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Model Calibration with Markov Chain Monte Carlo Tutorial

The purpose of this tutorial is to demonstrate how to use Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to calibrate a model. By calibration, we mean the selection of model parameters (and, when relevant, structures). A common goal in model development and diagnostics is calibration, or the identification of model structures and parameters which are consistent with data. While models can be calibrated through hand-tuning parameters or minimizing simple error metrics such as root-mean-square-error (RMSE), these approaches can underrepresent the probabilistic nature of the data-generating process, as well as the potential for multiple model configurations to be consistent with the data. Probabilistic uncertainty quantification, which is the topic of this notebook, can address these concerns. This tutorial is presented as an appendix to the e-book: Addressing Uncertainty in MultiSector Dynamics Research.

Markov chain Monte Carlo↗

Enriching Load Data Using Micro-PMUs and Smart Meters

In modern distribution systems, load uncertainty can be fully captured by micro-PMUs, which can record high-resolution data; however, in practice, micro-PMUs are installed at limited locations in distribution networks due to budgetary constraints. In contrast, smart meters are widely deployed but can only measure relatively low-resolution energy consumption, which cannot sufficiently reflect the actual instantaneous load volatility within each sampling interval. In this paper, we have proposed a novel approach for enriching load data for service transformers that only have low-resolution smart meters. The key to our approach is to statistically recover the high-resolution load data, which is masked by the low-resolution data, using trained probabilistic models of service transformers that have both high- and low-resolution data sources, i.e., micro-PMUs and smart meters. The overall framework consists of two steps: first, for the transformers with micro-PMUs, a Gaussian Process is leveraged to capture the relationship between the maximum/minimum load and average load within each low-resolution sampling interval of smart meters; a Markov chain model is employed to characterize the transition probability of known high-resolution load. Next, the trained models are used as teachers for the transformers with only smart meters to decompose known low-resolution load data into targeted high-resolution load data. The enriched data can recover instantaneous load uncertainty and significantly enhance distribution system observability and situational awareness. Here, we have verified the proposed approach using real high- and low-resolution load data.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Integrated Risk-Informed Condition Based Maintenance Capability and Automated Platform: Technical Report 3

This project is a collaborative research effort between PKMJ Technical Services LLC, Idaho National Laboratory, and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Nuclear, LLC. The collaboration, led by PKMJ Technical Services LLC, is part of the industry Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) award under Advanced Nuclear Technology Development FOA #DE-FOA-0001817. The pilot demonstration focuses on the Circulating Water System (CWS), an important non-safety-related system that impacts the power generation capability of the plant site. Achieving riskinformed condition-based Predictive Maintenance (PdM) on the CWS will result in significant economic benefits, and the developed methodologies can also be applied to other plant systems. This approach supports an industry goal of ensuring that nuclear power generation remains a viable, economically competitive option in the energy market. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs include labor-intensive Preventive Maintenance (PM) programs that involve manually performed inspection, calibration, testing, and maintenance of plant assets at periodic frequencies as well as time-based replacement of assets, irrespective of condition. This project offers an alternative by focusing on riskinformed condition-based maintenance to reduce O&M costs while still maintaining plant health and safety. This report summarizes the progress made toward achieving a risk-informed condition-based maintenance approach. The research and development (R&D) activities presented in this report are associated with development of a nuclear digital platform application, integration of fault signature models, and automated work management processes. The fault signatures and Machine Learning (ML) models are key components in predictive analytics and are heavily leveraged to improve the insights received by existing plant process data sources. Availability of the analysis results within a centralized digital platform enhances efficiency by enabling automation of activities otherwise performed manually. Personnel are presented with enhanced information that can be used to evaluate plant status and risks. Utilizing the enhancements to data analytics supports automated responses, (i.e. issuance of work orders) to address developing equipment faults and thus preventing forced, unplanned shutdowns of components or systems. The R&D activities described within this report lay the foundation for developing and demonstrating a digital automated platform to centralize the implementation of condition monitoring and response to equipment faults. The digital automated platform is cloud-based and designed to enable improved efficiency of plant processes. The digital platform includes content related to maintenance optimization, fault signature analysis, and plant records, which can all be used to support efficiencies when located within a centralized digital platform. These efficiencies could be further enhanced when deployed through industry-wide deployment of the technology to improve insights and processes based upon economies of scale.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Accelerating multilevel Markov Chain Monte Carlo using machine learning models

Here, this work presents an efficient approach for accelerating multilevel Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling for large-scale problems using low-fidelity machine learning models. While conventional techniques for large-scale Bayesian inference often substitute computationally expensive high-fidelity models with machine learning models, thereby introducing approximation errors, our approach offers a computationally efficient alternative by augmenting high-fidelity models with low-fidelity ones within a hierarchical framework. The multilevel approach utilizes the low-fidelity machine learning model (MLM) for inexpensive evaluation of proposed samples thereby improving the acceptance of samples by the high-fidelity model. The hierarchy in our multilevel algorithm is derived from geometric multigrid hierarchy. We utilize an MLM to accelerate the coarse level sampling. Training machine learning model for the coarsest level significantly reduces the computational cost associated with generating training data and training the model. We present an MCMC algorithm to accelerate the coarsest level sampling using MLM and account for the approximation error introduced. We provide theoretical proofs of detailed balance and demonstrate that our multilevel approach constitutes a consistent MCMC algorithm. Additionally, we derive the expression for cost reduction due to machine learning model to facilitate cost analysis of the hierarchical sampling algorithm. Our technique is demonstrated on a standard benchmark inference problem in groundwater flow, where we estimate the probability density of a quantity of interest using a four-level MCMC algorithm. Our proposed algorithm accelerates multilevel sampling by a factor of two while achieving similar accuracy compared to sampling using the standard multilevel algorithm.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Accelerating Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling with diffusion models

Global fits of physics models require efficient methods for exploring high-dimensional and/or multimodal posterior functions. We introduce a novel method for accelerating Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling by pairing a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with a diffusion model that can draw global samples with the aim of approximating the posterior. We briefly review diffusion models in the context of image synthesis before providing a streamlined diffusion model tailored towards low-dimensional data arrays. We then present our adapted Metropolis-Hastings algorithm which combines local proposals with global proposals taken from a diffusion model that is regularly trained on the samples produced during the MCMC run. Our approach leads to a significant reduction in the number of likelihood evaluations required to obtain an accurate representation of the Bayesian posterior across several analytic functions, as well as for a physical example based on a global fit of parton distribution functions. Our method is extensible to other MCMC techniques, and we briefly compare our method to similar approaches based on normalising flows. A code implementation can be found at https://github.com/NickHunt-Smith/MCMC-diffusion.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Scalable Technologies Achieving Risk-Informed Condition-Based Predictive Maintenance Enhancing the Economic Performance of Operating Nuclear Power Plants

The primary objective of the research presented in this report is to develop scalable technologies that are deployable across plant assets and across the nuclear fleet to achieve risk-informed predictive maintenance (PdM) strategies at commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs). Over the years, the nuclear fleet has relied on labor-intensive and time-consuming preventive maintenance (PM) programs, driving up operation and maintenance (O&M) costs to achieve high capacity factors. A well-constructed risk-informed PdM approach for an identified plant asset has been developed in this research, taking advantage of advancements in data analytics, machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), physics-informed modeling, and visualization. These technologies would allow commercial NPPs to reliably transition from current labor-intensive PM programs to a technology driven PdM program, eliminating unnecessary O&M costs. The work presented in the report is being developed as part of a collaborative research effort between Idaho National Laboratory and Public Service Enterprise Group Nuclear, LLC. This report (1) reflects the results of work by LWRS Program researchers with PSEG, Nuclear LLC-owned Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plants; (2) presents utilization of circulating water system (CWS) heterogeneous data and fault modes from both the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plant sites to develop salient fault signatures associated with each fault mode; (3) describes the integration of component-level predictive models into a robust system-level model enabled by the federated-transfer learning; (4) describes the development of physics-informed model of circulating water pump and motor; (5) develops a scalable risk and economic model; and (6) outlines the development of a user-centric visualization application. The outcomes presented in this report lays the foundation and provides a much-needed technical basis to focus on explainability and trustworthiness of ML and AI-based technologies, as part of future research.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

How to Obtain the Redshift Distribution from Probabilistic Redshift Estimates

Abstract A reliable estimate of the redshift distribution n ( z ) is crucial for using weak gravitational lensing and large-scale structures of galaxy catalogs to study cosmology. Spectroscopic redshifts for the dim and numerous galaxies of next-generation weak-lensing surveys are expected to be unavailable, making photometric redshift (photo- z ) probability density functions (PDFs) the next best alternative for comprehensively encapsulating the nontrivial systematics affecting photo- z point estimation. The established stacked estimator of n ( z ) avoids reducing photo- z PDFs to point estimates but yields a systematically biased estimate of n ( z ) that worsens with a decreasing signal-to-noise ratio, the very regime where photo- z PDFs are most necessary. We introduce Cosmological Hierarchical Inference with Probabilistic Photometric Redshifts ( CHIPPR ), a statistically rigorous probabilistic graphical model of redshift-dependent photometry that correctly propagates the redshift uncertainty information beyond the best-fit estimator of n ( z ) produced by traditional procedures and is provably the only self-consistent way to recover n ( z ) from photo- z PDFs. We present the chippr prototype code, noting that the mathematically justifiable approach incurs computational cost. The CHIPPR approach is applicable to any one-point statistic of any random variable, provided the prior probability density used to produce the posteriors is explicitly known; if the prior is implicit, as may be the case for popular photo- z techniques, then the resulting posterior PDFs cannot be used for scientific inference. We therefore recommend that the photo- z community focus on developing methodologies that enable the recovery of photo- z likelihoods with support over all redshifts, either directly or via a known prior probability density.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Bayes_Opt-SWMM: A Gaussian process-based Bayesian optimization tool for real-time flood modeling with SWMM

Real-time flood model plays a pivotal role in averting urban flood damage, particularly when there is minimal lead time for preparatory measures. However, urban flood modeling in real-time often contends with inherent uncertainties arising from input data uncertainty and parameter ambiguities. Here this study introduces a real-time calibration (RTC) tool called Bayes_Opt-SWMM, specifically tailored for real-time urban flood modeling and uncertainty optimization. This tool leverages the Gaussian process-based Bayesian optimization algorithm and interfaces seamlessly with the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM). It integrates real-time model forcing data and flood monitoring collected through sensors and gauges which are strategically placed within critical locations of urban drainage systems. Our approach hinges on the Surrogate Model based Uncertainty Optimization (SMUO) concept, providing an avenue for enhancing real-time flood modeling. Bayes_Opt-SWMM runs the optimization process using a surrogate model called Gaussian Process emulator with two inference methods: (1) the Gaussian Process (GP) model and (2) Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm in GP model (GP_MCMC). Furthermore, three acquisition functions, namely Expected Improvement (EI), Maximum Probability of Improvement (MPI), and Lower Confidence Bound (LCB), facilitate optimal parameter fitting within the surrogate models. The efficiency of GP-based surrogate models in learning SWMM model parameters, leads to an improved uncertainty quantification and accelerated real-time flood modeling in urban areas. Overall, Bayes_Opt-SWMM emerges as a cost-effective and valuable tool for real-time flood modeling and monitoring, with significant potential for managing intelligent storm water systems in urban environments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Implementation of a practical Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm in PyBioNetFit

Abstract Summary Bayesian inference in biological modeling commonly relies on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling of a multidimensional and non-Gaussian posterior distribution that is not analytically tractable. Here, we present the implementation of a practical MCMC method in the open-source software package PyBioNetFit (PyBNF), which is designed to support parameterization of mathematical models for biological systems. The new MCMC method, am, incorporates an adaptive move proposal distribution. For warm starts, sampling can be initiated at a specified location in parameter space and with a multivariate Gaussian proposal distribution defined initially by a specified covariance matrix. Multiple chains can be generated in parallel using a computer cluster. We demonstrate that am can be used to successfully solve real-world Bayesian inference problems, including forecasting of new Coronavirus Disease 2019 case detection with Bayesian quantification of forecast uncertainty. Availability and implementation PyBNF version 1.1.9, the first stable release with am, is available at PyPI and can be installed using the pip package-management system on platforms that have a working installation of Python 3. PyBNF relies on libRoadRunner and BioNetGen for simulations (e.g. numerical integration of ordinary differential equations defined in SBML or BNGL files) and Dask.Distributed for task scheduling on Linux computer clusters. The Python source code can be freely downloaded/cloned from GitHub and used and modified under terms of the BSD-3 license (https://github.com/lanl/pybnf). Online documentation covering installation/usage is available (https://pybnf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/). A tutorial video is available on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aRqpqFOiS4&t=63s). Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Calibrating uncertain parameters in melt pool simulations of additive manufacturing

Melt pool scale numerical modeling of additive manufacturing (AM) processes can provide predictive capabilities and theoretical insight into the process-property-structure-performance relationships for AM parts. Despite capabilities of numerical models to solve complex multi-physics problems, it is often important to consider a tradeoff between detailed physics and computational cost. Therefore, sources of uncertainty in both experimental conditions and the parameters needed for modeling require models to be validated against empirical evidence. Here, a method is proposed to calibrate uncertain parameters used in continuum-scale melt pool models for powder bed fusion (PBF) AM. Both a simplified heat transfer model and a heat transfer and fluid flow model were investigated. A surrogate model and Markov chain-based optimization algorithm calibrated melt pool geometry for models within experimental variation of the target melt pool width and depth from the NIST AM-Bench 2018-02 dataset. The melt pool temperature distributions, solidification parameters, and simulated multi-layer solidification microstructures were compared between the two models. Similar results from both models indicate that calibrated, lower fidelity numerical models may be used in place of higher fidelity models to generate melt pool solidification data. Finally, these calibrated models therefore enable lower computational cost melt pool simulations without a noticeable decrease in simulation accuracy for grain-scale microstructure simulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Markov Chain Monte Carlo Parameter Estimation of Deflagration Losses in a Rotating Detonation Engine

One of the practical challenges of the studies of rotating detonation engines (RDEs) is the direct estimation of losses from experimental measurements. This study attempts at resolving this limitation by combining a reduced order model (ROM) of the detonation wave characteristics with a Markov chain Monte Carlo parameter estimation framework. The model considers simple deflagration losses and the overall impact of deflagration on RDE performance. To evaluate this model, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling technique was applied to estimate the loss parameters within the model for a set of conditions operated in hydrogen-air over a range of mass flow rates and equivalence ratios. The MCMC parameter estimation framework allowed for the determination of a posterior distribution of the loss parameters for each test condition, an examination of the correlation between the loss parameters and measured performance metrics of the RDE, and an uncertainty propagation of these parameters. The predicted model loss parameters were then compared to indirect experimental measurements of the deflagration combustion fractions to evaluating the validity of the approach, and shed light on the benefits and drawbacks of the model, measurement techniques, and the estimation framework.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

PyOECP: A flexible open-source software library for estimating and modeling the complex permittivity based on the open-ended coaxial probe (OECP) technique

Here, we present PyOECP, a Python-based flexible open-source software for estimating and modeling the complex permittivity obtained from the open-ended coaxial probe (OECP) technique. The transformation of the measured reflection coefficient to complex permittivity is performed based on three different methods. The software library contains the dielectric spectra of common reference liquids, which can be used to transform the reflection coefficient into the dielectric spectra. Several Python routines that are commonly employed (e.g., SciPy and NumPy) in the field of science and engineering are required only so that the users can alter the software structure depending on their needs. The modeling algorithm exploits the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method for the data regression. The discrete relaxation models can be built by a proper combination of well-known relaxation models. In addition to these models, electrode polarization, a typical measurement artifact for interpreting dielectric spectra, can be incorporated into the modeling algorithm. A continuous relaxation model, which solves the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind (a mathematically ill-posed problem), is also included. This open-source software enables users to freely adjust the physical parameters to obtain physical insight into their materials under test and will be consistently updated for more accurate measurement and interpretation of dielectric spectra in an automated manner. This work describes the theoretical and mathematical background of the software, lays out the workflow, and validates the software functionality based on both synthetic and empirical data included in the software.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Deep generative models for vehicle speed trajectories

Generating realistic vehicle speed trajectories is a crucial component in evaluating vehicle fuel economy and in predictive control of self-driving cars. Traditional generative models rely on Markov chain methods and can produce accurate synthetic trajectories but are subject to the curse of dimensionality. They do not allow to include conditional input variables into the generation process. In this paper, we show how extensions to deep generative models allow accurate and scalable generation. Proposed architectures involve recurrent and feed-forward layers and are trained using adversarial techniques. Our models are shown to perform well on generating vehicle trajectories using a model trained on GPS data from Chicago metropolitan area.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Solid-Density Ion Temperature from Redshifted and Double-Peaked Stark Line Shapes

Heβ spectral line shapes are important for diagnosing temperature and density in many dense plasmas. This work presents Heβ line shapes measured with high spectral resolution from solid-density plasmas with minimized gradients. The line shapes show hallmark features of Stark broadening, including quantifiable redshifts and double-peaked structure with a significant dip between the peaks; these features are compared to models through a Markov chain Monte Carlo framework. Line shape theory using the dipole approximation can fit the width and peak separation of measured line shapes, but it cannot resolve an ambiguity between electron density n e and ion temperature T i , since both parameters influence the strength of quasistatic ion microfields. Here a line shape model employing a full Coulomb interaction for the electron broadening computes self-consistent line widths and redshifts through the monopole term; redshifts have different dependence on plasma parameters and thus resolve the n e – T i ambiguity. The measured line shapes indicate densities that are 80–100% of solid, identifying a regime of highly ionized but well-tamped plasma. This analysis also provides the first strong evidence that dense ions and electrons are not in thermal equilibrium, despite equilibration times much shorter than the duration of x-ray emission; cooler ions may arise from nonclassical thermalization rates or anomalous energy transport. Furthermore, the experimental platform and diagnostic technique constitute a promising new approach for studying ion-electron equilibration in dense plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Deep Neural Network Informed Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods

In subsurface flow modeling, quantifying the uncertainty of model parameters and the corresponding uncertainly on output quantities is a crucial task for groundwater management. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods can take advantage of observed data to estimate parameters in a Bayesian setting. However, MCMC can be slow to converge and produce highly correlated samples when the dimensions of the parameters is high. Using gradients for the posterior distribution can help samplers explore the parameter space more efficiently, but obtaining gradients can be computationally challenging.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Sensitivity of modelled passive margin stratigraphy to variations in sea level, sediment supply and subsidence

Abstract We produced a 10 Myr synthetic stratigraphic section using a forward stratigraphic model that generates marine deltaic stratigraphy over geological timescales. We recursively fit the model using a Bayesian inversion algorithm to test: (1) if it could be accurately reconstructed; (2) if the parameters used to create it could be recovered; and (3) the sensitivity of the model output to given model parameters and the attendant physical processes. The original synthetic stratigraphic section was produced with cyclical sea‐level variations of 40 and 30 m with 2.4 and 10 Myr periods respectively. Sediment was also supplied cyclically, in 2.4 and 10 Myr cycles with amplitudes of 30 and 80 tons/100 kyr, respectively, varying from a mean of 232 tons/100 kyr. Parameter values were sampled to fit the model using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm, resulting in a ±5 m (1σ) variation between the experimental output and the original. Sea level varied by ±7 m (1σ) within the posterior distribution of parameters. As a result, both the 10 Myr and 2.4 Myr sea‐level cycles could be extracted from the original output. The variation in sediment supply was approximately ±38 tons/100 kyr (1σ) and, as a result, only the larger long‐term supply variations could be accurately recovered in refitting the model. The variation in thermal, flexural and total subsidence across those parameter sets is less than ±10 m (1σ). The original section experienced 150 m of total subsidence at the depocentre. Our results demonstrate the distinct and interpretable imprint of sea level and subsidence on continental margin stratigraphy can be quantified. Moreover, we conclude that sea‐level change produces a defined effect on the geometries of stratigraphic architecture, and that techniques applied for the purpose of delineating sea‐level variation from continental margin strata have a well‐founded conceptual basis.

Schmelz, William J.↗

Intra-Specific Variability in Plant Hydraulic Parameters Inferred From Model Inversion of Sap Flux Data

Understanding plant hydraulic regulation is critical for predicting plant and ecosystem responses to projected increases in drought stress. Plant hydraulic regulation is controlled by observable, diverse plant hydraulic traits that can vary as much across individuals of the same species as they do across different species. Direct measurements of plant hydraulic traits from a range of ecosystems remain limited in comparison to other, more readily measured traits (e.g., specific leaf area). Furthermore, plant hydraulic trait measurements, often made at leaf or branch levels, are not easily scaled to whole-plant values that are typically used to predict plant and ecosystem fluxes. In this study, multiple whole-plant hydraulic parameters are inferred from observations of plant water use (i.e., sap flow), soil properties, and meteorological data. We use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo model inversion approach to obtain the best estimates and uncertainty of plant hydraulic parameters that capture whole-plant effective embolism resistance and stomatal sensitivity to decreasing plant water potential. We then use the inferred values in the model to estimate whole-tree water use and isohydricity. This approach reliably infers whole-plant parameter values with enough specificity to resolve inter- and intra-specific differences, and thus supplements time- and labor-intensive direct measurements of traits.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

PyOECP: A flexible open-source software for the measurement and modeling of the dielectric spectrum from the reflection coefficient

We present PyOECP, a Python-based flexible open-source software for estimating and modeling the complex permittivity obtained from the open-ended coaxial probe (OECP) technique. The transformation of the measured reflection coefficient to complex permittivity is performed based on two different models, including the capacitance model and the antenna model. The software library contains dielectric spectra of common reference liquids, which can be used to transform the reflection coefficient into the dielectric spectra. Several Python routines that are commonly employed (e.g., SciPy and NumPy) are only required so that the users can alter the software structure depending on their needs. The modeling algorithm exploits the Markov chain Monte Carlo method for the data regression. The discrete relaxation models can be built by a proper combination of well-known relaxation models. In addition to these models, the electrode polarization, which is a common measurement artifact for interpreting the dielectric spectra, can be incorporated in the modeling algorithm. A continuous relaxation model, which solves the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind (a mathematically ill-posed problem) is also included.

Yoon, Tae-Jun↗