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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Pretest Comprehensive Analysis for the Urban Air Mobility Side-by-Side Test Stand

The Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Side-by-Side Test Stand (SBS) is a two-rotor test stand designed and built at NASA Ames Research Center under the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Project. The SBS entered service in the wind tunnel in the latter part of 2021 and allows for the experimental analysis of rotor-rotor interactions for UAM vehicles of the side-by-side variety. The SBS will allow investigation of the effect of numerous variables such as rotor lateral separation, rotor collective pitch, model pitch angle (𝛼), rotor rotation direction, and flight speed. This paper presents performance predictions for the SBS. These predictions, which were generated using CAMRAD II, provided increased assurance of the safe operational limits of the system. Additionally, these results, when compared with future data, will be used for validation of the computational models.

Comprehensive Analysis↗
NASA NTRS2022

NASA Concept Vehicles and the Engineering of Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft

NASA is conducting investigations in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft and operations. AAM missions are characterised by ranges below 300 nm, including rural and urban operations, passenger carrying as well as cargo delivery. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a subset of AAM and is the segment that is projected to have the most economic benefit and be the most difficult to develop. The NASA Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project is developing UAM VTOL aircraft designs that can be used to focus and guide research activities in support of aircraft development for emerging aviation markets. These NASA concept vehicles encompass relevant UAM features and technologies, including propulsion architectures, highly efficient yet quiet rotors, and aircraft aerodynamic performance and interactions. The configurations adopted are generic, intentionally different in appearance and design detail from prominent industry arrangements. Already these UAM concept aircraft have been used in numerous engineering investigations, including work on meeting safety requirements, achieving good handling qualities, and reducing noise below helicopter certification levels. Focusing on the concept vehicles, observations are made regarding the engineering of Advanced Air Mobility aircraft.

eVTOL↗
NASA NTRS1983

Local governments LANDSAT applications program

The approach used to develop the internal capabilities of local governments to handle and evaluate LANDSAT data included remote sensing training, development of a low-cost digital image processing system, and technical assistance. Cost sharing, program management and coordination, and networking were also employed to address problems related to land use, water resources, environmental assessment, and air quality as experienced by urban planners. Local experiences gained in Atlanta, Georgia; Henrico County, Virginia; Oklahoma City; Oklahoma; and San Jose, California are described. Policy recommendations formulated for transferring remote sensing technologies to local governments are included.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2000

Field intercomparison of a novel optical sensor for formaldehyde quantification

A one-week in situ intercomparison campaign was completed on the Rice University campus for measuring HCHO using three different techniques, including a novel optical sensor based on difference frequency generation (DFG) operating at room temperature. Two chemical derivatization methods, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) and o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine (PFBHA), were deployed during the daylight hours for three- to four-hour time-integrated samples. A real-time optical sensor based on laser absorption spectroscopy was operated simultaneously, including nighttime hours. This tunable spectroscopic source based on difference frequency mixing of two fiber-amplified diode lasers in periodically poled LiNb03 (PPLN) was operated at 3.5315 micrometers (2831.64 cm 1) to access a strong HCHO ro-vibrational transition free of interferences from other species. The results showed a bias of -1.7 and -1.2 ppbv and a gross error of 2.6 and 1.5 ppbv for DNPH and PFBHA measurements, respectively, compared with DFG measurements. These results validate the DFG sensor for time-resolved measurements of HCHO in urban areas.

NASA Discipline Life Sciences Technologies↗
NASA NTRS1978

Land Use Planning

Computer technology, aerial photography and space imagery are being combined in a NASA community services program designed to help solve land use and natural resource planning problems. As urban areas grow, so grows the need for comprehensive, up-to-date information on which to base intelligent decisions regarding land use. State and local planners need information such as the nature of urban change, where the changes are occurring, how they affect public safety, transportation, the economy, tax assessment, sewer systems, water quality, flood hazard, noise impact and a great variety of other considerations. Most importantly they need continually updated maps. Preparing timely maps, gathering the essential data and maintaining it in orderly fashion are becoming matters of increasing difficulty. The NASA project, which has nationwide potential for improving efficiency in the planning process, is a pilot program focused on Tacoma, Washington and surrounding Pierce County. Its key element, developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is a computerized Land Use Management Information System (LUMIS).

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Distributed Sensing and Computer Vision Methods for Advanced Air Mobility Approach and Landing

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft require precision approach and landing systems (PALS) in several types of environments such as urban, suburban, and rural. It is difficult to implement current state-of-the-art methods approved for automated approach and landing for AAM operations. However, existing technology and systems that use vision, IR, radar, and GPS methods provide baseline perception and sensing requirements for AAM aircraft approach and landing. This paper focuses on vision-based PAL and computer vision feature correspondence methods to demonstrate a baseline navigation system while adhering to the Federal Aviation Administration requirements and regulations. The coplanar algorithm determines pose estimation, which feeds into an Extended Kalman filter that combines IMU with vision to create a sensor fusion navigation solution for GPS-denied environments. The state estimate leads to glideslope and localizer error computations, which will be pertinent for designing and deriving guidance laws and control laws for AAM PALS. The IMU and vision navigation solution provides promising simulation results for AAM PALS. This paper builds on previous work by incorporating high fidelity simulations with computer graphics rendering to demonstrate a distributed sensor network to track an AAM aircraft during approach and landing to compare with the aircraft's onboard navigation solution.

Evan Kawamura↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Urban Aerial Mobility Networks using Amphibious Vertical Takeoff and Landing Vehicles

This study considers novel urban aerial mobility (UAM) networks that address some of the key operator and community acceptance challenges inherent in proposed UAM operations. This paper seeks to examine three possible approaches to improve operator and community acceptance – specifically targeting cost, safety, and noise. First, the conceptual design space will be examined for VTOL amphibious vehicle technologies, including the implications of onwater versus in-flight time/speed. Second, the implications of minimizing community overflights by flying over-water will be examined. Third, the implications of the partial use of onwater, or near-shore/littoral, vertiports on UAM network performance will be examined. This study considers an alternate design trade space for urban aerial mobility systems. A large number of cities in the United States are located near or surround large bodies of water. Many of these same cities are considered to be candidates for metropolitan aerial transportation systems so as to moderate the impact of urban ground-transportation congestion. This paper will expand discussion and study of notional amphibious VTOL vehicles. There is nothing particularly new with regards to helicopters with amphibious takeoff and landing capability. For example, light rotorcraft have been outfitted with pontoons since the 1950s. Larger utility helicopters – used for carrying offshore oil-rig crew – have been designed, with varying degrees of success, to emergency land in rough waters in case of onboard mechanical system failures. The unique difference for the proposed amphibious UAM vehicles, as compared to these earlier amphibious rotorcraft, is that water operation is the norm rather than the exception and that, further, the water-born operation (and design) of such vehicles can be optimized to yield significant economic and operational benefits over solely UAM land-based stations and operations. Various different amphibious UAM networks will be discussed. A first-order set of analyses – employing novel mission metrics – is presented in this paper that will examine the operational performance of these amphibious networks. In particular, amphibious operations might address critical safety and community acceptance issues. An examination of the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic characteristics of amphibious VTOL UAM vehicles will be presented in this paper. One possible conceptual design for an amphibious UAM vehicle is a hybrid synchropter/hydroplane vehicle. As interest in urban aerial mobility grows, it is worthwhile to consider whether or not amphibious vertical takeoff and landing vehicles can play an important role in providing such mobility.

Urban Aerial Mobility↗
NASA NTRS2021

Southern Bhutan Ecological Forecasting III: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Model Land Cover Change and Elephant Wildlife Corridors in Southern Bhutan

Habitat loss of the endangered Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) accompanied by rapid urbanization has contributed to the rising human-elephant conflict (HEC) crisis in southern Bhutan. This poses a serious threat to the survival of Asian elephants, a keystone wildlife species essential for maintaining Bhutan’s forest ecosystems and rich biodiversity. With expanding urban areas, HECs present challenges to conservation efforts in the region. The team partnered with the Bhutan Foundation, the Bhutan Tiger Center, and Bhutan Ecological Society to help mitigate this issue using remote sensing technology and NASA Earth observations. The team refined Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) maps for 2010–2019 generated in previous terms and elephant corridor maps to include information on human settlements using Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data. We generated LULC change maps and forecasted the LULC to 2030 using TerrSet Land Change Modeler, providing insights into future elephant habitat suitability in southern Bhutan. The results indicated that built-up areas increased approximately 688.9% from 2010 to 2019 and the forecasted 2030 LULC also predicted an increase in built-up areas compared to 2019. Suitable corridors in Gelephu intersect cultivated and built-up areas, indicating close proximity of elephants to humans and a need to research alternative corridor strategies. The end products from this project will aid partner organizations in decision-making processes in urban planning and future conservation strategies that include the refined placement of biological corridors to aid elephant movement and reduce the risk of HECs.

Thinley Yidzin Wangden↗
NASA NTRS1973

An analysis of Milwaukee county land use

The identification and classification of urban and suburban phenomena through analysis of remotely-acquired sensor data can provide information of great potential value to many regional analysts. Such classifications, particularly those using spectral data obtained from satellites such as the first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) orbited by NASA, allow rapid frequent and accurate general land use inventories that are of value in many types of spatial analyses. In this study, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin was classified into several broad land use categories on the basis of computer analysis of four bands of ERTS spectral data (ERTS Frame Number E1017-16093). Categories identified were: (1) road-central business district, (2) grass (green vegetation), (3) suburban, (4) wooded suburb, (5) heavy industry, (6) inner city, and (7) water. Overall, 90 percent accuracy was attained in classification of these urban land use categories.

Todd, W. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Weather Capability for the Urban Air Mobility Airspace Research Roadmap

Traditionally, the transportation system’s resiliency to the impacts of weather is an area where neglected or incorrect assumptions can lead to difficulties later in the research and development lifecycle. To mitigate this, NASA has ongoing efforts to develop a set of research roadmaps for organizing, integrating, and communicating research into new aviation infrastructure and transportation modalities, within which weather is being addressed early on. An effort has been undertaken to add weather assumptions and requirements to an already-existing roadmap for the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) airspace, seeking to integrate weather requirements early in the system design. This effort addresses the way in which state-of-the art and evolving weather science and technology can enable safe and efficient travel with increasing tempo of UAM operations over time. This paper describes the addition of weather as one of 10 capabilities into the UAM Airspace research roadmap, laying out the anticipated weather technology and information requirements needed to facilitate operations at various UAM Maturity Levels. The process developed and exercised by MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers produced 41 unique requirements to be satisfied by a Weather capability for the UAM ecosystem, with more than 300 dependencies identified across the system. These requirements cover measurement, analysis, modeling, forecasting, decision support, dissemination, and overarching policy, and are provided with an overview of weather challenges for UAM. The requirements were mainly defined based on subject matter expert review of existing UAM Airspace system requirements, and refined based on iterative feedback with various stakeholders including regulators, academia, and industry. Going forward, this roadmap will help researchers and developers align to a common vision in ensuring that weather is appropriately considered in the UAM ecosystem.

research roadmap↗
NASA NTRS1975

Future remote-sensing programs

User requirements and methods developed to fulfill them are discussed. Quick-look data, data storage on computer-compatible tape, and an integrated capability for production of images from the whole class of earth-viewing satellites are among the new developments briefly described. The increased capability of LANDSAT-C and Nimbus G and the needs of specialized applications such as, urban land use planning, cartography, accurate measurement of small agricultural fields, thermal mapping and coastal zone management are examined. The affect of the space shuttle on remote sensing technology through increased capability is considered.

Schweickart, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Quarterly literature review of the remote sensing of natural resources, third quarter 1976

Abstracts related to remote sensing instrumentation and techniques, and to the remote sensing of natural resources are presented by the Technology Application Center at the University of New Mexico. Areas of interest included theory, general surveys, and miscellaneous studies; geology and hydrology; agriculture and forestry; marine sciences; and urban and land use. An alphabetically arranged Author/Key Word index is provided.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2020

Supervised Autonomy for Communication-Degraded Subterranean Exploration by a Robot Team

The importance of autonomy in robotics is magnified when the robots need to be deployed and operated in areas that are too dangerous or not accessible for humans, ranging from disaster areas (to assist in emergency situations) to Mars exploration (to uncover the mystery of our neighboring planet). The DARPA Subterranean (SubT) Challenge presents a great opportunity and a formidable robotics challenge to foster such technological advancement for operations in extreme and underground environments. Robot teams are expected to rapidly map, navigate, and search underground environments including natural cave networks, tunnel systems, and urban underground infrastructure. Subterranean environments pose significant challenges for manned and unmanned operations due to limited situational awareness. In the first phase of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge (held in August 2019; targeting underground tunnels and mines), Team CoSTAR, led by NASA JPL, placed second among 11 teams across the world, accurately mapping several kilometers of two mine systems and localizing 17 target objects in the course of four one-hour missions. While the main goal of Team CoSTAR at the end of this threeyear challenge (August 2021) is a fully autonomous robotic solution, this paper describes Team CoSTAR’s results in the first phase of the challenge (August 2019), focusing on supervised autonomy of a multi-robot team under severe communication constraints. This paper also presents the design and initial results obtained from field test campaigns conducted in various tunnel-like environments, leading to the competition.

Otsu, Kyohei↗
NASA NTRS2023

Maldives Climate II: Evaluating the Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Human Development and Coastal Infrastructure

The Republic of the Maldives is a low-lying island nation in the Indian Ocean which has experienced rapid urbanization, landcover changes, and sea level rise over recent years. The growth of tourism, coastal erosion, and urbanization have all driven land reclamation efforts across many islands. As in-situ landcover change monitoring has proven difficult across the vast archipelago, the NASA DEVELOP team collaborated with the Maldives Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology; USAID; and the U.S. Department of State, to utilize Earth observations to predict sea level rise impacts on coastal infrastructure. The team used a supervised classification algorithm within Google Earth Engine to create land use maps and time series analyses of nine islands and atolls using imagery from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager, Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument, and PlanetScope, covering a combined period of 2000 through 2023. Additionally, the team projected coastal inundation with a modified deterministic Bathtub model utilizing elevation data from CoastalDEM and 2050-2100 Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios identified in the NASA Sea Level Rise Projection Tool. The team found that islands undergoing urban growth experienced a 23% decrease in vegetation between 2014 and 2022. Furthermore, the model predicted that 51–57% of the study area’s-built environment has a chance of inundation by 2100 under the low and high sea level scenarios. These analyses demonstrate how remote sensing can be used to both track land use changes over time and project how coastlines will be affected by sea level rise.

remote sensing↗
NASA NTRS1971

Superconducting magnets and devices for space vehicles and experiments

Superconductivity research has been oriented toward those problems that tend to restrict the greater application of superconducting devices in space research and technology. These include magnetic problems of high field magnets, increasing operating temperatures, and development of useful competitive superconducting instruments.

Urban, E. W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Preliminary Steps in Developing Rapid Aero Modeling Technology

The Rapid Aero Modeling (RAM) approach is a method to efficiently and automatically obtain aerodynamic models during testing, significantly saving time and resources. Motivation for this technology results from demand for experimental efficiency and model fidelity that has increased with growing aircraft complexity and aerodynamic nonlinearities. These issues are typical in the responses presented by a class of vehicles categorized as Urban Air Mobility aircraft where many features from both airplane and rotorcraft are present. For UAM configurations, with typically many more factors than conventional aircraft, traditional test methods can lead to increased costs and missed interactions. RAM guides the test to obtain high-fidelity, statistically rigorous aircraft models, and the approach is applicable to computational, ground, or flight-test experiments. It combines concepts from Design of Experiment theory and Aircraft System Identification theory that allow the user the freedom to choose, in advance of the test, a specific level of fidelity typically, in terms of prediction error. RAM only collects data required to meet the user-specified fidelity and fidelity is only limited by the facility and test article capabilities. An initial wind tunnel test to support development of RAM was conducted to assess potential metrics, algorithms, and procedures. This paper presents results from initial tests for the development of RAM technology and highlights some of the unique features of RAM applied toa conventional configuration during a ground-based, static, wind-tunnel test.

Patrick C Murphy↗
NASA NTRS1972

Environmental applications activity at Marshall Space Flight Center

MSFC environmental applications demonstration projects have emphasized application of aerospace technology to community needs of southeastern U.S. Some of the typical projects underway are: hydrological parameter determination; land use surveys; agricultural stress detection; new community site surveys; pollution monitoring; urban transportation studies; and urban environmental quality.

Paludan, C. T. N.↗