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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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NASA NTRS1992

Sensor fusion V; Proceedings of the Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 15-17, 1992

Topics addressed include 3D object perception, human-machine interface in multisensor systems, sensor fusion architecture, fusion of multiple and distributed sensors, interface and decision models for sensor fusion, computational networks, simple sensing for complex action, multisensor-based control, and metrology and calibration of multisensor systems. Particular attention is given to controlling 3D objects by sketching 2D views, the graphical simulation and animation environment for flexible structure robots, designing robotic systems from sensorimotor modules, cylindrical object reconstruction from a sequence of images, an accurate estimation of surface properties by integrating information using Bayesian networks, an adaptive fusion model for a distributed detection system, multiple concurrent object descriptions in support of autonomous navigation, robot control with multiple sensors and heuristic knowledge, and optical array detectors for image sensors calibration. (No individual items are abstracted in this volume)

Schenker, Paul S.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Strategy Developed for Selecting Optimal Sensors for Monitoring Engine Health

Sensor indications during rocket engine operation are the primary means of assessing engine performance and health. Effective selection and location of sensors in the operating engine environment enables accurate real-time condition monitoring and rapid engine controller response to mitigate critical fault conditions. These capabilities are crucial to ensure crew safety and mission success. Effective sensor selection also facilitates postflight condition assessment, which contributes to efficient engine maintenance and reduced operating costs. Under the Next Generation Launch Technology program, the NASA Glenn Research Center, in partnership with Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power, has developed a model-based procedure for systematically selecting an optimal sensor suite for assessing rocket engine system health. This optimization process is termed the systematic sensor selection strategy. Engine health management (EHM) systems generally employ multiple diagnostic procedures including data validation, anomaly detection, fault-isolation, and information fusion. The effectiveness of each diagnostic component is affected by the quality, availability, and compatibility of sensor data. Therefore systematic sensor selection is an enabling technology for EHM. Information in three categories is required by the systematic sensor selection strategy. The first category consists of targeted engine fault information; including the description and estimated risk-reduction factor for each identified fault. Risk-reduction factors are used to define and rank the potential merit of timely fault diagnoses. The second category is composed of candidate sensor information; including type, location, and estimated variance in normal operation. The final category includes the definition of fault scenarios characteristic of each targeted engine fault. These scenarios are defined in terms of engine model hardware parameters. Values of these parameters define engine simulations that generate expected sensor values for targeted fault scenarios. Taken together, this information provides an efficient condensation of the engineering experience and engine flow physics needed for sensor selection. The systematic sensor selection strategy is composed of three primary algorithms. The core of the selection process is a genetic algorithm that iteratively improves a defined quality measure of selected sensor suites. A merit algorithm is employed to compute the quality measure for each test sensor suite presented by the selection process. The quality measure is based on the fidelity of fault detection and the level of fault source discrimination provided by the test sensor suite. An inverse engine model, whose function is to derive hardware performance parameters from sensor data, is an integral part of the merit algorithm. The final component is a statistical evaluation algorithm that characterizes the impact of interference effects, such as control-induced sensor variation and sensor noise, on the probability of fault detection and isolation for optimal and near-optimal sensor suites.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Multispectral image fusion using neural networks

A prototype system is being developed to demonstrate the use of neural network hardware to fuse multispectral imagery. This system consists of a neural network IC on a motherboard, a circuit card assembly, and a set of software routines hosted by a PC-class computer. Research in support of this consists of neural network simulations fusing 4 to 7 bands of Landsat imagery and fusing (separately) multiple bands of synthetic imagery. The simulations, results, and a description of the prototype system are presented.

Kagel, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Fusion Ignition Rocket Engine with Ballistic Ablative Lithium Liner

Thermo-nuclear fusion may be the key to a high Isp, high specific power (low alpha) propulsion system. In a fusion system energy is liberated within, and imparted directly to, the propellant. In principle, this can overcome the performance limitations inherent in systems that require thermal power transfer across a material boundary, and/or multiple power conversion stages (NTR, NEP). A thermo-nuclear propulsion system, which attempts to overcome some of the problems inherent in the ORION concept, is described. A passive tapered liner is launched behind a vehicle, through a hole in a pusher-plate, that is connected to the vehicle by a shock-absorbing mechanism. A dense FRC plasmoid is then accelerated to high velocity (in excess of 1,000 km/s) and shot through the hole into the liner, when it has reached a given point down-range. The kinetic energy of the FRC is converted into thermal and magnetic-field energy, igniting a fusion bum in the magnetically confined plasma. The fusion reaction serves as an ignition source for the liner, which is made out of detonable materials. The energy liberated in this process is converted to thrust by the pusher-plate, as in the classic ORION concept. However with this concept, the vehicle does not carry a magazine of pre-fabricated pulse-units. A magnetic nozzle may also be used, in place of the pusher-plate. Estimates of the conditions needed to achieve a sufficient gain will be presented, along with a description of the driver characteristics. The incorporation of this concept into the propulsion system of a spacecraft will also be discussed.

Martin, Adam↗
NASA NTRS2005

Development and Application of Non-Linear Image Enhancement and Multi-Sensor Fusion Techniques for Hazy and Dark Imaging

The purpose of this research was to develop enhancement and multi-sensor fusion algorithms and techniques to make it safer for the pilot to fly in what would normally be considered Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions, where pilot visibility is severely restricted due to fog, haze or other weather phenomenon. We proposed to use the non-linear Multiscale Retinex (MSR) as the basic driver for developing an integrated enhancement and fusion engine. When we started this research, the MSR was being applied primarily to grayscale imagery such as medical images, or to three-band color imagery, such as that produced in consumer photography: it was not, however, being applied to other imagery such as that produced by infrared image sources. However, we felt that it was possible by using the MSR algorithm in conjunction with multiple imaging modalities such as long-wave infrared (LWIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), and visible spectrum (VIS), we could substantially improve over the then state-of-the-art enhancement algorithms, especially in poor visibility conditions. We proposed the following tasks: 1) Investigate the effects of applying the MSR to LWIR and SWIR images. This consisted of optimizing the algorithm in terms of surround scales, and weights for these spectral bands; 2) Fusing the LWIR and SWIR images with the VIS images using the MSR framework to determine the best possible representation of the desired features; 3) Evaluating different mixes of LWIR, SWIR and VIS bands for maximum fog and haze reduction, and low light level compensation; 4) Modifying the existing algorithms to work with video sequences. Over the course of the 3 year research period, we were able to accomplish these tasks and report on them at various internal presentations at NASA Langley Research Center, and in presentations and publications elsewhere. A description of the work performed under the tasks is provided in Section 2. The complete list of relevant publications during the research periods is provided in Section 5. This research also resulted in the generation of intellectual property.

Rahman, Zia-ur↗
NASA NTRS2018

Mars Planetary Network for Human Exploration Era – Potential Challenges and Solutions

During 2016-2017, a study was conducted under the sponsorship of the NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program to investigate the deep space communications capacity taking into account the needs of all the present and envisioned future missions toward 2030s. It was soon recognized that planning for human exploration to Mars would impose certain unprecedent challenges, both fiscal and technical, to the current space communications paradigm. Targeting the assumed missions concepts, i.e., Crewed Mission to Phobos (CMTP) and Mars Short Stay Mission (MSSM), a Mars Planetary Network for the human exploration era has been formulated. The activity modeling and network traffic simulation/modeling we performed gave some insight into the technical challenges in space communications for the envisioned human Mars exploration era. Chief among the potential challenges are: (1) the high demand on the deep space network (DSN) assets for achieving the high-rate links, both return and forward, from Mars farthest/farther distance (up to 2.67 AU); (2) the need for resilient, persistent communication coverage for crewed vehicles, on surface and in orbits; (3) the significant period of outage for the Mars-Earth link due to superior solar conjunction; (4) the need for on-demand, simultaneous access to the proximity link by multiple vehicles and astronauts in the exploration zone; (5) the capability of determining precise, real-time, positions of surface vehicles and astronauts by the deep space habitat and/or other tele-operations entities. Solution space to each of the above challenges has been explored and analyzed in the context of the individual problem domain and, more importantly, in conjunction with that for the other challenges. This has led to an end-to-end definition of a Mars Planetary Network that would feature: (1) the fusion of deep space Ka-band and optical communications for achieving Mars-Earth high-rate links taking advantage of the optical/RF hybrid 8m/34m antennas in DSN; (2) the integrated application of the Multiple Spacecraft Per Antenna (MSPA) technique, for return link data acquisition, and the Multiple Uplink Per Antenna (MUPA) technique, for forward link data trasnmission, to reduce the number of 34m beam-wave guide (BWG) antennas needed for the era; (3) the integration of three, arrayed, 34m beam-wave guide (BWG) antennas, to provide a high G/T aperture, with the MSPA/MUPA techniques, and a dual “trunk link”approach to cut down the needed G/T -- hence, reducing the number of 34m antennas, relative to that in the single trunk approach by 50%; (4) the deployment of two areostationary/areosynchronous Mars relay orbiters; one of them could also function as (or be served by) a notional Deep Space Habitat (DSH); (5) the opportunistic deployment of a science orbiter in a Pioneer-6 type orbit, equidistant Mars/Earth, that could also serve as an intermediary relay during the Mars superior solar conjunction perod; (6) the existence of the multi-function Mars proximity link that provides the demand-assigned, multiple access (DAMA) capability; and (7) the provision of tracking observables, by leveraging on the planned Mars orbiting and surface infrastructure, to enable the in-situ navigation for surface and orbiting vehicles. This paper provides the description of the proposed Mars Planetary Network in the human exploration era, the trade-off analysis for the various alternative architectures, and the optimal solutions to the key challenges in defining this end-to-end network.

Cheung, Kar-Ming↗
NASA NTRS2007

SPARTAN: A High-Fidelity Simulation for Automated Rendezvous and Docking Applications

bd Systems (a subsidiary of SAIC) has developed the Simulation Package for Autonomous Rendezvous Test and ANalysis (SPARTAN), a high-fidelity on-orbit simulation featuring multiple six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) vehicles. SPARTAN has been developed in a modular fashion in Matlab/Simulink to test next-generation automated rendezvous and docking guidance, navigation,and control algorithms for NASA's new Vision for Space Exploration. SPARTAN includes autonomous state-based mission manager algorithms responsible for sequencing the vehicle through various flight phases based on on-board sensor inputs and closed-loop guidance algorithms, including Lambert transfers, Clohessy-Wiltshire maneuvers, and glideslope approaches The guidance commands are implemented using an integrated translation and attitude control system to provide 6DOF control of each vehicle in the simulation. SPARTAN also includes high-fidelity representations of a variety of absolute and relative navigation sensors that maybe used for NASA missions, including radio frequency, lidar, and video-based rendezvous sensors. Proprietary navigation sensor fusion algorithms have been developed that allow the integration of these sensor measurements through an extended Kalman filter framework to create a single optimal estimate of the relative state of the vehicles. SPARTAN provides capability for Monte Carlo dispersion analysis, allowing for rigorous evaluation of the performance of the complete proposed AR&D system, including software, sensors, and mechanisms. SPARTAN also supports hardware-in-the-loop testing through conversion of the algorithms to C code using Real-Time Workshop in order to be hosted in a mission computer engineering development unit running an embedded real-time operating system. SPARTAN also contains both runtime TCP/IP socket interface and post-processing compatibility with bdStudio, a visualization tool developed by bd Systems, allowing for intuitive evaluation of simulation results. A description of the SPARTAN architecture and capabilities is provided, along with details on the models and algorithms utilized and results from representative missions.

Turbe, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Combining Information on Multiple Detection Techniques to Estimate the Effect of Patent Foramen Ovale on Susceptibility to Decompression Illness

The assembly and the maintenance of the International Space Station is expected to require hundreds of extravehicular excursions (EVA's) in the next 10 years. During an EVA, in order to allow movement and bending of limbs, spacesuit pressures are reduced to about 4.3 psi. as compared with about 14.7 psi. for normal atmospheric pressure at sea level. However, the exposure of astronauts to reduced pressures in spacesuits, is conducive to fonnation and growth of gas bubbles within venous blood or tissues, which could cause decompression illness (DCI), a pathology best known to occur among deep-sea divers when they return to the surface. To reduce the risk of DCI, astronauts adjust to the reduced pressure in stages for a prolonged time known as a "pre-breathe" period prior to their extravehicular activity. Despite the use of pre-breathe protocols, an increased risk of DCI can arise for about 25% of humans who have a small hole, known as a patent foramen ovale (PFO), between two chambers of the heart. The atrial septum's fossa oval is, an embryological remnant of a flap between the septae primum and secundum allows fetal right atrial blood to pass into the left atrium, and usually closes after birth (Hagen, et al,. 1984). If fusion does not occur, a valve-like opening, the foramen ovale persists between the two atria. It has been suggested that astronauts with PFO's might be at greater risk of stroke or other serious neurological DCI because bubbles from a venous site may traverse a PFO, travel to the aorta and then enter the cerebral circulatory system causing a stroke (Figure 1). Astronauts are not now screened for PFO's, however consideration is being given to doing so. Here, we study three main methods abbreviated here as "ITE", "TCD" and "TEE", for detecting PFO's in living subjects. All involve the introduction of bubbles into a vein, immediately after which a sensory probe attempts to detect the bubbles in systemic circulation. Presence of the injected bubbles in the systemic circulation is indicative of a PFO. More detailed descriptions are given after the explanation of PFO's under Figure I. Even if a true PFO affects the risk of DCI, there remains a question of how effective screening would be if the detection method has errors of omission and/or commission. Of the three methods studied here, TEE is the "gold standard", matching autopsy results with near-perfect sensitivity and specificity (Schneider, et al. , 1996). However TEE is also the most difficult method to implement, requiring an internal esophagal probe, and is therefore not widely used. Currently, the easiest to use and most common PFO detection method is TTE, which uses an external chest probe. This method has a specificity of near 100%, but suffers from a low sensitivity rate (about 30%). More recently, TCD has been developed, which uses ultrasound probes to detect the presence of bubbles in cerebral arteries. Studies indicate that TCD is quite effective, having a sensitivity of about 91% and a specificity of about 93% (Droste, et al., 1999) when applied correctly, however implementation is difficult and requires considerable training.

Feiveson, Alan H.↗