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

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At least 793 records · Page 44

wsacr2cfrcrras (a1)

ARM's scanning cloud radars are fully coherent dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radars mounted on a common scanning pedestal. Each pedestal includes a Ka-band radar (2kW peak power) and the deployment location determines whether the second radar is a W-band (WSACR; 1.7 kW peak power) or X-band (XSACR; 20 kW peak power). Beamwidths at Ka and W bands are roughly matched at 0.3 degrees. Due to the narrow antenna beamwidth, ARM’s scanning cloud radars use scanning strategies that are unlike typical weather radars. Rather than focusing on plan position indicator, or PPI, scans, the Ka-SACR uses range height indicator, or RHI, scans at numerous azimuths to obtain cloud volume data. Measurements collected with the W-SACR are copolar and cross-polar radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, spectra width and spectra when not scanning, and linear depolarization ration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

wsacr2cfrvpt (a1)

ARM's scanning cloud radars are fully coherent dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radars mounted on a common scanning pedestal. Each pedestal includes a Ka-band radar (2kW peak power) and the deployment location determines whether the second radar is a W-band (WSACR; 1.7 kW peak power) or X-band (XSACR; 20 kW peak power). Beamwidths at Ka and W bands are roughly matched at 0.3 degrees. Due to the narrow antenna beamwidth, ARM’s scanning cloud radars use scanning strategies that are unlike typical weather radars. Rather than focusing on plan position indicator, or PPI, scans, the Ka-SACR uses range height indicator, or RHI, scans at numerous azimuths to obtain cloud volume data. Measurements collected with the W-SACR are copolar and cross-polar radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, spectra width and spectra when not scanning, and linear depolarization ration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

W-Band ARM Scanning Cloud Radar (WSACR) 2nd Generation CF-Radial Spectral Data, Vertically-Pointing Scan, Co-Polarization Mode (a1)

ARM's scanning cloud radars are fully coherent dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radars mounted on a common scanning pedestal. Each pedestal includes a Ka-band radar (2kW peak power) and the deployment location determines whether the second radar is a W-band (WSACR; 1.7 kW peak power) or X-band (XSACR; 20 kW peak power). Beamwidths at Ka and W bands are roughly matched at 0.3 degrees. Due to the narrow antenna beamwidth, ARM’s scanning cloud radars use scanning strategies that are unlike typical weather radars. Rather than focusing on plan position indicator, or PPI, scans, the Ka-SACR uses range height indicator, or RHI, scans at numerous azimuths to obtain cloud volume data. Measurements collected with the W-SACR are copolar and cross-polar radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, spectra width and spectra when not scanning, and linear depolarization ration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

W-Band ARM Scanning Cloud Radar (WSACR) 2nd Generation CF-Radial Spectral Data, Vertically-Pointing Scan, Cross Mode (a1)

ARM's scanning cloud radars are fully coherent dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radars mounted on a common scanning pedestal. Each pedestal includes a Ka-band radar (2kW peak power) and the deployment location determines whether the second radar is a W-band (WSACR; 1.7 kW peak power) or X-band (XSACR; 20 kW peak power). Beamwidths at Ka and W bands are roughly matched at 0.3 degrees. Due to the narrow antenna beamwidth, ARM’s scanning cloud radars use scanning strategies that are unlike typical weather radars. Rather than focusing on plan position indicator, or PPI, scans, the Ka-SACR uses range height indicator, or RHI, scans at numerous azimuths to obtain cloud volume data. Measurements collected with the W-SACR are copolar and cross-polar radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, spectra width and spectra when not scanning, and linear depolarization ration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

W-Band ARM Scanning Cloud Radar (WSACR) 2nd Generation CF-Radial Spectral Data, Vertically-Pointing Scan, Cross-Polarization Model (a1)

ARM's scanning cloud radars are fully coherent dual-frequency, dual-polarization Doppler radars mounted on a common scanning pedestal. Each pedestal includes a Ka-band radar (2kW peak power) and the deployment location determines whether the second radar is a W-band (WSACR; 1.7 kW peak power) or X-band (XSACR; 20 kW peak power). Beamwidths at Ka and W bands are roughly matched at 0.3 degrees. Due to the narrow antenna beamwidth, ARM’s scanning cloud radars use scanning strategies that are unlike typical weather radars. Rather than focusing on plan position indicator, or PPI, scans, the Ka-SACR uses range height indicator, or RHI, scans at numerous azimuths to obtain cloud volume data. Measurements collected with the W-SACR are copolar and cross-polar radar reflectivity, Doppler velocity, spectra width and spectra when not scanning, and linear depolarization ration.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Towards Autonomous Lunar Resource Excavation via Reinforcement Learning

To continue on a sustainable and flexible path, NASA needs to address the challenge of collecting and moving large amounts of regolith at the destination. NASA’s Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) is principally designed to mine and deliver regolith for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) processing. RASSOR’s design enables it to efficiently collect and deposit regolith, return collected material for processing, and myriad related ISRU activities. To reliably perform these operations on the lunar surface, RASSOR software and sensory systems need to be robust and maximize the information extracted from a reduced sensor payload. Herein, we present preliminary findings from the Intelligent Capabilities Enhanced RASSOR project. We created reduced-order simulation environments to develop autonomous trenching controllers via reinforcement learning and prototype state estimation architectures. The goal of reinforcement learning is for an agent to learn a policy (task strategy) through interactions with an environment. When the agent performs an action, a change occurs in environment state and a numerical reward is received which informs the agent whether the action performed was good or not. Since reinforcement learning algorithms learn through trial-and-error, a simulation is a desirable first environment for development and learning. We developed two simulations, the first is a 2D excavation simulation developed to facilitate parameter selection, and a 3D simulation developed using a game physics engine, to simulate simplified soil interactions and increase the fidelity of the dynamic models of the robotic agents. The development of this 3D simulation has enabled the training of additional sensing capabilities and research both at the granular mechanics and operations levels. We experimented with various virtual sensor payloads to identify a combination that enabled efficient excavation operation and learning. Our reward function is based on how much material is excavated per step. A penalty is also received for leaving the dig site and to smooth the acceleration of the drum arms. We implemented pseudo time-of-flight sensors to report distance from each drum to ground and the height above ground which was found to be more efficient than existing solutions. Our findings suggest that reinforcement learning for autonomous operations has learned viable trenching strategies within 3000 training episodes in our simplified 2D environment and helped identify desirable sensing capabilities, arrangements, and considerations such as the positioning of time-of-flight sensors. Future work includes expanding our simulation to more complex environments and scenarios, and transfer learning from simulation to RASSOR 2.0 hardware for deployment in the Regolith Test Bin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

rassor↗

Transport of polymer-coated metal–organic framework nanoparticles in porous media

Abstract Injecting fluids into deep underground geologic structures is a critical component to development of long-term strategies for managing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating energy extraction operations. Recently, we reported that metal–organic frameworks are low-frequency, absorptive-acoustic metamaterial that may be injected into the subsurface to enhance geophysical monitoring tools used to track fluids and map complex structures. A key requirement for this nanotechnology deployment is transportability through porous geologic media without being retained by mineral-fluid interfaces. We used flow-through column studies to estimate transport and retention properties of five different polymer-coated MIL-101(Cr) nanoparticles (NP) in siliceous porous media. When negatively charged polystyrene sulfonate coated nanoparticles (NP-PSS-70K) were transported in 1 M NaCl, only about 8.4% of nanoparticles were retained in the column. Nanoparticles coated with polyethylenimine (NP-PD1) exhibited significant retention (> 50%), emphasizing the importance of complex nanoparticle-fluid-rock interactions for successful use of nanofluid technologies in the subsurface. Nanoparticle transport experiments revealed that nanoparticle surface characteristics play a critical role in nanoparticle colloidal stability and as well the transport.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Decentralised Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic Cyberattack Response in Microgrid Networks

Microgrids rely on communication networks for reliable operation, which makes them inherently vulnerable to cyberattacks. Such attacks can destabilise system dynamics and drive states away from their nominal operating trajectories. Although several physics-informed and machine learning-based strategies have been developed to counter these threats, the rapidly evolving cyber landscape enables adversaries to bypass static defences or rules-based mitigation approaches. This paper proposes a dynamic, online-trained and fully decentralised reinforcement learning (RL)-based cyberattack response framework to protect microgrids from evolving cyberattacks. The proposed framework deploys multiple deep Q-networks (DQNs), each associated with a distributed energy resource (DER), to enable localised and adaptive attack mitigation. In this framework, each DQN processes local voltage and frequency measurements—combined with intrusion detection system (IDS) alerts—as observations and rewards to guide decision-making. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate the robustness of the proposed framework under diverse attack scenarios and varying IDS-induced detection delays. Comparative analysis highlights its superiority over existing static or preexisting rules-based mitigation approaches. Finally, we present an analysis that shows the framework's scalability to real-life microgrids with more interacting agents.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Results from the last DD and DT JET campaigns in the framework of the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Work Package activity

JET, the only tokamak capable of operating with deuterium–tritium (D–T) fuel (since TFTR was shutdown in 1999), has provided essential experimental data to support ITER and DEMO design and operation. Within the EUROfusion Tokamak Exploitation Work Package, JET completed its final campaigns (2022–2023), culminating in the third D–T campaign (DTE3). These experiments addressed key challenges in plasma scenarios, exhaust control, and tritium management under reactor-relevant conditions. Significant progress was achieved in demonstrating ITER-like integrated scenarios with impurity seeding, achieving partial divertor detachment and high confinement ($H_{98}(y,2)$ ≈ 0.85) at 3 MA in D–T plasmas. Advanced exhaust regimes such as quasi-continuous exhaust (QCE) and X-point radiator (XPR) were successfully achieved first in D–D and then extended to D–T operation, confirming their relevance for mixed isotope operation. Operational milestones included a new world record of 69 MJ fusion energy in tritium-rich hybrid plasmas and long-pulse H-mode operation up to 60 s, contributing with unique data to the CICLOP database. Physics studies focused on peeling-limited pedestals in support of ITER and improved understanding of edge stability and impurity screening in metallic environments. Extensive usage of the shattered pellet injector (SPI) on JET provided critical information for the design of the ITER disruption mitigation system (DMS). Real-time control systems for D/T ratio control and plasma exhaust were deployed and demonstrated in D–D and D–T, while energetic particle physics investigations unfolded the role of fast ions in turbulence suppression mechanisms. Comprehensive tritium retention studies using gas balance method, post-mortem analysis, and ITER-relevant laser induced desorption spectroscopy (LIDS) diagnostics provided essential input for tritium accountancy strategies. These results are validating the ITER operational concepts, inform DEMO design, and deliver critical experience in nuclear operation and scenario integration.

disruptions↗

Precision Segmented Reflector figure control system architecture

A control system architecture for an actively controlled segmented reflector is described along with a design realization for achieving precision alignment of reflector panels. Performance requirements are derived in part from the Large Deployable Reflector, which is a representative mission, and error allocations are made which consider mirror panel surface errors, position measurement and figure estimation, and position control of both quasi-static and dynamic disturbances. The design uses multiple wavelength interferometric edge sensors and voice coil actuators in conjunction with a hybrid control strategy to correct panel position errors. A unit cell shown to be central to the concept is analyzed. The cell integrates the sensing, actuation, and mechanical functions of a control module together with a reflector panel to form a unitized assembly.

Mettler, E.↗

A review of GPS-based tracking techniques for TDRS orbit determination

This article evaluates two fundamentally different approaches to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) orbit determination utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and GPS-related techniques. In the first, a GPS flight receiver is deployed on the TDRS. The TDRS ephemerides are determined using direct ranging to the GPS spacecraft, and no ground network is required. In the second approach, the TDRS's broadcast a suitable beacon signal, permitting the simultaneous tracking of GPS and Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System satellites by ground receivers. Both strategies can be designed to meet future operational requirements for TDRS-II orbit determination.

Haines, B. J.↗

Modeling and Simulation Reliable Spacecraft On-Board Computing

The proposed project will investigate modeling and simulation-driven testing and fault tolerance schemes for Spacecraft On-Board Computing, thereby achieving reliable spacecraft telecommunication. A spacecraft communication system has inherent capabilities of providing multipoint and broadcast transmission, connectivity between any two distant nodes within a wide-area coverage, quick network configuration /reconfiguration, rapid allocation of space segment capacity, and distance-insensitive cost. To realize the capabilities above mentioned, both the size and cost of the ground-station terminals have to be reduced by using reliable, high-throughput, fast and cost-effective on-board computing system which has been known to be a critical contributor to the overall performance of space mission deployment. Controlled vulnerability of mission data (measured in sensitivity), improved performance (measured in throughput and delay) and fault tolerance (measured in reliability) are some of the most important features of these systems. The system should be thoroughly tested and diagnosed before employing a fault tolerance into the system. Testing and fault tolerance strategies should be driven by accurate performance models (i.e. throughput, delay, reliability and sensitivity) to find an optimal solution in terms of reliability and cost. The modeling and simulation tools will be integrated with a system architecture module, a testing module and a module for fault tolerance all of which interacting through a centered graphical user interface.

Park, Nohpill↗

Applying Reflective Middleware Techniques to Optimize a QoS-enabled CORBA Component Model Implementation

Although existing CORBA specifications, such as Real-time CORBA and CORBA Messaging, address many end-to-end quality-of-service (QoS) properties, they do not define strategies for configuring these properties into applications flexibly, transparently, and adaptively. Therefore, application developers must make these configuration decisions manually and explicitly, which is tedious, error-prone, and often sub-optimal. Although the recently adopted CORBA Component Model (CCM) does define a standard configuration frame-work for packaging and deploying software components, conventional CCM implementations focus on functionality rather than adaptive quality-of service, which makes them unsuitable for next-generation applications with demanding QoS requirements. This paper presents three contributions to the study of middleware for QoS-enabled component-based applications. It outlines reflective middleware techniques designed to adaptively: (1) select optimal communication mechanisms, (2) man- age QoS properties of CORBA components in their containers, and (3) (re)configure selected component executors dynamically. Based on our ongoing research on CORBA and the CCM, we believe the application of reflective techniques to component middleware will provide a dynamically adaptive and (re)configurable framework for COTS software that is well-suited for the QoS demands of next-generation applications.

Wang, Nanbor↗

Proceedings from the 2nd International Symposium on Formation Flying Missions and Technologies

Topics discussed include: The Stellar Imager (SI) "Vision Mission"; First Formation Flying Demonstration Mission Including on Flight Nulling; Formation Flying X-ray Telescope in L2 Orbit; SPECS: The Kilometer-baseline Far-IR Interferometer in NASA's Space Science Roadmap Presentation; A Tight Formation for Along-track SAR Interferometry; Realization of the Solar Power Satellite using the Formation Flying Solar Reflector; SIMBOL-X : Formation Flying for High-Energy Astrophysics; High Precision Optical Metrology for DARWIN; Close Formation Flight of Micro-Satellites for SAR Interferometry; Station-Keeping Requirements for Astronomical Imaging with Constellations of Free-Flying Collectors; Closed-Loop Control of Formation Flying Satellites; Formation Control for the MAXIM Mission; Precision Formation Keeping at L2 Using the Autonomous Formation Flying Sensor; Robust Control of Multiple Spacecraft Formation Flying; Virtual Rigid Body (VRB) Satellite Formation Control: Stable Mode-Switching and Cross-Coupling; Electromagnetic Formation Flight (EMFF) System Design, Mission Capabilities, and Testbed Development; Navigation Algorithms for Formation Flying Missions; Use of Formation Flying Small Satellites Incorporating OISL's in a Tandem Cluster Mission; Semimajor Axis Estimation Strategies; Relative Attitude Determination of Earth Orbiting Formations Using GPS Receivers; Analysis of Formation Flying in Eccentric Orbits Using Linearized Equations of Relative Motion; Conservative Analytical Collision Probabilities for Orbital Formation Flying; Equations of Motion and Stability of Two Spacecraft in Formation at the Earth/Moon Triangular Libration Points; Formations Near the Libration Points: Design Strategies Using Natural and Non-Natural Ares; An Overview of the Formation and Attitude Control System for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Formation Flying Interferometer; GVE-Based Dynamics and Control for Formation Flying Spacecraft; GNC System Design for a New Concept of X-Ray Distributed Telescope; GNC System for the Deployment and Fine Control of the DARWIN Free-Flying Interferometer; Formation Algorithm and Simulation Testbed; and PLATFORM: A Formation Flying, RvD and Robotic Validation Test-bench.

Source record↗

Development of Digital Twin-Informed Predictive Maintenance for Critical Components in Advanced Reactors

Small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, along with other advanced reactor (AR) technologies, are key to the future of nuclear energy. For these systems to achieve low operating costs, high reliability, and flexibility across applications, their operation and maintenance must be optimized. Digital twin (DT) technology is one of the technologies that enables real-time (or faster than real-time) monitoring and prognosis of critical components which are vital for operational efficiency, low costs, and enhanced safety of ARs, accelerating their deployment. DT technology provides dynamic virtual representation of physical assets by integrating real-time data, physics-based models, and advanced analytics, which is critical to optimizing the performance of the entire energy system throughout the life cycle. DTs empower engineers and operators to virtually explore different scenarios, configurations, and control strategies, allowing for the identification of optimal solutions that maximize reactor efficiency, safety, and economics.

22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Ad Hoc File Systems for High-Performance Computing

Storage backends of parallel compute clusters are still based mostly on magnetic disks, while newer and faster storage technologies such as flash-based SSDs or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) are deployed within compute nodes. Including these new storage technologies into scientific workflows is unfortunately today a mostly manual task, and most scientists therefore do not take advantage of the faster storage media. One approach to systematically include nodelocal SSDs or NVRAMs into scientific workflows is to deploy ad hoc file systems over a set of compute nodes, which serve as temporary storage systems for single applications or longer-running campaigns. This paper presents results from the Dagstuhl Seminar 17202 “Challenges and Opportunities of User-Level File Systems for HPC” and discusses application scenarios as well as design strategies for ad hoc file systems using node-local storage media. The discussion includes open research questions, such as how to couple ad hoc file systems with the batch scheduling environment and how to schedule stage-in and stage-out processes of data between the storage backend and the ad hoc file systems. Also presented are strategies to build ad hoc file systems by using reusable components for networking and how to improve storage device compatibility. Various interfaces and semantics are presented, for example those used by the three ad hoc file systems BeeOND, GekkoFS, and BurstFS. Their presentation covers a range from file systems running in production to cutting-edge research focusing on reaching the performance limits of the underlying devices.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Accelerated Irradiation Testing and Post-Irradiation Characterization: U.S.-Based Capabilities for Advanced Nuclear Systems and Radioisotope Production

Irradiation experiments and post-irradiation examinations, together referred to as irradiation testing (IRT), are prerequisites for nuclear fuel and material qualification for the deployment of new and advanced reactors, as well as radioisotope production, thereby ensuring regulatory compliance. Qualified research and test reactors (RTRs) and testing facilities are essential to enable IRT to verify performance and safety under prototypical reactor conditions. In the past, qualification of new fuels or structural materials required about 20 years. Synergist strategies, advanced tools, and qualified methods are needed to greatly reduce this timeframe of IRT and radioisotope production. This study, termed accelerated-IRT, focuses on identifying gaps and leveraging U.S.-based RTRs and material testing capabilities, leveraging the preliminary evaluation and qualification of selected RTRs to provide a generic as well as specific-case solution paths forward, ensuring adherence to stringent regulatory standards. Furthermore, IRT and radioisotope production utilizing qualified RTRs necessarily includes modeling and simulation to support the design (i.e. neutronics, thermal, and structural aspects) and manufacturing of irradiation test specimens, vehicles, capsules, apparatuses, and flow loops. In addition, IRT can be improved by applying advanced manufacturing techniques and in-pile sensors and instrumentation, as discussed in this study.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Performance and Implementation Requirements for Residential EV Smart Charge Management Strategies

As the electrification of transportation expands, electric vehicle (EV) charging as residential loads will continue to grow. Residential EV charging has the potential to increase feeder peak loads and decrease voltage quality. As a result of this growing energy demand driven by EV, utilities may employ the use of smart charge management (SCM) controls to modify charging load profiles and mitigate these grid impacts. It is important that utilities understand both the potential benefits-as well as possible implementation challenges-before considering this technology as a solution to managing growing EV loads. In order for an SCM strategy to be an effective solution, the potential benefits must outweigh the implementation challenges. This study establishes and tests a novel framework to assess the implementation requirements of different SCM controls. It identifies a range of requirements specific to various SCM controls and implementation approaches to compare the relative challenges associated with the deployment of each. When paired with analysis on the effectiveness of the ability of each control to mitigate grid impacts from EV charging, this assessment is critical in comparing the value potential of different SCM controls.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗