Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Sonar”

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.

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

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Parametric Study of SANSMIC Input and Resulting Impact on Predicted Cavern Geometry and Leaching Efficiency

The Sandia Solution Mining Code (SANSMIC) has been used for many years to examine the development of salt cavern geometry, both in a confirmatory manner with comparisons made to real-world sonar data and in a predictive manner when updated sonar data are not available. SANSMIC models require some modeling choices in order to incorporate real-world data. Key modeling choices include the vertical resolution of cavern geometry to implement, as well as how to incorporate daily raw water injection data into the SANSMIC model. This report documents five studies that address the impact of the modeling choices on the predicted cavern geometries and calculated leaching efficiencies. In most cases, hypothetical cylindrical initial cavern geometries are used to provide a common baseline against which to test the systematic variation of input variables including cavern radius, oil-brine-interface (OBI) depth, vertical cell size, raw water injection rate, raw water injection duration, workover time, and number of leaching stages. The use of smaller cell sizes is recommended moving forward to provide a better one-to-one relationship between sonar data and the modeled cavern. A new methodology for incorporating raw water injection data is also recommended, in order to more closely model real-world injection and workover times. Overall, the systematic studies performed here have increased our confidence in previous SANSMIC model results, as well future use of the code for predicting leaching effects on cavern geometries. Some minor changes to modeling choices are recommended, which can easily be applied with the version of SANSMIC currently under development.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Strategic Petroleum Reserve Cavern Leaching Monitoring CY21

Th e U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is a crude oil storage system administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. The reserve consists of 60 active storage caverns located in underground salt domes spread across four sites in Louisiana and Texas, near the Gulf of Mexico. Beginning in 2016, the SPR started executing C ongressionally mandated oil sales. The configuration of the reserve, with a total capacity of greater than 700 million barrels ( MMB ) , re quires that unsaturated water (referred to herein as ?raw? water) is injected into the storage caverns to displace oil for sales , exchanges, and drawdowns . As such, oil sales will produce cavern growth to the extent that raw water contacts the salt cavern walls and dissolves (leaches) the surrounding salt before reaching brine saturation. SPR injected a total of over 45 MMB of raw water into twenty - six caverns as part of oil sales in CY21 . Leaching effects were monitored in these caverns to understand how the sales operations may impact the long - term integrity of the caverns. While frequent sonars are the most direct means to monitor changes in cavern shape, they can be resource intensive for the number of caverns involved in sales and exchanges. An interm ediate option is to model the leaching effects and see if any concerning features develop. The leaching effects were modeled here using the Sandia Solution Mining Code , SANSMIC . The modeling results indicate that leaching - induced features do not raise co ncern for the majority of the caverns, 15 of 26. Eleven caverns, BH - 107, BH - 110, BH - 112, BH - 113, BM - 109, WH - 11, WH - 112, WH - 114, BC - 17, BC - 18, and BC - 19 have features that may grow with additional leaching and should be monitored as leaching continues in th ose caverns. Additionally, BH - 114, BM - 4, and BM - 106 were identified in previous leaching reports for recommendation of monitoring. Nine caverns had pre - and post - leach sonars that were compared with SANSMIC results. Overall, SANSMIC was able to capture the leaching well. A deviation in the SANSMIC and sonar cavern shapes was observed near the cavern floor in caverns with significant floor rise, a process not captured by SANSMIC. These results validate that SANSMIC continues to serve as a useful tool for mon itoring changes in cavern shape due to leaching effects related to sales and exchanges.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2022

Triton: Environmental Monitoring Technology Development, Collision Risk Data Collection (Final Report)

In this project, we assembled a sensor suite that combines a scientific echosounder (sonar) system with video and acoustic cameras (secondary sensors). The sensor suite generates data that is amenable to automated target detection algorithms and can provide inputs to animal encounter models. We developed software (archiving software) to collect data simultaneously from all sensors in the suite, analyze the sonar data automatically in near real-time to identify time periods when targets of interest were present, and automatically archive data from the secondary sensors for these time periods. The product of the archiving software is a data set for the secondary sensors, containing data only for the times when targets of interest were determined to be present by the sonar. We performed controlled field testing to verify the operation of the sensor suite and the archiving software.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1991

Top/bottom multisensor remote sensing of Arctic sea ice

Results are presented on the Aircraft/Submarine Sea Ice Project experiment carried out in May 1987 to investigate concurrently the top and the bottom features of the Arctic sea-ice cover. Data were collected nearly simultaneously by instruments aboard two aircraft and a submarine, which included passive and active (SAR) microwave sensors, upward looking and sidescan sonars, a lidar profilometer, and an IR sensor. The results described fall into two classes of correlations: (1) quantitative correlations between profiles, such as ice draft (sonar), ice elevation (laser), SAR backscatter along the track line, and passive microwave brightness temperatures; and (2) qualitative and semiquantitative correlations between corresponding areas of imagery (i.e., passive microwave, AR, and sidescan sonar).

Comiso, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Perception for mobile robot navigation: A survey of the state of the art

In order for mobile robots to navigate safely in unmapped and dynamic environments they must perceive their environment and decide on actions based on those perceptions. There are many different sensing modalities that can be used for mobile robot perception; the two most popular are ultrasonic sonar sensors and vision sensors. This paper examines the state-of-the-art in sensory-based mobile robot navigation. The first issue in mobile robot navigation is safety. This paper summarizes several competing sonar-based obstacle avoidance techniques and compares them. Another issue in mobile robot navigation is determining the robot's position and orientation (sometimes called the robot's pose) in the environment. This paper examines several different classes of vision-based approaches to pose determination. One class of approaches uses detailed, a prior models of the robot's environment. Another class of approaches triangulates using fixed, artificial landmarks. A third class of approaches builds maps using natural landmarks. Example implementations from each of these three classes are described and compared. Finally, the paper presents a completely implemented mobile robot system that integrates sonar-based obstacle avoidance with vision-based pose determination to perform a simple task.

Kortenkamp, David↗
NASA NTRS2015

Automated Point Cloud Correspondence Detection for Underwater Mapping Using AUVs

An algorithm for automating correspondence detection between point clouds composed of multibeam sonar data is presented. This allows accurate initialization for point cloud alignment techniques even in cases where accurate inertial navigation is not available, such as iceberg profiling or vehicles with low-grade inertial navigation systems. Techniques from computer vision literature are used to extract, label, and match keypoints between "pseudo-images" generated from these point clouds. Image matches are refined using RANSAC and information about the vehicle trajectory. The resulting correspondences can be used to initialize an iterative closest point (ICP) registration algorithm to estimate accumulated navigation error and aid in the creation of accurate, self-consistent maps. The results presented use multibeam sonar data obtained from multiple overlapping passes of an underwater canyon in Monterey Bay, California. Using strict matching criteria, the method detects 23 between-swath correspondence events in a set of 155 pseudo-images with zero false positives. Using less conservative matching criteria doubles the number of matches but introduces several false positive matches as well. Heuristics based on known vehicle trajectory information are used to eliminate these.

Sonar↗
DOE OSTI2023

Spatial Study 2022: Surface Water Samples, Cotton Strip Degradation, and Hydrologic Sensor Data across the Yakima River Basin, Washington, USA (v3)

This dataset supports a broader study examining the drivers of spatial variability in sediment respiration rates in the Yakima River Basin. The dataset provides data and photos generated from sample collection during the same one-week period at 48 sites within multiple rivers throughout the Yakima River Basin in Washington, USA. The contents include surface water geochemistry data; river substrate grain size photos; stream depth data; manual chamber open channel respiration data; and field metadata (including qualitative information on instream and river corridor characteristics). Grain size photos can be used to improve estimates of channel substrate D50 data. The dataset also includes tensile strength and photos from cotton strip field degradation experiments; five-week sensor time series temperature, dissolved oxygen, pressure, pH, specific conductance, chlorophyll A, and turbidity data; plots of the sensor data; and R scripts used to generate the plots. Samples collected during this study were labeled as “Second Spatial Study” or “SSS.” A subset of data from the SSS samples were published in the contiguous United States (CONUS)-Scale Model-Sample (CM) study data package available at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/view/doi:10.15485/1923689 that presents data from across the CONUS. SSS data published in the CM data package were not included in this data package. They include dissolved organic carbon (DOC, measured as non-purgeable organic carbon, NPOC), total nitrogen (TN), grain size, aerobic sediment respiration, dissolved oxygen (DO), and temperature. Parent IDs and Site IDs are consistent between the SSS and CM data packages, and they can be mapped directly so data across packages can be used together. Additionally, sensor data from a similar 2021 spatial study can be found at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/view/doi:10.15485/1892052 and 2021 sample data can be found at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/view/doi:10.15485/1898914. The 2021 spatial study had some sites in common with this 2022 spatial study. This dataset is comprised of three photo folders and one main data folder with six subfolders. The photo folders contain photographs and videos of cotton strip retrieval and sediment quadrats. The main data folder consists of (1) file-level metadata; (2) data dictionary; (3) field metadata; (4) total suspended solids (TSS) data and cotton strip tensile strength data and averages; (5) field protocol; (6) readme; (7) methods codes; (8) international generic sample number (IGSN) mapping file; (9) sensor installation methods summary; (10) stream depth and averages; and (11) Ultrameter data and averages. The Sonar subfolder consists of Sonar time-series depth data and a processing script. The BarotrollAtm, DepthHOBO, MantaRiver, miniDOT, and miniDOTManualChamber subfolders contain time-series data, plots, and summary files. All files are .csv, .pdf, .txt, .R, .Rmd, .jpg, .jpeg, .AVI, .mp4, or .mov. The data package was originally published in April 2023. It was updated in August 2023 (v2; modified files) and September 2024 (v3; modified files). See the change history section in the readme for details. We acknowledge the Yakama Nation as owners and caretakers of the lands where we collected these data. We thank the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council and Yakama Nation Fisheries for working with us to facilitate sample collection and optimization of data usage according to their values and worldview.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1977

Acoustic tracking of woodhead seabed drifters

An investigation was conducted to determine the feasibility of tracking Woodhead seabed drifters that were instrumented with miniature acoustic transmitters having a range in water in excess of 1.0 n.mi. A trial cruise at the entrance of Delaware Bay, with the R.V. Annandale as the sonar-tracking vessel, verified acoustic communications and positioning of the bottom drifters. A demonstration cruise with the R.V. Annandale was also performed in the New York Bight to attempt to collect information on bottom water movement near the sewage-sluge dump site. Results from the tracking mission in the New York Bight suggested that bottom water currents were negligible near the dump site during the time interval from November 7-12, 1975, and that shipboard sonar tracking of acoustic Woodhead seabed drifters could provide useful Lagragian information on bottom water movement caused by tidal and other nonstorm effects.

Mayhue, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Computer image processing in marine resource exploration

Pictographic data or imagery is commonly used in marine exploration. Pre-existing image processing techniques (software) similar to those used on imagery obtained from unmanned planetary exploration were used to improve marine photography and side-scan sonar imagery. Features and details not visible by conventional photo processing methods were enhanced by filtering and noise removal on selected deep-sea photographs. Information gained near the periphery of photographs allows improved interpretation and facilitates construction of bottom mosaics where overlapping frames are available. Similar processing techniques were applied to side-scan sonar imagery, including corrections for slant range distortion, and along-track scale changes. The use of digital data processing and storage techniques greatly extends the quantity of information that can be handled, stored, and processed.

Paluzzi, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A model for gravity-wave spectra observed by Doppler sounding systems

A model for Mesosphere - Stratosphere - Troposphere (MST) radar spectra is developed following the formalism presented by Pinkel (1981). Expressions for the one-dimensional spectra of radial velocity versus frequency and versus radial wave number are presented. Their dependence on the parameters of the gravity-wave spectrum and on the experimental parameters, radar zenith angle and averaging time are described and the conditions for critical tests of the gravity-wave hypothesis are discussed. The model spectra is compared with spectra observed in the Arctic summer mesosphere by the Poker Flat radar. This model applies to any monostatic Doppler sounding system, including MST radar, Doppler lidar and Doppler sonar in the atmosphere, and Doppler sonar in the ocean.

Vanzandt, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Concurrent remote sensing of Arctic sea ice from submarine and aircraft

In May 1987 a concurrent remote sensing study of Arctic sea ice from above and below was carried out. A submarine equipped with sidescan and upward looking sonar collaborated with two remote sensing aircraft equipped with passive microwave, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a laser profilometer and an infrared radiometer. By careful registration of the three tracks it has been possible to find relationships between ice type, ice morphology and thickness, SAR backscatter and microwave brightness temperatures. The key to the process has been the sidescan sonar's ability to identify ice type through differences in characteristic topography. Over a heavily ridged area of mainly multiyear ice there is a strong positive correlation between SAR backscatter and ice draft or elevation. It was also found that passive and active microwave complement each other in that SAR has a high contrast between open water and multiyear ice, while passive microwave has a high contrast between open water and first-year ice.

Wadhams, P.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Synthetic-Aperture Coherent Imaging From A Circular Path

Imaging algorithms based on exact point-target responses. Developed for use in reconstructing image of target from data gathered by radar, sonar, or other transmitting/receiving coherent-signal sensory apparatus following circular observation path around target. Potential applications include: Wide-beam synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) from aboard spacecraft in circular orbit around target planet; SAR from aboard airplane flying circular course at constant elevation around central ground point, toward which spotlight radar beam pointed; Ultrasonic reflection tomography in medical setting, using one transducer moving in circle around patient or else multiple transducers at fixed positions on circle around patient; and Sonar imaging of sea floor to high resolution, without need for large sensory apparatus.

Jin, Michael Y.↗
NASA NTRS2004

LiNbO3 Cylinder Fiber

We have successfully fabricate optical fiber with a thin layer of LiNbO3 at the boundary of the glass core and clear glass cladding. The construction of this fiber is based on our successful Semiconductor Cylinder Fibers (SCF). A schematic representation of a LiN bo, Cylinder Fiber. These fibers can be used as light modulators, sonar detectors and in other applications. The core diameter of the fiber is sufficiently small compared to the light wavelength and the indices of refraction of the core and cladding glasses are sufficiently close in value so that there is sufficient light at the core cladding boundary to interact with the LiNbO3 layer. This fiber functions best when just a single light mode propagates through the fiber. The idea for a LiNbO3 Cylinder Fiber came from Dr. Tracee Jamison of NASA. The optical properties of LiNbO3 can be changed with strain or the application of an electric field. Thus these fibers can be used as acoustic sensors as for example in a sonar. They can also be used as electric field operated light modulators. However, for this application the fibers would be made with a cross section in the form of a "D". The core with its surrounding LiNbO, layer would be close to the flat portion of the "D" shaped fiber. Two metal contacts would be deposited on the flat portion of the fiber on either side of the core. A voltage applied across these contacts will result in an electric field in the core region that can be used for modulating the optical properties of the LiNbO3 layer. To our knowledge this is the first ever LiNbO3 Cylinder Fiber made.

Kornreich, Philip↗
NASA NTRS2004

LiNbO3 Cylinder Fiber

We have successfully fabricate optical fiber with a thin layer of LiNbO3 at the boundary of the glass core and dear glass cladding. The construction of this fiber is based on our successful Semiconductor Cylinder Fibers (SCF). A schematic representation of a LiNbO3 Cylinder Fiber is shown. These fibers can be used as light modulators, sonar detectors and in other applications. The core diameter of the fiber is sufficiently small compared to the light wavelength and the indices of refraction of the core and cladding glasses are sufficiently close in value so that there is sufficient light at the core cladding boundary to interact with the LiNbO3 layer. This fiber functions best when just a single light mode propagates through the fiber. The idea for a LiNbO3 Cylinder Fiber came from Dr. Tracee Jamison of NASA. The optical properties of LiNbO3 can be changed with strain or the application of an electric field. Thus these fibers can be used as acoustic sensors as for example in a sonar. They can also be used as electric field operated light modulators. However, for this application the fibers would be made with a cross section in the form of a 'D'. The core with its surrounding LiNbO, layer would be close to the flat portion of the 'D' shaped fiber. Two metal contacts would be deposited on the flat portion of the fiber on either side of the core. A voltage applied across these contacts will result in an electric field in the core region that can be used for modulating the optical properties of the LiNbO, layer. To our knowledge this is the first ever LiNbO, Cylinder Fiber made.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2012

Floating Oil-Spill Containment Device

Previous oil containment booms have an open top that allows natural gas to escape, and have significant oil leakage due to wave action. Also, a subsea pyramid oil trap exists, but cannot move relative to moving oil plumes from deepsea oil leaks. The solution is to have large, moveable oil traps. One version floats on the sea surface and has a flexible tarp cover and a lower weighted skirt to completely entrap the floating oil and natural gas. The device must have at least three sides with boats pulling at each apex, and sonar or other system to track the slowly moving oil plume, so that the boats can properly locate the booms. The oil trap device must also have a means for removal of the oil and the natural gas. A second design version has a flexible pyramid cover that is attached by lines to ballast on the ocean floor. This is similar to fixed, metal pyramid oil capture devices in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of California. The ballast lines for the improved design, however, would have winches that can move the pyramid to always be located above the oil and gas plume. A third design is a combination of the first two. It uses a submerged pyramid to trap oil, but has no anchor and uses boats to locate the trap. It has ballast weights located along the bottom of the tarp and/or at the corners of the trap. The improved floating oil-spill containment device has a large floating boom and weighted skirt surrounding the oil and gas entrapment area. The device is triangular (or more than three sides) and has a flexible tarp cover with a raised gas vent area. Boats pull on the apex of the triangles to maintain tension and to allow the device to move to optimum locations to trap oil and gas. The gas is retrieved from a higher buoyant part of the tarp, and oil is retrieved from the floating oil layer contained in the device. These devices can be operated in relatively severe weather, since waves will break over the devices without causing oil leaking. Also, natural gas is entrapped and can be retrieved. All designs can use sonar to locate the moving oil plume, and then be relocated by using boats or winches to move the oil trapping devices. These devices can be constructed of treated, non-permeable DuPont Kevlar cloth (or similar material).

Jones, Jack A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Behavioral Mapless Navigation Using Rings

This paper presents work on the development and implementation of a novel approach to robotic navigation. In this system, map-building and localization for obstacle avoidance are discarded in favor of moment-by-moment behavioral processing of the sonar sensor data. To accomplish this, we developed a network of behaviors that communicate through the passing of rings, data structures that are similar in form to the sonar data itself and express the decisions of each behavior. Through the use of these rings, behaviors can moderate each other, conflicting impulses can be mediated, and designers can easily connect modules to create complex emergent navigational techniques. We discuss the development of a number of these modules and their successful use as a navigation system in the Trinity omnidirectional robot.

Monroe, Randall P.↗
NASA NTRS2013

ULTRA: Underwater Localization for Transit and Reconnaissance Autonomy

This software addresses the issue of underwater localization of unmanned vehicles and the inherent drift in their onboard sensors. The software gives a 2 to 3 factor of improvement over the state-of-the-art underwater localization algorithms. The software determines the localization (position, heading) of an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) in environments where there is no GPS signal. It accomplishes this using only the commanded position, onboard gyros/accelerometers, and the bathymetry of the bottom provided by an onboard sonar system. The software does not rely on an onboard bathymetry dataset, but instead incrementally determines the position of the AUV while mapping the bottom. In order to enable long-distance underwater navigation by AUVs, a localization method called ULTRA uses registration of the bathymetry data products produced by the onboard forward-looking sonar system for hazard avoidance during a transit to derive the motion and pose of the AUV in order to correct the DR (dead reckoning) estimates. The registration algorithm uses iterative point matching (IPM) combined with surface interpolation of the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. This method was used previously at JPL for onboard unmanned ground vehicle localization, and has been optimized for efficient computational and memory use.

Huntsberger, Terrance L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Phase 1 Final Report: Titan Submarine

The conceptual design of a submarine for Saturn's moon Titan was a funded NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 1 for 2014. The proposal stated the desire to investigate what science a submarine for Titan's liquid hydrocarbon seas might accomplish and what that submarine might look like. Focusing on a flagship class science system (100 kg), it was found that a submersible platform can accomplish extensive science both above and below the surface of the Kraken Mare. Submerged science includes mapping using side-looking sonar, imaging and spectroscopy of the lake, as well as sampling of the lake's bottom and shallow shoreline. While surfaced, the submarine will not only sense weather conditions (including the interaction between the liquid and atmosphere) but also image the shoreline, as much as 2 km inland. This imaging requirement pushed the landing date to Titan's next summer period (2047) to allow for lighted conditions, as well as direct-to-Earth communication, avoiding the need for a separate relay orbiter spacecraft. Submerged and surfaced investigation are key to understanding both the hydrological cycle of Titan as well as gather hints to how life may have begun on Earth using liquid, sediment, and chemical interactions. An estimated 25 Mb of data per day would be generated by the various science packages. Most of the science packages (electronics at least) can be safely kept inside the submarine pressure vessel and warmed by the isotope power system.The baseline 90-day mission would be to sail submerged and surfaced around and through Kraken Mare investigating the shoreline and inlets to evaluate the sedimentary interaction both on the surface and then below. Depths of Kraken have yet to be sensed (Ligeia to the north is thought to be 200 m (656 ft) deep), but a maximum depth of 1,000 m (3,281 ft) for Kraken Mare was assumed for the design). The sub would spend 20 d at the interface between Kraken Mare and Ligeia Mare for clues to the drainage of liquid methane into the currently predicted predominantly ethane Kraken Mare. During an extended ninety-day mission, it would transit the throat of Kraken (now Seldon Fretum) and perform similar explorations in other areas of Kraken Mare. Once this half year of exploration is completed the submarine could be tasked to revisit points of interest and perhaps do a complete sonar mapping of the seas. All in all, the submarine could explore over 3,000 km (1,864 mi) in its primary mission at an average speed of 0.3 meters per second.

Titan↗