SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “smart facility”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 235 records · Page 13

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2018

Exfoliation and Decoration of Graphene Sheets with Silver Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial Properties

High quality graphene sheets (GRP) have been exfoliated using facile one pot method through direct ultrasonication of graphite in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol. The GRP were decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) producing graphene–silver nanoparticle composites. The effect of variation of graphite and silver salt mass ratios on the morphology and performance of produced composites was studied. The size of AgNPs decorated on GRP has been tuned with synthesis method optimization. The average size of AgNPs was found to be in the range of 8.6–15.6 nm. Cotton–polyester blend textile fabrics were treated with the new smart developed composite as antibacterial agent producing new composites. A significant inhibition of bacterial growth has been observed for graphene–silver nanoparticle composite and the antibacterial efficiency was optimized. The clear inhibition zone for textiles treated with new developed composite and AgNPs alone was recorded as 12 and 1.75 mm respectively, achieving more than six fold improvement.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Empowering Critical Infrastructure Communication with Secure 5G Private Networks

With the transformational New Radio- Unlicensed (NR-U), 5G network can be operated with unlicensed and shared spectrum. Private 5G networks without any licensed bands, which are both highly expensive and usually available to only large commercial wireless providers, can now be used for a whole range of new applications including smart factories, warehouses, connected cars and drones. 5G’s support of a) massive machine type communication (mMTC) for a large number of connected devices with b) ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) capability when needed, and c) up to 20 times higher data rate with enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) than previously available, enables new and powerful capabilities in a wireless network. While these capabilities are transformational, necessary security and reliability requirements have to be satisfied when used in critical infrastructure such as factories, power plants, water systems, ports, and other industrial facilities. 5G standards have introduced significant security improvement over 4G/LTE as well as mitigations for new attack surfaces created by changes in the 5G network. This talk will discuss these security improvements and whether they meet the security properties required for mission critical communication over wireless.

5G↗

DOE OSTI2021

Enabling Interoperable SCADA Communications for PV Inverters through Embedded Controllers

The percentage integration of photovoltaic (PV) inverters in the field has increased significantly in the past 5 years. Regardless of the size of the PV plants and the inverters (residential vs. commercial), it is becoming crucial that these devices have the capability to communicate with peers (other smart devices) and with components that are at a hierarchy above the inverters (e.g., supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed controllers, and data managers). This project aims to develop a standard SCADA software code for inverters’ embedded controllers that will enable interoperability with other components in the system. To achieve this, the code will be developed using two different protocols: Distributed Network Protocol 3 and International Electrotechnical Commission 61850. The developed code is aimed to be deployed in simple embedded controllers. It will be tested in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Energy Systems Integration Facility. The tested code will then be made available through Triangle MicroWorks’s (TMW’s) software platform. The primary objectives of this project include training the NREL team with TMW’s embedded controller libraries, developing an interoperable communication code for embedded controllers, successfully testing and deploying the code, and demonstrating the newly developed code in a conference.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2011

Smart Grid Development Issues for Terrestrial and Space Applications

The development of the so called Smart Grid has as many definitions as individuals working in the area. Based on the technology or technologies that are of interest, be it high speed communication, renewable generation, smart meters, energy storage, advanced sensors, etc. they can become the individual defining characteristic of the Smart Grid. In reality the smart grid encompasses all of these items and quite at bit more. This discussion attempts to look at what the needs are for the grid of the future, such as the issues of increased power flow capability, use of renewable energy, increased security and efficiency and common power and data standards. It also shows how many of these issues are common with the needs of NASA for future exploration programs. A common theme to address both terrestrial and space exploration issues is to develop micro-grids that advertise the ability to enable the load leveling of large power generation facilities. However, for microgrids to realize their promise there needs to a holistic systems approach to their development and integration. The overall system integration issues are presented along with potential solution methodologies.

Soeder, James F.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Smart Grid Development Issues for Terrestrial and Space Applications

Power Systems↗

DOE OSTI2023

A New Offering for the Seaman Status Labyrinth - Seaman Status for Nuclear Reactor Operators on Floating Nuclear Power Plants

Floating nuclear power plants present a unique operating environment for land-based nuclear reactor operators. Traditionally located in the control room of a nuclear power plant on land, development of floating nuclear power plants exposes the traditional land-based employees to the marine environment. With the extension of nuclear power generation facilities into the maritime domain, do nuclear reactor operators working on a floating nuclear power plant qualify as seaman under maritime law? Applying existing maritime law, the answer is no, a nuclear reactor operator who operates the nuclear reactor on a floating nuclear power plant does not qualify as a seaman because their work is not in support of the mission of the vessel and the reactor is not connected to a vessel because a floating nuclear power plant is not a vessel. Applying the analysis developed by the Supreme Court in Chandris v. Latsis and the recent Sanchez v. Smart Fabricators of Texas, L.L.C. en banc decision by the Fifth Circuit, a nuclear reactor operator on a floating nuclear power plant does not qualify for seaman status under the Jones Act because their function supports the operation of the reactor and the structure on which the reactor resides does not meet the reasonable person standard established in Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach. Further, existing case law highlights that rendering a structure practically impossible to move eliminates the structure from consideration as a vessel. Because a floating nuclear power plant may be anchored at a seaport or anchored offshore but connected via transmission cables and protected by physical protection barriers, a floating nuclear power plant, with no current means of propulsion is rendered a power plant on water, which is its true function. Recognizing that technological change may alter the conclusion presented in this Article, current designs and structures that exist illustrate the intersection between nuclear and maritime law and the ever-evolving concepts that underpin seamen status in maritime law.

Fialkoff, Marc↗

DOE OSTI2024

Developing and Evaluating a Smart Curtailment Strategy Integrated with a Wind Turbine Manufacturer Platform

The Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute lead a team of scientists, wind developers, and turbine manufacturers in a study to develop and test a “smart curtailment” system intended to help reduce bat collisions with wind turbines. The Vestas Bat Protection System (VBPS) is a newly developed software module within the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of Vestas turbines. The VBPS combines data from commercially available environmental sensors and the turbine’s built-in sensors with the Vestas SCADA system. VBPS is designed to receive environmental data from sensors on the turbine such as temperature, wind speed, wind direction, time of day, and time of year, relays that information to the SCADA system to determine whether to execute turbine curtailments at any given time. The goals of this study were to 1) develop a bat fatality risk model based on bat activity data and environmental data collected in year 1, and to 2) evaluate the VBPS, using the bat fatality risk model to implement curtailment, in comparison to “blanket curtailment” (turbines curtailed when wind speed is below 5.0 meters per second (m/s)) and “control” (normally operating, feathered below 3.0 m/s) turbines in year 2. The field study took place at a wind energy facility in Iowa during the fall bat migration seasons (July – October) in 2021 and 2022. For VBPS to succeed as a viable strategy for the minimization of bat fatalities, it should meet or exceed the performance of blanket curtailment. Specifically, the VBPS should meet the following performance targets to demonstrate whether it an effective, practical risk reduction measure: (1) Turbines operating VBPS should have equal or fewer bat fatalities compared to turbines operating with blanket curtailment, and significantly fewer bat fatalities compared to control turbines; and (2) Turbines operating VBPS should have greater power production compared to turbines operating with blanket curtailment. The study was completed in accordance with the Statement of Project Objectives and within the terms of the Budget Justification. This Final Report describes the progress, challenges, and outcomes of the study.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advanced Radiation Detectors and Detector Systems Research

Real‐time awareness of space radiation is critical for missions beyond LEO. Missions to the Moon, Mars, Near‐Earth‐Objects (NEOs), inner and outer planets, as well as other destinations in space, will require embedded instrumentation to provide feedback for “smart”, adaptive control systems. Precision instrumentation will also be needed to provide improved data for space radiation modeling and space weather forecasting and awareness. Compact instrumentation on small platforms such as CubeSats and other small space‐faring vehicles will provide a better understanding of the space radiation environment by supplying data from multiple locations in space where information is yet unknown. Compact integrable solid‐state detectors with low noise and high tolerance of operation in a radiation environment are enabled by the application of Wide Band Gap semiconductors as radiation detectors. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying its expertise and facilities in harsh environment instrumentation to develop supporting technologies that enable improved instruments for space science missions. A variety of radiation detectors are under development, such as silicon carbide semiconductor detectors, for applications to space science, lunar prospecting, and fission power systems.

Field and particle detectors↗

DOE OSTI2015

NREL + SolarCity: Maximizing Solar Power on Electrical Grids

Learn how NREL is partnering with SolarCity to study how to better integrate rooftop solar onto the grid. The work includes collaboration with the Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO) to analyze high-penetration solar scenarios using advanced modeling and inverter testing at the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) on NREL’s campus. Results to date have been so promising that HECO has more than doubled the amount of rooftop solar it allows on its grid, showing utilities across the country that distributed solar is not a liability for reliability—and can even be an asset.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1992

Autonomous power system brassboard

The Autonomous Power System (APS) brassboard is a 20 kHz power distribution system which has been developed at NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio. The brassboard exists to provide a realistic hardware platform capable of testing artificially intelligent (AI) software. The brassboard's power circuit topology is based upon a Power Distribution Control Unit (PDCU), which is a subset of an advanced development 20 kHz electrical power system (EPS) testbed, originally designed for Space Station Freedom (SSF). The APS program is designed to demonstrate the application of intelligent software as a fault detection, isolation, and recovery methodology for space power systems. This report discusses both the hardware and software elements used to construct the present configuration of the brassboard. The brassboard power components are described. These include the solid-state switches (herein referred to as switchgear), transformers, sources, and loads. Closely linked to this power portion of the brassboard is the first level of embedded control. Hardware used to implement this control and its associated software is discussed. An Ada software program, developed by Lewis Research Center's Space Station Freedom Directorate for their 20 kHz testbed, is used to control the brassboard's switchgear, as well as monitor key brassboard parameters through sensors located within these switches. The Ada code is downloaded from a PC/AT, and is resident within the 8086 microprocessor-based embedded controllers. The PC/AT is also used for smart terminal emulation, capable of controlling the switchgear as well as displaying data from them. Intelligent control is provided through use of a T1 Explorer and the Autonomous Power Expert (APEX) LISP software. Real-time load scheduling is implemented through use of a 'C' program-based scheduling engine. The methods of communication between these computers and the brassboard are explored. In order to evaluate the features of both the brassboard hardware and intelligent controlling software, fault circuits have been developed and integrated as part of the brassboard. A description of these fault circuits and their function is included. The brassboard has become an extremely useful test facility, promoting artificial intelligence (AI) applications for power distribution systems. However, there are elements of the brassboard which could be enhanced, thus improving system performance. Modifications and enhancements to improve the brassboard's operation are discussed.

Merolla, Anthony↗

DOE OSTI2020

Single Bimodular Sensor for Differentiated Detection of Multiple Oxidative Gases

Semiconductive metal-oxide sensors suffer from cross-sensitivities under mixed chemical condition, specifically upon mixture of multiple oxidative or reductive gases. Herein, a single bimodular sensor is demonstrated for smart differentiation of multiple oxidative analytes by relating the resistance-metric mode to impedance-metric mode. The sensor construct based on ZnO nanorods readily outputs three response datasets upon exposure of oxidative-gas mixture including O 2 , SO 2 , and NO 2 , the resistance, real part impedance, and imaginary part impedance. The differentiative and correlated nature between these response signals allows such a single sensor platform to differentiate these oxidative gases accurately and robustly. Linear and non-linear decision boundaries are established over a large gas-concentration range from 2 ppm to 3% through a combination of principal component analysis and artificial neural network training. A facile user interface is demonstrated for recognition and measurement of unknown gas analytes, with the error of the predicted analyte-concentration as low as 2%.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

A Multi-Site Networked Hardware-in-Loop Platform for Evaluation of Interoperability and Distributed Intelligence at Grid-Edge

Electric power systems have experienced large increases in the number of intelligent, connected and controllable devices being deployed, leading to a high degree of distributed intelligence at the grid-edge. These devices, both utility-owned and consumer-owned, include but are not limited to: renewable generation sources, energy storage, remote switches, voltage regulators, and smart controllable loads such as electric vehicles. These new devices provide significant potential for increased operational flexibility that can be leveraged to achieve system reconfiguration, resiliency improvements, power quality improvements, and distribution system automation. However, there are two significant challenges that must be addressed before these assets can be leveraged for operations: interoperability and system level validation prior to deployment. Because of the complexity of distributed control systems, and their interactions with legacy centralized controls, a purely simulations-based approach for pre-deployment validation is not sufficient. It requires hardware-in-loop testing to emulate the operational hardware devices and evaluate their performance. Additionally, securely integrating multiple test facilities at utility operators and vendors might enable rapid scale-up of evaluation platforms, and remove the need for multiple expensive standalone installations. Presented in this paper, is the development of a multi-site evaluation platform that employs Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS), distributed control devices, real-time hardware-in-loop assets, secure communication links, and protocol adapters. This platform uses standards-based approaches and open-source tools, and hence can serve as a template for other researchers and institutions to implement their multi-site evaluation frameworks for pre-deployment testing.

Essakiappan, Somasundaram↗

NASA NTRS2009

Tele-Supervised Adaptive Ocean Sensor Fleet

The Tele-supervised Adaptive Ocean Sensor Fleet (TAOSF) is a multi-robot science exploration architecture and system that uses a group of robotic boats (the Ocean-Atmosphere Sensor Integration System, or OASIS) to enable in-situ study of ocean surface and subsurface characteristics and the dynamics of such ocean phenomena as coastal pollutants, oil spills, hurricanes, or harmful algal blooms (HABs). The OASIS boats are extended- deployment, autonomous ocean surface vehicles. The TAOSF architecture provides an integrated approach to multi-vehicle coordination and sliding human-vehicle autonomy. One feature of TAOSF is the adaptive re-planning of the activities of the OASIS vessels based on sensor input ( smart sensing) and sensorial coordination among multiple assets. The architecture also incorporates Web-based communications that permit control of the assets over long distances and the sharing of data with remote experts. Autonomous hazard and assistance detection allows the automatic identification of hazards that require human intervention to ensure the safety and integrity of the robotic vehicles, or of science data that require human interpretation and response. Also, the architecture is designed for science analysis of acquired data in order to perform an initial onboard assessment of the presence of specific science signatures of immediate interest. TAOSF integrates and extends five subsystems developed by the participating institutions: Emergent Space Tech - nol ogies, Wallops Flight Facility, NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Carnegie Mellon University, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The OASIS Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) system, which includes the vessels as well as the land-based control and communications infrastructure developed for them, controls the hardware of each platform (sensors, actuators, etc.), and also provides a low-level waypoint navigation capability. The Multi-Platform Simulation Environment from GSFC is a surrogate for the OASIS ASV system and allows for independent development and testing of higher-level software components. The Platform Communicator acts as a proxy for both actual and simulated platforms. It translates platform-independent messages from the higher control systems to the device-dependent communication protocols. This enables the higher-level control systems to interact identically with heterogeneous actual or simulated platforms.

Lefes, Alberto↗

DOE OSTI2015

Integrated PEV Charging Solutions and Reduced Energy for Occupant Comfort [Brochure]

Brochure on Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility, featuring the Vehicle Modification Facility, Vehicle Test Pad and ReCharge Integrated Demonstration System. Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) offer the opportunity to shift transportation energy demands from petroleum to electricity, but broad adoption will require integration with other systems. While automotive experts work to reduce the cost of PEVs, fossil fueled cars and trucks continue to burn hundreds of billions of gallons of petroleum each year - not only to get from point A to point B, but also to keep passengers comfortable with air conditioning and heat. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), three installations form a research laboratory known as the Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility (VTIF). At the VTIF, engineers are developing strategies to address two separate but equally crucial areas of research: meeting the demands of electric vehicle-grid integration and minimizing fuel consumption related to vehicle climate control. Part of NREL's Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems (CTTS), the VTIF is dedicated to renewable and energy efficient solutions. This facility showcases technology and systems designed to increase the viability of sustainably powered vehicles. NREL researchers instrument every class of on-road vehicle, conduct hardware and software validation for electric vehicle (EV) components and accessories, and develop analysis tools and technology for the Department of Energy, other government agencies and industry partners. Research conducted at the VTIF examines the interaction of building energy systems, utility grids, renewable energy sources and PEVs, integrating energy management solutions, and maximizing potential greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, while smoothing the transition and reducing costs for EV owners. NREL's collaboration with automakers, charging station manufacturers, utilities and fleet operators to assess technologies using VTIF resources is designed to enable PEV communication with the smart grid and create opportunities for vehicles to play an active role in building and grid management. Ultimately, this creates value for the vehicle owner and will help renewables be deployed faster and more economically, making the U.S. transportation sector more flexible and sustainable.

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2019

Profiling the Usage of an Extreme-Scale Archival Storage System

Profiling the archival storage system in scientific computing environments has received much less attention compared to the parallel file system, but is equally important since it stores the final data products safely, for a long duration. In this paper, we analyze eight years worth of data transfer logs for accessing the archival file system (HPSS) in the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), which has been hosting the world's largest supercomputers and file systems. Our analysis encompasses about 135 million data transfer activities to the 80 PB High Performance Storage System (HPSS), between 2010 and 2017. We analyze the logs from several dimensions, including studying the workload characteristics (e.g., access patterns, frequency of accesses and temporal behavior), file system characteristics (e.g., directory depth, file system scaling trends, file types), and scientific user behavior (e.g., domain-specific usage and organization). Based on the analysis, we derive insights into the future evolution of the archive in terms of provisioning, desired features and functionality from the archive software, role and right sizing of the archive tiers, quota management, and the importance of smart and efficient metadata and storage management. We believe our study will prove useful for both operating current archival storage and better provisioning future systems.

Sim, Hyogi↗

DOE OSTI2019

Accelerating the Deployment of Advanced Energy Communities: The Oakland EcoBlock A Zero Net Energy, Low Water Use Retrofit Neighborhood Demonstration Project

This report describes the design development process and recommendations of a Community-Scale Zero Net Energy Master Plan for a residential block in Oakland, the Oakland EcoBlock. The recommended master plan includes an integrated system of energy efficiency retrofits, a direct current solar/storage/electric vehicle microgrid, alternating/direct current houses, and water efficiency retrofits with rainwater capture. The recommended master plan is projected to be close to zero-net energy (95 percent) for homes, reduce carbon emissions by 65 percent at the block scale (including transportation), and reduce water use 60–70 percent. The integrated system of energy efficiency and a direct current solar/storage/electric vehicle (EV) charging microgrid is the first of its kind at the residential block scale. This breakthrough because the deep energy efficiency retrofit savings free up enough capacity in the solar supply and storage to enable residents to switch from natural gas to electricity for heating and domestic hot water and to provide EV charging for 33 percent of vehicle miles traveled. The savings in household transportation costs are a game changer because when combined with savings in the electric and water utility bills, the total cash flow savings are projected to fund the capital improvements of the proposed systems. This project’s benefits include lower and more predictable utility bills; greater resiliency because the system can operate during outages, and vastly improved indoor air quality by reducing natural gas consumption. The local energy storage reduces peak demand for the utility. California benefits from a model that exceeds the targets for reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions and the reductions in water use address California’s severe water challenges. The Oakland EcoBlock is a transformative model for accelerating the rapid deployment of advanced energy communities.

decarbonization codes↗

DOE OSTI2017

Shape Recovery with Concomitant Mechanical Strengthening of Amphiphilic Shape Memory Polymers in Warm Water

Maintaining adequate or enhancing mechanical properties of shape memory polymers (SMPs) after shape recovery in an aqueous environment are greatly desired for biomedical applications of SMPs as self-fitting tissue scaffolds or minimally invasive surgical implants. Here we report stable temporary shape fixing and facile shape recovery of biodegradable triblock amphiphilic SMPs containing a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) center block and flanking poly(lactic acid) or poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) blocks in warm water, accompanied with concomitant enhanced mechanical strengths. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analyses revealed that the unique stiffening of the amphiphilic SMPs upon hydration was due to hydration-driven microphase separation and PEG crystallization. We further demonstrated that the chemical composition of degradable blocks in these SMPs could be tailored to affect the persistence of hydration-induced stiffening upon subsequent dehydration. These properties combined open new horizons for these amphiphilic SMPs for smart weight-bearing in vivo applications (e.g. as self-fitting intervertebral discs). In conclusion, this study also provides a new material design strategy to strengthen polymers in aqueous environment in general.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Thermosyphon Cooler Hybrid System for Water Savings in an Energy-Efficient HPC Data Center: Modeling and Installation: Preprint

The Thermosyphon Cooler Hybrid System (TCHS) integrates the control of a dry heat rejection device, the thermosyphon cooler (TSC), with an open cooling tower. A combination of equipment and controls, this new heat rejection system embraces the 'smart use of water,' using evaporative cooling when it is most advantageous and then saving water and modulating toward increased dry sensible cooling as system operations and ambient weather conditions permit. Innovative fan control strategies ensure the most economical balance between water savings and parasitic fan energy. The unique low-pressure-drop design of the TSC allows water to be cooled directly by the TSC evaporator without risk of bursting tubes in subfreezing ambient conditions. Johnson Controls partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories to deploy the TSC as a test bed at NREL's high-performance computing (HPC) data center in the first half of 2016. Located in NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), this HPC data center has achieved an annualized average power usage effectiveness rating of 1.06 or better since 2012. Warm-water liquid cooling is used to capture heat generated by computer systems direct to water; that waste heat is either reused as the primary heat source in the ESIF building or rejected using evaporative cooling. This data center is the single largest source of water and power demand on the NREL campus, using about 7,600 m3 (2.0 million gal) of water during the past year with an hourly average IT load of nearly 1 MW (3.4 million Btu/h) -- so dramatically reducing water use while continuing efficient data center operations is of significant interest. Because Sandia's climate is similar to NREL's, this new heat rejection system being deployed at NREL has gained interest at Sandia. Sandia's data centers utilize an hourly average of 8.5 MW (29 million Btu/h) and are also one of the largest consumers of water on Sandia's site. In addition to describing the installation of the TSC and its integration into the ESIF, this paper focuses on the full heat rejection system simulation program used for hourly analysis of the energy and water consumption of the complete system under varying operating scenarios. A follow-up paper will detail the test results. The evaluation of the TSC's performance at NREL will also determine a path forward at Sandia for possible deployment in a large-scale system not only for data center use but also possibly site wide.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗