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At least 1,117 records · Page 62

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of the General Aviation Synthesis Program Using Python to Enable Optimization-Based Hybrid-Propulsion Aircraft Design

In support of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstrator and Advanced Air Transport Technologies projects at NASA, a new tool has been developed at NASA's Ames and Glenn Research Centers to enable coupled engine and airframe optimization and analysis. The new tool combines the engineering-level analysis methods and empirical models of the FORTRAN General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) with the Python-based OpenMDAO framework to provide a modular framework for efficient gradient-based optimization with the aim of incorporating new subsystem models for unconventional configurations. The tool has been verified against GASP analyses of several aircraft models and mission formulations. Preliminary efforts have been made to integrate pyCycle, a thermodynamic cycle analysis tool, to enable simultaneous optimization of hybrid propulsion system and vehicle parameters while taking full mission performance and constraints into account. This will improve current capabilities to assess impacts of electrified powertrain technologies on future aircraft designs.

Kenneth R Lyons↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Supply and Resource Management to Progressively Enable EIMO

BACKGROUND: Current medical operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) allow for real-time audio-video communication with a flight surgeon at mission control, resupply, and medical evacuation to earth on the order of hours. As mission profiles change from LEO to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, medical risk as a contribution to overall mission risk is anticipated to rise substantially. Concurrently, due to the distance, the medical systems on board vehicles proposed for these mission types are expected to have reduced mass and volume allocation. Together, astronaut crews will be at a higher risk of major medical events, be required to perform a broader set of tasks, and have substantially reduced resources and support to do so. Earth Independent Medical Operations (EIMO) aims to identify and fill the gaps present in this progressively changing paradigm. OVERVIEW: Medical supplies, resources, and skills are central to spaceflight medical systems. Vehicles used for non-LEO missions are anticipated to be smaller and thus the medical system will also need to have reduced mass, volume, and power. Medical resources are another form of consumable and may need resupply or pre-deployment to meet crew needs. One particular concern is the degradation of medications which become less efficacious and potentially toxic with time, particularly given environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, oxygen, and radiation which have not yet been fully studied. Supply and resource management in LEO is dependent on resupply, however the supply chain of transporting equipment does not yet have a clear infrastructure for missions beyond LEO. DISCUSSION: EIMO is intended to systemically identify and fill these gaps with forward-looking solutions. In mission monitoring of resources with technology like RFID, improving medical resource longevity, targeted resupply and careful pre-mission planning will be central to facilitate crew health and performance. One approach to optimizing resources is the Informing Mission Planning via Analysis of Complex Tradespaces (IMPACT) tool, which uses probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to quantitatively predict medical risk and identify resources and skills that mitigate this risk. This evidence based, quantitative analysis prediction tool and several other approaches to meeting the challenge of supply and resource management are discussed.

Arian Anderson↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Structural Sizing of a Tow-Steered Truss-Braced Wing Box Test Article

Tailoring of composite laminates is traditionally performed by changing the orientation of straight fibers in one or more plies. Modern automated fiber placement machines facilitate placement of bundles of curved fibers (tows) in a process called tow-steering, but additional variables must be used to define the shapes of tow-steered fiber paths. In this paper, the design of a tow-steered truss-braced wing test article called the Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing 15-ft concept (SWEET-15) is discussed. The SWEET-15 test article is scaled to 18.6% of the span length and chord width of a full-scale vehicle. The test article is designed to withstand +2.5-g (positive limit) and -1.0-g (negative limit) maneuvering loads with a factor of safety of 1.5 under strength and buckling constraints. Design studies were performed using commercial finite element analysis and optimization software in conjunction with a tow-steering modeling tool called ATSCOOL (Automated Tool for Steered COmposite Optimizable Laminates) developed at NASA Langley Research center. A 6.4% weight reduction in the upper cover panels was achieved using a tow-steered layup configuration.

Structural Optimization↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Structural Sizing of a Tow-Steered Truss-Braced Wing Box Test Article

Composites↗

DOE OSTI2018

KBase: The DOE Systems Biology Knowledgebase: An Overview

The Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase) is a knowledge creation and discovery environment designed for both biologists and bioinformaticians. KBase integrates a large variety of public data and analysis tools into an easy-to-use graphical user interface and leverages DOE computational infrastructure to perform sophisticated systems biology analyses. KBase is a freely available system that enables scientists to upload their own data, analyze it alongside collaborator and public data, build validated systems biology models, and share workflows and conclusions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Brain Modulyzer: Interactive Visual Analysis of Functional Brain Connectivity

Here, we present Brain Modulyzer, an interactive visual exploration tool for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, aimed at analyzing the correlation between different brain regions when resting or when performing mental tasks. Brain Modulyzer combines multiple coordinated views—such as heat maps, node link diagrams, and anatomical views—using brushing and linking to provide an anatomical context for brain connectivity data. Integrating methods from graph theory and analysis, e.g., community detection and derived graph measures, makes it possible to explore the modular and hierarchical organization of functional brain networks. Providing immediate feedback by displaying analysis results instantaneously while changing parameters gives neuroscientists a powerful means to comprehend complex brain structure more effectively and efficiently and supports forming hypotheses that can then be validated via statistical analysis. In order to demonstrate the utility of our tool, we also present two case studies—exploring progressive supranuclear palsy, as well as memory encoding and retrieval

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2007

Improved Thermal Design of a Compression Mold

An analysis of the heat transfer in a tool for producing neat resin disks was conducted to determine how to bring about a better agreement between the tool temperature and the applied temperature profile. Using the commercial code FLUENT to investigate the relative effects of heat conduction into the tool and heat loss from the tool by convection, it was shown that convective heat transfer appears more important than conduction in controlling the tool performance. Decreasing the height of the tool was predicted to decrease the heat losses by convection. Redesign of the tool based on this analysis resulted in the tool experiencing the applied temperature profile.

Kuczmarski, Maria A.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Overview of NASA's Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis (IDEA)Environment

Historically, the design of subsonic and supersonic aircraft has been divided into separate technical disciplines (such as propulsion, aerodynamics and structures) each of which performs their design and analysis in relative isolation from others. This is possible in most cases either because the amount of interdisciplinary coupling is minimal or because the interactions can be treated as linear. The design of hypersonic airbreathing vehicles, like NASA s X-43, is quite the opposite. Such systems are dominated by strong non-linear interactions between disciplines. The design of these systems demands that a multi-disciplinary approach be taken. Furthermore, increased analytical fidelity at the conceptual design phase is highly desirable as many of the non-linearities are not captured by lower fidelity tools. Only when these systems are designed from a true multi-disciplinary perspective can the real performance benefits be achieved and complete vehicle systems be fielded. Toward this end, the Vehicle Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center has been developing the Integrated Design & Engineering Analysis (IDEA) Environment. IDEA is a collaborative environment for parametrically modeling conceptual and preliminary launch vehicle configurations using the Adaptive Modeling Language (AML) as the underlying framework. The environment integrates geometry, configuration, propulsion, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, trajectory, closure and structural analysis into a generative, parametric, unified computational model where data is shared seamlessly between the different disciplines. Plans are also in place to incorporate life cycle analysis tools into the environment which will estimate vehicle operability, reliability and cost. IDEA is currently being funded by NASA s Hypersonics Project, a part of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program within the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The environment is currently focused around a two-stage-to-orbit configuration with a turbine based combined cycle (TBCC) first stage and reusable rocket second stage. This paper provides an overview of the development of the IDEA environment, a description of the current status and detail of future plans.

Robinson, Jeffrey S.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Streamlining building energy efficiency assessment through integration of uncertainty analysis and full scale energy simulations

Not Available

Goel, Supriya↗

DOE OSTI2017

Max Tech Efficiency Electric HPWH with low-GWP Halogenated Refrigerant

A scoping-level analysis was conducted to determine the maximum performance of an electric heat pump water heater (HPWH) with low GWP refrigerants (hydroflouroolefins (HFO), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), and blends). A baseline heat pump water heater (GE GeoSpring) deploying R-134a was analyzed first using the DOE/ORNL Heat Pump Design Model (HPDM) modeling tool. The model was calibrated using experimental data to match the water temperature stratification in tank, first hour rating, energy factor and coefficient of performance. A CFD modeling tool was used to further refine the HPDM tank model. After calibration, the model was used to simulate the performance of alternative refrigerants. The parametric analysis concluded that by appropriate selection of equipment size and condenser tube wrap configuration the overall performance of emerging low GWP refrigerants for HPWH application not only exceed the Energy Star Energy Factor criteria i.e. 2.20, but is also comparable to some of the most efficient products in the market.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS1989

Computational issue in the analysis of adaptive control systems

Adaptive systems under slow parameter adaption can be analyzed by the method of averaging. This provides a means to assess stability (and instability) properties of most adaptive systems, either continuous-time or (more importantly for practice) discrete-time, as well as providing an estimate of the region of attraction. Although the method of averaging is conceptually straightforward, even simple examples are well beyond hand calculations. Specific software tools are proposed which can provide the basis for user-friendly environment to perform the necessary computations involved in the averaging analysis.

Kosut, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Automation and robotics human performance

The scope of this report is limited to the following: (1) assessing the feasibility of the assumptions for crew productivity during the intra-vehicular activities and extra-vehicular activities; (2) estimating the appropriate level of automation and robotics to accomplish balanced man-machine, cost-effective operations in space; (3) identifying areas where conceptually different approaches to the use of people and machines can leverage the benefits of the scenarios; and (4) recommending modifications to scenarios or developing new scenarios that will improve the expected benefits. The FY89 special assessments are grouped into the five categories shown in the report. The high level system analyses for Automation & Robotics (A&R) and Human Performance (HP) were performed under the Case Studies Technology Assessment category, whereas the detailed analyses for the critical systems and high leverage development areas were performed under the appropriate operations categories (In-Space Vehicle Operations or Planetary Surface Operations). The analysis activities planned for the Science Operations technology areas were deferred to FY90 studies. The remaining activities such as analytic tool development, graphics/video demonstrations and intelligent communicating systems software architecture were performed under the Simulation & Validations category.

Mah, Robert W.↗

DOE OSTI2015

Improving Limit Surface Search Algorithms in RAVEN Using Acceleration Schemes: Level II Milestone

The RAVEN code is becoming a comprehensive tool to perform Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA); Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) and Propagation; and Verification and Validation (V&V). The RAVEN code is being developed to support the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) pathway by developing an advanced set of methodologies and algorithms for use in advanced risk analysis. The RISMC approach uses system simulator codes applied to stochastic analysis tools. The fundamental idea behind this coupling approach to perturb (by employing sampling strategies) timing and sequencing of events, internal parameters of the system codes (i.e., uncertain parameters of the physics model) and initial conditions to estimate values ranges and associated probabilities of figures of merit of interest for engineering and safety (e.g. core damage probability, etc.). This approach applied to complex systems such as nuclear power plants requires performing a series of computationally expensive simulation runs. The large computational burden is caused by the large set of (uncertain) parameters characterizing those systems. Consequently, exploring the uncertain/parametric domain, with a good level of confidence, is generally not affordable, considering the limited computational resources that are currently available. In addition, the recent tendency to develop newer tools, characterized by higher accuracy and larger computational resources (if compared with the presently used legacy codes, that have been developed decades ago), has made this issue even more compelling. In order to overcome to these limitations, the strategy for the exploration of the uncertain/parametric space needs to use at best the computational resources focusing the computational effort in those regions of the uncertain/parametric space that are “interesting” (e.g., risk-significant regions of the input space) with respect the targeted Figures Of Merit (FOM): for example, the failure of the system, subject of the analysis. These methodologies are named, in the RAVEN environment, adaptive sampling strategies. These methodologies infer system responses from surrogate models constructed from already existing samples (produced using high fidelity simulations) and suggest the most relevant location (coordinate in the input space) of the next sampling point to be explored in the uncertain/parametric domain. When using those methodologies, it is possible to understand features of the system response with a small number of carefully selected samples. This report focuses on the development and improvement of the limit surface search. The limit surface is an important concept in system reliability analysis. Without going into the details, which will be covered later in the report, the limit surface could be briefly described as an hyper-surface in the system uncertainty/parametric space separating the regions leading to a prescribed system outcome. For example, if the uncertainty/parametric space is the one generated by the reactor power level and the duration of the batteries, the system is a nuclear power plant and the system outcome discriminating variable is the clad failure in a station blackout scenario, then the limit surface separates the combinations of reactor power level and battery duration that lead to clad failure from the ones that do not.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

NASA NTRS2009

The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology Project, Products, and Mission Applicability

The In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Project, funded by NASA s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), is continuing to invest in propulsion technologies that will enable or enhance NASA robotic science missions. This overview provides development status, near-term mission benefits, applicability, and availability of in-space propulsion technologies in the areas of aerocapture, electric propulsion, advanced chemical thrusters, and systems analysis tools. Aerocapture investments improved: guidance, navigation, and control models of blunt-body rigid aeroshells; atmospheric models for Earth, Titan, Mars, and Venus; and models for aerothermal effects. Investments in electric propulsion technologies focused on completing NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, a 0.6 to 7 kW throttle-able gridded ion system. The project is also concluding its High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAC) mid-term product specifically designed for a low-cost electric propulsion option. The primary chemical propulsion investment is on the high-temperature Advanced Material Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine providing higher performance for lower cost. The project is also delivering products to assist technology infusion and quantify mission applicability and benefits through mission analysis and tools. In-space propulsion technologies are applicable, and potentially enabling for flagship destinations currently under evaluation, as well as having broad applicability to future Discovery and New Frontiers mission solicitations.

Anderson, David J.↗

DOE OSTI2014

Field-deployable, nano-sensing approach for real-time detection of free mercury, speciation and quantification in surface stream waters and groundwater samples at the U.S. Department of Energy contaminated sites

The detrimental effects on human health caused by long-term exposure to trace contamination of toxic metals have been documented in numerous epidemiological and toxicological studies. The fact that metals are non-biodegradable and accumulate in the food chain poses a severe threat to the environment and human health. Their monitoring in drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, food and biological fluids samples is then essential for global sustainability. While research efforts employing established methodology continue to advance conceptual/computational models of contaminant behavior, the increasing awareness and public concern with environmental and occupational exposure to toxic metals calls for sensing devices capable to handle on-site elemental analysis in short analysis time. Field analysis with potable methodology prevents unnecessary scrutiny of un-contaminated samples via laboratory-bound methods, reduces analysis cost and expedites turnaround time for decision making and remediation purposes. Of particular toxicological interest are mercury and its species. Mercury is recognized as a major environmental pollution issue. The field-portable sensor developed in this project provides a unique and valuable tool for the on-site, real-time determination of inorganic mercury in surface waters. The ability to perform on-site analysis of mercury should prove useful in remote locations with difficult accessibility. It should facilitate data collection from statistically meaningful population sizes for a better understanding of the dose-effect role and the water-soil-plant-animal-human transfer mechanisms. The acquired knowledge should benefit the development of efficient environmental remediation processes, which is extremely relevant for a globally sustainable environment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

Characterizing the effect of hypersonic boundary layer turbulence on antenna performance: A computational approach

The degradation of antenna performance during hypersonic re-entry is a well known phenomenon that can lead to complete radio blackout. Recent additions to the Empire code establish it as a tool for the study and analysis of the problem. Coupling to the Sandia Parallel Aerodynamics and Reentry Code (SPARC) enables the electromagnetic analysis of realistic re-entry plasma profiles. The geometric flexibility afforded by both Empire and SPARC allow the consideration of arbitrary vehicle and antenna configurations. We have used this tool to study antenna performance during re-entry when the boundary layer becomes turbulent. A concise description of line-of-sight transmissions, which employs advanced statistical methods, was developed. New insights into the low altitude reflectometer readings of RAM-C2 are offered. Techniques for the reconstruction of the re-entry plasma profile from reflectometer data were explored.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS2012

Dispersed Fringe Sensing Analysis - DFSA

Dispersed Fringe Sensing (DFS) is a technique for measuring and phasing segmented telescope mirrors using a dispersed broadband light image. DFS is capable of breaking the monochromatic light ambiguity, measuring absolute piston errors between segments of large segmented primary mirrors to tens of nanometers accuracy over a range of 100 micrometers or more. The DFSA software tool analyzes DFS images to extract DFS encoded segment piston errors, which can be used to measure piston distances between primary mirror segments of ground and space telescopes. This information is necessary to control mirror segments to establish a smooth, continuous primary figure needed to achieve high optical quality. The DFSA tool is versatile, allowing precise piston measurements from a variety of different optical configurations. DFSA technology may be used for measuring wavefront pistons from sub-apertures defined by adjacent segments (such as Keck Telescope), or from separated sub-apertures used for testing large optical systems (such as sub-aperture wavefront testing for large primary mirrors using auto-collimating flats). An experimental demonstration of the coarse-phasing technology with verification of DFSA was performed at the Keck Telescope. DFSA includes image processing, wavelength and source spectral calibration, fringe extraction line determination, dispersed fringe analysis, and wavefront piston sign determination. The code is robust against internal optical system aberrations and against spectral variations of the source. In addition to the DFSA tool, the software package contains a simple but sophisticated MATLAB model to generate dispersed fringe images of optical system configurations in order to quickly estimate the coarse phasing performance given the optical and operational design requirements. Combining MATLAB (a high-level language and interactive environment developed by MathWorks), MACOS (JPL s software package for Modeling and Analysis for Controlled Optical Systems), and DFSA provides a unique optical development, modeling and analysis package to study current and future approaches to coarse phasing controlled segmented optical systems.

Sigrist, Norbert↗

NASA NTRS1989

Towards real-time simulation of large space structures: Stabilization of fluid/thermal/structure interactions and implementation on high performance supercomputers

Within the Center for Space Construction, the SIMSTRUC project's objectives center around the development of simulation tools for the realistic analysis of large space structures. The word 'tools' is the broad sense; it designates mathematical models, finite element/finite difference formulations, computational algorithms, implementations on advanced computer architectures, and visualization capabilities. The results of our activities during the first year within the SIMSTRUC project are reported. On the modeling side, an alternative approach to fluid/thermal/structure interaction analysis that is a departure from the 'loosely coupled' and 'unified' approaches that are being currently practiced are described. The advantages of our approach both in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency were demonstrated. On the computational side, a software architecture for parallel/vector and massively parallel supercomputers that speeds up finite element and finite difference computations by several orders of magnitude is presented. As an example, the simulation of the deployment of a space structure that used to require over six hours of a workstation using a conventional finite element software, now runs on a multiprocessor using a parallel computation strategy in less than three seconds. In order to promote the physical understanding of the simulation behavior, a real-time visualization capability on the Connection Machine, which allows the analyst to watch the graphical animation of the results at the same time these are generated, was also developed. It is believed that by combining efficient analytical formulations with the state-of-the-art high performance computer implementations and superfast visualization capabilities, SIMSTRUC is moving fast towards the real-time simulation of large space structures. The designers as well as the researchers will certainly benefit from this technology.

Farhat, C.↗