Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Simulation model”

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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

How can biosphere models simulate enough vegetation biomass in the mountains of the western United States? Implications of meteorological forcing

Most carbon stocks and fluxes in the western United States are found in mountainous terrain, where observations and modeling are difficult. Terrestrial biosphere models generally underestimate above-ground biomass (AGB) over this region. In this report, we identify methods to reduce this underestimation by focusing upon 1) biases in meteorological datasets, 2) model representation of water stress, and 3) spatial resolution. We adopted the widely-used Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM 4.5) with six different meteorological datasets and found a 6-fold variation in simulated AGB across Utah/Colorado. Simulations underestimated AGB because of warm and dry biases within the meteorological datasets that reduced water availability and restricted plant growth. To eliminate the AGB underestimation we adopted a meteorological dataset designed for complex terrain (gridMET), combined with a representation of plant hydraulic stress (CLM 5.0). Conversely, changes in spatial resolution (meteorological variables and land surface description) had negligible impact on simulated AGB.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enabling kilometer-scale E3SM land model simulation over North America: A new integrated framework solution

This study introduces a novel framework designed to enhance the performance, scalability, and portability of the kilometer-scale E3SM Land Model (km-ELM) within the E3SM modeling infrastructure. By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge data tools, we address existing challenges such as slow performance, limited scalability, and difficulties in software integration in current data-driven ELM simulation over large geographic areas. Our innovative approach leverages the KiloCraft data toolkit to generate unified inputs for simulations ranging from a single-cite case, to a 72,083-cell regional case to a continental configuration encompassing 21.6 million land grid cells at a 1 km × 1 km resolution. We conduct extensive strong- and weak-scaling experiments on three state-of-the-art supercomputers, utilizing up to 100,800 CPU cores across 2400 compute nodes to evaluate end-to-end metrics including wall-clock time, simulation-years-per-day (SYPD), initialization costs, and I/O throughput. Our results reveal the land (LND) component’s efficient scaling, demonstrating near-ideal weak scaling and strong-scaling parallel efficiencies reaching up to 87% at 50,400 cores. We confirm portability and reproducibility through bitwise-equivalent outputs across different machines using identical inputs over supported machines. Notably, at extreme scales, we identify I/O as a critical bottleneck and that leads to effective solution with the SCORPIO/ADIOS stack. Collectively, these findings validate the deployment of km-ELM at a continental scale with high parallel efficiency and provide essential guidance on configuration, decomposition, and I/O settings for optimized kilometer-scale land simulations in E3SM. This work emphasizes the innovative design and practical solutions that enhance the operational capabilities of km-ELM, focusing on software performance and scalability while leaving detailed scientific evaluations of simulated land processes for future investigations.

E3SM land model (ELM), km-ELM, scalability, perfor↗
DOE OSTI2022

Kiwi-TNT Simulation Model [Slides]

The Kiwi-TNT Test (Toonerville Trolley) was performed on January 12, 1965. LANL has the objective: "LANL will develop a defensible methodology for establishing the maximum number of fissions for postulated inadvertent criticality events. The methodology may include several methods, such as hand calculations, sophisticated modeling, and the use of historical data.” The historic test, Kiwi TNT, posed a starting point for predictive simulations to determine the number of fissions and excursion understanding. This presentation gives results of that effort.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessing the Impact of Variable Air Volume Box Damper Stuck Faults Using a Building Automation System and Building Energy Simulation Model

The study examines the impact of variable air volume (VAV) damper stuck faults on the system operation, building indoor conditions, and reheating energy consumption. This study includes both experimental and simulation studies for five test scenarios, including a fault-free scenario. We implemented VAV damper stuck fault through the building automation system (BAS). Results show that a damper stuck in a high opening position (60% damper opening) results in supplying an excessive amount of cold air from the rooftop unit (RTU) to the conditioned zone, increasing reheating energy consumption. The results of this research can serve as a foundational resource for developing fault detection algorithms.

Jung, Sungkyun↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quench process modeling & simulation in the heat-treatment of critical aerospace components

To manufacture light-weight, advanced metal alloy components for gas turbine engines, quench heat-treatment processes are typically used. By quenching the component from elevated temperatures, the alloy sometimes undergoes a solid-state phase transformation which produces special microstructures with the required, enhanced mechanical properties. However, the quenching can also lead to cracks forming in the component. Addressing the quench cracking problems adds a significant burden to the cost, schedule, and energy demand of manufacture. Currently, optimizing the quench process to mitigate or avoid the cracking is performed largely by trial-and-error, relying heavily on costly experimental (thermocouple)trials to understand the local thermal gradients which cause the cracks to form. In this first part (Phase 1) of the work, high-performance computing is employed to establish the ability of modern CFD (computational fluid dynamics) to alleviate or wholly replace the experimental quenching trials by virtual testing. A Baseline CFD model is defined and its accuracy established to be comparable to(and which usually exceeds) the accuracy of existing HTC (heat-transfer coefficient) based simulation methods of quenching. As a first-principles based approach, “calibration” of the Baseline CFD model is independent of the quench process itself, but instead relies on the accuracy of the underlying (modeled),generic two-phase fluid processes which cannot be currently resolved by CFD for large, industrial-scale cases. A novel, high-fidelity DNS capability has been developed and verified to examine and further improve upon the mean-field closure submodels on which the Baseline CFD approach is based.1

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quench process modeling & simulation in the heat-treatment of critical aerospace components

To manufacture light-weight, advanced metal alloy components for gas turbine engines, quench heat-treatment processes are typically used. By quenching the component from elevated tempera-tures, the alloy sometimes undergoes a solid-state phase transformation which produces special microstructures with the required, enhanced mechanical properties. However, the quenching can also lead to cracks forming in the component. Addressing the quench cracking problems adds a significant burden to the cost, schedule, and energy demand of manufacture. Currently, optimizing the quench process to mitigate or avoid the cracking is performed largely by trial-and-error, relying heavily on costly experimental (thermocouple) trials to understand the local thermal gradients which cause the cracks to form. In this first part (Phase 1) of the work, high-performance computing is employed to establish the ability of modern CFD (computational fluid dynamics) to alleviate or wholly replace the experimental quenching trials by virtual testing. A baseline CFD model is defined and its accuracy established to be comparable to (and which usually exceeds) the accuracy of existing HTC (heat-transfer correlation) based simulation methods of quenching. As a first-principles based approach, “calibration” of the Baseline CFD model is independent of the quench process itself, but instead relies on the accuracy of the underlying (modeled), generic two-phase fluid processes which cannot be currently resolved by CFD for large, industrial-scale cases. A novel, high-fidelity DNS capability has been developed and verified to examine and further improve upon the mean-field closure submodels on which the Baseline CFD approach is based.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Northern Hemisphere Snow Drought in Earth System Model Simulations and ERA5‐Land Data in 1980–2014

Abstract Low snow levels over the past few decades and predictions of a low‐to‐no snow future have spurred research into snow droughts, which pose a threat to water security and management. Systematic data‐model comparisons of snow drought have been lacking, hindering our understanding of the drivers of snow drought in the past. To address this gap, we analyzed snow drought events using standardized snow water equivalent index derived from monthly results of four numerical experiments using the E3SM Land Model (ELM) and ERA5‐Land data during the period of 1980–2014. Additionally, we compared snow drought duration calculated from models with those from the ERA5‐Land data during selected El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) years. The numerical experiments were conducted with ELM driven by two prescribed atmospheric forcings, and with the coupled land‐atmosphere configuration of E3SM with and without plant hydraulics scheme feedback. Analysis reveals that 20%–30% of snow droughts occur due to factors other than above‐normal temperature and low snowfall, such as low soil moisture, warm soil temperature, and low relative humidity, etc., especially in high latitudes (50° North). Furthermore, our study highlights the exacerbating effect of ENSO events on snow drought conditions in various regions, despite some discrepancies between model and ERA5‐Land results. We also identified limitations of the coupled land‐atmosphere models in our current configuration in capturing the spatial patterns of snow droughts. This study underscores the challenge of predicting and mitigating snow drought and the need for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to snow drought.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Agroecosystem model simulations reveal spatial variability in relative productivity in biomass sorghum and maize in Iowa, USA

Biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is an annual C 4 grass that has emerged as a candidate bioenergy crop but has not been widely grown in the United States. Corn (Zea mays L.), another annual C 4 grass, has been produced on a large scale in the United States for biofuels. Iowa leads the nation in both corn and ethanol production. The high productivity of corn in Iowa creates the research question: could biomass sorghum be as or more productive than corn in the state in terms of bioenergy? Efforts to use crop models to fill the gaps left by field experimentation on biomass sorghum have also been limited thus far. To address our research question, we collected biophysical data on biomass sorghum grown in Iowa for two growing seasons, used them to develop a biomass sorghum module in an agroecosystem model (Agro-IBIS), and predict the potential performance of biomass sorghum across Iowa compared to maize. Despite dry conditions in 2019 and 2020, average biomass sorghum yields were 17.20 Mg ha –1 . By comparison, average corn aboveground biomass was higher in 2020 (22.02 Mg ha –1 ). Soil cores indicated average belowground biomass of 1.46 Mg ha –1 , with roots concentrated near the surface (73% of biomass above 50 cm in a 1 m core). When biomass sorghum model parameters were calibrated with measured values, model output was in close agreement with measured biomass (slope = 0.932, R 2 = 0.91) and evapotranspiration (slope = 0.757, R 2 = 0.64). Subsequent regional simulations revealed a notable latitudinal gradient in biomass sorghum yield, with a strong linear relationship between yield and seasonal growing degree-days (R 2 = 0.89). When these yields were compared to simulated corn aboveground biomass yields, only 3.4% of the state had biomass sorghum yields that were significantly higher than corn. This number was reduced to 0.3% when comparing the crops in terms of energy ethanol yield. Thus, we conclude biomass sorghum must be improved to be competitive with corn as an annual biofuel crop in Iowa. This study provides a baseline against which to compare advancements in sorghum breeding for biomass and stress tolerance in Iowa.

Agro-IBIS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Decoding the dynamics of poleward shifting climate zones using aqua-planet model simulations

Growing evidence indicates that the atmospheric and oceanic circulation experiences a systematic poleward shift in a warming climate. However, the complexity of the climate system, including the coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere, natural climate variability and land-sea distribution, tends to obfuscate the causal mechanism underlying the circulation shift. Here, using an idealised coupled aqua-planet model, we explore the mechanism of the shifting circulation, by isolating the contributing factors from the direct CO 2 forcing, the indirect ocean surface warming, and the wind-stress feedback from the ocean dynamics. We find that, in contrast to the direct CO 2 forcing, ocean surface warming, in particular an enhanced subtropical ocean warming, plays an important role in driving the circulation shift. This enhanced subtropical ocean warming emerges from the background Ekman convergence of surface anomalous heat in the absence of the ocean dynamical change. Additionally, it expands the tropical warm water zone, causes a poleward shift of the mid-latitude temperature gradient, hence forces a corresponding shift in the atmospheric circulation and the associated wind pattern. The shift in wind, in turn drives a shift in the ocean circulation. Our simulations, despite being idealised, capture the main features of the observed climate changes, for example, the enhanced subtropical ocean warming, poleward shift of the patterns of near-surface wind, sea level pressure, storm tracks, precipitation and large-scale ocean circulation, implying that increase in greenhouse gas concentrations not only raises the temperature, but can also systematically shift the climate zones poleward.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

An attractive model: simulating fuzzy dark matter with attractive self-interactions

ABSTRACT Fuzzy dark matter (FDM), comprised of ultralight ($m \sim 10^{-22}\,{\rm eV}$) boson particles, has received significant attention as a viable alternative to cold dark matter (CDM), as it approximates CDM on large scales (${\gtrsim}1$ Mpc) while potentially resolving some of its small-scale problems via kiloparsec-scale quantum interference. However, the most basic FDM model, with one free parameter (the boson mass), is subject to a tension: small boson masses yield the desired cores of dwarf galaxies but underpredict structure in the Lyman-α forest, while large boson masses render FDM effectively identical to CDM. This Catch-22 problem may be alleviated by considering an axion-like particle with attractive particle self-interactions. We simulate an idealized FDM halo with self-interactions parametrized by an energy decay constant $f \sim 10^{15}~\rm {GeV}$ related to the axion symmetry-breaking conjectured to solve the strong-CP problem in particle physics. We observe solitons, a hallmark of FDM, condensing within a broader halo envelope, and find that the density profile and soliton mass depend on self-interaction strength. We propose generalized formulae to extend those from previous works to include self-interactions. We also investigate a critical mass threshold predicted for strong interactions at which the soliton collapses into a compact, unresolved state. We find that the collapse happens quickly, and its effects are initially contained to the central region of the halo.

Painter, Connor A. (ORCID:0000000235314806)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Instrumented Photovoltaic Modules for Environmental Characterization and Simulation Model Validation

Photovoltaic modules are subjected to various mechanical stressors in their deployment environments, ranging from installation handling to wind and snow loads. Damage incurred during these mechanical events has the potential to initiate subsequent degradation mechanisms, reducing useful module lifespan. Thus, characterizing the mechanical state of photovoltaic modules is pertinent to the development of reliable packaging designs. In this work, photovoltaic modules with strain gauges directly incorporated into the module laminate were fabricated and subjected to mechanical loading to characterize internal strains within the module when under load. These experimental measurements were then compared against results obtained by high-fidelity finite-element simulations. The simulation results showed reasonable agreement in the strain values over time; however, there were large discrepancies in the magnitudes of these strains. Both the instrumentation technique and the finite-element simulations have areas where they can improve. These areas of improvement have been documented. Despite the observed discrepancies between the experimental and simulated results, the module instrumentation proved to be a useful gauge in monitoring and characterizing the mechanical state. With some process improvements, this method could potentially be applied to other environments that a photovoltaic module will encounter in its lifetime that are known to cause damage and degrade performance.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Experimental validation of multiphysics model simulations of the thermal response of a cement clinker rotary kiln at laboratory scale

Abstract An increasing demand for buildings, transportation systems and civil infrastructure development has driven expansion of cement consumption world‐wide, producing a significant increase in related global energy demand. With approximately 7% of the world‐wide industrial energy consumption (10.7 exajoules [EJ]), the cement industry is the third most energy intensive industrial processes and a key component for concrete, the most consumed composite material in the global construction industry. In cement manufacturing, the cement kiln accounts for most of the energy consumption in the production process. As the heart of a cement plant, the cement kiln is where the kiln feed primarily containing calcium oxide (CaO), silica (SiO 2 ), alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), and iron (Fe 2 O 3 ) are thermally and chemically transformed into clinker minerals. The presented work developed a multiphysics model, designed and built a laboratory‐scale rotary cement clinker kiln, and produced cement clinker at laboratory‐scale. The model was developed to study the interaction between the various thermal, fluid dynamic and chemical interactions involved in the sintering process used to form Portland cement clinker in an effort to reduce energy use. The analytical model was validated through experimental testing using a unique laboratory‐scale rotary cement kiln developed during the investigation. Also demonstrated was the feasibility of producing clinker at laboratory scale. This modeling and lab scale tests were designed to better understand the clinker sintering process so that operational and quality decisions can be made to optimize energy consumption without compromising cement clinker quality. The computational fluid dynamics modeling was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0. The characteristics of the combustion fluid flow, concentration of species, temperature and heat transfer were studied for a turbulent flow of methane (CH 4 ) gas and oxygen (O 2 ). Theory suggests that heat transfer impacts the cement production process but the multiphysics model more accurately describes the convection, conduction, and radiant heat transfer in the kilning process and thus allows for a better understanding of the energy exchange driving the chemical reactions that produce Portland cement. Clinker minerals were formed because of appropriate burning conditions implemented during experimental model validation.

Tabares, Juan David↗
DOE OSTI2024

Computational Modeling, Simulation, and Potential Applications of Optical Stochastic Cooling

With the rising demand for intense particles beams, much research is being conducted in the area of particle beam cooling. One of these methods, called Stochastic Cooling (SC) (developed at CERN in the 1970's), delivered a feedback method to improve the quality and lifetime of circulating proton beams by reducing their 6D phase-space and has been widely implemented in a number of hadron machines. However, traditional stochastic cooling schemes are limited by the bandwidth of microwave frequency systems. Optical Stochastic Cooling (OSC) is a promising extension of the stochastic cooling beam cooling technique. OSC instead uses optical wavelengths which allows for improved control and increased cooling but creates its own technical challenges. This lays out work conducted toward the experimental demonstration of OSC at Fermilab's Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) storage ring. This includes the design and characterization of parts of the optical delay system, the development and validation of a high-fidelity computational model of the OSC process, and the investigations into possible applications of the OSC mechanism to advanced beam manipulations.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗