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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

Message Mode Operations for Spacecraft: A Proposal for Operating Spacecraft During Cruise and Mitigating the Network Loading Crunch

The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) is a world-class spacecraft tracking facility with stations located in Spain, Australia and USA, servicing Deep Space Missions of many space agencies. The current system of scheduling spacecraft during cruise for multiple 8 hour tracking sessions per week currently leads to an overcommitted DSN. Studies indicate that future projected mission demands upon the Network will only make the loading problem worse. Therefore, a more efficient scheduling of DSN resources is necessary in order to support the additional network loading envisioned in the next few years: The number of missions is projected to increase from 25 in 1998 to 34 by 2001. In fact given the challenge of the NASA administrator, Dan Goldin, of launching 12 spacecraft per year, the DSN would be tracking approximately 90 spacecraft by 2010. Currently a large amount of antenna time and network resources are subscribed by a project in order to have their mission supported during the cruise phase. The recently completed Mars Pathfinder mission was tracked 3 times a week (8 hours/day) during the majority of its cruise to Mars. This paper proposes an innovative approach called Message Mode Operations (MMO) for mitigating the Network loading problem while continuing to meet the tracking, reporting, time management, and scheduling requirements of these missions during Cruise while occupying very short tracking times. MMO satisfies these requirements by providing the following services: Spacecraft Health and Welfare Monitoring Service Command Delivery Service Adaptive Spacecraft Scheduling Service Orbit Determination Service Time Calibration Service Utilizing more efficient engineering telemetry summarization and filtering techniques on-board the spacecraft and collapsing the navigation requirements for Doppler and Range into shorter tracks, we believe spacecraft can be adequately serviced using short 10 to 30 minute tracking sessions. This claim assumes that certain changes would have to he made in the way the Network traditionally services missions in Cruise. Furthermore, limiting spacecraft to short sessions will free up larger blocks of time in the tracking schedule to help accommodate future tracking demands soon to be placed upon the Network. This paper describes the key characteristics and benefits of MMO, the operational scenarios for its use, the required changes to the ground system in order to make this approach feasible and the results of two simulations: 1) to determine the effects of MMO on projected mission loading on the DSN and, 2) to determine the effect MMO has on spacecraft orbit determination.

Greenberg, Ed↗

Continuous Emulation and Multiscale Visualization of Traffic Flow Using Stationary Roadside Sensor Data

With the advent of the next-generation traffic monitoring systems, there has been a significant increase in the spatial-temporal resolution of vehicle mobility data in many cities. Effective analysis and visualization of such data can provide transportation planners with data-driven insights, which can facilitate the understanding of multiscale traffic dynamics. In this paper, we present a web-based traffic emulator for emulating and visualizing near-real-time and historical traffic flows on highways using data from road-side sensors. To construct a continuous traffic flow, the emulator adopts an analytical pipeline that can (a) integrate traffic data collected from discrete road-side radar detection sensors, (b) interpolate traffic conditions (vehicle speed and volume) on unmeasured road segments based on traffic flow theory, and (c) generate lane-specific vehicle trajectories and movements using a mathematically optimized representation of the road network. Our app also provides an integrated visual workflow that allows users to explore the interconnected traffic dynamics using an appropriate traffic flow visualization selected based on the level of detail. We devise two innovative geo-visualization techniques that utilize an animated strips-network representation and a lane usage matrix to visualize lane performances. To ensure a smooth emulation of large-scale traffic flow in an easy-to-access web environment, we implement the emulator using client-side GPU-accelerated techniques. Lastly, we close with a case study that visualizes traffic dynamics of two scenarios - an afternoon peak hour and a traffic accident - in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our app visualizes the responses of traffic dynamics during different traffic conditions, and to the presence of the traffic accident at different spatial scales.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Power System Event Identification Based on Deep Neural Network With Information Loading

Online power system event identification and classification are crucial to enhancing the reliability of transmission systems. In this study, we develop a deep neural network (DNN) based approach to identify and classify power system events by leveraging real-world measurements from hundreds of phasor measurement units (PMUs) and labels from thousands of events. Two innovative designs are embedded into the baseline model built on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to improve the event classification accuracy. First, we propose a graph signal processing based PMU sorting algorithm to improve the learning efficiency of CNNs. Second, we deploy information loading based regularization to strike the right balance between memorization and generalization for the DNN. Numerical results based on real-world dataset from the Eastern Interconnection of the U.S power transmission grid show that the combination of PMU based sorting and the information loading based regularization techniques help the proposed DNN approach achieve highly accurate event identification and classification results.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Method to simultaneously facilitate all jet physics tasks

Machine learning has become an essential tool in jet physics. Due to their complex, high-dimensional nature, jets can be explored holistically by neural networks in ways that are not possible manually. However, innovations in all areas of jet physics are proceeding in parallel. We show that specially constructed machine learning models trained for a specific jet classification task can improve the accuracy, precision, or speed of all other jet physics tasks. This is demonstrated by training on a particular multiclass generation and classification task and then using the learned representation for different generation and classification tasks, for datasets with a different (full) detector simulation, for jets from a different collision system ($pp$ versus $ep$), for generative models, for likelihood ratio estimation, and for anomaly detection. We consider our omnilearn approach thus as a jet-physics foundation model. It is made publicly available for use in any area where state-of-the-art precision is required for analyses involving jets and their substructure.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Web-Based Interface for Command and Control of Network Sensors

This software allows for the visualization and control of a network of sensors through a Web browser interface. It is currently being deployed for a network of sensors monitoring Mt. Saint Helen s volcano; however, this innovation is generic enough that it can be deployed for any type of sensor Web. From this interface, the user is able to fully control and monitor the sensor Web. This includes, but is not limited to, sending "test" commands to individual sensors in the network, monitoring for real-world events, and reacting to those events

Wallick, Michael N.↗

The Evolving Solar Energy Innovation Ecosystem in Puerto Rico

This report presents initial findings from the research project, “Developing socially and economically generative, resilient PV-energy systems for low- and moderate-income communities: Applications for Puerto Rico.” This material is based upon work supported primarily by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Solar Energy Technology Office Fiscal Year 2018 Funding Program award number DE-EE0008570 and in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE) under NSF CA No. EEC-1041895. This project is a joint effort of Arizona State University’s Center for Energy and Society; the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez’s Center for Hemispheric Cooperation in Research and Education in Engineering and Applied Science, Sustainable Energy Center, and National Institute for Energy and Island Sustainability; and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The project seeks to understand the place of energy in low-income communities in Puerto Rico, the opportunities for solar energy to provide solutions to the energy challenges facing these communities, and the capacity of the solar energy innovation ecosystem in Puerto Rico to deliver relevant solar solutions for these communities. We define the solar energy innovation ecosystem as the diverse actors and stakeholders whose collective networks and actions—and the flows among them of ideas, knowledge, data, influence, money, and equipment, as well as the rules that govern those flows—are essential to the success of renewable energy markets and projects. This report presents results from the first year of the project’s research, which has concentrated on several key goals: (1) characterizing the trajectory of solar energy development in Puerto Rico in the three years since Hurricane María; (2) mapping and characterizing the current solar energy innovation ecosystem in Puerto Rico, including the technical potential for solar energy in Puerto Rico, and the business and policy landscape shaping solar developments; and (3) beginning to characterize the broad landscape of community energy initiatives underway in Puerto Rico. To pursue these goals, we engaged in a systematic review of solar energy developments in Puerto Rico and conducted interviews with over 100 members of the solar energy innovation, including policy, business, finance, research, and civil society leaders, as well as solar users. Solar technical potential data for Puerto Rico was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is publicly available at: https://data.nrel.gov/submissions/144. The documentation for the NREL dataset is included as Appendix A.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Dynamic Validation of CNN-Based Surrogate Models for Inverter-Based Resources in Open-Source Solvers

Traditionally, distribution system planning has focused on steady-state analyses, with limited consideration of dynamic behavior. However, as large or medium-scale inverter-based resources (IBRs), particularly grid-following (GFL) inverters in commercial or industry buildings, become more prevalent, understanding their dynamic impact is essential for grid planning and operation. This article presents an innovative deep-learning (DL)-approach using convolutional neural networks technique to model the GFL inverters. Developed from real grid-tied commercial IBR transient data, these dynamic DL models overcome proprietary constraints by requiring minimal knowledge of internal converter physics while maintaining high accuracy and flexibility. To demonstrate their applicability, the models were incorporated into GridLAB-D, an open-source, three-phase distribution analysis tool. This integration enables dynamic simulations of large-scale distribution networks with high IBR penetration stability analysis. Rigorous testing and validation, aligned with industry standards, confirmed the reliability and efficiency of this approach, paving the way for enhanced planning and operational assessments of modern power systems.

Deep-learning↗

PhILMs: Collaboratory on Mathematics and Physics-Informed Learning Machines for Multiscale and Multiphysics Problems

The landscape of computational science and engineering is continually evolving, with the challenge of high-dimensional regression problems standing as a significant hurdle in numerous scientific endeavors. Addressing this challenge, our research, funded by this award, has led to the development of an innovative computational framework known as Probabilistic Partition of Unity Networks (PPOU-Nets). This initiative represents a collaborative effort to harness the potential of mathematics and physics-informed machine learning in tackling multiscale and multiphysics problems prevalent in high-dimensional spaces. Through this work, we have proposed a novel methodology that seamlessly integrates adaptive dimensionality reduction and a mixture of experts model, thereby facilitating a more efficient and accurate approximation of complex functions. This research effort has not only advanced the state of computational science but also opened new avenues for exploration in quantum computing and beyond. This report outlines the motivation, methodology, key findings, and implications of our work, underscoring our contributions to the broader scientific community and the potential pathways for future research.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE BSSD Performance Management Metrics Report Q1

Microbes play key roles in our biosphere, from driving global nutrient cycling to impacting plant, animal and human health and disease. Complex data from microbial genomes, proteins, and metabolites provide a window into these tiny engines that drive life on our planet. Yet these data are dispersed among researchers’ laboratories and various repositories, making it difficult to access. This calls for new ways of managing data, improving data interoperability, advancing community standards, and creating an infrastructure where data are shared efficiently. We have built the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) to advance how scientists create, use, and reuse data to redefine the way we understand and harness the power of microbes. The vision of the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) is to drive a microbiome data sharing network connecting data, people, and ideas to advance microbiome innovation and discovery. The NMDC was launched in 2019 and brought together DOE National Laboratories to collaborate across resources, capabilities, and expertise. The NMDC team was strategically assembled to include software developers, microbial researchers, metadata experts, and multi-omics specialists. The diversity of the NMDC team reflects the inherently interdisciplinary nature of microbiome science, and we leverage the strengths of the DOE National Laboratory system. Towards BER’s goal of advancing an iterative systems biology approach to the understanding of microbial genomes, the NMDC serves as a foundation for infrastructure, data standards, and community building. Together with the flagship DOE User Facilities, the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), we are developing core capabilities in metadata standards for environmental descriptors and sample handling and processing; standardized bioinformatic workflows; an interface for data search and access; and robust community engagement activities. The NMDC production platform supports long-term data infrastructure and community building for BER’s bioenergy and environmental research goals. Our approach leverages lessons learned and an ambitious framework for collaborative, interdisciplinary data infrastructure to support microbiome research. The NMDC supports data, information, and knowledge access through three defined software tools – the Submission Portal, NMDC EDGE, and the Data Portal – driven by community needs. Herein, we describe the value proposition for the microbiome research community, our overarching strategy, and challenges and opportunities for developing the NMDC as both an infrastructure and community engagement program.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-11435-DND

Acoustical studies of atmospheric events like convective storms, shear-induced turbulence, acoustic gravity waves, microbursts, hurricanes, and clear air turbulence (CAT) over the past thirty years have established that these events are strong emitters of infrasound. Several mechanisms for the production of infrasound have been proposed, for example by the acceleration of vorticity or by space-time correlations of the turbulent Reynolds stresses (Lighthill theory). Electromagnetic (EM) sensors suffer two severe disadvantages in the detection of clear air turbulence and severe storms. The first is the inability to receive returns in clear air, where reflective targets (precipitation, particulate matter) are absent. The second disadvantage is that EM systems, being active, require scanning to locate an event, as opposed to a passive infrasonic array, which receives infrasonic radiation independently of event location. Further, EM systems, even weather radar ("NEXRAD"), do not have the extensive range (hundreds of miles) characteristic of infrasound. The leading laboratory for studies on atmospheric infrasound over the past thirty years has been the Environmental Technology Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This laboratory conducted measurements of infrasound from many sources, among which clear air turbulence was but a small part of the overall program. The summary of the results of this program suggests for development of a practical detection system. In other words, despite the progress made in this area, there does not exist today a National network of stations to monitor infrasound from turbulence. Under Innovative Partnership Program, Researchers at NASA Langley Research Center have been working to achieve that goal. As a first step, NASA Langley has designed and developed a portable infrasonic detection system which can be used to make useful infrasound measurements at a location where it was not possible previously. The design and results of the compact system, based upon laboratory and field experiments, will be presented.

Qamar Shams↗

Space Cooling: Recovery, Reuse, Recycling and Supply Chain Impacts

The global cooling sector has undergone tremendous growth in recent years, and cooling demand is projected to double or triple by 2050. Surging air conditioning demand will continue to be driven by increased populations, incomes and occurrences of extreme heat and humidity events. Cooling equipment growth has important pollution and material implications as they are made up of critical metals and precious raw materials - including ferrous metals, copper, aluminum and printed circuit boards composed of copper, silver, gold and palladium - that generate significant electronic waste at end-of-life. Air conditioning equipment also contains fluorinated gas (F-gas) refrigerants, which are potent gases that are thousands of times more heat-trapping than carbon dioxide (CO2). While recovery, reuse, and recycling strategies have been assessed for cold chain and refrigeration, there is currently limited analysis on how these strategies could be adopted for the global space cooling industry and potential supply chain implications. This paper aims to address this research gap by qualitatively evaluating product and material recovery, reuse and recycling frameworks from both demand and supply-side perspectives and with the support of cooling-specific case studies. It also focuses on quantitatively assessing potential energy, emissions and resource benefits of such strategies for space cooling equipment. This paper first analyzes how existing recovery, reuse and recycling frameworks can be applied to space cooling, with emphasis on the demand-side enablers (e.g., innovative business models, supporting policies and regulations) and changes in supply-side production network throughout the supply chain (e.g., design, production and distribution, end-of-life recovery) needed to overcome existing barriers. It will present case studies of innovative business models for space cooling technologies, including reuse and recycling, and how effective refrigerant reclamation and recovery programs have been operationalized. Lastly, the paper will highlight global modeling results of energy, emissions and material recovery from scenario analysis of selected strategies for air conditioners. The findings of this paper are intended to inform the development of product and material recovery, reuse and recycling strategies for a rapidly growing stock of space conditioning equipment by addressing existing organizational, economic and regulatory barriers and potential supply-chain bottlenecks.

Khanna, Nina↗

Applications and Innovations for Use of High Definition and High Resolution Digital Motion Imagery in Space Operations

The first live High Definition Television (HDTV) from a spacecraft was in November, 2006, nearly ten years before the 2016 SpaceOps Conference. Much has changed since then. Now, live HDTV from the International Space Station (ISS) is routine. HDTV cameras stream live video views of the Earth from the exterior of the ISS every day on UStream, and HDTV has even flown around the Moon on a Japanese Space Agency spacecraft. A great deal has been learned about the operations applicability of HDTV and high resolution imagery since that first live broadcast. This paper will discuss the current state of real-time and file based HDTV and higher resolution video for space operations. A potential roadmap will be provided for further development and innovations of high-resolution digital motion imagery, including gaps in technology enablers, especially for deep space and unmanned missions. Specific topics to be covered in the paper will include: An update on radiation tolerance and performance of various camera types and sensors and ramifications on the future applicability of these types of cameras for space operations; Practical experience with downlinking very large imagery files with breaks in link coverage; Ramifications of larger camera resolutions like Ultra-High Definition, 6,000 [pixels] and 8,000 [pixels] in space applications; Enabling technologies such as the High Efficiency Video Codec, Bundle Streaming Delay Tolerant Networking, Optical Communications and Bayer Pattern Sensors and other similar innovations; Likely future operations scenarios for deep space missions with extreme latency and intermittent communications links.

Grubbs, Rodney↗

Advancing Geothermal Research: Fiscal Year 2024 Accomplishments Report

Geothermal resources have delivered renewable electricity for more than 100 years, and renewable heat for far longer, but recent research and advancements have shown that geothermal is more than a 24/7 clean energy source. With the ability to also provide cooling and storage - plus the potential to access critical minerals, capture and sequester carbon, produce green hydrogen, and more - geothermal technologies and resources are emerging as key solutions to the climate crisis. In fiscal year 2024 (FY24), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) broadened its research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) portfolio and partnerships with exciting innovations such as next-generation geothermal technologies for power, geothermal energy networks for heating and cooling, subsurface thermal energy storage, well repurposing, and more. In support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office's (GTO) mission to increase geothermal energy deployment through research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that enhance exploration and production, NREL led impactful research in geothermal technologies and resources, market acceleration, and grid integration while also demonstrating leadership in the sector and increasing stakeholder engagement and outreach efforts.

annual report↗

Innovations in Delta Differential One-Way Range: from Viking to Mars Science Laboratory

The Deep Space Network has provided the capability for very-long-baseline interferometry measurements in support of spacecraft navigation since the late 1970s. Both system implementation and the importance of such measurements to flight projects have evolved significantly over the past three decades. Innovations introduced through research and development programs have led to much better performance. This paper provides an overview of the development and use of interferometric tracking techniques in the DSN starting with the Viking era and continuing with a description of the current system and its planned use to support Mars Science Laboratory.

VLBI Spacecraft Navigation↗

Artificial Intelligence-Aided Wind Plant Optimization for Nationwide Evaluation of Land Use and Economic Benefits of Wake Steering

If clean energy pathways are to harness massive increases in wind power, innovations with broad geographic viability will be needed to support buildout in diverse locations. However, geodiversity in impact potential is seldom captured in technology assessment. Here we propose a scalable approach to plant-level optimization using artificial intelligence to evaluate land sparing and economic benefits of wake steering at more than 6,800 plausible onshore wind locations in the USA. This emerging controls strategy optimizes plant energy production by directing turbine wakes. On the basis of estimates from our artificial intelligence model trained on engineering wind flow simulations, co-optimizing plant layouts with wake steering can reduce land requirements by an average of 18% per plant (site-specific benefits range from 2% to 34%), subject to errors and uncertainties in the flow model, wind resource estimates, buildout scenario and geographic factors. According to model estimates, wake steering is predicted to increase power production during high-value (relatively low wind) periods, boosting the annual revenue of individual plants by up to US$3.7 million (equivalent to US$13,000 MW-1 yr-1) but producing negligible gains in some settings. Consideration of wake steering’s geographic potential reveals divergent nationwide prospects for improved economics and siting flexibility.

deployment↗

Deep Generative Models for Materials Discovery and Machine Learning-Accelerated Innovation

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI/ML) methods are beginning to have significant impact in chemistry and condensed matter physics. For example, deep learning methods have demonstrated new capabilities for high-throughput virtual screening, and global optimization approaches for inverse design of materials. Recently, a relatively new branch of AI/ML, deep generative models (GMs), provide additional promise as they encode material structure and/or properties into a latent space, and through exploration and manipulation of the latent space can generate new materials. These approaches learn representations of a material structure and its corresponding chemistry or physics to accelerate materials discovery, which differs from traditional AI/ML methods that use statistical and combinatorial screening of existing materials via distinct structure-property relationships. However, application of GMs to inorganic materials has been notably harder than organic molecules because inorganic structure is often more complex to encode. In this work we review recent innovations that have enabled GMs to accelerate inorganic materials discovery. We focus on different representations of material structure, their impact on inverse design strategies using variational autoencoders or generative adversarial networks, and highlight the potential of these approaches for discovering materials with targeted properties needed for technological innovation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

FL‐ADS: Federated learning anomaly detection system for distributed energy resource networks

Abstract With the ongoing development of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) communication networks, the imperative for strong cybersecurity and data privacy safeguards is increasingly evident. DER networks, which rely on protocols such as Distributed Network Protocol 3 and Modbus, are susceptible to cyberattacks such as data integrity breaches and denial of service due to their inherent security vulnerabilities. This paper introduces an innovative Federated Learning (FL)‐based anomaly detection system designed to enhance the security of DER networks while preserving data privacy. Our models leverage Vertical and Horizontal Federated Learning to enable collaborative learning while preserving data privacy, exchanging only non‐sensitive information, such as model parameters, and maintaining the privacy of DER clients' raw data. The effectiveness of the models is demonstrated through its evaluation on datasets representative of real‐world DER scenarios, showcasing significant improvements in accuracy and F1‐score across all clients compared to the traditional baseline model. Additionally, this work demonstrates a consistent reduction in loss function over multiple FL rounds, further validating its efficacy and offering a robust solution that balances effective anomaly detection with stringent data privacy needs.

Purohit, Shaurya [Iowa State University Ames Iowa ↗

NetGraf: An End-to-End Learning NetworkMonitoring Service (NetGraf) v1

NetGraf is a novel end-to-end learning monitoring system that utilizes current monitoring tools, merges multiple data sources into one dashboard for easy use, and provides machine learning libraries to analyze the data and perform real-time anomaly findings. Using a database backend, NetGraf can learn performance trends and show users if network performance has degraded. We demonstrate how NetGraf can easily be deployed through automation services and linked to multiple monitoring sources to collect data. Via the machine learning innovation and merging various data sources, NetGraf aims to fulfill the need for holistic learning network telemetry monitoring. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first-ever end-to-end learning monitoring service. We demonstrate its use on two network setups to showcase its impact.

Mohammed, Bashir↗