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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 109 records · Page 6

Using Life-Cycle Human Factors Engineering to Avoid $2.4 Million in Costs: Lessons Learned from NASA's Requirements Verification Process for Space Payloads

The Human Factors Implementation Team (HFIT) process has been used to verify human factors requirements for NASA International Space Station (ISS) payloads since 2003, resulting in $2.4 million in avoided costs. This cost benefit has been realized by greatly reducing the need to process time-consuming formal waivers (exceptions) for individual requirements violations. The HFIT team, which includes astronauts and their technical staff, acts as the single source for human factors requirements integration of payloads. HFIT has the authority to provide inputs during early design phases, thus eliminating many potential requirements violations in a cost-effective manner. In those instances where it is not economically or technically feasible to meet the precise metric of a given requirement, HFIT can work with the payload engineers to develop common sense solutions and formally document that the resulting payload design does not materially affect the astronaut s ability to operate and interact with the payload. The HFIT process is fully ISO 9000 compliant and works concurrently with NASA s formal systems engineering work flow. Due to its success with payloads, the HFIT process is being adapted and extended to ISS systems hardware. Key aspects of this process are also being considered for NASA's Space Shuttle replacement, the Crew Exploration Vehicle.

Carr, Daniel↗

Tools to Support Human Factors and Systems Engineering Interactions During Early Analysis

We describe an approach and existing software tool support for effective interactions between human factors engineers and systems engineers in early analysis activities during system acquisition. We examine the tasks performed during this stage, emphasizing those tasks where system engineers and human engineers interact. The Concept of Operations (ConOps) document is an important product during this phase, and particular attention is paid to its influences on subsequent acquisition activities. Understanding this influence helps ConOps authors describe a complete system concept that guides subsequent acquisition activities. We identify commonly used system engineering and human engineering tools and examine how they can support the specific tasks associated with system definition. We identify possible gaps in the support of these tasks, the largest of which appears to be creating the ConOps document itself. Finally, we outline the goals of our future empirical investigations of tools to support system concept definition.

Thronesbery, Carroll↗

Tools to Support Human Factors and Systems Engineering Interactions During Early Analysis

We describe an approach and existing software tool support for effective interactions between human factors engineers and systems engineers in early analysis activities during system acquisition. We examine the tasks performed during this stage, emphasizing those tasks where system engineers and human engineers interact. The Concept of Operations (ConOps) document is an important product during this phase, and particular attention is paid to its influences on subsequent acquisition activities. Understanding this influence helps ConOps authors describe a complete system concept that guides subsequent acquisition activities. We identify commonly used system engineering and human engineering tools and examine how they can support the specific tasks associated with system definition. We identify possible gaps in the support of these tasks, the largest of which appears to be creating the ConOps document itself. Finally, we outline the goals of our future empirical investigations of tools to support system concept definition.

Thronesbery, Carroll↗

The Open Source DataTurbine Initiative: Streaming Data Middleware for Environmental Observing Systems

The Open Source DataTurbine Initiative is an international community of scientists and engineers sharing a common interest in real-time streaming data middleware and applications. The technology base of the OSDT Initiative is the DataTurbine open source middleware. Key applications of DataTurbine include coral reef monitoring, lake monitoring and limnology, biodiversity and animal tracking, structural health monitoring and earthquake engineering, airborne environmental monitoring, and environmental sustainability. DataTurbine software emerged as a commercial product in the 1990 s from collaborations between NASA and private industry. In October 2007, a grant from the USA National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Cyberinfrastructure allowed us to transition DataTurbine from a proprietary software product into an open source software initiative. This paper describes the DataTurbine software and highlights key applications in environmental monitoring.

Fountain T.↗

Updated Stagnation Point Aeroheating Correlations for Mars Entry

The objective of this work was to develop new engineering correlations for stagnation point aeroheating for Mars entry vehicles. New convective and radiative heating relations have been formulated over a wide range of entry conditions. These relations have been formulated using information from recent experimental testing and modeling enhancements. The new correlations are compared to existing relations commonly used in engineering design and analysis. Finally the correlations are tested by applying them to the Mars Pathfinder entry trajectory to demonstrate their applicability. These new correlations are a significant improvement over existing relations in terms of the accuracy, domain of applicability, and the captured physics.

Brandis, A. M.↗

A Process for Design Engineering

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design Engineering Technical Committee has developed a draft Design Engineering Process with the participation of the technical community. This paper reviews similar engineering activities, lays out common terms for the life cycle and proposes a Design Engineering Process.

engineering process↗

Flight Test Engineering

Although the scope of flight test engineering efforts may vary among organizations, all point to a common theme: flight test engineering is an interdisciplinary effort to test an asset in its operational flight environment. Upfront planning where design, implementation, and test efforts are clearly aligned with the flight test objective are keys to success. This chapter provides a top level perspective of flight test engineering for the non-expert. Additional research and reading on the topic is encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of specific considerations involved in each phase of flight test engineering.

planning↗

Tone generation by rotor-downstream strut interaction

A JT15D fan stage was acoustically tested in the NASA Lewis anechoic chamber as part of the joint Lewis-Langley Research Center investigation of flight simulation techniques and flight effects using the JT15D engine as a common test vehicle. Suspected rotor-downstream support strut interaction was confirmed through the use of simulated support struts which were tested at three axial rotor-strut spacings. Tests were also performed with the struts removed. Inlet boundary layer suction in conjuction with an inflow control device was also explored. The removal of the boundary layer reduced the fan fundamental tone levels suggesting that the mounting and mating of such a device to the nacelle requires careful attention. With the same inflow control device installed good acoustic agreement was shown between the engine on an outdoor test stand and the fan in the anechoic chamber.

Woodward, R. P.↗

Tone generation by rotor-downstream strut interaction

A JT15D fan stage was acoustically tested in the NASA Lewis anechoic chamber as part of the joint Lewis-Langley Research Center investigation of flight simulation techniques and flight effects using the JT15D engine as a common test vehicle. Suspected rotor-downstream support strut interaction was confirmed through the use of simulated support struts which were tested at three axial rotor-strut spacings. Tests were also performed with the struts removed. Inlet boundary layer suction in conjunction with an inflow control device was also explored. The removal of the boundary layer reduced the fan fundamental tone levels suggesting that the mounting and mating of such a device to the nacelle requires careful attention. With the same inflow control device installed good acoustic agreement was shown between the engine on an outdoor test stand and the fan in the anechoic chamber.

Woodward, R. P.↗

Methodology for Examining the Operator and the System Concurrently: Pilot Interaction with Automation

Complex system description is problematic when considering operator task activities interacting with system dynamics. Engineering languages have matured sufficiently to allow machine system description at various levels of depth and breadth but without operator synergy. Concurrently, Task Analysis methods have evolved along diverse lines enabling a description of the operator in the system from various paradigms but not describing the system. A void exists when attempting to view the system and the operator in the same plane. We propose a methodology employing descriptive languages from different domains viewed in a single dimension. Finite Automata (FA) languages describe the machine system in the proposed approach. Operator task specifications, a form of task analysis output, examine the operator activities within the system. Operator task specifications were then selected for discrete task activities and overlaid on the system description to examine operator inputs and subsequently view system responses. Unexpected (surprise) and undesirable system behavior was expected to emerge from this analysis. In this paper we shall first describe the methodology and show how the two perspectives, machine model and operator task specifications are integrated. Following we describe the process of doing such analysis using an example from cockpit automation. The methodology was employed in the analysis of a new function that was added to an existing automatic flight control system. We begin by defining a flight scenario involving all aspects of pilot interaction with the new function. Then, we proceed to develop a basic model of the machine behavior, in the context of pilot actions. Finally we superimpose the operator task specification on the machine model and perform the analysis. The proposed methodology may have broad appeal to system designers and human factors specialists. A common language for engineers of diverse domains is a strong point of this approach. Systems engineers may not fully understand operational considerations and human limitations, and human factors specialists may not be exposed to the full extent of system behavior. We hope the proposed methodology is adopted by both disciplines and in the process each assimilates a common language to address potential shortcomings of either approach separately.

Austin, David↗

Self-Scheduling Parallel Methods for Multiple Serial Codes with Application to WOPWOP

This paper presents a scheme for efficiently running a large number of serial jobs on parallel computers. Two examples are given of computer programs that run relatively quickly, but often they must be run numerous times to obtain all the results needed. It is very common in science and engineering to have codes that are not massive computing challenges in themselves, but due to the number of instances that must be run, they do become large-scale computing problems. The two examples given here represent common problems in aerospace engineering: aerodynamic panel methods and aeroacoustic integral methods. The first example simply solves many systems of linear equations. This is representative of an aerodynamic panel code where someone would like to solve for numerous angles of attack. The complete code for this first example is included in the appendix so that it can be readily used by others as a template. The second example is an aeroacoustics code (WOPWOP) that solves the Ffowcs Williams Hawkings equation to predict the far-field sound due to rotating blades. In this example, one quite often needs to compute the sound at numerous observer locations, hence parallelization is utilized to automate the noise computation for a large number of observers.

Long, Lyle N.↗

Rocket Engine Nozzle Side Load Transient Analysis Methodology: A Practical Approach

At the sea level, a phenomenon common with all rocket engines, especially for a highly over-expanded nozzle, during ignition and shutdown is that of flow separation as the plume fills and empties the nozzle, Since the flow will be separated randomly. it will generate side loads, i.e. non-axial forces. Since rocket engines are designed to produce axial thrust to power the vehicles, it is not desirable to be excited by non-axial input forcing functions, In the past, several engine failures were attributed to side loads. During the development stage, in order to design/size the rocket engine components and to reduce the risks, the local dynamic environments as well as dynamic interface loads have to be defined. The methodology developed here is the way to determine the peak loads and shock environments for new engine components. In the past it is not feasible to predict the shock environments, e.g. shock response spectra, from one engine to the other, because it is not scaleable. Therefore, the problem has been resolved and the shock environments can be defined in the early stage of new engine development. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Shi, John J.↗

Thermophysical properties of helium-4 from 4 to 3000 R with pressures to 15000 psia

Data on many of the properties of helium commonly used in engineering calculations are compiled over as wide a temperature and pressure range as is practical. These properties are presented in a form which is convenient to the engineer. All of these properties have been critically evaluated and represent the best values for that property at this time.

Mccarty, R. D.↗

Pin-loaded holes in large orthotropic plates

Pin-loaded holes commonly occur in engineering structures. However, accurate analysis of such holes presents formidable difficulties because of the load-dependent contact of the pin with the plate. Significant progress has recently been achieved in the analysis of holes in isotropic plates. This paper develops a simple and accurate method for the partial contact analysis of pin-loaded holes in composites. The method is based on an inverse formulation that seeks to determine loads in a given contact-separation configuration. A unified approach for all types of fit was used. Continuum solutions were obtained for infinitely large plates of various typical orthotropic properties with holes loaded by smooth rigid pins. These solutions were then compared with those for isotropic plates. The effects of orthotropy and the type of fit were studied through load-contact relationships, distribution of stresses and displacements, and their variation with load. The results are of direct relevance to the analysis and design of pin joints in composite plates.

Mangalgiri, P. D.↗

Molten salt corrosion of SiC and Si3N4

Industrial systems such as heat engines and heat exchangers involve harsh environments. The structural materials are subjected to high temperatures as well as corrosive gases and condensed phases. Past experience with metal alloys has shown that these condensed phases can be particularly corrosive and are often the limiting factor in the operation of these systems. In a heat engine the most common condensed corrodent is Na2SO4 whereas in a heat exchanger an oxide slag may be present. The primary emphasis is on Na2SO4 induced corrosion, however, similarities and differences to oxide slag are also discussed. The extensive research on corrosion of metal alloys has led to understanding and controlling corrosion for these materials. Currently silicon based ceramics are prime candidates for the applications discussed. Therefore it is important to understand the effects of condensed phase deposits on this emerging class of high temperature materials. Both the thermodynamic and strength of the ceramic is also examined. Finally some control strategies for corrosion of silicon based ceramics are explored.

Jacobson, Nathan S.↗

Integrated approach for active coupling of structures and fluids

Strong coupling of structure and fluids is common in many engineering environments, particularly when the flow is nonlinear and very sensitive to structural motions. Such coupling can give rise to physically important phenomena, such as a dip in the transonic flutter boundary of a wing. The coupled phenomenon can be analyzed in closed form for simple cases that are defined by linear structural and fluid equations of motion. However, complex cases defined by nonlinear equations pose a more difficult task for solution. It is important to understand these nonlinear coupled problems, since they may lead to physically important new phenomena. Flow discontinuities, such as a shock wave, and structural discontinuities, such as a hinge line of a control surface of a wing, can magnify the coupled effects and give rise to new phenomena. To study such a strongly coupled phenomenon, an integrated approach is presented in this paper. The aerodynamic and structural equations of motion are simultaneously integrated by a time-accurate numerical scheme. The theoretical simulation is done using the time-accurate unsteady transonic aerodynamic equations coupled with modal structural equations of motion. As an example, the coupled effect of shock waves and hinge-line discontinuities are studied for aeroelastically flexible wings with active control surfaces. The simulation in this study is modeled in the time domain and can be extended to simulate accurately other systems where fluids and structures are strongly coupled.

Guruswamy, Guru P.↗

Calculating Masses, Densities, And Compositions Of Alloys

Metallurgical Programs include three simple programs calculating solutions to problems common to metallurgical engineers and persons making metal castings. First program calculates mass of binary ideal mixture (alloy). Second, calculates densities of binary ideal mixture. Third, converts atomic percentages of binary mixture to weight percentages. Uses simple equations to assist with routine calculations. Written in Microsoft QuickBASIC.

De Groh, H.↗