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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 127 records · Page 7

FULCRUM user interface for SCALE 6.2

SCALE 6.2 consolidated the multiple special-purpose graphical user interfaces (GUI) of SCALE 6.1 into a completely new and modern interface called FULCRUM. FULCRUM is a cross-platform GUI designed to create, edit, validate, and visualize SCALE input, output, and data. It is intended to be usable by both novice and experienced SCALE users with an unobtrusive design. This paper presents a summary of FULCRUM capabilities. Specifically, interactive input validation, context-aware auto-completion, navigation, interactive geometry visualization with mesh results overlay, job execution, data plotting, and highly configurable workspace layouts will be discussed. (authors)

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Design and Construction of Detector and Data Acquisition Elements for Proton Computed Tomography

Proton computed tomography (pCT) offers an alternative to x-ray imaging with potential for three-dimensional imaging, reduced radiation exposure, and in-situ imaging. Northern Illinois University (NIU) is developing a second-generation proton computed tomography system with a goal of demonstrating the feasibility of three-dimensional imaging within clinically realistic imaging times. The second-generation pCT system is comprised of a tracking system, a calorimeter, data acquisition, a computing farm, and software algorithms. The proton beam encounters the upstream tracking detectors, the patient or phantom, the downstream tracking detectors, and a calorimeter. The schematic layout of the PCT system is shown. The data acquisition sends the proton scattering information to an offline computing farm. Major innovations of the second generation pCT project involve an increased data acquisition rate ( MHz range) and development of three-dimensional imaging algorithms. The Fermilab Particle Physics Division and Northern Illinois Center for Accelerator and Detector Development at Northern Illinois University worked together to design and construct the tracking detectors, calorimeter, readout electronics and detector mounting system.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Leveraging Interaction History for Intelligent Configuration of Multiple Coordinated Views in Visualization Tools

Visualization tools can take advantage of multiple coordinated views to support analysis of large, multidimensional data sets. Effective design of such views and layouts can be challenging, but understanding users analysis strategies can inform design improvements. We outline an approach for intelligent design configuration of visualization tools with multiple coordinated views, and we discuss a proposed software framework to support the approach. The proposed software framework could capture and learn from user interaction data to automate new compositions of views and widgets. Such a framework could reduce the time needed for meta analysis of the visualization use and lead to more effective visualization design.

infovis↗

Optimizing Irregular Applications for Energy and Performance on the Tilera Many-core Architecture

Optimizing applications simultaneously for energy and performance is a complex problem. High performance, parallel, irregular applications are notoriously hard to optimize due to their data-dependent memory accesses, lack of structured locality and complex data structures and code patterns. Irregular kernels are growing in importance in applications such as machine learning, graph analytics and combinatorial scientific computing. Performance- and energy-efficient implementation of these kernels on modern, energy efficient, multicore and many-core platforms is therefore an important and challenging problem. We present results from optimizing two irregular applications { the Louvain method for community detection (Grappolo), and high-performance conjugate gradient (HPCCG) { on the Tilera many-core system. We have significantly extended MIT's OpenTuner auto-tuning framework to conduct a detailed study of platform-independent and platform-specific optimizations to improve performance as well as reduce total energy consumption. We explore the optimization design space along three dimensions: memory layout schemes, compiler-based code transformations, and optimization of parallel loop schedules. Using auto-tuning, we demonstrate whole node energy savings of up to 41% relative to a baseline instantiation, and up to 31% relative to manually optimized variants.

irregular applications, energy opttimization, many↗

Demonstration of transmission high energy electron microscopy

Charged particle radiography with 800 MeV protons has been used for decades at LANL and developed around the world to study dynamic material properties. Recently, charged particle radiography has been demonstrated with the use of high-energy electrons. Because of the difference in the mass of the electron compared to the mass of the proton, the radiographic processes are substantially different and well suited to the study of fast dynamic processes in relatively thin systems. This presentation will show the layout required for such measurements, along with data collected from this recent demonstration performed with 14 GeV electrons generated at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The radiographic performance for flash measurements will be presented, along with the limitations of this measurement technique.

Merrill, F. E.↗

Statistical analysis of the Nb 3 Sn strand production for the ITER toroidal field coils

The ITER toroidal field (TF) strand procurement initiated the largest Nb 3 Sn superconducting strand production hitherto. The industrial-scale production started in Japan in 2008 and finished in summer 2015. Six ITER partners (so-called Domestic Agencies, or DAs) are in charge of the procurement and involved eight different strand suppliers all over the world, of which four are using the bronze route (BR) process and four the internal-tin (IT) process. In total more than 500 tons have been produced including excess material covering losses during the conductor manufacturing process, in particular the cabling. The procurement is based on a functional specification where the main strand requirements like critical current, hysteresis losses, Cu ratio and residual resistance ratio are specified but not the strand production process or layout. We introduce the analysis on the data acquired during the quality control (QC) process that was carried out to ensure the same conductor performance requirements are met by the different strand suppliers regardless of strand design. The strand QC is based on 100% billet testing and on applying statistical process control (SPC) limits. Throughout the production, samples adjacent to the strand pieces tested by the suppliers are cross-checked ('verified') by their respective DAs reference labs. The level of verification was lowered from 100% at the beginning of the procurement progressively to approximately 25% during the final phase of production. Based on the complete dataset of the TF strand production, an analysis of the SPC limits of the critical strand parameters is made and the related process capability indices are calculated. In view of the large-scale production and costs, key manufacturing parameters such as billet yield, number of breakages and piece-length distribution are also discussed. Furthermore, the results are compared among all the strand suppliers, focusing on the difference between BR and IT processes. Following the completion of the largest Nb 3 Sn strand production, our experience gained from monitoring the execution of the QC activities and from auditing the results from the measurements is summarised for future superconducting strand material procurement activities.

Vostner, A.↗

Methodology for Wide Band-Gap Device Dynamic Characterization

Here, the double pulse test (DPT) is a widely accepted method to evaluate the dynamic behavior of power devices. Considering the high switching-speed capability of wide band-gap devices, the test results are very sensitive to the alignment of voltage and current (V-I) measurements. Also, because of the shoot-through current induced by Cdv/dt (i.e., cross-talk), the switching losses of the nonoperating switch device in a phase-leg must be considered in addition to the operating device. This paper summarizes the key issues of the DPT, including components and layout design, measurement considerations, grounding effects, and data processing. Additionally, a practical method is proposed for phase-leg switching loss evaluation by calculating the difference between the input energy supplied by a dc capacitor and the output energy stored in a load inductor. Based on a phase-leg power module built with 1200-V/50-A SiC MOSFETs, the test results show that this method can accurately evaluate the switching loss of both the upper and lower switches by detecting only one switching current and voltage, and it is immune to V-I timing misalignment errors.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Improved Estimates of Moments and Winds from Radar Wind Profiler

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) operates nine radar wind profilers (RWP) across its sites. These RWPs operate at 915 MHz or 1290 MHz frequency and report the first three moments of the Doppler spectrum. The operational settings of the RWP were modified in summer, 2015 to have single pulse length setting for the wind mode and two pulse length settings for the precipitation mode. The moments data collected during the wind mode are used to retrieve horizontal winds. The vendor-reported winds are available at variable time resolution (10 mins, 60 mins, etc.) and contain a significant amount of contamination due to noise and clutter. In this data product we have recalculated the moments and the winds from the raw radar Doppler spectrum and have made efforts to mitigate the contamination due to instrument noise in the wind estimates. Additionally, the moments and wind data has been reported in a harmonized layout identical for all locations and sites.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

MagMicro with Ultra-High Energy Resolution (Progress Report Q4 FY18)

We are performing extensive simulations of the MMC detector response to optimize their energy resolution, detection efficiency and count rate based on the data we took in FY17/18. The optimized layout separates the MMC detector chip from the SQUID preamplifier chips coupled to the MMCs through Al wire bonds to avoid heating the MMC with the power dissipation of the SQUID. The goal is to design MMC gamma detectors with a limiting energy resolution below ~25 eV FWHM up to >100 keV and ~1 ms decay times for maximum count rates of several tens of counts/s per pixel. The simulations, which were done at the Supercomputing Center of the University of New Mexico, are taking significantly longer than expected. The difficulty is that the device performance depends intricately on the design parameters, and each simulation is quite involved because it needs to cover the frequency range well into the GHz range to account for the ac Josephson effect. This is delaying the start of the detector array fabrication, and we have not been able to complete the fabrication and the testing of the 32-pixel MMC arrays by September 30. We have therefore requested a no-cost extension of the project to March 31, 2019.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Resource Assessment Study of Long Island Sound Tidal Resource in New York State Waters Based on Numerical Modeling (Abstract)

To refine the understanding of the tidal energy resource in Long Island Sound (LIS), Verdant Power and PNNL will collaborate to conduct a numerical modeling campaign in accordance with a Stage 2 resource assessment according to IEC TC 62600-201. The work will develop a high resolution tidal hydrodynamic model using FVCOM in LIS, validate the model using NOAA C-MIST ADCP data, and conduct a Stage 2 array layout design study at selected hotspots within the project area. The teams will also model tidal energy extraction using the FVCOMTEC module at the hotspot sites, based on specific device technologies provided by Verdant Power. Model results from this study will inform additional resource assessment activities such as in situ water velocity measurements for further model validation and elucidate understanding of other key sites in Long Island Sound for commercial-scale tidal energy deployments.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Improving Scientific Data Analysis Through Multi-touch Enabled Interactive Data Visualization with Applications to Neutron Science

Scientific data analysis is an inherently exploratory process that requires flexible human interaction with data visualization and anal- ysis tools. In this paper, we describe challenges in neutron scattering data analysis and present our approach for allowing more effective human interaction. In addition to multi-touch enabled data visualiza- tion techniques, we describe color scale enhancements, layouts, and visual analytics approaches for 3D volume slicing. Since challenges in neutron science are echoed in most scientific fields, we generalize the project objective and present a case for bridging the gap between the latest advances in interactive data visualization and practical scientific scenarios where new critical knowledge is buried in large volumes of complex data.

Steed, Chad↗

Wind Farm Simulation and Layout Optimization in Complex Terrain: Preprint

This work reports on incorporating complex terrain into wind farm simulations for the purpose of layout optimization. Adding complex terrain boundary conditions to NREL's medium fidelity computational fluid dynamics model, WindSE, produces significant separation, flow curvature, and speedup effects that would otherwise be difficult to capture with lower-fidelity models or a flat-terrain assumption. These flow features, in turn, can significantly impact the optimal turbine array layout. We demonstrate the impact of complex terrain on flow in both an idealized and real-world setting, and discuss modifications to the code that enable gradient-based optimization using terrain-aware adjoint gradients. Through several optimization case studies, we show that the layout optimization process takes advantage of speedup effects on terrain high points, and leverages flow curvature effects that modify wake trajectories. This yields substantial power improvements over gridded layouts, and hints at future research directions in simulation and optimization for wake trajectories in complex terrain.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Automatic Segmentation of Building Envelope Point Cloud Data Using Machine Learning

About 50% of buildings in the US were constructed before energy codes were introduced. Modular overclad panel retrofits, in which a new envelope is constructed over the existing building, are a promising solution given that it minimizes occupant disruption and shortens construction time at the jobsite. Current state-of-the-art retrofit panel layout and dimensioning consists of three steps: 1) 3D point cloud data generation of the building envelope using commonly available surveying equipment, 2) manual segmentation of 3D point cloud data by a trained professional to identify and dimension window openings, door openings, and other architectural features, and 3) modular panel layout optimization and dimensioning by an architect or engineer. Among these steps, the second one remains the most difficult and costly because it is very labor-intensive. We propose a methodology to automatically label 3D point cloud data to reduce the time and expense spent in manual segmentation. Machine learning methods were employed to classify the point cloud data into distinct groups, each of which corresponds to different features of the building envelope. After classification, a segmentation algorithm was developed to perform boundary detection and separate the components of the façade. Finally, the algorithm returns the relative positions and dimensions of the features in the building envelope. The measurements obtained with the proposed automated method were compared against the actual dimensions to determine the overall algorithm accuracy. The proposed algorithm can then be used to reduce manual efforts for 3D point cloud labeling before modular panel layout optimization is performed.

Maldonado Puente, Bryan↗

Communication Characterization and Optimization of Applications Using Topology-Aware Task Mapping on Large Supercomputers

On large supercomputers, the job scheduling systems may assign a non-contiguous node allocation for user applications depending on available resources. With parallel applications using MPI (Message Passing Interface), the default process ordering does not take into account the actual physical node layout available to the application. This contributes to non-locality in terms of physical network topology and impacts communication performance of the application. In order to mitigate such performance penalties, this work describes techniques to identify suitable task mapping that takes the layout of the allocated nodes as well as the application's communication behavior into account. During the first phase of this research, we instrumented and collected performance data to characterize communication behavior of critical US DOE (United States - Department of Energy) applications using an augmented version of the mpiP tool. Subsequently, we developed several reordering methods (spectral bisection, neighbor join tree etc.) to combine node layout and application communication data for optimized task placement. We developed a tool called mpiAproxy to facilitate detailed evaluation of the various reordering algorithms without requiring full application executions. This work presents a comprehensive performance evaluation (14,000 experiments) of the various task mapping techniques in lowering communication costs on Titan, the leadership class supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Communication Characterization and Optimization of Applications Using Topology-Aware Task Mapping on Large Supercomputers

On large supercomputers, the job scheduling systems may assign a non-contiguous node allocation for user applications depending on available resources. With parallel applications using MPI (Message Passing Interface), the default process ordering does not take into account the actual physical node layout available to the application. This contributes to non-locality in terms of physical network topology and impacts communication performance of the application. In order to mitigate such performance penalties, this work describes techniques to identify suitable task mapping that takes the layout of the allocated nodes as well as the application's communication behavior into account. During the first phase of this research, we instrumented and collected performance data to characterize communication behavior of critical US DOE (United States - Department of Energy) applications using an augmented version of the mpiP tool. Subsequently, we developed several reordering methods (spectral bisection, neighbor join tree etc.) to combine node layout and application communication data for optimized task placement. We developed a tool called mpiAproxy to facilitate detailed evaluation of the various reordering algorithms without requiring full application executions. This work presents a comprehensive performance evaluation (14,000 experiments) of the various task mapping techniques in lowering communication costs on Titan, the leadership class supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Sreepathi, Sarat↗

Structure Learning in Power Distribution Networks

Traditionally power distribution networks are either not observable or only partially observable. This complicates development and implementation of new smart grid technologies, such as these related to demand response, outage detection and management, and improved load-monitoring. Here, inspired by proliferation of the metering technology, we discuss statistical estimation problems in structurally loopy but operationally radial distribution grids consisting in learning operational layout of the network from measurements, e.g. voltage data, which are either already available or can be made available with a relatively minor investment. Our newly suggested algorithms apply to a wide range of realistic scenarios. The algorithms are also computationally efficient – polynomial in time – which is proven theoretically and illustrated computationally on a number of test cases. The technique developed can be applied to detect line failures in real time as well as to understand the scope of possible adversarial attacks on the grid.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Fulcrum User Interface for Scale 6.2

SCALE 6.2 consolidated the multiple special-purpose graphical user interfaces (GUI) of SCALE 6.1 into a completely new and modern interface called Fulcrum. Fulcrum is a cross-platform GUI designed to create, edit, validate, and visualize SCALE input, output, and data. It is intended to be usable by both novice and experienced SCALE users with an unobtrusive design. This paper presents a summary of Fulcrum capabilities. Specifically, interactive input validation, context-aware auto-completion, navigation, interactive geome-try visualization with mesh results overlay, job execution, data plotting, and highly config-urable workspace layouts will be discussed.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

zorder-lib: Library API for Z-Order Memory Layout

This document describes the motivation for, elements of, and use of the zorder-lib, a library API that implements organization of and access to data in memory using either a-order (also known as "row-major" order) or z-order memory layouts. The primary motivation for this work is to improve the performance of many types of data- intensive codes by increasing both spatial and temporal locality of memory accesses. The basic idea is that the cost associated with accessing a datum is less when it is nearby in either space or time.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗