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At least 703 records · Page 39

Exploratory tests of a simple aero-mechanical ride comfort system for lightly loaded aircraft

Some exploratory wind tunnel and radio-controlled free-flight tests were made with a small high-wing airplane model (1.23m wing span) to study the concept of a simple aero mechanical system intended to alleviate gust loads and improve ride comfort of lightly loaded aircraft. The system consisted essentially of the outer portions of each wing being hinged in the chordwise direction and connected directly to the wing flaps using internal counter weights to provide neutral mass balance. When the wing experienced a change in velocity or angle of attack, the movable wing panels, acting as sensors and flap actuators, deflected in response to the changes in lift on the wing. The corresponding movements of the interconnected flaps tended to reduce the changes in the wing lift.

Hewes, D. E.↗

A vision for planetary exploration

A vision for planetary exploration is proposed which combines historical perspective and current NASA studies with the realities of changing political climates, economic environments, and technological directions. The concepts of Strategic Implementation Architectures (SIA), Open System Infrastructure Standards (OSIS), and Minimum Service Level Infrastructure (MSLI) are presented in order to propose a structure for the SEI which allows the realization of incremental mission objectives, establishes an investment strategy that efficiently uses public resources, and encourages partnerships with the government. The SIA is a hypothetical master plan which will allow the implementation of the complete spectrum of envisioned system capabilities for planetary exploration. OSIS consists of standards for interconnection, interoperability, and administration. MSLI can be defined as the minimum level of services provided by the system that are not justified by profit or parochial motives.

Connolly, John F.↗

Microstructural characterization of the oxidation of nuclear graphite under chronic and accident conditions via XCT and synchrotron XCT

Graphite is a candidate material to moderate fast neutrons and for structural components in the US next-generation graphite-moderated reactors. A graphite core is conceived as a large formation of interconnected bricks that primarily serves as the moderator of fast neutrons, holds instrumentation, fuel elements, control rods, and is a receptacle for molten salts for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) designs. During the operation of a graphite-moderated power plant, graphite components might be subjected to chronic oxidation during normal operating conditions or aggressive oxidation as a result of accidental ingress of air that reacts vigorously with the graphite core. Using synchrotron, x-ray computed tomography (XCT), this research systematically characterized microstructural changes that accompanied these two oxidation scenarios. Chronic oxidation was studied by characterizing IG-110, PCEA, and NBG-18 specimens that were gradually oxidized in air at a low temperature (520°C). The accidental ingress of air into the graphite reactor was simulated by subjecting the grades mentioned above to high-temperature oxidation at approximately 750°C. This research is the first, in situ, systematic characterization of nuclear graphite microstructural evolution that can be associated with the two possible oxidation scenarios and provide insight into related repercussions. The results show that the microstructure and pore connectivity influence the rate of oxidation and evolution of the microstructure under the two oxidation regimes. These results are crucial to understanding which grades are more resilient to each type of oxidation and documenting the damage created in the graphite.

Arregui Mena, Jose'↗

A Review on Protection Challenges of Transmission Lines Connected to Inverter-Based Resources

Utilities, university researchers, research institutes, and relay manufacturers have performed studies to investigate different aspects of high IBR penetration. Almost all studies support 1) creating international and national standards to regulate the IBRs, 2) revising engineering tools to address shortcomings, and 3) adjusting the protective relay settings to resolve protection problems. This paper summarizes the studies and research conducted in recent years to quantify the impact of IBR penetration on transmission line protection and to identify potential solutions to improve the dependability and reliability of grid protection systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Developing a Reduced 240-Bus WECC Dynamic Model for Frequency Response Study of High Renewable Integration

The ongoing changes in the generation resource mix, driven by the rapid adoption of inverter-based resources (IBR) as well as the early retirement of synchronous generators, are bringing new challenges to the planning and operation of bulk electric power systems. Consequently, there is an increasing need to understand, design, and quantify the reliability service provision from IBRs by performing integrated scheduling and dynamic simulations. However, test systems that have consistent scheduling and dynamic models rarely exist largely because of the decoupled nature of the two simulations on a synchronous generator-dominated system. This paper develops the dynamic model of a reduced Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) system. In conjunction with the existing scheduling model, it is suitable for integrating scheduling and dynamic simulations. The reduced 240-bus WECC model reflects the generation resource mix of the Western Interconnection as of 2018. Moreover, the developed dynamic model is validated against field frequency events measured by FNET/GridEye and preserves the dominant inter-area oscillation mode in WECC.

dynamic simulation↗

Multi–Stage Optimization of Pore Size and Shape in Pore–Space–Partitioned Metal–Organic Frameworks for Highly Selective and Sensitive Benzene Capture

Compared to exploratory development of new structure types, pushing the limits of isoreticular synthesis on a high-performance MOF platform may have higher probability of achieving targeted properties. Multi-modular MOF platforms could offer even more opportunities by expanding the scope of isoreticular chemistry. However, navigating isoreticular chemistry towards best properties on a multi-modular platform is challenging due to multiple interconnected pathways. Here on the multi-modular pacs (partitioned acs) platform, we demonstrate accessibility to a new regime of pore geometry using two independently adjustable modules (framework-forming module 1 and pore-partitioning module 2). A series of new pacs materials have been made. Benzene/cyclohexane selectivity is tuned, progressively, from 4.5 to 15.6 to 195.4 and to 482.5 by pushing the boundary of the pacs platform towards the smallest modules known so far. The exceptional stability of these materials in retaining both porosity and single crystallinity enables single-crystal diffraction studies of different crystal forms (as-synthesized, activated, guest-loaded) that help reveal the mechanistic aspects of adsorption in pacs materials.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Application Experiences on a GPU-Accelerated Arm-based HPC Testbed

This paper assesses and reports the experience of ten teams working to port, validate, and benchmark several High Performance Computing applications on a novel GPU-accelerated Arm testbed system. The testbed consists of eight NVIDIA Arm HPC Developer Kit systems, each one equipped with a server-class Arm CPU from Ampere Computing and two data center GPUs from NVIDIA Corp. The systems are connected together using InfiniBand interconnect. The selected applications and mini-apps are written using several programming languages and use multiple accelerator-based programming models for GPUs such as CUDA, OpenACC, and OpenMP offloading. Working on application porting requires a robust and easy-to-access programming environment, including a variety of compilers and optimized scientific libraries. The goal of this work is to evaluate platform readiness and assess the effort required from developers to deploy well-established scientific workloads on current and future generation Arm-based GPU-accelerated HPC systems. The reported case studies demonstrate that the current level of maturity and diversity of software and tools is already adequate for large-scale production deployments.

Elwasif, Wael↗

Nuclear Physics Network Requirements Review (Final Report)

The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is the high-performance network user facility for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) and delivers highly reliable data transport capabilities optimized for the requirements of data-intensive science. In essence, ESnet is the circulatory system that enables the DOE science mission by connecting all its laboratories and facilities in the US and abroad. ESnet is funded and stewarded by the Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program and managed and operated by the Scientific Networking Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). ESnet is widely regarded as a global leader in the research and education networking community. ESnet interconnects DOE national laboratories, user facilities, and major experiments so that scientists can use remote instruments and computing resources as well as share data with collaborators, transfer large datasets, and access distributed data repositories. ESnet is specifically built to provide Between July 2023 and October 2023, ESnet and the Nuclear Physics program (NP) of the DOE SC organized an ESnet requirements review of NP-supported activities. Preparation for these events included identification of key stakeholders: program and facility management, research groups, and technology providers. Each stakeholder group was asked to prepare formal case study documents about its relationship to the NP program to build a complete understanding of the current, near-term, and long-term status, expectations, and processes that will support the science going forward.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Analysis of multigrid methods on massively parallel computers: Architectural implications

We study the potential performance of multigrid algorithms running on massively parallel computers with the intent of discovering whether presently envisioned machines will provide an efficient platform for such algorithms. We consider the domain parallel version of the standard V cycle algorithm on model problems, discretized using finite difference techniques in two and three dimensions on block structured grids of size 10(exp 6) and 10(exp 9), respectively. Our models of parallel computation were developed to reflect the computing characteristics of the current generation of massively parallel multicomputers. These models are based on an interconnection network of 256 to 16,384 message passing, 'workstation size' processors executing in an SPMD mode. The first model accomplishes interprocessor communications through a multistage permutation network. The communication cost is a logarithmic function which is similar to the costs in a variety of different topologies. The second model allows single stage communication costs only. Both models were designed with information provided by machine developers and utilize implementation derived parameters. With the medium grain parallelism of the current generation and the high fixed cost of an interprocessor communication, our analysis suggests an efficient implementation requires the machine to support the efficient transmission of long messages, (up to 1000 words) or the high initiation cost of a communication must be significantly reduced through an alternative optimization technique. Furthermore, with variable length message capability, our analysis suggests the low diameter multistage networks provide little or no advantage over a simple single stage communications network.

Matheson, Lesley R.↗

Design, Control and Application of Next Generation Qubits

Design, Control and Application of Next Generation Qubits Arun Bansil, Northeastern University (Principal Investigator) Claudio Chamon, Boston University (Co-Investigator) Adrian Feiguin, Northeastern University (Co-Investigator) Liang Fu, MIT (Co-Investigator) Eduardo Mucciolo, Univ. of Central Florida (Co-Investigator) Qimin Yan, Temple University (Co-Investigator) The quest for developing technologies for manipulating and storing information quantum mechanically is currently led by approaches that include Josephson-junctions, ion-traps, and qubits generated by defect spins in solids. Topological qubits, however, are inherently more robust to decoherence by environmental effects, and should be able to sprint ahead once practical barriers have been overcome. At the present stage of the development of the field, it is important to explore a variety of architectures and materials beyond the conventional paradigms in order to seed breakthroughs toward building a scalable quantum computer. Our comprehensive theoretical research program involved four interconnected thrusts as follows. • A materials discovery effort in two-dimensional compounds in search of materials to support Majorana zero modes and defect structures suitable as qubits. • Exploration of architectures for topological quantum computation by investigating both superconducting Majorana qubits, and robust platforms for braiding with new “meta-materials” built of arrays of Majorana qubits. • Investigation of properties of hybrid metal-organic qubits based on transition-metal centers in graphene, and molecular crystals of polyaromatic complexes with embedded transition-metal atoms. • Development of tensor-network and semiclassical approaches to study decoherence in the presence of random and dispersive spin baths, and NV centers in diamond. The full spectrum of theoretical and numerical approaches was used to address the goals of this project including first-principles, density-matrix-renormalization group, tensor networks, and data-driven high-throughput approaches using materials database and machine-learning.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Progress of Gas Injection EOR Surveillance in the Bakken Unconventional Play—Technical Review and Machine Learning Study

Although considerable laboratory and modeling activities were performed to investigate the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) mechanisms and potential in unconventional reservoirs, only limited research has been reported to investigate actual EOR implementations and their surveillance in fields. Eleven EOR pilot tests that used CO2, rich gas, surfactant, water, etc., have been conducted in the Bakken unconventional play since 2008. Gas injection was involved in eight of these pilots with huff ‘n’ puff, flooding, and injectivity operations. Surveillance data, including daily production/injection rates, bottomhole injection pressure, gas composition, well logs, and tracer testing, were collected from these tests to generate time-series plots or analytics that can inform operators of downhole conditions. A technical review showed that pressure buildup, conformance issues, and timely gas breakthrough detection were some of the main challenges because of the interconnected fractures between injection and offset wells. The latest operation of co-injecting gas, water, and surfactant through the same injection well showed that these challenges could be mitigated by careful EOR design and continuous reservoir monitoring. Reservoir simulation and machine learning were then conducted for operators to rapidly predict EOR performance and take control actions to improve EOR outcomes in unconventional reservoirs.

Energy & Fuels↗

Tritiated Water Disposition Strategies

Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is typically confined within one or more confinement barriers. Tritium readily reacts with oxygen to form tritiated water or can exchange with protium or deuterium atoms in water to create tritiated water which is around 10,000 times more toxic than elemental tritium. Primary tritium confinement systems can create small volumes of highly tritiated water. Secondary confinement systems, like inert gloveboxes, will produce larger volumes of lower concentration tritiated water. Much larger volumes of tritiated water of very low tritium content are produced by tritium permeation/diffusion. Tritium from inside primary and secondary confinement barriers will diffuse from these systems into cooling water systems. Closed loop, recirculating cooling water systems will slowly accumulate tritium and create concentrations which exceed drinking water (or permitted discharge) concentrations. The cooling water systems designed as series of interconnected cooling loops that can slowly transfer tritium from one cooling loop to another cooling loop through heat exchangers. These large volumes of tritiated water may be above federal discharge limits and also lack convenient disposition pathways. This document will discuss tritiated water management strategies from the perspective of large volume, low tritium concentrations that exceed drinking water or permitted discharge limits. Applicable US regulatory requirements for a Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) production facility concerning tritiated water are also cited. Tritiated water disposition options, based on typical waste minimization strategies will guide dispositions options. A Case Study example is presented to illustrate the pros and cons of several disposition options. The report does not recommend any particular disposition pathway but discusses strategies to be explored by a producer to guide selection of processes which best fits the needs of a particular waste stream.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

An analysis of space power system masses

Various space electrical power system masses are analyzed with particular emphasis on the power management and distribution (PMAD) portion. The electrical power system (EPS) is divided into functional blocks: source, interconnection, storage, transmission, distribution, system control and load. The PMAD subsystem is defined as all the blocks between the source, storage and load, plus the power conditioning equipment required for the source, storage and load. The EPS mass of a wide range of spacecraft is then classified as source, storage or PMAD and tabulated in a database. The intent of the database is to serve as a reference source for PMAD masses of existing and in-design spacecraft. The PMAD masses in the database range from 40 kg/kW to 183 kg/kW across the spacecraft systems studied. Factors influencing the power system mass are identified. These include the total spacecraft power requirements, total amount of load capacity and physical size of the spacecraft. It is found that a new utility class of power systems, represented by Space Station Freedom, is evolving.

Kenny, Barbara H.↗

An analysis of space power system masses

Various space electrical power system masses are analyzed with particular emphasis on the power management and distribution (PMAD) portion. The electrical power system (EPS) is divided into functional blocks: source, interconnection, storage, transmission, distribution, system control and load. The PMAD subsystem is defined as all the blocks between the source, storage and load, plus the power conditioning equipment required for the source, storage and load. The EPS mass of a wide range of spacecraft is then classified as source, storage or PMAD and tabulated in a database. The intent of the database is to serve as a reference source for PMAD masses of existing and in-design spacecraft. The PMAD masses in the database range from 40 kg/kW to 183 kg/kW across the spacecraft systems studied. Factors influencing the power system mass are identified. These include the total spacecraft power requirements, total amount of load capacity and physical size of the spacecraft. It is found that a new utility class of power systems, represented by Space Station Freedom, is evolving.

Kenny, Barbara H.↗

NASA in Silicon Valley

Whether looking back only a few years or more than a century, our world has been changing. Communication networks are more widespread and interconnected than at any other time in human history. Computing power that was only imagined a generation ago is now widely available and can fit in the palm of a hand. The miniaturization of the integrated circuit has brought us close to the limit of what is possible with silicon as we explore new possibilities in the quantum realm. For over 80 years, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley has held a special place amidst such change. With change, there also is continuity. Since 1939, Ames contributions have fundamentally shaped fields of study related to aeronautics and space. The ingenuity and problem-solving capabilities of personnel at Ames have affected all our lives in numerous ways, from everyday air travel to how we envision the possibility of life on other worlds. This publication is a mere hint at the rich history of Ames, told primarily through images that capture some of the recurring threads that have intertwined over that time. A bibliography points the reader to more detailed histories of Ames published over the years. They are excellent resources and, like all historical work, unavoidably incomplete. Our standing invitation in the present is to preserve what we can to help us understand where we are and how we arrived.

History↗

Future foundries: A convergent manufacturing platform

This article introduces the Future Foundries platform developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a first-generation research system designed to demonstrate convergent manufacturing. Convergent manufacturing brings together additive, subtractive, and transformative processes in a digitally interconnected environment to enable end-to-end production workflows. By linking traditionally discrete steps, convergent platforms accelerate production, improve repeatability, and support high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. The Future Foundries platform exemplifies this vision in practice by combining four modular, vendor-agnostic process cells that include robotic WAAM, induction heating, optical metrology, and machining, coordinated through an automated pallet handler and a ROS 2-based digital thread. This architecture provides the flexibility and scalability needed for agile production in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises and for field deployable manufacturing. Two case studies illustrate the platform’s capabilities. The first presents an integrated workflow for fabricating, transforming, and repairing critical replacement components, showing how consolidated thermal, additive, inspection, and machining operations reduce manual part handling and streamline process flow. The second case study highlights coordinated multi-part production enabled by automated pallet logistics and multi-cell scheduling. Together, these examples showcase convergent manufacturing as a practical and scalable strategy for strengthening domestic casting and forging capacity, improving supply-chain resilience, and enabling rapid, adaptable production of mission-critical components.

Convergent manufacturing↗

Transmission Capacity Allocation in Zonal Electricity Markets

In this work, we propose a novel framework for modeling zonal electricity markets, based on projecting the constraints of the nodal network onto the space of the zonal aggregation of the network. The framework avoids circular definitions and discretionary parameters, which are recurrent in the implementation and study of zonal markets. Using this framework, we model and analyze two zonal market designs currently present in Europe: flow-based market coupling (FBMC) and available-transfer-capacity market coupling (ATCMC). We develop cutting-plane algorithms for simulating FBMC and ATCMC while accounting for the robustness of imports/exports to single element failures, and we conduct numerical simulations of FBMC and ATCMC on a realistic instance of the Central Western European system under the equivalent of 100 years of operating conditions. We find that FBMC and ATCMC are unable to anticipate the congestion of branches interconnecting zones and branches within zones and that both zonal designs achieve similar overall cost efficiencies (0.01% difference), whereas a nodal market design largely outperforms both of them (5.09% better than FBMC). These findings raise the question of whether it is worth it for more European countries to switch from ATCMC to FBMC, instead of advancing directly toward a nodal market design.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Doing Pandemic R&D as if There’s No Mañana: Charting a course to zig and zag our way out of the pandemonium we’re in

Since the beginnings of Sandia National Laboratories, Sandians have made the unthinkable not only thinkable, but also plannable and doable. Over time, we’ve tempered ourselves, studying and devising ways to deter, defend against, and blunt threats of mass death, destruction, and disruption. Now we, and all within our social circles, are living one of the nightmares that only a small fraction of our fellow Sandians have pondered, tackled, and anticipated––a virus that bypasses militaries, zips through borders, hitches to domestic travelers and commuters, makes its hosts unknowing dangers to others, overwhelms hospitals and clinics, hobbles governments, and takes away the lives and livelihoods of compromised and marginalized people everywhere. Taken by surprise, Sandians have dispersed and re-congregated into three interconnected camps. Those who determinedly and defiantly carry on with the work they’ve been doing since before the pandemic hit. Those who are doggedly mustering and redirecting their abilities, experience, education, and energies to get us to the other side of this crisis (without ending up on the Other Side in the process). And those who are in fight-or-flight mode because this virus is pushing them to their personal limits, directly threatening them and/or the lives, jobs, and businesses that matter to them. From these three camps (which some of us migrate between on a daily, hourly, or even minute-by-minute basis), we make our individual and collective attempts to hold it together, do our work, and live another day. While there is much about this that is beyond our control, we are anything but helpless. Each of us has specialized powers and influence that can be brought to bear on the big and small parts of this gnarly problem. It all starts with a personal and collective understanding of the situation we’re in.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗