Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “checking”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Potential and Limitations of the Modal Characterization of a Spacecraft Bus Structure by Means of Active Structure Elements

Theoretical and experimental studies have been performed to investigate the potential and limitations of the modal characterization of a typical spacecraft bus structure by means of active structure elements. The aim of these studies has been test and advance tools for performing an accurate on-orbit modal identification which may be characterized by the availability of a generally very limited test instrumentation, autonomous excitation capabilities by active structure elements and a zero-g environment. The NASA LARC CSI Evolutionary Testbed provided an excellent object for the experimental part of this study program. The main subjects of investigation were: (1) the selection of optimum excitation and measurement to unambiguously identify modes of interest; (2) the applicability of different types of excitation means with focus on active structure elements; and (3) the assessment of the modal identification potential of different types of excitation functions and modal analysis tools. Conventional as well as dedicated modal analysis tools were applied to determine modal parameters and mode shapes. The results will be presented and discussed based on orthogonality checks as well as on suitable indicators for the quality of the acquired modes with respect to modal purity. In particular, the suitability for modal analysis of the acquired frequency response functions as obtained by excitation with active structure elements will be demonstrated with the help of reciprocity checks. Finally, the results will be summarized in a procedure to perform an on-orbit modal identification, including an indication of limitation to be observed.

Grillenbeck, Anton M.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Injector Mixing Efficiency Experiments

Various optical diagnostic techniques such as laser induce fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, laser Doppler velocimetry, and laser light scattering have been employed to study the flowfield downstream of a single injector element in a optically accessible rocket chamber at Penn State for a number o years. These techniques have been used with both liquid and gaseous oxygen at pressures up to 1000 psia which is the limit of the facility. The purpose of the test programs at Penn State were to develop the techniques and to study the flow field from various injector designs. To extend these studies to higher pressure and ultimately to multiple injectors require the capabilities of the Marshall Space Flight Center. These studies will extend the data base available for the various injector designs to higher pressure as well as to determine the interaction between multiple injectors. During this effort the Princeton Instruments ICCD camera was set up and checked out. The functionality of the system has been thoroughly checked and the shutter compensation time was found to be not working. The controller was returned to the manufacturer for warranty repair. The sensitivity has been measured and found to be approximately 60 counts per photon at maximum gain which agrees with the test data supplied by the manufacturer. The actual value depends on wavelength. The Princeton Instruments camera was been installed in a explosion proof tube for use with the rocket combustor. A 35 mm camera was also made ready for taking still photos inside the combustor. A fiber optic was used to transmit the laser light from an argon-ion laser to the rocket combustor for the light scattering images. This images were obtained for a LOX-hydrogen swirl coax injector. Several still photos were also obtained with the 35 mm camera for these firings.

Moser, Marlow D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Planar Strain-Rate-Free Diffusion Flames: Initiation, Properties, and Extinction

An effectively strain-rate-free diffusion flame constitutes the most vigorous laminar combustion of initially unmixed reactive gases. Such a diffusion flame is characterized by a relatively long residence time and by a relatively large characteristic length scale. If such a flame were also planar, providing high symmetry, it would be particularly suitable for experimental and theoretical investigations of key combustion phenomena, such as multicomponent diffusion, chemical kinetics, and soot inception, growth, and oxidation. Unfortunately, a planar strain-rate-free diffusion flame is highly disrupted in earth-gravity (e.g., in a counterflow-diffusion-flame apparatus) because of the very rapid onset (approx. 100 ms) of gravity-induced instability. Accordingly, a specially dedicated apparatus was designed, fabricated, and initially checked out for the examination of a planar strain-rate-free diffusion flame in microgravity. Such a diffusion flame may be formed within a hollowed-out squat container (initially configured as 25 cm x 25 cm x 9 cm), with isothermal, noncatalytic, impervious walls. At test initiation, a thin metallic sheet (approx. 1 mm in thickness) that separates the internal volume into two equal portions, each of dimensions 25 cm x 25 cm x 4.5 cm, is withdrawn, by uniform translation (approx. 50 cm/s) in its own plane, through a tightly fitting slit in one side wall. Thereupon, diluted fuel vapor (initially confined to one half-volume of the container) gains access to diluted oxygen (initially with the same pressure, density, and temperature as the fuel, but initially confined to the other half-volume). After a brief delay (approx. 10 ms), to permit limited but sufficient-for-flammability diffusional interpenetration of fuel vapor and oxidizer, burning is initiated by discharge of a line igniter, located along that side wall from which the trailing edge of the separator withdraws. The ignition spawns a triple-flame propagation across the 25 cm x 25 cm centerplane. When a diffusion flame is emplaced in the centerplane, any subsequent travel, and change in temperature, of that planar diffusion flame may be tracked, along with the effectively spatially uniform but temporally evolving pressure within the container. Eventually, nearly complete depletion of the stoichiometrically deficient reactant, along with heat loss to the container surfaces, effects extinction. These data afford an opportunity to check theoretical models of diffusion and chemical kinetics under conditions ranging from intense burning to flame out, or, alternatively, to evolve simple empirical representations of these phenomena. Thus, the project sought to utilize microgravity testing to elucidate commonly encountered phenomenology, arising in the commonly-encountered mode of combustion (whether related to heating, manufacturing, boiling, and propulsion, or to uncontrolled, free-burning fire in structures and wildland vegetation), of those commonly utilized fuels usually categorized as gaseous fuels (such as hydrogen, natural gas, and propane, which are gaseous under atmospheric conditions).

Fendell, Francis↗
NASA NTRS1999

Fast Integer Ambiguity Resolution for GPS Attitude Determination

In this paper, a new algorithm for GPS (Global Positioning System) integer ambiguity resolution is shown. The algorithm first incorporates an instantaneous (static) integer search to significantly reduce the search space using a geometric inequality. Then a batch-type loss function is used to check the remaining integers in order to determine the optimal integer. This batch function represents the GPS sightline vectors in the body frame as the sum of two vectors, one depending on the phase measurements and the other on the unknown integers. The new algorithm has several advantages: it does not require an a-priori estimate of the vehicle's attitude; it provides an inherent integrity check using a covariance-type expression; and it can resolve the integers even when coplanar baselines exist. The performance of the new algorithm is tested on a dynamic hardware simulator.

Lightsey, E. Glenn↗
NASA NTRS1999

Instrumentation Working Group Summary

The Instrumentation Working Group compiled a summary of measurement techniques applicable to gas turbine engine aerosol precursors and particulates. An assessment was made of the limits, accuracy, applicability, and technology readiness of the various techniques. Despite advances made in emissions characterization of aircraft engines, uncertainties still exist in the mechanisms by which aerosols and particulates are produced in the near-field engine exhaust. To adequately assess current understanding of the formation of sulfuric acid aerosols in the exhaust plumes of gas turbine engines, measurements are required to determine the degree and importance of sulfur oxidation in the turbine and at the engine exit. Ideally, concentrations of all sulfur species would be acquired, with emphasis on SO2 and SO3. Numerous options exist for extractive and non-extractive measurement of SO2 at the engine exit, most of which are well developed. SO2 measurements should be performed first to place an upper bound on the percentage of SO2 oxidation. If extractive and non-extractive techniques indicate that a large amount of the fuel sulfur is not detected as SO2, then efforts are needed to improve techniques for SO3 measurements. Additional work will be required to account for the fuel sulfur in the engine exhaust. Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (CI-MS) measurements need to be pursued, although a careful assessment needs to be made of the sampling line impact on the extracted sample composition. Efforts should also be placed on implementing non-intrusive techniques and extending their capabilities by maximizing exhaust coverage for line-of-sight measurements, as well as development of 2-D techniques, where feasible. Recommendations were made to continue engine exit and combustor measurements of particulates. Particulate measurements should include particle size distribution, mass fraction, hydration properties, and volatile fraction. However, methods to ensure that unaltered samples are obtained need to be developed. Particulate speciation was also assigned a high priority for quantifying the fractions of carbon soot, PAH, refractory materials, metals, sulfates, and nitrates. High priority was also placed on performing a comparison of particle sizing instruments. Concern was expressed by the workshop attendees who routinely make particulate measurements about the variation in number density measured during in-flight tests by different instruments. In some cases, measurements performed by different groups of researchers during the same flight tests showed an order of magnitude variation. Second priority was assigned to measuring concentrations of odd hydrogen and oxidizing species. Since OH, HO2, H2O2, and O are extremely reactive, non-extractive measurements are recommended. A combination of absorption and fluorescence is anticipated to be effective for OH measurements in the combustor and at the engine exit. Extractive measurements of HO2 have been made in the stratosphere, where the ambient level of OH is relatively low. Use of techniques that convert HO2 to OH for combustor and engine exit measurements needs to be evaluated, since the ratio of HO2/OH may be 1% or less at both the combustor and engine exit. CI-MS might be a viable option for H2O2, subject to sampling line conversion issues. However, H2O2 is a low priority oxidizing species in the combustor and at the engine exit. Two candidates for atomic oxygen measurements are Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization (REMPI) and Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF). Particulate measurement by simultaneous extractive and non-extractive techniques was given equal priority to the oxidizer measurements. Concern was expressed over the ability of typical ground test sampling lines to deliver an unaltered sample to a remotely located instrument. It was suggested that the sampling probe and line losses be checked out by attempting measurements using an optical or non-extractive technique immediately upstream of the sampling probe. This is a possible application for Laser Induced Incandescence (LII) as a check on the volume fraction of soot. Optical measurements of size distribution are not well developed for ultrafine particles less than about 20 nm in diameter, so a non-extractive technique for particulate size distribution cannot be recommended without further development. Carbon dioxide measurements need to be made to complement other extractive measurement techniques. CO2 measurements enable conversion of other species concentrations to emission indices. Carbon monoxide, which acts as a sink for oxidizing species, should be measured using non-extractive techniques. CO can be rapidly converted to CO2 in extractive probes, and a comparison between extractive and non-extractive measurements should be performed. Development of non-extractive techniques would help to assess the degree of CO conversion, and might be needed to improve the concentration measurement accuracy. Measurements of NO(x) will continue to be critical due to the role of NO and NO2 in atmospheric chemistry, and their influence on atmospheric ozone. Time-resolved measurements of temperature, velocity, and species concentrations were included on the list of desired measurement. Thermocouples are typically adequate for engine exit measurements. PIV and LDV are well established for obtaining velocity profiles. The techniques are listed in the accompanying table; are divided into extractive and non-extractive techniques. Efforts were made to include a measurement uncertainty for each technique. An assessment of the technology readiness was included.

Zaller, Michelle↗
NASA NTRS1998

Continuation of the University of Michigan Sounding Rocket Program

This interim report gives the activity on this grant through 31 October 1998, and the planned activities for the next fiscal year. A Project Initiation Conference (PIC) was held at the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), with planning for the launch of flight 36.174 in Fall 1998. However, following the PIC, the WFF personnel decided that the experiment telemetry system had to be completely rewired, which required substantial design and wiring changes on the experiment side of the payload. These costs had not been anticipated in the FY98 budget, and used up considerable resources of the experimenters. In addition, the telemetry re-design was not completed until Fall 1998, so that there was no opportunity for a launch in 1998 (the Jupiter window closes in late November 1998 and it will reopen in late summer 1999). A Design Review was held by telecon with WFF personnel on 26 October 1998, with plans for the 36.174 launch now in late August 1999 with a launch window which extends into winter 2000. On a more positive note, we have been developing a vacuum UV calibration chamber in Michigan's Space Physics Research Lab, for future measurements of our experiment components, and this facility is now undergoing initial measurements of various calibration lamps in preparation for testing of the telescope UV reflective efficiency. This facility will greatly increase our ability to optimize our experiment for UV efficiency, which has been lacking in the past, and it will be made available for support of other NASA missions at Michigan and for visitors from other institutions. For the next flight 36.174, the following activities will be accomplished: (1) prepare the experiment, including replacement and upgrading of critical components, at University of Michigan; (2) pre-integrate the payload at the Wallops Flight Facility; (3) perform final far-UV calibration of instrument (4) perform final alignment, integration, and electrical checks at WSMR; (5) launch payload from WSMR and check condition of recovered payload; (6) perform post-flight calibration, if necessary and applicable (7) reduce and analyze flight data. The following pages contain information from the experimenter package for the Design Review for the next flight, 36.174, listing the plans, changes, and schedule for this flight.

Clarke, John↗
NASA NTRS1999

Strategies and Technologies for In Situ Mineralogical Investigations on Mars

Surface landers on Mars (Viking and Pathfinder) have not revealed satisfying answers to the mineralogy and lithology of the planet's surface. In part, this results from their prime directives: Viking focused on exobiology, Pathfinder focused on technology demonstration. The analytical instruments on board the landers made admirable attempts to extract the mineralogy and geology of Mars, as did countless modeling efforts after the missions. Here we suggest a framework for elucidating martian, or any other planetary geology, through an approach that defines (a) type of information required, (b) explorational strategy harmonious with acquisition of these data, (c) interpretation approach to the data, (d) compatible mission architecture, (e) instrumentation for interrogating rocks and soil. (a) Data required: The composition of a planet is ordered at scales ranging from molecules to minerals to rocks, and from geological units to provinces to planetary-scale systems. The largest ordering that in situ compositional instruments can attempt to interrogate is rock type "aggregate" information. This is what the geologist attempts to identify first. From this, mineralogy can be either directly seen or inferred. From mineralogy can be determined elemental abundances and perhaps the state of the compounds as being crystalline or amorphous. Knowledge of rock type and mineralogy is critical for elucidating geologic process. Mars landers acquired extremely valuable elemental data, but attempted to move from elements to aggregates, but this can only be done by making many assumptions and sometimes giant leaps of faith. Data we believe essential are elements, minerals, degree of ordering of compounds, and the aggregate or rock type that these materials compose. (b) Explorational strategy: A lander should function as a surrogate geologist. Of the total landscape, a geologist sees much, but gives detailed attention to an infinitesimally small amount of what is seen. To acquire samples worth detailed scrutiny, as many samples as possible need examining at a cursory or reconnaissance level. A representative, statistically-meaningful sample number cannot be overemphasized. This maxim still applies to geological exploration of our own planet of which we have abundant knowledge. Analysis of many samples mandates low-power consumption per sample. (c) Data interpretation: No single instrument can analyze the full spectrum of the x-axis. An instrument is optimized for detecting certain material characteristics and must therefore affix itself to some point on the x-axis. Any conclusions drawn about data to the left or right of the instrument's position on this axis must necessarily be derived by inference. Hence, it seems logical to include on a mission, instruments that are not closely spaced in their x-axis-position, and if only two analytical methods are used, as shown, they should start at opposite ends of the axis and work towards the center. As examples, we depict a high-resolution camera to evaluate rock type ("aggregate" state) and mineralogy, and an x-ray diffractometer-fluorescence spectrometer (XRD-XRF) to determine elements, minerals, and the degree of order of materials. (d) Mission architecture: No instrument or suite of instruments can be relied upon to always give truly unequivocal analyses. The suite of instruments should therefore permit conclusions of one instrument to be checked against those of another through closed analytical loops. These "loops" can be structured by a combination of orbital imagery, descent imagery, broad-band site viewing/analysis, and data that cover both x and y axes. For example, the detection of a basaltic-looking rock with a microscope should be checked against the elements detected, the appearance of the rock as a lava flow from descent imagery, and so forth. (e) Instrumentation: To satisfy the above criteria, it is necessary to: (i) See the rock or soil with high resolution + magnification, (ii) Examine many samples, (iii) Consume little power per analysis, (iv) Determine elemental species, (v) Determine mineralogy directly (not inferentially) and the degree of ordering of compounds, (vi) Start analyzing from both ends of the x-axis. Every geologist wants to see the hand sample first, and apply a hand lens to its surface. This has not been the starting point for missions to Mars. Thus, our technology satisfies all these criteria . This XRD-XRF-Optical instrument currently being developed, analyses rock or soil surfaces without the need for sample acquisition or preparation; this satisfies the power criterion, and enables many analyses. The device acquires direct mineralogy and determines elemental species. The embedded endoscopic camera satisfies the critical criterion of close inspection of samples; the fiber optic cable can also be used for IR, LTV, or laser sample analysis. Additional information is contained in the original (Figures).

Marshall, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Installed Transonic 2D Nozzle Nacelle Boattail Drag Study

The Transonic Nozzle Boattail Drag Study was initiated in 1995 to develop an understanding of how external nozzle transonic aerodynamics effect airplane performance and how strongly those effects are dependent on nozzle configuration (2D vs. axisymmetric). MDC analyzed the axisymmetric nozzle. Boeing subcontracted Northrop-Grumman to analyze the 2D nozzle. AU participants analyzed the AGARD nozzle as a check-out and validation case. Once the codes were checked out and the gridding resolution necessary for modeling the separated flow in this region determined, the analysis moved to the installed wing/body/nacelle/diverter cases. The boat tail drag validation case was the AGARD B.4 rectangular nozzle. This test case offered both test data and previous CFD analyses for comparison. Results were obtained for test cases B.4.1 (M=0.6) and B.4.2 (M=0.938) and compared very well with the experimental data. Once the validation was complete a CFD grid was constructed for the full Ref. H configuration (wing/body/nacelle/diverter) using a combination of patched and overlapped (Chimera) grids. This was done to ensure that the grid topologies and density would be adequate for the full model. The use of overlapped grids allowed the same grids from the full configuration model to be used for the wing/body alone cases, thus eliminating the risk of grid differences affecting the determination of the installation effects. Once the full configuration model was run and deemed to be suitable the nacelle/diverter grids were removed and the wing/body analysis performed. Reference H wing/body results were completed for M=0.9 (a=0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0), M=1.1 (a=4.0 and 6.0) and M=2.4 (a=0.0, 2.0, 4.4, 6.0 and 8.0). Comparisons of the M=0.9 and M=2.4 cases were made with available wind tunnel data and overall comparisons were good. The axi-inlet/2D nozzle nacelle was analyzed isolated. The isolated nacelle data coupled with the wing/body result enabled the interference effects of the installed nacelles to be determined. Isolated nacelle mm were made at M=0.9 and M=1.1 for both the supersonic and transonic nozzle settings. AU of the isolated nacelle cases were run at alpha=0. Full configuration runs were to be made at Mach numbers of 0.9, 1.1, and 2.4 (the same as the wing/body and isolated nacelles). Both the isolated nacelles and installed nacelles were run with inlet conditions designed to give zero spillage. This was to be done in order to isolate the boattail effects as much as possible. Full configuration runs with the supersonic nozzles were completed for M=0.9 and 1.1 at a=4.0 and 6.0 (4 runs total) and with the transonic nozzles at M=0.9 and 1.1 at a=2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 (6 runs total). Drag breakdowns were completed for the M=0.9 and M= 1.1 showing favorable interference drag for both cases.

Malone, Michael B.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Verification and Validation of Autonomy Software at NASA

Autonomous software holds the promise of new operation possibilities, easier design and development, and lower operating costs. However, as those system close control loops and arbitrate resources on-board with specialized reasoning, the range of possible situations becomes very large and uncontrollable from the outside, making conventional scenario-based testing very inefficient. Analytic verification and validation (V&V) techniques, and model checking in particular, can provide significant help for designing autonomous systems in a more efficient and reliable manner, by providing a better coverage and allowing early error detection. This article discusses the general issue of V&V of autonomy software, with an emphasis towards model-based autonomy, model-checking techniques, and concrete experiments at NASA.

Pecheur, Charles↗
NASA NTRS1997

An Arbitrary First Order Theory Can Be Represented by a Program: A Theorem

How can we represent knowledge inside a computer? For formalized knowledge, classical logic seems to be the most adequate tool. Classical logic is behind all formalisms of classical mathematics, and behind many formalisms used in Artificial Intelligence. There is only one serious problem with classical logic: due to the famous Godel's theorem, classical logic is algorithmically undecidable; as a result, when the knowledge is represented in the form of logical statements, it is very difficult to check whether, based on this statement, a given query is true or not. To make knowledge representations more algorithmic, a special field of logic programming was invented. An important portion of logic programming is algorithmically decidable. To cover knowledge that cannot be represented in this portion, several extensions of the decidable fragments have been proposed. In the spirit of logic programming, these extensions are usually introduced in such a way that even if a general algorithm is not available, good heuristic methods exist. It is important to check whether the already proposed extensions are sufficient, or further extensions is necessary. In the present paper, we show that one particular extension, namely, logic programming with classical negation, introduced by M. Gelfond and V. Lifschitz, can represent (in some reasonable sense) an arbitrary first order logical theory.

Hosheleva, Olga↗
NASA NTRS2000

Verification and Validation of Autonomy Software at NASA

Autonomous software holds the promise of new operation possibilities, easier design and development and lower operating costs. However, as those system close control loops and arbitrate resources on board with specialized reasoning, the range of possible situations becomes very large and uncontrollable from the outside, making conventional scenario-based testing very inefficient. Analytic verification and validation (V&V) techniques, and model checking in particular, can provide significant help for designing autonomous systems in a more efficient and reliable manner, by providing a better coverage and allowing early error detection. This article discusses the general issue of V&V of autonomy software, with an emphasis towards model-based autonomy, model-checking techniques and concrete experiments at NASA.

Pecheur, Charles↗
NASA NTRS2001

STS-100 Crew Activity Report: Flight Day 2 Highlights

On this second day of the STS-100 mission, the crewmembers of Endeavour (Commander Kent Rominger, Pilot Jeffrey Ashby, and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Scott Parazynski, John Phillips, Umberto Guidoni, and Yuri Valentinovich Lonchakov) are seen during various preparations for the upcoming docking procedure with the International Space Station (ISS). Footage shows Hadfield and Parazynski checking their spacesuits and the tools they will use on the first spacewalk. The Shuttle's robotic arm is used to survey the payload bay of Endeavour and to check on the Canadian Robotic Arm. Expedition 2 crewmembers Susan Helms and Jim Voss are seen in the Destiny Laboratory Module. The Canadian Robotic Arm is shown against a backdrop of Earth after it unfolds from the payload bay.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Simple Approach of CCD Camera Calibration for Optical Diagnostics Instrumentation

Solid State array sensors are ubiquitous nowadays for obtaining gross field images in numerous scientific and engineering applications including optical diagnostics and instrumentation. Linear responses of these sensors are often required as in interferometry, light scattering and attenuation measurements, and photometry. In most applications, the linearity is usually taken to be granted without thorough quantitative assessment or correction through calibration. Upper-grade CCD cameras of high price may offer better linearity: however, they also require linearity checking and correction if necessary. Intermediate- or low-grade CCD cameras are more likely to need calibration for linearity . Here, we present two very simple approaches: one for quickly checking camera linearity without any additional setup and one for precisely correcting nonlinear sensor responses. It is believed that after calibration, those sensors of intermediate or low grade can function as effectively as their expensive counterpart.

Cha, Soyoung Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2001

Automata-Based Verification of Temporal Properties on Running Programs

This paper presents an approach to checking a running program against its Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) specifications. LTL is a widely used logic for expressing properties of programs viewed as sets of executions. Our approach consists of translating LTL formulae to finite-state automata, which are used as observers of the program behavior. The translation algorithm we propose modifies standard LTL to Buchi automata conversion techniques to generate automata that check finite program traces. The algorithm has been implemented in a tool, which has been integrated with the generic JPaX framework for runtime analysis of Java programs.

Giannakopoulou, Dimitra↗
NASA NTRS2001

Calibration of of Sun Photometers and Sky Radiance Sensors

The main source of error in retrieving aerosol optical thicknesses using sun photometry comes from the determination of the TOA voltages. The degradation of interference filters is the most important source of the long-term changes in the cross-calibrations. Although major improvements have been made in the design of the filters (interference filters fabricated using ion-assisted deposition), the filters remain the principal factor limiting performance of the sun photometers. Degradation of filters necessitates frequent calibration of sun photometers and frequent measurements of the filter transmission or the relative system response. The degradation of the filters mounted on the CIMEL sun photometers have been monitored since 1993 by the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) project. The decay reported by Holben et al. for the first two years of a CIMEL#s operation is between 1 and 5%. Nevertheless, the filters mounted on CIMEL instruments are regularly replaced after two years of use. The cross-calibration technique consists of taking measurements concurrently with the uncalibrated and the reference sun photometers. While analyzing measurements, the quality of the calibration has to be checked, using the following considerations: (1) any cirrus clouds suspected to be masking the sun, during the calibration period, need to be reported and the corresponding data set removed; and (2) the stability of the day needs to be checked. This chapter will describe calibration techniques, facilities, and protocols used for calibrating sun photometers and sky radiometers.

Pietras, Christophe↗
NASA NTRS2002

Navigation Algorithms for the SeaWiFS Mission

The navigation algorithms for the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) were designed to meet the requirement of 1-pixel accuracy-a standard deviation (sigma) of 2. The objective has been to extract the best possible accuracy from the spacecraft telemetry and avoid the need for costly manual renavigation or geometric rectification. The requirement is addressed by postprocessing of both the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and Attitude Control System (ACS) data in the spacecraft telemetry stream. The navigation algorithms described are separated into four areas: orbit processing, attitude sensor processing, attitude determination, and final navigation processing. There has been substantial modification during the mission of the attitude determination and attitude sensor processing algorithms. For the former, the basic approach was completely changed during the first year of the mission, from a single-frame deterministic method to a Kalman smoother. This was done for several reasons: a) to improve the overall accuracy of the attitude determination, particularly near the sub-solar point; b) to reduce discontinuities; c) to support the single-ACS-string spacecraft operation that was started after the first mission year, which causes gaps in attitude sensor coverage; and d) to handle data quality problems (which became evident after launch) in the direct-broadcast data. The changes to the attitude sensor processing algorithms primarily involved the development of a model for the Earth horizon height, also needed for single-string operation; the incorporation of improved sensor calibration data; and improved data quality checking and smoothing to handle the data quality issues. The attitude sensor alignments have also been revised multiple times, generally in conjunction with the other changes. The orbit and final navigation processing algorithms have remained largely unchanged during the mission, aside from refinements to data quality checking. Although further improvements are certainly possible, future evolution of the algorithms is expected to be limited to refinements of the methods presented here, and no substantial changes are anticipated.

Hooker, Stanford B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Certifying Domain-Specific Policies

Proof-checking code for compliance to safety policies potentially enables a product-oriented approach to certain aspects of software certification. To date, previous research has focused on generic, low-level programming-language properties such as memory type safety. In this paper we consider proof-checking higher-level domain -specific properties for compliance to safety policies. The paper first describes a framework related to abstract interpretation in which compliance to a class of certification policies can be efficiently calculated Membership equational logic is shown to provide a rich logic for carrying out such calculations, including partiality, for certification. The architecture for a domain-specific certifier is described, followed by an implemented case study. The case study considers consistency of abstract variable attributes in code that performs geometric calculations in Aerospace systems.

Lowry, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1984

Computer Component Tester

Carlos Horvath of the Burroughs Corporation, inspired by information published in NASA Tech Briefs, developed the AC/DC tester which checks out ECL (Emitter Coupled Logic) devices and their functionality within the computer. Each ECL device has a specific task in the computer's operation; the tester determines whether the device is performing that function properly. Horvath's invention allows rapid manual checking without extensive programming as it is required by other test methods; thus the ECL tester makes it easier to find out what is malfunctioning, and does the job faster.

Source record↗