Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “SHOCK”

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 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamical Modulation of Solar Flare Electron Acceleration due to Plasmoid-shock Interactions in the Looptop Region

A fast-mode shock can form in the front of reconnection outflows and has been suggested as a promising site for particle acceleration in solar flares. Recent developments in the study of magnetic reconnection have shown that numerous plasmoids can be produced in a large-scale current layer. Here we investigate the dynamical modulation of electron acceleration in the looptop region when plasmoids intermittently arrive at the shock by combining magnetohydrodynamics simulations with a particle kinetic model. As plasmoids interact with the shock, the looptop region exhibits various compressible structures that modulate the production of energetic electrons. The energetic electron population varies rapidly in both time and space. The number of 5–10 keV electrons correlates well with the compression area, while that of >50 keV electrons shows good correlation with the strong compression area but only moderate correlation with shock parameters. We further examine the impacts of the first plasmoid, which marks the transition from a quasi-steady shock front to a distorted and dynamical shock. The number of energetic electrons is reduced by ~20% at 15–25 keV and nearly 40% for 25–50 keV, while the number of 5–10 keV electrons increases. In addition, the electron energy spectrum above 10 keV evolves softer with time. We also find that double or even multiple distinct sources can develop in the looptop region when the plasmoids move across the shock. Our simulations have strong implications to the interpretation of nonthermal looptop sources, as well as the commonly observed fast temporal variations in flare emissions, including the quasi-periodic pulsations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

High Order Numerical Methods for the Dynamic SGS Model of Turbulent Flows with Shocks

Simulation of turbulent flows with shocks employing subgrid-scale (SGS) filtering may encounter a loss of accuracy in the vicinity of a shock. This paper addresses the accuracy improvement of LES of turbulent flows in two ways: (a) from the SGS model standpoint and (b) from the numerical method improvement standpoint. In an internal report, Kotov et al. ( “High Order Numerical Methods for large eddy simulation (LES) of Turbulent Flows with Shocks”, CTR Tech Brief, Oct. 2014, Stanford University), we performed a preliminary comparative study of different approaches to reduce the loss of accuracy within the framework of the dynamic Germano SGS model. The high order low dissipative method of Yee & Sjögreen (2009) using local flow sensors to control the amount of numerical dissipation where needed is used for the LES simulation. The considered improved dynamics model approaches include applying the one-sided SGS test filter of Sagaut & Germano (2005) and/or disabling the SGS terms at the shock location. For Mach 1.5 and 3 canonical shock-turbulence interaction problems, both of these approaches show a similar accuracy improvement to that of the full use of the SGS terms. The present study focuses on a five levels of grid refinement study to obtain the reference direct numerical simulation (DNS) solution for additional LES SGS comparison and approaches. As a result, one of the numerical accuracy improvements included here applies Harten's subcell resolution procedure to locate and sharpen the shock, and uses a one-sided test filter at the grid points adjacent to the exact shock location.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2012

Hybrid Simulation of the Shock Wave Trailing the Moon

A standing shock wave behind the Moon was predicted by Michel (1967) but never observed nor simulated. We use 1D hybrid code in order to simulate the collapse of the plasma-free cavity behind the Moon and for the first time to model the formation of this shock. Starting immediately downstream of the obstacle we consider the evolution of plasma expansion into the cavity in the frame of reference moving along with the solar wind. Well-known effects as electric charging of the cavity affecting the plasma flow and counterstreaming ion beams in the wake are reproduced. Near the apex of the inner Mach cone where the plasma flows from the opposite sides of the obstacle meet, a shock wave arises. We expect the shock to be produced at periods of high electron temperature solar wind streams (T(sub i) much less than T(sub e) approximately 100 eV). The shock is produced by the interaction of oppositely directed proton beams in the plane containing solar wind velocity and interplanetary magnetic field vectors. In the direction across the magnetic field and the solar wind velocity, the shock results from the interaction of the plasma flow with the region of the enhanced magnetic field inside the cavity that plays the role of the magnetic barrier. The appearance of the standing shock wave is expected at the distance of approximately 7R(sub M) downstream of the Moon.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS2017

Shock Radiation Tests for Saturn and Uranus Entry Probes

This paper describes a test series in the Electric Arc Shock Tube at NASA Ames Research Center with the objective of quantifying shock-layer radiative heating magnitudes for future probe entries into Saturn and Uranus atmospheres. Normal shock waves are measured in Hydrogen-Helium mixtures (89:11 by volume) at freestream pressures between 13-66 Pa (0.1-0.5 Torr) and velocities from 20-30 kms. No shock layer radiation is detected within measurement limits below 25 kms, a finding consistent with predictions for Uranus entries. Between 25-30 kms, radiance is quantified from the Vacuum Ultraviolet through Near Infrared, with focus on the Lyman-a and Balmer series lines of Hydrogen. Shock profiles are analyzed for electron number density and electronic state distribution. The shocks do not equilibrate over several cm, and in many cases the state distributions are non-Boltzmann. Radiation data are compared to simulations of Decadal Survey entries for Saturn and shown to be as much as 8x lower than predicted with the Boltzmann radiation model. Radiance is observed in front of the shock layer, the characteristics of which match the expected diffusion length.

Hydrogen↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Three-Dimensional Structure and Modeling of a Normal Bifurcated Shock Train from Experimental Measurements

An asymmetric, bifurcated normal shock train in a Mach 2 constant area, rectangular duct is investigated in the University of Michigan Direct Connect Isolator facility. High-speed schlieren imaging, wall static pressure measurements, surface oil flow visualization, and particle image velocimetry of a shock train are synthesized into a three-dimensional representation of shock train structure. This visualization is then used to inform the underlying flow physics of the distributed fluid dynamical processes along the structure. The detailed, three-dimensional morphology of the flow profile entering the shock train is shown to have a significant impact on the separated flow morphology of the shock train. This results in skewed supersonic core flow with alternating separation bubbles in the surrounding boundary layers. Finally, the efficacy of the prevailing pseudo-shock models in the literature is analyzed with the support of the available flow measurements. None are found to simultaneously model both the pressure and streamwise Mach number profile of the UMDCI pseudo-shock.

Hypersonics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Three-Dimensional Structure and Modeling of a Normal Bifurcated Shock Train from Experimental Measurements

An asymmetric, normal bifurcated shock train in a Mach 2 constant area, rectangular duct is investigated in the University of Michigan Direct Connect Isolator facility. High-speed schlieren imaging, wall static pressure measurements, surface oil flow visualization, and particle image velocimetry of the shock train are synthesized into a three-dimensional representation. This visualization is then used to inform the underlying flow physics of the distributed fluid dynamical processes along the shock train. The detailed, three-dimensional morphology of the flow profile entering the shock train is shown to have a significant impact on the separated flow morphology of the shock train. This results in a skewed supersonic core flow with alternating separation bubbles in the surrounding boundary layers. Finally, the efficacy of the prevailing pseudo-shock models in the literature is analyzed with the support of the available flow measurements. None are found to model both the pressure and streamwise Mach number profile of the UMDCI pseudo-shock. Note: This presentation is accompanied by the video presentation that can be downloaded for viewing and is formatted as an mp4 with a runtime of 10 min 15 secs.

Hypersonics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Shock-Layer Radiation Insights Available Through Flowfield Property Binning

This paper introduces a method for assessing similarity between available shock-layer radiation measurements and the radiative heating to a vehicle of interest. This method will be referred to as the flowfield property binning (FPB) approach. The challenge in developing this approach is that radiometer measurements from a surface normal line of sight, observed radiation measurements of the entire shock-layer from a distance, or measured shock-tube nonequilibrium profiles are notably different geometrically than the radiative flux to a vehicle surface. Therefore, the relative contributions of various regions of the shock-layer to the measurement, and how these relative contributions compare with the radiative heating to a vehicle of interest, are unclear. By tracking the radiation contribution from each flowfield location, and then grouping this contribution based on two local flowfield properties, these geometric differences are removed. This provide a two dimensional group, or bin, distribution that represents the radiation environment in the same format for various types of radiation simulations, such as observed radiation or radiative flux to a vehicle surface. In the limits of optically-thin radiation transport and thermochemical equilibrium flow, the choice of pressure and temperature as the binning flowfield properties is shown to provide a bin distribution that uniquely defines the radiation simulation. This concept is found to be sufficient for establishing similarity between two cases even when the optically-thin radiation transport and thermochemical equilibrium assumptions are not satisfied. A simple metric of comparison between bin distributions from different cases is provided by the histogram intersection algorithm. This algorithm results in a histogram intersection factor (H) between 0 and 1, which represents the fraction of the radiation that is similar between the two cases. Therefore, if H evaluated between bin distributions for two completely different radiation problems is near 1, then they represent essentially the same radiation problem. This means that they depend on the same weighting of various radiation modeling parameters evaluated at the same pressure and temperature. If one of these cases agrees well with a radiation measurement, then the matching bin distributions provide justification for applying this experimental validation to the other case. Even for H values as low as 0.2, the measurement case could be considered relevant if there are no other useful measurements. This approach allows observed radiation measurements to directly inform radiative heating simulations, which allows NASA’s past and future investments in observed radiation measurements to directly inform the radiative heating uncertainty or margins for future vehicle design. This FPB approach is also used to determine shock-tube conditions for informing backshell radiative heating simulations, where the normal shock velocity and Lagrangian time from the shock is used for the binning variables instead of pressure and temperature.

Shock Layer Radiation↗
NASA NTRS2024

Electrostatic Waves and Electron Holes in Simulations of Low-Mach Quasi-Perpendicular Shocks

Collisionless low Mach number shocks are abundant in astrophysical and space plasma environments, exhibiting complex wave activity and wave-particle interactions. In this paper, we present 2D Particle in-Cell (PIC) simulations of quasi-perpendicular nonrelativistic (vsh ≈ (5500−22000) km/s) low Mach number shocks, with a specific focus on studying electrostatic waves in the shock ramp and the precursor regions. In these shocks, an ion-scale oblique whistler wave creates a configuration with two hot counter streaming electron beams, which drive unstable electron acoustic waves (EAWs) that can turn into electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) at the late stage of their evolution. By conducting simulations with periodic boundaries, we show that EAW properties agree with linear dispersion analysis. The characteristics of ESWs in shock simulations, including their wavelength and amplitude, depend on the shock velocity. When extrapolated to shocks with realistic velocities (vsh ≈ 300 km/s), the ESW wavelength is reduced to one tenth of the electron skin depth and the ESW amplitude is anticipated to surpass that of the quasi-static electric field by more than a factor of 100. These theoretical predictions may explain a discrepancy, between PIC and satellite measurements, in the relative amplitude of high and low-frequency electric field fluctuations.

Plasma astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2020

High speed PLIF study of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability upon re-shock

The Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) of a twice-shocked gas interface is researched using high-speed planar-laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) in the Wisconsin Shock Tube Laboratory’s vertical shock tube. The initial condition (IC) is a shear layer with broadband diffuse perturbations at the interface between a helium-acetone mixture and argon. This IC is accelerated by a shock of nominal strength M = 1.8, and then accelerated again by the transmitted shock that reflects off the end wall of the tube. An estimate of the light gas mole fraction is extracted from high-speed imaging using an iterative process that accounts for the nonlinear temperature dependence of the acetone’s fluorescence quantum yield (FQY) and absorption cross-section. A vorticity deposition model for the initial growth rate after reshock is compared with the Mikaelian model for re-shock. Previously used in literature, the number of generations is shown to naturally arise from a normalisation of the scalar transport equation. A self-similar analysis is then further performed using the mole fraction data to explore the evolution of the RMI after reshock and the higher order moments of the light gas mole fraction are compared with a proposed model.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing ablator thickness for laser shock experiments

In laser shock experiments, a well-defined, flat-top shock wave at the ablator/sample interface is important for accurately probing material response under uniaxial strain compression. However, the relationship between the ablator thickness and the resulting shock wave characteristics is insufficiently understood, limiting the ability to design optimal experiments. To address this need, we conducted a systematic experimental study using a 100 J laser to shock-compress polyimide ablators to peak stresses ranging from 20.4 to 111.6 GPa. Laser interferometry diagnostics measured the transmitted wave profiles at the ablator/sample interface, consistently showing a single jump followed by a constant peak state before the arrival of release waves. Here, by analyzing shock transit time, flat-top duration, and stress, our results establish a framework for selecting ablator thickness to maximize the flat-top duration, improving the precision and reproducibility of laser shock experiments.

design of experiments↗
NASA NTRS2025

Shock-Stationary Application of Pseudoshock Models During High-Amplitude Combustion-Driven Unsteadiness

The isolator pseudo-shock provides necessary compression within a dual-mode scramjet engine and buffers the engine system against unstart. Quasi-1D flux-conserved models are the state-of-the-art reduced-order model for optimization and online control of dual-mode scramjet engines. The stability and efficacy of this modeling approach is evaluated against data from a combustor-driven direct-connect experiment. The experiment exhibited strong combustor-driven unsteadiness that produced upstream propagating weak shocks into the isolator, interacting with the pseudo-shock. While this configuration resulted in unsteadiness that is atypical of standard operation, the experiment provided an opportunity to evaluate the modeling techniques in highly transient states. Such transients could occur during maneuvering or result from unexpected combustor events. A flexible quasi-1D formulation, the Fievet flux-conserved model is fit using Bayesian inference in the laboratory and shock-stationary reference frames. Model performance is analyzed using the Bayesian posteriors and model evaluations over the measured shock train speed range. It is concluded that to produce consistent isolator pressure profile estimates in this unsteady environment, the model must be implemented in a shock-stationary reference frame. Implementing this conclusion in model-based engine controllers may reduce needed unstart safety margins and increase maximum performance.

Bayesian↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rapid enhancement of low energy (<100 eV) ion flux in response to interplanetary shocks based on two Van Allen Probes case studies: Implications for source regions and heating mechanisms

Interactions between interplanetary (IP) shocks and the Earth's magnetosphere manifest many important space physics phenomena including low-energy ion flux enhancements and particle acceleration. In order to investigate the mechanisms driving shock-induced enhancement of low-energy ion flux, we have examined two IP shock events that occurred when the Van Allen Probes were located near the equator while ionospheric and ground observations were available around the spacecraft footprints. We have found that, associated with the shock arrival, electromagnetic fields intensified, and low-energy ion fluxes, including H + , He + , and O + , were enhanced dramatically in both the parallel and perpendicular directions. During the 2 October 2013 shock event, both parallel and perpendicular flux enhancements lasted more than 20 min with larger fluxes observed in the perpendicular direction. In contrast, for the 15 March 2013 shock event, the low-energy perpendicular ion fluxes increased only in the first 5 min during an impulse of electric field, while the parallel flux enhancement lasted more than 30 min. In addition, ionospheric outflows were observed after shock arrivals. From a simple particle motion calculation, we found that the rapid response of low-energy ions is due to drifts of plasmaspheric population by the enhanced electric field. Furthermore, the fast acceleration in the perpendicular direction cannot solely be explained by E × B drift but betatron acceleration also plays a role. Adiabatic acceleration may also explain the fast response of the enhanced parallel ion fluxes, while ion outflows may contribute to the enhanced parallel fluxes that last longer than the perpendicular fluxes.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Universal hydrodynamic flow in holographic planar shock collisions

We study the collision of planar shock waves in AdS 5 as a function of shock profile. In the dual field theory the shock waves describe planar sheets of energy whose collision results in the formation of a plasma which behaves hydrodynamically at late times. We find that the post-collision stress tensor near the light cone exhibits transient non-universal behavior which depends on both the shock width and the precise functional form of the shock profile. However, over a large range of shock widths, including those which yield qualitative different behavior near the future light cone, and for different shock profiles, we find universal behavior in the subsequent hydrodynamic evolution. In addition, we compute the rapidity distribution of produced particles and find it to be well described by a Gaussian.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

An integrated approach to optimizing concentration shock wave electrodialysis using 2D multicell simulation and response surface models

Shock wave electrodialysis (SWED) is a highly promising technique for energy-efficient ion separation in the context of a circular economy. This paper presents a approach way of modeling and improving SWED using a two-dimensional multicell model combined with the COMSOL program and response surface methodology. The model integrates the Nernst-Planck equation, Darcy's law, and first-order electroosmosis to examine the local concentration, flux of ionic species, distribution of current, and velocity of flow in SWED cells under various operating conditions. We first illustrate the clear depiction of concentration, velocity, and electric potential distribution through contours which aids in identifying optimal operating conditions and designing scalable SWED systems. The results emphasize the significance of surface charge density and voltage in influencing the features of shock waves for obtaining effective ion separation while optimizing energy consumption and improving current efficiency by controlling the retention time of feed flow. Here, this study defines two crucial characteristics of shock waves, namely the length of the flat depletion zone of a fully developed shock wave (shock wave height) and the distance of shock wave propagation (shock wave length). These properties significantly impact separation performance, as determined by the simulation results. Additionally, the response surface methodology is incorporated with the COMSOL models to develop predictive models and graph responses, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions between parameters and performance indicators, such as removal ratio, energy consumption, and water recovery. Finally, this work suggests design tactics for expanding SWED processes and outlines potential areas for further research. This research provides valuable insights into the prospective applications, design optimization, and scalability of SWED in the field of electrokinetic separation technologies for green chemistry and a circular economy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Shock compression of additively manufactured high solids loaded polymer composites with aligned porosity

The effects of aligned porosity on the shock-compression response of additively manufactured (AM) composite structures with collinear and log-cabin geometries are investigated. The composites contain two inorganic and two organic particle populations and a UV-curable polymer binder. X-ray phase contrast imaging (X-PCI) is used as an in-material diagnostic in plate-impact experiments performed at the Dynamic Compression Sector of the Advanced Photon Source at the Argonne National Laboratory. Macroscale shock and particle velocities and microscale pore collapse velocities are measured from X-PCI images obtained from samples impacted in various orientations relative to the AM build directions. The linear shock and particle velocity relation for the structures with collinear build geometry shows directional differences, with the build direction exhibiting the highest slope and the filament print direction having the shallowest slope. Composites with log-cabin geometry, due to their slightly lower porosity and smaller sized pores, show higher shock velocities than the collinear structures at the same particle velocity. Microscale directionality effects are also observed, with the pore collapse velocity dependent on the pore configuration. Specifically, the pore collapse velocity is highest for pores elongated along the impact direction which is the case for the colinear structures impacted in the filament print direction, which is consistent with the directionality trend observed in the data for the shock and particle velocity equation of state. The pore collapse velocity approaches ∼80 % of the shock velocity and is several times the average bulk particle velocity, suggesting a highly hydrodynamic mechanism of pore collapse. Overall, both the macroscale response as measured by the shock and particle velocity relationship, and the microscale response as measured by the pore collapse velocity, are found to be anisotropic and dependent on the AM composite structure.

Wagner, K. B. [Georgia Institute of Technology, At↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stability of expanding accretion shocks for an arbitrary equation of state

We present a theoretical stability analysis for an expanding accretion shock that does not involve a rarefaction wave behind it. The dispersion equation that determines the eigenvalues of the problem and the explicit formulae for the corresponding eigenfunction profiles are presented for an arbitrary equation of state and finite-strength shocks. For spherically and cylindrically expanding steady shock waves, we demonstrate the possibility of instability in a literal sense, a power-law growth of shock-front perturbations with time, in the range of $h_c< h<1+2 {\mathcal {M}}_2$ , where $h$ is the D'yakov-Kontorovich parameter, $h_c$ is its critical value corresponding to the onset of the instability and ${\mathcal {M}}_2$ is the downstream Mach number. Shock divergence is a stabilizing factor and, therefore, instability is found for high angular mode numbers. As the parameter $h$ increases from $h_c$ to $1+2 {\mathcal {M}}_2$ , the instability power index grows from zero to infinity. This result contrasts with the classic theory applicable to planar isolated shocks, which predicts spontaneous acoustic emission associated with constant-amplitude oscillations of the perturbed shock in the range $h_c< h<1+2 {\mathcal {M}}_2$ . Examples are given for three different equations of state: ideal gas, van der Waals gas and three-terms constitutive equation for simple metals.

Huete, César (ORCID:0000000232278520)↗
DOE OSTI2022

The structure of 3-D collisional magnetized bow shocks in pulsed-power-driven plasma flows

Here we investigate three-dimensional (3-D) bow shocks in a highly collisional magnetized aluminium plasma, generated during the ablation phase of an exploding wire array on the MAGPIE facility (1.4 MA, 240 ns). Ablation of plasma from the wire array generates radially diverging, supersonic ($M_S$ $\sim 7$), super-Alfvénic ($M_A>1$) magnetized flows with frozen-in magnetic flux $(R_M\gg1)$. These flows collide with an inductive probe placed in the flow, which serves both as the obstacle that generates the magnetized bow shock, and as a diagnostic of the advected magnetic field. Laser interferometry along two orthogonal lines of sight is used to measure the line-integrated electron density. A detached bow shock forms ahead of the probe, with a larger opening angle in the plane parallel to the magnetic field than in the plane normal to it. Since the resistive diffusion length of the plasma is comparable to the probe size, the magnetic field decouples from the ion fluid at the shock front and generates a hydrodynamic shock, whose structure is determined by the sonic Mach number, rather than the magnetosonic Mach number of the flow. The 3-D simulations performed using the resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code Gorgon confirm this picture, but under-predict the anisotropy observed in the shape of the experimental bow shock, suggesting that non-MHD mechanisms may be important for modifying the shock structure.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Observation of subcritical shocks in a collisional laboratory plasma: scale dependence near the resistive length

We present a study of subcritical shocks in a highly collisional laboratory plasma with a dynamically significant magnetic field. Shocks were produced by placing cylindrical obstacles into the supermagnetosonic ( $M_{{\rm MS}} \sim 1.9$ ) outflow from an inverse wire array z-pinch at the MAGPIE pulsed power facility ( $n_{e} \sim 8.5 \times 10^{17}\,{\rm cm}^{-3}$ , $v \sim 45\,{\rm km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$ ). We demonstrate the existence of subcritical shocks in this regime and find that secondary stagnation shocks form in the downstream which we infer from interferometry and optical Thomson scattering measurements are hydrodynamic in nature. The subcritical shock width is found to be approximately equal to the resistive diffusion length and we demonstrate the absence of a jump in hydrodynamic parameters. Temperature measurements by collective optical Thomson scattering showed little temperature change across the subcritical shock ( ${<}10\,\%$ of the ion kinetic energy) which is consistent with a balance between adiabatic and Ohmic heating and radiative cooling. We demonstrate the absence of subcritical shocks when the obstacle diameter is less than the resistive diffusion length due to decoupling of the magnetic field from the plasma. These findings are supported by magnetohydrodynamic simulations using the Gorgon and AstroBEAR codes and discrepancies between the simulations and experiment are discussed.

Physics↗