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At least 1,441 records · Page 80

Data Challenges in Multi-Sensor Data Science System for Monitoring a Solvent Extraction Process

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is maintaining and gaining knowledge into the nuclear fuel cycle by building a test bed to allow researchers the opportunity to study nuclear fuel processing operations. This includes studying solvent extraction processes that use centrifugal contactors. As part of INL’s mission, the goal of this project is to develop a system that utilizes non-traditional measurement sources such as vibration, acoustics, current, light, flow, and temperature in conjunction with data-based, machine learning techniques that will allow for signal discovery. This multisensory data can support the development of safeguards by design, provide operator process awareness, and discover process anomalies. This poster will highlight some of the data collection and analytics challenges for the multi-sensor system as well as the mitigation strategies to build a robust system. Additionally, some preliminary data from the first testing campaign will be shown to help illustrate the data needs of the system.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Development of Real-Time Quantitative Safety Evaluation Method for Nuclear Power Plants

Human operators involved with large process control systems such as nuclear power plants (NPPs) perform significant roles in the operation of systems. In this reason, deficiencies in human factors such as poor HSI (Human System Interface) design, procedure, and training, are significant contributing factors to NPPs incidents and accidents. In this regard, many kinds of studies including human reliability analysis (HRA), operation support system, automation, have been conducted in order to reduce human errors. Among these fields of studies, automation has its own specialty since it mainly focuses on eliminating the human error-inducing tasks to reduce human error, while other topics are primarily focusing on reducing human error by aiding human operators during operation. It is commonly believed that replacing human operators to the automated system would guarantee greater efficiency, lower workloads, and fewer human errors. However, these beliefs are not always true in large and complex systems such as NPP, since excessive automation can generate new roles for human operators, change human operators' activities in unexpected ways, and inducing 'out-of-the-loop' (OOTL) problem. Especially, although human error probability drastically increases during abnormal situations in NPP due to overload of information, high workload, and short time available for diagnosis, automation is not actively adopted since conventional machine learning techniques are neither capable nor reliable to handle overwhelmingly complex abnormal situations in NPP. Recently, newly developed 'deep learning' techniques have been actively applied to many fields, and some of these studies proved that the artificial intelligences (AI) based on deep learning techniques show better performance than that of human being. In 2015, deep Q-network (DQN) which is one of the deep learning techniques was developed and applied to train AI that automatically plays various Atari 2800 games, and this AI surpassed the human-level playing in many kind of games. Also in 2016, 'AlphaGo', which was developed by 'Google Deepmind' based on deep learning technique to play the game of Go, was defeated Se-dol Lee who is the World Go champion with score of 4:1. In the point of view that the game of Go is considered as one of the challenging area in machine learning field, it is verified that these new machine learning techniques can perform well, even better than the human being in high-complexity tasks. Previously, most of AI applications in nuclear field were focusing on supporting human operators' tasks such as diagnosis and decision making by rapid classification and prediction, based on fixed training data sets. However, it is expected that AI can be applied to solve more complicated problems (i.e. automation during abnormal states in NPP) by adopting advanced machine learning methodologies. In order to apply the automation system in NPP, firstly it is needed to evaluate the status of the plant quantitatively in real-time, since the information about which state is better (i.e. safe) or worse (i.e. unsafe) is essential for training properly working automation AI. Currently, there are several methodologies for NPP safety evaluation such as probabilistic safety assessment (PSA), safety performance indicator (SPI). However, existing methodologies are not feasible for development of automated system since they are not capable for the cases which are not included in the underlying model, not able to consider delicate changes in the NPP, and hard to evaluate in real-time. Therefore, development of new NPP safety evaluation methodology which can cover previously mentioned requirements is needed to conduct the study on NPP automation further. In this study, the concept of early warning score (EWS) in medical field was adopted to develop the methodology which can evaluate the safety level of the NPP quantitatively and in real-time. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

TU-C-18C-01: Medical Physics 1.0 to 2.0: Introduction and Panel Discussion

Medical Physics 2.0, a new frontier in clinical imaging physics: Diagnostic imaging has always been a technological highlight of modern medicine. Imaging systems, with their ever-expanding advancement in terms of technology and application, increasingly require skilled expertise to understand the delicacy of their operation, monitor their performance, design their effective use, and ensure their overall quality and safety, scientifically and in quantitative terms. Physicists can play a crucial role in that process. But that role has largely remained a severely untapped resource. Many imaging centers fail to appreciate this potential, with medical physics groups either nonexistent or highly understaffed and their services poorly integrated into the patient care process. As a field, we have yet to define and enact how the clinical physicist can engage as an active, effective, and integral member of the clinical team, and how the services that she/he provides can be financially accounted for. Physicists do and will always contribute to research and development. However, their indispensible contribution to clinical imaging operations is something that has not been adequately established. That, in conjunction with new realities of healthcare practice, indicates a growing need to establish an updated approach to clinical medical imaging physics. This presentation aims to describe a vision as how clinical imaging physics can expand beyond traditional insular models of inspection and acceptance testing, oriented toward compliance, towards team-based models of operational engagement addressing topics such as new non-classical challenges of new technologies, quantitative imaging, and operational optimization. The Medical Physics 2.0 paradigm extends clinical medical physics from isolated characterization of inherent properties of the equipment to effective use of the equipment and to retrospective evaluation of clinical performance. This is an existential transition of the field that speaks to the new paradigms of value-based and evidence-based medicine, comparative effectiveness, and meaningful use. The panel discussion that follows includes prominent practitioners, thinkers, and leaders that would lead the discussion on how Medical Physics 2.0 can be actualized. Topics of discussion will include the administrative, financial, regulatory, and accreditation requirements of the new paradigm, effective models of practice, and the steps that we need to take to make MP 2.0 a reality. Learning Objectives: To understand the new paradigm of clinical medical physics practice extending from traditional insular models of compliance towards teambased models of operational engagement. To understand how clinical physics can most effectively contribute to clinical care. Learn to identify strengths and weaknesses in studies designed to measure the effect of low doses of ionizing radiation To recognize the impediments to Medical Physics 2.0 paradigm.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Virtual sensing-enabled digital twin framework for real-time monitoring of nuclear systems leveraging deep neural operators

Abstract Real-time monitoring is a foundation of nuclear digital twin technology, crucial for detecting material degradation and maintaining nuclear system integrity. Traditional physical sensor systems face limitations, particularly in measuring critical parameters in hard-to-reach or harsh environments, often resulting in incomplete data coverage. Machine learning-driven virtual sensors offer a transformative solution by complementing physical sensors in monitoring critical degradation indicators. This paper introduces the use of Deep Operator Networks (DeepONet) to predict key thermal-hydraulic parameters in the hot leg of pressurized water reactor. DeepONet acts as a virtual sensor, mapping operational inputs to spatially distributed system behaviors without requiring frequent retraining. Our results show that DeepONet achieves low mean squared and Relative L2 error, making predictions 1400 times faster than traditional CFD simulations . These characteristics enable DeepONet to function as a real-time virtual sensor, synchronizing with the physical system to track degradation conditions and provide insights within the digital twin framework for nuclear systems.

Hossain, Raisa↗

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Control of Energy Storage for Interarea Oscillation Damping

With the increasing electricity consumption and lack of transmission investment, today's power systems are operated much closer to their limits, raising concerns of inter-area oscillations that deteriorate the system stability. Here, this article presents a novel energy storage placement and control approach for enhanced damping of interarea oscillations. Combining the residual analysis and dominant mode analysis, we are able to identify the advantageous locations for placing energy storage that achieve improved damping performance. To overcome the challenges, such as fixed control parameters and insufficient damping, we propose to use a deep reinforcement learning-based approach for energy storage control. A state-of-the-art guided surrogate-gradient-based evolutionary strategy is used to train a learning agent in a robust, efficient, and reproducible manner. Parallel computing is also adopted to speed up the training process. The proposed strategy has been tested on both medium and large-scale systems. The proposed methods have demonstrated their effectiveness in mitigating various interarea oscillations within a timeframe of 20 s, thereby averting system collapse and enhancing power grid stability effectively.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Data-driven learning of nonlocal physics from high-fidelity synthetic data

A key challenge to nonlocal models is the analytical complexity of deriving them from first principles, and frequently their use is justified a posteriori. Here, we extract nonlocal models from data, circumventing these challenges and providing data-driven justification for the resulting model form. Extracting data-driven surrogates is a major challenge for machine learning (ML) approaches, due to nonlinearities and lack of convexity — it is particularly challenging to extract surrogates which are provably well-posed and numerically stable. Our scheme not only yields a convex optimization problem, but also allows extraction of nonlocal models whose kernels may be partially negative while maintaining well-posedness even in small-data regimes. To achieve this, based on established nonlocal theory, we embed in our algorithm sufficient conditions on the non-positive part of the kernel that guarantee well-posedness of the learnt operator. These conditions are imposed as inequality constraints to meet the requisite conditions of the nonlocal theory. We demonstrate this workflow for a range of applications, including reproduction of manufactured nonlocal kernels; numerical homogenization of Darcy flow associated with a heterogeneous periodic microstructure; nonlocal approximation to high-order local transport phenomena; and approximation of globally supported fractional diffusion operators by truncated kernels.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Ultrafast processing of pixel detector data with machine learning frameworks

Modern photon science performed at high repetition rate free-electron laser (FEL) facilities and beyond relies on 2D pixel detectors operating at increasing frequencies (towards 100 kHz at LCLS-II) and producing rapidly increasing amounts of data (towards TB/s). This data must be rapidly stored for offline analysis and summarized in real time for online feedback to the scientists. While at LCLS all raw data has been stored, at LCLS-II this would lead to a prohibitive cost; instead, enabling real time processing of pixel detector data (dark, gain, common mode, background, charge summing, subpixel position, photon counting, data summarization) allows reducing the size and cost of online processing, offline processing and storage by orders of magnitude while preserving full photon information. This could be achieved by taking advantage of the compressibility of sparse data typical for LCLS-II applications. Faced with a similar big data challenge a decade ago, computer vision stimulated revolutionary advances in machine learning hardware and software. We investigated if these developments are useful in the field of data processing for high speed pixel detectors and found that typical deep learning models and autoencoder architectures failed to yield useful noise reduction while preserving full photon information, presumably because of the very different statistics and feature sets in computer vision and radiation imaging. However, the raw performance of modern frameworks like Tensorflow inspired us to redesign in Tensorflow mathematically equivalent versions of the state-of-the-art, “classical” algorithms used at LCLS. The novel Tensorflow models resulted in elegant, compact and hardware agnostic code, gaining 1 to 2 orders of magnitude faster processing on an inexpensive consumer GPU, reducing by 3 orders of magnitude the projected cost of online analysis and compression without photon loss at LCLS-II. The novel Tensorflow models also enabled ongoing development of a pipelined hardware system expected to yield an additional 3 to 4 orders of magnitude speedup, necessary for meeting the data acquisition and storage requirements at LCLS-II, potentially enabling acquiring every single FEL pulse at full speed. Computer vision a decade ago was dominated by hand-crafted filters; their structure inspired the deep learning revolution resulting in modern deep convolutional networks; similarly, our novel Tensorflow filters provide inspiration for designing future deep learning models for ultrafast and efficient processing and classification of pixel detector images at FEL facilities.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

A deep learning-based battery sizing optimization tool for hybridizing generation plants

Hybrid generation and energy storage systems offer the ability to increase flexibility of the combined asset. This flexibility can be used to increase provision of services already provided by the generation asset, such as timing sale of electricity to the energy market during high price periods, and also enable provision of additional services, such as ancillary services or contribute to resource adequacy. From a generation asset owner perspective, the decision to hybridize includes selecting an energy storage system that, among other factors, maximizes financial performance of the energy storage investment. Yet, existing tools to optimize energy storage sizing are either too rudimentary (i.e., based on “rules of thumb”) or too complex to implement (i.e., require specialized engineering and software knowledge and a high-performance computer to run). This work presents a novel deep learning-based battery sizing optimization tool that is designed to help generation asset owners easily assess preliminary sizing considerations for potential battery investments to hybridize their generation facility. The tool uses deep learning to predict revenue over a broad search space of potential battery sizes, estimates capital and operating costs (including accounting for battery degradation), and computes financial performance of each potential battery system investment, recommending a system with maximum financial performance. The tool is tested and validated for hydropower assets. Finally, this tool will help a greater cross-section of industry consider investments in battery systems, increasing their revenue and helping them compete in rapidly evolving electrify markets.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

BMINN: Learning chemical potentials and parameters from voltage data for multi-phase battery modeling

Free-energy landscapes and chemical potentials govern the dynamics of phase transitions, transport, and stability in functional materials, yet they remain experimentally inaccessible under realistic operating conditions. Here we introduce a Bayesian model-integrated neural network (BMINN) that embeds physics-based formulations of non-autonomous partial differential-algebraic equations into probabilistic learning. This approach reconstructs hidden thermodynamics directly from macroscopic current-voltage data, providing quantitative access to metastable states, staging transitions, and energy barriers without synchrotron probes. Demonstrated on lithium-graphite electrodes, BMINN recovers full Gibbs free-energy landscapes with fidelity validated against operando X-ray diffraction. The framework generalizes across dynamical regimes, enabling accurate voltage prediction, internal state estimation, and inference of governing parameters. Beyond batteries, BMINN exemplifies a broadly applicable strategy for learning missing physics in multiphase, non-equilibrium systems, offering a new pathway to uncover hidden thermodynamic functions across condensed matter and materials physics.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Machine Learning Classification of Molten Salt Heat Exchanger Channel Plugging using Synthetic Data

This report addresses the requirements of Milestone M3.4 AI capability to identify and predict maintenance events. Development of digital twins (DT) for molten salt reactor (MSR) components is crucial for reducing operating and maintenance costs (O&M) and ensuring commercial viability of these reactors. Our focus is on development of DT for MSR primary system heat exchanger (HX), a critical component, the fault in which can reduce operating efficiency and force reactor shutdown. We are investigating the feasibility of a conceptual DT of HX consisting of internal distributed temperature sensing with fiber optics and machine learning (ML) algorithms to detect and localize faults. To determine the optimal approach to detection and localization of channel plugging, we benchmark seven different ML models: Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Gaussian Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Tree Classifier, Random Forest Tree Classifier, and Feed-Forward Neural Network. ML algorithms are benchmarked using synthetic HX plugging data generated with computational fluid dynamics COMSOL software, with added brown noise to represent experimental noise. We show that the best performance is obtained with the Decision Tree classifier.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Physics-Guided Machine Learning (PGML) for Improved Aerostructure Manufacturing

The Physics-Guided Machine Learning (PGML) for Improved Aerostructure Manufacturing project objective is to automatically tune machining parameter predictions from physics-based models using process data and Bayesian machine learning. The intent is to enable a step change in aerospace manufacturing by combining machine learning, physics-based process models, and sensors/data in a comprehensive digital environment that simultaneously considers the computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining center capabilities, the workpiece material and geometry, and the workpiece support (fixturing). The project hypothesis is that this combination will enable improved performance in machining operations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Resilience Enhancements through Deep Learning Yields

This report documents the Resilience Enhancements through Deep Learning Yields (REDLY) project, a three-year effort to improve electrical grid resilience by developing scalable methods for system operators to protect the grid against threats leading to interrupted service or physical damage. The computational complexity and uncertain nature of current real-world contingency analysis presents significant barriers to automated, real-time monitoring. While there has been a significant push to explore the use of accurate, high-performance machine learning (ML) model surrogates to address this gap, their reliability is unclear when deployed in high-consequence applications such as power grid systems. Contemporary optimization techniques used to validate surrogate performance can exploit ML model prediction errors, which necessitates the verification of worst-case performance for the models.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Scaling whole-chip QAOA for higher-order ising spin glass models on heavy-hex graphs

Abstract We show that the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) for higher-order, random coefficient, heavy-hex compatible spin glass Ising models has strong parameter concentration across problem sizes from 16 up to 127 qubits for p = 1 up to p = 5, which allows for computationally efficient parameter transfer of QAOA angles. Matrix product state (MPS) simulation is used to compute noise-free QAOA performance. Hardware-compatible short-depth QAOA circuits are executed on ensembles of 100 higher-order Ising models on noisy IBM quantum superconducting processors with 16, 27, and 127 qubits using QAOA angles learned from a single 16-qubit instance using the JuliQAOA tool. We show that the best quantum processors find lower energy solutions up to p = 2 or p = 3, and find mean energies that are about a factor of two off from the noise-free distribution. We show that p = 1 QAOA energy landscapes remain very similar as the problem size increases using NISQ hardware gridsearches with up to a 414 qubit processor.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Technical Report for Bayesian Optimization and Reinforcement Learning for Beam Polarization Increase in the BNL Hadron Injectors

This project developed and evaluated physics-informed Bayesian learning and machine learning (ML)-based optimization methods for improving beam polarization preservation in the BNL hadron injector chain. The work focused on uncertainty-aware digital twin modeling, Bayesian calibration of accelerator simulations using beam measurements, and data-efficient optimization strategies including Bayesian optimization and reinforcement learning. These methods were applied to injector tuning and RF control problems in realistic accelerator settings to support improved operational robustness and readiness for RHIC operations and future Electron–Ion Collider facilities. No subject inventions were disclosed under this award.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Avoiding fusion plasma tearing instability with deep reinforcement learning

For stable and efficient fusion energy production using a tokamak reactor, it is essential to maintain a high-pressure hydrogenic plasma without plasma disruption. Therefore, it is necessary to actively control the tokamak based on the observed plasma state, to manoeuvre high-pressure plasma while avoiding tearing instability, the leading cause of disruptions. This presents an obstacle-avoidance problem for which artificial intelligence based on reinforcement learning has recently shown remarkable performance. However, the obstacle here, the tearing instability, is difficult to forecast and is highly prone to terminating plasma operations, especially in the ITER baseline scenario. Previously, we developed a multimodal dynamic model that estimates the likelihood of future tearing instability based on signals from multiple diagnostics and actuators. Here we harness this dynamic model as a training environment for reinforcement-learning artificial intelligence, facilitating automated instability prevention. We demonstrate artificial intelligence control to lower the possibility of disruptive tearing instabilities in DIII-D, the largest magnetic fusion facility in the United States. The controller maintained the tearing likelihood under a given threshold, even under relatively unfavourable conditions of low safety factor and low torque. In particular, it allowed the plasma to actively track the stable path within the time-varying operational space while maintaining H-mode performance, which was challenging with traditional preprogrammed control. This controller paves the path to developing stable high-performance operational scenarios for future use in ITER.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Battery Charge Curve Prediction via Feature Extraction and Supervised Machine Learning

Real-time onboard state monitoring and estimation of a battery over its lifetime is indispensable for the safe and durable operation of battery-powered devices. In this study, a methodology to predict the entire constant-current cycling curve with limited input information that can be collected in a short period of time is developed. A total of 10 066 charge curves of LiNiO 2 -based batteries at a constant C-rate are collected. With the combination of a feature extraction step and a multiple linear regression step, the method can accurately predict an entire battery charge curve with an error of < 2% using only 10% of the charge curve as the input information. The method is further validated across other battery chemistries (LiCoO 2 -based) using open-access datasets. The prediction error of the charge curves for the LiCoO 2 -based battery is around 2% with only 5% of the charge curve as the input information, indicating the generalization of the developed methodology for predicting battery cycling curves. The developed method paves the way for fast onboard health status monitoring and estimation for batteries during practical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Applying Deep Learning for Wildfire Identification: Economical and Accessible Solutions Leveraging Small Datasets

Wildfires significantly impact human health, air quality, visibility, weather, and climate change and cause substantial economic losses. While state and county-operated air quality monitors provide critical insights during wildfires, they are not available in all regions. This highlights the need for affordable, accessible tools that allow the general public to assess air quality impacts. In this study, we apply machine learning with deep neural networks to diagnose air quality rapidly from sky images taken at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA, USA. Using a convolutional neural network (CNN) framework, we trained a deep learning model to classify air quality indices based on sky images. By leveraging transfer learning, our approach fine-tunes a pre-trained model on a small dataset of sky images, significantly reducing training time while maintaining high accuracy. Our results demonstrate the potential of deep learning to provide rapid air quality diagnostics during wildfire episodes, offering early warnings to the public and enabling timely mitigation strategies, particularly for vulnerable populations. Additionally, we show that lower respiratory infections pose the highest health risk during acute smoke exposures. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) from wildfire particles further exacerbate health risks by triggering inflammation and other adverse effects.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Polar Drive Ignition Campaign: Conceptual Design

The Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester is proposing a collaborative effort with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and General Atomics (GA) with the goal of developing a cryogenic polar drive (PD) ignition platform on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The scope of this proposed project requires close discourse among theorists, experimentalists, and laser and system engineers. This document describes how this proposed project can be broken into a series of parallel independent activities that, if implemented, could deliver this goal in the 2017 timeframe. This Conceptual Design document is arranged into two sections: mission need and design requirements. Design requirements are divided into four subsystems: (1) A point design that details the necessary target specifications and laser pulse requirements; (2) The beam smoothing subsystem that describes the MultiFM 1D smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD); (3) New optical elements that include continuous phase plates (CPP's) and distributed polarization rotators (DPR's); and (4) The cryogenic target handling and insertion subsystem, which includes the design, fabrication, testing, and deployment of a dedicated PD ignition target insertion cryostat (PD-ITIC). This document includes appendices covering: the primary criteria and functional requirements, the system design requirements, the work breakdown structure, the target point design, the experimental implementation plan, the theoretical unknowns and technical implementation risks, the estimated cost and schedule, the development plan for the DPR's, the development plan for MultiFM 1D SSD, and a list of acronym definitions. While work on the facility modifications required for PD ignition has been in progress for some time, some of the technical details required to define the specific modifications for a Conceptual Design Review (CDR) remain to be defined. In all cases, the facility modifications represent functional changes to existing systems or capabilities. The bulk of the scope yet to be identified is associated with the DPR's and MultiFM beam smoothing. Detailed development plans for these two subsystems are provided in Appendices H and I; additional discussion of subsystem requirements based on the physics of PD ignition is given in Section 3. Accordingly, LLE will work closely with LLNL to develop detailed conceptual designs for the PD-specific facility modifications, including assessments of the operational impact of implementation (e.g., changing optics for direct rather than indirect-drive illumination and swapping from a hohlraum-based ITIC to one that supports PD). Furthermore, the experimental implementation plan represents the current best understanding of the experimental campaigns required to achieve PD ignition. This plan will evolve based on the lessons learned from the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) and ongoing indirect-drive ignition experiments. The plan does not take the operational realities of the PD configuration into account; configuration planning for the proposed PD experiments is beyond the scope of this document.

42 ENGINEERING↗