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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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NASA NTRS1991

Chemical and biological structure and transport of a cool filament associated with a jet-eddy system of northern California in July 1986 (OPTOMA21)

The distributions of nutrient, pigment, bio-optical, and physical variables were mapped in a jet-eddy system off Point Reyes and Point Arena, California, from July 7 to 19, 1986, in order to describe the 3D variability of the filament and its relation to the nutrient and phytoplankton distributions offshore, to examine the interaction between the filament and coastal water, and to estimate the transport of nutrients and phytoplankton by the jet system. Several cool filaments were distinguishable at distances of more than 35-50 km from the coast in satellite imagery during this period. The juxtaposition of these features as well as the presence of an offshore anticyclone and a cyclone south of the filament anchored to the coast at Point Arena led to complex patterns in all variables, aided by the apparent alongshore variability in the source of upwelled water. This structure has implications for the fluxes of organic material in the region and is probably significant in organizing the interactions among different trophic levels within the system.

Jones, Burton H.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Efficient Use of Distributed Systems for Scientific Applications

Distributed computing has been regarded as the future of high performance computing. Nationwide high speed networks such as vBNS are becoming widely available to interconnect high-speed computers, virtual environments, scientific instruments and large data sets. One of the major issues to be addressed with distributed systems is the development of computational tools that facilitate the efficient execution of parallel applications on such systems. These tools must exploit the heterogeneous resources (networks and compute nodes) in distributed systems. This paper presents a tool, called PART, which addresses this issue for mesh partitioning. PART takes advantage of the following heterogeneous system features: (1) processor speed; (2) number of processors; (3) local network performance; and (4) wide area network performance. Further, different finite element applications under consideration may have different computational complexities, different communication patterns, and different element types, which also must be taken into consideration when partitioning. PART uses parallel simulated annealing to partition the domain, taking into consideration network and processor heterogeneity. The results of using PART for an explicit finite element application executing on two IBM SPs (located at Argonne National Laboratory and the San Diego Supercomputer Center) indicate an increase in efficiency by up to 36% as compared to METIS, a widely used mesh partitioning tool. The input to METIS was modified to take into consideration heterogeneous processor performance; METIS does not take into consideration heterogeneous networks. The execution times for these applications were reduced by up to 30% as compared to METIS. These results are given in Figure 1 for four irregular meshes with number of elements ranging from 30,269 elements for the Barth5 mesh to 11,451 elements for the Barth4 mesh. Future work with PART entails using the tool with an integrated application requiring distributed systems. In particular this application, illustrated in the document entails an integration of finite element and fluid dynamic simulations to address the cooling of turbine blades of a gas turbine engine design. It is not uncommon to encounter high-temperature, film-cooled turbine airfoils with 1,000,000s of degrees of freedom. This results because of the complexity of the various components of the airfoils, requiring fine-grain meshing for accuracy. Additional information is contained in the original.

Taylor, Valerie↗

NASA NTRS1977

Orbit design for solar and dual satellite occultation measurements of atmospheric constituents

Two types of satellite-based occultation missions are considered for measuring atmospheric constituents. Nominal cases for each type are presented to demonstrate representative solutions to orbit design problems. For the solar occultation mode, large areas of the globe can be covered during a 1-year mission, but the measurements are limited to local dawn or dusk. For the dual satellite mode, with a laser aboard a second satellite to act as a source, diurnal coverage can be obtained at the expense of more complex systems and mission scenarios. In this mode, orbit pairs are selected which maintain their relative orbit plane geometry while their differing periods drive cyclic patterns of latitude coverage. A simulated 1-year solar occultation mission is used to illustrate one way of analyzing occultation data by averaging measurements within bands of constant latitude.

Brooks, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Orbit design for solar and dual satellite occultation measurements of atmospheric constituents

Two types of satellite based occultation missions are considered for measuring atmospheric constituents. Nominal cases for each type are presented to demonstrate representative solutions to orbit design problems. For the solar occultation mode, large areas of the globe can be covered during a one year mission, but the measurements are limited to local dawn or dusk. For the dual satellite mode, with a laser aboard a second satellite to act as a source, diurnal coverage can be obtained at the expense of more complex systems and mission scenarios. In this mode, orbit pairs are selected which maintain their relative orbit plane geometry while their differing periods drive cyclic patterns of latitude coverage. A simulated one year solar occultation mission is used to illustrate one way of analyzing occultation data by averaging measurements within bands of constant latitude.

Brooks, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Synthetic-Aperture Antenna Array With Beam-Waveguide Coupling

Proposed synthetic-aperture antenna array for radio astronomy at wavelengths between 60 and 300 micrometers includes twelve 3.5-m-diameter paraboloidal-dish antennas at various positions along three 0.5-km-long arms of Y-shaped pattern. Receivers located centrally, with consequent reductions in complexity and cost. Innovative features of design also stimulates solutions to engineering problems arising in terrestrial radio systems.

Mahoney, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Adaptive fuzzy leader clustering of complex data sets in pattern recognition

A modular, unsupervised neural network architecture for clustering and classification of complex data sets is presented. The adaptive fuzzy leader clustering (AFLC) architecture is a hybrid neural-fuzzy system that learns on-line in a stable and efficient manner. The initial classification is performed in two stages: a simple competitive stage and a distance metric comparison stage. The cluster prototypes are then incrementally updated by relocating the centroid positions from fuzzy C-means system equations for the centroids and the membership values. The AFLC algorithm is applied to the Anderson Iris data and laser-luminescent fingerprint image data. It is concluded that the AFLC algorithm successfully classifies features extracted from real data, discrete or continuous.

Newton, Scott C.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Parallel Three-Dimensional Computation of Fluid Dynamics and Fluid-Structure Interactions of Ram-Air Parachutes

This is a final report as far as our work at University of Minnesota is concerned. The report describes our research progress and accomplishments in development of high performance computing methods and tools for 3D finite element computation of aerodynamic characteristics and fluid-structure interactions (FSI) arising in airdrop systems, namely ram-air parachutes and round parachutes. This class of simulations involves complex geometries, flexible structural components, deforming fluid domains, and unsteady flow patterns. The key components of our simulation toolkit are a stabilized finite element flow solver, a nonlinear structural dynamics solver, an automatic mesh moving scheme, and an interface between the fluid and structural solvers; all of these have been developed within a parallel message-passing paradigm.

Tezduyar, Tayfun E.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Modeling of a Sequential Two-Stage Combustor

A sequential two-stage, natural gas fueled power generation combustion system is modeled to examine the fundamental aerodynamic and combustion characteristics of the system. The modeling methodology includes CAD-based geometry definition, and combustion computational fluid dynamics analysis. Graphical analysis is used to examine the complex vortical patterns in each component, identifying sources of pressure loss. The simulations demonstrate the importance of including the rotating high-pressure turbine blades in the computation, as this results in direct computation of combustion within the first turbine stage, and accurate simulation of the flow in the second combustion stage. The direct computation of hot-streaks through the rotating high-pressure turbine stage leads to improved understanding of the aerodynamic relationships between the primary and secondary combustors and the turbomachinery.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Modeling of a Sequential Two-Stage Combustor, Supplement

Hendricks, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Spectral Retrieval of Latent Heating Profiles from TRMM PR data: Moistening Estimates over Tropical Ocean Regions - Part 3

The global hydrological cycle is central to the Earth's climate system, with rainfall and the physics of precipitation formation acting as the key links in the cycle. Two-thirds of global rainfall occurs in the tropics with the associated latent heating (LH) accounting for threefourths of the total heat energy available to the Earth's atmosphere. In the last decade, it has been established that standard products of LH from satellite measurements, particularly TRMM measurements, would be a valuable resource for scientific research and applications. Such products would enable new insights and investigations concerning the complexities of convection system life cycles, the diabatic heating controls and feedbacks related to rne-sosynoptic circulations and their forecasting, the relationship of tropical patterns of LH to the global circulation and climate, and strategies for improving cloud parameterizations In environmental prediction models. However, the LH and water vapor profile or budget (called the apparent moisture sink, or Q2) is closely related. This paper presented the development of an algorithm for retrieving Q2 using 'TRMM precipitation radar. Since there is no direct measurement of LH and Q2, the validation of algorithm usually applies a method called consistency check. Consistency checking involving Cloud Resolving Model (CRM)-generated LH and 42 profiles and algorithm-reconstructed is a useful step in evaluating the performance of a given algorithm. In this process, the CRM simulation of a time-dependent precipitation process (multiple-day time series) is used to obtain the required input parameters for a given algorithm. The algorithm is then used to "~econsti-LKt~h"e heating and moisture profiles that the CRM simulation originally produced, and finally both sets of conformal estimates (model and algorithm) are compared each other. The results indicate that discrepancies between the reconstructed and CM-simulated profiles for Q2, especially at low levels, are larger than those for latent heat. Larger discrepancies in Q2 at low levels are due to moistening for non-precipitating region that algorithm cannot reconstruct. Nevertheless, the algorithm-reconstructed total Q2 profiles are in good agreement with the CRM-simulated ones.

Shige, S.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Retrieved Latent Heating from TRMM

Tao, Wei-Kuo↗

NASA NTRS2008

A Performance Assessment of a Tactical Airborne Separation Assistance System using Realistic, Complex Traffic Flows

This paper presents the results from a study that investigates the performance of aspects of an Airborne Separation Assistance System (ASAS) under varying demand levels using realistic traffic patterns. This study only addresses the tactical aspects of an ASAS using aircraft state data (latitude, longitude, altitude, heading and speed) to detect and resolve projected conflicts. The main focus of this paper is to determine the extent to which sole reliance on the proposed tactical ASAS can maintain aircraft separation at demand levels up to three times current traffic. The effect of mixing ASAS equipped aircraft with non-equipped aircraft that do not have the capability to self-separate is also investigated.

Smith, Jeremy C.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Effects of g-Jitter on Diffusion in Binary Liquids

The microgravity environment offers the potential to measure the binary diffusion coefficients in liquids without the masking effects introduced by buoyancy-induced flows due to Earth s gravity. However, the background g-jitter (vibrations from the shuttle, onboard machinery, and crew) normally encountered in many shuttle experiments may alter the benefits of the microgravity environment and introduce vibrations that could offset its intrinsic advantages. An experiment during STS-85 (August 1997) used the Microgravity Vibration Isolation Mount (MIM) to isolate and introduce controlled vibrations to two miscible liquids inside a cavity to study the effects of g-jitter on liquid diffusion. Diffusion in a nonhomogeneous liquid system is caused by a nonequilibrium condition that results in the transport of mass (dispersion of the different kinds of liquid molecules) to approach equilibrium. The dynamic state of the system tends toward equilibrium such that the system becomes homogeneous. An everyday example is the mixing of cream and coffee (a nonhomogeneous system) via stirring. The cream diffuses into the coffee, thus forming a homogeneous system. At equilibrium the system is said to be mixed. However, during stirring, simple observations show complex flow field dynamics-stretching and folding of material interfaces, thinning of striation thickness, self-similar patterns, and so on. This example illustrates that, even though mixing occurs via mass diffusion, stirring to enhance transport plays a major role. Stirring can be induced either by mechanical means (spoon or plastic stirrer) or via buoyancy-induced forces caused by Earth s gravity. Accurate measurements of binary diffusion coefficients are often inhibited by buoyancy-induced flows. The microgravity environment minimizes the effect of buoyancy-induced flows and allows the true diffusion limit to be achieved. One goal of this experiment was to show that the microgravity environment suppresses buoyancy-induced convection, thereby mass diffusion becomes the dominant mechanism for transport. Since g-jitter transmitted by the shuttle to the experiment can potentially excite buoyancy-induced flows, we also studied the effects of controlled vibrations on the system.

Duval, Walter M. B.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Experimental and analytical determination of vibration characteristics of corrugated, flexibly supported, heat-shield panels

Experimental and analytical natural frequencies, nodal patterns, and typical modal displacements for a corrugated, flexibly supported, heat-shield panel are discussed. Good correlation was found between the experimental data and NASTRAN analytical results for the corrugated panel over a relatively wide frequency spectrum covered in the investigation. Of the two experimental techniques used for mode shape and displacement measurements (a noncontacting displacement sensor system and a holographic technique using a helium-neon, continuous-wave laser), the holographic technique was found, in the present investigation, to be faster and better suited for determining a large number of complex nodal patterns of the corrugated panel.

Carden, H. D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Information analysis of a spatial database for ecological land classification

An ecological land classification was developed for a complex region in southern California using geographic information system techniques of map overlay and contingency table analysis. Land classes were identified by mutual information analysis of vegetation pattern in relation to other mapped environmental variables. The analysis was weakened by map errors, especially errors in the digital elevation data. Nevertheless, the resulting land classification was ecologically reasonable and performed well when tested with higher quality data from the region.

Davis, Frank W.↗

NASA NTRS1998

STS-90 Day 08 Highlights

On this eighth day of the STS-90 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Richard A. Searfoss, Pilot Scott D. Altman, and Mission Specialists Richard M. Linnehan, Dafydd Rhys Williams and Kathryn P. Hire, and Payload Specialists Jay C. Buckey and James A. Pawelczyk continue to operate the 26 individual experiments designed to provide insight into the operation of the nervous system, the most complex and least well-known part of the human body. The STS-90 crew members have used themselves as test subjects in a variety of experiments associated with studying functions such as blood pressure regulation , balance, coordination and sleep patterns. They also have studied a variety of animals to gain additional insight into the effects of the weightless environment of space on the development and performance of the nervous system.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1986

Simulation and analysis of antennas radiating in a complex environment

A numerical procedure for computing the high-frequency radiation patterns of antennas mounted on curved surfaces is described. The procedure utilizes the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction to examine the antenna system's performance, which is dependent on antenna radiation patterns. Composite ellipsoid models of fuselage shapes are developed and the formation of geodesic paths on the models is studied; the shape of the fuselage affects the radiation patterns. The actual field radiated by the source and scattered by the structure is calculated using the ray field technique. The numerical solution is applied to the analysis of the antenna radiation patterns of a military aircraft, private aircraft, and the Space Shuttle orbiter. Good correlation between the calculated and measured radiation patterns is noted verifying the usefulness and accuracy of the numerical procedure.

Kim, J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A domain segmentation approach to modeling distributed parameter systems

Existing modeling methods in distributed parameter systems are directed to field problems for which a single equation gives an adequate representation. As a result, the techniques are severely taxed when coefficients of the governing partial differential equation (PDE) have relatively complex functional forms. The field is postulated to consist of contiguous regions that are easily modeled. During the modeling process itself, the regional boundaries are identified using a method based on pattern recognition (PR) techniques. The method was tested on computer simulations of a water quality resource system. Quantitative measures are developed and used to demonstrate the feasibility of applying the methodology to realistic distributed parameter systems (DPS's).

Apenyo, K.↗