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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 55 records · Page 3

Numerical Simulation of North Atlantic Sea Ice Variability, 1951 - 1980

A two-level dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model is used to simulate the growth, drift and decay of sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere during a 30-year period, 1951 to 1980. The model is run with a daily timestep on a 222 km grid and is forced by interanually varying fields of geostrophic wind and temperature-derived thermodynamic fluxes. The objective is a quantitative description of large-scale sea ice variability in terms of the dynamic and thermodynamic processes responsible for the fluctuations, especially in the North Atlantic where sea ice represents a substantial input of fresh water. The fields of ice velocity and thickness contain strong seasonal as well as interannual variability. The mean drift pattern results in thicknesses of 4 to 5 m offshore of northern Canada and Greenland, while winter thicknesses of approximately 2 m are typical of Alaskan. Eurasian and East Greenland coastal waters. The 30-year mean fields are characterized by ecessive ice in the North Atlantic during winter and by a summer retreat that is more rapid than observed.

Walsh, J. E.↗

'Chain pooling' model selection as developed for the statistical analysis of a rotor burst protection experiment

A statistical decision procedure called chain pooling had been developed for model selection in fitting the results of a two-level fixed-effects full or fractional factorial experiment not having replication. The basic strategy included the use of one nominal level of significance for a preliminary test and a second nominal level of significance for the final test. The subject has been reexamined from the point of view of using as many as three successive statistical model deletion procedures in fitting the results of a single experiment. The investigation consisted of random number studies intended to simulate the results of a proposed aircraft turbine-engine rotor-burst-protection experiment. As a conservative approach, population model coefficients were chosen to represent a saturated 2 to the 4th power experiment with a distribution of parameter values unfavorable to the decision procedures. Three model selection strategies were developed.

Holms, A. G.↗

Eddy heat fluxes and stability of planetary waves. I, II

The stability of baroclinic Rossby waves in a zonal shear flow was analyzed by a linear, quasigeostrophic, two-level, adiabatic, and frictionless midlatitude beta-plane model. The ratio of the basic wave scale and the radius of deformation together with two nondimensional parameters which describe the amplitudes of the barotropic and baroclinic components of the basic wave constitute the three parameters of the stability problem. The parameter space is partitioned according to the dominant energy source for instability; the Lorenz and Kim conditions are characterized by significant horizontal and vertical shears of the basic wave, while the Phillips regime has a strong zonal flow. The stability analysis is then applied to the atmosphere, with the primary motivation being to examine the midlatitude planetary scale (zonal wavenumbers 1, 2, 3) transient waves that transport heat. It is found that the most unstable mode consists of a spectrum of waves, with a maximum amplitude at wavenumber 3; the response is thus maximum at a zonal scale intermediate between the basic wave scale and the radius of deformation.

Lin, C. A.↗

Model based trajectory planning using preview

The control of manipulators is seen here as a two-level process. A method is described to convert information available at the programming level into trajectories suitable to be tracked by a servo control system. The goal of the servo is to absorb the unmodeled dynamics. Tracking accuracy will depend mainly on the acceleration demand of the nominal trajectory setpoint, in particular, the actuator output demand must remain bounded. Our scheme adaptively takes into consideration at the trajectory computation level the dynamics of the underlying system, dynamically available information acquired through sensors, various types of constraints, such as path accuracy, and manipulator optimization. This scheme is meant to be implemented on-line, to drive mechanical systems such as manipulators. It is developed in the context of a multi-manipulator programming and control environment for space applications developed as part of a collaborative effort between McGill University and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Hayward, Vincent↗

Departures of the electron energy distribution from a Maxwellian in hydrogen. I - Formulation and solution of the electron kinetic equation. II - Consequences

The problem of calculating the steady-state free-electron energy distribution in a hydrogen gas is considered in order to study departures of that distribution from a Maxwellian at sufficiently low degrees of ionization. A model kinetic equation is formulated and solved analytically for the one-particle electron distribution function in a steady-state partially ionized hydrogen gas, and it is shown that the formal solution can be accurately approximated by using the WKB method. The solutions obtained indicate that the high-energy tail of the distribution is susceptible to distortion by imbalanced inelastic collisions for ionization fractions not exceeding about 0.1 and that such departures from a Maxwellian can lead to significant changes in the collisional excitation and ionization rates of ground-state hydrogen atoms. Expressions for the electron-hydrogen collision rates are derived which explicitly display their dependence on the hydrogen departure coefficients. The results are applied in order to compare self-consistent predictions with those based on the a priori assumption of a Maxwellian distribution for models of the thermal ionization equilibrium of hydrogen in the optically thin limit, spectral-line formation by a gas consisting of two-level atoms, and radiative transfer in finite slabs by a gas of four-level hydrogen atoms.

Shoub, E. C.↗

Subset Regression

Backward elimination procedure minimizes prediction errors of equations fitted to factorial experiments. Problem of minimizing prediction error solved for two-level full- or fractional-factorial experiment with 16 factorial points and 0 to 6 center points. Such experiment provides 16 orthogonal coefficient estimates for empirical polynomial model. Each coefficient estimated with low variance error estimated from 16 observations.

Holms, A. G.↗

A two-level controller design approach for large space structures

A controller design approach is proposed for large space structures (LSS) using an Annular Momentum Control Device (AMCD). The controller consists of a primary attitude controller and a secondary or modal damping enhancement controller. It is proved that the LSS/AMCD system using the proposed damping enhancement controller is stable in the sense of Lyapunov regardless of the number of modes in the model and without the necessity of precise knowledge of the modal frequencies and mode shapes. Numerical results obtained for the secondary controller design for a large thin flat plate indicate that the proposed method can yield satisfactory damping enhancement with small weight penalty.

Joshi, S. M.↗

Minimum mass sizing of a large low-aspect ratio airframe for flutter-free performance

A procedure for sizing an airframe for flutter-free performance is demonstrated on a large, flexible supersonic transport aircraft. The procedure is based on using a two-level reduced basis or modal technique for reducing the computational cost of performing the repetitive flutter analyses. The supersonic transport aircraft exhibits complex dynamic behavior, has a well-known flutter problem and requires a large finite-element model to predict the vibratory and flutter response. Flutter-free designs are produced with small mass increases relative to the wing structural weight and aircraft payload. In view of the ability of the resizing procedure to handle this supersonic transport configuration, it seems likely that the method could be used for many other aircraft.

Greene, W. H.↗

Lyman-alpha rocket spectra and models of the quiet and active solar chromosphere based on partial redistribution diagnostics

Absolute intensity Lyman-alpha profiles with a spatial resolution of 0.8 min and a spectral resolution of 50 mA were obtained for network and cell regions in the quiet sun, umbral and penumbral areas of a sunspot, two plages, and a quiescent prominence of the limb. Weak limb brightening shown by the Lyman-alpha cores and wings are consistent with predictions derived from partial redistribution line transfer calculations. Through use of a comoving two-level partial redistribution code which conserves mass flux, unequal red and blue Lyman-alpha peak intensities may be interpreted as flow velocities near 20,000 K. Outflows in the plages and downflows in the network are also noted. A model of a mean quiet sun chromosphere consistent with the Lyman-alpha integrated intensity, the Lyman continuum slope, and the millimeter continuum is presented.

Basri, G. S.↗

A non-LTE study of silicon line formation in early-type main-sequence atmospheres.

We have computed populations of 16 levels of Si III-V and radiation fields in all connecting transitions; in particular the first six Si III triplet levels, including the 4553 line, and the first six Si IV levels including 4089. The computations were done for four non-LTE H-He model atmospheres, provided by Auer and Mihalas. Estimates of corresponding MK types are B1.5 V, B0.5 V, O9 V, and O6. Solutions were obtained by iterating the linearized equations of radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium, except that for less important lines an approximate equivalent two-level atom treatment was used. Continuous opacities of C, N, O, and Ne were included. All abundances were solar values.

Kamp, L. W.↗

Microturbulence, systematic motions, and line formation in molecular clouds

Microturbulence and systematic motions are viewed as simplifying assumptions made to facilitate treatment of line formation in molecular clouds, and line intensities calculated in the two approximations are compared to estimate how uncertainties about the actual line-broadening mechanism affect the interpretation of molecular emission lines. For lines formed by two-level molecules in an isothermal homogeneous cloud, the alternative assumptions lead to peak and integrated line intensities which agree within the differences (up to a factor of 3) associated with the ignorance of cloud geometry. New multilevel calculations for CO in the same cloud model bear out the generality of this result. It follows that, within the geometrical uncertainties, the Sobolev (1960) approximation may be used confidently in the numerous applications for which this simple cloud model suffices.

White, R. E.↗

The effects of diffusion on population gratings and the stability of ring lasers

The effects of diffusion on the coupling between counterpropagating modes in a two-level medium are studied in the rate equation limit. It is shown that diffusion can greatly decrease saturation gratings in low-pressure gases. Among many other effects which rely on spatial hole burning, this can alter the stability of bidirectional solutions of the third-order Lamb equation model of a ring laser.

Lawandy, N. M.↗

Drive-train dynamics technology - State-of-the-art and design of a test facility for advanced development

A program for the development and verification of drive-train dynamic technology is described along with its basis and the results expected from it. A central feature of this program is a drive-train test facility designed for the testing and development of advanced drive-train components, including shaft systems, dampers, and couplings. Previous efforts in designing flexible dynamic drive-train systems are reviewed, and the present state of the art is briefly summarized. The design of the test facility is discussed with major attention given to the formulation of the test-rig concept, dynamic scaling of model shafts, and the specification of design parameters. Specific efforts envisioned for the test facility are briefly noted, including evaluations of supercritical test shafts, stability thresholds for various sources and types of instabilities that can exist in shaft systems, effects of structural flexibility on the dynamic performance of dampers, and methods for vibration control in two-level and three-level flexible shaft systems.

Badgley, R. H.↗

Core saturation in a moving medium

A numerical technique for solving the line transfer equation of a two-level atom in static equilibrium is presented. Complete redistribution of emitted photons is assumed, as is saturation at the line core. Emission intensity is calculated either by a generalized Eddington-Barber relation, a first-order differential equation for the specific intensity, or by a formal transfer integral. Sample calculations are performed of the line transfer equation in a semi-infinite atmosphere with a constant Planck function of the collision parameter and for the Mg II resonance line in a model solar atmosphere experiencing shocks. Attention is focused on the line wings in the latter problem. The first order differential equation approach yields the best intensity values and temperature structure.

Kalkofen, W.↗

Energy consumption program: A computer model simulating energy loads in buildings

The JPL energy consumption computer program developed as a useful tool in the on-going building modification studies in the DSN energy conservation project is described. The program simulates building heating and cooling loads and computes thermal and electric energy consumption and cost. The accuracy of computations are not sacrificed, however, since the results lie within + or - 10 percent margin compared to those read from energy meters. The program is carefully structured to reduce both user's time and running cost by asking minimum information from the user and reducing many internal time-consuming computational loops. Many unique features were added to handle two-level electronics control rooms not found in any other program.

Stoller, F. W.↗

The effect of intermediate-scale motions on line formation

The problem of LTE and non-LTE line formation in the presence of nonthermal velocity fields with geometric scales between the microscopic and macroscopic limits is investigated in the cases of periodic sinusoidal and sawtooth waves. For a fixed source function (the LTE case), it is shown that time-averaged line profiles progress smoothly from the microscopic to the macroscopic limits as the geometric scale of the motions increases, that the sinusoidal motions produce symmetric time-averaged profiles, and that the sawtooth motions cause a redshift. In several idealized non-LTE cases, it is found that intermediate-scale velocity fields can significantly increase the surface source functions and line-core intensities. Calculations are made for a two-level atom in an isothermal atmosphere for a range of velocity scales and non-LTE coupling parameters and also for a two-level atom and a four-level representation of Na I line formation in the Harvard-Smithsonian Reference Atmosphere (1971) solar model. It is found that intermediate-scale velocity fields in the solar atmosphere could explain the central intensities of the Na I D lines and other strong absorption lines without invoking previously suggested high electron densities.

Shine, R. A.↗

Backward deletion to minimize prediction errors in models from factorial experiments with zero to six center points

Population model coefficients were chosen to simulate a saturated 2 to the 4th fixed-effects experiment having an unfavorable distribution of relative values. Using random number studies, deletion strategies were compared that were based on the F-distribution, on an order statistics distribution of Cochran's, and on a combination of the two. The strategies were compared under the criterion of minimizing the maximum prediction error, wherever it occurred, among the two-level factorial points. The strategies were evaluated for each of the conditions of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 center points. Three classes of strategies were identified as being appropriate, depending on the extent of the experimenter's prior knowledge. In almost every case the best strategy was found to be unique according to the number of center points. Among the three classes of strategies, a security regret class of strategy was demonstrated as being widely useful in that over a range of coefficients of variation from 4 to 65%, the maximum predictive error was never increased by more than 12% over what it would have been if the best strategy had been used for the particular coefficient of variation. The relative efficiency of the experiment, when using the security regret strategy, was examined as a function of the number of center points, and was found to be best when the design used one center point.

Holms, A. G.↗