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At least 469 records · Page 26

Monthly mean global satellite data sets available in CCM history tape format

Satellite data for climate monitoring have become increasingly important over the past decade, especially with increasing concern for inadvertent antropogenic climate change. Although most satellite based data are of short record, satellites can provide the global coverage that traditional meteorological observations network lack. In addition, satellite data are invaluable for the validation of climate models, and they are useful for many diagnostic studies. Herein, several satellite data sets were processed and transposed into 'history tape' format for use with the Community Climate Model (CCM) modular processor. Only a few of the most widely used and best documented data sets were selected at this point, although future work will expand the number of data sets examined as well as update the archived data sets. An attempt was made to include data of longer record and only monthly averaged data were processed. For studies using satellite data over an extended period, it is important to recognize the impact of changes in instrumentation, drift in instrument calibration, errors introduced by retrieval algorithms and other sources of errors such as those resulting from insufficient space and/or time sampling.

Hurrell, James W.↗

The NASA landing gear test airplane

A tire and landing gear test facility has been developed and incorporated into a Convair 990 aircraft. The system can simulate tire vertical load profiles to 250,000 lb, sideslip angles to 15 degrees, and wheel braking on actual runways. Onboard computers control the preprogrammed test profiles through a feedback loop and also record three axis loads, tire slip angle, and tire condition. The aircraft to date has provided tire force and wear data for the Shuttle Orbiter tire on three different runways and at east and west coast landing sites. This report discusses the role of this facility in complementing existing ground tire and landing gear test facilities, and how this facility can simultaneously simulate the vertical load, tire slip, velocity, and surface for an entire aircraft landing. A description is given of the aircraft as well as the test system. An example of a typical test sequence is presented. Data collection and reduction from this facility are discussed, as well as accuracies of calculated parameters. Validation of the facility through ground and flight tests is presented. Tests to date have shown that this facility can operate at remote sites and gather complete data sets of load, slip, and velocity on actual runway surfaces. The ground and flight tests have led to a successful validation of this test facility.

Carter, John F.↗

Estimated Probability of a Cervical Spine Injury During an ISS Mission

Introduction: The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) utilizes historical data, cohort data, and external simulations as input factors to provide estimates of crew health, resource utilization and mission outcomes. The Cervical Spine Injury Module (CSIM) is an external simulation designed to provide the IMM with parameter estimates for 1) a probability distribution function (PDF) of the incidence rate, 2) the mean incidence rate, and 3) the standard deviation associated with the mean resulting from injury/trauma of the neck. Methods: An injury mechanism based on an idealized low-velocity blunt impact to the superior posterior thorax of an ISS crewmember was used as the simulated mission environment. As a result of this impact, the cervical spine is inertially loaded from the mass of the head producing an extension-flexion motion deforming the soft tissues of the neck. A multibody biomechanical model was developed to estimate the kinematic and dynamic response of the head-neck system from a prescribed acceleration profile. Logistic regression was performed on a dataset containing AIS1 soft tissue neck injuries from rear-end automobile collisions with published Neck Injury Criterion values producing an injury transfer function (ITF). An injury event scenario (IES) was constructed such that crew 1 is moving through a primary or standard translation path transferring large volume equipment impacting stationary crew 2. The incidence rate for this IES was estimated from in-flight data and used to calculate the probability of occurrence. The uncertainty in the model input factors were estimated from representative datasets and expressed in terms of probability distributions. A Monte Carlo Method utilizing simple random sampling was employed to propagate both aleatory and epistemic uncertain factors. Scatterplots and partial correlation coefficients (PCC) were generated to determine input factor sensitivity. CSIM was developed in the SimMechanics/Simulink environment with a Monte Carlo wrapper (MATLAB) used to integrate the components of the module. Results: The probability of generating an AIS1 soft tissue neck injury from the extension/flexion motion induced by a low-velocity blunt impact to the superior posterior thorax was fitted with a lognormal PDF with mean 0.26409, standard deviation 0.11353, standard error of mean 0.00114, and 95% confidence interval [0.26186, 0.26631]. Combining the probability of an AIS1 injury with the probability of IES occurrence was fitted with a Johnson SI PDF with mean 0.02772, standard deviation 0.02012, standard error of mean 0.00020, and 95% confidence interval [0.02733, 0.02812]. The input factor sensitivity analysis in descending order was IES incidence rate, ITF regression coefficient 1, impactor initial velocity, ITF regression coefficient 2, and all others (equipment mass, crew 1 body mass, crew 2 body mass) insignificant. Verification and Validation (V&V): The IMM V&V, based upon NASA STD 7009, was implemented which included an assessment of the data sets used to build CSIM. The documentation maintained includes source code comments and a technical report. The software code and documentation is under Subversion configuration management. Kinematic validation was performed by comparing the biomechanical model output to established corridors.

Brooker, John E.↗

Validation Testing of a Peridynamic Impact Damage Model Using NASA's Micro-Particle Gun

Through a collaborative effort between the Virginia Commonwealth University and Raytheon, a peridynamic model for sand impact damage has been developed1-3. Model development has focused on simulating impacts of sand particles on ZnS traveling at velocities consistent with aircraft take-off and landing speeds. The model reproduces common features of impact damage including pit and radial cracks, and, under some conditions, lateral cracks. This study focuses on a preliminary validation exercise in which simulation results from the peridynamic model are compared to a limited experimental data set generated by NASA's recently developed micro-particle gun (MPG). The MPG facility measures the dimensions and incoming and rebound velocities of the impact particles. It also links each particle to a specific impact site and its associated damage. In this validation exercise parameters of the peridynamic model are adjusted to fit the experimentally observed pit diameter, average length of radial cracks and rebound velocities for 4 impacts of 300 μm glass beads on ZnS. Results indicate that a reasonable fit of these impact characteristics can be obtained by suitable adjustment of the peridynamic input parameters, demonstrating that the MPG can be used effectively as a validation tool for impact modeling and that the peridynamic sand impact model described herein possesses not only a qualitative but also a quantitative ability to simulate sand impact events.

Baber, Forrest E.↗

Model-Based Thermal System Design Optimization for the James Webb Space Telescope

Spacecraft thermal model validation is normally performed by comparing model predictions with thermal test data and reducing their discrepancies to meet the mission requirements. Based on thermal engineering expertise, the model input parameters are adjusted to tune the model output response to the test data. The end result is not guaranteed to be the best solution in terms of reduced discrepancy and the process requires months to complete. A model-based methodology was developed to perform the validation process in a fully automated fashion and provide mathematical bases to the search for the optimal parameter set that minimizes the discrepancies between model and data. The methodology was successfully applied to several thermal subsystems of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Global or quasiglobal optimal solutions were found and the total execution time of the model validation process was reduced to about two weeks. The model sensitivities to the parameters, which are required to solve the optimization problem, can be calculated automatically before the test begins and provide a library for sensitivity studies. This methodology represents a crucial commodity when testing complex, large-scale systems under time and budget constraints. Here, results for the JWST Core thermal system will be presented in detail.

Cataldo, Giuseppe↗

An Investigation into the Effect of Liquid Accumulation on Thermo-Physiologic State using an Advanced Moisture Model Coupled with a High Resolution Human Thermal Model

A physics-based mathematical model for simulating heat and moisture transport on the skin and within clothing was developed to improve the accuracy of human thermal modeling predictions. In a previous study, a set of sweating hotplate experiments was specifically created to obtain test data for model validation. The clothing moisture model was subsequently coupled with a human thermal model and tested by simulating human experiments described in the open literature, which served to verify the model’s ability to predict whole body thermo-physiologic state in work-rest cycles during which sweating was known to occur. In this study, a human subject test was specifically designed to validate the model’s ability to predict local and whole body sweat evaporation and accumulation on the surface of the body. The human subject test incorporated twelve clothed male subjects of moderate physical fitness, ages 18-30, which were prescribed a work-rest cycle in a climate-controlled chamber (25 °C, 50% RH). Two activity levels were considered during the active stage (4 MET vs. 6.5 MET), and two sets of ending ambient conditions were considered for the final rest stage (25 °C vs. 15 °C, 50% RH). Model predictions were compared to the measured local skin temperatures, core temperatures, and whole body sweat losses. In general, the model was able to reproduce the trends observed in the human subject trial, but more importantly, provided insight into how dynamic changes in liquid content can impact the evolution of local and whole body thermo-physiologic state. This study demonstrates the ability of an advanced moisture model to capture distinct physics attributable to moisture accumulation, allowing for increased accuracy in predicting human thermal state and for interpreting the results of measurements derived from human subject tests.

human thermal model↗

Comparison of Wind-Tunnel and Flight Unsteady Pressure Environments for the Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle

Wind-tunnel testing of highly-instrumented rigid models is the current standard for the estimation of unsteady environments acting on a launch vehicle during ascent. However, uncertainties are present in how well these constant condition wind-tunnel data model the unsteady environments for a full-scale launch vehicle during accelerating flight. The Ares I-X wind-tunnel and flight tests provided rich data sets for comparative analysis that have been used to develop answers to the question of tunnel-to-flight validity and uncertainty. In this paper, additional comparisons are presented for the unsteady pressure data acquired during wind-tunnel and flight testing to describe current methods that are used to evaluate preflight predictions. Utilizing these methods to generate ensembles of flight-comparable realizations from wind-tunnel data is shown to yield fluctuating magnitudes and spectra that compare well with flight data for the Ares I-X flight test vehicle throughout the transonic flight regime.

buffet↗

Comparison of Wind-Tunnel and Flight Unsteady Pressure Environments for the Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle

Wind-tunnel testing of highly-instrumented rigid models is the current standard for the estimation of unsteady environments acting on a launch vehicle during ascent. However, uncertainties are present in how well these constant condition wind-tunnel data model the unsteady environments for a full-scale launch vehicle during accelerating flight. The Ares I-X wind-tunnel and flight tests provided rich data sets for comparative analysis that have been used to develop answers to the question of tunnel-to-flight validity and uncertainty. In this paper, additional comparisons are presented for the unsteady pressure data acquired during wind-tunnel and flight testing to describe current methods that are used to evaluate preflight predictions. Utilizing these methods to generate ensembles of flight-comparable realizations from wind-tunnel data is shown to yield fluctuating magnitudes and spectra that compare well with flight data for the Ares I-X flight test vehicle throughout the transonic flight regime.

buffet↗

Jet-Surface Interaction Test: Far-Field Noise Results

Many configurations proposed for the next generation of aircraft rely on the wing or other aircraft surfaces to shield the engine noise from the observers on the ground. However, the ability to predict the shielding effect and any new noise sources that arise from the high-speed jet flow interacting with a hard surface is currently limited. Furthermore, quality experimental data from jets with surfaces nearby suitable for developing and validating noise prediction methods are usually tied to a particular vehicle concept and, therefore, very complicated. The Jet/Surface Interaction Test was intended to supply a high quality set of data covering a wide range of surface geometries and positions and jet flows to researchers developing aircraft noise prediction tools. During phase one, the goal was to measure the noise of a jet near a simple planar surface while varying the surface length and location in order to: (1) validate noise prediction schemes when the surface is acting only as a jet noise shield and when the jet/surface interaction is creating additional noise, and (2) determine regions of interest for more detailed tests in phase two. To meet these phase one objectives, a flat plate was mounted on a two-axis traverse in two distinct configurations: (1) as a shield between the jet and the observer (microphone array) and (2) as a reflecting surface on the opposite side of the jet from the observer.

Brown, Clifford A.↗

Summary of the 5th IAEA technical meeting on fusion data processing, validation and analysis (FDPVA)

The purpose of the 5th International Atomic Energy Agency technical meeting on fusion data processing, validation and analysis (FDPVA) (Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, 12–15 June 2023) was to provide a platform during which a set of topics relevant to FDPVA were discussed with the view of meeting the needs of next step fusion devices such as ITER. The validation and analysis of experimental data obtained from diagnostics used to characterize fusion plasmas are crucial for a knowledge-based understanding of the physical processes governing the dynamics of these plasmas. This paper presents the recent progress and achievements in the domain of plasma diagnostics data analysis and synthetic diagnostics reported at the meeting, including concept description of new devices; fusion databases; integrated data analysis; inverse problems; uncertainty propagation, verification and validation; probabilistic methods and machine learning. The relevant results underline trends observed in the current major fusion confinement devices.

fusion databases↗

Pre- and post-flight-test models versus measured skyship-500 control responses

The dynamical equations-of-motion (EOM) for cruising airships require nonconventional terms to account for buoyancy and apparent-mass-effects, but systematic validation of these equations against flight data is not available. Using a candidate set of EOM, three comparisons are made with carefully-measured describing functions derived from frequency-sweep flight tests on the Skyship-500 airship. The first compares the pre-flight predictions to the data; the second compares the 'best-fit' equations to data at each of two airspeeds and the third compared the ability to extrapolate from one condition to another via airship-specific scaling laws. Two transient responses are also compared. The generally good results demonstrate that fairly simple, perturbation equation models are adequate for many types of flight-control analysis and flying quality evaluations of cruising airships.

Jex, Henry R.↗

Simulation of landsat thematic mapper imagery using AVIRIS hyperspectral imagery

In this paper we present a methodology for simulating multispectral imagery (MSI) using hyperspectral imagery (HSI), and present a validation of the technique using one nearly coincident Landsat TM and AVIRIS data set. Generation of MSI from HSI supports several investigations including selection of multispectral sensor band edges, and engineering trade studies related to on-board or ground-based aggregation of HSI to simulate MSI. In addition, the utility of this technique as a potential procedure for monitoring calibration changes in spaceborne instrument is also addressed.

Kalman, Linda S.↗

Wavelet and Fractal Analysis of Remotely Sensed Surface Temperature with Applications to Estimation of Surface Sensible Heat Flux Density

Wavelet and fractal analyses have been used successfully to analyze one-dimensional data sets such as time series of financial, physical, and biological parameters. These techniques have been applied to two-dimensional problems in some instances, including the analysis of remote sensing imagery. In this respect, these techniques have not been widely used by the remote sensing community, and their overall capabilities as analytical tools for use on satellite and aircraft data sets is not well known. Wavelet and fractal analyses have the potential to provide fresh insight into the characterization of surface properties such as temperature and emissivity distributions, and surface processes such as the heat and water vapor exchange between the surface and the lower atmosphere. In particular, the variation of sensible heat flux density as a function of the change In scale of surface properties Is difficult to estimate, but - in general - wavelets and fractals have proved useful in determining the way a parameter varies with changes in scale. We present the results of a limited study on the relationship between spatial variations in surface temperature distribution and sensible heat flux distribution as determined by separate wavelet and fractal analyses. We analyzed aircraft imagery obtained in the thermal infrared (IR) bands from the multispectral TIMS and hyperspectral MASTER airborne sensors. The thermal IR data allows us to estimate the surface kinetic temperature distribution for a number of sites in the Midwestern and Southwestern United States (viz., San Pedro River Basin, Arizona; El Reno, Oklahoma; Jornada, New Mexico). The ground spatial resolution of the aircraft data varied from 5 to 15 meters. All sites were instrumented with meteorological and hydrological equipment including surface layer flux measuring stations such as Bowen Ratio systems and sonic anemometers. The ground and aircraft data sets provided the inputs for the wavelet and fractal analyses, and the validation of the results.

Schieldge, John↗

Effect of Melt Convection and Solid Transport on Macrosegregation and Grain Structure in Equiaxed Al-Cu Alloys

Macrosegregation in metal casting can be caused by thermal and solutal melt convection, and the transport of unattached solid crystals. These free grains can be a result of, for example, nucleation in the bulk liquid or dendrite fragmentation. In an effort to develop a comprehensive numerical model for the casting of alloys, an experimental study has been conducted to generate benchmark data with which such a solidification model could be tested. The specific goal of the experiments was to examine equiaxed solidification in situations where sinking of grains is (and is not) expected. The objectives were: 1) experimentally study the effects of solid transport and thermosolutal convection on macrosegregation and grain size distribution patterns; and 2) provide a complete set of controlled thermal boundary conditions, temperature data, segregation data, and grain size data, to validate numerical codes. The alloys used were Al-1 wt. pct. Cu, and Al-10 wt. pct. Cu with various amounts of the grain refiner TiB2 added. Cylindrical samples were either cooled from the top, or the bottom. Several trends in the data stand out. In attempting to model these experiments, concentrating on experiments that show clear trends or differences is recommended.

Rerko, Rodney S.↗

Spatially Varying Spectrally Thresholds for MODIS Cloud Detection

The EOS science team has developed an elaborate global MODIS cloud detection procedure, and the resulting MODIS product (MOD35) is used in the retrieval process of several geophysical parameters to mask out clouds. While the global application of the cloud detection approach appears quite robust, the product has some shortcomings on the regional scale, often over determining clouds in a variety of settings, particularly at night. This over-determination of clouds can cause a reduction in the spatial coverage of MODIS derived clear-sky products. To minimize this problem, a new regional cloud detection method for use with MODIS data has been developed at NASA's Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC). The approach is similar to that used by the GHCC for GOES data over the continental United States. Several spatially varying thresholds are applied to MODIS spectral data to produce a set of tests for detecting clouds. The thresholds are valid for each MODIS orbital pass, and are derived from 20-day composites of GOES channels with similar wavelengths to MODIS. This paper and accompanying poster will introduce the GHCC MODIS cloud mask, provide some examples, and present some preliminary validation.

Haines, S. L.↗

Progress in Validation of Wind-US for Ramjet/Scramjet Combustion

Validation of the Wind-US flow solver against two sets of experimental data involving high-speed combustion is attempted. First, the well-known Burrows- Kurkov supersonic hydrogen-air combustion test case is simulated, and the sensitively of ignition location and combustion performance to key parameters is explored. Second, a numerical model is developed for simulation of an X-43B candidate, full-scale, JP-7-fueled, internal flowpath operating in ramjet mode. Numerical results using an ethylene-air chemical kinetics model are directly compared against previously existing pressure-distribution data along the entire flowpath, obtained in direct-connect testing conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. Comparison to derived quantities such as burn efficiency and thermal throat location are also made. Reasonable to excellent agreement with experimental data is demonstrated for key parameters in both simulation efforts. Additional Wind-US feature needed to improve simulation efforts are described herein, including maintaining stagnation conditions at inflow boundaries for multi-species flow. An open issue regarding the sensitivity of isolator unstart to key model parameters is briefly discussed.

Engblom, William A.↗

The NASA Phoenix 2007 Mars Lander Thruster Calibration Estimator: Design and Validation

The NASA Phoenix 2007 Mars Lander mission, launched in August 2007 on its mission to land near the north pole of Mars in May 2008, had a driving need for entry-corridor delivery precision, which parlayed into stringent requirements on deep space navigation accuracy. This, in turn, necessitated in-cruise calibration of the three-axis thrust force vectors produced by each of the vehicle's four reactioncontrol system (RCS) thrusters during frequent daily low-catalyst-bed-temperature firings done to maintain the 3-axis attitude deadbands. A novel recursive sigmapoint consider-covariance filter was designed, validated and ultimately utilized extensively during flight operations, to estimate the RCS force vectors, per individual thruster. The estimate was achieved through ground-based processing of Deep Space Network (DSN) and telemetered gyroscope data from the spacecraft's inertial measurement unit (IMU), using a novel sigma-point consider filter (SPCF) formulation. During early-cruise active calibration, the spacecraft was flown in attitudes chosen, using this filter, to maximize observability of all thruster axes, to an extent constrained by vehicle thermal and communication considerations. The design of the Phoenix thruster calibration filter, and its validation through processing of archived Mars Odyssey thruster calibration radiometric data, and simulated sets of data, are discussed in this paper. The paper concludes with the formulation of the thruster calibration campaign and a summary of the thruster calibration campaign results. The SPCF algorithm is summarized in the Appendix.

sigma-point filter↗

The Scientific Legacy of NASA’s Operation IceBridge

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Operation IceBridge (OIB) was a 13-year (2009–2021) airborne mission to survey land and sea ice across the Arctic, Antarctic, and Alaska. Here, we review OIB’s goals, instruments, campaigns, key scientific results, and implications for future investigations of the cryosphere. OIB’s primary goal was to use airborne laser altimetry to bridge the gap in fine-resolution elevation measurements of ice from space between the conclusion of NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat; 2003–2009) and its follow-on, ICESat-2 (launched 2018). Additional scientific requirements were intended to contextualize observed elevation changes using a multisensor suite of radar sounders, gravimeters, magnetometers, and cameras. Using 15 different aircraft, OIB conducted 968 science flights, of which 42% were repeat surveys of land ice, 42% were surveys of previously unmapped terrain across the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, Arctic ice caps, and Alaskan glaciers, and 16% were surveys of sea ice. The combination of an expansive instrument suite and breadth of surveys enabled numerous fundamental advances in our understanding of the Earth’s cryosphere. For land ice, OIB dramatically improved knowledge of interannual outlet-glacier variability, ice-sheet, and outlet-glacier thicknesses, snowfall rates on ice sheets, fjord and sub-ice-shelf bathymetry, and ice-sheet hydrology. Unanticipated discoveries included a reliable method for constraining the thickness within difficult-to-sound incised troughs beneath ice sheets, the extent of the firn aquifer within the Greenland Ice Sheet, the vulnerability of many Greenland and Antarctic outlet glaciers to ocean-driven melting at their grounding zones, and the dominance of surface-melt-driven mass loss of Alaskan glaciers. For sea ice, OIB significantly advanced our understanding of spatiotemporal variability in sea ice freeboard and its snow cover, especially through combined analysis of fine-resolution altimetry, visible imagery, and snow radar measurements of the overlying snow thickness. Such analyses led to the unanticipated discovery of an interdecadal decrease in snow thickness on Arctic sea ice and numerous opportunities to validate sea ice freeboards from satellite radar altimetry. While many of its data sets have yet to be fully explored, OIB’s scientific legacy has already demonstrated the value of sustained investment in reliable airborne platforms, airborne instrument development, interagency and international collaboration, and open and rapid data access to advance our understanding of Earth’s remote polar regions and their role in the Earth system.

Joseph A. MacGregor↗