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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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NASA NTRS1975

Computer simulation of an aircraft-based differential absorption and scattering system for retrieval of SO2 vertical profiles

The feasibility of using the differential absorption and scattering technique from aircraft altitudes for remotely measuring the vertical distribution of SO2 was studied via a computer simulation. Particular care was taken in this simulation to use system parameters (i.e., laser energy, telescope size, etc.) which can be accommodated on an aircraft and can be realized with commercially available technology. The vertical molecular and aerosol profiles were chosen to simulate the types of profiles which might be experienced over a large city. Results are presented on the retrieval of the assumed SO2 profile which show the effects of systematic errors due to interfering gases and aerosols, as well as random errors due to shot noise in the return signal, detector and background noise, and instrument-generated noise.

Hoell, J. M., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1996

User Interface Developed for Controls/CFD Interdisciplinary Research

The NASA Lewis Research Center, in conjunction with the University of Akron, is developing analytical methods and software tools to create a cross-discipline "bridge" between controls and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technologies. Traditionally, the controls analyst has used simulations based on large lumping techniques to generate low-order linear models convenient for designing propulsion system controls. For complex, high-speed vehicles such as the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), simulations based on CFD methods are required to capture the relevant flow physics. The use of CFD should also help reduce the development time and costs associated with experimentally tuning the control system. The initial application for this research is the High Speed Civil Transport inlet control problem. A major aspect of this research is the development of a controls/CFD interface for non-CFD experts, to facilitate the interactive operation of CFD simulations and the extraction of reduced-order, time-accurate models from CFD results. A distributed computing approach for implementing the interface is being explored. Software being developed as part of the Integrated CFD and Experiments (ICE) project provides the basis for the operating environment, including run-time displays and information (data base) management. Message-passing software is used to communicate between the ICE system and the CFD simulation, which can reside on distributed, parallel computing systems. Initially, the one-dimensional Large-Perturbation Inlet (LAPIN) code is being used to simulate a High Speed Civil Transport type inlet. LAPIN can model real supersonic inlet features, including bleeds, bypasses, and variable geometry, such as translating or variable-ramp-angle centerbodies. Work is in progress to use parallel versions of the multidimensional NPARC code.

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NASA NTRS1975

Systems analysis of the space shuttle

Developments in communications systems, computer systems, and power distribution systems for the space shuttle are described. The use of high speed delta modulation for bit rate compression in the transmission of television signals is discussed. Simultaneous Multiprocessor Organization, an approach to computer organization, is presented. Methods of computer simulation and automatic malfunction detection for the shuttle power distribution system are also described.

Schilling, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Design analysis and computer-aided performance evaluation of shuttle orbiter electrical power system. Volume 1: Summary

Studies were conducted to develop appropriate space shuttle electrical power distribution and control (EPDC) subsystem simulation models and to apply the computer simulations to systems analysis of the EPDC. A previously developed software program (SYSTID) was adapted for this purpose. The following objectives were attained: (1) significant enhancement of the SYSTID time domain simulation software, (2) generation of functionally useful shuttle EPDC element models, and (3) illustrative simulation results in the analysis of EPDC performance, under the conditions of fault, current pulse injection due to lightning, and circuit protection sizing and reaction times.

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NASA NTRS1993

A Concurrent Implementation of the Cascade-Correlation Algorithm, Using the Time Warp Operating System

This paper discusses the method in which the Cascade-Correlation algorithm was parallelized in such a way that it could be run using the Time Warp Operating System (TWOS). TWOS is a special purpose operating system designed to run parellel discrete event simulations with maximum efficiency on parallel or distributed computers.

time warp operating system TWOS cascade correlatio↗

NASA NTRS1992

Energy loss analysis of an integrated space power distribution system

The results of studies related to conceptual topologies of an integrated utility-like space power system are described. The system topologies are comparatively analyzed by considering their transmission energy losses as functions of mainly distribution voltage level and load composition. The analysis is expedited by use of a Distribution System Analysis and Simulation (DSAS) software. This recently developed computer program by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) uses improved load models to solve the power flow within the system. However, present shortcomings of the software with regard to space applications, and incompletely defined characteristics of a space power system make the results applicable to only the fundamental trends of energy losses of the topologies studied. Accountability, such as included, for the effects of the various parameters on the system performance can constitute part of a planning tool for a space power distribution system.

Kankam, M. David↗

NASA NTRS1992

Energy loss analysis of an integrated space power distribution system

Kankam, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1998

A Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program to Model Flow Distribution in Fluid Networks

This paper describes a general purpose computer program for analyzing steady state and transient flow in a complex network. The program is capable of modeling phase changes, compressibility, mixture thermodynamics and external body forces such as gravity and centrifugal. The program's preprocessor allows the user to interactively develop a fluid network simulation consisting of nodes and branches. Mass, energy and specie conservation equations are solved at the nodes; the momentum conservation equations are solved in the branches. The program contains subroutines for computing "real fluid" thermodynamic and thermophysical properties for 33 fluids. The fluids are: helium, methane, neon, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, fluorine, hydrogen, parahydrogen, water, kerosene (RP-1), isobutane, butane, deuterium, ethane, ethylene, hydrogen sulfide, krypton, propane, xenon, R-11, R-12, R-22, R-32, R-123, R-124, R-125, R-134A, R-152A, nitrogen trifluoride and ammonia. The program also provides the options of using any incompressible fluid with constant density and viscosity or ideal gas. Seventeen different resistance/source options are provided for modeling momentum sources or sinks in the branches. These options include: pipe flow, flow through a restriction, non-circular duct, pipe flow with entrance and/or exit losses, thin sharp orifice, thick orifice, square edge reduction, square edge expansion, rotating annular duct, rotating radial duct, labyrinth seal, parallel plates, common fittings and valves, pump characteristics, pump power, valve with a given loss coefficient, and a Joule-Thompson device. The system of equations describing the fluid network is solved by a hybrid numerical method that is a combination of the Newton-Raphson and successive substitution methods. This paper also illustrates the application and verification of the code by comparison with Hardy Cross method for steady state flow and analytical solution for unsteady flow.

Majumdar, Alok↗

NASA NTRS1989

Explicit modeling and computational load distribution for concurrent processing simulation of the space station

Two important aspects of concurrent processing under development at TRW are discussed. These are: (1) the derivation of explicit mathematical models of multibody dynamic systems, and (2) a balanced computational load distribution (BCLD) among loosely coupled computational units (processors) of a concurrent processing system. The developed methodologies are demonstrated by way of an application to the Phase 1 of the Space Station - a task being performed by TRW under NASA/JSC contract NAS9-17778. The mathematical model of the Space Station consists of three interconnected flexible bodies capable of undergoing large, rigid-body motion with respect to each other. Body 1 is the main central body and contains the pressurized modules inboard of the two Alpha gimbals. Bodies 2 and 3 are the starboard and port bodies connected to Body 1 at the Alpha gimbals and include all components on the transverse booms outboard of the Alpha gimbals (including the solar arrays). The control systems in the model maintain Body 1 in a prescribed 3-axis attitude control mode, while producing large-angle rotations of the flexible solar arrays to position them normal to the sun-line.

Gluck, R.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Evaluating Network Performance of Containerized Test Framework for Distributed Space Systems

Distributed space systems are a mission architecture consisting of multiple spacecraft as a cohesive system which provide multipoint sampling, increased mission coverage, or improved sample resolution, while reducing mission risk through redundancy. To fully realize the potential of these systems, eventually scaling to hundreds or thousands of spacecraft, distributed space systems need to be operated as a single entity, which will enable a variety of novel scientific space missions. The Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA) project is a software project which aims to mature the technology needed for those systems, namely autonomous decision-making and swarm networking. The DSA project leverages a containerized swarm test framework to simulate spacecraft software, which can identify emergent behavior early in development. Container virtualization allows distributed spacecraft systems to be simulated entirely in software on a single computer, avoiding the overhead associated with conventional approaches like hardware facsimiles and virtual machines. For this approach to be effective, the simulated system behavior must not be artificially influenced by the swarm test framework itself. To address this, we present a series of benchmarks to quantify virtual network bandwidth available on a single-host computer and contextualize this against the network and application behavior of the DSA swarm test framework.

Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy↗

NASA NTRS2000

Information Power Grid: Distributed High-Performance Computing and Large-Scale Data Management for Science and Engineering

We use the term "Grid" to refer to distributed, high performance computing and data handling infrastructure that incorporates geographically and organizationally dispersed, heterogeneous resources that are persistent and supported. This infrastructure includes: (1) Tools for constructing collaborative, application oriented Problem Solving Environments / Frameworks (the primary user interfaces for Grids); (2) Programming environments, tools, and services providing various approaches for building applications that use aggregated computing and storage resources, and federated data sources; (3) Comprehensive and consistent set of location independent tools and services for accessing and managing dynamic collections of widely distributed resources: heterogeneous computing systems, storage systems, real-time data sources and instruments, human collaborators, and communications systems; (4) Operational infrastructure including management tools for distributed systems and distributed resources, user services, accounting and auditing, strong and location independent user authentication and authorization, and overall system security services The vision for NASA's Information Power Grid - a computing and data Grid - is that it will provide significant new capabilities to scientists and engineers by facilitating routine construction of information based problem solving environments / frameworks. Such Grids will knit together widely distributed computing, data, instrument, and human resources into just-in-time systems that can address complex and large-scale computing and data analysis problems. Examples of these problems include: (1) Coupled, multidisciplinary simulations too large for single systems (e.g., multi-component NPSS turbomachine simulation); (2) Use of widely distributed, federated data archives (e.g., simultaneous access to metrological, topological, aircraft performance, and flight path scheduling databases supporting a National Air Space Simulation systems}; (3) Coupling large-scale computing and data systems to scientific and engineering instruments (e.g., realtime interaction with experiments through real-time data analysis and interpretation presented to the experimentalist in ways that allow direct interaction with the experiment (instead of just with instrument control); (5) Highly interactive, augmented reality and virtual reality remote collaborations (e.g., Ames / Boeing Remote Help Desk providing field maintenance use of coupled video and NDI to a remote, on-line airframe structures expert who uses this data to index into detailed design databases, and returns 3D internal aircraft geometry to the field); (5) Single computational problems too large for any single system (e.g. the rotocraft reference calculation). Grids also have the potential to provide pools of resources that could be called on in extraordinary / rapid response situations (such as disaster response) because they can provide common interfaces and access mechanisms, standardized management, and uniform user authentication and authorization, for large collections of distributed resources (whether or not they normally function in concert). IPG development and deployment is addressing requirements obtained by analyzing a number of different application areas, in particular from the NASA Aero-Space Technology Enterprise. This analysis has focussed primarily on two types of users: the scientist / design engineer whose primary interest is problem solving (e.g. determining wing aerodynamic characteristics in many different operating environments), and whose primary interface to IPG will be through various sorts of problem solving frameworks. The second type of user is the tool designer: the computational scientists who convert physics and mathematics into code that can simulate the physical world. These are the two primary users of IPG, and they have rather different requirements. The results of the analysis of the needs of these two types of users provides a broad set of requirements that gives rise to a general set of required capabilities. The IPG project is intended to address all of these requirements. In some cases the required computing technology exists, and in some cases it must be researched and developed. The project is using available technology to provide a prototype set of capabilities in a persistent distributed computing testbed. Beyond this, there are required capabilities that are not immediately available, and whose development spans the range from near-term engineering development (one to two years) to much longer term R&D (three to six years). Additional information is contained in the original.

Johnston, William E.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Accelerating the Design of Space Vehicles

One of NASA's key goals is to increase the safety and reduce the cost of space transportation. Thus, a key element of NASA's new Integrated Space Transportation Plan is to develop new propulsion, structures, and operations for future generations of reusable launch vehicles (RLVs). As part of this effort to develop the next RLV, the ClCT Program's Computing, Networking, and Information Systems (CNIS) Project is developing and demonstrating collaborative software technologies that use the collective power of the NASA Grid to accelerate spacecraft design. One of these technologies, called AeroDB, automates the execution and monitoring of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) parameter studies on the NASA Grid. About the NASA Grid The NASA Grid, or Information Power Grid,. is being developed to leverage the distributed resources of NASA's many computers. instruments, simulators, and data storage systems. The goal is to use these combined resources to sdve difficult NASA challenges, such as iimulating the entire flight of a space vehicle from ascent to descent.To realize the vision of the NASA Grid, the CNIS Project is developing the software framework and protocols for building domain-specific environments and interfaces, new Grid services based on emerging industry standards, and advanced networking and computing testbeds to support new Grid-based applications such as AeroDB.

Laufenberg, Larry↗

NASA NTRS1992

Distributed environmental control

We present an architecture of distributed, independent control agents designed to work with the Computer Aided System Engineering and Analysis (CASE/A) simulation tool. CASE/A simulates behavior of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). We describe a lattice of agents capable of distributed sensing and overcoming certain sensor and effector failures. We address how the architecture can achieve the coordinating functions of a hierarchical command structure while maintaining the robustness and flexibility of independent agents. These agents work between the time steps of the CASE/A simulation tool to arrive at command decisions based on the state variables maintained by CASE/A. Control is evaluated according to both effectiveness (e.g., how well temperature was maintained) and resource utilization (the amount of power and materials used).

Cleveland, Gary A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Use of Convex supercomputers for flight simulation at NASA Langley

The use of the Convex Computer Corporation supercomputers for flight simulation is discussed focusing on a real-time input/output system for supporting the flight simulation. The flight simulation computing system is based on two single processor control data corporation CYBER 175 computers, coupled through extended memory. The Advanced Real-Time Simulation System for digital data distribution and signal conversion is a state-of-the-art, high-speed fiber-optic-based, ring network system which is based on the computer automated measurement and control technology.

Cleveland, Jeff I., II↗

NASA NTRS2004

Numerical Modeling of Conjugate Heat Transfer in Fluid Network

Fluid network modeling with conjugate heat transfer has many applications in Aerospace engineering. In modeling unsteady flow with heat transfer, it is important to know the variation of wall temperature in time and space to calculate heat transfer between solid to fluid. Since wall temperature is a function of flow, a coupled analysis of temperature of solid and fluid is necessary. In cryogenic applications, modeling of conjugate heat transfer is of great importance to correctly predict boil-off rate in propellant tanks and chill down of transfer lines. In TFAWS 2003, the present author delivered a paper to describe a general-purpose computer program, GFSSP (Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program). GFSSP calculates flow distribution in complex flow circuit for compressible/incompressible, with or without heat transfer or phase change in all real fluids or mixtures. The flow circuit constitutes of fluid nodes and branches. The mass, energy and specie conservation equations are solved at the nodes where as momentum conservation equations are solved at the branches. The proposed paper describes the extension of GFSSP to model conjugate heat transfer. The network also includes solid nodes and conductors in addition to fluid nodes and branches. The energy conservation equations for solid nodes solves to determine the temperatures of the solid nodes simultaneously with all conservation equations governing fluid flow. The numerical scheme accounts for conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer. The paper will also describe the applications of the code to predict chill down of cryogenic transfer line and boil-off rate of cryogenic propellant storage tank.

Majumdar, Alok↗

NASA NTRS2007

Microfluidic System Simulation Including the Electro-Viscous Effect

This paper describes a practical approach using a general purpose lumped-parameter computer program, GFSSP (Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program) for calculating flow distribution in a network of micro-channels including electro-viscous effects due to the existence of electrical double layer (EDL). In this study, an empirical formulation for calculating an effective viscosity of ionic solutions based on dimensional analysis is described to account for surface charge and bulk fluid conductivity, which give rise to electro-viscous effect in microfluidics network. Two dimensional slit micro flow data was used to determine the model coefficients. Geometry effect is then included through a Poiseuille number correlation in GFSSP. The bi-power model was used to calculate flow distribution of isotropically etched straight channel and T-junction microflows involving ionic solutions. Performance of the proposed model is assessed against experimental test data.

Rojas, Eileen↗

NASA NTRS2019

Cluster Node Computing for Target Generation Systems in Aircraft Simulations

Target generation systems provide virtual position and state reports of aircraft for air traffic simulations. As the scope and scale of the simulation domains expand, there is a need to develop systems that can generate position reports for thousands of simulated aircraft simultaneously at high update rates that support out-the-window visualization. This paper discusses the motivation and reasoning behind investigating development of a next generation target generator through distributed computing using clustered node processing and the benefits such a target generation system has on future research that utilizes human-in-the-loop simulations.

Monheim, Spencer↗

NASA NTRS2009

An Integrated Solution for Performing Thermo-fluid Conjugate Analysis

A method has been developed which integrates a fluid flow analyzer and a thermal analyzer to produce both steady state and transient results of 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D analysis models. The Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP) is a one dimensional, general purpose fluid analysis code which computes pressures and flow distributions in complex fluid networks. The MSC Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer (MSC.SINDA) is a one dimensional general purpose thermal analyzer that solves network representations of thermal systems. Both GFSSP and MSC.SINDA have graphical user interfaces which are used to build the respective model and prepare it for analysis. The SINDA/GFSSP Conjugate Integrator (SGCI) is a formbase graphical integration program used to set input parameters for the conjugate analyses and run the models. The contents of this paper describes SGCI and its thermo-fluids conjugate analysis techniques and capabilities by presenting results from some example models including the cryogenic chill down of a copper pipe, a bar between two walls in a fluid stream, and a solid plate creating a phase change in a flowing fluid.

Kornberg, Oren↗