Space Technology Mission Directorate Game Changing Development Program - GCD Digital Operations and Transformation (DOT)
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Wade May↗
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Optical Fiber Sensors for Selective Detection of Acetylene Dissolved in Transformer Oil
TRAC Program Peer Review Meeting, ORNL, June 27-28, 2023.
Wuenschell, Jeffrey↗
Fast Fourier Transform algorithm design and tradeoffs
The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is a mainstay of certain numerical techniques for solving fluid dynamics problems. The Connection Machine CM-2 is the target for an investigation into the design of multidimensional Single Instruction Stream/Multiple Data (SIMD) parallel FFT algorithms for high performance. Critical algorithm design issues are discussed, necessary machine performance measurements are identified and made, and the performance of the developed FFT programs are measured. Fast Fourier Transform programs are compared to the currently best Cray-2 FFT program.
Kamin, Ray A., III↗
An astrophysics data program investigation of spatial structure of supernova remnants
The final report on astrophysics data program investigation of spatial structure of supernova remnants for the period 1 Aug. 1989 to 31 Jul. 1991 is presented. The goal of the project was the study of the spatial structure of supernova remnants (SNR's) as observed in the x-ray band. A number of software tools were developed for the analysis: (1) a program to fit various geometric models to high resolution x-ray data, and (2) programs for Fourier Transform analysis of clumping in SNR's. These programs were applied to high resolution imager (HRI) data on the young galactic SNR's Tycho and Kepler with some success.
Hughes, John P.↗
Strategic Research Partnerships for Exploration
NASA s Space Product Development Program has completed a significant transformation from an industry driven program focused on the commercial use of space, to a NASA space exploration driven program focused on providing research and technologies for space exploration through leveraged research partnerships. Initiated in 1985 under the NASA Office of Commercial Programs, the Space Product Development Program and associated Research Partnership Centers have worked with private industry to fulfill the NASA objective of ". . .enabling io the maximum extent possible the fullest commercial use of space." In 2001, the program began to place greater emphasis on dual use activities. In particular, those activities that enable commercial use of space, while at the Same time fulfill a NASA mission need. With the President s exploration, announcement in January 2004, the transformation of the Space Product Development program further focused on NASA exploration requirements. The Program s experience in successfully assisting industry with technology maturation is now being utilized by the Agency to affordably develop the technologies needed for sustainable human and robotic space exploration.
Nall, Mark↗
Data Locality Enhancement of Dynamic Simulations for Exascale Computing (Final Report)
The development of modern processors exhibits two trends that complicate the optimizations of modern software. The first is the increasing sensitivity of processors' throughput to irregularities in computation. With more processors produced through a massive integration of simple cores, future systems will increasingly favor regular data-level parallel computations, but deviate from the needs of applications with complex patterns. Some evidences are already shown on Graphic Processing Units (GPU): Irregular data accesses (e.g., indirect references A[D[i]]) and conditional branches are limiting many GPU applications' performance at a level an order of magnitude lower than the peak of GPU. The second hardware trend is the growing gap between memory bandwidth and the aggregate speed—that is, the sum of all cores' computing power—of a Chip Multiprocessor (CMP). Despite the capped growth of the peak CPU speed, the aggregate speed of a CMP keeps increasing as more cores get into a single chip. It is expected that by 2018, node concurrency in an exascale system will increase by hundreds of times, whereas, memory bandwidth will expand by only 10 to 20 times. Consequently, data movement and storage is expected to consume more than 70% of the total system power. Bridging this gap is difficult; the complexities of modern CMP memory hierarchy make it even harder: Data cache becomes shared among computing units, and the sharing is often non-uniform—whether two computing units share a cache depends on their proximity and the level of the cache. On the recent IBM Power7 architecture, for instance, four hardware contexts (or SMT threads) in a core share the entire memory hierarchy, all cores in one chip share an on-chip L3 cache, and cores across chips share L3 and main memory through off-chip connections. These two trends complicate the translation of computing power into performance, especially for a program with either intensive data accesses or complex patterns in data accesses or control flow paths. Unfortunately, both attributes present and will persist in a class of important applications. For instance, many scientific simulations deal with a large volume of data. And meanwhile, as most real-world processes are non-uniform and evolving (e.g., the evolution of a galaxy or the process of a drug injection), both the computations and data accesses of these programs tend to be irregular and dynamically changing. Currently, the lack of support to these applications on modern CMP severely limits their performance. On GPU, as our recent study shows and other studies echo, performance enhancement of a factor of integers is possible when memory accesses or control flows are streamlined for a set of GPU applications. On multicore CPU, our studies show that traditional locality enhancement, for being oblivious to the new features of multicore memory hierarchy, may even cause large slowdown to data-intensive dynamic applications. The severity of the issues is expected to worsen as the two hardware trends continue. Some recent studies try to match software with the trends, but in a limited scope or manner. For irregularities on GPU, most studies focus on irregularities analyzable through static analysis (e.g., data accesses in regular loops). Dynamic irregularities are harder to address because the needed analysis and transformations typically have to happen at run time. Some other research resorts to hardware extensions, an actual adoption of which is unclear for the entailed space cost and complexity. For data locality, recent years have seen some exploitations of the new memory hierarchy on multicore for performance, but most of them are on process or thread scheduling, rather than program transformations. Our recent study reveals that program-level transformations may magnify the scheduling benefits by a factor of seven, concluding that program-level transformation should play a central role for data locality enhancement on modern CMP. But research in this direction has been sparse, and most have focused on data layout or cache performance modeling, rather than program transformations to match with the new memory hierarchy features. Overall, it is still an open question how to bridge the gap between dynamic computations and the two prominent properties of modern processors. The goal of this project is to develop a set of techniques and software tools to enhance the matching between memory accesses in dynamic simulations and the prominent features of modern and future CMP, alleviating the memory performance issues for petascale and exascale computing. This report summarizes the discoveries and products produced throughout this project. It includes free launch, a new software approach to overcoming the shortcomings of both methods; coherence-free multiview, an approach that allows multiple views of a single data object to co-exist on GPU memory during a GPU kernel execution; algorithmic optimizations to data analytics problems, especially those that involve lots of distance calculations. Supporting dynamic parallelism is important for GPU to benefit a broad range of applications. There are currently two fundamental ways for programs to exploit dynamic parallelism on GPU: a software-based approach with software-managed worklists, and a hardware-based approach through dynamic subkernel launches. Neither is satisfactory. The former is complicated to program and is often subject to some load imbalance; the latter suffers large runtime overhead. In this work, we propose free launch, a new software approach to overcoming the shortcomings of both methods. It allows programmers to use subkernel launches to express dynamic parallelism. It employs a novel compiler-based code transformation named subkernel launch removal to replace the subkernel launches with the reuse of parent threads. Coupled with an adaptive task assignment mechanism, the transformation reassigns the tasks in the subkernels to the parent threads with a good load balance. The technique requires no hardware extensions, immediately deployable on existing GPUs. It keeps the programming convenience of the subkernel launch-based approach while avoiding its large runtime overhead. Meanwhile, its superior load balancing makes it outperform manual worklist-based techniques by 3X on average. The work was published at the 48th Annual IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Microarchitecture (Micro'2015). A Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) system is typically equipped with many types of memory (e.g., global, constant, texture, shared, cache). Data placement determines what data are placed on which type of memory, essential for GPU memory performance. Prior optimizations of data placement always require a single view of a data object on memory, which limits the optimization effectiveness. In this work, we propose coherence-free multiview, an approach that allows multiple views of a single data object to co-exist on GPU memory during a GPU kernel execution. We demonstrate that under certain conditions, the multiple views can remain incoherent while facilitating enhanced data placement. We present a theorem and some compiler support to ensure the soundness of the usage of coherence-free multiview. We further develop reference-discerning data placement, a new way to enhance data placements on GPU. It enables more flexible data placements by using coherence-free multiview to leverage the slack in coherence requirement of some GPU programs. Experiments on three types of GPU systems show that, with less than 200KB space cost, the new data placement technique can provide a 1.6X average (up to 4.27X) speedup. In addition, we have examined algorithmic optimizations to data analytics problems, especially those that involve lots of distance calculations. Computing distances among data points is an essential part of many important algorithms in data analytics, graph analysis, and other domains. In each of these domains, developers have spent significant manual effort optimizing algorithms, often through novel applications of the triangle equality, in order to minimize the number of distance computations in the algorithms. In this work, we observe that many algorithms across these domains can be generalized as an instance of a generic distance-related abstraction. Based on this abstraction, we derive seven principles for correctly applying the triangular inequality to optimize distance-related algorithms. Guided by the findings, we develop Triangular OPtimizer (TOP), the first software framework that is able to automatically produce optimized algorithms that either matches or outperforms manually designed algorithms for solving distance-related problems. TOP achieves up to 237x speedups and 2.5X on average. The work has been published at the 32nd International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML'15) and the 41st International Conference on Very Large Data Bases (VLDB'15).
42 ENGINEERING↗
Computer derivations of equations of motion in a general orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system using the Formac language
Non-numeric digital computer program using coordinate transformation in deriving equations of motion for particles in general orthogonal curvilinear system
DIGITAL COMPUTER↗
Aero-Propulsion Control Research in Support of NASA Aeronautics Research Strategic Thrusts
In the past few years, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) has introduced and updated a “New Blueprint for Transforming Global Aviation†. This blueprint consists of six NASA Aeronautics Research Strategic Thrusts â€" “The updated vision is designed to ensure that through NASA's aeronautical research the United States will maintain its leadership in the sky and sustain aviation so that it remains a key economic driver and cultural touchstone for the nation.†In mid-2016, technology development roadmaps were developed by ARMD for each of the strategic research thrusts and these roadmaps are continually being updated based on feedback from the broader aeronautics research community. The NASA Aeronautics research vision is implemented through a set of 4 programs â€" Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP), Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP), Integrated Aviation Systems Program (IASP), and Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program (TACP). The Intelligent Control and Autonomy Branch (ICAB) at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, is leading and participating in various projects in partnership with other organizations within GRC and across NASA, the U.S. aerospace industry, and academia to develop advanced controls and health management technologies for aero-propulsion systems that will help meet the goals of the ARMD programs. These efforts are primarily under the various projects under AAVP, AOSP, and TACP. The ICAB current research tasks in support of ARMD program are described in this paper. The paper provides motivation, background, technical approach and recent accomplishments for these tasks, as well as a couple of tasks completed in the previous fiscal year.
Propulsion Control↗
Development program of the 05-055 hydraulic transformer Final report
Hydraulic transformer for pumping oil in Saturn S-Ic vehicle
SATURN S-IC STAGE↗
Stepwise Iterative Fourier Transform: The SIFT
A program, designed specifically to study the respective effects of some common data problems on results obtained through stepwise iterative Fourier transformation of synthetic data with known waveform composition, was outlined. Included in this group were the problems of gaps in the data, different time-series lengths, periodic but nonsinusoidal waveforms, and noisy (low signal-to-noise) data. Results on sinusoidal data were also compared with results obtained on narrow band noise with similar characteristics. The findings showed that the analytic procedure under study can reliably reduce data in the nature of (1) sinusoids in noise, (2) asymmetric but periodic waves in noise, and (3) sinusoids in noise with substantial gaps in the data. The program was also able to analyze narrow-band noise well, but with increased interpretational problems. The procedure was shown to be a powerful technique for analysis of periodicities, in comparison with classical spectrum analysis techniques. However, informed use of the stepwise procedure nevertheless requires some background of knowledge concerning characteristics of the biological processes under study.
Benignus, V. A.↗
Dynamic transformation method
Eigenvalue problem associated with modal-synthesis vibration analysis of complex structures requires simplifying assumptions for solution. Computer program, Dynamic-transformation Adapted to Modal-synthesis Using Stiffness-coupling, improves computational economy for vibration analysis of complex structures while still considering substructure modes.
Admire, J. R.↗
Calibration of the Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS)
The NASA New Millennium Program's Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) requires highly accurate radiometric and spectral calibration in order to carry out its mission to provide water vapor, wind, temperature, and trace gas profiling from geostationary orbit. A calibration concept has been developed for the GIFTS Phase A instrument design. The in-flight calibration is performed using views of two on-board blackbody sources along with cold space. A radiometric calibration uncertainty analysis has been developed and used to show that the expected performance for GIFTS exceeds its top level requirement to measure brightness temperature to better than 1 K. For the Phase A GIFTS design, the spectral calibration is established by the highly stable diode laser used as the reference for interferogram sampling, and verified with comparisons to atmospheric calculations.
Best, F. A.↗
A practical Hadamard transform spectrometer for astronomical application
The mathematical properties of Hadamard matrices and their application to spectroscopy are discussed. A comparison is made between Fourier and Hadamard transform encoding in spectrometry. The spectrometer is described and its laboratory performance evaluated. The algorithm and programming of inverse transform are given. A minicomputer is used to recover the spectrum.
Tai, M. H.↗
Optimal Scheduling of an Isolated Microgrid With Battery Storage Considering Load and Renewable Generation Uncertainties
By modeling the uncertainty of spinning reserves provided by energy storage with probabilistic constraints, a new optimal scheduling mode is proposed in this paper for minimizing the operating costs of an isolated microgrid (MG) by using chance-constrained programming. The model is transformed into a readily solvable mixed integer linear programming formulation in general algebraic modeling system (GAMS) via a proposed discretized step transformation approach and finally solved by applying the CPLEX solver. By properly setting the confidence levels of the spinning reserve probability constraints, the MG operation can achieve a tradeoff between reliability and economy. The test results on the modified Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Energy Control and Communication lab MG test system reveal that the proposal significantly exceeds the commonly used hybrid intelligent algorithm with much better and more stable optimization results and significantly reduced calculation times.
Li, Yang↗
Making real-time reactive systems reliable
A reactive system is characterized by a control program that interacts with an environment (or controlled program). The control program monitors the environment and reacts to significant events by sending commands to the environment. This structure is quite general. Not only are most embedded real time systems reactive systems, but so are monitoring and debugging systems and distributed application management systems. Since reactive systems are usually long running and may control physical equipment, fault tolerance is vital. The research tries to understand the principal issues of fault tolerance in real time reactive systems and to build tools that allow a programmer to design reliable, real time reactive systems. In order to make real time reactive systems reliable, several issues must be addressed: (1) How can a control program be built to tolerate failures of sensors and actuators. To achieve this, a methodology was developed for transforming a control program that references physical value into one that tolerates sensors that can fail and can return inaccurate values; (2) How can the real time reactive system be built to tolerate failures of the control program. Towards this goal, whether the techniques presented can be extended to real time reactive systems is investigated; and (3) How can the environment be specified in a way that is useful for writing a control program. Towards this goal, whether a system with real time constraints can be expressed as an equivalent system without such constraints is also investigated.
Marzullo, Keith↗
Phase transformations in Cd–Ni nanostructured system at elevated temperatures
Using X-ray diffraction (both in vacuum and in air), derivatomass-spectrometry and thermo-programmed oxidation, phase transformations in nanostructured Cd–Ni system occurring while heating up 720 °C were described. These metal powders were obtained by joint reduction from aqueous solutions of salts with hydrazine. When study their composition, earlier unknown phases were detected (intermetallide CdNi{sub 3} and solid solution Cd{sub x}Ni{sub 1–x} with face centered cubic structure) and among the known intermetallides (Cd{sub 5}Ni and CdNi), only Cd{sub 5}Ni was found. As a consequence, phase transformations in the obtained nanostructured powders were remarkably different from those present on the Cd–Ni phase diagram. The intermediates and FCC phase decompose independently with formation of individual initial components (Cd and Ni) without intermediate product. At relatively high Cd concentration in the system, intermediate CdNi{sub 3} phase formation from Cd{sub 5}Ni and Cd{sub x}Ni{sub 1–x} phases, which are polar opposites in composition, is possible. The decomposition temperatures of Cd{sub 5}Ni and melting point of Cd in the nanostructured state were lower than those specified by the phase diagram by 170 and 70 °C, respectively, which well corresponded to the concept of effective (high) temperatures attributed to the nanostructured systems due to the energy saturation of the con stituent nanocrystallites.
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
Texture transforms of remote sensing data
Tone and texture are fundamental interrelated visual concepts. The concepts are used for the digital analysis of remotely sensed image data. The reported investigation had the objective to develop software for the quantification of image texture and to apply the texture information to both image enhancement and thematic classification of remotely sensed data. The quantitative texture information was applied to the analysis of Landsat-2 Multispectral Scanner Subsystem (MSS) data. Attention is given to the characterization of image texture, textured transformations, the subtext program, and a description of methods and results. It is pointed out that the inability to use the texture transforms of the Landsat MSS data for the thematic mapping of the study area's land cover contrasts sharply with the reported results of the textural analysis of digitized aerial photography by Hsu (1978).
Irons, J. R.↗
Breathe Well, Live Well: Implementing an Adult Asthma Self-Management Education Program
Asthma remains a significant health problem in the United States. Adults with poorly controlled asthma can affect their community in a number of ways, from lost productivity in the workplace to health care costs to premature death. Asthma self-management education helps individuals achieve better control of their asthma and is critical for the overall health and well-being of individuals with asthma. While there are numerous programs and initiatives targeting children with asthma, there is a lack of comparable focus on the needs of adults with asthma. The American Lung Association developed Breathe Well, Live Well, an adult asthma self-management education program, and launched it nationwide in 2007. The program for adults has a flexible delivery format for community-based implementation. This article describes the development, dissemination, and transformation of the program. Each stage of implementation showed positive changes in asthma self-management practices that contribute to better asthma control, and one local implementation additionally showed decreased reports of missed work and unscheduled health care visits among participants. The findings from the three evaluations support the use of Breathe Well, Live Well for broad community-based implementation to improve asthma self-management efficacy and behaviors.
Gardner, Emily A.↗