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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

F-8C adaptive flight control laws

Three candidate digital adaptive control laws were designed for NASA's F-8C digital flyby wire aircraft. Each design used the same control laws but adjusted the gains with a different adaptative algorithm. The three adaptive concepts were: high-gain limit cycle, Liapunov-stable model tracking, and maximum likelihood estimation. Sensors were restricted to conventional inertial instruments (rate gyros and accelerometers) without use of air-data measurements. Performance, growth potential, and computer requirements were used as criteria for selecting the most promising of these candidates for further refinement. The maximum likelihood concept was selected primarily because it offers the greatest potential for identifying several aircraft parameters and hence for improved control performance in future aircraft application. In terms of identification and gain adjustment accuracy, the MLE design is slightly superior to the other two, but this has no significant effects on the control performance achievable with the F-8C aircraft. The maximum likelihood design is recommended for flight test, and several refinements to that design are proposed.

Hartmann, G. L.↗

Altimetry for non-Gaussian oceans - Height biases and estimation of parameters

The effects of a non-Gaussian ocean on satellite altimetry parameter estimation are discussed. The first part of this paper shows how non-Gaussian ocean parameters affect height estimation for satellites of the Seasat/Geosat/TOPEX type. In the second part, the estimation of the altimeter tracker bias and the non-Gaussian ocean parameters from the altimeter return signal is studied. A new convolution model that facilitates the deconvolution of the ocean surface specular point probability density function is introduced. Next, it is argued that it is not feasible in practice to estimate the electromagnetic bias from noisy altimeter returns. It is then shown that the least squares estimation of the surface parameters in the log-frequency domain has several advantages overestimating parameters in the time domain. The maximum likelihood estimation equations for the estimation of the waveform parameters are derived, and their solution is discussed.

Rodriguez, Ernesto↗

A Correlation Between Flight-Determined Derivatives and Wind-Tunnel Data for the X-24B Research Aircraft

Longitudinal and lateral-directional estimates of the aerodynamic derivatives of the X-24B research aircraft were obtained from flight data by using a modified maximum likelihood estimation method. Data were obtained over a Mach number range from 0.35 to 1.72 and over an angle of attack range from 3.5 deg. to 15.7 deg. Data are presented for a subsonic and transonic configuration. The flight derivatives were generally consistent and documented the aircraft well. The correlation between the flight data and wind-tunnel predictions is presented and discussed.

Sim, Alex G.↗

Cycles till failure of silver-zinc cells with competing failure modes - Preliminary data analysis

The data analysis of cycles to failure of silver-zinc electrochemical cells with competing failure modes is presented. The test ran 129 cells through charge-discharge cycles until failure; preliminary data analysis consisted of response surface estimate of life. Batteries fail through low voltage condition and an internal shorting condition; a competing failure modes analysis was made using maximum likelihood estimation for the extreme value life distribution. Extensive residual plotting and probability plotting were used to verify data quality and selection of model.

Sidik, S. M.↗

Distributed parameter estimation for NASA Mini-Mast truss using Timoshenko beam model

A more accurate Timoshenko beam model is used to characterize the bending behavior of the truss. A maximum likelihood estimator for the Timoshenko beam model has been formulated. A closed-form solution of the Timoshenko beam equation, for a uniform cantilevered beam with two concentrated masses, is derived so that the procedure for the estimation of modal characteristics is much improved. The updated model to the NASA Mini-Mast test data is demonstrated.

Shen, Ji-Yao↗

Frequency Estimation Techniques For High Dynamic Trajectories

Report presents comparative study of four techniques for estimating frequency of sinusoidal signal received in presence of noise when transmitter and/or receiver experiencing very high dynamics. Four techniques involve approximate-maximum-likelihood estimator, extended Kalman filter, cross-product automatic frequency control loop, and digital phase locked loop, respectively. In numerical simulations, each technique applied to signal from transmitter maneuvering along common trajectory; performance of each examined to determine its useful operating range, and performances compared.

Vilnrotter, V. A.↗

Estimation in a discrete tail rate family of recapture sampling models

In the context of recapture sampling design for debugging experiments the problem of estimating the error or hitting rate of the faults remaining in a system is considered. Moment estimators are derived for a family of models in which the rate parameters are assumed proportional to the tail probabilities of a discrete distribution on the positive integers. The estimators are shown to be asymptotically normal and fully efficient. Their fixed sample properties are compared, through simulation, with those of the conditional maximum likelihood estimators.

Gupta, Rajan↗

Aircraft identification experience

Important aspects of estimating the unknown coefficients of the aircraft equations of motion from dynamic flight data are presented. The primary topic is the application of the maximum likelihood estimation technique. Basic considerations that must be addressed in the estimation of stability and control derivatives from conventional flight maneuvers are discussed. Some complex areas of estimation (such as estimation in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, estimation of acceleration derivatives, and analysis of maneuvers where both kinematic and aerodynamic coupling are present) are also discussed.

Iliff, K. W.↗

Cycles till failure of silver-zinc cells with completing failures modes: Preliminary data analysis

One hundred and twenty nine cells were run through charge-discharge cycles until failure. The experiment design was a variant of a central composite factorial in five factors. Preliminary data analysis consisted of response surface estimation of life. Batteries fail under two basic modes; a low voltage condition and an internal shorting condition. A competing failure modes analysis using maximum likelihood estimation for the extreme value life distribution was performed. Extensive diagnostics such as residual plotting and probability plotting were employed to verify data quality and choice of model.

Sidik, S. M.↗

Incorporating partially identified sample segments into acreage estimation procedures: Estimates using only observations from the current year

Several methods of estimating individual crop acreages using a mixture of completely identified and partially identified (generic) segments from a single growing year are derived and discussed. A small Monte Carlo study of eight estimators is presented. The relative empirical behavior of these estimators is discussed as are the effects of segment sample size and amount of partial identification. The principle recommendations are (1) to not exclude, but rather incorporate partially identified sample segments into the estimation procedure, (2) try to avoid having a large percentage (say 80%) of only partially identified segments, in the sample, and (3) use the maximum likelihood estimator although the weighted least squares estimator and least squares ratio estimator both perform almost as well. Sets of spring small grains (North Dakota) data were used.

Sielken, R. L., Jr.↗

Estimating time and time-lag in time-of-flight velocimetry

Estimating time and time-lag in time-of-flight velocimeters is investigated. Statistics of a filtered Poisson point process is given. A Maximum Likelihood Estimator is compared with suboptimum estimators in terms of robustness. For a dominating background combined spatial and temporal processing can improve the robustness compared with purely temporal processing. Schemes for the spatial filters are given.

Lading, L.↗

The pulse-pair algorithm as a robust estimator of turbulent weather spectral parameters using airborne pulse Doppler radar

The pulse pair method for spectrum parameter estimation is commonly used in pulse Doppler weather radar signal processing since it is economical to implement and can be shown to be a maximum likelihood estimator. With the use of airborne weather radar for windshear detection, the turbulent weather and strong ground clutter return spectrum differs from that assumed in its derivation, so the performance robustness of the pulse pair technique must be understood. Here, the effect of radar system pulse to pulse phase jitter and signal spectrum skew on the pulse pair algorithm performance is discussed. Phase jitter effect may be significant when the weather return signal to clutter ratio is very low and clutter rejection filtering is attempted. The analysis can be used to develop design specifications for airborne radar system phase stability. It is also shown that the weather return spectrum skew can cause a significant bias in the pulse pair mean windspeed estimates, and that the poly pulse pair algorithm can reduce this bias. It is suggested that use of a spectrum mode estimator may be more appropriate in characterizing the windspeed within a radar range resolution cell for detection of hazardous windspeed gradients.

Baxa, Ernest G., Jr.↗

Data Analysis & Statistical Methods for Command File Errors

This paper explains current work on modeling for managing the risk of command file errors. It is focused on analyzing actual data from a JPL spaceflight mission to build models for evaluating and predicting error rates as a function of several key variables. We constructed a rich dataset by considering the number of errors, the number of files radiated, including the number commands and blocks in each file, as well as subjective estimates of workload and operational novelty. We have assessed these data using different curve fitting and distribution fitting techniques, such as multiple regression analysis, and maximum likelihood estimation to see how much of the variability in the error rates can be explained with these. We have also used goodness of fit testing strategies and principal component analysis to further assess our data. Finally, we constructed a model of expected error rates based on the what these statistics bore out as critical drivers to the error rate. This model allows project management to evaluate the error rate against a theoretically expected rate as well as anticipate future error rates.

Correlation Analysis↗

Optimization of satellite altimeter and wave height measurements

Two techniques for simultaneously estimating altitude, ocean wave height, and signal-to-noise ratio from the GEOS-C satellite altimeter data are described. One technique was based on maximum likelihood estimation, MLE, and the other on minimum mean square error estimation, MMSE. Performance was determined by comparing the variance and bias of each technique with the variance and bias of the smoothed output from the Geos altimeter tracker. Ocean wave height tracking performance for the MLE and MMSE algorithms was measured by comparing the variance and bias of the wave height estimates with that of the expression for the return waveform obtained by a fit to the average output of the 16 waveform sampling gates.

Dooley, R. P.↗

A study of parameter identification

A set of definitions for deterministic parameter identification ability were proposed. Deterministic parameter identificability properties are presented based on four system characteristics: direct parameter recoverability, properties of the system transfer function, properties of output distinguishability, and uniqueness properties of a quadratic cost functional. Stochastic parameter identifiability was defined in terms of the existence of an estimation sequence for the unknown parameters which is consistent in probability. Stochastic parameter identifiability properties are presented based on the following characteristics: convergence properties of the maximum likelihood estimate, properties of the joint probability density functions of the observations, and properties of the information matrix.

Herget, C. J.↗

Spectral moment estimation in MST radars

Signal processing techniques used in Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere (MST) radars are reviewed. Techniques which produce good estimates of the total power, frequency shift, and spectral width of the radar power spectra are considered. Non-linear curve fitting, autocovariance, autocorrelation, covariance, and maximum likelihood estimators are discussed.

Woodman, R. F.↗

Estimation of transport airplane aerodynamics using multiple stepwise regression

This paper presents an application of multiple stepwise regression to the flight test data of a typical transport airplane. The flight test data was carefully preprocessed to eliminate aliasing, time skews and high frequency noise. The data consisted both of basic certification maneuvers, such as wind-up-turns and maneuvers suitable for parameter estimation, such as responses to elevator pulses and doublets. It is shown that the results of multiple stepwise regression techniques compare favorably with the results obtained from maximum likelihood estimation. Finally, it is concluded that multiple stepwise regression could be a fast economical way to estimate transport airplane aerodynamics.

Keskar, D. A.↗