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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

HFE safety reviews of advanced nuclear power plant control rooms

Advanced control rooms (ACR's) will utilize human-system interface (HSI) technologies that may have significant implications for plant safety in that they will affect the operator's overall role and means of interacting with the system. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the human factors engineering (HFE) aspects of HSI's to ensure that they are designed to good HFE principles and support performance and reliability in order to protect public health and safety. However, the only available NRC guidance was developed more than ten years ago, and does not adequately address the human performance issues and technology changes associated with ACR's. Accordingly, a new approach to ACR safety reviews was developed based upon the concept of 'convergent validity'. This approach to ACR safety reviews is described.

Ohara, John↗
DOE OSTI2022

Advanced Reactor Control and Operations (ARCO): A University Research Facility for Developing Optimized Digital Control Rooms

The Advanced Reactor Control and Operations (ARCO) facility was constructed in January 2018 to serve as a test bed for advanced reactor control rooms and operator support systems. Since then, it has supported human-machine interface user experience research, fault detection and mitigation technology development, control room concept of operations development, and remote operations research. ARCO serves as the control room for the Compact Integral Effects Test (CIET) facility, which replicates the primary-side flow paths and thermal-hydraulic behavior of a fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) using simulant fluids and scaling principles. New reactor designs feature different operating conditions and scenarios than those in existing reactors. ARCO supports the research and development of digital tools for operator communications, intuitive real-time data analysis, online health monitoring and prognostics, and control room cybersecurity. By integrating these different technologies, ARCO acts as a prototypical control system to iteratively develop methods and tools of operation in advanced small modular nuclear reactors. This paper describes the features of and challenges to operating advanced small modular reactors underlying the design basis for ARCO and its operator support systems.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Using a particle-in-cell model for accelerator control room applications

Many accelerator control rooms rely on envelope models to simulate beam dynamics because they are fast and accurate at tracking the beam core. Particle-in-Cell (PIC) models, however, can track particles inside and outside the core and, with the improvements of computers, are now fast enough to be used in control rooms. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is currently developing a tool to use a Particle-in-Cell model for control room applications. This report covers the progress so far and the future goals of using PyORBIT, a Particle-in-Cell simulation model, in the SNS control room.

Cathey, Brandon↗
NASA NTRS2015

White Paper for Virtual Control Room

The Virtual Control Room (VCR) Proof of Concept (PoC) project is the result of an award given by the Fourth Annual NASA T&I Labs Challenge Project Call. This paper will outline the work done over the award period to build and enhance the capabilities of the Augmented/Virtual Reality (AVR) Lab at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to create the VCR.

Virtual Reality↗
DOE OSTI2024

Digital Twin + AI: Control Room of the Future [Slides]

The control room functions as the central brain of the grid, essential for balancing supply and demand and ensuring moment-to-moment grid reliability. Like the human brain, which processes sensory data to make decisions, control room operators analyze operational data from power generation, transmission, and distribution to make informed decisions. Currently, decision-making primarily rests with operators due to hardware and software limitations. However, with technological advancements, Digital Twins and AI are becoming high interest points in the control room's decision-making pilot programs. NREL is developing a comprehensive decision-making platform that integrates Digital Twins, AI, and advanced visualization techniques. As this integration progresses, the role of Digital Twins will evolve from conducting automated simulations to serving as a Trustworthy AI enabler, offering verification and validation of AI-generated response for power systems or providing physics-aware synthetic data of AI pre-training.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Aircraft Simulation Role in Improving Flight Safety Through Control Room Training

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center uses its six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) fixed-base simulations for mission control room training to improve flight safety and operations. This concept is applied to numerous flight projects such as the F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV), the F-15 Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS), the X-38 Actuator Control Test (XACT), and X-43A (Hyper-X). The Dryden 6-DOF simulations are typically used through various stages of a project, from design to ground tests. The roles of these simulations have expanded to support control room training, reinforcing flight safety by building control room staff proficiency. Real-time telemetry, radar, and video data are generated from flight vehicle simulation models. These data are used to drive the control room displays. Nominal static values are used to complete information where appropriate. Audio communication is also an integral part of training sessions. This simulation capability is used to train control room personnel and flight crew for nominal missions and emergency situations. Such training sessions are also opportunities to refine flight cards and control room display pages, exercise emergency procedures, and practice control room setup for the day of flight. This paper describes this technology as it is used in the X-43A and F-15 IFCS and XACT projects.

Shy, Karla S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Utilization Control Area (LUCA): Configurable Mission Control Rooms and the Benefits to Future Spaceflight

Configurable Control Rooms provide the ability to rapidly change capabilities from mission to mission and customer to customer. Future missions will likely not have the 24/7/365 need for a dedicated mission support room, and CCR could easily be adapted for continuous support if needed. CCRs offer physical, centralized locations for teams to support, and the HOSC provides a secure, reliable facility with constant monitoring by network specialists. Institutions and payload teams can cost save by utilizing a CCR at MSFC eliminating the need to assemble an entire custom control room at their location. This new paradigm in flight operations can ease the creation of any mission from a cubesat to a New Frontiers or Flagship program and anything in between.

Configurable Control Rooms↗
DOE OSTI2020

Report for 2.2.1 Task 5: Develop and Document a State-Based Alarm System for a Nuclear Power Plant Control Room Using Machine Learning

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has contracted IFE to support human factors research and the development of leading-edge technology to support control room operators as the U.S. fleet undergoes modernization and digitalization in legacy plants and control rooms. As the nuclear industry starts to shift to more digital controls and systems, these upgrades provide more information to the main control room in the form of digital signals and values. Also, an increase in the number of alarms points is provided by the vendors. New digital control rooms shift from main control boards to soft controls, and alarm panels to a single display. This change to a single display has created a problem of alarm waterfall, a situation in which the addition of new alarm points causes an overload of information to the operator during either a plant disturbance or other than normal full power operations. IFE’s goal is to find a workable solution to assist operators in both handling and understanding incoming alarms during emergency situations under these waterfall conditions.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Digital Twin + AI: Control Room of the Future

A digital twin enhances power grid control room operations by providing real-time monitoring, predictive insights, simulation capabilities, remote control, training opportunities, data integration, and decision support. This technology empowers control room operators to effectively manage the grid, optimize performance, and ensure reliable and efficient energy distribution.

control room of the future↗
NASA NTRS1996

Testing Efficiency Improved by Addition of Remote Access Control Room

The NASA Lewis Research Center's Remote Access Control Room (RACR) uses off-the-shelf video conferencing software integrated with existing facility data systems to provide access to the test data by networking from virtually anywhere in the country. The system allows research engineers in remote locations to participate in tests and monitor data in real time just as if they were present in the control room.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2006

Control Room Training for the Hyper-X Program Utilizing Aircraft Simulation

The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center flew two Hyper-X Research Vehicles and achieved hypersonic speeds over the Pacific Ocean in March and November 2004. To train the flight and mission control room crew, the NASA Dryden simulation capability was utilized to generate telemetry and radar data, which was used in nominal and emergency mission scenarios. During these control room training sessions, personnel were able to evaluate and refine data displays, flight cards, mission parameter allowable limits, and emergency procedure checklists. Practice in the mission control room ensured that all primary and backup Hyper-X staff were familiar with the nominal mission and knew how to respond to anomalous conditions quickly and successfully. This paper describes the technology in the simulation environment and the mission control center, the need for and benefit of control room training, and the rationale and results of specific scenarios unique to the Hyper-X research missions.

Lux-Baumann, Jessica R.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Control Room Training for the Hyper-X Project Utilizing Aircraft Simulation

The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center flew two Hyper-X research vehicles and achieved hypersonic speeds over the Pacific Ocean in March and November 2004. To train the flight and mission control room crew, the NASA Dryden simulation capability was utilized to generate telemetry and radar data, which was used in nominal and emergency mission scenarios. During these control room training sessions personnel were able to evaluate and refine data displays, flight cards, mission parameter allowable limits, and emergency procedure checklists. Practice in the mission control room ensured that all primary and backup Hyper-X staff were familiar with the nominal mission and knew how to respond to anomalous conditions quickly and successfully. This report describes the technology in the simulation environment and the Mission Control Center, the need for and benefit of control room training, and the rationale and results of specific scenarios unique to the Hyper-X research missions.

Lux-Baumann, Jesica↗
NASA NTRS1983

Human factors aspects of control room design

A plan for the design and analysis of a multistation control room is reviewed. It is found that acceptance of the computer based information system by the uses in the control room is mandatory for mission and system success. Criteria to improve computer/user interface include: match of system input/output with user; reliability, compatibility and maintainability; easy to learn and little training needed; self descriptive system; system under user control; transparent language, format and organization; corresponds to user expectations; adaptable to user experience level; fault tolerant; dialog capability user communications needs reflected in flexibility, complexity, power and information load; integrated system; and documentation.

Jenkins, J. P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

eGridGPT: Trustworthy AI in the Control Room

This report outlines the synergy between human decision making and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), where GenAI supports power system operators by analyzing procedures, suggesting actions, simulating scenarios with physics-based digital twins, and recommending optimal decisions. This report is the first research effort to apply large language models (LLMs), a type of GenAI, in the power grid control room. The authors describe the Electric Grid Generative Pretrained Transformer (eGridGPT), an LLM that virtually assists system operators. Developed with cybersecurity and regulatory requirements in mind, eGridGPT represents an opportunity to responsibly evolve control room technologies to meet the needs of a rapidly changing grid. As an innovative concept, eGridGPT seeks to spearhead productive discussions about the advanced technologies in the control room of the future amid the transition to clean energy.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bridging the Gap Between Modern UX Design and Particle Accelerator Control Room Interfaces

Accelerator control systems often represent relatively complex and safety-sensitive human-machine interfaces within process control industries. These systems are technically robust and reflect the cumulative integration of solutions built and adapted across decades. One of the regular, unfortunate casualties of provisional accelerator control system updates is their human-system interfaces (HSIs) which often lag behind modern usability and design standards. An additional challenge is that although there is a multitude of established human factors (HF), and user experience (UX) principles for everyday digital applications, there are very few (if any) established principles for complex and safety-critical applications for an accelerator. This paper argues for the importance of established HF and UX principles (herein referred to as human-centered design principles) into the development of accelerator HSIs, emphasizing the need for clarity, consistency, responsiveness, and cognitive accessibility. Drawing from HF/UX best practices and human-centered design, this paper discusses how these approaches can enhance operator performance, reduce human error, and improve accelerator personnel collaboration. Case studies from Accelerator Control Operations Research Network (ACORN) at Fermilab are explored to demonstrate how interfaces built with human-centered design principles can scale with system complexity while remaining intuitive and efficient for diverse user roles including operators, machine experts, and engineers. By bridging the gap between traditional control system design and modern human-centered design methods, this paper provides a roadmap for evolving accelerator HSIs into more usable, maintainable, and effective tools.

Hill, Rachael [Idaho Natl. Lab.]↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Tool for Performing Link Analysis, Operational Sequence Analysis, and Workload Analysis to Support Nuclear Power Plant Control Room Modernization

Nuclear power continues to have an imperative role for the U.S.’s electricity generation. However, for these nuclear power plants (NPPs) to remain economically viable, new strategies for reducing operations and maintenance costs must be explored. The U.S. Department of Energy Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program is researching how to digitally transform existing analog and hybrid main control rooms into a fully integrated control room that addresses this challenge. The transformation will fundamentally change the conduct of operations for these U.S. NPPs. Human factors engineering has a vital role in this effort, where traditional task analysis methods are important in informing the design of advanced human-system interface displays. This work describes a preliminary tool to support task analysis for the development of these advanced displays. Details on the use of this tool, including the specific task analysis methods offered, are presented in this paper.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗