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At least 307 records · Page 17

Benchmark solutions for the galactic ion transport equations: Energy and spatially dependent problems

Nontrivial benchmark solutions are developed for the galactic ion transport (GIT) equations in the straight-ahead approximation. These equations are used to predict potential radiation hazards in the upper atmosphere and in space. Two levels of difficulty are considered: (1) energy independent, and (2) spatially independent. The analysis emphasizes analytical methods never before applied to the GIT equations. Most of the representations derived have been numerically implemented and compared to more approximate calculations. Accurate ion fluxes are obtained (3 to 5 digits) for nontrivial sources. For monoenergetic beams, both accurate doses and fluxes are found. The benchmarks presented are useful in assessing the accuracy of transport algorithms designed to accommodate more complex radiation protection problems. In addition, these solutions can provide fast and accurate assessments of relatively simple shield configurations.

Ganapol, Barry D.↗

Steady-state analysis of a nonlinear rotor-housing system

The periodic steady state response of a high pressure oxygen turbopump (HBOTP) of a Space Shuttle main engine (SSME), involving a clearance between the bearing and housing carrier, is sought. A harmonic balance method utilizig Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm is developed for the analysis. An impedance method is used to reduce the number of degrees of freedom to the displacements at the bearing clearance. Harmonic and subharmonic responses to imbalance for various system parameters are studied. The results show that the computational technique developed in this study is an effective and flexible method for determining the stable and unstable periodic response of complex rotor-housing systems with clearance type nonlinearity.

Noah, S. T.↗

Dimensionality Reduction Through Classifier Ensembles

In data mining, one often needs to analyze datasets with a very large number of attributes. Performing machine learning directly on such data sets is often impractical because of extensive run times, excessive complexity of the fitted model (often leading to overfitting), and the well-known "curse of dimensionality." In practice, to avoid such problems, feature selection and/or extraction are often used to reduce data dimensionality prior to the learning step. However, existing feature selection/extraction algorithms either evaluate features by their effectiveness across the entire data set or simply disregard class information altogether (e.g., principal component analysis). Furthermore, feature extraction algorithms such as principal components analysis create new features that are often meaningless to human users. In this article, we present input decimation, a method that provides "feature subsets" that are selected for their ability to discriminate among the classes. These features are subsequently used in ensembles of classifiers, yielding results superior to single classifiers, ensembles that use the full set of features, and ensembles based on principal component analysis on both real and synthetic datasets.

Oza, Nikunj C.↗

Surface-Height Determination of Crevassed Glaciers-Mathematical Principles of an Autoadaptive Density-Dimension Algorithm and Validation Using ICESat-2 Simulator (SIMPL) Data

Glacial acceleration is a main source of uncertainty in sea-level-change assessment. Measurement of ice-surface heights with a spatial and temporal resolution that not only allows elevation-change calculation, but also captures ice-surface morphology and its changes is required to aid in investigations of the geophysical processes associated with glacial acceleration.The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System aboard NASAs future ICESat-2 Mission (launch 2017) will implement multibeam micropulse photon-counting lidar altimetry aimed at measuring ice-surface heights at 0.7-m along-track spacing. The instrument is designed to resolve spatial and temporal variability of rapidly changing glaciers and ice sheets and the Arctic sea ice. The new technology requires the development of a new mathematical algorithm for the retrieval of height information.We introduce the density-dimension algorithm (DDA) that utilizes the radial basis function to calculate a weighted density as a form of data aggregation in the photon cloud and considers density an additional dimension as an aid in auto-adaptive threshold determination. The auto-adaptive capability of the algorithm is necessary to separate returns from noise and signal photons under changing environmental conditions. The algorithm is evaluated using data collected with an ICESat-2 simulator instrument, the Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photon-counting Lidar, over the heavily crevassed Giesecke Braer in Northwestern Greenland in summer 2015. Results demonstrate that ICESat-2 may be expected to provide ice-surface height measurements over crevassed glaciers and other complex ice surfaces. The DDA is generally applicable for the analysis of airborne and spaceborne micropulse photon-counting lidar data over complex and simple surfaces.

Herzfeld, Ute C.↗

Machine Learning to Predict Joint Performance in Epoxy Composites Based on Process Parameters

Polymer matrix composites are gaining popularity in the aerospace industry due to their high specific strength, fatigue properties, and processability. However, based on current FAA certification guidelines, manufacturers utilizing current state-of-the-art composites made with adhesive bonds commonly install redundant fasteners to guarantee the strength of these adhesively bonded composite parts. The number of fasteners in a single-aisle commercial transport aircraft is typically on the order of 105, which reduces manufacturing rate, increases cost tremendously, and reduces the advantage of the specific strength composites provide. Due to this, the Adhesive Free Bonding of Composites (AERoBOND) project at NASA Langley Research Center has developed a novel assembly process to manufacture complex composite parts without the use of adhesives and fasteners. However, optimization of the process is currently challenging due to the complex and interdependent process parameters. To assist with the optimization, four machine learning algorithms utilizing gradient boosting decision trees were created to provide predictions for the mechanical and characterization properties of the composite parts. Approximately 200 random states from each algorithm were tested, and the models from each state were isolated and analyzed based on their accuracy, a validation process, and their feature importance. This analysis concluded that the models created from the machine learning algorithms could accelerate a parametric study for the AERoBOND process by rapidly optimizing process parameters to achieve desired performance characteristics.

Brennen Michael Middleton↗

Machine Learning to Predict Joint Performance in Epoxy Composites Based on Process Parameters

Polymer matrix composites are gaining popularity in the aerospace industry due to their high specific strength, fatigue properties, and processability. However, based on current FAA certification guidelines, manufacturers utilizing current state-of-the art composites made with adhesive bonds commonly install redundant fasteners to guarantee the strength of these adhesively bonded composite parts.1,2 The number of fasteners in a single-aisle commercial transport aircraft is typically on the order of 105, which reduces manufacturing rate, increases cost tremendously, and reduces the advantage of the specific strength composites provide. Due to this, the Adhesive Free Bonding of Composites (AERoBOND) project at NASA Langley Research Center has developed a novel assembly process to manufacture complex composite parts without the use of adhesives and fasteners.1 However, optimization of the process is currently challenging due to the complex and interdependent process parameters. To assist with the optimization, four machine learning algorithms utilizing gradient boosting decision trees were created to provide predictions for the mechanical and characterization properties of the composite parts. Approximately 200 random states from each algorithm were tested, and the models from each state were isolated and analyzed based on their accuracy, a validation process, and their feature importance. This analysis concluded that the models created from the machine learning algorithms could accelerate a parametric study for the AERoBOND process by rapidly optimizing process parameters to achieve desired performance characteristics.

Brennen M Middleton↗

Development of Machine Learning Algorithms to Segment and Study Images of Astromaterial Samples

Introduction: Micrometer-scale chemical analyses of chondritic meteorites and mission-returned asteroid samples can reveal details of the physical and chemical processes operating in the early solar system, including processes that gave rise to planets, moons, and minor bodies. These primitive astromaterials are comprised of chondrules, calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI), and many other silicates, oxides, metals, sulfides, and fine-grained materials. The chemical and mineralogical complexity of these samples, vast populations of different components, and heterogeneity across mm to km scales, all limit our understanding of the origin and evolution of these materials. Here, we describe recent efforts to use machine learning techniques to automate the segmentation of chemical maps of chondritic meteorites, designed to aid studies of asteroid samples returned by spacecraft. By automating the task of segmentation it will become possible to rapidly analyze and interpret the sizes, shapes, mineralogy, chemistry, and other properties of every chondrule, calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) and other clast within and between asteroid samples. Sample return missions significantly accelerate and heighten the need to develop such new data analysis techniques, and associated data repositories. Techniques: Neural networks require abundant training data, i.e. images which have been segmented by a human user. We have manually segmented data available from previous petrologic and chemical work at NASA Johnson Space Center and the American Museum of Natural History [1-4]. These data were derived from energy- and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, WDS) mapping of samples from many chondrite groups. The Deeplabv3+ [5] neural network architecture was trained on human-labeled masks and used to create machine-labeled masks. Several different algorithms were investigated, with inputs ranging from common RGB image formats through to hyperspectral datasets, with raw data comprising greyscale maps of Mg, Ca, and Al, with or without Si, Fe, Ti for both EDS and WDS data, and extending to other elements in EDS only. Each greyscale image was paired with a binary mask for each labelled particle type. Results: The trained algorithms can segment (Fig 1), classify, and measure the dimensions of thousands of particles in chemical maps of a standard 1-inch round petrographic section in seconds to minutes, rather than many hours needed by a human. Accuracy of the algorithms varied from chondrite to chondrite and across particle types. Further results and details of the algorithms will be presented at the workshop. Future directions: Machine learning has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of complex particle populations contained within primitive astromaterial, with segmentation being a critical first step. Example applications include better understanding of particle transport, nebular reservoirs, parent body accretion, and a deeper understanding of the relationships between particle populations and bulk rock elemental and isotopic compositions. In addition to benefits that machine learning can bring to individual researchers, building a community data repository of thousands to millions of particles across hundreds of samples will open up many other possibilities. For example, with a large enough dataset it will be possible to search for exceptionally closely matching particles across disparate samples. Such a capability would enable a single CAI from OSIRISREx or Hayabusa/II samples to be matched to chondritic CAIs that exhibit near-identical size, texture, and mineralogy, down to the level of similar core phenocrysts, zonation, and rim sequences. Such comparative analyses will help to disentangle precursor chemistry, chronology, gas/dust reservoirs during heating, and accretion. Such an endeavor would be impossible without machine learning and a large community data repository of astromaterial chemical/mineralogic maps.

Machine Learning↗

On-line object feature extraction for multispectral scene representation

A new on-line unsupervised object-feature extraction method is presented that reduces the complexity and costs associated with the analysis of the multispectral image data and data transmission, storage, archival and distribution. The ambiguity in the object detection process can be reduced if the spatial dependencies, which exist among the adjacent pixels, are intelligently incorporated into the decision making process. The unity relation was defined that must exist among the pixels of an object. Automatic Multispectral Image Compaction Algorithm (AMICA) uses the within object pixel-feature gradient vector as a valuable contextual information to construct the object's features, which preserve the class separability information within the data. For on-line object extraction the path-hypothesis and the basic mathematical tools for its realization are introduced in terms of a specific similarity measure and adjacency relation. AMICA is applied to several sets of real image data, and the performance and reliability of features is evaluated.

Ghassemian, Hassan↗

Unified formulation of dynamics for serial rigid multibody systems

There has been a growing interest in the development of new and efficient algorithms for multibody dynamics in recent years. Serial rigid multibody systems form the basic subcomponents of general multibody systems, and a variety of algorithms to solve the serial chain forward dynamics problem have been proposed. In this paper, the economy of representation and analysis tools provided by the spatial operator algebra are used to clarify the inherent structure of these algorithms, to identify those that are similar, and to study the relationships among the ones that are distinct. For the purposes of this study, the algorithms are categorized into three classes: algorithms that require the explicit computation of the mass matrix, algorithms that are completely recursive in nature, and algorithms of intermediate complexity. In addition, alternative factorizations for the mass matrix and closed form expressions for its inverse are derived. These results provide a unifying perspective, within which these diverse dynamics algorithms arise naturally as a consequence of a progressive exploitation of the structure of the mass matrix.

Jain, Abhinandan↗

Parametric Study of a YAV-8B Harrier in Ground Effect using Time-Dependent Navier-Stokes Computations

A process is described which enables the generation of 35 time-dependent viscous solutions for a YAV-8B Harrier in ground effect in one week. Overset grids are used to model the complex geometry of the Harrier aircraft and the interaction of its jets with the ground plane and low-speed ambient flow. The time required to complete this parametric study is drastically reduced through the use of process automation, modern computational platforms, and parallel computing. Moreover, a dual-time-stepping algorithm is described which improves solution robustness. Unsteady flow visualization and a frequency domain analysis are also used to identify and correlated key flow structures with the time variation of lift.

Pandya, Shishir↗

Generating Customized Verifiers for Automatically Generated Code

Program verification using Hoare-style techniques requires many logical annotations. We have previously developed a generic annotation inference algorithm that weaves in all annotations required to certify safety properties for automatically generated code. It uses patterns to capture generator- and property-specific code idioms and property-specific meta-program fragments to construct the annotations. The algorithm is customized by specifying the code patterns and integrating them with the meta-program fragments for annotation construction. However, this is difficult since it involves tedious and error-prone low-level term manipulations. Here, we describe an annotation schema compiler that largely automates this customization task using generative techniques. It takes a collection of high-level declarative annotation schemas tailored towards a specific code generator and safety property, and generates all customized analysis functions and glue code required for interfacing with the generic algorithm core, thus effectively creating a customized annotation inference algorithm. The compiler raises the level of abstraction and simplifies schema development and maintenance. It also takes care of some more routine aspects of formulating patterns and schemas, in particular handling of irrelevant program fragments and irrelevant variance in the program structure, which reduces the size, complexity, and number of different patterns and annotation schemas that are required. The improvements described here make it easier and faster to customize the system to a new safety property or a new generator, and we demonstrate this by customizing it to certify frame safety of space flight navigation code that was automatically generated from Simulink models by MathWorks' Real-Time Workshop.

Denney, Ewen↗

Design of Energy Storage Reactors for Dc-To-Dc Converters

Two methodical approaches to the design of energy-storage reactors for a group of widely used dc-to-dc converters are presented. One of these approaches is based on a steady-state time-domain analysis of piecewise-linearized circuit models of the converters, while the other approach is based on an analysis of the same circuit models, but from an energy point of view. The design procedure developed from the first approach includes a search through a stored data file of magnetic core characteristics and results in a list of usable reactor designs which meet a particular converter's requirements. Because of the complexity of this procedure, a digital computer usually is used to implement the design algorithm. The second approach, based on a study of the storage and transfer of energy in the magnetic reactors, leads to a straightforward design procedure which can be implemented with hand calculations. An equation to determine the lower-bound volume of workable cores for given converter design specifications is derived. Using this computer lower-bound volume, a comparative evaluation of various converter configurations is presented.

Chen, D. Y.↗

C3 generic workstation: Performance metrics and applications

The large number of integrated dependent measures available on a command, control, and communications (C3) generic workstation under development are described. In this system, embedded communications tasks will manipulate workload to assess the effects of performance-enhancing drugs (sleep aids and decongestants), work/rest cycles, biocybernetics, and decision support systems on performance. Task performance accuracy and latency will be event coded for correlation with other measures of voice stress and physiological functioning. Sessions will be videotaped to score non-verbal communications. Physiological recordings include spectral analysis of EEG, ECG, vagal tone, and EOG. Subjective measurements include SWAT, fatigue, POMS and specialized self-report scales. The system will be used primarily to evaluate the effects on performance of drugs, work/rest cycles, and biocybernetic concepts. Performance assessment algorithms will also be developed, including those used with small teams. This system provides a tool for integrating and synchronizing behavioral and psychophysiological measures in a complex decision-making environment.

Eddy, Douglas R.↗

Two implementations of the Expert System for the Flight Analysis System (ESFAS) project

A comparison is made between the two most sophisticated expert system building tools, the Automated Reasoning Tool (ART) and the Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE). The same problem domain (ESFAS) was used in making the comparison. The Expert System for the Flight Analysis System (ESFAS) acts as an intelligent front end for the Flight Analysis System (FAS). FAS is a complex configuration controlled set of interrelated processors (FORTRAN routines) which will be used by the Mission Planning and Analysis Div. (MPAD) to design and analyze Shuttle and potential Space Station missions. Implementations of ESFAS are described. The two versions represent very different programming paradigms; ART uses rules and KEE uses objects. Due to each of the tools philosophical differences, KEE is implemented using a depth first traversal algorithm, whereas ART uses a user directed traversal method. Either tool could be used to solve this particular problem.

Wang, Lui↗

Measurement of Leading Edge Vortices from a Delta Wing Using a Three Component Laser Velocimeter

A demonstration of the capabilities of a three component laser velocimeter to provide a detailed experimental database of a complex flow field i s presented. The orthogonal three component laser velocimeter was used to measure the leading edge vortex flow field above a 75 degrees delta wing at angles-of-attack of 20.5 degrees and 40.0 degrees. The resulting mean velocity and turbulence intensity measurements are presented. The laser velocimeter is described in detail including a description of the data processing algorithm. A full error analysis was conducted and the results presented.

Meyers, James F.↗

A Parametric Testing Environment for Finding the Operational Envelopes of Simulated Guidance Algorithms

The Problem: As NASA missions become ever more complex and subsystems become ever more complicated, testing for correctness becomes progressively more difficult. Exhaustive testing is usually impractical, so how does one select a smaller set of test cases that is effective at finding/analyzing bugs? Solution:(1) Let an analyst pose test-space coverage requirements and then refine these requirements to focus on regions of interest in response to visualized test results. (2) Instead of validating correctness around set points (with Monte Carlo analysis) find and characterize the margins of the performance envelop where the system starts to fail.

treatment learning↗

Theoretical and software considerations for general dynamic analysis using multilevel substructured models

The dynamic analysis of complex structural systems using the finite element method and multilevel substructured models is presented. The fixed-interface method is selected for substructure reduction because of its efficiency, accuracy, and adaptability to restart and reanalysis. This method is extended to reduction of substructures which are themselves composed of reduced substructures. The implementation and performance of the method in a general purpose software system is emphasized. Solution algorithms consistent with the chosen data structures are presented. It is demonstrated that successful finite element software requires the use of software executives to supplement the algorithmic language. The complexity of the implementation of restart and reanalysis porcedures illustrates the need for executive systems to support the noncomputational aspects of the software. It is shown that significant computational efficiencies can be achieved through proper use of substructuring and reduction technbiques without sacrificing solution accuracy. The restart and reanalysis capabilities and the flexible procedures for multilevel substructured modeling gives economical yet accurate analyses of complex structural systems.

Schmidt, R. J.↗

Measurement of leading edge vortices from a delta wing using a three component laser velocimeter

A demonstration of the capabilities of a three-component laser velocimeter to provide a detailed experimental database of a complex flow field is presented. The orthogonal three-component laser velocimeter was used to measure the leading edge vortex flow field above a 75 deg delta wing at angles-of-attack of 20.5 deg and 40.0 deg. The resulting mean velocity and turbulence intensity measurements are presented. The laser velocimeter is described in detail including a description of the data processing algorithm. A full-error analysis was conducted and the results presented.

Meyers, James F.↗