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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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NASA NTRS1990

Formulation and validation of high-order linearized models of helicopter flight mechanics

A high-order linearized model of helicopter flight dynamics is extracted from a nonlinear time domain simulation. The model has 29 states that describe the fuselage rigid body degrees of freedom, the flap and lag dynamics in a nonrotating coordinate system, the inflow dynamics, the delayed entry of the horizontal tail into the main rotor wake, and, approximately, the blade torsion dynamics. The nonlinear simulation is obtained by extensively modifying the GENHEL computer program. The results indicate that the agreement between the linearized and the nonlinear model is good for small perturbations, and deteriorates for large amplitude maneuvers.

Kim, Frederick D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Thermal elastic shock and its effect on TOPEX spacecraft attitude control

Thermal elastic shock (TES) is a twice per orbit impulsive disturbance torque experienced by low-Earth orbiting spacecraft. The fundamental equations used to model the TES disturbance torque for typical spacecraft appendages (e.g., solar arrays and antenna booms) are derived in detail. In particular, the attitude-pointing performance of the TOPEX spacecraft, when subjected to the TES disturbance, is analyzed using a three-axis nonlinear time-domain simulation. Results indicate that the TOPEX spacecraft could exceed its roll-axis attitude-control requirement during penumbral transitions, and remain in violation for approximately 150 sec each orbit until the umbra collapses. A localized active-control system is proposed as a solution to minimize and/or eliminate the degrading effects of the TES disturbance.

Zimbelman, Darrell F.↗

NASA NTRS1993

EOS attitude determination and next generation star tracker enhancements

The pointing knowledge required for the Earth Observing System (EOS) AM mission is at the limit of the current generation of star trackers, with little margin. Techniques for improving the performance of existing star trackers are explored, with performance sensitivities developed for each alternative. These are extended to define the most significant performance enhancements for a next generation star tracker. Since attitude determination studies tend to be computationally intensive, an approach for using a simpler one degree of freedom formulation is contrasted with a full three degree of freedom formulation. Additionally, covariance analysis results are compared with time domain simulation performance results.

Kudva, P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Signal Transmission Technique for Stability Analysis of Multivariable Non-Linear Control Systems

Among the difficulties associated with multivariable, non-linear control systems is the problem of assessing closed-loop stability. Of particular interest is the class of non-linear systems controlled with on/off actuators, such as spacecraft thrusters or electrical relays. With such systems, standard describing function techniques are typically too conservative, and time-domain simulation analysis is prohibitively extensive, This paper presents an open-loop analysis technique for this class of non-linear systems. The technique is centered around an innovative use of multivariable signal transmission theory to quantify the plant response to worst case control commands. The technique has been applied to assess stability of thruster controlled flexible space structures. Examples are provided for Space Shuttle attitude control with attached flexible payloads.

Jackson, Mark↗

NASA NTRS2001

Triana Safehold: A New Gyroless, Sun-Pointing Attitude Controller

Triana is a single-string spacecraft to be placed in a halo orbit about the sun-earth Ll Lagrangian point. The Attitude Control Subsystem (ACS) hardware includes four reaction wheels, ten thrusters, six coarse sun sensors, a star tracker, and a three-axis Inertial Measuring Unit (IMU). The ACS Safehold design features a gyroless sun-pointing control scheme using only sun sensors and wheels. With this minimum hardware approach, Safehold increases mission reliability in the event of a gyroscope anomaly. In place of the gyroscope rate measurements, Triana Safehold uses wheel tachometers to help provide a scaled estimation of the spacecraft body rate about the sun vector. Since Triana nominally performs momentum management every three months, its accumulated system momentum can reach a significant fraction of the wheel capacity. It is therefore a requirement for Safehold to maintain a sun-pointing attitude even when the spacecraft system momentum is reasonably large. The tachometer sun-line rate estimation enables the controller to bring the spacecraft close to its desired sun-pointing attitude even with reasonably high system momentum and wheel drags. This paper presents the design rationale behind this gyroless controller, stability analysis, and some time-domain simulation results showing performances with various initial conditions. Finally, suggestions for future improvements are briefly discussed.

Chen, J.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor and Two-Gyro Control Law Design, Implementation, and On-Orbit Performance

For fifteen years, the science mission of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) required using at least three rate gyros for n Controlling with alternate sensors to replace failing gyros can extend the HST science mission. A two-gyro control law has been designed and implemented using magnetometers, star trackers, and Fine Guidance Sensors (FGSs) to control vehicle rate about the missing gyro axis. The three aforementioned sensors are used in succession to reduce HST boresight jitter to less than 7 milli-arcseconds rms prior to science imaging. The Magnetometer and 2-Gyro (M2G) control law is used for large angle maneuvers and attitude control during earth. occultation of star trackers and FGSs. The Tracker and 2-Gyro (T2G) control law dampens M2G rates and controls attitude in preparation for guide star acquisition with the FGSs. The Fine Guidance Sensor and 2-Gyro (F2G) control law dampens T2G rates and controls HST attitude during science imaging. This paper describes the F2G control law. Details of F2G algorithms are presented, including computation of the FGS-measured star vector using non-linear equations, optimal estimation of HST body rate, design of the F2G control laws and gyro bias observer, SISO and MIMO linear stability analyses, and design of the F2G intramode transition and guide star acquisition logic. Results from an FGS flight spare ground test are presented that define acceptable HST jitter levels for successful guide star acquisition under two-gyro control. HST-specific disturbance and noise models are described that are based upon flight telemetry; these models are used in HSTSIM, a high-fidelity non-linear time domain simulation, to predict HST on-orbit disturbance responses and FGS interferometer Loss of Lock (LOL) characteristics under F2G control. Additional HSTSIM results are presented predicting HST quiescent boresight jitter performance, science maneuver performance, and observer configuration performance during F2G operation. Simulation results are compared to on-orbit data b m F2G flight tests performed in February 2005. Science images and point spread functions from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) High Resolution Camera (HRC) are presented that compare HST science performance under F2G versus three-gyro control. Images and flight telemetry show that HST boresight jitter with the new F2G control law is usually less than jitter using the three-gyro law, and HST boresight jitter during F2G operation is dependent upon guide star magnitude.

Clapp, Brian R.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Non-linear controls influence functions in an aircraft dynamics simulator

In the development and testing of novel structural and controls concepts, such as morphing aircraft wings, appropriate models are needed for proper system characterization. In most instances, available system models do not provide the required additional degrees of freedom for morphing structures but may be modified to some extent to achieve a compatible system. The objective of this study is to apply wind tunnel data collected for an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), that implements trailing edge morphing, to create a non-linear dynamics simulator, using well defined rigid body equations of motion, where the aircraft stability derivatives change with control deflection. An analysis of this wind tunnel data, using data extraction algorithms, was performed to determine the reference aerodynamic force and moment coefficients for the aircraft. Further, non-linear influence functions were obtained for each of the aircraft s control surfaces, including the sixteen trailing edge flap segments. These non-linear controls influence functions are applied to the aircraft dynamics to produce deflection-dependent aircraft stability derivatives in a non-linear dynamics simulator. Time domain analysis of the aircraft motion, trajectory, and state histories can be performed using these nonlinear dynamics and may be visualized using a 3-dimensional aircraft model. Linear system models can be extracted to facilitate frequency domain analysis of the system and for control law development. The results of this study are useful in similar projects where trailing edge morphing is employed and will be instrumental in the University of Maryland s continuing study of active wing load control.

Guerreiro, Nelson M.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Initial Ares I Bending Filter Design

The Ares-I launch vehicle represents a challenging flex-body structural environment for control system design. Software filtering of the inertial sensor output will be required to ensure control system stability and adequate performance. This paper presents a design methodology employing numerical optimization to develop the Ares-I bending filters. The filter design methodology was based on a numerical constrained optimization approach to maximize stability margins while meeting performance requirements. The resulting bending filter designs achieved stability by adding lag to the first structural frequency and hence phase stabilizing the first Ares-I flex mode. To minimize rigid body performance impacts, a priority was placed via constraints in the optimization algorithm to minimize bandwidth decrease with the addition of the bending filters. The bending filters provided here have been demonstrated to provide a stable first stage control system in both the frequency domain and the MSFC MAVERIC time domain simulation.

Jang, Jiann-Woei↗

NASA NTRS2008

Ares-I Bending Filter Design using a Constrained Optimization Approach

The Ares-I launch vehicle represents a challenging flex-body structural environment for control system design. Software filtering of the inertial sensor output is required to ensure adequate stable response to guidance commands while minimizing trajectory deviations. This paper presents a design methodology employing numerical optimization to develop the Ares-I bending filters. The design objectives include attitude tracking accuracy and robust stability with respect to rigid body dynamics, propellant slosh, and flex. Under the assumption that the Ares-I time-varying dynamics and control system can be frozen over a short period of time, the bending filters are designed to stabilize all the selected frozen-time launch control systems in the presence of parameter uncertainty. To ensure adequate response to guidance command, step response specifications are introduced as constraints in the optimization problem. Imposing these constrains minimizes performance degradation caused by the addition of the bending filters. The first stage bending filter design achieves stability by adding lag to the first structural frequency to phase stabilize the first flex mode while gain stabilizing the higher modes. The upper stage bending filter design gain stabilizes all the flex bending modes. The bending filter designs provided here have been demonstrated to provide stable first and second stage control systems in both Draper Ares Stability Analysis Tool (ASAT) and the MSFC MAVERIC 6DOF nonlinear time domain simulation.

Hall, Charles↗

NASA NTRS2010

Modeling of Atmospheric Turbulence as Disturbances for Control Design and Evaluation of High Speed Propulsion Systems

Atmospheric turbulence models are necessary for the design of both inlet/engine and flight controls, as well as for studying integrated couplings between the propulsion and the vehicle structural dynamics for supersonic vehicles. Models based on the Kolmogorov spectrum have been previously utilized to model atmospheric turbulence. In this paper, a more accurate model is developed in its representative fractional order form, typical of atmospheric disturbances. This is accomplished by first scaling the Kolmogorov spectral to convert them into finite energy von Karman forms. Then a generalized formulation is developed in frequency domain for these scale models that approximates the fractional order with the products of first order transfer functions. Given the parameters describing the conditions of atmospheric disturbances and utilizing the derived formulations, the objective is to directly compute the transfer functions that describe these disturbances for acoustic velocity, temperature, pressure and density. Utilizing these computed transfer functions and choosing the disturbance frequencies of interest, time domain simulations of these representative atmospheric turbulences can be developed. These disturbance representations are then used to first develop considerations for disturbance rejection specifications for the design of the propulsion control system, and then to evaluate the closed-loop performance.

Kopasakis, George↗

NASA NTRS2010

Ares I Flight Control System Design

The Ares I launch vehicle represents a challenging flex-body structural environment for flight control system design. This paper presents a design methodology for employing numerical optimization to develop the Ares I flight control system. The design objectives include attitude tracking accuracy and robust stability with respect to rigid body dynamics, propellant slosh, and flex. Under the assumption that the Ares I time-varying dynamics and control system can be frozen over a short period of time, the flight controllers are designed to stabilize all selected frozen-time launch control systems in the presence of parametric uncertainty. Flex filters in the flight control system are designed to minimize the flex components in the error signals before they are sent to the attitude controller. To ensure adequate response to guidance command, step response specifications are introduced as constraints in the optimization problem. Imposing these constraints minimizes performance degradation caused by the addition of the flex filters. The first stage bending filter design achieves stability by adding lag to the first structural frequency to phase stabilize the first flex mode while gain stabilizing the higher modes. The upper stage bending filter design gain stabilizes all the flex bending modes. The flight control system designs provided here have been demonstrated to provide stable first and second stage control systems in both Draper Ares Stability Analysis Tool (ASAT) and the MSFC 6DOF nonlinear time domain simulation.

Jang, Jiann-Woei↗

NASA NTRS2011

A Flight Dynamics Model for a Multi-Actuated Flexible Rocket Vehicle

A comprehensive set of motion equations for a multi-actuated flight vehicle is presented. The dynamics are derived from a vector approach that generalizes the classical linear perturbation equations for flexible launch vehicles into a coupled three-dimensional model. The effects of nozzle and aerosurface inertial coupling, sloshing propellant, and elasticity are incorporated without restrictions on the position, orientation, or number of model elements. The present formulation is well suited to matrix implementation for large-scale linear stability and sensitivity analysis and is also shown to be extensible to nonlinear time-domain simulation through the application of a special form of Lagrange s equations in quasi-coordinates. The model is validated through frequency-domain response comparison with a high-fidelity planar implementation.

Orr, Jeb S.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Design and Analysis of Morpheus Lander Flight Control System

The Morpheus Lander is a vertical takeoff and landing test bed vehicle developed to demonstrate the system performance of the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) system capability for the integrated autonomous landing and hazard avoidance system hardware and software. The Morpheus flight control system design must be robust to various mission profiles. This paper presents a design methodology for employing numerical optimization to develop the Morpheus flight control system. The design objectives include attitude tracking accuracy and robust stability with respect to rigid body dynamics and propellant slosh. Under the assumption that the Morpheus time-varying dynamics and control system can be frozen over a short period of time, the flight controllers are designed to stabilize all selected frozen-time control systems in the presence of parametric uncertainty. Both control gains in the inner attitude control loop and guidance gains in the outer position control loop are designed to maximize the vehicle performance while ensuring robustness. The flight control system designs provided herein have been demonstrated to provide stable control systems in both Draper Ares Stability Analysis Tool (ASAT) and the NASA/JSC Trick-based Morpheus time domain simulation.

Jang, Jiann-Woei↗

NASA NTRS2018

Static Controls Performance Tool for Lunar Landers

This document presents a static analysis tool used to evaluate the controllability of Lunar landers. This was created as part of the NASA Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) program. This tool is capable of accepting typical design information such as location and direction of thrusters, maximum thruster forces, gravity vectors, and center of mass locations. The tool evaluates how far the center of gravity can move from its starting position while still maintaining control. This type of analysis is intended to support results produced by time domain simulations. The code created for this project was implemented in Python, and it was designed to be integrated into systems level optimization tools to yield first-cut results on optimal thruster placement.

Aretskin-Hariton, Eliot D.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NESC GN&C TDT Workshop on 2D Image Motion Optical Transfer Functions, Pointing Performance Analysis, and Requirements

What You Will Learn: The focus is on payload imaging performance due to pointing motion. Some historical background on pointing performance analysis is given. The Optical Transfer Function (OTF) and Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) are defined. The imaging performance due to pointing motion is measured by image motion optical transfer functions (IM OTF). IM OTFs are defined for displacement, smear, and jitter motions, which are all rigorously defined. Deterministic and Statistical IM OTFs are briefly derived and graphically illustrated and compared. The IM OTFs are parameterized by pointing error metrics(PEM), which are means and covariances of displacement, smear, and jitter. Emphasis is on procedures and algorithms to evaluate the image motion optical transfer functions and pointing error metrics. Three procedures are covered, which depend on whether the pointing error data is from time-domain simulation, frequency-domain analysis, or stochastic modeling. A method to evaluate the relative contribution of disturbance sources and to identify the most significant contributors is presented. The presentation includes pertinent discussion of flexible structures and control-structure interaction. No single book can adequately cover this subject, so a book is not required for the course. A list of selected articles, reports, documents, and books is provided for reference and further study. Mathis kept to the minimum necessary to convey principles; lengthy derivations are left to the reference material. Graphics are used to illustrate concepts. As with any such learning endeavor, the knowledge gained will be retained and strengthened through actual practice.c©2019–2021 Mark E. Pittelkau— 5

NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC)↗

NASA NTRS2024

The Simons Observatory: Beam Characterization for the Small Aperture Telescopes

We use time-domain simulations of Jupiter observations to test and develop a beam reconstruction pipeline for the Simons Observatory Small Aperture Telescopes. The method relies on a mapmaker that estimates and subtracts correlated atmospheric noise and a beam fitting code designed to compensate for the bias caused by the mapmaker. We test our reconstruction performance for four different frequency bands against various algorithmic parameters, atmospheric conditions, and input beams. We additionally show the reconstruction quality as a function of the number of available observations and investigate how different calibration strategies affect the beam uncertainty. For all of the cases considered, we find good agreement between the fitted results and the input beam model within an ∼1.5% error for a multipole range ℓ = 30–700 and an ∼0.5% error for a multipole range ℓ = 50–200. We conclude by using a harmonic-domain component separation algorithm to verify that the beam reconstruction errors and biases observed in our analysis do not significantly bias the Simons Observatory r-measurement.

Cosmic microwave background radiation↗

NASA NTRS1979

Performance evaluation of telecommunication systems using computer simulation

The SYSTID time domain digital simulation technique is reviewed. A technique is illustrated which estimates the signal to noise ratio at a point in the simulation of a communication system. Signals having a lowpass or bandpass spectra are utilized. Simulation results show the technique to be accurate over a wide range of signal to noise ratios. Examples which illustrate application to both analog and digital communication systems are provided.

Tranter, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS2004

On the Fringe Field of Wide Angle LC Optical Phased Array

For free space laser communication, light weighted large deployable optics is a critical component for the transmitter. However, such an optical element will introduce large aberrations due to the fact that the surface figure of the large optics is susceptable to deformation in the space environment. We propose to use a high-resolution liquid crystal spatial light modulator to correct for wavefront aberrations introduced by the primary optical element, and to achieve very fine beam steering and shaping at the same time. A 2-D optical phased array (OPA) antenna based on a Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) spatial light modulator is described. This device offers a combination of low cost, high resolution, high accuracy, high diffraction efficiency at video speed. To quantitatively understand the influence factor of the different design parameters, a computer simulation of the device is given by the 2-D director simulation and the Finite Difference Time domain (FDTD) simulation. For the 1-D OPA, we define the maximum steering angle to have a grating period of 8 pixel/reset scheme; as for larger steering angles than this criterion, the diffraction efficiency drops dramatically. In this case, the diffraction efficiency of 0.86 and the Strehl ratio of 0.9 are obtained in the simulation. The performance of the device in achieving high resolution wavefront correction and beam steering is also characterized experimentally.

Wang, Xighua↗