Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “inverse analysis”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4

UNIPASS for AvSP? A Broader View

UNIPASS is a general-purpose probabilistic computer program consisting of three major modules, including preprocessor, solver and postprocessor. UNIPASS contains a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI), numerous state-of-the-art probabilistic analysis techniques, a large library of statistical distributions and a function module with a large library of support functions that can easily define any complex limit-state function in a scripting FORTRAN-like syntax format. Its inverse probability analysis and sensitivities analysis capabilities make it a powerful design aid in any product cycle. Its precise numerical analysis engine is accurate enough to push the failure probabilities of a design to well below 10 (exp -50). UNIPASS is equipped with advanced artificial intelligence that is designed to handle systems with an essentially unlimited number of random variables with ease and efficiency. Its modular arrangement allows you to tailor an analysis to the desired level of accuracy and efficiency. The depth and comprehensiveness of UNIPASS are built upon the decades of experience and expertise of industry leaders including Boeing Aircraft, NASA and the DoD. Its rich content also makes UNIPASS a valuable instructional tool for random processes and probabilistic mechanics. The topics include: 1) Reliability in AvSP; 2) Role of UNIPASS in AvSP; and 3) Examples. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Wu, N. Eva↗

Vertical resolution of temperature profiles obtained from remote radiation measurements

The Backus-Gilbert theory, originally developed for analysis of inversion problems associated with the physics of the solid earth, was applied to the problem of the vertical sounding of the atmosphere by means of remote radiation measurements. An application was made to spectral intervals 2.8/cm wide in the 667/cm band CO2, and tradeoff curves are presented which quantitatively define the relationship between intrinsic vertical resolution and random error in temperature profile estimates. It is found that for a 1-2 K random error with state-of-the-art instrumentation, the intrinsic vertical resolution ranges from approximately 0.5 locale scale height (l.s.h.) in the lower troposphere to greater than 2 l.s.h. in the upper stratosphere with approximately 1 l.s.h. resolution in the vicinity of the tropopause. These values are somewhat smaller than the widths of the radioactive transfer kernels at similar levels. Increasing the number of spectral intervals from 7 to 16 is found to produce only a marginal improvement in vertical resolution.

Conrath, B. J.↗

Sequential estimation and satellite data assimilation in meteorology and oceanography

The central theme of this review article is the role that dynamics plays in estimating the state of the atmosphere and of the ocean from incomplete and noisy data. Objective analysis and inverse methods represent an attempt at relying mostly on the data and minimizing the role of dynamics in the estimation. Four-dimensional data assimilation tries to balance properly the roles of dynamical and observational information. Sequential estimation is presented as the proper framework for understanding this balance, and the Kalman filter as the ideal, optimal procedure for data assimilation. The optimal filter computes forecast error covariances of a given atmospheric or oceanic model exactly, and hence data assimilation should be closely connected with predictability studies. This connection is described, and consequences drawn for currently active areas of the atmospheric and oceanic sciences, namely, mesoscale meteorology, medium and long-range forecasting, and upper-ocean dynamics.

Ghil, M.↗

Experimental verification of dynamic simulation

The dynamics model here is a backhoe, which is a four degree of freedom manipulator from the dynamics standpoint. Two types of experiment are chosen that can also be simulated by a multibody dynamics simulation program. In the experiment, recorded were the configuration and force histories; that is, velocity and position, and force output and differential pressure change from the hydraulic cylinder, in the time domain. When the experimental force history is used as driving force in the simulation model, the forward dynamics simulation produces a corresponding configuration history. Then, the experimental configuration history is used in the inverse dynamics analysis to generate a corresponding force history. Therefore, two sets of configuration and force histories--one set from experiment, and the other from the simulation that is driven forward and backward with the experimental data--are compared in the time domain. More comparisons are made in regard to the effects of initial conditions, friction, and viscous damping.

Yae, K. Harold↗

Multiple sensor multifrequency eddy current monitor for solidification and growth

A compact cylindrical multisensor eddy current measuring system with integral furnace was develop to monitor II-VI crystal growth to provide interfacial information, solutal segregation, and conductivities of the growth materials. The use of an array of sensors surrounding the furnace element allows one to monitor the volume of interest. Coupling these data with inverse multifrequency analysis allows radial conductivity profiles to be generated at each sensor position. These outputs were incorporated to control the processes within the melt volume. The standard eddy current system functions with materials whose electric conductivities are as low as 2E2 Mhos/m. A need was seen to extend the measurement range to poorly conducting media so the unit was modified to allow measurement of materials conductivities 4 order of magnitude lower and bulk dielectric properties. Typically these included submicron thick films and semiinsulating GaAs. This system was used to monitor complex heat transfer in grey bodies as well as semiconductor and metallic solidification.

Wallace, John↗

The updated statistical inversion technique to the evaluation of Umkehr observations

In the present study the standard retrieval Umkehr method to estimate the vertical distribution of ozone was updated using a statistical approach to the mathematical inversion scheme. The vertical ozone profile covariance matrix was used as a priori information for the inverse problem. A new method of the ozonesonde data organization according to air mass types helped to improve the covariance matrix quality. A retrieval method was developed using eigenvector technique. An optimal vertical ozone profile resolution was determined from the mathematical inversion scheme analysis based on the same technique. The sun radiation transfer was accounted for multiple scattering and atmospheric sphericity in this calculation. The retrievals using actual Umkehr Dobson spectrophotometer observations were also performed to provide the comparison of the standard and updated methods with concurrent ozone sound data at Boulder U.S. The comparison has revealed that the present method has some advantages in both resolution and accuracy, as compared to the standard one, especially for the atmospheric layers below ozone maximum.

Frolov, Alexander D.↗

High Resolution Soil Water from Regional Databases and Satellite Images

This viewgraph presentation provides information on the ways in which plant growth can be inferred from satellite data and can then be used to infer soil water. There are several steps in this process, the first of which is the acquisition of data from satellite observations and relevant information databases such as the State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO). Then probabilistic analysis and inversion with the Bayes' theorem reveals sources of uncertainty. The Markov chain Monte Carlo method is also used.

Morris, Robin D.↗

Quantifying Astronaut Tasks: Robotic Technology and Future Space Suit Design

The primary aim of this research effort was to advance the current understanding of astronauts' capabilities and limitations in space-suited EVA by developing models of the constitutive and compatibility relations of a space suit, based on experimental data gained from human test subjects as well as a 12 degree-of-freedom human-sized robot, and utilizing these fundamental relations to estimate a human factors performance metric for space suited EVA work. The three specific objectives are to: 1) Compile a detailed database of torques required to bend the joints of a space suit, using realistic, multi- joint human motions. 2) Develop a mathematical model of the constitutive relations between space suit joint torques and joint angular positions, based on experimental data and compare other investigators' physics-based models to experimental data. 3) Estimate the work envelope of a space suited astronaut, using the constitutive and compatibility relations of the space suit. The body of work that makes up this report includes experimentation, empirical and physics-based modeling, and model applications. A detailed space suit joint torque-angle database was compiled with a novel experimental approach that used space-suited human test subjects to generate realistic, multi-joint motions and an instrumented robot to measure the torques required to accomplish these motions in a space suit. Based on the experimental data, a mathematical model is developed to predict joint torque from the joint angle history. Two physics-based models of pressurized fabric cylinder bending are compared to experimental data, yielding design insights. The mathematical model is applied to EVA operations in an inverse kinematic analysis coupled to the space suit model to calculate the volume in which space-suited astronauts can work with their hands, demonstrating that operational human factors metrics can be predicted from fundamental space suit information.

Newman, Dava↗

Using Satellite Remote Sensing and Modelling for Insights into N02 Air Pollution and NO2 Emissions

Nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) are key actors in air quality and climate change. Satellite remote sensing of tropospheric NO2 has developed rapidly with enhanced spatial and temporal resolution since initial observations in 1995. We have developed an improved algorithm and retrieved tropospheric NO2 columns from Ozone Monitoring Instrument. Column observations of tropospheric NO2 from the nadir-viewing satellite sensors contain large contributions from the boundary layer due to strong enhancement of NO2 in the boundary layer. We infer ground-level NO2 concentrations from the OMI satellite instrument which demonstrate significant agreement with in-situ surface measurements. We examine how NO2 columns measured by satellite, ground-level NO2 derived from satellite, and NO(x) emissions obtained from bottom-up inventories relate to world's urban population. We perform inverse modeling analysis of NO2 measurements from OMI to estimate "top-down" surface NO(x) emissions, which are used to evaluate and improve "bottom-up" emission inventories. We use NO2 column observations from OMI and the relationship between NO2 columns and NO(x) emissions from a GEOS-Chem model simulation to estimate the annual change in bottom-up NO(x) emissions. The emission updates offer an improved estimate of NO(x) that are critical to our understanding of air quality, acid deposition, and climate change.

Lamsal, L. N.↗

Retrieval of Aerosol Microphysical Properties from AERONET Photo-Polarimetric Measurements. 2: A New Research Algorithm and Case Demonstration

A new research algorithm is presented here as the second part of a two-part study to retrieve aerosol microphysical properties from the multispectral and multiangular photopolarimetric measurements taken by Aerosol Robotic Network's (AERONET's) new-generation Sun photometer. The algorithm uses an advanced UNified and Linearized Vector Radiative Transfer Model and incorporates a statistical optimization approach.While the new algorithmhas heritage from AERONET operational inversion algorithm in constraining a priori and retrieval smoothness, it has two new features. First, the new algorithmretrieves the effective radius, effective variance, and total volume of aerosols associated with a continuous bimodal particle size distribution (PSD) function, while the AERONET operational algorithm retrieves aerosol volume over 22 size bins. Second, our algorithm retrieves complex refractive indices for both fine and coarsemodes,while the AERONET operational algorithm assumes a size-independent aerosol refractive index. Mode-resolved refractive indices can improve the estimate of the single-scattering albedo (SSA) for each aerosol mode and thus facilitate the validation of satellite products and chemistry transport models. We applied the algorithm to a suite of real cases over Beijing_RADI site and found that our retrievals are overall consistent with AERONET operational inversions but can offer mode-resolved refractive index and SSA with acceptable accuracy for the aerosol composed by spherical particles. Along with the retrieval using both radiance and polarization, we also performed radiance-only retrieval to demonstrate the improvements by adding polarization in the inversion. Contrast analysis indicates that with polarization, retrieval error can be reduced by over 50% in PSD parameters, 10-30% in the refractive index, and 10-40% in SSA, which is consistent with theoretical analysis presented in the companion paper of this two-part study.

aerosol retrieval algorithm↗

Volumetric Assessment of UPRITE Exercises From Marker-Based Motion Capture

BACKGROUND Lack of volumetric data on full-body movement of exercises presents a challenge to ensuring the fit of crew member’s full range of motion on the International Space Station (ISS). The Upright Proprioception Retention via In-flight Training and Evaluation (UPRITE) is a sensorimotor countermeasure device designed for maintaining crew members’ proprioception in a microgravity environment. A footplate—attached to a static base—rotates in two degrees of freedom (pitch and roll) up to a 20 deg angle. An initial volumetric assessment assuming an upright standing posture produced a cone-like shape with a narrow bottom and wide top. Such general volumetric assessments risk creating an overly conservative volume estimate, taking up more space than is necessary on the already limited interior space of the ISS, and neglecting necessary volume due to oversimplifying assumptions. Rather, higher-fidelity volumetric assessments offer more comprehensive insights in an environment where every area counts. The main objective of this work is to provide the spatial parameters of exercises on the UPRITE such that it is placed on the ISS according to its volumetric demands or that usage is adjusted to fit the available space. METHODS In 2023, a data collection was performed originally to inform loads and dynamics of system use and was recently leveraged for volumetric assessment. Three human subjects representing different body types (~63-76 inches in stature) performed a variety of board manipulations using UPRITE with body weight offload. The test collected the 3D positional data of a modified full-body Plug-in Gait marker set [1] via a 16-camera OptiTrack MoCap system. After processing – filling marker gaps and trimming data – in OptiTrack Motive, the recorded marker location data, which included device markers, was exported to a readable trajectory file. To accurately represent the full volume defining landmarks, additional markers were digitally added to an unscaled Modified Full Body Model [2]. The model was then scaled according to its subject parameters upon which an inverse kinematics analysis was performed. A custom plugin yielded model marker location data files. Volumetric analyses were performed on the recorded trajectory and model trajectory files using a custom Python-built tool that extracted the marker location data and plotted it in a 3D space. Concerned with only the maximum volume of the motion, a 3D convex hull analysis was applied to the plot, extracting the vertices or external points of the eventual 3D CAD output, dubbed aptly as a “volume shell”. This overall approach was based on guidance in a NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief [3]. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Batch volumetric assessment on the exercises for each subject was performed, producing high-fidelity volume shells in minimal time. Preliminary results highlighted the value in higher-fidelity volumes based on collected data when possible. For example, revolving a single posture in the cone assessment would not have sufficiently captured a single leg stance; rather, it would need to involve swinging the leg both forward and back. Additional observations and the maximal dimensions of the volumes, including those based on scaled data for ISS anthropometric requirements, will be presented at the Human Research Program Investigator’s Workshop. CONCLUSIONS While this work’s primary objective was for the UPRITE-to-ISS integration, the tool built to conduct this analysis has wide applications for future exercise systems as an informational tool for optimal device placement. The tool and its findings also have implications for exercise device design and spacecraft interior considerations on Gateway, the Lunar Pressurized Rover, and beyond. REFERENCES [1] Bell, C. A., et al. (2023) Recent Improvements and Verification of a Full Body Model in OpenSim. NASA Human Research Program Investigator’s Workshop. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20230001080 [2] Lostroscio, K., et al (2023) The Digital Astronaut Simulation. AHFE International Conference on Human Factors in Design, Engineering, and Computing for All. [3] Exercise Overview. (2023) NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ochmo-tb-031-exercise-overview.pdf?emrc=9d454c?emrc=9d454c

L D Quinto↗

Improved spatial uniformity of beam-plane interaction by means of inverse rastering

An analysis is presented that shows the desirability and feasibility of conducting irradiations of large test objects by beams of penetrating radiation, by the method of moving the test object back and forth through the beam, rather than by sweeping the beam across the object. An extension of this method of inverse rastering allows the generation of composite beams with any desired intensity-vs-energy spectrum, obviating the need to determine equivalent damage factors for every energy in the spectrum.

Miller, C. G.↗

Development of direct-inverse 3-D methods for applied transonic aerodynamic wing design and analysis

Progress in the direct-inverse wing design method in curvilinear coordinates has been made. This includes the remedying of a spanwise oscillation problem and the assessment of grid skewness, viscous interaction, and the initial airfoil section on the final design. It was found that, in response to the spanwise oscillation problem that designing at every other spanwise station produced the best results for the cases presented, a smoothly varying grid is especially needed for the accurate design at the wing tip, the boundary layer displacement thicknesses must be included in a successful wing design, the design of high and medium aspect ratio wings is possible with this code, and the final airfoil section designed is fairly independent of the initial section.

Carlson, Leland A.↗

Fully Nonlinear Modeling and Analysis of Precision Membranes

High precision membranes are used in many current space applications. This paper presents a fully nonlinear membrane theory with forward and inverse analyses of high precision membrane structures. The fully nonlinear membrane theory is derived from Jaumann strains and stresses, exact coordinate transformations, the concept of local relative displacements, and orthogonal virtual rotations. In this theory, energy and Newtonian formulations are fully correlated, and every structural term can be interpreted in terms of vectors. Fully nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODES) governing the large static deformations of known axisymmetric membranes under known axisymmetric loading (i.e., forward problems) are presented as first-order ODES, and a method for obtaining numerically exact solutions using the multiple shooting procedure is shown. A method for obtaining the undeformed geometry of any axisymmetric membrane with a known inflated geometry and a known internal pressure (i.e., inverse problems) is also derived. Numerical results from forward analysis are verified using results in the literature, and results from inverse analysis are verified using known exact solutions and solutions from the forward analysis. Results show that the membrane theory and the proposed numerical methods for solving nonlinear forward and inverse membrane problems are accurate.

Pai, P. Frank↗

Sedimentary Facies Analysis Using AVIRIS Data: A Geophysical Inverse Problem

AVIRIS data can be used to quantitatively analyze and map sedimentary lithofacies. The observed radiance spectra can be reduced to 'apparent reflectance' spectra by topographic and reflectance characterization of several field sites within the image. These apparent reflectance spectra correspond to the true reflectance at each pixel, multiplied by an unknown illumination factor (ranging in value from zero to one). The spatial abundance patterns of spectrally defined lithofacies and the unknown illumination factors can be simultaneously derived using constrained linear spectral unmixing methods. Estimates of the minimum uncertainty in the final results (due to noise, instrument resolutions, degree of illumination and mixing systematics) can be made by forward and inverse modeling. Specific facies studies in the Rattlesnake Hills region of Wyoming illustrate the successful application of these methods.

Boardmann, Joe W.↗

Fourier analysis and signal processing by use of the Moebius inversion formula

A novel Fourier technique for digital signal processing is developed. This approach to Fourier analysis is based on the number-theoretic method of the Moebius inversion of series. The Fourier transform method developed is shown also to yield the convolution of two signals. A computer simulation shows that this method for finding Fourier coefficients is quite suitable for digital signal processing. It competes with the classical FFT (fast Fourier transform) approach in terms of accuracy, complexity, and speed.

Reed, Irving S.↗