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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 397 records · Page 22

A hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method for modeling fluid–structure interaction

This study presents a novel application of the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) finite element method to the multi-physics simulation of coupled fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems. Recent applications of the HDG method have primarily been for single-physics problems including both solids and fluids, which are necessary building blocks for FSI modeling. Utilizing these established models, HDG formulations for linear elastostatics, a nonlinear elastodynamic model, and arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian Navier–Stokes are derived. The elasticity formulations are written in a Lagrangian reference frame, with the nonlinear formulation restricted to hyperelastic materials. With these individual solid and fluid formulations, the remaining challenge in FSI modeling is coupling together their disparate mathematics on the fluid–solid interface. This coupling is presented, along with the resultant HDG FSI formulation. Verification of the component models, through the method of manufactured solutions, is performed and each model is shown to converge at the expected rate. The individual components, along with the complete FSI model, are then compared to the benchmark problems proposed by Turek and Hron [1]. The solutions from the HDG formulation presented in this work trend towards the benchmark as the spatial polynomial order and the temporal order of integration are increased.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Rapid sampling of stochastic displacements in Brownian dynamics simulations

Here, we present a new method for sampling stochastic displacements in Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations of colloidal scale particles. The method relies on a new formulation for Ewald summation of the Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa (RPY) tensor, which guarantees that the real-space and wave-space contributions to the tensor are independently symmetric and positive-definite for all possible particle configurations. Brownian displacements are drawn from a superposition of two independent samples: a wave-space (far-field or long-ranged) contribution, computed using techniques from fluctuating hydrodynamics and non-uniform fast Fourier transforms; and a real-space (near-field or short-ranged) correction, computed using a Krylov subspace method. The combined computational complexity of drawing these two independent samples scales linearly with the number of particles. The proposed method circumvents the super-linear scaling exhibited by all known iterative sampling methods applied directly to the RPY tensor that results from the power law growth of the condition number of tensor with the number of particles. For geometrically dense microstructures (fractal dimension equal three), the performance is independent of volume fraction, while for tenuous microstructures (fractal dimension less than three), such as gels and polymer solutions, the performance improves with decreasing volume fraction. This is in stark contrast with other related linear-scaling methods such as the force coupling method and the fluctuating immersed boundary method, for which performance degrades with decreasing volume fraction. Calculations for hard sphere dispersions and colloidal gels are illustrated and used to explore the role of microstructure on performance of the algorithm. In practice, the logarithmic part of the predicted scaling is not observed and the algorithm scales linearly for up to 4×10 6 particles, obtaining speed ups of over an order of magnitude over existing iterative methods, and making the cost of computing Brownian displacements comparable to the cost of computing deterministic displacements in BD simulations. Finally, a high-performance implementation employing non-uniform fast Fourier transforms implemented on graphics processing units and integrated with the software package HOOMD-blue is used for benchmarking.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Using multiple high-resolution datasets to benchmark the energy exascale earth system model (E3SM) for renewable resource assessment

The United States is accelerating its shift toward a renewable energy system. However, renewable resources, which harness energy from the Earth system, are susceptible to both present-day climate variability and future climate change. For example, variations in regional climate can alter renewable energy production patterns and site viability. The use of high-resolution climate model projections can therefore facilitate and may be critical to long-term planning of renewable energy investments. However, climate models must first be validated for renewable resource assessment. This research employs multiple high-spatiotemporal-resolution datasets to assess the capability of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 North American Regionally Refined Model (E3SMv2-NARRM) for predicting multi-year climatological values of solar and wind energy capacity factors in the continental U.S., with a focus on regional and seasonal variability. Present-day E3SMv2-NARRM simulations are compared with reported utility-scale production data obtained from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In addition, E3SMv2-NARRM data are evaluated against non-climate benchmark models from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, including the Wind Integration National Dataset Toolkit and the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB), as well as three wind energy datasets from PLUSWIND. Our analysis indicates that solar capacity factors from E3SM closely match those from the NSRDB dataset. However, both datasets tend to overestimate values by 10% in comparison to EIA data. Furthermore, biases in wind capacity factors within E3SM are notably pronounced in the West Coast regions, where the seasonal cycle diverges from EIA data.

Energy forecasting, Capacity factor, Renewable ene↗

Depletion Benchmark Analysis on a Lead Fast Reactor Using PyARC/OpenMC

PyARC is a user-friendly fast reactor analysis tool that automates multiphysics workflows using the “extended suite” of Argonne Reactor Computation (ARC) codes by providing a single common input for model definition, code execution, and output post-processing. A lead fast reactor (LFR) benchmark model is used to perform depletion calculations using the newly integrated OpenMC depletion capability in PyARC, building on previous analysis using the ARC codes through PyARC and Serpent. Results for core lifetime k-effective, shutdown decay heat, and end-of-life heavy-metal inventory are compared to verify the PyARC/OpenMC integration against the PyARC/ARC workflow and Serpent for depletion analysis of LFR designs. The results show satisfactory agreement among all three methods, with remaining discrepancies largely attributable to differences in nuclear data libraries and decay-chain modeling detail rather than to fundamental modeling limitations.

Kiesling, Kalin R.↗

Search for pair production of heavy resonances in final states with a photon and large-radius jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A search for the pair production of heavy spin-1/2 or spin-3/2 resonances (𝑡*) in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV is presented. Data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC from 2016 to 2018 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 are used. The analysis targets benchmark signal scenarios where one 𝑡* decays into a top quark (𝑡) and a photon (𝛾), and the other into a 𝑡 quark and a gluon (𝑔), i.e., 𝑝⁢𝑝 → $𝑡^*\overline{⁢𝑡^*}$ → 𝑡⁢𝑡⁢𝛾⁢𝑔. All-hadronic final states from the 𝑡 pair decay chain are selected using jet substructure techniques. The signal is probed as a function of the 𝑡* candidate mass, which is reconstructed using the photon and a top quark candidate jet. No significant deviation from the background-only hypothesis is found. Observed (expected) upper limits on the signal cross section at 95% confidence level are set, excluding masses of spin-1/2 𝑡* particles below 930 (930) GeV and spin-3/2 𝑡* particles below 1330 (1390) GeV. This analysis marks the first search for heavy resonances in the $𝑡\bar{⁢𝑡}𝛾⁢𝑔$ channel. Exploiting the high-energy photon to reduce the backgrounds, this search achieves sensitivity competitive with 𝑝⁢𝑝 → $𝑡^*\overline{⁢𝑡^*}$ → $𝑡\bar{⁢𝑡}⁢𝑔⁡𝑔$ searches for spin-1/2 𝑡* despite the small expected 𝑡* → 𝑡⁢𝛾 branching fraction.

hadron colliders↗

Adaptive variational quantum minimally entangled typical thermal states for finite temperature simulations

Scalable quantum algorithms for the simulation of quantum many-body systems in thermal equilibrium are important for predicting properties of quantum matter at finite temperatures. Here we describe and benchmark a quantum computing version of the minimally entangled typical thermal states (METTS) algorithm for which we adopt an adaptive variational approach to perform the required quantum imaginary time evolution. The algorithm, which we name AVQMETTS, dynamically generates compact and problem-specific quantum circuits, which are suitable for noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) hardware. We benchmark AVQMETTS on statevector simulators and perform thermal energy calculations of integrable and nonintegrable quantum spin models in one and two dimensions and demonstrate an approximately linear system-size scaling of the circuit complexity. We further map out the finite-temperature phase transition line of the two-dimensional transverse field Ising model. Finally, we study the impact of noise on AVQMETTS calculations using a phenomenological noise model.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Hot Cell Installation and Demonstration of the Severe Accident Test Station

A Severe Accident Test Station (SATS) capable of examining the oxidation kinetics and accident response of irradiated fuel and cladding materials for design basis accident (DBA) and beyond design basis accident (BDBA) scenarios has been successfully installed and demonstrated in the Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory (IFEL), a hot cell facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The two test station modules provide various temperature profiles, steam, and the thermal shock conditions necessary for integral loss of coolant accident (LOCA) testing, defueled oxidation quench testing and high temperature BDBA testing. The installation of the SATS system restores the domestic capability to examine postulated and extended LOCA conditions on spent fuel and cladding and provides a platform for evaluation of advanced fuel and accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding concepts. This document reports on the successful in-cell demonstration testing of unirradiated Zircaloy-4. It also contains descriptions of the integral test facility capabilities, installation activities, and out-of-cell benchmark testing to calibrate and optimize the system.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

In-service Oxidation and IASCC in High Fluence Baffle-Former Bolts Retrieved from a Westinghouse PWR

Baffle-former bolts (BFBs) are subjected to significant mechanical stress and neutron irradiation from the reactor core during the plant operation. Over the long operation period, these conditions lead to potential degradation and reduced load-carrying capacity of the bolts, and life extension of existing pressurized water reactors (PWRs) would only cause more damage to the bolt material. To this end, the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program Materials Research Pathway (MRP) successfully harvested two high fluence BFBs from a Westinghouse two-loop downflow type PWR in 2016. In the same year, the two BFBs were received at the Westinghouse Churchill facility for inspection and specimen fabrication. The fabrication was completed in 2017 with specimens shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for further testing. The objective of this project is to provide information that is integral to evaluating end of life microstructure and properties as a benchmark of international models developed for predicting radiation-induced swelling, segregation, precipitation, mechanical property degradation, and with the latest findings, susceptibility to irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC).

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Robust performance of multiple tasks by a mobile robot

While there have been many successful mobile robot experiments, only a few papers have addressed issues pertaining to the range of applicability, or robustness, of robotic systems. The purpose of this paper is to report results of a series of benchmark experiments done to determine and quantify the robustness of an integrated hardware and software system of a mobile robot.

Beckerman, Martin↗

Understanding Community Needs and Desires

This panel exchange is focused on the Integration Test phase within the development lifecycle with special emphasis and dedicated discussion on integration and testing of complex systems. Layout and scheduling of integration tasks come from the verification of interface and performance requirements. However, planning for integration activities of complex systems is inherently different from traditional systems engineering integration planning activities. Decisions about the systems under development have to consider not only the technical and programmatic viewpoints but also the political, societal, operational, and economic viewpoints. Definition of performance measures, found intrinsic in the plan, with trans-disciplinary implications will be discussed. A scenario of integration of UAS in the NAS will be used as a benchmark of current views and lifecycle challenges.

Murphy, James R.↗

Turbine Electrified Energy Management with Model Predictive Control

Affordability, sustainability, and efficiency are primary motivators driving the future of NASA aeronautics research. These factors are realized, in part, through the development and implementation of new technologies and strategies enabling efficient, affordable, and safe hybrid-electric aircraft. Research supporting electrified aircraft propulsion control systems exemplifies such new methodologies, offering varied opportunities to integrate electric machines with gas-based turbine engines. For hybrid-electric propulsion systems, current conceptual architectures seek to introduce energy storage and exploit electrical power system components to assist gas-based system components. Capitalizing on the electric machines in hybridized engines, Turbine Electrified Energy Management (TEEM) is a control approach that enhances transient operability to improve overall propulsion and vehicle efficiency by injecting or extracting power from engine shafts. Traditionally implemented with proportional-integral (PI) control, this study expands the application of TEEM by presenting model predictive control (MPC) schemes to execute the TEEM concept. Via cost function design and constraint selection, the transient operability goals for TEEM are considered in the controller designs. The proposed MPCs are simulated on a nonlinear turbofan engine model at two environmental conditions, with comparisons drawn to a baseline PI. Performance is evaluated using compressor maps and two TEEM-specific metrics: transient stack usage and transient excursion integral. Simulation results reveal the developed schemes perform comparably to the benchmark controller and can be implemented in two distinct configurations. Potential modifications for future investigations include cost function measures that optimize energy use, additional performance effectiveness measures, and battery storage capabilities.

Elyse D. Hill↗

Reassessing the Origins and Contemporary Relevance of ck Acceptability Parameters: Evolving Perspectives on Similarity

“Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analyses Applied to Criticality Safety Validation,” introduces sensitivity and uncertainty methods to address challenges in defining and extending areas of applicability for criticality safety validation. These areas are traditionally defined by the bounds or limits on key parameters, but establishing valid ranges and managing complex parameter variations remain challenging. NUREG/CR-6655 introduces ck and other integral indices, as well as concepts such as the completeness of benchmark coverage, to better quantify system similarities. The work proposed herein seeks to evaluate these foundational concepts to ensure that the bounds remain effective in guiding the assessment of similarity and applicability in modern applications. The concept of completeness, along with other parameters envisioned within the framework, serves as an example of the foundational ideas that have been established, though their effectiveness in practice may not be fully understood. Advancements in scripting tools, coupled with the speed and efficiency of modern computing and statistical models, now allow for faster and more thorough assessments than previously possible. These advancements also enable the identification of trends within the data, which could provide additional insight into system behavior and further broaden the scope of previously performed benchmarks. By leveraging these capabilities, we will revisit and expand the scope of these foundational methods to determine whether the necessary elements for robust similarity evaluation are already embedded, partially realized, or remain untapped.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

SLIP (Surrogate Launching and Integration Platform)

SLIP (Surrogate Launching and Integration Platform) is a software ecosystem for downloading and running ML/AI benchmarks. SLIP automatically downloads and sets up the code and data running a benchmark. The large data sets and model code are cached locally with a specific ID within a designated cache directory.

Brown, Cade↗

Neutron Reference Benchmark Field Specification: ACRR Free-Field Environment (ACRR-FF-CC-32-CL)

This report was put together to support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) REAL- 2016 activity to validate the dosimetry community’s ability to use a consistent set of activation data and to derive consistent spectral characterizations. The report captures details of integral measurements taken in the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) central cavity free-field reference neutron benchmark field. The field is described and an “a priori” calculated neutron spectrum is reported, based on MCNP6 calculations, and a subject matter expert (SME) based covariance matrix is given for this “a priori” spectrum. The results of 31 integral dosimetry measurements in the neutron field are reported.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Results of the GABLS3 diurnal-cycle benchmark for wind energy applications

We present results of the GABLS3 model intercomparison benchmark revisited for wind energy applications. The case consists of a diurnal cycle, measured at the 200-m tall Cabauw tower in the Netherlands, including a nocturnal low-level jet. The benchmark includes a sensitivity analysis of WRF simulations using two input meteorological databases and five planetary boundary-layer schemes. A reference set of mesoscale tendencies is used to drive microscale simulations using RANS k-ϵ and LES turbulence models. The validation is based on rotor-based quantities of interest. Cycle-integrated mean absolute errors are used to quantify model performance. The results of the benchmark are used to discuss input uncertainties from mesoscale modelling, different meso-micro coupling strategies (online vs offline) and consistency between RANS and LES codes when dealing with boundary-layer mean flow quantities. Altogether, all the microscale simulations produce a consistent coupling with mesoscale forcings.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Reviews and syntheses: Four decades of modeling methane cycling in terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract. Over the past 4 decades, a number of numerical models have been developed to quantify the magnitude, investigate the spatial and temporal variations, and understand the underlying mechanisms and environmental controls of methane (CH4) fluxes within terrestrial ecosystems. These CH4 models are also used for integrating multi-scale CH4 data, such as laboratory-based incubation and molecular analysis, field observational experiments, remote sensing, and aircraft-based measurements across a variety of terrestrial ecosystems. Here we summarize 40 terrestrial CH4 models to characterize their strengths and weaknesses and to suggest a roadmap for future model improvement and application. Our key findings are that (1) the focus of CH4 models has shifted from theoretical to site- and regional-level applications over the past 4 decades, (2) large discrepancies exist among models in terms of representing CH4 processes and their environmental controls, and (3) significant data–model and model–model mismatches are partially attributed to different representations of landscape characterization and inundation dynamics. Three areas for future improvements and applications of terrestrial CH4 models are that (1) CH4 models should more explicitly represent the mechanisms underlying land–atmosphere CH4 exchange, with an emphasis on improving and validating individual CH4 processes over depth and horizontal space, (2) models should be developed that are capable of simulating CH4 emissions across highly heterogeneous spatial and temporal scales, particularly hot moments and hotspots, and (3) efforts should be invested to develop model benchmarking frameworks that can easily be used for model improvement, evaluation, and integration with data from molecular to global scales. These improvements in CH4 models would be beneficial for the Earth system models and further simulation of climate–carbon cycle feedbacks.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

State Insights On The Water-Energy Nexus And Policy Ideas To Achieve Greater Savings

Governors, state policymakers, utilities and other stakeholders across the country are increasingly aware of the connection between energy and water production and use, and the need to conserve both resources to meet economic and environmental goals. It requires substantial amounts of water to produce energy and considerable amounts of energy to treat and deliver water. The critical interdependence between energy and water was clearly illustrated during the recent winter storm in Texas and other parts of the South in February 2021. Initial power outages contributed to a longer-term water crisis. Power outages led to water pump failures while water demand increased from frozen water pipes that burst. This caused low water pressure that can lead to harmful bacteria growth in the water. The power outages also prevented water treatment plants from properly treating the water for several days, thereby leaving many residents without clean drinking water and worsening the storm’s impacts. The National Governors Association has been working with states on this connection between water and energy and strategies for conserving those resources for several years. NGA held a Water-Energy Nexus Learning Lab in September 2020. This event invited two leading states in the water-energy nexus space, Arizona and Wisconsin, to showcase some of their model policies and programs to other states, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Washington, looking for greater savings opportunities. This paper provides an overview of challenges that states are facing in developing integrated water and energy conservation policies; provides background on Arizona and Wisconsin’s innovative water-energy policies and programs; and summarizes action items the participating state teams identified for their respective states. The main categories of policy solutions identified by states at NGA’s Water-Energy Nexus Learning Lab were: Funding & Financing – providing financial incentives for water efficiency modeled after established energy efficiency programs, and an emphasis on financial support for small water and energy utilities. Education & Technical Assistance – providing more education and training opportunities about ways to achieve cost-effective energy and water savings, and the needs of resource-constrained small and medium utilities for training and other assistance. Structural Changes to Encourage Conservation – developing ways to incentivize agricultural conservation such as through water allocation strategies; adopting water reuse or water loss standards; and requiring electric utilities to consider water impacts as part of their integrated resource planning process. Communications & Data – conducting energy audits, reviewing water data provided to state agencies, and developing data benchmarking tools to measure and better manage energy and water use. Climate Strategy – establishing a multi-agency working group or other collaborative approach to determine ways to integrate energy and water savings in state policies and help meet the state climate objectives.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗