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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 397 records · Page 22

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NASA NTRS1987

Avionics system design for high energy fields: A guide for the designer and airworthiness specialist

Because of the significant differences in transient susceptibility, the use of digital electronics in flight critical systems, and the reduced shielding effects of composite materials, there is a definite need to define pracitices which will minimize electromagnetic susceptibility, to investigate the operational environment, and to develop appropriate testing methods for flight critical systems. The design practices which will lead to reduced electromagnetic susceptibility of avionics systems in high energy fields is described. The levels of emission that can be anticipated from generic digital devices. It is assumed that as data processing equipment becomes an ever larger part of the avionics package, the construction methods of the data processing industry will increasingly carry over into aircraft. In Appendix 1 tentative revisions to RTCA DO-160B, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment, are presented. These revisions are intended to safeguard flight critical systems from the effects of high energy electromagnetic fields. A very extensive and useful bibliography on both electromagnetic compatibility and avionics issues is included.

Mcconnell, Roger A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Vision-based aircraft guidance

Early research on the development of machine vision algorithms to serve as pilot aids in aircraft flight operations is discussed. The research is useful for synthesizing new cockpit instrumentation that can enhance flight safety and efficiency. With the present work as the basis, future research will produce low-cost instrument by integrating a conventional TV camera together with off-the=shelf digitizing hardware for flight test verification. Initial focus of the research will be on developing pilot aids for clear-night operations. Latter part of the research will examine synthetic vision issues for poor visibility flight operations. Both research efforts will contribute towards the high-speed civil transport aircraft program. It is anticipated that the research reported here will also produce pilot aids for conducting helicopter flight operations during emergency search and rescue. The primary emphasis of the present research effort is on near-term, flight demonstrable technologies. This report discusses pilot aids for night landing and takeoff and synthetic vision as an aid to low visibility landing.

Menon, P. K.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Evaluation of an envelope-limiting device using simulation and flight test of a remotely piloted research vehicle

The operating characteristics of a nonlinear envelope-limiting device were investigated at extreme flight conditions by using a real time digital aircraft spin simulation and flight tests of a scale model remotely piloted research vehicle. A digital mechanization of the F-15 control system, including the stall inhibiter, was used in the simulation and in the control system of the scale model. The operational characteristics of the stall inhibiter and the effects of the stall inhibiter on the spin susceptibility of the airplane were investigated.

Petersen, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A flight-test and simulation evaluation of the longitudinal final approach and landing performance of an automatic system for a light wing loading STOL aircraft

As part of a comprehensive flight-test program of STOL operating systems for the terminal area, an automatic landing system was developed and evaluated for a light wing loading turboprop aircraft. The aircraft utilized an onboard advanced digital avionics system. Flight tests were conducted at a facility that included a STOL runway site with a microwave landing system. Longitudinal flight-test results were presented and compared with available (basically CTOL) criteria. These comparisons were augmented by results from a comprehensive simulation of the controlled aircraft which included representations of navigation errors that were encountered in flight and atmospheric disturbances. Acceptable performance on final approach and at touchdown was achieved by the autoland (automatic landing) system for the moderate winds and turbulence conditions encountered in flight. However, some touchdown performance goals were marginally achieved, and simulation results suggested that difficulties could be encountered in the presence of more extreme atmospheric conditions. Suggestions were made for improving performance under those more extreme conditions.

Brown, S. C.↗

NASA NTRS2011

The Legacy of Space Shuttle Flight Software

The initial goals of the Space Shuttle Program required that the avionics and software systems blaze new trails in advancing avionics system technology. Many of the requirements placed on avionics and software were accomplished for the first time on this program. Examples include comprehensive digital fly-by-wire technology, use of a digital databus for flight critical functions, fail operational/fail safe requirements, complex automated redundancy management, and the use of a high-order software language for flight software development. In order to meet the operational and safety goals of the program, the Space Shuttle software had to be extremely high quality, reliable, robust, reconfigurable and maintainable. To achieve this, the software development team evolved a software process focused on continuous process improvement and defect elimination that consistently produced highly predictable and top quality results, providing software managers the confidence needed to sign each Certificate of Flight Readiness (COFR). This process, which has been appraised at Capability Maturity Model (CMM)/Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 5, has resulted in one of the lowest software defect rates in the industry. This paper will present an overview of the evolution of the Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) project and processes over thirty years, an argument for strong statistical control of software processes with examples, an overview of the success story for identifying and driving out errors before flight, a case study of the few significant software issues and how they were either identified before flight or slipped through the process onto a flight vehicle, and identification of the valuable lessons learned over the life of the project.

Hickey, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Cloud absorption radiometer

The Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) was developed to measure spectrally how light is scattered by clouds and to determine the single scattering albedo, important to meteorology and climate studies, with unprecedented accuracy. This measurement is based on ratios of downwelling to upwelling radiation within clouds, and so is not strongly dependent upon absolute radiometric calibration of the instrument. The CAR has a 5-inch aperture and 1 degree IFOV, and spatially scans in a plane orthogonal to the flight vector from the zenith to nadir at 1.7 revolutions per second. Incoming light is measured in 13 spectral bands, using silicon, germanium, and indium-antimonide detectors. Data from each channel is digitally recorded in flight with 10-bit (0.1 percent) resolution. The instrument incorporates several novel features. These features are briefly detailed.

Strange, M. G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Initial Analysis of Digitally Enabled Cooperative Operations in Class D Terminal Airspace

The primary contribution of this paper is an initial analysis of integrating digitally enabled cooperative operations (or digital operations for short) with Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations in the terminal airspace around a Class D airport, specifically around Fort Worth Alliance airport (KAFW). Enabled by connected digital technologies and automated information exchange, digital operations as envisioned would utilize cooperative practices and operator-responsible separation to ensure safety. In the present study, three conflict management configurations for digital operations were analyzed: 1) centralized with a single instance of a conflict management service to model a scenario with only one fleet operator conducting digital operations or all fleet operators utilizing the same service, 2) federated with two different instances to model a scenario with two different fleet operators conducting digital operations, and 3) fully distributed with a different instance for each digital operation. In simulations in which recorded tracks for VFR and IFR operations were played back and digital operations were modeled that would nominally arrive at KAFW once every 20 minutes (given no conflict resolution maneuvers), there were one or fewer losses of separation (LOS) across the three conflict management configurations. The same result was seen in simulations in which digital operations would nominally arrive at KAFW once every 10 minutes. However, in simulations in which digital operations would nominally arrive at KAFW once every 5 minutes, the number of LOS ranged between six and ten. This highlights the need for follow-on research to investigate the extent to which additional capabilities for digital operations, such as complexity management and/or flow organization, may be needed.

digitally enabled cooperative operations, digital ↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Initial Analysis of Digitally Enabled Cooperative Operations in Class D Terminal Airspace

digitally enabled cooperative operations↗

NASA NTRS2019

Collaborative Seamless Manager for Airspace Resources and Traffic

In today's NAS, airlines conduct pre-departure flight planning with limited information about traffic congestion. Then, as events evolve (pre-departure, on the surface, or inflight) and are impacted by congestion, limited options for changing flight plans are offered to the airlines, and, in some cases, flight plans are changed by air traffic managers on behalf of the airlines. For the airlines, this produces flight plan uncertainty and possible disruption to their business plans. The Collaborative Seamless Manager of Airspace Resources and Traffic (CSMART) is a tool being developed for the 2045 Next Gen System that will enhance the airlines' ability to flight plan, both pre-departure and during flight. CSMART achieves this, using the UTM architecture approach, by connecting via the internet airlines with other airlines and airlines with FAA agents. Flight plans, including digital, discrete planned trajectories with tolerances, are passed through the connection. Planned trajectories are used to create probabilistic predictions of when and where congestion will occur. Pre-departure, airline agents will use the predictions to collaboratively and seamlessly create flight plans that avoid congestion or go through it, depending on business objectives. In cases, where demand exceeds capacity and priorities need to be set, airline agents will have the ability to negotiate with each other to set them. Moreover, if flights are impacted by congestion during flight, CSMART will allow airlines more real-time decision making options for changing flight plans. This seminar presents the general CSMART concept and tool and research needed to develop it.

Windhorst, Robert D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Digital electronic engine control system - F-15 flight test

(Previously cited in issue 19, p. 3268, Accession no. A81-40912)

Barrett, W. J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Comparison of Results Obtained from Flight Tests and Simulated Tests of a Digital Electronic Engine Control System in an F-15 Airplane

Substantial benefits of a full authority digital electronic engine control on an air breathing engine were demonstrated repeatedly in simulation studies, ground engine tests, and engine altitude test facilities. A digital engine electronic control system showed improvements in efficiency, performance, and operation. An additional benefit of full authority digital controls is the capability of detecting and correcting failures and providing engine health diagnostics.

Myers, Lawrence P.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Low-frequency spectral representation of Space Shuttle flight data

The present digital processing of 18 accelerograms associated with Space Shuttle liftoffs splits each of the accelerograms into three time-slices, respectively representing (1) SSME thrust buildup, (2) the period immediately following the SRBs' ignition, and (3) the subsequent period of intense acoustical activity due to the exhaust plume's interactions with the launch pad. The spectral treatment of these data involve the use of autoregressive and autoregressive-moving-average filters that furnish analytical representations of the spectra for all three time-slices in terms of a set of coefficients; these coefficients are applicable to the synthesis of artificial acceleration time-histories.

Spanos, Pol D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Knowledge-Based Flight-Status Monitor

Conceptual digital computing system intended to monitor and interpret telemetered data on health and status of complicated avionic system in advanced experimental aircraft. Monitor programmed with expert-system software to interpret data in real time. Software includes rule-based model of failure-management system of aircraft that processes fault-indicating signals from avionic system to give timely advice to human operators in mission-control room on ground.

Duke, E. L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Integration of radar altimeter, precision navigation, and digital terrain data for low-altitude flight

A Kalman filter for the integration of a radar altimeter into a terrain database-dependent guidance system was developed. Results obtained from a low-altitude helicopter flight test data acquired over moderately rugged terrain showed that the proposed Kalman filter removes large disparities in predicted above-ground-level (AGL) altitude in the presence of measurement anomalies and dropouts. Integration of a radar altimeter makes it possible to operate a near-terrain guidance system at or below 50 ft (subject to obstacle-avoidance limitations), whereas without radar altimeter integration, a minimum clearance altitude of 220 AGL is needed, as is suggested by previous work.

Zelenka, Richard E.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Computers Take Flight: A History of NASA's Pioneering Digital Fly-By-Wire Project

An overview of the NASA F-8 Fly-by Wire project is presented. The project made two significant contributions to the new technology: (1) a solid design base of techniques that work and those that do not, and (2) credible evidence of good flying qualities and the ability of such a system to tolerate real faults and to continue operation without degradation. In 1972 the F-8C aircraft used in the program became he first digital fly-by-wire aircraft to operate without a mechanical backup system.

Tomayko, James E.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Feature discrimination/identification based upon SAR return variations

A study of the statistics of The look-to-look variation statistics in the returns recorded in-flight by a digital, realtime SAR system are analyzed. The determination that the variations in the look-to-look returns from different classes do carry information content unique to the classes was illustrated by a model based on four variants derived from four look in-flight SAR data under study. The model was limited to four classes of returns: mowed grass on a athletic field, rough unmowed grass and weeds on a large vacant field, young fruit trees in a large orchard, and metal mobile homes and storage buildings in a large mobile home park. The data population in excess of 1000 returns represented over 250 individual pixels from the four classes. The multivariant discriminant model operated on the set of returns for each pixel and assigned that pixel to one of the four classes, based on the target variants and the probability distribution function of the four variants for each class.

Rasco, W. A., Sr.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Implementation of Adaptive Digital Controllers on Programmable Logic Devices

Much has been made of the capabilities of FPGA's (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) in the hardware implementation of fast digital signal processing (DSP) functions. Such capability also makes and FPGA a suitable platform for the digital implementation of closed loop controllers. There are myriad advantages to utilizing an FPGA for discrete-time control functions which include the capability for reconfiguration when SRAM- based FPGA's are employed, fast parallel implementation of multiple control loops and implementations that can meet space level radiation tolerance in a compact form-factor. Other researchers have presented the notion that a second order digital filter with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control functionality can be implemented in an FPGA. At Marshall Space Flight Center, the Control Electronics Group has been studying adaptive discrete-time control of motor driven actuator systems using digital signal processor (DSF) devices. Our goal is to create a fully digital, flight ready controller design that utilizes an FPGA for implementation of signal conditioning for control feedback signals, generation of commands to the controlled system, and hardware insertion of adaptive control algorithm approaches. While small form factor, commercial DSP devices are now available with event capture, data conversion, pulse width modulated outputs and communication peripherals, these devices are not currently available in designs and packages which meet space level radiation requirements. Meeting our goals requires alternative compact implementation of such functionality to withstand the harsh environment encountered on spacecraft. Radiation tolerant FPGA's are a feasible option for reaching these goals.

Gwaltney, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Flight simulators. Part 1: Present situation and trends. Part 2: Implications for training

The present situation and developments in the technology of flight simulators based on digital computers are evaluated from the standpoint of training airline flight crews. Areas covered are minicomputers and their advantages in terms of cost, space and time savings, software data packets, motion simulation, visual simulation and instructor aids. The division of training time between aircraft and simulator training and the possible advantages from increased use of simulators are evaluated.

Hass, D.↗