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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.

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NASA NTRS1995

Symbol lock detection implemented with nonoverlapping integration intervals

A symbol lock detector is introduced for an incoming coherent digital communication signal which utilizes a subcarrier modulated with binary symbol data, d(sub k), and known symbol interval T by integrating binary values of the signal over nonoverlapping first and second intervals selected to be T/2, delaying the first integral an interval T/2, and either summing or multiplying the second integral with the first one that preceded it to form a value X(sub k). That value is then averaged over a number M of symbol intervals to produce a static value Y. A symbol lock decision can then be made when the static value Y exceeds a threshold level delta.

Shihabi, Mazen M.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Theoretical three-and four-axis gimbal robot wrists

In high-performance flight simulations, a four-axis gimbal system allows all possible rotations with acceptable gimbal angle rates while it avoids the so-callled 'gimbal lock' that occurs when gimbal rotational axes are colinear. In this paper, pertinent equations (including quaternions) are assembled for a hypothetical robot wrist, functionally equivalent to this four-axis gimbal system, and also for a true three-axis gimbal robot wrist. These equations are used to simulate the rotation of a robot hand by the robot wrist in response to operator rotational velocity commands to the robot hand. Near gimbal lock (wrist singularity), excessive rotational rates occur. Scaling the rates, which is necessary for the three-gimbal robot wrist to prevent rate limiting, introduces an undesirable time delay in the robot hand rotation with respect to the commanded rotation. However, the merit of the four-gimbal robot wrist is that the fourth gimbal angle keeps the robot wrist away from the singularity so that the robot hand moves exactly as commanded. It appears that in a 'worst-type' maneuver of the robot hand, the fourth gimbal angle can be defined so that none of the gimbal angle rates exceed about twice the commanded rates.

Barker, L. K.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Digital phase-lock loop having an estimator and predictor of error

A digital phase-lock loop (DPLL) which generates a signal with a phase that approximates the phase of a received signal with a linear estimator. The effect of a complication associated with non-zero transport delays related to DPLL mechanization is then compensated by a predictor. The estimator provides recursive estimates of phase, frequency, and higher order derivatives, while the predictor compensates for transport lag inherent in the loop.

Statman, Joseph I.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Non-disruptive error field measurement in DIII-D low safety factor plasmas and projection to ITER

Previous experiments in DIII-D (Paz-Soldan et al 2022 Nucl. Fusion 62 126007) introduced a method to identify intrinsic error fields (EFs) in tokamaks with minimal disruption risk by promptly healing driven magnetic islands during the conventional 'compass scan'. This paper presents recent experimental and numerical advancements in extending this approach to low q 95 plasmas, and projects its applicability to ITER. Non-disruptive EF measurement is achieved at q 95 = 4.5 and 3.9 without any initial EF correction (EFC) by reducing the time between the occurrence of the locked mode (LM) and control action to 10 ms and increasing the density 50%–100%. However, 50% correction of the intrinsic EF is required to achieve island healing at q 95 = 3.2 with 10 ms delay for the control action. Nonlinear two-fluid modeling with the TM1 code reproduces the DIII-D experimental observations, indicating that promptly turning off the 3D coil current reduces both magnetic island width and electromagnetic force, while raising the density increases plasma viscosity, facilitating magnetic island healing. The simulations show that for scenarios with q 95 = 3.2, lowering the control action time to 5 ms will lead to island healing without EFC. TM1 simulations are extended to future ITER scenarios with 5 MA and 7.5 MA plasma currents, predicting the dependence of required density rise on action time and EF amplitude. These simulations indicate that, benefiting from the much longer resistive time, island healing can be successfully achieved in ITER when taking control action 100–500 ms after a LM occurrence.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1972

A surface wave spread spectrum communication link.

This development has resulted in a fast lock-up, 8-MHz bandwidth, 8-KHz data rate, spread spectrum communication link breadboard that is implemented using surface wave devices as the primary signal generators and signal processing elements. It uses surface wave tapped delay lines (SWTDL's) in the transmitter to generate the signals and in the receiver to match filter detect them. The system also incorporates a re-entry delay line (circulating integrator) which increases the effective code length per data bit by eight-fold.

Fugit, B. R.↗

NASA NTRS2007

WGM-Based Photonic Local Oscillators and Modulators

Photonic local oscillators and modulators that include whispering-gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators have been proposed as power-efficient devices for generating and detecting radiation at frequencies of the order of a terahertz. These devices are intended especially to satisfy anticipated needs for receivers capable of detecting lowpower, narrow-band terahertz signals to be used for sensing substances of interest in scientific and military applications. At present, available terahertz-signal detectors are power-inefficient and do not afford the spectral and amplitude resolution needed for detecting such signals. The proposed devices would not be designed according to the conventional approach of direct detection of terahertz radiation. Instead, terahertz radiation would first be up-converted into the optical domain, wherein signals could be processed efficiently by photonic means and detected by optical photodetectors, which are more efficient than are photodetectors used in conventional direct detection of terahertz radiation. The photonic devices used to effect the up-conversion would include a tunable optical local oscillator and a novel electro-optical modulator. A local oscillator according to the proposal would be a WGM-based modelocked laser operating at a desired pulserepetition rate of the order of a terahertz. The oscillator would include a terahertz optical filter based on a WGM microresonator, a fiber-optic delay line, an optical amplifier (which could be either a semiconductor optical amplifier or an erbium-doped optical fiberamplifier), and a WGM Ka-band modulator. The terahertz repetition rate would be obtained through harmonic mode locking: for example, by modulating the light at a frequency of 33 GHz and locking each 33d optical mode, one would create a 1.089-THz pulse train. The high resonance quality factors (Q values) of WGM optical resonators should make it possible to decrease signal-generation threshold power levels significantly below those of other optical-signal-generation devices.

Matsko, Andrey↗

NASA NTRS2008

Fundamental Noise-Limited Optical Phase Locking at Femtowatt Light Levels

We describe an optical phase lock loop (PLL) designed to recover an optical carrier at powers below one picowatt in a Deep Space optical transponder. Previous low power optical phase lock has been reported with powers down to about 1 pW. We report the demonstration and characterization of the optical phase locking at femtowatt levels. We achieved a phase slip rate below one cycle-slip/second at powers down to 60 femtowatts. This phase slip rate corresponds to a frequency stability of 1 10(exp -14) at 1 s, a value better than any frequency standard available today for measuring times equal to a typical two-way delay between Earth and Mars. The PLL shows very robust stability at these power levels. We developed simulation software to optimize parameters of the second order PLL loop in the presence of laser flicker frequency noise and white phase (photon) noise, and verified the software with a white phase noise model by Viterbi. We also demonstrated precise Doppler tracking at femtowatt levels.

Doppler ranging↗

DOE OSTI2025

An Arbitrary Time Interval Generator Base on Vernier Clocks with 0.67 ps Adjustable Steps Implemented in FPGA

In TDC testing and timing system implementations, it is often necessary to generate signal pulses with finely adjustable time intervals. In delay cell–based schemes, the adjustment resolution is constrained by the propagation delay of the cells—typically 15–20 ps per step—and is sensitive to temperature and supply voltage variations. This document presents a fully digital approach that uses two vernier clocks, generated by two stages of cascaded phase-locked loops (PLLs) with a slight frequency difference, to achieve adjustable timing intervals through accumulated phase differences. The scheme was validated on two families of low-cost FPGA devices, achieving adjustable step sizes of 0.67 ps and 0.97 ps.

Wu, Jin-yuan [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000344329521)↗

NASA NTRS1971

Spread spectrum communication link using surface wave devices

A fast lock-up, 8-MHz bandwidth 8,000 bit per second data rate spread spectrum communication link breadboard is described that is implemented using surface wave devices as the primary signal generators and signal processing elements. It uses surface wave tapped delay lines in the transmitter to generate the signals and in the receiver to detect them. The breadboard provides a measured processing gain for Gaussian noise of 31.5 dB which is within one dB of the theoretical optimum. This development demonstrates that spread spectrum receivers implemented with surface wave devices have sensitivities and complexities comparable to those of serial correlation receivers, but synchronization search times which are two to three orders of magnitude smaller.

Hunsinger, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A class of optimum digital phase locked loops

This paper presents a class of optimum digital filters for digital phase locked loops, for the important case in which the maximum update rate of the loop filter and numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) is limited. This case is typical when the loop filter is implemented in a microprocessor. In these situations, pure delay is encountered in the loop transfer function and thus the stability and gain margin of the loop are of crucial interest. The optimum filters designed for such situations are evaluated in terms of their gain margin for stability, dynamic error, and steady-state error performance. For situations involving considerably high phase dynamics an adaptive and programmable implementation is also proposed to obtain an overall optimum strategy.

Kumar, R.↗

NASA NTRS1973

High pulse rate high resolution optical radar system

The system is composed of an optical cavity with a laser and a mode locking means to build up an optical pulse. An optical switch is also provided within the cavity to convert the polarization of the optical pulse generated within the cavity. The optical switch comprises an electro-optical crystal driven by a time delayed driver circuit which is triggered by a coincident signal made from an optical pulse signal and a gating pulse signal. The converted optical pulse strikes a polarization sensitive prism and is deflected out of the cavity toward the pending target in the form of a pulse containing most of the optical energy generated by the laser in the pulse build-up period. After striking the target, the reflected energy is picked up by a transceiver with the total travel time of the pulse being recorded.

Goss, W. C.↗

NASA NTRS2000

High-Q Microsphere Cavity for Laser Stabilization and Optoelectronic Microwave Oscillator

With submillimeter size and optical Q up to approximately 10 (exp 10), microspheres with whispering-gallery (WG) modes are attractive new component for fiber-optics/photonics applications and a potential core in ultra-compact high-spectral-purity optical and microwave oscillators. In addition to earlier demonstrated optical locking of diode laser to WG mode in a microsphere, we report on microsphere application in the microwave optoelectronic oscillator, OEO. In OEO, a steady-state microwave modulation of optical carrier is obtained in a closed loop including electro-optical modulator, fiber-optic delay, detector and microwave amplifier. OEO demonstrates exceptionally low phase noise (-140 dBc/Hz at l0kHz from approximately 10GHz carrier) with a fiber length approximately 2km. Current technology allows to put all parts of the OEO, except the fiber, on the same chip. Microspheres, with their demonstrated Q equivalent to a kilometer fiber storage, can replace fiber delays in a truly integrated device. We have obtained microwave oscillation in microsphere-based OEO at 5 to 18 GHz, with 1310nm and 1550nm optical carrier, in two configurations: 1) with external DFB pump laser, and 2) with a ring laser including microsphere and a fiber optic amplifier. Also reported is a simple and efficient fiber coupler for microspheres facilitating their integration with existing fiber optics devices.

Ilchenko, Vladimir S.↗

NASA NTRS1969

Identification of atmospheric structure by coherent microwave sounding

Two atmospheric probing experiments involving beyond-the-horizon propagation of microwave signals are reported. In the first experiment, Doppler-shift caused by the cross path wind is measured by a phase lock receiver with the common volume displaced in azimuth from the great circle. Variations in the measured Doppler shift values are explained in terms of variations in atmospheric structure. The second experiment makes use of the pseudorandom sounding signal used in a RAKE communication system. Both multipath delay and Doppler shift are provided by the receiver, permitting the cross section of the atmospheric layer structure to be deduced.

Birkemeier, W. P.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Custom Turnkey Time and Frequency Systems: A structured, expandable approach

Radiocode Clocks Ltd. have developed a Turnkey Time and Frequency Generation and Distribution, System strategy based upon a bus of three, 'core' signals from which any Time code, Pulse rate or Frequency can be produced. The heart of the system is a ruggedized 19 inch, 3U Single Eurocard chassis constructed from machined 10mm aluminum alloy plate and designed to meet stringent Military, Security and Telecommunications specifications. The chassis is fitted with an advanced multilayer backplane with separate ground planes for analog and digital signals ensuring no degradation of low noise frequency references in the proximity of high speed digital pulse transmissions. The system has been designed to be used in three possible configurations: 1) As a stand alone generation and distribution instrument; 2) As a primary distribution unit in a turnkey Time and Frequency system; and 3) As a secondary distribution unit at a remote location from the Turnkey Time and Frequency System providing regeneration of core signals and correction for transmission delays. When configured as a secondary distribution unit the system will continue to provide usable outputs when one, two or even all three of the 'core' signals are lost. The instrument's placement within a system as a possible single point of system failure has required the development of very high reliability translator, synthesizer, phase locked loop and distribution modules together with a comprehensive alarm and monitoring strategy.

Wright, David F.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Thematic Mapper research in the earth sciences

This paper's studies were initiated under the NASA program for the purpose of conducting the earth sciences research using the Landsat Thematic Mapper. The goals of the program include studies of the factors influencing the growth, health, condition, and distribution of vegetation on the earth; the processes controlling the evolution of the earth's crust; the earth's water budget and the hydrologic processes that operate at local, regional, and global scales; the physical and chemical interaction between different types of surficial materials; and the interaction between the earth's surface and its atmosphere. Twenty-seven domestic and five foreign investigations were initiated in 1985, with the results from most of them already published (one study was terminated due to the delay in the TDRSS). Twelve of the studies addressed hydrology, snow and ice, coastal processes, and near-shore oceanographic phenomena; seven addressed vegetation, soils, or animal habitat; and twelve addressed geologic subjects.

Salomonson, Vincent V.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The 2.2 GHz Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) oscillator development Ku-band frequency source development

Two 2.2 GHz SAW oscillators using aluminum nitride on sapphire (AlN/Al2O3) delay lines were fabricated. The oscillators were electronically temperature compensated and characterized. One of the oscillators was used as the frequency reference for the Ku band source; the second oscillator is available for continued evaluation. A 15 GHz frequency source was designed and fabricated. The 15 GHz source consists of a Ku band FET oscillator which is phase locked to the frequency multiplied (X7) output of the 2.2 GHz SAW reference source. The Ku band source was built using microstrip circuit designs, which are hybrid compatible. Two wafer runs of 2.2 GHz TED devices were fabricated and evaluated. The devices were mounted on microstrip test substrates and evaluated as 15 GHz divide by 7 circuits. The device evaluation indicated that in their present form the TED is not a practical circuit element.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1993

Vibrational predissociation of methylnitrite using phase-locked ultrashort laser pulses

We solve numerically the time-dependent Schroedinger equation to study the behavior of a molecule interacting with two phase-locked ultrashort laser pulses. The 2D model used in the calculations mimics the properties of the CH3ONO molecule. The two pulses are identical except for their relative phase and are tuned to excite an upper electronic state of the molecule. After excitation the molecule predissociates, and we calculate the dependence of the NO yield and of the NO vibrational population on the delay time between the pulses.

Dateo, Christopher E.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Model-Based Self-Tuning Multiscale Method for Combustion Control

A multi-scale representation of the combustor dynamics was used to create a self-tuning, scalable controller to suppress multiple instability modes in a liquid-fueled aero engine-derived combustor operating at engine-like conditions. Its self-tuning features designed to handle the uncertainties in the combustor dynamics and time-delays are essential for control performance and robustness. The controller was implemented to modulate a high-frequency fuel valve with feedback from dynamic pressure sensors. This scalable algorithm suppressed pressure oscillations of different instability modes by as much as 90 percent without the peak-splitting effect. The self-tuning logic guided the adjustment of controller parameters and converged quickly toward phase-lock for optimal suppression of the instabilities. The forced-response characteristics of the control model compare well with those of the test rig on both the frequency-domain and the time-domain.

Le, Dzu, K.↗