Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “research methods”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4

Reference Shapefiles and Pre-trained Random Forest Classification Models for Detecting Aufeis on the North Slope of Alaska in Landsat Imagery

This dataset provides shapefiles and trained machine learning models used for aufeis detection at four sites on the North Slope of Alaska. It includes reference data for evaluating Landsat-based detection methods, supporting research on remote sensing approaches for identifying aufeis. The ReferenceData folder contains ArcGIS shapefiles of semi-automated land cover classifications for 217 Landsat Collection 2 images, categorizing pixels into six classes: aufeis, snow, ground, none, water, and cloud. The SiteBuffers.zip file includes 10-kilometer buffer shapefiles defining regions of interest around four aufeis fields (Canning21, FH1, Firth, and Kuparuk), used to test three detection techniques. Additionally, the TrainedRFModels folder contains six pre-trained Scikit-Learn Random Forest classifiers (100 trees, max depth = 30) designed to predict aufeis presence in Landsat Collection 2 Surface Reflectance images using Red, Blue, SWIR2, NDVI, and NDWI bands. This dataset supports the development and validation of remote sensing methods for mapping aufeis in Arctic environments.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Stabilization of Uranium Metal by Chloride Conversion-Economical, Safe, Scalable [Factsheet]

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed SUCCESS, a process to convert uranium metal to uranium tetrachloride enabling production of these valuable compounds for actinide science, molten salt nuclear reactors, and energy research. Conventional methods are problematic due to the oxide reduction processes use rare reagents and generate significant amounts of waste and hydride conversion process using chlorine at high temperature is hazardous. This new method using inexpensive reagents chemically transform uranium metal into uranium halide compounds under mild conditions. The facile conversion to stable uranium tetrachloride could reduce the need to mine uranium for uses other than nuclear, by recycling the uranium without oxidation. The Laboratory is interested in supporting further scale-up efforts using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) or by granting a license to a qualified entity

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Multifacets of lossy compression for scientific data in the Joint-Laboratory of Extreme Scale Computing

The Joint Laboratory on Extreme-Scale Computing (JLESC) was initiated at the same time lossy compression for scientific data became an important topic for the scientific communities. The teams involved in the JLESC played and are still playing an important role in developing the research, techniques, methods, and technologies making lossy compression for scientific data a key tool for scientists and engineers. Here, in this paper, we present the evolution of lossy compression for scientific data from 2015, describing the situation before the JLESC started, the evolution of this discipline in the past 8 years (until 2023) through the prism of the JLESC collaborations on this topic and some of the remaining open research questions.

Compression for AI↗

Methods and Experiences for Developing Abstractions for Data-intensive, Scientific Applications

Developing software for scientific applications that require the integration of diverse types of computing, instruments, and data present challenges that are distinct from commercial software. These applications require scale, and the need to integrate various programming and computational models with evolving and heterogeneous infrastructure. Pervasive and effective abstractions for distributed infrastructures are thus critical; however, the process of developing abstractions for scientific applications and infrastructures is not well understood. While theory-based approaches for system development are suited for well-defined, closed environments, they have severe limitations for designing abstractions for scientific systems and applications. The design science research (DSR) method provides the basis for designing practical systems that can handle real-world complexities at all levels. In contrast to theory-centric approaches, DSR emphasizes both practical relevance and knowledge creation by building and rigorously evaluating all artifacts. In this work, we show how DSR provides a well-defined framework for developing abstractions and middleware systems for distributed systems. Specifically, we address the critical problem of distributed resource management on heterogeneous infrastructure over a dynamic range of scales, a challenge that currently limits many scientific applications. We use the pilot-abstraction, a widely used resource management abstraction for high-performance, high throughput, big data, and streaming applications, as a case study for evaluating the DSR activities. For this purpose, we analyze the research process and artifacts produced during the design and evaluation of the pilot-abstraction. We find DSR provides a concise framework for iteratively designing and evaluating systems. Finally, we capture our experiences and formulate different lessons learned.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Moving beyond post hoc explainable artificial intelligence: a perspective paper on lessons learned from dynamical climate modeling

AI models are criticized as being black boxes, potentially subjecting climate science to greater uncertainty. Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) has been proposed to probe AI models and increase trust. In this review and perspective paper, we suggest that, in addition to using XAI methods, AI researchers in climate science can learn from past successes in the development of physics-based dynamical climate models. Dynamical models are complex but have gained trust because their successes and failures can sometimes be attributed to specific components or sub-models, such as when model bias is explained by pointing to a particular parameterization. We propose three types of understanding as a basis to evaluate trust in dynamical and AI models alike: (1) instrumental understanding, which is obtained when a model has passed a functional test; (2) statistical understanding, obtained when researchers can make sense of the modeling results using statistical techniques to identify input–output relationships; and (3) component-level understanding, which refers to modelers' ability to point to specific model components or parts in the model architecture as the culprit for erratic model behaviors or as the crucial reason why the model functions well. We demonstrate how component-level understanding has been sought and achieved via climate model intercomparison projects over the past several decades. Such component-level understanding routinely leads to model improvements and may also serve as a template for thinking about AI-driven climate science. Currently, XAI methods can help explain the behaviors of AI models by focusing on the mapping between input and output, thereby increasing the statistical understanding of AI models. Yet, to further increase our understanding of AI models, we will have to build AI models that have interpretable components amenable to component-level understanding. We give recent examples from the AI climate science literature to highlight some recent, albeit limited, successes in achieving component-level understanding and thereby explaining model behavior. The merit of such interpretable AI models is that they serve as a stronger basis for trust in climate modeling and, by extension, downstream uses of climate model data.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Structural properties of optically clear bacterial cellulose produced by Komagataeibacter hansenii using arabitol

Here, bacterial cellulose (BC) exhibits beneficial properties for use in biomedical applications but is limited by its lack of tunable transparency capabilities. To overcome this deficiency, a novel method to synthesize transparent BC materials using an alternative carbon source, namely arabitol, was developed. Characterization of the BC pellicles was performed for yield, transparency, surface morphology, and molecular assembly. Transparent BC was produced using mixtures of glucose and arabitol. Zero percent arabitol pellicles exhibited 25% light transmittance, which increased with increasing arabitol concentration through to 75% light transmittance. While transparency increased, overall BC yield was maintained indicating that the altered transparency may be induced on a micro-scale rather than a macro-scale. Significant differences in fiber diameter and the presence of aromatic signatures were observed. Overall, this research outlines methods for producing BC with tunable optical transparency, while also bringing new insight to insoluble components of exopolymers produced by Komagataeibacter hansenii.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Production of Radiohalogens: Bromine and Astatine for Imaging and Therapy

Objective: This collaborative proposal between the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), University of Wisconsin, Madison (UWisc) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) aims to research the efficient production of high purity, clinical grade radiohalogens for preclinical and translational applications by optimizing the cyclotron targetry and separation chemistry of 76,77Br and 211At for use in imaging and therapy. Proposed Research and Methods: During the course of this project, faculty and trainees at our three institutions will use the complementary infrastructure available to examine the 76Se(p,n)76Br, 77Se(p,n)77Br, 78Se(p,2n)77Br, natAs(α,2n)77Br ,80Kr(p,α)77Br and 209Bi(α, 2n)211At reactions as routes to the production of these valuable radiohalogens for imaging and therapy. Working together we aim to optimize both solid and gas targetry, including reclamation of expensive enriched material. We will develop high yielding recovery processes based on dry distillation and ion exchange techniques. We will also create a comprehensive set of quality control procedures to ensure we are producing our radioisotopes in the highest radiochemical and chemical purity possible. By bringing three institutions together to perform research and development we provide the unique opportunity to build an everlasting cooperative culture in the field of nuclear medicine research by enabling academic centers to delve into the fields of radiohalogen chemistry. In addition, each institution involved holds different skills and expertise and a collaborative grant will facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas, techniques, and build strong bonds that unite under the DOE mission. Additionally, our work does not stop at the completion of this proposal, rather this proposal allows us to gain the momentum needed to get our research and developmental efforts off the ground thereby creating a network of three institutions dedicated to the advancement of isotope production for medical research.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Model validation and selection in metabolic flux analysis and flux balance analysis

13C-Metabolic Flux Analysis (13C-MFA) and Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) are widely used to investigate the operation of biochemical networks in both biological and biotechnological research. Both methods use metabolic reaction network models of metabolism operating at steady state so that reaction rates (fluxes) and the levels of metabolic intermediates are constrained to be invariant. They provide estimated (MFA) or predicted (FBA) values of the fluxes through the network in vivo, which cannot be measured directly. These fluxes can shed light on basic biology and have been successfully used to inform metabolic engineering strategies. Several approaches have been taken to test the reliability of estimates and predictions from constraint-based methods and to compare alternative model architectures. Despite advances in other areas of the statistical evaluation of metabolic models, such as the quantification of flux estimate uncertainty, validation and model selection methods have been underappreciated and underexplored. We review the history and state-of-the-art in constraint-based metabolic model validation and model selection. Applications and limitations of the χ 2 -test of goodness-of-fit, the most widely used quantitative validation and selection approach in 13C-MFA, are discussed, and complementary and alternative forms of validation and selection are proposed. A combined model validation and selection framework for 13C-MFA incorporating metabolite pool size information that leverages new developments in the field is presented and advocated for. Finally, we discuss how adopting robust validation and selection procedures can enhance confidence in constraint-based modeling as a whole and ultimately facilitate more widespread use of FBA in biotechnology.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Aero‐servo‐elastic co‐optimization of large wind turbine blades with distributed aerodynamic control devices

Abstract This work introduces automated wind turbine optimization techniques based on full aero‐servo‐elastic models and investigates the potential of trailing edge flaps to reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of wind turbines. The Wind Energy with Integrated Servo‐control (WEIS) framework is improved to conduct the presented research. Novel methods for the generic implementation and tuning of trailing edge flap devices and their controller are also introduced. Primary flap and controller parameters are optimized to demonstrate potential maximum blade tip deflection reductions of 21 % . Concurrent design optimization (i.e., co‐design) of a novel segmented wind turbine blade with trailing edge flaps and its controller is then conducted to demonstrate blade cost savings of 5 % . Additionally, rotor diameter co‐design optimization is demonstrated to reduce the LCOE by 1.3 % without significant load increases to the tower. These results demonstrate the efficacy of control co‐design optimization using trailing edge flaps, and the entirety of this work provides a foundation for numerous control co‐design‐oriented studies for distributed aerodynamic control devices.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Wind power costs driven by innovation and experience with further reductions on the horizon

The costs of wind power have declined to levels on par with or below those of conventional sources in many parts of the world. Wind power has become one of the fastest-growing sources of new electricity generation. We take stock of wind power cost evolution over the past 20 years, review methodologies commonly used for cost assessment, discuss the potential for continued cost reduction, and identify anticipated cost and value drivers. Our scope includes both onshore and offshore wind technologies. We draw from a vast body of literature on these topics to highlight key trends, approaches, and limitations. Furthermore, we discuss strategies for wind power assets to enhance their marginal economic value to the broader power system and consumers. We identify a myriad of factors that are expected to influence the future cost and value of wind power, including siting, project scale, turbine size, operational synergies, commodity prices, advancements in turbine technologies, enhanced management of the wind resource, and novel control technologies that provide value for the electricity grid. Because the common methods for forecasting future costs each have their own strengths and weaknesses, we find the best insights are elicited from a combination of methods. Overall, researchers and analysts anticipate further sizable cost reductions for onshore and offshore wind. Midrange forecasts for levelized cost of energy in 2050 are generally between $20 and $30/MWh for onshore wind and $40 and $60/MWh for offshore wind, a reduction to approximately half of today's levels. Optimistic forecasts anticipate these levels as early as 2030.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Tribute to Kenneth Sauer (1931–2022): a mentor, a role-model, and an inspiration to all in the field of photosynthesis

Abstract Kenneth (Ken) Sauer was a mainstay of research in photosynthesis at the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for more than 50 years. Ken will be remembered by his colleagues, and other workers in the field of photosynthesis as well, for his pioneering work that introduced the physical techniques whose application have enriched our understanding of the basic reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. His laboratory was a training ground for many students and postdocs who went on to success in the field of photosynthesis and many others. Trained as a physical chemist, he always brought that quantitative approach to research questions and used several spectroscopic methods in his research. His broad scientific interests concerned the role of manganese in oxygen evolution, electronic properties of chlorophylls, energy transport in antenna complexes, and electron transport reactions. He was also an enthusiastic teacher, an enormously successful mentor who leaves behind a legion of scientists as his abiding legacy, a lover of music and the outdoors with many interests beyond science, and a dedicated family man with a great sense of humility. In this tribute, we summarize some aspects of Ken Sauer’s life and career, illustrated with selected research achievements, and describe his approach to research and life as we perceived it, which is complemented by reminiscences of several current researchers in photosynthesis and other fields. The supporting material includes Ken Sauers’s CV and publication list, as well as a list of the graduate students and postdocs he trained and of researchers that spent a sabbatical in his lab.

Plant Sciences↗

An attached microalgae platform for recycling phosphorus through biologically mediated fertilizer formation and biomass cultivation

Nutrient management is a global challenge for protecting water bodies from eutrophication and for retaining and sustainably recycling phosphorus within the biosphere. This challenge is especially important for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) in jurisdictions that limit nutrient loads in plant effluent. A microalgae-based biofilm platform has been designed, constructed, and tested to remove phosphorus and nitrogen from anaerobic digester (AD) effluent filtrate through cultivating biomass and inducing the precipitation of a mineral called struvite (NH₄MgPO₄ · 6H₂O) using a rotating algae biofilm reactor (RABR). RABRs function by rotating a growth substratum through nutrient rich water and then into the atmosphere, immersing microalgae in both sunlight and water. Photosynthesis is utilized in RABR operation to enhance struvite formation by increasing the pH value within the biofilm through the uptake of carbon dioxide from solution. Measurements of pH trended higher with depth through the biofilm when exposed to light confirming the function of photosynthesis in increasing pH and, as a consequence, struvite formation. In addition, reducing RPM allows more time for water to evaporate through exposure of the biofilm to the atmosphere and provides a management option to exceed struvite solubility product. Struvite precipitation was predicted based on chemical analysis and MINTEQ modeling of ADE, was confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, and quantified by determining ash content. Increase in pH within the biofilm was confirmed as photosynthetic photon flux density increased. While struvite precipitation and removal from wastewater is conventionally accomplished through physicochemical methods, this research is the first report of struvite enhanced formation through algae biofilm-based photosynthesis processes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Biomass-derived carbon dots as emerging visual platforms for fluorescent sensing

Biomass-derived carbon dots (CDs) are non-toxic and fluorescently stable, making them suitable for extensive application in fluorescence sensing. The use of cheap and renewable materials not only improves the utilization rate of waste resources, but it is also drawing increasing attention to and interest in the production of biomass-derived CDs. Visual fluorescence detection based on CDs is the focus of current research. This method offers high sensitivity and accuracy and can be used for rapid and accurate determination under complex conditions. Here, this paper describes the biomass precursors of CDs, including plants, animal remains and microorganisms. The factors affecting the use of CDs as fluorescent probes are also discussed, and a brief overview of enhancements made to the preparation process of CDs is provided. In addition, the application prospects and challenges related to biomass-derived CDs are demonstrated.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

A systematic method for selecting molecular descriptors as features when training models for predicting physiochemical properties

Machine learning has proven to be a powerful tool for accelerating biofuel development. Although numerous models are available to predict a range of properties using chemical descriptors, there is a trade-off between interpretability and performance. Neural networks provide predictive models with high accuracy at the expense of some interpretability, while simpler models such as linear regression often lack in accuracy. In addition to model architecture, feature selection is also critical for developing interpretable and accurate predictive models. We present a method for systematically selecting molecular descriptor features and developing interpretable machine learning models without sacrificing accuracy. Our method simplifies the process of selecting features by reducing feature multicollinearity and enables discoveries of new relationships between global properties and molecular descriptors. To demonstrate our approach, we developed models for predicting melting point, boiling point, flash point, yield sooting index, and net heat of combustion with the help of the Tree-based Pipeline Optimization Tool (TPOT). For training, we used publicly available experimental data for up to 8351 molecules. Our models accurately predict various molecular properties for organic molecules (mean absolute percent error (MAPE) ranges from 3.3% to 10.5%) and provide a set of features that are well-correlated to the property. This method enables researchers to explore sets of features that significantly contribute to the prediction of the property, offering new scientific insights. To help accelerate early stage biofuel research and development, we also integrated the data and models into a open-source, interactive web tool.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

From pixels to patterns: Coupling Optical Coherence Tomography and machine learning for monitoring coastal wetland root systems

Coastal wetlands are crucial in shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, and storm protection. Yet, due to limitations in traditional destructive sampling techniques, the belowground biomass (live root mass) and necromass (dead and decaying roots) remain difficult to assess in coastal wetlands, limiting our understanding on coastal resilience, nutrient cycling, and soil structure. This study employs Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as a high-resolution imaging technique to analyze root biomass and necromass in the Terrebonne Basin, Louisiana. A Random Forest (RF) model was developed to classify root health states based on OCT-derived features, achieving an accuracy of 70% in distinguishing live from dead root segments. The results demonstrate that OCT, combined with ML, offers a promising novel approach to root analysis, providing fine-scale insights into root morphology and decay patterns that are not easily captured by conventional methods. This research lays the foundation for future integration of OCT with complementary imaging modalities such as X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and advanced ML algorithms to enhance classification accuracy and scalability. Future work aims to expand the dataset diversity across different wetland types and apply the methodology for large-scale, repeatable assessments of root biomass turnover and accumulation, with important implications for wetland monitoring, conservation, and restoration under changing environmental conditions.

AI/ML↗

Artificial Intelligence for Conjugated Polymers

Conjugated polymers have garnered significant attention due to their diverse applications in electronics, photonics, and energy storage. However, realizing their full potential poses a formidable challenge, as their design has historically relied on iterative adjustments and continuous inspiration from researchers. Traditional methods often struggle to efficiently navigate their vast chemical landscape. In this work, the application of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning (ML), needs to be discussed in the realm of conjugated polymers. Our paper emphasizes the importance of understanding the structure–property relationships of these polymers and how ML can facilitate property prediction and inverse-design. We delve into various chemical fingerprints, structural descriptors, and ML algorithms, showcasing their utility across a spectrum of applications, including simulations, glass transition temperature determination, photovoltaics, reorganization energy for charge transport, photocatalysts, and sensors. Finally, we give some outlooks in this filed and propose unexplored areas within the field that hold the potential to benefit from ML techniques.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Uncertainty Analysis in Multi‐Sector Systems: Considerations for Risk Analysis, Projection, and Planning for Complex Systems

Abstract Simulation models of multi‐sector systems are increasingly used to understand societal resilience to climate and economic shocks and change. However, multi‐sector systems are also subject to numerous uncertainties that prevent the direct application of simulation models for prediction and planning, particularly when extrapolating past behavior to a nonstationary future. Recent studies have developed a combination of methods to characterize, attribute, and quantify these uncertainties for both single‐ and multi‐sector systems. Here, we review challenges and complications to the idealized goal of fully quantifying all uncertainties in a multi‐sector model and their interactions with policy design as they emerge at different stages of analysis: (a) inference and model calibration; (b) projecting future outcomes; and (c) scenario discovery and identification of risk regimes. We also identify potential methods and research opportunities to help navigate the tradeoffs inherent in uncertainty analyses for complex systems. During this discussion, we provide a classification of uncertainty types and discuss model coupling frameworks to support interdisciplinary collaboration on multi‐sector dynamics (MSD) research. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for best practices to ensure that MSD research can be properly contextualized with respect to the underlying uncertainties.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Measurement of the 230 Th( p ,2n)Pa229 and 230 Th( p ,3n)Pa228 reaction cross sections from 14.1 to 16.9 MeV

Actinium-225 is of interest for medical isotope production and there is on-going research into methods of producing Ac 225 , either directly or via the decay of its parent isotopes ( Th 229 , Pa 229 , and Ra 225 ). One method that has been suggested is the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) Pa 229 reaction. However, there is no available cross-section data for this reaction in the literature. Purpose: Measure the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) and Th 230 ( p , 3 n ) reaction cross sections in the energy range where the ( p , 2 n ) reaction is predicted to peak to determine the feasibility of Ac 225 production via the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) reaction. Methods: Targets naturally enriched in Th 230 were irradiated at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with energies ranging from 14.1 to 16.9 MeV. Furthermore, chemical processing was used to separate the protactinium activation products, followed by γ -ray spectroscopy to measure the activities of Pa 228 , 229 , 230 , 232 produced in the irradiation. Results: We find that excitation functions are reported for the first time in the literature for the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) and Th 230 ( p , 3 n ) reactions in this energy range. The peak measured value of the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) reaction was found to be 182 ± 12 mb at 14.4 ± 0.1 MeV. The Th 232 ( p , n ) Pa 232 reaction was used to verify the experimental conditions, the measured values are reported and are comparable to the existing literature values. From the γ -ray spectrometry data, the half-life of Pa 229 was measured as 1.5 ± 0.1 days, which is within the error of the half-life reported in the evaluated nuclear data as well as in the recent measurements, and the half-life of Pa 228 was measured as 19.5 ± 0.4 hours. Conclusions: Overall, the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) Pa 229 reaction could reasonably be used for Ac 225 isotope production, although significant amounts of relatively isotopically pure Th 230 would be needed for significant production because the low alpha-decay branching ratio of Pa 229 and long half-life of Th 229 inhibit the in-growth of significant amounts of Ac 225 .

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗