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NASA NTRS1990

Fairness problems at the media access level for high-speed networks

Most lower speed (approx. 10 Mbps) local area networks use adaptive or random access protocols like Ethernet. Others at higher speed use demand assignment like token or slotted rings. These include Cambridge ring and electronic token ring systems. Fairness issues in representatives of such protocols are discussed. In particular, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) was selected as a demand access protocol using tokens, Carrier Sensed Multiple Access/Ring Network (CSMA/RN) a random access protocol, and Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB) a demand access protocol using reservations. Fairness at the media access level was the focus, i.e., attaining access or being excessively delayed when a message is queued to be sent as a function of network location. Within that framework, the essential fairness of FDDI was observed along with severe fairness problems in DQDB and some problems for CSMA/RN. Several modifications were investigated and their ameliorative effect is shown. Finally, a unified presentation which allows comparisons of the three protocols' fairness when normalized to their capacity is given.

Maly, Kurt J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A Report on Stochastic Fairness Queueing (SFQ) Experiments

SRI International (SRI) has developed an improved queueing algorithm, known as Stochastic Fairness Queueing (SFQ), for best-effort traffic (i.e., traffic that does not require any guaranteed service). SFQ is a probablistic variant of strict fair queueing where instead of a single queue being allocated per flow, a fixed number of queues are used and a hash function maps the IP source and destination to a particular queue. A seed to the hash function is also perturbed occasionally to help distribute the flows amongst different queues when more than one flow maps to the same queue during the lifetime of the flow. SFQ provides 'fair' access by trying to ensure that each flow from source to destination host obtains equal access to the available bandwidth. This report covers a series of experiments performed on DARTnet evaluating the behavior and performance of SFQ against a FIFO queueing discipline. These experiments were designed to show SFQ's advantages and performance, and include tests demonstrating: Fair utilization of available resources; Starvation prevention; Graceful degradation under overload conditions; and Resource usage. In general, the experiments do show that SFQ is better than FIFO queueing at allocating bandwidth equally among a set of flows. SFQ also prevents a stream from dominating the available bandwidth, which seems to be a tendency with FIFO queueing (i.e., if a flow demands more than its share of the available bandwidth, with FIFO queueing that stream receives a disproportionate amount when compared to flows demanding less than their share). Furthermore, SFQ seems to reward 'nice' users of the network by providing a lower variance in delay and more throughput when their resource demand is less than their available share. Both SFQ and FIFO queueing seem to degrade fairly well as the network becomes saturated and to recover well as the network becomes less congested. Not unexpectedly, FIFO queueing is a little more efficient than SFQ-the delays are less and the throughput slightly higher because SFQ requires more processing. However, the performance difference between the two queueing disciplines is relatively small. However, the experiments do point out some interesting behavior. FIFO queueing can behave better than SFQ with seed perturbation. We recommend further evaluation of the hash function and the seed perturbation technique. There are probably weaknesses in their current selection that cause this unexpected behavior. SFQ also seems to possess good scaling properties. To verify this, more experiments with a larger number of streams from more hosts need to be executed and examined, including the staggered introduction of streams. Staggering the streams may prove important, because graphs in the degradation experiment revealed some unexpected increases and decreases in throughput, which should be examined. This may again be due to the interaction of the hash function with the seed perturbation but it may also be related to some other unknown problem.

Denny, Barbara A.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Electromagnetic Launch Vehicle Fairing and Acoustic Blanket Model of Received Power Using FEKO

Evaluating the impact of radio frequency transmission in vehicle fairings is important to sensitive spacecraft. This paper employees the Multilevel Fast Multipole Method (MLFMM) feature of a commercial electromagnetic tool to model the fairing electromagnetic environment in the presence of an internal transmitter. This work is an extension of the perfect electric conductor model that was used to represent the bare aluminum internal fairing cavity. This fairing model includes typical acoustic blanketing commonly used in vehicle fairings. Representative material models within FEKO were successfully used to simulate the test case.

Trout, Dawn H.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Impacts of Launch Vehicle Fairing Size on Human Exploration Architectures

Human missions to Mars, particularly to the Martian surface, are grand endeavors that place extensive demands on ground infrastructure, launch capabilities, and mission systems. The interplay of capabilities and limitations among these areas can have significant impacts on the costs and ability to conduct Mars missions and campaigns. From a mission and campaign perspective, decisions that affect element designs, including those based on launch vehicle and ground considerations, can create effects that ripple through all phases of the mission and have significant impact on the overall campaign. These effects result in impacts to element designs and performance, launch and surface manifesting, and mission operations. In current Evolvable Mars Campaign concepts, the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) is the primary launch vehicle for delivering crew and payloads to cis-lunar space. SLS is currently developing an 8.4m diameter cargo fairing, with a planned upgrade to a 10m diameter fairing in the future. Fairing diameter is a driving factor that impacts many aspects of system design, vehicle performance, and operational concepts. It creates a ripple effect that influences all aspects of a Mars mission, including: element designs, grounds operations, launch vehicle design, payload packaging on the lander, launch vehicle adapter design to meet structural launch requirements, control and thermal protection during entry and descent at Mars, landing stability, and surface operations. Analyses have been performed in each of these areas to assess and, where possible, quantify the impacts of fairing diameter selection on all aspects of a Mars mission. Several potential impacts of launch fairing diameter selection are identified in each of these areas, along with changes to system designs that result. Solutions for addressing these impacts generally result in increased systems mass and propellant needs, which can further exacerbate packaging and flight challenges. This paper presents the results of the analyses performed, the potential changes to mission architectures and campaigns that result, and the general trends that are more broadly applicable to any element design or mission planning for human exploration.

Jefferies, Sharon↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

FAIR-ness Assessment of NASA’s Earth Observation System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

This presentation addresses the challenge of evaluating a multi-disciplinary institutional network of data repositories in operation since 1994 against the relatively recent criteria that constitute FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data. NASA’s Earth Observation System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), with its 12 discipline-based Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), preceded the definition and popularization of FAIR by over two decades. An assessment is very useful to describe how well the FAIR principles are met and to identify any improvements needed. In 2020, A “self-assessment” of EOSDIS and DAACs was performed by the ESDIS Project staff and the DAACs from the points of view of human actionability and machine actionability. More recently, a draft of a Science Mission Directorate (SMP) Program Directive (SPD-41a) has been released by NASA Headquarters for comment, where it is recommended that all SMD-funded data should follow the FAIR principles. This presentation is timely to initiate community discussion within the Information Quality Cluster (IQC) of the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) and help strategize and develop implementation guidelines for EOSDIS and DAACs to conform to FAIR principles.

Remote sensing↗

NASA NTRS2013

Buckling Design and Analysis of a Payload Fairing One-Sixth Cylindrical Arc-Segment Panel

Design and analysis results are reported for a panel that is a 16th arc-segment of a full 33-ft diameter cylindrical barrel section of a payload fairing structure. Six such panels could be used to construct the fairing barrel, and, as such, compression buckling testing of a 16th arc-segment panel would serve as a validation test of the buckling analyses used to design the fairing panels. In this report, linear and nonlinear buckling analyses have been performed using finite element software for 16th arc-segment panels composed of aluminum honeycomb core with graphiteepoxy composite facesheets and an alternative fiber reinforced foam (FRF) composite sandwich design. The cross sections of both concepts were sized to represent realistic Space Launch Systems (SLS) Payload Fairing panels. Based on shell-based linear buckling analyses, smaller, more manageable buckling test panel dimensions were determined such that the panel would still be expected to buckle with a circumferential (as opposed to column-like) mode with significant separation between the first and second buckling modes. More detailed nonlinear buckling analyses were then conducted for honeycomb panels of various sizes using both Abaqus and ANSYS finite element codes, and for the smaller size panel, a solid-based finite element analysis was conducted. Finally, for the smaller size FRF panel, nonlinear buckling analysis was performed wherein geometric imperfections measured from an actual manufactured FRF were included. It was found that the measured imperfection did not significantly affect the panel's predicted buckling response

composite structures↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an analytical transient evacuation model for the fairing jettison process

A general, lumped-parameter, control volume equation is developed to describe the rapid loss of pressure associated with a launch vehicle fairing jettison event in its initial phase. Beginning with a general mass conservation statement, a sonic constraint is applied to the expanding gap between receding fairing halves to produce a statement for transient density. This is related to fairing pressure by assuming the expansion may be described by a polytropic process. A generic, single-step, lateral fairing half separation case is created and explored for illustrative purposes.

Fairing depressurization↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an analytical transient evacuation model for the fairing jettison process

fairing depressurization↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of an Analytical Transient Evacuation Model for the Fairing Jettison Process

fairing depressurization, jettison, venting↗

NASA NTRS1975

Space shuttle vehicle ferry configuration afterbody fairing effects on 140A/B orbiter aerodynamic characteristics using an .0405 scale model orbiter (43-0) in the Rockwell International 7.75 x 11 ft low speed wind tunnel (OA123)

The primary test objectives were to define ferry configuration afterbody fairing effects on orbiter stability and control characteristics and to substantiate wind tunnel results. Parametric variations consisted entirely of testing different afterbody fairing contours in an effort to improve both the orbiter drag levels and lateral-directional control characteristics. The three afterbody contours that were tested consisted of the Boeing TC3 beavertail, the new Rockwell-Boeing TC4 fairing, and a modification of an existing short bumblebee fairing redesignated TC6.

Mennell, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Evaluation of VSAERO in prediction of aerodynamic characteristics of helicopter hub fairings

A low-order panel code, VSAERO, was used to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of helicopter hub fairings. Since the simulation of this kind of bluff body by VSAERO was not documented before, the VSAERO solutions were correlated with experimental data to establish their validity. The validation process revealed that simulation of the aerodynamic environment around a hub fairing was sensitive to several modeling parameters. Some of these parameters are body and wake panels arrangement, streamwise and spanwise separation location, and the most prominent one-the wake modeling. Three wake models were used: regular wake, separated wake, and jet model. The regular wake is a wake with negligible thickness (thin wake). It is represented by a single vortex sheet. The separated wake and the jet model in the present application are wakes with finite thickness (thick wake). They consist of a vortex sheet enclosing a region of low-energy flow. The results obtained with the reqular wake were marginally acceptable for sharp-edged hub fairings. For all other cases under consideration, the jet model results correlated slightly better. The separated wake, which seemed to be the most appropriate model, caused the solution to diverge. While the regular wake was straight-forward to apply in simulations, the jet model was not. It requires the user to provide information about the doublet strength gradient on wake panels by guessing the efflux velocities at the wake shedding location. In summary, VSAERO neither predicts accurately the aerodynamic characteristics of helicopter hub fairings nor was cost effective.

Louie, Alexander↗

NASA NTRS1990

Ground test program for new Atlas payload fairings

To establish the competitiveness of the revitalized family of Atlas launch vehicles (I, II, IIA, and IIAS) a new series of payload fairings, an 11-foot and a 14-foot diameter version, were designed to accommodate the widest possible variety of satellites. Because these aluminum fairings are new designs, the plant at which they are produced is new, and launch customers are very anxious to fly their payloads, an ambitious and efficient test program is essential. Five major tests have been planned for completion within the span of one calendar year. One of these has been completed, with every indication that it was a success, one is currently under way, and two more are scheduled to start in the month of April. Through effective use of test assets, facilities, and personnel, all testing will be completed, allowing the fairing design to be completely characterized and then qualified through analysis prior to first launch of each of the fairings.

Robbins, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS1960

Effect of Afterbody Terminal Fairings on the Performance of a Pylon-Mounted Turbojet-Nacelle Model

An investigation of the effect of afterbody terminal fairings on the performance of a pylon-mounted turbojet-nacelle model has been conducted in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel. A basic afterbody having a boattail angle of 16 deg was investigated with and without terminal fairings. The equivalent boattail angle, based on the cross-sectional area of the afterbody and terminal fairings, was 8 deg. Therefore, a simple body of revolution with a boattail angle of 8 deg was included for comparison. The tests were made at an angle of attack of 0 deg, Mach numbers of 0.80 to 1.05, jet total-pressure ratio of 1 to approximately 5, and an average Reynolds number per foot of 4.1 x 10(exp 6). A hydrogen peroxide jet simulator was used to supply the hot-jet exhaust. The results indicate that addition of terminal fairings to a 16 deg boattail afterbody increased the thrust-minus-drag coefficients and provided the lowest effective drag of the three configurations tested.

Willis, Conrad M.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Delta XTE Fairing Installation at Complex 17-B CCAS

Live footage of the Delta XTE (X-Ray Timing Explorer) fairing installation is presented. The fairing is installed to provide a smooth surface for the airflow. The primary purpose of the fairing is to reduce drag. The installation of the fairing occurred at complex 17-B CCAS (Cape Canaveral Air Station).

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2009

Electromagnetic Cavity Effects from Transmitters Inside a Launch Vehicle Fairing

This paper provides insight into the difficult analytical issue for launch vehicles and spacecraft that has applicability outside of the launch industry. Radiation from spacecraft or launch vehicle antennas located within enclosures in the launch vehicle generates an electromagnetic environment that is difficult to accurately predict. This paper discusses the test results of power levels produced by a transmitter within a representative scaled vehicle fairing model and provides preliminary modeling results at the low end of the frequency test range using a commercial tool. Initially, the walls of the fairing are aluminum and later, layered with materials to simulate acoustic blanketing structures that are typical in payload fairings. The effects of these blanketing materials on the power levels within the fairing are examined.

Trout, Dawn↗

NASA NTRS2011

Evaluation of Lightning Induced Effects in a Graphite Composite Fairing Structure

Defining the electromagnetic environment inside a graphite composite fairing due to near-by lightning strikes is of interest to spacecraft developers. This effort develops a transmission-line-matrix (TLM) model with a CST Microstripes to examine induced voltages. on interior wire loops in a composite fairing due to a simulated near-by lightning strike. A physical vehicle-like composite fairing test fixture is constructed to anchor a TLM model in the time domain and a FEKO method of moments model in the frequency domain. Results show that a typical graphite composite fairing provides adequate shielding resulting in a significant reduction in induced voltages on high impedance circuits despite minimal attenuation of peak magnetic fields propagating through space in near-by lightning strike conditions.

Trout, Dawn H.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Multi-functional annular fairing for coupling launch abort motor to space vehicle

An annular fairing having aerodynamic, thermal, structural and acoustic attributes couples a launch abort motor to a space vehicle having a payload of concern mounted on top of a rocket propulsion system. A first end of the annular fairing is fixedly attached to the launch abort motor while a second end of the annular fairing is attached in a releasable fashion to an aft region of the payload. The annular fairing increases in diameter between its first and second ends.

Camarda, Charles J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Ascent Heating Thermal Analysis on Spacecraft Adaptor Fairings

When the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is launched, the spacecraft adaptor (SA) fairings that cover the CEV service module (SM) are exposed to aero heating. Thermal analysis is performed to compute the fairing temperatures and to investigate whether the temperatures are within the material limits for nominal ascent aeroheating case. The ascent heating is analyzed by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and engineering codes at Marshall Space Flight Center. The aeroheating environment data used for this work is known as Thermal Environment 3 (TE3) heating data. One of the major concerns is with the SA fairings covering the CEV SM and the SM/crew launch vehicle (CLV) flange interface. The TE3 heating rate is a function of time, wall temperature, and the spatial locations. The implementation of the TE3 heating rate as boundary conditions in the thermal analysis becomes challenging. The ascent heating thermal analysis on SA fairings and SM/CLV flange interface are performed using two commercial software packages: Cullimore & Ring (C&R) Thermal Desktop (TD) 5.1 and MSC Patran 2007r1 b. TD is the pre-and post-processor for SINDA, which is a finite-difference-based solver. In TD, the geometry is built and meshed, the boundary conditions are defined, and then SINDA is used to compute temperatures. MSC Pthermal is a finite-element- based thermal solver. MSC Patran is the pre- and post-processor for Pthermal. Regarding the boundary conditions, the convection, contact resistance, and heat load can be imposed in different ways in both programs. These two software packages are used to build the thermal model for the same analysis to validate each other and show the differences in the modeling details.

Wang, Xiao Yen↗