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At least 703 records · Page 39

Forced baroclinic ocean motions. II - The linear equatorial bounded case

Results obtained in the first part of this paper (1976), which studied forced baroclinic ocean motions in the linear equatorial unbounded case, are extended to the case of an ocean bounded by two meridians. A complete solution for the linear spin-up in response to a switched-on, x-dependent wind stress is obtained in terms of five components: the unbounded nonoscillatory response to the wind stress forcing; the inertia-gravity waves generated when the forcing switches on, together with their reflections; the quasi-geostrophic Rossby modes forming the eastern boundary response and a western boundary layer; and the equatorial Kelvin wave component of the western boundary response. Kelvin waves are generated if the forcings include a zonal wind component that is symmetric about the equator or an antisymmetric meridional wind stress. For non-Kelvin symmetries, spin-up occurs entirely by the effects of Rossby waves emanating from the eastern boundary. The state approaches the steady solution as increasing numbers of these reach an interior point. In Kelvin symmetries, the Rossby waves act to bring the sea surface tilt to the steady value and the spin-up of the tilt proceeds as in non-Kelvin cases.

Cane, M. A.↗

Flow-generated noise in ducts

A turbulent jet was used to excite high order acoustic modes in a rectangular duct. The measured pressure spectra exhibited asymmetric singularities (pressure spikes) at the cutoff frequencies of the first few transverse modes. In the high frequency limit, where the number of propagating modes is large, the spectra resembles free space jet spectra. The spectra in these limits are determined by the acoustic response of the duct. A linear theoretical analysis, based on an isotropic model of the turbulent fluctuations, is developed to predict this spectra.

Succi, G. P.↗

Radiometric correction of LANDSAT data

The author has identified the following significant results. The six independent sensors of the multispectral band scanner are supposed to be identical; however, in actual practice, they may have different gain settings and offset factors, which result in the effect known as stripping (black lines at regular intervals) of the imagery. A simple two parameter method to correct the gain settings and offset factors of each of the sensors with respect to one sensor, taken as reference, was developed. This method assumes: (1) the response of a detector varies linearly with the radiance of radiation received, and (2) the means, as well as the standard deviations, of a reasonably large number of pixels, in a given wavelength band, are equal for each of the detectors for the radiometrically corrected data.

Dejesusparada, N.↗

Ultrasonic analysis of bolt preloads

This paper covers an investigation into the feasibility of analyzing bolt preloads by ultrasonic techniques. Various techniques were evaluated and a pulse echo inteferometric method was selected for experimental testing. In agreement with theoretical predictions, the interferometer response was found to be linearly related to tensile stresses oriented parallel to the bolt axis. Under rather idealized conditions, bolt loads can be determined with errors of less than 1%. The ultimate operational accuracy depends on a number of variables, such as bolt dimensions and geometry, bolt temperature, uniformity of stresses, and bolt materials, but load analyses to within + or - 3% are readily achievable. Best results are obtained with the ultrasonic transducer contact coupled to a small flat area near the center of the bolt head. The transducer can be applied and measurements made without interfering with normal wrenching operations. Prototype instrumentation is described and calibration results are tabulated for numerous bolt sizes and materials.

Rollins, F. R., Jr.↗

Ultrathin films as photomechanical transducers

In order to investigate the photomechanical effect in ultrathin films, several commercially available polymers of various structure and properties have been studied experimentally below the glass transition temperature. In the experiments using an Instron test machine equipped with a 200-g load cell and a microscope stage illuminator as the light source, the load at the fixed strain was recorded as a function of time. Plots of the steady-state change in stress as a function of the intensity of the incident radiation are presented for several of the materials studied. The response is found to be linear; the greater the intensity of the incident radiation, the greater is the change in stress.

Sarbolouki, M. N.↗

Vestibulo-spinal reflex mechanisms

The specific objectives of experiments designed to investigate postural reflex behavior during sustained weightlessness are discussed. The first is to investigate, during prolonged weightlessness with Hoffmann response (H-reflex) measurement procedures, vestibulo-spinal reflexes associated with vestibular (otolith) responses evoked during an applied linear acceleration. This objective includes not only an evaluation of otolith-induced changes in a major postural muscle but also an investigation with this technique of the adaptive process of the vestibular system and spinal reflex mechanisms to this unique environment. The second objective is to relate space motion sickness to the results of this investigation. Finally, a return to the vestibulo-spinal and postural reflexes to normal values following the flight will be examined. The flight experiment involves activation of nerve tissue (tibial N) with electrical shock and the recording of resulting muscle activity (soleus) with surface electrodes. Soleus/spinal H-reflex testing procedures will be used in conjuction with linear acceleration through the subject's X-axis.

Reschke, M. F.↗

A tensor approach to modeling of nonhomogeneous nonlinear systems

Model following control methodology plays a key role in numerous application areas. Cases in point include flight control systems and gas turbine engine control systems. Typical uses of such a design strategy involve the determination of nonlinear models which generate requested control and response trajectories for various commands. Linear multivariable techniques provide trim about these motions; and protection logic is added to secure the hardware from excursions beyond the specification range. This paper reports upon experience in developing a general class of such nonlinear models based upon the idea of the algebraic tensor product.

Yurkovich, S.↗

Microwave remote sensing of soil moisture, volume 1

Multifrequency sensor data from NASA's C-130 aircraft were used to determine which of the all weather microwave sensors demonstrated the highest correlation to surface soil moisture over optimal bare soil conditions, and to develop and test techniques which use visible/infrared sensors to compensate for the vegetation effect in this sensor's response to soil moisture. The L-band passive microwave radiometer was found to be the most suitable single sensor system to estimate soil moisture over bare fields. The perpendicular vegetation index (PVI) as determined from the visible/infrared sensors was useful as a measure of the vegetation effect on the L-band radiometer response to soil moisture. A linear equation was developed to estimate percent field capacity as a function of L-band emissivity and the vegetation index. The prediction algorithm improves the estimation of moisture significantly over predictions from L-band emissivity alone.

Mcfarland, M. J.↗

Structural design for dynamic response reduction

A computer program for redesigning structural modes to reduce response has been initiated. The linear regulator approach in modal coordinates has been implemented. It is noted that the transformation of solution to physical structure is a major problem. It is concluded that the solution of stiffness equations and damping equations can be done separately as NXN set of (matrix Riccati) equations.

Hanks, B. R.↗

A new strategy for stress analysis using the finite element method

In the paper the authors examine the effectiveness of the Powell-Toint strategy for evaluating the Hessian of the potential energy surface of a finite element model that can be used for linear stress analysis and transient response predictions of structures. Cases for which the Powell-Toint strategy may be cost-effective with the conventional method of stress analysis are identified.

Kamat, M. P.↗

M.I.T./Canadian vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission. I - Sensory adaptation to weightlessness and readaptation to one-g: An overview

Human sensory/motor adaptation to weightlessness and readaptation to earth's gravity are assessed. Preflight and postflight vestibular and visual responses for the crew on the Spacelab-1 mission are studied; the effect of the abnormal pattern of otolith afferent signals caused by weightlessness on the pitch and roll perception and postural adjustments of the subjects are examined. It is observed that body position and postural reactions change due to weightlessness in order to utilize the varied sensory inputs in a manner suited to microgravity conditions. The aspects of reinterpretation include: (1) tilt acceleration reinterpretation, (2) reduced postural response to z-axis linear acceleration, and (3) increased attention to visual cues.

Young, L. R.↗

The design of a turboshaft speed governor using modern control techniques

The objectives of this program were: to verify the model of off schedule compressor variable geometry in the T700 turboshaft engine nonlinear model; to evaluate the use of the pseudo-random binary noise (PRBN) technique for obtaining engine frequency response data; and to design a high performance power turbine speed governor using modern control methods. Reduction of T700 engine test data generated at NASA-Lewis indicated that the off schedule variable geometry effects were accurate as modeled. Analysis also showed that the PRBN technique combined with the maximum likelihood model identification method produced a Bode frequency response that was as accurate as the response obtained from standard sinewave testing methods. The frequency response verified the accuracy of linear models consisting of engine partial derivatives and used for design. A power turbine governor was designed using the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) method of full state feedback control. A Kalman filter observer was used to estimate helicopter main rotor blade velocity. Compared to the baseline T700 power turbine speed governor, the LQR governor reduced droop up to 25 percent for a 490 shaft horsepower transient in 0.1 sec simulating a wind gust, and up to 85 percent for a 700 shaft horsepower transient in 0.5 sec simulating a large collective pitch angle transient.

Delosreyes, G.↗

Effects of using a posteriori methods for the conservation of integral invariants

The nature and effect of using a posteriori adjustments to nonconservative finite-difference schemes to enforce integral invariants of the corresponding analytic system are examined. The method of a posteriori integral constraint restoration is analyzed for the case of linear advection, and the harmonic response associated with the a posteriori adjustments is examined in detail. The conservative properties of the shallow water system are reviewed, and the constraint restoration algorithm applied to the shallow water equations are described. A comparison is made between forecasts obtained using implicit and a posteriori methods for the conservation of mass, energy, and potential enstrophy in the complete nonlinear shallow-water system.

Takacs, Lawrence L.↗

Recursive form of the eigensystem realization algorithm for system identification

An algorithm is developed for recursively calculating the minimum realization of a linear system from sampled impulse response data. The Gram-Schmidt orthonormalization technique is used to generate an orthonormal basis for factorization of the data matrix. The system matrix thus identified is in upper Hessenberg form, which has advantages for the identification of modal parameters including damping coefficients, frequencies, mode shapes, and modal participation factors. It also has the property that once an element of the system matrix is computed, it is never altered as the dimension of the model is increased in the recursive process. Numerical examples are presented for comparison of the recursive and nonrecursive forms of the eigensystem realization algorithm.

Longman, Richard W.↗

The nematode C. elegans - A model animal system for the detection of genetic and developmental lesions

The effects of ionizing and nonionizing radiation effects on cell reproduction, differentiation, and mutation in vivo are studied using the nematode C. elegans. The relationships between fluence/dose and response and quality factor and linear energy transfer are analyzed. The data reveal that there is a complex repair pathway in the nematode and that mutants can be used to direct the sensitivity of the system to specific mutagens/radiation types.

Nelson, Gregory A.↗

SHOOT flowmeter and pressure transducers

A venturi flowmeter has been designed and constructed for the Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) experiment. The calibration results obtained from the SHOOT venturi demonstrate the ability of the flowmeter to meet the requirements of the SHOOT experiment. Flow rates as low as 20 cu dm/h and as high as 800 cu dm/h have been measured. Performances of the SHOOT differential and absolute pressure transducers, which have undergone calibration and vibration tests, are also included. Throughout the tests, the responses of the transducers remained linear and repeatable to within + or - 1 percent of the full scales of the transducers.

Kashani, A.↗

The determination of third order linear models from a seventh order nonlinear jet engine model

Results are presented that demonstrate how good reduced-order models can be obtained directly by recursive parameter identification using input/output (I/O) data of high-order nonlinear systems. Three different methods of obtaining a third-order linear model from a seventh-order nonlinear turbojet engine model are compared. The first method is to obtain a linear model from the original model and then reduce the linear model by standard reduction techniques such as residualization and balancing. The second method is to identify directly a third-order linear model by recursive least-squares parameter estimation using I/O data of the original model. The third method is to obtain a reduced-order model from the original model and then linearize the reduced model. Frequency responses are used as the performance measure to evaluate the reduced models. The reduced-order models along with their Bode plots are presented for comparison purposes.

Lalonde, Rick J.↗