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At least 343 records · Page 19

A Data Processing Pipeline To Extract A Knowledge Graph From Heterogeneous Data For Socio-technical Analysis Of Critical Infrastructure Influence

The code is written in Python and consists of the following pipeline that is implemented in Apache Airflow. This pipeline intends to understand the companies that are directly or indirectly involved with a type of critical infrastructure system at some point in that system's lifecycle. The pipeline takes a configuration file that specifies a list of initial companies to consider, a geographic region of interest, and a set of SEC form types as well as other data sources (e.g. CrunchBase) from which to extract entities and relations. There are four main components to this pipeline as currently implemented: Entity Extraction, Network Construction, Analysis, and Visualization. First, Entity Extraction, is implemented as the `topear-extract_organizations` Apache Airflow workflow. Given an initial query that specifies a geographic region of interest and a time interval, the software will extract CI facilities of interest and organizations that have a direct influence relationship to those facilities (e.g. ownership). During the course of the LDRD, we focused on Electric Vehicle charging stations and this information is available via the Department of Energy (DOE) database on fueling stations maintained by NREL. Within the context of the DOE CESER project, we have focused on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Second, the Network Extraction component will iteratively construct a social network graph given the set of organizations and people extracted in the previous step. Organizations (and eventually People if desired) are then fed as a query to the `topgear-construct_social_network` Apache Airflow workflow which given a set of initial companies and data sets (e.g. SEC EDGAR form types, OpenCorporates, Crunchbase). This Airflow workflow will iteratively query such data sources to discover relationships with new organizations and people. For example, this module can iteratively query SEC EDGAR for metadata that documents the number of each type of form for the given set of companies and their location. This forms metadata represents a catalog of data sources from SEC EDGAR for the extracted social network knowledge graph. The pipeline then downloads these forms from the website and saves them in a build directory for further processing. These documents are then parsed for entities and relations. Again, we note that in additional to SEC data sources, this step can also pull in information on organizations via API services such as CrunchBase and OpenCorporates or bulk data sources. At the end of this step, the resultant social network, the Critical Infrastructure network, and the edges that encode relationships between organizations and CI facilities, form the Adversarial Socio-Technical Network (ASTN) that informs the analysis. Third, the Analysis component processes these generated ASTN. Previously, that has included the ability to compare prevalence of different vendors for a given infrastructure component type across different regions as well as identify common public and private investors across those vendors. This was demonstrated for EV Charging Stations across several different metropolitan areas within an IEEE PES GridEdge publication. More recently, we have looked at ways to identify infrastructure owners and operators of BESS with the most nameplate capacity across different states as well as other indictors of risk resulting from changes in ownership over time. Finally, the Visualization component consists of an HTML/CSS/JS framework by which users can interact geospatial, operational, and organizational relationships across a given portfolio of Critical Infrastructure facilities. The objective is to provide a library of UI/UX modules that can be repurposed for stakeholder-specific dashboards. All of the modules are related via a common event model that enables UI actions in one view to percolate across the other views.

Weaver, Gabriel [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), ↗

BuildingSync® v.2.7.0 (released 9.11.2025) [SWR-18-28]

BuildingSync® is a building data exchange schema to better enable integration between software tools and building data workflows. The schema's original use case was focused on commercial building energy audits; however, several additional use cases have been realized including building energy modeling and more high-level generic building data exchange. Version 2.7.0 adds new elements for file attachment feature and FederalBuilding, and generalizes usage of Optional Elements (e.g. EquipmentCondition, EquipmentID) to all assets/systems. BuildingSync helps streamline the data exchange process, improving the value of the data, minimizing duplication of effort for subsequent building data collection efforts (including audits), and facilitating the achievement of greater energy efficiency. This in done in part by standardizing on (a) reporting audits in an electronic format, (b) tracking proposed, implemented, and discarded energy conservation measures, and (c) storing building characteristics (at multiple levels) for audits, benchmarking, and building energy analysis. BuildingSync has several documents and tools available to help users understand how to best leverage BuildingSync. The list below are only a subset of the resources available. If new resources are discovered, then feel free to create a new pull request with the additions. Generic BuildingSync information is available on the DOE website and the project website. BuildingSync Examples - These examples are kept up to date and show a wide range of implementations. Any new update to BuildingSync is required to pass validation on these example files. BuildingSync Use Case Validator allows for users to determine if their instance complies with a specific use case for BuildingSync by checking if the required elements are implemented in an uploaded instance. An API is also provided for automated integration into other tools. Also, the website contains an easy way to view the entirety of the schema and how elements relate to the Building Exchange Data Exchange Specification. The Validator is open sourced here Use Case TestSuite provides a Python package for easier generation of BuildingSync use cases. BuildingSync use cases depend on the generation of schematron documents, which is time-consuming and difficult to implement well. The TestSuite allows users to define a use case using a more palatable CSV template, which it then turns into a Schematron document. The source code is available here. BuildingSync to OpenStudio/EnergyPlus. The translator is open sourced here. This project will translate a Level 1 (and partial Level 2) ASHRAE Energy Audit to a fully defined OpenStudio and EnergyPlus model. This project is in early Beta testing and any feedback is welcome!

Long, Nicholas [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NR↗

Model-predictive optimal control of ferrofluidic microrobots in three-dimensional space

Ferrofluid microrobots have emerged as promising tools for minimally invasive medical procedures. Their unique properties to navigate complex fluids and reach otherwise inaccessible regions of the human body have enabled new applications in targeted drug delivery, tissue engineering, and diagnostics. Here, this paper proposes a model-predictive controller for the external magnetic manipulation of ferrofluid microrobots in three dimensions (3D). The internal optimization routine of the controller determines appropriate changes in the applied electromagnetic field to minimize the deviation between the actual and desired trajectories of the microrobot. A linear system governing locomotion is derived and used as the equality constraints of the optimization problems associated with the feedback index. In addition to ferrofluid droplets, the controller presented in this work may be applied to other magnetically-pulled microrobots. Several experiments are performed to validate the controller and showcase its ability to adapt to changes in system parameters such as the desired tracking trajectory and the size, orientation, deformation, and velocity of the microrobot. The accuracy of the controller is analyzed for each experiment, and the average error is found to be within 0.25 mm for small velocities. An additional experiment is performed to demonstrate significant improvement over a PID controller that is optimally tuned using Bayesian optimization. The results presented in this paper suggest that the proposed control algorithm could enable new microrobotic capabilities in minimally invasive medical procedures, lab-on-a-chip applications, and microfluidics.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Driver Identification Dataset

The ORNL Driver Identification Dataset was created to collect and analyze driving behavior data from 50 different drivers. Each driver operated a 2014 Kenworth T270 Class 6 truck around Fort Collins, Colorado while various data sources recorded their driving behavior and vehicle performance. The dataset includes CANbus (Controller Area Network) data, GPS data, inertial measurement data, and biometric data from a heart rate monitor. A cyberattack was executed during each drive, which caused multiple dashboard warning lights to illuminate and set the tachometer and speedometer to zero, regardless of actual speed. The attack was stopped either after one minute or if the driver pulled over. By downloading the dataset, you agree to the following: 1) I will not use or disclose the data for any purpose other than Research as that term is defined in 10 CFR 745.102. 2) I will not, under any circumstances, request or accept private or linking identifiers for the data used. 3) I will not attempt to determine the identity of the individuals associated with the data. 4) I will use appropriate safeguards to prevent the use or disclose of the data for any purpose other than Research.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Yb:Lu 2 O 3 single-crystal fiber: spectroscopy, amplification, and lasing

For the first time, to our knowledge, a lutetium oxide (Lu 2 O 3 ) single-crystal fiber (SCF) laser is demonstrated. The laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) technique was used to pull Yb-doped Lu 2 O 3 SCFs between 10 and 50 mm long and with diameters between 150 and 225 μm. Spectroscopic properties are first reported in detail, as the two-site nature of the host demands careful attention. Short 10 mm long, unclad fibers were used as amplifier media in a single pass copropagating configuration. Then, a 50 mm long 0.1%Yb:Lu 2 O 3 SCF with a 180 μm diameter was configured to lase by butt-coupling mirrors on the ends and pumping at 976 nm. Lasing occurred at the 1033 nm peak of Yb, and a maximum output of around 300 mW is reported. Finally, the results indicate there is no, at least obvious, fundamental reason that should deter future interest in Lu 2 O 3 as a SCF platform, which has been considered to have high potential for power scaling based on its beneficial intrinsic properties.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

GridPIQ Reference Data

GridPIQ uses dozens of publicly available datasets to provide context for a user's grid project, as well as defaults for users to choose from. Users can choose to import their own data to better customize their analysis or use GridPIQ-supplied defaults. This allows users to get up and running with an analysis very quickly without having to spend significant time pulling together input data. To run an electric vehicle (EV) smart charging project, a user will need to provide or select from prepopulated values for the regional load profile shape and peak load, region of interest and closest weather station, EV charging profile, number of EVs to add for the analysis, maximum EV charging power, location of chargers relative to grid infrastructure, and allowable charging times (for coordinated charging mode). The outputs of the analysis are changes in air quality, EV energy consumption, EV peak demand, and EV hourly consumption profile—before and after project implementation." For a detailed description of the tool methodology, including all the publicly available datasets used by the tool, see the [GridPIQ documentation](https://gridpiq.pnnl.gov/v2-beta/doc/).

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

COMPASS-FME Synoptic Site Tree Greenhouse Gas Concentrations

These data are tree stem greenhouse gas concentrations collected from tree gas wells at some of the COMPASS-FME (Coastal Observations, Mechanisms, and Predictions Across Systems and Scales; see https://compass.pnnl.gov/) 'synoptic' sites in the Chesapeake Bay region: Moneystump (MSM), Goodwin Islands (GWI), and GCReW (GCW). The sap flow monitoring trees at these sites in the Upland (UP) and Transition (TR) zones were cored and had gas wells installed at breast height. There were also some dead standing trees cored, gas well installed, and sampled at MSM and GWI. The GCW UP samples overlap with the TEMPEST experiment control plot, so the GCW UP data was pulled from the TEMPEST page and included here. These data provide crucial information about possible pathways for the greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide and methane, CO2 and CH4 respectively) production and emission (or in the case of CH4, perhaps taken up from) the atmosphere.All data are plain text CSV (comma separated value) files and require no special software to read.Updated 2025-10-09 to fix two missing dates (lines 77 and 78 in the data file).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Machine learning model inputs, outputs, and scripts associated with “Artificial intelligence-guided iterations between observations and modeling significantly improve environmental predictions”

NOTE: The manuscript associated with this data package is currently in review. The data may be revised based on reviewer feedback. Upon manuscript acceptance, this data package will be updated with the final dataset and additional metadata. This data package is associated with the manuscript “Artificial intelligence-guided iterations between observations and modeling significantly improve environmental predictions” (Malhotra et al., in prep). This effort was designed following ICON (integrated, coordinated, open, and networked) principles to facilitate a model-experiment (ModEx) iteration approach, leveraging crowdsourced sampling across the contiguous United States (CONUS). New machine learning models were created every month to guide sampling locations. Data from the resulting samples were used to test and rebuild the machine learning models for the next round of sampling guidance. Associated sediment and water geochemistry and in situ sensor data can be found at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/datasets/doi:10.15485/1923689, https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/datasets/doi:10.15485/1729719, and https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/datasets/doi:10.15485/1603775. This data package is associated with two GitHub repositories found at https://github.com/parallelworks/dynamic-learning-rivers and https://github.com/WHONDRS-Hub/ICON-ModEx_Open_Manuscript. In addition to this readme, this data package also includes two file-level metadata (FLMD) files that describes each file and two data dictionaries (DD) that describe all column/row headers and variable definitions. This data package consists of two main folders (1) dynamic-learning-rivers and (2) ICON-ModEx_Open_Manuscript which contain snapshots of the associated GitHub repositories. The input data, output data, and machine learning models used to guide sampling locations are within dynamic-learning-rivers. The folder is organized into five top-level directories: (1) “input_data” holds the training data for the ML models; (2) “ml_models” holds machine learning (ML) models trained on the data in “input_data”; (3) “examples” contains files for direct experimentation with the machine learning model, including scripts for setting up “hindcast” run; (4) “scripts” contains data preprocessing and postprocessing scripts and intermediate results specific to this data set that bookend the ML workflow; and (5) “output_data” holds the overall results of the ML model on that branch. Each trained ML model resides on its own branch in the repository; this means that inputs and outputs can be different branch-to-branch. There is also one hidden directory “.github/workflows”. This hidden directory contains information for how to run the ML workflow as an end-to-end automated GitHub Action but it is not needed for reusing the ML models archived here. Please see the top-level README.md in the GitHub repository for more details on the automation. The scripts and data used to create figures in the manuscript are within ICON-ModEx_Open_Manuscript. The folder is organized into four folders which contain the scripts, data, and pdf for each figure. Within the “fig-model-score-evolution” folder, there is a folder called “intermediate_branch_data” which contains some intermediate files pulled from dynamic-learning-rivers and reorganized to easily integrate into the workflows. NOTE: THIS FOLDER INCLUDES THE FILES AT THE POINT OF PAPER SUBMISSION. IT WILL BE UPDATED ONCE THE PAPER IS ACCEPTED WITH ANY REVISIONS AND WILL INCLUDE A DD/FLMD AT THAT POINT. We thank the United States Forest Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Cowiche Canyon Conservatory, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Scientific Research Permit #210901), and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation for access to field locations where the samples labeled “SSS” were collected. We also thank the Yakama Nation Tribal Council and Yakama Nation Fisheries for working with us to facilitate sample collection and optimization of data usage according to their values and worldview. WHONDRS consortium members were asked to provide any acknowledgments for the collection of samples labeled “CM” and the following is a list of acknowledgments that were submitted with their corresponding Site IDs: (MART) Research activities were conducted in part on the Wind River Experimental Forest within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest; (MP- 100379) Philadelphia is part of Lenapehoking, the ancestral homelands of the Lenape peoples; (MP-102398) Land surveyed is the ancestral homelands of the Nookhose'iinenno (Arapaho), Tsis tsis'tas (Cheyenne), and Nuuchu (Ute); (MP-100749 and MP- 100747) Georgia Coastal Ecosystem LTER, OCE-1832178; (SP-70 and SP-72) Eastern Shoshone, Shoshone-Bannock; (MP- 102944) Funded by Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. On the traditional lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Rhonde, and the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribe; (MP- 100607) Holiday Creek is located on the traditional territory of the Monacan Indian Nation; (SP-45) Lafayette Blue Springs State Park; (MP-102420) NSF DEB-2016749; (MP-100019) New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station; (SP-35) Rayonier (land owner; https://www.rayonier.com/); (MP- 101276) US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research, Subsurface Biogeochemical Research, Watershed Dynamics and Evolution SFA at ORNL; (MP- 103224) Watershed Dynamics and Evolution SFA at ORNL; (MP- 101584) Traditional lands of the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda) and Anishinaabe Peoples.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data and scripts associated with “Non-random processes impacting organic matter chemistry are maximized in mid-order streams”

NOTE: The manuscript associated with this data package is currently in review. The data may be revised based on reviewer feedback. Upon manuscript acceptance, this data package will be updated with the final dataset and additional metadata. This data package is associated with the publication “Non-random processes impacting organic matter chemistry are maximized in mid-order streams” submitted to Limnology and Oceanography (L&O) by Danczak et al. (in review). This package contains data and scripts used to investigate dissolved organic matter (DOM) molecular chemistry and diversification processes across 47 surface-water sampling sites in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, USA, during an August 2021 sampling campaign. The package contains analyses of ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS), geochemical measurements, geospatial attributes, molecular diversity, and meta-metabolome ecological null models needed to reproduce the main manuscript results. The underlying field data were pulled from exising data packages at https://doi.org/10.15485/1892052 (Fulton et al., 2022) and https://doi.org/10.15485/1898914 (Grieger et al., 2022). For details on how to navigate data packages generated by this project, see https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/portals/PNNLRiverCorridorSFA/About. We thank the following organizations for providing access to field locations for sample collection: the United States Forest Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the Cowiche Canyon Conservatory. Research was conducted under Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Scientific Research Permit #210901. We are grateful to the Yakama Nation Tribal Council and Yakama Nation Fisheries for their collaboration in facilitating sample collection and ensuring data usage aligns with their values and worldview. This data package contains an R-Markdown file for analyses and five folders: (1) Data, (2) Geospatial Data, (3) Supplemental_Files, (5) Figures_pdf, (4) and src. The Data folder contains tabular inputs and derived files used in the manuscript analysis. The Geospatial Data folder contains climate and water-balance, hydrologic, land-cover, population/regional water-use, stream, topographic, and stream-order attribute CSV files. The src folder contains scripts used to process data, run analyses, and generate figures. The Figures_pdf folder contains manuscript figure outputs. The Supplemental_Files folder contains supplemental analysis products. All files are .csv, .pdf, .html, .png, .R, .Rmd, .svg, or .tre. This data package is associated with the rcfsa-RC2-SPS_Null_Modeling repository found at https://github.com/river-corridors-sfa/rcfsa-RC2-SPS_Null_Modeling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Survival and Age at Maturity in Head-Started Wood Turtles ( Glyptemys insculpta ) with Implications for Population Recovery

A small relict population of Glyptemys insculpta (Wood Turtle) was discovered on a protected area in New Jersey in 2006. Marking and radio-tracking of the old founder individuals helped to determine movement patterns and habitat use. Monitoring of nesting females revealed that nesting habitat and nest success was limited due to invasive plants, human landscape alteration, and Procyon lotor (Raccoon) depredation. We initiated habitat restoration including creation of protected nesting areas, mowing in winter, invasive plant removal, and adjacent landowner education. Here, we direct-released hatchlings from protected nests from 2006 to 2015, yet only a few were detected in subsequent years. Between 2011 and 2023, some or all of each hatchling cohort were head-started indoors at a high school for 9 months. We have continuously radio-tracked all head-starts from the 2011 cohort and portions of the 2012–2014 cohorts. Head-started turtles found their own food, established home ranges, and hibernated communally with founder adults. Subsidized Raccoons, mowers, automobiles, and flooding events—all human-instigated—were the causes of mortality. The first males and first females from the 2011 head-start cohort reached maturity in 2017 and 2019, respectively, at ages 6–8, younger than expected by 4–5 years. Successful reproduction by head-starts was confirmed by viable hatchlings produced in 2019, 2020, and 2023. Head-starting can pull a relict population out of the nose-dive to extirpation when used in conjunction with habitat-restoration practices, but it must be conducted with persistence and continuity over at least the number of years it takes for the earliest cohorts to reach maturity and begin producing offspring of their own.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Atmospheric Observation System for Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Instrument Handbook

The Greenhouse Gas (GhG) Measurement system is a combination of two systems in series: (1) the Tower Gas Processing (TGP) System, an instrument rack which pulls, pressurizes, and dries air streams from an atmospheric sampling tower through a series of control and monitoring components, and (2) the Picarro model G2301 cavity ringdown spectrometer (CRDS), which measures CO2, CH4, and H2O vapor; the primary measurements of the GhG system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Creating Unit Tests for GlideinWMS using AI tools

GlideinWMS is a workload management system that uses distributed computing to complete tasks, also known as jobs. It is particularly useful for high-throughput computing that’s used in research projects. It relies on Glideins, which are pilot jobs that pull jobs from a queue and provide resources for their completion, based on the jobs requirements. These decisions are made based on resource availability and job requirements. We used new AI tools to add unit tests to GlideinWMS.

Baburashvili, Ilya↗

Filtration of Hanford Tank 241-AN-107 Supernatant at 16 °C

Approximately 9 liters of supernatant from Hanford waste tank 241-AN-107 was delivered by Washington River Protection Solutions to the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The thirty-six AN-107 sample bottles consisted of six sets of six samples, with each set pulled from a unique tank sampling level. Prior to testing, samples from each level were composited to provide nominally level-independent feed for dead end filtration and ion exchange testing. The composited 241-AN-107 supernatant was chilled to 16 °C for 1 week prior to testing. Filtration testing was then conducted using a backpulse dead-end filter (BDEF) system equipped with a feed vessel and a Mott inline filter Model 6610 (Media Grade 5) in the hot cells of the RPL. The purpose of this testing is to a) demonstrate dead-end filtration (DEF) of AN-107 feed at reduced temperature to obtain prototypic tank side cesium removal (TSCR) flux rates and identify issues that may impact filtration after dilution to 5.5M Na, and b) provide feed for a follow on ion exchange unit operation. The feed was filtered through the BDEF system at a targeted flux of 0.065 gpm/ft 2 . During filtration the differential pressure required to effect filtration at 0.065 gpm/ft 2 was slow to increase for most of the filtration campaign. After all the feed bottles had been pumped into the slurry reservoir, the bottoms of the bottles were added to the reservoir and transmembrane pressure (TMP) reached 2.0 psid (the TSCR action limit). The prototypic filter cleaning process was unable to effectively restore filter performance, and cleaning with oxalic acid was required before flow through the filter could be restored. This indicates that the Media Grade 5 filter may require an alternative cleaning protocol when processing AN-107 supernatant. After completing filtration of the AN-107 feed, the filter was cleaned. Solids concentrated from the backpulse solutions were composed of natrophosphate, Mn-Fe phases, and fluoro-natrophosphate that occurred as particle agglomerates. The individual particles were in some cases 100s of micrometers across which is consistent with prior observations from AN-107 supernate waste characterizations.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Phase-Field Modeling of Mechanical Damages in Ceramic Matrix Composites

Developed a phase-field model for mechanical damages in CMCs, which incorporates the CMC microstructures, matrix cracking, fiber breakage, and interfacial sliding. Two types of mechanisms, fiber bridging and fiber pull-out, are considered. The obtained simulation results agree with experimental observations and an analytical solution. Simulation results suggest that the performance of CMCs would be enhanced with thicker fibers, longer fibers, and higher fiber density. Opposite trends of interfacial sliding resistances are suggested for the two types of situations. In reality, a mixture of the two situations may exist, and then an intermediate interfacial sliding resistance may be optimal.

Xue, Fei↗

NuMI/LBNF Horn and Stripline Welding

Focusing horns for secondary particles are critical components for creating a stable beam of neutrinos. These components need to survive in a harsh environment and withstand high stresses. Extending the lifetime of the horns is critical as spare fabrication takes approximately two years and has many subcomponents with strict quality control. Two key aspects of the fabrication process include the inner conductor CNC TIG welding and the friction stir welding of the stripline pieces. The process for welding requires steps such as sample welding, x-ray imaging, and tensile pull tests. Having a perfect weld retains as much of the original strength of the base metal and reduces the risk of failure. As FNAL ramps up in power to 2.4MW, the lifetime of the horn and stripline will more heavily rely on continuing to have high quality welding procedures and thorough quality assurance.

Orea, Adrian↗

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Damage Assessment After Typhoon Mawar: Findings and Recommendations for Resilient PV on Guam

A team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) visited Guam in August 2023 to assess failure modes of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems after Typhoon Mawar and to provide recommendations to increase the resilience of PV systems on Guam. The team visited 30 systems: commercial and utility scale, and rooftop and ground-mounted. The team observed systems with no apparent damage, as well as systems that were completely lost. Systems fared very well overall. The average failure rate of rooftop systems was 18%, with a median failure rate of 2%, meaning the few systems that suffered total loss pulled up the average. Only eight 8 of the 25 rooftop systems suffered more than 5% damage. All ground-mounted systems suffered less than 0.5% damage, aside from a carport that lost 16% of its modules. PV systems at Andersen Air Force Base suffered 5% damage on average, with a median system failure of 0.6%. In almost all cases, failures were the result of: (1) Inadequate clamping of the module frame to the mount, (2) Module mounting clamps rotating out of underlying support rail (i.e., T-bolt that rotates free at less than 60 degrees of rotation), (3) An object hitting the panel resulting in a fracture, and in some cases leading to a cascading failure of several more panels, and (4) Excessive tilt angle (in Guam, greater than 5 degrees can be a risk due to wind speed, and power production trade-offs are insignificant).

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Next-Generation NGV Driver Information System

Measuring the amount of fuel contained in the tank of a Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) is not as straightforward as it is for a liquid-fueled vehicle. The fuel in an NGV is a compressed gas at pressures up to 4200psig, and its pressure changes with temperature. The current state-of-the-art, which is used on most NGVs, is a simple pressure gauge as a rough guide for remaining fuel. This presents a high degree of error because pressure varies widely depending on temperature. Immediately following refueling, the temperature in the vehicle’s cylinders is often greater than 150°F. As the driver pulls out of the fueling station and begins consuming gas, the pressure drops at a very fast rate due to expansion cooling of the gas. This pressure drop appears to the driver to be a very rapid decrease in fuel level, reducing trust in the fuel level indication and leading to concern about the distance the vehicle can travel before refueling again, which is known as “range anxiety.”

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Sierra/SD – Theory Manual – 5.22

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of structural systems. This manual describes the theory behind many of the constructs in Sierra/SD. For a more detailed description of how to use Sierra/SD, we refer the reader to User’s Manual. Many of the constructs in Sierra/SD are pulled directly from published material. Where possible, these materials are referenced herein. However, certain functions in Sierra/SD are specific to our implementation. We try to be far more complete in those areas. The theory manual was developed from several sources including general notes, a programmer_notes manual, the user’s notes and of course the material in the open literature.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗