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At least 541 records · Page 30

Portable interactive visualization of large-scale simulations in geotechnical engineering using Unity3D

Development in large-scale geotechnical engineering simulation places tremendous demand for efficient visualization of such simulation data. This study presents a lightweight software tool, i.e. Geotechnical Interactive Visualization (GIV), as a solution to this challenge, which achieves efficient interactive visualization of large-scale simulations data in geotechnical engineering. Visualization data flow and algorithms specifically optimized for common geotechnical engineering applications are implemented in GIV. GIV can visualize geotechnical structure models with time-varying attributes attached to mesh with fixed topology, and also models with time-varying mesh topologies but no attributes attached, the two most common visualization tasks in geotechnical engineering. Furthermore, challenges for large-scale simulation data visualization, including parallel simulation data redundancy, massive data size, dynamic user interaction, and portability are overcome via specifically designed algorithms for simulation data preprocessing and optimized visualization modules using the powerful 3D rendering and interactive game engine Unity3D. Comparison of GIV with several widely used visualization tools for the visualization of large-scale idealized datasets and realistic geotechnical simulations highlights the visualization efficiency, smooth interactivity, and lightweight features of GIV.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Perceptual response to visual noise and display media

The present project was designed to follow up an earlier investigation in which perceptual adaptation in response to the use of Night Vision Goggles, or image intensification (I squared) systems, such as those employed in the military were studied. Our chief concern in the earlier studies was with the dynamic visual noise that is a byproduct of the I(sup 2) technology: under low light conditions, there is a great deal of 'snow' or sporadic 'twinkling' of pixels in the I(sup 2) display which is more salient as the ambient light levels are lower. Because prolonged exposure to static visual noise produces strong adaptation responses, we reasoned that the dynamic visual noise of I(sup 2) displays might have a similar effect, which could have implications for their long term use. However, in the series of experiments reported last year, no evidence at all of such aftereffects following extended exposure to I(sup 2) displays were found. This finding surprised us, and led us to propose the following studies: (1) an investigation of dynamic visual noise and its capacity to produce after effects; and (2) an investigation of the perceptual consequences of characteristics of the display media.

Durgin, Frank H.↗

Flow visualization in the Space Shuttle's main engine

The analysis and design of the Space Shuttle's main engine (SSME) power head involved extended finite difference computations conducted on a supercomputer. Certain problems arise, however, in connection with such a computer, and it is pointed out that the massive output from such analyses can actually inhibit insight into physical behavior. It is, therefore, also important to develop effective techniques for computer-user data transfer which match the computer's computational speed. In order to satisfy such requirements, powerful engineering workstations and three-dimensional color computer graphics codes were employed in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses of the Shuttle's engine. Consequently, the complex physical characteristics of the SSME's hot-gas manifold could be quickly visualized, interpreted, and compared with alternative designs.

Belie, G.↗

Next Generation Flight Displays Using HTML5

The Human Integrated Vehicles and Environments (HIVE) lab at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is focused on bringing together inter-disciplinary talent to design and integrate innovative human interface technologies for next generation manned spacecraft. As part of this objective, my summer internship project centered on an ongoing investigation in to building flight displays using the HTML5 standard. Specifically, the goals of my project were to build and demo "flight-like" crew and wearable displays as well as create a webserver for live systems being developed by the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program. In parallel to my project, a LabVIEW application, called a display server, was created by the HIVE that uses an XTCE (XML (Extensible Markup Language) Telemetry and Command Exchange) parser and CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data System) space packet decoder to translate telemetry items sent by the CFS (Core Flight Software) over User Datagram Protocol (UDP). It was the webserver's job to receive these UDP messages and send them to the displays. To accomplish this functionality, I utilized Node.js and the accompanying Express framework. On the display side, I was responsible for creating the power system (AMPS) displays. I did this by using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to create web pages that could update and change dynamically based on the data they received from the webserver. At this point, I have not started on the commanding, being able to send back to the CFS, portion of the displays but hope to have this functionality working by the completion of my internship. I also created a way to test the webserver's functionality without the display server by making a JavaScript application that read in a comma-separate values (CSV) file and converted it to XML which was then sent over UDP. One of the major requirements of my project was to build everything using as little preexisting code as possible, which I accomplished by only using a handful of JavaScript libraries. As a side project, I created a model of the HIVE lab and Building 29 using SketchUp. I obtained the floorplans of the building from the JSC Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which were computer-aided design (CAD) files, and imported them into SketchUp. I then took those floorplans and created a 3D model of the building from them. Working in conjunction with the Hybrid Reality lab in Building 32, the SketchUp model was imported into Unreal Engine for use with the HTC Vive. Using the Vive, I was able to interact with the model I created in virtual reality (VR). The purpose of this side project was to be able to visualize potential lab layouts and mockup designs as they are in development in order to finalize design decisions. Pending approval, the model that I created will be used in the Build-As-You-Test: Can Hybrid Reality Improve the SE/HSI Design Process project in the fall. Getting the opportunity to work at NASA has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Over the course of my internship, I improved my programming and web development abilities substantially. I will take all the skills and experiences I have had while at NASA back to school with me in the fall and hope to pursue a career in the aerospace industry after graduating in the spring.

Greenwood, Brian↗

Coupling Visualization, Simulation, and Deep Learning for Ensemble Steering of Complex Energy Models: Preprint

We have developed a framework for the exploration, design, and planning of energy systems that combines interactive visualization with machine-learning based approximations of simulations through a general purpose dataflow API. Our system provides a visual inter- face allowing users to explore an ensemble of energy simulations representing a subset of the complex input parameter space, and spawn new simulations to 'fill in' input regions corresponding to new enegery system scenarios. Unfortunately, many energy simula- tions are far too slow to provide interactive responses. To support interactive feedback, we are developing reduced-form models via machine learning techniques, which provide statistically sound esti- mates of the full simulations at a fraction of the computational cost and which are used as proxies for the full-form models. Fast com- putation and an agile dataflow enhance the engagement with energy simulations, and allow researchers to better allocate computational resources to capture informative relationships within the system and provide a low-cost method for validating and quality-checking large-scale modeling efforts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A methodology for decay heat characterization in molten salt reactors

Accurate decay heat prediction in molten salt reactors (MSRs) faces dual challenges: complex operational uncertainties and the need for interpretable models compatible with engineering workflows. This work presents a hybrid machine learning and segmented polynomial methodology that addresses both requirements through three key innovations. First, a modular data architecture encodes MSR-specific operational parameters (power density: 1-100 W cm -3 , humidity: 0-0.1 wt %, air ingress: 0-0.1 mol %) with uncertainty-aware temporal discretization spanning 15 orders of magnitude. Second, region-optimized machine learning models achieve 92.3 % root mean square error (RMSE) reduction over conventional polynomials while maintaining physical interpretability through automated piecewise equation generation. Third, dual front-end interfaces accelerate safety analyses — a Jupyter environment enables researchers to explore 10,000+ parameter combinations via interactive widgets, while a Streamlit web application reduces design iteration cycles through production-grade visualization tools. Operational deployment demonstrates prediction times of only a couple hundred milliseconds for 10 4 years decay profiles, enabling real-time optimization of spent fuel container designs.

42 - ENGINEERING↗

Fiber optic-based laser vapor screen flow visualization systems for aerodynamic research in larger-scale subsonic and transonic wind tunnels

The design, installation, and application of the NASA laser vapor screen (LVS) flow visualization systems developed by 10-foot high speed tunnel and 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel are discussed. Sufficient quantity of water is injected into the wind tunnel diffuser section to increase the relative humidity and promote condensation of the water vapor in the flow field about the model. Vortex-dominated flows are illuminated with an intense sheet of laser light. Fiber optics are used to deliver the laser beam through the plenum shell that surrounds the test section of each facility and to the light sheet-generating optics positioned in the ceiling window of the test section. Operational experience indicates that fiber optic-based systems are safe, reliable, and capable of proving high-quality off-surface flow visualization in larger scale subsonic and transonic wind tunnels.

Erickson, Gary E.↗

I’ll have the Porter: Interactively Visualizing the Results of Statistical Maneuver Analysis

Mission design and navigation relies on statistical maneuver analysis and Monte Carlo simulations when evaluating candidate mission trajectories. Engineers must analyze large quantities of data to optimize mission safety and propellant margins, but currently rely on static text files and dense PDF slide decks to review simulation results. This approach is time-intensive, non-interactive, and difficult to share or coordinate with other mission designers. To improve this process, we present Porter: a web-based interactive mission analysis tool. This work describes Porter’s user-centered design process, its processing pipeline for importing and processing LAMBIC simulation data, core interactive features, and preliminary user feedback.

Ramaswamy, Basak Alper↗

Optical layout and mechanical structure of polarimeter-interferometer system for Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

A Far-InfaRed (FIR) three-wave POlarimeter-INTerferometer (POINT) system for measurement current density profile and electron density profile is under development for the EAST tokamak. The FIR beams are transmitted from the laser room to the optical tower adjacent to EAST via ∼20 m overmoded dielectric waveguide and then divided into 5 horizontal chords. The optical arrangement was designed using ZEMAX, which provides information on the beam spot size and energy distribution throughout the optical system. ZEMAX calculations used to optimize the optical layout design are combined with the mechanical design from CATIA, providing a 3D visualization of the entire POINT system.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Magnitude of visual accommodation to a head-up display

The virtual image symbology of head-up displays (HUDs) is presented at optical infinity to the pilot. This design feature is intended to help pilots maintain visual focus distance at optical infinity. However, the accommodation response could be nearer than optical infinity, due to an individual's dark focus response. Accommodation responses were measured of two age groups of airline pilots to: (1) static symbology on a HUD; (2) a landing site background at optical infinity; (3) the combination of the HUD symbology and the landing site background; and (4) complete darkness. Results indicate that magnitude of accommodation to HUD symbology, with and without the background, is not significantly different from an infinity focus response for either age group. The dark focus response is significantly closer than optical infinity for the younger pilots, but not the older pilots, a finding consistent with previous research.

Leitner, E. F.↗

pnnl/Deep-Learning-Control-with-Embedded-Physical-Structure

Framework that can produce visually compelling articles for project research. The design of our framework is centered around simplifying content creation so that researchers unfamiliar with the underlying technology stack can still produce informative, beautiful research documents with interactive and visual features.

Tuor, Aaron↗

Human-Centric Lighting: Foundational Considerations and a Five-Step Design Process

At its best, human-centric lighting considers the visual and non-visual effects of light in support of positive human outcomes. At its worst, it is a marketing phrase used to healthwash lighting products or lighting design solutions. There is no doubt that environmental lighting contributes to human health, but how might one practice human-centric lighting given both the credible potential and the implausible hype? Marketing literature is filled with promises. Technical lighting societies have summarized the science but have not yet offered design guidance. Meanwhile, designers are in the middle, attempting to distinguish credible knowledge from that which is dubious to make design decisions that affect people directly. This article is intended to: (1) empower the reader with fundamental understandings of ways in which light affects health; (2) provide a process for human-centric lighting design that can dovetail with the decision-making process that is already a part of a designer's workflow.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Development of a 5-Component Balance for Water Tunnel Applications

The principal objective of this research/development effort was to develop a multi-component strain gage balance to measure both static and dynamic forces and moments on models tested in flow visualization water tunnels. A balance was designed that allows measuring normal and side forces, and pitching, yawing and rolling moments (no axial force). The balance mounts internally in the model and is used in a manner typical of wind tunnel balances. The key differences between a water tunnel balance and a wind tunnel balance are the requirement for very high sensitivity since the loads are very low (typical normal force is 90 grams or 0.2 lbs), the need for water proofing the gage elements, and the small size required to fit into typical water tunnel models. The five-component balance was calibrated and demonstrated linearity in the responses of the primary components to applied loads, very low interactions between the sections and no hysteresis. Static experiments were conducted in the Eidetics water tunnel with delta wings and F/A-18 models. The data were compared to forces and moments from wind tunnel tests of the same or similar configurations. The comparison showed very good agreement, providing confidence that loads can be measured accurately in the water tunnel with a relatively simple multi-component internal balance. The success of the static experiments encouraged the use of the balance for dynamic experiments. Among the advantages of conducting dynamic tests in a water tunnel are less demanding motion and data acquisition rates than in a wind tunnel test (because of the low-speed flow) and the capability of performing flow visualization and force/moment (F/M) measurements simultaneously with relative simplicity. This capability of simultaneous flow visualization and for F/M measurements proved extremely useful to explain the results obtained during these dynamic tests. In general, the development of this balance should encourage the use of water tunnels for a wider range of quantitative and qualitative experiments, especially during the preliminary phase of aircraft design.

Suarez, Carlos J.↗

Capturing, Analyzing, Maintaining, and Disseminating Shape Memory Material Data Between Information Management Systems

With an increased demand on reducing the time, cost, and effort to develop new materials, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) has received widespread attention in various engineering disciplines as a catalyst for significantly reducing experimental testing during the material design process. An ICME approach to design can enable ‘fit-for-purpose’ materials to be realized in engineering applications by incorporating well-understood process-property-performance relationships between the various length and time scales in a material’s structure, enabling material optimization. However, such an approach requires validated multiscale models at the various length scales for a material, which in turn requires a large amount of data, a robust means of storing the data, and the ability to link data to developed material models. The NASA Vision 2040 [1] has identified nine key elements to enabling ICME approaches in system level design, with one being “Data, Information, and Visualization”, thus outlining the importance of a robust information management system for ICME. As the relationship between microstructure, properties, and material performance become better understood and incorporated into multiscale models that can be leveraged in application design, the emergence of new materials with application-driven properties can be realized. One such new material class that has seen growing attention are shape memory materials (SMM), in which a material can transition between a deformed and undeformed state via a reversible phase transformation when subject to a thermal, mechanical, or magnetic load [2]. SMMs have been used widely in aerospace and biomedical industries, including applications such as actuators, low-shock mechanisms, medical staples, braces, and stents [3, 4]. These materials exhibit unique behavior due to their ability to transition between phases, and thus the mechanisms that enable this transition must be captured in a data information management system and incorporated into SMM material models. At NASA Glenn Research Center, the Shape Memory Materials Database (SMMD) Tool has been developed to capture the necessary information that governs SMM material behavior and provide users the ability to select and visualize various SMMs for a specific application [5]. The database contains point-wise data for published SMM materials, along with the pedigree metadata for traceability necessary for a robust information management system. The database is also capable of storing in-house test data performed at NASA GRC by interacting with the developed Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Analytics tool to extract the necessary point-wise values and populate the database. Although the SMMD Tool offers its users a single, authoritative source for SMM material data that is critical for model development and material design, the full material pedigree of the in-house test data for SMMs is not currently captured and is out of the scope for the SMMD tool. In this work, the schema for capturing SMM test data within the larger NASA GRC ICME Schema [6, 7, 8, 9] will be developed and implemented for thermomechanical tests conducted at NASA GRC. The developed schema will not only store the relevant data needed for the SMMD tool, but also the material pedigree (i.e., production of the bulk material, bulk material analysis, sample cut-out diagrams, sample fabrication procedure, etc.), test pedigree (i.e., test equipment used, measurement systems used, raw test data), and analysis pedigree (i.e., how the data in the SMMD tool is calculated). Furthermore, a Python-based framework will be developed to seamlessly interact between the SMA Analytics and SMMD tools, which will write the full dataset and associated metadata to the GRC Information Management System before passing the required point-wise data to the SMMD tool. Data informatics is a key element of the NASA Vision 2040, which requires not only that data is stored and maintained throughout the material lifecycle, but that the data is also accessible and reusable such that material development efforts can be minimized. Therefore, for an ICME design approach to be realized, a centralized information management system that drives the ICME process must be able to communicate with other databases. The work that will be presented in this presentation will therefore not only demonstrate the ability of NASA GRC’s information management system to capture SMM data, but also its ability to interact with pre-existing tools specialized for such materials.

Data management↗

Migration to a fully-integrated control room - 349

The nuclear industry is faced with a pressing need to reduce operating costs in order to remain competitive with other forms of electric generation. While current industry initiatives are focused on incremental gains by streamlining work processes and reducing worker burdens, very few, if any, involve significant reductions in the base workload of a nuclear plant. Migration to a fully-integrated control room affords just such an opportunity. This report describes an NPP digital instrumentation and control (I and C) system design, along with its corresponding human systems interface (HSI) design, which achieves high plant availability, while selectively applying digital equipment redundancy and integrating traditional I and C system partitions, to minimize the digital equipment needed, and thereby minimize initial installation costs and ongoing operations and maintenance (O and M) costs. An additional key component of digital equipment minimization is optimization of the digital interface to conventional plant sensors and controlled plant devices (e.g., pumps, valves), which requires no disturbance to plant cables and results in eliminating thousands of electro-mechanical relay control components. The design is rooted in the highly integrated digital technology applied to the most recent advanced light water reactors under United States (U.S.) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) design certification review and approval. While this design employs technology from new plants, that technology has been adapted to the modernization of current operating NPPs. Hence, the highly integrated digital I and C and HSI design is referred to as the compact control room digital modernization (CDM). Along with minimal digital equipment, the corresponding HSI design employs compact operator workstations with visual display units (VDU) and soft controls for both the main control room (MCR) and remote shutdown room (RSR), to immediately improve human performance and ultimately facilitate operating staff reduction. Some advanced light water reactors have demonstrated this staff reduction through full scope simulator testing of normal and abnormal plant conditions, with U.S. licensed operating crews from currently-operating U.S. plants. Digital equipment minimization, compact operator workstations, and optimized plant component interfaces that require no disturbance to field cables, also facilitate implementation of the CDM over multiple phases, most of which can be conducted during normal refueling shutdown windows. This phased implementation method includes a novel transition of the I and C, MCR and RSR with an operations centered focus. This paper presents the CDM design, along with qualitative cost/benefit comparisons to currently operating plants with conventional analog I and C and HSI technology; this generation of I and C/HSI is referred to as a conventional control room (CCR). A CCR also includes NPPs that have been upgraded with digital systems, but retain the current partitions between plant I and C systems (i.e., no I and C integration) and retain the current plant system to control board configuration of current NPP control rooms. Even though these comparisons are qualitative, a compelling case is presented for the CDM. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff: Comparative Visual Cues for Transparent Diagnostics of Competing Models

Experts in data and physical sciences have to regularly grapple with the problem of competing models. Be it analytical or physics-based models, a cross-cutting challenge for experts is to reliably diagnose which model outcomes appropriately predict or simulate real-world phenomena. Expert judgment involves reconciling information across many, and often, conflicting criteria that describe the quality of model outcomes. In this paper, through a design study with climate scientists, we develop a deeper understanding of the problem and solution space of model diagnostics, resulting in the following contributions: i) a problem and task characterization using which we map experts’ model diagnostics goals to multi-way visual comparison tasks, ii) a design space of comparative visual cues for letting experts quickly understand the degree of disagreement among competing models and gauge the degree of stability of model outputs with respect to alternative criteria, and iii) design and evaluation of MyriadCues, an interactive visualization interface for exploring alternative hypotheses and insights about good and bad models by leveraging comparative visual cues. Here, we present case studies and subjective feedback by experts, which validate how MyriadCues enables more transparent model diagnostic mechanisms, as compared to the state of the art.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

XML-Based Visual Specification of Multidisciplinary Applications

The advancements in the Internet and Web technologies have fueled a growing interest in developing a web-based distributed computing environment. We have designed and developed Arcade, a web-based environment for designing, executing, monitoring, and controlling distributed heterogeneous applications, which is easy to use and access, portable, and provides support through all phases of the application development and execution. A major focus of the environment is the specification of heterogeneous, multidisciplinary applications. In this paper we focus on the visual and script-based specification interface of Arcade. The web/browser-based visual interface is designed to be intuitive to use and can also be used for visual monitoring during execution. The script specification is based on XML to: (1) make it portable across different frameworks, and (2) make the development of our tools easier by using the existing freely available XML parsers and editors. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the visual and script-based interfaces allowing users to go back and forth between the two. To support this we have developed translators that translate a script-based specification to a visual-based specification, and vice-versa. These translators are integrated with our tools and are transparent to users.

Al-Theneyan, Ahmed↗

Vortex-generating coolant-flow-passage design for increased film-cooling effectiveness and surface coverage

The thermal film-cooling footprints observed by infrared imagery for three coolant-passage configurations embedded in adiabatic-test plates are discussed. The configurations included a standard round-hole cross section and two orientations of a vortex-generating flow passage. Both orientations showed up to factors of four increases in both film-cooling effectiveness and surface coverage over that obtained with the round coolant passage. The crossflow data covered a range of tunnel velocities from 15.5 to 45 m/sec with blowing rates from 0.20 to 2.05. A photographic streakline flow visualization technique supported the concept of the counterrotating apability of the flow passage design and gave visual credence to its role in inhibiting flow separation.

Papell, S. S.↗