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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 19 records

Video-task assessment of learning and memory in Macaques (Macaca mulatta) - Effects of stimulus movement on performance

Effects of stimulus movement on learning, transfer, matching, and short-term memory performance were assessed with 2 monkeys using a video-task paradigm in which the animals responded to computer-generated images by manipulating a joystick. Performance on tests of learning set, transfer index, matching to sample, and delayed matching to sample in the video-task paradigm was comparable to that obtained in previous investigations using the Wisconsin General Testing Apparatus. Additionally, learning, transfer, and matching were reliably and significantly better when the stimuli or discriminanda moved than when the stimuli were stationary. External manipulations such as stimulus movement may increase attention to the demands of a task, which in turn should increase the efficiency of learning. These findings have implications for the investigation of learning in other populations, as well as for the application of the video-task paradigm to comparative study.

Washburn, David A.

Shuttle middeck fluid transfer experiment: Lessons learned

This presentation is based on the experience gained from having integrated and flown a shuttle middeck experiment. The experiment, which demonstrated filling, expulsion, and fluid behavior of a liquid storage system under low-gravity conditions, is briefly described. The advantages and disadvantages of middeck payloads compared to other shuttle payload provisions are discussed. A general approach to the integration process is described. The requirements for the shuttle interfaces--such as structures, pressurized systems, materials, instrumentation, and electrical power--are defined and the approach that was used to satisfy these requirements is presented. Currently the middeck experiment is being used as a test bed for the development of various space fluid system components.

Tegart, James

Comparative psychology and the great apes - Their competence in learning, language, and numbers

An overview of comparative studies conducted for the past three decades is presented. These studies have led to the establishment of the Language Research Center that provides facilities for research into questions of primate behavior and cognition. Several experiments conducted among chimpanzees are discussed and comparative analyses with the lesser apes, monkeys, and humans are offered. Among the primates, brain complexity varies widely and the evidence is strong that encephalization and enhanced brain complexity facilitate the learning of concepts, the transfer of learning to an advantage, and mediational and observational learning.

Rumbaugh, Duane M.

A Machine Learning Framework for Error Compensation in Radiative Transfer Calculations

Radiative heat transfer influences the amount of heat flux transferred to the surface of the hypersonic vehicle, which is essential to evaluate the performance of thermal protection systems. The radiative heat flux is found to be computationally prohibitive while accounting for the variation in spatial, angular, and spectral domains. A new methodology has been recently developed to alleviate the cost of computation in the spectral domain by constructing flow-agnostic reduced-order models (ROMs). The developed spectral ROM databases provide grouping strategies that account for non-equilibrium absorption and emission as well as interaction between disparate species due to spectral overlap in associated radiative processes. However, the developed ROMs need to be optimized for a specific combination of interacting gas species and would need to re-calibrated in case individual species are added/omitted. In this work, we use various machine learning (ML) techniques to approximate the radiative intensities determined by a ROM optimized for a specific gas mixture. The ML model relies on the ROM databases developed for a single species which ignores any spectral overlap. Thus, radiation evaluation starts with a simple summation of radiative intensities predicted using these non-calibrated ROMs for the contributing species. The ML framework then provides a correction to account for the interplay in the frequency, i.e., emission of photons by one species and absorption by another, and yields mixture-specific radiation fields. Once trained on the individual ROM databases, the ML framework offers instantaneous corrections that serves as a time/cost effective alternative to the optimization of ROMs for a specific gas mixture. The ML framework is trained on both the high fidelity and ROM evaluated line of sight (LOS) data from Orion, Stardust, and FIRE II cases to obtain a general purpose correction model for earth re-entry scenarios when radiation contributions from both atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen are considered. A geometric length scale parameter is used in the training process to account for errors introduced in the ROM databases as a consequence of high optical thickness. The efficacy of the ML framework is underscored through extensive analysis of train and test errors with respect to all the re-entry scenarios. The applicability of such an ML framework was further corroborated by embedding it in a state-of-the-art US3D - NERO system for determining the radiative heat flux transferred to the hypersonic vehicle surface.

Radiation

IPAD: A unique approach to government/industry cooperation for technology development and transfer

A key element to improved industry productivity is effective management of Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) information. To stimulate advancement, a unique joint government/industry project designated Integrated Programs for Aerospace-Vehicle Design (IPAD) was carried out from 1971 to 1984. The goal was to raise aerospace industry productivity through advancement of computer based technology to integrate and manage information involved in the design and manufacturing process. IPAD research was guided by an Industry Technical Advisory Board (ITAB) composed of over 100 representatives from aerospace and computer companies. The project complemented traditional NASA/DOD research to develop aerospace design technology and the Air Force's Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) program to advance CAM technology. IPAD had unprecedented industry support and involvement and served as a unique approach to government industry cooperation in the development and transfer of advanced technology. The IPAD project background, approach, accomplishments, industry involvement, technology transfer mechanisms and lessons learned are summarized.

Fulton, Robert E.

General and specific factors in the intersensory transfer of form.

This study assessed the relative contributions of specific and nonspecific components to intersensory transfer between vision and touch. A paired-associate paradigm was used in which visual metric figures and their tactual analogs served as stimuli, and familiar adjectives were the responses. Positive intersensory transfer, characterized by symmetry across modalities was obtained. The contribution of nonspecific learning to this effect was negligible. Intersensory transfer was found to be less efficient than the empirically determined maximum level of intrasensory transfer possible in this task.

Clark, J. L.

The effects of high free-stream turbulence on heat transfer in turbulent boundary layer

A series of heat transfer measurements utilizing a variety of flows, each characterized by a high level of turbulence, is evaluated. This research is conducted to aid in predicting the heat transfer of first stage turbine blades and vanes. Instead of establishing a particular high turbulence flow field and measuring its effect on heat transfer, a set of flow fields with very aggressive heat transfer characteristics was determined in order to learn which aspects of these flows were responsible for the high heat transfer. Results of these tests were utilized to identify the most aggressive heat transfer environments, and then the turbulence properties of those flows were studied.

Maciejewski, Paul K.

Momentum harvesting techniques for solar system travel

Astronomers are lately estimating there are 400,000 Earth visiting asteroids larger than 100 meters in diameter. These asteroids are accessible sources of building materials, propellants, oxygen, water, and minerals which also constitute a huge momentum reserve, potentially usable for travel throughout the solar system. To use this momentum, these stealthy objects must be tracked and the extraction of the momentum wanted must be learned. Momentum harvesting by momentum transfer from asteroid to spacecraft, and by using the momentum of the extraterrestrial material to help deliver itself to the destination are discussed. A net and tether concept is the suggested means of asteroid capture, the basic momentum exchange process. The energy damping characteristics of the tether will determine the velocity mismatch that can be tolerated, and hence the amount of momentum that can be harvested per capture. As it plays out of its reel, drag on the tether steadily accelerates the spacecraft. A variety of concepts for riding and using the asteroid after capture are discussed. The hitchhiker uses momentum transfer only. The beachcomber, the caveman, the swinger, the prospector, and the rock wrecker also take advantage of raw asteroidal materials. The chemist and the hijacker go further, they process the asteroid into propellant. Or, an 'asteroid railway system' could evolve with each hijacked asteroid becoming a scheduled train. Travelers could board the space railway system assured that water, oxygen, and propellants await them.

Willoughby, Alan J.

Commercial users panel

The discussions of motives and requirements for telerobotics application demonstrated that, in many cases, lack of progress was a result not of limited opportunities but of inadequate mechanisms and resources for promoting opportunities. Support for this conclusion came from Telerobotics, Inc., one of the few companies devoted primarily to telerobot systems. They have produced units for such diverse applications as nuclear fusion research, particle accelerators, cryogenics, firefighting, marine biology/undersea systems and nuclear mobile robotics. Mr. Flatau offered evidence that telerobotics research is only rarely supported by the private sector and that it often presents a difficult market. Questions on the mechanisms contained within the NASA technology transfer process for promoting commercial opportunities were fielded by Ray Gilbert and Tom Walters. A few points deserve emphasis: (1) NASA/industry technology transfer occurs in both directions and NASA recognizes the opportunity to learn a great deal from industry in the fields of automation and robotics; (2) promotion of technology transfer projects takes a demand side approach, with requests to industry for specific problem identification. NASA then proposes possible solutions; and (3) comittment ofmotivated and technically qualified people on each end of a technology transfer is essential.

Byrd, Joseph S.

Adaptive Inverse Control for Rotorcraft Vibration Reduction

This thesis extends the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm to solve the mult!ple-input, multiple-output problem of alleviating N/Rev (revolutions per minute by number of blades) helicopter fuselage vibration by means of adaptive inverse control. A frequency domain locally linear model is used to represent the transfer matrix relating the higher harmonic pitch control inputs to the harmonic vibration outputs to be controlled. By using the inverse matrix as the controller gain matrix, an adaptive inverse regulator is formed to alleviate the N/Rev vibration. The stability and rate of convergence properties of the extended LMS algorithm are discussed. It is shown that the stability ranges for the elements of the stability gain matrix are directly related to the eigenvalues of the vibration signal information matrix for the learning phase, but not for the control phase. The overall conclusion is that the LMS adaptive inverse control method can form a robust vibration control system, but will require some tuning of the input sensor gains, the stability gain matrix, and the amount of control relaxation to be used. The learning curve of the controller during the learning phase is shown to be quantitatively close to that predicted by averaging the learning curves of the normal modes. For higher order transfer matrices, a rough estimate of the inverse is needed to start the algorithm efficiently. The simulation results indicate that the factor which most influences LMS adaptive inverse control is the product of the control relaxation and the the stability gain matrix. A small stability gain matrix makes the controller less sensitive to relaxation selection, and permits faster and more stable vibration reduction, than by choosing the stability gain matrix large and the control relaxation term small. It is shown that the best selections of the stability gain matrix elements and the amount of control relaxation is basically a compromise between slow, stable convergence and fast convergence with increased possibility of unstable identification. In the simulation studies, the LMS adaptive inverse control algorithm is shown to be capable of adapting the inverse (controller) matrix to track changes in the flight conditions. The algorithm converges quickly for moderate disturbances, while taking longer for larger disturbances. Perfect knowledge of the inverse matrix is not required for good control of the N/Rev vibration. However it is shown that measurement noise will prevent the LMS adaptive inverse control technique from controlling the vibration, unless the signal averaging method presented is incorporated into the algorithm.

Jacklin, Stephen A.

What you thought you knew about motion sickness isn't necessarily so

Motion sickness symptoms, stimuli, and drug therapy are discussed. Autogenic feedback training (AFT) methods of preventing motion sickness are explained. Research with AFT indicates that participants who had AFT could withstand longer periods of Coriolis acceleration, participants with high or low susceptibility to motion sickness could control their symptoms with AFT, AFT for Coriolis acceleration is transferable to other motion sickness stimuli, and most people can learn AFT, though with varying rates of learning.

Autogenic Training

Vehicle Steering control: A model of learning

A hierarchy of strategies were postulated to describe the process of learning steering control. Vehicle motion and steering control data were recorded for twelve novices who drove an instrumented car twice a week during and after a driver training course. Car-driver describing functions were calculated, the probable control structure determined, and the driver-alone transfer function modelled. The data suggested that the largest changes in steering control with learning were in the way the driver used the lateral position cue.

Smiley, A.

Offsetting Gravity

The Coastal Center and the NASA Biomedical Team are working together to adapt a suspension device that simulates weightlessness. Attempts to approximate weightlessness have led astronauts underwater and into harnesses that suspend all or part of their weight. One such device, built at Langley Research Center, is being transferred to rehabilitation work. It can help a person walk and re-learn muscular coordination following a stroke. Hospitals could use it to lift handicapped persons.

Source record

Attention theory and training research

This study used elements of attention theory as a methodological basis to decompose a complex training task in order to improve training efficiency. The complex task was a microcomputer flight simulation where subjects were required to control the stability of their own helicopter while acquiring and engaging enemy helicopers in a threat enviroment. Subjects were divided into whole-task, part-task, and part/open loop adaptive task groups in a transfer of training paradigm. The effect of reducing mental workload at the early stages of learning was examined with respect to the degree that subordinate elements of the complex task could be automated through practice of consistent, learnable stimulus-response relationships. Results revealed trends suggesting the benefit of isolating consistently mapped sub-tasks for part-task training and the presence of a time-sharing skill over and above the skill required for the separate subtasks.

Connelly, James G., Jr.

Evolution of the solar nebula. I - Nonaxisymmetric structure during nebula formation

Numerical solutions of the equations of hydrodynamics, gravitation, and radiative transfer in three spatial dimensions are used to model the formation and time evolution of the early solar nebula in order to learn whether or not gravitational torques between nonaxisymmetric structures in the solar nebula can transport angular momentum rapidly enough to produce nebula clearing on astronomically indicated (10 to the 5 to 10 to the 7 yr) time scales. The models involve solutions for the collapse of spherical clouds with assumed initial density and rotation profiles onto protosuns of variable mass. Most of the models assume uniform initial density and rotation, and have variations in the initial parameters of cloud mass, cloud rotation rate, and protosun mass which are chosen to simulate a range of possible phases of early solar nebula evolution. The models show little tendency for directly forming small numbers of giant gaseous protoplanets through gaseous gravitational instability.

Boss, Alan P.