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At least 289 records · Page 16

An Update on the Status of a Reduced Flow Test of a 10MW 700°C sCO2 Integrally Geared Compander

. In order to maintain viability as a future power-generating technology, concentrating solar power (CSP) must reduce its levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). One component of solving this problem is reducing the cost of the power block while simultaneously increasing the efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle. One disruptive technology that has the promise to accomplish this is supercritical CO2 based power cycles. These cycles are conceptually similar to steam cycles; however, they have substantially smaller turbomachinery at equivalent power while also delivering more efficiency at turbine inlet temperatures of 500-700 degrees Celsius. This paper will summarize the current status of a US Department of Energy project to develop machinery to support a 10 MW sCO2 power cycle. The team of Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) and Hanwha Power Systems America, proposed to develop an integrally-geared (IG) compressor-expander (compander) for use in a nominal 10 MW-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) plant application. This integrally-geared compander (IGC) comprises multiple pinion shafts interconnected on a single bull gear to create a compact package, and utilizes a low-cost, low-speed driver. In addition, the integrally geared architecture allows each pinion to operate at different rotational speeds to optimize performance and easily allow for inter-stage cooling and turbine re-heat to further enhance both stage and cycle efficiency. The close integration of all turbomachinery elements into a single integrally-geared (IG) machine creates a design that lends itself to power block modularization, which makes it suitable for waste heat recovery, fossil fuel power plants, and especially CSP applications. As part of the commercialization of this technology, it is necessary to reduce risk by validation testing of key components. In the current work, the focus is developing a test loop to enable safe testing of the main compressor stage across a wide range of operating conditions, and to validate the mechanical integrity of the turbine at full pressure, temperature, and speed. Developing a test loop for sCO2 requires balancing a number of design alternatives that impact cost, lead time, safety, and performance. The current work discusses the design process for the reduced flow test loop for the compander, and supporting documentation supporting the viability of the test loop

wilkes, jason↗

Ultrasonic Deterrents To Reduce Bat Mortality at Wind Turbines - Short Science Summary

In North America, several bat species commonly collide with operating turbines. Though the ultimate driver of collisions is unknown, studies suggest that bats may be attracted to turbines because they often approach and spend extended periods of time (seconds to minutes) interacting with turbine structures. To reduce bat mortality at wind farm operators, seek to reduce mortality rates by reducing the amount of time that bats interact with spinning turbine blades (or exposure). Current approaches to reduce exposure include curtailment, whereby turbine operators stop turbine rotors from spinning during periods when bats are expected to be at the highest risk of collision, and deterrent technologies that seek to discourage bats from entering/ limit the amount of time spent within the rotor swept area. We briefly describe the state of the science on ultrasonic deterrent technology, highlight potential drivers of variable efficacy for bat mortality reduction, and suggest next steps focus on identifying the driver(s) of such variability.

bats↗

Dynamics modeling of molten salt reactor with reduced and expanded representations of delayed neutron precursors

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) present unique challenges in dynamic behavior due to the mobility of their fuel. In these reactors, delayed neutron precursors (DNPs) drift with the fuel circulation through the primary loop. As a result, a fraction of DNPs decays outside the core, effectively reducing the available delayed neutron population for reactivity control. Consequently, precise modeling of the distribution and behavior of DNPs is critical for accurate reactor dynamics simulations. In this study, the System Dynamics Analysis Tool (SDAT) was used to simulate a thermal-spectrum MSR under steady-state conditions and following transients. The effects of using reduced and expanded representations of DNPs with fewer or more groups than the conventional 6-group model were investigated. Their impact on the simulated distribution of precursors in the primary loop, reactivity loss value, and reactor response to transients was analyzed. Simulation results showed that reduced models lead to the loss of the actual DNPs distribution data, resulting in less accurate estimates of reactivity loss. Reactor power predictions using these reduced models showed significant deviations compared to those using the conventional 6-group model in transient simulations. Expanded models offered a more accurate representation of the distribution of DNPs and reactivity loss estimates. Reactor power predictions using expanded models showed minimal deviation from the conventional 6-group model during the simulated transients.

analysis↗

Component-wise reduced order model lattice-type structure design

Lattice-type structures can provide a combination of stiffness with light weight that is desirable in a variety of applications. Design optimization of these structures must rely on approximations of the governing physics to render solution of a mathematical model feasible. In this paper, we propose a topology optimization (TO) formulation that approximates the governing physics using component-wise reduced order modeling as introduced in Huynh et al. (2013); Eftang and Patera (2013), which can reduce solution time by multiple orders of magnitude over a full-order finite element model while providing a relative error in the solution of 1%. In addition, the offline training data set from such component-wise models is reusable, allowing its application to many design problems for only the cost of a single offline training phase, and the component-wise method is nearly embarrassingly parallel. We also show how the parameterization chosen in our optimization allows a simplification of the component-wise reduced order model (CWROM) not noted in previous literature, for further speedup of the optimization process. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the compliance with respect to the particular parameterization is derived solely at the component level. In numerical examples, we demonstrate a 1000x speedup over a full-order FEM model with relative error of 1% and show minimum compliance designs for two different cantilever beam examples, one smaller and one larger. Finally, error bounds for the displacement field, compliance, and compliance sensitivity of the CWROM are derived.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Stochastic symplectic reduced-order modeling for model-form uncertainty quantification in molecular dynamics simulations in various statistical ensembles

Here, this work focuses on the representation of model-form uncertainties in molecular dynamics simulations in various statistical ensembles. In prior contributions, the modeling of such uncertainties was formalized and applied to quantify the impact of, and the error generated by, pair-potential selection in the microcanonical ensemble (NVE). In this work, we extend this formulation and present a linear-subspace reduced-order model for the canonical (NVT) and isobaric (NPT) ensembles. The symplectic reduced-order basis is randomized on the tangent space of the Stiefel manifold to provide topological relationships and capture model-form uncertainty. Using the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS), we assess the relevance of these stochastic reduced-order atomistic models on canonical problems involving a Lennard-Jones fluid and an argon crystal melt.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Local reduced-order modeling for electrostatic plasmas by physics-informed solution manifold decomposition

Despite advancements in high-performance computing and modern numerical algorithms, computational cost remains prohibitive for multi-query kinetic plasma simulations. Here, in this work, we develop data-driven reduced-order models (ROMs) for collisionless electrostatic plasma dynamics, based on the kinetic Vlasov-Poisson equation. Our ROM approach projects the equation onto a linear subspace defined by the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes. We introduce an efficient tensorial method to update the nonlinear term using a precomputed third-order tensor. We capture multiscale behavior with a minimal number of POD modes by decomposing the solution manifold into multiple time windows and creating temporally local ROMs. We consider two strategies for decomposition: one based on the physical time and the other based on the electric field energy. Applied to the 1D1V Vlasov–Poisson simulations, that is, prescribed E-field, Landau damping, and two-stream instability, we demonstrate that our ROMs accurately capture the total energy of the system both for parametric and time extrapolation cases. The temporally local ROMs are more efficient and accurate than the single ROM. In addition, in the two-stream instability case, we show that the energy-windowing reduced-order model (EW-ROM) is more efficient and accurate than the time-windowing reduced-order model (TW-ROM). With the tensorial approach, EW-ROM solves the equation approximately 90 times faster than Eulerian simulations while maintaining a maximum relative error of 7.5% for the training data and 11% for the testing data.

Electrostatic plasmas↗

Parametric reduced order models for graded lattice structures

Graded lattice structures, characterized by smoothly varying mechanical properties, hold significant promise for optimizing material distribution in advanced engineering applications. However, accurately modeling these structures poses substantial computational challenges due to the continuous geometric variations within their unit cells. Here, to address these challenges, this paper introduces a novel Efficient Reduced Order Model (EROM) that integrates the Matrix Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (MDEIM) and Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (DEIM) with polynomial regression to efficiently manage geometric parametrization in lattice structures. Unlike traditional reduced order models (ROMs) that require extensive precomputed libraries for each geometric configuration, our approach enables continuous geometric variations through a flexible algebraic formulation, significantly reducing computational costs while preserving high accuracy. The method constructs projection matrices for individual unit cells that can be efficiently assembled into global systems, leveraging the repetitive nature of lattice structures. Numerical studies demonstrate that our EROM achieves displacement errors below 1% and von Mises stress prediction errors below 4%, coupled with computational speedups exceeding two orders of magnitude compared to full-order simulations. The proposed method's modularity and scalability make it particularly suitable for design optimization and real-time simulation of functionally graded lattice structures, with applications spanning aerospace to biomedical engineering.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Chemical kinetic interactions and sensitivity analyses for 2-ethylhexyl nitrate-doped PRF91 using a reduced mechanism

A numerical and experimental investigation about the chemical kinetic interactions between 2-ethylhexylnitrate (EHN) and PRF91 was performed in this study. Rapid compression machine experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of EHN on the autoignition reactivity of the fuel, and a reduced chemical kinetic mechanism was developed including an EHN sub-model. Experiments showed that the ignition delay decreases as the fuel is doped with EHN, but the effect of the doping level of EHN on the ignition is highly non-linear. Moreover, experiments showed that the EHN effectiveness is lowest during the transition between the low-temperature regime and the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) regime, and it rapidly increases as the temperature increases. Both detailed and (developed) reduced mechanisms were validated against the experimental results, allowing a more in-depth EHN-fuel chemistry study. Additionally, ignition delay sensitivity and EHN effectiveness sensitivity analyses were performed with the reduced mechanism to identify the reactions that control the interaction between EHN and the fuel. As the result, EHN thermal decomposition is only relevant for very low temperatures. The chemistry of EHN-doped fuel is more sensitive to intermediate temperature reactions than that of straight fuel, especially at lower temperatures, due to the effect of EHN on the NTC behavior of the fuel. Finally, the chemistry of EHN-doped fuel is very sensitive to NO 2 -to-NO reactions, especially at high temperatures, because these reactions transform the NO 2 generated by EHN into NO, which is a very effective fuel reactivity enhancer.

2-ethylhexyl nitrate↗

Physics-informed machine learning for fault-leakage reduced-order modeling

Geologic carbon storage (GCS) is a promising technology for mitigating CO 2 emissions. The overall success of GCS depends on safe operations that are informed by risk assessment and have proper mitigation plans in place. Performing quantitative probabilistic risk assessment for a GCS site using traditional reservoir simulators can be challenging due to the high computational costs. To overcome this challenge, the US Department of Energy’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) project has developed an integrated assessment modeling approach that utilizes computationally efficient reduced-order models (ROM) for simulating various parts of a GCS storage site to quantify uncertainty. Here, in this study, we develop a reduced-order model for fault leakage risk assessment. We use a deep learning approach to build the reduced-order model. We perform a sensitivity analysis and find that the deep learning model yields high accuracy with a much smaller computational cost than full-physics simulation. We also evaluate the performance of the model in scenarios where simulations are not possible to run, providing analysis not previously performed in fault-leakage ROM analyses. Based on a sensitivity analysis of the model, we suggest a simplified conceptual model for fault leakage and site monitoring.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Joint state-parameter estimation for the reduced fracture model via the united filter

Here, in this paper, we introduce an effective United Filter method for jointly estimating the solution state and physical parameters in flow and transport problems within fractured porous media. Fluid flow and transport in fractured porous media are critical in subsurface hydrology, geophysics, and reservoir geomechanics. Reduced fracture models, which represent fractures as lower-dimensional interfaces, enable efficient multi-scale simulations. However, reduced fracture models also face accuracy challenges due to modeling errors and uncertainties in physical parameters such as permeability and fracture geometry. To address these challenges, we propose a United Filter method, which integrates the Ensemble Score Filter (EnSF) for state estimation with the Direct Filter for parameter estimation. EnSF, based on a score-based diffusion model framework, produces ensemble representations of the state distribution without deep learning. Meanwhile, the Direct Filter, a recursive Bayesian inference method, estimates parameters directly from state observations. The United Filter combines these methods iteratively: EnSF estimates are used to refine parameter values, which are then fed back to improve state estimation. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the United Filter method surpasses the state-of-the-art Augmented Ensemble Kalman Filter, delivering more accurate state and parameter estimation for reduced fracture models. This framework also provides a robust and efficient solution for PDE-constrained inverse problems with uncertainties and sparse observations.

Bayesian inference↗

In situ oxidation of reduced graphene oxide membranes by peracetic acid for dye desalination

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes with tunable interlayer spacings are of interest for dye removal from salty textile wastewater, and the membranes are often reduced to improve their stability, which inevitably lowers water permeance. Herein, we demonstrate that reduced GO (rGO) membranes can be facilely modified using peracetic acid (PAA) in situ to dramatically enhance water permeance while retaining dye rejection. Specifically, PAA-modified membranes (PrGO) are synthesized by vacuum-filtering hydrazine-reduced rGO nanosheets onto Nylon substrate and then exposing them to PAA solutions. The effects of the rGO layer thickness, PAA content, and PAA exposure time on the membrane chemistry, nanostructures, and salt/dye separation properties are thoroughly examined. For example, the PAA oxidation of a 100 nm-thick rGO membrane for 10 min increases water permeance by 180 %, from 35 to 93 Liter m −2 h −1 bar −1 , and decreases Na 2 SO 4 rejection from 10 % to 3.3 % while retaining the rejection of Congo red at ≈99.7 %. The PrGO membranes exhibit stable water permeance and >99 % dye rejection in multi-cycle tests in a crossflow system, surpassing state-of-the-art GO membranes and showcasing their potential for practical applications.

Dye desalination↗

GeN-ROM—An OpenFOAM®-based multiphysics reduced-order modeling framework for the analysis of Molten Salt Reactors

This work presents a projection-based multiphysics Model Order Reduction (MOR) framework for the analysis of nuclear systems and its application to parametric simulations of Molten Salt Reactors (MSR). The framework, named GeN-ROM, is developed using OpenFOAM® and employs a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition aided Reduced-Basis technique (POD-RB). It can be used to reduce steady-state and transient multiphysics problems involving parametric fluid dynamics, heat exchange, and neutronics phenomena. For the treatment of structural elements in the hydraulic systems, a porous medium approach has been adopted. The reduction process is data-driven and snapshot information is extracted via POD to learn the solution manifold and to build global spatial basis functions. At the data collection phase, GeN-ROM makes use of the solvers available in GeN-Foam, a similarly OpenFOAM®-based multiphysics framework developed for the analysis of nuclear reactors. The global bases are used both to approximate the solution fields and to project the full-order equations onto lower-dimensional subspaces, thus considerably reducing the number of unknowns in a numerical system. This reduction leads to significant computational speedups, which is ideal for multi-query applications such as uncertainty quantification or design optimization. The developed tool has been tested using a 2D multiphysics model of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) with steady-state and transient scenarios, with speedups on the order of 10 – 10 5 .

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Expression of membrane protein disulphide isomerase A1 (PDIA1) disrupt a reducing microenvironment in endometrial epithelium for embryo implantation

Various proteins in the endometrial epithelium are differentially expressed in the receptive phase and play a pivotal role in embryo implantation. The Protein Disulphide Isomerase (PDI) family contains 21 members that function as chaperone proteins through their redox activities. Although total PDIA1 protein expression was high in four common receptive (Ishikawa and RL95-2) and non-receptive (HEC1-B and AN3CA) endometrial epithelial cell lines, significantly higher membrane PDIA1 expression was found in non-receptive AN3CA cells. In Ishikawa cells, oestrogen up-regulated while progesterone down-regulated membrane PDIA1 expression. Moreover, mid-luteal phase hormone treatment down-regulated membrane PDIA1 expression. Furthermore, oestrogen at 10 nM reduced spheroid attachment on Ishikawa cells. Interestingly, inhibition of PDIA1 function by bacitracin or 16F16 increased the spheroid attachment rate onto non-receptive AN3CA cells. Over-expression of PDIA1 in receptive Ishikawa cells reduced the spheroid attachment rate and significantly down-regulated integrin β3 levels, but not integrin αV and E-cadherin. Addition of reducing agent TCEP induced a sulphydryl-rich microenvironment and increased spheroid attachment onto AN3CA cells and human primary endometrial epithelial cells collected at LH+7/8 days. The luminal epithelial cells from human endometrial biopsies had higher PDIA1 protein expression in the proliferative phase than in the secretory phase. Our findings suggest oestrogen and progesterone regulate PDIA1 expression, resulting in the differential expressions of membrane PDIA1 protein to modulate endometrial receptivity. This suggests that membrane PDIA1 expression prior to embryo transfer could be used to predict endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation in women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Reduced Order Model of Transactive Bidding Loads

Transactive energy (TE) has been identified to provide better grid efficiency and reliability by market-based transactive exchanges between energy producers and energy consumers. Simulations of TE systems are crucial to evaluate the benefits and impacts of different transactive mechanisms. However, such simulations can be time consuming due to the information exchange between various participants and complex co-simulation environments. In this paper, we develop a reduced order model to speed up the simulation of transactive systems in TE simulation platform (TESP) while achieving very low error between the reduced order and full model results. Specifically, the developed reduced order model consists of an aggregate responsive load agent which utilizes two Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) with Long Short-Term Memory units (LSTMs) to enable transactive elements to collectively participate in the TE system. The proposed aggregate responsive load (ARL) agent is able to produce similar transactive behaviors to the full simulation model while achieving significant simulation time reduction. Finally, we also show that the developed model enables generalization of simulation results across different dates and across different number of loads included in the simulations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Reduced viscosity steadily weakens oceanic currents

The viscosity of both air and water is temperature dependent. A rising temperature leads to an increased viscosity for air but a decreased viscosity for water. As climate becomes warmer, this increased air viscosity can partly inhibit the reduction of wind stress over the ocean, and the reduced water viscosity causes less downward momentum and heat transport. As these opposing effects of warming on air and water viscosity are not included in the state-of-the-art climate models, the understanding of their potential impacts on the response of the climate system to the anthropogenic warming is lacking. Here, via analyzing the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation oceanic reanalysis dataset, we show that the ocean heat content increases at a rate of ~1.3 × 10 22 J/yr over 35 years, which leads to a continuous reduction of oceanic viscosity. As a result, the ocean vertical shear enhances with a shoaling of the mixed layer depth and a reduced vertical linkage in the ocean. Our calculations show a reduction of the oceanic kinetic energy at a rate of ~2.4 × 10 16 J/yr. Potentially, this could generate far-reaching impacts on the energy storage of the climate system and, hence, could pace the global warming. Thus, it is important to include the temperature-dependent viscosity in our climate models. Freshwater discharged from polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers also contributes to the reduction in oceanic viscosity but, at present, to a lesser extent than that in oceanic warming. Reduced oceanic viscosity, therefore, is an important, but hitherto overlooked, response to a warming climate and contributes to many recent weather extremes including heavier rainfall rates in hurricanes, slackening of the polar vortex, and oceanic heat waves.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Reduced Crew Operations Research at NASA Ames Research Center

In 2012, NASA began exploring the feasibility of single pilot reduced crew operations (SPORCO) in the context of scheduled passenger air carrier operations (i.e., Parts 121 and 135). This research was spurred by two trends in aviation research: the trend toward reducing costs and a shortage of pilots. A series of simulations were conducted to develop tools and a concept of operations to support RCO. This slide deck is a summary of the NASA Ames RCO research prepared for an R T team at Airbus. Airbus is considering moving forward with reducing crew during the cruise phase of flight with long-haul flights and is interested in the work we have completed.

reduced crew operations↗

Multidisciplinary Conceptual Design for Reduced-Emission Rotorcraft

Python-based wrappers for OpenMDAO are used to integrate disparate software for practical conceptual design of rotorcraft. The suite of tools which are connected thus far include aircraft sizing, comprehensive analysis, and parametric geometry. The tools are exercised to design aircraft with aggressive goals for emission reductions relative to fielded state-of-the-art rotorcraft. Several advanced reduced-emission rotorcraft are designed and analyzed, demonstrating the flexibility of the tools to consider a wide variety of potentially transformative vertical flight vehicles. To explore scale effects, aircraft have been sized for 5, 24, or 76 passengers in their design missions. Aircraft types evaluated include tiltrotor, single-main-rotor, coaxial, and side-by-side helicopters. Energy and drive systems modeled include Lithium-ion battery, hydrogen fuel cell, turboelectric hybrid, and turboshaft drive systems. Observations include the complex nature of the trade space for this simple problem, with many potential aircraft design and operational solutions for achieving significant emission reductions. Also interesting is that achieving greatly reduced emissions may not require exotic component technologies, but may be achieved with a dedicated design objective of reducing emissions.

Rotorcraf↗

Reduced-Order Aerodynamic Modeling Based on CFD Frequency Responses from Multisine Inputs

A system identification analysis was performed to determine a reduced-order model (ROM) of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver in support of linear aeroservoelastic model development and feedback control design. The approach was applied to the FUN3D code for the half-span wind tunnel test article used in the NASA-Boeing collaboration called the Integrated Adaptive Wing Technology Maturation (IAWTM) project. In a transonic flow condition, multiple inputs (11 structural mode displacements and 3 control surface deflections) were simultaneously excited with orthogonal phase-optimized multisines while multiple outputs (the corresponding 14 generalized aerodynamic forces) were recorded. From these recorded times series, the matrix of frequency responses was computed and subsequently fit using rational function approximations (RFAs). It was found that the entire (14 x 14) matrix of frequency responses could be determined from a single CFD run and that results generally followed trends predicted using other methods. Differences were attributed to the modeling fidelity and nonlinearities from structural mode and control surface interactions at higher reduced frequencies. More accurate fits of the RFAs to the frequency response data were obtained by making two CFD runs, one with only structural mode excitations and one with only control surface excitations, which reduced the degree of nonlinearity in the modeling data.

Aeroservoelasticity↗