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At least 865 records · Page 48

Operational considerations for the airship in short-haul transportation

The airship's problems and the possibilities for their solution in a short-haul transportation environment are surveyed. The problems are derived from both past experience and envisioned operation. Problems relative to both fully buoyant and semi-buoyant configurations are considered and their origins in principle discussed. Also addressed in this paper are the state-of-the-art technologies with the potential of providing answers to the airship's operational difficulties.

Walker, C. D.↗

Environmental considerations

A comparison was made between the environmental impact of the present nuclear-heated process and the currently commercial hydrogen-producing process utilizing coal for heating, i.e., the Lurgi coal gasification process. This comparison is based on the assumption that both plants produce the same quantity of H2, i.e., 269 cu m/sec of approximately the same purity, that all pollution abatement equipment is of the same design and efficiency for both the Lurgi process and the nuclear process, and that the energy required for the fresh nuclear fuel and the fuel recycle is generated in a power plant which is also provided with pollution abatement equipment. The pollution caused by the auxiliary units is also taken into account. As regards process water usage, the data show that the water required for the nuclear route, including the nuclear fuel production, is approximately 78% of that required for the Lurgi route.

Source record↗

Consideration of environmental noise effects in transportation planning by governmental entities

Environmental concerns are reviewed with respect to major transportation systems: the interstate highway system and commercial air transportation. The type of planning that was done for interstate highway systems is described, and the shift in social value emphasis that has become apparent since the interstate system was authorized is considered. Other topics discussed include the constitutional framework for the allocation of governmental power with respect to transportation systems planning, governmental assessment of the aircraft noise problem, and evaluating the social benefit of noise abatement.

Mayo, L. H.↗

Operational considerations for the application of remotely sensed forest data from LANDSAT or other airborne platforms

Research in the application of remotely sensed data from LANDSAT or other airborne platforms to the efficient management of a large timber based forest industry was divided into three phases: (1) establishment of a photo/ground sample correlation, (2) investigation of techniques for multi-spectral digital analysis, and (3) development of a semi-automated multi-level sampling system. To properly verify results, three distinct test areas were selected: (1) Jacksonville Mill Region, Lower Coastal Plain, Flatwoods, (2) Pensacola Mill Region, Middle Coastal Plain, and (3) Mississippi Mill Region, Middle Coastal Plain. The following conclusions were reached: (1) the probability of establishing an information base suitable for management requirements through a photo/ground double sampling procedure, alleviating the ground sampling effort, is encouraging, (2) known classification techniques must be investigated to ascertain the level of precision possible in separating the many densities involved, and (3) the multi-level approach must be related to an information system that is executable and feasible.

Baker, G. R.↗

Optimum design considerations of a gust alleviator for aircraft

A gust alleviation system for aircraft flying in turbulent air was analyzed. A vane sensor (with noise) was used to measure vertical gusts, and elevators and flaps were used to reduce the root-mean-square value of the normal accelerations associated with the aircraft response to gusts. Since turbulence has stochastic properties, stochastic control theory was used in the analysis. A quadratic performance-index function involving normal acceleration and control deflections was minimized. Application of the analysis was illustrated by a short take-off and landing (STOL) airplane in flight through turbulent air. Effects of varying the noise characteristics of the vane sensor and of a weighting matrix in the performance-index function were determined. Calculations were performed as required by stochastic control theory to obtain the root-mean-square response of the airplane to turbulence. Results show that good alleviation was calculated when the intensity of the measurement noise was about 3.6 percent of the vane deflection angles.

Oehman, W. I.↗

Materials considerations

Materials problems are examined that may be encountered within a hydrogen energy system. Emphasis is placed on hydrogen embrittlement, corrosion, oxidation, and erosion. Other factors discussed include: degradation of mechanical properties of structural alloys, system reliability, and maintenance costs.

Gray, H. R.↗

Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), Westinghouse phase 1. Volume 2: Materials considerations

Extensive studies are presented which were carried out on materials behavior in nine advanced energy conversion systems employing coal and coal-derived fuels. The areas of materials behavior receiving particular attention in this regard are: (1) fireside corrosion and erosion in boiler and heat exchanger materials, (2) oxidation and hot corrosion of gas turbine materials, (3) liquid metal corrosion and mass transport, (4) high temperature steam corrosion, (5) compatability of materials with coal slag and MHD seed, (6) reaction of materials with impure helium, (7) allowable stresses for boiler and heat exchanger materials, (8) environmental effects on mechanical properties, and (9) liquid metal purity control and instrumentation. Such information was then utilized in recommending materials for use in the critical components of the power systems, and at the same time to identify materials problem areas and to evaluate qualitatively the difficulty of solving those problems. Specific materials recommendations for critical components of the nine advanced systems under study are contained in summary tables.

Thomas, D. E.↗

Earth-moon system: Dynamics and parameter estimation; numerical considerations and program documentation

Major activities included coding and verifying equations of motion for the earth-moon system. Some attention was also given to numerical integration methods and parameter estimation methods. Existing analytical theories such as Brown's lunar theory, Eckhardt's theory for lunar rotation, and Newcomb's theory for the rotation of the earth were coded and verified. These theories serve as checks for the numerical integration. Laser ranging data for the period January 1969 - December 1975 was collected and stored on tape. The main goal of this research is the development of software to enable physical parameters of the earth-moon system to be estimated making use of data available from the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment and the Very Long Base Interferometry experiment of project Apollo. A more specific goal is to develop software for the estimation of certain physical parameters of the moon such as inertia ratios, and the third and fourth harmonic gravity coefficients.

Breedlove, W. J., Jr.↗

Some system considerations in configuring a digital flight control - navigation system

A trade study was conducted with the objective of providing a technical guideline for selection of the most appropriate computer technology for the automatic flight control system of a civil subsonic jet transport. The trade study considers aspects of using either an analog, incremental type special purpose computer or a general purpose computer to perform critical autopilot computation functions. It also considers aspects of integration of noncritical autopilot and autothrottle modes into the computer performing the critical autoland functions, as compared to the federation of the noncritical modes into either a separate computer or with a R-Nav computer. The study is accomplished by establishing the relative advantages and/or risks associated with each of the computer configurations.

Boone, J. H.↗

Satellite system considerations for computer data transfer

Communications satellites will play a key role in the transmission of computer generated data through nationwide networks. This paper examines critical aspects of satellite system design as they relate to the computer data transfer task. In addition, it discusses the factors influencing the choice of error control technique, modulation scheme, multiple-access mode, and satellite beam configuration based on an evaluation of system requirements for a broad range of application areas including telemetry, terminal dialog, and bulk data transmission.

Cook, W. L.↗

Thermo/structural design considerations to achieve the Large Space Telescope line-of-sight requirements

The Large Space Telescope (LST) which is scheduled for launch in 1982, is a long-life, precision-pointing, earth-orbiting satellite requiring a structural system that provides high dimensional stability, minimum thermal distortion, and minimum response to onboard dynamic environments (e.g., reaction wheels). The results of a detailed thermostructural finite element computer analysis show that the telescope structure, even though fabricated from a material with a zero coefficient of thermal expansion, must be isolated from the external structure by a three-point support (flex joints or spherical bearings will accomplish this). Other thermo/structural analysis of the metering structure showed that second-order deformations have a significant effect on the alignment of the primary and secondary mirrors.

Tenerelli, D. J.↗

Computation and sensitivity considerations of the Ricatti equation in spacecraft CMG steering laws

The steady-state matrix Ricatti equation is studied with respect to sensitivity and computational burden for a linear regulator controller in spacecraft. The class of systems studied use control moment gyros (CMGs) as the torque driver, assuming that the CMGs are free of gimbal stops. Different solution techniques are evaluated relative to computation time and accuracy to determine which solution method is most acceptable with respect to the prescribed requirements. It is shown that it is not feasible to eliminate off-diagonal Ricatti equation terms in the relevent updata equation due to their high sensitivity, that Potter's algebraic technique requires the least computation time of the methods studied, and that the simple Euler method yields the best results when accuracy and computation time are equally weighted. If an optimal linear regulator formulation is employed, a full Ricatti equation solution of n(n + 1)2 elements of the symmetric positive definite gain matrix which is the solution to the matrix Ricatti equation must be computed at each update cycle.

Colburn, B. K.↗

A formulation consideration for orthogonal collocation procedures

Numerical instabilities often arise in the use of high-ordered collocation approximations for numerically solving parabolic partial differential equations. These problems may be reduced by formulations involving evaluation of collocation polynomials rather than combination of the polynomials into a power series. As an illustration, two formulations using shifted Legendre polynomials of order 26 and less are compared.

Lashmet, P. K.↗

Some considerations in the design of transport aircraft /The W. Rupert Turnbull Lecture for 1975/

The slow landing speeds (30 mph, 65 mph) and light wing loading required for safety in the early days of aviation are shown to be irrelevant to safe landings of propeller-driven aircraft, while increases in wing loading and landing speed have been accompanied by improved safety records. This is attributed to length of runway and time available for approach maneuvers, plus immunity to wind gusts and turbulence conferred by higher wing loadings. Aerodynamical and mechanical aspects of safe landing are discussed, with no mention of instruments. Fuel savings achievable through high aspect ratio, variable sweep angle, and supercritical airfoils are also considered.

Jones, R. T.↗

Sounder design considerations in the selection of temperature sensing channels

Simulation studies on the performance of IR sounders under varying conditions of cloud cover and cloud heights are carried out for Nimbus 6. An analytic function is derived for calculating the relative response to cloud height errors for arbitrary cloud-sensing channels. Based on the values of the response function, the best choice of channels for determining cloud amounts are obtained. An algorithm is described for determining cloud heights, and the sensitivity of cloud-height sensing channels is tested. It is found that for the HIRS instrument, the most transparent channel in the 4.3-micron band is optimal for adjusting cloud heights, while the channel in the 15-micron band peaking closest to the surface is best for determining cloud amounts

Halem, M.↗

Characteristics procedure for supersonic flows including consideration of viscous contributions to flow rotationality

A characteristics procedure has been developed which includes viscous and conductive transport terms normal to streamlines. By introducing the transport terms as corrections, the equations retain their hyperbolic character. The solutions have been developed using an inverse grid scheme in a streamline-normal network. Inclusion of the transport terms enables tracing of shock waves through the supersonic portion of the boundary layer so that shock reflections are well-located. Excellent agreement is obtained with the results of other characteristics procedures and with the experimental pressure distributions for the waisted body of Winter, Smith and Rotta.

Anderson, B. H.↗