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At least 1,765 records · Page 98

Modeling and control of nuclear–renewable integrated energy systems: Dynamic system model for green electricity and hydrogen production

The need for decarbonization and diversification of energy resources has led to the development of integrated energy systems (IESs), where multiple resources supply more than one energy sector. Here, one such IES with small modular nuclear reactors and renewables (wind and solar) as generating resources, catering to the demand of the electric grid while producing hydrogen for industries, is modeled in this paper. The physics-based component models are represented using the Modelica language and interconnected to form the IES. The control and coordination of the overall system are ensured by designing a suitable control architecture composed of individual subsystem-level controls and supervisory control. The dynamic performance and the load-following capability of the IES are evaluated, while satisfying the safe operational limits of the components. Different configurations and modes of IES operation are considered, where the adaptability of the control system in the presence of varying demands and renewable generations is validated. The simulation results indicate that hydrogen as a flexible load facilitates the supply of varying grid demand. Additionally, the renewables are also accommodated into the IES owing to the flexibility of the balance of plant associated with the nuclear reactors.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Neurophysiological study on visuo-vestibular control of posture and movement in fish during adaptation to weightlessness

We can stand upright and walk smoothly without paying any particular attention to it. This is because we have established in ourselves an integration center that controls our body subconsciously in response to input from eyes, muscles, joints, foot soles, and also from the gravity sensor in the inner ear (the otolith organ). It has been shown that the cerebellum plays an important role for the establishment of the integration center and that the control pattern is comparable to that of a highly sophisticated computer system. The programming for the control, however, may well be acquired for the 1-g ground condition and does not cover the 0-g in space. Although each of the above organs function as it does on the ground, the signal pattern sent to the center must be different under 0-g and, in addition, complementary signals from the otolith organ are missing, leading to confusion in the integration center and causing a variety of symptoms similar to those of car-sickness or sea-sickness. After exposure to microgravity an immediate process of re-programming will begin and be completed in 2-4 days. There is strong supporting evidence for this sensory conflict theory as an explanation for space motion sickness (SMS) episodes. Fish were selected as test organisms for this investigation because they swim around freely in three dimensions and have well-developed organs for vision and gravity detection. They also have an innate nature to orient their back toward a light source. Actually, on the ground, the fish tilts its vertical axis toward the light when illuminated laterally, and the tilt angle is a function of the intensity of light and the magnitude of gravity, while its posture is completely light-dependent in the low-gravity environment produced by aircraft parabolic flight or when the otolith organs are removed. This implies that fish posture is entirely under visual and otolithic control. In this case, the cerebellum will also contribute to the control. In the space shuttle experiment, two fish (one with otolith-removed and the other with intact otoliths) are onboard for 7 days. The arrangement of the experiment is shown. Lamps illuminate each fish alternately from different directions at a duration of 20 seconds for 10 minutes totally, twice a day. The video images and the brain waves from the cerebellum are analyzed later. If the sensory conflict theory is acceptable, then the confusion at the onset and the following recovery process will be manifested both in the light-dependent behavior and also in the cerebellar activity. In addition, there should be some variation in response between the two fish. Even if the results are positive in the present fish experiment, they would not be extensive enough to allow us to understand the complete mechanisms of SMS. However, what is currently needed is a collection of evidence based on animal experiments on which to base future investigations. Countermeasures for SMS are mandatory since SMS-induced vomiting occurring within a space suit could be fatal for a crew member during extravehicular activities. We expect that countermeasures will be developed before the space station era starts, and that the results of these studies will be applied to improving human welfare.

Mori, Shigeo↗

SU-F-J-10: Sliding Mode Control of a SMA Actuated Active Flexible Needle for Medical Procedures

Purpose: In medical interventional procedures such as brachytherapy, ablative therapies and biopsy precise steering and accurate placement of needles are very important for anatomical obstacle avoidance and accurate targeting. This study presents the efficacy of a sliding mode controller for Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuated flexible needle for medical procedures. Methods: Second order system dynamics of the SMA actuated active flexible needle was used for deriving the sliding mode control equations. Both proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and adaptive PID sliding mode control (APIDSMC) algorithms were developed and implemented. The flexible needle was attached at the end of a 6 DOF robotic system. Through LabView programming environment, the control commands were generated using the PID and APIDSMC algorithms. Experiments with artificial tissue mimicking phantom were performed to evaluate the performance of the controller. The actual needle tip position was obtained using an electromagnetic (EM) tracking sensor (Aurora, NDI, waterloo, Canada) at a sampling period of 1ms. During experiment, external disturbances were created applying force and thermal shock to investigate the robustness of the controllers. Results: The root mean square error (RMSE) values for APIDSMC and PID controllers were 0.75 mm and 0.92 mm, respectively, for sinusoidal reference input. In the presence of external disturbances, the APIDSMC controller showed much smoother and less overshooting response compared to that of the PID controller. Conclusion: Performance of the APIDSMC was superior to the PID controller. The APIDSMC was proved to be more effective controller in compensating the SMA uncertainties and external disturbances with clinically acceptable thresholds.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Microgravity alters respiratory sinus arrhythmia and short-term heart rate variability in humans

We studied heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in four male subjects before, during, and after 16 days of spaceflight. The electrocardiogram and respiration were recorded during two periods of 4 min controlled breathing at 7.5 and 15 breaths/min in standing and supine postures on the ground and in microgravity. Low (LF)- and high (HF)-frequency components of the short-term HRV (< or =3 min) were computed through Fourier spectral analysis of the R-R intervals. Early in microgravity, HR was decreased compared with both standing and supine positions and had returned to the supine value by the end of the flight. In microgravity, overall variability, the LF-to-HF ratio, and RSA amplitude and phase were similar to preflight supine values. Immediately postflight, HR increased by approximately 15% and remained elevated 15 days after landing. LF/HF was increased, suggesting an increased sympathetic control of HR standing. The overall variability and RSA amplitude in supine decreased postflight, suggesting that vagal tone decreased, which coupled with the decrease in RSA phase shift suggests that this was the result of an adaptation of autonomic control of HR to microgravity. In addition, these alterations persisted for at least 15 days after return to normal gravity (1G).

Clinical Trial↗

Evaluation of HAL/S language compilability using SAMSO's Compiler Writing System (CWS)

NASA/Langley is engaged in a program to develop an adaptable guidance and control software concept for spacecraft such as shuttle-launched payloads. It is envisioned that this flight software be written in a higher-order language, such as HAL/S, to facilitate changes or additions. To make this adaptable software transferable to various onboard computers, a compiler writing system capability is necessary. A joint program with the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Organization was initiated to determine if the Compiler Writing System (CWS) owned by the Air Force could be utilized for this purpose. The present study explores the feasibility of including the HAL/S language constructs in CWS and the effort required to implement these constructs. This will determine the compilability of HAL/S using CWS and permit NASA/Langley to identify the HAL/S constructs desired for their applications. The study consisted of comparing the implementation of the Space Programming Language using CWS with the requirements for the implementation of HAL/S. It is the conclusion of the study that CWS already contains many of the language features of HAL/S and that it can be expanded for compiling part or all of HAL/S. It is assumed that persons reading and evaluating this report have a basic familiarity with (1) the principles of compiler construction and operation, and (2) the logical structure and applications characteristics of HAL/S and SPL.

Feliciano, M.↗

Orientation and movement in unusual force environments

A manned space mission to Mars might take as long as 1 year each way. Consequently, artificial gravity is being considered as a way of preventing the debilitating effects of long-duration exposure to microgravity on the human body. The present article discusses some of the problems associated with adapting to the rotation levels that might be used to generate artificial gravity. It also describes how exposure to background-force levels greater or less than the 1-G force of Earth gravity affects orientation and movement control. The primary emphasis of the article is that human movement and orientation control are dynamically adapted to the 1-G force background of Earth and that accommodation to altered force levels or to rotating environments requires a wide range of adaptive changes.

Parabolic Flight↗

Recent Developments in Smart Adaptive Structures for Solar Sailcraft

The "Smart Adaptive Structures for Solar Sailcraft" development activity at MSFC has investigated issues associated with understanding how to model and scale the subsystem and multi-body system dynamics of a gossamer solar sailcraft with the objective of designing sailcraft attitude control systems. This research and development activity addressed three key tasks that leveraged existing facilities and core competencies of MSFC to investigate dynamics and control issues of solar sails. Key aspects of this effort included modeling and testing of a 30 m deployable boom; modeling of the multi-body system dynamics of a gossamer sailcraft; investigation of control-structures interaction for gossamer sailcraft; and development and experimental demonstration of adaptive control technologies to mitigate control-structures interaction.

Whorton, M. S.↗

Recent Developments in Smart Adaptive Structures for Solar Sailcraft

The "Smart Adaptive Structures for Solar Sailcraft" development activity at MSFC has investigated issues associated with understanding how to model and scale the subsystem and multi-body system dynamics of a gossamer solar sailcraft with the objective of designing sailcraft attitude control systems. This research and development activity addressed three key tasks that leveraged existing facilities and core competencies of MSFC to investigate dynamics and control issues of solar sails. Key aspects of this effort included modeling and testing of a 30 m deployable boom; modeling of the multi-body system dynamics of a gossamer sailcraft; investigation of control-structures interaction for gossamer sailcraft; and development and experimental demonstration of adaptive control technologies to mitigate control-structures interaction.

Worton, M. S.↗

Adaptive Cyber-Physical Resilience for Building Control Systems

The main goal of the project is to develop an AI-based process layer cybersecurity suite for detection, isolation and mitigation of cyber-attack effects on operation of building energy management systems (BEMS). The following constituent key technologies were developed under the program towards fulfilling the program objectives: (1) developed a high fidelity BEMS testbed for generation of training data and validation of developed technologies; (2) developed a physics informed ML based attack detection and localization module (ADL) capable of detecting high impact stealthy attacks (HISA - attacks causing 30% energy utilization but no immediate visible impact otherwise) with 98% accuracy; (3) developed a methodology to determine ’representative days’ to limit the data required for training; (4) developed a virtual sensing system that can reconstruct affected sensors with 10% error for the same HISA set; (5) developed a resilient model predictive control system that can continue operation of the BEMS without jeopardizing stability for the HISA set; and (6) integrated and deployed all the constituent modules and demonstrated the efficacy of the technology in real-time in a hardware in loop simulation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Adaptive reference voltage generator for firing angle control of line-commutated inverters

A control system for a permanent-magnet motor driven by a multiphase line-commulated inverter is described. It is provided with integrators for integrating the back EMF of each phase of the motor for use in generating system control signals for an inverter gate logic using a sync and firing angle control generator connected to the outputs of the integrators. The firing angle control signals are produced by the control generator by means for combining 120 deg segments of the integrated back EMF signals symmetrical about their maxima into composite positive and negative waveforms, and means for sampling the maxima of each waveform every 120 deg. These samples are then used as positive and negative firing angle control signals. Whereby any change in amplitude of the integrated back EMF signals will not affect a change in the operating power factor of the motor and inverter.

Dolland, C. R.↗

Adaptive artificial neural network for autonomous robot control

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include: neural network controller for robot arm positioning with visual feedback; initial training of the arm; automatic recovery from cumulative fault scenarios; and error reduction by iterative fine movements.

Michael K Arras↗

Compact Microscope Imaging System with Intelligent Controls

The figure presents selected views of a compact microscope imaging system (CMIS) that includes a miniature video microscope, a Cartesian robot (a computer- controlled three-dimensional translation stage), and machine-vision and control subsystems. The CMIS was built from commercial off-the-shelf instrumentation, computer hardware and software, and custom machine-vision software. The machine-vision and control subsystems include adaptive neural networks that afford a measure of artificial intelligence. The CMIS can perform several automated tasks with accuracy and repeatability . tasks that, heretofore, have required the full attention of human technicians using relatively bulky conventional microscopes. In addition, the automation and control capabilities of the system inherently include a capability for remote control. Unlike human technicians, the CMIS is not at risk of becoming fatigued or distracted: theoretically, it can perform continuously at the level of the best human technicians. In its capabilities for remote control and for relieving human technicians of tedious routine tasks, the CMIS is expected to be especially useful in biomedical research, materials science, inspection of parts on industrial production lines, and space science. The CMIS can automatically focus on and scan a microscope sample, find areas of interest, record the resulting images, and analyze images from multiple samples simultaneously. Automatic focusing is an iterative process: The translation stage is used to move the microscope along its optical axis in a succession of coarse, medium, and fine steps. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the image is computed at each step, and the FFT is analyzed for its spatial-frequency content. The microscope position that results in the greatest dispersal of FFT content toward high spatial frequencies (indicating that the image shows the greatest amount of detail) is deemed to be the focal position.

McDowell, Mark↗

Developing an Adaptable NextGen Interface for the UAS Ground Control Station

Presently a significant number of unmanned aircraft are not included in the existing National Airspace System surveillance system. This is due to many reasons including an inability to carry Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast equipment for weight or power consumption deficiencies, legacy equipment usage, and the experimental nature of unmanned aircraft. In addition, pilots on the ground do not have the situation awareness to proximal aircraft pilots in the cockpit have. However, many unmanned aircraft utilize a link between the aircraft and ground control station that includes periodic updates to the aircraft position. Technologies have been developed to provide the existing national surveillance system with the location of the aircraft while at the same time providing the ground pilot a display with aircraft that are in the aircrafts proximity, thus expanding the national surveillance data as well as provide increased pilot situation awareness.

surveillance↗

Developing an Adaptable NextGen Interface for the UAS Ground Control Station

Motivation: NextGen traffic infrastructure is in place to support manned aircraft operations. However, the UAS ground control station (GCS) adds a data interface requirement that is not yet fully accounted for in the NextGen data service architecture. Existing NextGen data service is focused on aircraft, not the GCS. Smaller UAS may not have the payload or power capacity to support the additional equipment. Innovation: Provide a mechanism for a UAS regardless of size, payload, bandwidth, and power capacity to gain access to NextGen data-sourced traffic information in real-time.

LVC↗

Spatiotemporally Adaptive Compression for Scientific Dataset with Feature Preservation – A Case Study on Simulation Data with Extreme Climate Events Analysis

Scientific discoveries are increasingly constrained by limited storage space and I/O capacities. For time-series simulations and experiments, their data often need to be decimated over timesteps to accommodate storage and I/O limitations. In this paper, we propose a technique that addresses storage costs while improving post-analysis accuracy through spatiotemporal adaptive, error-controlled lossy compression. We investigate the trade-off between data precision and temporal output rates, revealing that reducing data precision and increasing timestep frequency lead to more accurate analysis outcomes. Additionally, we integrate spatiotemporal feature detection with data compression and demonstrate that performing adaptive error-bounded compression in higher dimensional space enables greater compression ratios, leveraging the error propagation theory of a transformation-based compressor. To evaluate our approach, we conduct experiments using the well-known E3SM climate simulation code and apply our method to compress variables used for cyclone tracking. Our results show a significant reduction in storage size while enhancing the quality of cyclone tracking analysis, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in comparison to the prevalent timestep decimation approach. Compared to three state-of-the-art lossy compressors lacking feature preservation capabilities, our adaptive compression framework improves perfectly matched cases in TC tracking by 26.4-51.3% at medium compression ratios and by 77.3-571.1% at large compression ratios, with a merely 5–11% computational overhead.

Gong, Qian↗