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At least 217 records · Page 12

Statistical Signal Analysis for Systems with Interferenced Inputs

A new approach is introduced, based on statistical signal analysis, which overcomes the error due to input signal interference. The model analyzed is given. The input signals u sub 1 (t) and u sub 2 (t) are assumed to be unknown. The measurable signals x sub 1 (t) and x sub 2 (t) are interferened according to the frequency response functions, H sub 12 (f) and H sub 21 (f). The goal of the analysis was to evaluate the power output due to each input, u sub 1 (t) and u sub 2 (t), for the case where both are applied to the same time. In addition, all frequency response functions are calculated. The interferenced system is described by a set of five equations with six unknown functions. An IBM XT Personal Computer, which was interfaced with the FFT, was used to solve the set of equations. The software was tested on an electrical two-input, one-output system. The results were excellent. The research presented includes the analysis of the acoustic radiation from a rectangular plate with two force inputs and the sound pressure as an output signal.

Bai, R. M.↗

Response of aerospace structures to reentry aerodynamic excitation

A bibliography on aerodynamic excitation and associated structural response is presented. Very little applicable data under actual reentry conditions was found, but many wind tunnel tests and some in-flight data were. Aerodynamic excitation and proposed space shuttle configurations and reentry trajectories were studied. Attached turbulent boundary layer, separated turbulent boundary layer, and base pressure fluctuations are the region of aerodynamic excitation most applicable to exterior panels of space shuttle-type vehicles; prediction techniques are presented for these environments. Methods for predicting the response of panel structures to acoustic excitation were investigated. A normal mode approach was developed for the low frequency response and a statistical energy approach was utilized for the high frequency response. A finite element model was made of a thermal protective system test panel. Computer programs were used to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the panel and to calculate the response of the panel to a reverberant acoustic field. Power spectral densities of response displacement and acceleration are presented.

Carlin, D., Jr.↗

Investigation Of Prandtl-Ishlinskii Hysteresis Compensation for Deep Space Optical Communications Pointing Control

This paper studies the simulated performance of the Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) laser downlink pointing control system that has a pointing requirement at the sub-microradian scale. To achieve the required pointing precision, the DSOC Flight Laser Transceiver (FLT) point-ahead mirror (PAM) employs piezoelectric actuators, which are widely used in precision applications due to their high motion resolution, rapid response, and high output forces. However, a piezoelectric actuator's performance is often limited by nonlinearities in their response, most significantly hysteresis. To study the effect of hysteresis on our simulated pointing performance, an invertible hysteresis model is developed using the Classical Prantdl-Ishlinskii (CPI) method. The simulation includes models of DSOC hardware and electronic system components based on key parameters (bias, frequency response, noise), with the hysteresis modeled in the PAM piezo actuator dynamics. A Proportional-Integral controller provides feedback with measurements from two potential sources: strain gauge sensors or a photon-counting camera. To compensate for hysteresis behavior, a feedforward inverse CPI hysteresis model is implemented in the control system. Two CPI models are built using different sampling methods (uniform sampling and cosine spacing) and controller performance is compared. For the maximum command range of ±400 μrad at 1 mHz, results show that the feedforward combined with feedback control reduces output tracking error by 50% or 58% (to 0.20 or 0.38 μrad) compared to feedback control alone (from 0.40 or 0.90 μrad), corresponding to the uniform-sampled and cosine-sampled CPI models, respectively.

Marinello, Lindsey A.↗

Recovering Aerodynamic Side Loads on Rocket Nozzles using Quasi-Static Strain-Gage Measurements

During over-expanded operation of rocket nozzles, which is defined to be when the exit pressure is greater than internal pressure over some part of the nozzle, the nozzle will experience a transverse forcing function due to the pressure differential across the nozzle wall. Over-expansion occurs during the nozzle start-up and shutdown transient, even in high-altitude engines, because most test facilities cannot completely reproduce the near-vacuum pressures at those altitudes. During this transient, the pressure differential moves axially down the nozzle as it becomes pressurized, but this differential is never perfectly symmetric circumferentially. The character of the forcing function is highly complex and defined by a series of restricted and free shock separations. The subject of this paper is the determination of the magnitude of this loading during sub-scale testing via measurement of the structural dynamic response of the nozzle and its support structure. An initial attempt at back-calculating this load using the inverse of the transfer function was performed, but this attempt was shown to be highly susceptible to numerical error. The final method chosen was to use statically calibrated strain data and to filter out the system fundamental frequency such that the measured response yields close to the correct dynamic loading function. This method was shown to capture 93% of the pressure spectral energy using controlled load shaker testing. This method is one of the only practical ways for the inverse determination of the forcing function for non-stationary excitations, and, to the authors' knowledge, has not been described in the literature to date.

Brown, Andrew↗

Analysis of the free-tip rotor wind-tunnel test results

The results from a wind tunnel test of a small scale free-tip rotor are analyzed. The free-tip rotor has blade tips that are free to weathervane into the tip's relative wind, thus producing a more uniform lift around the azimuth. The free-tip assembly, which includes the controller, functioned flawlessly throughout the test. In a test of the free-tip's response after passing through a vertical air jet, the tip pitched freely and in a controlled manner. Analysis of the tip's response characteristics showed the free-tip system's damped natural frequency to be 5.2 per rev. Tip pitch angle responses to the local airstream are presented for an advance-ratio range of 0.1 to 0.397 and for a solidity weighted rotor lift coefficient range of 0.038 to 0.092. Harmonic analysis of the responses showed a dominance by the first harmonic. As a result of the tip being free, forward flight power requirements were reduced by 8% or more. More power reduction was recorded for high thrust conditions. In addition to the power reduction, flatwise blade bending moments were reduced by as much as 30% at the inboard blade stations.

Stroub, Robert H.↗

Design, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis for the SLS Core Stage Green Run Test Series

The Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage (CS) Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system is comprised of eight mechanical feedback Shuttle heritage Type III TVC actuators and four RS-25 engines, each attached to a Shuttle heritage gimbal block/bearing. The actuators are powered by a Shuttle-derived hydraulic Core Auxiliary Power Unit (CAPU), and integrated with an all-new Core Stage thrust structure. The actuators are interfaced to the SLS Vehicle Management (VM) software via an all-new TVC Actuator Control (TAC) avionics subsystem. Despite the significant test and flight experience of the Shuttle hardware, the SLS Green Run ambient and hot fire test activities revealed a number of new findings associated with the dynamic response of the TVC integrated system. Test responses suggested that the TVC system did not meet its performance specifications and its step and frequency responses exhibited unexpected departures from prior lab tests and modeled behavior. This paper is the fifth installment in a seven-paper series surveying the design, engineering, test validation, and flight performance of the Core Stage Thrust Vector Control system. In this paper, the design of the TVC analyses conducted during the Core Stage Green Run test series are discussed in detail. Throughout the course of the test activities, the SLS flight control team worked diligently with the Core Stage contractor to revise test command profiles and ensure sufficient instrumentation was available to collect data. Post-test analysis combined the Green Run modal, ambient, and hot fire test data, MSFC 2- axis Core Stage TVC Inertial Load Simulator (ILS) data, Hardware-In-the-Loop (HWIL) Systems Integration Lab (SIL) results, and actuator Acceptance Testing Procedure (ATP) responses. These data were used to characterize the response, validate critical math models of the TVC subsystem, and isolate the probable cause of the unexpected responses. Through comprehensive analysis of the available test data sources, the integrated team identified the dominant contributors to the observed response and developed test-correlated rationale for vehicle flight control system performance, ultimately leading to a confident posture for the Artemis I mission.

John H. Wall↗

Nondestructive evaluation of composites by optical time domain reflectometry

Results in the measurement of slowly varying mechanical loading functions on composites using optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) in imbedded optical fiber during both simulated manufacture and use are reviewed. First, the basic theoretical and experimental principles of the OTDR system are described. Next, the mechanical system of the composite and the imbedded fiber is analyzed. Results of measurement obtained for various loading functions applied to material specimens are then described and system limitations on spatial resolution, strain amplitude sensitivity, and frequency response are explained in terms of the range and resolution limits of the OTDR system.

Claus, R. O.↗

Comet nucleus gamma-ray spectrometer penetrator - An in situ nucleus composition experiment

An engineering design study of a comet nucleus penetrator system for in situ determinations of comet composition is presented. The system is designed for participation in the Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby mission to comet Kopff in 1996. The instrumentation payload of the penetrator system will include a passive gamma-ray spectrometer; a high frequency response accelerometer for measurements of the impact deceleration profile of the system as it penetrates to the nucleus of the comet; and several thermocouples mounted along the length of the penetrator to measure temperature and temperature gradients. The mechanical, electrical and thermal interfaces between the penetrator and the Mariner Mark II spacecraft are described. A series of line drawings is provided which illustrates the proposed configuration of the system.

Swenson, B. L.↗

Instrumental variables algorithm for modal parameter identification in flutter testing

The paper is concerned with the task of estimating modal parameters from system response measurement in aircraft flutter testing. A frequency-domain derivation of an instrumental-variables algorithm is presented for a linear time-invariant dynamic system of order n. Basically, this algorithm fits a set of poles and zeros to the measured transfer function. An illustrative example is provided regarding the application of the algorithm to aeroelasticity testing. It is shown that the algorithm can be implemented for on-line data reduction with a microcomputer-based analysis system. By using instrumental variables the sensitivity of the modal parameter estimates to noise in the system-response measurements is reduced greatly. The algorithm is expected to be a powerful and valuable tool for on-line estimation of modal parameters in flutter testing and should be useful in control system and structural dynamics tests.

Johnson, W.↗

Influence of impeller shroud forces on turbopump rotor dynamics

The shrouded-impeller leakage path forces calculated by Childs (1987) have been analyzed to answer two questions. First, because of certain characteristics of the results of Childs, the forces could not be modeled with traditional approaches. Therefore, an approach has been devised to include the forces in conventional rotordynamic analyses. The forces were approximated by traditional stiffness, damping and inertia coefficients with the addition of whirl-frequency-dependent direct and cross-coupled stiffness terms. The forces were found to be well-modeled with this approach. Finally, the effect these forces had on a simple rotor-bearing system was analyzed, and, therefore, they, in addition to seal forces, were applied to a Jeffcott rotor. The traditional methods of dynamic system analysis were modified to incorporate the impeller forces and yielded results for the eigenproblem, frequency response, critical speed, transient response and an iterative technique for finding the frequency of free vibration as well as system stability. All results lead to the conclusion that the forces have little influence on natural frequency but can have appreciable effects on system stability. Specifically, at higher values of fluid swirl at the leakage path entrance, relative stability is reduced. The only unexpected response characteristics that occurred are attributed to the nonlinearity of the model.

Williams, Jim P.↗

Influence of impeller shroud forces on turbopump rotor dynamics

The shrouded-impeller leakage path forces calculated by Childs have been analyzed to answer two questions. First, because of certain characteristics or the results of Childs, the forces could not be modeled with traditional approaches. Therefore, an approach has been devised to include the forces in conventional rotordynamic analyses. The forces were found to be well-modeled with this approach. Finally, the effect these forces had on a simple rotor-bearing system was analyzed, and, therefore, they, in addition to seal forces, were applied to a Jeffcott rotor. The traditional methods of dynamic system analysis were modified to incorporate the impeller forces and yielded results for the eigenproblem, frequency response, critical speed, transient response, and an iterative technique for finding the frequency of free vibration as well as system stability. All results lead to the conclusion that the forces have little influence on natural frequency but can have appreciable effects on system stability. Specifically, at higher values of fluid swirl at the leakage path entrance, relative stability is reduced. The only unexpected response characteristics that occurred are attributed to the nonlinearity of the model.

Williams, J. P.↗

Further development of the dynamic gas temperature measurement system. Volume 2: Computer program user's manual

The Dynamic Gas Temperature Measurement System compensation software accepts digitized data from two different diameter thermocouples and computes a compensated frequency response spectrum for one of the thermocouples. Detailed discussions of the physical system, analytical model, and computer software are presented in this volume and in Volume 1 of this report under Task 3. Computer program software restrictions and test cases are also presented. Compensated and uncompensated data may be presented in either the time or frequency domain. Time domain data are presented as instantaneous temperature vs time. Frequency domain data may be presented in several forms such as power spectral density vs frequency.

Stocks, Dana R.↗

Development of an on-line parameter estimation system using the discrete modal filter

Ongoing development of an automated system for monitoring the frequency and damping of time varying structural systems is discussed. A spatial filtering technique called the discrete modal filter is used to uncouple multiple response measurements into modal coordinate responses. Since the modal coordinate responses are the responses of single-degree-of-freedom systems, the frequency and damping may be accurately estimated with short data records. An on-line monitoring system is discussed which may be useful in a variety of applications. The focus in this paper is on the application to aircraft flight flutter testing.

Shelley, S. J.↗

Spatial-frequency response of the Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere /LIMS/ radiometer

The Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS), an experiment on the Nimbus-7 satellite, is designed to scan the earth's limb vertically and measure spectral emission profiles of trace atmospheric gases believed to be important in processes controlling the stratospheric ozone distribution. Experiment objectives are reviewed and several analyses and measurements are described which were performed to determine the adequacy of the system for satisfying these objectives. Adequate spatial-frequency response for all the spectral channels is required to provide, through inversion of the measured limb-radiance profiles, important information about the temperature, structure, and composition of the atmosphere. From the LIMS design-model data, the MTF was calculated for the optical system, the detector field mask, the electronics, and the overall system, for each channel. The signal output performance of the instrument was predicted from the system MTF data model input radiance data for each channel. MTF measurements made on the flight sensor confirmed the analytical results. The predictions indicate that the instrument can satisfy the basic measurement objectives of the experiment.

Wilson, R. G.↗

Communications biophysics

Sweep frequency technique used in auditory nerve fiber responses to two-tone stimuli

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE↗

Substructuring techniques

The substructure function generator program is discussed. Input to this program consists of a definition of a finite element model of a substructure, and specification of the type and number of displacement functions to be generated. Primary output is a substructure data file containing the substructure mass and stiffness matrices expressing kinetic and potential energies as quadratic forms in coefficients of the displacement functions, etc. The substructure synthesis program forms complete system mass, stiffness, and damping matrices, computes system modes and frequencies, and executes transient response calculations. Input to this program consists of the array of substructure data files generated by the function generator program for individual substructures, and data cards defining the position and interconnection of the substructures, damping data, forcing function details, and function control parameters.

Whetstone, W. D.↗

A digital computer program for the dynamic interaction simulation of controls and structure (DISCOS), volume 1

A theoretical development and associated digital computer program system for the dynamic simulation and stability analysis of passive and actively controlled spacecraft are presented. The dynamic system (spacecraft) is modeled as an assembly of rigid and/or flexible bodies not necessarily in a topological tree configuration. The computer program system is used to investigate total system dynamic characteristics, including interaction effects between rigid and/or flexible bodies, control systems, and a wide range of environmental loadings. In addition, the program system is used for designing attitude control systems and for evaluating total dynamic system performance, including time domain response and frequency domain stability analyses.

Bodley, C. S.↗

Adaptation of a modern medium helicopter (Sikorsky S-76) to higher harmonic control

Sikorsky Aircraft has performed analytical studies, design analyses, and risk reduction tests have been performed for Higher Harmonic Control (HHC) on the S-76. The S-76 is an 8 to 10,000 lb helicopter which cruises at 145 kts. Flight test hardware has been assembled, main servo frequency response tested and upgraded, aircraft control system shake tested and verified, open loop controllers designed and fabricated, closed loop controllers defined and evaluated, and rotors turning ground and flight tests planned for the near future. Open loop analysis shows that about 2 deg of higher harmonic feathering at the blade 75% radius will be required to eliminate 4P vibration in the cockpit.

Oleary, J. J.↗