Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Systems”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Satellite mirror systems for providing terrestrial power - System concept

A system of orbiting reflectors, SOLARES, has been studied as a possible means of providing terrestrial power with a space system of minimum mass and complexity. The key impact that such a system, providing continuous and slightly concentrated insolation, makes on the economic viability of solar farming is demonstrated. New developments in solar sailing are incorporated to reduce mirror mass and transportation cost. The system is compatible with incremental implementation and continual expansion to produce the world's power needs. Key technology, environmental, and economic issues and payoffs are identified. SOLARES appears to be economically superior to other advanced, and even conventional, energy systems and could be scaled to completely abate our fossil fuel usage for power generation.

Billman, K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Air cargo: An Integrated Systems View. 1978 Summer Faculty Fellowship Program in Engineering Systems Design

The national air cargo system is analyzed and how it should be in 1990 is prescribed in order to operate successfully through 2015; that is through one equipment cycle. Elements of the system which are largely under control of the airlines and the aircraft manufacturers are discussed. The discussion deals with aircraft, networks, facilities, and procedures. The regulations which govern the movement of air freight are considered. The larger public policy interests which must be served by the kind of system proposed, the air cargo integrated system (ACIS), are addressed. The possible social, economical, political, and environment impacts of the system are considered. Recommendations are also given.

Keaton, A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

System Design Package for SIMS Prototype System 3, Solar Heating and Domestic Hot Water

A collation of documents and drawings are presented that describe a prototype solar heating and hot water system using liquid flat plate collectors and a gas or electric furnace energy subsystem. The system was designed for installation into a single-family dwelling. The description, performance specification, subsystem drawings, verification plan/procedure, and hazard analysis of the system are packaged for evaluation of the system with information sufficient to assemble a similar system.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1977

Systems definition space based power conversion systems: Executive summary

Potential space-located systems for the generation of electrical power for use on earth were investigated. These systems were of three basic types: (1) systems producing electrical power from solar energy; (2) systems producing electrical power from nuclear reactors; (3) systems for augmenting ground-based solar power plants by orbital sunlight reflectors. Configurations implementing these concepts were developed through an optimization process intended to yield the lowest cost for each. A complete program was developed for each concept, identifying required production rates, quantities of launches, required facilities, etc. Each program was costed in order to provide the electric power cost appropriate to each concept.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1979

Phase 1 of the First Small Power System Experiment (engineering Experiment No. 1). Volume 2: System Concept Selection

The development of a modular solar thermal power system for application in the 1 to 10 MWe range is presented. The system is used in remote utility applications, small communities, rural areas, and for industrial uses. Systems design and systems optimization studies are conducted which consider plant size, annual capacity factors, and startup time as variables. Investigations are performed on the energy storage requirements and type of energy storage, concentrator design and field optimization, energy transport, and power conversion subsystems. The system utilizes a Rankine cycle, an axial flow steam turbine for power conversion, and heat transfer sodium for collector fluid.

Holl, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The dual momentum control device for large space systems - An example of distributed system adaptive control

One area in which large space systems require new technology is attitude control. The paper presents an adaptive control philosophy applicable to the control of distributed systems. An adaptive control system is described for stabilization of the flexible modes of a spinning ring. The system consists of a modal decomposition and identification subsystem, a gain adjustment subsystem, and a feedback control subsystem. Simulations are presented illustrating the adaptive capability of the system. The adaptive controller did produce stable results by quickly identifying the parameter differences and adjusting the feedback controller gains.

Montgomery, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A propagation effects handbook for satellite systems design. A summary of propagation impairments on 10-100 GHz satellite links, with techniques for system design

This handbook provides satellite system engineers with a concise summary of the major propagation effects experienced on Earth-space paths in the 10 to 100 GHz frequency range. The dominant effect, attenuation due to rain, is dealt with in terms of both experimental data from measurements made in the U.S. and Canada, and the mathematical and conceptual models devised to explain the data. Rain systems, rain and attenuation models, depolarization and experimental data are described. The design techniques recommended for predicting propagation effects in Earth-space communications systems are presented. The questions of where in the system design process the effects of propagation should be considered, and what precautions should be taken when applying the propagation results are addressed in order to bridge the gap between the propagation research data and the classical link budget analysis of Earth-space communications system.

Kaul, R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Solar energy system performance evaluation: Seasonal report for IBM System 1B, Carlsbad, New Mexico

A hot solar heating and hot water system's operational performance from April 1979 through March 1980 is evaluated. The space heating and hot water loads were near expected values for the year. Solar energy provided 43 percent of the space heating and 53 percent of the hot water energy. The system did not meet the total system solar fraction design value of 69 percent because of a combination of higher estimated space heating load than was actually encountered and the apportioning of solar energy between the space heating and the domestic hot water loads. System losses and high building temperatures also contributed to this deviation. Total net savings were 23.072 million BTUs. Most of the energy savings came during the winter months, but hot water savings were sufficient to justify running the system during the summer months.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Solar energy system performance evaluation report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi

The IBM System 4 Solar Energy System is described and evaluated. The system was designed to provide 35 percent of the space heating and 63 percent of the domestic hot water preheating for a single family residence located within the United States. The system consists of 259 square feet of flat plate air collectors, a rock thermal storage containing 5 1/2 ton of rock, heat exchangers, blowers, a 52 gallon preheat tank, controls, and associated plumbing. In general, the performance of the system did not meet design expectations, since the overall design solar fraction was 48 percent and the measured value was 32 percent. Although the measured space heating solar fraction at 32 percent did agree favorably with the design space heating solar fraction at 35 percent, the hot water measured solar fraction at 33 percent did not agree favorably with the design hot water solar fraction of 63 percent. In particular collector array air leakage, dust covered collectors, abnormal hot water demand, and the preheat tank by pass valve problem are main reasons for the lower performance.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Satellite Power Systems /SPS/ - Overview of system studies and critical technology

Systems studies and critical technology issues for the development and evaluation of Satellite Power Systems (SPS) for the photovoltaic generation of electrical energy and its transmission to earth are reviewed. Initial concept studies completed in 1976 and system definition studies initiated in the same year have indicated the technical feasibility of SPS and identified challenging issues to be addressed as part of the SPS Concept Development and Evaluation Program. Systems considered in the study include photovoltaic and solar thermal power conversion configurations employing klystron or solid state microwave generators or lasers for power transmission, and power transmission options, system constructability and in-orbit and ground operations. Technology investigations are being performed in the areas of microwave power transmission, structure/controls interactions and the behavior of key materials in the space/SPS environment. Favorable results have been obtained in the areas of microwave phase distribution and phase control, dc-RF conversion, antenna radiating element, and no insurmountable problems have been discovered in any of the investigations to date.

Manson, S. V.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Solar energy system economic evaluation: IBM System 4, Clinton, Mississippi

An economic analysis of the solar energy system was developed for five sites, typical of a wide range of environmental and economic conditions in the continental United States. The analysis was based on the technical and economic models in the F-chart design procedure, with inputs based on the characteristic of the installed system and local conditions. The results are of the economic parameters of present worth of system cost over a 20 year time span: life cycle savings, year of positive savings and year of payback for the optimized solar energy system at each of the analysis sites. The sensitivity of the economic evaluation to uncertainties in constituent system and economic variables is also investigated.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

The Build System - Integration and management of large software avionic systems

The Build System comprises the software tools and procedures creating the flight memory load for the Space Shuttle Backup Flight System. The system has six functions: (1) configuration management, which insures that the memory load contains the proper modules, all clearly marked; (2) source translation, which translates the source code into a relocatable machine code; (3) module integration, which combines and assigns memory locations to all the object modules produced in source translation; (4) static code analysis, which verifies the integration process; (5) deliverables generation, which yields release documentation and deliverable items; and (6) release maintenance, which controls all system patches subsequent to release. Further developments will include more automation in the producing of patches from source-code updates and system requirements for tracking.

Mayer, J. T. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Study of electrical and chemical propulsion systems for auxiliary propulsion of large space systems, volume 2

The five major tasks of the program are reported. Task 1 is a literature search followed by selection and definition of seven generic spacecraft classes. Task 2 covers the determination and description of important disturbance effects. Task 3 applies the disturbances to the generic spacecraft and adds maneuver and stationkeeping functions to define total auxiliary propulsion systems requirements for control. The important auxiliary propulsion system characteristics are identified and sensitivities to control functions and large space system characteristics determined. In Task 4, these sensitivities are quantified and the optimum auxiliary propulsion system characteristics determined. Task 5 compares the desired characteristics with those available for both electrical and chemical auxiliary propulsion systems to identify the directions technology advances should take.

Smith, W. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Terminal area automatic navigation, guidance and control research using the Microwave Landing System (MLS). Part 5: Design and development of a Digital Integrated Automatic Landing System (DIALS) for steep final approach using modern control techniques

The design and development of a 3-D Digital Integrated Automatic Landing System (DIALS) for the Terminal Configured Vehicle (TCV) Research Aircraft, a B-737-100 is described. The system was designed using sampled data Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LOG) methods, resulting in a direct digital design with a modern control structure which consists of a Kalman filter followed by a control gain matrix, all operating at 10 Hz. DIALS uses Microwave Landing System (MLS) position, body-mounted accelerometers, as well as on-board sensors usually available on commercial aircraft, but does not use inertial platforms. The phases of the final approach considered are the localizer and glideslope capture which may be performed simultaneously, localizer and steep glideslope track or hold, crab/decrab and flare to touchdown. DIALS captures, tracks and flares from steep glideslopes ranging from 2.5 deg to 5.5 deg, selected prior to glideslope capture. Digital Integrated Automatic Landing System is the first modern control design automatic landing system successfully flight tested. The results of an initial nonlinear simulation are presented here.

Halyo, N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A 'user friendly' geographic information system in a color interactive digital image processing system environment

NASA's Eastern Regional Remote Sensing Applications Center (ERRSAC) has recognized the need to accommodate spatial analysis techniques in its remote sensing technology transfer program. A computerized Geographic Information System to incorporate remotely sensed data, specifically Landsat, with other relevant data was considered a realistic approach to address a given resource problem. Questions arose concerning the selection of a suitable available software system to demonstrate, train, and undertake demonstration projects with ERRSAC's user community. The very specific requirements for such a system are discussed. The solution found involved the addition of geographic information processing functions to the Interactive Digital Image Manipulation System (IDIMS). Details regarding the functions of the new integrated system are examined along with the characteristics of the software.

Campbell, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Symmetric linear systems - An application of algebraic systems theory

Dynamical systems which contain several identical subsystems occur in a variety of applications ranging from command and control systems and discretization of partial differential equations, to the stability augmentation of pairs of helicopters lifting a large mass. Linear models for such systems display certain obvious symmetries. In this paper, we discuss how these symmetries can be incorporated into a mathematical model that utilizes the modern theory of algebraic systems. Such systems are inherently related to the representation theory of algebras over fields. We will show that any control scheme which respects the dynamical structure either implicitly or explicitly uses the underlying algebra.

Hazewinkel, M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Operating system for a real-time multiprocessor propulsion system simulator

The success of the Real Time Multiprocessor Operating System (RTMPOS) in the development and evaluation of experimental hardware and software systems for real time interactive simulation of air breathing propulsion systems was evaluated. The Real Time Multiprocessor Operating System (RTMPOS) provides the user with a versatile, interactive means for loading, running, debugging and obtaining results from a multiprocessor based simulator. A front end processor (FEP) serves as the simulator controller and interface between the user and the simulator. These functions are facilitated by the RTMPOS which resides on the FEP. The RTMPOS acts in conjunction with the FEP's manufacturer supplied disk operating system that provides typical utilities like an assembler, linkage editor, text editor, file handling services, etc. Once a simulation is formulated, the RTMPOS provides for engineering level, run time operations such as loading, modifying and specifying computation flow of programs, simulator mode control, data handling and run time monitoring. Run time monitoring is a powerful feature of RTMPOS that allows the user to record all actions taken during a simulation session and to receive advisories from the simulator via the FEP. The RTMPOS is programmed mainly in PASCAL along with some assembly language routines. The RTMPOS software is easily modified to be applicable to hardware from different manufacturers.

Cole, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

System analysis for the Huntsville Operational Support Center distributed computer system

The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is a distributed computer system used to provide real time data acquisition, analysis and display during NASA space missions and to perform simulation and study activities during non-mission times. The primary purpose is to provide a HOSC system simulation model that is used to investigate the effects of various HOSC system configurations. Such a model would be valuable in planning the future growth of HOSC and in ascertaining the effects of data rate variations, update table broadcasting and smart display terminal data requirements on the HOSC HYPERchannel network system. A simulation model was developed in PASCAL and results of the simulation model for various system configuraions were obtained. A tutorial of the model is presented and the results of simulation runs are presented. Some very high data rate situations were simulated to observe the effects of the HYPERchannel switch over from contention to priority mode under high channel loading.

Ingels, F. M.↗