Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “local dynamic operator”

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.

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

At least 289 records · Page 16

Coastal Community Resiliency Enhancement Using Marine Hydrokinetic (MHK) Resources and Networked Microgrids

Enormous challenges are inherent in the operation of modern distribution grids. In particular, distribution feeders can be severely compromised under extreme conditions such as large-scale weather events (e.g., hurricanes, floods, and other types of natural disasters). To combat this problem, they turn to local energy support from distributed energy resources, such as solar and wind, marine hydrolinetic (MHK), and other types of energy. In this report, we investigate the actual characteristics of MHK resources to enhance coastal community resiliency. Two typical types of MHK resources (i.e., wave and tidal resources) illustrate the coastal resilience enhancement framework. By identifying their operational characteristics, such as target time-scales and potential power generation variations, we detail a holistic coastal community resiliency enhancement framework that integrates both optimization and control efforts. The optimization problem is formulated to significantly minimize the power outage time at the critical infrastructures in coastal communities by implementing multiple autonomous and dynamic microgrids around MHK resources. Therefore, during severe power outages caused by natural disasters (e.g., floods, hurricanes), the coastal community load profiles can be satisfied using local MHK resources in each microgrid with limited or no power support from upstream power grids.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

A Multi-Season Study of the Effects of MODIS Sea-Surface Temperatures on Operational WRF Forecasts at NWS Miami, FL

Studies at the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPORT) Center have suggested that the use of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sea-surface temperature (SST) composites in regional weather forecast models can have a significant positive impact on short-term numerical weather prediction in coastal regions. Recent work by LaCasse et al (2007, Monthly Weather Review) highlights lower atmospheric differences in regional numerical simulations over the Florida offshore waters using 2-km SST composites derived from the MODIS instrument aboard the polar-orbiting Aqua and Terra Earth Observing System satellites. To help quantify the value of this impact on NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), the SPORT Center and the NWS WFO at Miami, FL (MIA) are collaborating on a project to investigate the impact of using the high-resolution MODIS SST fields within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) prediction system. The project's goal is to determine whether more accurate specification of the lower-boundary forcing within WRF will result in improved land/sea fluxes and hence, more accurate evolution of coastal mesoscale circulations and the associated sensible weather elements. The NWS MIA is currently running WRF in real-time to support daily forecast operations, using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model dynamical core within the NWS Science and Training Resource Center's Environmental Modeling System (EMS) software. Twenty-seven hour forecasts are run dally initialized at 0300, 0900, 1500, and 2100 UTC on a domain with 4-km grid spacing covering the southern half of Florida and adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Each model run is initialized using the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) analyses available in AWIPS. The SSTs are initialized with the NCEP Real-Time Global (RTG) analyses at 1/12deg resolution (approx.9 km); however, the RTG product does not exhibit fine-scale details consistent with its grid resolution. SPORT is conducting parallel WRF EMS runs identical to the operational runs at NWS MIA except for the use of MODIS SST composites in place of the RTG product as the initial and boundary conditions over water, The MODIS SST composites for initializing the SPORT WRF runs are generated on a 2-km grid four times daily at 0400, 0700, 1600, and 1900 UTC, based on the times of the overhead passes of the Aqua and Terra satellites. The incorporation of the MODIS SST data into the SPORT WRF runs is staggered such that SSTs are updated with a new composite every six hours in each of the WRF runs. From mid-February to July 2007, over 500 parallel WRF simulations have been collected for analysis and verification. This paper will present verification results comparing the NWS MIA operational WRF runs to the SPORT experimental runs, and highlight any substantial differences noted in the predicted mesoscale phenomena for specific cases.

Case, Jonathan L.↗

Attitude stabilization of a rigid spacecraft using gas jet actuators operating in a failure mode

The attitude stabilization of a rigid spacecraft using control torques supplied by gas jet actuators about only two of its principal axes is considered. First, the case where the uncontrolled principal axis of the spacecraft is not an axis of symmetry is considered. In this case, the complete spacecraft dynamics are small time locally controllable. However, the spacecraft cannot be asymptotically stabilized to an equilibrium attitude using time-invariant continuous feedback. A discontinuous stabilizing feedback control strategy is constructed which stabilizes the spacecraft to an equilibrium attitude. Next, the case where the uncontrolled principal axis of the spacecraft is an axis of symmetry is considered. In this case, the complete spacecraft dynamics are not even accessible. However, the spacecraft dynamics are strongly accessible and small time locally controllable in a reduced sense. The reduced spacecraft dynamics cannot be asymptotically stabilized to an equilibrium attitude using time-invariant continuous feedback, but again a discontinuous stabilizing feedback control strategy is constructed. In both cases, the discontinuous feedback controllers are constructed by switching between one of several feedback functions.

Krishnan, Hariharan↗

Entanglement asymmetry and symmetry defects in boundary conformal field theory

A state in a quantum system with a given global symmetry, G, can be sensitive to the presence of boundaries, which may either preserve or break this symmetry. In this work, we investigate how conformal invariant boundary conditions influence the G-symmetry breaking through the lens of the entanglement asymmetry, a quantifier of the “distance” between a symmetry-broken state and its symmetrized counterpart. By leveraging 2D boundary conformal field theory (BCFT), we investigate the symmetry breaking for both finite and compact Lie groups. Beyond the leading order term, we also compute the subleading corrections in the subsystem size, highlighting their dependence on the symmetry group G and the BCFT operator content. We further explore the entanglement asymmetry following a global quantum quench, where a symmetry-broken state evolves under a symmetry-restoring Hamiltonian. In this dynamical setting, we compute the entanglement asymmetry by extending the method of images to a BCFT with non-local objects such as invertible symmetry defects.

Field Theories in Lower Dimensions↗

Concentration-Polarization-Induced Precipitation and Ionic Current Oscillations with Tunable Frequency

At the nanoscale, charges present at the surfaces of liquid–solid interfaces greatly influence the properties of ions and molecules present in the solution, and can lead to nanoscale effects such as ion selectivity, ion current rectification, and modulation of local ionic concentrations. Concentration polarization is another nanoscale phenomenon whereby ion concentrations are enriched at one opening of an ion-selective nanopore and depleted at the other. We demonstrate that when a nanopore is in contact with a weakly soluble salt present at a concentration below its solubility product, concentration polarization can lead to locally enhanced ionic concentrations and precipitation of the salt. Formed precipitates partially or fully occlude the nanopore’s opening as indicated by a measured transient decrease of the nanopore’s conductance. We have confirmed experimental conditions at which the locally created precipitate is either pushed through or dissolved, clearing the pore entrance and allowing the precipitation reaction to occur again. The dynamic process of precipitate formation and dissolution is observed as ion current fluctuations and oscillations with frequencies reaching 200 Hz. The frequency of the system operation exceeds other nanopore-based oscillators by 2 orders of magnitude, which we believe stems from the 30 nm length of the pores examined here, versus ~10 μm long pores reported before.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fast optimization of binary clusters using a novel dynamic lattice searching method

Global optimization of binary clusters has been a difficult task despite of much effort and many efficient methods. Directing toward two types of elements (i.e., homotop problem) in binary clusters, two classes of virtual dynamic lattices are constructed and a modified dynamic lattice searching (DLS) method, i.e., binary DLS (BDLS) method, is developed. However, it was found that the BDLS can only be utilized for the optimization of binary clusters with small sizes because homotop problem is hard to be solved without atomic exchange operation. Therefore, the iterated local search (ILS) method is adopted to solve homotop problem and an efficient method based on the BDLS method and ILS, named as BDLS-ILS, is presented for global optimization of binary clusters. In order to assess the efficiency of the proposed method, binary Lennard-Jones clusters with up to 100 atoms are investigated. Results show that the method is proved to be efficient. Furthermore, the BDLS-ILS method is also adopted to study the geometrical structures of (AuPd){sub 79} clusters with DFT-fit parameters of Gupta potential.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Modeling and Control of Airport Queueing Dynamics under Severe Flow Restrictions

Based on field observations and interviews with controllers at BOS and EWR, we identify the closure of local departure fixes as the most severe class of airport departure restrictions. A set of simple queueing dynamics and traffic rules are developed to model departure traffic under such restrictions. The validity of the proposed model is tested via Monte Carlo simulation against 10 hours of actual operations data collected during a case-study at EWR on June 29,2000. In general, the model successfully reproduces the aggregate departure congestion. An analysis of the average error over 40 simulation runs indicates that flow-rate restrictions also significantly impact departure traffic; work is underway to capture these effects. Several applications and what-if scenarios are discussed for future evaluation using the calibrated model.

Carr, Francis↗

Accessing the Lunar Poles for Human Exploration Missions

The National Vision for Space Exploration calls for an American return to the Moon in preparation for the human exploration of Mars and other destinations. The surface environment of the Moon is a challenge for human operations, but recent findings from robotic and Earth-based studies have indicated that the polar regions of the Moon may offer advantages in terms of thermal conditions, availability of solar energy, and access to local resources. While accessing these regions represents a challenge due to orbital dynamics and propulsive performance, methods for accessing the regions with humans are being actively pursued, and environmental data gathering is planned through future robotic missions.

Joosten, B. Kent↗

Stereoscopic Height and Wind Retrievals for Aerosol Plumes with the MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX)

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard the Terra satellite acquires imagery at 275-m resolution at nine angles ranging from 0deg (nadir) to 70deg off-nadir. This multi-angle capability facilitates the stereoscopic retrieval of heights and motion vectors for clouds and aerosol plumes. MISR's operational stereo product uses this capability to retrieve cloud heights and winds for every satellite orbit, yielding global coverage every nine days. The MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX) visualization and analysis tool complements the operational stereo product by providing users the ability to retrieve heights and winds locally for detailed studies of smoke, dust and volcanic ash plumes, as well as clouds, at higher spatial resolution and with greater precision than is possible with the operational product or with other space-based, passive, remote sensing instruments. This ability to investigate plume geometry and dynamics is becoming increasingly important as climate and air quality studies require greater knowledge about the injection of aerosols and the location of clouds within the atmosphere. MINX incorporates features that allow users to customize their stereo retrievals for optimum results under varying aerosol and underlying surface conditions. This paper discusses the stereo retrieval algorithms and retrieval options in MINX, and provides appropriate examples to explain how the program can be used to achieve the best results.

MISR↗

Stereoscopic Retrieval of Smoke Plume Heights and Motion from Space-Based Multi-Angle Imaging, Using the MISR INteractive eXplorer(MINX)

Airborne particles desert dust, wildfire smoke, volcanic effluent, urban pollution affect Earth's climate as well as air quality and health. They are found in the atmosphere all over the planet, but vary immensely in amount and properties with season and location. Most aerosol particles are injected into the near-surface boundary layer, but some, especially wildfire smoke, desert dust and volcanic ash, can be injected higher into the atmosphere, where they can stay aloft longer, travel farther, produce larger climate effects, and possibly affect human and ecosystem health far downwind. So monitoring aerosol injection height globally can make important contributions to climate science and air quality studies. The Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) is a space borne instrument designed to study Earths clouds, aerosols, and surface. Since late February 2000 it has been retrieving aerosol particle amount and properties, as well as cloud height and wind data, globally, about once per week. The MINX visualization and analysis tool complements the operational MISR data products, enabling users to retrieve heights and winds locally for detailed studies of smoke plumes, at higher spatial resolution and with greater precision than the operational product and other space-based, passive remote sensing techniques. MINX software is being used to provide plume height statistics for climatological studies as well as to investigate the dynamics of individual plumes, and to provide parameterizations for climate modeling.

aerosols↗

A 3D Simulation Platform for Decentralized Decision-Making in Advanced Air Mobility

This paper presents a general purpose, plug-and-play simulation platform for the use of future aviation stakeholders, such as urban airspace planners, air vehicle operators, ground operation managers, air traffic controllers and aviation researchers. The presented simulator platform is envisioned to serve as a toolkit to visualize, evaluate, and configure future advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. Highlighting features of this toolkit include a modular architecture that allows multiple smart unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to remotely connect to the simulation server and participate in decentralized decision-making scenario simulations. As an example of the decentralized decision-making scenario, an inter-agent negotiation-based conflict resolution use case is considered in this paper, where the UASs leverage the on-board/on-the-edge artificial intelligence (AI) capability to continually build situational awareness, and use this information to predict future conflicts and resolve them through machine-to-machine negotiation. As such operations are non-existent at scale currently, the presented simulation platform offers a viable and cost-effective alternative for assessing the efficacy of AAM research outcomes and challenges in future shared airspace usage. The simulation platform allows plug-n-play connectivity with AI and non-AI compute modules representing individual UAS’s flight control. Each module can interact with the simulation platform independently to communicate current and desired future states, situational awareness, and conflict resolution utilization costs for inter-agent negotiation. The simulation environment orchestrates realistic operational scenarios with spatiotemporal details, dynamic events, tactical conflict-resolution methods, interfaces for customizing air traffic control parameters, and information exchange uncertainties. In the future, this can serve as a community focused cloud simulation platform, incorporating multi-stakeholder airspace constraints from regulatory, government, city, and local agencies.

Aditya N Das↗

A 3D Simulation Platform for Decentralized Decision-Making in Advanced Air Mobility

This paper presents a general purpose, plug-and-play simulation platform for the use of future aviation stakeholders, such as urban airspace planners, air vehicle operators, ground operation managers, air traffic controllers and aviation researchers. The presented simulator platform is envisioned to serve as a toolkit to visualize, evaluate, and configure future advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. Highlighting features of this toolkit include a modular architecture that allows multiple smart unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to remotely connect to the simulation server and participate in decentralized decision-making scenario simulations. As an example of the decentralized decision-making scenario, an inter-agent negotiation-based conflict resolution use case is considered in this paper, where the UASs leverage the on-board/on-the-edge artificial intelligence (AI) capability to continually build situational awareness, and use this information to predict future conflicts and resolve them through machine-to-machine negotiation. As such operations are non-existent at scale currently, the presented simulation platform offers a viable and cost-effective alternative for assessing the efficacy of AAM research outcomes and challenges in future shared airspace usage. The simulation platform allows plug-n-play connectivity with AI and non-AI compute modules representing individual UAS’s flight control. Each module can interact with the simulation platform independently to communicate current and desired future states, situational awareness, and conflict resolution utilization costs for inter-agent negotiation. The simulation environment orchestrates realistic operational scenarios with spatiotemporal details, dynamic events, tactical conflict-resolution methods, interfaces for customizing air traffic control parameters, and information exchange uncertainties. In the future, this can serve as a community focused cloud simulation platform, incorporating multi-stakeholder airspace constraints from regulatory, government, city, and local agencies.

Aditya Das↗

Non-Wiener Dynamics of Open Systems for Nonzero Number Density of Surrounding Photons

We propose a collective decay model for a localized ensemble of identical atoms in a vacuum broadband electromagnetic field with a nonzero photon number density considering second-order terms in the atom–field interaction constant. The model is based on the stochastic differential equation for the evolution operator for the atomic ensemble and surroundings, which is controlled by the main quantum random processes and independent classical Wiener processes. It is shown that in some cases, nonzero photon number density does not influence the suppression of collective emission of atoms, and its existence is manifested as an additional mechanism of redistribution of atoms over collective sublevels.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DYSCO: A software system for modeling general dynamic systems

The DYSCO program has been under development since 1979. It has been funded by Army and Air Force laboratories and by the Kaman Aerospace Corporation. It is presently available at a number of government and nongovernment installations. It has been used to analyze a very broad range of dynamics problems. A principle feature of the software design of DYSCO is the separation of the executive from the technology. The executive, which controls all the operations, is intelligent in the sense that it knows that its function is to assemble differential equations and to prepare them for solution. The technology library contains FORTRAN routines which perform standard functions, such as, computing the equation coefficients of an element (or component) given the local state at any time. The technology library also contains algorithms and procedures for solving the coupled system equations. The system was designed to allow easy additional of technology to the library. Any linear or nonlinear structural entity, control system, or set of ordinary differential equations may be simply coded and added to the library, as well as algorithms for time or frequency domain solution. The program is described with emphasis on its usefulness in easily modeling unusual concepts and configurations, performing analysis of damage, evaluating new algorithms, and simulating dynamic tests.

Berman, Alex↗

Enhancing Security and Resiliency in Operational Technology Environments Through Network Slicing and Federated Learning

The growing convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) within Industry 4.0 environments has introduced new demands on industrial network infrastructure. As cyber-physical systems become increasingly interconnected, ensuring the secure, timely, and efficient exchange of critical data is essential. This thesis explores how network slicing, a method of creating isolated virtual network segments, can be applied within OT environments to address challenges such as latency, security, and resource allocation. The first research question addressed in this thesis is: How can OT networks take advantage of NFV and SDN technology to become cyber resilient? This study examines the operational, security, and architectural implications of introducing network slicing into traditionally static OT infrastructures such as Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA. Through simulated deployments and case studies, the research demonstrates how slicing enables better isolation between critical and non-critical services, thereby improving response time, throughput, and security in sensitive environments. The second question considers: How to dynamically implement network slicing and take advantage of network resources towards integrating decentralized machine learning? In response, this thesis proposes a framework that combines Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), and Federated Learning (FL) to enable real-time analytics while maintaining data locality. The proposed approach reduces the burden on centralized infrastructure and minimizes privacy risks by supporting on-site training of models across distributed OT nodes, coordinated through dynamically allocated network slices. The third focus explores: How slicing helps to increase the resiliency of OT networks through the orchestration of a dynamic DMZ? To answer this, the thesis presents a method for creating and managing Dynamic Demilitarized Zones (DMZs) using network slicing. This enables flexible and automated isolation of sensitive subsystems during threat scenarios or high-risk operations. Coupled with intelligent orchestration and containerized security services, the dynamic DMZ significantly enhances the system's ability to respond to cyber incidents without halting production. Ultimately, this thesis contributes a comprehensive architecture that blends network slicing with machine learning, secure segmentation, and automation, paving the way for resilient, adaptive, and intelligent OT environments. Performance evaluations across multiple scenarios show improvements in system reliability, threat response time, model accuracy, and resource utilization, providing a strong foundation for future industrial automation systems.

Rodiles Delgado, Brian G↗

Avoiding ergodicity problems in lattice discretizations of the Hubbard model

The Hubbard model arises naturally when electron-electron interactions are added to the tight-binding descriptions of many condensed matter systems. For instance, the two-dimensional Hubbard model on the honeycomb lattice is central to the ab initio description of the electronic structure of carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene. Such low-dimensional Hubbard models are advantageously studied with Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, such as hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC). HMC is the standard algorithm of the lattice gauge theory community, as it is well suited to theories of dynamical fermions. As HMC performs continuous, global updates of the lattice degrees of freedom, it provides superior scaling with system size relative to local updating methods. A potential drawback of HMC is its susceptibility to ergodicity problems due to so-called exceptional configurations, for which the fermion operator cannot be inverted. Recently, ergodicity problems were found in some formulations of HMC simulations of the Hubbard model. Here, we address this issue directly and clarify under what conditions ergodicity is maintained or violated in HMC simulations of the Hubbard model. We study different lattice formulations of the fermion operator and provide explicit, representative calculations for small systems, often comparing to exact results. Here, we show that a fermion operator can be found which is both computationally convenient and free of ergodicity problems.

First-principles calculations↗

GOES weather satellite observations and measurements of the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption

We demonstrate the use of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) images of the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens volcanic plume in providing details of the dynamics and changing character of this major explosive eruption. Visible and thermal infrared (IR) data from a sequence of images at 30-min intervals from 0850 to 1720 Local Time (LT) give information on dispersal and plume top temperature. Initial visible and IR images at 0850 show the top of a spreading co-ignimbrite-like umbrella plume and an overshooting column emerging from it, both rising off the ground-hugging pyroclastic gravity flow generated by the opening directed blast. The overshooting column had a minimum temperature significantly colder than local ambient atmosphere, indicating substantial undercooling, and a maximum altitude of 31 +/- 2 km at 0920. This large plume system then formed a high-velocity, radially spreading, gravitationally driven current before becoming advected in the wind field at an average downwind velocity of 29 m/s. Reflectance values from visible GOES data change from lower to higher during periods of transition from darker toned Plinian to lighter toned co-ignimbrite plumes indicating that in this case satellite data resolved changes in eruptive style from plumes with a coarser to a finer dominant particle size.

Holasek, R. E.↗

Modeling physical vapor deposition of energetic materials

Morphology and microstructure of organic explosive films formed using physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes strongly depends on local surface temperature during deposition. Currently, there is no accurate means of quantifying the local surface temperature during PVD processes in the deposition chambers. This study focuses on using a multiphysics computational fluid dynamics tool, STARCCM+, to simulate pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) deposition. The PETN vapor and solid phase were simulated using the volume of fluid method and its deposition in the vacuum chamber on spinning silicon wafers was modeled. The model also included the spinning copper cooling block where the wafers are placed along with the chiller operating with forced convection refrigerant. Implicit time-dependent simulations in two- and three-dimensional were performed to derive insights in the governing physics for PETN thin film formation. PETN is deposited at the rate of 14 nm/s at 142.9 °C on a wafer with an initial temperature of 22 °C. The deposition of PETN on the wafers was calculated at an assumed heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of 400 W/m 2 K. This HTC proved to be the most sensitive parameter in determining the local surface temperature during deposition. Previous experimental work found noticeable microstructural changes with 0.5 mm fused silica wafers in place of silicon during the PETN deposition. This work showed that fused silica slows initial wafer cool down and results in ~10 °C difference for the surface temperature at 500 μm PETN film thickness. It was also found that the deposition surface temperature is insensitive to the cooling power of the copper block due to the copper block's very large heat capacity and thermal conductivity relative to the heat input from the PVD process. Future work should incorporate the addition of local stress during PETN deposition. Lastly, based on simulation results, it is also recommended to investigate the impact of wafer surface energy on the PETN microstructure and morphology formation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗