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At least 469 records · Page 26

Lossless compression of AVIRIS data: Comparison of methods and instrument constraints

A family of lossless compression methods, allowing exact image reconstruction, are evaluated for compressing Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometers (AVIRIS) image data. The methods are used on Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM). The compressed data have an entropy of order 6 bits/pixel. A theoretical model indicates that significantly better lossless compression is unlikely to be achieved because of limits caused by the noise in the AVIRIS channels. AVIRIS data differ from data produced by other visible/near-infrared sensors, such as LANDSAT-TM or SPOT, in several ways. Firstly, the data are recorded at a greater resolution (12 bits, though packed into 16-bit words). Secondly, the spectral channels are relatively narrow and provide continuous coverage of the spectrum so that the data in adjacent channels are generally highly correlated. Thirdly, the noise characteristics of the AVIRIS are defined by the channels' Noise Equivalent Radiances (NER's), and these NER's show that, at some wavelengths, the least significant 5 or 6 bits of data are essentially noise.

Roger, R. E.↗

Interplanetary Scintillation

Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) has been used as a diagnostic of solar wind speed and interplanetary plasma turbulence, allowing inference of speed and electron density power spectrum close to the Sun and out of the ecliptic. In that context, IPS is 'signal' and provides scientifically interesting data. IPS is also of interest because amplitude and phase perturbations imposed on radio waves are 'noise' for telemetry and precision Doppler tracking of deep space probes and for some radio astronomical observations. This paper briefly reviews the connection between scattering observables and the electron density power spectrum. Interplanetary phase scintillation on time scales of 100 to 10 000 seconds is an important noise in mass determinations of small solar system bodies during space-probe fly-bys and in searches for low-frequency gravitational radiation.

waves deep space probes electron density power spe↗

Peak axial-velocity decay with single- and multi-element nozzles

Jet peak-velocity decay data were obtained for a variety of circular and noncircular single-element and multi-element nozzles for application to externally-blown-flap (EBF) STOL aircraft. These data permit a rational approach, in terms of element type and element spacing, to nozzles designed to promote mixing of the jet exhaust with the surrounding air. Rapid mixing and the resulting lower axial jet velocity decreases the noise caused by the interaction of jet impingement on the flap assembly of EBF STOL aircraft. Empirical relationships are presented that permit the prediction of peak axial-velocity decay curves for a wide spectrum of mixer-type nozzles. The data are useful also in the design of ejector-type noise suppressors and for the suppression of VTOL downwash velocities caused by vertically oriented exhaust nozzles.

Vonglahn, U. H.↗

Peak axial-velocity decay with single- and multi-element nozzles.

Jet peak-velocity decay data were obtained for a variety of circular and noncircular single-element and multi-element nozzles for application to externally-blown-flap STOL aircraft. These data permit a rational approach, in terms of element type and element spacing, to nozzles designed to promote mixing of the jet exhaust with the surrounding air. Rapid mixing and the resulting lower axial jet velocity decreases the noise caused by the interaction of jet impingement on the flap assembly of EBF STOL aircraft. Empirical relationships are presented that permit the prediction of peak axial-velocity decay curves for a wide spectrum of mixer-type nozzles. The data are useful also in the design of ejector-type noise suppressors and for the suppression of VTOL downwash velocities caused by vertically oriented exhaust nozzles.

Von Glahn, U. H.↗

Helicopter rotor noise due to ingestion of atmospheric turbulence

A theoretical study was conducted to develop an analytical prediction method for helicopter main rotor noise due to the ingestion of atmospheric turbulence. This study incorporates an atmospheric turbulence model, a rotor mean flow contraction model and a rapid distortion turbulence model which together determine the statistics of the non-isotropic turbulence at the rotor plane. Inputs to the combined mean inflow and turbulence models are controlled by atmospheric wind characteristics and helicopter operating conditions. A generalized acoustic source model was used to predict the far field noise generated by the non-isotropic flow incident on the rotor. Absolute levels for acoustic spectra and directivity patterns were calculated for full scale helicopters, without the use of empirical or adjustable constants. Comparisons between isotropic and non-isotropic turbulence at the rotor face demonstrated pronounced differences in acoustic spectra. Turning and contraction of the flow for hover and low speed vertical ascent cases result in a 3 dB increase in the acoustic spectrum energy and a 10 dB increase in tone levels. Compared to trailing edge noise, turbulence ingestion noise is the dominant noise mechanism below approximately 30 rotor harmonics, while above 100 harmonics, trailing edge noise levels exceed turbulence ingestion noise by 25 dB.

Simonich, J. C.↗

Saturn systems holddown acoustic efficiency and normalized acoustic power spectrum.

Saturn systems field acoustic data are used to derive mid- and far-field prediction parameters for rocket engine noise. The data were obtained during Saturn vehicle launches at the Kennedy Space Center. The data base is a sorted set of acoustic data measured during the period 1961 through 1971 for Saturn system launches SA-1 through AS-509. The model assumes hemispherical radiation from a simple source located at the intersection of the longitudinal axis of each booster and the engine exit plane. The model parameters are evaluated only during vehicle holddown. The acoustic normalized power spectrum and efficiency for each system are isolated as a composite from the data using linear numerical methods. The specific definitions of each allows separation. The resulting power spectra are nondimensionalized as a function of rocket engine parameters. The nondimensional Saturn system acoustic spectrum and efficiencies are compared as a function of Strouhal number with power spectra from other systems.

Gilbert, D. W.↗

Study of noise and inflow distortion sources in the NASA QF-1B fan using measured blade and vane pressures

Pressure transducers were installed on the blades and vanes of QF-1B, a transonic-tip-speed fan from the NASA Quiet Fan Program which was tested on the outdoor quiet fan test facility at NASA-Lewis. Signals from the transducers and from far field microphones were analyzed to determine sources of nonuniform inflow and noise. The nonuniform inflow was mostly unsteady with roughly equal contributions from atmospheric turbulence and rig interference. The rig interference was largest at the bottom and appeared to be generated by the support structure which was located behind the inlet lip under the fan. Interaction of this inflow distortion was the dominant source of noise at 1, 2, and 3 times blade passing frequency (BPF) at 60, 70, and 80 percent of design speed. At 90 percent speed, noise at BPF was dominated by the steady rotor field. A broadband spectrum peak centered at about 2.2 times BPF was identified as rotor/stator interaction stemming from a high frequency rotor exit flow component. The remaining broadband energy from 0.3 to 3.5 times BPF was attributed to the better known type of rotor/stator interaction associated with rotor wake turbulence.

Hanson, D. B.↗

Analyses of MAGSAT tracks crossing the study region in the Indian Ocean

Progress in software development and in preliminary analysis of MAGSAT tracks crossing the Indian Ocean is reported. Tracks crossing the Java Trench, Broken Ridge, the Southeast Indian Ridge, and the Ninetyeast Ridge show that magnetic anomalies correlate with some of these features. Preliminary study of anomaly profiles indicates that tracks of anomaly data (the observations minus a core field model) have a power spectrum decreasing as the inverse square of the spatial frequency. An apparent noise floor of about one to two gammas rms is reached at wavelengths of about 360 km, corresponding to approximately 10 samples of the decimated Investigator tape data at a sampling rate of approximately 4.9 sec/sample.

Sailor, R. V.↗

Application of signal analysis to cavitation

The diagnostic facilities of the cross power spectrum and the coherence function have been employed to enhance the identification of not only the inception of cavitation, but also its level. Two piezoelectric pressure transducers placed in the downstream chamber of a model spool valve undergoing various levels of cavitation allowed for the use of both functions - the phase angle of the complex cross spectrum and the dimensionless coherence function - to sense clearly the difference between noise levels associated with a noncavitating jet from those once cavitation inception is attained. The cavitation noise within the chamber exhibited quite a regular character in terms of the phase difference between instruments for limited cavitation. Varying cavitation levels clearly illustrated the effect of bubble size on the attendant frequency range for which there was an extremely high coherence or nearly perfect causality.

Martin, C. S.↗

The use of a numerical filter to correct airborne temperature measurements for the effects of sensor lag

A numerical filter for transforming measured temperature signals into a close approximation of the actual temperature signal is described. The filter is derived by minimizing the mean-square error of the system, and assuming a knowledge of the characteristics of the sensing element and its housing. The equation representing the frequency-response function of the numerical filter is given. Input and output spectra for a filter applied to a case with negligible noise and a noise level of 1.5 percent of the total power in the input spectrum are analyzed, and the numerical weights for these two cases are calculated. Phase angle and gain for the entire system are examined. It is noted that the filter can enhance spectral components as high as 8 Hz with little phase and gain degradation over the bandwidth.

Ritter, John A.↗

Stratospheric HBr mixing ratio obtained from far infrared emission spectra

Emission features of HBr isotopes have been identified in high-resolution FIR emission spectra obtained with a balloon-borne Fourier-transform spectrometer in the spring of 1979 at 32 deg N latitude. When six single-scan spectra at a zenith angle of 93.2 deg were averaged, two features of HBr isotopes at 50.054 and 50.069/cm were obtained with a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.5. The volume mixing ratio retrieved from the average spectrum is 2.0 x 10 to the -11th, which is assumed to be constant above 28 km, with an uncertainty of 35 percent. This stratospheric amount of HBr is about the same as the current level of tropospheric organic bromine compounds, 25 pptv. Thus HBr could be the major stratospheric bromine species.

Park, J. H.↗

Low Frequency Interstellar Scattering and Pulsar Observations

Radio astronomy at frequencies from 2 to 30 MHz challenges time tested methods for extracting usable information from observations. One fundamental reason for this is that propagation effects due to the magnetoionic ionosphere, interplanetary medium, and interstellar matter (ISM) increase strongly with wavelength. The problems associated with interstellar scattering off of small scale irregularities in the electron density are addressed. What is known about interstellar scattering is summarized on the basis of high frequency observations, including scintillation and temporal broadening of pulsars and angular broadening of various galactic and extragalactic radio sources. Then those high frequency phenomena are addressed that are important or detectable at low frequencies. The radio sky becomes much simpler at low frequencies, most pulsars will not be seen as time varying sources, intensity variations will be quenched or will occur on time scales much longer than a human lifetime, and many sources will be angularly broadened and/or absorbed into the noise. Angular broadening measurements will help delineate the galactic distribution and power spectrum of small scale electron density irregularities.

Cordes, James M.↗

Development of a 9.3 micrometer CW LIDAR for the study of atmospheric aerosol

This report provides a brief summary of the basic requirements to obtain coherent or heterodyne mixing of the optical radiation backscattered by atmospheric aerosols with that from a fixed frequency source. The continuous wave (CW) mode of operation for a coherent lidar is reviewed along with the associated lidar transfer equation. A complete optical design of the three major subsystems of a CW, coherent lidar is given. Lens design software is implemented to model and optimize receiver performance. Techniques for the opto-mechanical assembly and some of the critical tolerances of the coherent lidar are provided along with preliminary tests of the subsystems. Included in these tests is a comparison of the experimental and the theoretical average power signal-to-noise ratio. The analog to digital software used to evaluate the power spectrum of the backscattered signal is presented in the Appendix of this report.

Whiteside, B. N.↗

Analytical Studies of Boundary Layer Generated Aircraft Interior Noise

An analysis is made of the "interior noise" produced by high, subsonic turbulent flow over a thin elastic plate partitioned into "panels" by straight edges transverse to the mean flow direction. This configuration models a section of an aircraft fuselage that may be regarded as locally flat. The analytical problem can be solved in closed form to represent the acoustic radiation in terms of prescribed turbulent boundary layer pressure fluctuations. Two cases are considered: (i) the production of sound at an isolated panel edge (i.e., in the approximation in which the correlation between sound and vibrations generated at neighboring edges is neglected), and (ii) the sound generated by a periodic arrangement of identical panels. The latter problem is amenable to exact analytical treatment provided the panel edge conditions are the same for all panels. Detailed predictions of the interior noise depend on a knowledge of the turbulent boundary layer wall pressure spectrum, and are given here in terms of an empirical spectrum proposed by Laganelli and Wolfe. It is expected that these analytical representations of the sound generated by simplified models of fluid-structure interactions can used to validate more general numerical schemes.

Howe, M. S.↗

Space-based Encoded Telemetry for Range Safety

This work involves the analysis of a communication system that uses the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite/Space Network (TDRSS/SN) to provide range safety and flight termination system support for expendable launch vehicles and the space shuttle. We examined the high-alphabet scheme for flight termination, and considered an analogous digital system. We also considered the bit-rate needed for a flight termination system using the TDRSS system based on the received signal-to-noise ratio, and link margin. We found that a TDRSS spread-spectrum communication system operating in the vicinity of 150 bits/second could satisfy the requirements for flight termination.

Kozaitis, Sam↗

Space-Based Encoded Telemetry for Range Safety

This work involves the analysis of a communication system that uses the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite/space Network (TDRSS/SN) to provide range safety and flight termination system support for expendable launch vehicles and the space shuttle. We examined the high-alphabet scheme for flight termination, and considered an analogous digital system. We also considered the bit-rate needed for a flight termination system using the TDRSS system based on the received signal-to-noise ratio, and link margin. We found that a TDRSS spread-spectrum communication system operating in the vicinity of 150 bits/second could satisfy the requirements for flight termination.

Kozaitis, Samuel P.↗

Modeling Tool Advances Rotorcraft Design

Continuum Dynamics Inc. (CDI), founded in 1979, specializes in advanced engineering services, including fluid dynamic modeling and analysis for aeronautics research. The company has completed a number of SBIR research projects with NASA, including early rotorcraft work done through Langley Research Center, but more recently, out of Ames Research Center. NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants on helicopter wake modeling resulted in the Comprehensive Hierarchical Aeromechanics Rotorcraft Model (CHARM), a tool for studying helicopter and tiltrotor unsteady free wake modeling, including distributed and integrated loads, and performance prediction. Application of the software code in a blade redesign program for Carson Helicopters, of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, increased the payload and cruise speeds of its S-61 helicopter. Follow-on development resulted in a $24 million revenue increase for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, of Stratford, Connecticut, as part of the company's rotor design efforts. Now under continuous development for more than 25 years, CHARM models the complete aerodynamics and dynamics of rotorcraft in general flight conditions. CHARM has been used to model a broad spectrum of rotorcraft attributes, including performance, blade loading, blade-vortex interaction noise, air flow fields, and hub loads. The highly accurate software is currently in use by all major rotorcraft manufacturers, NASA, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy.

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