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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 145 records · Page 8

Modeling Data Movement Performance on Heterogeneous Architectures

The cost of data movement on parallel systems varies greatly with machine architecture, job partition, and nearby jobs. Performance models that accurately capture the cost of data movement provide a tool for analysis, allowing for communication bottlenecks to be pinpointed. Modern heterogeneous architectures yield increased variance in data movement as there are a number of viable paths for inter-GPU communication. In this paper, we present performance models for the various paths of inter-node communication on modern heterogeneous architectures, including the trade-off between GPUDirect communication and copying to CPUs. Furthermore, we present a novel optimization for inter-node communication based on these models, utilizing all available CPU cores per node. Finally, we show associated performance improvements for MPI collective operations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

National Smart Manufacturing Strategic Plan: To Facilitate More Rapid Development, Deployment and Adoption of Smart Manufacturing Technologies

Smart manufacturing technologies provide real-time data and insight to improve the productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, creating the potential for new jobs in the manufacturing sector. These technologies can support U.S. manufacturers’ ability to increase throughput and energy efficiency, and decrease waste, defects, and costs. A wide range of manufacturing and industrial subsectors, particularly energy-intensive and energy-dependent industries, have the potential to benefit from smart manufacturing technologies. There are technical improvements still needed to reduce the costs and barriers (trained workforce and upskilling, software-hardware integration, cost, and technical barriers to deployment of advanced sensors, computing, and communication technologies for existing manufacturing assets) to the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies, especially to small and medium-sized manufacturers, and subsequently, increase the overall adoption rate of smart manufacturing technologies. This report outlines the Department of Energy’s (DOE) strategic plan to accelerate the development and implementation of smart manufacturing technologies in the United States and the actions DOE has taken to use these technologies in smart manufacturing for the United States. DOE’s plan to facilitate more rapid development, deployment and widespread adoption of smart manufacturing technologies derive from the 2018 Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing. The strategy outlines a vision for America’s leadership in advanced manufacturing including the development of intelligent manufacturing systems to optimize manufacturing facilities and support the manufacturing of transformative materials. DOE’s Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), a Manufacturing USA Institute, focuses on accelerating the development and adoption of advanced sensors, controls, platforms, and models needed for smart manufacturing. The objective is to enhance U.S. manufacturing productivity and global competitiveness through the research and development of these technologies. Smart manufacturing has the potential to improve the overall performance, energy productivity, and efficiency of manufacturing, fostering the economic competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

A Framework to Demonstrate a DNP3 Interface With a CIM-Based Data Integration Platform: Preprint

The contemporary electrical grid is characterized by its complexity and abundance of data. A control-rich environment supported by information and communication technologies within an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) presents a viable and cost-effective option for utility companies aiming to implement advanced real-time analytical schemes for monitoring and remotely controlling distribution feeders. Modular platform-based approaches to distribution operations require a structured framework for acquiring field device measurements, performing analytics, converting the setpoint to the correct protocol, and sending it on the appropriate communications network to the field devices. We present the development and deployment of an application service to integrate an open-source standardsbased platform with an ADMS test bed with field devices using the Distributed Network Protocol (DNP3) for data exchange. The step-by-step procedure for establishing the DNP3-Master service on an open-source distribution platform is outlined, comprehensively explaining the Master setup process. Moreover, sample use case results highlight the capabilities of the DNP3- Master service setup. Results demonstrate the scalability and configurability of the DNP3-Master service, making it adaptable for integration with other relevant applications, thus providing potential opportunities for real-world field trials and real-time assessments.

ADMS↗

How Improved Forecasting Can Increase the Bulk Power System Value of Price-Responsive Electric Vehicle Managed Charging

Personal light-duty vehicle (LDV) electric vehicle managed charging (EVMC) can reduce power system costs by better aligning electric vehicle (EV) charging with locations and times of low energy cost or infrastructure use. The need to coordinate charging demand across thousands to millions of vehicles while preserving mobility service is a barrier to realizing the value of EVMC. Price-responsive dispatch mechanisms like time-of-use rates (TOU) and hourly real-time prices (RTP) are attractive compared to direct load control (DLC) because they only require one-way communications and local controls. However, increasing participation in price responsive mechanisms can induce costly-to-serve spikes in load and otherwise increase, rather than decrease, production costs. We quantify the ability of improved EVMC forecasting to sustain savings from price responsive mechanisms beyond the limit of 14% of LDVs actively participating observed in previous work. Perfect forecasting of price-responsive EV load makes TOU and RTP value-competitive with a low-error DLC formulation with up to 27% (within-week flexibility) to 45% or more (within-session flexibility) of LDVs participating in EVMC in an envisioned New England power system with 84% clean energy. Additional costs of implementing DLC should be no more than tens of dollars per vehicle-year if DLC is to be value-competitive with accurately forecast price-responsive EVMC for double-digit percentage shares of LDVs participating.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

High-resolution high-throughput spatiotemporal strain imaging reveals loss mechanisms in a surface acoustic wave device

Surface acoustic wave devices are key components for processing radio frequency signals in wireless communication because these devices offer simultaneously high performance, compact size and low cost. The optimization of the device structure requires a quantitative understanding of energy conversion and loss mechanisms. Here we use stroboscopic full-field diffraction x-ray microscopy to reveal an unanticipated acoustic loss in a prototypical one-port resonator device. A non-uniform acoustic excitation in the active area was responsible for the substantial end and side leakages observed at the design frequency. Quantitative analysis of the strain amplitude using a wave decomposition method allowed the determination of several key device parameters. This high-resolution high-throughput spatiotemporal strain imaging technique is more generally applicable to the study of dynamic strain modulation in nanoscale acoustic, electronic, optical and quantum devices. The high sensitivity allows precise measurement of the strain modulation with picometer-scale amplitude.

Zhou, Tao [ESRF - The European Synchrotron, Grenob↗

Competitiveness Metrics for Electricity System Technologies

The relative economic competitiveness of power generation technologies is a topic of much interest to diverse electric industry participants. However, assessing competitiveness can be challenging as it requires considering both total costs and total system value of each technology, which are complicated by the (1) numerous and diverse grid services needed to operate a reliable power system; (2) variations in the economic value of the grid services with system state and location, and over multiple timescales, due to the challenges of transporting and storing electricity; and (3) the unique characteristics of different electric system assets. Ideally, metrics designed or used to convey technology competitiveness must consider these complexities, but existing metrics often fall short. For example, the levelized cost of energy does not consider the system economic value of the various technologies nor does it consider services beyond electricity production. Various other metrics have been designed with the purpose of more-accurately communicating the economic viability of electric system technologies. In this report, we summarize the primary sources and components of costs and value and review the known competitiveness metrics by presenting their definitions, applications, advantages, and disadvantages. We also introduce a new set of competitiveness metrics, which we refer to as System Profitability metrics, that more-directly applies the economic principles of return-on-investment to electric system technologies. We use conceptual examples to show how the System Profitability metrics better reflect economic viability and relative technology competitiveness compared with existing metrics. We also describe how competitiveness metrics can be quantified using optimization-based models and demonstrate this capability using a U.S. electric sector capacity expansion model.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Opportunities for Cost Savings with In-Transit Visualization

We analyze the opportunities for in-transit visualization to provide cost savings compared to in-line visualization. We begin by developing a cost model that includes factors related to both in-line and in-transit which allows comparisons to be made between the two methods. We then run a series of studies to create a corpus of data for our model. We run two different visualization algorithms, one that is computation heavy and one that is communication heavy with concurrencies up to 32, 768 cores. Our primary results are in exploring the cost model within the context of our corpus. Our findings show that in-transit consistently achieves significant cost efficiencies by running visualization algorithms at lower concurrency, and that in many cases these efficiencies are enough to offset other costs (transfer, blocking, and additional nodes) to be cost effective overall. Finally, this work informs future studies, which can focus on choosing ideal configurations for in-transit processing that can consistently achieve cost efficiencies.

Kress, James↗

Synchrophasor Data Anomaly Detection on Grid Edge by 5G Communication and Adjacent Compute

The fifth-generation mobile communication (5G) technology offers the opportunities to enhance the grid real-time monitoring. The 5G-enabled phasor measurement units (PMUs) features flexible positioning and cost-effective long-term maintenance, without constraints of fixing wire. This paper is the first to demonstrate the applicability of 5G in PMU communication, and the experiment was carried out at Verizon non-standalone testbed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Advanced Wireless Communication lab. The performance of 5G-enabled PMU communication setup is reviewed and discussed in this paper, and the paper presents a real-time dynamic linear model (DML) based synchrophasor data anomaly detection application. Last but not least, the practicability of implementing 5G for wide-area protection strategies is explored and discussed by analyzing the experimental results.

5G, Synchrophasor data, machine learning, anomaly ↗

3D printed graphene-based self-powered strain sensors for smart tires in autonomous vehicles

The transition of autonomous vehicles into fleets requires an advanced control system design that relies on continuous feedback from the tires. Smart tires enable continuous monitoring of dynamic parameters by combining strain sensing with traditional tire functions. Here, we provide breakthrough in this direction by demonstrating tire-integrated system that combines direct mask-less 3D printed strain gauges, flexible piezoelectric energy harvester for powering the sensors and secure wireless data transfer electronics, and machine learning for predictive data analysis. Ink of graphene based material was designed to directly print strain sensor for measuring tire-road interactions under varying driving speeds, normal load, and tire pressure. A secure wireless data transfer hardware powered by a piezoelectric patch is implemented to demonstrate self-powered sensing and wireless communication capability. Combined, this study significantly advances the design and fabrication of cost-effective smart tires by demonstrating practical self-powered wireless strain sensing capability.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Massively scalable Kerr comb-driven silicon photonic link

Abstract The growth of computing needs for artificial intelligence and machine learning is critically challenging data communications in today’s data-centre systems. Data movement, dominated by energy costs and limited ‘chip-escape’ bandwidth densities, is perhaps the singular factor determining the scalability of future systems. Using light to send information between compute nodes in such systems can dramatically increase the available bandwidth while simultaneously decreasing energy consumption. Through wavelength-division multiplexing with chip-based microresonator Kerr frequency combs, independent information channels can be encoded onto many distinct colours of light in the same optical fibre for massively parallel data transmission with low energy. Although previous high-bandwidth demonstrations have relied on benchtop equipment for filtering and modulating Kerr comb wavelength channels, data-centre interconnects require a compact on-chip form factor for these operations. Here we demonstrate a massively scalable chip-based silicon photonic data link using a Kerr comb source enabled by a new link architecture and experimentally show aggregate single-fibre data transmission of 512 Gb s −1 across 32 independent wavelength channels. The demonstrated architecture is fundamentally scalable to hundreds of wavelength channels, enabling massively parallel terabit-scale optical interconnects for future green hyperscale data centres.

Rizzo, Anthony (ORCID:000000034752797X)↗

Optimizing Communication in 2D Grid-Based MPI Applications at Exascale

The new reality of exascale computing faces many challenges in achieving optimal performance on large numbers of nodes. A key challenge is the efficient utilization of the message-passing interface (MPI), a critical component for process communication. This paper explores communication optimization strategies to harness the GPU-accelerated architectures of these supercomputers. We focus on MPI applications where processors form a two-dimensional process grid, a common arrangement in applications involving dense matrix operations. This configuration offers a unique opportunity to implement innovative strategies to improve performance and maintain effective load distribution. We study two applications— Dist-FW (Apsp:all-pair-shortest-path) and HPL-MxP (LU factorization with Mixed precision)—on two accelerated systems: Summit (IBM Power and NVIDIA V100) and Frontier (AMD EPYC and MI250X). These supercomputers are operated by the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) and are currently ranked #1 and #5 on the Top500 list. We show how to scale up both applications to exascale levels and tackle the MPI challenges related to implementation, synchronization, and performance. We also compare the performance of several communication strategies at an unprecedented scale. Accurately predicting application performance becomes crucial for cost reduction as the computational scale grows. To address this, we suggest a hyperbolic model as a better alternative to the traditional one-sided asymptotic model for predicting future application performance at such large scales.

Lu, Hao↗

Employing artificial intelligence to steer exascale workflows with colmena

Computational workflows are a common class of application on supercomputers, yet the loosely coupled and heterogeneous nature of workflows often fails to take full advantage of their capabilities. We created Colmena to leverage the massive parallelism of a supercomputer by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to learn from and adapt a workflow as it executes. Colmena allows scientists to define how their application should respond to events (e.g., task completion) as a series of cooperative agents. In this paper, we describe the design of Colmena, the challenges we overcame while deploying applications on exascale systems, and the science workflows we have enhanced through interweaving AI. The scaling challenges we discuss include developing steering strategies that maximize node utilization, introducing data fabrics that reduce communication overhead of data-intensive tasks, and implementing workflow tasks that cache costly operations between invocations. These innovations coupled with a variety of application patterns accessible through our agent-based steering model have enabled science advances in chemistry, biophysics, and materials science using different types of AI. In conclusion, our vision is that Colmena will spur creative solutions that harness AI across many domains of scientific computing.

Workflows↗

A Self-Organizing Nano Grid (SONG) for Energy Access Clusters

In this paper, a bottom-up dc Self-Organizing Nano Grid (SONG) for rural electrification at ultra-low-cost through a flexible and scalable topology is presented. The proposed nano grid requires no communication and uses dc-bus signaling to convey excess energy in the system through the bus voltage, allowing independent agents to conduct energy transactions based on their needs in a decentralized manner. Moreover, this article proposes a concept that uses a novel multi-source, multi-segment droop control strategy with demand coordination, allowing for dynamic self-balancing of the system under fluctuating operating conditions. The unique use of a surplus photovoltaic (PV) power droop mode precisely estimates energy availability to minimize load chattering that helps in stabilizing the dc-bus. In addition, this architecture uses standard dc/dc converters for a low-cost, modular, Plug and Play ( PnP ) solution with highly automated operation, enabling local assembly, operation, and maintenance by non-technical personnel. The proposed SONG concept was validated in simulation and with a 700W, laboratory-scale, custom made nano grid system. The simulation and experimental test cases show the feasibility of the SONG system by demonstrating the proposed multi-source, multi-segment droop control strategy without load chattering under varying operating conditions.

dc-dc converter↗

Recycling Wind Energy Systems in the United States Part 1: Providing a Baseline for America's Wind Energy Recycling Infrastructure for Wind Turbines and Systems

The U.S. investments in building this new wind energy capacity will not only mobilize millions of tons of raw and processed materials in existing supply chains, some of which are critical materials, but also create new types and large volumes of end-of-life (EOL) waste streams. Building efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible EOL management infrastructure of wind energy system components is pivotal in diverting upcoming volumes of waste stream from landfills, recovery of critical materials and reducing life cycle emissions from production of primary commodity materials . The primary goal of this report is to organize and communicate findings from this assessment on how alternate materials, designs and manufacturing processes could enable more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible disassembly and resource recovery from wind energy technologies. The findings of this assessment could inform prioritization of RD&D investment spending to meet Energy Act of 2020 directions. This assessment focused on key RD&D recommendations for three main temporal phases: Short-term (2023-2026), medium-term (2026 through 2035) and long-term (beyond 2035).

17 WIND ENERGY↗

A Smart and Flexible Microgrid with a Low-cost Scalable Open-source Controller (Final Report)

This report contains information regarding the activities carried out in the project "A Smart and Flexible Microgrid with a Low-cost Scalable Open-source Controller. The project aims at developing a community-based flexible microgrid (FMG) with smart grid features, including multiple utility feeders and dynamic boundaries that utilize intelligent switches and ultra-high-speed communication links already in a smart grid. The project also aims at developing a corresponding controller for such an FMG with low cost and high scalability. With distributed renewable energy resources (DERs) and the intelligent microgrid controller, the FMG will achieve aggressive emission reduction, increased energy use efficiency, and reliability improvement goals. The FMG and its controller design will be scalable for different geographic areas, load sizes, distributed generation source number and types, and even multiple MGs within a distribution electric power system. In order to achieve these project objectives, three main development tasks were carried out: FMG design, FMG controller development, and FMG controller testing. The fourth task was technology to market.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Graph Analytics on Jellyfish topology

Because large unstructured datasets is important for many science domains, distributed graph analytics is critical to many scientists. Unfortunately, obtaining scaling and performance for irregular communication is challenging because contemporary network interconnects are primarily designed to maximize bandwidths of fixed-neighborhoods large-message exchanges (e.g., stencils). Although there is no consensus on the “best” network topologies for irregular communication, unstructured graph-based interconnects can be more suitable. We analyze three popular graph workloads – clustering, pattern enumeration, and traversal — on comparable networks (in terms of resources and costs) constructed from Jellyfish Random Regular, Dragonfly and Fat tree topologies, varying the routing algorithms. Using packet-level simulations, we demonstrate up to 60% improvement in communication time with Jellyfish due to diversity of the short paths between arbitrary endpoints, which can reduce overall network stalls and congestion.

Graph Analytics, network topology, interconnect, H↗

Development and Validation of Algorithms That Analyze Communicating Thermostat Data to Identify Enclosure Retrofit Opportunities

Annual energy savings of up to $\$ 4$ to $\$ 5$ billion could be achieved nationwide through basic insulation and heating system retrofits of existing homes. However, current utility energy efficiency programs are costly and challenging to scale. Customer acquisition occurs primarily through energy bill mailers, mass media, and online advertising that lack specificity about home-specific retrofit opportunities, expected energy savings, and cost-effectiveness. Specific retrofit opportunities are identified via on-site home energy assessments (HEAs) that are inconvenient to homeowners, expensive, and of variable accuracy. We developed computational algorithms that automatically analyze communicating thermostat (CT) heating data that could be used to increase the customer uptake of insulation and air sealing energy conservation measures (ECMs) by identifying homes with the most significant retrofit opportunities, estimating post-retrofit energy savings, and formulating home-specific outreach. The algorithms are based on an extended second-order grey-box model that characterizes a building’s thermal response using lumped elements, coupled with an empirical model of infiltration that accounts for both wind and stack effects. The basic parameters of the model correspond to actual physical parameters of the home, i.e., the home’s overall R-value of and the building envelope ACH50. Unlike the conventional approach, which estimates model parameters based on the best fit to the observed time-dependent room temperature, our approach derives correlations between the daily heating system runtime and temperature difference (indoor-outdoor) that are more robust to data quality issues in real-world applications. We also used HEA data for algorithm development and validation. With the help of our utility partners, Eversource and National Grid, we obtained data sets for hundreds of Massachusetts homes. For each home, these data sets included three sets of information anonymized by the utility: (1) CT data (HVAC runtime, room temperature, and, for some vendors, outdoor temperature and wind speed) collected by the CT vendor (one of three) over a heating season, (2) HEA report performed by the HEA vendor (same vendor for all homes), (3) Monthly utility gas bills coincident with the CT data (3 to 24 per home, depending on availability). For some homes, we also obtained blower-door test results. Initially, we applied the algorithms developed to homes with a single CT and then extended them to homes with two CTs by using an equivalent home approach. Finally, we developed algorithms for prediction of energy savings and a methodology of comparing our predictions with those generated by HEAs. The main technical results indicate that we can reliably identify homes with insulation and/or air sealing retrofit opportunities and provide accurate savings predictions. Our hypothesis is that the algorithms could be applied to utility energy efficiency programs to identify homes that could realize significant energy savings from insulation and/or air sealing retrofits. This information could then be used to reach out to those homes with highly customized outreach, thereby delivering increased program energy savings and cost-effectiveness. This would: Significantly increase the uptake rate of on-site HEAs, and Significantly increase the fraction of HEAs resulting in ECM implementation. To test these hypotheses, we designed and conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The RCT results suggest that personal messaging leads to a two- to five-fold increase in the HEA uptake rate.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Ecobuoys for Scalable Oceanography

An approach to scalable surface-drifting buoys is needed to enable the high spatial and temporal resolution of oceanographic data that the science and meteorological communities are asking for. With the number of active buoys predicted to increase by a factor of 100 or more, the impact on the environment becomes even more important. Here, we present a pathway to a scalable and sustainable generation of buoys. We identify the main criteria to be used when developing such buoys to be low cost, with reliable data and neutral or even positive environmental impact. For each buoy subsystem—hull, electronics, energy generation and storage, sensors, and communication system—cutting-edge technological solutions are presented, many of them from emerging research in marine or other disciplines. We then assess the potential solutions against the design criteria and plot a path toward small, environmentally friendly, low-cost, and low-power buoys.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗