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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2022

Full-Wave Simulations of Scattering by Corn Fields at L-Band

In this paper, the Numerical Maxwell Model of 3D (NMM3D) full-wave simulation is performed over a corn field using a hybrid method to study the vegetation effect on the microwave. The commercial software of FEKO is used to extract T-matrix of single corn in the first step. Then the calculated T-matrix is combined with Wave Multiple Scattering Theory (W-MST) in the second step to consider the multiple scattering among different plants. The hybrid method is validated with HFSS by solving scattering from 2 corns. A corn field of 25 corn is simulated using the hybrid method and the transmission is calculated and compared with those obtained from the classical radiative transfer model.

Yueh, Simon↗
NASA NTRS1984

Software reliability: Additional investigations into modeling with replicated experiments

The effects of programmer experience level, different program usage distributions, and programming languages are explored. All these factors affect performance, and some tentative relational hypotheses are presented. An analytic framework for replicated and non-replicated (traditional) software experiments is presented. A method of obtaining an upper bound on the error rate of the next error is proposed. The method was validated empirically by comparing forecasts with actual data. In all 14 cases the bound exceeded the observed parameter, albeit somewhat conservatively. Two other forecasting methods are proposed and compared to observed results. Although demonstrated relative to this framework that stages are neither independent nor exponentially distributed, empirical estimates show that the exponential assumption is nearly valid for all but the extreme tails of the distribution. Except for the dependence in the stage probabilities, Cox's model approximates to a degree what is being observed.

Nagel, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS2022

A validation of satellite derived cyanobacteria detections with state reported events and recreation advisories across U.S. lakes

Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) negatively affect ecological, human, and animal health. Traditional methods of validating satellite algorithms with data from water samples are often inhibited by the expense of quantifying cyanobacteria indicators in the field and the lack of public data. However, state recreation advisories and other recorded events of cyanoHAB occurrence reported by local authorities can serve as an independent and publicly available dataset for validation. State recreation advisories were defined as a period delimited by a start and end date where a warning was issued due to detections of cyanoHABs over a state’s risk threshold. State reported events were defined as any event that was documented with a single date related to cyanoHABs. This study examined the presence-absence agreement between 160 state reported cyanoHAB advisories and 1,343 events and cyanobacteria biomass estimated by a satellite algorithm called the Cyanobacteria Index (CI(cyano)). The true positive rate of agreement with state recreation advisories was 69% and 60% with state reported events. CI(cyano) detected a reduction or absence in cyanobacteria after 76% of the recreation advisories ended. CI(cyano) was used to quantify the magnitude, spatial extent, and temporal frequency of cyanoHABs; each of these three metrics were greater (r > 0.2) during state recreation advisories compared to non-advisory times with effect sizes ranging from small to large. This is the first study to quantitatively evaluate satellite algorithm performance for detecting cyanoHABs with state reported events and advisories and supports informed management decisions with satellite technologies that complement traditional field observations.

remote sensing↗
NASA NTRS1990

A transient response analysis of the space shuttle vehicle during liftoff

A proposed transient response method is formulated for the liftoff analysis of the space shuttle vehicles. It uses a power series approximation with unknown coefficients for the interface forces between the space shuttle and mobile launch platform. This allows the equation of motion of the two structures to be solved separately with the unknown coefficients at the end of each step. These coefficients are obtained by enforcing the interface compatibility conditions between the two structures. Once the unknown coefficients are determined, the total response is computed for that time step. The method is validated by a numerical example of a cantilevered beam and by the liftoff analysis of the space shuttle vehicles. The proposed method is compared to an iterative transient response analysis method used by Martin Marietta for their space shuttle liftoff analysis. It is shown that the proposed method uses less computer time than the iterative method and does not require as small a time step for integration. The space shuttle vehicle model is reduced using two different types of component mode synthesis (CMS) methods, the Lanczos method and the Craig and Bampton CMS method. By varying the cutoff frequency in the Craig and Bampton method it was shown that the space shuttle interface loads can be computed with reasonable accuracy. Both the Lanczos CMS method and Craig and Bampton CMS method give similar results. A substantial amount of computer time is saved using the Lanczos CMS method over that of the Craig and Bampton method. However, when trying to compute a large number of Lanczos vectors, input/output computer time increased and increased the overall computer time. The application of several liftoff release mechanisms that can be adapted to the proposed method are discussed.

Brunty, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

On the Development of Parameterized Linear Analytical Longitudinal Airship Models

In order to explore Titan, a moon of Saturn, airships must be able to traverse the atmosphere autonomously. To achieve this, an accurate model and accurate control of the vehicle must be developed so that it is understood how the airship will react to specific sets of control inputs. This paper explains how longitudinal aircraft stability derivatives can be used with airship parameters to create a linear model of the airship solely by combining geometric and aerodynamic airship data. This method does not require system identification of the vehicle. All of the required data can be derived from computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing. This alternate method of developing dynamic airship models will reduce time and cost. Results are compared to other stable airship dynamic models to validate the methods. Future work will address a lateral airship model using the same methods.

aerobot↗
NASA NTRS2005

Statistical Calibration and Validation of a Homogeneous Ventilated Wall-Interference Correction Method for the National Transonic Facility

Wind tunnel experiments will continue to be a primary source of validation data for many types of mathematical and computational models in the aerospace industry. The increased emphasis on accuracy of data acquired from these facilities requires understanding of the uncertainty of not only the measurement data but also any correction applied to the data. One of the largest and most critical corrections made to these data is due to wall interference. In an effort to understand the accuracy and suitability of these corrections, a statistical validation process for wall interference correction methods has been developed. This process is based on the use of independent cases which, after correction, are expected to produce the same result. Comparison of these independent cases with respect to the uncertainty in the correction process establishes a domain of applicability based on the capability of the method to provide reasonable corrections with respect to customer accuracy requirements. The statistical validation method was applied to the version of the Transonic Wall Interference Correction System (TWICS) recently implemented in the National Transonic Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. The TWICS code generates corrections for solid and slotted wall interference in the model pitch plane based on boundary pressure measurements. Before validation could be performed on this method, it was necessary to calibrate the ventilated wall boundary condition parameters. Discrimination comparisons are used to determine the most representative of three linear boundary condition models which have historically been used to represent longitudinally slotted test section walls. Of the three linear boundary condition models implemented for ventilated walls, the general slotted wall model was the most representative of the data. The TWICS code using the calibrated general slotted wall model was found to be valid to within the process uncertainty for test section Mach numbers less than or equal to 0.60. The scatter among the mean corrected results of the bodies of revolution validation cases was within one count of drag on a typical transport aircraft configuration for Mach numbers at or below 0.80 and two counts of drag for Mach numbers at or below 0.90.

Walker, Eric Lee↗
NASA NTRS2005

Statistical Calibration and Validation of a Homogeneous Ventilated Wall-Interference Correction Method for the National Transonic Facility

Wind tunnel experiments will continue to be a primary source of validation data for many types of mathematical and computational models in the aerospace industry. The increased emphasis on accuracy of data acquired from these facilities requires understanding of the uncertainty of not only the measurement data but also any correction applied to the data. One of the largest and most critical corrections made to these data is due to wall interference. In an effort to understand the accuracy and suitability of these corrections, a statistical validation process for wall interference correction methods has been developed. This process is based on the use of independent cases which, after correction, are expected to produce the same result. Comparison of these independent cases with respect to the uncertainty in the correction process establishes a domain of applicability based on the capability of the method to provide reasonable corrections with respect to customer accuracy requirements. The statistical validation method was applied to the version of the Transonic Wall Interference Correction System (TWICS) recently implemented in the National Transonic Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. The TWICS code generates corrections for solid and slotted wall interference in the model pitch plane based on boundary pressure measurements. Before validation could be performed on this method, it was necessary to calibrate the ventilated wall boundary condition parameters. Discrimination comparisons are used to determine the most representative of three linear boundary condition models which have historically been used to represent longitudinally slotted test section walls. Of the three linear boundary condition models implemented for ventilated walls, the general slotted wall model was the most representative of the data. The TWICS code using the calibrated general slotted wall model was found to be valid to within the process uncertainty for test section Mach numbers less than or equal to 0.60. The scatter among the mean corrected results of the bodies of revolution validation cases was within one count of drag on a typical transport aircraft configuration for Mach numbers at or below 0.80 and two counts of drag for Mach numbers at or below 0.90.

Walker, Eric L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Strain Gage Measurement System to Determine Cryogenic Propellant Tank Level

Measurement of tank level, particularly for cryogenic propellants, has proven to be a difficult proposition. Current methods based on differential pressure, capacitance sensors, temperature sensors, etc.; do not provide sufficiently accurate or robust measurements, especially at run time. This paper describes a simple, but effective method to determine propellant volume by measuring very small deformations of the structure supporting the tank. Results of a laboratory study to validate the method, and experimental data from a deployed system are presented. A comparison with an existing differential pressure sensor shows that the strain gage system provides a very good quality signal even during pressurization.

Figueroa, Fernando↗
NASA NTRS2004

Fiber-Optic Strain-Gage Tank Level Measurement System for Cryogenic Propellants

Measurement of tank level, particularly for cryogenic propellants, has proven to be a difficult problem. Current methods based on differential pressure, capacitance sensors, temperature sensors, etc.; do not provide sufficiently accurate or robust measurements, especially at run time. These methods are designed to measure tank-level, but when the fluids are in supercritical state, the liquid-gas interface disappears. Furthermore, there is a need for a non-intrusive measurement system; that is, the sensors should not require tank modifications and/or disturb the fluids. This paper describes a simple, but effective method to determine propellant mass by measuring very small deformations of the structure supporting the tank. Results of a laboratory study to validate the method, and experimental data from a deployed system are presented. A comparison with an existing differential pressure sensor shows that the strain gage system provides a much better quality signal across all regimes during an engine test. Experimental results also show that the use of fiber optic strain gages (FOSG) over classic foil strain gages extends the operation time (before the system becomes uncalibrated), and increases accuracy. Finally, a procedure is defined whereby measurements from the FOSG mounted on the tank supporting structure are compensated using measurements of a FOSG mounted on a reference plate and temperature measurements of the structure. Results describing the performance of a deployed system that measures tank level during propulsion tests are included.

Figueroa, Fernando↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Three-Dimensional Instantaneous Flow-field Reconstruction Using Planar Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition

A novel method for three-dimensional flowfield reconstruction is presented that utilizes spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD). The time-resolved PIV data are acquired in multiple two-dimensional spanwise planes, with adequate streamwise spacing to resolve the out-of-plane wavelength. Knowledge of the out-of-plane phase speed is also required, and for the present case this value was obtained using instantaneous hot-wire measurements. The method is validated by comparing phase-averaged results acquired with a forcing signal to the SPOD reconstructed results using the same data. The method is also applied to data with no forcing applied, and the results are shown to be similar to the forced case. This method is particularly useful for cases in which there are multiple frequencies of interest, or cases in which the phenomena occur over a broad range of frequencies. This method allows reconstruction of the frequencies of interest without the need for a forcing signal, so the flow can be studied in its natural (undisturbed) state.

boundary-layer transition↗
NASA NTRS1991

Transonic swirling nozzle flow

A numerical model of viscous transonic swirling flow in axisymmetric nozzles is developed. MacCormack's implicit Gauss-Seidel method is applied to the thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations in transformed coordinates. Numerical results are compared with experimental data to validate the method. The effect of swirl and viscosity on nozzle performance are demonstrated by examining wall pressures, Mach contours, and integral parameters.

Keith, Theo G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Combining Stereo SECCHI COR2 and HI1 Images for Automatic CME Front Edge Tracking

COR2 coronagraph images are the most commonly used data for coronal mass ejection (CME) analysis among the various types of data provided by the STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) SECCHI (Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation) suite of instruments. The field of view (FOV) in COR2 images covers 215 solar radii (Rs) that allow for tracking the front edge of a CME in its initial stage to forecast the lead-time of a CME and its chances of reaching the Earth. However, estimating the lead-time of a CME using COR2 images gives a larger lead-time, which may be associated with greater uncertainty. To reduce this uncertainty, CME front edge tracking should be continued beyond the FOV of COR2 images. Therefore, heliospheric imager (HI1) data that covers 1590 Rs FOV must be included. In this paper, we propose a novel automatic method that takes both COR2 and HI1 images into account and combine the results to track the front edges of a CME continuously. The method consists of two modules: pre-processing and tracking. The pre-processing module produces a set of segmented images, which contain the signature of a CME, for both COR2 and HI1 separately. In addition, the HI1 images are resized and padded, so that the center of the Sun is the central coordinate of the resized HI1 images. The resulting COR2 andHI1 image set is then fed into the tracking module to estimate the position angle (PA) and track the front edge of a CME. The detected front edge is then used to produce a height-time profile that is used to estimate the speed of a CME. The method was validated using 15 CME events observed in the period from January 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective for CME front edge tracking in both COR2 and HI1 images. Using this method, the CME front edge can now be tracked automatically and continuously in a much larger range, i.e., from 2 to 90 Rs, for the first time. These improvement scan greatly help in making the quantitative CME analysis more accurate and have the potential to assist in space weather forecasting.

Kirnosov, Vladimir↗
NASA NTRS1992

Structural analysis for preliminary design of High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT)

In the preliminary design environment, there is a need for quick evaluation of configuration and material concepts. The simplified beam representations used in the subsonic, high aspect ratio wing platform are not applicable for low aspect ratio configurations typical of supersonic transports. There is a requirement to develop methods for efficient generation of structural arrangement and finite element representation to support multidisciplinary analysis and optimization. In addition, empirical data bases required to validate prediction methods need to be improved for high speed civil transport (HSCT) type configurations.

Bhatia, Kumar G.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Comprehension Based Analysis of Autoflight System Interfaces

This cooperative agreement supported Dr. Peter Polson's participation in two interrelated research programs. The first was the development of the Situation-Goal-Behavior (SGB) Model that is both a formal description of an avionics system's logic and behavior and a representation of a system that can be understood by avionics designers, pilots, and training developers. The second was the development of a usability inspection method based on an approximate model, RAFIV, of pilot interactions with the Flight Management System (FMS). The main purpose of this report is to integrate the two models and provide a context in order to better characterize the accomplishments of this research program. A major focus of both the previous and this Cooperative Agreement was the development of usability evaluation methods that can be effectively utilized during all phases of the design, development, and certification process of modern avionics systems. The current efforts to validate these methods have involved showing that they generate useful analyses of known operational and training problems with the current generation of avionics systems in modern commercial airliners. This report is organized into seven sections. Following the overview, the second section describes the Goal-Situation-Behavior model and its applications. The next section summarizes the foundations of the RAFIV model and describes the model in some detail. The contents of both these sections are derived from previous reports referenced in footnotes. The fourth section integrates these two models into a complete design evaluation and training development framework. The fifth section contains conclusions and possible future directions for research. References are in Section 6. Section 7 contains the titles and abstracts of the papers paper describing in more detail the results of this research program.

Palmer, Everett↗
NASA NTRS2009

Advances in Non-contact Measurement of Creep Properties

Our team has developed a novel approach to measuring creep at extremely high temperatures using electrostatic levitation (ESL). This method has been demonstrated on niobium up to 2300 C, while ESL has melted tungsten (3400 C). High-precision machined spheres of the sample are levitated in the NASA MSFC ESL, a national user facility, and heated with a laser. The laser is aligned off-center so that the absorbed photons transfer their momentum to the sample, causing it to rotate at up to 250,000+ RPM. The rapid rotation loads the sample through centripetal acceleration, causing it to deform. The deformation of the sample is captured on high-speed video, which is analyzed by machine-vision software from the University of Massachusetts. The deformations are compared to finite element models to determine the constitutive constants in the creep relation. Furthermore, the noncontact method exploits stress gradients within the sample to determine the stress exponent in a single test. This method was validated in collaboration with the University of Tennessee for niobium at 1985 C, with agreement within the uncertainty of the conventional measurements. A similar method is being employed on Ultra-High-Temperature ZrB2- SiC composites, which may see application in rocket nozzles and sharp leading edges for hypersonic vehicles.

Hyers, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Evaluation of Simultaneous Multisine Excitation of the Joined Wing SensorCraft Aeroelastic Wind Tunnel Model

Multiple mutually orthogonal signals comprise excitation data sets for aeroservoelastic system identification. A multisine signal is a sum of harmonic sinusoid components. A set of these signals is made orthogonal by distribution of the frequency content such that each signal contains unique frequencies. This research extends the range of application of an excitation method developed for stability and control flight testing to aeroservoelastic modeling from wind tunnel testing. Wind tunnel data for the Joined Wing SensorCraft model validates this method, demonstrating that these signals applied simultaneously reproduce the frequency response estimates achieved from one-at-a-time excitation.

Heeg, Jennifer↗
NASA NTRS2010

MACHETE: Environment for Space Networking Evaluation

Space Exploration missions requires the design and implementation of space networking that differs from terrestrial networks. In a space networking architecture, interplanetary communication protocols need to be designed, validated and evaluated carefully to support different mission requirements. As actual systems are expensive to build, it is essential to have a low cost method to validate and verify mission/system designs and operations. This can be accomplished through simulation. Simulation can aid design decisions where alternative solutions are being considered, support trade-studies and enable fast study of what-if scenarios. It can be used to identify risks, verify system performance against requirements, and as an initial test environment as one moves towards emulation and actual hardware implementation of the systems. We describe the development of Multi-mission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE) and its use cases in supporting architecture trade studies, protocol performance and its role in hybrid simulation/emulation. The MACHETE environment contains various tools and interfaces such that users may select the set of tools tailored for the specific simulation end goal. The use cases illustrate tool combinations for simulating space networking in different mission scenarios. This simulation environment is useful in supporting space networking design for planned and future missions as well as evaluating performance of existing networks where non-determinism exist in data traffic and/or link conditions.

Jennings, Esther H.↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Requirements-Driven Optimization Method for Acoustic Treatment Design

Acoustic treatment designers are able to attenuate specific noise sources inside turbofan engines. Subject to practical considerations, liner design variables may be manipulated to achieve a target attenuation spectrum. But, characteristics of the ideal attenuation spectrum can be difficult to know. Many multidisciplinary system effects govern how engine noise sources contribute to community noise. Given a hardwall fan noise source to be suppressed, and using an analytical certification noise model to compute a community noise measure of merit, the optimal attenuation spectrum can be derived using multidisciplinary systems analysis methods. The subject of this paper is an analytic method that derives the ideal target attenuation spectrum that minimizes noise perceived by observers on the ground. Software is developed and used to test and validate the method on a simple, notional source. With experience gained from minimizing noise of the simple source, the software is tested against a realistic hardwall fan source.

aircraft noise↗