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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Automated Fiber Placement Defect Identity Cards: Cause, Anticipation, Existence, Significance, and Progression

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), a major composite manufacturing process, can result in many defects during the layup process that often require manual corrective action to produce a part with acceptable quality. These defects are the main limitation of the technology and can be hard to categorize or define in many situations. This paper provides a thorough definition and classification of all AFP defects. This effort constitutes a comprehensive and extensive library relevant to AFP defects. The defects selected and defined in this work are based on understanding and experience from the manufacture and research of advanced composite structure. Proper classification of these defects required an in-depth literature review and consideration of various viewpoints ranging from designers, manufacturers, analysts, and inspection professionals. Collectively, these sources were utilized to develop the most accurate view of each of the individual defect types. The results are presented as identity cards for each defect type, intended to provide researchers and the manufacturing industry a clear understanding of the (1) cause, (2) anticipation, (3) existence, (4) significance, and (5) progression of the defined AFP defects. The link between AFP defects and process planning, layup strategies, and machining was also investigated. Categorization of all important automated fiber placement defects is presented.

Harik, Ramy↗
NASA NTRS1976

Analysis of pressure distortion testing

The development of a distortion methodology, method D, was documented, and its application to steady state and unsteady data was demonstrated. Three methodologies based upon DIDENT, a NASA-LeRC distortion methodology based upon the parallel compressor model, were investigated by applying them to a set of steady state data. The best formulation was then applied to an independent data set. The good correlation achieved with this data set showed that method E, one of the above methodologies, is a viable concept. Unsteady data were analyzed by using the method E methodology. This analysis pointed out that the method E sensitivities are functions of pressure defect level as well as corrected speed and pattern.

Koch, K. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Inhibition of bone formation during space flight

Parameters of bone formation and resorption were measured in rats orbited for 19.5 days aboard the Soviet Cosmos 782 biological satellite. The most striking effects were on bone formation. During flight, rats formed significantly less periosteal bone than did control rats on the ground. An arrest line at both the periosteum and the endosteum of flight animals suggests that a complete cecessation of bone growth occurred. During a 26-day postflight period, the defect in bone formation was corrected. No significant changes in bone resorption were observed.

Morey, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Radar error statistics for the space shuttle

Radar error statistics of C-band and S-band that are recommended for use with the groundtracking programs to process space shuttle tracking data are presented. The statistics are divided into two parts: bias error statistics, using the subscript B, and high frequency error statistics, using the subscript q. Bias errors may be slowly varying to constant. High frequency random errors (noise) are rapidly varying and may or may not be correlated from sample to sample. Bias errors were mainly due to hardware defects and to errors in correction for atmospheric refraction effects. High frequency noise was mainly due to hardware and due to atmospheric scintillation. Three types of atmospheric scintillation were identified: horizontal, vertical, and line of sight. This was the first time that horizontal and line of sight scintillations were identified.

Lear, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Launch operations of the SSME

The mission profile, performance over the first eight flights, and inspection and repair procedures for the Shuttle main engines (SSME) are outlined. The Orbiter has three SSMEs, each delivering 470,000 lb thrust at rated level and 512,000 lb thrust at full power level. The engines each have a design lifetime of 55 launches and 27,000 sec operating life. After eight STS flights the SSME maintenance requirements and part replacements have generally followed those experiences during ground tests, i.e., routine checkout of some items are performed every flight, some after a few flights, and replacements are made as needed or scheduled. Hot-fire tests are performed only if a generic defect has been recognized and corrective action taken. Attention is also given to engine sensors to verify functioning status. Details of the inspection procedures, unscheduled maintenance, and inspection tools and instruments are provided.

Klatt, F. P.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Relating Risk and Reliability Predictions to Design and Development Choices

In this context there are many possible assurance activities. Some focus on the prevention of defects - for example, up-front planning, adoption of design standards, configuration management, training, etc. Others focus on the detection of defects - either to detect latent defects in a system (and so be able to correct them before actual deployment of the system), or to increase confidence that such defects are not present. For example, a wide gamut of reviews, design walkthroughs, tests, inspections, analyses, etc. can be applied to systems and their components.

optimization↗
NASA NTRS1988

Self-Testing Computer Memory

Memory system for computer repeatedly tests itself during brief, regular interruptions of normal processing of data. Detects and corrects transient faults as single-event upsets (changes in bits due to ionizing radiation) within milliseconds after occuring. Self-testing concept surpasses conventional by actively flushing latent defects out of memory and attempting to correct before accumulating beyond capacity for self-correction or detection. Cost of improvement modest increase in complexity of circuitry and operating time.

Chau, Savio, N.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The imaging photopolarimeter - The first extraterrestrial spin-scan imager

The paper describes the imaging photopolarimeter used to take close-ups of Jupiter from Pioneers 10 and 11. The instrument operates in a steerable spin-scan mode of operation, contains a 1 in. diameter, f/3.4 Maksutov telescope with a focal plane aperture whose size is selectable. The paper examines those aspects of the design that are substantially influenced by the unusual design constraints, such as choice of detector and method of steering the telescope, and demonstrates the image processing and display techniques used to create the images from the telemetry and correct them for distortion and other defects.

Swindell, W.↗
NASA NTRS1939

Physical Properties of Synthetic Resin Materials

A study was made to determine the physical properties of synthetic resins having paper, canvas, and linen reinforcements, and of laminated wood impregnated with a resin varnish. The results show that commercial resins have moduli of elasticity that are too low for structural considerations. Nevertheless, there do exist plastics that have favorable mechanical properties and, with further development, it should be possible to produce resin products that compare favorably with the light-metal alloys. The results obtained from tests on Compound 1840, resin-impregnated wood, show that this material can stand on its own merit by virtue of a compressive strength four times that of the natural wood. This increase in compressive strength was accomplished with an increase of density to a value slightly below three times the normal value and corrected one of the most serious defects of the natural product.

Fishbein, Meyer↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Effect of Penetration Depth on Thermal Contrast of NDT by Thermography

Nondestructive evaluation by Thermography (TNDE) is generally classified into two categories, the passive approach and the active approach. The passive approach is usually performed by measuring the natural temperature difference between the ambient and the material or structure to be tested. The active approach, on the other hand, requires the application of an external energy source to stimulate the material for inspection. A laser, a heater, a hot air blower, a high power thermal pulse, mechanical, or electromagnetic energy may provide the energy sources. For the external heating method to inspect materials for defects and imperfection at ambient temperature, a very short burst of heat can be introduced to one of the surfaces or slow heating of the side opposite to the side being observed. Due to the interruption of the heat flow through the defects, the thermal images will reveal the defective area by contrasting against the surrounding good materials. This technique is called transient Thermography, pulse video Thermography, or thermal wave imaging. As an empirical rule, the radius of the smallest defect should be at least one to two times larger than its depth under the surface. Thermography is being used to inspect void, debond, impact damage, and porosity in composite materials. It has been shown that most of the defects and imperfection can be detected. However, the current method of inspection using thermographic technique is more of an art than a practical scientific and engineering approach. The success rate of determining the defect location and defect type is largely depend on the experience of the person who operates thermography system and performs the inspection. The operator has to try different type of heat source, different duration of its application time, as well as experimenting with the thermal image acquisition time and interval during the inspection process. Further-more, the complexity of the lay-up and structure of composites makes it more difficult to determine the optimal operating condition for revealing the defects. In order to develop an optimal thermography inspection procedure, we must understand the thermal behavior inside the material subjected to transient heat in order to interpret the thermal images correctly. Fabrication of finite element models of characteristic defects in composite materials subjected to transient heat will enable the development of appropriate procedure for thermography inspection. Design of phantom defects could be modeled and behavior characterized prior to physically building these test parts. Since production of phantom test parts can be very time consuming and laborious, it is important to design good representative defects.

Chu, Tsuchin Philip↗
NASA NTRS1994

Comprehensive stellar population models and the disentanglement of age and metallicity effects

The construction of detailed models for intermediate and old stellar populations is described. Input parameters include metallicity (-2 less than (Fe/H) less than 0.5), single-burst age (between 1.5 and 17 Gyr), and initial mass function (IMF) exponent. Quantities output include broadband magnitudes, spectral energy distributions, surface brightness fluctuation magnitudes, and a suite of 21 absorption feature indices. The models are checked against a wide variety of available observations. Examinations of model output yield the following conclusions. (1) If the percentage change delta age/delta Z approximately equals 3/2 for two populations, they will appear almost identical in most indices. A few indices break this degeneracy by being either more abundance sensitive (Fe4668, Fe5015, Fe5709, and Fe5782) or more age sensitive (G4300, H beta, and presumably higher order Balmer lines) than usual. (2) Present uncertainties in stellar evolution are of the same magnitude as the effects of IMF and Y in the indices studied. (3) Changes in abundance ratios (like (Mg/Fe)) are predicted to be readily apparent in the spectra of old stellar populations. (4) The I-band flux of a stellar population is predicted to be nearly independent of metallicity and only modestly sensitive to age. The I band is therefore recommended for standard candle work or studies of M/L in galaxies. Other conclusions stem from this work. (1) Intercomparison of models and observations of two TiO indices seem to indicate variation of the (V/Ti) ratio among galaxies, but it is not clear how this observation ties into the standard picture of chemical enrichment. (2) Current estimates of (Fe/H) for the most metal-rich globulars that are based on integrated indices are probably slightly too high. (3) Colors of population models from different authors exhibit a substantial range. At solar metallicity and 13 Gyr, this range corresponds to an age error of roughly +/- 7 Gyr. Model colors from different authors applied in a differential sense have smaller uncertainties. (4) In the present models the dominant error for colors is probably the transformation from stellar atmospheric parameters to stellar colors. (5) Stellar B - V is difficult to model, and current spreads among different authors can reach 0.2 mag. (6) If known defects in the stellar flux library are corrected, the population model colors of this work in passbands redder than U would be accurate to roughly 0.03 mag in an absolute sense. These corrections are not made in the tables of model output.

Worthey, Guy↗
NASA NTRS1996

Advanced Triangulation Displacement Sensors

Advanced optoelectronic triangulation displacement sensors undergoing development. Highly miniaturized, more stable, more accurate, and relatively easy to use. Incorporate wideband electronic circuits suitable for real-time monitoring and control of displacements. Measurements expected to be accurate to within nanometers. In principle, sensors mass-produced at relatively low unit cost. Potential applications numerous. Possible industrial application in measuring runout of rotating shaft or other moving part during fabrication in "zero-defect" manufacturing system, in which measured runout automatically corrected.

Poteet, Wade M.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Maintaining the Health of Software Monitors

Software health management (SWHM) techniques complement the rigorous verification and validation processes that are applied to safety-critical systems prior to their deployment. These techniques are used to monitor deployed software in its execution environment, serving as the last line of defense against the effects of a critical fault. SWHM monitors use information from the specification and implementation of the monitored software to detect violations, predict possible failures, and help the system recover from faults. Changes to the monitored software, such as adding new functionality or fixing defects, therefore, have the potential to impact the correctness of both the monitored software and the SWHM monitor. In this work, we describe how the results of a software change impact analysis technique, Directed Incremental Symbolic Execution (DiSE), can be applied to monitored software to identify the potential impact of the changes on the SWHM monitor software. The results of DiSE can then be used by other analysis techniques, e.g., testing, debugging, to help preserve and improve the integrity of the SWHM monitor as the monitored software evolves.

Runtime Monitor↗
NASA NTRS1988

A New Tool for Quality Control

Diffracto, Ltd. is now offering a new product inspection system that allows detection of minute flaws previously difficult or impossible to observe. Called D-Sight, it represents a revolutionary technique for inspection of flat or curved surfaces to find such imperfections as dings, dents and waviness. System amplifies defects, making them highly visible to simplify decision making as to corrective measures or to identify areas that need further study. CVA 3000 employs a camera, high intensity lamps and a special reflective screen to produce a D- Sight image of light reflected from a surface. Image is captured and stored in a computerized vision system then analyzed by a computer program. A live image of surface is projected onto a video display and compared with a stored master image to identify imperfections. Localized defects measuring less than 1/1000 of an inch are readily detected.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2008

An Uncertainty Structure Matrix for Models and Simulations

Software that is used for aerospace flight control and to display information to pilots and crew is expected to be correct and credible at all times. This type of software is typically developed under strict management processes, which are intended to reduce defects in the software product. However, modeling and simulation (M&S) software may exhibit varying degrees of correctness and credibility, depending on a large and complex set of factors. These factors include its intended use, the known physics and numerical approximations within the M&S, and the referent data set against which the M&S correctness is compared. The correctness and credibility of an M&S effort is closely correlated to the uncertainty management (UM) practices that are applied to the M&S effort. This paper describes an uncertainty structure matrix for M&S, which provides a set of objective descriptions for the possible states of UM practices within a given M&S effort. The columns in the uncertainty structure matrix contain UM elements or practices that are common across most M&S efforts, and the rows describe the potential levels of achievement in each of the elements. A practitioner can quickly look at the matrix to determine where an M&S effort falls based on a common set of UM practices that are described in absolute terms that can be applied to virtually any M&S effort. The matrix can also be used to plan those steps and resources that would be needed to improve the UM practices for a given M&S effort.

Green, Lawrence L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Coriolis-force-induced trajectory and endpoint deviations in the reaching movements of labyrinthine-defective subjects

When reaching movements are made during passive constant velocity body rotation, inertial Coriolis accelerations are generated that displace both movement paths and endpoints in their direction. These findings directly contradict equilibrium point theories of movement control. However, it has been argued that these movement errors relate to subjects sensing their body rotation through continuing vestibular activity and making corrective movements. In the present study, we evaluated the reaching movements of five labyrinthine-defective subjects (lacking both semicircular canal and otolith function) who cannot sense passive body rotation in the dark and five age-matched, normal control subjects. Each pointed 40 times in complete darkness to the location of a just extinguished visual target before, during, and after constant velocity rotation at 10 rpm in the center of a fully enclosed slow rotation room. All subjects, including the normal controls, always felt completely stationary when making their movements. During rotation, both groups initially showed large deviations of their movement paths and endpoints in the direction of the transient Coriolis forces generated by their movements. With additional per-rotation movements, both groups showed complete adaptation of movement curvature (restoration of straight-line reaches) during rotation. The labyrinthine-defective subjects, however, failed to regain fully accurate movement endpoints after 40 reaches, unlike the control subjects who did so within 11 reaches. Postrotation, both groups' movements initially had mirror image curvatures to their initial per-rotation reaches; the endpoint aftereffects were significantly different from prerotation baseline for the control subjects but not for the labyrinthine-defective subjects reflecting the smaller amount of endpoint adaptation they achieved during rotation. The labyrinthine-defective subjects' movements had significantly lower peak velocity, higher peak elevation, lower terminal velocity, and a more vertical touchdown than those of the control subjects. Thus the way their reaches terminated denied them the somatosensory contact cues necessary for full endpoint adaptation. These findings fully contradict equilibrium point theories of movement control. They emphasize the importance of contact cues in adaptive movement control and indicate that movement errors generated by Coriolis perturbations of limb movements reveal characteristics of motor planning and adaptation in both healthy and clinical populations.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗
NASA NTRS2016

Topic Modeling of NASA Space System Problem Reports: Research in Practice

Problem reports at NASA are similar to bug reports: they capture defects found during test, post-launch operational anomalies, and document the investigation and corrective action of the issue. These artifacts are a rich source of lessons learned for NASA, but are expensive to analyze since problem reports are comprised primarily of natural language text. We apply topic modeling to a corpus of NASA problem reports to extract trends in testing and operational failures. We collected 16,669 problem reports from six NASA space flight missions and applied Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling to the document corpus. We analyze the most popular topics within and across missions, and how popular topics changed over the lifetime of a mission. We find that hardware material and flight software issues are common during the integration and testing phase, while ground station software and equipment issues are more common during the operations phase. We identify a number of challenges in topic modeling for trend analysis: 1) that the process of selecting the topic modeling parameters lacks definitive guidance, 2) defining semantically-meaningful topic labels requires nontrivial effort and domain expertise, 3) topic models derived from the combined corpus of the six missions were biased toward the larger missions, and 4) topics must be semantically distinct as well as cohesive to be useful. Nonetheless,topic modeling can identify problem themes within missions and across mission lifetimes, providing useful feedback to engineers and project managers.

Data Mining↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NNREPAIR: Constraint-based Repair of Neural Network Classifiers

We present NNREPAIR, a constraint-based technique for repairing neural network classifiers by i) fixing the logic of the network at an intermediate layer, and ii) fixing the decision conditions of the network at the last layer. NNREPAIR first uses fault localization to find potentially faulty network parameters (specifically weights) and then performs repair using constraint solving to apply small modifications to remedy the defects. We present novel strategies to enable precise yet efficient repair such as inferring correctness specifications to act as oracles for intermediate layer repair, and generation of experts wrt each class. We demonstrate the technique in the context of three different scenarios: (1) Improving the over all accuracy of a model, (2) Fixing security vulnerabilities caused by poisoning of training data and (3) Improving the robustness of the network against adversarial attacks. Our evaluation on MNIST and CIFAR-10 models shows that NNREPAIR can improve the accuracy by 45.56% on poisoned data and 11.11% on adversarial data. NNREPAIR also provides improvement, albeit modest, in the overall accuracy of models, without requiring new data or re-training.

Repair↗