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At least 991 records · Page 55

Plasma facing components with capillary porous system and liquid metal coolant flow

Liquid metal can create a renewable protective surface on plasma facing components (PFC), with an additional advantage of deuterium pumping and the prospect of tritium extraction if liquid lithium (LL) is used and maintained below 450 °C, the temperature above which LL vapor pressure begins to contaminate the plasma. LM can also be utilized as an efficient coolant, driven by the Lorentz force created with the help of the magnetic field in fusion devices. Capillary porous systems can serve as a conduit of LM and simultaneously provide stabilization of the LM flow, protecting against spills into the plasma. Recently, a combination of a fast-flowing LM cooling system with a porous plasma facing wall (CPSF) was investigated [A. Khodak and R. Maingi, Nucl. Mater. Energy 26, 100935 (2021)]. The system takes an advantage of a magnetohydrodynamics velocity profile as well as attractive LM properties to promote efficient heat transfer from the plasma to the LL at low pumping energy cost, relative to the incident heat flux on the PFC. In the case of a disruption leading to excessive heat flux from the plasma to the LM PFCs, LL evaporation can stabilize the PFC surface temperature, due to high evaporation heat and apparent vapor shielding. The proposed CPSF was optimized analytically for the conditions of a fusion nuclear science facility [Kessel et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 75, 886 (2019)]: 10 T toroidal field and 10 MW/m 2 peak incident heat flux. Finally, computational fluid dynamics analysis confirmed that a CPSF system with 2.5 mm square channels can pump enough LL so that no additional coolant is needed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Compatibility of divertor detachment and ELM suppression in DIII-D high- β p plasmas with ITER-similar shape

Abstract Integration of transient and steady-state divertor heat fluxes control with a high-performance core is necessary for future fusion reactors. In recent DIII-D high- β p experiments, divertor detachment and simultaneous edge localized mode (ELM) suppression are demonstrated while the plasma confinement quality is maintained high in ITER-similar shape. By optimizing the neon injection in high- β p scenario with ITER-similar shape, deep detachment and ELM suppression are achieved with a high-performance core ( β N ∼ 2.8, β p ∼ 2.3) at q 95 ∼ 7.5. Partial divertor detachment and suppression of large ELMs are achieved at q 95 ∼ 6. The stability analyses suggest that with low neon injection, the density pedestal becomes higher and steeper and the T i profile also increases, therefore the increased edge pressure and higher current density destabilize the Peeling-Ballooning mode (PBM), which would lead to a large ELM collapse. With strong neon gas puffing, the significantly reduced pedestal pressure and current density, due to the degraded T e pedestal, lead to the stabilization of PBM and ELMs are suppressed. For both cases, the coupling between the large radius internal transport barrier (ITB) and edge pedestal is the key reason for maintaining high global performance. The formation of large radius ITB compensates for pedestal degradation. Such results could provide an attractive scenario to well control the transient and steady-state heat flux onto the divertor plates while maintaining good plasma performance, which is an important step toward the steady-state operation of future fusion reactors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

The Kokkos EcoSystem: Comprehensive Performance Portability For High Performance Computing

State of the art Engineering and Science codes have grown in complexity dramatically over the last two decades. As a consequence application teams have adopted more sophisticated development strategies, leveraging third party libraries, deploying comprehensive testing and using advanced debugging and profiling tools. In todays environment of diverse hardware platforms, these applications also desire performance portability - avoiding the need to duplicate work for various platforms - which makes it necessary that these tools and libraries also work across the various systems. The Kokkos EcoSystem provides that portable software stack. Based on the Kokkos Core Programming Model, the EcoSystem provides math libraries, interoperability capabilities with Python and Fortran, and Tools for analysing, debugging, and optimizing applications. In this paper we will provide an overview of the components, discuss some specific use cases, and highlight how co-designing these components enables a more developer friendly experience.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Influence of Thermal Annealing on the Properties of Multilayer Mo/Be Mirrors

The influence of thermal action on X-ray optics performance and structure of films and transition regions in multilayer Mo/Be mirrors optimized for a reflection maximum in the interval 11.2–11.4 nm at normal incidence has been considered. The annealing temperature reached 300°C and the annealing time was 1 and 4 h. It has been shown that after thermal annealing in vacuum for 1 h at 300°C, the reflection coefficient rises; however, when the annealing time grows to 4 h, it drops. Grains in molybdenum films become finer, and the profiles of transition regions change from exponential to linear. The period of multilayer mirrors has remained the same under all annealing conditions.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Charging and Repositioning Decision Making for Fully Automated Ride-Hailing Fleet

This is the presentation profile for 2020 DOE Vechicle Technologies Office Annual Merit Review. It introduces the research results in the project "Charging and Repositioning Decision Making for Fully Automated Ride-Hailing Fleet". These results come from the work of developing a framework for integrated dispatching and charging management of an autonomous electric vehicle ride-hailing fleet, and a case study in New York City was conducted to investigate the benefits of systematic optimization approach comparing to a heuristic approach.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Analyzing inference workloads for spatiotemporal modeling

Ensuring power grid resiliency, forecasting climate conditions, and optimization of transportation infrastructure are some of the many application areas where data is collected in both space and time. Spatiotemporal modeling is about modeling those patterns for forecasting future trends and carrying out critical decision-making by leveraging machine learning/deep learning. Once trained offline, field deployment of trained models for near real-time inference could be challenging because performance can vary significantly depending on the environment, available compute resources and tolerance to ambiguity in results. Users deploying spatiotemporal models for solving complex problems can benefit from analytical studies considering a plethora of system adaptations to understand the associated performance-quality trade-offs. To facilitate the co-design of next-generation hardware architectures for field deployment of trained models, it is critical to characterize the workloads of these deep learning (DL) applications during inference and assess their computational patterns at different levels of the execution stack. In this paper, we develop several variants of deep learning applications that use spatiotemporal data from dynamical systems. We study the associated computational patterns for inference workloads at different levels, considering relevant models (Long short-term Memory, Convolutional Neural Network and Spatio-Temporal Graph Convolution Network), DL frameworks (Tensorflow and PyTorch), precision (FP16, FP32, AMP, INT16 and INT8), inference runtime (ONNX and AI Template), post-training quantization (TensorRT) and platforms (Nvidia DGX A100 and Sambanova SN10 RDU). Overall, our findings indicate that although there is potential in mixed-precision models and post-training quantization for spatiotemporal modeling, extracting efficiency from contemporary GPU systems might be challenging. Instead, co-designing custom accelerators by leveraging optimized High Level Synthesis frameworks (such as SODA High-Level Synthesizer for customized FPGA/ASIC targets) can make workload-specific adjustments to enhance the efficiency.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Defining weather scenarios for simulation-based assessment of thermal resilience of buildings under current and future climates: A case study in Brazil

In response to increasingly severe weather conditions, optimization of building performance and investment provides an opportunity to consider co-benefits of thermal resilience during energy efficiency retrofits. This work aims to assess thermal resilience of buildings using building performance simulation to evaluate the indoor overheating risk under nine weather scenarios, considering historical (2010s), mid-term future (2050s), and long-term future (2090s) typical meteorological years, and heat wave years. Such an analysis is based on resilience profiles that combine six integrated indicators. A case study with a district of 92 buildings in Brazil was conducted, and a combination of strategies to improve thermal resilience was identified. Results reflect the necessity of planning for resilience in the context of climate change. This is because strategies recommended under current conditions might not be ideal in the future. Therefore, an adaptable design should be prioritized. Cooling energy consumption could increase by 48 % by the 2050s, while excessive overheating issues could reach 37 % of the buildings. Simple passive strategies can significantly reduce the heat stress. A comprehensive thermal resilience analysis should ultimately be accompanied by a thorough reflection on the stakeholders’ objectives, available resources, and planning horizon, as well as the risks assumed for not being resilient.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Evaluation of current density measurement methods for high-current, low-beta electron beams

Recent current density measurements with a low-beta electron beam (β=0.5-0.75) are strongly affected by electron scatter and Cherenkov limits. These invasive measurements are heavily influenced by the electron energy and the intercepting material properties: density, index of refraction, and atomic number. We evaluate various measurement methods, including x-ray scintillation and Cherenkov emission. To optimize the x-ray scintillation technique for this energy regime, metal foils of differing atomic number (Z) and thickness were placed upstream of a scintillation screen. We have selected Cherenkov emitters, based on a material refractive index, in order to differentiate the contributions from electron scatter and produced fluorescence, Cherenkov emission, and total internal reflection. The observed distributions for both approaches are verified through MCNP6®. Additionally, the simulations provide insight as to what physical processes dominate the measured distribution. We conclude by determining the limits and optimal measurement range for each measurement technique.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Rapid in situ nutrient element distribution in plants and soils using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy ($\mathrm{LIBS}$)

The aim of this study is to develop and test the applicability of a rapid in situ plant chemistry profiling technique to determine elemental composition of small-volume plant and soil samples obtained from a woody bioenergy crop species, Populus trichocarpa. Expanding the research tools available to characterize the nutrient element correlations among plant tissue types and soil depths is a critical need in the path of understanding productivity and adaptation of plants to variations in external abiotic and biotic factors and developing sustainable perennial bioenergy crops that are co-optimized for biomass valorization aboveground and carbon sequestration belowground. Several plant root, stem, and soil samples were tested using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to evaluate the presence and distribution of nutrient elements. Samples were tested as collected and after being dried and cross sectioned to evaluate the effectiveness of using LIBS for in situ analysis on plant samples. The collected LIBS spectra show the elemental peaks were the same in both the as collected and prepared samples for roots and stems. Qualitative amounts of elements such as H, C, N, O, Li, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Al, and Si were able to be identified rapidly in raw samples. Here in this report we demonstrate suitability of LIBS in obtaining rapid, in situ, elemental distribution in plant and soil samples, utilizing only small sample volumes and minimal sample preparation. This demonstration opens up a new rapid phenotyping avenue necessary to fill the asymmetrical knowledge gaps in belowground performance of plant systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Optimal Coordination of Building Loads and Energy Storage for Power Grid and End User Services

Demand response and energy storage play a profound role in the smart grid. The focus of this paper is to evaluate benefits of coordination of flexible loads and energy storage for power grid and end user services. We present a Generalized Battery Model (GBM) to describe the flexibility of building loads and energy storage. A Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach is proposed to characterize the GBM parameters (power and energy limits) for flexible building loads. Moreover, we develop optimal coordination algorithms for them to provide ancillary and end user services such as energy arbitrage, frequency regulation, spinning reserve, as well as energy and demand charge reduction. Several case studies have been performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the GBM and coordination algorithms, and evaluate the benefits of using their flexibility to provide grid and end user services. We show that optimal coordination yields significant cost saving and revenue. Moreover, the best option for grid services is to provide energy arbitrage and frequency regulation, because spinning reserve cannot compete with regulation service. Furthermore, when coordinating flexible loads with energy storage to provide end user services, it is recommended to consider both the time-of-use (TOU) price and demand charge rather than the TOU price only in order to flat the aggregate power profile.

Hao, He↗

Structure of the Electrical Double Layer at the Interface between an Ionic Liquid and Tungsten Oxide in Ion-Gated Transistors

The structure of electrical double layers at electrified interfaces is of utmost importance for electrochemical energy storage as well as printable, flexible, and bioelectronic devices, such as ion-gated transistors (IGTs). Here we report a study based on atomic force microscopy force–distance profiling on electrical double layers forming at the interface between the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and sol–gel films of mesoporous tungsten oxide. Here, we successfully followed, under in operando conditions, the evolution of the arrangement of the ions at the interface with the tungsten oxide films used as channel materials in IGTs. Our work sheds light on the mechanism of operation of IGTs, thus offering the possibility of optimizing their performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Top Launch for Higher Off-axis Electron Cyclotron Current Drive Efficiency

Efficient off-axis current drive is crucial for economic, steady-state tokamak fusion power plants. "Top Launch" electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) is one promising method for driving strong off-axis current to achieve the desired broad current profile for the Advanced Tokamak regime. New simulations show that by launching the electron cyclotron (EC) waves downwards (or upwards) nearly parallel to the resonance plane with a large toroidal steering, higher current drive efficiency can be obtained at large radii owing to the large Doppler shift, wave-particle interactions on HFS of the plasma, and the long absorption path. Implementations on CFETR and DIII-D are simulated identifying clear benefits and optimal configurations. The design of a prototype test being installed on DIII-D is presented, which will experimentally validate whether top launch ECCD can be an improved efficiency current drive technique for future fusion reactors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NSTX-U research advancing the physics of spherical tokamaks

Abstract The objectives of NSTX-U research are to reinforce the advantages of STs while addressing the challenges. To extend confinement physics of low- A , high beta plasmas to lower collisionality levels, understanding of the transport mechanisms that set confinement performance and pedestal profiles is being advanced through gyrokinetic simulations, reduced model development, and comparison to NSTX experiment, as well as improved simulation of RF heating. To develop stable non-inductive scenarios needed for steady-state operation, various performance-limiting modes of instability were studied, including MHD, tearing modes, and energetic particle instabilities. Predictive tools were developed, covering disruptions, runaway electrons, equilibrium reconstruction, and control tools. To develop power and particle handling techniques to optimize plasma exhaust in high performance scenarios, innovative lithium-based solutions are being developed to handle the very high heat flux levels that the increased heating power and compact geometry of NSTX-U will produce, and will be seen in future STs. Predictive capabilities accounting for plasma phenomena, like edge harmonic oscillations, ELMs, and blobs, are being tested and improved. In these ways, NSTX-U researchers are advancing the physics understanding of ST plasmas to maximize the benefit that will be gained from further NSTX-U experiments and to increase confidence in projections to future devices.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for Readout Signals Using Adaptive Filters on Reconfigurable Controls Hardware

This study investigates the optimization of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in superconducting quantum computing readout signals through adaptive filtering. Quantum computing technology has the potential to revolutionize various fields by delivering exponential speedup in solving certain computational problems. However, the technology's practical implementation is hindered by the difficulty of extracting clean, reliable signals during the readout phase, with various sources of noise presenting a significant barrier to clean signals. This noise, often present in readout profiles due to imperfect isolation, degrades the system's overall SNR, thus impeding the ability to extract the quantum state accurately. The research leverages the power of adaptive filtering to improve the SNR of quantum computing readout signals. Specifically, an adaptive filter is implemented in a PYNQ overlay on an FPGA, and eventually will be connected to a quantum computing system. The system models the noise with a Least Mean Squares (LMS) adaptive filter, and then subtracts the estimated noise from the received signal to improve the SNR. A Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel is used to handle the signal processing, delivering efficient, high-speed data transfer between the PYNQ system and the hardware. The study explores the benefits of this adaptive filtering technique, potentially providing a significant contribution to practical and fast quantum computing.

Johnson, Hans↗

Experimental Study of Residual Stresses in Hybrid Laser Arc and Submerged Arc-Welded 10-mm-Thick Low-Carbon Steel Plates

Offshore structures are constantly exposed to a multihazard marine environment that threatens their structural integrity. This imposes a high risk for extensive structural failures while various deterioration mechanisms may degrade the available capacity of the structures. Thus, no reliable decisions can be reached regarding design, operation, and survivability of the structures unless a deep comprehension of their fatigue performance is available, including welding-induced residual stresses. In particular, the continuous increase in size of the weldments for the offshore wind industry needs special attention with regard to welding-induced residual stresses, as they can reduce fatigue life, promote distortion, and contribute to stress corrosion cracking. Thus, the current design methods and increased structural dimensions as well as new design and manufacturing methods need to be inspected, understood, and optimized. Related to this, there is a growing need for evaluation of the effect of welding methods with various heat input density distributions. This article deals with the influence of welding method on the welding-induced residual stresses in 10-mm-thick low-carbon structural steel plates. The residual stresses are investigated in hybrid laser-arc welded and submerged arc butt-welded steel plates by means of experimental temperature profile measurements and neutron diffraction measurements and in accordance with existing production procedures. The residual stresses were measured at three different depths in the plates. The goal of the analysis is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and development of residual stresses in relation to the welding method for better control of the residual stresses and distortion. Furthermore, the repeatability of the neutron diffraction measurements is also investigated and reported in this article.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for Readout Signals Using Adaptive Filters on Reconfigurable Controls Hardware

This study investigates the optimization of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in superconducting quantum computing readout signals through adaptive filtering. Quantum computing technology has the potential to revolutionize various fields by delivering exponential speedup in solving certain computational problems. However, the technology's practical implementation is hindered by the difficulty of extracting clean, reliable signals during the readout phase, with various sources of noise presenting a significant barrier to clean signals. This noise, often present in readout profiles due to imperfect isolation, degrades the system's overall SNR, thus impeding the ability to extract the quantum state accurately. The research leverages the power of adaptive filtering to improve the SNR of quantum computing readout signals. Specifically, an adaptive filter is implemented in a PYNQ overlay on an FPGA, and eventually will be connected to a quantum computing system. The system models the n oise with a Least Mean Squares (LMS) adaptive filter, and then subtracts the estimated noise from the received signal to improve the SNR. A Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel is used to handle the signal processing, delivering efficient, high-speed data transfer between the PYNQ system and the hardware. The study explores the benefits of this adaptive filtering technique, potentially providing a significant contribution to practical and fast quantum computing.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

HDSense: An efficient method for ranking observable sensitivity

Identifying which observables most effectively constrain model parameters can be computationally prohibitive when considering full likelihoods of many correlated observables. This is especially important for, e.g., hadronization models, where high precision is required to interpret the results of collider experiments. We introduce the High-Dimensional Sensitivity (HDSense) score, a computationally efficient metric for ranking observable sets using only one-dimensional histograms. Derived by profiling over unknown correlations in the Fisher information framework, the score balances total information content against redundancy between observables. We apply HDSense to rank a set observables in terms of their constraining power with respect to five parameters of the Lund string model of hadronization implemented in Pythia using simulated leptonic collider events at the $Z$ pole. Validation against machine-learning--based full-likelihood approximations demonstrates that HDSense successfully identifies near-optimal observable subsets. The framework naturally handles data from multiple experiments with different acceptances and incorporates detector effects. While demonstrated on hadronization models, the methodology applies broadly to generic parameter estimation problems where correlations are unknown or difficult to model.

Assi, Benoît [Cincinnati U.] (ORCID:00000003092433↗

Multidimensional simulations of Mckenna-driven flow tube configuration: Investigating non-ideality in NO x formation flow tube experiments

Multidimensional simulations have been conducted to simulate atmospheric pressure, flat-flame/McKenna-burner-driven-flow tube experiments targeted to obtain NO x speciation data for predicting/analyzing syngas combustion emissions. In a prior work, we demonstrated the impacts of multidimensional transport on post flame region prediction departures from those assuming unidimensional flow/transport conditions. In this work, we develop and utilize a multidimensional laminar reacting flow solver to simulate the fully coupled flame and post flame regions to further elucidate the impacts of the earlier unidimensional modeling assumptions on interpreting post flame NO x experimental data. The model is used to simulate a lean, premixed syngas/air flame and its associated post flame regions within a cylindrical flow-tube-like arrangement. The combustion process takes place under atmospheric condition with trace amount of NO x seeding fed into the inlet gas stream. The spatial evolution of NO x species (NO and NO 2 ) in the flame and in the post-combustion zone suggests two distinct regions: 1) a region encompassing the flame structure itself; and 2) a post flame region in which the temperature decays due to both axial and radial transport processes. The predictions show that for the conditions studied, a pulsatile flow field exists due to the formation of an expanding and contracting recirculation zone in the outer periphery of the flow tube. By resolving the nature of the flow, the resulting time-averaged temperature and species concentrations show improved agreement with existing experimental measurements. The flow-field interaction results in radial inhomogeneities in the NO 2 profiles with the maximum concentration offset from the flow centerline. The location of the peak in NO 2 is coupled with radial temperature gradients from wall cooling effects and their significant influence on NO/NO 2 interconversion kinetics, producing notable NO 2 accumulation in regions near the wall. Geometrical configurations capable of suppressing/minimizing the pulsatile nature are also investigated and the results are compared. Other experimental configurations could be considered in parametric simulations to determine the optimal configuration that would minimize non-idealities in the observations. The work shows the value in performing such computations in advance of settling on a particular design for flow tube/flow reactor experiments.

42 ENGINEERING↗