Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “life data analysis”

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 361 records · Page 20

SEPAC co-investigator support

Mission preparation and support, data reduction and analysis, and modelling of beam phenomenon activities are described with respect to the Space Experiments with Particle Accelerators (SEPAC) project. The SEPAC Electron Beam Accelerator was used in observing the life time and drift velocity of ionization streaks in the upper atmosphere by ground based radars. A second active source, the plasma contactor (PC) electrically neutralized the shuttle orbiter during beam injections. Several observations of plasma density enhancements were correlated with orbiter crossings of the magnetic meridian of the Jicamarca, Peru radar located near the magnetic equator. One of several successful experiments was the artificial aurora experiment in which downward directed electron beam pulses were observed by the onboard AEPI camera. Theoretical and modelling efforts focused on phenomena related to electron beam and plasma cloud injection from spacecraft.

Source record↗

Analysis of cold worked holes for structural life extension

Cold working holes for improved fatigue life of fastener holes are widely used on aircraft. This paper presents methods used by the authors to determine the percent of cold working to be applied and to analyze fatigue crack growth of cold worked fastener holes. An elastic, perfectly-plastic analysis of a thick-walled tube is used to determine the stress field during the cold working process and the residual stress field after the process is completed. The results of the elastic/plastic analysis are used to determine the amount of cold working to apply to a hole. The residual stress field is then used to perform damage tolerance analysis of a crack growing out of a cold worked fastener hole. This analysis method is easily implemented in existing crack growth computer codes so that the cold worked holes can be used to extend the structural life of aircraft. Analytical results are compared to test data where appropriate.

Wieland, David H.↗

A New High-Speed, High-Cycle, Gear-Tooth Bending Fatigue Test Capability

A new high-speed test capability for determining the high cycle bending-fatigue characteristics of gear teeth has been developed. Experiments were performed in the test facility using a standard spur gear test specimens designed for use in NASA Glenn s drive system test facilities. These tests varied in load condition and cycle-rate. The cycle-rate varied from 50 to 1000 Hz. The loads varied from high-stress, low-cycle loads to near infinite life conditions. Over 100 tests were conducted using AISI 9310 steel spur gear specimen. These results were then compared to previous data in the literature for correlation. Additionally, a cycle-rate sensitivity analysis was conducted by grouping the results according to cycle-rate and comparing the data sets. Methods used to study and verify load-path and facility dynamics are also discussed.

Stringer, David B.↗

NASA Open Science Data Repository: Open Science for Life in Space

Space biology and health data are critical for the success of deep space missions and sustainable human presence off-world. At the core of effectively managing biomedical risks is the commitment to open science principles, which ensure that data are findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable, reproducible and maximally open. The 2021 integration of the Ames Life Sciences Data Archive with GeneLab to establish the NASA Open Science Data Repository significantly enhanced access to a wide range of life sciences, biomedical-clinical, and mission telemetry data alongside existing ‘omics data from GeneLab. This paper describes the new database, its architecture, and new data streams supporting diverse data types and enhancing data submission, retrieval, and analysis. Features include the Biological Data Management Environment for improved data submission, a new user interface, controlled data access, an enhanced API, and comprehensive public visualization tools for environmental telemetry, radiation dosimetry data, and ‘omics analyses. By fostering global collaboration through its Analysis Working Groups and training programs, the Open Science Data Repository promotes widespread engagement in space biology, ensuring transparency and inclusivity in research. It supports the global scientific community in advancing our understanding of spaceflight's impact on biological systems, ensuring humans will thrive in future deep space missions.

OSDR↗

Increasing Data Discovery and Re-Use: The Space Life Sciences Ontology

Two of the most important goals of the adoption of the FAIR principles are increasing the ability of agents to find and re-use research data. Achieving these goals for space life sciences research is even more pressing, given the relatively expensive and scarce nature of these data. We have reported in the past on the progress made by exemplar life sciences data systems towards implementing FAIR, showing gaps particularly in the “interoperability area” of the principles; the lack of common conceptual models for space life science research is one reason for this gap. There were few available resources that define, annotate, categorize or otherwise relate various kinds of metadata describing the acquisition, nature, and intent of investigational space life sciences data. To address this gap, NASA is working with the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontology Foundry (https://obofoundry.org/) to develop the Space Life Science Ontology (SLSO) that is intended to support archival and other kinds of systems that operate using these data. The scope of the ontology includes concepts regarding those aspects of investigation design and execution specific or unique to space environments, such as types of specialized equipment, operating organizations, and documentation. The ontology is continually being developed and published to the life science community (https://github.com/nasa/LSDAO/); at the time of this publication, the SLSO newly and uniquely defines 30 types (classes), 90 properties, and 14 relations specific to space life sciences metadata. In addition, the SLSO reuses (imports) some 2,360 types (classes), 49 properties, and 393 relations from other ontologies that are relevant to these kinds of metadata. In addition to its role as a common conceptualization for space biomedical research activities, the SLSO can also be used to provide automated support for traditionally difficult and expensive activities such as data curation and cross-system data integration and analysis.

fair↗

Low-Cost, User-Friendly, Rapid Analysis of Dynamic Data System Established

An issue of primary importance to the development of new jet and certain other airbreathing combined-cycle powered aircraft is the advancement of airframe-integrated propulsion technologies. Namely, engine inlets and their systems and subsystems are required to capture, convert, and deliver the atmospheric airflow demanded by such engines across their operating envelope in a form that can be used to provide efficient, stable thrust. This must be done while also minimizing aircraft drag and weight. Revolutionary inlet designs aided by new technologies are needed to enable new missions. An unwanted byproduct of pursuing these inlet technologies is increased time-variant airflow distortion. Such distortions reduce propulsion system stability, performance, operability, and life. To countermand these limitations and fully evaluate the resulting configurations, best practices dictate that this distortion be experimentally measured at large scale and analyzed. The required measurements consist of those made by an array of high-response pressure transducers located in the flow field at the aerodynamic interface plane (AIP) between the inlet and engine. Although the acquisition of the necessary pitot-pressure time histories is relatively straight-forward, until recent years, the analysis has proved to be very time-consuming, tedious, and expensive. To transform the analysis of these data into a tractable and timely proposition, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center created and established the Rapid Analysis of Dynamic Data (RADD) system. The system provides complete, near real-time analysis of time-varying inlet airflow distortion datasets with report quality output. This fully digital approach employs Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) binary data file format standardization to establish data-acquisition-system-independent processing on low cost personal computers. Features include invalid instrumentation code-out, logging, and multiple replacement schemes as needed for each channel of instrumentation. The AIP pressure distribution can be interpolated to simulate measurements by alternate AIP probe arrays, if desired. In addition, the RADD system provides for the application of filters that can be used to focus the analysis on the frequency range of interest.

Arend, David J.↗

Analysis of Advanced Respiratory Support Onboard ISS and CCV

NASA is collaborating with private entities for the development of commercial space vehicles. The Space and Clinical Operations Division was tasked to review the oxygen and respiratory support system and recommend what capabilities, if any, the vehicle should have to support the return of an ill or injured crewmember. The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) was utilized as a data source for the development of these recommendations. The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) was used to simulate a six month, six crew, International Space Station (ISS) mission. Three medical system scenarios were considered based on the availability of (1) oxygen only, (2) oxygen and a ventilator, or (3) neither oxygen nor ventilator. The IMM analysis provided probability estimates of medical events that would require either oxygen or ventilator support. It also provided estimates of crew health, the probability of evacuation, and the probability of loss of crew life secondary to medical events for each of the three medical system scenarios. These IMM outputs were used as objective data to enable evidence‐based decisions regarding oxygen and respiratory support system requirements for commercial crew vehicles. The IMM provides data that may be utilized to support informed decisions regarding the development of medical systems for commercial crew vehicles.

Shah, Ronak V.↗

Pressure Analysis for LAVA-OVEN

The Lunar Advanced Volatiles Analysis (LAVA) and the Oxygen Volatiles Extraction Node (OVEN) are subsystems included in the Regolith Environment Science, and Oxygen Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) payload bound for the Moon in 2019. This Resource Prospector Mission (RPM) has the objective of landing on a shadowed region of the Moons South Pole to collect data and determine whether the resources could be effectively used for space exploration systems. The quantification of the resources will help understand if it can adequately minimize materials carried from Earth by: providing life support, propellants, construction materials or energy supply to the payload or crew. This paper outlines the procedures done for the pressure analysis of the LAVA-OVEN (LOVEN) Integration Testing. The pressure analysis quantifies how much gases and water are present in the sample tested during the Engineering Testing Unit (ETU) phase of instrument development. Ultimately the purpose of these tests is to improve the estimate of the amount of water in each Lunar sample and reduce the time necessary for this estimate. The governing principle that was used for the analysis is the Ideal Gas Law, PV=nRT where P stands for pressure, V for volume, n for number of moles, R being the gas constant and T for temperature. We also estimate the errors involved in these measured and derived quantities since a key objective of the mission is to estimate the quantity of volatiles present in the lunar samples introduced into OVEN.

Lunar↗

Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in mesoscale convective complexes

An analysis of the evolution of cloud-to-ground lightning discharges attending convective storms in mesoscale convective systems was conducted in the framework of the mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) life cycle. The lightning discharge data were acquired by a commercially available lightning detection and location system. Peak rates averaged 42/min for the MCCs analyzed; these rates are comparable to the highest observed rates within other mesoscale storm systems and are greater than 20 times the rates previously observed in isolated thunderstorms. Lightning damage occurs with half of the MCCs and is most frequent between the development and the mature phases of the MCC life cycle. The most active period is also characterized by the greatest average number of discrete strokes and largest fraction of multiple-stroke discharges. The total cloud-to-ground lightning activity and maximum flashing rate do not appear to be directly related to either the size of the cloud shield or total duration of the MCC.

Goodman, S. J.↗

The effects of multiple repairs on Inconel 718 weld mechanical properties

Inconel 718 weldments were repaired 3, 6, 9, and 13 times using the gas tungsten arc welding process. The welded panels were machined into mechanical test specimens, postweld heat treated, and nondestructively tested. Tensile properties and high cycle fatigue life were evaluated and the results compared to unrepaired weld properties. Mechanical property data were analyzed using the statistical methods of difference in means for tensile properties and difference in log means and Weibull analysis for high cycle fatigue properties. Statistical analysis performed on the data did not show a significant decrease in tensile or high cycle fatigue properties due to the repeated repairs. Some degradation was observed in all properties, however, it was minimal.

Russell, C. K.↗

LDEF: 69 Months in Space. First Post-Retrieval Symposium, part 2

A compilation of papers from the symposium is presented. The preliminary data analysis is presented of the 57 experiments flown on the LDEF. The experiments include materials, coatings, thermal systems, power and propulsion, science (cosmic ray, interstellar gas, heavy ions, and micrometeoroid), electronics, optics, and life science.

Arlene S. Levine↗

Wiring Damage Analyses for STS OV-103

This study investigated the Shuttle Program s belief that Space Transportation System (STS) wiring damage occurrences are random, that is, a constant occurrence rate. Using Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (PRACA)-derived data for STS Space Shuttle OV-103, wiring damage was observed to increase over the vehicle s life. Causal factors could include wiring physical deterioration, maintenance and inspection induced damage, and inspection process changes resulting in more damage events being reported. Induced damage effects cannot be resolved with existent data. Growth analysis (using Crow-AMSAA, or CA) resolved maintenance/inspection effects (e.g., heightened awareness) on all wire damages and indicated an overall increase since Challenger Return-to-Flight (RTF). An increasing failure or occurrence rate per flight cycle was seen for each wire damage mode; these (individual) rates were not affected by inspection process effects, within statistical error.

Thomas, Walter, III↗

The Challenges of Releasing Human Data for Analysis

The NASA Johnson Space Center s (NASA JSC) Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) recently approved the formation of two human data repositories: the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health Repository (LSAH-R) for clinical data and the Life Sciences Data Archive Repository (LSDA-R) for research data. The establishment of these repositories forms the foundation for the release of data and information beyond the scope for which the data was originally collected. The release of clinical and research data and information is primarily managed by two NASA groups: the Evidence Base Working Group (EBWG), consisting of members of both repositories, and the LSAH Policy Board. The goal of unifying these repositories and their processes is to provide a mutually supportive approach to handling medical and research data, to enhance the use of medical and research data to reduce risk, and to promote the understanding of space physiology, countermeasures and other mitigation strategies. Over the past year, both repositories have received over 100 data and information requests from a wide variety of requesters. The disposition of these requests has highlighted the challenges faced when attempting to make data collected on a unique set of subjects available beyond the original intent for which the data were collected. As the EBWG works through each request, many considerations must be factored into account when deciding what data can be shared and how - from the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), to NASA s Health Information Management System (10HIMS) and Human Experimental and Research Data Records (10HERD) access requirements. Additional considerations include the presence of the data in the repositories and vetting requesters for legitimacy of their use of the data. Additionally, fair access must be ensured for intramural, as well as extramural investigators. All of this must be considered in the formulation of the charters, policies and workflows for the human data repositories at NASA.

Fitts, Mary↗

Thermal and Mechanical Testing of Neoprene Gloves Used in a Space Shuttle Microgravity Glove Box Experiment

Neoprene gloves are used in a Space Shuttle Microgravity Glove Box (MGBX) experiment. In 1999, significant corrosion was observed in the work area and on the outer surface of the left glove ring. Analysis of the corrosion products showed that they contained chlorine. The Neoprene gloves used in this glove box were obtained in 1995, with a recommended shelf life of 3 years. After storage of these gloves in a cabinet drawer until 1999, significant signs of corrosion were also observed in the drawer. Mechanical and thermal properties were determined on samples cut from the finger and sleeve areas of the "good" and "bad" gloves. This data showed significant aging of the left-hand glove, particularly in the sleeve area. Thermal analysis data by DSC and TGA was complimentary to tensile data in showing this aging. However, this test data did not pinpoint the cause of the left-hand glove aging, or of the corrosion products.

Wingard, Charles Doug↗

Analysis of Historical International Space Station Logistical Mass Delivery

Crewed space exploration missions are extremely logistics dependent, as cargo requirements shape numerous program elements such as vehicle and habitat size. Logistics mass is the mass of items like food and clothing that are not a part of the vehicle or habitat, yet are required by the crew to complete the mission. Numerous studies, such as the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) and the Human Exploration Spacecraft Testbed for Integration and Advancement (HESTIA) 20-foot chamber analog, have been conceived to research the rates at which crews consume logistics mass. These analogs can simulate many aspects of life in space, including confinement, isolation, limited supplies, and, in certain experiments, the habitat pressure. However, some aspects of space exploration, such as the effects of low gravity and the use of space-based amenities, cannot currently be tested on the ground. In this paper, International Space Station (ISS) manifest data obtained through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Mission Integration Database Application System (MIDAS) portal is used as a precursor to space-based analogs. The objective of the analysis is determining the breakdown of logistics mass used in space exploration. This identifies potential areas of improvement and highlights the rates at which significant items are supplied, aiding in the weighing of alternative options such as utilizing in space manufacturing for supplies vs. manifesting spares, or cleaning clothing in flight vs. discarding it. Official flight manifests ranging a span of 878 days, just short of the three-year length of a potential human mission to Mars, were analyzed to find the rates at which astronauts consumed various logistics supplies. From this analysis we have found that contrary to our own hypothesis, ‘food’ was not the largest portion of the supplied mass. Instead, ‘Environmental Control and Life Support Systems’ (ECLSS) contributed 34% of the overall supplied mass, followed by ‘Science and Outfitting,’ which contributed 29%. Food totaled less than a quarter (21% of the resupplied mass, while other items of focus in mass reduction efforts such as ‘Hygiene’ (6%), ‘Clothing’ (3%), and ‘Operational Supplies’ (4%) each contributed less than a tenth of the supplied mass. This data suggests that by categorizing and analyzing the data based on an alternative taxonomy and analyzing the full supply manifests rather than handpicked items, we have revealed unexpectedly significant items which had not been previously tracked by exploration logistics efforts. For example, toilet hardware made up 4% of ECLSS mass, and laptop hardware and multi-tools each made up 10% of operational supplies mass. Additionally, the ‘Specialized Clothing’ subcategory containing fire protective equipment, coveralls, and penguin suits made up 15% of the overall clothing mass. By identifying these newly found significant items, we can create more realistic mass estimates for exploration missions and direct mass reduction efforts to new areas, potentially leading to lower future mission masses.

Logistics↗

Open Science for Life in Space: Data Sharing and Tools for Knowledge Discovery

The next era in human space exploration is rapidly approaching and will require the use of countermeasures to deep space health hazards. The development of countermeasures (or, there-purposing of existing agents) will be highly dependent on our understanding of basic biological responses to space stressors (e.g. ionizing radiation, altered gravitational fields, altered day-night cycles, confinement, isolation, hostile-closed environments, distance-duration from Earth, exposure to celestial regolith, etc.). The fast-growing array of space biological data, which in the past was simply archived after minimal analysis, holds great potential if it can be reorganized and formatted for Open Science. Organizing the data for such analysis is a challenge because of its diverse nature (molecular, cellular, tissue, imaging, whole organism and behavior). We will discuss here several strategies that NASA's Biological and Physical Science Division has put in place to maximize the return on investment for spaceflight bioscience data. Open Science, as a scientific philosophy, is the concept that the more people who have access to the data, the more knowledge will be gained from it. This guiding principle led NASA to develop GeneLab in 2015. GeneLab houses spaceflight and relevant ground-based multi-omics data, and has grown to ~400 transcriptomatic, proteomic, metabolomic and epigenomic datasets from plant, rodent, small animal, and microbial space experiments. GeneLab provides users with various tools for data analysis and a visualization portal that allows users to interact with gene expression data from space-related 'omics experiments. Open Science is also about building scientific communities, and with this spirit in mind, GeneLab has spawned several Analysis Working Groups (AWGs), comprised of more than 200 volunteer scientists. The AWGs initially provided feedback on the processing pipeline and metadata 'omics standards for GeneLab. Over the last few years, they have become a community-driven science enterprise, engaging in large meta-analysis of GeneLab datasets, resulting in 10 publications (beyond the originally submitted research). Overall, the Open Science nature of GeneLab has resulted in a high degree of data-use, resulting in 40 enabled publications by open data. The enormous success and knowledge gained from GeneLab has led to a collection of sister NASA "Open Science Data Repositories (OSDR)" and research support groups. These include the NASA Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA), the NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC), and the Biospecimen Sharing Program (BSP). All are adopting the GeneLab data architecture system to maximize open-access, find-ability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR). ALSDA collects and curates phenotypic-physiological bioimaging-behavioral data from space and space-relevant non-human experiments, oftentimes coming from the same omics-associated experimental datasets found in GeneLab. Since 2021, a community of ~100 researchers have rallied around ALSDA, to provide feedback in a new ALSDA AWG focused on phenotypic-physiological investigation-sample-assay metadata standards (e.g., Micro-Computed Tomography, Light/Flourescence Microscopy, Western Blot, Flow Cytometry, Novel Object Recognition, Elevated Plus Maze, etc. of ~50 assays collected). These standards are part of a new single point-of-entry data submission portal for all non-human Space Biology and Human Research Program principal investigators, to submit, curate, and share their research data. With open-access space biological data now collected and curated together with rich metadata, and with the potential for linkage to "big data" from the international biological and medical communities (NIH, EBI, etc.), the artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) era has started for Space Biology.

omics↗

Development and testing of a portable wind sensitive directional air sampler

A portable wind-sensitive directional air sampler has been developed as part of an air pollution source identification system. The system is designed to identify sources of air pollution based on the directional collection of field air samples and their analysis for TSP and trace element characteristics. Sources can be identified by analyzing the data on the basis of pattern recognition concepts. Functional testing of a prototype sampler is described; all items exhibited performance and life sufficient to carry out field performance test operations. Life testing of the wind direction sensor and the directional porting valves, which are critical to reliable operation, was emphasized with successful results.

Deyo, J.↗

Composite Load Spectra for Select Space Propulsion Structural Components

Generic load models are described with multiple levels of progressive sophistication to simulate the composite (combined) load spectra (CLS) that are induced in space propulsion system components, representative of Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), such as transfer ducts, turbine blades and liquid oxygen (LOX) posts. These generic (coupled) models combine the deterministic models for composite load dynamic, acoustic, high-pressure and high rotational speed, etc., load simulation using statistically varying coefficients. These coefficients are then determined using advanced probabilistic simulation methods with and without strategically selected experimental data. The entire simulation process is included in a CLS computer code. Applications of the computer code to various components in conjunction with the PSAM (Probabilistic Structural Analysis Method) to perform probabilistic load evaluation and life prediction evaluations are also described to illustrate the effectiveness of the coupled model approach.

Ho, Hing W.↗