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NASA NTRS1995

High resolution time interval counter

In recent years, we have developed two types of high resolution, multi-channel time interval counters. In the NIST two-way time transfer MODEM application, the counter is designed for operating primarily in the interrupt-driven mode, with 3 start channels and 3 stop channels. The intended start and stop signals are 1 PPS, although other frequencies can also be applied to start and stop the count. The time interval counters used in the NIST Frequency Measurement and Analysis System are implemented with 7 start channels and 7 stop channels. Four of the 7 start channels are devoted to the frequencies of 1 MHz, 5 MHz or 10 MHz, while triggering signals to all other start and stop channels can range from 1 PPS to 100 kHz. Time interval interpolation plays a key role in achieving the high resolution time interval measurements for both counters. With a 10 MHz time base, both counters demonstrate a single-shot resolution of better than 40 ps, and a stability of better than 5 x 10(exp -12) (sigma(sub chi)(tau)) after self test of 1000 seconds). The maximum rate of time interval measurements (with no dead time) is 1.0 kHz for the counter used in the MODEM application and is 2.0 kHz for the counter used in the Frequency Measurement and Analysis System. The counters are implemented as plug-in units for an AT-compatible personal computer. This configuration provides an efficient way of using a computer not only to control and operate the counters, but also to store and process measured data.

Zhang, Victor S.↗

NASA NTRS1986

In situ production of terrestrial cosmogenic helium and some applications to geochronology

The concentrations of cosmogenic He-3 have been measured in a series of basaltic drill core samples from Hawaiian volcanoes Haleakala and Mauna Loa. The He-3 concentration in the surface of a radiocarbon dated Mauna Loa flow (20,000 years) gives reasonable agreement with a theoretical production rate of 140 atoms/g/yr, and suggests that the uncertainty in this rate is roughly 10 percent. The results illustrate the feasibility of using He-3 to measure exposure ages of young basaltic lava flows and for measuring erosion rates. Erosion rates calculated from the three Haleakala cores range from 7 to 11 meters/million years. The drill core data demonstrate that accurate depth control is crucial to the use and evaluation of cosmogenic helium. Depth profiles from several of the older cores display a nonexponential depth dependence of He-3(c) below 170 g/sq cm, which is attributed to the contribution from Li-6(n, alpha)T, where the neutrons are from stopped muons. This has important implications for depth dependence of cosmogenic He-3 because muons are weakly attenuated compared to the nucleonic component that produces spallation.

Kurz, Mark D.↗

NASA NTRS1995

High and low energy proton radiation damage in p/n InP MOCVD solar cells

InP p(+)nn(+) MOCVD solar cells were irradiated with 0.2 MeV and 10 MeV protons to a fluence of 10(exp 13)/sq cm. The degradation of power output, IV behavior, carrier concentration and defect concentration were observed at intermediate points throughout the irradiations. The 0.2 MeV proton irradiated solar cells suffered much greater and more rapid degradation in power output than those irradiated with 10 meV protons. The efficiency losses were accompanied by larger increases in the recombination currents in the 0.2 MeV proton irradiated solar cells. The low energy proton irradiations also had a larger impact on the series resistance of the solar cells. Despite the radiation induced damage, the carrier concentration in the base of the solar cells showed no reduction after 10 MeV or 0.2 MeV proton irradiations and even increased during irradiation with 0.2 MeV protons. In a DLTS study of the irradiated samples, the minority carrier defects H4 and H5 at E(v) + 0.33 and E(v) + 0.52 eV and the majority carrier defects E7 and E10 at E(c)- 0.39 and E(c)-0.74 eV, were observed. The defect introduction rates for the 0.2 MeV proton irradiations were about 20 times higher than for the 10 MeV proton irradiations. The defect E10, observed here after irradiation, has been shown to act as a donor in irradiated n-type InP and may be responsible for obscuring carrier removal. The results of this study are consistent with the much greater damage produced by low energy protons whose limited range causes them to stop in the active region of the solar cell.

Rybicki, George↗

NASA NTRS1995

High and Low Energy Proton Radiation Damage in p/n InP MOCVD Solar Cells

InP p(+)/n/n(+) solar cells, fabricated by metal organic chemical vapor deposition, (MOCVD) were irradiated with 0.2 MeV and 10 MeV protons to a fluence of 10(exp 13)/sq cm. The power output degradation, IV behavior, carrier concentration and defect concentration were observed at intermediate points throughout the irradiations. The 0.2 MeV proton-irradiated solar cells suffered much greater and more rapid degradation in power output than those irradiated with 10 MeV protons. The efficiency losses were accompanied by larger increases in the recombination currents in the 0.2 MeV proton-irradiated solar cells. The low energy proton irradiations also had a larger impact on the series resistance of the solar cells. Despite the radiation induced damage, the carrier concentration in the base of the solar cells showed no reduction after 10 MeV or 0.2 MeV proton irradiations and even increased during irradiation with 0.2 MeV protons. In a deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) study of the irradiated samples, the minority carrier defects H4 and H5 at E(sub v) + 0.33 and E(sub v) + 0.52 eV and the majority carrier defects E7 and El0 at E(sub c) - 0.39 and E(sub c) - 0.74 eV, were observed. The defect introduction rates for the 0.2 MeV proton irradiations were about 20 times higher than for the 10 MeV proton irradiations. The defect El0, observed here after irradiation, has been shown to act as a donor in irradiated n-type InP and may be responsible for obscuring carrier removal. The results of this study are consistent with the much greater damage produced by low energy protons whose limited range causes them to stop in the active region of the solar cell.

Rybicki, George↗

NASA NTRS2016

Pilot Field Test: Performance of a Sit-to-Stand Test After Long-Duration Space Flight

BACKGROUND: Astronauts returning from the International Space Station are met by a team of recovery personnel typically providing physical assistance and medical support immediately upon landing. That is because long-duration spaceflight impacts astronauts' functional abilities. Future expeditions to planets or asteroids beyond the low Earth orbit, however, may require crewmembers to egress the vehicle and perform other types of physical tasks unassisted. It is therefore important to characterize the extent and longevity of functional deficits experienced by astronauts in order to design safe exploration class missions. Pilot Field Test (PFT) experiment conducted with participation of ISS crewmembers traveling on Soyuz expeditions 34S - 41S comprised several tasks designed to study the recovery of sensorimotor abilities of astronauts during the first 24 hours after landing and beyond. METHODS: The first test in the PFT battery sequence, and also the least demanding one from the sensorimotor perspective, was a Sit-to-Stand test. Test subjects were seated in the chair and had to stand up on command and remain standing for ten seconds. The subjects were instructed to stand up unassisted as quickly as they were able to, while maintaining postural control. Synchronized wireless inertial sensors mounted on the head, chest, lower back, wrists, and ankles were used to continuously log body kinematics. Crewmembers' blood pressure and heart rate were monitored and recorded with the Portapres and Polar systems. Each session was recorded with a digital video camera. During data collections occurring within the 24-hour postflight period, crewmembers were also asked to (1) evaluate their perceived motion sickness symptoms on a 20-point scale before and after completion of the test and (2) estimate how heavy they felt compared to their normal (preflight) body weight. Consent to participate in PFT was obtained from 18 crewmembers (11 US Orbital Segment [USOS] astronauts and 7 Russian cosmonauts). For 10 subjects, the first set of data was collected in the medical tent in Soyuz landing zone (1-2 hours after landing); the other 8 subjects were tested at the Kazakhstan deployment airport (4-5 hours after landing). 8 of the 11 astronauts were tested twice more within the first 24 hours postflight, at a refueling stop on the way to Houston (approximately 13 hours after landing) and at the Johnson Space Center (approximately 24 hours after landing). Later postflight data were collected in the first two weeks on some crewmembers. Finally, 6 astronauts were tested 60+ days after landing to establish a delayed baseline. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Two of the 18 PFT participants felt too ill to attempt any tests in Kazakhstan (at either the landing zone or deployment airport). The remaining test subjects completed the Sit-to-Stand test and their reported motion sickness scores were unaffected by this task. The task completion times and body kinematics data analysis are currently underway. Preliminary analysis of astronaut data shows a steep improvement in the time to complete the task on the second data take, and in some cases, the trend continues through day six postflight. Head and trunk pitch angles and pitch rates were also examined and increases in all measures are evident throughout the observed recovery period (60+ days postflight). Interesting patterns of head and trunk pitch coordination have also emerged. One of the data analysis objectives is comparison of initial postflight performance and recovery of experienced crewmembers and first-time fliers. Another one - possible differences in performance between USOS and Russian crewmembers.

Kofman, I. S.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Basic limits on protocol information in data communications networks

The paper considers basic limitations on the amount of protocol information that must be transmitted in a data communication network to keep track of source and receiver addresses and of the starting and stopping of messages. Assuming Poisson message arrivals between each communicating source-receiver pair, a lower bound is found on the required protocol information for message. This lower bound is the sum of two terms, one for the message-length information, which depends only on the distribution of message lengths, and the other for the message-start information, which depends only on the product of the source-receiver pair arrival rate and the expected delay for transmitting the message. Two strategies are developed which, in the limit of large numbers of sources and receivers, almost meet the lower bound on protocol information.

Gallager, R. G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MISR Level 1A CCD Science data, all cameras (MIL1A_V1)

The Level 1A data are raw MISR data that are decommutated, reformatted 12-bit Level 0 data shifted to byte boundaries, i.e., reversal of square-root encoding applied and converted to 16 bit, and annotated (e.g., with time information). These data are used by the Level 1B1 processing algorithm to generate calibrated radiances. The science data output preserves the spatial sampling rate of the Level 0 raw MISR CCD science data. CCD data are collected during routine science observations of the sunlit portion of the Earth. Each product represents one 'granule' of data. A 'granule' is defined to be the smallest unit of data required for MISR processing. Also, included in the Level 1A product are pointers to calibration coefficient files provided for Level 1B processing. [Location=GLOBAL] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=2000-02-24; Stop_Date=] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=180].

CCD↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MISR Level 1A CCD Science data, all cameras (MIL1A_V2)

AM-1↗

NASA NTRS1986

Evaluation of a hybrid hydrostatic bearing for cryogenic turbopump application

A hybrid hydrostatic bearing was designed to operate in liquid hydrogen at speeds to 80,000 rpm and radial loads to 440 n (100 lbf). The bearing assembly consisted of a pair of 20-mm angular-contact ball bearings encased in a journal, which was in turn supported by a fluid film of liquid hydrogen. The size and operating conditions of the bearing were selected to be compatible with the operating requirements of an advanced technology turbopump. Several test parameters were varied to characterize the bearing's steady-state operation. The rotation of the tester shaft was varied between 0 and 80,000 rpm. Bearing inlet fluid pressure was varied between 2.07 and 4.48 MPa (300 and 650 psia), while the fluid sump pressure was independently varied between 0.34 and 2.07 MPa (50 and 300 psia). The maximum radial load applied to the bearing was 440 N (110 lbf). Measured hybrid-hydrostatic-bearing stiffness was 1.5 times greater than predicted, while the fluid flow rate through the bearing was 35 to 65 percent less than predicted. Under two-phase fluid conditions, the stiffness was even greater and the flow rate was less. The optimal pressure ratio for the bearing should be between 0.2 and 0.55 depending on the balance desired between bearing efficiency and stiffness. Startup and shutdown cyclic tests were conducted to demonstrate the ability of the hybrid-hydrostatic-bearing assembly to survive at least a 300-firing-duty cycle. For a typical cycle, the shaft was accelerated to 50,000 rpm in 1.8 sec. The bearing operated for 337 start-stop cycles without failure.

Spica, P. W.↗

NASA NTRS1999

MRI Measurements and Granular Dynamics Simulation of Segregation of Granular Mixture

A counter intuitive axial segregation phenomenon in a rotating horizontal cylinder has recently captured attention of many researchers in different disciplines. There is a growing consensus that the interplay between the particle dynamics and the evolution of the internal structure during the segregation process must be carefully investigated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to non-invasively obtain much needed dynamic/static information such as velocity and concentration profiles, and it has proven to be capable of depicting the evolution of segregation processes. Segregation in a rotating cylinder involves two processes: the first is to transport small particles in the radial direction to form a radial core, and the second is to transform the radial core into axially segregated bands. Percolation and/or "stopping" have been proposed as mechanisms for the radial segregation. As to mechanisms for axial band formation, much less is known. The difference in the dynamic angle of repose has been proposed to segregate different components in the axial direction. Recently, Hill and Kakalios have reported that particles mix or demix depending upon the competition between diffusion and preferential drift whose order can be determined by the dynamic angle of repose through the adjustment of the rotation rate. We claim that the dynamic angle of repose could be one of the causes, however, it fails to offer reasonable explanations for certain aspects of the axial migration. For example, we always observe that the radial segregation precedes the axial segregation and small particles migrate in the radial direction to form an axially extended radial core. It then transforms into axially segregated bands. By definition, the effects of the dynamic angle of repose are restricted near the free surface where the flowing layer is present. However, during the process of transforming from the radially segregated core to axially segregated bands, small particles located in the deep core region, which is untouched by the flowing layer, also completely disappear. Usually, the dynamics angle of repose are uniquely defined for individual species to characterize particle properties, and the dynamic angle of repose thus defined provides little information for the dynamic angle of repose of the mixture since the concentration ratio and the internal packing structure do not remain the same during the segregation processes. Under microgravity environment, the dynamics angle of repose argument does not hold since there is simply no flowing layer to influence/determine the preferred directions of segregation. We have thus designed an experiment so that the effects of the dynamic angle of repose can be minimized by filling the cylinder almost completely full. Small particles still formed a radial core and also migrated to form axial bands. As ground based experiments we have designed and conducted both 2D and 3D segregation experiments. The 2D experiments are performed using a thin cylinder (the gap between two end caps is about 5 mm) filled with different combinations of particles. The 3D experiments are conducted with a long cylinder of its length and diameter of 27cm and 7cm, respectively. Results of 2D experiments indicate that different mechanisms govern particle motion in regions near and far from the axis of rotation. Results of 3D experiments indicate that a series of collapses of microstructures of particle packing (micro-collapses) may be responsible for the creation of voids for small particles to migrate through in the axial direction. We have successfully eliminated the dynamic angle of repose as a cause for segregation, however, by almost completely filling the cylinder with the particles, we have lost an opportunity to investigate a possibility of particle "mobility" being a cause for segregation which requires a flowing surface but not the difference in the angle of repose. This is currently being investigated.

Nakagawa, M.↗

NASA NTRS1996

LET spectra measurements on LDEF: variations with shielding and location

LET spectra measurements made with passive plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) were found to depend on detector orientation, shielding and experiment location. LET spectra were measured at several locations on LDEF as part of the P0006 LETSME experiment (Benton and Parnell, 1984), the P0004 Seeds in Space experiment (Parks and Alston, 1984), the A00l5 Free Flyer Biostacks and the M0004 Fiber Optics Data Link experiment (Taylor, 1984). Locations included the east, west and Earth sides of the LDEF satellite. The LET spectra measured with PNTDs deviated significantly from calculations, especially for high LET particles (LET infinity H2O > or = 100 keV/micrometer). At high LETs, short-range inelastic secondary particles produced by trapped proton interactions with the nuclei of the detector were found to be the principal contributor to LET spectra. At lower LETs, the spectra appeared to be due to short-range, inelastic and stopping primary protons, with primary GCR particles making a smaller contribution. The dependence of LET spectra on detector orientation and shielding was studied using the four orthogonal stacks in the P0006 experiment. Both measurements of total track density and LET spectra showed a greater number of particles arriving from the direction of space than from Earth. Measurements of LET spectra in CR-39 PNTD on the east (leading) and west (trailing) sides of LDEF showed a higher rate of production at the west side. This was caused by a larger flux of trapped protons on the west side as predicted by the east/west trapped proton anisotropy in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). Track density measured in CR-39 PNTDs increased as a function of shielding depth in the detector stack. A similar measurement made in a thick stack of CR-39 interspersed with layers of Al and exposed to 154 MeV protons at a ground-based accelerator showed a similar result, indicating that a significant fraction of the particle events counted were from secondaries and that the total cross-section for production of proton-induced secondaries increased as the energy of primary protons attenuated. Little change was seen in either total differential or integral LET spectra as a function of shielding depth, indicating that the increase in cross section with decreasing proton energy affected mostly the shorter range secondary components. Similarity in the slopes of LET spectra from ground-based proton exposures and the A00l5 LET spectra showed that modeling of a monoenergetic proton beam transported through a 1-D geometry was a useful first step in modeling the production of secondary particles by trapped protons in the SAA.

long duration↗

NASA NTRS1983

Rotorcraft air transportation

Intermodal relationships and the particular ways in which they affect public transportation applications of rotorcraft are addressed. Some aspects of integrated services and general comparisons with other transportation modes are reviewed. Two potential application scenarios are discussed: down-to-downtown rotorcraft service and urban public transport rotorcraft service. It is concluded that to integrate well with ground access modes community rotorcraft service should be limited stop service with published schedules, and operate on a few specific routes between a few specific destinations. For downtown-to-downtown service, time savings favorable to rotorcraft are benefits that reflect its more direct access, relatively higher line-haul travel speeds, and less circuitous travel. For the scenario of public transport within urban areas, first, improving cruise speeds has a limited potential due to allowing for a ""station spacing'' effect. Secondly, public acceptance of higher acceleration/deceleration rates may be just as effective as a technological innovation as achieving higher cruise speeds.

Gilbert, G. A.↗

NASA NTRS2019

A Two-sided-Loop X-Ray Solar Coronal Jet and a Sudden Photospheric Magnetic-field Change, Both Driven by a Minifilament Eruption

Most of the commonly discussed solar coronal jets are of the type consisting of a single spire extending approximately vertically from near the solar surface into the corona. Recent research of a substantial number of events shows that eruption of a miniature filament (minifilament) drives at least many such single-spire jets, and concurrently generates a miniflare at the eruption site. A different type of coronal jet, identified in X-ray images during the Yohkoh era, are two-sided-loop jets, which extend from a central excitation location in opposite directions, along two opposite low-lying coronal loops that are more-or-less horizontal to the surface. We observe such a two-sided-loop jet from the edge of active region (AR) 12473, using data from Hinode XRT and EIS, and SDO AIA and HMI. Similar to single-spire jets, this two-sided-loop jet results from eruption of a minifilament, which accelerates to over 140 km/s before abruptly stopping upon striking overlying nearlyhorizontal magnetic field at ∼30,000 km altitude and producing the two-sided-loop jet via interchange reconnection. Analysis of EIS raster scans show that a hot brightening, consistent with a small flare, develops in the aftermath of the eruption, and that Doppler motions (∼40 km/s) occur near the jet-formation region. As with many single-spire jets, the trigger of the eruption here is apparently magnetic flux cancelation, which occurs at a rate of ∼4×10^18 Mx/hr, comparable to the rate observed in some single-spire AR jets. This example of a two-sided jet, along with numerous examples of single-spire jets, supports that essentially all coronal jets result from eruptions of minifiaments, and frequently the eruption of the minifilment is triggered by magnetic flux cancelation. (Details are in Sterling et al. 2019, ApJ, 871, 220.)

Sterling, Alphonse C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Design of an Advanced Wood Composite Rotor and Development of Wood Composite Blade Technology

In support of a program to advance wood composite wind turbine blade technology, a design was completed for a prototype, 90-foot diameter, two-bladed, one-piece rotor, with all wood/epoxy composite structure. The rotor was sized for compatibility with a generator having a maximum power rating of 4000 kilowatts. Innovative features of the rotor include: a teetering hub to minimize the effects of gust loads, untwisted blades to promote rotor power control through stall, joining of blades to the hub structure via an adhesive bonded structural joint, and a blade structural design which was simplified relative to earlier efforts. The prototype rotor was designed to allow flexibility for configuring the rotor upwind or downwind of the tower, for evaluating various types of teeter dampers and/or elastomeric stops, and with variable delta-three angle settings of the teeter shaft axis. The prototype rotor was also designed with provisions for installing pressure tap and angle of attack instrumentation in one blade. A production version rotor cost analysis was conducted. Included in the program were efforts directed at developing advanced load take-off stud designs for subsequent evaluation testing by NASA, development of aerodynamic tip brake concepts, exploratory testing of a wood/epoxy/graphite concept, and compression testing of wood/epoxy laminate, with scarf-jointed plies.

Stroebel, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS2014

Venus Landsailer Zephyr

Imagine sailing across the hot plains of Venus! A design for a craft to do just this was completed by the COncurrent Multidisciplinary Preliminary Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) Team for the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) project. The robotic craft could explore over 30 kilometers of the surface of Venus, driven by the power of the wind. The Zephyr Venus Landsailer is a science mission concept for exploring the surface of Venus with a mobility and science capability roughly comparable to the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission, but using the winds of the thick atmosphere of Venus for propulsion. It would explore the plains of Venus in the year 2025, near the Venera 10 landing site, where wind velocities in the range of 80 to 120 centimeters per second (cm/s) were measured by earlier Soviet landing missions. These winds are harnessed by a large wing/sail which would also carry the solar cells to generate power. At around 250 kilograms (kg), Zephyr would carry an 8 meter tall airfoil sail (12 square meters area), 25 kg of science equipment (mineralogy, grinder, and weather instruments) and return 2 gigabytes of science over a 30 day mission. Due to the extreme temperatures (450 degrees Centigrade) and pressures (90 bar) on Venus, Zephyr would have only basic control systems (based on high temperature silicon carbide (SiC)electronics) and actuators. Control would come from an orbiter which is in turn controlled from Earth. Due to the time delay from the Earth a robust control system would need to exist on the orbiter to keep Zephyr on course. Data return and control would be made using a 250 megahertz link with the orbiter with a maximum data rate of 2 kilobits per second. At the minimal wind speed required for mobility of 35 cm/s, the vehicle move at a slow but steady 4 cm/s by positioning the airfoil and use of one wheel that is steered for pointing control. Navigation commands from the orbiter will be based upon navigation cameras, simple accelerometers and stability sensors; Zephyr's stability is robust, using a wide wheel base along with controls to "feather" or "luff" the airfoil and apply brakes to stop the vehicle in the case of unexpected conditions. This would be the science gathering configuration. The vehicle itself would need to be made from titanium (Ti) as the structural material, with a corrosion-barrier overcoating due to extreme temperatures on the surface.

Wind Sailing↗

NASA NTRS2019

Hinode and SDO Observations of a Two-Sided-Loop Coronal Jet: Toward a General Picture for Jets

Most of the commonly discussed solar coronal jets are of the type consisting of a single spire extending approximately vertically from near the solar surface into the corona. Recent research of a substantial number of events shows that eruption of a miniature filament (minifilament) drives at least many such single-spire jets, and concurrently generates a miniflare at the eruption site. A different type of coronal jet, identified in X-ray images during the Yohkoh era, are two-sided-loop jets, which extend from a central excitation location in opposite directions, along two opposite low-lying coronal loops that are more-or-less horizontal to the surface. We observe such a two-sided-loop jet from the edge of active region (AR) 12473, using data from Hinode XRT and EIS, and SDO AIA and HMI. Similar to single-spire jets, this two-sided-loop jet results from eruption of a minifilament, which accelerates to over 140 km/s before abruptly stopping upon striking overlying nearly horizontal magnetic field at ∼30,000 km altitude and producing the two-sided-loop jet via interchange reconnection. Analysis of EIS raster scans show that a hot brightening, consistent with a small flare, develops in the aftermath of the eruption, and that Doppler motions (∼40 km/s) occur near the jet-formation region. As with many single-spire jets, the trigger of the eruption here is apparently magnetic flux cancelation, which occurs at a rate of ∼4×10^18 Mx/hr, comparable to the rate observed in some single-spire AR jets. This example of a two-sided jet, along with numerous examples of single-spire jets, supports that essentially all coronal jets result from eruptions of minifilaments, and frequently the eruption of the minifilament is triggered by magnetic flux cancelation. This work was supported by the NASA HGI program, and the MSFC Hinode project. (Details are in Sterling et al. 2019, ApJ, 871, 220.)

Sterling, Alphonse C.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Aircraft Design Considerations to Meet One Engine Inoperative (OEI) Safety Requirements

Commercial airlines are obligated to operate such that an aircraft can suffer an engine failure at any point in its mission and terminate the flight without an accident. Only minimal aircraft damage is allowable, such as brake replacement due to very heavy application, or an engine inspection and/or possible removal due to use of an emergency rating. Such performance criteria are often referred to as zero exposure, referring to zero accident exposure to an engine failure. The critical mission segment for meeting one engine inoperative (OEI) criteria is takeoff. For a given weight, wind, and ambient condition, fixed wing aircraft require a balanced field length. This is the longer of the distance to take off if an engine fails at a predetermined critical point in the takeoff profile, or the distance to reject the takeoff and brake to a stop. Rotorcraft have requirements for horizontal takeoff procedures that are equivalent to a balanced field length requirements for fixed wing aircraft. Rotorcraft also perform vertical procedures where no runway or heliport distance is available. These were developed primarily for elevated heliports as found on oil rigs or rooftops. They are also used for ground level operations as might be found at heliports at the end of piers or other confined areas.

Scott, Mark W.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Modeling Aircraft Wing Loads from Flight Data Using Neural Networks

Neural networks were used to model wing bending-moment loads, torsion loads, and control surface hinge-moments of the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) aircraft. Accurate loads models are required for the development of control laws designed to increase roll performance through wing twist while not exceeding load limits. Inputs to the model include aircraft rates, accelerations, and control surface positions. Neural networks were chosen to model aircraft loads because they can account for uncharacterized nonlinear effects while retaining the capability to generalize. The accuracy of the neural network models was improved by first developing linear loads models to use as starting points for network training. Neural networks were then trained with flight data for rolls, loaded reversals, wind-up-turns, and individual control surface doublets for load excitation. Generalization was improved by using gain weighting and early stopping. Results are presented for neural network loads models of four wing loads and four control surface hinge moments at Mach 0.90 and an altitude of 15,000 ft. An average model prediction error reduction of 18.6 percent was calculated for the neural network models when compared to the linear models. This paper documents the input data conditioning, input parameter selection, structure, training, and validation of the neural network models.

Allen, Michael J.↗