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At least 145 records · Page 8

Semantic Metrics for Object Oriented Design

The purpose of this proposal is to research a new suite of object-oriented (OO) software metrics, called semantic metrics, that have the potential to help software engineers identify fragile, low quality code sections much earlier in the development cycle than is possible with traditional OO metrics. With earlier and better Fault detection, software maintenance will be less time consuming and expensive, and software reusability will be improved. Because it is less costly to correct faults found earlier than to correct faults found later in the software lifecycle, the overall cost of software development will be reduced. Semantic metrics can be derived from the knowledge base of a program understanding system. A program understanding system is designed to understand a software module. Once understanding is complete, the knowledge-base contains digested information about the software module. Various semantic metrics can be collected on the knowledge base. This new kind of metric measures domain complexity, or the relationship of the software to its application domain, rather than implementation complexity, which is what traditional software metrics measure. A semantic metric will thus map much more closely to qualities humans are interested in, such as cohesion and maintainability, than is possible using traditional metrics, that are calculated using only syntactic aspects of software.

Etzkorn, Lethe↗

Development of a new control rod drive mechanism design for the ISU AGN-201M reactor

The Aerojet General Nucleonics (AGN) model 201-Modified, known as the AGN-201M reactor, plays an essential role in the educational and research activities at Idaho State University (ISU). The ISU AGN-201M's original Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) has been in operation for more than fifty years with no large-scale redesigns. The CRDM is required to eject the fuel rods within one second during a SCRAM event (also known as a 'reactor trip') and adjust the control rods' insertion speed, and keeps the rod insertion sequence correct. The existing control rod drive mechanisms meet these criteria but experience a few concerns due to aging. Concerns include complex maintenance and costly repairs for old electromechanical components, rod position feedback errors, and the impediment of the plate during a SCRAM due to binding of the lead screws of the existing mechanism. During a binding event, the drive mechanism becomes locked, preventing the control rod's magnetic plate from moving in or out under the reactor's normal and emergency operating conditions. Although, the binding has no effect on the ability of the rod to exit the core during the SCRAM. To counteract the concerns and issues with the current CRDM, a new design has been proposed using newer components and a simplified design. The new design utilizes more advanced electric and mechanical components that are commercially available. The new CRDM system is divided into four main aspects: (1) control rod movement design (motor, lead screw, guide rods), (2) control rod ejection (springs, electromagnet), (3) control rod position and feedback (position transducer, microswitches), and (4) material selection and structural analysis. The new design aims to reduce the overall complexity and probability of failure to improve the reactor's overall reliability. With proper material selection and improved structural design, the new drives are lighter with little to no change in structural integrity. The new control rod drive mechanism eliminates binding scenarios by using a single lead screw and implementing additional guide rods. An advanced linear position sensor and microswitches replace the existing and aging synchro system for accurate rod position feedback resulting in better reactivity control. The new design meets the reactor's operational limits by having an average reactivity insertion of 0.065% Δk/k per second, which corresponds to a total control rod insertion time of 19.23 s, while the control rod's ejection time remains less than one second during a SCRAM event. The new design ensures the reactor's long-term viability for educational and research activities by increasing the reliability and safety of operation for years to come.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

First-Order Individual Gas Sensors as Next Generation Reliable Analytical Instruments

It is conventionally expected that the performance of existing gas sensors may degrade in the field compared to laboratory conditions because (i) a sensor may lose its accuracy in the presence of chemical interferences and (ii) variations of ambient conditions over time may induce sensor-response fluctuations (i.e., drift). Breaking this status quo in poor sensor performance requires understanding the origins of design principles of existing sensors and bringing new principles to sensor designs. Existing gas sensors are single-output (e.g., resistance, electrical current, light intensity, etc.) sensors, also known as zero-order sensors (Karl Booksh and Bruce R. Kowalski, Analytical Chemistry, DOI: 10.1021/ac00087a718). Any zero-order sensor is undesirably affected by variable chemical background and sensor drift that cannot be distinguished from the response to an analyte. To address these limitations, we are developing multivariable gas sensors with independent responses, which are first-order analytical instruments. Here, we demonstrate self-correction against drift in two types of first-order gas sensors that operate in different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our radiofrequency sensors utilize dielectric excitation of semiconducting metal oxide materials on the shoulder of their dielectric relaxation peak and achieve self-correction of the baseline drift by operation at several frequencies. Our photonic sensors utilize nanostructured sensing materials inspired by Morpho butterflies and achieve self-correction of the baseline drift by operation at several wavelengths. These principles of self-correction for drift effects in first-order sensors open opportunities for diverse emerging monitoring applications that cannot afford frequent periodic maintenance that is typical of traditional analytical instruments.

Potyrailo, Radislav A.↗

An Observational Approach to Low Lunar Frozen Orbit Design

Low lunar frozen orbits can be used to enable long-duration missions at the Moon while also minimizing the fuel usage necessary for orbit maintenance. There is no analytical expression for determining these frozen orbits, so a high-fidelity simulation approach is required. A differential correction targeting approach was used to find initial conditions that zeroed out argument of periapsis and eccentricity growth. This approach was used during the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter extended mission period for four different frozen orbit instances. Observations of the evolution of key orbit elements (e.g. periapsis altitude and the eccentricity vector) led to an understanding of the orbit dynamics and helped to formulate a simple observational approach to finding frozen or quasi-frozen low lunar orbits that looks at minimizing the spread in the periselene altitude evolution.

Moon Frozen Orbit LRO↗

An Observational Approach to Low Lunar Frozen Orbit Design

Low lunar frozen orbits can be used to enable long-duration missions at the Moon while also minimizing the fuel usage necessary for orbit maintenance. There is no analytical expression for determining these frozen orbits, so a high-fidelity simulation approach is required. A differential correction targeting approach was used to find initial conditions that zeroed out argument of periapsis and eccentricity growth. This approach was used during the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter extended mission period for four different frozen orbit instances. Observations of the evolution of key orbit elements (e.g. periapsis altitude and the eccentricity vector) led to an understanding of the orbit dynamics and helped to formulate a simple observational approach to finding frozen or quasi-frozen low lunar orbits that looks at minimizing the spread in the periselene altitude evolution.

Moon Frozen Orbit LRO↗

An Architectural Survey of the Area 25 Nuclear Rocket Development Station, Nevada National Security Site, Nye County, Nevada (Volume 1 of 3)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO), and the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Nevada Program (EM NV) plan to implement corrective action activities (under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, agreed to by the State of Nevada) and demolition of the Engine Maintenance, Assembly, and Disassembly (E-MAD) facility and the Test Cell C Historic District. These are major components of the unrecorded Nuclear Rocket Development Station (NRDS) Historic District, which is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP, National Register). The NRDS is in Area 25 of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), formerly known as the Nevada Test Site, in Nye County, Nevada. Demolition and removal of the buildings and accessories constitutes an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 United States Code [USC] § 306101) and its implementing regulations, 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 800.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

MSU IETC ML for Modbus (AN EDGE)

This study explores machine learning for decoding Modbus RTU data using K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) models. An initial KNN model trained on 8,000 packets achieved 95.15% accuracy. Although ML improves generalization, accuracy still falls short of deterministic methods. These findings have implications for Modbus traffic analysis, intrusion detection in industrial networks, and adaptive error correction in real-time monitoring systems. By refining ML-based decoding, future work could enable more efficient anomaly detection and predictive maintenance in industrial automation and cybersecurity applications.

Communication Protocol↗

Hypergol Maintenance Facility Hazardous Waste South Staging Areas, SWMU 070

The purpose of this CMI Year 9 AGWMR is to present the actions taken and results obtained during the ninth year of implementation of Corrective Measures (CM) at HMF. Groundwater monitoring activities were conducted in accordance with the CMI Work Plan (Tetra Tech, 2005a) and CMI Site-Specific Safety and Health Plan (Tetra Tech, 2005b). Groundwater monitoring activities detailed in this Year 9 report include pre-startup sampling in February 2014(prior to restarting the air sparging system) and quarterly performance monitoring in March, July, and September 2014.

Remediation↗

Demonstration of a Segment Alignment Maintenance System on a Seven-Segment Sub-Array of the Hobby-Eberly Telescope

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in collaboration with Blue Line Engineering of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is developing a Segment Alignment Maintenance System (SAMS) for McDonald Observatory's Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The SAMS shall sense motions of the 91 primary mirror segments and send corrections to HET's primary mirror controller as the mirror segments misalign due to thermo-elastic deformations of the mirror support structure. The SAMS consists of inductive edge sensors supplemented by inclinometers for global radius of curvature sensing. All measurements are sent to the SAMS computer where mirror motion corrections are calculated. In October 2000, a prototype SAMS was installed on a seven-segment cluster of the HET. Subsequent testing has shown that the SAMS concept and architecture are a viable practical approach to maintaining HET's primary mirror figure, or the figure of any large segmented telescope. This paper gives a functional description of the SAMS sub-array components and presents test data to characterize the performance of the sub-array SAMS.

Rakoczy, John↗

Segment Alignment Maintenance System for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in collaboration with Blue Line Engineering of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is developing a Segment Alignment Maintenance System (SAMS) for McDonald Observatory's Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The SAMS shall sense motions of the 91 primary mirror segments and send corrections to HET's primary mirror controller as the mirror segments misalign due to thermo -elastic deformations of the mirror support structure. The SAMS consists of inductive edge sensors. All measurements are sent to the SAMS computer where mirror motion corrections are calculated. In October 2000, a prototype SAMS was installed on a seven-segment cluster of the HET. Subsequent testing has shown that the SAMS concept and architecture are a viable practical approach to maintaining HET's primary mirror figure, or the figure of any large segmented telescope. This paper gives a functional description of the SAMS sub-array components and presents test data to characterize the performance of the subarray SAMS.

Rakoczy, John↗

Four-Formation In-Track Configuration Maintenance Strategy

The aim of this paper is to present the analysis conducted by CNES for the maintenance of a formation made of several LEO satellites (typically 4) in several planes (typically 2), 100 km or so apart from each other. The along-track separations between the satellites have to be controlled to within 15 km thanks to orbit correction maneuvers supposed to be performed every 2 weeks. The main difficulty is related to solar activity which is expected to be close to its maximum for the entire mission s lifespan. As a matter of fact, a high solar activity makes orbit prediction harder, and makes it impossible to keep the altitude of the formation constant. Thus, a specific relative maintenance strategy had to be devised in order to meet the mission's requirements. The first part provides a few elements on the mission analysis process that has taken place. The method used for the evaluation of the maneuver frequency is detailed, based on the evaluation of the effects of atmospheric drag on the orbit. The second part is dedicated to the maintenance strategy that has been designed, and particularly to the computation of the reference orbits and of the velocity increments that enable the in-track inter-satellite distances to be maintained within the desired bounds. Finally a few simulation results are presented; they enable the performance of the maintenance strategy to be checked in a more realistic context.

Lamy, Alain↗

Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan for Corrective Action Unit 114: Area 25 EMAD Facility Nevada National Security Site, Nevada

This Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan addresses the actions needed to achieve closure for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 114, Area 25 EMAD Facility, identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). CAU 114 comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs) located in Area 25 of the Nevada National Security Site: • 25-41-03, EMAD Facility (Building 3900) • 25-99-23, Manned Control Car (MCC) and Engine Installation Vehicle (EIV) • 25-33-05, Building 3901, Engine Transport System Maintenance Building (Train Shed) This plan provides the methodology for field activities needed to gather the necessary information for closing CAU 114. There is sufficient information and process knowledge from historical documentation and investigations of similar sites regarding the expected nature and extent of potential contaminants to recommend closure of CAU 114 using the SAFER process. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a field investigation before selecting the appropriate corrective actions for CAU 114. It is anticipated that the results of the field investigation and implementation of corrective actions will support a defensible recommendation that no further corrective action is necessary. The purpose of the corrective action investigation will be to document and verify the adequacy of existing information; to affirm the decision for either clean closure, closure in place, or no further action; and to provide sufficient data to implement the corrective action. The actual corrective action selected will be based on characterization activities implemented under this SAFER Plan. If specific conditions or findings fall outside the bounds of the conceptual site model, such as an unanticipated release, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) will be consulted to determine the path forward before proceeding. Upon completion of SAFER activities, a closure report (CR) will be prepared and submitted to NDEP for review and approval. The schedule for completion of the CR will be established in consultation with NDEP.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Oxygen scrubbing and sensing in plant growth chambers using solid oxide electrolyzers

The maintenance of optimal levels of oxygen in the gaseous environment of a plant growth chamber during light and dark periods is an essential criterion for the correct growth of plants. The use of solid oxide electrolyzers to control the oxygen levels by removing the excess gaseous oxygen during periods of illumination and full-scale photosynthesis is described. A part of the oxygen removed can be stored and supplied back to the plants during dark periods. The excess oxygen can be used by the crew. The electrolizer can be additionally used in its open circuit mode, to sense the oxygen concentrations in the plant chamber. The solid oxide electrolysis process is described.

Sridhar, K. R.↗

Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan for Corrective Action Unit 114: Area 25 EMAD Facility Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, (Rev.0, with ROTC 1)

This Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER) Plan addresses the actions needed to achieve closure for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 114, Area 25 EMAD Facility, identified in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). CAU 114 comprises the following corrective action sites (CASs) located in Area 25 of the Nevada National Security Site (formerly, the Nevada Test Site): 25-41-03, EMAD Facility; 25-99-23, Manned Control Car (MCC) and Engine Installation Vehicle (EIV); and 25-33-05, Building 3901, Engine Transport System Maintenance Building. This plan provides the methodology for field activities needed to gather the necessary information for closing CAU 114. There is sufficient information and process knowledge from historical documentation and investigations of similar sites regarding the expected nature and extent of potential contaminants to recommend closure of CAU 114 using the SAFER process. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a field investigation before selecting the appropriate corrective actions for CAU 114. It is anticipated that the results of the field investigation and implementation of corrective actions will support a defensible recommendation that no further corrective action is necessary. The purpose of the corrective action investigation will be to document and verify the adequacy of existing information; to affirm the decision for either clean closure, closure in place, or no further action; and to provide sufficient data to implement the corrective action. The actual corrective action selected will be based on characterization activities implemented under this SAFER Plan. If specific conditions or findings fall outside the bounds of the SAFER Plan, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) will be consulted to determine the path forward before proceeding. Upon completion of SAFER activities, a closure report will be prepared and submitted to NDEP for review and approval. The schedule for completion of the closure report will be established at the FFACO annual meeting.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Identifying Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance Operations

Maintenance operations incidents submitted to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) between 1986-1992 were systematically analyzed in order to identify issues relevant to human factors and crew coordination. This exploratory analysis involved 95 ASRS reports which represented a wide range of maintenance incidents. The reports were coded and analyzed according to the type of error (e.g, wrong part, procedural error, non-procedural error), contributing factors (e.g., individual, within-team, cross-team, procedure, tools), result of the error (e.g., aircraft damage or not) as well as the operational impact (e.g., aircraft flown to destination, air return, delay at gate). The main findings indicate that procedural errors were most common (48.4%) and that individual and team actions contributed to the errors in more than 50% of the cases. As for operational results, most errors were either corrected after landing at the destination (51.6%) or required the flight crew to stop enroute (29.5%). Interactions among these variables are also discussed. This analysis is a first step toward developing a taxonomy of crew coordination problems in maintenance. By understanding what variables are important and how they are interrelated, we may develop intervention strategies that are better tailored to the human factor issues involved.

Veinott, Elizabeth S.↗

Flight service evaluation of kevlar-49 epoxy composite panels in wide-bodied commercial transport aircraft: Flight service report

Kevlar-49 fairing panels, installed as flight service components on three L-1011s, were inspected after 7 years service. There are six Kevlar-49 panels on each aircraft: a left hand and right hand set of a wing-body sandwich fairing; a slid laminate under-wing fillet panel; and a 422 K service aft engine fairing. The three L-1011s include one each in service with Eastern, Air Canada, and TWA. The fairings have accumulated a total of 52,500 hours, with one ship set having 17.700 hours service. The inspections were conducted at the airlines' major maintenance bases with the participation of Lockheed Engineering. The Kevlar-49 components were found to be performing satisfactorily in service with no major problems or any condition requiring corrective action. The only defects noted were minor impact damage and a minor degree of fastener hole fraying and elongation. These are for the most part comparable to damage noted on fiberglass fairings. The service history to date indicates that Kevlar-49 epoxy composite materials have satisfactory service characteristics for use in aircraft secondary structure.

Stone, R. H.↗

Flight service evaluation of Kevlar-49 epoxy composite panels in wide-bodied commercial transport aircraft

Kevlar-49 fairing panels, installed as flight service components on three L-1011s, were inspected after 10 years of service. There are six Kevlar-49 panels on each aircraft: a left-hand and right-hand set of a wing-body sandwich fairing; a solid laminate under-wing fillet panel; and a 422 K (300 F) service aft engine fairing. The three L-1011s include one each in service with Eastern, Air Canada, and TWA. The fairings have accumulated a total of 79,568 hours, with one ship set having nearly 28,000 hours service. The inspections were conducted at the airlines' major maintenance bases with the participation of Lockheed Engineering. The Kevlar-49 components were found to be performing satisfactorily in service with no major problems, or any condition requiring corrective action. The only defects noted were minor impact damage, a few minor disbonds and a minor degree of fastener hole fraying and elongation. These are for the most part comparable to damage noted on fiberglass fairings. The service history obtained in this program indicates that Kevlar-49 epoxy composite materials have satisfactory service characteristics for use in aircraft secondary structure.

Stone, R. H.↗

Autonomous Integrated Receive System (AIRS) requirements definition. Volume 1: Executive summary

Distributed processing in the design and operation of the augmented TDRSS and the succeeding TDAS in the 1990's is discussed with the emphasis on the development of the autonomous integrated receive system (AIRS) for the operation of the S-band single access (SSA) return link in the White Sands ground terminal. This receive system has the capability of self configuration, real-time operation, and self diagnostic. The tasks of Doppler correction, demodulation, detection, and decoding are performed in an integrated manner where useful information are shared and used by ALL portions of AIRS performing these tasks. Operating modes, maintenance, system architecture, and performance characteristics are described.

Chie, C. M.↗