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At least 1,063 records · Page 59

Ant-Based Cyber Defense

ABCD is a four-level hierarchy with human supervisors at the top, a top-level agent called a Sergeant controlling each enclave, Sentinel agents located at each monitored host, and mobile Sensor agents that swarm through the enclaves to detect cyber malice and misconfigurations. The code comprises four parts: (1) the core agent framework, (2) the user interface and visualization, (3) test-range software to create a network of virtual machines including a simulated Internet and user and host activity emulation scripts, and (4) a test harness to allow the safe running of adversarial code within the framework of monitored virtual machines.

Fink, Glenn↗

A Co-Registered In-Situ and Ex-Situ Dataset from a Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process (Peregrine v2023-10)

This release contains a co-registered in-situ and ex-situ Peregrine dataset from a single Concept Laser M2 Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) stainless steel 316L build. These data were collected at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The dataset includes layer-wise visible-light in-situ imaging data, the laser scan paths and parameters, in-situ temporal sensor data, X-Ray Computed Tomography (X-CT) scans, pycnometry and tensile test results, etched micrographs from selected locations, and the target part geometries. Additionally, anomaly detections produced by a modified Dynamic Segmentation Convolutional Neural Network (DSCNN) are provided.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Infrasound Detections of Low-Magnitude Earthquakes: Preliminary Results of the West Texas Acoustic Experiment

Infrasound observations have grown increasingly important for the monitoring of earthquakes. While large earthquakes generate infrasound that can be detected thousands of kilometers away, there are few near-field observations of infrasound generated by low-magnitude events. We describe preliminary results of the West Texas Acoustic Experiment, during which infrasound sensors collected continuous data in the Permian Basin for a six-month period spanning January—June 2023. During this time, more than 1000 earthquakes with magnitudes between 1.2 and 4.2 occurred within 50 km of the network. We used spectral analysis, array processing, and manual inspection of waveforms to evaluate arrivals of infrasound signals following 84 events with magnitudes between 2.5 and 4.2. Here, we describe eight such events and the infrasound signals associated with each. We find detections of seismic-to-acoustic infrasound signals associated with seven events. We also find strong evidence of a laterally-propagating, purely acoustic wave generated by an M2.9 earthquake.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Communicate and Fuse: How Filamentous Fungi Establish and Maintain an Interconnected Mycelial Network

Cell-to-cell communication and cell fusion are fundamental biological processes across the tree of life. Survival is often dependent upon being able to identify nearby individuals and respond appropriately. Communication between genetically different individuals allows for the identification of potential mating partners, symbionts, prey, or predators. In contrast, communication between genetically similar (or identical) individuals is important for mediating the development of multicellular organisms or for coordinating density-dependent behaviors (i.e., quorum sensing). This review describes the molecular and genetic mechanisms that mediate cell-to-cell communication and cell fusion between cells of Ascomycete filamentous fungi, with a focus on Neurospora crassa . Filamentous fungi exist as a multicellular, multinuclear network of hyphae, and communication-mediated cell fusion is an important aspect of colony development at each stage of the life cycle. Asexual spore germination occurs in a density-dependent manner. Germinated spores (germlings) avoid cells that are genetically different at specific loci, while chemotropically engaging with cells that share identity at these recognition loci. Germlings with genetic identity at recognition loci undergo cell fusion when in close proximity, a fitness attribute that contributes to more rapid colony establishment. Communication and cell fusion also occur between hyphae in a colony, which are important for reinforcing colony architecture and supporting the development of complex structures such as aerial hyphae and sexual reproductive structures. Over 70 genes have been identified in filamentous fungi (primarily N. crassa ) that are involved in kind recognition, chemotropic interactions, and cell fusion. While the hypothetical signal(s) and receptor(s) remain to be described, a dynamic molecular signaling network that regulates cell-cell interactions has been revealed, including two conserved MAP-Kinase cascades, a conserved STRIPAK complex, transcription factors, a NOX complex involved in the generation of reactive oxygen species, cell-integrity sensors, actin, components of the secretory pathway, and several other proteins. Together these pathways facilitate the integration of extracellular signals, direct polarized growth, and initiate a transcriptional program that reinforces signaling and prepares cells for downstream processes, such as membrane merger, cell fusion and adaptation to heterokaryon formation.

Microbiology↗

The Perils of Space Weather

The Sun’s continuous bombardment of the Earth with high-energy electrons, protons, and other nuclei results in space weather that can wreak havoc on the nation’s satellites, aircraft, communications networks, navigation systems, and the electric power grid. Because of the potential for space weather to so critically impact national security, Los Alamos National Laboratory has been studying it for decades, designing and building space-based sensors to detect emissions from potential nuclear events here on Earth and to study natural and man-made radiation in space.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Smart Pixels: In-pixel AI for on-sensor data filtering

We present a smart pixel prototype readout integrated circuit (ROIC) designed in CMOS 28 nm bulk process, with in-pixel implementation of an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) based data filtering algorithm designed as proof-of-principle for a Phase III upgrade at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) pixel detector. The first version of the ROIC consists of two matrices of 256 smart pixels, each 25$\times$25 $\mu$m$^2$ in size. Each pixel consists of a charge-sensitive preamplifier with leakage current compensation and three auto-zero comparators for a 2-bit flash-type ADC. The frontend is capable of synchronously digitizing the sensor charge within 25 ns. Measurement results show an equivalent noise charge (ENC) of $\sim$30e$^-$ and a total dispersion of $\sim$100e$^-$ The second version of the ROIC uses a fully connected two-layer neural network (NN) to process information from a cluster of 256 pixels to determine if the pattern corresponds to highly desirable high-momentum particle tracks for selection and readout. The digital NN is embedded in-between analog signal processing regions of the 256 pixels without increasing the pixel size and is implemented as fully combinatorial digital logic to minimize power consumption and eliminate clock distribution, and is active only in the presence of an input signal. The total power consumption of the neural network is $\sim$ 300 $\mu$W. The NN performs momentum classification based on the generated cluster patterns and even with a modest momentum threshold, it is capable of 54.4% - 75.4% total data rejection, opening the possibility of using the pixel information at 40MHz for the trigger. The total power consumption of analog and digital functions per pixel is $\sim$ 6 $\mu$W per pixel, which corresponds to $\sim$ 1 W/cm$^2$ staying within the experimental constraints.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Flexible Framework for Building Occupancy Detection Using Spatiotemporal Pattern Networks

This paper presents a reliable, scalable, and transferable framework to predict occupancy in a building utilizing diverse, multi-modal information. We propose a new methodology for learning-driven occupancy detection built on the concepts of probabilistic graphical modeling and observable Markov chain modeling. To capture the relationship between multi-sensor data and occupancy, we propose this Occ-STPN framework that is flexible to support both multivariate and univariate formulations. While the multivariate Occ-STPN performs feature-level fusion of multiple predictors and occupancy time-series data, the univariate Occ-STPN involves decision fusion of occupancy predictions using individual predictors based on a mutual information weighted fusion scheme. We also propose a new metric to evaluate the performance of occupancy prediction algorithms. Two popular datasets are used to validate our approach and demonstrate that our framework is scalable in terms of the number of information sources (e.g., sensors) as well as it is possible to transfer trained models from one building to another without significant reduction in performance. Reliability of the algorithm is also tested by injecting noise into the datasets.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

River Dissolved Oxygen Prediction Using Machine Learning Models and Wireless Sensor Measurements

Simultaneous flooding&heat and droughts&heat events can potentially destabilize hydro-meteorological conditions to deteriorate the water quality of Neches River. Machine learning (ML) models utilizing wireless sensor measurements have been applied to predict water quality and optimize various water management strategies. This study aims to develop ML models to predict dissolved oxygen (DO) prediction under various hydro-meteorological conditions and enhance water management decision-making. Wireless sensor measurements of DO, water temperature, sample depth, conductivity, turbidity, and pH, along with discharge from the United States Geological Survey stations, are collected for model inputs at the Pine Island Bayou C749 station (PIB-C749) and Neches River Saltwater Barrier (SWB). Multilayer perceptron neural networks, recurrent neural networks, long short-term memory (LSTM), and bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) with and without attention mechanism (AT) are tested to determine the best model, which is applied the rolling forecast method to predict 14-day DO. Traditional and recurrent transfer learning (TL and RTL) methods are adopted to overcome insufficient data at the SWB. The input feature importance analysis using the integrated gradients (IG) algorithm is applied to determine dominant inputs. The results show LSTM-based models are capable handling long sequential data. AT-BiLSTM and RTL-LSTM demonstrate the best performance at the PIB-C749 (RMSE=0.054) and the SWB (RMSE=0.028), respectively. TL and RTL methods significantly improve model performance at the SWB. DO, temperature, and pH show higher importance, consistent with hydrodynamics and water chemistry. Both best models are applied to predict 14-day DO and demonstrate reasonable performance for decision-making. Hydro-meteorological conditions of 2017 flood and 2012 drought events are simulated and reveal that possible hypoxia occurs after flooding due to increasing temperature and turbidity, and DO concentration decreases significantly under heat and drought conditions. In conclusion, LSTM-based models utilizing wireless sensor data can be a timely and effective approach to make appropriate decisions on water resource management.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Development of Thermoacoustic Sensors for Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

This Final Report refers to the project “Development of Thermoacoustic Sensors for Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor Systems”, which was led by Westinghouse Electric Company (Westinghouse) and carried out in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and University of Pittsburgh. Thermo-acoustic Power Sensors (TAPS) are self-powered, wireless sensors envisioned for measuring key parameters, such as local temperature and neutron flux, in a nuclear reactor core. This project was intended to specifically investigate their applicability to Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFR). TAPS are non-invasive (wireless) and passive (self-powered) devices. The passivity derives from their ability to use conditions that “naturally” exist in a nuclear reactor, such as gamma and neutron flux, as power sources. They generate oscillating pressure waves (i.e., sound waves) which, with a frequency and amplitude dependent upon these conditions, can travel through the core and associated structures, and reach the outside of the reactor vessel where a properly designed network of receivers can detect and interpret them. These receivers require a very small amount of power which, during loss of power events, can be provided for example by harvesting gamma radiation energy, thus resulting in a monitoring system that can function both during normal operation and during loss of power events. The project aimed at TAPS development through a series of tasks which are listed and briefly discussed as follows. TASK 1 – Sensor hardware design Subtask 1a: Assessment of sensor applications to SFRs Subtask 1b: Development of sensor functional requirements Subtask 1c: Definition of sensor hardware design specifications Task description: TAPS design was informed by considerations on their application (Subtask 1a), both the ultimate one in an SFR and the actual one in the ANL testing facilities that was intended to be used in support of the project. Considerations were made to identify optimum sensor design features that optimize the sensor size, materials, and output signal, for installation inside an SFR core. These considerations led to the development of Functional Requirements (Subtask 1b) and Design Requirements (Subtask 1c). TASK 2 – Sensor Hardware Manufacture Subtask 2a: Sensor hardware construction drawing development Subtask 2b: Sensor manufacture and assembly Task description: TAPS technical drawings were developed (Subtask 2a) using the Design Requirements established under Task 1. Subsequently, in spite of some problems which ultimately caused the program to be delayed, TAPS manufacturing was completed based on drawings (Subtask 2b). TASK 3 – Development of TAPS Signal Measurement System and TAPS Testing in Water Subtask 3a: Design, assembly and testing of signal measurement system, and TAPS testing in water Subtask 3b: Signal prediction-correction methodology development Task description: An assessment was performed on the techniques that can potentially be used to detect the signals emitted by the TAPS, e.g. a fiber-optic based acoustic signal measurement system, a laser vibrometer system, or an accelerometer-based system. The most suited technology, i.e. the accelerometer-based system, was developed further, and tested in water (Subtask 3a). Moreover, efforts were made to develop the methodology required to determine the actual system temperature and neutron flux distribution using differences between the measured and predicted TAPS responses (Subtask 3b). TASK 4 – Sensor System Testing in Sodium Subtask 4a: Test plan development Subtask 4b: Design, assembly and testing in small-scale sodium facility Subtask 4c: Design, assembly and testing in large-scale sodium and structures facility Task description: Upon proper test plan development (Subtask 4a), the fabricated TAPS was planned to be tested in sodium, by using two sodium facilities at ANL having different size and different purpose. The Under Sodium Viewing (USV) small-scale facility was intended to be used to investigate the effect of sodium on the sensor and its performance (Subtask 4b). The Mechanism Engineering Test Loop (METL) large-scale facility was instead intended to be used to assess the additional effect of prototypical SFR structures, such as fuel assembly mockup or parts of the core restrain structure, on sensor performance (Subtask 4c). As discussed in Section 3.2.2.7, unexpected issues during the TAPS manufacturing process resulted in some activities being delayed, with the TAPS and USV facility developed to the point to be ready for testing in sodium, however without the possibility to actually perform such testing (including the testing in METL) due to the end of the program’s performance period. Overall, through the development and testing (in water only) of two TAPS devices (a First-Generation TAPS followed by an optimized Second-Generation TAPS), the project confirmed the capability of this technology to generate acoustic signals proportional to temperature, which can be detected through a network of accelerometers identified as the best-suited type of receivers for acoustic signal detection. Moreover, the project also developed a computational model to predict the characteristics of the acoustic signals being generated, which combines thermal analysis of the TAPS with Finite Element Modeling (FEM)-aided acoustic characterization of the system. This model was benchmarked against experimental data collected during the project and, although general agreement was obtained, some limitations of the modeling methods were identified, which require additional development. Additional testing is needed in order to assess the effect, on TAPS operation and performance, of environmental changes resulting from the transition from water to liquid sodium. Such testing, which is suggested to be performed in the future, should look specifically at 1) both the effect resulting from the different thermoacoustic behavior of sodium (relative to water) and the effects of higher temperature on TAPS performance, and 2) the performance of the sensor-receiver system when multiple TAPS are used simultaneously and prototypical reactor structures are positioned in the testing environment. The latter testing is needed to assess the effects that potential signal attenuation/ distortion phenomena, as well as potential interference between signals emitted simultaneously, have on the performance of the technology for ultimate application in a nuclear reactor.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

UAV remote sensing imagery - Miscanthus trials 2020 - Energy Farm - UIUC

Aerial imagery utilized as input in the manuscript "Deep convolutional neural networks exploit high spatial and temporal resolution aerial imagery to predict key traits in miscanthus" . Data was collected over M. Sacchariflorus and Sinensis breeding trials at the Energy Farm, UIUC in 2020. Flights were performed using a DJI M600 mounted with a Micasense Rededge multispectral sensor at 20 m altitude around solar noon. Imagery is available as tif file by field trial and date (10). The post-processing of raw images into orthophoto was performed in Agisoft Metashape software. Each crop surface model and multispectral orthophoto was stacked into an unique raster stack by date and uploaded here. Each raster stack includes 6 layers in the following order: Layer 1 = crop surface model, Layer 2 = Blue, Layer 3 = Green, Layer 4 = Red, Layer 5 = Rededge, and Layer 6 = NIR multispectral bands. Msa raster stacks were resampled to 1.67 cm spatial resolution and Msi raster stacks were resampled to 1.41 cm spatial resolution to ease their integration into further analysis. 'MMDDYYYY' is the date of data collection, 'MSA' is M. Sacchariflorus trial, 'MSI' is Miscanthus Sinensis trial, 'CSM' is crop surface model layer, and 'MULTSP' are the five multispectral bands.

bioenergy↗

A Flexible Framework for Building Occupancy Detection Using Spatiotemporal Pattern Networks: Preprint

This paper presents a reliable, scalable, and transferable framework to predict occupancy in a building utilizing diverse, multi-modal information. We propose a new methodology for learning-driven occupancy detection built on the concepts of probabilistic graphical modeling and observable Markov chain modeling. To capture the relationship between multi-sensor data and occupancy, we propose this Occ-STPN framework that is flexible to support both multivariate and univariate formulations. While the multivariate Occ-STPN performs feature-level fusion of multiple predictors and occupancy time-series data, the univariate Occ-STPN involves decision fusion of occupancy predictions using individual predictors based on a mutual information weighted fusion scheme. We also propose a new metric to evaluate the performance of occupancy prediction algorithms. Two popular datasets are used to validate our approach and demonstrate that our framework is scalable in terms of the number of information sources (e.g., sensors) as well as it is possible to transfer trained models from one building to another without significant reduction in performance. Reliability of the algorithm is also tested by injecting noise into the datasets.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Bayesian sequential optimal experimental design for nonlinear models using policy gradient reinforcement learning

We present a mathematical framework and computational methods for optimally designing a finite sequence of experiments. This sequential optimal experimental design (sOED) problem is formulated as a finite-horizon partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) under a Bayesian setting and with information-theoretic utilities. The formulation is general and may accommodate continuous random variables, non-Gaussian posteriors, and nonlinear forward models. The sOED design policy incorporates elements of feedback and lookahead simultaneously, and we show it to generalize the commonly-used batch and greedy design strategies. We solve for the sOED policy using the policy gradient (PG) method from reinforcement learning, and provide a derivation for the PG expression in the sOED context. Adopting an actor-critic approach, the policy and value functions are parameterized using deep neural networks and improved via PG estimates produced from simulated episodes of designs and observations. The new PG-sOED algorithm is first validated on a linear-Gaussian benchmark, and then compared against other design baselines on a sensor movement problem for contaminant source inversion in a convection-diffusion field. As a result, we provide explanation for the policy behaviors using knowledge of the underlying physical process.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Soft network composite materials with deterministic and bio-inspired designs

Hard and soft structural composites found in biology provide inspiration for the design of advanced synthetic materials. Many examples of bio-inspired hard materials can be found in the literature; far less attention has been devoted to soft systems. Here we introduce deterministic routes to low-modulus thin film materials with stress/strain responses that can be tailored precisely to match the non-linear properties of biological tissues, with application opportunities that range from soft biomedical devices to constructs for tissue engineering. The approach combines a low-modulus matrix with an open, stretchable network as a structural reinforcement that can yield classes of composites with a wide range of desired mechanical responses, including anisotropic, spatially heterogeneous, hierarchical and self-similar designs. Demonstrative application examples in thin, skin-mounted electrophysiological sensors with mechanics precisely matched to the human epidermis and in soft, hydrogel-based vehicles for triggered drug release suggest their broad potential uses in biomedical devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nanophotonic Filters and Integrated Networks in Flexible 2D Polymer Photonic Crystals

Polymers have appealing optical, biochemical, and mechanical qualities, including broadband transparency, ease of functionalization, and biocompatibility. However, their low refractive indices have precluded wavelength-scale optical confinement and nanophotonic applications in polymers. Here, we introduce a suspended polymer photonic crystal (SPPC) architecture that enables the implementation of nanophotonic structures typically limited to high-index materials. Using the SPPC platform, we demonstrate nanophotonic band-edge filters, waveguides, and nanocavities featuring quality (Q) factors exceeding 2, 300 and mode volumes (V-mode) below 1.7(l/n) 3 . The unprecedentedly high Q/V-mode ratio results in a spectrally selective enhancement of radiative transitions of embedded emitters via the cavity Purcell effect with an enhancement factor exceeding 100. Moreover, the SPPC architecture allows straightforward integration of nanophotonic networks, shown here by a waveguide-coupled cavity drop filter with sub-nanometer spectral resolution. The nanoscale optical confinement in polymer promises new applications ranging from optical communications to organic opto-electronics, and nanophotonic polymer sensors.

PHOTONIC CRYSTALS↗

System and method for measuring sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence

A chlorophyll fluorescence measuring system having at least one spectrometer coupled to a data logger. The data logger provides direct control of the spectrometer and includes on-board memory for storage of target and reference spectrum data obtained by the spectrometer. The data logger may be coupled to an external computer that receives and analyzes target and reference spectrum data to determine SIF using a spectral fitting algorithm. The system may include a spectrometer aiming system coupled to and controlled by the data logger. The system may also include one or more environmental sensors configured to measure environment variables. The environmental sensors may be coupled to the data logger for control and data storage. The environmental data may be communicated to the external computer for use in the spectral fitting algorithm. The data logger may be connected to a network for remote monitoring and control.

Gu, Lianhong↗

Resilient Autonomous Wind Farms: Preprint

With the advent of an increasing number of control strategies that seek to optimize wind turbine performance on a farm-level, taking account of individual wind turbine information to achieve wind farm-level objectives has become an increasingly important goal. Methods for controlling wind turbines on an individual and farm level have seen significant development, and an abundance of new implementations for gathering and using data from turbines have created potential for novel control mechanisms which can further optimize the performance and delivery characteristics of a wind farm. A key element of making these wind farms more efficient is to develop reliable algorithms that use local sensor information that is already being collected, such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, local meteorological stations, and nearby radars/sodars/lidars. Making use of information from all wind turbines in a wind farm can enable such approaches as determining the atmospheric conditions across the farm, improving fault-finding, and enabling more efficient overall control of farm-wide optimizations through mechanisms such as wake-steering. However, these approaches typically involve a centralized communications and control center. In order to ensure the resilient operation of the farm, it is necessary to develop an approach which distributes the calculation and communication amongst multiple nodes throughout the farm. In this fashion, a redundant, robust, and secure network can be created, which can tolerate faults in calculation, communication, and even external attacks which seek to disrupt the operation of the wind farm. This paper introduces the use of the Raft Byzantine Fault Tolerance algorithm in the implementation of autonomous control of a wind farm. This implementation will allow for fault tolerance for malfunctioning nodes, sensors, transmitters, and connectors. This approach is equally extensible to account for malicious actors. It will be shown to achieve overall consensus, provided the number of faults/malicious nodes is less than 3$n$+1, where $n$ is the number of turbine cluster faults which may occur, and to be robust in the face of multiple arbitrary faults.

autonomous↗

Development Fiber Optic Distributed System for Direct Detection of Subsurface Gases Leakages

Carbon, natural gas, and hydrogen gas storage is an emerging solution to safeguard us against pollution, support goals of negative carbon emission, and protect sources of renewable energy. Properly constructed storage wells provide a virtually impervious barrier to any unintended subsurface transmission. The ability to ensure the long-term integrity of such wells is vital to the success of any storage operation and be successful in the public eyes. Therefore, robust monitoring of any gas migration into the subsurface is highly sought. A fiber-optic distributed chemical sensor (DCS) enables monitoring of long-term well integrity along its depth, ensuring the success of any storage operation and bolsters public acceptance of the safety of the reservoir via leak early detection. The same technique can be applied to gas monitoring in pipeline networks and nuclear stockpile monitoring applications. Fiber based Raman spectroscopy enables DCS, as optical fibers can be deployed in virtually any environment and relay spectroscopic information over long distances back to the user. Hollow core fibers (HCF) make excellent DCSs as the air core of the fiber allows gas from the environment to diffuse into the core, which interacts with the laser signal that is carried in the air core. This work builds upon the previous LDRD project, Fiber Optic System for Direct Detection of Carbon Dioxide Leakage in Carbon Storage Wells (21-FS-003), in which the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy detection of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in HCF detection was demonstrated. We mitigated the risk of this DCS technology by establishing and completing five objectives. The first objective was to model and optically characterize HCF uptake of CO2, establishing the relationship between HCF length, gas diffusion time, detectable gas concentration, and measured Raman intensity. In objective two, we developed a fiber core drilling recipe to enable additional diffusion ports in the fiber core and established a method for maintaining fiber strength and integrity post drilling. Objective three characterized the drilled fibers against the undrilled fibers, establishing the differences in the gas mechanics and optical properties and provided parameters to iterate the drilling process. In objective four, a fusion splicing technique was developed to join the HCF to conventional single-mode fibers, localizing the gas detection point at the drilled HCF hole, emulating a DCS. Lastly, objective five was the testing of the sensor in Edgar Mines at Colorado School of Mines on a CO2 pipeline with a simulated leak, to showcase the ability to detect CO2 leaks. This capstone result showed CO2 leak detection in < 10 minutes, raising the technology readiness level of HCF segments as deployable DCS.

organic↗

An Optimization-Based State Estimation Framework for Large-Scale Natural Gas Networks

We propose an optimization-based state estimation framework to track internal spacetime flow and pressure profiles of natural gas networks during dynamic transients. We find that the estimation problem is ill-posed (because of the infinite-dimensional nature of the states) and that this leads to instability of the estimator when short estimation horizons are used. To circumvent this issue, we propose moving horizon strategies that incorporate prior information. In particular, we propose a strategy that initializes the prior using steady-state information and compare its performance against a strategy that does not initialize the prior. We find that both strategies are capable of tracking the state profiles but we also find that superior performance is obtained with steady-state prior initialization. We also find that, under the proposed framework, pressure sensor information at junctions is sufficient to track the state profiles. We also derive approximate transport models and show that some of these can be used to achieve significant computational speed-ups without sacrificing estimation performance. We show that the estimator can be easily implemented in the graph-based modeling framework Plasmo.jl and use a multipipeline network study to demonstrate the developments.

Jalving, Jordan↗