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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

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NASA NTRS1988

Multiprocessor graphics computation and display using transputers

A package of two-dimensional graphics routines was developed to run on a transputer-based parallel processing system. These routines were designed to enable applications programmers to easily generate and display results from the transputer network in a graphic format. The graphics procedures were designed for the lowest possible network communication overhead for increased performance. The routines were designed for ease of use and to present an intuitive approach to generating graphics on the transputer parallel processing system.

Ellis, Graham K.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Speed in Information Processing with a Computer Driven Visual Display in a Real-time Digital Simulation

Information transfer between the operator and computer-generated display systems is an area where the human factors engineer discovers little useful design data relating human performance to system effectiveness. This study utilized a computer-driven, cathode-ray-tube graphic display to quantify human response speed in a sequential information processing task. The performance criteria was response time to sixteen cell elements of a square matrix display. A stimulus signal instruction specified selected cell locations by both row and column identification. An equal probable number code, from one to four, was assigned at random to the sixteen cells of the matrix and correspondingly required one of four, matched keyed-response alternatives. The display format corresponded to a sequence of diagnostic system maintenance events, that enable the operator to verify prime system status, engage backup redundancy for failed subsystem components, and exercise alternate decision-making judgements. The experimental task bypassed the skilled decision-making element and computer processing time, in order to determine a lower bound on the basic response speed for given stimulus/response hardware arrangement.

Kyle, R. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

An interactive approach to surface-fitting complex geometries for flowfield applications

Numerical flowfield methods require a geometry subprogram which can calculate body coordinates, slopes, and radii of curvature for typical aircraft and spacecraft configurations. The objective of this paper is to develop a new surface-fitting technique which addresses two major problems with existing geometry packages: computer storage requirements and the time required of the user for the initial set-up of the geometry model. In the present method, coordinates of cross sections are fit in a least-squares sense using segments of general conic sections. After fitting each cross section, the next step is to blend the cross-sectional curve-fits in the longitudinal direction using general conics to fit specific meridional half-planes. For the initial setup of the geometry model, an interactive, completely menu-driven computer code has been developed to allow the user to make modifications to the initial fit for a given cross section or meridional cut. Graphic displays are provided to assist the user in the visualization of the effect of each modification. The completed model may be viewed from any angle using the code's three-dimensional graphics package. Geometry results for the modeling of the Space Shuttle and a proposed Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) geometry are presented, in addition to calculated heat-transfer rates based on these models.

Dejarnette, Fred R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Graphics Processing Board (GPB) Radiation Test Evaluation Report

Large round trip communications latency for deep space missions will require more onboard computational capabilities to enable the space vehicle to undertake many tasks that have traditionally been ground-based, mission control responsibilities. As a result, visual display graphics will be required to provide simpler vehicle situational awareness through graphical representations, as well as provide capabilities never before done in a space mission, such as augmented reality for in-flight maintenance or Telepresence activities. These capabilities will require graphics processors and associated support electronic components for high computational graphics processing. In an effort to understand the performance of commercial graphics card electronics operating in the expected radiation environment, a preliminary test was performed on five commercial offthe- shelf (COTS) graphics cards. This paper discusses the preliminary evaluation test results of five COTS graphics processing cards tested to the International Space Station (ISS) low earth orbit radiation environment. Three of the five graphics cards were tested to a total dose of 6000 rads (Si). The test articles, test configuration, preliminary results, and recommendations are discussed.

Salazar, George A.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Computer and display systems for large physiological models

This paper describes the computer and display systems which were developed for physiological models at NASA's Environmental Physiology Lab, Johnson Space Center. The systems involve hardware and software for remote communications, computation, and display. Also described is the development of a capability to proceed from a physiologist's hypothesis to meaningful presentations of model and laboratory data. Two large hardware and software computer configurations and their graphic display systems are discussed. One system is for dedicated use in the laboratory, and the other system is for remote use on a time-sharing basis. It is concluded that these techniques can add a new dimension to physiological data analysis tasks.

Hassell, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Assessing Upper-Level Winds on Day-of-Launch

On the day-or-launch. the 45th Weather Squadron Launch Weather Officers (LWOS) monitor the upper-level winds for their launch customers to include NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP). During launch operations, the payload launch team sometimes asks the LWO if they expect the upper level winds to change during the countdown but the LWOs did not have the capability to quickly retrieve or display the upper-level observations and compare them to the numerical weather prediction model point forecasts. The LWOs requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) develop a capability in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) that would allow them to plot upper-level wind speed and direction observations from the Kennedy Space Center Doppler Radar Wind Profilers and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station rawinsondes and then overlay model point forecast profiles on the observation profiles to assess the performance of these models and graphically display them to the launch team. The AMU developed an Excel-based capability for the LWOs to assess the model forecast upper-level winds and compare them to observations. They did so by creating a GUI in Excel that allows the LWOs to first initialize the models by comparing the O-hour model forecasts to the observations and then to display model forecasts in 3-hour intervals from the current time through 12 hours.

Bauman, William H., III↗

NASA NTRS1990

Terminal weather information management

Since the mid-1960's, microburst/windshear events have caused at least 30 aircraft accidents and incidents and have killed more than 600 people in the United States alone. This study evaluated alternative means of alerting an airline crew to the presence of microburst/windshear events in the terminal area. Of particular interest was the relative effectiveness of conventional and data link ground-to-air transmissions of ground-based radar and low-level windshear sensing information on microburst/windshear avoidance. The Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator located at Ames Research Center was employed in a line oriented simulation of a scheduled round-trip airline flight from Salt Lake City to Denver Stapleton Airport. Actual weather en route and in the terminal area was simulated using recorded data. The microburst/windshear incident of July 11, 1988 was re-created for the Denver area operations. Six experienced airline crews currently flying scheduled routes were employed as test subjects for each of three groups: (1) A baseline group which received alerts via conventional air traffic control (ATC) tower transmissions; (2) An experimental group which received alerts/events displayed visually and aurally in the cockpit six miles (approx. 2 min.) from the microburst event; and (3) An additional experimental group received displayed alerts/events 23 linear miles (approx. 7 min.) from the microburst event. Analyses of crew communications and decision times showed a marked improvement in both situation awareness and decision-making with visually displayed ground-based radar information. Substantial reductions in the variability of decision times among crews in the visual display groups were also found. These findings suggest that crew performance will be enhanced and individual differences among crews due to differences in training and prior experience are significantly reduced by providing real-time, graphic display of terminal weather hazards.

Lee, Alfred T.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The X-windows interactive navigation data editor

A new computer program called the X-Windows Interactive Data Editor (XIDE) was developed and demonstrated as a prototype application for editing radio metric data in the orbit-determination process. The program runs on a variety of workstations and employs pull-down menus and graphical displays, which allow users to easily inspect and edit radio metric data in the orbit data files received from the Deep Space Network (DSN). The XIDE program is based on the Open Software Foundation OSF/Motif Graphical User Interface (GUI) and has proven to be an efficient tool for editing radio metric data in the navigation operations environment. It was adopted by the Magellan Navigation Team as their primary data-editing tool. Because the software was designed from the beginning to be portable, the prototype was successfully moved to new workstation environments. It was also itegrated into the design of the next-generation software tool for DSN multimission navigation interactive launch support.

Rinker, G. C.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Improving the MLS through enhanced cockpit displays

A simulator investigation of various prediction and quickening algorithms in computer-generated forward-looking displays is presented; the algorithms are used to improve manual aircraft control on curved microwave landing system approaches. The experimental facility consisted of a Link GAT-2 simulator, a PDP 11/40 minicomputer, a high-speed graphic display, a TV camera, and a CRT monitor. Results indicate that second- and third-order predictor displays provide the best lateral performance and that intermediate levels of prediction and quickening provide the best vertical control. Prediction/quickening algorithms of increasing computational order were found to significantly reduce aileron, rudder, and elevator control responses. The conventional crosspointer displays yielded an average 2-sigma lateral error of + or - 200 over all wind conditions at 500 m from touchdown, and was therefore unable to meet FAA requirements (+ or - 22.9 m); the pictorial-preview display yielded much better results: an average 2-sigma lateral error of + or - 27 m. Neither display was able to approach the FAA specified accuracy requirement in the vertical dimension (+ or - 3.7 m).

Jensen, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

PC-CUBE: A Personal Computer Based Hypercube

PC-CUBE is an ensemble of IBM PCs or close compatibles connected in the hypercube topology with ordinary computer cables. Communication occurs at the rate of 115.2 K-band via the RS-232 serial links. Available for PC-CUBE is the Crystalline Operating System III (CrOS III), Mercury Operating System, CUBIX and PLOTIX which are parallel I/O and graphics libraries. A CrOS performance monitor was developed to facilitate the measurement of communication and computation time of a program and their effects on performance. Also available are CXLISP, a parallel version of the XLISP interpreter; GRAFIX, some graphics routines for the EGA and CGA; and a general execution profiler for determining execution time spent by program subroutines. PC-CUBE provides a programming environment similar to all hypercube systems running CrOS III, Mercury and CUBIX. In addition, every node (personal computer) has its own graphics display monitor and storage devices. These allow data to be displayed or stored at every processor, which has much instructional value and enables easier debugging of applications. Some application programs which are taken from the book Solving Problems on Concurrent Processors (Fox 88) were implemented with graphics enhancement on PC-CUBE. The applications range from solving the Mandelbrot set, Laplace equation, wave equation, long range force interaction, to WaTor, an ecological simulation.

Ho, Alex↗

NASA NTRS1980

Payload crew training scheduler (PACTS) user's manual

The operation of the payload specialist training scheduler (PACTS) is discussed in this user's manual which is used to schedule payload specialists for mission training on the Spacelab experiments. The PACTS program is a fully automated interactive, computerized scheduling program equipped with tutorial displays. The tutorial displays are sufficiently detailed for use by a program analyst having no computer experience. The PACTS program is designed to operate on the UNIVAC 1108 computer system, and has the capability to load output into a PDP 11/45 Interactive Graphics Display System for printing schedules. The program has the capacity to handle up to three overlapping Spacelab missions.

Shipman, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

System Acquires And Displays Signal-Propagation Data

Electronic system acquires, controls processing of, and displays data from experiments on propagation of phase-coherent radio signals at frequencies of 12, 20, and 30 GHz. Acquisition equipment coordinates flow of data from multiple input channels to computer. Software provides for multi-tasking and for interactive graphical displays, including easy-to-use windows and pulldown menus with mouse input. Offers outstanding accuracy; acquires and displays data and controls associated equipment, all in real time.

Mckeeman, John C.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Process-Information Display Panel For Welder's Visor

Head-up display (HUD) unit mounted in welder's visor or helmet provides process information in real time. Display enables welder to gain greater awareness of effects of welding while controlling welding process in usual way(s) by use of foot pedal, voice command, and/or manipulation of welding torch. Possible to avoid need for every new welder on job to solve same problems solved by other welders. Graphical display presented to welder, adjacent to normal field of view through visor. Beneficial in supporting and enhancing continued practice of manual arc welding. Valuable in industries that invest millions of technician-hours each year in manual arc welding for variety of products.

Russell, Carolyn↗

NASA NTRS1991

Cooperative processing user interfaces for AdaNET

A cooperative processing user interface (CUI) system shares the task of graphical display generation and presentation between the user's computer and a remote host. The communications link between the two computers is typically a modem or Ethernet. The two main purposes of a CUI are reduction of the amount of data transmitted between user and host machines, and provision of a graphical user interface system to make the system easier to use.

Gutzmann, Kurt M.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Displays for supervisory control of manipulators

The problem of displaying information generated by sensors attached to the terminal device of a remotely controlled manipulator is considered. The sensors under consideration are proximity, force-torque, tactile and slip-page sensors. The paper describes and evaluates several examples that have been implemented in the JPL teleoperator project using audio and graphic displays of information generated by four proximity sensors attached to a manipulator end effector. Design schemes are also discussed related to the display of information generated by a six-dimensional force-torque sensor, a multipoint proportional tactile sensor, and a directional slippage sensor. The paper concludes with a discussion of future integrated displays of visual (TV) and handbased sensor information.

Bejczy, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Certification of CFD heat transfer software for turbine blade analysis

Accurate modeling of heat transfer effects is a critical component of the Turbine Branch of the Turbomachinery and Propulsion Systems Division. Being able to adequately predict and model heat flux, coolant flows, and peak temperatures are necessary for the analysis of high pressure turbine blades. To that end, the primary goal of my internship this summer will be to certify the reliability of the CFD program GlennHT for the purpose of turbine blade heat transfer analysis. GlennHT is currently in use by the engineers in the Turbine Branch who use the FORTRAN 77 version of the code for analysis. The program, however, has been updated to a FORTRAN 90 version which is more robust than the older code. In order for the new code to be distributed for use, its reliability must first be certified. Over the course of my internship I will create and run test cases using the FORTRAN 90 version of GlennHT and compare the results to older cases which are known to be accurate, If the results of the new code match those of the sample cases then the newer version will be one step closer to certification for distribution. In order to complete these it will first be necessary to become familiar with operating a number of other programs. Among them are GridPro, which is used to create a grid mesh around a blade geometry, and FieldView, whose purpose is to graphically display the results from the GlennHT program. Once enough familiarity is established with these programs to render them useful, then the work of creating and running test scenarios will begin. The work is additionally complicated by a transition in computer hardware. Most of the working computers in the Turbine Branch are Silicon Graphics machines, which will soon be replaced by LINUX PC's. My project is one of the first to make use the new PC's. The change in system architecture however, has created several software related issues which have greatly increased the time and effort investments required by the project.Although complications with the project continue to arise, it is expected that the goal of my internship can still be achieved within the remaining time period. Critical steps have been achieved and test scenarios can now be designed and run. At the completion of my internship, the FORTRAN 90 version of GlennHT should be well on its way to certification.

Jordan, William A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Generating Animated Displays of Spacecraft Orbits

Tool for Interactive Plotting, Sonification, and 3D Orbit Display (TIPSOD) is a computer program for generating interactive, animated, four-dimensional (space and time) displays of spacecraft orbits. TIPSOD utilizes the programming interface of the Satellite Situation Center Web (SSCWeb) services to communicate with the SSC logic and database by use of the open protocols of the Internet. TIPSOD is implemented in Java 3D and effects an extension of the preexisting SSCWeb two-dimensional static graphical displays of orbits. Orbits can be displayed in any or all of the following seven reference systems: true-of-date (an inertial system), J2000 (another inertial system), geographic, geomagnetic, geocentric solar ecliptic, geocentric solar magnetospheric, and solar magnetic. In addition to orbits, TIPSOD computes and displays Sibeck's magnetopause and Fairfield's bow-shock surfaces. TIPSOD can be used by the scientific community as a means of projection or interpretation. It also has potential as an educational tool.

Candey, Robert M.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Visualization Methods for Viability Studies of Inspection Modules for the Space Shuttle

An effective simulation of an object, process, or task must be similar to that object, process, or task. A simulation could consist of a physical device, a set of mathematical equations, a computer program, a person, or some combination of these. There are many reasons for the use of simulators. Although some of the reasons are unique to a specific situation, there are many general reasons and purposes for using simulators. Some are listed but not limited to (1) Safety, (2) Scarce resources, (3) Teaching/education, (4) Additional capabilities, (5) Flexibility and (6) Cost. Robot simulators are in use for all of these reasons. Virtual environments such as simulators will eliminate physical contact with humans and hence will increase the safety of work environment. Corporations with limited funding and resources may utilize simulators to accomplish their goals while saving manpower and money. A computer simulation is safer than working with a real robot. Robots are typically a scarce resource. Schools typically don t have a large number of robots, if any. Factories don t want the robots not performing useful work unless absolutely necessary. Robot simulators are useful in teaching robotics. A simulator gives a student hands-on experience, if only with a simulator. The simulator is more flexible. A user can quickly change the robot configuration, workcell, or even replace the robot with a different one altogether. In order to be useful, a robot simulator must create a model that accurately performs like the real robot. A powerful simulator is usually thought of as a combination of a CAD package with simulation capabilities. Computer Aided Design (CAD) techniques are used extensively by engineers in virtually all areas of engineering. Parts are designed interactively aided by the graphical display of both wireframe and more realistic shaded renderings. Once a part s dimensions have been specified to the CAD package, designers can view the part from any direction to examine how it will look and perform in relation to other parts. If changes are deemed necessary, the designer can easily make the changes and view the results graphically. However, a complex process of moving parts intended for operation in a complex environment can only be fully understood through the process of animated graphical simulation. A CAD package with simulation capabilities allows the designer to develop geometrical models of the process being designed, as well as the environment in which the process will be used, and then test the process in graphical animation much as the actual physical system would be run . By being able to operate the system of moving and stationary parts, the designer is able to see in simulation how the system will perform under a wide variety of conditions. If, for example, undesired collisions occur between parts of the system, design changes can be easily made without the expense or potential danger of testing the physical system.

Mobasher, Amir A.↗