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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Numerical Simulation of the Effects of Horizontal and Vertical EMBr on Jet Flow and Mold Level Fluctuation in Continuous Casting

In this article, a new type of electromagnetic braking (EMBr), named vertical EMBr (V-EMBr) was introduced in the continuous casting process. In order to investigate its capability and applicability, the impacts of horizontal and vertical EMBrs on the flow pattern in a continuous casting mold were simulated by means of an implemented Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) SST k–ω turbulence model. The characteristics of electromagnetic field and flow field inside a 1450 mm × 230 mm mold with Ruler-EMBr and V-EMBr have been compared. The numerical simulation results indicate that the static magnetic field generated by Ruler-EMBr can cover the main part of the discharging jet flow, which has a better control of the flow pattern in lower part of the mold. The static magnetic field generated by V-EMBr can cover both the vicinity of the mold narrow faces and the impingement region of the jet flow, which can effectively control the liquid steel flow in the upper recirculation zone. The parametric study also shows that the large vortices beneath the jet flow can be almost completely eliminated at an optimized magnetic flux density with Ruler-EMBr. In addition, the surface velocity and steel/slag interface fluctuation can be suppressed with the application of V-EMBr to acceptable values even with a wide variation of SEN port angles. It is estimated that to reach the same level of braking effect on the upper recirculation flow, a magnetic flux density of 0.1 T is sufficient for V-EMBr, while 0.2 T is needed for Ruler-EMBr. Based on the results, a second-generation V-EMBr has been developed, which combines both of the merits of Ruler-EMBr and V-EMBr.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF Z-PINCH EXPERIMENTS TO CREATE SUPERSONIC DIFFERENTIALLY ROTATING PLASMA FLOWS

The physics of accretion disks is of fundamental importance for understanding of a wide variety of astrophysical sources that includes protostars, X-ray binaries, and active galactic nuclei. The interplay between hydrodynamic flows and magnetic fields and the potential for turbulence-producing instabilities is a topic of active research that would benefit from the support of dedicated experimental studies. Such efforts are in their infancy, but in an effort to push the enterprise forward we propose an experimental configuration which employs a modified cylindrical wire array Z-pinch to produce a rotating plasma flow relevant to accretion disks. We present three-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations which show how this approach can be implemented. In the simulations, a rotating plasma cylinder or ring is formed, with typical rotation velocity {approx}30 km s{sup -1}, Mach number {approx}4, and Reynolds number in excess of 10{sup 7}. The plasma is also differentially rotating. Implementation of different external magnetic field configurations is discussed. It is found that a modest uniform vertical field of 1 T can affect the dynamics of the system and could be used to study magnetic field entrainment and amplification through differential rotation. A dipolar field potentially relevant to the study of accretion columns is also considered.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effects of turbulence, resistivity and boundary conditions on helicoidal flow collimation: Consequences for the Von-Kármán-Sodium dynamo experiment

We present hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of a liquid sodium flow using the compressible MHD code PLUTO to investigate the magnetic field regeneration in the Von-Karman-Sodium dynamo experiment. The aim of the study is to analyze influence of the fluid resistivity and turbulence level on the collimation by helicoidal motions of a remnant magnetic field. We use a simplified cartesian geometry to represent the flow dynamics in the vicinity of one cavity of a multi-blades impeller inspired by those used in the Von-Karman-Sodium (VKS) experiment. We perform numerical simulations with kinetic Reynolds numbers up to 1000 for magnetic Prandtl numbers between 30 and 0.1. Our study shows that perfect ferromagnetic walls favour enhanced collimation of flow and magnetic fields even if the turbulence degree of the model increases. More specifically the location of the helicoidal coherent vortex in between the blades changes with the impinging velocity. It becomes closer to the upstream blade and impeller base if the flow incident angle is analogous to the TM73 impeller configuration rotating in the unscooping direction. This result is also obtained at higher kinetic Reynolds numbers when the helicoidal vortex undergoes a precessing motion, leading to a reinforced effect in the vortex evolution and in the magnetic field collimation when using again perfect ferromagnetic boundary conditions. Configurations with different materials used for the impeller blades and impeller base confirm a larger enhancement of the magnetic field when perfect ferromagnetic boundary conditions are used compared with the perfect conductor case, although smaller than with a perfect ferromagnetic impeller, as it was observed in the VKS experiment. We further estimate the efficiency of a hypothetical dynamo loop occurring in the vicinity of the impeller and discuss the relevance of our findings in the context of mean field dynamo theory.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

DYNAMO ACTION IN THERMALLY UNSTABLE INTERSTELLAR FLOWS

Numerous studies have investigated the role of thermal instability in regulating the phase transition between the cold cloudy and warm diffuse medium of the interstellar medium. Considerable interest has also been devoted to investigating the properties of turbulence in thermally unstable flows, with a special emphasis on molecular clouds and the possibility of star formation. In this study, we investigate another setting in which this instability may be important, namely its effect on dynamo action in interstellar flows. The setup we consider is a three-dimensional periodic cube of gas with an initially weak magnetic field, subject to heating and cooling, the properties of which are such that thermal instability is provoked in a certain temperature regime. Dynamo action is established through external forcing on the flow field. By comparing the results with a cooling function with exactly the same net effect but no thermally unstable regime, we find the following. Reference runs with non-helical forcing were observed to produce no small-scale dynamo action below the Reynolds number 97. Therefore, we expect the magnetic fields generated in the helical runs to be purely due to the action of a large-scale dynamo mechanism. The critical Reynolds number for the onset of the large-scale dynamo was observed to roughly double between the thermally stable versus unstable runs, the conclusion being that the thermal instability makes large-scale dynamo action more difficult. Whereas density and magnetic fields were observed to be almost completely uncorrelated in the thermally stable cases investigated, the action of thermal instability was observed to produce a positive correlation of the form B{proportional_to}{rho}{sup 0.2}. This correlation is rather weak, and in addition it was observed to break down at the limit of highest densities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reynolds number dependence of Lagrangian dispersion in direct numerical simulations of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Large-scale magnetic fields thread through the electrically conducting matter of the interplanetary and interstellar medium, stellar interiors and other astrophysical plasmas, producing anisotropic flows with regions of high-Reynolds-number turbulence. It is common to encounter turbulent flows structured by a magnetic field with a strength approximately equal to the root-mean-square magnetic fluctuations. In this work, direct numerical simulations of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence influenced by such a magnetic field are conducted for a series of cases that have identical resolution, and increasing grid sizes up to $2048^3$ . The result is a series of closely comparable simulations at Reynolds numbers ranging from 1400 up to 21 000. We investigate the influence of the Reynolds number from the Lagrangian viewpoint by tracking fluid particles and calculating single-particle and two-particle statistics. The influence of Alfvénic fluctuations and the fundamental anisotropy on the MHD turbulence in these statistics is discussed. Single-particle diffusion curves exhibit mildly superdiffusive behaviours that differ in the direction aligned with the magnetic field and the direction perpendicular to it. Competing alignment processes affect the dispersion of particle pairs, in particular at the beginning of the inertial subrange of time scales. Scalings for relative dispersion, which become clearer in the inertial subrange for a larger Reynolds number, can be observed that are steeper than indicated by the Richardson prediction.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

The magnetic shear-current effect: Generation of large-scale magnetic fields by the small-scale dynamo

A novel large-scale dynamo mechanism, the magnetic shear-current effect, is discussed and explored. Here, the effect relies on the interaction of magnetic fluctuations with a mean shear flow, meaning the saturated state of the small-scale dynamo can drive a large-scale dynamo – in some sense the inverse of dynamo quenching. The dynamo is non-helical, with the mean field ${\it\alpha}$ coefficient zero, and is caused by the interaction between an off-diagonal component of the turbulent resistivity and the stretching of the large-scale field by shear flow. Following up on previous numerical and analytic work, this paper presents further details of the numerical evidence for the effect, as well as an heuristic description of how magnetic fluctuations can interact with shear flow to produce the required electromotive force. The pressure response of the fluid is fundamental to this mechanism, which helps explain why the magnetic effect is stronger than its kinematic cousin, and the basic idea is related to the well-known lack of turbulent resistivity quenching by magnetic fluctuations. As well as being interesting for its applications to general high Reynolds number astrophysical turbulence, where strong small-scale magnetic fluctuations are expected to be prevalent, the magnetic shear-current effect is a likely candidate for large-scale dynamo in the unstratified regions of ionized accretion disks. Evidence for this is discussed, as well as future research directions and the challenges involved with understanding details of the effect in astrophysically relevant regimes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1983

Viscous, resistive MHD stability computed by spectral techniques

Expansions in Chebyshev polynomials are used to study the linear stability of one dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) quasi-equilibria, in the presence of finite resistivity and viscosity. The method is modeled on the one used by Orszag in accurate computation of solutions of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation. Two Reynolds like numbers involving Alfven speeds, length scales, kinematic viscosity, and magnetic diffusivity govern the stability boundaries, which are determined by the geometric mean of the two Reynolds like numbers. Marginal stability curves, growth rates versus Reynolds like numbers, and growth rates versus parallel wave numbers are exhibited. A numerical result which appears general is that instability was found to be associated with inflection points in the current profile, though no general analytical proof has emerged. It is possible that nonlinear subcritical three dimensional instabilities may exist, similar to those in Poiseuille and Couette flow.

Dahlburg, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Viscous, resistive magnetohydrodynamic stability computed by spectral techniques

Expansions in Chebyshev polynomials are used to study the linear stability of one-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic quasi-equilibria, in the presence of finite resistivity and viscosity. The method is modeled on the one used by Orszag in accurate computation of solutions of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation. Two Reynolds-like numbers involving Alfven speeds, length scales, kinematic viscosity, and magnetic diffusivity govern the stability boundaries, which are determined by the geometric mean of the two Reynolds-like numbers. Marginal stability curves, growth rates versus Reynolds-like numbers, and growth rates versus parallel wave numbers are exhibited. A numerical result that appears general is that instability has been found to be associated with inflection points in the current profile, though no general analytical proof has emerged. It is possible that nonlinear subcritical three-dimensional instabilities may exist, similar to those in Poiseuille and Couette flow.

Dahlburg, R. B.↗
DOE OSTI2011

ION AND NEUTRAL MOLECULES IN THE W43-MM1(G30.79 FIR 10) INFALLING CLUMP

The high-mass star-forming clump W43-MM1 has been mapped in N{sub 2}H{sup +}(4 {yields} 3), C{sup 18}O(3 {yields} 2), SiO(8 {yields} 7), and in a single pointing in DCO{sup +}(5 {yields} 4) toward the center of the clump. Column densities from these observations as well as previous HCO{sup +}(4 {yields} 3), H{sup 13}CO{sup +}(4 {yields} 3), HCN(4 {yields} 3), H{sup 13}CN(4 {yields} 3), and CS(7 {yields} 6) data have been derived using the RADEX code; results later have been used to derive chemical abundances at selected points in the MM1 main axis. We compare with chemical models to estimate an evolutionary age of 10{sup 4} years for a remarkable warm hot core inside MM1. We also proposed that the dust temperature derived from the spectral energy distribution fitting in MM1 is not representative of the gas temperature deep inside the clump because dust emission may have become optically thick. By deriving a deuterium fractionation of 1.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 3}, we estimate an electron fraction of X(e) = 6.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -8}. Thus, the coupling between the neutral gas and the magnetic field is estimated by computing the ambipolar diffusion Reynolds number R{sub m} = 18 and the wave coupling number W = 110. Considering that the infalling speed is slightly supersonic (M = 1.1) but sub-Alfvenic, we conclude that the MM1 clump has recently been or is in the process of decoupling the field from the neutral fluid. Thus, the MM1 clump appears to be in an intermediate stage of evolution in which a hot core has developed while the envelope is still infalling and not fully decoupled from the ambient magnetic field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THE TURBULENT emf AND TRANSPORT OF MAGNETIC FIELD IN A LIQUID SODIUM EXPERIMENT

For the first time, we have directly measured the transport of a vector magnetic field by isotropic turbulence in a high Reynolds number liquid metal flow. In analogy with direct measurements of the turbulent Reynolds stress (turbulent viscosity) that governs momentum transport, we have measured the turbulent electromotive force (emf) by simultaneously measuring three components of velocity and magnetic fields, and computed the correlations that lead to mean-field current generation. Furthermore, we show that this turbulent emf tends to oppose and cancel out the local current, acting to increase the effective resistivity of the medium, i.e., it acts as an enhanced magnetic diffusivity. This has important implications for turbulent transport in astrophysical objects, particularly in dynamos and accretion disks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Programmable topotaxis of magnetic rollers in time-varying fields

We discuss how spatially uniform, time-periodic magnetic fields can be designed to power and direct the migration of ferromagnetic spheres up (or down) local gradients in the topography of a solid substrate. Our results are based on a dynamical model that considers the time-varying magnetic torques on the particle and its motion through the fluid at low Reynolds number. We use both analytical theory and numerical simulation to design magnetic fields that maximize the migration velocity up (or down) an inclined plane. We show how “topotaxis” of spherical particles relies on differences in the hydrodynamic resistance to rotation about axes parallel and perpendicular to the plane. Importantly, the designed fields can drive multiple independent particles to move simultaneously in different directions as determined by gradients in their respective environments. Experiments on ferromagnetic spheres provide evidence for topotactic motions up inclined substrates. The ability to program the autonomous navigation of driven particles within anisotropic environments is relevant to the design of colloidal robots.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

On the validation of magnetic resonance velocimetry in single-phase turbulent pipe flows

A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging technique is used to measure velocity distributions in turbulent pipe flows up to Re = 24580. While turbulent intensity is usually determined from signal attenuation, we deduce turbulent intensity from velocity distribution with no need to suppose a Gaussian distribution for velocity fluctuations. Skewness and flatness measurements are also presented in this paper. Comparison with DNS show good agreement and we show that NMR data is sufficiently accurate to provide turbulent viscosity profile. The low field system used in this study allow the suppression of susceptibility artifacts and thus open its use for studying two-phase flows. We postulate that the method used here could be applied to two-phase flows and would thus provide valuable information on turbulent viscosity models. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2011

Experimental research of temperature and velocity fields in high-temperature flow of liquid heavy metal coolant

Presented are the results of experimental research of temperature and velocity fields for lead and lead-bismuth coolant flows in channels having circular and annular cross sections under varying oxygen content in the coolant and varying characteristics of insulating coatings. Tests are performed under the following operating conditions: (1) lead-bismuth eutectic-temperature T = 400-520 Degree-Sign C, thermodynamic oxygen activity a = 10{sup -5}-10{sup 0}, average flow velocity of the coolant w = 0.12-1.84 m/s, value of magnetic induction B = 0-0.85 T, Reynolds number Re = (0.24-3.5) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5}, Hartmann number Ha = 0-500, and Peclet number Pe = 320-4600; (2) lead coolant-T = 400-550 Degree-Sign C, a = 10{sup -5}-10{sup 0}, w = 0.1-1.5 m/s, Re = (2.36-2.99) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5}, and Pe = 500-7000.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1987

Remarks on the MHD problem of generic magnetospheres and magnetotails

An understanding of the plasma physics problem of MHD flow around a magnetized sphere or cylinder in different Reynolds number regimes is shown to be crucial to magnetospheric and magnetotail studies. A significant amount of knowledge can be acquired from experimental and computational hydrodynamic precedents. It is believed that highly symmetric laminar models of the magnetosphere and magnetotail are unlikely in view of the high Reynolds numbers involved.

Montgomery, D.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Suppression of turbulent resistivity in turbulent Couette flow

Turbulent transport in rapidly rotating shear flow very efficiently transports angular momentum, a critical feature of instabilities responsible both for the dynamics of accretion disks and the turbulent power dissipation in a centrifuge. Turbulent mixing can efficiently transport other quantities like heat and even magnetic flux by enhanced diffusion. This enhancement is particularly evident in homogeneous, isotropic turbulent flows of liquid metals. In the New Mexico dynamo experiment, the effective resistivity is measured using both differential rotation and pulsed magnetic field decay to demonstrate that at very high Reynolds number rotating shear flow can be described entirely by mean flow induction with very little contribution from correlated velocity fluctuations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Taylor–Couette flow for astrophysical purposes

A concise review is given of astrophysically motivated experimental and theoretical research on Taylor–Couette flow. The flows of interest rotate differentially with the inner cylinder faster than the outer, but are linearly stable against Rayleigh’s inviscid centrifugal instability. At shear Reynolds numbers as large as 10 6 , hydrodynamic flows of this type (quasi-Keplerian) appear to be nonlinearly stable: no turbulence is seen that cannot be attributed to interaction with the axial boundaries, rather than the radial shear itself. Direct numerical simulations agree, although they cannot yet reach such high Reynolds numbers. This result indicates that accretion-disc turbulence is not purely hydrodynamic in origin, at least insofar as it is driven by radial shear. Theory, however, predicts linear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in astrophysical discs: in particular, the standard magnetorotational instability (SMRI). MHD Taylor–Couette experiments aimed at SMRI are challenged by the low magnetic Prandtl numbers of liquid metals. High fluid Reynolds numbers and careful control of the axial boundaries are required. The quest for laboratory SMRI has been rewarded with the discovery of some interesting inductionless cousins of SMRI, and with the recently reported success in demonstrating SMRI itself using conducting axial boundaries. Some outstanding questions and near-future prospects are discussed, especially in connection with astrophysics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

SCALING PROPERTIES OF SMALL-SCALE FLUCTUATIONS IN MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the majority of natural systems, including the interstellar medium, the solar corona, and the solar wind, has Reynolds numbers far exceeding the Reynolds numbers achievable in numerical experiments. Much attention is therefore drawn to the universal scaling properties of small-scale fluctuations, which can be reliably measured in the simulations and then extrapolated to astrophysical scales. However, in contrast with hydrodynamic turbulence, where the universal structure of the inertial and dissipation intervals is described by the Kolmogorov self-similarity, the scaling for MHD turbulence cannot be established based solely on dimensional arguments due to the presence of an intrinsic velocity scale—the Alfvén velocity. In this Letter, we demonstrate that the Kolmogorov first self-similarity hypothesis cannot be formulated for MHD turbulence in the same way it is formulated for the hydrodynamic case. Besides profound consequences for the analytical consideration, this also imposes stringent conditions on numerical studies of MHD turbulence. In contrast with the hydrodynamic case, the discretization scale in numerical simulations of MHD turbulence should decrease faster than the dissipation scale, in order for the simulations to remain resolved as the Reynolds number increases.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Energy dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence: coherent structures or 'nanoflares'?

We investigate the intermittency of energy dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence by identifying dissipative structures and measuring their characteristic scales. We find that the probability distribution of energy dissipation rates exhibits a power-law tail with an index very close to the critical value of –2.0, which indicates that structures of all intensities contribute equally to energy dissipation. We find that energy dissipation is uniformly spread among coherent structures with lengths and widths in the inertial range. At the same time, these structures have thicknesses deep within the dissipative regime. As the Reynolds number is increased, structures become thinner and more numerous, while the energy dissipation continues to occur mainly in large-scale coherent structures. This implies that in the limit of high Reynolds number, energy dissipation occurs in thin, tightly packed current sheets which nevertheless span a continuum of scales up to the system size, exhibiting features of both coherent structures and nanoflares previously conjectured as a coronal heating mechanism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗