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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 1,513 records · Page 84

Lift & Learn: Physics-informed machine learning for large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems

In this work, we present Lift & Learn, a physics-informed method for learning low-dimensional models for large-scale dynamical systems. The method exploits knowledge of a system’s governing equations to identify a coordinate transformation in which the system dynamics have quadratic structure. This transformation is called a lifting map because it often adds auxiliary variables to the system state. The lifting map is applied to data obtained by evaluating a model for the original nonlinear system. This lifted data is projected onto its leading principal components, and low-dimensional linear and quadratic matrix operators are fit to the lifted reduced data using a least-squares operator inference procedure. Analysis of our method shows that the Lift & Learn models are able to capture the system physics in the lifted coordinates at least as accurately as traditional intrusive model reduction approaches. This preservation of system physics makes the Lift & Learn models robust to changes in inputs. Numerical experiments on the FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron activation model and the compressible Euler equations demonstrate the generalizability of our model.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Physics-informed machine learning modeling for predictive control using noisy data

Due to the occurrence of over-fitting at the learning phase, the modeling of chemical processes via artificial neural networks (ANN) by using corrupted data (i.e., noisy data) is an ongoing challenge. Therefore, this work investigates the effect of both Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise on the performance of process-structure based recurrent neural networks (RNN) models, which take the form of partially-connected RNN models in this work, that are used to approximate a class of multi-input-multi-outputs nonlinear systems. Furthermore, two different techniques, specifically Monte Carlo dropout and co-teaching, are utilized in the development of partially-connected RNN models. Here, these two techniques are employed to reduce the over-fitting in ANNs when noisy data is used in the training process and, hence, to improve the open-loop accuracy as well as the closed-loop performance under a Lyapunov-based model predictive controller (MPC). Aspen Plus Dynamics, a well-known high-fidelity process simulator, is used to simulate a large-scale chemical process application in order to demonstrate the anticipated improvements in both open-loop approximation and closed-loop controller performance in the presence of Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise in the data set using physics-informed RNNs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Automated ICRF heating surrogate modeling via machine learning

This work introduces automated machine learning workflows that address critical bottlenecks in surrogate model development for Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) heating applications. The automated framework includes data analysis tools that transform raw datasets into actionable insights in seconds, replacing weeks of manual exploratory effort and ensuring consistent, reproducible dataset characterization. By integrating advanced hyperparameter optimization (HPO) methods including Bayesian optimization via BoTorch and Tree-structured Parzen Estimators (TPE), the framework significantly reduces model development time from weeks to hours, decreasing computational cost and required expertise, while enabling high-accuracy surrogate models. Compared to traditional hyperparameter scanning (HPS) techniques such as methodical, randomized, and grid searches, HPO methods achieve superior convergence and predictive performance, even when compared to already well-tuned reference models. On NSTX High Harmonic Fast Wave (HHFW) heating datasets, both Random Forest Regressor (RFR) and neural network surrogates demonstrate improved accuracy, achieving R 2 values beyond 0.97 and 0.98, respectively. The results show that while HPO gains are modest for robust architectures like RFR, they become essential for more sensitive models such as neural networks, highlighting the trade-offs across optimization strategies. Through automated workflows that eliminate manual hyperparameter tuning and require minimal ML expertise, this work enables widespread adoption of high-fidelity surrogate models across the fusion community for real-time plasma control, uncertainty quantification, rapid experimental scenario development, and integrated system optimization.

Sanchez-Villar, Alvaro [Princeton Plasma Physics L↗

Comparison of Machine Learning Approaches for Prediction of the Equivalent Alkane Carbon Number for Microemulsions Based on Molecular Properties

The chemical properties of oils are vital in the design of microemulsion systems. The hydrophilic–lipophilic difference equation used to predict microemulsions’ phase behavior expresses the oils’ physiochemical properties as the equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN). The experimental determination of EACN requires knowledge of the temperature dependence of the microemulsion system and the effects of different surfactant concentrations. Thus, the experimental determination is time-intensive and tedious, requiring days to months for proper separations. Furthermore, the experiments require high purity of chemicals because microemulsions are sensitive to impurities. Our work focuses on the quick and reliable predictions of the EACN with machine learning (ML) models. Due to the immaturity of ML chemical predictions, we compare three graph neural networks (GNNs) and a gradient-boosted tree algorithm, known as XGBoost. The GNNs use the molecular structures represented as simplified molecular-input line-entry system (SMILES) codes for the initial input, which allows us to assess whether geometry optimization is necessary for reliable results. The XGBoost model also begins with the SMILES representations of the molecules but uses molecular descriptors instead of geometry optimizations. As a result, the best model tested (crystal graph convolutional neural network with Merck molecular force field-94) has an error of 1.15 EACN units of the true EACN for unknown data with the errors skewed toward zero and an R² score of 0.9

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Enabling robust offline active learning for machine learning potentials using simple physics-based priors

Abstract Machine learning surrogate models for quantum mechanical simulations have enabled the field to efficiently and accurately study material and molecular systems. Developed models typically rely on a substantial amount of data to make reliable predictions of the potential energy landscape or careful active learning (AL) and uncertainty estimates. When starting with small datasets, convergence of AL approaches is a major outstanding challenge which has limited most demonstrations to online AL. In this work we demonstrate a Δ-machine learning (ML) approach that enables stable convergence in offline AL strategies by avoiding unphysical configurations with initial datasets as little as a single data point. We demonstrate our framework’s capabilities on a structural relaxation, transition state calculation, and molecular dynamics simulation, with the number of first principle calculations being cut down anywhere from 70%–90%. The approach is incorporated and developed alongside AMP torch , an open-source ML potential package, along with interactive Google Colab notebook examples.

Shuaibi, Muhammed↗

Skluma: An extensible metadata extraction pipeline for disorganized data

To mitigate the effects of high-velocity data expansion and to automate the organization of filesystems and data repositories, we have developed Skluma-a system that automatically processes a target filesystem or repository, extracts content-and context-based metadata, and organizes extracted metadata for subsequent use. Skluma is able to extract diverse metadata, including aggregate values derived from embedded structured data; named entities and latent topics buried within free-text documents; and content encoded in images. Skluma implements an overarching probabilistic pipeline to extract increasingly specific metadata from files. It applies machine learning methods to determine file types, dynamically prioritizes and then executes a suite of metadata extractors, and explores contextual metadata based on relationships among files. The derived metadata, represented in JSON, describes probabilistic knowledge of each file that may be subsequently used for discovery or organization. Skluma's architecture enables it to be deployed both locally and used as an on-demand, cloud-hosted service to create and execute dynamic extraction workflows on massive numbers of files. It is modular and extensible-allowing users to contribute their own specialized metadata extractors. Thus far we have tested Skluma on local filesystems, remote FTP-accessible servers, and publicly-accessible Globus endpoints. We have demonstrated its efficacy by applying it to a scientific environmental data repository of more than 500,000 files. We show that we can extract metadata from those files with modest cloud costs in a few hours.

data swamp↗

Optoelectronic properties of bent two-dimensional materials from first-principles methods combined with machine learning

A material’s interaction with light is highly relevant in the design of nanoelectronic devices such as photodiodes, solar cells, photocatalytic cells, phototransistors, and photodetectors. The interaction of a material with light can be altered by mechanical deformation. Fine tuning of the optical properties can be achieved by mechanical bending that alters the electronic structure. Optical properties strongly depend on band gaps, therefore any alteration in the band structure results in a changed optical response of the material. The impact of bending was explored in this project. The goal of this project was to assess the impact of mechanical bending of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides on their optoelectronic properties, using first-principles methods. These first-principles approximations are largely built upon many-body theory for the optical properties of magnetic and topological nanoribbons. GW-BSE is standard for optical absorption, but it is less practical for collective excitations as it was shown in model systems. Time-dependent density functional theory, however, has better promises for collective excitations in low-dimensional materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An interpretable machine learning model for advancing terrestrial ecosystem predictions

We apply an interpretable Long Short-Term Memory (iLSTM) network for land-atmosphere carbon flux predictions based on time series observations of seven environmental variables. iLSTM enables interpretability of variable importance and variable-wise temporal importance to the prediction of targets by exploring internal network structures. The application results indicate that iLSTM not only improves prediction performance by capturing different dynamics of individual variables, but also reasonably interprets the different contribution of each variable to the target and its different temporal relevance to the target. This variable and temporal importance interpretation of iLSTM advances terrestrial ecosystem model development as well as our predictive understanding of the system.

Lu, Dan↗

Materials prediction via classification learning

In the paradigm of materials informatics for accelerated materials discovery, the choice of feature set (i.e. attributes that capture aspects of structure, chemistry and/or bonding) is critical. Ideally, the feature sets should provide a simple physical basis for extracting major structural and chemical trends and furthermore, enable rapid predictions of new material chemistries. Orbital radii calculated from model pseudopotential fits to spectroscopic data are potential candidates to satisfy these conditions. Although these radii (and their linear combinations) have been utilized in the past, their functional forms are largely justified with heuristic arguments. Here we show that machine learning methods naturally uncover the functional forms that mimic most frequently used features in the literature, thereby providing a mathematical basis for feature set construction without a priori assumptions. We apply these principles to study two broad materials classes: (i) wide band gap AB compounds and (ii) rare earth-main group RM intermetallics. The AB compounds serve as a prototypical example to demonstrate our approach, whereas the RM intermetallics show how these concepts can be used to rapidly design new ductile materials. In conclusion, our predictive models indicate that ScCo, ScIr, and YCd should be ductile, whereas each was previously proposed to be brittle.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Machine Learning for Advanced Building Construction

High-efficiency retrofits can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions associated with buildings if processes can be scaled-up to reduce cost, time, and disruption. Here we demonstrate an artificial intelligence/computer vision (AI/CV)-enabled framework for converting exterior build scans and dimensional data directly into manufacturing and installation specifications for overclad panels. In our workflow point clouds associated with LiDAR-scanned buildings are segmented into a facade feature space, vectorized features are extracted using an iterative random-sampling consensus algorithm, and from this representation an optimal panel design plan satisfying manufacturing constraints is generated. This system and the corresponding construction process is demonstrated on a test facade structure constructed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). We also include a brief summary of a techno-economic study designed to estimate the potential energy and cost impact of this new system.

build scans↗

High-Throughput Strategies that Encompass Experiments and Machine Learning to Predict the Mechanical Properties of Additive Manufactured Aerospace Alloys

Small Punch Test (SPT) uses a thin disk of material to predict mechanical properties. While SPT has existed for decades, it has been used largely as a qualitative evaluator of mechanical properties. Recent advances in computational modeling have enabled the extraction of uniaxial stress-strain response from the measured SPT load-displacement data. Due to small sample volumes and unidirectional testing, SPT is conducive to high-throughput automation and ideally suited to extract properties from high-cost materials. Aerospace alloys have been of recent interest to the Additive Manufacturing (AM) community due to AM’s unique ability to fabricate complex designs not possible, or extremely arduous, with conventional manufacturing. In this research, SPT, coupled with Materials Informatics and computational modeling, is used to develop relevant Process-Structure-Property relationships to decrease the cost and time of process optimization for AM aerospace alloys, namely Inconel 718, Inconel 625, and Niobium C103.

High-throughput Testing↗

Direct prediction of inelastic neutron scattering spectra from the crystal structure*

Abstract Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) is a powerful technique to study vibrational dynamics of materials with several unique advantages. However, analysis and interpretation of INS spectra often require advanced modeling that needs specialized computing resources and relevant expertise. This difficulty is compounded by the limited experimental resources available to perform INS measurements. In this work, we develop a machine-learning based predictive framework which is capable of directly predicting both one-dimensional INS spectra and two-dimensional INS spectra with additional momentum resolution. By integrating symmetry-aware neural networks with autoencoders, and using a large scale synthetic INS database, high-dimensional spectral data are compressed into a latent-space representation, and a high-quality spectra prediction is achieved by using only atomic coordinates as input. Our work offers an efficient approach to predict complex multi-dimensional neutron spectra directly from simple input; it allows for improved efficiency in using the limited INS measurement resources, and sheds light on building structure-property relationships in a variety of on-the-fly experimental data analysis scenarios.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE STTR Phase I Final Report Report: Machine-learning Based Prediction of Thermal Limits for Conjugated Organic Materials

The SCANN-DT Phase I STTR project led by NLM Photonics and partnering with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) sought to apply machine learning techniques based on graph neural networks (GNNs) towards the prediction of decomposition temperatures (Td) of organic semiconductors, based on prior work on bond dissociation energy (BDE) prediction as implemented in NREL’s ALFABET prediction tool. Using a curated set of experimental decomposition energies, the project examined GNN-based, classical quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) based on DFT calculations, and combinations of both methods to predict Td. While the best MAEs in Td achieved were near 40°C, below project targets, the project led to improvements in the ALFABET model, improvements in cloud-based implementations of NWChem software, and a substantial dataset of calculations on medium-sized conjugated organic molecules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Neural network acceleration of large-scale structure theory calculations

Here, we make use of neural networks to accelerate the calculation of power spectra required for the analysis of galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing data. For modern perturbation theory codes, evaluation time for a single cosmology and redshift can take on the order of two seconds. In combination with the comparable time required to compute linear predictions using a Boltzmann solver, these calculations are the bottleneck for many contemporary large-scale structure analyses. Here, we construct neural network-based surrogate models for Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT) predictions of matter power spectra, real and redshift space galaxy power spectra, and galaxy-matter cross power spectra that attain ~ 0.1% (at one sigma) accuracy over a broad range of scales in a ωCDM parameter space. The neural network surrogates can be evaluated in approximately one millisecond, a factor of 1000 times faster than the full Boltzmann code and LPT computations. In a simulated full-shape redshift space galaxy power spectrum analysis, we demonstrate that the posteriors obtained using our surrogates are accurate compared to those obtained using the full LPT model. We make our surrogate models public at https://github.com/sfschen/EmulateLSS, so that others may take advantage of the speed gains they provide to enable rapid iteration on analysis settings, something that is essential in complex contemporary large-scale structure analyses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Material Model Parameters Optimization in Liquid Mercury Target Dynamics Simulation With Machine Learning Surrogates

A pulsed spallation target is subjected to very short (∼0.7μs) but intense loads (23.3 kJ) from repeated proton pulses, which knock away neutrons from the mercury atoms’ nuclei for a wide range application in physics, engineering, medicine, petroleum exploration, biology, chemistry, etc. The effect of this pulsed loading on the stainless-steel target module which contains the flowing mercury target material is difficult to predict not only due to its short but intense explosive-like physical reaction, but also the nonlinear material behavior of the liquid mercury in the structure. Injecting small helium bubbles in the mercury has been an efficient method of mitigating the pressure wave at high power level stage. However, prediction of the resultant loading on the target is more difficult when helium gas is intentionally injected into the mercury. A 2-phase material model that incorporates the Rayleigh-Plesset (R-P) model is expected to address this complex multi-physics dynamics problem by including the bubble dynamics in the liquid mercury. A parameter sensitivity study was firstly employed to understand their impact on the simulation strains. The investigated parameters included E, μ, γ, σ, n, VFgas, and gas cumulative volume curve control parameters a and b. Verification and validation results from sparse polynomial expansions (SPE) method and directional Gaussian smoothing (DGS) optimization show that the surrogate model had training error of ∼7% and validation error of ∼15%, indicating that machine learning methods and surrogate models can help optimize the uncertain parameters in the complex 2-phase material model. This approach is expected to fill the knowledge gap between unknown liquid-gas mixture material model and measured vessel strain responses.

Lin, Lianshan↗

Adaptive 3D convolutional neural network-based reconstruction method for 3D coherent diffraction imaging

We present a novel adaptive machine-learning based approach for reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) crystals from coherent diffraction imaging. We represent the crystals using spherical harmonics (SH) and generate the corresponding synthetic diffraction patterns. We utilize 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn a mapping between 3D diffraction volumes and the SH, which describe the boundary of the physical volumes from which they were generated. We use the 3D CNN-predicted SH coefficients as the initial guesses, which are then fine-tuned using adaptive model-independent feedback for improved accuracy. We also adaptively tune the locations, intensities, and decay rates of collections of radial basis functions in order to reproduce the non-uniform internal structure of 3D objects and demonstrate the method for a synthetic volume that has an internal void and a density ramp.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Machine-Learning Classification Suggests That Many Alphaproteobacterial Prophages May Instead Be Gene Transfer Agents

Abstract Many of the sequenced bacterial and archaeal genomes encode regions of viral provenance. Yet, not all of these regions encode bona fide viruses. Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are thought to be former viruses that are now maintained in genomes of some bacteria and archaea and are hypothesized to enable exchange of DNA within bacterial populations. In Alphaproteobacteria, genes homologous to the “head–tail” gene cluster that encodes structural components of the Rhodobacter capsulatus GTA (RcGTA) are found in many taxa, even if they are only distantly related to Rhodobacter capsulatus. Yet, in most genomes available in GenBank RcGTA-like genes have annotations of typical viral proteins, and therefore are not easily distinguished from their viral homologs without additional analyses. Here, we report a “support vector machine” classifier that quickly and accurately distinguishes RcGTA-like genes from their viral homologs by capturing the differences in the amino acid composition of the encoded proteins. Our open-source classifier is implemented in Python and can be used to scan homologs of the RcGTA genes in newly sequenced genomes. The classifier can also be trained to identify other types of GTAs, or even to detect other elements of viral ancestry. Using the classifier trained on a manually curated set of homologous viruses and GTAs, we detected RcGTA-like “head–tail” gene clusters in 57.5% of the 1,423 examined alphaproteobacterial genomes. We also demonstrated that more than half of the in silico prophage predictions are instead likely to be GTAs, suggesting that in many alphaproteobacterial genomes the RcGTA-like elements remain unrecognized.

Evolutionary Biology↗