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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 NTRS1994

Design, characterization, and control of the NASA three degree of freedom reaction compensation platform

Increasing research is being done into industrial uses for the microgravity environment aboard orbiting space vehicles. However, there is some concern over the effects of reaction forces produced by moving objects, especially motors, robotic actuators, and astronauts. Reaction forces produced by the movement of these objects may manifest themselves as undesirable accelerations in the space vehicle making the vehicle unusable for microgravity applications. It is desirable to provide compensation for such forces using active means. This paper presents the design and experimental evaluation of the NASA three degree of freedom reaction compensation platform, a system designed to be a testbed for the feasibility of active attenuation of reaction forces caused by moving objects in a microgravity environment. Unique 'linear motors,' which convert electrical current directly into rectilinear force, are used in the platform design. The linear motors induce accelerations of the displacer inertias. These accelerations create reaction forces that may be controlled to counteract disturbance forces introduced to the platform. The stated project goal is to reduce reaction forces by 90 percent, or -20 dB. Description of the system hardware, characterization of the actuators and the composite system, and design of the software safety system and control software are included.

Birkhimer, Craig↗
NASA NTRS2013

Hierarchical Robot Control System and Method for Controlling Select Degrees of Freedom of an Object Using Multiple Manipulators

A robotic system includes a robot having manipulators for grasping an object using one of a plurality of grasp types during a primary task, and a controller. The controller controls the manipulators during the primary task using a multiple-task control hierarchy, and automatically parameterizes the internal forces of the system for each grasp type in response to an input signal. The primary task is defined at an object-level of control, e.g., using a closed-chain transformation, such that only select degrees of freedom are commanded for the object. A control system for the robotic system has a host machine and algorithm for controlling the manipulators using the above hierarchy. A method for controlling the system includes receiving and processing the input signal using the host machine, including defining the primary task at the object-level of control, e.g., using a closed-chain definition, and parameterizing the internal forces for each of grasp type.

Abdallah, Muhammad E.↗
NASA NTRS2003

18-Degree-of-Freedom Controller Design for the ST7 Disturbance Reduction System

The Space Technology 7 experiment will perform an on-orbit system-level validation of a Disturbance Reduction System employing gravitational reference sensors and micronewton colloidal thrusters to maintain a spacecraft s position with respect to free-floating test masses in the gravitational reference sensors to less than 10 nm/dHz over the frequency range 1 to 30 mHz. This paper presents the design and analysis of the control system that closes the loop between the gravitational reference sensors and the micronewton thrusters while incorporating star tracker data at low frequencies. The effects of disturbances and actuation and measurement noise are evaluated in a eighteen-degree-of-freedom model.

Markley, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A three degree-of-freedom, typical section flutter analysis using harmonic transonic air forces

Typical section flutter solutions are obtained using generalized air forces calculated with OPTRAN2, a program based on the transonic small perturbation potential equation, which uses potentials from a nonlinear solution to the steady flow to obtain linear unsteady air forces. Flutter results are calculated with a conventional, linear V-g type solution. Results are presented for a NACA 64A010 airfoil oscillating in plunge and pitch, and with a quarter-chord control surface in the Mach number range of 0.80 to 0.90. The flutter boundary shows a significant 'transonic' bucket, together with changes in flutter mode as, with increasing Mach numbers, a shock appears on the airfoil and then moves aft. Single degree-of-freedom instabilities associated with both the pitch and the control surface motions are identified.

Weatherill, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Investigation of application of two-degree-of-freedom dry tuned-gimbal gyroscopes to strapdown navigation systems

The work is described which was accomplished during the investigation of the application of dry-tuned gimbal gyroscopes to strapdown navigation systems. A conventional strapdown configuration, employing analog electronics in conjunction with digital attitude and navigation computation, was examined using various levels of redundancy and both orthogonal and nonorthogonal sensor orientations. It is concluded that the cost and reliability performance constraints which had been established could not be met simultaneously with such a system. This conclusion led to the examination of an alternative system configuration which utilizes an essentially new strapdown system concept. This system employs all-digital signal processing in conjunction with the newly-developed large scale integration (LSI) electronic packaging techniques and a new two-degree-of-freedom dry tuned-gimbal instrument which is capable of providing both angular rate and acceleration information. Such a system is capable of exceeding the established performance goals.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2000

Design-Filter Selection for H2 Control of Microgravity Isolation Systems: A Single-Degree-of-Freedom Case Study

Many microgravity space-science experiments require active vibration isolation, to attain suitably low levels of background acceleration for useful experimental results. The design of state-space controllers by optimal control methods requires judicious choices of frequency-weighting design filters. Kinematic coupling among states greatly clouds designer intuition in the choices of these filters, and the masking effects of the state observations cloud the process further. Recent research into the practical application of H2 synthesis methods to such problems, indicates that certain steps can lead to state frequency-weighting design-filter choices with substantially improved promise of usefulness, even in the face of these difficulties. In choosing these filters on the states, one considers their relationships to corresponding design filters on appropriate pseudo-sensitivity- and pseudo-complementary-sensitivity functions. This paper investigates the application of these considerations to a single-degree-of-freedom microgravity vibration-isolation test case. Significant observations that were noted during the design process are presented. along with explanations based on the existent theory for such problems.

Hampton, R. David↗
NASA NTRS2008

Integrated Docking Simulation and Testing with the Johnson Space Center Six-Degree of Freedom Dynamic Test System

The Exploration Systems Architecture defines missions that require rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) of two spacecraft both in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and in Low Lunar Orbit (LLO). Uncrewed spacecraft must perform automated and/or autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations and docking operations (commonly known as Automated Rendezvous and Docking, AR&D). The crewed versions may also perform AR&D, possibly with a different level of automation and/or autonomy, and must also provide the crew with relative navigation information for manual piloting. The capabilities of the RPOD sensors are critical to the success of the Constellation Program; this is carried as one of the CEV Project top risks. The Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) AR&D Sensor Technology Project seeks to reduce this risk by increasing technology maturation of selected relative navigation sensor technologies through testing and simulation. One of the project activities is a series of "pathfinder" testing and simulation activities to integrate relative navigation sensors with the Johnson Space Center Six-Degree-of-Freedom Test System (SDTS). The SDTS will be the primary testing location for the Orion spacecraft s Low Impact Docking System (LIDS). Project team members have integrated the Orion simulation with the SDTS computer system so that real-time closed loop testing can be performed with relative navigation sensors and the docking system in the loop during docking and undocking scenarios. Two relative navigation sensors are being used as part of a "pathfinder" activity in order to pave the way for future testing with the actual Orion sensors. This paper describes the test configuration and test results.

Mitchell, Jennifer D.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Parallelization of a Six Degree of Freedom Entry Vehicle Trajectory Simulation Using OpenMP and OpenACC

The art and science of writing parallelized software, using methods such as Open Multi-Processing (OpenMP) and Open Accelerators (OpenACC), is dominated by computer scientists. Engineers and non-computer scientists looking to apply these techniques to their project applications face a steep learning curve, especially when looking to adapt their original single threaded software to run multi-threaded on graphics processing units (GPUs). There are significant changes in mindset that must occur; such as how to manage memory, the organization of instructions, and the use of if statements (also known as branching). The purpose of this work is twofold: 1) to demonstrate the applicability of parallelized coding methodologies, OpenMP and OpenACC, to tasks outside of the typical large scale matrix mathematics; and 2) to discuss, from an engineer’s perspective, the lessons learned from parallelizing software using these computer science techniques. This work applies OpenMP, on both multi-core central processing units (CPUs) and Intel® Xeon Phi™ 7210, and OpenACC on GPUs. These parallelization techniques are used to tackle the simulation of thousands of entry vehicle trajectories through the integration of six degree of freedom (DoF) equations of motion (EoM). The forces and moments acting on the entry vehicle, and used by the EoM, are estimated using multiple models of varying levels of complexity. Several benchmark comparisons are made on the execution of six DoF trajectory simulation: single thread Intel® Xeon® E5-2670 CPU, multi-thread CPU using OpenMP, multi-thread Xeon Phi™ 7210 using OpenMP, and multi-thread NVIDIA® Tesla® K40 GPU using OpenACC. These benchmarks are run on the Pleiades Supercomputer Cluster at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC), and a Xeon Phi™ 7210 node at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC).

Green, Justin S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A six degree of freedom, plume-fuel optimal trajectory planner for spacecraft proximity operations using an A* node search

Spacecraft proximity operations are complicated by the fact that exhaust plume impingement from the reaction control jets of space vehicles can cause structural damage, contamination of sensitive arrays and instruments, or attitude misalignment during docking. The occurrence and effect of jet plume impingement can be reduced by planning approach trajectories with plume effects considered. An A* node search is used to find plume-fuel optimal trajectories through a discretized six dimensional attitude-translation space. A plume cost function which approximates jet plume isopressure envelopes is presented. The function is then applied to find relative costs for predictable 'trajectory altering' firings and unpredictable 'deadbanding' firings. Trajectory altering firings are calculated by running the spacecraft jet selection algorithm and summing the cost contribution from each jet fired. A 'deadbanding effects' function is defined and integrated to determine the potential for deadbanding impingement along candidate trajectories. Plume costs are weighed against fuel costs in finding the optimal solution. A* convergence speed is improved by solving approach trajectory problems in reverse time. Results are obtained on a high fidelity space shuttle/space station simulation. Trajectory following is accomplished by a six degree of freedom autopilot. Trajectories planned with, and without, plume costs are compared in terms of force applied to the target structure.

Jackson, Mark Charles↗
NASA NTRS1972

A VTOL translational rate control system study on a six degrees-of-freedom motion simulator

A linearized translational rate system for near hover flight was optimized on a large motion simulator under the constraints of no disturbances and limited control power. Both lateral and longitudinal modes were considered with the primary variables of investigation being control sensitivity and response stiffness and secondarily system damping. Yaw and height control characteristics were represented by an angular rate and acceleration system, respectively. General regions of desired sensitivity and stiffness for the longitudinal and lateral modes were determined under VFR conditions for both the rapid maneuver task and the station keeping/mild maneuver task.

Corliss, L. D.↗