Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “reference model”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,441 records · Page 80

A prescription for the asteroseismic surface correction

In asteroseismology, the surface effect refers to a disparity between the observed and the modelled frequencies in stars with solar-like oscillations. It originates from improper modelling of the surface layers. Correcting the surface effect usually requires using functions with free parameters, which are conventionally fitted to the observed frequencies. On the basis that the correction should vary smoothly across the H–R diagram, we parameterize it as a simple function of surface gravity, effective temperature, and metallicity. We determine this function by fitting a wide range of stars. The absolute amount of the surface correction decreases with luminosity, but the ratio between it and νmax increases, suggesting the surface effect is more important for red giants than dwarfs. Applying the prescription can eliminate unrealistic surface correction, which improves parameter estimations with stellar modelling. Using two open clusters, we found a reduction of scatter in the model-derived ages for each star in the same cluster. As an important application, we provide a new revision for the Δν scaling relation that, for the first time, accounts for the surface correction. The values of the correction factor, f Δν , are up to 2 percent smaller than those determined without the surface effect considered, suggesting decreases of up to 4 percent in radii and up to 8 percent in masses when using the asteroseismic scaling relations. This revision brings the asteroseismic properties into an agreement with those determined from eclipsing binaries. The new correction factor and the stellar models with the corrected frequencies are available at https://www.github.com/parallelpro/surface.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Multi-Segment Decentralized Control Strategies for Renewables-Rich Microgrids in Extreme Conditions

Microgrids provide a promising approach to accommodating various distributed energy resources (DERs), while requiring significant communication infrastructures that may be affected by extreme conditions such as natural disasters and cyber-attacks. In this paper, a fully decentralized control strategy without the need for communication is proposed for islanded microgrids with high renewables penetration. First, special multi-segment power/frequency characteristic curves are designed, so that different DERs can be automatically coordinated in a prioritized manner such as renewables first to maintain power balance while DER frequencies are regulated at their reference values. Second, piecewise linear served load versus frequency models are designed to prioritize loads according to their significance, so that only noncritical loads will be curtailed as needed while critical loads are supplied without any interruptions during power deficiency. The proposed strategy can effectively deal with various normal and extreme system conditions including 100% renewables penetration, loads and renewables variations, power deficiencies requiring load curtailments, disconnection of existing DERs, connection of new DERs as well as network sectionalization and reconfiguration. As a result, the proposed control strategy is validated in the real-time digital simulator (RTDS) model of the IIT Campus Microgrid to demonstrate its effectiveness in enhancing the resiliency of renewables-rich microgrids in extreme conditions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

A Near-Complete Haplotype-Phased Genome of the Dikaryotic Wheat Stripe Rust Fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici Reveals High Interhaplotype Diversity

A long-standing biological question is how evolution has shaped the genomic architecture of dikaryotic fungi. To answer this, high-quality genomic resources that enable haplotype comparisons are essential. Short-read genome assemblies for dikaryotic fungi are highly fragmented and lack haplotype-specific information due to the high heterozygosity and repeat content of these genomes. Here, we present a diploid-aware assembly of the wheat stripe rust fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici based on long reads using the FALCON-Unzip assembler. Transcriptome sequencing data sets were used to infer high-quality gene models and identify virulence genes involved in plant infection referred to as effectors. This represents the most complete Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici genome assembly to date (83 Mb, 156 contigs, N 50 of 1.5 Mb) and provides phased haplotype information for over 92% of the genome. Comparisons of the phase blocks revealed high interhaplotype diversity of over 6%. More than 25% of all genes lack a clear allelic counterpart. When we investigated genome features that potentially promote the rapid evolution of virulence, we found that candidate effector genes are spatially associated with conserved genes commonly found in basidiomycetes. Yet, candidate effectors that lack an allelic counterpart are more distant from conserved genes than allelic candidate effectors and are less likely to be evolutionarily conserved within the P. striiformis species complex and Pucciniales. In summary, this haplotype-phased assembly enabled us to discover novel genome features of a dikaryotic plant-pathogenic fungus previously hidden in collapsed and fragmented genome assemblies.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Digital Analytics, Causal Knowledge Acquisition and Reasoning for Technical Language Processing

Complex engineering systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) generate and collect large amounts of equipment reliability (ER) data elements that contain information on the status of components, assets, and systems. Some of this information is textual in form and can be found in documents such as incident reports (IRs) and work orders (WOs). Analyses of textual data in current NPPs-using natural language processing (NLP) methods-have been expanded over the last decade, and it is only recently that the true potential of such analyses has emerged. So far, applications of NLP methods have mostly been limited to classification and prediction, the goal being to identify the nature of the textual element (e.g., safety or non-safety related). Here, we target a more complex problem: automatically extracting knowledge from a textual element in order to assist system engineers in conducting system health assessments. Knowledge extraction is a very broad concept, and its definition may vary depending on the application context. Our methods are a blend of both rule-based and machine learning (ML) algorithms. For our purposes, knowledge extraction means identifying the systems or assets mentioned in a given textual element, as well as the type of event described (e.g., component failure or maintenance activity). In addition, we want to capture details such as measured quantities and the temporal/cause-effect relations between events. In this tool, we also demonstrate how textual data elements are preprocessed in order to handle typos, acronyms, and abbreviations. One main feature of these methods is that they are not based solely on data, but are in fact model-based. In other words, they also rely on MBSE models that are designed to capture-from a functional point of view-the architecture of the systems/assets under consideration. The main purpose of such models is to digitally emulate system engineers' knowledge of system and asset architecture and to identify dependencies among systems, assets, and components. Provided these models, analyses of textual and numeric ER data can be performed by first identifying the OPM model elements to which the ER data elements are referring. The relationships between ER data elements are then identified by checking for any temporal or logical dependencies.

Mandelli, Diego [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), ↗

Simple intrinsic defects in InAs :

This Report presents numerical tables summarizing properties of intrinsic defects in indium arsenide, InAs, as computed by density functional theory using semi-local density functionals, intended for use as reference tables for a defect physics package in device models.

Schultz, Peter Andrew↗

Use Case Realization Report: UCR-02.08 System Refines Event Location

This architecturally significant use case describes how the System refines event hypothesis location solutions. The System locates events by finding the event location minimizing the difference between signal detection feature measurements and signal detection feature predictions (see 'System Measures Signal Features' UC). The System references both empirical knowledge from past events and geophysical models to form the signal detection feature predictions. The System also computes an uncertainty bound for each event hypothesis location solution describing a region bounding the event hypothesis' hypocenter and origin time at a particular confidence level. The System creates a variety of location solutions for each event hypothesis. These location solutions vary from one another in either the input parameters the System uses or in the location solution components the System restrains to fixed values (e.g. depth) during event location calculations. The System computes location solutions using input parameters configured by the System Maintainer (see ‘Configures Processing Components’ UC). The Analyst has the option to override input parameters originally configured by the System Maintainer (see 'Refines Event Location' UC). This use case is architecturally significant due to the processing and memory resource consumption of 3D earth model calculations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Test Protocols for Advanced Inverter Interoperability Functions - Appendices

Distributed energy resources (DER) such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, when deployed in a large scale, are capable of influencing significantly the operation of power systems. Looking to the future, stakeholders are working on standards to make it possible to manage the potentially complex interactions between DER and the power system. In 2009, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) initiated a large industry collaborative to identify and standardize definitions for a set of DER grid support functions. While the initial effort concentrated on grid-tied PV inverters and energy storage systems, the concepts have applicability to all DER. A partial product of this on-going effort is a reference definitions document (IEC TR 61850-90-7, Object models for power converters in distributed energy resources (DER) systems) that has become a basis for expansion of related International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and is supported by US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). Some industry-led organizations advancing communications protocols have also embraced this work. As standards continue to evolve, it is necessary to develop test protocols to independently verify that the inverters are properly executing the advanced functions. Interoperability is assured by establishing common definitions for the functions and a method to test compliance with operational requirements. This document describes test protocols developed by SNL to evaluate the electrical performance and operational capabilities of PV inverters and energy storage, as described in IEC TR 61850-90-7. While many of these functions are not now required by existing grid codes or may not be widely available commercially, the industry is rapidly moving in that direction. Interoperability issues are already apparent as some of these inverter capabilities are being incorporated in large demonstration and commercial projects. The test protocols are intended to be used to verify acceptable performance of inverters within the standard framework described in IEC TR 61850-90-7. These test protocols, as they are refined and validated over time, can become precursors for future certification test procedures for DER advanced grid support functions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Test Protocols for Advanced Inverter Interoperability Functions – Main Document

Distributed energy resources (DER) such as photovoltaic (PV) systems, when deployed in a large scale, are capable of influencing significantly the operation of power systems. Looking to the future, stakeholders are working on standards to make it possible to manage the potentially complex interactions between DER and the power system. In 2009, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) initiated a large industry collaborative to identify and standardize definitions for a set of DER grid support functions. While the initial effort concentrated on grid-tied PV inverters and energy storage systems, the concepts have applicability to all DER. A partial product of this on-going effort is a reference definitions document (IEC TR 61850-90-7, Object models for power converters in distributed energy resources (DER) systems) that has become a basis for expansion of related International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and is supported by US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). Some industry-led organizations advancing communications protocols have also embraced this work. As standards continue to evolve, it is necessary to develop test protocols to independently verify that the inverters are properly executing the advanced functions. Interoperability is assured by establishing common definitions for the functions and a method to test compliance with operational requirements. This document describes test protocols developed by SNL to evaluate the electrical performance and operational capabilities of PV inverters and energy storage, as described in IEC TR 61850-90-7. While many of these functions are not currently required by existing grid codes or may not be widely available commercially, the industry is rapidly moving in that direction. Interoperability issues are already apparent as some of these inverter capabilities are being incorporated in large demonstration and commercial projects. The test protocols are intended to be used to verify acceptable performance of inverters within the standard framework described in IEC TR 61850-90-7. These test protocols, as they are refined and validated over time, can become precursors for future certification test procedures for DER advanced grid support functions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Benchmarking transition energies and emission strengths for X-ray astrophysics with measurements at the Livermore EBITs

K-shell transitions in astrophysically abundant metals and L-shell transitions in Fe group elements show characteristic signatures in the soft X-ray spectrum in the energy range 0.1–10 keV. These signatures have great diagnostic value for plasma parameters such as electron and ion temperatures and densities, and can thus help understand the physics controlling the energetic processes in astrophysical sources. This diagnostic power increases with advances in spectral resolution and effective area of the employed X-ray observatories. However, to make optimal use of the diagnostic potential – whether through global spectral modeling or through diagnostics from local modeling of individual lines – the underlying atomic physics has to be complete and well known. With the next generation of soft X-ray observatories featuring micro-calorimeters such as the SXS on Astro- H/Hitomi and the X-IFU on Athena, broadband high-resolution spectroscopy with large effective area will become more commonly available in the next decade. With these spectrometers, the accuracy of the plasma parameters derived from spectral modeling will be limited by the uncertainty of the reference atomic data rather than by instrumental factors, as is sometimes already the case for the high-resolution grating observations with Chandra-HETG and XMM-Newton-RGS. To take full advantage of the measured spectra, assessment of the accuracy of and improvements to the available atomic reference data are therefore important. Dedicated measurements in the laboratory are essential to benchmark the theoretical calculations providing the bulk of the reference data used in astrophysics. Experiments at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory electron beam ion traps (EBIT-I and SuperEBIT) have a long history of providing this service. In this work, I present new measurements of transition energies and absolute electron impact excitation cross sections geared towards currently open atomic physics data needs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Solving Statistical Flowgraph Models: A Brief Review

Statistical flowgraph models (SFGMs) have proven useful for analysis and modeling of multistate processes in various fields. In this paper we briefly review flowgraph models, describe how to set up a model, and provide a fully worked example from biostatistics. References are provided for more details.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Connected Lighting Systems Efficiency Study: PoE Cable Energy Losses, Part 2

DOE published a report in November 2017 (herein referred to as “Part 1”) summarizing the results of an exploratory study investigating power losses in Ethernet cables used between PoE switches and luminaires in PoE connected lighting systems. Testing was conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Connected Lighting Test Bed (CLTB) in September 2017. The results were analyzed to explore the impact of cable selection on PoE lighting system energy efficiency, as well as the effectiveness of guidelines published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C137 Lighting Systems Committee in 2017. The guidance offered in ANSI C137.3-2017 was found to be effective in limiting cable energy losses to 5% in PoE lighting applications, provided that the average cable length on a project does not exceed 50 m. This Part 2 report summarizes the results of a continued investigation of the power losses in Ethernet cables used between PoE switches and luminaires in PoE connected lighting systems. Testing was conducted at the PNNL CLTB in July-August 2018. A test setup comprising a PoE switch, a set of luminaires, and a reference meter was again used to test multiple cable models of varying design. The results were analyzed to explore the impact of cable selection and installation practices (e.g., cable bending, cable bundling, and installation in conduit) on PoE lighting system energy efficiency, as well as the effectiveness of the ANSI C137.3 guidelines. Notably, three cables—two of which were shielded—were previously excluded from the Part 1 study due to compatibility issues. All three cables were included in this Part 2 study, along with a fourth model cable introduced in Part 2. In addition, whereas no patch cords were used in Part 1, patch cords were used in some Part 2 testing. The ANSI C137.3 guidance was again shown to effectively limit power losses to less than 5% in the cables tested (varying in AWG, Category, shielding, fire rating, and manufacturer), and AWG again proved to be the most important cable design variable for energy performance, as expected. However, these findings should not be construed as being representative of all cable models and installation practices. For example, energy losses would be greater when cables are connected to patch cords, bundled in conduit, and loaded with powered devices (PDs) approaching 100 W input power. The other key finding was that with 44 W luminaires as PDs and room ambient temperatures below 30°C, cable energy losses were not substantially increased by cable bending or bundling in uninsulated conduit. However, environments with higher ambient temperatures will have greater energy losses due to increased conductor DCR. In addition, product selection and installation practices will have increased importance as PDs approaching 100 W input power—conveyed by a single Ethernet cable—are introduced following publication of the forthcoming Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 802.3bt. The report also provides recommendations and next steps, which include plans for additional PoE cable energy losses testing with higher-power PDs to more fully explore the potential of PoE lighting systems.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

New ASME Section III, Division 5 Creep-Fatigue Design Rules Based on EPP and SMT Approaches

The integrated elastic-perfectly plastic (EPP) and simplified model test (SMT) creep-fatigue (CF) design methodology, referred to as the EPP-SMT method, is being developed as an alternative for CF evaluation in the design of pressure boundary components for high-temperature reactors. This report reviews the conceptual basis of the EPP-SMT methodology, summarizes the SMT experimental development efforts and results, and provides the technical basis for finalizing the EPP-SMT CF design curves for Alloy 617, based on a combined experimental and numerical approach conducted in FY 2024. This report presents the effect of hold time on the CF design curves for Alloy 617 at elevated temperatures. It includes proposed EPP-SMT CF design curves and tabulated values for continuous cycling, along with the effects of maximum hold time, for the use of this EPP-SMT CF evaluation method.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Optimal Control for Fast Frequency Response and Black-Start using Embedded Storages with Grid-Forming Control

The grid-forming inverter is regarded as the solution for integrating high levels of renewable resources into future power systems. Ensuring the stable operation of grids necessitates that grid-forming inverters offer fast frequency response. This report introduces an optimal control method that coordinates the embedded storage within the grid-forming control model with conventional synchronous generators. The optimized active power reference for the embedded storage is generated using receding horizon optimization control, aiming to keep the center of inertia frequency within acceptable limits. The effectiveness of the proposed control is verified through testing in the IEEE 39-bus system. In addition, with grid-forming capability, we will also investigate the application of using mobile embedded storages as black-start units to provide cranking power to energize non-blackstart generators in a black-start process.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Can liquid cloud microphysical processes be used for vertically pointing cloud radar calibration?

Cloud radars are unique instruments for observing cloud processes, but uncertainties in radar calibration have frequently limited data quality. Thus far, no single robust method exists for assessing the calibration of past cloud radar data sets. Here, we investigate whether observations of microphysical processes in liquid clouds such as the transition of cloud droplets to drizzle drops can be used to calibrate cloud radars. Specifically, we study the relationships between the radar reflectivity factor and three variables not affected by absolute radar calibration: the skewness of the radar Doppler spectrum ( γ ), the radar mean Doppler velocity ( W ), and the liquid water path (LWP). For each relation, we evaluate the potential for radar calibration. For γ and W , we use box model simulations to determine typical radar reflectivity values for reference points. We apply the new methods to observations at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites North Slope of Alaska (NSA) and Oliktok Point (OLI) in 2016 using two 35 GHz K a -band ARM Zenith Radars (KAZR). For periods with a sufficient number of liquid cloud observations, we find that liquid cloud processes are robust enough for cloud radar calibration, with the LWP-based method performing best. We estimate that, in 2016, the radar reflectivity at NSA was about 1±1  dB too low but stable. For OLI, we identify serious problems with maintaining an accurate calibration including a sudden decrease of 5 to 7 dB in June 2016.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data and code from: Multivariate bayesian regression model for predicting disposed ash composition at U.S. coal fired power stations

This dataset contains the code and data files needed for implementation of a Multivariate Bayesian Regression model, described in Jin et al. (2025), for the historical prediction of the chemical composition of disposed coal ash at U.S. coal fired power plants as a function of annualized coal purchase data. The integrated coal supply data file (CoalSupplyDataset.csv) represents a compilation of monthly fuel purchase records for the period 1973-2022 at major U.S. power stations. These records were obtained from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The CSV file also contains, for each coal purchase record, the coal region of the mine as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey. Data entry errors and data gaps in the EIA records were corrected as described in Jin et al. This CSV file represents the integrated coal supply data after corrections were made. The model structure and fitting parameters are encoded in pickle file format (Bayesian.pkl). The model was developed with the coal supply data and coal ash composition data, apportioned according to the Stratified Shuffle Split for training and testing subsets. The model was built using Python and the PyMC library. Reference Publication: Jin, Z.; Huang, J.; Hower, J.C.; Hsu-Kim, H.(2025). Predictive Assessment of the Chemical Composition of Coal Ash in Reserve at U.S. Disposal Sites. Environmental Science & Technology.

Coal ash composition↗

Breaking Through Historical Biases in Performance Assessments - 18056

Performance assessments (referred to as safety assessments internationally), which include mathematical modeling of natural and engineered systems for many hundreds and thousands of years, play an important role in decision-making for disposal of radioactive waste and cleanup of sites and facilities contaminated with radioactive material. These decisions can involve options costing hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Thus, it is critical to understand the underlying assumptions behind regulatory and technical aspects of these assessments to better understand and communicate the basis for decisions. Policy and technical biases deliberately built into early assessment approaches allowed safety margin to account for uncertainties known to be present, but not quantitatively assessed. Many of these biases (e.g., regulatory standards, human habits, effectiveness of waste forms, inadvertent intrusion assumptions, etc.) continue to exist in spite of advances in technical approaches and knowledge. These built-in biases, often not effectively communicated, can lead to misleading interpretation of results and potentially influence public confidence and costly regulatory decisions regarding the safety of a disposal facility or a closure action. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Safeguards Lessons Learned from the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant - 19502

Once operational, the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) will have an operating throughput of 800 MT of uranium in irradiated LWR fuel per year. In order to establish effective and efficient safeguards at RRP, the safeguards discussion with the IAEA was initiated in 1988. However, at that time there were no available models or guidelines that could be used as a reference and multiple difficulties were recognized for the implementation of safeguards into a large scale reprocessing plant. Therefore, from 1988 to 1992, a multinational forum, referred to as LASCAR (Large Scale Reprocessing Plant Safeguards) [1], provided the recommendations on how an effective safeguards approach could be implemented into a large scale reprocessing plant while efficiently using existing resources. During the course of safeguards discussions between the IAEA, the State, and JNFL, the use of operator's equipment and measurement systems (by signal splitting with authentication) for inspections was studied. JNFL also examined incorporating inspection requirements into the process design: to reduce the costs associated with system installation and future system maintenance and to ensure effective, efficient, and credible safeguards implementation into the RRP (this approach has essentially become the 'Safeguards by Design (SBD)' process). From these studies and JNFL's experience of implementing safeguards into a new plant [2], JNFL established and applied signal splitting from operator's equipment as a means for providing inspectors required safeguards information. In addition, the LASCAR findings were utilized to establish the safeguards implemented into the RRP. Safeguards implementation into RRP commenced March 31, 2006. On June 4, 2008, the IAEA approved the 'integrated safeguards approach' for RRP. This paper provides a high level overview of the major safeguards implemented at RRP and the lessons learned from this implementation that can be applied to existing or future similar facilities. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Modeling Seismic Recordings of High-Frequency Guided Infrasound on Mars

NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission records several high-frequency (>0.5 Hz) dispersive seismic signals on Mars. These signals are due to the acoustic-to-seismic coupling of infrasound generated by the entry and impact of meteorites. This dispersion property is due to infrasound propagating in a structured atmosphere, and we refer to this dispersive infrasound as guided infrasound. We propose to model the propagation of guided infrasound and the seismic coupling to the ground analytically; we use a 1D layered atmosphere on a three-layer solid subsurface medium. The synthetic ground movements fit the observed dispersive seismic signals well and the fitting indicates that the regolith beneath InSight is about 40-m in thickness. We also examine and validate the previously-published subsurface models derived from InSight ambient seismic vibration data.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗