Model For Instability Research Articles

Investigation into percolation and liquid water content in a multi-layered snow model for wet snow instabilities in Glacier National Park, Canada

Water percolation in snow plays a crucial role in the avalanche risk assessment. Liquid water content and wetting front are hard to measure in the field; hence, accurate simulation of the phenomena can be of great help to forecasters. This study was the first to evaluate water percolation simulations with the SNOWPACK model using Richards’ scheme on Mount Fidelity, Glacier National Park, Canada. The study highlights that, at this site, an updated configuration on precipitation phase transition and new snow density can significantly improve simulations of the snow cover, and water percolation in particular, which can be relevant in an era of an increased occurrence of rain-on-snow (ROS) events. More specifically, emphasis was put on the quality of the input data and parameters. The analysis of the precipitation phase temperature threshold showed that a value of 1.4°C was the best suited to track the rain/snow transition on site. A 10-year analysis of 24-h precipitation measured using the rain gauge and 24-h new snow water equivalent showed an excellent correlation. New snow density sub-models were evaluated using the 24-h new snow density values taken by the park technicians. The BELLAIRE model performed best and was used to drive the snow simulations. Two SNOWPACK snow simulations were evaluated using 1) rain gauge precipitation amount (PCPM) and 2) automatic snow height measurement (HS) at the same site. Both runs simulated the main snowpack layers observed during the dry season (i.e., before spring percolation was observed), and both simulated the snow properties with good accuracy. The water equivalent of snow cover, used as a proxy for a first-order characterization of the simulations generated by both simulations, was slightly underestimated compared with four manual measurements taken on-site during the winter. Nevertheless, the comparison of both measured density and modeled bulk density showed great correspondence. The percolation timing and wetting front depth were evaluated using field measurements from field campaigns and continuous observations from on-site instruments. The main percolation events were correctly simulated and were coincident with the observed wet avalanche cycles. The results highlight the need for accurate input data on valid simulation of the wetting front and percolation timing on site. Good percolation information generated using the SNOWPACK model and Richards’ scheme could be used to assess the snowpack stability by forecasters in areas where such data are available.

Fluid–structure instabilities in the axial balancing system of a turbo-pump

This article is devoted to the experimental and theoretical modelling of a fluid structure instability that affects the axial balancing system cavities of spatial turbo-pumps. After having explained the design of the laboratory experiment that mimics the real industrial set-up, we describe the observation of the instability that emerges due to the coupling of acoustic modes of a fluid cavity with the deformations of a metallic disc that closes the cavity when a flow passes through the system. The system bifurcates towards a vibrational state via a Hopf bifurcation that can be super critical or sub critical, depending on the flow rate and inlet aperture. The experimental arrangement is fully described and tested in order to build a theoretical model that predicts the observed threshold of the instability. Therefore, we expect our model to be predictive for real industrial cases.

Curvature-driven instabilities in thin active shells.

Spontaneous material shape changes, such as swelling, growth or thermal expansion, can be used to trigger dramatic elastic instabilities in thin shells. These instabilities originate in geometric incompatibility between the preferred extrinsic and intrinsic curvature of the shell, which may be modified by active deformations through the thickness and in plane, respectively. Here, we solve the simplest possible model of such instabilities, which assumes the shells are shallow, thin enough to bend but not stretch, and subject to homogeneous preferred curvatures. We consider separately the cases of zero, positive and negative Gauss curvature. We identify two types of supercritical symmetry-breaking instability, in which the shell’s principal curvature spontaneously breaks discrete up/down symmetry and continuous planar isotropy. These are then augmented by inversion instabilities, in which the shell jumps subcritically between up/down broken symmetry states and rotation instabilities, in which the curvatures rotate by 90° between states of broken isotropy without release of energy. Each instability has a thickness-independent threshold value for the preferred extrinsic curvature proportional to the square root of Gauss curvature. Finally, we show that the threshold for the isotropy-breaking instability is the same for deep spherical caps, in good agreement with recently published data.

Risk factors of instability following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in patients with no history of shoulder surgery

IntroductionAs its indications expand, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) utilization continues to increase. Though relatively uncommon, instability following rTSA can be associated with significant morbidity and need for subsequent revision and treatment. This case control study aims to characterize factors leading to instability after rTSA, especially in those with no previous shoulder surgery. Methods194 rTSAs performed within the study period with appropriate operative indications and follow-up were included. Risk factors used in analysis included age, gender, BMI, ASA class, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), glenosphere, tray, and liner size. Data was analyzed using a hierarchical binary logistical regression to create a predictive model for instability. ResultsSeven patients sustained a post-operative dislocation. Mean time to dislocation was 60.4 weeks. Five required open reduction with placement of either a larger humeral tray or polyethylene spacer. One required open reduction with osteophyte removal, and one was converted to a resection arthroplasty. Dislocators were more likely to have a larger BMI (p = 0.002), higher ASA classification (p = 0.09), and larger liner size (p = 0.01). ConclusionThis study demonstrates a large series of patients successfully treated with rTSA. Dislocations were an uncommon complication, but were clearly associated with higher patient BMI, ASA classification, and increased liner size.

Experimental Studies and Constitutive Modeling of Static Liquefaction Instability in Sand–Clay Mixtures

This paper examines static liquefaction phenomena in sand–clay mixtures from both experimental and theoretical perspectives. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests (CU tests) are implemented on a mixture of sand and clay to study the effects of initial relative density, confining pressure, and clay content on static liquefaction responses. By using the equivalent granular state parameter, a state-dependent hardening plasticity model is proposed to reproduce mechanical responses, as well as to replicate the observed static liquefaction phenomenon. In accordance with the second-order work theory, the criteria for predicting the potential instability and static liquefaction of sand–clay mixtures are obtained. The analyses show that (1) static liquefaction is prone to be promoted by low initial relative density and confining pressure; (2) even a small amount of clay particles can significantly increase the liquefaction susceptibility in loose sand–clay mixtures; (3) the proposed constitutive model can provide a satisfactory match between the test data and the simulations; and (4) even when the state of the soil is potentially unstable, soils can still remain stable unless second-order work vanishes, which indicates the inception of static liquefaction.

A minimal model of elastic instabilities in biological filament bundles

We present a model of a system of elastic fibres which exhibits complex, coupled, nonlinear deformations via a connecting elastic spring network. This model can capture physically observed deformations such as global buckling, pinching and internal collapse. We explore the transitions between these deformation modes numerically, using an energy minimization approach, highlighting how supported environments, or stiff outer sheath structures, favour internal structural collapse over global deformation. We then derive a novel analytic buckling criterion for the internal collapse of the system, a mode of structural collapse pertinent in many biological filament bundles such as the optic nerve bundle and microtubule bundles involved in cell abscission.

Analytical model for Rayleigh-Taylor instability in conical target conduction region

This work builds an isobaric steady-state fluid analytical-physical model of the plasma conduction region in a conical target. The hydrodynamic instability in the double-cone ignition scheme[21] for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) proposed by Zhang is studied with the built model. With this idealized model, the relevant parameters, such as density, temperature, and length of the plasma in the conduction region of the conical target under long-pulse conditions are given. The solution of the proposed analytical model dovetails with the trend of the numerical simulation. The model and results in this paper are beneficial for discussing how to attenuate Rayleigh–Taylor instability in ICF processes with conical and spherical targets.

Small ionic radii limit time step in Martini 3 molecular dynamics simulations.

Among other improvements, the Martini 3 coarse-grained force field provides a more accurate description of the solvation of protein pockets and channels through the consistent use of various bead types and sizes. Here, we show that the representation of Na+ and Cl- ions as "tiny" (TQ5) beads limits the accessible time step to 25fs. By contrast, with Martini 2, time steps of 30-40fs were possible for lipid bilayer systems without proteins. This limitation is relevant for systems that require long equilibration times. We derive a quantitative kinetic model of time-integration instabilities in molecular dynamics (MD) as a function of the time step, ion concentration and mass, system size, and simulation time. We demonstrate that ion-water interactions are the main source of instability at physiological conditions, followed closely by ion-ion interactions. We show that increasing the ionic masses makes it possible to use time steps up to 40fs with minimal impact on static equilibrium properties and dynamical quantities, such as lipid and solvent diffusion coefficients. Increasing the size of the bead representing the ions (and thus changing their hydration) also permits longer time steps. For a soluble protein, we find that increasing the mass of tiny beads also on the protein permits simulations with 30-fs time steps. The use of larger time steps in Martini 3 results in a more efficient exploration of configuration space. The kinetic model of MD simulation crashes can be used to determine the maximum allowed time step upfront for an efficient use of resources and whenever sampling efficiency is critical.

Accurate Modeling of Transverse Mode Instability in Fiber Amplifiers

Transverse mode instability is a key limit to power scaling of high-power fiber lasers. Accurate modeling efforts have, however, been hampered by a lack of experimental data to verify a model. Recently, there have been some good experimental studies, making it possible to validate a model. In this work, we developed a model by integrating a 3D fiber amplifier and stimulated thermal Rayleigh scattering. Since we are only interested in the regime where the fundamental mode dominates, our 3D amplifier divides the core into many cylindrical shells. This limits the model to situations where bend-induced mode distortion of the fundamental mode is negligible, but it is still applicable for most practical scenarios. The benefit of this model is high computational efficiency; it can run in minutes on a PC. This 3D amplifier model considers various pumping configurations and amplified spontaneous emission. It can simulate most experimental conditions. Excellent quantitative fit to experimental data was achieved. Additional studies were also conducted to show that gain saturation is a dominating effect in understanding the observed behaviors of transverse mode instability.

Discrete Boltzmann modeling of Rayleigh-Taylor instability: Effects of interfacial tension, viscosity, and heat conductivity.

The two-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) in compressible flow with intermolecular interactions is probed via the discrete Boltzmann method. The effects of interfacial tension, viscosity, and heat conduction are investigated. It is found that the influences of interfacial tension on the perturbation amplitude, bubble velocity, and two kinds of entropy production rates all show differences at different stages of RTI evolution. It inhibits the RTI evolution at the bubble acceleration stage, while at the asymptotic velocity stage, it first promotes and then inhibits the RTI evolution. Viscosity and heat conduction inhibit the RTI evolution. Viscosity shows a suppressive effect on the entropy generation rate related to heat flow at the early stage but a first promotive and then suppressive effect on the entropy generation rate related to heat flow at a later stage. Heat conduction shows a promotive effect on the entropy generation rate related to heat flow at an early stage. Still, it offers a first promotive and then suppressive effect on the entropy generation rate related to heat flow at a later stage. By introducing the morphological boundary length, we find that the stage of exponential growth of the interface length with time corresponds to the bubble acceleration stage. The first maximum point of the interface length change rate and the first maximum point of the change rate of the entropy generation rate related to viscous stress can be used as a criterion for RTI to enter the asymptotic velocity stage.

Modeling of saturated external MHD instabilities in tokamaks: A comparison of 3D free boundary equilibria and nonlinear stability calculations

3D free boundary equilibrium computations have recently been used to model external kinks and edge harmonic oscillations (EHOs), comparing with linear MHD stability codes, and nonlinear analytic theory [Kleiner et al., Phys. Plasma Controlled Fusion 61, 084005 (2019)]. In this study, results of the VMEC equilibrium code are compared further with nonlinear reduced MHD simulations, using the JOREK code. The purpose of this investigation was to understand the extent to which the modeling approaches agree, and identify the important physical effects, which can modify the dynamics. For the simulated external kink, which is dominated by a single toroidal harmonic, good agreement is found when a large Lundquist number is used in the JOREK simulation, such that resistive effects are sub-dominant. Modeling EHOs where multiple toroidal harmonics are linearly unstable, the saturated perturbation observed can differ in the dominant toroidal harmonic. On the ideal timescale, a n = 2 EHO is observed in JOREK, while the saturated perturbation predicted by VMEC is a n = 1 mode. Extending simulations into timescales where resistive effects can play a role, similar n = 1 perturbations can be found. The coupling of different linearly unstable toroidal harmonics in the JOREK simulation broadens the magnetic energy spectrum and ergodises the plasma edge region, resulting in a more localized pressure perturbation. These effects are not observed in VMEC, because closed magnetic flux surfaces are enforced. Despite the sensitivity of JOREK results on the assumed resistivity, saturated states can be found using both approaches that are in reasonable agreement, even for this more advanced case.

Modeling and Control of Instabilities in Combustion Processes

This paper treats the control of nonstationary oscillations of acoustic pressure in the combustion instability process, which appears in the combustion chamber. Two models of nonstationary combustion process control are presented, where first of them is a classic model, which applies the Rayleigh criterium of phase matching between heat-release rate and acoustic pressure. The second model is an alternative van der Pol model exhibiting selfexciting oscillations due to the feedback with a negative damping. The paper outlines the model of fuel control, which is successfully applied for quenching of selfexcited oscillations. Efficiency of fuel control to quench selfexcited oscillations is shown in the phenomenon of competitive quenching, where the influence of various control parameters is explained.

Numerical investigations on the beating behavior of self-excited combustion instability in a hydrogen-fueled Rijke type combustor

Beating, a specific oscillation mode of combustion instability, occurred in a premixed hydrogen fueled Rijke tube was investigated. A two-dimensional transient numerical model for the self-excited combustion instability was developed and well validated. In a beating cycle, the amplitude of pressure oscillations increased to 1400 Pa and then decreased to 70 Pa, exhibiting an obvious feature of low frequency modulation. The joint time-frequency analysis showed that the dominant frequency shifted from 230 Hz to 330 Hz over time at each cycle. To shed lights on the inherent mechanisms of beating instability, the coupling processes between the combustion and flow dynamics were investigated. At each beating cycle, the shapes of flame were relatively stable in growing stage, while strongly fluctuated in transition stage and recovered to stable state in decaying stage. Notably, due to the large amplitude of pressure oscillations, an obvious recirculation zone was formed around the flame and sucked the high temperature exhausted gas to the flame root during the transition stage. Accordingly, the high temperature area was formed around the flame and affected the oscillation mode. By employing the proper orthogonal decomposition analysis, the apparent oscillations at 1 Hz were observed in the modes of heat release rate, velocity vectors and temperature. Later, it was found that with the increase of the amplitude of pressure oscillations, the mass flow rate of air supply at tube inlet dramatically decreased, which reduced the oxygen around the flame and changed the fluctuation mode of heat release rate. The coupling process was also identified by the phase difference and Rayleigh index.

Exploring implosion designs for increased compression on the National Ignition Facility using high density carbon ablators

It has long been recognized that high compression, and hence good confinement, is essential to achieving high yields in inertial confinement fusion implosions. In pursuit of multi-megajoule yields on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), a new campaign has begun aimed at testing the hypothesis that controlling hydrodynamic stability is key to achieving effective higher compression with the high density carbon ablators currently fielded on NIF. This campaign is built around a new implosion design, called SQ-n, that is derived from the uniquely stable Bigfoot design tested on NIF in 2016–2019. While very stable and with performance that was quite close to one-dimensional expectations, Bigfoot was a relatively high adiabat, and consequently lower compression design. The goal of SQ-n is then to evolve Bigfoot toward a higher compression design but without compromising its unique stability characteristics. Specifically, SQ-n adopts a ramped foot pulse shape to minimize early time Richtmyer–Meshkov instability growth and uses an ablator dopant distribution extending all of the way to the fuel–ablator interface that simulations suggest further reduces perturbation growth. This paper describes the design philosophy pursued with SQ-n, the results of instability modeling of the candidate design, and the experimental campaign planned to test these ideas in the near future.

Bias Temperature Instability of MOSFETs: Physical Processes, Models, and Prediction

CMOS technology dominates the semiconductor industry, and the reliability of MOSFETs is a key issue. To optimize chip design, trade-offs between reliability, speed, power consumption, and cost must be carried out. This requires modeling and prediction of device instability, and a major source of instability is device aging, where defects gradually build up and eventually cause malfunction of circuits. This paper first gives an overview of the major aging processes and discusses their relative importance as CMOS technology developed. Attentions are then focused on the negative and positive bias temperature instabilities (NBTI and PBTI), mainly based on the early works of the authors. The aim is to present the As-grown-Generation (AG) model, which can be used not only to fit the test data but also to predict long-term BTI at low biases. The model is based on an in-depth understanding of the different types of defects and the experimental separation of their contributions to BTI. The new measurement techniques developed to enable this separation are reviewed. The physical processes responsible for BTI are explored, and the reasons for the failure of the early models in predicting BTI are discussed.

Time-lapse imaging of flow instability and rock heterogeneity impacts on CO2 plume migration in meter long sandstone cores

Our understanding and modelling of flow instabilities (e.g. viscous, gravitational) in the presence of geological heterogeneity is limited by a lack of experimental observations at relevant scales in consolidated media. Typically, small sample sizes (<50 mm diameter) restrict the scale of heterogeneity, and the development of unstable fingers may be damped by the sample boundaries. Furthermore, there is a lack of 3D dynamic data, resolved at a level to observe finger growth and interaction. To this end, we conduct a series of drainage & imbibition fluid-flow experiments with nitrogen and brine in meter-long, 100 mm-diameter Bentheimer and Boise sandstone samples using an advanced, high-pressure setup with medical X-Ray CT (XCT) imaging. Using novel beam-hardening and noise removal methods, we can resolve fluid distributions with a spatial resolution of 1.2 mm3 and temporal resolution of 90 s. The mobility (M) regime in each case is weakly unstable, M ≈ 0.5-5, with flow velocities equivalent to field scale injection rates. In the case of the weakly heterogeneous Bentheimer sample (porosity 0.26 ± 0.025), we find the plume migration is mainly controlled by buoyancy. On the other hand, the fluid distribution in the Boise sample is controlled by the strong unstructured heterogeneity (porosity 0.3 ± 0.1). The heterogeneity increases the gas trapping as less of the core is ultimately bypassed, and residual gas saturation increases behind local capillary barriers. We see little viscous instability in each experiment despite the unstable regime; structural heterogeneity and buoyancy largely control the flow under these field-relevant conditions. The meter scale 3D experimental dataset is provided open-access and represents an ideal benchmark to calibrate and improve multiphase flow models and upscaling methods.

Development and Testing of TRACE/PARCS ECI Capability for Modelling CANDU Reactors with Reactor Regulating System Response

The use of the USNRC codes TRACE and PARCS has been considered for the coupled safety analysis of CANDU reactors. A key element of CANDU simulations is the interactions between thermal-hydraulic and physic phenomena with the CANDU reactor regulating system (RRS). To date, no or limited development has taken place in TRACE-PARCS in this area. In this work, the system thermal-hydraulic code TRACE_Mac1.0 is natively coupled with the core physic code PARCS_Mac1.0, and RRS control is implemented via the exterior communications interface (ECI) in TRACE. ECI is used for coupling the external codes to TRACE, including additional physical models and control system models. In this work, a Python interface to the TRACE ECI library is developed, along with an RRS model written in Python. This coupling was tested using a CANDU-6 IAEA code coupling benchmark and a 900 MW CANDU model for various transients. For the CANDU-6 benchmark, the transients did not include RRS response, however, the TRACE_Mac1.0/PARCS_Mac1.0 coupling and ECI script functionality was compared to the previous benchmark simulations, which utilized external coupling. For the 900 MW CANDU simulations, all aspects of the ECI module and RRS were included. The results from the CANDU-6 benchmark when using the built-in coupling are comparable to those previously achieved using external coupling between the two codes with coupled simulations taking 2x to 3x less execution time. The 900 MW CANDU simulations successfully demonstrate the RRS functionality for the loss of flow events, and the coupled solutions demonstrate adequate performance for figure-of-eight flow instability modeling.

A Regressive Model for Periodic Dynamic Instabilities during Condensation of R1234yf and R1234ze Refrigerants

This paper presents the results of experimental research and mathematical modelling in terms of the influence periodic dynamic instabilities have on condensation phase change in R1234yf and R1234ze refrigerants in tubular minichannels. The main reason for this research was the fact that under the Montreal Protocol (1986), as well as Regulation No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, the F-gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulphur hexafluoride, and other agents containing fluorine have to be withdrawn. This includes one of the most commonly used refrigerants—R134a—which, since 1 January 2017, has already been withdrawn. It also includes the R404A refrigerant. R1234ze and R1234yf are suggested as substitutions for R134a. The basic parameters determining the application of those agents are their global warming potential (GWP) indicator, which is below 150, and reduction in fluorinated greenhouse gases emission by a third, simply by withdrawing them (with 2010 as a reference level). The current state of knowledge enables researchers to foresee the influence of some hydrodynamic instabilities on the condensation of fluorinated refrigerants in minichannels. Therefore, an expansion of this knowledge regarding the suggested substitutes is absolutely necessary. Research concerning the condensation in minichannels under dynamic instabilities was already conducted for the refrigerants currently being withdrawn. However, the influence of those instabilities on a phase change in the suggested pro-ecologic substitutes is not known. It is known that during the condensation of refrigerants under dynamic instabilities, the propagation of instabilities occurs in a waveform. Two-phase media are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon. Propagation of instabilities in the form of acoustic wave or wave change in other parameters such as temperature, the density of mass, or heat flux plays a special role. All of them have their own characteristics, with evidently different propagation velocities. Both mechanisms include irreversible dissipation and dispersion. The dissipative effects, by their irreversibility, cause entropy generation and dump the instability propagation in a two-phase medium. The dispersive effects influence the instability propagation that is a function of the generation frequency. Besides the experimental results, the paper contains a dimensional analysis procedure based on the Π–Buckingham theorem that has allowed for the development of a regressive model for the velocities of pressure dynamic instabilities. The experimental part of this paper was conducted using tubular minichannels with an internal diameter of dID = 1.40–3.3 mm.

Regression Model of Dynamic Pulse Instabilities during Condensation of Zeotropic and Azeotropic Refrigerant Mixtures R404A, R448A and R507A in Minichannels

This paper presents experimental research and mathematical modeling data concerning the impact of unit dynamic instabilities on the phase-transition condensation processes of the zeotropic mixtures R404A and R448A and azeotropic R507A refrigerants in pipe minichannels. The R507 refrigerant is currently used as a temporary substitute for R404A, whereas R448A is a sustainable prospective substitute for R404A. The study presents experimental testing data for the condensation processes of these refrigerants in pipe minichannels and a proposal for the use of dimensional analysis, including the Π-Buckingham theorem, to determine the regression relationship explaining the propagation of unit dynamic instabilities. Based on the experimental studies performed, regression computational models were developed and showed satisfactory agreement in the range of 20% to 25%. They give the possibility to identify, in a utilitarian, way the speed of propagation of temperature and pressure instabilities during the liquefaction of refrigerants. The study was carried out on pipe minichannels with an internal diameter of di = 3.3, 2.3, 1.92, 1.44 and 1.40 mm.

Reduced-order modelling of thermoacoustic instabilities in can-annular combustors

Thermoacoustic instabilities in stationary gas turbines may cause high-amplitude limit cycles, leading to damaged components and costly down-time. To better understand the physical origin of such instabilities in a can-annular combustor configuration, we study the properties of the spectrum of a reduced-order can-annular thermoacoustic system. Increased focus is placed on representing the aeroacoustic interaction between the longitudinal eigenmodes of the individual cans with physically relevant models. To represent the acoustic pressure dynamics in the combustor, we combine an analytical, experimentally validated model for the can-to-can impedance with a frequency-dependent model of the flame response in the cans to acoustic perturbations. By using this approach, we perform a parametric study of the linear stability of an atmospheric can-annular thermoacoustic system, and emphasize general features of the structure and properties of the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors of can-annular combustors. Lastly, we emphasize the differences in the can-to-can coupling that arise when considering open-end boundary conditions – representative of atmospheric set-ups – or closed-end boundary conditions – representative of real gas turbine combustors.