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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Ethical Considerations for Developing Repository Warning Messages to the Future - 16152

One topic being addressed internationally through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency initiative on the Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory is the nature of messages to be sent into the distant future, and the means whereby to send them. The U.S. Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office is the owner of a mined geologic repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. By regulation, this office must implement, prior to the repository being closed, 'passive institutional controls' that last as long as practicable. In the case of this specific repository, all the waste is government generated (defense programs) hence all funding is public money. As such, the preliminary vision for this message conveyance is a somewhat elaborate system that includes records rooms, monoliths, and inscriptions in seven different languages. As the time for repository closure approaches, this aspect of the repository investment will incur a considerable portion of the closure funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress. An ethical question that arises concerns the effects of the public investment to be made on the generations paying for it, and the risk-avoidance benefit to be expected for the generations going into the far future. This is an especially pressing question where taxpayer (public) money is involved, although it does not make sense to waste money collected from any source. This paper explores the ethical dimensions of creating a substantial and sophisticated system of warnings that communicates into the future and concludes that the repository warning system needs to be practicable from a technical point of view, reasonable from an investment point of view, and ethical from an inter-generational equity point of view. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Twenty Years and Counting—Where are they? Practical Recommendations for Commercializing AI/ML for Intrusion Detection in the Nuclear Industry

Research and development into applications for improving equipment condition monitoring programs at nuclear facilities has been around since the 1990s. However, while the field has moved from using data-driven machine learning (ML) algorithms for detection and prediction of equipment degradation and failure to prognostic capabilities, these applications are still not widely used in the U.S. nuclear industry. Additionally, there has been significant effort in designing both data-driven and physics-based artificial intelligence (AI) and ML models for many other potential applications in the nuclear industry, including cyber intrusion detection systems (IDS). However, as the last twenty years in condition-based maintenance research has shown us, there are significant hurdles that must be overcome for deployment of IDS on plant systems. This paper provides a discussion on the practical recommendations that researchers should consider for successful adoption of AI/ML IDS in the nuclear industry.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2021

Toward Performance Portable Programming for Heterogeneous System-on-Chips: Case Study with Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC

Future heterogeneous Domain-Specific System-on-Chips (DSSoC) will be extraordinarily complex in terms of processors, memory hierarchies, and interconnection networks.To manage this complexity, architects, system software designers, and application developers need programming technologies that are flexible, accurate, efficient, and productive. These technologies will need to be as independent of any one specific architecture as is practical, because the sheer dimensionality and scale of the complexity will not allow porting and optimizing applications foreach given DSSoC. To address these issues, we are developing Cosmic Castle, a performance portable programming toolchain for streaming applications on heterogeneous architectures. The primary focus of Cosmic Castle is on enabling efficient and performant code generation through the smart compiler and intelligent runtime system. This paper presents the preliminary evaluation of our ongoing work toward Cosmic Castle. Specifically, we detail our code porting efforts and evaluate various benchmarks on the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC using tools developed through Cosmic Castle.

Cabrera, Anthony↗
DOE OSTI2023

2022 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the. U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range. Activities at the site are conducted in support of U.S. Department of Energy weapons programs and have operated at the site since 1957. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding file environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range during calendar year 2022. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, wastewater discharge, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE 0 231.IB, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting and has been approved for public distribution.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Safer Foundation Solar Demands Skill Collaborative

The milestones and accomplishments achieved in Safer’s Solar Demands Skill Training program required a collective effort of stakeholders. The ability to achieve the desired results and impact lives of the population we serve works best when collaborating with community stakeholders such as community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, community activists, local law enforcement, community residents, employers, and elected and appointed officials. We are working harder than ever to place clients in-demand careers and high-growth industry sectors. Our employer engagement with high growth sectors continues to increase, we have been able to deepen our relationships in this space by providing in demand stackable credential training. Launched our initiative in the green job space by partnering with organizations like ComEd, the Department of Energy, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and manufacturers that helped to train clients in the green jobs and renewable energy space. By the end of the year, we will have completed our tenth cohort of photovoltaic solar installation training. The training has been used as a foundation for solar panel installers to acquire new skills in in the green jobs career pathways, such as sales and customer service. It has also served as a pipeline to union-level trade positions through the skills participants obtained through partnership engagement. Safer Foundation's policy and advocacy team plays a major role in expanding opportunities for people with records to over one hundred occupations, including the trades. This reform has allowed many to secure living wage employment, reducing the high recidivism rate within Illinois. Safer continues to build our social enterprise with Reconstructive Technology Partners (RTP). RTP is introducing people with records to the construction trades such as solar, carpentry and electrical through residential remodeling of homes on smaller construction projects. Understanding the need to have a greater community presence, outreach was extended to a boots on the ground model, including, but not limited to door-to-door engagement, DE-EE0008571 Safer Foundation Page 4 of 29 local radio broadcasting and print ads in local newspapers. We continue to seek innovative ways to increase Safer Foundations' presence in the renewable energy space. Outreach efforts gave us an opportunity to share critical reentry information and opportunities about our PV installer program. Giving us reach with local and national audiences alike. We launched a systematic approach to improving client data and client tracking through an evidence-based practices initiative. That implemented an agency wide cross-functional data management system. The system supported our goal of reviewing, evaluating, and making recommendations to improve operational processes, program delivery, information sharing, and more. Played a significant part in the success of the solar program. Finally, economists around the nation agree that there is a significant labor shortage. The shortage directly threatens our ability to sustain our economic growth; if employers do not have access to the workers they need, it can lead to a shutdown in the economic recovery. The demand for Safer Foundation services is more important and impactful than ever. We will continue to build upon our 50 years of experience to address the challenges ahead and serve more people in a better way. We are confident we will accomplish beautiful things that benefit everyone involved because together, we are powerful.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

2023 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range. Activities at the site are conducted in support of U.S. Department of Energy weapons programs and have operated at the site since 1957. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range during calendar year 2023. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, wastewater discharge, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

TH-C-18C-01: MRI Safety

Clinical diagnostic medical physicists may be responsible for implementing and maintaining a comprehensive MR safety program. Accrediting bodies including the ACR, IAC, Radsite and The Joint Commission each include aspects of MR Safety into their imaging accreditation programs; MIPPA regulations further raise the significance of non-compliance. In addition, The Joint Commission recently announced New and Revised Diagnostic Imaging Standards for accredited health care organizations which include aspects of MR Safety. Hospitals and clinics look to the physicist to understand guidelines, regulations and accreditation requirements related to MR safety. The clinical medical physicist plays a significant role in a clinical practice by understanding the physical basis for the risks and acting as a facilitator to successfully implement a safety program that provides well-planned siting, allows for the safe scanning of certain implanted devices, and helps radiologists manage specific patient exams. The MRI scanning of specific devices will be discussed including cardiac pacemakers and neurostimulators such as deep brain stimulators. Furthermore for sites involved in MR guided interventional procedures, the MR physicist plays an essential role to establish safe practices. Creating a framework for a safe MRI practice includes the review of actual safety incidents or close calls to determine methods for prevention in the future. Learning Objectives: Understand the requirements and recommendations related to MR safety from accrediting bodies and federal regulations. Understand the Medical Physicist's roles to ensure MR Safety. Identify best practices for dealing with implanted devices, including pacemakers and deep brain stimulators. Review aspects of MR safety involved in an MR guided interventional environment. Understand the important MR safety aspects in actual safety incidents or near misses.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Cybersecurity Considerations for State Procurement of Solar Assets

This tool provides an overview of existing procurement programs and example language that prioritizes cybersecurity language and references that can readily be applied to state solar cybersecurity practices . The tool also identifies sample language for procurement agreements, contracts, and grants which can serve as lower entry points for state officials interested in pursuing this subject matter more immediately. As this approach may be novel for many states, the information therein should be considered as a model only . The programs and example language included are not exhaustive and should be evaluated in accordance with state processes and policies .

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Precise implications for real-space pair distribution function modeling of effects intrinsic to modern time-of-flight neutron diffractometers

Total scattering and pair distribution function (PDF) methods allow for detailed study of local atomic order and disorder, including materials for which Rietveld refinements are not traditionally possible (amorphous materials, liquids, glasses and nanoparticles). With the advent of modern neutron time-of-flight (TOF) instrumentation, total scattering studies are capable of producing PDFs with ranges upwards of 100–200 Å, covering the correlation length scales of interest for many materials under study. Despite this, the refinement and subsequent analysis of data are often limited by confounding factors that are not rigorously accounted for in conventional analysis programs. Furthermore, while many of these artifacts are known and recognized by experts in the field, their effects and any associated mitigation strategies largely exist as passed-down `tribal' knowledge in the community, and have not been concisely demonstrated and compared in a unified presentation. This article aims to explicitly demonstrate, through reviews of previous literature, simulated analysis and real-world case studies, the effects of resolution, binning, bounds, peak shape, peak asymmetry, inconsistent conversion of TOF to d spacing and merging of multiple banks in neutron TOF data as they directly relate to real-space PDF analysis. Suggestions for best practice in analysis of data from modern neutron TOF total scattering instruments when using conventional analysis programs are made, as well as recommendations for improved analysis methods and future instrument design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

In Recognition of Sandia's SCRM Program, Delivering Over 500 Subcontractor Risk Assessments in 2018

The globalization of modern supply chains has resulted in many new risks to Sandia's NW programs and mission. The potential impact of counterfeit products, tampering, theft, malicious software, poor manufacturing and/or development practices, and the influence of foreign governments has become more obvious as new threats and compromises continuously emerge. The Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) team was formed specifically to understand and address these risks. We were able to coalesce around these principles to develop and optimize an effective risk assessment process for critical suppliers, called Subcontractor Risk Assessments (SRAs). These elevated screening techniques are planned and delivered in a cost-effective way for Sandia's programs (no increase to purchasing burden rates) and also demonstrate due diligence to DOE/NNSA as a component of Sandia's overall SCRM strategy. SRAs are communicated in a concise 1-page format complete with recommendations as well as links to reference materials for those who require additional details about the SRA process and results.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Novel Earned Value Management System Maturity Framework and Its Relation to Project Performance

Earned value management systems (EVMS) are used by industry practitioners to successfully manage projects and programs; however, there has been no past study to characterize and evaluate the impact of EVMS maturity on project performance. This paper introduces a novel framework, developed to measure the EVMS maturity, composed of 56 attributes arrayed across ten subprocesses, which together make up an integrated project/program management system. This paper describes how the framework was conceived and developed, based on literature review and data collected from industry workshops. Then, it examines the relationship between EVMS maturity and ten project performance metrics through statistical analyses. The study analyzed project data from 35 projects and programs worth over $21.8 billion in total cost. For this sample, results showed statistically significant differences between projects with high and low EVMS maturity; on average, projects exhibiting high EVMS maturity have 54% less cost overruns and 19% less change orders versus their performance measurement baseline. Higher maturity projects and programs also achieve better customer satisfaction, meet business objectives more often, and are more often in compliance with EVMS standards and guidelines. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a practical and novel framework for assessing the maturity of earned value management systems. Practitioners can use the framework to improve their integrated project and program management.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Optimizing Vehicle Fleet and Assignment for Concentrating Solar Power Plant Heliostat Washing

Concentrating solar power central-receiver plants use thousands of sun-tracking mirrors, i.e., heliostats, to reflect sunlight to a central receiver, which collects and uses the heat to generate electricity. Over time, soiling reduces the reflectivity of the heliostats and, therefore, the efficiency of the system. Current industry practice sends vehicles to wash heliostats in an ad hoc fashion. We present a mixed-integer nonlinear program that determines wash vehicle fleet size, mix, and assignment of wash crews to heliostats to minimize the sum of (i) the revenues lost due to heliostat soiling, (ii) the costs of hiring wash crews and operating the vehicles, and (iii) the costs of purchasing wash vehicles. We establish conditions for convexity of the objective function, and then propose a decomposition method that enables near-optimal solutions to the wash vehicle fleet sizing and assignment problem on the order of a couple of minutes. Furthermore, these solutions yield hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings per year over current industry practices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Towards Digital and Performance-Based Supervisory HVAC Control Delivery

Upgrading supervisory HVAC control in commercial buildings is one of the most attractive decarbonization tools at our disposal. Modern controls are software programs and can in theory be deployed at scale and with a low up-front carbon "pulse". In practice, however, control delivery is a disjointed and inefficient process, dominated by manual handoffs of imprecise English language documents. A particularly high barrier exists between control implementation and building energy modeling (BEM) which results in control sequences typically not being tested for correctness or performance before implementation. Together with industry partners, DOE and the national labs are developing an ecosystem of tools and standards that can support fully digital performance-based control delivery workflows. This paper describes this ecosystem, which consists of three mutually supportive efforts. Semantic models of buildings and their systems enable automatic configuration and installation of control software. Platform-neutral control descriptions separate control algorithms from control platforms and enable the creation of libraries of reference control implementations. Dynamic whole-building energy-control simulation that can execute physically realistic control sequences makes it possible to test and evaluate the performance of control sequences and then directly compile them for installation and execution in control systems. In addition to digitizing and streamlining project-level control delivery, these standards and related software support benchmarking of control algorithms, both rule-based and optimization-based, and help to both advance the state of the art and to implement ratings and programs that encourage the adoption of high-performance control.

building controls↗
DOE OSTI2018

A library of building occupant behaviour models represented in a standardised schema

During the past four decades, a significant body of literature has reported on the impacts of occupant behaviour (OB) on building technologies, operation, and energy consumption. A large number of data-driven behavioural models have been developed based on field data. These models lack standardisation and consistency, leading to difficulties in applications and comparison. To address this concern, an ontology was developed using the drivers-needs-actions-systems (DNAS) framework. Recent work has been carried out to implement the theoretical DNAS framework into an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) schema, titled ‘occupant behaviour XML’ (obXML) which is a practical implementation of OB models that can be integrated into building performance simulation (BPS) programs. This paper presents a newly developed library of OB models represented in the standardised obXML schema format. This library provides ready-to-use examples for BPS users to employ more accurate occupant representation in their energy models. The library, which contains an initial effort of 52 OB models, was made publicly available for the BPS community. As part of the library development process, limitations of the obXML schema were identified and addressed, and future improvements were proposed. Authors hope that by compiling this library building, energy modellers from all over the world can enhance their BPS models by integrating more accurate and robust OB patterns.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2019

Assessing overall building energy performance of a large population of residential single-family homes using limited field data

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the Building Energy Codes Program (BECP), supports building energy code development and implementation processes to achieve the maximum practicable, cost-effective improvements in energy efficiency while providing safe, healthy buildings for occupants. Currently, there is a lack of statistically representative data that shows how energy codes are implemented in the field and the energy savings opportunities that exist. To address this gap, DOE initiated a research study targeted at new residential single-family homes in 8 states starting in the fall of 2014. The study comprises of a baseline phase to determine current levels of compliance with the key energy provisions of the residential building energy code, identify issues, and calculate potential energy savings from improved compliance; a second phase implementing education, training and outreach activities designed to increase targeted code compliance; and a post-study phase to measure the impact of the training and outreach activities compared to the baseline phase. Initial analyses determined the code requirements with the largest energy impact and the minimum number of observations required to detect statistically significant differences in energy use. Data was collected in the field during a single site visit to avoid bias from repeat visits. However, the single site visit principle prevented energy simulation of individual homes due to the lack of all required model inputs. To address this, energy simulation was conducted using Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s prototype building models and employing bootstrap random sampling on the data collected from all homes visited. The modeled energy consumption using the observed field data was evaluated relative to that associated with the minimum code requirements and potential savings associated with improved compliance of select items were assessed. This paper discusses the methodology developed for this field study, and presents the results and findings from the baseline phase.

Xie, YuLong↗
DOE OSTI2014

Circumstances and outcomes of falls among high risk community-dwelling older adults

For older adults, falls threaten their health, independence, and quality of life. Knowing the circumstances surrounding falls is essential for understanding how behavioral and environmental factors interact in fall events. It is also important for developing and implementing interventions that are effective and acceptable to older adults. This study investigated the circumstances and injury outcomes of falls among community-dwelling older adults at high risk for falls. In this secondary analysis, we examined the circumstances and outcomes of falls experienced by 328 participants in the Dane County (Wisconsin) Safety Assessment for Elders (SAFE) Research Study. SAFE was a randomized controlled trial of a community-based multifactorial falls intervention for older adults at high risk for falls, conducted from October 2002 to December 2007. Participants were community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years who reported at least one fall during the year after study enrollment. Falls were collected prospectively using monthly calendars. Everyone who reported a fall was contacted by telephone to determine the circumstances surrounding the event. Injury outcomes were defined as none, mild (injury reported but no treatment sought), moderate (treatment for any injury except head injury or fracture), and severe (treatment for head injury or fracture). Data were available for 1,172 falls. A generalized linear mixed model analysis showed that being aged ≥85 (OR = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2–3.9), female (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.3–3.4), falling backward and landing flat (OR = 5.6, 95% CI = 2.9–10.5), sideways (OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 2.6–8.0) and forward (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 2.0–5.7) were significantly associated with the likelihood of injury. Of 783 falls inside the home, falls in the bathroom were more than twice as likely to result in an injury compared to falls in the living room (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.2–4.9). Most falls among these high risk older adults occurred inside the home. The likelihood of injury in the bathroom supports the need for safety modifications such as grab bars, and may indicate a need for assistance with bathing. These findings will help clinicians tailor fall prevention for their patients and have practical implications for retirement and assisted living communities and community-based fall prevention programs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

RCT: 2.05 Contamination Control, Course #8770

This report focuses on the detection and control of radioactive contamination, which are an integral part of an aggressive ALARA program and provide an indication of the effectiveness of engineering controls and proper work practices in preventing the release of radioactive material. Radioactive contamination, if undetected or not properly controlled, can be spread and contaminate areas, equipment, personnel, and the environment.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗