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At least 811 records · Page 45

Energy absorption of composite material and structure

Results are presented from a joint research program on helicopter crashworthiness conducted by the U.S. Army Aerostructures Directorate and NASA Langley. Through the ongoing research program an in-depth understanding has been developed on the cause/effect relationships between material and architectural variables and the energy-absorption capability of composite material and structure. Composite materials were found to be efficient energy absorbers. Graphite/epoxy subfloor structures were more efficient energy absorbers than comparable structures fabricated from Kevlar or aluminum. An accurate method of predicting the energy-absorption capability of beams was developed.

Farley, Gary L.↗

Collisional and Dynamical Evolution of Planetary Systems

Senior Scientst S. J. Weidenschilling presents his final administrative report in the research program entitled "Collisional and Dynamical Evolution of Planetary Systems," on which he was the Principal Investigator. This research program produced the following publications: 1) "Jumping Jupiters" in binary star systems. F. Marzari, S. J. Weidenschilling, M. Barbieri and V. Granata. Astrophys. J., in press, 2005; 2) Formation of the cores of the outer planets. To appear in "The Outer Planets" (R. Kallenbach, ED), ISSI Conference Proceedings (Space Sci. Rev.), in press, 2005; 3) Accretion dynamics and timescales: Relation to chondrites. S. J. Weidenschilling and J. Cuzzi. In Meteorites and the Early Solar System LI (D. Lauretta et al., Eds.), Univ. of Arizona Press, 2005; 4) Asteroidal heating and thermal stratification of the asteroid belt. A. Ghosh, S. J.Weidenschilling, H. Y. McSween, Jr. and A. Rubin. In Meteorites and the Early Solar System I1 (D. Lauretta et al., Eds.), Univ. of Arizona Press, 2005.

Weidenschilling, Stuart J.↗

HUMAN FACTORS AND BEHAVIORAL PERFORMANCE EXPLORATION MEASURES: ASSESSING ASTRONAUT RISK

INTRODUCTION: The Human Factors and Behavioral Performance Exploration Measures (HFBP-EM) suite is a set of standardized measures to assess behavioral health and performance risk related to future exploration class missions, and to support reduction of the Human Research Program’s (HRP) Behavioral Medicine (BMed), Team, Sleep, and Human Systems Integration Architecture (HSIA) risks. This presentation will provide an overview of the HFBP-EM program, describe its implementation across spaceflight analogs and the international space station (ISS), and discuss its applicability to audience members. TOPIC: HFBP-EM is a research program designed to develop a standard set of measures that can be used in space and space-analog research to characterize BMed, Team, Sleep, and HSIA risks. It is an ongoing research project that is used examine the validity and reliability of HFBP measures, as well as their shorter forms. It also serves as a test bed for HFBP measures being considered for the spaceflight standard measures. The suite of measures is used to test the efficacy of countermeasures. To date, HFBP-EM has been collected in Human Exploration Research Analogs campaigns 4 and 5, and the SIRIUS 19 mission in the Russian Ground Based Experiment Complex. A subset of the HFBP-EM suite was collected during spaceflight as part of HRP’s Standard Measures in Spaceflight Project. Data was collected from a total of 55 multinational astronaut and astronaut-like crewmembers (mean age: 39.5, SD = 7.6; 31% female; 91% with advanced degrees). Three broad categories of HFBP-EM measures and their relevance to HRP risks will be discussed: 1) surveys that assess team functioning (Teams risk) as well as mood and affect (Bmed risk), 2) performance-based tasks of cognitive functioning and operationally relevant performance (Bmed risk), and 3) physiological biomarkers of sleep (sleep risk) and heart rate (Bmed risk). We will provide an overview of the background of the HFBP-EM program, what the suite currently includes, and next steps in its future development. We will also discuss the application to aerospace practitioners and researchers. APPLICATION: Astronaut teams selected for future space exploration missions will face several challenges that pose significant yet still unknown risks to the behavioral health and performance of astronauts. The HFBP-EM suite provides a comprehensive assessment of behavioral health and performance in space analog and spaceflight settings. This suite can be applied to both operational and research settings to advance risk reduction research for long duration space exploration missions.

S T Bell↗

AVIRIS and TIMS data processing and distribution at the land processes distributed active archive center

The U.S. Government has initiated the Global Change Research program, a systematic study of the Earth as a complete system. NASA's contribution of the Global Change Research Program is the Earth Observing System (EOS), a series of orbital sensor platforms and an associated data processing and distribution system. The EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is the archiving, production, and distribution system for data collected by the EOS space segment and uses a multilayer architecture for processing, archiving, and distributing EOS data. The first layer consists of the spacecraft ground stations and processing facilities that receive the raw data from the orbiting platforms and then separate the data by individual sensors. The second layer consists of Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC) that process, distribute, and archive the sensor data. The third layer consists of a user science processing network. The EOSDIS is being developed in a phased implementation. The initial phase, Version 0, is a prototype of the operational system. Version 0 activities are based upon existing systems and are designed to provide an EOSDIS-like capability for information management and distribution. An important science support task is the creation of simulated data sets for EOS instruments from precursor aircraft or satellite data. The Land Processes DAAC, at the EROS Data Center (EDC), is responsible for archiving and processing EOS precursor data from airborne instruments such as the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), the Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS), and Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). AVIRIS, TIMS, and TMS are flown by the NASA-Ames Research Center ARC) on an ER-2. The ER-2 flies at 65000 feet and can carry up to three sensors simultaneously. Most jointly collected data sets are somewhat boresighted and roughly registered. The instrument data are being used to construct data sets that simulate the spectral and spatial characteristics of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument scheduled to be flown on the first EOS-AM spacecraft. The ASTER is designed to acquire 14 channels of land science data in the visible and near-IR (VNIR), shortwave-IR (SWIR), and thermal-IR (TIR) regions from 0.52 micron to 11.65 micron at high spatial resolutions of 15 m to 90 m. Stereo data will also be acquired in the VNIR region in a single band. The AVIRIS and TMS cover the ASTER VNIR and SWIR bands, and the TIMS covers the TIR bands. Simulated ASTER data sets have been generated over Death Valley, California, Cuprite, Nevada, and the Drum Mountains, Utah using a combination of AVIRIS, TIMS, amd TMS data, and existing digital elevation models (DEM) for the topographic information.

Mah, G. R.↗

Aerodynamics of advanced axial-flow turbomachinery

A multi-task research program on aerodynamic problems in advanced axial-flow turbomachine configurations was carried out at Iowa State University. The elements of this program were intended to contribute directly to the improvement of compressor, fan, and turbine design methods. Experimental efforts in intra-passage flow pattern measurements, unsteady blade row interaction, and control of secondary flow are included, along with computational work on inviscid-viscous interaction blade passage flow techniques. This final report summarizes the results of this program and indicates directions which might be taken in following up these results in future work. In a separate task a study was made of existing turbomachinery research programs and facilities in universities located in the United States. Some potentially significant research topics are discussed which might be successfully attacked in the university atmosphere.

Serovy, G. K.↗

Salt-gradient Solar Ponds: Summary of US Department of Energy Sponsored Research

The solar pond research program conducted by the United States Department of Energy was discontinued after 1983. This document summarizes the results of the program, reviews the state of the art, and identifies the remaining outstanding issues. Solar ponds is a generic term but, in the context of this report, the term "solar pond" refers specifically to salt-gradient solar pond. Several small research solar ponds have been built and successfully tested. Procedures for filling the pond, maintaining the gradient, adjusting the zone boundaries, and extracting heat have been developed. Theories and models have also been developed and verified. The major remaining unknowns or issues involve the physical behavior of large ponds; i.e., wind mixing of the surface, lateral range or reach of horizontally injected fluids, ground thermal losses, and gradient zone boundary erosion caused by pumping fluid for heat extraction. These issues cannot be scaled and must be studied in a large outdoor solar pond. This report has been subdivided into three parts. Part One presents the results of the DOE research program. The major contributing institutions include Solar Energy Research Institute, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Part Two presents related independent research conducted by universities. Part Three is a selected bibliography with abstracts.

R.L. French↗

Impact evaluation of composite floor sections

Graphite-epoxy floor sections representative of aircraft fuselage construction were statically and dynamically tested to evaluate their response to crash loadings. These floor sections were fabricated using a frame-stringer design typical of present aluminum aircraft without features to enhance crashworthiness. The floor sections were tested as part of a systematic research program developed to study the impact response of composite components of increasing complexity. The ultimate goal of the research program is to develop crashworthy design features for future composite aircraft. Initially, individual frames of six-foot diameter were tested both statically and dynamically. The frames were then used to construct built-up floor sections for dynamic tests at impact velocities of approximately 20 feet/sec to simulate survivable crash velocities. In addition, static tests were conducted to gain a better understanding of the failure mechanisms seen in the dynamic tests.

Boitnott, Richard L.↗

An Integrated Approach to Laser Crystal Development

Norfolk State University has developed an integrated research program in the area of laser crystal development, including crystal modeling, crystal growth, spectroscopy, and laser modeling. This research program supports a new graduate program in Chemical Physics, designed in part to address the shortage of minority scientists.

Ries, Heidi R.↗

Comparison of Balloonsonde and Remote Sensing Atmospheric Measurements

As part of its aircraft icing research program, the NASA Glenn Research Center is conducting a program to develop technologies for the remote sensing of atmospheric conditions. A suite of instruments, currently ground-based, are used to identify a region of supercooled liquid water which is labeled as hazardous if its liquid water content is sufficiently high. During the recently completed Alliance Icing Research Study (AIRS II), these instruments were deployed in conjunction with those of other U.S. and Canadian researchers at the Mirabel Airport near Montreal. As part of the study, balloonsondes were employed to provide in-situ measurement of the atmospheric conditions that were being concurrently remotely sensed. Balloonsonde launches occurred daily at 1200 GMT to provide AIRS forecasters with local data and additionally when research aircraft were present in the airspace. In this paper, we compare the processed data from the NASA remote sensing instruments, which included an X-band radar, lidar and two radiometers, to the data gathered from the 70 soundings conducted while the NASA instruments were active. Among the parameters compared are cloud upper and lower boundaries, temperature and humidity profiles and freezing levels.

Brinker, David J.↗

XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft - Program report

This paper is a status report of the NASA/Army XV-15 Project. The basic tilt-rotor concept and the XV-15 Tilt-Rotor Research Aircraft are discussed and some results of full-scale wind-tunnel tests in the Ames 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel are presented. Flight-test data are included to give preliminary performance, noise, and vibration data in hover and as far into transition flight as are available at the time of presentation. Information concerning vehicle aerodynamics and airloads obtained as a result of both wind-tunnel and flight tests are provided with some conclusions as to the ramifications of the data in terms of design criteria and configuration layout.

Magee, J. P.↗

The NASA Scientific Data Purchase: Summary and Evaluation

This report summarizes the results of the NASA Scientific Data Purchase (SDP) program implemented by the Stennis Space Center Earth Science Application Directorate in fiscal years 1998-2002. The SDP was conducted in support of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) program (currently known as NASA's Earth Science Enterprise). This Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) provides major observational capabilities for NASA's Earth system science research and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Observations supported through the SDP were selected based upon their application to the five science themes of the MTPE/ESE: 1) Land cover and land use change research; 2) Seasonal to interannual climate variability and prediction; 3) Natural hazards research and applications; 4) Long-term climate: Natural variability and change research; 5) Atmospheric ozone research. The MTPE/ESE science themes, although they have evolved over time, are driven by a set of key science questions that help focus the research program on characterizing the Earth system.

Source record↗

The development of the EOS data and information system

The architecture of the Earth Observing System (EOS), a major component of NASA's contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, is described with emphasis on its development strategy. It is noted that the EOS is comprised of a scientific research program, a space measurement system, and an EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Details are presented concerning the EOS program and its candidate instruments. Major components of EOS include Version 0 (V0) built on existing Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), the EOSDIS core system (ECS), DAAC-unique functions, science computing facilities (SCF), and independent verification validation of the ECS. Requirements for EODIS are also reviewed noting that, among other requirements, it must keep up with an orbital average data rate of more than 30 Mbps as well as store, distribute, and manage information about tens of Petabytes of data during and after the 15-year mission.

Taylor, Thomas D.↗

Analysis of Wake VAS Benefits Using ACES Build 3.2.1: VAMS Type 1 Assessment

The FAA and NASA are currently engaged in a Wake Turbulence Research Program to revise wake turbulence separation standards, procedures, and criteria to increase airport capacity while maintaining or increasing safety. The research program is divided into three phases: Phase I near term procedural enhancements; Phase II wind dependent Wake Vortex Advisory System (WakeVAS) Concepts of Operations (ConOps); and Phase III farther term ConOps based on wake prediction and sensing. The Phase III Wake VAS ConOps is one element of the Virtual Airspace Modelling and Simulation (VAMS) program blended concepts for enhancing the total system wide capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS). This report contains a VAMS Program Type 1 (stand-alone) assessment of the expected capacity benefits of Wake VAS at the 35 FAA Benchmark Airports and determines the consequent reduction in delay using the Airspace Concepts Evaluation System (ACES) Build 3.2.1 simulator.

Smith, Jeremy C.↗

Investigations for Supersonic Transports at Transonic and Supersonic Conditions

Several computational studies were conducted as part of NASA s High Speed Research Program. Results of turbulence model comparisons from two studies on supersonic transport configurations performed during the NASA High-Speed Research program are given. The effects of grid topology and the representation of the actual wind tunnel model geometry are also investigated. Results are presented for both transonic conditions at Mach 0.90 and supersonic conditions at Mach 2.48. A feature of these two studies was the availability of higher Reynolds number wind tunnel data with which to compare the computational results. The transonic wind tunnel data was obtained in the National Transonic Facility at NASA Langley, and the supersonic data was obtained in the Boeing Polysonic Wind Tunnel. The computational data was acquired using a state of the art Navier-Stokes flow solver with a wide range of turbulence models implemented. The results show that the computed forces compare reasonably well with the experimental data, with the Baldwin-Lomax with Degani-Schiff modifications and the Baldwin-Barth models showing the best agreement for the transonic conditions and the Spalart-Allmaras model showing the best agreement for the supersonic conditions. The transonic results were more sensitive to the choice of turbulence model than were the supersonic results.

Rivers, S. Melissa B.↗

Laboratory for Atmospheres: Philosophy, Organization, Major Activities, and 2001 Highlights

How can we improve our ability to predict the weather? How is the Earth's climate changing? What can the atmospheres of other planets teach us about our own? The Laboratory for Atmospheres is helping to answer these and other scientific questions. The Laboratory conducts a broad theoretical and experimental research program studying all aspects of the atmospheres of the Earth and other planets, including their structural, dynamical, radiative, and chemical properties. Vigorous research is central to NASA's exploration of the frontiers of knowledge. NASA scientists play a key role in conceiving new space missions, providing mission requirements., and carrying out research to explore the behavior of planetary systems, including, notably, the Earth's. Our Laboratory's scientists also supply outside scientists with technical assistance and scientific data to further investigations not immediately addressed by NASA itself. The Laboratory for Atmospheres is a vital participant in NASA's research program. The Laboratory is part of the Earth Sciences Directorate based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Directorate itself comprises the Global Change Data Center; the Earth and Space Data Computing Division; three laboratories: the Laboratory for Atmospheres, the Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, and the Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes; and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, New York. In this report, you will find a statement of our philosophy and a description of our role in NASA's mission. You'll also find a broad description of our research and a summary of our scientists' major accomplishments in 2001. The report also presents useful information on human resources, scientific interactions, and outreach activities with the outside community. For your convenience, we have published a version of this report on the Internet. Our Web site includes links to additional information about the Laboratory's Offices and Branches. You can find us on the World Wide Web at http://atmospheres.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Hoegy, Walter R.↗

Zone leveling and solution growth of complex compound semiconductors in space

A research program on complex semiconducting compounds and alloys was completed that addressed the growth of single crystals of CdSe(y)Te(1-y), Zn(x)Cd(1-x)Te, Mn(x)Cd(1-x)Te, InP(y)As(1-y) and CuInSe2 and the measurement of fundamental physico-chemical properties characterizing the above materials. The purpose of this ground based research program was to lay the foundations for further research concerning the growth of complex ternary compound semiconductors in a microgravity environment.

Bachmann, K. J.↗

Research requirements for a real-time flight measurements and data analysis system for subsonic transport high-lift research

A multiphased research program to obtain detailed flow characteristics on a multielement high-lift flap system is being conducted on the Transport Systems Research Vehicle (B737-100 aircraft) at NASA Langley Research Center. Upcoming flight tests have required the development of a highly capable and flexible flight measurement and data analysis instrumentation system. This instrumentation system will be more comprehensive than any of the systems used on previous high-lift flight experiment at NASA Langley. The system will provide the researcher near-real-time information for decision making needed to modify a flight test in order to further examine unexpected flow conditions. This paper presents the research requirements and instrumentation design concept for an upcoming flight experiment for the subsonic transport high-lift research program. The flight experiment objectives, the measurement requirements, the data acquisition system, and the onboard data analysis and display capabilities are described.

Whitehead, Julia H.↗

A novel approach in formulation of special transition elements: Mesh interface elements

The objective of this research program is in the development of more accurate and efficient methods for solution of singular problems encountered in various branches of mechanics. The research program can be categorized under three levels. The first two levels involve the formulation of a new class of elements called 'mesh interface elements' (MIE) to connect meshes of traditional elements either in three dimensions or in three and two dimensions. The finite element formulations are based on boolean sum and blending operators. MEI are being formulated and tested in this research to account for the steep gradients encountered in aircraft and space structure applications. At present, the heat transfer and structural analysis problems are being formulated from uncoupled theory point of view. The status report: (1) summarizes formulation for heat transfer and structural analysis; (2) explains formulation of MEI; (3) examines computational efficiency; and (4) shows verification examples.

Sarigul, Nesrin↗