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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 343 records · Page 19

Finding the missing pieces: filling gaps that impede the translation of omics data into models

High-throughput omics technologies such as DNA sequencing have made the sequencing and computational assembly of microbial genomes recovered from the environment relatively routine. Computational inference of the protein products encoded by these genomes, and the associated biochemical functions, should enable the accurate prediction and modeling of microbial metabolism, organismal interactions, and ecosystem processes. However, a lack of scalable, probabilistic protein annotation tools limits the full potential of modeling for understanding the metabolism and biogeochemical cycles of microbial communities. Our approach to improve inference of protein annotations and metabolic models relied on learning from and emulating expert manual curation, leveraging software engineering and data science best practices to scale up the throughput and accuracy of annotations and metabolic model construction, building software to objectively evaluate different annotation strategies, and more closely linking the protein annotation and metabolic model inference process. Outcomes of this research include several improved or new computational tools, including DRAM (Distilled and Refined Annotation of Metabolism) for annotating microbial genomes with protein function and metabolic traits, CAMPER (Curated Annotations for Microbial Polyphenol Enzymes and Reactions) for annotating key polyphenol metabolisms, EC-Bench for comprehensive and unbiased benchmarking of annotation tools, and several apps available via the DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase) for building genome-scale metabolic models. We demonstrate that these tools allow us to scalably annotate and understand thousands of genomes for microbial communities from a variety of systems and test cases, including rivers, thawing permafrost, and gut microbiomes. All of these computational tools are available as open-source software, with most broadly and easily accessible to the scientific community via KBase apps.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Operation Optimization Using Reinforcement Learning with Integrated Artificial Reasoning Framework

In large and complex systems, operational decision-making requires a systematic analysis with a vast amount of data from both process parameters and component status monitoring. In this paper, we present an integrated artificial reasoning approach for system state transition models that can help operational decision-making with explainable and traceable reasoning. The integrated artificial reasoning framework is a physics-based approach of defining the system structure in a Bayesian network, so we leveraged it in a Markov decision process (MDP) for finding optimal operational solutions. In our proposed framework, the MDP is implemented on a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN), which represents causalities in a system. The multilevel flow modeling was utilized in order to extract these causalities in a more efficient and objective manner. Since multilevel flow modeling is based on the fundamental energy and mass conservation laws, the target system is decomposed into several mass, energy, and information structures, which serve as the basis for a DBN. The MDP consists of the processes of finding a solution for the Bellman equation, which can be derived from the conditional probability equations of the constructed DBN. System operators can capture stochastic system dynamics as multiple subsystem state transitions based on their physical relations and uncertainties coming from the component degradation process or random failures. We analyzed a simplified example system to illustrate finding an optimal operational policy with this approach.

Kim, Junyung↗

A Binomial Stochastic Framework for Efficiently Modeling Discrete Statistics of Convective Populations

Abstract Understanding the coupling between convective clouds and the general circulation, as well as addressing the gray zone problem in convective parameterization, requires insight into the genesis and maintenance of spatial patterns in cumulus cloud populations. In this study, a simple toy model for recreating populations of interacting convective objects as distributed over a two‐dimensional Eulerian grid is formulated to this purpose. Key elements at the foundation of the model include i) a fully discrete formulation for capturing discrete behavior in convective properties at small population sample sizes, ii) object age‐dependence for representing life‐cycle effects, and iii) a prognostic number budget allowing for object interactions and co‐existence of multiple species. A primary goal is to optimize the computational efficiency of this system. To this purpose the object birth rate is represented stochastically through a spatially aware Bernoulli process. The same binomial stochastic operator is applied to horizontal advection of objects, conserving discreteness in object number. The applicability to atmospheric convection as well as behavior implied by the formulation is assessed. Various simple applications of the BiOMi model (Binomial Objects on Microgrids) are explored, suggesting that important convective behavior can be captured at low computational cost. This includes i) subsampling effects and associated powerlaw scaling in the convective gray zone, ii) stochastic predator‐prey behavior, iii) the downscale turbulent energy cascade, and iv) simple forms of spatial organization and convective memory. Consequences and opportunities for convective parameterization in next‐generation weather and climate models are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Mixed-Mechanism Stimulation Enabled Enhanced Geothermal Systems (CRADA FP00007509 Final Report)

In this project, we aimed to develop a robust, novel EGS design that would enable broad deployment of geothermal energy at costs competitive with other sources of renewable energy. The technical objectives included developing reservoir models for synthetic geothermal systems that meet target reservoir performance characteristics, performing a quantitative assessment of selection criteria for candidate geothermal sites, perform proppant studies under relevant geothermal conditions, and complete an induced seismicity risk analysis for potential geothermal development sites. The project team made significant progress towards these objectives. Specifically, we developed a prioritization to rank candidate sites for suitability of our technology based on 10 separate technical, operational, logistic, regulatory, and commercial criteria. The team performed laboratory testing at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to characterize the functionality of several different types of proppant materials at temperatures of up to 200 C for durations of up to 9 weeks. We also created an Induced Seismicity Mitigation Plan for the top two sites selected for our future field demonstrations.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays: Debris Modeling, Detection,& Mitigation (Task 1)

The statement of project objectives for this task was: develop tools, methods and models to assess, and mitigate the risk of damage to MHK infrastructure from woody debris. Develop the capability to detect woody debris using sonar and/or physical methods for purposes of characterizing debris statistics in river (at UAF’s Tanana River Test Site) and near-shore wave (at Yakutat, AK) environments and to activate debris mitigation measures. Develop debris impact risk maps and tables using statistics on debris size, geometry, type, prevalence, mobility and location. Improve and apply the COUPi discrete element method (DEM) to develop models of debris movement and impact on MHK infrastructure to evaluate risk of damage, and interference, to operations from debris. The proposed final deliverable for the task was a set of tools or techniques for providing estimates of the probability of debris impact, and resulting impact forces, on MHK infrastructure as a function of debris size, type, wave regime, and current velocity. Such estimates are required to assess damage risks to operational MHK infrastructure.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Scientific machine learning for modeling and simulating complex fluids

The formulation of rheological constitutive equations—models that relate internal stresses and deformations in complex fluids—is a critical step in the engineering of systems involving soft materials. While data-driven models provide accessible alternatives to expensive first-principles models and less accurate empirical models in many engineering disciplines, the development of similar models for complex fluids has lagged. The diversity of techniques for characterizing non-Newtonian fluid dynamics creates a challenge for classical machine learning approaches, which require uniformly structured training data. Consequently, early machine-learning based constitutive equations have not been portable between different deformation protocols or mechanical observables. Here, we present a data-driven framework that resolves such issues, allowing rheologists to construct learnable models that incorporate essential physical information, while remaining agnostic to details regarding particular experimental protocols or flow kinematics. These scientific machine learning models incorporate a universal approximator within a materially objective tensorial constitutive framework. By construction, these models respect physical constraints, such as frame-invariance and tensor symmetry, required by continuum mechanics. We demonstrate that this framework facilitates the rapid discovery of accurate constitutive equations from limited data and that the learned models may be used to describe more kinematically complex flows. This inherent flexibility admits the application of these “digital fluid twins” to a range of material systems and engineering problems. We illustrate this flexibility by deploying a trained model within a multidimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation—a task that is not achievable using any previously developed data-driven rheological equation of state.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Initial Demonstration of New Griffin Technologies for Simulating the Running-In Phase of Pebble Bed Reactors

Griffin is a reactor multiphysics modeling application based on MOOSE (Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment) and specifically targeting transient modeling of advanced reactors. Griffin has been used recently to model pebble-bed reactors for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research and the Advanced Reactor Technology program. This modeling work has focused thus far on the direct calculation of equilibrium cores. This report documents an initial demonstration of a new running-in simulation capability. The new running-in capability is verified using the existing direct equilibrium core calculation capability. A simplified pebble-bed reactor model is then used to demonstrate the running-in simulation capability. This demonstration shows that Griffin is able to simulate years of operation during the running-in phase efficiently with each depletion step taking only several seconds. Two new technologies are also presented in this report which have been developed in Griffin that will be essential for improved accuracy both of the direct equilibrium core computation and the new running-in simulation capability. The first technology is an online cross section generation capability specifically targeted for pebble-bed reactors. This will improve the accuracy of the depletion calculation as the cross sections are generated at the exact core status. This also avoids the difficult step of pre-generating a separate standalone multigroup cross section set. Secondly, a newly implemented discretization for discontinuous finite element method (DFEM) SN transport in cylindrical (RZ) coordinates, which can be solved efficiently using the existing SN sweep solver, is discussed and some results are shown demonstrating the usefulness of the additional accuracy transport provides over a diffusion approximation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

The Early Career Research Program Annual Progress Report: Using ARM Data and Multiscale Models to Advance the Understanding of Liquid-Phase Cloud Response to Aerosol Perturbation over Ocean and Land

This report is for the first fiscal year of this ECRP project. This ECRP project aims to study the response of liquid-phase clouds to aerosol perturbation and reduce the related uncertainty in the DOE Earth system model. During this fiscal year, this project mainly made progress on the tasks about observational analyses for Objective 1; and successfully set up two Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) models for Objective 2. A postdoctoral researcher and a graduate student summer intern are on board and fully dedicated to this project. In addition to internal collaboration within LLNL, this project has routinely maintained external collaboration with scientists from universities, NASA Langley Research Center, and other DOE national laboratories. For the next reporting period, we plan to complete the tasks scheduled for the second year. Furthermore, we will promote the findings to communities of interest and proactively seek new collaborations to increase the impact of this project.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Modeling a Strain and Piezo Potentials in an InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot

We investigated the single-electron spectrum of an InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) using an effective potential model developed in previous studies. Our objective was to explore the limits of applicability of this model. We conducted numerical simulations, introducing a piezoelectric potential as a perturbation to the effective potential. The profile of this additional potential was derived from theoretical numerical studies presented in the literature. We analyzed the impact of variations in this profile within the framework of the perturbation theory. Our findings indicate that within a variation range of 25%, the effective potential model remains applicable.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The tree of life describes a tripartite cellular world

The canonical view of a 3-domain (3D) tree of life was recently challenged by the discovery of Asgardarchaeota encoding eukaryote signature proteins (ESPs), which were treated as missing links of a 2-domain (2D) tree. Here we revisit the debate. We discuss methodological limitations of building trees with alignment-dependent approaches, which often fail to satisfactorily address the problem of ‘‘gaps.’’ In addition, most phylogenies are reconstructed unrooted, neglecting the power of direct rooting methods. Alignment-free methodologies lift most difficulties but require employing realistic evolutionary models. We argue that the discoveries of Asgards and ESPs, by themselves, do not rule out the 3D tree, which is strongly supported by comparative and evolutionary genomic analyses and vast genomic and biochemical superkingdom distinctions. Given uncertainties of retrodiction and interpretation difficulties, we conclude that the 3D view has not been falsified but instead has been strengthened by genomic analyses. In turn, the objections to the 2D model have not been lifted. The debate remains open. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/-6TBN0bubI8

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Improvised Field Expedient Method for Renal Replacement Therapy in a Porcine Model of Acute Kidney Injury

ABSTRACT Objective: Dialysis patients may not have access to conventional renal replacement therapy (RRT) following disasters. We hypothesized that improvised renal replacement therapy (ImpRRT) would be comparable to continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in a porcine acute kidney injury model. Methods: Following bilateral nephrectomies and 2 hours of caudal aortic occlusion, 12 pigs were randomized to 4 hours of ImpRRT or CRRT. In the ImpRRT group, blood was circulated through a dialysis filter using a rapid infuser to collect the ultrafiltrate. Improvised replacement fluid, made with stock solutions, was infused pre-pump. In the CRRT group, commercial replacement fluid was used. During RRT, animals received isotonic crystalloids and norepinephrine. Results: There were no differences in serum creatinine, calcium, magnesium, or phosphorus concentrations. While there was a difference between groups in serum potassium concentration over time ( P < 0.001), significance was lost in pairwise comparison at specific time points. Replacement fluids or ultrafiltrate flows did not differ between groups. There were no differences in lactate concentration, isotonic crystalloid requirement, or norepinephrine doses. No difference was found in electrolyte concentrations between the commercial and improvised replacement solutions. Conclusion: The ImpRRT system achieved similar performance to CRRT and may represent a potential option for temporary RRT following disasters.

Public, Environmental & Occupational Health↗

Advancing the Understanding of Cloud Microphysical Processes and Aerosol Indirect Effects in High-Latitude Mixed-Phase Clouds by Linking ARM Measurements with Climate Model Simulations (Final Report)

The key objectives of this project were to advance our understanding of cloud microphysical characteristics and aerosol indirect effects on mixed-phase clouds in high latitudes. To improve the representation of ice and mixed-phase clouds in Earth System Models (ESMs), we propose an integrated observation and modeling study of cloud macro- and microphysical properties, including spatial heterogeneities, mass partitioning between ice crystals and supercooled liquid water, effects of ice nucleating particles (INPs), and efficiency of secondary ice production (SIP), etc. Specifically, we took four main approaches in this project: (1) examining macro- and microphysical properties of ice and mixed-phase clouds based on in-situ and ground-based observations from multiple field campaigns funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, including the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE), Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC), Ice Nucleating Particle Sources at Oliktok Point (INPOP), ARM West Antarctic Radiation Experiment (AWARE), Measurements of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean (MARCUS), and Macquarie Island Cloud and Radiation Experiment (MICRE); (2) evaluating the DOE Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) simulations based on observations, particularly for ice and mixed-phase cloud microphysical properties; (3) examining the impacts of INPs on ice and mixed-phase clouds. Specifically, a series of comparisons were conducted using observations over the Arctic, Southern Ocean, and Antarctica, including comparisons between the lower and higher southern latitudes as well as comparisons between the northern and southern hemispheres. In addition, aerosol indirect effects from distinct sources of dust particles were examined; and (4) investigating the impacts of SIP. Ultimately, these results helped to improve cloud microphysics and aerosol-cloud interaction parameterizations in the E3SM model. Overall, the project provided improved understanding regarding various factors, including thermodynamic, dynamic, and aerosol conditions, on the micro- and macrophysical properties of ice and mixed-phase clouds in the high latitudes. Resulting analysis helped to provide an improved physical basis for refining the current cloud microphysics parameterizations related to ice and mixed-phase clouds in E3SM.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Progress on Long-Term Objectives for the Development of Advanced Reactor Mechanistic Source Term Modeling and Simulation Tools

To assist both the advanced reactor industry and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the pursuit of reactor design and licensing, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program has established a mechanistic source term (MST) research project under the auspices of the Multiphysics Applications technical area. MST analysis is central to the reactor licensing process and a focus of the NRC regarding their mission to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety and environment. The MST research project is a collaboration between Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) with a high-level objective to coordinate the development of comprehensive advanced reactor MST mod/sim capabilities to support risk-informed design and licensing decisions. As part of this effort, an MST mod/sim development pathway was developed in FY21, which outlines the high-level objectives and near-term tasks necessary to achieve the project objectives. Since publication of the development pathway, Argonne and SNL have focused initial efforts on addressing the “near-term tasks” outlined in the report, and the current work provides a status update of the progress achieved in FY22. This report is a progress update on 6 tasks supporting molten salt reactor (MSR) and sodium fast reactor (SFR) MST analyses which were initiated in FY22 as recommended high priority near-term tasks. These tasks were continued into FY23 as they also support previously recommended long-term development objectives to advance MST analyses for these advanced reactors.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Whole-plant phenotypic engineering: moving beyond ratios for multi-objective optimization of nutrient use efficiency

Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is typically measured as the ratio of yield to soil nutrient availability but ignores contributions of underlying plant traits. Relevant plant traits can be grouped as root acquisition efficiency, shoot radiation use efficiency, and plant metabolic efficiency. The intentional integration of these traits will lead to synergistic improvements of NUE. Recent progress in trait-focused research includes phenotyping root nutrient uptake rates and respiration, engineering reduced photorespiration, and identification of nutrient assimilation pathways. Traits need to be conceptualized in agricultural systems contexts to improve synchrony of plant demand and soil supply of nutrients, including consideration of crop mixtures. Use of simulation modeling and multi-objective optimization will allow accelerating NUE gains beyond selection for a single ratio.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

An investigation on machine learning predictive accuracy improvement and uncertainty reduction using VAE-based data augmentation

The confluence of ultrafast computers with large memory, rapid progress in Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, and the availability of large datasets place multiple engineering fields at the threshold of dramatic progress. However, a unique challenge in nuclear engineering is data scarcity because experimentation on nuclear systems is usually more expensive and time-consuming than most other disciplines. One potential way to resolve the data scarcity issue is deep generative learning, which uses certain ML models to learn the underlying distribution of existing data and generate synthetic samples that resemble the real data. In this way, one can significantly expand the dataset to train more accurate predictive ML models. In this study, our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of data augmentation using variational autoencoder (VAE)-based deep generative models. We investigated whether the data augmentation leads to improved accuracy in the predictions of a deep neural network (DNN) model trained using the augmented data. Additionally, the DNN prediction uncertainties are quantified using Bayesian Neural Networks (BNN) and conformal prediction (CP) to assess the impact on predictive uncertainty reduction. To test the proposed methodology, we used TRACE simulations of steady-state void fraction data based on the NUPEC Boiling Water Reactor Full-size Fine-mesh Bundle Test (BFBT) benchmark. Here, we found that augmenting the training dataset using VAEs has improved the DNN model’s predictive accuracy, improved the prediction confidence intervals, and reduced the prediction uncertainties.

Bayesian neural network↗

Drift-ordered fluid vorticity equation with energy consistency

Although drift-ordered fluid models are widely applied in tokamak edge turbulence simulations, the models used are acknowledged not to conserve energy or even electrical charge. The present paper aims to remove many of the existing pitfalls in drift-fluid models, however, with the objective of finding a solution simple enough to be implemented in numerical applications. Our main result is an improved version of the drift-Braginskii equations involving a generalized vorticity function. In the new drift-Braginskii system, the quasi-neutrality condition translates into a transport equation for a generalized vorticity, expressed in conservation form, and related to the total mass-weighted circulation. It is found that kinetic energy conservation can be achieved if the polarization flow is defined recursively. In conclusion, the resulting model conserves the kinetic energy associated with E×B and diamagnetic flows and retains the associated perpendicular kinetic energy flux.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

STREAM: A technology planning and capacity expansion model for the industrial sector

The Strategic Technology Roadmapping and Energy, Environmental, and Economic Analysis Model—STREAM—is an optimization-based modeling tool and analysis framework to assist with strategic planning and technology investments of the industrial sector. This open-source framework is written in Julia using the JuMP package, which enables users to model future “pathways” for incumbent and future production technologies, costs, fuels and energy carriers, and energy and non-energy environmental impacts from industries as they transform in pursuit of a robust and competitive manufacturing sector. The model starts with an initial stock of industrial production technologies and assets at a facility level and then determines pathways that minimize cost, subject to an array of possible constraints on demand, market shares, environmental flows, and other exogenously specified operational considerations such as capacity utilization rates or regional energy costs. Key features of the framework include flexibility to model a wide range of industries and industrial technologies/processes at varying levels of granularity, ability to perform parametric sensitivity analyses, and ability to visualize model results using visualization objects.

capacity expansion↗