Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “likelihood”

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.

At least 667 records · Page 37

Curve fitting of aeroelastic transient response data with exponential functions

The extraction of frequency, damping, amplitude, and phase information from unforced transient response data is considered. These quantities are obtained from the parameters determined by fitting the digitized time-history data in a least-squares sense with complex exponential functions. The highlights of the method are described, and the results of several test cases are presented. The effects of noise are considered both by using analytical examples with random noise and by estimating the standard deviation of the parameters from maximum-likelihood theory.

Bennett, R. M.↗

MIDAS, prototype Multivariate Interactive Digital Analysis System for large area earth resources surveys. Volume 1: System description

A third-generation, fast, low cost, multispectral recognition system (MIDAS) able to keep pace with the large quantity and high rates of data acquisition from large regions with present and projected sensots is described. The program can process a complete ERTS frame in forty seconds and provide a color map of sixteen constituent categories in a few minutes. A principle objective of the MIDAS program is to provide a system well interfaced with the human operator and thus to obtain large overall reductions in turn-around time and significant gains in throughput. The hardware and software generated in the overall program is described. The system contains a midi-computer to control the various high speed processing elements in the data path, a preprocessor to condition data, and a classifier which implements an all digital prototype multivariate Gaussian maximum likelihood or a Bayesian decision algorithm. Sufficient software was developed to perform signature extraction, control the preprocessor, compute classifier coefficients, control the classifier operation, operate the color display and printer, and diagnose operation.

Christenson, D.↗

Adaptive control laws for F-8 flight tests

An adaptive flight-control-system design for NASA's F-8 Digital Fly-by-Wire research aircraft is described. This design implements an explicit parallel maximum likelihood identification algorithm to estimate key aircraft parameters. The estimates are used to compute gains in simplified quadratic-optimal command augmentation control laws. Design details for the control laws and identifier are presented, and performance evaluation results from NASA Langley's F-8 simulator are summarized.

Stein, G.↗

Application of system identification to analytic rotor modeling from simulated and wind tunnel dynamic test data, part 2

An introduction to aircraft state and parameter identification methods is presented. A simplified form of the maximum likelihood method is selected to extract analytical aeroelastic rotor models from simulated and dynamic wind tunnel test results for accelerated cyclic pitch stirring excitation. The dynamic inflow characteristics for forward flight conditions from the blade flapping responses without direct inflow measurements were examined. The rotor blades are essentially rigid for inplane bending and for torsion within the frequency range of study, but flexible in out-of-plane bending. Reverse flow effects are considered for high rotor advance ratios. Two inflow models are studied; the first is based on an equivalent blade Lock number, the second is based on a time delayed momentum inflow. In addition to the inflow parameters, basic rotor parameters like the blade natural frequency and the actual blade Lock number are identified together with measurement bias values. The effect of the theoretical dynamic inflow on the rotor eigenvalues is evaluated.

Hohenemser, K. H.↗

Estimated probability density functions for the times between flashes in the storms of 12 September 1975, 26 August 1975, and 13 July 1976

A report is given to supplement the progress report of June 17, 1977. In that progress report gamma, lognormal, and Rayleigh probability density functions were fitted to the times between lightning flashes in the storms of 9/12/75, 8/26/75, and 7/13/76 by the maximum likelihood method. The goodness of fit is checked by the Kolmogoroff-Smirnoff test. Plots of the estimated densities along with normalized histograms are included to provide a visual check on the goodness of fit. The lognormal densities are the most peaked and have the highest tails. This results in the best fit to the normalized histogram in most cases. The Rayleigh densities have too broad and rounded peaks to give good fits. In addition, they have the lowest tails. The gamma densities fall inbetween and give the best fit in a few cases.

Tretter, S. A.↗

Land use/land cover mapping (1:25000) of Taiwan, Republic of China by automated multispectral interpretation of LANDSAT imagery

Three methods were tested for collection of the training sets needed to establish the spectral signatures of the land uses/land covers sought due to the difficulties of retrospective collection of representative ground control data. Computer preprocessing techniques applied to the digital images to improve the final classification results were geometric corrections, spectral band or image ratioing and statistical cleaning of the representative training sets. A minimal level of statistical verification was made based upon the comparisons between the airphoto estimates and the classification results. The verifications provided a further support to the selection of MSS band 5 and 7. It also indicated that the maximum likelihood ratioing technique can achieve more agreeable classification results with the airphoto estimates than the stepwise discriminant analysis.

Sung, Q. C.↗

F-8C adaptive flight control extensions

An adaptive concept which combines gain-scheduled control laws with explicit maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) identification to provide the scheduling values is described. The MLE algorithm was improved by incorporating attitude data, estimating gust statistics for setting filter gains, and improving parameter tracking during changing flight conditions. A lateral MLE algorithm was designed to improve true air speed and angle of attack estimates during lateral maneuvers. Relationships between the pitch axis sensors inherent in the MLE design were examined and used for sensor failure detection. Design details and simulation performance are presented for each of the three areas investigated.

Stein, G.↗

Filtering and smoothing techniques for parameter estimation

In this paper filtering and smoothing criteria for maximum-likelihood parameter estimation are described and compared. It is shown that the parameter estimate using the smoothing criterion may be obtained independently of the smoothed state estimate. Monte Carlo test results are presented comparing the efficiency of the estimation procedures.

Bach, R. E., Jr.↗

Parameter adaptive estimation of random processes

This paper is concerned with the parameter adaptive least squares estimation of random processes. The main result is a general representation theorem for the conditional expectation of a random variable on a product probability space. Using this theorem along with the general likelihood ratio expression, the least squares estimate of the process is found in terms of the parameter conditioned estimates. The stochastic differential for the a posteriori probability and the stochastic differential equation for the a posteriori density are found by using simple stochastic calculus on the representations obtained. The results are specialized to the case when the parameter has a discrete distribution. The results can be used to construct an implementable recursive estimator for certain types of nonlinear filtering problems. This is illustrated by some simple examples.

Caglayan, A. K.↗

Selecting class weights to minimize classification bias in acreage estimation

Preliminary results of experiments being performed to select optimal class weights for use with the maximum likelihood classifier in acreage estimation using remote sensor imagery are presented. These weights will be optimal in the sense that the bias will be minimized in the proportion estimate obtained from the classification results by sample counting. The procedure was tested using Landsat MSS data from an 8 by 9.6 km area of ground truth in Finney County, Kansas.

Belcher, W. M.↗

Evaluation of classification procedures for estimating wheat acreage in Kansas

This report presents the results of experiments which were performed to evaluate procedures for estimating wheat acreage in intensive test sites (ITS's) in Kansas. An analyst/interpreter (AI) selected and labeled fields from Landsat-1 satellite imagery. Statistics were generated for each selected ITS, and the imagery was classified using a maximum likelihood classifier. Various components of the classification process were tested.

Flores, L. M.↗

Flood-plain delineation using multispectral data analysis

The paper explores the application of a remote sensing technique that may permit the determination of flood-plain areas without the extensive work associated with existing techniques. Multispectral scanner data were simulated by utilizing the density differences in a color-infrared transparency for a section of the Navasota River, Texas. The transparency was taken from a low-flying aircraft and covered an area approximating a square mile. The simulated data were processed by an automatic classification technique previously developed in the remote sensing field. The technique used involves the application of the maximum likelihood rule in order to categorize the data being processed. An attempt was made to distinguish between areas known to be in the flood plain and those outside. A reasonabke correlation was found between boundaries based on computer-processed multispectral data and those produced by techniques currently in use.

Harker, G. R.↗

Bayesian estimation of crack initiation times from service data

Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft have during their service life been periodically inspected and growing cracks around rivet holes were recorded. This record has recently been used to determine the statistical distributions of crack initiation times and the distribution of initial crack sizes. When crack initiation times are calculated from such cracks, by backward extrapolation of the growth relation, the resulting distribution of crack initiation times will indicate a preponderance of short times to crack initiation. If however, such distributions are combined with the reliability of the inspection procedure, the statistical distribution of missed initiation times can be estimated. The method used is based on Bayes theorem which permits the calculation of the 'prior' distribution (initiation times before inspection) from a knowledge of the 'posterior' distribution (initiation times obtained from the inspection) and a 'likelihood function' (reliability of the inspection) procedure. The results indicate that during an early inspection a large percentage of initiation times will be missed and that the fraction of located initiation times increases during later inspections.

Heller, R. A.↗

Specific failure identification algorithms for the F-8

Analytical redundancy is applied to the pitch axis of an aircraft to enhance sensor fault detection. Three different designs based on monitoring Kalman filter residuals or likelihood functions were developed. Sensor failures were simulated to evaluate the performance of the algorithms on a nonlinear simulation of an F-8C aircraft. Based on requirements for sensor fault detection and preliminary simulator performance it is concluded that these algorithms have the potential for reducing the level of sensor redundancy in a digital flight control system without compromising performance.

Hartmann, G. L.↗

Limitations to growth of microorganisms on Uranus, Neptune, and Titan

Reappraisal of the probabilistic policy toward planetary contamination by terrestrial microorganisms carried aboard space probes is suggested on the grounds that assignment of numerical probabilities to qualitatively unknown phenomena, as expressed in Phillips's (1974) formulation of the probability of contamination, is inappropriate. As an alternative, it is proposed that fundamental knowledge of the interacting nature of life on earth, interrelations between terrestrial organisms, and continuing effects of these organisms on earth's atmosphere and surface should guide the formulation of a sounder scientific quarantine policy. Simple conservative atmospheric models most favorable for life on Uranus and Neptune are examined. It is concluded that terrestrial microorganisms will not grow on either planet due to limitations of liquid water, atmospheric convection to lethal depths, the absence of energy sources and nutrients, the presence of ammonia and hydrogen, insufficient concentrations of biologically necessary ions, and the lack of a surface. The likelihood of terrestrial microorganism growth on Titan is found to be vanishingly small.

Margulis, L.↗

Identification of state variables and dynamic inflow from rotor model dynamic tests

The paper describes methods for extracting unknown state variables and parameters from dynamic rotor model tests given transient cyclic pitch stirring inputs, blade root flap-bending measurements, and the form of the dynamic rotor equations, including a rotor dynamic inflow description, when none of the physical parameters are known. A simplified version of the maximum likelihood method seems best suited for this purpose. The measurement equation error covariance matrix is assumed constant during each iteration, but updated for the subsequent iteration. A detailed analysis of the suitability of the derived techniques for studying various rotor dynamic inflow effects is provided.

Banerjee, D.↗

An empirical study of scanner system parameters

Parametric values (instantaneous field of view, number and location of spectral bands, signal-to-noise ratio, etc.) of a multispectral scanner (thematic mapper) are assigned empirically. An empirical simulation approach was used with candidate parameter values selected by heuristic means. Results obtained using a conventional maximum likelihood pixel classifier suggest that although the classification accuracy declines slightly as the instantaneous field of view (IFOV) is decreased this is more than made up by an improved mensuration accuracy. Use of a classifier involving both spatial and spectral features helps resist degradation as the signal-to-noise ratio is decreased. The importance of having at least one spectral band in each of the major available portions of the optical spectrum is demonstrated.

Landgrebe, D. A.↗

Simulated performance of coded PCM/FM modem on Rician fading channel

This paper describes a simulation approach to characterizing the performance of a coded PCM/FM modem operating on the classical Rician fading channel. In particular, we consider the performance of short constraint length convolutional codes in conjunction with Viterbi maximum likelihood decoding. The receiver consists of a narrowband filter followed by an ideal limiter/discriminator. Primary interest is in the bit error probability performance parameterized by both the fading channel and receiver parameters. Particular attention is given to simulating the impulse noise appearing at the discriminator output. This is the 'click' noise caused by encirclements of the origin by the instantaneous signal-plus-noise phasor. Results include the effects of channel memory and narrowband receiver filtering effects on overall bit error probability.

Modestino, J. W.↗