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At least 703 records · Page 39

High temperature static strain gage development

Final results are presented from a program to develop a thin film static strain gage for use on the blades and vanes of running, test stand gas turbine engines with goals of an 3 x 3 mm gage area and total errors of less than 10 pct. of + or - 2,000 microstrain after 50 hrs at 1250 K. Pd containing 13 Wt. pct. Cr was previously identified as a new strain sensor alloy that appeared to be potentially usable to 1250 K. Subsequently, it was discovered, in contrast with its behavior in bulk, that Pd-13Cr suffered from oxidation attack when prepared as a 4.5 micron thick thin film. Continuing problems with electrical leakage to the substrate and the inability of sputtered alumina overcoats to prevent oxidation led to the discovery that sputtered alumina contains appreciable amounts of entrapped argon. After the argon has been exsolved by heating to elevated temperatures, the alumina films undergo a linear shrinkage of about 2 pct. resulting in formation of cracks. These problems can be largely overcome by sputtering the alumina with the substrate heated to 870 K. With 2 micron thick hot sputtered alumina insulation and overcoat films, total 50 hr drifts of about 100 microstrain (2 tests) and about 500 microstrain (1 test) were observed at 1000 and 1100 K, respectively. Results of tests on complete strain gage systems on constant moment bend bars with Pd temperature compensation grids revealed that oxidation of the Pd grid was a major problem even when the grid was overcoated with a hot or cold sputtered alumina overcoat.

Hulse, C. O.↗

Parameter Design and Optimal Control of an Open Core Flywheel Energy Storage System

In low earth orbit (LEO) satellite applications spacecraft power is provided by photovoltaic cells and batteries. To overcome battery shortcomings the University of Maryland, working in cooperation with NASA/GSFC and NASA/LeRC, has developed a magnetically suspended flywheel for energy storage applications. The system is referred to as an Open Core Composite Flywheel (OCCF) energy storage system. Successful application of flywheel energy storage requires integration of several technologies, viz. bearings, rotor design, motor/generator, power conditioning, and system control. In this paper we present a parameter design method which has been developed for analyzing the linear SISO model of the magnetic bearing controller for the OCCF. The objective of this continued research is to principally analyze the magnetic bearing system for nonlinear effects in order to increase the region of stability, as determined by high speed and large air gap control. This is achieved by four tasks: (1) physical modeling, design, prototyping, and testing of an improved magnetically suspended flywheel energy storage system, (2) identification of problems that limit performance and their corresponding solutions, (3) development of a design methodology for magnetic bearings, and (4) design of an optimal controller for future high speed applications. Both nonlinear SISO and MIMO models of the magnetic system were built to study limit cycle oscillations and power amplifier saturation phenomenon observed in experiments. The nonlinear models include the inductance of EM coils, the power amplifier saturation, and the physical limitation of the flywheel movement as discussed earlier. The control program EASY5 is used to study the nonlinear SISO and MIMO models. Our results have shown that the characteristics and frequency responses of the magnetic bearing system obtained from modeling are comparable to those obtained experimentally. Although magnetic saturation is shown in the bearings, there are good correlations between the theoretical model and experimental data. Both simulation and experiment confirm large variations of the magnetic bearing characteristics due to air gap growth. Therefore, the gap growth effect should be considered in the magnetic bearing system design. Additionally, the magnetic bearing control system will be compared to other design methods using not only parameter design but H-infinity optimal control and mu synthesis.

Pang, D.↗

Evaluation of an improved finite-element thermal stress calculation technique

A procedure for generating accurate thermal stresses with coarse finite element grids (Ojalvo's method) is described. The procedure is based on the observation that for linear thermoelastic problems, the thermal stresses may be envisioned as being composed of two contributions; the first due to the strains in the structure which depend on the integral of the temperature distribution over the finite element and the second due to the local variation of the temperature in the element. The first contribution can be accurately predicted with a coarse finite-element mesh. The resulting strain distribution can then be combined via the constitutive relations with detailed temperatures from a separate thermal analysis. The result is accurate thermal stresses from coarse finite element structural models even where the temperature distributions have sharp variations. The range of applicability of the method for various classes of thermostructural problems such as in-plane or bending type problems and the effect of the nature of the temperature distribution and edge constraints are addressed. Ojalvo's method is used in conjunction with the SPAR finite element program. Results are obtained for rods, membranes, a box beam and a stiffened panel.

Camarda, C. J.↗

Nonlinear programming extensions to rational function approximations of unsteady aerodynamics

This paper deals with approximating unsteady generalized aerodynamic forces in the equations of motion of a flexible aircraft. Two methods of formulating these approximations are extended to include both the same flexibility in constraining them and the same methodology in optimizing nonlinear parameters as another currently used 'extended least-squares' method. Optimal selection of 'nonlinear' parameters is made in each of the three methods by use of the same nonlinear (nongradient) optimizer. The objective of the nonlinear optimization is to obtain rational approximations to the unsteady aerodynamics whose state-space realization is of lower order than that required when no optimization of the nonlinear terms is performed. The free 'linear' parameters are determined using least-squares matrix techniques on a Lagrange multiplier formulation of an objective function which incorporates selected linear equality constraints. State-space mathematical models resulting from the different approaches are described, and results are presented which show comparative evaluations from application of each of the extended methods to a numerical example. The results obtained for the example problem show a significant (up to 63 percent) reduction in the number of differential equations used to represent the unsteady aerodynamic forces in linear time-invariant equations of motion as compared to a conventional method in which nonlinear terms are not optimized.

Tiffany, Sherwood H.↗

Efficient Low-Speed Flight in a Wind Field

A new software tool was needed for flight planning of a high altitude, low speed unmanned aerial vehicle which would be flying in winds close to the actual airspeed of the vehicle. An energy modeled NLP (non-linear programming) formulation was used to obtain results for a variety of missions and wind profiles. The energy constraint derived included terms due to the wind field and the performance index was a weighted combination of the amount of fuel used and the final time. With no emphasis on time and with no winds the vehicle was found to fly at maximum lift to drag velocity, V(sub md). When flying in tail winds the velocity was less than V(sub md), while flying in head winds the velocity was higher than V(sub md). A family of solutions was found with varying times of flight and varying fuel amounts consumed which will aid the operator in choosing a flight plan depending on a desired landing time. At certain parts of the flight, the turning terms in the energy constraint equation were found to be significant. An analysis of a simpler vertical plane cruise optimal control problem was used to explain some of the characteristics of the vertical plane NLP results.

Feldman, Michael A.↗

A preliminary look at techniques used to obtain airdata from flight at high angles of attack

Flight research at high angles of attack has posed new problems for airdata measurements. New sensors and techniques for measuring the standard airdata quantities of static pressure, dynamic pressure, angle of attack, and angle of sideslip were subsequently developed. The ongoing airdata research supporting NASA's F-18 high alpha research program is updated. Included are the techniques used and the preliminary results. The F-18 aircraft was flown with three research airdata systems: a standard airdata probe on the right wingtip, a self-aligning airdata probe on the left wingtip, and a flush airdata system on the nose cone. The primary research goal was to obtain steady-state calibrations for each airdata system up to an angle of attack of 50 deg. This goal was accomplished and preliminary accuracies of the three airdata systems were assessed and are presented. An effort to improve the fidelity of the airdata measurements during dynamic maneuvering is also discussed. This involved enhancement of the aerodynamic data with data obtained from linear accelerometers, rate gyros, and attitude gyros. Preliminary results of this technique are presented.

Moes, Timothy R.↗

A Parameter-masked Mock Data Challenge for Beyond-two-point Galaxy Clustering Statistics

The past few years have seen the emergence of a wide array of novel techniques for analyzing high-precision data from upcoming galaxy surveys, which aim to extend the statistical analysis of galaxy clustering data beyond the linear regime and the canonical two-point (2pt) statistics. We test and benchmark some of these new techniques in a community data challenge named “Beyond-2pt,” initiated during the Aspen 2022 Summer Program “Large-Scale Structure Cosmology beyond 2-Point Statistics,” whose first round of results we present here. The challenge data set consists of high-precision mock galaxy catalogs for clustering in real space, in redshift space, and on a light cone. Participants in the challenge have developed end-to-end pipelines to analyze mock catalogs and extract unknown (“masked”) cosmological parameters of the underlying ΛCDM models with their methods. The methods represented are density-split clustering, nearest neighbor statistics, BACCO power spectrum emulator, void statistics, LEFTfield field-level inference using effective field theory (EFT), and joint power spectrum and bispectrum analyses using both EFT and simulation-based inference. In this work, we review the results of the challenge, focusing on problems solved, lessons learned, and future research needed to perfect the emerging beyond-2pt approaches. The unbiased parameter recovery demonstrated in this challenge by multiple statistics and the associated modeling and inference frameworks supports the credibility of cosmology constraints from these methods. The challenge data set is publicly available, and we welcome future submissions from methods that are not yet represented.

Krause, Elisabeth [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (U↗

Pseudospectral convex optimization for on-ramp merging control of connected vehicles

It can be a daunting task for human drivers to merge into highways because of the intricate vehicle negotiations and potential risk within limited time and space. Connected vehicle (CV) technologies could be a solution to this problem and offer many benefits to the road safety, traffic mobility, and energy efficiency. However, real-time optimal control of CVs is still an open challenge, due to the nonlinear vehicle dynamics, non-convex fuel consumption model, and highly dynamic uncertain inter-vehicle interactions. To tackle these issues, a novel real-time optimal control approach that balances the computational efficiency and solution optimality is proposed for the purpose of onboard application. To this end, the pseudospectral collocation method is integrated with a sequential convex programming approach to develop two new optimization algorithms, which are implemented within a model predictive control (MPC) framework to allow for real-time generation of optimal merging speed profiles. One algorithm leverages the line search technique to improve convergence, and the other benefits from the trust region method for better computational efficiency. The optimality and convergence process of both proposed algorithms are investigated by comparing their solutions with a popular non-linear solver. Furthermore, simulation results show that the proposed methods outperform the benchmark in terms of computational cost, fuel consumption, and traffic efficiency. In particular, the proposed fuel-economy merging rule can save 57.1% fuel consumption on average on four different traffic volumes. Meanwhile, the proposed optimal control algorithms can reduce 2.2% travel time on average comparing to the “first-in-first-out” merging rule.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Engineering Overview of a Multidisciplinary HSCT Design Framework Using Medium-Fidelity Analysis Codes

An objective of the HPCC Program at NASA Langley has been to promote the use of advanced computing techniques to more rapidly solve the problem of multidisciplinary optimization of a supersonic transport configuration. As a result, a software system has been designed and is being implemented to integrate a set of existing discipline analysis codes, some of them CPU-intensive, into a distributed computational framework for the design of a High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) configuration. The proposed paper will describe the engineering aspects of integrating these analysis codes and additional interface codes into an automated design system. The objective of the design problem is to optimize the aircraft weight for given mission conditions, range, and payload requirements, subject to aerodynamic, structural, and performance constraints. The design variables include both thicknesses of structural elements and geometric parameters that define the external aircraft shape. An optimization model has been adopted that uses the multidisciplinary analysis results and the derivatives of the solution with respect to the design variables to formulate a linearized model that provides input to the CONMIN optimization code, which outputs new values for the design variables. The analysis process begins by deriving the updated geometries and grids from the baseline geometries and grids using the new values for the design variables. This free-form deformation approach provides internal FEM (finite element method) grids that are consistent with aerodynamic surface grids. The next step involves using the derived FEM and section properties in a weights process to calculate detailed weights and the center of gravity location for specified flight conditions. The weights process computes the as-built weight, weight distribution, and weight sensitivities for given aircraft configurations at various mass cases. Currently, two mass cases are considered: cruise and gross take-off weight (GTOW). Weights information is obtained from correlations of data from three sources: 1) as-built initial structural and non-structural weights from an existing database, 2) theoretical FEM structural weights and sensitivities from Genesis, and 3) empirical as-built weight increments, non-structural weights, and weight sensitivities from FLOPS. For the aeroelastic analysis, a variable-fidelity aerodynamic analysis has been adopted. This approach uses infrequent CPU-intensive non-linear CFD to calculate a non-linear correction relative to a linear aero calculation for the same aerodynamic surface at an angle of attack that results in the same configuration lift. For efficiency, this nonlinear correction is applied after each subsequent linear aero solution during the iterations between the aerodynamic and structural analyses. Convergence is achieved when the vehicle shape being used for the aerodynamic calculations is consistent with the structural deformations caused by the aerodynamic loads. To make the structural analyses more efficient, a linearized structural deformation model has been adopted, in which a single stiffness matrix can be used to solve for the deformations under all the load conditions. Using the converged aerodynamic loads, a final set of structural analyses are performed to determine the stress distributions and the buckling conditions for constraint calculation. Performance constraints are obtained by running FLOPS using drag polars that are computed using results from non-linear corrections to the linear aero code plus several codes to provide drag increments due to skin friction, wave drag, and other miscellaneous drag contributions. The status of the integration effort will be presented in the proposed paper, and results will be provided that illustrate the degree of accuracy in the linearizations that have been employed.

Weston, R. P.↗

Neural Network and Regression Approximations in High Speed Civil Transport Aircraft Design Optimization

Nonlinear mathematical-programming-based design optimization can be an elegant method. However, the calculations required to generate the merit function, constraints, and their gradients, which are frequently required, can make the process computational intensive. The computational burden can be greatly reduced by using approximating analyzers derived from an original analyzer utilizing neural networks and linear regression methods. The experience gained from using both of these approximation methods in the design optimization of a high speed civil transport aircraft is the subject of this paper. The Langley Research Center's Flight Optimization System was selected for the aircraft analysis. This software was exercised to generate a set of training data with which a neural network and a regression method were trained, thereby producing the two approximating analyzers. The derived analyzers were coupled to the Lewis Research Center's CometBoards test bed to provide the optimization capability. With the combined software, both approximation methods were examined for use in aircraft design optimization, and both performed satisfactorily. The CPU time for solution of the problem, which had been measured in hours, was reduced to minutes with the neural network approximation and to seconds with the regression method. Instability encountered in the aircraft analysis software at certain design points was also eliminated. On the other hand, there were costs and difficulties associated with training the approximating analyzers. The CPU time required to generate the input-output pairs and to train the approximating analyzers was seven times that required for solution of the problem.

Patniak, Surya N.↗

Velocity-pressure integrated versus penalty finite element methods for high Reynolds number flows

Velocity-pressure integrated and consistent penalty finite element computations of high Reynolds number, laminar flows are presented. In both of the methods, the pressure has been interpolated using linear shape functions for a triangular element. The triangular element is contained inside the bi-quadratic isoparametric element. It has been reported previously that the pressure interpolation method, when used in the velocity-pressure integrated method, yielded accurate computational results for high Reynolds number flows. It is shown that use of the same pressure interpolation method in the consistent penalty finite element method yielded accurate velocity and pressure fields which were comparable to those obtained using the velocity-pressure integrated method. Accuracy of the two finite element methods has been demonstrated by comparing the computational results with available experimental data and/or fine-grid finite difference computational results. Advantages and disadvantages of the two methods are discussed on the basis of accuracy and convergence nature. Example problems considered include a lid-driven cavity flow for Reynolds number of 10,000, a laminar backward-facing step flow, a laminar flow through a nest of cylinders, and a channel flow with an internal blockage. A finite element computer program (NSFLOW/P) for the 2-D, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is also presented.

Kim, Sang-Wook↗

Demonstration of Automatically-Generated Adjoint Code for Use in Aerodynamic Shape Optimization

Gradient-based optimization requires accurate derivatives of the objective function and constraints. These gradients may have previously been obtained by manual differentiation of analysis codes, symbolic manipulators, finite-difference approximations, or existing automatic differentiation (AD) tools such as ADIFOR (Automatic Differentiation in FORTRAN). Each of these methods has certain deficiencies, particularly when applied to complex, coupled analyses with many design variables. Recently, a new AD tool called ADJIFOR (Automatic Adjoint Generation in FORTRAN), based upon ADIFOR, was developed and demonstrated. Whereas ADIFOR implements forward-mode (direct) differentiation throughout an analysis program to obtain exact derivatives via the chain rule of calculus, ADJIFOR implements the reverse-mode counterpart of the chain rule to obtain exact adjoint form derivatives from FORTRAN code. Automatically-generated adjoint versions of the widely-used CFL3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code and an algebraic wing grid generation code were obtained with just a few hours processing time using the ADJIFOR tool. The codes were verified for accuracy and were shown to compute the exact gradient of the wing lift-to-drag ratio, with respect to any number of shape parameters, in about the time required for 7 to 20 function evaluations. The codes have now been executed on various computers with typical memory and disk space for problems with up to 129 x 65 x 33 grid points, and for hundreds to thousands of independent variables. These adjoint codes are now used in a gradient-based aerodynamic shape optimization problem for a swept, tapered wing. For each design iteration, the optimization package constructs an approximate, linear optimization problem, based upon the current objective function, constraints, and gradient values. The optimizer subroutines are called within a design loop employing the approximate linear problem until an optimum shape is found, the design loop limit is reached, or no further design improvement is possible due to active design variable bounds and/or constraints. The resulting shape parameters are then used by the grid generation code to define a new wing surface and computational grid. The lift-to-drag ratio and its gradient are computed for the new design by the automatically-generated adjoint codes. Several optimization iterations may be required to find an optimum wing shape. Results from two sample cases will be discussed. The reader should note that this work primarily represents a demonstration of use of automatically- generated adjoint code within an aerodynamic shape optimization. As such, little significance is placed upon the actual optimization results, relative to the method for obtaining the results.

Green, Lawrence↗

An Aeroelastic Analysis of a Thin Flexible Membrane

Studies have shown that significant vehicle mass and cost savings are possible with the use of ballutes for aero-capture. Through NASA's In-Space Propulsion program, a preliminary examination of ballute sensitivity to geometry and Reynolds number was conducted, and a single-pass coupling between an aero code and a finite element solver was used to assess the static aeroelastic effects. There remain, however, a variety of open questions regarding the dynamic aeroelastic stability of membrane structures for aero-capture, with the primary challenge being the prediction of the membrane flutter onset. The purpose of this paper is to describe and begin addressing these issues. The paper includes a review of the literature associated with the structural analysis of membranes and membrane utter. Flow/structure analysis coupling and hypersonic flow solver options are also discussed. An approach is proposed for tackling this problem that starts with a relatively simple geometry and develops and evaluates analysis methods and procedures. This preliminary study considers a computationally manageable 2-dimensional problem. The membrane structural models used in the paper include a nonlinear finite-difference model for static and dynamic analysis and a NASTRAN finite element membrane model for nonlinear static and linear normal modes analysis. Both structural models are coupled with a structured compressible flow solver for static aeroelastic analysis. For dynamic aeroelastic analyses, the NASTRAN normal modes are used in the structured compressible flow solver and 3rd order piston theories were used with the finite difference membrane model to simulate utter onset. Results from the various static and dynamic aeroelastic analyses are compared.

Scott, Robert C.↗

Analyzing Non Stationary Processes in Radiometers

The lack of well-developed techniques for modeling changing statistical moments in our observations has stymied the application of stochastic process theory for many scientific and engineering applications. Non linear effects of the observation methodology is one of the most perplexing aspects to modeling non stationary processes. This perplexing problem was encountered when modeling the effect of non stationary receiver fluctuations on the performance of radiometer calibration architectures. Existing modeling approaches were found not applicable; particularly problematic is modeling processes across scales over which they begin to exhibit non stationary behavior within the time interval of the calibration algorithm. Alternatively, the radiometer output is modeled as samples from a sequence random variables; the random variables are treated using a conditional probability distribution function conditioned on the use of the variable in the calibration algorithm. This approach of treating a process as a sequence of random variables with non stationary stochastic moments produce sensible predictions of temporal effects of calibration algorithms. To test these model predictions, an experiment using the Millimeter wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR) was conducted. The MIR with its two black body calibration references was configured in a laboratory setting to observe a third ultra-stable reference (CryoTarget). The MIR was programmed to sequentially sample each of the three references in approximately a 1 second cycle. Data were collected over a six-hour interval. The sequence of reference measurements form an ensemble sample set comprised of a series of three reference measurements. Two references are required to estimate the receiver response. A third reference is used to estimate the uncertainty in the estimate. Typically, calibration algorithms are designed to suppress the non stationary effects of receiver fluctuations. By treating the data sequence as an ensemble collection, it is possible to apply temporal algorithms which exacerbate the non stationary effects. By varying the algorithm, information about the properties of the non stationary receiver fluctuations is obtained. Comparisons of analytical calculations and statistical analysis of data demonstrate impressive agreement.

Racette, Paul↗

Variable-Complexity Multidisciplinary Optimization on Parallel Computers

This report covers work conducted under grant NAG1-1562 for the NASA High Performance Computing and Communications Program (HPCCP) from December 7, 1993, to December 31, 1997. The objective of the research was to develop new multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) techniques which exploit parallel computing to reduce the computational burden of aircraft MDO. The design of the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) air-craft was selected as a test case to demonstrate the utility of our MDO methods. The three major tasks of this research grant included: development of parallel multipoint approximation methods for the aerodynamic design of the HSCT, use of parallel multipoint approximation methods for structural optimization of the HSCT, mathematical and algorithmic development including support in the integration of parallel computation for items (1) and (2). These tasks have been accomplished with the development of a response surface methodology that incorporates multi-fidelity models. For the aerodynamic design we were able to optimize with up to 20 design variables using hundreds of expensive Euler analyses together with thousands of inexpensive linear theory simulations. We have thereby demonstrated the application of CFD to a large aerodynamic design problem. For the predicting structural weight we were able to combine hundreds of structural optimizations of refined finite element models with thousands of optimizations based on coarse models. Computations have been carried out on the Intel Paragon with up to 128 nodes. The parallel computation allowed us to perform combined aerodynamic-structural optimization using state of the art models of a complex aircraft configurations.

Grossman, Bernard↗

Application of a Split-Fiber Probe to Velocity Measurement in the NASA Research Compressor

A split-fiber probe was used to acquire unsteady data in a research compressor. The probe has two thin films deposited on a quartz cylinder 200 microns in diameter. A split-fiber probe allows simultaneous measurement of velocity magnitude and direction in a plane that is perpendicular to the sensing cylinder, because it has its circumference divided into two independent parts. Local heat transfer considerations indicated that the probe direction characteristic is linear in the range of flow incidence angles of +/- 35. Calibration tests confirmed this assumption. Of course, the velocity characteristic is nonlinear as is typical in thermal anemometry. The probe was used extensively in the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) low-speed, multistage axial compressor, and worked reliably during a test program of several months duration. The velocity and direction characteristics of the probe showed only minute changes during the entire test program. An algorithm was developed to decompose the probe signals into velocity magnitude and velocity direction. The averaged unsteady data were compared with data acquired by pneumatic probes. An overall excellent agreement between the averaged data acquired by a split-fiber probe and a pneumatic probe boosts confidence in the reliability of the unsteady content of the split-fiber probe data. To investigate the features of unsteady data, two methods were used: ensemble averaging and frequency analysis. The velocity distribution in a rotor blade passage was retrieved using the ensemble averaging method. Frequencies of excitation forces that may contribute to high cycle fatigue problems were identified by applying a fast Fourier transform to the absolute velocity data.

Lepicovsky, Jan↗

Stochastic scheduling of generating units with weekly energy storage: A hybrid decomposition approach

We propose a solution method for the large-scale stochastic unit commitment (SUC) problem with weekly-dispatched energy storage and significant weather-dependent stochastic generating capacity. Weekly storage facilities that mostly charge during weekends and discharge during weekdays require a weekly scheduling of generating units, which result in a large-scale optimization problem. This SUC problem is formulated as a two-stage stochastic model and we use the conditional value-at-risk as a risk measure. Using a Benders framework, the proposed solution method decomposes the problem into a mixed-integer linear master problem and linear and continuous subproblems. The master problem corresponds to the first-stage decisions throughout the week and includes all the commitment (binary) variables and their corresponding constraints. The subproblems correspond to the actual dispatch of the generating units on a weekly basis. Based on the success of column-and-constraint generation algorithms to solve robust optimization problems, we improve the low communication between the master problem and the subproblems in the standard Benders decomposition by adding primal variables and constraints from the subproblems to the master problem, which provides a better approximation of the recourse function. Furthermore, our computational experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed decomposition method using an instance of the South Carolina synthetic system with 90 generating units under 40 scenarios.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Ocean Energy Systems Wave Energy Modeling Task 10.4: Numerical Modeling of a Fixed Oscillating Water Column

This paper reports on an ongoing international effort to establish guidelines for numerical modeling of wave energy converters, initiated by the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration Program for Ocean Energy Systems. Initial results for point absorbers were presented in previous work, and here we present results for a breakwater-mounted Oscillating Water Column (OWC) device. The experimental model is at scale 1:4 relative to a full-scale installation in a water depth of 12.8 m. The power-extracting air turbine is modeled by an orifice plate of 1–2% of the internal chamber surface area. Measurements of chamber surface elevation, air flow through the orifice, and pressure difference across the orifice are compared with numerical calculations using both weakly-nonlinear potential flow theory and computational fluid dynamics. Both compressible- and incompressible-flow models are considered, and the effects of air compressibility are found to have a significant influence on the motion of the internal chamber surface. Recommendations are made for reducing uncertainties in future experimental campaigns, which are critical to enable firm conclusions to be drawn about the relative accuracy of the numerical models. It is well-known that boundary element method solutions of the linear potential flow problem (e.g., WAMIT) are singular at infinite frequency when panels are placed directly on the free surface. This is problematic for time-domain solutions where the value of the added mass matrix at infinite frequency is critical, especially for OWC chambers, which are modeled by zero-mass elements on the free surface. A straightforward rational procedure is described to replace ad-hoc solutions to this problem that have been proposed in the literature.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗