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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 595 records · Page 33
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NASA NTRS1988

Using full-mission simulation for human factors research in air transport operations

This study examined state-of-the-art mission oriented simulation and its use in human factors research. Guidelines were developed for doing full-mission human factors research on crew member behavior during simulated air transport operations. The existing literature was reviewed. However, interviews with experienced investigators provided the most useful information. The fundamental scientific and practical issues of behavioral research in a simulation environment are discussed. Guidelines are presented for planning, scenario development, and the execution of behavioral research using full-mission simulation in the context of air transport flight operations . Research is recommended to enhance the validity and productivity of full-mission research by: (1) validating the need for high-fidelity simulation of all major elements in the operational environment, (2) improving methods for conducting full-mission research, and (3) examining part-task research on specific problems through the use of vehicles which contain higher levels of abstraction (and lower fidelity) of the operational environment.

Orlady, Harry W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Estimating electric field enhancement factors on an aircraft utilizing a small scale model: A method evaluation

A method for obtaining field enhancement factors at specific points on an aircraft utilizing a small scale model was evaluated by measuring several canonical shapes. Comparison of the form factors obtained by analytical means with measurements indicate that the experimental method has serious flaws. Errors of 200 to 300 percent were found between analytical values and measured values. As a result of the study, the analytical method is not recommended for calibration of field meters located on aircraft, and should not be relied upon in any application where the local spatial derivatives of the electric field on the model are large over the dimensions of the sensing probe.

Easterbrook, Calvin C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Human factors in aviation operations: The hearback problem

This report covers a study of ASRS reports wherein ATC controllers failed to monitor adequately (hearback) incorrect readbacks of ATC clearances. A total of 417 reports received over a period of 29 months from April 1981 through July 1983 comprised the study data set. Factors examined were: the reasons for a flight crew's getting clearances incorrectly, the operating factors that caused controllers to mishear or not hear the correct readbacks, and consequences of the various types of hearback misses. The principle conclusion of the study takes the form of a precaution to flight crews that a controller's not challenging a readback does not necessariliy mean the readback is correct and that flight crews must explicitly question any doubtful or unusual aspects of clearances rather than depending on controllers to detect readback errors.

Monan, William P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

SARSCEST (human factors)

People interact with the processes and products of contemporary technology. Individuals are affected by these in various ways and individuals shape them. Such interactions come under the label 'human factors'. To expand the understanding of those to whom the term is relatively unfamiliar, its domain includes both an applied science and applications of knowledge. It means both research and development, with implications of research both for basic science and for development. It encompasses not only design and testing but also training and personnel requirements, even though some unwisely try to split these apart both by name and institutionally. The territory includes more than performance at work, though concentration on that aspect, epitomized in the derivation of the term ergonomics, has overshadowed human factors interest in interactions between technology and the home, health, safety, consumers, children and later life, the handicapped, sports and recreation education, and travel. Two aspects of technology considered most significant for work performance, systems and automation, and several approaches to these, are discussed.

Parsons, H. Mcilvaine↗
NASA NTRS1989

Helicopter flights with night-vision goggles: Human factors aspects

Night-vision goggles (NVGs) and, in particular, the advanced, helmet-mounted Aviators Night-Vision-Imaging System (ANVIS) allows helicopter pilots to perform low-level flight at night. It consists of light intensifier tubes which amplify low-intensity ambient illumination (star and moon light) and an optical system which together produce a bright image of the scene. However, these NVGs do not turn night into day, and, while they may often provide significant advantages over unaided night flight, they may also result in visual fatigue, high workload, and safety hazards. These problems reflect both system limitations and human-factors issues. A brief description of the technical characteristics of NVGs and of human night-vision capabilities is followed by a description and analysis of specific perceptual problems which occur with the use of NVGs in flight. Some of the issues addressed include: limitations imposed by a restricted field of view; problems related to binocular rivalry; the consequences of inappropriate focusing of the eye; the effects of ambient illumination levels and of various types of terrain on image quality; difficulties in distance and slope estimation; effects of dazzling; and visual fatigue and superimposed symbology. These issues are described and analyzed in terms of their possible consequences on helicopter pilot performance. The additional influence of individual differences among pilots is emphasized. Thermal imaging systems (forward looking infrared (FLIR)) are described briefly and compared to light intensifier systems (NVGs). Many of the phenomena which are described are not readily understood. More research is required to better understand the human-factors problems created by the use of NVGs and other night-vision aids, to enhance system design, and to improve training methods and simulation techniques.

Brickner, Michael S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Overview of environmental factors

The orbital environment is complex, dynamic, and comprised of both natural and system-induced components. Several environment factors are important for materials. Materials selection/suitability determination requires consideration of each and all factors, including synergisms among them. Understanding and evaluating these effects will require ground testing, modeling, and focused flight experimentation.

Purvis, C. K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Human Factors in Automated and Robotic Space Systems: Proceedings of a symposium. Part 2

Human factors research likely to produce results applicable to the development of a NASA space station is discussed. The particular sessions covered in Part 2 include: (1) computer aided monitoring and decision making; (2) telepresence and supervisory control; (3) social factors in productivity and performance; and (4) the human role in space systems. Papers from each subject area are reproduced and the discussions from each area are summarized.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1988

Human factors workplace considerations

Computer workstations assume many different forms and play different functions today. In order for them to assume the effective interface role which they should play they must be properly designed to take into account the ubiguitous human factor. In addition, the entire workplace in which they are used should be properly configured so as to enhance the operational features of the individual workstation where possible. A number of general human factors workplace considerations are presented. This ongoing series of notes covers such topics as achieving comfort and good screen visibility, hardware issues (e.g., mouse maintenance), screen symbology features (e.g., labels, cursors, prompts), and various miscellaneous subjects. These notes are presented here in order to: (1) illustrate how one's workstation can be used to support telescience activities of many other people working within an organization, and (2) provide a single complete set of considerations for future reference.

Haines, Richard F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Data traffic reduction schemes for Cholesky factorization on asynchronous multiprocessor systems

Communication requirements of Cholesky factorization of dense and sparse symmetric, positive definite matrices are analyzed. The communication requirement is characterized by the data traffic generated on multiprocessor systems with local and shared memory. Lower bound proofs are given to show that when the load is uniformly distributed the data traffic associated with factoring an n x n dense matrix using n to the alpha power (alpha less than or equal 2) processors is omega(n to the 2 + alpha/2 power). For n x n sparse matrices representing a square root of n x square root of n regular grid graph the data traffic is shown to be omega(n to the 1 + alpha/2 power), alpha less than or equal 1. Partitioning schemes that are variations of block assignment scheme are described and it is shown that the data traffic generated by these schemes are asymptotically optimal. The schemes allow efficient use of up to O(n to the 2nd power) processors in the dense case and up to O(n) processors in the sparse case before the total data traffic reaches the maximum value of O(n to the 3rd power) and O(n to the 3/2 power), respectively. It is shown that the block based partitioning schemes allow a better utilization of the data accessed from shared memory and thus reduce the data traffic than those based on column-wise wrap around assignment schemes.

Naik, Vijay K.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Bunch-Kaufman factorization for real symmetric indefinite banded matrices

The Bunch-Kaufman algorithm for factoring symmetric indefinite matrices was rejected for banded matrices because it destroys the banded structure of the matrix. Herein, it is shown that for a subclass of real symmetric matrices which arise in solving the generalized eigenvalue problem using Lanczos's method, the Bunch-Kaufman algorithm does not result in major destruction of the bandwidth. Space time complexities of the algorithm are given and used to show that the Bunch-Kaufman algorithm is a significant improvement over LU factorization.

Jones, Mark T.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Launch site payload ground support factors in Space Shuttle launch operations

This paper addresses several of the major factors in support of the Space Shuttle payload ground processing operations at the launch site. In particular, the factors of payload facility and transportation capabilities are addressed. The paper begins with an overview of payload ground processing. It discusses the specific facilities which support payload operations and outlines their roles in the activity. The transportation elements which are utilized at the launch site are then discussed. The paper concludes with a number of issues and concerns which impact the support of Shuttle payload ground processing.

Schuiling, Roelof L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The volume filling factor of the infrared cirrus IS 0.2

The filling factor of the infrared cirrus in which luminous stars are embedded is estimated. The stars are assumed to be randomly situated with respect to the cirrus. A direct ratio of the number of stars with associated cirrus emission to those which in principle could be detected indicates that the cirrus filling factor is roughly 0.2.

Van Buren, Dave↗
NASA NTRS1989

Measurement of a high electrical quality factor in a niobium resonator for a gravitational radiation detector

The mechanical and electrical quality factors of a 10-g niobium resonator were measured at 4.4 K and were found to be 8.1 x 10 to the 6th, and 3.8 x 10 to the 6th, respectively. The value for the electrical quality factor is high enough for a system operating at 50 mK at a sensitivity level of one phonon. The resonator's low damping properties make it suitable for use as a transducer for a cryogenic three-mode gravitational radiation detector. A practical design is given for the mounting of the resonator on a 2400-kg aluminum-bar detector. Projections are made for the sensitivity of a 2400-kg bar instrumented as a three-mode system with this resonator inductively coupled to a SQUID.

Folkner, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Surface reflectance factor retrieval from Thematic Mapper data

Based on the absolute radiometric calibration of the TM and the use of a radiative transfer program for atmospheric correction, ground reflectances were retrieved for several fields of crops and bare soil in TM bands 1-4 for six TM scenes acquired over a 12-month period. These reflectances were compared to those measured using ground-based and low-altitude, aircraft-mounted radiometers. When, for four TM acquisitions, the comparison was made between areas that had been carefully selected for their high uniformity, the reflectance factors agreed to + or - 0.01 over the reflectance range 0.02-0.55. When the comparison was made for two of the above acquisitions and two others on different dates, for larger areas not carefully selected to be of uniform reflectance, the reflectance factors agreed to + or - 0.02 (1 sigma RMS), over same reflectance range.

Holm, Ronald G.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Helicopter human factors

The state-of-the-art helicopter and its pilot are examined using the tools of human-factors analysis. The significant role of human error in helicopter accidents is discussed; the history of human-factors research on helicopters is briefly traced; the typical flight tasks are described; and the noise, vibration, and temperature conditions typical of modern military helicopters are characterized. Also considered are helicopter controls, cockpit instruments and displays, and the impact of cockpit design on pilot workload. Particular attention is given to possible advanced-technology improvements, such as control stabilization and augmentation, FBW and fly-by-light systems, multifunction displays, night-vision goggles, pilot night-vision systems, night-vision displays with superimposed symbols, target acquisition and designation systems, and aural displays. Diagrams, drawings, and photographs are provided.

Hart, Sandra G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Data structure characterization of miltispectral data using principal component and principal factor analysis

Both principal component analysis (PCA) and principal factor analysis (PFA) were used to analyze an experimental multispectral data structure in terms of common and unique variance. Only the common variance of the multispectral data was associated with the principal factor, while higher-order principal components were associated with both common and unique variance. The unique variance was found to represent small spectral variations within each cover type as well as noise vectors, and was most abundant in the lower-order principal components. The lower-order principal components can be useful in research designed to discriminate minor physical variations within features, and to highlight localized change when using multitemporal-multispectral data. Conversely, PFA of the multispectral data provided an insight into a great potential for discriminating basic land-cover types by excluding the unique variance which was related to the noise and minor spectral variations.

Lee, Jae K.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Communication requirements of sparse Cholesky factorization with nested dissection ordering

Load distribution schemes for minimizing the communication requirements of the Cholesky factorization of dense and sparse, symmetric, positive definite matrices on multiprocessor systems are presented. The total data traffic in factoring an n x n sparse symmetric positive definite matrix representing an n-vertex regular two-dimensional grid graph using n exp alpha, alpha not greater than 1, processors are shown to be O(n exp 1 + alpha/2). It is O(n), when n exp alpha, alpha not smaller than 1, processors are used. Under the conditions of uniform load distribution, these results are shown to be asymptotically optimal.

Naik, Vijay K.↗