Publications

Thermo-electric coolers (TECs) provide an essential function in many high-powered applications by diverting heat away from a temperature-sensitive load. This summer I have worked with Sandia National Laboratories in exploring the failure mechanisms behind said devices. I have been tasked with determining a plan of action for two TECs manufactured by two different companies labeled A and B respectively. Prior to my involvement in the project, the former has displayed failures during normal operation within its packaging. The latter was subsequently chosen to resolve these issues. Thermal cycling between the extreme expected operating temperatures (-40°C to 80°C) was applied to 5 unmounted TECAs over a period of 5 hours with 1-hour soaks at each extreme. The unmounted TECBs are currently undergoing the same process, and the task is expected to be completed over the next few weeks. The results of the TECA characterization have indicated no failure has occurred, which indicates that failure will need to be induced through either higher temperature extremes or additional mechanical stress.

Sandia National Laboratories is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) founded in 1949 with the mission of developing and testing the non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons. Sandia has since been involved with numerous projects to support the Department of Defense’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). One such set of projects has been implementing over-the-road transportation security enhancements. Under this program, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has worked to develop interface compatibility modifications for existing shipping configurations. This summer I will be working with a line of trailers that have been used to transport high asset cargo. These vehicles have successfully traveled millions of miles without any accidents over the course of 15 years. The primary motivation for the work that I will complete this summer is to provide support for existing electronic communication technologies implemented at SNL. As part of an ongoing project to implement modifications to a trailer system, I will focus primarily on the characterization and testing of thermal electric coolers (TEC). Within the scope of the trailer project, these devices provide temperature control for lasers used on optical communication boards (OCB).

Abstract not provided.

Penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) is rapidly increasing in the bulk power system (BPS); they are growing to be a significant portion of generation. As such, grid-support capabilities are being developed and implemented. However, as their presence increases, the impact of DERs on the BPS also increases. Therefore, if a disturbance occurs in the DER system, its effects could propagate throughout the BPS. These disturbances could range from equipment malfunctions to resource variability to cyber attacks.

Penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) is rapidly increasing in the bulk power system (BPS); they are growing to be a significant portion of generation. As such, grid-support capabilities are being developed and implemented; IEEE Std. 1547 mandates new interconnection and interoperability standards to achieve these capabilities and allow remote users to change behaviors to many devices. However, as their presence increases, the impact of DERs on the BPS also increases. Therefore, if a disturbance occurs in the DER system, its effects could propagate throughout the BPS. These disturbances could range from equipment malfunctions to resource variability to cyber attacks. This document will discuss general requirements needed for developing a distributed cryptography module for implementation in DER systems. First, we will examine the composition of DER systems in Section 2. Procedures to identify critical assets and the security of DERs is discussed in Section 3. Section 4 introduces cryptography concepts and Section 5 discusses implementation needs and options. Finally, practical considerations are provided in Section 6 and conclusions are provided in Section 7.