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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2024

Efficient and generalizable nested Fourier-DeepONet for three-dimensional geological carbon sequestration

Geological carbon sequestration (GCS) involves injecting CO2 into subsurface geological formationsfor permanent storage. Numerical simulations could guide decisions in GCS projects by predictingCO 2 migration pathways and the pressure distribution in storage formation. However, these simula-tions are often computationally expensive due to highly coupled physics and large spatial-temporalsimulation domains. Surrogate modelling with data-driven machine learning has become a promis-ing alternative to accelerate physics-based simulations. Among these, the Fourier neural operator(FNO) has been applied to three-dimensional synthetic subsurface models. Despite its good accuracyin simulating CO 2 plume migration, it requires large computational resources in training and alsolacks generalizability. Here, to further improve performance, we have developed a nested Fourier-DeepONet by combining the expressiveness of the FNO with the modularity of a deep operatornetwork (DeepONet). This new framework is twice as efficient as a nested FNO for training and has atleast 80% lower GPU memory requirement due to its flexibility to treat temporal coordinates sepa-rately. These performance improvements are achieved without compromising prediction accuracy.In addition, the generalization and extrapolation ability of nested Fourier-DeepONet beyond thetraining range has been thoroughly evaluated. Nested Fourier-DeepONet outperformed the nestedFNO for extrapolation in time with more than 50% reduced error. It also exhibited good extrapolationaccuracy beyond the training range in terms of reservoir properties, number of wells, and injectionrate.

Lee, Jonathan E. [Department of Chemical and Envir↗

NASA NTRS1995

Old-growth and mature forests near spotted owl nests in western Oregon

We investigated how the amount of old-growth and mature forest influences the selection of nest sites by northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in the Central Cascade Mountains of Oregon. We used 7 different plot sizes to compare the proportion of mature and old-growth forest between 30 nest sites and 30 random sites. The proportion of old-growth and mature forest was significantly greater at nests sites than at random sites for all plot sizes (P less than or equal to 0.01). Thus, management of the spotted owl might require setting the percentage of old-growth and mature forest retained from harvesting at least 1 standard deviation above the mean for the 30 nest sites we examined.

Ripple, William J.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Concentric Nested Toroidal Inflatable Structures

Assemblies comprising multiple limited- height toroidal inflatable structures nested in a concentric arrangement have been invented to obtain more design flexibility than can be obtained in single taller, wider toroidal inflatable structures (see figure). Originally intended for use as containers for habitats for humans in outer space or on remote planets, these and related prior inflatable structures could also be useful on Earth as lightweight, compactly stowable, portable special-purpose buildings that could be transported to remote locations and there inflated to full size and shape. In the case of a single inflatable toroidal structure, one important source of lack of design flexibility is the fact that an increase in outer diameter (which is sometimes desired) is necessarily accompanied by an increase in height (which is sometimes undesired). Increases in diameter and height can also cause difficulty in utilization of the resulting larger volume, in that it can become necessary to partition the volume by means of walls and floors, and features (e.g., stairs or ladders) must be added to enable vertical movement between floors. Moreover, ascending and descending between floors in a gravitational environment could pose unacceptable difficulty for the inhabitants under some circumstances. Another source of lack of design flexibility in a single toroidal inflatable structure is that for a given inflation pressure, an increase in the outer diameter of the structure necessarily entails an increase in the maximum stress in the structure. Because it is necessary to keep the maximum stress within the load-bearing capability of the structural materials, consistent with other aspects of the design, this may translate to a limit on the outer diameter. In an assembly comprising concentric nested toroidal structures, an increase in outer diameter does not necessarily entail an increase in height or a maximum stress in excess of the load-bearing capability of the structural materials. The minor diameters of the nested toroid can be chosen to partition interior spaces optimally, without necessitating the addition of walls or floors. Inasmuch as the maximum stress in a nested inflatable toroidal structure is a function of its minor diameter and the minor diameter is typically small enough that the load-bearing capability of the structural materials is not exceeded, there is no longer a limit on the outer diameter of the assembly: instead, the assembly can be expanded, without limit, by simply adding concentric inflatable toroidal structures having suitable minor diameters and successively larger major diameters. The minor diameters need not be equal:

Johnson, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Regional Model Nesting Within GFS Daily Forecasts Over West Africa

The study uses the RM3, the regional climate model at the Center for Climate Systems Research of Columbia University and the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies (CCSR/GISS). The paper evaluates 30 48-hour RM3 weather forecasts over West Africa during September 2006 made on a 0.5 grid nested within 1 Global Forecast System (GFS) global forecasts. September 2006 was the Special Observing Period #3 of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA). Archived GFS initial conditions and lateral boundary conditions for the simulations from the US National Weather Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration were interpolated four times daily. Results for precipitation forecasts are validated against Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite estimates and data from the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS), which includes rain gauge measurements, and forecasts of circulation are compared to reanalysis 2. Performance statistics for the precipitation forecasts include bias, root-mean-square errors and spatial correlation coefficients. The nested regional model forecasts are compared to GFS forecasts to gauge whether nesting provides additional realistic information. They are also compared to RM3 simulations driven by reanalysis 2, representing high potential skill forecasts, to gauge the sensitivity of results to lateral boundary conditions. Nested RM3/GFS forecasts generate excessive moisture advection toward West Africa, which in turn causes prodigious amounts of model precipitation. This problem is corrected by empirical adjustments in the preparation of lateral boundary conditions and initial conditions. The resulting modified simulations improve on the GFS precipitation forecasts, achieving time-space correlations with TRMM of 0.77 on the first day and 0.63 on the second day. One realtime RM3/GFS precipitation forecast made at and posted by the African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD) in Niamey, Niger is shown.

Druyan, Leonard M.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Fault Detection on Seismic Structural Images Using a Nested Residual U-Net

Automatic identification of faults on seismic structural images is a challenging yet crucial task in quantitative seismic interpretation. Human picking or attribute-based fault detection methods may misidentify faults on noisy, complex seismic images. In this work, we develop a new automatic fault detection method using a nested residual U-shaped convolutional neural network. Each of the encoders and decoders in this neural network is a residual U-Net, leading to a nested architecture. The final fault map results from the fusion of three fault maps with low, medium, and high fault resolutions. We demonstrate the excellent fault-detection capability of our nested neural network using a series of synthetic and field seismic images. We find that our approach produces clearer and more interpretable fault maps than the current state-of-the-art U-Net fault detection method, particularly on noisy seismic images. Our new automatic fault detection method can facilitate reliable quantitative seismic interpretation on field seismic images.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Nuclear Enterprise Science & Technology (NEST) [Slides]

The NEST Certificate Program is designed to provide students with the skills and experience to qualify for entry-level positions in nuclear facilities as Fissile Material Handler and/or Glovebox Operator. The program goal is to provide for a technically qualified workforce who can execute a variety of programmatic work in modern nuclear materials handling and processing facilities. The program is designed to be completed in a minimum of 1 year (2 semesters) of university level courses (30 credit hours). A certificate will be offered and awarded through the University of New Mexico – Los Alamos (UNM-LA). NEST is unique in that it is an immersive education program. The NNSA-required training for nuclear material handlers and fissionable material handlers has been cross-walked with the educational Core Curricula. Academic content will be delivered that provides background scientific and engineering understanding of the fundamental concepts behind this training. It will be offered as a Pilot Program to an incumbent cohort to ensure that the Certificate meets programmatic needs. NEST is modelled after a Wharton County Junior College (Texas) program to attract and produce nuclear reactor operators.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

NASA NTRS2019

Model for the Increase in Thruster Efficiency from Cross-Channel Coupling in Nested Hall Thrusters

Multi-channel operation in nested Hall thrusters has been experimentally shown to enhance thruster efficiency compared to single-channel operation at constant power. This is the result of higher local neutral density due to the flow from adjacent channels, leading to two effects: neutral ingestion and decreased plume divergence. Analytical expressions for the impact of these cross-channel effects on efficiency are derived for a nested Hall thruster based on the flow of neutrals between channels. These expressions are dependent on the geometry and operation of a given thruster, as well as its performance in single-channel operation. The mass utilization efficiency increase from cross-channel neutrals is found to be primarily driven by the distance between adjacent channels. A comparison of the model predictions of efficiency to experiment also shows agreement within uncertainty. These results are discussed in the context of best practices for nested Hall thruster channel testing and optimal thruster design.

Nested Hall Thruster↗

DOE OSTI2023

Unbalanced Nested Random Effects Estimation of Variance Components

To investigate the contributing factors of variance in the measurement of an iodine 127 (127I) sample, we implement a nested random effects analysis of variance (ANOVA). Historically, the reported uncertainty on a measurement of 127I has been obtained by methods of forward uncertainty propagation because there is typically only one replicate of a given sample for which to estimate the uncertainty. When samples are processed there are several types of quality control (QC) standards analyzed along-side the unknown samples with two to five replicates for each. Assuming the variance observed in these replicate QC standards is representative of that of the unknown samples, we use these data in a nested random effects ANOVA to estimate the total uncertainty of a measurement. We demonstrate this approach with two sets of measurements from Idaho National Laboratory and compare the results with the forward uncertainty propagation approach. Variance component estimates for the coarsest level of the nesting structure were most imprecise because replicates were most limited at these levels. We find that the results largely agree between forward propagation and ANOVA, and the greatest contributors of variance are due to instrument variation and chemical processing, with human processing being among the smallest contributors. This analysis provides reassurance that the reported uncertainties using forward propagation are reasonable and the process is well controlled. We propose a future designed experiment to increase replicates at the coarsest level of the hierarchy to improve estimates of these variance components.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Direct stellarator coil optimization for nested magnetic surfaces with precise quasi-symmetry

We present a robust optimization algorithm for the design of electromagnetic coils that generate vacuum magnetic fields with nested flux surfaces and precise quasi-symmetry. The method is based on a bilevel optimization problem, where the outer coil optimization is constrained by a set of inner least squares optimization problems whose solutions describe magnetic surfaces. The outer optimization objective targets coils that generate a field with nested magnetic surfaces and good quasi-symmetry. The inner optimization problems identify magnetic surfaces when they exist, and approximate surfaces in the presence of magnetic islands or chaos. We show that this formulation can be used to heal islands and chaos, thus producing coils that result in magnetic fields with precise quasi-symmetry. We show that the method can be initialized with coils from the traditional two-stage coil design process, as well as coils from a near-axis expansion optimization. We present a numerical example where island chains are healed and quasi-symmetry is optimized up to surfaces with aspect ratio 6. Another numerical example illustrates that the aspect ratio of nested flux surfaces with optimized quasi-symmetry can be decreased from 6 to approximately 4. In conclusion, the last example shows that our approach is robust and a cold-start using coils from a near-axis expansion optimization.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

A review of NEST models for liquid xenon and an exhaustive comparison with other approaches

This paper discusses the microphysical simulation of interactions in liquid xenon, the active detector medium in many leading rare-event searches for new physics, and describes experimental observables useful for understanding detector performance. The scintillation and ionization yield distributions for signal and background are presented using the Noble Element Simulation Technique (NEST), a toolkit based on experimental data and simple empirical formulas, which mimic previous microphysics modeling but are guided by data. The NEST models for light and charge production as a function of the particle type, energy, and electric field are reviewed, along with models for energy resolution and final pulse areas. NEST is compared with other models or sets of models and validated against real data, with several specific examples drawn from XENON, ZEPLIN, LUX, LZ, PandaX, and table-top experiments used for calibrations.

WIMPs↗

DOE OSTI2022

A Glimpse into Photodetachment Spectra of Giant and Nested Fullerene Anions

We focus on the study of the photodetachment of bare, i.e., single-cage (CN)− as well as nested (multi-cage) (CN@CM@…)− singly charged fullerene anions. We calculate the attached electron’s wavefunctions, energies, oscillator strengths and photodetachment cross sections of the C60−, C240−, C540−, (C60@C240)−, (C60@C540)−, (C240@C540)− and (C60@C240@C540)− fullerene anions, where the attached electron is captured into the ground s-state by the resultant external field provided by all fullerene cages in the anion. The goal is to gain insight into the changes in behavior ofphotodetachment of this valence electron as a function of the different geometries and potentials of the various underlying fullerenes or nested fullerenes (fullerene onions) both due to their increasing size and due to “stuffing” of a larger bare fullerene with smaller fullerenes. To meet this goal, we opt for a simple semi-empirical approximation to this problem: we approximate each individual fullerene cage by a rigid potential sphere of a certain inner radius, thickness and potential depth, as in numerous other model studies performed to date. The results reveal a number of rather significant differences in the wavefunctions, oscillator strengths and photodetachment cross sections among these fullerene anions, some of which are completely counter-intuitive. The results obtained can serve as a “zeroth-order-touchstone” for future studies of single-cage and nested fullerene anions by more rigorous theories and/or experiments to build upon this work to assess the importance of interactions omitted in the present study.

Dolmatov, Valeriy K.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A nested-grid mesoscale numerical weather prediction model modified for Space Shuttle operational requirements

A nested-grid mesoscale atmospheric simulation system (MASS) is tested over Florida for the case of intense seabreeze-induced convection. The goal of this modeling system is to provide real-time aviation weather support which is designed to fit local terminal operations such as those supporting NASA's STS. Results from a 58 km and a 14.5 km nested-grid simulation show that this version of the MASS is capable of simulating many of the basic characteristics of convective complexes during periods of relatively weak synoptic scale flow regimes. However, it is noted that extensive development work is required with nested-grid cumulus and planetary boundary layer parameterization schemes before many of the meso-beta scale features such as thunderstorm downdraft-produced bubble high pressure centers can be accurately simulated. After these schemes are properly tuned, MASS can be utilized to initialize microscale modeling systems.

Kaplan, M. L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Nested subcritical flows within supercritical systems

In supercritical systems the design inlet and outlet pressures are maintained above the thermaodynamic critical pressure P sub C. Designers rely on this simple rule of thumb to circumvent problems associated with a subcritical pressure regime nested within the supercritical pressure system along with the uncertainties in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermophysical property variations. The simple rule of thumb is adequate in many low-power designs but is inadequate for high-performance turbomachines and linear systems, where nested two-phase regions can exist. Examples for a free-jet expansion with backpressure greater than P sub C and a rotor (bearing) with ambient pressure greater than P sub C illustrate the existence of subcritical pressure regimes nested within supercritical systems.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A critical evaluation of various methods for the analysis of flow-solid interaction in a nest of thin cylinders subjected to cross flows

Various experimental, analytical, and numerical analysis methods for flow-solid interaction of a nest of cylinders subjected to cross flows are reviewed. A nest of cylinders subjected to cross flows can be found in numerous engineering applications including the Space Shuttle Maine Engine-Main Injector Assembly (SSME-MIA) and nuclear reactor heat exchangers. Despite its extreme importance in engineering applications, understanding of the flow-solid interaction process is quite limited and design of the tube banks are mostly dependent on experiments and/or experimental correlation equations. For future development of major numerical analysis methods for the flow-solid interaction of a nest of cylinders subjected to cross flow, various turbulence models, nonlinear structural dynamics, and existing laminar flow-solid interaction analysis methods are included.

Kim, Sang-Wook↗

NASA NTRS1988

Nested neural networks

Nested neural networks, consisting of small interconnected subnetworks, allow for the storage and retrieval of neural state patterns of different sizes. The subnetworks are naturally categorized by layers of corresponding to spatial frequencies in the pattern field. The storage capacity and the error correction capability of the subnetworks generally increase with the degree of connectivity between layers (the nesting degree). Storage of only few subpatterns in each subnetworks results in a vast storage capacity of patterns and subpatterns in the nested network, maintaining high stability and error correction capability.

Baram, Yoram↗

NASA NTRS1996

A Note on Multigrid Theory for Non-nested Grids and/or Quadrature

We provide a unified theory for multilevel and multigrid methods when the usual assumptions are not present. For example, we do not assume that the solution spaces or the grids are nested. Further, we do not assume that there is an algebraic relationship between the linear algebra problems on different levels. What we provide is a computationally useful theory for adaptively changing levels. Theory is provided for multilevel correction schemes, nested iteration schemes, and one way (i.e., coarse to fine grid with no correction iterations) schemes. We include examples showing the applicability of this theory: finite element examples using quadrature in the matrix assembly and finite volume examples with non-nested grids. Our theory applies directly to other discretizations as well.

Douglas, C. C.↗

NASA NTRS2019

High Power Demonstration of a 100 kW Nested Hall Thruster System

The XR-100 team successfully completed high power system testing of a Nested Hall Thruster system made up of the X3 Nested Hall Thruster, a modular Power Processing Unit, and a 5 valve Mass Flow Controller as the culmination of work performed under a NASA NextSTEP program. The test campaign attained several key firsts, including highest directly measured thrust of an electric propulsion (EP) string, highest demonstrated current of an EP string, and highest power operation of an EP string at thermal equilibrium published to date. Most importantly, the XR-100 system testing demonstrated that a 100 kW-class Nested Hall Thruster system has comparable performance and behavior to current state-of-the-art mid power Hall Thrusters, validating that the heritage technology can be scaled up to 100+ kW

Shark, Sarah↗

NASA NTRS2019

High Power Demonstration of a 100 kW Nested Hall Thruster System

Shark, Sarah↗