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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 73 records · Page 4

Upper bound on Io's heat flow

Analysis of the temperatures and areas of Io's thermal anomalies yields an upper bound on the total heat flow.

Thermal emmission infrared observationstemperature↗

Robustness Analysis of Integrated LPV-FDI Filters and LTI-FTC System for a Transport Aircraft

This paper proposes an analysis framework for robustness analysis of a nonlinear dynamics system that can be represented by a polynomial linear parameter varying (PLPV) system with constant bounded uncertainty. The proposed analysis framework contains three key tools: 1) a function substitution method which can convert a nonlinear system in polynomial form into a PLPV system, 2) a matrix-based linear fractional transformation (LFT) modeling approach, which can convert a PLPV system into an LFT system with the delta block that includes key uncertainty and scheduling parameters, 3) micro-analysis, which is a well known robust analysis tool for linear systems. The proposed analysis framework is applied to evaluating the performance of the LPV-fault detection and isolation (FDI) filters of the closed-loop system of a transport aircraft in the presence of unmodeled actuator dynamics and sensor gain uncertainty. The robustness analysis results are compared with nonlinear time simulations.

Khong, Thuan H.↗

Input and Output Performance of M-MRAC in the Presence of Bounded Disturbances

This paper presents performance analysis of novel modified model reference adaptive control (M-MRAC) architecture in conjunction with different robust adaptive laws for the uncertain linear systems subject to unknown but bounded disturbances. It is shown that for any robust adaptive law the tracking error of the M-MRAC system can be arbitrarily decreased in transient and in the steady-state by increasing the adaptation rate, without generating high frequency oscillations in the control signal, which are unavoidable in conventional MRAC systems for large adaptation rates. Moreover, the generated adaptive control signal arbitrary closely tracks the ideal control signal when the error feedback gain is simultaneously increased with the adaptation rate, according to derived rule. The results are demonstrated via simulations.

Stepanyan, Vahram↗

Analysis of induced velocities in the wake of a hovering helicopter rotor

A simple analytical method has been developed to predict the induced velocities at the tip vortex in the wake of a hovering helicopter rotor. The wake model in the analysis includes the blade bound vortex as well as a tip vortex and vortex sheet trailed from each blade. Standard, prescribed wake models were used to describe the geometry of the tip vortex and the vortex sheet. Curved vortex elements were used to model the tip vortices and the vortex sheets. The analysis was used to study the contribution from each wake component to the axial-induced velocity of the tip vortex. Results show a highly variable induced velocity at the tip vortex both before and after the first blade passage. However, the prescribed tip vortex models require a constant axial velocity of the tip vortex. This inconsistency between the prescribed axial velocity of the tip vortex and the velocity that the wake geometry induces on the tip vortex points to a limitation of the current prescribed tip vortex geometry models.

Light, Jeffrey S.↗

Time Dependence of Collision Probabilities During Satellite Conjunctions

The NASA Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis (CARA) team has recently implemented updated software to calculate the probability of collision (P (sub c)) for Earth-orbiting satellites. The algorithm can employ complex dynamical models for orbital motion, and account for the effects of non-linear trajectories as well as both position and velocity uncertainties. This “3D P (sub c)” method entails computing a 3-dimensional numerical integral for each estimated probability. Our analysis indicates that the 3D method provides several new insights over the traditional “2D P (sub c)” method, even when approximating the orbital motion using the relatively simple Keplerian two-body dynamical model. First, the formulation provides the means to estimate variations in the time derivative of the collision probability, or the probability rate, R (sub c). For close-proximity satellites, such as those orbiting in formations or clusters, R (sub c) variations can show multiple peaks that repeat or blend with one another, providing insight into the ongoing temporal distribution of risk. For single, isolated conjunctions, R (sub c) analysis provides the means to identify and bound the times of peak collision risk. Additionally, analysis of multiple actual archived conjunctions demonstrates that the commonly used “2D P (sub c)” approximation can occasionally provide inaccurate estimates. These include cases in which the 2D method yields negligibly small probabilities (e.g., P (sub c)) is greater than 10 (sup -10)), but the 3D estimates are sufficiently large to prompt increased monitoring or collision mitigation (e.g., P (sub c) is greater than or equal to 10 (sup -5)). Finally, the archive analysis indicates that a relatively efficient calculation can be used to identify which conjunctions will have negligibly small probabilities. This small-P (sub c) screening test can significantly speed the overall risk analysis computation for large numbers of conjunctions.

Hall, Doyle T.↗

Optimization of tapered busses for solar cell contacts

Some fraction of the power produced by a solar cell is necessarily lost by series resistance associated with the metallized contact grid and by shadowing of cell active area by the grid. There are several approaches to reducing these losses, such as choosing a more efficient pattern, optimizing line spacing, and using tapered buses. The present paper analyzes tapered lines and derives from this analysis a theoretical lower bound to metallization power loss, independent of pattern chosen.

Landis, G. A.↗

A multi-item maintenance center inventory model for low-demand reparable items

In many military and commercial contexts, complex equipment undergoes scheduled maintenance overhauls at regular intervals during which all failed components are replaced. Failure to have replacements on hand for all failed parts requires emergency measures at premium cost. When reparable parts are highly reliable and expensive, both holding and shortage costs are high. This model determines the reparable parts inventory for a maintenance center under three alternative criteria: (1) maximizing job-completion rate subject to constraint on total holding costs, (2) minimizing total holding costs plus expected job noncompletion costs, and (3) minimizing total holding costs subject to a required minimum job-completion rate. Exact solutions may be obtained using dynamic programming. Approximate solutions, found easily by marginal analysis, have readily computed bounds on possible error. The solution methods for the three formulations are illustrated in a simple example.

Schaefer, M. K.↗

An analysis of curvature effects for the control of wall-bounded shear flows

The Reynolds stress transport equations are used to predict the effects of simultaneous and sequential combinations of distortions on turbulent boundary layers. The equations are written in general orthogonal curvilinear coordinates, with the curvature terms expressed in terms of the principal radii of curvature of the respective coordinate surfaces. Results are obtained for the cases of two-dimensional and three-dimensional flows in the limit where production and pressure-strain redistribution dominate over diffusion effects.

Gatski, T. B.↗

Applications and accuracy of the parallel diagonal dominant algorithm

The Parallel Diagonal Dominant (PDD) algorithm is a highly efficient, ideally scalable tridiagonal solver. In this paper, a detailed study of the PDD algorithm is given. First the PDD algorithm is introduced. Then the algorithm is extended to solve periodic tridiagonal systems. A variant, the reduced PDD algorithm, is also proposed. Accuracy analysis is provided for a class of tridiagonal systems, the symmetric, and anti-symmetric Toeplitz tridiagonal systems. Implementation results show that the analysis gives a good bound on the relative error, and the algorithm is a good candidate for the emerging massively parallel machines.

Sun, Xian-He↗

A Feasibility Study to Control Airfoil Shape Using THUNDER

The objective of this study was to assess the capabilities of a new out-of-plane displacement piezoelectric actuator called thin-layer composite-unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensor (THUNDER) to alter the upper surface geometry of a subscale airfoil to enhance performance under aerodynamic loading. Sixty test conditions, consisting of combinations of five angles of attack, four dc applied voltages, and three tunnel velocities, were studied in a tabletop wind tunnel. Results indicated that larger magnitudes of applied voltage produced larger wafer displacements. Wind-off displacements were also consistently larger than wind-on. Higher velocities produced larger displacements than lower velocities because of increased upper surface suction. Increased suction also resulted in larger displacements at higher angles of attack. Creep and hysteresis of the wafer, which were identified at each test condition, contributed to larger negative displacements for all negative applied voltages and larger positive displacements for the smaller positive applied voltage (+102 V). An elastic membrane used to hold the wafer to the upper surface hindered displacements at the larger positive applied voltage (+170 V). Both creep and hysteresis appeared bounded based on the analysis of several displacement cycles. These results show that THUNDER can be used to alter the camber of a small airfoil under aerodynamic loads.

Pinkerton, Jennifer L.↗

Real-Time System Verification by Kappa-Induction

We report the first formal verification of a reintegration protocol for a safety-critical, fault-tolerant, real-time distributed embedded system. A reintegration protocol increases system survivability by allowing a node that has suffered a fault to regain state consistent with the operational nodes. The protocol is verified in the Symbolic Analysis Laboratory (SAL), where bounded model checking and decision procedures are used to verify infinite-state systems by k-induction. The protocol and its environment are modeled as synchronizing timeout automata. Because k-induction is exponential with respect to k, we optimize the formal model to reduce the size of k. Also, the reintegrator's event-triggered behavior is conservatively modeled as time-triggered behavior to further reduce the size of k and to make it invariant to the number of nodes modeled. A corollary is that a clique avoidance property is satisfied.

Pike, Lee S.↗

Traffic Flow Analysis for Package Delivery Drones using a Queueing Model

A key component of the small unmanned aircraft systems traffic management ecosystem is the design of scalable algorithms for strategic deconfliction of drones prior to takeoff. In this work, we focus on efficient flow management of drones on a network of intersecting edges subject to two kinds of spacing constraints: 1) between any two adjacent vehicles on an edge and 2) between any two vehicles on two different edges arriving one after the other at an intersection. The spacing is designed to enable non-intersection of operational volumes corresponding to two different vehicles thereby properly separating the vehicles inside each volume. For simplicity, we assume a constant ground speed for the drones and fixed dimensions for the operational volume blocks. The deconfliction is managed by adjusting the takeoff time of the drones, thereby regulating their arrival time at various crossing waypoints in the network. This framework allows us to study the maximum flow (throughput) of vehicles on a network of edges connecting depots to drop off sites subject to the temporal spacing constraints. The departure scheduling of individual drones results in a combinatorial optimization problem. To alleviate this, we solve a max-flow formulation and use queueing theory to simplify the analysis and provide upper bounds to the underlying optimization problem for individual drone departure scheduling. Our results indicate that throughput drops rapidly after the density of drones in the network passes the max-flow limits.

Alexey A Munishkin↗

Assessment of M2020 Terrain Relative Landing Accuracy: Flight Performance vs Predicts

Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) was a critical enabling Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) technology that enabled Mars 2020 mission Perseverance rover to land at Jezero crater. TRN pro-vides real-time, autonomous, map-relative position determination and generates a landing target based on a priori knowledge of hazards. The required performance for TRN was to land within 60m of the selected target. The required 60m was sub-allocated to various error sources in three major categories: targeting error, knowledge error, and control error. The targeting error is the error in selecting an appropriate landing target and the knowledge of the target on the surface. It includes the Lander Vision System (LVS) position localization with respect the ground, the synchronization between the Lander Vision System measurement and the main Navigation filter, and errors associated with the LVS Reference Map and Safe Target Selec-tion (STS). The knowledge error is the contribution of knowledge growth from the synchronization with LVS to touchdown. The control error encompasses how accurately the system could stay on the desired reference trajectory. The TRN error budget uses a combination of analysis, simulation, and hardware test-ing results to bound the various error contributions obtained during the verification and validation process. This paper first presents a description the TRN system, focusing on the architecture of LVS and STS. The paper then gives detailed overview of the TRN error budget, with a description of the major error contribu-tions in each of the three categories. Next, the paper gives the results for three versions of the error budget, pre-launch, in-flight pre-landing, and post-landing. The paper compares the pre-flight analysis, the pre-landing analysis using in-flight data during cruise, to the post-landing analysis of the TRN performance. Pre-landing analysis best estimate of the landing performance was 33m, compared to the 60m require-ment. Post-landing analysis estimated a landing accuracy of 8.53m or better, much better than the 33m pre-landing estimate. The actual post-landing imagery calculated the distance of the rover to the targeted location to be 5m. The post-landing analysis closely bounds the image-based assessment of landing accu-racy, indicating the success of the error budget architecture in bounding the landing accuracy, as well as the fidelity of the simulations used to model and predict performance.

Chen, Allen↗

Mars Data Analysis Program

Grant NAGS12158 addressed a major NASA objective concerning the possibility of a palm ocean or large lake in the northern lowlands of Mars. Our overall approach for this study was an analysis of the graben-bounded giant polygons of Utopia Planitia, but specifically those grabens that define circles rather than open polygons. These circular grabens overlie buried impact craters, and the grabens form because of differential compaction of the overlying material over crater rims and floors. Several years ago, I predicted that the graben circles would bound depressions, and that the depths of these depressions would scale with the diameters of the graben circles. These predictions have been verified by earlier analysis. During this one-year grant (with one-year no-cost extension) we greatly increased the sample size and validated the earlier research robustly. What remained unexplained was why most of the graben circles in Utopia Planitia were double. A new model, involving volumetric compaction rather than simply 2-D compaction, satisfactorily explains the double rings and also provides a measure of relative thickness of the cover material burying the craters as a function of radial distance from the center of the Utopia Basin. Only two materials are likely candidates for the compacting cover material: volcanic ash, or wet sediment. The water in the wet sediment is largely responsible for the volumetric compaction; dry ash will compact vertically but experiences very limited lateral shrinkage. Thus the depressions within the circular grabens and the model explaining the double rings strongly favor wet sediment and thus provide evidence in favor of a past body of standing water in the northern lowlands. Publications supported entirely or in part by this grant are listed below.

McGill, George E.↗

Wood Products Analysis

Structural Reliability Consultants' computer program creates graphic plots showing the statistical parameters of glue laminated timbers, or 'glulam.' The company president, Dr. Joseph Murphy, read in NASA Tech Briefs about work related to analysis of Space Shuttle surface tile strength performed for Johnson Space Center by Rockwell International Corporation. Analysis led to a theory of 'consistent tolerance bounds' for statistical distributions, applicable in industrial testing where statistical analysis can influence product development and use. Dr. Murphy then obtained the Tech Support Package that covers the subject in greater detail. The TSP became the basis for Dr. Murphy's computer program PC-DATA, which he is marketing commercially.

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