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Nonlinear equations of motion are derived for the rim inertial measuring system, which is mounted in a strapped down configuration on a carrier vehicle. The measurement and equations derived from angular rates and linear accelerations were interfaced with the dynamic model of a user defined carried vehicle. Two methods are presented for rate measurement, and the results of the nonlinear computer simulation are presented.
A generalized conjugate-gradient method is used to solve the two-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes equations of fluid flow. The equations are discretized with an implicit, upwind finite-volume formulation. Preconditioning techniques are incorporated into the new solver to accelerate convergence of the overall iterative method. The superiority of the new solver is demonstrated by comparisons with a conventional line Gauss-Siedel Relaxation solver. Computational test results for transonic flow (trailing edge flow in a transonic turbine cascade) and hypersonic flow (M = 6.0 shock-on-shock phenoena on a cylindrical leading edge) are presented. When applied to the transonic cascade case, the new solver is 4.4 times faster in terms of number of iterations and 3.1 times faster in terms of CPU time than the Relaxation solver. For the hypersonic shock case, the new solver is 3.0 times faster in terms of number of iterations and 2.2 times faster in terms of CPU time than the Relaxation solver.
The development of an advanced space flight computer for real time embedded deep space applications which embodies the lessons learned on Galileo and modern computer technology is described. The requirements are listed and the design implementation that meets those requirements is described. The development of SPACE-16 (Spaceborne Advanced Computing Engine) (where 16 designates the databus width) was initiated to support the MM2 (Marine Mark 2) project. The computer is based on a radiation hardened emulation of a modern 32 bit microprocessor and its family of support devices including a high performance floating point accelerator. Additional custom devices which include a coprocessor to improve input/output capabilities, a memory interface chip, and an additional support chip that provide management of all fault tolerant features, are described. Detailed supporting analyses and rationale which justifies specific design and architectural decisions are provided. The six chip types were designed and fabricated. Testing and evaluation of a brass/board was initiated.
Results from the Structure Of Flame Balls At Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) space flight experiment conducted on the MSL-1 Space Shuttle missions are reported. Several new insights were obtained, including: much lower buoyancy-induced drift speed than anticipated pre-flight; repulsion of adjacent flame balls due to their mutual interaction; remarkable sensitivity of flame balls to small accelerations resulting from Orbiter attitude control maneuvers; and very similar net heat release for all flame balls in all mixtures tested. Comparison of experimental results to computational predictions reveals limitations in current models of H2-02 chemistry for very lean mixtures. It is discussed how the results of these space experiments may provide an improved understanding of the interactions of the two most important phenomena in combusting materials, namely chemical reaction and transport processes, in the unequivocally simplest possible configuration.
Up to today, preconditioning methods on massively parallel systems have faced a major difficulty. The most successful preconditioning methods in terms of accelerating the convergence of the iterative solver such as incomplete LU factorizations are notoriously difficult to implement on parallel machines for two reasons: (1) the actual computation of the preconditioner is not very floating-point intensive, but requires a large amount of unstructured communication, and (2) the application of the preconditioning matrix in the iteration phase (i.e. triangular solves) are difficult to parallelize because of the recursive nature of the computation. Here we present a new approach to preconditioning for very large, sparse, unsymmetric, linear systems, which avoids both difficulties. We explicitly compute an approximate inverse to our original matrix. This new preconditioning matrix can be applied most efficiently for iterative methods on massively parallel machines, since the preconditioning phase involves only a matrix-vector multiplication, with possibly a dense matrix. Furthermore the actual computation of the preconditioning matrix has natural parallelism. For a problem of size n, the preconditioning matrix can be computed by solving n independent small least squares problems. The algorithm and its implementation on the Connection Machine CM-5 are discussed in detail and supported by extensive timings obtained from real problem data.
The NASA Glenn Research Center has developed and tested a revolutionary Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing. The objective of this work is to develop a viable non-contact magnetic thrust bearing utilizing Halbach arrays for all-electric flight, and many other applications. This concept will help to reduce harmful emissions, reduce the Nation s dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate many of the concerns and limitations encountered in conventional axial bearings such as bearing wear, leaks, seals and friction loss. The Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing is inherently stable and requires no active feedback control system or superconductivity as required in many magnetic bearing designs. The Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing is useful for very high speed applications including turbines, instrumentation, medical systems, computer memory systems, and space power systems such as flywheels. Magnetic fields suspend and support a rotor assembly within a stator. Advanced technologies developed for particle accelerators, and currently under development for maglev trains and rocket launchers, served as the basis for this application. Experimental hardware was successfully designed and developed to validate the basic principles and analyses. The report concludes that the implementation of Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearings can provide significant improvements in rotational system performance and reliability.
A computer program called HOPI was developed to predict reorientation flow dynamics, wherein liquids move from one end of a closed, partially filled, rigid container to the other end under the influence of container acceleration. The program uses the simplified marker and cell numerical technique and, using explicit finite-differencing, solves the Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible viscous fluid. The effects of turbulence are also simulated in the program. HOPI can consider curved as well as straight walled boundaries. Both free-surface and confined flows can be calculated. The program was used to simulate five liquid reorientation cases. Three of these cases simulated actual NASA LeRC drop tower test conditions while two cases simulated full-scale Centaur tank conditions. It was concluded that while HOPI can be used to analytically determine the fluid motion in a typical settling problem, there is a current need to optimize HOPI. This includes both reducing the computer usage time and also reducing the core storage required for a given size problem.
A plasma simulation has been developed to model interactions between inertial Alfven waves and double layers and to investigate their relative contributions at auroral particle acceleration. We use a novel one-dimensional particle-in-cell code, with periodic boundary conditions, to model the nonlinear excitation of current-driven weak double layers via free energy supplied by an inertial Alfven wave. Analysis of the simulation output shows that double layers are not the agent primarily responsible for electron acceleration. Rather, the inertial Alfven wave accelerates groups of electrons into a steepening beam as it encounters them. As the beam electrons reenter the main distribution, decelerated by anomalous resistive effects, they are replaced by electrons farther downstream. Hence, the particles do not free-stream over the length of the channel. Furthermore, this wave action persists even when the system is linearly stable to ion-acoustic modes, precluding the possibility that this behavior is brought about by the formation of ion-acoustic double layers.
A computer code called Proteus 2D was developed to solve the two-dimensional planar or axisymmetric, Reynolds-averaged, unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations in strong conservation law form. The objective in this effort was to develop a code for aerospace propulsion applications that is easy to use and easy to modify. Code readability, modularity, and documentation were emphasized. The governing equations are solved in generalized nonorthogonal body-fitted coordinates, by marching in time using a fully-coupled ADI solution procedure. The boundary conditions are treated implicitly. All terms, including the diffusion terms, are linearized using second-order Taylor series expansions. Turbulence is modeled using either an algebraic or two-equation eddy viscosity model. The thin-layer or Euler equations may also be solved. The energy equation may be eliminated by the assumption of constant total enthalpy. Explicit and implicit artificial viscosity may be used. Several time step options are available for convergence acceleration. The documentation is divided into three volumes. This is the User's Guide, and describes the program's features, the input and output, the procedure for setting up initial conditions, the computer resource requirements, the diagnostic messages that may be generated, the job control language used to run the program, and several test cases.
Advanced microfabrication technologies offer the prospect of reducing the weight and size of spacecraft through the use of lighter and stronger materials in conjunction with new mechanical/structural design concepts and design optimization methods. At the same time, electronic components have been scaled down while increasing functional utility. A two-fold benefit is derived for space applications through the use of less expensive components and the lower launch costs associated with lighter components. GE-CRD is actively pursuing research in these key technologies for a wide range of applications including satellites. These key technologies will be reviewed and an update on GE progress will be given. The need to reduce weight and lower cost, while maintaining product quality and reliability are primary drivers in the design of satellites, in general, and microsatellites in particular. For the structural subsystem, these requirements pose a complex design problem unless new mechanical design concepts and computer-aided design optimization methods are employed. Several new concepts, such as battery packs doubling as panel reinforcements and fuel tanks as integral structural members, need to utilized. In addition, new viscoelastic material damping concepts for spacecraft components provide for lighter weight/lower cost designs, while satisfying the structural dynamics requirements. High density interconnect (HDI) technology permits the use of bare IC's on a ceramic substrate with 90 percent active area utilization. A copper/polyimide multilayer structure is the backbone of the technology, which has demonstrated a size/weight reduction of greater than 10x compared to printed circuit board with performance up to the GHz level. HDI modules have exceptional mechanical robustness as evidenced by survival of 180 kg rapid acceleration tests. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are redefining sensors and actuators by miniaturization through micromachining techniques. Sharing many fabrication steps with HDI, we have developed a new technique for surface micromachining of copper/polyimide structures using computer-aided laser patterning.
A parabolic method for steady transonic flow is extended to bodies of revolution oscillating in a sonic flow field. A Laplace transform technique is employed to derive the dipole solution, and the Adams-Sears iterative technique is used in the stability derivative calculation. A computer program is developed to perform the stability derivative calculation for the slowly oscillating cone and parabolic ogive. Inputs for the program are body geometry thickness ratio, acceleration constant, and pitch axis location. Sample calculations were performed for the parabolic ogive and circular cone and results are compared with those obtained by using other techniques and the available experimental data for circular cones.
This document describes the RAGMOP (Rocket Ascent G-limited Momentbalanced Optimization Program) computer program for parametric ascent trajectory optimization. RAGMOP computes optimum polynomial-form attitude control histories, launch azimuth, engine burn-time, and gross liftoff weight for space shuttle type vehicles using a search-accelerated, gradient projection parameter optimization technique. The trajectory model available in RAGMOP includes a rotating oblate earth model, the option of input wind tables, discrete and/or continuous throttling for the purposes of limiting the thrust acceleration and/or the maximum dynamic pressure, limitation of the structural load indicators (the product of dynamic pressure with angle-of-attack and sideslip angle), and a wide selection of intermediate and terminal equality constraints.
Analytical techniques are described which predict: (1) the velocities of two unequal fragments from bursting cylindrical pressure vessels; (2) the velocity and range of portions of vessels containing a fluid which, when the vessel ruptures, causes the fragment to accelerate as the fluid changes from the liquid to the gaseous phase; and (3) the ranges of fragments subjected to drag and lift forces during flight. Numerous computer runs were made with various initial conditions in an effort to generalize the results for maximum range in plots of dimensionless range versus dimensionless velocity.
Smoothing as a way to improve the carrier phase estimation is proposed and analyzed. The performance of first and second order Kalman optimum smoothers are investigated. This performance is evaluated in terms of steady state covariance error computation, dynamic tracking, and noise response. It is shown that with practical amounts of memory, a second order smoother can have a position error due to an acceleration or jerk step input less than any prescribed maximum. As an example of importance to the NASA Deep Space Network, a second order smoother can be used to track the Voyager spacecraft at Uranus and Neptune encounters with significantly better performance than a second order phase locked loop.
Smoothing as a way to improve the carrier phase estimation is proposed and analyzed. The performance of first and second order Kalman optimum smoothers are investigated. This performance is evaluated in terms of steady state covariance error computation, dynamic tracking, and noise response. It is shown that with practical amounts of memory, a second order smoother can have a position error due to an acceleration or jerk step input less than any prescribed maximum. As an example of importance to the NASA Deep Space Network, a second order smoother can be used to track the Voyager spacecraft at Uranus and Neptune encounters with significantly better performance than a second order phase locked loop.
The upper surface boundary layer on a transport wing model was extensively surveyed with miniature yaw probes at a subsonic and a transonic cruise condition. Additional data were obtained at a second transonic test condition, for which a separated region was present at mid-semispan, aft of mid-chord. Significant variation in flow direction with distance from the surface was observed near the trailing edge except at the wing root and tip. The data collected at the transonic cruise condition show boundary layer growth associated with shock wave/boundary layer interaction, followed by recovery of the boundary layer downstream of the shock. Measurements of fluctuating surface pressure and wingtip acceleration were also obtained. The influence of flow field unsteadiness on the boundary layer data is discussed. Comparisons among the data and predictions from a variety of computational methods are presented. The computed predictions are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data in the outboard regions where 3-D effects are moderate and adverse pressure gradients are mild. In the more highly loaded mid-span region near the trailing edge, displacement thickness growth was significantly underpredicted, except when unrealistically severe adverse pressure gradients associated with inviscid calculations were used to perform boundary layer calculations.
The development of control of large flexible structures technology must include practical demonstration to aid in the understanding and characterization of controlled structures in space. To support this effort, a testbed facility was developed to study practical implementation of new control technologies under realistic conditions. The design is discussed of a second order, acceleration feedback controller which acts as an active vibration absorber. This controller provides guaranteed stability margins for collocated sensor/actuator pairs in the absence of sensor/actuator dynamics and computational time delay. The primary performance objective considered is damping augmentation of the first nine structural modes. Comparison of experimental and predicted closed loop damping is presented, including test and simulation time histories for open and closed loop cases. Although the simulation and test results are not in full agreement, robustness of this design under model uncertainty is demonstrated. The basic advantage of this second order controller design is that the stability of the controller is model independent.
The development of control of large flexible structures technology must include practical demonstrations to aid in the understanding and characterization of controlled structures in space. To support this effort, a testbed facility has been developed to study practical implementation of new control technologies under realistic conditions. The paper discusses the design of a second order, acceleration feedback controller which acts as an active vibration absorber. This controller provides guaranteed stability margins for collocated sensor/actuator pairs in the absence of sensor/actuator dynamics and computational time delay. Experimental results in the presence of these factors are presented and discussed. The robustness of this design under model uncertainty is demonstrated.