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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 145 records · Page 8

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NASA NTRS1990

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory shared control architecture and implementation

A hardware and software environment for shared control of telerobot task execution has been implemented. Modes of task execution range from fully teleoperated to fully autonomous as well as shared where hand controller inputs from the human operator are mixed with autonomous system inputs in real time. The objective of the shared control environment is to aid the telerobot operator during task execution by merging real-time operator control from hand controllers with autonomous control to simplify task execution for the operator. The operator is the principal command source and can assign as much autonomy for a task as desired. The shared control hardware environment consists of two PUMA 560 robots, two 6-axis force reflecting hand controllers, Universal Motor Controllers for each of the robots and hand controllers, a SUN4 computer, and VME chassis containing 68020 processors and input/output boards. The operator interface for shared control, the User Macro Interface (UMI), is a menu driven interface to design a task and assign the levels of teleoperated and autonomous control. The operator also sets up the system monitor which checks safety limits during task execution. Cartesian-space degrees of freedom for teleoperated and/or autonomous control inputs are selected within UMI as well as the weightings for the teleoperation and autonmous inputs. These are then used during task execution to determine the mix of teleoperation and autonomous inputs. Some of the autonomous control primitives available to the user are Joint-Guarded-Move, Cartesian-Guarded-Move, Move-To-Touch, Pin-Insertion/Removal, Door/Crank-Turn, Bolt-Turn, and Slide. The operator can execute a task using pure teleoperation or mix control execution from the autonomous primitives with teleoperated inputs. Presently the shared control environment supports single arm task execution. Work is presently underway to provide the shared control environment for dual arm control. Teleoperation during shared control is only Cartesian space control and no force-reflection is provided. Force-reflecting teleoperation and joint space operator inputs are planned extensions to the environment.

Backes, Paul G.↗

NASA NTRS1994

On automating domain connectivity for overset grids

An alternative method for domain connectivity among systems of overset grids is presented. Reference uniform Cartesian systems of points are used to achieve highly efficient domain connectivity, and form the basis for a future fully automated system. The Cartesian systems are used to approximated body surfaces and to map the computational space of component grids. By exploiting the characteristics of Cartesian Systems, Chimera type hole-cutting and identification of donor elements for intergrid boundary points can be carried out very efficiently. The method is tested for a range of geometrically complex multiple-body overset grid systems.

Chiu, Ing-Tsau↗

NASA NTRS1995

On automating domain connectivity for overset grids

An alternative method for domain connectivity among systems of overset grids is presented. Reference uniform Cartesian systems of points are used to achieve highly efficient domain connectivity, and form the basis for a future fully automated system. The Cartesian systems are used to approximate body surfaces and to map the computational space of component grids. By exploiting the characteristics of Cartesian systems, Chimera type hole-cutting and identification of donor elements for intergrid boundary points can be carried out very efficiently. The method is tested for a range of geometrically complex multiple-body overset grid systems. A dynamic hole expansion/contraction algorithm is also implemented to obtain optimum domain connectivity; however, it is tested only for geometry of generic shapes.

Chiu, Ing-Tsau↗

NASA NTRS1996

The Multigrid-Mask Numerical Method for Solution of Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations

A multigrid-mask method for solution of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variable form has been developed. The main objective is to apply this method in conjunction with the pseudospectral element method solving flow past multiple objects. There are two key steps involved in calculating flow past multiple objects. The first step utilizes only Cartesian grid points. This homogeneous or mask method step permits flow into the interior rectangular elements contained in objects, but with the restriction that the velocity for those Cartesian elements within and on the surface of an object should be small or zero. This step easily produces an approximate flow field on Cartesian grid points covering the entire flow field. The second or heterogeneous step corrects the approximate flow field to account for the actual shape of the objects by solving the flow field based on the local coordinates surrounding each object and adapted to it. The noise occurring in data communication between the global (low frequency) coordinates and the local (high frequency) coordinates is eliminated by the multigrid method when the Schwarz Alternating Procedure (SAP) is implemented. Two dimensional flow past circular and elliptic cylinders will be presented to demonstrate the versatility of the proposed method. An interesting phenomenon is found that when the second elliptic cylinder is placed in the wake of the first elliptic cylinder a traction force results in a negative drag coefficient.

Ku, Hwar-Ching↗

NASA NTRS1998

An Alternative Lunar Ephemeris Model for On-Board Flight Software Use

In calculating the position vector of the Moon in on-board flight software, one often begins by using a series expansion to calculate the ecliptic latitude and longitude of the Moon, referred to the mean ecliptic and equinox of date. One then performs a reduction for precession, followed by a rotation of the position vector from the ecliptic plane to the equator, and a transformation from spherical to Cartesian coordinates before finally arriving at the desired result: equatorial J2000 Cartesian components of the lunar position vector. An alternative method is developed here in which the equatorial J2000 Cartesian components of the lunar position vector are calculated directly by a series expansion, saving valuable on-board computer resources.

Simpson, David G.↗

NASA NTRS1999

An Alternative Lunar Ephemeris Model for On-Board Flight Software Use

Simpson, David G.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Impact of Non-Gaussian Error Volumes on Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis

An understanding of how an initially Gaussian error volume becomes non-Gaussian over time is an important consideration for space-vehicle conjunction assessment. Traditional assumptions applied to the error volume artificially suppress the true non-Gaussian nature of the space-vehicle position uncertainties. For typical conjunction assessment objects, representation of the error volume by a state error covariance matrix in a Cartesian reference frame is a more significant limitation than is the assumption of linearized dynamics for propagating the error volume. In this study, the impact of each assumption is examined and isolated for each point in the volume. Limitations arising from representing the error volume in a Cartesian reference frame is corrected by employing a Monte Carlo approach to probability of collision (Pc), using equinoctial samples from the Cartesian position covariance at the time of closest approach (TCA) between the pair of space objects. A set of actual, higher risk (Pc >= 10 (exp -4)+) conjunction events in various low-Earth orbits using Monte Carlo methods are analyzed. The impact of non-Gaussian error volumes on Pc for these cases is minimal, even when the deviation from a Gaussian distribution is significant.

Ghrist, Richard W.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advances in Automation of Overset Structured Volume Mesh Generation and Domain Connectivity

Automation of overset structured surface mesh generation has recently been accomplished by the creation of face, edge, and node meshes based on Boundary Representation solids as the geometry input. The current work continues the automation effort in overset volume mesh generation and domain connectivity based on the auto-generated surface meshes. All near-body curvilinear volume meshes are automatically generated using hyperbolic methods. Automation of this step is enabled by appropriate surface grid point distribution, and selection of boundary-splay and smoothing parameters based on concave and convex surface features. The off-body domain is covered by two automatically generated grid systems. The first contains a single Cartesian mesh with a uniform core enclosing all near-body volume meshes and stretched layers that extend to the far field, while the second consists of a set of small stretched Cartesian grids covering pockets of off-body orphan points. With high quality mesh overlap mostly guaranteed by the surface meshing scheme, orphan points that need to be covered by the second Cartesian mesh system are located away from the fine grid spacing region near the wall. Using line-segment and ray-pierce tests against the surface grids, hole-cutting is accomplished on both near and off-body volume grids resulting in appropriate clearances from the wall. The complete mesh generation automation process is demonstrated on five test cases where flow solutions are also computed and compared with solutions obtained using other methods.

TTT↗

NASA NTRS1944

A Solution of the Direct and Inverse Potential Problems for Arbitrary Cascades of Airfoils

Methods are given of determining the potential flow plast an arbitrary cascade of airfoils and the inverse problem of determining an airfoil having a prescribed velocity distribution in cascade. Results indicated that Cartesian mapping function method may be satisfactorily extended to include cascades. Numerical calculation for computing cascades by Cartesian mapping function method is considerably greater than for single airfoils but much less than hitherto required for cascades. Detailed results are presented graphically.

PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION - AIRFOILS↗

NASA NTRS1971

Applications of laser ranging and VLBI observations for selenodetic control

The observation equations necessary to utilize lunar laser ranging and very long baseline interferometry measurements were developed for the establishment of a primary control network on the moon. The network consists of coordinates of moon points in the selenodetic Cartesian coordinate system, which is fixed to the lunar body, oriented along the three principal axes of inertia of the moon, and centered at the lunar center of mass. The observation equations derived are based on a general model in which the unknown parameters included: the selenodetic Cartesian coordinates, the geocentric coordinates of earth stations, parameters of the orientation of the selenodetic coordinate system with respect to a fixed celestial system, the parameters of the orientation of the average terrestrial coordinate system with respect to a fixed celestial coordinate system, and the geocentric coordinates of the center of mass of the moon, given by a lunar ephemeris.

Fajemirokun, F. A.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Gravitational experiments on solar probe

A covariance analysis was performed for a solar probe trajectory which encounters the sun at four solar radii. The unknown parameters in the analysis are the six initial cartesian coordinates for the probe, six initial cartesian coordinates for the earth, the astronomical unit, the solar gravitational quadrupole coefficient and two post Newtonian meters (beta, gamma). Errors in the unknown parameters were computed as a function of standard errors on the radio tracking data and on the nongravitational forces which act on the probe. Results were obtained for several tracking geometries and for several orbital inclinations to the ecliptic. The analysis shows that the principal scientific result from the radio tracking of a solar probe would be the determination of the quadrupole moment, which would place a constraint on models of the solar interior.

Anderson, J. D.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Useful coordinate transformations for antenna applications

General coordinate transformations which are commonly encountered in many antenna applications are presented. Neither the feed coordinates nor the far-field pattern coordinates in general coincide with the antenna coordinates. Transformations discussed allow one to relate the spherical and cartesian components of one system to the spherical and cartesian components of the other system. In particular, attempts are made to use unified notations to assist in a straightforward application of the transformations.

Rahmat-Samii, Y.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Computer coordination of limb motion for a three-legged walking robot

Coordination of the limb motion of a vehicle which could perform assembly and maintenance operations on large structures in space is described. Manipulator kinematics and walking robots are described. The basic control scheme of the robot is described. The control of the individual arms are described. Arm velocities are generally described in Cartesian coordinates. Cartesian velocities are converted to joint velocities using the Jacobian matrix. The calculation of a trajectory for an arm given a sequence of points through which it is to pass is described. The free gait algorithm which controls the lifting and placing of legs for the robot is described. The generation of commanded velocities for the robot, and the implementation of those velocities by the algorithm are discussed. Suggestions for further work in the area of robot legged locomotion are presented.

Klein, C. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Three methods for performing Hankel transforms

Three methods for performing Hankel transforms with optical or digital processors are described. The first method is applicable when the input data is available in Cartesian (x-y) format and uses the close connection between generalized Hankel transform and the two dimensional Fourier transform in Cartesian coordinates. The second method is useful when the input data is in polar (r - theta) format and uses change of variables to perform the nth order Hankel transform as a correlation integral. The third method utilizes the von Neumann addition theorem for Bessel functions to extract the Hankel coefficients from a correlation between the radial part of the input and a Bessel function. Initial experimental results obtained for optical implementation of the first two methods are presented.

Athale, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Test problems for inviscid transonic flow

The paper discusses some results obtained in the solving of test problems for inviscid transonic flow with shock waves using the TRANDES program. The method used employs the full inviscid perturbation-potential flow equation in a Cartesian grid system that is stretched to infinity. The equation is represented by a nonconservative system of finite-difference equations that includes at supersonic points a rotated difference scheme and is solved by column relaxation. Except for the NACA 0012 case with the freestream Mach number equal to 0.95, all test problems were solved straightforwardly and appeared to be converged or close to convergence. The only difficulty was some sensitivity to grid placement, which is typical of the Cartesian formulation

Carlson, L. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Solution of axisymmetric fluid structure interaction problems with NASTRAN

The solution of axisymmetric acoustic fluid structure interaction problems, employing the NASTRAN computer program is presented. A previously developed 3-D Cartesian Coordinates pressure element formulation is adapted especially for axisymmetric elements. Analogous to the 3-D Cartesian Coordinate predecessor, the fluid portion of the problem is modeled with finite elements wherein one of the displacement components serves as a dummy variable for the pressure unknowns. Two alternatives for implementation of the analogy are presented: (1) an approximate method by which dummy values of G, and nu are used to approximately invoke the analogy wherein the accuracy of the approximation is made as close as desired to the proper analogy within an arbitrary small parameter epsiton; (2) an exact method whereby the NASTRAN FORTRAN coding is slightly changed to invoke the analogy exactly. Comparison of the finite element solution to the exact solution to the same problem is given.

Kalinowski, A. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Errors in fixed and moving frame of references - Applications for conventional and Doppler radar analysis

Techniques for the correction of errors in Doppler radar scans due to advection effects are presented. A moving frame of reference is shown to be useful in least-squares estimates with stationary observations expressed in scalars or Cartesian coordinates. For non-Cartesian coordinates, such as the deduction of radial velocities from triple Doppler radar data, an integral is defined for accounting for advection effects and consequent coordinate transformations. The multiple radars are necessary for unambiguous characterization of the horizontal wind velocity. A scale analysis is employed to estimate errors with and without the error correction procedure. Improvements in correlations between scans are demonstrated when the error correction method is used.

Tzvi, G.-C.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Estimation and correction of advection effects with single and multiple, conventional and Doppler radars

The laws of fluid motion are invariant under a Gallilean transformation. For a perfect observing system, the data analysis should, therefore, also be invariant under a Gallilean transformation. This invariance is often not preserved in practical observing systems. In this connection, it is often advisable to perform mesoscale analysis in a frame moving with respect to the earth's surface. In the present investigation the velocity of such a frame is referred to as an advection velocity. The investigation is concerned with remaining problems regarding the Gallilean transformation. The establishment of a frame of reference for the achievement of maximum coherence is considered, taking into account the case of given nonsimultaneous observations of scalars or Cartesian vectors. It is found that advection speed can be estimated objectively if a scalar or Cartesian vector can be observed directly and if, in addition, the time and position of each observation is approximately known.

Gal-Chen, T.↗