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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

Current status of environmental barrier coatings for Si-Based ceramics

Silicon-based ceramics are the leading candidates for high temperature structural components in next generation gas turbine engines. One key drawback of silicon-based ceramics for such an application is volatilization of the protective silica scale in water vapor and the resulting rapid ceramic recession. Therefore, the realization of Si-based ceramics components in advanced gas turbine engines depends on the development of protection schemes from water vapor attack. Currently, plasma-sprayed external environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) arc the most promising approach. In the late 1980s and early 1990s a wide range of refractory oxide materials were tested as coatings on Si-based ceramics to provide protection from hot corrosion. After the discovery of silica volatilization in water vapor in the early 1990s, the focus of EBC development research has been shifted towards the protection from water vapor attack. Experience learned form the earlier coating developmental effort provided the foundation upon which more complex and advanced EBC coatings have been developed. This paper will discuss the brief history and the current status of EBC development for Si-based ceramics with the main focus on water vapor protection.

Lee, K. N.↗

Numerical simulation of the flow about the F-18 HARV at high angle of attack

As part of NASA's High Alpha Technology Program, research has been aimed at developing and extending numerical methods to accurately predict the high Reynolds number flow about the NASA F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) at large angles of attack. The HARV aircraft is equipped with a bidirectional thrust vectoring unit which enables stable, controlled flight through 70 deg angle of attack. Currently, high-fidelity numerical solutions for the flow about the HARV have been obtained at alpha = 30 deg, and validated against flight-test data. It is planned to simulate the flow about the HARV through alpha = 60 deg, and obtain solutions of the same quality as those at the lower angles of attack. This report presents the status of work aimed at extending the HARV computations to the extreme angle of attack range.

Murman, Scott M.↗

A Novel Framework to Quantify Power Grid Resilience

The quantification of an operating power grid’s resilience is highly significant today, given its criticality as an enabler of other infrastructures, complexity, and the threat it faces due to a wide range of detrimental events, from extreme climate to cyber attacks. Currently, there exist no standardized definitions and metrics for measuring the resilience of an operating grid. In this paper, we introduce a novel resilience quantification framework and demonstrate a method to measure the flexibility towards topological/structural changes due to potential failures in the power grid to assess operational resilience. We start with the state estimation data from a large utility and use the graph analysis methods and power flow simulation tools to compute the identified resilience parameters.

Yoginath, Srikanth↗

A PANSONIC Navier-Stokes solver

A finite-difference formulation of the full Navier-Stokes equations which demonstrates a capability to economically solve two-dimensional problems has been developed. The basic algorithm was derived from the full, Reynolds-averaged, conservative, Navier-Stokes equations expressed in curvilinear coordinates. Eddy viscosity was determined by the Baldwin and Lomax algebraic turbulence model. This non-iterative, second-order accurate, implicit, numerical algorithm is based on the approximate factorization finite-difference scheme of Beam and Warming. Results indicate a facility for solving subsonic, transonic, and supersonic (hence PANSONIC) flows about arbitrary airfoils for a wide range of Reynolds numbers, Mach numbers, and angles of attack. Current computations demonstrate that vectorized implementations of this algorithm can solve steady-state, two-dimensional problems in five to ten minutes of computer time.

Cooper, G. K.↗

Research Strategy for Modeling the Complexities of Turbine Heat Transfer

The subject of this paper is a NASA research program, known as the Coolant Flow Management Program, which focuses on the interaction between the internal coolant channel and the external film cooling of a turbine blade and/or vane in an aircraft gas turbine engine. The turbine gas path is really a very complex flow field. The combination of strong pressure gradients, abrupt geometry changes and intersecting surfaces, viscous forces, rotation, and unsteady blade/vane interactions all combine to offer a formidable challenge. To this, in the high pressure turbine, we add the necessity of film cooling. The ultimate goal of the turbine designer is to maintain or increase the high level of turbine performance and at the same time reduce the amount of coolant flow needed to achieve this end. Simply stated, coolant flow is a penalty on the cycle and reduces engine thermal efficiency. Accordingly, understanding the flow field and heat transfer associated with the coolant flow is a priority goal. It is important to understand both the film cooling and the internal coolant flow, particularly their interaction. Thus, the motivation for the Coolant Flow Management Program. The paper will begin with a brief discussion of the management and research strategy, will then proceed to discuss the current attack from the internal coolant side, and will conclude by looking at the film cooling effort - at all times keeping sight of the primary goal the interaction between the two. One of the themes of this paper is that complex heat transfer problems of this nature cannot be attacked by single researchers or even groups of researchers, each working alone. It truly needs the combined efforts of a well-coordinated team to make an impact. It is important to note that this is a government/industry/university team effort.

Simoneau, Robert J.↗

Using virtual sensors to accommodate industrial asset control systems during cyber attacks

In some embodiments, an industrial asset may be associated with a plurality of monitoring nodes, each monitoring node generating a series of monitoring node values over time that represent operation of the industrial asset. A threat detection computer may determine that an attacked monitoring node is currently being attacked. Responsive to this determination, a virtual sensor coupled to the plurality of monitoring nodes may estimate a series of virtual node values for the attacked monitoring node(s) based on information received from monitoring nodes that are not currently being attacked. The virtual sensor may then replace the series of monitoring node values from the attacked monitoring node(s) with the virtual node values. Note that in some embodiments, virtual node values may be estimated for a particular node even before it is determined that the node is currently being attacked.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Using virtual sensors to accommodate industrial asset control systems during cyber attacks

In some embodiments, an industrial asset may be associated with a plurality of monitoring nodes, each monitoring node generating a series of monitoring node values over time that represent operation of the industrial asset. A threat detection computer may determine that an attacked monitoring node is currently being attacked. Responsive to this determination, a virtual sensor coupled to the plurality of monitoring nodes may estimate a series of virtual node values for the attacked monitoring node(s) based on information received from monitoring nodes that are not currently being attacked. The virtual sensor may then replace the series of monitoring node values from the attacked monitoring node(s) with the virtual node values. Note that in some embodiments, virtual node values may be estimated for a particular node even before it is determined that the node is currently being attacked.

Mestha, Lalit Keshav↗

Dynamic, resilient virtual sensing system and shadow controller for cyber-attack neutralization

An industrial asset may have monitoring nodes (e.g., sensor or actuator nodes) that generate current monitoring node values. An abnormality detection and localization computer may receive the series of current monitoring node values and output an indication of at least one abnormal monitoring node that is currently being attacked or experiencing a fault. An actor-critic platform may tune a dynamic, resilient state estimator for a sensor node and output tuning parameters for a controller that improve operation of the industrial asset during the current attack or fault. The actor-critic platform may include, for example, a dynamic, resilient state estimator, an actor model, and a critic model. According to some embodiments, a value function of the critic model is updated for each action of the actor model and each action of the actor model is evaluated by the critic model to update a policy of the actor-critic platform.

Roychowdhury, Subhrajit↗

Dynamic, resilient sensing system for automatic cyber-attack neutralization

An industrial asset may have monitoring nodes that generate current monitoring node values. An abnormality detection computer may determine that an abnormal monitoring node is currently being attacked or experiencing fault. A dynamic, resilient estimator constructs, using normal monitoring node values, a latent feature space (of lower dimensionality as compared to a temporal space) associated with latent features. The system also constructs, using normal monitoring node values, functions to project values into the latent feature space. Responsive to an indication that a node is currently being attacked or experiencing fault, the system may compute optimal values of the latent features to minimize a reconstruction error of the nodes not currently being attacked or experiencing a fault. The optimal values may then be projected back into the temporal space to provide estimated values and the current monitoring node values from the abnormal monitoring node are replaced with the estimated values.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Adaptive, self-tuning virtual sensing system for cyber-attack neutralization

An industrial asset may have a plurality of monitoring nodes, each monitoring node generating a series of monitoring node values over time representing current operation of the industrial asset. An abnormality detection computer may determine that an abnormal monitoring node is currently being attacked or experiencing a fault. An autonomous, resilient estimator may continuously execute an adaptive learning process to create or update virtual sensor models for that monitoring node. Responsive to an indication that a monitoring node is currently being attacked or experiencing a fault, a level of neutralization may be automatically determined. The autonomous, resilient estimator may then be dynamically reconfigured to estimate a series of virtual node values based on information from normal monitoring nodes, appropriate virtual sensor models, and the determined level of neutralization. The series of monitoring node values from the abnormal monitoring node or nodes may then be replaced with the virtual node values.

Abbaszadeh, Masoud↗

Autonomous reconfigurable virtual sensing system for cyber-attack neutralization

An industrial asset may be associated with a plurality of monitoring nodes, each monitoring node generating a series of monitoring node values over time representing current operation of the industrial asset. An abnormality detection computer may determine that at least one abnormal monitoring node is currently being attacked or experiencing a fault. A virtual sensing estimator may continuously execute an adaptive learning process to create or update virtual sensor models for the monitoring nodes. Responsive to an indication that a monitoring node is currently being attacked or experiencing a fault, the virtual sensing estimator may be dynamically reconfigured to estimate a series of virtual node values for the abnormal monitoring node or nodes based on information from normal monitoring nodes and appropriate virtual sensor models. The series of monitoring node values from the abnormal monitoring node or nodes may then be replaced with the virtual node values.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Systems and methods for global cyber-attack or fault detection model

An industrial asset may have monitoring nodes that generate current monitoring node values representing a current operation of the industrial asset. An abnormality detection computer may detect when a monitoring node is currently being attacked or experiencing a fault based on a current feature vector, calculated in accordance with current monitoring node values, and a detection model that includes a decision boundary. A model updater (e.g., a continuous learning model updater) may determine an update time-frame (e.g., short-term, mid-term, long-term, etc.) associated with the system based on trigger occurrence detection (e.g., associated with a time-based trigger, a performance-based trigger, an event-based trigger, etc.). The model updater may then update the detection model in accordance with the determined update time-frame (and, in some embodiments, continuous learning).

Xu, Rui↗

Towards a New Supply Chain Cybersecurity Risk Analysis Technique

Supply chain cyber-attacks, such as the SolarWinds Orion attack, are occurring with greater frequency. These attacks compromise a digital device before it is sent to customers, bypassing traditional security controls to remain persistent and undetected in operational environments. While supply chain attacks are prevalent, methods for analyzing the risk of these attacks are currently unavailable. This paper proposes new supply chain cyber-attack difficulty and risk metrics to evaluate the relative risk of an attack throughout the supply chain lifecycle. Difficulty metrics for each stakeholder in a digital device’s supply chain (e.g., hardware manufacturing, firmware development, software development, storage, and distribution entities) are calculated using scores from cybersecurity maturity questionnaires in a Bayesian Network leaky Noisy-MAX model. These difficulty metrics are then used to calculate an overall supply chain cyber-attack risk. Vulnerability and recoverability metrics are also proposed to evaluate the relative stakeholder influence in the attack risk. These proposed relative risk metrics enable continuous supply chain monitoring, provide decision-makers with information necessary for improved supplier selection, and help drive improvements in the cybersecurity posture of the stakeholders in their supply chain.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Evaluation of the prototype dual-axis wall attitude measurement sensor

A prototype dual-axis electrolytic tilt sensor package for angular position measurements was built and evaluated in a laboratory environment. The objective was to investigate the use of this package for making wind tunnel wall attitude measurements for the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The instrumentation may replace an existing, more costly, and less rugged servo accelerometer package (angle-of-attack package) currently in use. The dual-axis electrolytic tilt sensor package contains two commercial electrolytic tilt sensors thermally insulated with NTF foam, all housed within a stainless steel package. The package is actively heated and maintained at 160 F using foil heating elements. The laboratory evaluation consisted of a series of tests to characterize the linearity, repeatability, cross-axis interaction, lead wire effect, step response, thermal time constant, and rectification errors. Tests revealed that the total RMS errors for the x-axis sensor is 0.084 degree, and 0.182 degree for the y-axis sensor. The RMS errors are greater than the 0.01 degree specification required for NTF wall attitude measurements. It is therefore not a viable replacement for the angle-of-attack package in the NTF application. However, with some physical modifications, it can be used as an inexpensive 5-degree range dual-axis inclinometer with overall accuracy approaching 0.01 degree under less harsh environments. Also, the data obtained from the tests can be valuable for wind tunnel applications of most types of electrolytic tilt sensors.

Wong, Douglas T.↗

Cyber-physical Architecture For Automated Responses (cyphar) In Adversarial Ot Environments

The ability to react to a malicious attack starts with high fidelity recognition, and with that, an agile response to the attack. The current operational technology (OT) systems for a critical infrastructure may include an intrusion detection system (IDS), but the ability to adapt to an intrusion is a human initiated response. Orchestrators, which are coming of age in the financial sector and allow for levels of automated response, are not prevalent in the OT space. To evolve to such responses in the OT space, a tradeoff analysis is first needed, The tradeoff analysis, which evaluates the mitigation benefits of responses versus the physical affects that result, inform an automated response decision. The intent of this paper is to provide a formulation of a tradeoff analysis and its use in advancing automated, agile responses.

Rieger, CraigG.↗

Calculation of viscous supersonic flows over finned bodies

The parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) equations are used to calculate the viscous, supersonic flow fields about a six-finned projectile and a generic four-finned missile at angles of attack. Since current computer speeds and storage preclude a fully three-dimensional calculation using the unsteady, Reynolds-averaged, Navier-Stokes equations, the applicability of the PNS equations to the above flow fields is of considerable interest. Two important aspects of the calculation are grid generation and the type of smoothing used to prevent nonphysical solutions. This paper includes a description of the grid-generation process. Results in the form of density contours and velocity vector plots are presented for the two configurations. The applicability of the PNS equations to the complicated flow fields considered is successfully demonstrated.

Rai, M. M.↗

Moving-horizon false data injection attack design against cyber–physical systems

Systematic attack design is essential to understanding the vulnerabilities of cyber–physical systems (CPSs), to better design for resiliency. In particular, false data injection attacks (FDIAs) are well-known and have been shown to be capable of bypassing bad data detection (BDD) while causing targeted biases in resulting state estimates. However, their effectiveness against moving horizon estimators (MHE) is not well understood. In fact, this paper shows that conventional FDIAs are generally ineffective against MHE. One of the main reasons is that the moving window renders the static FDIA recursively infeasible. Here, this paper proposes a new attack methodology, moving-horizon FDIA (MH-FDIA), by considering both the performance of historical attacks and the current system’s status. Theoretical guarantees for successful attack generation and recursive feasibility are given. Numerical simulations on the IEEE-14 bus system further validate the theoretical claims and show that the proposed MH-FDIA outperforms state-of-the-art counterparts in both stealthiness and effectiveness. In addition, an experiment on a path-tracking control system of an autonomous vehicle shows the feasibility of the MH-FDIA in real-world nonlinear systems.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Fourier functional analysis for unsteady aerodynamic modeling

A method based on Fourier analysis is developed to analyze the force and moment data obtained in large amplitude forced oscillation tests at high angles of attack. The aerodynamic models for normal force, lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficients are built up from a set of aerodynamic responses to harmonic motions at different frequencies. Based on the aerodynamic models of harmonic data, the indicial responses are formed. The final expressions for the models involve time integrals of the indicial type advocated by Tobak and Schiff. Results from linear two- and three-dimensional unsteady aerodynamic theories as well as test data for a 70-degree delta wing are used to verify the models. It is shown that the present modeling method is accurate in producing the aerodynamic responses to harmonic motions and the ramp type motions. The model also produces correct trend for a 70-degree delta wing in harmonic motion with different mean angles-of-attack. However, the current model cannot be used to extrapolate data to higher angles-of-attack than that of the harmonic motions which form the aerodynamic model. For linear ramp motions, a special method is used to calculate the corresponding frequency and phase angle at a given time. The calculated results from modeling show a higher lift peak for linear ramp motion than for harmonic ramp motion. The current model also shows reasonably good results for the lift responses at different angles of attack.

Lan, C. Edward↗