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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Adaptive Instrument Module: Space Instrument Controller "Brain" through Programmable Logic Devices

The Adaptive Instrument Module (AIM) will be the first true demonstration of reconfigurable computing with field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in space, enabling the 'brain' of the system to evolve or adapt to changing requirements. In partnership with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems (CRC-SS), APL has built the flight version to be flown on the Australian university-class satellite FEDSAT. The AIM provides satellites the flexibility to adapt to changing mission requirements by reconfiguring standardized processing hardware rather than incurring the large costs associated with new builds. This ability to reconfigure the processing in response to changing mission needs leads to true evolveable computing, wherein the instrument 'brain' can learn from new science data in order to perform state-of-the-art data processing. The development of the AIM is significant in its enormous potential to reduce total life-cycle costs for future space exploration missions. The advent of RAM-based FPGAs whose configuration can be changed at any time has enabled the development of the AIM for processing tasks that could not be performed in software. The use of the AIM enables reconfiguration of the FPGA circuitry while the spacecraft is in flight, with many accompanying advantages. The AIM demonstrates the practicalities of using reconfigurable computing hardware devices by conducting a series of designed experiments. These include the demonstration of implementing data compression, data filtering, and communication message processing and inter-experiment data computation. The second generation is the Adaptive Processing Template (ADAPT) which is further described in this paper. The next step forward is to make the hardware itself adaptable and the ADAPT pursues this challenge by developing a reconfigurable module that will be capable of functioning efficiently in various applications. ADAPT will take advantage of radiation tolerant RAM-based field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology to develop a reconfigurable processor that combines the flexibility of a general purpose processor running software with the performance of application specific processing hardware for a variety of high performance computing applications.

Darrin, Ann Garrison↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dynamic Model Agnostic Reliability Evaluation of Machine-Learning Models Integrated in Instrumentation & Control Systems

In recent years, the field of data-driven neural network-based machine learning (ML) algorithms has grown significantly and spurred research in its applicability to instrumentation and control systems. While they are promising in operational contexts, the trustworthiness of such algorithms is not adequately assessed. Failures of ML-integrated systems are poorly understood; the lack of comprehensive risk modeling can degrade the trustworthiness of these systems. In recent reports by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, trustworthiness in ML is a critical barrier to adoption and will play a vital role in intelligent systems' safe and accountable operation. Thus, in this work, we demonstrate a real-time model-agnostic method to evaluate the relative reliability of ML predictions by incorporating out-of-distribution detection on the training dataset. It is well documented that ML algorithms excel at interpolation (or near-interpolation) tasks but significantly degrade at extrapolation. This occurs when new samples are "far" from training samples. The method, referred to as the Laplacian distributed decay for reliability (LADDR), determines the difference between the operational and training datasets, which is used to calculate a prediction's relative reliability. LADDR is demonstrated on a feedforward neural network-based model used to predict safety significant factors during different loss-of-flow transients. LADDR is intended as a "data supervisor" and determines the appropriateness of well-trained ML models in the context of operational conditions. Ultimately, LADDR illustrates how training data can be used as evidence to support the trustworthiness of ML predictions when utilized for conventional interpolation tasks.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Business Case Analysis for Digital Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control System Modernizations

The commercial nuclear sector faces unprecedented financial challenges driven by low natural gas prices and subsidized renewables in a marketplace that does not reward carbon-free baseload capacity. These circumstances, along with increasingly antiquated labor-centric operating models and analog technology, have forced the premature closure of multiple nuclear facilities and placed a much larger population of nuclear power stations at risk. Nuclear plant economic survival in current and forecasted market conditions requires an efficient and technology-centric operating model that harvests the native efficiencies of advanced technology. This is analogous to transformations in nearly every other industry. In light of previous industry experience in modernizing safety Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) systems, nuclear utilities are reluctant to pursue these upgrades due to uncertainty in licensing and cost.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control Pilot Upgrade Initiation Phase Implementation Report

This research report (1) describes the process followed and products developed during the SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase, and (2) captures lessons learned. Exelon Generation and LWRS collaborated to develop a Digital Transformation Strategy as part of a larger Advanced Concept of Operations. The proposed SR I&C Pilot Upgrade provides a foundation stone for this Digital Transformation that will improve plant safety, reliability, and operational performance while lowering plant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Initial Scoping Phase activities for this Pilot Project have been performed in accordance with industry processes that have been adapted to better support digital upgrades. These processes include IP-ENG-001, Standard Design Process (SDP) [Reference 2], NISP-EN-04, Standard Digital Engineering Process (SDEP) [Reference 3], and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report 3002011816, Digital Engineering Guide (DEG). Completing Initial Scoping Phase Engineering and Operations, Licensing, and Project Management Activities was necessary to sufficiently bound the scope, schedule, and estimated cost of the Project to enable utility management to authorize moving into the Conceptual Design Phase. A significant finding of the Business Case Analysis (BCA) methodology developed and applied as part of this effort was that the growth rate of material costs for sustaining the operation of obsolete SR I&C equipment is accelerating. This directly contributed to the Project Economic Analysis created to justify continuing the Project. Project Initial Scoping Phase lessons learned have also been captured to assist the larger industry in understanding the Digital Transformation Strategy and SR I&C Pilot Project Initial Scoping Phase efforts. This is in keeping with the public/private partnership that has been established between the Department of Energy (DOE) and Exelon for this effort with engagement from the NRC. By addressing first-of-a-kind (FOAK) risks and capturing lessons learned, the SR I&C Pilot Upgrade Project addresses technical, regulatory, and business risks to enable subsequent implementers of similar upgrades.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

MARVEL Instrumentation, Control, and Software Considerations

This paper details the various I&C considerations and design decisions made throughout the MARVEL (Micro-reactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation) project, including sensor and actuator selection, safety-related functionality, digital control hardware and software, and testing methodologies. Key challenges such as managing radiation, temperature, and space constraints are discussed, along with the trade-offs between using standard equipment and custom solutions. The successful integration of off-the-shelf components, the emphasis on minimizing safety-related instrumentation, and the lessons learned from prototyping and testing are highlighted. The authors aim to provide insights that can benefit future micro-reactor designs and emphasize the importance of real-world testing in advancing reactor technology.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗
NASA NTRS1995

Active Flow Control: Instrumentation Automation and Experimental Technique

In investigating the potential of a new actuator for use in an active flow control system, several objectives had to be accomplished, the largest of which was the experimental setup. The work was conducted at the NASA Langley 20x28 Shear Flow Control Tunnel. The actuator named Thunder, is a high deflection piezo device recently developed at Langley Research Center. This research involved setting up the instrumentation, the lighting, the smoke, and the recording devices. The instrumentation was automated by means of a Power Macintosh running LabVIEW, a graphical instrumentation package developed by National Instruments. Routines were written to allow the tunnel conditions to be determined at a given instant at the push of a button. This included determination of tunnel pressures, speed, density, temperature, and viscosity. Other aspects of the experimental equipment included the set up of a CCD video camera with a video frame grabber, monitor, and VCR to capture the motion. A strobe light was used to highlight the smoke that was used to visualize the flow. Additional effort was put into creating a scale drawing of another tunnel on site and a limited literature search in the area of active flow control.

Gimbert, N. Wes↗
DOE OSTI2020

Business Case Analysis for Digital Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control System Modernizations

This LWRS research seeks to assist in breaking the impasse which has precluded digital safety system upgrades by generating and demonstrating a process and related business case tool to enable a Business Case Analysis (BCA). The purpose of a BCA is to show such upgrades can be economically justified. This BCA methodology first systematically establishes a forecast of expected lifecycle costs for I&C identified for upgrade by: • Definitively bounding the scope of current I&C systems envisioned for upgrade. • Collecting historical labor and material usage data that bound cost contributors related to the systems to be upgraded. • Synthesizing and analyzing the data to establish lifecycle cost forecasts for the current systems. In collaboration with engineers familiar with the attributes of the digital equipment to be used in the upgrade and how it is envisioned to be applied, cost savings categories and expected savings in those categories are then identified and applied using the analysis tools developed for this purpose. The result is an estimate NPV of savings enabled by the upgrade. This includes both direct cost savings (e.g., surveillance labor costs) as well as cost avoidance items (e.g., inventory carrying costs). Finally, when utility-provided digital upgrade costs estimates are included, the resultant BCA provides an NPV for the upgrade project. Development of a useful BCA methodology requires a real-world basis. With the cooperation of Exelon Generation (“Owner”), an Exelon-owned 2-Unit BWR Station (“Station”) was used as the foundation for this research. Exelon is pursuing a digital upgrade of current, first-echelon, safety-related I&C systems at these units, including the following: • Reactor Protection System (RPS) • Nuclear Steam Supply Shutoff System (N4S) • Emergency Core Cooling Systems (ECCS) • Anticipated Transient Without Scram (ATWS) Mitigation System

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1978

A computer-controlled instrumentation system for third octave analysis

An instrumentation system is described which employs a minicomputer, a one-third octave band analyzer, and a time code/tape search unit for the automatic control and analysis of third-octave data. With this system the information necessary for data adjustment is formatted in such a way as to eliminate much operator interface, thereby substantially reducing the probability for error. A description of a program for the calculation of effective perceived noise level from aircraft noise data is included as an example of how this system can be used.

Faulcon, N. D.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Real-Time Exposure Control and Instrument Operation With the NEID Spectrograph GUI

The NEID spectrograph on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope at Kitt Peak has completed its first full year of science operations and is reliably delivering sub-m/s precision radial velocity measurements. The NEID instrument control system uses the TIMS package (Bender et al. 2016), which is a client-server software system built around the twisted python software stack. During science observations, interaction with the NEID spectrograph is handled through a pair of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), written in PyQT, which wrap the underlying instrument control software and provide straightforward and reliable access to the instrument. Here, we detail the design of these interfaces and present an overview of their use for NEID operations. Observers can use the NEID GUIs to set the exposure time, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold, and other relevant parameters for observations, configure the calibration bench and observing mode, track or edit observation metadata, and monitor the current state of the instrument. These GUIs facilitate automatic spectrograph configuration and target ingestion from the nightly observing queue, which improves operational efficiency and consistency across epochs. By interfacing with the NEID exposure meter, the GUIs also allow observers to monitor the progress of individual exposures and trigger the shutter on user-defined SNR thresholds. In addition, inset plots of the instantaneous and cumulative exposure meter counts as each observation progresses allow for rapid diagnosis of changing observing conditions as well as guiding failure and other emergent issues.

Arvind F Gupta↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Python Instrument Control and Data Acquisition Suite for Reproducible Research

Tools that standardize and automate experimental data collection are needed for greater confidence in research results. The National Synchrotron Light Source-II (NSLS-II) has generated an open-source Python data acquisition, management, and analysis software suite that automates X-ray experiments and collects an experimental record that facilitates complete reproducibility. Here, we show that the NSLS-II tools are not only useful for X-ray science at large-scale facilities by presenting an add-on package that adapts these tools for use in a small laboratory with common physics and electrical engineering instruments. The composite software suite eases and automates the execution of experiments, records extensive metadata, stores data in portable containers, and speeds up the analysis through tools for comprehensive searches. In total, this software suite increases the reproducibility of laboratory experiments. We demonstrate the software via the evaluation of two lock-in amplifiers-the miniature ADA2200 and the ubiquitous Stanford Research Systems (SRS) SR810. The frequency resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and dynamic reserve of the lock-in amplifiers are measured and presented. The usage of the software suite is described throughout these measurements so that the reader can implement the tools in their lab.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1977

Instrumentation, control and data management for the MIST (Modular Integrated Utility System) Facility

An appendix providing the technical data required for computerized control and/or monitoring of selected MIST subsystems is presented. Specific computerized functions to be performed are as follows: (1) Control of the MIST heating load simulator and monitoring of the diesel engine generators' cooling system; (2) Control of the MIST heating load simulator and MIST heating subsystem including the heating load simulator; and (3) Control of the MIST air conditioning load simulator subsystem and the MIST air conditioning subsystem, including cold thermal storage and condenser water flows.

Celino, V. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Cost effective development of a Shuttle-based astronomical instrument control system

The high level language FORTH is used for the electronic control of the Space Shuttle-based Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, in a flight computer system which minimizes costs. The greater part of the breadboard version of the flight computer is assembled from commercially available components, reducing novel circuit design features and permitting simultaneous development of both hardware and software. The commercial boards are then refabricated on aluminum core heat conducting stock, using high reliability parts to produce the flight versions of the system. The system's ground support equipment employs a MINC-25 minicomputer which performs such functions as flight computer software development, PROM programming, test and integration support, and flight operations support. The implementation of these concepts in flight computer telescope controls is described.

Parise, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Embedded Real-Time Linux for Instrument Control and Data Logging

When I moved to the west. coast to take a job at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA, I was impressed with the variety of equipment and software which scientists at the center use to conduct their research. was happy to find that I was just as likely to see a machine running Lenox as one running Windows in the offices and laboratories of NASA Ames (although many people seem to use Moos around here). I was especially happy to find that the particular group with whom I was going to work, the Atmospheric Physics Branch at Ames, relied almost entirely on Lenox machines for their day-to-day work. So it was no surprise that when it was time to construct a new control system for one of their most important pieces of hardware, a switch from an unpredictable DOS-based platform to an Embedded Linux-based one was a decision easily made. The system I am working on is called the Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR), a PC-104 based system custom-built by Dr. Warren Gore at Ames. Dr. Gore, Dr. Peter Pilewskie, Dr. Maura Robberies and Larry Pezzolo use the SSFR in their research. The team working on the controller project consists of Dr. Gore, John Pommier, and myself. The SSFR is used by the ,cities Atmospheric Radiation Group to measure solar spectral irradiance at moderate resolution to determine the radiative effect of clouds, aerosols, and gases on climate, and also to infer the physical properties of aerosols and clouds. Two identical SSFR's have been built and successfully deployed in three field missions: 1) the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Enhanced Shortwave Experiment (ARESE) II in February/March, 2000; 2) the Puerto Rico Dust Experiment (PRIDE) in July, 2000; and 3) the South African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI) in August/September, 2000. Additionally, the SSFR was used to acquire water vapor spectra using the Ames Diameter base-path multiple-reflection absorption cell in a laboratory experiment.

Clanton, Sam↗
NASA NTRS2010

Thermal Design Considerations of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Science Instrument Control and Data Handler (SI C and DH-2)

Following a failure in side 1 of the HST SI C&DH in September 2008, HST Servicing Mission 4 (SM-4) was delayed so that a SI C&DH Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) could be qualified for flight. This second generation SI C&DH (SI C&DH-2) included several enhancements which increased its thermal dissipation near critical components. In order to maintain the SI C&DH-2 within its operational temperature limits, several thermal modifications were installed prior to its final qualification testing. This paper presents the thermal modifications performed on the SI C&DH-2, as well as the thermal ground test results and a correlation of the SI C&DH-2 thermal design to flight telemetry.

Gregory, Teri H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Instrument Remote Control via the Astronomical Instrument Markup Language

The Instrument Remote Control (IRC) project ongoing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Information Systems Center (ISC) supports NASA's mission by defining an adaptive intranet-based framework that provides robust interactive and distributed control and monitoring of remote instruments. An astronomical IRC architecture that combines the platform-independent processing capabilities of Java with the power of Extensible Markup Language (XML) to express hierarchical data in an equally platform-independent, as well as human readable manner, has been developed. This architecture is implemented using a variety of XML support tools and Application Programming Interfaces (API) written in Java. IRC will enable trusted astronomers from around the world to easily access infrared instruments (e.g., telescopes, cameras, and spectrometers) located in remote, inhospitable environments, such as the South Pole, a high Chilean mountaintop, or an airborne observatory aboard a Boeing 747. Using IRC's frameworks, an astronomer or other scientist can easily define the type of onboard instrument, control the instrument remotely, and return monitoring data all through the intranet. The Astronomical Instrument Markup Language (AIML) is the first implementation of the more general Instrument Markup Language (IML). The key aspects of our approach to instrument description and control applies to many domains, from medical instruments to machine assembly lines. The concepts behind AIML apply equally well to the description and control of instruments in general. IRC enables us to apply our techniques to several instruments, preferably from different observatories.

Sall, Ken↗
DOE OSTI2025

Safety Assurance of Software and Machine Learning Development for Nuclear Instrumentation and Controls

Digital instrumentation and control (DI&C) systems monitor and control parameters in nuclear power plants. Ensuring their safety is a critical part of ensuring overall plant safety. Nuclear power plant licensing generates thousands of safety documents that could be organized more effectively using a safety assurance case (SAC). We conducted a literature survey of SACs and created a SAC framework for DI&C software using Goal Structuring Notation (GSN). This framework focuses on four software development processes: management & assurance, pre-developed software (PDS) qualification, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), and the Machine Learning Development Life Cycle (MLDLC). We organized our framework using a novel level structure that can be applied to other SACs to improve their clarity. Finally, we demonstrate how our framework can be incorporated as part of a SAC for a larger reactor system.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗