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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 397 records · Page 22

Enhanced Oblique Decision Tree Enabled Policy Extraction for Deep Reinforcement Learning in Power System Emergency Control

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms have successfully solved many challenging problems in various power system control scenarios. However, their decision-making process is usually regarded as black-boxes. Furthermore, how DRL models interact with human intelligence remains an open problem. Thus, this paper proposes a policy extraction framework to extract a complex DRL model into an explainable policy. This framework includes three parts: 1) DRL training and data generation. We train an agent for a specific control task and generate data, which contains the control policy of the agent. 2) Policy extraction. We propose an information gain rate based weighted oblique decision tree (IGR-WODT) for DRL policy extraction. 3) Policy evaluation. We define three metrics to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. A case study for the under-voltage load shedding problem shows that the IGR-WODT presents a performance enhancement compared with DRL, weighted oblique decision tree, and univariate decision tree. The proposed policy extraction method could provide an intuitive explanation of the neural network decision-making process to the dispatchers when making final decisions on power grid operation. Also, the resulted rule-based controller could replace the deep neural network-based controller in many field edge devices with limited computing resources, providing comparable performance.

deep reinforcement learning↗

OmniFed: A Modular Framework for Configurable Federated Learning from Edge to HPC

Federated Learning (FL) is critical for edge and High Performance Computing (HPC) where data is not centralized and privacy is crucial. We present OmniFed, a modular framework designed around decoupling and clear separation of concerns for configuration, orchestration, communication, and training logic. Its architecture supports configuration-driven prototyping and code-level override-what-you-need customization. We also support different topologies, mixed communication protocols within a single deployment, and popular training algorithms. It also offers optional privacy mechanisms including Differential Privacy (DP), Homomorphic Encryption (HE), and Secure Aggregation (SA), as well as compression strategies. These capabilities are exposed through well-defined extension points, allowing users to customize topology and orchestration, learning logic, and privacy/compression plugins, all while preserving the integrity of the core system. We evaluate multiple models and algorithms to measure various performance metrics. By unifying topology configuration, mixed-protocol communication, and pluggable modules in one stack, OmniFed streamlines FL deployment across heterogeneous environments. Github repository is available at https://github.com/at-aaims/OmniFed.

Tyagi, Sahil [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000783144745)↗

Innovative Natural Gas Technologies For Efficiency Gain In Reliable And Affordable Thermochemical Electricity Generation (INTEGRATE)

Hyper is a cutting-edge system that pairs computational models that simulate the response of different systems with physical components such as sensors and actuators to transfer said calculated response to the HyPer facility. Computational models must operate in real-time in order to resolve the system response when coupled to physical hardware. Real-time is defined by the minimal HyPer system response time of Δt = 0.080 s. The integration of these models serves as a foundation for performance characterization based on real-world SOFC hardware and paves the way for comprehensive fuel flexibility studies. This report underscores the innovative approach to cyber-physical system deployment at NETL’s HyPer Facility, highlighting the critical role of computational models in enhancing the performance and adaptability of energy technologies.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Electronic scene generator expansion system

The design, fabrication, and installation of additions and modifications to the electronic scene generator located at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, are described. The equipment delivered was incorporated into the electronic scene generator to enhance its capabilities by providing: (1) additional source computer interfaces; (2) additional edges thereby allowing more detailed scenes; (3) the ability to share edges to effect economies in complex scenes; (4) the ability to use edges without the constraints of a configuration catalog; and (5) the simplified implementation of new environments and environment modifications.

Sharp, W. H.↗

An adaptive filter for smoothing noisy radar images

A spatial domain adaptive Wiener filter for smoothing radar images corrupted by multiplicative noise is presented. The filter is optimum in a minimum mean squared error sense, computationally efficient, and preserves edges in the image better than other filters. The proposed algorithm can also be used for processing optical images with illumination variations that have a multiplicative effect.

Frost, V. S.↗

A Method for Computing the Core Flow in Three-Dimensional Leading-Edge Vortices

A theory is presented for calculating the flow in the core of a separation-induced leading-edge vortex. The method is based on matching inner and outer representations of the vortex. The inner model of the vortex is based on the quasicylindrical Navier-Stokes equations; the flow is assumed to be steady, axially symmetric, and incompressible and in addition, gradients in the radial direction are assumed to be much larger then gradients in the axial direction. The outer model is based on the three-dimensional free-vortex-sheet theory, a higher-order panel method which solves the Prandtl-Glauert equation including nonlinear boundary conditions pertinent to the concentrated vorticity representation of the leading edge vortex. The resultant flow is evaluated a posteriori for evidence of incipient vortex breakdown and the critical helix angle concept, in conjunction with an adverse longitudinal pressure gradient, is found to correlate well with the occurrence of vortex breakdown at the trailing edge of delta, arrow, and diamond wings.

Luckring, J. M.↗

Annual Research Briefs, 1998

The topics contained in this progress report are direct numerical simulation of turbulent non-premixed combustion with realistic chemistry; LES of non-premixed turbulent reacting flows with conditional source term estimation; measurements of the three-dimensional scalar dissipation rate in gas-phase planar turbulent jets; direct simulation of a jet diffusion flame; on the use of interpolating wavelets in the direct numerical simulation of combustion; on the use of a dynamically adaptive wavelet collocation algorithm in DNS (direct numerical simulation) of non-premixed turbulent combustion; 2D simulations of Hall thrusters; computation of trailing-edge noise at low mach number using LES and acoustic analogy; weakly nonlinear modeling of the early stages of bypass transition; interactions between freestream turbulence and boundary layers; interfaces at the outer boundaries of turbulent motions; largest scales of turbulent wall flows; the instability of streaks in near-wall turbulence; an implementation of the v(sup 2) - f model with application to transonic flows; heat transfer predictions in cavities; a structure-based model with stropholysis effects; modeling a confined swirling coaxial jet; subgrid-scale models based on incremental unknowns for large eddy simulations; subgrid scale modeling taking the numerical error into consideration; towards a near-wall model for LES of a separated diffuser flow; on the feasibility of merging LES with RANS (Reynolds Averaging Numerical simulation) for the near-wall region of attached turbulent flows; large-eddy simulation of a separated boundary layer; numerical study of a channel flow with variable properties; on the construction of high order finite difference schemes on non-uniform meshes with good conservation properties; development of immersed boundary methods for complex geometries; and particle methods for micro and macroscale flow simulations.

Spinks, Debra↗

Boundary Layer Transition Results From STS-114

The tool for predicting the onset of boundary layer transition from damage to and/or repair of the thermal protection system developed in support of Shuttle Return to Flight is compared to the STS-114 flight results. The Boundary Layer Transition (BLT) Tool is part of a suite of tools that analyze the aerothermodynamic environment of the local thermal protection system to allow informed disposition of damage for making recommendations to fly as is or to repair. Using mission specific trajectory information and details of each damage site or repair, the expected time of transition onset is predicted to help determine the proper aerothermodynamic environment to use in the subsequent thermal and stress analysis of the local structure. The boundary layer transition criteria utilized for the tool was developed from ground-based measurements to account for the effect of both protuberances and cavities and has been calibrated against flight data. Computed local boundary layer edge conditions provided the means to correlate the experimental results and then to extrapolate to flight. During STS-114, the BLT Tool was utilized and was part of the decision making process to perform an extravehicular activity to remove the large gap fillers. The role of the BLT Tool during this mission, along with the supporting information that was acquired for the on-orbit analysis, is reviewed. Once the large gap fillers were removed, all remaining damage sites were cleared for reentry as is. Post-flight analysis of the transition onset time revealed excellent agreement with BLT Tool predictions.

Berry, Scott A.↗

Overview of Boundary Layer Transition Research in Support of Orbiter Return To Flight

A predictive tool for estimating the onset of boundary layer transition resulting from damage to and/or repair of the thermal protection system was developed in support of Shuttle Return to Flight. The boundary layer transition tool is part of a suite of tools that analyze the aerothermodynamic environment to the local thermal protection system to allow informed disposition of damage for making recommendations to fly as is or to repair. Using mission specific trajectory information and details of each damage site or repair, the expected time (and thus Mach number) at transition onset is predicted to help define the aerothermodynamic environment to use in the subsequent thermal and stress analysis of the local thermal protection system and structure. The boundary layer transition criteria utilized for the tool was developed from ground-based measurements to account for the effect of both protuberances and cavities and has been calibrated against select flight data. Computed local boundary layer edge conditions were used to correlate the results, specifically the momentum thickness Reynolds number over the edge Mach number and the boundary layer thickness. For the initial Return to Flight mission, STS-114, empirical curve coefficients of 27, 100, and 900 were selected to predict transition onset for protuberances based on height, and cavities based on depth and length, respectively.

Berry, Scott A.↗

A Case Study on the Challenges and Opportunities for the Deployment of PHM Capabilities in Existing Engineering Systems

The field of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) of engineering systems has experienced considerable growth over the last decade. From benefits associated with faster and more powerful hardware in the form of wireless sensors, edge devices, and general computing capabilities (GPU’s and cloud computing), to development of powerful algorithms for anomaly detection and remaining useful life (RUL) estimation, the number of engineering systems featuring advanced diagnostics and prognostics capabilities continues to grow at an increasingly faster pace. However, the deployment of PHM capabilities as part of the upgrade of existing engineering systems presents multiple challenges to the PHM practitioner charged with retrofitting such systems. Issues include a lack of specific instrumentation needed to capture the signals of interest; insufficient data and sampling rates required for fault detection and diagnosis, and for detection of failure/degradation indicators; and difficulties in the identification of a system’s nominal behavior as a result of age induced degradation. Today’s PHM practitioner must be able to quickly identify and assess these types of issues to effectively evaluate and select the optimal PHM strategies required to achieve the desired results. This paper presents results from the preliminary evaluation of the High-Pressure Gas Facility (HPGF) infrastructure at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi. This evaluation is part of a feasibility study conducted prior to the deployment of prognostics and diagnostics capabilities in the pumps skids of the liquid nitrogen (LN2) system of the HPGF.

Condition Based Maintenance↗

PAN AIR modeling studies. II - Sideslip option, network gaps, three-dimensional forebody flow, and thick-trailing-edge representation

PAN AIR is a computer program that calculates linear potential flow about arbitrary configurations at both subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers. This paper is a follow-on of another paper entitled 'PAN AIR Modeling Studies', in which several studies were presented that exhibited PAN AIR's versatility for modeling diverse configurations. Results from four modeling studies of interest in modeling realistic aircraft shapes are presented. The topics addressed are (1) half-geometry option in sideslip, (2) network gaps, (3) three-dimensional forebody flows, and (4) trailing-edge representation.

Strande, S.↗

5G Enabled Energy Innovation: Advanced Wireless Networks for Science (Workshop Report)

Rapidly expanding, new telecommunications infrastructure based on 5G technologies will disrupt and transform how we design, build, operate, and optimize scientific infrastructure and the experiments and services enabled by that infrastructure, from continental-scale sensor networks to centralized scientific user facilities, from intelligent Internet of Things devices to supercomputers. Concurrently, 5G will introduce, or exacerbate, challenges related to protecting infrastructure and associated scientific data as well as to fully leveraging opportunities related to expanded infrastructure scale and complexity. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science operates scientific infrastructure, supporting some of the nation’s most advanced intellectual discoveries, spanning the country and including 30 world-class user facilities from supercomputers to accelerators. Along with field experiments and remote observatories, every aspect of DOE’s scientific enterprise will be affected by 5G, which amounts to a complete renovation of the underpinnings of the nation’s information infrastructure. In this report we explore the scientific opportunities and new research challenges associated with 5G, ranging from scalability to heterogeneity to cybersecurity. The rapid commercial deployment of 5G opens the opportunity to rethink and reinvent DOE’s scientific infrastructure and experimentation, from intelligent sensor networks at unprecedented scales to a digital continuum of cyberinfrastructure spanning low-power sensors, high-performance computing embedded within and at the edge of the network, and DOE’s large-scale user instrument and computing facilities. New programming paradigms, workflow and data frameworks, and AI-based system design, operation, and autonomous adaptation and optimization will be necessary in order to exploit these new opportunities. Field deployments and centralized scientific instruments can also be revolutionized, moving (without traditional performance penalties) from wired to wireless connectivity for data and control systems, improving flexibility, and opening new sensing modalities, including the use of the 5G electromagnetic spectrum itself as an environmental probe. For DOE science, in contrast to commercial 5G applications and settings, devices will be deployed in extreme environments such as cryogenically cooled instrument control systems and in remote settings with harsh conditions, requiring the design of new materials for RF communication and edge processing to operate in these regimes. Concurrently, 5G infrastructure comprises both hardware and sophisticated software systems - currently closed and proprietary. The cybersecurity challenges to 5G-empowered reinvention mirror the complexity and variety of new 5G features, from virtualization to private network slices to ubiquitous access. Research is also needed in order to accelerate the development of secure and open 5G software infrastructure, reducing reliance on hardware and software produced outside the United States and providing the transparency and rigorous evaluation and testing afforded through open software. Twelve broad research thrusts are laid out in four chapters, with a companion fifth chapter (and three additional research thrusts) underscoring the needs and opportunities for an aggressive testbed program co-designed by networking experts and scientists involved in the 15 research thrusts. The urgency of undertaking this research is fueled by a global, accelerating deployment of new telecommunications infrastructure that is designed for entertainment and commercial applications - barely scratching the surface of what 5G can do to extend U.S. leadership in scientific discovery.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Steady, subsonic, lifting surface theory for wings with swept, partial span, trailing edge control surfaces

A method for computing the lifting pressure distribution on a wing with partial span, swept control surfaces is presented. This method is valid within the framework of linearized, steady, potential flow theory and consists of using conventional lifting surface theory in conjuction with a flap pressure mode. The cause of a numerical instability that can occur during the quadrature of the flap pressure mode is discussed, and an efficient technique to eliminate the instability is derived. This technique is valid for both the flap pressure mode and regular pressure modes and could be used to improve existing lifting surface methods. Examples of the use of the flap pressure mode and comparisons among this method, other theoretical methods, and experiments are given. Discrepancies with experiment are indicated and candidate causes are presented. It is concluded that the method can lead to an efficient and accurate solution of the mathematical problem when a partial span, trailing edge flap is involved.

Medan, R. T.↗

Aeroelastic Simulation of Wind Tunnel Scale Aspect Ratio 13.5 Common Research Model with Trailing Edge Mini-Flaps

This paper presents a computation study of an aspect ratio 13.5 wind tunnel scale Common Research Model (CRM) with trailing edge mini-flaps using FUN3D. The aeroelastic simulations are conducted under free-air and inside wind tunnel conditions. The NASA Langley Research Center Transonic Dynamic Tunnel (TDT) is a closed circuit and slotted-test-section with a 16 ft ×16 ft test section. The structure mode shapes are extracted from the latest updated NASTRAN Finite-Element Model (FEM) model. A dynamic pressure sweep is performed to determine the control reversal boundary of the trailing edge mini-flaps. The wind tunnel wall interference effects on the mini-flap control derivatives are analyzed based on the simulations.

Aeroelastic↗