Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Verification of data”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,405 records · Page 78

OECD-NEA HTTF Benchmark Progress and Updates

General slides discussing High Temperature Test Facility benchmark progress, Prismatic HTGR deployment, modeling and simulation tools for validating systems, and verification and validation issues. Also discuss collaboration and conclusions of RELAP5-3D validation activities based on HTTF with trends in data and international impact to accelerate deployment of prismatic HTGR microreactors by providing an opportunity for designers to assess their codes against experimental data and solutions from other codes.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NASA Data for Water Resources Applications

Water Management Applications is one of twelve elements in the Earth Science Enterprise National Applications Program. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is supporting the Applications Program through partnering with other organizations to use NASA project results, such as from satellite instruments and Earth system models to enhance the organizations critical needs. The focus thus far has been: 1) estimating water storage including snowpack and soil moisture, 2) modeling and predicting water fluxes such as evapotranspiration (ET), precipitation and river runoff, and 3) remote sensing of water quality, including both point source (e.g., turbidity and productivity) and non-point source (e.g., land cover conversion such as forest to agriculture yielding higher nutrient runoff). The objectives of the partnering cover three steps of: 1) Evaluation, 2) Verification and Validation, and 3) Benchmark Report. We are working with the U.S. federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). We are using several of their Decision Support Systems (DSS) tools. This includes the DSS support tools BASINS used by EPA, Riverware and AWARDS ET ToolBox by USBR and SWAT by USDA and EPA. Regional application sites using NASA data across the US. are currently being eliminated for the DSS tools. The current NASA data emphasized thus far are from the Land Data Assimilation Systems WAS) and MODIS satellite products. We are currently in the first two steps of evaluation and verification validation. Water Management Applications is one of twelve elements in the Earth Science Enterprise s National Applications Program. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is supporting the Applications Program through partnering with other organizations to use NASA project results, such as from satellite instruments and Earth system models to enhance the organizations critical needs. The focus thus far has been: 1) estimating water storage including snowpack and soil moisture, 2) modeling and predicting water fluxes such as evapotranspiration (ET), precipitation and river runoff, and 3) remote sensing of water quality, including both point source (e.g., turbidity and productivity) and non-point source (e.g., land cover conversion such as forest to agriculture yielding higher nutrient runoff). The objectives of the partnering cover three steps of 1) Evaluation, 2) Verification and Validation, and 3) Benchmark Report. We are working with the U.S. federal agencies the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). We are using several of their Decision Support Systems (DSS) tools. T us includes the DSS support tools BASINS used by EPA, Riverware and AWARDS ET ToolBox by USBR and SWAT by USDA and EPA. Regional application sites using NASA data across the US. are currently being evaluated for the DSS tools. The current NASA data emphasized thus far are from the Land Data Assimilation Systems (LDAS) and MODIS satellite products. We are currently in the first two steps of evaluation and verification and validation.

Toll, David↗

Determination of solid/porous wall boundary conditions from wind tunnel data for computational fluid dynamics codes

A computational and experimental study has been undertaken to investigate methods of modeling solid and porous wall boundary conditions in CFD codes. The procedure utilizes experimental measurements at the walls to develop a flow field solution based on the method of singularities. This flow field solution is then imposed as a boundary condition in a CFD simulation of the internal flow field. The effectiveness of this method in describing the boundary conditions at the wind tunnel walls using only sparse experimental measurements has been investigated. Verification of the approach using computational studies has been carried out using an incompressible flow solver. The current work demonstrates this technique for low speed flows and compares the result with experimental data obtained from a heavily instrumented variable porosity test section. Position and refinement of experimental measurements required to describe porous wall boundary conditions has also been considered for application to other porous wall wind tunnels.

Beutner, Thomas J.↗

Multiple aspects maintenance ontology-based intelligent maintenance optimization framework for safety-critical systems

Abstract Maintenance optimization is a process for improving the efficiency of maintenance strategies and activities, considering various aspects of the target system and components, such as the probabilities of system failures and the cost of repair and replacement of a failed component. The improvement of maintenance optimization algorithms generally requires information from various data sources. For example, it may require the system risk information derived from risk analysis tools or the residual lifetime of a component from fault prognosis tools. The requirements of data acquisition (DAQ) and aggregation pose new challenges for maintenance management systems (MMSs) that implement and use these maintenance optimization algorithms. This paper proposes a multiple aspects maintenance ontology-based framework to facilitate DAQ from MMSs, online monitoring systems, fault detection and discrimination tools, risk assessment tools, decision-making tools, and component identification tools, and accelerate the implementation and verification of contemporary maintenance optimization models and algorithms. The proposed framework consists of a multi-aspect maintenance ontology with critical information for maintenance optimization and application interfaces for collecting information from various data sources, such as fault prognosis tools, online monitoring tools, risk assessment tools, and decision-making algorithms. In addition, this paper proposes a heuristic method for integrating concepts and properties from other existing ontologies into the proposed framework when the existing ontology is not fully compatible with the ontology under construction. Finally, the paper verifies the proposed ontology framework using a feedwater system designed for nuclear power plants with valves and filters as the components under maintenance.

Diao, Xiaoxu (ORCID:0000000346726352)↗

Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification in Thermal Hydraulics, Freeman Scholar Lecture (2019)

Engineering problems are generally solved by analytical models or computer codes. These models, in addition to conservation equations, also include many empirical relationships and approximate numerical methods. Each of these components contributes to the uncertainty in the prediction. A systematic approach to judge the applicability of the code to the intended application is needed. It starts from verification of implementation of formulation in the code, identification of important phenomena, finding relevant tests with quantified uncertainty for these phenomena, and validation of the code by comparing predictions with the relevant test data. The relevant tests must address phenomena as expected in the intended application. In case of small size or limited condition tests, the scaling analyses are needed to assess the relevancy of the tests. Finally, a statement of uncertainty in the prediction is needed. Systematic approaches are described to aggregate uncertainties from different components of the code for intended application. Here, verification, validation, and uncertainty quantifications (VVUQs) are briefly described.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Assessing the Reliability of Relevant Tweets and Validation Using Manual and Automatic Approaches for Flood Risk Communication

While Twitter has been touted as a preeminent source of up-to-date information on hazard events, the reliability of tweets is still a concern. Our previous publication extracted relevant tweets containing information about the 2013 Colorado flood event and its impacts. Using the relevant tweets, this research further examined the reliability (accuracy and trueness) of the tweets by examining the text and image content and comparing them to other publicly available data sources. Both manual identification of text information and automated (Google Cloud Vision, application programming interface (API)) extraction of images were implemented to balance accurate information verification and efficient processing time. The results showed that both the text and images contained useful information about damaged/flooded roads/streets. This information will help emergency response coordination efforts and informed allocation of resources when enough tweets contain geocoordinates or location/venue names. This research will identify reliable crowdsourced risk information to facilitate near real-time emergency response through better use of crowdsourced risk communication platforms.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Determination of solid/porous wall boundary conditions from wind tunnel data for computational fluid dynamics codes

A computational and experimental study has been undertaken to investigate methods of modelling solid and porous wall boundary conditions in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. The procedure utilizes experimental measurements at the walls to develop a flow field solution based on the method of singularities. This flow field solution is then imposed as a pressure boundary condition in a CFD simulation of the internal flow field. The effectiveness of this method in describing the boundary conditions at the wind tunnel walls using only sparse experimental measurements has been investigated. Verification of the approach using computational studies has been carried out using an incompressible flow solver. The current work demonstrates this technique for low speed flows and compares the result with experimental data obtained from a heavily instrumented variable porosity test section. Position and refinement of experimental measurements required to describe porous wall boundary conditions have also been considered for application to other porous wall wind tunnels. The approach developed is simple, computationally inexpensive, and does not require extensive or intrusive measurements. It may be applied to both solid and porous wall wind tunnel tests. Some consideration is given to the extension of this method to three dimensions.

Beutner, Thomas J.↗

Verification of a SEU model for advanced 1-micron CMOS structures using heavy ions

Modeling and test results are reported for 1 micron CMOS circuits. Analytical predictions are correlated with experimental data, and sensitivities to process and design variations are discussed. Unique features involved in predicting the SEU performance of these devices are described. The results show that the critical charge for upset exhibits a strong dependence on pulse width for very fast devices, and upset predictions must factor in the pulse shape. Acceptable SEU error rates can be achieved for a 1 micron bulk CMOS process. A thin retrograde well provides complete SEU immunity for N channel hits at normal incidence angle. Source interconnect resistance can be important parameter in determining upset rates, and Cf-252 testing can be a valuable tool for cost-effective SEU testing.

Cable, J. S.↗

Formulation and verification of frequency response system identification techniques for large space structures

The advantages of designing control systems for large space structures (LSS) using frequency-domain models extracted from empirical time data are discussed. Techniques for performing MIMO system identification from test data are presented as well as techniques for improving the performance of the system identification process in the presence of noise. The utility of the proposed system identification scheme is demonstrated on the basis of experimental data obtained at the LSS Ground Test Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Mitchell, Jerrel R.↗

Verification of satellite radar remote sensing based estimates of boreal and subalpine growing seasons using an ecosystem process model and surface biophysical measurement network information

We employ daily surface Radar backscatter data from the SeaWinds Ku-band Scatterometer onboard Quikscat to estimate landscape freeze-thaw state and associated length of the seasonal non-frozen period as a surrogate for determining the annual growing season across boreal and subalpine regions of North America for 2000 and 2001.

boreal growing season radar monitoring boreal ecol↗

Galileo spacecraft modal test and evaluation of testing techniques

The structural configuration, modal test requirements and pre-test activities involved in modeling the expected dynamic environment and responses of the Galileo spacecraft are discussed. The probe will be Shuttle-launched in 1986 and will gather data on the Jupiter system. Loads analysis for the 5300 lb spacecraft were performed with the NASTRAN code, and covered 10,000 static degrees of freedom and 1600 mass degrees of freedom. A modal analysis will be used to verify the predictions for natural frequencies, mode shapes, orthogonality checks, residual mass, modal damping and forces, and generalized forces. Verification of the validity of considering only 70 natural modes in the numerical simulation is being performed by examining the forcing functions of the analysis. The analysis led to requirements that 162 channels of accelerometer data and 118 channels of strain gage data be recorded during shaker tests to reveal areas where design changes will be needed to eliminate vibration peaks.

Chen, J.-C.↗

Dissertation Defense: Computational Fluid Dynamics Uncertainty Analysis for Payload Fairing Spacecraft Environmental Control Systems

Spacecraft thermal protection systems are at risk of being damaged due to airflow produced from Environmental Control Systems. There are inherent uncertainties and errors associated with using Computational Fluid Dynamics to predict the airflow field around a spacecraft from the Environmental Control System. This paper describes an approach to quantify the uncertainty in using Computational Fluid Dynamics to predict airflow speeds around an encapsulated spacecraft without the use of test data. Quantifying the uncertainty in analytical predictions is imperative to the success of any simulation-based product. The method could provide an alternative to traditional validation by test only mentality. This method could be extended to other disciplines and has potential to provide uncertainty for any numerical simulation, thus lowering the cost of performing these verifications while increasing the confidence in those predictions.Spacecraft requirements can include a maximum airflow speed to protect delicate instruments during ground processing. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to verify these requirements; however, the model must be validated by test data. This research includes the following three objectives and methods. Objective one is develop, model, and perform a Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis of three (3) generic, non-proprietary, environmental control systems and spacecraft configurations. Several commercially available and open source solvers have the capability to model the turbulent, highly three-dimensional, incompressible flow regime. The proposed method uses FLUENT, STARCCM+, and OPENFOAM. Objective two is to perform an uncertainty analysis of the Computational Fluid Dynamics model using the methodology found in Comprehensive Approach to Verification and Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations. This method requires three separate grids and solutions, which quantify the error bars around Computational Fluid Dynamics predictions. The method accounts for all uncertainty terms from both numerical and input variables. Objective three is to compile a table of uncertainty parameters that could be used to estimate the error in a Computational Fluid Dynamics model of the Environmental Control System spacecraft system.Previous studies have looked at the uncertainty in a Computational Fluid Dynamics model for a single output variable at a single point, for example the re-attachment length of a backward facing step. For the flow regime being analyzed (turbulent, three-dimensional, incompressible), the error at a single point can propagate into the solution both via flow physics and numerical methods. Calculating the uncertainty in using Computational Fluid Dynamics to accurately predict airflow speeds around encapsulated spacecraft in is imperative to the success of future missions.

Fluid Dynamics↗

Fast and Accurate Core Analysis by the Full-Immersion Pressure-Pulse Decay: Part 2—Practice and Demonstration

Summary This study continues the work of presenting a novel approach for making petrophysical assessments of tight core samples. This method, the full-immersion pressure-pulse decay (Hannon 2019), involves applying a rapid increase in pressure in a chamber surrounding the entire outer surface area of a cylindrical sample, shutting the system in, and monitoring the pressure decay in the chamber as it reaches a new equilibrium. A precursor article covered the numerical simulator designed to model flow through the sample, demonstrating its performance and accuracy in addition to providing a first-order comparison between the speed and shape of the pressure-decay responses of the full-immersion method with those of other similar transient methods. This study covers the parameter-estimation procedure and experimental verification through a proof-of-concept laboratory investigation. The investigations provided here demonstrate that under appropriate, achievable experimental conditions, the pressure data can be analyzed in such a way that returns an estimate of the porosity and apparent permeabilities both parallel and perpendicular to bedding from a single test performed on a single cylindrical sample. After determining these experimental conditions (the uniqueness window), this report outlines a data-inversion strategy to estimate the petrophysical properties (porosity, horizontal permeability, and vertical permeability) from each test. This strategy is put to the test through comparisons with measurements performed by a commercial core laboratory. A common set of samples recovered from an outcrop of a tight-gas sandstone formation were investigated using the full-immersion method, and their results are compared with those from conventional steady-state measurement procedures performed by the commercial laboratory. Comparisons between petrophysical characterizations of these samples, which had permeabilities between 25 nd and 2.3 μd, demonstrated close agreement in most cases. However, whereas steady-state measurements performed at the professional laboratory required 4 to 5 hours of testing time per measurement of a single permeability, similar assessments using the full-immersion technique, requiring approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete, returned estimates of the horizontal and vertical permeability simultaneously. Additional analyses are provided to determine principal reasons of discrepancies in instances where agreement was not as strong. Based on lessons learned from these experiences, the report closes with suggestions on areas of improvement in the experimental approach. Once complete, these developments should propel this technology to fill a critical need to determine petrophysical properties (porosity and permeability) of tight rocks in a time-efficient manner and in a way that does not compromise their accuracy.

Energy & Fuels↗

Validation and Verification for INL Modelica-based TEDS models Via Experimental Results

This report provides an overview on the verification and validation (V&V) of the Thermal Energy Distribution System (TEDS) model developed in the Modelica process modeling ecosystem using experimental data. Model development has led to the creation of a dynamic process model of the experimental TEDS facility housed within the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The model was then used during the preconstruction phase of the experimental effort to inform experimental design (e.g., insulation requirements, bypass line placement, expected performance of components) and to test innovative control schemes prior to the initial operation. The TEDS model developed in Modelica includes the primary components of the TEDS experimental unit: a 200kW Chromalox heater; a single-tank packed-bed thermal energy storage system filled with 0.125-inch alumina (Al2O3) beads; an ethylene-glycol-to-Therminol-66 heat exchanger; system piping; five control valves; and all associated temperature, pressure, and volumetric flow sensors. Using the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) V&V methodologies, considered the gold standard in the engineering field, the model was verified using a combination of static analysis, spatial convergence, and regression tests. Then using dynamic time warping (DTW) initial runs to validate and tune the TEDS model versus the experiment were conducted. This tuning method was accomplished using the INL Risk Analysis Virtual ENvironment (RAVEN) software package. Tuning is required to account for physical phenomena that are less understood within the empirical heat transfer correlations. Through the commencement of this work, a systems-level model of TEDS with associated control systems, sensors, piping diameters, and component capabilities has been created. This model was utilized in the pre-experimental phase to inform system design, insulation thicknesses, and potential control schemes to operate the system effectively and safely. Then, initial experimental startup and operational data were used to demonstrate the validation and tuning methodology. This process demonstrates the classical two-step approach of a model informing experimental design followed by the experiment validation and tuning the model.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

The theory of charged particle temperatures in the upper atmosphere.

The thermal structure of the earth's upper atmosphere is examined in detail, with emphasis on the physical processes that govern the behavior of charged-particle temperatures. The characteristic features of and competition between the heating, cooling, and thermal conduction processes that govern electron and ion temperatures in the mid-latitude and auroral ionospheric regions are theoretically analyzed, and appropriate comparisons are made with experimental data. The proposed elaborate theory is considered qualitatively successful in accounting for the thermal structure of the ionosphere, and points requiring quantitative verification are delineated.

Schunk, R. W.↗

Model predictions of wind and turbulence profiles associated with an ensemble of aircraft accidents

The feasibility of predicting conditions under which wind/turbulence environments hazardous to aviation operations exist is studied by examining a number of different accidents in detail. A model of turbulent flow in the atmospheric boundary layer is used to reconstruct wind and turbulence profiles which may have existed at low altitudes at the time of the accidents. The predictions are consistent with available flight recorder data, but neither the input boundary conditions nor the flight recorder observations are sufficiently precise for these studies to be interpreted as verification tests of the model predictions.

Williamson, G. G.↗

Thermal Pollution Mathematical Model. Volume 4: Verification of Three-Dimensional Rigid-Lid Model at Lake Keowee

The rigid lid model was developed to predict three dimensional temperature and velocity distributions in lakes. This model was verified at various sites (Lake Belews, Biscayne Bay, etc.) and th verification at Lake Keowee was the last of these series of verification runs. The verification at Lake Keowee included the following: (1) selecting the domain of interest, grid systems, and comparing the preliminary results with archival data; (2) obtaining actual ground truth and infrared scanner data both for summer and winter; and (3) using the model to predict the measured data for the above periods and comparing the predicted results with the actual data. The model results compared well with measured data. Thus, the model can be used as an effective predictive tool for future sites.

Lee, S. S.↗

Design and Integration of a Rotor Alone Nacelle for Acoustic Fan Testing

A brief summary of the design, integration and testing of a rotor alone nacelle (RAN) in NASA Glenn's 9'x 15' Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT) is presented. The purpose of the RAN system was to provide an "acoustically clean" flow path within the nacelle to isolate that portion of the total engine system acoustic signature attributed to fan noise. The RAN design accomplished this by removing the stators that provided internal support to the nacelle. In its place, two external struts mounted to a two-axis positioning table located behind the tunnel wall provided the support. Nacelle-mounted lasers and a closed-loop control system provided the input to the table to maintain nacelle to fan concentricity as thermal and thrust loads displaced the strut-mounted fan. This unique design required extensive analysis and verification testing to ensure the safety of the fan model, propulsion simulator drive rig, and facility, along with experimental consistency of acoustic data obtained while using the RAN system. Initial testing was used to optimize the positioning system and resulted in concentricity errors of +/- 0.0031 in. in the horizontal direction and +0.0035/-0.0013 in, in the vertical direction. As a result of successful testing, the RAN system will be transitioned into other acoustic research programs at NASA Glenn Research Center.

Shook, Tony D.↗