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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 433 records · Page 24

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NASA NTRS1981

Large-scale current systems in the dayside Venus ionosphere

The occasional observation of large-scale horizontal magnetic fields within the dayside ionosphere of Venus by the flux gate magnetometer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter suggests the presence of large-scale current systems. Using the measured altitude profiles of the magnetic field and the electron density and temperature, together with the previously reported neutral atmosphere density and composition, it is found that the local ionosphere can be described at these times by a simple steady state model which treats the unobserved quantities, such as the electric field, as parameters. When the model is appropriate, the altitude profiles of the ion and electron velocities and the currents along the satellite trajectory can be inferred. These results elucidate the configurations and sources of the ionospheric current systems which produce the observed large-scale magnetic fields, and in particular illustrate the effect of ion-neutral coupling in the determination of the current system at low altitudes.

Luhmann, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Stability analysis of large space structure control systems with delayed input

Large space structural systems, due to their inherent flexibility and low mass to area ratio, are represented by large dimensional mathematical models. For implementation of the control laws for such systems a finite amount of time is required to evaluate the control signals; and this time delay may cause instability in the closed loop control system that was previously designed without taking the input delay into consideration. The stability analysis of a simple harmonic oscillator representing the equation of a single mode as a function of delay time is treated analytically and verified numerically. The effect of inherent damping on the delay is also analyzed. The control problem with delayed input is also formulated in the discrete time domain.

Reddy, A. S. S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Stability analysis of large space structure control systems with delayed input

Large space structural systems, due to their inherent flexibility and low mass to area ratio, are represented by large dimensional mathematical models. For implementation of the control laws for such systems a finite amount of time is required to evaluate the control signals; and this time delay may cause instability in the closed loop control system that was previously designed without taking the input delay into consideration. The stability analysis of a simple harmonic oscillator representing the equation of a single mode as a function of delay time is analyzed analytically and verified numerically. The effect of inherent damping on the delay is also analyzed. The control problem with delayed input is also formulated in the discrete time domain.

Reddy, A. S. S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts shall be established (Prov. 16:3). Inter-stable control systems

Algebraic structures are discussed for control systems that maintain stability in the presence of resonance uncertainties. Dual algebraic operations serve as elementary connections that propagate the stability of inter-stable subsystems. Frequency responses within complex half-planes define different types of inter-stability. Dominance between incompatible types is discussed. Inter-stability produces sufficient but unnecessary stability conditions, except for conservative systems where the conditions become also necessary. Multivariable systems, colocation of actuator and sensor, and virtual colocation are treated. Instead of passivity, inter-stability relates stability to the mapping of poles and zeros by transfer functions and transfer matrices. Inter-stability determines stability on the subsystem level, is less complex even for multivariable systems, adds design flexibility, and relaxes the dynamic data problem of large systems such as space stations.

Vonpragenau, George L.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Solution of matrix equations using sparse techniques

The solution of large systems of matrix equations is key to the solution of a large number of scientific and engineering problems. This talk describes the sparse matrix solver developed at Langley which can routinely solve in excess of 263,000 equations in 40 seconds on one Cray C-90 processor. It appears that for large scale structural analysis applications, sparse matrix methods have a significant performance advantage over other methods.

Baddourah, Majdi↗

NASA NTRS1993

Applicability of PM3 to transphosphorylation reaction path: Toward designing a minimal ribozyme

A growing body of evidence shows that RNA can catalyze many of the reactions necessary both for replication of genetic material and the possible transition into the modern protein-based world. However, contemporary ribozymes are too large to have self-assembled from a prebiotic oligonucleotide pool. Still, it is likely that the major features of the earliest ribozymes have been preserved as molecular fossils in the catalytic RNA of today. Therefore, the search for a minimal ribozyme has been aimed at finding the necessary structural features of a modern ribozyme (Beaudry and Joyce, 1990). Both a three-dimensional model and quantum chemical calculations are required to quantitatively determine the effects of structural features of the ribozyme on the reaction it catalyzes. Using this model, quantum chemical calculations must be performed to determine quantitatively the effects of structural features on catalysis. Previous studies of the reaction path have been conducted at the ab initio level, but these methods are limited to small models due to enormous computational requirements. Semiempirical methods have been applied to large systems in the past; however, the accuracy of these methods depends largely on a simple model of the ribozyme-catalyzed reaction, or hydrolysis of phosphoric acid. We find that the results are qualitatively similar to ab initio results using large basis sets. Therefore, PM3 is suitable for studying the reaction path of the ribozyme-catalyzed reaction.

Manchester, John I.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Spaceport Command and Control System User Interface Testing

The Spaceport Command and Control System will be the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's newest system for launching commercial and government owned spacecraft. It's a large system with many parts all in need of testing. To improve upon testing already done by NASA engineers, the Engineering Directorate, Electrical Division (NE-E) of Kennedy Space Center has hired a group of interns each of the last few semesters to develop novel ways of improving the testing process.

SCCS↗

NASA NTRS2001

A Scalable Analysis Toolkit

The Scalable Analysis Toolkit (SAT) project aimed to demonstrate that it is feasible and useful to statically detect software bugs in very large systems. The technical focus of the project was on a relatively new class of constraint-based techniques for analysis software, where the desired facts about programs (e.g., the presence of a particular bug) are phrased as constraint problems to be solved. At the beginning of this project, the most successful forms of formal software analysis were limited forms of automatic theorem proving (as exemplified by the analyses used in language type systems and optimizing compilers), semi-automatic theorem proving for full verification, and model checking. With a few notable exceptions these approaches had not been demonstrated to scale to software systems of even 50,000 lines of code. Realistic approaches to large-scale software analysis cannot hope to make every conceivable formal method scale. Thus, the SAT approach is to mix different methods in one application by using coarse and fast but still adequate methods at the largest scales, and reserving the use of more precise but also more expensive methods at smaller scales for critical aspects (that is, aspects critical to the analysis problem under consideration) of a software system. The principled method proposed for combining a heterogeneous collection of formal systems with different scalability characteristics is mixed constraints. This idea had been used previously in small-scale applications with encouraging results: using mostly coarse methods and narrowly targeted precise methods, useful information (meaning the discovery of bugs in real programs) was obtained with excellent scalability.

Aiken, Alexander↗

NASA NTRS1989

ASCIE: An integrated experiment to study CSI in large segmented optical systems

A description of the advanced structures/control integrated experiment (ASCIE) experimental setup, a generic test bed for several essential technologies was presented. In particular its multi-input, multi-output, non-collocated control system and its complex structural dynamics, characteristic of large segmented systems make it an ideal test bed for Control-Structure Interaction (CSI) experiments. The high accuracy of its measurement system will make it possible to investigate the dynamics of microvibrations and its implication for the CSI phenomenon.

Aubrun, Jean-Noel↗

NASA NTRS1995

Analysis methods for wind turbine control and electrical system dynamics

The integration of new energy technologies into electric power systems requires methods which recognize the full range of dynamic events in both the new generating unit and the power system. Since new energy technologies are initially perceived as small contributors to large systems, little attention is generally paid to system integration, i.e. dynamic events in the power system are ignored. As a result, most new energy sources are only capable of base-load operation, i.e. they have no load following or cycling capability. Wind turbines are no exception. Greater awareness of this implicit (and often unnecessary) limitation is needed. Analysis methods are recommended which include very low penetration (infinite bus) as well as very high penetration (stand-alone) scenarios.

Hinrichsen, E. N.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Core and Off-Core Processes in Systems Engineering

An emerging methodology of organizing systems-engineering plans is based on a concept of core and off-core processes or activities. This concept has emerged as a result of recognition of a risk in the traditional representation of systems-engineering plans by a Vee model alone, according to which a large system is decomposed into levels of smaller subsystems, then integrated through levels of increasing scope until the full system is constructed. Actual systems-engineering activity is more complicated, raising the possibility that the staff will become confused in the absence of plans which explain the nature and ordering of work beyond the traditional Vee model.

Breidenthal, Julian↗

NASA NTRS1965

Volumetric system calibrates meters for large flow rates

Volumetric system calibrates meters used for large liquid flow rates. The system employs trip probes and equipment to time the flow of liquid from a tare vessel into a calibrated vessel. This calibration system is used in the petroleum and chemical industries.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1996

Jettison system for a large inflatable antenna

This paper describes a jettison system used to separate a large, inflatable-deployable antenna from a free-flying spacecraft. The jettison system consists of four discrete Marman band clamps, released simultaneously via pyrotechnics. The design, analysis, analytical simulation, and testing of the system are discussed. Of particular note is the correlation of test results with the Marman band design calculations.

Jarosz, Don↗

NASA NTRS1982

On the modelling and simulation of the dynamics and control of large flexible orbiting systems

This paper attempts to review the steps involved in the development of mathematical models that can be used to simulate the in-orbit dynamics of large flexible systems. The use of graph theoretic techniques can often be used to reduce the computational effort involved for calculating the eigenvalues of large ordered systems. Computer generated graphical techniques may provide additional insight into the understanding of elastic modal shape functions of complex systems. Finally the numerical techniques commonly used to develop shape and attitude control laws will be briefly reviewed.

Bainum, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS1976

A multilevel optimization of large-scale dynamic systems

A multilevel feedback control scheme is proposed for optimization of large-scale systems composed of a number of (not necessarily weakly coupled) subsystems. Local controllers are used to optimize each subsystem, ignoring the interconnections. Then, a global controller may be applied to minimize the effect of interconnections and improve the performance of the overall system. At the cost of suboptimal performance, this optimization strategy ensures invariance of suboptimality and stability of the systems under structural perturbations whereby subsystems are disconnected and again connected during operation.

Siljak, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Application of geo-truss erectable antenna 1985 - 2000 systems

The geo-truss concept provides a natural structural element to use in the deployment or fabrication of large systems. Three systems conceptually proposed and discussed are: (1) direct TV broadcast to half-time zone, Alaska dnd Hawaii; (2) deep space communication satellite; and (3) coastal water surveillance radar satellite.

Fager, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

C++ and operating systems performance - A case study

Object-oriented design and programming has many software engineering advantages. Its application to large systems, however, has previously been constrained by performance concerns. The Choices operating system, which has over 75,000 lines of code, is object-oriented and programmed in C++. This paper is a case study of the performance of Choices.

Russo, Vincent F.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The development and use of large-motion simulator systems in aeronautical research and development

The paper examines the evolution of manned aircraft simulators with large-motion systems and provides a brief description of important design details along with physical descriptions of a number of systems. Attention is given to the use of large translational motions in providing the simulator pilot with a close approximation of the cues of aircraft flight; examples are cited comparing pilot reactions to simulators with and without motion. How these simulators have been used in programs that effectively influenced aircraft design and operating problems is discussed.

Dusterberry, J. C.↗