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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

3D Flow and Temperature Analysis of Filling a Plutonium Mold (Revision 1) [Poster]

The plutonium foundry at Los Alamos National Laboratory casts products for various special nuclear applications. However, plutonium’s radioactivity, material properties, and security constraints complicate the ability to perform experimental analysis of mold behavior. The Manufacturing Engineering and Technologies (MET-2) group previously developed a graphite mold to vacuum cast small plutonium disks to be used by the Department of Homeland Security as point sources for radiation sensor testing. A two-stage pouring basin consisting of a funnel and an angled cavity directs the liquid into a vertical runner. A stack of ten disk castings connect to the runner by horizontal gates. Volumetric flow rates were implemented to limit overflow into the funnel and minimize foundry returns. Models using Flow-3D computational fluid dynamics software are employed here to determine liquid Pu flow paths, optimal pour regimes, temperature changes, and pressure variations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1998

Recent Advances in Visualizing 3D Flow with LIC

Line Integral Convolution (LIC), introduced by Cabral and Leedom in 1993, is an elegant and versatile technique for representing directional information via patterns of correlation in a texture. Although most commonly used to depict 2D flow, or flow over a surface in 3D, LIC methods can equivalently be used to portray 3D flow through a volume. However, the popularity of LIC as a device for illustrating 3D flow has historically been limited both by the computational expense of generating and rendering such a 3D texture and by the difficulties inherent in clearly and effectively conveying the directional information embodied in the volumetric output textures that are produced. In an earlier paper, we briefly discussed some of the factors that may underlie the perceptual difficulties that we can encounter with dense 3D displays and outlined several strategies for more effectively visualizing 3D flow with volume LIC. In this article, we review in more detail techniques for selectively emphasizing critical regions of interest in a flow and for facilitating the accurate perception of the 3D depth and orientation of overlapping streamlines, and we demonstrate new methods for efficiently incorporating an indication of orientation into a flow representation and for conveying additional information about related scalar quantities such as temperature or vorticity over a flow via subtle, continuous line width and color variations.

Interrante, Victoria↗
DOE OSTI2022

Topology Optimization of 3D Flow Fields for Flow Batteries

We report as power generated from renewables becomes more readily available, the need for power-efficient energy storage devices, such as redox flow batteries, becomes critical for successful integration of renewables into the electrical grid. An important aspect of a redox flow battery is the planar flow field, which is usually composed of two-dimensional channels etched into a backing plate. As reactant-laden electrolyte flows into the flow battery, the channels in the flow field distribute the fluid throughout the reactive porous electrode. We utilize topology optimization to design flow fields with full three-dimensional geometry variation, i.e., 3D flow fields. Specifically, we focus on vanadium redox flow batteries and use the optimization algorithm to generate 3D flow fields evolved from standard interdigitated flow fields by minimizing the electrical and flow pressure power losses. To understand how these 3D designs improve performance, we analyze the polarization of the reactant concentration and exchange current within the electrode to highlight how the designed flow fields mitigate the presence of electrode dead zones. While interdigitated flow fields can be heuristically engineered to yield high performance by tuning channel and land dimensions, such a process can be laborious; this work provides a framework for automating that design process.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1990

Prediction of the ullage gas thermal stratification in a NASP vehicle propellant tank experimental simulation using FLOW-3D

As part of the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) project, the multi-dimensional effects of gravitational force, initial tank pressure, initial ullage temperature, and heat transfer rate on the 2-D temperature profiles were studied. FLOW-3D, a commercial finite difference fluid flow model, was used for the evaluation. These effects were examined on the basis of previous liquid hydrogen experimental data with gaseous hydrogen pressurant. FLOW-3D results were compared against an existing 1-D model. In addition, the effects of mesh size and convergence criteria on the analytical results were investigated. Suggestions for future modifications and uses of FLOW-3D for modeling of a NASP tank are also presented.

Hardy, Terry L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Strategies for Effectively Visualizing a 3D Flow Using Volume Line Integral Convolution

This paper discusses strategies for effectively portraying 3D flow using volume line integral convolution. Issues include defining an appropriate input texture, clarifying the distinct identities and relative depths of the advected texture elements, and selectively highlighting regions of interest in both the input and output volumes. Apart from offering insights into the greater potential of 3D LIC as a method for effectively representing flow in a volume, a principal contribution of this work is the suggestion of a technique for generating and rendering 3D visibility-impeding 'halos' that can help to intuitively indicate the presence of depth discontinuities between contiguous elements in a projection and thereby clarify the 3D spatial organization of elements in the flow. The proposed techniques are applied to the visualization of a hot, supersonic, laminar jet exiting into a colder, subsonic coflow.

Interrante, Victoria↗
NASA NTRS2001

3D Flow Visualization Using Texture Advection

Texture advection is an effective tool for animating and investigating 2D flows. In this paper, we discuss how this technique can be extended to 3D flows. In particular, we examine the use of 3D and 4D textures on 3D synthetic and computational fluid dynamics flow fields.

Kao, David↗
DOE OSTI2015

The 3D flow field around an embedded planet

3D modifications to the well-studied 2D flow topology around an embedded planet have the potential to resolve long-standing problems in planet formation theory. We present a detailed analysis of the 3D isothermal flow field around a 5 Earth-mass planet on a fixed circular orbit, simulated using our graphics processing unit hydrodynamics code PEnGUIn. We find that, overall, the horseshoe region has a columnar structure extending vertically much beyond the Hill sphere of the planet. This columnar structure is only broken for some of the widest horseshoe streamlines, along which high altitude fluid descends rapidly into the planet’s Bondi sphere, performs one horseshoe turn, and exits the Bondi sphere radially in the midplane. A portion of this flow exits the horseshoe region altogether, which we refer to as the “transient” horseshoe flow. The flow continues as it rolls up into a pair of up–down symmetric horizontal vortex lines shed into the wake of the planet. This flow, unique to 3D, affects both planet accretion and migration. It prevents the planet from sustaining a hydrostatic atmosphere due to its intrusion into the Bondi sphere, and leads to a significant corotation torque on the planet, unanticipated by 2D analysis. In the reported simulation, starting with a Σ∼r{sup −3/2} radial surface density profile, this torque is positive and partially cancels with the negative differential Lindblad torque, resulting in a factor of three slower planet migration rate. Finally, we report 3D effects can be suppressed by a sufficiently large disk viscosity, leading to results similar to 2D.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1984

Comparison between measured turbine stage performance and the predicted performance using quasi-3D flow and boundary layer analyses

A method for calculating turbine stage performance is described. The usefulness of the method is demonstrated by comparing measured and predicted efficiencies for nine different stages. Comparisons are made over a range of turbine pressure ratios and rotor speeds. A quasi-3D flow analysis is used to account for complex passage geometries. Boundary layer analyses are done to account for losses due to friction. Empirical loss models are used to account for incidence, secondary flow, disc windage, and clearance losses.

Boyle, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Comparison between measured turbine stage performance and the predicted performance using quasi-3D flow and boundary layer analyses

A method for calculating turbine stage performance is described. The usefulness of the method is demonstrated by comparing measured and predicted efficiencies for nine different stages. Comparisons are made over a range of turbine pressure ratios and rotor speeds. A quasi-3D flow analysis is used to account for complex passage geometries. Boundary layer analyses are done to account for losses due to friction. Empirical loss models are used to account for incidence, secondary flow, disc windage, and clearance losses. Previously announced in STAR as N84-22564

Boyle, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Using the Flow-3D General Moving Object Model to Simulate Coupled Liquid Slosh - Container Dynamics on the SPHERES Slosh Experiment: Aboard the International Space Station

The SPHERES Slosh Experiment (SSE) is a free floating experimental platform developed for the acquisition of long duration liquid slosh data aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The data sets collected will be used to benchmark numerical models to aid in the design of rocket and spacecraft propulsion systems. Utilizing two SPHERES Satellites, the experiment will be moved through different maneuvers designed to induce liquid slosh in the experiment's internal tank. The SSE has a total of twenty-four thrusters to move the experiment. In order to design slosh generating maneuvers, a parametric study with three maneuvers types was conducted using the General Moving Object (GMO) model in Flow-30. The three types of maneuvers are a translation maneuver, a rotation maneuver and a combined rotation translation maneuver. The effectiveness of each maneuver to generate slosh is determined by the deviation of the experiment's trajectory as compared to a dry mass trajectory. To fully capture the effect of liquid re-distribution on experiment trajectory, each thruster is modeled as an independent force point in the Flow-3D simulation. This is accomplished by modifying the total number of independent forces in the GMO model from the standard five to twenty-four. Results demonstrate that the most effective slosh generating maneuvers for all motions occurs when SSE thrusters are producing the highest changes in SSE acceleration. The results also demonstrate that several centimeters of trajectory deviation between the dry and slosh cases occur during the maneuvers; while these deviations seem small, they are measureable by SSE instrumentation.

Schulman, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2011

Structural elements and collapse regimes in 3D flows on a slope

The mechanisms and structural elements of an instability whose development results in the collapse of flow fragments have been studied in the scope of the Hamilton version of the 'shallow water' 3D model on a slope. The study indicated that the 3D model differs from its 2D analog in a more varied set of collapsing solutions. In particular, the solutions describing anisotropic collapse, during which the area of a collapsing fragment in contact with the slope contracts into a segment rather than a point, exist together with the solutions describing radially symmetric (isotropic) collapse.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2006

Slat Cove Unsteadiness Effect of 3D Flow Structures

Previous studies have indicated that 2D, time accurate computations based on a pseudo-laminar zonal model of the slat cove region (within the framework of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations) are inadequate for predicting the full unsteady dynamics of the slat cove flow field. Even though such computations could capture the large-scale, unsteady vorticity structures in the slat cove region without requiring any external forcing, the simulated vortices were excessively strong and the recirculation zone was unduly energetic in comparison with the PIV measurements for a generic high-lift configuration. To resolve this discrepancy and to help enable physics based predictions of slat aeroacoustics, the present paper is focused on 3D simulations of the slat cove flow over a computational domain of limited spanwise extent. Maintaining the pseudo-laminar approach, current results indicate that accounting for the three-dimensionality of flow fluctuations leads to considerable improvement in the accuracy of the unsteady, nearfield solution. Analysis of simulation data points to the likely significance of turbulent fluctuations near the reattachment region toward the generation of broadband slat noise. The computed acoustic characteristics (in terms of the frequency spectrum and spatial distribution) within short distances from the slat resemble the previously reported, subscale measurements of slat noise.

Choudhari, Meelan M.↗
DOE OSTI2024

An octahedral Mach B-dot probe for 3D flows and magnetic fields in the edge of reversed field pinches

Measurements and simulations show that plasma relaxation processes in the reversed field pinch drive and redistribute both magnetic flux and momentum. To examine this relaxation process, a new 3D Mach B-dot probe has been constructed. This probe collects ion saturation currents through six molybdenum electrodes arranged on the flattened vertices of an octahedron made of boron nitride (BN). The ion saturation current flows through configurable voltage dividers for measurement and returns through one of six selectable return electrodes equally spaced along the 12 cm BN probe arm. In addition, the probe arm houses three B-dot magnetic pickup coils in the BN stalk immediately below to the octahedron, to measure the local magnetic field. Inserted in the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) during deuterium discharges with 220 kA plasma current, density of 0.8 × 10 13 cm –3 , the probe collects ion saturation currents with sawtooth-like peaks correlated with relaxation events. This compact octahedral design fitting six Mach electrode surfaces within a 1 cm3 cube will enable future multi-point, multi-field probes compatible with the 1.5 in. ports of MST. Such probes will allow for flow circulation, current, and canonical vorticity to be calculated in the center of the finite difference stencil formed by the measurement locations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1987

Heat transfer in 3D flow regions generated by intersecting surfaces

The objective is to validate code capabilities to model and predict the critical physics associated with heat transfer in highly 3-D flows. Various aspects of this study are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: LeRC 3-D viscous codes; the 3-D compressible flow tunnel; RVC3D laminar horseshoe vortex calculation; the 3-D heat transfer code validation experiment; and measurements in 3-D compressible flow tunnel.

Simoneau, Robert J.↗