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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Sufficiently informative functions and the minimax feedback control of uncertain dynamic systems.

The problem of optimal feedback control of uncertain discrete-time dynamic systems is considered where the uncertain quantities do not have a stochastic description but instead are known to belong to given sets. The problem is converted to a sequential minimax problem and dynamic programming is suggested as a general method for its solution. The notion of a sufficiently informative function, which parallels the notion of a sufficient statistic of stochastic optimal control, is introduced, and conditions under which the optimal controller decomposes into an estimator and an actuator are identified.

Bertsekas, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Investigation and appreciation of optimal output feedback. Volume 1: A convergent algorithm for the stochastic infinite-time discrete optimal output feedback problem

The stochastic, infinite time, discrete output feedback problem for time invariant linear systems is examined. Two sets of sufficient conditions for the existence of a stable, globally optimal solution are presented. An expression for the total change in the cost function due to a change in the feedback gain is obtained. This expression is used to show that a sequence of gains can be obtained by an algorithm, so that the corresponding cost sequence is monotonically decreasing and the corresponding sequence of the cost gradient converges to zero. The algorithm is guaranteed to obtain a critical point of the cost function. The computational steps necessary to implement the algorithm on a computer are presented. The results are applied to a digital outer loop flight control problem. The numerical results for this 13th order problem indicate a rate of convergence considerably faster than two other algorithms used for comparison.

Halyo, N.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Application of the Maximum Entropy/optimal Projection Control Design Approach for Large Space Structures

The underlying philosophy and motivation of the optimal projection/maximum entropy (OP/ME) stochastic modelling and reduced order control design method for high order systems with parameter uncertainties are discussed. The OP/ME design equations for reduced-order dynamic compensation including the effect of parameter uncertainties are reviewed and the application of the methodology to several large space structure (LSS) problems of representative complexity is illustrated.

Hyland, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Tradeoff methods in multiobjective insensitive design of airplane control systems

The latest results of an ongoing study of computer-aided design of airplane control systems are given. Constrained minimization algorithms are used, with the design objectives in the constraint vector. The concept of Pareto optimiality is briefly reviewed. It is shown how an experienced designer can use it to find designs which are well-balanced in all objectives. Then the problem of finding designs which are insensitive to uncertainty in system parameters are discussed, introducing a probabilistic vector definition of sensitivity which is consistent with the deterministic Pareto optimal problem. Insensitivity is important in any practical design, but it is particularly important in the design of feedback control systems, since it is considered to be the most important distinctive property of feedback control. Methods of tradeoff between deterministic and stochastic-insensitive (SI) design are described, and tradeoff design results are presented for the example of the a Shuttle lateral stability augmentation system. This example is used because careful studies have been made of the uncertainty in Shuttle aerodynamics. Finally, since accurate statistics of uncertain parameters are usually not available, the effects of crude statistical models on SI designs are examined.

Schy, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Health Monitoring for Airframe Structural Characterization

This study established requirements for structural health monitoring systems, identified and characterized a prototype structural sensor system, developed sensor interpretation algorithms, and demonstrated the sensor systems on operationally realistic test articles. Fiber-optic corrosion sensors (i.e., moisture and metal ion sensors) and low-cycle fatigue sensors (i.e., strain and acoustic emission sensors) were evaluated to validate their suitability for monitoring aging degradation; characterize the sensor performance in aircraft environments; and demonstrate placement processes and multiplexing schemes. In addition, a unique micromachined multimeasure and sensor concept was developed and demonstrated. The results show that structural degradation of aircraft materials could be effectively detected and characterized using available and emerging sensors. A key component of the structural health monitoring capability is the ability to interpret the information provided by sensor system in order to characterize the structural condition. Novel deterministic and stochastic fatigue damage development and growth models were developed for this program. These models enable real time characterization and assessment of structural fatigue damage.

Munns, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Robust Design Under Uncertainty of Hypersonic Inlets

The objective of this work is to optimize scramjet inlet designs under uncertainty at multiple fidelity levels. Optimizations are performed for both deterministic and stochastic conditions. For stochastic conditions, robust design is used to minimize the variance in system performance in addition to optimizing mean system performance. Uncertainty quantification is performed using non-intrusive polynomial chaos. Comparisons are made between low-fidelity analysis and high-fidelity analysis, as well as deterministic optimization and robust optimization. Results indicate that the general design trend of previous inlet optimization techniques is recovered for the external compression portion of an inlet. For the internal compression portion of an inlet, when viscous effects become more significant and boundary layer separation becomes more likely, the optimal trend departs from previous results. Multifidelity uncertainty quantification methods are found to substantially reduce the computation time of robust design while obtaining results that nearly match those of high-fidelity analysis. Robust optimization is found to decrease the standard deviation of throat Mach number by up to 40% compared to deterministic optimization. Changes in the design variables and total turning that lead to robust scramjet inlets are identified and linked back to fundamental physical principles through the theta-beta-Mach function.

Hypersonic↗
NASA NTRS1985

Does nucleation theory apply to the formation of refractory circumstellar grains?

It is pointed out that kinetic factors inherent in cosmic systems will prevent the attainment of an approximate equilibrium precondensation cluster distribution, and that therefore such systems will violate one of the most fundamental assumptions of nucleation theory. More importantly, it is shown that of the 11 refractory metal/metal oxide systems which have been studied experimentally none are consistent with the predictions of either classical nucleation theory or the Lothe-Pound modification. Since no valid method is known by which these deficiencies can be circumvented, it is concluded that nucleation theory cannot be made to work in expanding circumstellar shells. However, a stochastic, kinetic treatment which makes use of experimental and theoretical data for specific refractory systems does appear to be feasible.

Donn, B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Linear stochastic optimal control and estimation problem

Problem involves design of controls for linear time-invariant system disturbed by white noise. Solution is Kalman filter coupled through set of optimal regulator gains to produce desired control signal. Key to solution is solving matrix Riccati differential equation. LSOCE effectively solves problem for wide range of practical applications. Program is written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution and has been implemented on IBM 360.

Geyser, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A data based random number generator for a multivariate distribution (using stochastic interpolation)

Let X be a K-dimensional random variable serving as input for a system with output Y (not necessarily of dimension k). given X, an outcome Y or a distribution of outcomes G(Y/X) may be obtained either explicitly or implicity. The situation is considered in which there is a real world data set X sub j sub = 1 (n) and a means of simulating an outcome Y. A method for empirical random number generation based on the sample of observations of the random variable X without estimating the underlying density is discussed.

Thompson, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Stochastic histories of dust grains in the interstellar medium

The purpose is to study an evolving system of refractory dust grains within the Interstellar Medium (ISM). This is done via a combination of Monte Carlo processes and a system of partial differential equations, where refractory dust grains formed within supernova remnants and ejecta from high mass loss stars are subjected to the processes of sputtering and collisional fragmentation in the diffuse media and accretion within the cold molecular clouds. In order to record chemical detail, the authors take each new particle to consist of a superrefractory core plus a more massive refractory mantle. The particles are allowed to transfer to and fro between the different phases of the interstellar medium (ISM) - on a time scale of 10(exp 8) years - until either the particles are destroyed or the program finishes at a Galaxy time of 6x10(exp 9) years. The resulting chemical and size spectrum(s) are then applied to various astrophysical problems with the following results. For an ISM which has no collisional fragmentation of the dust grains, roughly 10 percent by mass of the most refractory material survives the rigors of the ISM intact, which leaves open the possibility that fossilized isotopically anomalous material may have been present within the primordial solar nebula. Stuctured or layered refractory dust grains within the model cannot explain the observed interstellar depletions of refractory material. Fragmentation due to grain-grain collisions in the diffuse phase plus the accretion of material in the molecular cloud phase can under certain circumstances cause a bimodal distribution in grain size.

Liffman, Kurt↗
NASA NTRS2017

Role of Forcing Uncertainty and Background Model Error Characterization in Snow Data Assimilation

Accurate specification of the model error covariances in data assimilation systems is a challenging issue. Ensemble land data assimilation methods rely on stochastic perturbations of input forcing and model prognostic fields for developing representations of input model error covariances. This article examines the limitations of using a single forcing dataset for specifying forcing uncertainty inputs for assimilating snow depth retrievals. Using an idealized data assimilation experiment, the article demonstrates that the use of hybrid forcing input strategies (either through the use of an ensemble of forcing products or through the added use of the forcing climatology) provide a better characterization of the background model error, which leads to improved data assimilation results, especially during the snow accumulation and melt-time periods. The use of hybrid forcing ensembles is then employed for assimilating snow depth retrievals from the AMSR2 (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2) instrument over two domains in the continental USA with different snow evolution characteristics. Over a region near the Great Lakes, where the snow evolution tends to be ephemeral, the use of hybrid forcing ensembles provides significant improvements relative to the use of a single forcing dataset. Over the Colorado headwaters characterized by large snow accumulation, the impact of using the forcing ensemble is less prominent and is largely limited to the snow transition time periods. The results of the article demonstrate that improving the background model error through the use of a forcing ensemble enables the assimilation system to better incorporate the observational information.

assimilation↗
NASA NTRS2009

Modular and Stochastic Approaches to Molecular Pathway Models of ATM, TGF beta, and WNT Signaling

Deterministic pathway models that describe the biochemical interactions of a group of related proteins, their complexes, activation through kinase, etc. are often the basis for many systems biology models. Low dose radiation effects present a unique set of challenges to these models including the importance of stochastic effects due to the nature of radiation tracks and small number of molecules activated, and the search for infrequent events that contribute to cancer risks. We have been studying models of the ATM, TGF -Smad and WNT signaling pathways with the goal of applying pathway models to the investigation of low dose radiation cancer risks. Modeling challenges include introduction of stochastic models of radiation tracks, their relationships to more than one substrate species that perturb pathways, and the identification of a representative set of enzymes that act on the dominant substrates. Because several pathways are activated concurrently by radiation the development of modular pathway approach is of interest.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Stochastic crew motion modeling.

Representative data of actual forces and moments applicable to large spacecraft attitude control system for typical crew activities obtained through simulation programs

Hendricks, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

On the use of stochastic process-based methods for the analysis of hyperspectral data

Further development in remote sensing technology requires refinement of information system design aspects, i.e., the ability to specify precisely the data to collect and the means to extract increasing amounts of information from the increasingly rich and complex data stream created. One of the principal directions of advance is that data from much larger numbers of spectral bands can be collected, but with significantly increased signal-to-noise ratio. The theory of stochastic or random processes may be applied to the modeling of second-order variations. A multispectral data set with a large number of spectral bands is analyzed using standard pattern recognition techniques. The data were classified using first a single spectral feature, then two, and continuing on with greater and greater numbers of features. Three different classification schemes are used: a standard maximum likelihood Gaussian scheme; the same approach with the mean values of all classes adjusted to be the same; and the use of a minimum distance to means scheme such that mean differences are used.

Landgrebe, David A.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Flowgraph techniques for closed systems.

Flowgraph techniques for closed systems, discussing properties, approximation method, topology equation, frequency response, constraints, oscillatory and stochastic processes, etc

HARMONIC OSCILLATOR↗
NASA NTRS1971

Application of the GERTS II simulator in the industrial environment.

GERT was originally developed to aid in the analysis of stochastic networks. GERT can be used to graphically model and analyze complex systems. Recently a simulator model, GERTS II, has been developed to solve GERT Networks. The simulator language used in the development of this model was GASP II A. This paper discusses the possible application of GERTS II to model and analyze (1) assembly line operations, (2) project management networks, (3) conveyor systems and (4) inventory systems. Finally, an actual application dealing with a job shop loading problem is presented.

Whitehouse, G. E.↗