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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.

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At least 1,153 records · Page 64

Modeling Long-Term Changes in Climate, Ice Sheets and Sea Level: Using the Paleo Record to Understand Possibilities for the Future

During the project, we completed the development and testing of the infrastructure for coupled CESM-CISM paleo-simulations. Our development and testing efforts have focused on (1) CISM2, a parallel, scalable code with a suite of higher-order ice-flow solvers, (2) conservative, two-way coupling of CISM and CLM, (3) an efficient spinup method for coupled CESM-CISM simulations, and (4) inclusion of processes important for long, millennial-scale simulations (dynamic topography, orbital acceleration, asynchronous coupling to dynamic vegetation) and their evaluation (isotopes).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Predictive Battery Lifetime Modeling at NREL [Slides]

Battery lifetime models are used to extrapolate data from accelerated aging tests to simulate degradation in real-world applications such as electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems. Methods developed at NREL utilize both expert domain-knowledge and machine-learning to identify models, using statistical methods such as cross-validation and bootstrap resampling to interrogate model performance and quantify uncertainty. These models can be utilized in systems level simulations to predict battery performance or technoeconomic models to estimate the lifetime cost of battery systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Simulating Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence with Nek5000/RS

We present large-eddy-simulation (LES) modeling approaches for the simulation of atmospheric boundary layer turbulence that are of direct relevance to wind energy production. In this report, we study a GABLS benchmark problem using high-order spectral element code Nek5000/RS, which is supported under the DOE’s Exascale Computing Project (ECP) Center for Efficient Exascale Discretizations (CEED) project, targeting application simulations on various acceleration-device based exascale computing platforms [1, 2]. We demonstrate our newly developed subgrid-scale (SGS) models based on high-pass filter (HPF), mean-field eddy viscosity (MFEV), and Smagorinsky (SMG) with no-slip and traction boundary conditions, provided with low-order statistics, convergence and turbulent structure analysis. The model fidelity and scaling performance of Nek5000/RS on DOE’s leadership computing platforms in comparison to those of AMR-Wind, a block-structured second-order finite-volume code with adaptive-mesh-refinement capabilities, are discussed in [3].

17 WIND ENERGY↗

( Fermi Fermi)/LAT study of gamma-ray emission in the direction of the Monoceros Loop supernova remnant

We present an analysis of the gamma-ray measurements by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in the region of the supernova remnant (SNR) Monoceros Loop (G205.5+0.5). The brightest gamma-ray peak is spatially correlated with the Rosette Nebula, which is a molecular cloud complex adjacent to the southeast edge of the SNR. After subtraction of this emission by spatial modeling, the gamma-ray emission from the SNR emerges, which is extended and fit by a Gaussian spatial template. The gamma-ray spectra are significantly better reproduced by a curved shape than a simple power law. The luminosities between 0.2 and 300 GeV are ∼4×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} for the SNR and ∼3×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} for the Rosette Nebula, respectively. We argue that the gamma-rays likely originate from the interactions of particles accelerated in the SNR. The decay of neutral pions produced in nucleon–nucleon interactions of accelerated hadrons with interstellar gas provides a reasonable explanation for the gamma-ray emission of both the Rosette Nebula and the Monoceros SNR.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Structure of Energetic Particle Mediated Shocks Revisited

The structure of collisionless shock waves is often modified by the presence of energetic particles that are not equilibrated with the thermal plasma (such as pickup ions [PUIs] and solar energetic particles [SEPs]). This is relevant to the inner and outer heliosphere and the Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM), where observations of shock waves (e.g., in the inner heliosphere) show that both the magnetic field and thermal gas pressure are less than the energetic particle component pressures. Voyager 2 observations revealed that the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) is very broad and mediated by energetic particles. PUIs and SEPs contribute both a collisionless heat flux and a higher-order viscosity. We show that the incorporation of both effects can completely determine the structure of collisionless shocks mediated by energetic ions. Since the reduced form of the PUI-mediated plasma model is structurally identical to the classical cosmic ray two-fluid model, we note that the presence of viscosity, at least formally, eliminates the need for a gas sub-shock in the classical two-fluid model, including in that regime where three are possible. By considering parameters upstream of the HTS, we show that the thermal gas remains relatively cold and the shock is mediated by PUIs. We determine the structure of the weak interstellar shock observed by Voyager 1 . We consider the inclusion of the thermal heat flux and viscosity to address the most general form of an energetic particle-thermal plasma two-fluid model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

PARTICLE ACCELERATION AND HEATING BY TURBULENT RECONNECTION

Turbulent flows in the solar wind, large-scale current sheets, multiple current sheets, and shock waves lead to the formation of environments in which a dense network of current sheets is established and sustains “turbulent reconnection.” We constructed a 2D grid on which a number of randomly chosen grid points are acting as scatterers (i.e., magnetic clouds or current sheets). Our goal is to examine how test particles respond inside this large-scale collection of scatterers. We study the energy gain of individual particles, the evolution of their energy distribution, and their escape time distribution. We have developed a new method to estimate the transport coefficients from the dynamics of the interaction of the particles with the scatterers. Replacing the “magnetic clouds” with current sheets, we have proven that the energization processes can be more efficient depending on the strength of the effective electric fields inside the current sheets and their statistical properties. Using the estimated transport coefficients and solving the Fokker–Planck (FP) equation, we can recover the energy distribution of the particles only for the stochastic Fermi process. We have shown that the evolution of the particles inside a turbulent reconnecting volume is not a solution of the FP equation, since the interaction of the particles with the current sheets is “anomalous,” in contrast to the case of the second-order Fermi process.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Zooming in: SCREAM at 100 m using regional refinement over the San Francisco Bay Area

Pushing global climate models to large-eddy simulation (LES) scales over complex terrain has remained a major challenge. This study presents the first known implementation of a global model – SCREAM (Simple Cloud-Resolving E3SM Atmosphere Model) – at 100 m horizontal resolution using a regionally refined mesh (RRM) over the San Francisco Bay Area. Two hindcast simulations were conducted to test performance under both strong synoptic forcing and weak, boundary-layer-driven conditions. We demonstrate that SCREAM can stably run at LES scales while realistically capturing topography, surface heterogeneity, and coastal processes. The 100 m SCREAM-RRM substantially improves near-surface wind speed, temperature, humidity, and pressure biases compared to the baseline 3.25 km simulation, and better reproduces fine-scale wind oscillations and boundary-layer structures. These advances leverage SCREAM's scale-aware SHOC turbulence parameterization, which transitions smoothly across scales without tuning. Performance tests show that while CPU-only simulations remain costly, GPU acceleration with SCREAMv1 on NERSC's Perlmutter system enables two-day hindcasts to complete in under two wall-clock days. Our results open the door to LES-scale studies of orographic flows, boundary-layer turbulence, and coastal clouds within a fully comprehensive global modeling framework.

Geosciences↗

Self-energized plasma compressor

The self-energized plasma compressor is described which compresses plasma discharged from a coaxial plasma generator. The device includes a helically shaped coil which is coaxially aligned with the center axis of the coaxial plasma generator. The plasma generator creates a current through the helical coil which, in turn, generates a time varying magnetic field that creates a force which acts radially upon the plasma. The coaxial plasma generator and helical coil move the plasma under high pressure and temperature to the narrow end of the coil. Positioned adjacent to the narrow end of the coil are beads which are engaged by the plasma to be accelerated to hypervelocities for simulating meteoroids.

Shriver, E. L.↗

A pilot evaluation of two G-seat cueing schemes

A comparison was made of two contrasting G-seat cueing schemes. The G-seat, an aircraft simulation subsystem, creates aircraft acceleration cues via seat contour changes. Of the two cueing schemes tested, one was designed to create skin pressure cues and the other was designed to create body position cues. Each cueing scheme was tested and evaluated subjectively by five pilots regarding its ability to cue the appropriate accelerations in each of four simple maneuvers: a pullout, a pushover, an S-turn maneuver, and a thrusting maneuver. A divergence of pilot opinion occurred, revealing that the perception and acceptance of G-seat stimuli is a highly individualistic phenomena. The creation of one acceptable G-seat cueing scheme was, therefore, deemed to be quite difficult.

Showalter, T. W.↗

Rotor-body coupling revisited

Two analytical procedures are discussed that are currently used to couple rotor and body equations. The first approach, a 'rotor-body iteration' procedure, is often used in flight dynamics simulations. In this approach, acceleration response at the hub interface between the rotor and body are calculated from the body set of equations. These hub acceleration responses are substituted into the rotor set of equations and the remaining rotor acceleration responses are calculated. These rotor responses are used to calculate the rotor hub loads which are transferred back to the body equations to initiate the next iteration. The second method is a 'fully coupled' equations approach that is used in finite element-based analyses. The body and rotor sets of equations are coupled using a kinematic constraint relation at the hub interface. This paper compares the advantages of the two approaches and shows where convergence problems occur in the rotor-body iteration procedure.

Stephens, Wendell B.↗

Electron acceleration at nearly perpendicular collisionless shocks. I - One-dimensional simulations without electron scale fluctuations

Under certain conditions electrons can be reflected and effectively energized at quasi-perpendicular shocks. This process is most prominent close to the point where the upstream magnetic field is tangent to the curved shock. A theoretical explanation of the underlying physical mechanism has been proposed which assumes conservation of magnetic moment and a static, simplified shock profile are performed. Test particle calculations of the electron reflection process in order to examine the results of the theoretical analysis without imposing these restrictive conditions. A one-dimensional hybrid simulation code generates the characteristic field variations across the shock. Special emphasis is placed on the spatial and temporal length scales involved in the mirroring process. The simulation results agree generally well with the predictions from adiabatic theory. The effects of the cross-shock potential and unsteadiness are quantified, and the influence of field fluctuations on the reflection process is discussed.

Krauss-Varban, D.↗

Time-dependent cosmic ray shocks with injection - A progress report

The study presents preliminary results of a two-fluid hydrodynamical simulation of cosmic-ray-modified shock structure by extending the steady-state calculations of Zank et al. (1991) to the time-dependent case. The present simulations model diffusive shock acceleration of the energetic particle component at planar shocks. A new model for the injection of cosmic ray particles is presented. The quadratic artificial viscosity algorithm is found to be numerically unstable and therefore unusable for strong cosmic ray shocks. There is visible ringing and overshoot in the various profiles. A large enhancement in the fluid density appears downstream of the subshock. This 'overcompression' results from the upstream fluid being compressed in the precursor, then traversing a strong shock with compression ratio near the adiabatic limit of four.

Donohue, D. J.↗

Comparisons of the Impact Responses of a 1/5-Scale Model and a Full-Scale Crashworthy Composite Fuselage Section

A 25-fps vertical drop test of a 1/5-scale model composite fuselage section was conducted to replicate a previous test of a full-scale fuselage section. The purpose of the test was to obtain experimental data characterizing the impact response of the 1/5-scale model fuselage section for comparison with the corresponding full-scale data. This comparison is performed to assess the scaling procedures and to determine if scaling effects are present. For the drop test, the 1/5-scale model fuselage section was configured in a similar manner as the full-scale section, with lead masses attached to the floor through simulated seat rails. Scaled acceleration and velocity responses are compared and a general assessment of structural damage is made. To further quantify the data correlation, comparisons of the average acceleration data are made as a function of floor location and longitudinal position. Also, the percentage differences in the velocity change (area under the acceleration curve) and the velocity change squared (proportional to kinetic energy) are compared as a function of floor location. Finally, correlation coefficients are calculated for corresponding 1/5- and full-scale data channels and these values are plotted versus floor location. From a scaling perspective, the differences between the 1/5- and full-scale tests are relatively small, indicating that appropriate scaling procedures were used in fabricating the test specimens and in conducting the experiments. The small differences in the scaled test data are attributed to minor scaling anomalies in mass, potential energy, and impact attitude.

Jackson, Karen E.↗

Epoxy Adhesives for Stator Magnet Assembly in Stirling Radioisotope Generators (SRG)

As NASA seeks to fulfill its goals of exploration and understanding through missions planned to visit the moons of Saturn and beyond, a number of challenges arise from the idea of deep space flight. One of the first problems associated with deep space travel is electrical power production for systems on the spacecraft. Conventional methods such as solar power are not practical because efficiency decreases substantially as the craft moves away from the Sun. The criterion for power generation during deep space missions are very specific, the main points requiring high reliability, low mass, minimal vibration and a long lifespan. A Stirling generator, although fairly old in concept, is considered to be a potential solution for electrical power generation for deep space flight. A Stirling generator works on the same electromagnetic principles of a standard generator, using the linear motion of the alternator through the stationary stator which produces electric induction. The motion of the alternator, however, is produced by the heating and cooling dynamics of pressurized gases. Essentially heating one end and cooling another of a contained gas will cause a periodic expansion and compression of the gas from one side to the other, which a displacer translates into linear mechanical motion. NASA needs to confirm that the materials used in the generator will be able to withstand the rigors of space and the life expectancy of the mission. I am working on the verification of the epoxy adhesives used to bond magnets to the steel lamination stack to complete the stator; in terms of in-service performance and durability under various space environments. Understanding the proper curing conditions, high temperature properties, and degassing problems as well as production difficulties are crucial to the long term success of the generator. system and steel substrate used in the stator. To optimize the curing conditions of the epoxies, modulated differential scanning calorimetry analysis was done as a function of cure time and temperatures. Adhesion bond strength was tested at various temperatures with lap shear samples using Hiperco 50 substrate to ensure that the proper adhesive is being used. To try and solve the problem of bondline thickness, micro glass beads of 0.0017" in diameter were investigated to see if any other physical properties of the epoxy were affected. Efforts will be made to develop a standard, optimized, fabrication process/procedure of sub-scale magnet-stator assemblies for various adhesive performance evaluation studies under simulated generator conditions. Also, accelerated aging testing will be done in a pressurized canister with stator assembly samples for three years to verify if any degassing or thermal degradation of the epoxy occurs. The necessity of verifying the correct epoxy adhesive system for the stator magnet in the SRG is crucial because failure of the stator assembly would jeopardize the electrical system, and thereby the entire mission itself. My work involves specimen fabrications, testing, and data analyses of the epoxy adhesive system for the stator magnet in the SRG is crucial because failure of the stator assembly would jeopardize the electrical system, and thereby the entire mission itself.

Cater, George M.↗

Analysis of Regolith Simulant Ejecta Distributions from Normal Incident Hypervelocity Impact

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has established the Constellation Program. The Constellation Program has defined one of its many goals as long-term lunar habitation. Critical to the design of a lunar habitat is an understanding of the lunar surface environment; of specific importance is the primary meteoroid and subsequent ejecta environment. The document, NASA SP-8013 'Meteoroid Environment Model Near Earth to Lunar Surface', was developed for the Apollo program in 1969 and contains the latest definition of the lunar ejecta environment. There is concern that NASA SP-8013 may over-estimate the lunar ejecta environment. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) has initiated several tasks to improve the accuracy of our understanding of the lunar surface ejecta environment. This paper reports the results of experiments on projectile impact into powdered pumice and unconsolidated JSC-1A Lunar Mare Regolith simulant targets. Projectiles were accelerated to velocities between 2.45 and 5.18 km/s at normal incidence using the Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). The ejected particles were detected by thin aluminum foil targets strategically placed around the impact site and angular ejecta distributions were determined. Assumptions were made to support the analysis which include; assuming ejecta spherical symmetry resulting from normal impact and all ejecta particles were of mean target particle size. This analysis produces a hemispherical flux density distribution of ejecta with sufficient velocity to penetrate the aluminum foil detectors.

Edwards, David L.↗