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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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In this analysis we invert global models of Mars' topography from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and gravity from Doppler tracking obtained during the mapping mission of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). We analyze the distribution of Martian crust and discuss implications for Mars' thermal history.
We studied the kinematics and kinetics of human postural responses to "recoverable falls." To induce brief falling we used a Hold and Release (H&R) paradigm. Standing subjects actively resisted a force applied to their sternum. When this force was quickly released they were suddenly off balance. For a brief period, approximately 125 ms, until restoring forces were generated to shift the center of foot pressure in front of the center of mass, the body was in a forward fall acted on by gravity and ground support forces. We were able to describe the whole-body postural behavior following release using a multilink inverted pendulum model in a regime of "small oscillations." A three-segment model incorporating upper body, upper leg, and lower leg, with active stiffness and damping at the joints was fully adequate to fit the kinematic data from all conditions. The significance of our findings is that in situations involving recoverable falls or loss of balance the earliest responses are likely dependent on actively-tuned, reflexive mechanisms yielding stiffness and damping modulation of the joints. We demonstrate that haptic cues from index fingertip contact with a stationary surface lead to a significantly smaller angular displacement of the torso and a more rapid recovery of balance. Our H&R paradigm and associated model provide a quantifiable approach to studying recovery from potential falling in normal and clinical subjects.
One approach toward achieving NASA's aggressive N+2 noise goal of 42 EPNdB cumulative margin below Stage 4 is through the use of novel vehicle configurations like the Hybrid Wing Body (HWB). Jet noise measurements from an HWB acoustic test in NASA Langley's 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel are described. Two dual-stream, heated Compact Jet Engine Simulator (CJES) units are mounted underneath the inverted HWB model on a traversable support to permit measurement of varying levels of shielding provided by the fuselage. Both an axisymmetric and low noise chevron nozzle set are investigated in the context of shielding. The unshielded chevron nozzle set shows 1 to 2 dB of source noise reduction (relative to the unshielded axisymmetric nozzle set) with some penalties at higher frequencies. Shielding of the axisymmetric nozzles shows up to 6.5 dB of reduction at high frequency. The combination of shielding and low noise chevrons shows benefits beyond the expected additive benefits of the two, up to 10 dB, due to the effective migration of the jet source peak noise location upstream for increased shielding effectiveness. Jet noise source maps from phased array results processed with the Deconvolution Approach for the Mapping of Acoustic Sources (DAMAS) algorithm reinforce these observations.
This paper studies the simulated performance of the Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) laser downlink pointing control system that has a pointing requirement at the sub-microradian scale. To achieve the required pointing precision, the DSOC Flight Laser Transceiver (FLT) point-ahead mirror (PAM) employs piezoelectric actuators, which are widely used in precision applications due to their high motion resolution, rapid response, and high output forces. However, a piezoelectric actuator's performance is often limited by nonlinearities in their response, most significantly hysteresis. To study the effect of hysteresis on our simulated pointing performance, an invertible hysteresis model is developed using the Classical Prantdl-Ishlinskii (CPI) method. The simulation includes models of DSOC hardware and electronic system components based on key parameters (bias, frequency response, noise), with the hysteresis modeled in the PAM piezo actuator dynamics. A Proportional-Integral controller provides feedback with measurements from two potential sources: strain gauge sensors or a photon-counting camera. To compensate for hysteresis behavior, a feedforward inverse CPI hysteresis model is implemented in the control system. Two CPI models are built using different sampling methods (uniform sampling and cosine spacing) and controller performance is compared. For the maximum command range of ±400 μrad at 1 mHz, results show that the feedforward combined with feedback control reduces output tracking error by 50% or 58% (to 0.20 or 0.38 μrad) compared to feedback control alone (from 0.40 or 0.90 μrad), corresponding to the uniform-sampled and cosine-sampled CPI models, respectively.
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We investigated the effect of reduced gravity on the human walk-run gait transition speed and interpreted the results using an inverted-pendulum mechanical model. We simulated reduced gravity using an apparatus that applied a nearly constant upward force at the center of mass, and the subjects walked and ran on a motorized treadmill. In the inverted pendulum model for walking, gravity provides the centripetal force needed to keep the pendulum in contact with the ground. The ratio of the centripetal and gravitational forces (mv2/L)/(mg) reduces to the dimensionless Froude number (v2/gL). Applying this model to a walking human, m is body mass, v is forward velocity, L is leg length and g is gravity. In normal gravity, humans and other bipeds with different leg lengths all choose to switch from a walk to a run at different absolute speeds but at approximately the same Froude number (0.5). We found that, at lower levels of gravity, the walk-run transition occurred at progressively slower absolute speeds but at approximately the same Froude number. This supports the hypothesis that the walk-run transition is triggered by the dynamics of an inverted-pendulum system.
Unlike synchronous generators, the fault response of grid-forming (GFM) inverter-interfaced distributed generators (IIDGs) is notably governed by the selection of control and current limiting strategies rather than inherent physical traits. While recent research has focused on the sequence domain fault model of GFM IIDGs, a research gap exists in elucidating the influence of control and current limiting schemes on this model's characteristics. This article aims to fill this void by examining how different control and current limiting schemes influence the positive and negative sequence impedances in the phasor-domain fault model of GFM IIDGs. This investigation encompasses droop-based, virtual synchronous machine-based, and virtual oscillator-based reference generation controls alongside rotating and stationary reference-frame-based voltage controls. Furthermore, saturation-based, latching-based, circular and virtual impedance-based current limiting schemes are analyzed. To achieve this goal, a thorough numerical simulation study is conducted. Findings indicate that outer reference generation controls exhibit minimal impact. Conversely, the choice of voltage control and various current limiting schemes emerge as the predominant factors shaping the sequence models of GFM IIDGs. These analyses and results are instrumental in devising reliable protection strategies within inverter-based grids, as a comprehensive understanding of electrical elements in the sequence domain is imperative for effective protective measures.
Five co-annular nozzle models, covering a systematic variation of nozzle geometry, were tested statically over a range of exhaust conditions including inverted velocity profile (IVP) (fan to primary stream velocity ratio 1) and non IVP profiles. Fan nozzle pressure ratio (FNPR) was varied from 1.3 to 4.1 at primary nozzle pressure ratios (PNPR) of 1.53 and 2.0. Fan stream temperatures of 700 K (1260 deg R) and 1089 K(1960 deg R) were tested with primary stream temperatures of 700 K (1260 deg R), 811 K (1460 deg R), and 1089 K (1960 deg R). At fan and primary stream velocities of 610 and 427 m/sec (2000 and 1400 ft/sec), respectively, increasing fan radius ratio from 0.69 to 0.83 reduced peak perceived noise level (PNL) 3 dB, and an increase in primary radius ratio from 0 to 0.81 (fan radius ratio constant at 0.83) reduced peak PNL an additional 1.0 dB. There were no noise reductions at a fan stream velocity of 853 m/sec (2800 ft/sec). Increasing fan radius ratio from 0.69 to 0.83 reduced nozzle thrust coefficient 1.2 to 1.5% at a PNPR of 1.53, and 1.7 to 2.0% at a PNPR of 2.0. The developed acoustic prediction procedure collapsed the existing data with standard deviation varying from + or - 8 dB to + or - 7 dB. The aerodynamic performance prediction procedure collapsed thrust coefficient measurements to within + or - .004 at a FNPR of 4.0 and a PNPR of 2.0.
Low-order frequency response models for power systems have a decades-long history in optimization and control problems such as unit commitment, economic dispatch, and wide-area control. With a few exceptions, these models are built upon the Newtonian mechanics of synchronous generators, assuming that the frequency dynamics across a system are approximately homogeneous, and assume the dynamics of nodal voltages for most operating conditions are negligible, and thus are not directly computed at all buses. As a result, the use of system frequency models results in the systematic underestimation of frequency minimum nadir and maximum RoCoF, and provides no insight into the reactive power-voltage dynamics. This paper proposes a low-order model of both frequency and voltage response in grid-forming inverter-dominated power systems. The proposed model accounts for spatial-temporal variations in frequency and voltage behavior across a system and as a result, demonstrates the heterogeneity of frequency response in future renewable power systems. Electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations are used to validate the utility, accuracy, and computational efficiency of these models, setting the basis for them to serve as fast, scalable alternatives to EMT simulation, especially when dealing with very large-scale systems, for both planning and operational studies.
A method for inverting gravitational data is the basis for the present models of Saturn, Jupiter, and Uranus, which have been computed to the third-order in rotational disturbance to the total potential and yield exact matches for recent, highly-accurate determinations of gravitational harmonics for these planets. These results indicate that a major He depletion has either not occurred in the outer layers of Jupiter or of Saturn, or that such a depletion's effect on the density profile has been masked by the presence of denser components. Considerable uncertainty characterizes Uranian models; the one presently preferred has substantial heavy-element enhancement at depth and little ice-rock separation.
The experimental data necessary to establish aerodynamic and acoustic prediction systems for coannular exhaust nozzles with inverted velocity profiles are presented in graphical form.
The experimental data necessary to establish aerodynamic and acoustic prediction systems for coannular exhaust nozzles with inverted velocity profiles are presented in tabular form. The acoustic data are corrected to a 'theoretical day' and scaled to full engine size.
This document describes a standard library plant controller model to interface with the grid-forming hybrid control inverter-based resource (IBR) model. The initial version of model specification was jointly developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Tesla Energy, and EPRI, and it was revised multiple times later to incorporate suggestions from WECC MVS members. Tesla Energy provided main control algorithms to support the development of this model specification. This standard library model is developed to help the utility industry better understand the GFM technology. The model could be used to represent equipment for long-term planning studies where vendor-specific models are not available. As equipment matures and improves, standard library models will be updated to capture the new functionalities of GFMs. It is not intended that these models will always remain representative of all future GFM technologies.
Quantitative diagnosis involves numerically estimating the values of unobservable parameters that best explain the observed parameter values. We consider quantitative diagnosis for continuous, lumped- parameter, steady-state physical systems because such models are easy to construct and the diagnosis problem is considerably simpler than that for corresponding dynamic models. To further tackle the difficulties of numerically inverting a simulation model to compute a diagnosis, we propose to decompose a physical system model in terms of feedback loops. This decomposition reduces the dimension of the problem and consequently decreases the diagnosis search space. We illustrate this approach on a model of thermal control system studied in earlier research.
Considerable research has been performed by several organizations in the use of the Metal- Ferroelectric-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MFSFET) in memory circuits. However, research has been limited in expanding the use of the MFSFET to other electronic circuits. This research project investigates the modeling of a NAND gate constructed from MFSFETs. The NAND gate is one of the fundamental building blocks of digital electronic circuits. The first step in forming a NAND gate is to develop an inverter circuit. The inverter circuit was modeled similar to a standard CMOS inverter. A n-channel MFSFET with positive polarization was used for the n-channel transistor, and a n-channel MFSFET with negative polarization was used for the p-channel transistor. The MFSFETs were simulated by using a previously developed current model which utilized a partitioned ferroelectric layer. The inverter voltage transfer curve was obtained over a standard input of zero to five volts. Then a 2-input NAND gate was modeled similar to the inverter circuit. Voltage transfer curves were obtained for the NAND gate for various configurations of input voltages. The resultant data shows that it is feasible to construct a NAND gate with MFSFET transistors.
This report describes the tasks accomplished during Fall 2020 at the Kennedy Space Center under the scope of the Robotic Control System Design internship project. These tasks primarily supported development of an augmented adaptive control system for an inverted pendulum (IP) robotic system on a 4-wheel mobile base (Penny). This system serves as an analogue to the control problems in the flight of rockets in the initial and latter stages of launch, and methods developed as part of this research can later be applied to more complex IP systems, such as launch vehicles. To more accurately model launch vehicles, a flexible aluminum pendulum is used both on the hardware and in the simulated models. In order to capture the flexible dynamics of the system, hardware modifications were made to Penny (including installation of a rate gyro at the tip of the pendulum). Simulink models were created to control and model the hardware system, and Simscape models were created/updated to model the system in simulation. MATLAB programs were created throughout the internship to analyze data generated from hardware and simulation runs. Linear fixed-gain controllers have been applied to the simulated and hardware system, and work continues with augmenting these controllers using sensor blending and direct output adaptive control methods to improve stabilization of system states and cancel flex dynamics. In addition to describing the work done to support these modeling efforts, an Independent Research and Technology Development (IR&TD) proposal for a lunar simulation with soil deformation modeling developed during the internship is briefly described.
Electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation of power grids with high-fidelity models of inverter-based resources (IBRs) is time-consuming and difficult to scale. The necessity for high-fidelity models of IBRs that incorporate the dynamics of individual inverters within IBRs has been showcased in recent studies. These studies focused on events with partial power reduction in each IBR during a transmission line fault in the power grid. These types of events have been documented in multiple North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) reports in the past decade. It is imperative then to find solutions to speed-up EMT simulations and scale the size of the region with IBRs studied in EMT simulations. In this paper, a combination of numerical simulation algorithms with high-performance computing techniques are employed in discretization and linear solvers employed in the proposed RE-INTEGRATE EMT simulation platform for power grid with IBRs. For ease of scalability, modular and object-oriented programming is used as these techniques are implemented. Additionally, automation software is developed to convert legacy software codes to the proposed RE-INTEGRATE EMT simulation platform. Thereafter, this platform is evaluated on multi-core central processing units (CPUs). Finally, scale-up tests are performed to showcase the scalability that is possible.
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