SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Digital Upgrade”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2019

NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) DVB-S2 Demonstration Testing for Enhancing Data Rates for CubeSat/SmallSat Missions

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CubeSat/SmallSat missions are expected to grow rapidly in the next decade. As the number of spacecraft on a ground network grows, employing higher data rates could reduce loading by reducing the contact time per day required. CubeSats also need to communicate directly to earth from space from longer distances than low earth orbit (LEO). These challenges motivate the need for bandwidth and power efficient modulation and coding techniques. Today, Digital Video Broadcast, Satellite Second Generation (DVB-S2) is a communications standard for larger satellites. DVB-S2 uses power and bandwidth efficient modulation and coding techniques to deliver performance approaching Radio Frequency (RF) channel theoretical limits. NASA’s Near Earth Network (NEN) conducted a demonstration test at the Wallops Flight Facility in spring of 2019 for CubeSat/SmallSat missions for enhancing data rate performance in NASA’s S-band 5 MHz channel. The goal is to upgrade NEN with DVB-S2 to increase science data return and enable greater numbers of CubeSats. This paper presents the NEN DVB-S2 demonstration testing objectives and performance measurement results. Results of the demonstration testing are compared with evolving SmallSat/CubeSat radios. DVB-S2 S-band transmitter development concepts for SmallSats/CubeSats and use of DVB-S2 by future missions are discussed.

Wong, Yen↗

NASA NTRS1989

CSM research: Methods and application studies

Computational mechanics is that discipline of applied science and engineering devoted to the study of physical phenomena by means of computational methods based on mathematical modeling and simulation, utilizing digital computers. The discipline combines theoretical and applied mechanics, approximation theory, numerical analysis, and computer science. Computational mechanics has had a major impact on engineering analysis and design. When applied to structural mechanics, the discipline is referred to herein as computational structural mechanics. Complex structures being considered by NASA for the 1990's include composite primary aircraft structures and the space station. These structures will be much more difficult to analyze than today's structures and necessitate a major upgrade in computerized structural analysis technology. NASA has initiated a research activity in structural analysis called Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM). The broad objective of the CSM activity is to develop advanced structural analysis technology that will exploit modern and emerging computers, such as those with vector and/or parallel processing capabilities. Here, the current research directions for the Methods and Application Studies Team of the Langley CSM activity are described.

Knight, Norman F., Jr.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Smart Labs Final Report Summer 2021

The Smart Labs Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is an initiative derived from The University of California, Irvine and is part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Buildings Challenge. These carbon abatement strategies aim to reduce energy consumption of laboratories while also maintaining health and safety requirements. Smart Labs designs incorporate seven key principles which are: digital control systems, demand-based ventilation, low power-density demand-based lighting, exhaust fan discharge velocity optimization, pressure drop optimization, fume hood flow optimization, and commissioning with automated cross-platform fault detection. As the ALDCP Smart Labs team for the summer of 2021, the scope of the project is to determine the energy savings within building 03-1698 (Material Science Laboratory - MSL). Over the past couple of years, the Sustainability Group has been adding Smart Labs upgrades into the MSL building and the summer team would like to understand the impact made for the overall energy consumption/demand and safety for the building, determine the overall return on investment (ROI), and recommend more Smart Labs upgrades that can be added to the MSL building. The goal is to enable the UI FOD (Utilities and Infrastructure Facility Operation Division) to promote more Smart Labs projects in the future and further the reputation LANL and DOE facilities have of being leading examples of developers of high performing buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA NTRS2011

Space Shuttle Main Engine - The Relentless Pursuit of Improvement

The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is the only reusable large liquid rocket engine ever developed. The specific impulse delivered by the staged combustion cycle, substantially higher than previous rocket engines, minimized volume and weight for the integrated vehicle. The dual pre-burner configuration permitted precise mixture ratio and thrust control while the fully redundant controller and avionics provided a very high degree of system reliability and health diagnosis. The main engine controller design was the first rocket engine application to incorporate digital processing. The engine was required to operate at a high chamber pressure to minimize engine volume and weight. Power level throttling was required to minimize structural loads on the vehicle early in flight and acceleration levels on the crew late in ascent. Fatigue capability, strength, ease of assembly and disassembly, inspectability, and materials compatibility were all major considerations in achieving a fully reusable design. During the multi-decade program the design evolved substantially using a series of block upgrades. A number of materials and manufacturing challenges were encountered throughout SSME s history. Significant development was required for the final configuration of the high pressure turbopumps. Fracture control was implemented to assess life limits of critical materials and components. Survival in the hydrogen environment required assessment of hydrogen embrittlement. Instrumentation systems were a challenge due to the harsh thermal and dynamic environments within the engine. Extensive inspection procedures were developed to assess the engine components between flights. The Space Shuttle Main Engine achieved a remarkable flight performance record. All flights were successful with only one mission requiring an ascent abort condition, which still resulted in an acceptable orbit and mission. This was achieved in large part via extensive ground testing to fully characterize performance and to establish acceptable life limits. During the program over a million seconds of accumulated test and flight time was achieved. Post flight inspection and assessment was a key part of assuring proper performance of the flight hardware. By the end of the program the predicted reliability had improved by a factor of four. These unique challenges, evolution of the design, and the resulting reliability will be discussed in this paper.

VanHooser, Katherine P.↗

NASA NTRS1986

SIR-B - The second Shuttle Imaging Radar experiment

On October 5, 1984, the second Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-B) was launched into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. SIR-B is part of an evolutionary radar program designed to progressively develop a multifrequency, multipolarization synthetic aperture radar with a variable earth-imaging geometry. The SIR-B instrument is an upgraded version of SIR-A, with the additional capability of tilting the antenna mechanically to acquire imagery at variable incidence angles ranging from 15 to 60 deg. The variable look angle capability provided a means of acquiring multiple incidence angle imagery over specific targets on successive days of the mission. These data are being used to classify surface features by their backscatter signatures as a function of incidence angle and for topographic mapping. In addition to the antenna tilt capability, a digital data-handling system was added to increase the dynamic range, the resolution was improved by a factor of two over SIR-A, and a calibration subsystem was added to improve the radiometric accuracy of the data. The mission had a number of problems, including loss of the primary digital data path between the Shuttle and the ground. In spite of these problems, approximately 20 percent of the planned digital data were collected over the 8-day Shuttle mission corresponding to an areal coverage of about 6.4 million sq km.

Cimino, J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Fuzzy control system for a remote focusing microscope

Space Station Crew Health Care System procedures require the use of an on-board microscope whose slide images will be transmitted for analysis by ground-based microbiologists. Focusing of microscope slides is low on the list of crew priorities, so NASA is investigating the option of telerobotic focusing controlled by the microbiologist on the ground, using continuous video feedback. However, even at Space Station distances, the transmission time lag may disrupt the focusing process, severely limiting the number of slides that can be analyzed within a given bandwidth allocation. Substantial time could be saved if on-board automation could pre-focus each slide before transmission. The authors demonstrate the feasibility of on-board automatic focusing using a fuzzy logic ruled-based system to bring the slide image into focus. The original prototype system was produced in under two months and at low cost. Slide images are captured by a video camera, then digitized by gray-scale value. A software function calculates an index of 'sharpness' based on gray-scale contrasts. The fuzzy logic rule-based system uses feedback to set the microscope's focusing control in an attempt to maximize sharpness. The systems as currently implemented performs satisfactorily in focusing a variety of slide types at magnification levels ranging from 10 to 1000x. Although feasibility has been demonstrated, the system's performance and usability could be improved substantially in four ways: by upgrading the quality and resolution of the video imaging system (including the use of full color); by empirically defining and calibrating the index of image sharpness; by letting the overall focusing strategy vary depending on user-specified parameters; and by fine-tuning the fuzzy rules, set definitions, and procedures used.

Weiss, Jonathan J.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of the CMS Endcap Timing Layer readout chip prototype with charge injection

We present the characterization of a readout Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for the CMS Endcap Timing Layer (ETL) of the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade with charge injection. The ASIC, named ETROC and developed in a 65 nm CMOS technology, reads out a 16× 16 pixel matrix of the Low-Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD). The jitter contribution from ETROC is required to be below 40 ps to achieve the 50 ps overall time resolution per hit. The analog readout circuits in ETROC consist of the preamplifier and the discriminator. The preamplifier handles the LGAD charge signal with the most probable value of around 15 fC. The discriminator generates the digital pulse, which provides the Time-Of-Arrival (TOA, leading edge) and Time-Over-Threshold (TOT, pulse width) information. The prototype of ETROC (ETROC0) that implements a single channel of analog readout circuits has been evaluated with charge injection. The jitter of the analog readout circuits, measured from the discriminator's leading edge, is better than 16 ps for a charge larger than 15 fC with the sensor capacitance. The time walk resulting from different pulse heights can be corrected using the TOT measurement. The time resolution distribution has a standard deviation of 29 ps after the time-walk correction from the charge injection. At room temperature, the preamplifier's power consumption is measured to be 0.74 mW and 1.53 mW per pixel in the low- and high-power mode, respectively. Finally, the measured power consumption of the discriminator is 0.84 mW per pixel. With the ASIC alone or the LGAD sensor, The characterization performances fulfill the ETL's challenging requirements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2022

Applied Mathematics Challenge: Simulation of Power Electronics in Future Power Grid

There has been a buzz around increased grid modernization for more than a decade. Grid modernization includes, but is not limited to, upgrades to the grid to enhance reliability, resilience, security, and access to clean energy sources. One significant change that has been happening in this context is the increased penetration of computing power and controlled devices like power electronics in the power grid. As this change happens, the operation and characteristics of the power grid are set to undergo a significant change. The power grid moves from an older electric machine dominated grid that used analog electronics for controls to a power electronics dominated grid that uses digital computing for controls. As this transition happens, there are significant problems of applied mathematics that will need to be resolved in power electronics and power grid. The problems include the ability to simulate in different timescales, while also leveraging the significantly improved computing capabilities available today. In this paper, the challenges related to simulation of power electronics are discussed and the challenge problems laid down that applied mathematics may help resolve in future.

Debnath, Suman↗

NASA NTRS1983

A user's manual for the NASA/JPL synthetic aperture radar and the NASA/JPL L and C band scatterometers

Airborne synthetic aperture radars and scatterometers are operated with the goals of acquiring data to support shuttle imaging radars and support ongoing basic active microwave remote sensing research. The aircraft synthetic aperture radar is an L-band system at the 25-cm wavelength and normally operates on the CV-990 research aircraft. This radar system will be upgraded to operate at both the L-band and C-band. The aircraft scatterometers are two independent radar systems that operate at 6.3-cm and 18.8-cm wavelengths. They are normally flown on the C-130 research aircraft. These radars will be operated on 10 data flights each year to provide data to NASA-approved users. Data flights will be devoted to Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) underflights. Standard data products for the synthetic aperture radars include both optical and digital images. Standard data products for the scatterometers include computer compatible tapes with listings of radar cross sections (sigma-nought) versus angle of incidence. An overview of these radars and their operational procedures is provided by this user's manual.

Thompson, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The Danish SAR system - Design and initial tests

In January 1986, the design of a high-resolution airborne C-band SAR started at the Electromagnetics Institute of the Technical University of Denmark. The initial system test flights took place in November and December 1989. The authors describe the design of the system, its implementation, and its performance. They show how digital technology has been utilized to realize a very flexible radar with variable resolution, swath-width, and imaging geometry. The motion-compensation algorithms implemented to obtain the high resolution and the special features built into the system to ensure proper internal calibration are outlined. The data processing system, developed for image generation and quality assurance, is sketched, with special emphasis on the flexibility of the system. Sample images and a preliminary performance evaluation are presented, demonstrating that the design goals have been met. The ongoing system upgrades and the planned scientific utilization of the C-band SAR are described.

Madsen, Soren N.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Application of a Near Infrared Imaging System for Thermographic Imaging of the Space Shuttle during Hypersonic Re-Entry

High resolution calibrated near infrared (NIR) imagery was obtained of the Space Shuttle s reentry during STS-119, STS-125, and STS-128 missions. The infrared imagery was collected using a US Navy NP-3D Orion aircraft using a long-range infrared optical package referred to as Cast Glance. The slant ranges between the Space Shuttle and Cast Glance were approximately 26-41 nautical miles at point of closest approach. The Hypersonic Thermodynamic Infrared Measurements (HYTHIRM) project was a NASA Langley led endeavor sponsored by the NASA Engineering Safety Center, the Space Shuttle Program Office and the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate to demonstrate a quantitative thermal imaging capability. HYTHIRM required several mission tools to acquire the imagery. These tools include pre-mission acquisition simulations of the Shuttle trajectory in relationship to the Cast Glance aircraft flight path, radiance modeling to predict the infrared response of the Shuttle, and post mission analysis tools to process the infrared imagery to quantitative temperature maps. The spatially resolved global thermal measurements made during the Shuttle s hypersonic reentry provides valuable flight data for reducing the uncertainty associated with present day ground-to-flight extrapolation techniques and current state-of-the-art empirical boundary-layer transition or turbulent heating prediction methods. Laminar and turbulent flight data is considered critical for the development of turbulence models supporting NASA s next-generation spacecraft. This paper will provide the motivation and details behind the use of an upgraded NIR imaging system used onboard a Navy Cast Glance aircraft and describe the characterizations and procedures performed to obtain quantitative temperature maps. A brief description and assessment will be provided of the previously used analog NIR camera along with image examples from Shuttle missions STS-121, STS-115, and solar tower test. These thermal observations confirmed the challenge of a long-range acquisition during re-entry. These challenges are due to unknown atmospheric conditions, image saturation, vibration etc. This provides the motivation for the use of a digital NIR sensor. The characterizations performed on the digital NIR sensor included radiometric, spatial, and spectral measurements using blackbody radiation sources and known targets. An assessment of the collected data for three Space Shuttle atmospheric re-entries, STS-119, STS-125, and STS-128, are provided along with a description of various events of interest captured using the digital NIR imaging system such as RCS firings and boundary layer transitions. Lastly the process used to convert the raw image counts to quantitative temperatures is presented along with comparisons to the Space Shuttle's onboard thermocouples.

Zalameda, Joseph N.↗

NASA NTRS1987

HIDEC F-15 adaptive engine control system flight test results

NASA-Ames' Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control (HIDEC) flight test program aims to develop fully integrated airframe, propulsion, and flight control systems. The HIDEC F-15 adaptive engine control system flight test program has demonstrated that significant performance improvements are obtainable through the retention of stall-free engine operation throughout the aircraft flight and maneuver envelopes. The greatest thrust increase was projected for the medium-to-high altitude flight regime at subsonic speed which is of such importance to air combat. Adaptive engine control systems such as the HIDEC F-15's can be used to upgrade the performance of existing aircraft without resort to expensive reengining programs.

Smolka, James W.↗

DOE OSTI2025

The ETROC2 as the Final Version for CMS Endcap Timing Layer (ETL) Upgrade

The ETROC (Endcap Timing Readout Chip) is being developed for the LGAD-based CMS Endcap Timing Layer (ETL) at HL-LHC. The ETL on each side of the interaction region will be instrumented with a two-disk system of MIP-sensitive LGAD (Low Gain Avalanche Diodes) silicon devices, read out by ETROCs for precision timing measurement with down to ~30 ps timing resolution per track. The ETROC is designed to handle a 16 x 16 pixel cell matrix, with each pixel being 1.3 mm x 1.3 mm to match the LGAD sensor pixel size. The front-end design for preamplifier and discriminator has been specifically optimized for the reduced LGAD signals, with enough flexibilities to meet the ETL specific needs for time resolution, power budget and radiation profile. The ETROC chip is implemented in a commercial 65nm CMOS process. Each channel consists of a preamplifier, a discriminator, a TDC used for TOA (Time Of Arrival) and TOT (Time Over Threshold) measurements, and a memory for data storage and readout. An in-pixel auto threshold calibration is included, along with a self-testing pattern generator. The TOT is used for time-walk correction of the TOA measurement. The detailed hit information (TOA and TOT) from each cell will be read out from a local circular buffer after each Level-1 Accept (about 1 MHz). In addition, a charge injection circuit is implemented to allow for testing and calibration. For more detailed monitoring of the signal pulses, waveform sampling circuits are included for one pixel. The clock distribution is based on a 16x16 H-tree design with a shielding structure to alleviate potential interference. The global peripheral circuits include a PLL, a phase shifter, an I2C slave controller, a fast control block, a global readout, and a data driver along with an efuse and temperature sensor. The ETROC builds event data frames for each L1A selected event and is also capable of providing L1 trigger information for user-defined delayed hits. The main design challenge is how to extract precision timing information from the small LGAD signals in the presence of high irradiation fluence, while keeping the power consumption and digital activity low. The ETL design goal for the time resolution of 50 ps per hit is required to achieve a 35 ps arrival time measurement for a MIP particle, which has its track registered in two ETL disk layers. The LGAD contribution is known to be about 30 ps, this means that the jitter from the ETROC has to be kept below 40 ps. The ETROC2 is the first full size full functionality prototype design fully compatible with the final chip specifications for CMS ETL and now becomes the final version. The ETROC2 chips have been extensively tested. We will present here new testing results including the bump bonding yield improvement study, the time walk correction (TWC) generality study with one pixel TWC applying to all pixels, the final SEU testing using both heavy ion and proton beam, more beam test studies including different sensors, and readiness for the ETROC2 production for CMS ETL upgrade.

Liu, Tiehui [Fermilab] (ORCID:0009000765225605)↗

DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced Lighting Signals for Safety and Efficiency - Experiments With Addressable LEDs

For enhanced roadway safety, clear and immediate visual cues are essential for preventing accidents between drivers and pedestrians. At intersections, however, the line of sight to other roadway users may be obstructed by vehicles and infrastructure. Additionally, adverse conditions, including low visibility, poor weather, or inadequate lighting can increase the potential for collisions. Distracted drivers and pedestrians can further exacerbate the risk of accidents, particularly when using a smartphone, rather than focusing on roadway surroundings. These issues demonstrate the need for infrastructure upgrades that enhance visibility and awareness at crosswalks. A potential solution is through enhanced lighting signals integrated into the roadway infrastructure. One such example is the use of addressable LEDs, individually controllable lights that can change color and brightness instantaneously through programmable microcontrollers. They can be installed and integrated into crosswalks to maintain visibility in conditions where pedestrians may be difficult to see, while also offering peripheral cues to pedestrians who may be distracted by their phones or other objects rather than the road. Such a system (as one example) that is integrated into a traffic intersection digital twin that tracks all roadway users accurately, has the potential to enhance visibility of vulnerable road users, and thus enhance safety. This paper examines the potential implementation and feasibility of this technology, as well as the safety benefits it could provide. Laboratory experiments with addressable LEDs reveal the capabilities and challenges of this technology for roadway infrastructure safety. These findings could pave the way for more integrated lighting in infrastructure for vehicles and pedestrians at intersections, merge and diverge locations, and other areas where complex interactions present safety hazards. Such lighting solutions, enabled by modern computation and communications, could enhance safety and efficiency in our transportation system and improve overall mobility.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced Lighting Signals for Safety and Efficiency - Experiments with Addressable LEDs

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2024

ETROC1: the first full chain precision timing prototype ASIC for CMS MTD endcap timing layer upgrade

We present the design and characterization of the first fullchain precision timing prototype ASIC, named ETL Readout Chipversion 1 (ETROC1) for the CMS MTD endcap timing layer (ETL)upgrade. The ETL utilizes Low Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) sensors todetect charged particles, with the goal to achieve a time resolutionof 40–50 ps per hit, and 30–40 ps per track with hits from twodetector layers. The ETROC1 is composed of a 5 × 5 pixelarray and peripheral circuits. The pixel array includes a4 × 4 active pixel array with an H-tree shaped networkdelivering clock and charge injection signals. Each active pixel iscomposed of various components, including a bump pad, a chargeinjection circuit, a pre-amplifier, a discriminator, adigital-to-analog converter, and a time-to-digital converter. Thesecomponents play essential roles as the front-end link in processingLGAD signals and measuring timing-related information. Theperipheral circuits provide clock signals and readoutfunctionalities. The size of the ETROC1 chip is7 mm× 9 mm. ETROC1 has been fabricated in a 65 nmCMOS process, and extensively tested under stimuli of chargeinjection, infrared laser, and proton beam. The time resolution ofbump-bonded ETROC1 + LGAD chipsets reaches 42–46 ps per hit in thebeam test.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

NASA NTRS1993

Optical attenuation mechanism upgrades, MOBLAS, and TLRS systems

This poster presentation describes the Optical Attenuation Mechanism (OAM) Upgrades to the MOBLAS and TLRS Crustal Dynamics Satellite Laser Ranging (CDSLR) systems. The upgrades were for the purposes of preparing these systems to laser range to the TOPEX/POSEIDON spacecraft when it will be launched in the summer of 1992. The OAM permits the laser receiver to operate over the expected large signal dynamic range from TOPEX/POSEIDON and it reduces the number of pre- and post-calibrations for each satellite during multi-satellite tracking operations. It further simplifies the calibration bias corrections that had been made due to the pass-to-pass variation of the photomultiplier supply voltage and the transmit filter glass thickness. The upgrade incorporated improvements to the optical alignment capability of each CDSLR system through the addition of a CCD camera into the MOBLAS receive telescope and an alignment telescope onto the TLRS optical table. The OAM is stepper motor and microprocessor based; and the system can be controlled either manually by a control switch panel or computer controlled via an EIA RS-232C serial interface. The OAM has a neutral density (ND) range of 0.0 to 4.0 and the positioning is absolute referenced in steps of 0.1 ND. Both the fixed transmit filter and the daylight filter are solenoid actuated with digital inputs and outputs to and from the OAM microprocessor. During automated operation, the operator has the option to overide the remote control and control the OAM system via a local control switch panel.

Eichinger, Richard↗

DOE OSTI2024

Real-Time Ethernet Interface for NSTX-U’s Thomson Scattering Diagnostic (2023)

Here, the multipoint Thomson scattering (MPTS) diagnostic system at the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) facility is undergoing an upgrade to operate in real-time and interface with the plasma control system (PCS) for NSTX-U. Previous prototyping efforts have shown that spectral analysis and rapid calculations of electron temperature and density are possible on a real-time Linux machine when using up to a 100-Hz laser pulse repetition rate. A remaining challenge was transferring the real-time data to NSTX-U’s PCS, which utilizes the front panel data port (FPDP) protocol. The original proposed method was to convert the real-time data into analog values, but a new solution was developed to keep the output format digital by using an Ethernet controller with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). This article focuses on a new input module that has been developed to accept incoming user datagram protocol (UDP) packets sent over Ethernet, convert into FPDP format, and integrate into the existing data stream under NSTX-U’s real-time framework.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗