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

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

The Effect of Radiation on Selected Photographic Film

We conducted this film test to evaluate several manufacturers' photographic films for their ability to acquire imagery on the International Space Station. We selected 25 motion picture, photographic slide, and negative films from three different film manufacturers. We based this selection on the fact that their films ranked highest in other similar film tests, and on their general acceptance by the international community. This test differed from previous tests because the entire evaluation process leading up to the final selection was based on information derived after the original flight film was scanned to a digital file. Previously conducted tests were evaluated entirely based on 8 x 10s that were produced from the film either directly or through the internegative process. This new evaluation procedure provided accurate quantitative data on granularity and contrast from the digital data. This test did not try to define which film was best visually. This is too often based on personal preference. However, the test results did group the films by good, marginal, and unacceptable. We developed, and included in this report, a template containing quantitative, graphical, and visual information for each film. These templates should be sufficient for comparing the different films tested and subsequently selecting a film or films to be used for experiments and general documentation on the International Space Station.

Slater, Richard↗
DOE OSTI2025

Visual‐Analytics Bridge Complexity and Accessibility for Robust Urban Water Planning

Urban water resources planning is complicated by unprecedented uncertainty in supply and demand. Real‐world planning often simplifies the full range of uncertainty faced by a system into a limited set of deterministic scenarios to enhance accessibility for decision‐makers and the public. However, overlooking uncertainty can expose the system to failures. On the other end of the spectrum, academically developed tools for scenario analysis rigorously quantify the combined effects of multiple sources of uncertainty, but the practical application of these models is limited by the challenges of information visualization and communication of results. In short, municipal water supply planners lack access to planning frameworks that effectively integrate a rigorous treatment of uncertainty with accessible, user‐friendly visual and interactive tools to enhance user accessibility. In this work, we fill this gap by proposing Visual‐Robust Decision Making, and demonstrate an application for the city of Santa Barbara (SB), CA. Santa Barbara faces multiple uncertainties from pending state and federal regulations to changing hydrology and water demand. The city seeks to increase its water portfolio robustness by expanding its seawater desalination plant, but must decide how much capacity to add. We introduce computational tools that assess uncertainty across nine uncertain drivers identified with the help of water planners in SB. To allow public participation in the desalination expansion decision, we develop interactive visual‐analytics to aid decision‐makers and stakeholders in navigating complex scenario analysis outcomes. Our results quantify the tradeoffs between increased capacity and system robustness and aim to enhance participation and uncertainty characterization of urban water planning efforts.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1997

Cellular Structures in the Flow Over the Flap of a Two-Element Wing

Flow visualization information and time dependent pressure coefficients were recorded for the flow over a two-element wing. The investigation focused on the stall onset; particularly at a condition where the flow is attached on the main element but separated on the flap. At this condition, spanwise separation cells were visible in the flow over the flap, and time dependent pressure data was measured along the centerline of the separation cell. The flow visualizations indicated that the spanwise occurrence of the separation cells depends on the flap (and not wing) aspect ratio.

Yon, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Applying Geospatial Technologies for International Development and Public Health: The USAID/NASA SERVIR Program

Background: SERVIR -- the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System -- helps people use Earth observations and predictive models based on data from orbiting satellites to make timely decisions that benefit society. SERVIR operates through a network of regional hubs in Mesoamerica, East Africa, and the Hindu Kush-Himalayas. USAID and NASA support SERVIR, with the long-term goal of transferring SERVIR capabilities to the host countries. Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to describe how the SERVIR system helps the SERVIR regions cope with eight areas of societal benefit identified by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO): health, disasters, ecosystems, biodiversity, weather, water, climate, and agriculture. This presentation will describe environmental health applications of data in the SERVIR system, as well as ongoing and future efforts to incorporate additional health applications into the SERVIR system. Methods: This presentation will discuss how the SERVIR Program makes environmental data available for use in environmental health applications. SERVIR accomplishes its mission by providing member nations with access to geospatial data and predictive models, information visualization, training and capacity building, and partnership development. SERVIR conducts needs assessments in partner regions, develops custom applications of Earth observation data, and makes NASA and partner data available through an online geospatial data portal at SERVIRglobal.net. Results: Decision makers use SERVIR to improve their ability to monitor air quality, extreme weather, biodiversity, and changes in land cover. In past several years, the system has been used over 50 times to respond to environmental threats such as wildfires, floods, landslides, and harmful algal blooms. Given that the SERVIR regions are experiencing increased stress under larger climate variability than historic observations, SERVIR provides information to support the development of adaptation strategies for nations affected by climate change. Conclusions: SERVIR is a platform for collaboration and cross-agency coordination, international partnerships, and delivery of web-based geospatial information services and applications. SERVIR makes a variety of geospatial data available for use in studies of environmental health outcomes.

Hemmings, Sarah↗
NASA NTRS2004

Two Aircraft Head-Up Traffic Surveillance Symbology Issues: Range Filter and Inboard Field-of-View Symbology

The purpose of the eXternal Visibility System (XVS) effort for NASA s High-Speed Research Program was to determine and to provide required pilot visual information for a High Speed Civil Transport vehicle concept to allow safe and efficient operation in the absence of forward windows. The objective of this preliminary experiment conducted at NASA Langley Research Center was to investigate two head-up surveillance symbology (HUSS) display issues. The first issue was concerned with the benefits of adding a range filter to the current HUSS concept. A range filter limits the amount of traffic symbols displayed head-up by setting a range boundary (e.g. 7-nmi) around the ownship. The second issue was concerned with the need to incorporate HUSS in the inboard field-of-view (IFOV) display of the XVS concept. The hypothesis tested was that adding a range filter to the XVS display and HUSS to the IFOV display would enhance the pilot s effectiveness of traffic surveillance tasks. Using a high-resolution graphics flight simulator, each of three pilots flew departure and arrival scenarios under visual meteorological conditions. The pilots main tasks, while managing flight path, were to detect and assess potential airborne traffic hazards and to maintain overall situation awareness. Upon completing all the runs, each pilot completed a subjective questionnaire. Results showed that having both the HUSS on the IFOV and the range filter on each of the XVS displays enhanced the effectiveness of the XVS surveillance display concept. This configuration had the least head down time and the lowest mental workload. Combining both features gave the best target detection, the earliest threat recognition, and enabled the pilots to create a better strategy for evasive action when it became necessary.

Wong, Douglas T.↗
NASA NTRS2016

NASA WorldWind: Open Source Visualization Technology for Earth Observation

NASA WorldWind: Open Source Visualization Technology for Earth Observation WorldWind, open source virtual globe technology for Java, iOS, Android and Web, is provided by NASA and is architected as API-centric modular componentry. This enable it to be continually optimized and feature-enriched in ways that allow applications based on this SDK (Software Development Kit) to benefit Earth Observation, especially Open Science, with minimal or no adjustment for the decade ahead. The next-generation National Airspace System (NAS) aviation management system for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, uses WorldWind, as do applications currently being developed by the European Space Agency, along with several other US and European government agencies and industry partners. This presentation will demonstrate several NASA open source use cases for WorldWind technology that include advances being made to optimize access to NetCDF and HDF data via WebWorldWind.NASA WorldWind: Multidimensional Geospatial Web Platform The ability to see spatial data in its native context is essential for that data to be appreciated whether by the scientific community, policy and decision-makers or the general public. Recently, the accessibility of spatial data has dramatically improved. Without the need to install an application, spatial data can now be experienced via any web browser, mobile devices included. For developers, by simply updating the app on your server, the latest version of your application is now immediately available to your entire usercommunity. Unlike other virtual globes such as Google Earth, NASA World Wind offers something very special, full control to customize the interface with any features or functionalities you might need. You decide how the data is accessed and experienced. This allows you to provide maximum value of the information to your user community. The web version of NASA WorldWind (WebWorldWind) has made it possible for a whole new suite of applications for managing and sharing spatial data. Apps built with this web version are ideal for immediate social media type activity and also facilitate delivery of sophisticated data exchange scenarios such as weather and climate research, disaster response, personal navigation, and industrial-strength tracking for transportation, supply chain, aviation and satellites. WebWorldWind is an application component, not an app in itself. It is written in JavaScript and provides the real world geographic context for spatial data and information visualization, using a rich set of shapes and graphic primitives. WebWorldWind also provides platform independence, while accommodating any number of data types. Web WorldWind runs on any platform via a browser, i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Features include, 3D virtual globe, 2D map with multiple projection choices (Mercator, Polar, UPS, Equirectangular), imagery and elevation import, extensible, data retrieval (via REST, WMS, WCS, WFS, Bing, User-Defined), decluttering, measurement, accurate line-ofsight, subsurface visualization, and more.

Open Source Mapping↗
DOE OSTI2023

Energy-water interdependencies across the three major United States electric grids: A multi-sectoral analysis

As water availability and timing of delivery fluctuates and the US electric grid sees rapid transformation and reconfiguration under decarbonization and resource adequacy strategies, there is a critical need for information and data that supports understanding the water-energy interdependency landscape. The United States currently lacks comprehensive data, informative visualizations, and analysis of energy-water interdependencies at scales necessary to support resource and operational decision-making. This article provides US electricity interconnection-level Sankey diagrams that show the relative reliance of water and energy across various economic sectors. A deeper analysis is additionally provided at the county level to illustrate trends and potential opportunities related to resiliency and efficiency in multi-sectoral water and energy flow distributions and intensities. We find that the electricity interconnections in the US vary dramatically in their water and energy interdependencies across applications and economic sectors.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2020

A micromirror array with annular partitioning for high-speed random-access axial focusing

Dynamic axial focusing functionality has recently experienced widespread incorporation in microscopy, augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), adaptive optics and material processing. However, the limitations of existing varifocal tools continue to beset the performance capabilities and operating overhead of the optical systems that mobilize such functionality. The varifocal tools that are the least burdensome to operate (e.g. liquid crystal, elastomeric or optofluidic lenses) suffer from low (≈100 Hz) refresh rates. Conversely, the fastest devices sacrifice either critical capabilities such as their dwelling capacity (e.g. acoustic gradient lenses or monolithic micromechanical mirrors) or low operating overhead (e.g. deformable mirrors). Here, we present a general-purpose random-access axial focusing device that bridges these previously conflicting features of high speed, dwelling capacity and lightweight drive by employing low-rigidity micromirrors that exploit the robustness of defocusing phase profiles. Geometrically, the device consists of an 8.2 mm diameter array of piston-motion and 48-μm-pitch micromirror pixels that provide 2π phase shifting for wavelengths shorter than 1100 nm with 10–90% settling in 64.8 μs (i.e., 15.44 kHz refresh rate). The pixels are electrically partitioned into 32 rings for a driving scheme that enables phase-wrapped operation with circular symmetry and requires <30 V per channel. Optical experiments demonstrated the array’s wide focusing range with a measured ability to target 29 distinct resolvable depth planes. Overall, the features of the proposed array offer the potential for compact, straightforward methods of tackling bottlenecked applications, including high-throughput single-cell targeting in neurobiology and the delivery of dense 3D visual information in AR/VR.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Evolution of neuronal cell classes and types in the vertebrate retina

The basic plan of the retina is conserved across vertebrates, yet species differ profoundly in their visual needs1. Retinal cell types may have evolved to accommodate these varied needs, but this has not been systematically studied. Here we generated and integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlases of the retina from 17 species: humans, two non-human primates, four rodents, three ungulates, opossum, ferret, tree shrew, a bird, a reptile, a teleost fish and a lamprey. We found high molecular conservation of the six retinal cell classes (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and Müller glia), with transcriptomic variation across species related to evolutionary distance. Major subclasses were also conserved, whereas variation among cell types within classes or subclasses was more pronounced. However, an integrative analysis revealed that numerous cell types are shared across species, based on conserved gene expression programmes that are likely to trace back to an early ancestral vertebrate. The degree of variation among cell types increased from the outer retina (photoreceptors) to the inner retina (RGCs), suggesting that evolution acts preferentially to shape the retinal output. Finally, we identified rodent orthologues of midget RGCs, which comprise more than 80% of RGCs in the human retina, subserve high-acuity vision, and were previously believed to be restricted to primates. By contrast, the mouse orthologues have large receptive fields and comprise around 2% of mouse RGCs. Projections of both primate and mouse orthologous types are overrepresented in the thalamus, which supplies the primary visual cortex. We suggest that midget RGCs are not primate innovations, but are descendants of evolutionarily ancient types that decreased in size and increased in number as primates evolved, thereby facilitating high visual acuity and increased cortical processing of visual information.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Remote operation of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility

Abstract Full remote scientific operation of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility is now possible through significant advances in the computer science hardware and software infrastructure made over the last decade. Capabilities around information visualization, data movement, and communication have all been enhanced. The level of capability deployed to remotely operate DIII-D required an infrastructure advancement over what had previously been achieved in the fusion community. The large quantity of real-time data that is automatically displayed on DIII-D’s control room screens can now be visualized by remote participants via web-based applications. New audio/video solutions using the VoIP and instant messaging application Discord have been implemented to mimic the dynamic and ad-hoc scientific conversations that are critical in successfully operating an experimental campaign. Discord’s ability for a user to rapidly move between audio channels, text with images, and share screens is a significant enhancement over traditional videoconferencing tools. In addition, multiple combinations of broadcast audio are made available via a web-based application to allow remote participants to simultaneously listen to general announcements/sounds while conducting their own specific conversations. Secure methodologies have been put into place to allow remote control of hardware including DIII-D’s plasma control system application. Secure methods also included the ability of the on-site team to closely coordinate their work with remote team members which has been enhanced through extensions to the wireless network and the use of tablet computers for audio/video/screen sharing. However, no amount of software can fully replace the need for ‘hands on hardware.’ This infrastructure was severely stress tested during the COVID-19 pandemic where occupancy of the DIII-D control room was restricted. Operational efficiency during the pandemic, measured in discharges per hour, remained high (3.8 ± 0.8) compared to values obtained pre-pandemic (3.7 ± 0.8).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Visual Comparison of Silent Error Propagation

High-performance computing (HPC) systems play a critical role in facilitating scientific discoveries. Their scale and complexity (e.g., the number of computational units and software stack) continue to grow as new systems are expected to process increasingly more data and reduce computing time. However, with more processing elements, the probability that these systems will experience a random bit-flip error that corrupts a program's output also increases, which is often recognized as silent data corruption. Analyzing the resiliency of HPC applications in extreme-scale computing to silent data corruption is crucial but difficult. An HPC application often contains a large number of computation units that need to be tested, and error propagation caused by error corruption is complex and difficult to interpret. Here, to accommodate this challenge, we propose an interactive visualization system that helps HPC researchers understand the resiliency of HPC applications and compare their error propagation. Our system models an application's error propagation to study a program's resiliency by constructing and visualizing its fault tolerance boundary. Coordinating with multiple interactive designs, our system enables domain experts to efficiently explore the complicated spatial and temporal correlation between error propagations. At the end, the system integrated a nonmonotonic error propagation analysis with an adjustable graph propagation visualization to help domain experts examine the details of error propagation and answer such questions as why an error is mitigated or amplified by program execution.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

EXSCLAIM!

Due to recent improvements in image resolution and acquisition speed, materials microscopy is experiencing an explosion of published imaging data. The standard publication format, while sufficient for traditional data ingestion scenarios where a select number of images can be critically examined and curated manually, is not conducive tolarge-scale data aggregation or analysis, hindering data sharing and reuse. Most images in publications are presented as components of a larger figure with their explicit context buried in the main body or caption text, so even if aggregated, collections of images with weak or no digitized contextual labels have limited value. To solve the problem of curating labeled microscopy data from literature, we introduce the EXSCLAIM! Python toolkit for the automatic EXtraction, Separation, and Caption-based natural Language Annotation of IMages from scientific literature. The software is implemented through a three part pipeline: the JournalScraper, which searches the web and downloads figures and captions based on a user provided query, the CaptionDistributor, which separates caption text based on the subfigure each portion of the caption refers to, and the FigueSeparator, which separates figures into component subfigures and extracts other visual information. Also included is a Django user interface for exploring the resulting dataset.

CHAN, MARIA↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beyond PCA: Additional Dimension Reduction Techniques to Consider in the Development of Climate Fingerprints

Abstract Dimension reduction techniques are an essential part of the climate analyst’s toolkit. Due to the enormous scale of climate data, dimension reduction methods are used to identify major patterns of variability within climate dynamics, to create compelling and informative visualizations, and to quantify major named modes such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Principal components analysis (PCA), also known as the method of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), is the most commonly used form of dimension reduction, characterized by a remarkable confluence of attractive mathematical, statistical, and computational properties. Despite its ubiquity, PCA suffers from several difficulties relevant to climate science: high computational burden with large datasets, decreased statistical accuracy in high dimensions, and difficulties comparing across multiple datasets. In this paper, we introduce several variants of PCA that are likely to be of use in climate sciences and address these problems. Specifically, we introduce non-negative , sparse , and tensor PCA and demonstrate how each approach provides superior pattern recognition in climate data. We also discuss approaches to comparing PCA-family results within and across datasets in a domain-relevant manner. We demonstrate these approaches through an analysis of several runs of the E3SM climate model from 1991 to 1995, focusing on the simulated response to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption; our findings are consistent with a recently identified stratospheric warming fingerprint associated with this type of stratospheric aerosol injection.

Weylandt, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hyper Parameter Tuning in Neural Optical Image Categorizer for the E-log (NOICE

The Fermilab Accelerator Division Electronic logbook (E-log) is a record of all the activities and events in the Division for the past 10 years and more. The Elog search function is a valuable resource and the institutional memory of the accelerator complex. About 300,000 files are stored in the E-log, of which the vast majority are images attached to entries and comments. The visual information contained in the images is not presently searchable. The goal of team NOICE (Neural Optical Image Categorizer for the E-log) was to design a neural network able to produce label categories for these images for use by searches. The group developed a dataset and trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with optimized hyperparameter. Final performance metrics are presented.

Njekeu, Terence Franck↗
DOE OSTI2025

CCQE-like $\nu_{e}$ Selection in SBND using Convolutional Visual Network

Neutrinos from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab interact with argon in a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) differently based on their flavour. By examining the particles produced in a charged-current interaction, both the interaction type and the neutrino flavour can be inferred. The Short Baseline Near Detector has the largest neutrino-argon cross section data to date, motivating in-depth studies of various cross-section channels and topologies. This project aims to select electron neutrino quasi-elastic-like (QE-like) interactions in SBND using Convolutional Visual Network (CVN) scores. The CVN is a neural network that processes visual information from an event and assigns scores corresponding to its likelihood of being each interaction type. An inclusive study of electron neutrino charged current interactions using CVN has already been conducted. This analysis aims to build on this study, further utilizing CVN scores to isolate electron neutrino QE-like interactions characterized by the presence of an electron and one or more protons ($N > 0$) in the final state. The project s goal is to contribute to the overall cross-section measurement efforts within the SBN program at Fermilab.

Breen, Genevieve [Mt. Holyoke Coll.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reliable and Efficient Machine Learning (Final Technical Report)

Modern scientific experiments generate massive amounts of data at a pace much faster than humans can manually analyze. While machine learning has revolutionized commercial data analysis (such as recommending movies or recognizing faces), applying these tools to complex scientific discovery is challenging because scientific answers must be precise, interpretable, and adhere to physical laws. The research under this project aims to develop new mathematical tools and computer algorithms specifically designed for scientific applications. Major progress has been made in automatically cleaning and deconstructing messy experimental data, analyzing the visual information of physical phenomena, determining the underlying physical variables, and providing rig orous mathematical analysis of interesting algorithms and concepts widely used in machine learning. This project addressed the critical gap between our ability to generate massive scientific data and our ability to extract interpretable information from it. We established mathematical foundations for Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) aimed at effective data analytics and automated discovery. Our work focused on three core objectives: (1) developing reliable feature extraction methods for dynamic high-dimensional data, (2) establishing mathematical foundations for discovering dynamics via neural networks, and (3) creating rigorous optimization techniques for these models. Key outcomes come from two fronts. On the practical side, they include the development of algorithms that significantly enhance the extraction of signals from field data, as well as the capability to handle situations that exhibit smooth variations or physical stretching due to temperature changes. They also include the creation of an automated framework for discovering fundamental state variables from raw experimental data, demonstrating the ability to identify intrinsic physical dimensions without prior knowledge of the governing laws. On the theoretical front, the research results in theoretical advances in Optimal Transport, a widely used notion in SciML, specifically regarding functions with fixed-size nodal sets, provide sharp bounds relevant to uncertainty quantification. Meanwhile, the outcomes also include the establishment of convergence theories for nonlocal gradient descent methods, enabling robust optimization with noisy data in high-dimensional settings commonly encountered in scientific modeling. The project also helps creating opportunities to train the next generation of researchers, equipping them with the necessary technical skills for today’s workplace and preparing them for future advances.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hydropower Fish Passage Webmap

The National Fish Passage Webmap application provides an environment that allows users to visualize information information on fish passage facility existence, type, and direction at hydropower developments across the conterminous United States. It was developed through collaborative partnerships with fish passage engineers and biologists at both the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and hydropower experts at the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI). Data on fish passage facilities at hydropower features were compiled from numerous sources including published and non-published datasets, published reports, email communications with federal and state resource managers and hydropower operators, and by extracting information from regulatory documents within the FERC eLibrary. The number of sources for a given feature varied, which occasionally resulted in conflicting information regarding the existence of fish passage facilities or in the type or sub-type of passage technologies. Such discrepancies were reviewed and resolved individually, based on the weight of evidence or, when available, on direct observations from information providers or aerial imagery.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Optical Microscopy-Guided Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry: Ambient Single Cell Metabolomics with Increased Confidence in Molecular Identification

Single cell analysis is a field of increasing interest as new tools are continually being developed to understand intercellular differences within large cell populations. Laser-ablation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LAESI-MS) is an emerging technique for single cell metabolomics. Over the years, it has been validated that this ionization technique is advantageous for probing the molecular content of individual cells in situ. Here, we report the integration of a microscope into the optical train of the LAESI source to allow for visually informed ambient in situ single cell analysis. Additionally, we have coupled this ‘LAESI microscope’ to a drift-tube ion mobility mass spectrometer to enable separation of isobaric species and allow for the determination of ion collision cross sections in conjunction with accurate mass measurements. This combined information helps provide higher confidence for structural assignment of molecules ablated from single cells. Here, we show that this system enables the analysis of the metabolite content of Allium cepa epidermal cells with high confidence structural identification together with their spatial locations within a tissue.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗