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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 55 records · Page 3

Continuous Water Quality Sensing for FGD Wastewater

The coal fired plant power industry requires new solutions for on-line monitoring of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewaters for regulated trace metals to reduce recurring operating and off-site laboratory analysis costs and provide a high level of confidence of compliance with state and federal discharge guidelines. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) developed an integrated water sensor package for continuous water quality monitoring of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewaters for concentration measurements of Selenium (Se). UAB utilized a diverse team of University Professors/Staff Members/Student(s) (Engineering and Innovative Technology Development Group), a University Affiliated Research Institution from the local area (Southern Research), and a cost sharing Industry Partner (Metrohm). The team developed and validated a proprietary wet chemistry batch process for water sample preparation; and implemented this process as a fully automated on-line monitor prototype system. This prototype system’s performance was evaluated in both the laboratory and during in-field deployment to a coal fired power plant. In both environments it was found that the prototype system was unable to recreate the batch process’s success at preparing FGD water samples for total Se measurements with a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) cyclic anodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) system. Through this experience, UAB has provided insight into a number of specific areas where improvements can be made with respect to the COTS systems used in this project to yield a more complete and competitive industry solution for on-line monitoring of total Se in industrial wastewater.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Enabling opportunistic resources for CMS Computing Operations

With the increased pressure on computing brought by the higher energy and luminosity from the LHC in Run 2, CMS Computing Operations expects to require the ability to utilize opportunistic resources resources not owned by, or a priori configured for CMS to meet peak demands. In addition to our dedicated resources we look to add computing resources from non CMS grids, cloud resources, and national supercomputing centers. CMS uses the HTCondor/glideinWMS job submission infrastructure for all its batch processing, so such resources will need to be transparently integrated into its glideinWMS pool. Bosco and parrot wrappers are used to enable access and bring the CMS environment into these non CMS resources. Finally, we describe our strategy to supplement our native capabilities with opportunistic resources and our experience so far using them.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Pulse-Flow Microencapsulation System

The pulse-flow microencapsulation system (PFMS) is an automated system that continuously produces a stream of liquid-filled microcapsules for delivery of therapeutic agents to target tissues. Prior microencapsulation systems have relied on batch processes that involve transfer of batches between different apparatuses for different stages of production followed by sampling for acquisition of quality-control data, including measurements of size. In contrast, the PFMS is a single, microprocessor-controlled system that performs all processing steps, including acquisition of quality-control data. The quality-control data can be used as real-time feedback to ensure the production of large quantities of uniform microcapsules.

Morrison, Dennis R.↗

A Performance Portable, Fully Implicit Landau Collision Operator with Batched Linear Solvers

Modern accelerators use hierarchical parallel programming models that enable massive multithreading within a processing element (PE), with multiple PEs per device driven by traditional processes. Batching is a technique for exposing PE-level parallelism in algorithms that have traditionally run on MPI processes or multiple threads within a single process. Opportunities for batching arise in, for example, kinetic discretizations of magnetized plasmas where collisions are advanced in velocity space at each spatial point independently. This paper builds on previous work on a high-performance, fully nonlinear, Landau collision operator by batching the linear solver, as well as batching the spatial point problems and adding new support for multiple grids for multiscale, multispecies problems. An anisotropic relaxation verification test that agrees well with previously published results and analytical models is presented. The performance results from NVIDIA A100 and AMD MI250X nodes are presented with hardware utilization analysis for each architecture. Finally, the entire implicit Landau operator time advance is implemented in Kokkos for performance portability, running entirely on the device and is available in the PETSc numerical library.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Autonomous online optimization of a closed-circuit reverse osmosis system

As freshwater becomes increasingly scarce, many industrial and municipal water utilities look at premise-scale water treatment and reuse to meet water demand. Closed-circuit reverse osmosis (CCRO) has been proposed as a promising process design to do so. This sequencing batch process enables operation at higher brine salinity levels by means of a recycle flow. Optimal operation requires that the maximum salinity level at the membrane surface represents an optimal trade-off between brine disposal costs and energy efficiency. This maximum salinity level may change over time as the feed water composition changes and electricity markets fluctuate. In this article, we present the results of the experimental evaluation of an automatic technique for continuous online optimization, known as extremum seeking control. This technique has a long history in the process control community but has received little traction so far in the water industry. We modify this technique to enable its use for online optimization of CCRO, specifically to account for its sequential batch operation. We challenge the optimization schemes through several experimental tests and illustrate the advantages and drawbacks of extremum-seeking control.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Continuous Production Of Refractory Microballoons

Continuous process has economic and quality advantages over batch processes. Expected to produce high-quality microballoons at relatively low cost. Continuous hollow-jet process produces microballoons of refractory metal. Microballoon products made by continuous process includes inertial-confinement fusion targets, thermal insulators, lightweight composites, impact absorbers, and containers for hazardous materials.

Schilling, Christopher H.↗

Imaging for Hypersonic Experimental Aeroheating Testing (IHEAT) Version 4.0: User Manual

The IHEAT v4.0 software is a data reduction code for global thermography data acquired in the NASA Langley Aerothermodynamics Laboratory (LAL) hypersonic wind tunnels. IHEAT uses red and green color-intensity data from two-dimensional images of wind tunnel models to compute temperatures and heat-transfer rates using a semi-infinite, one-dimensional heat transfer approximation at each image pixel. Multiple automated tools in IHEAT v4.0 decrease the time required to reduce the data from a phosphor thermography wind tunnel run. Data at one or all of the image pixel locations can be exported to computer files for further analysis. The prior version of IHEAT, v3.2, was written in PV-WAVE® (now owned by Rogue Wave® Software) in 1994 and was limited in functionality to fit within the memory constraints of the available computers at the time. IHEAT v4.0 is written in MATLAB® by MathWorks® and contains several new features that leverage the increase in available memory of the current computers. A Piecewise tool permits the user to extract data along a segmented line cut that can follow interesting features in the image better than the single, straight line cuts that were possible with the legacy Length and Profile tools. The new Load Run and Batch tools facilitate batch processing by loading in all of the input files and images for a run at the same time. Load Run permits the user to process the available run images manually, while Batch automatically saves heat transfer data from all of the images based on the analysis previously performed on a single frame. IHEAT v4.0 also can automatically calculate the temporal collapse of reference line cuts from the time history heating data for a run to indicate the appropriate frame to reduce for each run. The IHEAT v4.0 source code was compiled into a standalone executable file that can be accessed remotely from several computers with different operating systems, simultaneously. The software is run through the MATLAB® Compiler Runtime engine, and therefore, IHEAT does not require a software license to run. Any software commands executed in the IHEAT v4.0 code will not affect other similar applications running on the same machine. Similarly, changes to the parent software do not affect a compiled code. These features of IHEAT v4.0 are improvements over the legacy v3.2 code, which required regular maintenance to avoid losing functionality as the PVWAVE ® programming language was upgraded.

Mason, Michelle L.↗

Dynamic Contingency Analysis Tool 2.0 User Manual with Test System Examples

This document introduces Version 2 of the Dynamic Contingency Analysis Tool (DCAT) software package developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and serves as a guide for using this package to conduct cascading failure simulations for the electric power system. The DCAT is an open-platform and publicly available software; it is intended to help develop applications that aim to improve the capabilities of power system planning engineers to assess the impact and likelihood of extreme contingencies and potential cascading events across their systems and interconnections. Outputs from the DCAT will support finding mitigating actions to reduce the risk of cascading outages in technically sound and effective ways. This manual provides detailed instructions on how to use this tool on multicore Windows workstations or servers. In the public version of DCAT, several improvements have been made over the previous version: (1) it was modularized; (2) a graphical user interface (GUI) was developed; (3) a new version of the MPjobs parallel processing module was incorporated; and (4) a batch-processing function was added. The features of the DCAT GUI are described, including some examples of how to use the GUI to perform simulations. A full explanation of the DCAT methodology is available in the Phase 1 report.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Image Processing Pipeline for Fluoroelastomer Crystallite Detection in Atomic Force Microscopy Images

Phase transformations in materials systems can be tracked using atomic force microscopy (AFM), enabling the examination of surface properties and macroscale morphologies. In situ measurements investigating phase transformations generate large datasets of time-lapse image sequences. The interpretation of the resulting image sequences, guided by domain-knowledge, requires manual image processing using handcrafted masks. Here this approach is time-consuming and restricts the number of images that can be processed. Her in this study, we developed an automated image processing pipeline which integrates image detection and segmentation methods. We examine five time-series AFM videos of various fluoroelastomer phase transformations. The number of image sequences per video ranges from a hundred to a thousand image sequences. The resulting image processing pipeline aims to automatically classify and analyze images to enable batch processing. Using this pipeline, the growth of each individual fluoroelastomer crystallite can be tracked through time. We incorporated statistical analysis into the pipeline to investigate trends in phase transformations between different fluoroelastomer batches. Understanding these phase transformations is crucial, as it can provide valuable insights into manufacturing processes, improve product quality, and possibly lead to the development of more advanced fluoroelastomer formulations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

PLAStiCC: Predictive Look-Ahead Scheduling for Continuous dataflows on Clouds

Scalable stream processing and continuous dataflow systems are gaining traction with the rise of big data due to the need for processing high velocity data in near real time. Unlike batch processing systems such as MapReduce and workflows, static scheduling strategies fall short for continuous dataflows due to the variations in the input data rates and the need for sustained throughput. The elastic resource provisioning of cloud infrastructure is valuable to meet the changing resource needs of such continuous applications. However, multi-tenant cloud resources introduce yet another dimension of performance variability that impacts the application’s throughput. In this paper we propose PLAStiCC, an adaptive scheduling algorithm that balances resource cost and application throughput using a prediction-based look-ahead approach. It not only addresses variations in the input data rates but also the underlying cloud infrastructure. In addition, we also propose several simpler static scheduling heuristics that operate in the absence of accurate performance prediction model. These static and adaptive heuristics are evaluated through extensive simulations using performance traces obtained from public and private IaaS clouds. Our results show an improvement of up to 20% in the overall profit as compared to the reactive adaptation algorithm.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

XTL Converter

"XTL Converter" is a short Python script for electron microscopy simulation. The program takes an input crystal file in the VESTA *.XTL format and converts it to a text format readable by the multislice simulation program ìSTEM. The process of converting a crystal *.XTL file to the format used by the ìSTEM simulation program is quite tedious; it generally requires the user to select dozens or hundreds of atoms, rearranging and reformatting their position. Header information must also be reformatted to a specific style to be read by ìSTEM. "XTL Converter" simplifies this process, saving the user time and allowing for easy batch processing of crystals.

Spurgeon, StevenR↗

Chemical Recommender System: Replacement Suggestions for Small Molecules

The Chemical Recommender System (CRS) is an open-source, high-performance toolkit that enables real-time similarity searches across the complete PubChem database (over 50 million molecules) using commodity hardware. The CRS addresses critical limitations in existing chemical informatics platforms through a novel vector database infrastructure, extensible model integration capabilities, and complete algorithmic transparency. The system implements a vector database deployment with partitioned indexing that achieves a ~60x speedup over traditional approaches. A containerized model integration framework allows researchers to seamlessly incorporate custom predictive models into the full-scale search and scoring pipeline, while complete configurability of search parameters, filtering logic, and scoring functions provides capabilities not available in existing black-box solutions. Beyond structural similarity, the CRS integrates OPERA QSAR models for thermophysical and toxicity predictions, RDKit synthetic accessibility scoring, and user-defined models to compute weighted final replacement scores. The complete system is accessible through an interactive web application supporting real-time progress monitoring, post-processing score re-weighting, automated PDF reporting, and batch processing capabilities.

Nair, Parthiv Anand [Sandia National Laboratories ↗

XTL Converter

"XTL Converter" is a short Python script for electron microscopy simulation. The program takes an input crystal file in the VESTA *.XTL format and converts it to a text format readable by the multislice simulation program ìSTEM. The process of converting a crystal *.XTL file to the format used by the ìSTEM simulation program is quite tedious; it generally requires the user to select dozens or hundreds of atoms, rearranging and reformatting their position. Header information must also be reformatted to a specific style to be read by ìSTEM. "XTL Converter" simplifies this process, saving the user time and allowing for easy batch processing of crystals.

Spurgeon, Steven R↗

Evaluation of Material Balance Approaches for Hanford Direct-Feed Low Activity Waste Processing - 20022

The Hanford Site has accumulated millions of gallons of tank waste from reprocessing spent fuel to recover plutonium, uranium, cesium, and strontium. The supernatant from the accumulated tank waste will be treated using a Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste approach. The supernatant will be treated to remove solids and cesium in the Tank-Side Cesium Removal process in the Hanford tank farm, then vitrified in a semi-batch process in the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). Currently, each batch of feed is sampled at three locations prior to being fed to the melter: the feed qualification tank in the Hanford tank farm as well as the concentrate receipt vessel (CRV) and melter feed preparation vessel (MFPV) in the WTP. The feed qualification sample is taken from a large batch of accumulated feed, only two to three samples are expected each year. Approximately 275 samples from the CRVs and 1100 samples from the MFPV are expected each year. An evaluation was performed to determine if a material balance based on the feed qualification sample could replace most of the sampling in the CRVs and MFPVs. The evaluation consisted of three elements: (1) determination of the practicality of using a material balance to estimate the stream composition of the CRV and MFPV contents, (2) evaluation of whether the material balance could be automated using the existing process control system, and (3) determination of the uncertainty in glass composition using the material balance approach. It is assumed that periodic sampling at the CRV and MFPV would be performed periodically to re-baseline the material balance, evaluations are in progress to determine the frequency of this periodic sampling. Process sample locations downstream of the melter were reviewed as well, but the partitioning of semi-volatile species in the melter was determined to preclude extending the material balance approach past the melter. It was determined that replacement of the CRV sample location was feasible and did not increase process uncertainty or significantly impact waste loading. Replacement of the MFPV sample was also determined to be feasible, but that measurement of the glass former chemical addition may be needed prior to addition of these chemicals to the MFPV. This measurement could be performed by an in situ laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system. Limited tests were performed to evaluate LIBS for direct measurements of the low-activity waste melter feed. The use of a material balance would eliminate over 1200 samples each year if only 10% of the CRV and MFPV batches are sampled and could likely allow the WTP laboratory to operate on days only versus 24/7 operation. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Actinide Removal Process October 2014 Sample Analysis

Filtration within the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) currently limits the throughput in interim salt processing at the Savannah River Site. In this process, batches of salt solution with Monosodium Titanate (MST) sorbent are concentrated by crossflow filtration. The filtrate is subsequently processed to remove cesium in the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) followed by disposal in saltstone grout. The concentrated MST slurry is washed and sent to the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) for vitrification. During past ARP processing, there has been a degradation of filter performance manifested as the inability to maintain high filtrate flux throughout a multi-batch cycles during Salt Batches 6, 5 and 4. The objectives of the current effort for Salt Batch 7 samples, which are similar to the most recent ARP sample analysis from 2013, were to characterize the feed streams, to determine if solids (in addition to MST) are precipitating and causing the degraded performance of the filters, and to assess the particle size and rheological data to address potential filtration impacts. The samples from the LWPT and LWHT were obtained from several stages of processing of Salt Batch 7B, Cycle 1, Batch 67.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗