Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “transportation simulations”

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

Verification of a Motion Cueing Strategy for Stall Recovery Training in a Commercial Transport Simulator

This presentation verifies a motion cueing strategy for improved pilot stall recovery training in commercial transport simulators. Eight airline transport pilots flew a high-altitude stall recovery task in the NASA B747 level-D-certified full flight simulator under three different motion configurations: no motion, baseline motion, and enhanced motion. For each motion condition, pilots performed the task with both baseline aircraft dynamics and aircraft dynamics enhanced with lateral-directional characteristics of the airplane at angle of attack approaching stall. Motion configuration significantly affected: 1) pilot opinions on the helpfulness of motion in performing the task, 2) the maximum roll angle in the stall maneuver, 3) the minimum load factor in the recovery, 4) the number of secondary stick shakers in the stall recovery, and 5) the maximum airspeed in the recovery. The two different aircraft dynamics significantly affected: 1) pilot opinions on the noticeability of the banking roll off near the stall and 2) the maximum roll angle in the stall maneuver. These results indicate that the relatively minor enhancements to the motion logic of heritage commercial transport simulators presented here can significantly improve pilot performance in simulated stall recoveries, and potentially improve stall recovery training.

Zaal, Petrus M. T.↗

Verification of a Motion Cueing Strategy for Stall Recovery Training in a Commercial Transport Simulator

This paper verifies a motion cueing strategy for improved pilot stall recovery training in commercial transport simulators. Eight airline transport pilots flew a high-altitude stall recovery task in the NASA B747 level-D-certified full flight simulator under three different motion configurations: no motion, baseline motion, and enhanced motion. For each motion condition, pilots performed the task with both baseline aircraft dynamics and aircraft dynamics enhanced with lateral-directional characteristics of the airplane at angle of attack approaching stall. Motion configuration significantly affected: 1) pilot opinions on the helpfulness of motion in performing the task, 2) the maximum roll angle in the stall maneuver, 3) the minimum load factor in the recovery, 4) the number of secondary stick shakers in the stall recovery, and 5) the maximum airspeed in the recovery. The two different aircraft dynamics significantly affected: 1) pilot opinions on the noticeability of the banking roll off near the stall and 2) the maximum roll angle in the stall maneuver. These results indicate that the relatively minor enhancements to the motion logic of heritage commercial transport simulators presented here can significantly improve pilot performance in simulated stall recoveries, and potentially improve stall recovery training.

Pilot Performance↗

Design, development and testing of an ambient lighting simulator for external illumination of a transport simulator cockpit

Researchers at the NASA-Langley Research Center several years ago began to examine concepts for a facility which could simulate the full range of lighting conditions encountered in flight. The purpose of this facility was to evaluate advanced technology display devices in a cockpit environment. The Aircraft Cockpit Ambient Lighting Simulation System (ACALSS) has been developed to meet that need. The ACALSS surrounds a wide-body part-task simulator cockpit, the Advanced Display Evaluation Cockpit, and interfaces with a VAX 11/780 computer, which is used to host both a math model of a modern transport aircraft and a solar motion model (which animates a servoed sun simulator). Several concepts were evaluated and an efficient design using an ellipsoid reflector and Fresnel luminaires was selected for implementation.

Batson, Vernon M.↗

Motion Cueing for Stall Recovery Training in Commercial Transport Simulators

Starting in 2019, airline pilots will be required to perform full stall recovery training in flight simulators. Historically, training simulators weren't required to provide training at conditions outside their normal flight envelope. Post-stall aircraft models are generally required to be implemented to simulate the aircraft response after the stall point. In addition, motion cues need to adequately represent this response to ensure the skills learned in simulator training are directly usable in real flight. This paper provides and overview of six simulator experiments conducted at NASA Ames Research Center to develop a motion cueing strategies for stall recovery training in commercial transport simulators. One of the experiments verified an enhanced motion cueing strategy for stall recovery training on a level-D-certified full flight simulator. This study showed that the enhanced motion results in lower maximum roll angles in the stall maneuver, lower minimum load factors in the recovery, lower numbers of secondary stick shakers in the stall recovery, and a lower maximum airspeed in the recovery. These results indicate that relatively minor enhancements to the motion logic of heritage commercial transport simulators can significantly improve pilot performance in simulated stall recoveries, and potentially improve stall recovery training.

stall recovery↗

Motion Cueing for Stall Recovery Training in Commercial Transport Simulators

Starting in 2019, airline pilots will be required to perform full stall recovery training in flight simulators. Historically, training simulators weren't required to provide training at conditions outside their normal flight envelope. Post-stall aircraft models are generally required to be implemented to simulate the aircraft response after the stall point. In addition, motion cues need to adequately represent this response to ensure the skills learned in simulator training are directly usable in real flight. This paper provides and overview of six simulator experiments conducted at NASA Ames Research Center to develop a motion cueing strategies for stall recovery training in commercial transport simulators. One of the experiments verified an enhanced motion cueing strategy for stall recovery training on a level-D-certified full flight simulator. This study showed that the enhanced motion results in lower maximum roll angles in the stall maneuver, lower minimum load factors in the recovery, lower numbers of secondary stick shakers in the stall recovery, and a lower maximum airspeed in the recovery. These results indicate that relatively minor enhancements to the motion logic of heritage commercial transport simulators can significantly improve pilot performance in simulated stall recoveries, and potentially improve stall recovery training.

stall recovery↗

Motion/visual cueing requirements for vortex encounters during simulated transport visual approach and landing

This paper addresses the issues of motion/visual cueing fidelity requirements for vortex encounters during simulated transport visual approaches and landings. Four simulator configurations were utilized to provide objective performance measures during simulated vortex penetrations, and subjective comments from pilots were collected. The configurations used were as follows: fixed base with visual degradation (delay), fixed base with no visual degradation, moving base with visual degradation (delay), and moving base with no visual degradation. The statistical comparisons of the objective measures and the subjective pilot opinions indicated that although both minimum visual delay and motion cueing are recommended for the vortex penetration task, the visual-scene delay characteristics were not as significant a fidelity factor as was the presence of motion cues. However, this indication was applicable to a restricted task, and to transport aircraft. Although they were statistically significant, the effects of visual delay and motion cueing on the touchdown-related measures were considered to be of no practical consequence.

Parrish, R. V.↗

A rate-controlled teleoperator task with simulated transport delays

A teleoperator-system simulation was used to examine the effects of two control modes (joint-by-joint and resolved-rate), a proximity-display method, and time delays (up to 2 sec) on the control of a five-degree-of-freedom manipulator performing a probe-in-hole alignment task. Four subjects used proportional rotational control and discrete (on-off) translation control with computer-generated visual displays. The proximity display enabled subjects to separate rotational errors from displacement (translation) errors; thus, when the proximity display was used with resolved-rate control, the simulated task was trivial. The time required to perform the simulated task increased linearly with time delay, but time delays had no effect on alignment accuracy. Based on the results of this simulation, several future studies are recommended.

Pennington, J. E.↗

Objective Motion Cueing Criteria for Commercial Transport Simulators

This paper adds data to establish fidelity criteria for the simulator motion system diagnostic test now required during commercial aircraft simulator approval in the United States. Nineteen airline transport pilots flew three tasks under six different motion conditions in an experiment on the NASA Vertical Motion Simulator. The motion conditions allowed refinement of the initial fidelity criteria developed in previous experiments. In line with these previous experiments, the motion condition significantly affected (1) false motion cue pilot ratings, and sink rate and longitudinal deviation at touchdown in the approach and landing task, (2) false motion cue pilot ratings, roll deviations, and maximum pitch rate in the stall task, and (3) false motion cue pilot ratings, heading deviation, and pedal reaction time after an engine failure in the take-off task. Combining data from three experiments, significant differences in pilot-vehicle performance were used to define objective motion cueing criteria boundaries. These fidelity boundaries suggest that some hexapod simulators can possibly produce motion cues with improved fidelity in several degrees of freedom.

simulator motion↗

Objective Motion Cueing Criteria for Commercial Transport Simulators

This paper adds data to establish fidelity criteria for the simulator motion system diagnostic test now required during commercial aircraft simulator approval in the United States. Nineteen airline transport pilots flew three tasks under six different motion conditions in an experiment on the NASA Vertical Motion Simulator. The motion conditions allowed refinement of the initial fidelity criteria developed in previous experiments. In line with these previous experiments, the motion condition significantly affected (1) false motion cue pilot ratings, and sink rate and longitudinal deviation at touchdown in the approach and landing task, (2) false motion cue pilot ratings, roll deviations, and maximum pitch rate in the stall task, and (3) false motion cue pilot ratings, heading deviation, and pedal reaction time after an engine failure in the take-off task. Combining data from three experiments, significant differences in pilot-vehicle performance were used to define objective motion cueing criteria boundaries. These fidelity boundaries suggest that some hexapod simulators can possibly produce motion cues with improved fidelity in several degrees of freedom.

pilot performance↗

Stormtime ring current and radiation belt ion transport: Simulations and interpretations

We use a dynamical guiding-center model to investigate the stormtime transport of ring current and radiation-belt ions. We trace the motion of representative ions' guiding centers in response to model substorm-associated impulses in the convection electric field for a range of ion energies. Our simple magnetospheric model allows us to compare our numerical results quantitatively with analytical descriptions of particle transport, (e.g., with the quasilinear theory of radial diffusion). We find that 10-145-keV ions gain access to L approximately 3, where they can form the stormtime ring current, mainly from outside the (trapping) region in which particles execute closed drift paths. Conversely, the transport of higher-energy ions (approximately greater than 145 keV at L approximately 3) turns out to resemble radial diffusion. The quasilinear diffusion coefficient calculated for our model storm does not vary smoothly with particle energy, since our impulses occur at specific (although randomly determined) times. Despite the spectral irregularity, quasilinear theory provides a surprisingly accurate description of the transport process for approximately greater than 145-keV ions, even for the case of an individual storm. For 4 different realizations of our model storm, the geometric mean discrepancies between diffusion coefficients D(sup sim, sub LL) obtained from the simulations and the quasilinear diffusion coefficient D(sup ql, sub LL) amount to factors of 2.3, 2.3, 1.5, and 3.0, respectively. We have found that these discrepancies between D(sup sim, sub LL) and D(sup ql, sub LL) can be reduced slightly by invoking drift-resonance broadening to smooth out the sharp minima and maxima in D(sup ql, sub LL). The mean of the remaining discrepancies between D(sup sim, sub LL) and D(sup ql, sub LL) for the 4 different storms then amount to factors of 1.9, 2.1, 1.5, and 2.7, respectively. We find even better agreement when we reduce the impulse amplitudes systematically in a given model storm (e.g., reduction of all the impulse amplitudes by half reduces the discrepancy factor by at least its square root) and also when we average our results over an ensemble of 20 model storms (agreement is within a factor of 1.2 without impulse-amplitude reduction). We use our simulation results also to map phase-space densities f in accordance with Liouville's theorem. We find that the stormtime transport of approximately greater than 145-keV ions produces little change in f-bar the drift-averaged phase-space density on any drift shell of interest. However, the stormtime transport produces a major enhancement from the pre-storm phase-space density at energies approximately 30-145 keV, which are representative of the stormtime ring current.

Lyons, Larry R.↗

Evaluation of microwave landing system approaches in a wide-body transport simulator

The objective of this study was to determine the suitability of flying complex curved approaches using the microwave landing system (MLS) with a wide-body transport aircraft. Fifty pilots in crews of two participated in the evaluation using a fixed-base simulator that emulated an MD-11 aircraft. Five approaches, consisting of one straight-in approach and four curved approaches, were flown by the pilots using a flight director. The test variables include the following: (1) manual and autothrottles; (2) wind direction; and (3) type of navigation display. The navigation display was either a map or a horizontal situation indicator (HSI). A complex wind that changed direction and speed with altitude, and included moderate turbulence, was used. Visibility conditions were Cat 1 or better. Subjective test data included pilot responses to questionnaires and pilot comments. Objective performance data included tracking accuracy, position error at decision height, and control activity. Results of the evaluation indicate that flying curved MLS approaches with a wide-body transport aircraft is operationally acceptable, depending upon the length of the final straight segment and the complexity of the approach.

Summers, L. G.↗

Characteristics of 3-D transport simulations of the stratosphere and mesosphere

A 3D mechanistic, primitive-equation model of the stratosphere and mesosphere is coupled to an offline spectral transport model. The dynamics model is initialized with and forced by observations so that the coupled models may be used to study specific episodes. Results are compared with those obtained by transport online in the dynamics model. Although some differences are apparent, the results suggest that coupling of the models to a comprehensive photochemical package will provide a useful tool for studying the evolution of constituents in the middle atmosphere during specific episodes.

Fairlie, T. D. A.↗

Effect of image tilt of a virtual image display on simulated transport touchdown performance

An evaluation of the visual effect of image tilt of a refractive lens display system is presented. The system was used to present a rudimentary computer generated out the window scene to the pilot of a flight simulator during approach, flare, and touchdown. Comparisons are made of sink rate at touchdown and performances for untilted and tilted displays. Sixty four landings with each condition for a total of 128 touchdowns were made by 3 subjects. Performance measures, such as the flare and touchdown footprints, were recorded and analyzed. The visual effect of the image tilt was investigated for a terrain model board scene.

Parrish, R. V.↗

Leader personality and crew effectiveness: Factors influencing performance in full-mission air transport simulation

A full mission simulation research study was completed to assess the potential for selection along dimensions of personality. Using a selection algorithm described by Chidester (1987), captains were classified as fitting one of three profiles using a battery of personality assessment scales, and the performances of 23 crews led by captains fitting each profile were contrasted over a one and one-half day simulated trip. Crews led by captains fitting a Positive Instrumental Expressive profile (high achievement motivation and interpersonal skill) were consistently effective and made fewer errors. Crews led by captains fitting a Negative Communion profile (below average achievement motivation, negative expressive style, such as complaining) were consistently less effective and made more errors. Crews led by captains fitting a Negative Instrumental profile (high levels of Competitiveness, Verbal Aggressiveness, and Impatience and Irritability) were less effective on the first day but equal to the best on the second day. These results underscore the importance of stable personality variables as predictors of team coordination and performance.

Chidester, Thomas R.↗