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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 1,423 records · Page 79

Evolution in Cloud Population Statistics of the MJO: From AMIE Field Observations to Global-Cloud Permitting Models Final Report

This is a multi-institutional, collaborative project using a three-tier modeling approach to bridge field observations and global cloud-permitting models, with emphases on cloud population structural evolution through various large-scale environments. Our contribution was in data analysis for the generation of high value cloud and precipitation products and derive cloud statistics for model validation. There are two areas in data analysis that we contributed: the development of a synergistic cloud and precipitation cloud classification that identify different cloud (e.g. shallow cumulus, cirrus) and precipitation types (shallow, deep, convective, stratiform) using profiling ARM observations and the development of a quantitative precipitation rate retrieval algorithm using profiling ARM observations. Similar efforts have been developed in the past for precipitation (weather radars), but not for the millimeter-wavelength (cloud) radar deployed at the ARM sites.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Thermocouple Errors when Mounted on Cylindrical Surfaces in Abnormal Thermal Environments.

Mineral-insulated, metal-sheathed, Type-K thermocouples are used to measure the temperature of various items in high-temperature environments, often exceeding 1000degC (1273 K). The thermocouple wires (chromel and alumel) are protected from the harsh environments by an Inconel sheath and magnesium oxide (MgO) insulation. The sheath and insulation are required for reliable measurements. Due to the sheath and MgO insulation, the temperature registered by the thermocouple is not the temperature of the surface of interest. In some cases, the error incurred is large enough to be of concern because these data are used for model validation, and thus the uncertainties of the data need to be well documented. This report documents the error using 0.062" and 0.040" diameter Inconel sheathed, Type-K thermocouples mounted on cylindrical surfaces (inside of a shroud, outside and inside of a mock test unit). After an initial transient, the thermocouple bias errors typically range only about +-1-2% of the reading in K. After all of the uncertainty sources have been included, the total uncertainty to 95% confidence, for shroud or test unit TCs in abnormal thermal environments, is about +-2% of the reading in K, lower than the +-3% typically used for flat shrouds. Recommendations are provided in Section 6 to facilitate interpretation and use of the results. .

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

The VolturnUS 1:8 Floating Wind Turbine: Design, Construction, Deployment, Testing, Retrieval, and Inspection of the First Grid-Connected Offshore Wind Turbine in US

Volume II of the Final Report for the DeepCwind Consortium National Research Program funded by US Department of Energy Award Number: DE-EE0003278.001 summarizes the design, construction, deployment, testing, numerical model validation, retrieval, and post-deployment inspection of the VolturnUS 1:8-scale floating wind turbine prototype deployed off Castine, Maine on June 2nd, 2013. The 1:8 scale VolturnUS design served as a de-risking exercise for a commercial multi-MW VolturnUS design. The American Bureau of Shipping Guide for Building and Classing Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Installations was used to design the prototype. The same analysis methods, design methods, construction techniques, deployment methods, mooring, and anchoring planned for full-scale were used. A commercial 20kW grid-connected turbine was used and was the first offshore wind turbine in the US.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

CTF (Subchannel) Calculations and Validation L3:VVI.H2L.P15.01

The goal of the Verification and Validation Implementation (VVI) High to Low (Hi2Lo) process is utilizing a validated model in a high resolution code to generate synthetic data for improvement of the same model in a lower resolution code. This process is useful in circumstances where experimental data does not exist or it is not sufficient in quantity or resolution. Data from the high-fidelity code is treated as calibration data (with appropriate uncertainties and error bounds) which can be used to train parameters that affect solution accuracy in the lower-fidelity code model, thereby reducing uncertainty. This milestone presents a demonstration of the Hi2Lo process derived in the VVI focus area. The majority of the work performed herein describes the steps of the low-fidelity code used in the process with references to the work detailed in the companion high-fidelity code milestone (Reference 1). The CASL low-fidelity code used to perform this work was Cobra Thermal Fluid (CTF) and the high-fidelity code was STAR-CCM+ (STAR). The master branch version of CTF (pulled May 5, 2017 – Reference 2) was utilized for all CTF analyses performed as part of this milestone. The statistical and VVUQ components of the Hi2Lo framework were performed using Dakota version 6.6 (release date May 15, 2017 – Reference 3). Experimental data from Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC – Reference 4) was used throughout the demonstrated process to compare with the high-fidelity STAR results. A CTF parameter called Beta was chosen as the calibration parameter for this work. By default, Beta is defined as a constant mixing coefficient in CTF and is essentially a tuning parameter for mixing between subchannels. Since CTF does not have turbulence models like STAR, Beta is the parameter that performs the most similar function to the turbulence models in STAR. The purpose of the work performed in this milestone is to tune Beta to an optimal value that brings the CTF results closer to those measured in the WEC experiments.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Structure and Dynamics of Materials Under Extreme Conditions- Final Report

The goals for the work were to create and probe matter under extreme conditions using ultrafast optical and x-ray techniques. We measured electronic structure and plasma properties of warm and hot dense matter, and validate modeling and simulation codes, with a goal of understanding the static and dynamic properties of such materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High Fidelity Ion Beam Simulation of High Dose Neutron Irradiation

The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the capability to predict the evolution of microstructure and properties of structural materials in-reactor and at high doses, using ion irradiation as a surrogate for reactor irradiations. “Properties” includes both physical properties (irradiated microstructure) and the mechanical properties of the material. Demonstration of the capability to predict properties has two components. One is ion irradiation of a set of alloys to yield an irradiated microstructure and corresponding mechanical behavior that are substantially the same as results from neutron exposure in the appropriate reactor environment. Second is the capability to predict the irradiated microstructure and corresponding mechanical behavior on the basis of improved models, validated against both ion and reactor irradiations and verified against ion irradiations. Taken together, achievement of these objectives will yield an enhanced capability for simulating the behavior of materials in reactor irradiations.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Sister Rod Nondestructive Examination Final Report

This report documents work performed under the Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology program. This work was performed to fulfill the Level 2 Milestone M2SF-17OR010201021, “Documentation of Non-destructive Tests on Sister Pins,” within work package SF-17OR01020102. The High Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project, sponsored by DOE-NE, is focused on understanding the effects of long-term storage and transportation on high burnup (HBU) (>45 gigawatt days per metric ton uranium) light water reactor fuel. The goals of the project are to “provide confirmatory data for model validation and potential improvement, provide input to future spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage cask design, support license renewals and new licenses for Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSIs), and support transportation licensing for high burnup SNF". In support of project goals, 25 sister rods were removed from fuel assemblies at the North Anna Power Station. Nine rods were removed from the project assemblies, and 16 rods were removed from similar HBU assemblies. The 25 sister rods were shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory (IFEL) in early 2016 for detailed nondestructive examination (NDE) and destructive examination (DE). The detailed examinations will provide essential information on the physical state of the HBU rods and the fuel contained in the rods prior to loading, drying, and long-term dry storage. Similar tests will be performed at the end of the long-term storage period to identify any changes in the fuel rods’ properties during the dry storage period.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Criticality Safety Validation of SCALE 6.2.2

The computational bias of criticality safety computer codes must be established through the validation of the codes to critical experiments. A large collection of suitable experiments has been vetted by the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and made available in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments (ICSBEP Handbook). More than 600 cases from this handbook ha ve been prepared and reviewed within the Verified, Archived Library of Inputs and Data (VALID) , which is maintained by the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The performance of the KENO V.a and KENO-VI Monte Carlo codes within the SCALE 6.2.2 code system is assessed using the VALID models of benchmark experiments. A range of nuclear cross section libraries based on both ENDF/B-VII.1 and ENDF/B-VII.0 in both multigroup (MG) and continuous energy (CE) formats is considered. The TSUNAMI tools for sensitivity and uncertainty analysis are used to examine some systems further to try to identify potential causes of unexpected results.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Transient Adjustments for Metal-Sheathed Thermocouples on Metal Plates (Shrouds)

This report provides guidance on how to adjust temperature measurements from mineral-insulated, metal-sheathed (MIMS) thermocouples (TCs) mounted on metal plates to correct for slow transient response. This information is needed so that more accurate transient temperature measurements can be made. These more accurate temperature measurements are of benefit for both qualification of hardware and as data sets for model validation. The approach was to use a relatively simple first order adjustment to the MIMS TC reading, as compared to a more accurate metal plate temperature measurement. MIMS TCs are used to improve reliability. Results from four data sets were analyzed to determine the time constraint; an overall average of 5.0 s was obtained.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Sierra Structural Dynamics–User's Notes

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of weapons systems. This document provides a users guide to the input for Sierra/SD. Details of input specifications for the different solution types, output options, element types and parameters are included. The appendices contain detailed examples, and instructions for running the software on parallel platforms.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Final project report for DE-SC0010620: Scale-aware, improved hydrological and biogeochemical simulations of the Amazon under a changing climate

Shen was the PI for DOE project entitled Scale-Aware, Improved Hydrological and Biogeochemical Simulations of the Amazon Under a Changing Climate (contract DE-SC0010620; PI: Chaopeng Shen; co-PI, John Melack, William Riley, $976,000, 2013-2018). Under this project, the group has made substantial progress in (a) scientific advancement: (b) model and software engineering development; (c) aided parallel DoE project; (d) generating datasets; and (e) graduate and postdoc education that are useful global data fusion and model validation; and (f) participated and presented in several conferences. In summary, we have published 15 peer-reviewed papers (citations bolded below) and numerous conference presentations. One more paper is still under review. Our software progress has been shared with the wider community.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Sierra/SD - Theory Manual

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of structural systems. This manual describes the theory behind many of the constructs in Sierra/SD. For a more detailed description of how to use Sierra/SD , we refer the reader to Sierra/SD, User's Notes . Many of the constructs in Sierra/SD are pulled directly from published material. Where possible, these materials are referenced herein. However, certain functions in Sierra/SD are specific to our implementation. We try to be far more complete in those areas. The theory manual was developed from several sources including general notes, a programmer_notes manual, the user's notes and of course the material in the open literature.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Improved Time-Stepping Methods in Global to Regional Ocean Modeling

Improvements in time-stepping schemes can provide substantial improvements in the throughput of global ocean-climate models, but is challenging due to large variations in time scales in the dynamics and spatial scales in the global, variable resolution mesh. Two funded projects aim to speed up the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Ocean (MPAS-Ocean). The first will add a variable-timestepping formulation to MPAS-Ocean, which is a critical step towards running efficiently on global variable-resolution meshes with regional and coastal refinement. The second optimizes the barotropic (depth-integrated) mode, which is currently a performance bottleneck at high core counts. The proposed compute time will be used for extensive model validation and parameter studies for both methods.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Modeling Simulation and Optimization of a Pressure Relief Feature in a Hermetically Sealed Volume Exposed to Abnormal Thermal Environments

This project investigates the behavior of a venting feature on a hermetically sealed volume under abnormal thermal environments. A pressure profile is used to simulate internal pressure build up due to thermal decomposition of foam caused by temperatures approaching 800K. For the purposes of his scoping study a small can composed of 304L stainless steel is used to emulate the problem at hand and simplify the model. The venting feature can be described as an elliptical thinned area with X-like scoring marks on the circumferential surface of the can where the highest stresses are located without the feature. The feature variables include elliptical size, depth, and quantity to optimize the venting feature geometry to vent at a desired pressure range. Cubit, SIERRA: Solid Mechanics, and Ensight modeling programs are used to simulate and analyze several iterations of this feature to determine the most optimal geometry. The model indicates through the simulations that the feature does in fact vent in a predictable manner and can be used in a variety of pressure vessel applications where uncontrolled over pressurizations are undesirable. Future work includes model validation tests, looking at different geometries, and using a more accurate failure criterion.

42 ENGINEERING↗

EVPSC modeling of 316 stainless steel with and without observed phase transformation

The following is a description of modeling the constitutive behavior of the transforming and non-transforming 316 stainless steel measured in-situ at APS. Details of the elasto-viscoplastic self-consistent (EVPSC) polycrystal deformation model are described in the literature and only the salient information is given here. The EVPSC model is a general rate-sensitive self-consistent polycrystal plasticity model valid at arbitrary large deformations. The homogenizing method used is the self-consistent approach, originally proposed by Kröner, assuming that each grain is an ellipsoidal inclusion embedded in an infinite homogeneous equivalent medium (HEM), where the interaction is determined using Eshelby's solution. The hardening behavior is described by a Voce type strain hardening law, and the phase transformation uses a strain energy criterion for choosing a single daughter grain for each parent grain that reaches a critical value of the Von Mises equivalent strain. The orientation relationship between parent and daughter grains is determined based upon a rotation matrix that preserves an invariant line between the parent and daughter. The evolution law for the growth of the martensite phase is based on an empirical accumulated shear strain law proposed by Olson and Cohen. The single crystal elastic constants for the austenite phase are as reported for 316 stainless steel and the single crystal elastic constants of the martensite are taken from hardened SAE 1050 plain-carbon steel.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

155mm First Shot

On September 30, 2019 LANL successfully performed the initial test of a 155 mm cannon. This gun will be used in experiments where fragments are launched into targets containing energetic materials and the response of the target is measured in order to help validate models of the materials. The size of the cannon allows more flexibility in the choice of fragment and target geometries. Over the past three years, LANL employees have worked with many DoD sites including Sierra Army Depot, Yuma Proving Ground, and Picatinny Arsenal as well as commercial companies including St. Marks Powder and Mandus Group arranging the loan and refurbishment of three M198 155 mm howitzers. This work has been supported by the NNSA/NA-82 Standoff Disablement Program in conjunction with the DOE/DoD Joint Munitions Program.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Accelerated Leach Testing of GLASS (ALTGLASS Version 4.0)

The Accelerated Leach Testing of GLASS (ALTGLASS) database is a collection of data from short- and long-term product consistency tests (PCT, ASTM C1285 A and B) on high level waste (HLW) as well as low activity waste (LAW) glasses. The database provides both U.S. and international researchers with an archive of experimental data for the purpose of studying, modeling, or validating existing models of nuclear waste glass corrosion. The ALTGLASS database is maintained and updated by researchers at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Sierra/SD - Theory Manual

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of structural systems. This manual describes the theory behind many of the constructs in Sierra/SD. For a more detailed description of how to use Sierra/SD, we refer the reader to Sierra/SD, Users Notes. Many of the constructs in Sierra/SD are pulled directly from published material. Where possible, these materials are referenced herein. However, certain functions in Sierra/SD are specific to our implementation. We try to be far more complete in those areas. The theory manual was developed from several sources including general notes, a programmer_notes manual, the user's notes and of course the material in the open literature.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗