SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
A procedure for predicting lateral-directional pilot ratings on the basis of the characteristics of the pilot model and the closed-loop system characteristics is demonstrated. A correlation is shown to exist between experimentally obtained pilot ratings and the computed pilot ratings.
An attempt was made to develop a test requiring no preadsorption steps for the assessment of antibodies to rubella and mumps viruses using the passive immune agglutination (PIA) method. Both rubella and mumps antigens and antibodies were prepared. Direct PIA tests, using rubella antigen-coated beads, and indirect PIA tests, using rubella antibody-coated beads, were investigated. Attempts, using either method, were unsuccessful. Serum interference along with nonspecific agglutination of beads by the rubella antigen resulted in no specific response under the test conditions investigated. A new, highly sensitive approach, the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test system, is recommended to overcome the nonspecificity. This system is a logical outgrowth of some of the solid phase work done on MEMS and represents the next generation tests system that can be directly applied to early disease detection and monitoring.
The potential effects of fly by wire and control configured vehicle concepts on flying qualities are considered. Failure mode probabilities and consequences, controllability, and dynamics of highly augmented aircraft are among the factors discussed in terms of design criteria.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Heavy parachutes are transported through work and inspection stations via monorail system.
Lift-and-rotate mechanism can raise payload and reorient it while it is suspended in space. Mechanism is itself suspended from overhead lift point and is operated from single pendant/reel control panel. Lift capacity and size of mechanism is determined by application.
Standard gantry has been inexpensively modified with standard pipes to allow lifting of heavy loads to distances between 14 and 30 ft. Addition of air mounts permits extensive and sensitive equipment to be moved smoothly and safely over smooth or moderately rough surfaces. Unit has been tested at 6000 pounds without yielding.
Several scanner design parameters that greatly affect data rates were varied to determine overall effect on data rates. Bit rates were calculated for scanners with 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-meter instantaneous fields of view; with 5, 7, and 10 channels; and with swath widths of 46.3, 92.6, 138.9, and 185.2 kilometers (25, 50, 75, and 100 nautical miles). The data were analyzed to determine whether they could be (1) recorded onboard the spacecraft with currently available equipment, (2) recorded onboard with the equipment proposed for the 1980-90 period, (3) transmitted to earth with current or proposed equipment; and (4) compressed and decompressed without significant degradation of classification accuracy. The effect of classifying 10-meter scanner data on the existing and the development pattern-recognition systems was examined.
The DOT classification for transportation, the military classification for quantity distance, and hazard compatibility grouping used to regulate the transportation and storage of explosives are presented along with a discussion of tests used in determining sensitivity of propellants to an impact/shock environment in the absence of a large explosive donor. The safety procedures and requirements of a Scout launch vehicle, Western and Eastern Test Range, and the Minuteman, Delta, and Poseidon programs are reviewed and summarized. Requirements of the space transportation system safety program include safety reviews from the subsystem level to the completed payload. The Scout safety procedures will satisfy a portion of these requirements but additional procedures need to be implemented to comply with the safety requirements for Shuttle operation from the Eastern Test Range.
The LANDSAT and GOES data collection systems are described as well as the components of their convertible data collection platforms (CDCP). Methods are given for coding platform data, adjusting input, and operating both the LANDSAT and the GOES system. A glossary of terms is included with a bibliography.
The sensory subsystem of the JPL robotics project is described. The first sensory instrument is a pair of TV cameras, which provides a stereo view of the area of interest. The second is a laser range finder, which can be aimed in a requested direction and measure distance to a surface point that reflects the beam back. Both instruments are controlled by and are interfaced to computer. The calibration process and basic applications to obtain measurements of the external environment are described.
The Unified Data System (UDS) group at JPL is attempting to reduce total mission costs by designing a spacecraft data system which takes advantage of the natural and historical partitioning of a spacecraft into subsystems. Each subsystem is assigned a microprocessor which needs just enough capability to control the sensors and actuators of that subsystem, collect its data and maintain time synchronization with the rest of the spacecraft. The resulting distributed system avoids many of the overhead costs of a single centralized multi-processing system. To minimize complexity and therefore minimize total mission costs, a variety of standards and restrictions are imposed on the design of hardware, software, and communications. Articulation of these standards and restrictions is a major benefit deriving from the UDS program.
No abstract available
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Tubing and trigger assembly directs aerosol spray into hard-to-reach areas.
It was shown that a correlation exists between pilot-aircraft system closed-loop characteristics, determined by using analytical expressions for pilot response along with the analytical expression for the aircraft response, and pilot ratings obtained in many previous flight and simulation studies. Two different levels of preferred pilot response were used. These levels were: (1) a static gain and a second-order lag function with a lag time constant of 0.2 second; and (2) a static gain, a lead time constant of 1 second, and a 0.2-second lag time constant. If a system response with a pitch-angle time constant of 2.6 seconds and a stable oscillatory mode of motion with a period of 2.5 seconds could be achieved with the first-level pilot model, it was shown that the pilot rating will be satisfactory for that vehicle.
A method for designing linear multivariable feedback control systems based on desired closed loop transfer matrix information is introduced. The technique which was employed to achieve the final design was based on a theoretical result, known as the structure theorem. The structure theorem was a frequency domain relationship which simplified the expression for the transfer matrix (matrix of transfer functions) of a linear time-invariant multivariable system. The effect of linear state variable feedback on the closed loop transfer matrix of the system was also clarified.