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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 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Controlled gate networks: theory and application to eigenvalue estimation

We introduce a new scheme for quantum circuit design called controlled gate networks. Rather than trying to reduce the complexity of individual unitary operations, the new strategy is to toggle between all of the unitary operations needed with the fewest number of gates. We present the general theory of controlled gate networks and show that, under quite general conditions, it can significantly reduce the number of two-qubit gates needed to produce linear combinations of unitary operators. The first example we consider is a variational subspace calculation for a two-qubit system. The second example is estimating the eigenvalues of a two-qubit Hamiltonian via the rodeo algorithm (Choi et al. in Phys Rev Lett 127(4):040505, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.040505) using operators that we call controlled reversal gates. We use the Quantinuum H1-2 and IBM Perth devices to realize the quantum circuits. The third example is the application of controlled gate networks to the controlled time evolution of a free nucleon on a three-dimensional lattice. For all of the examples, we show very substantial reductions in the number of two-qubit gates required. Our work demonstrates that controlled gate networks are a useful tool for reducing gate complexity in quantum algorithms for quantum many-body problems such as those relevant to nuclear physics.

Bee-Lindgren, Max [Georgia Institute of Technology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tensorized Interior Radiative Heat Transfer for a Scalable and Calibrated Building Energy Simulator

Building energy simulation is a critical tool for developing and testing advanced control strategies, such as Reinforcement Learning (RL), to provide demand flexibility and affordable energy costs. The recently introduced Smart Buildings Control Suite (sbsim) provides a lightweight, scalable, and data-calibrated simulation environment based on a 2D finite-difference model. However, the initial model primarily focused on conductive and convective heat transfer, neglecting the significant impact of long-wave radiative heat exchange between interior surfaces. This paper presents a significant extension to the sbsim framework by incorporating a physically-grounded model for interior radiative heat transfer. Our primary contribution is the development and integration of a fully tensorized radiative heat transfer module, which preserves the computational efficiency and scalability of the original simulator. This was achieved by developing a pipeline for view factor calculation, including an algorithm to identify directly seeing surfaces within complex floor plans, and formulating the net radiation equations for efficient execution on modern hardware accelerators. We validate the numerical accuracy of our tensorized implementation by comparing its results against a traditional iterative approach, demonstrating identical outcomes. This enhancement increases the physical fidelity of sbsim, enabling more accurate training of RL agents for building energy optimization.

Ham, Sang woo↗
DOE OSTI2021

ManiPIO - Manipulate Process I/O

SAND2021-15053 O ManiPIO is a Python-based tool used to test Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and ICS networks. It reads an input script to construct complex Events on ICS networks and uses the ModBus communication standard to communicate. Users can use ManiPIO to construct complex timelines of ICS communication events to simulate any number of network-based scenarios. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Hahn, Andrew↗
DOE OSTI2020

CDFG Extraction Tool for LLVM

With the dawn of the exascale era, computer scientists and engineers are faced with tremendous challenges across all facets of the HPC system - scalability, performance, reliability, and power consumption. In particular, the power-performance benefit from one processor generation to the next is seeing ever-diminishing returns and will require fundamental changes in the way we approach computation. In fact, it is likely that different applications will require different types of accelerators in order to meet power, performance, and reliability requirements at scale. One potential type of accelerator, a dataflow architecture, diverges from the traditional sequentially executed instruction model into one that reflects the inherent instruction-level parallelism in a program. This work presents the initial steps toward a tool that can extract the control-dataflow graph from an application.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Control of the Plasma-Material Interface for Long Pulse Optimization in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) (Final Report)

This project involved a collaborative effort, led by Dr. Rajesh Maingi of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, to understand and control the plasma-material interface to improve long pulse discharge control and performance in the EAST devices. The focus is on long pulse recycling control and optimization, which can be challenging because of their broad range of materials used for plasma-facing components (PFC) and wall conditioning techniques. The purpose of the EAST device is to demonstrate long-pulse, stable, high performance plasma operation, providing a test-bed for key physics and technology issues for next step devices. As part of these tests, EAST has deployed carbon for the lower divertor PFC, tungsten for the upper divertor, and molybdenum for the main wall. In addition wall coatings are deployed for long pulse recycling control: lithium (Li) via several delivery tools, boronization, and recently also siliconization; for example, in 2013, a layer of SiC was deposited on all of the graphite tiles. Oxygen is also present at trace levels, making for a complex mix of materials and plasma-materials interactions (PMI). This mix of materials and the limited durability of wall coatings, coupled to partially optimized cryo-pumping, lead to evolution of the recycling off the PFCs, which restricts the duration of stationary, high performance, long pulse discharges. Comparing the wall conditioning techniques, Li enables the highest energy confinement and lowest recycling for the longest duration, while also suppressing ELMs in certain discharges. More specifically, research activities at the University of Tennessee focused on heat flux profile measurements in EAST, modeling the surface response, including the bonding energetics and chemical interactions between Li with carbon, tungsten, hydrogen and impurities, in addition to post situ experimental characterization and analysis of the divertor plasma facing components in EAST. This final report describes the overall progress within each of these tasks at the University of Tennessee within the project.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamical Inference and 3D Imaging of Magnetized Dusty Plasmas

This is the final technical report for this DOE award. The motion of dust particles in a laboratory plasma has been studied for nearly 30 years and has led to the discovery of strongly-coupled crystalline structures and nonequilibrium dynamics governed by gravitational, hydrodynamic, and electrostatic forces. Many of the inter-particle forces are complex; they can be non-reciprocal, and non-additive. Deciphering the mélange of particle interactions has been a challenging task, nevertheless, magnetized dusty plasmas remains an open challenge with limited understanding. With applications ranging from magnetically-confined plasmas for fusion to near-surface planetary environments, this research field is ripe for well-controlled, laboratory experiments and new theoretical tools. In collaboration with the MDPX experiment at Auburn University, this proposal aims to tease apart both the known and unknown forces that drive dusty plasmas in magnetized environments using high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging and particle tracking coupled with modern dynamical inference and machine learning techniques.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biophysical model of eelgrass and water quality in Coos Bay, OR shows greater mitigation potential for ocean acidification than hypoxia

Seagrass beds provide important ecosystem services and are valued, in part, for their potential to mediate stressors such as ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) for sensitive species. However, the susceptibility of seagrasses to anthropogenic impacts and recent declines motivate the need to better understand the drivers of seagrass and the water quality consequences that occur with variation in seagrass abundance. To meet this need, we leveraged existing monitoring data (water quality and seagrass), hydrodynamic circulation model, and biogeochemical model framework with seagrass submodel, to produce a biophysical model of Coos Bay estuary, Oregon, U.S. The model includes biogeochemical processes involving water quality, plankton, seagrass, and sediment-water interactions. Ecosystem models like this are useful for evaluating complex estuarine systems because they allow us to extend our understanding of system dynamics beyond existing observations and perform experiments to identify the processes driving observed patterns. We used the biophysical model of Coos Bay to evaluate the dynamics of water quality and native eelgrass (Zostera marina) under three eelgrass abundance scenarios (zero eelgrass, current extent, and maximum observed extent) to elucidate the relationship between eelgrass and OAH. Including eelgrass in the Coos Bay model produced results that more closely resembled water quality observations - dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH were more dynamic in simulations with eelgrass, often having both higher highs and lower lows. While there were some areas of the estuary where DO improved with the addition of eelgrass to the model there was overall a small net increase in harmful DO conditions (based on a salmon physiological threshold). In contrast, ocean acidification conditions, pH and calcium carbonate saturation state for aragonite (Ω), were improved (based on oyster requirements) with the addition of eelgrass - although the magnitude of improvement differed seasonally and spatially. Our new model represents a useful tool - one which accounts for and controls the relevant physical and biogeochemical processes - to evaluate conditions that confer resilience or enhance vulnerability to OAH in an important Pacific Northwest coastal estuary and results can inform the OAH-related dynamics occurring in other eastern boundary current estuaries.

FVCOM-ICM↗
NASA NTRS1972

System/360 Computer Assisted Network Scheduling (CANS) System

Computer assisted scheduling techniques that produce conflict-free and efficient schedules have been developed and implemented to meet needs of the Manned Space Flight Network. CANS system provides effective management of resources in complex scheduling environment. System is automated resource scheduling, controlling, planning, information storage and retrieval tool.

Brewer, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

REDUCE 2: A computer program for the symbolic reduction of large block diagrams

REDUCE 2 is reported as a FORMAC program which symbolically calculates the transfer function(s) of any linear-block-diagram output variable to any or all input variables. The program requires as input a set of algebraic expressions representing the block diagram, the desired transfer function(s), and a string of variables indicating the desired order of reduction. The solution is presented in the compact form of a set of nested functions (super G's). The program can handle systems as large as 600 equations and is intended as a tool for the analysis of complex control and dynamic systems. A companion FORTRAN program, EVAL 2, which numerically evaluates the solution set to obtain amplitude ratio and phase angle as functions of frequency is also presented.

Lorenzo, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Helicopter Acoustics

Exterior and interior noise problems are addressed both from the physics and engineering as well as the human factors point of view. The role of technology in closing the gap between what the customers and regulating agencies would like to have and what is available is explored. Noise regulation concepts, design, operations and testing for noise control, helicopter noise prediction, and research tools and measurements are among the topics covered.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1978

Helicopter Acoustics, part 2

Exterior and interior helicopter noise problems are addressed from the physics and engineering as well as the human factors point of view. Noise regulation concepts, human factors and criteria, rotor noise generation and control, design, operations and testing for noise control, helicopter noise prediction, and research tools and measurements are covered.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Zero-torque spanner wrench

Wrench converts gripping action of hand to rotary motion without imparting reactive moments or forces on part being turned or on operator. Wrench should be useful in undersea operations and other delicate work where reactive forces and torques have to be controlled. In design for valve tightening, tool resembles cross between conventional spanner wrench and pilers. One handle engages valve body; second handle has ratchet pawl that engages toothed coupling ring on perimeter of valve handle. When operator squeezes wrench handles, valve handle rotates with respect to valve body.

Friedell, M. V.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fiberglass Composite Blades for the 4 MW - WTS-4 Wind Turbine

The design and fabrication of composite blades for the WTS-4, a four-megawatt horizontal-axis wind turbine, is discussed. The blade consists of a two-cell, monolithic structure of filament-wound, fiberglass/epoxy composite. Filament winding is a low-cost process which can produce a blade with an aerodynamically efficient airfoil and planform with nonlinear twist to achieve high performance in terms of energy capture. Its retention provides a redundant attachment for long, durable life and safety. Advanced tooling concepts and as sophisticated computer control is used to achieve the unique filament-wound shape.

Bussolari, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fabrication of bonded graphite/polyimide structures for advanced aerospace applications

The tooling concepts and manufacturing techniques developed to produce subelements and full-scale bonded test articles for two of the NASA Composites for Advanced Transportation Systems are examined as part of the structural development of graphite/polyimide composite material systems for the Space Shuttle Orbiter and other space transportation systems. The subassembly and the assembly bonding of the test articles were accomplished using self-tooling and low-cost aluminum tooling concepts in order to eliminate the need for complex and expensive tools. Processing procedures and tooling approaches were developed which permit controlled pressure application on specific bonding planes. Two test articles were fabricated using these techniques, an acoustic panel and a quarter segment of the Space Shuttle aft body flap.

Frost, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Propulsion simulation test technique for V/STOL configurations

Ames Research Center is developing the technology for turbine-powered jet engine simulators so that airframe/propulsion system interactions on V/STOL fighter aircraft and other highly integrated configurations can be studied. This paper describes the status of the compact multimission aircraft propulsion simulator (CMAPS) technology. Three CMAPS units have accumulated a total of 340 hr during approximately 1-1/2 yr of static and wind-tunnel testing. A wind-tunnel test of a twin-engine CMAPS-equipped close-coupled canard-wing V/STOL model configuration with nonaxisymmetric nozzles was recently completed. During this test approximately 140 total hours were logged on two CMAPS units, indicating that the rotating machinery is reliable and that the CMAPS and associated control system provide a usable test tool. However, additional development is required to correct a drive manifold O-ring problem that limits the engine-pressure-ratio (EPR) to approximately 3.5.

Bailey, R. O.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Operational viewpoint of the X-29A digital flight control system

In the past few years many flight control systems have been implemented as full-authority, full-time digital systems. The digital design has allowed flight control systems to make use of many enhanced elements that are generally considered too complex to implement in an analog system. Examples of these elements are redundant information exchanged between channels to allow for continued operation after multiple failures and multiple variable gain schedules to optimize control of the aircraft throughout its flight envelope and in all flight modes. The introduction of the digital system for flight control also created the problem of obtaining information from the system in an understandable and useful format. This paper presents how the X-29A was dealt with during its operations at NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility. A brief description of the X-29A control system, a discussion of the tools developed to aid in daily operations, and the troubleshooting of the aircraft are included.

Chacon, Vince↗
NASA NTRS1987

A computer aided engineering tool for ECLS systems

The Computer-Aided Systems Engineering and Analysis tool used by NASA for environmental control and life support system design studies is capable of simulating atmospheric revitalization systems, water recovery and management systems, and single-phase active thermal control systems. The designer/analysis interface used is graphics-based, and allows the designer to build a model by constructing a schematic of the system under consideration. Data management functions are performed, and the program is translated into a format that is compatible with the solution routines.

Bangham, Michal E.↗