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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Development of a case tool to support decision based software development

A summary of the accomplishments of the research over the past year are presented. Achievements include: made demonstrations with DHC, a prototype supporting decision based software development (DBSD) methodology, for Paramax personnel at ODU; met with Paramax personnel to discuss DBSD issues, the process of integrating DBSD and Refinery and the porting process model; completed and submitted a paper describing DBSD paradigm to IFIP '92; completed and presented a paper describing the approach for software reuse at the Software Reuse Workshop in April 1993; continued to extend DHC with a project agenda, facility necessary for a better project management; completed a primary draft of the re-engineering process model for porting; created a logging form to trace all the activities involved in the process of solving the reengineering problem, and developed a primary chart with the problems involved by the reengineering process.

Wild, Christian J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design and Conduct of a Windshear Detection Flight Experiment

A description of the design and conduct of a series of flight experiments which tested the performance of candidate windshear detection devices is presented. With prototype windshear sensors installed, a NASA Boeing 737 test aircraft conducted numerous low altitude penetrations of microburst windshear conditions. These tests were preceded by extensive preparations which included piloted simulations, determination of safe operating limits, and the development of unique flight test hardware, displays, and procedures. The test aircraft and more than 50 research and support personnel were deployed to Orlando, Florida, and Denver, Colorado, during June and July 1991 for field testing. Upon receiving a forecast of developing weather activity, the aircraft crew launched and proceeded to the storm location, guided by uplinked ground radar information and voice communications with ground weather personnel. The tests required constant monitoring of numerous factors including aircraft flight parameters, ground obstructions, windshear magnitude, lightning, escape routes, ATC coordination, storm cell development, and others. The flight tests were extremely successful, safely recording more than 25 low altitude microburst windshear and strong gust front approaches and penetrations, along with completing a full test matrix of additional requirements related to windshear sensor performance. Data quality from the tests was excellent and indicates strong potential for airborne remote sensors to accurately predict and warn the flight crew of hazardous windshear conditions with ample time for precautionary crew action.

Flight Testing↗
NASA NTRS1993

Aerodynamic heating environment definition/thermal protection system selection for the HL-20

Definition of the aerothermal environment is critical to any vehicle such as the HL-20 Personnel Launch System that operates within the hypersonic flight regime. Selection of an appropriate thermal protection system design is highly dependent on the accuracy of the heating-environment prediction. It is demonstrated that the entry environment determines the thermal protection system design for this vehicle. The methods used to predict the thermal environment for the HL-20 Personnel Launch System vehicle are described. Comparisons of the engineering solutions with computational fluid dynamic predictions, as well as wind-tunnel test results, show good agreement. The aeroheating predictions over several critical regions of the vehicle, including the stagnation areas of the nose and leading edges, windward centerline and wing surfaces, and leeward surfaces, are discussed. Results of predictions based on the engineering methods found within the MINIVER aerodynamic heating code are used in conjunction with the results of the extensive wind-tunnel tests on this configuration to define a flight thermal environment. Finally, the selection of the thermal protection system based on these predictions and current technology is described.

Wurster, K. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

NASA grievance system: Employee handbook

This revised handbook updates the minimum provisions of the agency-wide Grievance System and applies to NASA Headquarters and field installations. All grievances initiated on or after June 15, 1981, will be processed under these provisions. NASA recognizes and endorses the importance of bringing to light and adjusting grievances promptly and of treating all employees reasonably and fairly. Achieving these objectives requires great competence, mature judgment, and true willingness to reach a satisfactory solution. Provisions of the NASA Grievance System are directed to this purpose. Grievances and misunderstandings can arise in almost any working situation. It follows then that an employee's initiation of a grievance in good faith should not cast any reflection on the employee's standing with his or her supervisor or loyalty and importance to the organization. At the same time, the initiation of a grievance should not automatically be considered as a reflection on the employee's supervisor or on the general management of the activity. This handbook should be used in conjunction with Office of Personnel Management regulations in 5 CFR Part 771 and Chapter 771 of the Federal Personnel Manual. Installations may issue implementing instructions, e.g. specifying when fact-finding is required or when an unresolved grievance must be referred to a higher level of authority.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1993

An integrated knowledge system for the Space Shuttle hazardous gas detection system

A computer-based integrated Knowledge-Based System, the Intelligent Hypertext Manual (IHM), was developed for the Space Shuttle Hazardous Gas Detection System (HGDS) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The IHM stores HGDS related knowledge and presents it in an interactive and intuitive manner. This manual is a combination of hypertext and an expert system which store experts' knowledge and experience in hazardous gas detection and analysis. The IHM's purpose is to provide HGDS personnel with the capabilities of: locating applicable documentation related to procedures, constraints, and previous fault histories; assisting in the training of personnel; enhancing the interpretation of real time data; and recognizing and identifying possible faults in the Space Shuttle sub-systems related to hazardous gas detection.

Lo, Ching F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Flight-determined engine exhaust characteristics of an F404 engine in an F-18 airplane

Personnel at the NASA Langley Research Center (NASA-Langley) and the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility (NASA-Dryden) recently completed a joint acoustic flight test program. Several types of aircraft with high nozzle pressure ratio engines were flown to satisfy a twofold objective. First, assessments were made of subsonic climb-to-cruise noise from flights conducted at varying altitudes in a Mach 0.30 to 0.90 range. Second, using data from flights conducted at constant altitude in a Mach 0.30 to 0.95 range, engineers obtained a high quality noise database. This database was desired to validate the Aircraft Noise Prediction Program and other system noise prediction codes. NASA-Dryden personnel analyzed the engine data from several aircraft that were flown in the test program to determine the exhaust characteristics. The analysis of the exhaust characteristics from the F-18 aircraft are reported. An overview of the flight test planning, instrumentation, test procedures, data analysis, engine modeling codes, and results are presented.

Ennix, Kimberly A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

TLRS-3 system upgrades

This presentation describes the upgrades to the Transportable Laser Ranging Systems serial number three (TLRS-3), and the impact that these upgrades will have on the TLRS-3 performance in the field. The four major areas of system upgrades are the HP-380 computer, the Optical Attenuation Mechanism (OAM), the upgraded spatial, spectral and temporal filtering for improved daylight ranging capability, and the software upgrade to enable the system to track the Etalon satellites. The TLRS-3 was returned to the Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory (GGAO) in December 1991 for system upgrades in preparation of the TOPEX/POSEIDON campaign scheduled to begin in the summer of 1992. Many system upgrades were incorporated into the system while interleaving planned facility maintenance making TLRS-3 a more versatile and more dependable laser ranging system. The TLRS-3 was initially baselined with the MOBLAS-7 via simultaneous satellite ranging on the LAGEOS, Ajisai, Starlette, and ERS-I satellites. During the upgrades and following completion of the system upgrades intercomparisons with the MOBLAS-7 were made to verify the integrity and accuracy of the system changes. Several other groups of personnel participated in the TLRS-3 upgrade and they are: the Survey Section, the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory, the Architectural and Engineering Services Department, the Precision Timing Section, and the station personnel at TLRS-3 and MOBLAS-7.

Eichinger, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1993

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standards Exposure Control Plan

The Hummer Associates Exposure Control Plan is designed to reduce significant occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens and infectious materials for Hummer Associates health care personnel. Under universal precautions, all patients and all body fluids are considered potentially infectious for bloodborne pathogens. Medical personnel need not be at increased risk if universal precautions are correctly understood and followed. This program covers all employees who could reasonably anticipate contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials during the performance of their job responsibilities. Although HIV and hepatitis B are mentioned most often, this program applies to all bloodborne diseases. The two main components needed to implement this program are universal precautions and engineering/work practice controls. This program covers all employees who may have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Other aspects of this program are discussed.

Luhrs, Caro Elise↗
NASA NTRS1993

Let your fingers do the walking: The projects most invaluable tool

The barrage of information pertaining to the software being developed for a project can be overwhelming. Current status information, as well as the statistics and history of software releases, should be 'at the fingertips' of project management and key technical personnel. This paper discusses the development, configuration, capabilities, and operation of a relational database, the System Engineering Database (SEDB) which was designed to assist management in monitoring of the tasks performed by the Network Control Center (NCC) Project. This database has proven to be an invaluable project tool and is utilized daily to support all project personnel.

Zirk, Deborah A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Operability engineering in the Deep Space Network

Many operability problems exist at the three Deep Space Communications Complexes (DSCC's) of the Deep Space Network (DSN). Four years ago, the position of DSN Operability Engineer was created to provide the opportunity for someone to take a system-level approach to solving these problems. Since that time, a process has been developed for personnel and development engineers and for enforcing user interface standards in software designed for the DSCC's. Plans are for the participation of operations personnel in the product life-cycle to expand in the future.

Wilkinson, Belinda↗
NASA NTRS1993

Access to space studies

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is currently considering possible directions in Earth-to-orbit vehicle development under a study called 'Access to Space.' This agency-wide study is considering commercial launch vehicles, human transportation, space station logistics, and other space transportation requirements over the next 40 years. Three options are being considered for human transportation: continued use of the Space Shuttle; development of a small personnel carrier (personnel logistics system (PLS)); or development of an advanced vehicle such as a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO). Several studies related to the overall Access to Space study are reported in this document.

Martin, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Meeting the challenges of installing a mobile robotic system

The challenges of integrating a mobile robotic system into an application environment are many. Most problems inherent to installing the mobile robotic system fall into one of three categories: (1) the physical environment - location(s) where, and conditions under which, the mobile robotic system will work; (2) the technological environment - external equipment with which the mobile robotic system will interact; and (3) the human environment - personnel who will operate and interact with the mobile robotic system. The successful integration of a mobile robotic system into these three types of application environment requires more than a good pair of pliers. The tools for this job include: careful planning, accurate measurement data (as-built drawings), complete technical data of systems to be interfaced, sufficient time and attention of key personnel for training on how to operate and program the robot, on-site access during installation, and a thorough understanding and appreciation - by all concerned - of the mobile robotic system's role in the security mission at the site, as well as the machine's capabilities and limitations. Patience, luck, and a sense of humor are also useful tools to keep handy during a mobile robotic system installation. This paper will discuss some specific examples of problems in each of three categories, and explore approaches to solving these problems. The discussion will draw from the author's experience with on-site installations of mobile robotic systems in various applications. Most of the information discussed in this paper has come directly from knowledge learned during installations of Cybermotion's SR2 security robots. A large part of the discussion will apply to any vehicle with a drive system, collision avoidance, and navigation sensors, which is, of course, what makes a vehicle autonomous. And it is with these sensors and a drive system that the installer must become familiar in order to foresee potential trouble areas in the physical, technical, and human environment.

Decorte, Celeste↗
NASA NTRS1994

Remote sensing for hurricane Andrew impact assessment

Stennis Space Center personnel flew a Learjet equipped with instrumentation designed to acquire imagery in many spectral bands into areas most damaged by Hurricane Andrew. The calibrated airborne multispectral scanner (CAMS), a NASA-developed sensor, and a Zeiss camera acquired images of these areas. The information derived from the imagery was used to assist Florida officials in assessing the devastation caused by the hurricane. The imagery provided the relief teams with an assessment of the debris covering roads and highways so cleanup plans could be prioritized. The imagery also mapped the level of damage in residential and commercial areas of southern Florida and provided maps of beaches and land cover for determination of beach loss and vegetation damage, particularly the mangrove population. Stennis Space Center personnel demonstrated the ability to respond quickly and the value of such response in an emergency situation. The digital imagery from the CAMS can be processed, analyzed, and developed into products for field crews faster than conventional photography. The resulting information is versatile and allows for rapid updating and editing. Stennis Space Center and state officials worked diligently to compile information to complete analyses of the hurricane's impact.

Davis, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

High performance real-time flight simulation at NASA Langley

In order to meet the stringent time-critical requirements for real-time man-in-the-loop flight simulation, computer processing operations must be deterministic and be completed in as short a time as possible. This includes simulation mathematical model computational and data input/output to the simulators. In 1986, in response to increased demands for flight simulation performance, personnel at NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC), working with the contractor, developed extensions to a standard input/output system to provide for high bandwidth, low latency data acquisition and distribution. The Computer Automated Measurement and Control technology (IEEE standard 595) was extended to meet the performance requirements for real-time simulation. This technology extension increased the effective bandwidth by a factor of ten and increased the performance of modules necessary for simulator communications. This technology is being used by more than 80 leading technological developers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Included among the commercial applications of this technology are nuclear process control, power grid analysis, process monitoring, real-time simulation, and radar data acquisition. Personnel at LaRC have completed the development of the use of supercomputers for simulation mathematical model computational to support real-time flight simulation. This includes the development of a real-time operating system and the development of specialized software and hardware for the CAMAC simulator network. This work, coupled with the use of an open systems software architecture, has advanced the state of the art in real time flight simulation. The data acquisition technology innovation and experience with recent developments in this technology are described.

Cleveland, Jeff I., II↗
NASA NTRS1991

Controlling hazardous energy sources (lockout/tagout)

The minimum requirements as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard 29 CFR 1910.147 are discussed for preventing the unexpected operation of equipment or release of energy which could cause injury to personnel, damage to equipment, harm to the environment, or loss or compromise of test data. Safety requirements both for government and contractor personnel are explained for potentially hazardous energy sources during work operations at LeRC (Cleveland and Plum Brook Stations). Basic rules are presented to ensure protection against harmful exposures, and baseline implementation requirements are discussed from which detailed lockout/tagout procedures can be developed for individual equipment items. Examples of energy sources covered by this document include electrical, pneumatic, mechanical, chemical, cryogenic, thermal, spring tension/compression suspended or moving loads, and other potentially hazardous sources. Activities covered by this standard include, but are not limited to, construction, maintenance, installation, calibration, inspection, cleaning, or repair.

Dominguez, Manuel B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

BATSE data analysis

The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) is one of four instruments on the Compton Observatory which was launched by the space shuttle Atlantis on 5 Apr. 1991. As of the end of Nov. 1993, BATSE detected more than 830 cosmic gamma ray bursts and more than 690 solar flares. Pulsed gamma rays have been detected from at least 16 sources and emission from at least 28 sources (including most of the pulsed sources) has been detected by the earth occultation technique. The daily BATSE operations tasks represent a substantial level of effort and involve a large team which includes MSFC personnel as well as contractors such as UAH. The effort is naturally divided into several areas: data operations, burst operations, occultation operations, and pulsar operations. UAH personnel have been involved to some extent in all of these as well as contributing to various areas of scientific data analysis.

Paciesas, William S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The Virtual Mission Operations Center

Spacecraft management is becoming more human intensive as spacecraft become more complex and as operations costs are growing accordingly. Several automation approaches have been proposed to lower these costs. However, most of these approaches are not flexible enough in the operations processes and levels of automation that they support. This paper presents a concept called the Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC) that provides highly flexible support for dynamic spacecraft management processes and automation. In a VMOC, operations personnel can be shared among missions, the operations team can change personnel and their locations, and automation can be added and removed as appropriate. The VMOC employs a form of on-demand supervisory control called management by exception to free operators from having to actively monitor their system. The VMOC extends management by exception, however, so that distributed, dynamic teams can work together. The VMOC uses work-group computing concepts and groupware tools to provide a team infrastructure, and it employs user agents to allow operators to define and control system automation.

Moore, Mike↗
NASA NTRS1994

Flight controller alertness and performance during MOD shiftwork operations

Decreased alertness and performance associated with fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption are issues faced by a diverse range of shiftwork operations. During STS operations, MOD personnel provide 24 hr. coverage of critical tasks. A joint JSC and ARC project was undertaken to examine these issues in flight controllers during MOD shiftwork operations. An initial operational test of procedures and measures was conducted during STS-53 in Dec. 1992. The study measures included a background questionnaire, a subjective daily logbook completed on a 24 hr. basis (to report sleep patterns, work periods, etc.), and an 8 minute performance and mood test battery administered at the beginning, middle, and end of each shift period. Seventeen Flight controllers representing the 3 Orbit shifts participated. The initial results clearly support further data collection during other STS missions to document baseline levels of alertness and performance during MOD shiftwork operations. These issues are especially pertinent for the night shift operations and the acute phase advance required for the transition of day shift personnel into the night for shuttle launch. Implementation and evaluation of the countermeasure strategies to maximize alertness and performance is planned. As STS missions extend to further extended duration orbiters, timelines and planning for 24 circadian disruption will remain highly relevant in the MOD environment.

Kelly, Sean M.↗