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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

Optical Design and Predicted Performance of the WFIRST Phase-B Imaging Optics Assembly and Wide Field Instrument

Now in Phase-B, the architecture of the Wide-Field Infra-Red Survey Telescope (WFIRST) payload has matured since 2013 to accommodate various opto-mechanical constraints. Based on a 2.4-meter aperture Forward Optical Assembly (FOA), the Imaging Optics Assembly (IOA) provides corrected optical fields to each on-board instrument. Using a Three Mirror Anastigmat (TMA) optical design, the Wide-Field Channel (WFC) provides ~1/3-square degree of instantaneous field coverage at 0.11 arcsecond pixel scale. The WFC as-built predictive analysis anticipates near diffraction-limited imaging over a focal plane of 300.8 million pixels, operating in seven panchromatic bands between 0.48 - 2.0μm, or a 1-octive multi-spectral imaging mode from ~0.95-1.93μm. The IOA provides the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) a collimated beam with very specific wavefront constraints. We present configuration changes since 2013 that improved interfaces, improved testability, and reduced technical risk. We provide an overview of our Integrated Modeling results, performed at an unprecedented level for a phase-A study, to illustrate performance margins with respect to static wavefront error, jitter, and thermal drift.

Dark Energy↗

Impacts of Snow Darkening Effects by Light Absorbing Aerosols on Hydroclimate of Eurasia During Boreal Spring and Summer

In this study, we used the NASA GEOS-5 climate model to investigate the impact of snow darkening by light-absorbing aerosols on the hydro-climate if Eurasia during boreal spring and summer. Two sets of 10-member ensemble model integrations with prescribed sea surface temperature were carried out for 10 simulated years (2002-2011); one includes snow-darkening effects (SDE) by light-absorbing aerosols, and one does not (NSDE). Differences between the two experiments in the hydro-climates over Eurasia were evaluated. Results show that SDE warming is most pronounced during the melting season due to strong snow-albedo feedback in the vicinity of the retreating seasonal snowline. SDE spurs a Wet-First-Dry-Later (WFDL) modulation of the surface energy and water balances, characterized by an accelerated (days-to-weeks) snowmelt along with excessive runoff and a warming and wetting of the land during the early part of the melting season. The fast snowmelt is followed by a prolonged (> months) warming and desiccation of the land, stemming from a deficit of late-season snowmelt water and increased surface evaporation. The prolonged warming and drying of the land atmosphere system persist through the summer, sustained by atmospheric conditions favorable for the development of atmospheric blocking, i.e., higher mid-to-upper tropospheric geopotential height, lower relative humidity, reduced cloudiness and enhanced atmospheric subsidence. Overall, SDE by light absorbing aerosols leads to a warmer and drier boreal summer hydro-climate, increasing the frequency of the top 5% and 1% extreme hot days (as defined by NSDE statistics) over western and northern Eurasia by approximately three-fold and tenfold, respectively.

Snow darkening↗

Future Surface Decision Support Overview

This presentation presents the capabilities of the Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface (IADS) system as a surface decision support tool for users, including Air Traffic Control (ATC) personnel working at the tower and Center facilities and airline Ramp personnel. The ATD-2 IADS capabilities include data exchange and integration, modeling and scheduling, surface metering, and departure scheduling for overhead stream insertion of constrained flights.

Surface Decision Support↗

The NASA Ames Aerothermodynamics Branch (Code TSA)

The NASA Ames Aerothermodynamics Branch provides NASA with integrated modeling, simulation, and test capabilities in the areas of aerothermodynamics, shock layer radiation, and entry system design. Our core capabilities include CFD simulation for entry vehicles at hypersonic velocities, including arc jet facility flow modeling and characterization; modeling and testing of shock layer kinetics and radiation; development of flow-field diagnostic techniques; and aero- and aerothermal testing via ballistic ranges. This presentation provides a brief technical introduction to the branches work and our capabilities in these areas.

Aerothermodynamics↗

Reconstructing Subgrid Cloud Variability Guided by CloudSat/CALIPSO Observations

Predicting realistic cloud subgrid variability remains a challenge for Global Climate Models (GCMs) even though it can play an important role for proper representation of processes pertaining to cloud microphysics, precipitation, and radiation, but also for comparisons with satellite observations which are of much higher resolution than model grids. The diagnostic approach of subgrid cloud variability is commonly handled by subcolumn cloud generators. For a specific GCM, one ideally wants the subgrid variability used for comparisons with satellite observations to be created by the same generator and with the same rules as the one used for model integration. With this in mind, we have embarked in an effort to test and improve cloud subcolumn generators appropriate for GCMs. For this purpose, we use cloud (hydrometeor) products from active observations by the CloudSat radar (CPR) and the CALIPSO lidar (CALIOP). Cloud products from active sensors while suffering significant sampling and coverage drawbacks have the advantage of resolving both horizontal and vertical variability. The main question is: given a profile of cloud condensate mean and variance, can we create a subgrid cloud field that is statistically similar to the observed subgrid cloud field? By “statistically”, we suggest that we do not aspire to reproduce “well” each individual subgrid cloud field of a GCM-scale region, but that our generator performs well for a large ensemble of cases. We simulate radar, passive imager, and radiation flux fields from the observed 2D cloud fields and create one-point statistics; we use the profiles of cloud condensate mean and variance as input to the generator to create subgrid cloud fields; we compare the statistics; we adjust the rules of the generator to create the best possible agreement between the radar, imager and radiation field statistics. In this process, the active observations have actually a dual role: they provide the actual subgrid cloud field which can be reduced to a profile of mean and variance used by the subcolumn generator, but they also provide the rules needed by the generator, such as measures (e.g, decorrelation length) of the vertical overlap of cloud fraction and of the condensate horizontal variability. This presentation will show our progress using Cloudsat and CALIPSO products in this dual fashion.

cloud↗

Reconstructing Subgrid Cloud Variability Guided by CloudSat/CALIPSO Observations

Predicting realistic cloud subgrid variability remains a challenge for Global Climate Models (GCMs) even though it can play an important role for proper representation of processes pertaining to cloud microphysics, precipitation, and radiation, but also for comparisons with satellite observations which are of much higher resolution than model grids. The diagnostic approach of subgrid cloud variability is commonly handled by subcolumn cloud generators. For a specific GCM, one ideally wants the subgrid variability used for comparisons with satellite observations to be created by the same generator and with the same rules as the one used for model integration. With this in mind, we have embarked in an effort to test and improve cloud subcolumn generators appropriate for GCMs. For this purpose, we use cloud (hydrometeor) products from active observations by the CloudSat radar (CPR) and the CALIPSO lidar (CALIOP). Cloud products from active sensors while suffering signi􀂦cant sampling and coverage drawbacks have the advantage of resolving both horizontal and vertical variability. The main question is: given a profile of cloud condensate mean and variance, can we create a subgrid cloud field that is statistically similar to the observed subgrid cloud field? By “statistically”, we suggest that we do not aspire to reproduce “well” each individual subgrid cloud field of a GCM-scale region, but that our generator performs well for a large ensemble of cases. We simulate radar, passive imager, and radiation flux fields from the observed 2D cloud fields and create one-point statistics; we use the profiles of cloud condensate mean and variance as input to the generator to create subgrid cloud fields; we compare the statistics; we adjust the rules of the generator to create the best possible agreement between the radar, imager and radiation field statistics. In this process, the active observations have actually a dual role: they provide the actual subgrid cloud field which can be reduced to a profile of mean and variance used by the subcolumn generator, but they also provide the rules needed by the generator, such as measures (e.g, decorrelation length) of the vertical overlap of cloud fraction and of the condensate horizontal variability. This presentation will show our progress using Cloudsat and CALIPSO products in this dual fashion.

clouds↗

Unconventional Imaging with Contained Granular Media

Typically, the cost of a space-borne imaging system is driven by the size and mass of the primary aperture. The solution that we propose uses a method to construct an imaging system in space in which the nonlinear optical properties of a cloud of micron-sized particles, shaped into a specific surface by electromagnetic means, and allows one to form a very large and lightweight aperture of an optical system, hence reducing overall mass and cost. Recent work at JPL has investigated the feasibility of a granular imaging system, concluding that such a system could be built and controlled in orbit. We conducted experiments and simulation of the optical response of a granular lens. In all cases, the optical response, measured by the Modulation Transfer Function, of hexagonal reflectors was closely comparable to that of a conventional spherical mirror. We conducted some further analyses by evaluating the sensitivity to fill factor and grain shape, and found a marked sensitivity to fill factor but no sensitivity to grain shape. We have also found that at fill factors as low as 30%, the reflection from a granular lens is still excellent. Furthermore, we replaced the monolithic primary mirror in an existing integrated model of an optical system (WFIRST Coronagraph) with a granular lens, and found that the granular lens that can be useful for exoplanet detection provides excellent contrast levels. We will present our testbed and simulation results in this paper.

Sidick, Erkin↗

Is MBSE Helping? Measuring Value on Europa Clipper

JPL’s Integrated Model Centric Engineering Initiative (IMCE) has led the infusion of MBSE at JPL. In 2009 I authored for IMCE a set of challenges that confronted systems engineering at JPL, based on examination of issues and lessons from several recent projects (the “Five System Engineering Challenges”). In 2012 I augmented this work to describe specific areas where it appeared MBSE could help address these challenges. Around the same time, the Europa Clipper Mission became the first project at JPL to attempt, in close collaboration with IMCE, a widespread adoption of MBSE. This adoption has been highly successful so far. Europa Clipper completed Phase A (Formulation) with a successful System Requirements Review / Mission Definition Review, and is nearing the end of Phase B, with a successful Flight System Preliminary Design Review in October 2017. This is an opportune time to take stock of the progress and the work yet to go. This paper proposes a practical method for measuring value added through use of MBSE, applies this method to the Europa Clipper Project, and suggests how it might be applied to other projects and organizations.

Bayer, Todd↗

Supporting Information for ”The 2019-2020 Australian Drought and Bushfires Altered the Partitioning of Hydrological Fluxes

The model configuration employs the modified International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP) MODIS 20 category landcover data, soil parameters derived from the International Soil Reference and Information Centre, and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission based elevation, slope, and aspect data. Statistical downscaling approaches are used to transform the coarse resolution MERRA2 meteorological inputs to 1km. The input meteorological fields of air temperature, humidity, surface pressure, wind, downward shortwave radiation, and downward longwave radiation are downscaled to 1km by adjusting for terrain differences in elevation, slope, and aspect. The high resolution monthly precipitation climatology from WorldClim is used to spatially disaggregate input MERRA2 precipitation to 1km. The initial conditions for the model simulations are generated from a long spinup of NoahMP starting from year 2000. All model integrations and evaluations are conducted using the NASA Land Information System and the Land surface Verification Toolkit.

Sujay V Kumar↗

Quantifying the role of ocean coupling in Arctic amplification and sea-ice loss over the 21st century

The enhanced warming of the Arctic, relative to other parts of the Earth, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification, is one of the most striking features of climate change, and has important climatic impacts for the entire Northern Hemisphere. Several mechanisms are believed to be responsible for Arctic amplification; however, a quantitative understanding of their relative importance is still missing. Here, using ensembles of model integrations, we quantify the contribution of ocean coupling, both its thermodynamic and dynamic components, to Arctic amplification over the 20th and 21st centuries. We show that ocean coupling accounts for ~80% of the amplification by 2100. In particular, we show that thermodynamic coupling is responsible for future amplification and sea-ice loss as it overcomes the effect of dynamic coupling which reduces the amplification and sea-ice loss by ~35%. Our results demonstrate the utility of targeted numerical experiments to quantify the role of specific mechanisms in Arctic amplification, for better constraining climate projections.

Ocean heat transport↗

Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Engineering Design and Operating Concept

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly known as WFIRST) is a flagship astrophysics mission planned for launch in 2025. The coronagraph instrument (CGI) on Roman will demonstrate the technology for direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets around nearby stars. It will work with the obscured 2.4 meter diameter telescope and demonstrate starlight suppression that is up to 3 orders of magnitude deeper than the preceding space-based and ground-based coronagraphs by using active wavefront control in space with deformable mirrors. CGI has passed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in September 2019 and is working toward the instrument Critical Design Review (CDR) in the spring of 2021. We will describe the flow down of key and driving CGI requirements from high level performance to the instrument hardware and software, current instrument configuration and engineering design, operational concept planned for CGI observations, integrated modeling status, and performance predictions.

Tanga, Hong↗

Europa Clipper: MBSE Proving Ground

Recent collaborations between JPL’s Integrated Model Centric Engineering (IMCE) initiative and the Europa Clipper project have produced six distinct applications of MBSE. Most, but not all, of these have been successful. Here we describe all of the applications including benefits, challenges, and lessons learned.

Wagner, David↗

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission Status

The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) is a large, infrared space telescope that recently completed its on-orbit commissioning activities and will now embark on the first year of approved science. Its architecture includes many first-of-its-kind innovations for space, including a segmented primary mirror that is 6.6 m in diameter and a 5-layer sunshield used to passively cool the telescope and its four science instruments. Although Webb had an extensive test program, the system-level performance often relied on predictions based on integrated modeling, using conservative factors for the model uncertainties and primarily focusing on evaluating the performance requirements at end of life. A set of commissioning activities were designed for a system-level characterization of the performance. This proceeding will provide the status of the mission, including a discussion of the major events, on-orbit system performance, and early science highlights.

Michael McElwain↗

Defining and Characterizing Habitable Environments in Ocean World Systems

We explore the major characteristics of habitable environments on ocean worlds and how we can study them using Earth analogs and autonomous instru-mentation. Earth analogs for habitable regions on ocean worlds include interfaces (e.g., ice-water and seafloor-water boundaries), hydrothermal systems, and inside of ice, snow, clathrates, and crustal rocks. These analogs are best known in Earth’s ocean, but they may also exist on Earth’s land, particularly in polar regions. Importantly, ocean habitability requires that parts of the planetary body interact dynamically with the ocean. Probing the habitability of currently inaccessible extraterrestrial ocean worlds will require establishing biogenicity and abiotic reference frames for organic com-pounds on ocean worlds and technological advances to explore subsurface liquid water environments beyond Earth. Next generation studies of ocean world habitability will also require integrated modeling tools and coordination between the Earth/ocean sci-ences and the planetary science communities.

Jennifer B Glass↗

The NASA Ames Aerothermodynamics Branch

The Ames Aerothermodynamics branch provides NASA and the country an integrated modeling, simulation, and test capability in the areas of aerothermodynamics, shock layer radiation, and entry system design. With roots dating back to the founding of Ames in the 1940s, the branch has contributed to every major NASA mission with an atmospheric entry component and actively partners with commercial space companies to assist with entry system development and technology transfer. This presentation provides a brief overview of the branch, its core competencies, and recent accomplishments.

Jeffrey Hill↗

Characterization of Urban Air Mobility Vehicle Operational Noise and Community Noise Impact

This presentation focuses on the process for predicting urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle noise at the source and how that can be used to estimate the impact on the community. Following conceptual design, in which the vehicle is appropriately sized for its intended mission, a comprehensive analysis must be performed for a range of operating conditions spanning the flight envelope to determine the corresponding configurations of the vehicle, that is, the trimmed states. Many UAM vehicles have redundant controls, so the trimmed state for any particular operating condition may not be unique, with some states producing more noise than others. For each trimmed state, the noise produced by each source, for example, steady and unsteady rotor noise, inclusive of propulsion airframe aeroacoustic effects, may be computed and so-called source noise (hemi)spheres generated. Land use planning tools, including those using simulation and integrated modeling approaches, use these (or derived) data to generate noise exposure maps on the ground. Alternatively, these data may serve as input to auralization, turning the numerical data into an audible sound that can subsequently be used as part of a perception-influenced acoustic design process that takes into account human response.

urban air mobiliy↗

Characterization of Urban Air Mobility Vehicle Operational Noise and Community Noise Impact

This presentation focuses on the process for predicting urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle noise at the source and how that can be used to estimate and mitigate the impact on the community. Following conceptual design, in which the vehicle is appropriately sized for its intended mission, a comprehensive analysis must be performed for a range of operating conditions spanning the flight envelope to determine the corresponding configurations of the vehicle, that is, the trimmed states. Many UAM vehicles have redundant controls, so the trimmed state for any particular operating condition may not be unique, with some states producing more noise than others. For each trimmed state, the noise produced by each source, for example, steady and unsteady rotor noise, inclusive of propulsion airframe aeroacoustic effects, may be computed and so-called source noise (hemi)spheres generated. The data may be used for analyses supporting noise certification or serve as input to auralizations (turning the numerical data into an audible sound) that can subsequently be used as part of a perception-influenced acoustic design process. Land use planning tools, including those using simulation and integrated modeling approaches, also use these (or derived) data to generate noise exposure maps on the ground. Finally, the data may be used to support development of low noise flight operations using an acoustic flight simulator or acoustically aware flight control.

urban air mobility↗