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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 1,513 records · Page 84

Numerical simulation of icing, deicing, and shedding

An algorithm has been developed to numerically model the concurrent phenomena of two-dimensional transient heat transfer, ice accretion, ice shedding and ice trajectory which arise from the use of electrothermal pad. The Alternating Direction Implicit method is used to simultaneously solve the heat transfer and accretion equations occurring in the multilayered body covered with ice. In order to model the phase change between ice and water, a technique was used which assumes a phase for each node. This allows the equations to be linearized such that a direct solution is possible. This technique requires an iterative procedure to find the correct phase at each node. The computer program developed to find this solution has been integrated with the NASA-Lewis flow/trajectory code LEWICE.

Wright, W. B.↗

A method for predicting failure statistics for steady state elevated temperature structural components

This paper presents the initial development of a high temperature life prediction method that accounts for the variability in the material properties of Grade 91 steel. The method accounts for material variability by fitting a variable 3-parameter Weibull distribution to experimental rupture data and accounts for the variability of creep deformation on the steady-state stresses via a Monte Carlo approach. To ensure reasonable computational times, the model represents the material as an extremely viscous Stokes fluid with a non-Newtonian viscosity, therefore solving the stress relaxation problem with a steady, static, instead of transient, analysis. Furthermore, the complete statistical analysis combines this model for creep deformation with a probabilistic model for creep rupture to evaluate the probability of premature failure for a set of sample problems, comparing the predicted failure statistics to the design life predicted by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code rules.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Thermostructural Analysis of Carbon Cloth Phenolic Material Tested at the Laser Hardened Material Evaluation Laboratory

RSRM nozzle liner components have been analyzed and tested to explore the occurrence of anomalous material performance known as pocketing erosion. Primary physical factors that contribute to pocketing seem to include the geometric permeability, which governs pore pressure magnitudes and hence load, and carbon fiber high temperature tensile strength, which defines a material limiting capability. The study reports on the results of a coupled thermostructural finite element analysis of Carbon Cloth Phenolic (CCP) material tested at the Laser Hardened Material Evaluation Laboratory (the LHMEL facility). Modeled test configurations will be limited to the special case of where temperature gradients are oriented perpendicular to the composite material ply angle. Analyses were conducted using a transient, one-dimensional flow/thermal finite element code that models pore pressure and temperature distributions and in an explicitly coupled formulation, passes this information to a 2-dimensional finite element structural model for determination of the stress/deformation behavior of the orthotropic fiber/matrix CCP. Pore pressures are generated by thermal decomposition of the phenolic resin which evolve as a multi-component gas phase which is partially trapped in the porous microstructure of the composite. The nature of resultant pressures are described by using the Darcy relationships which have been modified to permit a multi-specie mass and momentum balance including water vapor condensation. Solution to the conjugate flow/thermal equations were performed using the SINDA code. Of particular importance to this problem was the implementation of a char and deformation state dependent (geometric) permeability as describing a first order interaction between the flow/thermal and structural models. Material property models are used to characterize the solid phase mechanical stiffness and failure. Structural calculations were performed using the ABAQUS code. Iterations were made between the two codes involving the dependent variables temperature, pressure and across-ply strain level. Model results comparisons are made for three different surface heat rates and dependent variable sensitivities discussed for the various cases.

Clayton, J. Louie↗

A model for wind-extension of the Copernicus ejecta blanket

The interaction between crater ejecta and the transient wind from impact-shock vaporization is discussed. Based partly on Shoemaker's (1962) ballistic model of the Copernicus ejecta and partly on Rehfuss' (1972) treatment of lunar winds, a simple model is developed which indicates that if Copernicus were formed by a basaltic meteorite impacting at 20 km/s, then 3% of the ejecta mass would be sent beyond the maximum range expected from purely ballistic trajectories. That 3% mass would, however, shift the position of the outer edge of the ejecta blanket more than 400% beyond the edge of the ballistic blanket. For planetary bodies lacking an intrinsic atmosphere, the present model indicates that this form of hyperballistic transport can be very significant for small (no more than about 1 kg) ejecta fragments.

Rehfuss, D. E.↗

Mass ejections

Observations and model simulations of solar mass ejection phenomena are examined in an investigation of flare processes. Consideration is given to Skylab and other observations of flare-associated sprays, eruptive prominences, surges and coronal transients, and to MHD, gas dynamic and magnetic loop models developed to account for them. Magnetic forces are found to confine spray material, which originates in preexisting active-region filaments, within steadily expanding loops, while surges follow unmoving, preexisting magnetic field lines. Simulations of effects of a sudden pressure pulse at the bottom of the corona are found to exhibit many characteristics of coronal transients associated with flares, and impulsive heating low in the chromosphere is found to be able to account for surges. The importance of the magnetic field as the ultimate source of energy which drives eruptive phenomena as well as flares is pointed out.

Rust, D. M.↗

Analytical model of foreshock ion interaction with a discontinuity: A statistical study

When a solar wind discontinuity interacts with foreshock ions, foreshock transients such as hot flow anomalies and foreshock bubbles can form. These create significant dynamic pressure perturbations disturbing the bow shock, magnetopause, and magnetosphere-ionosphere system. However, presently these phenomena are not predictable. In the accompanying paper, we derived analytical equations of foreshock ion partial gyration around a discontinuity and the resultant current density. In this study, we utilize the derived current density strength to model the energy conversion from the foreshock ions, which drives the outward motion or expansion of the solar wind plasma away from the discontinuity. We show that the model expansion speeds match those from local hybrid simulations for varying foreshock ion parameters. Using MMS, we conduct a statistical study showing that the model expansion speeds are moderately correlated with the magnetic field strength variations and the dynamic pressure decreases around discontinuities with correlation coefficients larger than 0.5. We use conjunctions between ARTEMIS and MMS to show that the model expansion speeds are typically large for those already-formed foreshock transients. Our results show that our model can be reasonably successful in predicting significant dynamic pressure disturbances caused by foreshock ion-discontinuity interactions. We discuss ways to improve the model in the future.

Terry Z. Liu↗

Sensitivity of Thermal Predictions to Uncertain Surface Tension Data in Laser Additive Manufacturing

To understand the process-microstructure relationships in additive manufacturing (AM), it is necessary to predict the solidification characteristics in the melt pool. This study investigates the influence of Marangoni driven fluid flow on the predicted melt pool geometry and solidification conditions using a continuum finite volume model. A calibrated laser absorptivity was determined by comparing the model predictions (neglecting fluid flow) against melt pool dimensions obtained from single laser melt experiments on a nickel super alloy 625 (IN625) plate. Using this calibrated efficiency, predicted melt pool geometries agree well with experiments across a range of process conditions. When fluid mechanics is considered, a surface tension gradient recommended for IN625 tends to overpredict the influence of convective heat transfer, but the use of an intermediate value reported from experimental measurements of a similar nickel super alloy produces excellent experimental agreement. Despite its significant effect on the melt pool geometry predictions, fluid flow was found to have a small effect on the predicted solidification conditions compared to processing conditions. We find that this result suggests that under certain circumstances, a model only considering conductive heat transfer is sufficient for approximating process-microstructure relationships in laser AM. Extending the model to multiple laser passes further showed that fluid flow also has a small effect on the solidification conditions compared to the transient variations in the process. Furthermore, limitations of the current model and areas of improvement, including uncertainties associated with the phenomenological model inputs are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Systematic Transient Search of 3 Day Maps

We conduct a systematic search for transients in 3 yr of data (2017–2019) from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). ACT covers 40% of the sky at three bands spanning from 77–277 GHz. Analysis of 3 day mean-subtracted sky maps, which were match filtered for point sources, yielded 29 transient detections. Eight of these transients are due to known asteroids, and three others were previously published. Four of these events occur in areas with poor noise models and thus we cannot be confident they are real transients. We are left with 14 new transient events occurring at 11 unique locations. All of these events are associated with either rotationally variable stars or cool stars. Ten events have flat or falling spectra indicating radiation from synchrotron emission. One event has a rising spectrum indicating a different engine for the flare.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Deployment Simulation Methods for Ultra-Lightweight Inflatable Structures

Two dynamic inflation simulation methods are employed for modeling the deployment of folded thin-membrane tubes. The simulations are necessary because ground tests include gravity effects and may poorly represent deployment in space. The two simulation methods are referred to as the Control Volume (CV) method and the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) method. They are available in the LS-DYNA nonlinear dynamic finite element code. Both methods are suitable for modeling the interactions between the inflation gas and the thin-membrane tube structures. The CV method only considers the pressure induced by the inflation gas in the simulation, while the ALE method models the actual flow of the inflation gas. Thus, the transient fluid properties at any location within the tube can be predicted by the ALE method. Deployment simulations of three packaged tube models; namely coiled, Z-folded, and telescopically-folded configurations, are performed. Results predicted by both methods for the telescopically-folded configuration are correlated and computational efficiency issues are discussed.

Wang, John T.↗

A Method for Projecting Cloud Shadows Onto a Central Receiver Field to Predict Receiver Damage

This work demonstrates methods of mapping high-spatial-resolution direct normal irradiance (DNI) data from satellites, Total Sky Imagers (TSIs), and analogous data sources onto a heliostat field for characterizing the spatial and temporal variation of the incident flux on a central receiver tower during cloud transient events. The mapping methods are incorporated into an optical software module that interfaces with CoPylot–SolarPILOT’s python API– to provide computationally efficient optical simulation of the heliostat field and the solar power tower. Eventually, this optical model will be incorporated into optimization models whereby a plant operator can understand the effects of cloud transient events on overall power production and receiver lifetime due to creep-fatigue damage and therefore make better informed decisions about receiver shutdown events. By more accurately modelling the effects of cloud events on receiver flux maps, this work may determine the magnitude and frequency of thermal cycling on receiver tubes and panels using actual or realistic cloud shapes instead of averaged DNI values–which may undercount the total cycle number. This work may also prevent unnecessary plant shutdowns due to overly precautionary control strategies and characterize the relative impact of various cloud types on receiver life. We plan to eventually integrate this methodology into the System Advisor Model (SAM) to improve performance model accuracy during periods of cloudiness. In this paper, we demonstrate generating DNI maps and mapping them to a solar field in CoPylot using 10 m resolution data from publicly available Sentinel-2 satellite data over the Crescent Dunes plant.

Mullin, Matthew↗

An Investigation Regarding the Effects of Volume Dynamics on Gas Turbine Engine Performance and Operability

This work explores the impact of adding volume dynamics to an electrified turbofan engine model. The zero-dimensional single-input single-output volume elements capture the physics of fluid compressibility of flow in the engine core gas path turbomachinery during transient operation with greater fidelity. Some background regarding the motivation for this effort is provided. A model of the volume element is developed from first principles. The baseline engine model is described and an explanation is given of the modifications made to incorporate the volume elements into the new model. Details of the simulated inputs, designed to elicit exaggerated dynamic responses and to facilitate comparison between the baseline and modified engine models, are explicated. The results of these simulations are presented and discussed, demonstrating that the transient performance and operability of the modified engine model, measured by parameters such as shaft speeds, thrust, and high-pressure compressor (HPC) stall margin, are impacted by the additional dynamics. Commentary is provided regarding potential explanations for the differences in behavior exhibited by the two models. Finally, suggestions are offered for future work that might improve the volume models developed in this effort and leverage the improved fidelity enabled by the modeling of turbomachinery volume dynamics.

Volume dynamics↗

The effect of tip vortex structure on helicopter noise due to blade/vortex interaction

A potential cause of helicopter impulsive noise, commonly called blade slap, is the unsteady lift fluctuation on a rotor blade due to interaction with the vortex trailed from another blade. The relationship between vortex structure and the intensity of the acoustic signal is investigated. The analysis is based on a theoretical model for blade/vortex interaction. Unsteady lift on the blades due to blade/vortex interaction is calculated using linear unsteady aerodynamic theory, and expressions are derived for the directivity, frequency spectrum, and transient signal of the radiated noise. An inviscid rollup model is used to calculate the velocity profile in the trailing vortex from the spanwise distribution of blade tip loading. A few cases of tip loading are investigated, and numerical results are presented for the unsteady lift and acoustic signal due to blade/vortex interaction. The intensity of the acoustic signal is shown to be quite sensitive to changes in tip vortex structure.

Wolf, T. L.↗

Analysis of redox additive-based overcharge protection for rechargeable lithium batteries

The overcharge condition in secondary lithium batteries employing redox additives for overcharge protection, has been theoretically analyzed in terms of a finite linear diffusion model. The analysis leads to expressions relating the steady-state overcharge current density and cell voltage to the concentration, diffusion coefficient, standard reduction potential of the redox couple, and interelectrode distance. The model permits the estimation of the maximum permissible overcharge rate for any chosen set of system conditions. Digital simulation of the overcharge experiment leads to numerical representation of the potential transients, and estimate of the influence of diffusion coefficient and interelectrode distance on the transient attainment of the steady state during overcharge. The model has been experimentally verified using 1,1-prime-dimethyl ferrocene as a redox additive. The analysis of the experimental results in terms of the theory allows the calculation of the diffusion coefficient and the formal potential of the redox couple. The model and the theoretical results may be exploited in the design and optimization of overcharge protection by the redox additive approach.

Narayanan, S. R.↗

Climate Shifts Within Major Agricultural Seasons for +1.5 and +2.0 °C Worlds: HAPPI Projections and AgMIP Modeling Scenarios

This study compares climate changes in major agricultural regions and current agricultural seasons associated with global warming of +1.5 or +2.0 °C above pre-industrial conditions. It describes the generation of climate scenarios for agricultural modeling applications conducted as part of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) Coordinated Global and Regional Assessments. Climate scenarios from the Half a degree Additional warming, Projections, Prognosis and Impacts project (HAPPI) are largely consistent with transient scenarios extracted from RCP4.5 simulations of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). Focusing on food and agricultural systems and top-producing breadbaskets in particular, we distinguish maize, rice, wheat, and soy season changes from global annual mean climate changes. Many agricultural regions warm at a rate that is faster than the global mean surface temperature (including oceans) but slower than the mean land surface temperature, leading to regional warming that exceeds 0.5 °C between the +1.5 and +2.0 °C Worlds. Agricultural growing seasons warm at a pace slightly behind the annual temperature trends in most regions, while precipitation increases slightly ahead of the annual rate. Rice cultivation regions show reduced warming as they are concentrated where monsoon rainfall is projected to intensify, although projections are influenced by Asian aerosol loading in climate mitigation scenarios. Compared to CMIP5, HAPPI slightly underestimates the CO2 concentration that corresponds to the +1.5 °C World but overestimates the CO2 concentration for the +2.0 °C World, which means that HAPPI scenarios may also lead to an overestimate in the beneficial effects of CO2 on crops in the +2.0 °C World. HAPPI enables detailed analysis of the shifting distribution of extreme growing season temperatures and precipitation, highlighting widespread increases in extreme heat seasons and heightened skewness toward hot seasons in the tropics. Shifts in the probability of extreme drought seasons generally tracked median precipitation changes; however, some regions skewed toward drought conditions even where median precipitation changes were small. Together, these findings highlight unique seasonal and agricultural region changes in the +1.5 °C and +2.0 °C worlds for adaptation planning in these climate stabilization targets.

Alexander C. Ruane↗

Quantification of the importance of the modeling fidelity in the Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty analysis

In this work, the multi-physics coupling of CTF-PARCS for both steady-state and transient simulations is evaluated focusing on the quantification of the importance of the modeling fidelity when applied to the Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty safety analysis. For the steady-state, a Picard iteration approach is adopted in the coupled code while for the transient an explicit approach has been developed as a first step. The CTF-PARCS coupling is applied to the REA at HFP BOC scenario proposed in the exercise I-2c of LWR-UAM benchmark Phase III. Two different modeling choices are investigated for the nominal calculations. The first consists of including the 3D burnup information in CTF, and the second of modeling the spacers grids in both PARCS and CTF. It is observed that due to the degradation of the fuel thermal conductivity, the 3D burnup inclusion in CTF leads to significant higher centerline temperatures than the base case, with a difference up to 300 K. The spacer grids modeling shows the expected power and temperature decrease in the axial positions of the spacer grids. For the uncertainty quantification study, the multi-physics modeling including the burnup information in CTF is used. The results show that the inserted reactivity has a relative standard deviation of 13.6% mainly attributed to the nuclear data. The maximum linear power has a relative standard deviation of 16.2% due to the nuclear data as well, while the maximum centerline temperature has a relative standard deviation of 3.5% primarily caused by the fuel thermal conductivity. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Heat Transfer in Adhesively Bonded Honeycomb Core Panels

The Swann and Pittman semi-empirical relationship has been used as a standard in aerospace industry to predict the effective thermal conductivity of honeycomb core panels. Recent measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of an adhesively bonded titanium honeycomb core panel using three different techniques, two steady-state and one transient radiant step heating method, at four laboratories varied significantly from each other and from the Swann and Pittman predictions. Average differences between the measurements and the predictions varied between 17 and 61% in the temperature range of 300 to 500 K. In order to determine the correct values of the effective thermal conductivity and determine which set of the measurements or predictions were most accurate, the combined radiation and conduction heat transfer in the honeycomb core panel was modeled using a finite volume numerical formulation. The transient radiant step heating measurements provided the best agreement with the numerical results. It was found that a modification of the Swann and Pittman semi-empirical relationship which incorporated the facesheets and adhesive layers in the thermal model provided satisfactory results. Finally, a parametric study was conducted to investigate the influence of adhesive thickness and thermal conductivity on the overall heat transfer through the panel.

Daryabeigi, Kamran↗

Sea-surface temperature pattern effects have slowed global warming and biased warming-based constraints on climate sensitivity

The observed rate of global warming since the 1970s has been proposed as a strong constraint on equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) and transient climate response (TCR)—key metrics of the global climate response to greenhouse-gas forcing. Using CMIP5/6 models, we show that the inter-model relationship between warming and these climate sensitivity metrics (the basis for the constraint) arises from a similarity in transient and equilibrium warming patterns within the models, producing an effective climate sensitivity (EffCS) governing recent warming that is comparable to the value of ECS governing long-term warming under CO 2 forcing. However, CMIP5/6 historical simulations do not reproduce observed warming patterns. When driven by observed patterns, even high ECS models produce low EffCS values consistent with the observed global warming rate. The inability of CMIP5/6 models to reproduce observed warming patterns thus results in a bias in the modeled relationship between recent global warming and climate sensitivity. Correcting for this bias means that observed warming is consistent with wide ranges of ECS and TCR extending to higher values than previously recognized. These findings are corroborated by energy balance model simulations and coupled model (CESM1-CAM5) simulations that better replicate observed patterns via tropospheric wind nudging or Antarctic meltwater fluxes. Because CMIP5/6 models fail to simulate observed warming patterns, proposed warming-based constraints on ECS, TCR, and projected global warming are biased low. The results reinforce recent findings that the unique pattern of observed warming has slowed global-mean warming over recent decades and that how the pattern will evolve in the future represents a major source of uncertainty in climate projections.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗