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At least 703 records · Page 39

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NASA NTRS1993

Experience in using SIMD and MIMD parallelism for computational fluid dynamics

One of the key objectives of the Applied Research Branch in the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation (NAS) Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center is the accelerated introduction of highly parallel machines into a fully operational environment. In this report we summarize some of the experiences with the parallel testbed machines at the NAS Applied Research Branch. We discuss the performance results obtained from the implementation of two computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications, an unstructured grid solver and a particle simulation, on the Connection Machine CM-2 and the Intel iPSC/860.

Simon, Horst D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A defect stream function formulation for compressible turbulent boundary layers

Progress to date on the development of a method for turbulent, wall-bounded flow which uses the defect stream function formulation in the outer layer and an analytic law of the wall and wake formulation in the inner region is reviewed. This two-formulation approach avoids the need to computationally resolve the high-gradient inner layer. One of the most appealing recent developments is the transformation of the compressible governing equation for the defect stream function into a linear, second-order differential equation which has analytic solutions for many problems of practical interest. Numerical and analytic results for incompressible and compressible flows are shown to be in excellent agreement with experimental results. In this paper the two-formulation approach is applied to primitive-variable computations. Excellent comparisons with experiment are presented for two compressible flat plate flows.

Barnwell, Richard W.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Application of advanced computational procedures for modeling solar-wind interactions with Venus: Theory and computer code

Computational procedures are developed and applied to the prediction of solar wind interaction with nonmagnetic terrestrial planet atmospheres, with particular emphasis to Venus. The theoretical method is based on a single fluid, steady, dissipationless, magnetohydrodynamic continuum model, and is appropriate for the calculation of axisymmetric, supersonic, super-Alfvenic solar wind flow past terrestrial planets. The procedures, which consist of finite difference codes to determine the gasdynamic properties and a variety of special purpose codes to determine the frozen magnetic field, streamlines, contours, plots, etc. of the flow, are organized into one computational program. Theoretical results based upon these procedures are reported for a wide variety of solar wind conditions and ionopause obstacle shapes. Plasma and magnetic field comparisons in the ionosheath are also provided with actual spacecraft data obtained by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter.

Stahara, S. S.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Validation Summary of the NCC Turbulent Reacting/non-reacting Spray Computations

This pper provides a validation summary of the spray computations performed as a part of the NCC (National Combustion Code) development activity. NCC is being developed with the aim of advancing the current prediction tools used in the design of advanced technology combustors based on the multidimensional computational methods. The solution procedure combines the novelty of the application of the scalar Monte Carlo PDF (Probability Density Function) method to the modeling of turbulent spray flames with the ability to perform the computations on unstructured grids with parallel computing. The calculation procedure was applied to predict the flow properties of three different spray cases. One is a nonswirling unconfined reacting spray, the second is a nonswirling unconfined nonreacting spray, and the third is a confined swirl-stabilized spray flame. The comparisons involving both gas-phase and droplet velocities, droplet size distributions, and gas-phase temperatures show reasonable agreement with the available experimental data. The comparisons involve both the results obtained from the use of the Monte Carlo PDF method as well as those obtained from the conventional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution. Detailed comparisons in the case of a reacting nonswirling spray clearly highlight the importance of chemistry/turbulence interactions in the modeling of reacting sprays. The results from the PDF and non-PDF methods were found to be markedly different and the PDF solution is closer to the reported experimental data. The PDF computations predict that most of the combustion occurs in a predominantly diffusion-flame environment. However, the non-PDF solution predicts incorrectly that the combustion occurs in a predominantly vaporization-controlled regime. The Monte Carlo temperature distribution shows that the functional form of the PDF for the temperature fluctuations varies substantially from point to point. The results also bring to the fore some of the deficiencies associated with the use of assumed-shape PDF methods in spray computations.

Raju, M. S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Investigating a hybrid perturbation-Galerkin technique using computer algebra

A two-step hybrid perturbation-Galerkin method is presented for the solution of a variety of differential equations type problems which involve a scalar parameter. The resulting (approximate) solution has the form of a sum where each term consists of the product of two functions. The first function is a function of the independent field variable(s) x, and the second is a function of the parameter lambda. In step one the functions of x are determined by forming a perturbation expansion in lambda. In step two the functions of lambda are determined through the use of the classical Bubnov-Gelerkin method. The resulting hybrid method has the potential of overcoming some of the drawbacks of the perturbation and Bubnov-Galerkin methods applied separately, while combining some of the good features of each. In particular, the results can be useful well beyond the radius of convergence associated with the perturbation expansion. The hybrid method is applied with the aid of computer algebra to a simple two-point boundary value problem where the radius of convergence is finite and to a quantum eigenvalue problem where the radius of convergence is zero. For both problems the hybrid method apparently converges for an infinite range of the parameter lambda. The results obtained from the hybrid method are compared with approximate solutions obtained by other methods, and the applicability of the hybrid method to broader problem areas is discussed.

Andersen, Carl M.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Progress in the Modeling of NiAl-Based Alloys Using the BFS Method

The BFS method has been applied to the study of NiAl-based materials to assess the effect of alloying additions on structure. Ternary, quaternary and even pent-alloys based on Ni-rich NiAl with additions of Ti, Cr and Cu were studied. Two approaches were used, Monte Carlo simulations to determine ground state structures and analytical calculations of high symmetry configurations which give physical insight into preferred bonding. Site occupancy energetics for ternary and the more complicated case of quaternary additions were determined, and solubility limits and precipitate formation with corresponding information concerning structure and lattice parameter were also 'observed' computationally. The method was also applied to determine the composition of alloy surfaces and interfaces. Overall, the results demonstrate that the BFS method for alloys is a powerful tool for alloy design and with its simplicity and obvious advantages can be used to complement any experimental alloy design program.

Bozzolo, Guillermo↗

NASA NTRS2001

Progressive Fracture of Composite Structures

This report includes the results of a research in which the COmposite Durability STRuctural ANalysis (CODSTRAN) computational simulation capabilities were augmented and applied to various structures for demonstration of the new features and verification. The first chapter of this report provides an introduction to the computational simulation or virtual laboratory approach for the assessment of damage and fracture progression characteristics in composite structures. The second chapter outlines the details of the overall methodology used, including the failure criteria and the incremental/iterative loading procedure with the definitions of damage, fracture, and equilibrium states. The subsequent chapters each contain an augmented feature of the code and/or demonstration examples. All but one of the presented examples contains laminated composite structures with various fiber/matrix constituents. For each structure simulated, damage initiation and progression mechanisms are identified and the structural damage tolerance is quantified at various degradation stages. Many chapters contain the simulation of defective and defect free structures to evaluate the effects of existing defects on structural durability.

Minnetyan, Levon↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

What Went Wrong: A Survey of Wildfire UAS Mishaps through Named Entity Recognition

Increasingly, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are being applied to wildfire incidents for tasks such as mapping, aerial ignition, and delivery. As a result, incident reporting systems for wildfires are beginning to accumulate data related to UAS mishaps in wildfire response. In this research, we apply state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) techniques to develop a custom Named Entity Recognition (NER) model which extracts a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)-style survey of wildfire UAS mishaps reported in SAFECOM. The custom NER model is built by fine-tuning an existing (BERT) model, resulting in a generalizable NER model that can extract engineering relevant entities including failure modes, causes, effects, control processes, and recommendations from any failure-relevant text. Similar mishaps are clustered and reported as single rows within the FMEA. For each cluster, frequency, severity, and overall risk are computed. The methodology can be applied as part of a broader safety management system to track trends in mishaps and discover knowledge that can be utilized to improve safety outcomes and system performance.

Machine Learning↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

What Went Wrong: A Survey of Wildfire UAS Mishaps through Named Entity Recognition

Machine Learning↗

NASA NTRS1988

Scan line graphics generation on the massively parallel processor

Described here is how researchers implemented a scan line graphics generation algorithm on the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP). Pixels are computed in parallel and their results are applied to the Z buffer in large groups. To perform pixel value calculations, facilitate load balancing across the processors and apply the results to the Z buffer efficiently in parallel requires special virtual routing (sort computation) techniques developed by the author especially for use on single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) architectures.

Dorband, John E.↗

NASA NTRS2022

A Method for Measuring Optical Distortion in Curved Optical Surfaces using Moiré Interferometry

In FY2020, KSC’s Applied Physics Lab created a computer based image processing system to allow inspection of the new visors being developed for the Artemis Program. This system was based on an ASTM standard where the distortion of an image is used to determine the optical aberrations in a visor, but this approach is restricted to small fields-of-view (small areas of the visor) and is limited in its ability to reliably detect and measure distortion. From our experience with flat surface inspection, we know that other optical techniques can offer higher sensitivity and accuracy. [1] This memorandum describes a method to model and measure the distortion in curved optical surfaces using moir´e interferometry. We were able to apply this process to examine samples of the xEMU Artemis astronaut helmets. Design details are provided along with examples to illustrate performance.

Optical Distortion↗

NASA NTRS1972

Modular thermal analyzer routine, volume 1

The Modular Thermal Analyzer Routine (MOTAR) is a general thermal analysis routine with strong capabilities for performing thermal analysis of systems containing flowing fluids, fluid system controls (valves, heat exchangers, etc.), life support systems, and thermal radiation situations. Its modular organization permits the analysis of a very wide range of thermal problems for simple problems containing a few conduction nodes to those containing complicated flow and radiation analysis with each problem type being analyzed with peak computational efficiency and maximum ease of use. The organization and programming methods applied to MOTAR achieved a high degree of computer utilization efficiency in terms of computer execution time and storage space required for a given problem. The computer time required to perform a given problem on MOTAR is approximately 40 to 50 percent that required for the currently existing widely used routines. The computer storage requirement for MOTAR is approximately 25 percent more than the most commonly used routines for the most simple problems but the data storage techniques for the more complicated options should save a considerable amount of space.

Oren, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Physics-Based Spectra of Accretion Disks around Black Holes

The purpose of this grant was to begin the process of deriving the light output of accretion disks around black holes directly from the actual processes that inject heat into the accreting matter, rather than from guessed dependences of heating rate on physical parameters. At JHU, the effort has focussed so far on models of accretion onto "intermediate mass black holes", a possible class of black holes, examples of which may have recently been discovered in nearby galaxies. There, Krolik and his student (Yawei Hui) have computed stellar atmospheres for uniformly-heated disks around this class of black holes. Their models serve two purposes: they are the very first serious attempts to compute the spectrum from accreting black holes in this mass range; and a library of such models can be used later in this program as contrasts for those computed on the basis of real disk dynamics. The output from these local disk calculations has also been successfully coupled to a program that applies the appropriate relativistic transformations and computes photon trajectories in order to predict the spectrum received by observers located at different polar angles. The principal new result of these calculations is the discovery of potentially observable ionization edges of H-like C and O at frequencies near the peak in flux from these objects. Most of the grant money at UCSB was spent on supporting graduate student Shane Davis. In addition. some money was spent on supporting two other students: Ari Socrates (now a Hubble Fellow at Princeton), and Laura Melling. Davis spent the year constructing stellar atmosphere models of accretion disks appropriate for the high/soft (thermal) state of black hole X-ray binaries. As with AGN models published previously by our collaboration with NASA support. our models include a complete general relativistic treatment of both the disk structure and the propagation of photons from the disk to a distant observer. They also include all important continuum opacity sources, including Compton scattering and bound-free opacity from abundant metal species. The principal new result is that bound-free opacity is very significant in altering the continuum spectral shape, resulting for example in quite different "color correction factors" compared to those predicted previously. In addition, the models predict a relationship between luminosity and inner disk temperature that is, for the first time, in accord with that observed. The primary purpose of the grant was to incorporate more realistic accretion disk physics, learned largely from simulations, into such spectral models. The Davis et al. paper includes consideration of a vertical dissipation profile computed from radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of MRI turbulence by N. J. Turner (2004). So long as the disk is effectively thick, such dissipation profiles do not affect the predicted spectrum significantly. (More work needs to be done on these simulations, however.) A potentially more serious issue is that MRI turbulence produces substantial inhomogeneities, as do photon bubble instabilities. These inhomogeneities can affect the spectra by enhancing the effects of absorption opacity over scattering opacity. We have done some preliminary Monte Carlo calculations to explore these effects.

Krolik, Julian H.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Efficient Computational Model of Hysteresis

A recently developed mathematical model of the output (displacement) versus the input (applied voltage) of a piezoelectric transducer accounts for hysteresis. For the sake of computational speed, the model is kept simple by neglecting the dynamic behavior of the transducer. Hence, the model applies to static and quasistatic displacements only. A piezoelectric transducer of the type to which the model applies is used as an actuator in a computer-based control system to effect fine position adjustments. Because the response time of the rest of such a system is usually much greater than that of a piezoelectric transducer, the model remains an acceptably close approximation for the purpose of control computations, even though the dynamics are neglected. The model (see Figure 1) represents an electrically parallel, mechanically series combination of backlash elements, each having a unique deadband width and output gain. The zeroth element in the parallel combination has zero deadband width and, hence, represents a linear component of the input/output relationship. The other elements, which have nonzero deadband widths, are used to model the nonlinear components of the hysteresis loop. The deadband widths and output gains of the elements are computed from experimental displacement-versus-voltage data. The hysteresis curve calculated by use of this model is piecewise linear beyond deadband limits.

Shields, Joel↗

NASA NTRS2019

Benchmarking Simulations of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager with Calibrations

The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a balloon-borne 𝛾-ray (0.2-5 MeV) telescope designed to study astrophysical sources. COSI employs a compact Compton telescope design utilizing 12 high-purity germanium double-sided strip detectors and is inherently sensitive to polarization. In 2016, COSI was launched from Wanaka, New Zealand and completed a successful 46-day flight on NASA’s new Super Pressure Balloon. In order to perform imaging, spectral, and polarization analysis of the sources observed during the 2016 flight, we compute the detector response from well-benchmarked simulations. As required for accurate simulations of the instrument, we have built a comprehensive mass model of the instrument and developed a detailed detector effects engine which applies the intrinsic detector performance to Monte Carlo simulations. The simulated detector effects include energy, position, and timing resolution, thresholds, dead strips, charge sharing, charge loss, crosstalk, dead time, and detector trigger conditions. After including these effects, the simulations closely resemble the measurements, the standard analysis pipeline used for measurements can also be applied to the simulations, and the responses computed from the simulations are accurate. We have computed the systematic error that we must apply to measured fluxes at certain energies, which is 6.3% on a rage. Here we describe the detector effects engine and the benchmarking tests performed with calibrations.

Sleator, Clio C.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element Method Being Developed

The engineering research and design requirements of today pose great computer-simulation challenges to engineers and scientists who are called on to analyze phenomena in continuum mechanics. The future will bring even more daunting challenges, when increasingly complex phenomena must be analyzed with increased accuracy. Traditionally used numerical simulation methods have evolved to their present state by repeated incremental extensions to broaden their scope. They are reaching the limits of their applicability and will need to be radically revised, at the very least, to meet future simulation challenges. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, researchers have been developing a new numerical framework for solving conservation laws in continuum mechanics, namely, the Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element Method, or the CE/SE method. This method has been built from fundamentals and is not a modification of any previously existing method. It has been designed with generality, simplicity, robustness, and accuracy as cornerstones. The CE/SE method has thus far been applied in the fields of computational fluid dynamics, computational aeroacoustics, and computational electromagnetics. Computer programs based on the CE/SE method have been developed for calculating flows in one, two, and three spatial dimensions. Results have been obtained for numerous problems and phenomena, including various shock-tube problems, ZND detonation waves, an implosion and explosion problem, shocks over a forward-facing step, a blast wave discharging from a nozzle, various acoustic waves, and shock/acoustic-wave interactions. The method can clearly resolve shock/acoustic-wave interactions, wherein the difference of the magnitude between the acoustic wave and shock could be up to six orders. In two-dimensional flows, the reflected shock is as crisp as the leading shock. CE/SE schemes are currently being used for advanced applications to jet and fan noise prediction and to chemically reacting flows.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗

NASA NTRS2019

Surrogate Modeling and Optimization of a Combustor with an Interdigitated Flushwall Injector

Design and Analysis of Computer Experiments (DACE) methods are applied and used to perform surrogate modeling and optimization of a simplified combustor flowpath with an interdigitated flushwall injector. The objectives of the optimization are the thrust potential and combustion efficiency, which are evaluated across a range of flight Mach numbers, duct heights, spanwise spacings, and injection angles. The focus of this work is to highlight the application of a sequential learning approach, in order to learn about the responses of the objective functions over the design space and to identify local regions of interest for further analysis. This approach is contrasted to a previous effort where only a single sampling set was used to fit surrogate models and perform optimization. The optimal solutions resulting from the previous and present approaches are different, due to surrogate model-guided local refinement of the design space allowed by the sequential learning method. The values of the global error estimates between the previous and present approaches are comparable, but the sequential method proved more computationally cost-effective. Further refinement in the optimal regions might be needed to improve predictive capability of surrogate models and to obtain the optimal solutions sets.

Rajiv R Shenoy↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Streamline‐Traced, External‐Compression Supersonic Inlets for Mach 2

A computational study was performed to explore the aerodynamic design and performance of streamline-traced, external‐compression (STEX) inlets for Mach 2.0. The performance metrics included inlet flow rates, total pressure recovery, and total pressure distortion. The study explored the use of round and flattened capture cross‐sections and a bleed slot. The design of the inlet and generation of the inlet geometry was performed using the Supersonic Inlet Design and Analysis (SUPIN) Tool. Computational grids were generated, and methods of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were applied to solve the three dimensional, turbulent flow through the inlets using the Wind‐US CFD flow solver. It was found that the use of a bleed slot with about 5% bleed resulted in an inlet total pressure recovery of 95% at Mach 2 with acceptable radial and circumferential total pressure distortion. It was also found that there was only a slight decrease in performance between a round and flattened capture cross‐section. This suggests that the use of streamline tracing offers flexibility in shaping the inlet capture cross‐section for a more favorable integration with an aircraft wing or fuselage. This flexibility and the good performance of the inlet provides a novel inlet design for future commercial supersonic aircraft.

Computational Fluid Dynamics↗