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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 667 records · Page 37

Heating of ion conics in the cusp/cleft

Ion conic distributions are often observed in the cusp/cleft region of the dayside magnetosphere. These ions can be heated by resonant interaction with broadband low-frequency (near the ion gyrofrequency) waves. Data from one cusp/cleft crossing of the polar orbiting DE-1 satellite is studied in detail. Observed cool O(+) distributions and observed wave intensities are used as input to a Monte Carlo simulation. The theoretically obtained hot O(+) distributions are in good agreement with the corresponding observed distributions. This resonant heating by broadband low-frequency waves is important for the outflow of ionospheric ions into the magnetosphere.

Andre, Mats↗

Aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils with ice accretions

Results of a wind tunnel test to evaluate the performance of an airfoil with simulated rime ice are presented with theoretical comparisons. A NACA 65A413 airfoil was tested in the OSU 6 x 22 inch Transonic Airfoil Wind Tunnel at a Reynolds number near three million and Mach numbers from 0.20 to 0.80. The model was tested in four configurations to determine the aero-dynamic effects of the roughness and shape of a rime ice accretion. The simulated rime ice shape was obtained analytically using a time-stepping dry ice accretion computer code. Lift, drag, moment coefficients, and pressure distributions for the clean and simulated rime ice cases are reported. The measured degradation in airfoil performance is compared to an analytical method which uses existing airfoil analysis computer codes with empirical corrections for the surface roughness. A discussion of the empirical surface roughness correction and uses of other airfoil computer methods is included.

Bragg, M. B.↗

Comparisons of observed seasonal climate features with a winter and summer numerical simulation produced with the GLAS general circulation model

Results are presented from numerical simulations performed with the general circulation model (GCM) for winter and summer. The monthly mean simulated fields for each integration are compared with observed geographical distributions and zonal averages. In general, the simulated sea level pressure and upper level geopotential height field agree well with the observations. Well simulated features are the winter Aleutian and Icelandic lows, the summer southwestern U.S. low, the summer and winter oceanic subtropical highs in both hemispheres, and the summer upper level Tibetan high and Atlantic ridge. The surface and upper air wind fields in the low latitudes are in good agreement with the observations. The geographical distirbutions of the Earth-atmosphere radiation balance and of the precipitation rates over the oceans are well simulated, but not all of the intensities of these features are correct. Other comparisons are shown for precipitation along the ITCZ, rediation balance, zonally averaged temperatures and zonal winds, and poleward transports of momentum and sensible heat.

Halem, M.↗

Shielding Effectiveness in a Two-Dimensional Reverberation Chamber Using Finite-Element Techniques

Reverberation chambers are attaining an increased importance in determination of electromagnetic susceptibility of avionics equipment. Given the nature of the variable boundary condition, the ability of a given source to couple energy into certain modes and the passband characteristic due the chamber Q, the fields are typically characterized by statistical means. The emphasis of this work is to apply finite-element techniques at cutoff to the analysis of a two-dimensional structure to examine the notion of shielding-effectiveness issues in a reverberating environment. Simulated mechanical stirring will be used to obtain the appropriate statistical field distribution. The shielding effectiveness (SE) in a simulated reverberating environment is compared to measurements in a reverberation chamber. A log-normal distribution for the SE is observed with implications for system designers. The work is intended to provide further refinement in the consideration of SE in a complex electromagnetic environment.

Bunting, Charles F.↗

Design and Benchmarking of a Network-In-the-Loop Simulation for Use in a Hardware-In-the-Loop System

Distributed engine control (DEC) systems alter aircraft engine design constraints be- cause of fundamental differences in the input and output communication between DEC and centralized control architectures. The change in the way communication is implemented may create new optimum engine-aircraft configurations. This paper continues the exploration of digital network communication by demonstrating a Network-In-the-Loop simulation at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This simulation incorporates a real-time network protocol, the Engine Area Distributed Interconnect Network Lite (EADIN Lite), with the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40k (C-MAPSS40k) software. The objective of this study is to assess digital control network impact to the control system. Performance is evaluated relative to a truth model for large transient maneuvers and a typical flight profile for commercial aircraft. Results show that a decrease in network bandwidth from 250 Kbps (sampling all sensors every time step) to 40 Kbps, resulted in very small differences in control system performance.

Networked Systems↗

Operational performance of a low cost, air mass 2 solar simulator

The present work describes briefly the design, construction, and operation of a low cost air mass 2 solar simulator, and then presents the performance characteristics of a modified version in terms of total irradiance, uniformity of irradiance, spectral distribution, and beam subtense angle. The simulator consists of an array of 143 tungsten halogen lamps and a corresponding array of 143 Fresnel lenses parallel and in front of the lenses, so that a 1.2 m by 1.2 m area is irradiated with uniform collimated irradiance. The performance of this 143-lamp version is compared with that of the 12-lamp prototype. It was found that the larger design required a lower lamp voltage for an equivalent average total irradiance in the test plane. However, distribution of total irradiance was not as good for the large simulator.

Yass, K.↗

Distributed Engine Control Empirical/Analytical Verification Tools

NASA's vision for an intelligent engine will be realized with the development of a truly distributed control system featuring highly reliable, modular, and dependable components capable of both surviving the harsh engine operating environment and decentralized functionality. A set of control system verification tools was developed and applied to a C-MAPSS40K engine model, and metrics were established to assess the stability and performance of these control systems on the same platform. A software tool was developed that allows designers to assemble easily a distributed control system in software and immediately assess the overall impacts of the system on the target (simulated) platform, allowing control system designers to converge rapidly on acceptable architectures with consideration to all required hardware elements. The software developed in this program will be installed on a distributed hardware-in-the-loop (DHIL) simulation tool to assist NASA and the Distributed Engine Control Working Group (DECWG) in integrating DCS (distributed engine control systems) components onto existing and next-generation engines.The distributed engine control simulator blockset for MATLAB/Simulink and hardware simulator provides the capability to simulate virtual subcomponents, as well as swap actual subcomponents for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) analysis. Subcomponents can be the communication network, smart sensor or actuator nodes, or a centralized control system. The distributed engine control blockset for MATLAB/Simulink is a software development tool. The software includes an engine simulation, a communication network simulation, control algorithms, and analysis algorithms set up in a modular environment for rapid simulation of different network architectures; the hardware consists of an embedded device running parts of the CMAPSS engine simulator and controlled through Simulink. The distributed engine control simulation, evaluation, and analysis technology provides unique capabilities to study the effects of a given change to the control system in the context of the distributed paradigm. The simulation tool can support treatment of all components within the control system, both virtual and real; these include communication data network, smart sensor and actuator nodes, centralized control system (FADEC full authority digital engine control), and the aircraft engine itself. The DECsim tool can allow simulation-based prototyping of control laws, control architectures, and decentralization strategies before hardware is integrated into the system. With the configuration specified, the simulator allows a variety of key factors to be systematically assessed. Such factors include control system performance, reliability, weight, and bandwidth utilization.

DeCastro, Jonathan↗

Laboratory simulation of tropospheric pollution sensing with a pressure modulator radiometer /PMR/

The optical properties of carbon monoxide gas uniformly distributed in the atmosphere have been simulated in a 20.48 cm long cell in the laboratory. The altitude of the peak of the weighting function for several concentrations was found using a Pressure Modulator Radiometer (PMR). The effect of a fluctuating background radiance and gaseous nitrous oxide on the carbon monoxide signals were examined.

Hinton, D. E.↗

Mapping the Milky Way Galaxy with LISA

Gravitational wave detectors in the mHz band (such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, or LISA) will observe thousands of compact binaries in the galaxy which can be used to better understand the structure of the Milky Way. To test the effectiveness of LISA to measure the distribution of the galaxy, we simulated the Close White Dwarf Binary (CWDB) gravitational wave sky using different models for the Milky Way. To do so, we have developed a galaxy density distribution modeling code based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The code uses different distributions to construct realizations of the galaxy. We then use the Fisher Information Matrix to estimate the variance and covariance of the recovered parameters for each detected CWDB. This is the first step toward characterizing the capabilities of space-based gravitational wave detectors to constrain models for galactic structure, such as the size and orientation of the bar in the center of the Milky Way

McKinnon, Jose A.↗

The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Programme: Modelling Selection Efficiency and Observed Core-collapse Supernova Contamination

The analysis of current and future cosmological surveys of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at high redshift depends on the accuratephotometric classification of the SN events detected. Generating realistic simulations of photometric SN surveys constitutes anessential step for training and testing photometric classification algorithms, and for correcting biases introduced by selectioneffects and contamination arising from core-collapse SNe in the photometric SN Ia samples. We use published SN time-seriesspectrophotometric templates, rates, luminosity functions, and empirical relationships between SNe and their host galaxies toconstruct a framework for simulating photometric SN surveys. We present this framework in the context of the Dark EnergySurvey (DES) 5-yr photometric SN sample, comparing our simulations of DES with the observed DES transient populations.We demonstrate excellent agreement in many distributions, including Hubble residuals, between our simulations and data.We estimate the core collapse fraction expected in the DES SN sample after selection requirements are applied and beforephotometric classification. After testing different modelling choices and astrophysical assumptions underlying our simulation,we find that the predicted contamination varies from 7.2 to 11.7 per cent, with an average of 8.8 per cent and an r.m.s. of 1.1 percent. Our simulations are the first to reproduce the observed photometric SN and host galaxy properties in high-redshift surveyswithout fine-tuning the input parameters. The simulation methods presented here will be a critical component of the cosmologyanalysis of the DES photometric SN Ia sample: correcting for biases arising from contamination, and evaluating the associatedsystematic uncertainty.

M Vincenzi↗

Optimizing the Electroforming Process to Enhance the Thickness Uniformity of Full Shell X-Ray Optics

Electroforming replication technology at Marshall Space Flight Center has a long heritage of producing highquality full-shell X-ray mirrors for various applications. Nickel alloys are electroformed onto a super-polished mandrel in the electroforming process, then separated to form the replicated full-shell optic. Various parameters in the electroplating configuration could result in the nonuniformity of the shell’s thickness. Thickness nonuniformities primarily occur due to non-uniform electric field distributions in the electroforming tank during the deposition. Using COMSOL Multiphysics simulations, we have studied the electric field distributions during the deposition process. Using these studies, we have optimized the electric fields inside the tank using customized shields and insulating gaskets on the mandrel. These efforts reduced thickness non-uniformity from over 20% to under 5% percent. Improving the thickness uniformity of the shell aids in better mounting and alignment of shells in the optics module. Optimization of the electroforming process, in some cases, improved the optical performance of the shells. COMSOL optimizing of the electroforming process and the experimental results validating these simulations are presented in this article.

X-ray optics↗

Seminar Software

The Society for Computer Simulation International is a professional technical society that distributes information on methodology techniques and uses of computer simulation. The society uses NETS, a NASA-developed program, to assist seminar participants in learning to use neural networks for computer simulation. NETS is a software system modeled after the human brain; it is designed to help scientists exploring artificial intelligence to solve pattern matching problems. Examples from NETS are presented to seminar participants, who can then manipulate, alter or enhance them for their own applications.

Source record↗

Model for radial dependence of frequency distributions for energy imparted in nanometer volumes from HZE particles

This paper develops a deterministic model of frequency distributions for energy imparted (total energy deposition) in small volumes similar to DNA molecules from high-energy ions of interest for space radiation protection and cancer therapy. Frequency distributions for energy imparted are useful for considering radiation quality and for modeling biological damage produced by ionizing radiation. For high-energy ions, secondary electron (delta-ray) tracks originating from a primary ion track make dominant contributions to energy deposition events in small volumes. Our method uses the distribution of electrons produced about an ion's path and incorporates results from Monte Carlo simulation of electron tracks to predict frequency distributions for ions, including their dependence on radial distance. The contribution from primary ion events is treated using an impact parameter formalism of spatially restricted linear energy transfer (LET) and energy-transfer straggling. We validate our model by comparing it directly to results from Monte Carlo simulations for proton and alpha-particle tracks. We show for the first time frequency distributions of energy imparted in DNA structures by several high-energy ions such as cosmic-ray iron ions. Our comparison with results from Monte Carlo simulations at low energies indicates the accuracy of the method.

Non-NASA Center↗

Estimation of discontinuous coefficients in parabolic systems: Applications to reservoir simulation

Spline based techniques for estimating spatially varying parameters that appear in parabolic distributed systems (typical of those found in reservoir simulation problems) are presented. The problem of determining discontinuous coefficients, estimating both the functional shape and points of discontinuity for such parameters is discussed. Convergence results and a summary of numerical performance of the resulting algorithms are given.

Lamm, P. D.↗

Sensitivity of Photolysis Frequencies and Key Tropospheric Oxidants in a Global Model to Cloud Vertical Distributions and Optical Properties

As a follow-up study to our recent assessment of the radiative effects of clouds on tropospheric chemistry, this paper presents an analysis of the sensitivity of such effects to cloud vertical distributions and optical properties in a global 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS4-Chem CTM). GEOS-Chem was driven with a series of meteorological archives (GEOS1-STRAT, GEOS-3 and GEOS-4) generated by the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System data assimilation system, which have significantly different cloud optical depths (CODs) and vertical distributions. Clouds in GEOS1-STRAT and GEOS-3 have more similar vertical distributions while those in GEOS-4 are optically much thinner in the tropical upper troposphere. We find that the radiative impact of clouds on global photolysis frequencies and hydroxyl radical (OH) is more sensitive to the vertical distribution of clouds than to the magnitude of column CODs. Model simulations with each of the three cloud distributions all show that the change in the global burden of O3 due to clouds is less than 5%. Model perturbation experiments with GEOS-3, where the magnitude of 3-D CODs are progressively varied by -100% to 100%, predict only modest changes (<5%) in global mean OH concentrations. J(O1D), J(NO2) and OH concentrations show the strongest sensitivity for small CODs and become insensitive at large CODs due to saturation effects. Caution should be exercised not to use in photochemical models a value for cloud single scattering albedo lower than about 0.999 in order to be consistent with the current knowledge of cloud absorption at the UV wavelength. Our results have important implications for model intercomparisons and climate feedback on tropospheric photochemistry.

Liu, Hongyu↗

Design of New Lunar Highlands Simulants

The NU-LHT-series were created to develop reproducible methods of making simulants and to match the modal mineralogy, glass, and particle size distribution of Apollo 16 samples. Making the simulant at larger scales via an industrial plant is intended to reduce cost/ton.

Lunar simulants↗

A Facility and Architecture for Autonomy Research

Autonomy is a key enabling factor in the advancement of the remote robotic exploration. There is currently a large gap between autonomy software at the research level and software that is ready for insertion into near-term space missions. The Mission Simulation Facility (MST) will bridge this gap by providing a simulation framework and suite of simulation tools to support research in autonomy for remote exploration. This system will allow developers of autonomy software to test their models in a high-fidelity simulation and evaluate their system's performance against a set of integrated, standardized simulations. The Mission Simulation ToolKit (MST) uses a distributed architecture with a communication layer that is built on top of the standardized High Level Architecture (HLA). This architecture enables the use of existing high fidelity models, allows mixing simulation components from various computing platforms and enforces the use of a standardized high-level interface among components. The components needed to achieve a realistic simulation can be grouped into four categories: environment generation (terrain, environmental features), robotic platform behavior (robot dynamics), instrument models (camera/spectrometer/etc.), and data analysis. The MST will provide basic components in these areas but allows users to plug-in easily any refined model by means of a communication protocol. Finally, a description file defines the robot and environment parameters for easy configuration and ensures that all the simulation models share the same information.

Pisanich, Greg↗