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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 487 records · Page 27

Local spatial frequency analysis for computer vision

A sense of vision is a prerequisite for a robot to function in an unstructured environment. However, real-world scenes contain many interacting phenomena that lead to complex images which are difficult to interpret automatically. Typical computer vision research proceeds by analyzing various effects in isolation (e.g., shading, texture, stereo, defocus), usually on images devoid of realistic complicating factors. This leads to specialized algorithms which fail on real-world images. Part of this failure is due to the dichotomy of useful representations for these phenomena. Some effects are best described in the spatial domain, while others are more naturally expressed in frequency. In order to resolve this dichotomy, we present the combined space/frequency representation which, for each point in an image, shows the spatial frequencies at that point. Within this common representation, we develop a set of simple, natural theories describing phenomena such as texture, shape, aliasing and lens parameters. We show these theories lead to algorithms for shape from texture and for dealiasing image data. The space/frequency representation should be a key aid in untangling the complex interaction of phenomena in images, allowing automatic understanding of real-world scenes.

Krumm, John↗

Autonomous platform for solution processing of electronic polymers

The manipulation of electronic polymers’ solid-state properties through processing is crucial in electronics and energy research. Yet, efficiently processing electronic polymer solutions into thin films with specific properties remains a formidable challenge. We introduce Polybot, an artificial intelligence (AI) driven automated material laboratory designed to autonomously explore processing pathways for achieving high-conductivity, low-defect electronic polymers films. Leveraging importance-guided Bayesian optimization, Polybot efficiently navigates a complex 7-dimensional processing space. In particular, the automated workflow and algorithms effectively explore the search space, mitigate biases, employ statistical methods to ensure data repeatability, and concurrently optimize multiple objectives with precision. The experimental campaign yields scale-up fabrication recipes, producing transparent conductive thin films with averaged conductivity exceeding 4500 S/cm. Feature importance analysis and morphological characterizations reveal key design factors. This work signifies a significant step towards transforming the manufacturing of electronic polymers, highlighting the potential of AI-driven automation in material science.

Wang, Chengshi [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL),↗

Performance of Advanced Signal Processing and Pattern Recognition Algorithms Using Raw Data from Ultrasonic Guided Waves and Fiber Optics Transducers

The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program was initiated to evaluate technologies that could be used to perform online monitoring of piping and other secondary system structural components in commercial nuclear power plants. These online monitoring systems have the potential to identify when a more detailed inspection is needed using real-time measurements, rather than at a pre-determined inspection interval. This transition to condition-based, risk-informed automated maintenance will contribute to a significant reduction of operations and maintenance costs that account for most nuclear power generation costs. This report describes the current state of research related to ultrasonic guided wave testing and its application to detecting defects in commercial nuclear power plants. The report analyzes the applicability of the guided wave technology to secondary piping systems, as well as studying the potential for expanding the range of guided wave technology to include bent piping and other piping components. The ultrasonic guided waves can inspect long stretches of straight piping; however, more complex geometries such as elbows, welds, and tees are causing spurious reflections and coherent noise, which significantly decreases the sensitivity of the technique. To deal with these limitations, high-definition fiber optic sensors are applied to complex piping geometries, and advanced machine learning algorithms are used to detect deviations from healthy states. This report also analyzes the performance of advanced signal processing and machine learning-based pattern recognition algorithms in detecting defects in secondary structures. It is demonstrated on guided wave data collected at nuclear power plants that the independent component analysis can separate different coherent noise components and segregate them from useful signals. It also demonstrates that advanced machine learning techniques, such as neural networks, support vector machines, and deep learning networks, can detect minor defects present in inspected structures. Recommendation about the applicability of advanced machine learning techniques to online piping monitoring are also given.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Explainable Machine Learning for Functional Data

Black-box machine learning models are recognized as useful tools for prediction applications, but the algorithmic complexity of some models causes interpretation challenges. Explainability methods have been proposed to provide insight into these models, but there is little research focused on supervised modeling with functional data inputs. We argue that, especially in applications of high consequence, it is important to explicitly model the functional dependence in a black-box analysis to not obscure or misrepresent patterns in explanations. As such, we propose the V ariable importance E xplainable E lastic S hape A nalysis (VEESA) pipeline for training supervised machine learning models with functional inputs. The pipeline is an analysis process that includes the data preprocessing, modeling, and post-hoc explanations. The preprocessing is done using elastic functional principal components analysis, which accounts for vertical and horizontal variability in functional data and, ultimately, allows for explanations in the original data space that identify the important functional variability without bias due to correlated variables. Here, we demonstrate the pipeline on two high-consequence applications: explosives classification for national security and inkjet printer identification in forensic science. The applications exhibit the VEESA pipeline’s ability to provide an understanding of the characteristics of the functional data useful for prediction. Code for implementing the pipeline is available in the veesa R package (and supplemental python code).

Elastic Shape Analysis↗

Robot arm dynamic model reduction for control

General methods are described by which the mathematical complexities of explicit and exact state equations of robot arms can be reduced to a simplified and compact state equation representation without introducing significant errors into the robot arm dynamic model. The model reduction methods are based on homogeneous coordinates and on the Langrangian algorithm for robot arm dynamics, and utilize matrix, vector and numeric analysis techniques. The derivation of differential vector representation of centripetal and Coriolis forces which has not yet been established in the literature is presented.

Bejczy, A. K.↗

Design Strategy for a Formally Verified Reliable Computing Platform

This paper presents a high-level design for a reliable computing platform for real-time control applications. The design tradeoffs and analyses related to the development of a formally verified reliable computing platform are discussed. The design strategy advocated in this paper requires the use of techniques that can be completely characterized mathematically as opposed to more powerful or more flexible algorithms whose performance properties can only be analyzed by simulation and testing. The need for accurate reliability models that can be related to the behavior models is also stressed. Tradeoffs between reliability and voting complexity are explored. In particular, the transient recovery properties of the system are found to be fundamental to both the reliability analysis as well as the "correctness" models.

Butler, Ricky W.↗

SE-FIT

The mathematical theory of capillary surfaces has developed steadily over the centuries, but it was not until the last few decades that new technologies have put a more urgent demand on a substantially more qualitative and quantitative understanding of phenomena relating to capillarity in general. So far, the new theory development successfully predicts the behavior of capillary surfaces for special cases. However, an efficient quantitative mathematical prediction of capillary phenomena related to the shape and stability of geometrically complex equilibrium capillary surfaces remains a significant challenge. As one of many numerical tools, the open-source Surface Evolver (SE) algorithm has played an important role over the last two decades. The current effort was undertaken to provide a front-end to enhance the accessibility of SE for the purposes of design and analysis. Like SE, the new code is open-source and will remain under development for the foreseeable future. The ultimate goal of the current Surface Evolver Fluid Interface Tool (SEFIT) development is to build a fully integrated front-end with a set of graphical user interface (GUI) elements. Such a front-end enables the access to functionalities that are developed along with the GUIs to deal with pre-processing, convergence computation operation, and post-processing. In other words, SE-FIT is not just a GUI front-end, but an integrated environment that can perform sophisticated computational tasks, e.g. importing industry standard file formats and employing parameter sweep functions, which are both lacking in SE, and require minimal interaction by the user. These functions are created using a mixture of Visual Basic and the SE script language. These form the foundation for a high-performance front-end that substantially simplifies use without sacrificing the proven capabilities of SE. The real power of SE-FIT lies in its automated pre-processing, pre-defined geometries, convergence computation operation, computational diagnostic tools, and crash-handling capabilities to sustain extensive computations. SE-FIT performance is enabled by its so-called file-layer mechanism. During the early stages of SE-FIT development, it became necessary to modify the original SE code to enable capabilities required for an enhanced and synchronized communication. To this end, a file-layer was created that serves as a command buffer to ensure a continuous and sequential execution of commands sent from the front-end to SE. It also establishes a proper means for handling crashes. The file layer logs input commands and SE output; it also supports user interruption requests, back and forward operation (i.e. undo and redo), and others. It especially enables the batch mode computation of a series of equilibrium surfaces and the searching of critical parameter values in studying the stability of capillary surfaces. In this way, the modified SE significantly extends the capabilities of the original SE.

Chen, Yongkang↗

Alpha Shape Analysis (ASA) Framework for Post- Clustering Property Determination in Atom Probe Tomographic Data

While application of clustering algorithms to atom probe tomography data have enabled quantification of solute clusters in terms of number density, size, and subcomposition there exist other properties (e.g., volume, surface area, and composition) that are better determined by defining an interface between the cluster and the surrounding matrix. The limitation in composition results from an ion selection step where the expected matrix ion types are omitted from the cluster search algorithm to enhance the contrast between the matrix and cluster and to reduce the complexity of the search. Previously, composition determination within solute clusters has utilized a secondary envelopment and erosion step on top of conventional methods such as maximum separation. In this work, we present a novel stochastic method that combines the particle identification fidelity of a conventional clustering algorithm with the analytical flexibility of mesh-based approaches through the generation of alpha shapes for each identified cluster. Furthermore, the corresponding mesh accounts for concave components of the clusters and determines the volume and surface area of the clusters; additionally, the mesh boundary is utilized to update the total composition according to the internal ions.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Fidelity Analysis of Complex Large-Scale Simulation Models of PEs (MARS) in Future Power Grids

With the proliferation of power electronic (PE)-based resources in the electric grid, there have been numerous different kinds of simulation models developed and studied to understand their dynamic behavior. Study of PE-based resources using each simulation model has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Therefore it is very important to carefully select the appropriate model for the evaluation of the PE-based resources. In this paper, one such effort is made to analyze the different types of models in the case of a multi-port autonomous reconfigurable solar power plant (MARS). The MARS integrates a hybrid photovoltaic (PV)-energy storage system (ESS) plant to high-voltage direct current (HVdc) system and transmission alternating current (ac) grid. The dynamic models are evaluated under different test cases varying the short-circuit ratio (SCR) and control algorithms. Recommendations are provided on the equipment study needs based on the analysis completed.

Marthi, Phani Ratna Vanamali↗

Physiological time-series analysis: what does regularity quantify?

Approximate entropy (ApEn) is a recently developed statistic quantifying regularity and complexity that appears to have potential application to a wide variety of physiological and clinical time-series data. The focus here is to provide a better understanding of ApEn to facilitate its proper utilization, application, and interpretation. After giving the formal mathematical description of ApEn, we provide a multistep description of the algorithm as applied to two contrasting clinical heart rate data sets. We discuss algorithm implementation and interpretation and introduce a general mathematical hypothesis of the dynamics of a wide class of diseases, indicating the utility of ApEn to test this hypothesis. We indicate the relationship of ApEn to variability measures, the Fourier spectrum, and algorithms motivated by study of chaotic dynamics. We discuss further mathematical properties of ApEn, including the choice of input parameters, statistical issues, and modeling considerations, and we conclude with a section on caveats to ensure correct ApEn utilization.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Domain Adaptation for Measurements of Strong Gravitational Lenses

Upcoming surveys are predicted to discover galaxy-scale strong lenses on the magnitude of 105, making deep learning methods necessary in lensing data analysis. Currently, there is insufficient real lensing data to train deep learning algorithms, but training only on simulated data results in poor performance on real data. Domain adaptation can bridge the gap between simulated and real datasets. We adopt domain adaptation on the estimation of Einstein radius in simulated galaxy-scale gravitational lensing images. We evaluate two domain adaptation techniques - domain adversarial neural networks (DANN) and maximum mean discrepancy (MMD). We train on a source domain of simulated lenses and apply it to a target domain with emulation of DES survey conditions. We show that both domain adaptation techniques can significantly improve the model performance on the more complex target domain datasets. Our results show the potential of using domain adaptation to perform analysis on future survey data with a deep neural network trained on simulated data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Research in computational fluid dynamics and analysis of algorithms

Recently, higher-order compact schemes have seen increasing use in the DNS (Direct Numerical Simulations) of the Navier-Stokes equations. Although they do not have the spatial resolution of spectral methods, they offer significant increases in accuracy over conventional second order methods. They can be used on any smooth grid, and do not have an overly restrictive CFL dependence as compared with the O(N(exp -2)) CFL dependence observed in Chebyshev spectral methods on finite domains. In addition, they are generally more robust and less costly than spectral methods. The issue of the relative cost of higher-order schemes (accuracy weighted against physical and numerical cost) is a far more complex issue, depending ultimately on what features of the solution are sought and how accurately they must be resolved. In any event, the further development of the underlying stability theory of these schemes is important. The approach of devising suitable boundary clusters and then testing them with various stability techniques (such as finding the norm) is entirely the wrong approach when dealing with high-order methods. Very seldom are high-order boundary closures stable, making them difficult to isolate. An alternative approach is to begin with a norm which satisfies all the stability criteria for the hyperbolic system, and look for the boundary closure forms which will match the norm exactly. This method was used recently by Strand to isolate stable boundary closure schemes for the explicit central fourth- and sixth-order schemes. The norm used was an energy norm mimicking the norm for the differential equations. Further research should be devoted to BC for high order schemes in order to make sure that the results obtained are reliable. The compact fourth order and sixth order finite difference scheme had been incorporated into a code to simulate flow past circular cylinders. This code will serve as a verification of the full spectral codes. A detailed stability analysis by Carpenter (from the fluid Mechanics Division) and Gottlieb gave analytic conditions for stability as well as asymptotic stability. This had been incorporated in the code in form of stable boundary conditions. Effects of the cylinder rotations had been studied. The results differ from the known theoretical results. We are in the middle of analyzing the results. A detailed analysis of the effects of the heating of the cylinder on the shedding frequency had been studied using the above schemes. It has been found that the shedding frequency decreases when the wire was heated. Experimental work is being carried out to affirm this result.

Gottlieb, David↗

Design and implementation of dynamic I/O control scheme for large scale distributed file systems

In this paper, we have analyzed the input/output (I/O) activities of Cori, which is a high-performance computing system at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Our analysis results indicate that most users do not adjust storage configurations but rather use the default settings. In addition, owing to the interference from many applications running simultaneously, the performance varies based on the system status. To configure file systems autonomously in complex environments, we developed DCA-IO, a dynamic distributed file system configuration adjustment algorithm that utilizes the system log information to adjust storage configurations automatically. Our scheme aims to improve the application performance and avoid interference from other applications without user intervention. Moreover, DCA-IO uses the existing system logs and does not require code modifications, an additional library, or user intervention. To demonstrate the effectiveness of DCA-IO, we performed experiments using I/O kernels of real applications in both an isolated small-sized Lustre environment and Cori. Our experimental results shows that our scheme can improve the performance of HPC applications by up to 263% with the default Lustre configuration.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Application of deep learning methods for beam size control during user operation at the Advanced Light Source

Past research at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) provided a proof-of-principle demonstration that deep learning methods could be effectively employed to compensate for the significant perturbations to the transverse electron beam size induced by user-controlled adjustments of the insertion devices. However, incorporating these methods into the ALS’ daily operations has faced notable challenges. The complexity of the system’s operational requirements and the significant upkeep demands has restricted their sustained application during user operation. Here, we introduce the development of a more robust neural network (NN)-based algorithm that utilizes a novel online fine-tuning approach and its systematic integration into the day-to-day machine operations. Our analysis emphasizes the process of NN model selection, demonstrates the superior performance of the NN-based method over traditional feedback methods, and examines the effectiveness and resilience of the new algorithm during user-operation scenarios. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Path Sampling for Rare Events Boosted by Machine Learning

The study by Jung et al. introduced Artificial Intelligence for Molecular Mechanism Discovery (AIMMD), a novel sampling algorithm that integrates machine learning to enhance the efficiency of transition path sampling (TPS). By enabling on-the-fly estimation of the committor probability and simultaneously deriving a human-interpretable reaction coordinate, AIMMD offers a robust framework for elucidating the mechanistic pathways of complex molecular processes. Here, this commentary provides a discussion and critical analysis of the core AIMMD framework, explores its recent extensions, and offers an assessment of the method’s potential impact and limitations.

Minh, Porhouy [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN↗

Use of a genetic algorithm for the analysis of eye movements from the linear vestibulo-ocular reflex

It is common in vestibular and oculomotor testing to use a single-frequency (sine) or combination of frequencies [sum-of-sines (SOS)] stimulus for head or target motion. The resulting eye movements typically contain a smooth tracking component, which follows the stimulus, in which are interspersed rapid eye movements (saccades or fast phases). The parameters of the smooth tracking--the amplitude and phase of each component frequency--are of interest; many methods have been devised that attempt to identify and remove the fast eye movements from the smooth. We describe a new approach to this problem, tailored to both single-frequency and sum-of-sines stimulation of the human linear vestibulo-ocular reflex. An approximate derivative is used to identify fast movements, which are then omitted from further analysis. The remaining points form a series of smooth tracking segments. A genetic algorithm is used to fit these segments together to form a smooth (but disconnected) wave form, by iteratively removing biases due to the missing fast phases. A genetic algorithm is an iterative optimization procedure; it provides a basis for extending this approach to more complex stimulus-response situations. In the SOS case, the genetic algorithm estimates the amplitude and phase values of the component frequencies as well as removing biases.

Non-NASA Center↗

Instability analysis procedure for 3-level multi-bearing rotor-foundation systems

A procedure for the instability analysis of a three-level multispan rotor systems is described. This procedure is based on a distributed mass elastic representation of the rotor system in several eight-coefficient bearings. Each bearing is supported from an elastic foundation on damped, elastic pedestals. The foundation is represented as a general distributed mass elastic structure on discrete supports, which may have different stiffness and damping properties in the horizontal and vertical directions. This system model is suited to studies of instability threshold conditions for multirotor turbomachines on either massive or flexible foundations. The instability conditions is found by obtaining the eigenvalues of the system determinant, which is obtained by the transfer matrix method from the three-level system model. The stability determinant is solved for the lowest rotational speed at which the system damping becomes zero in the complex eigenvalue, and for the whirl frequency corresponding to the natural frequency of the unstable mode. An efficient algorithm for achieving this is described. Application of this procedure to a rigid rotor in two damped-elastic bearings and flexible supports is described. A second example discusses a flexible rotor with four damped-elastic bearings. The third case compares the stability of a six-bearing 300 Mw turbine generator unit, using two different bearing types. These applications validate the computer program and various aspects of the analysis.

Zhou, S.↗

Absolute contrast estimation for soft X-ray photon fluctuation spectroscopy using a variational droplet model

Abstract X-ray photon fluctuation spectroscopy using a two-pulse mode at the Linac Coherent Light Source has great potential for the study of quantum fluctuations in materials as it allows for exploration of low-energy physics. However, the complexity of the data analysis and interpretation still prevent recovering real-time results during an experiment, and can even complicate post-analysis processes. This is particularly true for high-spatial resolution applications using CCDs with small pixels, which can decrease the photon mapping accuracy resulting from the large electron cloud generation at the detector. Droplet algorithms endeavor to restore accurate photon maps, but the results can be altered by their hyper-parameters. We present numerical modeling tools through extensive simulations that mimic previous x-ray photon fluctuation spectroscopy experiments. By modification of a fast droplet algorithm, our results demonstrate how to optimize the precise parameters that lift the intrinsic counting degeneracy impeding accuracy in extracting the speckle contrast. These results allow for an absolute determination of the summed contrast from multi-pulse x-ray speckle diffraction, the modus operandi by which the correlation time for spontaneous fluctuations can be measured.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗