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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Sea surface velocities from visible and infrared multispectral atmospheric mapping sensor imagery

High resolution (100 m), sequential Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sensor (MAMS) images were used in a study to calculate advective surface velocities using the Maximum Cross Correlation (MCC) technique. Radiance and brightness temperature gradient magnitude images were formed from visible (0.48 microns) and infrared (11.12 microns) image pairs, respectively, of Chandeleur Sound, which is a shallow body of water northeast of the Mississippi delta, at 145546 GMT and 170701 GMT on 30 Mar. 1989. The gradient magnitude images enhanced the surface water feature boundaries, and a lower cutoff on the gradient magnitudes calculated allowed the undesirable sunglare and backscatter gradients in the visible images, and the water vapor absorption gradients in the infrared images, to be reduced in strength. Requiring high (greater than 0.4) maximum cross correlation coefficients and spatial coherence of the vector field aided in the selection of an optimal template size of 10 x 10 pixels (first image) and search limit of 20 pixels (second image) to use in the MCC technique. Use of these optimum input parameters to the MCC algorithm, and high correlation and spatial coherence filtering of the resulting velocity field from the MCC calculation yielded a clustered velocity distribution over the visible and infrared gradient images. The velocity field calculated from the visible gradient image pair agreed well with a subjective analysis of the motion, but the velocity field from the infrared gradient image pair did not. This was attributed to the changing shapes of the gradient features, their nonuniqueness, and large displacements relative to the mean distance between them. These problems implied a lower repeat time for the imagery was needed in order to improve the velocity field derived from gradient imagery. Suggestions are given for optimizing the repeat time of sequential imagery when using the MCC method for motion studies. Applying the MCC method to the infrared brightness temperature imagery yielded a velocity field which did agree with the subjective analysis of the motion and that derived from the visible gradient imagery. Differences between the visible and infrared derived velocities were 14.9 cm/s in speed and 56.7 degrees in direction. Both of these velocity fields also agreed well with the motion expected from considerations of the ocean bottom topography and wind and tidal forcing in the study area during the 2.175 hour time interval.

Pope, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Multi-Pass Sequential Mini-Batch Stochastic Gradient Descent Algorithms for Noise Covariance Estimation in Adaptive Kalman Filtering

Estimation of unknown noise covariances in a Kalman filter is a problem of significant practical interest in a wide array of applications. Although this problem has a long history, reliable algorithms for their estimation were scant, and necessary and sufficient conditions for identifiability of the covariances were in dispute until recently. Necessary and sufficient conditions for covariance estimation and a batch estimation algorithm were presented in our previous study. This paper presents stochastic gradient descent algorithms for noise covariance estimation in adaptive Kalman filters that are an order of magnitude faster than the batch method for similar or better root mean square error. More significantly, these algorithms are applicable to non-stationary systems where the noise covariances can occasionally jump up or down by an unknown magnitude. The computational efficiency of the new algorithms stems from adaptive thresholds for convergence, recursive fading memory estimation of the sample cross-correlations of the innovations, and accelerated stochastic gradient descent algorithms. The comparative evaluation of the proposed methods on a number of test cases demonstrates their computational efficiency and accuracy.

Adaptive Kalman filtering↗
NASA NTRS1978

Theoretical study of the effect of wind velocity gradients on longitudinal stability and control in climbing and level flight

A change in the wind vector over a short distance along the flight path (wind gradient) has caused several severe airplane accidents during take-off and landing. Results of a previous study showed that, in descending flight, a positive wind gradient (decreasing head wind) caused severe divergent motion and a negative wind gradient (decreasing tail wind) caused oscillatory motion which should not create a control problem. The results obtained when the same method of analysis was applied to climbing and to straight and level flight are reported. In straight and level flight, a wind gradient was found to cause effects similar to those found in descending flight. In climbing flight, it was found that a negative wind gradient caused a slightly divergent oscillation that presented no control problems and a positive wind gradient caused oscillatory divergence. Results of motion studies indicated that adequate control of the airplane motions can be provided by automatic control systems.

Sherman, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Low Dissipative High Order Shock-Capturing Methods using Characteristic-Based Filters

An approach which closely maintains the non-dissipative nature of classical fourth or higher- order spatial differencing away from shock waves and steep gradient regions while being capable of accurately capturing discontinuities, steep gradient and fine scale turbulent structures in a stable and efficient manner is described. The approach is a generalization of the method of Gustafsson and Olsson and the artificial compression method (ACM) of Harten. Spatially non-dissipative fourth or higher-order compact and non-compact spatial differencings are used as the base schemes. Instead of applying a scalar filter as in Gustafsson and Olsson, an ACM like term is used to signal the appropriate amount of second or third-order TVD or ENO types of characteristic based numerical dissipation. This term acts as a characteristic filter to minimize numerical dissipation for the overall scheme. For time-accurate computations, time discretizations with low dissipation are used. Numerical experiments on 2-D vortical flows, vortex-shock interactions and compressible spatially and temporally evolving mixing layers showed that the proposed schemes have the desired property with only a 10% increase in operations count over standard second-order TVD schemes. Aside from the ability to accurately capture shock-turbulence interaction flows, this approach is also capable of accurately preserving vortex convection. Higher accuracy is achieved with fewer grid points when compared to that of standard second-order TVD or ENO schemes. To demonstrate the applicability of these schemes in sustaining turbulence where shock waves are absent, a simulation of 3-D compressible turbulent channel flow in a small domain is conducted.

Yee, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Low Dissipative High Order Shock-Capturing Methods Using Characteristic-Based Filters

An approach which closely maintains the non-dissipative nature of classical fourth or higher- order spatial differencing away from shock waves and steep gradient regions while being capable of accurately capturing discontinuities, steep gradient and fine scale turbulent structures in a stable and efficient manner is described. The approach is a generalization of the method of Gustafsson and Oisson and the artificial compression method (ACM) of Harten. Spatially non-dissipative fourth or higher-order compact and non-compact spatial differencings are used as the base schemes. Instead of applying a scalar filter as in Gustafsson and Olsson, an ACM like term is used to signal the appropriate amount of second or third-order TVD or ENO types of characteristic based numerical dissipation. This term acts as a characteristic filter to minimize numerical dissipation for the overall scheme. For time-accurate computations, time discretizations with low dissipation are used. Numerical experiments on 2-D vortical flows, vortex-shock interactions and compressible spatially and temporally evolving mixing layers showed that the proposed schemes have the desired property with only a 10% increase in operations count over standard second-order TVD schemes. Aside from the ability to accurately capture shock-turbulence interaction flows, this approach is also capable of accurately preserving vortex convection. Higher accuracy is achieved with fewer grid points when compared to that of standard second-order TVD or ENO schemes. To demonstrate the applicability of these schemes in sustaining turbulence where shock waves are absent, a simulation of 3-D compressible turbulent channel flow in a small domain is conducted.

Yee, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Numerical methods for reduction of topside ionograms

Several alternative methods for solving the group height equation are presented. Three of these are now in operation at Ames Research Center and use data contained in a single ionogram trace. From the data an electron density profile N(h) is computed. If the ionogram also exhibits other traces, reverse ionogram traces are computed, using the N(h) profile, for comparison with the redundant data. When agreement is poor, the initial data trace is reinterpreted, another N(h) profile computed, and the reverse traces generated once again. This process is repeated until a desired degree of consistency is achieved. To reduce the necessity for human intervention and eliminate decision making required in conjunction with the preceding methods, a method is proposed that accepts as input, all data from a single ionogram. In general, no electron density function will satisfy these data exactly, but a best N(h) profile can be computed. Finally, a method is described that eliminates the need to assume that the ionosphere is spherically stratified. Horizontal gradients in electron density are detected and accounted for by processing several ionograms from the same satellite pass simultaneously. This idea is derived as an extension of one of the basic methods.

Mcculley, L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Experimental and Finite Element Modeling of Near-Threshold Fatigue Crack Growth for the K-Decreasing Test Method

The experimental methods to determine near-threshold fatigue crack growth rate data are prescribed in ASTM standard E647. To produce near-threshold data at a constant stress ratio (R), the applied stress-intensity factor (K) is decreased as the crack grows based on a specified K-gradient. Consequently, as the fatigue crack growth rate threshold is approached and the crack tip opening displacement decreases, remote crack wake contact may occur due to the plastically deformed crack wake surfaces and shield the growing crack tip resulting in a reduced crack tip driving force and non-representative crack growth rate data. If such data are used to life a component, the evaluation could yield highly non-conservative predictions. Although this anomalous behavior has been shown to be affected by K-gradient, starting K level, residual stresses, environmental assisted cracking, specimen geometry, and material type, the specifications within the standard to avoid this effect are limited to a maximum fatigue crack growth rate and a suggestion for the K-gradient value. This paper provides parallel experimental and computational simulations for the K-decreasing method for two materials (an aluminum alloy, AA 2024-T3 and a titanium alloy, Ti 6-2-2-2-2) to aid in establishing clear understanding of appropriate testing requirements. These simulations investigate the effect of K-gradient, the maximum value of stress-intensity factor applied, and material type. A material independent term is developed to guide in the selection of appropriate test conditions for most engineering alloys. With the use of such a term, near-threshold fatigue crack growth rate tests can be performed at accelerated rates, near-threshold data can be acquired in days instead of weeks without having to establish testing criteria through trial and error, and these data can be acquired for most engineering materials, even those that are produced in relatively small product forms.

Smith, Stephen W.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Constrained Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Using an Adjoint Formulation and Parallel Computers

An aerodynamic shape optimization method that treats the design of complex aircraft configurations subject to high fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD), geometric constraints and multiple design points is described. The design process will be greatly accelerated through the use of both control theory and distributed memory computer architectures. Control theory is employed to derive the adjoint differential equations whose solution allows for the evaluation of design gradient information at a fraction of the computational cost required by previous design methods. The resulting problem is implemented on parallel distributed memory architectures using a domain decomposition approach, an optimized communication schedule, and the MPI (Message Passing Interface) standard for portability and efficiency. The final result achieves very rapid aerodynamic design based on a higher order CFD method. In order to facilitate the integration of these high fidelity CFD approaches into future multi-disciplinary optimization (NW) applications, new methods must be developed which are capable of simultaneously addressing complex geometries, multiple objective functions, and geometric design constraints. In our earlier studies, we coupled the adjoint based design formulations with unconstrained optimization algorithms and showed that the approach was effective for the aerodynamic design of airfoils, wings, wing-bodies, and complex aircraft configurations. In many of the results presented in these earlier works, geometric constraints were satisfied either by a projection into feasible space or by posing the design space parameterization such that it automatically satisfied constraints. Furthermore, with the exception of reference 9 where the second author initially explored the use of multipoint design in conjunction with adjoint formulations, our earlier works have focused on single point design efforts. Here we demonstrate that the same methodology may be extended to treat complete configuration designs subject to multiple design points and geometric constraints. Examples are presented for both transonic and supersonic configurations ranging from wing alone designs to complex configuration designs involving wing, fuselage, nacelles and pylons.

Reuther, James↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Flight Dynamics Modeling for a Rapid Conceptual Development Environment

This paper presents the integration of flight dynamics modeling (FDM) within an aircraft conceptual development framework. Within this framework, FDM and simulation are used for the preliminary analysis of the takeoff, landing, and critical loss of thrust performance of early-stage aircraft concepts. The aerodynamic and propulsive models are built using the XML-based DAVE-ML model exchange. Automated integration of these models is achieved using the Simulink® model generation available through the DAVEtools Java package in addition to Simulink®-based flight simulation blocks. Results demonstrating the established methods are presented for the analysis of a twin-engine light transport example aircraft. This work establishes methods that will be used to perform trade studies of aircraft designed for Regional Air Mobility operations. These aircraft will require short takeoff and landing distances in addition to steep climb and descent gradients, each of which can be estimated and applied as design space constraints using the current methods.

Flight Dynamics↗
NASA NTRS2005

Depth-Penetrating Luminescence Thermography of Thermal- Barrier Coatings

A thermographic method has been developed for measuring temperatures at predetermined depths within dielectric material layers . especially thermal-barrier coatings. This method will help satisfy a need for noncontact measurement of through-the-thickness temperature gradients for evaluating the effectiveness of thermal- barrier coatings designed to prevent overheating of turbine blades, combustor liners, and other engine parts. Heretofore, thermography has been limited to measurement of surface and near-surface temperatures. In the thermographic method that is the immediate predecessor of the present method, a thermographic phosphor is applied to the outer surface of a thermal barrier coating, luminescence in the phosphor is excited by illuminating the phosphor at a suitable wavelength, and either the time dependence of the intensity of luminescence or the intensities of luminescence spectral lines is measured. Then an emissivity-independent surface-temperature value is computed by use of either the known temperature dependence of the luminescence decay time or the known temperature dependence of ratios between intensities of selected luminescence spectral lines. Until now, depth-penetrating measurements have not been possible because light of the wavelengths needed to excite phosphors could not penetrate thermal-barrier coating materials to useful depths. In the present method as in the method described above, one exploits the temperature dependence of luminescence decay time. In this case, the phosphor is incorporated into the thermal-barrier coat at the depth at which temperature is to be measured. To be suitable for use in this method, a phosphor must (1) exhibit a temperature dependence of luminescence decay time in the desired range, (2) be thermochemically compatible with the thermal-barrier coating, and (3) exhibit at least a minor excitation spectral peak and an emission spectral peak, both peaks being at wavelengths at which the thermal-barrier coating is transparent or at least translucent. Conventional thermographic phosphors are not suitable because they are most efficiently excited by ultraviolet light, which does not penetrate thermal- barrier coating materials. (Typical thermal-barrier coating materials include or consist of various formulations of yttria-stabilized zirconia.) Only a small fraction of phosphor candidates have significant excitation at wavelengths long enough (>500 nm) for sufficient penetration of thermal-barrier coatings. One suitable phosphor material . yttria doped with europium (Y2O3:Eu) . has a minor excitation peak at 532 nm and an emission peak at 611 nm. In experiments, this material was incorporated beneath a 100-microns-thick thermal-barrier coating and subjected to excitation and measurement by the luminescence-decay-time technique. These experiments were found to yield reliable temperature values up to 1,100 C. At the time of reporting the information for this article, a search for suitable phosphors other than (Y2O3:Eu) was continuing.

Eldridge, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS1993

Statistics of Experiments on Cluster Formation and Transport in a Gravitational Field

Metastable state relaxation in a gravitational field is investigated in the case of non-critical binary solutions. A relaxation description is presented in terms of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau formalism for a non-conserved order parameter. A new ansatz for solution of the corresponding partial nonlinear stochastic differential equation is discussed. It is proved that, for the supersaturated solution under consideration, the metastable state relaxation in a gravitational field leads to formation of solute concentration gradients due to the sedimentation of subcritical solute clusters. The pure discussion of the possible methods to compare theoretical results and experimental data related to solute sedimentation in a gravitational field is presented. It is shown that in order to describe these experiments it is necessary to deal both with the value of the solute concentration gradient and with its formation rate. The stochastic nature of the sedimentation process is shown.

Izmailov, Alexander F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

A variation of the Davis-Smith method for in-flight determination of spacecraft magnetic fields.

A variation of a procedure developed by Davis and Smith (1968) is presented for the in-flight determination of spacecraft magnetic fields. Both methods take statistical advantage of the observation that fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field over short periods of time are primarily changes in direction rather than in magnitude. During typical solar wind conditions between 0.8 and 1.0 AU, a statistical analysis of 2-3 days of continuous interplanetary field measurements yields an estimate of a constant spacecraft field with an uncertainty of plus or minus 0.25 gamma in the direction radial to the sun and plus or minus 15 gammas in the directions transverse to the radial. The method is also of use in estimating variable spacecraft fields with gradients of the order of 0.1 gamma/day and less and in other special circumstances.

Belcher, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Gimbal bearing design considerations and friction control

The design considerations of bearing selection, bearing fits, bearing installation, and thermal control are discussed for a gimbal with a high stiffness, low friction torque requirement. Tradeoffs between a quad set of small diameter spread apart or a large diameter bearing pair resulted in a cleaner, lighter, stiffer unit with the latter selection. Bearing fits were designed to eliminate clearances with tolerances of .00127 mm 00005 in) on the bearing shafts and housings. The problems in metrology are discussed and a perferred technique for measurement of small cross-section bearings described. A technique for installation to assure proper seating of the bearing is offered. Where transient thermal conditions are involved, a method of controlling bearing friction by active control of bearing temperature gradients including the use of bearing unload test curves is described.

Kramer, N. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Advanced methods for preparation and characterization of infrared detector materials

Mercury cadmium telluride crystals were prepared by the Bridgman method with a wide range of crystal growth rates and temperature gradients adequate to prevent constitutional supercooling under diffusion-limited, steady state, growth conditions. The longitudinal compositional gradients for different growth conditions and alloy compositions were calculated and compared with experimental data to develop a quantitative model of the crystal growth kinetics for the Hg(i-x)CdxTe alloys, and measurements were performed to ascertain the effect of growth conditions on radial compositional gradients. The pseudobinary HgTe-CdTe constitutional phase diagram was determined by precision differential thermal analysis measurements and used to calculate the segregation coefficient of Cd as a function of x and interface temperature. Computer algorithms specific to Hg(1-x)CdxTe were developed for calculations of the charge carrier concentrations, charge carrier mobilities, Hall coefficient, optical absorptance, and Fermi energy as functions of x, temperature, ionized donor and acceptor concentrations, and neutral defect concentrations.

Lehoczky, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Organized motion in turbulent flow

A review of organized motion in turbulent flow indicates that the transport properties of most shear flows are dominated by large-scale vortex nonrandom motions. The mean velocity profile of a turbulent boundary layer consists of a viscous sublayer, buffer layer, and a logarithmic outer layer; an empirical formula of Coles (1956) applies to various pressure gradients. The boundary layer coherent structure was isolated by the correlation methods of Townsend (1956) and flow visualization by direct observations of complex unsteady turbulent motions. The near-wall studies of Willmart and Wooldridge (1962) used the space-time correlation for pressure fluctuations at the wall under a thick turbulent boundary layer; finally, organized motion in free shear flows and transition-control of mixing demonstrated that the Reynolds number invariance of turbulence shows wide scatter.

Cantwell, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Development of an efficient procedure for calculating the aerodynamic effects of planform variation

Numerical procedures to compute gradients in aerodynamic loading due to planform shape changes using panel method codes were studied. Two procedures were investigated: one computed the aerodynamic perturbation directly; the other computed the aerodynamic loading on the perturbed planform and on the base planform and then differenced these values to obtain the perturbation in loading. It is indicated that computing the perturbed values directly can not be done satisfactorily without proper aerodynamic representation of the pressure singularity at the leading edge of a thin wing. For the alternative procedure, a technique was developed which saves most of the time-consuming computations from a panel method calculation for the base planform. Using this procedure the perturbed loading can be calculated in about one-tenth the time of that for the base solution.

Mercer, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Advanced methods for preparation and characterization of infrared detector materials

Crystals were prepared by the Bridgman-Stockbarger method with a wide range of crystal growth rates and temperature gradients adequate to prevent constitutional supercooling under diffusion-limited, steady-state, growth conditions. The longitudinal compositional gradients for different growth conditions and alloy compositions were calculated and compared with experimental data to develop a quantitative model of solute redistribution during the crystal growth of the alloys. Measurements were performed to ascertain the effect of growth conditions on radial compositional gradients. The pseudobinary HgTe-CdTe constitutional phase diagram was determined by precision differential-thermal-analysis measurements and used to calculate the segregation coefficient of Cd as a function of x and interface temperature. Experiments were conducted to determine the ternary phase equilibria in selected regions of the Hg-Cd-Te constitutional phase diagram. Electron and hole mobilities as functions of temperature were analyzed to establish charge-carrier scattering probabilities. Computer algorithms specific to Hg(1-x)CdxTe were developed for calculations of the charge-carrier concentration, charge-carrier mobilities, Hall coefficient, and Dermi Fermi energy as functions of x, temperature, ionized donor and acceptor concentrations, and neutral defect concentrations.

Broerman, J. G.↗