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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Multi-Node Modeling of Cryogenic Tank Pressurization System Using Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program

Cryogenic Tanks are pressurized by inert gas such as Helium or Nitrogen to maintain the required pressure of the propellant delivered to the turbo-pump of a liquid rocket engine. Thermo-fluid system simulation tools are used to analyze the pressurization process of a cryogenic tank. Most system level codes (GFSSP and ROCETS) use single node1 to represent ullage which is the gaseous space in the tank. Ullage space in a cryogenic tank is highly stratified because the entering inert gas is at ambient temperature whereas the liquid propellant is at a cryogenic temperature. A single node model does not account for the effect of temperature gradient in the ullage. High fidelity Navier-Stokes based CFD model of Tank Pressurization is not practical for running a long duration transient model with thousands and millions of nodes. A possible recourse is to construct a multi-node model with system level code that can account for ullage stratification.

Bandyopadhyay, Alak↗
NASA NTRS1982

Reliability calculation using randomization for Markovian fault-tolerant computing systems

The randomization technique for computing transient probabilities of Markov processes is presented. The technique is applied to a Markov process model of a simplified fault tolerant computer system for illustrative purposes. It is applicable to much larger and more complex models. Transient state probabilities are computed, from which reliabilities are derived. An accelerated version of the randomization algorithm is developed which exploits ''stiffness' of the models to gain increased efficiency. A great advantage of the randomization approach is that it easily allows probabilities and reliabilities to be computed to any predetermined accuracy.

Miller, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Ignition Transient Calculations in the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor

The work presented is part of an effort to develop a multidimensional ignition transient model for large solid propellant rocket motors. On the Space Shuttle, the ignition transient in the slot is induced when the igniter, itself a small rocket motor, is fired into the head-end portion of the main rocket motor. The computational results presented in this paper consider two different igniter configurations. The first configuration is a simulated Space Shuttle RSRM igniter which has one central nozzle that is parallel to the centerline of the motor. The second igniter configuration has a nozzle which is canted at an angle of 45 deg from the centerline of the motor. This paper presents a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses of certain flow field characteristics inside the solid propellant star grain slot of the Space Shuttle during the ignition transient period of operation for each igniter configuration. The majority of studies made to date regarding ignition transient performance in solid rocket motors have concluded that the key parameter to be determined is the heat transfer rate to the propellant surface and hence the heat transfer coefficient between the gas and the propellant. In this paper the heat transfer coefficients, pressure and velocity distributions are calculated in the star slot. In order to validate the computational method and to attempt to establish a correlation between the flow field characteristics and the heat transfer rates a series of cold flow experimental investigations were conducted. The results of these experiments show excellent qualitative and quantitative agreement with the pressure and velocity distributions obtained from the CFD analysis. The CFD analysis utilized a classical pipe flow type correlation for the heat transfer rates. The experimental results provide an excellent qualitative comparison with regard to spatial distribution of the heat transfer rates as a function of nozzle configuration and igniter pressure. The results indicate that from a quantitative point of view that the pipe flow correlation gives reasonably good results. Furthermore, there appears to be a direct correlation between igniter pressure and an average Reynolds number in the star grain slot. This may lead to a simple method for modifying the convection heat transfer correlation. Calculated results of pressure-vs-time for the first 200 msec of motor firing of the Space Shuttle RSRM support the trends shown for the heat transfer rate comparisons between the cold flow CFD and experimental data.

Jenkins, Rhonald M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An RL10A-3-3A rocket engine model using the rocket engine transient simulator (ROCETS) software

Steady-state and transient computer models of the RL10A-3-3A rocket engine have been created using the Rocket Engine Transient Simulation (ROCETS) code. These models were created for several purposes. The RL10 engine is a critical component of past, present, and future space missions; the model will give NASA an in-house capability to simulate the performance of the engine under various operating conditions and mission profiles. The RL10 simulation activity is also an opportunity to further validate the ROCETS program. The ROCETS code is an important tool for modeling rocket engine systems at NASA Lewis. ROCETS provides a modular and general framework for simulating the steady-state and transient behavior of any desired propulsion system. Although the ROCETS code is being used in a number of different analysis and design projects within NASA, it has not been extensively validated for any system using actual test data. The RL10A-3-3A has a ten year history of test and flight applications; it should provide sufficient data to validate the ROCETS program capability. The ROCETS models of the RL10 system were created using design information provided by Pratt & Whitney, the engine manufacturer. These models are in the process of being validated using test-stand and flight data. This paper includes a brief description of the models and comparison of preliminary simulation output against flight and test-stand data.

Binder, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2024

Initial Demonstration of New Griffin Technologies for Simulating the Running-In Phase of Pebble Bed Reactors

Griffin is a reactor multiphysics modeling application based on MOOSE (Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment) and specifically targeting transient modeling of advanced reactors. Griffin has been used recently to model pebble-bed reactors for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research and the Advanced Reactor Technology program. This modeling work has focused thus far on the direct calculation of equilibrium cores. This report documents an initial demonstration of a new running-in simulation capability. The new running-in capability is verified using the existing direct equilibrium core calculation capability. A simplified pebble-bed reactor model is then used to demonstrate the running-in simulation capability. This demonstration shows that Griffin is able to simulate years of operation during the running-in phase efficiently with each depletion step taking only several seconds. Two new technologies are also presented in this report which have been developed in Griffin that will be essential for improved accuracy both of the direct equilibrium core computation and the new running-in simulation capability. The first technology is an online cross section generation capability specifically targeted for pebble-bed reactors. This will improve the accuracy of the depletion calculation as the cross sections are generated at the exact core status. This also avoids the difficult step of pre-generating a separate standalone multigroup cross section set. Secondly, a newly implemented discretization for discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) SN transport in cylindrical (RZ) coordinates, which can be solved efficiently using the existing SN sweep solver, is discussed and some results are shown demonstrating the usefulness of the additional accuracy transport provides over a diffusion approximation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

EXERGETIC: De-Risking Next-Generation Resilient Geothermal Hybrids via At-Scale Evaluation Using Virtual Emulation Digital Twin Environment for Efficient Operation

The DOE-GTO-funded project, award number 5.1.2.12, entitled "EXERGETIC - De-risking Next Generation Resilient Geothermal Hybrids via at-Scale Evaluation Using a Virtual Emulation Digital Twin Environment for Efficient Operation," advances the solution to these challenges by developing and validating a geothermal co-emulation environment implemented at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)'s Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform. This framework enables the de-risking of next-generation geothermal and geothermal hybrid systems through high-fidelity modeling, real-time digital emulation, advanced control strategies, and techno-economic assessment. The project focused on geothermal hybrid configurations that integrate geothermal power plants with concentrated solar power and underground thermal energy storage, enabling enhanced efficiency, flexibility, and grid support capabilities. The main goal of this project was the development of a geothermal digital co-emulation environment to demonstrate the technical and economic value of geothermal hybrid systems and their contribution to grid stability and flexibility. The EXERGETIC framework combined physics-based models, controls, and real assets at ARIES, including digital real-time simulators (DRTS), a 20-MW-scale controllable grid interface (CGI), and a 2-MW conventional generator. Detailed transient models were developed for the key subsystems of a hybrid geothermal plant, including parabolic trough solar collectors, reservoir thermal energy storage (RTES), and a binary Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plant. The ORC model explicitly captured thermal inertia and off-design operation and integrated control strategies to dynamically respond to electric load profiles. The models were validated against published experimental and numerical studies, demonstrating strong agreement and confirming the accuracy and robustness of the modeling approach. The resulting digital twin represents geothermal-solar-storage systems at multiple scales (1 MW to 100 MW) and enables realistic emulation of grid-connected operation. The control architecture allows the geothermal resource to provide stable baseload generation, while solar and stored thermal energy supply flexible, dispatchable support during periods of high demand or variable grid conditions. A key contribution of the EXERGETIC project is the demonstration that geothermal hybrid systems can be designed to be active grid assets rather than passive baseload generators. Using the ARIES platform, the digital twin was evaluated under multiple grid scenarios, including load following, voltage support at the distribution level, and frequency response at the transmission level. Results show that hybrid geothermal systems can respond effectively to dynamic grid conditions, providing inertia-like behavior, primary frequency support, and voltage regulation through coordinated control. In addition to the performance and grid services capability analysis of geothermal and hybrid geothermal systems, the EXERGETIC project also focused on scalability and techno-economic analysis of geothermal hybrid plants. In particular, for the scalability analysis, machine-learning (ML)-based surrogate models were trained using data generated from the geothermal digital twin under different grid-connected scenarios and plant capacities. These ML models demonstrated strong interpolation and extrapolation capabilities across plant sizes, accurately reproducing both steady-state and transient responses with very low errors. Regarding the techno-economic analysis, plant performance results were integrated with cost models for hybrid geothermal systems, and the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) was used as the main economic metric to evaluate system performance across a range of system capacities, solar shares, solar multiples, and storage durations. Results indicate that economies of scale significantly reduce geothermal LCOE as plant capacity increases, with large-scale systems (25-100 MW) achieving substantially lower costs than small plants. Hybridization with solar thermal energy and storage further improves economic performance by increasing capacity utilization and enabling flexible dispatch. In addition, thermal storage plays a critical role in reducing LCOE by maximizing geothermal, solar, and stored energy resources. In summary, the results from this project demonstrate that geothermal hybrid systems represent a promising alternative for increasing the energy conversion efficiency of geothermal technologies, contributing to the preservation of geothermal resources, and supporting the transition of geothermal plants from traditional baseload resources into flexible, resilient, and cost-competitive energy conversion technologies.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1991

Modeling of advanced ECLSS/ARS with ASPEN

System-level ASPEN models were developed for the CO2 partial reduction subsystem and a bioregenerative life support subsystem (BRLSS). The individual component and subsystem models were integrated into three different system-level atmospheric revitalization subsystem (ARS) models: baseline physico-chemical, BRLSS, and partial reduction of Martian CO2. The Aspen models were based on FORTRAN interfaces necessary for integration with another program, G189A, to perform quasi-transient modeling. Detailed reactor models were prepared for the two CO2 reduction reactors (Bosch and Advanced Carbon Formation), and the low-temperature trace contaminant oxidation reactor.

Kolodney, M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Prevention of Over-Pressurization During Combustion in a Sealed Chamber

The combustion of flammable material in a sealed chamber invariably leads to an initial pressure rise in the volume. The pressure rise is due to the increase in the total number of gaseous moles (condensed fuel plus chamber oxygen combining to form gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapor) and, most importantly, the temperature rise of the gas in the chamber. Though the rise in temperature and pressure would reduce with time after flame extinguishment due to the absorption of heat by the walls and contents of the sealed spacecraft, the initial pressure rise from a fire, if large enough, could lead to a vehicle over-pressure and the release of gas through the pressure relief valve. This paper presents a simple lumped-parameter model of the pressure rise in a sealed chamber resulting from the heat release during combustion. The transient model considers the increase in gaseous moles due to combustion, and heat transfer to the chamber walls by convection and radiation and to the fuel-sample holder by conduction, as a function of the burning rate of the material. The results of the model are compared to the pressure rise in an experimental chamber during flame spread tests as well as to the pressure falloff after flame extinguishment. The experiments involve flame spread over thin solid fuel samples. Estimates of the heat release rate profiles for input to the model come from the assumed stoichiometric burning of the fuel along with the observed flame spread behavior. The sensitivity of the model to predict maximum chamber pressure is determined with respect to the uncertainties in input parameters. Model predictions are also presented for the pressure profile anticipated in the Fire Safety-1 experiment, a material flammability and fire safety experiment proposed for the European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). Computations are done for a range of scenarios including various initial pressures and sample sizes. Based on these results, various mitigation approaches are suggested to prevent vehicle over-pressurization and help guide the definition of the space experiment.

Gokoglu, Suleyman A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Residual-flexibility corrections for transient modal rotordynamic models

A modal residual-flexibility approach due to Schwendler and MacNeal (1962) is adapted to account for the 'static' contribution of higher-frequency modes without requiring their integration. It is assumed that each rotor mode acts as a lightly damped second-order system. The additional accuracy provided by residual-flexibility corrections becomes progressively more important as a modal model's actual boundary conditions are forced to deviate from the boundary conditions used to define the rotor's original structural model (stiffness matrix) and its associated eigendata input to the transient modal model. An analysis of the high-pressure-oxygen turbopump of the Space Shuttle main engine shows that the residual-flexibility approach ensures a substantial improvement in accuracy for a relatively moderate increase in computer-time requirements.

Childs, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Improved Coupled Fluid/Structural Dynamical Model

Improved algorithm developed for simulation of coupled motions of fluids and structures. Minimum requirement for correct simulation of damping is forces and velocities at interface compatible in models of structure and fluid at each time step. Improved algorithm, conforms to this requirement, involves fluid-transient model, structural modal/transient model, and an algebraic impedance/coupling subalgorithm. Use of this algorithm greatly improves computational stability.

Fenwick, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Computing Incompressible Flows With Free Surfaces

RIPPLE computer program models transient, two-dimensional flows of incompressible fluids with surface tension on free surfaces of general shape. Surface tension modeled as volume force derived from continuum-surface-force model, giving RIPPLE both robustness and accuracy in modeling surface-tension effects at free surface. Also models wall adhesion effects. Written in FORTRAN 77.

Kothe, D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Thermal stability during rotation in space - A scaling and numerical analysis

An analysis of thermal stability in a fluid during rotation is presented. The conditions resulting in thermal stability are examined and numerically verified. It is shown that at least one thermal field exists for any rotating fluid, with or without a gravitational background field, where convection does not occur. The numerical model used is fully nonlinear and 3D. Results are presented on the basis of both steady-state and fully transient models. The thermally stable condition is further investigated in the context of the average net acceleration and the inhomogeneous part of the acceleration field (gradient of acceleration). It is shown that in the thermally stable condition the flow that would result from the average net acceleration is equal and opposite to the flow that would result from the inhomogeneous part of the acceleration field. It is concluded that the thermally stable condition is actually a flow mode transition at Ad = 1.

Arnold, William A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Electrodynamics of the Getaway Tether Experiment

An electrodynamic circuit model of the interaction of a pair of small tethered satellites and the ionosphere is developed and analyzed. The system under study, the Getaway Tether Experiment (GATE), is composed of two small satellites and 1 km of insulated conducting tether. The nonlinear model has elements representing the emission, collection, and resistive flow of charge through an electrically conductive tether, plasma contactors, and the ionosphere. The circuit model is incorporated into a dynamic orbital simulation to predict mission performance. Simulation results show the feasibility to bilaterally transfer energy between stored electrical energy and orbital momentum. A transient model is also developed using the circuit model and a string of N lumped-parameter modules, each consisting of resistance, capacitance, and induced potential for the tether. Transients are shown via simulation to occur over millisecond intervals.

Greene, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2025

Unified Model of Current-Limiting Grid-Forming Inverters for Large-Signal Analysis

Grid-forming (GFM) inverters can hardly withstand any overloading. As such, GFM inverters need a current limiter in their control system to avoid hardware damage during overloading or grid disturbances. When the current limiter is engaged for inverter protection, however, it dynamically changes the inverter output impedance, which can significantly affect the system behavior against large disturbances. For example, when the current limiter curtails the output power, the primary controller of the GFM inverter-which generates the voltage and angle reference-is prone to losing synchronization with the grid. This can cause large-signal instability in the network. This paper presents a unified GFM current-limiter model to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the GFM inverter current limiting on large-signal instability and other system behaviors. The unified model captures several well-known current limiters for GFM inverters, and it reveals their large-signal equivalence characterized by the limiter angle. We use the unified model to present in-depth insights into the driving forces that cause large-signal instability in GFM inverter-driven grids. Further, this paper illustrates that the unified model can be used as a tool for assessing the system-level impacts of various GFM current-limiter designs during grid disturbances. Using numerical, analytical, electromagnetic transient models, and a hardware setup, the validity of the unified model is evaluated.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Transient Dendritic Solidification Experiment (TDSE)

The study of steady-state dendritic growth has both validated many element of transport phenomena in dendritic growth, and yielded many new insights. Further development in simulation and modeling are needed, as is further understanding of the role of selection or scaling in dendritic growth. The TDSE contributes to the further study of dendritic phenomena by carefully measuring and modeling transient effects on dendritic growth. The major challenge encountered in measuring and analyzing the transient behavior of isothermal dendrites is defining precisely the initial conditions from which or to which the dendrite evolves. Our proposed pressure-mediated TDSE microgravity experiment, obviates this difficulty, because the transient occurs between two well-characterized steady-states, rather than between an ill-defined initial state and the final steady state. The major results expected are unique data on transient behavior that will extend the scientific bounds from the now well-understood thermal effects, and provide insight into interfacial dynamics where open questions remain.

Koss, M. B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Liquefaction Model for A Cryogenically Refrigerated Ellipsoidal Tank

Over the past few decades NASA has been developing technology to produce cryogenic propellants on the surfaces of the Moon or Mars. In-situ propellant production reduces the amount of propellants needed to be taken to Moon/Mars and ultimately reduces mission cost. Utilizing Lunar/Martian resources, the produced gases are liquefied and stored prior to use on the ascent vehicle. This paper presents a model for the liquefaction process of gaseous propellants in a cryogenically refrigerated tank. The tank is cylindrical with elliptical top and bottom domes. A transient model is developed based on the mass and energy conservation principles and wall-gas and liquid-gas interfacial mass and heat transfer correlations. The model is incorporated into the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), an MSFC in-house general-purpose computer program for flow network analysis. Description of the model and comparison of predicted results with available test data is presented.

Liquefaction↗
DOE OSTI2024

Aggregate data‐driven dynamic modeling of active distribution networks with DERs for voltage stability studies

Abstract Electric distribution networks increasingly host distributed energy resources based on power electronic converter (PEC) toward active distribution networks (ADN). Despite advances in computational capabilities, electromagnetic transient models are limited in scalability because of their reliance on exact data about the distribution system and each of its components. Similarly, the use of the DER_A model, which is intended to examine the combined dynamic behavior of many DERs, is limited by the difficulty in parameterization. There is a need for improved dynamic models of DERs for use in large power system simulations for stability analysis. This paper proposes an aggregate model‐free, data‐driven approach for deriving a dynamic partitioned model (DPM) of ADNs. Detailed residential distribution feeders were first developed, including PEC‐based DERs and composite load models (CMLDs), from which the aggregated DPM was derived. The performance was evaluated through various case studies and validated against the detailed ADN model and state‐of‐the‐art DER_A model with CMLD. The data‐driven DPM achieved a of over 90%, accurately representing the aggregated dynamic behavior of ADNs. Furthermore, the DPM significantly accelerated the simulation process with a computational speedup of 68 times compared to the detailed ADN and a 3.5 times speedup compared to the DER_A CMLD model.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2015

The Solsticial Pause on Mars: A Planetary Wave Reanalysis - Part 1

Large-scale planetary waves are diagnosed from an analysis of profiles retrieved from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft during its scientific mapping phase. The analysis is conducted by assimilating thermal profiles and total dust opacity retrievals into a Mars global circulation model. Transient waves are largest throughout the northern hemisphere autumn, winter and spring period and almost absent during the summer. The southern hemisphere exhibits generally weaker transient wave behavior. A striking feature of the low-altitude transient waves in the analysis is that they show a broad subsidiary minimum in amplitude centred on the winter solstice, a period when the thermal contrast between the summer hemisphere and the winter pole is strongest and baroclinic wave activity might be expected to be strong. This behavior, here called the 'solsticial pause,' is present in every year of the analysis. This strong pause is under-represented in many independent model experiments, which tend to produce relatively uniform baroclinic wave activity throughout the winter. This paper documents and diagnoses the transient wave solsticial pause found in the analysis; a companion paper investigates the origin of the phenomenon in a series of model experiments.

Lewis, Stephen R.↗