Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Exploratory Study”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Willingness to Consider Pooled Rideshare?: An Exploratory Study on Influential Factors

Rideshare use has grown significantly, beginning with solo riders and evolving to pooled rideshare. Pooled rideshare involves sharing a ride with stranger(s). Despite the growth in rideshare services worldwide, the use of pooled rideshare in the U.S. is relatively low within all rideshare trips and compared to other forms of transportation, e.g., driving one's personal vehicle. A national survey of 5,385 individuals was conducted to identify factors influencing riders' willingness to consider pooled rideshare. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The survey results indicated five factors: service experience, time/cost, traffic/environment, privacy, and safety. Understanding these factors is crucial for the future of dynamic ridesharing services in the U.S.

Su, Haotian↗
DOE OSTI2013

Excavationless Exterior Foundation Insulation Exploratory Study

The key objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the feasibility of the development or adoption of technologies that would enable a large percentage of existing homes in cold climates to apply a combination 'excavationless' soil removal process with appropriate insulation and water management on the exterior of existing foundations at a low cost. Our approach was to explore existing excavation and material technologies and systems to discover whether potential successful combinations existed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1989

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 2:] Technical communications in aeronautics: Results of an exploratory study. An analysis of managers' and nonmanagers' responses

Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that aerospace managers and nonmanagers have different technical communications practices. Five assumptions were established for the analysis. Aerospace managers and nonmanagers were found to have different technical communications practices for three of the five assumptions tested. Although aerospace managers and nonmanagers were found to have different technical communications practices, the evidence was neither conclusive nor compelling that the presumption of difference in practices could be attributed to the duties performed by aerospace managers and nonmanagers.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 3:] Technical communications in aeronautics: Results of an exploratory study. An analysis of profit managers' and nonprofit managers' responses

Data collected from an exploratory study concerned with the technical communications practices of aerospace engineers and scientists were analyzed to test the primary assumption that profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community have different technical communications practices. Five assumptions were established for the analysis. Profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community were found to have different technical communications practices for one of the five assumptions tested. It was, therefore, concluded that profit and nonprofit managers in the aerospace community do not have different technical communications practices.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Results from an exploratory study of airframe noise on a small-scale model of a supersonic transport concept

An exploratory study of airframe noise on a small-scale model of a supersonic transport concept was made. The model was a 0.015 scale version without landing gear of Langley's Advanced Supersonic Technology configuration concept, AST-110. Noise measurements were made at positions corresponding to directly beneath the model and at 30 deg - sideline, for both cruise and the approch flaps configurations, at velocities up to 34 m/s. In general, results showed the cruise noise to be about 3dB above the background flow noise and the approach noise to be about 11 dB above. Overall sound pressure levels and spectral shapes agreed with state of the art predictive techniques.

Preisser, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

An exploratory study to determine the integrated technological air transportation system ground requirements of liquid-hydrogen-fueled subsonic, long-haul civil air transports

An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and cost impact of implementing a liquid-hydrogen-fueled (LHz), air transport support system at Chicago-O’Hare International Airport. The study assumed an available supply of hydrogen to the airport boundary. It also assumed that the present widebody fleet at O’Hare was replaced by 400 passenger, LH2-fueled aircraft operating on the current frequency schedule and route network. The LH2 aircraft configurations used in this study were developed during a previous NASA-sponsored study. A baseline air terminal concept was developed which permitted airlines and the airport to operate JP- or LH2-fueled aircraft at common terminal gates. The concept included installation of a hydrogen liquefaction and storage facility on airport property, as well as the fuel distribution system. The capital investment and hydrogen-related operating costs to the airlines were estimated. The study concluded that the system would be technically and operationally feasible at O’Hare, and that economics would be a prime factor in future decisions regarding the use of LH2 as an air transport fuel. Research and technology recommendations were made to improve component efficiency/reliability. The study also concluded that additional investigation should be conducted on the implementation of a nationwide or worldwide LH2 air transportation system, to understand fully the operational and economic implications of the total system, before decisions could be made relative to committing to this option.

Hydrogen↗
NASA NTRS1976

Exploratory study of transient upstart phenomena in a three-dimensional fixed-geometry scramjet engine

The structural and thermal design of a hydrogen fueled regeneratively cooled three dimensional fixed geometry scramjet was examined. An exploratory study was conducted at Mach 5.3 in the 7-inch Mach 7 pilot tunnel to investigate the unstart phenomena and to provide the experimental data base required to predict the design pressure loads. The test results indicate that the peak pressures occurred during the transient unstart and not during steady state started or unstarted flow conditions. The local peak pressures can be conservatively predicted by normal shock wave theory as the peak approaches the pressure that would exist behind a stationary normal shock with an upstream Mach number equal to the area weighted local Mach number for the normal started condition.

Wieting, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An exploratory study of a zirconium-modified, precipitation-strengthened nickel-30 copper alloy

A precipitation-strengthened alloy has been produced through minor additions of zirconium to a base Ni-30Cu alloy. The results of this exploratory study indicate that thermomechanical processing of a solution-treated Ni-30Cu-0.2Zr alloy produced a dispersion of precipitates. The precipitates have been tentatively identified as a Ni5Zr compound. Comparison of the mechanical properties, as determined by testing in air, of the Zr-modified alloy to those of a Ni-30Cu alloy reveals that the precipitation-strengthened alloy has improved tensile properties to 1200 K and improved stress-rupture properties to 1100 K. The oxidation characteristics of the modified alloy appeared to be equivalent to those of the base Ni-30Cu alloy.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

What Makes Passengers Uncomfortable In Vehicles Today? An Exploratory Study of Current Factors that May Influence Acceptance of Future Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles have the potential to transform lives by providing transportation to a wider range of users. However, with this new method of transportation, user acceptance and comfort are critical for widespread adoption. This exploratory study aims to investigate what makes passengers uncomfortable in existing vehicles to inform the design of future autonomous vehicles. In order to predict what may impact user acceptance for a diverse rider population for future autonomous vehicles, it is important to understand what makes a broad range of passengers uncomfortable today. In this study, interviews were conducted for a total of 75 participants from three diverse groups, including 20 automotive engineering graduate students who are building an autonomous concept vehicle, 21 non-technical adults, and 34 senior citizens. The results revealed both topics which made different groups of passengers uncomfortable as well as how these varied between the groups. The leading contributors to the highest discomfort for all groups were being a passenger in situations with a distracted driver, being in a vehicle that is following too closely, being near a vehicle that is following too closely, and being in foggy conditions. In addition, the results showed that passenger discomfort can be attributed to a broad range of factors ranging from behaviors of the driver/vehicle that one is traveling with/in, the behaviors of other surrounding vehicles, the environmental conditions and the vehicle’s interior, all of which may differ between different groups of passengers. This research provides important findings and insights into factors that may influence users’ acceptance and use of future autonomous vehicles.

Mims, Lauren K.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pooled Rideshare in the U.S.: An Exploratory Study of User Preferences

Pooled ridesharing offers on-demand, one-way, cost-effective transportation for passengers traveling in similar directions via a shared vehicle ride with others they do not know. Despite its potential benefits, the adoption of pooled rideshare remains low in the United States. This exploratory study aims to evaluate potential service improvements and features that may increase users’ willingness to adopt the service. The study analyzed transportation behaviors, rideshare preferences, and willingness to adopt pooled rideshare services among 8296 U.S. participants in 2025, building on findings from a 2021 nationwide survey of 5385 U.S. participants. The study incorporated 77 actionable items developed from the results of the 2021 survey to assess whether addressing specific user-generated topics such as safety, reliability, convenience, and privacy can improve pooled rideshare use. A side-by-side comparison of the 2021 and 2025 data revealed shifts in transportation behavior, with personal rideshare usage increasing from 22% to 28%, public transportation from 21% to 27%, and pooled rideshare from 6% to 8%, while personal vehicle (79%) use remained dominant. Participants rated features such as driver verification (94%), vehicle information (93%), peak time reliability (93%), and saving time and money (92–93%) as most important for improving rideshare services. A pre-to-post analysis of willingness to use pooled rideshare utilizing the actionable items as per respondents’ preferences showed improvement: “definitely will” increased from 15.9% to 20.1% and “probably will” rose from 35.6% to 47.7%. These results suggest that well-targeted service improvements may meaningfully enhance pooled rideshare acceptance. This study offers practical guidance for Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) and policymakers aiming to improve pooled rideshare as well as potential future research opportunities.

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs)↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Initial Exploratory Study of the Impacts of Climate Change on Air Traffic Operations

Climate change is already happening and is projected to accelerate in the future. It will persist for the foreseeable future, even with optimistic projections of technological advances and behavior changes. It will make aviation more and more challenging over time. Among other things, it is expected to cause increased severe weather, more extreme temperatures, and rising sea levels that constrain when, where, and how aircraft can fly. NASA has many prior, ongoing, and upcoming efforts towards mitigating the impacts of aviation on climate change. There is also a need to perform a comprehensive investigation of the reverse: that is, the impacts of climate change on aviation. This is an initial exploratory study on this topic utilizing the NAS Digital Twin—composed of the ATM TestBed simulation platform and NAS Digital Twin airspace management algorithms—to run NAS-wide simulations with Convective Weather Avoidance Model polygons at different avoidance thresholds to emulate the increase in severe weather that could manifest due to climate change. It was found that air traffic management may be able to limit the impact of climate change in terms of delay and fuel burn. However, increased severe weather due to climate change can make separation—particularly, aircraft-to-weather separation—more challenging by reducing available airspace and constraining the solution space. Challenging situations were identified and corresponding potential solutions were proposed towards ensuring air traffic operations continue to be robust and resilient to the impacts of increased severe weather due to climate change.

climate change, weather, air traffic operations↗
DOE OSTI2015

Bridging Theory with Practice: An Exploratory Study of Visualization Use and Design for Climate Model Comparison

Evaluation methodologies in visualization have mostly focused on how well the tools and techniques cater to the analytical needs of the user. While this is important in determining the effectiveness of the tools and advancing the state-of-the-art in visualization research, a key area that has mostly been overlooked is how well established visualization theories and principles are instantiated in practice. This is especially relevant when domain experts, and not visualization researchers, design visualizations for analysis of their data or for broader dissemination of scientific knowledge. There is very little research on exploring the synergistic capabilities of cross-domain collaboration between domain experts and visualization researchers. To fill this gap, in this paper we describe the results of an exploratory study of climate data visualizations conducted in tight collaboration with a pool of climate scientists. The study analyzes a large set of static climate data visualizations for identifying their shortcomings in terms of visualization design. The outcome of the study is a classification scheme that categorizes the design problems in the form of a descriptive taxonomy. The taxonomy is a first attempt for systematically categorizing the types, causes, and consequences of design problems in visualizations created by domain experts. We demonstrate the use of the taxonomy for a number of purposes, such as, improving the existing climate data visualizations, reflecting on the impact of the problems for enabling domain experts in designing better visualizations, and also learning about the gaps and opportunities for future visualization research. We demonstrate the applicability of our taxonomy through a number of examples and discuss the lessons learnt and implications of our findings.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Exploratory study of fission product yield determination from photofission of Pu 239 at 11 MeV with monoenergetic photons

Here, measurements of fission product yields play an important role for the understanding of fundamental aspects of the fission process. Recently, neutron-induced fission product-yield data of 239 Pu at energies below 4 MeV revealed an unexpected energy dependence of certain fission fragments. In order to investigate whether this observation is prerogative to neutron-induced fission, a program has been initiated to measure fission product yields in photoinduced fission. Here we report on the first ever photofission product yield measurement with monoenergetic photons produced by Compton back-scattering of FEL photons. The experiment was performed at the High-Intensity Gamma-ray Source at Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory on 239 Pu at E γ = 11 MeV. In this exploratory study the yield of eight fission products ranging from 91 Sr to 143 Ce has been obtained.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Exploratory Study of 4D versus 3D Robust Optimization in Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Lung Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of uncertainties and interplay on 3-dimensional (3D) and 4D robustly optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans for lung cancer in an exploratory methodology study. Methods and Materials: IMPT plans were created for 11 nonrandomly selected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases: 3D robustly optimized plans on average CTs with internal gross tumor volume density overridden to irradiate internal target volume, and 4D robustly optimized plans on 4D computed tomography (CT) to irradiate clinical target volume (CTV). Regular fractionation (66 Gy [relative biological effectiveness; RBE] in 33 fractions) was considered. In 4D optimization, the CTV of individual phases received nonuniform doses to achieve a uniform cumulative dose. The root-mean-square dose-volume histograms (RVH) measured the sensitivity of the dose to uncertainties, and the areas under the RVH curve (AUCs) were used to evaluate plan robustness. Dose evaluation software modeled time-dependent spot delivery to incorporate interplay effect with randomized starting phases of each field per fraction. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) indices comparing CTV coverage, homogeneity, and normal tissue sparing were evaluated using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: 4D robust optimization plans led to smaller AUC for CTV (14.26 vs 18.61, respectively; P=.001), better CTV coverage (Gy [RBE]) (D{sub 95%} CTV: 60.6 vs 55.2, respectively; P=.001), and better CTV homogeneity (D{sub 5%}-D{sub 95%} CTV: 10.3 vs 17.7, resspectively; P=.002) in the face of uncertainties. With interplay effect considered, 4D robust optimization produced plans with better target coverage (D{sub 95%} CTV: 64.5 vs 63.8, respectively; P=.0068), comparable target homogeneity, and comparable normal tissue protection. The benefits from 4D robust optimization were most obvious for the 2 typical stage III lung cancer patients. Conclusions: Our exploratory methodology study showed that, compared to 3D robust optimization, 4D robust optimization produced significantly more robust and interplay-effect-resistant plans for targets with comparable dose distributions for normal tissues. A further study with a larger and more realistic patient population is warranted to generalize the conclusions.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Multitasking information behavior, information task switching and anxiety: An exploratory study

Multitasking information behavior involves multiple forms of information searching such as library and Web search. Few researchers, however, have explored multitasking information behavior and information task switching in libraries in conjunction with psychological variables. This study explored this behavior in terms of anxiety under time pressure. This was an exploratory case study. Participant searched information for three unrelated everyday life information topics during a library visit, in a timeframe of one hour. The data collection tools used were: diary, observation, interview, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory test. Participant took the Trait-anxiety test before the library visit to measure anxiety level as a personal characteristic. She also took State-anxiety test before, during and after the library visit to measure anxiety levels regarding the information seeking behavior. The results suggested that participant had high levels of anxiety at the beginning of the multitasking information behavior. The reason for that was the concern about the performance as well as the identification of the right resources. During the multitasking information behavior, participant still had anxiety to find the right information. The levels of anxiety, however, were less due to library’s good organized structure. At the end of the information seeking process, the levels of anxiety dropped significant and therefore calm and safety returned. Finally, participant searched information for topics that were more important and for which she had prior knowledge When people, under time pressure, have access to well organized information, the levels of anxiety might decrease.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CALiPER Exploratory Study: Recessed Troffer Lighting

This report describes an exploration of troffer lighting as used in office and classroom spaces, which was conducted by the CALiPER program. Twenty-four pairs of 2×2 and 2×4 troffers were procured anonymously, documented, tested for photometric and electrical performance, and installed in a mockup office space in Portland, Oregon. Three of the pairs were T8 fluorescent benchmark products, 12 were dedicated LED troffers, five were fluorescent troffers modified for LED lamps (sometimes referred to as "tubes"), and another four troffers were modified with LED retrofit kits. The modifications were performed by a commercial electrical contractor, following the instructions provided by the retrofit lamp or kit manufacturer. Once installed in the mockup facility, the converted luminaires were examined by a NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) safety expert, who provided feedback on safety issues. In September 2012, a group of lighting designers, engineers, and facility managers were brought in to observe the LED luminaires in comparison to fluorescent benchmarks. This report documents performance in measures that go beyond illuminance values or luminaire efficacy. Dedicated LED troffers are ready to compete with fluorescent troffers in terms of efficacy (lumens per watt), and in many lighting quality issues such as glare, light distribution, visual appearance, and color quality. That is not to say that each one is stellar, but each one tested in this CALiPER study bested the fluorescent benchmarks in terms of efficacy, and almost all were rated highly in several categories -- only one luminaire of twelve performed consistently poorly.

CALiPER Program↗