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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

Continued Development of Meandering Winding Magnetometer (MWM (Register Trademark)) Eddy Current Sensors for the Health Monitoring, Modeling and Damage Detection of Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels

Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) are used in essentially all NASA spacecraft, launch. vehicles and payloads to contain high-pressure fluids for propulsion, life support systems and science experiments. Failure of any COPV either in flight or during ground processing would result in catastrophic damage to the spacecraft or payload, and could lead to loss of life. Therefore, NASA continues to investigate new methods to non-destructively inspect (NDE) COPVs for structural anomalies and to provide a means for in-situ structural health monitoring (SHM) during operational service. Partnering with JENTEK Sensors, engineers at NASA, Kennedy Space Center have successfully conducted a proof-of-concept study to develop Meandering Winding Magnetometer (MWM) eddy current sensors designed to make direct measurements of the stresses of the internal layers of a carbon fiber composite wrapped COPV. During this study three different MWM sensors were tested at three orientations to demonstrate the ability of the technology to measure stresses at various fiber orientations and depths. These results showed good correlation with actual surface strain gage measurements. MWM-Array technology for scanning COPVs can reliably be used to image and detect mechanical damage. To validate this conclusion, several COPVs were scanned to obtain a baseline, and then each COPV was impacted at varying energy levels and then rescanned. The baseline subtracted images were used to demonstrate damage detection. These scans were performed with two different MWM-Arrays. with different geometries for near-surface and deeper penetration imaging at multiple frequencies and in multiple orientations of the linear MWM drive. This presentation will include a review of micromechanical models that relate measured sensor responses to composite material constituent properties, validated by the proof of concept study, as the basis for SHM and NDE data analysis as well as potential improvements including design changes to miniaturize and make the sensors durable in the vacuum of space

Russell, Richard↗

MODIS Observation of Aerosols over Southern Africa During SAFARI 2000: Data, Validation, and Estimation of Aerosol Radiative Forcing

Aerosol properties, including optical thickness and size parameters, are retrieved operationally from the MODIS sensor onboard the Terra satellite launched on 18 December 1999. The predominant aerosol type over the Southern African region is smoke, which is generated from biomass burning on land and transported over the southern Atlantic Ocean. The SAFARI-2000 period experienced smoke aerosol emissions from the regular biomass burning activities as well as from the prescribed burns administered on the auspices of the experiment. The MODIS Aerosol Science Team (MAST) formulates and implements strategies for the retrieval of aerosol products from MODIS, as well as for validating and analyzing them in order to estimate aerosol effects in the radiative forcing of climate as accurately as possible. These activities are carried out not only from a global perspective, but also with a focus on specific regions identified as having interesting characteristics, such as the biomass burning phenomenon in southern Africa and the associated smoke aerosol, particulate, and trace gas emissions. Indeed, the SAFARI-2000 aerosol measurements from the ground and from aircraft, along with MODIS, provide excellent data sources for a more intensive validation and a closer study of the aerosol characteristics over Southern Africa. The SAFARI-2000 ground-based measurements of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) from both the automatic Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and handheld Sun photometers have been used to validate MODIS retrievals, based on a sophisticated spatio-temporal technique. The average global monthly distribution of aerosol from MODIS has been combined with other data to calculate the southern African aerosol daily averaged (24 hr) radiative forcing over the ocean for September 2000. It is estimated that on the average, for cloud free conditions over an area of 9 million square kin, this predominantly smoke aerosol exerts a forcing of -30 W/square m C lose to the terrestrial surface and -10 W/square m at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). While cooling the surface and Earth system, the difference of 20 W/square m is energy that heats the atmosphere.

Ichoku, Charles↗

SIMBIOS Sun Photometer Program

Aerosol optical thickness (AOT) values determined from the satellite ocean color data provide useful information on the spatial and temporal distributions of aerosols and are by-products of the atmospheric corrections required to estimation of water-leaving radiances. The Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) project is using in situ atmospheric data, primarily from sun photometers, for several purposes including: (1) validation the SeaWiFS and other ocean color mission aerosol optical products, e.g., AOT and Angstrom exponent; (2) evaluation of the aerosol models currently used for atmospheric corrections; and (3) development of vicarious sensor calibration methodologies, especially for the near-infrared bands where in situ water-leaving radiance data in the visible from sites like the Marine Optical Buoy cannot be used. The principal source of in situ aerosol observations was the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET).

McClain, Charles↗

Agricultural scene understanding

The author has identified the following significant results. The LACIE field measurement data were radiometrically calibrated. Calibration enabled valid comparisons of measurements from different dates, sensors, and/or locations. Thermal band canopy results included: (1) Wind velocity had a significant influence on the overhead radiance temperature and the effect was quantized. Biomass and soil temperatures, temperature gradient, and canopy geometry were altered. (2) Temperature gradient was a function of wind velocity. (3) Temperature gradient of the wheat canopy was relatively constant during the day. (4) The laser technique provided good quality geometric characterization.

Landgrebe, D. A.↗

A Survey of Current Rotorcraft Propulsion Health Monitoring Technologies

A brief review is presented on the state-of-the-art in rotorcraft engine health monitoring technologies including summaries on current practices in the area of sensors, data acquisition, monitoring and analysis. Also, presented are guidelines for verification and validation of Health Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and specifically for maintenance credits to extend part life. Finally, a number of new efforts in HUMS are summarized as well as lessons learned and future challenges. In particular, gaps are identified to supporting maintenance credits to extend rotorcraft engine part life. A number of data sources were consulted and include results from a survey from the HUMS community, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) documents, American Helicopter Society (AHS) papers, as well as references from Defence Science & Technology Organization (DSTO), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Delgado, Irebert R.↗

Airborne Spectral BRDF of Various Surface Types (Ocean, Vegetation, Snow, Desert, Wetlands, Cloud Decks, Smoke Layers) for Remote Sensing Applications

In this paper we describe measurements of the bidirectional reflectance-distribution function (BRDF) acquired over a 30-year period (1984-2014) by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR). Our BRDF database encompasses various natural surfaces that are representative of many land cover or ecosystem types found throughout the world. CAR's unique measurement geometry allows a comparison of measurements acquired from different satellite instruments with various geometrical configurations, none of which are capable of obtaining such a complete and nearly instantaneous BRDF. This database is therefore of great value in validating many satellite sensors and assessing corrections of reflectances for angular effects. These data can also be used to evaluate the ability of analytical models to reproduce the observed directional signatures, to develop BRDF models that are suitable for sub-kilometer-scale satellite observations over both homogeneous and heterogeneous landscape types, and to test future spaceborne sensors. All of these BRDF data are publicly available and accessible in hierarchical data format (http:car.gsfc.nasa.gov/).

albedo↗

Charactarization of Thermal Protection Systems

In 2012, NASA's mission of landing the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) on Mars was successful. MSL was protected by an ablative heatshield of tiled low density material known as PICA (phenolic impregnated carbon ablator). The heatshield was instrumented with MEDLI (MSL Entry Descent Landing Instrument) a suite of sensors & thermocouples at discrete locations in order to monitor the in-depth ablator temperature response and surface pressure. MEDLI was designed and developed by NASA Langley, in partnership with NASA Ames Research Center for the purposes of probing Mars and evaluating the performance of the spacecraft upon entry into the Martian atmosphere. The flight data reduces the uncertainty in engineer models for predicting the response of a spacecraft towards the extreme heating environment of an entry into the Martian atmosphere. MEDLI2 is a part of the Mars 2020 mission and is the next-generation sensor suite for entry, descent, and landing. This data will again help engineers validate their flight models. Additionally, the atmospheric data, can help us understand atmospheric density and winds. This is a critical study for reducing risks to both robotic and future human missions to Mars. Engineered models for Mars 2020 are dependent upon parameters related to the materials response to heating and radiation. In this work, the thermal properties and other measurements of various ablative materials are analyzed to achieve greater utility of the 2012 MEDLI flight data and more accurately determine the parameters being used in Mars 2020. The purpose of this study was to measure specific heat, thermal conductivity, char yield, reflectance as a function of wavelength, and other thermal parameters and optical properties of various ablative materials. CO2(g) at extreme temperatures emits radiation impacting MEDLI2 flight predictions. Emissivity & absorptivity as a function of temperature were calculated from FTIR and UV-Vis data as a means of investigating whether these materials might absorb CO2 radiation upon entry into the Mars atmosphere.

HEEET↗

Finite Element Thermal Model for Ultrasonic Welding of Thermoplastic Composites

Ultrasonic welding, UW, is a fast and energy-efficient technique for joining thermoplastic composites. It involves the use of high-frequency mechanical vibrations and a static welding force to melt and join adherends. Ultrasonic welding is an enabling technology to reduce the cost and complexity of in-space construction because lightweight thermoplastic composite components can be packaged compactly for launch and then efficiently assembled using supervised autonomous robotic technologies on site. However, the temperatures in space present challenges to UW, and it is critical that the efficacy of process parameters selected for manufacturing in space is understood prior to launch. To this end, a three-dimensional finite element model is presented in this technical presentation. The model incorporates equations for effects of viscoelastic heating and heat transfer on the welding process. The proposed model is applied to predict the temperature distribution in single lap shear, SLS, samples composed of AS4/PEEK (TC1200) composite that were welded using a terrestrial machine as part of a comprehensive weldability study. Thermocouple and infrared spot sensor data from the SLS samples provide empirical temperature measurements for calibration and validation of the UW thermal model. Calibration and validation of the model is an important step given the significant uncertainties in material properties such as the loss modulus and necessary assumptions in the physics implementations which allow the model to converge in an acceptable amount of time. The validated thermal model can be used to simulate the process for the space environment. Future validation sample testing is planned in a vacuum chamber. The result will be a model capable of guiding process parameter selection to ensure acceptable weld bonds when manufacturing in space.

Josh Fody↗

Coastal Atmosphere and Sea Time Series (CoASTS)

The Coastal Atmosphere and Sea Time Series (CoASTS) Project aimed at supporting ocean color research and applications, from 1995 up to the time of publication of this document, has ensured the collection of a comprehensive atmospheric and marine data set from an oceanographic tower located in the northern Adriatic Sea. The instruments and the measurement methodologies used to gather quantities relevant for bio-optical modeling and for the calibration and validation of ocean color sensors, are described. Particular emphasis is placed on four items: (1) the evaluation of perturbation effects in radiometric data (i.e., tower-shading, instrument self-shading, and bottom effects); (2) the intercomparison of seawater absorption coefficients from in situ measurements and from laboratory spectrometric analysis on discrete samples; (3) the intercomparison of two filter techniques for in vivo measurement of particulate absorption coefficients; and (4) the analysis of repeatability and reproducibility of the most relevant laboratory measurements carried out on seawater samples (i.e., particulate and yellow substance absorption coefficients, and pigment and total suspended matter concentrations). Sample data are also presented and discussed to illustrate the typical features characterizing the CoASTS measurement site in view of supporting the suitability of the CoASTS data set for bio-optical modeling and ocean color calibration and validation.

Hooker, Stanford B.↗

Passive microwave remote sensing for sea ice research

Techniques for gathering data by remote sensors on satellites utilized for sea ice research are summarized. Measurement of brightness temperatures by a passive microwave imager converted to maps of total sea ice concentration and to the areal fractions covered by first year and multiyear ice are described. Several ancillary observations, especially by means of automatic data buoys and submarines equipped with upward looking sonars, are needed to improve the validation and interpretation of satellite data. The design and performance characteristics of the Navy's Special Sensor Microwave Imager, expected to be in orbit in late 1985, are described. It is recommended that data from that instrument be processed to a form suitable for research applications and archived in a readily accessible form. The sea ice data products required for research purposes are described and recommendations for their archival and distribution to the scientific community are presented.

Source record↗

The New NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model ORDEM2000

The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office at Johnson Space Center has developed a new computer-based orbital debris engineering model, ORDEM2000, which describes the orbital debris environment in the low Earth orbit region between 200 and 2000 km altitude. The model is appropriate for those engineering solutions requiring knowledge and estimates of the orbital debris environment (debris spatial density, flux, etc.). ORDEM2000 can also be used as a benchmark for ground-based debris measurements and observations. We incorporated a large set of observational data, covering the object size range from 10 mm to 10 m, into the ORDEM2000 debris database, utilizing a maximum likelihood estimator to convert observations into debris population probability distribution functions. These functions then form the basis of debris populations. We developed a finite element model to process the debris populations to form the debris environment. A more capable input and output structure and a user-friendly graphical user interface are also implemented in the model. ORDEM2000 has been subjected to a significant verification and validation effort. This document describes ORDEM2000, which supersedes the previous model, ORDEM96. The availability of new sensor and in situ data, as well as new analytical techniques, has enabled the construction of this new model. Section 1 describes the general requirements and scope of an engineering model. Data analyses and the theoretical formulation of the model are described in Sections 2 and 3. Section 4 describes the verification and validation effort and the sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Finally, Section 5 describes the graphical user interface, software installation, and test cases for the user.

Liou, Jer-Chyi↗

High-Temperature Strain Sensing for Aerospace Applications

Thermal protection systems (TPS) and hot structures are utilizing advanced materials that operate at temperatures that exceed abilities to measure structural performance. Robust strain sensors that operate accurately and reliably beyond 1800 F are needed but do not exist. These shortcomings hinder the ability to validate analysis and modeling techniques and hinders the ability to optimize structural designs. This presentation examines high-temperature strain sensing for aerospace applications and, more specifically, seeks to provide strain data for validating finite element models and thermal-structural analyses. Efforts have been made to develop sensor attachment techniques for relevant structural materials at the small test specimen level and to perform laboratory tests to characterize sensor and generate corrections to apply to indicated strains. Areas highlighted in this presentation include sensors, sensor attachment techniques, laboratory evaluation/characterization of strain measurement, and sensor use in large-scale structures.

Piazza, Anthony↗

A Compilation of Global Bio-Optical in Situ Data for Ocean Colour Satellite Applications – Version Three

A global in situ data set for validation of ocean colour products from the ESA Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI) is presented. This version of the compilation, starting in 1997, now extends to 2021, which is important for the validation of the most recent satellite optical sensors such as Sentinel 3B OLCI and NOAA-20 VIIRS. The data set comprises in situ observations of the following variables: spectral remote-sensing reflectance, concentration of chlorophyll-a, spectral inherent optical properties, spectral diffuse attenuation coefficient, and total suspended matter. Data were obtained from multi-project archives acquired via open internet services or from individual projects acquired directly from data providers. Methodologies were implemented for homogenization, quality control, and merging of all data. Minimal changes were made on the original data, other than conversion to a standard format, elimination of some points, after quality control and averaging of observations that were close in time and space. The result is a merged table available in text format. Overall, the size of the data set grew with 148 432 rows, with each row representing a unique station in space and time (cf. 136 250 rows in previous version; Valente et al., 2019). Observations of remote-sensing reflectance increased to 68 641 (cf. 59 781 in previous version; Valente et al., 2019). There was also a near tenfold increase in chlorophyll data since 2016. Metadata of each in situ measurement (original source, cruise or experiment, principal investigator) are included in the final table. By making the metadata available, provenance is better documented and it is also possible to analyse each set of data separately.

ocean color↗

Airborne Spectral Measurements of Ocean Directional Reflectance

During summer of 2001 NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) obtained measurement of ocean angular distribution of reflected radiation or BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) aboard the University of Washington Convair CV-580 research aircraft under cloud-free conditions. The measurements took place aver the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern seaboard of the U.S. in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Light Tower and at nearby National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Buoy Stations. The measurements were in support of CLAMS, Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites, field campaign that was primarily designed to validate and improve NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite data products being derived from three sensors: MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer), MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer) and CERES (Clouds and Earth s Radiant Energy System). Because of the high resolution of the CAR measurements and its high sensitivity to detect weak ocean signals against a noisy background, results of radiance field above the ocean are seen in unprecedented detail. The study also attempts to validate the widely used Cox-Munk model for predicting reflectance from a rough ocean surface.

Gatebe, Charles K.↗

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 19: Case studies for SeaWiFS calibration and validation, part 2

This document provides brief reports, or case studies, on a number of investigations and data set development activities sponsored by the Calibration and Validation Team (CVT) within the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Project. Chapter 1 is a comparison with the atmospheric correction of Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data using two independent radiative transfer formulations. Chapter 2 is a study on lunar reflectance at the SeaWiFS wavelengths which was useful in establishing the SeaWiFS lunar gain. Chapter 3 reports the results of the first ground-based solar calibration of the SeaWiFS instrument. The experiment was repeated in the fall of 1993 after the instrument was modified to reduce stray light; the results from the second experiment will be provided in the next case studies volume. Chapter 4 is a laboratory experiment using trap detectors which may be useful tools in the calibration round-robin program. Chapter 5 is the original data format evaluation study conducted in 1992 which outlines the technical criteria used in considering three candidate formats, the hierarchical data format (HDF), the common data format (CDF), and the network CDF (netCDF). Chapter 6 summarizes the meteorological data sets accumulated during the first three years of CZCS operation which are being used for initial testing of the operational SeaWiFS algorithms and systems and would be used during a second global processing of the CZCS data set. Chapter 7 describes how near-real time surface meteorological and total ozone data required for the atmospheric correction algorithm will be retrieved and processed. Finally, Chapter 8 is a comparison of surface wind products from various operational meteorological centers and field observations. Surface winds are used in the atmospheric correction scheme to estimate glint and foam radiances.

Hooker, Stanford B.↗

LaSRC (Land Surface Reflectance Code): Overview, Application and Validation Using MODIS, VIIRS, LANDSAT and Sentinel 2 Data's

This paper presents a generic approach developed to derive surface reflectance over land from a variety of sensors. This technique builds on the extensive dataset acquired by the Terra platform by combining MODIS and MISR to derivean explicit and dynamic map of band ratio's between blue and red channels and is a refinement of the operational approach used for MODIS and LANDSAT over the past 15 years. We will present the generic approach and the application to MODIS VIIRS, LANDSAT and Sentinel 2 data's and its validation using the AERONET data.

validation↗

Dynamic Load Measurement of Ballistic Gelatin Impact Using an Instrumented Tube

Bird strikes are a common problem for the aerospace industry and can cause serious damage to an aircraft. Ballistic gelatin is frequently used as a surrogate for actual bird carcasses in bird strike tests. Numerical simulations of these tests are used to supplement experimental data, therefore it is necessary to use numerical modeling techniques that can accurately capture the dynamic response of ballistic gelatin. An experimental technique is introduced to validate these modeling techniques. A ballistic gelatin projectile is fired into a strike plate attached to a 36 in. long sensor tube. Dynamic load is measured at two locations relative to the strike plate using strain gages configured in a full Wheatstone bridge. Data from these experiments are used to validate a gelatin constitutive model. Simulations of the apparatus are analyzed to investigate its performance.

Seidt, J. D.↗

Results of the Magnetometer Navigation (MAGNAV)lnflight Experiment

The Magnetometer Navigation (MAGNAV) algorithm is currently running as a flight experiment as part of the Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) Post-Science Engineering Testbed. Initialization of MAGNAV occurred on September 4, 2003. MAGNAV is designed to autonomously estimate the spacecraft orbit, attitude, and rate using magnetometer and sun sensor data. Since the Earth's magnetic field is a function of time and position, and since time is known quite precisely, the differences between the computed magnetic field and measured magnetic field components, as measured by the magnetometer throughout the entire spacecraft orbit, are a function of the spacecraft trajectory and attitude errors. Therefore, these errors are used to estimate both trajectory and attitude. In addition, the time rate of change of the magnetic field vector is used to estimate the spacecraft rotation rate. The estimation of the attitude and trajectory is augmented with the rate estimation into an Extended Kalman filter blended with a pseudo-linear Kalman filter. Sun sensor data is also used to improve the accuracy and observability of the attitude and rate estimates. This test serves to validate MAGNAV as a single low cost navigation system which utilizes reliable, flight qualified sensors. MAGNAV is intended as a backup algorithm, an initialization algorithm, or possibly a prime navigation algorithm for a mission with coarse requirements. Results from the first six months of operation are presented.

Thienel, Julie K.↗