Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “collective mind”

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 37 records · Page 2

MODIS Collection 6 Clear Sky Restoral (CSR): Filtering Cloud Mast 'Not Clear' Pixels

Correctly identifying cloudy pixels appropriate for the MOD06 cloud optical and microphysical property retrievals is accomplished in large part using results from the MOD35 1km cloud mask tests (note there are also two 250m subpixel cloud mask tests that can convert the 1km cloudy designations to clear sky). However, because MOD35 is by design clear sky conservative (i.e., it identifies "not clear" pixels), certain situations exist in which pixels identified by MOD35 as "cloudy" are nevertheless likely to be poor retrieval candidates. For instance, near the edge of clouds or within broken cloud fields, a given 1km MODIS field of view (FOV) may in fact only be partially cloudy. This can be problematic for the MOD06 retrievals because in these cases the assumptions of a completely overcast homogenous cloudy FOV and 1-dimensional plane-parallel radiative transfer no longer hold, and subsequent retrievals will be of low confidence. Furthermore, some pixels may be identified by MOD35 as "cloudy" for reasons other than the presence of clouds, such as scenes with thick smoke or lofted dust, and should therefore not be retrieved as clouds. With such situations in mind, a Clear Sky Restoral (CSR) algorithm was introduced in C5 that attempts to identify pixels expected to be poor retrieval candidates. Table 1 provides SDS locations for CSR and partly cloudy (PCL) pixels.

cloud mask↗

Sparking young minds with Moon rocks and meteorites

What could be more exciting than seeing pieces of other worlds? The Apollo program left a legacy of astounding accomplishments and precious samples. Part of the thrill of those lunar missions is brought to schools by the lunar sample educational disks, which contain artifacts of six piloted trips to the Moon. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is preparing 100 new educational disks containing pieces of meteorites collected in Antarctica. These represent chunks of several different asteroids, that were collected in one of the most remote, forbidding environments on Earth. These pieces of the Moon and asteroids represent the products of basic planetary processes (solar nebular processes, initial differentiation, volcanism, and impact), and, in turn, these processes are controlled by basic physical and chemical processes (energy, energy transfer, melting, buoyancy, etc.). Thus, the lunar and meteorite sample disks have enormous educational potential. New educational materials are being developed to accompany the disks. Present materials are not as effective as they could be, especially in relating samples to processes and to other types of data such as spectral studies and photogeology. Furthermore, the materials are out of date. New background materials will be produced for teachers, assembling slide sets with extensive captions, and devising numerous hands-on classroom activities to do while the disks are at a school and before and after they arrive. The classroom activities will be developed by teams of experienced teachers working with lunar and meteorite experts.

Taylor, G. Jeffrey↗

Dust collection on serviceable satellites

One rationale for the Space Shuttle program which was dramatically realized during the repair of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) is the efficiency of in-orbit satellite servicing. An unexpected benefit of this repair mission was the return of parts of the Solar Max satellite which had been exposed for four years to the space environment. Studies conducted on these parts have yielded valuable data on the micrometeorite flux and composition at shuttle altitudes during this time period. The scientific results from studies of the cosmic dust component of the observed particle impacts are not yet complete but it is clear from the preliminary data available that such studies will be a valuable adjunct to the studies of cosmic dust particles collected in the atmosphere. The success of the initial studies of particles collected during repairs of the SMM spacecraft on a surface not specifically designed as a particle collector nor retrieved in a manner intended to minimize or eliminate local contamination raises the possibility that even more interesting results might be obtained if serviceable satellites were initially designed with these objectives in mind. All designs for modern satellites utilize some form of thermal blanket material in order to minimize thermal stresses inside the spacecraft. It is proposed that all future satellites be designed with standardized removeable sections of thermal blanket material which could be replaced during on-orbit servicing and returned to earth for detailed study.

Nuth, J. A., III↗

Using Cloud-Based Storage Technologies for Earth Science Data

Cloud based infrastructure may offer several key benefits of scalability, built in redundancy and reduced total cost of ownership as compared with a traditional data center approach. However, most of the tools and software systems developed for NASA data repositories were not developed with a cloud based infrastructure in mind and do not fully take advantage of commonly available cloud-based technologies. Object storage services are provided through all the leading public (Amazon Web Service, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, etc.) and private (Open Stack) clouds, and may provide a more cost-effective means of storing large data collections online. We describe a system that utilizes object storage rather than traditional file system based storage to vend earth science data. The system described is not only cost effective, but shows superior performance for running many different analytics tasks in the cloud. To enable compatibility with existing tools and applications, we outline client libraries that are API compatible with existing libraries for HDF5 and NetCDF4. Performance of the system is demonstrated using clouds services running on Amazon Web Services.

Data↗

Drop Size Distribution Measurements Supporting the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: Infrastructure and Preliminary Results

Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) retrieval algorithm validation requires datasets that characterize the 4-D structure, variability, and correlation properties of hydrometeor particle size distributions (PSD) and accumulations over satellite fields of view (5 -- 50 km). Key to this process is the combined use of disdrometer and polarimetric radar platforms. Here the disdrometer measurements serve as a reference for up-scaling dual-polarimetric radar observations of the PSD to the much larger volumetric sampling domain of the radar. The PSD observations thus derived provide a much larger data set for assessing DSD variability, and satellite-based precipitation retrieval algorithm assumptions, in all three spatial dimensions for a range of storm types and seasons. As one component of this effort, the GPM Ground Validation program recently acquired five 3rd generation 2D Video disdrometers as part of its Disdrometer and Radar Observations of Precipitation Facility (DROP), currently hosted in northern Alabama by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. These next-generation 2DVDs were operated and evaluated in different phases of data collection under the scanning domain of the UAH ARMOR C-band dual-polarimetric radar. During this period approximately 7500 minutes of PSD data were collected and processed to create gamma size distribution parameters using a truncated method of moments approach. After creating the gamma parameter datasets the DSDs were then used as input to T-matrix code for computation of polarimetric radar moments at C-band. The combined dataset was then analyzed with two basic objectives in mind: 1) the investigation of seasonal variability in the rain PSD parameters as observed by the 2DVDs; 2) the use of combined polarimetric moments and observed gamma distribution parameters in a functional form to retrieve PSD parameters in 4-D using the ARMOR radar for precipitation occurring in different seasons and for different rain system types. Preliminary results suggest that seasonal variations in the DSD parameters do occur, but are most pronounced when comparing tropical PSDs to either winter or summer convective precipitation. For example the previously documented shift to relatively smaller drop diameters in higher number concentrations for equivalent rain rate bins was observed in tropical storm rainbands occurring over Huntsville. On a more inter seasonal basis empirical fits between parameters such as D0 and ZDR do not appear to exhibit robust seasonal biases- i.e., one fit seems to work for all seasons within acceptable standard error (O[10%]) for estimates of D0. In polarimetric retrievals of the vertical variability in PSD (rain layer) for a tropical rainband we find that the Do varies with height when partitioned by specified precipitation categories (e.g., convective or stratiform, heavy and light stratiform etc.) but this variation is of order 10-20% and is smaller than the difference in D0 observed between the basic delineation of convective and stratiform precipitation types. Currently we are expanding our analysis of the vertical structure of the PSD to include several seasonally and/or dynamically-different storm system types (e.g., winter convection and stratiform events; summer mid-latitude convective etc.) sampled by ARMOR. The study will present the results of our combined analyses.

Petersen, Walter A.↗

TCL2 National Campaign Human Factors Brief

The Technology Capability Level-2 National Campaign (TCL2nc) was conducted at six different test-sites located across the USA, during May and June of 2017. The campaign resulted in over 240 data collection flights using 24 different aircraft and involving 23 flight crews. Flights not only varied in duration, but also in the environments and terrains over which they flew. The TCL2nc highlighted beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and altitude-stratified operations, and saw five partners bring their own, independently built, UAS Service Supplier (USS) for use during the flight tests. This document presents data collected during the TCL2nc that informs the 'Operator' section of the 'Requirements/Best Practices' from the UTM Technical Capability Matrix and Guidelines to Operate (Rios, version as of March 2017). A review of the data collected indicated that although teams were well qualified on paper (in terms of both completing training and having experience with flying UAS vehicles), greater consideration should be given to the unique perspectives and backgrounds of future UAS operators. Overall, teams looked at a variety of sources for information, including USS client-displays, and participants became more mindful of the need to be aware of other vehicles, highlighting the value of reporting information. Observations found that flight crews' time to respond to a UTM issue depended heavily on the team structure, communication efficiency, and crew procedures. These points are discussed in more detail below.

unmanned vehicles↗

Modeling of Substitutional Site Preference in Ordered Intermetallic Alloys

We investigate the site substitution scheme of specific alloying elements in ordered compounds and the dependence of site occupancy on compound stoichiometry, alloy concentration. This basic knowledge, and the interactions with other alloying additions are necessary in order to predict and understand the effect of various alloying schemes on the physical properties of a material, its response to various temperature treatments, and the resulting mechanical properties. Many theoretical methods can provide useful but limited insight in this area, since most techniques suffer from constraints in the type of elements and the crystallographic structures that can be modeled. With this in mind, the Bozzolo-Ferrante-Smith (BFS) method for alloys was designed to overcome these limitations, with the intent of providing an useful tool for the theoretical prediction of fundamental properties and structure of complex systems. After a brief description of the BFS method, its use for the determination of site substitution schemes for individual as well as collective alloying additions to intermetallic systems is described, including results for the concentration dependence of the lattice parameter. Focusing on B2 NiAl, FeAl and CoAl alloys, the energetics of Si, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Hf, Ta and W alloying additions are surveyed. The effect of single additions as well as the result of two simultaneous additions, discussing the interaction between additions and their influence on site preference schemes is considered. Finally, the BFS analysis is extended to ternary L1(sub 2) (Heusler phase) alloys. A comparison between experimental and theoretical results for the limited number of cases for which experimental data is available is also included.

Bozzolo, Guillermo↗

Chondritic Models of 4 Vesta: Comparison of Data from the Dawn Mission with Predicted Internal Structure and Surface Composition/Mineralogy

While the HEDs provide an extremely useful basis for interpreting data from the Dawn mission, there is no guarantee that they provide a complete vision of all possible crustal (and possibly mantle) lithologies that are exposed at the surface of Vesta. With this in mind, an alternative approach is to identify plausible bulk compositions and use mass-balance and geochemical modelling to predict possible internal structures and crust/mantle compositions and mineralogies. While such models must be consistent with known HED samples, this approach has the potential to extend predictions to thermodynamically plausible rock types that are not necessarily present in the HED collection. Nine chondritic bulk compositions are considered (CI, CV, CO, CM, H, L, LL, EH, EL). For each, relative proportions and densities of the core, mantle, and crust are quantified. This calculation is complicated by the fact that iron may occur in metallic form (in the core) and/or in oxidized form (in the mantle and crust). However, considering that the basaltic crust has the composition of Juvinas and assuming that this crust is in thermodynamic equilibrium with the residual mantle, it is possible to calculate a single solution to this problem for a given bulk composition. Of the nine bulk compositions tested, solutions corresponding to CI and LL groups predicted a negative metal fraction and were not considered further. Solutions for enstatite chondrites imply significant oxidation relative to the starting materials and these solutions too are considered unlikely. For the remaining bulk compositions, the relative proportion of crust to bulk silicate is typically in the range 15 to 20% corresponding to crustal thicknesses of 15 to 20 km for a porosity-free Vesta-sized body. The mantle is predicted to be largely dominated by olivine (greater than 85%) for carbonaceous chondrites, but to be a roughly equal mixture of olivine and pyroxene for ordinary chondrite precursors. All bulk compositions have a significant core, but the relative proportions of metal and sulphide can be widely different. Using these data, total core size (metal+ sulphide) and average core densities can be calculated, providing a useful reference frame within which to consider geophysical/gravity data of the Dawn mission. Further to these mass-balance calculations, the MELTS thermodynamic calculator has been used to assess to what extent chondritic bulk compositions can produce Juvinas-like liquids at relevant degrees of partial melting/crystallization. This work will refine acceptable bulk compositions and predict the mineralogy and composition of the associated solid and liquid products over wide ranges of partial melting and crystallization, providing a useful and self-consistent reference frame for interpretation of the data from the VIR and GRaND instruments onboard the Dawn spacecraft.

Toplis, M. J.↗

Possible use of pattern recognition for the analysis of Mars rover X-ray fluorescence spectra

On the Mars rover sample-return mission, the rover vehicle will collect and select samples from different locations on the Martian surface to be brought back to earth for laboratory studies. It is anticipated that an in situ energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer will be on board the rover. On such a mission, sample selection is of higher priority than in situ quantitative chemical anlaysis. With this in mind, a pattern recognition technique is proposed as a simple, direct, and speedy alternative to detailed chemical analysis of the XRF spectra. The validity and efficacy of the pattern recognition technique are demonstrated by the analyses of laboratory XRF spectra obtained from a series of geological samples, in the form both of standardized pressed pellets and as unprepared rocks. It is found that pattern recognition techniques applied to the raw XRF spectra can provide for the same discrimination among samples as a knowledge of their actual chemical composition.

Yin, Lo I↗

FOC SV support and science data analysis

The main activity of NASA grant NAG5-1733 has been the study of Planetary Nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds through observations using the ESA Faint Object Camera conducted during Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Observing Cycles 1 and 2 in the pre-Costar era and in Cycle 4 with Costar and the FOC. A table of the observations obtained during these observing periods is attached along with figures showing the final images. Both the table and the figures are intended for publication later this year in the Astrophysical journal. Work that had been carried out under this grant included: astrometric measurement of ground-based images and preparation of detailed observing proposals; re-calibration of FOC images; deconvolution; and data analysis and measurement. The work has resulted in two papers, the first already published and the second in preparation by Blades, Osmer and Barlow. A reprint of the first paper is attached. The second paper will enlarge upon the results described in the first paper, bearing in mind the much larger sample of objects. Finally, the recently acquired images in Cycle 4 with the corrected optics will allow us to make direct and quantitative comparison between the pre- and post-correction for FOC. This work will be carried out under a separate grant. All the observations concerning Planetary Nebulae as described in an earlier status report have been collected and measured. In addition, a preliminary study of the photometric response of the FOC was begun under this grant but not completed because the analysis of the Cycle 2 Planetary Nebulae took much longer and was much more difficult than originally envisaged (due to the spherical aberration problem). However, because our data covers a long time period, we shall be able to deduce the photometric properties now using the actual PN themselves. This work will be carried out under a separate grant.

Blades, J. Chris↗

In Situ Mineralogical Analysis of Planetary Materials Using X-Ray Diffraction and X-Ray Fluorescence

Remote observations of Mars have led scientists to believe that its early climate was similar to that of the early Earth, having had abundant liquid water and a dense atmosphere. One of the most fascinating questions of recent times is whether simple bacterial life developed on Mars (as it did on the Earth) during this early element period. Analyses of SNC meteorites have broadened considerably our knowledge of the chemistry of certain types of Martian rocks, underscoring the tantalizing possibility of early hydrothermal systems and even of ancient bacterial life. Detailed analyses of SNC meteorites in Terrestrial laboratories utilize the most sophisticated organic, isotopic and microscopic techniques in existence. Indeed; it is unlikely that the key biogenic indicators used in McKay et al (ibid) could be identified by a remote instrument on the surface of Mars. As a result, it is probable that any robotic search for evidence of an ancient Martian biosphere will have as its focus the identification of key minerals in likely host rocks rather than the direct detection of organic or isotopic biomarkers. Even on a sample return mission, mineralogical screening will be utilized to choose the most likely candidate rocks. X-ray diffraction (XRD) is the only technique that can provide a direct determination of the crystal structures of the phases present within a sample. When many different crystalline phases are present, quantitative analysis is better constrained if used in conjunction with a determination of elemental composition, obtainable by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) using the same X-ray source as for XRD. For planetary surface analysis, a remote instrument combining XRD and XRF could be used for mineralogical characterization of both soils and rocks. We are designing a remote XRD/XRF instrument with this objective in mind. The instrument concept pays specific attention to constraints in sample preparation, weight, volume, power, etc. Based on the geometry of a pinhole camera (transmission geometry, flat two-dimensional detector perpendicular to the direct beam), the instrument (which we call CHEMIN, for Chemistry and Mineralogy) uses an X-ray sensitive CCD detector which will allow concurrent positional and energy-dispersive analysis of collected photons. Thus XRF (energy) and XRD (geometry) analysis of transmitted X-rays will be performed at the same time. Tests performed with single minerals and simple mixtures give promising results. Refinements of the prototype promise interpretable results on complex samples.

Sarrazin, P.↗

Visual System for Browsing, Analysis, and Retrieval of Data (ViSBARD)

ViSBARD software provides a way of visualizing multiple vector and scalar quantities as measured by many spacecraft at once. The data are displayed three-dimensionally along the orbits that may be shown either as connected lines or as points. The data display allows the rapid determination of vector configurations, correlations among many measurements at multiple points, and global relationships. Things such as vector field rotations and dozens of simultaneous variables are very difficult to see in (complementary) panel plot representations. The current and next generations of space physics missions require a means to display from tens to hundreds of time series of data in such a way that the mind can comprehend them for the purposes of browsing data, retrieving them in directly useful form, and analyzing them in a global context. Sets of many spacecraft, each carrying many instruments yielding nearly continuous data at high time resolution, have become one of the most effective ways to make progress in understanding the extended, ionized (plasma) atmosphere of the Earth and the Sun. For large collections of data to be effective, they must be extremely readily accessible, with simple, comprehensible overviews of what is available. ViSBARD provides a means to answer these concerns. The ViSBARD package also acts as a remote repository browser; an interface to a Virtual Observatory. Therefore, data can be pulled directly into the application, as opposed to searching for it and downloading separately.

Roberts, Aaron↗

Flowing Plasma Interaction with an Electric Sail Tether Element

Electric sails are a relatively new concept for providing high speed propellant-less propulsion. Employing multiple tethers biased to high positive voltage levels (kV), electric sails are designed to gain momentum from the solar wind by repelling solar wind protons. To maximize the area of the sail that interacts with the solar wind, electric sails rely on the formation of a large plasma sheath around each small diameter tether. Motivated by interest in advancing the development of electric sails, a set of laboratory tests has been conducted to study the interaction of a drifting plasma with a sheath formed around a small diameter tether element biased at positive voltages. The laboratory test setup was created with Debye length scaling in mind to offer a path to extrapolate (via modeling) to full scale electric sail missions. Using an instrument known as a Differential Ion Flux Probe (DIFP) the interaction between a positively biased tether element and a drifting plasma has been measured for several scenarios. Clear evidence of the tether element sheath deflecting ions has been obtained. Maps of the flow angle downstream from the tether element have been made and they show the influence of the plasma sheath. Finally, electron current collection measurements have been made for a wide range of plasma conditions and tether element bias voltages. The electron collection data will have an impact on electric sail power requirements, as high voltage power supplies and electron guns will have to be sized to accommodate the electron currents collected by each tether.

Schneider, Todd↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-18153-DND

During this session, NASA scientists and educators will discuss the importance of sky observations to better understand our atmosphere. Through participation in NASA education projects (S?COOL, GLOBE, and MY NASA DATA) K-12 students get practice in being scientists by collecting data and conducting their own inquiry investigations. Workshop participants will engage in hands-on activities showcasing how aerosols can impact the color and clarity of the sky. Teachers will explore NASA satellite imagery and data to predict global patterns of aerosols and observe interactions within Earth atmosphere. The workshop will be structured following the 5E Learning Model. Workshop activities are classroom ready, aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, and align well with Georgia science standards for Habits of Mind and Nature of Science, as well as the following content standards: S4E3, S4E4, S6E4, S8SR1, S8SR2, S8SR4, SES3, SES5 and SES6.

Sarah Crecelius↗

CubeSat Launch Initiative Overview and CubeSat 101

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recognizes the tremendous potential that CubeSats (very small satellites) have to inexpensively demonstrate advanced technologies, collect scientific data, and enhance student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) was created to provide launch opportunities for CubeSats developed by academic institutions, non-profit entities, and NASA centers. This presentation will provide an overview of the CSLI, its benefits, and its results. This presentation will also provide high level CubeSat 101 information for prospective CubeSat developers, describing the development process from concept through mission operations while highlighting key points that developers need to be mindful of.

Launching↗

A Fluorescent Aerogel for Capture and Identification of Interplanetary and Interstellar Dust

Aerogels are extremely low-density solids whose superiority as capturing media for hypervelocity (v > 0.5 km/s) grains has been well established. A prominent example is the use of silica aerogel as the collecting medium for cometary and interstellar grains on NASA s Stardust mission. Aerogel collectors have been deployed in low-earth orbit, but severe background from anthropogenic orbital debris has so far prevented the identification of more than a handful of interplanetary particles. No interstellar particles have been identified so far. Since they are on hyperbolic orbits, extraterrestrial particles are faster than orbital debris, so could in principle be identified on that basis, but existing aerogels give little information on impact velocity. With this in mind, we have developed a novel calorimetric aerogel which passively records the kinetic energy of captured hypervelocity particles.

Dominguez, Gerardo↗

Design guidelines for the testability of microprocessor based logic designs

This paper deals with the issue of designing microprocessor based systems with testability in mind. The ease of eventual testability should be a design consideration from the earliest design stage. Design guidelines with explicit examples for ease of testability are given. The issue of testing microprocessors as contrasted with testing random logic design is addressed, and procedures are delineated for the testability of microprocessors. Microprocessor testability design guidelines are discussed both at the design stage of the microprocessor itself as well as at the stage where the processor is imbedded as a component in a larger system. Specific instances and examples of a collection of design do's and don'ts are provided.

Mathur, F. P.↗

Physics-Based Modeling of Meteor Entry and Breakup

A new research effort at NASA Ames Research Center has been initiated in Planetary Defense, which integrates the disciplines of planetary science, atmospheric entry physics, and physics-based risk assessment. This paper describes work within the new program and is focused on meteor entry and breakup. Over the last six decades significant effort was expended in the US and in Europe to understand meteor entry including ablation, fragmentation and airburst (if any) for various types of meteors ranging from stony to iron spectral types. These efforts have produced primarily empirical mathematical models based on observations. Weaknesses of these models, apart from their empiricism, are reliance on idealized shapes (spheres, cylinders, etc.) and simplified models for thermal response of meteoritic materials to aerodynamic and radiative heating. Furthermore, the fragmentation and energy release of meteors (airburst) is poorly understood. On the other hand, flight of human-made atmospheric entry capsules is well understood. The capsules and their requisite heatshields are designed and margined to survive entry. However, the highest speed Earth entry for capsules is less than 13 km/s (Stardust). Furthermore, Earth entry capsules have never exceeded diameters of 5 m, nor have their peak aerothermal environments exceeded 0.3 atm and 1 kW/cm2. The aims of the current work are: (i) to define the aerothermal environments for objects with entry velocities from 13 to greater than 20 km/s; (ii) to explore various hypotheses of fragmentation and airburst of stony meteors in the near term; (iii) to explore the possibility of performing relevant ground-based tests to verify candidate hypotheses; and (iv) to quantify the energy released in airbursts. The results of the new simulations will be used to anchor said risk assessment analyses. With these aims in mind, state-of-the-art entry capsule design tools are being extended for meteor entries. We describe: (i) applications of current simulation tools to spherical geometries of diameters ranging from 1 to 100 m for an entry velocity of 20 km/s and stagnation pressures ranging from 1 to 100 atm; (ii) the influence of shape and departure of heating environment predictions from those for a simple spherical geometry; (iii) assessment of thermal response models for silica subject to intense radiation; and (iv) results for porosity-driven gross fragmentation of meteors, idealized as a collection of smaller objects. Lessons learned from these simulations will be used to help understand the Chelyabinsk meteor entry up to its first point of fragmentation.

Aerothermodynamics↗