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At least 1,531 records · Page 85
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Microgrid Reliability Modeling and Battery Scheduling Using Stochastic Linear Programming

This paper describes the introduction of stochastic linear programming into Operations DER-CAM, a tool used to obtain optimal operating schedules for a given microgrid under local economic and environmental conditions. This application follows previous work on optimal scheduling of a lithium-iron-phosphate battery given the output uncertainty of a 1 MW molten carbonate fuel cell. Both are in the Santa Rita Jail microgrid, located in Dublin, California. This fuel cell has proven unreliable, partially justifying the consideration of storage options. Several stochastic DER-CAM runs are executed to compare different scenarios to values obtained by a deterministic approach. Results indicate that using a stochastic approach provides a conservative yet more lucrative battery schedule. Lower expected energy bills result, given fuel cell outages, in potential savings exceeding 6percent.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Synthesis and morphological characterization of linear and miktoarm star poly(solketal methacrylate)- block -polystyrene copolymers

The synthesis, molecular characterization, and morphological evaluation of AB n, (n = 2,3) miktoarm star block copolymers consisting of poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) (PGMA) and polystyrene (PS) with varying molecular weights and compositions is described. The system is known to demonstrate a remarkably high Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. The corresponding linear diblock copolymer analogues, were synthesized as well, and comparisons with regard to feature dimensions and morphologies are provided. Well-ordered nanostructures of various morphologies were formed with domain spacing as low as 7.2 nm. Different morphologies were attained by some of the topological isomers indicating that in miktoarm star block copolymers the phase boundaries were strongly shifted. Additionally, a triblock ABA analogue was studied to investigate the effect of triblock copolymer conformations. Noteworthy is that for copolymers with different macromolecular architecture leading to similar morphology; different domain spacings were obtained. The synthesis of all the samples was carried out by high-vacuum anionic polymerization techniques. Molecular characterization with Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ( 1 H NMR) confirmed well-defined copolymers obtained. The morphological characterization was accomplished by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). In conclusion, the observations from this study highlight the potential of incorporating macromolecular architecture in the self-assembly of strongly immiscible block copolymers to attain ultra-small nanofeatures with desired morphologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multi-spatio-temporal scales PIV in a turbulent buoyant jet discharging in a linearly stratified environment

Time-resolved particle image velocimetry is implemented with a camera array and several laser sheets; this results in a multi-spatio-temporal scale system that is modular and flexible. The setup is optimized to capture global flow features, while locally resolving in space and time near the Kolmogorov scale. The apparatus relies extensively on machine vision CMOS cameras; they are inexpensive and stream to computer hard drive with virtually continuous time-resolved records (up to one hour for the current system). This leads to statistically converged data and also helps in minimizing down time between experimental runs. Details of the implementation and design of experiment are reported. The system instruments a vertical buoyant jet discharging in a linearly stratified environment. Refractive index matched aqueous solutions enable precise optical deployment. The density difference is 3% and the fluids have similar dynamic viscosity. The jet Reynolds number is 2.00 x 10 4 and is above the mixing transition. Such flows are typically challenging to instrument and few velocity field data are available to date. The velocity statistics are reported as well as first insights gained from the campaign.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

MITgcm-AD v2: Open source tangent linear and adjoint modeling framework for the oceans and atmosphere enabled by the Automatic Differentiation tool Tapenade

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm) is widely used by the climate science community to simulate planetary atmosphere and ocean circulations. A defining feature of the MITgcm is that it has been developed to be compatible with an algorithmic differentiation (AD) tool, TAF, enabling the generation of tangent-linear and adjoint models. These provide gradient information which enables dynamics-based sensitivity and attribution studies, state and parameter estimation, and rigorous uncertainty quantification. Importantly, gradient information is essential for computing comprehensive sensitivities and performing efficient large-scale data assimilation, ensuring that observations collected from satellites and in-situ measuring instruments can be effectively used to optimize a large uncertain control space. As a result, the MITgcm forms the dynamical core of a key data assimilation product employed by the physical oceanography research community: Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) state estimate. Although MITgcm and ECCO are used extensively within the research community, the AD tool TAF is proprietary and hence inaccessible to a large proportion of these users. The new version 2 (MITgcm-AD v2) framework introduced here is based on the source-to-source AD tool Tapenade, which has recently been open-sourced. Another feature of Tapenade is that it stores required variables by default (instead of recomputing them) which simplifies the implementation of efficient, AD-compatible code. The framework has been integrated with the MITgcm model’s main branch and is now freely available.

Adjoints↗
DOE OSTI2021

Post-extreme-event restoration using linear topological constraints and DER scheduling to enhance distribution system resilience

In this paper, a post-extreme-event restoration (PEER) algorithm is proposed to improve distribution system resilience. Linear topological constraints are proposed to ensure radial topology after N-k contingencies, possibly in multiple islands. The approach is made comprehensive by considering dispatchable distributed energy resources (DERs), non-dispatchable DERs, and demand responses, as well as on-load tap changers (OLTCs) and shunt capacitors. The goal is to minimize the accumulative expense caused by load reduction payment or penalty, as well as DER operation cost. As a result, the overall system will survive longer with higher resilience during an extreme event. To verify the effectiveness of the PEER algorithm, we proposed a resilience evaluation algorithm using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) with reduced scenarios. This is based on a probabilistic model for generating random scenarios which consider the uncertainty of line faults and solar irradiance. Combined with the proposed PEER algorithm, this reduced-scenario MCS can evaluate the expected energy not served (EENS) which is an essential index for distribution system resilience. Case studies of the IEEE 33-bus and 123-bus test systems validate the proposed algorithm in reducing EENS.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2011

Variations in Linear Energy Transfer Within Clinical Proton Therapy Fields and the Potential for Biological Treatment Planning

Purpose: To calculate the linear energy transfer (LET) distributions in patients undergoing proton therapy. These distributions can be used to identify areas of elevated or diminished biological effect. The location of such areas might be influenced in intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) optimization. Methods and Materials: Because Monte Carlo studies to investigate the LET distribution in patients have not been undertaken so far, the code is first validated with simulations in water. The code was used in five patients, for each of them three planning and delivery techniques were simulated: passive scattering, three-dimensional modulation IMPT (3D-IMPT), and distal edge tracking IMPT (DET-IMPT). Results: The inclusion of secondary particles led to significant differences compared with analytical techniques. In addition, passive scattering and 3D-IMPT led to largely comparable LET distributions, whereas the DET-IMPT plans resulted in considerably increased LET values in normal tissues and critical structures. In the brainstem, dose-averaged LET values exceeding 5 keV/{mu}m were observed in areas with significant dose (>70% of prescribed dose). In noncritical normal tissues, even values >8 keV/{mu}m occurred. Conclusion: This work demonstrates that active scanning offers the possibility of influencing the distribution of dose-averaged LET (i.e., the biological effect) without significantly altering the distribution of physical dose. On the basis of this finding, we propose a method to alter deliberately the LET distribution of a treatment plan in such a manner that the LET is maximized within certain target areas and minimized in normal tissues, while maintaining the prescribed target dose and dose constraints for organs at risk.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Compatibility of the Linear-Quadratic Formalism and Biologically Effective Dose Concept to High-Dose-Per-Fraction Irradiation in a Murine Tumor

Purpose: To evaluate the compliance of linear-quadratic (LQ) model calculations in the high-dose range as used in stereotactic irradiation in a murine tumor model. Methods and Materials: Female 10-week-old Balb/c mice bearing 1-cm-diameter EMT6 tumors in the hind legs were used. Single doses of 10-25 Gy were compared with 2-5 fractions of 4-13 Gy given at 4-hour intervals. Cell survival after irradiation was determined by an in vivo-in vitro assay. Using an {alpha}/{beta} ratio determined for in vitro EMT6 cells and the LQ formalism, equivalent single doses for the hypofractionated doses were calculated. They were then compared with actually measured equivalent single doses for the hypofractionated doses. These fractionation schedules were also compared simultaneously to investigate the concordance/divergence of dose-survival curves plotted against actual radiation doses and biologically effective doses (BED). Results: Equivalent single doses for hypofractionated doses calculated from LQ formalism were lower than actually measured doses by 21%-31% in the 2- or 3-fraction experiments and by 27%-42% in the 4- or 5-fraction experiments. The differences were all significant. When a higher {alpha}/{beta} ratio was assumed, the discrepancy became smaller. In direct comparison of the 2- to 5-fraction schedules, respective dose-response curves almost overlapped when cell survival was plotted against actual radiation doses. However, the curves tended to shift downward by increasing the fraction number when cell survival was plotted against BED calculated using an {alpha}/{beta} ratio of 3.5 Gy for in vitro EMT6 cells. Conclusion: Conversion of hypofractionated radiation doses to single doses using the LQ formalism underestimated the in vivo effect of hypofractionated radiation by approximately 20%-40%. The discrepancy appeared to be larger than that seen in the previous in vitro study and tended to increase with the fraction number. BED appeared to be an unreliable measure of tumor response.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effect of Fractionation in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Using the Linear Quadratic Model

Purpose: To examine the fractionation effect of stereotactic body radiation therapy with a heterogeneous dose distribution. Methods: Derived from the linear quadratic formula with measurements from a hypothetical 2-cm radiosurgical tumor, the threshold percentage was defined as (α/β{sub tissue}/α/β{sub tumor}), the balance α/β ratio was defined as (prescription dose/tissue tolerance*α/β{sub tumor}), and the balance dose was defined as (tissue tolerance/threshold percentage). Results: With increasing fractions and equivalent peripheral dose to the target, the biological equivalent dose of “hot spots” in a target decreases. The relative biological equivalent doses of serial organs decrease only when the relative percentage of its dose to the prescription dose is above the threshold percentage. The volume of parallel organs at risk decreases only when the tumor's α/β ratio is above the balance α/β ratio and the prescription dose is lower than balance dose. Conclusions: The potential benefits of fractionation in stereotactic body radiation therapy depend on the complex interplay between the total dose, α/β ratios, and dose differences between the target and the surrounding normal tissues.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Linear Energy Transfer-Guided Optimization in Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy: Feasibility Study and Clinical Potential

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and potential clinical benefit of linear energy transfer (LET) guided plan optimization in intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Methods and Materials: A multicriteria optimization (MCO) module was used to generate a series of Pareto-optimal IMPT base plans (BPs), corresponding to defined objectives, for 5 patients with head-and-neck cancer and 2 with pancreatic cancer. A Monte Carlo platform was used to calculate dose and LET distributions for each BP. A custom-designed MCO navigation module allowed the user to interpolate between BPs to produce deliverable Pareto-optimal solutions. Differences among the BPs were evaluated for each patient, based on dose–volume and LET–volume histograms and 3-dimensional distributions. An LET-based relative biological effectiveness (RBE) model was used to evaluate the potential clinical benefit when navigating the space of Pareto-optimal BPs. Results: The mean LET values for the target varied up to 30% among the BPs for the head-and-neck patients and up to 14% for the pancreatic cancer patients. Variations were more prominent in organs at risk (OARs), where mean LET values differed by a factor of up to 2 among the BPs for the same patient. An inverse relation between dose and LET distributions for the OARs was typically observed. Accounting for LET-dependent variable RBE values, a potential improvement on RBE-weighted dose of up to 40%, averaged over several structures under study, was noticed during MCO navigation. Conclusions: We present a novel strategy for optimizing proton therapy to maximize dose-averaged LET in tumor targets while simultaneously minimizing dose-averaged LET in normal tissue structures. MCO BPs show substantial LET variations, leading to potentially significant differences in RBE-weighted doses. Pareto-surface navigation, using both dose and LET distributions for guidance, provides the means for evaluating a large variety of deliverable plans and aids in identifying the clinically optimal solution.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Induction and Persistence of Large γH2AX Foci by High Linear Energy Transfer Radiation in DNA-Dependent protein kinase–Deficient Cells

Purpose: To evaluate the cell response to DNA double-strand breaks induced by low and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiations when the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), an essential protein of the nonhomologous end-joining repair pathway, lacks kinase activity. Methods and Materials: CHO10B2, a Chinese hamster ovary cell line, and its derived radiosensitive mutant cell line, irs-20, lacking DNA-PKcs activity, were evaluated after 0 to 3 Gy of γ-rays, plateau and Bragg peak protons, and lithium beams by clonogenic assay, and as a measurement of double-strand breaks, phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX) foci number and size were quantified by immunocytofluorescence. Results: Irs-20 exhibited greater radiosensitivity and a higher amount of γH2AX foci than CHO10B2 at 6 hours after irradiation for all types of radiations. Remarkably, CHO10B2 and irs-20 maintained their difference in radiosensitivity after high-LET radiation. Six hours after low-LET radiations, irs-20 did not reach basal levels of γH2AX at high doses, whereas CHO10B2 recovered basal levels for all doses. After high-LET radiation, only CHO10B2 exhibited a reduction in γH2AX foci, but it never reached basal levels. Persistent foci in irs-20 confirmed a repair deficiency. Interestingly, after 30 minutes of high-LET radiation both cell lines exhibited large foci (size >0.9 μm{sup 2}) related to the damage nature, whereas at 6 hours irs-20 showed a higher amount of large foci than CHO10B2, with a 7-fold increase at 3 Gy, that could also be associated to radiosensitivity. Conclusions: We demonstrated, for the first time, an association between deficient DNA-PKcs activity and not only high levels of H2AX phosphorylation but also persistence and size increase of γH2AX foci after high-LET irradiation.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Patterns of Failure After Proton Therapy in Medulloblastoma; Linear Energy Transfer Distributions and Relative Biological Effectiveness Associations for Relapses

Purpose: The pattern of failure in medulloblastoma patients treated with proton radiation therapy is unknown. For this increasingly used modality, it is important to ensure that outcomes are comparable to those in modern photon series. It has been suggested this pattern may differ from photons because of variations in linear energy transfer (LET) and relative biological effectiveness (RBE). In addition, the use of matching fields for delivery of craniospinal irradiation (CSI) may influence patterns of relapse. Here we report the patterns of failure after the use of protons, compare it to that in the available photon literature, and determine the LET and RBE values in areas of recurrence. Methods and Materials: Retrospective review of patients with medulloblastoma treated with proton radiation therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) between 2002 and 2011. We documented the locations of first relapse. Discrete failures were contoured on the original planning computed tomography scan. Monte Carlo calculation methods were used to estimate the proton LET distribution. Models were used to estimate RBE values based on the LET distributions. Results: A total of 109 patients were followed for a median of 38.8 months (range, 1.4-119.2 months). Of the patients, 16 experienced relapse. Relapse involved the supratentorial compartment (n=8), spinal compartment (n=11), and posterior fossa (n=5). Eleven failures were isolated to a single compartment; 6 failures in the spine, 4 failures in the supratentorium, and 1 failure in the posterior fossa. The remaining patients had multiple sites of disease. One isolated spinal failure occurred at the spinal junction of 2 fields. None of the 70 patients treated with an involved-field-only boost failed in the posterior fossa outside of the tumor bed. We found no correlation between Monte Carlo-calculated LET distribution and regions of recurrence. Conclusions: The most common site of failure in patients treated with protons for medulloblastoma was outside of the posterior fossa. The most common site for isolated local failure was the spine. We recommend consideration of spinal imaging in follow-up and careful attention to dose distribution in the spinal junction regions. Development of techniques that do not require field matching may be of benefit. We did not identify a direct correlation between lower LET values and recurrence in medulloblastoma patients treated with proton therapy. Patterns of failure do not appear to differ from those in patients treated with photon therapy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Linear Energy Transfer Painting With Proton Therapy: A Means of Reducing Radiation Doses With Equivalent Clinical Effectiveness

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to propose a proton treatment planning method that trades physical dose (D) for dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LET{sub d}) while keeping the radiobiologically weighted dose (D{sub RBE}) to the target the same. Methods and Materials: The target is painted with LET{sub d} by using 2, 4, and 7 fields aimed at the proximal segment of the target (split target planning [STP]). As the LET{sub d} within the target increases with increasing number of fields, D decreases to maintain the D{sub RBE} the same as the conventional treatment planning method by using beams treating the full target (full target planning [FTP]). Results: The LET{sub d} increased 61% for 2-field STP (2STP) compared to FTP, 72% for 4STP, and 82% for 7STP inside the target. This increase in LET{sub d} led to a decrease of D with 5.3 ± 0.6 Gy for 2STP, 4.4 ± 0.7 Gy for 4STP, and 5.3 ± 1.1 Gy for 7STP, keeping the DRBE at 90% of the volume (DRBE, 90) constant to FTP. Conclusions: LET{sub d} painting offers a method to reduce prescribed dose at no cost to the biological effectiveness of the treatment.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2016

The In Vitro Response of Tissue Stem Cells to Irradiation With Different Linear Energy Transfers

Purpose: A reduction in the dose, irradiated volume, and sensitivity of, in particular, normal tissue stem cells is needed to advance radiation therapy. This could be obtained with the use of particles for radiation therapy. However, the radiation response of normal tissue stem cells is still an enigma. Therefore, in the present study, we developed a model to investigate the in vitro response of stem cells to particle irradiation. Methods and Materials: We used the immortalized human salivary gland (HSG) cell line resembling salivary gland (SG) cells to translate the radiation response in 2-dimensional (2D) to 3-dimensional (3D) conditions. This response was subsequently translated to the response of SG stem cells (SGSCs). Dispersed single cells were irradiated with photons or carbon ions at different linear energy transfers (LETs; 48.76 ± 2.16, 149.9 ± 10.8, and 189 ± 15 keV/μm). Subsequently, 2D or 3D clonogenicity was determined by counting the colonies or secondary stem cell-derived spheres in Matrigel. γH2AX immunostaining was used to assess DNA double strand break repair. Results: The 2D response of HSG cells showed a similar increase in dose response to increasing higher LET irradiation as other cell lines. The 3D response of HSG cells to increasing LET irradiation was reduced compared with the 2D response. Finally, the response of mouse SGSCs to photons was similar to the 3D response of HSG cells. The response to higher LET irradiation was reduced in the stem cells. Conclusions: Mouse SGSC radiosensitivity seems reduced at higher LET radiation compared with transformed HSG cells. The developed model to assess the radiation response of SGSCs offers novel possibilities to study the radiation response of normal tissue in vitro.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Reoptimization of Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy Plans Based on Linear Energy Transfer

Purpose: We describe a treatment plan optimization method for intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) that avoids high values of linear energy transfer (LET) in critical structures located within or near the target volume while limiting degradation of the best possible physical dose distribution. Methods and Materials: To allow fast optimization based on dose and LET, a GPU-based Monte Carlo code was extended to provide dose-averaged LET in addition to dose for all pencil beams. After optimizing an initial IMPT plan based on physical dose, a prioritized optimization scheme is used to modify the LET distribution while constraining the physical dose objectives to values close to the initial plan. The LET optimization step is performed based on objective functions evaluated for the product of LET and physical dose (LET×D). To first approximation, LET×D represents a measure of the additional biological dose that is caused by high LET. Results: The method is effective for treatments where serial critical structures with maximum dose constraints are located within or near the target. We report on 5 patients with intracranial tumors (high-grade meningiomas, base-of-skull chordomas, ependymomas) in whom the target volume overlaps with the brainstem and optic structures. In all cases, high LET×D in critical structures could be avoided while minimally compromising physical dose planning objectives. Conclusion: LET-based reoptimization of IMPT plans represents a pragmatic approach to bridge the gap between purely physical dose-based and relative biological effectiveness (RBE)-based planning. The method makes IMPT treatments safer by mitigating a potentially increased risk of side effects resulting from elevated RBE of proton beams near the end of range.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mixed Effect Modeling of Dose and Linear Energy Transfer Correlations With Brain Image Changes After Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Skull Base Head and Neck Cancer

Intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) could yield high linear energy transfer (LET) in critical structures and increased biological effect. For head and neck cancers at the skull base this could potentially result in radiation-associated brain image change (RAIC). The purpose of the current study was to investigate voxel-wise dose and LET correlations with RAIC after IMPT.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effect of secondary gas-phase reactions (SGR) in pyrolysis of carbon feedstocks for anisotropic carbon materials production – 3: Modifying non-coking coal tar through co-pyrolysis of coal with linear low-density polyethylene and high-impact polystyrene

Herein, this work focuses on co-pyrolysis experiments of Utah Sufco coal with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). These two plastic types have differing pyrolysis chemistries and have different hydrogen transfer behavior. Similar to earlier work in this series of papers, controlled secondary gas-phase reactions during pyrolysis were used to induce cracking and condensation reactions among the pyrolytic tar species. Co-pyrolysis tests were performed with feed plastic percentages ranging from 10-20 wt% and pyrolysis SGR temperatures ranging from 800-900°C. Analyses of the intermediate tar products showed that oxygen contents and aromaticity were substantially different, depending on the plastic, and resulting pitch softening points and mesophase contents also varied greatly depending on the starting plastic feedstock used. Most of the synergies observed in the co-pyrolysis results were negative, except for the oxygen content. Oxygen contents were higher than expected when LLDPE was used, resulting in reactive pitches with softening points > 350°C. On the other hand, oxygen contents were lower than expected when HIPS was used, resulting in less reactive pitches. Ultimately, only the HIPS/coal samples created at the SGR temperature of 900°C had reasonable softening points at or under 350°C, making them the only samples created in this work potentially suitable for mesophase pitch-based carbon fiber production. The success in creating fusible mesophase pitches from co-pyrolyzing HIPS with Utah Sufco coal is likely attributed to the fact that polystyrene is a stronger hydrogen acceptor rather than donor, which should facilitate more cracking rather than stabilizing tar oxygen functional groups, making the tar species ultimately less reactive during thermal conversion to mesophase pitch.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗