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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.

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NASA NTRS2015

Impact of Airspace Charges on Transatlantic Aircraft Trajectories

Aircraft flying over the airspace of different countries are subject to over-flight charges. These charges vary from country to country. Airspace charges, while necessary to support the communication, navigation and surveillance services, may lead to aircraft flying routes longer than wind-optimal routes and produce additional carbon dioxide and other gaseous emissions. This paper develops an optimal route between city pairs by modifying the cost function to include an airspace cost whenever an aircraft flies through a controlled airspace without landing or departing from that airspace. It is assumed that the aircraft will fly the trajectory at a constant cruise altitude and constant speed. The computationally efficient optimal trajectory is derived by solving a non-linear optimal control problem. The operational strategies investigated in this study for minimizing aircraft fuel burn and emissions include flying fuel-optimal routes and flying cost-optimal routes that may completely or partially reduce airspace charges en route. The results in this paper use traffic data for transatlantic flights during July 2012. The mean daily savings in over-flight charges, fuel cost and total operation cost during the period are 17.6 percent, 1.6 percent, and 2.4 percent respectively, along the cost- optimal trajectories. The transatlantic flights can potentially save $600,000 in fuel cost plus $360,000 in over-flight charges daily by flying the cost-optimal trajectories. In addition, the aircraft emissions can be potentially reduced by 2,070 metric tons each day. The airport pairs and airspace regions that have the highest potential impacts due to airspace charges are identified for possible reduction of fuel burn and aircraft emissions for the transatlantic flights. The results in the paper show that the impact of the variation in fuel price on the optimal routes is to reduce the difference between wind-optimal and cost-optimal routes as the fuel price increases. The additional fuel consumption is quantified using the 30 percent variation in fuel prices during March 2014 to March 2015.

aircraft scheduling↗

NASA NTRS2018

The Jetting Phenomena in Meshed Spur Gears

Rotorcraft gearbox transmissions are required to efficiently transfer power from the turbine engine to the main and tail rotor blades. Losses in transmission efficiency impact mission payload and aircraft range. These systems are expected to deliver high power with high gear pitch line velocities. More recently, shrouding has been employed to reduce windage power losses associated with the high gear rotational speeds. However, recent experimental results from tests conducted by the authors show the negative impact of close clearance shrouds on windage power loss, particularly at the meshed region where flow is ejected, or jetted, from the collapsing tooth spaces. A literature review was conducted to gain further insight into the phenomenon of gear mesh jetting and strategies to mitigate and control the associated losses. An analysis was conducted on windage losses in the mesh region. Test results are given for a modified shroud configuration. Finally, a discussion on observed trends follows with suggestions on future research.

windage↗

NASA NTRS2018

The Jetting Phenomena in Meshed Spur Gears

Gear↗

NASA NTRS2018

Jetting Phenomenon in Meshed Spur Gears

Rotorcraft gearbox transmissions are required to efficiently transfer power from the turbine engine to the main and tail rotor blades. Losses in transmission efficiency impacts mission payload and aircraft range. These systems are expected to deliver high power with high gear pitch line velocities. More recently, shrouding has been employed to reduce windage power losses associated with the high gear rotational speeds. However, recent experimental results from tests conducted by the authors show the negative impact of close clearance shrouds on windage power loss, particularly at the meshed region where flow is ejected, or jetted, from the collapsing tooth spaces. A literature review was conducted to gain further insight into the phenomenon of gear mesh jetting and strategies to mitigate and control the associated losses. A discussion on observed trends follows with suggestions on future research.

power loss↗

NASA NTRS2018

Dynamic Scheduling Under Uncertainty

Often, autonomous agents that operate in real-world environments must be able to schedule and execute actions to accomplish mission goals while being robust to uncertainty and disturbances that arise during operations. This tutorial will focus on classes of models and algorithms that have been used to enable effective, robust strategies for dynamically dispatching plans in real time. The tutorial will begin with a survey of past and current research in modeling uncertainty in planning and scheduling, as well as research in different classes of approaches to dynamic scheduling. We then focus on a general class of approaches based on executing temporal plans using graphical models of events and their temporal ordering. These approaches allow for ensuring temporal flexibility in scheduling, as well as for developing strategies for executing partially controllable plans.

Morris, Robert↗

NASA NTRS2019

Soil Displacement Terramechanics for Wheel-Based Trenching with a Planetary Rover

Planetary exploration rovers are expensive, weight constrained, and cannot be serviced once deployed. Here, we explore one way to increase their capabilities while avoiding the cost, mass, and complexity leading to these issues. We propose to re-use the large wheel actuators for trenching and other digging operations, which will enable a range of missions such as sampling deeper layers of soil. We present a new, closed-form model of the soil displaced by an angled, spinning wheel to analyze the trenching potential of a driving strategy and inform the control of the wheel. The model is demonstrated with single wheel experiments under different driving conditions. The model suggests: that a deep trench does not require large tractive efforts; that the shape of the trench can be controlled; and that a rear wheel has a lower risk of entrapment when trenching than a front wheel. Ultimately this model could be used in a nonprehensile manipulation planning or learning algorithm to enable autonomous trenching.

Wheels↗

NASA NTRS1990

Experiments in teleoperator and autonomous control of space robotic vehicles

A research program and strategy are described which include fundamental teleoperation issues and autonomous-control issues of sensing and navigation for satellite robots. The program consists of developing interfaces for visual operation and studying the consequences of interface designs as well as developing navigation and control technologies based on visual interaction. A space-robot-vehicle simulator is under development for use in virtual-environment teleoperation experiments and neutral-buoyancy investigations. These technologies can be utilized in a study of visual interfaces to address tradeoffs between head-tracking and manual remote cameras, panel-mounted and helmet-mounted displays, and stereoscopic and monoscopic display systems. The present program can provide significant data for the development of control experiments for autonomously controlled satellite robots.

Alexander, Harold L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Maneuver and vibration control of SCOLE

This paper is concerned with the simultaneous maneuver and vibration control of the Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE). Summaries of the derivation of the equations of motion and of a perturbation method permitting a maneuver strategy independent of the vibration control are presented. Some of the problems encountered in dynamical modeling of a flexible spacecraft in an earth-based laboratory are high-lighted and solved. Numerical results demonstrating rotational maneuvers of the SCOLE model are included.

Quinn, R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Role of vestibular information in initiation of rapid postural responses

Patients with bilateral vestibular loss have difficulty maintaining balance without stepping when standing in tandem, on compliant surfaces, across narrow beams, or on one foot, especially with eyes closed. Normal individuals (with no sensory impairment) maintain balance in these tasks by employing quick, active hip rotation (a "hip strategy"). The absence of a hip strategy in vestibular patients responding to translations of a short support surface has previously been taken as evidence that the use of hip strategy requires an intact vestibular system. However, many tasks requiring hip strategy alter one or a combination of important system characteristics, such as initial state of the body (tandem stance), dynamics (compliant surfaces), or biomechanical limits of stability (narrow beams). Therefore, the balance deficit in these tasks may result from a failure to account for these support surface alterations when planning and executing sensorimotor responses. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vestibular information is critical to trigger a hip strategy even on an unaltered support surface, which imposes no changes on the system characteristics. We recorded the postural responses of vestibular patients and control subjects with eyes closed to rearward support surface translations of varying velocity, in erect stance on a firm, flat surface. Subjects were instructed to maintain balance without stepping, if possible. Faster translation velocities (25 cm/s or more) produced a consistent pattern of early hip torque (first 400 ms) in control subjects (i.e., a hip strategy). Most of the patients with bilateral vestibular loss responded to the same translation velocities with similar torques. Contrary to our hypothesis, we conclude that vestibular function is not necessary to trigger a hip strategy. We postulate, therefore, that the balance deficit previously observed in vestibular patients during postural tasks that elicit a hip strategy may have been due to the sensorimotor consequences of the system alterations imposed by the postural tasks used in those studies. Preliminary results from two younger patients who lost vestibular function as infants indicate that age, duration of vestibular loss, and/or the timing of the loss may also be factors that can influence the use of hip strategy as a rapid postural response.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗

NASA NTRS1988

Position And Force Control For Multiple-Arm Robots

Number of arms increased without introducing undue complexity. Strategy and computer architecture developed for simultaneous control of positions of number of robot arms manipulating same object and of forces and torques that arms exert on object. Scheme enables coordinated manipulation of object, causing it to move along assigned trajectory and be subjected to assigned internal forces and torques.

Hayati, Samad A.↗

NASA NTRS2004

The Pulse Width Modulator ASIC for Deep Space Missions

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has started the development of a Pulse Width Modulator Application Specific Integrated Circuit (PWMA). This development is leveraging the previous development of the Switch Control ASIC (SCA). The purpose of the development is to provide the control for a selected range of power converter topologies and to meet the stringent environmental requirements of deep space missions. The PWMA will include several power control functions that are not normally included on the off-the-shelf components available today. One key functional requirement is the ability to implement an N + K redundant power converter with the ability to control the charging of a battery. Other applications will be the typical point of load isolated and non-isolated power converters. The purpose the development is not only to provide a much needed flight part, but also to accelerate the engineering process by using a standard cell library from previous ASIC developments. Under previous developments with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, JPL has produced three ASICs. Each ASIC has been implemented by using an analog standard cell library. One such development was the SCA, which is design to provide a floating power switch control. The functional verification of this ASIC has been completed and the cells used have been targeted for the new development of the PWMA. The primary function of the PWMA is to provide the control function of a point of load power converter. The design is an isolated 60 W converter with a 33 V output. In architecting the design, several functions were left up to the power converter design in order to make the ASIC more generic. The ASIC can be used for several power converter topologies and power levels. Some additional features have been added to the ASIC to provide the interfaces for multi-phase topologies and battery control functions. An N+K fault tolerant strategy has been implemented in order to provide the battery control functions. The PWMA has been developed to provide an ASIC with several functions not normally available in the off the shelf controllers. These functions have been added to enable the power converter designers to achieve fault tolerant designs and battery control functions.

Pulse Width Modulator Application Specific Integra↗

NASA NTRS1999

A Strategy for Integrating a Large Finite Element Model Using MSC NASTRAN/PATRAN: X-33 Lessons Learned

The X-33 vehicle is an advanced technology demonstrator sponsored by NASA. For the past 3 years the Structural Dynamics and Loads Branch of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has had the task of integrating the X-33 vehicle structural finite element model. In that time, five versions of the integrated vehicle model have been produced and a strategy has evolved that would benefit anyone given the task of integrating structural finite element models that have been generated by various modelers and companies. The strategy that has been presented here consists of six decisions that need to be made: purpose of models, units, common materials list, model numbering, interface control, and archive format. This strategy has been proven and expanded from experience on the X-33 vehicle.

McGhee, D. S.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Coordination of Distributed Fuzzy Behaviors in Mobile Robot Control

This presentation describes an approach to behavior coordination and conflict resolution within the context of a hierarchical architecture of fuzzy behaviors. Coordination is achieved using weighted decision-making based on behavioral degrees of applicability. This strategy is appropriate for fuzzy control of systems that can be represented by hierarchical or decentralized structures.

Robotics Robot Navigation Fuzzy Logic Control Syst↗

NASA NTRS2005

Temporal Dynamic Controllability Revisited

An important issue for temporal planners is the ability to handle temporal uncertainty. We revisit the question of how to determine whether a given set of temporal requirements are feasible in the light of uncertain durations of some processes. In particular, we consider how best to determine whether a network is Dynamically Controllable, i.e., whether a dynamic strategy exists for executing the network that is guaranteed to satisfy the requirements. Previous work has shown the existence of a pseudo-polynomial algorithm for testing Dynamic Controllability. Here, we greatly simplify the previous framework, and present a true polynomial algorithm with a cutoff based only on the number of nodes.

Morris, Paul H.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Strategy for Integrating a Large Finite Element Model: X-33 Lessons Learned

The X-33 vehicle is an advanced technology demonstrator sponsored by NASA. For the past three years the Structural Dynamics & Loads Group of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has had the task of integrating the X-33 vehicle structural finite element model. In that time, five versions of the integrated vehicle model have been produced and a strategy has evolved that would benefit anyone given the task of integrating structural finite element models that have been generated by various modelers and companies. The strategy that has been presented here consists of six decisions that need to be made. These six decisions are: purpose of model, units, common material list, model numbering, interface control, and archive format. This strategy has been proved and expanded from experience on the X-33 vehicle.

McGhee, David S.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Microelectromechanical Systems

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is an enabling technology that merges computation and communication with sensing and actuation to change the way people and machines interact with the physical world. MEMS is a manufacturing technology that will impact widespread applications including: miniature inertial measurement measurement units for competent munitions and personal navigation; distributed unattended sensors; mass data storage devices; miniature analytical instruments; embedded pressure sensors; non-invasive biomedical sensors; fiber-optics components and networks; distributed aerodynamic control; and on-demand structural strength. The long term goal of ARPA's MEMS program is to merge information processing with sensing and actuation to realize new systems and strategies for both perceiving and controlling systems, processes, and the environment. The MEMS program has three major thrusts: advanced devices and processes, system design, and infrastructure.

Gabriel, Kaigham J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Maneuvering and vibration control of flexible spacecraft

This paper is concerned with the problem of slewing a large structure in space and suppressing any vibration at the same time. The structure is assumed to undergo large rigid-body motions and small elastic deformations. A perturbation method permits a maneuver strategy independent of the vibration control. Optimal control and pole placement techniques, formulated to include first-order actuator dynamics, are used to suppress the vibration during maneuver. The theory is illustrated by simultaneous maneuvering and vibration control of the Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) model in a space environment.

Meirovitch, L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Architectures for mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JPL is currently converting to an innovative control center data system which is a distributed, open architecture for telemetry delivery and which is enabling advancement towards improved automation and operability, as well as new technology, in mission operations at JPL. The scope of mission control within mission operations is examined. The concepts of a mission control center and how operability can affect the design of a control center data system are discussed. Examples of JPL's mission control architecture, data system development, and prototype efforts at the JPL Operations Engineering Laboratory are provided. Strategies for the future of mission control architectures are outlined.

Davidson, Reger A.↗