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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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139 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Characterization of Measurement Error Sources in Doppler Global Velocimetry

Doppler global velocimetry uses the absorption characteristics of iodine vapor to provide instantaneous three-component measurements of flow velocity within a plane defined by a laser light sheet. Although the technology is straightforward, its utilization as a flow diagnostics tool requires hardening of the optical system and careful attention to detail during data acquisition and processing if routine use in wind tunnel applications is to be achieved. A development program that reaches these goals is presented. Theoretical and experimental investigations were conducted on each technology element to determine methods that increase measurement accuracy and repeatability. Enhancements resulting from these investigations included methods to ensure iodine vapor calibration stability, single frequency operation of the laser and image alignment to sub-pixel accuracies. Methods were also developed to improve system calibration, and eliminate spatial variations of optical frequency in the laser output, spatial variations in optical transmissivity and perspective and optical distortions in the data images. Each of these enhancements is described and experimental examples given to illustrate the improved measurement performance obtained by the enhancement. The culmination of this investigation was the measured velocity profile of a rotating wheel resulting in a 1.75% error in the mean with a standard deviation of 0.5 m/s. Comparing measurements of a jet flow with corresponding Pitot measurements validated the use of these methods for flow field applications.

Meyers, James F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

On the synthesis of resonance lines in dynamical models of structured hot-star winds

We examine basic issues involved in synthesizing resonance-line profiles from 1-D, dynamical models of highly structured hot-star winds. Although these models exhibit extensive variations in density as well as velocity, the density scale length is still typically much greater than the Sobolev length. The line transfer is thus treated using a Sobolev approach, as generalized by Rybicki & Hummer (1978) to take proper account of the multiple Sobolev resonances arising from the nonmonotonic velocity field. The resulting reduced-lambda-matrix equation describing nonlocal coupling of the source function is solved by iteration, and line profiles are then derived from formal solution integration using this source function. Two more approximate methods that instead use either a stationary or a structured, local source function yield qualitatively similar line-profiles, but are found to violate photon conservation by 10% or more. The full results suggest that such models may indeed be able to reproduce naturally some of the qualitative properties long noted in observed UV line profiles, such as discrete absorption components in unsaturated lines, or the blue-edge variability in saturated lines. However, these particular models do not yet produce the black absorption troughs commonly observed in saturated lines, and it seems that this and other important discrepancies (e.g., in acceleration time scale of absorption components) may require development of more complete models that include rotation and other 2-D and/or 3-D effects.

Puls, J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array: Recent Severe Storm Observations and Future Prospects

The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array became operational in November 2001 as a principal component of a severe weather test bed to infuse new science and technology into the short-term forecasting of severe and hazardous weather, principally within nearby National Weather Service forecast offices. Since the installation of the LMA, it has measured the total lightning activity of a large number of severe weather events, including three supercell tornado outbreaks, two supercell hailstorm events, and numerous microburst-producing storms and ordinary non-severe thunderstorms. The key components of evolving storm morphology examined are the time rate-of-change (temporal trending) of storm convective and precipitation characteristics that can be diagnosed in real-time using NEXRAD WSR-88D Doppler radar (echo growth and decay, precipitation structures and velocity features, outflow boundaries), LMA (total lightning flash rate and its trend) and National Lightning Detection Network (cloud-to- ground lightning, its polarity and trends). For example, in a transitional season supercell tornado outbreak, peak total flash rates for typical supercells in Tennessee reached 70-100/min, and increases in the total flash rate occurred during storm intensification as much as 20-25 min prior to at least some of the tornadoes. The most intense total flash rate measured during this outbreak (over 800 flashes/min) occurred in a storm in Alabama. In the case of a severe summertime pulse thunderstorm in North Alabama, the peak total flash rate reached 300/min, with a strong increase in total lightning evident some 9 min before damaging winds were observed at the surface. In this paper we provide a sampling of LMA observations and products during severe weather events to illustrate the capability of the system, and discuss the prospects for improving the short-term forecasting of convective weather using total lightning data.

Goodman, S. J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Outflows in star-forming galaxies: Stacking analyses of resolved winds and the relation to their hosts’ properties

ABSTRACT Outflows form an integral component in regulating the gas cycling in and out of galaxies, although their impact on the galaxy hosts is still poorly understood. Here we present an analysis of 405 high mass (log M*/M⊙ ≥ 10), star-forming galaxies (excluding AGN) with low inclinations at z ∼ 0, using stacking techniques of the Na D λλ5889, 5895 Å neutral gas tracer in IFU observations from the MaNGA DR15 survey. We detect outflows in the central regions of 78/405 galaxies and determine their extent and power through the construction of stacked annuli. We find outflows are most powerful in central regions and extend out to ∼1Re, with declining mass outflow rates and loading factors as a function of radius. The stacking of spaxels over key galaxy quantities reveals outflow detections in regions of high ΣSFR (≳0.01 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2) and $\Sigma _{M_{*}}$ (≳107 M⊙ kpc−2) along the resolved main sequence. Clear correlations with ΣSFR suggest it is the main regulator of outflows, with a critical threshold of ∼0.01 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2 needed to escape the weight of the disc and launch them. Furthermore, measurements of the Hδ and Dn4000 indices reveal virtually identical star formation histories between galaxies with outflows and those without. Finally, through stacking of H i 21 cm observations for a subset of our sample, we find outflow galaxies show reduced H i gas fractions at central velocities compared to their non-detection control counterparts, suggestive of some removal of H i gas, likely in the central regions of the galaxies, but not enough to completely quench the host.

Roberts-Borsani, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Quantifying Feedback from Narrow Line Region Outflows in Nearby Active Galaxies. III. Results for the Seyfert 2 Galaxies Markarian 3, Markarian 78, and NGC 1068

Outflows of ionized gas driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) may significantly impact the evolution of their host galaxies. However, determining the energetics of these outflows is difficult with spatially unresolved observations that are subject to strong global selection effects. We present part of an ongoing study using Hubble Space Telescope and Apache Point Observatory spectroscopy and imaging to derive spatially resolved mass outflow rates and energetics for narrow-line region outflows in nearby AGN that are based on multi-component photoionization models to account for spatial variations in gas ionization, density, abundances, and dust content. This expanded analysis adds Mrk 3, Mrk 78, and NGC 1068, doubling our earlier sample. We find that the outflows contain total ionized gas masses of M ≈ 10(exp 5.5)-10(exp 7.5) M⨀ and reach peak velocities of v ≈ 800-2000 km s(exp -1). The outflows reach maximum mass outflow rates of M(sub OUT) ≈ 3-12 M⨀ yr(exp -1) and encompass total kinetic energies of E ≈ 10(exp 54)-10(exp 56) erg. The outflows extend to radial distances of r ≈ 0.1-3 kpc from the nucleus, with the gas masses, outflow energetics, and radial extents positively correlated with AGN luminosity. The outflow rates are consistent with in situ ionization and acceleration where gas is radiatively driven at multiple radii. These radial variations indicate that spatially resolved observations are essential for localizing AGN feedback and determining the most accurate outflow parameters.

Active galaxies↗
NASA NTRS1993

Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS)

This effort involves development of a calibrated, pulsed coherent CO2 Doppler lidar, followed by a carefully-planned and -executed program of multi-dimensional wind velocity and aerosol backscatter measurements from the NASA DC-8 research aircraft. The lidar, designated as the Multi-center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sensor (MACAWS), will be applicable to two research areas. First, MACAWS will enable specialized measurements of atmospheric dynamical processes in the planetary boundary layer and free troposphere in geographic locations and over scales of motion not routinely or easily accessible to conventional sensors. The proposed observations will contribute fundamentally to a greater understanding of the role of the mesoscale, helping to improve predictive capabilities for mesoscale phenomena and to provide insights into improving model parameterizations of sub-grid scale processes within large-scale circulation models. As such, it has the potential to contribute uniquely to major, multi-institutional field programs planned for the mid 1990's. Second, MACAWS measurements can be used to reduce the degree of uncertainty in performance assessments and algorithm development for NASA's prospective Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS), which has no space-based instrument heritage. Ground-based lidar measurements alone are insufficient to address all of the key issues. To minimize costs, MACAWS is being developed cooperatively by the lidar remote sensing groups of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NOAA Wave Propagation Laboratory, and MSFC using existing lidar hardware and manpower resources. Several lidar components have already been exercised in previous airborne lidar programs (for example, MSFC Airborne Doppler Lidar System (ADLS) used in 1981,4 Severe Storms Wind Measurement Program; JPL Airborne Backscatter Lidar Experiment (ABLE) used in 1989,90 Global Backscatter Experiment Survey Missions). MSFC has been given responsibility for directing the overall program of instrument development and scientific measurement. The focus of current research and plans for next year are presented.

Rhothermel, Jeffry↗
DOE OSTI2020

NGEE Arctic CO2, CH4 and Energy Eddy-Covariance (EC) Flux Tower Auxiliary Measurements, Council Road Mile Marker 71, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2017 - 2019

Measurements began in July 2017 and are made year-round (2017 seasonal only) on the tussock tundra with discontinuous permafrost at the Council Road Site on the Seward Peninsula. CO2, CH4 and energy fluxes using the Eddy Covariance (EC) technique (Baldocchi 2003) and meteorological measurements are reported as 30-minute averages. The tower site is registered with AmeriFlux as US-NGC. See http://ameriflux.lbl.gov/sites/siteinfo/US-NGC for more information. Reported data include: (1) additional/extra meteorological and eddy covariance CO2, CH4 and energy flux data, (2) binned spectra for the three wind components, the sonic temperature and gas densities together with the binned cospectra for covariances of w (vertical wind component) and gas densities, (3) binned ogives (cumulative (co)spectra) for the three wind components, the sonic temperature and gas densities, and (4) tower site footprint matrices. The majority of the files are *.csv with paired visualization footprint files as *.jpg. Meteorological and eddy covariance CO2, CH4 and energy flux data (AmeriFlux BASE data product) are available from AmeriFlux BASE US-NGC NGEE Arctic Council (Torn, 2020) https://doi.org/10.17190/AMF/1634883. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas in the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Spectral and Statistical Properties of Turbulence Generated by a Vortex/Blade-Tip Interaction

The perpendicular interaction of a streamwise vortex with the tip of a lifting blade was studied in incompressible flow to provide information useful to the accurate prediction of helicopter rotor noise and the understanding of vortex dominated turbulent flows. The vortex passed 0.3 chord lengths to the suction side of the blade tip, providing a weak interaction. Single and two-point turbulence measurements were made using sub-miniature four sensor hot-wire probes 15 chord lengths downstream of the blade trailing edge; revealing the mean velocity and Reynolds stress tensor distributions of the turbulence, as well as its spanwise length scales as a function of frequency. The single point measurements show the flow downstream of the blade to be dominated by the interaction of the original tip vortex and the vortex shed by the blade. These vortices rotate about each other under their mutual induction, winding up the turbulent wakes of the blades. This interaction between the vortices appears to be the source of new turbulence in their cores and in the region between them. This turbulence appears to be responsible for some decay in the core of the original vortex, not seen when the blade is removed. The region between the vortices is not only a region of comparatively large stresses, but also one of intense turbulence production. Velocity autospectra measured near its center suggests the presence quasi-periodic large eddies with axes roughly parallel to a line joining the vortex cores. Detailed two-point measurements were made on a series of spanwise cuts through the flow so as to reveal the turbulence scales as they would be seen along the span of an intersecting airfoil. The measurements were made over a range of probe separations that enabled them to be analyzed not only in terms of coherence and phase spectra but also in terms of wave-number frequency (kappa-omega) spectra, computed by transforming the measured cross-spectra with respect to the spanwise separation of the probes. These data clearly show the influence of the coherent eddies in the spiral wake and the turbulent region between the cores. These eddies produce distinct peaks in the upwash velocity kappa-omega spectra, and strong anisotropy manifested both in the decay of the kappa-omega spectrum at larger wave-numbers and in differences between the kappa-omega spectra of different components. None of these features are represented in the von Karman spectrum for isotropic turbulence that is often used in broadband noise computations. Wave-number frequency spectra measured in the cores appear to show some evidence that the turbulence outside sets tip core waves, as has previously been hypothesized. These spectra also provide for the first time a truly objective method for distinguishing velocity fluctuations produced by core wandering from other motions.

Devenport, William J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Scale Model Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Lewis Research Center's Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) is the world's largest refrigerated wind tunnel and one of only three icing wind tunnel facilities in the United States. The IRT was constructed in the 1940's and has been operated continually since it was built. In this facility, natural icing conditions are duplicated to test the effects of inflight icing on actual aircraft components as well as on models of airplanes and helicopters. IRT tests have been used successfully to reduce flight test hours for the certification of ice-detection instrumentation and ice protection systems. To ensure that the IRT will remain the world's premier icing facility well into the next century, Lewis is making some renovations and is planning others. These improvements include modernizing the control room, replacing the fan blades with new ones to increase the test section maximum velocity to 430 mph, installing new spray bars to increase the size and uniformity of the artificial icing cloud, and replacing the facility heat exchanger. Most of the improvements will have a first-order effect on the IRT's airflow quality. To help us understand these effects and evaluate potential improvements to the flow characteristics of the IRT, we built a modular 1/10th-scale aerodynamic model of the facility. This closed-loop scale-model pilot tunnel was fabricated onsite in the various shops of Lewis' Fabrication Support Division. The tunnel's rectangular sections are composed of acrylic walls supported by an aluminum angle framework. Its turning vanes are made of tubing machined to the contour of the IRT turning vanes. The fan leg of the tunnel, which transitions from rectangular to circular and back to rectangular cross sections, is fabricated of fiberglass sections. The contraction section of the tunnel is constructed from sheet aluminum. A 12-bladed aluminum fan is coupled to a turbine powered by high-pressure air capable of driving the maximum test section velocity to 550 ft/sec (Mach 0.45). The air turbine and instrumentation are housed inside a fiberglass nacelle. Total and static pressure measurements can be taken around the loop, and velocity and flow angularity measurements can be taken with hot-wire and five-hole probes at specific locations. The Scale Model Icing Research Tunnel (SMIRT) is undergoing checkout tests to determine how its airflow characteristics compare with the IRT. Near-term uses for this scale-model tunnel include determining the aerodynamic effects of replacing the 52-yearold W-shaped heat exchanger with a flat-faced heat exchanger. SMIRT is an integral part of the improvements planned for the IRT because testing the proposed IRT improvements in a scale-model tunnel will lower costs and improve productivity.

Canacci, Victor A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

NGEE Arctic CO2, CH4 and Energy Eddy-Covariance (EC) Flux Tower Auxiliary Measurements, Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, 2012 - 2019

Measurements began in September 2012 and are generally made throughout the snow-free growing season starting from April (pre-thawing) until November (freeze-up) when the instrumentation is taken down for maintenance and instrument calibration. CO2, CH4 and energy fluxes using the Eddy Covariance (EC) technique (Baldocchi 2003) and meteorological measurements are reported as 30-minute averages. The tower site is registered with AmeriFlux as US-NGB. See http://ameriflux.lbl.gov/sites/siteinfo/US-NGB for more information. Reported data include: (1) additional/extra meteorological and eddy covariance CO2, CH4 and energy flux data, (2) binned spectra for the three wind components, the sonic temperature and gas densities together with the binned cospectra for covariances of w (vertical wind component) and gas densities, (3) binned ogives (cumulative (co)spectra) for the three wind components, the sonic temperature and gas densities, and (4) tower site footprint matrices. Meteorological and eddy covariance CO2, CH4 and energy flux data (AmeriFlux BASE data product) are available from AmeriFlux https://doi.org/10.17190/AMF/1436326. The tower site is adjacent to the NGEE Arctic Tram system with several complementary time-series measurements https://doi.org/10.5440/1558782.This dataset supersedes the previously released dataset "Eddy-Covariance and auxiliary measurements, NGEE-Barrow, 2012-2013" DOI:10.5440/1124200 as this new product includes data for the longer time period processed using consistent methods for the entire record. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas in the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2007

Solar and Interplanetary Sources of Major Geomagnetic Storms (Dst less than or equal to -100 nT) During 1996 - 2005

We present the results of an investigation of the sequence of events from the Sun to the Earth that ultimately led to the 88 major geomagnetic storms (defined by minimum Dst less than or equal to -100 nT) that occurred during 1996 - 2005. The results are achieved through cooperative efforts that originated at the Living with a Star (LWS) Coordinated Data- Analysis Workshop (CDAW) held at George Mason University in March 2005. Based on careful examination of the complete array of solar and in-situ solar wind observations, we have identified and characterized, for each major geomagnetic storm, the overall solar-interplanetary (solar-IP) source type, the time, velocity and angular width of the source coronal mass ejection (CME), the type and heliographic location of the solar source region, the structure of the transient solar wind flow with the storm-driving component specified, the arrival time of shock/disturbance, and the start and ending times of the corresponding IP CME (ICME). The storm-driving component, which possesses a prolonged and enhanced southward magnetic field (B(sub s)) may be an ICME, the sheath of shocked plasma (SH) upstream of an ICME, a corotating interaction region (CIR), or a combination of these structures. We classify the Solar-IP sources into three broad types: (1) S-type, in which the storm is associated with a single ICME and a single CME at the Sun; (2) M-type, in which the storm is associated with a complex solar wind flow produced by multiple interacting ICMEs arising from multiple halo CMEs launched from the Sun in a short period; (3) C-type, in which the storm is associated with a CIR formed at the leading edge of a high speed stream originating from a solar coronal hole (CH). For the 88 major storms, the S-type, M-type and C-type events number 53 (60%): 24 (27%) and 11 (13%), respectively. For the 85 events for which the surface source regions could be investigated, 54 (63%) of the storms originated in solar active regions, 10 (12%) in quiet Sun regions associated with quiescent filaments or filament channels, and 11 (13%) were associated with coronal holes. Remarkably, 10 (12%) CME-driven events showed no sign of eruptive features on the surface (e.g., no flare, no coronal dimming, and no loop arcade, etc), even though all the available solar observation in a suitable time period were carefully examined. Thus, while it is generally true that a major geomagnetic storm is more likely to be driven by a front-side fast halo CME associated with a major flare, our study indicates a broad distribution of source properties. The implications of the results for space weather forecasting are briefly discussed.

Zhang, J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Lidar Sensor Performance in Closed-Loop Flight Testing of the Morpheus Rocket-Propelled Lander to a Lunar-Like Hazard Field

For the first time, a suite of three lidar sensors have been used in flight to scan a lunar-like hazard field, identify a safe landing site, and, in concert with an experimental Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) system, guide the Morpheus autonomous, rocket-propelled, free-flying test bed to a safe landing on the hazard field. The lidar sensors and GN&C system are part of the Autonomous Precision Landing and Hazard Detection and Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project which has been seeking to develop a system capable of enabling safe, precise crewed or robotic landings in challenging terrain on planetary bodies under any ambient lighting conditions. The 3-D imaging flash lidar is a second generation, compact, real-time, air-cooled instrument developed from a number of cutting-edge components from industry and NASA and is used as part of the ALHAT Hazard Detection System (HDS) to scan the hazard field and build a 3-D Digital Elevation Map (DEM) in near-real time for identifying safe sites. The flash lidar is capable of identifying a 30 cm hazard from a slant range of 1 km with its 8 cm range precision at 1 sigma. The flash lidar is also used in Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN) to provide position updates down to a 250m slant range to the ALHAT navigation filter as it guides Morpheus to the safe site. The Doppler Lidar system has been developed within NASA to provide velocity measurements with an accuracy of 0.2 cm/sec and range measurements with an accuracy of 17 cm both from a maximum range of 2,200 m to a minimum range of several meters above the ground. The Doppler Lidar's measurements are fed into the ALHAT navigation filter to provide lander guidance to the safe site. The Laser Altimeter, also developed within NASA, provides range measurements with an accuracy of 5 cm from a maximum operational range of 30 km down to 1 m and, being a separate sensor from the flash lidar, can provide range along a separate vector. The Laser Altimeter measurements are also fed into the ALHAT navigation filter to provide lander guidance to the safe site. The flight tests served as the culmination of the TRL 6 journey for the lidar suite and included launch from a pad situated at the NASA-Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) runway, a lunar-like descent trajectory from an altitude of 250m, and landing on a lunar-like hazard field of rocks, craters, hazardous slopes, and safe sites 400m down-range just off the North end of the runway. The tests both confirmed the expected performance and also revealed several challenges present in the flight-like environment which will feed into future TRL advancement of the sensors. The flash lidar identified hazards as small as 30 cm from the maximum slant range of 450 m which Morpheus could provide, however, it was occasionally susceptible to an increase in range noise due to heated air from the Morpheus rocket plume which entered its Field-of-View (FOV). The flash lidar was also susceptible to pre-triggering on dust during the HRN phase which was created during launch and transported by the wind. The Doppler Lidar provided velocity and range measurements to the expected accuracy levels yet it was also susceptible to signal degradation due to air heated by the rocket engine. The Laser Altimeter, operating with a degraded transmitter laser, also showed signal attenuation over a few seconds at a specific phase of the flight due to the heat plume generated by the rocket engine.

Roback, Vincent E.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Lidar Sensor Performance in Closed-Loop Flight Testing of the Morpheus Rocket-Propelled Lander to a Lunar-Like Hazard Field

For the first time, a suite of three lidar sensors have been used in flight to scan a lunar-like hazard field, identify a safe landing site, and, in concert with an experimental Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) system, help to guide the Morpheus autonomous, rocket-propelled, free-flying lander to that safe site on the hazard field. The lidar sensors and GN&C system are part of the Autonomous Precision Landing and Hazard Detection and Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project which has been seeking to develop a system capable of enabling safe, precise crewed or robotic landings in challenging terrain on planetary bodies under any ambient lighting conditions. The 3-D imaging Flash Lidar is a second generation, compact, real-time, aircooled instrument developed from a number of components from industry and NASA and is used as part of the ALHAT Hazard Detection System (HDS) to scan the hazard field and build a 3-D Digital Elevation Map (DEM) in near-real time for identifying safe sites. The Flash Lidar is capable of identifying a 30 cm hazard from a slant range of 1 km with its 8 cm range precision (1-s). The Flash Lidar is also used in Hazard Relative Navigation (HRN) to provide position updates down to a 250m slant range to the ALHAT navigation filter as it guides Morpheus to the safe site. The Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) system has been developed within NASA to provide velocity measurements with an accuracy of 0.2 cm/sec and range measurements with an accuracy of 17 cm both from a maximum range of 2,200 m to a minimum range of several meters above the ground. The NDLâ€"TM"s measurements are fed into the ALHAT navigation filter to provide lander guidance to the safe site. The Laser Altimeter (LA), also developed within NASA, provides range measurements with an accuracy of 5 cm from a maximum operational range of 30 km down to 1 m and, being a separate sensor from the Flash Lidar, can provide range along a separate vector. The LA measurements are also fed into the ALHAT navigation filter to provide lander guidance to the safe site. The flight tests served as the culmination of the TRL 6 journey for the ALHAT system and included launch from a pad situated at the NASA-Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) runway, a lunar-like descent trajectory from an altitude of 250m, and landing on a lunar-like hazard field of rocks, craters, hazardous slopes, and safe sites 400m down-range just off the North end of the runway. The tests both confirmed the expected performance and also revealed several challenges present in the flight-like environment which will feed into future TRL advancement of the sensors. Guidance provided by the ALHAT system was impeded in portions of the trajectory and intermittent near the end of the trajectory due to optical effects arising from air heated by the rocket engine. The Flash Lidar identified hazards as small as 30 cm from the maximum slant range of 450 m which Morpheus could provide; however, it was occasionally susceptible to an increase in range noise due to scintillation arising from air heated by the Morpheus rocket engine which entered its Field-of-View (FOV). The Flash Lidar was also susceptible to pre-triggering, during the HRN phase, on a dust cloud created during launch and transported down-range by the wind. The NDL provided velocity and range measurements to the expected accuracy levels yet it was also susceptible to signal degradation due to air heated by the rocket engine. The LA, operating with a degraded transmitter laser, also showed signal attenuation over a few seconds at a specific phase of the flight due to the heat plume generated by the rocket engine.

Roback, V. Eric↗