SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Algorithms”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 379 records · Page 21

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1989

Parallel asynchronous systems and image processing algorithms

A new hardware approach to implementation of image processing algorithms is described. The approach is based on silicon devices which would permit an independent analog processing channel to be dedicated to evey pixel. A laminar architecture consisting of a stack of planar arrays of the device would form a two-dimensional array processor with a 2-D array of inputs located directly behind a focal plane detector array. A 2-D image data stream would propagate in neuronlike asynchronous pulse coded form through the laminar processor. Such systems would integrate image acquisition and image processing. Acquisition and processing would be performed concurrently as in natural vision systems. The research is aimed at implementation of algorithms, such as the intensity dependent summation algorithm and pyramid processing structures, which are motivated by the operation of natural vision systems. Implementation of natural vision algorithms would benefit from the use of neuronlike information coding and the laminar, 2-D parallel, vision system type architecture. Besides providing a neural network framework for implementation of natural vision algorithms, a 2-D parallel approach could eliminate the serial bottleneck of conventional processing systems. Conversion to serial format would occur only after raw intensity data has been substantially processed. An interesting challenge arises from the fact that the mathematical formulation of natural vision algorithms does not specify the means of implementation, so that hardware implementation poses intriguing questions involving vision science.

Coon, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

An algorithm for the solution of dynamic linear programs

The algorithm's objective is to efficiently solve Dynamic Linear Programs (DLP) by taking advantage of their special staircase structure. This algorithm constitutes a stepping stone to an improved algorithm for solving Dynamic Quadratic Programs, which, in turn, would make the nonlinear programming method of Successive Quadratic Programs more practical for solving trajectory optimization problems. The ultimate goal is to being trajectory optimization solution speeds into the realm of real-time control. The algorithm exploits the staircase nature of the large constraint matrix of the equality-constrained DLPs encountered when solving inequality-constrained DLPs by an active set approach. A numerically-stable, staircase QL factorization of the staircase constraint matrix is carried out starting from its last rows and columns. The resulting recursion is like the time-varying Riccati equation from multi-stage LQR theory. The resulting factorization increases the efficiency of all of the typical LP solution operations over that of a dense matrix LP code. At the same time numerical stability is ensured. The algorithm also takes advantage of dynamic programming ideas about the cost-to-go by relaxing active pseudo constraints in a backwards sweeping process. This further decreases the cost per update of the LP rank-1 updating procedure, although it may result in more changes of the active set that if pseudo constraints were relaxed in a non-stagewise fashion. The usual stability of closed-loop Linear/Quadratic optimally-controlled systems, if it carries over to strictly linear cost functions, implies that the saving due to reduced factor update effort may outweigh the cost of an increased number of updates. An aerospace example is presented in which a ground-to-ground rocket's distance is maximized. This example demonstrates the applicability of this class of algorithms to aerospace guidance. It also sheds light on the efficacy of the proposed pseudo constraint relaxation scheme.

Psiaki, Mark L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Approximation algorithms for planning and control

A control system operating in a complex environment will encounter a variety of different situations, with varying amounts of time available to respond to critical events. Ideally, such a control system will do the best possible with the time available. In other words, its responses should approximate those that would result from having unlimited time for computation, where the degree of the approximation depends on the amount of time it actually has. There exist approximation algorithms for a wide variety of problems. Unfortunately, the solution to any reasonably complex control problem will require solving several computationally intensive problems. Algorithms for successive approximation are a subclass of the class of anytime algorithms, algorithms that return answers for any amount of computation time, where the answers improve as more time is allotted. An architecture is described for allocating computation time to a set of anytime algorithms, based on expectations regarding the value of the answers they return. The architecture described is quite general, producing optimal schedules for a set of algorithms under widely varying conditions.

Boddy, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1990

Health Monitoring System for the SSME-fault detection algorithms

A Health Monitoring System (HMS) Framework for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) has been developed by United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for the NASA Lewis Research Center. As part of this effort, fault detection algorithms have been developed to detect the SSME faults with sufficient time to shutdown the engine. These algorithms have been designed to provide monitoring coverage during the startup, mainstage and shutdown phases of the SSME operation. The algorithms have the capability to detect multiple SSME faults, and are based on time series, regression and clustering techniques. This paper presents a discussion of candidate algorithms suitable for fault detection followed by a description of the algorithms selected for implementation in the HMS and the results of testing these algorithms with the SSME test stand data.

Tulpule, S.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Flight test results of failure detection and isolation algorithms for a redundant strapdown inertial measurement unit

Flight test results for two sensor fault-tolerant algorithms developed for a redundant strapdown inertial measurement unit are presented. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) consists of four two-degrees-of-freedom gyros and accelerometers mounted on the faces of a semi-octahedron. Fault tolerance is provided by edge vector test and generalized likelihood test algorithms, each of which can provide dual fail-operational capability for the IMU. To detect the wide range of failure magnitudes in inertial sensors, which provide flight crucial information for flight control and navigation, failure detection and isolation are developed in terms of a multi level structure. Threshold compensation techniques, developed to enhance the sensitivity of the failure detection process to navigation level failures, are presented. Four flight tests were conducted in a commercial transport-type environment to compare and determine the performance of the failure detection and isolation methods. Dual flight processors enabled concurrent tests for the algorithms. Failure signals such as hard-over, null, or bias shift, were added to the sensor outputs as simple or multiple failures during the flights. Both algorithms provided timely detection and isolation of flight control level failures. The generalized likelihood test algorithm provided more timely detection of low-level sensor failures, but it produced one false isolation. Both algorithms demonstrated the capability to provide dual fail-operational performance for the skewed array of inertial sensors.

Morrell, F. R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Experiments with conjugate gradient algorithms for homotopy curve tracking

There are algorithms for finding zeros or fixed points of nonlinear systems of equations that are globally convergent for almost all starting points, i.e., with probability one. The essence of all such algorithms is the construction of an appropriate homotopy map and then tracking some smooth curve in the zero set of this homotopy map. HOMPACK is a mathematical software package implementing globally convergent homotopy algorithms with three different techniques for tracking a homotopy zero curve, and has separate routines for dense and sparse Jacobian matrices. The HOMPACK algorithms for sparse Jacobian matrices use a preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm for the computation of the kernel of the homotopy Jacobian matrix, a required linear algebra step for homotopy curve tracking. Here, variants of the conjugate gradient algorithm are implemented in the context of homotopy curve tracking and compared with Craig's preconditioned conjugate gradient method used in HOMPACK. The test problems used include actual large scale, sparse structural mechanics problems.

Irani, Kashmira M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Totally parallel multilevel algorithms for sparse elliptic systems

The fastest known algorithms for the solution of a large elliptic boundary value problem on a massively parallel hypercube all require O(log(n)) floating point operations and O(log(n)) distance-1 communications, if massively parallel is defined to mean a number of processors proportional to the size n of the problem. The Totally Parallel Multilevel Algorithm (TPMA) that has, as special cases, four of these fast algorithms is described. These four algorithms are Parallel Superconvergent Multigrid (PSMG), Robust Multigrid, the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) based Spectral Algorithm, and Parallel Cyclic Reduction. The algorithm TPMA, when described recursively, has four steps: (1) project to a collection of interlaced, coarser problems at the next lower level; (2) apply TPMA, recursively, to each of these lower level problems, solving directly at the lowest level; (3) interpolate these approximate solutions to the finer grid, and to verage them to form an approximate solution on this grid; and (4) refine this approximate solution with a defect-correction step, using a local approximate inverse. Choice of the projection operator (P), the interpolation operator (Q), and the smoother (S) determines the class of problems on which TPMA is most effective. There are special cases in which the first three steps produce an exact solution, and the smoother is not needed (e.g., constant coefficient operators).

Frederickson, Paul O.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A generalized reusable guidance algorithm for optimal aerobraking

A practical real-time guidance algorithm was developed for guiding aerobraking vehicles in such a way that the maximum heating rate, the maximum structural loads, and the post-aeropass delta-V requirements (for post-aeropass orbit insertion) are all minimized. The algorithm is general and reusable in the sense that a minimum of assumptions are made, thus minimizing the number of gains and mission-dependent parameters that must be laboriously determined prior to a particular mission. A particularly interesting feature is that inplane guidance performance is tuned by simply adjusting one mission-dependent parameter, the bank margin; similarly, the out-of-plane guidance performance is turned by simply adjusting a plane controller time constant. Other objectives in the algorithm development are simplicity, efficiency, and ease of use. The algorithm is developed for, but not necessarily restricted to, a single pass mission and a trimmed vehicle with a bank angle modulation as the method of trajectory control. Guidance performance is demonstrated via results obtained using this algorithm integrated into an aerobraking test-bed program. Comparisons are made with numerical results from a version of the aerobraking guidance algorithm that was to be flown onboard NASA's aeroassist flight experiment (AFE) vehicle. Promising results are obtained with a minimum of development effort.

Dukeman, G. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Algorithms For Segmentation Of Complex-Amplitude SAR Data

Several algorithms implement improved method of segmenting highly speckled, high-resolution, complex-amplitude synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) digitized images into regions, within each backscattering characteristics similar or homogeneous from place to place. Method provides for approximate, deterministic solution by two alternative algorithms almost always converging to local minimums: one, Iterative Conditional Modes (ICM) algorithm, which locally maximizes posterior probability density of region labels; other, Maximum Posterior Marginal (MPM) algorithm, which maximizes posterior marginal density of region labels at each pixel location. ICM algorithm optimizes reconstruction of underlying scene. MPM algorithm minimizes expected number of misclassified pixels, possibly better in remote sensing of natural scenes.

Rignot, Eric J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Applications and accuracy of the parallel diagonal dominant algorithm

The Parallel Diagonal Dominant (PDD) algorithm is a highly efficient, ideally scalable tridiagonal solver. In this paper, a detailed study of the PDD algorithm is given. First the PDD algorithm is introduced. Then the algorithm is extended to solve periodic tridiagonal systems. A variant, the reduced PDD algorithm, is also proposed. Accuracy analysis is provided for a class of tridiagonal systems, the symmetric, and anti-symmetric Toeplitz tridiagonal systems. Implementation results show that the analysis gives a good bound on the relative error, and the algorithm is a good candidate for the emerging massively parallel machines.

Sun, Xian-He↗

NASA NTRS1992

The fuzzy C spherical shells algorithm - A new approach

The fuzzy c spherical shells (FCSS) algorithm is specially designed to search for clusters that can be described by circular arcs or, more generally, by shells of hyperspheres. In this paper, a new approach to the FCSS algorithm is presented. This algorithm is computationally and implementationally simpler than other clustering algorithms that have been suggested for this purpose. An unsupervised algorithm which automatically finds the optimum number of clusters is also proposed. This algorithm can be used when the number of clusters is not known. It uses a cluster validity measure to identify good clusters, merges all compatible clusters, and eliminates spurious clusters to achieve the final result. Experimental results on several data sets are presented.

Krishnapuram, Raghu↗

NASA NTRS1993

Formal verification of algorithms for critical systems

We describe our experience with formal, machine-checked verification of algorithms for critical applications, concentrating on a Byzantine fault-tolerant algorithm for synchronizing the clocks in the replicated computers of a digital flight control system. First, we explain the problems encountered in unsynchronized systems and the necessity, and criticality, of fault-tolerant synchronization. We give an overview of one such algorithm, and of the arguments for its correctness. Next, we describe a verification of the algorithm that we performed using our EHDM system for formal specification and verification. We indicate the errors we found in the published analysis of the algorithm, and other benefits that we derived from the verification. Based on our experience, we derive some key requirements for a formal specification and verification system adequate to the task of verifying algorithms of the type considered. Finally, we summarize our conclusions regarding the benefits of formal verification in this domain, and the capabilities required of verification systems in order to realize those benefits.

Rushby, John M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A formally verified algorithm for interactive consistency under a hybrid fault model

Consistent distribution of single-source data to replicated computing channels is a fundamental problem in fault-tolerant system design. The 'Oral Messages' (OM) algorithm solves this problem of Interactive Consistency (Byzantine Agreement) assuming that all faults are worst-cass. Thambidurai and Park introduced a 'hybrid' fault model that distinguished three fault modes: asymmetric (Byzantine), symmetric, and benign; they also exhibited, along with an informal 'proof of correctness', a modified version of OM. Unfortunately, their algorithm is flawed. The discipline of mechanically checked formal verification eventually enabled us to develop a correct algorithm for Interactive Consistency under the hybrid fault model. This algorithm withstands $a$ asymmetric, $s$ symmetric, and $b$ benign faults simultaneously, using $m+1$ rounds, provided $n is greater than 2a + 2s + b + m$, and $m\geg a$. We present this algorithm, discuss its subtle points, and describe its formal specification and verification in PVS. We argue that formal verification systems such as PVS are now sufficiently effective that their application to fault-tolerance algorithms should be considered routine.

Lincoln, Patrick↗

NASA NTRS1993

A comparison of two incompressible Navier-Stokes algorithms for unsteady internal flow

A comparative study of two different incompressible Navier-Stokes algorithms for solving an unsteady, incompressible, internal flow problem is performed. The first algorithm uses an artificial compressibility method coupled with upwind differencing and a line relaxation scheme. The second algorithm uses a fractional step method with a staggered grid, finite volume approach. Unsteady, viscous, incompressible, internal flow through a channel with a constriction is computed using the first algorithm. A grid resolution study and parameter studies on the artificial compressibility coefficient and the maximum allowable residual of the continuity equation are performed. The periodicity of the solution is examined and several periodic data sets are generated using the first algorithm. These computational results are compared with previously published results computed using the second algorithm and experimental data.

Wiltberger, N. Lyn↗

NASA NTRS1994

Compression of multispectral Landsat imagery using the Embedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZW) algorithm

The Embedded Zerotree Wavelet (EZW) algorithm has proven to be an extremely efficient and flexible compression algorithm for low bit rate image coding. The embedding algorithm attempts to order the bits in the bit stream in numerical importance and thus a given code contains all lower rate encodings of the same algorithm. Therefore, precise bit rate control is achievable and a target rate or distortion metric can be met exactly. Furthermore, the technique is fully image adaptive. An algorithm for multispectral image compression which combines the spectral redundancy removal properties of the image-dependent Karhunen-Loeve Transform (KLT) with the efficiency, controllability, and adaptivity of the embedded zerotree wavelet algorithm is presented. Results are shown which illustrate the advantage of jointly encoding spectral components using the KLT and EZW.

Shapiro, Jerome M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

An improved conscan algorithm based on a Kalman filter

Conscan is commonly used by DSN antennas to allow adaptive tracking of a target whose position is not precisely known. This article describes an algorithm that is based on a Kalman filter and is proposed to replace the existing fast Fourier transform based (FFT-based) algorithm for conscan. Advantages of this algorithm include better pointing accuracy, continuous update information, and accommodation of missing data. Additionally, a strategy for adaptive selection of the conscan radius is proposed. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated through computer simulations and compared to the FFT algorithm. The results show that the Kalman filter algorithm is consistently superior.

Eldred, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Maximum-likelihood soft-decision decoding of block codes using the A* algorithm

The A* algorithm finds the path in a finite depth binary tree that optimizes a function. Here, it is applied to maximum-likelihood soft-decision decoding of block codes where the function optimized over the codewords is the likelihood function of the received sequence given each codeword. The algorithm considers codewords one bit at a time, making use of the most reliable received symbols first and pursuing only the partially expanded codewords that might be maximally likely. A version of the A* algorithm for maximum-likelihood decoding of block codes has been implemented for block codes up to 64 bits in length. The efficiency of this algorithm makes simulations of codes up to length 64 feasible. This article details the implementation currently in use, compares the decoding complexity with that of exhaustive search and Viterbi decoding algorithms, and presents performance curves obtained with this implementation of the A* algorithm for several codes.

Ekroot, L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A robust line extraction and matching algorithm

This paper presents an algorithm for extracting straight lines from intensity mages and describes a line matching algorithm for solving the line correspondence problem. The line extraction process begins by detecting edges in the intensity image. Next, line support regions are formed where image points (pixels) have similar gradient orientation. A line fitting algorithm is then used to fit a line to the points in the line support region based on a least means square fitting algorithm. Finally, line segments are linked together to form the final lines by using an adaptive line linking method; this results in much stronger lines and a smaller set of lines to be considered. Once the lines are detected in a sequence of images, a line matching algorithm is used to match lines in one image to the lines in the other image. The images are either from a motion or stereo sequence. The matched lines may then be used with the sensor position and orientation data to estimate range to objects corresponding to the lines. We present results based on applying the line extraction and line matching algorithms to a synthetic image and an outdoor scene captured by a camera on a helicopter.

Hussien, B.↗