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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spatial and Temporal Deconfliction of Trajectories in the Presence of Uncertainties

Demonstration of conflict-free movement for multi-agent teams in challenging scenarios is crucial in developing trust and trustworthiness in an autonomous transport system. Tolerance verification queries are explored as a mechanism to enforce spatial and temporal deconfliction for a cooperating team of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) with prescribed heterogeneous path-following performance. Obstacles in the environment are modelled as set of polyhedra, whereas each vehicle’s trajectory is represented as a sequence of polynomial curves with C2 continuity, expressed in a Bernstein basis. Each vehicle is modelled as a point mass and a safety distance, informed by the geometry of the UAS and the worst-case path-following error. This defines a tube around the trajectories where each UAS is most likely to fly through. In addition, obstacles in the environment have an associated safety buffer around them to account for the uncertainty in their location and geometric description. The tolerance verification queries explored in this paper combine the safety distance information from each UAS and environmental hazard to compute trajectories that are contained within the safe configuration space. Tolerance verification is also compared with other proximity queries to determine the suitability of each method along the different steps of the trajectory generation algorithm. This paper analyzes the fitness and performance of three proximity queries – collision, tolerance verification, and distance computations – between polyhedral and polynomial curves to ensure deconfliction between obstacles and vehicles, but also between polynomial curves to guarantee safe separation among cooperating UAS.

trajectory generation↗
NASA NTRS1985

Predictor laws for pictorial flight displays

Two predictor laws are formulated and analyzed: (1) a circular path law based on constant accelerations perpendicular to the path and (2) a predictor law based on state transition matrix computations. It is shown that for both methods the predictor provides the essential lead zeros for the path-following task. However, in contrast to the circular path law, the state transition matrix law furnishes the system with additional zeros that entirely cancel out the higher-frequency poles of the vehicle dynamics. On the other hand, the circular path law yields a zero steady-state error in following a curved trajectory with a constant radius. A combined predictor law is suggested that utilizes the advantages of both methods. A simple analysis shows that the optimal prediction time mainly depends on the level of precision required in the path-following task, and guidelines for determining the optimal prediction time are given.

Grunwald, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Computer-Aided Remote Driving

System for remote control of robotic land vehicle requires only small radio-communication bandwidth. Twin video cameras on vehicle create stereoscopic images. Operator views cross-polarized images on two cathode-ray tubes through correspondingly polarized spectacles. By use of cursor on frozen image, remote operator designates path. Vehicle proceeds to follow path, by use of limited degree of autonomous control to cope with unexpected conditions. System concept, called "computer-aided remote driving" (CARD), potentially useful in exploration of other planets, military surveillance, firefighting, and clean-up of hazardous materials.

Wilcox, Brian H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Accessing a P-27 Data Acquisition Computer from an Off-Site Computer Not Owned by LANL

The steps to access a LANL owned P-27 data acquisition (DAQ) computer from off site using a non-LANL computer are documented here. Two connection paths should be possible. The first uses an HTML5 connection directly from portal.lanl.gov, and the steps for this path follow some preliminaries. The second connection path again uses an HTML5 from connection to portal.lan.gov to a virtual Windows desktop to then access our DAQ computers. Instructions for this will be added later.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1995

A wideband channel model for land mobile satellite systems

A wideband channel model for Land Mobile Satellite (LMS) services is presented which characterizes the time-varying transmission channel between a satellite and a mobile user terminal. The channel model statistic parameters are the results of fitting procedures to measured data. The data used for fitting have a time resolution of 33 ns corresponding to a bandwidth of 30 MHz. Thus, the model is capable to characterize the channel behaviour for a wide range of services e.g., voice transmission, digital audio broadcasting (DAB), and spread spectrum modulation schemes. The model is presented for different environments and scenarios. The model is derived for a quasi-mobile user with hand-held terminal being in two different environments: rural and urban. The parameters needed for the description are (a) the number of echoes, (b) the distribution of the echo power, and (c) the distribution of the echo delay. It is shown that the direct path follows a Rician distribution whereas the reflected paths are Rayleigh/lognormal distributed. The parameters are given for an elevation angle of 25 deg.

Jahn, Axel↗
NASA NTRS1994

Nonlocal effects on the polarization state of a photon, induced by distant absorbers

A variant of a Franson's two-photon correlation experiment is discussed, in which the linear polarization state of one of the photons depends on the path followed in the interferometer. It is shown that although the path difference is greater than the coherence length, the photon can be found in a polarization state represented by the superposition of the polarization states associated to the paths when there is coincident detection. Since the photons, produced via parametric down-conversion, are fairly well localized in space and time, the situation in which one of the photons is detected before the other can reach the interferometer raises an intriguing point: it seems that in some cases the second photon would have to be described by two wave packets simultaneously. Unlike previous experiments, in which nonlocal effects were induced by means of polarizers of phase shifters, in the proposed experiment nonlocal effects can be induced by means of variable absorbers.

Ryff, Luis Carlos B.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Cursor Control Device Test Battery

The test battery was developed to provide a standard procedure for cursor control device evaluation. The software was built in Visual Basic and consists of nine tasks and a main menu that integrates the set-up of the tasks. The tasks can be used individually, or in a series defined in the main menu. Task 1, the Unidirectional Pointing Task, tests the speed and accuracy of clicking on targets. Two rectangles with an adjustable width and adjustable center- to-center distance are presented. The task is to click back and forth between the two rectangles. Clicks outside of the rectangles are recorded as errors. Task 2, Multidirectional Pointing Task, measures speed and accuracy of clicking on targets approached from different angles. Twenty-five numbered squares of adjustable width are arranged around an adjustable diameter circle. The task is to point and click on the numbered squares (placed on opposite sides of the circle) in consecutive order. Clicks outside of the squares are recorded as errors. Task 3, Unidirectional (horizontal) Dragging Task, is similar to dragging a file into a folder on a computer desktop. Task 3 requires dragging a square of adjustable width from one rectangle and dropping it into another. The width of each rectangle is adjustable, as well as the distance between the two rectangles. Dropping the square outside of the rectangles is recorded as an error. Task 4, Unidirectional Path Following, is similar to Task 3. The task is to drag a square through a tunnel consisting of two lines. The size of the square and the width of the tunnel are adjustable. If the square touches any of the lines, it is counted as an error and the task is restarted. Task 5, Text Selection, involves clicking on a Start button, and then moving directly to the underlined portion of the displayed text and highlighting it. The pointing distance to the text is adjustable, as well as the to-be-selected font size and the underlined character length. If the selection does not include all of the underlined characters, or includes non-underlined characters, it is recorded as an error. Task 6, Multi-size and Multi-distance Pointing, presents the participant with 24 consecutively numbered buttons of different sizes (63 to 163 pixels), and at different distances (60 to 80 pixels) from the Start button. The task is to click on the Start button, and then move directly to, and click on, each numbered target button in consecutive order. Clicks outside of the target area are errors. Task 7, Standard Interface Elements Task, involves interacting with standard interface elements as instructed in written procedures, including: drop-down menus, sliders, text boxes, radio buttons, and check boxes. Task completion time is recorded. In Task 8, a circular track is presented with a disc in it at the top. Track width and disc size are adjustable. The task is to move the disc with circular motion within the path without touching the boundaries of the track. Time and errors are recorded. Task 9 is a discrete task that allows evaluation of discrete cursor control devices that tab from target to target, such as a castle switch. The task is to follow a predefined path and to click on the yellow targets along the path.

Kritina Holden↗
NASA NTRS1982

Flow visualization study of the horseshoe vortex in a turbine stator cascade

Flow visualization techniques were used to show the behavior of the horseshoe vortex in a large scale turbine stator cascade. Oil drops on the end wall surface flowed in response to local shear stresses, indicating the limiting flow streamlines at the surface. Smoke injected into the flow and photographed showed time averaged flow behavior. Neutrally bouyant helium filled soap bubbles followed the flow and showed up on photographs as streaks, indicating the paths followed by individual fluid particles. Preliminary attempts to control the vortex were made by injecting air through control jets drilled in the end wall near the vane leading edge. Seventeen different hole locations were tested, one at a time, and the effect of the control jets on the path follwed by smoke in the boundary layer was recorded photographically.

Gaugler, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Metamorphic fluids and uplift-erosion history of a portion of the Kapuskasing structural zone, Ontario, as deduced from fluid inclusions

Fluid inclusions can be used to determine the compositional evolution of fluids present in high grade metamorphic rocks (Touret, 1979) along with the general P-T path followed by the rocks during uplift and erosion (Hollister et al., 1979). In this context, samples of high grade gneisses from the Kapuskasing structural zone (KSZ, Fig. 1) of eastern Ontario were studied in an attempt to define the composition of syn- and post-metamorphic fluids and help constrain the uplift and erosion history of the KSZ. Recent work by Percival (1980), Percival and Card (1983) and Percival and Krogh (1983) shows that the KSZ represents lower crustal granulites that form the lower portion of an oblique cross section through the Archean crust, which was up faulted along a northeast striking thrust fault. The present fluid inclusion study places constraints upon the P-T path which the KSZ followed during uplift and erosion.

Rudnick, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An off-center point explosion in a radially stratified medium - Kompaneets approximation

The Kompaneets (1960) approximation is applied to a blast in a medium that is radially stratified according to a power law. The basic equation is derived that gives the location of the shock front as a function of time. This equation is transformed by means of a conformal coordinate transformation into an equation in which the density variation of the medium does not appear. In the new coordinates, and the problem is reduced to that of a blast in a uniform medium, the solution of which is a set of concentric circles about the initial explosion point; in the transformed coordinates, the paths followed by points on the shock front are radial, making it possible to find the paths in the original coordinates. Using the new solution, the effect of the explosion is considered for a solid core embedded at the origin, and the extent of the core's surface that is affected by the blast is calculated.

Korycansky, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Multiplier-continuation algorthms for constrained optimization

Several path following algorithms based on the combination of three smooth penalty functions, the quadratic penalty for equality constraints and the quadratic loss and log barrier for inequality constraints, their modern counterparts, augmented Lagrangian or multiplier methods, sequential quadratic programming, and predictor-corrector continuation are described. In the first phase of this methodology, one minimizes the unconstrained or linearly constrained penalty function or augmented Lagrangian. A homotopy path generated from the functions is then followed to optimality using efficient predictor-corrector continuation methods. The continuation steps are asymptotic to those taken by sequential quadratic programming which can be used in the final steps. Numerical test results show the method to be efficient, robust, and a competitive alternative to sequential quadratic programming.

Lundberg, Bruce N.↗
NASA NTRS1989

An application of generalized predictive control to rotorcraft terrain-following flight

Generalized predictive control (GPC) describes an algorithm for the control of dynamic systems in which a control input is generated which minimizes a quadratic cost function consisting of a weighted sum of errors between desired and predicted future system output and future predicted control increments. The output predictions are obtained from an internal model of the plant dynamics. The GPC algorithm is first applied to a simplified rotorcraft terrain-following problem, and GPC performance is compared to that of a conventional compensatory automatic system in terms of flight-path following, control activity, and control law implementation. Next, more realistic vehicle dynamics are utilized, and the GPC algorithm is applied to simultaneous terrain following and velocity control in the presence of atmospheric disturbances and errors in the internal model of the vehicle. The online computational and sensing requirements for implementing the GPC algorithm are minimal. Its use for manual control models appears promising.

Hess, Ronald A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Performance Benefits with Scene-Linked HUD Symbology: An Attentional Phenomenon?

Previous research has shown that in a simulated flight task, navigating a path defined by ground markers while maintaining a target altitude is more accurate when an altitude indicator appears in a virtual "scenelinked" format (projected symbology moving as if it were part of the out-the-window environment) compared to the fixed-location, superimposed format found on present-day HUDs (Foyle, McCann & Shelden, 1995). One explanation of the scene-linked performance advantage is that attention can be divided between scene-linked symbology and the outside world more efficiently than between standard (fixed-position) HUD symbology and the outside world. The present study tested two alternative explanations by manipulating the location of the scene-linked HUD symbology relative to the ground path markers. Scene-linked symbology yielded better ground path-following performance than standard fixed-location superimposed symbology regardless of whether the scene-linked symbology appeared directly along the ground path or at various distances off the path. The results support the explanation that the performance benefits found with scene-linked symbology are attentional.

Levy, Jonathan L.↗
DOE OSTI2022

An Open-Source Framework for PV in the Circular Economy Evaluation

This open-source tool follows the dynamic Material and flows for each component and material in a PV system, from mining to end of life to evaluate the material and energy impacts of different paths. Following circularity principles, virgin material inputs can be offset by recovered materials to reduce impacts due to mining and extraction. Unlike consumer products, renewable energy technologies generate power over their useful life to quickly offset energy required for manufacturing. The model provides unique baselines of PV evolution, and allows us to evaluate the material and soon energy return on investment of decisions such as field repair, off-site refurbishment, reuse, or recycling. Energy layer and cost, as well as visual dashboard under development.

circular economy modeling↗
DOE OSTI2020

The effect of loading direction on the fracture behaviors of cortical bone at a dynamic loading rate

Here, the dynamic cracking processes in porcine cortical bone were visualized in real-time using the high-speed synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging (PCI) technique in three osteon orientations: in-plane transverse, out-of-plane transverse and in-plane longitudinal. The dynamic flexural loading applied on the pre-notched bone specimens was introduced by a modified Kolsky compression bar. High-speed X-ray images of the entire loading events were documented with a high-speed camera. Three-dimensional X-ray micro-computed tomography was conducted to examine the intact microstructures and obtain the basic material properties of the bone material used for mechanical characterizations. The onset location, where crack initiated, and the subsequent direction, along which the incipient crack propagated, were measured quantitatively using the high-speed X-ray images and the latter was found dependent on the osteon direction significantly. The crack propagation velocities were dependent on crack extension over the entire crack path significantly for all the three directions while the initial velocity for in-plane longitudinal direction was lower than the other two directions. Straight-through crack paths were observed for in-plane longitudinal specimens while the cracks were deflected and twisted in the in-plane transverse direction. For out-of-plane transverse direction, the cracks follow paths with tortuosity fall in between the other two directions, showing a mixed mode of fractures of the former two extreme cases. The toughening mechanisms, visualized by the high-speed X-ray images, and the corresponding fracture toughness, evaluated in terms of fracture initiation toughness and crack growth resistance curve (R-curve), were also found significantly different among the three osteon directions, suggesting an overall transition from brittle to ductile-like fracture behaviors at the dynamic displacement rate (5.4 m/s) as the osteon orientation varies from in-plane longitudinal to out-of-plane transverse, and to in-plane transverse eventually.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

From anti-Arrhenius to Arrhenius behavior in a dislocation-obstacle bypass: Atomistic simulations and theoretical investigation

Dislocations are the primary carriers of plasticity in metallic materials. Understanding the basic mechanisms for dislocation movement is paramount to predicting the material mechanical response. Relying on atomistic simulations, we observe a transition from non-Arrhenius to Arrhenius behavior in the rate of an edge dislocation overcoming the long-range elastic interaction with a prismatic loop in tungsten. Close to the critical resolved shear stress, the process shows a non-Arrhenius behavior at low temperatures. However, as the temperature increases, the activation entropy starts to dominate, leading to a traditional Arrhenius-like behavior. Here, we have computed the activation entropy analytically along the minimum energy path following Schoeck’s method, which captures the cross-over between anti-Arrhenius and Arrhenius domains. Also, the Projected Average Force Integrator (PAFI), another simulation method to compute free energies along an initial transition path, exhibits considerable concurrence with Schoeck’s formalism. We conclude that entropic effects need to be considered to understand processes involving dislocations bypassing elastic barriers close to the critical resolved shear stress. More work needs to be performed to fully understand the discrepancies between Schoeck’s and PAFI compared to molecular dynamics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1984

Tunnel display for four-dimensional fixed-wing aircraft approaches

The present evaluation of a computer-generated perspective tunnel display for four-dimensional fixed wing aircraft landing approaches gives attention to the development and performance assessment of superimposed predictor symbology. Simulator tests indicate that a complex perspective vehicle symbol yields a decrease in bank angle activity, by comparison to a flat predictor cross, while yielding larger lateral and vertical deviations in most cases. The perspective vehicle symbol motions are successful in forward velocity control without affecting path-following performance. The perspective vehicle symbol's advantage over the flat predictor cross is nevertheless marginal. While the tunnel display used yields satisfactory response in the lateral control axis, the vertical axis lacks sensitivity to vertical path angle variations.

Grunwald, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1929

Spiral tendency in blind flying

The flight path followed by an airplane which was being flown by a blindfolded pilot was observed and recorded. When the pilot attempted to make a straight-away flight there was a tendency to deviate from the straight path and to take up a spiral one.

Carroll, Thomas↗