Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “generator parameter estimation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

An Implanted, Stimulated Muscle Powered Piezoelectric Generator

A totally implantable piezoelectric generator system able to harness power from electrically activated muscle could be used to augment the power systems of implanted medical devices, such as neural prostheses, by reducing the number of battery replacement surgeries or by allowing periods of untethered functionality. The features of our generator design are no moving parts and the use of a portion of the generated power for system operation and regulation. A software model of the system has been developed and simulations have been performed to predict the output power as the system parameters were varied within their constraints. Mechanical forces that mimic muscle forces have been experimentally applied to a piezoelectric generator to verify the accuracy of the simulations and to explore losses due to mechanical coupling. Depending on the selection of system parameters, software simulations predict that this generator concept can generate up to approximately 700 W of power, which is greater than the power necessary to drive the generator, conservatively estimated to be 50 W. These results suggest that this concept has the potential to be an implantable, self-replenishing power source and further investigation is underway.

Lewandowski, Beth↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulations of the Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig Under Reacting Flow Conditions

Simulations of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig (MASTeR) are presented. MASTeR is a parametric test article capable of investigating various scramjet cavity flameholder designs and fueling strategies with the goal to characterize and optimize flameholding capability. In the current work, three cavity aspect ratios, and two fueling strategies (upstream and in-cavity) with ethylene at a nominal facility pressure and temperature condition are evaluated. The reacting simulations are performed, and the resulting flow characteristics are discussed. For each configuration and fueling strategy, cavity residence time, entrainment rate, and fuel-air equivalence ratio are computed. The MASTeR geometry is defined in Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP) and the simulations use a sketch-to-solution (S2S) automated unstructured grid adaptation tool in VULCAN-CFD. This tool automatically generates a simulation grid from the ESP geometry and systematically adapts it to the numerical solution based on the Hessian error estimate of a specified flow field parameter. Reynolds averaged simulations (RAS) are used with a two-equation linear eddy viscosity and diffusivity model. The resulting database can be compared with the experimental data as those become available, and explored to develop models for cavity performance for scramjet propulsion design applications.

hypersonics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulations of the Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig Under Reacting Flow Conditions

Simulations of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Modular Axisymmetric Scramjet Test Rig (MASTeR) are presented. MASTeR is a parametric test article capable of investigating various scramjet cavity flameholder designs and fueling strategies with the goal to characterize and optimize flameholding capability. In the current work, three cavity aspect ratios, three depths, and two fueling strategies (upstream and in-cavity) with ethylene at a nominal facility pressure and temperature conditions are evaluated. The simulations are performed for mixing-only and reacting flows, and the resulting flow characteristics are compared. For each configuration and fueling strategy, cavity residence time, entrainment rate, and fuel-air equivalence ratio are computed. The MASTeR geometry is defined in the Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP) and the simulations use a sketch-to-solution (S2S) automated unstructured grid adaptation tool in VULCAN-CFD. This tool automatically generates a simulation grid from the ESP geometry and systematically adapts it to the numerical solution based on the Hessian error estimate of a specified flow field parameter. Reynolds averaged simulations (RAS) are used with typical two-equation linear eddy viscosity and diffusivity model. The resulting database can be compared with the experimental data as those becomes available and explored to develop models for cavity performance for scramjet propulsion design applications.

hypersonics↗
DOE OSTI2018

Experimental Validation of Numerical Simulations of a New-Generation NiTi Endodontic File Under Bending

The superelasticity of NiTi shape memory alloy has been used in endodontics since the 1990s. To study the mechanical behavior of endodontic instruments, a traditional approach consists in experimental investigations. However, finite element analysis constitutes another way to assess their mechanical behavior and to facilitate their design. The main aim of this study is to compare experimental and numerical bending results on different structures (NiTi wire, spreader, and instruments) to estimate the reliability of the finite element simulations. These investigations were carried out as follows. Firstly, experimental material parameters identification was performed using NiTi wires. These parameters were implemented in an appropriate NiTi model. Bending was numerically applied to the meshed structures generated by the finite element method. Experimental tests were performed on real structures under bending, with exactly the same loading, in order to compare experimental and numerical results. These results were in good agreement for each of the considered structures. This enabled the validation of the simulation results and the use of simulations to design new endodontic instruments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

The implications of uncertain renewable resource potentials for global wind and solar electricity projections

Studies exploring long-term energy system transitions rely on resource cost-supply curves derived from estimates of renewable energy (RE) potentials to generate wind and solar power projections. However, estimates of RE potentials are characterized by large uncertainties stemming from methodological assumptions that vary across studies, including factors such as the suitability of land and the performance and configuration of technology. Based on a synthesis of modeling approaches and parameter values used in prior studies, we explore the implications of these uncertain assumptions for onshore wind and solar photovoltaic electricity generation projections globally using the Global Change Analysis Model. We show that variability in parametric assumptions related to land use (e.g. land suitability) are responsible for the most substantial uncertainty in both wind and solar generation projections. Additionally, assumptions about the average turbine installation density and turbine technology are responsible for substantial uncertainty in wind generation projections. Under scenarios that account for climate impacts on wind and solar energy, we find that these parametric uncertainties are far more significant than those emerging from differences in climate models and scenarios in a global assessment, but uncertainty surrounding climate impacts (across models and scenarios) have significant effects regionally, especially for wind. Our analysis suggests the need for studies focusing on long-term energy system transitions to account for this uncertainty.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Large covariance matrices: accurate models without mocks

Abstract Covariance matrix estimation is a persistent challenge for cosmology. We focus on a class of model covariance matrices that can be generated with high accuracy and precision, using a tiny fraction of the computational resources that would be required to achieve comparably precise covariance matrices using mock catalogues. In previous work, the free parameters in these models were determined using sample covariance matrices computed using a large number of mocks, but we demonstrate that those parameters can be estimated consistently and with good precision by applying jackknife methods to a single survey volume. This enables model covariance matrices that are calibrated from data alone, with no reference to mocks.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optical Characterization of the Keck Array and BICEP3 CMB Polarimeters from 2016 to 2019

The BICEP/Keck experiment (BK) is a series of small-aperture refracting telescopes observing degree-scale cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization from the South Pole in search of a primordial B-mode signature. This B-mode signal arises from primordial gravitational waves interacting with the CMB and has amplitude parametrized by the tensor-to-scalar ratio r. Since 2016, BICEP3 and the Keck Array have been observing with 4800 total antenna-coupled transition-edge sensor detectors, with frequency bands spanning 95, 150, 220, and 270 GHz. Here we present the optical performance of these receivers from 2016 to 2019, including far-field beams measured in situ with an improved chopped thermal source and instrument spectral response measured with a field-deployable Fourier transform spectrometer. As a pair differencing experiment, an important systematic that must be controlled is the differential beam response between the co-located, orthogonally polarized detectors. We generate per-detector far-field beam maps and the corresponding differential beam mismatch that is used to estimate the temperature-to-polarization leakage in our CMB maps and to give feedback on detector and optics fabrication. The differential beam parameters presented here were estimated using improved low-level beam map analysis techniques, including efficient removal of non-Gaussian noise as well as improved spatial masking. These techniques help minimize systematic uncertainty in the beam analysis, with the goal of constraining the bias on r induced by temperature-to-polarization leakage to be subdominant to the statistical uncertainty. This is essential as we progress to higher detector counts in the next generation of CMB experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2009

Using Black Hole Mergers to Explore Structure Formation

Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole mergers will open a new window into the era of structure formation in the early universe. Past efforts have concentrated on calculating merger rates using different physical assumptions, resulting in merger rate estimates that span a wide range (0.1 - 10(exp 4) mergers/year). We develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model of massive black hole mergers that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters, which we then turn around to determine how well observations with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z approximately equal to 5-30 epoch. Our approach involves generating synthetic LISA observable data (total BH masses, BH mass ratios, redshifts, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, thus finding constraints for the physical parameters of the mergers. We find that our method works well at estimating merger parameters and that the number of merger events is a key discriminant among models, therefore making our method robust against observational uncertainties. Our approach can also be extended to more physically-driven models and more general problems in cosmology. This work is supported in part by the Cooperative Education Program at NASA/GSFC.

Alicea-Munoz, E.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Mapping Soil Cation‐Exchange Capacity using Bayesian Modeling and Proximal Sensors at the Field Scale

Core Ideas A Bayesian inference approach (INLA‐SPDE) was used to map topsoil and subsoil CEC. DEM, gamma‐ray spectrometer and EM induction data were combined to map CEC. Posterior marginal distributions of the model parameters and responses were estimated. Gamma‐ray data performed best in the topsoil, followed by DUALEM421S and elevation. Elevation data performed best in the subsoil, followed by gamma‐ray and DUALEM421S. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) affects soil fertility, acidity, and structural resilience. This is particularly the case in sugarcane growing areas of Australia because the soil there is sandy (>60%), strongly acidic (pH < 5.5), and strongly sodic (exchangeable sodium percentage [ESP] > 15%). Unfortunately, obtaining information on CEC at the field extent is time‐consuming and expensive. Here, we used a digital soil mapping approach to add value to limited (40) topsoil (0–0.3 m) and subsoil (0.6–0.9 m) CEC information. We first collected proximally sensed ancillary data from three sources, including a digital elevation model (DEM), γ‐ray (γ‐ray) spectrometer (RS700) and electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments. We then use a Bayesian inference approach (Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation with Stochastic Partial Differential Equation, INLA‐SPDE) implemented in R software to model the CEC and ancillary data. Accuracy (RMSE), bias (ME), and concordance (Lin's) of models were also generated from the different sources of ancillary data, either in combination or alone. We concluded, overall, that the INLA–SPDE approach could provide estimations of the posterior marginal distributions of the model parameters as well as the model responses as reported by other researchers. We also concluded that using the ancillary data sources in combination was most accurate (e.g., RMSE = 0.72) to predict CEC, least biased (e.g., ME = 0.07) and had the highest concordance (e.g., Lin's = 0.69) in both the topsoil and subsoil than using the ancillary data alone. The best ancillary data, when used alone for mapping CEC in the topsoil, was γ‐ray spectrometry, followed by EM data and elevation. For subsoil CEC, it was elevation, followed by γ‐ray spectrometry and then soil electrical conductivity (EC a ) data. The maps of the credibility interval (CI) indicated that better predictions were achieved in the topsoil and indicated where improvements in prediction could be achieved in the subsoil.

Li, Nan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Videos, photos, and AI-derived grain size data associated with “High-throughput AI Video Surveys Enable Reproducible Multiscale Sediment Size Mapping, with Implications for Hydrobiogeochemical Parameterization”

NOTE: The manuscript associated with this data package is currently in review. The data may be revised based on reviewer feedback. Upon manuscript acceptance, this data package will be updated with the final dataset and additional metadata. This data package is associated with the manuscript “High-throughput AI Video Surveys Enable Reproducible Multiscale Sediment Size Mapping, with Implications for Hydrobiogeochemical Parameterization” under review. This data package includes five data types: 1) raw photos and videos from drone survey and walking smartphone surveys; 2) images derived from raw videos; 3) manual labeling of reference scales; 4) metadata for all images and photo resolution derived from artificial intelligence (AI) models or manual labels, 5) grain size data obtained from AI models for all photos, 6) metadata and grain size data after quality control, 7) summaries of sample efficiency for all data, and 8) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data used to support hydro-biogeochemical (HBGC) parameter estimation. Such data is used to 1) demonstrate significant improvements in accuracy, efficiency, and quality control for grain size data collection with the help of AI models, 2) study the spatial heterogeneity of grain size and observation reproducibility based on tens of thousands of data points generated by the AI models, and 3) evaluate the impacts of grain size heterogeneity on key HBGC parameters across sediment-to-reach and hourly-to-yearly scales. In particular, the data package contains 116 folders and 179696 files. The files include 41 videos in .mov format, 64047 photos in .jpg format, 13541 video-derived photos in .png format, 12747 segmentation mask data in .tif format, 12747 segmentation data in .json format, 24771 .csv files that with metadata and grain size for each individual photo as well as water depth and velocity data from CFD and observation, 51791 .txt files of raw AI predicted labels, and 11 flight record data in .srt format. The summary for all metadata and grain size statistics information is included in “Scales_V3_NG.csv” and “Statistics_V3_NG.csv”. The summary for data that pass data quality control (QC) level 0-2 is included in “QCStatistics_V3_NG.csv”. The QC level 0 represents photos whose photo resolution is positive, excluding photos that miss reference scale. The QC level 1 means reference scale circularity uncertainty is less than 5% for smartphone images while representing photo resolution is larger than 0.44 mm/pixel for drone images. The QC level 2 means excluding photos whose grain number is less than 100, a minimum number of grains recommended by classic literature. The summary for each video’s name, length, frame rates, survey area, grain number, survey efficiency, etc. can be found in “QCSummary_V3_NG.csv”. The summary for site name, GPS coordinates, and number of images at each site can be found in “SitesSummary_V3_*.csv” files. Overall computational efficiency summary is reported in Table 4 of accompanying manuscript. Additionally, the nitrate concentration data used in this work was downloaded from an existing dataset published on ESS-DIVE (Boat-Dragged Sensor Hanford Reach.csv; Conner A. et al., 2020). We thank the United States Forest Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Cowiche Canyon Conservatory, Port of Benton, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation for access to field locations where the data were collected. We also thank the Yakama Nation Tribal Council and Yakama Nation Fisheries for working with us to facilitate data collection and optimization of data usage according to their values and worldview.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2008

Black Hole Mergers as Probes of Structure Formation

Intense structure formation and reionization occur at high redshift, yet there is currently little observational information about this very important epoch. Observations of gravitational waves from massive black hole (MBH) mergers can provide us with important clues about the formation of structures in the early universe. Past efforts have been limited to calculating merger rates using different models in which many assumptions are made about the specific values of physical parameters of the mergers, resulting in merger rate estimates that span a very wide range (0.1 - 104 mergers/year). Here we develop a semi-analytical, phenomenological model of MBH mergers that includes plausible combinations of several physical parameters, which we then turn around to determine how well observations with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be able to enhance our understanding of the universe during the critical z 5 - 30 structure formation era. We do this by generating synthetic LISA observable data (total BH mass, BH mass ratio, redshift, merger rates), which are then analyzed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. This allows us to constrain the physical parameters of the mergers. We find that our methodology works well at estimating merger parameters, consistently giving results within 1- of the input parameter values. We also discover that the number of merger events is a key discriminant among models. This helps our method be robust against observational uncertainties. Our approach, which at this stage constitutes a proof of principle, can be readily extended to physical models and to more general problems in cosmology and gravitational wave astrophysics.

Alicea-Munoz, E.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Investigation of Primary Mirror Segment's Residual Errors for the Thirty Meter Telescope

The primary mirror segment aberrations after shape corrections with warping harness have been identified as the single largest error term in the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) image quality error budget. In order to better understand the likely errors and how they will impact the telescope performance we have performed detailed simulations. We first generated unwarped primary mirror segment surface shapes that met TMT specifications. Then we used the predicted warping harness influence functions and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor model to determine estimates for the 492 corrected segment surfaces that make up the TMT primary mirror. Surface and control parameters, as well as the number of subapertures were varied to explore the parameter space. The corrected segment shapes were then passed to an optical TMT model built using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed Modeling and Analysis for Controlled Optical Systems (MACOS) ray-trace simulator. The generated exit pupil wavefront error maps provided RMS wavefront error and image-plane characteristics like the Normalized Point Source Sensitivity (PSSN). The results have been used to optimize the segment shape correction and wavefront sensor designs as well as provide input to the TMT systems engineering error budgets.

warping harness↗
DOE OSTI2018

Assigning value to energy storage systems at multiple points in an electrical grid

The ability to define the potential value that energy storage systems (ESS) could generate through various applications in electric power systems, and an understanding of how these values change due to variations in locations, ESS performance and parameters, market structure, utility structures, and valuation methodologies is highly important in advancing ESS deployment. This paper presents the outcome of an effort to assign benefits values, or more precisely ranges of values, to major ESS applications, and summarize and evaluate the capabilities of several available tools currently used to estimate value for specific ESS deployments.

energy storage valuation, balducci, energy storage↗
NASA NTRS1987

Inverse problems in the modeling of vibrations of flexible beams

The formulation and solution of inverse problems for the estimation of parameters which describe damping and other dynamic properties in distributed models for the vibration of flexible structures is considered. Motivated by a slewing beam experiment, the identification of a nonlinear velocity dependent term which models air drag damping in the Euler-Bernoulli equation is investigated. Galerkin techniques are used to generate finite dimensional approximations. Convergence estimates and numerical results are given. The modeling of, and related inverse problems for the dynamics of a high pressure hose line feeding a gas thruster actuator at the tip of a cantilevered beam are then considered. Approximation and convergence are discussed and numerical results involving experimental data are presented.

Banks, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS2011

AMT-200S Motor Glider Parameter and Performance Estimation

Parameter and performance estimation of an instrumented motor glider was conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dryden Flight Research Center in order to provide the necessary information to create a simulation of the aircraft. An output-error technique was employed to generate estimates from doublet maneuvers, and performance estimates were compared with results from a well-known flight-test evaluation of the aircraft in order to provide a complete set of data. Aircraft specifications are given along with information concerning instrumentation, flight-test maneuvers flown, and the output-error technique. Discussion of Cramer-Rao bounds based on both white noise and colored noise assumptions is given. Results include aerodynamic parameter and performance estimates for a range of angles of attack.

Taylor, Brian R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Further study of the atmospheric gravity waves over the eastern seaboard on 18 March 1969

Washington, D.C., microbarograph records for Mar. 18, 1969 reveal gravity-wave-associated pressure oscillations which appear to be directly related to upper tropospheric wave structure observed at the same time with a Wallops Island 10-cm wavelength radar. The consistency between the two sets of data provides observational support for the hypothesis that shear instability in the upper tropospheric flow is the mechanism responsible for the generation of such waves. The comparison presented suggests that microbarograph arrays might be useful adjuncts to future radar studies of upper tropospheric wave dynamics, supplying such wave parameters as phase velocity and wavelength in favorable cases. The radar data pertinent to this event show an apparent vertical wave phase variation, permitting a very approximate and somewhat uncertain estimate of the wave-associated vertical flux of horizontal momentum, which is found to be about 4 dyn per sq cm. Wave generation by shear instability in the upper tropospheric air flow and the resulting vertical momentum transport may be an important element of the global atmospheric momentum budget.

Hooke, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Mark 3 interactive data analysis system

The interactive data analysis system, a major subset of the total Mark 3 very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) software system is described. The system consists of two major and a number of small programs. These programs provide for the scientific analysis of the observed values of delay and delay rate generated by the VLBI data reduction programs and product the geophysical and astrometric parameters which are among the ultimate products of VLBI. The two major programs are CALC and SOLVE. CALC generates the theoretical values of VLBI delay rate as well as partial derivatives based on apriori values of the geophysical and astronometric parameters. SOLVE is a least squares parameters estimation program which yields the geophysical and astrometric parameters using the observed values by the data processing system and theoretical values and partial derivatives provided by CALC. SOLVE is a highly interactive program in which the user selects the exact form of the recovered parameters and the data to be accepted into the solution.

Ryan, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Measuring earth orientation with the Global Positioning System

A globally distributed network of high-precision receivers which obtain data from the full Global Positioning System (GPS) configuration of 18 or more satellites may soon become an efficient and economical method for the rapid determination of short-term variations in earth orientation. A covariance analysis has been performed to evaluate the errors associated with GPS monitoring of earth orientation. Earth orientation parameters were modeled either as constants over observing windows of various lengths, or as stochastic process-noise variables. The sensitivity of earth orientation estimates to systematic errors in selected model parameters was also examined. GPS measurements appear to be highly competitive with those from other techniques, and have the potential to generate nearly continuous centimeter-level earth orientation information to aid both spacecraft navigation and the study of high-frequency earth orientation-related processes.

Freedman, Adam P.↗