Engineering topics

Williams, Brian

Publications and source records attributed to Williams, Brian.

17 records

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2012

Engineering Resilient Space Systems: Introduction to Short Course

No abstract available

structural mechanics↗

NASA NTRS2011

Feature and Pose Constrained Visual Aided Inertial Navigation for Computationally Constrained Aerial Vehicles

A Feature and Pose Constrained Extended Kalman Filter (FPC-EKF) is developed for highly dynamic computationally constrained micro aerial vehicles. Vehicle localization is achieved using only a low performance inertial measurement unit and a single camera. The FPC-EKF framework augments the vehicle's state with both previous vehicle poses and critical environmental features, including vertical edges. This filter framework efficiently incorporates measurements from hundreds of opportunistic visual features to constrain the motion estimate, while allowing navigating and sustained tracking with respect to a few persistent features. In addition, vertical features in the environment are opportunistically used to provide global attitude references. Accurate pose estimation is demonstrated on a sequence including fast traversing, where visual features enter and exit the field-of-view quickly, as well as hover and ingress maneuvers where drift free navigation is achieved with respect to the environment.

autonomous operation↗

NASA NTRS2010

Economical Fabrication of Thick-Section Ceramic Matrix Composites

A method was developed for producing thick-section [>2 in. (approx.5 cm)], continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). Ultramet-modified fiber interface coating and melt infiltration processing, developed previously for thin-section components, were used for the fabrication of CMCs that were an order of magnitude greater in thickness [up to 2.5 in. (approx.6.4 cm)]. Melt processing first involves infiltration of a fiber preform with the desired interface coating, and then with carbon to partially densify the preform. A molten refractory metal is then infiltrated and reacts with the excess carbon to form the carbide matrix without damaging the fiber reinforcement. Infiltration occurs from the inside out as the molten metal fills virtually all the available void space. Densification to <5 vol% porosity is a one-step process requiring no intermediate machining steps. The melt infiltration method requires no external pressure. This prevents over-infiltration of the outer surface plies, which can lead to excessive residual porosity in the center of the part. However, processing of thick-section components required modification of the conventional process conditions, and the means by which the large amount of molten metal is introduced into the fiber preform. Modification of the low-temperature, ultraviolet-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process used to apply interface coatings to the fiber preform was also required to accommodate the high preform thickness. The thick-section CMC processing developed in this work proved to be invaluable for component development, fabrication, and testing in two complementary efforts. In a project for the Army, involving SiC/SiC blisk development, nominally 0.8 in. thick x 8 in. diameter (approx. 2 cm thick x 20 cm diameter) components were successfully infiltrated. Blisk hubs were machined using diamond-embedded cutting tools and successfully spin-tested. Good ply uniformity and extremely low residual porosity (<2 percent) were achieved, the latter being far lower than that achieved with SiC matrix composites fabricated via CVI or PIP. The pyrolytic carbon/zirconium nitride interface coating optimized in this work for use on carbon fibers was incorporated in the SiC/SiC composites and yielded a >41 ksi (approx. 283 MPa) flexural strength.

Babcock, Jason↗

NASA NTRS2007

Method of making carbon fiber-carbon matrix reinforced ceramic composites

A method of making a carbon fiber-carbon matrix reinforced ceramic composite wherein the result is a carbon fiber-carbon matrix reinforcement is embedded within a ceramic matrix. The ceramic matrix does not penetrate into the carbon fiber-carbon matrix reinforcement to any significant degree. The carbide matrix is a formed in situ solid carbide of at least one metal having a melting point above about 1850 degrees centigrade. At least when the composite is intended to operate between approximately 1500 and 2000 degrees centigrade for extended periods of time the solid carbide with the embedded reinforcement is formed first by reaction infiltration. Molten silicon is then diffused into the carbide. The molten silicon diffuses preferentially into the carbide matrix but not to any significant degree into the carbon-carbon reinforcement. Where the composite is intended to operate between approximately 2000 and 2700 degrees centigrade for extended periods of time such diffusion of molten silicon into the carbide is optional and generally preferred, but not essential.

Williams, Brian↗

NASA NTRS2006

Practical Application of Model-based Programming and State-based Architecture to Space Missions

Innovative systems and software engineering solutions are required to meet the increasingly challenging demands of deep-space robotic missions. While recent advances in the development of an integrated systems and software engineering approach have begun to address some of these issues, they are still at the core highly manual and, therefore, error-prone. This paper describes a task aimed at infusing MIT's model-based executive, Titan, into JPL's Mission Data System (MDS), a unified state-based architecture, systems engineering process, and supporting software framework. Results of the task are presented, including a discussion of the benefits and challenges associated with integrating mature model-based programming techniques and technologies into a rigorously-defined domain specific architecture.

state analysis↗

NASA NTRS2006

Practical Application of Model-based Programming and State-based Architecture to Space Missions

A viewgraph presentation to develop models from systems engineers that accomplish mission objectives and manage the health of the system is shown. The topics include: 1) Overview; 2) Motivation; 3) Objective/Vision; 4) Approach; 5) Background: The Mission Data System; 6) Background: State-based Control Architecture System; 7) Background: State Analysis; 8) Overview of State Analysis; 9) Background: MDS Software Frameworks; 10) Background: Model-based Programming; 10) Background: Titan Model-based Executive; 11) Model-based Execution Architecture; 12) Compatibility Analysis of MDS and Titan Architectures; 13) Integrating Model-based Programming and Execution into the Architecture; 14) State Analysis and Modeling; 15) IMU Subsystem State Effects Diagram; 16) Titan Subsystem Model: IMU Health; 17) Integrating Model-based Programming and Execution into the Software IMU; 18) Testing Program; 19) Computationally Tractable State Estimation & Fault Diagnosis; 20) Diagnostic Algorithm Performance; 21) Integration and Test Issues; 22) Demonstrated Benefits; and 23) Next Steps

Mission Data System (MDS)↗

NASA NTRS2005