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At least 883 records · Page 49

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NASA NTRS1987

Experimental aerothermodynamic research of hypersonic aircraft

The 2-D and 3-D advance computer codes being developed for use in the design of such hypersonic aircraft as the National Aero-Space Plane require comparison of the computational results with a broad spectrum of experimental data to fully assess the validity of the codes. This is particularly true for complex flow fields with control surfaces present and for flows with separation, such as leeside flow. Therefore, the objective is to provide a hypersonic experimental data base required for validation of advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer codes and for development of more thorough understanding of the flow physics necessary for these codes. This is being done by implementing a comprehensive test program for a generic all-body hypersonic aircraft model in the NASA/Ames 3.5 foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel over a broad range of test conditions to obtain pertinent surface and flowfield data. Results from the flow visualization portion of the investigation are presented.

Cleary, Joseph W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Driving terrestrial ecosystem models from space

Regional air pollution, land-use conversion, and projected climate change all affect ecosystem processes at large scales. Changes in vegetation cover and growth dynamics can impact the functioning of ecosystems, carbon fluxes, and climate. As a result, there is a need to assess and monitor vegetation structure and function comprehensively at regional to global scales. To provide a test of our present understanding of how ecosystems operate at large scales we can compare model predictions of CO2, O2, and methane exchange with the atmosphere against regional measurements of interannual variation in the atmospheric concentration of these gases. Recent advances in remote sensing of the Earth's surface are beginning to provide methods for estimating important ecosystem variables at large scales. Ecologists attempting to generalize across landscapes have made extensive use of models and remote sensing technology. The success of such ventures is dependent on merging insights and expertise from two distinct fields. Ecologists must provide the understanding of how well models emulate important biological variables and their interactions; experts in remote sensing must provide the biophysical interpretation of complex optical reflectance and radar backscatter data.

Waring, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Simultaneous solution for core magnetic field and fluid flow beneath an electrically conducting mantle

The effects of laterally homogeneous mantle electrical conductivity have been included in steady, frozen-flux core surface flow estimation along with refinements in method and weighting. The refined method allows simultaneous solution for both the initial radial geomagnetic field component at the core-mantle boundary and the subadjacent fluid motion; it also features Gauss' method for solving the nonlinear inverse problem associated with steady motional induction. The trade-off between spatial complexity of the derived flows and misfit to the weighted Definitive Geomagnetic Reference Field models is studied for various mantle conductivity profiles. For simple flow and a fixed initial geomagnetic condition a fairly high deep-mantle conductivity performs better than either insulating or weakly conducting profiles; however, a thin, very high conductivity layer at the base of the mantle performs almost as well. Simultaneous solution for both initial geomagnetic field and fluid flow reduces the misfit per degree of freedom even more than does changing the mantle conductivity profile. Moreover, when both core field and flow are estimated, the performance of the solutions and the derived flows become insensitive to the conductivity profile.

Voorhies, Goerte V.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Application of Probabilistic Analysis to Aircraft Impact Dynamics

Full-scale aircraft crash simulations performed with nonlinear, transient dynamic, finite element codes can incorporate structural complexities such as: geometrically accurate models; human occupant models; and advanced material models to include nonlinear stressstrain behaviors, laminated composites, and material failure. Validation of these crash simulations is difficult due to a lack of sufficient information to adequately determine the uncertainty in the experimental data and the appropriateness of modeling assumptions. This paper evaluates probabilistic approaches to quantify the uncertainty in the simulated responses. Several criteria are used to determine that a response surface method is the most appropriate probabilistic approach. The work is extended to compare optimization results with and without probabilistic constraints.

Lyle, Karen H.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Exploring the Utility of the Planned CYGNSS Mission for Investigating the Initiation and Development of the Madden-Julian Oscillation

CYGNSS is a planned constellation consisting of multiple micro-satellites that leverage the Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide rapidly updated, high resolution (approx. 15-50 km, approx. 4 h) surface wind speeds (via bi-static scatterometry) over the tropical oceans in any weather condition, including heavy rainfall. The approach of the work to be presented at this conference is to utilize a limited-domain, cloud-system resolving model (Weather Research and Forecasting or WRF) and its attendant data assimilation scheme (Three-Dimensional Variational Assimilation or 3DVAR) to investigate the utility of the CYGNSS mission for helping characterize key convectiveto- mesoscale processes - such as surface evaporation, moisture advection and convergence, and upscale development of precipitation systems - that help drive the initiation and development of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the equatorial Indian Ocean. The proposed work will focus on three scientific objectives. Objective 1 is to produce a high-resolution surface wind dataset resolution (approx. 0.5 h, approx. 1-4 km) for multiple MJO onsets using WRF-assimilated winds and other data from the DYNAmics of the MJO (DYNAMO) field campaign, which took place during October 2011 - March 2012. Objective 2 is to study the variability of surface winds during MJO onsets at temporal and spatial scales of finer resolution than future CYGNSS data. The goal is to understand how sub-CYGNSS-resolution processes will shape the observations made by the satellite constellation. Objective 3 is to ingest simulated CYGNSS data into the WRF model in order to perform observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs). These will be used to test and quantify the potential beneficial effects provided by CYGNSS, particularly for characterizing the physical processes driving convective organization and upscale development during the initiation and development of the MJO. The proposed research is ideal for answering important questions about the CYGNSS mission, such as the representativeness of surface wind retrievals in the context of the complex airflow processes that occur during heavy precipitation, as well as the tradeoffs in retrieval accuracy that result from finer spatial resolution of the CYGNSS winds versus increased errors/noisiness in those data. Research plans and initial progress toward these objectives will be presented.

Lang, Timothy↗

NASA NTRS2015

Predicting Clear-Sky Reflectance Over Snow/Ice in Polar Regions

Satellite remote sensing of clouds requires an accurate estimate of the clear-sky radiances for a given scene to detect clouds and aerosols and to retrieve their microphysical properties. Knowing the spatial and angular variability of clear-sky albedo is essential for predicting clear-sky radiance at solar wavelengths. The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Project uses the nearinfrared (NIR; 1.24, 1.6 or 2.13 micrometers), visible (VIS; 0.63 micrometers) and vegetation (VEG; 0.86 micrometers) channels available on the Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to help identify clouds and retrieve their properties in both snow-free and snow-covered conditions. Thus, it is critical to have reliable distributions of clear-sky albedo for all of these channels. In CERES Edition 4 (Ed4), the 1.24-micrometer channel is used to retrieve cloud optical depth over snow/ice-covered surfaces. Thus, it is especially critical to accurately predict the 1.24-micrometer clear-sky albedo alpha and reflectance rho for a given location and time. Snow albedo and reflectance patterns are very complex due to surface texture, particle shapes and sizes, melt water, and vegetation protrusions from the snow surface. To minimize those effects, this study focuses on the permanent snow cover of Antarctica where vegetation is absent and melt water is minimal. Clear-sky albedos are determined as a function of solar zenith angle (SZA) from observations over all scenes determined to be cloud-free to produce a normalized directional albedo model (DRM). The DRM is used to develop alpha(SZA=0 degrees) on 10 foot grid for each season. These values provide the basis for predicting r at any location and set of viewing & illumination conditions. This paper examines the accuracy of this approach for two theoretical snow surface reflectance models.

Chen, Yan↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

DLES Unreal Simulation Tool (DUST)

NASA’s future Artemis missions to the Moon seek to explore areas around the Lunar South Pole. Though humans have previously set foot on the lunar surface, the proposed region provides unique and challenging environments that require insight and investigation prior to arrival. Several teams throughout the agency are performing this site and mission planning, design, and analysis to support areas like the Human Landing System (HLS), surface mobility, habitation elements, and scientific exploration. The NASA Exploration Systems Simulation (NExSyS) team at Johnson Space Center is developing a graphical environment of the Lunar South Pole region. Lunar terrain information collected from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is compiled and made available through Johnson Space Center’s Digital Lunar Exploration Sites (DLES) data sets. The DLES data is used to build this graphic environment. The process of ingesting and accurately modeling this information in a meaningful way for analysis creates its own challenges such as generating a performant model from the source data and the application of curvature. Additionally, the area around the Lunar South Pole experiences different lighting conditions than those observed from the Apollo missions. The need to use the lunar environmental data products provided by DLES combined with the capability to calculate date specific ephemerides in real-time has given rise to the development of the DLES Unreal Simulation Tool (DUST). DUST incorporates augmented terrain from the DLES product into a desktop application that allows exploration of the Lunar South Pole region and its complex lighting conditions. DUST leverages advanced capabilities in the recently released Unreal Engine 5 renderer by Epic Games such as double precision for positioning of planetary bodies and surface elements, multiple infinite light sources to represent the Sun and eventually Earthshine, high resolution shadow maps for dynamic shadow accuracy, real-time software ray-tracing for multi-surface bounce lighting to render sunlight reflected off surface elements and terrain features, and performance optimized level of detail shifting as the eyepoint changes in a scene. This paper details the DUST application, the technologies of the engine platform that enable scientific and engineering analysis, the unique techniques and processes developed to consume the DLES data sets, and how the tool is being used to support the Artemis program.

Lunar Visualization↗

NASA NTRS1993

Large-eddy simulation of turbulent flow in a channel with a surface-mounted two-dimensional obstacle using a dynamic subgrid-scale model

We apply the dynamic subgrid-scale model (DSGSM) to large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent channel flow with a square rib mounted on one wall. The Reynolds number (Re) is 3210 based on the mean velocity above the obstacle and the obstacle height. Near-wall structures are resolved with the no-slip boundary condition. The results show better agreement with direct numerical simulation (DNS) than LES with a fixed model constant, verifying the value of the DSGSM for simulating complex turbulent flows.

Yang, Kyung-Soo↗

NASA NTRS1982

The 3-D inelastic analysis methods for hot section components: Brief description

Advanced 3-D inelastic structural/stress analysis methods and solution strategies for more accurate yet more cost-effective analysis of components subjected to severe thermal gradients and loads in the presence of mechanical loads, with steep stress and strain gradients are being developed. Anisotropy, time and temperature dependent plasticity and creep effects are also addressed. The approach is to develop four different theories, one linear and three higher order theories (polynomial function, special function, general function). The theories are progressively more complex from linear to general function in order to provide streamlined analysis capability with increasing accuracy for each hot section component and for different parts of the same component according to the severity of the local stress, strain and temperature gradients associated with hot spots, cooling holes and surface coating cracks. To further enhance the computational effectiveness, the higher order theories will have embedded singularities (cooling passages, for example) in the generic modeling region. Each of the four theories consists of three formulation models derivable from independent theoretical formulations. These formulation models are based on: (1) mechanics of materials; (2) special finite elements; and (3) an advanced formulation to be recommended by the contractor.

Chamis, C. C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The seasonal response of the Held-Suarez climate model to prescribed ocean temperature anomalies. I - Results of decadal integrations

Anomalies in ocean surface temperature have been identified as possible causes of variations in the climate of particular seasons or as a source of interannual climatic variability, and attempts have been made to forecast seasonal climate by using ocean temperatures as predictor variables. However, the seasonal atmospheric response to ocean temperature anomalies has not yet been systematically investigated with nonlinear models. The present investigation is concerned with ten-year integrations involving a model of intermediate complexity, the Held-Suarez climate model. The calculations have been performed to investigate the changes in seasonal climate which result from a fixed anomaly imposed on a seasonally varying, global ocean temperature field. Part I of the paper provides a report on the results of these decadal integrations. Attention is given to model properties, the experimental design, and the anomaly experiments.

Phillips, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Evaluation of closed cubic failure criterion for graphite/epoxy laminates

An analytical method has been developed to ensure closure of the cubic form of the tensor polynomial strength criterion. The intrinsic complexity of the cubic function is such that special conditions must be met to close the failure surface in three-dimensional stress space. These requirements are derived in terms of non-intersecting conditions for asymptotes and an asymptotic plane. To demonstrate the validity of this approach, closed failure surfaces were derived for two graphite/epoxy material systems (3M SP288-T300 and IM7 8551-7). The agreement of test data with this model clearly shows that it is possible to use a higher order cubic failure theory with confidence.

Tennyson, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Closure of the cubic tensor polynomial failure surface

Jiang, Zhiqing↗

NASA NTRS1989

Anomalous effects in silicon solar cell irradiated by 1-MeV protons

Several silicon solar cells having thicknesses of approximately 63 microns, with and without back-surface fields (BSF), were irradiated with 1-MeV protons having fluences between 10 to the 10th and 10 to the 12th sq cm. The irradiations were performed using both normal and isotropic incidence on the rear surfaces of the cells. It was observed that after irradiation with fluences greater than 10 to the 11th protons/sq cm, all BSF cells degraded at a faster rate than cells without BSF. The irradiation results are analyzed using a model in which irradiation-induced defects in the BSF region are taken into account. Tentatively, it is concluded that an increase in defect density due to the formation of aluminum and proton complexes in BSF cells is responsible for the higher-power loss in the BSF cells compared to the non-BSF cells.

Kachare, R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Fundamental studies of rotor wakes in low speed forward flight using wide-field shadowgraphy

Experiments were conducted using the wide-field shadowgraph method to visualize the wake geometry from a helicopter rotor in low speed forward flight. The experiments were performed with an isolated rotor and with a body representing a helicopter fuselage. Particular attention was paid to documenting the isolated rotor wake geometry, blade vortex interaction phenomena near the rotor plane, the distortion made to the wake due to the presence of the body, and detailing the interaction of the tip vortices with the body surface. Quantitative measurements were made of the wake trajectories as functions of wake age, as well as estimates of the tip vortex core radius. The results have provided many details of the rotor wake structure that are useful for validating rotor wake and rotor/body interactional models in forward flight. The use of the wide-field shadowgraph method offers an important tool for visualizing rotor wake vortices, and helping to understand the complex three-dimensional nature of rotor wakes in forward flight.

Leishman, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Tools for Atmospheric Radiative Transfer: Streamer and FluxNet

Two tools for the solution of radiative transfer problems are presented. Streamer is a highly flexible medium spectral resolution radiative transfer model based on the plane-parallel theory of radiative transfer. Capable of computing either fluxes or radiances, it is suitable for studying radiative processes at the surface or within the atmosphere and for the development of remote-sensing algorithms. FluxNet is a fast neural network-based implementation of Streamer for computing surface fluxes. It allows for a sophisticated treatment of radiative processes in the analysis of large data sets and potential integration into geophysical models where computational efficiency is an issue. Documentation and tools for the development of alternative versions of Fluxnet are available. Collectively, Streamer and FluxNet solve a wide variety of problems related to radiative transfer: Streamer provides the detail and sophistication needed to perform basic research on most aspects of complex radiative processes while the efficiency and simplicity of FluxNet make it ideal for operational use.

Key, Jeffrey R.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Vertical Transport Processes for Inert and Scavenged Species: TRACE-A Measurements

The TRACE-A mission of the NASA DC-8 aircraft made a large-scale survey of the tropical and subtropical atmosphere in September and October of 1992. Both In-situ measurements of CO (G. Sachsen NASA Langley) and aerosol size (J. Browell group, NASA Langley) provide excellent data sets with which to constrain vertical transport by planetary boundary layer mixing and deep-cloud cumulus convection. Lidar profiles of aerosol-induced scattering and ozone (also by Bremen) are somewhat require more subtle interpretation as tracers, but the vertical information on layering largely compensates for these complexities. The reason this DC-8 dataset is so useful is that very large areas of biomass burning over Africa and South America provide surface sources of appropriate sizes with which to characterize vertical and horizontal motions; the major limitation of our source description is that biomass burning patterns move considerably every few days, and daily burning inventories are a matter of concurrent, intensive research. We use the Penn State / NCAR MM5 model in an assimilation mode on the synoptic and intercontinental scale, and assess the success it shows in vertical transport descriptions. We find that the general level of emissions suggested by the climatological approach (Will. Has, U. of Montana) appears to be approximately correct, possibly a bit low, for this October, 1992, time period. Vertical transport in planetary boundary layer mixing to 5.5 kin was observed and reproduced in our simulations. Furthermore we find evidence that Blackader "transilient" or matrix-transport scheme is needed, but may require some adaptation in our tracer model: CO seems to exhibit very high values at the top of the planetary boundary layer, a process that stretches the eddy-diffusion parameterization. We will report on progress in improving the deep convective transport of carbon monoxide: the Grail scheme as we used it at 100 kin resolution did not transport enough material to the upper troposphere. We expect to be able to attribute this to either parameterization reasons (inadequacy of this parameterization at the large 100km scale) or other reasons. Nevertheless, the qualitative nature of deep transport by clouds shows up well in the simulations. As for scavengable species, the simulations predict tens of micrograms per standard cubic meter of smoke aerosol in the boundary layer. In a straightforward illustration of our simple bulk-mass scavenging parameterization, to one or two micrograms per standard cubic meter of smoke aerosol in the free troposphere just above the source regions: very high concentrations for the free troposphere. We expect to report on comparisons of these predictions to a variety of observations.

Chatfield, Robert B.↗

NASA NTRS1996

PICA Forebody Heatshield Qualification for the Stardust Discovery Class Mission

This paper presents the qualification of the light weight Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablators (PICA) as the forebody heatshield for the Stardust Discovery Class Mission. The Stardust spacecraft will be launched in early 1999 and fly by Comet Wild-2 to collect cometary and interstellar dust and return them back to earth in the Sample Return Capsule (SRC). This earth re-entry will be the fastest to date, at 12.6 km/s, and therefore requires a heatshield that can withstand very high heating rates and stagnation pressures, as well as provide the necessary insulation to the vehicle structure. The PICA material was developed as part of the Lightweight Ceramic Ablators program at NASA Ames Research Center, and was baselined as the forebody heatshield because of its low density and superior ablation and thermal performance at severe aerothermodynamic conditions. Under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program with NASA Ames, Fiber Materials, Inc. developed a process to manufacture a single-piece PICA heatshield for the forebody of the SRC, along with witness material for the fabrication of the test models. The test models were fabricated and instrumented by the staff of Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, Colorado. Full body preliminary aerothermal CFD calculations were performed at NASA Ames to determine the heating and stagnation pressure conditions. The Heat shield sizing was also performed at NASA Ames by using a new material response code that accounts for the highly porous characteristics of the PICA material. The ablation and thermal performance of PICA was qualified in the NASA Ames Interaction Heating Arc Jet Facility. A total of 24 models and four test conditions were used to qualify PICA at the predicted peak heat flux, heat load, shear, and stagnation pressure conditions. Surface and in-depth temperatures were measured using optical pyrometers and thermocouples. Surface recession was measured by using a template and a height gage. Several models were tested to evaluate repair procedures, and two models were cold soaked in liquid nitrogen, prior th testing, to investigate the effect of the cold space environment on the performance of the material. In addition, material cored from a demonstration single-piece heatshield was tested to verify that the PICA process can be successfully completed on a large, complex heatshield shape.

Tran, Huy K.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Improving the Accuracy of Satellite Sea Surface Temperature Measurements by Explicitly Accounting for the Bulk-Skin Temperature Difference

The focus of this research was to determine whether the accuracy of satellite measurements of sea surface temperature (SST) could be improved by explicitly accounting for the complex temperature gradients at the surface of the ocean associated with the cool skin and diurnal warm layers. To achieve this goal, work centered on the development and deployment of low-cost infrared radiometers to enable the direct validation of satellite measurements of skin temperature. During this one year grant, design and construction of an improved infrared radiometer was completed and testing was initiated. In addition, development of an improved parametric model for the bulk-skin temperature difference was completed using data from the previous version of the radiometer. This model will comprise a key component of an improved procedure for estimating the bulk SST from satellites. The results comprised a significant portion of the Ph.D. thesis completed by one graduate student and they are currently being converted into a journal publication.

Castro, Sandra L.↗