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At least 73 records · Page 4

Evaluation of a multigrid-based Navier-Stokes solver for aerothermodynamic computations

A multigrid acceleration technique developed for solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations is used for computing high Mach number flows over configurations of practical interest. An explicit multistage Runge-Kutta type of time-stepping scheme is used as the basic algorithm. Solutions are presented for a spherically blunted cone at Mach 10 and a modified shuttle orbiter at Mach 6. The computed surface heat-transfer distributions are shown to compare favorably with the experimental data. Effect of grid-refinement on computed heat-transfer distributions is also examined to assess the numerical accuracy of the computed solutions. The rapid convergence rate associated with multigrid schemes in previous applications at transonic speeds is observed at the higher Mach number flows investigated here.

Vatsa, Veer N.↗

Multigrid acceleration and turbulence models for computations of 3D turbulent jets in crossflow

A multigrid method is presented for the calculation of three-dimensional turbulent jets in crossflow. Turbulence closure is achieved with either the standard k-epsilon model or a Reynolds stress model (RSM). Multigrid acceleration enables convergence rates which are far superior to that for a single grid method to be obtained with both turbulence models. With the k-epsilon model the rate approaches that for laminar flow, but with RSM it is somewhat slower. The increased stiffness of the system of equation in the latter may be responsible. Computed results with both turbulence models are compared to experimental data for a pair of opposed jets in crossflow. Both models yield reasonable agreement for the mean flow velocity, but RSM yields better predictions of the Reynolds stresses.

Demuren, A. O.↗

Convergence acceleration of iterative solutions of Euler equations for transonic flow computations

In this paper, two acceleration techniques for Euler calculations are investigated. The first technique is an extrapolation procedure based on the Power Method; it is applicable when the iterative matrix has dominant eigenvalues. Both real and complex conjugate roots are allowed. The second technique is a generalization of the Minimal Residual Method, where the extrapolation step consists of a weighted combination of the corrections at different iteration levels and the weights are chosen to minimize the Lz norm of the residual. Numerical results, using Jameson's Runge-Kutta Multigrid Code, are presented. The extra computational work to apply either technique is negligible and the extra storage is not a problem on current supercomputers.

Hafez, M.↗

Visual and motion cueing in helicopter simulation

Early experience in fixed-cockpit simulators, with limited field of view, demonstrated the basic difficulties of simulating helicopter flight at the level of subjective fidelity required for confident evaluation of vehicle characteristics. More recent programs, utilizing large-amplitude cockpit motion and a multiwindow visual-simulation system have received a much higher degree of pilot acceptance. However, none of these simulations has presented critical visual-flight tasks that have been accepted by the pilots as the full equivalent of flight. In this paper, the visual cues presented in the simulator are compared with those of flight in an attempt to identify deficiencies that contribute significantly to these assessments. For the low-amplitude maneuvering tasks normally associated with the hover mode, the unique motion capabilities of the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at Ames Research Center permit nearly a full representation of vehicle motion. Especially appreciated in these tasks are the vertical-acceleration responses to collective control. For larger-amplitude maneuvering, motion fidelity must suffer diminution through direct attenuation through high-pass filtering washout of the computer cockpit accelerations or both. Experiments were conducted in an attempt to determine the effects of these distortions on pilot performance of height-control tasks.

Bray, R. S.↗

Visual and motion cueing in helicopter simulation

The visual cues presented in the simulator are compared with those of flight in an attempt to identify deficiencies. For the low-amplitude maneuvering tasks normally associated with the hover mode, the unique motion capabilities of the Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) at Ames Research Center permit nearly a full representation of vehicle motion. Especially appreciated in these tasks are the vertical-acceleration responses to collective control. For larger-amplitude maneuvering, motion fidelity must suffer diminution through direct attenuation through high-pass filtering washout of the computer cockpit accelerations or both. Experiments were conducted in an attempt to determine the effects of these distortions on pilot performance of height-control tasks.

Bray, Richard S.↗

Supersonic nonlinear potential analysis

The NCOREL computer code was established to compute supersonic flow fields of wings and bodies. The method encompasses an implicit finite difference transonic relaxation method to solve the full potential equation in a spherical coordinate system. Two basic topic to broaden the applicability and usefulness of the present method which is encompassed within the computer code NCOREL for the treatment of supersonic flow problems were studied. The first topic is that of computing efficiency. Accelerated schemes are in use for transonic flow problems. One such scheme is the approximate factorization (AF) method and an AF scheme to the supersonic flow problem is developed. The second topic is the computation of wake flows. The proper modeling of wake flows is important for multicomponent configurations such as wing-body and multiple lifting surfaces where the wake of one lifting surface has a pronounced effect on a downstream body or other lifting surfaces.

Siclari, M. J.↗

Flux-based acceleration of the Euler equations

A new coarse grid acceleration scheme for the Euler equations is presented. This flux based scheme eliminates the need, exhibited by previous accelerators, for computing flux vector Jacobian matrices. The method is derived and implemented in a two dimensional flow algorithm. Numerical results are presented for both subcritical and shocked, supercritical flow. These results demonstrate that the flux based accelerator is more efficient than its Jacobian based counterpart. Generalization to three dimensions is immediate. Construction of flux based accelerators for the Navier-Stokes equations is also discussed.

Johnson, G. M.↗

Accelerating Climate and Weather Simulations through Hybrid Computing

Unconventional multi- and many-core processors (e.g. IBM (R) Cell B.E.(TM) and NVIDIA (R) GPU) have emerged as effective accelerators in trial climate and weather simulations. Yet these climate and weather models typically run on parallel computers with conventional processors (e.g. Intel, AMD, and IBM) using Message Passing Interface. To address challenges involved in efficiently and easily connecting accelerators to parallel computers, we investigated using IBM's Dynamic Application Virtualization (TM) (IBM DAV) software in a prototype hybrid computing system with representative climate and weather model components. The hybrid system comprises two Intel blades and two IBM QS22 Cell B.E. blades, connected with both InfiniBand(R) (IB) and 1-Gigabit Ethernet. The system significantly accelerates a solar radiation model component by offloading compute-intensive calculations to the Cell blades. Systematic tests show that IBM DAV can seamlessly offload compute-intensive calculations from Intel blades to Cell B.E. blades in a scalable, load-balanced manner. However, noticeable communication overhead was observed, mainly due to IP over the IB protocol. Full utilization of IB Sockets Direct Protocol and the lower latency production version of IBM DAV will reduce this overhead.

hybrid computing↗

International Space Station Microgravity Analytical Model Correlation And Update

The acceleration environment aboard the completed International Space Station (ISS) is a key resource for scientific and technological endeavors. Hardware verification activIties and early measurements indicate that the ISS is well on the way of meeting these "Assembly Complete" "microgravity" provisions, however, the simulation models that compute these accelerations have, to date, lacked the high degree of empirical validation typical of standard aerospace industry practices. Assembly stage, on-orbit measurements are used to address this shortcoming and to develop higher confidence in the simulation models. The Phase I correlation results show the analyses to be consistently conservative, producing higher than measured levels. The 25 to 30% greater quasi-steady computations are deemed acceptable for verification. Updates are made to localized structural dynamic and vibroacoustic parameters that reduce responses in selected one-third octave bands by almost 50%. These models are then used for the Assembly Complete verification analysis which concludes that the ISS vehicle meets the ISS microgravity requirements with minor reservations. Two of the sixteen rack are marginally non-compliant in the quasi-steady regime, and operational constraints are needed on the U. S. Lab and ESA APM vacuum resource vents, and the Russian Resistive Exercise Device in the structural dynamic regime.

DelBasso, Steve↗

Evaluation of Near Singular Integrals for Computational Electromagnetics by Dimensionality Reduction

With the need for ever faster codes, a limiting factor that must be dealt with is the accurate yet efficient evaluation of interaction integrals between the more problematic near-field elements. Several recent works have together shown that all evaluations of source potential integrals and their derivatives for the most common bases and elements can be reduced to the evaluation of boundary line integrals; these can be evaluated by Gauss-Legendre quadrature, though integrand-smoothing transforms are often needed to accelerate their computation. In this paper, we modify the reported approach to eliminate cancellation errors in the line integral integrand, reinterpret the integral as a vertex function, and study the scalar potential integral form under the sinh transform and static subtraction acceleration methods.

D R Wilton↗

Achieving Breakthroughs in Global Hydrologic Science by Unlocking the Power of Multisensor, Multidisciplinary Earth Observations

Over the last half century, remote sensing has transformed hydrologic science. Whereas early efforts were devoted to observation of discrete variables, we now consider spaceborne missions dedicated to interlinked global hydrologic processes.Furthermore, cloud computing and computational techniquesare accelerating analyses of these data. How will the hydrologic community use these new resources to better understand the world’s water and relatedchallenges facing society? In this Commentary, we suggest that optimizing the benefits of remote sensing for advancing hydrologic research will happen byintegratingmultidisciplinary and multisensor data, leveraging commercial satellite measurements, and employingdata assimilation, cloud computing, and machine learning.We provide several recommendations to these ends. Plain Language Summary Observations from satellites have transformed hydrologic science. Early efforts, five decades ago, mapped attributes like snow cover, rainfall, topography, and vegetation, but now we consider new missions specifically designed to study global hydrologic processes. We also take advantageof new technologies like cloud computing and artificial intelligence. We describe strategiesfor maximizing the benefits of remote sensing for hydrology, encouraging research across disciplines using multiple sensors, using new commercially available satellites, and combining remote sensing measurements with hydrologic models.

Michael Durand↗

A modular solid state detector for measuring high energy heavy ion fragmentation near the beam axis

A multi-element solid state detector has been designed to measure fluences of fragments produced near the beam axis by high energy heavy ion beams in thick targets. The detector is compact and modular, so as to be readily reconfigured according to the range of fragment charges and energies to be measured. Preamplifier gain settings and detector calibrations are adjustable remotely under computer control. We describe the central detector, its associated detectors and electronics, triggering scheme, data acquisition and particle identification techniques, illustrated by data taken with 600 MeV/u 56Fe beams and thick polyethylene targets at the LBL Bevalac. The applications of this work to space radiation protection are discussed.

NASA Center HQS↗

Slosh-Induced Ullage Collapse Validation by Computational Fluid Dynamics and Application to In-space Propellant Dynamics

Ullage collapse predictions made using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) were validated then made for an in-space cryogenic propellant unsettling application. Ullage collapse is the decrease in propellant tank pressure due to cooling of the ullage gas, which can be significant for cryogenic propulsion systems. Vehicles may be developed that are robust to temperature and pressure changes caused by heat leaks, e.g., propellant tanks with high maximum operation pressures, technologies yielding active thermal conditioning, and systems with ample pressurant for conditioning. These methods are robust because additional mass, cost, and complexity are used to address cryogenic fluid management (CFM). As vehicles are optimized for increased payload capacity, tracking of events such as ullage collapse and self-pressurization in tanks will become increasingly important for propellant inventory calculations. Some ullage collapse events can be studied through ground experimentation, but propellant unsettling in and around in-space coast mission phases must be studied in the absence of an acceleration field. Computational Fluid Dynamics is a powerful tool to address this need, enabling prediction of complex physics prior to flight. Validation of the chosen CFD tool and modeling methodology was done using data from a previously conducted subscale slosh-induced ullage collapse ground test performed in part by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). A small tank was partially filled with liquid nitrogen and pressurized with gaseous nitrogen at various temperatures. The tank was oscillated laterally to induce high amplitude slosh dynamics resulting in wave breakup. Successful qualitative validation of slosh wave dynamics and quantitative validation of ullage collapse promoted confidence in extending ullage collapse predictions to a flight application. Mechanisms of ullage collapse caused by main engine cutoff while in-space were identified. Both slosh dynamics leading to engine shutdown and body dynamics following shutdown were shown to contribute to propellant unsettling and ullage collapse.

J M Brodnick↗

Inclusion of unsteady aerodynamics in longitudinal parameter estimation from flight data

A simple vortex system, used to model unsteady aerodynamic effects into the rigid body longitudinal equations of motion of an aircraft, is described. The equations are used in the development of a parameter extraction algorithm. Use of the two parameter-estimation modes, one including and the other omitting unsteady aerodynamic modeling, is discussed as a means of estimating some acceleration derivatives. Computer generated data and flight data, used to demonstrate the use of the parameter-extraction algorithm are studied.

Queijo, M. J.↗

Experiments for improved positioning by means of integrated Doppler satellite observations and the NNSS broadcast ephemeris

A study to improve position determination using broadcast ephemeris in Doppler data reduction is presented. The uncertainty of the broadcast ephemeris was assessed, and sample autocovariances were computed for acceleration, velocity, and position considering the state disturbance as a signal. An experiment was made in which three stations coobserved 12 passes, and the removal of the radial bias resulted in a chord distance which was in better agreement with the ground survey. In the second experiment, the station positions of the first test simulated the range observations, and the autocovariance function of the acceleration signal in the Cartesian coordinate system was used in an adaptive filtering procedure to improve the state of the satellite in one pass.

Arur, M. G.↗

Capillary device refilling

An analytical and experimental study was conducted dealing with refilling start baskets (capillary devices) with settled fluid. A computer program was written to include dynamic pressure, screen wicking, multiple-screen barriers, standpipe screens, variable vehicle mass for computing vehicle acceleration, and calculation of tank outflow rate and vapor pullthrough height. An experimental apparatus was fabricated and tested to provide data for correlation with the analytical model; the test program was conducted in normal gravity using a scale-model capillary device and ethanol as the test fluid. The test data correlated with the analytical model; the model is a versatile and apparently accurate tool for predicting start basket refilling under actual mission conditions.

Blatt, M. H.↗

Solution of Poisson equations for 3-dimensional grid generations

A method for generating three dimensional, finite difference grids about complicated geometries by using Poisson equations is developed. The inhomogenous terms are automatically chosen such that orthogonality and spacing restrictions at the body surface are satisfied. Spherical variables are used to avoid the axis singularity, and an alternating-direction-implicit (ADI) solution scheme is used to accelerate the computations. Computed results are presented that show the capability of the method. Since most of the results presented have been used as grids for flow-field computations, this is indicative that the method is a useful tool for generating three-dimensional grids about complicated geometries.

Fujii, K.↗

Computer modeling of test particle acceleration at oblique shocks

The present evaluation of the basic techniques and illustrative results of charged particle-modeling numerical codes suitable for particle acceleration at oblique, fast-mode collisionless shocks emphasizes the treatment of ions as test particles, calculating particle dynamics through numerical integration along exact phase-space orbits. Attention is given to the acceleration of particles at planar, infinitessimally thin shocks, as well as to plasma simulations in which low-energy ions are injected and accelerated at quasi-perpendicular shocks with internal structure.

Decker, Robert B.↗