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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Complexity of the Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm

The Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm (QAA) has been proposed as a mechanism for efficiently solving optimization problems on a quantum computer. Since adiabatic computation is analog in nature and does not require the design and use of quantum gates, it can be thought of as a simpler and perhaps more profound method for performing quantum computations that might also be easier to implement experimentally. While these features have generated substantial research in QAA, to date there is still a lack of solid evidence that the algorithm can outperform classical optimization algorithms.

Hen, Itay↗
NASA NTRS1974

Buffer management for sequential decoding

Sequential decoding has been found to be an efficient means of communicating at low undetected error rates from deep space probes, but erasure or computational overflow remains a significant problem. Erasure of a block occurs when the decoder has not finished decoding that block at the time that it must be output. By drawing upon analogies in computer time sharing, this paper develops a buffer-management strategy which reduces the decoder idle time to a negligible level, and therefore improves the erasure probability of a sequential decoder. For a decoder with a speed advantage of ten and a buffer size of ten blocks, operating at an erasure rate of .01, use of this buffer-management strategy reduces the erasure rate to less than .0001.

Layland, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Portable Airborne Laser System Measures Forest-Canopy Height

(PALS) is a combination of laser ranging, video imaging, positioning, and data-processing subsystems designed for measuring the heights of forest canopies along linear transects from tens to thousands of kilometers long. Unlike prior laser ranging systems designed to serve the same purpose, the PALS is not restricted to use aboard a single aircraft of a specific type: the PALS fits into two large suitcases that can be carried to any convenient location, and the PALS can be installed in almost any local aircraft for hire, thereby making it possible to sample remote forests at relatively low cost. The initial cost and the cost of repairing the PALS are also lower because the PALS hardware consists mostly of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) units that can easily be replaced in the field. The COTS units include a laser ranging transceiver, a charge-coupled-device camera that images the laser-illuminated targets, a differential Global Positioning System (dGPS) receiver capable of operation within the Wide Area Augmentation System, a video titler, a video cassette recorder (VCR), and a laptop computer equipped with two serial ports. The VCR and computer are powered by batteries; the other units are powered at 12 VDC from the 28-VDC aircraft power system via a low-pass filter and a voltage converter. The dGPS receiver feeds location and time data, at an update rate of 0.5 Hz, to the video titler and the computer. The laser ranging transceiver, operating at a sampling rate of 2 kHz, feeds its serial range and amplitude data stream to the computer. The analog video signal from the CCD camera is fed into the video titler wherein the signal is annotated with position and time information. The titler then forwards the annotated signal to the VCR for recording on 8-mm tapes. The dGPS and laser range and amplitude serial data streams are processed by software that displays the laser trace and the dGPS information as they are fed into the computer, subsamples the laser range and amplitude data, interleaves the subsampled data with the dGPS information, and records the resulting interleaved data stream.

Nelson, Ross↗
NASA NTRS1992

CAGI: Computer Aided Grid Interface. A work in progress

Progress realized in the development of a Computer Aided Grid Interface (CAGI) software system in integrating CAD/CAM geometric system output and/or Interactive Graphics Exchange Standard (IGES) files, geometry manipulations associated with grid generation, and robust grid generation methodologies is presented. CAGI is being developed in a modular fashion and will offer fast, efficient and economical response to geometry/grid preparation, allowing the ability to upgrade basic geometry in a step-by-step fashion interactively and under permanent visual control along with minimizing the differences between the actual hardware surface descriptions and corresponding numerical analog. The computer code GENIE is used as a basis. The Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) representation of sculptured surfaces is utilized for surface grid redistribution. The computer aided analysis system, PATRAN, is adapted as a CAD/CAM system. The progress realized in NURBS surface grid generation, the development of IGES transformer, and geometry adaption using PATRAN will be presented along with their applicability to grid generation associated with rocket propulsion applications.

Soni, Bharat K.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Scanning photometer system automatically determines atmospheric layer height

Two photometers, placed a given distance apart, determine the height of nonuniform luminous layers in a synchronous manner. Photometer outputs are correlated by a simple analog correlation computer to automatically give the luminous layer height. This system is used to determine visibility ceilings at airports.

Wolff, M.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Programmable solar array simulator.

Operational and circuit features of laboratory device built to simulate dynamic electrical output characteristics of programmable solar array in orbital flight

ANALOG COMPUTER↗
NASA NTRS1972

Detailed interpretation and analysis of selected corn blight watch data sets

A detailed interpretation and analysis of selected corn blight data set was undertaken in order to better define the present capabilities and limitations of agricultural remote multispectral sensing and automatic processing techniques and to establish the areas of investigation needing futher attention in the development of operational survey systems. While the emphasis of this effort was directed toward the detection of various corn blight levels, problems related to the more general task of crop identification were also investigated. Since the analog recognition computer (SPARC) was fully committed to the more routine aspects of processing and since the detailed interpretation and analysis required more in the way of quantitative information, the CDC 1604 digital computer was employed.

Nalepka, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Surface compositional mapping by spectral ratioing of ERTS-1 MSS data in the Wind River Basin and Range, Wyoming

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS data collected in August and October 1972 were processed on digital and special purpose analog recognition computers using ratio enhancement and pattern recognition. Ratios of band-averaged laboratory reflectances of some minerals and rock types known to be in the scene compared favorably with ratios derived from the data by ratio normalization procedures. A single ratio display and density slice of the visible channels of ERTS MSS data, Channel 5/Channel 4 (R5,4), separated the Triassic Chugwater formation (redbeds) from other formations present and may have enhanced iron oxide minerals present at the surface in abundance. Comparison of data sets collected over the same area at two different times of the year by digital processing indicated that spectral variation due to environmental factors was reduced by ratio processing.

Vincent, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Correlation of boundary layer quantities for hypersonic laminar flows with zero pressure gradient for several gases

The laminar boundary layer has been theoretically studied for six gases for flows over cold walls with zero pressure gradient at Mach numbers between 5.5 and 12.5 to correlate boundary layer quantities for the various gases. The flow conditions considered correspond to those that can be generated in test facilities such as the shock tunnel and the expansion tube. Computed results obtained using real gas properties indicate that the Eckert number based on edge conditions serves to correlate the results in terms of the wall shear stress and enthalpy gradient, the Stanton number, and the momentum thickness for the various gases within plus or minus 10 per cent for Te = Tw and Te approximately 3Tw. Computed Reynolds analogy factors exhibit very good agreement with those predicted by the Colburn analogy. Velocity and displacement thicknesses correlate well with Eckert number for Te = Tw, but fail to correlate for Te approximately 3Tw. Differences in results are traced to property variations. Results show that the Eckert number is a significant correlating variable for the flows considered.

Cook, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Electronic Neural Networks

Viewgraphs on electronic neural networks for space station are presented. Topics covered include: electronic neural networks; electronic implementations; VLSI/thin film hybrid hardware for neurocomputing; computations with analog parallel processing; features of neuroprocessors; applications of neuroprocessors; neural network hardware for terrain trafficability determination; a dedicated processor for path planning; neural network system interface; neural network for robotic control; error backpropagation algorithm for learning; resource allocation matrix; global optimization neuroprocessor; and electrically programmable read only thin-film synaptic array.

Thakoor, Anil↗
NASA NTRS1998

Study of the Effects of Photometric Geometry on Spectral Reflectance Measurements

The objective of this research is to investigate how the spectrophotometric properties of planetary surface materials depend on photometric geometry by refining and applying radiative transfer theory to data obtained from spacecraft and telescope observations of planetary surfaces, studies of laboratory analogs, and computer simulations. The goal is to perfect the physical interpretation of photometric parameters in the context of planetary surface geological properties and processes. The purpose of this report is to document the research achievements associated with this study.

Helfenstein, Paul↗