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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2

Ephemeral Learning - Augmenting Triggers with Online-Trained Normalizing Flows

The large data rates at the LHC require an online trigger system to select relevant collisions. Rather than compressing individual events, we propose to compress an entire data set at once. We use a normalizing flow as a deep generative model to learn the probability density of the data online. The events are then represented by the generative neural network and can be inspected offline for anomalies or used for other analysis purposes. We demonstrate our new approach for a toy model and a correlation-enhanced bump hunt.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Reconstructing Ly$α$ Fields from Low-resolution Hydrodynamical Simulations with Deep Learning

Hydrodynamical cosmological simulations are a powerful tool for accurately predicting the properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and for producing mock skies that can be compared against observational data. However, the need to resolve density fluctuation in the IGM puts a stringent requirement on the resolution of such simulations, which in turn limits the volumes that can be modeled, even on the most powerful supercomputers. In this work, we present a novel modeling method that combines physics-driven simulations with data-driven generative neural networks to produce outputs that are qualitatively and statistically close to the outputs of hydrodynamical simulations employing eight times higher resolution. We show that the Ly$α$ flux field, as well as the underlying hydrodynamic fields, have greatly improved statistical fidelity over a low-resolution simulation. Importantly, the design of our neural network allows for sampling multiple realizations from a given input, enabling us to quantify the model uncertainty. Using test data, we demonstrate that this model uncertainty correlates well with the true error of the Ly$α$ flux prediction. Ultimately, our approach allows for training on small simulation volumes and applying it to much larger ones, opening the door to producing accurate Ly$α$ mock skies in volumes of Hubble size, as will be probed with DESI and future spectroscopic sky surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Neural network based automatic limit prediction and avoidance system and method

A method for performance envelope boundary cueing for a vehicle control system comprises the steps of formulating a prediction system for a neural network and training the neural network to predict values of limited parameters as a function of current control positions and current vehicle operating conditions. The method further comprises the steps of applying the neural network to the control system of the vehicle, where the vehicle has capability for measuring current control positions and current vehicle operating conditions. The neural network generates a map of current control positions and vehicle operating conditions versus the limited parameters in a pre-determined vehicle operating condition. The method estimates critical control deflections from the current control positions required to drive the vehicle to a performance envelope boundary. Finally, the method comprises the steps of communicating the critical control deflection to the vehicle control system; and driving the vehicle control system to provide a tactile cue to an operator of the vehicle as the control positions approach the critical control deflections.

Calise, Anthony J.↗

Enabling Dynamic Vehicle Analyses With Improved Atmospheric Attenuation Models in Glenn Research Center Communication Analysis Suite

To aid in meeting the NASA objective of returning humans to the Moon, the Glenn Research Center’s Communication Analysis Suite was augmented with two distinct capabilities. The first capability added was the vehicle propagator. This allows the addition of dynamic aircraft and ground vehicles around any celestial body within the solar system during an analysis. This functionality interpolates the position and velocity of the vehicle relative to a celestial body at the time steps analyzed using the type of path and either a series of waypoints or a direction and duration of travel. The implications of this new capability include lunar rovers and/or drones, such as Dragonfly, where the vehicle propagator will analyze the communications architecture. The newly created vehicle propagator is now in use in communications studies for the 2024 lunar missions, simulating the movement of lunar rovers across the Moon’s southern pole. The second capability added was the augmentation of the atmospheric attenuation model. The previous model did not have a uniform low-elevation attenuation model due to the trigonometric approximation for path length and the exponential nature of low-elevation scintillation. User-defined weather parameters were also added to the updated atmospheric attenuation model. The previous model solely used tabular data based upon the season and location of the transmitting antenna. Multiple simulations of the same configuration now return different results based on the differing weather parameters. Cognitive communications analysis efforts can use this second capability to generate neural network training data based on differing weather conditions at utilized ground stations, a critical step in allowing neural networks to learn how weather parameters impact communications performance.

vehicle propagation↗

Optimization of the deep neural network parameters for generating homogenized fuel assembly data for nodal codes

Homogenized fuel assembly (FA) data is a typical input data for nodal codes. Generating that data, however, could be time-consuming. One of promising ways to mitigate the computational burden of generating macroscopic cross-sections is to use trained artificial neural network (ANN) models for predicting nuclear data. However, there is a challenge to make the model support variable FA geometry. In this work, two most common types of FA were combined in one ANN model. Since there could be multiple ways of converting 2-dimensional FA data into 1-dimensional input vector for ANN, three different approaches of data flattening were evaluated. The input parameters included each fuel pin enrichment, fuel temperature, moderator temperature and boron concentration. The output parameters were 2-group macroscopic cross-sections (XS) and pin power distribution (HFF). A fully connected deep neural network (DNN) model was trained and tested using pre-generated data obtained with lattice physics code STREAM. The results of this study showed no statistically significant difference in the accuracy of XS and HFF generation for all 3 tested input vector orders. This means that fully connected DNN for XS generation demonstrated input sequence invariance. Results of comparing predicted XS data with reference solutions were found sufficiently close considering the reduction of computation time offered by ANN. Mean relative difference (MRD) for all output XS parameters was found below 0.7%, while HFF MRD was found higher compared to XS values, in some cases slightly exceeding 1%, mostly near guide tube locations. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Membership generation using multilayer neural network

There has been intensive research in neural network applications to pattern recognition problems. Particularly, the back-propagation network has attracted many researchers because of its outstanding performance in pattern recognition applications. In this section, we describe a new method to generate membership functions from training data using a multilayer neural network. The basic idea behind the approach is as follows. The output values of a sigmoid activation function of a neuron bear remarkable resemblance to membership values. Therefore, we can regard the sigmoid activation values as the membership values in fuzzy set theory. Thus, in order to generate class membership values, we first train a suitable multilayer network using a training algorithm such as the back-propagation algorithm. After the training procedure converges, the resulting network can be treated as a membership generation network, where the inputs are feature values and the outputs are membership values in the different classes. This method allows fairly complex membership functions to be generated because the network is highly nonlinear in general. Also, it is to be noted that the membership functions are generated from a classification point of view. For pattern recognition applications, this is highly desirable, although the membership values may not be indicative of the degree of typicality of a feature value in a particular class.

Kim, Jaeseok↗

WPGNN and PLayGen (Wind Plant Graph Neural Network and Plant Layout Generator) [SWR-21-90]

WPGNN is the graph neural network machine learning based surrogate model and software that provides a streamlined approximation of wind plant wake models. It can rapidly estimate the energy production of the plant and turbines for any arbitrarily sized wind plant and layout under any inflow condition. Associated tools include graphing and visualization capabilities as well as a wind plant generator capable of creating randomized realizations of canonical wind plant layouts. The WPGNN architecture and application is extendable to multiple wake models, turbine technologies and features, and supports downstream optimizations of wind plant layouts and control strategies. In addition to the WPGNN, we include the code for the plant layout generator (PLayGen) playgen.py. This generator can produce random realizations of realistic wind plant layouts from one of the four canonical styles: cluster, single string, multiple string, or parallel string. The PLayGen_demo.ipynb notebook provides a demonstration of how to use the generator tool.

Harrison-Atlas, Dylan↗

Exact block encoding of imaginary time evolution with universal quantum neural networks

We develop a constructive approach to generate quantum neural networks capable of representing the exact thermal states of all many-body qubit Hamiltonians. The Trotter expansion of the imaginary time propagator is implemented through an exact block encoding by means of a unitary, restricted Boltzmann machine architecture. Marginalization over the hidden-layer neurons (auxiliary qubits) creates the nonunitary action on the visible layer. Then, we introduce a unitary deep Boltzmann machine architecture in which the hidden-layer qubits are allowed to couple laterally to other hidden qubits. We prove that this wave-function is closed under the action of the imaginary time propagator and, more generally, can represent the action of a universal set of quantum gate operations. We provide analytic expressions for the coefficients for both architectures, thus enabling exact network representations of thermal states without stochastic optimization of the network parameters. In the limit of large imaginary time, the yields the ground state of the system. The number of qubits grows linearly with the number of interactions and total imaginary time for a fixed interaction order. Both networks can be readily implemented on quantum hardware via midcircuit measurements of auxiliary qubits. If only one auxiliary qubit is measured and reset, the circuit depth scales linearly with imaginary time and number of interactions, while the width is constant. Alternatively, one can employ a number of auxiliary qubits linearly proportional to the number of interactions, and circuit depth grows linearly with imaginary time only. Every midcircuit measurement has a postselection success probability, and the overall success probability is equal to the product of the probabilities of the midcircuit measurements.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Predicting critical heat flux with uncertainty quantification and domain generalization using conditional variational autoencoders and deep neural networks

Deep generative models (DGMs) can generate synthetic data samples that closely resemble the original dataset, addressing data scarcity. In this work, we developed a conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) to augment critical heat flux (CHF) data used for the 2006 Groeneveld lookup table. To compare with traditional methods, a fine-tuned deep neural network (DNN) regression model was evaluated on the same dataset. Both models achieved small mean absolute relative errors, with the CVAE showing more favorable results. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) was performed using repeated CVAE sampling and DNN ensembling. The DNN ensemble improved performance over the baseline, while the CVAE maintained consistent results with less variability and higher confidence. Both models achieved small errors inside and outside the training domain, with slightly larger errors outside. Altogether, the CVAE performed better than the DNN in predicting CHF and exhibited better uncertainty behavior.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Optical Computation Of Matrices From Vectors

Proposed optical apparatus generates rectangular pattern of light and dark areas, brightnesses of which represent elements of matrix product of two vectors. Photorefractive effect gives rise to four-wave mixing, which generates output beam modulated spatially by matrix product xy(SupT). Optical multipliers used as real-time analog tensor generators, components of neural networks, and generators of patterns to steer electromagnetic beams by diffraction or to effect temporary interconnections in very-large-scale integrated circuits.

Liu, Hua-Kuang↗

3-D components of a biological neural network visualized in computer generated imagery. I - Macular receptive field organization

Computer-assisted, 3-dimensional reconstructions of macular receptive fields and of their linkages into a neural network have revealed new information about macular functional organization. Both type I and type II hair cells are included in the receptive fields. The fields are rounded, oblong, or elongated, but gradations between categories are common. Cell polarizations are divergent. Morphologically, each calyx of oblong and elongated fields appears to be an information processing site. Intrinsic modulation of information processing is extensive and varies with the kind of field. Each reconstructed field differs in detail from every other, suggesting that an element of randomness is introduced developmentally and contributes to endorgan adaptability.

Ross, Muriel D.↗

Generative Physics-Informed Neural Network Solving Multi-Scale and Multi-Phase Plasma Chemical Flow Field

Low-temperature plasmas (LTPs) are non-equilibrium systems with near-room-temperature gas and highly energetic electrons. This makes them ideal for delicate applications in biomedicine and semiconductor manufacturing, enabling processes like wound healing, sterilization, etching, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition without thermal damage. However, LTPs involve complex chemistries, with hundreds of species and thousands of reactions, complicating their diagnosis, prediction, and control. Conventional diagnostics, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), and optical emission spectroscopy (OES), offer limited species detection, while mass spectrometry (MS) struggles with low-sensitivity species. Additionally, LTP simulations face multi-scale challenges, as macroscopic fluid dynamics and microscopic particle collisions operate on vastly different timescales. To address these issues, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI) based diagnostic system: a generative physics-informed neural network (PINN-Gen) that can predict spatially resolved species concentrations and temperatures in LTPs by integrating experimental data from planar LIF with microscopic plasma chemical kinetics and macroscopic fluid mechanics, including plasma-liquid interactions at the interface between two phases. PINN-Gen solves no equations but checks the errors of physical laws by substituting the output from neural network, and the comparison with the experimental results. Thus, it naturally avoids the multi-scale difficulty of numerical simulations and predicts the results of conventionally unsolvable multi-scale and multi-phase problems. The real-time prediction will be robust due to the physical information used in the training of such a neural network, and only very limited input of condition required due to its generative feature.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Identification and localization of rotational spectra using recurrent neural networks

A method of identifying molecular parameters in a complex mixture may include receiving a set of combined transition frequencies and analyzing the set of combined transition frequencies using a first trained artificial neural network to generate a plurality of separated transition frequency sets. Each of the plurality of separated frequency sets may be analyzed using a second trained artificial neural network to generate a respective set of estimated spectral parameters. The method may include identifying a set of molecular parameters corresponding to the set of separated transition frequencies.

Prozuments, Kirills↗

Algorithm For A Self-Growing Neural Network

CID3 algorithm simulates self-growing neural network. Constructs decision trees equivalent to hidden layers of neural network. Based on ID3 algorithm, which dynamically generates decision tree while minimizing entropy of information. CID3 algorithm generates feedforward neural network by use of either crisp or fuzzy measure of entropy.

Cios, Krzysztof J.↗

LENS: Learning Enabled Network Synthesis

RTRC and UMD have developed novel machine learning based methods under the ARPA-E DIFFERENTIATE program for rapid acceleration of hypothesis generation in complex architecture design spaces involving both discrete choices of component inclusion and interconnection and continuous parametric decisions. The project named Learning Enabled Network Synthesis (LENS) further demonstrated the developed methods on challenging electrical power converter design problems by identifying the most suitable circuit topologies and simultaneously selecting the most appropriate components to achieve optimized design of power converter with improved performances. We demonstrated that LENS could enable exploration of very large design space of circuit topologies and components by addressing the limitations of conventional design process in non-linear, high switching speed, multi-dimensional power converter design and optimization. The key innovation developed in LENS is the seamless integration of statistical learning and logical reasoning techniques and building on the individual strengths of these techniques for rapid hypothesis discovery. The main component of LENS comprises of: 1) Graph Reasoning Engine (GRE) to enforce composition rules that rapidly reject all discrete architectures that are composed incorrectly and generates an adaptive database of feasible designs which can be used by ML modules, 2) Graph Generative Learning module which is a deep neural network based generative model for graph architectures which can enable design space exploration beyond the dataset generated by the GRE, 3) Graph Reduced Order Model (ROM) for graph domains for accelerating computation of output metrics, and 4) Active learning and Rule Discovery module for sample efficient learning and extracting logical rules from the learned ML models which will be integrated in the GRE to enhance the filtering effectiveness. LENS approach can be applied to any design domains where designs can be represented as multi-attribute graphs. The LENS team integrated the various technical innovations listed above into an optimization pipeline and exercised the optimization pipeline on the converter design problem. The LENS project demonstrated that the developed AI/ML technologies can be used to generate novel converter circuits >45x faster than experts on chosen use-cases. This can enable faster design space exploration and identification of new designs which are not considered by experts due to the increasing design space complexity. This has significant potential impact on the public and energy needs of the country. It is currently estimated that 30% of all electrical powers generated passes through power converters. The future estimate is that 80% of all power generated would be passing through converters. LENS fills a critical gap in this space since by accelerating the design process the designers would be able to generate more efficient converters which can lead to significant energy savings for the country.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Secure authentication using recurrent neural networks

A computer-implemented method of user authentication is provided. The method comprises combining, by a computer system, a user recurrent neural network with a system recurrent neural network to form a unique combined recurrent neural network. The user recurrent neural network is configured to generate a unique user key, and the system recurrent neural network is configured to generate a system key. The computer system inputs a predetermined input into the combined recurrent neural network, and the combined recurrent neural network generates a unique combined key from the input, wherein the combined key differs from both the user key and system key. The computer system then associates the combined key with a unique access authorization to authenticate a user.

Aimone, James Bradley↗

Feasibility of Using Neural Network Models to Accelerate the Testing of Mechanical Systems

Verification testing is an important aspect of the design process for mechanical mechanisms, and full-scale, full-length life testing is typically used to qualify any new component for use in space. However, as the required life specification is increased, full-length life tests become more costly and lengthen the development time. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, we theorized that neural network systems may be able to model the operation of a mechanical device. If so, the resulting neural network models could simulate long-term mechanical testing with data from a short-term test. This combination of computer modeling and short-term mechanical testing could then be used to verify the reliability of mechanical systems, thereby eliminating the costs associated with long-term testing. Neural network models could also enable designers to predict the performance of mechanisms at the conceptual design stage by entering the critical parameters as input and running the model to predict performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of using neural networks to predict the performance and life of mechanical systems. To do this, we generated a neural network system to model wear obtained from three accelerated testing devices: 1) A pin-on-disk tribometer; 2) A line-contact rub-shoe tribometer; 3) A four-ball tribometer.

Fusaro, Robert L.↗