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At least 1,531 records · Page 85

LCLS-II Cryomodule and Cryogenic Distribution Control

The new superconducting Linear Coherent Light Source (LCLS-II) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory will be an upgrade to LCLS, the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser. LCLS-II is in an advanced stage of construction with equipment for both Cryoplants as well as more than half of the 37 cryomodules onsite. Jefferson Lab (JLab) is a partner lab responsible for building half of the LCLS-II cryomodules. Hence the Low Energy Recirculation Facility (LERF) at JLab was used to stage and test LCLS-II cryomodules before shipping them to SLAC. LERF was set up to test two cryomodules at a time. LERF used LCLS-II cryogenic controls instrumentation racks, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) controls and Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) Input/Output Controllers (IOCs) with the intention to use the LERF setup to check-out and verify cryogenic controls for LCLS-II. The cryogenic controls first utilized at LERF would then be replicated for controlling all 37 cryomodules via an EPICS user interface. This paper discusses the cryogenic controls currently developed for implementation in the LCLS-II project.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Xopt and Badger: a machine learning ecosystem for real-time accelerator control and optimization

Machine learning (ML)-based black-box optimization algorithms have demonstrated significant improvements in accelerator optimization speed, often by orders of magnitude. However, deploying these algorithms in real-time facility control remains challenging due to the specialized expertise and infrastructure required. To bridge this gap, we introduce the Xopt ecosystem, a versatile suite of tools designed to make advanced ML-based optimization accessible to the broader accelerator community. This ecosystem includes Xopt, a modular Python framework that facilitates the integration of ML-based optimization algorithms with arbitrary control problems, and Badger, a graphical user interface built on top of Xopt, which enables seamless deployment of ML algorithms in real-time control systems. The Xopt ecosystem has been successfully applied towards solving challenging real-time control problems at leading international accelerator facilities, including SLAC, LBNL, Argonne, Fermilab, BNL, DESY, and ESRF, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world optimization tasks. In this presentation, we provide an overview of Xopt’s capabilities and illustrate its impact through case studies from SLAC accelerator facilities including LCLS, LCLS-II, and FACET-II.

Roussel, Ryan [SLAC]↗

Performance of the LLRF System for the Fermilab PIP-II Injector Test

PIP-II IT is a test facility for the PIP-II project where the injector, warm front-end, and the first two superconducting cryomodules are being tested. The 8-cavity half-wave-resonator (HWR) cryomodule operating at 162.5 MHz is followed by the 8-cavity single-spoke resonator(SSR1) cryomodule operating at 325 MHz. The LLRF systems for both cryomodules are based on a common SOC FPGA-based hardware platform. The resonance control systems for the two cryomodules are quite different, the first being a pneumatic system based on helium pressure and the latter a piezo/stepper motor type control. The data acquisition and control system can support both CW and Pulsed mode operations. Beam loading compensation is available which can be used for both manual/automatic control in the LLRF system. The user interfaces include EPICS, Labview, and ACNET. Testing of the RF system has progressed to the point of being ready for a 2 mA beam to be accelerated to 25 MeV. The design and performance of the field control and resonance control system operation with beam are presented in this paper.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

The Latest Code Development Progress of JSPEC

The JLab Simulation Package on Electron Cooling (JSPEC) is an open source software developed at Jefferson Lab for electron cooling and intrabeam scattering (IBS) simulations. IBS is an important factor that leads to the growth of the beam emittance and hence the reduction of the luminosity in a high density ion collider ring. Electron cooling is an effective measure to overcome the IBS effect. Although JSPEC is initiated to fulfill the simulation needs in JLab Electron Ion Collider project, it can be used as a general design tool for other accelerators. JSPEC provides various models of the ion beam and the electron beam and it calculates the expansion rate and simulates the evolution of the ion beam under the IBS and/or electron cooling effect. In this report, we will give a brief introduction of JSPEC and then present the latest code development progress of JSPEC, including new models, algorithms, and the user interface.

Zhang, Y.↗

Hardware-Control: Instrument control and automation package

Conducting experimental research often relies on the control of laboratory instruments to, for example, control power supplies, move stages, and measure data. Tasks, such as data logging or parameter scans, often need to be automated. Being able to easily create a user interface to the hardware and to be able to reuse code is highly desirable.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Recovery Act: Advanced Interaction, Computation, and Visualization Tools for Sustainable Building Design

Current building energy simulation technology requires excessive labor, time and expertise to create building energy models, excessive computational time for accurate simulations and difficulties with the interpretation of the results. These deficiencies can be ameliorated using modern graphical user interfaces and algorithms which take advantage of modern computer architectures and display capabilities. To prove this hypothesis, we developed an experimental test bed for building energy simulation. This novel test bed environment offers an easy-to-use interactive graphical interface, provides access to innovative simulation modules that run at accelerated computational speeds, and presents new graphics visualization methods to interpret simulation results. Our system offers the promise of dramatic ease of use in comparison with currently available building energy simulation tools. Its modular structure makes it suitable for early stage building design, as a research platform for the investigation of new simulation methods, and as a tool for teaching concepts of sustainable design. Improvements in the accuracy and execution speed of many of the simulation modules are based on the modification of advanced computer graphics rendering algorithms. Significant performance improvements are demonstrated in several computationally expensive energy simulation modules. The incorporation of these modern graphical techniques should advance the state of the art in the domain of whole building energy analysis and building performance simulation, particularly at the conceptual design stage when decisions have the greatest impact. More importantly, these better simulation tools will enable the transition from prescriptive to performative energy codes, resulting in better, more efficient designs for our future built environment.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

RADTRAN 6/RadCat 6 user guide.

This document provides a detailed discussion and a guide for the use of the RadCat 6.0 Graphical User Interface input file generator for the RADTRAN code, Version 6. RadCat 6.0 integrates the newest analysis capabilities of RADTRAN 6.0, including an economic model, updated loss-of-lead shielding model, a new ingestion dose model, and unit conversion. As of this writing, the RADTRAN version in use is RADTRAN 6.02.

Weiner, Ruth F.↗

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Reasoner: PNNL FY13 Report

In Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) PNNL implemented a formal reasoning framework and applied it to a specific challenge in nuclear nonproliferation. The Semantic Nonproliferation Analysis Platform (SNAP) was developed as a preliminary graphical user interface to demonstrate the potential power of the underlying semantic technologies to analyze and explore facts and relationships relating to the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). In Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) the SNAP demonstration was enhanced with respect to query and navigation usability issues.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

New Design Methods And Algorithms For High Energy-Efficient And Low-cost Distillation Processes

This project sought and successfully answered two big challenges facing the creation of low-energy, cost-effective, zeotropic multi-component distillation processes: first, identification of an efficient search space that includes all the useful distillation configurations and no undesired configurations; second, development of an algorithm to search the space efficiently and generate an array of low-energy options for industrial multi-component mixtures. Such mixtures are found in large-scale chemical and petroleum plants. Commercialization of our results was addressed by building a user interface allowing practical application of our methods for industrial problems by anyone with basic knowledge of distillation for a given problem. We also provided our algorithm to a major U.S. Chemical Company for use by the practitioners. The successful execution of this program has provided methods and algorithms at the disposal of process engineers to readily generate low-energy solutions for a large class of multicomponent distillation problems in a typical chemical and petrochemical plant. In a petrochemical complex, the distillation trains within crude oil processing, hydrotreating units containing alkylation, isomerization, reformer, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and NGL (natural gas liquids) processing units can benefit from our results. Effluents from naphtha crackers and ethane-propane crackers typically contain mixtures of methane, ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane, butane and heavier hydrocarbons. We have shown that our systematic search method with a more complete search space, along with the optimization algorithm, has a potential to yield low-energy distillation configurations for all such applications with energy savings up to 50%.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Transactive Control and Coordination of Distributed Assets for Ancillary Services

The need to diversify energy supplies, the need to mitigate energy-related environmental impact, and the entry of electric vehicles in large numbers present challenges and opportunities to power system professionals. Wind and solar power provide many benefits, and to reap the benefits the resulting increased variability—forecasted as well as unforecasted—should be addressed. A majority of states and the District of Columbia, representing over half of the total load, have passed renewable portfolio standards. California’s plans call for 33% renewable energy by 2020. For grid balancing and for meeting reliability standards, ancillary services are needed. The needs for these services are poised to increase significantly. Demand resources are receiving increasing attention as one means of providing the ancillary services. Control and coordination of a large number (~millions) of distributed smart grid assets requires innovative approaches. One such approach is transactive control and coordination (TC2)—a distributed, hierarchical, agent-based incentive and control system. The TC2 paradigm is to create a market-like control system in which participation is voluntary and the participant sets the price for participation. For transactions that are frequent, automation of bids and responses is necessary. Such an approach has been developed and demonstrated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The devices, typically thermostatically controlled heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) loads, send their bids—the quantity of energy they need and, based on the consumer preferences encoded in a simple user interface, the price they are willing to pay. The typical bid period is 5 minutes. By aggregating all the bids, a demand curve is generated by the aggregating entity, and matched with a supply curve or supply constraint. The aggregator transmits the clearing price to the devices. The winning devices proceed to consume the energy they bid for and won. It is the purpose of this project to develop a similar approach for ancillary services. In this report, the following ancillary services are considered: spinning reserve, ramping, and regulation. These services are to be provided by the following devices: refrigerators, water heaters, clothes dryers, variable speed drives. We will assume that the variable speed drives operate an air handling fan in a commercial building.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Annual Report: Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI) (30 September 2013)

The Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI) is a partnership among national laboratories, industry and academic institutions that is developing and deploying state-of-the-art computational modeling and simulation tools to accelerate the commercialization of carbon capture technologies from discovery to development, demonstration, and ultimately the widespread deployment to hundreds of power plants. The CCSI Toolset will provide end users in industry with a comprehensive, integrated suite of scientifically validated models, with uncertainty quantification (UQ), optimization, risk analysis and decision making capabilities. The CCSI Toolset incorporates commercial and open-source software currently in use by industry and is also developing new software tools as necessary to fill technology gaps identified during execution of the project. Ultimately, the CCSI Toolset will (1) enable promising concepts to be more quickly identified through rapid computational screening of devices and processes; (2) reduce the time to design and troubleshoot new devices and processes; (3) quantify the technical risk in taking technology from laboratory-scale to commercial-scale; and (4) stabilize deployment costs more quickly by replacing some of the physical operational tests with virtual power plant simulations. CCSI is led by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and leverages the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories’ core strengths in modeling and simulation, bringing together the best capabilities at NETL, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The CCSI’s industrial partners provide representation from the power generation industry, equipment manufacturers, technology providers and engineering and construction firms. The CCSI’s academic participants (Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, West Virginia University, Boston University and the University of Texas at Austin) bring unparalleled expertise in multiphase flow reactors, combustion, process synthesis and optimization, planning and scheduling, and process control techniques for energy processes. During Fiscal Year (FY) 13, CCSI announced the initial release of its first set of computational tools and models during the October 2012 meeting of its Industry Advisory Board. This initial release led to five companies licensing the CCSI Toolset under a Test and Evaluation Agreement this year. By the end of FY13, the CCSI Technical Team had completed development of an updated suite of computational tools and models. The list below summarizes the new and enhanced toolset components that were released following comprehensive testing during October 2013. 1. FOQUS. Framework for Optimization and Quantification of Uncertainty and Sensitivity. Package includes: FOQUS Graphic User Interface (GUI), simulation-based optimization engine, Turbine Client, and heat integration capabilities. There is also an updated simulation interface and new configuration GUI for connecting Aspen Plus or Aspen Custom Modeler (ACM) simulations to FOQUS and the Turbine Science Gateway. 2. A new MFIX-based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to predict particle attrition. 3. A new dynamic reduced model (RM) builder, which generates computationally efficient RMs of the behavior of a dynamic system. 4. A completely re-written version of the algebraic surrogate model builder for optimization (ALAMO). The new version is several orders of magnitude faster than the initial release and eliminates the MATLAB dependency. 5. A new suite of high resolution filtered models for the hydrodynamics associated with horizontal cylindrical objects in a flow path. 6. The new Turbine Science Gateway (Cluster), which supports FOQUS for running multiple simulations for optimization or UQ using a local computer or cluster. 7. A new statistical tool (BSS-ANOVA-UQ) for calibration and validation of CFD models. 8. A new basic data submodel in Aspen Plus format for a representative high viscosity capture solvent, 2-MPZ system. 9. An updated RM tool for CFD (REVEAL) that can create a RM from MFIX. A new lightweight, stand-alone version will be available in late 2013. 10. An updated RM integration tool to convert the RM from REVEAL into a CAPE-OPEN or ACM model for use in a process simulator. 11. An updated suite of unified steady-state and dynamic process models for solid sorbent carbon capture included bubbling fluidized bed and moving bed reactors. 12. An updated and unified set of compressor models including steady-state design point model and dynamic model with surge detection. 13. A new framework for the synthesis and optimization of coal oxycombustion power plants using advanced optimization algorithms. This release focuses on modeling and optimization of a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU). 14. A new technical risk model in spreadsheet format. 15. An updated version of the sorbent kinetic/equilibrium model for parameter estimation for the 1st generation sorbent model. 16. An updated process synthesis superstructure model to determine optimal process configurations utilizing surrogate models from ALAMO for adsorption and regeneration in a solid sorbent process. 17. Validation models for NETL Carbon Capture Unit utilizing sorbent AX. Additional validation models will be available for sorbent 32D in 2014. 18. An updated hollow fiber membrane model and system example for carbon capture. 19. An updated reference power plant model in Thermoflex that includes additional steam extraction and reinjection points to enable heat integration module. 20. An updated financial risk model in spreadsheet format.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

TRL Computer System User’s Guide

We have developed a wiki-based graphical user-interface system that implements our technology readiness level (TRL) uncertainty models. This document contains the instructions for using this wiki-based system.

Engel, David W.↗

EISA 432 Energy Audits Best Practices: Software Tools

Five whole building analysis software tools that can aid an energy manager with fulfilling energy audit and commissioning/retro-commissioning requirements were selected for review in this best practices study. A description of each software tool is provided as well as a discussion of the user interface and level of expertise required for each tool, a review of how to use the tool for analyzing energy conservation opportunities, the format and content of reports generated by the tool, and a discussion on the applicability of the tool for commissioning.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Ultra-secure RF Tags for Safeguards and Security - SBIR Phase II Final Report

This is the Final Report for the DOE Phase II SBIR project “Ultra-secure RF Tags for Safeguards and Security.” The topics covered herein include technical progress made, progress against the planned milestones and deliverables, project outcomes (results, collaborations, intellectual property, etc.), and a discussion on future expectations of deployment and impacts of the results of this work. In brief, all planned work for the project was successfully completed, on or ahead of schedule and on budget. The major accomplishment was the successful development of a very advanced passive ultra-secure RFID tag system with combined security features unmatched by any commercially available ones. These tags have high-level dynamic encrypted authentication, a novel tamper-proofing mechanism, system software including graphical user interfaces and networking, and integration with a fiber-optic seal mechanism. This is all accomplished passively (with no battery) by incorporating sophisticated hardware in the tag which harvests the energy from the RFID readers that are interrogating the tag. Based on initial feedback (and deployments) at DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), it is anticipated these tags and their offspring will meet DOE and international community needs for highly secure RFID systems. Beyond the accomplishment of those original objectives for the ultra-secure RF tags, major new spin-off thrusts from the original work were identified and successfully pursued with the cognizance of the DOE sponsor office. In particular, new classes of less sophisticated RFID tags were developed whose lineage derives from the core R&D thrusts of this SBIR. These RF “tag variants” have some, but not necessarily all, of the advanced characteristics described above and can therefore be less expensive and meet far wider markets. With customer pull from the DOE and its national laboratories, new RFID tags and systems (including custom readers and software) for government needs in asset management and tracking were developed. These were tested at a national laboratory and other government facilities, and resulted in immediate procurement actions by the government and deployment of these new systems. Thus, commercialization of the results of this Phase II DOE SBIR was already underway before the end of the SBIR itself. More importantly, operations involving asset management at selected DoE and government sites are already being impacted favorably and could have much broader impacts in the near future.

42 ENGINEERING↗

SL12-GADRAS-PD2Ka Annual Report

The GADRAS Development project comprises several elements that are all related to the Detector Response Function (DRF), which is the core of GADRAS. An ongoing activity is implementing continuous improvements in the accuracy and versatility of the DRF. The ability to perform rapid computation of the response of gammaray detectors for 3-D descriptions of source objects and their environments is a good example of a recent utilization of this versatility. The 3-D calculations, which execute several orders of magnitude faster than competing techniques, compute the response as an extension of the DRF so the radiation transport problem is never solved explicitly, thus saving considerable computational time. Maintenance of the Graphic User Interface (GUI) and extension of the GUI to enable construction of the 3-D source models is included in tasking for the GADRAS Development project. Another aspect of this project is application of the isotope identification algorithms for search applications. Specifically, SNL is tasked with development of an isotope-identification based search capability for use with the RSL-developed AVID system, which supports simultaneous operation of numerous radiation search assets. A Publically Available (PA) GADRAS-DRF application, which eliminates sensitive analysis components, will soon be available so that the DRF can be used by researchers at universities and corporations.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Data Archive and Portal Thrust Area Strategy Report

This report describes the Data Archive and Portal (DAP), a key capability of the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmosphere to Electron (A2e) initiative. The DAP Thrust Area Planning Group was organized to develop a plan for deploying this capability. Primarily, the report focuses on a distributed system--a DOE Wind Cloud--that functions as a repository for all A2e data. The Wind Cloud will be accessible via an open, easy-to-navigate user interface that facilitates community data access, interaction, and collaboration. DAP management will work with the community, industry, and international standards bodies to develop standards for wind data and to capture important characteristics of all data in the Wind Cloud.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Development and Demonstration of Material Properties Database and Software for the Simulation of Flow Properties in Cementitious Materials

This report describes work performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in fiscal year 2014 to develop a new Cementitious Barriers Project (CBP) software module designated as FLOExcel. FLOExcel incorporates a uniform database to capture material characterization data and a GoldSim model to define flow properties for both intact and fractured cementitious materials and estimate Darcy velocity based on specified hydraulic head gradient and matric tension. The software module includes hydraulic parameters for intact cementitious and granular materials in the database and a standalone GoldSim framework to manipulate the data. The database will be updated with new data as it comes available. The software module will later be integrated into the next release of the CBP Toolbox, Version 3.0. This report documents the development efforts for this software module. The FY14 activities described in this report focused on the following two items that form the FLOExcel package; 1) Development of a uniform database to capture CBP data for cementitious materials. In particular, the inclusion and use of hydraulic properties of the materials are emphasized; and 2) Development of algorithms and a GoldSim User Interface to calculate hydraulic flow properties of degraded and fractured cementitious materials. Hydraulic properties are required in a simulation of flow through cementitious materials such as Saltstone, waste tank fill grout, and concrete barriers. At SRNL these simulations have been performed using the PORFLOW code as part of Performance Assessments for salt waste disposal and waste tank closure.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Saturn Facility Oil Transfer Automation System

The Saturn accelerator, owned by Sandia National Laboratories, has been in operation since the early 1980s and still has many of the original systems. A critical legacy system is the oil transfer system which transfers 250,000 gallons of transformer oil from outside storage tanks to the Saturn facility. The oil transfer system was identified for upgrade to current technology standards. Using the existing valves, pumps, and relay controls, the system was automated using the National Instruments cRIO FGPA platform. Engineered safety practices, including a failure mode effects analysis, were used to develop error handling requirements. The uniqueness of the Saturn Oil Automated Transfer System (SOATS) is in the graphical user interface. The SOATS uses an HTML interface to communicate to the cRIO, creating a platform independent control system. The SOATS was commissioned in April 2013.

02 PETROLEUM↗