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At least 181 records · Page 10

Standards for space data systems

NASA has chaired the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) for the past four years. During that time, a top-level, end-to-end reference model for space data sytems has been developed that identifies the functions anad services which must be provided by space data systems, and defines the interfaces between major functional elements. A group of definitions for standard protocols has been derived by analyzing these interfaces, and a set of detailed guidelines for space data system standards is in the final stages of negotiation among member CCSDS agencies. Two guidelines that address packet telemetry and channel coding have been approved and are being incorporated into the internal standards of member agencies. Others (packet telecommand, time code, standards data format unit) are in review within CCSDS technical panels and will soon be submitted for approval. These guidelines provide a mechanism for significant cost savings in the implementation of space data systems by allowing reuse of hardware and software for different payloads and for missions, and by enabling the substitution of new technology/higher performance elements at key points in the data system without causing major perturbations in the remainder of the system.

Connell, E. B.↗

Forest biomass, canopy structure, and species composition relationships with multipolarization L-band synthetic aperture radar data

The effect of forest biomass, canopy structure, and species composition on L-band synthetic aperature radar data at 44 southern Mississippi bottomland hardwood and pine-hardwood forest sites was investigated. Cross-polarization mean digital values for pine forests were significantly correlated with green weight biomass and stand structure. Multiple linear regression with five forest structure variables provided a better integrated measure of canopy roughness and produced highly significant correlation coefficients for hardwood forests using HV/VV ratio only. Differences in biomass levels and canopy structure, including branching patterns and vertical canopy stratification, were important sources of volume scatter affecting multipolarization radar data. Standardized correction techniques and calibration of aircraft data, in addition to development of canopy models, are recommended for future investigations of forest biomass and structure using synthetic aperture radar.

Sader, Steven A.↗

Future Goddard data processing and data distribution systems

This paper discusses the current systems used at the Goddard Space Flight Center for processing spacecraft data, as well as the future system prospects. While current systems rely significantly on minicomputers, future systems will emphasize workstations. Space data formats will become more structured, and the increased application of space data standards will permit greater flexibilities in ground data processing, data distribution and savings in mission and data operations.

Koschmeder, Louis A.↗

Steam Condensation Scaled Experiment in the Presence of Non-condensable Gas for Reactor Containment Passive Safety Analysis

This study presents scaled experiments using steam condensation with non-condensable gas (NCG)—helium, simulating hydrogen—as these experiments are pivotal for water-cooled reactor passive containment cooling system (PCCS) design and analysis. Research into PCCSs for small modular reactors (SMRs) is especially important in light of SMR system design; however, studies in the literature reflect limitations due to test geometry and operational condition variations, without considering SMR prototypic design. To address these challenges, a scaled test facility was developed to accurately replicate SMR PCCSs. This facility includes vertical down-flow condensing test sections with 1-, 2-, and 4-in.-diameter condensing tubes, accompanied by annular water cooling. Experiments were conducted using both superheated and saturated steam, with steam mass flow rates varying from 55 to 66 kg/hr., in the presence of helium as the NCG mass flow rate ranges from 1.8 to 22 kg/hr. Test data were collected on (a) the axial temperatures of the annular cooling water; (b) the outer wall temperature of the condensers; and (c) the mass flow rate, temperature, and pressure at the test section inlets and outlets. These primary test data were used in conjunction with a standard data reduction methodology to estimate essential thermal parameters such as heat fluxes, heat transfer coefficients, and condensation rates. The effects of NCGs on steam condensation within the geometry of the scaled test sections were then presented in regard to various testing conditions.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Presentation: Steam Condensation Scaled Experiment in the Presence of Non-condensable Gas for Reactor Containment Passive Safety Analysis

This study presents scaled experiments using steam condensation with non-condensable gas (NCG)—helium, simulating hydrogen—as these experiments are pivotal for water-cooled reactor passive containment cooling system (PCCS) design and analysis. Research into PCCSs for small modular reactors (SMRs) is especially important in light of SMR system design; however, studies in the literature reflect limitations due to test geometry and operational condition variations, without considering SMR prototypic design. To address these challenges, a scaled test facility was developed to accurately replicate SMR PCCSs. This facility includes vertical down-flow condensing test sections with 1-, 2-, and 4-in.-diameter condensing tubes, accompanied by annular water cooling. Experiments were conducted using both superheated and saturated steam, with steam mass flow rates varying from 55 to 66 kg/hr., in the presence of helium as the NCG mass flow rate ranges from 1.8 to 22 kg/hr. Test data were collected on (a) the axial temperatures of the annular cooling water; (b) the outer wall temperature of the condensers; and (c) the mass flow rate, temperature, and pressure at the test section inlets and outlets. These primary test data were used in conjunction with a standard data reduction methodology to estimate essential thermal parameters such as heat fluxes, heat transfer coefficients, and condensation rates. The effects of NCGs on steam condensation within the geometry of the scaled test sections were then presented in regard to various testing conditions.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

A Comprehensive Northern Hemisphere Particle Microphysics Data Set From the Precipitation Imaging Package

Microphysical observations of precipitating particles are critical data sources for numerical weather prediction models and remote sensing retrieval algorithms. However, obtaining coherent data sets of particle microphysics is challenging as they are often unindexed, distributed across disparate institutions, and have not undergone a uniform quality control process. This work introduces a unified, comprehensive Northern Hemisphere particle microphysical data set from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration precipitation imaging package (PIP), accessible in a standardized data format and stored in a centralized, public repository. Data is collected from 10 measurement sites spanning 34° latitude (37°N–71°N) over 10 years (2014–2023), which comprise a set of 1,070,000 precipitating minutes. The provided data set includes measurements of a suite of microphysical attributes for both rain and snow, including distributions of particle size, vertical velocity, and effective density, along with higher-order products including an approximation of volume-weighted equivalent particle densities, liquid equivalent snowfall, and rainfall rate estimates. The data underwent a rigorous standardization and quality assurance process to filter out erroneous observations to produce a self-describing, scalable, and achievable data set. Case study analyses demonstrate the capabilities of the data set in identifying physical processes like precipitation phase-changes at high temporal resolution. Bulk precipitation characteristics from a multi-site intercomparison also highlight distinct microphysical properties unique to each location. This curated PIP data set is a robust database of high-quality particle microphysical observations for constraining future precipitation retrieval algorithms, and offers new insights toward better understanding regional and seasonal differences in bulk precipitation characteristics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Toward a North American Standard for Mobile Data Services

The rapid introduction of digital mobile communications systems is an important part of the emerging digital communications scene. These developments pose both a potential problem and a challenge. On one hand, these separate market driven developments can result in an uncontrolled mixture of analog and digital links which inhibit data modem services across the mobile/Public Switched network (PSTN). On the other hand, the near coincidence of schedules for development of some of these systems, i.e., Digital Cellular, Mobile Satellite, Land Mobile Radio, and ISDN, provides an opportunity to address interoperability problems by defining interfaces, control, and service standards that are compatible among these new services. In this paper we address the problem of providing data services interoperation between mobile terminals and data devices on the PSTN. The expected data services include G3 Fax, asynchronous data, and the government's STU-3 secure voice system, and future data services such as ISDN. We address a common architecture and a limited set of issues that are key to interoperable mobile data services. We believe that common mobile data standards will both improve the quality of data service and simplify the systems for manufacturers, data users, and service providers.

Dean, Richard A.↗

Microbiome data management in action workshop: Atlanta, GA, USA, June 12–13, 2024

Microbiome research is revolutionizing human and environmental health, but the value and reuse of microbiome data are significantly hampered by the limited development and adoption of data standards. While several ongoing efforts are aimed at improving microbiome data management, significant gaps still remain in terms of defining and promoting adoption of consensus standards for these datasets. The Strengthening the Organization and Reporting of Microbiome Studies (STORMS) guidelines for human microbiome research have been endorsed and successfully utilized by many research organizations, publishers, and funding agencies, and have been recognized as a consensus community standard. No equivalent effort has occurred for environmental, synthetic, and non-human host-associated microbiomes. To address this growing need within the microbiome research community, we convened the Microbiome Data Management in Action Workshop (June 12–13, 2024, in Atlanta, GA, USA), to bring together key decision makers in microbiome science including researchers, publishers, funders, and data repositories. The 50 attendees, representing the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of microbiome research, discussed recent progress and challenges, and brainstormed actionable recommendations and paths forward for coordinated environmental microbiome data management and the modifications necessary for the STORMS guidelines to be applied to environmental, non-human host, and synthetic microbiomes. The outcomes of this workshop will form the basis of a formalized data management roadmap to be implemented across the field. These best practices will drive scientific innovation now and in years to come as these data continue to be used not only in targeted reanalyses but in large-scale models and machine learning efforts.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

From Silos to Synergy: Identifying a Roadmap for Cross-Sector Research to Accelerate the Clean Energy Transition

The U.S. Department of Energy's blueprints for the transportation, buildings, and electricity sectors call for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. These plans focus on zero-emission vehicles, investments in transit, energy-efficient buildings, and the widespread adoption and deployment of renewable energy technologies like solar photovoltaics (PV), energy storage and energy-efficient appliances. However, these sectors are often studied and modeled in isolation, overlooking how household decisions to adopt clean technologies in one sector influence others. This study, led by an interdisciplinary team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), explores opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to drive more effective and equitable decarbonization. Through discussions with 22 NREL researchers across transportation, building, solar, and grid sectors, the study highlights the need for integrated tools and models that capture interactions between these sectors. Key insights include the need for data standardization and interoperability to enable cross-sector analysis and decision-making. Strengthening utility partnerships is also critical to align energy policies with decarbonization goals and manage the increased demand for renewable energy. The study also emphasizes the importance of equity in the clean energy transition, calling for targeted incentives and support to ensure that low-income and underserved communities benefit from clean technologies like electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances. To support these efforts, innovative funding mechanisms must be expanded to facilitate interdisciplinary research, such as city-specific decarbonization plans and federal projects like DOE"s Standard Scenarios. By encouraging collaboration and integrating cross-sector insights, this study aims to provide a roadmap to accelerate the clean energy transition and ensure it is both sustainable and inclusive.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Real-Time Data Display

RT-Display is a MATLAB-based data acquisition environment designed to use a variety of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware to digitize analog signals to a standard data format usable by other post-acquisition data analysis tools. This software presents the acquired data in real time using a variety of signal-processing algorithms. The acquired data is stored in a standard Operator Interactive Signal Processing Software (OISPS) data-formatted file. RT-Display is primarily configured to use the Agilent VXI (or equivalent) data acquisition boards used in such systems as MIDDAS (Multi-channel Integrated Dynamic Data Acquisition System). The software is generalized and deployable in almost any testing environment, without limitations or proprietary configuration for a specific test program or project. With the Agilent hardware configured and in place, users can start the program and, in one step, immediately begin digitizing multiple channels of data. Once the acquisition is completed, data is converted into a common binary format that also can be translated to specific formats used by external analysis software, such as OISPS and PC-Signal (product of AI Signal Research Inc.). RT-Display at the time of this reporting was certified on Agilent hardware capable of acquisition up to 196,608 samples per second. Data signals are presented to the user on-screen simultaneously for 16 channels. Each channel can be viewed individually, with a maximum capability of 160 signal channels (depending on hardware configuration). Current signal presentations include: time data, fast Fourier transforms (FFT), and power spectral density plots (PSD). Additional processing algorithms can be easily incorporated into this environment.

Pedings, Marc↗

ERA Advanced Core Compressor Technology Program

As part of the NASA Integrated Systems Research Program, Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project, NASA GRC and GE Aviation have partnered to investigate the technology barriers associated with improved fuel economy of large gas turbine engines. Crucial to improving fuel economy is the increase in Pressure Ratio (PR) of the core compressor. General Electric is in the process of defining new advanced technology engine concepts and related engine architectures for both commercial and military subsonic and supersonic flight applications. These new concepts and architectures offer the potential of providing substantial improvements in mission fuel burn, emissions, and noise levels relative to SOTA engines and support the needs and goals of future Air force, Navy, and NASA aircraft systems. A key aspect of many of these new engine concepts is an ultra high pressure ratio core compressor. Current SOTA engines such as the GENx utilize a 23:1 class pressure ratio core compressor to achieve an overall pressure ratio in the 50:1 class. Future engines with overall pressure ratios in the 70– 80:1 class will need core compressors with pressure ratios in the 30:1 class. These single spool, ultra high pressure ratio compressors will have inherent challenges. The goal of this work is to provide a dedicated component test vehicle to study the very challenging compressor front stage performance and operability issues that arise in these aggressive machines. With a view to providing highly detailed aerodynamic data that will provide, subject to the rights restrictions for test data afforded under NASA Contract NNC10BA06B/NNC10TA64T, an industry standard data set for CFD validation.

Axial Compressors↗

AXAF FITS standard for ray trace interchange

A standard data format for the archival and transport of x-ray events generated by ray trace models is described. Upon review and acceptance by the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) Software Systems Working Group (SSWG), this standard shall become the official AXAF data format for ray trace events. The Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) is well suited for the purposes of the standard and was selected to be the basis of the standard. FITS is both flexible and efficient and is also widely used within the astronomical community for storage and transfer of data. In addition, software to read and write FITS format files are widely available. In selecting quantities to be included within the ray trace standard, the AXAF Mission Support team, Science Instruments team, and the other contractor teams were surveyed. From the results of this survey, the following requirements were established: (1) for the scientific needs, each photon should have associated with it: position, direction, energy, and statistical weight; the standard must also accommodate path length (relative phase), and polarization. (2) a unique photon identifier is necessary for bookkeeping purposes; (3) a log of individuals, organizations, and software packages that have modified the data must be maintained in order to create an audit trail; (4) a mechanism for extensions to the basic kernel should be provided; and (5) the ray trace standard should integrate with future AXAF data product standards.

Hsieh, Paul F.↗

Holistic and Pragmatic Standards Processes Enable Interdisciplinary Science

Open, interdisciplinary science inevitably relies heavily on standards. Standards are those often unseen agreements that we take for granted when systems and processes are working fine. Yet standards work is perpetual, laborious, and sometimes contentious, especially for standards to work across diverse disciplines. Standards development, maintenance, and implementation is a complex, ongoing socio-technical process. NASA has developed a progressively open science policy and strategy that calls for the establishment of a data standards process reaching across the five diverse divisions of the Science Mission Directorate. This is a delicate exercise. We, therefore, seek to apply a holistic yet pragmatic approach to developing and maintaining a standards process. We adopt an ecological philosophy that focuses on the interactions within the data ecosystem and how standards facilitate those interactions. We couple high-level analysis with on the ground experimentation. We began by 1) mapping information ecosystem components (e.g. data centers, missions, services, protocols, users), 2)establishing how the components interact (e.g. sharing (meta)data, funding, personnel exchange), and 3) modelling system dynamics (e.g. creation of products from multiple data centers, redundant processes, shared services). The goal is to apply understanding of the ecosystem to real world applications (e.g. planning a new mission, implementing new policy requirements, improving process efficiency, etc.). We have also conducted studies of historical standardization efforts, documenting lessons learned and cautionary tales. We then contrast this more abstract work with real examples. We reviewed and assessed multiple existing standards development processes both within and external to NASA. We now work to implement an initial test process which can be further optimized. We seek to define a consistent approach for assigning persistent identifiers for research objects, especially for the purposes of citation. The experience from this relatively ‘simple’ test case adds a pragmatic perspective on how researchers and engineers actually work. This presentation will review the details of this methodology, our initial findings, and how they might apply to other interdisciplinary standardization efforts.

Mark A Parsons↗

Training, Retention, and Transfer of Data Entry Perceptual and Motoric Processes Over Long Retention Intervals

Subjects trained in a standard data entry task, which involved typing numbers (e.g., 5421) using their right hands. At test (6 months post-training), subjects completed the standard task, followed by a left-hand variant (typing with their left hands) that involved the same perceptual, but different motoric, processes as the standard task. At a second test (8 months post-training), subjects completed the standard task, followed by a code variant (translating letters into digits, then typing the digits with their right hands) that involved different perceptual, but the same motoric, processes as the standard task. For each of the three tasks, half the trials were trained numbers (old) and half were new. Repetition priming (faster response times to old than new numbers) was found for each task. Repetition priming for the standard task reflects retention of trained numbers; for the left-hand variant reflects transfer of perceptual processes; and for the code variant reflects transfer of motoric processes. There was thus evidence for both specificity and generalizability of training data entry perceptual and motoric processes over very long retention intervals.

dat↗

The Future of NASA Earth Science in the Commercial Cloud: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA produces a large volume and variety of data products that are used every day to support research, decision making, and education. The widespread use of NASA’s Earth Science data is enabled by NASA’s Earth Science Data System (ESDS) program, which oversees the archiving and distribution of these data and invests in the development of new data systems and tools. However, NASA’s current approach to Earth Science data distribution — based on distributed institutional archives with individual on-premises high-performance computing capabilities — faces some significant challenges, including massive increases in data volume from upcoming missions, a greater need for transdisciplinary science that synthesizes many different kinds of observations, and a push to make science more open, inclusive, and accessible. To address these challenges, NASA is aggressively migrating its Earth Science data and related tools and services into the commercial cloud. Migration of data into the commercial cloud can significantly improve NASA’s existing data system capabilities by (1) providing more flexible options for storage and compute (including rapid, as-needed access to state-of-the-art capabilities); (2) by centralizing and standardizing data access, which gives all of NASA’s institutional data centers access to all of each other’s datasets; and (3) by facilitating “analysis-in-place”, whereby users can bring their own computational workflows and tools to the data rather than having to maintain their own copies of NASA datasets. However, migration to the commercial cloud also poses some significant challenges, including (1) managing costs under a “pay-as-you-go” model; (2) incompatibility with existing tools and data formats with object-based storage and network access; (3) vendor lock-in; (4) challenges with data access for workflows that mix on-premise and cloud computing; and (5) standardization for highly diverse data as is present in NASA’s data archive. I conclude with two examples of recent NASA activities showcasing capabilities enabled by the commercial cloud: An interactive analysis and development platform for analyzing airborne imaging spectroscopy data, and a new collection of tools and services for data discovery, analysis, publication, and data-driven storytelling (Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis, VEDA).

Alexey N Shiklomanov↗

Aerosol and Cloud Detection Using Machine Learning Algorithms and Space-Based Lidar Data

Clouds and aerosols play a significant role in determining the overall atmospheric radiation budget, yet remain a key uncertainty in understanding and predicting the future climate system. In addition to their impact on the Earth’s climate system, aerosols from volcanic eruptions, wildfires, man-made pollution events, and dust storms are hazardous to aviation safety and human health. Space-based lidar systems provide critical information about the vertical distributions of clouds and aerosols that greatly improve our understanding of the climate system. However, daytime data from backscatter lidars, such as the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) on the International Space Station (ISS), must be averaged during science processing at the expense of spatial resolution to obtain sufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for accurately detecting atmospheric features. For example, 50% of all atmospheric features reported in daytime operational CATS data products require averaging to 60 km for detection. Furthermore, the single-wavelength nature of the CATS primary operation mode makes accurately typing these features challenging in complex scenes. This paper presents machine learning (ML) techniques that, when applied to CATS data, enable detection of atmospheric features during daytime operations with a horizontal resolution of 5 km compared to the 60 km horizontal resolution often required for daytime CATS data. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) trained using CATS standard data products also demonstrated the potential for improved cloud-aerosol discrimination compared to the operational CATS algorithms for cloud edges and complex near-surface scenes during daytime.

lidar↗

Livewire: Automatic Annotations

Diogenes processes datasets to provide data quality metrics for the Livewire platform and creates standardized data dictionaries from data annotations. Diogenes needs data annotations that clearly outline thenformat and organization of the data. It also relies on the type, class, and unit of each data piece for comprehensive analysis, which it cannot determine independently. The Annotation Tool significantly reduces the time needed to create annotations for Diogenes by generating data annotations with the correct formatting and content. It also employs machine learning and hard-coded models to automatically annotate data class, quality type, and data units.

33 - ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Measurement of the 252 Cf ⁢(sf) prompt fission neutron spectrum utilizing 12 C ⁡(𝑛, 𝑛) and 9 Be ⁢(𝑛, 𝑛) neutron scattering reference measurements

The 252 Cf spontaneous fission (sf), prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS) is a fundamental quantity for nuclear physics measurements of neutron-emitting reactions. This energy distribution of neutrons emitted from fission has been considered a neutron data standard for decades and has been utilized as a reference for neutron detection efficiency, validation of Monte Carlo simulations, benchmarking of dosimetry standards, and more. A significant portion of the global collection of nuclear data on neutron-induced reactions is correlated with the 252 Cf ⁢(sf) PFNS. Despite the reliance on this quantity by the nuclear physics community, the historical collection of 252 Cf PFNS measurements display systematic disagreements that are not understood or easily explained. These experimental discrepancies could potentially bias the 252 Cf PFNS Standard evaluation. On top of this, these past experiments frequently employed correlated experimental measurement or analysis methods. The artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)-informed californium chi-nuclear data experiment (AIACHNE) project was formed to (a) investigate these discrepancies utilizing AI/ML methods to identify outlying regions of literature data, assign these regions to features of the experiment itself, and perform an improved evaluation of the 252 Cf PFNS and (b) perform a new experimental measurement of this quantity designed to improve upon the existing literature database. Here, in this work, we report on the AIACHNE 252 Cf PFNS experiment utilizing a new analysis method uncorrelated with all previous measurements: neutron efficiency determinations based on elastic neutron scattering on 12 C and 9 Be . This new method provides an independent test of the existing literature data and evaluation of the 252 Cf ⁢(sf) PFNS. The method is described with detailed covariance quantification procedures, as well as a direct discussion of the sources of uncertainty described as requirements in the “Templates” series of papers. The 252 Cf ⁢(sf) PFNS reported in this work agrees well with the overall shape of the existing standard PFNS evaluation as well as many literature measurements, thus verifying the current evaluation utilizing new techniques. However, the results suggest that there are deficiencies in the angle-differential 12 C and 9 Be ⁢(𝑛, 𝑛) evaluated nuclear data, which produce unphysical structures in the reported result. While these structures are relatively minor, they become obvious because of the high statistical precision of the data and the expected smooth continuity of the 252 Cf ⁢(sf) PFNS.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗