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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

Doppler Lidar System Design via Interdisciplinary Design Concept at NASA Langley Research Center - Part II

Optimized designs of the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) instrument for Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) were accomplished via Interdisciplinary Design Concept (IDEC) at NASA Langley Research Center during the summer of 2013. Three branches in the Engineering Directorate and three students were involved in this joint task through the NASA Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) Program. The Laser Remote Sensing Branch (LRSB), Mechanical Systems Branch (MSB), and Structural and Thermal Systems Branch (STSB) were engaged to achieve optimal designs through iterative and interactive collaborative design processes. A preliminary design iteration was able to reduce the power consumption, mass, and footprint by removing redundant components and replacing inefficient components with more efficient ones. A second design iteration reduced volume and mass by replacing bulky components with excessive performance with smaller components custom-designed for the power system. Thermal modeling software was used to run steady state thermal analyses, which were used to both validate the designs and recommend further changes. Analyses were run on each redesign, as well as the original system. Thermal Desktop was used to run trade studies to account for uncertainty and assumptions about fan performance and boundary conditions. The studies suggested that, even if the assumptions were significantly wrong, the redesigned systems would remain within operating temperature limits.

Crasner, Aaron I.↗

Workshop on dimensional analysis for design, development, and research executives

The proceedings of a conference of research and development executives are presented. The purpose of the meeting was to develop an understanding of the conditions which are appropriate for the use of certain general management tools and those conditions which render these tools inappropriate. The verbatim statements of the participants are included to show the direction taken initially by the conference. Formal presentations of management techniques for research and development are developed.

Goodman, R. A.↗

Conceptual design, evaluation and research identification for Remote Augmented Propulsive Lift Systems (RALS) with ejectors for VTOL aircraft

Ejector concepts for use with a remote augmented lift system (RALS) exhaust nozzle were studied. A number of concepts were considered and three were selected as having the greatest promise of providing the desired aircraft and exhaust gas cooling and lift enhancement. A scale model test program is recommended to explore the effects of the more important parameters on ejector performance.

Willis, W. S.↗

Research in the design of high-performance reconfigurable systems

An initial design for the Bit Processor (BP) referred to in prior reports as the Processing Element or PE has been completed. Eight BP's, together with their supporting random-access memory, a 64 k x 9 ROM to perform addition, routing logic, and some additional logic, constitute the components of a single stage. An initial stage design is given. Stages may be combined to perform high-speed fixed or floating point arithmetic. Stages can be configured into a range of arithmetic modules that includes bit-serial one or two-dimensional arrays; one or two dimensional arrays fixed or floating point processors; and specialized uniprocessors, such as long-word arithmetic units. One to eight BP's represent a likely initial chip level. The Stage would then correspond to a first-level pluggable module. As both this project and VLSI CAD/CAM progress, however, it is expected that the chip level would migrate upward to the stage and, perhaps, ultimately the box level. The BP RAM, consisting of two banks, holds only operands and indices. Programs are at the box (high-level function) and system level. At the system level initial effort has been concentrated on specifying the tools needed to evaluate design alternatives.

Slotnick, D. L.↗

Innovative research in the design and operation of large telescopes for space: Aspects of giant telescopes in space

The capability and understanding of how to finish the reflector surfaces needed for large space telescopes is discussed. The technology for making very light glass substrates for mirrors is described. Other areas of development are in wide field imaging design for very fast primaries, in data analysis and retrieval methods for astronomical images, and in methods for making large area closely packed mosaics of solid state array detectors.

Angel, J. R. P.↗

Research in the design of high-performance reconfigurable systems

Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing have the potential for greatly reducing the cost and lead time in the development of VLSI components. This potential paves the way for the design and fabrication of a wide variety of economically feasible high level functional units. It was observed that current computer systems have only a limited capacity to absorb new VLSI component types other than memory, microprocessors, and a relatively small number of other parts. The first purpose is to explore a system design which is capable of effectively incorporating a considerable number of VLSI part types and will both increase the speed of computation and reduce the attendant programming effort. A second purpose is to explore design techniques for VLSI parts which when incorporated by such a system will result in speeds and costs which are optimal. The proposed work may lay the groundwork for future efforts in the extensive simulation and measurements of the system's cost effectiveness and lead to prototype development.

Mcewan, S. D.↗

Research in the design of high-performance reconfigurable systems

The initial control and programming philosophies of the RELAPSE are discussed. A block diagram showing the relationship of the Arithmetic Units (composed of Stages and Bit Processors), to the Functional Units, and other components of the RELAPSE is used to guide this discussion. The latest version of the Bit Processor design is presented. Included is a detailed discussion of the Bit Processor's new scratch pad memory component. The section also clarifies the usage of the Bit Processor's processing registers, and Input/Output functions. The final design phase of the Arithmetic Unit is underway by a study of the Proposed IEEE Floating Point Standard. The decisions on conformation to this standard will be used as inputs into the finalization of the designs of the Bit Processor, Stage, and Arithmetic Units of the RELAPSE.

Slotnick, D. L.↗

Habitability: CAMELOT 4

During 1988 to 1989 the NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program sponsored research and design efforts aimed at developing habitability criteria and at defining a habitability concept as a useful tool in understanding and evaluating dwellings for prolonged stays in extraterrestrial space. The Circulating Auto sufficient Mars-Earth Luxurious Orbital Transport (CAMELOT) was studied as a case in which the students would try to enhance the quality of life of the inhabitants by applying architectural design methodology. The study proposed 14 habitability criteria considered necessary to fulfill the defined habitability concept, which is that state of equilibrium that results from the interaction between components of the Individual Architecture Mission Complex, which allows a person to sustain physiological homeostatis, adequate performance, and acceptable social relationships. Architecture, design development, refinements and revisions to improve the quality of life, new insights on artificial gravity, form and constitution problems, and the final design concept are covered.

Alequin, W.↗

FLARE: The Far Side Lunar Research Expedition. A design of a far side lunar observatory

This document outlines the design completed by members of Lone Star Aerospace, Inc. (L.S.A.) of a lunar observatory on the far side of the Moon. Such a base would not only establish a long term human presence on the Moon, but would also allow more accurate astronomical data to be obtained. A lunar observatory is more desirable than an Earth based observatory for the following reasons: instrument weight is reduced due to the Moon's weaker gravity; near vacuum conditions exist on the Moon; the Moon has slow rotation to reveal the entire sky; and the lunar surface is stable for long baseline instruments. All the conditions listed above are favorable for astronomical data recording. The technical aspects investigated in the completion of this project included site selection, mission scenario, scientific instruments, communication and power systems, habitation and transportation, cargo spacecraft design, thermal systems, robotic systems, and trajectory analysis. The site selection group focused its efforts on finding a suitable location for the observatory. Hertzsprung, a large equatorial crater on the eastern limb, was chosen as the base site.

Bishop, David W.↗

Automation of closed environments in space for human comfort and safety

For prolonged missions into space and colonization outside the Earth's atmosphere, development of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) are essential to provide astronauts with habitable environments. The Kansas State University Advanced Design Team have researched and designed a control system for an ECLSS like that on Space Station Freedom. The following milestones have been accomplished: (1) completed computer simulation of the CO2 Removal Assembly; (2) created a set of rules for the expert control system of the CO2 Removal Assembly; (3) created a classical controls system for the CO2 Removal Assembly; (4) established a means of communication between the mathematical model and the two controls systems; and (5) analyzed the dynamic response of the simulation and compared the two methods of control.

Cogley, Allen C.↗

A Survey of Applications and Research in Integrated Design Systems Technology

The initial part of the study was begun with a combination of literature searches, World Wide Web searches, and contacts with individuals and companies who were known to members of our team to have an interest in topics that seemed to be related to our study. There is a long list of such topics, such as concurrent engineering, design for manufacture, life-cycle engineering, systems engineering, systems integration, systems design, design systems, integrated product and process approaches, enterprise integration, integrated product realization, and similar terms. These all capture, at least in part, the flavor of what we describe here as integrated design systems. An inhibiting factor in this inquiry was the absence of agreed terminology for the study of integrated design systems. It is common for the term to be applied to what are essentially augmented Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems, which are integrated only to the extent that agreements have been reached to attach proprietary extensions to proprietary CAD programs. It is also common for some to use the term integrated design systems to mean a system that applies only, or mainly, to the design phase of a product life cycle. It is likewise common for many of the terms listed earlier to be used as synonyms for integrated design systems. We tried to avoid this ambiguity by adopting the definition of integrated design systems that is implied in the introductory notes that we provided to our contacts, cited earlier. We thus arrived at this definition: Integrated Design Systems refers to the integration of the different tools and processes that comprise the engineering, of complex systems. It takes a broad view of the engineering of systems, to include consideration of the entire product realization process and the product life cycle. An important aspect of integrated design systems is the extent to which they integrate existing, "islands of automation" into a comprehensive design and product realization environment. As the study progressed, we relied increasingly upon a networking approach to lead us to new information. The departure point for such searches often was a government-sponsored project or a company initiative. The advantage of this approach was that short conversations with knowledgeable persons would usually cut through confusion over differences of terminology, thereby somewhat reducing the search space of the study. Even so, it was not until late in our eight-month inquiry that we began to see signs of convergence of the search, in the sense that a number of the latest inquiries began to turn up references to earlier contacts. As suggested above, this convergence often occurred with respect to particular government or company projects.

Source record↗

Mechanical design of NASA Ames Research Center vertical motion simulator

NASA has designed and is constructing a new flight simulator with large vertical travel. Several aspects of the mechanical design of this Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) are discussed, including the multiple rack and pinion vertical drive, a pneumatic equilibration system, and the friction-damped rigid link catenaries used as cable supports.

Engelbert, D. F.↗

Use of the flight simulator in the design of a STOL research aircraft.

Piloted simulator tests on the NASA-Ames Flight Simulator for Advanced Aircraft motion base played a major role in guiding the design of the Modified C-8A 'Buffalo' augmentor wing jet flap STOL research airplane. Design results are presented for the flight control systems, lateral-directional SAS, hydraulic systems, and engine and thrust vector controls. Emphasis is given to lateral control characteristics on STOL landing approach, engine-out control and recovery techniques in the powered-lift regime, and operational flight procedures which affected airplane design.

Spitzer, R. E.↗