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Fabrication process and aluminum/GaAs (gallium arsenide) coupling are used to produce Schottky diodes that have high cutoff frequencies and can withstand operating temperatures in excess of 500 C.
Better high temperature fibers are the key to high performance, light weight composite materials. However, current U.S. and Japanese fibers still have inadequate high temperature strength, creep resistance, oxidation resistance, modulus, stability, and thermal expansion match with some of the high temperature matrices being considered for future aerospace applications. In response to this clear deficiency, both countries have research and development activities underway. Once successful fibers are identified, their production will need to be taken from laboratory scale to pilot plant scale. In such efforts it can be anticipated that the Japanese decisions will be based on longer term criteria than those applied in the U.S. Since the initial markets will be small, short term financial criteria may adversely minimize the number and strength of U.S. aerospace materials suppliers to well into the 21st century. This situation can only be compounded by the Japanese interests in learning to make commercial products with existing materials so that when the required advanced fibers eventually do arrive, their manufacturing skills will be developed.
The speaker will give an overview of high performance computing in the U.S. in general and within NASA in particular, including a description of the recently signed NASA-IBM cooperative agreement. The latest performance figures of various parallel systems on the NAS Parallel Benchmarks will be presented. The speaker was one of the authors of the NAS (National Aerospace Standards) Parallel Benchmarks, which are now widely cited in the industry as a measure of sustained performance on realistic high-end scientific applications. It will be shown that significant progress has been made by the highly parallel supercomputer industry during the past year or so, with several new systems, based on high-performance RISC processors, that now deliver superior performance per dollar compared to conventional supercomputers. Various pitfalls in reporting performance will be discussed. The speaker will then conclude by assessing the general state of the high performance computing field.
High-performance bearing features strong, lightweight, self-lubricating cage with self-lubricating liners in ball apertures. Designed to operate at high speed (tens of thousands of revolutions per minute) in cryogenic environment like liquid-oxygen or liquid-hydrogen turbopump. Includes inner race, outer race, and cage keeping bearing balls equally spaced.
High Performance Spacecraft Computing (HPSC) is a joint project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to develop a high-performance multi-core radiation hardened flight processor. HPSC offers a new flight computing architecture to meet the needs of NASA missions through 2030 and beyond. Providing on the order of 100X the computational capacity of current flight processors for the same amount of power, the multicore architecture of the HPSC processor, or "Chiplet" provides unprecedented flexibility in a flight computing system by enabling the operating point to be set dynamically, trading among needs for computational performance, energy management and fault tolerance. The HPSC Chiplet is being developed by Boeing under contract to NASA, and is expected to provide prototypes, an evaluation board, system emulators, comprehensive system software, and a software development kit. In addition to the vendor deliverables, the AFRL is funding the development of a flexible Middleware to be developed by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The HPSC Middleware provides a suite of thirteen high level services to manage the compute, memory and I/O resources of this complex device.This presentation will provide an HPSC project update, an overview of the latest HPSC System Software release, an overview of HPSC Middleware Release 2, and a preview of the third HPSC Middleware release. The presentation will begin with a project update that will provide a look at the high-level changes since the project was introduced at the Flight Software Workshop last year. Next, the presentation will provide an overview of the current suite of HPSC System Software which includes the vendor provided bootloaders, operating systems, emulator, and development tools. Next, the HPSC Middleware progress will be presented, which includes an overview of the features and capabilities of HPSC Middleware Release 2, followed by a look at the reference flight software applications which utilize the Middleware. Finally, the presentation will give a preview of the HPSC Middleware Release 3.
An high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to estimate four aromatic classes in middistillate fuels is presented. Average refractive indices are used in a correlation to obtain the concentrations of each of the aromatic classes from HPLC data. The aromatic class concentrations can be obtained in about 15 min when the concentration of the aromatic group is known. Seven fuels with a wide range of compositions were used to test the method. Relative errors in the concentration of the two major aromatic classes were not over 10 percent. Absolute errors of the minor classes were all less than 0.3 percent. The data show that errors in group-type analyses using sulfuric acid derived standards are greater for fuels containing high concentrations of polycyclic aromatics. Corrections are based on the change in refractive index of the aromatic fraction which can occur when sulfuric acid and the fuel react. These corrections improved both the precision and the accuracy of the group-type results.
Flexible, high performance polymers such as polyimides are often employed in aerospace applications. They typically find uses in areas where improved physical characteristics such as fire resistance, long term thermal stability, and solvent resistance are required. It is anticipated that such polymers could find uses in future long duration exploration missions as well. Their use would be even more advantageous if self-healing capability or mechanisms could be incorporated into these polymers. Such innovative approaches are currently being studied at the NASA Kennedy Space Center for use in high performance wiring systems or inflatable and habitation structures. Self-healing or self-sealing capability would significantly reduce maintenance requirements, and increase the safety and reliability performance of the systems into which these polymers would be incorporated. Many unique challenges need to be overcome in order to incorporate a self-healing mechanism into flexible, high performance polymers. Significant research into the incorporation of a self-healing mechanism into structural composites has been carried out over the past decade by a number of groups, notable among them being the University of I1linois [I]. Various mechanisms for the introduction of self-healing have been investigated. Examples of these are: 1) Microcapsule-based healant delivery. 2) Vascular network delivery. 3) Damage induced triggering of latent substrate properties. Successful self-healing has been demonstrated in structural epoxy systems with almost complete reestablishment of composite strength being achieved through the use of microcapsulation technology. However, the incorporation of a self-healing mechanism into a system in which the material is flexible, or a thin film, is much more challenging. In the case of using microencapsulation, healant core content must be small enough to reside in films less than 0.1 millimeters thick, and must overcome significant capillary and surface tension forces to flow, mix and react to achieve healing. Vascular networks small enough to fit into such films must also overcome these same flow limitations. Self-healing has also been demonstrated in ionomeric substrates such as Surlyn , wherein the heat generated by a projectile impact triggers the latent ability of this substrate to flow back to its original shape. Recent work using Diels-Alder reactions have shown promise in bringing about actual reforming of broken chemical bonds to achieve self-healing [2]. All self-healing mechanisms that rely on the use of inherent latent substrate properties require some degree of polymer chain flow to achieve any significant level of healing.
High performance elements are simple finite elements constructed to deliver engineering accuracy with coarse arbitrary grids. This is part of a series on the variational basis of high-performance elements, with emphasis on those constructed with the free formulation (FF) and assumed natural strain (ANS) methods. Parametrized variational principles that provide a foundation for the FF and ANS methods, as well as for a combination of both are presented.
A high-performance glider is defined as a glider which has been designed to carry the pilot in a minimum of time a given distance, taking into account conditions which are as conveniently as possible. The present investigation has the objective to show approaches for enhancing the cross-country flight cruising speed, giving attention to the difficulties which the design engineer will have to overcome. The characteristics of the cross-country flight and their relation to the cruising speed are discussed, and a description is provided of mathematical expressions concerning the cruising speed, the sinking speed, and the optimum gliding speed. The effect of aspect ratio and wing loading on the cruising speed is illustrated with the aid of a graph. Trends in glider development are explored, taking into consideration the design of laminar profiles, the reduction of profile-related drag by plain flaps, and the variation of wing loading during the flight. A number of suggestions are made for obtaining gliders with improved performance.
High-quality, wide-aperture optical access is usually required for the advanced laser diagnostics that can now make a wide variety of non-intrusive measurements of combustion processes. Specially processed and mounted sapphire windows are proposed to provide this optical access to extreme environment. Through surface treatments and proper thermal stress design, single crystal sapphire can be a mechanically equivalent replacement for high strength steel. A prototype sapphire window and mounting system have been developed in a successful NASA SBIR Phase 1 project. A large and reliable increase in sapphire design strength (as much as 10x) has been achieved, and the initial specifications necessary for these gains have been defined. Failure testing of small windows has conclusively demonstrated the increased sapphire strength, indicating that a nearly flawless surface polish is the primary cause of strengthening, while an unusual mounting arrangement also significantly contributes to a larger effective strength. Phase 2 work will complete specification and demonstration of these windows, and will fabricate a set for use at NASA. The enhanced capabilities of these high performance sapphire windows will lead to many diagnostic capabilities not previously possible, as well as new applications for sapphire.
A review of the High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program is provided in vugraph format. The goals and objectives of this federal program are as follows: extend U.S. leadership in high performance computing and computer communications; disseminate the technologies to speed innovation and to serve national goals; and spur gains in industrial competitiveness by making high performance computing integral to design and production.
A study conducted on high-performance deployable structures for the support of high-concentration ratio solar array modules is discussed. Serious consideration is being given to the use of high-concentration ratio solar array modules or applications such as space stations. These concentrator solar array designs offer the potential of reduced cost, reduced electrical complexity, higher power per unit area, and improved survivability. Arrays of concentrators, such as the miniaturized Cassegrainian concentrator modules, present a serious challenge to the structural design because their mass per unit area (5.7 kg/square meters) is higher than that of flexible solar array blankets, and the requirement for accurate orientation towards the Sun (plus or minus 0.5 degree) requires structures with improved accuracy potentials. In addition, use on a space station requires relatively high structural natural frequencies to avoid deleterious interactions with control systems and other large structural components. The objective here is to identify and evaluate conceptual designs of structures suitable for deploying and accurately supporting high-concentration ratio solar array modules.
The paper discusses NASA High Performance Computing Initiative (HPCI), an essential component of the Federal High Performance Computing Program. The HPCI program is designed to provide a thousandfold increase in computing performance, and apply the technologies to NASA 'Grand Challenges'. The Grand Challenges chosen include integrated multidisciplinary simulations and design optimizations of aerospace vehicles throughout the mission profiles; the multidisciplinary modeling and data analysis of the earth and space science physical phenomena; and the spaceborne control of automated systems, handling, and analysis of sensor data and real-time response to sensor stimuli.
The NASA Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) at the Goddard Space Flight Center provides high performance highly parallel processors, mass storage, and supporting infrastructure to a community of computational Earth and space scientists. Long running (days) and highly parallel (hundreds of CPUs) jobs are common in the workload. NCCS management structures batch queues and allocates resources to optimize system use and prioritize workloads. NCCS technical staff use a locally developed discrete event simulation tool to model the impacts of evolving workloads, potential system upgrades, alternative queue structures and resource allocation policies.
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) workstations and Personnel Computers (PC) are very popular tools for office automation, command and control, scientific analysis, database management, and many other applications. However, when using Input/Output (I/O) intensive applications, the RISC workstations and PC's are often overburdened with the tasks of collecting, staging, storing, and distributing data. Also, by using standard high-performance peripherals and storage devices, the I/O function can still be a common bottleneck process. Therefore, the high-performance mass storage system, developed by Loral AeroSys' Independent Research and Development (IR&D) engineers, can offload a RISC workstation of I/O related functions and provide high-performance I/O functions and external interfaces. The high-performance mass storage system has the capabilities to ingest high-speed real-time data, perform signal or image processing, and stage, archive, and distribute the data. This mass storage system uses a hierarchical storage structure, thus reducing the total data storage cost, while maintaining high-I/O performance. The high-performance mass storage system is a network of low-cost parallel processors and storage devices. The nodes in the network have special I/O functions such as: SCSI controller, Ethernet controller, gateway controller, RS232 controller, IEEE488 controller, and digital/analog converter. The nodes are interconnected through high-speed direct memory access links to form a network. The topology of the network is easily reconfigurable to maximize system throughput for various applications. This high-performance mass storage system takes advantage of a 'busless' architecture for maximum expandability. The mass storage system consists of magnetic disks, a WORM optical disk jukebox, and an 8mm helical scan tape to form a hierarchical storage structure. Commonly used files are kept in the magnetic disk for fast retrieval. The optical disks are used as archive media, and the tapes are used as backup media. The storage system is managed by the IEEE mass storage reference model-based UniTree software package. UniTree software will keep track of all files in the system, will automatically migrate the lesser used files to archive media, and will stage the files when needed by the system. The user can access the files without knowledge of their physical location. The high-performance mass storage system developed by Loral AeroSys will significantly boost the system I/O performance and reduce the overall data storage cost. This storage system provides a highly flexible and cost-effective architecture for a variety of applications (e.g., realtime data acquisition with a signal and image processing requirement, long-term data archiving and distribution, and image analysis and enhancement).
Propulsion needs of high performance military aircraft are discussed. Inlet performance, nozzle performance and cooling, and afterburner performance are covered. It is concluded that nonaxisymmetric nozzles provide cleaner external lines and enhanced maneuverability, but the internal flows are more complex. Swirl afterburners show promise for enhanced performance in the high altitude, low Mach number region.
This project is intended to research and develop new nonlinear methodologies for the control and stability analysis of high-performance, high angle-of-attack aircraft such as HARV (F18). Past research (reported in our Phase 1, 2, and 3 progress reports) is summarized and more details of final Phase 3 research is provided. While research emphasis is on nonlinear control, other tasks such as associated model development, system identification, stability analysis, and simulation are performed in some detail as well. An overview of various models that were investigated for different purposes such as an approximate model reference for control adaptation, as well as another model for accurate rigid-body longitudinal motion is provided. Only a very cursory analysis was made relative to type 8 (flexible body dynamics). Standard nonlinear longitudinal airframe dynamics (type 7) with the available modified F18 stability derivatives, thrust vectoring, actuator dynamics, and control constraints are utilized for simulated flight evaluation of derived controller performance in all cases studied.
This paper proposes a process for inexpensive high performance solar cell fabrication that can be automated for further cost reduction and higher throughputs. The unique feature of the process is the use of oxides as doping sources for simultaneous n(+) junction formation and back p(+) layer, as a mask for metallization and as an in situ AR coating for spectrum matching. Cost analysis is performed to show that significant cost reductions over the conventional process is possible using the proposed scheme and the cost intensive steps are identified which can be further reduced to make the process compatible with the needed price goals of 50 cents/watt. The process was demonstrated by fabricating n(+)-p cells using Arsenic doped oxides. Simple n(+)-p structure cells showed corrected efficiencies of 14.5% (AMO) and 12% with doped oxide as an in situ antireflection coating.