Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Flow dynamics”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 739 records · Page 41

Bottomonium suppression and elliptic flow using Heavy Quarkonium Quantum Dynamics

We introduce a framework called Heavy Quarkonium Quantum Dynamics (HQQD) which can be used to compute the dynamical suppression of heavy quarkonia propagating in the quark-gluon plasma using real-time in-medium quantum evolution. Using HQQD we compute large sets of real-time solutions to the Schrödinger equation using a realistic in-medium complex-valued potential. We sample 2 million quarkonia wave packet trajectories and evolve them through the QGP using HQQD to obtain their survival probabilities. The computation is performed using three different HQQD model parameter sets in order to estimate our systematic uncertainty. After taking into account final state feed down we compare our results to existing experimental data for the suppression and elliptic flow of bottomonium states and find that HQQD predictions are good agreement with available data for R AA as a function of N part and p T collected at \( \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} \) = 5 . 02 TeV. In the case of v 2 for the various states, we find that the path-length dependence of ϒ(1 s ) suppression results in quite small v 2 for ϒ(1 s ). Our prediction for the integrated elliptic flow for ϒ(1 s ) in the 10 – 90% centrality class, which now includes an estimate of the systematic error, is v 2 [ϒ(1 s )] = 0 . 003 ± 0 . 0007 ± \( {}_{0.0013}^{0.0006} \) . We also find that, due to their increased suppression, excited bottomonium states have a larger elliptic flow. Based on this observation we make predictions for v 2 [ϒ(2 s )] and v 2 [ϒ(3 s )] as a function of centrality and transverse momentum.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Modeling of shallow and inefficient convection in the outer layers of the Sun using realistic physics

In an attempt to understand the properties of convective energy transport in the solar convective zone, a numerical model has been constructed for turbulent flows in a compressible, radiation-coupled, nonmagnetic, gravitationally stratified medium using a realistic equation of state and realistic opacities. The time-dependent, three-dimensional hydrodynamic equations are solved with minimal simplifications. The statistical information obtained from the present simulation provides an improved undserstanding of solar photospheric convection. The characteristics of solar convection in shallow regions is parameterized and compared with the results of Chan & Sofia's (1989) simulations of deep and efficient convection. We assess the importance of the zones of partial ionization in the simulation and confirm that the radiative energy transfer is negliglble throughout the region except in the uppermost scale heights of the convection zone, a region of very high superadiabaticity. When the effects of partial ionization are included, the dynamics of flows are altered significantly. However, we confirm the Chan & Sofia result that kinetic energy flux is nonnegligible and can have a negative value in the convection zone.

Kim, Yong-Cheol↗

Introduction to the internal fluid mechanics research session

Internal fluid mechanics research at LeRC is directed toward an improved understanding of the important flow physics affecting aerospace propulsion systems, and applying this improved understanding to formulate accurate predictive codes. To this end, research is conducted involving detailed experimentation and analysis. The following three papers summarize ongoing work and indicate future emphasis in three major research thrusts: inlets, ducts, and nozzles; turbomachinery; and chemical reacting flows. The underlying goal of the research in each of these areas is to bring internal computational fluid mechanic to a state of practical application for aerospace propulsion systems. Achievement of this goal requires that carefully planned and executed experiments be conducted in order to develop and validate useful codes. It is critical that numerical code development work and experimental work be closely coupled. The insights gained are represented by mathematical models that form the basis for code development. The resultant codes are then tested by comparing them with appropriate experiments in order to ensure their validity and determine their applicable range. The ultimate user community must be a part of this process to assure relevancy of the work and to hasten its practical application. Propulsion systems are characterized by highly complex and dynamic internal flows. Many complex, 3-D flow phenomena may be present, including unsteadiness, shocks, and chemical reactions. By focusing on specific portions of a propulsion system, it is often possible to identify the dominant phenomena that must be understood and modeled for obtaining accurate predictive capability. The three major research thrusts serve as a focus leading to greater understanding of the relevant physics and to an improvement in analytic tools. This in turn will hasten continued advancements in propulsion system performance and capability.

Miller, Brent A.↗

Dynamics and Structure of Dusty Reacting Flows: Inert Particles in Strained, Laminar, Premixed Flames

A detailed numerical study was conducted on the dynamics and thermal response of inert, spherical particles in strained, laminar, premixed hydrogen/air flames. The modeling included the solution of the steady conservation equations for both the gas and particle phases along and around the stagnation streamline of an opposed-jet configuration, and the use of detailed descriptions of chemical kinetics and molecular transport, For the gas phase, the equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species are considered, while for the particle phase, the model is based on conservation equations of the particle momentum balance in the axial and radial direction, the particle number density, and the particle thermal energy equation. The particle momentum equation includes the forces as induced by drag, thermophoresis, and gravity. The particle thermal energy equation includes the convective/conductive heat exchange between the two phases, as well as radiation emission and absorption by the particle. A one-point continuation method is also included in the code that allows for the description of turning points, typical of ignition and extinction behavior. As expected, results showed that the particle velocity can be substantially different than the gas phase velocity, especially in the presence of large temperature gradients and large strain rates. Large particles were also found to cross the gas stagnation plane, stagnate, and eventually reverse as a result of the opposing gas phase velocity. It was also shown that the particle number density varies substantially throughout the flowfield, as a result of the straining of the flow and the thermal expansion. Finally, for increased values of the particle number density, substantial flame cooling to extinction states and modification of the gas phase fluid mechanics were observed. As also expected, the effect of gravity was shown to be important for low convective velocities and heavy particles. Under such conditions, simulations indicate that the magnitude and direction of the gravitational force can substantially affect the profiles of the particle velocity, number density, mass flux, and temperature.

Egolfopoulos, Fokion N.↗

Dynamics and Structure of Dusty Reacting Flows: Inert Particles in Strained, Laminar, Premixed Flames

A detailed numerical study was conducted on the dynamics and thermal response of inert spherical particles in strained, laminar, premixed hydrogen/air flames. The modeling included the solution of the steady conservation equations for both the gas and particle phases along and around the stagnation streamline of an opposed-jet configuration, and the use of detailed descriptions of chemical kinetics and molecular transport. For the gas phase, the equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species are considered, while for the particle phase, the model is based on conservation equations of the particle momentum balance in the axial and radial direction, the particle number density, and the particle thermal energy equation. The particle momentum equation includes the forces as induced by drag, thermophoresis, and gravity. The particle thermal energy equation includes the convective/conductive heat exchange between the two phases, as well as radiation emission and absorption by the particle. A one-point continuation method is also included in the code that allows for the description of turning points, typical of ignition and extinction behavior. As expected, results showed that the particle velocity can be substantially different than the gas phase velocity, especially in the presence of large temperature gradients and large strain rates. Large particles were also found to cross the gas stagnation plane, stagnate, and eventually reverse as a result of the opposing gas phase velocity. It was also shown that the particle number density varies substantially throughout the flowfield, as a result of the straining of the flow and the thermal expansion. Finally, for increased values of the particle number density, substantial flame cooling to extinction states and modification of the gas phase fluid mechanics were observed. As also expected, the effect of gravity was shown to be important for low convective velocities and heavy particles. Under such conditions, simulations indicate that the magnitude and direction of the gravitational force can substantially affect the profiles of the particle velocity, number density, mass flux, and temperature.

Egolfopoulos, Fokion N.↗

Dynamics, statistics and predictability of planetary flow regimes

Consideration is given to regimes of low-frequency variability in large-scale atmospheric dynamics. The model utilized is the fully-nonlinear, equivalent-baratropic vorticity equation on the sphere, with simplified forcing, dissipation and topography. It is found that certain limited regions in the system's phase space are visited repeatedly and for extended periods by model solutions. Flow patterns coupled with these regions correspond to synoptically-defined zonal and blocked Northern Hemisphere midlatitude flows. It is shown that the system's macrodynamics can be depicted by two or more planetary flow regimes, the expected residence time in each regime, and the transition properties from one regime to another. These model-derived ideas are also applied to a time series of atmospheric data from the Southern Hemisphere.

Ghil, Michael↗

Feasibility study of a high spatial and time resolution beam emission spectroscopy diagnostic for localized density fluctuation measurements in Lithium Tokamak eXperiment-β (LTX-β)

Trapped electron mode (TEM) is the main source of turbulence predicted for the unique operation regime of a flat temperature profile under low-recycling conditions in the LTX-β tokamak, while ion temperature gradient driven turbulence may also occur with gas fueling from the edge. To investigate mainly TEM scale density fluctuations, a high spatial and time resolution 2D beam emission spectroscopy (BES) diagnostic is being developed. Apart from spatially localized density turbulence measurement, BES can provide turbulence flow and flow shear dynamics. This BES system will be realized using an avalanche photodiode-based camera and narrow band interference filter. The system can acquire data at 2 MHz. Simulations with the Simulation of Spectra (SOS) code indicate that a high signal to noise ratio can be achieved with the proposed system. This will enable sampling the density fluctuations at this high time resolution. Finally, the design considerations and system optimization using the SOS code are presented.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Scaling laws for homogeneous turbulent shear flows in a rotating frame

The scaling properties of plane homogeneous turbulent shear flows in a rotating frame are examined mathematically by a direct analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations. It is proved that two such shear flows are dynamically similar if and only if their initial dimensionless energy spectrum E star (k star, 0), initial dimensionless shear rate SK sub 0/epsilon sub 0, initial Reynolds number K squared sub 0/nu epsilon sub 0, and the ration of the rotation rate to the shear rate omega/S are identical. Consequently, if universal equilibrium states exist, at high Reynolds numbers, they will only depend on the single parameter omega/S. The commonly assumed dependence of such equilibrium states on omega/S through the Richardson number Ri=-2(omega/S)(1-2 omega/S) is proven to be inconsistent with the full Navier-Stokes equations and to constitute no more than a weak approximation. To be more specific, Richardson number similarity is shown to only rigorously apply to certain low-order truncations of the Navier-Stokes equations (i.e., to certain second-order closure models) wherein closure is achieved at the second-moment level by assuming that the higher-order moments are a small perturbation of their isotropic states. The physical dependence of rotating turbulent shear flows on omega/S is discussed in detail along with the implications for turbulence modeling.

Speziale, Charles G.↗

Scaling laws for homogeneous turbulent shear flows in a rotating frame

The scaling properties of plane homogeneous turbulent shear flows in a rotating frame are examined mathematically by a direct analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations. It is proved that two such shear flows are dynamically similar if and only if their initial dimensionless energy spectrum E star (k star, 0), initial dimensionless shear rate SK sub 0/epsilon sub 0, initial Reynolds number K squared sub 0/nu epsilon sub 0, and the ration of the rotation rate to the shear rate omega/S are identical. Consequently, if universal equilibrium states exist, at high Reynolds numbers, they will only depend on the single parameter omega/S. The commonly assumed dependence of such equilibrium states on omega/S through the Richardson number Ri = -2(omega/S)(1-2 omega/S) is proven to be inconsistent with the full Navier-Stokes equations and to constitute no more than a weak approximation. To be more specific, Richardson number similarity is shown to only rigorously apply to certain low-order truncations of the Navier-Stokes equations (i.e., to certain second-order closure models) wherein closure is achieved at the second-moment level by assuming that the higher-order moments are a small perturbation of their isotropic states. The physical dependence of rotating turbulent shear flows on omega/S is discussed in detail along with the implications for turbulence modeling.

Speziale, Charles G.↗

Vibro-impact analysis and characterization of pipeline conveying fluids with multi-segmented motion-limiting constraints

Previous studies of the cantilevered pipeline conveying fluid system have included motion-limiting constraints in the form of trilinear springs. While this is desirable in experimental scenarios, it may not be representative of real-world applications. Therefore, here, this study focuses on multi-segmented motion-limiting constraints. As this type of motion-limiting constraint has not been investigated with a cantilevered pipeline system, a wide variety of outer and inner constraint stiffness and constraint gap sizes are investigated in this study to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the multi-segmented constraints affect the dynamics of the cantilevered pipeline. In this effort, bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, Poincare maps, time histories, and power spectra are used to investigate the dynamics of the system, and the fluid flow speeds where dynamic characteristics are considered. In general, it is found that critical flow speeds like when the pipe sticks in the constraints are reduced as the constraint stiffnesses are increased. Additionally, the sticking flow speed occurred at lower flow speeds as the gap sizes of the inner and outer constraints decrease, and a larger constraint offset results in a smaller inner gap size leading to critical behaviors occurring at earlier flow speeds.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Implementation of Speed Variation in the Structural Dynamic Assessment of Turbomachinery Flow-Path Components

During the design of turbomachinery flow path components, the assessment of possible structural resonant conditions is critical. Higher frequency modes of these structures are frequently found to be subject to resonance, and in these cases, design criteria require a forced response analysis of the structure with the assumption that the excitation speed exactly equals the resonant frequency. The design becomes problematic if the response analysis shows a violation of the HCF criteria. One possible solution is to perform "finite-life" analysis, where Miner's rule is used to calculate the actual life in seconds in comparison to the required life. In this situation, it is beneficial to incorporate the fact that, for a variety of turbomachinery control reasons, the speed of the rotor does not actually dwell at a single value but instead dithers about a nominal mean speed and during the time that the excitation frequency is not equal to the resonant frequency, the damage accumulated by the structure is diminished significantly. Building on previous investigations into this process, we show that a steady-state assumption of the response is extremely accurate for this typical case, resulting in the ability to quickly account for speed variation in the finite-life analysis of a component which has previously had its peak dynamic stress at resonance calculated. A technique using Monte Carlo simulation is also presented which can be used when specific speed time histories are not available. The implementation of these techniques can prove critical for successful turbopump design, as the improvement in life when speed variation is considered is shown to be greater than a factor of two.

Brown, Andrew M.↗

Implementation of Speed Variation in the Structural Dynamic Assessment of Turbomachinery Flow-Path Components

During the design of turbomachinery flow path components, the assessment of possible structural resonant conditions is critical. Higher frequency modes of these structures are frequently found to be subject to resonance, and in these cases, design criteria require a forced response analysis of the structure with the assumption that the excitation speed exactly equals the resonant frequency. The design becomes problematic if the response analysis shows a violation of the HCF criteria. One possible solution is to perform "finite-life" analysis, where Miner's rule is used to calculate the actual life in seconds in comparison to the required life. In this situation, it is beneficial to incorporate the fact that, for a variety of turbomachinery control reasons, the speed of the rotor does not actually dwell at a single value but instead dithers about a nominal mean speed and during the time that the excitation frequency is not equal to the resonant frequency, the damage accumulated by the structure is diminished significantly. Building on previous investigations into this process, we show that a steady-state assumption of the response is extremely accurate for this typical case, resulting in the ability to quickly account for speed variation in the finite-life analysis of a component which has previously had its peak dynamic stress at resonance calculated. A technique using Monte Carlo simulation is also presented which can be used when specific speed time histories are not available. The implementation of these techniques can prove critical for successful turbopump design, as the improvement in life when speed variation is considered is shown to be greater than a factor of two

Brown, Andrew M.↗

Active- and transfer-learning applied to microscale-macroscale coupling to simulate viscoelastic flows

Active- and transfer-learning are applied to microscale dynamics of polymer flows for the multiscale discovery of effective constitutive approximations required in viscoelastic flow simulation. The result is macroscopic rheology directly connected to a microstructural model. Micro and macroscale simulations are adaptively coupled by means of Gaussian process regression (GPR) to run the expensive microscale computations only as necessary. This multiscale method is demonstrated with flows of a polymer solution as a model system. At the microscale level dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is employed to model the fluid as a suspension of bead-spring micro-structures subjected to steady shear flow. The results yield the non-Newtonian viscosity and the first normal stress difference at strain rates as training data used in a GPR model. DPD parameters are calibrated with respect to experimental data for a real polymer solution. Compliance with these data requires adjustment of the DPD model's cutoff radius, which then becomes a function of the second invariant of the strain rate tensor. The FENE-P model is chosen for the macroscale description using the spectral element method (SEM) to simulate channel flow and flow past a circular cylinder. The DPD results at the lowest possible shear strain rate yield an estimate of the zero-shear rate viscosity, which allows the initiation of the macroscale flow by SEM as a Newtonian fluid. The resulting strain-rate field is surveyed to determine additional shear strain rate sampling points for the DPD system. This new information allows an initial fitting of parameters of the constitutive equation followed by new SEM simulations at the macroscale. Additionally, guided by active-learning GPR to select new sampling points, this process continues until convergence is achieved. The effectiveness of this new simulation paradigm for viscoelastic flows is tested with different macroscale operating conditions. The effective closure learned in the channel simulation is then transferred directly to the flow past a circular cylinder at low Reynolds number, where the results show that only two additional DPD simulations are required to achieve a satisfactory constitutive model. With an increase of the Reynolds number, the active-learning scheme automatically detects the inaccuracy of the learned constitutive model, and initiates additional DPD simulations for the extra data needed to once again close the microscale-macroscale coupled system. This new paradigm of active- and transfer-learning for multiscale modeling is readily applicable to other microscale-macroscale coupled simulations of complex fluids and other materials. Furthermore, the coupling between microscale and macroscale solvers can be seamlessly implemented with our open source multiscale universal interface (MUI) library.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Fully quantum algorithm for mesoscale fluid simulations with application to partial differential equations

Fluid flow simulations marshal our most powerful computational resources. In many cases, even this is not enough. Quantum computers provide an opportunity to speed up traditional algorithms for flow simulations. We show that lattice-based mesoscale numerical methods can be executed as efficient quantum algorithms due to their statistical features. This approach revises a quantum algorithm for lattice gas automata to reduce classical computations and state preparation at every time step. For this, the algorithm approximates the qubit relative phases and subtracts them at the end of each time step. Phases are evaluated using the iterative phase estimation algorithm and subtracted using single-qubit rotation phase gates. Further, this method optimizes the quantum resource required and makes it more appropriate for near-term quantum hardware. We also demonstrate how the checkerboard deficiency that the D1Q2 scheme presents can be resolved using the D1Q3 scheme. The algorithm is validated by simulating two canonical partial differential equations: the diffusion and Burgers' equations on different quantum simulators. We find good agreement between quantum simulations and classical solutions for the presented algorithm.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Computational fluid dynamics analysis of char conversion in Sandia’s pressurized entrained flow reactor

Design and analysis of practical reactors utilizing solid feedstocks rely on reaction rate parameters that are typically generated in lab-scale reactors. Evaluation of the reaction rate information often relies on assumptions of uniform temperature, velocity, and species distributions in the reactor, in lieu of detailed measurements that provide local information. This assumption might be a source of substantial error, since reactor designs can impose significant inhomogeneities, leading to data misinterpretation. Spatially resolved reactor simulations help understand the key processes within the reactor and support the identification of severe variations of temperature, velocity, and species distributions. In this work, Sandia’s pressurized entrained flow reactor is modeled to identify inhomogeneities in the reaction zone. Tracer particles are tracked through the reactor to estimate the residence times and burnout ratio of introduced coal char particles in gasifying environments. The results reveal a complex mixing environment for the cool gas and particles entering the reactor along the centerline and the main high-speed hot gas reactor flow. Furthermore, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results show that flow asymmetries are introduced through the use of a horizontal gas pre-heating section that connects to the vertical reactor tube. Computed particle temperatures and residence times in the reactor differ substantially from the idealized plug flow conditions typically evoked in interpreting experimental measurements. Furthermore, experimental measurements and CFD analysis of heat flow through porous refractory insulation suggest that for the investigated conditions (1350 °C, <20 atm), the thermal conductivity of the insulation does not increase substantially with increasing pressure.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Validation and parameterization of a novel physics-constrained neural dynamics model applied to turbulent fluid flow

We report, in fluid physics, data-driven models to enhance or accelerate time to solution are becoming increasingly popular for many application domains, such as alternatives to turbulence closures, system surrogates, or for new physics discovery. In the context of reduced order models of high-dimensional time-dependent fluid systems, machine learning methods grant the benefit of automated learning from data, but the burden of a model lies on its reduced-order representation of both the fluid state and physical dynamics. In this work, we build a physics-constrained, data-driven reduced order model for Navier–Stokes equations to approximate spatiotemporal fluid dynamics in the canonical case of isotropic turbulence in a triply periodic box. The model design choices mimic numerical and physical constraints by, for example, implicitly enforcing the incompressibility constraint and utilizing continuous neural ordinary differential equations for tracking the evolution of the governing differential equation. We demonstrate this technique on a three-dimensional, moderate Reynolds number turbulent fluid flow. In assessing the statistical quality and characteristics of the machine-learned model through rigorous diagnostic tests, we find that our model is capable of reconstructing the dynamics of the flow over large integral timescales, favoring accuracy at the larger length scales. More significantly, comprehensive diagnostics suggest that physically interpretable model parameters, corresponding to the representations of the fluid state and dynamics, have attributable and quantifiable impact on the quality of the model predictions and computational complexity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Tailoring material microstructure and property in wire-laser directed energy deposition through a wiggle deposition strategy

Developing effective strategies to directly control material microstructure, property, and anisotropy is an active research area in metal additive manufacturing. This work develops a wiggle deposition pattern for wire-laser directed energy deposition (DED) of 316L stainless steel (SS) to modify the solidification texture, particularly in the building direction, in as-deposited samples. Through multi-physics simulation, operando near-infrared imaging, and synchrotron x-ray characterization, it is found that the wiggle deposition strategy induces highly dynamic melt flow and oscillating thermal gradient in the melt pool, which is responsible for the variation of preferable grain growth direction and crystallographic texture in the sample. The specific texture reduces the anisotropy in the tensile strength of as-printed 316L SS samples cut along different directions. Also, it largely increases the ductility along the build direction. Crystal plasticity simulation is performed to correlate the sample texture with mechanical property. In conclusion, this work offers a unique approach for tailoring local properties through the control of melt pool instability by applying different tool paths.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗