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At least 739 records · Page 41

An Aerodynamic Analysis of a Spinning Missile with Dithering Canards

A generic spinning missile with dithering canards is used to demonstrate the utility of an overset structured grid approach for simulating the aerodynamics of rolling airframe missile systems. The approach is used to generate a modest aerodynamic database for the generic missile. The database is populated with solutions to the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. It is used to evaluate grid resolution requirements for accurate prediction of instantaneous missile loads and the relative aerodynamic significance of angle-of-attack, canard pitching sequence, viscous effects, and roll-rate effects. A novel analytical method for inter- and extrapolation of database results is also given.

Meakin, Robert L.↗

Towards a Comprehensive Computational Simulation System for Turbomachinery

The objective of this work is to develop algorithms associated with a comprehensive computational simulation system for turbomachinery flow fields. This development is accomplished in a modular fashion. These modules includes grid generation, visualization, network, simulation, toolbox, and flow modules. An interactive grid generation module is customized to facilitate the grid generation process associated with complicated turbomachinery configurations. With its user-friendly graphical user interface, the user may interactively manipulate the default settings to obtain a quality grid within a fraction of time that is usually required for building a grid about the same geometry with a general-purpose grid generation code. Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline formulations are utilized in the algorithm to maintain geometry fidelity while redistributing grid points on the solid surfaces. Bezier curve formulation is used to allow interactive construction of inner boundaries. It is also utilized to allow interactive point distribution. Cascade surfaces are transformed from three-dimensional surfaces of revolution into two-dimensional parametric planes for easy manipulation. Such a transformation allows these manipulated plane grids to be mapped to surfaces of revolution by any generatrix definition. A sophisticated visualization module is developed to al-low visualization for both grid and flow solution, steady or unsteady. A network module is built to allow data transferring in the heterogeneous environment. A flow module is integrated into this system, using an existing turbomachinery flow code. A simulation module is developed to combine the network, flow, and visualization module to achieve near real-time flow simulation about turbomachinery geometries. A toolbox module is developed to support the overall task. A batch version of the grid generation module is developed to allow portability and has been extended to allow dynamic grid generation for pitch changing turbomachinery configurations. Various applications with different characteristics are presented to demonstrate the success of this system.

Shih, Ming-Hsin↗

Methods for estimating X-ray machine output through measurement and simulation

We report ball grid arrays are increasingly being applied in the electronics industry and may require X-ray inspection to ensure the integrity and correct placement of solder pins. However, as the architecture of integrated circuits continues to narrow while simultaneously growing more complex, the risk of electronic failure due to radiation damage increases. While medical X-ray devices have been held to high standards and are repeatedly shown to be well characterized, devices used for electronic inspection are often lacking detailed characterization. This study presents unique methods to solve for important properties in X-ray inspection devices such as source to object distance and energy spectrum. This information can then be applied to Monte Carlo models to achieve better overall dose estimates to electronics, which will lead to superior manufactured products. Since X-ray devices can vary greatly in source characteristics, this work investigates spectral measurement and Monte Carlo representation of three X-ray devices. For a Philips SRO 33 100 medical diagnostic device, the spectral output followed expected trends given by the prediction software SpekCalc and Spektr. For the Dage XD7500NT, direct measurement showed a spectral artifact that through the use of Gafchromic films, was shown to be a contributing effect in the dose output. For the Rad Source RS1800, a high powered irradiation device, direct spectral measurement was not achieved. However, a Monte Carlo model using an assumed spectra was found to match ion chamber measurements to a high degree.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Calculating frequency at loads in simulations of electro-mechanical transients

This paper introduces a new method for calculating frequency at an electrical load in simulations of electro-mechanical transients. The method is designed for simulation studies that require accurate models of sensors such as phasor measurement units and F-Net devices, which measure frequency at locations away from generating plants. These sensors are poised to become critical components in the control systems of electrical power grids, and therefore simulation tools that incorporate accurate models of these devices are essential. The method proposed here corrects two drawbacks of using numerically computed phase angle derivatives to approximate frequency. First, it eliminates spurious spikes in frequencies calculated at loads. Second, it eliminates instabilities induced by the simulator in studies of frequency responsive loads. The proposed method is derived from a simplified model of the generators and loads in an electrical system, but in the final analysis does not depend critically on these simplifications and is therefore applicable to more sophisticated models. The method is demonstrated with the simplified model applied to the IEEE 14 and 300 bus systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

An electrostatic analog for generating cascade grids

Accurate and efficient numerical simulation of flows through turbomachinery blade rows depends on the topology of the computational grids. These grids must reflect the periodic nature of turbomachinery blade row geometries and conform to the blade shapes. Three types of grids can be generated that meet these minimal requirements: through-flow grids, O-type grids, and C-type grids. A procedure which can be used to generate all three types of grids is presented. The resulting grids are orthogonal and can be stretched to capture the essential physics of the flow. A discussion is also presented detailing the extension of the generation procedure to three dimensional geometries.

Adamczyk, J. J.↗

Numerical simulation of a hovering rotor using embedded grids

The flow field for a rotor blade in hover was computed by numerically solving the compressible thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations on embedded grids. In this work, three embedded grids were used to discretize the flow field - one for the rotor blade and two to convect the rotor wake. The computations were performed at two hovering test conditions, for a two-bladed rectangular rotor of aspect ratio six. The results compare fairly with experiment and illustrates the use of embedded grids in solving helicopter type flow fields.

Duque, Earl-Peter N.↗

An implicit numerical scheme for the simulation of internal viscous flows on unstructured grids

The Navier-Stokes equations are solved numerically for two-dimensional steady viscous laminar flows. The grids are generated based on the method of Delaunay triangulation. A finite-volume approach is used to discretize the conservation law form of the compressible flow equations written in terms of primitive variables. A preconditioning matrix is added to the equations so that low Mach number flows can be solved economically. The equations are time marched using either an implicit Gauss-Seidel iterative procedure or a solver based on a conjugate gradient like method. A four color scheme is employed to vectorize the block Gauss-Seidel relaxation procedure. This increases the memory requirements minimally and decreases the computer time spent solving the resulting system of equations substantially. A factor of 7.6 speed up in the matrix solver is typical for the viscous equations. Numerical results are obtained for inviscid flow over a bump in a channel at subsonic and transonic conditions for validation with structured solvers. Viscous results are computed for developing flow in a channel, a symmetric sudden expansion, periodic tandem cylinders in a cross-flow, and a four-port valve. Comparisons are made with available results obtained by other investigators.

Jorgenson, Philip C. E.↗

On the metal/ZnO contacts in a sliding-bending piezoelectric nanogenerator

We carry out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and analyze the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of a ZnO nanowire (NW) under mechanical bending in a sliding-bending piezoelectric nanogenerator. The computational model contains a vertically aligned ZnO NW along the [0001] direction and a Pt (111) metal tip. MD simulations are performed to mimic the interfacial sliding dynamics of an atomic force microscope (AFM) metal tip sliding over a ZnO NW. Ionic charges for Zn and O in the ZnO NW are used to calculate the piezoelectric potential distributions in a grid-point matrix. Simulation results reveal the very detailed distributions of the piezoelectric potential within the ZnO NW, which are different from the continuum field theory predictions. The very similar variations of the lateral friction and contact forces versus the sliding distance of the AFM metal tip over the ZnO NW during repeated forward-backward sliding suggest that the metal/ZnO contact is robust. Moreover, the substantial contact area at the metal/ZnO interface suggests that a Schottky contact should be established at the interface, which needs further investigations.

Chemistry↗

On the diversity of magnetic interactions in close-in star-planet systems

Magnetic interactions between close-in planets and their host star can play an important role in the secular orbital evolution of the planets, as well as the rotational evolution of their host. As long as the planet orbits inside the Alfvén surface of the stellar wind, the magnetic interaction between the star and the planet can modify the wind properties and also lead to direct angular momentum transfers between the two. We model these star-planet interactions using compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, and quantify the angular momentum transfers between the star, the planet, and the stellar wind. We study the cases of magnetized and non-magnetized planets and vary the orbital radius inside the Alfvén surface of the stellar wind. Based on a grid of numerical simulations, we propose general scaling laws for the modification of the stellar wind torque, for the torque between the star and the planet, and for the planet migration associated with the star-planet magnetic interactions. We show that when the coronal magnetic field is large enough and the star is rotating sufficiently slowly, the effect of the magnetic star-planet interaction is comparable to tidal effects and can lead to a rapid orbital decay.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Quadrature Moments Method for the Simulation of Turbulent Reactive Flows

A sub-filter model for reactive flows, namely the DQMOM model, was formulated for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) using the filtered mass density function. Transport equations required to determine the location and size of the delta-peaks were then formulated for a 2-peak decomposition of the FDF. The DQMOM scheme was implemented in an existing structured-grid LES solver. Simulations of scalar shear layer using an experimental configuration showed that the first and second moments of both reactive and inert scalars are in good agreement with a conventional Lagrangian scheme that evolves the same FDF. Comparisons with LES simulations performed using laminar chemistry assumption for the reactive scalar show that the new method provides vast improvements at minimal computational cost. Currently, the DQMOM model is being implemented for use with the progress variable/mixture fraction model of Pierce. Comparisons with experimental results and LES simulations using a single-environment for the progress-variable are planned. Future studies will aim at understanding the effect of increase in environments on predictions.

Raman, Venkatramanan↗

Amplitude flux, probability flux, and gauge invariance in the finite volume scheme for the Schrödinger equation

The time-dependent Schrödinger equation can be put in a probability conserving, gauge invariant form, on arbitrary structured grids via finite volume discretization. The gauge terms in the discrete system cancel with a portion of the amplitude flux to produce abbreviated flux functions. The resulting time translation operator is strictly unitary, and is compatible with an efficient operator splitting scheme that allows for multi-dimensional simulation with complex grid geometries. Moreover, the abbreviated amplitude flux is necessary to the construction of a conservative probability current. This construction turns out to be important when computing Bohmian trajectories in multi-dimensions. Bohmian trajectories are useful in the interpretation of quantum mechanical phenomena such as tunneling ionization, and provide a bridge between quantum and classical regimes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Second release of the CoRe database of binary neutron star merger waveforms

Abstract We present the second data release of gravitational waveforms from binary neutron star (BNS) merger simulations performed by the Computational Relativity ( CoRe ) collaboration. The current database consists of 254 different BNS configurations and a total of 590 individual numerical-relativity simulations using various grid resolutions. The released waveform data contain the strain and the Weyl curvature multipoles up to ℓ = m = 4 . They span a significant portion of the mass, mass-ratio, spin and eccentricity parameter space and include targeted configurations to the events GW170817 and GW190425. CoRe simulations are performed with 18 different equations of state, seven of which are finite temperature models, and three of which account for non-hadronic degrees of freedom. About half of the released data are computed with high-order hydrodynamics schemes for tens of orbits to merger; the other half is computed with advanced microphysics. We showcase a standard waveform error analysis and discuss the accuracy of the database in terms of faithfulness. We present ready-to-use fitting formulas for equation of state-insensitive relations at merger (e.g. merger frequency), luminosity peak, and post-merger spectrum.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

New Mexico renewable development study

Since the early 1990s, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has applied electric grid models and simulation software to problems of national significance. This effort continues with a variety of other projects funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), other federal and state agencies and private companies. Critical to the success of these programs is the ability to integrate regional-scale models of the electric grid, to assess the propagation of grid impacts, and to present interactively the effect of potential mitigating actions required to stabilize the grid. All of these capabilities are applied in this study, to accomplish the following goals and objectives: (1) Develop an AC power flow model representing future conditions within New Mexico's electric grid, using commercial tools accepted by the utility industry; (2) Conduct a 'screening' analysis of options for accelerating potential renewable energy development through the addition of a statewide transmission collector system; (3) Estimate total revenue needed, jobs created (temporary and permanent) plus indirect and direct impacts to the state's economy; (4) Evaluate potential cost allocation methodology; and (5) Issue a project report that will provide information for policy direction by state regulators, project developers, and legislators.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Battery Performance, Thermal, and Life Modeling for Southern California Edison (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report)

The objective of this project is to develop battery performance models, thermal models and life models for SCE to use in simulation and analysis of grid services involving energy storage. NREL will fit the models to three separate chemistries using test data provided by SCE. The dataset for each chemistry will include electrical, thermal and aging response to different temperatures and cycling conditions, measured under a variety of cell-level and module-level experiments described in SCE test protocol documents. Once tuned to a test dataset, the battery system model software will provide predictions of battery energy and power loss, and thus cycle and calendar life, for any energy storage grid service power profile of interest to SCE. The automated battery life modeling and simulation tool can also be applied to any other grid battery systems as long as necessary input data is available to accelerate battery model development and battery lifetime analysis.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗