Results for “switching model” — Page 24

NASA NTRS1979

A microprocessor based satellite borne packet switch

Design considerations applicable to a space-borne single microprocessor based packet switch are identified. These include system architecture decisions and microprocessor selection. The division of tasks among different subroutines is discussed. The primary design criterion is to maximize throughput. The extension to a multi-satellite network is discussed. The maximum throughput attainable is derived. A queue theoretic model has been developed and expressions for average response times and average queue sizes are obtained. A number of graphs showing the effect of various design parameters on the average response time and the average queue sizes are presented.

Crist, S. C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

A variable structure approach to robust control of VTOL aircraft

This paper examines the application of variable structure control theory to the design of a flight control system for the AV-8A Harrier in a hover mode. The objective in variable structure design is to confine the state trajectories to a subspace of the total state space. The motion in this subspace is insensitive to system parameter variations and external disturbances that lie in the range space of the control. A switching type of control law results from the design procedure. The control system was designed to track a vector-valued velocity command. For comparison, a proportional controller was designed using optimal linear regulator theory. Both controllers were evaluated for their transient response performance using a linear model; then a nonlinear simulation study of a hovering approach to landing was conducted. The variable structure controller outperformed its linear counterpart in the presence of wind disturbances and plant parameter uncertainties afforded by the simulation.

Calise, A. J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Future benefits and applications of intelligent on-board processing to VSAT services

The trends and roles of VSAT services in the year 2010 time frame are examined based on an overall network and service model for that period. An estimate of the VSAT traffic is then made and the service and general network requirements are identified. In order to accommodate these traffic needs, four satellite VSAT architectures based on the use of fixed or scanning multibeam antennas in conjunction with IF switching or onboard regeneration and baseband processing are suggested. The performance of each of these architectures is assessed and the key enabling technologies are identified.

Price, Kent M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Technology requirements for mesh VSAT applications

This paper first examines the trends and the roles of VSAT services in the year 2010 time frame based on an overall network and service model for that period. An estimate of the VSAT traffic is then made and the service and general network requirements are identified. In order to accommodate these traffic needs, four satellite VSAT architectures based on the use of fixed or scanning multibeam antennas in conjunction with IF switching or onboard regeneration and baseband processing are suggested. The performance of each of these architectures is assessed and the key enabling technologies are identified.

Kwan, R. K.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Design and test hardware for a solar array switching unit

This paper describes the control of a pulse width modulated (PWM) type sequential shunt switching unit (SSU) for spacecraft applications. It is found that the solar cell output capacitance has a significant impact on SSU design. Shorting of this cell capacitance by the PWM switch causes input current surges. These surges are minimized by the use of a series filter inductor. The system with a filter is analyzed for ripple and the control to output-voltage transfer function. Stable closed loop design considerations are discussed. The results are supported by modeling and measurements of loop gain and of closed-loop bus impedance on test hardware for NASA's 120 V Earth Observation System (EOS). The analysis and modeling are also applicable to NASA's 160 V Space Station power system.

Patil, A. R.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Aircraft Loss-of-Control Accident Prevention: Switching Control of the GTM Aircraft with Elevator Jam Failures

Switching control, servomechanism, and H2 control theory are used to provide a practical and easy-to-implement solution for the actuator jam problem. A jammed actuator not only causes a reduction of control authority, but also creates a persistent disturbance with uncertain amplitude. The longitudinal dynamics model of the NASA GTM UAV is employed to demonstrate that a single fixed reconfigured controller design based on the proposed approach is capable of accommodating an elevator jam failure with arbitrary jam position as long as the thrust control has enough control authority. This paper is a first step towards solving a more comprehensive in-flight loss-of-control accident prevention problem that involves multiple actuator failures, structure damages, unanticipated faults, and nonlinear upset regime recovery, etc.

Chang, Bor-Chin↗

NASA NTRS1983

A conservative type-dependent full potential method for the treatment of supersonic flows with embedded subsonic regions

A nonlinear method based on the full potential equation in conservation form, cast in an arbitrary coordinate system, has been developed to treat predominantly supersonic flows with embedded subsonic regions. This type of flow field occurs frequently near the fuselage-canopy junction area and wing leading edge regions for a moderately swept fighter configuration. The method uses the theory of characteristics to accurately monitor the type-dependent flow field. A conservative switching scheme is developed to transition from the supersonic marching algorithm to a subsonic relaxation procedure, and vice versa. An implicit approximate factorization scheme is employed to solve the finite-differenced equation. Results are shown for a few configurations, including a wing-body-wake realistic fighter model having embedded subsonic regions.

Shankar, V.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Unsteady transonic algorithm improvements for realistic aircraft applications

Improvements to a time-accurate approximate factorization (AF) algorithm were implemented for steady and unsteady transonic analysis of realistic aircraft configurations. These algorithm improvements were made to the CAP-TSD (Computational Aeroelasticity Program - Transonic Small Disturbance) code developed at the Langley Research Center. The code permits the aeroelastic analysis of complete aircraft in the flutter critical transonic speed range. The AF algorithm of the CAP-TSD code solves the unsteady transonic small-disturbance equation. The algorithm improvements include: an Engquist-Osher (E-O) type-dependent switch to more accurately and efficiently treat regions of supersonic flow; extension of the E-O switch for second-order spatial accuracy in these regions; nonreflecting far field boundary conditions for more accurate unsteady applications; and several modifications which accelerate convergence to steady-state. Calculations are presented for several configurations including the General Dynamics one-ninth scale F-16C aircraft model to evaluate the algorithm modifications. The modifications have significantly improved the stability of the AF algorithm and hence the reliability of the CAP-TSD code in general.

Batina, John T.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Simple Cell Balance Circuit

A method has been developed for continuous cell voltage balancing for rechargeable batteries (e.g. lithium ion batteries). A resistor divider chain is provided that generates a set of voltages representing the ideal cell voltage (the voltage of each cell should be as if the cells were perfectly balanced). An operational amplifier circuit with an added current buffer stage generates the ideal voltage with a very high degree of accuracy, using the concept of negative feedback. The ideal voltages are each connected to the corresponding cell through a current- limiting resistance. Over time, having the cell connected to the ideal voltage provides a balancing current that moves the cell voltage very close to that ideal level. In effect, it adjusts the current of each cell during charging, discharging, and standby periods to force the cell voltages to be equal to the ideal voltages generated by the resistor divider. The device also includes solid-state switches that disconnect the circuit from the battery so that it will not discharge the battery during storage. This solution requires relatively few parts and is, therefore, of lower cost and of increased reliability due to the fewer failure modes. Additionally, this design uses very little power. A preliminary model predicts a power usage of 0.18 W for an 8-cell battery. This approach is applicable to a wide range of battery capacities and voltages.

Johnson, Steven D.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Pacific Ocean Heatwaves on Phytoplankton Community Composition

Since 2013, marine heatwaves have become recurrent throughout the equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean and are expected to increase in intensity relative to historic norms. Among the ecological ramifications associated with these high temperature anomalies are increased mortality of higher trophic organisms such as marine mammals and seabirds, which are likely triggered by changes in the composition of phytoplankton, the base of the marine trophic food web. Here, we assimilated satellite ocean color data into an ocean biogeochemical model to describe changes in the abundance of phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) during the last decade’s (2010s) warm anomalies in the equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean. We find important changes associated with the “Blob” warm anomaly in the Gulf of Alaska, where reduced silica supply led to a switch in community composition from diatoms to dinoflagellates, resulting in an increase in surface ocean chlorophyll during the Summer–Fall of 2014. A more dramatic change was observed in the equatorial Pacific, where the extreme warm conditions of the 2016 El Niño resulted in a major decline of about 40% in surface chlorophyll, which was associated with a nearly total collapse in diatoms.

Lionel A Quintero↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of Pacific Ocean Heatwaves on Phytoplankton Community Composition

Since 2013, marine heatwaves have become recurrent throughout the equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean and are expected to increase in intensity relative to historic norms. Among the ecological ramifications associated with these high temperature anoma- lies are increased mortality of higher trophic organisms such as marine mammals and sea- birds, which are likely triggered by changes in the composition of phytoplankton, the base of the marine trophic food web. Here, we assimilated satellite ocean color data into an ocean biogeochemical model to describe changes in the abundance of phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) during the last decade’s (2010s) warm anomalies in the equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean. We find important changes associated with the “Blob” warm anomaly in the Gulf of Alaska, where reduced silica supply led to a switch in community composition from diatoms to dinoflagellates, resulting in an increase in surface ocean chlorophyll during the Summer–Fall of 2014. A more dramatic change was observed in the equatorial Pacific, where the extreme warm conditions of the 2016 El Niño resulted in a major decline of about 40% in surface chlorophyll, which was associated with a nearly total collapse in diatoms.

Lionel A. Arteaga↗

NASA NTRS2021

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Dryland Farming Systems in Zimbabwe: A Stakeholder-Driven Integrated Multi-Model Assessment

Decision makers need accurate information to address climate variability and change and accelerate transformation to sustainability. A stakeholder-driven, science-based multi-model approach has been developed and used by the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) to generate actionable information for adaptation planning processes. For a range of mid-century climate projections—likely to be hotter, drier, and more variable—contrasting future socio-economic scenarios (Representative Agricultural Pathways, RAPs) were co-developed with stakeholders to portray a sustainable development scenario and a rapid economic growth pathway. The unique characteristic of this application is the integration of a multi-modeling approach with stakeholder engagement to co-develop scenarios and adaptation strategies. Distribution of outcomes were simulated with climate, crop, livestock, and economic impact assessment models for smallholder crop livestock farmers in a typical dryland agro-ecological zone in Zimbabwe, characterized by low and erratic rainfall and nutrient depleted soils. Results showed that in Nkayi District, Western Zimbabwe, climate change would threaten most of the farms, and, in particular, those with large cattle herds due to feed shortages. Adaptation strategies that showed the most promise included diversification using legume production, soil fertility improvement, and investment in conducive market environments. The switch to more legumes in the farming systems reduced the vulnerability of the very poor as well as the more resourced farmers. Overall, the sustainable development scenario consistently addressed institutional failures and motivated productivity-enhancing, environmentally sound technologies and inclusive development approaches. This yielded more favorable outcomes than investment in quick economic wins from commercializing agriculture.

Climate change adaptation↗

NASA NTRS1992

Boundary layer elasto-optic switching in ferroelectric liquid crystals

The first experimental observation of a change in the director azimuthal angle due to applied shear stress is reported in a sample configuration involving a liquid-crystal-coated top surface exposed directly to gas flow. The electrooptic response caused by the shear stress is large, fast, and reversible. These findings are relevant to the use of liquid crystals in boundary layer investigations on wind tunnel models.

Parmar, D. S.↗

NASA NTRS1995

An approach to verification and validation of a reliable multicasting protocol: Extended Abstract

This paper describes the process of implementing a complex communications protocol that provides reliable delivery of data in multicast-capable, packet-switching telecommunication networks. The protocol, called the Reliable Multicasting Protocol (RMP), was developed incrementally using a combination of formal and informal techniques in an attempt to ensure the correctness of its implementation. Our development process involved three concurrent activities: (1) the initial construction and incremental enhancement of a formal state model of the protocol machine; (2) the initial coding and incremental enhancement of the implementation; and (3) model-based testing of iterative implementations of the protocol. These activities were carried out by two separate teams: a design team and a V&V team. The design team built the first version of RMP with limited functionality to handle only nominal requirements of data delivery. This initial version did not handle off-nominal cases such as network partitions or site failures. Meanwhile, the V&V team concurrently developed a formal model of the requirements using a variant of SCR-based state tables. Based on these requirements tables, the V&V team developed test cases to exercise the implementation. In a series of iterative steps, the design team added new functionality to the implementation while the V&V team kept the state model in fidelity with the implementation. This was done by generating test cases based on suspected errant or off-nominal behaviors predicted by the current model. If the execution of a test in the model and implementation agreed, then the test either found a potential problem or verified a required behavior. However, if the execution of a test was different in the model and implementation, then the differences helped identify inconsistencies between the model and implementation. In either case, the dialogue between both teams drove the co-evolution of the model and implementation. We have found that this interactive, iterative approach to development allows software designers to focus on delivery of nominal functionality while the V&V team can focus on analysis of off nominal cases. Testing serves as the vehicle for keeping the model and implementation in fidelity with each other. This paper describes (1) our experiences in developing our process model; and (2) three example problems found during the development of RMP. Although RMP has provided our research effort with a rich set of test cases, it also has practical applications within NASA. For example, RMP is being considered for use in the NASA EOSDIS project due to its significant performance benefits in applications that need to replicate large amounts of data to many network sites.

Callahan, John R.↗

NASA NTRS1995

An approach to verification and validation of a reliable multicasting protocol

This paper describes the process of implementing a complex communications protocol that provides reliable delivery of data in multicast-capable, packet-switching telecommunication networks. The protocol, called the Reliable Multicasting Protocol (RMP), was developed incrementally using a combination of formal and informal techniques in an attempt to ensure the correctness of its implementation. Our development process involved three concurrent activities: (1) the initial construction and incremental enhancement of a formal state model of the protocol machine; (2) the initial coding and incremental enhancement of the implementation; and (3) model-based testing of iterative implementations of the protocol. These activities were carried out by two separate teams: a design team and a V&V team. The design team built the first version of RMP with limited functionality to handle only nominal requirements of data delivery. In a series of iterative steps, the design team added new functionality to the implementation while the V&V team kept the state model in fidelity with the implementation. This was done by generating test cases based on suspected errant or off-nominal behaviors predicted by the current model. If the execution of a test was different between the model and implementation, then the differences helped identify inconsistencies between the model and implementation. The dialogue between both teams drove the co-evolution of the model and implementation. Testing served as the vehicle for keeping the model and implementation in fidelity with each other. This paper describes (1) our experiences in developing our process model; and (2) three example problems found during the development of RMP.

Callahan, John R.↗

NASA NTRS1994

An Approach to Verification and Validation of a Reliable Multicasting Protocol

This paper describes the process of implementing a complex communications protocol that provides reliable delivery of data in multicast-capable, packet-switching telecommunication networks. The protocol, called the Reliable Multicasting Protocol (RMP), was developed incrementally using a combination of formal and informal techniques in an attempt to ensure the correctness of its implementation. Our development process involved three concurrent activities: (1) the initial construction and incremental enhancement of a formal state model of the protocol machine; (2) the initial coding and incremental enhancement of the implementation; and (3) model-based testing of iterative implementations of the protocol. These activities were carried out by two separate teams: a design team and a V&V team. The design team built the first version of RMP with limited functionality to handle only nominal requirements of data delivery. In a series of iterative steps, the design team added new functionality to the implementation while the V&V team kept the state model in fidelity with the implementation. This was done by generating test cases based on suspected errant or offnominal behaviors predicted by the current model. If the execution of a test was different between the model and implementation, then the differences helped identify inconsistencies between the model and implementation. The dialogue between both teams drove the co-evolution of the model and implementation. Testing served as the vehicle for keeping the model and implementation in fidelity with each other. This paper describes (1) our experiences in developing our process model; and (2) three example problems found during the development of RMP.

Callahan, John R.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Reconfigurable Antennas for High Data Rate Multi-beam Communication Systems

High-speed (2-100 Mb/sec) wireless data communication - whether land- or satellite-based - faces a major challenge: high error rates caused by interference and unpredictable environments. A planar antenna system that can be reconfigured to respond to changing conditions has the potential to dramatically improve data throughput and system reliability. Moreover, new planar antenna designs that reduce array size, weight, and cost can have a significant impact on terrestrial and satellite communication system performance. This research developed new individually-reconfigurable planar antenna array elements that can be adjusted to provide multiple beams while providing increased scan angles and higher aperture efficiency than traditional diffraction-limited arrays. These new elements are microstrip spiral antennas with specialized tuning mechanisms that provide adjustable radiation patterns. We anticipate that these new elements can be used in both large and small arrays for inter-satellite communication as well as tracking of multiple mobile surface-based units. Our work has developed both theoretical descriptions as well as experimental prototypes of the antennas in both single element and array embodiments. The technical summary of the results of this work is divided into six sections: A. Cavity model for analysis and design of pattern reconfigurable antennas; B. Performance of antenna in array configurations for broadside and endfire operation; C. Performance of antenna in array configurations for beam scanning operation; D. Simulation of antennas in infinite phased arrays; E. Demonstration of antenna with commercially-available RF MEMS switches; F. Design of antenna MEMS switch combinations for direct simultaneous fabrication.

Bernhard, Jennifer T.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Miniature Loop Heat Pipe with Multiple Evaporators for Thermal Control of Small Spacecraft

This paper presents an advanced miniature heat transport system for thermal control of small spacecraft. The thermal system consists of a loop heat pipe (LHP) with multiple evaporators and multiple deployable radiators for heat transfer, and variable emittance coatings on the radiators for performance enhancement. Thermoelectric coolers are used to control the loop operating temperature. The thermal system combines the functions of variable conductance heat pipes, thermal switches, thermal diodes, and the state-of-the-art LHPs into a single integrated thermal system. It retains all the performance characteristics of state-of-the-art LHPs and offers additional advantages to enhance the functionality, performance, versatility, and reliability of the system. Steady state and transient analytical models have been developed, and scaling criteria have also been established. A breadboard unit has been built for functional testing in laboratory and thermal vacuum environments. Experimental results show excellent performance of the thermal system and correlate very well with theoretical predictions.

Ku, Jentung↗