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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 127 records · Page 7

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NASA NTRS2006

Automated Activation and Deactivation of a System Under Test

The MPLM Automated Activation/Deactivation application (MPLM means Multi-Purpose Logistic Module) was created with a three-fold purpose in mind: 1. To reduce the possibility of human error in issuing commands to, or interpreting telemetry from, the MPLM power, computer, and environmental control systems; 2. To reduce the amount of test time required for the repetitive activation/deactivation processes; and 3. To reduce the number of on-console personnel required for activation/ deactivation. All of these have been demonstrated with the release of the software. While some degree of automated end-item commanding had previously been performed for space-station hardware in the test environment, none approached the functionality and flexibility of this application. For MPLM activation, it provides mouse-click selection of the hardware complement to be activated, activates the desired hardware and verifies proper feedbacks, and alerts the user when telemetry indicates an error condition or manual intervention is required. For MPLM deactivation, the product senses which end items are active and deactivates them in the proper sequence. For historical purposes, an on-line log is maintained of commands issued and telemetry points monitored. The benefits of the MPLM Automated Activation/ Deactivation application were demonstrated with its first use in December 2002, when it flawlessly performed MPLM activation in 8 minutes (versus as much as 2.4 hours for previous manual activations), and performed MPLM deactivation in 3 minutes (versus 66 minutes for previous manual deactivations). The number of test team members required has dropped from eight to four, and in actuality the software can be operated by a sole (knowledgeable) system engineer.

Poff, Mark A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

AERCam Autonomy: Intelligent Software Architecture for Robotic Free Flying Nanosatellite Inspection Vehicles

The NASA Johnson Space Center has developed a nanosatellite-class Free Flyer intended for future external inspection and remote viewing of human spacecraft. The Miniature Autonomous Extravehicular Robotic Camera (Mini AERCam) technology demonstration unit has been integrated into the approximate form and function of a flight system. The spherical Mini AERCam Free Flyer is 7.5 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 10 pounds, yet it incorporates significant additional capabilities compared to the 35-pound, 14-inch diameter AERCam Sprint that flew as a Shuttle flight experiment in 1997. Mini AERCam hosts a full suite of miniaturized avionics, instrumentation, communications, navigation, power, propulsion, and imaging subsystems, including digital video cameras and a high resolution still image camera. The vehicle is designed for either remotely piloted operations or supervised autonomous operations, including automatic stationkeeping, point-to-point maneuvering, and waypoint tracking. The Mini AERCam Free Flyer is accompanied by a sophisticated control station for command and control, as well as a docking system for automated deployment, docking, and recharge at a parent spacecraft. Free Flyer functional testing has been conducted successfully on both an airbearing table and in a six-degree-of-freedom closed-loop orbital simulation with avionics hardware in the loop. Mini AERCam aims to provide beneficial on-orbit views that cannot be obtained from fixed cameras, cameras on robotic manipulators, or cameras carried by crewmembers during extravehicular activities (EVA s). On Shuttle or International Space Station (ISS), for example, Mini AERCam could support external robotic operations by supplying orthogonal views to the intravehicular activity (IVA) robotic operator, supply views of EVA operations to IVA and/or ground crews monitoring the EVA, and carry out independent visual inspections of areas of interest around the spacecraft. To enable these future benefits with minimal impact on IVA operators and ground controllers, the Mini AERCam system architecture incorporates intelligent systems attributes that support various autonomous capabilities. 1) A robust command sequencer enables task-level command scripting. Command scripting is employed for operations such as automatic inspection scans over a region of interest, and operator-hands-off automated docking. 2) A system manager built on the same expert-system software as the command sequencer provides detection and smart-response capability for potential system-level anomalies, like loss of communications between the Free Flyer and control station. 3) An AERCam dynamics manager provides nominal and off-nominal management of guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) functions. It is employed for safe trajectory monitoring, contingency maneuvering, and related roles. This paper will describe these architectural components of Mini AERCam autonomy, as well as the interaction of these elements with a human operator during supervised autonomous control.

Fredrickson, Steven E.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Remote surface inspection system

This paper reports on an on-going research and development effort in remote surface inspection of space platforms such as the Space Station Freedom (SSF). It describes the space environment and identifies the types of damage for which to search. This paper provides an overview of the Remote Surface Inspection System that was developed to conduct proof-of-concept demonstrations and to perform experiments in a laboratory environment. Specifically, the paper describes three technology areas: (1) manipulator control for sensor placement; (2) automated non-contact inspection to detect and classify flaws; and (3) an operator interface to command the system interactively and receive raw or processed sensor data. Initial findings for the automated and human visual inspection tests are reported.

Hayati, S.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Remote surface inspection system

Hayati, Samad↗

NASA NTRS1991

Fully automatic guidance and control for rotorcraft nap-of-the-Earth flight following planned profiles. Volume 1: Real-time piloted simulation

Developing a single-pilot, all-weather nap-of-the-earth (NOE) capability requires fully automatic NOE (ANOE) navigation and flight control. Innovative guidance and control concepts are investigated in a four-fold research effort that: (1) organizes the on-board computer-based storage and real-time updating of NOE terrain profiles and obstacles in course-oriented coordinates indexed to the mission flight plan; (2) defines a class of automatic anticipative pursuit guidance algorithms and necessary data preview requirements to follow the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal guidance commands dictated by the updated flight profiles; (3) automates a decision-making process for unexpected obstacle avoidance; and (4) provides several rapid response maneuvers. Acquired knowledge from the sensed environment is correlated with the forehand knowledge of the recorded environment (terrain, cultural features, threats, and targets), which is then used to determine an appropriate evasive maneuver if a nonconformity of the sensed and recorded environments is observed. This four-fold research effort was evaluated in both fixed-based and moving-based real-time piloted simulations, thereby, providing a practical demonstration for evaluating pilot acceptance of the automated concepts, supervisory override, manual operation, and re-engagement of the automatic system. Volume one describes the major components of the guidance and control laws as well as the results of the piloted simulations. Volume two describes the complete mathematical model of the fully automatic guidance system for rotorcraft NOE flight following planned flight profiles.

Clement, Warren F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Fully Automatic Guidance and Control for Rotorcraft Nap-of-the-earth Flight Following Planned Profiles. Volume 2: Mathematical Model

Developing a single-pilot, all-weather nap-of-the-earth (NOE) capability requires fully automatic NOE (ANOE) navigation and flight control. Innovative guidance and control concepts are investigated in a four-fold research effort that: (1) organizes the on-board computer-based storage and real-time updating of NOE terrain profiles and obstacles in course-oriented coordinates indexed to the mission flight plan; (2) defines a class of automatic anticipative pursuit guidance algorithms and necessary data preview requirements to follow the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal guidance commands dictated by the updated flight profiles; (3) automates a decision-making process for unexpected obstacle avoidance; and (4) provides several rapid response maneuvers. Acquired knowledge from the sensed environment is correlated with the forehand knowledge of the recorded environment (terrain, cultural features, threats, and targets), which is then used to determine an appropriate evasive maneuver if a nonconformity of the sensed and recorded environments is observed. This four-fold research effort was evaluated in both fixed-base and moving-base real-time piloted simulations; thereby, providing a practical demonstration for evaluating pilot acceptance of the automated concepts, supervisory override, manual operation, and re-engagement of the automatic system. Volume one describes the major components of the guidance and control laws as well as the results of the piloted simulations. Volume two describes the complete mathematical model of the fully automatic guidance system for rotorcraft NOE flight following planned flight profiles.

Clement, Warren F.↗

NASA NTRS1994

An expert system for diagnosing anomalies of spacecraft

Although the analysis of anomalous behavior of satellites is difficult because it is a very complex process, it is important to be able to make an accurate assessment in a timely manner when the anomaly is observed. Spacecraft operators may have to take corrective action or to 'safe' the spacecraft; space-environment forecasters may have to assess the environmental situation and issue warnings and alerts regarding hazardous conditions, and scientists and engineers may want to gain knowledge for future designs to mitigate the problems. Anomalies can be hardware problems, software errors, environmentally induced, or even the cause of workmanship. Spacecraft anomalies attributable to electrostatic discharges have been known to cause command errors. A goal is to develop an automated system based on this concept to reduce the number of personnel required to operate large programs or missions such as Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE). Although expert systems to detect anomalous behavior of satellites during operations are established, diagnosis of the anomaly is a complex procedure and is a new development.

Lauriente, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2021

Sailing Towards an Expressive Scheduling Language for Europa Clipper

The mission planners for NASA's Europa Clipper deep-space mission use automated scheduling software to generate activity plans and command sequences for multiple instruments and subsystems before sending the sequences for execution on board. Both science and engineering planners must translate their intents into expressions of mission constraints, goals, and preferences that the scheduling engine understands. This paper describes the ongoing development of a dedicated domain-specific java-embedded language that can efficiently and accurately capture such concerns for the Europa Clipper mission, along with a user-interface companion for the language.

Schaffer, Steve↗

NASA NTRS1990

Automated electric power management and control for Space Station Freedom

A comprehensive automation design is being developed for Space Station Freedom's electric power system. It strives to increase station productivity by applying expert systems and conventional algorithms to automate power system operation. An integrated approach to the power system command and control problem is defined and used to direct technology development in: diagnosis, security monitoring and analysis, battery management, and cooperative problem-solving for resource allocation. The prototype automated power system is developed using simulations and test-beds.

Dolce, James L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Automated electric power management and control for Space Station Freedom

Dolce, James L.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Autonomously generating operations sequences for a Mars Rover using AI-based planning

This paper discusses a proof-of-concept prototype for ground-based automatic generation of validated rover command sequences from highlevel science and engineering activities. This prototype is based on ASPEN, the Automated Scheduling and Planning Environment. This Artificial Intelligence (AI) based planning and scheduling system will automatically generate a command sequence that will execute within resource constraints and satisfy flight rules.

Mars Rover↗

NASA NTRS1990

Embedded CLIPS for SDI BM/C3 simulation and analysis

Nichols Research Corporation is developing the BM/C3 Requirements Analysis Tool (BRAT) for the U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command. BRAT uses embedded CLIPS/Ada to model the decision making processes used by the human commander of a defense system. Embedding CLlPS/Ada in BRAT allows the user to explore the role of the human in Command and Control (C2) and the use of expert systems for automated C2. BRAT models assert facts about the current state of the system, the simulated scenario, and threat information into CLIPS/Ada. A user-defined rule set describes the decision criteria for the commander. We have extended CLIPS/Ada with user-defined functions that allow the firing of a rule to invoke a system action such as weapons release or a change in strategy. The use of embedded CLIPS/Ada will provide a powerful modeling tool for our customer at minimal cost.

Gossage, Brett↗

NASA NTRS1980

Spacelab's interface to payload experiments

The Spacelab Payload Standard Modular Electronics (SPSME) program has been designed to provide a standardized set of space-qualified low-power electronic modules from which an experimenter may economically implement a command and data management system. SPSME is based on the Computer Automated Measurement and Control (CAMAC) interface standards. To the system of CAMAC, SPSME adds Spacelab interface modules, a flight qualified system crate, and an efficient light-weight power supply to produce a system compatible with the Spacelab environments, the Spacelab Command and Data Management System interface, and any experiment.

Golemon, W. F.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Practical Insights on Applying Simulation-Based Control Methods in Experimental Studies

Advanced nuclear reactors are crucial to the future of energy both in the United States and around the globe. In contrast to the current operating fleet, they are characterized as being deployable in remote locations and able to operate in semi-autonomous or autonomous fashion. This leap forward necessitates a new reactor control paradigm. Because advanced nuclear reactors are still under development in the United States, the creation of new control methods to achieve autonomous operations has been based on systems modeling and simulation. However, an important factor in successfully deploying these new control methods is the ability to seamlessly transition from simulation environments to real-world settings. Control methods tested in both simulation and experimental settings need to be investigated in the context of advanced reactor applications. This work developed a series of simple controllers for Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) microreactor operating in load-following scenarios. These controllers were tested in both simulation and experimental settings, and a comparative performance analysis was performed. The simulation tests leveraged the Control and Optimization Modular Modeling Application for Nuclear Deployment (COMMAND) software developed in a previous stage of the current effort, along with the MARVEL Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5-3D) and Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) models. The experimental tests leveraged the COMMAND software, MARVEL models, and the U.S. Department of Energy Microreactor Program’s Microreactor Automated Control System (MACS). MACS was developed to serve as a control method testbed. It was customized to mirror the MARVEL microreactor, and COMMAND enabled MACS to emulate the physics of MARVEL. The load-following controller was developed using the simulation platform, with efforts to emulate real systems by introducing actuator saturation and noise. These factors were incrementally accounted for in the controller design. After finalizing the controller design, it was implemented with the experimental setup. The experimental conditions tested included an initial test under conditions similar to the final simulation test, and two additional scenarios. The first scenario introduced additional actuator saturation to account for equipment aging over time, which was unknown to the controller. The second scenario introduced sensor delay, a phenomenon anticipated with the use of remote operations or wireless communication in advanced reactors. These tests revealed several notable differences. While the controller performed well in simulation, it exhibited several limitations when transitioning to hardware. The main challenges involved maintaining the steady-state target power, as evidenced by larger error values between the true reactor power and setpoint power, as well as persistent oscillations in controlled reactor power. These issues could lead to unacceptable transient conditions in real reactor testing. Introducing actuator aging and stochastic delays in the experimental setup significantly impacted controller performance, resulting in increased overshoot and undershoot, and exacerbated error and oscillations previously mentioned. These findings underscore the importance of experimental testbeds for testing and validating control methods, as controllers developed using only theory and/or simulation may perform unexpectedly when applied to actual hardware. This research emphasizes the need for an experimental testbed for achieving such validation.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

NASA NTRS2014

UAS Integration into the NAS: HSI Full Mission Simulation Preliminary Results

The goal of the Full Mission Sim was to examine the effects of different command and control interfaces on UAS pilots' ability to respond to ATC commands and traffic advisories. Results suggest that higher levels of automation (i.e., waypoint-to-waypoint control interfaces) lead to longer initial response times and longer edit times. The findings demonstrate the importance of providing pilots with interfaces that facilitate their ability to get back "in the loop."

ground control stations↗

NASA NTRS1994

Magellan Project: Evolving enhanced operations efficiency to maximize science value

Magellan has been one of NASA's most successful spacecraft, returning more science data than all planetary spacecraft combined. The Magellan Spacecraft Team (SCT) has maximized the science return with innovative operational techniques to overcome anomalies and to perform activities for which the spacecraft was not designed. Commanding the spacecraft was originally time consuming because the standard development process was envisioned as manual tasks. The Program understood that reducing mission operations costs were essential for an extended mission. Management created an environment which encouraged automation of routine tasks, allowing staff reduction while maximizing the science data returned. Data analysis and trending, command preparation, and command reviews are some of the tasks that were automated. The SCT has accommodated personnel reductions by improving operations efficiency while returning the maximum science data possible.

Cheuvront, Allan R.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Mission simulation as an approach to develop requirements for automation in Advanced Life Support Systems

This paper examines mission simulation as an approach to develop requirements for automation and robotics for Advanced Life Support Systems (ALSS). The focus is on requirements and applications for command and control, control and monitoring, situation assessment and response, diagnosis and recovery, adaptive planning and scheduling, and other automation applications in addition to mechanized equipment and robotics applications to reduce the excessive human labor requirements to operate and maintain an ALSS. Based on principles of systems engineering, an approach is proposed to assess requirements for automation and robotics using mission simulation tools. First, the story of a simulated mission is defined in terms of processes with attendant types of resources needed, including options for use of automation and robotic systems. Next, systems dynamics models are used in simulation to reveal the implications for selected resource allocation schemes in terms of resources required to complete operational tasks. The simulations not only help establish ALSS design criteria, but also may offer guidance to ALSS research efforts by identifying gaps in knowledge about procedures and/or biophysical processes. Simulations of a planned one-year mission with 4 crewmembers in a Human Rated Test Facility are presented as an approach to evaluation of mission feasibility and definition of automation and robotics requirements.

NASA Discipline Number 61-10↗

NASA NTRS2010

Automation Hooks Architecture Trade Study for Flexible Test Orchestration

We describe the conclusions of a technology and communities survey supported by concurrent and follow-on proof-of-concept prototyping to evaluate feasibility of defining a durable, versatile, reliable, visible software interface to support strategic modularization of test software development. The objective is that test sets and support software with diverse origins, ages, and abilities can be reliably integrated into test configurations that assemble and tear down and reassemble with scalable complexity in order to conduct both parametric tests and monitored trial runs. The resulting approach is based on integration of three recognized technologies that are currently gaining acceptance within the test industry and when combined provide a simple, open and scalable test orchestration architecture that addresses the objectives of the Automation Hooks task. The technologies are automated discovery using multicast DNS Zero Configuration Networking (zeroconf), commanding and data retrieval using resource-oriented Restful Web Services, and XML data transfer formats based on Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML). This open-source standards-based approach provides direct integration with existing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) analysis software tools.

Lansdowne, Chatwin A.↗