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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
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NASA NTRS2013

Motorized Beam Alignment of a Commercial X-ray Diffractometer

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful analysis method that allows researchers to noninvasively probe the crystalline structure of a material. This includes the ability to determine the crystalline phases present, quantify surface residual stresses, and measure the distribution of crystallographic orientations. The Structures and Materials Division at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) heavily uses the on-site XRD lab to characterize advanced metal alloys, ceramics, and polymers. One of the x-ray diffractometers in the XRD lab (Bruker D8 Discover) uses three different x-ray tubes (Cu, Cr, and Mn) for optimal performance over numerous material types and various experimental techniques. This requires that the tubes be switched out and aligned between experiments. This alignment maximizes the x-ray tube s output through an iterative process involving four set screws. However, the output of the x-ray tube cannot be monitored during the adjustment process due to standard radiation safety engineering controls that prevent exposure to the x-ray beam when the diffractometer doors are open. Therefore, the adjustment process is a very tedious series of blind adjustments, each followed by measurement of the output beam using a PIN diode after the enclosure doors are shut. This process can take up to 4 hr to perform. This technical memorandum documents an in-house project to motorize this alignment process. Unlike a human, motors are not harmed by x-ray radiation of the energy range used in this instrument. Therefore, using motors to adjust the set screws will allow the researcher to monitor the x-ray tube s output while making interactive adjustments from outside the diffractometer. The motorized alignment system consists of four motors, a motor controller, and a hand-held user interface module. Our goal was to reduce the alignment time to less than 30 min. The time available was the 10-week span of the Lewis' Educational and Research Collaborative Internship Project (LERCIP) summer internship program and the budget goal was $1200. In this report, we will describe our motorization design and discuss the results of its implementation.

Van Zandt, Noah R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A study of 'onboard' data processing for typical astrophysics payloads

The data, signal flow, and ground processing requirements for a typical set of X-ray and gamma-ray experiments were examined. A set of algorithms for ground processing were derived and these were taken as requirements imposed on 'onboard' spacecraft computers. Five types of CPU microprocessors were evaluated and compared with one another to determine the degree to which the data processing could be performed onboard the spacecraft. These included the NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer (NSSC-1), the Z-80, a Z-80 augmented with an auxiliary fast multiply chip, and an advanced augmented Z-80 with virtually unlimited memory. These CPU were investigated when used in a centralized mode, an experiment dedicated mode, and a hybrid of the first two modes. It was found that the use of onboard processing can significantly reduce downlink data rates for typical payloads, and may lead to greater efficiency of operation. Quantitative data for gamma-ray and X-ray payloads will be presented, and the results of the analysis discussed.

Stout, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Thermal Inspection of a Composite Fuselage Section Using a Fixed Eigenvector Principal Component Analysis Method

A composite fuselage aircraft forward section was inspected with flash thermography. The fuselage section is 24 feet long and approximately 8 feet in diameter. The structure is primarily configured with a composite sandwich structure of carbon fiber face sheets with a Nomex(Trademark) honeycomb core. The outer surface area was inspected. The thermal data consisted of 477 data sets totaling in size of over 227 Gigabytes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to process the data sets for substructure and defect detection. A fixed eigenvector approach using a global covariance matrix was used and compared to a varying eigenvector approach. The fixed eigenvector approach was demonstrated to be a practical analysis method for the detection and interpretation of various defects such as paint thickness variation, possible water intrusion damage, and delamination damage. In addition, inspection considerations are discussed including coordinate system layout, manipulation of the fuselage section, and the manual scanning technique used for full coverage.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

First Scientific Working Group Meeting of Airborne Doppler Lidar Wind Velocity Measurement Program

The purpose of the first scientific working group meeting was fourfold: (1) to identify flight test options for engineering verification of the MSFC Doppler Lidar; (2) to identify flight test options for gathering data for scientific/technology applications; (3) to identify additional support equipment needed on the CV 990 aircraft for the flight tests; and (4) to identify postflight data processing and data sets requirements. The working group identified approximately ten flight options for gathering data on atmospheric dynamics processes, including turbulence, valley breezes, and thunderstorm cloud anvil and cold air outflow dynamics. These test options will be used as a basis for planning the fiscal year 1981 tests of the Doppler Lidar system.

Kaufman, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS2010

NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS): Delivering on the Dream, Today and Tomorrow

This paper describes the successful operations of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites over the past 10 years and the plans for the future. Excellent operations performance has been a key factor in the overall success of EOS. The EOS Program was conceived in the 1980s and began to take shape in the early 1990s. EOS consists of a series of satellites that study the Earth as an interrelated system. It began with the launch of Terra in December 1999, followed by Aqua in May 2002, and Aura in July 2004. A key EOS goal is to provide a long-term continuous data set to enable the science community to develop a better understanding of land, ocean, and atmospheric processes and their interactions. EOS has produced unprecedented amounts of data which are used all over the world free of charge. Mission operations have resulted in data recovery for Terra, Aqua, and Aura that have consistently exceeded mission requirements. The paper describes the ground systems and organizations that control the EOS satellites, capture the raw data, and distribute the processed science data sets. The paper further describes how operations have evolved since 1999. Examples of this evolution include (a) the implementation of new mission safety requirements for orbital debris monitoring; (b) technology upgrades to keep facilities at the state of the art; (c) enhancements to meet changing security requirements; and (d) operations management of the 2 international Earth Observing Constellations of 11 satellites known as the "Morning Constellation" and the "A-Train". The paper concludes with a view into the future based on the latest spacecraft status, lifetime projections, and mission plans.

Kelly, Angelita C.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Application of Domain Knowledge to Software Quality Assurance

This work focused on capturing, using, and evolving a qualitative decision support structure across the life cycle of a project. The particular application of this study was towards business process reengineering and the representation of the business process in a set of Business Rules (BR). In this work, we defined a decision model which captured the qualitative decision deliberation process. It represented arguments both for and against proposed alternatives to a problem. It was felt that the subjective nature of many critical business policy decisions required a qualitative modeling approach similar to that of Lee and Mylopoulos. While previous work was limited almost exclusively to the decision capture phase, which occurs early in the project life cycle, we investigated the use of such a model during the later stages as well. One of our significant developments was the use of the decision model during the operational phase of a project. By operational phase, we mean the phase in which the system or set of policies which were earlier decided are deployed and put into practice. By making the decision model available to operational decision makers, they would have access to the arguments pro and con for a variety of actions and can thus make a more informed decision which balances the often conflicting criteria by which the value of action is measured. We also developed the concept of a 'monitored decision' in which metrics of performance were identified during the decision making process and used to evaluate the quality of that decision. It is important to monitor those decision which seem at highest risk of not meeting their stated objectives. Operational decisions are also potentially high risk decisions. Finally, we investigated the use of performance metrics for monitored decisions and audit logs of operational decisions in order to feed an evolutionary phase of the the life cycle. During evolution, decisions are revisisted, assumptions verified or refuted, and possible reassessments resulting in new policy are made. In this regard we implemented a machine learning algorithm which automatically defined business rules based on expert assessment of the quality of operational decisions as recorded during deployment.

Wild, Christian W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Automatic mathematical modeling for real time simulation system

A methodology for automatic mathematical modeling and generating simulation models is described. The models will be verified by running in a test environment using standard profiles with the results compared against known results. The major objective is to create a user friendly environment for engineers to design, maintain, and verify their model and also automatically convert the mathematical model into conventional code for conventional computation. A demonstration program was designed for modeling the Space Shuttle Main Engine Simulation. It is written in LISP and MACSYMA and runs on a Symbolic 3670 Lisp Machine. The program provides a very friendly and well organized environment for engineers to build a knowledge base for base equations and general information. It contains an initial set of component process elements for the Space Shuttle Main Engine Simulation and a questionnaire that allows the engineer to answer a set of questions to specify a particular model. The system is then able to automatically generate the model and FORTRAN code. The future goal which is under construction is to download the FORTRAN code to VAX/VMS system for conventional computation. The SSME mathematical model will be verified in a test environment and the solution compared with the real data profile. The use of artificial intelligence techniques has shown that the process of the simulation modeling can be simplified.

Wang, Caroline↗
NASA NTRS1984

Sea Ice

Scientific objectives and observational requirements relative to sea ice studies in the 1990's are discussed. The development of coupled ice-ocean-atmosphere models that provide information comparable to real data sets through interactive processes is discussed. A series of particular problems that would provide the basis for such a verification data set and which is amenable to satellite systems available or realizable over the next 20 years is presented.

Ackley, S. F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Automatic mathematical modeling for space application

A methodology for automatic mathematical modeling is described. The major objective is to create a very friendly environment for engineers to design, maintain and verify their model and also automatically convert the mathematical model into FORTRAN code for conventional computation. A demonstration program was designed for modeling the Space Shuttle Main Engine simulation mathematical model called Propulsion System Automatic Modeling (PSAM). PSAM provides a very friendly and well organized environment for engineers to build a knowledge base for base equations and general information. PSAM contains an initial set of component process elements for the Space Shuttle Main Engine simulation and a questionnaire that allows the engineer to answer a set of questions to specify a particular model. PSAM is then able to automatically generate the model and the FORTRAN code. A future goal is to download the FORTRAN code to the VAX/VMS system for conventional computation.

Wang, Caroline K.↗
NASA NTRS2011

TAMU: Blueprint for A New Space Mission Operations System Paradigm

The Transferable, Adaptable, Modular and Upgradeable (TAMU) Flight Production Process (FPP) is a System of System (SOS) framework which cuts across multiple organizations and their associated facilities, that are, in the most general case, in geographically disperse locations, to develop the architecture and associated workflow processes of products for a broad range of flight projects. Further, TAMU FPP provides for the automatic execution and re-planning of the workflow processes as they become operational. This paper provides the blueprint for the TAMU FPP paradigm. This blueprint presents a complete, coherent technique, process and tool set that results in an infrastructure that can be used for full lifecycle design and decision making during the flight production process. Based on the many years of experience with the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and the International Space Station (ISS), the currently cancelled Constellation Program which aimed on returning humans to the moon as a starting point, has been building a modern model-based Systems Engineering infrastructure to Re-engineer the FPP. This infrastructure uses a structured modeling and architecture development approach to optimize the system design thereby reducing the sustaining costs and increasing system efficiency, reliability, robustness and maintainability metrics. With the advent of the new vision for human space exploration, it is now necessary to further generalize this framework to take into consideration a broad range of missions and the participation of multiple organizations outside of the MOD; hence the Transferable, Adaptable, Modular and Upgradeable (TAMU) concept.

Ruszkowski, James T.↗
NASA NTRS2011

TAMU: A New Space Mission Operations Paradigm

The Transferable, Adaptable, Modular and Upgradeable (TAMU) Flight Production Process (FPP) is a model-centric System of System (SoS) framework which cuts across multiple organizations and their associated facilities, that are, in the most general case, in geographically diverse locations, to develop the architecture and associated workflow processes for a broad range of mission operations. Further, TAMU FPP envisions the simulation, automatic execution and re-planning of orchestrated workflow processes as they become operational. This paper provides the vision for the TAMU FPP paradigm. This includes a complete, coherent technique, process and tool set that result in an infrastructure that can be used for full lifecycle design and decision making during any flight production process. A flight production process is the process of developing all products that are necessary for flight.

Meshkat, Leila↗
NASA NTRS2011

TAMU: a new space mission operations paradigm

The Transferable, Adaptable, Modular and Upgradeable (TAMU) Flight Production Process (FPP) is a model-centric System of System (SoS) framework which cuts across multiple organizations and their associated facilities, that are, in the most general case, in geographically diverse locations, to develop the architecture and associated workflow processes for a broad range of mission operations. Further, TAMU FPP envisions the simulation, automatic execution and re-planning of orchestrated workflow processes as they become operational. This paper provides the vision for the TAMU FPP paradigm. This includes a complete, coherent technique, process and tool set that result in an infrastructure that can be used for full lifecycle design and decision making during any flight production process. A flight production process is the process of developing all products that are necessary for flight.

Meshkat, Leila↗
NASA NTRS1991

Image retrieval and processing system version 2.0 development work

The Image Retrieval and Processing System (IRPS) is a software package developed at Washington University and used by the NASA Regional Planetary Image Facilities (RPIF's). The IRPS combines data base management and image processing components to allow the user to examine catalogs of image data, locate the data of interest, and perform radiometric and geometric calibration of the data in preparation for analysis. Version 1.0 of IRPS was completed in Aug. 1989 and was installed at several IRPS's. Other RPIF's use remote logins via NASA Science Internet to access IRPS at Washington University. Work was begun on designing and population a catalog of Magellan image products that will be part of IRPS Version 2.0, planned for release by the end of calendar year 1991. With this catalog, a user will be able to search by orbit and by location for Magellan Basic Image Data Records (BIDR's), Mosaicked Image Data Records (MIDR's), and Altimetry-Radiometry Composite Data Records (ARCDR's). The catalog will include the Magellan CD-ROM volume, director, and file name for each data product. The image processing component of IRPS is based on the Planetary Image Cartography Software (PICS) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona. To augment PICS capabilities, a set of image processing programs were developed that are compatible with PICS-format images. This software includes general-purpose functions that PICS does not have, analysis and utility programs for specific data sets, and programs from other sources that were modified to work with PICS images. Some of the software will be integrated into the Version 2.0 release of IRPS. A table is presented that lists the programs with a brief functional description of each.

Slavney, Susan H.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Thematic mapper design parameter investigation

This study simulated the multispectral data sets to be expected from three different Thematic Mapper configurations, and the ground processing of these data sets by three different resampling techniques. The simulated data sets were then evaluated by processing them for multispectral classification, and the Thematic Mapper configuration, and resampling technique which provided the best classification accuracy were identified.

Colby, C. P., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1990

On a production system using default reasoning for pattern classification

This paper addresses an unconventional application of a production system to a problem involving belief specialization. The production system reduces a large quantity of low-level descriptions into just a few higher-level descriptions that encompass the problem space in a more tractable fashion. This classification process utilizes a set of descriptions generated by combining the component hierarchy of a physical system with the semantics of the terminology employed in its operation. The paper describes an application of this process in a program, constructed in C and CLIPS, that classifies signatures of electromechanical system configurations. The program compares two independent classifications, describing the actual and expected system configurations, in order to generate a set of contradictions between the two.

Barry, Matthew R.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Material Characterization and Geometric Segmentation of a Composite Structure Using Microfocus X-Ray Computed Tomography Image-Based Finite Element Modeling

This study utilizes microfocus x-ray computed tomography (CT) slice sets to model and characterize the damage locations and sizes in thermal protection system materials that underwent impact testing. ScanIP/FE software is used to visualize and process the slice sets, followed by mesh generation on the segmented volumetric rendering. Then, the local stress fields around several of the damaged regions are calculated for realistic mission profiles that subject the sample to extreme temperature and other severe environmental conditions. The resulting stress fields are used to quantify damage severity and make an assessment as to whether damage that did not penetrate to the base material can still result in catastrophic failure of the structure. It is expected that this study will demonstrate that finite element modeling based on an accurate three-dimensional rendered model from a series of CT slices is an essential tool to quantify the internal macroscopic defects and damage of a complex system made out of thermal protection material. Results obtained showing details of segmented images; three-dimensional volume-rendered models, finite element meshes generated, and the resulting thermomechanical stress state due to impact loading for the material are presented and discussed. Further, this study is conducted to exhibit certain high-caliber capabilities that the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) group at NASA Glenn Research Center can offer to assist in assessing the structural durability of such highly specialized materials so improvements in their performance and capacities to handle harsh operating conditions can be made.

Abdul-Aziz, Ali↗
NASA NTRS1987

Parallel Algorithm Solves Coupled Differential Equations

Numerical methods adapted to concurrent processing. Algorithm solves set of coupled partial differential equations by numerical integration. Adapted to run on hypercube computer, algorithm separates problem into smaller problems solved concurrently. Increase in computing speed with concurrent processing over that achievable with conventional sequential processing appreciable, especially for large problems.

Hayashi, A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A design for an intelligent monitor and controller for space station electrical power using parallel distributed problem solving

The emphasis is on defining a set of communicating processes for intelligent spacecraft secondary power distribution and control. The computer hardware and software implementation platform for this work is that of the ADEPTS project at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). The electrical power system design which was used as the basis for this research is that of Space Station Freedom, although the functionality of the processes defined here generalize to any permanent manned space power control application. First, the Space Station Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) hardware to be monitored is described, followed by a set of scenarios describing typical monitor and control activity. Then, the parallel distributed problem solving approach to knowledge engineering is introduced. There follows a two-step presentation of the intelligent software design for secondary power control. The first step decomposes the problem of monitoring and control into three primary functions. Each of the primary functions is described in detail. Suggestions for refinements and embelishments in design specifications are given.

Morris, Robert A.↗