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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

Real-time measurement of ice growth during simulated and natural icing conditions using ultrasonic pulse-echo techniques

Results of tests to measure ice accretion in real-time using ultrasonic pulse-echo techniques are presented. Tests conducted on a 10.2 cm diameter cylinder exposed to simulated icing conditions in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel and on an 11.4 cm diameter cylinder exposed to natural icing conditions in flight are described. An accuracy of + or - 0.5 mm is achieved for real-time ice thickness measurements. Ice accretion rate is determined by differentiating ice thickness with respect to time. Icing rates measured during simulated and natural icing conditions are compared and related to icing cloud parameters. The ultrasonic signal characteristics are used to detect the presence of surface water on the accreting ice shape and thus to distinguish between dry ice growth and wet growth. The surface roughness of the accreted ice is shown to be related to the width of the echo signal received from the ice surface.

Hansman, R. J., Jr.↗

Parallel discrete event simulation: A shared memory approach

With traditional event list techniques, evaluating a detailed discrete event simulation model can often require hours or even days of computation time. Parallel simulation mimics the interacting servers and queues of a real system by assigning each simulated entity to a processor. By eliminating the event list and maintaining only sufficient synchronization to insure causality, parallel simulation can potentially provide speedups that are linear in the number of processors. A set of shared memory experiments is presented using the Chandy-Misra distributed simulation algorithm to simulate networks of queues. Parameters include queueing network topology and routing probabilities, number of processors, and assignment of network nodes to processors. These experiments show that Chandy-Misra distributed simulation is a questionable alternative to sequential simulation of most queueing network models.

Reed, Daniel A.↗

Flood-plain delineation using multispectral data analysis

The paper explores the application of a remote sensing technique that may permit the determination of flood-plain areas without the extensive work associated with existing techniques. Multispectral scanner data were simulated by utilizing the density differences in a color-infrared transparency for a section of the Navasota River, Texas. The transparency was taken from a low-flying aircraft and covered an area approximating a square mile. The simulated data were processed by an automatic classification technique previously developed in the remote sensing field. The technique used involves the application of the maximum likelihood rule in order to categorize the data being processed. An attempt was made to distinguish between areas known to be in the flood plain and those outside. A reasonabke correlation was found between boundaries based on computer-processed multispectral data and those produced by techniques currently in use.

Harker, G. R.↗

Stochastic prediction techniques for wind shear hazard assessment

The threat of low-altitude wind shear has prompted development of aircraft-based sensors that measure winds directly on the aircraft's intended flight path. Measurements from these devices are subject to turbulence inputs and measurement error, as well as to the underlying wind profile. Stochastic estimators are developed to process on-board Doppler sensor measurements, producing optimal estimates of the winds along the path. A stochastic prediction technique is described to predict the hazard to the aircraft from the estimates as well as the level of uncertainty of the hazard prediction. The stochastic prediction technique is demonstrated in a simulated microburst wind shear environment. Use of the technique in a decision-making process is discussed.

Stratton, D. A.↗

Medical Simulation Practices 2010 Survey Results

Medical Simulation Centers are an essential component of our learning infrastructure to prepare doctors and nurses for their careers. Unlike the military and aerospace simulation industry, very little has been published regarding the best practices currently in use within medical simulation centers. This survey attempts to provide insight into the current simulation practices at medical schools, hospitals, university nursing programs and community college nursing programs. Students within the MBA program at Saint Joseph's University conducted a survey of medical simulation practices during the summer 2010 semester. A total of 115 institutions responded to the survey. The survey resu~s discuss overall effectiveness of current simulation centers as well as the tools and techniques used to conduct the simulation activity

McCrindle, Jeffrey J.↗

Trends and Techniques for Space Base Electronics

Simulations of various phosphorus and boron diffusions in SOS were completed and a sputtering system, furnaces, and photolithography related equipment were set up. Double layer metal experiments initially utilized wet chemistry techniques. By incorporating ultrasonic etching of the vias, premetal cleaning a modified buffered HF, phosphorus doped vapox, and extended sintering, yields of 98% were obtained using the standard test pattern. A two dimensional modeling program was written for simulating short channel MOSFETs with nonuniform substrate doping. A key simplifying assumption used is that the majority carriers can be represented by a sheet charge at the silicon dioxide silicon interface. Although the program is incomplete, the two dimensional Poisson equation for the potential distribution was achieved. The status of other Z-D MOSFET simulation programs is summarized.

Trotter, J. D.↗

Simulation fidelity and numerosity effects in CDTI experimentation

Twenty pilot workload assessment techniques were compared using a simulated flying task in which three levels of psychomotor workload were imposed. The experiment was conducted in a three degree of freedom motion base simulator. Opinion measures, spare mental capacity measures, physiological measures, eye movement behavior and primary task performance measures were evaluated. The primary task was an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and landing. All measures were recorded between the outer and middle markers on the approach. Three levels of psychomotor load were obtained by the combined manipulation of wind gust disturbance level and simulated aircraft pitch stability. Six instrument rated general aviation pilots participated in the experiment. Cooper-Harper ratings, WCI/TE ratings, time estimation standard deviation, pulse rate mean, and control movements per unit time demonstrated sensitivity to psychomotor load. No intrusion into primary task performance was found that the sensitivities of workload estimation techniques vary widely, and that only a few techniques appear to be sensitive to psychomotor load.

Kreifeldt, J. G.↗

Validation of a real-time engineering simulation of the UH-60A helicopter

A real-time simulation of the UH-60A Black Hawk Helicopter based on the Sikorsky Gen Hel mathematical model is compared with flight test data and Sikorsky's nonreal-time computer program. An overview of the mathematical model is given, including a description of updates and expansion of the model by NASA. Also, real-time programming requirements and techniques are explained. The simulation displays very good agreement with flight test data and excellent with the nonreal-time program on which it is based. The large dedication of effort required to develop the real-time program suggests a need for development of generalized techniques for real-time simulation of high-fidelity physical models of rotorcraft.

Ballin, Mark G.↗

Performance evaluation using SYSTID time domain simulation

This paper reviews the SYSTID technique for performance evaluation of communication systems using time-domain computer simulation. An example program illustrates the language. The inclusion of both Gaussian and impulse noise models make accurate simulation possible in a wide variety of environments. A very flexible postprocessor makes possible accurate and efficient performance evaluation.

Tranter, W. H.↗

Laboratory simulation of cratering on small bodies

A new technique using external pressure was developed to simulate the lithostatic pressure due to self-gravity of small bodies. A 13-in. diameter cylindrical test chamber with L/D of 1 was fabricated to accommodate firing explosive charges with gas overpressures of up to 6000 psi. The chamber was hydrotested to 9000 psi. The method allows much larger scale factors that can be obtained with existing centrifuges and has the correct spherical geometry of self gravity. A simulant for jointed rock to be used in this fixture was developed using weakly cemented basalt. Various strength/pressure scaling theories can now be examined and tested.

Schmidt, Robert M.↗

Eliminating Computational Instability In Multibody Simulations

TWOBODY implements improved version of Lagrange multiplier method. Program ultilizes programming technique eliminating computational instability in multibody simulations in which Lagrange multipliers used. In technique, one uses constraint equations, instead of integration, to determine coordinates that are not independent. To illustrate technique, it includes simple mathematical model of solid rocket booster and parachute connected by frictionless swivel. Written in FORTRAN 77.

Watts, Gaines L.↗

Model Analysis of the Factors Regulating Trends and Variability of Methane, Carbon Monoxide and OH: 1. Model Validation

Methane (CH4) is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG). Its 100-year global warming potential (GWP) is 25 times larger than that for carbon dioxide. The 100-yr integrated GWP of CH4 is sensitive to changes in OH levels. Methane's atmospheric growth rate was estimated to be more than 10 ppb yr(exp -1) in 1998 but less than zero in 2001, 2004 and 2005 (Kirschke et al., 2013). Since 2006, the CH4 is increasing again. This phenomena is yet not well understood. Oxidation of CH4 by OH is the main loss process, thus affecting the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere and contributing to the global ozone background. Current models typically use an annual cycle of offline OH fields to simulate CH4. The implemented OH fields in these models are typically tuned so that simulated CH4 growth rates match that measured. For future and climate simulations, the OH tuning technique may not be suitable. In addition, running full chemistry, multi-decadal CH4 simulations is a serious challenge and currently, due to computational intensity, almost impossible.

OH↗

Orbiter/payload proximity operations SES Postsim report. Lateral approach and other techniques

Various approach and stationkeeping simulations (proximity operations) were conducted in the Shuttle engineering simulator (SES). This simulator is the first to dynamically include the Orbiter reaction control system (RCS) plume effects on a payload being recovered after rendezvous operations. A procedure for braking, using the simultaneous firing of both jets, was evaluated and found very useful for proximity operations. However this procedure is very inefficient in the RCS usage and requires modifications to the digital autopilot (DAP) software. A new final approach, the lateral approach technique (LAT), or the momentum vector proximity approach, was also evaluated in the simulations. The LAT, which included a tailfirst approach for braking, was evaluated successfully with both inertial and gravity stabilized payloads.

Olszewski, O.↗

Solar Contamination in Extreme-precision Radial-velocity Measurements: Deleterious Effects and Prospects for Mitigation

Solar contamination, due to moonlight and atmospheric scattering of sunlight, can cause systematic errors in stellar radial velocity (RV) measurements that significantly detract from the ~10 cm/s sensitivity required for the detection and characterization of terrestrial exoplanets in or near habitable zones of Sun-like stars. The addition of low-level spectral contamination at variable effective velocity offsets introduces systematic noise when measuring velocities using classical mask-based or template-based cross-correlation techniques. Here we present simulations estimating the range of RV measurement error induced by uncorrected scattered sunlight contamination. We explore potential correction techniques, using both simultaneous spectrometer sky fibers and broadband imaging via coherent fiber imaging bundles, that could reliably reduce this source of error to below the photon-noise limit of typical stellar observations. We discuss the limitations of these simulations, the underlying assumptions, and mitigation mechanisms. We also present and discuss the components designed and built into the NEID (NN-EXPLORE Exoplanet Investigations with Doppler spectroscopy) precision RV instrument for the WIYN 3.5m telescope, to serve as an ongoing resource for the community to explore and evaluate correction techniques. We emphasize that while “bright time” has been traditionally adequate for RV science, the goal of 10 cm/s precision on the most interesting exoplanetary systems may necessitate access to darker skies for these next generation instruments.

Arpita Roy↗

A simulation system for Space Station extravehicular activity

A simulation program has been developed which addresses the human factors required to provide a crewmember with productive information during Space Station EVA. The operation of the voice recognition and control system and helmet-mounted projection display in the Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is reviewed. The features of the simulation program are discussed, including logic flow, information types, and the man-machine interface techniques used in the simulation program, voice recognizer, and helmet-mounted display.

Marmolejo, Jose A.↗