Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “distributed algorithms”

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 OSTI2021

TPCPF: Three-Phase Continuation Power Flow Tool for Voltage Stability Assessment of Distribution Networks With Distributed Energy Resources

This article presents a three-phase unbalanced continuation power flow algorithm for voltage stability assessment of distribution systems with high penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs). Analyzing distribution system voltage stability with DER will allow high penetration of renewable energy necessary for the sustainability goals. The developed algorithm can analyze voltage stability for both the meshed and radial systems and the balanced and unbalanced three-phase distribution systems. The developed tool allows the voltage stability analysis to facilitate the planning, operation, control, and distribution system management. The impact of DER on the voltage stability of several test cases has been analyzed considering constant power (P Q) and regulated-voltage (P V ) modes of operation for DER units. Moreover, different voltage stability case studies are presented to demonstrate the impact of unbalance, load increment, and network topology on the maximum loading capacity. Finally, results using the IEEE 13-node feeder, the 18-bus balanced shipboard system, the 13-node CIGRE benchmark system, and the 136-bus redial distribution feeder demonstrate that the developed continuation power flow tool can efficiently perform voltage stability analysis for active distribution systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Charged particle velocity map image reconstruction with one-dimensional projections of spherical functions

Velocity map imaging (VMI) is used in mass spectrometry and in angle resolved photo-electron spectroscopy to determine the lateral momentum distributions of charged particles accelerated towards a detector. VM-images are composed of projected Newton spheres with a common centre. The 2D images are usually evaluated by a decomposition into base vectors each representing the 2D projection of a set of particles starting from a centre with a specific velocity distribution. We propose to evaluate 1D projections of VM-images in terms of 1D projections of spherical functions, instead. The proposed evaluation algorithm shows that all distribution information can be retrieved from an adequately chosen set of 1D projections, alleviating the numerical effort for the interpretation of VM-images considerably. The obtained results produce directly the coefficients of the involved spherical functions, making the reconstruction of sliced Newton spheres obsolete.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

A NEW APPROACH TO DETERMINE OPTICALLY THICK H{sub 2} COOLING AND ITS EFFECT ON PRIMORDIAL STAR FORMATION

We present a new method for estimating the H{sub 2} cooling rate in the optically thick regime in simulations of primordial star formation. Our new approach is based on the TreeCol algorithm, which projects matter distributions onto a spherical grid to create maps of column densities for each fluid element in the computational domain. We have improved this algorithm by using the relative gas velocities to weight the individual matter contributions with the relative spectral line overlaps, in order to properly account for the Doppler effect. We compare our new method to the widely used Sobolev approximation, which yields an estimate for the column density based on the local velocity gradient and the thermal velocity. This approach generally underestimates the photon escape probability because it neglects the density gradient and the actual shape of the cloud. We present a correction factor for the true line overlap in the Sobolev approximation and a new method based on local quantities, which fits the exact results reasonably well during the collapse of the cloud, with the error in the cooling rates always being less than 10%. Analytical fitting formulae fail at determining the photon escape probability after formation of the first protostar (error of ∼40%) because they are based on the assumption of spherical symmetry and therefore break down once a protostellar accretion disk has formed. Our method yields lower temperatures and hence promotes fragmentation for densities above ∼10{sup 10} cm{sup –3} at a distance of ∼200 AU from the first protostar. Since the overall accretion rates are hardly affected by the cooling implementation, we expect Pop III stars to have lower masses in our simulations, compared to the results of previous simulations that used the Sobolev approximation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Distributed Automatic Load-Frequency Control with Optimality in Power Systems

With the increasing penetration of renewable energy resources, power systems face new challenges in balancing power supply and demand and maintaining the nominal frequency. This paper studies load control to handle these challenges. In particular, a fully distributed automatic load control algorithm, which only needs local measurement and local communication, is proposed. We prove that the control algorithm globally converges to an optimal operating point which minimizes the total disutility of users, restores the nominal frequency and the scheduled tie-line power flows, and respects the thermal constraints of transmission lines. It is also shown that the convergence still holds even when inaccurate system parameters are used in the control algorithm. Lastly, the effectiveness, optimality, and robustness of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated via numerical simulations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

nbodykit: An Open-source, Massively Parallel Toolkit for Large-scale Structure

We present nbodykit, an open-source, massively parallel Python toolkit for analyzing large-scale structure (LSS) data. Using Python bindings of the Message Passing Interface, we provide parallel implementations of many commonly used algorithms in LSS. nbodykit is both an interactive and scalable piece of scientific software, performing well in a supercomputing environment while still taking advantage of the interactive tools provided by the Python ecosystem. Existing functionality includes estimators of the power spectrum, two- and three-point correlation functions, a friends-of-friends grouping algorithm, mock catalog creation via the halo occupation distribution technique, and approximate N-body simulations via the FastPM scheme. The package also provides a set of distributed data containers, insulated from the algorithms themselves, that enables nbodykit to provide a unified treatment of both simulation and observational data sets. nbodykit can be easily deployed in a high-performance computing environment, overcoming some of the traditional difficulties of using Python on supercomputers. We provide performance benchmarks illustrating the scalability of the software. The modular, component-based approach of nbodykit allows researchers to easily build complex applications using its tools. The package is extensively documented at http://nbodykit.readthedocs.io, which also includes an interactive set of example recipes for new users to explore. As open-source software, we hope nbodykit provides a common framework for the community to use and develop in confronting the analysis challenges of future LSS surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Distributed Automatic Load-Frequency Control with Optimality in Power Systems: Preprint

With increasing penetrations of renewable energy resources, power systems face new challenges in balancing supply and demand and maintaining nominal frequency. This paper studies load control to handle these challenges. In particular, a fully distributed automatic load control algorithm, which needs only local measurement and local communications, is proposed. We prove that the control algorithm globally converges to an optimal operating point that minimizes the total disutility of users, restores the nominal frequency and the scheduled tie-line power flows, and respects the thermal constraints of transmission lines. We also show that the convergence holds even when inaccurate system parameters are used in the control algorithm. Last, the effectiveness, optimality, and robustness of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated via numerical simulations.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Distributed Cooperative Control of Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid

This paper presents a distributed cooperative control-based (DCC) power management algorithm for a hybrid AC/DC microgrid. The proposed algorithm for a hybrid microgrid system controls the power flow through the interface converter between the AC and DC microgrids. This algorithm allows power sharing between the distributed generators in the microgrid according to their power ratings. Moreover, it enables the fixed scheduled power delivery through the interface converters in both directions at different operating conditions while maintaining voltage regulation and improving the frequency profile.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2015

SU-E-T-304: Dosimetric Comparison of Cavernous Sinus Tumors: Heterogeneity Corrected Pencil Beam (PB-Hete) Vs. X-Ray Voxel Monte Carlo (XVMC) Algorithms for Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT)

Purpose: To compare dose distributions calculated using PB-hete vs. XVMC algorithms for SRT treatments of cavernous sinus tumors. Methods: Using PB-hete SRT, five patients with cavernous sinus tumors received the prescription dose of 25 Gy in 5 fractions for planning target volume PTV(V100%)=95%. Gross tumor volume (GTV) and organs at risk (OARs) were delineated on T1/T2 MRI-CT-fused images. PTV (range 2.1–84.3cc, mean=21.7cc) was generated using a 5mm uniform-margin around GTV. PB-hete SRT plans included a combination of non-coplanar conformal arcs/static beams delivered by Novalis-TX consisting of HD-MLCs and a 6MV-SRS(1000 MU/min) beam. Plans were re-optimized using XVMC algorithm with identical beam geometry and MLC positions. Comparison of plan specific PTV(V99%), maximal, mean, isocenter doses, and total monitor units(MUs) were evaluated. Maximal dose to OARs such as brainstem, optic-pathway, spinal cord, and lenses as well as normal tissue volume receiving 12Gy(V12) were compared between two algorithms. All analysis was performed using two-tailed paired t-tests of an upper-bound p-value of <0.05. Results: Using either algorithm, no dosimetrically significant differences in PTV coverage (PTVV99%,maximal, mean, isocenter doses) and total number of MUs were observed (all p-values >0.05, mean ratios within 2%). However, maximal doses to optic-chiasm and nerves were significantly under-predicted using PB-hete (p=0.04). Maximal brainstem, spinal cord, lens dose and V12 were all comparable between two algorithms, with exception of one patient with the largest PTV who exhibited 11% higher V12 with XVMC. Conclusion: Unlike lung tumors, XVMC and PB-hete treatment plans provided similar PTV coverage for cavernous sinus tumors. Majority of OARs doses were comparable between two algorithms, except for small structures such as optic chiasm/nerves which could potentially receive higher doses when using XVMC algorithm. Special attention may need to be paid on a case-by-case basis when planning for sinus SRT based on tumor size and location to OARs particularly the optic apparatus.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-T-427: Cell Surviving Fractions Derived From Tumor-Volume Variation During Radiotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Comparison with Predictive Assays

Purpose: To show that a distribution of cell surviving fractions S{sub 2} in a heterogeneous group of patients can be derived from tumor-volume variation curves during radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: Our analysis was based on two data sets of tumor-volume variation curves for heterogeneous groups of 17 patients treated for nonsmall cell lung cancer with conventional dose fractionation. The data sets were obtained previously at two independent institutions by using megavoltage (MV) computed tomography (CT). Statistical distributions of cell surviving fractions S{sup 2} and cell clearance half-lives of lethally damaged cells T1/2 have been reconstructed in each patient group by using a version of the two-level cell population tumor response model and a simulated annealing algorithm. The reconstructed statistical distributions of the cell surviving fractions have been compared to the distributions measured using predictive assays in vitro. Results: Non-small cell lung cancer presents certain difficulties for modeling surviving fractions using tumor-volume variation curves because of relatively large fractional hypoxic volume, low gradient of tumor-volume response, and possible uncertainties due to breathing motion. Despite these difficulties, cell surviving fractions S{sub 2} for non-small cell lung cancer derived from tumor-volume variation measured at different institutions have similar probability density functions (PDFs) with mean values of 0.30 and 0.43 and standard deviations of 0.13 and 0.18, respectively. The PDFs for cell surviving fractions S{sup 2} reconstructed from tumor volume variation agree with the PDF measured in vitro. Comparison of the reconstructed cell surviving fractions with patient survival data shows that the patient survival time decreases as the cell surviving fraction increases. Conclusion: The data obtained in this work suggests that the cell surviving fractions S{sub 2} can be reconstructed from the tumor volume variation curves measured during radiotherapy with conventional fractionation. The proposed method can be used for treatment evaluation and adaptation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Asynchronous and Load-Balanced Union-Find for Distributed and Parallel Scientific Data Visualization and Analysis

We present a novel distributed union-find algorithm that features asynchronous parallelism and k-d tree based load balancing for scalable visualization and analysis of scientific data. Applications of union-find include level set extraction and critical point tracking, but distributed union-find can suffer from high synchronization costs and imbalanced workloads across parallel processes. In this study, we prove that global synchronizations in existing distributed union-find can be eliminated without changing final results, allowing overlapped communications and computations for scalable processing. We also use a k-d tree decomposition to redistribute inputs, in order to improve workload balancing. We benchmark the scalability of our algorithm with up to 1,024 processes using both synthetic and application data. Here, we demonstrate the use of our algorithm in critical point tracking and super-level set extraction with high-speed imaging experiments and fusion plasma simulations, respectively.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2018

Electric Power Distribution System Model Simplification Using Segment Substitution

Quasi-static time-series (QSTS) simulation is used to simulate the behavior of distribution systems over long periods of time (typically hours to years). The technique involves repeatedly solving the load-flow problem for a distribution system model and is useful for distributed energy resource (DER) planning. When a QSTS simulation has a small time step and a long duration, the computational burden of the simulation can be a barrier to integration into utility workflows. One way to relieve the computational burden is to simplify the system model. The segment substitution method of simplifying distribution system models introduced in this paper offers model bus reduction of up to 98% with a simplification error as low as 0.2% (0.002 pu voltage). In contrast to existing methods of distribution system model simplification, which rely on topological inspection and linearization, the segment substitution method uses black-box segment data and an assumed simplified topology.

Reiman, Andrew P. (ORCID:0000000302042960)↗
DOE OSTI2025

An implementation of a high-order generalized finite difference method for solving the time-harmonic cold plasma wave equation in toroidal geometry

A high-order physics-informed meshless finite difference numerical technique is introduced for solving the time-harmonic cold plasma wave equation in toroidal geometries, presenting a novel application of the generalized finite difference (GFD) method to plasma wave simulations. The algorithm employs an irregular distribution of computational points, with local point density informed by the shortest wavelength derived from the cold plasma dispersion relation. Numerical stability and robustness are addressed using regularization techniques. The algorithm, implemented for two spatial dimensions, solves for the wave electric field and is demonstrated to achieve convergence rates of $\mathcal{O}$($\mathcal{h}$ $\mathcal{P}$ )⁠. Verification tests reproduce plane wave solutions, and example simulations of ion cyclotron resonance heating and electron cyclotron resonance heating demonstrate its capability, approaching realistic tokamak plasma scenarios. This work contributes to laying a foundation for the GFD method to be used in more sophisticated, optimized, and physically realistic full-wave simulations in time-harmonic plasma wave research.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Scenario Decomposition for 0-1 Stochastic Programs: Improvements and Asynchronous Implementation

We recently proposed scenario decomposition algorithm for stochastic 0-1 programs finds an optimal solution by evaluating and removing individual solutions that are discovered by solving scenario subproblems. In our work, we develop an asynchronous, distributed implementation of the algorithm which has computational advantages over existing synchronous implementations of the algorithm. Improvements to both the synchronous and asynchronous algorithm are proposed. We also test the results on well known stochastic 0-1 programs from the SIPLIB test library and is able to solve one previously unsolved instance from the test set.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Determining heating timescales in solar active region cores from AIA/SDO Fe XVIII images

We present a study of the frequency of transient brightenings in the core of solar active regions as observed in the Fe XVIII line component of AIA/SDO 94 Å filter images. The Fe XVIII emission is isolated using an empirical correction to remove the contribution of 'warm' emission to this channel. Comparing with simultaneous observations from EIS/Hinode, we find that the variability observed in Fe XVIII is strongly correlated with the emission from lines formed at similar temperatures. We examine the evolution of loops in the cores of active regions at various stages of evolution. Using a newly developed event detection algorithm, we characterize the distribution of event frequency, duration, and magnitude in these active regions. These distributions are similar for regions of similar age and show a consistent pattern as the regions age. This suggests that these characteristics are important constraints for models of solar active regions. We find that the typical frequency of the intensity fluctuations is about 1400 s for any given line of sight, i.e., about two to three events per hour. Using the EBTEL 0D hydrodynamic model, however, we show that this only sets a lower limit on the heating frequency along that line of sight.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

TH-E-BRE-05: Analysis of Dosimetric Characteristics in Two Leaf Motion Calculator Algorithms for Sliding Window IMRT

Purpose: The Smart leaf motion calculator (SLMC) in Eclipse treatment planning system is an advanced fluence delivery modeling algorithm as it takes into account fine MLC features including inter-leaf leakage, rounded leaf tips, non-uniform leaf thickness, and the spindle cavity etc. In this study, SLMC and traditional Varian LMC (VLMC) algorithms were investigated, for the first time, in dosimetric characteristics and delivery accuracy of sliding window (SW) IMRT. Methods: The SW IMRT plans of 51 cancer cases were included to evaluate dosimetric characteristics and dose delivery accuracy from leaf motion calculated by SLMC and VLMC, respectively. All plans were delivered using a Varian TrueBeam Linac. The DVH and MUs of the plans were analyzed. Three patient specific QA tools - independent dose calculation software IMSure, Delta4 phantom, and EPID portal dosimetry were also used to measure the delivered dose distribution. Results: Significant differences in the MUs were observed between the two LMCs (p≤0.001).Gamma analysis shows an excellent agreement between the planned dose distribution calculated by both LMC algorithms and delivered dose distribution measured by three QA tools in all plans at 3%/3 mm, leading to a mean pass rate exceeding 97%. The mean fraction of pixels with gamma < 1 of SLMC is slightly lower than that of VLMC in the IMSure and Delta4 results, but higher in portal dosimetry (the highest spatial resolution), especially in complex cases such as nasopharynx. Conclusion: The study suggests that the two LMCs generates the similar target coverage and sparing patterns of critical structures. However, SLMC is modestly more accurate than VLMC in modeling advanced MLC features, which may lead to a more accurate dose delivery in SW IMRT. Current clinical QA tools might not be specific enough to differentiate the dosimetric discrepancies at the millimeter level calculated by these two LMC algorithms. NIH/NIGMS grant U54 GM104944, Lincy Endowed Assistant Professorship.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Real-Time Feedback-Based Optimization of Distribution Grids: A Unified Approach

This paper develops an algorithmic framework for real-time optimization of distribution-level distributed energy resources (DERs). The framework optimizes the operation of both DERs that are individually controllable and groups of DERs (i.e., aggregations) that are jointly controlled at an electrical point of connection. From an electrical standpoint, wye and delta single- and multi-phase connections are accounted for. The algorithm enables (groups of) DERs to pursue given performance objectives, while adjusting their (aggregate) powers to respond to services requested by grid operators and to maintain electrical quantities within engineering limits. The design of the algorithm leverages a time-varying bi-level problem formulation capturing various performance objectives and engineering constraints, and an online implementation of primal-dual projected-gradient methods. The gradient steps are suitably modified to accommodate appropriate measurements from the distribution network and the DERs. Stability and convergence claims are established in terms of tracking of the solution of the time-varying optimization problem. Finally, the method is tested in a realistic distribution.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum Simulators and Applications on Quantum Framework

Simulating quantum circuits is essential for validating quantum algorithms. However, no single simulator consistently performs best - efficiency depends on circuit structure, entanglement, and depth. In this work, we integrate Qiskit-Aer (state-vector and matrix product state) and QTensor, a tree-tensor-network based simulator, into the Quantum Framework (QFw), a modular platform that supports multiple quantum backends via a unified interface. We also enable distributed quantum approximate optimization algorithm (DQAOA) application compatibility with QFw, allowing sub-problems to be solved in parallel at scale. We then benchmark DQAOA and TFIM (transverse field Ising model) circuits across supported simulators, showing how performance varies significantly with problem type. All simulations are deployed on the Frontier supercomputer using QFw's MPI-based orchestration for distributed, multinode execution. These results underscore the need for simulatoragnostic infrastructure to enable systematic evaluation and highperformance scaling of quantum workloads. QFw provides a practical and extensible path toward reproducible quantum algorithm development across diverse application domains.

Chundury, Srikar [ORNL] (ORCID:0009000183359259)↗
DOE OSTI2018

Algebraic multigrid for directed graph Laplacian linear systems (NS‐LAMG)

Summary We propose nonsymmetric lean algebraic multigrid (NS‐LAMG), a new algebraic multigrid algorithm for directed graph Laplacian systems that combines ideas from undirected graph Laplacian multigrid solvers and multigrid algorithms for Markov chain stationary distribution systems. Low‐degree elimination, proposed in LAMG for undirected graphs, is generalized to directed graphs and is a key component of NS‐LAMG. In the setup phase, we propose a simple stationary‐aggregation multigrid algorithms for Markov chain stationary distribution systems solver enhanced by low‐degree elimination to find the right null‐space vector that is used for the intergrid transfer operators. Numerical results show that low‐degree elimination improves performance and that NS‐LAMG outperforms generalized minimal residual method with restart and stable bi‐conjugate gradient method for real‐world, directed graph Laplacian linear systems.

Fox, Alyson↗