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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 361 records · Page 20

A State-Space Model for Stability Boundary Analysis of Grid-Following Voltage Source Converters Considering Grid Conditions

With the growing significance of renewable energy resources and energy storage systems, the number of grid-connected inverters has been rising at an increasingly rapid pace. Generally, these inverters are directly integrated with the distribution network by synchronizing with the grid voltage at the point of common coupling. However, the low grid strength and varying R/X ratios, as the common characteristics of most distribution networks or weak grids, can lead to dynamic interactions that comprise stability and limit the power transfer capacity of grid-connected inverters. To ensure stable operation of the inverters, researchers must determine the stability boundary, described as the maximum power transfer capacity of grid-connected inverters under the premise of maintaining system small-signal stability. For this purpose, we propose to formulate a state-space model of the system in the synchronously rotating dq-frame of reference and perform eigenvalue analysis to determine the stability boundary. With a detailed model of the control structure and parameters of the grid-connected inverters, the stability boundary is identified as a surface with respect to different grid strengths and R/X ratios. Case study results of proposed eigenvalue analysis are compared with those of admittance model-based stability analysis as well as time-domain simulation using a switching model in Matlab/Simulink, validating the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed eigenvalue analysis for stability boundary identification.

grid-connected inverters↗

Status and projections of the NAS Program

NASA's Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation (NAS) Program has completed development of the initial operating configuration of the NAS Processing System Network (NPSN). This is the first milestone in the continuing and pathfinding effort to provide state-of-the-art supercomputing for aeronautics research and development. The NPSN, available to a nation-wide community of remote users, provides a uniform UNIX environment over a network of host computers ranging from the new Cray-2 supercomputer to advanced scientific workstations. This system, coupled with a vendor-independent base of common user interface and network software, presents a new paradigm for supercomputing environments. Presented here is the background leading to the NAS Program, its programmatic goals and strategies, technical goals and objectives, and the development activities leading to the current NPSN configuration. Program status, near-term plans and plans for the next major milestone, the extended operating configuration, are also discussed.

Bailey, F. R.↗

Contaminant Transport Modeling for Technology Evaluation and Long-Term Monitoring in the Tims Branch Testbed, SC - 20343

Studies conducted at U.S. DOE sites have shown the presence of heavy metals, radionuclides, and volatile organic compounds in surface water, groundwater, and soil as a result of nuclear activity in the Cold War era. Since the 1990's, innovative cleanup methods have been implemented in the Tims Branch watershed at Savannah River Site (SRS) to limit the contaminant flux to the stream that have reduced the contaminant concentrations to acceptable regulatory levels in the dissolved phase. A tin-based treatment which effectively eliminated all local anthropogenic mercury inputs to this ecosystem resulted in a known step function addition of inert tin oxide particles which now serve as a potential tracer for sedimentation and particle transport processes in the stream. The long-term effectiveness of this and other remediation techniques and the potential for remobilization of adsorbed contaminant in sediment during extreme hydrologic conditions however remains unclear. It is therefore important to understand not only the fate and transport of dissolved contaminants, but also the movement of sediment and the relevant interactions with dissolved contaminant. To narrow this knowledge gap, a study is being conducted using the Tims Branch watershed as a stream-scale ecosystem test-bed to identify the primary transport processes of major contaminants of concern (such as mercury, nickel and uranium) with an emphasis on interactions with sediment transport. This involves the development of a fully distributed hydrologic watershed model of the Tims Branch watershed to predict streamflow under extreme weather conditions, as well as the development of a comprehensive contaminant transport model that can properly account for coupled contaminant and sediment transport. Review of relevant research reports and peer-reviewed journals revealed that aside from advection-dispersion transport of dissolved contaminants, adsorption and desorption with suspended solids and bed sediment also play an important role in the transport of those contaminants of concern. To develop the fully distributed hydrologic watershed model, the MIKE SHE 2-dimensional (2D) land surface/3D groundwater model that simulates surface/subsurface hydrologic processes (such as overland flow, evapotranspiration, and infiltration) was coupled with a 1D streamflow model that accounts for stream water hydraulics (such as hydraulic structures, cross-sections, and network). To model contaminant transport, the MIKE 11 streamflow component was coupled with the MIKE 11 AD module that simulates solute transport through advection and dispersion, and MIKE ECO Lab module that accounts for both sediment transport and interactions with dissolved contaminant. At this stage, the development and optimization of the fully distributed hydrologic model has been completed, achieving satisfactory statistical results between observed and predicted discharge as indicated by a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.039 cms and a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 0.764. The ongoing development of the contaminant transport model has also yielded realistic results from preliminary tests. Results from this study are a key to evaluating the effectiveness of tin (II)-based mercury treatment of wetlands at the SRS site, and are also relevant to evaluating the potential of using this type of novel remediation technology in other mercury-contaminated stream systems. Knowledge acquired from this research will also support interpretation of historical data on the trends of contaminant concentration distribution in Tims Branch, particularly considering the effect of extreme hydrological events on the stream flow and pollutant transport. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Resilience-Motivated Distribution System Restoration Considering Electricity-Water-Gas Interdependency

A major outage in the electricity distribution system may affect the operation of water and natural gas supply systems, leading to an interruption of multiple services to critical customers. Therefore, enhancing resilience of critical infrastructures requires joint efforts of multiple sectors. In this paper, a distribution system service restoration method considering the electricity-water-gas interdependency is proposed. The objective is maximizing the supply of electricity, water, and gas to critical customers after an extreme event. The operational constraints of electricity, water, and natural gas networks are considered. Additionally, the characteristics of electricity-driven coupling components, including water pumps and gas compressors, are also modeled. Relaxation techniques are applied to non convex constraints posed by physical laws of those networks. Consequently, the restoration problem is formulated as a mixed-integer second-order cone program, which can readily be solved by the off-the-shelf solvers. The proposed method is validated by numerical simulations on an electricity-water-gas integrated system, developed based on benchmark models of the subsystems. The results indicate that considering the interdependency refines the allocation of limited generation resources and demonstrate the exactness of the proposed convex relaxation

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Radial/axial power divider/combiner

An electromagnetic power divider/combiner comprises N radial outputs (31) having equal powers and preferably equal phases, and a single axial output (20). A divider structure (1) and a preferably identical combiner structure (2) are broadside coupled across a dielectric substrate (30) containing on one side the network of N radial outputs (31) and on its other side a set of N equispaced stubs (42) which are capacitively coupled through the dielectric substrate (30) to the N radial outputs (31). The divider structure (1) and the combiner structure (2) each comprise a dielectric disk (12, 22, respectively) on which is mounted a set of N radial impedance transformers (14, 24, respectively). Gross axial coupling is determined by the thickness of the dielectric layer (30). Rotating the disks (12, 22) with respect to each other effectuates fine adjustment in the degree of axial coupling.

Vaddiparty, Yerriah P.↗

Simulation of the photodetachment spectra of the nitrate anion (NO 3 ₋ ) in the B ~ 2 E' energy range and non-adiabatic electronic population dynamics of NO 3

The photodetachment spectrum of the nitrate anion (NO 3 ₋ ) in the energy range of the NO 3 second excited state is simulated from first principles using quantum wave packet dynamics. The prediction at 10 K and 435 K relies on the use of an accurate full-dimensional fully coupled five state diabatic potential model utilizing an artificial neural network. The ability of this model to reproduce experimental spectra was demonstrated recently for the lower energy range. Analysis of the spectra indicates a weaker Jahn–Teller coupling compared to the first excited state. The detailed non-adiabatic dynamics is studied by computing the population dynamics. An ultra-fast non-statistical radiationless decay is found only among the Jahn–Teller components, which is followed by a slow statistical non-radiative decay among the different state manifolds. The latter is reproduced perfectly by a simple first order kinetics model. The dynamics in the second excited state is not affected by the presence of a conical intersection with the first excited state manifold.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-performance parallel analysis of coupled problems for aircraft propulsion

This research program deals with the application of high-performance computing methods for the analysis of complete jet engines. We have entitled this program by applying the two dimensional parallel aeroelastic codes to the interior gas flow problem of a bypass jet engine. The fluid mesh generation, domain decomposition, and solution capabilities were successfully tested. We then focused attention on methodology for the partitioned analysis of the interaction of the gas flow with a flexible structure and with the fluid mesh motion that results from these structural displacements. This is treated by a new arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) technique that models the fluid mesh motion as that of a fictitious mass-spring network. New partitioned analysis procedures to treat this coupled three-component problem are developed. These procedures involved delayed corrections and subcycling. Preliminary results on the stability, accuracy, and MPP computational efficiency are reported.

Felippa, C. A.↗

Stochastic Thermo-Hydro Modeling and Neural Network Surrogate Development for Thermal Resource Assessment of the Galleries-to-Calories Geobattery

The Galleries-to-Calories Geobattery concept explores the use of abandoned coal mine workings for large-scale thermal energy transport and storage. The system involves injecting waste heat from a supercomputing facility into flooded mine galleries, where groundwater flow can store and transport thermal energy for potential recovery in downgradient district heating and cooling applications. To evaluate the feasibility and performance of the Geobattery under geological and operational uncertainty, we developed a suite of stochastic thermo-hydrological (TH) simulations using Monte Carlo sampling of key uncertain parameters (e.g., permeability, porosity, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity) and operating conditions (e.g., injection rate, injection temperature). Results identified injection rate and temperature as the most influential parameters governing thermal front propagation, while the geometry of the room-and-pillar structure played a critical role in directing the extent and orientation of thermal advancement. Optimal combinations of material properties for maximizing heat recovery were also determined. To address the high computational cost of coupled-process stochastic modeling, we trained a neural network surrogate model on 24,000 physics-based realizations, achieving an R² > 0.99 and MAE < 0.1 for temperature predictions at monitoring locations. This surrogate enabled an additional 100,000 realizations for global sensitivity analysis and probabilistic thermal resource assessment. The integrated stochastic physics–surrogate modeling framework offers a computationally efficient tool for quantifying uncertainty, identifying key drivers, and informing early-stage design decisions for Geobattery systems.

15 - GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

The Evolution of Lidar Networks: A US Perspective

Atmospheric aerosols and clouds play an important role in climate by directly scattering and absorbing sunlight. Aerosol-cloud interactions modify the particle properties causing indirect effects, alter aerosol deposition and rainfall, and contribute substantially to the uncertainties in predicting climate effects. Aerosols also affect air quality and both constituents modulate boundary layer dynamics to a certain extent, in turn impacting aerosol transport and aerosol-cloud interactions. The spatiotemporal distribution of aerosol and cloud layers is thus important, and lidar remains the primary instrument for determining the vertical distribution of aerosols and thin clouds. Lidar still provides important information for opaque cloud layers by determining base heights. Combined lidar and radar data provide a comprehensive coverage of aerosol and cloud vertical distributions, and thus locations where and when they interact. Lidar data provide a means of constraining column aerosol loading observations (e.g. AOD) to vertical extents. In addition, lidar has proven effective at determining a proxy for boundary layer height by examining aerosol gradients and/or cloud base heights in lidar profiles. Polarized lidars provide additional information on particle shape, allowing estimates of cloud phase and separation of dust or smoke from sulfate and sea salt aerosols. Given the importance of lidar observations and a critical maturation in technology and retrieval techniques, several organizations began to build operational lidar networks around 2000. The European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) was started as a research focused network of advanced lidars across Europe. The Asian Dust Lidar Network (ADNET) was also developed as a regional network providing lidar profiles of dust and pollution across Eastern Asia. In the US, the NASA Micro Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET) was created to provide global lidar profiling at key sites in the NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) pre-dates these networks and many sites have lidar, but it is not strictly a lidar network and at the time focused less on the lower troposphere. Finally, there were already existing ceilometer networks operated by various meteorological agencies, but in particular here in the US the profile data has not been available. The ceilometer networks were used to provide only clouds base heights and estimates of PBL height. Thus, the distinguishing feature between lidar and ceilometer networks was historically the ability to actually provide profile information (in addition to differences in wavelength, and advanced retrievals such as the raman technique). As time progressed, each lidar network matured and developed more operational capabilities and data sets, coupled with viable data centers providing DAAC services and access to near-real-time (NRT) data. In 2008 under WMO guidance, the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) Aerosol Lidar Observation Network (GALION) was formed as a global network made up of the existing lidar networks. The goal was to share information, best practices, and develop frameworks and techniques for quality data. GALION grew to include several other regional lidar networks and this has led to a vast increase in quality lidar sites worldwide.

Welton, Ellsworth J.↗

Modeling efficient and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

Producing and distributing COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic is a major logistical challenge requiring careful planning and efficient execution. This report presents information on logistical, policy and technical issues relevant to rapidly fielding a COVID-19 vaccination program. For this study we (a) conducted literature review and subject matter expert elicitation to understand current vaccine manufacturing and distribution capabilities and vaccine allocation strategies, (b) designed a baseline vaccine distribution strategy and modeling strategy to provide insight into the potential for targeted distribution of limited initial vaccine supplies, and (c) developed parametric interfaces to enable vaccine distribution scenarios to be analyzed in depth with Sandias Adaptive Recovery Model that will allow us evaluate the additional sub- populations and alternative distribution scenarios from a public health benefit and associated economic disruption Principal issues, challenges, and complexities that complicate COVID-19 vaccine delivery identified in our literature and subject matter expert investigation include these items: The United States has not mounted an urgent nationwide vaccination campaign in recent history. The existing global manufacturing and distribution infrastructure are not able to produce enough vaccine for the population immediately. Vaccines, once available will be scarce resources. Prioritization for vaccine allocation will be built on existing distribution networks. Vaccine distribution may not have a universal impact on disease transmission and morbidity because of scarcity, priority population demographics, and underlying disease transmission rates. Considerations for designing a vaccine distribution strategy are discussed. A baseline distribution strategy is designed and tested using the Adaptive Recovery Model, which couples a deterministic compartmental epidemiological model and a stochastic network model. We show the impact of this vaccine distribution strategy on hospitalizations, mortality, and contact tracing requirements. This model can be used to quantitatively evaluate alternative distribution scenarios, guiding policy decisions as vaccine candidates are narrowed down.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Sensitivity of Simulations of Double-detonation Type Ia Supernovae to Integration Methodology

Abstract We study the coupling of hydrodynamics and reactions in simulations of the double-detonation model for Type Ia supernovae. When assessing the convergence of simulations, the focus is usually on spatial resolution; however, the method of coupling the physics together as well as the tolerances used in integrating a reaction network also play an important role. In this paper, we explore how the choices made in both coupling and integrating the reaction portion of a simulation (operator/Strang splitting versus the simplified spectral deferred corrections method we introduced previously) influences the accuracy, efficiency, and nucleosynthesis of simulations of double detonations. We find no need to limit reaction rates or reduce the simulation time step to the reaction timescale. The entire simulation methodology used here is GPU-accelerated and made freely available as part of the Castro simulation code.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Modeling beta-adrenergic control of cardiac myocyte contractility in silico

The beta-adrenergic signaling pathway regulates cardiac myocyte contractility through a combination of feedforward and feedback mechanisms. We used systems analysis to investigate how the components and topology of this signaling network permit neurohormonal control of excitation-contraction coupling in the rat ventricular myocyte. A kinetic model integrating beta-adrenergic signaling with excitation-contraction coupling was formulated, and each subsystem was validated with independent biochemical and physiological measurements. Model analysis was used to investigate quantitatively the effects of specific molecular perturbations. 3-Fold overexpression of adenylyl cyclase in the model allowed an 85% higher rate of cyclic AMP synthesis than an equivalent overexpression of beta 1-adrenergic receptor, and manipulating the affinity of Gs alpha for adenylyl cyclase was a more potent regulator of cyclic AMP production. The model predicted that less than 40% of adenylyl cyclase molecules may be stimulated under maximal receptor activation, and an experimental protocol is suggested for validating this prediction. The model also predicted that the endogenous heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor may enhance basal cyclic AMP buffering by 68% and increasing the apparent Hill coefficient of protein kinase A activation from 1.0 to 2.0. Finally, phosphorylation of the L-type calcium channel and phospholamban were found sufficient to predict the dominant changes in myocyte contractility, including a 2.6x increase in systolic calcium (inotropy) and a 28% decrease in calcium half-relaxation time (lusitropy). By performing systems analysis, the consequences of molecular perturbations in the beta-adrenergic signaling network may be understood within the context of integrative cellular physiology.

Non-NASA Center↗

Constructing tensor network influence functionals for general quantum dynamics

Here, we describe an iterative formalism to compute influence functionals that describe the general quantum dynamics of a subsystem beyond the assumption of linear coupling to a quadratic bath. We use a space-time tensor network representation of the influence functional and investigate its approximability in terms of its bond dimension and time-like entanglement in the tensor network description. We study two numerical models, the spin-boson model and a model of interacting hard-core bosons in a 1D harmonic trap. We find that the influence functional and the intermediates involved in its construction can be efficiently approximated by low bond dimension tensor networks in certain dynamical regimes, which allows the quantum dynamics to be accurately computed for longer times than with direct time evolution methods. However, as one iteratively integrates out the bath, the correlations in the influence functional can first increase before decreasing, indicating that the final compressibility of the influence functional is achieved via non-trivial cancellation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Control development and sizing analysis for a 5th generation district heating and cooling network using Modelica

5th generation district heating and cooling system (5GDHC) are a relatively new concept. They use a single district loop near ambient temperature to provide heating and cooling. This paper improves on the modelling and control of a 5GDHC system called the reservoir network. The study updates the sewage heat exchanger plant model to more realistically represent seasonal changes, uses refined pump models with variable efficiency, introduces a ground coupled district pipe model to consider the inertia of the district network and implements a new control strategy for geothermal storage and sewage heat exchanger. The new approach reduced operating costs, mainly due to pumping cost for storage, sewage heat exchanger plant and distribution pump, while increasing the overall robustness of the approach in different sizing conditions. Thanks to the new controller, the pumping consumption was reduced by 21% with respect to the original baseline. Furthermore, the new control makes the system take better advantage of design changes, when reducing borehole field size and increasing the sewage heat exchanger size, the pumping energy savings become 29% with respect to the original baseline. Lastly, borehole field temperature stability was analyzed through 40 years of simulation.

Zanetti, Ettore↗

Sequentially coupled flow and geomechanical simulation with a discrete fracture model for analyzing fracturing fluid recovery and distribution in fractured ultra-low permeability gas reservoirs

More accurate characterization and prediction of the in-situ distribution of fracturing fluid in fractured reservoirs are needed for enhancing well productivity. In this study, an implicit-sequentially coupled flow/geomechanics simulator incorporating an efficient discrete fracture model is developed to model fluid distribution and recovery performance of ultra-low permeability gas reservoirs. The finite-volume and finite-element methods are used for space discretization of the flow and geomechanics equations, respectively, while the backward Euler method is employed for time discretization. The flow and geomechanics equations are solved sequentially based on fixed-stress splitting. An efficient discrete-fracture model is used to explicitly model the fractured system. Flexible unstructured gridding is employed to model arbitrarily-oriented fractures. The interrelations among pore volume, permeability and geomechanical conditions are considered dynamically using two-way coupled flow and geomechanics computations. The geometry of fracture (networks) due to hydraulic fracturing has significant impacts on the fracturing fluid recovery efficiency and ensuing fluid distribution. Under the same injection volume, the fracturing fluid recovery is higher when the fracture geometry is planar. Fluid recovery is relatively lower whenever natural fractures are activated during fracturing treatments; flowback time is also shortened when complex fracture network with enlarged fracture interface is present. Fracturing fluid in hydraulic fractures may leak off into the natural fractures and subsequently imbibes into the surrounding matrix due to capillarity effects. The fracturing fluid recovery and in-situ fluid distribution are sensitive to the shut-in duration and fracture closure behavior. This study analyzes the coupled flow-geomechanical responses of fractured gas reservoirs during the post-fracturing periods. Understanding the fate of the fracturing fluid can provide insights on, to some extent, the stimulated fracture volume, size of the water invasion zone, and efficiency of the fracturing design. The simulation predictions can also provide more accurate initial reservoir conditions (e.g. distributions of different phases and pressure) for long-term well performance estimation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Leveraging on-shell interference to search for FCNCs of the top quark and the Z boson

Abstract Flavour-changing-neutral currents (FCNCs) involving the top quark are highly suppressed within the Standard Model (SM). Hence, any signal in current or planned future collider experiments would constitute a clear manifestation of physics beyond the SM. We propose a novel, interference-based strategy to search for top-quark FCNCs involving the Z boson that has the potential to complement traditional search strategies due to a more favourable luminosity scaling. The strategy leverages on-shell interference between the FCNC and SM decay of the top quark into hadronic final states. We estimate the feasibility of the most promising case of anomalous tZc couplings using Monte Carlo simulations and a simplified detector simulation. We consider the main background processes and discriminate the signal from the background with a deep neural network that is parametrised in the value of the anomalous tZc coupling. We present sensitivity projections for the HL-LHC and the FCC-hh. We find an expected 95% CL upper limit of $${\mathcal {B}}_{\textrm{excl}}(t\rightarrow Zc) = 6.4 \times 10^{-5}$$ B excl ( t → Z c ) = 6.4 × 10 - 5 for the HL-LHC. In general, we conclude that the interference-based approach has the potential to provide both competitive and complementary constraints to traditional multi-lepton searches and other strategies that have been proposed to search for tZc FCNCs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Automatic learning rate adjustment for self-supervising autonomous robot control

Described is an application in which an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) controls the positioning of a robot arm with five degrees of freedom by using visual feedback provided by two cameras. This application and the specific ANN model, local liner maps, are based on the work of Ritter, Martinetz, and Schulten. We extended their approach by generating a filtered, average positioning error from the continuous camera feedback and by coupling the learning rate to this error. When the network learns to position the arm, the positioning error decreases and so does the learning rate until the system stabilizes at a minimum error and learning rate. This abolishes the need for a predetermined cooling schedule. The automatic cooling procedure results in a closed loop control with no distinction between a learning phase and a production phase. If the positioning error suddenly starts to increase due to an internal failure such as a broken joint, or an environmental change such as a camera moving, the learning rate increases accordingly. Thus, learning is automatically activated and the network adapts to the new condition after which the error decreases again and learning is 'shut off'. The automatic cooling is therefore a prerequisite for the autonomy and the fault tolerance of the system.

Arras, Michael K.↗

Neural networks to learn protein sequence–function relationships from deep mutational scanning data

Understanding the relationship between protein sequence and function is necessary to design new and useful proteins with applications in bioenergy, medicine, and agriculture. The mapping from sequence to function is tremendously complex because it involves thousands of molecular interactions that are coupled over multiple lengths and timescales. We show that neural networks can learn the sequence–function mapping from large protein datasets. Neural networks are appealing for this task because they can learn complicated relationships from data, make few assumptions about the nature of the sequence–function relationship, and can learn general rules that apply across the length of the protein sequence. We demonstrate that learned models can be applied to design new proteins with properties that exceed natural sequences.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗