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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Applying integrals of motion to the numerical solution of differential equations

A method is developed for using the integrals of systems of nonlinear, ordinary, differential equations in a numerical integration process to control the local errors in these integrals and reduce the global errors of the solution. The method is general and can be applied to either scalar or vector integrals. A number of example problems, with accompanying numerical results, are used to verify the analysis and support the conjecture of global error reduction.

Vezewski, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The origin and evolution of sulfur in an Archean volcano-sedimentary basin, Deer Lake area, Minnesota

Rocks of the Deer Lake area, northcentral Minnesota, consist of Archean (age greater than 2.6 billion years) metasediments and metavolcanics intruded by mafic layered sills. Geologic and sulfur isotopic data suggest that sulfides in the sediments are bacteriogenic, having formed in response to the activity of sulfate reducing bacteria during diagenesis. Deposition of the sediments appears to have occurred in a deep marine basin with restricted circulation of sea water. The bulk of the sulfur in the igneous rocks is of deep seated origin, but basal contacts of the sills show evidence of assimilation of biogenic sulfur from the intruded sediments. This assimilation of biogenic sulfur is the primary geochemical control of local Cu-Ni sulfide mineralization.

Nicol, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Recovering Microwave Cross-Polarization Losses

Reception improved by adding normally discarded portion of signal. For signal enhancement, major and minor signals combined in slaved closedloop receiver channels. Both receiver channels served by common local oscillator controlled by phase-locked loop in main channel. 10-MHz intermediate-frequency (IF) signals of channels coherently summed. For polarization tracking, phasemeter added to measure phase difference between points A and B. With new circuit, low-level signal used at receiver to augment main signal.

Seidel, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The design, development, and flight testing of a modern-control-designed autoland system

This paper discusses the design, development, and flight test results of a full-state feedback modern-controls-designed autoland system - the Digital Integrated Automatic Landing System (DIALS). The lateral and longitudinal control laws were designed by formulating a linear quadratic regulator with disturbances problem. Although the designs were independent of each other, in implementation cross-coupling of the lateral and longitudinal variables does occur. A brief discussion of the control modes - localizer capture, localizer track, decrab, glideslope capture, glideslope track, and flare - and the modifications made to the basic design during the simulation phase to achieve desired performance is given. Some of the efforts required to implement the system in the flight computers and some problems encountered in the ground hardware simulation checkout are discussed. Finally, flight test data is presented for this system which performed 10 'hands off' automatic landings. The flight test data includes the performance of the aircraft in mild, gust, and wind shear conditions.

Hueschen, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

(Ad/f,g/), (ad/fg/) and locally (ad/f,g/) invariant and controllability distributions

Over the past decade, it has been found that concepts from differential topology such as foliation and invariant distribution play a crucial role in the study of nonlinear systems. These concepts were first employed in studies of nonlinear controllability and observability. More recently, they have occurred in the study of decoupling and linearization via feedback. In connection with the widening area of application, requirements for a greater precision have arisen. The present paper represents an attempt to provide that precision. In this paper, an introduction is given of the basic concepts which are needed for an understanding of controllability, observability, and decoupling of nonlinear systems. Attention is given to mathematical preliminaries, aspects of invariance, nonlinear controllability and observability, disturbance decoupling, and controllability distributions.

Krener, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Rational-Spline Subroutines

Smooth curves drawn among plotted data easily. Rational-Spline Approximation with Automatic Tension Adjustment algorithm leads to flexible, smooth representation of experimental data. "Tension" denotes mathematical analog of mechanical tension in spline or other mechanical curve-fitting tool, and "spline" as denotes mathematical generalization of tool. Program differs from usual spline under tension, allows user to specify different values of tension between adjacent pairs of knots rather than constant tension over entire range of data. Subroutines use automatic adjustment scheme that varies tension parameter for each interval until maximum deviation of spline from line joining knots less than or equal to amount specified by user. Procedure frees user from drudgery of adjusting individual tension parameters while still giving control over local behavior of spline.

Schiess, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A parallel householder tridiagonalization stratagem using scattered row decomposition

Householder's method for tridiagonalizing a real symmetric matrix, a major step in evaluating eigenvalues of the matrix, is modified into a parallel algorithm for a concurrent machine of message passing type. Each processor of the concurrent machine has its own CPU, communications control and local memory. Messages are passed through connections between processors. Although the basic algorithm is inherently serial, the computations can be spread over all processors by scattering different rows of the matrix into processors, hence the term 'Scattered Row Decomposition'. The steps in the serial and the parallel algorithms are identified. Expressions for efficiency and speedup are given in terms of problem and machine parameters. For a concurrent machine of ring type interconnection, a selected representative problem of large order exhibits efficiency approaching 66 per cent.

Chang, H. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design and scheduling for periodic concurrent error detection and recovery in processor arrays

Periodic application of time-redundant error checking provides the trade-off between error detection latency and performance degradation. The goal is to achieve high error coverage while satisfying performance requirements. We derive the optimal scheduling of checking patterns in order to uniformly distribute the available checking capability and maximize the error coverage. Synchronous buffering designs using data forwarding and dynamic reconfiguration are described. Efficient single-cycle diagnosis is implemented by error pattern analysis and direct-mapped recovery cache. A rollback recovery scheme using start-up control for local recovery is also presented.

Wang, Yi-Min↗
NASA NTRS1992

Assessment of passive porosity with free and fixed separation on a tangent ogive forebody

Subsonic wind tunnel tests were performed on solid and porous (22 percent) 5.0-caliber forebody models to assess the effect of free and fixed cross-flow separation on the effectiveness of passive porosity. The effectiveness of passive porosity to control the local pressure loading for forced cross-flow separation is found to be similar to that observed for the free cross-flow separation condition. It is also found that the effectiveness of passive porosity is significantly enhanced in the presence of large positive pressures on the porous surface.

Wood, Richard M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

On the phenomenon of curved microcracks in /(S)/90n/s laminates - Their shapes, initiation angles and locations

A variational analysis of the stress state in microcracked cross-ply laminates has been used to investigate the phenomenon of curved microcracking in /(S)/90n/s laminates. Previous investigators proposed that the initiation and orientation of curved microcracks are controlled by local maxima and stress trajectories of the principal stresses. We have implemented a principal stress model using a variational mechanics stress analysis and we were able to make predictions about curved microcracks. The predictions agree well with experimental observations and therefore support the assertion that the variational analysis gives an accurate stress state that is useful for modeling the microcracking properties of cross-ply laminates. An important prediction about curved microcracks is that they are a late stage of microcracking damage. They occur only when the crack density of straight microcracks exceeds the critical crack density for curved microcracking. The predicted critical crack density for curved microcracking agrees well with experimental observations.

Hu, Shoufeng↗
NASA NTRS1993

Evapotranspiration and runoff from large land areas: Land surface hydrology for atmospheric general circulation models

A land surface hydrology parameterization for use in atmospheric GCM's is presented. The parameterization incorporates subgrid scale variability in topography, soils, soil moisture and precipitation. The framework of the model is the statistical distribution of a topography-soils index, which controls the local water balance fluxes, and is therefore taken to represent the large land area. Spatially variable water balance fluxes are integrated with respect to the topography-soils index to yield our large topography-soils distribution, and interval responses are weighted by the probability of occurrence of the interval. Grid square averaged land surface fluxes result. The model functions independently as a macroscale water balance model. Runoff ratio and evapotranspiration efficiency parameterizations are derived and are shown to depend on the spatial variability of the above mentioned properties and processes, as well as the dynamics of land surface-atmosphere interactions.

Famiglietti, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Premixed turbulent flame propagation in microgravity

To reduce pollutant formation there is, at present, an increased interest in employing premixed fuel/air mixture in combustion devices. It is well known that greater control over local temperature can be achieved with premixed flames and with lean premixed mixtures, significant reduction of pollutants such as NO(x) can be achieved. However, an issue that is still unresolved is the predictability of the flame propagation speed in turbulent premixed mixtures, especially in lean mixtures. Although substantial progress has been made in recent years, there is still no direct verification that flame speeds in turbulent premixed flows are highly predictable in complex flow fields found in realistic combustors. One of the problems associated with experimental verification is the difficulty in obtaining access to all scales of motion in typical high Reynolds number flows, since, such flows contain scales of motion that range from the size of the device to the smallest Kolmogorov scale. The overall objective of this study is to characterize the behavior of turbulent premixed flames at reasonable high Reynolds number, Re(sub L). Of particular interest here is the thin flame limit where the laminar flame thickness is much smaller than the Kolmogorov scale. Thin flames occur in many practical combustion devices and will be numerically studied using a recently developed new formulation that is briefly described.

Menon, S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Point-to-Point Multicast Communications Protocol

This paper describes a protocol to support point-to-point interprocessor communications with multicast. Dynamic, cut-through routing with local flow control is used to provide a high-throughput, low-latency communications path between processors. In addition multicast transmissions are available, in which copies of a packet are sent to multiple destinations using common resources as much as possible. Special packet terminators and selective buffering are introduced to avoid a deadlock during multicasts. A simulated implementation of the protocol is also described.

PROTOCOLS↗
NASA NTRS2001

Extending the Capability of Mars Umbilical Technology Demonstrator

The objective of this project is to expand the capabilities of for the Mars Umbilical Technology Demonstrator (MUTD). The MUTD shall provide electrical power and fiber optic data cable connections between two simulated mars vehicles, 1000 in apart. ne wheeled mobile robot Omnibot is used to provide the mobile base for the system. The mate-to umbilical plate is mounted on a Cartesian robot, which is installed on the Omnibot mobile base. It is desirable to provide the operator controlling the Omnibot, the distance and direction to the target. In this report, an approach for finding the position and orientation of the mobile robot using inertial sensors and beacons is investigated. First phase of the project considered the Omnibot being on the flat surface. To deal with the uneven Mars environment, the orientation as well as position needs to be controlled. During local positioning, the information received from four ultrasonic sensors installed at the four corner of the mate-mi plate is used to identify the position of mate-to plate and mate the umbilical plates autonomously. The work proposed is the continuation of the principal investigator research effort as a participant in the 1999 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program.

Houshangi, Nasser↗
NASA NTRS2000

Financing the Airport of the Future: The Small Aircraft Transportation System

The objective of SATS is to reduce gridlock at hubs, reduce travel times, allow for personal control over travel, and anticipate demand shifts resulting from a migration from suburbs to rural places. The technology is presently available and economical to produce SATS aircraft. The public issue centers on the airports. SATS is a federal program, and many airports in the U.S. are under the control of local governments. The scope of the objective will require thousands of airports in rural and suburban areas to modify their infrastructure and increase their investment. Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), and others at other institutions, have prepared reports surveying the relevant issues of implementing SATS. Our UNO team focused on the issues of policy implementation, economic development, management, and finance specific to Nebraska. We are finding that these issues are similar to those in other states in our region and other rural states. This paper discusses how this investment might be financed.

Bartle, John R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Compositionally-Graded Shape Memory Film for Self-Deployment of Membrane Reflectors and Optics

The next generation of space systems will require large apertures in order to image faint targets or cover large areas of Earth. These large apertures must be able to fit inside a launch vehicle fairing, be light enough for launch into orbit, and deploy on orbit with repeatability and reliability. The current state-of-the-art in flight optics is represented by the 4 meter LAMP telescope, with an areal density of 10 km sq m. Development of a Beryllium mirror demonstration article for NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope) at the University of Arizona indicate areal densities of 0.5 kg sq m with flight hardware in the 12 meter range. With progressive improvements in existing deployment, packaging, and structural technologies, the size of optics and reflectors will continue to increase, while mass is reduced. However, without a breakthrough in materials, packaging and/or deployment technologies, the goal for Gossamer structures of 0.1 kg sq m is unachievable for the near and mid-term NASA missions. Membrane technology provides the best hope of achieving such low areal densities. In combination with advances in membrane materials and structures, development of revolutionary techniques for deployment systems can provide significant improvements in large aperture technology. In this paper, the results of a six-month Phase I research effort to demonstrate the application of thin film NiTi to aerospace-qualified membrane and mesh materials are presented. Deposition of shape memory thin film was achieved Astromesh (trademark) metal mesh and CP-1, and optical-quality polymer membrane. Not only was full-coating deposition demonstrated, but also small segment deposition which holds potential for local surface control. Deployment of these materials was also demonstrated, setting the stage for the development of a larger test article.

Hill, Lisa↗
NASA NTRS2004

Job Scheduling in a Heterogeneous Grid Environment

Computational grids have the potential for solving large-scale scientific problems using heterogeneous and geographically distributed resources. However, a number of major technical hurdles must be overcome before this potential can be realized. One problem that is critical to effective utilization of computational grids is the efficient scheduling of jobs. This work addresses this problem by describing and evaluating a grid scheduling architecture and three job migration algorithms. The architecture is scalable and does not assume control of local site resources. The job migration policies use the availability and performance of computer systems, the network bandwidth available between systems, and the volume of input and output data associated with each job. An extensive performance comparison is presented using real workloads from leading computational centers. The results, based on several key metrics, demonstrate that the performance of our distributed migration algorithms is significantly greater than that of a local scheduling framework and comparable to a non-scalable global scheduling approach.

Shan, Hong-Zhang↗
NASA NTRS2000

Technical advance: identification of plant actin-binding proteins by F-actin affinity chromatography

Proteins that interact with the actin cytoskeleton often modulate the dynamics or organization of the cytoskeleton or use the cytoskeleton to control their localization. In plants, very few actin-binding proteins have been identified and most are thought to modulate cytoskeleton function. To identify actin-binding proteins that are unique to plants, the development of new biochemical procedures will be critical. Affinity columns using actin monomers (globular actin, G-actin) or actin filaments (filamentous actin, F-actin) have been used to identify actin-binding proteins from a wide variety of organisms. Monomeric actin from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) hypocotyl tissue was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and shown to be native and competent for polymerization to actin filaments. G-actin, F-actin and bovine serum albumin affinity columns were prepared and used to separate samples enriched in either soluble or membrane-associated actin-binding proteins. Extracts of soluble actin-binding proteins yield distinct patterns when eluted from the G-actin and F-actin columns, respectively, leading to the identification of a putative F-actin-binding protein of approximately 40 kDa. When plasma membrane-associated proteins were applied to these columns, two abundant polypeptides eluted selectively from the F-actin column and cross-reacted with antiserum against pea annexins. Additionally, a protein that binds auxin transport inhibitors, the naphthylphthalamic acid binding protein, which has been previously suggested to associate with the actin cytoskeleton, was eluted in a single peak from the F-actin column. These experiments provide a new approach that may help to identify novel actin-binding proteins from plants.

Non-NASA Center↗