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At least 361 records · Page 20

To Interoperability And Beyond: Interoperable Types Through the Promises of C and C++ and ABI Abuse [Slides]

This presentation presents a technique that allows passing of Fortran nested-type hierarchies interoperably to C++. The technique is motivated by the Eulerian Application Project’s need to port code from Fortran to C++ to utilize the Kokkos performance portability library. The resulting method allows hierarchies of types to become interoperable while at the same time transforming Fortran array members of the original Fortran type into Kokkos::Views in the resulting C++ type.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A market survey of geothermal wellhead power generation systems

The market potential for a portable geothermal wellhead power conversion device is assessed. Major study objectives included identifying the most promising applications for such a system, the potential impediments confronting their industrialization, and the various government actions needed to overcome these impediments. The heart of the study was a series of structured interviews with key decision-making individual in the various disciplines of the geothermal community. In addition, some technical and economic analyses of a candidate system were performed to support the feasibility of the basic concept.

Leeds, M. W.↗

Penumatic-power supply

Portable compressed air supply has two or more outputs at pressures from 20 to 100 psi. Applications include operating production equipment, spraying paint and lubricants, and pressurizing refrigeration systems. Supply filters air from standard high-pressure line, reduces it to working pressure, and adds lubricant when required. Regulator supplies low-pressure air to output channels. On channel lines, vernier-control valves select output pressures.

Kramer, R. C.↗

ISLE: Intelligent Selection of Loop Electronics. A CLIPS/C++/INGRES integrated application

The Intelligent Selection of Loop Electronics (ISLE) system is an integrated knowledge-based system that is used to configure, evaluate, and rank possible network carrier equipment known as Digital Loop Carrier (DLC), which will be used to meet the demands of forecasted telephone services. Determining the best carrier systems and carrier architectures, while minimizing the cost, meeting corporate policies and addressing area service demands, has become a formidable task. Network planners and engineers use the ISLE system to assist them in this task of selecting and configuring the appropriate loop electronics equipment for future telephone services. The ISLE application is an integrated system consisting of a knowledge base, implemented in CLIPS (a planner application), C++, and an object database created from existing INGRES database information. The embedibility, performance, and portability of CLIPS provided us with a tool with which to capture, clarify, and refine corporate knowledge and distribute this knowledge within a larger functional system to network planners and engineers throughout U S WEST.

Fischer, Lynn↗

Towards a Comprehensive Computational Simulation System for Turbomachinery

The objective of this work is to develop algorithms associated with a comprehensive computational simulation system for turbomachinery flow fields. This development is accomplished in a modular fashion. These modules includes grid generation, visualization, network, simulation, toolbox, and flow modules. An interactive grid generation module is customized to facilitate the grid generation process associated with complicated turbomachinery configurations. With its user-friendly graphical user interface, the user may interactively manipulate the default settings to obtain a quality grid within a fraction of time that is usually required for building a grid about the same geometry with a general-purpose grid generation code. Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline formulations are utilized in the algorithm to maintain geometry fidelity while redistributing grid points on the solid surfaces. Bezier curve formulation is used to allow interactive construction of inner boundaries. It is also utilized to allow interactive point distribution. Cascade surfaces are transformed from three-dimensional surfaces of revolution into two-dimensional parametric planes for easy manipulation. Such a transformation allows these manipulated plane grids to be mapped to surfaces of revolution by any generatrix definition. A sophisticated visualization module is developed to al-low visualization for both grid and flow solution, steady or unsteady. A network module is built to allow data transferring in the heterogeneous environment. A flow module is integrated into this system, using an existing turbomachinery flow code. A simulation module is developed to combine the network, flow, and visualization module to achieve near real-time flow simulation about turbomachinery geometries. A toolbox module is developed to support the overall task. A batch version of the grid generation module is developed to allow portability and has been extended to allow dynamic grid generation for pitch changing turbomachinery configurations. Various applications with different characteristics are presented to demonstrate the success of this system.

Shih, Ming-Hsin↗

RF Stabilization for Storage of Antiprotons

Portable storage of antimatter is an important step in the experimental exploration of antimatter in propulsion applications. The High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is a Penning-Malmberg ion trap being developed to trap and store low energy antiprotons for a period of weeks. The antiprotons can then be transported for use in experiments. HiPAT is being developed and evaluated using normal matter, before an attempt is made to store and transport antiprotons. Stortd ions have inherent instabilities that limit the storage lifetime. RF stabilization at cyclotron resonance frequencies is demonstrated over a period of 6 days for normal matter ion clouds. A variety of particles have been stored, including protons, C+ ions, and H2+ ions. Cyclotron resonance frequencies are defined and experimental evidence presented to demonstrate excitation of cyclotron waves in the plasma for all three species of ions.

Pearson, J. Boise↗

Mass Spectrometer Containing Multiple Fixed Collectors

A miniature mass spectrometer that incorporates features not typically found in prior mass spectrometers is undergoing development. This mass spectrometer is designed to simultaneously measure the relative concentrations of five gases (H2, He, N2, O2, and Ar) in air, over the relative-concentration range from 10(exp -6) to 1, during a sampling time as short as 1 second. It is intended to serve as a prototype of a product line of easy-to-use, portable, lightweight, highspeed, relatively inexpensive instruments for measuring concentrations of multiple chemical species in such diverse applications as detecting explosive or toxic chemicals in air, monitoring and controlling industrial processes, measuring concentrations of deliberately introduced isotopes in medical and biological investigations, and general environmental monitoring. The heart of this mass spectrometer is an integral combination of a circular cycloidal mass analyzer, multiple fixed ion collectors, and two mass-selective ion sources. By circular cycloidal mass analyzer is meant an analyzer that includes (1) two concentric circular cylindrical electrodes for applying a radial electric field and (2) a magnet arranged to impose a magnetic flux aligned predominantly along the cylindrical axis, so that ions, once accelerated into the annulus between the electrodes, move along circular cycloidal trajectories. As in other mass analyzers, trajectory of each ion is determined by its mass-to-charge ratio, and so ions of different species can be collected simultaneously by collectors (Faraday cups) at different locations intersected by the corresponding trajectories (see figure). Unlike in other mass analyzers, the installation of additional collectors to detect additional species does not necessitate increasing the overall size of the analyzer assembly.

Moskala, Robert↗

Compact, Highly Stable Ion Atomic Clock

A mercury-ion clock now at the breadboard stage of development (see figure) has a stability comparable to that of a hydrogen-maser clock: In tests, the clock exhibited an Allan deviation of between 2 x 10(exp -13) and 3 x 10(exp -13) at a measurement time of 1 second, averaging to about 10(exp -15) at 1 day. However, the clock occupies a volume of only about 2 liters . about a hundredth of the volume of a hydrogen-maser clock. The ion-handling parts of the apparatus are housed in a sealed vacuum tube, wherein only a getter pump is used to maintain the vacuum. Hence, this apparatus is a prototype of a generation of small, potentially portable high-precision clocks for diverse ground- and space-based navigation and radio science applications. Furthermore, this new ion-clock technology is about 100 times more stable and precise than the rubidium atomic clocks currently in use in the NAV STAR GPS Earth-orbiting satellites. In this clock, mercury ions are shuttled between a quadrupole and a 16-pole linear radio-frequency trap. In the quadrupole trap, the ions are tightly confined and optical state selection from a Hg-202 radio-frequency-discharge ultraviolet lamp is carried out. In the 16-pole trap, the ions are more loosely confined and atomic transitions resonant at frequency of about 40.507 GHz are interrogated by use of a microwave beam at that frequency. The trapping of ions effectively eliminates the frequency pulling caused by wall collisions inherent to gas-cell clocks. The shuttling of the ions between the two traps enables separation of the state-selection process from the clock microwave- resonance process, so that each of these processes can be optimized independently of the other. The basic ion-shuttling, two-trap scheme as described thus far is not new: it has been the basis of designs of prior larger clocks. The novelty of the present development lies in major redesigns of its physics package (the ion traps and the vacuum and optical subsystems) to effect the desired reduction of size to a volume of no more than a couple of liters. The redesign effort has included selection of materials for the vacuum tube, ion trap, and ultraviolet windows that withstand bakeout at a temperature of approx.450 C in preparation for sealing the tube to contain the vacuum. This part of the redesign effort follows the approach taken in the development of such other vacuum-tube electronic components as flight traveling- wave-tube amplifiers having operational and shelf lives as long as 15 years. The redesign effort has also included a thorough study of residual-gas-induced shifts of the ion-clock frequency and a study of alternative gases as candidates for use as a buffer gas within the sealed tube. It has been found that neon is more suitable than is helium, which has been traditionally used for this purpose, in that the pressure-induced frequency pulling by neon is between a third and a half of that of helium. In addition, because neon diffuses through solids much more slowly than does helium, the loss of neon by diffusion over the operational lifetime is expected to be negligible.

Prestage, John↗

Medical Signal-Conditioning and Data-Interface System

A general-purpose portable, wearable electronic signal-conditioning and data-interface system is being developed for medical applications. The system can acquire multiple physiological signals (e.g., electrocardiographic, electroencephalographic, and electromyographic signals) from sensors on the wearer s body, digitize those signals that are received in analog form, preprocess the resulting data, and transmit the data to one or more remote location(s) via a radiocommunication link and/or the Internet. The system includes a computer running data-object-oriented software that can be programmed to configure the system to accept almost any analog or digital input signals from medical devices. The computing hardware and software implement a general-purpose data-routing-and-encapsulation architecture that supports tagging of input data and routing the data in a standardized way through the Internet and other modern packet-switching networks to one or more computer(s) for review by physicians. The architecture supports multiple-site buffering of data for redundancy and reliability, and supports both real-time and slower-than-real-time collection, routing, and viewing of signal data. Routing and viewing stations support insertion of automated analysis routines to aid in encoding, analysis, viewing, and diagnosis.

Braun, Jeffrey↗

Demonstration of a Submillimeter-Wave HEMT Oscillator Module at 330 GHz

In this work, radial transitions have been successfully mated with a HEMT-based MMIC (high-electron-mobility-transistor-based monolithic microwave integrated circuit) oscillator circuit. The chip has been assembled into a WR2.2 waveguide module for the basic implementation with radial E-plane probe transitions to convert the waveguide mode to the MMIC coplanar waveguide mode. The E-plane transitions have been directly integrated onto the InP substrate to couple the submillimeter-wave energy directly to the waveguides, thus avoiding wire-bonds in the RF path. The oscillator demonstrates a measured 1.7 percent DC-RF efficiency at the module level. The oscillator chip uses 35-nm-gate-length HEMT devices, which enable the high frequency of oscillation, creating the first demonstration of a packaged waveguide oscillator that operates over 300 GHz and is based on InP HEMT technology. The oscillator chip is extremely compact, with dimensions of only 1.085 x 320 sq mm for a total die size of 0.35 sq mm. This fully integrated, waveguide oscillator module, with an output power of 0.27 mW at 330 GHz, can provide low-mass, low DC-power-consumption alternatives to existing local oscillator schemes, which require high DC power consumption and large mass. This oscillator module can be easily integrated with mixers, multipliers, and amplifiers for building high-frequency transmit and receive systems at submillimeter wave frequencies. Because it requires only a DC bias to enable submillimeter wave output power, it is a simple and reliable technique for generating power at these frequencies. Future work will be directed to further improving the applicability of HEMT transistors to submillimeter wave and terahertz applications. Commercial applications include submillimeter-wave imaging systems for hidden weapons detection, airport security, homeland security, and portable low-mass, low-power imaging systems

Radisic, Vesna↗

Online Photometric Calibration of Automatic Gain Thermal Infrared Cameras

Thermal infrared cameras are increasingly being used in various applications such as robot vision, industrial inspection and medical imaging, thanks to their improved resolution and portability. However, the performance of traditional computer vision techniques developed for electro-optical imagery does not directly translate to the thermal domain due to two major reasons: these algorithms require photometric assumptions to hold, and methods for photometric calibration of RGB cameras cannot be applied to thermal-infrared cameras due to difference in data acquisition and sensor phenomenology. In this paper, we take a step in this direction, and introduce a novel algorithm for online photometric calibration of thermalinfrared cameras. Our proposed method does not require any specific driver/hardware support and hence can be applied to any commercial off-the-shelf thermal IR camera. We present this in the context of visual odometry and SLAM algorithms, and demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed system through extensive experiments for both standard benchmark datasets, and real-world field tests with a thermal-infrared camera in natural outdoor environments.

Daftry, Shreyansh↗

Skylab IMSS checklist application study for emergency medical care

A manual is presented that provides basic technical documentation to support the operation and utilization of the Portable Ambulance Module (PAM) in the field. The PAM is designed to be used for emergency resuscitation and victim monitoring. The functions of all the controls, displays, and stowed equipment of the unit are defined. Supportive medical and physiological data in those areas directly related to the uses of the PAM unit are presented.

Carl, J. G.↗

New NDA Methods for Thorium Fuel Cycle Safeguards (Final Report)

This project developed portable Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (pNRTA) as a new non-destructive assay (NDA) method for thorium fuel cycles safeguards and other applications where multiple isotopes must be measured when present together. pNRTA leverages epithermal neutron resonances to assay multiple safeguards-relevant isotopes (e.g., 233 U and 235 U) when they are present together in a sample. Existing techniques are challenged by this task, driving the need for new active interrogation methods. With selected detectors, pNRTA works in high gamma-ray backgrounds from fission and activation products and 232 U progeny expected in thorium fuel cycle samples. This project leveraged a pNRTA system developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The system uses a commercially available deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron generator at short standoff (2 m). Key achievements in this project included: first-of-a-kind pNRTA quantitative measurements of 233 U oxide samples, an assessment of neutron detector technologies suitable for pNRTA in high gamma-ray background environments, experimentally demonstrating quantitative assay of samples containing 233 U and 235 U, and modeling studies showing the applicability of pNRTA to a wide range of material forms. Further, a custom algorithm was developed at MIT, which provided mean bias of 9% and relative standard deviation of 36% in assaying 233 U, 235 U, 238 U, and 232 Th content in eight measured samples. These outcomes form a solid technical basis for pNRTA as a new promising capability for international safeguards verification that is portable, non-destructive, quantitative, and isotopic specific.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Evolution of the Mobile Information SysTem (MIST)

The Mobile Information SysTem (MIST) had its origins in the need to determine whether commercial off the shelf (COTS) technologies could improve intervehicular activities (IVA) on International Space Station (ISS) crew maintenance productivity. It began with an exploration of head mounted displays (HMDs), but quickly evolved to include voice recognition, mobile personal computing, and data collection. The unique characteristic of the MIST lies within its mobility, in which a vest is worn that contains a mini-computer and supporting equipment, and a headband with attachments for a HMD, lipstick camera, and microphone. Data is then captured directly by the computer running Morae(TM) or similar software for analysis. To date, the MIST system has been tested in numerous environments such as two parabolic flights on NASA's C-9 microgravity aircraft and several mockup facilities ranging from ISS to the Altair Lunar Sortie Lander. Functional capabilities have included its lightweight and compact design, commonality across systems and environments, and usefulness in remote collaboration. Human Factors evaluations of the system have proven the MIST's ability to be worn for long durations of time (approximately four continuous hours) with no adverse physical deficits, moderate operator compensation, and low workload being reported as measured by Corlett Bishop Discomfort Scale, Cooper-Harper Ratings, and the NASA Total Workload Index (TLX), respectively. Additionally, through development of the system, it has spawned several new applications useful in research. For example, by only employing the lipstick camera, microphone, and a compact digital video recorder (DVR), we created a portable, lightweight data collection device. Video is recorded from the participants point of view (POV) through the use of the camera mounted on the side of the head. Both the video and audio is recorded directly into the DVR located on a belt around the waist. This data is then transferred to another computer for video editing and analysis. Another application has been discovered using simulated flight, in which, a kneeboard is replaced with mini-computer and the HMD to project flight paths and glide slopes for lunar ascent. As technologies evolve, so will the system and its application for research and space system operations.

Litaker, Harry L., Jr.↗

Electrochemically regenerable metabolic CO2 and moisture control system for an advanced EMU application

Regenerable CO2 and moisture removal techniques that reduce expendables and logistics requirements are needed to sustain people undertaking extravehicular activities for the Space Station. NASA has been investigating ways to advance the Electrochemically Regenerable CO2 and Moisture Absorption (ERCA) technology to replace the nonregenerable solid lithium hydroxide absorber for the advanced Portable Life Support System (PLSS). The ERCA technology, due to its use of liquid absorbent, has the ability to effectively satisfy the high metabolic CO2 and moisture removal requirements of PLSS applications. This paper defines the ERCA technology concept and its advantages for the PLSS application, reviews breadboard and subscale testdata and presents the results of design concepts for a prototype Absorber Module of improved performance and the physical characteristics of the projected flight hardware.

Lee, M. C.↗

Spectrally Tailored Pulsed Thulium Fiber Laser System for Broadband Lidar CO2 Sensing

Thulium doped pulsed fiber lasers are capable of meeting the spectral, temporal, efficiency, size and weight demands of defense and civil applications for pulsed lasers in the eye-safe spectral regime due to inherent mechanical stability, compact "all-fiber" master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) architectures, high beam quality and efficiency. Thulium fiber's longer operating wavelength allows use of larger fiber cores without compromising beam quality, increasing potential single aperture pulse energies. Applications of these lasers include eye-safe laser ranging, frequency conversion to longer or shorter wavelengths for IR countermeasures and sensing applications with otherwise tough to achieve wavelengths and detection of atmospheric species including CO2 and water vapor. Performance of a portable thulium fiber laser system developed for CO2 sensing via a broadband lidar technique with an etalon based sensor will be discussed. The fielded laser operates with approximately 280 J pulse energy in 90-150ns pulses over a tunable 110nm spectral range and has a uniquely tailored broadband spectral output allowing the sensing of multiple CO2 lines simultaneously, simplifying future potentially space based CO2 sensing instruments by reducing the number and complexity of lasers required to carry out high precision sensing missions. Power scaling and future "all fiber" system configurations for a number of ranging, sensing, countermeasures and other yet to be defined applications by use of flexible spectral and temporal performance master oscillators will be discussed. The compact, low mass, robust, efficient and readily power scalable nature of "all-fiber" thulium lasers makes them ideal candidates for use in future space based sensing applications.

Heaps, William S.↗

PTTI applications at Hydro-Quebec

As a power utility, Hydro-Quebec used the PTTI techniques. The time dissemination system in the Hydro-Quebec Network (11th PTTI) is now installed in several points. A portable clock was built using a rubidium standard and associated circuitry which are necessary for the measurements. The apparatus and the experimental results obtained are described. The use of GOES synchronized clocks for making precise voltage angle measurement on the Hydro-Quebec Network is discussed. Some modifications were made on a commercial unit. Applications and results are presented.

Missout, G.↗

Advanced Technology: It's Available at JPL

Non-NASA activities at JPL are the province of the JPL Technology and Applications Programs Directorate, and include working relationships with industry, academia, and other government agencies. Within this Directorate, the JPL Undersea Technology Program endeavors to apply and transfer these capabilities to the area of underwater research and operations. Of particular interest may be a Reversed Electron Attachment Detector (READ). It is a man-portable device capabable of unambiguous detection of unique chemical signatures associated with mines. In addition, there are other JPL technologies which merit investigation for marine applications.

microelectronics undersea technology mines chemica↗