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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 937 records · Page 52

Performance deterioration due to acceptance testing and flight loads; JT90 jet engine diagnostic program

The results of a flight loads test of the JT9D-7 engine are presented. The goals of this test program were to: measure aerodynamic and inertia loads on the engine during flight, explore the effects of airplane gross weight and typical maneuvers on these flight loads, simultaneously measure the changes in engine running clearances and performance resulting from the maneuvers, make refinements of engine performance deterioration prediction models based on analytical results of the tests, and make recommendations to improve propulsion system performance retention. The test program included a typical production airplane acceptance test plus additional flights and maneuvers to encompass the range of flight loads in revenue service. The test results indicated that aerodynamic loads, primarily at take-off, were the major cause of rub-indicated that aerodynamic loads, primarily at take-off, were the major cause of rub-induced deterioration in the cold sectin of the engine. Differential thermal expansion between rotating and static parts plus aerodynamic loads combined to cause blade-to-seal rubs in the turbine.

Olsson, W. J.↗

Development of a Raman lidar simulation tool

Raman Lidar is a useful and powerful tool for remote probing of the atmosphere. With Raman Lidars, one can accurately determine the identity and concentration of a particular molecular specie present in the atmosphere. We present the results from a program to develop a simulation capability of Raman Lidar systems for the remote detection of atmospheric gases and/or air polluting hydrocarbons. Our model, which integrates remote Raman spectroscopy with SPARTA's BACKSCAT atmospheric lidar simulation package, permits accurate determination of the performance of a Raman Lidar system. The accuracy with which our model operates is due to the accurate calculation, at any given excitation wavelength, of the differential scattering cross section for the molecular specie under investigation. We show excellent correlation of our calculated cross section data with experimental data from the published literature. In addition, the use of our BACKSCAT package, which provides a user friendly environment to define the operating conditions, provides an accurate calculation of the atmospheric extinction at both the excitation and Raman shifted wavelengths. Our code can be used to accurately predict the performance of a Raman Lidar system, the concentration and identification of a specie in the atmosphere, or the feasibility of making Raman measurements.

Grasso, R. J.↗

Modelling a single phase voltage controlled rectifier using Laplace transforms

The development of a 20 kHz, AC power system by NASA for large space projects has spurred a need to develop models for the equipment which will be used on these single phase systems. To date, models for the AC source (i.e., inverters) have been developed. It is the intent of this paper to develop a method to model the single phase voltage controlled rectifiers which will be attached to the AC power grid as an interface for connected loads. A modified version of EPRI's HARMFLO program is used as the shell for these models. The results obtained from the model developed in this paper are quite adequate for the analysis of problems such as voltage resonance. The unique technique presented in this paper uses the Laplace transforms to determine the harmonic content of the load current of the rectifier rather than a curve fitting technique. Laplace transforms yield the coefficient of the differential equations which model the line current to the rectifier directly.

Kraft, L. Alan↗

SAR terrain classifier and mapper of biophysical attributes

In preparation for the launch of SIR-C/X-SAR and design studies for future orbital SAR, a program has made considerable progress in the development of an SAR terrain classifier and algorithms for quantification of biophysical attributes. The goal of this program is to produce a generalized software package for terrain classification and estimation of biophysical attributes and to make this package available to the larger scientific community. The basic elements of the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) terrain classifier are outlined. An SAR image is calibrated with respect to known system and processor gains and external targets (if available). A Level 1 classifier operates on the data to differentiate: urban features, surfaces and tall and short vegetation. Level 2 classifiers further subdivide these classes on the basis of structure. Finally, biophysical and geophysical inversions are applied to each class to estimate attributes of interest. The process used to develop the classifiers and inversions is shown. Radar scattering models developed from theory and from empirical data obtained by truck-mounted polarimeters and the JPL AirSAR are validated. The validated models are used in sensitivity studies to understand the roles of various scattering sources (i.e., surface trunk, branches, etc.) in determining net backscatter. Model simulations of sigma (sup o) as functions of the wave parameters (lambda, polarization and angle of incidence) and the geophysical and biophysical attributes are used to develop robust classifiers. The classifiers are validated using available AirSAR data sets. Specific estimators are developed for each class on the basis of the scattering models and empirical data sets. The candidate algorithms are tested with the AirSAR data sets. The attributes of interest include: total above ground biomass, woody biomass, soil moisture and soil roughness.

Ulaby, Fawwaz T.↗

Differential response of the photosynthetic machinery to dehydration in older and younger resurrection plants

Abstract A group of vascular plants called homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plants evolved unique capabilities to protect their photosynthetic machinery against desiccation-induced damage. This study examined whether the ontogenetic status of the resurrection plant Craterostigma pumilum has an impact on how the plant responds to dehydration at the thylakoid membrane level to prepare cells for the desiccated state. Thus, younger plants (<4 months) were compared with their older (>6 months) counterparts. Ultrastructural analysis provided evidence that younger plants suppressed senescence-like programs that are realized in older plants. During dehydration, older plants degrade specific subunits of the photosynthetic apparatus such as the D1 subunit of PSII and subunits of the cytochrome b6f complex. The latter leads to a controlled down-regulation of linear electron transport. In contrast, younger plants increased photoprotective high-energy quenching mechanisms and maintained a high capability to replace damaged D1 subunits. It follows that depending on the ontogenetic state, either more degradation-based or more photoprotective mechanisms are employed during dehydration of Craterostigma pumilum.

Plant Sciences↗

The CMC:3DPNS computer program for prediction of three-dimensional, subsonic, turbulent aerodynamic juncture region flow. Volume 1: Theoretical

An order-of-magnitude analysis of the subsonic three dimensional steady time averaged Navier-Stokes equations, for semibounded aerodynamic juncture geometries, yields the parabolic Navier-Stokes simplification. The numerical solution of the resultant pressure Poisson equation is cast into complementary and particular parts, yielding an iterative interaction algorithm with an exterior three dimensional potential flow solution. A parabolic transverse momentum equation set is constructed, wherein robust enforcement of first order continuity effects is accomplished using a penalty differential constraint concept within a finite element solution algorithm. A Reynolds stress constitutive equation, with low turbulence Reynolds number wall functions, is employed for closure, using parabolic forms of the two-equation turbulent kinetic energy-dissipation equation system. Numerical results document accuracy, convergence, and utility of the developed finite element algorithm, and the CMC:3DPNS computer code applied to an idealized wing-body juncture region. Additional results document accuracy aspects of the algorithm turbulence closure model.

Baker, A. J.↗

Gibberellins and gravitropism in maize shoots: endogenous gibberellin-like substances and movement and metabolism of [3H]Gibberellin A20

[3H]Gibberellin A20 (GA20) of high specific radioactivity (49.9 gigabecquerel per millimole) was applied equilaterally in a ring of microdrops to the internodal pulvinus of shoots of 3-week-old gravistimulated and vertical normal maize (Zea mays L.), and to a pleiogravitropic (prostrate) maize mutant, lazy (la). All plants converted the [3H]GA20 to [3H]GA1- and [3H]GA29-like metabolites as well as to several metabolites with the partitioning and chromatographic behavior of glucosyl conjugates of [3H]GA1, [3H]GA29, and [3H]GA8. The tentative identification of these putative [3H]GA glucosyl conjugates was further supported by the release of the free [3H]GA moiety after cleavage with cellulase. Within 12 hours of the [3H]GA20 feed, there was a significantly higher proportion of total radioactivity in lower than in upper halves of internode and leaf sheath pulvini in gravistimulated normal maize. Further, there was a significantly higher proportion of putative free GA metabolites of [3H]GA20, especially [3H]GA1, in the lower halves of normal maize relative to upper halves. The differential localization of the metabolites between upper and lower halves was not apparent in the pleiogravitropic mutant, la. Endogenous GA-like substances were also examined in gravistimulated maize shoots. Forty-eight hours after gravistimulation of 3-week-old maize seedlings, endogenous free GA-like substances in upper and lower leaf sheath and internode pulvini halves were extracted, chromatographed, and bioassayed using the "Tanginbozu" dwarf rice microdrop assay. Lower halves contained consistently higher total levels of GA-like activity. The qualitative elution profile of GA-like substances differed consistently, upper halves containing principally a GA20-like substance and lower halves containing principally a GA20-like substance and lower halves containing mainly GA1-like and GA19-like substances. Gibberellins A1 (10 nanograms per gram) and A20 (5 nanograms per gram) were identified from these lower leaf sheath pulvini by capillary gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring. Results from all of these experiments are consistent with a role for GAs in the differential shoot growth that follows gravitropism, although the results do not eliminate the possibility that the redistribution of GAs results from the gravitropic response.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

Position Papers for the ASCR Workshop on Cybersecurity and Privacy for Scientific Computing Ecosystems

At the request of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), this program committee has been tasked with organizing a workshop to identify basic research needs in cybersecurity and privacy to better support DOE's science and energy mission. As part of the process, the program committee is soliciting community input in the form of position papers to help identify significant use cases, facility issues, and other barriers to enabling verifiably trustworthy computational science while preserving data confidentiality as appropriate for scientific workflows of interest to DOE. The program committee will review these position papers and based on the fit of their area of expertise and interest, selected contributors will have the opportunity to participate in the workshop currently planned as a virtual event November 3-5th, 2021. The thrust areas that will be explored by this workshop are the following: (1) Algorithms for secure, scalable, privacy-enhancing technologies and frameworks, including: Federated AI/ML, Differential privacy, Randomized algorithms, Adversarial modeling & simulation, Graph algorithms, and Formal methods; (2) Platforms to support the entire scientific-computing ecosystem, including edge computing for large-scale experiments, focusing on heterogeneous systems and distributed systems, including: Heterogeneous computing systems, Distributed computing systems, and Secure data architectures; and (3) Data workflows to allow agile use of data while preserving integrity and privacy, making the important properties verifiable either at runtime or post-computation, including: Integrity and provenance and Data management infrastructure. Topics that are out-of-scope for the workshop include discussing specific proposed solutions or areas that are clearly out of DOE's fundamental and applied-sciences mission scope, e.g., cryptography, enterprise security, and general-operations technology.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Experimental feasibility of investigating acoustic waves in Couette flow with entropy and pressure gradients

The feasibility is discussed for an experimental program for studying the behavior of acoustic wave propagation in the presence of strong gradients of pressure, temperature, and flow. Theory suggests that gradients effects can be experimentally observed as resonant frequency shifts and mode shape changes in a waveguide. A convenient experimental geometry for such experiments is the annular region between two co-rotating cylinders. Radial temperature gradients in a spinning annulus can be generated by differentially heating the two cylinders via electromagnetic induction. Radial pressure gradients can be controlled by varying the cylinder spin rates. Present technology appears adequate to construct an apparatus to allow independent control of temperature and pressure gradients. A complicating feature of a more advanced experiment, involving flow gradients, is the requirement for independently controlled cylinder spin rates. Also, the boundary condition at annulus terminations must be such that flow gradients are minimally disturbed. The design and construction of an advanced apparatus to include flow gradients will require additional technology development.

Parrott, Tony L.↗

Transfer Functions Via Laplace- And Fourier-Borel Transforms

Approach to solution of nonlinear ordinary differential equations involves transfer functions based on recently-introduced Laplace-Borel and Fourier-Borel transforms. Main theorem gives transform of response of nonlinear system as Cauchy product of transfer function and transform of input function of system, together with memory effects. Used to determine responses of electrical circuits containing variable inductances or resistances. Also possibility of doing all noncommutative algebra on computers in such symbolic programming languages as Macsyma, Reduce, PL1, or Lisp. Process of solution organized and possibly simplified by algebraic manipulations reducing integrals in solutions to known or tabulated forms.

Can, Sumer↗

Alleviation of whirl-flutter on a joined-wing tilt-rotor aircraft configuration using active controls

The feasibility of using active controls to delay the onset of whirl-flutter on a joined-wing tilt rotor aircraft was investigated. The CAMRAD/JA code was used to obtain a set of linear differential equations which describe the motion of the joined-wing tilt-rotor aircraft. The hub motions due to wing/body motion is a standard input to CAMRAD/JA and were obtained from a structural dynamics model of a representative joined-wing tilt-rotor aircraft. The CAMRAD/JA output, consisting of the open-loop system matrices, and the airframe free vibration motion were input to a separate program which performed the closed-loop, active control calculations. An eigenvalue analysis was performed to determine the flutter stability of both open- and closed-loop systems. Sensor models, based upon the feedback of pure state variables and based upon hub-mounted sensors, providing physically measurable accelerations, were evaluated. It was shown that the onset of tilt-rotor whirl-flutter could be delayed from 240 to above 270 knots by feeding back vertical and span-wise accelerations, measured at the rotor hub, to the longitudinal cyclic pitch. Time response calculations at a 270-knot cruise condition showed an active cyclic pitch control level of 0.009 deg, which equates to a very acceptable 9 pound active-control force applied at the rotor hub.

Vanaken, Johannes M.↗

XV-15 Tiltrotor Low Noise Approach Operations

Acoustic data have been acquired for the XV- 15 tiltrotor aircraft performing approach operations for a variety of different approach profile configurations. This flight test program was conducted jointly by NASA, the U.S. Army, and Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (BHTI) in June 1997. The XV-15 was flown over a large area microphone array, which was deployed to directly measure the noise footprint produced during actual approach operations, The XV- 15 flew realistic approach profiles that culminated in IGE hover over a landing pad. Aircraft tracking and pilot guidance was provided by a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and a flight director system developed at BHTT. Approach profile designs emphasized noise reduction while maintaining handling qualities sufficient for tiltrotor commercial passenger ride comfort and flight safety under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions. A discussion of the approach profile design philosophy is provided. Five different approach profiles are discussed in detail -- 3deg., 6 deg., and 9 deg. approaches, and two very different 3 deg. to 9 deg. segmented approaches. The approach profile characteristics are discussed in details, followed by the noise footprints and handling qualities. Sound exposure levels are also presented on an averaged basis and as a function of the sideline distance for a number of up-range distances from the landing point. A comparison of the noise contour areas is also provided. The results document the variation in tiltrotor noise due to changes in operating condition, and indicate the potential for significant noise reduction using the unique tiltrotor capability of nacelle tilt.

Conner, David↗

Session on High Speed Civil Transport Design Capability Using MDO and High Performance Computing

Since the inception of CAS in 1992, NASA Langley has been conducting research into applying multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) and high performance computing toward reducing aircraft design cycle time. The focus of this research has been the development of a series of computational frameworks and associated applications that increased in capability, complexity, and performance over time. The culmination of this effort is an automated high-fidelity analysis capability for a high speed civil transport (HSCT) vehicle installed on a network of heterogeneous computers with a computational framework built using Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and Java. The main focus of the research in the early years was the development of the Framework for Interdisciplinary Design Optimization (FIDO) and associated HSCT applications. While the FIDO effort was eventually halted, work continued on HSCT applications of ever increasing complexity. The current application, HSCT4.0, employs high fidelity CFD and FEM analysis codes. For each analysis cycle, the vehicle geometry and computational grids are updated using new values for design variables. Processes for aeroelastic trim, loads convergence, displacement transfer, stress and buckling, and performance have been developed. In all, a total of 70 processes are integrated in the analysis framework. Many of the key processes include automatic differentiation capabilities to provide sensitivity information that can be used in optimization. A software engineering process was developed to manage this large project. Defining the interactions among 70 processes turned out to be an enormous, but essential, task. A formal requirements document was prepared that defined data flow among processes and subprocesses. A design document was then developed that translated the requirements into actual software design. A validation program was defined and implemented to ensure that codes integrated into the framework produced the same results as their standalone counterparts. Finally, a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) configuration management system was used to organize the software development. A computational environment, CJOPT, based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, CORBA, and the Java programming language has been developed as a framework for multidisciplinary analysis and Optimization. The environment exploits the parallelisms inherent in the application and distributes the constituent disciplines on machines best suited to their needs. In CJOpt, a discipline code is "wrapped" as an object. An interface to the object identifies the functionality (services) provided by the discipline, defined in Interface Definition Language (IDL) and implemented using Java. The results of using the HSCT4.0 capability are described. A summary of lessons learned is also presented. The use of some of the processes, codes, and techniques by industry are highlighted. The application of the methodology developed in this research to other aircraft are described. Finally, we show how the experience gained is being applied to entirely new vehicles, such as the Reusable Space Transportation System. Additional information is contained in the original.

Rehder, Joe↗

Stress Measurement System

Under the Aircraft Structural Integrity program, Langley Research Center and Stress Photonics developed an infrared-based stress measurement system for use in nondestructive evaluation of materials and structures. Stress Photonics commercialized the technology in the DeltaTherm 1000 system, used to compare designs and detect cracks in structures, especially for aging aircraft and bridges. The system combines digital signal processing technology with a special infrared camera to provide instantaneous thermal images and live differential images.

Source record↗

XV-15 Tiltrotor Low Noise Approach Operations

Acoustic data have been acquired for the XV-15 tiltrotor aircraft performing approach operations for a variety of different approach profile configurations. This flight test program was conducted jointly by NASA, the U.S. Army, and Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (BHTI) in June 1997. The XV-15 was flown over a large area microphone array, which was deployed to directly measure the noise footprint produced during actual approach operations. The XV-15 flew realistic approach profiles that culminated in IGE hover over a landing pad. Aircraft tracking and pilot guidance was provided by a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and a flight director system developed at BHTI. Approach profile designs emphasized noise reduction while maintaining handling qualities sufficient for tiltrotor commercial passenger ride comfort and flight safety under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions. A discussion of the approach profile design philosophy is provided. Five different approach profiles are discussed in detail -- 3 deg., 6 deg., and 9 deg. approaches, and two very different 3 deg. to 9 deg. segmented approaches. The approach profile characteristics are discussed in detail, followed by the noise footprints and handling qualities. Sound exposure levels are also presented on an averaged basis and as a function of the sideline distance for a number of up-range distances from the landing point. A comparison of the noise contour areas is also provided. The results document the variation in tiltrotor noise due to changes in operating condition, and indicate the potential for significant noise reduction using the unique tiltrotor capability of nacelle tilt.

Conner, David A.↗

Managing time-substitutable electricity usage using dynamic controls

A predictive-control approach allows an electricity provider to monitor and proactively manage peak and off-peak residential intra-day electricity usage in an emerging smart energy grid using time-dependent dynamic pricing incentives. The daily load is modeled as time-shifted, but cost-differentiated and substitutable, copies of the continuously-consumed electricity resource, and a consumer-choice prediction model is constructed to forecast the corresponding intra-day shares of total daily load according to this model. This is embedded within an optimization framework for managing the daily electricity usage. A series of transformations are employed, including the reformulation-linearization technique (RLT) to obtain a Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model representation of the resulting nonlinear optimization problem. In addition, various regulatory and pricing constraints are incorporated in conjunction with the specified profit and capacity utilization objectives.

Ghosh, Soumyadip↗

cppTPSA/pyTPSA: a C++/Python package for truncated power series algebra

The truncated power series algebra (TPSA), also referred to as differential algebra (DA), is a well-established and widely used method in particle accelerator physics and astronomy. The most straightforward usage of TPSA/DA is to calculate the Taylor expansion of a given function at a specific point up to order ?. In recent years, as the application of TPSA/TA has been extended to other fields, a reusable implementation of TPSA/DA as a modern C++ library or other high level programming language like Python has become desirable. The cppTPSA package implements TPSA/DA in C++11 and provides developers a convenient library with which to build advanced TPSA/DA-based methods. A Python 3 library, pyTPSA, has also been developed based on the C++ lib.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The importance of phonon spectrum measurements for accurate prediction of thermal scattering laws [Slides]

Although approximate phonon spectra (e.g. Debye model) are sufficient to reproduce integral quantities (e.g. total INS cross section) in reasonable agreement with the measured data, more accurate phonon spectra are needed to achieve agreement with the differential data. SANS component is essential for reproducing the total scattering cross section; this is the case for nanodiamonds and other materials where SANS components are present (such as porous materials like nuclear graphite). A format proposal for SANS data in ENDF or GNDS is needed. Therefore, differential (e.g. phonon spectrum) and integral (e.g. total cross section) measurements are necessary in the process of creating an ENDF evaluation. We have successfully developed a method by which ENDF evaluations can be directly compared to the relevant experimentally measured quantities. INS experiments at SNS, ILL, ISIS, and, in the future, ESS, as well as total cross section measurements at the VESUVIO instrument at ISIS, are accessible through user programs.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗