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At least 505 records · Page 28

Computer aided indexing at NASA

The application of computer technology to the construction of the NASA Thesaurus and in NASA Lexical Dictionary development is discussed in a brief overview. Consideration is given to the printed and online versions of the Thesaurus, retrospective indexing, the NASA RECON frequency command, demand indexing, lists of terms by category, and the STAR and IAA annual subject indexes. The evolution of computer methods in the Lexical Dictionary program is traced, from DOD and DOE subject switching to LCSH machine-aided indexing and current techniques for handling natural language (e.g., the elimination of verbs to facilitate breakdown of sentences into words and phrases).

Buchan, Ronald L.↗

Accuracy considerations in the computational analysis of jet noise

The application of computational fluid dynamics methods to the analysis of problems in aerodynamic noise has resulted in the extension and adaptation of conventional CFD to the discipline now referred to as computational aeroacoustics (CAA). In the analysis of jet noise accurate resolution of a wide range of spatial and temporal scales in the flow field is essential if the acoustic far field is to be predicted. The numerical simulation of unsteady jet flow has been successfully demonstrated and many flow features have been computed with reasonable accuracy. Grid refinement and increased solution time are discussed as means of improving accuracy of Navier-Stokes solutions of unsteady jet flow. In addition various properties of different numerical procedures which influence accuracy are examined with particular emphasis on dispersion and dissipation characteristics. These properties are investigated by using selected schemes to solve model problems for the propagation of a shock wave and a sinusoidal disturbance. The results are compared for the different schemes.

Scott, James N.↗

NASA’s Vision for Spaceflight Computing

Future NASA mission applications demand onboard computing performance, power efficiency, and flexibility not available from current products. To address these needs, NASA’s High Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) project is developing a radiation hardened, general purpose multi-core processor. Key HPSC objectives include natural space radiation hardness, fault tolerance, computation performance and extensibility, and power scalability. This presentation will first highlight how advances in spaceflight computing are key to NASA’s envisioned future for advanced avionics. Descriptions will then be provided for NASA mission applications and use cases that demand advanced spaceflight computing. The presentation will then provide an overview of NASA’s HPSC project and how it will address the computational demands of future missions.

Wesley Powell↗

NASA's computer science research program

Following a major assessment of NASA's computing technology needs, a new program of computer science research has been initiated by the Agency. The program includes work in concurrent processing, management of large scale scientific databases, software engineering, reliable computing, and artificial intelligence. The program is driven by applications requirements in computational fluid dynamics, image processing, sensor data management, real-time mission control and autonomous systems. It consists of university research, in-house NASA research, and NASA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) and Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE). The overall goal is to provide the technical foundation within NASA to exploit advancing computing technology in aerospace applications.

Larsen, R. L.↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics Technology for Hypersonic Applications

Several current challenges in computational fluid dynamics and aerothermodynamics for hypersonic vehicle applications are discussed. Example simulations are presented from code validation and code benchmarking efforts to illustrate capabilities and limitations. Opportunities to advance the state-of-art in algorithms, grid generation and adaptation, and code validation are identified. Highlights of diverse efforts to address these challenges are then discussed. One such effort to re-engineer and synthesize the existing analysis capability in LAURA, VULCAN, and FUN3D will provide context for these discussions. The critical (and evolving) role of agile software engineering practice in the capability enhancement process is also noted.

Gnoffo, Peter A.↗

Analysis of a dual-reflector antenna system using physical optics and digital computers

The application of physical-optics diffraction theory to a deployable dual-reflector geometry is discussed. The methods employed are not restricted to the Conical-Gregorian antenna, but apply in a general way to dual and even multiple reflector systems. Complex vector wave methods are used in the Fresnel and Fraunhofer regions of the reflectors. Field amplitude, phase, polarization data, and time average Poynting vectors are obtained via an IBM 360/91 digital computer. Focal region characteristics are plotted with the aid of a CalComp plotter. Comparison between the GSFC Huygens wavelet approach, JPL measurements, and JPL computer results based on the near field spherical wave expansion method are made wherever possible.

Schmidt, R. F.↗

Angled injection: Hybrid fluid film bearings for cryogenic applications

A computational bulk-flow analysis for prediction of the force coefficients of hybrid fluid film bearings with angled orifice injection is presented. Past measurements on water-lubricated hybrid bearings with angle orifice injection have demonstrated improved rotordynamic performance with virtual elimination of cross-coupled stiffness coefficients and nul or negative whirl frequency ratios. A simple analysis reveals that the fluid momentum exchange at the orifice discharge produces a pressure rise in the recess which retards the shear flow induced by journal rotation, and consequently, reduces cross-coupling forces. The predictions from the model correlate well with experimental measurements from a radial and 45 deg angled orifice injection, five recess water hybrid bearings (C = 125 microns) operating at 10.2, 17.4, and 24.6 krpm and with nominal supply pressures equal to 4, 5.5, and 7 MPa. An application example for a liquid oxygen six recess/pad hybrid journal bearing shows the advantages of tangential orifice injection on the rotordynamic force coefficients and stability indicator for forward whirl motions and without performance degradation on direct stiffness and damping coefficients. The computer program generated, 'hydrojet,' extends and complements previously developed codes.

SanAndres, Luis↗

Computed Tomography and its Application for the 3D Characterization of Coarse Grained Meteorites

With judicious selection of parameters, computed tomography can provide high precision density data. Such data can lead to a non-destructive determination of the phases and phase distribution within large solid objects. Of particular interest is the structure of the Mundrabilla meteorite, which has 25 volumes, percent of a sulfide within a metallic meteorite. 3D digital imaging has enabled a quantitative evaluation of the distribution and contiguity of the phases to be determined.

Gillies, Donald C.↗

Status and prospects of computational fluid dynamics for unsteady transonic flow

Applications of computational aerodynamics to aeronautical research, design, and analysis have increased rapidly over the past decade, and these applications offer significant benefits to aeroelasticians. The past developments are traced by means of a number of specific examples, and the trends are projected over the next several years. The crucial factors that limit the present capabilities for unsteady analyses are identified; they include computer speed and memory, algorithm and solution methods, grid generation, turbulence modeling, vortex modeling, data processing, and coupling of the aerodynamic and structural dynamic analyses. The prospects for overcoming these limitations are presented, and many improvements appear to be readily attainable. If so, a complete and reliable numerical simulation of the unsteady, transonic viscous flow around a realistic fighter aircraft configuration could become possible within the next decade. The possibilities of using artificial intelligence concepts to hasten the achievement of this goal are also discussed.

Mccroskey, W. J.↗

A Navier-Stokes solver for turbomachinery applications

A computer code for solving the Reynolds-averaged full Navier-Stokes equations has been developed and applied using H- and C-type grids. The Baldwin-Lomax eddy-viscosity model is used for turbulence closure. The integration in time is based on an explicit four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme. Local time stepping, variable coefficient implicit residual smoothing, and a full multigrid method have been implemented to accelerate steady-state calculations. A grid independence analysis is presented for a transonic rotor blade. Comparisons with experimental data show that the code is an accurate viscous solver and can give very good blade-to-blade predictions for engineering applications.

Arnone, A.↗

Computational fluid dynamics research and applications at NASA Langley Research Center

Information on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research and applications carried out at the NASA Langley Research Center is given in viewgraph form. The Langley CFD strategy, the five-year plan in CFD and flow physics, 3-block grid topology, the effect of a patching algorithm, F-18 surface flow, entropy and vorticity effects that improve accuracy of unsteady transonic small disturbance theory, and the effects of reduced frequency on first harmonic components of unsteady pressures due to airfoil pitching are among the topics covered.

South, Jerry C., Jr.↗

Current status of computational methods for transonic unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelastic applications

The status of computational methods for unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity is reviewed. The key features of challenging aeroelastic applications is discussed in terms of the flowfield state - low angle high speed flows and high angle vortex dominated flows. The critical role played by viscous effects in determining aeroelastic stability for conditions of incipient flow separation is stressed. The need for a variety of flow modeling tools, from linear formulations to implementations of the Navier-Stokes equations, is emphasized. Estimates of computer run times for flutter calculations using several computational methods are given. Applications of these methods for unsteady aerodynamic and transonic flutter calculations for airfoils, wings, and configurations are summarized. Finally, recommendations are made concerning future research directions.

Edwards, John W.↗

Automated Generation of Message-Passing Programs: An Evaluation Using CAPTools

Scientists at NASA Ames Research Center have been developing computational aeroscience applications on highly parallel architectures over the past ten years. During that same time period, a steady transition of hardware and system software also occurred, forcing us to expend great efforts into migrating and re-coding our applications. As applications and machine architectures become increasingly complex, the cost and time required for this process will become prohibitive. In this paper, we present the first set of results in our evaluation of interactive parallelization tools. In particular, we evaluate CAPTool's ability to parallelize computational aeroscience applications. CAPTools was tested on serial versions of the NAS Parallel Benchmarks and ARC3D, a computational fluid dynamics application, on two platforms: the SGI Origin 2000 and the Cray T3E. This evaluation includes performance, amount of user interaction required, limitations and portability. Based on these results, a discussion on the feasibility of computer aided parallelization of aerospace applications is presented along with suggestions for future work.

Hribar, Michelle R.↗

Automated Generation of Message-Passing Programs: An Evaluation Using CAPTools

Scientists at NASA Ames Research Center have been developing computational aeroscience applications on highly parallel architectures over the past ten years. During that same time period, a steady transition of hardware and system software also occurred, forcing us to expend great efforts into migrating and re-coding our applications. As applications and machine architectures become increasingly complex, the cost and time required for this process will become prohibitive. In this paper, we present the first set of results in our evaluation of interactive parallelization tools. In particular, we evaluate CAPTool's ability to parallelize computational aeroscience applications. CAPTools was tested on serial versions of the NAS Parallel Benchmarks and ARC3D, a computational fluid dynamics application, on two platforms: the SGI Origin 2000 and the Cray T3E. This evaluation includes performance, amount of user interaction required, limitations and portability. Based on these results, a discussion on the feasibility of computer aided parallelization of aerospace applications is presented along with suggestions for future work.

Hribar, Michelle R.↗

A Navier-Stokes fast solver for turbulence modeling applications

A computer code for the evaluation and/or optimization of the predicative potential of second order turbulent closure models in simple two dimensional flow configurations is discussed. A procedure for the numerical solution of the steady constant property Navier-Stokes equations are described together with algebraic, one dimensional and two dimensional equations of turbulence closure models. Four turbulence models are compared with several sets of experimental data. The effects of initial conditions and boundary conditions are also described. The effects of purely numerical parameters, such as mesh size, boundary locations, and convergence criteria are presented.

Murphy, J. D.↗

Numerical method for predicting flow characteristics and performance of nonaxisymmetric nozzles. Part 2: Applications

A computer implemented numerical method for predicting the flow in and about an isolated three dimensional jet exhaust nozzle is summarized. The approach is based on an implicit numerical method to solve the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations in a boundary conforming curvilinear coordinate system. Recent improvements to the original numerical algorithm are summarized. Equations are given for evaluating nozzle thrust and discharge coefficient in terms of computed flowfield data. The final formulation of models that are used to simulate flow turbulence effect is presented. Results are presented from numerical experiments to explore the effect of various quantities on the rate of convergence to steady state and on the final flowfield solution. Detailed flowfield predictions for several two and three dimensional nozzle configurations are presented and compared with wind tunnel experimental data.

Thomas, P. D.↗