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At least 901 records · Page 50

Upgrade of the Lyman-alpha diagnostic system on DIII-D for main chamber edge neutral studies

The LLAMA (Lyman Alpha Measurement Apparatus) pinhole camera diagnostic had previously been deployed on DIII-D to measure radial profiles of the Lyman-α (Ly-α) deuterium neutral line brightness across the plasma boundary in the lower chamber to infer neutral deuterium density and ionization rate profiles. This system has recently been upgraded with a new diagnostic head, named ALPACA, that also encloses two pinhole cameras and duplicates the LLAMA views in the upper chamber. Similar to LLAMA, ALPACA provides two times 20 lines of sight, viewing the plasma edge on the inboard and outboard sides with a radial resolution of ~2.5 cm (FWHM) and an effective time resolution of ~1 ms that allows for the investigation of inter-ELM dynamics. The extended Ly-α system provides better coverage to study neutrals in experiments with various plasma shapes utilizing both the upper and lower divertors. Furthermore, post-campaign calibration of the LLAMA diagnostic has successfully been demonstrated for the first time. This was facilitated by various upgrades to the calibration set-up and detailed measurements of the emissivity distribution of the Ly-α calibration source using a pinhole collimator. It was found that the sensitivity of the inboard LLAMA pinhole camera was reduced by a factor of 2.0 ± 0.2 over the course of six months of plasma operation in 2021. In conclusion, the upgraded Ly-α system, equipped with improved absolute calibration, will provide key input for neutral fueling and pedestal particle transport studies and for 2D edge transport code validation on the DIII-D tokamak.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Inferring the Isotropic-Nematic Phase Transition with Generative Machine Learning

Generative machine learning models are capable of learning the phase behavior in condensed matter systems such as the Ising model. We utilize a score-based modeling procedure called thermodynamic maps to describe the isotropic-nematic phase transition in a melt of Gay-Berne ellipsoids. When trained on samples from a single temperature on either side of the phase transition, this generative machine learning approach infers effectively the nematic order parameter at intermediate temperatures. Furthermore, these results demonstrate score-based models’ ability to learn the physics of a nontrivial liquid crystal phase transition.

Critical exponents↗

Design and optimization of cancellation coil topologies for a ferrite-less wireless EV charging pad

Ferrite cores are widely used in conventional wireless EV charging pads to reduce stray EMF emissions, but they can be brittle, heavy, and expensive. This work furthers the development of ferrite-less wireless charging pads by comparing an active and two distinct passive cancellation coil topologies as candidates to replace the ferrite. Using the software packages FEMM and MATLAB, each topology is optimized to find the best winding positions and radii to minimize leakage at a specified position under the side of the vehicle. The optimized designs are compared for shielding effectiveness, induced current, and efficiency. All three topologies are able to sufficiently reduce the leakage field below the ICNIRP limit of 27 μTrms with just one turn. Interestingly, we find that an array of simple passive cancellation loops performs similar to the more widely studied passive cancellation coil.

Scher, Aaron D.↗

Granular Flow in Novel Octet Shape–Based Lattice Frame Material

Moving packed-bed heat exchangers in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants involves heat transfer between heated falling particles and supercritical carbon dioxide. The overall effective thermal conductivity of the moving packed bed and particle-side channel contact resistances are still the bottlenecks in achieving the desirable thermal transport levels. To this end, a novel moving packed bed heat exchanger consisting of an Octet lattice packed between the walls of the particle-side channel is proposed in this study. Granular flow analysis in Octet lattice moving packed bed heat exchanger (OLHX) was conducted through experiments and discrete element method (DEM)-based numerical simulations. The experimental images clearly demonstrated stagnation regions upstream of lattice fibers, void regions downstream of the fiber junctions, and wavy-type unobstructed flow on the lateral sides of the fibers. DEM simulations were successful in capturing all these critical flow phenomena. Larger flow velocities were observed on the lateral sides of the fibers in the simulations. Also, when the particles in the silo were emptied, the final images showed an accumulation of particles on the inter-fiber as well as fiber–channel wall junctions. Moreover, the fiber connections resulted in some regions devoid of particle contact on the channel endwall, which means that these regions would suffer from poor thermal exchange. Finally, the overall mass flowrate increased with increasing porosity for a fixed particle diameter.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Singular perturbation of absolute stability.

It was previously shown (author, 1969) that the regions of absolute stability in the parameter space can be determined when the parameters appear on the right-hand side of the system equations, i.e., the regular case. Here, the effect on absolute stability of a small parameter attached to higher derivatives in the equations (the singular case) is studied. The Lur'e-Postnikov class of nonlinear systems is considered.

Siljak, D. D.↗

Electron pitch angle distributions throughout the magnetosphere as observed on Ogo 5.

A survey of the equatorial pitch angle distributions of energetic electrons is provided for all local times out to radial distances of 20 earth radii on the night side of the earth and to the magnetopause on the day side of the earth. In much of the inner magnetosphere and in the outer magnetosphere on the day side of the earth, the normal loss cone distribution prevails. The effects of drift shell splitting - i.e., the appearance of pitch angle distributions with minimums at 90 deg, called butterfly distributions - become apparent in the early afternoon magnetosphere at extended distances, and the distribution is observed in to 5.5 earth radii in the nighttime magnetosphere. Inside about 9 earth radii the pitch angle effects are quite energy-dependent. Beyond about 9 earth radii in the premidnight magnetosphere during quiet times the butterfly distribution is often observed. It is shown that these electrons cannot survive a drift to dawn without being considerably modified. The role of substorm activity in modifying these distributions is identified.

West, H. I., Jr.↗

Miniature load cell instrumentation for finite deformation biaxial testing of elastomers

Accuracy of biaxial test equipment to examine the nonlinear mechanical behavior of thin sheet specimens of elastomeric materials has been hampered by lack of precise determination of the force distribution along the sides of the specimen. It has been necessary to use an effective width established by approximate means to obtain the stress from the overall force applied along the edges. To avoid this experimental difficulty, individual miniature proof-ring load cells utilizing semiconductor strain gages have been developed and applied to the support hooks for the thin sheet specimens. Typical results are shown for time-dependent stress distributions for all degrees of biaxiality. An accurate evaluation of the effective specimen width is now possible.

Arenz, R. J.↗

Preliminary evaluation of a heat pipe heat exchanger on a regenerative turbofan

A preliminary evaluation was made of a regenerative turbofan engine using a heat pipe heat exchanger. The heat exchanger had an effectiveness of 0.70, a pressure drop of 3 percent on each side, and used sodium for the working fluid in the stainless steel heat pipes. The engine was compared to a reference turbofan engine originally designed for service in 1979. Both engines had a bypass ratio of 4.5 and a fan pressure ratio of 2.0. The design thrust of the engines was in the 4000 N range at a cruise condition of Mach 0.98 and 11.6 km. It is shown that heat pipe heat exchangers of this type cause a large weight and size problem for the engine. The penalties were too severe to be overcome by the small uninstalled fuel consumption advantage. The type of heat exchanger should only be considered for small airflow engines in flight applications. Ground applications might prove more suitable and flexible.

Kraft, G. A.↗

Effects of moisture in infrared thermography of resin matrix composites

Several multiply graphite polyimide composite specimens were examined by real-time infrared thermography in order to study the effects of moisture on their thermograms. Heat was injected from one side and IR emission detected on the opposite side using AGA Thermovision System-680. No differences between the thermograms of dry and water containing specimens were detected for defect-free specimens. However, the presence of trapped water in defective specimens modified the thermographic contrast significantly. It is concluded that: (1) IR thermography can be used to detect moisture in defective composites, and (2) because of the possibility of moisture camouflaging defects, IR thermography for subsurface defect detection should be supplemented by other techniques - such as acoustical imaging and X-radiography.

Singh, J. J.↗

A new analysis of charge transfer and polarization for ligand-metal bonding - Model studies of Al4CO and Al4NH3

The nature of the bonding of CO and NH3 ligands to Al is analyzed, and the intra-unit charge polarization and inter-unit donation for the interaction of ligands with metals are studied. The consequences of metal-to-ligand and ligand-to-metal charge transfer are separately considered by performing a constrained space orbital variation (CSOV) with the electrons of the metal member of the complex in the field of frozen ligand. The electrons of the metal atoms are then frozen in the relaxed distribution given by the CSOV SCF wave function and the ligand electrons are allowed to relax. Quantitative measures of the importance of inter-unit charge transfers and intra-unit polarization are obtained using results of SCF studies of Al4CO and Al4NH3 clusters chosen to simulate the adsorption of the ligands at an on-top side of the Al(111) surface. The electrostatic attraction of the effective dipole moments of the metal and ligand units makes an important contribution to the bond.

Bagus, P. S.↗

Some negative results in N-sided patches

To ease surface definition in situations of complex topology, patches with other than four sides and with guaranted continuity of at least slope with adjacent patches are needed. There are known techniques in the literature for three- and five-sided patches of reasonably economy, and known transfinite methods for many sides. Some of the conditions that a six-sided patch must satisfy and how certain simpler approaches are not effective are shown.

Sabin, M.↗

Review of vortex flow flight projects on the F-106B

NASA-Langley's F-106B research aircraft is being used in vortex flow-research flight experiments in order to determine the effects of Re number and Mach number on the lee-side vortex system generated at angles-of-attack up to maneuver condition, as well as to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics of a sharp leading-edge vortex flap system. The wing vortex system is visualized at a fixed position by means of the vapor-screen technique. Comparisons are made between a measured value and two theoretical estimates of a pertinent vortex system property, core location.

Lamar, J. E.↗

Supersonic mixing enhancement by vorticity for high-speed propulsion

The results of a three year study on vortex enhancement of supersonic mixing are discussed. Recent interests in compressible mixing has spurred research in the field of high speed shear layers. It was established that shear layer growth diminishes with increasing convective Mach number; this Mach number is the relative Mach number of the large scale structures in the shear layer with respect to the Mach numbers on either side of the shear layer. The purpose was to evaluate the effect of swirl on compressible mixing rates. Previously analytical and experimental results seem to indicate that swirling flow may significantly modify the shear layer, in some cases resulting in enhanced mixing. Previous studies of the effect of swirl on compressible mixing were incomplete since the amount of swirl in the flowfield was not quantified. This study was undertaken to conclusively determine the effect of swirl on supersonic mixing, including the quantification of the swirl. Preliminary results indicate that the swirl modestly enhances the mixing rates.

Settles, Gary S.↗

Vortical flow control on a slender body at high angles of attack

Attention is given to the possibility of using tangential blowing to control vortical flow on a missile-like slender body at high angles of attack. Emphasis is placed on smoke- and surface oil-flow visualization, force measurements, and velocity and pressure measurements using a 5-hole probe. It is shown that the tangential blowing significantly alters the flow field downstream of the slot and creates large side forces and yawing moments to very high angles of attack. Effectiveness of the tangential blowing is discussed in terms of jet momentum, blowing location, slot area, and Reynolds number. The concept proved to be efficient at small blowing rates and at high angles of attack.

Celik, Zeki Z.↗

Absorbed dose measurements and predictions on LDEF

The overall radiation environment of LDEF was determined in part through the use of thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs). The results given are from four experiments (Biostack, Fiber Optics Data Link, Seeds in Space, and Linear Energy Transfer Spectrum Measurement) and represent a large fraction of existing absorbed dose data. The TLDs (located on leading and trailing edges) were under various shielding depths. The measured absorbed doses were found to reflect both directional dependence of incident trapped protons and shielding. Radiation dosages at both locations and under various shielding depths are given. The effect of the trapped proton anisotropy was such that the western side of LDEF received about 3 times the dose of the eastern side at shielding depths of approx. 1 gm/sq cm. These data are being used to evaluate the accuracy of models currently in use for predicting ionizing radiation environments for low Earth orbit missions.

Frank, A. L.↗

On the coupling between a supersonic boundary layer and a flexible surface

The coupling between a two-dimensional, supersonic, laminar boundary layer and a flexible surface is studied using direct numerical computations of the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the plate equation. The flexible surface is forced to vibrate by plane acoustic waves at normal incidence emanated by a sound source located on the side of the flexible surface opposite to the boundary layer. The effect of the source excitation frequency on the surface vibration and boundary layer stability is analyzed. We find that, for frequencies near the fifth natural frequency of the surface or lower, large disturbances are introduced in the boundary layer which may alter its stability characteristics. The interaction between a stable two-dimensional disturbance of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) type with the vibrating surface is also studied. We find that the disturbance level is higher over the vibrating flexible surface than that obtained when the surface is rigid, which indicates a strong coupling between flow and structure. However, in the absence of the sound source the disturbance level over the rigid and flexible surfaces are identical. This result is due to the high frequency of the TS disturbance which does not couple with the flexible surface.

Frendi, Abdelkader↗

Analysis of the lettuce data from the variable pressure growth chamber at NASA Johnson Space Center: A three-stage nested design model

A model of three-stage nested experimental design was applied to analyze the lettuce data obtained from the variable pressure growth chamber test bed at NASA-Johnson Space Center. From the results of an application of the analysis of variance and covariance on the data set, it was noted that all of the (uncontrollable) factors, Side, Zone, Height and (controllable) PAR (photosynthetically active radiation), had nonhomogeneous effects on the dry weight of the edible biomass of lettuce per pot. Incidentally, the variations accountable to the (uncontrollable) factorial heterogeneities are merely 9 percent and 17 percent of the total variation for both the first and second crop test, respectively. After adjusting for the PAR as a covariate in the no-intercept model, the accountable variations to all the four factors are 94 percent and 92 percent for the first and the second crop test, respectively. With the use of a no-intercept simple linear regression model, the accountable variations to the factor PAR are 92 percent and 90 percent for the first and the second crop test, respectively. Evidently, the (controllable) factor PAR is the dominating one.

Lee, Tze-San↗

Absorbed dose measurements and predictions on LDEF

The overall radiation environment of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was determined in part through the use of thermoluminescent detectors (TLD's) which were included in several experiments. The results given are from four experiments (A0015 Biostack, M0004 Fiber Optics Data Link, P0004 Seeds in Space, and P0006 Linear Energy Transfer Spectrum Measurement) and represent a large fraction of existing absorbed dose data. The TLD's were located on the leading and the trailing edges and the Earth end of the spacecraft under various shielding depths (0.48 to 15.4 g/sq cm). The measured absorbed doses were found to reflect both directional dependence of incident trapped protons and shielding. At the leading edge, doses ranged from 2.10 to 2.58 Gy under shielding of 2.90 to 1.37 g/sq cm Al equivalent (M0004). At the trailing edge, doses varied from 3.04 to 4.49 Gy under shielding of 11.7 to 3.85 g/sq cm (A0015), doses varied from 2.91 to 6.64 Gy under shielding of 11.1 to 0.48 g/sq cm (P0004), and a dose range of 2.66 to 6.48 Gy was measured under shielding of 15.4 to 0.48 g/sq cm (P0006). At the Earth end of the spacecraft, doses from 2.41 to 3.93 Gy were found under shielding of 10.0 to 1.66 g/sq cm (A0015). The effect of the trapped proton anisotropy was such that the western side of LDEF received more than 2 times the dose of the eastern side at shielding depths of approximately 1 g/sq cm. Calculations utilizing a directional model of trapped proton spectra predict smaller doses than those measured, being about 50 percent of measured values at the trailing edge and Earth end, and about 80 percent near the leading edge.

Frank, A. L.↗