THE INFRARED HORIZON OF THE PLANET EARTH
Investigation of the discontinuity between the earth, the atmosphere and outer space in the structure of the infrared horizon
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Investigation of the discontinuity between the earth, the atmosphere and outer space in the structure of the infrared horizon
IR horizon sensor systems for spacecraft attitude determination, detailing field switched edge tracker
The potential of electricity-intensive chemical plants to engage in demand response (DR) initiatives in support of power grid operations has been the subject of many conceptual studies. In this work, using an industrially-relevant model of an air separation unit, we undertake an extensive simulation study of moving horizon (MH) rescheduling approaches, where we "close the scheduling loop" based on updated information regarding disturbances such as changes in electricity prices, ambient conditions and chemical product demand. Our study produces several unexpected findings regarding the non-periodic nature of rescheduling solutions, the impact of the accuracy of disturbance forecasts on the economics of DR scheduling, and on the interplay of simultaneously dealing with fluctuations on both the supply side (i.e., electricity prices) and the product demand side of the plant. Furthermore, we posit that the latter fluctuations pose significant limitations to the potential of a chemical plant to engage in DR.
Accurate short-term wave forecasting is critical for the safe and efficient operation of marine structures that rely on real-time, phase-resolved ocean wave information for control and monitoring purposes (e.g., digital twins). These systems often depend on environmental sensors (e.g., waverider buoys, wave-sensing LIDAR). Challenges arise when upstream sensor data are missing, sparse, or phase-shifted due to drift. This study investigates the performance of two machine learning models, time-series dense encoder (TiDE) and long short-term memory (LSTM), for forecasting phase-resolved ocean surface elevations under varying degrees of data degradation. We introduce the τ-trimming algorithm, which adapts the prediction horizon based on uncertainty thresholds derived from historical forecasts. Numerical wave tank (NWT) and wave basin experiments are used to benchmark model performance under short- and long-term data masking, spatially coarse sensor grids, and upstream phase shifts. Results show under a 50% probability of upstream data loss, the τ-trimmed TiDE model achieves a 46% reduction in error at the most upstream target, compared to 22% for LSTM. Furthermore, phase misalignment in upstream data introduces a near-linear increase in forecast error. Under moderate model settings, a ±3 s misalignment increases the mean absolute error by approximately 0.5 m, while the same error is accumulated at ±4 s using the more conservative approach. These findings inform the design of resilient, uncertainty-aware wave forecasting systems suited for realistic offshore sensing environments.
An attitude-sensing device for space vehicles which detects the thermal radiation discontinuity at opposite horizons of a planetary body to produce an attitude error signal is described. The planetary body may be the Earth, its Moon, Mars, or Venus. The sensor is expected to have an accuracy of 0.25 degrees for the Earth, a long continuous operating lifetime, a wide altitude range, a wide capture capability, and an inherent ability to produce signals indicating vehicle altitude. An experimental model incorporating many of the features of the proposed sensor indicates that the proposed sensor will be low in weight, volume, and power consumption. The sensor's altitude range, accuracy, lifetime, and sensitivity to radiation from the Moon and planets are discussed.
Horizon sensing for attitude determination
Passive, conical, linear and nutating horizon scanning systems for satellite and spacecraft attitude determination
Horizon sensing system design and tiros iii radiation measurements of several spectral regions
Experimental model of infrared horizon scanner for use in spacecraft attitude determination
Horizon sensor - signal-to-noise ratio at three temperatures and two bandwidths
Response time and design requirements of earth- lunar horizon sensor program
Optical and mechanical design, and electronic circuitry of field-switching, edge tracker for use in earth-lunar horizon sensor system
High-altitude or small-earth limitations for advanced horizon sensor of Orbiting Geophysical Observatory /OGO-A/
Computational computer program for modeling infrared horizon radiance profile using pressure and temperature profile inputs
Solar cell-battery electrical power subsystem for horizon definition spacecraft
Conceptual mechanization for horizon definition spacecraft structures and thermal subsystem - spin-stabilized, hexagonal cylinder for launch of two-stage Improved Delta /DSV-3N/
Attitude control subsystem for spin stabilized spacecraft for mapping earths infrared horizon radiance profiles in 15 micron carbon dioxide absorption band
Systems analysis and integration studies for 15-micron horizon radiance measurement experiment