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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 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

The crystal structure of the chitinase ChiA74 of Bacillus thuringiensis has a multidomain assembly

There is no structural information about any chitinase synthesized by Bacillus thuringiensis , the most successful microbial insect larvicide used worldwide. In this study, we solved the 3D structure of the chitinase ChiA74 at 2.26 Å. The crystal structure shows that ChiA74 is composed of a modular arrangement formed by (i) a catalytic region (CD), (ii) a chitinase insertion domain (CID), (iii) a fibronectin type III domain (FnIII), and (iv) a chitin binding domain (CBD). The location of the CBD with respect to the CD has no structural similarity to other chitinases with known structures. The activity of a ChiA74 lacking its secretion signal peptide (ChiA74Δsp) and a truncated version lacking its CBD/FnIII domains (ChiA74Δsp-50) did not have statistical differences in activity against colloidal chitin. However, ChiA74Δsp exhibits 4.5 and 2.0 higher activity than versions lacking the CBD (ChiA74Δsp-60) and CBD/FnIII domains (ChiA74Δsp-50), respectively, when crystalline chitin was used as substrate. Our data suggest that the CBD might plays a significant role in crystalline chitin hydrolysis. We also demonstrated the importance of the catalytic E211 in the CD, as mutants ChiA74Δsp E211N and ChiA74Δsp D207N, E211N were inactive against colloidal and crystalline chitins, chitosan and 4-MU-GlcNAc 3 . ChiA74 has a processive activity producing oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization (DP) of 1 (GlcNAc) and 2 (GlcNAc 2 ).

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Producing Jet Fuel from Biogas Using Cool GTL SM

GTI Energy advanced the development of Cool GTL SM through a multi-phase project that studied and confirmed the promising value of this technology. It optimized the process by creating an integrated pilot plant capable of producing 50 gallons of total liquid hydrocarbon fuel. It also performed testing campaigns and developed a conceptual commercial design to support technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses, resulting in data that demonstrated a greenhouse gas emissions benefit.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Conjugated polyelectrolyte-based ternary exciton funnels via liposome scaffolds

There is great interest in developing inexpensive, molecular light-harvesting systems capable of efficiently converting photon energy to chemical potential energy. It is highly desirable to do so using self-assembly and in a manner that supports environmentally benign processing. A critical consideration in any such assembly is the ability to absorb a substantial fraction of the solar emission spectrum and to be able to efficiently move excited states through the space to a functional interface. We have previously shown that aqueous inter-conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) complexes can act as ultrafast and efficient energy-transfer antennae. Here we demonstrate formation of a hierarchically assembled, aqueous system based on an inter-CPE exciton donor/acceptor network and a lipid vesicle scaffold. Using a model small-molecule organic semiconductor embedded in the vesicle membrane, we form a ternary exciton funnel that is oriented towards the membrane interior. We show that, although energy transfer is efficient, the assembly morphology depends sensitively on preparation conditions and relative ionic stoichiometry. We propose several approaches towards stabilizing such aqueous assemblies. Furthermore, this work highlights a path to formation of an aqueous, panchromatic light-harvesting system, whose functional complexity can be systematically increased with modularity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Operational Probabilistic Tools for Solar Uncertainty (OPTSUN) (Final Project Report for DOE Solar Forecasting II Project)

Increasing levels of solar PV can challenge system operations and may require novel methods to operate the power system reliably and efficiently. Power system operating plans generally use deterministic forecasts, in which the variable energy resources are represented by the expected value for each interval of the decision horizon. Probabilistic forecasts are relatively new but have the potential to address the shortfalls of deterministic forecasts. However, understanding how best to use such forecasts is still a key gap in industry and was the focus of this project. The project had three workstreams. In a forecasting workstream, improvements were made to baseline probabilistic forecasts using a number of new approaches such as machine learning methods and improved input data. In a design workstream, advanced simulation tools used these forecasts to investigate newly proposed reserve determination methods. Lastly, in a demonstration workstream a scheduling management platform (SMP) was developed to leverage probabilistic forecasts in a modular and customizable manner. In order to study the benefits that could be accrued, the project team collaborated with three utility partners (Duke Energy, Southern Company and Hawaiian Electric) to deliver improved probabilistic forecasts for each region and to model each region in case studies using advanced production cost modeling tools. Different methods to determine operating reserve requirements from probabilistic forecasts were developed, simulated, and tested across each region. The benefits of using these newly proposed methods varied by utility, but, in general, using probabilistic forecasts as well as historical data to set the reserve requirements seems to improve reliability related results, with less risk of reserve or supply shortfalls. The cost implications were not always straightforward; in some cases the new methods could show a reduction in expected operating costs, but often the increase in reserves associated with better risk mitigation using probabilistic forecasts could result in an increase in operating costs in the simulations. The SMP tool was developed to process probabilistic forecasts from their initial receipt through to scheduling decisions. This open-source tool consists of several modules for scenario development, reserve requirements calculation, and visualization. The SMP tool was demonstrated to a wide range of operators and stakeholders at all three utilities and further improved based on their feedback. The tool will be available on www.epri.com/optsun. The proposed probabilistic information-based reserve determination approaches have the potential to be implemented by different regions to ensure an economic and reliable power system operation on power systems integrating increasing levels of variable renewable resources. The innovative yet practical methods developed in this project demonstrated tangible benefits from using probabilistic forecasts beyond just study-based assessments to include three unique balancing areas. The demonstrated benefits across the multiple utility environments, are expected to provide system operators in all regions the confidence required and a platform to adopt the new forecasting and operating methods.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Coupling LaGrit unstructured mesh generation and model setup with TOUGH2 flow and transport: A case study

Furthermore, there are many applications in science and engineering modeling where an accurate representation of a complex model geometry in the form of a mesh is important. In applications of flow and transport in subsurface porous media, this is manifest in models that must capture complex geologic stratigraphy, structure (faults, folds, erosion, deposition) and infrastructure (tunnels, boreholes, excavations). Model setup, defined as the activities of geometry definition, mesh generation (creation, optimization, modification, refine, de-refine, smooth), assigning material properties, initial conditions and boundary conditions requires specialized software tools to automate and streamline the process. In addition, some model setup tools will provide more utility if they are designed to interface with and meet the needs of a particular flow and transport software suite. A control volume discretization that uses a two point flux approximation is for example most accurate when the underlying control volumes are 2D or 3D Voronoi tessellations. In this paper we will present the coupling of LaGriT, a mesh generation and model setup software suite and TOUGH2 to model subsurface flow problems and we show an example of how LaGriT can be used as a model setup tool for the generation of a Voronoi mesh for the simulation program TOUGH2. To generate the MESH file for TOUGH2 from the LaGriT output a standalone module Lagrit2Tough2 was developed, which is presented here and will be included in a future release of LaGriT. Here in this paper an alternative method to generate a Voronoi mesh for TOUGH2 with LaGriT is presented and thanks to the modular and command based structure of LaGriT this method is well suited to generating a mesh for complex models.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Modular Self-Assembly of Protein Cage Lattices for Multistep Catalysis

The assembly of individual molecules into hierarchical structures is a promising strategy for developing three-dimensional materials with properties arising from interaction between the individual building blocks. Virus capsids are elegant examples of biomolecular nanostructures, which are themselves hierarchically assembled from a limited number of protein subunits. Here, we demonstrate the bio-inspired modular construction of materials with two levels of hierarchy: the formation of catalytically active individual virus-like particles (VLPs) through directed self-assembly of capsid subunits with enzyme encapsulation, and the assembly of these VLP building blocks into three-dimensional arrays. The structure of the assembled arrays was successfully altered from an amorphous aggregate to an ordered structure, with a face-centered cubic lattice, by modifying the exterior surface of the VLP without changing its overall morphology, to modulate interparticle interactions. The assembly behavior and resultant lattice structure was a consequence of interparticle interaction between exterior surfaces of individual particles and thus independent of the enzyme cargos encapsulated within the VLPs. These superlattice materials, composed of two populations of enzyme-packaged VLP modules, retained the coupled catalytic activity in a two-step reaction for isobutanol synthesis. As a result, this study demonstrates a significant step toward the bottom-up fabrication of functional superlattice materials using a self-assembly process across multiple length scales and exhibits properties and function that arise from the interaction between individual building blocks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Photoinitiated thermoset polymerization through controlled release of metathesis catalysts encapsulated in poly(phthalaldehyde)

Photoinitiated polymerization enables spatiotemporal control of reaction conditions and can thereby generate materials with high complexity while consuming minimal energy. Where ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is concerned, photo-activated processes are typically enabled by chemical inhibition of ruthenium carbenes via the careful design of complexed ligands such that photoactivation can proceed through an isomerization or ligand dissociation event. In this contribution, we have explored a new approach to photoinitiation of ROMP based on physical inhibition through microencapsulation and controlled release of metathesis catalysts. Micron-sized particles of poly(phthalaldehyde) (PPA), catalyst, and photoacid generator were fabricated by spray drying. The particles were dispersed in dicyclopentadiene monomer, after which polymerization was initiated through temperature or UV exposure, both inducing depolymerization of the PPA particles and in situ catalyst release. The monomer/particle dispersions were found to be stable and reproducibly polymerizable with 3 weeks of storage at room temperature. Furthermore, the dispersions can be used for both photo- and thermal-initiated frontal ROMP, yielding a polymerized thermoset of equivalent properties to conventional bulk- and frontally-polymerized analogues. In conclusion, this work will ultimately enable new manufacturing techniques for ROMP-based materials, due to the modular, easily tunable nature of the underlying initiating system and its unparalleled stability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products

Diterpenoids form a diverse class of small molecule natural products that are widely distributed across the kingdoms of life and have critical biological functions in developmental processes, interorganismal interactions, and environmental adaptation. Due to these various bioactivities, many diterpenoids are also of economic importance as pharmaceuticals, food additives, biofuels, and other bioproducts. Advanced genomics and biochemical approaches have enabled a rapid increase in the knowledge of diterpenoid-metabolic genes, enzymes, and pathways. However, the structural complexity of diterpenoids and the narrow taxonomic distribution of individual compounds in often only a single species remain constraining factors for their efficient production. Availability of a broader range of metabolic enzymes now provide resources for producing diterpenoids in sufficient titers and purity to facilitate a deeper investigation of this important metabolite group. Drawing on established tools for microbial and plant-based enzyme co-expression, we present an easily operated and customizable protocol for the enzymatic production of diterpenoids in either Escherichia coli or Nicotiana benthamiana, and the purification of desired products via silica chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Using the group of maize (Zea mays) dolabralexin diterpenoids as an example, we highlight how modular combinations of diterpene synthase (diTPS) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) enzymes can be used to generate different diterpenoid scaffolds. Purified compounds can be used in various downstream applications, such as metabolite structural analyses, enzyme structure-function studies, and in vitro and in planta bioactivity experiments.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEAMER: Crossflow Turbine Fairing Geometry Optimization - Report and CFD Modeling Files

The dataset includes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and simulation files for crossflow turbines as well as a detailed project report. The report documents the project undertaken by the Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) to design and optimize a modular fairing for the Modular RivGen Marine Hydrokinetic (MHK) turbine, which enhances the efficient deployment and operation of turbine arrays. The project focused on optimizing the hydrodynamic performance of the fairing using CFD, with an emphasis on two key geometric parameters: the fairing's cross-sectional shape and the spacing between the rotor and the fairing. The analysis aimed to maximize net power output while also assessing discretized loading to evaluate ultimate and fatigue loads on the turbine components. The numerical modeling was conducted using both the commercial CFD software Star-CCM+ and the open-source code openFOAM, with the latter utilizing the actuator line library, turbinesFOAM. This dual-code approach was intended to increase confidence in the results and demonstrate the viability of using open-source tools for high-fidelity marine energy modeling. This dataset includes all necessary files for actuator line simulations in openFOAM, as well as 2D blade-resolved CFD results, along with Python and Java scripts for setting up and post-processing simulations.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

IDAES-PSE 2.6.0 Release

The Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) Integrated Platform is a versatile computational environment offering extensive process systems engineering (PSE) capabilities for optimizing the design and operation of complex, interacting technologies and systems. IDAES enables users to efficiently search vast, complex design spaces to discover the lowest cost solutions while supporting the full process modeling lifecycle, from conceptual design to dynamic optimization and control. The extensible, open platform empowers users to create models of novel processes and rapidly develop custom analyses, workflows, and end-user applications. IDAES-PSE 2.6.0 Release Highlights Upcoming Changes IDAES will be switching to the new Pyomo solver interface in the next release. Whilst this will hopefully be a smooth transition for most users, there are a few important changes to be aware of. The new solver interface uses a different version of the IPOPT writer (“ipopt_v2”) and thus any custom configuration options you might have set for IPOPT will not carry over and will need to be reset. By default, the new Pyomo linear presolver will be activated with ipopt_v2. Whilst are working to identify any bugs in the presolver, it is possible that some edge cases will remain. IDAES will begin deploying a new set of scaling tools and APIs over the next few releases that make use of the new solver writers. The old scaling tools and APIs will remain for backward compatibility but will begin to be deprecated. New Models, Tools and Features New Intersphinx extension automatically linking Jupyter notebook examples to project documentation New end-to-end diagnostics example demonstrated on a real problem New complementarity formulation for VLE with cubic equations of state, backward compatibility for old formulation New solver interface with presolve (ipopt_v2) in support of upcoming changes to the initialization and APIs methods, with default set to ipopt to maintain backwards compatibility; this will deprecate once all examples have been updated New forecaster and parameterized bidder methods within grid integration library Updated surrogates API and examples to support Keras 3, with backwards compatibility for older formats such as TensorFlow SavedModel (TFSM) Updated costing base dictionary to include the 2023 cost year index value Updated ProcessBlock to include information on the constructing block class Updated Flowsheet Visualizer to allow visualize() method to return value and functions Bug Fixes Fixed bug in the Modular Property Framework that would cause errors when trying to use phase-based material balances with phase equilibria. Fixed bug in Modular Properties Framework that caused errors when initializing models with non-vapor-liquid phase equilibria. Fixed typos flagged by June update to crate-ci/typos and removed DMF-related exceptions Minor corrections of units of measurement handling in power plant waste/transport costing expressions, control volume material holdup expressions, and BTX property package parameters Fixed throwing >7500 numpy deprecation warnings by replacing scalar value assignment with element extraction and item iteration calls Testing and Robustness Migrated slow tests (>10s) to integration, impacting test coverage but also yielding a nearly 30% decrease in local test runtime Pinned pint to avoid issues with older supported Python versions Pinned codecov versions to avoid tokenless upload behavior with latest version Bumped extensions to version 3.4.2 to allow pointing to non-standard install location Deprecations and Removals Python 3.8 is no longer supported. The supported Python versions are 3.9 through 3.12 The Data Management Framework (DMF) is no longer supported. Importing idaes.core.dmf will cause a deprecation warning to be displayed until the next release The SOFC Keras surrogates have been removed. The current version of the SOFC surrogate model in the examples repository is a PySMO Kriging model.

AS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The bright frontiers of microbial metabolic optogenetics

In recent years, light-responsive systems from the field of optogenetics have been applied to several areas of metabolic engineering with remarkable success. By taking advantage of light's high tunability, reversibility, and orthogonality to host endogenous processes, optogenetic systems have enabled unprecedented dynamical controls of microbial fermentations for chemical production, metabolic flux analysis, and population compositions in co-cultures. In this article, we share our opinions on the current state of this new field of metabolic optogenetics. Furthermore, we make the case that it will continue to impact metabolic engineering in increasingly new directions, with the potential to challenge existing paradigms for metabolic pathway and strain optimization as well as bioreactor operation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessment of Flow-Enhanced Electrochemical Sensor Testing and Deployments

The goal of our activities in FY24 was to enable advanced materials accountancy for molten salt reactors (MSRs) through the development and optimization of robust flow-enhanced electrochemical sensors (FEES) using a safeguards-focused sensor testing platform called the modular flow instrumentation testbed (MFIT). Flow-enhanced electrochemical sensors are a type of electroanalytical sensor that have been developed at Argonne National Laboratory to be installed directly into MSR flow conduits to make measurements of the salt composition. These sensors represent a significant improvement in capabilities compared to earlier electroanalytical sensors that instead can only be operated in quiescent conditions. Previous work has focused on testing of the FEES in flowing conditions provided by the MFIT to assess the accuracy and precision of the sensor measurements. This year, the FEES technical readiness was increased by (1) demonstrating the use of optimized sensor techniques to achieve measurements in very high-concentration MSR-relevant salts, (2) leveraging new multimodal sensors and automation approaches to reduce measurement uncertainties, and (3) fabricating and deploying sensors to industrial partners to improve their ability to make measurements in challenging environments. Additionally, we also ran the sensors during complex system operations involving combined flow and purification activities to demonstrate safeguards-relevant measurements during online processing for MSRs.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microreactor Agile Nonnuclear Experimental Testbed Test Plan

Microreactors are an attractive technology option for kick-starting nuclear innovation if they can be operated at high temperature, yielding high power conversion thermal efficiencies comparable or better than in commercial light water reactors. Microreactors are currently the smallest variation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). SMRs are “newer generation reactors designed to generate electric power up to 300 MWe and whose components and systems can be shop-fabricated and then transported as modules to the sites for installation as demand arises.” (IAEA, 2016). Vendors are developing microreactor designs to provide an affordable, potentially mobile source of electricity - see Fig. 1 for an example of a microreactor on a semi-truck. Various microreactor designs are possible including heat pipe- and gascooled options, which are the focus of the nonnuclear testing described in this document. In heat pipe microreactors, high-temperature heat pipes using liquid sodium or potassium working fluid transport fission heat from the core to a heat removal section which in turn transfers heat to the power conversion system working fluid. In a gas-cooled design, He or other gas will flow through a solid monolith of material and transfer heat as the temperature of the gas increases through a heat exchanger to a power conversion unit. The logistics of all these processes will be examined and tested through a series of articles at the nonnuclear test bed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the Microreactor Agile Nonnuclear Experiment Testbed (MAGNET) facility. Microreactors designed to produce power of 0.1-20 MWt offer the potential for more affordable nuclear energy for a range of applications. In a heat pipe microreactor, heat pipes, fuel rods, and/or moderator are intermixed in the reactor core assembly. Heat pipes extend from the core region into the heat removal section where the power conversion unit working fluid flows through holes or channels, transferring heat from the heat pipes to the working fluid. In a gas-cooled microreactor, gas flows through the solid monolith region and up into the heat exchanger region, transferring heat to the working fluid. For initial testing, the heat removal working fluid can be a low pressure gas for testing that addresses thermal stresses. In the final application, heat addition to the power conversion working fluid typically occurs at high pressure, supporting operation of an air-Brayton, supercritical CO 2 (SCO2), or He-recuperated Brayton cycle. Various stages of the steps above will be demonstrated through the tests described in this report.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1 Upgrade - 2023 Laboratory Testing (Raw Data)

This submission contains the original, unprocessed data from the 2023 Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP) testing of NREL's Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC). This data serves as a companion to MHKDR #520. Data was collected using NREL's Modular Ocean Data AcQuisition (MODAQ) system in TDMS format. Specifications of TDMS files can be found on the NI website. The TDMS files have been separated into zip files corresponding to either Drivetrain, Hydraulic, or Electric configuration runs representing the respective test cases that were run. The drivetrain runs were used to characterize the drivetrain only (no pump or generator). The Hydraulic runs represent the configuration when the seawater pump is installed, and the Electric runs represents the configuration when the generator is installed. The following sub-categories of data are included for each type: - DW - Deep water (monochromatic sine wave) profile (not run in drivetrain configuration) - Heave - Heave only (monochromatic sine wave) profile - Heave_NoRO (hydraulic configuration only) - Heave_ACC (hydraulic configuration only) - IR - Surge and heave irregular wave profile (not run in drivetrain configuration) - RW - Heave only profile created from real world encoder data (not run in drivetrain configuration) Reference documents: - "HERO WEC Lamp Test Run Log.xlsx": contains specifications for each test run - "Lamp Data Description.docx": provides detailed information about data types and processing methods For those interested in the processed data the authors have created a separate submission, MHKDR #520, linked below. This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decarbonizing Industrial Heat and Electricity Applications Using Advanced Nuclear Energy

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is investigating the technical pathways to assist industrial heat and electricity users to meet their decarbonization goals through integration with advanced nuclear power plants (NPPs). This project will deliver a library of process models and accompanying documents that guide specific industries in choosing potential nuclear technologies based on their needs. Considerations in providing this guidance include specific hazards from the industrial facility, heat transport requirements and associated technologies, and feasibility with site-specific demand profiles. The library of facility process models will be based on real data from industrial facilities in the United States. The industrial processes will be identified in this project based on the following: (1) operational heat characteristics that nuclear systems can provide, (2) sufficient energy requirements to merit the capital investment for nuclear plant construction, and (3) environmental benefits of replacing existing energy production with carbon-free nuclear power. Other decarbonization opportunities considered are the addition of nuclear-powered electrolysis processes or high-temperature electric heating where the thermal requirements exceed nuclear generation conditions. In addition to assessing the technical feasibility, INL is evaluating the impact of hazards introduced by the industrial facilities on the siting requirements of advanced NPPs. Site characterization of an industrial plant is essential to determine the feasibility and suitable integration methods for each industry. The assessment of siting and technical data will reveal opportunities for a single-use nuclear integration as well as integration of multiple industrial facilities with a single NPP.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2022

Scaling Superconducting Quantum Computers with Chiplet Architectures

Fixed-frequency transmon quantum computers (QCs) have advanced in coherence times, addressability, and gate fidelities. Unfortunately, these devices are restricted by the number of on-chip qubits, capping processing power and slowing progress toward fault-tolerance. Although emerging transmon devices feature over 100 qubits, building QCs large enough for meaningful demonstrations of quantum advantage requires overcoming many design challenges. For example, today’s transmon qubits suffer from significant variation due to limited precision in fabrication. As a result, barring significant improvements in current fabrication techniques, scaling QCs by building ever larger individual chips with more qubits is hampered by device variation. Severe device variation that degrades QC performance is referred to as a defect. Here, we focus on a specific defect known as a frequency collision. When transmon frequencies collide, their difference falls within a range that limits two-qubit gate fidelity. Frequency collisions occur with greater probability on larger QCs, causing collision-free yields to decline as the number of on-chip qubits increases. As a solution, we propose exploiting the higher yields associated with smaller QCs by integrating quantum chiplets within quantum multi-chip modules (MCMs). Yield, gate performance, and application-based analysis show the feasibility of QC scaling through modularity. Our results demonstrate that chiplet architectures, relative to monolithic designs, benefit from average yield improvements ranging from 9.6 – 92.6 × for ≲5 qubit machines. In addition, our simulations explore the design space of chiplet systems and discover configurations that demonstrate average two-qubit gate infidelity reductions that are at best 0.815 × their monolithic counterpart. Lastly, we observe that carefully-selected modular systems achieve fidelity improvements on a range of benchmark circuits.

quantum architecture↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tokamak-independent Software Analysis Suite for Multi-Spectral Line-Polarization MSE diagnostics

A tokamak-independent analysis suite has been developed to process data from Motional Stark Effect (MSE) diagnostics. The software supports multi-spectral line-polarization MSE diagnostics which simultaneously measure emission at the MSE sigma and pi lines as well as at two `background' wavelengths that are displaced from the MSE spectrum by a few nanometers. This analysis accurately estimates the amplitude of partially-polarized background light at the sigma and pi wavelengths even in situations where the background light changes rapidly in time and space. The signal amplitude at many frequencies is computed using a numerical-beat algorithm which allows the retardance of the MSE photo-elastic modulators (PEMs) to be monitored during routine operation. It also allows the use of summed intensities at multiple frequencies in the calculation of polarization direction, which increases the effective signal strength and reduces sensitivity to PEM retardance drift. The software allows the polarization angles to be corrected for calibration drift using a system that illuminates the MSE diagnostic with polarized light at four known polarization angles within ten seconds of a plasma discharge The software suite is modular, parallelized, and portable to other facilities.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Building a Decommissioning Army - 19259

It is safe to say that Canada has, for the greater part, seen the end of large-scale commercial nuclear new build projects. In spite of a renaissance in the last decade, and the fact that nuclear is now widely viewed by many as the original green energy, refurbishment projects both underway and scheduled will likely be the last of the megaprojects. In a sense, the future of large-scale nuclear power generation is the end of large scale nuclear power generation. Just as the construction and operation of these facilities has, for decades, employed scores of highly skilled workers, so too will the decommissioning process. Today, Canadian decommissioning activities are first-of-kind (FOAK)projects. There are very few experts in the field and certainly no plan in place to educate and prepare the numbers of workers we will need to safely and successfully execute the programs. It is to this end that I propose a national education centre be created to recruit, educate and mobilize all manner of professionals needed to meet this challenge. In an effort to meet the human and technological needs of the industry in the future, I propose the development of a Canadian Institute where the students study and learn how to decommission a nuclear power plant. The student body of the institute would comprise graduate students with backgrounds in a wide variety of studies such as engineering, physics, chemistry, commerce, environmental studies, and communications. Collectively, their time spent at the institute shall not only prepare them for a career in nuclear but will also vastly improve the technical readiness level of the Canadian nuclear industry to transition from large-scale nuclear utilities to a future of small modular reactors (SMRs) and renewable energy resources. Staff at the institute would be selected from leaders in the industry -those who have shown a passion for nuclear and have demonstrated innovative problem solving and leadership. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗