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At least 451 records · Page 25

Risk-Based Methodology for the Determination of Hall Thruster Performance Specifications

This work adapts manufacturing and metrology industry standards to create a risk-based approach for the determination of electric propulsion performance specifications. The developed process is applied to 208 total thrust measurements acquired using three different NASA Hall Effect Rocket with Magnet Shielding (HERMeS) Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) 12.5-kW Hall thrusters in three different test facilities in order to generate thrust specifications at the 300 V/6.25 kW, 400 V/8.33 kW, 500 V/10.42 kW, and 600 V/12.5 kW operating conditions. These thrust specifications are used to perform a set of sample acceptance tests to illustrate the importance of adding additional conservatism using a parameter known of the Test Accuracy Ratio in order to control the risk to the thruster producer and consumer from false rejection and acceptance of thruster units.

HERMeS↗

Risk-based Methodology for the Determination of Hall Thruster Performance Specifications

This work adapts manufacturing and metrology industry standards to create a risk-based approach for the determination of electric propulsion performance specifications. The developed process is applied to 208 total thrust measurements acquired using three different NASA Hall Effect Rocket with Magnet Shielding (HERMeS) Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) 12.5-kW Hall thrusters in three different test facilities in order to generate thrust specifications at the 300 V/6.25 kW, 400 V/8.33 kW, 500 V/10.42 kW, and 600 V/12.5 kW operating conditions. These thrust specifications are used to perform a set of sample acceptance tests to illustrate the importance of adding additional conservatism using a parameter known of the Test Accuracy Ratio in order to control the risk to the thruster producer and consumer from false rejection and acceptance of thruster units.

HERMeS↗

Effectiveness of Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors Under Elevated Chloride Conditions for Aboveground Storage Tank Application

The sand quality used to construct the tank pad is an important contributing factor to the rate of corrosion that occurs on the soil-side of the aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) floor plates. Clean sand that meets specific criteria provides the first line of defense for mitigation of tank floor corrosion. However, it has been observed that the sand quality used for some existing tanks differ greatly from the specifications provided in the API 651 standard; this could be partially due to initial sand quality not meeting the specification, and partially due to the environmental effects over time. For example, rain-water intrusion could lead to higher than the specified contents of corrosive species such as chloride. Tank operators are increasingly using vapor corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) either as a stand alone or in combination with cathodic protection (CP) for ASTs to mitigate soil-side corrosion. VCIs are delivered either through-thefloor or injected through the ports in the ring wall. Experimental studies were conducted to evaluate VCIs’ performance at elevated chloride concentrations and to study the effectiveness of the delivery methods under extreme chloride conditions. The experimental work found that VCI performance is robust and not compromised due to high chloride levels, such as 300 ppm or more. The work also showed that the through-the-floor VCI delivery method is more beneficial compared to the through-the-sand-pad method when tank pad corrosivity is elevated.

Shukla, Pavan K.↗

Sigma: Uncertainty Propagation for C++

Sigma is a header-only C++-17 library for uncertainty propagation, inspired by uncertainties for Python and Measurements.jl for Julia. The library tracks the functional correlation between dependent and independent variables, ensuring that the uncertainty of the independent variables is properly considered in the calculation of the dependent variables’ uncertainties. It is intended as a near drop-in replacement for the standard floating point types (aside from uncertainty specification), and aims to be easily interoperable with the existing standard types.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Standardization Activities in TMF Test Methodologies

No standard test practice currently exists for strain-controlled thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) testing. This paper discusses recent activities which lay the foundation for standardization of TMF test methods. Specifically, the paper documents the results of two interlaboratory TMF test programs, identifies key TMF symposia and workshops, and discusses efforts toward drafting a TMF standard test practice.

Verrilli, M. J.↗

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses of biological particulates collected during recent space shuttle missions

Biological particulates collected on air filters during shuttle missions (STS-40 and STS-42) were identified using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). A method was developed for identifying the atmospheric particles and their sources through the analysis of standard materials and the selection of "marker" compounds specific to the particle type. Pyrolysis spectra of biological standards were compared with those of airborne particles collected during two space shuttle missions; marker compounds present in the shuttle particle spectra were matched with those of the standards to identify the source of particles. Particles of 0,5--1-mm diameter and weighing as little as 40 micrograms could be identified using this technique. The Py-GC/MS method identified rat food and soilless plant-growth media as two sources of particles collected from the shuttle atmosphere during flight.

NASA Program Environmental Health↗

Crop Surveillance Demonstration Using a Near-Daily MODIS Derived Vegetation Index Time Series

Effective response to crop disease outbreaks requires rapid identification and diagnosis of an event. A near-daily vegetation index product, such as a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), at moderate spatial resolution may serve as a good method for monitoring quick-acting diseases. NASA s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument flown on the Terra and Aqua satellites has the temporal, spatial, and spectral properties to make it an excellent coarse-resolution data source for rapid, comprehensive surveillance of agricultural areas. A proof-of-concept wide area crop surveillance system using daily MODIS imagery was developed and tested on a set of San Joaquin cotton fields over a growing season. This area was chosen in part because excellent ground truth data were readily available. Preliminary results indicate that, at least in the southwestern part of the United States, near-daily NDVI products can be generated that show the natural variations in the crops as well as specific crop practices. Various filtering methods were evaluated and compared with standard MOD13 NDVI MODIS products. We observed that specific chemical applications that produce defoliation, which would have been missed using the standard 16-day product, were easily detectable with the filtered daily NDVI products.

McKellip, Rodney↗

Marshall Avionics Testbed System (MAST)

Work accomplished in the summer of 1989 in association with the NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Research Fellowship Program at Marshall Space Flight Center is summarized. The project was aimed at developing detailed specifications for the Marshall Avionics System Testbed (MAST). This activity was to include the definition of the testbed requirements and the development of specifications for a set of standard network nodes for connecting the testbed to a variety of networks. The project was also to include developing a timetable for the design, implementation, programming and testing of the testbed. Specifications of both hardware and software components for the system were to be included.

Smith, Wayne D.↗

A standard satellite control reference model

This paper describes a Satellite Control Reference Model that provides the basis for an approach to identify where standards would be beneficial in supporting space operations functions. The background and context for the development of the model and the approach are described. A process for using this reference model to trace top level interoperability directives to specific sets of engineering interface standards that must be implemented to meet these directives is discussed. Issues in developing a 'universal' reference model are also identified.

Golden, Constance↗

Guidebook for Limited Sample Probability of Detection (LS-POD) Demonstration for Signal-Response Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Methods

This document provides guidance for performing limited sample probability of detection (LS-POD) demonstration testing with smaller numbers of flawed specimens than the 29 required for the Point Estimate POD method referenced in NASA Standard 5009B. This document is specifically applicable to NASA programs and projects where NASA Special NDE methods are used to inspect fracture critical human spaceflight metallic hardware when the minimum number of flawed specimens required for the Point Estimate POD method referenced in NASA Standard 5009B (2019) are not available.

Limited Sample Probability of Detection↗

Creating the First Interactive Mobility Data Landscape

As the world continues to be driven increasingly driven by data, the ways this data is sorted and collected is critical for researchers and specification creators. In the world of mobility data, there are few if any de jure standards connecting data, and there is little knowledge on the gaps that exist in the data. In this project we have created an interactive landscape where mobility data and data specifications can be categorized and organized in an easy-to-use living document.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

A Gold Standards Approach to Training Instructors to Evaluate Crew Performance

The Advanced Qualification Program requires that airlines evaluate crew performance in Line Oriented Simulation. For this evaluation to be meaningful, instructors must observe relevant crew behaviors and evaluate those behaviors consistently and accurately against standards established by the airline. The airline industry has largely settled on an approach in which instructors evaluate crew performance on a series of event sets, using standardized grade sheets on which behaviors specific to event set are listed. Typically, new instructors are given a class in which they learn to use the grade sheets and practice evaluating crew performance observed on videotapes. These classes emphasize reliability, providing detailed instruction and practice in scoring so that all instructors within a given class will give similar scores to similar performance. This approach has value but also has important limitations; (1) ratings within one class of new instructors may differ from those of other classes; (2) ratings may not be driven primarily by the specific behaviors on which the company wanted the crews to be scored; and (3) ratings may not be calibrated to company standards for level of performance skill required. In this paper we provide a method to extend the existing method of training instructors to address these three limitations. We call this method the "gold standards" approach because it uses ratings from the company's most experienced instructors as the basis for training rater accuracy. This approach ties the training to the specific behaviors on which the experienced instructors based their ratings.

Baker, David P.↗

Applying a Template of Expected Uncertainties to Updating 239 Pu(n,f) Cross-section Covariances in the Neutron Data Standards Database

Templates of uncertainties expected in specific measurement types were recently developed. One aim of these templates is to help evaluators in identifying (1) missing or suspiciously low uncertainties and (2) missing correlations between uncertainties of the same and different experiments, when estimating covariances for experimental data employed in their evaluations. These templates also provide realistic estimates of standard deviations and correlations for a particular uncertainty source and measurement type that can be used by evaluators in situations where they are not supplied by the experimenters. This information allows for a more comprehensive uncertainty analysis across all measurements considered in an evaluation and, thus, more realistic evaluated covariances. Here, in this work, we extend a template that is applicable to uncertainties expected in neutron-induced fission, (n,f), cross-section measurements. It is applied to improving covariances of 239 Pu(n,f) cross-section measurements in the database underlying the Neutron Data Standards evaluations. This particular example was chosen since this evaluation is primarily based on experimental information. Also, some uncertainties of individual 239 Pu(n,f) cross-section experiments in this database were suspected to be underestimated. The evaluated uncertainties obtained after updating the covariances in the database by means of the template indeed do increase compared to their original values. Even more importantly, the evaluated mean values change noticeably. These modified cross sections impact application calculations significantly, as is demonstrated by employing them in simulations of the effective neutron multiplication factor for a few selected critical assemblies. However, this updated evaluated 239 Pu(n,f) cross section should not be interpreted as the final one that should replace values of the current Neutron Data Standards project. Evaluations for the Neutron Data Standards of the 239 Pu(n,f) cross section must be linked to many other observables included in the associated database, most notably to cross sections for 235 U(n,f), but also to those for 10 B(n, α ), 6 Li(n,t), 238 U(n,f), and 238 U(n, γ ), because of included measurements of the 239 Pu(n,f) cross section that appear as ratios to these reactions. Some of these other reactions are correlated to further observables in the database. Hence, updating uncertainties of data sets of any of these observables can potentially impact the 239 Pu(n,f) cross section. Uncertainties for all measurements of these linked physical observables have to be updated before a comprehensive evaluation of the 239 Pu(n,f) cross section and its corresponding uncertainties can be provided.

239Pu Neutron-induced fission cross-section↗

Sensor-Assisted Fault Mitigation in Quantum Computation

We propose a method for assisting fault mitigation in quantum computation through the use of sensors, co-located near physical qubits. Specifically, we consider using transition edge sensors co-located on silicon substrates hosting superconducting qubits to monitor for energy injection from ionizing radiation that has been demonstrated to increase decoherence in transmon qubits. We generalize from these two physical device concepts and explore the potential advantages of co-located sensors to assist fault mitigation in quantum computation. In the simplest scheme, co-located sensors beneficially assist rejection of calculations potentially affected by environmental disturbances. Investigating the potential computational advantage further required development of an extension to the standard formulation of quantum error correction. In a specific case the standard three-qubit, bit flip quantum correction code, we show that given a 20% overall error probability per qubit, approximately 90% of repeated calculation attempts are correctable. However, when sensor-detectable errors account for 45% of overall error probability, the use of colocated sensors uniquely associated with independent qubits, boosts the fraction of correct final-state calculations to 96% at the cost of rejecting 7% of repeated calculation attempts.

Orrell, John L.↗

Comparison of the lossy image data compressions for the MESUR Pathfinder and for the Huygens Titan Probe

The commercial JPEG standard complies well with the specific requirements of exploratory space missions. Therefore, JPEG has been chosen to be the baseline for a series of spaceborne image data compressions (e.g. MARS94-HRSC, -WAOSS, HUYGENS-DISR, MESUR-IMP). One S/W-implementation (IMP) and one H/W-implementation (DISR) of image data compression are presented. Details of the modifications applied to standard JPEG are outlined. Finally, a performance comparison of the two implementations is given.

Rueffer, P.↗

Alternate Methods of Model Reduction to Avoid Dynamic Modal Truncation Error

Loads analysis is traditionally performed using dynamically reduced models, which provides the benefit to reduce run time. If the reduced model frequency cutoff is not chosen appropriately, the model will lack the dynamic content required to fully represent the response of the non-reduced model. Standard guidance for reduced model frequency content, provided in NASA-STD-5002, is to solve fixed base modes up to a minimum of 1.5x the model frequency content of interest and to employ static modal truncation methods such as residual vectors, the mode acceleration method, and the residual flexibility method to account for the truncated flexibility of the missing modes. Fixed base modes require the selection of a set of degrees of freedom to be constrained which, if not properly selected, may affect the accuracy of the reduced model by excluding some of the dynamic characteristic of the full model. In this case, the standard NASA guidance would be insufficient, but it may not be readily apparent that a portion of the reduced model response is missing. This error was encountered during an independent verification and validation (IV&V) effort, where it was observed that the resulting dynamic response was lower than the inline analysis. In this specific case, despite following the standard NASA model reduction guidelines in the selection of the frequency cutoff, the inline model still did not fully capture the necessary dynamic content. As part of the IV&V, an alternate reduction methodology was employed using an unconstrained mode acceleration method. The original model initially performed a constrained reduction to twice the frequency content of interest before doing a free-free run, employing the mode acceleration method to account for the truncated modes. In contrast in the IV&V, the unconstrained model reduced directly to the needed frequency content of the free-free run, avoiding any interactions between constraints and dynamic content. To verify the model, the original reduction methodology was used to generate a series of Hurty-Craig-Bampton reductions, each with a higher frequency cutoff than the previous. The results were shown to converge once the frequency cutoff increased past eight times the frequency content of interest. At the same frequency cutoff, the results of the Hurty-Craig-Bampton model converged with the results of the unconstrained mode acceleration model. This comparative study provided confidence that the results of the unconstrained modal acceleration reduced model were correct and that the Hurty-Craig-Bampton needed to increase its frequency cutoff to fully capture the dynamic response.

Erin Simmons↗

Alternate Methods of Model Reduction to Avoid Dynamic Modal Truncation Error

Loads analysis is traditionally performed using dynamically reduced models, which provides the benefit to reduce run time. If the reduced model frequency cutoff is not chosen appropriately, the model will lack the dynamic content required to fully represent the response of the non-reduced model. Standard guidance for reduced model frequency content, provided in NASA-STD-5002, is to solve fixed base modes up to a minimum of 1.5x the model frequency content of interest and to employ static modal truncation methods such as residual vectors, the mode acceleration method, and the residual flexibility method to account for the truncated flexibility of the missing modes. Fixed base modes require the selection of a set of degrees of freedom to be constrained which, if not properly selected, may affect the accuracy of the reduced model by excluding some of the dynamic characteristic of the full model. In this case, the standard NASA guidance would be insufficient, but it may not be readily apparent that a portion of the reduced model response is missing. This error was encountered during an independent verification and validation (IV&V) effort, where it was observed that the resulting dynamic response was lower than the inline analysis. In this specific case, despite following the standard NASA model reduction guidelines in the selection of the frequency cutoff, the inline model still did not fully capture the necessary dynamic content. As part of the IV&V, an alternate reduction methodology was employed using an unconstrained mode acceleration method. The original model initially performed a constrained reduction to twice the frequency content of interest before doing a free-free run, employing the mode acceleration method to account for the truncated modes. In contrast in the IV&V, the unconstrained model reduced directly to the needed frequency content of the free-free run, avoiding any interactions between constraints and dynamic content. To verify the model, the original reduction methodology was used to generate a series of Hurty-Craig-Bampton reductions, each with a higher frequency cutoff than the previous. The results were shown to converge once the frequency cutoff increased past eight times the frequency content of interest. At the same frequency cutoff, the results of the Hurty-Craig-Bampton model converged with the results of the unconstrained mode acceleration model. This comparative study provided confidence that the results of the unconstrained modal acceleration reduced model were correct and that the Hurty-Craig-Bampton needed to increase its frequency cutoff to fully capture the dynamic response.

Erin Simmons↗