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At least 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Time-Accurate Computations of Isolated Circular Synthetic Jets in Crossflow

Results from unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computations are described for two different synthetic jet flows issuing into a turbulent boundary layer crossflow through a circular orifice. In one case the jet effect is mostly contained within the boundary layer, while in the other case the jet effect extends beyond the boundary layer edge. Both cases have momentum flux ratios less than 2. Several numerical parameters are investigated, and some lessons learned regarding the CFD methods for computing these types of flow fields are outlined. Results in both cases are compared to experiment.

Rumsey, Christoper L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Time-Accurate Computations of Isolated Circular Synthetic Jets in Crossflow

Results from unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computations are described for two different synthetic jet flows issuing into a turbulent boundary layer crossflow through a circular orifice. In one case the jet effect is mostly contained within the boundary layer, while in the other case the jet effect extends beyond the boundary layer edge. Both cases have momentum flux ratios less than 2. Several numerical parameters are investigated, and some lessons learned regarding the CFD methods for computing these types of flow fields are summarized. Results in both cases are compared to experiment.

Rumsey, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The effects of longitudinal roughness elements upon the turbulent boundary layer

Velocity profiles and bursting statistics were measured in the presence of cylindrical longitudinal roughness elements (LREs) and compared to similar work by Johansen and Smith (1986). An algorithm was devised to detect low speed streaks (LSS) from the hot-wire rake data, allowing an estimation of the LREs' ability to reduce spatial randomness of the sublayer structure. The velocity profiles agree with Johansen and Smith's result that the effects of the LREs are felt only for y(+) less than about 15. The analysis of the bursting statistics and LSS algorithm output shows that the flow relaxes back to a flat plate boundary layer between the LREs. A crude first approximation is that the LREs simply impose the no-slip boundary condition at an elevation equivalent to their diameter. While the LREs might serve as a nucleation site for the LSS, spatial randomness of the structure is affected only very close to the LREs.

Blackwelder, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The thermal structure of the atmospheric surface boundary layer on Mars as modified by the radiative effect of aeolian dust

A computational simulation, based on Mariner 9 data, was performed for the thermal characteristics of the Martian atmospheric surface boundary layer in clear and dust-filled conditions. A radiative transfer model consisting of the atmospheric enthalpy rate equation, the radiative flux integrated over the 0.2-50 microns, the solid angle interval, and 0.50 km altitudes, broken into 52 levels. Mariner 9 IR data for CO2 absorption lines were included in the form of a temperture-dependent equation, while the line-widths were interpreted in terms of the pressure dependene as well as temperature. The lines covered the regions from 1-50 microns and varying conditions of dust content in the atmosphere. Attention was given to the thermal coupling between the ground and the atmosphere. It was found that convective heat exchange develops quickly due to radiative heating of the Martian desert surface, but does not cool the surface because of the attenuated atmosphere. The model predictd the 100 K temperature variations in the dusty atmosphere, as observed by the Viking thermal mapper. It is suggested that radiative flux convergence is as important as convection at equivalent efficiencies.

Pallmann, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1959

An Investigation of the Effect of a Highly Favorable Pressure Gradient on Boundary-Layer Transition as Caused by Various Types of Roughnesses on a 10-foot-Diameter Hemisphere at Subsonic Speeds

Tests were made on a 10-foot-diameter hemispherical nose at Reynolds numbers up to 10 x 10(exp 6) and at a maximum Mach number of about 0.1 to determine the effects of a highly favorable pressure gradient on boundary-layer transition caused by roughness. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional roughness particles were used, and the transition of the boundary layer was determined by hot-wire anemometers. The roughness Reynolds number for transition R(sub k,t) caused by three-dimensional particles such as Carborundum grains, spherical particles, and rimmed craters was found. The results show that for particles immersed in the boundary layer, R(sub k,t) is independent of the particle size or position on the hemispherical nose and depends mainly on the height-to-width ratio of the particle. The values of R(sub k,t) found on the hemispherical nose compare closely with those previously found on a flat plate and on airfoils with roughness. For two-dimensional roughness, the ratio of roughness height to boundary-layer displacement thickness necessary to cause transition was found to increase appreciably as the roughness was moved forward on the nose. Also included in the investigation were studies of the spread of turbulence behind a single particle of roughness and the effect of holes such as pressure orifices.

Peterson, John B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Mixing length in low Reynolds number compressible turbulent boundary layers

The paper studies the effect of low Reynolds number in high-speed turbulent boundary layers on variations of mixing length. Boundary layers downstream of natural transition on plates, cones and cylinders, and boundary layers on nozzle walls without laminarization-retransition are considered. The problem of whether low Reynolds number amplification of shear stress is a result of transitional flow structure is considered. It is concluded that a knowledge of low Reynolds number boundary layer transition may be relevant to the design of high-speed vehicles.

Bushnell, D. M.↗
NASA NTRS1960

The Effect of a Deceleration Force on a Melting Boundary Layer

Most analytical studies of ablating layers which melt before they vaporize have been restricted to the stagnation region of bodies (e.g., see Sutton). To determine conditions all along the body, it is important to include the deceleration force that opposes the downstream flow of liquid. Some treatment has already been given to this problem, but it is rather limited because of the idealization of the considered configuration or the omission of some important features of the problem. This note gives a more general discussion of the phenomena that occur when a body force acts on a melting boundary layer. The basis for these remarks is an analysis of the flow of a material like Pyrex over a two-dimensional body. The liquid density, specific heat, and conductivity are assumed constant. To determine the conditions under which deceleration effects are important and to simplify the basic equations, all variables except velocity and time are made dimensionless in the usual way.

Ostrach, Simon↗
NASA NTRS1991

Inertia effects in thin film flow with a corrugated boundary

An analytical solution is presented for two-dimensional, incompressible film flow between a sinusoidally grooved (or rough) surface and a flat-surface. The upper grooved surface is stationary whereas the lower, smooth surface moves with a constant speed. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved employing both mapping techniques and perturbation expansions. Due to the inclusion of the inertia effects, a different pressure distribution is obtained than predicted by the classical lubrication theory. In particular, the amplitude of the pressure distribution of the classical lubrication theory is found to be in error by over 100 perent (for modified Reynolds number of 3-4).

Serbetci, Ilter↗
DOE OSTI2024

Defect Engineering of Bi 2 SeO 2 Thermoelectrics

Abstract Bi 2 SeO 2 is a promising n ‐type semiconductor to pair with p ‐type BiCuSeO in a thermoelectric (TE) device. The TE figure of merit zT and, therefore, the device efficiency must be optimized by tuning the carrier concentration. However, electron concentrations in self‐doped n ‐type Bi 2 SeO 2 span several orders of magnitude, even in samples with the same nominal compositions. Such unsystematic variations in the electron concentration have a thermodynamic origin related to the variations in native defect concentrations. In this study, first‐principles calculations are used to show that the selenium vacancy, which is the source of n ‐type conductivity in Bi 2 SeO 2 , varies by 1–2 orders of magnitude depending on the thermodynamic conditions. It is predicted that the electron concentration can be enhanced by synthesizing under more Se‐poor conditions and/or at higher solid‐state reaction temperatures ( T SSR ), which promote the formation of selenium vacancies without introducing extrinsic dopants. The computational predictions are validated through solid‐state synthesis of Bi 2 SeO 2 . More than two orders of magnitude increase are observed in the electron concentration simply by adjusting the synthesis conditions. Additionally, a significant effect of grain boundary scattering on the electron mobility in Bi 2 SeO 2 is revealed, which can also be controlled by adjusting T SSR . By simultaneously optimizing the electron concentration and mobility, a zT of ≈0.2 is achieved at 773 K for self‐doped n ‐type Bi 2 SeO 2 . The study highlights the need for careful control of thermodynamic growth conditions and demonstrates TE performance improvement by varying synthesis parameters according to thermodynamic guidelines.

Novitskii, Andrei [MANA, National Institute for Ma↗
DOE OSTI2024

Microstructural Passivation of Patterned Al 2 O 3 Back Contacts on CdS/CdTe Solar Cells

Abstract Patterned aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) back contact on cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells can effectively mitigate the loss of the majority carriers while retaining the passivation benefits for minority carriers. This study investigates the impact of the point‐contact geometry on cell performance, where the spacing of the microholes is systematically varied at a constant microhole diameter (≈16 µm). Microhole arrays are created on an evaporated Al 2 O 3 layer (≈30 nm) on CdTe using laser‐beam lithography and selective wet etching processes. Comparative analysis indicates a significant decrease in fill factor (FF) and short‐circuit current ( I SC ) when the contact fraction falls below 30%, likely due to the Al 2 O 3 barrier impeding majority carriers. Above this fraction, FF and I SC are comparable to those of baseline CdTe cells without Al 2 O 3 . Open‐circuit voltage ( V OC ) shows a gradual decrease as Al 2 O 3 coverage is reduced but exhibits a slight increase (<15 mV) when the contact fraction exceeds 30%. Cathodoluminescence (CL) characterization reveals that significantly improved radiative recombination occurs within the CdTe grain bulk with Al 2 O 3 , whereas this effect on grain boundaries is minimal. The findings imply complex local carrier dynamics in the patterned back‐contact region, closely tied to the microstructural properties of CdTe‐based solar cells.

Roy, Etee Kawna↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thermochemical reduction modeling in a high-temperature moving-bed reactor for energy storage: 1D model

The design of robust and efficient high-temperature thermochemical reactors and determination of operating conditions are critical steps toward enabling high-efficiency long-duration solar energy storage. This work presents a computational model for the thermal reduction of a metal oxide material (Mg-Mn-O) up to 1450 °C and the coupled complex transport phenomena in a novel tubular thermal reactor design that features the capability for a high extent-of-reduction (high energy storage density) and inherent heat recuperation. A one-dimensional model coupling counter-current gas–solid flow, two-phase heat transfer, thermochemical redox reactions, and species transport in a moving-bed reactor is developed. Simplified versions of the model are validated with published results in the literature for packed beds with both inert and reactive particles; the fully coupled model is also validated with experimental measurements of a moving-bed reactor in terms of local temperatures and oxygen release at the exit. Detailed comparisons on the effects of different boundary conditions in the reaction zone (prescribed wall temperature vs. heat flux conditions) and formulations based on a simple uniform flow assumption vs. plug flow using Ergun equation for gas flow are investigated. The results are compared with experimental measurements, and for all cases, the energy flow components in the reactor system and the thermal to chemical conversion efficiency and overall system efficiency are computed. Finally, the predicted high thermal-to-chemical efficiency ~95% and system efficiency ~30% agree with experimental measurements.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electronic structure of p -type transparent conducting oxide CuAlO 2

We report copper-based delafossite oxides are excellent candidates for the p-type transparent conducting oxide (TCO), which is essential in realizing transparent semiconductor applications. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we report the low-energy electronic structure of CuAlO 2 . We found that the band structure near the valence band top is characterized by hole bands with their maxima along the Brillouin zone boundary. Furthermore, the effective masses along the Γ–M and Γ–K directions were found to be (0.6 ± 0.1) m0 and (0.9 ± 0.1) m 0 , respectively, which impose an important benchmark against the existing band calculations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Insights into scale translation of methane transport in nanopores

Accurate prediction of flow behavior in shale matrix is critical for efficient development of shale gas reservoirs. In these systems, the majority of pores are in the nano-size range. As a result, continuum-based approaches may not be appropriate to simulate flow in such systems. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are capable of capturing the relevant microscale physics. Their relatively high computational expense, however, restricts MD simulations to rather small systems and domains. This limitation creates a gap between computational need of macroscale systems and capabilities of MD simulations. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is a suitable candidate to bridge this gap. In this work, the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT)-LBM is used to study methane transport in nano-size pores. Adsorption effects near solid boundaries, as well as non-ideal behavior of fluids, are accounted for via incorporating appropriate force terms in LBM. In this work, parameters associated with the force terms in the equation of state are studied in detail, and a workflow is proposed to determine optimal values of these parameters for gas flow in slit pores. Specifically, we establish these parameters such that the range of density values that the model is able to simulate is maximized. We demonstrate this workflow by simulating gas flow where velocity and density profiles from MD simulations are used as reference data. Results from LBM simulations are in good agreement with MD reference data for pores that are 4 nm in width or larger. Moreover, we propose a preconditioning scheme to improve the stability of LBM in dealing with complex geometries. The robustness of this scheme is demonstrated by simulating several roughness geometries. This work motivates the use of LBM in scale translation of the physics of mass transport in more complex permeable media.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Directed energy deposition of Haynes 282 nickel superalloy

Laser powder directed energy deposition was employed to fabricate Haynes® 282 Ni-based superalloy for high temperature creep testing. Material was heat treated using a single-step aging heat treatment of 800 °C for 4 h. Microstructural analysis was conducted in the as-deposited, solution-annealed, and age-hardened conditions. γ′ precipitates were absent in the as-deposited and annealed condition but formed during aging with an average size of 48.5 ± 12 nm. γ’ denuded zones ranging in thickness from 73 to 469 nm were observed adjacent to an effectively continuous grain boundary carbide film that covered 72.5% of the measured boundary length. The heat-treated material contained a high-volume fraction of TiC carbides ranging in size from 38 to 457 nm. Electron backscatter diffraction showed partial recrystallization, with 77-83% recrystallized area and a heterogeneous grain-size distribution. Creep testing at 750 °C at 300, 320, and 350 MPa revealed significantly inferior performance compared to wrought material, with higher strain rates, earlier tertiary onset, and shorter rupture lives. Fractography shows that failure was dominated by intergranular rupture. Post rupture microstructural analysis results suggest that the creep behavior was primarily governed by the non-equilibrium interface network rather than the bulk γ/γ’ matrix. In conclusion, the findings indicate that achieving wrought-like creep performance necessitates substantial improvements in the additive process, specifically focusing on enhanced homogenization, full recrystallization, and precise control over the morphology and distribution of carbides.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The detrimental effect of elemental contaminants when using B additions to improve the creep properties of a Ni-based superalloy

The effect of Si contamination when using B to improve the creep properties of a Ni-based superalloy was investigated using advanced characterization techniques and first-principles simulations on alloys with high and low B levels with varying Si contents. The positive effect of B segregation along grain boundaries on the creep properties was mitigated by the presence of Si which showed a similar segregation preference. Density functional theory calculations were used for validation by calculating grain boundary cleavage energies. Silicon was shown to decrease grain boundary cohesion which offsets the positive effect of B.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Steady detonation propagation in thin channels with strong confinement

We examine asymptotically the dynamics of two-dimensional, steady detonation wave propagation and failure for a strongly confined high explosive (HE), in which the width of the explosive is small relative to the reaction zone length. An energy balance equation is derived, which shows how the longitudinal acceleration of subsonic flow behind the detonation shock is influenced both by chemical reaction and by the effects of HE boundary streamline deflection, specifically via the induced rate of change of mass flux through the detonation wave. The latter serves to either counteract or reinforce the acceleration of longitudinal flow, depending on the sign of the gradient of the boundary streamline deflection at the detonation shock. The analysis is valid for general equations of state and chemical reaction rates in the HE. The asymptotically derived form of the energy equation represents an eigenvalue problem for the determination of the steady detonation propagation speed, solved via a shooting method. We explore specific results for ideal and stiffened equations of state, along with a pressure-dependent reaction rate for which changes in the pressure exponent and reaction order are also studied. We consider the influences of both straight and curved HE boundary streamline shapes. The asymptotic analysis reveals significant physical insights into how detonation propagation and failure are affected by strong confinement.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reciprocal swimming at intermediate Reynolds number

In Stokes flow, Purcell's scallop theorem forbids objects with time-reversible (reciprocal) swimming strokes from moving. In the presence of inertia, this restriction is eased and reciprocally deforming bodies can swim. A number of recent works have investigated dimer models that swim reciprocally at intermediate Reynolds numbers Re≈1–1000. These show interesting results (e.g. switches of the swim direction as a function of inertia) but the results vary and seem to be case specific. Here, in this work, we introduce a general model and investigate the behaviour of an asymmetric spherical dimer of oscillating length for small-amplitude motion at intermediate Re. In our analysis we make the important distinction between particle and fluid inertia, both of which need to be considered separately. We asymptotically expand the Navier–Stokes equations in the small-amplitude limit to obtain a system of linear partial differential equations. Using a combination of numerical (finite element) and analytical (reciprocal theorem, method of reflections) methods we solve the system to obtain the dimer's swim speed and show that there are two mechanisms that give rise to motion: boundary conditions (an effective slip velocity) and Reynolds stresses. Each mechanism is driven by two classes of sphere–sphere interactions, between one sphere's motion and (1) the oscillating background flow induced by the other's motion, and (2) a geometric asymmetry induced by the other's presence. We can thus unify and explain behaviours observed in other works. Our results show how sensitive, counterintuitive and rich motility is in the parameter space of finite inertia of particles and fluid.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Predicting Kyasanur forest disease in resource-limited settings using event-based surveillance and transfer learning

In recent years, the reports of Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) breaking endemic barriers by spreading to new regions and crossing state boundaries is alarming. Effective disease surveillance and reporting systems are lacking for this emerging zoonosis, hence hindering control and prevention efforts. We compared time-series models using weather data with and without Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) information, i.e., news media reports and internet search trends, to predict monthly KFD cases in humans. We fitted Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) and Long Short-Term Memory models at the national and regional levels. We utilized the rich epidemiological data from endemic regions by applying Transfer Learning (TL) techniques to predict KFD cases in new outbreak regions where disease surveillance information was scarce. Overall, the inclusion of EBS data, in addition to the weather data, substantially increased the prediction performance across all models. The XGB method produced the best predictions at the national and regional levels. The TL techniques outperformed baseline models in predicting KFD in new outbreak regions. Novel sources of data and advanced machine-learning approaches, e.g., EBS and TL, show great potential towards increasing disease prediction capabilities in data-scarce scenarios and/or resource-limited settings, for better-informed decisions in the face of emerging zoonotic threats.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗