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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 1,549 records · Page 86

Facile Measurement of the Rotation of a Single Optically Trapped Nanoparticle Using the Diagonal Ratio of a Quadrant Photodiode

Optical tweezers are a powerful tool for exploring physical properties of particles in various environments through analysis of their dynamics in a trapping potential. Analysis of the trapped particle's position is often done using interferometric back-focal-plane detection microscopy in which interference between the trapping laser and the light interacting with the trapped particle is projected on a quadrant photo-diode (QPD). The QPD measurements are almost universally the voltage ratios between the transverse components of the detector (left/right; up/down) that are calibrated to ascertain particle positions and orientations (i.e., rotation). In this paper, we demonstrate how measuring the diagonal ratio of the QPD allows tracking the spinning and orbital motion of optically trapped objects with enhanced sensitivity compared to the conventional transverse ratio and reveals additional information about particle dynamics. The diagonal ratio "balances" the signal from opposite sides of the QPD, allowing common mode noise reduction and increased measurement sensitivity of the rotating nanospheres at frequencies from below 200 Hz to above 15 kHz. We show that the variability in particle rotation rates is due to slight differences in the aspect ratio of the nanoparticles. We also measure in situ a gradual acceleration in the spinning frequency of trapped nanoparticles due to photothermal shedding of surface ligands and the resulting decrease of rotational friction in solution. The accelerating particles spin at rates exceeding 30 kHz and are eventually "optically printed" onto the glass coverslip on top of the liquid cell enclosure. The diagonal ratio is a simple, readily available, and powerful enabler for measuring rotational dynamics with a 5-fold sensitivity increase over conventional QPD measurements. This affords opportunities for controlling the orientational dynamics of trapped nanoparticles, which is crucial for various applications, including nanoscale mechanical motors.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Control oriented model order reduction for the hydraulic system of an autonomous wheel loader

Control design for an autonomous wheel loader requires a high-fidelity and low-order dynamics model. The objective of order reduction is to decrease the number of states in the model while maintaining performance comparable to the original model. Of all the power components in a wheel loader, the model order reduction for steering and working hydraulic systems is most demanding due to its nonlinear and stiff dynamical nature. This paper describes a physics-inspired model order reduction method that can reduce the model order by close to thirty percent. It is achieved by discarding orders with fast dynamics and consolidating multiple states into less new states. Furthermore, this method can also be extended to other types of off-road vehicles such as excavators, bulldozers, etc. Simulation results demonstrate that the reduced-order model exhibits very similar performance to the full-order model under typical operating conditions of wheel loaders, with an output error of less than six percent.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Straight Ahead in Microgravity

This joint ESA-NASA study will address adaptive changes in spatial orientation related to the subjective straight ahead, and the use of a vibrotactile sensory aid to reduce perceptual errors. The study will be conducted before and after long-duration expeditions to the International Space Station (ISS) to examine how spatial processing of target location is altered following exposure to microgravity. This project specifically addresses the sensorimotor research gap "What are the changes in sensorimotor function over the course of a mission?" Six ISS crewmembers will be requested to participate in three preflight sessions (between 120 and 60 days prior to launch) and then three postflight sessions on R+0/1 day, R+4 +/-2 days, and R+8 +/-2 days. The three specific aims include: (a) fixation of actual and imagined target locations at different distances; (b) directed eye and arm movements along different spatial reference frames; and (c) the vestibulo-ocular reflex during translation motion with fixation targets at different distances. These measures will be compared between upright and tilted conditions. Measures will then be compared with and without a vibrotactile sensory aid that indicates how far one has tilted relative to the straight-ahead direction. The flight study was been approved by the medical review boards and will be implemented in the upcoming Informed Crew Briefings to solicit flight subject participation. Preliminary data has been recorded on 6 subjects during parabolic flight to examine the spatial coding of eye movements during roll tilt relative to perceived orientations while free-floating during the microgravity phase of parabolic flight or during head tilt in normal gravity. Binocular videographic recordings obtained in darkness allowed us to quantify the mean deviations in gaze trajectories along both horizontal and vertical coordinates relative to the aircraft and head orientations. During some parabolas, a vibrotactile sensory aid provided feedback of body orientation relative to the plane coordinates. RESULTS Both variability and curvature of gaze trajectories increased during roll tilt compared to the upright position. The saccades were less accurate during parabolic flight compared to measurements obtained in normal gravity. Although subjects were instructed to look off in the distance while performing the eye movements, fixation distance varied with vertical gaze direction independent of whether the saccades were made along perceived aircraft or head orientations. The increased errors in gaze trajectories along both perceived orientations during microgravity can be attributed to the otolith's role in spatial coding of eye movements. A change in an individual's egocentric reference might have negative consequences on evaluating the direction of an approaching object or on the accuracy of reaching movements or locomotion. Consequently, investigating how microgravity affects the target location will have theoretical, operational and even clinical implications for future space exploration missions. The use of vibrotactile feedback as a sensorimotor countermeasure is applicable to balance therapy applications for vestibular loss patients and the elderly to mitigate risks due to loss of orientation.

Wood, S. J.↗

PAX Mobility

Pax Mobility is a Wicked Wild Discovery activity under the Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) project. It is intended to cut down the end-to-end travel time and friction for people and goods (referred to as passengers) through: (1) A passenger-oriented paradigm to enable faster mobility that is accessible by all people, end to end (rather than port to port), and that is also safer, more efficient, and sustainable. (2) A total mobility paradigm that integrates modes of mobility to achieve end-to-end passenger objectives. (3) Digital transformation that establishes an agile research and development process to reduce the time to reach end-to-end mobility solutions.

Passenger-oriented total mobility↗

The protoplanetary disc around HD 169142: circumstellar or circumbinary?

ABSTRACT Stellar binaries represent a substantial fraction of stellar systems, especially among young stellar objects. Accordingly, binaries play an important role in setting the architecture of a large number of protoplanetary discs. Binaries in coplanar and polar orientations with respect to the circumbinary disc are stable configurations and could induce non-axisymmetric structures in the dust and gas distributions. In this work, we suggest that the structures shown in the central region of the protoplanetary disc HD 169142 are produced by the presence of an inner stellar binary and a circumbinary (P-type) planet. We find that a companion with a mass ratio of 0.1, semimajor axis of 9.9 au, eccentricity of 0.2, and inclination of 90°, together with a 2 MJ coplanar planet on a circular orbit at 45 au reproduce the structures at the innermost ring observed at 1.3 mm and the shape of spiral features in scattered light observations. The model predicts changes in the disc’s dust structure, and star’s astrometric parameters, which would allow testing its veracity by monitoring this system over the next 20 yr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The oblique-wing research aircraft: A test bed for unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic research

The advantages of oblique wings have been the subject of numerous theoretical studies, wind tunnel tests, low speed flight models, and finally a low speed manned demonstrator, the AD-1. The specific objectives of the OWRA program are: (1) to establish the necessary technology base required to translate theoretical and experimental results into practical mission oriented designs; (2) to design, fabricate and flight test an oblique wing aircraft throughout a realistic flight envelope, and (3) to develop and validate design and analysis tools for asymmetric aircraft configurations. The preliminary design phase of the project is complete and has resulted in a wing configuration for which construction is ready to be initiated.

Gilyard, Glenn B.↗

Providing relay communications support for the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) mission

The purpose of the Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) mission is to put in place, over several launch opportunities, a constellation of Mars landers to make long-term surface observations of the circulation of the atmosphere and changes in climate, and to record the seismic activity of the planetary crust. Short-term objectives will also be addressed. An orbital communications infrastructure capable of providing regular high-rate data transfer to earth from the landers, which are scattered globally from pole to pole, is key to accomplishing the mission goals. A study is thereby presented of the orbit selection for the orbiter spacecraft, which will provide this support, and the relay communications operation. It is concluded that adequate communications support for the objectives of the MESUR mission can be provided by a single orbiter, provided care is taken in the selection of the size and orientation (i.e., inclination and apse line alignment) of the spacecraft orbit.

Swenson, Byron L.↗

Distributed project scheduling at NASA: Requirements for manual protocols and computer-based support

The increasing complexity of space operations and the inclusion of interorganizational and international groups in the planning and control of space missions lead to requirements for greater communication, coordination, and cooperation among mission schedulers. These schedulers must jointly allocate scarce shared resources among the various operational and mission oriented activities while adhering to all constraints. This scheduling environment is complicated by such factors as the presence of varying perspectives and conflicting objectives among the schedulers, the need for different schedulers to work in parallel, and limited communication among schedulers. Smooth interaction among schedulers requires the use of protocols that govern such issues as resource sharing, authority to update the schedule, and communication of updates. This paper addresses the development and characteristics of such protocols and their use in a distributed scheduling environment that incorporates computer-aided scheduling tools. An example problem is drawn from the domain of Space Shuttle mission planning.

Richards, Stephen F.↗

Protocols for distributive scheduling

The increasing complexity of space operations and the inclusion of interorganizational and international groups in the planning and control of space missions lead to requirements for greater communication, coordination, and cooperation among mission schedulers. These schedulers must jointly allocate scarce shared resources among the various operational and mission oriented activities while adhering to all constraints. This scheduling environment is complicated by such factors as the presence of varying perspectives and conflicting objectives among the schedulers, the need for different schedulers to work in parallel, and limited communication among schedulers. Smooth interaction among schedulers requires the use of protocols that govern such issues as resource sharing, authority to update the schedule, and communication of updates. This paper addresses the development and characteristics of such protocols and their use in a distributed scheduling environment that incorporates computer-aided scheduling tools. An example problem is drawn from the domain of space shuttle mission planning.

Richards, Stephen F.↗

The Habitat Demonstration Unit Project Overview

This paper will describe an overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led multi-center Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Project. The HDU project is a "technology-pull" project that integrates technologies and innovations from numerous NASA centers. This project will be used to investigate and validate surface architectures, operations concepts, and requirements definition of various habitation concepts. The first habitation configuration this project will build and test is the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM). This habitat configuration - the PEM - is based on the Constellation Architecture Scenario 12.1 concept of a vertically oriented habitat module. The HDU project will be tested as part of the 2010 Desert Research and Technologies Simulations (D-RATS) test objectives. The purpose of this project is to develop, integrate, test, and evaluate a habitat configuration in the context of the mission architectures and surface operation concepts. A multi-center approach will be leveraged to build, integrate, and test the PEM through a shared collaborative effort of multiple NASA centers. The HDU project is part of the strategic plan from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Directorate Integration Office (DIO) and the Lunar Surface Systems Project Office (LSSPO) to test surface elements in a surface analog environment. The 2010 analog field test will include two Lunar Electric Rovers (LER) and the PEM among other surface demonstration elements. This paper will describe the overall objectives, its various habitat configurations, strategic plan, and technology integration as it pertains to the 2010 and 2011 field analog tests. To accomplish the development of the PEM from conception in June 2009 to rollout for operations in July 2010, the HDU project team is using a set of design standards to define the interfaces between the various systems of PEM and to the payloads, such as the Geology Lab, that those systems will support. Scheduled activities such as early fit-checks and the utilization of a habitat avionics test bed prior to equipment installation into PEM are planned to facilitate the integration process.

Kennedy, Kriss J.↗

Measurements of Tip Vortices from a Full-Scale UH-60A Rotor by Retro- Reflective Background Oriented Schlieren and Stereo Photogrammetry

Positions of vortices shed by a full-scale UH-60A rotor in forward flight were measured during a test in the National Full- Scale Aerodynamics Complex at NASA Ames Research Center. Vortices in a region near the tip of the advancing blade were visualized from two directions by Retro-Reflective Background-Oriented Schlieren (RBOS). Correspondence of points on the vortex in the RBOS images from both cameras was established using epipolar geometry. The object-space coordinates of the vortices were then calculated from the image-plane coordinates using stereo photogrammetry. One vortex from the tip of the blade that had most recently passed was visible in most of the data. The visibility of the vortices was greatest at high thrust and low advance ratios. At these favorable conditions, vortices from the most recent passages of all four blades were detected. The vortex positions were in good agreement with PIV data for a case where PIV measurements were also made. RBOS and photogrammetry provided measurements of the angle at which each vortex passed through the PIV plane.

Schairer, Edward↗

Planar 2D wireframe DNA origami

Two-dimensional (2D) DNA origami is widely used for applications ranging from excitonics to single-molecule biophysics. Conventional, single-layer 2D DNA origami exhibits flexibility and curvature in solution; however, that may limit its suitability as a 2D structural template. In contrast, 2D wireframe DNA origami rendered with six-helix bundle edges offers local control over duplex orientations with enhanced in-plane rigidity. Here, we investigate the 3D structure of these assemblies using cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM). 3D reconstructions reveal a high degree of planarity and homogeneity in solution for polygonal objects with and without internal mesh, enabling 10-Å resolution for a triangle. Coarse-grained simulations were in agreement with cryo-EM data, offering molecular structural insight into this class of 2D DNA origami. Our results suggest that these assemblies may be valuable for 2D material applications and geometries that require high structural fidelity together with local control over duplex orientations, rather than parallel duplex assembly.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Earth Rotation

The study of the Earth's rotation in space (encompassing Universal Time (UT1), length of day, polar motion, and the phenomena of precession and nutation) addresses the complex nature of Earth orientation changes, the mechanisms of excitation of these changes and their geophysical implications in a broad variety of areas. In the absence of internal sources of energy or interactions with astronomical objects, the Earth would move as a rigid body with its various parts (the crust, mantle, inner and outer cores, atmosphere and oceans) rotating together at a constant fixed rate. In reality, the world is considerably more complicated, as is schematically illustrated. The rotation rate of the Earth's crust is not constant, but exhibits complicated fluctuations in speed amounting to several parts in 10(exp 8) [corresponding to a variation of several milliseconds (ms) in the Length Of the Day (LOD) and about one part in 10(exp 6) in the orientation of the rotation axis relative to the solid Earth's axis of figure (polar motion). These changes occur over a broad spectrum of time scales, ranging from hours to centuries and longer, reflecting the fact that they are produced by a wide variety of geophysical and astronomical processes. Geodetic observations of Earth rotation changes thus provide insights into the geophysical processes illustrated, which are often difficult to obtain by other means. In addition, these measurements are required for engineering purposes. Theoretical studies of Earth rotation variations are based on the application of Euler's dynamical equations to the problem of finding the response of slightly deformable solid Earth to variety of surface and internal stresses.

Dickey, Jean O.↗

Solar Radiation Pressure Estimation and Analysis of a GEO Class of High Area-to-Mass Ratio Debris Objects

A population of deep space objects is thought to be high area-to-mass ratio (AMR) debris having origins from sources in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) belt. The typical AMR values have been observed to range anywhere from 1's to 10's of m(sup 2)/kg, and hence, higher than average solar radiation pressure effects result in long-term migration of eccentricity (0.1-0.6) and inclination over time. However, the nature of the debris orientation-dependent dynamics also results time-varying solar radiation forces about the average which complicate the short-term orbit determination processing. The orbit determination results are presented for several of these debris objects, and highlight their unique and varied dynamic attributes. Estimation or the solar pressure dynamics over time scales suitable for resolving the shorter term dynamics improves the orbit estimation, and hence, the orbit predictions needed to conduct follow-up observations.

Kelecy, Tom↗

Automatic Digitization and Orientation of Scanned Mesh Data for Floor Plan and 3D Model Generation

This paper describes a novel approach for generating accurate floor plans and 3D models of building interiors using scanned mesh data. Unlike previous methods, which begin with a high resolution point cloud from a laser range-finder, our approach begins with triangle mesh data, as from a Microsoft HoloLens. It generates two types of floor plans, a “pen-and-ink” style that preserves details and a drafting-style that reduces clutter. It processes the 3D model for use in applications by aligning it with coordinate axes, annotating important objects, dividing it into stories, and removing the ceiling. Its performance is evaluated on commercial and residential buildings, with experiments to assess quality and dimensional accuracy. Our approach demonstrates promising potential for automatic digitization and orientation of scanned mesh data, enabling floor plan and 3D model generation in various applications such as navigation, interior design, furniture placement, facilities management, building construction, and HVAC design.

Sharma, Ritesh↗

Deformation Mechanisms in Body-Centered Cubic Metals at High Pressures and Strain Rates

Deformation mechanisms of single-crystal Ta oriented at four different crystal orientations: [001], [011], [$\bar{1}11]$, [$\bar{1}23]$ and shock-compressed at two different peak pressures: 50 GPa and 65 GPa using a gas gun flyer-plate impact method have been studied. The main objective of this investigation is to elucidate the shock-induced shear transformations: deformation twinning and the α (bcc) → ω (pseudo-hexagonal) transition which were observed to take place in shock-deformed polycrystalline Ta at 30 GPa when the formation of low-energy cellular dislocation structure and polygonization due to dynamic recovery becomes suppressed. Emphasis is placed on the effects of crystal orientation and strain rate on the shock-induced dynamic recovery and shear transformations. Novel mechanisms for the formation of cellular dislocation structure and polygonization based on the coupling reactions of the 1/2 < $\bar{1}11$ > coplanar dislocations in the { $\bar{1}11$ } slip planes are proposed to elucidate the competition between dynamic recovery and shear transformations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Improving the nonlinear control performance of the supply fan at air handling units using a gain scheduling control strategy

Due to its nonlinear nature, the supply fan at air handling units with the controller tuned at the design condition tends to be aggressive and oscillate under partial load conditions. Here, the objective of this paper is to develop and validate a gain scheduling control strategy to improve its nonlinear control performance. First, a control-oriented model, which does not require numerous physical parameters and extensive test data, is developed to study the nonlinearity of the fan system. Based on the theoretical model and experimental verifications, the issue of an aggressive response with a conventional fixed-gain controller is caused by the fact that the system gain is proportional to the ratio of the duct static pressure to the fan speed. To address the issue, a scheduling function of the measurable duct static pressure and fan speed is proposed to be included in the conventional fixed-gain controller to compensate for the fan system gain variation. The gain scheduling control strategy is found to approximately maintain the identical control performance under all operation conditions. Most importantly, the gain scheduling control strategy can be readily implemented without intensive computation and additional measurements, showing a promising potential in industrial applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗