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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Application of digital controls on the quiet clean short haul experimental engines

The digital control systems for the Under-the-Wing (UTW) and Over-the-Wing (OTW) engines developed on the NASA/General Electric Quiet Clean Shorthaul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) program are described. The system to control engine variables includes three major functional parts: system sensors, digital control and system actuators. One of the primary control system functions is to prevent the engine from exceeding speed or temperature limits. The UTW control system also provides fault detection and condition monitoring. The control system requirements for the OTW engine are essentially the same as the UTW engine, however the inlet Mach number control requirement is eliminated, and failure indication and corrective action and full authority digital control are added. The digital controls scheduled the engine variables and maintained engine operation within all physical limits throughout the test program of approximately 200 hours of operation and provided stable and accurate control of both engines.

Saunders, A. A., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Design of a digital controller for spinning flexible spacecraft

An approach to digital control system design is applied to the analysis and design of a practical onboard digital attitude control system for a class of spinning vehicles characterized by a rigid body and two connected flexible appendages. The approach used is to design a continuous-data control system that will provide a satisfactory system response. Then, using the digital redesign method, a digital controller with onboard digital computer is designed to provide a digital control system whose states are similar to those of the continuous system at sampling instants. The simplicity of application of this approach is indicated by example. The example, using spinning Skylab parameters, is used to substantiate the conclusions.

Kuo, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Digital control of magnetic bearings supporting a multimass flexible rotor

The characteristics of magnetic bearings used to support a three mass flexible rotor operated at speeds up to 14,000 RPM are discussed. The magnetic components of the bearing are of a type reported in the literature previously, but the earlier analog controls were replaced by digital ones. Analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters and digital control software were installed in an AT&T PC. This PC-based digital controller was used to operate one of the magnetic bearings on the test rig. Basic proportional-derivative control was applied to the bearings, and the bearing stiffness and damping characteristics were evaluated. Particular attention is paid to the frequency dependent behavior of the stiffness and damping properties, and comparisons are made between the actual controllers and ideal proportional-derivative control.

Keith, F. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evaluating Multi-Input/Multi-Output Digital Control Systems

Controller-performance-evaluation (CPE) methodology for multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) digital control systems developed. Procedures identify potentially destabilizing controllers and confirm satisfactory performance of stabilizing ones. Methodology generic and used in many types of multi-loop digital-controller applications, including digital flight-control systems, digitally controlled spacecraft structures, and actively controlled wind-tunnel models. Also applicable to other complex, highly dynamic digital controllers, such as those in high-performance robot systems.

Pototzky, Anthony S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Design of a digital controller for spinning flexible spacecraft.

A new approach to digital control system design is applied to the analysis and design of a practical onboard digital attitude control system for a class of spinning vehicles characterized by a rigid body and two connected flexible appendages. The approach used is to design a continuous-data control system that will provide a satisfactory system response. Then, using the digital redesign method, a digital controller with onboard digital computer is designed to provide a digital control system whose states are similar to those of the continuous system at sampling instants. The simplicity of application of this approach is indicated by an example in which spinning Skylab parameters are used to substantiate the conclusions.

Kuo, B. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Digital control system for space structural dampers

Digital control systems for space structural dampers, also referred to as inertia or proof-mass dampers are investigated. A damper concept is improved by adding a small taper to the proof-mass, and using a proximeter to determine position. Another damper using a three inch stroke rather than the standard one inch stroke is described. Provisions are made for a relative velocity feedback. In one approach, the digital controller is modified to accept the signal from a linear velocity transducer. In the other, the velocity feedback is included in the digital program. An overall system concept for the use of the dampers is presented.

Haviland, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1964

Linear digital control.

Linear discrete of digital controller design for optimal regulation of feedback control systems

OPTIMAL CONTROL↗
NASA NTRS1985

Digital control system for space structure dampers

A digital controller was developed using an SKD-51 System Design Kit, which incorporates an 8031 microcontroller. The necessary interfaces were installed in the wire wrap area of the SKD-51 and a pulse width modulator was developed to drive the coil of the actuator. Also, control equations were developed, using floating-point arithmetic. The design of the digital control system is emphasized, and it is shown that, provided certain rules are followed, an adequate design can be achieved. It is recommended that the so-called w-plane design method be used, and that the time elapsed before output of the up-dated coil-force signal be kept as small as possible. However, the cycle time for the controller should be watched carefully, because very small values for this time can lead to digital noise.

Haviland, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Evaluation of a high response electrohydraulic digital control valve

The application is described of a digital control valve on an electrohydraulic servo actuator. The digital control problem is discussed in general as well as the design and evaluation of a breadboard actuator. The evaluation revealed a number of problems associated with matching the valve to a hydraulic load. The problems were related to lost motion resulting from bulk modulus and leakage. These problems were effectively minimized in the breadboard actuator by maintaining a 1000 psi back pressure on the valve circuit and thereby improving the effective bulk modulus.

Anderson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Oscillations in digital control systems

Signal quantization induced low amplitude oscillations in digital control systems, discussing relationship to digital controller programming form

Chenoweth, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Digital Control System For Wind-Tunnel Model

Multiple functions performed by multiple coordinated processors for real-time control. Multiple input, multiple-output, multiple-function digital control system developed for wind-tunnel model of advanced fighter airplane with actively controlled flexible wings. Digital control system provides flexibility in selection of control laws, sensors, and actuators, plus some redundancy to accommodate failures in some of its subsystems. Implements feedback control scheme providing simultaneously for suppression of flutter, control of roll angle, roll-rate tracking during maximized roll maneuvers, and alleviation of loads during roll maneuvers.

Hoadley, Sherwood T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The multiple-function multi-input/multi-output digital controller system for the AFW wind-tunnel model

A real time multiple-function digital controller system was developed for the Active Flexible Wing (AFW) Program. The digital controller system (DCS) allowed simultaneous execution of two control laws: flutter suppression and either roll trim or a rolling maneuver load control. The DCS operated within, but independently of, a slower host operating system environment, at regulated speeds up to 200 Hz. It also coordinated the acquisition, storage, and transfer of data for near real time controller performance evaluation and both open- and closed-loop plant estimation. It synchronized the operation of four different processing units, allowing flexibility in the number, form, functionality, and order of control laws, and variability in the selection of the sensors and actuators employed. Most importantly, the DCS allowed for the successful demonstration of active flutter suppression to conditions approximately 26 percent (in dynamic pressure) above the open-loop boundary in cases when the model was fixed in roll and up to 23 percent when it was free to roll. Aggressive roll maneuvers with load control were achieved above the flutter boundary. The purpose here is to present the development, validation, and wind tunnel testing of this multiple-function digital controller system.

Hoadley, Sherwood T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Floating-point system quantization errors in digital control systems

This paper considers digital controllers (filters) operating in floating-point arithmetic in either open-loop or closed-loop systems. A quantization error analysis technique is developed, and is implemented by a digital computer program that is based on a digital simulation of the system. The program can be integrated into existing digital simulations of a system.

Phillips, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Optimal digital control of multirate systems

Many digitally controlled aerospace systems have widely separated time constants and thus can benefit from the use of two or more sample rates. In this paper, the analysis and synthesis of multirate systems is accomplished by creating an equivalent single rate system and applying existing techniques. The optimal steady state solution of the single rate system is obtained by eigenvector decomposition and then used to compute the periodic solution to the Riccati equation of the original multirate system. An example shows when multirate analysis is necessary and the penalty of various levels of approximations to the exact multirate solution.

Amit, N.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Digital Controller For Emergency Beacon

Prototype digital controller intended for use in 406-MHz emergency beacon. Undergoing development according to international specifications, 406-MHz emergency beacon system includes satellites providing worldwide monitoring of beacons, with Doppler tracking to locate each beacon within 5 km. Controller turns beacon on and off and generates binary codes identifying source (e.g., ship, aircraft, person, or vehicle on land). Codes transmitted by phase modulation. Knowing code, monitor attempts to communicate with user, monitor uses code information to dispatch rescue team appropriate to type and locations of carrier.

Ivancic, William D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Digital control of wind tunnel magnetic suspension and balance systems

Digital controllers are being developed for wind tunnel magnetic suspension and balance systems, which in turn permit wind tunnel testing of aircraft models free from support interference. Hardware and software features of two existing digital control systems are reviewed. Some aspects of model position sensing and system calibration are also discussed.

Britcher, Colin P.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Converting the Active Digital Controller for Use in Two Tests

The Active Digital Controller is a system used to control the various functions of wind tunnel models. It has the capability of digitizing and saving of up to sixty-four channels of analog data. It can output up to 16 channels of analog command signals. In addition to its use as a general controller, it can run up to two distinct control laws. All of this is done at a regulated speed of two hundred hertz. The Active Digital Controller (ADC) was modified for use in the Actively Controlled Response of Buffet Affected Tails (ACROBAT) tests and for side-wall pressure data acquisition. The changes included general maintenance and updating of the controller as well as setting up special modes of operation. The ACROBAT tests required that two sets of output signals be available. The pressure data acquisition needed a sampling rate of four hundred hertz, twice the standard ADC rate. These modifications were carried out and the ADC was used during the ACROBAT wind tunnel entry.

Wright, Robert G.↗