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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 451 records · Page 25

Self-healing, self-assembling islanded power systems using only local measurements

This SAND report collects the results from the LDRD project “SHAZAM”, which aimed to push the limits of performance for self-healing, self-assembling power systems whose sectionalizing and load-control agents rely on local measurements only (i.e., only what they can measure at their own terminals, with no data sharing between agents). This work includes self-networking microgrids. The key objectives of this work were a) to demonstrate how high the performance of local-measurement-only self-assembling power systems can be; and b) to solve certain technical problems associated with such systems, such as their inability to prevent the accidental formation of closed loops and their tendency to thermally overload some conductors. “SHAZAM” investigators a) demonstrated that the performance of such systems can be surprisingly high, b) demonstrated that such systems are quite robust to all kinds of variations, and c) developed and demonstrated solutions to several key challenges associated with this type of system.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Efficient Topology Assessment for Integrated Transmission and Distribution Network with 10,000+ Inverter-based Resources

The renewable energy proliferation calls upon the grid operators and planners to systematically evaluate the potential impacts of distributed energy resources (DERs). Considering the significant differences between various inverter-based resources (IBRs), especially the different capabilities between grid-forming inverters and grid-following inverters, it is crucial to develop an efficient and effective assessment procedure besides available co-simulation framework with high computation burdens. This paper presents a streamlined graph-based topology assessment for the integrated power system transmission and distribution networks. Graph analyses were performed based on the integrated graph of modified miniWECC grid model and IEEE 8500-node test feeder model, high performance computing platform with 40 nodes and total 2400 CPUs has been utilized to process this integrated graph, which has 100,000+ nodes and 10,000+ IBRs. The node ranking results not only verified the applicability of the proposed method, but also revealed the potential of distributed grid forming (GFM) and grid following (GFL) inverters interacting with the centralized power plants.

Graph Analysis, Topology evaluation, Infrastructur↗

High Performance Data Analytics on a Commodity Private Cloud

Sandia is researching novel methods of analysis for large datasets. The term “Big Data” has been used frequently in recent years to describe a discipline of computer science that attempts to distil an increasing quantity of data into a result or meaningful subset that can be easily visualized and acted upon by human consumers. These data are frequently characterized by one or more of the following: high volume, velocity, variety, and veracity. Sandia scientists and researchers are no strangers to large datasets, which often typify the result of high-performance computing workloads. The challenge for Sandia data scientists, however, comes at the arrival of exascale computing, which has become mandated by executive order for national computing centers. Because of power and networking limitations, exascale computing precludes the movement of datasets at exascale from data production to data analysis. Such analysis must be done in-situ, to mitigate the time and power costs of network transport. Currently, many of Sandia’s data analytics environments exist as independent entities, often specialized for individual use cases, interconnected to other data analytics, high-performance computing, and storage systems. Sandia is procuring, installing, and researching future platforms for such data analytics. A memory footprint of 256 GB per node, fourteen data rate (FDR) InfiniBand networking, PCIe connected non-volatile memory (NVMe) data storage, and an object data store will characterize the coming institutional data analytics platforms. The combined systems will contain 300 compute nodes. A cloud-inspired software stack resulting from collaboration between the Sandia centers will allow the systems to support a flexible mix of user and system-facing workloads and use cases including code development and testing in R and Python, Apache Hadoop and Spark, distributed in-memory databases, graph analytics, emulytics, system log and predictive analytics, and data visualization for institutional and mission customers. These systems will arrive at the end of FY 2015 and production is planned by the spring of FY 2016.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Heterogeneous Graph Neural Network for identifying hadronically decayed tau leptons at the High Luminosity LHC

Here, we present a new algorithm that identifies reconstructed jets originating from hadronic decays of tau leptons against those from quarks or gluons. No tau lepton reconstruction algorithm is used. Instead, the algorithm represents jets as heterogeneous graphs with tracks and energy clusters as nodes and trains a Graph Neural Network to identify tau jets from other jets. Different attributed graph representations and different GNN architectures are explored. We propose to use differential track and energy cluster information as node features and a heterogeneous sequentially-biased encoding for the inputs to final graph-level classification.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A Network Contention Model for the Extreme-scale Simulator

The Extreme-scale Simulator (xSim) is a performance investigation toolkit for high-performance computing (HPC) hardware/software co-design. It permits running a HPC application with millions of concurrent execution threads, while observing its performance in a simulated extreme-scale system. This paper details a newly developed network modeling feature for xSim, eliminating the shortcomings of the existing network modeling capabilities. The approach takes a different path for implementing network contention and bandwidth capacity modeling using a less synchronous and accurate enough model design. With the new network modeling feature, xSim is able to simulate on-chip and on-node networks with reasonable accuracy and overheads.

Engelmann, Christian↗

Reliability Assessment of Safety-Critical Network Communication in a Digitalized Nuclear Power Plant

In analog instrumentation and control (I and C) systems for nuclear power plants (NPPs), most connections are comprised of hardwired point-to-point types. Since they are based on analog technologies, they are fragile to noise and require analog-to-digital conversion time. Therefore, many NPPs have adopted communication network for the exchange of safety-critical data between programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in digital I and C systems to effectively accommodate a huge number of field controllers. However, the primary issue of digital network communication in a safety-critical system involves potential hazards, such as partial or total loss of communication between PLCs, which may result in a failure of safety critical signal generation when it is needed. Therefore, the probability that a safety-critical system in digitalized NPP becomes unsafe due to a network failure must be evaluated to quantify the risk of digital I and C system. In Korea, the Engineered Safety Feature-Component Control System (ESF-CCS) was developed as one of the digital safety-critical system in Advanced Power Reactor- 1400 (APR-1400). The function of a digital engineered safety feature (ESF) actuation system and field actuator controllers of conventional NPPs are performed by the ESF-CCS. In this system, safety-critical network, High Reliable- Safety Data Network (HR-SDN), was employed for the safety-critical data transmission from group controllers (GCs) to loop controllers (LCs). In this study, a framework for assessing the reliability of a HR-SDN network communication between GCs and LCs in the ESF-CCS in addition to a fault-tree model for ESF components considering network failure between GCs and LCs were developed to assess the plant risk effect of a newly developed digitalized ESF-CCS. Based on the case studies and cut set analysis, the risk effect of network failure on plant risk and the important risk contributors of network failure were quantitatively addressed. A framework for identifying the potential hazardous states of network communication in the ESFCCS was proposed. In addition, a fault-tree model for network communication failure was developed to estimate the risk effects of network failure between the GCs and LCs on ESF-CCS signal failure. The developed fault-tree model was then applied to several case studies. The fault-tree model of ESF-CCS signal failure for ESF components required for various mitigation actions regarding NPP DBAs was designed by considering the identified hazardous states of network failure that would result in a failure to provide input signals to the corresponding LC. As a sensitivity study, three case studies were performed based on the periodic test methods for hardware components in HR-SDN module and their test intervals in this study. The quantitative results for three case studies demonstrated that the probability of overall network communication failure, which was calculated as the sum of the failure probability associated with each failure cause, contributed up to 1.58% on the Small-LOCA CD frequency. The results also revealed the important basic events related to network failure in the case studies which included CCF of hardware and software in HR-SDN module. This study is expected to provide insight into the development of the fault-tree model for the network failure in digital I and C system and into the quantification of the risk effect of network failure for safety-critical data transmission in NPPs. As a further study, the risk effects of network failure in the ESF-CCS on the plant risk can be estimated in a more detailed manner by analyzing the failure modes and causes in a sub-component level and the fault detection coverage of the fault tolerance techniques for network failure implemented in ESF-CCS after the detailed configuration of ESF-CCS is decided. In terms of the failure of manual ESF actuation, the relationship among the human action failures must be investigated to consider multiple human error condition since ESF-CCS provides multiple manual actuation to assure the diversity of the system. Since the conventional HEP method cannot accommodate the multiple conditions in a fault tree, condition-based human reliability assessment (CBHRA) method or the dynamic human reliability modeling approach can be applied to include a complex relationship among the automated safety signal generation and the human operator's manual actuation, avoiding the optimistic estimation of HEP of the human action failure.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Consideration for the application of artificial neural networks to criticality code validation - 14270

The artificial neural network (ANN) is a consistent example for non-parametric parameter estimation and regression, with powerful universal approximation properties, that is distribution independent. ANN application to criticality code validation centers on aligning mathematical relationships between code validation parameters and neural network prediction for those parameter values. Two specific goals are: (1) an appropriate ANN architecture to determine validation parameter values, and (2) bootstrapping individual ANNs as a 'Prediction Interval' (PI) technique to estimate the Calculation Margin and Upper Subcritical Limit. The individual ANN workflow is segregated into Training, Validation (network), and Testing Sets, where the network predictive properties and performance are expressed in the latter set. The Bootstrap ANN replicates a large set of individual ANNs (taken from the original data distribution) where (1-α/2)100% PI estimates can be determined. Results from the ANN method are compared to a variety of validation examples: a 'toy example' from ANSI/ANS-8.24, Appendix D, a variety of methods noted in a Nuclear Criticality Safety Division 2009 paper, and several validation campaigns for highly enriched uranium and plutonium systems. The ANN method is robust and can be applied to single or multivariate inputs. A trained ANN can provide both an average estimate (e.g., single value) and an estimate over a range of independent variable values where the kUSL can be formed in a regression relationship suitable for extrapolation. The input dependence has been tested, ranging from 15 to over 400 sample size distributions. An expanded Shapiro-Wilk test (for sample sizes up to 5000) was implemented to confirm that the ANN method is transparent to distribution function. The Principle Component Analysis method was applied as an input preprocessing step embedded within the ANN in order to reduce dimensionality and correlation for multivariable inputs. This can potentially aid in determining accurate margins over applying arbitrary margins. The automatic optimization of the Bootstrap ANN PI is left for future consideration. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

Detecting anomalous packets in network transfers: investigations using PCA, autoencoder and isolation forest in TCP

Large-scale scientific workflows rely heavily on high-performance file transfers. These transfers require strict quality parameters such as guaranteed bandwidth, no packet loss or data duplication. To have successful file transfers, methods such as predetermined thresholds and statistical analysis need to be done to determine abnormal patterns. Network administrators routinely monitor and analyze network data for diagnosing and alleviating these, making decisions based on their experience. However, as networks grow and become complex, monitoring large data files and quickly processing them, makes it improbable to identify errors and rectify these. Abnormal file transfers have been classified by simply setting alert thresholds, via tools such as PerfSonar and TCP statistics (Tstat). This paper investigates the feasibility of unsupervised feature extraction methods for identifying network anomaly patterns with three unsupervised classification methods—principal component analysis, autoencoder and isolation forest. Here, we collect file transfer statistics from two experiment sets—synthetic iPerf generated traffic and 1000 Genome workflow runs, with synthetically introduced anomalies. Our results show that while PCA and a simple autoencoder finds it difficult to detect clusters, the tree-variant isolation forest is able to identify anomalous packets by breaking down TCP traces into tree classes early.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Event Cause Analysis in Distribution Networks using Synchro Waveform Measurements

This paper presents a machine learning method for event cause analysis to enhance situational awareness in distribution networks. The data streams are captured using time-synchronized high sampling rates synchro waveform measurement units (SWMU). The proposed method is formulated based on a machine learning method, the convolutional neural network (CNN). This method is capable of capturing the spatiotemporal feature of the measurements effectively and perform the event cause analysis. Several events are considered in this paper to encompass a range of possible events in real distribution networks, including capacitor bank switching, transformer energization, fault, and high impedance fault (HIF). The dataset for our study is generated using the real time digital simulator (RTDS) to simulate real-world events. The event cause analysis is performed using only one cycle of the voltage waveforms after the event is detected. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed machine learning-based method compared to the state-of-the-art classifiers.

Niazazari, Iman↗

Variable-Width Datapath for On-Chip Network Static Power Reduction

With the tight power budgets in modern large-scale chips and the unpredictability of application traffic, on-chip network designers are faced with the dilemma of designing for worst- case bandwidth demands and incurring high static power overheads, or designing for an average traffic pattern and risk degrading performance. This paper proposes adaptive bandwidth networks (ABNs) which divide channels and switches into lanes such that the network provides just the bandwidth necessary in each hop. ABNs also activate input virtual channels (VCs) individually and take advantage of drowsy SRAM cells to eliminate false VC activations. In addition, ABNs readily apply to silicon defect tolerance with just the extra cost for detecting faults. For application traffic, ABNs reduce total power consumption by an average of 45percent with comparable performance compared to single-lane power-gated networks, and 33percent compared to multi-network designs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Phase Identification in Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Patterns of Ti–6Al–4V Using Computer Vision and Deep Learning

X-ray diffraction patterns contain information about the atomistic structure and microstructure (defect population) of materials, extracting detailed information from diffraction patterns is complex, demanding and relies on prior knowledge. Here, we hypothesize that deep-learning techniques can help to perform an effective and accurate analysis with high throughput rates. To demonstrate this concept, we applied a novel deep learning framework to determine the evolution of the β-phase volume fraction in a Ti–6Al–4V alloy during heat-treatment from video sequences of 2D diffraction patterns recorded in transmission and with highly monochromatic radiation in a synchrotron beamline. In particular, we studied the impact of network design on prediction reliability and computational performance. Networks of different architectures were trained using 3008 experimental 2D patterns. A well-tuned model was found to reproduce the phase fractions of another experimental data set, consisting of 1100 diffraction patterns, with a mean-square error as small as 2.6 x 10 -4 . The average prediction error of β-phase volume fraction was within 1.6 x 10 -2 (in each diffraction pattern) of the values obtained by conventional methods. Our work demonstrates that convolutional neural networks can evaluate high energy X-ray diffraction patterns with a remarkable level of reliability. Furthermore, it demonstrates the significance of network design on the reliability of predictions and computational performance. The most complex models do not necessarily result in highest accuracy and may even fail to learn from the data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Highly functional microspheres facilitating Diels–Alder network formation

Introducing particles to dynamic covalent networks is a common approach to improve their performance. However, network formation can be impacted by their size and functionality. The influence can be predicted by common theories for small molecular precursors, but it is unclear whether they are applicable to precursors bearing numerous reactive groups and micrometer-scale dimensions. In this work, an experimental study was undertaken using dynamic covalent networks formed by the Diels–Alder reaction between furan and maleimide groups. The gelation behavior of the Diels–Alder networks was studied using rheometry to track their network formation at 40 °C with varying maleimide-functionalized microsphere loading. The highly functional microspheres can interact with the furan precursor, aiding in the formation of the Diels–Alder networks. A 5 wt% microsphere sample can reduce the gelation time by 23% and facilitate network formation in an unbalanced stoichiometry near the critical composition to form a percolating network.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Bayesian SegNet for Semantic Segmentation with Improved Interpretation of Microstructural Evolution During Irradiation of Materials

Understanding the relationship between the evolution of microstructures of irradiated LiAlO2pellets and tritium diffusion, retention and release could improve predictions of tritium performance. Given expert-labeled segmented images of irradiated and unirradiated pellets, we trained Deep Convolutional Neural Networks to segment images into defect, grain, and boundary classes. Qualitative microstructural information was calculated from these segmented images to facilitate the comparison of unirradiated and irradiated pellets. We tested modifications to improve the sensitivity of the model, including incorporating meta-data into the model and utilizing uncertainty quantification. The predicted segmentation was similar to the expert-labeled segmentation for most methods of microstructural qualification, including pixel proportion, defect area, and defect density. Overall, the high performance metrics for the best models for both irradiated and unirradiated images shows that utilizing neural network models is a viable alternative to expert-labeled images.

Oostrom, Marjolein T.↗

Comparative Analysis of HEATNETS for Geothermal Network Performance

Thermal energy networks (TENs), also known as 5th generation district energy systems, or more specifically geothermal networks when exchanging heat with geothermal boreholes, are an important technology for decarbonization. In these networks an ambient loop connects buildings and thermal sources, such as a borehole field, to exchange energy and maintain a desired loop temperature. Water-source heat pumps are used at the buildings to connect to the ambient or thermal loop to meet to the building heating and cooling loads and maintain comfort. A semi-transient, reduced-order technical model and techno-economic model, called HEATNETS, has been developed at NREL that captures the flow of energy around a TEN. In this work, a comparison of the HEATNETS technical model and a well-known coding platform used for modeling geothermal networks, TRNSYS, has been completed for a proposed geothermal network as a verification and validation process. Hourly data provided from the TRNSYS simulation included building loads, pumping power, heat pump power, temperature entering and leaving the borehole field, and mass flow rates. The hourly borehole temperatures were used to create a linear regression model utilized in HEATNETS to estimate the borehole field heat exchange. The building loads and mass flow rates were direct inputs to HEATNETS while the pumping power, heat pump power, borehole temperatures, and coefficients of performance were all simulated and calculated by HEATNETS, allowing for direct comparison of the thermal energy transfer HEATNETS considers the full process from design inputs to economic outputs and can provide modeling options for high-level initial system design and operational optimization. This study focuses on a validation of HEATNETS using results from TRNSYS. HEATNETS is not intended to replace other modeling tools, but this work demonstrates, via a comparison with an industry standard code, that HEATNETS can be a unique, high-level and rapid modeling tool for estimating the performance of a full geothermal network system.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Modeling heat transport processes in enhanced geothermal systems: Validation study from EGS Collab Experiment 1

Heat recovery from enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) is a complex process involving heat transport in both fracture networks and rock formations. A comprehensive understanding of and the ability to model the underlying heat transport mechanisms is important for the success of EGS but remains challenging in practice due to the generally insufficient characterization of EGS reservoirs. In the present study, we analyze an extensively monitored intermediate-scale EGS field experiment performed in a well-characterized testbed. The high-resolution, high-quality measurements from the field experiment enable the development of a high-fidelity model incorporating a well-constrained fracture network. Based on the field experiment, we investigate the complex heat transport processes in an EGS-relevant environment and validate the capability of a numerical approach in simulating these inherently coupled heat transport processes. A series of numerical simulations were performed to study the effects of different heat transport mechanisms, including thermal convection with fracture flow, thermal conduction in rock formations, and the Joule-Thomson effect. The agreement of thermal responses between field measurements and simulation results indicates that our numerical approach can appropriately model the heat transport processes pertaining to heat recovery from EGS reservoirs.

Wu, Hui↗

Emulation Framework for Distributed Large-Scale Systems Integration

Recent trends in systems engineering include integration of very large-scale systems, which entails significant challenges when they are geographically dispersed. In these scenarios, intelligent integration of distributed large-scale systems requires significant coordination among hardware elements as well as all software components. The approach of integrated systems (both computing platform and experimental equipment) for end-to-end orchestration is called federation. Virtual frameworks can aid in the testing, assessment, and implementation of a functional system of interconnected resources. We present an emulation framework that replicates the software environments of multi-site federations of computing systems and instruments. Our emulation framework allows systems engineers to reduce developmentcost and avoid disruptions to production infrastructure. Our framework was effectively used to develop and test software modules for various tasks including container orchestration and instrument access. For performance assessment, however, the emulated framework is severely limited in providing accurate network and IO measurements at 10 Gbps and higher data rates. The data transfer performance profiles estimated using these emulated measurements are usually inaccurate for high bandwidth and high latency connections, since emulation does not accurately reflect the critical network transport dynamics.We utilize measurements from a physical testbed with hardware network emulators to obtain data transfer profiles that closely match the expected profiles for the emulated federations. We show the effectiveness of our approach by an illustrative example of integrated (federated) multi-site ultra large-scale systems that are connected via high speed wide area networks.

Imam, Neena↗

Neural Networks and Graph Algorithms with Next-Generation Processors

The use of graphical processors for distributed computation revolutionized the field of high performance scientific computing. As the Moore's Law era of computing draws to a close, the development of non-Von Neumann systems: neuromorphic processing units, and quantum annealers; again are redefining new territory for computational methods. While these technologies are still in their nascent stages, we discuss their potential to advance computing in two domains: machine learning, and solving constraint satisfaction problems. Each of these processors utilize fundamentally different theoretical models of computation. This raises questions about how to best use them in the design and implementation of applications. While many processors are being developed with a specific domain target, the ubiquity of spin-glass models and neural networks provides an avenue for multi-functional applications. This provides hints at the future infrastructure needed to integrate many next-generation processing units into conventional high-performance computing systems.

Hamilton, Kathleen↗

4D Printing via an Unconventional Fused Deposition Modeling Route to High-Performance Thermosets

An unprecedented four-dimensional (4D) printing process allowing high-performance and shape memory thermoset to be printed, for the first time, by fused deposition modeling (FDM) with isotropic properties has been achieved. Here, bisphenol A-based epoxy and benzoxazine were formulated to a low-temperature thermoplastic and high-temperature thermoset resin, which is melt-extrudable and can be postcured into covalently cross-linked material. Carbon nanotube (CNT) was added in the resin to work as both mechanical enhancement filler and rheology modifier to prevent shape deformation during postcuring process. The cross-layer reaction fuses individual layers into an integrity, thus eliminating layer delamination induced by FDM, offering isotropic mechanical properties regardless of the printing orientations. The highly cross-linked network provides outstanding mechanical strength and superb thermal stability. The excellent shape memory performance with fast recovery rate and large recovery degree is also obtained in the three-dimensional (3D) printed composites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗