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At least 685 records · Page 38

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DOE OSTI2016

Application of New CERCLA Five-Year Review Guidance at Hanford - 16403

Under CERCLA, the implementation of remedial actions established in records of decision (ROD) are required to be reviewed every five years to evaluate their effectiveness in protecting human health and the environment. Past reviews have included evaluation of actions that were not implemented under existing RODs and, therefore, not subject to the requirement. While commendable for its transparency, discussing these out-of-scope actions created confusion and elicited comments that required time and effort to resolve. The fourth CERCLA Five Year Review (FYR) at the Hanford Site embraces the EPA guidance designed to streamline the process and focuses on the specific objectives of the review. This guidance and the training materials developed jointly by multiple federal agencies including EPA, DOE, DOD, and Department of the Interior (DOI), demonstrate a focused approach to the FYR process and offer real-world examples for streamlining this important document. This paper discusses the focused approach and process changes implemented at the Hanford Site that reduced the size and complexity of the document and provided the DOE, Richland Operations Office, with an efficient, effective template for preparing subsequent reviews. One key change was a thorough evaluation of what operable units were discussed and what operable units were not discussed in the five-year review. This process resulted in a reduction of 14 operable unit discussions. Additionally, extensive referencing of previously published CERCLA documents including closure reports and periodic groundwater monitoring reports minimized the amount of analytical data tables necessary to support the discussion. The Hanford five year review made good use of technology and provided internet links to existing documents where detailed information and voluminous analytical data reside. This eliminated the use of extensive data tables and summaries. The resulting five protectiveness determinations include: 1) 'Protective' which is used when there is sufficient data to conclude that the remedy is functioning as intended; 2) 'Protective in the short term' which is used when the data and/or documentation review raises issues that could affect future protectiveness; 3) 'Will be protective' which is used when the remedy under construction is anticipated to be protective on completion; 4) 'Protectiveness deferred' which is typically used when additional information is needed; and 5) 'Not protective' which is used when risks are not under control. Reviewing only on the appropriate operable units, and supporting the analysis of remedy performance with focused data, the resulting protectiveness determinations and overall effectiveness of the document were significantly improved. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

A Literature Review and Compilation of Nuclear Waste Management System Attributes for Use in Multi-Objective System Evaluations - 16618

The purpose of this work was to compile a comprehensive initial set of potential nuclear waste management system attributes. This initial set of attributes is intended to serve as a starting point for additional consideration by system analysts and planners to facilitate the development of a waste management system multi-objective evaluation framework based on the principles and methodology of multi-attribute utility analysis. The compilation is primarily based on a review of reports issued by the Canadian Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) and the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (BRC), but also an extensive review of the available literature for similar and past efforts as well. Numerous system attributes found in different sources were combined into a single objectives-oriented hierarchical structure. This study provides a discussion of the data sources and the descriptions of the hierarchical structure. A particular focus of this study was on collecting and compiling inputs from past studies that involved the participation of various external stakeholders. However, while the important role of stakeholder input in a country's waste management decision process is recognized in the referenced sources, there are only a limited number of in-depth studies of the stakeholders' differing perspectives. Compiling a comprehensive hierarchical listing of attributes is a complex task since stakeholders have multiple and often conflicting interests. The BRC worked for two years (January 2010 to January 2012) to 'ensure it has heard from as many points of view as possible'. The Canadian NWMO study took four years and ample resources, involving national and regional stakeholders' dialogs, internet-based dialogs, information and discussion sessions, open houses, workshops, round-tables, public attitude research, web site, and topic reports. The current compilation effort benefited from the distillation of these many varied inputs conducted by the previous studies. The initial set of attributes is intended to provide a starting point for considering potential objectives for evaluating nuclear waste management system options. It is envisioned that this initial set will evolve and be revised as new and additional input is received from stakeholders on various attributes and their relative importance. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2018

Using EPA's Risk Assessment Tools for Superfund When Addressing Removal Actions and Late-Phase Response to Terrorist Attacks - 18228

EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) has three internet based calculators, or risk assessment models, for developing risk based Preliminary Remediation Goals (PRGs) for radioactively contaminated CERCLA sites. These PRG calculators are EPA's recommended methodology for developing risk-based concentrations for remedial actions for soil and water (PRG), inside buildings (BPRG), and outside hard surfaces (SPRG). EPA has three equivalent calculators for dose assessment, which are the Dose Compliance Concentration (DCC) calculator for soil and water, inside buildings (BDCC), and outside hard surfaces (SDCC). The three PRG calculators also include default PRG tables provided for each of the calculators showing concentrations corresponding to 1 x 10-6 when the calculators are run using all of their default parameters. This presentation will provide information on how users may employ these tools beyond their original intended uses in the remedial program, to develop risk based cleanup levels during the late-phase portion of an actual response after a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) or Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) terrorist attack or a major accident at a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), or a simulation during an exercise of an RDD/IND/NPP event, they may want to run the calculator using more site-specific data. This presentation will provide information on how users may employ these tools beyond their original intended uses in the remedial program, and focus on some of the more conservative default parameters that are likely candidates for replacement by site-specific information. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2018

US EPA Superfund Radiation Risk Assessment Update: Superfund Update: Revisions to Risk and Dose Assessment Tools - 18232

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund remedial program is finishing up a significant number of revisions to its guidance for the risk assessment process at radioactively contaminated Superfund sites. The six Preliminary Remediation Goal (PRG) and Dose Compliance Concentration (DCC) internet based calculators for risk and dose assessment at Superfund sites are being revised to reflect better science, revisions to existing exposure scenarios and new scenarios, and changes to match up more closely with the EPA chemical regional screening level calculator. A comprehensive set of revisions to the PRG calculator was finished in November 2014. Additional revisions to the other 5 calculators were made in 2015. A set of further revisions are expected to be finalized prior to December 2016 and will be discussed in this abstract. There are several additional revisions that may be finished prior to WM 2017 and will be presented if finished or discussed in more general terms if still underway. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

US EPA Superfund Radiation Risk Assessment Update: Superfund Update: Revisions to Risk and Dose Assessment Tools - 19057

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund remedial program is finishing up a significant number of revisions to its guidance for the risk assessment process at radioactively contaminated Superfund sites. The six Preliminary Remediation Goal (PRG) and Dose Compliance Concentration (DCC) internet-based calculators for radiation risk and dose assessment at Superfund sites are being revised to reflect better science, revisions to existing exposure scenarios and new scenarios, and changes to match up more closely with the EPA chemical Regional Screening Level calculator. A comprehensive set of revisions to the PRG calculator was finished in November 2014. Additional revisions to the other 5 calculators were made in 2015. A set of further revisions are expected to be finalized prior to December 2018 and will be discussed in this abstract. A new Radon Vapor Intrusion Screening Level (RVISL) calculator is expected to be finished in 2019, similar to the Vapor Intrusion Screening Level (VISL) for chemical calculator that was finished in 2018. There are several additional revisions that may be finished prior to WM 2019 and will be presented if finished or discussed in more general terms if still underway. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Indoor Radon Measurements from Residential Buildings with Basements in a Community with Potential LLRW Contamination - 19566

The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) represents the Government of Canada's commitment to the cleanup and safe, local, long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) in two Southern Ontario municipalities-Port Hope and Clarington. The PHAI (see reference for internet address) is based on community-recommended solutions for the cleanup and safe long-term management of approximately 1.7 million cubic meters of LLRW. It is currently one of Canada's largest environmental remediation projects at a cost of over one billion dollars. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is implementing the PHAI on behalf of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, a Federal Crown Corporation. An initial characterization and remediation program in the urban area of Port Hope was conducted from 1976 to 1981. The waste is the result of radium and uranium processing in Port Hope by the former Federal Crown Corporation Eldorado Nuclear Limited between 1933 and 1988. One contaminant of concern in the LLRW is radium-226 (Ra-226) which may lead to elevated indoor levels of radon-222 (Rn-222) indoors. As part of CNL's implementation of the PHAI, Arcadis is conducting the Port Hope Project Property Radiological Survey of approximately 4,800 small-scale sites to identify 1) properties that have not been affected by historic operations and 2) properties that have residual historic low-level radioactive waste impacts requiring remediation either for soils or for interior contamination or both. Over the last six years, a component of the Small Scale Sites (SSS) characterization surveys have measured radon concentrations in essentially all buildings in Port Hope using alpha-track detectors. All properties had subsurface characterization including analytical characterization and lithology following the radon measurement reporting to measure if soil concentrations exceeded the PHAI Cleanup Criteria (PHAI CC) for Ra-226 of 0.29 Bq/g. Buildings with radon gas exceeding a trigger level of 200 becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m{sup 3}) or those with ventilation systems required investigation of soil concentrations around the perimeter of the building. Ra-226 concentrations above the background level of 0.05 Bq/g due to LLRW sources were forwarded to create remedial action plans (RAPs) to remove the contamination near the building. The SSS surveys provide a substantive data set on the approximately 3,000 properties measured to date with interior Rn-222 gas measurements and descriptions of the physical characteristics of the buildings, the lithology of soils near the buildings and the measurements of Ra-226 concentration in the soils on the property. Consideration of the potential for contribution from non-LLRW Ra-226 from natural sources or coal ash was required on some properties. This paper describes the data and exploratory analysis of the relationship(s) between LLRW and non-LLRW factors that affect the variation in indoor radon concentrations. Historical information on the urban area, the measured Ra-226 concentration and the age of the building were correlated with radon concentrations. A large variety of native soils are found in the complex terrain and the type of native soil was correlated with the radon concentrations. A statistical analysis to address the impact of co-related explanatory variables to model indoor radon concentrations is planned when the SSS activities are complete. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

EPRI Demonstration of an Autonomous Site Characterization Vehicle - 20523

A substantial effort is applied in performing radiological characterization of structures and land areas during decommissioning of a nuclear facility. This includes multiple surveys of land areas and large structures to support eventual site release under the Multi Agency Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM, Reference 1). These surveys are typically performed using manually delivered systems, which is time consuming and labor intensive. Radiological surveys intentionally follow a prescribed protocol with respect to areas covered, scan speeds, responses to elevated readings, required detector offsets, the need for repeat measurements, etc. Based on these attributes, combined with the repetitive effort of performing surveys over large areas, automation of radiological characterization techniques has a high potential to be successful and promises substantial benefit. EPRI has performed a project that resulted in the development and demonstration of an autonomous site characterization system. This EPRI project focused on building surfaces and the surfaces of large land areas as these configurations lend themselves more readily to automated survey. The project included: - Identification of the requirements for an autonomous site characterization system; - A survey of existing control systems that use automation to conduct characterization of structures and land areas. - As no fully adequate systems were identified, a complete system was developed that utilized commercially available detection and analysis systems and a self driving vehicle owned by EPRI. The system was demonstrated at the Kewaunee nuclear power plant site in the fall of 2019. The demonstration included: - Autonomous surveys of floor areas inside the Auxiliary Building at Kewaunee after manually controlled mapping of the survey areas. - For land areas, the vehicle autonomously surveyed areas using travel paths had been preprogrammed onto an internet available map of area. In this case, GPS coordinates from the preprogramming were used for navigation by the vehicles guidance system. This paper summarizes the characterization system development and system demonstration which will also be published in an EPRI report in the first half of 2020. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

Using Digital and Web-Based Platforms to Enhance Nuclear Power Plant Knowledge Transfer - 20203

As the workforce ages, the loss of experienced personnel can result in a loss of important knowledge. Updating Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) research and guidance with the latest technology developments and operating experience is an important method to transfer knowledge between the retiring and incoming workforce. Studies suggest that the incoming workforce is accustomed to using digital and/or internet-based platforms to find information and may have a higher comfort with these types of platforms than they have with static, written reports. Additionally, the ease and speed of updating and delivering content through digital formats may offer an effective method for knowledge transfer and combining information from multiple reports into a single access point. EPRI has recently produced an online Decommissioning Hub available to members and is working on replicating the effort in the area of radioactive waste management called the Radwaste Web References. EPRI has extensive guidance in both disciplines. The Decommissioning Hub uses a wiki format to provide a platform that allows for both the updating of that guidance resulting from new research and new operating experiences, and combining related topical information from multiple reports. It also allows users to access the information based on key words and topical searches, and can be a tool for users to input experience to share with others. The Decommissioning Hub is accessed via a web-based portal and includes topical pages; experience summaries; a question and answer capability; and a smart search function of all EPRI decommissioning reports. Use of a wiki format allows users to input new experiences or modify existing experience summaries to add additional detail. EPRI moderates all content. The experience data base has been initially populated with information available in published EPRI reports and unpublished information currently available within EPRI. Moving forward, population of the database will continue with information available within the open literature, new information developed from current decommissioning projects, and user inputs. The web site became active in late 2017, and a major update will be issued in early 2020. Larger scale updates are planned biannually, and smaller-scale updates will occur continuously. Capturing and applying lessons learned from industry experiences is a hallmark of the global nuclear industry. This is even more important in the decommissioning technology area since very few plant staff have relevant experience and thus there is a steep learning curve. Moreover, decommissioning involves a number of complex, non-routine and specialized tasks. The web-accessible and searchable experience database provides an easy-to-use resource for capturing and disseminating practical experiences from completed and ongoing decommissioning projects. The EPRI Radwaste Web References will build upon the philosophy and objectives of the Radwaste Desk References that were published in the 1990's. The purpose of the original Radwaste Desk References was to provide nuclear power plant professionals with a how-to manual for managing radioactive waste. The Radwaste Web References will adopt this original purpose and will be a wiki type web site that provide fundamental practical and theoretical information, operating experience (OE), and information about advanced technologies and methods. As much as practicable, features that allow for interaction between users to share OE, best practices, and benchmarking will be added. Where they exist and are appropriate, the various EPRI Guidelines documents on radwaste topics will be updated and incorporated into the Radwaste Web References. The first Radwaste Web Reference will be on Low Level Waste Characterization and will build upon the EPRI Low Level Waste Characterization Guidelines (EPRI Report TR-107201, 1996) and will be available in 2020. The next Radwaste Web Reference will be on the topic of liquid radioactive waste processing and management, tentatively set for unveiling in 2021. This paper summarizes the EPRI's previous experiences with web-based platforms and future plans in this area. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2020

US EPA Superfund Remediation Program Update: Revisions to Risk and Dose Assessment Models - 20368

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

E-Learning in Neutron Activation Analysis

Since the middle 1990's electronic technology (E learning) has slowly infiltrated and now dominates education at all levels. E-learning encompasses a wide array of deliveries from simple introductions of animations in a teaching class to Massive Open-On-Line Courses (MOOCs) and Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (MOODLEs). Even the definition of e-learning can be allusive. E-learning can or cannot have the following aspects: internet availability, supervised exams, a teacher to advise the students by electronic means such as e-mail, telephone, SKYPE, GOOGLE HANGOUT, FACETIME, etc., and multimedia designs. E-learning has transformed education from the Traditional Classroom Course to a) Synchronous Distributed Course in which web-based technologies are used to extend classroom lectures and discussions to students at remote sites in real time; b) Web-Enhanced Course in which online course activity complements class sessions without reducing the number of required class meetings; c). 'Emporium' Course where this model is designed for on-campus use, eliminates all class meetings and replaces them with a learning resource center featuring online materials and on-demand personalized assistance; d) Hybrid Course where online activity is mixed with classroom meetings, replacing at least 20 percent, but not all required face-to-face meetings; and e) Online Course where all course activity is done online and there are no required face-to-face sessions within the course and no requirements for on-campus activity. E-learning takes an extra challenge where the subject matter is highly scientific and engineering oriented encompassing multiple complex mathematical notations and concepts. A straight forward presentation of equations in Power Point is a recipe for an unsuccessful delivery of lectures. But how does one deliver intricate concepts without the use of a traditional blackboard to write on and how does one reach a worldwide diverse community in a fast moving arena of technological changes in education delivery?. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international organizations as well, have undertaken large efforts to secure nuclear knowledge management in a wide area of nuclear science and engineering including research reactors. (authors)

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

A Cybersecurity Testbed for Smart Buildings

Smart buildings are equipped with a plethora of cyber-physical systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices and building automation systems. These devices, especially in commercial buildings, use legacy communications and hardware that were not designed with cybersecurity in mind. With increasing cyber threats in recent years, smart buildings have become an increasing target for attacks, but not enough published data are available from these incidents to study or replicate the scenarios to defend buildings. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded project focusing on developing the Building Intelligence with Layered Defense Using Security-Constrained Optimization and Security Risk Detection (BUILD-SOS) platform, we developed a cybersecurity test bed for smart buildings. This test bed includes a building simulation tool, virtual devices, emulated operational technology networks, and remote hardware-in-the-loop. Using this test bed, we performed different cyberattacks on the smart building model and collected both physical building data, to understand the impacts on the building, and network data, to aid in separating mechanical faults from cyberattacks during the detection. This test bed is a significant tool in protecting smart buildings from cyberattacks because it can aid in both cybersecurity analysis and the evaluation of other cyberattack detection tools by testing the tools in a secure environment without impacting the building operations.

cyber-physical systems↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Cybersecurity Testbed for Smart Buildings

Smart buildings are equipped with a plethora of cyber-physical systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices and building automation systems. These devices, especially in commercial buildings, use legacy communications and hardware that were not designed with cybersecurity in mind. With increasing cyber threats in recent years, smart buildings have become an increasing target for attacks, but not enough published data are available from these incidents to study or replicate the scenarios to defend buildings. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded project focusing on developing the Building Intelligence with Layered Defense Using Security-Constrained Optimization and Security Risk Detection (BUILD-SOS) platform, we developed a cybersecurity test bed for smart buildings. This test bed includes a building simulation tool, virtual devices, emulated operational technology networks, and remote hardware-in-the-loop. Using this test bed, we performed different cyberattacks on the smart building model and collected both physical building data, to understand the impacts on the building, and network data, to aid in separating mechanical faults from cyberattacks during the detection. This test bed is a significant tool in protecting smart buildings from cyberattacks because they can aid in both cybersecurity analysis and the evaluation of cyberattack detection tools by testing the tools in a secure environment without impacting the building operations.

alfalfa↗

DOE OSTI2023

Development of A Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) Testbed for Cyber-Physical Security in Smart Buildings

As smart buildings move towards open communication technologies, providing access to the Building Automation System (BAS) through the building's intranet, or even remotely through the Internet, has become a common practice. However, BAS was historically developed as a closed environment and designed with limited cyber-security considerations. Thus, smart buildings are vulnerable to cyber-attacks with the increased accessibility. This study introduces the development and capability of a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIT) testbed for testing and evaluating the cyber-physical security of typical BASs in smart buildings. The testbed consists of three subsystems: (1) a real-time HIL emulator simulating the behavior of a virtual building as well as the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment via a dynamic simulation in Modelica; (2) a set of real HVAC controllers monitoring the virtual building operation and providing local control signals to control HVAC equipment in the HIL emulator; and (3) a BAS server along with a web-based service for users to fully access the schedule, setpoints, trends, alarms, and other control functions of the HVAC controllers remotely through the BACnet network. The server generates rule-based setpoints to local HVAC controllers. Based on these three subsystems, the HIL testbed supports attack/fault-free and attack/fault-injection experiments at various levels of the building system. The resulting test data can be used to inform the building community and support the cyber-physical security technology transfer to the building industry.

Li, Guowen↗

DOE OSTI2023

Maximum-impact Adversary Design for Network-based Control System: A Case Study on Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology has dramatically improved the efficiency of today's building operation and management. By connecting controllable devices into a communication network, control signals can be easily passed to the devices, and operating status can be acquired from measurable ends with minimal effort. However, this all-connected configuration could also expose the network-based control system (NBCS) to malicious actions, such as cyberattacks. One of the common NBCSs is the building automation system. With the promotion of grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs), there has been increasing attention on securing the buildings from the network perspective. This research proposes a maximum-impact adversary design framework so that the adversary can provide the most adversarial impact on the controlled system while remaining stealthy. The proposed framework is numerically demonstrated on a network-based building energy and control system. The building energy system is built in a Modelica-based simulation environment and controlled by the state-of-the-art ASHRAE Guideline 36 control sequences. The control commands at the supervisory level, generated from the Guideline 36 controller, are assumed to be sent to local devices through communication networks using the BACnet protocol. Simulation results show that the proposed maximum-impact adversary on such a system can stealthily affect the building system's performance to its maximum extent. It is anticipated that results can be used by researchers and practitioners in the building automation industry to design efficient and robust cyber-attack detection algorithms, especially for stealthy attacks.

Chu, Mengyuan↗

DOE OSTI2023

Modbus RTU for Embedded Cyber Secure Inverter Controller

The Modbus communication protocol is a widely adopted communication standard in industrial control systems. This communication protocol is known for being reliable and straightforward to implement while being versatile in terms of its operating parameters while supporting multiple formats over various hardware infrastructures and architectures. Many intelligent devices such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), Internet-of-Things (IoT), and various Operational Technologies (OT) utilize Modbus for their communication systems. These types of systems must communicate with each other through a standardized and central communication process. To support the integration of these modular systems, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) can act as an embedded central routing fabric for this communication to take place. Embedded systems are versatile enough to interface with various devices and systems to accomplish various goals. Additionally, embedded systems require relatively small physical designs to minimize the required resources to facilitate the intended application by providing low-level system access. This minimization of system resources goes hand in hand with reducing the financial cost of a proposed solution or system. As remotely collaborating researchers often use FPGAs to prototype designs that are required to have a method for data transmission among systems, it is imperative to provide a baseline standard for communications among devices and systems. A typical method of implementing the Modbus RTU communication protocol in an embedded environment is using integrated logic architectures within the FPGA called “Intellectual Property (IP) cores.” IP cores can be designed using integrated logic or circuit designs to function as an embedded processor. These IP cores can then perform the required computational actions to support the Modbus RTU communication protocol by utilizing high-level programming languages such as the C programming language. The hardware description language of Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) allows for the control of real hardware at the logic gate and signal level. These logic gates and signals can be designed and controlled to perform desired actions based on the system design. Programming an FPGA using VHDL allows an individual to access the lowest abstraction level of the system during FPGA development. This level of abstraction is referred to as the register-transfer level (RTL), which gives access to manipulating values and variables at the register level. This register-level manipulation provides precision over creating the logical circuit within the FPGA, thus minimizing the required code to perform desired operations. The Modbus RTU communication protocol can be implemented within an FPGA using VHDL programming to establish a standardized and embedded serial communication pathway. This implementation provides a standardized communication protocol to streamline research efforts among researchers, thus increasing the efficiency of research efforts. Additionally, this Modbus RTU implementation requires fewer resources when compared to typical communication protocol implementations that utilize an IP core, reducing the hardware requirement for effective research efforts.

communication↗

DOE OSTI2023

AI-based Detection and Defense Against Cyberattacks in Distributed Energy Resources

This study will provide comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution tools for network security, malware prevention, and sensor data anomaly detection for distributed energy resource (DER) research, development, and demonstration. DER technologies are energy systems (e.g., solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage systems) that are often connected to the internet and thus vulnerable to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity should be of primary concern for DERs, which is why we propose an integrated multi-layer cyber-defense system for DERs. This system encompasses risk assessments, network security, malware prevention, and detection of anomalies in the sensor data. Implementation of a comprehensive risk assessment with an overview of the model architecture should be the primary step, and should include the potential impact of experiencing, at a given time, one or more cyberattacks on the system. The second step is to ensure that the network security includes firewalls, intrusion detection, and malware prevention. The third step is to provide solution tools that enable sensor data anomaly detection for DERs. By incorporating these considerations into DER research, development, and demonstration, organizations can help ensure the safety and security of their systems and protect against potential cyberattacks.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Simulation Study of Quantum Clock Synchronization Using Teleportation

An important requirement in implementing distributed computing and sensing application is the synchronization of clocks at various locations. The Internet relies on the Network Time Protocol (NTP), which synchronizes clocks with accuracy in the order of milliseconds. More recently an ensemble of atomic clocks is used for navigation based on GPS. These clocks are highly accurate and provide time with very low uncertainty. Even so, many physics experiments such as distributed LIGO-based systems may require more accurate clock synchronization that is achievable using quantum entanglement. This requires the deployment of a network of quantum clocks synchronized by exploiting entangled atomic clock qubits. In this paper, we carry out a simulation study of synchronizing a network of quantum clocks interconnected by a fiber plant that supports the ESnet; the latter is used to support the classical communication needed for teleportation. We consider an existing protocol for synchro-nizing the atomic clock qubits that relies on the GHZ states. To assess the performance of the protocol we developed a discrete-event simulation of the network using IBM Qiskit framework for underlying quantum gate operations and measurements. The simulation results shed light on the resources required in terms of the number entangled qubits and the time needed to achieve the synchronization of different number of nodes in ESnet.

Kiran, Mariam↗

DOE OSTI2024

Beyond Binary: Automated PLC Memory Forensics through RGB Image Analysis and Deep Learning

The introduction of Industry 4.0 and the evolution of industrial control systems (ICS) to adopt Internet-based technologies enhanced productivity, but have inadvertently increased their vulnerability to cyber-based malicious attacks. When an ICS system is compromised, security analysts need to identify the root cause quickly to start the recovery process and develop mitigation strategies to safeguard against future instances. Memory forensics is critical in the analysis process to ascertain what occurred. To date, approaches to analyze the persistent memory in ICS devices are limited, and almost nonexistent for volatile memory. This paper proposes an automated methodology, COMA, for PLC memory dump analysis using computer vision and deep learning techniques. Specifically, COMA converts the sequences of bytes in a PLC memory dump to RGB pixels and creates a deep learning model that learns the underlying patterns and features of pre-labeled forensic artifacts in images and segments them into distinct regions. COMA then uses the trained model to automatically segment new memory images and extract forensic artifacts. We evaluate COMA on a Schneider Electric Modicon M221 PLC involving two cyber-based attack scenarios: (i) code injection and (ii) code modification. The empirical results show that COMA can successfully detect attack artifacts in memory dumps in both scenarios.

Asmar Awad, Rima↗