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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 1,243 records · Page 69

A Two-Step Control Approach for Torque Ripple and Vibration Reduction in Switched Reluctance Motor Drives

The objective of this work is to reduce the torque ripple and vibration in Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) drives. To achieve such a goal, a two-step approach is proposed. In the first step, the reference current is profiled using an optimization method, aimed to reduce the torque pulsation. In the second, the optimum current profile is applied to the SRM through an adaptive hysteresis band controller to actively cancel the radial vibration. The proposed technique uses an optimization procedure based on the Field Reconstruction Method (FRM) and Non-Derivative Optimization Method to find the optimal current profile that mitigates the torque pulsation, however, the investigation has shown that the proposed excitation leads to a higher radial vibration, which has been mitigated by using an adaptive hysteresis band controller. The theoretical basis for the proposed approach is initially presented, followed by system modeling and simulation. In addition, experimental verification has been conducted using an 8/6 SRM to show the feasibility of the proposed approach. The proposed method alleviates the acoustic noise and torque pulsation in SRM and offers an effective step towards the prevalent use of SRM in a wide range of applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Toward Practical Federal Spectrum Sharing for Advanced Wireless Technologies

Wireless communications have become critical to modern society as the foundation of vital services, business interactions, and social connections. As technology develops and new scenarios emerge, wireless communications become increasingly entrenched as a foundation for modern life. The materialization of 5G has been especially impactful as an enabler for a wide range of new scenarios and increased dependence. With increasing demand for wireless communications comes increasing demand for the radio frequency (RF) spectrum necessary to support these communications. This spectrum demand, largely driven by desire to realize ubiquitous 5G networks, both public and private, is currently driving a reconsideration of spectrum assignments and forcing legacy users of spectrum to update their use of spectrum. As one of the largest legacy users of spectrum, the U.S. Government (USG) is particularly impacted by the increasing demand for spectrum for non USG use. Unfortunately, there is no clear pathway for U.S. federal agencies to modernize their spectrum use and instead these agencies are forced to simply react to spectrum repurposing driven by overwhelming demand. Here we present preliminary work toward a roadmap for federal agencies to modernize their spectrum use through practical analysis and leveraging emerging spectrum sharing (SS) technologies. This effort utilizes the example of DOE spectrum use in the context of National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repurposing to examine the factors that must be considered to facilitate spectrum sharing by federal agencies. Furthermore, this work provides an initial survey of the SS models and SS technologies of highest relevance to federal use. We particularly examine the emerging capabilities of 5G itself to enable SS and unlicensed access through transformative capabilities such as new radio unlicensed (NR-U). This work is a step toward translating the large body of academic discussion on SS into a practical roadmap for federal agencies.

5G↗

From Reproducible Edge–Cloud Experimentation to Real-World Practice: The E2Clab Experience

Reproducibility is already difficult in distributed systems; on the computing continuum, it becomes substantially harder. Applications that span sensing devices, edge and fog resources, and cloud platforms must be evaluated across heterogeneous hardware, variable network conditions, cross-layer orchestration decisions, and long-running workflow lifecycles. We use E2Clab as a case study to examine these challenges and their implications for experimental methodology. We explain why reproducible experimentation is harder on the continuum, then revisit E2Clab as an initial response based on explicit modeling of infrastructure, workflow lifecycle, and artifacts. Lastly, we discuss how its evolution toward more realistic application settings can be understood through the lens of Translational Computer Science. We argue that reproducible continuum experimentation requires methods that are rigorous enough for research while remaining adaptable to real-world practice.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Taylor-Expansion-Based Robust Power Flow in Unbalanced Distribution Systems: A Hybrid Data-Aided Method

Traditional power flow methods often adopt certain assumptions designed for passive balanced distribution systems, thus lacking practicality for unbalanced operation. moreover, their computation accuracy and efficiency are heavily subject to unknown errors and bad data in measurements or prediction data of distributed energy resources (ders). to address these issues, this paper proposes a hybrid data-aided robust power flow algorithm in unbalanced distribution systems, which combines taylor series expansion knowledge with a data-driven regression technique. the proposed method initiates a linearization power flow model to derive an explicitly analytical solution by modified taylor expansion. to mitigate the approximation loss that surges due to the der integration and bad data, we further develop a data-aided robust support vector regression approach to estimate the errors efficiently. comparative analysis in the 13-bus and 123-bus ieee unbalanced feeders shows that the proposed hybrid algorithm achieves superior computational efficiency, with guaranteed accuracy and robustness against outliers.

data-driven↗

Compilation of a Solar Mirror Materials Database and an Analysis of Natural and Accelerated Mirror Exposure and Degradation

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been conducting exposure experiments on solar reflectors for over four decades. Thousands of mirror samples from over one hundred suppliers have been exposed to and monitored in a range of relevant environments. These test conditions include outdoor test settings and several controlled laboratory environments. These samples have been rigorously individually characterized using a series of reflectance measurements, visual inspections, and in some cases, in-depth composition analysis to identify degradation modes, reflectance losses, and other mirror properties integral to understanding the solar reflector's life cycle. Here, this paper compiles the decades of measurement data into a concise statistical analysis. It includes exposure and degradation data for numerous reflector types, including secondary-surface reflector permutations of polymer and glass superstrates with silver and aluminum reflectors as well as front-surface reflectors. The results herein are intended to analyze environmental stressors and degradation trends among various historical and state-of-the-art solar reflectors. It may be used to support solar reflector design, effective testing methodology, and inform manufacturing decisions moving forward. Presented are the results of the compiled database and an initial analysis for degradation rate modeling using full-spectrum and wavelength-dependent approaches. The database is a growing resource hosted on a live, publicly accessible website. In conjunction with the analysis presented here, it provides a valuable resource to the solar reflector manufacturing and testing industry.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Local Anodic Oxidation of Thin GeO Films and Formation of Nanostructures Based on Them

The process of local anodic oxidation of thin GeO films has been studied using an atomic force microscope. The electron-probe microanalysis showed that oxidized areas of a GeO film were germanium dioxide. The effect of the voltage pulse duration applied to the probe–substrate system and the atmospheric humidity on the height of the oxide structures has been studied. The kinetics of the local anodic oxidation (LAO) in a semi-contact mode obeys the Cabrera–Mott model for large times. The initial growth rate of the oxide (R{sub 0}) significantly increases and the time of starting the oxidation (t{sub 0}) decreases as the atmospheric humidity increases by 20%, which is related to an increase in the concentration of oxygen-containing ions at the surface of the oxidized GeO film. It was shown that nanostructures in thin GeO layers can be formed by the LAO method.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Filters for Improvement of Multiscale Data from Atomistic Simulations

Multiscale computational models strive to produce accurate and efficient numerical simulations of systems involving interactions across multiple spatial and temporal scales that typically differ by several orders of magnitude. Some such models utilize a hybrid continuum-atomistic approach combining continuum approximations with first-principles-based atomistic models to capture multiscale behavior. By following the heterogeneous multiscale method framework for developing multiscale computational models, unknown continuum scale data can be computed from an atomistic model. Concurrently coupling the two models requires performing numerous atomistic simulations which can dominate the computational cost of the method. Furthermore, when the resulting continuum data is noisy due to sampling error, stochasticity in the model, or randomness in the initial conditions, filtering can result in significant accuracy gains in the computed multiscale data without increasing the size or duration of the atomistic simulations. In this work, we demonstrate the effectiveness of spectral filtering for increasing the accuracy of noisy multiscale data obtained from atomistic simulations. Moreover, we present a robust and automatic method for closely approximating the optimum level of filtering in the case of additive white noise. By improving the accuracy of this filtered simulation data, it leads to a dramatic computational savings by allowing for shorter and smaller atomistic simulations to achieve the same desired multiscale simulation precision.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Parameter Estimator for Engineering Systems

This software model generates vehicle parameter sets for downstream modeling applications using real-world data. Value to users is provided through improvements to modeling activities as a result of decreases in time taken during model development and validation. Currently configured for transportation modeling activities, the software provides initial estimates for multiple fundamental vehicle parameters including mass, coefficient of drag, and tire rolling resistance using real-world drive and duty cycle information as inputs.

Source record↗

PEES (Parameter Estimator for Engineering Systems) [SWR-16-38]

This software model generates vehicle parameter sets for downstream modeling applications using real-world data. Value to users is provided through improvements to modeling activities as a result of decreases in time taken during model development and validation. Currently configured for transportation modeling activities, the software provides initial estimates for multiple fundamental vehicle parameters including mass, coefficient of drag, and tire rolling resistance using real-world drive and duty cycle information as inputs.

Miller, Eric↗

First Constraints on WIMP-Nucleon Effective Field Theory Couplings in an Extended Energy Region From LUX-ZEPLIN

Following the first science results of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating from the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA, we report the initial limits on a model-independent non-relativistic effective field theory describing the complete set of possible interactions of a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) with a nucleon. These results utilize the same 5.5 t fiducial mass and 60 live days of exposure collected for the LZ spin-independent and spin-dependent analyses while extending the upper limit of the energy region of interest by a factor of 7.5 to 270~keV. No significant excess in this high energy region is observed. Using a profile-likelihood ratio analysis, we report 90% confidence level exclusion limits on the coupling of each individual non-relativistic WIMP-nucleon operators for both elastic and inelastic interactions in the isoscalar and isovector bases.

Source record↗

Hanford Site Composite Analysis Technical Approach Description: Groundwater

The groundwater facet of the revised CA is responsible for generating predicted contaminant concentration values over the entire analysis spatial and temporal domain. These estimates will be used as part of the groundwater pathway dose calculation facet to estimate dose for exposure scenarios. Based on the analysis of existing models and available information, the P2R Model was selected as the numerical simulator to provide these estimates over the 10,000-year temporal domain of the CA. The P2R Model will use inputs from initial plume distributions, updated for a start date of 1/1/2017, and inputs from the vadose zone facet, created by a tool under development as part of the ICF, to produce estimates of hydraulic head, transmissivity, and contaminant concentration over time. A recommendation of acquiring 12 computer processors and 2 TB of hard drive space is made to ensure that the work can be completed within the anticipated schedule of the revised CA.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

K-3 Refractory Corrosion and Sulfate Solubility Model Enhancement (Final Report)

As higher waste loading LAW glasses are formulated, sulfate solubility and K-3 refractory corrosion are two properties that become increasingly constraining; however, WTP baseline models were not developed for these properties. In previous work for ORP, VSL/Atkins developed preliminary glass property-composition models that relate LAW glass composition to these two essential properties to support the implementation of the higher waste loading LAW glass formulations at the WTP. The development of the initial LAW glass property-composition models for K-3 refractory corrosion and sulfate solubility was completed in 2015. The present work scope focused on enhancement of these models and included augmentation of property-composition datasets for these two properties with newly available data, review of the updated datasets, and development of enhanced models.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Real-Time Boundary-Layer Profiling at the Southern Great Plains Field Campaign Report

The National Research Council (NRC 2009, 2010) has argued that the nation needs to establish a boundary-layer profiling network across the conterminous United States (CONUS). These observations would benefit a wide range of applications including short-term severe weather forecasting by providing better initial conditions for weather prediction models (Wulfmeyer et al. 2015). While active remote sensors like Raman lidars (e.g., Turner et al. 2016) and differential absorption lidars (e.g., Spuler et al. 2015) are able to provide high-temporal-and-vertical-resolution profiles of water vapor and temperature from the ground, these systems are not yet available commercially. Passive remote-sensing systems, such as multi-channel microwave radiometers and infrared spectrometers, are commercially available and can provide retrieved profiles of temperature and humidity (e.g., Löhnert et al. 2009; Blumberg et al. 2015). These passive thermodynamic profiling systems are certainly a candidate for a possible boundary-layer network. Radio acoustic sounding systems (RASS), coupled with either a radar or sodar, can provide partial profiles of virtual temperature and are another option. However, the RASS signal is audible and considered by many to be annoying, and strong winds blow the acoustic signal away from the radar and greatly hamper its maximum vertical range. Three basic ground-based remote sensing technologies are used for wind profiling. All of these are active remote sensors that take advantage of a Doppler-shifted signal along different radial directions to determine the wind speed and direction. The three approaches are sodar (which uses pulses of sonic energy), radar (pulses of microwave energy), or lidar (pulses of laser energy). All three methods use either plane-parallel-indicator (PPI; constant elevation) scans that are analyzed with a velocity-azimuth display (VAD) technique or Doppler beam-swinging observing strategies, which are then analyzed to provide the horizontal wind speed and direction profiles as a function of range.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Research on the DESI Experiment at Southern Methodist University

The SMU observational cosmology group in 2017-2019 continued its work in preparing DESI for operations slated to start in 2020. There are three major developments: a) a real-time spectroscopic data reduction and monitoring software needed for DESI Operations, b) components of spectroscopic simulation needed to support DESI science, and c) techniques and procedures to estimate spectroscopic observational systematics on BAO measurements for emission line galaxies (ELGs). We successfully developed a fast, flexible spectroscopic pipeline incorporating a comprehensive set of data quality algorithms. This included substantial development of data reduction algorithms, as well as the infrastructure to build pipelines for different data types necessary for calibration and science. Effort on data quality included supporting real-time monitoring during operations and long-term data quality needs for analysis. During this period, the SMU team contributed to development of DESI’s 1D spectroscopic simulation solutions, with a flexible pipeline that also mimicked the impact of the offline pipeline. Further work to upgrade the fast, parametric simulation, QuickCat, was also performed. We have also developed an initial methodology for the forward modeling of spectroscopic systematic uncertainties on ELG BAO measurements resulting from observing conditions. Kehoe also contributed to commissioning and science requirements documents, and served in difference service roles during the reporting period.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Encapsulant Void Breakdown Voltage Modeling & Experiments

For high voltage electrical devices, prevention of high voltage breakdown is critical for device function. Use of polymeric encapsulation such as epoxies is common, but these may include air bubbles or other voids of varying size. The present work aimed to model and experimentally determine the size dependence of breakdown voltage for voids in an epoxy matrix, as a step toward establishing size criteria for void screening. Effects were investigated experimentally for both one-dimensional metal/epoxy/air/epoxy/metal gap sizes from 50 μm to 10 mm, as well as spherical voids of 250 μm, 500 μm, 1 mm and 2 mm sizes. These experimental results were compared to modified Paschen curve and particle-in-cell discharge models; minimum breakdown voltages of 6 - 8.5 kV appeared to be predicted by 1D models and experiments, with minimum breakdown voltage for void sizes of 0.2 - 1 mm. In a limited set of 3D experiments on 250 μm, 500 μm, 1 mm and 2 mm voids within epoxy, the minimum breakdown voltages observed were 18.5 - 20 kV, for 500 μm void sizes. These experiments and models are aimed at providing initial size and voltage criteria for tolerable void sizes and expected discharge voltages to support design of encapsulated high voltage components.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Hyperparameter Setting for a Marked Multidimensional Hawkes Process with Dissimilar Decays

We provide further details for using Lim, et al.'s marked multidimensional Hawkes processes with dissimilar decays. We first describe what makes these different from other Hawkes processes, then describe each model hyperparameter and how to initialize it informed by the input data and any prior biases. We derived tighter bounds than Lim, et al. for faster convergence of rejection sampling. The resulting hyperparameters and bounds have been helpful against both synthetic and real-world datasets.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Nek5000: improvements in the available RANS models, meshing, tutorials, and training

This year, the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling Simulation program (NEAMS) thermal-hydraulics report for Nek5000 NRC- and verification and validation (V&V)-driven development focuses on following areas of code application and improvement. First we have continued improvements of RANS modeling capabilities in Nek5000 including improved k-tau model focusing mostly on wallfunction initial implementation with spectral element method (SEM) and initiating investigation of an alternative approach XSEM that greatly reduces discretization errors.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Summary of UMI Chemical Work

Our initial work for the Urban Modeling Integration (UMI) project was to validate the QUIC model dense gas dispersion of chlorine advection up a ramp. The validation task was to use QUIC to model an experiment done in a wind tunnel. Naturally the QUIC model uses a slumping cylindrical model where inside the cylinder the gas is treated as dense but outside ideal. In trying to validate using the wind tunnel experiment, due to the scale of the wind tunnel experiment and ramp, The model formed a very clear, discrete, concentration barrier at the edge of the cylinder that likely doesn’t line up well with the real dense gas advection/diffusion. This effect is much less noticeable at a larger scale such as an instantaneous release of a 25 ton tank.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗