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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Representation of Cultural Role-Play for Training

The Department of Defense (000) has successfully applied a number of methods for cultural familiarization training ranging from stand-up classroom training, to face-to-face live role-play, to so-called smart-cards. Recent interest has turned to the use of single and mUlti-player gaming technologies to augment these traditional methods of cultural familiarization. One such system, termed CulturePad, has been designed as a game-based role-play environment suitable for use in training and experimentation involving cultural roleplay scenarios. This paper describes the initial CulturePad effort focused on a literature review regarding the use of role-play for cultural training and a feasibility assessment of using a game-mediated environment for role-play. A small-scale pilot involving cultural experts was conducted to collect qualitative behavioral data comparing live role-play to game-mediated role-play in a multiplayer gaming engine.

Santarelli, Thomas↗
NASA NTRS1994

Effects of historical and predictive information on ability of transport pilot to predict an alert

In the aviation community, the early detection of the development of a possible subsystem problem during a flight is potentially useful for increasing the safety of the flight. Commercial airlines are currently using twin-engine aircraft for extended transport operations over water, and the early detection of a possible problem might increase the flight crew's options for safely landing the aircraft. One method for decreasing the severity of a developing problem is to predict the behavior of the problem so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken. To investigate the pilots' ability to predict long-term events, a computer workstation experiment was conducted in which 18 airline pilots predicted the alert time (the time to an alert) using 3 different dial displays and 3 different parameter behavior complexity levels. The three dial displays were as follows: standard (resembling current aircraft round dial presentations); history (indicating the current value plus the value of the parameter 5 sec in the past); and predictive (indicating the current value plus the value of the parameter 5 sec into the future). The time profiles describing the behavior of the parameter consisted of constant rate-of-change profiles, decelerating profiles, and accelerating-then-decelerating profiles. Although the pilots indicated that they preferred the near term predictive dial, the objective data did not support its use. The objective data did show that the time profiles had the most significant effect on performance in estimating the time to an alert.

Trujillo, Anna C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The reliability and validity of flight task workload ratings

Twelve instrument-rated general aviation pilots each flew two scenarios in a motion-base simulator. During each flight, the pilots verbally estimated their workload every three minutes. Following each flight, they again estimated workload for each flight segment and also rated their overall workload, perceived performance, and 13 specific factors on a bipolar scale. The results indicate that time (a priori, inflight, or postflight) of eliciting ratings, period to be covered by the ratings (a specific moment in time or a longer period), type of rating scale, and rating method (verbal, written, or other) may be important variables. Overall workload ratings appear to be predicted by different specific scales depending upon the situation, with activity level the best predictor. Perceived performance seems to bear little relationship to observer-rated performance when pilots rate their overall performance and an observer rates specific behaviors. Perceived workload and performance also seem unrelated.

Childress, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

2014 SRP Integration Transcript

HRP's mission is to reduce the risks to human health and performance during long-duration spaceflight. The HRP Integrated Research Plan (IRP) contains the research plans for the 32 risks that require research to characterize and mitigate. From its inception the "integrate" aspect of the IRP has denoted the integrated nature of risks to human health and performance. Even though each risk in the IRP has its own research plan and is tracked separately, the interrelated nature of health and performance requires that they be addressed in an integrative or holistic fashion so that the connectedness of physiological systems within the human body and the integrated response to spaceflight can be addressed. Common characteristics of the spaceflight environment include altered gravity, atmospheres, and light/dark cycles; space radiation; isolation; noise; and periods of high or low workload. Long-term exposure to this unique environment produces a suite of physiological effects such as stress; vision, neurocognitive, and anthropometric changes; circadian misalignment; fluid shifts; cardiovascular deconditioning; immune dysregulation; and altered nutritional requirements. Expanding cross-disciplinary integrative approaches that synthesize concepts or data from two or more disciplines would improve the identification and characterization risk factors, and enable the development of countermeasures relevant to multiple risks. Cross-disciplinary approaches might also help to illuminate problem areas that may arise when a countermeasure adversely impacts risks other than those which it was developed to mitigate, or to identify groupings of physiological changes that are likely to occur that may impact the overall risk posture. In 2014 HRP embarked on a pilot study that combined four SRPs (and 12 HRP risks) - Behavioral Health, Sensorimotor, Cardiovascular, and Bone/Muscle - specifically to discuss cross-disciplinary integration. The points outlined below were suggested to seed the discussion, within the bounding constraint that research plans must be feasible and relevant to the HRP mission. While these were suggested starting points, the overall guiding principle was to allow free discussion from panel members on any aspect of integrated research that they felt was important, Existing cross-disciplinary integration as documented in the IRP (HRR), Existing or needed integration already identified by HRP, but not yet well defined within the IRP, Areas of integration that are missing.

Steinberg, Susan↗
NASA NTRS1978

Perseveration effects in detection tasks with correlated decision intervals

An investigation of the behavior of the human decisionmaker is described for a task related to the problem of a pilot using a traffic situation display to avoid collisions. This sequential signal detection task is characterized by highly correlated signals with time varying strength. Experimental results are presented and the behavior of the observers is analyzed using the theory of Markov processes and classical signal detection theory. Mathematical models are developed which describe the main result of the experiment: that correlation in sequential signals induced perseveration in the observer response and a strong tendency to repeat their previous decision, even when they were wrong.

Gai, E. G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Modeling Approach for the Aluminum-clad Dry Storage Pilot using HFIR Fuel

To confirm that the dry storage of aluminum-clad research reactor spent nuclear fuel (ASNF) will remain within the safety envelope after applied drying schemes and that the resulting evolution of the gas space composition, temperature, and pressure conditions are understood, a dry storage pilot project is being established. The pilot will incorporate an instrumented lid for discrete interval or for on-demand gas composition and temperature monitoring of two DOE Standard Canisters (DSCs) loaded with three High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) inner cores per DSC. Each DSC would be subjected to a separate alternative candidate drying scheme. Canisters will undergo 1 to 5 years of monitoring, including internal temperature and gas sampling to track pressure and composition changes. This report outlines the approach for modeling the ASNF-in-canister behavior in terms of evolving gas space conditions for the ASNF dry storage pilot using HFIR fuel. The ASNF has an adherent surface oxyhydroxide layer comprised of boehmite/bayerite that generates hydrogen when subjected to irradiation. Three-dimensional multi-physics computational fluid dynamics simulations will be executed to compute the thermal field within the DSC and provide inputs to a chemical model employed to compute pressure buildup as hydrogen is generated in the system. Implemented in Cantera, the chemical model solves gas phase and aluminum oxyhydroxide surface-mediated radiolysis reactions. Gas phase reactions are sourced from Wittman and Hanson (2015), whereas surface-mediated reactions are incorporated by fitting experimental data using an optimization algorithm (Abboud, 2023). Water radiolysis reactions from Wren and Ball (2001) are adopted with modifications as described in Abboud (2023c). Understanding the effect of the hydrogen buildup over time is important for long-term storage safety considerations. Modeling results will include the canister pressure, temperature, and composition evolution from the initial helium backfill with the addition of radiolytically-evolved chemical species (e.g., hydrogen and oxygen). The specific HFIR cores for the pilot program have not yet been selected, and the overall design is still in development. The CFD-chemical model used for this work will be based on prior models with necessary updates to allow for improved accuracy and efficiency. The experimental data obtained from the HFIR demonstration will be used to improve and validate the computational models to predict the ASNF-in-canister behavior.

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NASA NTRS1976

Preliminary report on airline pilot scan patterns during simulated ILS approach

A series of ILS approaches using seven airline-rated Boeing 737 pilots in an FAA qualified simulator have been conducted. The test matrix included both manual and coupled approaches with and without atmospheric turbulence in Category II weather. A nonintrusive oculometer system was used to track the pilot's eye-point-of-regard throughout the approach. The results indicate that, in general, the pilots use a different scan technique for the manual and coupled conditions; however, the introduction of atmospheric turbulence does not greatly affect the scan behavior in either case. A comparison is made between the objective measures of the instrument scan (oculometer data) and the pilots' opinions of their instrument use. The data show a high degree of consistency among pilots for both the quantitative data and the qualitative data (pilots' opinions). However, there is a slightly lower agreement between the quantitative and qualitative measures.

Spady, A. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Effects of Motion Cues on the Training of Multi-Axis Manual Control Skills

The study described in this paper investigated the effects of two different hexapod motion configurations on the training and transfer of training of a simultaneous roll and pitch control task. Pilots were divided between two groups which trained either under a baseline hexapod motion condition, with motion typically provided by current training simulators, or an optimized hexapod motion condition, with increased fidelity of the motion cues most relevant for the task. All pilots transferred to the same full-motion condition, representing motion experienced in flight. A cybernetic approach was used that gave insights into the development of pilots use of visual and motion cues over the course of training and after transfer. Based on the current results, neither of the hexapod motion conditions can unambiguously be chosen as providing the best motion for training and transfer of training of the used multi-axis control task. However, the optimized hexapod motion condition did allow pilots to generate less visual lead, control with higher gains, and have better disturbance-rejection performance at the end of the training session compared to the baseline hexapod motion condition. Significant adaptations in control behavior still occurred in the transfer phase under the full-motion condition for both groups. Pilots behaved less linearly compared to previous single-axis control-task experiments; however, this did not result in smaller motion or learning effects. Motion and learning effects were more pronounced in pitch compared to roll. Finally, valuable lessons were learned that allow us to improve the adopted approach for future transfer-of-training studies.

flight simulators↗
NASA NTRS1976

Handling qualities aspects of NASA YF-12 flight experience

The handling qualities of the YF-12 airplane as observed during NASA research flights over the past five years were reviewed. Aircraft behavior during takeoff, acceleration, climb, cruise, descent, and landing are discussed. Pilot comments on the various flight phases and tasks are presented. Handling qualities parameters such as period, damping, amplitude ratios, roll-yaw coupling, and flight path response sensitivity are compared to existing and proposed handling qualities criteria. The influence of the propulsion systems, stability augmentation, autopilot systems, atmospheric gusts, and temperature changes are also discussed. YF-12 experience correlates well with flying qualities criteria, except for longitudinal short period damping, where existing and proposed criteria appear to be more stringent than necessary.

Berry, D. T.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Regional Climatology and Surface Radiation Budget

The climatology and surface radiation budget (SRB) of a region are intimately related. This paper presents a brief examination of this relationship. An 8-year surface radiation budget data set has been developed based on satellite measurements. In that data set and in this paper a region is defined as a quasi-square 2.5o in latitude and approximately the same physical distance in longitude. A pilot study by Wilber et al. (1998) showed a variety of behaviors of the annual cycles for selected regions. Selected desert regions form a loop in a specific part of the plot, with large NLW and large NSW. Tropical wet regions form much smaller loops in a different part of the plot, with small NLW and large NSW. For regions selected in high latitude the annual cycles form nearly linear figures in another part of the plot. The question arises as to whether these trajectories are characteristic of the climatology of the region or simply the behavior of the few regions selected from the set of 6596 regions. In order to address this question, it is necessary to classify the climatology of the each region, e.g. as classified by Koeppen (1936) or Trenwarthe and Horne (1980). This paper presents a method of classifying climate of the regions on the basis of the surface radiation behavior such that the results are very similar to the classification of Trenwarthe and Horne. The characteristics of the annual cycle of SRB components can then be investigated further, based on the climate classification of each region.

Wilber, Anne C.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Intelligent Engine Systems Work Element 1.2: Malfunction and Operator Error Reduction

Jet engines, although highly reliable and safe, do experience malfunctions that cause flight delays, passenger stress, and in some cases, in conjunction with inappropriate crew response, contribute to airplane accidents. On rare occasions, the anomalous engine behavior is not recognized until it is too late for the pilots to do anything to prevent or mitigate the resulting engine malfunction causing in-flight shutdowns (IFSDs), aborted takeoffs (ATOs), or loss of thrust control (LOTC). In some cases, the crew response to a myriad of external stimuli and existing training procedures is the source of the problem mentioned above. The problem is the reduction of jet engine malfunctions (IFSDs, ATOs, and LOTC) and inappropriate crew response (PSM+ICR) through the use of evolving and advanced technologies. The solution is to develop the overall system health maintenance architecture, detection and accommodation technologies, processes, and enhanced crew interfaces that would enable a significant reduction in IFSDs, ATOs, and LOTC. This program defines requirements and proposes a preliminary design concept of an architecture that enables the realization of the solution.

Wiseman, Matthew↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Gaseous By-Product of Thermal Vacuum Processing of Lunar Highland Simulant

Scientists at Kennedy Space Center are advancing technologies to achieve oxygen extraction on the Lunar surface. One such technology is Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) in which regolith simulant is melted under high temperatures to perform oxygen extraction through electrolysis of the melt pool. A study was conducted to understand the molten formation and proper-ties of Lunar Highlands Simulants (LHS-1) under high vacuum environments ranging between 10-6 Torr. These studies include investigating the regolith melt behavior and by-product gas analysis systems to prepare for pilot plant development and operations. The off-gassing rates and pressure build-up, gaseous compounds, and material compatibility may be a risk to MRE systems. The KSC findings are reported here for inclusion into future mis-sion architecture and operational planning. The four stages of the experiment were vacuum, resistive heating, regolith melt and gas detection. The regolith mass of 70 g was melted in a 40 cm tall x 50 cm diameter vacuum chamber at temperature increase rate 47 ℃ /min and ramp rate of 1 ampere/3 min up to an 18-amp maximum. The test is conducted for about 60 minutes and the constituent gases produced during heating of regolith is monitored with a re-sidual gas analyzer. During the molten formation, primary off-gassing volatiles included water vapor (18 amu), a peak at 44 amu (FeO2 – expected), and atomic oxygen (16 amu), among a series of other compounds that could create compatibility issues such as magnesium, chlorine, and silicon oxide. These results add to the knowledge required for successful oxygen extraction on the moon.

Molten Regolith Electrolysis↗
NASA NTRS1999

Detecting Mode Confusion Through Formal Modeling and Analysis

Aircraft safety has improved steadily over the last few decades. While much of this improvement can be attributed to the introduction of advanced automation in the cockpit, the growing complexity of these systems also increases the potential for the pilots to become confused about what the automation is doing. This phenomenon, often referred to as mode confusion, has been involved in several accidents involving modern aircraft. This report describes an effort by Rockwell Collins and NASA Langley to identify potential sources of mode confusion through two complementary strategies. The first is to create a clear, executable model of the automation, connect it to a simulation of the flight deck, and use this combination to review of the behavior of the automation and the man-machine interface with the designers, pilots, and experts in human factors. The second strategy is to conduct mathematical analyses of the model by translating it into a formal specification suitable for analysis with automated tools. The approach is illustrated by applying it to a hypothetical, but still realistic, example of the mode logic of a Flight Guidance System.

Miller, Steven P.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Methodology for Examining the Operator and the System Concurrently: Pilot Interaction with Automation

Complex system description is problematic when considering operator task activities interacting with system dynamics. Engineering languages have matured sufficiently to allow machine system description at various levels of depth and breadth but without operator synergy. Concurrently, Task Analysis methods have evolved along diverse lines enabling a description of the operator in the system from various paradigms but not describing the system. A void exists when attempting to view the system and the operator in the same plane. We propose a methodology employing descriptive languages from different domains viewed in a single dimension. Finite Automata (FA) languages describe the machine system in the proposed approach. Operator task specifications, a form of task analysis output, examine the operator activities within the system. Operator task specifications were then selected for discrete task activities and overlaid on the system description to examine operator inputs and subsequently view system responses. Unexpected (surprise) and undesirable system behavior was expected to emerge from this analysis. In this paper we shall first describe the methodology and show how the two perspectives, machine model and operator task specifications are integrated. Following we describe the process of doing such analysis using an example from cockpit automation. The methodology was employed in the analysis of a new function that was added to an existing automatic flight control system. We begin by defining a flight scenario involving all aspects of pilot interaction with the new function. Then, we proceed to develop a basic model of the machine behavior, in the context of pilot actions. Finally we superimpose the operator task specification on the machine model and perform the analysis. The proposed methodology may have broad appeal to system designers and human factors specialists. A common language for engineers of diverse domains is a strong point of this approach. Systems engineers may not fully understand operational considerations and human limitations, and human factors specialists may not be exposed to the full extent of system behavior. We hope the proposed methodology is adopted by both disciplines and in the process each assimilates a common language to address potential shortcomings of either approach separately.

Austin, David↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of the Addition of a Low Equivalent Stress Mechanism to the Analysis of Geomechanical Behavior of the SPR West Hackberry Site

Sandia National Laboratories has long used the Munson-Dawson (M-D) model to predict the geomechanical behavior of salt caverns used to store oil at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Salt creep causes storage caverns to deform inward, thus losing volume. This loss of volume affects the salt above and around the caverns, puts stresses and strains on borehole casings, and creates surface subsidence which affects surface infrastructure. Therefore, accurate evaluation of salt creep behavior drives decisions about cavern operations. Parameters for the M-D model are typically fit against laboratory creep tests, but nearly all historic creep tests have been performed at equivalent stresses of 8 MPa or higher. Creep rates at lower equivalent stresses are very slow, such that tests take months or years to run, and the tests are sensitive to small temperature perturbations (<0.1°C). A recent collaboration between US and German researchers, recently characterized the creep behavior at low equivalent (deviatoric) stresses (<8 MPa) of salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. In addition, the M-D model was recently extended to include a low stress creep “mechanism”. This paper details new simulations of SPR caverns that use this extended M-D model, called the M-D Viscoplastic model. The results show that the inclusion of low stress creep significantly alters the prediction of steady-state cavern closure behavior and indicate that low stress creep is the dominant displacement mechanism at the dome scale. The implications for evaluating cavern and well integrity are demonstrated by investigating three phenomena: the extent of stress changes around the cavern; the predicted vertical strains applied to wellbore casings; and the evaluation of oscillating stress changes around the cavern due to oil sale cycles and their potential effect on salt fatigue.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Compositional Variation Tests on DuraMelter 100 with LAW Sub-Envelope C1 Feed (LAWC22) Glass in Support of the LAW Pilot Melter (Final Report)

The Vitreous State Laboratory at The Catholic University of America (VSL) is developing and testing glass formulations for RPP-WTP waste envelopes to provide data to meet the RPP-WTP contract requirements and to support system design activities. That work is based upon small-scale batch melts (“crucible melts”) using waste envelope simulants. Selected formulations have also been tested in small-scale continuously-fed joule-heated melters (DM10 and DM100 systems) and, ultimately, in the LAW Pilot Melter. Such melter tests provide information on key process factors such as feed processing behavior, dynamic effects during processing, sulfate incorporation, processing rates, off-gas amounts and compositions, foaming control, etc., that cannot be reliably obtained from crucible melts. This sequential scale-up approach in the vitrification testing program ensures that maximum benefit is obtained from the more costly pilot-scale tests and that the most effective use is made of that resource. The principal objective of the work described in this report was to collect the necessary small-scale melter test data with a LAW Sub-Envelope C1 waste simulant in order to support the next series of tests with the same melter feed on the LAW Pilot Melter. This work was conducted under a corresponding Test Specification and Test Plan.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Vitrification of Inactive Incineration Ash in a Full Industrial Scale In Can Melter - 20502

In the framework of the H2020 THERAMIN project funded by the European Commission, CEA performed a pilot-scale trial consisting of the vitrification of inactive ash (Al, Ca, Si, Zn, Bi, K, Mg, etc.) using the In- Can Melter technology. These ashes were coming from incineration of simulated technological wastes such as cotton, latex, neoprene, polyethylene. The borosilicate glass feasibility was first evaluated at a laboratory scale (10-100 g of glass). The volatile behavior of fly ash was controlled by pelletizing to avoid pipes clogging when performing the pilot scale test. A 10 wt.% inorganic binder was added to obtain cohesive pellets. The glass frit composition was selected and its ratio was fixed at 50 wt.%. After this step, a bench test (1 kg of glass) was done to verify the absence of container corrosion. Finally, it was followed by a pilot scale test (50 kg of glass) with 75,000 ash pellets used. The same glass microstructure and chemical composition were observed at each scale. Typical crystals of apatites (Ca, P), zincochromites (Zn, Cr, Al) and bismuth alloys (Bi, Sb) dispersed into a borosilicate glass matrix were observed. The chemical durability of the wasteform was measured during 28 days in a 90 deg. C water. Although there were durable crystalline phases, the hydrolysis rate of the vitreous part is relatively high because of the B and Na contents. However, leach rate profiles suggest that an alteration layer will form, leading to an alteration rate decrease. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1984

Suppression of Biodynamic Interference by Adaptive Filtering

Preliminary experimental results obtained in moving base simulator tests are presented. Both for pursuit and compensatory tracking tasks, a strong deterioration in tracking performance due to biodynamic interference is found. The use of adaptive filtering is shown to substantially alleviate these effects, resulting in a markedly improved tracking performance and reduction in task difficulty. The effect of simulator motion and of adaptive filtering on human operator describing functions is investigated. Adaptive filtering is found to substantially increase pilot gain and cross-over frequency, implying a more tight tracking behavior. The adaptive filter is found to be effective in particular for high-gain proportional dynamics, low display forcing function power and for pursuit tracking task configurations.

Velger, M.↗