Resource Type

Ecological Monitoring and Compliance Program Fiscal Year 2003 Report (open access)

Ecological Monitoring and Compliance Program Fiscal Year 2003 Report

The Ecological Monitoring and Compliance program, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, monitors the ecosystem of the Nevada Test Site and ensures compliance with laws and regulations pertaining to Nevada Test Site biota. This report summarizes the program's activities conducted by Bechtel Nevada during fiscal year 2003.
Date: December 1, 2003
Creator: Bechtel Nevada (Firm)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Improving the Efficiency of Solid State Light Sources (open access)

Improving the Efficiency of Solid State Light Sources

This proposal addresses the national need to develop a high efficiency light source for general illumination applications. The goal is to perform research that would lead to the fabrication of a unique solid state, white-emitting light source. This source is based on an InGaN/GaN UV-emitting chip that activates a luminescent material (phosphor) to produce white light. White-light LEDs are commercially available which use UV from a GaN chip to excite a phosphor suspended in epoxy around the chip. Currently, these devices are relatively inefficient. This research will target one technical barrier that presently limits the efficiency of GaN based devices. Improvements in efficiencies will be achieved by improving the internal conversion efficiency of the LED die, by improving the coupling between the die and phosphor(s) to reduce losses at the surfaces, and by selecting phosphors to maximize the emissions from the LEDs in conversion to white light. The UCSD research team proposes for this project to develop new phosphors that have high quantum efficiencies that can be activated by the UV-blue (360-410 nm) light emitted by the GaN device. The main goal for the UCSD team was to develop new phosphor materials with a very specific property: phosphors that could …
Date: March 31, 2003
Creator: McKittrick, Joanna
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multifluid algorithm specification (open access)

Multifluid algorithm specification

We present an algorithm for solving the Navier-Stokesequations for a multifluid system using an allspeed type ofapproach.
Date: July 8, 2003
Creator: Colella, Phillip & Martin, Daniel
System: The UNT Digital Library
THE EFFECT OF INTERSTITIAL N ON GRAIN BOUNDARY COHESIVE STRENGTH IN Fe (open access)

THE EFFECT OF INTERSTITIAL N ON GRAIN BOUNDARY COHESIVE STRENGTH IN Fe

Increased nitrogen levels have been correlated with decreased ductility and elevated ductile-to-brittle transition temperature in pressure vessel steels [1]. However, the exact role played by nitrogen in the embrittlement of steels remains unclear. Miller and Burke have reported atom probe ion microscopy findings from neutron-irradiated low-alloy pressure vessel steel showing the presence of a 1 to 2 ruonolayer thick film of Mo, N, and C at prior austenitic grain boundaries (GB's) [2], suggesting a role for nitrogen as an intergranular embrittler. It is of interest for the development of mitigation strategies whether nitrogen must combine with other impurities to form nitride precipitates in order to exert an embrittling effect. Briant et al [1] have associated the embrittling effect of N in steels exclusively with intergranular nitride formation. This association suggests that high nitrogen levels may be acceptable if nitride precipitation at grain boundaries is suppressed. To address whether precipitate formation is indeed essential to the N embrittlement process in pressure vessel steel, a computational study was undertaken to ascertain whether the presence of interstitial nitrogen alone could embrittle an Fe GB. If so, nitrogen in any form must be kept completely away from the grain boundaries, if not out of …
Date: September 22, 2003
Creator: Miyoung, Kim; Gellar, Clint B. & Freeman, A. F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) Report; Precious Lands Wildlife Management Area, Technical Report 2000-2003. (open access)

Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) Report; Precious Lands Wildlife Management Area, Technical Report 2000-2003.

The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) currently manages a 15,325 acre parcel of land known as the Precious Lands Wildlife Management Area that was purchased as mitigation for losses incurred by construction of the four lower Snake River dams. The Management Area is located in northern Wallowa County, Oregon and southern Asotin County, Washington (Figure 1). It is divided into three management parcels--the Buford parcel is located on Buford Creek and straddles the WA-OR state line, and the Tamarack and Basin parcels are contiguous to each other and located between the Joseph Creek and Cottonwood Creek drainages in Wallowa County, OR. The project was developed under the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-501), with funding from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The acreage protected under this contract will be credited to BPA as habitat permanently dedicated to wildlife and wildlife mitigation. A modeling strategy known as Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and adopted by BPA as a habitat equivalency accounting system. Nine wildlife species models were used to evaluate distinct cover type features and provide a measure of habitat quality. Models measure a wide range of life …
Date: December 1, 2003
Creator: Kozusko, Shana
System: The UNT Digital Library
Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 335: Area 6 Injection Well and Drain Pit, Nevada Test Site, Nevada (open access)

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 335: Area 6 Injection Well and Drain Pit, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

This Closure Report documents the activities undertaken to close Corrective Action Unit 335: Area 6 Injection Well and Drain Pit, according to the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 335 was closed in accordance with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection-approved Corrective Action Plan for Corrective Action Unit 335.
Date: June 1, 2003
Creator: United States. National Nuclear Security Administration. Nevada Site Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sapphire Fiber Optics Sensors for Engine Test Instrumentation (open access)

Sapphire Fiber Optics Sensors for Engine Test Instrumentation

None
Date: August 1, 2003
Creator: Janney, M. A. & Nunn, S. D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Microwave Treatment as a Pesticide Alternative for Stored-Products (open access)

Microwave Treatment as a Pesticide Alternative for Stored-Products

This CRADA was a continuation of earlier work with Micro-Grain, Inc. to develop power, high frequency microwave treatment process to treat insect infested grain. ORNLs role was as a subcontractor to Micro-Grain's Phase II SBIR project funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The primary objective was to develop a commercial scale prototype unit capable of treating infested grain at flow rates approaching 1 kg/sec, which is required to be viable in the grain handling industry. A flow rate of {approx} 0.12 Kg/second was demonstrated at 20 kW microwave power level with 100% kill rate. The system is capable of 200 kW however waveguide arcing due to grain dust in the waveguide limited the power to 20 kW during the tests. Development tasks performed during the project included modification of an existing high-power microwave exposure facility to uniformly process large grain samples at high flow rates and improved instrumentation to detect grain flow and uniformity. Microwave processing tasks include a series of controlled exposure tests using infested grain samples provided and analyzed by the University of Oklahoma. Grain samples were infested with red flour beetles which proved the most difficult to kill in earlier tests. Most of the samples processed …
Date: May 21, 2003
Creator: Bigelow, T.S.; Forrester, S.C.; Halverson, S.; Halverson, B. & Phillips, T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Improved Oil Recovery from Upper Jurassic Smackover Carbonates through the Application of Advanced Technologies at Womack Hill Oil Field, Choctaw and Clarke Counties, Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain (open access)

Improved Oil Recovery from Upper Jurassic Smackover Carbonates through the Application of Advanced Technologies at Womack Hill Oil Field, Choctaw and Clarke Counties, Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain

Pruet Production Co. and the Center for Sedimentary Basin Studies at the University of Alabama, in cooperation with Texas A&M University, Mississippi State University, University of Mississippi, and Wayne Stafford and Associates proposed a three-phase, focused, comprehensive, integrated and multidisciplinary study of Upper Jurassic Smackover carbonates (Class II Reservoir), involving reservoir characterization and 3-D modeling (Phase I) and a field demonstration project (Phases II and III) at Womack Hill Field Unit, Choctaw and Clarke Counties, Alabama, eastern Gulf Coastal Plain. Phase I of the project has been completed. The principal objectives of the project are: increasing the productivity and profitability of the Womack Hill Field Unit, thereby extending the economic life of this Class II Reservoir and transferring effectively and in a timely manner the knowledge gained and technology developed from this project to producers who are operating other domestic fields with Class II Reservoirs. The major tasks of the project included reservoir characterization, recovery technology analysis, recovery technology evaluation, and the decision to implement a demonstration project. Reservoir characterization consisted of geoscientific reservoir characterization, petrophysical and engineering property characterization, microbial characterization, and integration of the characterization data. Recovery technology analysis included 3-D geologic modeling, reservoir simulation, and microbial core …
Date: December 31, 2003
Creator: Mancini, Ernest A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Draft photosensor characterization report (open access)

Draft photosensor characterization report

The report presents the results of laboratory measurements performed on The Watt Stopper's LS-201 photosensor at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in January 2003. The purpose of these measurements was to characterize the spatial and spectral response function of the LS-201 photosensor. Sample results of the spectral response and spatial response are shown.
Date: February 23, 2003
Creator: Rubinstein, Francis M.; Yazdanian, Mehry & Galvin, James
System: The UNT Digital Library
On-Line Measurement of Beryllium, Chromium, and Mercury by Using Aerosol Beam Focused Laser-Induced Plasma Spectrometer and TIme-Integrated Filter Sampling and Reference Method (open access)

On-Line Measurement of Beryllium, Chromium, and Mercury by Using Aerosol Beam Focused Laser-Induced Plasma Spectrometer and TIme-Integrated Filter Sampling and Reference Method

A novel real-time monitor for aerosol particles has been developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The instrument is designed to perform in-situ measurement for the elemental composition of aerosol particles in flue gas. They had tested this monitor at the Eastman Chemical Company in July 2001 taking advantage of the emissions from a waste incinerator operated by the company as the background. To investigate the behavior and response of the monitor under simulated/known conditions, stock solutions of prepared metal concentration(s) were nebulized to provide spikes for the instrument testing. Strengths of the solutions were designed such that a reference method (RM) was able to collect sufficient material on filter samples that were analyzed in a laboratory to produce 30-minute average data points. Parallel aerosol measurements were performed by using the ORNL instrument. Recorded signal of an individual element was processed and the concentration calculated from a calibration curve established prior to the campaign. RM data were able to reflect the loads simulated in the spiked waste stream. However, it missed one beryllium sample. The possibility of bias exists in the RM determination of chromium that could lead to erroneous comparison between the RM and the real-time monitoring data. …
Date: May 20, 2003
Creator: Cheng, M.-D. & Vannice, R.W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Forcing of Mercury Oxidation as a Means of Promoting Low-Cost Capture (open access)

The Forcing of Mercury Oxidation as a Means of Promoting Low-Cost Capture

Trace amounts of mercury are found in all coals. During combustion this mercury is vaporized and can be released to the atmosphere. This has been a cause for concern for a number of years, and has resulted in a determination by the EPA to regulate and control these emissions. Present technology does not, however, provide inexpensive ways to capture or remove mercury from flue gases. The mercury that exits the furnace in the oxidized form (HgCl{sub 2}) is known to much more easily captured in existing wet pollution control equipment (e.g., wet FGD for SO{sub 2}), principally due to its high solubility in water. Until recently, however, nobody knew what caused this oxidation, or how to promote it. Recent DOE-funded research in our group, along with work by others, has identified the gas phase mechanism responsible for this oxidation. The scenario is as follows. In the flame the mercury is quantitatively vaporized as elemental mercury. Also, the chlorine in the fuel is released as HCl. The direct reaction Hg+HCl is, however, far too slow to be of practical consequence in oxidation. The high temperature region does supports a small concentration of atomic chlorine due to disassociation of HCl. As the …
Date: March 30, 2003
Creator: Kramlich, John C. & Castiglone, Linda
System: The UNT Digital Library
EFFECT OF UNBROKEN LIGAMENTS ON STRESS CORROSION CRACKING BEHAVIOR OF ALLOY 82H WELDS (open access)

EFFECT OF UNBROKEN LIGAMENTS ON STRESS CORROSION CRACKING BEHAVIOR OF ALLOY 82H WELDS

Previously reported stress corrosion cracking (SCC) rates for Alloy 82H gas-tungsten-arc welds tested in 360 C water showed tremendous variability. The excessive data scatter was attributed to the variations in microstructure, mechanical properties and residual stresses that are common in welds. In the current study, however, re-evaluation of the SCC data revealed that the large data scatter was an anomaly due to erroneous crack growth rates inferred from crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) measurements. Apparently, CMOD measurements provided reasonably accurate SCC rates for some specimens, but grossly overestimated rates in others. The overprediction was associated with large unbroken ligaments that often form in welds in the wake of advancing crack fronts. When ligaments were particularly large, they prevented crack mouth deflection, so apparent crack incubation times (i.e. period of time before crack advance commences) based on CMOD measurements were unrealistically long. During the final states of testing, ligaments began to separate allowing the crack mouth to open rather quickly. This behavior was interpreted as a rapid crack advance, but it actually reflects the ligament separation rate, not the SCC rate. Revised crack growth rates obtained in this study exhibit substantially less scatter than that previously reported. The effects of crack …
Date: February 20, 2003
Creator: Mills, W.J. and Brown, C.M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Developing Innovative Wall Systems that Improve Hygrothermal Performance of Residential Buildings (open access)

Developing Innovative Wall Systems that Improve Hygrothermal Performance of Residential Buildings

This document serves as the Topical Report documenting the first year of work completed by Washington State University (WSU) under US Department of Energy Grant, Developing Innovative Wall Systems that Improve Hygrothermal Performance of Residential Buildings. This project is being conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and includes the participation of several industry partners including Weyerhaeuser Company, APA - The Engineered Wood Association, CertainTeed Corporation and Fortifiber. This document summarizes work completed by Washington State University August, 2002 through October, 2003. WSU's primary experimental role is the design and implementation of a field testing protocol that will monitor long term changes in the hygrothermal response of wall systems. In the first year WSU constructed a test facility, developed a matrix of test wall designs, constructed and installed test walls in the test facility, and installed instrumentation in the test walls. By the end of the contract period described in this document, WSU was recording data from the test wall specimens. The experiment described in this report will continue through December, 2005. Each year a number of reports will be published documenting the hygrothermal response of the test wall systems. Public presentation of the results will be made …
Date: October 1, 2003
Creator: Tichy, Robert & Murray, Chuck
System: The UNT Digital Library
Assessment of CO2 Sequestration and ECBM Potential of U.S. Coalbeds (open access)

Assessment of CO2 Sequestration and ECBM Potential of U.S. Coalbeds

In October, 2000, the U.S. Department of Energy, through contractor Advanced Resources International, launched a multi-year government-industry R&D collaboration called the Coal-Seq project. The Coal-Seq project is investigating the feasibility of CO{sub 2} sequestration in deep, unmineable coalseams, by performing detailed reservoir studies of two enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBM) field projects in the San Juan basin. The two sites are the Allison Unit, operated by Burlington Resources, and into which CO{sub 2} is being injected, and the Tiffany Unit, operating by BP America, into which N{sub 2} is being injected (the interest in understanding the N{sub 2}-ECBM process has important implications for CO{sub 2} sequestration via flue-gas injection). The purposes of the field studies are to understand the reservoir mechanisms of CO{sub 2} and N{sub 2} injection into coalseams, demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the ECBM and sequestration processes, an engineering capability to simulate them, and to evaluate sequestration economics. In support of these efforts, laboratory and theoretical studies are also being performed to understand and model multi-component isotherm behavior, and coal permeability changes due to swelling with CO{sub 2} injection. This report describes the results of an important component of the overall project, applying the findings from the …
Date: March 31, 2003
Creator: Reeves, Scott R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Quantitative Assessment of Distributed Energy Resource Benefits (open access)

Quantitative Assessment of Distributed Energy Resource Benefits

Distributed energy resources (DER) offer many benefits, some of which are readily quantified. Other benefits, however, are less easily quantifiable because they may require site-specific information about the DER project or analysis of the electrical system to which the DER is connected. The purpose of this study is to provide analytical insight into several of the more difficult calculations, using the PJM power pool as an example. This power pool contains most of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. The techniques used here could be applied elsewhere, and the insights from this work may encourage various stakeholders to more actively pursue DER markets or to reduce obstacles that prevent the full realization of its benefits. This report describes methodologies used to quantify each of the benefits listed in Table ES-1. These methodologies include bulk power pool analyses, regional and national marginal cost evaluations, as well as a more traditional cost-benefit approach for DER owners. The methodologies cannot however determine which stakeholder will receive the benefits; that must be determined by regulators and legislators, and can vary from one location to another.
Date: May 22, 2003
Creator: Hadley, S. W.; Van Dyke, J. W.; Poore, W. P., III & Stovall, T. K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Path to Fusion Energy for Concepts Currently at the Concept Exploration Level (open access)

The Path to Fusion Energy for Concepts Currently at the Concept Exploration Level

Concept Exploration (CE) experiments within the Innovative Confinement Concept Program have a unique role which impacts their contributions to the development of fusion energy. As stated in the FESAC ''Report on Alternate Concepts:'' These [CE] programs are aimed at innovation and basic understanding of relevant scientific phenomena. The emphasis on innovation motivates their application to the search for a better fusion reactor configuration. In addition, because of their unique character the CE experiments offer excellent opportunities to couple fusion-plasma physics to other sciences. A recent example of coupling is the fusion self-organized plasmas to reconnection physics and extra-terrestrial plasmas. Perhaps of even greater importance is the education of the future scientists needed for developing fusion energy. The CE experiments, both at universities and national labs, are of a size students can ''get their hands around;'' young scientists and engineers will be attracted by this intellectual challenge combined with the vision of low-pollution energy for mankind represented by a burning-plasma experiment. A CE concept showing promise for fusion energy is expected to advance to the Proof-of-Principal stage. Experience has shown that this progression may occur in several ways: NSTX followed from success in START, a CE-level experiment in England; NCSX built …
Date: January 9, 2003
Creator: Hooper, E B
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fast Stable Solvers for Sequentially Semi-Seperable Linear Systems of Equations (open access)

Fast Stable Solvers for Sequentially Semi-Seperable Linear Systems of Equations

We define the class of sequentially semi-separable matrices in this paper. Essentially this is the class of matrices which have low numerical rank on their off diagonal blocks. Examples include banded matrices, semi-separable matrices, their sums as well as inverses of these sums. Fast and stable algorithms for solving linear systems of equations involving such matrices and computing Moore-Penrose inverses are presented. Supporting numerical results are also presented. In addition, fast algorithms to construct and update this matrix structure for any given matrix are presented. Finally, numerical results that show that the coefficient matrices resulting from global spectral discretizations of certain integral equations indeed have this matrix structure are given.
Date: January 17, 2003
Creator: Chandrasekaran, S.; DeWilde, P.; Gu, M.; Pals, T.; van der Veen, A. J. & White, D. A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A High-Throughput Microenvironment for Single-Cell Operations (open access)

A High-Throughput Microenvironment for Single-Cell Operations

This project was conducted as a feasibility study, in preparation for including this work in the forthcoming ''Instrumented Cell'' (IC) Strategic Initiative. The goal of the IC is to study individual cells; the goal of this feasibility study was to determine the best method for isolating large numbers of individual cells in a way that facilitates various types of environmental changes and intracellular measurements. We have the capability to do this with one cell, and sought to expand the number of cells that we could study simultaneously. Our specific goal for this feasibility study was to discover a way to isolate individual cells, and impale them on a nanopipette. This would enable samples to be introduced into and removed from a cell.
Date: January 7, 2003
Creator: Christian, A. T.; Buckley, P. & Miles, R. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
NOx Solutions for Biodiesel: Final Report; Report 6 in a Series of 6 (open access)

NOx Solutions for Biodiesel: Final Report; Report 6 in a Series of 6

A number of studies have shown substantial particulate matter (PM) reductions for biodiesel, but also a significant increase in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. This study examines a number of approaches for NOx reduction from biodiesel.
Date: February 1, 2003
Creator: McCormick, R. L.; Alvarez, J. R. & Graboski, M. S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Final Report for LDRD Project 02-ERD-069: Discovering the Unknown Mechanism(s) of Virulence in a BW, Class A Select Agent (open access)

Final Report for LDRD Project 02-ERD-069: Discovering the Unknown Mechanism(s) of Virulence in a BW, Class A Select Agent

The goal of this proposed effort was to assess the difficulty in identifying and characterizing virulence candidate genes in an organism for which very limited data exists. This was accomplished by first addressing the finishing phase of draft-sequenced F. tularensis genomes and conducting comparative analyses to determine the coding potential of each genome; to discover the differences in genome structure and content, and to identify potential genes whose products may be involved in the F. tularensis virulence process. The project was divided into three parts: (1) Genome finishing: This part involves determining the order and orientation of the consensus sequences of contigs obtained from Phrap assemblies of random draft genomic sequences. This tedious process consists of linking contig ends using information embedded in each sequence file that relates the sequence to the original cloned insert. Since inserts are sequenced from both ends, we can establish a link between these paired-ends in different contigs and thus order and orient contigs. Since these genomes carry numerous copies of insertion sequences, these repeated elements ''confuse'' the Phrap assembly program. It is thus necessary to break these contigs apart at the repeated sequences and individually join the proper flanking regions using paired-end information, or …
Date: February 6, 2003
Creator: Chain, P & Garcia, E
System: The UNT Digital Library
Methodological Framework for Analysis of GPRA Metrics: Application to FY04 Projects in BT and WIP (open access)

Methodological Framework for Analysis of GPRA Metrics: Application to FY04 Projects in BT and WIP

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimated the fiscal year (FY) 2004 energy, environmental, and financial benefits (i.e., metrics) of the technologies and practices in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) former Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) within the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). During the development of the estimates, EERE went through a large-scale reorganization, resulting in the reallocation of the former BTS projects (along with the other former offices) into two new Program Offices: the Office of Building Technologies Program (BT) and the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program (WIP). The remainder of this document will refer to these projects as BT/WIP for the sake of simplicity. This effort is referred to as GPRA Metrics because it stems from the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, which mandates the reporting of performance goals and measures. The benefits developed for EERE through the GPRA Metrics effort are submitted to EERE's Office of Planning, Budget Formulation, and Analysis (PBFA) as part of EERE's budget request. The GPRA estimates are also used in the formulation of EERE's performance measures. This report includes sections that detail the approach and methodology …
Date: April 14, 2003
Creator: Anderson, Dave M.; Belzer, David B.; Cort, Katherine A.; Dirks, James A.; Elliott, Douglas B.; Hostick, Donna J. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
TFMC Tcs Data: How Do We Compare Conductor Performance to the Strand and What Conclusions for ITER We May Draw (open access)

TFMC Tcs Data: How Do We Compare Conductor Performance to the Strand and What Conclusions for ITER We May Draw

This memo is to assess the TFMC test results and compare it with the strand performance. The TFMC is not an ideal object for studying performance of the CICC in a sense that the instrumentation priority was considered secondary to reliability and therefore a lot of assumptions and modeling need to be made to make the comparison against the LMI strand possible. To compare the CICC performance to strand we need to know at least current in the strands, magnetic field and electric field distribution along the strands, temperature profile and strain distribution. In the TFMC we have much less uniform magnetic field and less determined temperature than in the CSMC Inserts, so role of modeling is greater. A code M&M developed by Polito team (R. Zanino and L. Savoldi Richard) evaluates the temperature profile in the conductor. It includes heat transfer in joints, self-heating, heat transfer to the radial plates. From their model it follows [1] that the radial plates do not affect significantly the temperature in the conductor near the area with the peak magnetic field, which is 3-5 m away from the conductor entrance inside the TFMC winding pack. Unfortunately, there are no sensors in between the …
Date: January 7, 2003
Creator: Martovetsky, N.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Numerical Technology for Large-Scale Computational Electromagnetics (open access)

Numerical Technology for Large-Scale Computational Electromagnetics

The key bottleneck of implicit computational electromagnetics tools for large complex geometries is the solution of the resulting linear system of equations. The goal of this effort was to research and develop critical numerical technology that alleviates this bottleneck for large-scale computational electromagnetics (CEM). The mathematical operators and numerical formulations used in this arena of CEM yield linear equations that are complex valued, unstructured, and indefinite. Also, simultaneously applying multiple mathematical modeling formulations to different portions of a complex problem (hybrid formulations) results in a mixed structure linear system, further increasing the computational difficulty. Typically, these hybrid linear systems are solved using a direct solution method, which was acceptable for Cray-class machines but does not scale adequately for ASCI-class machines. Additionally, LLNL's previously existing linear solvers were not well suited for the linear systems that are created by hybrid implicit CEM codes. Hence, a new approach was required to make effective use of ASCI-class computing platforms and to enable the next generation design capabilities. Multiple approaches were investigated, including the latest sparse-direct methods developed by our ASCI collaborators. In addition, approaches that combine domain decomposition (or matrix partitioning) with general-purpose iterative methods and special purpose pre-conditioners were investigated. Special-purpose pre-conditioners …
Date: January 30, 2003
Creator: Sharpe, R.; Champagne, N.; White, D.; Stowell, M. & Adams, R.
System: The UNT Digital Library