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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Rocket engine plume diagnostics using video digitization and image processing - Analysis of start-up

Video digitization techniques have been developed to analyze the exhaust plume of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. Temporal averaging and a frame-by-frame analysis provide data used to evaluate the capabilities of image processing techniques for use as measurement tools. Capabilities include the determination of the necessary time requirement for the Mach disk to obtain a fully-developed state. Other results show the Mach disk tracks the nozzle for short time intervals, and that dominate frequencies exist for the nozzle and Mach disk movement.

Disimile, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Man-machine interface and control of the shuttle digital flight system

The space shuttle main engine (SSME) presented new requirements in the design of controls for large pump fed liquid rocket engine systems. These requirements were the need for built in full mission support capability, and complexity and flexibility of function not previously needed in this type of application. An engine mounted programmable digital control system was developed to meet these requirements. The engine system and controller and their function are described. Design challenges encountered during the course of development included accommodation for a very severe engine environment, the implementation of redundancy and redundancy management to provide fail operational/fail safe capability, removal of heat from the package, and significant constraints on computer memory size and processing time. The flexibility offered by programmable control reshaped the approach to engine design and development and set the pattern for future controls development in these types of applications.

Burghduff, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Digital computer program for generating dynamic turbofan engine models (DIGTEM)

This report describes DIGTEM, a digital computer program that simulates two spool, two-stream turbofan engines. The turbofan engine model in DIGTEM contains steady-state performance maps for all of the components and has control volumes where continuity and energy balances are maintained. Rotor dynamics and duct momentum dynamics are also included. Altogether there are 16 state variables and state equations. DIGTEM features a backward-differnce integration scheme for integrating stiff systems. It trims the model equations to match a prescribed design point by calculating correction coefficients that balance out the dynamic equations. It uses the same coefficients at off-design points and iterates to a balanced engine condition. Transients can also be run. They are generated by defining controls as a function of time (open-loop control) in a user-written subroutine (TMRSP). DIGTEM has run on the IBM 370/3033 computer using implicit integration with time steps ranging from 1.0 msec to 1.0 sec. DIGTEM is generalized in the aerothermodynamic treatment of components.

Daniele, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Digital system for dynamic turbine engine blade displacement measurements

An instrumentation concept for measuring blade tip displacements which employs optical probes and an array of micro-computers is presented. The system represents a hitherto unknown instrumentation capability for the acquisition and direct digitization of deflection data concurrently from all of the blade tips of an operational engine rotor undergoing flutter or forced vibration. System measurements are made using optical transducers which are fixed to the case. Measurements made in this way are the equivalent of those obtained by placing three surface-normal displacement transducers at three positions on each blade of an operational rotor.

Kiraly, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Digital system for dynamic turbine engine blade displacement measurements

The paper presents a technique for measuring blade tip displacements which employs optical probes and an array of microcomputers. A system directly digitizing a minimum of a 2048-point time-deflection history for each of the three measurement locations on each blade is described.

Kiraly, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Preliminary flight test results of the F100 EMD engine in an F-15 airplane

A flight evaluation of the F100 Engine Model Derivative (EMD) is conducted. The F100 EMD is an advanced version of the F100 engine that powers the F15 and F16 airplanes. The F100 EMD features a bigger fan, higher temperature turbine, a Digital Electronic Engine Control system (DEEC), and a newly designed 16 segment afterburner, all of which results in a 15 to 20 percent increase in sea level thrust. The flight evaluations consist of investigation of performance (thrust, fuel flow, and airflow) and operability (transient response and airstart) in the F-15 airplane. The performance of the F100 EMD is excellent. Aircraft acceleration time to Mach 2.0 is reduced by 23 percent with two F100 EMD engines. Several anomalies are discovered in the operability evaluations. A software change to the DEEC improved the throttle, and subsequent Cooper Harper ratings of 3 to 4 are obtained. In the extreme upper left hand corner of the flight enveloped, compressor stalls occurr when the throttle is retarded to idle power. These stalls are not predicted by altitude facility tests or stability for the compressor.

Myers, L. P.↗
NASA NTRS1971

On-line digital computer control of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine

The problem of on-line digital computer control of the NERVA nuclear rocket engine is considered. Proposed is a method of State Dependent State Variable Feedback (SDSVF) as a practical approach to the control of NERVA and other complex nonlinear and/or time-varying systems. The difficulties inherent in other design methods are avoided by defining the optimal closed loop system in terms of a desired transfer function, rather than a performance index to maximize or minimize.

Kendrick, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Application of the MNA design method to a nonlinear turbofan engine

Using nonlinear digital simulation as a representative model of the dynamic operation of the QCSEE turbofan engine, a feedback control system is designed by variable frequency design techniques. Transfer functions are generated for each of five power level settings covering the range of operation from approach power to full throttle (62.5% to 100% full power). These transfer functions are then used by an interactive control system design synthesis program to provide a closed loop feedback control using the multivariable Nyquist array and extensions to multivariable Bode diagrams and Nichols charts.

Leininger, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Application of High Speed Digital Image Correlation in Rocket Engine Hot Fire Testing

Hot fire testing of rocket engine components and rocket engine systems is a critical aspect of the development process to understand performance, reliability and system interactions. Ground testing provides the opportunity for highly instrumented development testing to validate analytical model predictions and determine necessary design changes and process improvements. To properly obtain discrete measurements for model validation, instrumentation must survive in the highly dynamic and extreme temperature application of hot fire testing. Digital Image Correlation has been investigated and being evaluated as a technique to augment traditional instrumentation during component and engine testing providing further data for additional performance improvements and cost savings. The feasibility of digital image correlation techniques were demonstrated in subscale and full scale hotfire testing. This incorporated a pair of high speed cameras to measure three-dimensional, real-time displacements and strains installed and operated under the extreme environments present on the test stand. The development process, setup and calibrations, data collection, hotfire test data collection and post-test analysis and results are presented in this paper.

Gradl, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

DYGABCD: A program for calculating linear A, B, C, and D matrices from a nonlinear dynamic engine simulation

A digital computer program, DYGABCD, was developed that generates linearized, dynamic models of simulated turbofan and turbojet engines. DYGABCD is based on an earlier computer program, DYNGEN, that is capable of calculating simulated nonlinear steady-state and transient performance of one- and two-spool turbojet engines or two- and three-spool turbofan engines. Most control design techniques require linear system descriptions. For multiple-input/multiple-output systems such as turbine engines, state space matrix descriptions of the system are often desirable. DYGABCD computes the state space matrices commonly referred to as the A, B, C, and D matrices required for a linear system description. The report discusses the analytical approach and provides a users manual, FORTRAN listings, and a sample case.

Geyser, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Electro-optic architecture (EOA) for sensors and actuators in aircraft propulsion systems

Results of a study to design an optimal architecture for electro-optical sensing and control in advanced aircraft and space systems are described. The propulsion full authority digital Electronic Engine Control (EEC) was the focus for the study. The recommended architecture is an on-engine EEC which contains electro-optic interface circuits for fiber-optic sensors on the engine. Size and weight are reduced by multiplexing arrays of functionally similar sensors on a pair of optical fibers to common electro-optical interfaces. The architecture contains common, multiplex interfaces to seven sensor groups: (1) self luminous sensors; (2) high temperatures; (3) low temperatures; (4) speeds and flows; (5) vibration; (6) pressures; and (7) mechanical positions. Nine distinct fiber-optic sensor types were found to provide these sensing functions: (1) continuous wave (CW) intensity modulators; (2) time division multiplexing (TDM) digital optic codeplates; (3) time division multiplexing (TDM) analog self-referenced sensors; (4) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) digital optic code plates; (5) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) analog self-referenced intensity modulators; (6) analog optical spectral shifters; (7) self-luminous bodies; (8) coherent optical interferometers; and (9) remote electrical sensors. The report includes the results of a trade study including engine sensor requirements, environment, the basic sensor types, and relevant evaluation criteria. These figures of merit for the candidate interface types were calculated from the data supplied by leading manufacturers of fiber-optic sensors.

Glomb, W. L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Development and flight test experiences with a flight-crucial digital control system

Engineers and scientists in the advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-16 program investigated the integration of emerging technologies into an advanced fighter aircraft. AFTI's three major technologies included: flight-crucial digital control, decoupled aircraft flight control, and integration of avionics, flight control, and pilot displays. In addition to investigating improvements in fighter performance, researchers studied the generic problems confronting the designers of highly integrated flight-crucial digital control. An overview is provided of both the advantages and problems of integration digital control systems. Also, an examination of the specification, design, qualification, and flight test life-cycle phase is provided. An overview is given of the fault-tolerant design, multimoded decoupled flight control laws, and integrated avionics design. The approach to qualifying the software and system designs is discussed, and the effects of design choices on system qualification are highlighted.

Mackall, Dale A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Emergency Flight Control Using Computer-Controlled Thrust

Propulsion Controlled Aircraft (PCA) systems are digital electronic control systems undergoing development to provide limited maneuvering ability through variations of individual engine thrusts in multiple-engine airplanes. Provide landing capability when control surfaces inoperable. Incorporated on existing and future airplanes that include digital engine controls, digital flight controls, and digital data buses, adding no weight for additional hardware to airplane. Possible to handle total failure of hydraulic system, depending on how surfaces respond to loss of hydraulic pressure, and broken control cables or linkages. Future airplanes incorporate data from Global Positioning System for guidance to any suitable emergency runway in world.

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Modification of a fuel-cell engine for control by a digital computer

A manually operated fuel-cell system was modified to be monitored and controlled by a digital computer. The purpose was to have a test item with which to study possible system-computer interface problems. The modification consisted of installing solenoid valves, circuitry, transducers, and limit switches on the system. These modifications permit computer control of load current, reactant purge, water removal, and electrolyte concentration and computer initiation of system shutdown.

Hagedorn, N. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A simple propulsion system model for the simulation of nonlinear dynamic thrust response

A simple mathematical jet engine description is presented where the measured transition functions of the engine thrust can be simulated in a quasi-stationary operation as well as in acceleration or deceleration schedules. Because of its simplicity and high fidelity, it is especially suited for representing jet engines in digital simulation programs.

Schaenzer, G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The Development of an Airborne Instrumentation Computer System for Flight Test

Instrumentation interfacing frequently requires the linking of intelligent systems together, as well as requiring the link itself to be intelligent. The airborne instrumentation computer system (AICS) was developed to address this requirement. Its small size, approximately 254 by 133 by 140 mm (10 by 51/4 by 51/2 in), standard bus, and modular board configuration give it the ability to solve instrumentation interfacing and computation problems without forcing a redesign of the entire unit. This system has been used on the F-15 aircraft digital electronic engine control (DEEC) and its follow on engine model derivative (EMD) project and in an OV-1C Mohawk aircraft stall speed warning system. The AICS is presently undergoing configuration for use on an F-104 pace aircraft and on the advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-111 aircraft.

Voice synthesizer↗
NASA NTRS1984

Propulsion control technology

A brief discussion of digital jet engine control systems is given. Performance tests, systems integration, and redundancy are discussed.

Beattie, E. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The Development of an Airborne Instrumentation Computer System for Flight Test

Instrumentation interfacing frequently requires the linking of intelligent systems together, as well as requiring the link itself to be intelligent. The airborne instrumentation computer system (AICS) was developed to address this requirement. Its small size, approximately 254 by 133 by 140 mm (10 by 51/4 by 51/2 in), standard bus, and modular board configuration give it the ability to solve instrumentation interfacing and computation problems without forcing a redesign of the entire unit. This system has been used on the F-15 aircraft digital electronic engine control (DEEC) and its follow on engine model derivative (EMD) project and in an OV-1C Mohawk aircraft stall speed warning system. The AICS is presently undergoing configuration for use on an F-104 pace aircraft and on the advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-111 aircraft.

Glenn A Bever↗