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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 577 records · Page 32

Frequency based electric vehicle charge controller system and method for implementing demand response and regulation services to power grid using frequency detection

Frequency responsive charging for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV), a frequency sensing charging system and a method are provided for implementing demand response and regulation services to power grid using frequency detection for a frequency-based charge controller for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV). A frequency of the power grid is continuously monitored and compared to a predefined tolerance band by a frequency sensor. Responsive to the frequency being outside the predefined tolerance band, the frequency is applied to a programmable logic controller. The programmable logic controller uses the applied frequency to identify a control action. A charge controller and a switch coupled to a battery charger receive respective identified control actions for controlling the battery charger.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Ultra-Large-Scale Power System Control and Coordination Architecture: A Strategic Framework for Integrating Advanced Grid Functionality

Electric power grids are being stressed by integration of intermittent renewable resources and significant adoption of distributed energy resources. The complexity of the grid is growing rapidly as we attempt to support technical, business, and societal goals for which power grids were not originally designed. Today, we largely take stability of the grid for granted. Stability could significantly degrade or collapse because of new dynamics introduced to the grid, and because the emerging extreme complexity makes traditional control analysis intractable, so that grid behavior is more unpredictable than in the past. This paper describes emerging issues in grid control and provides reasons why the present path of grid control evolution is problematic and presents an ultra-large scale framework for grid control that can solve today’s problems and those expected over the next 30 years. Failure to address these issues in the short term will result in rapidly escalating system deployment and maintenance costs, potential stranded assets related to replacement of the “ad hoc” systems, along with substantial operational risks that are unacceptable under current utility and regulatory practices.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Outline for Feasibility Study on a Nuclear Material Accounting and Control System for Measurement of High-Activity Waste at Tokai Reprocessing Plant during Decommissioning

The objective of this collaboration between the DOE/NNSA International Nuclear Security Program (INS) and JAEA is to conduct a feasibility study on nuclear material accounting and control needs and requirements for NDA measurement of high-activity waste at TRP during the decommissioning process. Under this study, both sides will exchange information, perform an assessment of needs and requirements, and develop joint recommendations for development of the A-HMMS.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

SICS: A Sensor-Based In-Line Control System for the Surfaces of Continuously Cast Slabs

The goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate a SICS test unit that meet the need of the steel industry for enhancing the continuous casting process for improved surface quality for the targeted benefits and that is composed of an In-line Imaging Module and a Hybrid Predictive Control Module. The In-line Imaging Module provides the real-time or near real-time Product Information to the Hybrid Predictive Control Module. The latter is able to fuse the Product Information with the Process Information. In order to support the goal, this project had the technical objectives for indexes such as inspection accuracy and in-line service life, based on the inspection coverage of the entire cast slab. The deployment of the SICS systems has the potential to provide benefits in reduction of energy waste, CO 2 emission, waste water amount, toxic waste, and so forth. It will help to uphold the competitiveness of the industry that employs approximately 150,000 people nationwide and consumes about 3% of the energy in the country. The Phase II project has been carried out in accordance to the proposed tasks and budget, based on the original and extended schedule. The R&D team designed and implemented the test unit for the full width coverage, installed the unit in a caster. The development work further included enhanced image processing, in-depth defect study and process control models. The function, operation, and maintenance of the SICS was thoroughly studied during the Phase II research. The experience indicates additional hardware and procedures are required to make the SICS a commercially ready product in operation and maintenance aspect. Such developments have been finished and the team is contacting potential customers for the first commercial installation of SICS. Additionally, OGT is exploring the possibility to team up with a US company that specializes in surface cleaning for slabs/blooms/billets such that the in-line surface inspection can be integrated with in-line surface clean up for the maximum benefit to the steel industry.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Node-red Software Architecture For Soec System Control

The software workflows that have been developed are open-source and therefore can be accessed and utilized by researchers and students all around the world for free of cost. The software is flexible and easily modifiable to suit the needs for testing bench-scale to system-level setups, and is not limited to just hydrogen generation facilities. The web-interface of the code allows for easy remote access and management, which is especially useful for distributed systems. This is more challenging with traditional PLCs, which often require direct connections or specialized software, making remote troubleshooting more cumbersome. Additionally, since the underlying interface is open-source, with an active community contributing to its development, regular updates, new features, and a wealth of community support and shared solutions will keep improving the overall architecture without excessive fees for upgrades.

Shigrekar, Amey [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), ↗

Octet: A coherent qubit control system for trapped-ion quantum computers

This is firmware and software designed for a Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC chip made by Xilinx, specifically targeted to laser-based individual addressing of trapped ion qubits via a multi-channel AOM. The design features 8 dual-tone outputs with frequencies up to 409 MHz that can be controlled statically or dynamically via on-chip cubic spline interpolation engines that allow one to generate sequences of output waveforms with fast modulation of frequency, phase, amplitude, and z-rotations that are smooth/discrete and can run simultaneously across all parameters/tones. It also features global phase alignment on all tones regardless of frequency and the ability to return to a known phase/frequency at any later time on a per-tone basis without the need for manual bookkeeping. Acoustic and optical cross-talk can also be destructively canceled by adding neighboring outputs with variable amplitude/phase/delay. Each tone can be optionally frequency locked to an external RF source. SAND2020-12703 M 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 under contract DE-NA0003525.

Lobser, Daniel↗

First Steps Toward Incorporating Image Based Diagnostics Into Particle Accelerator Control Systems Using Convolutional Neural Networks

At present, a variety of image-based diagnostics are used in particle accelerator systems. Often times, these are viewed by a human operator who then makes appropriate adjustments to the machine. Given recent advances in using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for image processing, it should be possible to use image diagnostics directly in control routines (NN-based or otherwise). This is especially appealing for non-intercepting diagnostics that could run continuously during beam operation. Here, we show results of a first step toward implementing such a controller: our trained CNN can predict multiple simulated downstream beam parameters at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility's low energy beamline using simulated virtual cathode laser images, gun phases, and solenoid strengths.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Transformational Challenge Reactor Autonomous Control System Framework and Key Enabling Technologies

Autonomous operation of nuclear plants has the potential for significantly improving the economics of existing plants while maintaining operation within the safety envelope of the reactor. Autonomous operation technology, if developed and deployed, may enable deployment of small reactors at remote sites while requiring minimal operator support. In addition to reducing costs, the technology can add additional layers of safety through rapid decision making and actuation in off-normal situations. Within the context of the Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR), autonomous control along with the other unique characteristics of the reactor (advanced manufacturing) is expected to enable rapid deployment. On the other hand, technology for autonomy can add risk to the system if not properly developed. There is therefore a need for systematic development and demonstration of autonomy technology for TCR. This document describes a framework for autonomy for the TCR. It defines autonomous operation and examines whether autonomy is possible for nuclear systems. The report also describes enabling sensing technologies for autonomy and describes a framework to facilitate autonomy.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

EVs-at-RISC: A Secure and Resilient Interoperable SCM Control System Architecture for Electric Vehicle’s-at-Scale (Final Technical Report)

The EVs-at-RISC project was a five-year research, development, and demonstration initiative to create foundational tools for utility-scale fleet aggregation and Smart Charge Management (SCM) of Electric Vehicles (EV), Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI), and related Distributed Energy Resources (DER). Rather than seeking to develop and demonstrate highly perfected SCM algorithms and control strategies, this project instead focused on creating foundational software solutions that enable unprecedented digital interoperability across the communications technologies and vendor platforms used to manage EV , EVCI, and DER, as well as existing energy management infrastructure operated by utilities, grid operators, and aggregators. This project then extends these novel interoperability capabilities to develop and deploy powerful middleware abstractions across grid edge networks and EVCI/DER fleet aggregations incorporating modern software tools and best practices, such as CI/CD, to bring the immense capabilities of infrastructure-as-code and policy-as-code to modern grid edge network environments. This addresses the foremost systemic issues preventing realization of any net operational benefits from scaled deployment of behind-the-meter EV, EVCI, and DER assets in electric power grids and markets today. The results of this approach and project unlock massive potential for new SCM capabilities to be easily prototyped, evaluated, and deployed at-scale within the existing grid edge network infrastructure and EVCI/DER technology ecosystem. The EVs-at-RISC project achieves this by extending Open Field Message Bus (OpenFMB), a conceptual model for digital interoperability and distributed intelligence in traditional front-of-meter utility SCADA networks, validating our hypothesis that OpenFMB could be similarly used to solve systemic digital interoperability issues in behind-the-meter environments and unlock real-world utility-scale SCM capabilities without requiring any new proprietary vendor solutions or significant infrastructure reconfiguration.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Development of a Low-Pressure Helium Compression Control System Strategy

Cryogenics is now widely used in large accelerator projects using applied superconductivity. Economic considerations require an increase in the performance of superconducting devices. One way to achieve this is by lowering their operating temperature and cooling with superfluid helium. For this reason, large cryogenic systems operating at 1.8 K and capable of producing refrigeration capacity in the kW range have to be developed and implemented. These cryogenic systems require a large pumping capacity at very low pressure using integral cold compression or mixed cold-warm compression. This paper describes the different cooling methods using cold and hybrid cycles, describes the cycle operational capabilities, and reviews the low-pressure helium compression control strategy for these cycles developed at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Self Adaptive Air Turbine for Wave Energy Conversion Using Shutter Valve and OWC Heoght Control System

An oscillating water column (OWC) is one of the most technically viable options for converting wave energy into useful electric power. The OWC system uses the wave energy to “push or pull” air through a high-speed turbine, as illustrated in Figure 1. The turbine is typically a bi-directional turbine, such as a Wells turbine or an advanced Dennis-Auld turbine, as developed by Oceanlinx Ltd. (Oceanlinx), a major developer of OWC systems and a major collaborator with Concepts NREC (CN) in Phase II of this STTR effort. Prior to awarding the STTR to CN, work was underway by CN and Oceanlinx to produce a mechanical linkage mechanism that can be cost-effectively manufactured, and can articulate turbine blades to improve wave energy capture. The articulation is controlled by monitoring the chamber pressure. Funding has been made available from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to CN (DOE DE-FG-08GO18171) to co-share the development of a blade articulation mechanism for the purpose of increasing energy recovery. However, articulating the blades is only one of the many effective design improvements that can be made to the composite subsystems that constitute the turbine generator system.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Comments on Bechtel's "Radio Frequency Interference Test Procedure for Instrument and Control Systems"

A copy of the Radio Frequency Interference Test Procedure and sketches for the interconnections was provided to me by Mazhar Haq for review. The intent is to determine whether adverse interactions will be observed at the Russell City Energy Center (RCEC) site due to coupled RF fields from the KFAX / KTRB AM broadcast antenna array. Construction of the RCEC has been impacted by the generation of RF currents in closed loops when large cranes are used for moving materials, appropriate measures have been employed to eliminate safety issues affecting the workers. The impact of the larger RF fields on the sensors and control actuators is yet a concern. The Test Procedure describes the use of a temporary, 100 foot tall assembly of raceway, conduit, wiring and sensors that will be supported by a crane in the area of heat recovery system located closest to the antenna array. Sensors and actuators will be operated to observe whether the normal daytime operation of the broadcast transmitters results in functional impairment.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Term Matrix: a novel Gene Ontology annotation quality control system based on ontology term co-annotation patterns

Biological processes are accomplished by the coordinated action of gene products. Gene products often participate in multiple processes, and can therefore be annotated to multiple Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Nevertheless, processes that are functionally, temporally and/or spatially distant may have few gene products in common, and co-annotation to unrelated processes probably reflects errors in literature curation, ontology structure or automated annotation pipelines. We have developed an annotation quality control workflow that uses rules based on mutually exclusive processes to detect annotation errors, based on and validated by case studies including the three we present here: fission yeast protein-coding gene annotations over time; annotations for cohesin complex subunits in human and model species; and annotations using a selected set of GO biological process terms in human and five model species. For each case study, we reviewed available GO annotations, identified pairs of biological processes which are unlikely to be correctly co-annotated to the same gene products (e.g. amino acid metabolism and cytokinesis), and traced erroneous annotations to their sources. To date we have generated 107 quality control rules, and corrected 289 manual annotations in eukaryotes and over 52 700 automatically propagated annotations across all taxa.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Business Case Analysis for Digital Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control System Modernizations

This LWRS research seeks to assist in breaking the impasse which has precluded digital safety system upgrades by generating and demonstrating a process and related business case tool to enable a Business Case Analysis (BCA). The purpose of a BCA is to show such upgrades can be economically justified. This BCA methodology first systematically establishes a forecast of expected lifecycle costs for I&C identified for upgrade by: • Definitively bounding the scope of current I&C systems envisioned for upgrade. • Collecting historical labor and material usage data that bound cost contributors related to the systems to be upgraded. • Synthesizing and analyzing the data to establish lifecycle cost forecasts for the current systems. In collaboration with engineers familiar with the attributes of the digital equipment to be used in the upgrade and how it is envisioned to be applied, cost savings categories and expected savings in those categories are then identified and applied using the analysis tools developed for this purpose. The result is an estimate NPV of savings enabled by the upgrade. This includes both direct cost savings (e.g., surveillance labor costs) as well as cost avoidance items (e.g., inventory carrying costs). Finally, when utility-provided digital upgrade costs estimates are included, the resultant BCA provides an NPV for the upgrade project. Development of a useful BCA methodology requires a real-world basis. With the cooperation of Exelon Generation (“Owner”), an Exelon-owned 2-Unit BWR Station (“Station”) was used as the foundation for this research. Exelon is pursuing a digital upgrade of current, first-echelon, safety-related I&C systems at these units, including the following: • Reactor Protection System (RPS) • Nuclear Steam Supply Shutoff System (N4S) • Emergency Core Cooling Systems (ECCS) • Anticipated Transient Without Scram (ATWS) Mitigation System

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗