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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 487 records · Page 27

Compact, Reliable EEPROM Controller

A compact, reliable controller for an electrically erasable, programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) has been developed specifically for a space-flight application. The design may be adaptable to other applications in which there are requirements for reliability in general and, in particular, for prevention of inadvertent writing of data in EEPROM cells. Inadvertent writes pose risks of loss of reliability in the original space-flight application and could pose such risks in other applications. Prior EEPROM controllers are large and complex and do not provide all reasonable protections (in many cases, few or no protections) against inadvertent writes. In contrast, the present controller provides several layers of protection against inadvertent writes. The controller also incorporates a write-time monitor, enabling determination of trends in the performance of an EEPROM through all phases of testing. The controller has been designed as an integral subsystem of a system that includes not only the controller and the controlled EEPROM aboard a spacecraft but also computers in a ground control station, relatively simple onboard support circuitry, and an onboard communication subsystem that utilizes the MIL-STD-1553B protocol. (MIL-STD-1553B is a military standard that encompasses a method of communication and electrical-interface requirements for digital electronic subsystems connected to a data bus. MIL-STD- 1553B is commonly used in defense and space applications.) The intent was to both maximize reliability while minimizing the size and complexity of onboard circuitry. In operation, control of the EEPROM is effected via the ground computers, the MIL-STD-1553B communication subsystem, and the onboard support circuitry, all of which, in combination, provide the multiple layers of protection against inadvertent writes. There is no controller software, unlike in many prior EEPROM controllers; software can be a major contributor to unreliability, particularly in fault situations such as the loss of power or brownouts. Protection is also provided by a powermonitoring circuit.

Katz, Richard↗

User Interface Developed for Controls/CFD Interdisciplinary Research

The NASA Lewis Research Center, in conjunction with the University of Akron, is developing analytical methods and software tools to create a cross-discipline "bridge" between controls and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technologies. Traditionally, the controls analyst has used simulations based on large lumping techniques to generate low-order linear models convenient for designing propulsion system controls. For complex, high-speed vehicles such as the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), simulations based on CFD methods are required to capture the relevant flow physics. The use of CFD should also help reduce the development time and costs associated with experimentally tuning the control system. The initial application for this research is the High Speed Civil Transport inlet control problem. A major aspect of this research is the development of a controls/CFD interface for non-CFD experts, to facilitate the interactive operation of CFD simulations and the extraction of reduced-order, time-accurate models from CFD results. A distributed computing approach for implementing the interface is being explored. Software being developed as part of the Integrated CFD and Experiments (ICE) project provides the basis for the operating environment, including run-time displays and information (data base) management. Message-passing software is used to communicate between the ICE system and the CFD simulation, which can reside on distributed, parallel computing systems. Initially, the one-dimensional Large-Perturbation Inlet (LAPIN) code is being used to simulate a High Speed Civil Transport type inlet. LAPIN can model real supersonic inlet features, including bleeds, bypasses, and variable geometry, such as translating or variable-ramp-angle centerbodies. Work is in progress to use parallel versions of the multidimensional NPARC code.

Source record↗

Computational aerodynamics requirements: The future role of the computer and the needs of the aerospace industry

The commercial airplane builder's viewpoint on the important issues involved in the development of improved computational aerodynamics tools such as powerful computers optimized for fluid flow problems is presented. The primary user of computational aerodynamics in a commercial aircraft company is the design engineer who is concerned with solving practical engineering problems. From his viewpoint, the development of program interfaces and pre-and post-processing capability for new computational methods is just as important as the algorithms and machine architecture. As more and more details of the entire flow field are computed, the visibility of the output data becomes a major problem which is then doubled when a design capability is added. The user must be able to see, understand, and interpret the results calculated. Enormous costs are expanded because of the need to work with programs having only primitive user interfaces.

Rubbert, P. E.↗

The Namibia Early Flood Warning System, A CEOS Pilot Project

Over the past year few years, an international collaboration has developed a pilot project under the auspices of Committee on Earth Observation Satellite (CEOS) Disasters team. The overall team consists of civilian satellite agencies. For this pilot effort, the development team consists of NASA, Canadian Space Agency, Univ. of Maryland, Univ. of Colorado, Univ. of Oklahoma, Ukraine Space Research Institute and Joint Research Center(JRC) for European Commission. This development team collaborates with regional , national and international agencies to deliver end-to-end disaster coverage. In particular, the team in collaborating on this effort with the Namibia Department of Hydrology to begin in Namibia . However, the ultimate goal is to expand the functionality to provide early warning over the South Africa region. The initial collaboration was initiated by United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs and CEOS Working Group for Information Systems and Services (WGISS). The initial driver was to demonstrate international interoperability using various space agency sensors and models along with regional in-situ ground sensors. In 2010, the team created a preliminary semi-manual system to demonstrate moving and combining key data streams and delivering the data to the Namibia Department of Hydrology during their flood season which typically is January through April. In this pilot, a variety of moderate resolution and high resolution satellite flood imagery was rapidly delivered and used in conjunction with flood predictive models in Namibia. This was collected in conjunction with ground measurements and was used to examine how to create a customized flood early warning system. During the first year, the team made use of SensorWeb technology to gather various sensor data which was used to monitor flood waves traveling down basins originating in Angola, but eventually flooding villages in Namibia. The team made use of standardized interfaces such as those articulated under the Open Cloud Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) set of web services was good [1][2]. However, it was discovered that in order to make a system like this functional, there were many performance issues. Data sets were large and located in a variety of location behind firewalls and had to be accessed across open networks, so security was an issue. Furthermore, the network access acted as bottleneck to transfer map products to where they are needed. Finally, during disasters, many users and computer processes act in parallel and thus it was very easy to overload the single string of computers stitched together in a virtual system that was initially developed. To address some of these performance issues, the team partnered with the Open Cloud Consortium (OCC) who supplied a Computation Cloud located at the University of Illinois at Chicago and some manpower to administer this Cloud. The Flood SensorWeb [3] system was interfaced to the Cloud to provide a high performance user interface and product development engine. Figure 1 shows the functional diagram of the Flood SensorWeb. Figure 2 shows some of the functionality of the Computation Cloud that was integrated. A significant portion of the original system was ported to the Cloud and during the past year, technical issues were resolved which included web access to the Cloud, security over the open Internet, beginning experiments on how to handle surge capacity by using the virtual machines in the cloud in parallel, using tiling techniques to render large data sets as layers on map, interfaces to allow user to customize the data processing/product chain and other performance enhancing techniques. The conclusion reached from the effort and this presentation is that defining the interoperability standards in a small fraction of the work. For example, once open web service standards were defined, many users could not make use of the standards due to security restrictions. Furthermore, once an interoperable sysm is functional, then a surge of users can render a system unusable, especially in the disaster domain.

Mandl, Daniel↗

Utility of remotely sensed data for identification of soil conservation practices

Discussed are a variety of remotely sensed data sources that may have utility in the identification of conservation practices and related linear features. Test sites were evaluated in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma using one or more of a variety of remotely sensed data sources, including color infrared photography (CIR), LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) data, and aircraft-acquired Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data. Both visual examination and computer-implemented enhancement procedures were used to identify conservation practices and other linear features. For the Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma test sites, photo interpretations of CIR identified up to 24 of the 109 conservation practices from a matrix derived from the SCS National Handbook of Conservation Practices. The conservation practice matrix was modified to predict the possibility of identifying the 109 practices at various photographic scales based on the observed results as well as photo interpreter experience. Some practices were successfully identified in TM data through visual identification, but a number of existing practices were of such size and shape that the resolution of the TM could not detect them accurately. A series of computer-automated decorrelation and filtering procedures served to enhance the conservation practices in TM data with only fair success. However, features such as field boundaries, roads, water bodies, and the Urban/Ag interface were easily differentiated. Similar enhancement techniques applied to 5 and 10 meter TIMS data proved much more useful in delineating terraces, grass waterways, and drainage ditches as well as the features mentioned above, due partly to improved resolution and partly to thermally influenced moisture conditions. Spatially oriented data such as those derived from remotely sensed data offer some promise in the inventory and monitoring of conservation practices as well as in supplying parameter data for a variety of computer-implemented agricultural models.

Pelletier, R. E.↗

High-Speed Recording of Test Data on Hard Disks

Disk Recording System (DRS) is a systems-integration computer program for a direct-to-disk (DTD) high-speed data acquisition system (HDAS) that records rocket-engine test data. The HDAS consists partly of equipment originally designed for recording the data on tapes. The tape recorders were replaced with hard-disk drives, necessitating the development of DRS to provide an operating environment that ties two computers, a set of five DTD recorders, and signal-processing circuits from the original tape-recording version of the HDAS into one working system. DRS includes three subsystems: (1) one that generates a graphical user interface (GUI), on one of the computers, that serves as a main control panel; (2) one that generates a GUI, on the other computer, that serves as a remote control panel; and (3) a data-processing subsystem that performs tasks on the DTD recorders according to instructions sent from the main control panel. The software affords capabilities for dynamic configuration to record single or multiple channels from a remote source, remote starting and stopping of the recorders, indexing to prevent overwriting of data, and production of filtered frequency data from an original time-series data file.

Lagarde, Paul M., Jr.↗

PRISMA: PARALLEL REFINEMENT AND INTEGRATION SYSTEM FOR MULTI-AZIMUTHAL ANALYSIS

The Parallel Refinement and Integration System for Multi-azimuthal Analysis (PRISMA, version 1.1.0) is a Python application for processing X-ray diffraction (XRD) image data. PRISMA wraps GSAS-II to perform azimuthally-binned peak refinement, computes per-frame strain and d-spacing from those fits, and provides three PyQt5 graphical interfaces: (1) a Recipe Builder for selecting GSAS-II control (.imctrl) files, optional mask (.immask) files or threshold-ased masking, reference and experiment image sets, peaks, zimuthal range and bin size, and an optional ceria-based auto-calibration; (2) a Batch Processor that uses Dask on local workstations and pure MPI (mpi4py.futures.MPICommExecutor) on HPC to distribute GSAS-II refinement across cores or compute nodes and write results to a 4-dimensional (peaks x frames x azimuths x measurements) Zarr dataset; and (3) a Data Analyzer that renders heatmaps of fit parameters, strain, frame-to-frame deltas, and percent-change-vs-reference, and exports user-defined subsections to CSV or Excel. The peak-refinement algorithm is deterministic. Benchmark on ALCF Crux: a 20,000-image set, single-peak fit in frame mode with 44 azimuthal bins on 128 nodes x 128 workers, 48 seconds total wall time.

Lorenzo Martin, Maria De La Cinta [Argonne Nationa↗

A data analysis expert system for large established distributed databases

A design for a natural language database interface system, called the Deductively Augmented NASA Management Decision support System (DANMDS), is presented. The DANMDS system components have been chosen on the basis of the following considerations: maximal employment of the existing NASA IBM-PC computers and supporting software; local structuring and storing of external data via the entity-relationship model; a natural easy-to-use error-free database query language; user ability to alter query language vocabulary and data analysis heuristic; and significant artificial intelligence data analysis heuristic techniques that allow the system to become progressively and automatically more useful.

Gnacek, Anne-Marie↗

Implementing One Sided Partitioned Communication in Open MPI

This report introduces partitioned communication, a new MPI 4.0 interface that enables early bird communication by overlapping communication and computation. By partitioning messages into smaller sub-messages, MPI can start partial data transfers early. Performance studies show that the RMA implementation outperforms the Persistent implementation, despite some constraints. This report details a new opt-in RMA implementation, offering a high-performance option for partitioned communication that imposes some additional limitations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The formation of lunar glasses

The work investigates experimentally the conditions required to form glasses out of a number of lunar compositions. Viscous flow and crystallization behavior of several compositions were studied over a wide range of temperature. These data exhibit the form generally found for glass-forming liquids. Combining growth rate with viscosity data, the fraction of preferred growth sites on the crystal-liquid interfaces is found to increase with increasing undercooling for all lunar compositions. The detailed forms of the kinetic data are predicted by recent computer simulations of crystal growth. Calorimetry studies indicate that lunar orange soil was formed under conditions of much slower cooling rate than 1000 deg K per sec.

Uhlmann, D. R.↗

Development of a CCD array as an imaging detector for advanced X-ray astrophysics facilities

The development of a charge coupled device (CCD) X-ray imager for a large aperture, high angular resolution X-ray telescope is discussed. Existing CCDs were surveyed and three candidate concepts were identified. An electronic camera control and computer interface, including software to drive a Fairchild 211 CCD, is described. In addition a vacuum mounting and cooling system is discussed. Performance data for the various components are given.

Schwartz, D. A.↗

Investigating tectonic and bathymetric features of the Indian Ocean using MAGSAT magnetic anomaly data

MAGSAT Investigator-B tapes were preprocessed by (1) removing all data points with obvious erroneous values and location errors; (2) removing smaller spikes (typically 15 nT or more), and deleting data tracks with fewer than 20 points; and (3) removing a linear trend from each track. The remaining data were recorded on tape for use by the equivalent source mapping (ESMAP) program which uses a least squares algorithm to fit the magnetization parameter of the grid of equivalent source dipoles in the crust to satellite data acquired at different times and locations. ESMAP was implemented on the TASC computing system and modified to read preprocessed MAGSAT tapes and interface with TASC plotting software. Some verification of the software was accomplished. Gridded 1-degree mean values of gravity anomaly and sea surface undulation computed from SEASAT radar altimeter were obtained and brought on line.

Lazarewicz, A. R.↗

Controlling Multiple Registers on a Computer Bus

Number of addressable registers increased. Monitoring and controlling interface circuit expands capabilities of DR11-C (or equivalent) input/output port for computer that communicates with peripheral equipment via UNIBUS (or equivalent) data bus. Using only three address locations on bus, unit enables any number of external registers to be addressed, read, or written.

Brokl, Stanley S.↗

NSSDC activities with 12-inch optical disk drives

The development status of optical-disk data transfer and storage technology at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is surveyed. The aim of the R&D program is to facilitate the exchange of large volumes of data. Current efforts focus on a 12-inch 1-Gbyte write-once/read-many disk and a disk drive which interfaces with VAX/VMS computer systems. The history of disk development at NSSDC is traced; the results of integration and performance tests are summarized; the operating principles of the 12-inch system are explained and illustrated with diagrams; and the need for greater standardization is indicated.

Lowrey, Barbara E.↗

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Analysis of the DPS subsystem

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis/Critical Items List (FMEA/CIL) is presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to independently determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items. The independent analysis results corresponding to the Orbiter Data Processing System (DPS) hardware are documented. The DPS hardware is required for performing critical functions of data acquisition, data manipulation, data display, and data transfer throughout the Orbiter. Specifically, the DPS hardware consists of the following components: Multiplexer/Demultiplexer (MDM); General Purpose Computer (GPC); Multifunction CRT Display System (MCDS); Data Buses and Data Bus Couplers (DBC); Data Bus Isolation Amplifiers (DBIA); Mass Memory Unit (MMU); and Engine Interface Unit (EIU). The IOA analysis process utilized available DPS hardware drawings and schematics for defining hardware assemblies, components, and hardware items. Each level of hardware was evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode. Due to the extensive redundancy built into the DPS the number of critical items are few. Those identified resulted from premature operation and erroneous output of the GPCs.

Lowery, H. J.↗

User Interface on the World Wide Web: How to Implement a Multi-Level Program Online

The objective of this Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) research project was to write a user interface that utilizes current World Wide Web (WWW) technologies for an existing computer program written in C, entitled LaRCRisk. The project entailed researching data presentation and script execution on the WWW and than writing input/output procedures for the database management portion of LaRCRisk.

Cranford, Jonathan W.↗

Flight Computer Design for the Space Technology 5 (ST-5) Mission

As part of NASA's New Millennium Program, the Space Technology 5 mission will validate a variety of technologies for nano-satellite and constellation mission applications. Included are: a miniaturized and low power X-band transponder, a constellation communication and navigation transceiver, a cold gas micro-thruster, two different variable emittance (thermal) controllers, flex cables for solar array power collection, autonomous groundbased constellation management tools, and a new CMOS ultra low-power, radiation-tolerant, +0.5 volt logic technology. The ST-5 focus is on small and low-power. A single-processor, multi-function flight computer will implement direct digital and analog interfaces to all of the other spacecraft subsystems and components. There will not be a distributed data system that uses a standardized serial bus such as MIL-STD-1553 or MIL-STD-1773. The flight software running on the single processor will be responsible for all real-time processing associated with: guidance, navigation and control, command and data handling (C&DH) including uplink/downlink, power switching and battery charge management, science data analysis and storage, intra-constellation communications, and housekeeping data collection and logging. As a nanosatellite trail-blazer for future constellations of up to 100 separate space vehicles, ST-5 will demonstrate a compact (single board), low power (5.5 watts) solution to the data acquisition, control, communications, processing and storage requirements that have traditionally required an entire network of separate circuit boards and/or avionics boxes. In addition to the New Millennium technologies, other major spacecraft subsystems include the power system electronics, a lithium-ion battery, triple-junction solar cell arrays, a science-grade magnetometer, a miniature spinning sun sensor, and a propulsion system.

Speer, David↗

Designing Rolling-Element Bearings

Bearing Analysis Tool (BAT) is a computer program for designing rolling-element bearings for cryogenic turbomachines. BAT provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that guides the entry of data to develop mathematical models of bearings. The GUI breaks model data into logical subsets that are entered through logic-driven input screens. The software generates a threedimensional graphical model of a bearing as the data are entered. Most dataentry errors become immediately obvious in the graphical model. BAT provides for storage of all the data on a shaft/bearing system, enabling the creation of a library of proven designs. Data from the library can be transferred to subsequent projects by use of simple cut-and-paste routines. BAT includes a library of temperature- dependent cryogenic bearing-material properties for use in the mathematical models. BAT implements algorithms that (1) enable the user to select combinations of design and/or operating-condition parameters, and then (2) automatically optimize the design by performing trade studies over all of the parameter combinations. This feature enables optimization over a large trade space in a fraction of the time taken when using prior bearingmodel software.

Moore, James D., Jr.↗