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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

Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion by Flow-Induced Oscillation of Two Tandem Cylinders of Different Stiffness

Abstract The vortex-induced vibration for aquatic clean energy (VIVACE) converter harnesses hydrokinetic energy by enhancing flow-induced oscillations (FIOs) of elastically supported rigid cylinders in a river, tide, or ocean current. The harnessing power depends on the intensity of the oscillation, which is a consequence of the flow–structure interaction. The inflow condition for the downstream (second) cylinder is slowed down and perturbed by the upstream (first) cylinder, due to the shielding effect. Therefore, the optimal structural parameters, i.e., stiffness and damping ratio, for the second cylinder may be different from the first cylinder, in terms of energy harnessing. To improve the performance of the VIVACE converter, a series of experiments are conducted in a recirculating water channel, with various stiffness combinations of two cylinders in tandem. Results show that the stiffness of the second cylinder, K2, does not affect the energy harnessing power in vortex-induced vibration (VIV) occurring at low speeds, because the oscillation of the downstream cylinder in this velocity range is completely dominated by the wake of the upstream cylinder. K2 has a great influence on the harnessing power at higher velocities in the transition region from VIV to galloping and in galloping. Changing K2 onsets and enhances galloping at lower flow velocity and harnesses up to 110% more energy than the case of K1 = K2.

Engineering↗

LLM Generation of Online Courses from a Curated Set of Documents in the Nuclear Safeguards Domain

A multidisciplinary team at Argonne National Laboratory explores the application of advanced technologies to enhance knowledge transfer and retention within the nuclear safeguards domain. Specifically, it examines the feasibility of leveraging secure large language models (LLMs) to streamline the creation of e-learning modules for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of International Nuclear Safeguards (NA-241). The initiative addresses the critical need for preserving institutional memory and accelerating skill development amidst the imminent retirement of senior professionals in the field in addition to supporting good knowledge management practices. The project integrates instructional design theory with cutting-edge AI technologies to transform curated document sets from the Safeguards Knowledge Repository (SKR) into modular online courses. By automating the generation of learning objectives and instructional content, the effort aims to reduce manual effort while maintaining high-quality educational outcomes. A limited measure of human supervision, however, ensures accuracy, relevance, and alignment with NNSA’s strategic priorities. Key findings highlight the potential of AI-assisted course generation to support safeguards professionals by creating structured, interactive learning experiences. The report underscores the importance of SME validation to address limitations in AI-generated content, such as terminology errors and gaps in coverage. Recommendations include adopting a structured workflow combining LLM acceleration with expert oversight to ensure accuracy, usability, and alignment with learner needs. This work demonstrates Argonne’s commitment to advancing national security and scientific excellence through innovative knowledge management solutions.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Simulating Wind-Driven Loading on PV Systems

As PV modules continue to trend toward larger, thinner, and more flexible forms they grow more susceptible to damage from dynamic wind loading. As a result, understanding the impact of wind on PV systems, particularly when mounted on compliant solar-tracking hardware, and identifying robust, stable array layouts and stow strategies is becoming increasingly important for the PV community. We are developing an open-source software package, PVade (PV aerodynamic design engineering), to simulate the cascading fluid-structure interaction that occurs within single-axis, solar-tracking arrays to enable researchers to test hardware, layout, and tracker control changes, leading to enhanced stability and a reduction in wind-driven damage. We will give an overview of the PVade software and present the latest outcomes from our ongoing validation campaign in which we compare time series and statistical structural responses with field data. From there, we will present simulated results from a larger, multi-row array and highlight the effect of varying tracker angles on stability and the differences between positive and negative tilt angles.

fluid↗

Preliminary Plan to Inform Testing of a Heat Exchanger Test Article

This report presents a preliminary plan to guide the qualification testing of advanced heat exchanger (HX) components for nuclear-to-industrial heat transfer applications. The objective is to establish a defensible, physics-based methodology that integrates computational modeling, targeted experimentation, and in-service inspection considerations to demonstrate component performance and reliability under representative reactor conditions. The analysis identifies Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) and High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) systems as reference configurations in terms of temperature, pressure, and chemical environment. Within these operating envelopes, dominant degradation mechanisms— including creep–fatigue interaction, flow-induced vibration, corrosion, and diffusion-bond deterioration—were evaluated to define test requirements. A comprehensive computationalexperimental framework is proposed to support life prediction and qualification activities. The framework couples high-fidelity structural-mechanics, thermal-hydraulic, and fluid-structure interaction models with accelerated degradation testing to produce a traceable linkage between microstructural evolution, mechanical performance, and remaining useful life (RUL). The approach adheres to established Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification (VVUQ) standards (ASME V&V 10/20; NUREG-2152) and incorporates a digital-twin architecture for continuous model refinement through data assimilation. The plan further outlines testing methodologies, including pre-test analyses, test-loop design parameters, and sensor placement strategies that maximize information yield while maintaining mechanistic fidelity. Complementary sections describe in-service inspection (ISI), on-line monitoring (OLM), and structural-health-monitoring (SHM) techniques applicable to compact HX geometries typical of advanced reactors. Collectively, these activities establish the technical foundation for demonstrating 40-60-year equivalent service life of advanced heat exchangers in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor and Integrated Energy Systems programs. The forthcoming phase will execute the defined pre-test analyses, initiate hardware fabrication, and implement the integrated testing campaign to validate the proposed qualification methodology.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Aeroelastic Modeling and Full-Scale Loads Measurements for Investigation of Single-Axis PV Tracker Wind-Driven Dynamic Instabilities

While wind tunnel testing and proprietary industry modeling tools have been used for years to design and develop PV tracker systems, wind induced dynamic failures are becoming more prevalent and high visibility. Designers and manufactures have reacted by developing new systems or add-on products to improve system dynamics adding to overall system costs. To better understand the physics and aeroelastic behavior that leads to dynamic instabilities NREL researches have taken up a first of a kind study to both develop open source aeroelastic modeling tools and measure tracker loads on a single axis full-scale tracker system at a high wind site. These modeling tools can simulate the fluid-structure interaction driving torsional instabilities under a wide range of turbulent inflow conditions and stow angles. The results of these simulations reveal the flow features associated with panel rotation and the induced loads in the structure. The experimental load measurements can be used to validate models and provide a quantifiable understanding of tracker dynamics, critical loads paths, identify instability markers, inform resilient design, and suggest the most favorable stow approach.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Patterns and ecological drivers of viral communities in acid mine drainage sediments across Southern China

Recent advances in environmental genomics have provided unprecedented opportunities for the investigation of viruses in natural settings. Yet, our knowledge of viral biogeographic patterns and the corresponding drivers is still limited. Here, we perform metagenomic deep sequencing on 90 acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments sampled across Southern China and examine the biogeography of viruses in this extreme environment. The results demonstrate that prokaryotic communities dictate viral taxonomic and functional diversity, abundance and structure, whereas other factors especially latitude and mean annual temperature also impact viral populations and functions. In silico predictions highlight lineage-specific virus-host abundance ratios and richness-dependent virus-host interaction structure. Further functional analyses reveal important roles of environmental conditions and horizontal gene transfers in shaping viral auxiliary metabolic genes potentially involved in phosphorus assimilation. Our findings underscore the importance of both abiotic and biotic factors in predicting the taxonomic and functional biogeographic dynamics of viruses in the AMD sediments.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Design of High-deflection Foils for Marine Hydrokinetic Applications (Final Report)

This project used model-scale tank testing and fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) simulations to investigate the behavior of foils with large deflections and the effect of these deflections on crossflow turbine performance with the goal of determining the maximum allowable deflections consonant with efficiency and a robust, durable structure. A validated modeling and simulation approach was used in the design of an Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) full-scale turbine. The methodology is applicable to the design of other marine hydrokinetic (MHK) devices, and to hydrokinetic turbines which experience significant deflections during operation.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

CARPE DIEM: Coupled Algorithms for Robust Partitioning of Equations for the Dynamic Interactions of Evolving Materials

From aircraft design to non-proliferation, technical and policy decisions are becoming increasingly reliant on simulation of complex, real-world, multi-physics systems involving multiple interacting domains. As the power of computers has grown, deficiencies associated with traditional low-order-accurate mechanisms for inter-domain coupling have become increasingly apparent. The CARPE DIEM project addressed such deficiencies in the context of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) by developing new algorithms and simulation techniques that are based on a novel and rigorous mathematical approach and that are designed for efficiency on modern high-performance computing platforms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Uranium (VI) Adsorbate Structures on Portlandite [Ca(OH)2] Type Surfaces Determined by Computational Modelling and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Portlandite [Ca(OH) 2 ] is a potentially dominant solid phase in the high pH fluids expected within the cementitious engineered barriers of Geological Disposal Facilities (GDF). This study combined X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy with computational modelling in order to provide atomic-scale data which improves our understanding of how a critically important radionuclide (U) will be adsorbed onto this phase under conditions relevant to a GDF environment. Such data are fundamental for predicting radionuclide mass transfer. Surface coordination chemistry and speciation of uranium with portlandite [Ca(OH) 2 ] under alkaline groundwater conditions (ca. pH 12) were determined by both in situ and ex situ grazing incidence extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (EXAFS) and by computational modelling at the atomic level. Free energies of sorption of aqueous uranyl hydroxides, [UO 2 (OH) n ] 2–n (n = 0–5) with the (001), (100) and (203) or (101) surfaces of portlandite are predicted from the potential of mean force using classical molecular umbrella sampling simulation methods and the structural interactions are further explored using fully periodic density functional theory computations. Although uranyl is predicted to only weakly adsorb to the (001) and (100) clean surfaces, there should be significantly stronger interactions with the (203/101) surface or at hydroxyl vacancies, both prevalent under groundwater conditions. The uranyl surface complex is typically found to include four equatorially coordinated hydroxyl ligands, forming an inner-sphere sorbate by direct interaction of a uranyl oxygen with surface calcium ions in both the (001) and (203/101) cases. In contrast, on the (100) surface, uranyl is sorbed with its axis more parallel to the surface plane. The EXAFS data are largely consistent with a surface structural layer or film similar to calcium uranate, but also show distinct uranyl characteristics, with the uranyl ion exhibiting the classic dioxygenyl oxygens at 1.8 Å and between four and five equatorial oxygen atoms at distances between 2.28 and 2.35 Å from the central U absorber. These experimental data are wholly consistent with the adsorbate configuration predicted by the computational models. These findings suggest that, under the strongly alkaline conditions of a cementitious backfill engineered barrier, there would be significant uptake of uranyl by portlandite to inhibit the mobility of U(VI) from the near field of a geological disposal facility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pyridine-containing substrate analogs are restricted from accessing the human cytochrome P450 8B1 active site by tryptophan 281

The human oxysterol 12α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 8B1 (CYP8B1) is a validated drug target for both type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but effective selective inhibitors are not yet available. Herein, steroidal substrate-mimicking compounds with a pyridine ring appended to the C12 site of metabolism were designed as inhibitors, synthesized, and evaluated in terms of their functional and structural interactions with CYP8B1. While the pyridine nitrogen was intended to coordinate the CYP8B1 active site heme iron, none of these compounds elicited shifts in the CYP8B1 Soret absorbance consistent with this type of interaction. However, when CYP8B1 was cocrystallized with the pyridine-containing compound with the 3-keto-Δ4 steroid backbone most similar to the endogenous substrate, it was apparent that this ligand was bound in a channel leading to the active site, instead of near the heme iron. Inspection of this structure suggested that tryptophan 281 directly above the heme might restrict active site binding of potential inhibitors with this design. This hypothesis was supported when a CYP8B1 W281F mutation did allow all three compounds to coordinate the heme iron as designed. These results indicated that the design of next-generation CYP8B1 inhibitors should be compatible with the low-ceiling tryptophan immediately above the heme iron.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

On component isolation of conceptual advanced reactors

Implementation of component isolation in nuclear industry is challenging due to gaps in research and the lack of specific guidelines. In this study, parameters affecting component-level isolation of advanced reactor vessels are identified based on a representative numerical model with explicit consideration of nonlinear soil-structure interaction (SSI). The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of, and to identify potential limitations of using conventional friction pendulum and lead-rubber bearings to seismically isolate vessels. It is found that slender vessels or components are particularly vulnerable to rotational accelerations at the isolation interface, which are caused by rotation of the sub-structure and by excitation of higher modes in the horizontal direction of the seismically isolated system. Component isolation is found to be more effective for relatively stiffer vessels and at sites with stiff soil properties. Considering that conventional isolators are deficient in resisting axial tension, it is observed that the optimum location for supporting a component to achieve seismic isolation, is at a cross-sectional plane passing through the center of mass of the vessel. These findings are corroborated by numerous simulations of the response of seismically isolated reactor vessels at different nuclear sites subject to a variety of ground motions.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

High Performance Adaptive Physics Refinement to Enable Large-Scale Tracking of Cancer Cell Trajectory

The ability to track simulated cancer cells through the circulatory system, important for developing a mechanistic understanding of metastatic spread, pushes the limits of today's supercomputers by requiring the simulation of large fluid volumes at cellular-scale resolution. To overcome this challenge, we introduce a new adaptive physics refinement (APR) method that captures cellular-scale interaction across large domains and leverages a hybrid CPU-GPU approach to maximize performance. Through algorithmic advances that integrate multi-physics and multi-resolution models, we establish a finely resolved window with explicitly modeled cells coupled to a coarsely resolved bulk fluid domain. In this work we present multiple validations of the APR framework by comparing against fully resolved fluid-structure interaction methods and employ techniques, such as latency hiding and maximizing memory bandwidth, to effectively utilize heterogeneous node architectures. Collectively, these computational developments and performance optimizations provide a robust and scalable framework to enable system-level simulations of cancer cell transport.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Mineral Fabric as a Hidden Variable in Fracture Formation in Layered Media

Two longstanding goals in subsurface science are to induce fractures with a desired geometry and to adaptively control the interstitial geometry of existing fractures in response to changing subsurface conditions. Here, we demonstrate that microscopic mineral fabric and structure interact with macroscopic strain fields to generate emergent meso-scale geometries of induced fractures. These geometries define preferential directions of flow. Using additively manufactured rock, we demonstrate that highly conductive flow paths can be formed in tensile fractures by creating corrugated surfaces. Generation, suppression and enhancement of corrugations depend on the relative orientation between mineral fabric and layering. These insights into the role of micro-scale structure on macro-scale flow provide a new method for designing subsurface strategies to maximize potential production or to inhibit flow.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

LDRD conclusion poster - Synthesizing Heterometallic Uranium Single Crystals to Understand the Influence of the Secondary Metals on Uranyl Axial Bond Strength

Understanding how transition metals influenced the chemistry of lanthanide and actinide (f-element) materials is critical for advancing separation technologies, materials design, and coordination chemistry. This project examined how incorporating first-row transition metals affected the structural and spectroscopic properties of f-element coordination polymers. In uranium(VI)-based systems synthesized with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDC) ligands, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the presence of transition metals shortened the uranyl axial bond and induced a blue shift in its symmetric stretching vibration—evidence of increased bond strength. Electronic structure analysis, including Density of States (DOS) calculations using density functional theory (DFT), revealed altered orbital overlaps and highlighted the role of transition metal d-orbitals in modulating bonding. Raman modes were modeled using truncated structural fragments in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, and although the predicted frequencies were lower than experimental values, they remained within expected ranges. In parallel, similar experiments with cerium (Ce) in the presence of cobalt (Co) and PDC demonstrated multi-step single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations—behavior not observed in the uranium systems. Initial products included light yellow, orange, and polycrystalline materials. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, conducted in collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines, identified the yellow phase as monometallic Ce(PDC)2(H2O)2·4H2O and the orange phase as heterometallic Ce2Co(PDC)4(H2O)6. After standing in solution for one week, both phases fully transformed into a dark yellow crystalline phase, [Ce3(PDC)5(H2O)8].6(H2O). Remarkably, this transformation was reversible—disturbing the equilibrium by removing some crystals caused reversion to the initial Ce(PDC)2(H2O)2·4H2O phase, highlighting dynamic behavior. All three structures were previously unreported. Solid-state UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy further distinguished these phases, revealing ligand-to-metal charge transfer involving Ce and characteristic d–d transitions from Co(II). The precise mechanism driving these transformations remained unclear; however, pH-dependent experiments confirmed that the transformation did not occur when the pH decreased. Overall, the project demonstrated that transition metals could be employed to tune bonding interactions, structural dimensionality, and optical properties in f-element materials, establishing new pathways for designing functional heterometallic systems. The work resulted in several novel structural discoveries and fostered productive collaborations with the University of Notre Dame and the Colorado School of Mines.

37 - INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL C↗

Dynamic microbial assembly processes correspond to soil fertility in sustainable paddy agroecosystems

1. Microorganisms underpin the sustainability of agroecosystems, but we have a poor understanding of how the assembly processes that govern microbial community structure interact through time to maintain soil fertility. 2. Ancient rice paddies have a history of cultivation spanning hundreds or thousands of years and provide an ideal opportunity to explore relationships between community assembly processes and long-term agroecosystem sustainability. We used statistical null models to evaluate temporal patterns of bacterial community assembly processes across rice cultivation years and their associations with increases in soil fertility in paddy agroecosystems. 3. We found that stochasticity was a persistent force structuring paddy soil microbial communities, putatively due to frequent flooding that facilities dispersal. However, determinism gradually increased over centuries of agriculture and corresponded to increases in soil fertility. Accordingly, multifunctionality, calculated using enzymes catalyzing key soil functions in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur cycling significantly increased along rice cultivation years. We therefore propose that balanced assembly processes preserve a diverse array of traits that can dominate under various circumstances (stochasticity) while allowing for traits relevant to soil fertility to be selected for by soil fertility (determinism), thus supporting multifunctionality that underlies sustainable agroecosystems. 4. In total, our results highlight that knowledge on temporal microbial assembly processes, community composition, and ecological function in context of soil fertility is key to understanding ecological mechanisms maintaining agroecosystems sustainability.

Liu, Wenjing↗

Enhancing Adaptive Physics Refinement Simulations Through the Addition of Realistic Red Blood Cell Counts

Simulations of cancer cell transport require accurately modeling mm-scale and longer trajectories through a circulatory system containing trillions of deformable red blood cells, whose intercellular interactions require submicron fidelity. Using a hybrid CPU-GPU approach, we extend the advanced physics refinement (APR) method to couple a finely-resolved region of explicitly-modeled red blood cells to a coarsely-resolved bulk fluid domain. We further develop algorithms that: capture the dynamics at the interface of differing viscosities, maintain hematocrit within the cell-filled volume, and move the finely-resolved region and encapsulated cells while tracking an individual cancer cell. Comparison to a fully-resolved fluid-structure interaction model is presented for verification. Finally, we use the advanced APR method to simulate cancer cell transport over a mm-scale distance while maintaining a local region of RBCs, using a fraction of the computational power required to run a fully-resolved model.

Roychowdhury, Sayan↗

Involute Working Group – FSI Analysis of Fuel Plates Using Finite Volume and Finite Element Methods

The three involute plate research reactors RHF, HFIR, and FRM II have expressed an interest in using computational software to carry their steady-state safety analysis. Since these tools represent a significant departure from the methods used currently (one-dimensional), the acceptability of the new approach by regulators requires thorough verification and validation of these tools. Therefore, Argonne National Laboratory and the three involute-plate reactors formed an informal group called the Involute Working Group aiming at qualifying computational tools to perform steady-state safety analysis. The present report focuses on a comparison of finite volume and finite element methods to model solids in fluid-structure interaction problems with the goal to estimate the coolant flow-induced fuel plate deflections obtained with the two methods. The finite volume method will be obsoleted in STARCCM+ by the end of 2021, nevertheless, this evaluation is important because the method was used by ANL researchers to model the response of the fuel plates, despite its drawbacks, which are discussed in the report. It was essential to check how those estimates compare to the results obtained with the finite element method that is considered superior for structural analysis. Various geometries, i.e., flat, cylindrical and circle-involute fuel plates, as well as coolant flow speed, were considered. The comparison shows that, independently of the plate geometry, the finite volume method significantly underestimates the deflection as compared to finite element method for coarser meshes. When the discretization is developed as a result of a mesh sensitivity study using finite element method, the result obtained using finite volume method can be a few times smaller than the corresponding finite element method solution. A code-to-code comparison , between STAR-CCM+ and LS-DYNA was included in the analysis. Within the LS-DYNA models, two types of finite element formulations were used: solid and shell finite elements. Mesh sensitivity study showed that both approaches converge to a similar value that was obtained with STAR-CCM+ finite element solver. The evaluation of the computational solvers was extended by adding two benchmark cases from the STAR-CCM+ Verification Suite and presented in the Appendix A. The selected cases are: (1) bending of a cantilever beam under external load, and (2) cylindrical shell deformation analysis, known in the literature as ‘Scordelis-Lo roof’. The problems were solved with finite volume, and finite element methods, and the results confirmed the previously discussed findings. The analysis shows that the finite element solver is superior to the finite volume solver in terms of representation of model geometry and estimating the structural behavior of fuel plates. Depending on the ratio of the load to the flexibility of the plate, the finite volume solver can greatly under- or overestimate the structural response if a very carefully selected mesh is not used.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Ansatz-Free Hamiltonian Learning with Heisenberg-Limited Scaling

Learning the unknown interactions that govern a quantum system is crucial for quantum information processing, device benchmarking, and quantum sensing. The problem, known as Hamiltonian learning, is well understood under the assumption that interactions are local, but this assumption may not hold for arbitrary Hamiltonians. Previous methods all require high-order inverse polynomial dependency with precision, unable to surpass the standard quantum limit and reach the gold-standard Heisenberg-limited scaling. Whether Heisenberg-limited Hamiltonian learning is possible without prior assumptions about the interaction structures, a challenge we term ansatz-free Hamiltonian learning , remains an open question. In this work, we present a quantum algorithm to learn arbitrary sparse Hamiltonians without any structure constraints using only black-box queries of the system’s real-time evolution and minimal digital controls to attain Heisenberg-limited scaling in estimation error. Our method is also resilient to state-preparation-and-measurement errors, enhancing its practical feasibility. We numerically demonstrate our ansatz-free protocol for learning physical Hamiltonians and validating analog quantum simulations, benchmarking our performance against the state-of-the-art Heisenberg-limited learning approach. Moreover, we establish a fundamental trade-off between total evolution time and quantum control on learning arbitrary interactions, revealing the intrinsic interplay between controllability and total evolution-time complexity for any learning algorithm. These results pave the way for further exploration into Heisenberg-limited Hamiltonian learning in complex quantum systems under minimal assumptions, potentially enabling new benchmarking and verification protocols.

machine learning↗