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Results for “Mathematical Modeling”

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 325 records · Page 18

Adaptive time stepping for the two-time integro-differential Kadanoff-Baym equations

The nonequilibrium Green's function gives access to one-body observables for quantum systems. Of particular interest are quantities such as density, currents, and absorption spectra which are important for interpreting experimental results in quantum transport and spectroscopy. We present an integration scheme for the Green's function's equations of motion, the Kadanoff-Baym equations (KBE), which is both adaptive in the time integrator step size and method order as well as the history integration order. We analyze the importance of solving the KBE self-consistently and show that adapting the order of history integral evaluation is important for obtaining accurate results. To examine the efficiency of our method, we compare runtimes to a state-of-the-art fixed time step integrator for several test systems and show an order of magnitude speedup at similar levels of accuracy. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Numerical simulation projects in micromagnetics with Jupyter

We report a case study where an existing materials science course was modified to include numerical simulation projects on the micromagnetic behavior of materials. The Ubermag micromagnetic simulation software package is used in order to solve problems computationally. The simulation software is controlled through the Python code in Jupyter notebooks. Our experience is that the self-paced problem-solving nature of the project work can facilitate a better in-depth exploration of the course contents. We discuss which aspects of the Ubermag and the project Jupyter ecosystem have been beneficial for the students' learning experience and which could be transferred to similar teaching activities in other subject areas.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

ERAD: A Graph-Based Tool for Energy Resilience Analysis of Electric Distribution Systems

Understanding the impact of extreme events on people's ability to access energy is crucial for designing resilient energy systems. In the event of a disaster, damage to the electric system and related infrastructure (e.g., downed power lines, flooded equipment, hacked communication systems, damaged roads, etc.) can impact people's access to critical services, including not just electricity but also shelter, food, healthcare, and more. There is a key need to understand such impacts better and evaluate options to improve energy resilience. The Energy Resilience Analysis for Electric Distribution Systems (ERAD) tool is a free and open-source software package designed to help researchers and decision-makers analyze and improve energy system resilience.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

geoPFA: A Python-Based Open-Source Software for 3D Geothermal PFA

This work presents a novel Python-based framework, geoPFA, for conducting 3D play fairway analysis (PFA) tailored to superhot geothermal systems. The workflow has been applied to the Nesjavellir field in Iceland, a candidate site for the third Iceland Deep Drilling Project's superhot production scenarios. This application demonstrates the value of modular, transparent, and extensible workflows for integrating geological, geophysical, and simulation-derived datasets in high-enthalpy environments. Preliminary results indicate favorable zones consistent with known hydrothermal activity. The geoPFA library will soon be publicly available, offering a scalable and reproducible approach to geothermal exploration across varied geological contexts.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Using Computer Simulations to Optimize Biofuel Production

The DOE strives to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing energy challenges. NREL shares this goal and tries to achieve a clean energy world. Fossil fuels are problematic for both organizations. Using them endangers American security. Their supply is finite and burning them causes environmental damage. Biofuels are a good alternative to fossil fuels. They are renewably produced on American soil and can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Also, cars and planes need no costly mechanical adjustments to use biofuels. However, the fuels themselves are expensive. For my SULI project, I reduced the cost of biofuels by optimizing the production process through computer simulations. Existing simulations were accurate but slow. One simulation takes up to eight hours, and researchers must do hundreds. My solution reduces the computing time. I treated the biomass particles in the simulation as one-dimensional. That simplified the simulation equations, making them easier for the computer to solve. Still, biomass particles are three-dimensional. The 1D assumption was wrong and produced inaccurate results. To maintain accuracy while increasing speed, I developed a method to convert 1D simulation results into usable 3D data. I adjusted the 1D simulation until the output matched the 3D results for a specific environment. I found out how much the simulation changed when the environment changed. Machine learning algorithms defined a relationship between 1D and 3D data for all environments. This lets scientists convert fast 1D simulation results into valid 3D data.

1D↗

Neuromorphic intermediate representation: A unified instruction set for interoperable brain-inspired computing

Abstract Spiking neural networks and neuromorphic hardware platforms that simulate neuronal dynamics are getting wide attention and are being applied to many relevant problems using Machine Learning. Despite a well-established mathematical foundation for neural dynamics, there exists numerous software and hardware solutions and stacks whose variability makes it difficult to reproduce findings. Here, we establish a common reference frame for computations in digital neuromorphic systems, titled Neuromorphic Intermediate Representation (NIR). NIR defines a set of computational and composable model primitives as hybrid systems combining continuous-time dynamics and discrete events. By abstracting away assumptions around discretization and hardware constraints, NIR faithfully captures the computational model, while bridging differences between the evaluated implementation and the underlying mathematical formalism. NIR supports an unprecedented number of neuromorphic systems, which we demonstrate by reproducing three spiking neural network models of different complexity across 7 neuromorphic simulators and 4 digital hardware platforms. NIR decouples the development of neuromorphic hardware and software, enabling interoperability between platforms and improving accessibility to multiple neuromorphic technologies. We believe that NIR is a key next step in brain-inspired hardware-software co-evolution, enabling research towards the implementation of energy efficient computational principles of nervous systems. NIR is available atneuroir.org

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Core Model Proposal #389: Ammonia Trade and Miscellaneous GCAM 7.0 Bugfixes

This proposal re-structures the N fertilizer sector in the model, replacing the trade structure which was implemented before GCAM had the capability to trade secondary goods between regions, and re-naming the production commodity "ammonia" in order to better set up the model for representing ammonia as an energy carrier in subsequent work. Several bugfixes for GCAM 7.0 are also included in the proposal.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Practical Probabilistic Programming

Recent advances in probabilistic programming languages (PPLs) have provided the capability for exact inference: computing a closed-form probability distribution for a given probabilistic program. In particular, the new language Roulette uses a language oriented programming (LOP) approach, wherein analysts build new programming languages on top of a set of primitives provided by Roulette, which then translates these structures into a weighted model counting problem which can be solved by automated reasoning tools. However, because Roulette provides few convenience features, developing these new languages is challenging even for expert users. We developed a standard library of common probability functions for Roulette with the goal of improved usability. This included approximation of continuous probability density functions using discrete probability mass functions. We demonstrated this approach by modeling a cosmic ray striking a RAM controller. We found that Roulette provides a powerful interface for highly expressive probabilistic programs to be generated. In collaboration with the NNSA Advanced Simulation and Computing program, which resulted in development of a tool called Circulette, we were able to model complex circuits expressed in Verilog using probabilistic programs with an expressivity not previously possible. Our research question that motivated the development of a Roulette standard library was to determine whether non-experts could use a PPL to model relevant problems regarding radiation effects on microelectronics. This standard library improved the expressivity of Roulette by implementing common probability density functions, mathematical operators on distributions, and support for empirical distributions. While Roulette is a powerful modeling language, the untyped, LOP approach makes error messages difficult to understand and requires expert aid. We recommend further research on Roulette, especially with its error messages, to enable improved usability. At the same time, this project demonstrated that for users familiar with Roulette and the LOP approach, Roulette provides powerful new capabilities that can be integrated with other Sandia modeling capabilities.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Surrogate modelling for urban building energy simulation based on the bidirectional long short-term memory model

Here, the urban microclimate is essential for accurate simulation-based urban building energy modelling (UBEM). However, a high spatial-resolution microclimate can increase the computational resources demands of UBEM. Surrogate modelling is one of the promising approaches for fast UBEM. This study proposes a bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)-based approach for simulation-based UBEM surrogate modelling. The estimations are aggregated into census tracts using total building floor area. A case study using UBEM to estimate annual hourly building energy use and anthropogenic heat from all existing buildings in Los Angeles County found that most of the surrogate models can complete the annual hourly simulation within 90 minutes with a normalized mean absolute error lower than 10%, and that the bidirectional LSTM outperforms the standard LSTM in accuracy. This study demonstrates the advantages of bidirectional RNN architecture in building energy surrogate modelling and is expected to promote long-term and high-resolution UBEM with detailed microclimates.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NREL's Tools for AgriPV Modeling

As part of the Tools and Apps for Agrivoltaics session, NREL presents their tools that have capabilities for modeling PV and agricultural dual use sites. These include the System Advisor Model (SAM), bifacial_radiance open-source raytracing tool, and a simplified agriPV calculator available in the InSPIRE website.

agriculture↗

Experimental Setup and Learning-Based AI Model for Developing Accurate PV Inverter Models [Slides]

The integration of power electronics-based interfaces presents challenges due to the absence of detailed models and the high computational complexity. Generic models used in system studies lack accuracy in capturing converter dynamics. This paper proposes a data-driven approach developed from experimental setup data. This approach enhances accuracy in photovoltaic inverter modeling. We used two types of PV inverters in the experiment. The recorded experimental data undergo processing through a machine learning model. Results from the model trained through machine learning is also presented.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Modeling Analysis of Ball-Milling Process for Battery-Electrode Synthesis

The mechanical alloying process is a promising method for synthesizing electrode materials for batteries owing to its benefits such as the ability to produce nanostructured, high-performing electrode alloys, no adverse effects on the solid electrolyte for solid-state batteries, stable production of thick electrodes, simple processing steps, and low processing costs. It is gaining intensive attention in the battery industry as one of the best methods to replace the conventional wet-slurry-solvent method, and its application is rapidly increasing these days. However, the operation is currently conducted purely based on trial-and-error methods without fully utilizing the features of its functions. Here, this may be attributed to a lack of understanding of the effect of operating parameters on the alloying process and final products. Surprisingly, there is a scarcity of the literature conducting fundamental research to comprehend the underlying physics of the entire mechanical alloying process, resulting in a significant knowledge gap. To address this knowledge gap, extensive research was conducted. The existing literature on mechanical alloying was reviewed to comprehend the current state of understanding and to discuss the direction for future research. Mathematical expressions were developed to create physics-based models capable of capturing the entire mechanical alloying process, including milling kinetics and defect-enhanced phase evolution. These methods were then applied to investigate the impact of operating parameters such as milling frequency, initial mole ratio of the alloyed materials, density of grinding balls, and energy required for the powders to become amorphous (i.e., the amorphization energy threshold). This research aimed not only to comprehend the direct effects of these operating parameters but also to unveil the physics underlying the ball-milling process. The results of our study can serve as crucial information for the battery industry in designing or operating the ball-milling process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Kinetic Plasma Simulation in the MOOSE Framework: Verification of Electrostatic Particle In Cell Capabilities

In magnetic confinement nuclear fusion reactors, the interaction between the plasma edge and plasma facing components is extremely important. At the plasma edge, a kinetic representation such as particle-in-cell (rather than a fluid representation) is required to accurately capture the plasma behavior. General purpose particle-in-cell plasma simulation capabilities have been developed in the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework. This new capability is a part of the development of a new MOOSE-based framework for modeling plasma facing components, the Fusion ENergy Integrated multiphys-X (FENIX) framework. In this work, the verification of foundational particle-in-cell capabilities in FENIX is presented. This new plasma simulation capability has three main components: moving particles in discrete steps on the finite element mesh, mapping charge density from the particle's location to the finite element mesh, and solving for the electrostatic potential based on the charge density mapped from particles to the mesh. In this paper, simple verification problems demonstrating each of these new capabilities are presented, and future work includes electromagnetic capabilities and Monte Carlo collisions with neutral gas particles.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗