination with CONTAM 3.4 code predictions

In 1985, using the CONTAM 3.2 code, it was predicted that the shuttle Primary Reaction Control System (PRCS) and Vernier Reaction Control System (VRCS) engines could be potential contamination sources to sensitive surfaces located within the shuttle payload bay. Spaceflight test data on these engines is quite limited. Shuttle mission STS-32, the Long Duration Exposure Facility retrieval mission, was instrumented with an experiment that provided the design engineer with evidence that contaminant species from the VRCS engines can enter the payload bay. More recently, the most recent version of the analysis code, CONTAM 3.4, has re-examined the contamination potential of these engines.

Maag, Carl R.↗

A Data Analysis Center for Electromagnetic and Hadronic Interaction. Products of the DAC members

The Data Analysis Center (DAC) of the Center for Nuclear Studies (CNS) at the George Washington University (GW) has made significant progress in its program to enhance and expand the partial-wave (and multipole) analyses of fundamental two- and three-body reactions (such as pion-nucleon, photon-nucleon, and nucleon-nucleon scattering) by maintaining and augmenting the analysis codes and databases associated with these reactions. These efforts provide guidance to experimental groups at the international level, forming an important link between theory and experiment. A renaissance in light hadron spectroscopy is underway as a continuous stream of polarization data issues from existing precision electromagnetic facilities and the coming Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Upgrade. Our principal goals have been focused on supporting the national N* resonance physics program. We have also continued to study topics more generally related to the problems associated with partial-wave analysis. On the Experimental side of the CNS DAC. Its primary goal is the enhancement of the body of data necessary for our analyses of fundamental γ - N reactions. We perform experiments that study the dynamics responsible for the internal structure of the nucleon and its excitations. Our principal focus is on the N* programs at JLab and MAMI. At JLab we study spin-polarization observables using polarized photons, protons and neutrons and yielding charged final states. Similarly at MAMI we study neutral meson photoproduction off polarized protons and neutrons. We use the Crystal Ball and TAPS spectrometers (CBT) to detect photons and neutrons to measure the photoproduction of π0, η, 2π0, π0η, and K0 off the neutron. The CBT program complements our program at JLab, which studies reactions resulting in charged final states. We are also involved in a renewed effort to make neutral pion photoproduction measurements close to threshold at Mainz. In addition to the programs underway, we are contributing to the future by participation in preparations for the coming JLab 12 GeV Upgrade. GW students are involved in tests of the detectors proposed to be used with CLAS12, i.e., for the CentralTime-of-Flight Barrel (CTOF). WJB is heavily involved in the MUSE quest at PSI to solve the Proton Radius Puzzle.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Effects of Elastic Edge Restraints and Initial Prestress on the Buckling Response of Compression-Loaded Composite Panels

A parametric study of the effects of test-fixture-induced initial prestress and elastic edge restraints on the prebuckling and buckling responses of a compression-loaded, quasi-isotropic curved panel is presented. The numerical results were obtained by using a geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis code with high-fidelity models. The results presented show that a wide range of prebuckling and buckling behavior can be obtained by varying parameters that represent circumferential loaded-edge restraint and rotational unloaded-edge restraint provided by a test fixture and that represent the mismatch in specimen and test-fixture radii of curvature. For a certain range of parameters, the panels exhibit substantial nonlinear prebuckling deformations that yield buckling loads nearly twice the corresponding buckling load predicted by a traditional linear bifurcation buckling analysis for shallow curved panels. In contrast, the results show another range of parameters exist for which the nonlinear prebuckling deformations either do not exist or are relatively benign, and the panels exhibit buckling loads that are nearly equal to the corresponding linear bifurcation buckling load. Overall, the results should also be of particular interest to scientists, engineers, and designers involved in simulating flight-hardware boundary conditions in structural verification and certification tests, involved in validating structural analysis tools, and interested in tailoring buckling performance.

Hilburger, Mark W.↗

Compression-Loaded Composite Panels With Elastic Edge Restraints and Initial Prestress

A parametric study of the effects of test-fixture-induced initial prestress and elastic edge restraints on the prebuckling and buckling responses of a compression-loaded, quasi-isotropic curved panel is presented. The numerical results were obtained by using a geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis code with high-fidelity models. The results presented show that a wide range of prebuckling and buckling behavior can be obtained by varying parameters that represent circumferential loaded-edge restraint and rotational unloaded-edge restraint provided by a test fixture and that represent the mismatch in specimen and test-fixture radii of curvature. For a certain range of parameters, the panels exhibit substantial nonlinear prebuckling deformations that yield buckling loads nearly twice the corresponding buckling load predicted by a traditional linear bifurcation buckling analysis for shallow curved panels. In contrast, the results show another range of parameters exist for which the nonlinear prebuckling deformations either do not exist or are relatively benign, and the panels exhibit buckling loads that are nearly equal to the corresponding linear bifurcation buckling load. Overall, the results should be of particular interest to scientists, engineers, and designers involved in simulating flight-hardware boundary conditions in structural verification and certification tests, involved in validating structural analysis tools, and interested in tailoring buckling performance.

Hilburger, Mark W.↗

Collated experience of the use of multi-group analysis (MGA) in non-destructive waste assay systems - 15257

The quantification of plutonium is an important aspect of non-destructive assay of Special Nuclear Material (SNM). The calculation of {sup 240}Pu{sub eff} can be done through prior knowledge of the composition of the waste but more often is done through the analysis of a measured plutonium gamma-ray spectrum performed using an isotopic analysis code. In this work, the {sup 240}Pu{sub eff} results from a variety of non-destructive waste assay systems in the UK are presented and compared using MGA v9.63C and v10. The body of the results include real measurement results of a variety of waste materials containing plutonium, the results of reanalysis of these initial waste measurements with changes to certain setup parameters and the results of reanalysis with a later version of MGA (v10). Additionally, measurements of test matrices with known source isotopics are measured and the results analysed and presented here. The use of the 'waste' flag parameter introduced to allow measurement of unusual spectra in v10 is also evaluated. When using MGA as part of the waste assay characterisation process in automatic or batch mode, results have proven to be very dependent on the quality of the spectra measured and on the setup parameters that the code is reliant upon. With a modern version of the code, the likelihood of under-reporting the total plutonium content of a 200 litre/55 gallon drum using PNCC and MGA isotopics in combination is low. Additionally, the latest 'hardened' code will also reduce the number of cases where MGA fails to run and the use of default isotopics results in an over-pessimistic evaluation of the total plutonium mass. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Boundary-Layer Code For Supersonic Combustion

HUD is integral computer code based on Spaulding-Chi method for predicting development of boundary layers in laminar, transitional, and turbulent regions of flows on two-dimensional or axisymmetric bodies. Approximates nonequilibrium velocity profiles as well as local surface friction in presence of pressure gradient. Predicts transfer of heat in turbulent boundary layer in presence of high axial presure gradient. Provides for pressure gradients both normal and lateral to surfaces. Also used to estimate requirements for cooling scramjet engines. Because of this capability, HUD program incorporated into several scramjet-cycle-performance-analysis codes, including SCRAM (ARC-12338) and SRGULL (LEW-15093). Written in FORTRAN 77.

Pinckney, S. Z.↗

Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine Technology Development: Inlet CFD Validation and Application

A CFD methodology has been developed for inlet analyses of Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Engines. A full Navier-Stokes analysis code, NPARC, was used in conjunction with pre- and post-processing tools to obtain a complete description of the flow field and integrated inlet performance. This methodology was developed and validated using results from a subscale test of the inlet to a RBCC 'Strut-Jet' engine performed in the NASA Lewis 1 x 1 ft. supersonic wind tunnel. Results obtained from this study include analyses at flight Mach numbers of 5 and 6 for super-critical operating conditions. These results showed excellent agreement with experimental data. The analysis tools were also used to obtain pre-test performance and operability predictions for the RBCC demonstrator engine planned for testing in the NASA Lewis Hypersonic Test Facility. This analysis calculated the baseline fuel-off internal force of the engine which is needed to determine the net thrust with fuel on.

DeBonis, J. R.↗

Development of the X-33 Aerodynamic Uncertainty Model

An aerodynamic uncertainty model for the X-33 single-stage-to-orbit demonstrator aircraft has been developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The model is based on comparisons of historical flight test estimates to preflight wind-tunnel and analysis code predictions of vehicle aerodynamics documented during six lifting-body aircraft and the Space Shuttle Orbiter flight programs. The lifting-body and Orbiter data were used to define an appropriate uncertainty magnitude in the subsonic and supersonic flight regions, and the Orbiter data were used to extend the database to hypersonic Mach numbers. The uncertainty data consist of increments or percentage variations in the important aerodynamic coefficients and derivatives as a function of Mach number along a nominal trajectory. The uncertainty models will be used to perform linear analysis of the X-33 flight control system and Monte Carlo mission simulation studies. Because the X-33 aerodynamic uncertainty model was developed exclusively using historical data rather than X-33 specific characteristics, the model may be useful for other lifting-body studies.

Cobleigh, Brent R.↗

Emerging Jets Search, Triton Server Deployment, and Track Quality Development: Machine Learning Applications in High Energy Physics

Machine learning is becoming prevalent in high energy physics, with numerous applications in physics analyses and event reconstruction showing great improvements compared to traditional computing methods. This thesis studies three projects which each propose new avenues for machine learning applications within the high energy physics CMS experiment located at CERN. In the first project, a search for a dark matter signal called “emerging jets” is performed, using graph neural networks to greatly increase sensitivity to the signal’s signature within the data. The result of this dark matter search sets the most stringent exclusion limits to date on theoretical emerging jet models. Motivated by inefficiencies encountered when processing the emerging jet graph neural network at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory’s computing centers, the second project re-optimizes the computing centers for machine learning inference. This re-optimization uses NVIDIA Triton Inference Servers to process users’ analysis code heterogeneously, therefore achieving high processing throughput and decreasing user time-to-insight. The last project focuses on an upgrade to the CMS experiment’s real-time event selection system which improves physics object reconstruction under harsh processing conditions. A boosted decision tree is used to quickly and efficiently quantify a reconstructed particle’s “track quality” in order to remove particle tracks reconstructed erroneously. In summary, this thesis will not only present examples of how high energy physics can greatly benefit by leveraging machine learning techniques for physics analysis and reconstruction, but will also provide guidance on how the field can prepare for the inevitable increase in machine learning applications.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

FEM/SINDA: Combining the strengths of NASTRAN, SINDA, I-DEAS, and PATRAN for thermal and structural analysis

This paper describes the interface/integration between FEM/SINDA, a general purpose geometry driven thermal analysis code, and the FEM software: I-DEAS, PATRAN, and NASTRAN. FEM/SINDA brings together the advantages of the finite element method to model arbitrary geometry and anisotropic materials and SINDA's finite difference capability to model thermal properties, loads, and boundary conditions that vary with time or temperature. I-DEAS and PATRAN thermal entities are directly supported since FEM/SINDA uses the nodes of the FEM model as the point at which the temperature is determined. Output from FEM/SINDA (as well as the FEM/SINDA input deck) can be used directly by NASTRAN for structural analysis.

Zarda, P. Richard↗

Measuring Degradation of Fielded Systems on an Ongoing Basis with RdTools

The solar investment community needs up-to-date and data-derived system degradation rates to use in financial models that calculate the risk and expectation of energy revenue. To date, the majority of financial models choose degradation rates from past studies that are limited and may not be representative of future solar assets (systems) they are financing. As the solar industry expands in all sectors (residential, commercial, and utility), there is a growing amount of energy production available to analyze. With the help of the open source degradation analysis code (RdTools) it is now possible to derive degradation on an ongoing basis and continuously provide up-to-date durability statistics to the investment community. Ongoing and accurate statistics of fielded photovoltaic systems allows financial stakeholders to constrain energy revenue projections, lower financial risk, and increase the bankability of solar. This poster will present considerations and software engineering best practices to encourage data owners to measure degradation of their own photovoltaic assets on an ongoing basis. This poster will also preview an upcoming DOE-funded kWh Analytics degradation project which involves applying RdTools analysis on kWh Analytics’ industry database, aggregating results across variables such as weather, hardware, system configurations etc., and sharing the aggregated results with the broader community.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗