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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

An ultraviolet video technique for visualization of stack plumes and for measuring sulfur dioxide concentration and effluent velocity

Absorption spectroscopy utilizing a video sensing technique was investigated as a means of visualizing SO2 in power plant stack plumes and for measuring SO2 concentration and effluent velocity in these plumes. The absorption of SO2 is measured in the ultraviolet region by using the sky as a background source. An additional spectral channel is used to correct for particulate scattering encountered in coal fired power plant plumes. The video system also tracks fluctuations in the SO2 concentration which leads to the determination of an eddy convection velocity. Field measurements were performed to show that the eddy convection velocity is proportional to the average in-stack velocity and to empirically determine their relationship. It was concluded that the video absorption technique is an attractive method for remotely determining both SO2 concentration and plume velocity with the same instrument.

Exton, R. J.↗

Community Fabric: Visualizing communities and structure in dynamic networks

We present Community Fabric, a novel visualization technique for simultaneously visualizing communities and structure within dynamic networks. In dynamic networks, the structure of the network is continuously evolving throughout time and these underlying topological shifts tend to lead to communal changes. Community Fabric helps the viewer more easily interpret and understand the interplay of structural change and community evolution in dynamic graphs. To achieve this, we take a new approach, hybridizing two popular network and community visualizations. Community Fabric combines the likes of the Biofabric static network visualization method with traditional community alluvial flow diagrams to visualize communities in a dynamic network while also displaying the underlying network structure. Our approach improves upon existing state-of-the-art techniques in several key areas. We describe the methodologies of Community Fabric, implement the visualization using modern web-based tools, and apply our approach to three example data sets.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Shaded computer graphic techniques for visualizing and interpreting analytic fluid flow models

Mathematical models which predict the behavior of fluid flow in different experiments are simulated using digital computers. The simulations predict values of parameters of the fluid flow (pressure, temperature and velocity vector) at many points in the fluid. Visualization of the spatial variation in the value of these parameters is important to comprehend and check the data generated, to identify the regions of interest in the flow, and for effectively communicating information about the flow to others. The state of the art imaging techniques developed in the field of three dimensional shaded computer graphics is applied to visualization of fluid flow. Use of an imaging technique known as 'SCAN' for visualizing fluid flow, is studied and the results are presented.

Parke, F. I.↗

The Evolution of Three Dimensional Visualization for Commanding the Mars Rovers

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has built and operated four rovers on the surface of Mars. Two and three dimensional visualization has been extensively employed to command both the mobility and robotic arm operations of these rovers. Stereo visualization has been an important component in this set of visualization techniques. This paper discusses the progression of the implementation and use of visualization techniques for in-situ operations of these robotic missions. Illustrative examples will be drawn from the results of using these techniques over more than ten years of surface operations on Mars.

stereo visualization↗

Visual Alinement Technique for Infrared LIDAR

Visible He/Ne laser beam substituted for invisible CO2 beam during alinement. System accomplished visually by using low-power He/Ne laser previously adjusted to visible beam parallel to invisible infrared CO2 laser beam. Method used to aline adjacent telescopes in other optical systems.

Menzies, R. T.↗

Electronic visualization of gas bearing behavior

Visualization technique produces a visual simulation of gas bearing operation by electronically combining the outputs from the clearance probes used to monitor bearing component motion. Computerized recordings of the probes output are processed, displayed on an oscilloscope screen and recorded with a high-speed motion picture camera.

Evans, R. C.↗

Investigation of Flow Separation in a Transonic-fan Linear Cascade Using Visualization Methods

An extensive study into the nature of the separated flows on the suction side of modem transonic fan airfoils at high incidence is described in the paper. Suction surface.flow separation is an important flow characteristic that may significantly contribute to stall flutter in transonic fans. Flutter in axial turbomachines is a highly undesirable and dangerous self-excited mode of blade oscillations that can result in high cycle fatigue blade failure. The study basically focused on two visualization techniques: surface flow visualization using dye oils, and schlieren (and shadowgraph) flow visualization. The following key observations were made during the study. For subsonic inlet flow, the flow on the suction side of the blade is separated over a large portion of the blade, and the separated area increases with increasing inlet Mach number. For the supersonic inlet flow condition, the flow is attached from the leading edge up to the point where a bow shock from the upper neighboring blade hits the blade surface. Low cascade solidity, for the subsonic inlet flow, results in an increased area of separated flow. For supersonic flow conditions, a low solidity results in an improvement in flow over the suction surface. Finally, computational results modeling the transonic cascade flowfield illustrate our ability to simulate these flows numerically.

Lepicovsky, Jan↗

Wind Tunnel Visualization of the Flow Over a Full-Scale F/A-18 Aircraft

The proposed paper presents flow visualization performed during experiments conducted on a full-scale F/A-18 aircraft in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind-Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. This investigation used both surface and off-surface flow visualization techniques to examine the flow field on the forebody, canopy, leading edge extensions (LEXs), and wings. The various techniques used to visualize the flow field were fluorescent tufts, flow cones treated with reflective material, smoke in combination with a laser light sheet, and a video imaging system. The flow visualization experiments were conducted over an angle of attack range from 20deg to 45deg and over a sideslip range from -10deg to 10deg. The results show regions of attached and separated flow on the forebody, canopy, and wings. Additionally, the vortical flow is clearly visible over the leading-edge extensions, canopy, and wings.

Lanser, Wendy R.↗

Multiscale and Multivariate Transportation System Visualization for Shopping District Traffic and Regional Traffic

In this paper, we present a suite of visualization techniques for sensor-based transportation system data at different scales to facilitate the exploration of interconnected traffic dynamics at intersections and highways. Additionally, these techniques are designed for analyzing multivariate traffic data from radar-based highway sensors and camera-based intersection sensors recording turn movements and vehicle speed, in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Area, with the capability of (a) revealing multiscale mobility patterns using different levels of data aggregation (e.g., individual sensor for microscale, multiple sensors along a corridor for mesoscale, and a larger number of sensors across the region for macroscale visualization) at different intervals (e.g., 5-min intervals, time of day, full day, and day-of-the-week), and (b) exploring the spatial variation of multiple traffic-related variables (e.g., volumes, speeds, turn movements, and traffic light colors) provided by the sensors. We close with a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of our multiscale and multivariate visualization techniques. At microscale, we focused on intersection data from a shopping district around Shallowford Road in East Chattanooga. For mesoscale visualization, we studied the Shallowford Road corridor and an adjacent stretch of I-75. At macroscale, we included highway data from the Chattanooga Metropolitan Area. All visualizations were integrated into a web-based situational awareness tool to promote user access and interaction. At a minimum, each visualization provides the option for selecting dates for real-time (depending on sensor availability) and historical data, and additional information on hovering, though most provide more detailed information, including different views of the selected data, or interactive highlights.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

FAST: A multi-processed environment for visualization of computational fluid

Three dimensional, unsteady, multizoned fluid dynamics simulations over full scale aircraft is typical of problems being computed at NASA-Ames on CRAY2 and CRAY-YMP supercomputers. With multiple processor workstations available in the 10 to 30 Mflop range, it is felt that these new developments in scientific computing warrant a new approach to the design and implementation of analysis tools. These large, more complex problems create a need for new visualization techniques not possible with the existing software or systems available as of this time. These visualization techniques will change as the supercomputing environment, and hence the scientific methods used, evolve ever further. Visualization of computational aerodynamics require flexible, extensible, and adaptable software tools for performing analysis tasks. FAST (Flow Analysis Software Toolkit), an implementation of a software system for fluid mechanics analysis that is based on this approach is discussed.

Bancroft, Gordon V.↗

A Qualitative Review of Selected Infrared Flow Visualization Processing Techniques: Contrast Enhancement and Frequency Domain Analysis

The deployment and integration of high-sensitivity infrared cameras in a transonic wind tunnel test environment has resulted in a unique capability to image aerodynamic phenomena in real-time. Multi-camera infrared flow visualization data systems are now routinely utilized at the NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. The small flow-induced temperature gradients on the surface of the wind tunnel test article coupled with the high bit-depth of the infrared camera sensor makes the processing of the image data critically important. An image processing routine must enhance features of interest with minimal artifacts. Additionally, the production wind tunnel test environment demands that these processed images are made available in a real-time, automatic fashion. Therefore, any image processing routine must be computationally economical and enhance the image data with minimal input from a human operator. The following seeks to qualitatively explore selected image processing techniques by assessing their effectiveness to resolve flow features on a wind tunnel test article. A multi-scale contrast enhancement technique is introduced as well as a new implementation of a multi-scale, non-interpolated adaptive histogram equalization. Finally, a novel method is introduced that demonstrates the ability to resolve flow features imaged on bare-steel test articles possessing low emissivity. This method merges frequency domain analysis with contrast enhancement and has the potential to extend the application of infrared flow-visualization within the wind tunnel test environment.

Infrared Imaging↗

A Review of Visualization Methods for Cyber-Physical Security: Smart Grid Case Study

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected as they attempt to meet the demands of evolving society. As a result, monitoring and maintaining them becomes a more complex and demanding task for control system operators and cyber defenders. While the literature on visualization techniques in the context of cybersecurity is extensive, the same cannot be said for studies on visualization for the security of cyber-physical systems. This paper aims to fill that gap by: 1) defining the main features of a visualizations workflow for security visualizations in cyber-physical systems. The workflow includes the acquisition of cyber and physical data, processing of data, selection, and configuration of both visualization tools and end-user interactions. 2) Providing an overview of cyber-physical security visualization systems, with a focus on smart grids as a case study. Finally, we use the perspectives gained from this analysis to provide insights and directions for future research and design of cyber-physical visualization techniques.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

FAST: A multi-processed environment for visualization of computational fluid dynamics

Three-dimensional, unsteady, multi-zoned fluid dynamics simulations over full scale aircraft are typical of the problems being investigated at NASA Ames' Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation (NAS) facility on CRAY2 and CRAY-YMP supercomputers. With multiple processor workstations available in the 10-30 Mflop range, we feel that these new developments in scientific computing warrant a new approach to the design and implementation of analysis tools. These larger, more complex problems create a need for new visualization techniques not possible with the existing software or systems available as of this writing. The visualization techniques will change as the supercomputing environment, and hence the scientific methods employed, evolves even further. The Flow Analysis Software Toolkit (FAST), an implementation of a software system for fluid mechanics analysis, is discussed.

Bancroft, Gordon V.↗

Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren and OH Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence Flow Visualization in a Dual-Mode Scramjet

Ahigh-speed self-aligned focusing schlieren (SAFS) system was used to visualize density gradients in and around the cavity flameholder of the combustor section of the University of Virginia Supersonic Combustion Facility (UVASCF). Images with this system were acquired at a framing rate of 110 kHz with no fuel injection, with fuel injection but no flame, and for fuel injection with combustion corresponding to a global equivalence ratio of 𝜙 = 0.18. Images with an air throttle in operation to modify the shock train location with fuel injection and with flame were also acquired. Simultaneous OH planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) images were also acquired at a framing rate of 20 Hz. Results obtained with both visualization techniques are compared to one another to highlight how SAFS can complement more advanced flow visualization techniques and resolve dynamic behavior that may not otherwise be captured. Both proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) analysis techniques are applied to the SAFS image sequences to identify coherent periodic structures for the runs with fuel injection and combustion.

Brett F Bathel↗

AMM: Adaptive Multilinear Meshes

Adaptive representations are increasingly indispensable for reducing the in-memory and on-disk footprints of large-scale data. Usual solutions are designed broadly along two themes: reducing data precision, e.g., through compression, or adapting data resolution, e.g., using spatial hierarchies. Additionally, recent research suggests that combining the two approaches, i.e., adapting both resolution and precision simultaneously, can offer significant gains over using them individually. However, there currently exist no practical solutions to creating and evaluating such representations at scale. In this work, we present a new resolution-precision-adaptive representation to support hybrid data reduction schemes and offer an interface to existing tools and algorithms. Through novelties in spatial hierarchy, our representation, Adaptive Multilinear Meshes (AMM), provides considerable reduction in the mesh size. AMM creates a piecewise multilinear representation of uniformly sampled scalar data and can selectively relax or enforce constraints on conformity, continuity, and coverage, delivering a flexible adaptive representation. AMM also supports representing the function using mixed-precision values to further the achievable gains in data reduction. We describe a practical approach to creating AMM incrementally using arbitrary orderings of data and demonstrate AMM on six types of resolution and precision datastreams. By interfacing with state-of-the-art rendering tools through VTK, we demonstrate the practical and computational advantages of our representation for visualization techniques. With an open-source release of our tool to create AMM, we make such evaluation of data reduction accessible to the community, which we hope will foster new opportunities and future data reduction schemes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Uncertainty-Informed Volume Visualization using Implicit Neural Representation

The increasing adoption of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) has led to their application in many challenging scientific visualization tasks. While advanced DNNs offer impressive generalization capabilities, understanding factors such as model prediction quality, robustness, and uncertainty is crucial. These insights can enable domain scientists to make informed decisions about their data. However, DNNs inherently lack ability to estimate prediction uncertainty, necessitating new research to construct robust uncertainty-aware visualization techniques tailored for various visualization tasks. In this work, we propose uncertainty-aware implicit neural representations to model scalar field data sets effectively and comprehensively study the efficacy and benefits of estimated uncertainty information for volume visualization tasks. We evaluate the effectiveness of two principled deep uncertainty estimation techniques: (1) Deep Ensemble and (2) Monte Carlo Dropout (MC-Dropout). These techniques enable uncertainty-informed volume visualization in scalar field data sets. Our extensive exploration across multiple data sets demonstrates that uncertainty-aware models produce informative volume visualization results. Moreover, integrating prediction uncertainty enhances the trustworthiness of our DNN model, making it suitable for robustly analyzing and visualizing real-world scientific volumetric data sets.

Saklani, Shanu↗

Development of visual programming techniques to integrate theoretical modeling into the scientific planning and instrument operations environment of ISTP

The goal of this project is to investigate the use of visualization software based on the visual programming and data-flow paradigms to meet the needs of the SPOF and through it the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) science community. Specific needs we address include science planning, data interpretation, comparisons of data with simulation and model results, and data acquisition. Our accomplishments during the twelve month grant period are discussed below.

Goodrich, Charles C.↗