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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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DistOPF: Advanced Solutions for Distribution Optimal Power Flow Analysis - DistOPF v0.2 Documentation

To achieve an affordable and reliable energy system, research on power distribution system is often focused on integration of distributed generators, energy storage solution, EV charging, smart meters, and other advanced assets that may benefit from or require more advanced control and optimization techniques. Despite this focus on advanced distribution system topics, early researchers and grid scientists often start from scratch when developing optimization programs for power distribution systems. This report introduces DistOPF, a Python package that consolidates years of research into a versatile and modular tool. DistOPF provides researchers with essential capabilities to solve distribution system Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problems using standard network models. Additionally, it offers a platform to benchmark both new and existing algorithms against established test systems.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Modeling Tool Development and Validation for Solar Industry Process Heat Using Particle Thermal Energy Storage

U.S. industry sectors used 26.2 quadrillion Btu and accounted for 33% of total energy consumption in 2021 according to the Energy Information Agency. Industrial process heat accounts for 70% of industrial energy use with application temperatures ranging from 60 degrees -1100 degrees C. Industry processes, heavily relying on fossil fuels of cheap coal or natural gas, differ widely in operating conditions and load requirements which makes them difficult to standardize and imposes great challenges in decarbonization. Industry processes require reliable energy supply and vary widely in temperature ranges. Storing energy from renewable sources is necessary to improve reliability and to mitigate renewable intermittency when replacing carbon fuel-based heat supplies to achieve energy savings and reduce emissions. To this end, we have developed a particle-based thermal energy storage (TES) technology using low-cost and highly stable silica sand as a storage medium. The economic and performance-based analysis is key for renewable energy sources to reliably supply industry process heat and ultimately displace fossil fuels for decarbonization. The diversified industrial processes need case-by-case analysis and design. Therefore, an adaptive modeling tool is key for renewable power with energy storage to meet industry demands. Thus, a modeling tool to simulate a solar industry process heat system using the particle TES has been developed using the object-oriented equation-based language Modelica and the commercial platform of Modelon Impact. The Modelica-based software tool provides a general simulation environment for the design of reliable solar energy sources integrated with TES for various industrial process applications at different temperatures for economic competence with fossil fuels such as coal and natural gases. It uses both customized and standard component modeling modules in Modelon libraries for the flexibility to be adapted to a specific energy demand application. The particle TES system establishes a uniform energy supply platform with an efficient heat exchanger and particle thermal energy reservoir integrated with renewable powers. The particle TES system can provide a wide temperature range and can have a large storage temperature difference that increases storage energy density; therefore, it can be an adaptable energy storage system integrated with renewable power to supply 24/7 heat for industry decarbonization.

concentrated solar thermal↗

The Development of a Demonstration Passive System Reliability Assessment

In this paper, the details of the development of a demonstration problem to assess the reliability of a passive safety system are presented. An advanced small modular reactor (advSMR) design, which is a pool-type sodium fast reactor (SFR) coupled with a passive reactor cavity cooling system (RCCS) is described. The RELAP5-3D models of the advSMR and RCCS that will be used to simulate a long-term station blackout (SBO) accident scenario are presented. Proposed benchmarking techniques for both the reactor and the RCCS are discussed, which includes utilization of experimental results from the Natural convection Shutdown heat removal Test Facility (NSTF) at the Argonne National Laboratory. Details of how mechanistic methods, specifically the Reliability Method for Passive Systems (RMPS) approach, will be utilized to determine passive system reliability are presented. The results of this mechanistic analysis will ultimately be compared to results from dynamic methods in future work. This work is part of an ongoing project at Argonne to demonstrate methodologies for assessing passive system reliability.

Bucknor, Matthew↗

In-depth quantitative analysis of the microstructures produced by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT)

Electron BackScattered Diffraction (EBSD) maps are used to characterize quantitatively the graded microstructure formed by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT) and applied here to the 316L stainless steel. In particular, the analysis of GNDs – coupled with relevant and reliable criteria – was used to depict the thickness of each zone identified in the SMAT-affected layers: (i) the “ultrafine grain” (UFG) zone present at the extreme top surface, (ii), the “transition zone” where grains were fragmented under the heavy plastic deformation and, finally, (iii) the “deformed zone” where initial grains are simply deformed. The interest of this procedure is illustrated through the comparative analysis of the effect of some SMAT processing parameters (amplitude of vibration and treatment duration). The UFG and transition zones are more significantly modified than the overall affected thickness under our tested conditions. - Highlights: • EBSD maps are used to characterize quantitatively the microstructure of SMAT treated samples. • Calculation of the GND density to quantify strain gradients • A new method to depict the different zone thicknesses in the SMAT affected layer • Effects of SMAT processing parameters on the surface microstructure evolution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The Prospects for Pumped Storage Hydropower in Alaska

Key Takeaways: The resource mapping analysis confirmed that numerous locations in Alaska are suitable for the development of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) projects, both larger grid scale projects and smaller projects that could be suitable for remote communities; The resource assessment for larger, grid-scale projects showed the potential for more than 1,800 closed-loop systems in Alaska, with a total energy storage capacity of about 4 terawatt hours (TWh); Because of their small reservoir sizes and dam heights, many locations were identified as potentially suitable for small-scale PSH systems. Nearly 50% of the identified potentially suitable small-scale PSH sites are in Southeast Alaska; PSH candidate sites were part of the optimal capacity expansion solution in all scenarios analyzed for the Railbelt system. Depending on the scenario, the new PSH capacity that the model selected for the analysis period until 2046 ranged from 300 MW to 600 MW. The locations and timing of new PSH investments vary in different scenarios; Lithium-ion batteries were also selected a source of new generating capacity in all analyzed scenarios for the Railbelt system, indicating that the system will need a mix of short- and long-duration energy storage to support variable renewable energy sources and provide system reliability in the future; For rural communities, analysis results showed that PSH suitability is very site-specific; in addition to diesel fuel costs and PSH capital costs, suitability depends heavily on available renewable resources and existing infrastructure (e.g., reservoirs, transmission access and construction road access); The analysis for rural communities also showed that PSH projects with 10-hour energy storage are likely to be more economical for remote community applications in Alaska than those with larger reservoirs that could provide 10 days of energy storage; Lithium-ion batteries seem to be an economically more viable energy storage option for small, remote communities in Alaska.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Investigation of electrochemical migration on Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ag-0.03P-0.005Ni solder alloy in HNO{sub 3} solution

Current issue in lead-free solder in term of its reliability is still under investigation. This high impact research attempts to investigate the electrochemical migration (ECM) on Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ag-0.03P-0.005Ni solder alloy by Water Drop Test (WDT) in different concentration of HNO{sub 3} solution. The concentration of HNO{sub 3} solution used in this research was 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 and 1M. Optical Microscope (OM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) were carried out in order to analysis the ECM behavior based on the growth of dendrite formation after WDT. In general, the results demonstrated that dendrite growth is faster in higher concentration compared with low concentration of HNO{sub 3}. The concentration of HNO{sub 3} solution used has a strong correlation with Mean-Time-To-Failure (MTTF). As the concentration of HNO{sub 3} increases, the MTTF value decreases. Based on the MTTF results the solder alloy in 1M HNO{sub 3} solution is most susceptible to ECM. SnO{sub 2} forms as a corrosion by-product in the samples proved by EDX analysis. The solder alloy poses a high reliability risk in microelectronic devices during operation in 1M HNO{sub 3} solution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Transitioning from Simulation to Reality: Applying Chatter Detection Models to Real-World Machining Data

Chatter, a self-excited vibration phenomenon, is a critical challenge in high-speed machining operations, affecting tool life, product surface quality, and overall process efficiency. While machine learning models trained on simulated data have shown promise in detecting chatter, their real-world applicability remains uncertain due to discrepancies between simulated and actual machining environments. The primary goal of this study is to bridge the gap between simulation-based machine learning models and real-world applications by developing and validating a Random Forest-based chatter detection system. This research focuses on improving manufacturing efficiency through reliable chatter detection by integrating Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), Receptance Coupling Substructure Analysis (RCSA), and Transfer Learning (TL). The study applies a Random Forest classification model trained on over 140,000 simulated machining datasets, incorporating techniques like Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), Receptance Coupling Substructure Analysis (RCSA), and Transfer Learning (TL) to adapt the model for real-world operational data. The model is validated against 1600 real-world machining datasets, achieving an accuracy of 86.1%, with strong precision and recall scores. The results demonstrate the model’s robustness and potential for practical implementation in industrial settings, highlighting challenges such as sensor noise and variability in machining conditions. This work advances the use of predictive analytics in machining processes, offering a data-driven solution to improve manufacturing efficiency through more reliable chatter detection.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Modeling Imperfect Generator Behavior in Power System Operation Models

A key component in power system operations is the use of computer models to quickly study and analyze different operating conditions and futures in an efficient manner. The output of these models are sensitive to the data used in them as well as the assumptions made during their execution. One typical assumption is that generators and load assets perfectly follow operator control signals. While this is a valid simulation assumption, generators may not always accurately follow control signals. This imperfect response of generators could impact cost and reliability metrics. This paper proposes a generator model that capture this imperfect behavior and examines its impact on production costs and reliability metrics using a steady-state power system operations model. Preliminary analysis shows that while costs remain relatively unchanged, there could be significant impacts on reliability metrics.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

High Performance-Multidisciplinary Simulation for Regional Scale Earthquake Hazard and Risk Assessments

Moderate-to-large magnitude earthquakes represent a significant risk around the world and a major issue across the Department of Energy (DOE) mission interests, ranging from DOE's one-of-a-kind mission critical facilities to national energy systems (nuclear power plants, electric/gas distribution systems, and renewable energy production facilities). As a result, for the DOE there is a strong motivation in promoting and developing a risk-informed and performance-based approach for both the assessment of existing facilities and the design of new structures. DOE National Labs have historically made multidisciplinary contributions to the solution of challenging seismic hazard and risk problems and have been at the forefront for the development of design standards for major facilities. The current approach for estimating the ground motion hazard for critical facilities is based upon a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA), whereby measured ground motion data are collected and homogenized into a probabilistic framework to estimate the hazard for future events. However, recent studies have highlighted the site-specific nature of earthquakes and shown the limitations of a purely empirical approach. Moreover, the design of infrastructure systems has been moving toward a performance-based approach, in which specific performance goals are specified at different levels of excitation and for different limit states. Such an approach requires the availability of robust and reliable computational tools for the nonlinear dynamic analysis of complex structural systems. Ongoing research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) aims at developing an advanced simulation environment at the exascale for a coupled assessment of earthquake hazard (ground motions) and earthquake risk (structural demands)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Resiliency in numerical algorithm design for extreme scale simulations

Here this work is based on the seminar titled ‘Resiliency in Numerical Algorithm Design for Extreme Scale Simulations’ held March 1–6, 2020, at Schloss Dagstuhl, that was attended by all the authors. Advanced supercomputing is characterized by very high computation speeds at the cost of involving an enormous amount of resources and costs. A typical large-scale computation running for 48 h on a system consuming 20 MW, as predicted for exascale systems, would consume a million kWh, corresponding to about 100k Euro in energy cost for executing 10 23 floating-point operations. It is clearly unacceptable to lose the whole computation if any of the several million parallel processes fails during the execution. Moreover, if a single operation suffers from a bit-flip error, should the whole computation be declared invalid? What about the notion of reproducibility itself: should this core paradigm of science be revised and refined for results that are obtained by large-scale simulation? Naive versions of conventional resilience techniques will not scale to the exascale regime: with a main memory footprint of tens of Petabytes, synchronously writing checkpoint data all the way to background storage at frequent intervals will create intolerable overheads in runtime and energy consumption. Forecasts show that the mean time between failures could be lower than the time to recover from such a checkpoint, so that large calculations at scale might not make any progress if robust alternatives are not investigated. More advanced resilience techniques must be devised. The key may lie in exploiting both advanced system features as well as specific application knowledge. Research will face two essential questions: (1) what are the reliability requirements for a particular computation and (2) how do we best design the algorithms and software to meet these requirements? While the analysis of use cases can help understand the particular reliability requirements, the construction of remedies is currently wide open. One avenue would be to refine and improve on system- or application-level checkpointing and rollback strategies in the case an error is detected. Developers might use fault notification interfaces and flexible runtime systems to respond to node failures in an application-dependent fashion. Novel numerical algorithms or more stochastic computational approaches may be required to meet accuracy requirements in the face of undetectable soft errors. These ideas constituted an essential topic of the seminar. The goal of this Dagstuhl Seminar was to bring together a diverse group of scientists with expertise in exascale computing to discuss novel ways to make applications resilient against detected and undetected faults. In particular, participants explored the role that algorithms and applications play in the holistic approach needed to tackle this challenge. This article gathers a broad range of perspectives on the role of algorithms, applications and systems in achieving resilience for extreme scale simulations. The ultimate goal is to spark novel ideas and encourage the development of concrete solutions for achieving such resilience holistically.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Electrical Energy Storage Data Submission Guidelines

Energy storage technologies are positioned to play a substantial role in power delivery systems. They are being touted as an effective new resource to maintain reliability and allow for increased penetration of renewable energy. However, due to their relative infancy, there is a lack of knowledge on how these resources truly operate over time. Data analysis can help ascertain the operational and performance characteristics of these emerging technologies. Rigorous testing and data analysis are important for all stakeholders to ensure a safe, reliable system that performs predictably on a macro level. Standardizing testing and analysis approaches to verifying the performance of energy storage devices, equipment, and systems when integrating them into the grid will improve the understanding and benefit of energy storage over time from technical and economic vantage points. Demonstrating the life-cycle value and capabilities of energy storage systems begins with the data the provider supplies for analysis. After review of energy storage data received from several providers, it has become clear that some of these data are inconsistent and incomplete, raising the question of their efficacy for robust analysis. This report reviews and proposes general guidelines such as sampling rates and data points that providers must supply for robust data analysis to take place. Consistent guidelines are the basis of the proper protocol and ensuing standards to (a) reduce the time it takes data to reach those who are providing analysis; (b) allow them to better understand the energy storage installations; and (c) enable them to provide high-quality analysis of the installations. This report is intended to serve as a starting point for what data points should be provided when monitoring. As battery technologies continue to advance and the industry expands, this report will be updated to remain current.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Regional Soiling Stations for PV: Soling Loss Analysis

The soiling loss factor (SLF) of photovoltaic (PV) modules/system is an interplay between the dust frequency and intensity of the site, rain frequency and intensity of the site, tilt angle and height of the module installation, and wind speed and humidity of the site. The integrated area of the downward peaks of the SLF time series plots for a year provides the annual soiling loss for the system at each tilt angle. Sandia National Laboratories, in collaboration with Arizona State University, installed five regional soiling stations around the country and collected soiling loss data over a year. Four of these soiling stations are located at the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Test Centers (Florida, Albuquerque, Colorado and Vermont), while the fifth station is located at the Arizona State University Photovoltaic Reliability Lab (Arizona). This paper presents an analysis on the SLF for each test site at ten different tilt angles. Based on the analysis of a yearlong data obtained in 2015, it appears to indicate that the Arizona site experienced the highest annual soiling loss with a significant dependence on the tilt angle while the other four sites experienced a negligibly small annual soiling loss with practically no dependence on the tilt angle.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Flash electropolishing for TEM: Reducing FIB‐induced defects in tungsten with protocols for new materials

Focused ion beam (FIB) milling has become the dominant approach for site-specific transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimen preparation; however, FIB damage remains a critical limitation for reliable microstructural characterisation, particularly in radiation effects studies. Tungsten is especially susceptible to FIB damage due to its high nuclear stopping power, which promotes the formation and strong diffraction contrast of FIB-induced ‘black spot’ defects that are indistinguishable from very fine irradiation-induced loops/defects resulting from low to intermediate temperature neutron irradiation. In this work, flash electropolishing is systematically evaluated as a post-FIB treatment for minimising preparation-induced artefacts for TEM analysis of tungsten-based alloys. Using a range of non-, ion-, and neutron-irradiated tungsten materials, the effectiveness of flash electropolishing has been assessed through direct comparison with conventional FIB and plasma-FIB preparation including low-energy Ga, Ar, Xe ion cleaning. The results demonstrate that flash electropolishing effectively removes FIB-damaged layers and ‘black spot’ defects, thereby enabling reliable observation of irradiation-induced dislocation structures. Key processing parameters governing flash electropolishing quality – including lamella thickness, applied voltage, polishing duration, electrolyte chemistry, and cathode geometry – have been systematically evaluated, and clear criteria were established for determining when flash electropolishing is required to ensure reliable microstructural analysis. This work also provides practical guidance for implementing flash electropolishing as an artefact-controlled specimen-preparation approach for TEM characterisation of FIB-produced specimens. The systematic protocol can be extended to other, non-tungsten materials.

TEM sample preparation↗

INTERNAL PROPER MOTIONS IN THE ESKIMO NEBULA

We present measurements of internal proper motions at more than 500 positions of NGC 2392, the Eskimo Nebula, based on images acquired with WFPC2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope at two epochs separated by 7.695 yr. Comparisons of the two observations clearly show the expansion of the nebula. We measured the amplitude and direction of the motion of local structures in the nebula by determining their relative shift during that interval. In order to assess the potential uncertainties in the determination of proper motions in this object, in general, the measurements were performed using two different methods, used previously in the literature. We compare the results from the two methods, and to perform the scientific analysis of the results we choose one, the cross-correlation method, because it is more reliable. We go on to perform a ''criss-cross'' mapping analysis on the proper motion vectors, which helps in the interpretation of the velocity pattern. By combining our results of the proper motions with radial velocity measurements obtained from high resolution spectroscopic observations, and employing an existing 3D model, we estimate the distance to the nebula to be 1.3 kpc.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Electrical Energy Storage Data Submission Guidelines, Version 2

Energy storage technologies are positioned to play a substantial role in power delivery systems. They have the potential to serve as an effective new resource to maintain reliability and allow for increased penetration of renewable energy. However, because of their relative infancy, there is a lack of knowledge about how these resources truly operate over time. A data analysis can help ascertain the operational and performance characteristics of these emerging technologies. Rigorous testing and a data analysis are important for all stakeholders to ensure a safe, reliable system that performs predictably on a macro level. Standardizing testing and analysis approaches to verify the performance of energy storage devices, equipment, and systems when integrating them into the grid will improve the understanding and benefit of energy storage over time from technical and economic vantage points. Demonstrating the life-cycle value and capabilities of energy storage systems begins with the data that the provider supplies for the analysis. After a review of energy storage data received from several providers, some of these data have clearly shown to be inconsistent and incomplete, raising the question of their efficacy for a robust analysis. This report reviews and proposes general guidelines, such as sampling rates and data points, that providers must supply for a robust data analysis to take place. Consistent guidelines are the basis of a proper protocol and ensuing standards to (1) reduce the time that it takes for data to reach those who are providing the analysis; (2) allow them to better understand the energy storage installations; and (3) enable them to provide a high-quality analysis of the installations. The report is intended to serve as a starting point for what data points should be provided when monitoring. Readers are encouraged to use the guidance in the report to develop specifications for new systems, as well as enhance current efforts to ensure optimal storage performance. As battery technologies continue to advance and the industry expands, the report will be updated to remain current.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Convolution Correction Factor Adjustments on Static PRA Models for Event Assessment

Current probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) models will contain cut sets that have time-constrained basic events such as switched components, recovery of failed components, and failures in time. For these cut sets that have multiple time-constrained events that interact (e.g., offsite power recover at the same time as multiple diesel generators fail to run), there is the possibility that the minimal cut set quantified result is too large. Since current PRA models typically assume that the accident scenario starts at “time zero,” the fails-to-run basic events use this starting time as the basis for their respective reliability models. Over time, the standard practice was to recognize this issue and accept it as part of the conservatism built into the event tree/fault tree PRA models. However, now that these same PRA models are being used in a regulatory forum, this conservatism needs to be addressed. Further, this issue exists not only for the baseline PRA results, but for deficiencies that have been observed or those that have the potential of occurrence, whether the deficiency is complete failure or just a degraded condition. We have found that this conservatism becomes very important when evaluating scenarios such as station blackout sequences and other loss of offsite power sequences. This paper will address the theory and implemented process used by the Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) PRA software. Starting with SAPHIRE version 8, the process that was developed is to calculate a “convolution correction factor” based on three distinct calculations. The first calculation is the cut set based frequency calculated via the standard event tree/fault tree PRA model (assuming all run failures start at time equal to zero). The second calculation is to perform the exact time-constrained calculation by integrating the component failure models over the time period of interest (e.g., time to recover, a mission time). For example, this exact calculation for the case of the diesel generators is to convolve their failure models with the offsite power recovery model to obtain the exact frequency. The third calculation is to produce the convolution correction factor by dividing the exact frequency calculation by the standard cut set frequency. This convolution correction factor is then applied to the PRA cut sets in order to remove the time-constrained conservatism. The process used to obtain the convolution correction factor for the baseline PRA is important; however, in this paper we also describe what happens when there is degradation of a component or a potential deficiency. These issues become very important in order to ensure that the convolution correction factor is re-calculated correctly. If the correction factor does not get re-calculated and the same baseline convolution correction factor is used, the final analysis result could be over conservative or under conservative. This paper will discuss how these issues are addressed and provide examples on how SAPHIRE automatically makes the necessary adjustments. MathCad verification results can be computed using the provided equations and input data.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Identifying key factors of the seawater intrusion model of Dagu river basin, Jiaozhou Bay

Highlights: • The key factors of seawater intrusion model is identified by mutual entropy analysis. • Precipitation rate and groundwater pumping are the key factors for seawater intrusion. • The hydraulic conductivity of zone 1 has significant influence on seawater intrusion. Seawater intrusion is a complex groundwater - seawater interaction process, and it is influenced by many factors from ground surface to underground, from groundwater to seawater. Generally, for seawater intrusion model, some model parameters and boundary conditions are always specified by model users’ personal experiences or literature's reference value. The defective model would damage the groundwater management for controlling and preventing seawater intrusion when making decisions are based on this model. In order to improve the reliability of seawater intrusion model, the influences of model inputs on output should be identified prior at optimizing model inputs. Dagu river basin, Jiaozhou Bay is one of the most serious areas of seawater intrusion in China, and it is chosen as the study area in this study. The seawater intrusion model of Dagu river basin is built based on a general program SEAWAT4. The key influence factors of model output are analyzed by two sensitivity analysis methods, i.e., stepwise regression and mutual entropy. The results demonstrated that the most important influence factors which have largest sensitivities to groundwater Cl{sup -} concentration are the precipitation rate and groundwater pumping in agriculture area. In addition, the hydraulic conductivity of zone 1 has a non-negligible influence on seawater intrusion process. Stepwise regression analysis is capable of identifying most important influence factor, and it can’t handle complicated nonlinear input-output relationship. Mutual entropy analysis is reliable for identifying the influence factors for complex seawater intrusion model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗