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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Subcarrier phase recovery performance in bent-pipe mode of Shuttle data transmission

The subcarrier phase recovery is analyzed for the bent-pipe mode of Space Shuttle detached-payload data transmission on the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Ku-band return link. The high-power component of the subcarrier modulation is unrestored payload data, either at baseband or modulating another subcarrier. At the receiver a Costas loop recovers the subcarrier phase. To analyze its performance in the baseband case, we obtain the loop S-curve, the power spectral density of the equivalent noise process, and the loop phase error variance.

Mckenzie, T. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A structural model of the adaptive human pilot

A compensatory tracking model of the human pilot is offered which attempts to provide a more realistic representation of the human's signal processing structure than that which is exhibited by pilot models currently in use. Two features of the model distinguish it from other representations of the human pilot. First, proprioceptive information from the control stick or manipulator constitutes one of the major feedback paths in the model, providing feedback of vehicle output rate due to control activity. Implicit in this feedback loop is a model of the vehicle dynamics which is valid in and beyond the region of crossover. Second, error-rate information is continuously derived and independently but intermittently controlled. An output injected remnant model is offered and qualitatively justified on the basis of providing a measure of the effect of inaccuracies such as time variations in the pilot's internal model of the controlled element dynamics. The data from experimental tracking tasks involving five different controlled element dynamics and one nonideal viewing condition were matched with model generated describing functions and remnant power spectral densities.

Hess, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A model for the noise radiated by turbulent boundary layers and its interaction with laminar layers in supersonic flow

Motivated by the noise-boundary layer transition problem in supersonic flow, the interaction between incoming aerodynamic noise and the laminar boundary layer has been studied. The noise field has been modeled as a Mach wave radiation field consisting of discrete waves emanating from coherent turbulent entities moving downstream within the supersonic turbulent boundary layer. The individual disturbances are likened to miniature sonic booms and the laminar boundary layer is strafed by the waves as the sources move downstream. The mean, autocorrelation, and power spectral density of the field are expressed in terms of the wave shapes and their average arrival rates. The emphasis in the interaction analysis is on the behavior of the shocklets in the noise field. The shocklets are shown to be focused by the laminar boundary layer in its outer region. Borrowing wave-propagation terminology, this region is termed the caustic region. Using scaling laws from sonic boom work, focus factors at the caustic are estimated to vary from 2 to 6 for incoming shocklet strengths of 1 to .01 percent of the free stream pressure level.

Schopper, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Human comfort response to random motions with combined yawing and rolling motions

The effects of random yawing and rolling velocities on passenger ride comfort responses were examined on a visual motion simulator. The effects of power spectral density shape and frequency ranges of peak power from 0 to 2 Hz were studied. The subjective rating data and the physical motion data obtained are presented. No attempt at interpretation or detailed analysis of the data is made. There existed during this study motions in all other degrees of freedom as well as the yawing and rolling motions, because of the characteristics of the simulator. These unwanted motions may have introduced some interactive effects on passenger responses which should be considered in any analysis of the data.

Stone, R. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Human comfort response to dominant random motions in longitudinal modes of aircraft motion

The effects of random vertical and longitudinal accelerations and pitching velocity passenger ride comfort responses were examined on the NASA Langley Visual Motion Simulator. Effects of power spectral density shape were studied for motions where the peak was between 0 and 2 Hz. The subjective rating data and the physical motion data obtained are presented without interpretation or detailed analysis. There existed motions in all other degrees of freedom as well as the particular pair of longitudinal airplane motions studied. These unwanted motions, caused by the characteristics of the simulator may have introduced some interactive effects on passenger responses.

Stone, R. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Human comfort response to random motions with a dominant pitching motion

The effects of random pitching velocities on passenger ride comfort response were examined on the NASA Langley Visual Motion Simulator. The effects of power spectral density shape and frequency ranges from 0 to 2 Hz were studied. The subjective rating data and the physical motion data obtained are presented. No attempt at interpretation or detailed analysis of the data is made. Motions in all degrees of freedom existed as well as the intended pitching motion, because of the characteristics of the simulator. These unwanted motions may have introduced some interactive effects on passenger responses which should be considered in any analysis of the data.

Stone, R. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Maximum likelihood method for estimating airplane stability and control parameters from flight data in frequency domain

A frequency domain maximum likelihood method is developed for the estimation of airplane stability and control parameters from measured data. The model of an airplane is represented by a discrete-type steady state Kalman filter with time variables replaced by their Fourier series expansions. The likelihood function of innovations is formulated, and by its maximization with respect to unknown parameters the estimation algorithm is obtained. This algorithm is then simplified to the output error estimation method with the data in the form of transformed time histories, frequency response curves, or spectral and cross-spectral densities. The development is followed by a discussion on the equivalence of the cost function in the time and frequency domains, and on advantages and disadvantages of the frequency domain approach. The algorithm developed is applied in four examples to the estimation of longitudinal parameters of a general aviation airplane using computer generated and measured data in turbulent and still air. The cost functions in the time and frequency domains are shown to be equivalent; therefore, both approaches are complementary and not contradictory. Despite some computational advantages of parameter estimation in the frequency domain, this approach is limited to linear equations of motion with constant coefficients.

Klein, V.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Heterodyne signal-to-noise ratios in acoustic mode scattering experiments

The relation between the signal to noise ratio (SNR) obtained in heterodyne detection of radiation scattered from acoustic modes in crystalline solids and the scattered spectral density function is studied. It is shown that in addition to the information provided by the measured frequency shifts and line widths, measurement of the SNR provides a determination of the absolute elasto-optical (Pockel's) constants. Examples are given for cubic crystals, and acceptable SNR values are obtained for scattering from thermally excited phonons at 10.6 microns, with no external perturbation of the sample necessary. The results indicate the special advantages of the method for the study of semiconductors.

Cochran, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Spectral characteristics of convolutionally coded digital signals

The power spectral density of the output symbol sequence of a convolutional encoder is computed for two different input symbol stream source models, namely, an NRZ signaling format and a first-order Markov source. The effects of alternate symbol inversion on this spectrum are also considered. The mathematical results are illustrated with many examples corresponding to optimal performance codes. It is demonstrated that only for the case of a purely random input source (e.g., NRZ data with equiprobable symbols) and a particular class of codes is the output spectrum identical to the input spectrum except for a frequency scaling (expansion) by the reciprocal of the code rate.

Divsalar, D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Location and propagation of shock associated noise from supersonic jets

Shock associated noise from unheated supersonic jets is investigated through acoustic measurements in both the near and far fields. The peak Helmholtz number of broadband shock noise is found to be independent of nozzle pressure ratio when based on the length of the shock cells and the ambient speed of sound. This indicates that the acoustic wavelengths generated in the shock noise process are limited in size by the shock cell spacing. Excellent agreement between power spectral densities measured at various far-field angles is obtained at and above the peak shock noise frequency when source convection effects are included. Results show a directivity of broadband shock noise pointed in the upstream direction, with omnidirectionality being approached only at high pressure ratios. The relative importance of shock noise with respect to jet mixing noise is found to be maximum near the pressure ratio at which a Mach disc begins to form in the jet. Near-field measurements point to the downstream shock cells as the region where the dominant shock noise eminates from the jet.

Norum, T. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Incipient Failure Detection (IFD) of antifriction ball bearings

Two methods were investigated for retrieving the ball bearing signals buried by the overall signature of an operating large engine such as the main space shuttle engine. The signal averaging method averages n** signals over a time duration equaling the known period of the ball bearing defect frequency. With this method, the desired ball bearing defect signal will be enhanced over the noise by a factor of the square root of n. A second method is to perform a further frequency analysis on the logarithmic spectrum in order to detect and separate different families of harmonics and sidebands, thereby giving information about modulating frequencies. These two alternate IFD methods were carried out with a Norland 3001 waveform and data system. The obtained results are then compared with the power spectral density (PSD) of the overall machine signals and conclusions are made accordingly.

Wang, D. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1980

FFT methods in signal processing of the coal interface detector radar

The FM radar for the coal interface detector, operating in the frequency band 2 to 4 GHz, is intended for the display of thicknesses between 2 cm and 20 cm. Because of such a short range, the thickness information is contained in the very few lowest spectral components of the output signal. To overcome this inconvenience, the Fourier series of the output signal was augmented to approximate a Fourier integral. This modification in the signal processing resulted in a higher spectral density, which in turn enabled an easier identification of the interface position in the laboratory. The orientation and spacing of the receiving and transmitting antennas is found to have an important influence on the system performance.

Kajfez, D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in a strong external magnetic field

A strong external dc magnetic field introduces a basic anisotropy into incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The modifications that this is likely to produce in the properties of the turbulence are explored for the high Reynolds number case. The conclusion is reached that the turbulent spectrum splits into two parts: an essentially two dimensional spectrum with both the velocity field and magnetic fluctuations perpendicular to the dc magnetic field, and a generally weaker and more nearly isotropic spectrum of Alfven waves. A minimal characterization of the spectral density tensors is given. Similarities to measurements from the Culham-Harwell Zeta pinch device and the UCLA Macrotor Tokamak are remarked upon, as are certain implications for the Belcher and Davis measurements of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar wind.

Montgomery, D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The influence of a local wall deformation on the development of natural instabilities in a laminar boundary layer

The natural instabilities which propagate in the laminar boundary layer of a flat plate composed of intermittent wave trains are described. A spectral analysis determines the frequency range and gives a frequency and the harmonic 2 only if there is a wall deformation. This analysis provides the amplitude modulation spectrum of the instabilities. Plots of the evolution of power spectral density are compared with the numerical results obtained from the resolve of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation, while the harmonic is related to a micro-recirculating flow near the wall deformation.

Burnel, S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

An analytic technique for statistically modeling random atomic clock errors in estimation

Minimum variance estimation requires that the statistics of random observation errors be modeled properly. If measurements are derived through the use of atomic frequency standards, then one source of error affecting the observable is random fluctuation in frequency. This is the case, for example, with range and integrated Doppler measurements from satellites of the Global Positioning and baseline determination for geodynamic applications. An analytic method is presented which approximates the statistics of this random process. The procedure starts with a model of the Allan variance for a particular oscillator and develops the statistics of range and integrated Doppler measurements. A series of five first order Markov processes is used to approximate the power spectral density obtained from the Allan variance.

Fell, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Optical fibers for the distribution of frequency and timing references

An optical fiber communications link was installed for the purpose of evaluating the applicability of optical fiber technology to the distribution of frequency and timing reference signals. It incorporated a 1.5km length of optical fiber cable containing two multimode optical fibers. The two fibers were welded together at one end of the cable to attain a path length of 3km. Preliminary measurements made on this link, including Allan variance and power spectral density of phase noise are reported.

Lutes, G. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Coherent reference generator phase stability

Approximate phase stability estimates for the coherent reference generator (CRG) unit in the DSN's Frequency and Timing Subsystem (FTS) are calculated. The method used involves estimating the phase noise introduced by CRG components based upon measurements made in the past on similar components in other parts of the FTS and obtaining the CRG phase noise from the component phase noises. Three estimates of phase stability are calculated: the fractional frequency change for a 5 C step in temperature, the phase noise spectral density, and the Allan standard deviation. It is found from these estimates that the CRG phase stability is better than that of the H-maser physics unit + receiver. Thus, the first step in improving FTS phase stability would be to make improvements in the H-maser physics unit + receiver. These results are corroborated by indirect clock stability estimates calculated from Doppler data.

Korwar, V. N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The results from the X ray bremsstrahlung experiment of Project Trigger

Analysis of the bremsstrahlung X-ray data produced the following conclusions. The counting rate observed before the explosion was an expected normal quiet background. An unexpected increase in the counting rate below 20 keV was observed after the explosion, which may have been an effect of the explosion. A significant 0.13-H2 peak in the power spectral density of the X-ray flux was observed, which is interpreted as evidence for a particle-wave-particle interaction involving a bounce resonance stimulated by the explosion. Dispersed continuation of this interaction may have been responsible for delayed long-term precipitation.

Bering, E. A.↗