SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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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AiiDA is a workflow management software that is capable of accelerating simulations on HPC machines. Currently, there is no scheduler plugin for flux. The current code that is being submitted to be released is the initial alpha version. The code will be hosted on the external LLNL github group.
Seismic-H2 is an integrated software package for geological hydrogen reservoir simulation, optimization, and leakage monitoring. The package includes multiple components: (1) code used for modeling seismic wave propagation in 3D heterogeneous elastic media based on finite-difference method to support detection of geological hydrogen storage reservoir leakage; (2) 3D reservoir simulations of leaks from an underground reservoir and 3D simulations of saline aquifers and depleted gas reservoirs; (3) seismic monitoring costs of passive and active seismic monitoring required for UHS; (4) rock physics calculations and interpolations for converting the reservoir simulations from part (2) into the elastic media models in part (1); (5) pre-processing seismic data; and lastly (6), a GUI interface that combines these different components.
The Jefferson Lab KL experiment will run at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility with a much lower bunch repetition rate (7.80 or 15.59 MHz) than nominally used (249.5 or 499 MHz). While the proposed average current of 2.5 - 5.0 muA is relatively low compared to the maximum CEBAF current of approximately 180 muA, the corresponding bunch charge is atypically high for CEBAF injector operation. In this work, we investigated the evolution and transmission of low-rep-rate, high-bunch-charge (0.32 to 0.64 pC) beams through the CEBAF injector. Using the commercial software General Particle Tracer, we have simulated and analyzed the beam characteristics for both values of bunch charge. We performed these simulations with the existing injector using a 130 kV gun voltage. We have calculated and measured the transmission as a function of the photocathode laser spot size and pulse length. We report on the findings of these simulations and optimum parameters for operating the experiment.
Low temperature geothermal resources, including those associated with oil and gas production, are an underutilized source of low carbon energy. The present work investigates coupling of low-temperature geothermal resources with concentrating solar and/or natural gas energy sources to increase the number of locations at which power generation from low temperature geothermal resources would be technically and economically viable. Stand-alone and hybrid geothermal power cycles are simulated using SimTech IPSEpro process modeling software. Design point strategies for a hybrid power cycle that may operate with either a single heat source or two simultaneous heat input sources are considered. Additionally, off-design power plant operation is investigated to consider the impacts of the heat source availability and ambient temperature variations. The off-design analysis utilizes a modeling tool that predicts power plant performance at each time step as a function of topping cycle heat input (from gas or solar), bottoming cycle heat input (from geothermal), and ambient temperature. Addition of a steam topping cycle to an organic Rankine cycle geothermal power plant provides opportunities to increase the efficiency and power output relative to a stand-alone geothermal power plant. Additionally, use of the waste heat from gas turbine power generation in a geothermal bottoming cycle provides opportunities to increase the amount of power generation associated with each unit of carbon dioxide emitted. This paper will describe the hybrid plant configuration evaluated, discuss the predicted power cycle performance, and compare with stand-alone natural gas and geothermal power generation cases. The power cycle investigated is expected to be applicable for use with conventional hydrothermal resources as well as with geologic thermal energy storage applications and/or enhanced geothermal systems. The steam topping cycle could use a concentrated solar heat source for fully renewable hybrid plant configuration. A plant initially constructed with a natural gas topping cycle heat source could be converted to a solar heat source part way though the power cycle operational life to achieve life cycle carbon emission reductions.
This document describes a static geometry consisting of a sphere of gold and Ti-6Al-4V alloy, along with an energy-loss matching dechromator composed of polycarbonate, to field with the X3 electromagnetic magnifying lens at LANSCE during the next beam cycle. This static configuration will allow us to: (1) characterize the system’s resolution at the material interface between the gold and titanium alloy, and test the image quality for fine features associated with the screws used to fasten the titanium alloy hemispheres; (2) tune our models of proton scattering and imaging for these materials; and (3) test a procedure to align the polycarbonate dechromator and the sphere within the proton beamline. The data will also be suitable for validation of the software options available for proton radiography simulations.
The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is a next-generation collider-accelerator that may require consistent operating temperature conditions for the beams within the accelerator tunnels to maintain stable operation. Variations in ambient temperature within the tunnel can cause thermal expansion of beampipe and component supports and can negatively affect the tunnel equipment, impacting the stability of the beamline. Modifications will be made to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to create the EIC, which necessitates a temperature model that addresses these modifications. To approach this problem, the consistency of temperature changes in different tunnel sections was first evaluated by plotting RHIC tunnel temperature data at various times of the day and year. From this data, a tunnel section was selected and a 2D temperature model was created for RHIC, EIC, and EIC with added cooling configurations. Soil temperature data was analyzed to determine the maximum, average, and mode soil temperatures, which were used as boundary conditions in different temperature scenarios. Computational fluid dynamics modeling was used to create 2D temperature profiles for the configurations. From this model, the predicted temperatures indicate that further analysis is required to validate the boundary conditions and benchmark the current conditions to allow the prediction of the tunnel ambient conditions at EIC. This research can be used as a preliminary model to create an EIC tunnel cooling system that will increase the operational stability of the EIC. As a result of my work this summer, I have become familiar with computational fluid dynamics, including creating fluid dynamic simulations using ANSYS Fluent and related software. I have also learned about the project process required for planning large-scale engineering projects.
The Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) is an ongoing experiment searching for the conversion of yet undiscovered axion-like dark matter particles to photons in the presence of a magnetic field. InfraBREAD, a sub-experiment of BREAD, uses a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD), a high-efficiency and low-noise device, to specifically detect infrared-range photons produced by $\mathcal{O}$(eV) axion-like particles. The unique BREAD reflector setup allows for the focusing of all converted signal photons to a 1mm $\times$ 1mm SNSPD. However, when the detector is cooled to cryogenic temperatures during operation, uneven thermal contraction of reflector components may lead to a small shift in the location of the focal spot. A novel calibration method using blackbody radiation is proposed to locate the true focal spot of the detector \textit{in situ}. Through ray tracing simulations done in FRED Optical Engineering Software, this method is demonstrated to locate the focus to within 50 $\mu$m in three dimensions.
The following report documents the final development, assembly, and initial testing of the gamma-ray emission tomography assessment system (GRETA-1) for post-irradiation examination of irradiated fuel. It includes descriptions of the system components, including the high-purity germanium gamma-ray detector, the surrounding shield and collimator, the sample scanning hardware, and the control and collection software package. A series of MCNP6 simulations were performed that modeled a fuel rod scan to test image reconstruction algorithms with a complex and understood source distribution. A bench-top scan of isotopic check sources was also performed and analyzed using standard image reconstruction algorithms. The system is currently awaiting deployment at Idaho National Laboratory’s Hot Fuel Examination Facility.
This report presents the static and dynamic reservoir modeling conducted for the CarbonSAFE Phase III Illinois Storage Corridor project to assess the feasibility of commercial-scale CO 2 storage in the Mt. Simon Sandstone at the One Earth Energy (OEE) site in McLean County, Illinois. Three-dimensional geocellular models of the Mt. Simon storage complex were developed in Petrel ® by integrating petrophysical log data, core analyses, and seismic surveys from the OEE #1 stratigraphic test well and two nearby wells, with multiple model versions created as new data became available. Dynamic reservoir simulations, performed using Landmark's Nexus software, progressed through three phases (preliminary, sensitivity, and UIC Class VI permit studies) evaluating injection scenarios across varying rates, well orientations, permeability models, and multi-well configurations. Results demonstrate that commercial-scale storage is feasible: three injection wells spaced approximately one mile apart can store a total of 90 million tonnes of CO 2 over 20 years, producing a combined plume with an equivalent radius of 3.2 miles and a maximum pressure-front-defined Area of Review of 178 mi 2 at the end of injection that diminishes to 34 mi 2 after 50 years of post-injection monitoring. Sensitivity analyses indicate that a 20% change in porosity or permeability yields approximately a 7% change in AoR radius, and that perforating the high-permeability arkosic zone minimizes the pressure front compared to injection in the upper Mt. Simon Sandstone.
Simulating complex astrophysical reacting flows is computationally expensive—reactions are stiff and typically require implicit integration methods. The reaction update is often the most expensive part of a simulation, which motivates the exploration of more economical methods. In this research note, we investigate how the explicit Runge–Kutta–Chebyshev (RKC) method performs compared to an implicit method when applied to astrophysical reactive flows. These integrators are applied to simulations of X-ray bursts arising from unstable thermonuclear burning of accreted fuel on the surface of neutron stars. We show that the RKC method performs with similar accuracy to our traditional implicit integrator, but is more computationally efficient when run on CPUs.
We present a benchmark problem to assess the treatment of shock-induced nuclear burning in the context of double detonation Type Ia supernovae. In a stratified white dwarf model, we implement a shock-detection criterion that suppresses burning in zones characterized by compression and significant pressure gradients, controlled by a tunable parameter, f shock . One-dimensional simulations, using the open-source Castro suite, were conducted across three treatments—burning fully enabled, and burning suppressed with f shock = 2/3 and f shock = 1—across three spatial resolutions (5.0, 2.5, and 0.3125 km). At the finest resolution, the burning-enabled and f shock = 1 models converge, while the f shock = 2/3 front continues to show slight offset behavior. Since most simulations are carried out at much lower resolutions, our tests support the idea that burning in shocks should always be disabled in practice. We also observe that the behavior of lower-resolution simulations remains extremely sensitive to the choice of f shock .
The remoteness and extreme conditions of the Arctic make it a very difficult environment to investigate. In these polar regions covered by sea ice, the wind is relatively strong due to the absence of obstructions and redistributes a large part of the deposited snow mass, which complicates estimates for precipitation hardly distinguishable from blowing or drifting snow. Moreover, the snow mass balance in the sea ice system is still poorly understood, notably due to the complex structure of its surface. Quantitatively assessing the snow distribution on sea ice and its connection to the sea ice surface features is an important step to remove the snow mass balance uncertainties (i.e., snow transport contribution) in the Arctic environment. In this work we introduce snowBedFoam 1.0., a physics-based snow transport model implemented in the open-source fluid dynamics software OpenFOAM. We combine the numerical simulations with terrestrial laser scan observations of surface dynamics to simulate snow deposition in a MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) sea ice domain with a complicated structure typical for pressure ridges. The results demonstrate that a large fraction of snow accumulates in their vicinity, which compares favorably against scanner measurements. However, the approximations imposed by the numerical framework, together with potential measurement errors (precipitation), give rise to quantitative inaccuracies, which should be addressed in future work. The modeling of snow distribution on sea ice should help to better constrain precipitation estimates and more generally assess and predict snow and ice dynamics in the Arctic.
Recent advancements in the use of active wake mixing (AWM) to reduce wake effects on downstream turbines open new avenues for increasing power generation in wind farms. However, a better understanding of the fluid dynamics underlying AWM is still needed to make wake mixing a reliable strategy for wind farm flow control. In this work, a spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) is used to analyze the dynamics of coherent flow structures that are induced in the wake through blade pitch actuation. The data are generated using the ExaWind software suite to perform large eddy simulations of an NREL 2.8 MW turbine operating in a stable atmospheric boundary layer. SPOD tracks the modal behavior of flow structures from their generation in the turbine induction field through their growth in the near-wake region and to their subsequent evolution and energy transfers in the far wake. SPOD is shown to be a useful tool in the context of AWM because it translates the wavenumber and frequency inputs to the turbine controller to structures in the wake. A decomposition of the radial shear stress flux in the wake is also developed using SPOD to measure the contribution of coherent flow structures to mean flow turbulent entrainment and wake recovery. The effectiveness of AWM is connected to its ability to excite inherent structures in the wake of the turbine that arise using baseline controls. The effects of AWM on blade loading are also analyzed by connecting the axial force along the blade to the SPOD analysis of the turbine induction field. Lastly, the performance of different AWM strategies is demonstrated in a two-turbine array.
The training requirements of all mission phases for crews and ground support personnel are presented. The specifications are given for the design and development of the simulator, data processing systems, engine control, software, and systems integration.
The baseline products, schedules, and resource requirements for the Mission Planning and Analysis Division's support of Space Transportation System flights 2, 3, and 4 are presented. Major functions addressed are: orbiter software, Mission Control Center software, flight design, flight operations support, simulation tools, and postflight analysis.
As turbofan engines become more complex, the development of controls necessitate the use of multivariable control techniques. A control developed for the F100-PW-100(3) turbofan engine by using linear quadratic regulator theory and other modern multivariable control synthesis techniques is described. The assembly language implementation of this control on an SEL 810B minicomputer is described. This implementation was then evaluated by using a real-time hybrid simulation of the engine. The control software was modified to run with a real engine. These modifications, in the form of sensor and actuator failure checks and control executive sequencing, are discussed. Finally recommendations for control software implementations are presented.
The development and application of comprehensive rotorcraft analysis methods in the field of rotorcraft technology are described. These large scale analyses and the resulting computer programs are intended to treat the complex aeromechanical phenomena that describe the behavior of rotorcraft. They may be used to predict rotor aerodynamics, acoustic, performance, stability and control, handling qualities, loads and vibrations, structures, dynamics, and aeroelastic stability characteristics for a variety of applications including research, preliminary and detail design, and evaluation and treatment of field problems. The principal comprehensive methods developed or under development in recent years and generally available to the rotorcraft community because of US Army Aviation Research and Technology Activity (ARTA) sponsorship of all or part of the software systems are the Rotorcraft Flight Simulation (C81), Dynamic System Coupler (DYSCO), Coupled Rotor/Airframe Vibration Analysis Program (SIMVIB), Comprehensive Analytical Model of Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Dynamics (CAMRAD), General Rotorcraft Aeromechanical Stability Program (GRASP), and Second Generation Comprehensive Helicopter Analysis System (2GCHAS).
Computational aspects are addressed which impact the requirements for developing a next generation software system for flexible multibody dynamics simulation which include: criteria for selecting candidate formulation, pairing of formulations with appropriate solution procedures, need for concurrent algorithms to utilize computer hardware advances, and provisions for allowing open-ended yet modular analysis modules.