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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

datacenterCoolingModel

ExaDigiT is a framework for developing comprehensive digital twins of liquid-cooled supercomputers, which has three main modules: (1) a python-based Resource Allocator and Power Simulator (RAPS), (2) a Modelica-based Thermo-Fluidic cooling model, and (3) a C++-based augmented reality model built on Unreal Engine 5. The Modelica-based cooling model is primarily built-on the open-source Transient Simulation Framework of Reconfigurable Models (TRANSFORM) library and the open-source autocsm library. The library follows the templating architecture developed in the TRANSFORM and the autocsm libraries. This tool can be easily extended to model other Frontier-like liquid cooled supercomputers.

Kumar, Vineet [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL↗
DOE OSTI2020

Forward sensitivity approach for estimating eddy viscosity closures in nonlinear model reduction

In this paper, we propose a variational approach to estimate eddy viscosity using forward sensitivity method (FSM) for closure modeling in nonlinear reduced order models. FSM is a data assimilation technique that blends model's predictions with noisy observations to correct initial state and/or model parameters. We apply this approach on a projection based reduced order model (ROM) of the one-dimensional viscous Burgers equation with a square wave defining a moving shock, and the two-dimensional vorticity transport equation formulating a decay of Kraichnan turbulence. We investigate the capability of the approach to approximate an optimal value for eddy viscosity with different measurement configurations. Specifically, we show that our approach can sufficiently assimilate information either through full field or sparse noisy measurements to estimate eddy viscosity closure to cure standard Galerkin reduced order model (GROM) predictions. Therefore, our approach provides a modular framework to correct forecasting error from a sparse observational network on a latent space. We highlight that the proposed GROM-FSM framework is promising for emerging digital twin applications, where real-time sensor measurements can be used to update and optimize surrogate model's parameters.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Silver Lining

Clouds are shareable scientific instruments that create the potential for reproducibility by ensuring that all investigators have access to a common execution platform on which computational experiments can be repeated and compared. By virtue of the interface they present, they also lead to the creation of digital artifacts compatible with the cloud, such as images or orchestration templates, that go a long way-and sometimes all the way-to representing an experiment in a digital, repeatable form. In this article, I describe how we developed these natural advantages of clouds in the Chameleon testbed and argue that we should leverage them to create a digital research marketplace that would make repeating experiments as natural and viable part of research as sharing ideas via reading papers is today.

Cloud computing↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thin liquid film as an optical nonlinear-nonlocal medium and memory element in integrated optofluidic reservoir computer

Understanding light–matter interaction lies at the core of our ability to harness physical effects and to translate them into new capabilities realized in modern integrated photonics platforms. Here, we present the design and characterization of optofluidic components in an integrated photonics platform and computationally predict a series of physical effects that rely on thermocapillary-driven interaction between waveguide modes and topography changes of optically thin liquid dielectric film. Our results indicate that this coupling introduces substantial self-induced phase change and transmittance change in a single channel waveguide, transmittance through the Bragg grating waveguide, and nonlocal interaction between adjacent waveguides. We then employ the self-induced effects together with the inherent built-in finite relaxation time of the liquid film, to demonstrate that the light-driven deformation can serve as a reservoir computer capable of performing digital and analog tasks, where the gas–liquid interface operates both as a nonlinear actuator and as an optical memory element.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mutual Inductance Level Sensor for Use in Liquid Metals

Electromagnetic instrumentation capable of measuring the level of liquid metal has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory’s (ANL) Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL). The mutual inductance level sensor (MILS) utilizes the electromagnetic coupling between two coil conductors and a surrounding liquid metal to determine the level of the liquid metal. Mineral insulated cables wrapped on a stainless steel core provide a durable sensor construction. The use of a sealed stainless steel thimble isolates the sensor from the high-temperature liquid metal, allowing for easy sensor maintenance. Modern digital electronics allow for reliable and accurate operation of the sensor. Two sensor variations have been designed and fabricated, and the first variation has seen extensive testing in a non-sodium testing stand as well as in the high-temperature sodium environment of METL. Electromagnetic finite-element analysis studies have been performed using the COMSOL Magnetic Fields Solver. Regular operation of the MILS will commence following in-situ calibration of the sensors in the METL environment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

DINGO: Digital assistant to grid operators for resilience management of power distribution system

With increasing adverse weather events and disasters, enabling resiliency of the power distribution system (PDS) is becoming increasingly important. Here in this work, resiliency is defined as the systems ability to keep supplying critical loads even with multiple contingencies. Resiliency may depend on: (a) advanced tools to assist operators in situational awareness and decision making with the increasing volume of data generated by the PDS, (b) visualization and ease of interaction with system resources and information, especially during extreme events and resulting human operator stress, and (c) flexible resources and autonomous control. Operators and support engineers need to interact with the system for key information and take action under stress, given the requirement for decisions in a short time. Integrated technological solutions are prevailing steps to support the most appropriate decision during critical times to serve essential loads. In order to meet the required goals, a Real-time Resiliency Monitoring and Operational Decision Support (RT-RMOD) tool have been developed. It supports various functionalities, including real-time monitoring, resilience assessment, and proactive decision support. However, this work makes advanced feature additions to the tool by developing data-enabled resilience management algorithms for (i) outage detection and localization, (ii) Resiliency-metric driven restoration and reconfiguration, and (iii) NLP based digital assistant for operators called DINGO (DIgital assistaNt to Grid Operators) to interact with Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) and RT-RMOD. The developed algorithm was validated for multiple cases of weather events using a real-world, off-grid microgrid system modeled in a real-time simulator, sensor data, and software tools.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

The QICK (Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit): Readout and control for qubits and detectors

We introduce a Xilinx RF System-on-Chip (RFSoC)-based qubit controller (called the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit, or QICK for short), which supports the direct synthesis of control pulses with carrier frequencies of up to 6 GHz. The QICK can control multiple qubits or other quantum devices. The QICK consists of a digital board hosting an RFSoC field-programmable gate array, custom firmware, and software and an optional companion custom-designed analog front-end board. We characterize the analog performance of the system as well as its digital latency, important for quantum error correction and feedback protocols. We benchmark the controller by performing standard characterizations of a transmon qubit. We achieve an average gate fidelity of ℱ avg =99.93%. All of the schematics, firmware, and software are open-source.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Permeability Prediction Using Vision Transformers

Accurate permeability predictions remain pivotal for understanding fluid flow in porous media, influencing crucial operations across petroleum engineering, hydrogeology, and related fields. Traditional approaches, while robust, often grapple with the inherent heterogeneity of reservoir rocks. With the advent of deep learning, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have emerged as potent tools in image-based permeability estimation, capitalizing on micro-CT scans and digital rock imagery. This paper introduces a novel paradigm, employing vision transformers (ViTs)—a recent advancement in computer vision—for this crucial task. ViTs, which segment images into fixed-sized patches and process them through transformer architectures, present a promising alternative to CNNs. We present a methodology for implementing ViTs for permeability prediction, its results on diverse rock samples, and a comparison against conventional CNNs. The prediction results suggest that, with adequate training data, ViTs can match or surpass the predictive accuracy of CNNs, especially in rocks exhibiting significant heterogeneity. This study underscores the potential of ViTs as an innovative tool in permeability prediction, paving the way for further research and integration into mainstream reservoir characterization workflows.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advanced Transmission Technologies –GETs and HPCs Session 3: HPCs and Building Actions Plans to Digital Assurance Risks

The third session of the Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Technical Assistance for Digital Assurance (TADA) program, held on November 11, 2025, centered on High Performance Conductors (HPCs) and the formulation of action plans to address digital assurance risks associated with Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs). This session convened experts from utilities, vendors, and government agencies to examine the technical, operational, and cybersecurity aspects of HPC deployment. Discussions highlighted the benefits of HPCs, such as their ability to rapidly increase transmission capacity using existing corridors, improve grid resilience, reduce system losses, and align with FERC Orders 2023 and 1920. Participants evaluated supply chain and digital assurance risks, including reliance on imported materials, limited domestic manufacturing capacity, workforce shortages, and traceability issues. The session also emphasized the importance of digital trust, integration-layer cybersecurity, and unified risk frameworks, introducing tools like intrusion detection systems, encryption, zero trust networking, and firmware integrity. Recaps of earlier workshops on Dynamic Line Ratings (DLRs), Advanced Power Flow Control (APFC), and Transmission Topology Optimization (TTO) underscored institutional barriers and integration challenges. Action plans were proposed to mitigate issues such as inconsistent cybersecurity practices, SBOM usage, supply chain visibility, operator trust, and misaligned incentives. Additionally, INL presented its supply chain risk management tools and Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) principles to support secure procurement and system design. The session concluded with a commitment to share key takeaways, incorporate cohort feedback into future policy development, and continue collaborative engagement through upcoming pilot activities. Session 3 of 3.

24 - POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impact of Backing Plate and Thermal Boundary Conditions for High-Speed Friction Stir Welding of 25-mm Thick Aluminum Alloy 7175-T79

Here this study demonstrates high-speed (150 mm/min) single pass friction stir butt joining of 25 mm thick aluminum alloy 7175-T79. To understand the impact of quenching and cooling rate on process responses, joint strength, and grain size distributions across the weld thickness, we performed a series of friction stir welding (FSW) trials in air and with a trailing water spray using steel and composite backing plates (BP). Welds made in air and trailing water spray exhibit significantly different hardness distributions across the nugget, heat affected zone (HAZ), and HAZ minimum hardness as evidenced by detailed microhardness mapping. The effect of trailing water spray (TWS) on joint efficiency overshadows the influence of BP composition due to the vastly different contribution to quenching. TWS also resulted in a multifaceted effect on FSW such as lowering processing temperature, increasing X and Z forces while lowering Y force, and narrow heat affecting zone. Finally, digital image correlation (DIC)-based fracture mode analysis and grain size measurements correlate with the hardness distribution.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

MyCrunchGPT: A LLM Assisted Framework for Scientific Machine Learning

Scientific machine learning (SciML) has advanced recently across many different areas in computational science and engineering. Here, the objective is to integrate data and physics seamlessly without the need of employing elaborate and computationally taxing data assimilation schemes. However, preprocessing, problem formulation, code generation, postprocessing, and analysis are still time- consuming and may prevent SciML from wide applicability in industrial applications and in digital twin frameworks. Here, we integrate the various stages of SciML under the umbrella of ChatGPT, to formulate MyCrunchGPT, which plays the role of a conductor orchestrating the entire workflow of SciML based on simple prompts by the user. Specifically, we present two examples that demonstrate the potential use of MyCrunchGPT in optimizing airfoils in aerodynamics, and in obtaining flow fields in various geometries in interactive mode, with emphasis on the validation stage. To demonstrate the flow of the MyCrunchGPT, and create an infrastructure that can facilitate a broader vision, we built a web app based guided user interface, that includes options for a comprehensive summary report. The overall objective is to extend MyCrunchGPT to handle diverse problems in computational mechanics, design, optimization and controls, and general scientific computing tasks involved in SciML, hence using it as a research assistant tool but also as an educational tool. While here the examples focus on fluid mechanics, future versions will target solid mechanics and materials science, geophysics, systems biology, and bioinformatics.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Diffuser Braze Development

At the request of SRTE, through the PDRD project, SRNL is developing a vacuum brazing process to facilitate the fabrication of hydrogen purification systems. In particular, this effort is directed at tube-style hydrogen diffusers. The diffusers are comprised of numerous palladium-silver tubes that are brazed to a nickel fitting, which is subsequently welded to a stainless steel tube, fitting, or tube sheet. Historically, torch brazing has been used as a heat source; for this work vacuum furnace brazing was suggested to improve the uniformity of the process. This report describes the braze process development for braze selection and simple nickel fitting to tube brazing. Five braze alloys were selected and sessile drop testing was conducted over a range of temperatures from 25 to 75° C over the liquidus temperature. Samples were characterized for wetting angle, erosion, and brazability. The cup-to-tube braze joints were inspected using digital radiography, ultrasonic testing, and metallographic examination. Two of the five alloys exhibited excellent fabrication properties and are considered for further development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The archives of the future

The term “artificial intelligence” (AI) - essentially programming machines to think like humans - conjures up different emotions in different people. Some view it with fear, imagining a malevolent AI similar to Skynet in the Terminator movies. Others see something benevolent, such as the character Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation . Still others see it as a means to advance the frontiers of science, engineering and technology to new levels not possible through traditional means. At the National Security Research Center (NSRC or the Center), which is the classified library at Los Alamos National Laboratory, we see AI as a tool to help us go through the monumental tasks we have in digitizing, cataloging, and searching our collections.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-Pressure, Low Temperature Composite Nozzles for Long-Term H2 Dispensing (Final Report)

Final report on evaluation of NanoSonic high pressure hydrogen hoses under CRADA 399. NanoSonic hose liners, fiber winding, and hose end crimp fittings were analyzed for material properties, design, and burst test performance. The hose burst pressures exceeded 100 MPa under -130C sub ambient conditions. Hose crimp fittings were found to have some defects from assembly that impacted burst pressures. The use of digital image correlation provided unique insight to the crimped fitting influence on the composite material and the winding pattern during burst testing.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mechanical properties and strain localization of WA-DED printed P91 steel

This paper discusses a P91 steel block that was additively manufactured by wire arc direct energy deposition (WA-DED) followed by two types of post-process heat treatment (PPHT). Vickers microhardness and digital image correlation tensile tests were performed along the building direction. The global mechanical properties (i.e., microhardness and tensile properties) and the local mechanical responses (i.e., hardness fluctuation and strain localization) were systematically investigated. Results showed that (1) all P91 specimens showed higher strengths than American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard requirements for wrought P91 steel, (2) the as-printed P91 exhibited much higher average hardness and fluctuations than that after PPHT, (3) PPHT reduced P91 strengths but improved the ductility significantly, and (4) strain localization presented in the as-printed specimen during uniform deformation in tensile tests. The hardness fluctuation and strain localization along the building direction of the AP P91 were caused by different thermal histories received during WA-DED. The study indicated that PPHT, ideally tempering-only heat treatment, is necessary for the WA-DED printed P91 steel.

Mechanical properties↗