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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Parallel projection—An improved return mapping algorithm for finite element modeling of shape memory alloys

Here, we present a novel finite element analysis of inelastic structures containing Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs). Phenomenological constitutive models for SMAs lead to material nonlinearities, that require substantial computational effort to resolve. Finite element analysis methods, which rely on Gauss quadrature integration schemes, must solve two sets of coupled differential equations: one at the global level and the other at the local, i.e. Gauss point level. In contrast to the conventional return mapping algorithm, which solves these two sets of coupled differential equations separately using a nested Newton procedure, we propose a scheme to solve the local and global differential equations simultaneously. In the process we also derive closed-form expressions used to update the internal/constitutive state variables, and unify the popular closest-point and cutting plane methods with our formulas. Numerical testing indicates that our method allows for larger thermomechanical loading steps and provides increased computational efficiency, over the standard return mapping algorithm.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Full-field quantitative visualization of shock-driven pore collapse and failure modes in PMMA

The dynamic collapse of pores under shock loading is thought to be directly related to hot spot generation and material failure, which is critical to the performance of porous energetic and structural materials. However, the shock compression response of porous materials at the local, individual pore scale is not well understood. This study examines, quantitatively, the collapse phenomenon of a single spherical void in PMMA at shock stresses ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 GPa. Using a newly developed internal digital image correlation technique in conjunction with plate impact experiments, full-field quantitative deformation measurements are conducted in the material surrounding the collapsing pore for the first time. The experimental results reveal two failure mode transitions as shock stress is increased: (i) the first in situ evidence of shear localization via adiabatic shear banding and (ii) dynamic fracture initiation at the pore surface. Numerical simulations using thermo-viscoplastic dynamic finite element analysis provide insights into the formation of adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) and stresses at which failure mode transitions occur. Further numerical and theoretical modeling indicates the dynamic fracture to occur along the weakened material inside an adiabatic shear band. Finally, analysis of the evolution of pore asymmetry and models for ASB spacing elucidate the mechanisms for the shear band initiation sites, and elastostatic theory explains the experimentally observed ASB and fracture paths based on the directions of maximum shear.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Experimentally Validated Computational Modeling of Creep and Creep-Cracking for Nuclear Concrete Structures

In a Nuclear Power Plant, one of the most important components is the concrete nuclear reactor cavity, which serves both a structural and protective function as the biological radiation shield. Given that creep has been identified as a major knowledge gap in the assessment of nuclear structures (NUREG/CR-7153), this work helps to further the understanding of creep behavior of massive concrete containment structures for decades to enable safe and long-term operation of these facilities. This project has developed a robust, experimentally validated model to predict creep in nuclear concrete structures for up 60 years using short-term creep data thereby enabling a longer service life of critical facilities and early detection of structural failure. The work presented in this report is a pairing of computational and experimental methods. For the first time, the time temperature superposition (TTS) principle was successfully used to generate a uniaxial creep compliance master curve to predict mortar creep response for up to 22,500 days (nearly 60 years) at a reference temperature of 20°C. These data were used as input into finite element analysis (FEA) codes that use highly realistic random, 3D concrete microstructures from reconstructed coarse limestone aggregates. Finite element analysis performed provides the ability to quickly upscale mortar viscoelastic behavior to long-term concrete creep/relaxation data. A master creep compliance curve, constructed from the TTS principle, spanning 27 years, was used to validate two and a half decades of simulated concrete creep. Concurrently, three different simulated wall specimens were designed to mimic the behavior of post-tensioned concrete nuclear containment facility vessel walls over time as a result of concrete creep. The specimens were designed with different thicknesses, transverse and longitudinal reinforcement ratios, and level of post-tensioning stress. Each specimen contained various instrumentation to measure internal concrete temperature, concrete strain, and post-tensioning strain hourly for over 3 years. The concrete creep model developed in this project, based on the FEA concrete simulations, was applied to simulate the structural-scale experiments of prestressed concrete walls conducted in this project using the Grizzly code. These models can represent the effects of reinforcing and prestressing. Although there are some discrepancies with the experimental data, the model can predict the overall trends of the creep response in these experiments. One of these experimental models was also applied to an extended time to demonstrate how the findings from this study can be used to predict the behavior of actual structures of interest that have been in service for extended periods of time.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comparison of Thermal Management Approaches for Integrated Traction Drives in Electric Vehicles

The continuous push to increase power densities of electric vehicle (EV) traction drive systems necessitates combining electric motor and power electronics into one unit. A single, compact traction drive unit with fewer interconnecting components also facilitates fast, automated assembly of electric vehicles, driving production costs down and enabling wider adoption of EVs. There are a number of challenges associated with the integration of power electronics with the electric machine, including thermal management of the combined traction drive system. However, one important benefit of integration from the thermal management system perspective is the potential for using a single fluid loop instead of two separate cooling systems for the electric machine and the power electronics/inverter. This paper reviews several integration approaches and, employing finite element analysis (FEA), compares thermal management solutions for the combined electric machine and power electronics systems. Namely, three different scenarios are modeled: (1) independent component (motor and power electronics) cooling, which is compared to the combined cooling system approach for (2) radially and (3) axially integrated power electronics modules into the motor enclosure. Temperature distributions for selected thermal loads and thermal resistances from the key heat-generating components to the cooling fluid are compared for each scenario.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Permanent Magnet Generator Topologies Using Multimaterial Shape Optimization and 3D Printing: Preprint

A vast majority of utility-scale wind turbine generators in the United States are dependent on foreign- sourced rare-earth permanent magnets that are vulnerable to supply chain uncertainties. Many small wind original equipment manufacturers are motivated to pursue continuous improvements to the generator design to lower the material and production costs and improve performance by lowering cogging torque and increasing the efficiency. Traditional design and manufacturing offer limited opportunities. In this work, we demonstrate advanced design approaches for a 15-kW baseline wind turbine generator by making use of recent progress in three-dimensional (3D) printing of polymer- bonded magnets and, electrical and structural steel. We explore three methods of magnet parametrization using Bezier curves resulting in symmetric, asymmetric and multimaterial magnet designs. We employ a multiphysics approach combining parametric computer-aided design modeling, finite- element analysis and targeted sampling to identify novel designs with more opportunities for reducing rare-earth material, improving efficiency and minimizing cogging torque. The results show that asymmetric-pole design and multimaterial-pole designs offer a greater opportunity to minimize rare-earth magnet materials by up to 35% with similar performance as the baseline generator, suggesting newer opportunities with design freedom beyond traditional limits of symmetry and as allowed by 3D printing.

Bezier curves↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving and Automating Building Model Data Exchange

There are many instances throughout a project’s lifecycle where there arises a need for quick and accurate risk assessment of building designs. For example, an unexpected design change during construction may necessitate structural engineers to perform a seismic risk assessment on analytical models of the updated building design using high fidelity structural analysis software, such as ANSYS or Abaqus. However, the efficiency of such workflows often depends upon the interoperability of architectural design software and structural analysis software. When the quality of this interoperability is lacking or even non-existent, the efficiency of virtual engineering workflows is hampered, which increases project costs. A McGraw Hill industry survey of professional users of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies found that there is high demand for BIM interoperability for structural analysis, but that the value/difficulty ratio is currently too low for practical use. There have been efforts by the academic community to facilitate model data exchange between the architectural design and structural analysis domains, but such solutions have not been widely adopted by industry, face technical challenges, and oftentimes are limited in applicability for users of various BIM software. Therefore, INL is developing capabilities to improve, automate, and generalize model data exchange between architectural BIM software (e.g., Revit) and structural analysis software (e.g., SAP2000, ANSYS). The goal is to help expedite and automate as much of the pre-processing step for creating analytical models in finite element analysis software as reasonably as possible. Such a "BIM-to-FEA" conversion tool should provide direct benefit to end-users through accuracy, automation, quick turn-around, and wide applicability. To generalize the application of this BIM-to-FEA conversion tool and increase its useability among the many different commercial BIM software currently used by industry, the program is being developed with the concept of openBIM. OpenBIM is the application of non-proprietary, open data standards that allow for BIM model data exchange in a format that is accessible, retainable, and useable for all users. The most widely used open, non-proprietary data exchange format for BIM is the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) schema. IFC is developed by buildingSMART international and is ISO certified (ISO 16739-1:2018). The BIM-to-FEA conversion tool is being developed for compatibility with typical commercial building designs of steel framed structures. The tool is currently capable of importing architectural BIM data of framed building structures, recognizing and extracting the aspects of the model that are required for structural analysis, adjusting the connectivity of frame members, and finally exporting to an analytical model stored in the IFC format. The exported IFC analytical model can then be imported into various openBIM compliant software, such as SAP2000. Such capabilities have already been tested on commercial software, as shown above, and continue to be improved. Work is underway to test the conversion on various commercial BIM software, develop a user-friendly interface, incorporate the program into the broader DeepLynx data warehouse project being developed by INL, and to eventually open-source the tool for the benefit of the community. Future development of the tool envisions the ability for efficient iterative risk assessment of generative building designs, all within a workflow utilizing open-source tools. One such open-source tool will be MOOSE, an advanced finite element analysis tool developed at INL. The conversion tool will also branch out from typical commercial building designs and will aim to incorporate nuclear construction. The aim will be to convert both structural and non-structural components of nuclear facilities, such as curved concrete containment structures and piping systems, respectively.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigation of desorption of hydrogen gas from polymer matrix using thermal desorption analysis and finite element modeling

Polymer materials are used widely as sealing materials and liners in hydrogen storage and transportation infrastructure. During operating conditions, polymers are exposed to high pressure hydrogen gas periodically. When in contact, the hydrogen gas diffuses through the polymer material with ease due to its smaller sized molecules compared to the polymer molecules. In the event of rapid decompression of outside hydrogen gas, the hydrogen molecules within the polymer diffuse out. This process is known as the desorption of polymer and can cause blisters or cracking causing permanent damage to the polymer. Here, we used a combined experimental and modeling approach to investigate the desorption of the hydrogen gas in the polymer. Thermal desorption analysis (TDA) experiments were performed on the polymer sample exposed to the high-pressure hydrogen gas to measure the diffusion coefficient and equilibrium hydrogen concentration. Experiments also provided the quantity of hydrogen within the polymer during the desorption process which followed Fick’s law. However, for higher pressurization values, some anomaly was observed in the quantity of hydrogen remaining in the polymer sample. A continuum mechanics based coupled diffusion–deformation-damage model was deployed to simulate the gas desorption process in the material using the finite element method to understand its effect on the material. It was found that the anomaly in TDA results were due to the blister formation on the polymer surface which resulted in longer hydrogen retention. Simulations also showed that blister formation can be affected by multiple parameters such as the addition of filler particles, and pre-existing cavity size.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Thermo-mechanical modeling and experimental validation for multilayered metallic microstructures

This paper presents thermo-mechanical modeling on multilayered metallic microstructures consisting of two bilayers that enable 3D deployment once being Joule heated. Additionally, a representative design of such microstructures, as well as their working principle is introduced. Furthermore, a mathematical model is derived using Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and analytical solutions describing out-of-plane displacement of the multilayered microstructures when uniformly heated, which is validated by finite element analysis. Parametric analysis on thermal load and dimensional change of beam shows a good agreement between the analytical solutions and results given by finite element analysis. The phases of the near-equiatomic NiTi layer are analyzed by EDS and XRD, which prove to be austenite during the Joule heating process. The mechanical properties of austenite NiTi are incorporated into the analytical solutions that provides a good estimation of 3D deployment of microstructures made of NiTi and aluminum. The experimental results provide an approximately 7 µm out-of-plane deployment by applying a uniform temperature increase of 132 K, and parametric analysis on the dimension of top aluminum beam offers another promising approach to larger 3D deployment. The proposed mathematical model provides an efficient tool for predicting the out-of-plane deployment of such multilayered microstructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A TOpographic Mapping (ATOM) Method to Design Magnetic Cores

Wireless power transfer offers safe, convenient, and efficient way of charging electric vehicles. Ongoing research is targeting wireless charging pad design optimization; designing the magnetic component is the most important part of the coupler design because the magnetic part determines the coupling factor and efficiency. Optimizing the coil layout and geometry as well as ferrite design requires finite elements analysis based modeling and simulation for minimized core losses, maximized magnetic coupling, and minimized material use for cost-effectiveness. Although parametric finite element analysis or emerging artificial intelligence methods can generate very accurate results, simulation times are extremely long. To address this issue, this study proposes a simple, effective core design called A TOpographic Mapping (ATOM). The proposed design is based on the design of magnetic core by using the magnetic flux distribution. The thickness of the core increases with increasing magnetic flux density, forming a variable thickness core design with less material and minimized core losses compared to conventional designs. A superimposing method is used to create an optimal design for a rotational magnetic field-based system. According to simulation results, the ATOM design reduces the required material volume by 13.19% and yields the lowest core loss and highest mutual inductance compared to other designs. In addition, misalignment, electromagnetic interference, and thermal performance were evaluated for the proposed design.

Aydin, Emrullah [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (OR↗
DOE OSTI2023

ALGEBRA v.1.27

The ALGEBRA program allows the user to manipulate data from a finite element analysis before it is plotted. The finite element output data is in the form of variable values (e.g., stress, strain, and velocity components) in an EXODUS II database. The ALGEBRA program evaluates user-supplied functions of the data and writes the results to an output EXODUS II database that can be read by plot programs.

Sjaardema, Gregory↗
DOE OSTI2026

A meshing framework for digital twins for extrusion based additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) allows for manufacturing of complex three-dimensional geometries not typically realizable with standard manufacturing practices. The internal microstructure of AM components has a significant impact on mechanical, vibrational, and shock properties and permits richer design space when this is controllable. Due to complex interactions of internal geometry of an extrusion-based AM component, it is common practice to assume homogeneous behavior or to perform characterization testing on specific toolpath configurations. To avoid testing or material waste, it is necessary to develop a consistently accurate numerical simulation framework with relevant boundary value problems that can handle the complicated geometry of internal material microstructure present in AM components. Herein, a framework is proposed to directly create computational meshes suitable for finite element analysis (FEA) of the fine-scale features generated from extrusion-based AM tool paths to maintain a strong process–structure–property-performance linkage. This mesh can be manually or automatically analyzed using standard FEA simulations such as quasi-static preloading or modal analysis. The framework allows an in-silico assessment of a target AM geometry where fine-scale features greatly impact quantities of design interest such as in soft elastomeric lattices where toolpath infill can greatly influence the self-contact of a structure in compression, which we use as a motivating exemplar. This approach greatly reduces both time and resource waste present in traditional build and test design cycles for non-intuitive design spaces, and acts as a tool for use in the production of a key component of a digital twin, a mesh suitable for finite element analysis. In conclusion, it also further allows for the exploration of toolpath infill to optimize component properties beyond simple linear properties such as density and stiffness.

Additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2023

Guidelines for predicting stress in cemented doublets undergoing temperature change

This work explores quick predictive methods for calculating potentially risky stresses and deflections in cemented doublets experiencing temperature change that agree well with finite element analysis. There are three failure modes of interest: cohesive failure of the adhesive, delamination (surface bond failure or debonding), and glass fracture. Adhesive theory, confirmed by finite element analysis, predicts stress singularities that complicate interpretation of the stress calculations. The presence of a stress singularity indicates the breakdown of linear elastic assumptions, but damage initiation and stress singularities are related. The authors find that geometry details near a bond edge can exacerbate or minimize damage initiation and stress concentrations. Because the interpretation of the stress results is complicated, the authors investigated predicted stresses in doublets that have been successfully tested between -40 and 85 °C. This study found that the product (ΔT ∙ Δα) should be less than 189 ppm, where ΔT is the temperature excursion and Δα is the difference in glass coefficient of thermal expansion. If the product (ΔT ∙ Δα) is equal to or greater than 189 ppm, further analysis and testing is warranted. But the authors also show that the fabrication process can significantly influence stress failure, particularly with large diameter doublets.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Guidelines for predicting stress in cemented doublets undergoing temperature change

This work explores quick predictive methods for calculating potentially risky stresses and deflections in cemented doublets experiencing temperature change that agree well with finite element analysis. There are three failure modes of interest: cohesive failure of the adhesive, delamination (surface bond failure or debonding), and glass fracture. Adhesive theory, confirmed by finite element analysis, predicts stress singularities that complicate interpretation of the stress calculations. The presence of a stress singularity indicates the breakdown of linear elastic assumptions, but damage initiation and stress singularities are related. The authors find that geometry details near a bond edge can exacerbate or minimize damage initiation and stress concentrations. Because the interpretation of the stress results is complicated, the authors investigated predicted stresses in doublets that have been successfully tested between -40 and 85 °C. This study found that the product (∆T ∙ ∆α) should be less than 189 ppm, where ∆T is the temperature excursion and ∆α is the difference in glass coefficient of thermal expansion. If the product (∆T ∙ ∆α) is equal to or greater than 189 ppm, further analysis and testing is warranted. But the authors also show that the fabrication process can significantly influence stress failure, particularly with large diameter doublets

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enriched immersed finite element and isogeometric analysis: algorithms and data structures

Immersed finite element methods provide a convenient analysis framework for problems involving geometrically complex domains, such as those found in topology optimization and microstructures for engineered materials. However, their implementation remains a major challenge due to, among other things, the need to apply nontrivial stabilization schemes and generate custom quadrature rules. This article introduces the robust and computationally efficient algorithms and data structures comprising an immersed finite element preprocessing framework. The input to the preprocessor consists of a background mesh and one or more geometries defined on its domain. The output is structured into groups of elements with custom quadrature rules formatted such that common finite element assembly routines may be used without or with only minimal modifications. The key to the preprocessing framework is the construction of material topology information, concurrently with the generation of a quadrature rule, which is then used to perform enrichment and generate stabilization rules. While the algorithmic framework applies to a wide range of immersed finite element methods using different types of meshes, integration, and stabilization schemes, the preprocessor is presented within the context of the extended isogeometric analysis. This method utilizes a structured B-spline mesh, a generalized Heaviside enrichment strategy considering the material layout within individual basis functions’ supports, and face-oriented ghost stabilization. Using a set of examples, the effectiveness of the enrichment and stabilization strategies is demonstrated alongside the preprocessor’s robustness in geometric edge cases. Additionally, the performance and parallel scalability of the implementation are evaluated.

Computer implementation↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Practical Analysis Framework for Assessment of Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers in High-Temperature Nuclear Service

Abstract Printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) have high thermal efficiency because of the numerous minuscule channels. These minuscule channels result in a high thermal exchange area per unit volume, making PCHE a top contender for an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) in high-temperature reactors. Thousands of minuscule channels make finite element analysis of the PCHE computationally infeasible. A two-dimensional analysis is usually performed for the PCHE core, which cannot simulate the local channel level responses reasonably because of the absence of global constraint influence. At present, there is no analysis technique available in the ASME Code or literature that is computationally efficient and suitable for engineers to estimate PCHE local responses. A novel but practical two-step analysis framework is proposed for performing PCHE analysis. In the first step, the channeled core is replaced by orthotropic solids with similar stiffness to simulate the global thermomechanical elastic responses of the PCHE. In the second step, local submodel analysis with detailed channel geometry and loading is performed using the elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) material model. The proposed two-step analysis technique provides a unique capability to estimate the channel corner responses to be used for PCHE performance assessment. This study first developed a methodology for calculating the elastic orthotropic properties of the PCHE core. Next, the two-step analysis is performed for a realistic size PCHE core, and different issues observed in the results are scrutinized and resolved. Finally, a practical finite element analysis framework for PCHEs in high-temperature nuclear service is recommended.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2022

Minimizing thickness variation in monolithic U-10Mo fuel foil and Zr interlayer during hot rolling: A microstructure-based finite element method analysis

Low-enriched uranium alloyed with 10 wt. % molybdenum (U-10Mo) has been identified as a promising alternative to highly enriched uranium fuel for the United States’ high performance research reactors. The monolithic U-10Mo fuel plate consists of a metallic U-10Mo fuel foil with a 25 µm Zr interlayer and a relatively thick cladding of aluminum alloy 6061. The Zr interlayer is typically applied during the hot co-rolling process, and this process dictates the uniformity of the Zr interlayer. Thickness variation observed in the U-10Mo and Zr interlayer has been attributed to several sources: the initial grain size of the U-10Mo castings, can materials, rolling temperature, inhomogeneous molybdenum content, and porosity in the cast U-10Mo. This thickness variation limits the ability to meet the dimensional specification; thus, a better understanding of the factors causing the nonuniform thickness is needed. In this work, we used a novel, microstructure-based finite element method to model the hot rolling process to address these concerns. Grain microstructures in U-10Mo were tessellated and explicitly considered in the finite element model. Each grain was assigned a random material property to mimic the grain strength variations induced by different grain orientations. Simulations were performed using six steel can thicknesses, four grain sizes, and with or without a Zr interlayer to investigate the influences of those variables on the thickness nonuniformity. The simulation results showed that a thinner steel can and finer U-10Mo grain size reduce thickness variations in both the U-10Mo fuel foil and Zr interlayer. The direct findings from the simulations and analysis can be used to optimize the hot rolling schedule, reduce fabrication defects, and meet the dimensional specifications. The proposed microstructure-based finite element model can be also coupled with experimental microstructure characterization data, images, and models to simulate multi-pass hot rolling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Poromechanical cohesive interface element with combined Mode I-II cohesive zone elastoplasticity for simulating fracture in fluid-saturated porous media

A combined Mode I-II cohesive zone (CZ) elasto-plastic constitutive model, and a two-dimensional (2D) cohesive interface element (CIE) are formulated and implemented at small strain within an ABAQUS User Element (UEL) for simulating 2D crack nucleation and propagation in fluid-saturated porous media. Here, the CZ model mitigates problems of convergence for the global Newton-Raphson solver within ABAQUS, which when combined with a viscous stabilization procedure allows for simulation of post-peak response under load control for coupled poromechanical finite element analysis, such as concrete gravity dam stability analysis. Verification examples are presented, along with a more complex ambient limestone-concrete wedge fracture experiment, water-pressurized concrete wedge experiment, and concrete gravity dam stability analyses. A calibration procedure for estimating the CZ parameters is demonstrated with the limestone-concrete wedge fracture process. For the water-pressurized concrete wedge fracture experiment it is shown that the inherent time-dependence of the poromechanical CIE analysis provides a good match with experimental force versus displacement results at various crack mouth opening rates, yet misses the pore water pressure evolution ahead of the crack tip propagation. This is likely a result of the concrete being partially-saturated in the experiment, whereas the finite element analysis assumes fully water saturated concrete. For the concrete gravity dam analysis, it is shown that base crack opening and associated water uplift pressure leads to a reduced Factor of Safety, which is confirmed by separate analytical calculations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗