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At least 865 records · Page 48

2013 Annual Site Inspection and Monitoring Report for Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Title I Disposal Sites

This report, in fulfillment of a license requirement, presents the results of long-term surveillance and maintenance activities conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) in 2013 at 19 uranium mill tailings disposal sites established under Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978.1 These activities verified that the UMTRCA Title I disposal sites remain in compliance with license requirements. DOE operates 18 UMTRCA Title I sites under a general license granted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in accordance with Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 40.27 (10 CFR 40.27). As required under the general license, a long-term surveillance plan (LTSP) for each site was prepared by DOE and accepted by NRC. The Grand Junction, Colorado, Disposal Site, one of the 19 Title I sites, will not be included under the general license until the open, operating portion of the cell is closed. The open portion will be closed either when it is filled or in 2023. This site is inspected in accordance with an interim LTSP. Long-term surveillance and maintenance services for these disposal sites include inspecting and maintaining the sites; monitoring environmental media and institutional controls; conducting any necessary corrective actions; and performing administrative, records, stakeholder relations, and other regulatory stewardship functions. Annual site inspections and monitoring are conducted in accordance with site-specific LTSPs and procedures established by DOE to comply with license requirements. Each site inspection is performed to verify the integrity of visible features at the site; to identify changes or new conditions that may affect the long-term performance of the site; and to determine the need, if any, for maintenance, follow-up or contingency inspections, or corrective action in accordance with the LTSP. LTSPs and site compliance reports are available on the Internet at http://www.lm.doe.gov/.

2013↗

Dynamic Provisioning for Terascale Science Applications Using Hybrid Circuit/Packet Technologies and 100G Transmission Systems (Final Report)

This project investigated dynamic hybrid circuit/packet network architectures and examined technologies that are beneficial to enhance the performance of Future Internet architectures with a specific emphasis on their potential deployment in the Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Sciences Network (ESnet). Our research was very much aligned with the new “OpenFlow Network Architecture” which has caught the attention of the telecom networking industry.

Mukherjee, Biswanath↗

Power Management Techniques for Data Centers: A Survey

With growing use of internet and exponential growth in amount of data to be stored and processed (known as ``big data''), the size of data centers has greatly increased. This, however, has resulted in significant increase in the power consumption of the data centers. For this reason, managing power consumption of data centers has become essential. In this paper, we highlight the need of achieving energy efficiency in data centers and survey several recent architectural techniques designed for power management of data centers. We also present a classification of these techniques based on their characteristics. This paper aims to provide insights into the techniques for improving energy efficiency of data centers and encourage the designers to invent novel solutions for managing the large power dissipation of data centers.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Energy Efficient Digital Networks

Digital networks are the foundation of the information services, and play an expanding and indispensable role in our lives, via the Internet, email, mobile phones, etc. However, these networks consume energy, both through the direct energy use of the network interfaces and equipment that comprise the network, and in the effect they have on the operating patterns of devices connected to the network. The purpose of this research was to investigate a variety of technology and policy issues related to the energy use caused by digital networks, and to further develop several energy-efficiency technologies targeted at networks.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

New Software Architecture Options for the TCL Data Acquisition System

The Turbulent Combustion Laboratory (TCL) conducts research on combustion in turbulent flow environments. To conduct this research, the TCL utilizes several pulse lasers, a traversable wind tunnel, flow controllers, scientific grade CCD cameras, and numerous other components. Responsible for managing these different data-acquiring instruments and data processing components is the Data Acquisition (DAQ) software. However, the current system is constrained to running through VXI hardware—an instrument-computer interface—that is several years old, requiring the use of an outdated version of the visual programming language, LabVIEW. A new Acquisition System is being programmed which will borrow heavily from either a programming model known as the Current Value Table (CVT) System or another model known as the Server-Client System. The CVT System model is in essence, a giant spread sheet from which data or commands may be retrieved or written to, and the Server-Client System is based on network connections between a server and a client, very much like the Server-Client model of the Internet. Currently, the bare elements of a CVT DAQ Software have been implemented, consisting of client programs in addition to a server program that the CVT will run on. This system is being rigorously tested to evaluate the merits of pursuing the CVT System model and to uncover any potential flaws which may result in further implementation. If the CVT System is chosen, which is likely, then future work will consist of build up the system until enough client programs have been created to run the individual components of the lab. The advantages of such a System will be flexibility, portability, and polymorphism. Additionally, the new DAQ software will allow the Lab to replace the VXI with a newer instrument interface—the PXI—and take advantage of the capabilities of current and future versions of LabVIEW.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

U.S. residential consumer product information: Validation of methods for post-stratification weighting of Amazon Mechanical Turk surveys

We present two post-stratification weighting methods to validate survey data collected using Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Two surveys focused on appliance and consumer electronics devices were administered in the spring and summer of 2012 to each of approximately 3,000 U.S. households. Specifically, the surveys asked questions about residential refrigeration products, televisions (TVs) and set-top boxes (STBs). Filtered data were assigned weights using each of two weighting methods, termed “sequential” and “simultaneous,” by examining up to eight demographic variables (income, education, gender, race, Hispanic origin, number of occupants, ages of occupants, and geographic region) in comparison to reference U.S. demographic data from the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). Five key questions from the surveys (number of refrigerators, number of freezers, number of TVs, number of STBs and primary service provider) were evaluated with a set of statistical tests to determine whether either method improved the agreement of AMT with reference data, and if so, which method was better. The statistical tests used were: differences in proportions, distributions of proportions (using Pearson’s chi-squared test), and differences in average numbers of devices as functions of all demographic variables. The results indicated that both methods generally improved the agreement between AMT and reference data, sometimes greatly, but that the simultaneous method was usually superior to the sequential method. Some differences in sample populations were found between the AMT and reference data. Differences in the proportion of STBs reflected large changes in the STB market since the time our reference data was acquired in 2009. Differences in the proportions of some primary service providers suggested real sample bias, with the possible explanation that AMT user are more likely to subscribe to providers who also provide home internet service. Differences in other variables, while statistically significant in some cases, were nonetheless considered to be minor. Depending on the intended purpose of the data collected using AMT, these biases may or may not be important; to correct them, additional questions and/or further post-survey adjustments could be employed. In general, based on the analysis methods and the sample datasets used in this study, AMT surveys appeared to provide useful data on appliance and consumer electronics devices.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Playas Grid Reliability and Distributed Energy Research

The future looks bright for solar and renewable energies in the United States. Recent studies claim that by 2050, solar power could supply a third of all electricity demand in the country’s western states. Technology advances, soft policy changes, and increased energy consciousness will all have to happen to achieve this goal. The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) perform various training and research activities at this site. Given its unique nature, Playas was chosen to test Micro-Grids and other examples of renewable distributed energy resources (DER). Several proposed distributed energy sources (DERs) were not implemented as planned including the Micro-Grid. However, Micro-Grid design and computer modeling were completed and these results are included in this report. As part of this research, four PV (solar) generating systems were installed with remote Internet based communication and control capabilities. These systems have been integrated into and can interact with the local grid So that (for example) excess power produced by the solar arrays can be exported to the utility grid. Energy efficient LED lighting was installed in several buildings to further reduce consumption of utility-supplied power. By combining reduced lighting costs; lowering HVAC loads; and installing smart PV generating equipment with energy storage (battery banks) these systems can greatly reduce electrical usage drawn from an older rural electrical cooperative (Co-Op) while providing clean dependable power. Several additional tasks under this project involved conducting research to develop methods of producing electricity from organic materials (i.e. biofuels, biomass. etc.), the most successful being the biodiesel reactor. Improvements with Proton Exchange Membranes (PEM) for fuels cells were demonstrated and advances in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) were also shown. The specific goals of the project include: 1) Instrumentation of the power distribution system with distributed energy resources, demand-side control and intelligent homes within the town of Playas, NM, 2) Creation of models (power flow and dynamic) of the Playas power distribution system, 3) Validation of the models through comparison of predicted behavior to data collected from instrumentation, and 4) Utilization of the models and test grid to characterize the impact of new devices and approaches (e.g., distributed generation and load management) on the local distribution system as well as the grid at large. In addition to the above stated objectives, the research also focused on three critical challenges facing renewable distributed energy platforms: 1) hydrogen from biomass, 2) improved catalyst support systems for electrolysis membranes and fuel cell systems, and 3) improved manufacturing methodologies of low cost photovoltaics. The following sections describe activities performed during this project. The various tasks were focused on establishing Playas as a “…theoretical and experimental test bed…” through which components of a modern/smart grid could be characterized. On a broader scale, project efforts were aimed at development of tools and gathering of experience/expertise that would accelerate progress toward implementation of a modern grid.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Responder Technology Alert Monthly (December 2014)

As part of technology foraging for the Responder Technology Alliance, established by the Department of Homeland Science and Technologies First Responders Group, this report summarizes technologies that are relevant in the area of “wearables,” with the potential for use by first responders. The content was collected over the previous month(s) and reproduced from a general Internet search using the term wearables. Additional information is available at the websites provided. This report is not meant to be an exhaustive list nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, it is meant to provide useful information about current developments in the areas wearable technology.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Responder Technology Alert Monthly (January 2015)

As part of technology foraging for the Responder Technology Alliance, established by the Department of Homeland Science and Technologies First Responders Group, this report summarizes technologies that are relevant in the area of “wearables,” with the potential for use by first responders. The content was collected over the previous month(s) and reproduced from a general Internet search using the term wearables. Additional information is available at the websites provided. This report is not meant to be an exhaustive list nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, it is meant to provide useful information about current developments in the areas wearable technology.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Responder Technology Alert Monthly (Oct-Nov 2014)

As part of technology foraging for the Responder Technology Alliance, established by the Department of Homeland Science and Technologies First Responders Group, this report summarizes technologies that are relevant in the area of “wearables,” with the potential for use by first responders. The content was collected over the previous month(s) and reproduced from a general Internet search using the term wearables. Additional information is available at the websites provided. This report is not meant to be an exhaustive list nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, it is meant to provide useful information about current developments in the areas wearable technology. The content is organized by technology function including: Sensors – Devices that detect physiological, particle, and chemical activity; Displays – Heads-up and body-worn visual displays; Power – Wearable power systems including chargers, batteries, self-powering or harvesting technologies, and power supplies; Integrated Communications – Voice and data communications systems utilizing Bluetooth, wireless, hands-free, ergonomically optimized systems, noise-filtering digital speakers or microphones, etc.; Exoskeletons – Whole or partial body suit that enhances mobility and physical performance; Wearable Computers – Body-worn data processing devices; General – Miscellaneous technologies as well as emerging trends or recent advances in the field of wearables.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Development of a Computer-based Benchmarking and Analytical Tool: Benchmarking and Energy & Water Savings Tool in Dairy Plants (BEST-Dairy) (Final Report)

The overall goal of the project is to develop a computer-based benchmarking and energy and water savings tool (BEST-Dairy) for use in the California dairy industry - including four dairy processes - cheese, fluid milk, butter, and milk powder. BEST-Dairy tool developed in this project provides three options for the user to benchmark each of the dairy product included in the tool, with each option differentiated based on specific detail level of process or plant, i.e., 1) plant level; 2) process-group level, and 3) process-step level. For each detail level, the tool accounts for differences in production and other variables affecting energy use in dairy processes. The dairy products include cheese, fluid milk, butter, milk powder, etc. The BEST-Dairy tool can be applied to a wide range of dairy facilities to provide energy and water savings estimates, which are based upon the comparisons with the best available reference cases that were established through reviewing information from international and national samples. We have performed and completed alpha- and beta-testing (field testing) of the BEST-Dairy tool, through which feedback from voluntary users in the U.S. dairy industry was gathered to validate and improve the tool's functionality. BEST-Dairy v1.2 was formally published in May 2011, and has been made available for free downloads from the internet (i.e., http://best-dairy.lbl.gov). A user's manual has been developed and published as the companion documentation for use with the BEST-Dairy tool. In addition, we also carried out technology transfer activities by engaging the dairy industry in the process of tool development and testing, including field testing, technical presentations, and technical assistance throughout the project. To date, users from more than ten countries in addition to those in the U.S. have downloaded the BEST-Dairy from the LBNL website. It is expected that the use of BEST-Dairy tool will advance understanding of energy and water usage in individual dairy plants, augment benchmarking activities in the market places, and facilitate implementation of efficiency measures and strategies to save energy and water usage in the dairy industry. Industrial adoption of this emerging tool and technology in the market is expected to benefit dairy plants, which are important customers of California utilities. Further demonstration of this benchmarking tool is recommended, for facilitating its commercialization and expansion in functions of the tool. Wider use of this BEST-Dairy tool and its continuous expansion (in functionality) will help to reduce the actual consumption of energy and water in the dairy industry sector. The outcomes comply very well with the goals set by the AB 1250 for PIER program.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Crowder College MARET Center (Final Scientific Technical Report)

Following decades of success in solar energy projects, the Missouri Legislature designated Crowder College in 1992 as the State's renewable energy education center. The resulting Missouri Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology (MARET) Center is recognized internationally for its contributions to the energy field. The mission of the MARET Center is to expand renewable energy throughout the region with education, applied research, and economic development. Educational programs include certification and transfer degrees encompassing green construction, solar thermal energy, solar electricity, and wind. The MARET Center also assists in new product development and other business support services in renewable energy. The Missouri Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology (MARET) Center at Crowder College hopes to eventually develop a 27,500 ft 2 facility as a living laboratory to support solar and other renewable and sustainable energy development through professional degrees, new product development and commercialization, renewable energy business incubation, and consumer education. The primary objective of the current project was to complete Stage One of this building, with solar, wind, and geothermal technologies installed to power its 9,216 ft 2 office, classroom, and research spaces. This MARET Center includes a modular roof structure that permits both solar module mounting and daylighting, PV/thermal hybrid modules pioneered in Crowder Solar Decathlon homes, modular electrical management subsystems; and modular delivery systems for heating and cooling the structure. The MARET Facility will operate as a Net Positive energy building, consistently producing surplus energy for distributed generation on the utility grid. The modular design of the energy systems within the building is to serve as a scalable and repeatable model for a wide variety of building applications and climate zones. As a living laboratory of renewable energy, exploring and validating new applications of solar and other renewable technologies, the MARET Facility will house a wide variety of programs which will advance implementation of renewable energy throughout the region. These program goals include; Curriculum in renewable energy for pre-engineering transfer programs; Certification and degree programs for technical degrees for Energy Efficiency, Wind, Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal professionals; Short courses and workshops for building management and design professionals; Public education and demonstration projects in renewable energy through conferences and K-12 educational outreach; Technical degree offering in building construction incorporating “best practices” for energy efficiency and renewables; and Business incubators for new renewable energy businesses and new product development. The new MARET facility will support the mission of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Program, “to improve America’s security, environmental quality, and economic prosperity through public-private partnerships that bring reliable and affordable solar energy technologies to the marketplace,” through a variety of educational and business assistance programs. Further, technical innovations planned for the MARET facility and its applied research activities will advance the Solar Program strategic goals to “reduce the cost of solar energy to the point it becomes competitive in relevant energy markets (e.g., buildings, power plants) and for solar technology to enable a sustainable solar industry.” Overarching Goals relative to program needs, future expansion, flexibility, quality of materials, and construction and operational costs:; Experimental: The structure and systems of the building operate as an educational resource. The systems are meant to be a source for data collection and study for building users and instructors; Educational: Part of the evolution of this building and its ongoing goals is to use the building as an educational tool, one where new ideas developed in the world and especially at Crowder can be tested further as part of MARET's curriculum; LEED Platinum: achieve highest level of LEED certification; Net Zero: The building will utilize existing wind and alternate energy sources on campus and add solar PVT panels and achieve as close as possible to a net zero energy usage; and Phase II: The phase II portion of this project will expand the Internet student area, additional classrooms, and labs, as well as an auditorium and exhibit area.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

2015 IC Report: w14_biosurveillance [Slides]

Our primary use of the institutional computing clusters has been for Wikipedia-based disease surveillance and forecasting work. We've expanded breadth: the number of diseases and locations that can be surveilled using internet data. We've expanded forecasting: surprisingly little work towards forecasting disease spread with quantified uncertainty. We've expanded big data processing techniques: the Wikipedia access logs are 5TB of compressed text; we're working on efficient ways to process and store time series. Our work received significant media coverage and was highlighted as LANL's best science story of 2014.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Responder Technology Alert (February 2015)

As part of technology foraging for the Responder Technology Alliance, established by the Department of Homeland Science and Technologies First Responders Group, this report summarizes technologies that are relevant in the area of “wearables,” with the potential for use by first responders. The content was collected over the previous month(s) and reproduced from a general Internet search using the term wearables. Additional information is available at the websites provided. This report is not meant to be an exhaustive list nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, it is meant to provide useful information about current developments in the areas wearable technology.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Cloud-based Architecture Capabilities Summary Report

In collaborating scientific research arena it is important to have an environment where analysts have access to a shared of information documents, software tools and be able to accurately maintain and track historical changes in models. A new cloud-based environment would be accessible remotely from anywhere regardless of computing platforms given that the platform has available of Internet access and proper browser capabilities. Information stored at this environment would be restricted based on user assigned credentials. This report reviews development of a Cloud-based Architecture Capabilities (CAC) as a web portal for PRA tools.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Rainwater Harvesting State Regulations and Technical Resources

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted in-depth research of state-level rainwater harvesting regulations for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to help federal agencies strategically identify locations conducive to rainwater harvesting projects. Currently, rainwater harvesting is not regulated by the federal government but rather it is up to individual states to regulate the collection and use of rainwater. There is no centralized information on state-level regulations on rainwater harvesting maintained by a federal agency or outside organization. To fill this information gap, PNNL performed detailed internet searches for each state, which included state agencies, universities, Cooperative Extension Offices, city governments, and related organizations. The state-by-state information on rainwater harvesting regulations was compiled and assembled into an interactive map that is color coded by state regulations. The map provides a visual representation of the general types of rainwater harvesting policies across the country as well as general information on the state programs if applicable. The map allows the user to quickly discern where rainwater harvesting is supported and regulated by the state. This map will be available on the FEMP website by September 2015.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 34

The Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 34 is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Vehicle Technologies Office. Designed for use as a desk-top reference, the Data Book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize transportation activity, and presents data on other factors that influence transportation energy use. The purpose of this document is to present relevant statistical data in the form of tables and graphs. The latest edition of the Data Book is available to a larger audience via the Internet (cta.ornl.gov/data). This edition of the Data Book has 12 chapters which focus on various aspects of the transportation industry. Chapter 1 focuses on petroleum; Chapter 2 energy; Chapter 3 highway vehicles; Chapter 4 light vehicles; Chapter 5 heavy vehicles; Chapter 6 alternative fuel vehicles; Chapter 7 fleet vehicles; Chapter 8 household vehicles; Chapter 9 nonhighway modes; Chapter 10 transportation and the economy; Chapter 11 greenhouse gas emissions; and Chapter 12 criteria pollutant emissions. The sources used represent the latest available data. There are also three appendices which include detailed source information for some tables, measures of conversion, and the definition of Census divisions and regions. A glossary of terms and a title index are also included for the reader s convenience.

Air↗

Global Social Media Directory. A Resource Guide

Social media platforms are internet-based applications focused on broadcasting user-generated content. While primarily web-based, these services are increasingly available on mobile platforms. Communities and individuals share information, photos, music, videos, provide commentary and ratings/reviews, and more. In essence, social media is about sharing information, consuming information, and repurposing content. Social media technologies identified in this report are centered on social networking services, media sharing, blogging and microblogging. The purpose of this Resource Guide is to provide baseline information about use and application of social media platforms around the globe. It is not intended to be comprehensive as social media evolves on an almost daily basis. The long-term goal of this work is to identify social media information about all geographic regions and nations. The primary objective is that of understanding the evolution and spread of social networking and user-generated content technologies internationally.

blogs↗