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At least 757 records · Page 42

Atmospheric disturbance model for aircraft and space capable vehicles

An atmospheric disturbance model (ADM) is developed that considers the requirements of advanced aerospace vehicles and balances algorithmic assumptions with computational constraints. The requirements for an ADM include a realistic power spectrum, inhomogeneity, and the cross-correlation of atmospheric effects. The baseline models examined include the Global Reference Atmospheric Model Perturbation-Modeling Technique, the Dryden Small-Scale Turbulence Description, and the Patchiness Model. The Program to Enhance Random Turbulence (PERT) is developed based on the previous models but includes a revised formulation of large-scale atmospheric disturbance, an inhomogeneous Dryden filter, turbulence statistics, and the cross-correlation between Dryden Turbulence Filters and small-scale thermodynamics. Verification with the Monte Carlo approach demonstrates that the PERT software provides effective simulations of inhomogeneous atmospheric parameters.

Chimene, Beau C.↗

Model-based estimation of wind fields over the ocean from wind scatterometer measurements. I - Development of the wind field model. II - Model parameter estimation

Techniques for the determination of near-surface mesoscale ocean wind fields on the basis of satellite scatterometer data are developed and demonstrated. The derivation of normal-boundary and parameterized-boundary-condition (PBC) wind-field models is outlined, and results from a simulation performed to estimate the model errors are presented in tables. It is shown that the PBC model provides accurate results while minimizing the number of unknowns. After a review of the principles of scatterometry and an analysis of scatterometer measurement noise, an objective function for the measurement parameters is developed and optimized on the basis of gradient search with initial values computed from pointwise wind estimates. The model is then applied to data from a simulation of the NASA Scatterometer (Li et al., 1984), and the results are presented in extensive graphs. The feasibility of model-based wind-field estimation and the appropriateness of the PBC model are demonstrated.

Long, David G.↗

Developing the Oxidation Kinetic Model for Magnetite Pellet

Oxidation is a vital phenomenon for magnetite pellets in their excursion through the furnace during induration. One of the pre-requisites for magnetite pellets to achieve homogeneously structured good quality pellets is to have complete oxidation before sintering begins. Partially oxidized magnetite pellets, upon sintering, might result in inhomogeneous structured pellets which could be detrimental to pellet quality. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms responsible for magnetite oxidation, and hence, it is intended in this study to investigate experimentally as well as develop a mathematical model based on oxidation kinetics. Oxidation of pellets is largely influenced by the oxidation kinetics of particles and hence should be studied at particle as well as at pellet scale. The principles of the Grain Model have been adopted to develop the Oxidation Model at pellet scale, whereas the particles’ oxidation follows the Avrami Kinetic Model. Isothermal oxidation experiments performed Thermogravimetric Analyzer showed that oxidation rate of magnetite at pellet scale contained two peaks. They were complemented well by oxidation rates predicted from the model. Further, the pellet was investigated microstructurally at pellet and particle scale to substantiate the findings from the experiments and the model. The oxidation model developed is used to predict the progression of oxidation in the magnetite pellet with respect to the reaction time at three different temperatures (873 K, 973 K, and 1073 K (600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C)) and at four levels of oxygen (0.21, 0.30, 0.60, and 1.00 atm) in the oxidizing gas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mesospheric Water Vapor Retrieved from SABER/TIMED Measurements

The SABER instrument on board the TIMED satellite is a limb scanning infrared radiometer designed to measure temperature and minor constituent vertical profiles and energetics parameters in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) The H2O concentrations are retrieved from 6.3 micron band radiances. The interpretation of this radiance requires developing a non-LTE H2O model that includes energy exchange processes with the system of O3 and O2 vibrational levels populated at the daytime through a number of photoabsorption and photodissociation processes. We developed a research model base on an extended H2O non-LTE model of Manuilova coupled with the novel model of the electronic kinetics of the O2 and O3 photolysis products suggested by Yankosvky and Manuilova. The performed study of this model helped u to develop and test an optimized operational model for interpretation of SABER 6.3 micron band radiances. The sensitivity of retrievals to the parameters of the model is discussed. The H2O retrievals are compared to other measurements for different seasons and locations.

Feofilov, Arte, G.↗

Use Cases and Model Development of Thermal Storage Coupling for Advanced Nuclear Reactors

This report discusses the different options for coupling thermal energy storage (TES) systems to advanced nuclear power plants (A-NPPs) in order to enable flexible and hybrid plant operation. An advanced light-water reactor (ALWR) and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) were selected as the initial use cases for demonstrating a thermally balanced energy storage coupling design for thermal power extraction. Cost functions for the A-LWR were derived from the fully balanced models that were developed based on three different coupling options with three different thermal energy bypass ratios. For the next steps, cost functions for the HTGR will also be derived, and additional nuclear reactors (e.g., a liquid-cooled fast reactor [LFR] or molten-salt reactor [MSR]) will be evaluated for coupling with TES in similar fashion, including the evaluation of their steady-state condition models and cost functions. The models presented herein showcase several design considerations, focusing on optimal deployment methodologies for achieving steady-state operation with minimum disruption to the nuclear power generation cycle. This report presents the results of steady state models developed using Aspen HYSYS®, wherein the thermal energy bypass for an NPP-TES coupling was varied up to 50%. The various components were sized using Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA) and Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR), when applicable. Cost functions from these models were developed using the latest publicly available data obtained from APEA V11. The current steady-state models and cost functions provide a baseline for additional work focusing on dynamic operation and process optimization by using Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s Framework for Optimization of Resources and Economics (FORCE) tools to evaluate the technoeconomic viability and transient operations of TES-coupled A-NPPs.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Structured Uncertainty Bound Determination From Data for Control and Performance Validation

This report attempts to document the broad scope of issues that must be satisfactorily resolved before one can expect to methodically obtain, with a reasonable confidence, a near-optimal robust closed loop performance in physical applications. These include elements of signal processing, noise identification, system identification, model validation, and uncertainty modeling. Based on a recently developed methodology involving a parameterization of all model validating uncertainty sets for a given linear fractional transformation (LFT) structure and noise allowance, a new software, Uncertainty Bound Identification (UBID) toolbox, which conveniently executes model validation tests and determine uncertainty bounds from data, has been designed and is currently available. This toolbox also serves to benchmark the current state-of-the-art in uncertainty bound determination and in turn facilitate benchmarking of robust control technology. To help clarify the methodology and use of the new software, two tutorial examples are provided. The first involves the uncertainty characterization of a flexible structure dynamics, and the second example involves a closed loop performance validation of a ducted fan based on an uncertainty bound from data. These examples, along with other simulation and experimental results, also help describe the many factors and assumptions that determine the degree of success in applying robust control theory to practical problems.

Lim, Kyong B.↗

Modeling the influence of bubble pressure on grain boundary separation and fission gas release

Grain boundary (GB) separation as a mechanism for fission gas release (FGR), complementary to gas bubble interlinkage, has been experimentally observed in irradiated light water reactor fuel. However there has been limited effort to develop physics-based models incorporating this mechanism for the analysis of FGR. In this work, a computational study is carried out to investigate GB separation in UO2 fuel under the effect of gas bubble pressure and hydrostatic stress. A non-dimensional stress intensity factor formula is obtained through 2D axisymmetric analyses considering lenticular bubbles and Mode-I crack growth. The obtained functional form can be used in higher length-scale models to estimate the contribution of GB separation to FGR.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Prediction of residual stresses in a multipass pipe weld by a novel 3D finite element approach

Due to enormous computation cost, current residual stress simulation of multipass girth welds are mostly performed using two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric models. The 2D model can only provide limited estimation on the residual stresses by assuming its axisymmetric distribution. In this study, a highly efficient thermal-mechanical finite element code for three-dimensional (3D) model has been developed based on high performance Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) computers. Our code is further accelerated by considering the unique physics associated with welding processes that are characterized by steep temperature gradient and a moving arc heat source. It is capable of modeling large-scale welding problems that cannot be easily handled by the existing commercial simulation tools. To demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency, our code was compared with a commercial software by simulating a 3D multi-pass girth weld model with over 1 million elements. Our code achieved comparable solution accuracy with respect to the commercial one but with over 100 times saving on computational cost. Moreover, the three-dimensional analysis demonstrated more realistic stress distribution that is not axisymmetric in hoop direction.

Huang, Hui↗

SOLAR OPACITY CALCULATIONS USING THE SUPER-TRANSITION-ARRAY METHOD

A new opacity model has been developed based on the Super-Transition-Array (STA) method for the calculation of monochromatic opacities of plasmas in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The atomic code, named STAR (STA-Revised), is described and used to calculate spectral opacities for a solar model implementing the recent AGSS09 composition. Calculations are carried out throughout the solar radiative zone. The relative contributions of different chemical elements and atomic processes to the total Rosseland mean opacity are analyzed in detail. Monochromatic opacities and charge-state distributions are compared with the widely used Opacity Project (OP) code, for several elements near the radiation–convection interface. STAR Rosseland opacities for the solar mixture show a very good agreement with OP and the OPAL opacity code throughout the radiation zone. Finally, an explicit STA calculation was performed of the full AGSS09 photospheric mixture, including all heavy metals. It was shown that, due to their extremely low abundance, and despite being very good photon absorbers, the heavy elements do not affect the Rosseland opacity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Atomistic Simulations in Support of UO{sub 2} Fuel Performance Modeling

Large fission gas atoms such as Xe have very low solubility in the UO{sub 2} fuel matrix, which drives precipitation and growth of intra-granular fission gas bubbles, segregation of gas atoms to grain boundaries and evolution of intergranular bubbles. The inter-granular bubbles develop percolation networks leading to release of the fission gas. Fission gas bubbles induce fuel swelling and the fuel thermal conductivity is reduced by both fission gas bubbles and dispersed gas atoms. When fission gas is released from the fuel to the plenum, the pressure on the clad walls increases and the gap thermal conductivity decreases. All of these detrimentally affect fuel performance. The thermal conductivity of UO{sub 2} is low across a wide temperature range compared to iso-structural materials such as ThO{sub 2}, which is caused by the coupling between phonons carrying heat and uranium spins or magnetism providing a scattering mechanism with very low mean free path. For in-pile conditions the thermal conductivity is further reduced due to, for example, radiation damage, generation of fission products and fission gases and fuel microstructure evolution. This results in a complex burn-up dependent thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity and fission gas evolution are two of the most important properties determining UO{sub 2} nuclear fuel performance. Both properties have significant uncertainty. In order to reduce this uncertainty, new models are being developed based on multi-scale simulations that attempt to improve the description of material properties and also couple them to the microstructure state of the material. In this paper we highlight atomistic calculations and simulations used to develop meso-scale models of the evolution of fission gases and thermal conductivity in UO{sub 2}. Literature examples of the application of these results and the corresponding models to fuel performance simulations will also be given. (author)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Towards a structure-based turbulence model

The author is developing a new type of turbulence model in which a new one-point quantity, the eddy structure tensor, carries information about the two-point structure of the turbulence. The model was motivated by the observation that conventional one-point turbulence models based only on the turbulent stresses do not predict the rapid changes in state that are found when anisotropic homogeneous turbulence is subjected to mean rotation, and hence are fundamentally incorrect for rotation. The model appears to give topologically correct predictions for the changes in stress state and structure state under all types of rapid distortions of homogeneous turbulence.

Reynolds, W. C.↗

On the pressure effect in energetic deposition of Cu thin films by modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering: A global plasma model and experiments

The modulated pulsed power magnetron sputtering (MPPMS) discharge processes are numerically modeled and experimentally investigated, in order to explore the effect of the pressure on MPPMS discharges as well as on the microstructure of the deposited thin films. A global plasma model has been developed based on a volume-averaged global description of the ionization region, considering the loss of electrons by cross-B diffusion. The temporal variations of internal plasma parameters at different pressures from 0.1 to 0.7 Pa are obtained by fitting the model to duplicate the experimental discharge data, and Cu thin films are deposited by MPPMS at the corresponding pressures. The surface morphology, grain size and orientation, and microstructure of the deposited thin films are investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. By increasing the pressure from 0.1 to 0.7 Pa, both the ion bombardment energy and substrate temperature which are estimated by the modeled plasma parameters decrease, corresponding to the observed transition of the deposited thin films from a void free structure with a wide distribution of grain size (zone T) into an underdense structure with a fine fiber texture (zone 1) in the extended structure zone diagram (SZD). The microstructure and texture transition of Cu thin films are well-explained by the extended SZD, suggesting that the primary plasma processes are properly incorporated in the model. The results contribute to the understanding of the characteristics of MPPMS discharges, as well as its correlation with the microstructure and texture of deposited Cu thin films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Development of a MOOSE-based crystal plasticity model with irradiation defect evolution for irradiation creep in 316

Irradiation creep and irradiation swelling are two of the lifetime limiting factors for structural materials in nuclear reactors. These mechanical effects are driven by irradiation defect evolution and the interaction of those defects with dislocations in the microstructure. We present here a coupled cluster dynamics – crystal plasticity approach to model irradiation swelling and creep behavior in 316 SS. The time-dependent evolution of irradiation defects is calculated with a cluster dynamics approach and passed to the crystal plasticity model to compute the dislocation evolution. We show the impact of the irradiation defect evolution on the stress state in the material, which drives inelastic deformation through dislocation motion. The inelastic deformation in the 316 SS is dependent on the dose rate, where the inelastic deformation driven by the early-stage irradiation defect evolution determines the mechanical behavior of the 316 SS.

316 Stainless Steels↗

Development of the data base for a degradation model of a selenide RTG

The paper is concerned with the evaluation of the materials used in a selenide radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). These materials are composed of n-type gadolinium selenide and n-type copper selenide. A three-fold evaluation approach is being used: (1) the study of the rate of change of the thermal conductivity of the material, (2) the investigation of the long-term stability of the material's Seebeck voltage and electrical resistivity under current and temperature gradient conditions, and (3) determination of the physical behavior and compatibility of the material with surrounding insulation at elevated temperatures. Programmatically, the third category of characteristic evaluation is being emphasized.

Stapfer, G.↗