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DOE OSTI2022

TEAMER: DAISY Flow-noise Testing (Abstract)

Evaluating impacts of marine energy devices is generally difficult given the dynamic environment where these devices need to be placed. The University of Washington’s (UW) DAISY (The Drifting Acoustic Instrumentation SYstem) is designed to measure radiated noise around marine energy converters operating in energetic waves and currents. In currents, a primary limitation for measurement fidelity at low frequencies (< 100 Hz) is the potential for non-propagating “flow-noise” to mask propagating sound and inflate estimates of the radiated noise from marine energy converters at frequencies that overlap with hearing sensitivities of fish and some marine mammals. While free-drifting measurements help to minimize the relative velocity that produces flow-noise, significant levels were still observed during initial DAISY tests. This motivated the development of a fabric “flow shield” around the hydrophone that disrupts both flow-noise generation mechanisms proposed by the initial tests. First, the flow shield is a source of substantial drag which keeps the hydrophone package moving with the approximate velocity of the surrounding water, compensating for differential wind or current forcing on the surface expression. By minimizing relative velocity around the hydrophone, turbulence shed by the hydrophone is also minimized. Second, the flow shield creates a largely quiescent pocket around the hydrophone, minimizing advection of free stream turbulence over the hydrophone element. Field data collected in these experiments will test effectiveness of these flow shields and provide quantitative data use and deployment.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

DOE OSTI2025

Expansion of the Fast Neutron Hodoscope at TREAT to Support Fuel Safety Experiments

In 2024 the Fuel Motion Monitoring System (FMMS), or Hodoscope, at the Transient Reactor Test Facility, is being expanded from 96 viewing channels to 192 viewing channels, effectively doubling the FMMS field of view. Here, this increase in capability will allow the FMMS to support larger scale fuel tests, encompassing height-of-core test devices, test devices with multi-pin fuel assemblies, and test devices with recirculating coolant flow. Work supporting the expansion included refurbishing 96 additional proton recoil scintillator (PRS) detectors, doubling the data acquisition system (DAS) installed architecture, improving time synchronization in the DAS, and new research to measure the PRS detector energy-dependent, fast-neutron detection efficiency. In addition, laboratory activities have produced an improved benchtop testing capability for assessing the DAS, time synchronization, and external start triggering, along with an updated capability to scan PRS detectors to develop a preliminary flat-field normalization prior to deployment to TREAT.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Transition Edge Sensors for the Simons Observatory

The Simons Observatory is building both large (6 m) and small (0.5 m) aperture telescopes in the Atacama Desert in Chile to observe the cosmic microwave background CMB radiation with unprecedented sensitivity. Simons Observatory telescopes in total will use over 60,000 transition edge sensor (TES) detectors spanning center frequencies between 27 and 285 GHz and operating near 100 mK. TES devices have been fabricated for the Simons Observatory by NIST, Berkeley, and HYPRES/SeeQC corporation. Iterations of these devices have been tested cryogenically in order to inform the fabrication of further devices, which will culminate in the final TES designs to be deployed in the field. The detailed design specifications have been independently iterated at each fabrication facility for particular detector frequencies. We present test results for prototype devices, with emphasis on NIST high frequency detectors. A dilution refrigerator was used to achieve the required temperatures. Measurements were taken both with 4-lead resistance measurements and with a time-domain Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) multiplexer system. The SQUID readout measurements include analysis of current versus voltage (IV) curves at various temperatures, square wave bias step measurements, and detector noise measurements. Lastly, normal resistance, superconducting critical temperature, saturation power, thermal and natural time constants, and thermal properties of the devices are extracted from these measurements.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Preliminary Assessment of the Impact on the V-Band Oxygen Channels From Satellite Communication Uplinks

We calculate the percentage of time that an ATMS-like instrument [1] will be illuminated by the uplink beam of one of the proposed V-band communication system and estimate the damage resulting from such exposure. Using a combination of openly available information and educated guesses about the location and characteristics of the up/down link terminals, we constructed the ground segment of a hypothetical high-speed communication network. The space segment of the network was constructed from the orbital data of the existing Starlink constellation [2] of 6223 communication satellites (comsats) which is used as strawman to represent any other possible constellation of communication satellites. It is shown that without a very delicate balance of frequency allocations (science vs telecommunications), coupled with extremely steep and deep bandpass-defining filters, and strict adherence to the agreed limits (i.e. no out-of-band transmissions) the deployment of the telecommunication network leads to almost-complete loss of some important geophysical data. For the analysis we use the spectral characteristics of the ATMS instrument with the ephemeris for the NOAA-21 satellite [3]. The analysis is conducted for the USA and the simulation covers 8 consecutive days in July 2024. Effective and accurate microwave remote sensing of the atmosphere depends on the availability of interference-free spectrum windows at frequencies which are prescribed by physical processes [e.g. 4]. The family of resonant lines of the oxygen molecule near 60 GHz provides a unique opportunity to sample the vertical distribution of temperature and density from space, and it has been exploited for weather and climate studies from polar-orbiting satellites since 1978 (MSU on TIROS-N [5]). It remains a staple in the payloads operated by Russia, China, USA, Japan, France, India, UK, Ukraine [6] which are built around a common blueprint: a few wide-band (hundreds of MHz) channels around 50 GHz to sample the atmosphere and the surface while several more channels with high spectral resolution (few MHz) sample the individual resonant lines. Accurate retrieval of the environmental parameters depends upon the data provided by both sets of channels, and the their location in frequency space is not arbitrary and cannot be altered at will [7, 8]. The introduction of 5G technology in 2019 has driven telecommunication companies to request more bandwidth to be dedicated to their devices. This additional bandwidth is only available in spectral regions traditionally reserved for environmental and astrophysical research, such as the V-band between 50 and 60 GHz for up/downlink between satellites in low-earth orbits and terminals connected to fiberoptics network for distribution to high-speed local internet services. The power broadcast by the uplink communication leg is many orders of magnitude greater than the natural thermal signal emitted from the Earth scene. If the ground antenna were to perfectly align with the passive instrument’s antenna, the spaceborne receiver would suffer permanent, irreparable damage. While a direct boresight-to-boresight conjunction is extremely unlikely (even with a large constellation of satellites the fraction of the celestial sphere occupied by the satellites remains minuscule) the finite size of the ground station’s antenna beam in the sky suggests that the ATMS will be in the near background (as seen from the ground station) of one of the communication satellites and will be illuminated by either the main lobe or the near sidelobes of the uplink antenna more often than it is desirable. For our analysis we first calculate the position of the ATMS with respect to each of the ground stations at a resolution of 0.2 sec, then calculate the position of each of the comsats which are at least 25 deg above the station’s local horizon; finally we calculate the angle between the line-of-sight of the ATMS and the line-of-sight of the comsat. We assume that the gain pattern of the ground station is circularly symmetric; the angle-off-station-boresight then provides an attenuation of the uplink power which we use to assess the likely effect upon the passive instrument’s operations. We assume that each ground station can communicate with all the comsats in its field of view; this implies that, on average, a ground station can engage with 46 comsats simultaneously. The analysis is repeated for the case when the uplink broadcast within the ATMS passive channels (in-band scenario) and for the case when the uplink is limited to frequencies adjacent to the ATMS channels (out-of-band scenario). The antenna of the ground station is modelled as having a HPBW (Half-Power Beam Width) of 0.16 deg and EIRP (Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power) of 70 dBW. We account for the geometric dissipation of the signal caused by the satellite orbital altitude, the attenuation induced by atmospheric gasses at 51 GHz and the mismatch between the circular polarization of the ground-based transmitting antenna and the linear polarization of the satellite-borne receiving antenna. The damages on ATMS are estimated from bench-level measurement conducted at the ATMS’ manufacturer facilities [unpublished].

passive microwave↗

DOE OSTI2021

Fast convolutional neural networks on FPGAs with hls4ml

We introduce an automated tool for deploying ultra low-latency, low-power deep neural networks with convolutional layers on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). By extending the hls4ml library, we demonstrate an inference latency of 5 µs using convolutional architectures, targeting microsecond latency applications like those at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Considering benchmark models trained on the Street View House Numbers Dataset, we demonstrate various methods for model compression in order to fit the computational constraints of a typical FPGA device used in trigger and data acquisition systems of particle detectors. In particular, we discuss pruning and quantization-aware training, and demonstrate how resource utilization can be significantly reduced with little to no loss in model accuracy. We show that the FPGA critical resource consumption can be reduced by 97% with zero loss in model accuracy, and by 99% when tolerating a 6% accuracy degradation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

NASA NTRS1998

MEMS Applications in Aerodynamic Measurement Technology

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) embodies the integration of sensors, actuators, and electronics on a single substrate using integrated circuit fabrication techniques and compatible bulk and surface micromachining processes. Silicon and its derivatives form the material base for the MEMS technology. MEMS devices, including microsensors and microactuators, are attractive because they can be made small (characteristic dimension about 100 microns), be produced in large numbers with uniform performance, include electronics for high performance and sophisticated functionality, and be inexpensive. For aerodynamic measurements, it is preferred that sensors be small so as to approximate measurement at a point, and in fact, MEMS pressure sensors, wall shear-stress sensors, heat flux sensors and micromachined hot wires are nearing application. For the envisioned application to wind tunnel models, MEMS sensors can be placed on the surface or in very shallow grooves. MEMS devices have often been fabricated on stiff, flat silicon substrates, about 0.5 mm thick, and therefore were not easily mounted on curved surfaces. However, flexible substrates are now available and heat-flux sensor arrays have been wrapped around a curved turbine blade. Electrical leads can also be built into the flexible substrate. Thus MEMS instrumented wind tunnel models do not require deep spanwise grooves for tubes and leads that compromise the strength of conventionally instrumented models. With MEMS, even the electrical leads can potentially be eliminated if telemetry of the signals to an appropriate receiver can be implemented. While semiconductor silicon is well known for its electronic properties, it is also an excellent mechanical material for MEMS applications. However, silicon electronics are limited to operations below about 200 C, and silicon's mechanical properties start to diminish above 400 C. In recent years, silicon carbide (SiC) has emerged as the leading material candidate for applications in high temperature environments and can be used for high-temperature MEMS applications. With SiC, diodes and more complex electronics have been shown to operate to about 600 C, while the mechanical properties of SiC are maintained to much higher temperatures. Even when MEMS devices show benefits in the laboratory, there are many packaging challenges for any aeronautics application. Incorporating MEMS into these applications requires new approaches to packaging that goes beyond traditional integrated circuit (IC) packaging technologies. MEMS must interact mechanically, as well as electrically with their environment, making most traditional chip packaging and mounting techniques inadequate. Wind tunnels operate over wide temperature ranges in an environment that is far from being a 'clean-room.' In flight, aircraft are exposed to natural elements (e.g. rain, sun, ice, insects and dirt) and operational interferences(e.g. cleaning and deicing fluids, and maintenance crews). In propulsion systems applications, MEMS devices will have to operate in environments containing gases with very high temperatures, abrasive particles and combustion products. Hence deployment and packaging that maintains the integrity of the MEMS system is crucial. This paper presents an overview of MEMS fabrication and materials, descriptions of available sensors with more details on those being developed in our laboratories, and a discussion of sensor deployment options for wind tunnel and flight applications.

Reshotko, E.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Development of a Cloud-based Application to Enable a Scalable Risk-informed Predictive Maintenance Strategy at Nuclear Power Plants

Light-water reactor operations and maintenance (O&M) costs are prohibitively high, thus contributing to the premature decommissioning of nuclear power plants (NPPs). This is partly due to how the equipment is monitored. In recent years, cloud computing has emerged as a dominant technology by virtue of its low costs, computing and storage adaptability, and ability to host applications over numerous types of virtual infrastructures. Cloud computing can be a cost-effective alternative to onsite storage and diagnostics. This paper conducts a techno-economic assessment of a provisional cloud deployment architecture for a NPP predictive monitoring (PdM) system. The cloud-based monitoring system would enable maintenance and diagnostics (M&D) analysts and other authorized plant users to remotely monitor equipment functionality so as to enable PdM practices and early detection of faults. The Microsoft Azure cloud platform is included in the proposed cloud architecture to provide data processing and storage, sensor device networking, and database management; however, this analysis could be extended to other cloud computing service providers as well. For the techno-economic assessment, technical feasibility is measured in terms of network performance metrics such as response time, latency, and throughput, whereas economic feasibility is measured in terms of operational costs and capital expenditures. Finally, this report covers certain regulatory and security aspects that may concern licensees looking to implement cloud computing. The report focuses on the integration of sensor database storage, the application of cloud resources to PdM, and the identification of technological and economic hurdles associated with moving to a cloud-computing-based architecture.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

NASA NTRS2006

Ice-Borehole Probe

An instrumentation system has been developed for studying interactions between a glacier or ice sheet and the underlying rock and/or soil. Prior borehole imaging systems have been used in well-drilling and mineral-exploration applications and for studying relatively thin valley glaciers, but have not been used for studying thick ice sheets like those of Antarctica. The system includes a cylindrical imaging probe that is lowered into a hole that has been bored through the ice to the ice/bedrock interface by use of an established hot-water-jet technique. The images acquired by the cameras yield information on the movement of the ice relative to the bedrock and on visible features of the lower structure of the ice sheet, including ice layers formed at different times, bubbles, and mineralogical inclusions. At the time of reporting the information for this article, the system was just deployed in two boreholes on the Amery ice shelf in East Antarctica and after successful 2000 2001 deployments in 4 boreholes at Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, and in 2002 at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska. The probe is designed to operate at temperatures from 40 to +40 C and to withstand the cold, wet, high-pressure [130-atm (13.20-MPa)] environment at the bottom of a water-filled borehole in ice as deep as 1.6 km. A current version is being outfitted to service 2.4-km-deep boreholes at the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. The probe (see figure) contains a sidelooking charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that generates both a real-time analog video signal and a sequence of still-image data, and contains a digital videotape recorder. The probe also contains a downward-looking CCD analog video camera, plus halogen lamps to illuminate the fields of view of both cameras. The analog video outputs of the cameras are converted to optical signals that are transmitted to a surface station via optical fibers in a cable. Electric power is supplied to the probe through wires in the cable at a potential of 170 VDC. A DC-to-DC converter steps the supply down to 12 VDC for the lights, cameras, and image-data-transmission circuitry. Heat generated by dissipation of electric power in the probe is removed simply by conduction through the probe housing to the visible features of the lower structure of the ice sheet, including ice layers formed at different times, bubbles, and mineralogical inclusions. At the time of reporting the information for this article, the system was just deployed in two boreholes on the Amery ice shelf in East Antarctica and after successful 2000 2001 deployments in 4 boreholes at Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, and in 2002 at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska. The probe is designed to operate at temperatures from 40 to +40 C and to withstand the cold, wet, high-pressure [130-atm (13.20-MPa)] environment at the bottom of a water-filled borehole in ice as deep as 1.6 km. A current version is being outfitted to service 2.4-km-deep boreholes at the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. The probe (see figure) contains a sidelooking charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that generates both a real-time analog video signal and a sequence of still-image data, and contains a digital videotape recorder. The probe also contains a downward-looking CCD analog video camera, plus halogen lamps to illuminate the fields of view of both cameras. The analog video outputs of the cameras are converted to optical signals that are transmitted to a surface station via optical fibers in a cable. Electric power is supplied to the probe through wires in the cable at a potential of 170 VDC. A DC-to-DC converter steps the supply down to 12 VDC for the lights, cameras, and image-datatransmission circuitry. Heat generated by dissipation of electric power in the probe is removed simply by conduction through the probe housing to the visible features of the lower structure of the ice sheet, including ice layers formed at different times, bubbles, and mineralogical inclusions. At thime of reporting the information for this article, the system was just deployed in two boreholes on the Amery ice shelf in East Antarctica and after successful 2000 2001 deployments in 4 boreholes at Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, and in 2002 at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska. The probe is designed to operate at temperatures from 40 to +40 C and to withstand the cold, wet, high-pressure [130-atm (13.20-MPa)] environment at the bottom of a water-filled borehole in ice as deep as 1.6 km. A current version is being outfitted to service 2.4-km-deep boreholes at the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. The probe (see figure) contains a sidelooking charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that generates both a real-time analog video signal and a sequence of still-image data, and contains a digital videotape recorder. The probe also contains a downward-looking CCD analog video camera, plus halogen lamps to illuminate the fields of view of both cameras. The analog video outputs of the cameras are converted to optical signals that are transmitted to a surface station via optical fibers in a cable. Electric power is supplied to the probe through wires in the cable at a potential of 170 VDC. A DC-to-DC converter steps the supply down to 12 VDC for the lights, cameras, and image-datatransmission circuitry. Heat generated by dissipation of electric power in the probe is removed simply by conduction through the probe housing to the adjacent water and ice.

Behar, Alberto↗

DOE OSTI2025

Harvesting Subsea Water Motion to Provide Clean Electrical Power

This TEAMER project had three main objectives related to characterizing the performance of a vortex-induced vibration (VIV) marine energy harvesting device called the Whatever Input To Torsion (WITT). The first was to characterize the motion of the WITT device as it vibrates on top of a pipe in a natural tidal flow. The second was to measure how much electricity the WITT device generates when it is deployed on top of a pipe that is secured to the seabed with a lander. The third objective was to measure how much electricity the WITT device generates in the same configuration but with a longer pipe. This TEAMER project succeeded in satisfying the first objective by measuring the motion of the WITT device with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) mounted in the WITT housing. The motion was described by examining changes in the acceleration, pitch, roll, and yaw, and displacement. The frequency of the motion was characterized using spectral analysis. The TEAMER project succeeded in reaching the second objective by measuring the power produced by the WITT. It is reported here as the average and maximum power in hourly intervals. WITT Energy decided to not have us pursue the third objective of testing a longer pipe because the first test was unexpectedly successful at having the system vibrate at the target frequency. A longer pipe would have resulted in a decreased frequency and therefore not have been a useful test. Based on these findings, the decision was made to keep the same pipe length for both tests and improve on other aspects of the test structure that had failed during the first test. The key finding of this TEAMER project is that the WITT is capable of generating electricity in moderate flow speeds when it is in a housing that is attached to a 2.5 m pipe and secured to the seabed by a lander. This report contains the first power values for a VIV instrument that generates electricity from a pendulum swinging at the top of a long pipe. The experiment demonstrated that the vibration frequency of the device varied with the tidal current speed, which changed throughout a given tidal cycle. This meant that the desired peak frequency was not sustained for more than one hour. The success of this TEAMER test provides evidence that continued research in the area of electricity generation from VIV holds promise as a source of marine energy for offshore applications. Future tests should focus on refining the pipe length equations and improving the power take off system of the WITT power electronics. In addition, experiments aimed at expanded testing and evaluation (e.g. longer than one month) are needed to measure the power production at higher tidal current speeds and test the system's durability.

Branch, Ruth A. (ORCID:0000000202356719)↗

DOE OSTI2021

CACTI ARM Aerial Facility Measurements of Ice Nucleating Particles

The dataset comprises measures, using Colorado State University's Ice Spectrometer (IS, an immersion freezing device with a range from 0°C down to -26 to -29°C) of atmospheric ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations taken on the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program Aerial Facilty (AAF) G-1 aircraft. INP measurements on the G-1 were collected from varied altitudes on different flights over the region of the Sierras de Córdoba mountain range of north-central Argentina, centred over ARM's Mobile Facility (AMF-1) near Villa Yacanto, where ground-based INP measures were being taken concurrently. Both studies took place as part of the Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) Experiment. A filter sampling system was deployed on the G-1 to collect aerosol particles for post-processing of INPs collected on filters (measuring their immersion freezing ability) once returned to Colorado State University (CSU). Filter holders used were pre-cleaned aluminum in-line units loaded with pre-cleaned and pre-sterilized 47 mm dia. Nuclepore polycarbonate filters (0.2 mm pore size). Filters were drawn for varied times, resulting in varied volumes collected (51 to 1667 SL). Mass flow rate was recorded in real-time so that total sampled volume (at standard temperature and pressure) could be determined. A total of 34 sample filters were collected over the IOP, including 5 blanks. Filters were stored at -20°C freezer prior to frozen return to Colorado State University (CSU). . Processing to obtain spectra of INP number concentration active via the immersion freezing mechanism versus temperature was conducted using CSU's IS instrument (McCluskey et al., 2018). For measurment of INPs, collected aerosol particles were re-suspended in 7 mL of 0.02 µm-filtered deionized water. Aliquots of each suspension, and serial dilutions, were dispensed into trays which were fit into aluminum blocks in the IS. Samples are cooled at 0.33°C min-1 and the freezing temperatures of wells recorded automatically. Cumulative INP concentrations were determined by first calculating the INPs per mL of suspension based on Vali (1971) and then converting to concentration per standard liter of air using the proportion of the total liquid sample dispensed and the air sample volumes. Aliquots of suspensions from selected samples were also heat treated (95°C for 20 min) to denature and deactivate biological INPs, and digested in 10% H2O2 at 95°C under UV-B to remove all organic carbon INPs. McCluskey, C. S., J. Ovadnevaite, M. Rinaldi, J. Atkinson, F. Belosi, D. Ceburnis, S. Marullo, T. C. J. Hill, U. Lohmann, Z. A. Kanji, C. O’Dowd, S. M. Kreidenweis, P. J. DeMott, 2018: Marine and Terrestrial Organic Ice Nucleating Particles in Pristine Marine to Continentally-Influenced Northeast Atlantic Air Masses, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123, 6196–6212, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JD028033. Vali, G., 1971: Quantitative evaluation of experimental results on the heterogeneous freezing nucleation of supercooled liquids. J. Atmos. Sci., 28, 402–409.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Wellbore Fracture Imaging Using Inflow Detection Measurements

One of the most striking measurements taken during DOE’s EGS Collab project at the 4850-foot depth location was the so-called ‘sewer cam’, which enabled direct visualization of the flow of water into the production well through fractures during the stimulation. The ability to see directly which fractures were flowing and (roughly) how much was a breakthrough in understanding the topology of the created fracture network. Achieving this kind of fracture flow imaging at FORGE would be more challenging because of the 225°C temperature, but equally or even more valuable if it could be achieved. In 2017, a joint project between Sandia and Stanford developed a downhole tool concept to measure the enthalpy of multiphase fluid entering a geothermal well from individual fractures (Gao et al., 2017). For the FORGE project, measuring enthalpy is of less interest because the fluid is expected to be single-phase liquid water. However, the foundation of the device was the measurement of chloride ion concentration, which could form the basis for a direct measurement of inflow from fractures. During the 2017 project, this novel chloride sensing system was implemented into a laboratory test instrument, and we confirmed the capability of the system to measure the ion concentration of fluid entering a model wellbore through a small entry port. The wellbore was a 6-inch diameter model well, and the port was approximately 0.08 inch (2mm) in diameter. The device could measure the chloride concentration accurately even when the well was flowing in a bubbly flow. Given its accuracy, the tool should be able to identify locations of water entering the wellbore even if the ion concentration differs only slightly from that of the water in the well. It is likely that different fractures may flow slightly different chloride concentrations, which would make it feasible to detect individual fractures as well as to estimate the volume of their flow. Ultimately, we could also recognize different fractures flowing back significantly different ion concentrations after fracturing in the FORGE wells. This could be realized by adding different ions in the fracturing fluids in different fractures created at different stages of stimulation (and modifying the tool to include different ion specificity). Sandia’s tool was shown during the study to have the capability to withstand the 225°C temperature, and the electrochemical sensing elements were tested in the laboratory to 225°C at 1500 psia for 24 hours. An early implementation of the fully integrated downhole electrochemical tool, including high-temperature electronics, robust housing, and wireline truck interface, had previously been constructed and tested successfully at Sandia; thus, hardware development tasks focused on advancing the technology readiness level (TRL) of this promising technology for FORGE deployment, rather than on developing a new scientific basis for its operation. The data collection electronics in this tool allowed for several other sensors (pressure, temperature, flow spinner) to be implemented in parallel as well. The research was a new collaboration between Stanford and Sandia to modify and refine the tool for FORGE deployment, to make the downhole measurements, and to characterize the evolving fractures.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Low latency optical-based mode tracking with machine learning deployed on FPGAs on a tokamak

Active feedback control in magnetic confinement fusion devices is desirable to mitigate plasma instabilities and enable robust operation. Optical high-speed cameras provide a powerful, non-invasive diagnostic and can be suitable for these applications. Here, in this study, we process high-speed camera data, at rates exceeding 100 kfps, on in situ field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware to track magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) mode evolution and generate control signals in real time. Our system utilizes a convolutional neural network (CNN) model, which predicts the n = 1 MHD mode amplitude and phase using camera images with better accuracy than other tested non-deep-learning-based methods. By implementing this model directly within the standard FPGA readout hardware of the high-speed camera diagnostic, our mode tracking system achieves a total trigger-to-output latency of 17.6 μs and a throughput of up to 120 kfps. This study at the High Beta Tokamak-Extended Pulse (HBT-EP) experiment demonstrates an FPGA-based high-speed camera data acquisition and processing system, enabling application in real-time machine-learning-based tokamak diagnostic and control as well as potential applications in other scientific domains.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2023

Validating a Tethered Balloon System and Optical Technologies for Marine Wildlife Detection and Tracking

The interactions between marine wildlife and marine energy devices are not well understood, leading to regulatory delays for device deployments and testing. Technologies that enable marine wildlife observations can help to fill data gaps and reduce uncertainties about animal–device interactions. A validation test conducted in Galveston Bay near La Porte, Texas, in December 2022 used a technology package consisting of a tethered balloon system and three independent sensor systems, including three-band visible, eight-band multispectral, and single-band thermal to detect three marine-mammal-shaped surrogates. The field campaign aimed to provide an initial step to evaluating the use of the TBS and the effectiveness of the sensor suite for marine wildlife observations and detection. From 2 December to 7 December 2022, 6 flights were conducted under varying altitudes and environmental conditions resulting in the collection of 5454 images. A subset of the images was classified and analyzed with two collection criteria including Beaufort wind force scale and TBS altitude to assess a range of observations of a surrogate from near-shore to offshore based on pixel count. The results of this validation test demonstrate the potential for using TBSs and imaging sensors for marine wildlife observations and offer valuable information for further development and application of this technology for marine energy and other blue economy sectors.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA)/Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) for Marine Energy (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The objective of the Advanced Laboratory and Field Arrays (ALFA) project was to reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) energy by leveraging research, development, and testing capabilities at Oregon State University, University of Washington, and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ALFA is a project within the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC; formerly NNMREC), a multi-institution entity with a diverse funding base that focuses on research and development for marine renewables. The ALFA project aimed to accelerate the development of next-generation arrays of wave energy conversion (WEC) and tidal energy conversion (TEC) devices through a suite of field-focused R&D activities spanning a broad range of strategic opportunity areas identified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement: • Device and/or array operation and maintenance (O&M) logistics development; • High-fidelity resource characterization and/or modeling technique development and validation; • Array-specific component technology development (e.g. moorings and foundations, transmission, and other offshore grid components); • Array performance testing and evaluation; and • Novel cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation testing and evaluation. The objective of the Lab Collaboration Project (LCP) was to accelerate the development of next-generation marine energy conversion systems. The LCP aimed to achieve these project objectives in collaboration with the national laboratories by: • Developing concept generation and assessment tools; • Improving access to existing testing resources; • Validating collision risk models between fish and turbines; and • Advancing analysis and simulation capabilities for wave-WEC interactions and PTO analysis in nonlinear ocean waves. The ALFA portion of the project was comprised of six overarching technical tasks: • Task 1: Debris Modeling, Detection and Mitigation; • Task 2: Autonomous Monitoring & Intervention; • Task 3: Resource Characterization for Extreme Conditions; • Task 4: Robust Models for Design of Offshore Anchoring and Mooring Systems; • Task 5: Performance Enhancement for Marine Energy Converter (MEC) Arrays; and • Task 6: Evaluating Sampling Techniques for MHK Biological Monitoring. The LCP was divided into four overarching technical tasks: • Task 7: Project Management and Reporting • Task 8: Novel Design and Assessment Methodologies for Wave Energy Converter Design (Wave- SPARC) • Task 9: Testing Access for Commercial Marine Renewable Energy Technology Developers • Task 10: Quantifying Collision Risk for Fish and Turbines • Task 11: Nonlinear Ocean Waves and PTO Control Strategy Each ALFA/LCP task listed above functioned as a separate and discreet project. A final Technical Report was written for each individual task and these reports were uploaded to OSTI, after receiving DOE approval. The following document is a compilation of each of these final, approved reports arranged as individual chapters.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Deployment and performance of a Low-Energy-Threshold Skipper-CCD inside a nuclear reactor

Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) are being used for reactor neutrino experiments and have already demonstrated their potential in constraining new physics models. The prospect of a Skipper-CCD experiment looking for standard and beyond standard model (BSM) physics in a nuclear reactor has been evaluated for different benchmark scenarios. Here, we report the first installation of a 2-g Skipper-CCD inside the containment building of a 2 GW th nuclear power plant and analyze its performance throughout its first 18 months of operation. The sensor was successfully deployed at Atucha II, in Argentina, 12 meters away from the center of the reactor core. We discuss the challenges involved in the commissioning of the detector and present data acquired during reactor ON and reactor OFF periods, with the sensor functioning with a sub-electron readout noise of 0.17 e - . Based on an exposure of 56.8 g day reactor ON and two reactor OFF data sets with a total exposure of 118.1 g day we characterize the system and evaluate the sensitivity to CEvNS. We achieved a background rate of 33 kdru and a low threshold of 45 eV ee . The ongoing efforts to improve sensitivities to CEvNS and BSM interaction are also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2021

HIBP Applications to Advance Understanding of Plasma Transport Physics (2011-2017) (and subsequently titled) Development of Beam Measurements to Advance Understanding of Transients and Improve Validation (2017-2020) (Final Technical Report)

This is the Final Technical Report for the DoE Measurement Innovation (previously Diagnostic Development) grant DE-SC0006077 titled HIBP Applications to Advance Understanding of Plasma Transport Physics (2011-2017), and subsequently titled Development of Beam Measurements to Advance Understanding of Transients and Improve Validation (2017-2020). The grant was funded by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) for the period 1 May 2011–17 July 2020. Work performed through the grant has resulted in diagnostic innovations and new measurement capabilities that will improve understanding of transport, magnetic equilibrium, and electric fields in magnetically confined plasmas. We have developed novel hardware and advanced techniques to expand beam-based diagnostic capabilities, and extend measurements to new operating regimes. Some have been realized using a Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) having traditional features, while other applications have joined our innovations with subsets of advantageous HIBP features. This work has established smaller, more economical detection systems and, in doing so, may enable substantial extension of scenarios in which beam-based diagnostics are deployed. Key Measurement Innovations include: Computer Models and Simulations of HIBP Applications-Computer modeling and simulating of HIBP applications is central to predicting interaction of beam particles with plasmas, designing diagnostic systems, and anticipating measurement characteristics. We have extended the capability and improved measurement fidelity of the HIBP diagnostic on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) reversed field pinch (RFP); simulated feasibility of HIBP operation in the Helically Symmetric eXperiment (HSX) optimized stellarator; and investigated the plausibility of HIBP measurements in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. We have also developed a new technique that uses ion optics to model a finite phase-space beam. It yields more realistic (than traditional method) estimates of sample volume characteristics, which influence measurement resolution and sensitivity. Extension of Diagnostic Capabilities and Measurements on the MST RFP-Capabilities have been extended using the first and only HIBP installation on an RFP. Challenges associated with operation of the diagnostic on MST include the three-dimensional nature of particle trajectories, temporal topology and amplitude changes in the plasma equilibrium, and strong particle and radiative emission from the plasma. We have addressed these challenges through development of detailed and higher precision diagnostic simulations, calibrated subtraction of noise to resolve secondary ion signals, and implementation of hardware that enables higher fidelity measurement of plasma fluctuations. Development of New Hardware and Measurement Techniques - We have advanced beam-based measurement capabilities via development of new detectors and techniques to determine the poloidal magnetic flux ψ in the plasma, and enable placement of detectors close to the plasma and thus allow a smaller and less expensive diagnostic. We have demonstrated measurement of ψ, an ability that was made possible by development of highly effective noise reduction techniques. We also modeled the effect of non-ideal and instrumentation effects by developing a virtual (simulated) diagnostic. Application of beam-based diagnostics on various devices and multiple magnetic configurations (e.g. stellarator, tokamak, and reversed field pinch) enables investigation of critical physics issues and measurements resulting in the broad parameter space data needed to test and validate theory & modeling.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

TEAMER - Field Demonstration of MarineSitu’s Marine Energy Monitoring Tools - CRADA 664 (Abstract)

In order to effectively monitor for marine life around marine energy devices and thus minimize the risk of collision, multiple sensors working in coordination and augmented with around-the-clock automated monitoring algorithms need to be installed in challenging high-energy tidal and wave environments. Such systems are often too expensive for widespread adoption, or lack sufficient sensors or smarts to enable around-the-clock, real-time monitoring without human involvement. MarineSitu has been working to tackle this problem by developing a low-cost, combined sonar and stereo camera sensor array with connected real-time AI-based algorithms for automatically detecting marine life in these marine energy suitable environments. In this TEAMER project with Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL), MarineSitu will be testing this novel sensor system for the first time in the high-energy tidal channel environment at PNNL’s Marine and Coastal Research Lab. Throughout this deployment, MarineSitu will be monitoring their system and running analytics on the sensor’s data in real-time. Meanwhile, PNNL Data Scientists and Ocean Engineers, will be evaluating the system’s effectiveness and ease of use both as a tool for plug-and-play environmental monitoring and novel environmental monitoring research. In doing so, the team will improve MarineSitu’s system and software, produce insightful data products, and develop novel visualizations and AI algorithms for combining and analyzing the data produced by systems like MarineSitu’s.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

NASA NTRS2005

A High-power Electric Propulsion Test Platform in Space

This paper will describe the results of the preliminary phase of a NASA design study for a facility to test high-power electric propulsion systems in space. The results of this design study are intended to provide a firm foundation for subsequent detailed design and development activities leading to the deployment of a valuable space facility. The NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate is sponsoring this design project. A team from the NASA Johnson Space Center, Glenn Research Center, the Marshall Space Flight Center and the International Space Station Program Office is conducting the project. The test facility is intended for a broad range of users including government, industry and universities. International participation is encouraged. The objectives for human and robotic exploration of space can be accomplished affordably, safely and effectively with high-power electric propulsion systems. But, as thruster power levels rise to the hundreds of kilowatts and up to megawatts, their testing will pose stringent and expensive demands on existing Earth-based vacuum facilities. These considerations and the human access to near-Earth space provided by the International Space Station (ISS) have led to a renewed interest in space testing. The ISS could provide an excellent platform for a space-based test facility with the continuous vacuum conditions of the natural space environment and no chamber walls to modify the open boundary conditions of the propulsion system exhaust. The test platform could take advantage of the continuous vacuum conditions of the natural space environment. Space testing would provide open boundary conditions without walls, micro-gravity and a realistic thermal environment. Testing on the ISS would allow for direct observation of the test unit, exhaust plume and space-plasma interactions. When necessary, intervention by on-board personnel and post-test inspection would be possible. The ISS can provide electrical power, a location for diagnostic instruments, data handling and thermal control. The platform will be designed to accommodate the side-by-side testing of multiple types of electric thrusters. It is intended to be a permanent facility in which different thrusters can be tested over time. ISS crews can provide maintenance for the platform and change out thruster test units as needed. The primary objective of this platform is to provide a test facility for electric propulsion devices of interest for future exploration missions. These thrusters are expected to operate in the range of hundreds of kilowatts and above. However, a platform with this capability could also accommodate testing of thrusters that require much lower power levels. Testing at the higher power levels would be accomplished by using power fiom storage devices on the platform, which would be gradually recharged by the ISS power generation system. This paper will summarize the results of the preliminary phase of the study with an explanation of the user requirements and the initial conceptual design. The concept for test operations will also be described. The NASA project team is defining the requirements but they will also reflect the inputs of the broader electric propulsion community including those at universities, commercial enterprises and other government laboratories. As a facility on the International Space Station, the design requirements are also intended to encompass the needs of international users. Testing of electric propulsion systems on the space station will help advance the development of systems needed for exploration and could also serve the needs of other customers. Propulsion systems being developed for commercial and military applications could be tested and certification testing of mature thrusters could be accomplished in the space environment.

Petro, Andrew J.↗