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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

WISP information display system user's manual

The wind shears program (WISP) supports the collection of data on magnetic tape for permanent storage or analysis. The document structure provides: (1) the hardware and software configuration required to execute the WISP system and start up procedure from a power down condition; (2) data collection task, calculations performed on the incoming data, and a description of the magnetic tape format; (3) the data display task and examples of displays obtained from execution of the real time simulation program; and (4) the raw data dump task and examples of operator actions required to obtained the desired format. The procedures outlines herein will allow continuous data collection at the expense of real time visual displays.

Alley, P. L.↗

Simulation of a turbofan engine for evaluation of multivariable optimal control concepts

This paper describes the development and use of a real-time simulation of the F100-PW-100 turbofan engine. The simulation is being used in a multi-variable optimal controls research program using linear quadratic regulatory theory. The simulation is used to generate linear engine models at selected operating points and evaluate the control algorithm. The paper discusses a technique to reduce the order of the model and compares selected results between high and low order models.

Seldner, K.↗

HYDRA: High Speed Simulation Architecture for Precision Spacecraft Formation Flying

This viewgraph presentation describes HYDRA, which is architecture to facilitate high-fidelity and real-time simulation of formation flying missions. The contents include: 1) Motivation; 2) Objective; 3) HYDRA-Description and Overview; 4) HYDRA-Hierarchy; 5) Communication in HYDRA; 6) Simulation Specific Concerns in HYDRA; 7) Example application (Formation Acquisition); and 8) Sample Problem Results.

simpulations↗

First Lunar Wake Passage of ARTEMIS: Discrimination of Wake Effects and Solar Wind Fluctuations by 3D Hybrid Simulations

The spacecraft P1 of the new ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun) mission passed the lunar wake for the first time on February 13, 2010. We present magnetic field and plasma data of this event and results of 3D hybrid simulations. As the solar wind magnetic field was highly dynamic during the passage, a simulation with stationary solar wind input cannot distinguish whether distortions were caused by these solar wind variations or by the lunar wake; therefore, a dynamic real-time simulation of the flyby has been performed. The input values of this simulation are taken from NASA OMNI data and adapted to the P1 data, resulting in a good agreement between simulation and measurements. Combined with the stationary simulation showing non-transient lunar wake structures, a separation of solar wind and wake effects is achieved. An anisotropy in the magnitude of the plasma bulk flow velocity caused by a non-vanishing magnetic field component parallel to the solar wind flow and perturbations created by counterstreaming ions in the lunar wake are observed in data and simulations. The simulations help to interpret the data granting us the opportunity to examine the entire lunar plasma environment and, thus, extending the possibilities of measurements alone: A comparison of a simulation cross section to theoretical predictions of MHD wave propagation shows that all three basic MHD modes are present in the lunar wake and that their expansion governs the lunar wake refilling process.

Wiehle, S.↗

SES cupola interactive display design environment

The Systems Engineering Simulator, located at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is tasked with providing a real-time simulator for developing displays and controls targeted for the Space Station Freedom. These displays and controls will exist inside an enclosed workstation located on the space station. The simulation is currently providing the engineering analysis environment for NASA and contractor personnel to design, prototype, and test alternatives for graphical presentation of data to an astronaut while he performs specified tasks. A highly desirable aspect of this environment is to have the capability to rapidly develop and bring on-line a number of different displays for use in determining the best utilization of graphics techniques in achieving maximum efficiency of the test subject fulfilling his task. The Systems Engineering Simulator now has available a tool which assists in the rapid development of displays for these graphic workstations. The Display Builder was developed in-house to provide an environment which allows easy construction and modification of displays within minutes of receiving requirements for specific tests.

Vu, Bang Q.↗

Modeling and Testing of Docking and Berthing Mechanisms

The Contact Dynamics Simulation Laboratory (CDSL) of the Marshall Space Flight Center provides for refined hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulation of docking and berthing mechanisms and associated control systems. This facility is employed to verify the performance of docking/berthing mechanisms during Earth-orbit operations, determine the capture envelope of dockingherthing devices, measure contact loads at vehicle interfaces, and evaluate visual cues for man-in-the-loop operations. The CDSL has developed test verified analytical models of such systems as the ISS Common Berthing Mechanism and HST Three Point Docking Mechanism. This paper will describe the modeling and test techniques employed at the CDSL and present results from recent programs.

Hall, D. P.↗

A performance comparison of integration algorithms in simulating flexible structures

Asymptotic formulas for the characteristic root errors as well as transfer function gain and phase errors are presented for a number of traditional and new integration methods. Normalized stability regions in the lambda h plane are compared for the various methods. In particular, it is shown that a modified form of Euler integration with root matching is an especially efficient method for simulating lightly-damped structural modes. The method has been used successfully for structural bending modes in the real-time simulation of missiles. Performance of this algorithm is compared with other special algorithms, including the state-transition method. A predictor-corrector version of the modified Euler algorithm permits it to be extended to the simulation of nonlinear models of the type likely to be obtained when using the discretized structure approach. Performance of the different integration methods is also compared for integration step sizes larger than those for which the asymptotic formulas are valid. It is concluded that many traditional integration methods, such as RD-4, are not competitive in the simulation of lightly damped structures.

Howe, R. M.↗

Modeling software systems by domains

The Software Architectures Engineering (SAE) Project at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) has developed engineering modeling techniques that both reduce the complexity of software for domain-specific computer systems and result in systems that are easier to build and maintain. These techniques allow maximum freedom for system developers to apply their domain expertise to software. We have applied these techniques to several types of applications, including training simulators operating in real time, engineering simulators operating in non-real time, and real-time embedded computer systems. Our modeling techniques result in software that mirrors both the complexity of the application and the domain knowledge requirements. We submit that the proper measure of software complexity reflects neither the number of software component units nor the code count, but the locus of and amount of domain knowledge. As a result of using these techniques, domain knowledge is isolated by fields of engineering expertise and removed from the concern of the software engineer. In this paper, we will describe kinds of domain expertise, describe engineering by domains, and provide relevant examples of software developed for simulator applications using the techniques.

Dippolito, Richard↗

The Shuttle Remote Manipulator System and its flight tests

The Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) has now been flown on seven Space Shuttle Orbiter missions with an eighth mission imminent in June, 1984. This paper describes the design features of the SRMS, a six degree of freedom anthropomorphic man-machine system, and summarizes the results of its Orbital Flight Tests (OFT's) aimed at verifying performance and validating simulation models. In general, behavior and performance of the system has closely followed predictions made by nonreal-time and real-time simulations. Some typical comparisons are presented. Mention is made of operational performance demonstrated on recent flights.

Ravindran, R.↗

The DaveMLTranslator: An Interface for DAVE-ML Aerodynamic Models

It can take weeks or months to incorporate a new aerodynamic model into a vehicle simulation and validate the performance of the model. The Dynamic Aerospace Vehicle Exchange Markup Language (DAVE-ML) has been proposed as a means to reduce the time required to accomplish this task by defining a standard format for typical components of a flight dynamic model. The purpose of this paper is to describe an object-oriented C++ implementation of a class that interfaces a vehicle subsystem model specified in DAVE-ML and a vehicle simulation. Using the DaveMLTranslator class, aerodynamic or other subsystem models can be automatically imported and verified at run-time, significantly reducing the elapsed time between receipt of a DAVE-ML model and its integration into a simulation environment. The translator performs variable initializations, data table lookups, and mathematical calculations for the aerodynamic build-up, and executes any embedded static check-cases for verification. The implementation is efficient, enabling real-time execution. Simple interface code for the model inputs and outputs is the only requirement to integrate the DaveMLTranslator as a vehicle aerodynamic model. The translator makes use of existing table-lookup utilities from the Langley Standard Real-Time Simulation in C++ (LaSRS++). The design and operation of the translator class is described and comparisons with existing, conventional, C++ aerodynamic models of the same vehicle are given.

Hill, Melissa A.↗

An expert system for simulating electric loads aboard Space Station Freedom

Space Station Freedom will provide an infrastructure for space experimentation. This environment will feature regulated access to any resources required by an experiment. Automated systems are being developed to manage the electric power so that researchers can have the flexibility to modify their experiment plan for contingencies or for new opportunities. To define these flexible power management characteristics for Space Station Freedom, a simulation is required that captures the dynamic nature of space experimentation; namely, an investigator is allowed to restructure his experiment and to modify its execution. This changes the energy demands for the investigator's range of options. An expert system competent in the domain of cryogenic fluid management experimentation was developed. It will be used to help design and test automated power scheduling software for Freedom's electric power system. The expert system allows experiment planning and experiment simulation. The former evaluates experimental alternatives and offers advice on the details of the experiment's design. The latter provides a real-time simulation of the experiment replete with appropriate resource consumption.

Kukich, George↗

An expert system for simulating electric loads aboard Space Station Freedom

Space Station Freedom will provide an infrastructure for space experimentation. This environment will feature regulated access to any resources required by an experiment. Automated systems are being developed to manage the electric power so that researchers can have the flexibility to modify their experiment plan for contingencies or for new opportunities. To define these flexible power management characteristics for Space Station Freedom, a simulation is required that captures the dynamic nature of space experimentation; namely, an investigator is allowed to restructure his experiment and to modify its execution. This changes the energy demands for the investigator's range of options. An expert system competent in the domain of cryogenic fluid management experimentation, was developed. It will be used to help design and test automated power scheduling software for Freedom's electric power system. The expert system allows experiment planning and experiment simulation. The former evaluates experimental alternatives and offers advice on the details of the experiment's design. The latter provides a real-time simulation of the experiment replete with appropriate resource consumption.

Kukich, George↗

The General-Use Nodal Network Solver (GUNNS) Modeling Package for Space Vehicle Flow System Simulation

The General-Use Nodal Network Solver (GUNNS) is a modeling software package that combines nodal analysis and the hydraulic-electric analogy to simulate fluid, electrical, and thermal flow systems. GUNNS is developed by L-3 Communications under the TS21 (Training Systems for the 21st Century) project for NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), primarily for use in space vehicle training simulators at JSC. It has sufficient compactness and fidelity to model the fluid, electrical, and thermal aspects of space vehicles in real-time simulations running on commodity workstations, for vehicle crew and flight controller training. It has a reusable and flexible component and system design, and a Graphical User Interface (GUI), providing capability for rapid GUI-based simulator development, ease of maintenance, and associated cost savings. GUNNS is optimized for NASA's Trick simulation environment, but can be run independently of Trick.

Harvey, Jason↗

Dynamic simulation of compressor and gas turbine performance

Dynamic simulation of compressor and gas turbine performance is useful in a variety of design, analysis, and test applications. Mathematical models employing estimated or experimentally-derived component characteristics have been widely used, especially for near-design-point studies of acceleration and deceleration transients and control strategies. With recent progress in simulation methods and computational power, it has become possible to build models with detail at the stage level, and with fundamental fluid mechanics input. Such models are more useful because of the ability to study the details of inter-component flow property behavior during machine transients, even including stall and surge. Dynamic performance simulation models are discussed with emphasis on the fundamental principles of the models and the methods used to represent component and stage flow characteristics. Results of several simulations of the dynamic behavior of multistage compressors are shown with comparisons to experimental data. Possibilities for advanced computational techniques for near-real-time simulations of compressors and gas turbines are reviewed.

Walter F O'Brien↗

Simscape Modeling of a Custom Closed-Volume Tank

The library for Mathworks Simscape does not currently contain a model for a closed volume fluid tank where the ullage pressure is variable. In order to model a closed-volume variable ullage pressure tank, it was necessary to consider at least two separate cases: a vertical cylinder, and a sphere. Using library components, it was possible to construct a rough model for the cylindrical tank. It was not possible to construct a model for a spherical tank, using library components, due to the variable area. It was decided that, for these cases, it would be preferable to create a custom library component to represent each case, using the Simscape language. Once completed, the components were added to models, where filling and draining the tanks could be simulated. When the models were performing as expected, it was necessary to generate code from the models and run them in Trick (a real-time simulation program). The data output from Trick was then compared to the output from Simscape and found to be within acceptable limits.

Simscape↗

Computational Controls Workstation: Algorithms and hardware

The Computational Controls Workstation provides an integrated environment for the modeling, simulation, and analysis of Space Station dynamics and control. Using highly efficient computational algorithms combined with a fast parallel processing architecture, the workstation makes real-time simulation of flexible body models of the Space Station possible. A consistent, user-friendly interface and state-of-the-art post-processing options are combined with powerful analysis tools and model databases to provide users with a complete environment for Space Station dynamics and control analysis. The software tools available include a solid modeler, graphical data entry tool, O(n) algorithm-based multi-flexible body simulation, and 2D/3D post-processors. This paper describes the architecture of the workstation while a companion paper describes performance and user perspectives.

Venugopal, R.↗