SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “active distribution systems”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 505 records · Page 28

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2006

EOS MLS Science Data Processing System: A Description of Architecture and Capabilities

This paper describes the architecture and capabilities of the Science Data Processing System (SDPS) for the EOS MLS. The SDPS consists of two major components--the Science Computing Facility and the Science Investigator-led Processing System. The Science Computing Facility provides the facilities for the EOS MLS Science Team to perform the functions of scientific algorithm development, processing software development, quality control of data products, and scientific analyses. The Science Investigator-led Processing System processes and reprocesses the science data for the entire mission and delivers the data products to the Science Computing Facility and to the Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Science Distributed Active Archive Center, which archives and distributes the standard science products.

Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS)↗

NASA NTRS1994

Predictions of a population of cataclysmic variables in globular clusters

We have studied the number of cataclysmic variables (CVs) that should be active in globular clusters during the present epoch as a result of binary formation via two-body tidal capture. We predict the orbital period and luminosity distributions of CVs in globular clusters. The results arebased on Monte Carlo simulations combined with evolution calculations appropriate to each system formed during the lifetime of two specific globular clusters, omega Cen and 47 Tuc. From our study of these two clusters, which represent the range of core densities and states of mass segregation that are likely to be interesting, we extrapolate our results to the Galactic globlular cluster system. Although there is at present little direct observational evidence of CVs in globular clusters, we find that there should be a large number of active systems. We predict that there should be more than approximately 100 CVs in both 47 Tuc and omega Cen and several thousand in the Galactic globular cluster system. These numbers are based on two-body processes alone and represent a lower bound on the number of systems that may have been formed as a result of stellar interaction within globular clusters. The relation between these calculations and the paucity of optically detected CVs in globular clusters is discussed. Should future observations fail to find convincing evidence of a substantial population of cluster CVs, then the two-body tidal capture scenario is likely to be seriously constrained. Of the CVs we espect in 47 Tuc and omega Cen, approximately 45 and 20, respectively, should have accretion luminosities above 10(exp 33) ergs/s. If one utilizes a relation for converting accretion luminosity to hard X-ray luminosity that is based on observations of Galactic plane CVs, even these sources will not exhibit X-ray luminosities above 10(exp 33) ergs/s. While we cannot account directly for the most luminous subset of the low-luminosity globular cluster X-ray sources without assuming an evolutionary pattern that is different from that of the majority of CVs in the disk, we are able to account for all of the observed lower luminosity subset of these sources, many of which have been recently discovered through ROSAT observations. In order for our predicted integrated cluster X-ray luminosities to be consistent with observational upper limits, the relation between accretion and X-ray luminosities should be something like that inferred from the Galactic plane population of CVs. Our calculations predict a large number of systems with L(sub acc) is less than 10(exp 32) ergs/s. Although our calculations imply that globular clusters should have an enhancement of CVs relative to the number thought to be present in the Galactic disk, this enhancement is at most roughly an order of magnitude, not comparable to the factor of approximately 100 for low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs).

Di Stefano, R.↗

NASA NTRS2001

The Role of Cyanobacteria in Stromatolite Morphogenesis, Highborn Cay Bahamas: An Integrated Field and Laboratory Simulation Study

Geomicrobiological phenomena are among the most fundamental of interactions between Earth and its biosphere. Actively growing and lithifying stromatolites at Highborne Cay Bahamas, have recently been documented and allow for detailed examination of the roles microbes play in the mineralization process. These stromatolites contain a variety of complex microbial communities with distinct distribution patterns for different microbial groups. Cyanobacteria are the primary producers in this system providing energy, directly or indirectly, for the entire stromatolite microbial community. They also play key roles in the trapping and binding of sediments. Most of these species are highly motile and can adjust their position and orientation within the sediment matrix in order to optimize their access to irradiance and nutrients. As individual species have different physical and metabolic properties, this motility generally results in segregated distributions of species, which in turn contributes to the laminated textures observed in these actively forming stromatolites. Increasingly our studies suggest that the activities and locations of various cyanobacterial species also contribute greatly to the localization of new mineral precipitation through a variety of processes. We are investigating these contributions using an integrated approach combining detailed observations of field samples with manipulative experiments using both field samples and cultures of specific organisms isolated from these stromatolites. Experiments are conducted both in standard laboratory conditions and in outdoor running seawater flumes. A variety of standard techniques; SEM (scanning electron microscopy), petrographic analyses, TEM (transmission electron microscopy), are used to compare mineralization processes in field samples with those generated in laboratory-flume simulations. Using this approach we are able to more thoroughly investigate the effects of irradiance, CaCO3 saturation, and hydrodynamic regime on cyanobacterial distribution, trapping and binding and mineral precipitation. Simulation results will be presented and compared with community and mineralization distribution patterns seen in the field samples from which these communities were isolated.

Prufert-Bebout, Leslie↗

NASA NTRS2006

Single Phase Passive Rectification Versus Active Rectification Applied to High Power Stirling Engines

Stirling engine converters are being considered as potential candidates for high power energy conversion systems required by future NASA explorations missions. These types of engines typically contain two major moving parts, the displacer and the piston, in which a linear alternator is attached to the piston to produce a single phase sinusoidal waveform at a specific electric frequency. Since all Stirling engines perform at low electrical frequencies (less or equal to 100 Hz), space explorations missions that will employ these engines will be required to use DC power management and distribution (PMAD) system instead of an AC PMAD system to save on space and weight. Therefore, to supply such DC power an AC to DC converter is connected to the Stirling engine. There are two types of AC to DC converters that can be employed, a passive full bridge diode rectifier and an active switching full bridge rectifier. Due to the inherent line inductance of the Stirling Engine-Linear Alternator (SE-LA), their sinusoidal voltage and current will be phase shifted producing a power factor below 1. In order to keep power the factor close to unity, both AC to DC converters topologies will implement power factor correction. This paper discusses these power factor correction methods as well as their impact on overall mass for exploration applications. Simulation results on both AC to DC converters topologies with power factor correction as a function of output power and SE-LA line inductance impedance are presented and compared.

Santiago, Walter↗

NASA NTRS2012

Stabilized Photonic Links for Deep Space Tracking, Navigation, and Radio Science Applications

Stable fiber optic links have been operational in NASA's DSN for over 20 years providing distribution limited fractional frequency stability below 10-14 at one second and reaching 10-18 at approx 10,000 seconds. We summarize recent stabilized photonic link developments for DSN operation capable of high performance and reliability, and at much lower cost than previous systems. Recent research has focused on two applications, 1) actively stabilized links to transport 100 MHz metrology frequency references to sites up to 30 km from the central atomic frequency standard, and 2) stabilized links transporting broadband S, X, and Ka band signals used in deep space tracking and navigation and antenna arraying applications.

frequency distribution↗

NASA NTRS1985

The Earth Observing System - A multidisciplinary system for the long-term acquisition of earth science data from space

The development of the Earth Observing System (EOS) requirements is examined. An envisioned, EOS is to be NASA's multidisciplinary approach to acquisition of earth science data in the 1990s. The rationale and assumptions for the EOS are presented, together with a discussion of anticipated operations and use environments. Planned instrumentation concepts are discussed, involving a broad array of multiuse sensors operating across the electromagnetic spectrum from the ultraviolet to the microwave and including both active and passive techniques. Concepts for the near-polar orbiting observatory system, and essentially permanent man-serviced and -tended facility, are presented, along with concepts for information capture, processing and distribution and for common data-base referencing of acquired data. Milestones are indicated that are to be passed before a commitment to program execution can be made later in this decade.

Broome, D. R., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Stabilized fiber-optic frequency distribution system

A technique for stabilizing reference frequencies transmitted over fiber-optic cable in a frequency distribution system is discussed. The distribution system utilizes fiber-optic cable as the transmission medium to distribute precise reference signals from a frequency standard to remote users. The stability goal of the distribution system is to transmit a 100-MHz signal over a 22-km fiber-optic cable and maintain a stability of 1 part in 10(17) for 1000-second averaging times. Active stabilization of the link is required to reduce phase variations produced by environmental effects, and is achieved by transmitting the reference signal from the frequency standard to the remote unit and then reflecting back to the reference unit over the same optical fiber. By comparing the phase of the transmitted and reflected signals at the reference unit, phase variations of the remote signal can be measured. An error voltage derived from the phase difference between the two signals is used to add correction phase.

Primas, L. E.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Ada software productivity prototypes: A case study

A case study of the impact of Ada on a Command and Control project completed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is given. The data for this study was collected as part of a general survey of software costs and productivity at JPL and other NASA sites. The task analyzed is a successful example of the use of rapid prototyping as applied to command and control for the U.S. Air Force and provides the U.S. Air Force Military Airlift Command with the ability to track aircraft, air crews and payloads worldwide. The task consists of a replicated database at several globally distributed sites. The local databases at each site can be updated within seconds after changes are entered at any one site. The system must be able to handle up to 400,000 activities per day. There are currently seven sites, each with a local area network of computers and a variety of user displays; the local area networks are tied together into a single wide area network. Using data obtained for eight modules, totaling approximately 500,000 source lines of code, researchers analyze the differences in productivities between subtasks. Factors considered are percentage of Ada used in coding, years of programmer experience, and the use of Ada tools and modern programming practices. The principle findings are the following. Productivity is very sensitive to programmer experience. The use of Ada software tools and the use of modern programming practices are important; without such use Ada is just a large complex language which can cause productivity to decrease. The impact of Ada on development effort phases is consistent with earlier reports at the project level but not at the module level.

Hihn, Jairus M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Active dosimetric measurements on Shuttle flights

A tissue-equivalent proportional counter spectrometer capable of measuring the absorbed dose and dose distribution as a function of LET and time, for all penetrating radiation in space, is described. This instrument weighs about 0.7 kg and was flown on the STS-31 (28.5 deg x 620 km) flight of the Space Shuttle, 24-29 April 1990. The measured total dose is in excellent agreement with the calculations based on the AP8MAX model of the trapped radiation belt protons. The observed LET frequency distribution is also in excellent agreement with calculations based on this model. Active instruments can provide more detailed dosimetry for crew risk assessment than the thermoluminescent detectors or a plastic track detector system.

Badhwar, Gautam D.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Continued Development of Expert System Tools for NPSS Engine Diagnostics

The objectives of this grant were to work with previously developed NPSS (Numerical Propulsion System Simulation) tools and enhance their functionality; explore similar AI systems; and work with the High Performance Computing Communication (HPCC) K-12 program. Activities for this reporting period are briefly summarized and a paper addressing the implementation, monitoring and zooming in a distributed jet engine simulation is included as an attachment.

Lewandowski, Henry↗

NASA NTRS2000

BOREAS TE-10 Leaf Gas Exchange Data

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmospheric Study (BOREAS) TE-10 (Terrestrial Ecology) team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the reflectance, transmittance, gas exchange, chlorophyll content, carbon content, hydrogen content, and nitrogen content of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of assimilation, stomatal conductance, transpiration, internal CO2 concentration, and water use efficiency conducted in the Southern Study Area (SSA) during the growing seasons of 1994 and 1996 using a portable gas exchange system. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Hall, Forrest G.↗

NASA NTRS2000

BOREAS TE-12 Leaf Gas Exchange Data

The BOREAS TE-12 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the reflectance, transmittance, and gas exchange of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of leaf gas exchange conducted in the SSA during the growing seasons of 1994 and 1995 using a portable gas exchange system. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Center (DAAC).

Hall, Forrest G.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Application of a Broadband Active Vibration Control System to a Helicopter Trim Panel

This paper discusses testing of a broadband active vibration control concept on an interior trim panel in a helicopter cabin mockup located at ONERA's Centre de Toulouse. The control system consisted of twelve diamond-shaped piezoelectric actuators distributed around a 1.2m x 1.2m trim panel. Accelerometers were mounted at the four vertices of each diamond. The aspect ratio of the diamond was based on the dielectric constants of the piezoelectric material in order to create an actuator-sensor pair that was collocated over a broad frequency range. This allowed robust control to be implemented using simple, low power analog electronics. Initial testing on a thick acrylic window demonstrated the capability of the controller, but actuator performance was less satisfactory when mounted on a composite sandwich trim panel. This may have been due to the orthotropic nature of the trim panel, or due to its much higher stiffness relative to the acrylic window. Insights gained from a finite element study of the actuator-sensor-structural system are discussed.

Cabell, Randolph H.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Real-Time Closed Loop Modulated Turbine Cooling

It has been noted by industry that in addition to dramatic variations of temperature over a given blade surface, blade-to-blade variations also exist despite identical design. These variations result from manufacturing variations, uneven wear and deposition over the life of the part as well as limitations in the uniformity of coolant distribution in the baseline cooling design. It is proposed to combine recent advances in optical sensing, actuation, and film cooling concepts to develop a workable active, closed-loop modulated turbine cooling system to improve by 10 to 20 the turbine thermal state over the flight mission, to improve engine life and to dramatically reduce turbine cooling air usage and aircraft fuel burn. A reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) can also be achieved by using the excess coolant to improve mixing in the combustor especially for rotorcraft engines. Recent patents filed by industry and universities relate to modulating endwall cooling using valves. These schemes are complex, add weight and are limited to the endwalls. The novelty of the proposed approach is twofold 1) Fluidic diverters that have no moving parts are used to modulate cooling and can operate under a wide range of conditions and environments. 2) Real-time optical sensing to map the thermal state of the turbine has never been attempted in realistic engine conditions.

turbines↗

NASA NTRS2015

Investigation of the CCN Activity, BC and UVBC Mass Concentrations of Biomass Burning Aerosols during the 2013 BASELInE Campaign

Biomass-burning (BB) aerosols, acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), can influence cloud microphysical and radiative properties. In this study, we present CCN measured near the BB source regions over northern Southeast Asia (Doi Ang Khang, Thailand) and at downwind receptor areas (Lulin Atmospheric Background Station, Taiwan), focusing exclusively on 13-20 March 2013 as part of 2013 spring campaign of the Seven SouthEast Asian Studies (7-SEAS) intensive observation. One of the campaigns objectives is to characterize BB aerosols serving as CCN in SouthEast Asia (SEA). CCN concentrations were measured by a CCN counter at 5 supersaturation (SS) levels: 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45%, 0.60%, and 0.75%. In addition, PM2.5 and black carbon mass concentrations were analyzed by using a tapered element oscillating microbalance and an aethalometer. It was found the number-size distributions and the characteristics of hygroscopicity (e.g., activation ratio and k) of BB aerosols in SEA have a strong diurnal pattern, and different behaviors of patterns were characterized under two distinct weather systems. The overall average value was low (0.05-0.1) but comparable with previous CCN studies in other BB source regions. Furthermore, a large fraction of UV-absorbing organic material (UVBC) and high Delta-C among BB aerosols were also observed, which suggest the existence of substantial particulate organic matter in fresh BB aerosols. These data provide the most extensive characterization of BB aerosols in SEA until now.

biomass burning aerosol↗

NASA NTRS1988

A stereo triangulation system for structural identification: Analytical and experimental results

Identification of large space structures' distributed mass, stiffness, and energy dissipation characteristics poses formidable analytical, numerical, and implementation difficulties. Development of reliable on-orbit structural identification methods is important for implementing active vibration suppression concepts which are under widespread study in the large space structures community. Near the heart of the identification problem lies the necessity of making a large number of spatially distributed measurements of the structure's vibratory response and the associated force/moment inputs with sufficient spatial and frequency resolution. In the present paper, we discuss a method whereby tens of active or passive (retro-reflecting) targets on the structure are tracked simultaneously by the focal planes of two or more video cameras mounted on an adjacent platform. Triangulation (optical ray intersection) of the conjugate image centroids yield inertial trajectories of each target on the structure. Given the triangulated motion of the targets, we apply and extend methodology developed by Creamer, Junkins, and Juang to identify the frequencies, mode shapes, and updated estimates for the mass/stiffness/damping parameterization of the structure. The methodology is semi-automated, for example, the post experiment analysis of the video imagery to determine the inertial trajectories of the targets typically requires less than thirty minutes of real time. Using methodology discussed herein, the frequency response of a large number of points on the structure (where reflective targets are mounted) on the structure can be determined from optical measurements alone. For comparison purposes, we also utilize measurements from accelerometers and a calibrated impulse hammer. While our experimental work remains in a research stage of development, we have successfully tracked and stereo triangulated 20 targets (on a vibrating cantilevered grid structure) at a sample frequency of 200 HZ, and have established conclusively the feasibility and desirability of this approach. We discuss, in summary, recent advances in analog and digital video processing methodology, actuation methods, and bring them to bear on the structural identification problem. We include a brief discussion of our experimental hardware and some recent experimental results which support the practical feasibility of this structural vibration sensing approach.

Junkins, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Scalable Integrated Multi-Mission Support System (SIMSS) Simulator Release 2.0 for GMSEC

Scalable Integrated Multi-Mission Support System (SIMSS) Simulator Release 2.0 software is designed to perform a variety of test activities related to spacecraft simulations and ground segment checks. This innovation uses the existing SIMSS framework, which interfaces with the GMSEC (Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center) Application Programming Interface (API) Version 3.0 message middleware, and allows SIMSS to accept GMSEC standard messages via the GMSEC message bus service. SIMSS is a distributed, component-based, plug-and-play client-server system that is useful for performing real-time monitoring and communications testing. SIMSS runs on one or more workstations, and is designed to be user-configurable, or to use predefined configurations for routine operations. SIMSS consists of more than 100 modules that can be configured to create, receive, process, and/or transmit data. The SIMSS/GMSEC innovation is intended to provide missions with a low-cost solution for implementing their ground systems, as well as to significantly reduce a mission s integration time and risk.

Kim, John↗

NASA NTRS2019

Small Stirling Technology Exploration Power for Future Space Science Missions

High efficiency dynamic Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) could be mission enabling for low power space applications such as small probes, landers rovers, and communication repeaters. These applications would contain science instruments and be distributed across planetary surfaces or near objects of interest where solar flux is insufficient for using solar cells. Small RPS could be used to provide power for sensing radiation, temperature, pressure, seismic activity, and other measurements of interest to planetary scientists. Small RPS would use fractional versions of the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) or Light Weight Radioisotope Heater Units (LWRHU), to heat power conversion technologies. Dynamic power systems are capable of three to four times higher conversion efficiency compared to static power conversion technologies, and would provide an equal amount of power using less fuel or more power using an equal amount of fuel. Providing spacecraft with more power could decrease duty cycling of basic functions and, therefore, increase the quality and abundance of science data. NASA GRC is developing a low power dynamic RPS that would convert heat from multiple LWRHU to one watt of usable direct current electric power for spacecraft instrumentation and communication. The power system could be used to charge batteries or capacitors for higher power burst usage. The initial design, called Small Stirling Technology Exploration Power (smallSTEP), is around 3 kg, 11 cm diameter X 32 cm long, and converts 8 watts of heat to one watt of electricity using a Stirling convertor. This low power conversion system represents a new class of RPS with power levels two orders of magnitude lower than prototypes currently being developed for space applications under NASA contracts. Development of the 1-watt RPS includes maturation of convertor and controller designs, performance evaluation of an evacuated metal foil insulation, and development of system interfaces. Initial demonstration of the subsystems has been completed in a laboratory environment and a higher fidelity system is being pursued for demonstration in relevant environments for use on small spacecraft needed to carry out future space science missions.

Wilson, Scott D.↗