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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 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Real-time Identification and Control of Satellite Signal Impairments Solution and Application of the Stratonovich Equation Part 1. Theoretical Development

As satellite communications systems become both more complex and reliant with respect to their operating environment, it has become imperative to be able to identify, during real-time operation, the onset of one or more impairments to the quality of overall communications system integrity. One of the most important aspects to monitor of a satellite link operating within the Earth's atmosphere is the signal fading due to the occurrence of rain and/or phase scintillations. This, of course, must be done in the presence of the associated measurement uncertainty or potentially faulty measurement equipment such as in the Advanced Communication Technology Satellite (ACTS) experiment. In the present work, an approach originally suggested in 1991, and apparently still considered iconoclastic, will be significantly developed and applied to the satellite communications link on which the deleterious composite signal fade is the result of one or many component fade mechanisms. Through the measurement (with the attendant uncertainty or 'error' in the measurement) of such a composite fading satellite signal, it is desired to extract the level of each of the individual fading mechanisms so they can be appropriately mitigated before they impact the overall performance of the communications network. Rather than employing simple-minded deterministic filtering to the real-time fading, the present approach is built around all the models and/or descriptions used to describe the individual fade components, including their dynamic evolution. The latter is usually given by a first-order Langevin equation. This circumstance allows the description of the associated temporal transition probability densities of each of the component processes. By using this description, along with the real-time measurements of the composite fade (along with the measurement errors), one can obtain statistical estimates of the levels of each of the component fading mechanisms as well as their predicted values into the future. This is all accomplished by the use of the well-known Stratonovich integro-differential equation that results from the model of the measured signal fade that is also tailored to adaptively adjust the values of the parameters used in the statistical models of the individual fade mechanisms. Three examples of increasing complexity are addressed and solved for the iterative determination of fade component levels from the measured composite signal fade in the presence of measurement error and, in the last case, with uncertainty in the model parameters.

Countermeasure↗
DOE OSTI2015

FOREGROUND MODEL AND ANTENNA CALIBRATION ERRORS IN THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SKY-AVERAGED λ21 cm SIGNAL AT z∼ 20

The most promising near-term observable of the cosmic dark age prior to widespread reionization (z ∼ 15-200) is the sky-averaged λ21 cm background arising from hydrogen in the intergalactic medium. Though an individual antenna could in principle detect the line signature, data analysis must separate foregrounds that are orders of magnitude brighter than the λ21 cm background (but that are anticipated to vary monotonically and gradually with frequency, e.g., they are considered {sup s}pectrally smooth{sup )}. Using more physically motivated models for foregrounds than in previous studies, we show that the intrinsic spectral smoothness of the foregrounds is likely not a concern, and that data analysis for an ideal antenna should be able to detect the λ21 cm signal after subtracting a ∼fifth-order polynomial in log ν. However, we find that the foreground signal is corrupted by the angular and frequency-dependent response of a real antenna. The frequency dependence complicates modeling of foregrounds commonly based on the assumption of spectral smoothness. Our calculations focus on the Large-aperture Experiment to detect the Dark Age, which combines both radiometric and interferometric measurements. We show that statistical uncertainty remaining after fitting antenna gain patterns to interferometric measurements is not anticipated to compromise extraction of the λ21 cm signal for a range of cosmological models after fitting a seventh-order polynomial to radiometric data. Our results generalize to most efforts to measure the sky-averaged spectrum.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Small Inertial Measurement Units- Sources of Error and Limitations on Accuracy

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) with very low mass and power can be manufactured using micromachined accelerometers and gyroscopes. Six degree of freedom packages which require a few watts of power and have less than a kg of mass are available commercially, greatly expanding the potential applications of IMUs in guidance and navigation. Recent advances in small sensor design and fabrication have pushed the performance limits of these small devices. However, the limitations on the precision of small IMUs are not entirely due to the performance of the individual sensors.

Hoenk, Michael E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An analysis of temperature-induced errors for an ultrasound distance measuring system

The presentation of research is provided in the following five chapters. Chapter 2 presents the necessary background information and definitions for general work with ultrasound and acoustics. It also discusses the basis for errors in the slant range measurements. Chapter 3 presents a method of problem solution and an analysis of the sensitivity of the equations to slant range measurement errors. It also presents various methods by which the error in the slant range measurements can be reduced to improve overall measurement accuracy. Chapter 4 provides a description of a type of experiment used to test the analytical solution and provides a discussion of its results. Chapter 5 discusses the setup of a prototype collision avoidance system, discusses its accuracy, and demonstrates various methods of improving the accuracy along with the improvements' ramifications. Finally, Chapter 6 provides a summary of the work and a discussion of conclusions drawn from it. Additionally, suggestions for further research are made to improve upon what has been presented here.

Wenger, David Paul↗
DOE OSTI2013

Effect of Measurement vs. Counting Errors on Parameters' Covariance in Neutron Tomography Analysis

We present here a method that estimates the relative effect of the counting uncertainty and of the instrument uncertainty on that of the parameters in a parametric model for neutron time of flight. The final result, obtained independently of calculation of the parameter values from measured data, presents explicitly the ratio of the two uncertainties in terms of the choice, settings, and placement of the detector and the oscilloscope. Consequently, the method can serve as a tool in planning a measurement setup.

fusion↗
NASA NTRS1993

Errors and ozone measurement

It is held that Mimm's (1993) comparison of hand-held TOPS instrument data with the Nimbus 7 satellite's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer's (TOMS) ozone data was intrinsically flawed, in that the TOMS data were preliminary and therefore unsuited for quantitative analysis. It is noted that the TOMS calibration was in error.

Mcpeters, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Modeling Errors in Daily Precipitation Measurements: Additive or Multiplicative?

The definition and quantification of uncertainty depend on the error model used. For uncertainties in precipitation measurements, two types of error models have been widely adopted: the additive error model and the multiplicative error model. This leads to incompatible specifications of uncertainties and impedes intercomparison and application.In this letter, we assess the suitability of both models for satellite-based daily precipitation measurements in an effort to clarify the uncertainty representation. Three criteria were employed to evaluate the applicability of either model: (1) better separation of the systematic and random errors; (2) applicability to the large range of variability in daily precipitation; and (3) better predictive skills. It is found that the multiplicative error model is a much better choice under all three criteria. It extracted the systematic errors more cleanly, was more consistent with the large variability of precipitation measurements, and produced superior predictions of the error characteristics. The additive error model had several weaknesses, such as non constant variance resulting from systematic errors leaking into random errors, and the lack of prediction capability. Therefore, the multiplicative error model is a better choice.

Modeling↗
NASA NTRS1970

Multipath error in range rate measurement by PLL-transponder/GRARR/TDRS

Range rate errors due to specular and diffuse multipath are calculated for a tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) using an S band Goddard range and range rate (GRARR) system modified with a phase-locked loop transponder. Carrier signal processing in the coherent turn-around transponder and the GRARR reciever is taken into account. The root-mean-square (rms) range rate error was computed for the GRARR Doppler extractor and N-cycle count range rate measurement. Curves of worst-case range rate error are presented as a function of grazing angle at the reflection point. At very low grazing angles specular scattering predominates over diffuse scattering as expected, whereas for grazing angles greater than approximately 15 deg, the diffuse multipath predominates. The range rate errors at different low orbit altutudes peaked between 5 and 10 deg grazing angles.

Sohn, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

On error sources during airborne measurements of the ambient electric field

The principal sources of errors during airborne measurements of the ambient electric field and charge are addressed. Results of their analysis are presented for critical survey. It is demonstrated that the volume electric charge has to be accounted for during such measurements, that charge being generated at the airframe and wing surface by droplets of clouds and precipitation colliding with the aircraft. The local effect of that space charge depends on the flight regime (air speed, altitude, particle size, and cloud elevation). Such a dependence is displayed in the relation between the collector conductivity of the aircraft discharging circuit - on one hand, and the sum of all the residual conductivities contributing to aircraft discharge - on the other. Arguments are given in favor of variability in the aircraft electric capacitance. Techniques are suggested for measuring from factors to describe the aircraft charge.

Evteev, B. F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Error analysis applied to several inversion techniques used for the retrieval of middle atmospheric constituents from limb-scanning MM-wave spectroscopic measurements

The formal retrieval error analysis of Rodgers (1990) allows the quantitative determination of such retrieval properties as measurement error sensitivity, resolution, and inversion bias. This technique was applied to five numerical inversion techniques and two nonlinear iterative techniques used for the retrieval of middle atmospheric constituent concentrations from limb-scanning millimeter-wave spectroscopic measurements. It is found that the iterative methods have better vertical resolution, but are slightly more sensitive to measurement error than constrained matrix methods. The iterative methods converge to the exact solution, whereas two of the matrix methods under consideration have an explicit constraint, the sensitivity of the solution to the a priori profile. Tradeoffs of these retrieval characteristics are presented.

Puliafito, E.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Pressure Change Measurement Leak Testing Errors

A pressure change test is a common leak testing method used in construction and Non-Destructive Examination (NDE). The test is known as being a fast, simple, and easy to apply evaluation method. While this method may be fairly quick to conduct and require simple instrumentation, the engineering behind this type of test is more complex than is apparent on the surface. This paper intends to discuss some of the more common errors made during the application of a pressure change test and give the test engineer insight into how to correctly compensate for these factors. The principals discussed here apply to ideal gases such as air or other monoatomic or diatomic gasses; however these same principals can be applied to polyatomic gasses or liquid flow rate with altered formula specific to those types of tests using the same methodology.

Leak Test↗
NASA NTRS1994

Effects of vibration on inertial wind-tunnel model attitude measurement devices

Results of an experimental study of a wind tunnel model inertial angle-of-attack sensor response to a simulated dynamic environment are presented. The inertial device cannot distinguish between the gravity vector and the centrifugal accelerations associated with wind tunnel model vibration, this situation results in a model attitude measurement bias error. Significant bias error in model attitude measurement was found for the model system tested. The model attitude bias error was found to be vibration mode and amplitude dependent. A first order correction model was developed and used for estimating attitude measurement bias error due to dynamic motion. A method for correcting the output of the model attitude inertial sensor in the presence of model dynamics during on-line wind tunnel operation is proposed.

Young, Clarence P., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2018

The NSLS-II Components Relative Alignment Deviation Estimate

The alignment of NSLS-II components will be conducted under the constraint of survey control network. The control network system is categorized as outside, primary and secondary control networks, and all of them have random errors due to measurement random errors. In the error propagation point of view, they all will contribute to the final positioning accuracy of each component in global sense. However, as the global positioning requirement is relative loose (i.e. ± 3mm for storage ring), relative positioning accuracy is what we really concern. In this situation, only secondary control network will contribute as only secondary monuments will be employed to direct the adjustment of components. Other error sources include instrument setup error, adjustment residuals and slab movement etc. This article will analyze the maximum relative deviation of 3 positions in one cell’s region, which is a simulation of 1 ID and 2 Vacuum chamber positions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The NSLS-II Components Relative Alignment Deviation Estimate

The alignment of NSLS-II components will be conducted under the constraint of survey control network. The control network system is categorized as outside, primary and secondary control networks, and all of them have random errors due to measurement random errors. In the error propagation point of view, they all will contribute to the final positioning accuracy of each component in global sense. However, as the global positioning requirement is relative loose (i.e. ± 3mm for storage ring), relative positioning accuracy is what we really concern. In this situation, only secondary control network will contribute as only secondary monuments will be employed to direct the adjustment of components. Other error sources include instrument setup error, adjustment residuals and slab movement etc. This article will analyze the maximum relative deviation of 3 positions in one cell’s region, which is a simulation of 1 ID and 2 Vacuum chamber positions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Double sided measurements and associated error bars for planar samples or subassemblies

Many of the high energy density (HED) experiments use targets with planar components usually in a multilayer stack as the physics package which is at the heart of the experiment. The physics package contains the sample part under study as well as other components as shown in Fig. 1, that when exposed to the laser drive applies pressure onto or shock the main component to take it to the desired state in the phase diagram. These other components may include the ablator, pusher, x-ray pre-heat shield, window or other special components. The components are usually glued together. Currently, experiments on NIF and Omega in the Dynamic Materials campaign use several platforms such as Diffraction, EOS and Strength (Ref 1-3) which all use such planar stack physics packages.

42 ENGINEERING↗