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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Hardware Acceleration of Adaptive Neural Algorithms.

As tradit ional numerical computing has faced challenges, researchers have turned towards alternative computing approaches to reduce power - per - computation metrics and improve algorithm performance. Here, we describe an approach towards non - conventional computing that strengthens the connection between machine learning and neuroscience concepts. The Hardware Acceleration of Adaptive Neural Algorithms (HAANA) project ha s develop ed neural machine learning algorithms and hardware for applications in image processing and cybersecurity. While machine learning methods are effective at extracting relevant features from many types of data, the effectiveness of these algorithms degrades when subjected to real - world conditions. Our team has generated novel neural - inspired approa ches to improve the resiliency and adaptability of machine learning algorithms. In addition, we have also designed and fabricated hardware architectures and microelectronic devices specifically tuned towards the training and inference operations of neural - inspired algorithms. Finally, our multi - scale simulation framework allows us to assess the impact of microelectronic device properties on algorithm performance.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Exploratory study on potential safeguards applications for shared ledger technology

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for providing credible assurance that countries are meeting their obligations not to divert or misuse nuclear materials and facilities for non-peaceful purposes. To this end, the IAEA integrates information about States’ nuclear material inventories and transactions with other types of data to draw its safeguards conclusions. As the amount and variety of data and information has increased, the IAEA’s data acquisition, management, and analysis processes have greatly benefited from advancements in computer science, data management, and cybersecurity during the last 20 years. Despite these advancements, inconsistent use of advanced computer technologies as well as political concerns among certain IAEA Member States centered on trust, transparency, and IAEA authorities limit the overall effectiveness and efficiency of IAEA safeguards. As a result, there is an ongoing need to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of IAEA safeguards while improving Member State cooperation and trust in the safeguards system. These chronic safeguards needs could be met with some emerging technologies, specifically those associated with the digital currency bitcoin.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗
DOE OSTI2017

Federal Labs and Research Centers Benefiting California: 2017 Impact Report for State Leaders.

Sandia National Laboratories is the largest of the Department of Energy national laboratories with more than 13,000 staff spread across its two main campuses in New Mexico and California. For more than 60 years, the Sandia National Laboratories campus in Livermore, California has delivered cutting-edge science and technology solutions to resolve the nation’s most challenging and complex problems. As a multidisciplinary laboratory, Sandia draws from virtually every science and engineering discipline to address challenges in energy, homeland security, cybersecurity, climate, and biosecurity. Today, collaboration is vital to ensuring that the Lab stays at the forefront of science and technology innovation. Partnerships with industry, state, and local governments, and California universities help drive innovation and economic growth in the region. Sandia contributed to California’s regional and statewide economy with more than $145 million in contracts to California companies, $92 million of which goes to California small businesses. In addition, Sandia engages the community directly by running robust STEM education programs for local schools and administering community giving programs. Meanwhile, investments like the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC), an innovation hub supported by LLNL and Sandia, help catalyze the local economy.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A Literature Review: Smart Grids Impacts on Nuclear Power Plants Task 4: Project Final Report

This report describes the results of a literature review performed to study the current state of electric power industry efforts and research work regarding Smart Grid technologies, renewable energy integration, grid reliability standards, and USNRC electric grid regulations and guidance. The information gathered in the literature review is intended to: (1) Develop a better understanding of the impacts that Smart Grid implementation and the integration of renewable energy sources can have on the availability and reliability of the electric grid as a source of offsite power, (2) Provide an understand of the present grid reliability standards and how they will address the challenges of Smart Grid implementation, (3) Identify electrical system vulnerabilities and failure modes that may result from the implementation of Smart Grid technologies and cybersecurity threats, (4) Provide an understand of the actions being taken by FERC, NERC and others to identify, understand and address potential impacts, (5) Provide an understand of existing NRC regulation and guidance addressing requirements of grid design, operation and reliability supporting NPP design requirements, and (6) Recommend any additional actions or studies that should be undertaken by the NRC to ensure compliance of NPPs to GDC 17 and any other applicable regulations and guidance as the electric grid evolves into the Smart Grid.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Advancing the science and impact of blockchain technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Over the last decade, blockchain technology has experienced unprecedented growth from its humble beginnings as the decentralized currency Bitcoin in 2009 to a $500 billion industry today with applications including decentralized cloud computing, peer-to-peer lending, governance, social media, cybersecurity and the development of decentralized, trustless smart contracts and applications. Although it has not yet reached maturity, the blockchain technology industry (sometimes hailed as the “Web 3.0”) is experiencing exponential growth and adoption: new projects and partnerships are announced almost daily, and top research institutions are beginning to develop novel initiatives in this space. In this white paper, I will outline a vision for the future of blockchain technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Specifically, I will (1) introduce the fundamental concepts of blockchain technology and provide a survey of the current state-of-the-art, (2) identify the wide-ranging applications that blockchain technology can have across groups, divisions, and directorates at ORNL, (3) summarize the newly initiated programs in blockchain technology at ORNL’s core partnership universities that may lead to future collaboration opportunities, (4) suggest critical ways that blockchain technology can advance ORNL’s strategic objectives for excellence in science and technology, laboratory operations, and community engagement, and (5) outline the most likely funding strategies to support new blockchain initiatives and partnerships at the Lab. Finally, I will propose a vision for the future of a Blockchain Institute at ORNL.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Report on the Implementation of Smart Grids in Mexico

As part of Mexico's implementation of its constitutional energy reform and the transformation of its electric power industry, Mexico is addressing the central importance of a modernized grid. The energy sector reform laws establish a Smart Grid Program to make Mexico's power grid capable of meeting the country's lofty clean energy goals while improving efficiencies, maintaining system reliability, and increasing its security. Implementing Smart Grids in Mexico required a compilation of data and information from many sources that document Mexico's progress in implementing a Smart Grid. In this report, various knowledge experts contribute with an assessment on the topics of the legislation that created the sectoral transformation now underway; the state of smart grid technology in Mexico's power sector and the efforts undertaken to date; a review of policy in the power sector describing the development of the Smart Grid Implementation Plan by the Ministry of Energy; a review of Mexico's priorities for smart grid deployment; the mapping of several smart grid measures to the specific smart grid drivers; substantial detail from smart grid experts from NREL and from Swedish smart grid research centers describing smart grid measures to assist Mexico's move to a cleaner, more-efficient grid; institutional policies that are recommended for smart grid growth; discussion of some of the barriers to smart grid deployment, including cybersecurity concerns and consumer receptivity.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Development of a Technology Roadmap for Online Monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants

The nuclear power industry has recently recognized the potential cost saving that can be achieved from migrating the current manual and labor dependent surveillance and preventive maintenance activities to data-driven online monitoring methods. Since then, several efforts have been launched with various degrees of momentum to tackle specific surveillance or preventive maintenance activities. The light water reactor sustainability program (LWRS) program has anticipated this need and launched an effort that aimed to develop a technology roadmap for the nuclear power industry. Because the roadmap has to be focused towards the user or application’s value, and because nuclear power plants have different process efficiencies and deficiencies, the technology roadmap has to be plant independent. Achieving this objective required optimizing the extent of details described by a technology roadmap. The approach followed is for the roadmap to describe the sequence of activities needed to automate a process or equipment activity, but not describe the sequence of processes or equipment to target. For example, the steps required to migrate the inspection of a pump are plant independent. However, defining that the migration of feed water pumps inspections to online monitoring should be performed before inspections of feed water valves is dependent on multiple plant factors such as the plant requirements, labor work capacity, and process or equipment conditions. The technology roadmap was broken down into six elements, four of which have a sequential path of advancement, while the other two are supporting elements to the sequential elements. The sequential part of the roadmap analyzes data collection, analytics, visualization, and management. For these elements of the technology roadmap, the migration of an activity is defined in three states. The base state is defined as the most primitive, manual, and labor dependent process used by some nuclear power plants. The modern state is defined as the state that can be achieved if the activities are augmented or replaced by current technologies that are commercially available or are soon to be available. The state of the art is defined as using technologies of the future, i.e. concept and technologies that are being researched. The data collection part of the technology roadmap defines three states of every process performed in a nuclear power plant. However, the data analytics part is described based on equipment, because automating an activity performed on one equipment required considering multiple data sources. The visualization and data management elements are process or equipment independent. Visualization describes the means to use human factor science and technologies advancement in presenting the data collected and the data analytics results. The data management targets storage, communication, and computational power need, in addition to data integration and sharing. Since storage, communication, and computational power technologies and path for deployment are known to any information technology organization, this effort targeted the cost of data management. This has a direct impact on the feasibility of the automation effort. The supporting elements analyzes the value of automating the activity and the change challenges to tackle. For the support elements, the roadmap targeted describing activities that need to be performed as part of the roadmap development. The value element of the roadmap describes how to analyze the cost saving and the associated risk. The change management identifies multiple factors to consider such as regulation, cybersecurity, resource availability, supporting infrastructure availability, feasibility (power, fitness, environment tolerance, facilities), and cultural change.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

An Overview of Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Interconnection: Current Practices and Emerging Solutions

This guidebook provides an overview of key issues for utilities and utility regulators to consider as deployments of distributed energy resources (DER) increase, including what has been tried in the field and emerging good practices. Topics covered include: Interconnection Applications and Application Processing; Interconnection Standards; Advanced Inverters; Impact Screening and Evaluation; Estimating Future DER deployments; Distribution System Upgrades and Planning in a DER context; Cybersecurity; Storage and Solar plus Storage Interconnection; and Cost Allocation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Advanced Data Structures for Improved Cyber Resilience and Awareness in Untrusted Environments: LDRD Report

This report summarizes the work performed under the project "Advanced Data Structures for Improved Cyber Resilience and Awareness in Untrusted Environments." The goal of the project was to design, analyze, and test new data structures for cybersecurity applications. We had two major thrusts: 1) using new/improved write-optimized data structures and/or algorithms to better man- age and analyze high-speed massive-volume cyberstreams, and 2) adding security features to data structures at minimum cost. Write optimization allows data structures to better use secondary memory to store and search a larger amount of useful information. Secondary memory is large compared to main memory, but data movement to and from secondary memory must be carefully managed to run quickly enough to keep up with fast streams. The first thrust included managing cyberstreams in parallel, both multi-threaded and distributed, and improving the benchmarking infrastructure for testing new streaming data structures. We considered both (near) real-time discovery of particular patterns, and improved logging for improved forensics. We considered two kinds of security-feature problem. The first was high-performance history- independent external-memory data structures. These provide certain protections to data if a disk is stolen. We also prove some trade-offs between speed and security in this setting. The second data-security problem is more secure data look-up in secret-shared data bases. This report summarizes the project's major accomplishments, with the background to under- stand these accomplishments. It gathers the abstracts and references for the six refereed publications that have appeared as part of this work. We summarize several accomplishments that will be submitted for publication. We then archive one piece of partial work that is not likely to be published in the near future: validation of history-independent data structure implementations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

California Energy Systems for the 21st Century (CES-21) Annual Report - 2018

The California Energy Systems for the 21st Century (CES-21) Program is a public-private collaborative research and development (R&D) program between the California Joint Utilities1 and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The purpose of this annual report is to provide the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or Commission) with a summary of the 2018 progress of the CES-21 Program2. The CES-21 Program is designed to research solutions for the medium- and far-term challenges of a fastevolving energy marketplace. The program is comprised of two projects: Cybersecurity Project and Grid Integration - Flexibility Metrics Project. This report provides information on the operations of the CES-21 program, including projects funded, results of research, efforts made to involve third parties, and intellectual property that results from the research.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Optimization of SiV Defect Yield in Diamond Substrates

Color centers (defect complexes such as SiV) in diamond have shown potential in fields ranging from metrology, cybersecurity to quantum computation. Demonstrations in these fields have pushed the envelope of state-of-the-art operations – for example, single photon sources (SPS) making use of SiV centers in diamond for quantum key distribution have demonstrated all the requirements for SPS operation including: (1) stable operation with second correlation function <<1, (2) electrically driven single photon emission and (3) compatibility with frequenc y conversion to telecommunication frequencies. To-date, however, all these demonstrations have been on lab-scale one-off devices. The key question behind how to deterministically fabricate these devices, namely activation yield has been overlooked. For context, Si based semiconductor devices are hugely successful because we have a high activation yield for implanted dopants. This is not yet true for diamond color centers. As currently understood, the color center yield is dominated by a lack of vacancies in the immediate area of the implantation. We propose to optimize the activation yield of color center using a combination of (1) focused single ion implantation with in-situ detection to count the number of implanted Si ions and (2) localized point defect (vacancy) creation using a focused Li ion beam to improve the yield. These experiments build on the unique capabilities of the SNL nanoImplanter (nI) to produce focused ion beam with spatial resolution of < 10 nm of both Si and Li ions. This work will also leverage our world-leading single ion implantation and detection capabilities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Parallel Tensor Decompositions for Massive Heterogeneous, Incomplete Data (Final Report: LDRD Project 199986).

We extended the fundamental capabilities of tensor decomposition to a broader range of problems - handling new data types and larger problems. This has implications for data analysis across a range of applications in sensor monitoring, cybersecurity, treaty verification, signal processing, etc. Identifies latent structure within data, enabling anomaly detection, process monitoring, scientific discovery.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Evaluation of Acoustic Channel Capacity for Complex Piping Topology

Transmission of information using elastic waves on existing metallic pipes provides an alternative communication option for a nuclear facility. The advantages of this approach consist of transmitting information through physical barriers, such as the containment building wall. In addition, this approach provides physical cybersecurity since the pipe becomes an analog communication channel which is difficult to eavesdrop on and difficult to sever. In prior work, a laboratory bench-scale system consisting of a six foot-long straight section of nuclear grade stainless steel pipe and high-temperature ultrasonic LiNbO 3 transducers was assembled. The lab systems was used for communication protocol development and preliminary data transmission demonstration. Next phase of project development involves deployment of the ultrasonic communication system in a representative environment. Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop (METL) facility at ANL was chosen as a viable candidate for communication system demonstration. Analysis of piping manifolds at METL has shown that in a typical scenario, ultrasonic signals have to be transmitted over straight and bent piping sections. This report describes preliminary studies on transmission of information with ultrasonic shear waves across bent piping sections. A test article consisting of a stainless steel pipe bent at 90° was developed for laboratory analysis of ultrasonic signal transmission. The bent piping test article developed by welding two straight pipes to an elbow. For consistency, the diameter and wall thickness of the bent pipe is the same as that of the straight pipe utilized in prior studies. COMSOL computer simulations were performed to study ultrasonic refracted shear wave coupling and transmission across bent piping. Preliminary evaluations of ultrasonic shear wave transmission were conducted with piezoelectric (PZT) and LiNbO 3 transducers, with the signals recorded with previously developed LabView interface. Preliminary results have shown significant dispersion of transmitted signals, most likely due to reflections and scattering by piping welds. Signal distortion compensation algorithm based on time reversal modulation (TRM) was initially investigated for transmission through solids, and demonstrated for signals transmitted over the bent pipe. Using TRM, it was shown that communication bitrates of 100Kbps were achievable, in principle.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Washington State Highway Bridge Seismic Screening Tool (BSST) (Technical Report)

The Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (RRAP) is a cooperative assessment of specific critical infrastructure within a designated geographic area and a regional analysis of the surrounding infrastructure that addresses a range of infrastructure resilience issues that could have regionally and nationally significant consequences. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) sponsored the Washington State Transportation Systems RRAP project in coordination with the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and other regional stakeholders. This project is focused on assessing the impacts of a Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake on state transportation systems and, in particular, how those impacts may affect the ability of emergency response efforts to move supplies into the region. The intended outcome of this analysis is the prioritization of transportation routes and modes for additional planning, investment, hardening, or other activities to enhance their resilience - and therefore, to enhance their ability to support response and recovery efforts following a CSZ earthquake. An important part of this transportation system-level assessment has been to assess the seismic vulnerability of the state highway system. In doing so, the RRAP project team developed a Bridge Seismic Screening Tool (BSST) to assess, at a system-level, the potential impacts that a CSZ earthquake could have on state highway bridges. The first step in the BSST is to assess the seismic vulnerability of highway bridge infrastructure in Washington State following a CSZ earthquake to determine a projected or potential damage state. Damage states are then used to determine approximate reopening times for bridge crossings.2 This document provides details on the methodological development of the BSST, the implementation of that tool to analyze the projected damage incurred in a CSZ earthquake scenario, and the determination of corresponding reopening times of interstate and state highway bridges following such an event. The BSST was implemented programmatically using a Microsoft Excel macro-enabled workbook; instructions on use of this tool are provided in the accompanying report, Washington State Highway Bridge Seismic Screening Tool (BSST) - User Manual.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Assessment of CReST-VCT Deployment in Real-Time Environments: Communication System Examination

Incorporation of decentralized generation or distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar and wind, is transforming the electricity grid. These resources have the potential to provide greater overall value when they are grid connected and coordinated between transmission and distribution systems. The Coordinated Real-Time Sub-Transmission Volt-VAr Control Tool (CReST-VCT) has been proposed to provide co-optimization between transmission and distribution systems maximizing DER utilization while maintaining overall grid stability. In this paper, we examine the communication systems that are necessary to support the integration of the CReST-VCT optimization mechanism in a real-time operational environment. The required communication interfaces will be identified based on the operation model of CReST-VCT. The characteristics of the communication systems at these interfaces will be described to establish the context within which CReST-VCT will operate. The related protocols and cybersecurity domain will be reviewed. Potential issues and concerns will then be identified to guide subsequent integration efforts.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tailoring of cyber security technology adoption practices for operational adoption in complex organizations

As concerns with cyber security and network protection increase, there is a greater need for organizations to deploy state-of-the-art technology to keep their cyber information safe. However, foolproof cyber security and network protection are a difficult feat since a security breach can be caused simply by a single employee who unknowingly succumbs to a cyber threat. It is critical for an organization’s workforce to holistically adopt cyber technologies that enable enhanced protection, help ward off cyber threats, and are efficient at encouraging human behavior towards safer cyber practices. It is also crucial for the workforce, once they have adopted cyber technologies, to remain consistent and thoughtful in their use of these technologies to keep resistance strong against cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Adoption of cyber technology can be difficult. Many organizations struggle with their workforce adopting newly-introduced cyber technologies, even when the technologies themselves have proven to be worthy solutions. Research, especially in the domain of cognitive science and the human dimension, has sought to understand how technology adoption works and can be leveraged. This paper reviews what empirical literature has found regarding cyber technology adoption, the current research gaps, and how non-research based efforts can influence adoption. Focusing on current efforts accomplished by a government-sponsored activity entitled “ACT” (Adoption of Cybersecurity Technologies), the aim of this paper is to empirically study cyber technology adoption to better understand how to influence operational adoption across the government-sector as well as how what can be done to develop a model that enables cyber technology adoption.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Automated Discovery for Emulytics

Sandia has an extensive background in cybersecurity research and is currently extending its state-of-the-art modeling via emulation capability. However, a key part of Sandia's modeling methodology is the discovery and specification of the information-system under study, and the ability to recreate that specification with the highest fidelity possible in order to extrapolate meaningful results. This work details a method to conduct information system discovery and develop tools to enable the creation of high-fidelity emulation models that can be used to enable assessment of our infrastructure information system security posture and potential system impacts that could result from cyber threats. The outcome are a set of tools and techniques to go from network discovery of operational systems to emulating complex systems. As a concrete usecase, we have applied these tools and techniques at Supercomputing 2016 to model SCinet, the world's largest research network. This model includes five routers and nearly 10,000 endpoints which we have launched in our emulation platform.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Concepts for Autonomous Operation of Microreactors

Microreactor concepts have seen increasing interest in recent years given their potential use for meeting energy needs in remote and grid-isolated communities. Given the small power outputs of microreactors and the potential for remote siting, there is a need to reduce operational staffing levels to improve their economic viability. A key enabling technology for this purpose is autonomous control that enables autonomous operation of microreactors. While several options for autonomous control exist, the level of human operator involvement in operational decision making needs to be defined as part of the system design process. Once this separation of function is achieved, several options exist for autonomous control ranging from simple automation of some procedures to fully autonomous operational mode decision making and execution.A critical aspect of autonomous decision making is the ability to have as complete an awareness of the system state as possible. In addition to data on temperature, pressure, flow, and neutron flux, measurements of the condition of important components will be necessary. This type of information will allow the autonomous control system to adapt its decision making to any changing conditions within the reactor, thereby not compromising safety while continuing to operate for as long as possible. Several technical advances are needed before widespread use of autonomous control in microreactors. These include sensor and instrumentation technologies that are capable of long term, unattended operation in harsh environments, technologies for inferring the state of the microreactor system or subsystems in an automated fashion, algorithms for predictive decision making that account for the assessed condition of the microreactor subsystems as well as the potential impact on those components of any operational decision, and actuators and control system hardware that are also long-lived in a harsh environment. In addition, given the need to remotely monitor the operations, cybersecurity requirements will likely need to be imposed to ensure secure operations.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗