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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 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Modeling of heavy-gas effects on airfoil flows

Thermodynamic models were constructed for a calorically imperfect gas and for a non-ideal gas. These were incorporated into a quasi one dimensional flow solver to develop an understanding of the differences in flow behavior between the new models and the perfect gas model. The models were also incorporated into a two dimensional flow solver to investigate their effects on transonic airfoil flows. Specifically, the calculations simulated airfoil testing in a proposed high Reynolds number heavy gas test facility. The results indicate that the non-idealities caused significant differences in the flow field, but that matching of an appropriate non-dimensional parameter led to flows similar to those in air.

Drela, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1973

A local eddy viscosity model for turbulent shear flow

In the model described, the eddy viscosity is assumed to be a fluid property dependent on the state of the fluid locally, namely the local density, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulence scale, and Mach number. An empirical law was found which related eddy viscosity to these properties satisfactorily for free jets. This law is used without modification for a set of test cases in free shear layers, free-jet decay, coaxial mixing, and wakes. The scale of turbulence is taken as a constant at any axial location equal to the width of the shear layer. By utilizing the boundary-layer order-of-magnitude analysis, a coupled set of fluid dynamic equations is formulated, which of necessity includes the equation for the production of turbulent kinetic energy.

Ortwerth, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A computer simulation of the turbocharged turbo compounded diesel engine system: A description of the thermodynamic and heat transfer models

A computer simulation of the turbocharged turbocompounded direct-injection diesel engine system was developed in order to study the performance characteristics of the total system as major design parameters and materials are varied. Quasi-steady flow models of the compressor, turbines, manifolds, intercooler, and ducting are coupled with a multicylinder reciprocator diesel model, where each cylinder undergoes the same thermodynamic cycle. The master cylinder model describes the reciprocator intake, compression, combustion and exhaust processes in sufficient detail to define the mass and energy transfers in each subsystem of the total engine system. Appropriate thermal loading models relate the heat flow through critical system components to material properties and design details. From this information, the simulation predicts the performance gains, and assesses the system design trade-offs which would result from the introduction of selected heat transfer reduction materials in key system components, over a range of operating conditions.

Assanis, D. N.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Accounting for uncertainty in complex alluvial aquifer modeling by Bayesian multi-model approach

Alluvial aquifers by nature are complex caused by varied depositional environments. Developing a reliable groundwater model to represent an alluvial aquifer is non-trivial. Also, relying on a single best calibrated model may not be sufficient because of an inadequate choice of model parameter values. To better understand groundwater dynamics and improve model prediction reliability, this study presents a Bayesian multi-model uncertainty quantification (BMMUQ) framework to account for model parameter uncertainty in complex alluvial groundwater modeling. The methodology was applied to the agriculturally intensive Mississippi River alluvial aquifer (MRAA), Northeast Louisiana. An aquifer architecture was first constructed using 7,259 well logs in the MRAA area which covers three fluvial deposits (alluvium, braided-stream terrace, and braided-stream terrace-loess). A 12-layer MODFLOW model was then developed to address the alluvial aquifer complexity and well calibrated through a genetic algorithm. This study quantified model parameter uncertainty in hydraulic conductivity and specific storage of sand facies. Bayesian model averaging (BMA) with the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm was adopted to derive posterior model weights and head variances of 50 alternative conceptual groundwater flow models, and thereby obtains BMA ensemble model predictions instead of only relying on the best calibrated conceptual model. Overall, results show that an estimated around 950 million m3 of groundwater storage loss occurs in 2015 with respect to the beginning of 2004, due to high groundwater demand for irrigation in the MRAA area. Explicitly quantifying model uncertainty can produce more reliable groundwater level predictions from BMA ensemble model. The presented groundwater modeling framework improves our understanding of the MRAA and provides a valuable tool to assist agricultural water management.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1973

Theory of a generalized Helmholtz resonator.

Based on the jet-flow model which is manifested in the nonlinearity of the orifice flow upon the passage of a high intensity wave, the theory of a generalized Helmholtz resonator has been developed. The results for some special devices, such as the conventional Helmholtz resonator and the quarter-wave tube, can be obtained through this general approach. The performance of the acoustic damper is characterized by a quantity known as the real part of the admittance coefficient. It is known that the conventional Helmholtz resonator has the lowest peak performance but the response is quite flat over a certain frequency range. On the other hand, a quarter-wave tube offers the largest peak in energy absorption with rather poor off-resonance behavior. Once the orifice length goes beyond the quarter-wave tube configuration, the performance of the so-called long damping device is even less attractive away from resonance.

Tang, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Remote sensing applications to hydrologic modeling

An energy balance snowmelt model for rugged terrain was devised and coupled to a flow model. A literature review of remote sensing applications to hydrologic modeling was included along with a software development outline.

Dozier, J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Effects of noise radiated from convected ring sources in coaxial dual flow. Part 1: The noise from unheated jets

The effects of flight on sound radiated from embedded, uncorrelated ring sources convecting along the midst of the primary and the secondary streams of a coaxial dual flow which emerges from a moving nozzle into the ambience are studied. Cold jets are examined. The problem is posed as a double vortex-sheet flow model which involves deliberate suppression of inherent instabilities of the flow and is formulated, as a linear problem, in terms of the combined contributions of two independent uncorrelated quadrupole-type ring sources, the one convecting in the primary flow representing the sources generated due to the interaction at the primary/secondary interface and the other convecting in the secondary flow representing the sources generated due to the interaction at the secondary/ambient interface. The analysis shows that the effects of flight induce (1) amplication of noise in the forward quadrant, (2) reduction of noise in the aft quadrant and (3) absolutely no impact on radiation of noise at Theta = 90 deg to the jet axis.

Dash, R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Flight effects on noise from coaxial dual flow. I - Unheated jets

The effects of flight on sound radiated from embedded, uncorrelated ring sources convecting along the midst of the primary and the secondary streams of a coaxial dual flow which emerges from a moving nozzle into the ambience are studied. Cold jets are examined. The problem is posed as a double vortex-sheet flow model which involves deliberate suppression of inherent instabilities of the flow and is formulated, as a linear problem, in terms of the combined contributions of two independent uncorrelated quadrupole-type ring sources, the one convecting in the primary flow representing the sources generated due to the interaction at the primary/secondary interface and the other convecting in the secondary flow representing the sources generated due to the interaction at the secondary/ambient interface. The analysis shows that the effects of flight induce: (1) amplication of noise in the forward quadrant, (2) reduction of noise in the aft quadrant and (3) absolutely no impact on radiation of noise at Theta = 90 deg to the jet axis.

Dash, R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

New results concerning the Galactic fountain

The time-dependent nonequilibrium thermal and ionization history is traced of hot optically-thin radiatively-cooling gas in a 1D planar steady-state flow model of the Galactic fountain. The calculation of such a flow which neglects photoionization is found to be unable to simultaneously reproduce the observed C IV, Si IV, and N V column densities through Galactic halo gas. It is shown that, when photoionization is taken into account, a fountain flow can match the observations of both UV absorption and emission lines for a range of ionizing fluxes which depends on the characteristic size of the cooling regions within the flow. What levels of the external photoionizing flux, such as that contributed by Galactic starlight, supernova remnants, and the metagalactic radiation background, can produce agreement with observational results are determined. The ionizing radiation emitted by the cooling gas itself is found to be sufficient to cause the flow to match the observed column densities and line emission.

Shapiro, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Reduction of vortex-induced vibration in vane geometries

Computations using a time-accurate, compressible Navier-Stokes flow model were conducted to analyze both unsteady laminar and turbulent flows over two curved configurations of vanes which were shaped to treat a 4.0 kHz vibration problem which has occurred in several SSMEs. This problem involves vortex shedding from vanes which causes excessive vane vibration and cracking. The original vane configuration exhibited strong flow-induced vibrations at a Strouhal number near 0.19 for a the first bending mode excitation. Scalloping of the leading edge raised the frequency of the vane's first torsional mode, which in turn increased the onset flow velocity at lock-in. Beveling the vane's trailing edge eliminated vortex shedding at the trailing edge, which decoupled the flow oscillation from the vibrating wave. A modified vane configuration with a beveled trailing edge at a 30 deg angle was also studied.

Liu, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The instability of a liquid jet in a compressible airstream

The instability of a liquid jet immersed in a coflowing compressible airstream is investigated, for both two-dimensional and circular jets, using a simplified flow model in which the effects associated with the cross-flow component of velocity are ignored. Results of the analysis agreed qualitatively with experimental results in that they suggest a more violent instability when the free-stream Mach number is close to unity. It was also found that a change from convective to absolute instability occurs in this transonic flow regime.

Li, H.-S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Characterization of cavity flow fields using pressure data obtained in the Langley 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel

Static and fluctuating pressure distributions were obtained along the floor of a rectangular-box cavity in an experiment performed in the LaRC 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. The cavity studied was 11.25 in. long and 2.50 in. wide with a variable height to obtain length-to-height ratios of 4.4, 6.7, 12.67, and 20.0. The data presented herein were obtained for yaw angles of 0 deg and 15 deg over a Mach number range from 0.2 to 0.9 at a Reynolds number of 30 x 10(exp 6) per ft with a boundary-layer thickness of approximately 0.5 in. The results indicated that open and transitional-open cavity flow supports tone generation at subsonic and transonic speeds at Mach numbers of 0.6 and above. Further, pressure fluctuations associated with acoustic tone generation can be sustained when static pressure distributions indicate that transitional-closed and closed flow fields exist in the cavity. Cavities that support tone generation at 0 deg yaw also supported tone generation at 15 deg yaw when the flow became transitional-closed. For the latter cases, a reduction in tone amplitude was observed. Both static and fluctuating pressure data must be considered when defining cavity flow fields, and the flow models need to be refined to accommodate steady and unsteady flows.

Tracy, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Modeling of HiPco Process for Carbon Nanotube Production

High-pressure carbon monoxide (HiPco) reactor, developed at Rice University, is used to produce single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) from gas-phase reactions of iron carbonyl and nickel carbonyl in carbon monoxide at high pressures (10 - 100 atm). Computational modeling is used to better understand the HiPco process. In the present model, decomposition of the precursor, metal cluster formation and growth, and carbon nanotube growth are addressed. Decomposition of precursor molecules is necessary to initiate metal cluster formation. The metal clusters serve as catalysts for carbon nanotube growth. Diameter of metal clusters and number of atoms in these clusters are some of the essential information for predicting carbon nanotube formation and growth, which is then modeled by Boudouard reaction (2CO ---> C(s) + CO2) with metal catalysts. The growth kinetic model is integrated with a two-dimensional axisymmetric reactor flow model to predict reactor performance.

Gokcen, T.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Modeling of the HiPco process for carbon nanotube production. II. Reactor-scale analysis

The high-pressure carbon monoxide (HiPco) process, developed at Rice University, has been reported to produce single-walled carbon nanotubes from gas-phase reactions of iron carbonyl in carbon monoxide at high pressures (10-100 atm). Computational modeling is used here to develop an understanding of the HiPco process. A detailed kinetic model of the HiPco process that includes of the precursor, decomposition metal cluster formation and growth, and carbon nanotube growth was developed in the previous article (Part I). Decomposition of precursor molecules is necessary to initiate metal cluster formation. The metal clusters serve as catalysts for carbon nanotube growth. The diameter of metal clusters and number of atoms in these clusters are some of the essential information for predicting carbon nanotube formation and growth, which is then modeled by the Boudouard reaction with metal catalysts. Based on the detailed model simulations, a reduced kinetic model was also developed in Part I for use in reactor-scale flowfield calculations. Here this reduced kinetic model is integrated with a two-dimensional axisymmetric reactor flow model to predict reactor performance. Carbon nanotube growth is examined with respect to several process variables (peripheral jet temperature, reactor pressure, and Fe(CO)5 concentration) with the use of the axisymmetric model, and the computed results are compared with existing experimental data. The model yields most of the qualitative trends observed in the experiments and helps to understanding the fundamental processes in HiPco carbon nanotube production.

Validation Studies↗
NASA NTRS2019

Subsurface Cl-bearing salts as potential contributors to recurring slope lineae (RSL) on Mars

We report laboratory experimental results that support a brine-related hypothesis for the recurring slope lineae (RSL) on Mars in which the subsurface Cl-salts, i.e., hydrous chlorides and oxychlorine salts (HyCOS) are the potential source materials. Our experiments revealed that within the observed RSL temperature window TRSL (250–300 K), the deliquescence of HyCOS could occur in relative humidity ranges (RH≥22%–46%) much lower than those for hydrous (Mg, Fe)-sulfates (RH≥75%–96%). In addition, we demonstrated that the RH values kept by common HyCOS and hydrous sulfates in enclosures have a general trend as RH(sulfates) > RH(perchlorates) > RH(chlorides) (with same type of cation) in wide T range. It means that the required RH range for a Cl-bearing salt to deliquescence can be satisfied by a co-existing salt of different type, e.g., in the subsurface layers of mixed salts on Mars. Furthermore, we found a strong temperature dependence of the deliquescence rates for all tested HyCOS, e.g., a duration of 1–5 sols for all HyCOS at the high end (300 K) of TRSL, and of 20–70 sols for all tested HyCOS (except NaClO4·H2O) at the low end (250 K) of TRSL, which is consistent with the observed seasonal behavior of RSL on Mars. From a mass-balance point of view, the currently observed evidences on Mars do not support a fully-brine-wetted track model, thus we suggest a brine-triggered granular-flow model for the most RSL. Considering the recurrence of RSL in consecutive martian years, our experimental results support the rehydration of remnant HyCOS layers during a martian cold season through H2O vapor-to-salt direct interaction. We found that the evidences of HyCOS rehydration under Mars relevant P-T-RH conditions are detectable in a few minutes by in situ Raman spectroscopy. This rehydration would facilitate the recharge of H2O back into subsurface HyCOS, which could serve as the source material to trigger RSL in a subsequent warm season. The major limiting factor for this rehydration is the H2O supply, i.e., the H2O vapor density carried by current Mars atmospheric circulation and the diffusion rate of H2O vapor into the salt-rich subsurface in a cold season. In a worst-case scenario, these H2O supplies can support a maximum increase of hydration degrees of two for totally dehydrated HyCOS, whereas the full rehydration of subsurface HyCOS layers can be easily reached during a>30° obliquity period that has H2O vapor density 10× to 20× times the value of current obliquity. Overall, our results imply the existence of a large amount of Cl-bearing salts in the subsurface at RSL sites.

Alian Wang↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling a Sodium Heat Pipe Experiment at SPHERE Using Sockeye

The Single Primary Heat Extraction and Rejection Emulator (SPHERE) facility at Idaho National Laboratory was recently utilized to generate data for the startup and steady operation of a high-performance, sodium heat pipe over the course of 1,000 hours to test the detrimental, long-term effects of heat pipe operation. The setup consisted of a single, sodium heat pipe enclosed in a stainless-steel vacuum chamber, heated radiatively via a cylindrical ceramic-fiber heater configuration and cooled via a water-cooled calorimeter. Measurements included temperatures at several axial locations along the outer surface of the heat pipe, the power provided to the heaters, and the heat removal rate of the calorimeter. In this work, we use this data to validate heat pipe models in Sockeye, a heat pipe application based on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework. Sockeye provides various heat pipe models at an engineering scale appropriate for the multiphysics simulation of microreactors, which may feature several hundred heat pipes. This work details models of this experiment at SPHERE using various heat pipe models with Sockeye, including heat-conduction-based and compressible flow models of the heat pipe interior.

97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Development of a Comprehensive Two-Phase Flow Database for the Validation of NEK-2P

Three-dimensional (3-D) two-phase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes are emerging as a powerful and potentially practical tool for applications in which detailed local flow information is needed. However, two-phase flow models and associated closure relations are not well established for CFD applications, which is partly due to the lack of high-quality validation data. The main objective of this work is to develop a comprehensive database of two-phase flows that can be used to validate two-phase CFD codes such as NEK-2P. In this project, four advanced local measurement systems, including Particle Image Velocimetry and Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PIV-PLIF), high-speed imaging, x-ray densitometry, and multi-sensor conductivity probe are employed to measure the local two-phase flow parameters of both gas and liquid phases. By combining these techniques, the local void fraction, bubble velocity, interfacial area concentration, bubble frequency, liquid velocity, turbulence intensity, etc., in various two-phase flow regimes can be obtained. These local measurement techniques are first used in a 25.4 mm circular pipe test section. Seven air-water two-phase flow conditions spanning the bubbly, slug, churn-turbulent, and annular flow regimes are measured in this facility. The obtained database contains the radial profiles of both gas- and liquid-phase parameters at three axial locations along the test section. The second facility used in this work contains a 30 mm × 10 mm rectangular test section, in which three two-phase flow and two single-phase flow conditions are measured. Two-dimensional distributions of local two-phase flow parameters in the cross-sectional plane are measured in this facility at three axial locations as well. A facility featuring a 3×3 electrically heated rod bundle is also designed and being constructed in this project. This facility is specially designed for optical measurements and is expected to provide high-quality boiling data in the future. Preliminary analyses have been performed for the data taken in the 25.4 mm circular pipe. Both center-peaked and wall-peaked void fraction profiles have been observed in the data depending on the two-phase flow conditions and/or developing lengths. The 1-D drift-flux model was evaluated with the newly obtained datasets, in which both gas- and liquid-phases data were directly measured. The distribution parameter model has been optimized based on a new void-profile classification method proposed in this study. The optimized drift-flux model shows a significant improvement in predicting both gas velocity and void fraction. The measured liquid-phase turbulence was used to benchmark Sato’s turbulence model considering the bubble-induced shear stress for the three tested bubbly flows. The benchmark results showed good agreement between the PIV measurements and model predictions. In the bubbly flows tested that have low void fractions less than 3%, the effect of the bubble-induced turbulence was found not significant. However, the bubble-induced shear stress becomes important with the increase of the void fraction. The Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) model was developed and implemented in NEK-2P. This model allows the coupled simulation of the solid domain and two-phase fluid domain, allowing the specification of realistic boundary conditions. The CHT implementation was verified first with non-boiling simulations. The predicted temperatures in the fluid domain were shown to be identical in simulations with or without the CHT model. The CHT model was then validated through simulations of three Becker benchmark CHF tests performed under both Dryout (DO) and Departure from Nucleate Boiling (DNB) conditions. Reasonably good agreement was obtained between calculated wall temperatures and corresponding experimental data.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1995

Two-stream modeling of plasmaspheric refilling

Plasmaspheric refilling on an L = 4 flux tube was studied by using a time-dependent, hydrodynamic plasmaspheric flow model in which the ion streams from the two hemispheres are treated as distinct fluids. In the model the continuity, momentum, and energy equations of a two-ion (O(+) and H(+)), quasi-neutral, currentless plasma are solved along a closed geomagnetic field line; diffusive equilibrium is not assumed. collisions between all stream pairs and with neutral species are included. The model includes a corotating, tilted dipole magnetic field and neutral winds. Ionospheric sources and sinks are accounted for in a self-consistent manner. Electrons are assumed to be heated by photoelectrons. The model flux tube extends from a 200-km altitude in one hemisphere to a 200-km altitude in the other hemisphere. Initially, the upwelling streams pass through each other practically unimpeded. When the streams approach the boundary in the conjugate ionosphere, a shock develops there, which moves upward and dissipates slowly; at about the same time a reverse shock develops in the hemisphere of origin, which moves upward. After about 1 hour, large shocks develop in each stream near the equator; these shocks move toward the equator and downward after crossing the equator. However, these shocks are probably artificial, because counterstreaming flows occur in each H(+) fluid, which the model can only handle by creating shocks.

Guiter, S. M.↗