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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 919 records · Page 51

Management of redundancy in flight control systems using optimal decision theory

This chapter addresses the problem of using redundancy that exists between dissimilar systems in aircraft flight control. That is, using the redundancy that exists between a rate gyro and an accelerometer—devices that have dissimilar outputs which are related only through the dynamics of the aircraft motion. Management of this type of redundancy requires advanced logic so that the system can monitor failure status and can reconfigure itself in the event of one or more failures. In this chapter an optimal decision theory is tutorially developed for the management of sensor redundancy and the theory is applied to two aircraft examples. The first example is the space shuttle and the second is a highly maneuvering high performance aircraft—the F8-C. The examples illustrate the redundancy management design process and the performance of the algorithms presented in failure detection and control law reconfiguration.

Raymond C. Montgomery↗

Radiative transfer and remote sensing

Radiative transfer, the basic theoretical tool for the quantitative interpretation of planetary infrared spectra, is discussed. The function it plays in linking the remotely sensed data to the properties of the atmosphere (composition, thermal structure, dynamics, etc.), is inferred. A brief overview of the remote sensing problem as it pertains to the interpretation of planetary spectra is presented. The presentation is tutorial rather than exhaustive.

Conrath, B. J.↗

Shuttle VLBI experiment. Technical working group summary report

The gain in interferometric resolution of extragalactic sources at radio frequencies which can be achieved by placing a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) antenna in space is quantitatively described and a VLBI demonstration experiment using a large deployable antenna, which if realized could be a very acceptable first venture for VLBI in space is discussed. A tutorial on VLBI, a summary of the technology available for the experiment, and a preliminary mission scenario are included.

Morgan, S. H.↗

Parabolic Solar Collectors

Paper presents tutorial overview of point focusing parabolic reflectors for solar-energy collectors. Optical and thermal characteristics of collectors discussed in detail.

Truscello, V. C.↗

CORSE-81: The 1981 Conference on Remote Sensing Education

Summaries of the presentations and tutorial workshops addressing various strategies in remote sensing education are presented. Course design from different discipline perspectives, equipment requirements for image interpretation and processing, and the role of universities, private industry, and government agencies in the education process are covered.

Davis, S. M.↗

Geological applications and training in remote sensing

Some of the experiences, methods, and opinions developed during 15 years of teaching an introductory course in remote sensing at several universities in the Southern California area are related. Although the course is offered in Geology departments, every class includes significant numbers of students from other disciplines including geography, computer science, biology, and environmental science. The instructor or teaching assistant provides a few hours of tutorial lectures (outside of regular class time) on basic geology for these nongeologists. This approach is successful because the grade distribution for nongeologists is similar to that for geologists. The schedule for a typical one-semester course is given.

Sabins, F. F., Jr.↗

Spacecraft antennas

A tutorial description is given for spacecraft antennas used for deep-space-to-Earth communication. Radiation pattern parameters, pointing errors, pointing and polarization loss, and noise characteristics are discussed.

Rahmat-Samii, Y.↗

Digital systems design language. Design synthesis of digital systems

The Digital Systems Design Language (DDL) is implemented on the SEL-32 computer systems. The details of the language, translator and simulator programs are included. Several example descriptions and a tutorial on hardware description languages are provided, to guide the user.

Shiva, S. G.↗

System analysis for the Huntsville Operational Support Center distributed computer system

The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) is a distributed computer system used to provide real time data acquisition, analysis and display during NASA space missions and to perform simulation and study activities during non-mission times. The primary purpose is to provide a HOSC system simulation model that is used to investigate the effects of various HOSC system configurations. Such a model would be valuable in planning the future growth of HOSC and in ascertaining the effects of data rate variations, update table broadcasting and smart display terminal data requirements on the HOSC HYPERchannel network system. A simulation model was developed in PASCAL and results of the simulation model for various system configuraions were obtained. A tutorial of the model is presented and the results of simulation runs are presented. Some very high data rate situations were simulated to observe the effects of the HYPERchannel switch over from contention to priority mode under high channel loading.

Ingels, F. M.↗

A variational formulation for time-dependent climate models

A variational principle for time dependent diffusion problems is presented and is demonstrated by applying it to simple seasonal climate models. Two cases are treated. The first, a North-Coakley-type model with constant properties, is used as a tutorial example for the application of the technique. For the second case, heat capacity and thermal conductivity are considered to be latitude dependent in order to treat the effects of land/ocean distribution on the seasonal temperature distribution over the earth. The variational equations are derived and approximate analytical solutions are developed which delineate the influences of the physical asymmetries of the hemispheres in producing an asymmetric annual cycle.

Smith, G. L.↗

A Structural Dynamics Approach to the Simulation of Spacecraft Control/Structure Interaction

A relatively simple approach to the analysis of linear spacecraft control/structure interaction problems is presented. The approach uses a commercially available structural system dynamic analysis package for both controller and plant dynamics, thus obviating the need to transfer data between separate programs. The unilateral coupling between components in the control system block diagram is simulated using sparse matrix stiffness and damping elements available in the structural dynamic code. The approach is illustrated with a series of simple tutorial examples of a rigid spacecraft core with flexible appendages.

Young, J. W.↗

Comet Halley returns: A teachers' guide 1985-1986

This booklet has been put together as an aid for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. It is divided into two distinct parts. The first part is a brief tutorial which introduces some of the most important concepts about comets, including their historical significance. A list of selected readings is provided at the end of the booklet. The second part of the booklet contains a number of suggested activities, built around the comet. These include both classroom exercises and carefully described field work to observe the comet. Guidance is provided on where to look for the comet, how to observe it, and to photograph it.

Chapman, R. D.↗

Functional language and data flow architectures

This is a tutorial article about language and architecture approaches for highly concurrent computer systems based on the functional style of programming. The discussion concentrates on the basic aspects of functional languages, and sequencing models such as data-flow, demand-driven and reduction which are essential at the machine organization level. Several examples of highly concurrent machines are described.

Ercegovac, M. D.↗

Understanding Microwave Radiometers

Report presents principles of microwave receivers for observing planetary surfaces from space. Report is tutorial and explains operation of receivers in detail to enable reader to specify and qualify them for spaceborne operation. Gives many examples to illustrate practical design procedures.

Stacey, J. M.↗

ADAMS: AIRLAB data management system user's guide

The AIRLAB Data Management System (ADAMS) is an online environment that supports research at NASA's AIRLAB. ADAMS provides an easy to use interactive interface that eases the task of documenting and managing information about experiments and improves communication among project members. Data managed by ADAMS includes information about experiments, data sets produced, software and hardware available in AIRLAB as well as that used in a particular experiment, and an on-line engineer's notebook. The User's Guide provides an overview of the ADAMS system as well as details of the operations available within ADAMS. A tutorial section takes the user step-by-step through a typical ADAMS session. ADAMS runs under the VAX/VMS operating system and uses the ORACLE database management system and DEC/FMS (the Forms Management System). ADAMS can be run from any VAX connected via DECnet to the ORACLE host VAX. The ADAMS system is designed for simplicity, so interactions within the underlying data management system and communications network are hidden from the user.

Conrad, C. L.↗

Solar Flares and Coronal Physics Using P/OF as a Research Tool

This NASA Conference Publication contains the proceedings of the Workshop on Solar High-Resolution Astrophysics Using the Pinhole/Occulter Facility held at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama, on May 8 to 10, 1985. These proceedings include primarily the invited tutorial papers, extended abstracts of contributed poster papers, and summaries of subpanel (X-Ray and Coronal Physics) discussions. Both observational and theoretical results are presented. Although the emphasis of the Workshop was focused primarily on topics peculiar to solar physics, one paper is included that discusses the P/0F as a tool for X-ray astronomy.

Tandberg, E.↗

Program status

The Pilot Climate Data System (PCDS) was designed to support a variety of users that have been arbitrarily categorized into four groups: researchers, data producers, occasional users, and management. The expanding capabilities of the system are attracting the attention of both academic and other scientific institutions worldwide. Highlighted by progress in networking capabilities, hardware acquisitions, software developments, data set additions, and tutorial developments, exciting advances have taken place since the First PCDS Workshop. In the plans for the 1986 fiscal year, recommendations from an ad hoc users' group meeting in May 1985 and from the First PCDS workshop are apparent. This year's plans are listed, along with comments made at the users' group meeting. Although the PCDS is presently considered to be in a developmental phase, plans for making the transition to an operational phase are being implemented.

Smith, P.↗

Search and retrieval of office files using dBASE 3

Described is a method of automating the office files retrieval process using a commercially available software package (dBASE III). The resulting product is a menu-driven computer program which requires no computer skills to operate. One part of the document is written for the potential user who has minimal computer experience and uses sample menu screens to explain the program; while a second part is oriented towards the computer literate individual and includes rather detailed descriptions of the methodology and search routines. Although much of the programming techniques are explained, this document is not intended to be a tutorial on dBASE III. It is hoped that the document will serve as a stimulus for other applications of dBASE III.

Breazeale, W. L.↗