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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 NTRS1998

X33 Reusable Launch Vehicle Control on Sliding Modes: Concepts for a Control System Development

Control of the X33 reusable launch vehicle is considered. The launch control problem consists of automatic tracking of the launch trajectory which is assumed to be optimally precalculated. It requires development of a reliable, robust control algorithm that can automatically adjust to some changes in mission specifications (mass of payload, target orbit) and the operating environment (atmospheric perturbations, interconnection perturbations from the other subsystems of the vehicle, thrust deficiencies, failure scenarios). One of the effective control strategies successfully applied in nonlinear systems is the Sliding Mode Control. The main advantage of the Sliding Mode Control is that the system's state response in the sliding surface remains insensitive to certain parameter variations, nonlinearities and disturbances. Employing the time scaling concept, a new two (three)-loop structure of the control system for the X33 launch vehicle was developed. Smoothed sliding mode controllers were designed to robustly enforce the given closed-loop dynamics. Simulations of the 3-DOF model of the X33 launch vehicle with the table-look-up models for Euler angle reference profiles and disturbance torque profiles showed a very accurate, robust tracking performance.

Shtessel, Yuri B.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Qualitative Event-Based Diagnosis: Case Study on the Second International Diagnostic Competition

We describe a diagnosis algorithm entered into the Second International Diagnostic Competition. We focus on the first diagnostic problem of the industrial track of the competition in which a diagnosis algorithm must detect, isolate, and identify faults in an electrical power distribution testbed and provide corresponding recovery recommendations. The diagnosis algorithm embodies a model-based approach, centered around qualitative event-based fault isolation. Faults produce deviations in measured values from model-predicted values. The sequence of these deviations is matched to those predicted by the model in order to isolate faults. We augment this approach with model-based fault identification, which determines fault parameters and helps to further isolate faults. We describe the diagnosis approach, provide diagnosis results from running the algorithm on provided example scenarios, and discuss the issues faced, and lessons learned, from implementing the approach

Daigle, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS1986

Gravity mismodelling on TOPEX orbit determination

Gravity mismodeling limits the dynamic orbit determination accuracy of TOPEX which requires an altitude accuracy of about 15 cm or better. This paper provides an assessment of this effect for a dynamic GPS tracking scheme, and investigates a nondynamic GPS tracking technique that eliminates the problem. Analysis indicates that TOPEX altitude error could be affected by as much as 30-40 cm when dynamic differential GPS tracking is used, although efforts now underway to improve the gravity model could reduce this. With the nondynamic technique, the positional change of TOPEX is inferred from the accurate, continuous GPS carrier phase measurements rather than from a dynamic model which is prone to gravity error. TOPEX altitude accuracy better than 15 cm is attainable with nondynamic tracking over a few hours.

Wu, S.-C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Metadata Action Language

The data management problem comprises data processing and data tracking. Data processing is the creation of new data based on existing data sources. Data tracking consists of storing metadata descriptions of available data. This paper addresses the data management problem by casting it as an AI planning problem. Actions are data-processing commands, plans are dataflow programs and goals are metadata descriptions of desired data products. Data manipulation is simply plan generation and execution, and a key component of data tracking is inferring the effects of an observed plan. We introduce a new action language for data management domains, called ADILM. We discuss the connection between data processing and information integration and show how a language for the latter must be modified to support the former. The paper also discusses information gathering within a data-processing framework, and show how ADILM metadata expressions are a generalization of Local Completeness.

Golden, Keith↗
NASA NTRS1985

The Nagoya cosmic-ray muon spectrometer 3, part 4: Track reconstruction method

One of the greatest problems in measuring particle trajectories with an optical or visual detector system, is the reconstruction of trajectories in real space from their recorded images. In the Nagoya cosmic-ray muon spectrometer, muon tracks are detected by wide gap spark chambers and their images are recorded on the photographic film through an optical system of 10 mirrors and two cameras. For the spatial reconstruction, 42 parameters of the optical system should be known to determine the configuration of this system. It is almost impossible to measure this many parameters directly with usual techniques. In order to solve this problem, the inverse transformation method was applied. In this method, all the optical parameters are determined from the locations of fiducial marks in real space and the locations of their images on the photographic film by the non-linear least square fitting.

Shibata, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Space Shuttle/TDRSS communication and tracking systems analysis

In order to evaluate the technical and operational problem areas and provide a recommendation, the enhancements to the Tracking and Data Delay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Shuttle must be evaluated through simulation and analysis. These enhancement techniques must first be characterized, then modeled mathematically, and finally updated into LinCsim (analytical simulation package). The LinCsim package can then be used as an evaluation tool. Three areas of potential enhancements were identified: shuttle payload accommodations, TDRSS SSA and KSA services, and shuttle tracking system and navigation sensors. Recommendations for each area were discussed.

Lindsey, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Application of a Monte Carlo accuracy assessment tool to TDRS and GPS

In support of a NASA study on the application of radio interferometry to satellite orbit determination, MITRE developed a simulation tool for assessing interferometric tracking accuracy. Initially, the tool was applied to the problem of determining optimal interferometric station siting for orbit determination of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). Subsequently, the Orbit Determination Accuracy Estimator (ODAE) was expanded to model the general batch maximum likelihood orbit determination algorithms of the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) with measurement types including not only group and phase delay from radio interferometry, but also range, range rate, angular measurements, and satellite-to-satellite measurements. The user of ODAE specifies the statistical properties of error sources, including inherent observable imprecision, atmospheric delays, station location uncertainty, and measurement biases. Upon Monte Carlo simulation of the orbit determination process, ODAE calculates the statistical properties of the error in the satellite state vector and any other parameters for which a solution was obtained in the orbit determination. This paper presents results from ODAE application to two different problems: (1)determination of optimal geometry for interferometirc tracking of TDRS, and (2) expected orbit determination accuracy for Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Conclusions about optimal ground station locations for TDRS orbit determination by radio interferometry are presented, and the feasibility of GPS-based tracking for IRIDIUM, a LEO mobile satellite communications (MOBILSATCOM) system, is demonstrated.

Pavloff, Michael S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Cross-Talk in QPSK Communication Systems

This report investigates the effects of cross-talk on the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance of QPSK communication systems. There are four different sources that can cause cross-talk in QPSK systems, namely, a band-limited channel, asymmetry in filters, phase imbalance between the channels, and imperfect carrier tracking. This report emphasizes the last two problems (where either phase imbalance in the local VCOs or imperfect carrier tracking exists).

Bit Error Rate Cross Talk Bandlimitted Channel Asy↗
NASA NTRS1977

Smoothing of orbital tracking data: Mission planning, mission analysis and software formulation

The problem created by the presence of wild or outlying data points among orbital tracking data, is addressed. Consideration is given to the effects of such outliers on the orbit determination process, and methods for minimizing or even eliminating these effects are proposed. Some preliminary efforts implementing these new methods are described, and the results thus far obtained are summarized. Based on these ideas and results, recommendations are made for future investigation.

Vedder, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Comparison and extension of a direct model reference adaptive control procedure

This paper analyzes and extends an easily implemented direct model reference adaptive control procedure. The paper focuses on the major limitation of this control approach which is the satisfaction of a strictly positive real sufficiency condition in order to guarantee asymptotic tracking. Attempts, to date, to address this problem have been unable to relax simultaneously the stringent condition and maintain asymptotic tracking capabilities. Three different modifications to existing versions of this algorithm are presented which substantially relax the stringent sufficiency condition while providing asymptotic tracking. These three modifications achieve this goal by imposing slight adjustments to existing sufficiency conditions. A simulation example demonstrates that the modifications eliminate the steady error inherent in the existing methods.

Neat, Gregory W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Real-time motion tracking of three-dimensional objects

The problem in which the three-dimensional motion of an object corresponding to a known polyhedral model is to be computed using only the motion of edge features in a continuous stream of two-dimensional images is considered. Advantage is taken of the spatiotemporal density of the input signal and the limitations of long-range trajectory-prediction methods are avoided. Two parallel algorithms which use feature-based, short-range (spatiotemporally local) motion processes to achieve real-time tracking of modeled objects are presented. Both algorithms have been implemented and tested on a tightly coupled multiprocessor system consisting of an Aspex Pipe for low-level, image-feature computations and a Sequent Symmetry for high-level, model-based computations. An analysis is given of the actual performance limits of each method using the current hardware configuration.

Verghese, Gilbert↗
NASA NTRS1985

Disturbance-accommodating tracking maneuvers of flexible spacecraft

In this paper the problem of maneuvering a flexible spacecraft through a large angle is considered, where the disturbance-accommodating feedback control tracks a desired output state. The desired output state is provided from an open-loop solution for the linear system model. The components of the disturbance vector are assumed to be represented in terms of Fourier series. Closed-form solutions are provided for the Ricati, prefilter, state trajectory, and residual state trajectory equations which define the optimal control. Example maneuvers are presented where control-rate penalties have been included in the performance index for frequency-shaping, in order to smooth both the open- and closed-loop control commands.

Turner, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Slope-induced errors in radar altimetry over continental ice sheets

Altimeter measurements of ranges to modelled irregular surfaces are simulated and two correction schemes are used to reconstruct the modelled surfaces from the simulated data. When the cross-track slope is negligible, the problem can be treated as two-dimensional and the relocation method is preferred to the slope correction method. In a two-dimensional test case, 85 percent of the slope-induced rms error was removed by the relocation method. The mean error along profiles of about 75 km or longer is usually reduced more than the rms error. An alternative slope correction scheme, which uses the local slope to calculate the expected error, is less effective in the two-dimensional case. Over a simulated three-dimensional surface, where groundtracks are widely spaced and cross-track slopes are significant, the slope-correction method must be used in at least the cross-track direction.

Brenner, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Sequential filtering applied to the determination of tracking station locations

The extended sequential filter has been applied to the problem of dynamically determining the geocentric coordinates of two laser satellite tracking stations. This filter provides significant advantages over the classical batch methods through (1) fewer iterations required for convergence, (2) wider radius of convergence, and (3) availability of the parameter estimate evolution. Processing the data sequentially readily identifies the data arcs required to minimize the effects of geopotential model errors. By means of the Smithsonian standard earth 2 and the Goddard earth model 1 geopotentials to reduce laser range observations of the Beacon Explorer-C satellite, it is demonstrated that a two-pass arc is optimal for estimating the height of one station and all coordinates of the second station while minimizing the effect of geopotential model error. These two-pass estimates are in good agreement with other determinations that utilize considerably more data as well as different satellites.

Schutz, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Man-in-the-loop study of filtering in airborne head tracking tasks

A human-factors study is conducted of problems due to vibrations during the use of a helmet-mounted display (HMD) in tracking tasks whose major factors are target motion and head vibration. A method is proposed for improving aiming accuracy in such tracking tasks on the basis of (1) head-motion measurement and (2) the shifting of the reticle in the HMD in ways that inhibit much of the involuntary apparent motion of the reticle, relative to the target, and the nonvoluntary motion of the teleoperated device. The HMD inherently furnishes the visual feedback required by this scheme.

Lifshitz, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Automated scanning of plastic nuclear track detectors using the Minnesota star scanner

The problems found in an attempt to adapt an automated scanner of astronomical plates, the Minnesota Automated Dual Plate Scanner (APS), to locating and measuring the etch pits produced by ionizing particles in plastic nuclear track detectors (CR-39) are described. A visual study of these pits was made to determine the errors introduced in determining positions and shapes. Measurements made under a low power microscope were compared with those from the APS.

Fink, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

GEOS-2 C-band system project. C-band radars and their use on the GEOS-2 project

The material presented covers the general topic of C-band radars and their use throughout the GEOS-2 C-band Radar System Project and has direct application to the general problem of gathering accurate radar tracking data. The material is hardware oriented and all analyses and evaluations described pertain to the gathering of accurate data rather than to the application of the gathered data. The radar oriented investigations formed a basic and necessary part of the overall C-band experiment. The successful completion of these efforts led to the definition of how the radars were to be operated and calibrated. These hardware decisions directly affected the quality of the radar data and therefore played a large part in the successful application of these data to geodetic research.

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