SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
The functions of the JOB BUILDER remote batch processing subsystem are described. Instructions are given for using it as a component of a display system developed by personnel of the System Programming Laboratory, Institute of Space Research, USSR Academy of Sciences.
A pilot orientated display system was developed for general aviation aircraft in order to reduce cockpit workloads. Emphasis was placed on the optimization of flight procedural aspects (i.e., interpretation of Loran data). Low cost hardware/software were utilized in the system to reduce developmental costs. Parallel development and testing were conducted on the ground (simulator) and in the air using the same hardware.
The study consisted of two main tasks, a series of interviews of Spacelab users and a survey of data processing and display equipment. Findings from the user interviews on questions of interactive control, downlink data formats, and Spacelab computer software development are presented. Equipment for quick look processing and display of scientific data in the Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) was surveyed. Results of this survey effort are discussed in detail, along with recommendations for NASA development of several specific display systems which meet common requirements of many Spacelab experiments.
The incorporation of homovalent ions, e.g., I(-) in AgBr, leads to a substantial increase in ionic conductivity sigma. The charge compensation concept does not explain the enhancement. AgBr + 30 mol. % AgI exhibits sigma approximately 7/omega/cm at 380 C, which is approximately 170% larger than that of alpha-AgI, the best known superionic conductor, at its melting point. The purely elastic displacement caused by the foreign ion is suggested to be the origin of such a unique behavior. Furthermore, AgI-AgBr two-phase systems display sigma approximately 10 to the 3rd times higher than predicted by the classical theories.
The paper analyzes the role of human factors in flight-deck automation, identifies problem areas, and suggests design guidelines. Flight-deck automation using microprocessor technology and display systems improves performance and safety while leading to a decrease in size, cost, and power consumption. On the other hand negative factors such as failure of automatic equipment, automation-induced error compounded by crew error, crew error in equipment set-up, failure to heed automatic alarms, and loss of proficiency must also be taken into account. Among the problem areas discussed are automation of control tasks, monitoring of complex systems, psychosocial aspects of automation, and alerting and warning systems. Guidelines are suggested for designing, utilising, and improving control and monitoring systems. Investigation into flight-deck automation systems is important as the knowledge gained can be applied to other systems such as air traffic control and nuclear power generation, but the many problems encountered with automated systems need to be analyzed and overcome in future research.
A description is given of the Interactive Astronomical Data Analysis Facility (IADAF) which performs interactive analysis of astronomical data for resident and visiting scientists. The facilities include a Grant measuring engine, a PDS 1010A microdensitometer, a COMTAL image display system and a PDP 11/40 computer system. Both hardware and software systems are examined, including a description of thirteen overlay programs. Some uses of the IADAF are indicated.
The eye as an efficient selection device for determining what is important in astronomical imagery can be greatly aided by the computer. A suitable facility, called the Interactive Astronomical Data Analysis Facility (IADAF), has been developed for the display and analysis of astronomical imagery by the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics. The Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics currently has approval to fly two experiments on Spacelab. The Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope (SEUTS) is to be used for the study of several fundamental problems of solar physics. The Ultraviolet Image Telescope for Astronomical Investigations (UIT) is to provide direct imagery of selected fields of view throughout the sky. A description is given of IADAF, taking into account its 16-bit computer and the COMTAL image processing display system. The use of IADAF by SEUTS and UIT is discussed.
An exploratory flight-simulator experiment examined the gross effects of several factors potentially important to the design of a visual display system for aiding VTOL pilots in the difficult task of landing on a small sea-control ship. Field of view (FOV) and target size were the primary variables examined for a lateral tracking task in a full motion 5 degree-of-freedom hover simulation. The mean absolute value of tracking error was used to measure tracking performance, and cross spectral transfer function analysis was performed to determine the pilot's ability to generate good open-loop transfer function characteristics as a function of the experimental variables. It was found that FOV and target size can have a large effect on the pilot's ability to generate open-loop gain, and on his tracking performance.
PDP 11/40 computer is at the heart of a general purpose interactive data analysis facility designed to permit easy access to data in both visual imagery and graphic representations. The major components consist of: the 11/40 CPU and 256 K bytes of 16-bit memory; two TU10 tape drives; 20 million bytes of disk storage; three user terminals; and the COMTAL image processing display system. The application of image enhancement techniques to two sequences of photographs of Comet Halley taken in Egypt in 1910 provides evidence for eruptions from the comet's nucleus.
An inexpensive data/command entry and CRT display system capable of alphanumeric and graphics moe operation and designed to operate in place of a separate ASCII terminal, is documented. The software to interface this unit to the 6502-based Loran C receiver is also described. The system simplifies receiver operations to a level typical of current avionics systems.
The application of color coding techniques used in processing remote sensing imagery to analyze and display fluid flow data is discussed. A minicomputer based color film recording and color CRT display system is described. High quality, high resolution images of two-dimensional data are produced on the film recorder. Three dimensional data, in large volume, are used to generate color motion pictures in which time is used to represent the third dimension. Several applications and examples are presented. System hardware and software is described.
An inexpensive data/command entry and display system is documented. This system is designed to operate in place of a separate ASC2 terminal. The software to interface this unit to the 6502 based navigation receiver is also described.
The purpose of space experiments with particle accelerators (SEPAC) is to carry out active and interactive experiments on and in the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere. It is also intended to make an initial performance test for an overall program of Spacelab/SEPAC experiments. The instruments to be used are an electron beam accelerator, magnetoplasma dynamic arcjet, and associated diagnostic equipment. The accelerators are installed on the pallet, with monitoring and diagnostic observations being made by the gas plume release, beam-monitor TV, and particle-wave measuring instruments also mounted on the pallet. Command and display systems are installed in the module. Three major classes of investigations to be performed are vehicle charge neutralization, beam plasma physics, and beam atmosphere interactions. The first two are mainly onboard plasma physics experiments to measure the effect of phenomena in the vicinity of Spacelab. The last one is concerned with atmospheric modification and is supported by other Spacelab 1 investigations as well as by ground-based, remote sensing observations.
The nature of the HCMM data set and the general geologic application of thermal inertia imaging using HCMM data were studied. The CCT's of five sites of interest were obtained and displayed. The upgrading of the image display system was investigated. Fragment/block size distributions in various terrain types wre characterized with emphasis on volcanic terrain. The SEASAT L-band radar images of volcanic landforms at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, were analyzed and compared to imagery from LANDSAT band 7.
It is shown that while fluids are very complicated systems having many degrees of freedom, the basic mechanism underlying the observed chaotic behavior of fluid turbulence may not require the consideration of many degrees of freedom. Simple dynamical systems display erratic and chaotic behavior reminiscent of turbulence, the key to which is the 'sensitivity to initial conditions' introduced by Ruelle (1978). Simple models which are sensitive to initial data and have permitted workers to study chaotic behavior are described, with attention to the Lorenz equations, Landau's idea of a continuous transition to turbulence via an infinite cascade of bifurcations, and one-dimensional maps.
The history of airline flight planning is briefly reviewed. Over half a century ago, when scheduled airline services began, weather data were almost nonexistent. By the early 1950's a reliable synoptic network provided upper air reports. The next 15 years saw a rapid growth in commercial aviation, and airlines introduced computer techniques to flight planning. The 1970's saw the development of weather satellites. The current state of flight planning activities is analyzed. It is found that accurate flight planning will require meteorological information on a finer scale than can be provided by a synoptic forecast. Opportunities for a new approach are examined, giving attention to the available options, a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model, limited area fine mesh models, man-computer interactive display systems, the use of interactive techniques with the present upper air data base, and the implementation of interactive techniques.
A digital data library of MAGSAT data consisting of 1,615,636 measurements from the quiet data set, is geographically sorted, and allows rapid analysis and processing of all the quiet magnetic data about any selected location. Because this library of MAGSAT data is compatible with existing gravity and geoid data library processing and display system software, correlations between MAGSAT, surface gravity, GEOS-3 radar altimeter geoid and bathymetric data sets can be conveniently detected and analyzed. Polynomial trends from each half-orbit were removed as an effective way of estimating and removing ring current effects following estimation of the core field contribution. It was found that a third order polynomial is the lowest polynomial order that appears to provide the best consistency of residual anomalies between coincident orbits.
An engineering model of the Telemetry Data Processor monitoring and display system used by the Maneuverable Television (MTV) employed in remote inspections of the Space Shuttle has been developed, incorporating the MC 6809 microprocessor. The system acquires analog and digital signals from the MTV flyer and converts them into engineering units, formatting them in several pages according to their function. Upon request, a data page can be superimposed on the video signal from the MTV camera. In addition, the system monitors key parameters for out-of-limit conditions and flashes caution and warning messages on the selected page.