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At least 631 records · Page 35

Control of large space structures

The control of large space structures was studied to determine what, if any, limitations are imposed on the size of spacecraft which may be controlled using current control system design technology. Using a typical structure in the 35 to 70 meter size category, a control system design that used actuators that are currently available was designed. The amount of control power required to maintain the vehicle in a stabilized gravity gradient pointing orientation that also damped various structural motions was determined. The moment of inertia and mass properties of this structure were varied to verify that stability and performance were maintained. The study concludes that the structure's size is required to change by at least a factor of two before any stability problems arise. The stability margin that is lost is due to the scaling of the gravity gradient torques (the rigid body control) and as such can easily be corrected by changing the control gains associated with the rigid body control. A secondary conclusion from the study is that the control design that accommodates the structural motions (to damp them) is a little more sensitive than the design that works on attitude control of the rigid body only.

Gran, R.↗

Control of a Flexible Space Antenna: A Finite Dimensional Perspective Based on Distributed Parameter Theory

The methods presented are based on results from infinite dimensional control theory, but they can be described and used in a finite dimensional context. This blend leads to an approach which employs powerful ideas on convergence, and is also quite practical for systems of realistic complexity. Appropriate reduced order models are generated simultaneously with the development of the compensator. The required models change as a function of changes in the performance demanded, sensor and actuator location, inherent damping, disturbances, etc. Thus they are driven by the control and estimation problems at hand. The compensators which emerge are very close to the ideal compensators which would be obtained with a very large order model. However, some simplification is frequently possible. The method of balanced realizations was found to be effective for this purpose.

Mingori, D. L.↗

Modeling and control of flexible space structures

The effects of actuator and sensor locations on transfer function zeros are investigated, using uniform bars and beams as generic models of flexible space structures. It is shown how finite element codes may be used directly to calculate transfer function zeros. The impulse response predicted by finite-dimensional models is compared with the exact impulse response predicted by the infinite dimensional models. It is shown that some flexible structures behave as if there were a direct transmission between actuator and sensor (equal numbers of zeros and poles in the transfer function). Finally, natural damping models for a vibrating beam are investigated since natural damping has a strong influence on the appropriate active control logic for a flexible structure.

Wie, B.↗

Positive position control of robotic manipulators

The present, simple and accurate position-control algorithm, which is applicable to fast-moving and lightly damped robot arms, is based on the positive position feedback (PPF) strategy and relies solely on position sensors to monitor joint angles of robotic arms to furnish stable position control. The optimized tuned filters, in the form of a set of difference equations, manipulate position signals for robotic system performance. Attention is given to comparisons between this PPF-algorithm controller's experimentally ascertained performance characteristics and those of a conventional proportional controller.

Baz, A.↗

Integrated Vehicle Ground Vibration Testing in Support of Launch Vehicle Loads and Controls Analysis

NASA has conducted dynamic tests on each major launch vehicle during the past 45 years. Each test provided invaluable data to correlate and correct analytical models. GVTs result in hardware changes to Saturn and Space Shuttle, ensuring crew and vehicle safety. Ares I IVGT will provide test data such as natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping to support successful Ares I flights. Testing will support controls analysis by providing data to reduce model uncertainty. Value of testing proven by past launch vehicle successes and failures. Performing dynamic testing on Ares vehicles will provide confidence that the launch vehicles will be safe and successful in their missions.

Tuma, Margaret L.↗

Dynamic Model Development of a Wind Power Plant Using Neural Net Method to Forecast Wind Power Output (CRADA Final Report)

This project is intended to model wind power plant based on monitored data at the wind power plant. This project will promote the university research in Renewable Energy area and trains the future highly qualified engineers. The dynamic model will be based on neural net model with the input from the two met towers (12 inputs), and the number of turbines in operation (one input). The overall input will be 13 inputs to drive the simulations. The output power at the point of interconnection will be used to tune the neural net weight coefficients. Two neural net concepts will be investigated (the back propagation neural net and the dynamic recurrent neural net with feedback).

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Nonlinear Aspects of Combustion Instability in Liquid Propellant Rocket Motors Sixth Yearly Progress Report, 1 Jun. 1965 - 31 May 1966

This is the sixth yearly report on the research at Princeton University on the problem of combustion instability in liquid-propellant rocket motors. These investigations have been sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under NASA Contract NASr-217 and, in the past, under NASA Grant NsG-99-60. The nonlinear aspects of the problem have been emphasized in both the theoretical and experimental portions of the program. Presently, the theoretical research primarily involves studies of possible mechanisms or forcing functions of the instabilities, the nonlinear gasdynamic oscillations associated with instability in rocket motors, the effect of the exhaust nozzle on the stability, and the effect of damping devices on the stability. In conjunction with the theoretical program, an experimental program of an equally broad range is being conducted. This program includes basic experiments both with rocket motors and "cold" chambers which have been designed to study various combustion processes in order to provide understanding which would be useful in the construction of a theoretical model. It also includes studies of the effects of exhaust nozzles and damping devices upon the instability as well as controlled testing of liquid rocket motors with parametric variations intended to determine the factors which strongly influence the incidence of nonlinear combustion instability.

Combustion instability↗

The formation of planetesimals.

Four stages in the accretion of planetesimals are described. The initial stage is the condensation of dust particles from the gaseous solar nebula as it cools. These dust particles settle into a thin disk which is gravitationally unstable. A first generation of planetesimals, whose radii range up to about 0.1 km, form from the dust disk by direct gravitational collapse to solid densities on a time scale of the order of 1 year. The resulting disk, composed of first-generation planetesimals, is still gravitationally unstable, and the planetesimals are grouped into clusters containing approximately 10,000 members. The contraction of these clusters is controlled by the rate at which gas drag damps their internal rotational and random kinetic energies. On a time scale of a few thousand years, the clusters contract to form a second generation of planetesimals having radii of the order of 5 km. Further coalescence of planetesimals proceeds by direct collisions which seem capable of producing growth at a rate of the order of 15 cm per year at 1 AU.

Goldreich, P.↗

Some stability and control aspects of airframe/propulsion system interactions on the YF-12 airplane

Airframe/propulsion system interactions can strongly affect the stability and control of supersonic cruise aircraft. These interactions generate forces and moments similar in magnitude to those produced by the aerodynamic controls, and can cause significant changes in vehicle damping and static stability. This in turn can lead to large aircraft excursions or high pilot workload, or both. For optimum integration of an airframe and its jet propulsion system, these phenomena may have to be taken into account.

Berry, D. T.↗

Application of two-dimensional unsteady aerodynamic to a free-tip rotor response analysis

The free-tip rotor utilizes a rotor blade tip which is structurally decoupled from the blade inboard section. The tip is free to pitch about its own pitch axis to respond to the local flow angularity changes. The tip also experiences the heaving motion due to the flapping of the rotor blade. For an airfoil in any pitching and heaving motion which can be expanded into a Fourier series, the lift and moment calculated by Theodoren's theory is simply the linear combination of the lift and moment calculated for each harmonic. These lift and moment are then used to determine the response of the free-tip rotor. A parametric study is performed to determine the effect of mechanical damping, mechanical spring, sweep, friction, and a constant control moment on the free-tip rotor response characteristics and the resulting azimuthal lift distributions. The results showed that the free-tip has the capability to suppress the oscillatory lift distribution around the azimuth and to eliminate a significant negative life peak on the advancing tip. This result agrees with the result of the previous analysis based on the steady aerodynamics.

Yates, L.↗

Active-Control Bearings for Rotor Shafts

Vibrations suppressed by feedback control. Flexural forced vibrations or self-excited vibrations of rotating system suppressed by active elements. Instead of dissipating vibration forces through damped supports, active elements apply forces, through bearing housing, that cancel vibration displacements. Bearing systems incorporating such devices appropriately named active-control bearings. Active-controlbearing systems effective not only for imbalance forces but also for unstable or external forces transmitted from foundation. Damping ratios of system easily changed by modifying state-feedback control system.

Nonami, K.↗

Multishaker modal testing

The major accomplishments of this research are: (1) the refinement and documentation of a multi-input, multi-output modal parameter estimation algorithm which is applicable to general linear, time-invariant dynamic systems; (2) the development and testing of an unsymmetric block-Lanzcos algorithm for reduced-order modeling of linear systems with arbitrary damping; and (3) the development of a control-structure-interaction (CSI) test facility.

Craig, Roy R., Jr.↗

Aircraft propeller induced structure-borne noise

A laboratory-based test apparatus employing components typical of aircraft construction was developed that would allow the study of structure-borne noise transmission due to propeller induced wake/vortex excitation of in-wake structural appendages. The test apparatus was employed to evaluate several aircraft installation effects (power plant placement, engine/nacelle mass loading, and wing/fuselage attachment methods) and several structural response modifications for structure-borne noise control (the use of wing blocking mass/fuel, wing damping treaments, and tuned mechanical dampers). Most important was the development of in-flight structure-borne noise transmission detection techniques using a combination of ground-based frequency response function testing and in-flight structural response measurement. Propeller wake/vortex excitation simulation techniques for improved ground-based testing were also developed to support the in-flight structure-borne noise transmission detection development.

Unruh, James F.↗

Design of a recovery scheme for the Galileo spacecraft in the event of nutation damper failure

This paper discusses the design and testing of remedial measures that can be taken to achieve reasonable nutation damping of the Galileo spacecraft in the event of failure of its boom damper in flight. One scheme exploits the effects of payload motion on the nutational stability of a spinning spacecraft. This scheme demands that the spacecraft motion compensation algorithm be enabled with the scan platform bore sight pointed in a well chosen direction to produce rapid damping of spacecraft nutation. A second method suggested for nutation damping is a thruster-based open loop control algorithm, utilizing a pair of thrusters as actuators.

Eke, Fidelis O.↗

Active control for vibration suppression in a flexible beam using a modal domain optical fiber sensor

An account is given of the use of a modal-domain (MD) fiber-optic sensor as an active control system component for vibration suppression, whose output is proportional to the integral of the axial strain along the optical fiber. When an MD sensor is attached to, or embedded in, a flexible structure, it senses the strain in the structure along its gage length. On the basis of the present integration of the sensor model into a flexible-structure model, it becomes possible to design a control system with a dynamic compensator which adds damping to the low-order modes of the flexible structure. This modeling procedure has been experimentally validated.

Cox, D. E.↗

Modeling Hubble Space Telescope flight data by Q-Markov cover identification

A state space model for the Hubble Space Telescope under the influence of unknown disturbances in orbit is presented. This model was obtained from flight data by applying the Q-Markov covariance equivalent realization identification algorithm. This state space model guarantees the match of the first Q-Markov parameters and covariance parameters of the Hubble system. The flight data were partitioned into high- and low-frequency components for more efficient Q-Markov cover modeling, to reduce some computational difficulties of the Q-Markov cover algorithm. This identification revealed more than 20 lightly damped modes within the bandwidth of the attitude control system. Comparisons with the analytical (TREETOPS) model are also included.

Liu, K.↗