Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “difference scaling”

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 793 records · Page 44

A Scalable Analysis Toolkit

The Scalable Analysis Toolkit (SAT) project aimed to demonstrate that it is feasible and useful to statically detect software bugs in very large systems. The technical focus of the project was on a relatively new class of constraint-based techniques for analysis software, where the desired facts about programs (e.g., the presence of a particular bug) are phrased as constraint problems to be solved. At the beginning of this project, the most successful forms of formal software analysis were limited forms of automatic theorem proving (as exemplified by the analyses used in language type systems and optimizing compilers), semi-automatic theorem proving for full verification, and model checking. With a few notable exceptions these approaches had not been demonstrated to scale to software systems of even 50,000 lines of code. Realistic approaches to large-scale software analysis cannot hope to make every conceivable formal method scale. Thus, the SAT approach is to mix different methods in one application by using coarse and fast but still adequate methods at the largest scales, and reserving the use of more precise but also more expensive methods at smaller scales for critical aspects (that is, aspects critical to the analysis problem under consideration) of a software system. The principled method proposed for combining a heterogeneous collection of formal systems with different scalability characteristics is mixed constraints. This idea had been used previously in small-scale applications with encouraging results: using mostly coarse methods and narrowly targeted precise methods, useful information (meaning the discovery of bugs in real programs) was obtained with excellent scalability.

Aiken, Alexander↗

On the wavelet optimized finite difference method

When one considers the effect in the physical space, Daubechies-based wavelet methods are equivalent to finite difference methods with grid refinement in regions of the domain where small scale structure exists. Adding a wavelet basis function at a given scale and location where one has a correspondingly large wavelet coefficient is, essentially, equivalent to adding a grid point, or two, at the same location and at a grid density which corresponds to the wavelet scale. This paper introduces a wavelet optimized finite difference method which is equivalent to a wavelet method in its multiresolution approach but which does not suffer from difficulties with nonlinear terms and boundary conditions, since all calculations are done in the physical space. With this method one can obtain an arbitrarily good approximation to a conservative difference method for solving nonlinear conservation laws.

Jameson, Leland↗

Investigation of Gearbox Vibration Transmission Paths on Gear Condition Indicator Performance

Helicopter health monitoring systems use vibration signatures generated from damaged components to identify transmission faults. For damaged gears, these signatures relate to changes in dynamics due to the meshing of the damaged tooth. These signatures, referred to as condition indicators (CI), can perform differently when measured on different systems, such as a component test rig, or a full-scale transmission test stand, or an aircraft. These differences can result from dissimilarities in systems design and environment under dynamic operating conditions. The static structure can also filter the response between the vibration source and the accelerometer, when the accelerometer is installed on the housing. To assess the utility of static vibration transfer paths for predicting gear CI performance, measurements were taken on the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Test Rig. The vibration measurements were taken to determine the effect of torque, accelerometer location and gearbox design on accelerometer response. Measurements were taken at the housing and compared while impacting the gear set near mesh. These impacts were made at gear mesh to simulate gear meshing dynamics. Data measured on a helicopter gearbox installed in a static fixture were also compared to the test rig. The behavior of the structure under static conditions was also compared to CI values calculated under dynamic conditions. Results indicate that static vibration transfer path measurements can provide some insight into spiral bevel gear CI performance by identifying structural characteristics unique to each system that can affect specific CI response.

Dempsey, Paula J.↗

Large Scale Water Vapor Sources Relative to the October 2000 Piedmont Flood

Very intense mesoscale or synoptic-scale rainfall events can occasionally be observed in the Mediterranean region without any deep cyclone developing over the areas affected by precipitation. In these perplexing cases the synoptic situation can superficially look similar to cases in which very little precipitation occurs. These situations could possibly baffle the operational weather forecasters. In this article, the major precipitation event that affected Piedmont (Italy) between 13 and 16 October 2000 is investigated. This is one of the cases in which no intense cyclone was observed within the Mediterranean region at any time, only a moderate system was present, and yet exceptional rainfall and flooding occurred. The emphasis of this study is on the moisture origin and transport. Moisture and energy balances are computed on different space- and time-scales, revealing that precipitation exceeds evaporation over an area inclusive of Piedmont and the northwestern Mediterranean region, on a time-scale encompassing the event and about two weeks preceding it. This is suggestive of an important moisture contribution originating from outside the region. A synoptic and dynamic analysis is then performed to outline the potential mechanisms that could have contributed to the large-scale moisture transport. The central part of the work uses a quasi-isentropic water-vapor back trajectory technique. The moisture sources obtained by this technique are compared with the results of the balances and with the synoptic situation, to unveil possible dynamic mechanisms and physical processes involved. It is found that moisture sources on a variety of atmospheric scales contribute to this event. First, an important contribution is caused by the extratropical remnants of former tropical storm Leslie. The large-scale environment related to this system allows a significant amount of moisture to be carried towards Europe. This happens on a time- scale of about 5-15 days preceding the Piedmont event. Second, water-vapor intrusions from the African Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and evaporation from the eastern Atlantic contribute on the 2-5 day time-scale. The large-scale moist dynamics appears therefore to be one important factor enabling a moderate Mediterranean cyclone to produce heavy precipitation. Finally, local evaporation from the Mediterranean, water-vapor recycling, and orographically-induced low-level convergence enhance and concentrate the moisture over the area where heavy precipitation occurs. This happens on a 12-72 hour time-scale.

Turato, Barbara↗

Demonstration of in-Situ Resource Utilization of Lunar Regolith for Plant Growing Systems Through Scaled Capillary Models

The development of reliable and bioregenerative crop growth production systems is vital for human exploration into deep space. As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) prepares for the Artemis missions, scientists need to find a way to provide consistent and sufficient water delivery for all stages of a plant’s life cycle. NASA has been able to successfully model passive flow through felt material, to mimic the water uptake and transport through a plant, in microgravity. However, more studies need to be conducted to adapt the model for a substrate-based system and incorporate how flow will change during each stage of plant growth. For future missions, payload requirements to support crop production systems will need to be limited, leading to the use of available resources, such as lunar regolith. Although numerous lunar regolith simulants are commercially available, few have been evaluated for their suitability in agricultural applications. First, a base regolith simulant will need to be identified based on its physical and chemical properties. Then, additional amendments to improve the properties of the simulants to support plant growth will be identified. The design and composition of the substrate will be based on water transport requirements for different stages of plant growth. Scaled capillary models can be utilized to study surface-tension driven flows through various designer substrates to modify the physical properties of the selected regolith simulant. These models can accurately represent how flow will act in a reduced gravity environment, which can be used to design a full-scale facility for surface missions. This project will aid space researchers in the design of future crop production systems for surface missions by creating a refined model that can be used at all stages of plant growth and utilize in situ resources.

Fluids↗

Separated and Recovering Turbulent Boundary Layer Flow Behind a Backward Facing Step For Different Reynolds Numbers

Experimental results for a two-dimensional separated turbulent boundary layer behind a backward facing step for five different Reynolds numbers are reported. Results are presented in the form of tables, graphs and a floppy disk for an easy access of the data. Reynolds number based on the step height was varied by changing the reference velocity upstream of the step, U(sub o), and the step height, h. Hot-wire measurement techniques were used to measure three Reynolds stresses and four triple-velocity correlations. In addition, surface pressure and skin friction coefficients were measured. All hot-wire measurements were acquired in a measuring domain which excluded recirculating flow region due to the directional insensitivity of hot-wires. The downstream extent of the domain from the step was 51 h for the largest and I 14h for the smallest step height. This significant downstream length permitted extensive study of the flow recovery. Prediction of perturbed flows and their recovery is particularly attractive for popular turbulence models since variations of turbulence length and time scales and flow interactions in different regions are generally inadequately predicted. The data indicate that the flow in the free shear layer region behaves like the plane mixing layer up to about 2/3 of the mean reattachment length when the flow interaction with the wall commences the flow recovery to that of an ordinary turbulent boundary layer structure. These changes of the flow do not occur abruptly with the change of boundary conditions. A reattachment region represents a transitional region where the flow undergoes the most dramatic adjustments to the new boundary conditions. Large eddies, created in the upstream free-shear layer region, are being torn, recirculated, reentrained back into the main stream interacting with the incoming flow structure. It is foreseeable that it is quite difficult to describe the physics of this region in a rational and quantitative manner other than statistical. Downstream of the reattachment point the flow recovers at different rates near the wall, in the newly developing internal boundary layer, and in the outer part of the flow. It appears that Reynolds stresses do not fully recover up to the longest recovery length of 114 h.

Jovic, Srba↗

The Roles of Large- and Small-Scale Structures in Turbulent Free Shear Layers

The occurrence of large-scale coherent structures in turbulent free shear flows (especially the planar mixing layer) has been recognized for some time. Indeed, the observation of such structures in mixing layers did much to promote interest in the study of coherent structures in turbulence. It has been widely assumed that the large-scale structures in these flows are responsible for the entrainment of free-stream fluid and the overall growth of the layer, while the small-scale structures provide mixing and dissipation. A model of scalar mixing based on these ideas was proposed for these flows. However, recent experimental and computational evidence suggests that the dominance of the large-scale structures in turbulent mixing layers is not universal. In addition, there is a substantial variation among experiments in several statistical measures of self-similar mixing layers, for example growth rate and velocity variances. To investigate the importance of large-scale structures, several free shear flows (mixing layers and wakes) have been simulated via direct numerical simulation. The simulations are designed to mimic experimental mixing layers in which the splitter plate boundary layers are turbulent. Different levels of two-dimensional forcing are included resulting in large-scale structures of differing strength and importance. These simulations are used to investigate the role of large-scale coherent structures in free shear layers and the effect of these structures on relevant turbulence statistics and scalar mixing. It is found that the statistics and structures in several experiments involving turbulent mixing layers are in better agreement with simulations that do not exhibit dominant large-scale structures than those in which the common mixing layer structures do dominate. It is also found that the level of forcing can have a profound effect on the qualitative and quantitative features of these shear layer, even when they are nominally self-similar.

Moser, Robert D.↗

X-Ray Flare Candidates in Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

We present the first systematic study of X-ray flare candidates in short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) exploiting the large 6-year Swift database with the aim to constrain the physical nature of such fluctuations. We find that flare candidates appear in different types of SGRB host galaxy environments and show no clear correlation with the X-ray afterglow lifetime; flare candidates are detected both in SGRBs with a bright extended emission in the soft gamma-rays and in SGRBs which do not show such component. We furthermore show that SGRB X-ray flare candidates only partially share the set of observational properties of long GRB (LGRB) flares. In particular, the main parameter driving the duration evolution of X-ray variability episodes in both classes is found to be the elapsed time from the explosion, with very limited dependence on the different progenitors, environments, central engine life-times, prompt variability time-scales and energy budgets. On the contrary, SGRB flare candidates significantly differ from LGRB flares in terms of peak luminosity, isotropic energy, flare-to-prompt luminosity ratio and relative variability flux. However, these differences disappear when the central engine time-scales and energy budget are accounted for, suggesting that (i) flare candidates and prompt pulses in SGRBs likely have a common origin; (ii) similar dissipation and/or emission mechanisms are responsible for the prompt and flare emission in long and short GRBs, with SGRBs being less energetic albeit faster evolving versions of the long class. Finally, we show that in strict analogy to the SGRB prompt emission, flares candidates fall off the lag-luminosity relation defined by LGRBs, thus strengthening the SGRB flare-prompt pulse connection.

Margutti, R.↗

Applications of Fractal Analytical Techniques in the Estimation of Operational Scale

The observational scale and the resolution of remotely sensed imagery are essential considerations in the interpretation process. Many atmospheric, hydrologic, and other natural and human-influenced spatial phenomena are inherently scale dependent and are governed by different physical processes at different spatial domains. This spatial and operational heterogeneity constrains the ability to compare interpretations of phenomena and processes observed in higher spatial resolution imagery to similar interpretations obtained from lower resolution imagery. This is a particularly acute problem, since longterm global change investigations will require high spatial resolution Earth Observing System (EOS), Landsat 7, or commercial satellite data to be combined with lower resolution imagery from older sensors such as Landsat TM and MSS. Fractal analysis is a useful technique for identifying the effects of scale changes on remotely sensed imagery. The fractal dimension of an image is a non-integer value between two and three which indicates the degree of complexity in the texture and shapes depicted in the image. A true fractal surface exhibits self-similarity, a property of curves or surfaces where each part is indistinguishable from the whole, or where the form of the curve or surface is invariant with respect to scale. Theoretically, if the digital numbers of a remotely sensed image resemble an ideal fractal surface, then due to the self-similarity property, the fractal dimension of the image will not vary with scale and resolution, and the slope of the fractal dimension-resolution relationship would be zero. Most geographical phenomena, however, are not self-similar at all scales, but they can be modeled by a stochastic fractal in which the scaling properties of the image exhibit patterns that can be described by statistics such as area-perimeter ratios and autocovariances. Stochastic fractal sets relax the self-similarity assumption and measure many scales and resolutions to represent the varying form of a phenomenon as the pixel size is increased in a convolution process. We have observed that for images of homogeneous land covers, the fractal dimension varies linearly with changes in resolution or pixel size over the range of past, current, and planned space-borne sensors. This relationship differs significantly in images of agricultural, urban, and forest land covers, with urban areas retaining the same level of complexity, forested areas growing smoother, and agricultural areas growing more complex as small pixels are aggregated into larger, mixed pixels. Images of scenes having a mixture of land covers have fractal dimensions that exhibit a non-linear, complex relationship to pixel size. Measuring the fractal dimension of a difference image derived from two images of the same area obtained on different dates showed that the fractal dimension increased steadily, then exhibited a sharp decrease at increasing levels of pixel aggregation. This breakpoint of the fractal dimension/resolution plot is related to the spatial domain or operational scale of the phenomenon exhibiting the predominant visible difference between the two images (in this case, mountain snow cover). The degree to which an image departs from a theoretical ideal fractal surface provides clues as to how much information is altered or lost in the processes of rescaling and rectification. The measured fractal dimension of complex, composite land covers such as urban areas also provides a useful textural index that can assist image classification of complex scenes.

Emerson, Charles W.↗

Irregular Satellites of the Planets

This proposal is directed towards the observational exploration of the irregular satellite systems of the planets. Primarily we use large-format CCD cameras on the world's largest telescopes, on Mauna Kea, to discover new irregular satellites and then to monitor their positions in order to ascertain their orbital characteristics. Separate observations are taken to determine the physical properties of the irregular satellites. The big picture science objective is to determine how these satellites were captures, and to use the properties of the satellites and their orbits to place constraints on early solar system (including formation) processes. Work in the first year has focussed on a major investigation of the Saturn irregular satellite system. We secured observing time on the Subaru and Gemini 8-m diameter telescopes in December 2004, January, February and March 2005 for the conduct of a deep, wide-area survey. This has resulted in the detection and orbit determination for 12 new satellites to be announced in the next week or two. Additional satellites were lost, temporarily, due to unusually poor weather conditions on Mauna Kea. These objects will be recovered and their orbits published next year. A separate survey of the Uranus irregular satellites was published (Sheppard, Jewitt and Kleyna 2005). Away from the telescope, we have discovered the amazing result that the four giant planets possess similar numbers of irregular satellites. This flies in the face of the standard gas-drag model for satellite capture, since only two of the giant planets are gas giants and the others (Uranus and Neptune) formed by a different process and in the absence of much gas. The constancy of the satellite number (each giant holds approximately 100 irregular satellites measured down to the kilometer scale) is either a coincidence, with different capture mechanisms at different planets giving by chance the same total numbers of irregular satellites, or indicates that the satellites were captured by a completely different process. We favor the latter (Jewitt and Sheppard 2005).

Jewitt, David↗

Probability density distribution of velocity differences at high Reynolds numbers

Recent understanding of fine-scale turbulence structure in high Reynolds number flows is mostly based on Kolmogorov's original and revised models. The main finding of these models is that intrinsic characteristics of fine-scale fluctuations are universal ones at high Reynolds numbers, i.e., the functional behavior of any small-scale parameter is the same in all flows if the Reynolds number is high enough. The only large-scale quantity that directly affects small-scale fluctuations is the energy flux through a cascade. In dynamical equilibrium between large- and small-scale motions, this flux is equal to the mean rate of energy dissipation epsilon. The pdd of velocity difference is a very important characteristic for both the basic understanding of fully developed turbulence and engineering problems. Hence, it is important to test the findings: (1) the functional behavior of the tails of the probability density distribution (pdd) represented by P(delta(u)) is proportional to exp(-b(r) absolute value of delta(u)/sigma(sub delta(u))) and (2) the logarithmic decrement b(r) scales as b(r) is proportional to r(sup 0.15) when separation r lies in the inertial subrange in high Reynolds number laboratory shear flows.

Praskovsky, Alexander A.↗

Data simulation studies for field programs, satellite system tests, and regional weather prediction

In the present paper, the status of the Drexel/NCAR regional numerical weather forecast system is summarized to show the extent of our experience and our immediate requirements for data within the United States on scales smaller than rawinsonde spacing (approximately 300 km). Preliminary experiments are described, and data assimilation problems are examined. It is shown that data requirements, assimilation methods, and forecast sensitivity differ for regional and large-scale models. Forecast verification statistics suggest that middle-troposphere temperature is well known but relative humidity is not. In some cases, regional forecasts require much better humidity data than available from rawinsondes. Numerics, lateral boundary conditions, model physics, and computing power are adequate for near real-time experimental regional prediction with horizontal mesh sizes down to 35 km. Subsynoptic data and assimilation are the primary challenges facing regional NWP.

Kreitzberg, C. W.↗

Analysis of composite ablators using massively parallel computation

In this work, the feasibility of using massively parallel computation to study the response of ablative materials is investigated. Explicit and implicit finite difference methods are used on a massively parallel computer, the Thinking Machines CM-5. The governing equations are a set of nonlinear partial differential equations. The governing equations are developed for three sample problems: (1) transpiration cooling, (2) ablative composite plate, and (3) restrained thermal growth testing. The transpiration cooling problem is solved using a solution scheme based solely on the explicit finite difference method. The results are compared with available analytical steady-state through-thickness temperature and pressure distributions and good agreement between the numerical and analytical solutions is found. It is also found that a solution scheme based on the explicit finite difference method has the following advantages: incorporates complex physics easily, results in a simple algorithm, and is easily parallelizable. However, a solution scheme of this kind needs very small time steps to maintain stability. A solution scheme based on the implicit finite difference method has the advantage that it does not require very small times steps to maintain stability. However, this kind of solution scheme has the disadvantages that complex physics cannot be easily incorporated into the algorithm and that the solution scheme is difficult to parallelize. A hybrid solution scheme is then developed to combine the strengths of the explicit and implicit finite difference methods and minimize their weaknesses. This is achieved by identifying the critical time scale associated with the governing equations and applying the appropriate finite difference method according to this critical time scale. The hybrid solution scheme is then applied to the ablative composite plate and restrained thermal growth problems. The gas storage term is included in the explicit pressure calculation of both problems. Results from ablative composite plate problems are compared with previous numerical results which did not include the gas storage term. It is found that the through-thickness temperature distribution is not affected much by the gas storage term. However, the through-thickness pressure and stress distributions, and the extent of chemical reactions are different from the previous numerical results. Two types of chemical reaction models are used in the restrained thermal growth testing problem: (1) pressure-independent Arrhenius type rate equations and (2) pressure-dependent Arrhenius type rate equations. The numerical results are compared to experimental results and the pressure-dependent model is able to capture the trend better than the pressure-independent one. Finally, a performance study is done on the hybrid algorithm using the ablative composite plate problem. It is found that there is a good speedup of performance on the CM-5. For 32 CPU's, the speedup of performance is 20. The efficiency of the algorithm is found to be a function of the size and execution time of a given problem and the effective parallelization of the algorithm. It also seems that there is an optimum number of CPU's to use for a given problem.

Shia, David↗

Angular dependence of electron impact excitation cross sections of O2.

Study of the electron-impact excitation spectrum of O2 at 20 and 45 eV impact energies and at scattering angles ranging from 10 to 90 deg. The angular behavior of the differential scattering cross sections for excitation of the a super 1 delta sub g, b super 1 sigma sub g (+), B super 3 sigma sub u (-) states for the 9.97-eV ('longest' band) and the 10.29-eV ('second' band) transitions, for the broad feature at 6.1 eV energy-loss, and for elastic scattering is determined. The experimentally measured relative differential and integral cross sections for these processes are approximately normalized to the absolute scale. The intensities of the different transitions in optical and electron-impact spectra are compared, and the importance of spin-orbit coupling and exchange processes is discussed. It is found that the energy-loss feature at 6.1 eV in the electron-impact spectrum is mostly due to the excitation of the c super 1 sigma sub u (-) state, and not the A super 3 sigma sub u (+) state, as had been previously thought.

Trajmar, S.↗

Spectral compositional imaging of silicate rocks.

A technique is presented for the broad-scale mapping of gross compositional differences in silicate rocks from three medium-width (2 to 3 microns) spectral channels of thermal infrared scanner data. Ratios of radiances in two of the channels as measured by a two-element Hg:Cd:Te detector from an altitude of 1000 meters are calculated for 25 silicate rocks. The ratios are shown to be nearly linearly correlated with the position of the centers of gravity of the reststrahlen spectral emissivity features, as measured in the laboratory. Further, the ratios are shown to be generally correlated with SiO2 content of silicate rocks. A third channel is proposed for correction of temperature variations across the scene.

Vincent, R. K.↗

New radiometric techniques and solar constant measurements.

A series of absolute cavity radiometers, designed to measure solar irradiance, has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Analysis indicates the absolute uncertainty of irradiance measurements made by the most recent devices to be less than plus or minus 0.5 mW/sq cm. In a series of experiments the radiometric scale defined by the JPL instruments has been compared with the International Pyrheliometric Scale (IPS). A systematic 2.2% difference has been observed with the IPS producing consistently lower measurements. The solar constant and spectral distribution have been derived from high-altitude balloon flight measurements made by two types of JPL cavity radiometers. Measurements at 25 km in 1968 produced a solar constant value of 137.0 mW/sq cm. From 1969 measurements at 36 km, a value of 136.6 mW/sq cm was derived, with an estimated absolute uncertainty of plus or minus 0.5%. The solar spectrum information from these experiments agrees most closely with the solar spectrum model of Labs and Neckel (1968).

Willson, R. C.↗

Application of ERTS imagery to geologic mapping in the volcanic terrane of northwest Wyoming

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 image interpretations in the Yellowstone/Absaroka volcanic province indicate that the ERTS-1 imagery can be successfully employed in mapping large-scale structures and gross lithologic differences within the volcanic rocks. The volcanic rocks are readily separable from the sedimentary and crystalline rocks but the various volcanic units are seldom distinguishable unless they exhibit a characteristic morphology. Color anomalies were detected on the ERTS-1 imagery and found to be related to zones of alteration and mineralization. High altitude aircraft imagery provided a means of checking and improving the interpretations.

Breckenridge, R. M.↗

Direct observations of the solar wind interaction with Jupiter

Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 plasma ion and electron observations in the vicinity of Jupiter are summarized. The data, obtained by the Ames Research Center Plasma Analyzer Experiments during the flybys of Jupiter in 1973 and 1974, indicate that the solar wind interaction with Jupiter (e.g., the formation of the Jovian bow shock, the magnetosheath, etc.) is basically similar to the solar wind interaction with the earth and only differs in terms of the scale size of the interaction. The plasma ion and electron measurements obtained on Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 are consistent with the proton measurements and indicate that the large, thick Jovian Magnetosphere which is inflated with a thermal plasma, is responsive to relatively minor changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure. The inferred motion of the Jovian bow shock and the speed at which it moved were strikingly similar during the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 flybys.

Intriligator, D. S.↗