Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “error analysis”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12

Design, calibration and error analysis of instrumentation for heat transfer measurements in internal combustion engines

The paper reports the methodology and uncertainty analyses of instrumentation for heat transfer measurements in internal combustion engines. Results are presented for determining the local wall heat flux in an internal combustion engine (using a surface thermocouple-type heat flux gage) and the apparent flame-temperature and soot volume fraction path length product in a diesel engine (using two-color pyrometry). It is shown that a surface thermocouple heat transfer gage suitably constructed and calibrated will have an accuracy of 5 to 10 percent. It is also shown that, when applying two-color pyrometry to measure the apparent flame temperature and soot volume fraction-path length, it is important to choose at least one of the two wavelengths to lie in the range of 1.3 to 2.3 micrometers. Carefully calibrated two-color pyrometer can ensure that random errors in the apparent flame temperature and in the soot volume fraction path length will remain small (within about 1 percent and 10-percent, respectively).

Ferguson, C. R.↗

Error analysis of combined stereo/optical-flow passive ranging

The motion of an imaging sensor causes each imaged point of the scene to correspondingly describe a time trajectory on the image plane. The trajectories of all imaged points are reminiscent of a flow (e.g., of liquid) which is the source of the term 'optical flow'. Optical-flow ranging is a method by which the stream of two-dimensional images obtained from a forward-looking forward-moving passive sensor is used to compute depth (or range) to points in the field of view. Another well-known ranging method consists of triangulation based on stereo images obtained from at least two stationary sensors. In this paper we analyze the potential accuracies of a combined optical flow and stereo passive-ranging system in the context of helicopter nap-of-the-earth obstacle avoidance. The Cramer-Rao lower bound is developed for the combined system under the assumption of an unknown angular bias error common to both cameras of a stereo pair. It is shown that the depth accuracy degradations caused by a bias error is negligible for a combined optical-flow and stereo system as compared to a monocular optical-flow system.

Barniv, Yair↗

Calculation and Error Analysis of a Digital Elevation Model of Hofsjokull, Iceland from SAR Interferometry

Two ascending European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Resources Satellites (ERS)-1/-2 tandem-mode, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) pairs are used to calculate the surface elevation of Hofsjokull, an ice cap in central Iceland. The motion component of the interferometric phase is calculated using the 30 arc-second resolution USGS GTOPO30 global digital elevation product and one of the ERS tandem pairs. The topography is then derived by subtracting the motion component from the other tandem pair. In order to assess the accuracy of the resultant digital elevation model (DEM), a geodetic airborne laser-altimetry swath is compared with the elevations derived from the interferometry. The DEM is also compared with elevations derived from a digitized topographic map of the ice cap from the University of Iceland Science Institute. Results show that low temporal correlation is a significant problem for the application of interferometry to small, low-elevation ice caps, even over a one-day repeat interval, and especially at the higher elevations. Results also show that an uncompensated error in the phase, ramping from northwest to southeast, present after tying the DEM to ground-control points, has resulted in a systematic error across the DEM.

Barton, Jonathan S.↗

An Error Analysis of the Phased Array Antenna Pointing Algorithm for STARS Flight Demonstration No. 2

STARS is a multicenter NASA project to determine the feasibility of using space-based assets, such as the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to increase flexibility (e.g. increase the number of possible launch locations and manage simultaneous operations) and to reduce operational costs by decreasing the need for ground-based range assets and infrastructure. The STARS project includes two major systems: the Range Safety and Range User systems. The latter system uses broadband communications (125 kbps to 500 kbps) for voice, video, and vehicle/payload data. Flight Demonstration #1 revealed the need to increase the data rate of the Range User system. During Flight Demo #2, a Ku-band antenna will generate a higher data rate and will be designed with an embedded pointing algorithm to guarantee that the antenna is pointed directly at TDRS. This algorithm will utilize the onboard position and attitude data to point the antenna to TDRS within a 2-degree full-angle beamwidth. This report investigates how errors in aircraft position and attitude, along with errors in satellite position, propagate into the overall pointing vector.

Carney, Michael P.↗

Simulated trajectories error analysis program, version 2. Volume 2: Programmer's manual

A series of three computer programs for the mathematical analysis of navigation and guidance of lunar and interplanetary trajectories was developed. All three programs require the integration of n-body trajectories for both interplanetary and lunar missions. The virutal mass technique is used in all three programs. The user's manual contains the information necessary to operate the programs. The input and output quantities of the programs are described. Sample cases are given and discussed.

Vogt, E. D.↗

A highly efficient error analysis program for the evaluation of spacecraft tests of general relativity with application to solar probes

A computer program is described which can be used to study the feasibility of conducting relativity experiments on a wide range of hypothetical space missions, and a few applications are presented for solar probes which approach the Sun within 0.25 to 0.35 AU. It is assumed that radio ranging data are available from these spacecraft, and that accuracies on the order of 15 meters can be achieved. This is compatible with current accuracies of ranging to Mariner spacecraft. At this level of accuracy, the range data are sensitive to a number of effects, and for this reason it has been necessary to include a total of up to 23 parameters in the feasibility studies, even though there are only two parameters of real interest in the relativity experiments.

Anderson, J. D.↗

Measurement error analysis in determination of small-body gravity fields

We consider analytically the use of existing instrumentation in determining asteroid gravity fields from orbiting spacecraft. Asteroids (Eros as an example) are modeled as homogeneous triaxial ellipsoids, with gravitational potential given by a sperical-harmonic expansion. Mass concentrations are modeled as point masses. The character of spacecraft orbits about asteroids is discussed, along with detectibility of gravitational coefficients and of mass concentrations. A Kalman-filtering treatment of the observation process, for Eros as example, shows that using DSN tracking and onboard gravity gradiometry, radar altimetry, and celestial angle measurements, a single orbit yields asteroid mass to 0.03% and coefficients C20 to C44 to 1% accuracies.

Friedlander, A. L.↗

Error analysis of Dobson spectrophotometer measurements of the total ozone content

A study of techniques for measuring atmospheric ozone is reported. This study represents the second phase of a program designed to improve techniques for the measurement of atmospheric ozone. This phase of the program studied the sensitivity of Dobson direct sun measurements and the ozone amounts inferred from those measurements to variation in the atmospheric temperature profile. The study used the plane - parallel Monte-Carlo model developed and tested under the initial phase of this program, and a series of standard model atmospheres.

Holland, A. C.↗

Error analysis for the proposed close grid geodynamic satellite measurement system (CLOGEOS)

The close grid geodynamic measurement system experiment which envisages an active ranging satellite and a grid of retro-reflectors or transponders in the San Andreas fault area is a detailed simulated study for recovering the relative positions in the grid. The close grid geodynamic measurement system for determining the relative motion of two plates in the California region (if feasible) could be used in other areas of the world to delineate and complete the picture of crustal motions over the entire globe and serve as a geodetic survey system. In addition, with less stringent accuracy standards, the system would also find usage in allied geological and marine geodesy fields.

Mueller, I. I.↗