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Results for “Scenario optimization”

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 217 records · Page 12

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NASA NTRS2015

Enhanced Engine Performance During Emergency Operation Using a Model-Based Engine Control Architecture

This paper discusses the design and application of model-based engine control (MBEC) for use during emergency operation of the aircraft. The MBEC methodology is applied to the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40,000 (CMAPSS40,000) and features an optimal tuner Kalman Filter (OTKF) to estimate unmeasured engine parameters, which can then be used for control. During an emergency scenario, normally-conservative engine operating limits may be relaxed to increase the performance of the engine and overall survivability of the aircraft; this comes at the cost of additional risk of an engine failure. The MBEC architecture offers the advantage of estimating key engine parameters that are not directly measureable. Estimating the unknown parameters allows for tighter control over these parameters, and on the level of risk the engine will operate at. This will allow the engine to achieve better performance than possible when operating to more conservative limits on a related, measurable parameter.

control theory↗

NASA NTRS2016

Enhanced Engine Performance During Emergency Operation Using a Model-Based Engine Control Architecture

This paper discusses the design and application of model-based engine control (MBEC) for use during emergency operation of the aircraft. The MBEC methodology is applied to the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40k (CMAPSS40k) and features an optimal tuner Kalman Filter (OTKF) to estimate unmeasured engine parameters, which can then be used for control. During an emergency scenario, normally-conservative engine operating limits may be relaxed to increase the performance of the engine and overall survivability of the aircraft; this comes at the cost of additional risk of an engine failure. The MBEC architecture offers the advantage of estimating key engine parameters that are not directly measureable. Estimating the unknown parameters allows for tighter control over these parameters, and on the level of risk the engine will operate at. This will allow the engine to achieve better performance than possible when operating to more conservative limits on a related, measurable parameter.

engine control↗

NASA NTRS2017

Interval Predictor Models for Data with Measurement Uncertainty

An interval predictor model (IPM) is a computational model that predicts the range of an output variable given input-output data. This paper proposes strategies for constructing IPMs based on semidefinite programming and sum of squares (SOS). The models are optimal in the sense that they yield an interval valued function of minimal spread containing all the observations. Two different scenarios are considered. The first one is applicable to situations where the data is measured precisely whereas the second one is applicable to data subject to known biases and measurement error. In the latter case, the IPMs are designed to fully contain regions in the input-output space where the data is expected to fall. Moreover, we propose a strategy for reducing the computational cost associated with generating IPMs as well as means to simulate them. Numerical examples illustrate the usage and performance of the proposed formulations.

Lacerda, Marcio J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Control System Architecture and Technology Challenges for a Lunar Surface Habitat

NASA’s current plans for exploration of the Lunar South Pole region include a Surface Habitat (SH) to provide up to 60-day habitability for a crew of four. The SH concept is comprised of several elements including an inflatable volume for the habitable space and a metallic airlock for access to a pressurized rover and other surface assets. A conceptual architecture for the SH Thermal Control System (TCS) is presented. A TCS dual loop design is utilized with a water/propylene glycol mix for the internal crew spaces and an external loop with low temperature coolant. The internal loop is partitioned into low and moderate temperature service with a sublimator available for operational scenarios prior to thermal radiator deployment (or redeployment). Waste heat is rejected through thermal radiators contained in the external loop. Optimization of the thermal radiator geometry/orientation as well as the TCS internal/external loop architecture is accomplished via analytical models of the system. Low mass, dust tolerant, deployable/retractable thermal radiators (in partial gravity) and thermal control surfaces, along with accommodating infrequent eclipse periods lasting up to 100 hours, present the major technology challenges. Mitigation strategies to reduce the energy needed to maintain the SH and associated systems above survival temperature limits during the eclipse period are considered in the paper. Options include retractable radiators, re-generable heat exchangers, temperature excursions, thermal energy storage and optimized inflatable optical properties. TCS sensitivity to potential SH Electrical Power System (EPS) growth is also a consideration for both operational and dormant mission phases.

Thermal Control System↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Control System Architecture and Technology Challenges for a Lunar Surface Habitat

Thermal Control System↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Inspectability Metric: A Formalized System Of Measurement Enabling The Design For Inspection Framework

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) engineers are often confronted with structural design choices that present challenges to meeting inspection requirements. These challenges, at best, increase the resources needed to design an inspection solution and, at worst, require resource intensive redesign of the structure. If the inspectability of the structure can be determined early in the design cycle, these challenging inspection scenarios can be avoided. The emergence of additive manufacturing has further compounded this problem by enabling the creation of highly optimized structures with no regard to inspection constraints. Design for inspection (DFI) offers a framework to integrate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) into the design process to alleviate the mechanisms that produce uninspectable designs. DFI is the concept of including inspectability in a multi-objective optimization framework so that it can be considered in parallel to other metrics such as mass and manufacturability. This allows rapid evaluation of the trade-off between design metrics to find solutions that meet the inspection needs of a particular material system, structural concept, or vehicle program. To enable DFI, there must be a system by which the inspectability of a structure can be measured. This system must be agile to produce results quickly, it must be versatile to work with the type of incomplete information one would encounter early in the design process (such as lack of inspection requirements), and it must be delivered in a form that is easily understood by designers. To meet this need, this presentation introduces the novel inspectability metric as a system to measure inspectability. The inspectability metric is a standardized, automation friendly procedure that uses simulations to determine inspectability. Along with guidelines to properly process designs and integrate with existing workflows, the inspectability metric provides a suite of simulation tests to interrogate the ability to find defects and the sensitivity to variability. The testing rubric is designed to maximize the coverage of the parameter space while minimizing the number of simulations needed. The inspectability metric has been in development in collaboration with industry partners to ensure compatibility with modern simulation tools and aerospace design workflows. In this study, we will demonstrate how the inspectability metric is able to determine the inspectability of multiple types of structures, including aerospace composites and additively manufactured parts. We will then show how the inspectability score can be plugged into existing design optimization tasks, such as structural sizing algorithms or design for manufacturing (DFM) frameworks.

Design for inspection↗

NASA NTRS2019

Interference Mitigation Using Cyclic Autocorrelation and Multi-Objective Optimization

Radio frequency interference on space-to-ground communications links can degrade performance and disrupt the transfer of critical data. These interference events become increasingly likely as more users enter the spectrum, due in part to shared spectrum allocations and scheduling conflicts. If this interference could be detected and mitigated by an automated system, then link performance and reliability in these scenarios could be improved. This report describes the implementation and evaluation of an automated interference mitigation system that provides this functionality. The system uses Cyclic Autocorrelation (CAC) signal processing techniques to monitor the spectrum and detect interfering signals, and it applies a multi-objective optimization approach to mitigate interference by changing link parameters to continuously optimize the link. The implementation was evaluated to characterize its signal detection capabilities for various link qualities and to compare its link management performance to Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) and Constant Coding and Modulation (CCM) when in the presence of randomized interference. In the latter evaluation, the interference mitigation system achieved the highest average throughput in each tested scenario. With these results, the proposed solution provides the groundwork for further automated link management capabilities and continued investigation into interference mitigation approaches.

Interference mitigation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Applying the Cognitive Space Gateway to Swarm Topologies

NASA’s future vision for interplanetary networking includes a lunar network, Cube Satellite (CubeSat) constellations, and deep space robotic missions, comprising what could be viewed as a network of networks. Delay-tolerant networking (DTN) architecture and protocols provide a standard network layer among these varying scenarios and mitigate many challenges of the space environment, such as long delays, unplanned service interruptions, and asymmetric links. The Cognitive Space Gateway (CSG) is a routing method in a DTN architecture that uses spiking neural networks as the learning element to optimize outing decisions in a complex environment. This work aims to further develop cognitive networking technologies in several critical areas, including DTN, the CSG algorithm, SmallSat swarm topologies, and cloud services. The CSG algorithm is tested in a realistic scenario in which the emulated network topology is based on a SmallSat swarm. The emulation environment will be built upon a commercial cloud service, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Compute Cloud. This work investigates the ability of such a platform to enable a flexible, lower maintenance approach to creating a multihop network outside of a physical laboratory. The cloud platform will provide a secure environment allowing for collaboration among government and academic entities.

Ricardo Lent↗

NASA NTRS1993

Optimal parking orbits for manned Mars missions

This paper summarizes a Mars parking orbit optimization effort. This parking orbit study includes the selection of optimal elliptic Mars parking orbits that meet mission constraints and that include pertinent apsidal misalignment losses. Mars missions examined are for the opportunity years of 2014, 2016, and 2018. For these mission opportunities, it is shown that the optimal parking orbits depend on the year that the mission occurs and are coupled with the outbound, Mars stay, and return phases of the mission. Constraints included in the parking orbit optimization process are periapsis lighting angle (related to a daylight landing requirement), periapsis latitude (related to a landing latitude range requirement) and the vehicle Trans-Earth-Injection stage mass. Also, effects of mission abort requirements on optimal parking orbits are investigated. Off-periapsis maneuvers for Mars orbit capture were found to be cost effective in reducing the mission delta-V for the 2016 abort from Mars capture scenario. The total capture and departure delta-V was `split' between the capture maneuver and the departure maneuver to reduce the 2016 Mars departure delta-V to below the level of the corresponding stage of the 2014 baseline mission. Landing results are provided that show Mars landing site access from the optimal elliptic parking orbits for Mars excursion vehicles with low (0.2) and high (1.3 and 1.6) lift to drag ratio.

Cupples, Michael L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Orbit maintenance for low altitude near-circular lunar orbits

The behavior of low altitude near-circular lunar orbits is a key design issue for some missions in the proposed Space Exploration Initiative. The lunar gravity field strongly perturbs low altitude orbits, so an effective orbit maintenance strategy is needed. This strategy must contend with the long term orbit evolution due to the zonal gravity field. Two possible orbit control scenarios are passive control using a frozen orbit and active orbit control using maneuvers. A maneuver strategy can be designed which optimizes the propellant required for long term orbit sustenance. The long term requirements dominate the total propellant required for orbit control. Additional propellant may be required to offset the impact of medium period gravity field effects. Careful selection of maneuver times and directions, however, can eliminate any medium period penalty.

Cook, Richard A.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Parameter Trade Studies For Coherent Lidar Wind Measurements of Wind from Space

The design of an orbiting wind profiling lidar requires selection of dozens of lidar, measurement scenario, and mission geometry parameters; in addition to prediction of atmospheric parameters. Typical mission designs do not include a thorough trade optimization of all of these parameters. We report here the integration of a recently published parameterization of coherent lidar wind velocity measurement performance with an orbiting coherent wind lidar computer simulation; and the use of these combined tools to perform some preliminary parameter trades. We use the 2006 NASA Global Wind Observing Sounder mission design as the starting point for the trades.

Kavaya, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Next Generation Exercise Device (NGED): Advancing Exercise Capabilities for Future Space Missions Through Biomechanical Modeling

BACKGROUND As space exploration extends to long-duration missions on the Moon and Mars, maintaining astronaut health and fitness becomes increasingly critical. The Next Generation Exercise Device (NGED), developed and tested by the HumanWorks Lab in NASA Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Software, Robotics, and Simulation Division, aims to address this challenge through innovative approaches. This study presents the development and evaluation of an NGED system, focusing on its adaptability to various mission scenarios, including prospective use in a Lunar Pressurized Rover (LPR). Central to this project is the application of biomechanical modeling to optimize exercise efficacy and safety in microgravity and partial gravity environments. The project is a collaborative effort with the Human Health and Performance group at Johnson Space Center, ensuring a comprehensive approach to astronaut well-being that integrates biomechanical principles with practical exercise solutions. The NGED represents the next generation of exercise capabilities for missions in space, on the Moon and Mars, with a specific focus on applications such as the LPR. METHODS AND RESULTS Data collection for NGED development was conducted with two motor-driven Beyond Power Voltra I [1] systems and a custom test structure to allow placement of the cable-based devices on the ground, at shoulder height, and overhead. The collection was performed in JSC’s Prototype Immersive Technology (PIT) Lab, utilizing an OptiTrack motion capture system and AMTI force platform, to enable detailed biomechanical analysis via OpenSim [2,3]. Motion capture data were collected for three subjects representing different body types and statures. The marker set used was an enhanced version of the full-body Plug-in Gait marker set [4], with additional markers strategically placed for the primary objective of informing exercise volume requirements. Subjects performed a series of 17 exercises, carefully selected to engage various muscle groups, including novel spaceflight exercises such as skiing (ergometer style), lateral pulldowns, wood chops, triceps extensions, and flies, with load variations ranging from 10 to 90 pounds to maintain kinematic form. This comprehensive approach allowed for a thorough evaluation of the NGED's performance across a wide range of motions and loads. The biomechanical modeling and analysis were conducted using a modified OpenSim Full Body Rajagopal Model [4,5] and also scaled to the maximum and minimum anthropometry provided in NASA-STD-3001 [6]. Volumetric convex hulls were generated based on model marker trajectories and aggregated into geometric assemblies. These can be placed in models of vehicle designs to assess fit to protect for exercise as well as to adapt NGED exercise to fit available space. Preliminary findings from the collection indicate that the NGED prototype demonstrates significant adaptability across varying user anthropometrics and exercise types. The device showed consistent performance in load-bearing exercises, with subjects able to perform exercises effectively while maintaining proper biomechanical form. CONCLUSION NGED represents a forward-looking advancement in exercise capabilities for future space missions. In the future, this system can be used to capture valuable metrics (e.g., isometric mid-thigh pull for force output measurements, assessments of postural muscle strength, overall isometric strength). Its versatility in accommodating various exercises and user physiques, coupled with the ability to provide targeted biomechanical loading, makes it a promising approach for maintaining astronaut health during long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. Future work will focus on refining the NGED based on initial biomechanical findings, leveraging the detailed insights provided by motion capture and analysis techniques. Particular emphasis will be placed on optimizing its use within the confined spaces of a LPR and other space habitats. This work contributes significantly to NASA's goals of supporting human health and performance in deep space exploration, paving the way for sustainable long-term presence beyond Low Earth Orbit through advanced, biomechanically-informed exercise solutions.

C Wang↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Optimal Communication Topology Construction and Sensor Selection for Independent Airspace Surveillance

The paper presents an approach with no estimation feedback to sensors selection and communication network topology computation for independent airspace surveillance with maximum outcome and minimum cost using ground based distributed sensing, computing and communication network infrastructure. The selection criteria includes maximum airspace coverage with minimal resources, minimum communication time and power consumption while guaranteeing the system observability and providing in-time high quality information to both stationary and mobile users. The developed algorithms use multi-objective optimization strategy taking into account trade-offs between conflicting objectives and are implemented using off-the-shelf computational tools. The algorithms are validated in a desktop simulation environment using synthetic sensors data generated for a simulated multi-vehicle flight scenario in the selected regional airspace and parameters of a notional wireless communication network.

Distributed sensing↗

NASA NTRS2014

Optimizing Integrated Terminal Airspace Operations Under Uncertainty

In the terminal airspace, integrated departures and arrivals have the potential to increase operations efficiency. Recent research has developed geneticalgorithm- based schedulers for integrated arrival and departure operations under uncertainty. This paper presents an alternate method using a machine jobshop scheduling formulation to model the integrated airspace operations. A multistage stochastic programming approach is chosen to formulate the problem and candidate solutions are obtained by solving sample average approximation problems with finite sample size. Because approximate solutions are computed, the proposed algorithm incorporates the computation of statistical bounds to estimate the optimality of the candidate solutions. A proof-ofconcept study is conducted on a baseline implementation of a simple problem considering a fleet mix of 14 aircraft evolving in a model of the Los Angeles terminal airspace. A more thorough statistical analysis is also performed to evaluate the impact of the number of scenarios considered in the sampled problem. To handle extensive sampling computations, a multithreading technique is introduced.

air traffic optimization↗

NASA NTRS2024

Envisioning an Optimal Network of Space-Based Lasers for Orbital Debris Remediation

The rapid increase in resident space objects, including satellites and orbital debris, poses a significant threat to the safety and sustainability of space missions. This paper explores orbital debris remediation using a network of collaborative space-based lasers, leveraging laser ablation for momentum transfer on debris. A novel delta-v vector analysis framework quantifies the e↵ects of multiple simultaneous laser-to-debris (L2D) engagements by using vector composition of the imparted delta-v vectors. The paper introduces the Concurrent LocationScheduling Problem (CLSP), which optimizes the placement of laser platforms and the scheduling of L2D engagements to maximize debris remediation capacity. Due to the computational complexity of the CLSP, it is decomposed into two sequential subproblems: (1) optimal laser platform locations are determined using the Maximal Covering Location Problem, and (2) a novel integer linear programming-based approach schedules L2D engagements within the network configuration to maximize remediation capacity. Computational experiments are conducted to evaluate the proposed framework’s e↵ectiveness under various mission scenarios, demonstrating key network functions such as collaborative nudging, deorbiting, and just-in-time collision avoidance. A sensitivity analysis further examines how varying the number and distribution of laser platforms a↵ects debris remediation capacity, providing insights into optimizing the performance of space-based laser networks.

David O Williams Rogers↗

NASA NTRS2016

A Robust Method to Integrate End-to-End Mission Architecture Optimization Tools

End-to-end mission simulations include multiple phases of flight. For example, an end-to-end Mars mission simulation may include launch from Earth, interplanetary transit to Mars and entry, descent and landing. Each phase of flight is optimized to meet specified constraints and often depend on and impact subsequent phases. The design and optimization tools and methodologies used to combine different aspects of end-to-end framework and their impact on mission planning are presented. This work focuses on a robust implementation of a Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) method that offers the flexibility to quickly adapt to changing mission design requirements. Different simulations tailored to the liftoff, ascent, and atmospheric entry phases of a trajectory are integrated and optimized in the MDAO program Isight, which provides the user a graphical interface to link simulation inputs and outputs. This approach provides many advantages to mission planners, as it is easily adapted to different mission scenarios and can improve the understanding of the integrated system performance within a particular mission configuration. A Mars direct entry mission using the Space Launch System (SLS) is presented as a generic end-to-end case study. For the given launch period, the SLS launch performance is traded for improved orbit geometry alignment, resulting in an optimized a net payload that is comparable to that in the SLS Mission Planner's Guide.

Lugo, Rafael↗

NASA NTRS1992

Space transfer vehicles for an affordable lunar exploration program

The paper describes a lunar transportation system (LTS) based on a minimum cost approach to the lunar exploration scenario. A three-part exercise was conducted to minimize the cost and risk of lunar exploration, and the results of these optimization studies are presented. Particular consideration is given to the proposed concepts for the translunar injection stages, the common crew module of the LTS, the lander configuration, the LTS performance, and a concept of a long-range rover ('Rover First ') for discovering and mapping lunar resources for future utilization.

Andrews, Dana G.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Development of Methods to Evaluate Safer Flight Characteristics

The goal of the proposed research is to begin development of a simulation that models the flight characteristics of the Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER) pack. Development of such a simulation was initiated to ultimately study the effect an Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) has on SAFER dynamics. A major function of this program will be to calculate fuel consumption for many ORUs with different masses and locations. This will ultimately determine the maximum ORU mass an astronaut can carry and still perform a self-rescue without jettisoning the unit. A second primary goal is to eventually simulate relative motion (vibration) between the ORU and astronaut. After relative motion is accurately modeled it will be possible to evaluate the robustness of the control system and optimize performance as needed. The first stage in developing the simulation is the ability to model a standardized, total, self-rescue scenario, making it possible to accurately compare different program runs. In orbit an astronaut has only limited data and will not be able to follow the most fuel efficient trajectory; therefore, it is important to correctly model the procedures an astronaut would use in orbit so that good fuel consumption data can be obtained. Once this part of the program is well tested and verified, the vibration (relative motion) of the ORU with respect to the astronaut can be studied.

Basciano, Thomas E., Jr.↗