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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Comparisons of Predictions of the XB-70-1 Longitudinal Stability and Control Derivatives with Flight Results for Six Flight Conditions

Preliminary correlations of flight-determined and predicted stability and control characteristics of the XB-70-1 reported in NASA TN D-4578 were subject to uncertainties in several areas which necessitated a review of prediction techniques particularly for the longitudinal characteristics. Reevaluation and updating of the original predictions, including aeroelastic corrections, for six specific flight-test conditions resulted in improved correlations of static pitch stability with flight data. The original predictions for the pitch-damping derivative, on the other hand, showed better correlation with flight data than the updated predictions. It appears that additional study is required in the application of aeroelastic corrections to rigid model wind-tunnel data and the theoretical determination of dynamic derivatives for this class of aircraft.

Wolowicz, C. H.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Temperature Oscillation in a Loop Heat Pipe with Gravity Assist

ATLAS Laser Thermal Control System (LTCS) thermal vacuum testing where the condenser-radiator was placed in a vertical position, it was found that the loop heat pipe (LHP) reservoir required much more control heater power than the analytical model had predicted. The required control heater power was also higher than the liquid subcooling entering the reservoir using the measured temperatures and the calculated mass flow rate based on steady state LHP operation. This presentation describes the investigation of the LHP behaviors under a gravity assist mode with a very cold radiator sink temperature and a large thermal mass attached to the evaporator. It is concluded that gravity caused the cold liquid to drop from the condenser-radiator to the reservoir, resulting in a rapid decrease of the reservoir temperature. When the reservoir temperature was increasing, a reverse flow occurred in the liquid line, carrying warm liquid to the condenser-radiator. Both events consumed the reservoir control heater power. The fall and rise of the reservoir temperature also caused the net heat input to the evaporator to vary due to the release and storage of the sensible heat of the thermal mass. The combination of these effects led to a persistent reservoir temperature oscillation and a repeated influx of cold liquid from the condenser. This was the root cause of the extraordinary high control heater power requirement in the LTCS TV test. Without gravity assist, such a persistent temperature oscillation will not be present.

000↗
NASA NTRS1993

Prediction of forces and moments for hypersonic flight vehicle control effectors

This research project includes three distinct phases. For completeness, all three phases of the work are briefly described in this report. The goal was to develop methods of predicting flight control forces and moments for hypersonic vehicles which could be used in a preliminary design environment. The first phase included a preliminary assessment of subsonic/supersonic panel methods and hypersonic local flow inclination methods for such predictions. While these findings clearly indicated the usefulness of such methods for conceptual design activities, deficiencies exist in some areas. Thus, a second phase of research was conducted in which a better understanding was sought for the reasons behind the successes and failures of the methods considered, particularly for the cases at hypersonic Mach numbers. This second phase involved using computational fluid dynamics methods to examine the flow fields in detail. Through these detailed predictions, the deficiencies in the simple surface inclination methods were determined. In the third phase of this work, an improvement to the surface inclination methods was developed. This used a novel method for including viscous effects by modifying the geometry to include the viscous/shock layer.

Maughmer, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Initial Evaluations of LoC Prediction Algorithms Using the NASA Vertical Motion Simulator

Flying near the edge of the safe operating envelope is an inherently unsafe proposition. Edge of the envelope here implies that small changes or disturbances in system state or system dynamics can take the system out of the safe envelope in a short time and could result in loss-of-control events. This study evaluated approaches to predicting loss-of-control safety margins as the aircraft gets closer to the edge of the safe operating envelope. The goal of the approach is to provide the pilot aural, visual, and tactile cues focused on maintaining the pilot's control action within predicted loss-of-control boundaries. Our predictive architecture combines quantitative loss-of-control boundaries, an adaptive prediction method to estimate in real-time Markov model parameters and associated stability margins, and a real-time data-based predictive control margins estimation algorithm. The combined architecture is applied to a nonlinear transport class aircraft. Evaluations of various feedback cues using both test and commercial pilots in the NASA Ames Vertical Motion-base Simulator (VMS) were conducted in the summer of 2013. The paper presents results of this evaluation focused on effectiveness of these approaches and the cues in preventing the pilots from entering a loss-of-control event.

Pilot Cue↗
NASA NTRS2014

Piloted Simulation Evaluation of a Model-Predictive Automatic Recovery System to Prevent Vehicle Loss of Control on Approach

This paper describes a model-predictive automatic recovery system for aircraft on the verge of a loss-of-control situation. The system determines when it must intervene to prevent an imminent accident, resulting from a poor approach. It estimates the altitude loss that would result from a go-around maneuver at the current flight condition. If the loss is projected to violate a minimum altitude threshold, the maneuver is automatically triggered. The system deactivates to allow landing once several criteria are met. Piloted flight simulator evaluation showed the system to provide effective envelope protection during extremely unsafe landing attempts. The results demonstrate how flight and propulsion control can be integrated to recover control of the vehicle automatically and prevent a potential catastrophe.

aircraft engine simulation↗
NASA NTRS2014

Piloted Simulation Evaluation of a Model-Predictive Automatic Recovery System to Prevent Vehicle Loss of Control on Approach

This paper describes a model-predictive automatic recovery system for aircraft on the verge of a loss-of-control situation. The system determines when it must intervene to prevent an imminent accident, resulting from a poor approach. It estimates the altitude loss that would result from a go-around maneuver at the current flight condition. If the loss is projected to violate a minimum altitude threshold, the maneuver is automatically triggered. The system deactivates to allow landing once several criteria are met. Piloted flight simulator evaluation showed the system to provide effective envelope protection during extremely unsafe landing attempts. The results demonstrate how flight and propulsion control can be integrated to recover control of the vehicle automatically and prevent a potential catastrophe.

aircraft engine performance↗
NASA NTRS1991

CRN5EXP: Expert system for statistical quality control

The purpose of the Expert System CRN5EXP is to assist in checking the quality of the coils at two very important mills: Hot Rolling and Cold Rolling in a steel plant. The system interprets the statistical quality control charts, diagnoses and predicts the quality of the steel. Measurements of process control variables are recorded in a database and sample statistics such as the mean and the range are computed and plotted on a control chart. The chart is analyzed through patterns using the C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) and a forward chaining technique to reach a conclusion about the causes of defects and to take management measures for the improvement of the quality control techniques. The Expert System combines the certainty factors associated with the process control variables to predict the quality of the steel. The paper presents the approach to extract data from the database, the reason to combine certainty factors, the architecture and the use of the Expert System. However, the interpretation of control charts patterns requires the human expert's knowledge and lends to Expert Systems rules.

Hentea, Mariana↗
NASA NTRS1991

Aeroacoustics of Flight Vehicles: Theory and Practice. Volume 2: Noise Control

Flight vehicles and the underlying concepts of noise generation, noise propagation, noise prediction, and noise control are studied. This volume includes those chapters that relate to flight vehicle noise control and operations: human response to aircraft noise; atmospheric propagation; theoretical models for duct acoustic propagation and radiation; design and performance of duct acoustic treatment; jet noise suppression; interior noise; flyover noise measurement and prediction; and quiet aircraft design and operational characteristics.

Hubbard, Harvey H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Numerical Stability and Control Analysis Towards Falling-Leaf Prediction Capabilities of Splitflow for Two Generic High-Performance Aircraft Models

Aerodynamic analysis are performed using the Lockheed-Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (LMTAS) Splitflow computational fluid dynamics code to investigate the computational prediction capabilities for vortex-dominated flow fields of two different tailless aircraft models at large angles of attack and sideslip. These computations are performed with the goal of providing useful stability and control data to designers of high performance aircraft. Appropriate metrics for accuracy, time, and ease of use are determined in consultations with both the LMTAS Advanced Design and Stability and Control groups. Results are obtained and compared to wind-tunnel data for all six components of forces and moments. Moment data is combined to form a "falling leaf" stability analysis. Finally, a handful of viscous simulations were also performed to further investigate nonlinearities and possible viscous effects in the differences between the accumulated inviscid computational and experimental data.

Charlton, Eric F.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A simple finite difference procedure for the vortex controlled diffuser

A simple prediction procedure for sudden expansion incompressible flows is developed and applied to the vortex controlled diffuser. Transient Navier-Stokes equations of an incompressible fluid are solved by means of their associated finite difference equations in terms of the primitive pressure velocity variables. A computer code is developed using a laminar flow simulation with free slip or no slip wall boundary conditions. In addition, predicted results confirm that effectiveness increases with increases in duct length and bleed flow rate

Busnaina, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Lessons Learned from the Wide Field Camera 3 TV1 Test Campaign and Correlation Effort

In January 2004, shortly after the Columbia accident, future servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were cancelled. In response to this, further work on the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument was ceased. Given the maturity level of the design, a characterization thermal test (TV1) was completed in case the mission was re-instated or an alternate mission found on which to fly the instrument. This thermal test yielded some valuable lessons learned with respect to testing configurations and modeling/correlation practices, including: 1. Ensure that the thermal design can be tested 2. Ensure that the model has sufficient detail for accurate predictions 3. Ensure that the power associated with all active control devices is predicted 4. Avoid unit changes for existing models. This paper documents the difficulties presented when these recommendations were not followed.

Peabody, Hume↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Predictive Workload Model for Air Traffic Controllers during UAM Operations

The effect of airspace factors on air traffic controller (ATC) workload has been an active area of study for almost three decades due to the importance of safety considerations necessary to design and maintain operations. Existing literature has examined several traffic-related (e.g., number of aircraft under control, loss of separation) contributors to ATC workload and proposed mathematical functions to best describe controller response. However, future air traffic continues to increase in complexity with the introduction of urban air mobility (UAM) – or the transportation of humans and cargo using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. UAM aims to alleviate congestion for existing ground transportation systems and improve mobility within urban centers and other high-demand locations. This shift in the traditional airspace paradigm necessitates an evolved understanding of model use and development for ATC workload prediction. This study aimed to develop an ATC workload forecasting model based on human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation data for UAM operations at large airports. Data collected from the HITL simulation served as the training and testing data for a Long Short-Term Memory recurrent neural network and enabled time-series forecasting of ATC workload from traffic characteristics. Results demonstrated the potential of LSTM models for forecasting ATC workload 40 minutes into the future and highlighted important considerations for future development.

predictive model↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Predictive Workload Model for Air Traffic Controllers during UAM Operations

The effect of airspace factors on air traffic controller (ATC) workload has been an active area of study for almost three decades due to the importance of safety considerations necessary to design and maintain operations. Existing literature has examined several traffic-related (e.g., number of aircraft under control, loss of separation) contributors to ATC workload and proposed mathematical functions to best describe controller response. However, future air traffic continues to increase in complexity with the introduction of urban air mobility (UAM) – or the transportation of humans and cargo using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. UAM aims to alleviate congestion for existing ground transportation systems and improve mobility within urban centers and other high-demand locations. This shift in the traditional airspace paradigm necessitates an evolved understanding of model use and development for ATC workload prediction. This study aimed to develop an ATC workload forecasting model based on human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation data for UAM operations at large airports. Data collected from the HITL simulation served as the training and testing data for a Long Short-Term Memory recurrent neural network and enabled time-series forecasting of ATC workload from traffic characteristics. Results demonstrated the potential of LSTM models for forecasting ATC workload 40 minutes into the future and highlighted important considerations for future development.

predictive model↗
NASA NTRS2012

Trajectory Control of Rendezvous with Maneuver Target Spacecraft

In this paper, a nonlinear trajectory control algorithm of rendezvous with maneuvering target spacecraft is presented. The disturbance forces on the chaser and target spacecraft and the thrust forces on the chaser spacecraft are considered in the analysis. The control algorithm developed in this paper uses the relative distance and relative velocity between the target and chaser spacecraft as the inputs. A general formula of reference relative trajectory of the chaser spacecraft to the target spacecraft is developed and applied to four different proximity maneuvers, which are in-track circling, cross-track circling, in-track spiral rendezvous and cross-track spiral rendezvous. The closed-loop differential equations of the proximity relative motion with the control algorithm are derived. It is proven in the paper that the tracking errors between the commanded relative trajectory and the actual relative trajectory are bounded within a constant region determined by the control gains. The prediction of the tracking errors is obtained. Design examples are provided to show the implementation of the control algorithm. The simulation results show that the actual relative trajectory tracks the commanded relative trajectory tightly. The predicted tracking errors match those calculated in the simulation results. The control algorithm developed in this paper can also be applied to interception of maneuver target spacecraft and relative trajectory control of spacecraft formation flying.

Zhou, Zhinqiang↗
NASA NTRS1993

Predictive Algorithm For Aiming An Antenna

Method of computing control signals to aim antenna based on predictive control-and-estimation algorithm that takes advantage of control inputs. Conceived for controlling antenna in tracking spacecraft and celestial objects, near-future trajectories of which are known. Also useful in enhancing aiming performances of other antennas and instruments that track objects that move along fairly well known paths.

Gawronski, Wodek K.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Application of higher harmonic blade feathering for helicopter vibration reduction

Higher harmonic blade feathering for helicopter vibration reduction is considered. Recent wind tunnel tests confirmed the effectiveness of higher harmonic control in reducing articulated rotor vibratory hub loads. Several predictive analyses developed in support of the NASA program were shown to be capable of calculating single harmonic control inputs required to minimize a single 4P hub response. In addition, a multiple-input, multiple-output harmonic control predictive analysis was developed. All techniques developed thus far obtain a solution by extracting empirical transfer functions from sampled data. Algorithm data sampling and processing requirements are minimal to encourage adaptive control system application of such techniques in a flight environment.

Powers, R. W.↗