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At least 955 records · Page 53

Seismoacoustic Data Fusion for Ground Coupled Airwaves: a FACT Case Study for Calibration and Array Processing

This report covers an inquiry into seismoacoustic array processing using infrasound arrivals combined with resulting Ground Coupled Airwaves (GCA) that are present on collocated seismic sensors. In preparation, data calibration and denoising is completed for a seismoacoustic sensor array that was deployed at the Facility for Acceptance, Calibration, and Testing on Kirtland Airforce Base from August through September of 2021. The events of interest for this study are small, local explosive sources that lead to short duration, impulsive signals on the instruments. The goal is to determine if combining infrasound signals with the corresponding GCAs on collocated seismic sensors can be used to improve the results returned by automated signal detection and characterization (e.g., back azimuth estimates). Preparation for seismic and infrasound data involves removing the instrument response so that sensors have flat power spectra over the frequency range 0.1-10 Hz, where signal from events of interest may be detected. After instrument response removal, deployment conditions specific to this array require a retrospective noise analysis to determine station emplacement characteristics. Once all data is calibrated, a manual search is performed for possible GCA arrivals across the seismoacoustic network. These arrivals are then processed through beamforming and subsequent event identification, resulting in a catalogue of seismoacoustic GCA arrivals with corresponding back azimuth and trace velocity estimations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Energy Resilience for Mission Assurance: Case Study Scoping Document

The Energy Resilience for Mission Assurance (ERMA) project—a Department of Energy Grid Modernization Lab Consortium effort carried out via a partnership among five national laboratories— seeks to develop metrics to quantify how improvements to energy system resilience translate to improved Department of Defense (DoD) mission assurance (MA) during wide-scale, long-duration outages of the bulk power system. DoD missions are integral to national security and highly dependent on electric power. However, energy system planners—both civilian and military—lack a clear and quantifiable mapping between electric power system resilience and MA, leaving a gap in their ability to understand and consider national security outcomes within their planning efforts. The ERMA project seeks to fill this gap, providing stakeholders with new capabilities to understand the impact of electric power system resilience on MA during hazard scenarios.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Understanding the Challenges of Financing Modular Construction: A Case Study for Prospective Multifamily Units

Compared to traditional site build, modular construction can significantly shorten construction schedules and speed income generation. Modular construction may also reduce construction costs. Yet access to commercial financing remains one of the most significant barriers to modular construction. Materials must be purchased, and production lines reconfigured for each project months ahead of fabrication. Materials alone can be 60% or more of the total cost of production. As a result, manufacturers require large upfront deposits—often 30% or more of the off-site contract. In addition, the capital-intensive nature of modular construction requires frequent progress payments for manufacturers to maintain cash flow. For those lenders willing to fund modular projects, many require the developer to share more of the risk. This may include the developer paying for line reservation fees and material deposits 3–6 months prior to production. Because these are unsecured loans, interest rates may be higher and loan amounts lower. As suppliers, modular manufacturers discourage retainage. Together, these and other factors may contribute to higher equity requirements for the developer—particularly at the beginning of the project.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Los Alamos National Laboratory Reclaimed Water Usage for Data Centers: A Case Study

Water is a valuable resource that is all too often ignored when thinking about sustainability and High-Performance Computing (HPC). Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) found a solution to eliminate the amount of potable water usage needed for cooling HPC facilities. The Sanitary Effluent Reclamation Facility (SERF) was constructed in 2013 with the main purpose of removing silica from water in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to increase the cycles of concentration for the HPC Complex. SERF enabled Los Alamos National Laboratory to remove silica, reclaim effluent from the wastewater treatment plant and reduce the usage of potable water for HPC cooling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Abatement Case Study

Radioxenon emissions from industrial sources such as fission based medical isotope production (MIP) facilities and nuclear reactors are generally known to be well below levels of public health and safety concern. However, the global background of radioxenon produced by MIP interferes with nuclear explosion monitoring by the International Monitoring System (IMS) developed for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) (CTBTO, 2024). It was calculated that xenon emissions levels of 5×10 9 Bq/day 133 Xe were low enough to have minimal impact on International Monitoring System (IMS) stations (Bowyer et al, 2013). There are several technologies currently used to abate radioactive xenon emissions to meet regulatory release levels, and some alternative methods have been investigated to reduce xenon release levels well below required regulatory levels (Doll et al, 2014, Gueibe, et al, 2014). While MIP producers are sympathetic to the issue of radioxenon interference with IMS monitoring, the cost to implement and maintain additional abatement systems has resulted in limited implementation. Therefore, more cost-effective options for xenon abatement are needed to help reduce the impact of these emissions on nuclear explosion monitoring.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Applying Automated Detectors for Regional Infrasound Signals to Global Networks: A Case Study Using the 2022 Hunga Tonga Volcanic Eruption

The January 15, 2022 Tonga Hunga volcanic eruption was the largest event to be recorded across the International Monitoring System infrasound network. Signals from the eruption were identified at all 53 operational stations by International Data Centre analysts. This report contains descriptors for signal detection bulletins produced by infrasound researchers at Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Manual detection bulletins were produced by laboratory staff. Automated detection bulletins were produced using automated infrasound processing tools developed at both laboratories. Initial results are provided to evaluate the utility of extending tools developed for regional infrasound event analysis to global-scale events.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Optimization of the artificial viscosity in Lagrangian staggered discretization codes. Modeling 1D stand-alone shock - case study

We have developed new measures of errors for numerical shock. The new approach is based on analysis of the structure function, and separation of the errors related to oscillations and shock width, which also include error in the position of the ”center” of the numerical shock. We have demonstrated that those measures correctly characterize the numerical solution. We introduced an objective function in, which both types of errors are weighted, and presented optimal values of the coefficients of the linear and quadratic viscosity for different weights and different Mach numbers.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Evaluating Utility Costs Savings and Resilience: A Case Study in Port Arthur, Texas

This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of integrating solar photovoltaics (PV), battery energy storage systems (BESS), and generators to enhance both cost savings and resilience in critical community facilities in Port Arthur, Texas. Using NREL's REopt model, we analyze four facilities: the Golden Triangle Empowerment Center (GTEC), Lamar State College (LSC), Port Arthur Independent School District (PAISD), and Port Arthur Transit (PAT). A key aspect of the analysis is the incorporation of the Value of Lost Load (VoLL) and microgrid upgrade costs to assess the hidden value of resilience during grid outages. While standalone PV scenarios show moderate cost reductions and a 10-15% decrease in CO2 emissions, the inclusion of resilience measures with BESS and generators significantly increases system costs. However, the hidden value of resilience - quantified through avoided outage costs - leads to a substantial improvement in financial outcomes, resulting in positive Net Present Value (NPV) at many sites. The study demonstrates that resilient solar and storage systems offer both economic and resilience benefits, particularly for underserved communities, by balancing energy savings and enhanced operational continuity during outages.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Enhancing Fluid Flow Pressure and Saturation Prediction Accuracy and Reducing Uncertainty with Committee Machine – Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP) as a Case Study

Presentation at the 17th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies GHGT-17 held in Calgary, Canada, October 20-24, 2024. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a way to play a critical role in the global transition to a low-emission economy. Current progress is hampered by a number of factors, among which the lack of risk-informed design tools and decision support frameworks is seen as a major roadblock. Significant interest exists in using artificial intelligence to accelerate CCS site feasibility studies, as well as to facilitate the permit application process. Existing works commonly train a single deep learning model. This work investigates the feasibility of using a conventional ensemble learning (committee machine) technique to further improve prediction accuracy. Ensemble-based algorithms generally improve over individual base learners in terms of robustness and accuracy. Deep ensembles, however, are time-consuming to create and train. A pragmatic question is whether small-sized ensembles may lead to prediction improvement. Here we evaluated the efficacy of an ensemble learning technique using the latent spectral model (LSM), an efficient deep neural operator algorithm, as base learners. Preliminary results, obtained using the Illinois Basin-Decatur Project (IBDP) carbon sequestration data/model, show that small-sized ensembles can improve prediction over the base learners, achieving prediction accuracy of ~1.6 psi root mean square error (RMSE) on pressure (relative the average reservoir pressure of 3150 psi), and less than 1.3% for saturation.

Sun, Alexander↗