Results for “Digital Instrumentation and Control” — Page 6

NASA NTRS2002

A Nonlinear Digital Control Solution for a DC/DC Power Converter

A digital Nonlinear Proportional-Integral-Derivative (NPID) control algorithm was proposed to control a 1-kW, PWM, DC/DC, switching power converter. The NPID methodology is introduced and a practical hardware control solution is obtained. The design of the controller was completed using Matlab (trademark) Simulink, while the hardware-in-the-loop testing was performed using both the dSPACE (trademark) rapid prototyping system, and a stand-alone Texas Instruments (trademark) Digital Signal Processor (DSP)-based system. The final Nonlinear digital control algorithm was implemented and tested using the ED408043-1 Westinghouse DC-DC switching power converter. The NPID test results are discussed and compared to the results of a standard Proportional-Integral (PI) controller.

Zhu, Minshao↗

NASA NTRS1980

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) powertrain system development for automotive applications

Progress in the development of a gas turbine engine to improve fuel economy, reduce gaseous emissions and particulate levels, and compatible with a variety of alternate fuels is reported. The powertrain is designated AGT101 and consists of a regenerated single shaft gas turbine engine, a split differential gearbox and a Ford Automatic Overdrive production transmission. The powertrain is controlled by an electronic digital microprocessor and associated actuators, instrumentation, and sensors. Standard automotive accessories are driven by engine power provided by an accessory pad on the gearbox. Component/subsystem development progress is reported in the following areas: compressor, turbine, combustion system, regenerator, gearbox/transmission, structures, ceramic components, foil gas bearing, bearings and seals, rotor dynamics, and controls and accessories.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1968

Digital-computer interface systems.

Digital computer interface systems design for simulation, control, instrumentation and data processing, discussing hybrid computer linkages

Korn, G. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

An explicit solution to the optimal LQG problem for flexible structures with collocated rate sensors

We present a class of compensators in explicit form (not requiring numerical computer calculations) for stabilizing flexible structures with collocated rate sensors. They are based on the explicit solution, valid for both Continuum and FEM Models, of the LQG problem for minimizing mean square rate. They are robust with respect to system stability (will not destabilize modes even with mismatch of parameters), can be instrumented in state space form suitable for digital controllers, and can be specified directly from the structure modes and mode 'signature' (displacement vectors at sensor locations). Some simulation results are presented for the NASA LaRC Phase-Zero Evolutionary Model - a modal Trust model with 86 modes - showing damping ratios attainable as a function of compensator design parameters and complexity.

Balakrishnan, A. V.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Integrated Operations for Nuclear: Work Reduction Opportunity Demonstration Strategy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Plant Modernization Pathway has been working with industry for a number of years to leverage digital technology to extend the life and improve the performance of the existing fleet through modernized technologies and improved processes for plant operation and power generation. This includes development of modernization solutions to improve reliability and economic performance while addressing US nuclear industry’s aging and obsolescence challenges. The objective of these efforts is to deliver a sustainable business model that enables US nuclear industry to remain competitive. Digital Infrastructure (DI) research has established a technical foundation for these efforts. This effort began with technical analysis and support for a safety-related instrumentation and control (I&C) pilot upgrade being performed at Constellation Energy Generation’s Limerick Nuclear Plant. The following publicly available reports were produced as part of this effort. • INL/EXT-20-61079, Vendor-Independent Design Requirements for a Boiling Water Reactor Safety System Upgrade [1] • INL/EXT-20-59371, Business Case Analysis for Digital Safety-Related Instrumentation & Control System Modernizations [2] • INL/EXT-20-59809, “Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Pilot Upgrade: Initial Scoping Phase Implementation Report and Lessons Learned [3] • INL/RPT-23-72105, Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Upgrade: Conceptual – Detailed Design Phase Report and Lessons Learned [4]

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Fossil Power Plant Cyber Security Life-Cycle Risk Reduction, A Practical Framework for Implementation

Market conditions are forcing fossil electricity generation facility owners and operators to implement advanced digital technologies. These technologies enable efficiencies, operational flexibility, operations and maintenance efficiencies, and adapting to a transitioning workforce. These digital technologies, however, can increase the cybersecurity attack surface. The purpose of this research was to develop a holistic cybersecurity risk reduction framework for fossil generation facilities. The framework begins with assessing how cyber risk changes across facility life cycles, including plant, system, vendor, and business life cycles. The next phase performs consequence analysis to prioritize high consequence events. Focusing on high consequence events allows owners to use a graded, risk-informed approach to prioritize cybersecurity efforts. The final phase identifies the digital asset attack surface in sensors and instrumentation and control equipment. After the vulnerabilities are identified, the owner selects mitigating cybersecurity control measures (or countermeasures) based on the risk analysis from the previous phases. This report describes the current industry cybersecurity best practices in fossil generation that are based on the first principles for cybersecurity engineering. The report is divided into five sections that describe the implementation of the risk reduction framework and present identified research, methodological, and technology gaps that were identified through this course of research and development.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

NASA NTRS1973

Nuclear Science Symposium, 19th, and Nuclear Power Systems Symposium, 4th, Miami, Fla., December 6-8, 1972, Proceedings.

Major topics covered include radiation monitoring instrumentation, nuclear circuits and systems, biomedical applications of nuclear radiation in diagnosis and therapy, plasma research for fusion power, reactor control and instrumentation, nuclear power standards, and applications of digital computers in nuclear power plants. Systems and devices for space applications are described, including the Apollo alpha spectrometer, a position sensitive detection system for UV and X-ray photons, a 4500-volt electron multiplier bias supply for satellite use, spark chamber systems, proportional counters, and other devices. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2020

Fossil Power Plant Cyber Security Life-Cycle Risk Reduction: A Practical Framework for Implementation

Market conditions are forcing fossil electricity generation facility owners and operators to implement advanced digital technologies. These technologies enable efficiencies, operational flexibility, operations and maintenance efficiencies, and adapting to a transitioning workforce. These digital technologies, however, can increase the cybersecurity attack surface. The purpose of this research was to develop a holistic cybersecurity risk reduction framework for fossil generation facilities. The framework begins with assessing how cyber risk changes across facility life cycles, including plant, system, vendor, and business life cycles. The next phase performs consequence analysis to prioritize high consequence events. Focusing on high consequence events allows owners to use a graded, risk-informed approach to prioritize cybersecurity efforts. The final phase identifies the digital asset attack surface in sensors and instrumentation and control equipment. After the vulnerabilities are identified, the owner selects mitigating cybersecurity control measures (or countermeasures) based on the risk analysis from the previous phases. This report describes the current industry cybersecurity best practices in fossil generation that are based on the first principles for cybersecurity engineering. The report is divided into five sections that describe the implementation of the risk reduction framework and present identified research, methodological, and technology gaps that were identified through this course of research and development.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Fossil Power Plant Cyber Security Life-Cycle Risk Reduction: A Practical Framework for Implementation

Market conditions are forcing fossil electricity generation facility owners and operators to implement advanced digital technologies. These technologies enable efficiencies, operational flexibility, operations and maintenance efficiencies, and adapting to a transitioning workforce. These digital technologies, however, can increase the cybersecurity attack surface. The purpose of this research was to develop a holistic cybersecurity risk reduction framework for fossil generation facilities. The framework begins with assessing how cyber risk changes across facility life cycles, including plant, system, vendor, and business life cycles. The next phase performs consequence analysis to prioritize high consequence events. Focusing on high consequence events allows owners to use a graded, risk-informed approach to prioritize cybersecurity efforts. The final phase identifies the digital asset attack surface in sensors and instrumentation and control equipment. After the vulnerabilities are identified, the owner selects mitigating cybersecurity control measures (or countermeasures) based on the risk analysis from the previous phases. This report describes the current industry cybersecurity best practices in fossil generation that are based on the first principles for cybersecurity engineering. The report is divided into five sections that describe the implementation of the risk reduction framework and present identified research, methodological, and technology gaps that were identified through this course of research and development.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Automation of Nanoparticle Synthesis Processes in a Plasma Environment Using LabVIEW

This work presents an automated control system for the synthesis of nanomaterials by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), implemented using the LabVIEW software environment. The main objective of the study is to develop an integrated hardware-software platform that enables sequential control of the key stages of the PECVD process, including vacuum chamber preparation, pressure monitoring, working gas supply, plasma ignition, power matching, cyclic nanomaterial growth, and optical monitoring of nanoparticles in the plasma environment. The use of LabVIEW made it possible to integrate actuator control, experimental parameter acquisition, and realtime process visualization within a single automated system. The automated cycle begins with evacuation of the reaction chamber to a predefined base pressure. Transition to the next stage is permitted only after the specified pressure threshold has been reached, ensuring reproducible initial conditions for each experiment. The program then controls the supply of the working gas through mass flow controllers (MFCs). In this work, two gas-flow control modes were considered: analog control using a 0-5 V voltage signal and digital communication via RS-232 interface. It was shown that the analog approach requires accurate scaling of the control voltage, since applying 5 V corresponds to full-scale opening of the controller and results in the maximum gas flow. In contrast, the RS232 interface enables the gas flow rate to be specified directly in sccm, improving the accuracy, flexibility, and convenience of gas-environment control. After pressure stabilization, LabVIEW initiates RF plasma ignition and executes the RF matching algorithm aimed at minimizing reflected power and improving the stability of the plasma process. A separate software module implements the cyclic nanomaterial growth mode, in which the plasma-on time, plasma duration, and total number of synthesis cycles are predefined. This approach makes it possible to control material accumulation on the substrate and to correlate the process parameters with the morphological characteristics of the resulting nanostructures. The final module of the system is designed for optical monitoring of the nanoparticle cloud density in dusty plasma. For this purpose, the change in the intensity of laser radiation passing through the plasma region is recorded using a photodetector and a Keithley 2401 measuring unit connected to LabVIEW via RS-232 interface. The difference between the initial and modified optical signal intensity is used as a diagnostic parameter characterizing the formation and temporal evolution of nanoparticles. The developed system demonstrates that LabVIEW can be effectively applied not only for the automation of individual instruments, but also for the implementation of a complete digital control cycle for PECVD-based nanomaterial synthesis.

PECVD↗

NASA NTRS1994

A Macintosh-Based Scientific Images Video Analysis System

A set of experiments was designed at MIT's Man-Vehicle Laboratory in order to evaluate the effects of zero gravity on the human orientation system. During many of these experiments, the movements of the eyes are recorded on high quality video cassettes. The images must be analyzed off-line to calculate the position of the eyes at every moment in time. To this aim, I have implemented a simple inexpensive computerized system which measures the angle of rotation of the eye from digitized video images. The system is implemented on a desktop Macintosh computer, processes one play-back frame per second and exhibits adequate levels of accuracy and precision. The system uses LabVIEW, a digital output board, and a video input board to control a VCR, digitize video images, analyze them, and provide a user friendly interface for the various phases of the process. The system uses the Concept Vi LabVIEW library (Graftek's Image, Meudon la Foret, France) for image grabbing and displaying as well as translation to and from LabVIEW arrays. Graftek's software layer drives an Image Grabber board from Neotech (Eastleigh, United Kingdom). A Colour Adapter box from Neotech provides adequate video signal synchronization. The system also requires a LabVIEW driven digital output board (MacADIOS II from GW Instruments, Cambridge, MA) controlling a slightly modified VCR remote control used mainly to advance the video tape frame by frame.

Groleau, Nicolas↗

NASA NTRS1990

Automatic Range Changer For SWR Meter

Commercial unit modified for antenna-pattern measurements. Addition of automatic range-changing circuit converts Hewlett-Packard 415E standing-wave-ratio (SWR) meter into radio-frequency detector suitable for computer-controlled measurements of radiation patterns of antennas. Modification gives SWR meter effective dynamic range of at least 40 dB. Includes two digital lines communicating one of four range settings to controlling computer and one digital line to inhibit transfer of data when range being changed. Ideal instrument for use in applications involving computer-controlled monitoring of power when large changes in signal level expected.

Dengler, Robert J.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Creating a Simulation Platform for Research and Development of Advanced Control Methods

Advanced nuclear reactors are essential to meet the changing energy requirements throughout both the United States and the rest of world. In addition to other features, they are designed to enable deployment in remote locations and operate in a fully (or near-fully) autonomous manner, which will require a new control paradigm. To realize autonomously operating reactors, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (NEET ASI) program conducts research and development into the enabling technologies and methods needed, including digital twins, machine learning, and risk modeling, in addition to various types of control methods. These technologies and methods are the key foundations needed to achieve fully autonomous systems. To develop and evaluate the technologies and methods necessary for achieving autonomous operations, it is critical to identify a software tool capable of integrating all the required elements. In surveying the available solutions, no software platforms were identified that could accomplish what was needed without introducing drawbacks. This challenge was the motivation for the current effort: to develop a software platform that can seamlessly integrate autonomouscontrol-enabling technologies and methods, allowing for accelerated research and development and transfer of ideas. The resulting platform, known as the Control and Optimization Modular Modeling Application for Nuclear Deployment (COMMAND), is Python-based, and leverages open-source tools to provide flexibility and facilitate building upon prior research. It is designed to enable advanced reactor developers to deploy and test advanced control technologies and methods coupled with their own models, solutions, and hardware. Given the substantial undertaking of developing such a platform, the current effort focused on laying down scalable, flexible software foundations and infrastructure, then demonstrating the platform via a use case. These foundations included developing generic modules, which contain the base variable and system blocks (the information and functional building blocks, respectively, that can be used to design a simulation) and the data handling and storage blocks needed to exchange information between the various blocks; as well as enablingtechnology-specific modules. This platform was evaluated via a use case, which was to simulate and control a process for the Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS) test bed. While MACS is not currently directly coupled to any specific microreactor physics, it was initially developed in concert with the Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) microreactor, and so the MARVEL physics are used here. As part of this use case, several enabling-technology-specific blocks within COMMAND were integrated, including a proportional integral derivative (PID) control block, a Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5-3D) block, and an anomaly detection block. The COMMAND software platform was successfully demonstrated to achieve the scalability and flexibility objectives of this effort and will be leveraged by the program’s research efforts to advance state of the art control methodologies towards autonomous operations of advanced reactors. As new use cases are created and implemented, it is anticipated that COMMAND will continue to grow and evolve to meet new requirements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

NASA NTRS1992

Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) Electronics Overview

The LITE electronics system consists of the following seven subsystems: Laser Transmitter Module (LTM), Boresight Assembly (BA), Aft-Optics Electronics (AOE), Digital Data Handling Unit (DDHU), Engineering Data System (EDS), Instrument Controller (IC), and the Ground Support Equipment (GSE). Each of these subsystems is discussed.

Blythe, Michael P.↗

DOE OSTI2026

MARVEL Instrumentation, Control, and Software Considerations

This paper details the various I&C considerations and design decisions made throughout the MARVEL (Micro-reactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation) project, including sensor and actuator selection, safety-related functionality, digital control hardware and software, and testing methodologies. Key challenges such as managing radiation, temperature, and space constraints are discussed, along with the trade-offs between using standard equipment and custom solutions. The successful integration of off-the-shelf components, the emphasis on minimizing safety-related instrumentation, and the lessons learned from prototyping and testing are highlighted. The authors aim to provide insights that can benefit future micro-reactor designs and emphasize the importance of real-world testing in advancing reactor technology.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

NASA NTRS1992

A real time data acquisition system using the MIL-STD-1553B bus

A flight digital data acquisition system that uses the MIL-STD-1553B bus for transmission of data to a host computer for control law processing is described. The instrument, the Remote Interface Unit (RIU), can accommodate up to 16 input channels and eight output channels. The RIU employs a digital signal processor to perform local digital filtering before sending data to the host. The system allows flexible sensor and actuator data organization to facilitate quick control law computations on the host computer. The instrument can also run simple control laws autonomously without host intervention. The RIU and host computer together have replaced a similar larger, ground minicomputer system with favorable results.

Peri, Frank, Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Radiation Dosimetry via Automated Fluorescence Microscopy

A developmental instrument for assessment of radiation-induced damage in human lymphocytes includes an automated fluorescence microscope equipped with a one or more chargecoupled- device (CCD) video camera(s) and circuitry to digitize the video output. The microscope is also equipped with a three-axis translation stage that includes a rotation stage, and a rotary tray that holds as many as thirty specimen slides. The figure depicts one version of the instrument. Once the slides have been prepared and loaded into the tray, the instrument can operate unattended. A computer controls the operation of the stage, tray, and microscope, and processes the digital fluorescence-image data to recognize and count chromosomes that have been broken, presumably by radiation. The design and method of operation of the instrument exploit fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of metaphase chromosome spreads, which is a technique that has been found to be valuable for monitoring the radiation dose to circulating lymphocytes. In the specific FISH protocol used to prepare specimens for this instrument, metaphase lymphocyte cultures are chosen for high mitotic index and highly condensed chromosomes, then several of the largest chromosomes are labeled with three of four differently colored whole-chromosome-staining dyes. The three dyes, which are used both individually and in various combinations, are fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), Texas Red (or equivalent), and Cy5 (or equivalent); The fourth dye 4',6-diamidino- 2-phenylindole (DAPI) is used as a counterstain. Under control by the computer, the microscope is automatically focused on the cells and each slide is scanned while the computer analyzes the DAPI-fluorescence images to find the metaphases. Each metaphase field is recentered in the field of view and refocused. Then a four-color image (more precisely, a set of images of the same view in the fluorescent colors of the four dyes) is acquired. By use of pattern-recognition software developed specifically for this instrument, the images in the various colors are processed to recognize the metaphases and count the chromosome fragments of each color within the metaphases. The intermediate results are then further processed to estimate the proportion of cells that have suffered genetic damage. The prototype instrument scans at an average areal rate of 4.7 mm2/h in unattended operation, finding about 14 metaphases per hour. The false-alarm rate is typically less than 3 percent, and the metaphase-miss rate has been estimated to be less than 5 percent. The counts of chromosomes and fragments thereof are 50 to 70 percent accurate.

Castleman, Kenneth R.↗

NASA NTRS1975

The effects of lightning on digital flight control systems

Present practices in lightning protection of aircraft deal primarily with the direct effects of lightning, such as structural damage and ignition of fuel vapors. There is increasing evidence of troublesome electromagnetic effects, however, in aircraft employing solid-state microelectronics in critical navigation, instrumentation and control functions. The potential impact of these indirect effects on critical systems such as digital fly-by-wire (DFBW) flight controls has been studied by several recent research programs, including an experimental study of lightning-induced voltages in the NASA F8 DFBW airplane. The results indicate a need for positive steps to be taken during the design of future fly-by-wire systems to minimize the possibility of hazardous effects from lightning.

Plumer, J. A.↗