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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 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Fixed-base simulator study of the effect of time delays in visual cues on pilot tracking performance

Factors were examined which determine the amount of time delay acceptable in the visual feedback loop in flight simulators. Acceptable time delays are defined as delays which significantly affect neither the results nor the manner in which the subject 'flies' the simulator. The subject tracked a target aircraft as it oscillated sinusoidally in a vertical plane only. The pursuing aircraft was permitted five degrees of freedom. Time delays of from 0.047 to 0.297 second were inserted in the visual feedback loop. A side task was employed to maintain the workload constant and to insure that the pilot was fully occupied during the experiment. Tracking results were obtained for 17 aircraft configurations having different longitudinal short-period characteristics. Results show a positive correlation between improved handling qualities and a longer acceptable time delay.

Queijo, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The benefits and costs of automation in advanced helicopters - An empirical study

A helicopter simulation was conducted to examine the interaction between voice-activated controls and altitude-hold automation. A single-pilot scout/attack helicopter with conventional controls was simulated with full out-the-window computer-generated imagery. Helicopter pilots performed simulated missions which included hover, cruise and ground attack phases. For half of the flights, voice-activated controls were used instead of manual controls, for two flight tasks (weapon selection and data-burst transmission). Hover performance during data-burst hover improved when voice-activation was used. However, subjective ratings indicated higher workload levels with voice-activation. An altitude-hold automation manipulation was crossed with the voice-activation/manual manipulation. Altitude-hold automation provided two significant benefits: (1) pilots were able to hover with less lateral movement; and (2) pilots reported less workload. However, there was a performance cost associated with the automation. Pilots were significantly slower in responding to unexpected events during hover.

Bortolussi, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Single Throttle Design for the Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Transport Aircraft

NASA is conducting trade studies for a new hybrid-electric aircraft concept called the SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan. The SUSAN airplane is being designed as a 180-passenger commercial airplane and is expected to fly in the 2040 time frame. The flight deck of the SUSAN airplane is envisioned to resemble a typical two person flightcrew transport. Pilot control research issues include interfaces and display state elements needed for the 17 engine hybrid-electric propulsion system. A pilot study was conducted where one, two, and three throttle handles were the independent variable in a simulation experiment. The results from the study showed that the three throttle concepts were equivalent in terms of workload, situation awareness, and thrust control. However, the pilots rated the usability of the single throttle test case to be “good” compared to the rating of “excellent” for the two- and three-throttle cases. From these results, a follow-on pilot study is described to explore a redesigned single throttle concept with associated engine display concepts.

flight deck displays↗
NASA NTRS1976

Investigation of the use of an electronic multifunction display and an electromechanical horizontal situation indicator for guidance and control of powered-lift short-haul aircraft

The use which pilots make of a moving map display from en route through the terminal area and including the approach and go-around flight phases was investigated. The content and function of each of three primary STOLAND displays are reviewed from an operational point of view. The primary displays are the electronic attitude director indicator (EADI), the horizontal situation indicator (HSI), and the multifunction display (MFD). Manually controlled flight with both flight director guidance and raw situation data is examined in detail in a simulated flight experiment with emphasis on tracking reference flight plans and maintaining geographic orientation after missed approaches. Eye-point-of-regard and workload measurements, coupled with task performance measurements, pilot opinion ratings, and pilot comments are presented. The experimental program was designed to offer a systematic objective and subjective comparison of pilots' use of the moving map MFD in conjunction with the other displays.

Clement, W. F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Brain-wave measures of workload in advanced cockpits: The transition of technology from laboratory to cockpit simulator, phase 2

The present Phase 2 small business innovation research study was designed to address issues related to scalp-recorded event-related potential (ERP) indices of mental workload and to transition this technology from the laboratory to cockpit simulator environments for use as a systems engineering tool. The project involved five main tasks: (1) Two laboratory studies confirmed the generality of the ERP indices of workload obtained in the Phase 1 study and revealed two additional ERP components related to workload. (2) A task analysis' of flight scenarios and pilot tasks in the Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator (ACFS) defined cockpit events (i.e., displays, messages, alarms) that would be expected to elicit ERPs related to workload. (3) Software was developed to support ERP data analysis. An existing ARD-proprietary package of ERP data analysis routines was upgraded, new graphics routines were developed to enhance interactive data analysis, and routines were developed to compare alternative single-trial analysis techniques using simulated ERP data. (4) Working in conjunction with NASA Langley research scientists and simulator engineers, preparations were made for an ACFS validation study of ERP measures of workload. (5) A design specification was developed for a general purpose, computerized, workload assessment system that can function in simulators such as the ACFS.

Horst, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Shared Situation Awareness in the Flight Deck-ATC System

New technologies and operational concept changes have been proposed for implementation in the National Airspace System (NAS). These changes include improved datalink (CPDLC) technologies for providing improved weather, traffic, Flight Object (FO) and navigation information to the pilot and controller, and new forms of automation for both the flight deck and air traffic management system. In addition, the way business is conducted in the NAS is under consideration. Increases in the discretion provided to pilots (and dispatchers in commercial airlines) are being contemplated in an effort to increase system capacity and flexibility. New concepts of operation (e.g., Collaborative Decision Making and Free Flight) allow for more control to be given to the cockpit or airline with correspondingly greater monitoring responsibilities on the ground. In addition, new technologies and displays make possible much greater information flow between the ground and the cockpit and also dramatic changes in the type of information provided. Designing to support these changes suggests two integrally linked questions: (1) What display technologies and information are needed to support desired changes responsibilities? (2) How will the changes in information availability influence the negotiation process between the cockpit and the ground? Each of these proposed changes (both in technology and operational concept) will have a marked impact on the performance, workload, and Situation Awareness (SA) of both pilots and controllers. Typically such changes are evaluated independently in terms of the effects of the proposed change on either pilot performance or ATC performance. It is proposed here, however, that in order to fully understand the effects of such changes, the joint pilot/controller system must be considered.

Endsley, Mica R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrating and Characterizing HPC Task Runtime Systems for hybrid AI-HPC workloads

Scientific workflows increasingly involve both HPC and machine-learning tasks, combining MPI-based simulations, training, and inference in a single execution. Launchers such as Slurm’s srun constrain concurrency and throughput, making them unsuitable for dynamic and heterogeneous workloads. We present a performance study of RADICAL-Pilot (RP) integrated with Flux and Dragon, two complementary runtime systems that enable hierarchical resource management and high-throughput function execution. Using synthetic and production-scale workloads on Frontier, we characterize the task execution properties of RP across runtime configurations. RP+Flux sustains up to 930 tasks/s, and RP+Flux+Dragon exceeds 1,500 tasks/s with over 99.6% utilization. In contrast, srun peaks at 152 tasks/s and degrades with scale, with utilization below 50%. For IMPECCABLE.v2 drug discovery campaign, RP+Flux reduces makespan by 30–60% relative to srun/Slurm and increases throughput more than four times on up to 1,024. These results demonstrate hybrid runtime integration in RP as a scalable approach for hybrid AI-HPC workloads.

HPC-AI↗
NASA NTRS1974

Simulation and flight evaluation of a heads-up display for general aviation

A landing-site indicator (LASI) has been devised as a relatively simple heads-up display to show the pilot the magnitude and direction of the aircraft's velocity vector superimposed on the pilot's view of the landing area. A total of 160 landings were performed in a fixed-base simulation program by four pilots with and without the LASI display. These tests showed the display to be of beneficial use in making the approaches more consistent. Some inferences were also made that the physical workload would also be less with its use. The pilots generally agreed that the LASI, as represented in the simulation was a useful landing aid. Additional pilot comments from preliminary flight tests of a breadboard LASI display unit tend to confirm the simulator results.

Harris, R. L., Sr.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Inflight replanning for diversions

Current procedures for handling flight plan diversions can require too much of the crew's resources. This increases workload and may compromise safety and cause delays in modifying the flight plan. The goal of NASA Langley Research Center's Diverter research program is to develop guidelines for a prototype pilot decision aid for diversions that will reduce cognitive workload, improve safety, increase capacity and traffic flow, and increase aircraft efficiency. The Diverter program has been partitioned into five phases, the first three of which were performed under contract by Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, Marietta, GA. In the first two phases, which have been completed, the system requirements and desired functions were defined and a prototype decision-making aid was implemented and demonstrated on a workstation. In phase three, which is currently under way, the pilot/vehicle interface is being defined and the capability of the prototype is being improved. In the last two phases, which will be performed at NASA Langley Research Center, the interface will be implemented, tied into the prototype aiding software, and installed in an advanced simulation facility for testing. In addition, significant implementation issues may be addressed through flight testing on NASA research aircraft. Information is given in viewgraph form.

Palmer, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1984

Peripheral vision horizon display on the single seat night attack A-10

The concept of the peripheral vision horizon display (PVHD) held promise for significant reduction in workload for the single seat night attack pilot. For this reason it was incorporated in the single seat night attack (SSNA) A-10. The implementation and results of the PVHD on the SSNA A-10 are discussed as well as the SSNA program. The part the PVHD played in the test and the results and conclusions of that effort are also considered.

Nims, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Operational testing of a figure of merit for overall task performance

An overall indicator or figure of merit (FOM), for the quality of pilot performance is needed to define optimal workload levels, predict system failure, measure the impact of new automation in the cockpit, and define the relative contributions of subtasks to overall task performance. A normative FOM was developed based on the calculation of a standard score for each component of a complex task. It reflected some effects, detailed in an earlier study, of the introduction of new data link technology into the cockpit. Since the technique showed promise, further testing was done. A new set of data was obtained using the recently developed Multi-Attribute Task Battery. This is a complex battery consisting of four tasks which can be varied in task demand, and on which performance measures can be obtained. This battery was presented to 12 subjects in a 20 minute trial at each of three levels of workload or task demand, and performance measures collected on all four tasks. The NASA-TLX workload rating scale was presented at minutes 6, 12, and 18, of each trial. A figure of merit was then obtained for each run of the battery by calculating a mean, SD, and standard score for each task. Each task contributed its own proportion to the overall FOM, and relative contributions changed with increasing workload. Thus, the FOM shows the effect of task changes, not only on the individual task that is changed, but also on the performance of other tasks and of the whole task. The cost to other tasks of maintaining constant performance on an individual task can be quantified.

Lemay, Moira↗
NASA NTRS2004

Pathway Concepts Experiment for Head-Down Synthetic Vision Displays

Eight 757 commercial airline captains flew 22 approaches using the Reno Sparks 16R Visual Arrival under simulated Category I conditions. Approaches were flown using a head-down synthetic vision display to evaluate four tunnel ("minimal", "box", "dynamic pathway", "dynamic crow s feet") and three guidance ("ball", "tadpole", "follow-me aircraft") concepts and compare their efficacy to a baseline condition (i.e., no tunnel, ball guidance). The results showed that the tunnel concepts significantly improved pilot performance and situation awareness and lowered workload compared to the baseline condition. The dynamic crow s feet tunnel and follow-me aircraft guidance concepts were found to be the best candidates for future synthetic vision head-down displays. These results are discussed with implications for synthetic vision display design and future research.

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III↗
NASA NTRS2004

3D Navigation and Integrated Hazard Display in Advanced Avionics: Workload, Performance, and Situation Awareness

We examined the ability for pilots to estimate traffic location in an Integrated Hazard Display, and how such estimations should be measured. Twelve pilots viewed static images of traffic scenarios and then estimated the outside world locations of queried traffic represented in one of three display types (2D coplanar, 3D exocentric, and split-screen) and in one of four conditions (display present/blank crossed with outside world present/blank). Overall, the 2D coplanar display best supported both vertical (compared to 3D) and lateral (compared to split-screen) traffic position estimation performance. Costs of the 3D display were associated with perceptual ambiguity. Costs of the split screen display were inferred to result from inappropriate attention allocation. Furthermore, although pilots were faster in estimating traffic locations when relying on memory, accuracy was greatest when the display was available.

Wickens, Christopher D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Analysis of Pilot Feedback Regarding the Use of State Awareness Technologies During Complex Situations

A flight simulation study was conducted at NASA Langley Research Center to evaluate flight deck systems that (1) predict aircraft energy state and/or autoflight configuration, (2) present the current state and expected future state of automated systems, and/or (3) show the state of flight-critical data systems in use by automated systems and primary flight instruments. Four new technology concepts were evaluated vis-à-vis current state-of-the-art flight deck systems and indicators. This human-in-the-loop study was conducted using commercial airline crews. Scenarios spanned a range of complex conditions and several emulated causal factors and complexity in recent accidents involving loss of state awareness by pilots (e.g. energy state, automation state, and/or system state). Data were collected via questionnaires administered after each flight, audio/video recordings, physiological data, head and eye tracking data, pilot control inputs, and researcher observations. This paper strictly focuses on findings derived from the questionnaire responses. It includes analysis of pilot subjective measures of complexity, decision making, workload, situation awareness, usability, and acceptability.

Evans, Emory↗
NASA NTRS1991

The impact of cockpit automation on crew coordination and communication. Volume 1: Overview, LOFT evaluations, error severity, and questionnaire data

The purpose was to examine, jointly, cockpit automation and social processes. Automation was varied by the choice of two radically different versions of the DC-9 series aircraft, the traditional DC-9-30, and the glass cockpit derivative, the MD-88. Airline pilot volunteers flew a mission in the simulator for these aircraft. Results show that the performance differences between the crews of the two aircraft were generally small, but where there were differences, they favored the DC-9. There were no criteria on which the MD-88 crews performed better than the DC-9 crews. Furthermore, DC-9 crews rated their own workload as lower than did the MD-88 pilots. There were no significant differences between the two aircraft types with respect to the severity of errors committed during the Line-Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) flight. The attitude questionnaires provided some interesting insights, but failed to distinguish between DC-9 and MD-88 crews.

Wiener, Earl L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Integrated helmet mounted display concepts for air combat

A piloted simulation study was conducted in a dome simulator to evaluate several Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) formats developed as part of the NASA High Alpha Technology Program (HATP). The display formats conveyed energy management, spatial orientation, and weapons management information. The HMD format was compared to a generic Heads Up Display (HUD) typical of current operational fighter aircraft. Pilots were tasked to spend as much time in a weapon solution as possible, to have the correct weapon selected for the envelope they were in, and to avoid the adversary's weapon envelope as much as possible. Several different displays were tested individually and simultaneously to see how separate display concepts coexisted. Objective results showed that the ability for the pilot to select the correct weapon for the envelope he was in increased by 50% in a moderate workload condition and 90% in a high workload condition with the HMD format. In the post-test comments pilots generally favored the helmet display formats over the HUD formats with a few instances where pilots preferred a simple numeric readout of the parameter. Short term exposure effects of the HMD on visual acuity were also measured and showed no advers results.

Clark, Joseph W.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Use of a Data-Linked Weather Information Display and Effects on Pilot Navigation Decision Making in a Piloted Simulation Study

This study provides recommendations to the FAA and to prospective manufacturers based on an exploration of the effects of data link weather displays upon pilot decision performance. An experiment was conducted with twenty-four current instrument rated pilots who were divided into two equal groups and presented with a challenging but realistic flight scenario involving weather containing significant embedded convective activity. All flights were flown in a full-mission simulation facility within instrument meteorological conditions. The inflight weather display depicted NexRad images, graphical METARs and textual METARs. The objective was to investigate the potential for misuse of a weather display, and incorporate recommendations for the design and use of these displays. The primary conclusion of the study found that the inflight weather display did not improve weather avoidance decision making. Some of the reasons to support this finding include: the pilot's inability to easily perceive their proximity to the storms, increased workload and difficulty in deciphering METAR textual data. The compelling nature of a graphical weather display caused many pilots to reduce their reliance on corroborating weather information from other sources. Minor changes to the weather display could improve the ability of a pilot to make better decisions on hazard avoidance.

Yuchnovicz, Daniel E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Efficacy of Using Synthetic Vision Terrain-Textured Images to Improve Pilot Situation Awareness

The General Aviation Element of the Aviation Safety Program's Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) Project is developing technology to eliminate low visibility induced General Aviation (GA) accidents. SVS displays present computer generated 3-dimensional imagery of the surrounding terrain on the Primary Flight Display (PFD) to greatly enhance pilot's situation awareness (SA), reducing or eliminating Controlled Flight into Terrain, as well as Low-Visibility Loss of Control accidents. SVS-conducted research is facilitating development of display concepts that provide the pilot with an unobstructed view of the outside terrain, regardless of weather conditions and time of day. A critical component of SVS displays is the appropriate presentation of terrain to the pilot. An experimental study is being conducted at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to explore and quantify the relationship between the realism of the terrain presentation and resulting enhancements of pilot SA and performance. Composed of complementary simulation and flight test efforts, Terrain Portrayal for Head-Down Displays (TP-HDD) experiments will help researchers evaluate critical terrain portrayal concepts. The experimental effort is to provide data to enable design trades that optimize SVS applications, as well as develop requirements and recommendations to facilitate the certification process. In this part of the experiment a fixed based flight simulator was equipped with various types of Head Down flight displays, ranging from conventional round dials (typical of most GA aircraft) to glass cockpit style PFD's. The variations of the PFD included an assortment of texturing and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) resolution combinations. A test matrix of 10 terrain display configurations (in addition to the baseline displays) were evaluated by 27 pilots of various backgrounds and experience levels. Qualitative (questionnaires) and quantitative (pilot performance and physiological) data were collected during the experimental runs. This paper focuses on the experimental set-up and final physiological results of the TP-HDD simulation experiment. The physiological measures of skin temperature, heart rate, and muscle response, show a decreased engagement (while using the synthetic vision displays as compared to the baseline conventional display) of the sympathetic and somatic nervous system responses which, in turn, indicates a reduced level of mental workload. This decreased level of workload is expected to enable improvement in the pilot's situation and terrain awareness.

Uenking, Michael D.↗