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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

A comparison of select image-compression algorithms for an electronic still camera

This effort is a study of image-compression algorithms for an electronic still camera. An electronic still camera can record and transmit high-quality images without the use of film, because images are stored digitally in computer memory. However, high-resolution images contain an enormous amount of information, and will strain the camera's data-storage system. Image compression will allow more images to be stored in the camera's memory. For the electronic still camera, a compression algorithm that produces a reconstructed image of high fidelity is most important. Efficiency of the algorithm is the second priority. High fidelity and efficiency are more important than a high compression ratio. Several algorithms were chosen for this study and judged on fidelity, efficiency and compression ratio. The transform method appears to be the best choice. At present, the method is compressing images to a ratio of 5.3:1 and producing high-fidelity reconstructed images.

Nerheim, Rosalee↗

Parametric analysis of turbulent wall jets in still air.

An examination has been made of all the data available on incompressible (nominally) plane wall jets in still air, supplementing these when necessary with some additional measurements. For a wall jet in still air, the chief mean flow qualities of interest are the maximum velocity, the inner length scale, and a total thickness, in addition to the wall stress. On the basis of the analysis, a (nominally) plane wall jet flow can be divided into an initial region, a fully developed flow region, and a confined wall jet flow region.

Narasimha, R.↗

Multiscale turbulence effects in supersonic jets exhausting into still air

A modified version of the multiscale turbulence model of Hanjalic has been applied to the problem of supersonic jets exhausting into still air. In particular, the problem of shock-cell decay through turbulent interaction with the mixing layer has been studied for both mildly interacting and strongly resonant jet conditions. The modified Hanjalic model takes into account the nonequilibrium energy transfer between two different turbulent spectral scales. The turbulence model was incorporated into an existing shock-capturing, parabolized Navier-Stokes computational model in order to perform numerical experiments. The results show that the two-scale turbulence model provides significant improvement over one-scale models in the prediction of plume shock structure for underexpanded supersonic (Mach 2) and sonic (Mach 1) jets. For the supersonic jet, excellent agreement with experiment was obtained for the centerline shock-cell pressure decay up to 40 jet radii. For the sonic jet, the agreement with experiment was not so good, but the two-scale model still showed significant improvement over the one-scale model. It is shown that by relating some of the coefficients in the turbulent-transport equations to the relative time scale for transfer of energy between scales the two-scale model can provide predictions that bound the measured shock-cell decay rate for the sonic jet.

Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.↗

Learning random networks for compression of still and moving images

Image compression for both still and moving images is an extremely important area of investigation, with numerous applications to videoconferencing, interactive education, home entertainment, and potential applications to earth observations, medical imaging, digital libraries, and many other areas. We describe work on a neural network methodology to compress/decompress still and moving images. We use the 'point-process' type neural network model which is closer to biophysical reality than standard models, and yet is mathematically much more tractable. We currently achieve compression ratios of the order of 120:1 for moving grey-level images, based on a combination of motion detection and compression. The observed signal-to-noise ratio varies from values above 25 to more than 35. The method is computationally fast so that compression and decompression can be carried out in real-time. It uses the adaptive capabilities of a set of neural networks so as to select varying compression ratios in real-time as a function of quality achieved. It also uses a motion detector which will avoid retransmitting portions of the image which have varied little from the previous frame. Further improvements can be achieved by using on-line learning during compression, and by appropriate compensation of nonlinearities in the compression/decompression scheme. We expect to go well beyond the 250:1 compression level for color images with good quality levels.

Gelenbe, Erol↗

Vertical Descent and Landing Tests of a 0.13-Scale Model of the Convair XFY-1 Vertically Rising Airplane in Still Air, TED No. NACA DE 368

An investigation is being conducted to determine the dynamic stability and control characteristics of a 0.13-scale flying model of Convair XFY-1 vertically rising airplane. This paper presents the results of flight and force tests to determine the stability and control characteristics of the model in vertical descent and landings in still air. The tests indicated that landings, including vertical descent from altitudes representing up to 400 feet for the full-scale airplane and at rates of descent up to 15 or 20 feet per second (full scale), can be performed satisfactorily. Sustained vertical descent in still air probably will be more difficult to perform because of large random trim changes that become greater as the descent velocity is increased. A slight steady head wind or cross wind might be sufficient to eliminate the random trim changes.

Smith, Charlee C., Jr.↗

Electronic Still Camera Project on STS-48

On behalf of NASA, the Office of Commercial Programs (OCP) has signed a Technical Exchange Agreement (TEA) with Autometric, Inc. (Autometric) of Alexandria, Virginia. The purpose of this agreement is to evaluate and analyze a high-resolution Electronic Still Camera (ESC) for potential commercial applications. During the mission, Autometric will provide unique photo analysis and hard-copy production. Once the mission is complete, Autometric will furnish NASA with an analysis of the ESC s capabilities. Electronic still photography is a developing technology providing the means by which a hand held camera electronically captures and produces a digital image with resolution approaching film quality. The digital image, stored on removable hard disks or small optical disks, can be converted to a format suitable for downlink transmission, or it can be enhanced using image processing software. The on-orbit ability to enhance or annotate high-resolution images and then downlink these images in real-time will greatly improve Space Shuttle and Space Station capabilities in Earth observations and on-board photo documentation.

Source record↗

Compact solar still Patent

Utilization of solar radiation by solar still for converting salt and brackish water into potable water

Glekas, L. P.↗

Numerical solution for low-velocity penetration of rigid body into still fluid

A modified marker-and-cell computational method is developed which can be used to study problems related to impact and penetration of a rigid body into a viscous medium. The method has been applied to solving (in two dimensions) the problem of low-velocity penetration of a rigid block into still water. The solution gives the complete pressure and velocity of the flow field so that the force and displacement time histories of the rigid body during the impact and entry phase are evaluated from the boundary stresses imposed by the fluid on the rigid body. Some limited experimental comparisons are also given to demonstrate the feasibility of the computational method.

Cheng, R. Y.-K.↗

Solar stills for agricultural purposes

Basic concepts of using desalinated water for agricultural purposes are outlined. A mathematical model describing heat and mass transfer in a system combining a solar still with a greenhouse, its solution, and test results of a small-scale unit built at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, are discussed. The unit was employed to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the system. Further development and modifications are necessary for larger-scale operations. The basis of an optimization study which is underway at the Brace Research Institute of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, aimed at finding the best combination of design and operation parameters is also presented.

Selcuk, M. K.↗

Toward an image compression algorithm for the high-resolution electronic still camera

Taking pictures with a camera that uses a digital recording medium instead of film has the advantage of recording and transmitting images without the use of a darkroom or a courier. However, high-resolution images contain an enormous amount of information and strain data-storage systems. Image compression will allow multiple images to be stored in the High-Resolution Electronic Still Camera. The camera is under development at Johnson Space Center. Fidelity of the reproduced image and compression speed are of tantamount importance. Lossless compression algorithms are fast and faithfully reproduce the image, but their compression ratios will be unacceptably low due to noise in the front end of the camera. Future efforts will include exploring methods that will reduce the noise in the image and increase the compression ratio.

Nerheim, Rosalee↗

An image compression algorithm for a high-resolution digital still camera

The Electronic Still Camera (ESC) project will provide for the capture and transmission of high-quality images without the use of film. The image quality will be superior to video and will approach the quality of 35mm film. The camera, which will have the same general shape and handling as a 35mm camera, will be able to send images to earth in near real-time. Images will be stored in computer memory (RAM) in removable cartridges readable by a computer. To save storage space, the image will be compressed and reconstructed at the time of viewing. Both lossless and loss-y image compression algorithms are studied, described, and compared.

Nerheim, Rosalee↗

Emerging standards for still image compression: A software implementation and simulation study

The software implementation is described of an emerging standard for the lossy compression of continuous tone still images. This software program can be used to compress planetary images and other 2-D instrument data. It provides a high compression image coding capability that preserves image fidelity at compression rates competitive or superior to most known techniques. This software implementation confirms the usefulness of such data compression and allows its performance to be compared with other schemes used in deep space missions and for data based storage.

Pollara, F.↗

Solar 'hot spots' are still hot

Longitude distributions of solar flares are not random but show evidence for active zones (or hot spots) where flares are concentrated. According to a previous study, two hot spots in the northern hemisphere, which rotate with a synodic period of about 26.72 days, produced the majority of major flares, during solar cycles 20 and 21. The more prominent of these two hot spots is found to be still active during the rising part of cycle 22, producing the majority of northern hemisphere major flares. The synodic rotation period of this hot spot is 26.727 + or - 0.007 days. There is also evidence for hot spots in the southern hemisphere. Two hot spots separated by 180 deg are found to rotate with a period of 29.407 days, with one of them having persisted in the same locations during cycles 19-22 and the other, during cycles 20-22.

Bai, Taeil↗