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At least 1,297 records · Page 72

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DOE OSTI2016

A physically based model of the ionizing radiation from active galaxies for photoionization modeling

We present a simplified model of active galactic nucleus (AGN) continuum emission designed for photoionization modeling. The new model oxaf reproduces the diversity of spectral shapes that arise in physically based models. We identify and explain degeneracies in the effects of AGN parameters on model spectral shapes, with a focus on the complete degeneracy between the black hole mass and AGN luminosity. Our reparametrized model oxaf removes these degeneracies and accepts three parameters that directly describe the output spectral shape: the energy of the peak of the accretion disk emission E{sub peak}, the photon power-law index of the non-thermal emission Γ, and the proportion of the total flux that is emitted in the non-thermal component p{sub NT}. The parameter E{sub peak} is presented as a function of the black hole mass, AGN luminosity, and “coronal radius” of the optxagnf model upon which oxaf is based. We show that the soft X-ray excess does not significantly affect photoionization modeling predictions of strong emission lines in Seyfert narrow-line regions. Despite its simplicity, oxaf accounts for opacity effects where the accretion disk is ionized because it inherits the “color correction” of optxagnf. We use a grid of mappings photoionization models with oxaf ionizing spectra to demonstrate how predicted emission-line ratios on standard optical diagnostic diagrams are sensitive to each of the three oxaf parameters. The oxaf code is publicly available in the Astrophysics Source Code Library.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1988

Euler analysis of a swirl recovery vane design for use with an advanced single-rotation propfan

Recent work has demonstrated the propulsive efficiency improvement available from single- and counter-rotation propfans as compared with current technology high bypass ratio turbofans. The concept known as swirl recovery vanes (SRV) is examined through the use of a 3-D Euler code. At high speed cruise conditions, the SRV can improve the efficiency level of a single-rotation propfan, but a concern is to have adequate hub choke margin. The SRV was designed with 2-D methods and was predicted to have hub choking at Mach 0.8 cruise. The 3-D Euler analysis properly accounts for sweep effects and 3-D relief, and predicts that at cruise the SRV will recover roughly 5 percent of the 10 percent efficiency loss due to swirl and have a good hub choke margin.

Miller, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Euler analysis of a swirl recovery vane design for use with an advanced single-rotation propfan

Miller, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

LDEF: Dosimetric measurement results (AO 138-7 experiment)

One of the objectives of the AO 138-7 experiment on board the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was a total dose measurement with Thermo Luminescent Detectors (TLD 100). Two identical packages, both of them including five TLD's inside various aluminum shields, are exposed to the space environment in order to obtain the absorbed dose profile. Radiation fluence received during the total mission length was computed, taking into account the trapped particles (AE8 and AP8 models during solar maximum and minimum periods) and the cosmic rays; due to the magnetospheric shielding the solar proton fluences are negligible on the LDEF orbit. The total dose induced by these radiations inside a semi infinite plane shield of aluminum are computed with the radiation transport codes available at DERTS. The dose profile obtained is in good agreement with the evaluation by E.V. Benton. TLD readings are performed after flight; due to the mission duration increase a post flight calibration was necessary in order to cover the range of the in flight induced dose. The results obtained, similar (plus or minus 30 percent) for both packages, are compared with the dose profile computation. For thick shields it seems that the measurements exceed the forecast (about 40 percent). That can be due to a cosmic ray and trapped proton contributions coming from the backside (assumed as perfectly shielded by the LDEF structure in the computation), or to an underestimate of the proton or cosmic ray fluences. A fine structural shielding analysis should be necessary in order to determine the origin of this slight discrepancy between forecast and in flight measurements. For the less shielded dosimeters, mainly exposed to the trapped electron flux, a slight overestimation of the dose (less than 40 percent) appears. Due to the dispersion of the TLD's response, this cannot be confirmed. In practice these results obtained on board LDEF, with less than a factor 1.4 between measurements and forecast, reinforce the validity of the computation methods and models used for the long term evaluation of the radiation levels (flux and dose) encountered in space on low inclination and altitude Earth orbits.

Bourrieau, J.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Practical applications of model checking in the finnish nuclear industry - 281

Model checking is a powerful, formal, computer-assisted verification method that can be used to prove that a model of a (hardware or software) system fulfills stated properties. When used right, model checking can prove the correctness of instrumentation and control (I and C) system application logic, be it a software or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) based design. The verified properties can also address unwanted functionality, making model checking a very effective method for analyzing spurious actuation. Despite the benefits, model checking is still not widely adopted in the verification of I and C systems, one exception being the Finnish nuclear industry. Since 2008, VTT has applied model checking in practical customer work related to the Olkiluoto 3 EPR, Loviisa 1 and 2 VVER-440, and Hanhikivi 1 AES-2006 nuclear power plants, on commission from either the regulator or the utilities. In this paper, we look at how the method has been used in each of these three projects. We also introduce a user-friendly, graphical modelling tool called MODCHK. We then present an overall view of the design issues detected during nine years of customer work, and one practical example. The 100% coverage means that the design errors that are found often relate to scenarios that are otherwise hard to account for (e.g., exact timing of events, or improper operator actions). (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Addressing fission product validation in MCNP burnup credit criticality calculations - 14508

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation issued Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) 8, Revision 3 in September 2012. This ISG provides guidance for NRC staff members' review of burnup credit (BUC) analyses supporting transport and dry storage of pressurized water reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in casks. The ISG includes guidance for addressing validation of criticality (k{sub eff}) calculations crediting the presence of a limited set of fission products and minor actinides (FP and MAs). Based on previous work documented in NRC Regulatory Guide (NUREG) Contractor Report (CR)-7109, the ISG recommends that NRC staff members accept the use of either 1.5 or 3% of the FP and MA worth - in addition to bias and bias uncertainty resulting from validation of k{sub eff} calculations for the major actinides in SNF - to conservatively account for the bias and bias uncertainty associated with the specified unvalidated FP and MAs. The ISG recommends (1) use of 1.5% of the FP and MA worth if a modern version of SCALE and its nuclear data are used and (2) 3% of the FP and MA worth for well qualified, industry standard code systems other than SCALE with the Evaluated Nuclear Data Files, Part B (ENDF/B),-V, ENDF/B-VI, or ENDF/B-VII cross sections libraries. The work presented in this paper provides a basis for extending the use of the 1.5% of the FP and MA worth bias to BUC criticality calculations performed using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code. The extended use of the 1.5% FP and MA worth bias is shown to be acceptable by comparison of FP and MA worths calculated using SCALE and MCNP with ENDF/B-V, -VI, and -VII-based nuclear data. The comparison supports use of the 1.5% FP and MA worth bias when the MCNP code is used for criticality calculations, provided that the cask design is similar to the hypothetical generic BUC-32 cask model and that the credited FP and MA worth is no more than 0.1 Δk{sub eff} (ISG-8, Rev. 3, Recommendation 4). (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Ion-temperature- and density-gradient-driven instabilities and turbulence in Wendelstein 7-X close to the stability threshold

Electrostatic gyrokinetic instabilities and turbulence in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator are studied. Particular attention is paid to the ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) instability and its character close to marginal stability [Floquet-type turbulence (Zocco et al., Phys. Rev. E, vol. 106, 2022, p. L013202) with no electron temperature gradient]. The flux tube version of the δƒ code stella (Barnes et al., J. Comput. Phys., vol. 391, 2019, pp. 365–380) is used to run linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations with kinetic electrons. The nature of the dominant instability depends on the wavelength perpendicular to the magnetic field, and the results are conveniently displayed in stability diagrams that take this dependence into account. This approach highlights the presence of universal instabilities, which are less unstable but have longer wavelengths than other modes. A quasi-linear estimate of the heat flux suggests they are relevant for transport. Close to the stability threshold, the linear eigenmodes and turbulence form highly extended structures along the computational domain if the magnetic shear is small. Numerical experiments and diagnostics are undertaken to assess the resulting radial localisation of the turbulence, which affects the interaction of the latter with zonal flows. Increasing the amplitude of the magnetic shear (e.g.through current drive) has a stabilising effect on the turbulence and, thus, reduces the nonlinear energy transport.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Delayed Gamma Measurements in Different Nuclear Research Reactors Bringing Out the Importance of the Delayed Contribution in Gamma Flux Calculations

Neutron and gamma flux levels are key parameters in nuclear research reactors. In Material Testing Reactors, such as the future Jules Horowitz Reactor, under construction at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA Cadarache, France), the expected gamma flux levels are very high (nuclear heating is of the order of 20 W/g at 100 MWth). As gamma rays deposit their energy in the reactor structures and structural materials it is important to take them into account when designing irradiation devices. There are only a few sensors which allow measurements of the nuclear heating ; a recent development at the CEA Cadarache allows measurements of the gamma flux using a miniature ionization chamber (MIC). The measured MIC response is often compared with calculation using modern Monte Carlo (MC) neutron and photon transport codes, such as TRIPOLI-4 and MCNP6. In these calculations only the production of prompt gamma rays in the reactor is usually modelled thus neglecting the delayed gamma rays. Hence calculations and measurements are usually in better accordance for the neutron flux than for the gamma flux. In this paper we study the contribution of delayed gamma rays to the total MIC signal in order to estimate the systematic error in gamma flux MC calculations. In order to experimentally determine the delayed gamma flux contributions to the MIC response, we performed gamma flux measurements with CEA developed MIC at three different research reactors: the OSIRIS reactor (MTR - 70 MWth at CEA Saclay, France), the TRIGA MARK II reactor (TRIGA - 250 kWth at the Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia) and the MARIA reactor (MTR - 30 MWth at the National Center for Nuclear Research, Poland). In order to experimentally assess the delayed gamma flux contribution to the total gamma flux, several reactor shut down (scram) experiments were performed specifically for the purpose of the measurements. Results show that on average about 30 % of the MIC signal is due to the delayed gamma rays. In this paper we describe experiments in each of the three reactors and how we estimate delayed gamma rays with MIC measurements. The results and perspectives are discussed. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Surrogate modeling of Cellular-Potts agent-based models as a segmentation task using the U-Net neural network architecture

The Cellular-Potts model is a powerful and ubiquitous framework for developing computational models for simulating complex multicellular biological systems. Cellular-Potts models (CPMs) are often computationally expensive due to the explicit modeling of interactions among large numbers of individual model agents and diffusive fields described by partial differential equations (PDEs). In this work, we develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) surrogate model using a U-Net architecture that accounts for periodic boundary conditions. We use this model to accelerate the evaluation of a mechanistic CPM previously used to investigate in vitro vasculogenesis. The surrogate model was trained to predict 100 computational steps ahead (Monte-Carlo steps, MCS), accelerating simulation evaluations by a factor of 562 times compared to single-core CPM code execution on CPU. Over short timescales of up to 3 recursive evaluations, or 300 MCS, our model captures the emergent behaviors demonstrated by the original Cellular-Potts model such as vessel sprouting, extension and anastomosis, and contraction of vascular lacunae. This approach demonstrates the potential for deep learning to serve as a step toward efficient surrogate models for CPM simulations, enabling faster evaluation of computationally expensive CPM simulations of biological processes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2019

WVU’s contribution within the ZAPP collaboration on the Z Facility at Sandia National Laboratories: Final Technical Report

In Year 1, photoionized silicon spectroscopy experiments were designed and executed, with charge-state distribution and ionic column densities comparable to the circumsource environments of accretion-powered black holes. Charge-state distribution was measured with absorption spectroscopy, using the Z-pinch itself as backlight, and the photoionizing radiation flux was determined with x-ray power measurements, accounting appropriately for geometrical dilution. The emergent emission spectrum was measured with a high-sensitivity time-integrated spectrometer. The emission has been measured from plasmas with varying size to elucidate the radiation transport effects. Data and knowledge of the controlled experimental conditions were provided to collaborators who used different atomic kinetics spectral synthesis codes to predict the emission spectrum. In Years 2 and 3, multi-element (in layers) foil was used for diagnostic development. A framing mask was implemented into the configuration to aperture the radiation incident on the foil. The foil distance from the z-pinch was adjusted to achieve designed electron temperature and ultimately mounted directly on the Return-Current Cannister. A much higher ionization state was achieved, which is desirable for diagnostic development. In Year 4, significant data analysis took place. Astrophysics related projects were introduced "Seeking a full theory of Stark broadening at HED in the presence of crossed E and B fields for estimating surface gravity from line profiles in Magnetic White Dwarf (MWD) stars" and "Plasma collective effects in atomic kinetics calculations of lineshape, line position, and line amplitude" for inclusion into the ZAPP collaboration, but were declined by ZAPP leadership. During the grant period, WVU contributed to three proposals for a ZAPP Center of Excellence that were prepared and/or submitted in part or in full. (1) NSF Physics Frontier Center solicitation 16-561, PI / Director: A. Wootton, UTexas, "Center for experimental astrophysic"s (declined), (2) NSF Science and Technology Center solicitation 2017, PI/Director: D. Winget, UTexas, "Formation and Evolution of Planets, Stars and Galaxies and Extreme-Parameter Laboratory Astrophysics" (awaiting restoration of the solicitation after unexpected postponement), and (3) NNSA Stewardship Science Grant Program solicitation 81-112, PI/Director: D. Winget, UTexas, "Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties" (submitted in 2017, awarded in 2018). Based on the work performed during the grant period, a new NNSA grant application to support a WVU project in ZAPP, "Spectroscopic methods to obtain electron density and electron temperature applied to soft x-ray absorption spectra from radiatively heated Z-pinch plasmas", was submitted in 2017 and funded in 2018.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2020

New Conductive Opacities for White Dwarf Envelopes

Thanks to their continuous cooling and relative simplicity, white dwarf stars are routinely used to measure the ages of stellar populations. The usefulness of white dwarfs as cosmochronometers depends on the availability of accurate cooling models. A key ingredient of those models is conductive opacities, which largely govern the cooling rate. In this work, we present improved conductive opacities for the regime of moderate coupling and moderate degeneracy that characterizes an important portion of the envelopes of DA and DB white dwarfs. Here, we find differences of up to a factor of 3 between our calculations and the commonly used opacities of Cassisi et al., which we attribute to an improved account of electron–electron scattering. The cooling models are strongly affected by those changes in the conductive opacities: the age of a 4000 K white dwarf can be reduced by as much as 2 Gyr. We provide analytical fits to our new opacities to facilitate the implementation of this important effect in white dwarf evolution codes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1983

The effect of volcanic aerosols on the thermal infrared budget of the lower stratosphere

The thermal IR heating of the stratosphere due to volcanic aerosols such as those released by the eruption of El Chichon is investigated by means of clear-sky model computations using a LOWTRAN5 radiance code (Kneizys et al., 1980) modified by Charlock (1983) to increase its vertical resolution. The results are presented graphically for 4-km-thick aerosol layers at altitudes 18, 22, and 25 km and at latitudes 0 deg and 35 deg N, and the effects of tropospheric cloud height (0-10 km) are taken into account. The aerosol-induced IR divergence is shown to depend on aerosol height and to be highly and nonlinearly sensitive to the location of underlying water clouds.

Charlock, T. P.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Evaluation of Isolated Fuselage and Rotor-Fuselage Interaction Using CFD

The US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD), the French Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) are working under the United States/France Memorandum of Agreement on Helicopter Aeromechanics to study rotorcraft aeromechanics issues of interest to both nations. As a task under this agreement, a comparative study of the Dauphin 365N helicopter has been undertaken to analyze the capabilities and weaknesses of state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes, with the aim of fuselage performance prediction and investigation of rotor-fuselage interaction. Three CFD flow solvers applied on three meshes provide similar results in terms of pressure coefficient. Force predictions vary somewhat. This paper presents details on the grid sensitivity and the low Mach number preconditioning influence. The importance of taking into account the wind tunnel strut and the rotor hub is shown. The pressure coefficients along top and bottom centerlines of the fuselage are in good agreement with the experiment except in the area aft of the hub. There remains a discrepancy between the computed forces and the experimental data due in part to modeling inaccuracies. Rotor- fuselage interactions are performed using uniform and non-uniform actuator disk models in order to simulate the rotor downwash.

Renaud, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS2005

Analysis of Heating Rates on the Conical Surface of Apollo Command Module Flying AS-202 Flight

The aerodynamic and aerothermal heating at the leeward surfaces of the Apollo capsule flying high angle of attack were found difficult to simulate using conventional tools. Due to the large subsonic region in the proximity of the shoulder of the base shield, correlation-based tools were found to be inadequate. CFD tools are too time consuming for conceptual design purposes, and cannot account for the transient effects of material response such as wall temperature and blowing. An accurate and timely simulation is essential to effectively size the thermal protection system (TPS), to enhance its performance, and to ensure the safety of the crew. Northrop Grumman Corporation applied a modified version of the MASCC/ATAC program, an inviscid flowfield code with boundary layer solver to simulate this scenario. The MASCC/ATAC code is believed to be the only non-CFD code that can rigorously perform the simulations on the windward surface. The predictions on the windward side of the conical surface were found to be in good agreement with flight data over a wide range of environments. The results are presented in the paper.

Wong, Jim L.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Rapid Prediction of Installed Jet Noise from RANS

A new method of computing jet noise, called mSrc, was developed on the general principles of acoustic analogies. In the method, the problem of translating turbulent flow energy into acoustic energy at a far-field observer is broken into two parts, a calculation of acoustic source strengths and then their propagation. The acoustic sources are related to turbulent quantities in the jet plume in a robust manner. The propagation, which is more properly computed using a Green's function accounting for nonuniform speed of sound and solid surfaces, is instead modeled using commonly observed features of jet acoustic far field directivity, and by diffraction barrier theory for surfaces. The mSrc method does not require gradients of the predicted flow field, allowing it to make use of robust unstructured RANS CFD methods, including embedded boundary codes. Such codes do not require specification of surface meshes, and auto-refine their grid to resolve flow gradients, putting resolution where it is required without a priori user input. The ability of mSrc to use such radically unstructured flow input results in an efficient method of estimating noise from jet flows from complex nozzles installed on aircraft. Many validation cases are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and range of applicability of the mSrc method for representative jet noise applications.

Bridges, James↗

NASA NTRS2019

Rapid Prediction of Installed Jet Noise From RANS

Bridges, James↗

NASA NTRS2019

Recent Enhancements to NASA’s PCBoom Sonic Boom Propagation Code

This paper presents the recent updates the author has made to PCBoom sonic boom propagation code on its computational efficiency, predictive capability, and file operations. The updated version has recently been released and has a Burgers’ equation solver, which is computationally more efficient than that in the older version by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. The updated version also enhances the accuracy of the sonic boom propagation prediction by accounting for the full wind effects on the shock wave propagation. Predictions from the updated PCBoom are compared with predictions from the older version and with data from flight tests. Other upgrades and changes that have been made in the latest version include support for Unix-like operating systems, bug fixes, and generation of new types of output files that allow for better manipulation of PCBoom-generated data.

Lonzaga, Joel B.↗

DOE OSTI2021

The 2021 Annual CSEWG Meeting at Nuclear Data Week(s)

From November 15-19, 2021, CSEWG held its annual meeting during Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Nuclear Data Week(s)1. The combined event was held via zoom (due to COVID travel restrictions) and there were 175 registered attendees. This was CSEWG’s 3rd fully virtual meeting and, by all accounts, it was a success. The timetable and talks are available at https://indico.bnl.gov/event/13121/overview for registered participants. This meeting began with the welcoming of the new ENDF Library Manager, Gustavo Nobre, the announcement that ENDF/B-VIII.1’s release will be delayed until February 2024 due to COVID induced delays, and the adoption of a draft Code of Conduct. This last point is notable since CSEWG is known for its lively physics and engineering discussions. However, as professionals, we must endeavor to keep our discussions civil, collegial, and inclusive.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗