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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 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

Research on regional numerical weather prediction

Extension of the predictive power of dynamic weather forecasting to scales below the conventional synoptic or cyclonic scales in the near future is assessed. Lower costs per computation, more powerful computers, and a 100 km mesh over the North American area (with coarser mesh extending beyond it) are noted at present. Doubling the resolution even locally (to 50 km mesh) would entail a 16-fold increase in costs (including vertical resolution and halving the time interval), and constraints on domain size and length of forecast. Boundary conditions would be provided by the surrounding 100 km mesh, and time-varying lateral boundary conditions can be considered to handle moving phenomena. More physical processes to treat, more efficient numerical techniques, and faster computers (improved software and hardware) backing up satellite and radar data could produce further improvements in forecasting in the 1980s. Boundary layer modeling, initialization techniques, and quantitative precipitation forecasting are singled out among key tasks.

Kreitzberg, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1977

As-built design specification for the digital derivation of daily and monthly data bases from synoptic observations of temperature and precipitation for the People's Republic of China

A data base of synoptic meteorological information was compiled for the People's Republic of China, as an integral part of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment. A system description is provided, including hardware and software specifications, computation algorithms and an evaluation of output validity. Operations are also outlined, with emphasis placed on least squares interpolation.

Jeun, B. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Space Station needs, attributes and architectural options. Volume 2, book 2, part 2, Task 2: Information management system

Missions to be performed, station operations and functions to be carried out, and technologies anticipated during the time frame of the space station were examined in order to determine the scope of the overall information management system for the space station. This system comprises: (1) the data management system which includes onboard computer related hardware and software required to assume and exercise control of all activities performed on the station; (2) the communication system for both internal and external communications; and (3) the ground segment. Techniques used to examine the information system from a functional and performance point of view are described as well as the analyses performed to derive the architecture of both the onboard data management system and the system for internal and external communications. These architectures are then used to generate a conceptual design of the onboard elements in order to determine the physical parameters (size/weight/power) of the hardware and software. The ground segment elements are summarized.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Operations management system

The objective of an operations management system is to provide an orderly and efficient method to operate and maintain aerospace vehicles. Concepts are described for an operations management system and the key technologies are highlighted which will be required if this capability is brought to fruition. Without this automation and decision aiding capability, the growing complexity of avionics will result in an unmanageable workload for the operator, ultimately threatening mission success or survivability of the aircraft or space system. The key technologies include expert system application to operational tasks such as replanning, equipment diagnostics and checkout, global system management, and advanced man machine interfaces. The economical development of operations management systems, which are largely software, will require advancements in other technological areas such as software engineering and computer hardware.

Brandli, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Proposal for hierarchical description of software systems

The programming of digital computers has developed into a new dimension full of diffculties, because the hardware of computers has become so powerful that more complex applications are entrusted to computers. The costs of software development, verification, and maintenance are outpacing those of the hardware and the trend is toward futher increase of sophistication of application of computers and consequently of sophistication of software. To obtain better visibility into software systems and to improve the structure of software systems for better tests, verification, and maintenance, a clear, but rigorous description and documentation of software is needed. The purpose of the report is to extend the present methods in order to obtain a documentation that better reflects the interplay between the various components and functions of a software system at different levels of detail without losing the precision in expression. This is done by the use of block diagrams, sequence diagrams, and cross-reference charts. In the appendices, examples from an actual large sofware system, i.e. the Marshall System for Aerospace Systems Simulation (MARSYAS), are presented. The proposed documentation structure is compatible to automation of updating significant portions of the documentation for better software change control.

Thauboth, H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Computer graphics and the graphic artist

A centralized computer graphics system is being developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. This system was required to satisfy multiuser needs, ranging from presentation quality graphics prepared by a graphic artist to 16-mm movie simulations generated by engineers and scientists. While the major thrust of the central graphics system was directed toward engineering and scientific applications, hardware and software capabilities to support the graphic artists were integrated into the design. This paper briefly discusses the importance of computer graphics in research; the central graphics system in terms of systems, software, and hardware requirements; the application of computer graphics to graphic arts, discussed in terms of the requirements for a graphic arts workstation; and the problems encountered in applying computer graphics to the graphic arts. The paper concludes by presenting the status of the central graphics system.

Taylor, N. L.↗
NASA NTRS2014

CFD Vision 2030 Study: A Path to Revolutionary Computational Aerosciences

This report documents the results of a study to address the long range, strategic planning required by NASA's Revolutionary Computational Aerosciences (RCA) program in the area of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), including future software and hardware requirements for High Performance Computing (HPC). Specifically, the "Vision 2030" CFD study is to provide a knowledge-based forecast of the future computational capabilities required for turbulent, transitional, and reacting flow simulations across a broad Mach number regime, and to lay the foundation for the development of a future framework and/or environment where physics-based, accurate predictions of complex turbulent flows, including flow separation, can be accomplished routinely and efficiently in cooperation with other physics-based simulations to enable multi-physics analysis and design. Specific technical requirements from the aerospace industrial and scientific communities were obtained to determine critical capability gaps, anticipated technical challenges, and impediments to achieving the target CFD capability in 2030. A preliminary development plan and roadmap were created to help focus investments in technology development to help achieve the CFD vision in 2030.

Jeffrey P Slotnick↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Rapid Lightweight Firmware Architecture of the Mobile Metamaterial Internal Co-Integrator Robot

The Mobile Metamaterial Internal Co-Integrator (MMIC-I) is a structure assembly and servicing robot for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing of primary structures and infrastructure. MMIC-I is a battery-powered crawling robot that can travel through periodic structures such as trusses and open framework mechanical metamaterials. It does this through sequences of component extension, contraction, and gripping. This paper provides a detailed discussion of MMIC-I’s lightweight and rapidly developed firmware architecture, to enable demonstration of robot locomotion, secondary operations, and communications with a central command source. The rationale for the lightweight rapid development approach is to allow for assessment of long term system requirements in parallel with the mechatronics development, including optimization of system and subsystem power densities, to inform a future choice of flight ready software frameworks. MMIC-I system computing and I/O requirements are much lower than what is provided by proven baseline computing hardware for existing flight ready software frameworks such as the core Flight System, F prime, and the Robot Operating System. Development of earth gravity ground demonstration of the robotic systems is greatly benefited by limited power and mass factors for computing hardware. Here, we implement inter-process communication, commanding, and telemetry with the Espressif ESP32 module running the Arduino OS.

Damiana Catanoso↗
NASA NTRS2015

Towards an Open, Distributed Software Architecture for UxS Operations

To address the growing need to evaluate, test, and certify an ever expanding ecosystem of UxS platforms in preparation of cultural integration, NASA Langley Research Center's Autonomy Incubator (AI) has taken on the challenge of developing a software framework in which UxS platforms developed by third parties can be integrated into a single system which provides evaluation and testing, mission planning and operation, and out-of-the-box autonomy and data fusion capabilities. This software framework, named AEON (Autonomous Entity Operations Network), has two main goals. The first goal is the development of a cross-platform, extensible, onboard software system that provides autonomy at the mission execution and course-planning level, a highly configurable data fusion framework sensitive to the platform's available sensor hardware, and plug-and-play compatibility with a wide array of computer systems, sensors, software, and controls hardware. The second goal is the development of a ground control system that acts as a test-bed for integration of the proposed heterogeneous fleet, and allows for complex mission planning, tracking, and debugging capabilities. The ground control system should also be highly extensible and allow plug-and-play interoperability with third party software systems. In order to achieve these goals, this paper proposes an open, distributed software architecture which utilizes at its core the Data Distribution Service (DDS) standards, established by the Object Management Group (OMG), for inter-process communication and data flow. The design decisions proposed herein leverage the advantages of existing robotics software architectures and the DDS standards to develop software that is scalable, high-performance, fault tolerant, modular, and readily interoperable with external platforms and software.

Cross, Charles D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Apollo experience report: Apollo lunar surface experiments package data processing system

Apollo Program experience in the processing of scientific data from the Apollo lunar surface experiments package, in which computers and associated hardware and software were used, is summarized. The facility developed for the preprocessing of the lunar science data is described, as are several computer facilities and programs used by the Principal Investigators. The handling, processing, and analyzing of lunar science data and the interface with the Principal Investigators are discussed. Pertinent problems that arose in the development of the data processing schemes are discussed so that future programs may benefit from the solutions to the problems. The evolution of the data processing techniques for lunar science data related to recommendations for future programs of this type.

Eason, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Initial test results on state estimation on the SCOLE mast

Modal state estimation tests are performed on the SCOLE mast for the fixed Shuttle platform case. Kalman filter state estimation results from a five mode computer model of the SCOLE mast, developed from a finite element analysis, are compared with those state estimates obtained from laboratory tests. Two comparison runs are presented, one an excitation of the first two bending modes, another, an excitation of the first torsional mode of the mast. Results from both runs show poor agreement in modal estimation between the computer model simulations and the laboratory test data. At present, the reason(s) for this poor performance is unknown. Both the laboratory hardware and software and the computer model are being checked for possible sources of errors. Further computer simulations as well as laboratory testing will be performed.

Sparks, D., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Biomorphic Multi-Agent Architecture for Persistent Computing

A multi-agent software/hardware architecture, inspired by the multicellular nature of living organisms, has been proposed as the basis of design of a robust, reliable, persistent computing system. Just as a multicellular organism can adapt to changing environmental conditions and can survive despite the failure of individual cells, a multi-agent computing system, as envisioned, could adapt to changing hardware, software, and environmental conditions. In particular, the computing system could continue to function (perhaps at a reduced but still reasonable level of performance) if one or more component( s) of the system were to fail. One of the defining characteristics of a multicellular organism is unity of purpose. In biology, the purpose is survival of the organism. The purpose of the proposed multi-agent architecture is to provide a persistent computing environment in harsh conditions in which repair is difficult or impossible. A multi-agent, organism-like computing system would be a single entity built from agents or cells. Each agent or cell would be a discrete hardware processing unit that would include a data processor with local memory, an internal clock, and a suite of communication equipment capable of both local line-of-sight communications and global broadcast communications. Some cells, denoted specialist cells, could contain such additional hardware as sensors and emitters. Each cell would be independent in the sense that there would be no global clock, no global (shared) memory, no pre-assigned cell identifiers, no pre-defined network topology, and no centralized brain or control structure. Like each cell in a living organism, each agent or cell of the computing system would contain a full description of the system encoded as genes, but in this case, the genes would be components of a software genome.

Lodding, Kenneth N.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Antarctic Meteorite Location and Mapping Project (AMLAMP): Antarctic meteorite location map series explanatory text and user's guide to AMLAMP data

This technical report is an update to LPI Technical Report 89-02, which contained data and information that was current to May 1987. Since that time approximately 4000 new meteorites have been collected, mapped, and characterized, mainly from the numerous ice fields in the Allan Hills-David Glacier region, from the Pecora Escarpment and Moulton Escarpment in the Thiel Mountains-Patuxent region, the Wisconsin Range region, and from the Beardmore region. Meteorite location maps for ice fields from these regions have been produced and are available. This report includes explanatory texts for the maps of new areas and provides information on updates of maps of the areas covered in LPI Technical Report 89-02. Sketch maps and description of locales that have been searched and have yielded single or few meteorites are also included. The meteorite listings for all the ice fields have been updated to include any classification changes and new meteorites recovered from ice fields in the Allan Hills-David Glacier region since 1987. The text has been reorganized and minor errors in the original report have been corrected. Computing capabilities have improved immensely since the early days of this project. Current software and hardware allow easy access to data over computer networks. With various commercial software packages, the data can be used many different ways, including database creation, statistics, and mapping. The databases, explanatory texts, and the plotter files used to produce the meteorite location maps are available through a computer network. Information on how to access AMLAMP data, its formats, and ways it can be used are given in the User's Guide to AMLAMP Data section. Meteorite location maps and thematic maps may be ordered from the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Ordering information is given in Appendix A.

Schutt, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Analysis of a hardware and software fault tolerant processor for critical applications

Computer systems for critical applications must be designed to tolerate software faults as well as hardware faults. A unified approach to tolerating hardware and software faults is characterized by classifying faults in terms of duration (transient or permanent) rather than source (hardware or software). Errors arising from transient faults can be handled through masking or voting, but errors arising from permanent faults require system reconfiguration to bypass the failed component. Most errors which are caused by software faults can be considered transient, in that they are input-dependent. Software faults are triggered by a particular set of inputs. Quantitative dependability analysis of systems which exhibit a unified approach to fault tolerance can be performed by a hierarchical combination of fault tree and Markov models. A methodology for analyzing hardware and software fault tolerant systems is applied to the analysis of a hypothetical system, loosely based on the Fault Tolerant Parallel Processor. The models consider both transient and permanent faults, hardware and software faults, independent and related software faults, automatic recovery, and reconfiguration.

Dugan, Joanne B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Distributed computing environments for future space control systems

The aim of this paper is to present the results of a CNES research project on distributed computing systems. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of the use of new computer technologies in the design and development of future space applications. The first part of this study was a state-of-the-art review of distributed computing systems. One of the interesting ideas arising from this review is the concept of a 'virtual computer' allowing the distributed hardware architecture to be hidden from a software application. The 'virtual computer' can improve system performance by adapting the best architecture (addition of computers) to the software application without having to modify its source code. This concept can also decrease the cost and obsolescence of the hardware architecture. In order to verify the feasibility of the 'virtual computer' concept, a prototype representative of a distributed space application is being developed independently of the hardware architecture.

Viallefont, Pierre↗
NASA NTRS1989

Advanced information processing system: Local system services

The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) is a multi-computer architecture composed of hardware and software building blocks that can be configured to meet a broad range of application requirements. The hardware building blocks are fault-tolerant, general-purpose computers, fault-and damage-tolerant networks (both computer and input/output), and interfaces between the networks and the computers. The software building blocks are the major software functions: local system services, input/output, system services, inter-computer system services, and the system manager. The foundation of the local system services is an operating system with the functions required for a traditional real-time multi-tasking computer, such as task scheduling, inter-task communication, memory management, interrupt handling, and time maintenance. Resting on this foundation are the redundancy management functions necessary in a redundant computer and the status reporting functions required for an operator interface. The functional requirements, functional design and detailed specifications for all the local system services are documented.

Burkhardt, Laura↗
NASA NTRS2011

Automated Cryocooler Monitor and Control System

A system was designed to automate cryogenically cooled low-noise amplifier systems used in the NASA Deep Space Network. It automates the entire operation of the system including cool-down, warm-up, and performance monitoring. The system is based on a single-board computer with custom software and hardware to monitor and control the cryogenic operation of the system. The system provides local display and control, and can be operated remotely via a Web interface. The system controller is based on a commercial single-board computer with onboard data acquisition capability. The commercial hardware includes a microprocessor, an LCD (liquid crystal display), seven LED (light emitting diode) displays, a seven-key keypad, an Ethernet interface, 40 digital I/O (input/output) ports, 11 A/D (analog to digital) inputs, four D/A (digital to analog) outputs, and an external relay board to control the high-current devices. The temperature sensors used are commercial silicon diode devices that provide a non-linear voltage output proportional to temperature. The devices are excited with a 10-microamp bias current. The system is capable of monitoring and displaying three temperatures. The vacuum sensors are commercial thermistor devices. The output of the sensors is a non-linear voltage proportional to vacuum pressure in the 1-Torr to 1-millitorr range. Two sensors are used. One measures the vacuum pressure in the cryocooler and the other the pressure at the input to the vacuum pump. The helium pressure sensor is a commercial device that provides a linear voltage output from 1 to 5 volts, corresponding to a gas pressure from 0 to 3.5 MPa (approx. = 500 psig). Control of the vacuum process is accomplished with a commercial electrically operated solenoid valve. A commercial motor starter is used to control the input power of the compressor. The warm-up heaters are commercial power resistors sized to provide the appropriate power for the thermal mass of the particular system, and typically provide 50 watts of heat. There are four basic operating modes. "Cool " mode commands the system to cool to normal operating temperature. "Heat " mode is used to warm the device to a set temperature near room temperature. "Pump " mode is a maintenance function that allows the vacuum system to be operated alone to remove accumulated contaminants from the vacuum area. In "Off " mode, no power is applied to the system.

Britcliffe, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A Functional Description of a Digital Flight Test System for Navigation and Guidance Research in the Terminal Area

A guidance, navigation, and control system, the Simulated Shuttle Flight Test System (SS-FTS), when interfaced with existing aircraft systems, provides a research facility for studying concepts for landing the space shuttle orbiter and conventional jet aircraft. The SS-FTS, which includes a general-purpose computer, performs all computations for precisely following a prescribed approach trajectory while properly managing the vehicle energy to allow safe arrival at the runway and landing within prescribed dispersions. The system contains hardware and software provisions for navigation with several combinations of possible navigation aids that have been suggested for the shuttle. The SS-FTS can be reconfigured to study different guidance and navigation concepts by changing only the computer software, and adapted to receive different radio navigation information through minimum hardware changes. All control laws, logic, and mode interlocks reside solely in the computer software.

Hegarty, D. M.↗