Results for “Process integration” — Page 31

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking for the TBIRD Cubesat Mission: System Design and Pre-Flight Results

The Terabyte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) program will establish a communication link from a nanosatellite in low-Earth orbit to a ground station at burst rates up to 200 Gbps. The TBIRD payload is currently in the process of integrating with the 6-U CubeSat host bus and pre-flight testing has been completed. An overview of the pointing, acquisition, and tracking system for TBIRD is provided as well as a summary of results from pre-flight testing. TBIRD relies on the spacecraft bus to implement fine pointing corrections supplied by its quad sensor at a rate of 10 Hz. The measured accuracy of pointing feedback is about 10μrad RMS per axis. A custom optical assembly was designed for transmitter/receiver alignment stability which was measured to be within 25μrad two-axis through environmental testing. With TBIRD feedback in the loop, single axis pointing accuracy of the downlink is predicted to be about 30μrad RMS.

space communications↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of the Value Added When Deploying a Model-Based Approach for the Validation and Verification of the Medical Database Software

The Medical Database (MD) is a virtual repository consisting of two software components: Medical Item Database (MedID) and the Evidence Library (EL). MedID consists of engineering data and associated information for specific medical resource items (e.g., pharmaceutical, medical devices, and supporting components), while the EL is a tool which provides all of the medical evidence necessary. The MD will 1) serve as the single “source of truth” for the Informing Mission Planning via Analysis of Complex Tradespaces (IMPACT) tool suite for both medical evidence and medical resource engineering data and 2) will be used in conjunction with the IMPACT tool suite to inform research prioritizations and perform systematic trade study evaluations to aid stakeholders in making informed decisions regarding simulated human spaceflight missions. The MD project used a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach to support all life cycles of the software development, while in parallel the human factors engineering team used modeling to support Human Centered Design (HCD) strategies in an effort to improve software usability. HCD is a frequently used approach in design frameworks that develops resolutions to complexities and challenges by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process. By integrating the model-based approaches used for systems engineering and human factors activities, the project is able to leverage the model-based artifacts originally created for HCD activities for system level and human factors validation. In this presentation, our team highlights the value added when leveraging these model-based artifacts to support the on-going verification and validation activities.

C. Laing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Microscopy Methods for Life Detection on Ocean Worlds

On Earth, light microscopy is commonly used in microbiology to identify organisms and observe their interactions with the environment; this makes it an attractive technique for in situ life detection methods on ocean worlds. As a standalone technique, brightfield microscopy, while able to provide important contextual information, has limited usefulness as a life detection technique because it is often challenging to differentiate between abiotic and biotic particles based solely on their size and shape, which may introduce risks of false positive or false negative interpretations. However, these risks can be reduced by combining brightfield microscopy with fluorescence microscopy to provide a method that correlate sample chemistry with sample morphology. In this work, we have used the Luminescence Imager for Exploration (LIfE), a brightfield and epifluorescence microscope with an integrated sample processing system (matured under the Concepts for Ocean worlds Life Detection Technology and Instrument Concepts of Europa Exploration programs) to develop methods that increase the fidelity of in situ microscopy life detection measurements through two main approaches. First, native fluorescence is excited in molecules that contain aromatic moieties such as proteins (using deep UV excitation), and energy carrying molecules and endogenous chromophores (using visible-light excitation), to correlate the location of these species with cell-like structural features (brightfield imaging). Second, fluorescent stains are used to selectively image cells and cell fragments by targeting proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. We discuss the results of tests, obtained using ocean world analog samples, that have examined trades associated with implementing these methods autonomously in planetary missions, including the intrinsic properties of candidate fluorescence dyes and long-term storage and radiation stability.

Pavel E. Z. Klier↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigation of Coupled Land-Atmosphere Carbon Dynamics and Seasonal Carbon Forecast Skill

In this talk, I will present recent efforts to explore coupled land-atmosphere carbon dynamics and carbon cycle predictability. First, the impact of a regional drought on land and atmospheric carbon was studied by imposing an idealized spring drought in coupled land‐atmosphere ensemble simulations. Through drought-induced impact on remote meteorology, the drought alters land’s productivity not only in the drought area but also in the adjacent areas. The atmospheric CO2 anomalies extend to an area up to three times of that of the imposed drought, which suggests that atmospheric transport needs to be considered in the interpretation of drought‐induced carbon anomalies. Increase in column‐averaged monthly CO2 by the imposed drought is at the edge of the uncertainty from single soundings of current greenhouse gas observing satellites. Secondly, the seasonal carbon forecast skill was explored using NASA’s subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) ensemble forecast and a terrestrial biosphere model. The result demonstrates an ability to accurately predict spring-summer carbon uptake at multi-month leads in the Northern Hemisphere mid- and high latitude land. The skill appears to be achieved by accurate forecasts of snow removal timing as well as proper initialization of carbon and nitrogen states. Additionally, I will briefly discuss other ongoing research activities to improve hydrometeorological prediction by integrating biogeochemical processes, to evaluate forecast skill of wildfire, and to apply subseasonal forecasts to water resources management.

Eunjee Lee↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Microscopy Methods for Life Detection on Ocean Worlds

On Earth, light microscopy is commonly used in microbiology to identify organisms and observe their interactions with the environment; this makes it an attractive technique for in situ life detection methods on ocean worlds. As a standalone technique, brightfield microscopy, while able to provide important contextual information, has limited usefulness as a life detection technique because it is often challenging to differentiate between abiotic and biotic particles based solely on their size and shape, which may introduce risks of false positive or false negative interpretations. However, these risks can be reduced by combining brightfield microscopy with fluorescence microscopy to provide a method that correlate sample chemistry with sample morphology. In this work, we have used the Luminescence Imager for Exploration (LIfE), a brightfield and epifluorescence microscope with an integrated sample processing system (matured under the Concepts for Ocean worlds Life Detection Technology and Instrument Concepts of Europa Exploration programs) to develop methods that increase the fidelity of in situ microscopy life detection measurements through two main approaches. First, native fluorescence is excited in molecules that contain aromatic moieties such as proteins (using deep UV excitation), and energy carrying molecules and endogenous chromophores (using visible-light excitation), to correlate the location of these species with cell-like structural features (brightfield imaging). Second, fluorescent stains are used to selectively image cells and cell fragments by targeting proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. We discuss the results of tests, obtained using ocean world analog samples, that have examined trades associated with implementing these methods autonomously in planetary missions, including the intrinsic properties of candidate fluorescence dyes and long-term storage and radiation stability.

Pavel E Z Klier↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploring Coupled Land-Atmosphere Carbon Dynamics and Seasonal Carbon Forecast Skill

Terrestrial biosphere is an integral part of the climate system and plays a vital role in controlling the dynamics of the Earth’s carbon cycle. In this talk, I will present recent efforts to explore coupled land-atmosphere carbon dynamics and seasonal carbon cycle predictability. First, by imposing an idealized spring drought in coupled land‐atmosphere ensemble simulations, we investigated the impact of a regional drought on land and atmospheric carbon. Through the drought-induced impact on remote meteorology, the capability of the land’s carbon uptake is altered in both the drought area and the adjacent areas. The induced anomalies of the atmospheric CO2 extend to an area up to three times of that of the imposed drought, which suggests that atmospheric transport needs to be considered in the interpretation of the drought impact on carbon anomalies. Increase in column‐averaged monthly CO2 is at the edge of the uncertainty from single soundings of current greenhouse gas observing satellites. Secondly, the seasonal carbon forecast skill was explored using NASA’s subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) ensemble forecast and terrestrial biosphere model. The result demonstrates an ability to accurately predict spring-summer carbon uptake in the Northern Hemisphere mid and high latitude land at multi-month leads. The prediction skill appears to be achieved by accurate forecasts of snow removal timing, which provides a latent predictability to the forecast system, and by proper initialization of carbon and nitrogen states. Additionally, I will briefly discuss other ongoing research to improve hydrometeorological prediction by integrating biogeochemical processes, to evaluate forecast skill of wildfire carbon, and to apply subseasonal forecasts to water resources management.

Eunjee Lee↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Finite Element Based Model of Fiber-optic Strain Sensor Mounted on a Semi-monocoque Structure

Fiber-optic strain sensing (FOSS) provides an opportunity for additional awareness and can enable other mitigations such as flutter suppression or gust load alleviation but requires an accurate computational model as part of a design process that integrates structures and controls. A modeling approach for fiber-optic strain sensors has been developed using a shell element formulation in a detailed finite element model. The new FOSS modeling approach is designed to better scale to more complex realistic structures and fiber layouts than previous approaches. The modeling method was applied to the X-56A vehicle and results were compared to experimental static ground-test data. Additionally, the experimental sensor noise of these fiber optic sensors was assessed for the correlations in time and correlations along the fiber. The noise does show significant correlations both in time and along the fibers. These correlations of the noise should also be considered in modeling and assessing algorithms that will use FOSS.

Jeffrey Ouellette↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bridging the Last Mile with Open-Source Advancements: Empowering Communities through Fusion of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) Products from Multi-Satellite Sensors

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a crucial parameter for understanding atmospheric aerosol distribution and their impact on climate and air quality. With the growing number of Earth observation satellites, there is an abundance of AOD products derived from various sensors onboard both geostationary and low-orbit satellites. The availability of multiple datasets provides an opportunity to harness the strengths of each sensor and create comprehensive and accurate AOD datasets for climate and air quality studies at different temporal and spatial scales. Our NASA aerosol MEaSURES project has made significant strides in recent years by undertaking the ambitious task of developing an open-source package tailored for fusing AOD products from different sources. The package is based on OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) design and is implemented in Python modules. Generic interfaces enable easy inclusion of large and heterogeneous data. The package may be utilized to produce harmonized AOD datasets with enhanced spatial and temporal coverage. The latest version of the package is able to process and integrate the dark-target AOD data from six different sensors: AHI Himawari-8, ABI GOES-West, ABI GOES-East, MODIS AQUA, MODIS TERRA, and VIIRS SNPP. Rigorous validation and intercomparison studies have been performed to assess the accuracy and reliability of the fused AOD product against ground-based measurements and reference datasets. The open-source nature of the developed package ensures transparency, reproducibility, and community engagement. The research community and stakeholders can access, contribute to, and further improve the fusion methodology, making it adaptable to other studies, or expanding it to include new satellite data as they become available. In this poster presentation, we will introduce the accomplishments and challenges faced during the development of the open-source package for AOD data fusion, and demonstrate the advantages of combining AOD products from the six aforementioned satellite sensors. The presentation aims to foster discussions, collaborations, and future directions in integrating Earth observation and remote sensing data, which may contribute to a better understanding of atmospheric aerosols and their impacts on our environment.

Zhaohui Zhang↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Finite Element Based Model of Fiber-optic Strain Sensor Mounted on a Semi-monocoque Structure

Fiber-optic strain sensing (FOSS) provides an opportunity for additional awareness and can enable other mitigations such as flutter suppression or gust load alleviation but requires an accurate computational model as part of a design process that integrates structures and controls. A modeling approach for fiber-optic strain sensors has been developed using a shell element formulation in a detailed finite element model. The new FOSS modeling approach is designed to better scale to more complex realistic structures and fiber layouts than previous approaches. The modeling method was applied to the X-56A vehicle and results were compared to experimental static ground-test data. Additionally, the experimental sensor noise of these fiber optic sensors was assessed for the correlations in time and correlations along the fiber. The noise does show significant correlations both in time and along the fibers. These correlations of the noise should also be considered in modeling and assessing algorithms that will use FOSS.

Jeffrey Ouellette↗

NASA NTRS1975

Development of an advanced spacecraft water and waste materials processing system

An Integrated Waste Management-Water System (WM-WS) which uses radioisotopes for thermal energy is described and results of its trial in a 4-man, 180 day simulated space mission are presented. It collects urine, feces, trash, and wash water in zero gravity, processes the wastes to a common evaporator, distills and catalytically purifies the water, and separates and incinerates the solid residues using little oxygen and no chemical additives or expendable filters. Technical details on all subsystems are given along with performance specifications. Data on recovered water and heat loss obtained in test trials are presented. The closed loop incinerator and other projects underway to increase system efficiency and capacity are discussed.

Murray, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Conducting Research on the International Space Station Using the EXPRESS Rack Facilities

EXPRESS Racks provide capability for payload access to ISS resources. The successful on-orbit operations and versatility of the EXPRESS Rack has facilitated the operations of many scientific areas, with the promise of continued payload support for years to come. EXPRESS Racks are currently deployed in the US Lab, Columbus and JEM. Process improvements and enhancements continue to improve the accommodations and make the integration and operations process more efficient. Payload Integration Managers serve as the primary interface between the ISS Program and EXPRESS Payload Developers. EXPRESS Project coordinates across multiple functional areas and organizations to ensure integrated EXPRESS Rack and subrack products and hardware are complete, accurate, on time, safe, and certified for flight. NASA is planning to expand the EXPRESS payload capacity by developing new Basic Express Racks expected to be on ISS in 2018.

Thompson, Sean W.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Advanced Near Net Shape Technology (ANNST) Method for Fabricating Stiffened Cylinders

Low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and high levels of uncertainty make it challenging to develop cost estimates of new technologies in the R&D phase. It is however essential for NASA to understand the costs and benefits associated with novel concepts, in order to prioritize research investments and evaluate the potential for technology transfer and commercialization. This paper proposes a framework to perform a cost-benefit analysis of a technology in the R&D phase. This framework was developed and used to assess the Advanced Near Net Shape Technology (ANNST) manufacturing process for fabricating integrally stiffened cylinders. The ANNST method was compared with the conventional multi-piece metallic construction and composite processes for fabricating integrally stiffened cylinders. Following the definition of a case study for a cryogenic tank cylinder of specified geometry, data was gathered through interviews with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), with particular focus placed on production costs and process complexity. This data served as the basis to produce process flowcharts and timelines, mass estimates, and rough order-of-magnitude cost and schedule estimates. The scalability of the results was subsequently investigated to understand the variability of the results based on tank size. Lastly, once costs and benefits were identified, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assess the relative value of these achieved benefits for potential stakeholders. These preliminary, rough order-of-magnitude results predict a 46 to 58 percent reduction in production costs and a 7-percent reduction in weight over the conventional metallic manufacturing technique used in this study for comparison. Compared to the composite manufacturing technique, these results predict cost savings of 35 to 58 percent; however, the ANNST concept was heavier. In this study, the predicted return on investment of equipment required for the ANNST method was ten cryogenic tank barrels when compared with conventional metallic manufacturing. The AHP study results revealed that decreased final cylinder mass and improved quality assurance were the most valued benefits of cylinder manufacturing methods, therefore emphasizing the relevance of the benefits achieved with the ANNST process for future projects.

Ivanco, Marie L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A study on airborne integrated display system and human information processing

The cognitive behavior of pilots was examined in an experiment involving mock ups of an eight display electronic attitude direction indicator for an airborne integrated display. Displays were presented in digital, analog digital, and analog format to experienced pilots. Two tests were run, one involving the speed of memorization in a single exposure and the other comprising two five second exposures spaced 30 sec apart. Errors increased with the speed of memorization. Generally, the analog information was assimilated faster than the digital data, with regard to the response speed. Information processing was quantified as 25 bits for the first five second exposure and 15 bits during the second.

Mizumoto, K.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Doppler lidar processing for atmospheric turbulence measurements

A Doppler lidar is described, its processing methods are characterized, and two alternate techniques are considered. The described system uses a CO2 laser transmitting at 10.6 microns and a bank of narrow band filters for the spectrum analysis. Typical results obtained with this system are presented. The two alternate techniques involve computation of the discrete spectrum by use of the discrete Fourier transform. The first technique involves single-pulse processing and incoherent integration, while the second technique performs coherent processing on the train of received pulses.

Polge, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Exact triple integrals of beam functions

Definite triple integrals encountered in applying the Galerkin method to the problem of heat and mass transfer across rectangular enclosures are discussed. Rather than evaluating them numerically, the technique described by Reid and Harris (1958) was extended to obtain the exact solution of the integrals. In the process, four linear simultaneous equations with triple integrals as unknowns were obtained. These equations were then solved exactly to obtain the closed form solution. Since closed form representations of this type have been shown to be useful in solving nonlinear hydrodynamic problems by series expansion, the integrals are presented here in general form.

Jhaveri, B. S.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Inspectability Metric: A Formalized System Of Measurement Enabling The Design For Inspection Framework

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) engineers are often confronted with structural design choices that present challenges to meeting inspection requirements. These challenges, at best, increase the resources needed to design an inspection solution and, at worst, require resource intensive redesign of the structure. If the inspectability of the structure can be determined early in the design cycle, these challenging inspection scenarios can be avoided. The emergence of additive manufacturing has further compounded this problem by enabling the creation of highly optimized structures with no regard to inspection constraints. Design for inspection (DFI) offers a framework to integrate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) into the design process to alleviate the mechanisms that produce uninspectable designs. DFI is the concept of including inspectability in a multi-objective optimization framework so that it can be considered in parallel to other metrics such as mass and manufacturability. This allows rapid evaluation of the trade-off between design metrics to find solutions that meet the inspection needs of a particular material system, structural concept, or vehicle program. To enable DFI, there must be a system by which the inspectability of a structure can be measured. This system must be agile to produce results quickly, it must be versatile to work with the type of incomplete information one would encounter early in the design process (such as lack of inspection requirements), and it must be delivered in a form that is easily understood by designers. To meet this need, this presentation introduces the novel inspectability metric as a system to measure inspectability. The inspectability metric is a standardized, automation friendly procedure that uses simulations to determine inspectability. Along with guidelines to properly process designs and integrate with existing workflows, the inspectability metric provides a suite of simulation tests to interrogate the ability to find defects and the sensitivity to variability. The testing rubric is designed to maximize the coverage of the parameter space while minimizing the number of simulations needed. The inspectability metric has been in development in collaboration with industry partners to ensure compatibility with modern simulation tools and aerospace design workflows. In this study, we will demonstrate how the inspectability metric is able to determine the inspectability of multiple types of structures, including aerospace composites and additively manufactured parts. We will then show how the inspectability score can be plugged into existing design optimization tasks, such as structural sizing algorithms or design for manufacturing (DFM) frameworks.

Design for inspection↗

NASA NTRS1989

Integrated aerodynamic-structural design of a forward-swept transport wing

The introduction of composite materials is having a profound effect on aircraft design. Since these materials permit the designer to tailor material properties to improve structural, aerodynamic and acoustic performance, they require an integrated multidisciplinary design process. Futhermore, because of the complexity of the design process, numerical optimization methods are required. The utilization of integrated multidisciplinary design procedures for improving aircraft design is not currently feasible because of software coordination problems and the enormous computational burden. Even with the expected rapid growth of supercomputers and parallel architectures, these tasks will not be practical without the development of efficient methods for cross-disciplinary sensitivities and efficient optimization procedures. The present research is part of an on-going effort which is focused on the processes of simultaneous aerodynamic and structural wing design as a prototype for design integration. A sequence of integrated wing design procedures has been developed in order to investigate various aspects of the design process.

Haftka, Raphael T.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Putting the Power of Configuration in the Hands of the Users

Goal was to reduce the overall cost of human space flight while maintaining the most demanding standards for safety and mission success. In support of this goal, a project team was chartered to replace 18 legacy Space Shuttle nonconformance processes and systems with one fully integrated system Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (PRACA) processes provide a closed-loop system for the identification, disposition, resolution, closure, and reporting of all Space Shuttle hardware/software problems PRACA processes are integrated throughout the Space Shuttle organizational processes and are critical to assuring a safe and successful program Primary Project Objectives Develop a fully integrated system that provides an automated workflow with electronic signatures Support multiple NASA programs and contracts with a single "system" architecture Define standard processes, implement best practices, and minimize process variations

Al-Shihabi, Mary-Jo↗