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At least 307 records · Page 17

A Brief Overview of Reactive Transport Codes Used in CO 2 Applications

Reactive transport modelling consists of computational and numerical models that describe the coupled physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological processes interacting with each other over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales. This report reviews some of the reactive transport codes available in the literature for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) applications and can assist the scientific community with the applicability of each code to solve a specific problem. Approaches implemented in these codes can be categorized in three groups: (i) continuum-scale, (ii) pore-scale, and (iii) hybrid-scale approaches. Theoretical foundations, numerical implementations, and application examples using the models are described. In the continuum approach, flow and transport are formulated in terms of a representative control volume of the medium and coupled with geochemical reactions. The medium is characterized by bulk parameters such as porosity, permeability, or reactive surface area. In the pore-scale approach, each point of space in the pore network is occupied by either a fluid or solid phase. The pore-scale approach requires an exact knowledge of the spatial and temporal phase distribution. In the hybrid-scale approach, media are described by multiple characteristic length-scales, with some regions using a pore-scale approach while others used a continuum approach.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

End-to-end Analytics for Grid Arch Design & All-hazard Assessment

Resiliency, reliability, and security of the next-generation smart grid depend upon leveraging advanced communication and computing technologies, integrating them with physical power systems, and developing real-time, fast, data-based applications to help in wide-area monitoring and control of the grid. Using a high sampling data rate from phasor measurement units (PMUs) to develop applications has opened the door to achieving the next-generation grid requirements. The North American Synchrophasor Initiative Network (NASPlnet) was developed in 2007-09 to create a standard and guide for PMU data exchanges. With the advancement in both networking and grid requirements, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of different NASPInet versions and their impact on applications. Therefore, we need a cyber-power cosimulation framework that supports very large-scale co-simulation capable of running in parallel, high-performance computing platforms and capturing real-life network behavior. This work presents a cyber-physical co-simulation testbed using NS3 to model the communication network, GridPACK to model the power grid, and HELICS as a co-simulation engine. Comparative analysis of latency in synchrophasor networks and a performance evaluation of a power system stabilizer application based on PMU data in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 39-bus test system is presented using this co-simulation testbed.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Performance Evaluation of Vertical Federated Machine Learning Against Adversarial Threats on Wide-Area Control System: Preprint

Federated machine learning (FL) is gaining significant popularity to develop cybersecurity solutions in power grids because of its advanced capability to support decentralized data handing at local devices, its privacy preservation, and its low-bandwidth requirement. However, the evolving adversarial machine learning (AML) threats raise significant concerns for the cybersecurity of FL architectures. The FL-based split neural network (SplitNN) achieves high performance through the decentralized training of local neural network models while preserving data privacy across multiple entities. In this paper, we propose a methodology for evaluating the performance of a vertical FLbased anomaly detector against different types of AML attacks, including denial-of-service attacks, adversarial data injection attacks, and replay attacks on the trained local models deployed in the grid network. For a case study, we consider the modified IEEE 13-bus system, and we develop SplitNN-based binary and multiclass classification models to detect, locate, and identify different types of data integrity attacks on the volt-watt control with two pooling layers: maximum pooling and AvgPool. Our experimental results, computed through performance metrics, reveal that the severity of these AML attacks varies with the integrated pooling mechanism, the type of classification model, and the nature of the cyberattack. Further, the AML attacks negatively impacted the prediction time per sample for the pretrained SplitNN during the online testing.

adversarial threats↗

Microprocessor control and networking for the amps breadboard

Future space missions will require more sophisticated power systems, implying higher costs and more extensive crew and ground support involvement. To decrease this human involvement, as well as to protect and most efficiently utilize this important resource, NASA has undertaken major efforts to promote progress in the design and development of autonomously managed power systems. Two areas being actively pursued are autonomous power system (APS) breadboards and knowledge-based expert system (KBES) applications. The former are viewed as a requirement for the timely development of the latter. Not only will they serve as final testbeds for the various KBES applications, but will play a major role in the knowledge engineering phase of their development. The current power system breadboard designs are of a distributed microprocessor nature. The distributed nature, plus the need to connect various external computer capabilities (i.e., conventional host computers and symbolic processors), places major emphasis on effective networking. The communications and networking technologies for the first power system breadboard/test facility are described.

Floyd, Stephen A.↗

Control Oriented Models for Co-Design: Technical Overview of MT HVDC, MVDC, and Solid State Transformer Building Blocks

The electric power system is shifting toward a power electronics–enabled grid, where converter based “building blocks” (e.g., high voltage direct current (HVDC) links, multi terminal HVDC (MT HVDC) networks, medium voltage DC (MVDC) links, and solid state transformers (SSTs)) provide fast, precise control of power flows, voltage, and frequency. This report develops and applies publicly shareable electromagnetic transient (EMT) and phasor models to examine how such building blocks can be composed and coordinated to support offshore wind integration, inter area transfers, feeder support, and resilience. Section 2 documents a modular multilevel converter (MMC)–based MT HVDC modeling framework and two use cases: a compact WSCC/IEEE 9 bus test system and a 240 bus “mini WECC” case with five offshore wind plants (OWFs). Phasor to EMT transfer, initialization, and sanity checks are summarized, and neutral demonstrations of normal and contingency operation are reported. Section 3 frames the problem of wind plant inertial frequency response (IFR): shaping energy release and recovery to improve nadir while avoiding aerodynamic stall; representative simulations illustrate the issues without disclosing proprietary control. Section 4 develops MVDC concepts through an IEEE 16 bus loop and an Olympic Peninsula case study that compares AC vs. MVDC corridors and shows how feeder headroom can be pooled via DC couplers. Section 5 surveys SST architectures and identifies a gap: scalable, communication free coordination of multiple SSTs for islanded feeder networks. Across the report, novel methods and configurations under separate publication and IP review are not disclosed; only topic oriented, replicable setups and non proprietary results are shown. These models and use cases are intended as foundations for future publications and co design studies on architecture, control, and coordination of PE enabled grids.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Cyber Infrastructure for the Smart Electric Grid

As electric power systems undergo a transformative upgrade with the integration of advanced technologies to enable the smarter electric grid, professionals who work in the area require a new understanding of the evolving complexity of the grid. Cyber Infrastructure for the Smart Electric Grid delivers a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of smart grid operation and control, smart grid technologies, including sensors, communication networks, computation, data management, and cyber security, and the interdependencies between the component technologies on which a smart grid's security depends. The book offers readers the opportunity to critically analyze the smart grid infrastructure needed to sense, communicate, compute, and control in a secure way.

communication networks↗

Building a machine learning surrogate model for wildfire activities within a global Earth system model

Abstract. Wildfire is an important ecosystem process, influencing land biogeophysical and biogeochemical dynamics and atmospheric composition. Fire-driven loss of vegetation cover, for example, directly modifies the surface energy budget as a consequence of changing albedo, surface roughness, and partitioning of sensible and latent heat fluxes. Carbon dioxide and methane emitted by fires contribute to a positive atmospheric forcing, whereas emissions of carbonaceous aerosols may contribute to surface cooling. Process-based modeling of wildfires in Earth system land models is challenging due to limited understanding of human, climate, and ecosystem controls on fire counts, fire size, and burned area. Integration of mechanistic wildfire models within Earth system models requires careful parameter calibration, which is computationally expensive and subject to equifinality. To explore alternative approaches, we present a deep neural network (DNN) scheme that surrogates the process-based wildfire model with the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) interface. The DNN wildfire model accurately simulates observed burned area with over 90 % higher accuracy with a large reduction in parameterization time compared with the current process-based wildfire model. The surrogate wildfire model successfully captured the observed monthly regional burned area during validation period 2011 to 2015 (coefficient of determination, R2=0.93). Since the DNN wildfire model has the same input and output requirements as the E3SM process-based wildfire model, our results demonstrate the applicability of machine learning for high accuracy and efficient large-scale land model development and predictions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Comparison of structurally diverse simulation models for prediction of epidemic outcomes caused by a long-distance dispersed pathogen

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) pathogens pose substantial challenges for epidemic control due to their ability to generate new infection foci at great distances. While various modeling approaches have been developed to understand and manage such outbreaks, little work has compared how models of different structures behave under shared conditions. Here, in this study, we compare four structurally distinct epidemiological models — EPIMUL, GEMF, PoPS, and Warwick — each adapted to simulate the spread of wheat stripe rust (WSR), a wind-dispersed LDD pathogen, under identical epidemiological parameters and dispersal kernel. Using data from a controlled field experiment, we evaluate the ability of each model to replicate disease prevalence under nine intervention scenarios that vary in timing and culling area. While the models differ substantially in design — ranging from spatial grid-based to network-based and raster-based frameworks — the shared dispersal kernel allowed for close alignment in their predictions. All models accurately captured general epidemic trends, particularly the strong effect of early intervention on disease suppression. We qualitatively compared their behavioral responses across scenarios and also evaluated an ensemble prediction by averaging across model outputs. Our findings highlight how integrating shared epidemiological components into distinct modeling frameworks can improve consistency and accuracy, while reinforcing the importance of early culling in managing LDD pathogen outbreaks.

Dispersal kernel↗

Payload operations control center network (POCCNET) systems definition phase study report

The results of the studies performed during the systems definition phase of POCCNET are presented. The concept of POCCNET as a system of standard POCCs is described and an analysis of system requirements is also included. Alternative systems concepts were evaluated as well as various methods for development of reliable reusable software. A number of POCC application areas, such as command management, on board computer support, and simulation were also studied. Other areas of investigation included the operation of POCCNET systems, the facility requirements and usage.

Desjardins, R.↗

Management of space networks

NASA has proposed missions to the Moon and Mars that reflect three areas of emphasis: human presence, exploration, and space resource development for the benefit of Earth. A major requirement for such missions is a robust and reliable communications architecture. Network management--the ability to maintain some degree of human and automatic control over the span of the network from the space elements to the end users on Earth--is required to realize such robust and reliable communications. This article addresses several of the architectural issues associated with space network management. Round-trip delays, such as the 5- to 40-min delays in the Mars case, introduce a host of problems that must be solved by delegating significant control authority to remote nodes. Therefore, management hierarchy is one of the important architectural issues. The following article addresses these concerns, and proposes a network management approach based on emerging standards that covers the needs for fault, configuration, and performance management, delegated control authority, and hierarchical reporting of events. A relatively simple approach based on standards was demonstrated in the DSN 2000 Information Systems Laboratory, and the results are described.

Markley, R. W.↗

Real-Time Adaptive Color Segmentation by Neural Networks

Artificial neural networks that would utilize the cascade error projection (CEP) algorithm have been proposed as means of autonomous, real-time, adaptive color segmentation of images that change with time. In the original intended application, such a neural network would be used to analyze digitized color video images of terrain on a remote planet as viewed from an uninhabited spacecraft approaching the planet. During descent toward the surface of the planet, information on the segmentation of the images into differently colored areas would be updated adaptively in real time to capture changes in contrast, brightness, and resolution, all in an effort to identify a safe and scientifically productive landing site and provide control feedback to steer the spacecraft toward that site. Potential terrestrial applications include monitoring images of crops to detect insect invasions and monitoring of buildings and other facilities to detect intruders. The CEP algorithm is reliable and is well suited to implementation in very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuitry. It was chosen over other neural-network learning algorithms because it is better suited to realtime learning: It provides a self-evolving neural-network structure, requires fewer iterations to converge and is more tolerant to low resolution (that is, fewer bits) in the quantization of neural-network synaptic weights. Consequently, a CEP neural network learns relatively quickly, and the circuitry needed to implement it is relatively simple. Like other neural networks, a CEP neural network includes an input layer, hidden units, and output units (see figure). As in other neural networks, a CEP network is presented with a succession of input training patterns, giving rise to a set of outputs that are compared with the desired outputs. Also as in other neural networks, the synaptic weights are updated iteratively in an effort to bring the outputs closer to target values. A distinctive feature of the CEP neural network and algorithm is that each update of synaptic weights takes place in conjunction with the addition of another hidden unit, which then remains in place as still other hidden units are added on subsequent iterations. For a given training pattern, the synaptic weight between (1) the inputs and the previously added hidden units and (2) the newly added hidden unit is updated by an amount proportional to the partial derivative of a quadratic error function with respect to the synaptic weight. The synaptic weight between the newly added hidden unit and each output unit is given by a more complex function that involves the errors between the outputs and their target values, the transfer functions (hyperbolic tangents) of the neural units, and the derivatives of the transfer functions.

Duong, Tuan A.↗

Multi-Agent Graph-Attention Deep Reinforcement Learning for Post-Contingency Grid Emergency Voltage Control

Grid emergency voltage control (GEVC) is paramount in electric power systems to improve voltage stability and prevent cascading outages and blackouts in case of contingencies. While most deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based paradigms perform single agents in a static environment, real-world agents for GEVC are expected to cooperate in a dynamically shifting grid. Moreover, due to high uncertainties from combinatory natures of various contingencies and load consumption, along with the complexity of dynamic grid operation, the data efficiency and control performance of the existing DRL-based methods are challenged. To address these limitations, we propose a multi-agent graph-attention (GATT)-based DRL algorithm for GEVC in multi-area power systems. Here, we develop graph convolutional network (GCN)-based agents for feature representation of the graph-structured voltages to improve the decision accuracy in a data-efficient manner. Furthermore, a cutting-edge attention mechanism concentrates on effective information sharing among multiple agents, synergizing different-sized subnetworks in the grid for cooperative learning. We address several key challenges in the existing DRL-based GEVC approaches, including low scalability and poor stability against high uncertainties. Test results in the IEEE benchmark system verify the advantages of the proposed method over several recent multi-agent DRL-based algorithms.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Quantification of rat retinal growth and vascular population changes after single and split doses of proton irradiation: translational study using stereology methods

This study quantified architectural and population changes in the rat retinal vasculature after proton irradiation using stereology. A 100 MeV conformal proton beam delivered 8, 14, 20 and 28 Gy as single and split doses to the whole eye. The vascular networks were prepared from retinal digests. Stereological methods were used to obtain the area of the retina and unbiased estimates of microvessel/artery/vein endothelial, pericyte and smooth muscle population, and vessel length. The retinal area increased progressively in the unirradiated, age-matched controls and in the retinas irradiated with 8 and 14 Gy, indicating uniform progressive retinal growth. No growth occurred after 20 and 28 Gy. Regression analysis of total endothelial cell number in all vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) after irradiation documented a progressive time- and dose-dependent cell loss occurring over 15 to 24 months. The difference from controls was significant (P<0.01) after 28 Gy given in single and split doses and after 20 Gy given as a split dose (P<0.05). Total vessel length in microvessel was significantly shortened at 20 and 28 Gy compared to that of controls (P<0.05). No evident dose recovery was observed in the endothelial populations after split doses. At 10 Gy, the rate of endothelial cell loss, a dose parameter used to characterize the time- and dose-dependent loss of the endothelial population, was doubled.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

Telerobotic Excavator Designed to Compete in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition

The second annual NASA Lunabotics Mining competition is to be held in May 23-28, 2011. The goal of the competition is for teams of university level students to design, build, test and compete with a fully integrated lunar excavator on a simulated lunar surface. Our team, named Lunar Solutions I, will be representing Temple University's College of Engineering in the competition. The team's main goal was to build a robot which is able to compete with other teams, and ultimately win the competition. The main challenge of the competition was to build a wireless robot that can excavate and collect a minimum of 10 kilograms of the regolith material within 15 minutes. The robot must also be designed to operate in conditions similar to those found on the lunar surface. The design of the lunar excavator is constrained by a set of requirements determined by NASA and detailed in the competition's rulebook. The excavator must have the ability to communicate with the "main base" wirelessly, and over a Wi-Fi network. Human operators are located at a remote site approximately 60 meters away from the simulated lunar surface upon which the robot must excavate the lunar regolith surface. During the competition, the robot will operate in a separate area from the control room in an area referred to as the "Lunarena." From the control room, the operators will have to control the robot using visual feedback from cameras placed both within the arena and on the robot. Using this visual feedback the human operators control the robots movement using both keyboard and joystick commands. In order to place in the competition, a minimum of 10 kg of regolith material has to be excavated, collected, and dumped into a specific location. For that reason, the robot must be provided with an effective and powerful excavation system. Our excavator uses tracks for the drive system. After performing extensive research and trade studies, we concluded that tracks would be the most effective method for transporting the excavator. When designing the excavation system, we analyzed several design options from the previous year's competition. We decided to use a front loader to collect the material, rather than a conveyer belt system or auger. Many of the designs from last year's competition used a conveyer belt mechanism to mine regolith and dump it into a temporary storage bin place on the robot. Using the front end loader approach allowed us to combine the scooping system and storage unit, which meant that the excavation system required less space.

Nash, Rodney↗

A Localized Cyber Threat Mitigation Approach For Wide Area Control of FACTS

We propose a localized oscillation amplitude monitoring (OAM) method for the mitigation of cyber threats directed at the wide area control (WAC) system used to coordinate control of Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) for power oscillation damping (POD) of active power flow on inter-area tie lines. The method involves monitoring the inter-area tie line active power oscillation amplitude over a sliding window. We use system instability - inferred from oscillation amplitudes growing instead of damping - as evidence of an indication of a malfunction in the WAC of FACTS, possibly indicative of a cyber attack. Monitoring the presence of such a growth allows us to determine whether any destabilizing behaviors appear after the WAC system engages to control the POD. If the WAC signal increases the oscillation amplitude over time, thereby diminishing the POD performance, the FACTS falls back to POD using local measurements. The proposed method does not require an expansive system-wide view of the network. We simulate replay, control integrity, and timing attacks for a test system and present results that demonstrate the performance of the OAM method for mitigation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Mobile Sensor Technologies Being Developed

The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing small mobile platforms for sensor placement, as well as methods for communicating between roving platforms and a central command location. The first part of this project is to use commercially available equipment to miniaturize an existing sensor platform. We developed a five-circuit-board suite, with an average board size of 1.5 by 3 cm. Shown in the preceding photograph, this suite provides all motor control, direction finding, and communications capabilities for a 27- by 21- by 40-mm prototype mobile platform. The second part of the project is to provide communications between mobile platforms, and also between multiple platforms and a central command location. This is accomplished with a low-power network labeled "SPAN," Sensor Platform Area Network, a local area network made up of proximity elements. In practice, these proximity elements are composed of fixed- and mobile-sensor-laden science packages that communicate to each other via radiofrequency links. Data in the network will be shared by a central command location that will pass information into and out of the network through its access to a backbone element. The result will be a protocol portable to general purpose microcontrollers satisfying a host of sensor networking tasks. This network will enter the gap somewhere between television remotes and Bluetooth but, unlike 802.15.4, will not specify a physical layer, thus allowing for many data rates over optical, acoustical, radiofrequency, hardwire, or other media. Since the protocol will exist as portable C-code, developers may be able to embed it in a host of microcontrollers from commercial to space grade and, of course, to design it into ASICs. Unlike in 802.15.4, the nodes will relate to each other as peers. A demonstration of this protocol using the two test bed platforms was recently held. Two NASA modified, commercially available, mobile platforms communicated and shared data with each other and a central command location. Web-based control and interrogation of similar mobile sensor platforms have also been demonstrated. Expected applications of this technology include robotic planetary exploration, astronaut-to-equipment communication, and remote aerospace engine inspections.

FROM↗

Rapid Monitoring and Defense Approach for Resilience Improvement of Grid Cyber Security

Cyber-physical systems and electric utilities significantly depend on the reliability and efficiency of information and operational technology. However, false data injection attacks based on synchrophasor measurement data pose a serious threat to the safe and reliable operation of modern power systems. Here, to mitigate this problem, a rapid monitoring and defense approach is proposed to defend against cyber attacks. Initially, the Time and Frequency based Convolutional neural Network (TFCN) is proposed to detect different types of attacks. Within the TFCN, the advances are that both time and frequency domain information can be fused without extra spectrum analysis methods, and can save detection time to speed the calculation efficiency using the developed time-frequency block. Next, a comprehensive defense strategy is developed for multiple cyber attacks to ensure the stability and resilience of the power system according to the feedback detection results. The advances of this strategy are that different control strategies can be automatically selected to recover the stability to the greatest extent according to the detected attacks. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the high-speed frequency measurements collected from the wide-area monitoring system are used. The results demonstrate that the cyber attack detection performance can reach 95.57% accuracy, outperforming both traditional and some advanced neural networks. Importantly, the defense strategy is conducted and verified in a modified IEEE 39 bus system as well, which illustrates profound performance in faster stability restoration.

Comprehensive defense strategy↗

A Review of Bayesian Networks for Spatial Data

We report Bayesian networks are a popular class of multivariate probabilistic models as they allow for the translation of prior beliefs about conditional dependencies between variables to be easily encoded into their model structure. Due to their widespread usage, they are often applied to spatial data for inferring properties of the systems under study and also generating predictions for how these systems may behave in the future. We review published research on methodologies for representing spatial data with Bayesian networks and also summarize the application areas for which Bayesian networks are employed in the modeling of spatial data. We find that a wide variety of perspectives are taken, including a GIS-centric focus on efficiently generating geospatial predictions, a statistical focus on rigorously constructing graphical models controlling for spatial correlation, as well as a range of problem-specific heuristics for mitigating the effects of spatial correlation and dependency arising in spatial data analysis. Special attention is also paid to potential future directions for integration of Bayesian networks with spatial processes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗