Human restraint systems development for use in acceleration research
Pilot restraint systems development and tested under simulated high acceleration conditions
RESTRAINT↗
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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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Real-time pilot guidance system for improved flight test maneuvers
The Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center has developed a pilot trajectory guidance system that increases the accuracy of flight-test data and decreases the time required to achieve and maintain desired test conditions. The system usually presented to the pilot computed differences between reference or desired and actual flight state conditions. The pilot then used a cockpit display as an aid to acquire and hold desired test conditions. This paper discusses various flight-test maneuvers and the quality of data obtained using the guidance system. Some comparisons are made between the quality of maneuvers obtained with and without the system. Limited details of the guidance system and algorithms used are included. In general, the guidance system improved the quality of the maneuvers and trajectories flown, as well as allowing trajectories to be flown that would not have been possible without the system. This system has moved from the developmental stage to full operational use in various Dryden research and test aircraft.
Meyer, R. R., Jr.↗
The H-Coal processes: A status report
A catalytic process (H-Coal) involving the direct hydrogenation of coal to produce hydrocarbon liquids is described. Bench-scale and pilot plant development of the H-Coal process is reported. Emphasis is placed on a proposed pilot plant which will be the largest coal liquefaction plant on-line in the U.S., processing up to 600 tpd of coal. Economic considerations are given.
Voss, W. C.↗
Helicopter simulation: Making it work
The opportunities for improved training and checking by using helicopter simulators are greater than they are for airplane pilot training. Simulators permit the safe creation of training environments that are conducive to the development of pilot decision-making, situational awareness, and cockpit management. This paper defines specific attributes required in a simulator to meet a typical helicopter operator's training and checking objectives.
Payne, Barry↗
Development and Utility of a Piloted Flight Simulator for Icing Effects Training
A piloted flight simulator called the Ice Contamination Effects Flight Training Device (ICEFTD), which uses low cost desktop components and a generic cockpit replication is being developed. The purpose of this device is to demonstrate the effectiveness of its use for training pilots to recognize and recover from aircraft handling anomalies that result from airframe ice formations. High-fidelity flight simulation models for various baseline (non-iced) and iced configurations were developed from wind tunnel tests of a subscale DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft model. These simulation models were validated with flight test data from the NASA Twin Otter Icing Research Aircraft, which included the effects of ice on wing and tail stall characteristics. These simulation models are being implemented into an ICEFTD that will provide representative aircraft characteristics due to airframe icing. Scenario-based exercises are being constructed to give an operational-flavor to the simulation. Training pilots will learn to recognize iced aircraft characteristics from the baseline, and will practice and apply appropriate recovery procedures to a handling event.
Ratvasky, Thomas P.↗
Effects of cockpit lateral stick characteristics on handling qualities and pilot dynamics
This report presents the results of analysis of cockpit lateral control feel-system studies. Variations in feel-system natural frequency, damping, and command sensing reference (force and position) were investigated, in combination with variations in the aircraft response characteristics. The primary data for the report were obtained from a flight investigation conducted with a variable-stability airplane, with additional information taken from other flight experiments and ground-based simulations for both airplanes and helicopters . The study consisted of analysis of handling qualities ratings and extraction of open-loop, pilot-vehicle describing functions from sum-of-sines tracking data, including, for a limited subset of these data, the development of pilot models. The study confirms the findings of other investigators that the effects on pilot opinion of cockpit feel-system dynamics are not equivalent to a comparable level of added time delay, and until a more comprehensive set of criteria are developed, it is recommended that feel-system dynamics be considered a delay-inducing element in the aircraft response. The best correlation with time-delay requirements was found when the feel-system dynamics were included in the delay measurements, regardless of the command reference. This is a radical departure from past approaches.
Mitchell, David G.↗
Building Blocks for Secure and Prosperous Defense Critical Supply Chains: A Case Study from Microelectronics
Securing defense-critical supply chains, built on resilient and sustainable microelectronics fabrication and deployment, is a national imperative and one that requires an investment in basic and applied research, development, and deployment into industries in (and out of) the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Critical next steps include the development of pilots for revolutionary concepts in a new formal verification model and the Cyber-Physical Passport (CPP) concept for chain of custody. Critical infrastructure leadership should take action with a sense of urgency. Working in conjunction with the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering should establish pilot programs with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the service labs to build and test both concepts in legacy and new system development.. Additionally, the Pentagon may be aware that an existing Manufacturing Innovation Institute is piloting, with the semiconductor industry, cyber innovations to provide verifiable security properties and guarantees of physical functions to build a more cyber secure, resilient and efficient micro-electronics supply chain.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
Safety-Related Instrumentation and Control Upgrade Pilot Project: NUREG- 0711 Process Development, Planning and Analysis Activities, and Lessons Learned
Constellation Energy and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) have established a public/private partnership to implement a pilot digital upgrade to replace legacy analog, safety-related reactor protection and emergency safety feature actuation systems (RPS/ESFAS) with modern digital systems. This effort is occurring at Constellation’s Limerick Generating Station. This project is being performed in accordance with industry processes that have been adapted to better support digital upgrades. These processes include IP-ENG-001, Standard Design Process, NISP-EN-04, Standard Digital Engineering Process and Electric Power Research Institute Report 3002011816, Digital Engineering Guide. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been supporting this effort. Latest INL HFE efforts in support of this project have focused on definition and implementation of the Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Program in support of Constellation design and related licensing efforts. This paper presents the development execution of the HFE Program through completion of the Planning and Analysis Phase as defined by NUREG-0711 as well as HFE lessons learned.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
Use of Piloted Simulation for High-Angle-of-Attack Agility Research and Design Criteria Development
The use of piloted simulation at Langley Research Center as part of the NASA High-Angle-of-Attack Technology Program (HATP) to provide methods and concepts for the design of advanced fighter aircraft is discussed. A major focus is to develop the design process required to fully exploit the benefits from advanced control concepts for high-angle-of attack agility.
Ogburn, Marilyn E.↗
Platform for Remote Deployment and Training for Enhanced Building Operation Practices (Building Re-Tuning and On-going Commissioning)
While a building’s energy usage is driven largely by its design and use, building operator behavior has a strong influence on its energy consumption. This project developed and piloted a specific, data-driven coaching methodology to help operators understand how they can adjust operations and/or affect no/low-cost repairs or upgrades to their specific building HVAC systems to reduce energy consumption. Named BuildingCoach, the operational optimization method used is based on the Building Re-tuning approach developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. A building operations analytics market has matured over the past decade, though its potential to affect energy-saving changes has not been fully realized. Training operators to understand the methods for operational optimization with the explicit approach of using building-system performance data is hypothesized to create a more effective, longer lasting result in building energy efficiency, and this strategy is the fundamental premise of this project. With the support of an Industry Advisory Board, the project succeeded in developing materials and recruiting for and delivering three pilot cohorts. Deliverables included twenty-two self-paced training modules (accessed via a Learning Management System) and a web-based platform that includes access to real-time building system data and a repository for building system documentation. The project set out to have 100 participants from 50 buildings in three pilot cohorts. In the end, there were 28 participants from 17 buildings, i.e., a significant shortfall. The first two pilot cohorts had only two buildings in each, and this was partially due to difficulties in deploying the Building Operator Coaching Solution (“the BOCS”), which is technology that extracts the data from the controls network and presents it as prescribed for coaching. In the third cohort, the project team deployed the BOCS successfully to 13 buildings, the methodology was piloted as intended, and numerous opportunities for optimization were identified. The BuildingCoach business plan charts a path to an economically sustainable effort. However, even with a licensing model captured in the final version of the business plan, the scalability is still limited to keeping less than 1,000 buildings affected by 2033. Even so, there are unexplored paths to greater scalability that are being considered. CUNY BPL is working to perpetuate and grow the use of BuildingCoach. As of this writing, about twenty buildings have either been connected or will be connected with operators coached / to be coached in the NYC municipal portfolio, twelve buildings across four campuses in NY State will use BuildingCoach, a NY upstate county wishes for six or seven buildings to participate with the support of funding from NYSERDA, and others have also expressed interest. In the decades to come, there will be an increasing percentage of large and mid-sized buildings that incorporate automated system optimization (ASO), and the building operators’ role will shift to spend more time on maintenance and monitoring. Meanwhile, programs such as BuildingCoach will play a critical role in optimizing operations. And, regardless of the emergence of ASO, operators will still need to understand how their systems operate so that they can monitor them properly. Within that context, BuildingCoach is an important step towards operators’ understanding of efficient building system operations.
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
The development of the DAST I remotely piloted research vehicle for flight testing an active flutter suppression control system
The development of the DAST I (drones for aerodynamic and structural testing) remotely piloted research vehicle is described. The DAST I is a highly modified BQM-34E/F Firebee II Supersonic Aerial Target incorporating a swept supercritical wing designed to flutter within the vehicle's flight envelope. The predicted flutter and rigid body characteristics are presented. A description of the analysis and design of an active flutter suppression control system (FSS) designed to increase the flutter boundary of the DAST wing (ARW-1) by a factor of 20% is given. The design and development of the digital remotely augmented primary flight control system and on-board analog backup control system is presented. An evaluation of the near real-time flight flutter testing methods is made by comparing results of five flutter testing techniques on simulated DAST I flutter data. The development of the DAST ARW-1 state variable model used to generate time histories of simulated accelerometer responses is presented. This model uses control surface commands and a Dryden model gust as inputs. The feasibility of the concept of extracting open loop flutter characteristics from closed loop FSS responses was examined. It was shown that open loop characteristics can be determined very well from closed loop subcritical responses.
Grose, D. L.↗
Lessons learned from the development and implementation of a workforce training curriculum for advanced controls for high performance HVAC systems
Over the past decade, academic research on advanced controls has slowly transitioned into new software platforms, giving rise to various companies developing and deploying these innovative products, including solutions for light commercial HVAC systems. However, the current workforce remains widely unprepared to install, maintain and operate these systems, particularly complex software-based control platforms, as most workforce training programs still focus on traditional building automation for large commercial buildings. This paper presents the development and piloting of curriculum for three key types of professionals: ● Technicians (trade-level): installing and maintaining modern high-performance HVAC systems and controls ● Programmers (undergrad-level): developing and implementing advanced controls ● Engineers and energy professionals (undergrad/grad-level): managing and evaluating system performance We share details of the material developed including training videos, open-source software, instruction manuals. We also present the results of a pilot implementation of the training materials with real students.
Casillas, Armando↗
Training aircraft design considerations based on the successive organization of perception in manual control
The thesis that pilot skill development in the Navy approach and landing task is very strongly tied to the aircraft closure rate and, therefore, that pilot training for this task should be based on an appropriate progression closure rate is considered. A rational and explicit determination of design point approach speeds as well as other important aerodynamic features for training aircraft is also considered. Two keys are discussed: recognition of the significance of transitioning from a purely compensatory control loop technique to one involving a pursuit crossfeed between throttle and pitch attitude, and addressing the terminal flight path adjustment in terms of range-to-go.
Heffley, R. K.↗
Flight testing the digital electronic engine control in the F-15 airplane
The digital electronic engine control (DEEC) is a full-authority digital engine control developed for the F100-PW-100 turbofan engine which was flight tested on an F-15 aircraft. The DEEC hardware and software throughout the F-15 flight envelope was evaluated. Real-time data reduction and data display systems were implemented. New test techniques and stronger coordination between the propulsion test engineer and pilot were developed which produced efficient use of test time, reduced pilot work load, and greatly improved quality data. The engine pressure ratio (EPR) control mode is demonstrated. It is found that the nonaugmented throttle transients and engine performance are satisfactory.
Myers, L. P.↗
The design, development, and presentation of a pilot seminar called technology and opportunity: A new approach for minority business
A seminar program is reported that furthers the transfer of NASA technology to the minority community and assists in the commercial development of marketable products and manufacturing capabilities.
Source record↗
Effects of Motion Cues on the Training of Multi-Axis Manual Control Skills
The study described in this paper investigated the effects of two different hexapod motion configurations on the training and transfer of training of a simultaneous roll and pitch control task. Pilots were divided between two groups which trained either under a baseline hexapod motion condition, with motion typically provided by current training simulators, or an optimized hexapod motion condition, with increased fidelity of the motion cues most relevant for the task. All pilots transferred to the same full-motion condition, representing motion experienced in flight. A cybernetic approach was used that gave insights into the development of pilots use of visual and motion cues over the course of training and after transfer. Based on the current results, neither of the hexapod motion conditions can unambiguously be chosen as providing the best motion for training and transfer of training of the used multi-axis control task. However, the optimized hexapod motion condition did allow pilots to generate less visual lead, control with higher gains, and have better disturbance-rejection performance at the end of the training session compared to the baseline hexapod motion condition. Significant adaptations in control behavior still occurred in the transfer phase under the full-motion condition for both groups. Pilots behaved less linearly compared to previous single-axis control-task experiments; however, this did not result in smaller motion or learning effects. Motion and learning effects were more pronounced in pitch compared to roll. Finally, valuable lessons were learned that allow us to improve the adopted approach for future transfer-of-training studies.
flight simulators↗
Heliostat Observation System Commercialization Qualification HOS-C-Q (Final Technical Report)
Heliostat fields are one of the main components of a concentrated solar thermal plant. As GEN3 technology has been developed at pilot plant level targeting higher temperatures >700C, having a precise Heliostat field control system will enable the success of the GEN3 technology. Heliogen Inc. has developed the next generation of control systems for heliostat fields. Their early development was on single facet heliostats at their R&D facility in Lancaster, California. This new system allows for a closed loop integration to a current open loop setup of a regular Heliostat control system. Sandia National Laboratories and Heliogen Inc. have partnered together to test Heliogen’ s innovative new SOHOT system at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
Launch-Window Program
Parameterized Investigation of Launch Opportunities and Trajectories (PILOT) program developed to perform mission simulation computations that yield data for use in delimiting optimum launch windows. CoPILOT utility program used to read and format PILOT-generated data file.
Erickson, J. A.↗