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NASA NTRS2002

GCM Simulation of the Large-Scale North American Monsoon Including Water Vapor Tracer Diagnostics

The geographic sources of water for the large scale North American monsoon in a GCM (General Circulation Model) are diagnosed using passive constituent tracers of regional water sources (Water Vapor Tracers, WVT). The NASA Data Assimilation Office Finite Volume (FV) GCM was used to produce a 10-year simulation (1984 through 1993) including observed sea surface temperature. Regional and global WVT sources were defined to delineate the surface origin of water for precipitation in and around the North American Monsoon. The evolution of the mean annual cycle and the interannual variations of the monsoonal circulation will be discussed. Of special concern are the relative contributions of the local source (precipitation recycling) and remote sources of water vapor to the annual cycle and the interannual variation of monsoonal precipitation. The relationships between soil water, surface evaporation, precipitation and precipitation recycling will be evaluated.

Bosilovich, Michael G.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Incompressible Navier-Stokes Solvers in Primative Variables and their Applications to Steady and Unsteady Flow Simulations

This paper reviews recent progress made in incompressible Navier-Stokes simulation procedures and their application to problems of engineering interest. Discussions are focused on the methods designed for complex geometry applications in three dimensions, and thus are limited to primitive variable formulation. A summary of efforts in flow solver development is given followed by numerical studies of a few example problems of current interest. Both steady and unsteady solution algorithms and their salient features are discussed. Solvers discussed here are based on a structured-grid approach using either a finite -difference or a finite-volume frame work. As a grand-challenge application of these solvers, an unsteady turbopump flow simulation procedure has been developed which utilizes high performance computing platforms. In the paper, the progress toward the complete simulation capability of the turbo-pump for a liquid rocket engine is reported. The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) turbo-pump is used as a test case for evaluation of two parallel computing algorithms that have been implemented in the INS3D code. The relative motion of the grid systems for the rotorstator interaction was obtained using overact grid techniques. Unsteady computations for the SSME turbo-pump, which contains 114 zones with 34.5 million grid points, are carried out on SCSI Origin 3000 systems at NASA Ames Research Center. The same procedure has been extended to the development of NASA-DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) that is based on an axial blood pump. Computational, and clinical analysis of this device are presented.

Kiris, Cetin C.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Graphite Ablation and Thermal Response Simulation Under Arc-Jet Flow Conditions

The Two-dimensional Implicit Thermal Response and Ablation program, TITAN, was developed and integrated with a Navier-Stokes solver, GIANTS, for multidimensional ablation and shape change simulation of thermal protection systems in hypersonic flow environments. The governing equations in both codes are demoralized using the same finite-volume approximation with a general body-fitted coordinate system. Time-dependent solutions are achieved by an implicit time marching technique using Gauess-Siedel line relaxation with alternating sweeps. As the first part of a code validation study, this paper compares TITAN-GIANTS predictions with thermal response and recession data obtained from arc-jet tests recently conducted in the Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) at NASA Ames Research Center. The test models are graphite sphere-cones. Graphite was selected as a test material to minimize the uncertainties from material properties. Recession and thermal response data were obtained from two separate arc-jet test series. The first series was at a heat flux where graphite ablation is mainly due to sublimation, and the second series was at a relatively low heat flux where recession is the result of diffusion-controlled oxidation. Ablation and thermal response solutions for both sets of conditions, as calculated by TITAN-GIANTS, are presented and discussed in detail. Predicted shape change and temperature histories generally agree well with the data obtained from the arc-jet tests.

Chen, Y.-K.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Numerical Modeling of Cavitating Venturi: A Flow Control Element of Propulsion System

In a propulsion system, the propellant flow and mixture ratio could be controlled either by variable area flow control valves or by passive flow control elements such as cavitating venturies. Cavitating venturies maintain constant propellant flowrate for fixed inlet conditions (pressure and temperature) and wide range of outlet pressures, thereby maintain constant, engine thrust and mixture ratio. The flowrate through the venturi reaches a constant value and becomes independent of outlet pressure when the pressure at throat becomes equal to vapor pressure. In order to develop a numerical model of propulsion system, it is necessary to model cavitating venturies in propellant feed systems. This paper presents a finite volume model of flow network of a cavitating venturi. The venturi was discretized into a number of control volumes and mass, momentum and energy conservation equations in each control volume are simultaneously solved to calculate one-dimensional pressure, density, and flowrate and temperature distribution. The numerical model predicts cavitations at the throat when outlet pressure was gradually reduced. Once cavitation starts, with further reduction of downstream pressure, no change in flowrate is found. The numerical predictions have been compared with test data and empirical equation based on Bernoulli's equation.

Majumdar, Alok↗

NASA NTRS2003

Analysis and Forecast of Two Storms Characterized by Extreme Deepening Rates

Between 25 and 27 December 1999 two very intense cyclones, named Lothar and Martin, swept across northern and western France causing substantial life and property loss. In this work, the finite volume general circulation model and data assimilation system (fvDAS) developed at the Data Assimilation Office of the NASA Goddard Space and Flight Center is being used to investigate these storms. In the first part of this article the dynamics of the storms is analyzed, and some important mechanisms are unveiled. The second part describes a set of eleven data assimilation experiments to study the impact of different data types on the automated analyses. Cloud-track winds provided by EUMETSAT and surface winds from QuikSCAT are being used. These data are assimilated with a range of different parameter settings of the forecast error covariance model. The results show that generally the additional wind data set have positive impacts on the analyses: particularly, the analysis of Lothar can be slightly improved by using the Eumetsat winds, and the analysis of Martin can be strongly improved by using the full-resolution QuikSCAT winds with a more localized influence. The third part of this article is focused on the forecast of Lothar which is very well predicted in the 1-5 day range by the fvDAS system.

Reale, Oreste↗

NASA NTRS2003

High-Frequency Planetary Waves in the Polar Middle Atmosphere as seen in a data Assimilation System

This study examines the winter southern hemisphere vortex of 1998 using four times daily output from a data assimilation system to focus on the polar 2-day, wave number 2 component of the 4-day wave. The data assimilation system products are from a test version of the finite volume data assimilation system (fvDAS) being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and include an ozone assimilation system. Results show that the polar 2-day wave dominates during July 1998 at 70 degrees. The period of the quasi 2-day wave is somewhat shorter than 2 days (about 1.7 days) during July 1998 with an average perturbation temperature amplitude for the month of over 2.5 K. The 2-day wave propagates more slowly than the zonal mean zonal wind, consistent with Rossby wave theory, and has EP flux divergence regions associated with regions of negative horizontal potential vorticity gradients, as expected from linear instability theory. Results for the assimilation-produced ozone mixing ratio show that the 2-day wave represents a major source of ozone variation in this region. The ozone wave in the assimilation system is in good agreement with the wave seen in the POAM (Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement) ozone observations for the same time period. Some differences with linear instability theory are noted as well as spectral peaks in the ozone field, not seen in the temperature field, that may be a consequence of advection.

Coy, L.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Influence of Ice-phase of Hydrometeors on Moist-Convection

Climate models often ignore the influence of ice-phase physics (IPP) of hydrometeors as a second order effect. This has also been true for McRAS (Microphysics of clouds with Relaxed Arakawa Schubert Scheme) developed by the authors. Recognizing that the temperature sounding is critical for moist-convection, and, that IPP would modify it, we investigated the influence of introducing IPP into McRAS coupled to FvGCM (finite volume General Circulation Model with NCAR physics). We analyzed three 3-yr long simulations; the first called Control Case, CC and had no IPP; the other two called Experiments El and E2 had IPP introduced with two different in-cloud freezing assumptions. Simulation El assumed that all hydrometeors remain liquid in the updraft and freeze upon detrainment. Simulation E2 invoked the in-cloud freezing of new condensate generated at subfreezing temperatures in the updraft while old cloud water continued to ascend as liquid. Upon detrainment, this cloud water also froze like in E1. With these assumptions, about 50% of hydrometeors froze in the tower and the rest froze in the anvil. However, in both El and E2, the frozen hydrometeors melted during fall at the first encounter of above freezing ambient temperature. Comparative analysis revealed that El simulated far more mid-level and far less deep clouds while E2 had modified deep and more mid-level clouds as compared to CC along with some major changes around the melt-level. We infer that IPP produced a more realistic response in E2. At the basic level, the results show that ice-phase processes influence convective detrainment at mid- and deep levels in accord with TOGAGOARE observations. The results suggest that IPP can help to mitigate less-than-observed mid-level and over-abundance of deep convective clouds in McRAS.

Sud, Y. C.↗

NASA NTRS2003

X-33 Computational Aeroheating/Aerodynamic Predictions and Comparisons With Experimental Data

This report details a computational fluid dynamics study conducted in support of the phase II development of the X-33 vehicle. Aerodynamic and aeroheating predictions were generated for the X-33 vehicle at both flight and wind-tunnel test conditions using two finite-volume, Navier-Stokes solvers. Aerodynamic computations were performed at Mach 6 and Mach 10 wind-tunnel conditions for angles of attack from 10 to 50 with body-flap deflections of 0 to 20. Additional aerodynamic computations were performed over a parametric range of free-stream conditions at Mach numbers of 4 to 10 and angles of attack from 10 to 50. Laminar and turbulent wind-tunnel aeroheating computations were performed at Mach 6 for angles of attack of 20 to 40 with body-flap deflections of 0 to 20. Aeroheating computations were performed at four flight conditions with Mach numbers of 6.6 to 8.9 and angles of attack of 10 to 40. Surface heating and pressure distributions, surface streamlines, flow field information, and aerodynamic coefficients from these computations are presented, and comparisons are made with wind-tunnel data.

Hollis, Brian R.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Application of the Loci-Based CFD Code Chem at MSFC: Preliminary Results

Contents include the following: 1. Objectives. Concentrate on determining the qualitative accuracy, performance and robustness of the Chen code. 2. What is the Loci-Chem CFD code? Density-based, finite volume, generalized unstructured grid, Navier-Stokes solver. The algorithm was implemented using the Loci framework, which allows implementation issues such as parallel processing to be handled transparently to the coding of the CFD algorithm. 3. Application to Bifurcating Duct problem. Flow splits from single duct to two ducts. 4. Application to single element injector. 5. Application to PSU RBCC rig. 6. 90 degree elbow benchmark problem. 7. Future work.

West, Jeff S.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Computational and Experimental Flow Field Analyses of Separate Flow Chevron Nozzles and Pylon Interaction

A computational and experimental flow field analyses of separate flow chevron nozzles is presented. The goal of this study is to identify important flow physics and modeling issues required to provide highly accurate flow field data which will later serve as input to the Jet3D acoustic prediction code. Four configurations are considered: a baseline round nozzle with and without a pylon, and a chevron core nozzle with and without a pylon. The flow is simulated by solving the asymptotically steady, compressible, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations using an implicit, up-wind, flux-difference splitting finite volume scheme and standard two-equation kappa-epsilon turbulence model with a linear stress representation and the addition of a eddy viscosity dependence on total temperature gradient normalized by local turbulence length scale. The current CFD results are seen to be in excellent agreement with Jet Noise Lab data and show great improvement over previous computations which did not compensate for enhanced mixing due to high temperature gradients.

Massey, Steven J.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Numerical Modeling of Unsteady Thermofluid Dynamics in Cryogenic Systems

A finite volume based network analysis procedure has been applied to model unsteady flow without and with heat transfer. Liquid has been modeled as compressible fluid where the compressibility factor is computed from the equation of state for a real fluid. The modeling approach recognizes that the pressure oscillation is linked with the variation of the compressibility factor; therefore, the speed of sound does not explicitly appear in the governing equations. The numerical results of chilldown process also suggest that the flow and heat transfer are strongly coupled. This is evident by observing that the mass flow rate during 90-second chilldown process increases by factor of ten.

Majumdar, Alok↗

NASA NTRS2003

Algorithmic Enhancements to the VULCAN Navier-Stokes Solver

VULCAN (Viscous Upwind aLgorithm for Complex flow ANalysis) is a cell centered, finite volume code used to solve high speed flows related to hypersonic vehicles. Two algorithms are presented for expanding the range of applications of the current Navier-Stokes solver implemented in VULCAN. The first addition is a highly implicit approach that uses subiterations to enhance block to block connectivity between adjacent subdomains. The addition of this scheme allows more efficient solution of viscous flows on highly-stretched meshes. The second algorithm addresses the shortcomings associated with density-based schemes by the addition of a time-derivative preconditioning strategy. High speed, compressible flows are typically solved with density based schemes, which show a high level of degradation in accuracy and convergence at low Mach numbers (M less than or equal to 0.1). With the addition of preconditioning and associated modifications to the numerical discretization scheme, the eigenvalues will scale with the local velocity, and the above problems will be eliminated. With these additions, VULCAN now has improved convergence behavior for multi-block, highly-stretched meshes and also can solve the Navier-Stokes equations for very low Mach numbers.

Litton, D. K.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Agglomeration Multigrid for an Unstructured-Grid Flow Solver

An agglomeration multigrid scheme has been implemented into the sequential version of the NASA code USM3Dns, tetrahedral cell-centered finite volume Euler/Navier-Stokes flow solver. Efficiency and robustness of the multigrid-enhanced flow solver have been assessed for three configurations assuming an inviscid flow and one configuration assuming a viscous fully turbulent flow. The inviscid studies include a transonic flow over the ONERA M6 wing and a generic business jet with flow-through nacelles and a low subsonic flow over a high-lift trapezoidal wing. The viscous case includes a fully turbulent flow over the RAE 2822 rectangular wing. The multigrid solutions converged with 12%-33% of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) time required by the solutions obtained without multigrid. For all of the inviscid cases, multigrid in conjunction with an explicit time-stepping scheme performed the best with regard to the run time memory and CPU time requirements. However, for the viscous case multigrid had to be used with an implicit backward Euler time-stepping scheme that increased the run time memory requirement by 22% as compared to the run made without multigrid.

Frink, Neal↗

NASA NTRS2003

Global Weather Prediction and High-End Computing at NASA

We demonstrate current capabilities of the NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model an high-resolution global weather prediction, and discuss its development path in the foreseeable future. This model can be regarded as a prototype of a future NASA Earth modeling system intended to unify development activities cutting across various disciplines within the NASA Earth Science Enterprise.

Lin, Shian-Jiann↗

NASA NTRS2003

Advanced Observation Operators for GPS Radio Occultation: Validation of the 2D Ray Tracing Approach with CHAMP and SAC-C bending angle and refractivity data - Part 1

Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultations (RO) bending angles and refractivity data characterize mostly the vertical structure of the Earth's atmosphere. We answer the question whether proper simulation of GPS RO data for data assimilation can be obtained with one-dimensional vertical operators, or if accounting also for horizontal atmospheric structures via ray-tracing makes a positive difference when compared with real data. We present a detailed implementation of a geometrical optics multi-plane two-dimensional (2D) ray-tracing as an observation operator to simulate GPS RO bending angles and refractivities within the Finite Volume Data Assimilation System (FVDAS). Comparisons of the outputs of that 2D observation operator with those of simpler ID observation operators are used to generate estimates of errors induced by neglecting tangent point drift (TPD) and horizontal gradients (HG). These error estimates are then confronted with errors estimates derived using 6335 real CHAMP and SAC-C occultations. The agreement for TPD-induced (HG-induced) errors is remarkably positive at altitudes 10-30 km (below 10 km). Comparisons in bending angles O - B STD of the outputs of the multi-plane 2D ray-tracer with those of a vertical Abel transform show reductions of about 8% of the usual O - B bending angle STD due to TPD in the stratosphere (3% due to HG, in the troposphere only). In terms of refractivity, the O - B STD reductions are about 1520% for TPD and 3-5% for HG in the same regions. These reductions are obtained using either 6-hour forecasts or analyses as backgrounds, and using Geometrical Optics (GO) or Canonical Transform (CT) data.

Poli, P.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Combustion Of Moving Droplets And Of Droplets Suspended Within A Convective Environment: Transient Numerical Results

The problem considered is that of a single-component liquid fuel (n-heptane) droplet undergoing evaporation and combustion in a hot, convective, low pressure, zero-gravity environment of infinite expanse. For a moving droplet, the relative velocity (U(sub infinity)) between the droplet and freestream is subject to change due to the influence of the drag force on the droplet. For a suspended droplet, the relative velocity is kept constant. The governing equations for the gas-phase and the liquid-phase consist of the unsteady, axisymmetric equations of mass, momentum, species (gas-phase only) and energy conservation. Interfacial conservation equations are employed to couple the two phases. Variable properties are used in the gas- and liquid-phase. Multicomponent diffusion in the gas-phase is accounted for by solving the Stefan-Maxwell equations for the species diffusion velocities. A one-step overall reaction is used to model the combustion. The governing equations are discretized using the finite volume and SIMPLEC methods. A colocated grid is adopted. Hyperbolic tangent stretching functions are used to concentrate grid points near the fore and aft lines of symmetry and at the droplet surface in both the gas- and liquid-phase. The discretization equations are solved using the ADI method with the TDMA used on each line of the two alternating directions. Iterations are performed within each time-step until convergence is achieved. The grid spacing, size of the computational domain and time-step were tested to ensure that all solutions are independent of these parameters. A detailed discussion of the numerical model is given.

Gogos, George↗

NASA NTRS2004

The Magnetic Field in the Outer Heliosphere

One of the great achievements of Parker was the prediction that the solar magnetic field would be drawn into Archimedian spirals as it is carried away from the Sun by the solar wind. This prediction has been amply confirmed by many in situ measurements in the intervening four decades. But, Parker made his prediction for a solar wind that expands into infinite space while we now know that the local interstellar medium (LISM) is far from empty and, in fact, confines the solar wind to a finite volume, known as the heliosphere, that extends to approximately 100 AU in the upstream direction (the solar system is moving through the LISM). Voyagers 1/2, presently at -80 AU, are approaching the upstream boundaries of the heliosphere and returning data on the properties of the magnetic field. This is important for understanding how galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) reach the Earth. Voyagers show that the IMF at 10-80 AU behaves much as Parker predicted - with two important exceptions. This is not surprising since the field is essentially passively advected by the solar wind out to 80 AU. But, new models say that nearer the heliosphere boundaries the field plays a major role in the solar wind-LISM interaction. However, of the many physical ingredients that constitute the outer heliosphere, the magnetic field poses some of the most interesting and difficult numerical modeling problems. Presently, only a few results have been published and much remains to be done. Here I will summarize the expected and measured behavior of the magnetic field at 80 AU. Then I will describe modeling predictions beyond 80 AU: magnetic "tornadoes", polarity envelopes, the Axford-Cranfill effect, inner and outer magnetic walls and more. I will also list what I believe to be important new modeling objectives. Finally, I will speculate on what is happening with the magnetic field near the nose of the heliosphere. My conclusion is that models of GCR modulation rarely incorporate even crudely realistic magnetic fields so it is a wonder that they are as successful as they are and no surprise that there are still important discrepancies between GCR modulation observations and the models.

Suess, S. T.↗

NASA NTRS2003

TOMS and SBUV Data: Comparison to 3D Chemical-Transport Model Results

We have updated our merged ozone data (MOD) set using the TOMS data from the new version 8 algorithm. We then analyzed these data for contributions from solar cycle, volcanoes, QBO, and halogens using a standard statistical time series model. We have recently completed a hindcast run of our 3D chemical-transport model for the same years. This model uses off-line winds from the finite-volume GCM, a full stratospheric photochemistry package, and time-varying forcing due to halogens, solar uv, and volcanic aerosols. We will report on a parallel analysis of these model results using the same statistical time series technique as used for the MOD data.

Stolarski, Richard S.↗