Conference: NSF EPSCoR Workshop: Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments

本次会议拟在爱达荷州爱达荷福尔斯的高级能源研究中心（CAES）举办为期两天的会议。本次会议将以主题演讲、小组讨论和分组会议为特色，估计有60名与会者，涵盖极端环境下智能制造的各个方面。会议将召集世界一流的专家、研究人员、教育工作者和学生，在重要的相关领域找出差距并设想解决方案。会议将在拟议的活动期间促进思想和知识的交流，并将促进新的合作和研究方向，以支持爱达荷州、怀俄明州以及其他西部州无碳先进核能研究的发展。会议组织者将利用旅费补助资金，招募妇女和代表性不足群体的人士参加会议，以实现社会各阶层的参与。会议的成果将包括为研究人员和教育工作者提供一个建立网络和形成合作的机会，并准备一份完整的报告，向政策制定者、工业界和学术界通报先进制造业的各种挑战和机遇，特别是在核能领域。本次会议提案的总体目标是举办为期两天的极端环境智能制造会议。会议将为极端环境下智能制造的五个相互关联的挑战确定差距并设想解决方案。这些挑战包括：(1)能够在极端环境中生存的可印刷电子产品，(2)现场制造过程监控和反馈控制，(3)优化制造和材料成分过程变量的机器学习，(4)极端温度鉴定和测试，以及(5)劳动力发展和社区大学参与。核反应堆需要在高温、腐蚀性环境和高辐射剂量等极端服务条件下运行。因此，反应堆部件必须能够承受这些条件。成功的创新将彻底改变核电行业，促进快速商业发展，在美国创造经济机会，减少碳足迹和相关的气候风险，并促进熟练和极具竞争力的劳动力队伍。会议的新颖之处在于计算设计、过程控制、材料发现、材料表征和劳动力发展的融合。这次会议将为科学界提供一个讨论新的科学研究、未来研究的需求、科学文献中的差距的机会，并提供一个具有国家利益的会议，可以推动与更广泛的科学界的科学参与，包括让来自代表性不足的群体的研究人员参与，以及行业合作。会议将提供与工业界接触的机会，为社区大学教育工作者提供了解制造业科学前沿的机会，并通过科学参与提高公众意识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This conference proposes to host a two-day conference at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, Idaho. This conference will feature keynotes, panels, and breakout sessions with an estimated sixty participants covering various aspects of intelligent manufacturing for extreme environments. The conference will convene world-class experts, researchers, educators, and students to identify gaps and envision solutions in relevant areas of great importance. The conference will promote exchange of ideas and knowledge during the proposed event and will catalyze new collaborations and research directions that will support the growth of carbon-free advanced nuclear energy research in Idaho, Wyoming, as well as other western states. The conference organizers will use funding for travel grants, recruiting women and persons from underrepresented groups to participate to achieve participation from a diverse section of the society. The outcomes of the conference will include an opportunity for researchers and educators to network and form collaborations and preparation of a full report to inform policy makers, industry, and the academic community of various challenges and opportunities of advanced manufacturing, specifically in the nuclear energy sector.The overarching goal of this conference proposal is to host a two-day conference on Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments. The conference will identify gaps and envision solutions for five inter-related challenges of intelligent manufacturing in extreme environments. These challenges are: (1) printable electronics that can survive extreme environments, (2) in situ manufacturing process monitoring and feedback control, (3) machine learning to optimize process variables in manufacturing and materials composition, (4) extreme temperature qualification and testing, and (5) workforce development and community college engagement. Nuclear reactors need to operate under extreme service conditions such as high temperatures, corrosive environment, and high radiation doses. Hence, reactor components must be able to withstand those conditions. Successful innovation would revolutionize the nuclear power sector, enable fast commercial development, create economic opportunities in the US, reduce carbon footprint and associated climate risks, and promote a skilled and highly competitive workforce. The novelty of the conference is the convergent integration of computational design, process control, materials discovery, materials characterization, and workforce development. The conference will provide an opportunity for the community to discuss new scientific research, the needs for future research, gaps in the scientific literature, and provide a conference of national interest that could drive scientific engagement with the broader community including involving researchers from the underrepresented groups, and industry collaborations. The conference will provide opportunities to engage with industry, provide opportunities for community college educators to learn about what is happening at the cutting-edge of manufacturing science, and increase public awareness through science engagement.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.