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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 343 records · Page 19

Benefits of Ka-band GaN MMIC High Power Amplifiers With Wide Bandwidth and High Spectral/Power Added Efficiencies for Cognitive Radio Platforms

A cognitive radio on a future NASA near-Earth spacecraft will be capable of sensing its environment and dynamically adapting its operating parameters to provide the desired SATCOM service to the mission. A key component that can enable this type of operation is a high-power amplifier (HPA) that resides on the radio platform. In this report, we present the RF performance characteristics of a Ka-band gallium nitride (GaN) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) based HPA for cognitive radio platforms. These characteristics include the output power, gain, power added efficiency (PAE), RMS error vector magnitude (EVM), spectral efficiency, 3rdorder intermodulation distortion (IMD) products, spectrum, spectral regrowth, noise figure (NF), phase noise, and group delay. The data presented indicates that the HPA meets NTIA, military, and commercial spectral mask requirements. In addition, we discuss the benefits offered by the above performance characteristics toward the design and implementation of a cognitive radio platform. Furthermore, as examples, we discuss three potential use cases that apply artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques and exploit the performance characteristics discussed above to provide a knowledge-based cognitive radio platform design for SATCOM. Thus, cognitive radios with performance flexibility can enable roaming and provide seamless interoperability autonomously in the future between NASA, commercial, and other space networks owned by U.S. government agencies.

Gallium nitride↗

The Exploration Crew Health and Performance System of the Future - A Shared Mental Model

The challenges involved in vehicle/habitat design and operation for long-duration deep space missions are complex, and the needs of a human crew must be considered in the context of all the system trades required to enable such missions. An exploration Crew Health and Performance (CHP) system complements all the other vehicle/habitat systems to achieve one specific and critical endpoint – ensuring that the astronauts can perform the job that they were sent into space to do. This includes accounting for all aspects of the physiological, psychological, medical, and environmental realities that the human crew must face in deep space. Along with this system complexity comes the additional need for increased autonomy of the crew due to the immense distance from Earth. The design of future systems must respect the real human capabilities and limitations within the context of a mission to the Moon or Mars. The NASA Moon to Mars Objectives document outlines the need for advanced CHP system designs: • Develop systems that monitor and maintain crew health and performance throughout all mission phases, including during communication delays to Earth, and in an environment that does not allow emergency evacuation or terrestrial medical assistance. • Evaluate and validate progressively Earth-independent crew health & performance systems and operations with mission durations representative of Mars-class missions. • Validate readiness of systems and operations to support crew health and performance for the initial human Mars exploration campaign. This presentation will outline the initial work that Exploration Medical Capability is leading on the development of a prototype design for an exploration Crew Health and Performance (CHP) system for future NASA human deep space long-duration missions. This effort will require commitment from all stakeholders to a shared mental model of what a future exploration CHP system should look like, one that will address the needs, goals, and objectives of the Agency and help to ensure mission success in deep space.

K R Lehnhardt↗

Systems and methods for increasing efficiency of ultrasound waveform tomography

Ultrasound tomography imaging methods for imaging a tissue medium with one or more ultrasound transducer arrays comprising a plurality of transducers, wherein said transducers comprise source transducers, receiving transducers. The methods include assigning a phase value or time delay to source transducers, exciting the transducers and calculating a search direction based on data relating to the excited transducers.

Huang, Lianjie↗

Nonlocal subpicosecond delay metrology using spectral quantum interference

Precise knowledge of position and timing information is critical to support elementary protocols such as entanglement swapping on quantum networks. While approaches have been devised to use quantum light for such metrology, they largely rely on time-of-flight (ToF) measurements with single-photon detectors and, therefore, are limited to picosecond-scale resolution owing to detector jitter. In this work, we demonstrate an approach to distributed sensing that leverages phase modulation to map changes in the spectral phase to coincidence probability, thereby overcoming the limits imposed by single-photon detection. By extracting information about the joint biphoton phase, we measure a generalized delay—the difference in signal–idler arrival, relative to local radio frequency (RF) phase modulation. For nonlocal ranging measurements, we achieve (2$σ$) precision of ±0.04 ps and for measurements of the relative RF phase, (2$σ$) precision of ±0.7°. We complement this fine timing information with ToF data from single-photon time-tagging to demonstrate absolute measurement of time delay. By relying on off-the-shelf telecommunications equipment and standard quantum resources, this approach has the potential to reduce overhead in practical quantum networks.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Method and system of doppler correction for mobile communications systems

Doppler correction system and method comprising receiving a Doppler effected signal comprising a preamble signal (32). A delayed preamble signal (48) may be generated based on the preamble signal (32). The preamble signal (32) may be multiplied by the delayed preamble signal (48) to generate an in-phase preamble signal (60). The in-phase preamble signal (60) may be filtered to generate a substantially constant in-phase preamble signal (62). A plurality of samples of the substantially constant in-phase preamble signal (62) may be accumulated. A phase-shifted signal (76) may also be generated based on the preamble signal (32). The phase-shifted signal (76) may be multiplied by the delayed preamble signal (48) to generate an out-of-phase preamble signal (80). The out-of-phase preamble signal (80) may be filtered to generate a substantially constant out-of-phase preamble signal (82). A plurality of samples of the substantially constant out-of-phase signal (82) may be accumulated. A sum of the in-phase preamble samples and a sum of the out-of-phase preamble samples may be normalized relative to each other to generate an in-phase Doppler estimator (92) and an out-of-phase Doppler estimator (94).

Georghiades, Costas N.↗

Compensating For Computational Delay In Flight Simulation

Computer-generated imagery processed with corrective phase shifts at lower frequencies. Algorithm developed from transfer functions predicting lower-frequency components of response of aircraft short time into future. Effects of delay at lower frequencies counteracted by introducing compensatory phase shifts, opposite those caused by delay, into signals driving computer-generated imagery.

Mcfarland, Richard E.↗

Direct Phase-Angle Detection for Three-Phase Inverters in Asymmetrical Power Grids

This paper introduces a signal reformation based direct phase-angle detection (DPD-SR) technique for three-phase inverters supporting asymmetrical grids. Asymmetries in three-phase systems may happen because of unbalanced three-phase loads, which can lead to the voltage asymmetry at the terminals of grid-tied inverters. The proposed DPD-SR technique can detect the voltage phase-angle under asymmetrical conditions. The DPD-SR technique also offers precise and rapid phase-angle detection via signal reformation and trigonometric functions. In essence, the phase-angle detection is directly derived from the trigonometric properties of the line-line voltages, while signal reformation is implemented to handle asymmetrical voltages. The proposed method measures two line-line voltages and detects the phase-angle of a three-phase system under both symmetrical and asymmetrical conditions. Unlike classical phase-locked loop (PLL) techniques, DPD-SR does not need any closed-loop PI controller, which significantly reduces the complexity and the delay in detecting the phase-angle. In this paper, the efficacy of the proposed technique is examined in comparison with the state-of-the-art PLLs under asymmetrical conditions via a set of laboratory experiments. Here, the performance of the phase-angle detection is also tested as part of an inverter feeding an asymmetrical grid.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Implementation of CAPIO for Composite Adaptive Control of Cross-Coupled Unstable Aircraft

This paper presents an implementation of a recently developed control allocation algorithm CAPIO (a Control Allocation technique to recover from Pilot Induced Oscillations) for composite adaptive control of an inertially cross coupled unstable aircraft. When actuators are rate-saturated due to either an aggressive pilot command, high gain of the flight control system or some anomaly in the system, the effective delay in the control loop may increase due to the phase shifting between the desired and the achieved system states. This effective time delay may deteriorate the performance or even destabilize the system in some cases, depending on the severity of rate saturation. CAPIO reduces the effective time delay by minimizing the phase shift between the commanded and the actual attitude accelerations. We present simulation results for an unstable aircraft with cross-coupling controlled with a composite adaptive controller in the presence of rate saturation. The simulations demonstrate the potential of CAPIO serving as an effective rate saturation compensator in adverse conditions.

Yildiz, Yildiray↗

Design for steering accuracy in antenna arrays using shared optical phase shifters

Uniform linear phased arrays where many radiating elements share a relatively small number of phase shifters are investigated. Such architectures arise in arrays which derive the time delays in the signal paths from a small group of independent phase shifters. In particular, a true time-delay device which has been suggested recently for optically controlled arrays is used as the basic phase shifter. Different architectures, viz. alternative procedures of deriving the necessary time delay for each antenna in the face of phase-shifter inaccuracies, are examined. The variance of the steered beam's direction is used as the performance criterion. The direction-optimal architecture is obtained by means of quadratic programming, and is shown not to be unique. The nonuniqueness of the optimal architecture is exploited to improve other characteristics of the array's beam shape, and the optimal solution is shown to compare favorably with a suboptimal interleaved solution which is easier to implement.

Kam, Moshe↗

Understanding supercooling mechanism in sodium sulfate decahydrate phase-change material

Salt hydrate-based phase-change materials are considered promising for future heat storage applications in residential heating/cooling systems. Smooth phase transition from the liquid to solid phase and vice versa is essential for effective heat exchanger; however, supercooling in salt hydrates delays the onset of liquid–solid phase transition. We investigate the molecular level mechanism of supercooling in sodium sulfate decahydrate (SSD). SSD is a complex salt hydrate whose properties are governed by electrostatic forces that include pure Coulombic interactions as well as hydrogen bonds. Experimentally, we examine the importance of a nucleator in reducing supercooling temperatures. We investigated the effect of various mass concentrations of a borax nucleator on a decrease of supercooling temperatures. Molecular dynamics simulation techniques are used to obtain a basic understanding of supercooling in SSD. We observe that by introducing borax as a nucleator, there is a decrease in the supercooling temperature before nucleation. Our molecular dynamics simulations show that long-range electrostatics between sodium and sulfate ion pairs and that with polar water molecules is responsible for delayed nucleation in SSD that results in supercooling, and also, dynamics of charged molecules slows down. The lack of crystallization leads to amorphous structures in supercooled SSD.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Associative memories using complex-valued Hopfield networks based on spin-torque oscillator arrays

Abstract Simulations of complex-valued Hopfield networks based on spin-torque oscillators can recover phase-encoded images. Sequences of memristor-augmented inverters provide tunable delay elements that implement complex weights by phase shifting the oscillatory output of the oscillators. Pseudo-inverse training suffices to store at least 12 images in a set of 192 oscillators, representing 16 × 12 pixel images. The energy required to recover an image depends on the desired error level. For the oscillators and circuitry considered here, 5% root mean square deviations from the ideal image require approximately 5 μ s and consume roughly 130 nJ. Simulations show that the network functions well when the resonant frequency of the oscillators can be tuned to have a fractional spread less than 10 −3 , depending on the strength of the feedback.

Prasad, Nitin (ORCID:0000000180880164)↗

A wide-band fiber optic frequency distribution system employing thermally controlled phase compensation

An active wide-band fiber optic frequency distribution system employing a thermally controlled phase compensator to stabilize phase variations induced by environmental temperature changes is described. The distribution system utilizes bidirectional dual wavelength transmission to provide optical feedback of induced phase variations of 100 MHz signals propagating along the distribution cable. The phase compensation considered differs from earlier narrow-band phase compensation designs in that it uses a thermally controlled fiber delay coil rather than a VCO or phase modulation to compensate for induced phase variations. Two advantages of the wide-band system over earlier designs are (1) that it provides phase compensation for all transmitted frequencies, and (2) the compensation is applied after the optical interface rather than electronically ahead of it as in earlier schemes. Experimental results on the first prototype shows that the thermal stabilizer reduces phase variations and Allan deviation by a factor of forty over an equivalent uncompensated fiber optic distribution system.

Johnson, Dean↗

Signatures of linearized gravity in atom interferometers: A simplified computational framework

We develop a general framework for calculating the leading-order, general relativistic contributions to the gravitational phase shift in single-photon atom interferometers within the context of linearized gravity. We show that the atom gradiometer observable, which only depends on the atom interferometer propagation phase, can be written in terms of three distinct contributions: the Doppler phase shift, which accounts for the tidal displacement of atoms along the baseline, the Shapiro phase shift, which accounts for the delay in the arrival time of photons at atom-light interaction points, and the Einstein phase shift, which accounts for the gravitational redshift measured by the atoms. For specific atom gradiometer configurations, we derive the signal and response functions for two physically motivated scenarios: (i) transient gravitational waves in the transverse-traceless gauge and, for the first time, in the proper detector frame, and (ii) transient massive objects sourcing weak and slow-varying Newtonian potentials. Here, we find that the Doppler contribution of realistic Newtonian noise sources (e.g., a freight truck or a piece of space debris) at proposed atom gradiometer experiments, such as AION, MAGIS, and AEDGE, can exceed the shot noise level and thus affect physics searches if not properly subtracted. Note: 44 pages including appendices, 4 figures; v2: different formatting, fixed typos, 28 pages including appendices, 5 figures, agrees with published version

Atom interferometry↗

A Real-Time Phase Vector Display for EEG Monitoring

A real-time, computer-based, phase vector display system has been developed which will output a vector whose phase is equal to the delay between a trigger and the peak of a function which is quasi-coherent with respect to the trigger. The system also contains a sliding averager which enables the operator to average successive trials before calculating the phase vector. Data collection, averaging and display generation are performed on a LINC-8 computer. Output displays appear on several X-Y CRT display units and on a kymograph camera/oscilloscope unit which is used to generate photographs of time-varying phase vectors or contourograms of time-varying averages of input functions.

Finger, Herbert J.↗

Acousto-ultrasonic input-output characterization of unidirectional fiber composite plate by SH waves

A unidirectional fiberglass epoxy composite plate specimen is modelled as a homogeneous transversely isotropic continuum plate medium. Acousto-ultrasonic non-contact input-output characterization by tracing SH waves in the continuum is studied theoretically with a transmitting and receiving transducer located on the same face of the plate. It is found that the directional dependence of the phase velocity of the SH waves travelling in the transversely isotropic medium has a significant effect on the delay time as opposed to the phase velocity of the SH wave travelling in an isotropic medium.

Williams, James H., Jr.↗

Solar flux forecasting using mutual information with an optimal delay

Solar flux F(sub 10.7) directly affects the atmospheric density, thereby changing the lifetime and prediction of satellite orbits. For this reason, accurate forecasting of F(sub 10.7) is crucial for orbit determination of spacecraft. Our attempts to model and forecast F(sub 10.7) uncovered highly entangled dynamics. We concluded that the general lack of predictability in solar activity arises from its nonlinear nature. Nonlinear dynamics allow us to predict F(sub 10.7) more accurately than is possible using stochastic methods for time scales shorter than a characteristic horizon, and with about the same accuracy as using stochastic techniques when the forecasted data exceed this horizon. The forecast horizon is a function of two dynamical invariants: the attractor dimension and the Lyapunov exponent. In recent years, estimation of the attractor dimension reconstructed from a time series has become an important tool in data analysis. In calculating the invariants of the system, the first necessary step is the reconstruction of the attractor for the system from the time-delayed values of the time series. The choice of the time delay is critical for this reconstruction. For an infinite amount of noise-free data, the time delay can, in principle, be chosen almost arbitrarily. However, the quality of the phase portraits produced using the time-delay technique is determined by the value chosen for the delay time. Fraser and Swinney have shown that a good choice for this time delay is the one suggested by Shaw, which uses the first local minimum of the mutual information rather than the autocorrelation function to determine the time delay. This paper presents a refinement of this criterion and applies the refined technique to solar flux data to produce a forecast of the solar activity.

Ashrafi, S.↗

Sensing device and method for measuring emission time delay during irradiation of targeted samples

An apparatus for measuring emission time delay during irradiation of targeted samples by utilizing digital signal processing to determine the emission phase shift caused by the sample is disclosed. The apparatus includes a source of electromagnetic radiation adapted to irradiate a target sample. A mechanism generates first and second digital input signals of known frequencies with a known phase relationship, and a device then converts the first and second digital input signals to analog sinusoidal signals. An element is provided to direct the first input signal to the electromagnetic radiation source to modulate the source by the frequency thereof to irradiate the target sample and generate a target sample emission. A device detects the target sample emission and produces a corresponding first output signal having a phase shift relative to the phase of the first input signal, the phase shift being caused by the irradiation time delay in the sample. A member produces a known phase shift in the second input signal to create a second output signal. A mechanism is then provided for converting each of the first and second analog output signals to digital signals. A mixer receives the first and second digital output signals and compares the signal phase relationship therebetween to produce a signal indicative of the change in phase relationship between the first and second output signals caused by the target sample emission. Finally, a feedback arrangement alters the phase of the second input signal based on the mixer signal to ultimately place the first and second output signals in quadrature. Mechanisms for enhancing this phase comparison and adjustment technique are also disclosed.

Danielson, J. D. Sheldon↗