Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Software engineering”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

Automatic building information model query generation

Energy efficient building design and construction calls for extensive collaboration between different subfields of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) community. Performing building design and construction engineering raises challenges on data integration and software interoperability. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) data hub to host and integrate building models is a promising solution to address those challenges, which can ease building design information management. However, the partial model query mechanism of current BIM data hub collaboration model has several limitations, which prevents designers and engineers to take advantage of BIM. To address this problem, we propose a general and effective approach to generate query code based on a Model View Definition (MVD). This approach is demonstrated through a software prototype called QueryGenerator. In conclusion, by demonstrating a case study using multi-zone air flow analysis, we show how our approach and tool can help domain experts to use BIM to drive building design with less labour and lower overhead cost.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Integrated Sensitivity Analysis Workflow

Sensitivity analysis is a crucial element of rigorous engineering analysis, but performing such an analysis on a complex model is difficult and time consuming. The mission of the DART Workbench team at Sandia National Laboratories is to lower the barriers to adoption of advanced analysis tools through software integration. The integrated environment guides the engineer in the use of these integrated tools and greatly reduces the cycle time for engineering analysis.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Open Power System Datasets and Open Simulation Engines: A Survey Toward Machine Learning Applications

A major factor behind the success of machine learning (ML) models in multiple domains is the availability and accessibility of large, labeled, and well-organized datasets for training and benchmarking. In comparison, power grid datasets face three major challenges: (i) real-world data is often restricted by regulatory constraints, privacy reasons, or security concerns, making it difficult to obtain and work with; (ii) synthetic datasets, which are created to address these limitations, often have incomplete information and are released using specialized tools, making them inaccessible to the broader community; and, (iii) input-output datasets are difficult to generate through simulation for non-experts because open-source simulators are not known outside the power system community. This survey addresses these challenges by serving as an entry point to publicly available datasets and simulators for researchers venturing in this area. We review the current landscape of open-source power network data, machine models, consumer demand profiles, renewable generation data, and inverter models. We also examine open-source power system simulators, which are crucial for generating high-quality, high-fidelity power grid datasets. We aim to provide a foundation for overcoming data scarcity and advance towards a structured web of datasets and simulators to support the development of ML for power systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance Testing and Assessment of Protection Scheme Using Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop and IEC 61850 Standard

The main challenge of the microgrid is to design a suitable protection scheme due to the complexity of the architecture of the microgrid. The importance of the proposed protection technique is threefold. First, it presents a co-simulation platform to integrate between a simulated model on power system computer aided design (PSCAD)/real time digital simulator computer aided design (RSCAD) software’s and physical devices schweitzer engineering laboratories (SEL) 421-7 relays to protect the microgrid that includes different resources connected based on inverter interface. Second, it presents a comprehensive hardware/software setup to test the protective relays in a closed loop system and shows how to configure the protective relay’s International Electrotechnical Commission 61850 communications. Third, IEEE 1588 standard is used to provide sub nanoseconds latency between the simulated model that emulated on real time digital simulator (RTDS) and the external devices. Also, the measurement signals are synchronized between RTDS and the external devices using giga-transceiver synchronization card (GTSYNC) interface card and SEL-2488 satellite-synchronized network clock. The results showed that the co-simulation infrastructure introduces a highly dependable design, analysis, and testing environment for cyber and physical data flow in the system. Besides that, the voltages at ac/dc sides and frequency at fault condition were maintained due to the energy storage device contributions at different modes of operation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Level set topology optimization in Firedrake

Lestofire is an academic software for the automated design of engineering components. It finds the optimal geometry of a system to minimize a given cost function while constrained by a given set of physics equations. Using a level set function to describe the geometry, lestofire uses shapes derivative to evolve the system until its optimal shape. It leverages the compilation of variational forms in Firedrake (https://www.firedrakeproject.org/) and the automated calculation of shape derivatives via pyadjoint (http://www.dolfin-adjoint.or/en/latest/) to allow fast prototyping of different physics, cost functions and design parametrizations.

Salazar De Troya, Miguel↗
DOE OSTI2021

diyepw: A Python package for Do-It-Yourself EnergyPlus weather file generation

diyepw allows for quick and easy generation of a set of EnergyPlus weather (EPW) files for a given location over a given historical period. The user can obtain weather files using an open-source, automated workflow by simply specifying the location of interest using the World Meteorological Organization weather station ID number, and specifying a year or set of years for which to generate EPW files. Building energy modelers can use these auto-generated weather files in building performance simulations to represent the actual observed weather conditions in the location(s) of interest, based on meteorological observations obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Integrated Surface Database. Because observed weather data are not available for every meteorological variable specified in the EPW format, diyepw starts with a widely-used set of typical meteorological year (TMY) files, using them as the template to generate new EPW files by substituting in the observed values of selected meteorological variables that are known to affect building energy performance. Its output is a weather file or group of weather files that conform to the data standards associated with the EPW format so they can be used with any building performance simulation software employing EnergyPlus as its simulation engine.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2013

NGDS USER CENTERED DESIGN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE GEOTHERMAL COMMUNITY

In order to ensure the widest and greatest utility of IT and software projects designed for geothermal reservoir engineering the full consideration of end users’ task and workflow needs must be evaluated. This paper describes the user-centered design (UCD) approach taken in the development of a user interface (UI) solution for the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). This development process has been researched based, highly collaborative, and incorporates state-of-the-art practices to ensure a quality user experience. Work is continuing on the interface, including future usability tests to further refine the interfaces as the overall system is developed.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

NGDS User Centered Design Meeting the Needs of the Geothermal Community

In order to ensure the widest and greatest utility of IT and software projects designed for geothermal reservoir engineer- ing the full consideration of end users’ task and workflow needs must be evaluated. This paper describes the user-centered design (UCD) approach taken in the development of a user interface (UI) solution for the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). This development process has been research based, highly collabora- tive, and incorporates state-of-the-art practices to ensure a quality user experience. Work is continuing on the interface, including future usability tests to further refine the interfaces as the overall system is developed.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Automated System of Diagnostic Monitoring at Bureya HPP Hydraulic Engineering Installations: a New Level of Safety

This article presents the design, hardware, and software solutions developed and placed in service for the automated system of diagnostic monitoring (ASDM) for hydraulic engineering installations at the Bureya HPP, and assuring a reliable process for monitoring hydraulic engineering installations. Project implementation represents a timely solution of problems addressed by the hydraulic engineering installation diagnostics section.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

beluga

beluga is an open-source optimal control software that uses publicly available, indirect methods from GitHub. beluga's indirect optimization engine has been reworked to follow a lazy functional paradigm. This improves the software's flexibility and enables users to create their own optimization processes without modification of the source code. beluga is general-purpose and therefore very broad in scope and application. SAND2020-12847 M Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Sparapany, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2014

PMU Data Event Detection: A User Guide for Power Engineers

This user guide is intended to accompany a software package containing a Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) script and related functions for processing phasor measurement unit (PMU) data. This package and guide have been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Texas at Austin. The objective of this data processing exercise is to discover events in the vast quantities of data collected by PMUs. This document attempts to cover some of the theory behind processing the data to isolate events as well as the functioning of the MATLAB scripts. The report describes (1) the algorithms and mathematical background that the accompanying MATLAB codes use to detect events in PMU data and (2) the inputs required from the user and the outputs generated by the scripts.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Architecture for removable media USB-ARM

A storage device is coupled to a computing system comprising an operating system and application software. Access to the storage device is blocked by a kernel filter driver, except exclusive access is granted to a first anti-virus engine. The first anti-virus engine is directed to scan the storage device for malicious software and report results. Exclusive access may be granted to one or more other anti-virus engines and they may be directed to scan the storage device and report results. Approval of all or a portion of the information on the storage device is based on the results from the first anti-virus engine and the other anti-virus engines. The storage device is presented to the operating system and access is granted to the approved information. The operating system may be a Microsoft Windows operating system. The kernel filter driver and usage of anti-virus engines may be configurable by a user.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modeling nuclear processes by Simulink

Modelling and simulation are essential parts in the study of dynamic systems behaviours. In nuclear engineering, modelling and simulation are important to assess the expected results of an experiment before the actual experiment is conducted or in the design of nuclear facilities. In education, modelling can give insight into the dynamic of systems and processes. Most nuclear processes can be described by ordinary or partial differential equations. Efforts expended to solve the equations using analytical or numerical solutions consume time and distract attention from the objectives of modelling itself. This paper presents the use of Simulink, a MATLAB toolbox software that is widely used in control engineering, as a modelling platform for the study of nuclear processes including nuclear reactor behaviours. Starting from the describing equations, Simulink models for heat transfer, radionuclide decay process, delayed neutrons effect, reactor point kinetic equations with delayed neutron groups, and the effect of temperature feedback are used as examples.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

SAS4A/SASSYS-1 Verification and Validation Plan for the Versatile Test Reactor

Software verification and validation (V&V) hold an important role in the safety analysis for nuclear facilities. Codes and models utilized in calculations that demonstrate the safety basis as part of a license application or authorization must demonstrate an acceptable pedigree with regard to key critical characteristics that are comprised of the functional and performance requirements of the software. This document describes the methodology for verification and validation of the SAS4A/SASSYS-1 systems-level liquid-metal safety analysis software in support of DOE authorization of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR). The overall goal of this V&V effort is to demonstrate the suitability of SAS4A/SASSYS-1 for evaluation of safety performance and characterization of safety margins in VTR. To that end, the V&V methodology will be used to demonstrate the adequacy of the component and physical models of SAS4A/SASSYS-1 for the corresponding VTR design elements. This methodology, which has been derived as a generalized approach to the U.S. NRC’s evaluation model development and assessment process (EMDAP) of Regulatory Guide 1.203, entails four high-level activities: software requirements identification, assessment base development, determination of acceptance, and gap closure. The methodology has been generalized to be suitable for both verification and validation of the software for the VTR project. Several high-level engineering analysis quality assurance measures as well as supporting V&V methodology documentation are also described in this document to help support demonstration of software acceptance. To support initial development of the SAS4A/SASSYS-1 V&V basis, existing verification test problems and systems benchmarks are also identified and briefly described in this document.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Electronic journals: Their use by teachers/researchers of engineering and social sciences

Libraries must attend the needs of their different users. Academics are usually a particular kind of users with specific needs. Universities are environments where scientific communication is essential and where electronic format of journals is becoming more and more frequently used. This way it becomes increasingly important to understand how academics from different scientific areas use the available electronic resources. The aim of this study is to better understand the existing differences among the users of electronic journals in Engineering and Social Sciences. The research undertaken was mainly focused on the study of the use of electronic journals by teachers/researchers from the Faculties of Engineering and of Arts from the University of Porto, Portugal. In this study an international survey was used in order to characterize the levels of use and access of electronic journals by these communities. The ways of seeking and using scientific information, namely in terms frequency of access, the number of articles consulted, the use of databases and the preference of publishing in electronic journals were analyzed. A set of comparisons were established and results indicate an extensive use of the electronic format, regardless the faculty. However, some differences emerge when it comes to details. Such is the case of the usage rate of reference management software which is considerably more used by Engineering academics than Social Science ones. Generally, electronic journals meeting the information needs of its users and are increasingly used as a preferred means of research. Though, some particular differences in the use of them have emerged, when comparing academics from these two faculties.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2013

MODEL BASED BIOMASS SYSTEM DESIGN OF FEEDSTOCK SUPPLY SYSTEMS FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCTION

Engineering feedstock supply systems that deliver affordable, high-quality biomass remains a challenge for the emerging bioenergy industry. Cellulosic biomass is geographically distributed and has diverse physical and chemical properties. Because of this feedstock supply systems that deliver cellulosic biomass resources to biorefineries require integration of a broad set of engineered unit operations. These unit operations include harvest and collection, storage, preprocessing, and transportation processes. Design decisions for each feedstock supply system unit operation impact the engineering design and performance of the other system elements. These interdependencies are further complicated by spatial and temporal variances such as climate conditions and biomass characteristics. This paper develops an integrated model that couples a SQL-based data management engine and systems dynamics models to design and evaluate biomass feedstock supply systems. The integrated model, called the Biomass Logistics Model (BLM), includes a suite of databases that provide 1) engineering performance data for hundreds of equipment systems, 2) spatially explicit labor cost datasets, and 3) local tax and regulation data. The BLM analytic engine is built in the systems dynamics software package PowersimTM. The BLM is designed to work with thermochemical and biochemical based biofuel conversion platforms and accommodates a range of cellulosic biomass types (i.e., herbaceous residues, short- rotation woody and herbaceous energy crops, woody residues, algae, etc.). The BLM simulates the flow of biomass through the entire supply chain, tracking changes in feedstock characteristics (i.e., moisture content, dry matter, ash content, and dry bulk density) as influenced by the various operations in the supply chain. By accounting for all of the equipment that comes into contact with biomass from the point of harvest to the throat of the conversion facility and the change in characteristics, the BLM evaluates economic performance of the engineered system, as well as determining energy consumption and green house gas performance of the design. This paper presents a BLM case study delivering corn stover to produce cellulosic ethanol. The case study utilizes the BLM to model the performance of several feedstock supply system designs. The case study also explores the impact of temporal variations in climate conditions to test the sensitivity of the engineering designs. Results from the case study show that under certain conditions corn stover can be delivered to the cellulosic ethanol biorefinery for $35/dry ton.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Introduction of the Software Technology Department

We are surrounded by all kinds of technology. Scientists and engineers have created amazing tools and resources, paved the way for multi-functional devices, and have put useful information at our finger tips. Software technology has enabled unprecedented levels of automation which has revolutionized our world and daily lives. Every year increasingly more data is collected and stored. Are we on the right track? This is an introduction to the new department on software technology.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗