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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 1,657 records · Page 92
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

An in-flight investigation of ground effect on a forward-swept wing airplane

A limited flight experiment was conducted to document the ground effect characteristics of the X-29A research aircraft. This vehicle has an aerodynamic platform which includes a forward-swept wing and close-coupled, variable incidence canard. The flight-test program obtained results for errors in the air data measurement and for incremental normal force and pitching moment caused by ground effect. Correlations with wind-tunnel and computational analyses were made. The results are discussed with respect to the dynamic nature of the flight measurements, similar data from other configurations, and pilot comments. The ground effect results are necessary to obtain an accurate interpretation of the vehicle's landing characteristics. The flight data can also be used in the development of many modern aircraft systems such as autoland and piloted simulation.

Curry, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mission safety evaluation report for STS-39, postflight edition

After a delay of approximately 2 months due to a rollback from the pad to replace the External Tank door lug housing, Space Shuttle Discovery was launched from NASA-Kennedy at 7:33 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 28 April 1991. STS-39 was the first unclassified DoD Shuttle mission. On 28 April, countdown proceeded normally through the T-20 minute hold. No significant problems were encountered except for the Operations Sequence-2 recorder starting unexpectedly; it was stopped by an uplink command. Discovery landed on KSC runway 15 at 2:55 p.m. EDT on 6 May 1991. This was the second time in 6 months that the Space Shuttle was diverted to KSC for landing because of high winds at Edwards AFB, Calif. This was also the 7th of 40 Shuttle missions to land at KSC in the history of the Space Shuttle Program. The Main Landing Gear outer right tire shredded 3 of the 16 cords due to either an uneven landing or a maximum force breaking test during rollout. Contributing factors to the tire cord shredding were the development of last minute crosswinds and reluctance of the ground controllers to distract the Shuttle pilots with warnings of the low flight path. As a corrective action, communication procedures will be modified for future flights.

Hardie, Kenneth O.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Satellite Broadcast of Graphical Weather Data Flight Tested

NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field's aviation Weather Information Communications (WINCOMM) and NASA Langley Research Center's Aviation Weather Information (AWIN) programs collaborated in a flight test and evaluation of a worldwide weather data-link capability using satellites. This successful flight testing moves NASA closer to its goal of developing advanced communications and information technologies to enable high-quality and timely dissemination of aviation weather information to all relevant users on the aviation information network. Recognized as a major contributing factor in aviation accidents and incidents, weather contributes directly or indirectly to nearly 80 percent of fatal general aviation (small private aircraft) accidents. In 1997, the Aeronautics Safety Investment Strategy Team s weather team produced a prioritized list of investment areas under weather accident prevention. Weather data dissemination is the most critical and highest ranked priority on the list. NASA's Aviation Safety Program founded the Aviation Weather Information initiative to focus efforts on significantly reducing the number of weather-related aviation fatalities. Access to accurate and timely weather data could contribute to a major reduction of weather-related incidents and accidents. However, a cost-effective solution has eluded most general aviation pilots because of the high cost of onboard weather radar equipment. Rockwell Collins, through a contract with NASA and in cooperation with WorldSpace Corporation, successfully completed ground and flight testing of a receiver and antenna in Johannesburg, South Africa. This NASA/Rockwell Collins project is an evaluation of worldwide weather data-link capability using transmissions from the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services (S DARS) AfriStar satellite. Owned and operated by WorldSpace, AfriStar is a geostationary satellite that broadcasts commercial digital audio services to stationary and mobile platforms. S DARS satellites are the most powerful communications satellites produced to date, allowing users to receive signals using simple, low-cost patch antennas instead of more expensive, beam-steered antenna arrays. Engineers connected an inexpensive, commercially available radio receiver to a laptop computer and an antenna designed and built by Rockwell Collins, enabling them to receive WorldSpace signals from the AfriStar satellite during flight tests. WorldSpace broadcast their composite color graphical weather data files, which were multiplexed with normal audio streams, to the flat patch antenna mounted on a single-engine aircraft. The aircraft was equipped with a modified commercial S-DARS receiver, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver, and a laptop computer with color display. Continuous data reception occurred during normal aircraft maneuvers performed throughout takeoff, cruise, and landing operations. In addition, engineers monitored receiver power levels during steep turns and banks. In most instances, the receiver was able to maintain acceptable power levels during all phases of flight and to obtain weather data with little or with the successful completion of ground and flight testing of a receiver and antenna in Johannesburg, South Africa, the team has started to prepare for experiments using highspeed aircraft in areas of the world with limited access to timely weather data. NASA plans to provide a more advanced antenna design and consultation support. This successful test of real-time aviation-related weather data is a positive step toward solving communications-specific issues associated with the dissemination of weather data directly to the cockpit.

Mallasch, Paul G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Large Transport Airplanes in Upset Conditions

As part of NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program, research has been in progress to develop aerodynamic modeling methods for simulations that accurately predict the flight dynamics characteristics of large transport airplanes in upset conditions. The motivation for this research stems from the recognition that simulation is a vital tool for addressing loss-of-control accidents, including applications to pilot training, accident reconstruction, and advanced control system analysis. The ultimate goal of this effort is to contribute to the reduction of the fatal accident rate due to loss-of-control. Research activities have involved accident analyses, wind tunnel testing, and piloted simulation. Results have shown that significant improvements in simulation fidelity for upset conditions, compared to current training simulations, can be achieved using state-of-the-art wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic modeling methods. This paper provides a summary of research completed to date and includes discussion on key technical results, lessons learned, and future research needs.

Foster, John V.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Modeling Increased Complexity and the Reliance on Automation: FLightdeck Automation Problems (FLAP) Model

This paper highlights the development of a model that is focused on the safety issue of increasing complexity and reliance on automation systems in transport category aircraft. Recent statistics show an increase in mishaps related to manual handling and automation errors due to pilot complacency and over-reliance on automation, loss of situational awareness, automation system failures and/or pilot deficiencies. Consequently, the aircraft can enter a state outside the flight envelope and/or air traffic safety margins which potentially can lead to loss-of-control (LOC), controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT), or runway excursion/confusion accidents, etc. The goal of this modeling effort is to provide NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) with a platform capable of assessing the impacts of AvSP technologies and products towards reducing the relative risk of automation related accidents and incidents. In order to do so, a generic framework, capable of mapping both latent and active causal factors leading to automation errors, is developed. Next, the framework is converted into a Bayesian Belief Network model and populated with data gathered from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). With the insertion of technologies and products, the model provides individual and collective risk reduction acquired by technologies and methodologies developed within AvSP.

Ancel, Ersin↗
NASA NTRS2018

Aircraft Exceedances Vary According to Time of Day and Workload

The Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs have been implemented in US and Europe to identify anomalous flights based on data recorded on board an aircraft in an effort to improve flight safety. Numerous methods have been developed to support the analysis of FOQA data. However, it is unclear how FOQA data relates to the performance of the pilot. We sought to characterize the frequency and type of flight exceedances extracted from FOQA data during a controlled pilot schedule in order to determine whether patterns of exceedances related to human control of the aircraft would change according to scheduling factors.

flight data↗
NASA NTRS2019

Initial TASAR Operations Onboard Alaska Airlines

NASA and Alaska Airlines jointly conducted an operational evaluation of NASA’s Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Request (TASAR) concept. Featuring a NASA-developed cockpit automation tool, the Traffic Aware Planner (TAP), and leveraging the emerging “connected aircraft” architecture, TASAR enables pilots to identify route changes compatible with nearby traffic and airspace constraints that improve flight efficiency and are more likely to receive Air Traffic Control approval. TASAR was developed in anticipation of saving fuel and flight time, thereby providing immediate and pervasive benefits to the aircraft operator. Following a previously reported, extensive program of integration and preliminary in-flight testing, the operational evaluation of TASAR in revenue service by Alaska Airlines took place from July 2018 to April 2019. This paper describes the operational evaluation, the methodology for quantifying operational benefits, preliminary benefit results, and other unexpected impacts of TASAR operations during revenue flights. Based on the subset of data available at publication, preliminary estimated benefits averaged about $92 per flight across all flights including those without benefit. Identified factors indicate the estimated benefit per flight was likely a conservative estimate. Benefit categories including home runs, cumulative small gains, and plan validation benefits are illustrated with specific examples observed during the operational evaluation.

Wing, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The year for shaping a digital operations R&D program

Digital systems which deal with functions outside the aircraft in commercial aviation are discussed with attention to navigation and communication. New systems of air traffic control (ATC) are described, including time division multiple access (TDMA) to ground-based ATC units and to the Navstar/GPS (global positioning system). Such innovations are expected to come on-line before the mid-1980s, and greatly increase air safety, while at the same time making a pilot's work easier.

Reid, H. J. E., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2011

Study of charge symmetry breaking in dd collisions with WASA-at-COSY

Charge symmetry is an approximate symmetry of the strong interaction. Studies of its breaking can yield information on the u and d quark mass difference. A theoretical collaboration is currently working on the description of charge symmetry breaking mechanisms for dd{yields}{alpha}{pi}{sup 0} and np{yields}d{pi}{sup 0} within Chiral Perturbation Theory, using the data from TRI-UMF and IUCF. One of the items in the program of the WASA-at-COSY collaboration is to extend the data base for the dd{yields}{alpha}{pi}{sup 0} reaction to higher energies, which would allow the extraction of the information on the p-wave. Status of the analysis of experimental data along with the preliminary results from the pilot run will be presented here.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Considerations for an earth physics information-management service.

In a preliminary investigation into the feasibility of establishing a data center for earth physics, 12 disciplines were considered for inclusion. Estimation of the size of the data base for each indicated a need for storage of approximately 10 to the 10th power characters. The computer-based system deemed most worthy of further investigation was the interactive concept with remote-terminal access. Users are divided into three classes according to how they would access information: with no terminal, with an interactive terminal, and with a multidevice terminal. All these users can be served by the same center without any particular difficulty, but the real benefactor is the user with an interactive terminal, because he can compile, debug, and run programs in one continuous session. Final points stressed are multiprogramming for dynamic resource sharing, hardware modularity for future expansion, and information protection for such a large community of users. It is concluded that a survey should be conducted to gather more information from the potential users of such a system, and that a pilot project should be developed at some location where both earth-physics research and data-processing capabilities already exist.

Martin, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Applying Ada to Beech Starship avionics

As Ada solidified in its development, it became evident that it offered advantages for avionics systems because of it support for modern software engineering principles and real time applications. An Ada programming support environment was developed for two major avionics subsystems in the Beech Starship. The two subsystems include electronic flight instrument displays and the flight management computer system. Both of these systems use multiple Intel 80186 microprocessors. The flight management computer provides flight planning, navigation displays, primary flight display of checklists and other pilot advisory information. Together these systems represent nearly 80,000 lines of Ada source code and to date approximately 30 man years of effort. The Beech Starship avionics systems are in flight testing.

Funk, David W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming techniques to tactical guidance for fighter aircraft

A research program investigating the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming techniques to aid in the development of a Tactical Decision Generator (TDG) for Within-Visual-Range (WVR) air combat engagements is discussed. The application of AI methods for development and implementation of the TDG is presented. The history of the Adaptive Maneuvering Logic (AML) program is traced and current versions of the (AML) program is traced and current versions of the AML program are compared and contrasted with the TDG system. The Knowledge-Based Systems (KBS) used by the TDG to aid in the decision-making process are outlined and example rules are presented. The results of tests to evaluate the performance of the TDG against a version of AML and against human pilots in the Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS) are presented. To date, these results have shown significant performance gains in one-versus-one air combat engagements.

Mcmanus, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

STS-69 Flight Day 6 Highlights

After being awakened by the Beatles song, 'A Hard Days Night', the flightcrew of the STS-69 mission, Cmdr. Dave Walker, Pilot Ken Cockrell, and Mission Specialists Jim Voss, Jim Newman, and Mike Gernhardt, began their sixth day in orbit by monitoring the free orbiting Wake Shield Facility (WSF). Later Cmdr. Walker conducted an interview with television reporters from Atlanta and Boston, answering questions about the mission and general questions about NASA's space program. The crew filmed a video for themselves performing daily routines (eating, shaving, exercising), as well as some of the physiological experiments, and shuttle equipment maintenance and checkout. One of the secondary experiments included the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-7 (CGBA-7), which served as an incubator and experiment station for a variety of tests (agricultural, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and environmental). Earth views included some cloud cover, the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1997

Production Support Flight Control Computers: Research Capability for F/A-18 Aircraft at Dryden Flight Research Center

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is working with the United States Navy to complete ground testing and initiate flight testing of a modified set of F/A-18 flight control computers. The Production Support Flight Control Computers (PSFCC) can give any fleet F/A-18 airplane an in-flight, pilot-selectable research control law capability. NASA DFRC can efficiently flight test the PSFCC for the following four reasons: (1) Six F/A-18 chase aircraft are available which could be used with the PSFCC; (2) An F/A-18 processor-in-the-loop simulation exists for validation testing; (3) The expertise has been developed in programming the research processor in the PSFCC; and (4) A well-defined process has been established for clearing flight control research projects for flight. This report presents a functional description of the PSFCC. Descriptions of the NASA DFRC facilities, PSFCC verification and validation process, and planned PSFCC projects are also provided.

Carter, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Flight Tests Related to Jet-Transport Upset and Turbulent-Air Penetration

A flight program, utilizing a Convair 880 and a Boeing 720 airplane, was conducted in conjunction with wind-tunnel and simulator programs to study problems related to jet-transport upsets and operation in a turbulent environment. During the handling-qualities portion of the program the basic static stability of the airplanes was considered to be satisfactory and the lateral-directional damping was considered to be marginal without damper augmentation. An evaluation of the longitudinal control system indicated that this system can become marginal in effectiveness in the high Mach number and high dynamic-pressure range of the flight envelope. From the upset and recovery phase of the program it was apparent that retrimming the stabilizer and spoiler deployment were valuable tools in effecting a positive recovery; however, if these devices are to be used safely, it appears that a suitable g-meter should be provided in the cockpit because the high control forces in recovery tend to reduce the pilot's sensitivity to the actual acceleration loads. During the turbulence penetrations the pilot noted that the measured vibrations of 4 to 6 cps in the cockpit considerably disrupted their normal scan pattern and suggested that an improvement should be made in the seat cushion and restraint system. Also it was observed that the indicator needles on the flight instruments were quite stable in the turbulent environment.

Andrews, William H.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Development of an Electronic Aircraft Taxi Navigation Display

This paper describes the development of an electronic aircraft taxi navigation display as part of NASA's Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) Program. The impetus for the development of this specific display, and the TAP program as a whole, is the current bottleneck in surface operations experienced during low-visibility operations. Simply stated, while modern aircraft are equipped to fly and land in low-visibility conditions, they lack the related technology required to allow them to efficiently and safely navigation from the runway to the gate. Pilots under such conditions consequently taxi slower, sometimes get lost and have to stop, and occasionally collide with other aircraft. Based on a review of available display and navigation sensor technologies, and a one-year information requirements study conducted aboard several commercial aircraft flights, it was determined that an electronic aircraft taxi navigation display was the most viable option for improving the efficiency of low-visibility taxi operations. Based on flight deck observations and pilot interviews, previous map display research, other taxi map display efforts, and part-task taxi map research, an advanced taxi navigation display has been developed and is currently being tested. The taxi navigation display is presented as a head-down cockpit display and includes a track-up perspective airport surface view, taxiway, gate and runway labels, ownship position, traffic icons and collision annunciation, graphical route guidance, heading indicator, rotating compass, RVR wedge, stop bars, zoom control, and datalink message window. The development and support for each of the features will be discussed in detail. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Andre, Anthony D.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Measured Response for UAS Integration into the National Airspace System

The measured response (MR) is the response time of aircraft to Air Traffic Controller (ATCo) commands and clearances. The overall MR can be broken up into several components, including the pilot verbal latencies (MR1), the time between the end of an ATCo clearance and the beginning of the pilots read back, and the execution initiation latency (MR2), the time between the end of the ATCos clearance and when the pilot begins to execute a maneuver. The MR is a crucial concern for the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) due to potentially greater latencies stemming from remote pilot communication and command execution. As a result, it is important to quantify what latencies in verbal responding and command execution are acceptable for safe and efficient operations in the NAS. The present studies begin to address these issues in a series of four simulations supported by the UAS Integration into the NAS program.

UAS in the NAS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Is Clean Hydrogen Production a Good Fit for Questa? Intermediate Feasibility Study Results

NREL conducted a feasibility study for a clean hydrogen production facility that would be located in Questa, New Mexico. This slide deck presents the history of the coalition of stakeholders that received NREL technical assistance through the Department of Energy's Communities Leading Energy Action Program. It describes how hydrogen is generated and its end uses. It describes two conceptual applications explored in the feasibility analysis, a grid-tied power generation and long-term storage application and a heavy-duty vehicle fueling application. The presentation details the configuration of these to applications in the Questa pilot facility, including system components, required inputs (water, electricity, and land for pv generation), and outputs in kilograms of hydrogen, megawatt hours of power delivered, and hours of vehicle hours of operation. The presentation addresses key concerns raised by groups engaged through a public outreach process, including safety, health, and environmental issues; water use; visual impacts; and costs and alternatives.

heavy-duty vehicle fueling↗